John Wesley SERMON 9
(text from the 1872 edition)
THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AND OF ADOPTION.
"Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but
ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba,
Father." Romans 8:15.
1. ST. PAUL here speaks to those who are the children of God by
faith. "Ye," saith he, who are indeed his children, have drank
into his Spirit; "ye have not received the spirit of bondage
again unto fear;" "but, because ye are sons, God hath sent forth
the Spirit of his Son into your hearts." "Ye have received the
Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
2. The spirit of bondage and fear is widely distant from this
loving Spirit of adoption: Those who are influenced only by
slavish fear, cannot be termed "the sons of God;" yet some of
them may be styled his servants, and are "not far from the
kingdom of heaven."
3. But it is to be feared, the bulk of mankind, yea, of what is
called the Christian world, have not attained even this; but are
still afar off, "neither is God in all their thoughts." A few
names may be found of those who love God; a few more there are
that fear him; but the greater part have neither the fear of God
before their eyes, nor the love of God in their hearts.
4. Perhaps most of you, who, by the mercy of God, now partake of
a better spirit, may remember the time when ye were as they,
when ye were under the same condemnation. But at first ye knew
it not, though ye were wallowing daily in your sins and in your
blood; till, in due time, ye "received the spirit of fear;" (ye
received, for this also is the gift of God;) and afterwards,
fear vanished away, and the Spirit of love filled your hearts.
5. One who is in the first state of mind, without fear of love,
is in Scripture termed a "natural man:" One who is under the
spirit of bondage and fear, is sometimes said to be "under the
law:" (Although that expression more frequently signifies one
who is under the Jewish dispensation, or who thinks himself
obliged to observe all the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish
law:) But one who has exchanged the spirit of fear for the
Spirit of love, is properly said to be "under grace."
Now, because it highly imports us to know what spirit we are of,
I shall endeavour to point out distinctly, First, the state of a
"natural man:" Secondly, that of one who is "under the law:" And
Thirdly, of one who is "under grace."
I. 1. And, First, the state of a natural man. This the Scripture
represents as a state of sleep: The voice of God to him is,
"Awake thou that sleepest." For his soul is in a deep sleep: His
spiritual senses are not awake; They discern neither spiritual
good nor evil. The eyes of his understanding are closed; They
are sealed together, and see not. Clouds and darkness
continually rest upon them; for he lies in the valley of the
shadow of death. Hence having no inlets for the knowledge of
spiritual things, all the avenues of his soul being shut up, he
is in gross, stupid ignorance of whatever he is most concerned
to know. He is utterly ignorant of God, knowing nothing
concerning him as he ought to know. He is totally a stranger to
the law of God, as to its true, inward, spiritual meaning. He
has no conception of that evangelical holiness, without which no
man shall see the Lord; nor of the happiness which they only
find whose "life is hid with Christ in God."
2. And for this very reason, because he is fast asleep, he is,
in some sense, at rest. Because he is blind, he is also secure;
He saith, "Tush, there shall no harm happen unto me." The
darkness which covers him on every side, keeps him in a kind of
peace; so far as peace can consist with the works of the devil,
and with an earthly, devilish mind. He sees not that he stands
on the edge of the pit, therefore he fears it not. He cannot
tremble at the danger he does not know. He has not understanding
enough to fear. Why is it that he is in no dread of God? Because
he is totally ignorant of him: If not saying in his heart,
"There is no God;" or, that "he sitteth on the circle of the
heavens, and humbleth" not "himself to behold the things which
are done on earth:" yet satisfying himself as well to all
Epicurean intents and purposes, by saying, "God is merciful;"
confounding and swallowing up all at once in that unwieldy idea
of mercy, all his holiness and essential hatred of sin; all his
justice, wisdom, and truth. He is in no dread of the vengeance
denounced against those who obey not the blessed law of God,
because he understands it not. He imagines the main point is to
do thus, to be outwardly blameless; and sees not that it extends
to every temper, desire, thought, motion of the heart. Or he
fancies that the obligation hereto is ceased; that Christ came
to "destroy the Law and the Prophets;" to save his people in,
not from their sins; to bring them to heaven without holiness:
-- Notwithstanding his own words, "Not one jot or tittle of the
law shall pass away, till all things are fulfilled;" and "Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord! shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which
is in heaven."
