of peace; his heart is truly changed, and brought under the influence of the love of God, whom he obeys as his law-giver; to whom he submits as his Lord; and in whom he refts as his portion. But there are others, who, by abftinence from fome fins, against which the reproofs of confcience are most diftinct and severe, and by the formal discharge of many religious duties, endeavour to leffen their fears; to lay a foundation for a precarious peace; and, as it were, by a coftly facrifice, to purchase an immunity from hell. Fear not only awakens, but continues to govern them; they lay down a legal system of obedience and felf-righteoufnefs, but all the while they drag the yoke with great impatience. They do not hate fin from their hearts, on its own account, but are afraid that they shall burn for ever for committing it. They do not love God, but they fear, because they know that they cannot refift him. They do not engage in his fervice with chearfulness, or delight in it as their choice, but groan under it as a burthen. Their hearts and affections are fet upon present and temporal enjoyments; but they apply themselves in fome measure to the duties of religion, because they know they cannot keep the world always; and fubmit to it, as rather better and more tolerable than everlasting mifery.

The frequency of this character will stand in need of little proof. If the features are juftly drawn, I am perfuaded they will be easily known, for they are very common. Are there not many who may juftly fufpect themselves to be acted by no higher motive than the fear of wrath? Does not this plainly fhew itfelf, by your backward, heartlefs, cold difcharge of duty; your regret and forrow in parting with, and frequent relapfes into fin? Is not your religion temporary and changeable? Does it not rife and fall with the fenfible tokens of divine prefence and power? Have you not trembled on a fick-bed, or other time of danger; humbled yourselves before God; cried for relief; and promifed amendment? But has not your refolution relaxed upon your recovery, and your diligence borne proportion to the fuppofed nearnefs or diftance of the danger? Is not this then manifeftly the effect of fear and may not the words of the Pfalmift be justly applied to all fuch? When he flew them, then "they fought him; and they returned, and

66

enquired early after God and they remem"bered that God was their rock, and the high "God their redeemer: nevertheless they did

flatter him with their mouth, and they lied "unto him with their tongues; for their heart

"was

was not right with him, neither were they sted"faft in his covenant *."

Few things, I apprehend, will be of more importance than to fhew, in a clear and fatisfying manner, that the obedience or religious performances that are influenced by no higher motive than fear, are not acceptable to God, nor any fufficient evidence of a renewed heart. This, indeed, is equally plain from many paffages of fcripture, and from the nature and reafon of the thing. It appears from all those paffages formerly cited, and many others where mention is made of the inclination of the heart and will, of which obedience on compulfion can be no manner of proof. It appears undeniably from the great commandment of the law, and sum of practical religion, "Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with "all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with "all thy ftrength, and with all thy mind t." It appears from what is always reprefented as the great commanding and constraining motive of the gofpel: "For the love of Chrift conftraineth us, "because we thus judge, that if one died for all, "then were all dead; and that he died for all, "that they which live, fhould not henceforth "live unto themselves, but unto him which died "for them, and rofe again ." To the fame

• Pfal. Ixxviii, 34, 35, 36, 37. 2 Cor. v. 14.

↑ Luke x. 27.

D 5

purpose

purpose the apostle John says, " We have known "and believed the love that God hath to us. "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love "dwelleth in God, and God in him §." We find in fcripture that there is a direct oppofition ftated between the fpirit of genuine converts under the gospel, and a spirit of bondage, or flavish fear: "For ye have not received the spirit of "bondage again to fear, but ye have received

the fpirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, "Father" So fays the fame apostle to Timothy," For God hath not given us the spirit "of fear, but of power and of love, and of à found mind t."

The truth is, it is equally plain from the nature and reafon of the thing. That which is done only or chiefly from fear, cannot be any evidence of the change that is acceptable to God, becaufe, properly speaking, it is no real or inward change at all. The effects of fin are reftrained or controlled by fuperior power, but the inclination to it remains ftill the fame. It is a common and known principle, that whatever is the effect of compulfion or force upon the agent, whether it be good or evil in itself, hath nothing moral in its nature. The fword that commits murder, and that which executes juftice, deferves equal

§ 1 John iv. 16. 3. 7.

Rom. viii, 15.

† 2 Tim,

blame

blame or praise, or rather none of them deferves either the one or the other. A detected thief, compelled to make reftitution, or loaded with chains fo that he cannot fteal, does not thereby become honeft in his nature.

The cafe is precisely the fame with those who, in their religious duties, are under the govern ment of fear, although it be the fear of their almighty Judge. From any fimilar inftance between man and man, we may at once be fenfible of this truth. If one man is willing to over-reach another, but, through his adversary's superior skill, is not able, or, terrified by threatnings, is not bold enough to attempt it, what character does he bear, or deferve, but that of a disap pointed knave? What parent or master will be fatisfied with the obedience of a child or fervant, who plainly discovers that he hates his commands, and grieves at his authority? It is true, as man can only judge with certainty of the outward appearance, this circumftance must be left out of every fyftem of human government. We can make no laws on earth to punifh the intention but fo much we know of it, as may make us fenfible what all fuch deferve, and fhall receive, at the hand of God, whofe prerogative it is that he knoweth and judgeth the fecrets of all hearts.'

I fhall only further obferve, that the fame thing appears in the cleareft manner, from the D 6

nature