on to death. And this debt,
you see, is wholly discharged to them that are in Christ, by another
sentence repealing the former curse,--ver. 1 "There is no condemnation to
them that are in Christ." But there is another debt, which I may call a
debt of duty and obedience, which, as it was antecedent to sin, even
binding innocent Adam, so the obligation of the debt of sin hath been so
far from taking it away that it is rather increased exceedingly, and this
debt is unpardonable and indispensable. The more of the debt of sin be
pardoned, and the more the curse be dispensed with, the more the sinner
owes of love and obedience to God. "She loved much, because much was
forgiven,"--and the more was forgiven of sin the more she owed of love, and
the more debt was discharged the more she was indebted to him. And,
therefore, after this general acquittance of all believers, ver. 1, he
presseth this obligation the more strongly. "Therefore, brethren, we are
debtors." It is like that debt spoken of, Rom. xiii., "Owe no man any
thing, but love one another," which is not meant that it is unlawful to be
debtors to men, but rather, what ye owe, or all things else, pay it, and
ye are free. Your debt ceases and your bond is cancelled. But as for the
debt of love and benevolence, you must so owe that to all men, as never to
be discharged of it, never to be freed from it. When you have done all
this hath no limitation of time or action, even so it is here. Other debts
when paid, men cease to be debtors, then they are free, but here the more
he pays the more he is bound to pay,--he oweth, and he oweth eternally. His
bond is never cancelled as long as he continues a creature subsisting in
God, and abides a redeemed one in Christ. For these continuing, his
obligation is eternally recent and fresh as the first day. And this doth
not at all obscure the infinite grace of God, or diminish the happiness of
saints, that they are not freed from this debt of love and obedience, but
rather illustrates the one and increases the other, for it cannot be
supposed to consist with the wisdom and holiness of God to loose his
creature from that obligation of loving obedience and subjection, which is
essential to it, and it is no less repugnant to the happiness of the
creature to be free from righteousness unto sin.

Now, this debt of duty and obedience hath a threefold bond, which because
they stand in vigour uncancelled for all eternity, therefore the
obligatio