brought them to the worst part of it for the south part was the hottest and dryest and barrennest part of the countrey thus God seemes to goe on in crosse wayes and this hides the excellency of the things of God and hence it comes to passe they are not seen If it be so then that the things of God are not seen to a carnall eye and require more then reason to apprehend them First it should make us cease wondering that men of excellent parts and reason doe not see the things of God but slight them be not offended at this they are things not seen it is a great deceit in many who think that because such and such men have larger abilities of reason then others to understand naturall things that therefore it must needs follow they have deeper apprehensions of spiritual things and yet men reason thus what you poor simple men and women understand these things when there are great Schollars and learned men that see them not this argues a carnal heart as if the strength of reason could make men apprehend more then faith can doe You know what Christ sayes Father I thank thee that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Math. 11. 25. Notwithstanding such expressions of Christ yet we see the temper of the men of the world alas they look upon religion as a most foolish and ridiculous thing and so for strictnesse in the wayes of religion when a man shall see another very earnest about a thing that he thinkes is of no consequence at all he cannot but impute folly to him so when the men of the world see the people of God servent and zealous about those things that they can see no excellency in and see them willing to venture and suffer for them they count this folly and madnesse when Christ being in danger of his life John 18. 37 38. tells Pilate that he came into the world to bear witnesse unto the truth sayes Pilate what is truth speaking in a slighting way as if he had said you come here to answer for your life and you had need look to that and what doe you talk of truth now your life is in question So carnall men when they see others venture their estates and lives for poor inconsiderable things as they esteem them they count this folly and why doe they doe so because the things of God are not seen Therefore in spirituall and heavenly things we must alwayes endeavour to beat down reason and to advance faith sayes Luther In the things of God we must not continually be asking the reason for they are the things that are not seen Nay sayes he faith kills the beast reason in spiritual things Though it is true being kept under faith there is good use of it yet it is as a beast to be slaine that so we may see the more of spirituall things I meet with a story in a book of a company of Bishops that were gathered together and there was a Philosopher with them who disputed against the Christian faith and he argued so subtilly that he non-plust the Bishops Now there was a godly man a poor weak man there and he desired he might have liberty to dispute for that they were so non-plust in and though at first they were afraid he would spoyle the cause through his weaknesse yet at length they gave him leave to speak and he propounds certaine principles of religion to the Philosopher and said to him doe you believe these things and said no more but doe you believe these things and upon this the Philosopher yeilds I have heard sayes he nothing all this while but words but now I finde a divine vertue come into me that I can no longer resist the Christian faith and this meerly upon the propounding of the objects of faith with urging upon him Doe you believe certainly in the things of faith we must believe before we can understand them fully our faith must sometimes help us to conceive and not alwayes our conceiving help to us to believe we finde this in Peter John 6. 69. And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ the Son of the living God mark we believe and are sure He doth not say we are sure and believe but first believe and then are sure by believing we come to be sure There are many they would faine be sure that Christ died for them that their sins are pardoned and that they are the children of God and they endeavour to make this out by arguments from the effects and would try themselves by such and such notes but we should rather and in the first place goe the way the Apostle doth here we believe and are sure we should cast our souls upon the truth of the word and by believing come to be sure So much for the First the things of God are things not seen But now faith that doth evidence and make them cleare We know in whom we have believed 2. Tim. 1. 12. and the mercies of God in Christ are called The sure mercies of David Acts 13. 34. Faith is not a meer notion imagination or conceit but t is that which makes all sure and certaine to the soul I should have answered a case here whether or no there may not be faith without assurance that is without assurance of a mans own salvation by Christ Certainly it must needs be a great mistake to put that upon the being of faith which is the riches of faith for so the Scripture calls assurance a man may be able to carry on his Trade though he be not rich and a man may be a believer though he be not rich in assurance now assurance is the creame of faith the riches of faith I should have shewn also how farre faith can be an evidence where there is doubting Onely thus the assurance we have by faith building upon the word and drawing conclusions from divine principles for that I should have spoken of how faith draws things up to an evidence by divine and spirituall principles and what these principles are but we cannot stand to open this but it is so farre an evidence that the soul can venture upon it as I told you before faith is a foundation that the soule dare venture upon as that Martyr said though I cannot dispute for the truth yet I can dye for the truth Where faith comes with a convincing light though there may be doubts and fears and temptations yet it can trust and depend and the soul resolves if I perish I will perish here let all the world say what they will I finde this is the way and whatever comes of it I will not goe back and by this meanes over-powers the soul and carries it through opposition and so faith is an evidence Many things should have been spoken by way of application As First If faith be an evidence to other things and makes them seen