3. He is secure, because he is utterly ignorant of himself.
Hence he talks of "repenting by and by;" he does not indeed
exactly know when, but some time or other before he dies; taking
it for granted, that this is quite in his own power. For what
should hinder his doing it, if he will? if he does but once set
a resolution, no fear but he will make it good!
4. But this ignorance never so strongly glares, as in those who
are termed, men of learning. If a natural man be one of these,
he can talk at large of his rational faculties, of the freedom
of his will, and the absolute necessity of such freedom, in
order to constitute man a moral agent. He reads, and argues, and
proves to a demonstration, that every man may do as he will; may
dispose his own heart to evil or good, as it seems best in his
own eyes. Thus the god of this world spreads a double veil of
blindness over his heart, lest, by any means, "the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ should shine" upon it.
5. From the same ignorance of himself and God, there may
sometimes arise, in the natural man, a kind of joy, in
congratulating himself upon his own wisdom and goodness: And
what the world calls joy, he may often possess. He may have
pleasure in various kinds; either in gratifying the desires of
the flesh, or the desire of the eye, or the pride of life;
particularly if he has large possessions; if he enjoy an
affluent fortune; then he may "clothe" himself "in purple and
fine linen, and fare sumptuously every day." And so long as he
thus doeth well unto himself, men will doubtless speak good of
him. They will say, "He is a happy man." For, indeed, this is
the sum of worldly happiness; to dress, and visit, and talk, and
eat, and drink, and rise up to play.
6. It in not surprising, if one in such circumstances as these,
dosed with the opiates of flattery and sin, should imagine,
among his other waking dreams, that he walks in great liberty.
How easily may he persuade himself, that he is at liberty from
all vulgar errors, and from the prejudice of education; judging
exactly right, and keeping clear of all extremes. "I am free,"
may he say, "from all the enthusiasm of weak and narrow souls;
from superstition, the disease of fools and cowards, always
righteous over much; and from bigotry, continually incident to
those who have not a free and generous way of thinking." And too
sure it is, that he is altogether free from the "wisdom which
cometh from above," from holiness, from the religion of the
heart, from the whole mind which was in Christ.
7. For all this time he is the servant of sin. He commits sin,
more or less, day by day. Yet he is not troubled: He "is in no
bondage," as some speak; he feels no condemnation. He contents
himself (even though he should profess to believe that the
Christian Revelation is of God) with, "Man is frail. We are all
weak. Every man has his infirmity." Perhaps he quotes Scripture:
"Why, does not Solomon say, -- The righteous man falls into sin
seven times a day! -- And, doubtless, they are all hypocrites or
enthusiasts who pretend to be better than their neighbours." If,
at any time, a serious thought fix upon him, he stifles it as
soon as possible, with, "Why should I fear, since God is
merciful, and Christ died for sinners?" Thus, he remains a
willing servant of sin, content with the bondage of corruption;
inwardly and outwardly unholy, and satisfied therewith; not only
not conquering sin, but not striving to conquer, particularly
that sin which doth so easily beset him.
8. Such is the state of every natural man; whether he be a
gross, scandalous transgressor, or a more reputable and decent
sinner, having the form, though not the power of godliness. But
how can such an one be convinced of sin? How is he brought to
repent? To be under the law? To receive the spirit of bondage
unto fear? This is the point which in next to be considered.
