The fourth (and last) volume of discourses, or sermons, on several scriptures

Secondly,¹ This legal Fear is slavish, and engenders unto Bondage. There is Bondage under the reigning Power of Sin, and there is a Bondage under the terrifying Power of Sin: The former makes a Man a Slave unto the Devil, and the latter makes a Man a Slave unto God: And such Slaves are all convinced Sinners that have not yet arrived to the free and filial Spirit of Adoption, but are kept under Bondage under the Wrath of God, and manacled in the Fetters of their own Fears. So saith the Apostle, Heb. 2.15. To deliver them, who through fear of Death, and of Hell that follows after it, were all their Lifetime subject unto Bondage.

1. 12. Slavish Fear engenders unto Bondage.

Thirdly,¹ This slavish Fear is wrought in the Soul by the Spirit of God, though it be slavish; for it is his Office to convince as well as to comfort, and to cast down by the Terrors of the Law as well as to raise up by the Promises of the Gospel: In John 16.8. He shall convince the World of Sin; and therefore it is said in this place, Rom. 8.15. We have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear, ²implying that those Terrors that ⟨p. 273⟩seize upon the Conscience are the Work of the Holy Ghost. We bring our selves into Bondage under Sin, and he brings us into Bondage under Fear. If therefore at any time, thou who art a secure Sinner, art suddenly surprised with fearful and trembling Thoughts concerning thy present state of Sin and thy future state of Wrath, beware thou listen not to any that would persuade thee it is nothing but a Fit of Melancholy or a Temptation of Satan, to drive thee to Despair, but know assuredly thy Conscience is now under the Hand of the Holy Ghost himself, he raiseth those Tempests of Fear in thee; and as usually it is fatal to divert and hush them, so is it no less than ignorant Blasphemy, to impute his Works to Melancholy, or to the Temptations of Satan.