Lastly I say again, Take heed of separating what God hath joined. If God, by putting in your nature the several Passions of Hope, Fear▪ Love &c. and by putting a Holiness into these Passions, by sanctifying Grace, and by putting both Promises and dreadful Threatenings into his word; I say, if God by all these means hath given you several motives to obedience, take heed of separating them: Do not once ask your heart such a question, Whether it would obey if there were no Threatening, and s no •ear. Nor on the other side, do not let Fear do all, without Love. Doubtless the more Love constraineth to duty, the better it is: and you should endeavour with all your might that you might feel more of the force of Love in your duties: But do you not mark how you ⟨p. 442⟩cherish that Corruption that you complain of? Your Doubts and Tormenting Fears are the things that Love should cast out. Why then do you entertain them? If you say, I cannot help it: why then do you cherish them? and own them? and plead and dispute for them? and say you do well to Doubt, and you have Cause? Will this ever cast out Tormenting Fears? Do you not know that the way to cast them out, is not to maintain them by distrustful thoughts or words, but to see their sinfulness, and abhor them, and to get more high thoughts of the Lovingkindness of God, and the tender mercies of the Redeemer, and the unspeakable Love that he hath manifested in his sufferings for you, that so the Love of God may be more advanced and powerful in your soul▪ and may be able to cast out your Tormenting Fears. Why do you not do this instead of Doubting? If Tormenting Fears and Doubtings be a sin, why do you not make Conscience of them? and bewail it that you have been so guilty of them? Will you therefore Doubt because you have slavish fears? Why that is to Doubt because you Doubt; and to Fear because you Fear; and so to sin still because you have sinned. Consider well of the folly of this course.
Lastly I say again, Take heed of separating what God hath joyned. If God, by putting in your nature the several Passions of Hope, Fear▪ Love &c. and by putting a Holiness into these Passions, by sanctifying Grace, and by putting both Promises and dreadful Threatnings into his word; I say, if God by all these means hath given you several motives to obedience, take heed of separating them: Do not once ask your heart such a question, Whether it would obey if there were no Threatning, and s no •ear. Nor on the otherside, do not let Fear do all, without Love. Doubtless the more Love constraineth to duty, the better it is: and you should endeavour with all your might that you might feel more of the force of Love in your duties: But do you not mark how you ⟨p. 442⟩cherish that Corruption that you complain of? Your Doubts and Tormenting Fears are the things that Love should cast out. Why then do you entertain them? If you say, I cannot help it: why then do you cherish them? and own them? and plead and dispute for them? and say you do well to Doubt, and you have Cause? Will this ever cast out Tormenting Fears? Do you not know that the way to cast them out, is not to maintain them by distrustful thoughts or words, but to see their sinfulness, and abhor them, and to get more high thoughts of the Lovingkindness of God, and the tender mercies of the Redeemer, and the unspeakable Love that he hath manifested in his sufferings for you, that so the Love of God may be more advanced and powerful in your soul▪ and may be able to cast out your Tormenting Fears. Why do you not do this instead of Doubting? If Tormenting Fears and Doubtings be a sin, why do you not make Conscience of them? and bewail it that you have been so guilty of them? Will you therefore Doubt because you have slavish fears? Why that is to Doubt because you Doubt; and to Fear because you Fear; and so to sin still because you have sinned. Consider well of the folly of this course.