II. 1. By some awful providence, or by his word applied with the
demonstration of his Spirit, God touches the heart of him that
lay asleep in darkness and in the shadow of death. He is
terribly shaken out of his sleep, and awakes into a
consciousness of his danger. Perhaps in a moment, perhaps by
degrees, the eyes of his understanding are opened, and now first
(the veil being in part removed) discern the real state he is
in. Horrid light breaks in upon his soul; such light, as may be
conceived to gleam from the bottomless pit, from the lowest
deep, from a lake of fire burning with brimstone. He at last
sees the loving, the merciful God is also "a consuming fire;"
that he is a just God and a terrible, rendering to every man
according to his words, entering into judgment with the ungodly
for every idle word, yea, and for the imaginations of the heart.
He now clearly perceives, that the great and holy God is "of
purer eyes than to behold iniquity;" that he is an avenger of
every one who rebelleth against him, and repayeth the wicked to
his face; and that "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands
of the living God."
2. The inward, spiritual meaning of the law of God now begins to
glare upon him. He perceives "the commandment is exceeding
broad," and there is "nothing hid from the light thereof." He is
convinced, that every part of it relates, not barely to outward
sin or obedience, but to what passes in the secret recesses of
the soul, which no eye but God's can penetrate. If he now hears,
"Thou shalt not kill," God speaks in thunder, "He that hateth
his brother is a murderer;" "he that saith unto his brother,
Thou fool, is obnoxious to hell-fire." If the law say, "Thou
shalt not commit adultery," the voice of the Lord sounds in his
ears, "He that looketh on a woman to lust after he hath
committed adultery with her already in his heart." And thus, in
every point, he feels the word of God "quick and powerful,
sharper than a two-edged sword." It "pierces even to the
dividing asunder of his soul and spirit, his joints and marrow."
And so much the more, because he is conscious to himself of
having neglected so great salvation; of having "trodden under
foot the son of God," who would have saved him from his sins,
and "counted the blood of the covenant an unholy," a common,
unsanctifying thing.
3. And as he knows, "all things are naked and open unto the eyes
of him with whom we have to do," so he sees himself naked,
stripped of all the fig-leaves which he had sewed together, of
all his poor pretenses to religion or virtue, and his wretched
excuses for sinning against God. He now sets himself like the
ancient sacrifices, cleft in sunder, as it were, from the neck
downward, so that all within him stands confessed. His heart is
bare, and he sees it is all sin, "deceitful above all things,
desperately wicked;" that it is altogether corrupt and
abominable, more than it is possible for tongue to express; that
there dwelleth therein no good thing, but unrighteousness and
ungodliness only; every motion thereof, every temper and
thought, being only evil continually.
4. And he not only sees, but feels in himself, by an emotion of
soul which he cannot describe, that for the sins of his heart
were his life without blame, (which yet it is not, and cannot
be; seeing "an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit,") he
deserves to be cast into the fire that never shall be quenched.
He feels that "the wages," the just reward "of sin," of his sin
above all, "is death;" even the second death; the death which
dieth not; the destruction of body and soul in hell.
5. Here ends his pleasing dream, his delusive rest, his false
peace, his vain security. His joy now vanishes as a cloud;
pleasures, once loved, delight no more. They pall upon the
taste: He loathes the nauseous sweet; he is weary to bear them.
The shadows of happiness flee away, and sink into oblivion: So
that he is stripped of all, and wanders to and fro, seeking
rest, but finding none.
