Faith

Unbelievers are actuated by a slavish or servile spirit, suitably to their state of bondage, under the covenant of works **. A slavish fear of hell, and a servile hope of heaven, are the weights, that are hung upon them by that covenant, causing them to go the external round of duties. Sins are avoided, duties are performed, not from love to God and his holy law ; but from love to themselves and their own safety. Believers on the contrary, are actu¬ ated by a free and ingenuous Spirit, the Spirit of adoption, suitably to their state of adoption, under the covenant of grace ®. God in Christ is their gracious Father, and they serve Him, not as slaves but as sons The Holy Spirit dwelleth in them, and hath made them partakers of a new, and a Divine nature The consequence is, that sin is hated and avoided as contrary, duty is loved and performed as agreeable, to their new nature. Christ is their elder brother, who loved them and gave himself for them,” and his lore constrains them ^ Their be¬ lief of the love of God in Christ to them, has excited in them, love to him in return, as a new principle of obedience ^ By faith, they trust in the Lord Jesus for all their salvation ; and this undermines in them, both the slavish fear of hell, and the servile hope of heaven : so that these henceforth, are so far from being their sole motives to obedience, that they cannot even be their prevailing motives ; nay, they cannot at all remain in them, but as tlie enemies of their faith, and love, and hope. John Colquhoun

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