The Covenant of Life Opened, Part 1 · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII. Of cases of Law-fear, and Gospel-faith: How a child of God fears Law-threatnings.
FRom these properties flow diverse cases touching the stability of the Saints, their perseverance, their temptations, their standing in grace.
1. If they cannot fall away, who are thus seated in the Covenant, is not free will left to much loosnesse of security? Answ. Not at all: For a principle of Godly fear is fixed in the heart, and so in free will, never to depart from God, Jer. 32.39, 40. And where this Godly aw is, the heart is in a Godly trembling and fear, and darre not be loose, wanton, and secure to fear nothing, but fears alway, Prov. 28.14. and fears and trembles at the Lord and his goodnesse, Hos. 3.5. A Godly heart trembles more for fear of grace and the debt of grace, then of justice and wrath; and fears sin more, as it is against the bands of grace, and against Christ, and Gospel-love who can save, then as it is against Law the Law-giver, and him who eternally destroyes. And so the aw of heaven hath a stronger impression then the terrour and aw of hell.
Quest. 2. How can the fear of falling away, and the faith of perseverance absolutely promised and absolutely given, consist together?
How fear of law-fear acts upon a beleever.Ans. The Law-fear of falling away, and the Gospel faith of persevering are not consistent. The fear legall of the least sinne is a fear of hell and of eternall wrath to be irrecoverably inflicted, but because the person is under grace, the beleever cannot fear this fear, except the Law-fear be letten out against him as a temptation, but it is not his oblidged duty so to fear.
2. The Law-fear upon a beleever is conditionall, and not absolute, as he fears hell and falling away, jure, as his deserving, if God should enter in judgement with him, and if he were not in CHRIST: But he is oblidged to a Gospel-faith which layes hold on Christ, righteousnesse, and deliverance from condemnation, and if Christ and interest in him be hid from him, and nothing on but Law-fear, that is a triall, not a duty of Law-fear. *So the faith of Joseph & Mary, that Christ their Son shal be great shal sit▪ in the Thron. of DAVID his father & shal raign over the house of Jacob for ever, Luk. 1.32, 33. did wel consist with that holy and obedientiall fear of fleeing into Egypt, for fear that Herod shuld murther that hopefull young King in his cradle▪ Math. 2.But there is a Godly▪ Law-fear, or a Gospel-Law-fear, which is a Godly horrour conditionall for that which is never to be inflicted, but yet according to deserving may be inflicted, and this is the terrour of the Lord, which breedeth Gospel perswasion, 2 Cor. 5.11. and so may well stand with Gospel-faith and assurance of deliverance from falling away and of being stablished and confirmed to the end. As a child in the fathers arm threatened to be cast over a sharp Rock in the Sea, may have horrour and fear, and cry out for fear, and yet beleeve so his fathers compassion as he will not throw him in the Sea, because the threatning is ordained not to be exercised, but that the child may so much the more thrust his arms about his fathers neck.
Quest. 3. What is the best victory over temptations from such fears?
Ans. As in all temptations, so here,What is to be done under tentations. overcoming is attended with precious promises, which are to be read, Rev. c. 2.7.17.26, 27, 28. c. 3.5.12.21. Rev. 21.
For 1. Feavers of the Law that have no kindly cools, and relenting by the promises of the Gospel, tend not to the strengthning of the life of God, but only when they leave a standing self loathing, and loving of Christ.
2. It argues the strength of faith, after many, yea six foyles to stand; as the Army that is broken six times, yet rallies and draws up again, is often at the seventh time victorious.
3. Such as stand against a strong and mighty tentation, b…ing pressed out of measure, above strength, as Paul was, 2 Cor. 1.8, 9. in so much (saith he) that we despaired even of life. But wee had the sentence of death in our selves, do prevail to the being taught of God, not to trust in our selves, but in God who quickens the dead: For here there comes reall strength from fighting: As he who, by strength of nature, lives and convalesceth after a running boatch and strong pestilence, goes through pest-houses and is never infected again. So the worthies by faith who overcame strong temptations, Heb. 11. to the end, keep the fields and prevail till death.
4. Godly fear of self-weaknesse and trembling at sin which may darken the feelings of received mercies and sweet influences addeth strength. Something of that is here, 2 Cor. 12.10. when I am weak, then am I strong.
