Second. By whom or by what is this fear wrought in the heart? I shall answer this in brief. The Spirit of God weds it in the heart, working there at first as a spirit of bondage to put us in fear. This Paul insinuated, saying, "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear" (Rom 8:15). He doth not say, Ye have not received the spirit of bondage; for that they had received, and that to put them in fear, which was at their first conversion, as by the instances made mention of before is manifest; all that he says is, that they had not received it again, that is, after the Spirit, as a spirit of adoption, is come; for then, as a spirit of bondage, it cometh no more. Then, the Spirit of God, even the Holy Ghost, convinces us of sin and our damnable state because of sin (John 16:8,9). For it cannot be that the Spirit of God should convince us of sin. Still, it must also show us our state to be damnable because of it, especially if it so convinced us, before we believe, and that is the intent of our Lord in that place, "of sin," and so of their damnable state by sin, because they believe not on me. Therefore the Spirit of God, when he worketh in the heart as a spirit of bondage, he doth it by working in us by the law, "for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom 3:20). And he, in this his working, is appropriately called a spirit of bondage.
1. Because by the law he shows us that indeed we are in bondage to the law, the devil, and death and damnation; for this is our proper state by nature, though we see it not until the Spirit of God shall come to reveal this our state of bondage unto our own senses by revealing to us our sins by the law.
2. He is called, in this his working, "the spirit of bondage," because he here also holds us; to wit, in this sight and sense of our bondage-state, so long as is meet we should be so held, which to some of the saints is a longer, and to some a shorter time. Paul was held in it three days and three nights, but the jailer and the three thousand, so far as can be gathered, are not above an hour; some in these later times are so held for days and months if not years. But, I say, let the time be longer or shorter, it is the Spirit of God that holds him under this yoke; and it is good that a man should be in HIS time held under it, as is that saying of the lamentation, "It is good for a man that he bears the yoke in his youth" (Lam 3:27). That is, at his first awakening; so long as seems good to this Holy Spirit to work in this manner by the law. Now, as I said, the sinner at first is by the Spirit of God held in this bondage, that is, hath such a discovery of his sin and of his damnation for sin made to him, and also is held so fast under the sense thereof, that it is not in the power of any man, nor yet of the very angels in heaven, to release him or set him free, until the Holy Spirit changed his ministration, and comes in the sweet and peaceable tidings of salvation by Christ in the gospel to his poor, dejected, and afflicted conscience.
Third. I now come to show you what this fear doth in the soul. Although this godly fear is not to always last with us, as I shall further show you, it dramatically differs from that which is wholly ungodly of itself, both because of the author and its effects. Of the author I have told you before; I now shall tell you what it doth.
1. This fear makes a man judge himself for sin and fall down before God with a broken mind under this judgment, which is pleasing to God because the sinner, by so doing, justifies God in his saying and clears him in his judgment (Psa 51:1-4).
2. This fear makes a man judge himself and cast down at God's foot. Hence, it makes him condole and bewail his misery before him, which is also well-pleasing in his sight: "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself," saying, "Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke," &c. (Jer 31:18,19).
3. This fear makes a man lie at God's foot and put his mouth in the dust; if so, there may be hope. This also is well-pleasing to God because now is the sinner as nothing, and in his own eyes less than nothing, as to any good or desert: "He sit alone and keep silence," because he hath now this yoke upon him; "he put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope" (Lam 3:28,29).
4. This fear puts a man upon crying to God for mercy, and that in most humble manner; now he sensibly cries, now he dejectedly cries, now he feels and cries, now he smarts and cries out, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13).
5. This fear makes a man who cannot accept support and succor, which others who are destitute will take up and be contented with. This man must be washed by God himself and cleansed from his sin by God himself (Psa 51).
6. Therefore, this fear will not go away until the Spirit of God changes his ministry as to this particular, leaving off to work now by the law, as afore, and coming to the soul with the sweet word of promise of life and salvation by Jesus Christ. Thus far, this fear is godly, that is, until Christ, by the Spirit in the gospel, is revealed and made over unto us, and no longer.
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