362 Of COMMIINION with living unto God, from Chrift in them, the Spirit of life, from Chrift carrying them out thereto. The fruits of a dead root, are but dead excrefeencies ; living arils are from a principle of life. Hence you may fee the difference between the liberty that llaves affume, and the liberty which is due to children. CI. Slaves take liberty from duty ; children have liberty in duty; there is not a greater mtftake in the world, than that the liberty of fons in the houfe of God, confifts in this, they can perform duties, or take the freedom to omit them ; they can ferve in the family of God ; that is, they think they may if they will, and they can choofe whether they will or no, This is a liberty ftolen by llaves, not a li- berty given by the Spirit unto fens. The liberty of fops is in the inward fpiritual freedom of their hearts, naturally and kindly going out in all the ways and worlhip of God. When they find themfelves ftraitened, and {hut up in them, they wreftle with God for enlargement, and are never contented with the doing of a duty, unlefs it be done as in Chrift, with free, genuine, and enlarged hearts. The liberty that fervants have is from duty, the liberty given to fops is in duty. [a. The liberty of Haves or fervants is from iniftaken deceiving conclu- fions; the liberty of fons is from the power Of the indwelling Spirit of grace ; or the liberty of fervants is from outward dead conclufions, the li- berty of fens from an inward living principle. a..] Love, as to the manner of their obedience gives themdelight and joy. Soh. xiv. 15. Ifye love me, fays Chrift, keep my commandments. Love is the bottom of all their duties, hence our faviotir refolves all obedience into the loveof God, and our neighbour, and Paid upon the fame ground tells us, That love is the fidfilling of the law, 1 Cor. xiii. 1o. where love is in any duty, it is compleat iii Chrift. How often dotlt David even with ad- miration exprefs this principle of his walking with God, Oh, faith he, how Pave thy commandments! This gives Saints delight, that the command- ments of Chrift are not grievous to them, Jacob's hard fervice was not grievous to him, becaufeof his love to Rachel; no duty of a Saint is grie- vous to him, becaufe of his love to Chrift. They do from hence all things with delight and' complacency, hence do they long for advantages of walk- ing with God, pant after more ability, and this is a great (hare of their fon-like freedom in obedience. It gives thetn joy in it, 1 Job. iv. a8. there is no fear in love, but perfect love calleth out fear, when their foul is ailed to obedience by love it expells that fear which is the iffue of bondage upon the fpirit. Now when there is a concurrence of thefe two, life, and love, there is freedom, liberty, largenefs of heart, exceedingly' diftaneed from that ítraight, and bondaged frame, which many walk in all their days, that know not the adoption of fens. (a. The obej& of their obedience is reprefented to them as defirable, when to others as 'tis terrible. In all their approaches to God, they eye him asa father; they call him father, Gal. iv. 6. not in a formof words, but in the fpirit of fons. God in Chrift is continually before them, not only as one deferving all the honour and obedience which he requires, but alfo as one exceedingly to be delighted in, as being all-fuffìcient to fa- tisfyand fatiate all the defiers of the foul; when others napkin their ta- lents, as having to deal with an áufteer matter, they draw out theirf#rength to the uttermoff, as drawing nigh to a gracious rewarder. They go from the principle of life, and love, to the bofom ofa living and loving father ; they
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