in the Scripture is called sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of bondage and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of feare from which we are delivered when wee receiue the spirit of adoption and sanctification whereby wee are enabled to worship God in holinesse righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without servile feare according to the covenant of grace made with Abraham Luk. I. And in this sense it is said that the Law is not imposed on the iust to whom being as it were a law vnto themselues willingly performing that which is right the terror and coaction of the Law so far foâ—â—◠〈◊〉 they are regenerate is needlesse Thirdly as we are freed from the coaction and terror of the Law so also from the exaction and rigour of the Law which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though it be a liberty of sanctification and appertaining to our new obedience yet it dependeth on the liberty of iustification For as there we were freed from the Lawes exaction of inherent righteousnesse to the acceptation of our persons so heere we are freed from the lawes exaction of perfect obedience to the acceptation of our actions So that whereas the law condemneth every the least imperfection or defect not agreeing with that perfection of iustice which it prescribeth as a sin or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pronounceth the party in whom that defect or imperfection is accursed notwithstanding the new obedience of Gods children wrought in them by the spirit of God and performed according to the measure of grace received though defectiue in it selfe and stained with the flesh is accepted of God who covereth their imperfections with the perfect obedience of Christ and not so much respecteth the perfection of the outward act which hee doth not expect from such weaknesse as the integrity of the heart the vprightnesse of the will and desire the sincerity of the indevour which if it bee not wanting the Lord accepteth the will for the deede and true endeavour striuing towards perfection for the perfect performance In which respect the Lord according to his gratious promise vseth clemency towards vs as a tender father vseth clemency towards his sonne taking in good part the childish endeavour of his children proceeding from an vnfained desire to please him But our liberty in sanctification is not only an immunity but also an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or right consisting of great priviledges For first wee are not only freed in part from the corruption of sinne which we call mortification but are also positiuely made righteous being as the Apostle Peter speaketh made partakers of the divine nature in that flying from the corruption which is in the world by lust we are renued according to the image of God in holinesse and righteousnesse For as the sacred oyle being powred on the head of Aron who was a type of Christ distilled vnto his lower parts so the oyle of grace wherewith Christ our head was annointed without measure is derived even to his inferiour members here on earth who are also therewith annointed receiuing of his fulnesse even grace for grace Neither are we only freed from the servitude of sin Satan and the world but in Christ our King who hath overcome the world and triumphed over sinne and Satan wee are also made Kings with assurance to bee coâ—querers of all the enemies of our salvation And as touching the Law we are not only freed from the irritation thereof wherevnto our owne corruption did make vs subâ—ect as vnto a husband who begot foule issue of vs tending to death and so left at large but we are also ioyned to another husband which is Christ by his Spirit whereby he produceth in vs the fruits of the spirit to the glory of God Neither doth the law only cease to provoke vs vnto sinne but when we are once sanctified it becommeth as David speaketh a counsellour vnto vs and a directour vnto good things Neither are we freed only from the spirit of bondage and feare but are also indued with the spirit of liberty and grace the spirit of adoption the spirit of power and of loue and of sobriety which spirit hauing shed abroad the loue of God in our hearts testifying vnto vs our adoption and as an earnest assuring vs of our inheritance and enflaming our hearts with a reciprocall loue of God and of our neighbour for his sake we begin to delight in the law of God as concerning the inner man neither are the commandements of God grievous vnto vs we begin to serue the Lord not only without feare but also with willing mindes and vpright hearts For those who are redeemed sanctified by Christ are 〈…〉 a people of willingnesse a people peculiar to himselfe zealous of good workes And lastly concerning the rigour of the Law we haue not only this immunity that the imperfections of our sincere obedience are not imputed to vs but also this priviledge that our imperfect obedience which in it selfe is worthy to