The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

Object. Is that part of his answer right, which teacheth Christians to apply all the threatenings to drive them to Christ? Doth this agree with a true Christian to be acted with threatenings? Is not this slavish, and unworthy of him who hath ever tasted of the love of God, that he must be driven to Christ, to duty, and taken off from sin, by threatenings, fears of hell, &c.

Object. Is that part of his answer right, which teacheth Christians to apply all the threatenings to drive them to Christ? Doth this agree with a true Christian to be acted with threatnings? Is not this slavish, and unworthy of him who hath ever tasted of the love of God, that he must be driven to Christ, to duty, and taken off from sin, by threatnings, fears of hell, &c.

Answ. His Answer stands right, no error in it: as for the Objection, it is that indeed which many Christians suspect themselves by, they fear they are not right, and question whether they may make use of such Arguments: some Christians cry it down very much, I have heard, as if it were not a principle or practise consistent with Christianity: therefore I will speak a few words to it, and but briefly. And thus I pass to some of those things which cause trouble in the conversation of a Christian constituted.

Here let us distinguish between a man, 1: Who is actually under these terrors and fears of Hell, or other judgments, from an awakened Conscience that lasheth ⟨p. 296⟩him sorely, under which fears the man is a mere Passive, they arise in him against his will, and are upon him against his will, shake them off as yet he cannot; and while he is under these, he dares not but perform duties, he dare not follow his lusts, or vain companions, being acted and moved from these fears he now lieth under, will he, nill he.