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Leading and Direction: The Spirit brings the Copy near hand us, and though we cannot attain, yet we should follow after; though we cannot make out the Leffon, yet we should be fcribling at it; and the more we exercise our felves this Way, fetting the Spirit's Direction before our Eyes, the more perfect shall we be.

whatsoever our Fancy or Inclination fugt gefts to us, that we must do withou; more Bands, if it be not directly finful whatfoever we apprehend, that we must vent and speak it out, tho' to little or no Edification; like that of Solomon, We deny our Hearts nothing they defire, except the Groffness of it reftrain us. Now, certainly if we knew what we are called to, who are the Sons of God, we could not but dilingage more with our felves, even in lawful Things, and give over the Conduct of our Hearts and Ways to the Spirit of our Father, whom we may be perfuaded of, that he will lead us in the Ways of Pleafantnefs and Peace.

Now, the special and peculiar Operations of the Spirit, are expreffed in the following Words: There are fome Workings of the Spirit of God that are but introductory and fubfervient to more excellent Works; and therefore they are tranfient, not appointed to continue long, for they are not his great Intendment; of this kind are thefe terrible Reprefentations of Sin and Wrath, of the Justice of God, which puts the Soul in a Fear, a trembling Fear; and while fuch à Soul is kept within the Apprehenfion of Sin and Judgment, 'tis fhut up, as it were, in Bondage. Now, though it be true, that in the Converfion of a Sinner, there is always fomething of this in more or less De

It is high Time indeed to pretend to this, to be a Son or a Daughter of God: "Tis a higher Word than if a Man could deduce his Genealogy from an uninterrupted Line of a thousand Kings and Princes; there is more Hono ur, true Honour in it, and more Profit too, 'tis that which enri hes the pooreft, and ennobles the baitft, inconceivably beyond all the imaginary Degrees of Men. Now, my Belo ved, this is the great Design of the Gofpel, to beftow this incomparable Privilege upon you, to become the Sons of God. But it is fad to think how many Souls fcarce think upon it, and how many delude themselves in it: But confider, that as many as are the Sons of God, are led by the Spirit of God, they have gotten a new Leader and Guider, other than their own Fancy or Humour, which once they followed in the Ignorance of their Hearts. It is lamentable to conceive how the moft Part of us are aЯted, and driven, and carried head-long, rather than gently led, by our own carnal and corrupt Inclinations; Men pretending to Christianity, yet hur-grees: yet because this is not the great ried away with every self-pleafing Object, as if they were not Masters of themselves, furiously agitated by violent Lufts, mifcarried continually against the very Dictates of their own Reason and Confcience. And I fear there is too much of thefe, even in those who have more Reafon to affume this honourable Title of Son-fhip. I know not how we are exceedingly addicted to self-pleasing in every Thing,

Design of the Gospel, to put Men in Fear, but rather to give them Confidence; nor the great Intendment of God in the Dif penfation of the Law, to bring a Soul inBondage under Terror, but rather by the Gospel to free them from that Bondage; therefore he hath Reafon to exprels it thus, ye bave not received the Spirit of Bondage again to. fear, &c. But there are other Operations of the

Spirit,

Lufts, which are as the Chains that are put about Malefactors before they go to Prifon, He that commits Sin is a Ser vant of Sin, Joh. viii. 34. And to be a Servant of Sin, is Slavery under the moft cruel Tyrant: All thefe Things are, yet how few Souls do apprehend it feriously, or are weary of their Prifon? How few groan to be delivered? Nay, the mott part account it only Liberty, to