bee reiected notwithstanding is both accepted of God and rewarded For Christ hauing washed vs with his blood and sanctified vs by his spirit hath made vs both kings as I said before also Priests or as Peter speaketh a royall and holy Priest hood to offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ the sacrifice of obedience whereby we offer our selues as a liuely holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto God which is our reasonable service the sacrifice of almes whereby wee offer our goods with which sacrifices God is well pleased the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart which is to God in stead of all sacrifices the sacrifice of prayer which is accepted as incense as the euening sacrifice the sacrifice of praise that is the fruit or as Hosea speaketh the calues of our lips which the Lord preferreth before the sacrifices of goats and bulles all which though in themselues defectiue and imperfect are notwithstanding acceptable vnto God through the mediation of Christ who making intercession for vs perâ—umeth all these sacrifices of ours with the odours of his owne sacrifice that so they may bee acceptable and sweet smelling favours vnto God Neither are they only accepted but also rewarded For our obedience our confidence our patience our praiâ—er fasting almes and charitable deeds haue their rewards in so much that a cup of cold water giuen in charity shall not lose his reward In respect whereof we may well say with Dauid vnto thee Lord mercy for thou rewardest a man according to his worke Which plainly proueth that the reward of our obedience is not to be ascribed to the merit of our works which in themselues cannot stant in iudgement but to the mercies of God in Christ.
presently translated as it were from death to life and from the state of damnation vnto the state of grace and salvation But these things doe need some farther explanation First therefore in the ministry of the Gospell which is the ministry of the spirit the word of faith the seed of regeneration the law or doctrine of liberty and the ordinary meanes of our vocation the lord preventing vs with his grace sendeth the spirit of his sonne into our hearts which being as I said the spirit of liberty first freeth our mindes from the bondage of ignorance incredulity vanity wherein vntill then wee are held captiue not onceable of our selues to entertaine a good thought the whole frame of our thoughts being onely evill continually the wisdome of our flesh or that which our flesh mindeth being enmity against God our selues not only not perceiuing but being not able to perceiue the things which are of the spirit of God and much lesse able to giue assent vnto them for no man can say that Iesus is Christ but by the holy Ghost and much lesse to assent effectually or by a liuely faith The spirit of God therefore by the ministry of the word which is a light vnto our feete as the meanes and by the Ministers of the Gospell as his instruments who are therefore called the light of the world and are sent by Christ to open our eyes and to giue light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death enlighteneth our mindes to vnderstand and openeth our hearts as hee did the heart of Lydia perswading our soules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not only to attend but as the word also signifieth to assent to those things which are spoken by the Ministers and thereby maketh vs vnfainedly to acknowledge and seriously to consider both our miserable servitude and damnable estate in our selues and also the gratious liberty and sauing grace of God offered in Christ. And this is the first degree of the liberty which we haue in our calling that therein we are called out of darknes into light Of this liberty the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor. 3. that whereas there is naturally a vaile over mens hearts that they cannot vnderstand the word this vaile is taken away by the spirit of God when they turne vnto the Lord. Now the Lord saith he is the spirit where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty In this regard the spirit is compared to an eye-salue and is called that anointing which being receiued from Christ teacheth vs all things Hauing thus revealed vnto vs both our owne miserable estate in our selues and the infinite mercies of God in Christ and moued vs truly to assent thereto in the next place hee toucheth our hearts with a sense of our misery and with a hatred of sinne which hath brought vs into that miserable estate and by the ministry of the Word which is his power to our salvation and his arme to draw vs vnto him hee turneth our will and affections from darknesse which naturally wee loue vnto light not only working in vs hearty desires to come out of that damnable estate and to be made partakers of Christ which desires also he being the Spirit of supplication helpeth vs to expresse in hearty prayer but also inspiring into vs a setled