6. The fumes of those opiates being now dispelled, he feels the
anguish of a wounded spirit. He finds that sin let loose upon
the soul (whether it be pride, anger, or evil desire, whether
self-will, malice, envy, revenge, or any other) is perfect
misery: He feels sorrow of heart for the blessings he has lost,
and the curse which is come upon him: remorse for having thus
destroyed himself, and despised his own mercies; fear, from a
lively sense of the wrath of God, and of the consequences of his
wrath, of the punishment which he has justly deserved, and which
he sees hanging over is head; -- fear of death, as being to him
the gate of hell, the entrance of death eternal; -- fear of the
devil, the executioner of the wrath and righteous vengeance of
God; -- fear of men, who, if they were able to kill his body,
would thereby plunge both body and soul into hell; fear,
sometimes arising to such a height, that the poor, sinful,
guilty soul, is terrified with everything, with nothing, with
shades, with a leaf shaken of the wind. Yea, sometimes it may
even border upon distraction, making a man "drunken though not
with wine," suspending the exercise of the memory, of the
understanding, of all the natural faculties. Sometimes it may
approach to the very brink of despair; so that he who trembles
at the name of death, may yet be ready to plunge into it every
moment, to "choose strangling rather than life." Well may such a
man roar, like him of old, for the very disquietness of his
heart. Well may he cry out, "The spirit of a man may sustain his
infirmities; but a wounded spirit who can bear?"
7. Now he truly desires to break loose from sin, and begins to
struggle with it. But though he strive with all his might, he
cannot conquer: Sin is mightier than he. He would fain escape;
but he is so fast in prison, that he cannot get forth. He
resolved against sin, but yet sins on: He sees the snare, and
abhors, and runs into it. So much does his boasted reason avail,
-- only to enhance his guilt, and increase his misery! Such is
the freedom of his will; free only to evil; free to "drink in
iniquity like water;" to wander farther and farther from the
living God, and do more "despite to the Spirit of grace!"
8. The more he strive, wishes, labours to be free, the more does
he feel his chains, the grievous chains of sin, wherewith Satan
binds and "leads him captive at his will;" his servant he is,
though he repine ever so much; though he rebel, he cannot
prevail. He is still in bondage and fear, by reason of sin:
Generally, of some outward sin, to which he is peculiarly
disposed, either, by nature, custom, or outward circumstance;
but always, of some inward sin, some evil temper or unholy
affection. And the more he frets against it, the more it
prevails; he may bite but cannot break his chain. Thus he toils
without end, repenting and sinning, and repenting and sinning
again, till at length the poor, sinful, helpless wretch is even
at his wit's end and can barely groan, "O wretched man that I
am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
9. This whole struggle of one who is "under the law," under the
"spirit of fear and bondage," is beautifully described by the
Apostle in the foregoing chapter, speaking in the person of an
awakened man. "I," saith he, "was alive without the law once:"
(Verse 9:) I had much life, wisdom, strength, and virtue; so I
thought: "But, when the commandment came, sin revived, and I
died:" When the commandment, in its spiritual meaning, came to
my heart, with the power of God, my inbred sin was stirred up,
fretted, inflamed, and all my virtue died away. "And the
commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto
death. For sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me,
and by it slew me:" (Verses 10,11:) It came upon me unaware;
slew all my hopes; and plainly showed, in the midst of life I
was in death. "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment
holy, and just, and good:" (Verse 12:) I no longer lay the blame
on this, but on the corruption of my own heart. I acknowledge
that "the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin:"
(Verse 14:) I now see both the spiritual nature of the law; and
my own carnal, devilish heart "sold under sin," totally
enslaved: (Like slave bought with money, who were absolutely at
their master's disposal:) "For that which I do, I allow not; for
what I would, I do not, but what I hate, that I do:" (Verse 15:)
Such is the bondage under which I groan; such the tyranny of my
hard master. "To will is present with me, but how to perform
that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do
not; but the evil which I would not, that I do:" (Verses 18,
19:) "I find a law," an inward constraining power, "that when I
would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in "or
consent to "the law of God, after the inward man:" (Verses 21,
22:) In my "mind:" (So the Apostle explains himself in the words
that immediately follow; and so, _o esO anthrOpos_, the inward
man, is understood in all other Greek writers:) "But I see
another law in my members," another constraining power, "warring
against the law of my mind," or inward man, "and bringing me
into captivity to the law" or power "of sin:" (Verse 23:)
Dragging me, as it were, at my conqueror's chariot-wheels, into
the very thing which my soul abhors. "O wretched man that I am!
who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Verse 24.)
