Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT768 .O9 1654

Whatthat Feare iswhich Love cafaeth out s 3oh.4 18. C. XII. 4; 6a fearer; How farce this kind ofFeare, the feare ofHell, not as declarative of 2 97 the terrour of the Lord, but as probable to betide, andbefall theperlons fo fearing it, and th at folely confidered as an evil! to himfelfe, may be a prin- ciple ofany a& ofacceptable Gofpell Obedience is not clearedby Mr Good- win, nor eafilywill be fo. For J. That it is not the intendment ofany divine Th. reatningi tobeget fuch a Feare in referenceto them h t believe, hath beened Glared. 2. It is no fruit or produ&of the Spirit ofLife and Love,which as hash beene thowne is the principle of all our Obedience and walking with God. 3. It holds out a frame of Spirit direly contrary towhat weare called and admittedunto under the Gofpell;ForGod hath notgiven le the. Spirit Of feare, but ofPoroer, ofLove, andofafound mincie. 2 lima. 7. and Rom. 8,15 We have not receivedthe spirit of bondage unto feare, but theSpirit ofAdoption whereby we cry Abba Father. TheSpirit of this Feare and Dreade,, and the bondagethat attends it,is at open variance with the Spirit of Liberty, Bold - neffe, Power, Adoption, and a found mincie wherewith Believers are in- clued. And 4. It is that which the Lord'ChrifF intended to remove and takeaway from his, by his death, Heb. 2.15. He dyedthat he might deliver them, whofor feareofdeath were inbondage all their dayes. This feare then I fay, which is neither Promife ofthe Covenant, nor fruit oftheSpirit, nor produ&of laving Faith, will fcarceupon f}ri& inquiry be found to be any great furtherer ofthe Saints Obedience;what ufe the Lord is pleafed to makeof thisdread and terrour in the heartsof any ofhis, for the hedgingup theirwayes from folly,and flaying them off from any Attuali evill when through the f}rength of Temptation they do begin to cart off the Law ofLife and Love whereby they are governed, is not in' the leaft prejudiced by any thingaffected in the Dottrine of the Saints Perfeverance; Toward fome whothough they are perfwaded ofthe PerfeveraneeoftheSaints Indeñ- nitely, yet have no perfwafion, or at leaft no prevailing chearing Affttrance that themfelves are Saints (which Mr Goodwin thinkes to be the condition of far the greatef} part ofBelievers) it bath its full power & extent, its whole efficacy depending on theApprehenfons ofthemincie wherein it is. Towards the refidue, who upon abiding grounds and lure foundations have obtained a comfortable, Spiritual) perfwafìon of their owne Intereflin the Promifes ofGod, That theconfideration ofHell andJudgment as the due debt offinne and neceflàry vindication ofthe GloryofGod bath alto its Effe&s and influ- ence, asfarreas God ispleafed to exercife them therewith,acquainting them conti nuallywith hisTerreur, and filling them with an abhorrency ofthofe waye s which in and of themfelves, rene to fodifinall an end and iffue, hath beend _Glared - Secondly, the placesof Scripture mentioned by Mr Goodwindoubtleffe will not reach his intendmend. OfNoah it is fsid, that he was EVA..,ept , after he Y' 6d° wasTexot.,,mshs; Being warnedofGod ofthat flood that was for to come upon the Worldof ungodly men , and the Salvation of himfelfe and his Family by theArlie; being filled with the Reverence ofGod and alluredof hisowne prefervation, he induftrioufly lets himfelfe about the ufe of'the meanes, whereby it was tobe accomplifhed. That becaufe a man affured ofan end from God himfelfe, in and by the ufe of meanes, did with a Reverential! Feare ofGod, not ofany evill threatned which he wastobepreferved from, let himfelfe toa confcientious ufe of meanes whereby the promifed end of God's owne inftitution is tobe brought about; Therefore the Feare ofHell, Q q (filch

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