resolution that for as much as liberty and salvation is promised to all that receiue Christ by faith wee will therefore resolue vndoubtedly to acknowledge him to be our only Saviour and to rest vpon him alone for salvation Thus by working 1. In our mindes an effectuall assent to the promise of the Gospell 2. In our hearts an earnest desire to bee made partakers of Christs merits and 3. In our will a setled resolution to acknowledge him to bee the Messias and to rely vpon the mercies of God and merits of Christ for justification and saluation by which three we doe receiue Christ the spirit of God begetteth the grace of iustifying faith in vs. In the begetting whereof hee doth not only turne men from darknesse to light and from the power of Saâ—an vnto God but also regenerateth them and vniteth them vnto Christ making them of the children of wrath the sonnes of God of the impes of the old Adam members of Christ and of the-subiects of Satan in the kingdome of darknesse fellow cittizens with the Saints in the kingdome of God And this is the liberty which we haue by our calling As for the teachers of free will and the magnifiers of our pure naturals they neither acknowledge the wofull bondage wherein we are by nature nor the happy liberty whereunto wee are not borne but called For this is a liberty ad quam non nati sed renati sumus which we haue not by generation but by regeneration Neither is it a common liberty of all but a liberty peculiar to the people of God who are a people set at liberty peculiar to the sonnes of God and members of Christ. But it will be said if there bee no freedome in our willes before we be called then belike we are called and saued against our willes and we must looke with the Enthusiasts for violent raptures I answere that there is in our willes a freedome of nature whereby it is free from compulsion For that the will should bee forced it implieth a contradiction for then it should both will and nill the same thing at one time Notwithstanding this freedome of the will vntill it bee freed by grace is a voluntary service of sinne voluntarily and with greedinesse willing that which is evill although it can will nothing else But the preventing grace of God whereby we are called is perswasiue and not ordinarily by the Word drawing vs indeede and so of vnwilling making vs willing but this is by perswasion and not by compulsion For although our willes in the first act of our conversion bee meerely passiue and none can come to Christ vnlesse the Father draw him yet we can no sooner conceiue a man to be effectually called then that he is made willing For in the very act of our calling of vnwilling we are made willing and no sooner are wee effectually drawne but wee willingly come in which sense true is that saying of Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God indeed draweth but hee draweth him that is willing Wherefore though our willes doe not concurre ad vocationem vnto our calling yet they concurre in vocatione in our calling being therein made free Now we are to intreate of the liberty which we haue both in our iustification and also in our sanctification For howsoeuer these graces doe alwaies so concurre as that whosoeuer hath the one hath the other and whosoeuer hath not both hath neither yet are wee carefully to distinguish them For the Papists in not distinguishing them confound
the worst No man is so wicked that hee is addicted to all kind of vices for there is an Antipathy betwixt some vices But remember that Christ saith Except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees yee shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Consider with your selues how far you come short of the Pharisees in fasting praying frequenting the Church and in giuing of Almes Thinke with your selues how many Pagans who neuer knew Baptisme yet in morall vertues and honesty of life doe goe far beyond you Where is then the life of Christ your Master and how far are you from being true Christians A true Christian must haue respect to walke in the truth of his heart in all the commandements of God alike for hee that shall offend in one point of the law is guilty of all And Peter bids vs Lay aside not some but all malice guile and hypocrisies One sinne is enough to damne a mans soule vvithout Repenâ—â—â—ce dreame not to goe to Heauen by any nearer or easier way then Christ hath trained vs in this world The way to Heauen is not easie or common but streight and narrow yea so narrow that Christ protesteth that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of Heauen and that those who enter are but few and that those few cannot get in but by striuing and that some of those who striue to enter in shall not be able This all Gods Saints whilst they here liued knew well when with so often fasting so earnest prayers so frequent hearing the word and receiuing the Sacraments and with such abundance of teares they deuoutly beg'd at the hands of God for Christs sake to