notwithstanding the infinitenesse of Gods holinesse yet there should be a way for us polluted creatures to looke upon this God with joy This mystery is onely taught in the Gospel Though men now thinke they can come and cry to God for mercy yet hereaafter when God shal let out the brightnesse of his holinesse to thee and thou comest to see thy uncleannesse then thy heart will sinke down in eternall despaire thou wilt not endure to behold God then And if thou beest not acquainted with God in this way of reconciliation thou art undone for ever therefore study the mystery of the Gospell and make use of Christ that the glory of Gods holinesse may not be to thy terrour but to thy comfort This Sermon was preacht March 21. 1640. COLOS. 3. V. 11. latter end of it But Christ is all in all March 28 1641. IT is not long since as some of you may remember that in this place that subject was handled of the Saints enjoyment of God to be all in all out of 1 Cor. 15. v. 28. and then I told you we had such an expression in Scripture but onely twice applyed to God in the happinesse of the Saints enjoyment of him in heaven and applyed here to Christ of what Christ is to them for the present That which was handled about Gods being all in all is the end this that is to be delivered concerning Christ being all in all is that which brings the soul to that blessed end Wherefore then as Christ him selfe sayes John 14. 1. Yee believe in God believe also in me So I say as God shall be all in all eternally to the Saints doe you believe in that believe also in this that I am to deliver to you this day that Christ he is all and in all The Apostle Saint Paul was a chosen vessell to beare the name of Christ to carry it up and downe in the world and indeed his spirit was full of Christ he desired to know nothing but Christ to Preach nothing but Christ to be found in none but Christ the very name of Christ was delightfull to him he seekes in all his Epistles to magnifie Christ and in these words that I have read unto you he doth omnifie Christ he makes him not onely great but makes him all There is neither Greeke nor Jew circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all in all that is there is no priviledge in the one to commend them to God and no want of any thing in the other to hinder them from God let men be what they will in their outward respects what is that to God let them be never so mean in regard of all outwards that cannot hinder them from the enjoyment of God for God lookes not at these things but Christ is all and in all to them so farre as God seeth Christ in any he accepts of them if Christ be not there whatever they have he regards them not Christ is all in all even in the esteeme of the Father himselfe he was the delight of the father from all eternity Prov. 8. 30. and the father tooke infinite contentment in him upon his willingnesse to undertake this blessed worke of the redemption of mankinde God the father is infinitely satisfied in Christ he is all in all to him Surely if Christ be an object sufficient for the satisfaction of the father much more then is he an object sufficient for the satisfaction of any soul But that which is the maine scope here of the holy Ghost in this high expression of Christs transcendent excellency that I may come presently to it I shall deliver it in this doctrinall proposition That Christ is the onely meanes of conveighance of all good that God the father intends to communicate unto the children of men in order to eternall life he is all and in all This that I am now to Preach unto you namely Gods communicating of himselfe in his mercy to mankinde through a mediatour it is the very sum of the Gospell the great mystery of godlinesse 't is the chiefe part of the minde and counsell of God that he would have made knowne to the children of men in this world This is the great embassage that the ministers of the Gospell have to bring unto the sons and daughters of men and 't is the most absolutely necessary point in all Divinity I suppose in the first hearing of it every one yeilds to the truth of it 't is true you will say we can have no good from God but in and by Christ Well there is a great deal in that you say when you say all must come from God in Christ in all your prayers and petitions you usually conclude them through Jesus Christ but certainely this is many times spoken when we see little of the glory of God that there is in such an expression and that which I shall this day endeavour shall be to shew you somewhat of the glory of God shining in this truth that God doth communicate himselfe through a mediatour through his son This is the great point of Divinity that is absolutely necessary to be known to eternall life it is possible to be ignorant of many other truths and yet be saved but there must be some knowledge of this or there can be no salvation the mistake in this very thing is the miscarriage and the eternall undoing of thousand thousands of souls many there are who believe that they have need of and can never be saved but by Gods mercy and this the light of nature convinceth us of but that God is to communicate his mercy through a mediator this they are ignorant of and see not into the reallity of this truth and miscarry and perish eternally with cryes to God for mercy because they come to God but not through a mediator This is the sum of the Gospell and the most supernaturall truth revealed in all the book of God It is a truth that was hidden almost from all the world for many ages the Scripture saith The Princes of the world knew it not A truth we are not able to understand any thing of by the light of nature 1 Cor. 1. 21. The world by wisdome knew not God that is by all their arts and sciences by all their naturall wisedome they knew not God savingly they did not know God in Christ There is no footsteps of this truth in all the works of creation or providence therefore in Ephes 3. 8. Saint Paul sayes he was appointed to Preach the unsearchable riches of Christ that riches that hath no footsteps that is the propriety of the word there is no footsteps of the riches of the Gospell in the creature therefore you cannot trace it there whereas many other points of religion have many footsteps in the creature and by the light of nature much may be discovered about God as that all our good consists in communion with God that when
