the Old Testament. For even under the New, those effects of the Spirit are observable, which are to be referred to fear and to bondage. Even at this day, it engenders terror in the elect, because they look upon themselves to be in very bad condition, while they live in sin, nor can possibly be otherwise, till by a true faith they are reconciled to God, Luke xv. 17. Moreover, by this terror it drives them to lay hold on the fortress of salvation in Christ, 2 Cor. v. 11. By the same terror also it restrains them from sin, and extinguishes the desire of sinning in them. In fine, it very often redoubles this terror, racking their conscience with anguish and pain, and leading them in a way, just by the brink of hell, in which rarely with joy and exultation, generally with a kind of anxiety of a trembling heart, yet in sincerity, they can serve God. Just as at this day those whose office it is familiarly to enquire into their state, find believers very often affected. It cannot be denied, that in all these there is fear; nay, that there is something which proceeds from bondage, and is, in some measure, different from that ingenuous performance of duty, which only arises from the cheerfulness of a heart actuated by love. Why then may not the Spirit who works these things even under the New Testament, be called the Spirit of bondage to fear?

XLVII. 2. It is also falsely asserted, that those af fections which the Spirit of bondage formerly wrought in the saints, were unworthy of God as a Father, and of the saints as children. For as those affections were holy, and the effects of the sanctifying Spirit, whom God bestows upon none but his own children, nay, as they were most certain signs of their adoption, and of their right to the inheritance, it is to entertain unworthy thoughts of God their Father, and of his children, to account them unworthy of both. True indeed it is,

that, in those affections of the saints, there was a kind of relation, like that of servants to a master; yet that by no means destroyed, but only in some measure modified, the relation of sons to a Father; as even at this day God is held forth to us under both these relations.

XLVIII. 3. The sanctifying Spirit, absolutely as sanctifying, which was in the ancient believers, ought to be distinguished from the Spirit of bondage, as it precisely begets fear. Though therefore the affections produced by the Spirit of bondage, as such were inconsistent with the most free condition of sons of God; yet the effects of the sanctifying Spirit, in all the elect, are a sincere love to God, and obedience arising from that love, with a complacency and delight in his commandments; now, can there be any reason, why these may not be declared highly worthy of the saints, as sons of God?

XLIX. 4. It is contrary to all reason to say, that the ancients had not the Spirit of sons, whereby they cried, Abba, Father. For this Spirit is not so contrary to the Spirit of bondage, as if it was not possible for both to reside together. The contrary to which we have proved already, book iii. c. xi. § 9. As this Spirit, therefore, is always operative suitable to its condition; so it wrought those affections even in the believers of the Old Testament, which were worthy of God, as a Father, and likewise taught them to cry, My Father, Job xxxiv. 36. Is. lxiii. 16.

L. Sixthly, It is not consistent with that divine grace, which was bestowed even on the ancients, to deny, that they had peace of conscience. On which head we find written, on Heb. x. § 15. as follows: "Conscience cannot be easy, before a man is expiated by a sacrifice (with and by which we ought to approach unto God) and knows, that in confidence of that sacrifice he ap

proaches to God. For it is by this that the conscience is at last calmed and perfected. And till then a man must of necessity have a conscience, both accusing him before God, and separating from all communion with him."

LI. And yet the same person, who speaks thus, openly protests, that he by no means deprives the ancient believers of their assurance of hope, and the joy of a conscience that gloried in God. For he thus speaks elsewhere, on Psal. li. § 15: "This is the wisdom of God, that he suffers not sinful man to perish, and for that purpose, he gives the sinner a testimony of his righteousness, and the assurance of the hope concerning eternal happiness: so as with an uninterrupted joy to bear all crosses and afflictions, and glorify God, and give him thanks, in life and in death. This wisdom of God, as Nathan had notified to him (David) by the word, so God had sealed it to him in his very inmost soul."

LII. These, indeed, are things very difficult, if at all possible to be reconciled. For where there is a conscience of sin, accusing man before God, and separating from all communion with him, how, in that case, can there be a testimony of righteousness given the sinner by God? Again, where there is the assurance of hope concerning eternal happiness and an uninterrupted joy, what can there be wanting in that case to a calmed and perfected conscience? But let us explain, what we are to determine concerning the former assertion.

LIII. 1. The scripture no where says, that the ȧncient believers had not peace of conscience; but on the contrary, that, from an assurance of the favor of God towards them, they slept secure, Psal. iii. 5; that, with full assurance of faith, they gloried in their present

grace, Psal. iv. 3. and with the same assurance of hopeexpected future glory, Ps. xvii. 15. 2. Nor does it any where say, that believers under the Old Testament had the conscience of sin, accusing them before God, and separating from all communion with him; but, on the contrary, that conscience bore them witness, that sin was forgiven, Psal. xxxii. 5. and Psal. ciii. 3, 10, 12. And how could sin accuse them before God, and separate from his communion, seeing it was charged to the Surety, and was to be exacted of him? 3. The same scripture testifies, that believers under the Old Testàment acted what the redeemed act, and gloried and rejoiced in God: Psal. cxvi. 7, 8. Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for Jehovah hath dealt bountifully with thee. Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

LIV. Heb. x. 1. is here misapplied for the apostle does not there deny, that the ancient believers had a conscience perfected; only denies, that there was perfection from the law, which had but the shadow of good things to come; denies, that the sacrifices, which were offered year by year continually, could make the comers thereunto perfect, that is, as Pareus says well, "sanctify and save them." But what the law could not, the grace of the Surety, of which they were partakers, both could and actually did effect. 5. The conscience of sin, of which ver. 2. is not of sin as accusing before God, and excluding from all communion with him (for the suretiship of Christ apprehended by faith, was a bar to sin's effecting that) but it is a conscience of sin, as not yet actually expiated, and which were not to be expiated by the sacrifices of beasts. These were therefore repeated, that believers might testify, that they only used them as symbols, which God appointed, but did not expect to obtain remission

but from the suretiship and future sacrifice of the Messiah.

LV. 6. Believers under the Old Testament had not indeed, that calm or peace of conscience, which arises from the ransom being fully paid by the Surety, nor such a discharge as by the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Yet they had in Christ's suretiship-engagement, truly and fully, what was sufficient to calm the conscience; for by that they might be assured, all their sins were blotted out of their account, and laid to the charge of Christ, who had also taken them upon himself, and made himself a debtor to undergo the punishment of them; and indeed, in such a manner, that they should never afterwards be charged to believers, nor God ever have any will to punish their sins in their own persons," as the learned author speaks, Sum. Theol. c. 35. And why were not these things sufficient to produce a like composure of mind, nay, and a tranquillity almost equal to that which arises from the ransom actually paid? For believers are as much exempted from all obligation to personal satisfaction, whether the ransom was to be paid, or was actually paid by the Surety.

LVI. Seventhly, It seems likewise to tend to undervalue the Old Testament church, that it is said to have been, in an especial manner, subject to the dominion of angels. Concerning this, he says on Heb. ii. § 39. "The former world, that is, the people of the land of Canaan, was subject to angels, being subject to the word spoken by angels, and to the dispositions and appointments of angels, as well the heavenly, as those that sat in Moses's seat, and who, in like manner, are called gods. For the heavenly angels, who assisted at the promulgation of the law, were the avengers or defenders thereof, as they were the guardians of the au