Ans. In a word; The Lord draweth us unto his Son by his Spirit, and calleth us as by his Word, so by his Spirit also, and giveth us by his Word and Spirit unto Jesus Christ. In this thing I shall speak no more unto you, then what you have often heard, and I suppose long ago received, as, that the Lord calleth his people out of their sins, by the light of the Law, and by the spirit of bondage he setteth home the Law effectually unto the soul, and thereby draweth us from sin, and from the world in some measure, that we have now no might to those things, which before we were full of delight in: whether they be sins against the Law, or sins against the Gospel; it is the Lords usual dealing by his Spirit, to set home sins against both; Insomuch that thereby we come to be afflicted with some kind of trembling, and fear, and torment about our spiritual estate: and thus it was with Saul, (who afterwards was Paul) Act. 9.3, 4, 5, 6. when Jesus Christ called unto him out of heaven, he all trembling, and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? So it was with the Jailer, Act. 16.29. after the Lord had shaken his heart with an earthquake, (which is a sanction of the Law, and a ratification of it) as all Gods Judgements are) he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling to Paul and Silas. Thus the Lord draweth men out of ⟨p. 129⟩themselves, and their sinful ways, by a spirit of bondage, whereby they are greatly and deeply afflicted with fear; concerning which, the Apostle Paul saith, 2 Tim. 1.7. God hath not given us the spirit of fear, or bondage; but of power, of love, and of a sound mind, &c. such fear also the Apostle John speaketh of, 1 Joh. 4.18. when he saith, Perfect love casteth out fear, for fear hath torment; which cometh from the sense of a mans state, whereby he is many times forced to cry out, and to say, Woe worth my soul, that ever I was born; for the Lord causeth me to possess all my sins, and presseth me down to the nethermost hell: this is one work of the spirit of bondage, by which the Lord draweth the soul out of itself, and its sins, though of it self the spirit of fear goeth no further then to shake a mans carnal confidence: but there is a further act of the spirit of bondage, according to that power which was given to the faithful witnesses, Revel. 11.
Ans. In a word; The Lord draweth us unto his Son by his Spirit, and calleth us as by his Word, so by his Spirit also, and giveth us by his Word and Spirit unto Jesus Christ. In this thing I shall speak no more unto you, then what you have often heard, and I suppose long ago received, as, that the Lord calleth his people out of their sins, by the light of the Law, and by the spirit of bondage he setteth home the Law effectually unto the soul, and thereby draweth us from sin, and from the world in some measure, that we have now no might to those things, which before we were full of delight in: whether they be sins against the Law, or sins against the Gospel; it is the Lords usual dealing by his Spirit, to set home sins against both; Insomuch that thereby we come to be afflicted with some kind of trembling, and fear, and torment about our spiritual estate: and thus it was with Saul, (who afterwards was Paul) Act. 9.3, 4, 5, 6. when Jesus Christ called unto him out of heaven, he all trembling, and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? So it was with the Jaylor, Act. 16.29. after the Lord had shaken his heart with an earthquake, (which is a sanction of the Law, and a ratification of it) as all Gods Judgements are) he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling to Paul and Silas. Thus the Lord draweth men out of ⟨p. 129⟩themselves, and their sinful waies, by a spirit of bondage, whereby they are greatly and deeply afflicted with fear; concerning which, the Apostle Paul saith, 2 Tim. 1.7. God hath not given us the spirit of fear, or bondage; but of power, of love, and of a sound mind, &c. such fear also the Apostle John speaketh of, 1 Joh. 4.18. when he saith, Perfect love casteth out fear, for fear hath torment; which cometh from the sence of a mans state, whereby he is many times forced to cry out, and to say, Wo worth my soul, that ever I was born; for the Lord causeth me to possess all my sins, and presseth me down to the nethermost hell: this is one work of the spirit of bondage, by which the Lord draweth the soul out of itself, and its sins, though of it self the spirit of fear goeth no further then to shake a mans carnal confidence: but there is a further act of the spirit of bondage, according to that power which was given to the faithful witnesses, Revel. 11.
