Of this last division of the 14th section there are two parts; — the first confirmative of what was spoken before concerning the use- fulness of the fear of hell and punishment for the furthering of the saints' obedience; the other responsatory to what is urged to the contrary from 1 John iv. 18, "Perfect love casteth out fear." For the first, it is granted that there are those two contrary principles of flesh and spirit, corruption and grace, in the hearts of all, even the best and most eminent saints, whilst they continue here below. But that these two should be principles acting themselves in their obe- dience, the one moved, incited, and stirred up by love, the other from the fear whereof we are speaking, is a fleshly, dark, anti-evan- gelical conceit. That the principle in believers which the Scripture calls "flesh" and "corruption" needs incitement to obedience, or is to be incited thereunto, as is affirmed, is no less corrupt than what was before mentioned. Look, whatsoever influence flesh or corruption hath into any of our obedience, so far that obedience is vitiated, corrupted, rendered unclean, and unacceptable before God. The flesh is to be crucified, slain, destroyed, not stirred up and provoked to obedience, being indeed disobedience in the abstract, — enmity to God. You may as well persuade darkness to shine as the flesh to obey. It is not "a fool" (as that allusion bespeaks it from Prov. xxvi. 3), "that would be imnily were not a rod ever and anon shaken over him," but it is folly itself, that is not to be cured, but killed, — not stirred up, but mortified. How that is to be done hath been for- merly at large declared. It is by the Spirit's bringing the cross and power of the death of Christ into the heart of the sinner, and not by any consideration of hell and punishment that we can take upon our-
XII.] OBJECTIONS TO THE DOCTRINE REFUTED. 475
vselves, — who never did, nor ever will, mortify any sin to the end of the world, — that this work is to be wrought.
Secondly, That which is added of " God's bountiful provision for the perseverance of the saints, by engaging the passion of /ear as well as love," is of no better a frame or constitution than that which went before. That our gracious Father hath made fuller, larger, and more certain, provision for our perseverance than any that can be afforded by the engaging of our passions by consideration of punishment or reward, I hope hath been sufficiently demonstrated. And if Mr Good- win intend no more by his love and fear of God than the engaging of those natural passions in us by the considerations intimated, I shall not be rival with him in his persuasion. The love we intend is a fruit of the Spirit of God in us, and the fear contended about is of the spirit ofhondage; which, though it be not pressed on us as our dut}'-, yet we hope that [such] bountiful provision is made for our perseverance as shall effectually support and preserve us to the end. Blessed be his name, his saints have many better guardians and keepers than a bondage frame of spirit upon the account of the wrath to com.e, from whence they are delivered by Christ ! They are in his own hand, and in the hand of his Son, and are kept through faith by his power to salvation. If this be the end of Mr Good- win's preaching the threatenings of God at any time, namely, that, the natural passion of fear being stirred up with the apprehensions of hell, the flesh that is in man may be incited to obedience, I hope he hath not many consenting with him in the same intendment.
Thirdly, To an objection framed from 1 John iv. 18, that "per- fect love casteth out fear," he tells us, first, " That it may be so, but whose love is perfect?" secondly, "That love cherisheth fear, until the flesh be quite cast out;" thirdly, "That the flesh would make love wanton and entice it to folly, did not fear dissolve the enchant- ment." But, —
1. Though love be not perfect to all degrees of perfection here, yet it may have, yea it hath, in the saints, the perfection of upright- ness and sincerity ; which is all that is here intended, and all that is required to it for the casting out of that tormenting fear of which the apostle speaks. "Fear," saith he, "hath torment;" and if our love cannot amount to such perfection as to cast it out, it being only to be cast out thereby, it is impossible we should ever be freed from torment all our days, or be filled with joy and consolation in believing; which would frustrate the glorious design of God, which he hath sworn himself willing to pursue, Heb. vi. 17, 18, and the great end of the death of Christ, which he hath perfectly accomplished, chap. ii. 14, 15.
2. It is true, there is a fear that love cherisheth, — the fear that God hath promised in the covenant of grace to preserve in our hearts all our days ; but to say it cherisheth the fear we speak of, and
476 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTs' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.