Spirit, which are chiefly intended, and principally bestowed, as the great Gift of our Father, to exprefs his Bounty and Goodness towards us; and from thefe he is called the Spirit of Adoption, and the Spirit of Interceffion. The Spirit of Adoption, not only in regard of that Witnefs-bearing and Teftification to our Confciences of God's Love and Favour, and our Intereft in it, as in the next er but alfo in regard of that Child-like Dif-hate rue Delivery as Bondage. But pofition of Reverence and Love and Re- fome there are, whofe Eyes the Spirit of fpect that he begets in our Hearts towards God opens, and lets them fee their BonGod, as our Father: And from both thefe dage and Slavery, and how they are con flows this next working, crying, Abba, cluded under the moft heavy and weighty Father, aiding and affifting us in prefent- Senentce that ever was pronounced, the ing our Neceffities to our Father, making Curfe and Wrath of the ever living God, this the continued Vent of the Heart in all that there is no Way to flie from it, or Extremities, to pour out all that burthens efcape it, for any Thing they can do or us in our Father's Bofom: And this gives know. Now indeed, this ferious Difmarvellous Eafe to the Heart, and releases covery cannot choose but make the Heart it from the Bondage of Carefulness and of a Man to tremble, as David, my Anxiety, which it may be fubject to, after Heart trembles because of thy Judg the Soul is delivered from the Fear and ments, and I am afraid of thee, Pfal. cxix. 120. Such a ferious RepresentatiBondage of Wrath. on will make the ftouteft and proudest Heart to faH down, and faint for Fear of that infinite intolerable Weight of deferved Wrath, and then the Soul is in a fenfible Bondage, that before was in a real, but infenfible Bondage; then 'tis invironed about with bitter Accufations, with dreadful Challenges, then the Law of God arrefts and confines the Soul within the Bounds of its own accusing Confcience; and this is fome previous Reprefentation of that eternal Imprisonment and Banishment from the Prefence of God. Albeit many of you are free from this Fear, and enjoy a kind of Liberty to ferve your own Lufts, and are not fen-fible of any Thraldom of your Spirits; yet certainly the Lord will fometime ar. reft you, and bring you to this fpiritual

Let us fpeak then to thefe in order The first working of the Spirit is, to put aMan in Fear of himself,and such a Fear as mightily ftraitens and embondages the Soul of Man: And this, though in it felf it be neither so pleasant nor excellent, as to make it come under the Notion of any Gift from God, it having rather the Nature of a Torment and Punishment, and being some Sparkle of Hell already kind led in the Confcience; yet, hath made it beautiful and seasonable in its Ufe and End, because he makes it to usher in the pleasant and refreshing Sight of a Saviour, and the Report of God's Love to the World in him. It is true,, all Men are in Bondage to Sin and Satan, and fhut up in the Darkness of Ignorance and Unbelief, and bound in the Fetters of their own

Bondage

Ears.

Bondage, when he shall make the Ini-Scales off our Eyes, and opens our closed quities of your Heels encompass you about, and the Curfes of his Law furround you: When your Confcience accuseth, and God condemneth, it may be too late, and out of Date.

Alas then! What will you do, who now put your Confcience by, and will not hearken to it, or be put in Fear by any Thing can be reprefented to you: We do not defire to, put you in Fear, where no Fear is; but where there is infinite Cause of Fear, and when it is pof fible that Fear may introduce Faith, and be the Forerunner of these glad Tidings that will compofe the Soul: We defire only you may know what Bondage you are really into, whether it be observed or not, that you may fear, left you be enthralled in the Chains of everlafting Darkness, and fo may be perfuaded to flee from it before it be irrcoverable. What a vain and empty Sound is the Gospel of Liberty by a Redeemer, to the moft Part who do not feel their Bondage? Who believes its Report, or cares much for it? Because it is Neceffity that cafts a Beauty and Luftre upon it, or takes the

Now for you, who either are, or have been detained in this Bondage, under the fearful Apprehenfion of the Wrath of God, and the fad Remembrance of your Sins, know that this is not the prime Intent, and grand Business to torment you, as it were, before the Time; there is fome other more beautiful and fatisfying Strusture to be raised out of this Foundation: I would have you improve it thus, to commend the Neceffiy, the abfolute Neceffity of a Redeemer, and to make him beautiful in your Eyes. Do not dwell upon that, as if it were the ultimate or laft Work, but know that you are calledin this rational Way to come out of your felves into this glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, purchased by Chrift, and revealed in the Gofpel. Know you have not received the Spirit of Bondage only to Fear, but to drive you to Faith in a Saviour; and then you ought fo to walk, as not to return to that former Thraldom of the Fear of Wrath, but believe his Love.

SER

SERMON XXXVII.