5. A fixed peace in assurance of deliverance from condemnation, and quietnesse in beleeving pardon and righteousnesse in Christ, ought alwayes to be, as touching the state of Justification: for the questioning of this in a beleever, if Antinomians will yeeld to truth, is contrair to faith, and no warrantable assurance. But 2. a fixed peace in David, immediatly after blood-shed and adultery, before beleeving of the remission of these particular sins be,What way a fixed peace is in the children of GOD. in the Lords order, renewed, is security, and not Godly peace. Psal. 32.3. While I keept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day. 5. I acknowledged — and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Psal. 51.1, 2, 3, &c. prove this. But it may be said, doth not this holy feeling of, and trouble for the particular hainous guiltinesse, brangle the fixed peace and the persons faith and confidence that he is in a state of justification? Ans. Not at all:A beleever ought not to cōplain of a state of non justificatiō, but ought to complain of a state of non sanctification for the outcries of the child of God, Rom. 7.24. under, not a finger, or an arm, or a leg, but a body of sinne: O wretched man, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? are good, and much feeling of pain argues much life. And such as in this regard say, I thank God, I was plagued and pained, but now nothing ails me, I have peace, I am rich, I have need of nothing, Revel. 3.17. I am all whole, must be in a dangerous case. Indeed the complaining of want of justification and of the righteousnesse of God in a believer, and a raising of the foundation, as Psal. 31.22. Jonah 2.4. I am cast out of thy sight: are both false and bastard-feelings, and hastie unbelief: for this is a reflection upon, and a reproaching of the Office of the Healer of sinners▪ This is contrair to faith, and the former is a complaining of the body of sin that can hardly be sclandered; so a complaining of self, and the feeling of inherent corruption weakens not, but strengthens faith. And complaining thus, and triumphing in a believed▪ justification, do well consort in Paul, Rom. 7.24. O wretched man, &c. v. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord: and Rom. 8.1. Then every feeling of sin is not contrair to faith, as Mr. Town and other Antinomians teach, some godly tender feeling foments faith.
Q. 6. How cometh it to passe that seldome feeling of sin wanteth unbeleef?
Ans. Our looking, in a Legall, not in an Evangelick way, upon sin,Why feeling of sin, seldome wants unbeleef. doth occasion unbelief: for looking to the sicknesse of the sinner is but abused, when this use is made of it, that the question which Christ hath aboundantly answered; Ah he hath not, who satisfied and payed my ransome, justified me also by the Redemption that is in him: but the strong body of sin which leads me captive, Rom. 7.23. doth also lead, rather mislead me to doubt whether the ransome was sufficiently payed, and I sufficiently and freely, by his grace and the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus, justified, as Rom. 3.24. And because the sinner feels the stirring and too vigorous acting of a body of sin, which is his own work, he removes the foundation-stones laid by Christ, and questions the well done work of Christ, and thrusts in his sickle into Christs harvest: which is upon the mater to say, Ah my sanctification is nought or small: Therefore Christs satisfaction is weak, so the man,Oftē when the believer complains of his own sanctificatiō, because of guiltines lately acted, he also unbeleevingly cō plaines of Christ his performed satisfactiō, as if it were weak. laying the burden upon the wrong back, will take and pull off the burden that Christ in his own body did bear on the tree, as 1 Pet. 2.24. and wrestle under his own body of sin himself, and he thinks he will do the busines better himself then Christ. This is that which Antinomians imput to us groundlesly, but it is our sinfull weaknesse so to be troubled at the indwelling of a body of sin, as we doubt of and call in question the work of Justification and the satisfaction of Christ. But there is good cause why the sinner quarrel with himself and complain of a body of sin, and yet not only quarrell with Christ, but exalt Christ, and by faith close with the absolutenesse of his gifted satisfaction and righteousnesse. And this is as easie by the Grace of God, as we see the more that a gracious soul abases himself, as one carnall and sold under sin, Rom. 7.14. as one in whom there dwells no good, as touching the flesh, v. 18. in whom sin dwells, v. 20. as one brought into captivity to the Law of sin, and a wretched man, 24. so much the more doth he exalt Christ the only deliverer, Rom. 7.25. Rom. 8.1, 23, 33, 34, 35. and why should not our blacknesse commend Christs beauty, our deadness exalt his life, our sinfull wretchednesse his glorious office in saving, and our emptinesse and drynesse his fulnesse of the anointing who is all fulnesse?