The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. What it is in the Apoſtles ſenſe.
BEing reſolved (by Gods aſſiſtance) to handle Theologically and practically thoſe two grand myſteries of godlineſſe, the ſouls ſpiritual trouble, and peace, in their nature, manner of working, proper differences from any other workes, and the ſeveral caſes ariſing from the practical view of thoſe heads: we will firſt begin with that work which in the Elect of God is uſually firſt wrought, viz. Spiritual trouble.
Now becauſe the conſideration of a work as it relates to the efficient and other cauſes, and that of a condition or ſtate, as it relates to the ſubject in whom it is wrought, are both in notion and practiſe diſtinct; and ſeeing both of theſe conſiderations will frequently offer themſelves to us in the courſe of this Treatiſe, with relation to the ſubject in hand; therefore I have taken the riſe and ſpring of my Meditations from ſuch a Scripture, as affords us both conjoyned, viz. that of the Apoſtle Paul, Rom. 8. 15. Where the Apoſtle [as it is a work or effect] by a metonimy calls it the Spirit (that works) to fear; [as it is a condition or ſtate] he calls it Bondage. And being to conſider it as a work or impreſſion of ſuch a cauſe upon ſuch a ſubject, and reducing that ſubject to ſuch a condition, he very fitly joyns both notions and conſiderations into this one character or deſcription.
The reception of the Spirit of Bondage to fear: whence we will take our riſe for a brief view of theſe heads.
1. The efficient cauſe, the Spirit.
2. The effect of that Spirit, which is the inward condition or ſtate of the ſoul in which it is. Bondage
3. The impreſſion wrought by this effect in the ſubject, reduced thereby to this condition, fear.
4. The way or manner of this work and communication of influence from the efficient, whereby it is effected, Receiving,
5. The perſons in whom this operation is wrought, and who thereby are reduced to this condition, and feel the impreſſion thereof, Ye.
6. The time of this work of the Spirit, and condition of the patients in whom it is wrought, implied in the whole frame of the verſe: which is, during the time of Tranſition from Nature to Grace, from alienation and enmity, to adoption, and friendſhip.
1. What this Spirit is who is the efficient cauſe of this work, hath not a little perplexed Interpreters. Chryſostome, and (out of him) Oecumenius, and Auguſtine, and divers modern Writers both Popiſh and Reformed underſtand this whole clauſe concerning Jewiſh Pedagogy, or diſcipline under which God held them under the Law of Moſes. The two Spirits here received (ſaith Auguſtine) are ſuted to the times of the two Teſtaments, Evidentiſſimè duorū Teſtamentorum diſtinct a ſunt tempora; illud enim ad timorem pertinet, novum autem ad charitatem. Aug. in locum.the Old pertains to a ſeaſon or work of fear; the Now to that of love.
So ſays Calvin, he calls the Old Taſtament Vetus Teſtamentum. Calv. Inſt. Gua. in loc.a ſpirit of Bondage, becauſe it begets fear in mens minds. And with him joyns Gualther.
So Chryſoſtome (who goes …arther then any foreign. Oecum. in …ocum. foreign. & foreign. Chryſ. in locum. Logem pr… ponit nud ā, quatenus in eā Deus nebiſcum operum reſpectu paciſcitur.I m…et withal in this Argument) affirming divers things concerning the condition of the Jewes under the Law, for which he is deſervedly taxed by Peter Martyr; As that The Jews received not the Spirit. That, what is here called the Spirit of Bondage was their Law; ſo termed becauſe it was a Spiritual Law. That the Adoption (attributed to them, Rom 9.) was a meere titular honour. That they called not God Fatherin prayer, &c. And Oecuminius and Oſo…ius follow him.
But ſurely if theſe holy men underſtand theſe things, concerning the believing Jews, they undertake to affirm that concerning them which (beſides the expreſſe Teſtimony of divers Scriptures againſt it, (ſuch as) Pſ. 51 11, 12 Pro. 1 23. Pſ. 89 26. Iſ. 63. 16. &c.) excludes them al out of heaven; & therefore, I (in charity) conceive, that they rather underſtand the body of the Jewiſh Church, concerning whom, theſe things may (with a moderate & candid interpretatiō, be allowed to be ſpoken, with reſpect to the major part, who though profeſſed believers, yet were real unbelievers.