Verfe 14, 15. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God. For ye have not receiv ed the Spirit of Bondage again to fear: But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

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THE Life of Chriftianity, take it in Wrath, in the Souls of fomé Chriftians, it felf, it is the most pleasant and which keep them in much Thraldom? joyful Life that can be, exempted from At leaft, who is it that is not once and thefe Fears and Cares, thefe Sorrows and often brought in Bondage after Converfi Anxieties, that all other Lives are fubject on, and made to apprehend fearfully their unto; for this of Neceffity must be the own Eftate, who hath fuch conftant uninterForce and Efficacy of true Religion, if rupted Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghoft, it be indeed true to its Name, to disbur- or lyes under fuch direct Beams of divine den and eafe the Heart, and fill it with all Favour, but it is fometimes ecclipfed, and manner of Confolation. Certainly it is their Souls filled with the Darkness of the most rich Subject, and most com- Horrour and Terrour? And truly the pleatly furnished with all Variety of De- moft part tafte not fo much Sweetness lights to entertain a Soul, that can be ima- in Religion, as makes them unceffant and gined: Yet, I must confefs, while we unwearied in the Ways of Godliness: confult with the Experience and Practice Yet notwithstanding of all this, we must of Chriftians, this bold Affertion feems vindicate Chriftianity it felf, and not im to be much weakned, and too much pute thefe Things unto it, which are the Ground is given to confirm the contrary Infirmities and Faults of the Followers of Misapprehenfions of the World, who it, who do not improve it unto fuch an take it to be a fullen, melancholick, and Ufe, or use it fo far as in it felf it is capdifconfolate Life, attended with many able. Indeed, it is true that often we Fears and Sorrows. It is, alas! too e-are brought to fear again, yet withall it vident, that many Chriftians are kept in Bondage, almost all their Life-time, through Fear of eternal Death, how many difinal Representations of Sin and

is certain, that our Allowance is larger, and that we have received the Spirit, not to put us in Bondage again to fear, but rather to feal to our Hearts that

Love of God, which may not only expel Fear, but bring in Joy. I wish that this were deeply confidered by all of us, that there is fuch a Life as this attainable; that the Word of God doth not deceive us in promifing fair Things, which it cannot perform, but that there is a certain Reality in the Life of Chriflianity, in that Peace and Joy, Tranquility and Serenity of Mind that is holden out, and that fome, have really found it, and do find it; and that the Reason why as all of us do not find it in Experience, is not because it is not, but because we have fo little Apprehenfion of it, and Diligence after it. It is ftrange, that all Men who have purfued Satisfaction in the Things of this Life, being disappointed, and one Generation witneffing this to another, and one Perfon to another, that notwithstanding, Men are this Day as fresh in the Purfuit of that, as big in the Expectations as ever: And yet in this Business of Religion, and the Happiness to be found in it, though the Oracles of God in all Ages have teftified from Heaven how certain and poffible it is, though many have found it in Experience, and left on Record to others; yet there is fo flender Belief of the Reality and Certainty of it, and fo flack Pursuit of it, as if we did not believe it at all. Truly, my Beloved, there is a great Miftake in this, and 'tis generally too: All Men apprehend other Things more feasable and attainable than perfonal Holiness and Happiness in it; but truly, I conceive there is nothing in the World fo practicable as this, nothing made fo eafie, fo certain to a Soul that really minds it.

Let us take it fo then, the Fault is not Religion's, that these who profe's it are ubject to fo much Fear and Care, and difquieted with fo much Sorrow; it is

may

rather because Chriftianity doth not sink into the Hearts and Souls of Men, but only puts a Tincture on their Out-side, or because the Faith of divine Truths is fo fuperficial, and the Confideration of them fo flight, that they cannot have much Ef ficacy and Influence on the Heart, to quiet and compofe it. Is it any Wonder that fome Souls be fubject again to the Bondage of Fear and Terror, when they do not stand in Aw to Sin? Much Liberty to Sin, will certainly embondage the Spirit of a Chriftian to fear. Suppose a Believer in Jefus Chrift be exempted from the Hazard of Condemnation; yet he is the greatest Fool in the World that would on that Account venture on Satiffaction to his Lufts; for though it be true that he be not in Danger of eternal Wrath, yet he may find fo much pre fent Wrath in his Confcience, make him think it was a foolish Bargain ; he may lofe fo much of the Sweetness of the Peace and Joy of God, as all the Plea fures of Sin cannot compenfe: Therefore to the End that you whose Souls are once pacified by the Blood of Chrift, and compofed by his Word of Promife, may enjoy that conftant Reft and Tranquillity, as not to be entnraled again to your old Fears and Terrors, I would advise and recommend to you thefe two Things; one is, that ye would be much in the Study of that Allowance which the Promifes of Chrift afford: Be much in the ferious Apprehenfion of the Gospel, and certainly your Doubts and Fears would evanish, at one Puff of fuch a rooted and established Meditation. Think what you are called to, not to fear a gain, but to love rather, and honour him as a Father: and then take heed to walk fuitably, and preferve your Seal of A doption unblotted, unrufted: You would

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