Who shall deliver me from this helpless, dying life, from this
bondage of sin and misery? Till this is done, "I myself" (or
rather, that I, _autos egO_, that man I am now personating)
"with the mind," or inward man, "serve the law of God;" my mind,
my conscience is on God's side; "but with my flesh," with my
body, "the law of sin," (verse 25,) being hurried away by a
force I cannot resist.
10. How lively a portraiture is this of one "under the law;" one
who feels the burden he cannot shake off; who pants after
liberty, power, and love, but is in fear and bondage still!
until the time that God answers the wretched man, crying out,
"Who shall deliver me" from this bondage of sin, from this body
of death? -- "The grace of God, through Jesus Christ thy Lord."
III. 1. Them it is that this miserable bondage ends, and he is
no more "under the law, but under grace." This state we are,
Thirdly, to consider; the state of one who has found grace or
favour in the sight of God, even the Father, and who has the
grace or power of the Holy Ghost, reigning in his heart; who has
received, in the language of the Apostle, the "Spirit of
adoption, whereby" he now cries, "Abba, Father!"
2. "He cried unto the Lord in his trouble, and God delivers him
out of his distress." His eyes are opened in quite another
manner than before, even to see a loving, gracious God. While he
is calling, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory!" -- he hears a
voice in the inmost soul, "I will make all my goodness pass
before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord: I will be
gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy to
whom I will show mercy." And, it is not long before "the Lord"
descends in the cloud, and proclaims the name of the Lord." Then
he sees, but not with eyes of flesh and blood, "The Lord, the
Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, and forgiving
iniquities, and transgressions and sin."
3. Heavenly, healing light now breaks in upon his soul. He
"looks on him whom he had pierced;" and "God, who out of
darkness commanded light to shine, shineth in his heart." He
sees the light of the glorious love of God, in the face of Jesus
Christ. He hath a divine "evidence of things not seen" by sense,
even of the "deep things of God;" more particularly of the love
of God, of his pardoning love to him that believes in Jesus.
Overpowered with the sight, his whole soul cried out, "My Lord
and my God;" For he sees all his iniquities laid on Him, who
"bare them in his own body on the tree;" he beholds the Lamb of
God taking away his sins. How clearly now does he discern, that
"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself; making
him sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the
righteousness of God through him;" -- and that he himself is
reconciled to God, by that blood of the covenant!
4. Here end both the guilt and power of sin. He can now say, "I
am crucified with Christ: Nevertheless I live; yet not I but
Christ liveth in me: And the life which I now live in the
flesh," (even in this mortal body,) "I live by faith in the Son
of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Here end
remorse, and sorrow of heart, and the anguish of a wounded
spirit. "God turneth his heaviness into joy." He made sore, and
now his hands bind up. Here ends also that bondage unto fear;
for "his heart standeth fast, believing in the Lord." He cannot
fear any longer the wrath of God; for he knows it is now turned
away from him, and looks upon Him no more as an angry Judge, but
as a loving Father. He cannot fear the devil, knowing he has "no
power, except it be given him from above." He fears not hell;
being an heir of the kingdom of heaven: Consequently, he has no
fear of death; by reason whereof he was in time past, for so
many years, "subject to bondage." Rather, knowing that "if the
earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, he hath a
building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens; he groaneth earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with
that house which is from heaven." He groans to shake off this
house of earth, that "mortality" may be "swallowed up of life;"
knowing that God "hath wrought him for the self-same thing; who
hath also given him the earnest of his Spirit."
5. And "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty;"
liberty, not only from guilt and fear, but from sin, from that
heaviest of all yokes, that basest of all bondage. His labour is
not now in vain. The snare is broken, and he is delivered. He
not only strives, but likewise prevails; he not only fights, but
conquers also. "Henceforth he does not serve sin." (Chap. 6:6
&c.) He is "dead unto sin, and alive unto God;" "sin doth not
now reign," even "in his mortal body," nor doth he "obey it in
the desires thereof." He does not "yield his members as
instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but as instruments of
righteousness unto God." For "being now made free from sin, he
is become the servant of righteousness."