Calvin, and the modern writers, though they follow theſe Ancients in the in…erpretation of this place concerning the Jewes, and their Law, yet moderate the language they uſe. If the Law, ſaith he, (Calvin) be looked upon in it ſelf, it cannot but binde men under bondage, and fear of death, ſeeing it promiſeth no good but under conditions, and pronounceth a curſe of death upon every one that doth not keep them, Gal. 3. 10. And therefore ſaith he, the Apoſtle here ſpeaks of the Law barely as a Covenant of works, and (ſo conſidered) And Si lex in ſe conſideretur, nihil quàm miſerae ſcrvi…uti addicto… mortis quoque borrore conſtringere homines poteſt, quia nihil boni promittit niſi ſub conditione; mortem quoque edicit in omnes tranſgreſſores. Calv. in locum: A…d non habuerunt ſporitum laetitiae & libertatis à lege, ſed ad evangelium confugerunt. Id…m, Inſtit. Gratia adoptionis erat obſcuriùs adumbrata▪ & paucioribus conceſſa. Gualth. in locum.the Jews received no ſpirit of J…y, and liberty from the Law. But what of that they had, was from th… Goſpel intermixed therewith. And Gualther explains it farther, thus. He ſpeaks not of a diſtinction between the perſons of the godly under both Teſtaments; but of the different miniſtery of both. The grace of adoption was them more obſcurely ſhadowed out and granted to a few onelyonly, in compariſon with the times of Goſpel miniſtration.
Thus they. But by the leave of ſo many learned and godly men, I ſhall take liberty (in part) to follow a different Interpretation. For this reaſ…n; Becauſe the Apoſtle here ſpeaks not of the Spirit of Bondage and Adoption as received by the Jews but by Gentile Romās, who were never under that pedagogy, and yet they were under this Spirit of Bondage once, as well as now under the Spirit of Adoption. Yet ſhall I not ſcruple to take ſo much of their interpretation as concernes the nature of the work wrought, which fills the conſcience with horrour of death, as Calvin before ſpeaks. But whereas he takes the Spirit here ſpoken of only for the Inſtrumental cauſ…, the Law, I cannot go with him there: but interpret it concerning the efficient cauſe; or at leaſt the inſtrumental cauſe as it is in the hand of the efficient, the Law in the hands of the Spirit.
But it may ſtill be a queſtion, what Spirit it is that uſeth the Law in this work? Auguſtine (before mentioned) interprets it of the evil ſpirit, the Devil, under whom men in the time of their unregeneracie, are in bondage, ſutably to the Apoſtles other expreſſion, Eph. 2. 2. foreign the ſpirit that works in the children of diſobedience. This Spirit indeed is a Spirit of bondage, keeping ſoules in the baſeſt ſlavery, taking them priſoners, like Turkiſh gally-ſlaves, and chaining them to his oars, that they may do his will. 2 Tim. 2. 26. But ſure this wicked ſpirit is not here meant, for (in the Apoſtles phraſe) the ſpirit of bondage is ſaid to be a received ſpirit.
Now the power of Satan in the hearts of unregenerate men, is by reaſon of original corruption connatural to them, and ſo cannot-properly be ſaid to be received. Beſides, the ſame word being uſed in relation to this Spirit, which is affirmed concerning the Spirit of Adoption, (ſeeing the receiving of the latter, is to be underſtood by way of gift and peculiar grace from God) I think the former muſt be interpreted ſo too. Now the domineering power of Satan is no gift received from God, from whom comes down none but good and perfect gifts. Ja. 1. 17.
This Spirit therefore that works the bondage, and thereby the fear we ſpeak of, we De uno eodemq… Spiritu loquens, diverſa…i effect a tribuit. Gualth. in locum.have found out (at laſt) to be a Spirit received (as a gift of grace) from God; and that can be no other then the Holy Spirit of God. He it is that creates trouble in the hearts of Gods Elect in order to converſion, as well as peace after it. And as he is called afterwards a Spirit of Adoption, becauſe he is the efficient cauſe of the enjoyment and ſenſe of that priviledge: ſo here the Spirit of Bondage, becauſe by the Law, he reduceth the ſouls of Gods Elect, in order to regeneration, under bondage and fear.
