236 The Life of Faith. fore will obey as Sons. ) For we have-not received the #iris of bondage again to fear ; but we have received the Spirit ofAdop- tion, whereby we cry Abba Father, Rom. 8.14, 15. Chrift fuf- f-red death to overcome the Devil that had the power of death, and to deliver us from the fears of it, which was the bondage of our lives, Heb. 2. 14,15. That we might jerve God without far, in holinefs and righteoufnefs, all the dales of our lives, Luke 1.74. There isno fear in love ; but perfebi love caff- etb out fear, becau/e fear bath torment, r John 4. 18. The meaning is, not on'y that the Love of God cafleth out thefear of wren, and perfecution; but alto that it maketh the fear of tormenting punifFment, to become unnecef ary_todrive us to obedience, fo far as the Loveof God and of obedience doth prevail : He that loved' more to feajf, than to fare hardly, to be rich, than to be poor, (and fo to be obedient and holy,than to be unholy) need not (fo far) any fear of punifhment to drive him to it. Even as the Love of the world, as adverfe to the Love ofGod, is overcome by Faith, r John 2. 15. and yet the Love of the world asGods creature, and as reprefenting him, and fandified to his fervice, is but fubordinate to the Love of the Father; fo alto Fear as adverfe to Love, or as disjunta from it, is cart out by it : But as it fubferveth it in watching againfl the cot mies of Love, and is truly filial, it is a fruit of Faith, and thebeginning ofwifdom. Employ Faith therefore day by day,in looking into the Love of God in Chriti, and the Kingdom of Glory, the reward of obedience, and the beautiesof holinefs, and the merciful con- ditions offilial obedience (when we have a pardon of our . infirmities, and are accepted inChrifl) that fo we may feel that Chriffs yoak,is eafie, and bis burden light, andbis Command- ments are not grievous, Mat. 1r. 28, 29. r John 5. 3. And when Faithh ith taughtyou tohunger and tbirft after rigbte- oufnefi and to delight to do the will of God, Love which is the end of Faith will fatisfie you, Mat. 5.6.. Pjal. 40.8. Dire& 5. Takefpecial notice how ¡likable a holy Law is to .tie nature of amoff holy God; and how much he is honoured in that demonffration of bit holinefs; and bow odious a thing it wouldbe to with, that the moff holy one would bave made for sis an unholy Law. Would
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