6. Thus, "having peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
"rejoicing in hope of the glory of God," and having power over
all sin, over every evil desire, and temper, and word, and work,
he is a living witness of the "glorious liberty of the sons of
God;" all of whom, being partakers of like precious faith, bear
record with one voice, "We have received the Spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father!"
7. It is this spirit which continually, "worketh in them, both
to will and to do of his good pleasure." It is he that sheds the
love of God abroad in their hears, and the love of all mankind;
thereby purifying their hearts from the love of world, from the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.
It is by him they are delivered from anger and pride, from all
vile and inordinate affections. In consequence, they are
delivered from evil words and works, from all unholiness of
conversation; doing no evil to any child of man, and being
zealous of all good works.
8. To sum up all: the natural man neither fears nor loves God;
one under the law, fears, -- one under grace, loves him. The
first has no light in the things of God, but walks in utter
darkness; the second sees the painful light of hell; the third,
the joyous light of heaven. He that sleeps in death, has a false
peace; he that is awakened, has no peace at all; he that
believes, has true peace, -- the peace of God filling and ruling
his heart. The Heathen, baptized or unbaptized, hath a fancied
liberty, which is indeed licentiousness; the Jew, or one under
the Jewish dispensation, is in heavy, grievous bondage; the
Christian enjoys the true glorious liberty of the sons of God.
An unawakened child of the devil sins willingly, one that is
awakened sins unwillingly; a child of God "sinneth not," but "keepeth
himself, and the wicked one toucheth him not." To conclude: the
natural man neither conquers nor fights; the man under the law
fights with sin, but cannot conquer; the man under grace fights
and conquers, yea, is "more than conqueror, through him that
loveth him."
IV. 1. From this plain account of the three-fold state of man,
the natural, the legal, and the evangelical, it appears that it
is not sufficient to divide mankind into sincere and insincere.
A man may be sincere in any of these states; not only when he
has the "Spirit of adoption," but while he has the "spirit of
bondage unto fear;" yea, while he has neither this fear, nor
love. For undoubtedly there may be sincere Heathens, as well as
sincere Jews, or Christians. This circumstance, them does by no
means prove, that, a man is in a state of acceptance with God.
"Examine yourselves, therefore," not only whether ye are
sincere, but "whether ye be in the faith." Examine narrowly,
(for it imports you much,) what is the ruling principle in your
soul! Is it the love of God? Is it the fear of God? Or is it
neither one nor the other? Is it not rather the love of the
world? the love of pleasure, or gain? of ease, or reputation? If
so, you are not come so far as a Jew. You are but a Heathen
still. Have you heaven in your heart? Have you the Spirit of
adoption, ever crying, Abba, Father? Or do you cry unto God, as
"out of the belly of hell," overwhelmed with sorrow and fear? Or
are you a stranger to this whole affair, and cannot imagine what
I mean? Heathen, pull off the mask! Thou hast never put on
Christ! Stand barefaced! Look up to heaven; and own before Him
that liveth for ever and ever, thou hast no part, either among
the sons of servants of God!
Whosoever thou art: Dost thou commit sin, or dost thou not? If
thou dost, is it willingly, or unwillingly? In either case, God
hath told thee whose thou art: "He that committeth sin is of the
devil." If thou committest it willingly, thou art his faithful
servant: He will not fail to reward thy labour. If unwillingly,
still thou art his servant. God deliver thee out of his hands!
Art thou daily fighting against all sin? And daily more than
conqueror? I acknowledge thee for a child of God. O stand fast
in thy glorious liberty! Art thou fighting, but not conquering?
striving for the mastery, but not able to attain? Then thou art
not yet a believer in Christ; but follow on, and thou shalt know
the Lord. Art thou not fighting at all, but leading an easy,
indolent, fashionable life! O how hast thou dared to name the
name of Christ, only to make it a reproach among the Heathen?