2. This then being the Spirit from whoſe efficiency ariſeth this effect, the effect muſt be ſuch as is ſutable to the cauſe. The holy Spirit of God cannot be ſuppoſed to bring any ſoul into an unholy bondage. And therefore the condition of ſervitude here ſpoken of, is not ſuch a ſervitude as we before mentioned, a bondage or ſervitude under the command of ſinne; but a bondage or ſervitude under the guilt of ſinne: not a bondage to ſin, but a bondage for ſin: and a bondage, that is the beginning of liberty from ſin, That bondage is a voluntary bondage, a bondage which men are no way ſenſible of, nay they are ſo farre from being ſenſible of it unto fear (as the Apoſtle here ſpeaks) that they count it the greateſt liberty, and lie under it in the greateſt ſecurity.
But this bondage is (naturally) involuntary, ſuch as a mans heart is by nature irreconcileably averſe to, and is therefore wrought in the conſcience, by the mighty convictions of the Spirit of God over-powring it by an irreſiſtible, and effectual illumination, and binding it with the chaines and fetters of that light, under a deep and ſerious conviction of the ſinfulneſſe and miſery of its own condition. It is (in a word) when a ſoul lies under the arreſt of the Spirit, arming the Law to ſeize upon it, and dragg it before the Judgment ſeat of God in the Conſcience, to receive its ſentence according to its deſert, a ſentence of death within it ſelfe (in the ſame Apoſtles expreſſion, though in another ſenſe. 2 Cor. 1. 9.) upon the pronouncing whereof, the Law lays heavy fetters and chaines of darkeneſſe upon the ſoul, that keep it ſhut up to the hope that afterwards (by the Goſpel) is revealed.
3. The proper impreſſions of this condition muſt needs be fearfull. And thence is this Spirit ſaid to be the Author of bondage to fear. And is therefore called the Spirit of fear, 2 Tim. 1. 7. This is that fear, which the Author to the Hebrews, 2. 15. tells us that men may be all their lives long enſlaved unto, til Chriſt deliver them: A fear of Death. i. e. of eternal death, the wages of ſinne: A fear that gives a convinced ſinner a taſt of hell here; it is the very anguiſh, and ſmart of the arrows of God ſticking faſt in Job. 6. 4.a mans ſpirit, the very wales, and furrowes, which when the back of conſcience is plowed up with the knotted whips of its own guilt, do feſter, and ſtinke, and corrupt, (as David Pſal. 38, 5expreſſeth it) that is, make the ſpirit of a man a burthen to it ſelfe, and that intolerable.
This is the condition which the Apoſtle expreſſeth, and I am to handle under the notion of the Spirit of bondage, i. e. That Work of Gods Spirit, whereby he convinceth, and terrifieth ſinners in order to converſion.
4. And when he doth ſo (in the fourth place) we are ſaid to receive him; that is, to be (through free grace) the patient and ſubmiſſive ſubjects of this influence of his, bearing the indignation of the Lord becauſe we have ſined Lam. 3. 29againſt him; and laying our mouth in the duſt if ſo be there may be hope, until God ſhall command deliverance for us, and pull us out of the horrible pit, and out of the deep mire and clay, and break thoſe chains of hell, and ſnares of death, wherein we are fettered, and bring us forth into a large place.
5. The Subjects of this Work of the Spirit, the Apoſtle expreſſeth under the pronoun Ye, including the generality of believers among the Romans, and in them, the generality of beleevers among all Nations, in all times; theſe works being of a common nature to all the people of God, there being nothing in any one Saint, which renders him a more incapable ſubject of this work, then in another, and nothing in the Word elſewhere to priviledge one above another herein.
6. (And laſtly,) the time of the Saints being under this work, the Apoſtle plainly expreſſeth, not to be then, when by faith they could call God Father; the influence of the Spirit of Adoption enabling them ſo to do, delivered them out of that fearful condition; whence it follows that the experience they had of this work was before their Adoption, and relation to God thereby, as before I have declared.
And ſo much ſhall ſuffice for this firſt Chapter, the clearing of our Subject. And this done, wee will proceed to the handling of it, in the following Chapters.