be receiued into his Kingdome O then trie your spirits whether they are of God deceiue not your selues by diffidence despaire or too much fidelity dote not too much vpon these wodden cottages these houses of moulding clay which are but the tents of vngodlinesse the receptacle habitation of sinners but looke rather and long for this Heauenly citty whose builder and maker is God which he who is not ashamed to be called our God hath prepared for you By all these things which haue beene deliuered to you you may easily perceiue how destitute naked mankind is of all good things and how he wanteth all helps of saluation Wherefore if he seeke for releifes whereby he may succour his necessity hee must goe out of himselfe and repaire to the fulnesse of riches laid vp in Christ. This is afterward declared to vs that the Lord of his owne free will and liberality doth giue himselfe to vs in Christ in whom he offereth vs instead of our misery felicity instead of our need wealthinesse in whom hee openeth to vs all heauenly and celestiall treasures that ouâ— whole Faith should behold his beloued sonne and so bee filled with all manner of diuine pleasures at his right hand and drink out of the riuers of pleasures that vpon him our whole expectation should hang in him our whole hope should rest This verily is the secret and hidden Philosophie which cannot bee wrung out with Logicall arguments but they learne it whose eyes God hath opened that they may see light in his light But since wee are taught by faith to acknowledge that whatsoeuer wee haue neede of whatsoeuer is wanting in vs the same is plentifully in God and in our Lord Iesus Christ namely in whom the Lord willed the whole fulnesse of his largenesse to rest that from thence wee should all draw as out of a most plentifull fountaine now it remaineth that wee seeke in him and with prayers craue of him that which we haue learned to be in him Otherwise to know God to bee the Lord and giuer of all good things which allureth vs to pray to him and not to goe to him and pray to him should as little profit vs as if a man should neglect a treasure shewed him buried and digged in the ground Therefore the Apostle to shew that true Faith cannot bee idle from calling vpon God hath set this order that as of the Gospell springeth Faith so by it our hearts are framed to call vpon the name of God And this is the same thing which hee had a little before said that the spirit of Adoption which sealeth in our hearts the witnesse of the Gospell raiseth vp our spirits that they dare shew forth their desires to God and stirre vp vnspeakable groanings and crie with confidence Abba Father It is meete therefore that this last point because it was before but onely spoken of by the way and as it were lightly touched should now bee more largely treated of Wherein I will briefly shew you some particular and especiall commodities which the faithfull by constant feruent and earnest prayer attaine at the hands of the Almighty This we get by the benefit of prayer that wee attaine to those riches with are laid vp for vs with the heauenly Father For there is a certaine communicating of men with God whereby they entring into the sanctuary of God doe in his owne presence call to him touching his promise that the same thing which they beleeued him affirming onely in word not to bee vaine they may when needâ— so requireth find in experience Therefore wee see that there is no thing set forth to vs to bee looked for at the hand of the Lord which wee are not commanded to craue with prayers for true it is that by prayers are digged vp the treasures which our faith hath looked vpon being shewed to it by the Gospell of the Lord. By prayer wee are enriched with all the graces of the Almighty and in our distresses and calamities both quieted and releiued what blessing soeuer wee would haue or from what plague trouble or necessity soeuer bee deliuered we may procure from God by faithfull prayer By prayer we doe as by the hand of Faith violently seize and take possession of Heauen for our inheritance make our selues free Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem where all the elect shall enioy these excellent prerogatiues 1. They shall bee all Kings and Priests Spirituall Kings to raigne with Christ and to triumph ouer Sathan the world and Reprobates and spirituall Priests to offer vnto God the spirituall Sacrifice of Prayse and Thankesgiuings for euermore And therefore they are said to weare both Crownes and Roabes Oh what a comfort is this to poore Parents that haue many Children if they breed them vp in the feare of God to be true Christians then are they parents to so many kings Priests 2. Their bodies shall shine as the brightnesse of the Sunne in the firmament like the glorious body of Christ which shined brighter then the Sunne at Noone when it appeared to Paul Act. 12. 6. A glimpse of which glorious brightnesse appeared in the bodyes of Moses and Elias tranfigured with our