Awake, thou sleeper! Call upon thy God before the deep swallow
thee up!
2. Perhaps one reason why so many think of themselves more
highly than they ought to think, why they do not discern what
state they are in, is because these several states of soul are
often mingled together, and in some measure meet in one and the
same person. Thus experience shows, that the legal state, or
state of fear, is frequently mixed with the natural; for few men
are so fast asleep in sin, but they are sometimes more or less
awakened. As the Spirit of God does not "wait for the call of
man," so, at some times he will be heard. He puts them in fear,
so that, for a season at least, the Heathen "know themselves to
be but men." They feel the burden of sin, and earnestly desire
to flee from the wrath to come. But not long: They seldom suffer
the arrows of conviction to go deep into their souls; but
quickly stifle the grace of God, and return to their wallowing
in the mire.
In like manner, the evangelical state, or state of love, is
frequently mixed with the legal. For few of those who have the
spirit of bondage and fear, remain always without hope. The wise
and gracious God rarely suffers this; "for he remembereth that
we are but dust;" and he willeth not that "the flesh should fail
before him, or the spirit which he hath made." Therefore, at
such times as he seeth good, he gives a dawning of light unto
them that sit in darkness. He cause a part of his goodness to
pass before them, and shows he is a "God that heareth the
prayer." They see the promise, which is by faith in Christ
Jesus, though it be yet afar off; and hereby they are encouraged
to "run with patience the race which is set before them."
3. Another reason why many deceive themselves, is, because they
do not consider how far a man may go, and yet be in a natural,
or, at best, a legal state. A man may be of a compassionate and
a benevolent temper; he may be affable, courteous, generous,
friendly; he may have some degree of meekness, patience,
temperance, and of many other moral virtues. He may feel many
desires of shaking off all vice, and of attaining higher degrees
of virtue. He may abstain from much evil; perhaps from all that
is grossly contrary to justice, mercy, or truth. He may do much
good, may feed the hungry, clothe the naked, relieve the widow
and fatherless. He may attend public worship, use prayer in
private, read many books of devotion; and yet, for all this, he
may be a mere natural man, knowing neither himself nor God;
equally a stranger to the spirit of fear and to that of love;
having neither repented, nor believed the gospel.
But suppose there were added to all this a deep conviction of
sin, with much fear of the wrath of God; vehement desires to
cast off every sin, and to fulfill all righteousness; frequent
rejoicing in hope, and touches of love often glancing upon the
soul; yet neither do these prove a man to be under grace; to
have true, living, Christian faith, unless the Spirit of
adoption abide in his heart, unless he can continually cry,
"Abba, Father!"
4. Beware, then, thou who art called by the name of Christ, that
thou come not short of the mark of thy high calling. Beware thou
rest, not, either in a natural state with too many that are
accounted good Christians; or in a legal state, wherein those
who are highly esteemed of men are generally content to live and
die. Nay, but God hath prepared better things for thee, if thou
follow on till thou attain. Thou art not called to fear and
tremble like devils; but to rejoice and love, like the angels of
God. "Thou shalt love the lord thy God will all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy
strength." Thou shalt "rejoice evermore;" thou shalt "pray
without ceasing:" thou shalt "in everything give thanks." Thou
shalt do the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven. O
prove thou "what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will
of God!" Now present thyself "a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God." "Whereunto thou hast already attained, hold
fast," by "reaching forth unto those things which are before:"
until "the God of peace make thee perfect in every good work,
working in thee that which is well-pleasing in his sight through
Jesus Christ: To whom be glory for ever and ever! Amen!"
[Edited by Brent Peterson (student at Northwest Nazarene
College) with corrections by George Lyons of Northwest Nazarene
College (Nampa, Idaho) for the Wesley Center for Applied
Theology.] _