condition but if you will goe on in the way that God is beginning with you in stirring your consciences if you will continue you shall come to know more then yet you know Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free and then in vers 33. say they we are Abrahams seed and were never in bondage to any man how sayest thou ye shall be made free See here they begin to snarle againe Master Calvin I remember thinks that these are the words rather of some other of the Jewes that were present then of those that are said before to believe but others think it may be understood even of those that are said to believe for though they did begin to assent to the doctrine of Christ and were very much convinced yet there was still abundance of frowardnesse perversnesse and crookednesse in their spirits so that they begin againe to wrangle with Christ especially when he doth but intimate to them any thing of their bondage It is a usual thing for many people that have some stirrings of conscience and some beginnings of the working of Gods spirit in them and it may be saving ones too yet to continue a long time in much frowardnesse and perversnesse of spirit if they be opposed in their way Therefore say they doe you speak to us of bondage and tells us of freedome why We were never in bondage to any vers 33. What never in bondage to any were not the Jewes in bondage to the Babylonians when in captivity to them and were they not at this very time in bondage to the Romans and yet we were never in bondage thus carnall hearts till grace fully subdue them are very loth to know their wretched condition they love not to heare of any thing that discovers to them the misery that they are in they were never in bondage they say but yet Christ pittyeth them he did not take advantage to fling away presently because he saw them continue still in their perversnesse and snarling at what he spake but tells them what bondage he meant As if he should say the truth is though you think your selves free yet there is a bondage that you are in and such a bondage that none can deliver you but the Son of God alone If the Son therefore shall make you free you shall be free indeed Thus we come to the words of the Text. These words you see then hold forth unto us the blessed liberty of the Gospel that freedome that believers have by Christ I come then presently to the maine doctrinal conclusion which is this There is a blessed liberty that Christians enjoy by Christ and only by him This doctrine of Christian liberty that is enjoyed by Christ is a Treasury of abundance of admirable consolation and much of the mystery of the Gospell is contained in this doctrine I should enlarge my discourse too farre and seek to gripe too much should I think to give you but a view of this doctrine in all the points of it If we should intend to handle it at large I should shew to you 1. What that is that Christ doth set believers free from 2. The priviledges of this freedome they have by Christ 3. The Subject of it who it is that hath this freedome 4. By whom it comes how it is by the Son and onely by him 5. The price and purchase of this freedome 6. The interest that believers have in this freedome how they come to be enfranchised and to have interest in it And 7. the application of it But should I goe this way to work it is but little I should be able to doe therefore I will not graspe so much I intend therefore to handle but one speciall thing in this our freedome by Christ If I should shew to you first of all what we are freed from then there is the freedome from the law the freedome from the power of sinne the freedome from the bondage of feare the freedome from an accusing conscience the freedome from slavishnesse in the performance of holy duties we are set at liberty in holy duties the freedome from death and the evill of that the freedome from the slavery of the devill and the freedome from the ceremonial law but neither must we seek to gripe all these particulars to shew you our freedome in these I shall onely pitch upon one and that is our freedome from the law If the Son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed The doctrine of freedome from the law is the subject that we are to handle at this time and when I speak of freedome from the law I meane not freedome from obedience to the law t is an erronious conceit to think we are freed from obedience to the law and it is a conceit too meane and absurd for us to spend time about it now that have so little and having to deal in a matter of so great consequence as we have for what is the law but the image of God the very beame of the wisdome and holinesse of God himself if you look at it as requiring obedience and for any to say we should be freed from obedience to the law is as much as to say we should be freed from the image of God from the beame of the wisdome and holinesse of God himself therefore we will spend no time about that but when I speak of freedome from the law I mean freedome from the rigour of the law from the condemning sentence of the law in which all the rigour of it appeares Wherefore then it is necessary first to give you a view of the bondage that we are all in under the law unlesse delivered by Christ And then Secondly I shall endeavour to open to you wherein the liberty of the Gospell doth consist that Christ hath purchased for us These two things brethren have in them the chiefe doctrine of divinity and except you be well instructed and setled in these two you cannot know aright any point of religion For the first I will be but briefe in that though there be many particulars in it for it is the second I chiefly intend And for a preparation to this first this I shall tell you before hand that I shall name many things unto you that will seem exceeding hard but yet take this consideration along that although the things I name to you appeare never so hard yet they are but in order to that which I shall afterward deliver to you that shall have much comfort and peace in it If I tell you any thing of your bondage it is onely to this end that you may know the blessednesse of your freedome and liberty Wherefore then for the rigour of the law that you may know what you are freed from you must know what this is and what you are all under by nature as considered out of Christ for so the holy Ghost expresseth our subjection to the law he saith we are