In the first place, I assert that an inclination and propensity of heart to the duties of the law is necessary to frame and enable us for the immediate practice of them…
The second endowment necessary to enable us for the immediate practice of holiness…is that we be well persuaded of our reconciliation with God…
The third endowment necessary to enable us for the practice of holiness…is that we be persuaded of our future enjoyment of the everlasting heavenly happiness. This must precede our holy practice, as a cause disposing and alluring us to it…
The last endowment…is that we will be persuaded of sufficient strength both to will and perform our duty acceptably, until we come to the enjoyment of the heavenly happiness.
-Walter Marshall, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, p. 34ff (Get a free copy for Kindle HERE).
In other words, we must have the Spirit dwelling in us (we must be born again), comprehension that we are justified (forgiven and accepted on account of Christ’s suffering and obedience), assurance of final salvation and joy in the presence of God, and awareness that we are not doing this on our own (i.e. in our own strength). Marshall calls these ‘endowments.’ This means that they are not things that we can work up. Rather, they are gifts from God given for the purpose of sanctifying us.
The Spirit, who wrote the Law, is in me, inclining me to do His will. The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, lived and died for my failures (both past and present) to do so, with the result that I am completely reconciled to the Father. He promises me that I will be with him where he is, with His Father. He promises that He will help me on my journey there. That’s motivation.
I have a new nature;
I am forgiven and accepted;
I will enjoy God for all eternity;
I have the help of the Spirit.
Now go to war with sin.
Walter Marshall spent a great deal of time emphasizing the driving force of love in this chapter, through each of the 4 topics you’ve outlined here.
“Love” is a grand word to use, and to be more specific, I see Marshall highlighting the cherishing/valuing aspect of love. He describes salvation’s new nature as an “inclination” of the heart. He says being forgiven and accepted into God’s “love and favor”. He says that knowledge of our future eternal enjoyment of God “…must precede our holy practice, as a cause disposing and alluring us to it.” He says that those who are lead by the Spirit not only desire the power and will to do His will, but also “…to be pleased with it…” If we don’t cherish God, if we don’t value what He values, then everything else falls apart. Love drives the endowments.
I liked this quote: “And this love, liking, delight, longing, thirsting, sweet relishing must be continued to the end; and the first indeliberate motion of lust must be regulated by love to God and our neighbour; and sin must be lusted against (Gal 5:17), and abhorred (Ps. 36:4).” He drives his point home saying “”if it were true obedience (as some would have it) to love our duty only as a market man loves foul ways to market, or a sick man loves an unpleasant medicinal potion, or as a captive slave loves his hard work for fear of a greater evil- then it might be performed with averseness, or want of inclination; but we must love it, as the market man gain, as the sick man health, as pleasant meath and drink, as the captive liberty.” (pg 15 par 1)