We now come to the second point.
Doct. 2 - That the new covenant giveth liberty to all that are under it, from the slavery of sin, and the condemning power of the law. Let me explain this point: and here I shall show you, -
1. That liberty supposeth precedent bondage.
2. That our liberty must answer the bondage.
3. I shall show you the manner of getting our liberty.
First, Liberty supposeth preceding bondage; for when Christ spake of liberty, or making them free, the Jews quarrelled at it: John viii. 33, 'We were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou then that ye shall be made free?' So much we gather from their cavil, that it is the first thought, or the ready sentiment and opinion of mankind, that to be made free, implieth a foregoing bondage. Now, our bondage consisteth in a slavery to sin and Satan, and being under the condemning power of the law, or obligation to the curse, and eternal damnation.
1. That man is under the slavery of sin, which the law convinceth him of; that it is so with us, the scripture showeth: Titus iii. 3, 'We were sometimes foolish and disobedient, serving divers lusts and pleasures.' (1.) There is the condition of natural men; they serve. (2.) The baseness of the master, lusts, and divers lusts. (3.) The bait or motive by which they are drawn into this service, intimated in the word pleasures; for a little brutish satisfaction a man selleth his liberty, his soul, his religion, his God, and all. The word douleuontes is most proper to our purpose; for that noteth his slavery. Carnal affections so govern us, that we know not how to escape and come out of this thraldom; we suffer the beast to ride the man. It were monstrous in the body, for the feet to be where the head should be, or to have the limbs distorted, to have the arms hang backward; yet such a de-ordination there is in the soul, when reason and conscience is put in vassalage to sense and appetite. The natural order is this: reason and conscience directs the will, the will moveth the affections, the affections move the bodily spirits, and they the senses and members of the body; but natural corruption inverts all: pleasures affect the senses, the senses corrupt the phantasy, the phantasy moveth the bodily spirits; the affections, by their violence and inclination, enslave the will and blind the mind; and so man is carried headlong to his own destruction. This slavery implieth three things: -
[1.] A willing subjection: Rom. vi. 16, 'Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom you obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?' Servants were made so, either by consent or conquest. The apostle speaketh there not of servants by conquest, but of servants by consent and covenant. When a man yieldeth up himself to be at the disposal of another, he is a servant to him; so in moral matters, by whatever a man is employed, and to which he giveth up his time and strength, life and love, to that he is a servant, be it to the flesh or to the spirit, as we make it our business to accomplish or gratify the desires of the one, or the other. A godly man hath sin in him, but he doth not serve it, yield up himself to obey it; he doth not walk after his lusts.
[2.] Customary practice and observance: John viii. 34; 'Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.' poioon, that liveth in an habit and course of sin; he is brought under the power of it, enslaved by such pleasures as he affects.
[3.] Inability to come out of this condition. 'The law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin:' Rom. vii. 14. By the law of nations, service was brought in by conquest, and those that were taken in war were venditi sub hasta - sold under a spear, merely at the disposal of him that took them: 2 Pet ii. 19, 'They are servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage.' This our service under sin is in part represented by a captive, in regard we cannot rid ourselves of it; in part by an hired servant, because we willingly, and by our own default, run into it. This impotency is most sensible in them that are convinced of better, but do that which is worse; they see their duty, but are not able to perform it, being overcome by their lusts; they have some kind of remorse and trouble, but cannot help themselves.
But how came this servitude upon us? Partly by the natural inclination of our own corrupt hearts. There are servi natura, fools and brutish men; so in a spiritual sense are all men: Gen. viii. 21, 'The imaginations of man's heart are evil from his youth.' (2.) It is increased by custom in sinning; these lusts are not only born with us, but bred up with us, and so plead prescription because religion cometh afterwards: Jer. xiii. 23, 'Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil.' It is hard to shake off inveterate customs. Strict education, though it changeth not the heart, hindereth the growth of sin. (3.) Example doth strengthen and increase it: Eph. ii. 3, 'Among whom we also had our conversations in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as others:' and Isa. vi. 5, 'I am a man of unclean lip, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.' (4) By the devil's craft, who observeth our tempers and inclinations, who suiteth every distemper with a diet proper: 2 Tim. ii. 26, 'That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.' Now, this is our bondage till we change masters, and devote and give up ourselves to God.
2. By nature men are under the power of sin, and so by consequence under the sentence of death, for sin and death go hand in hand; These two cannot be put asunder, being joined together by the ordination of God's righteous law. If sin rule in us, it will certainly damn us; for none are freed from the damning power of sin, but those that are freed from the dominion of it. The same law that convinceth of sin, doth also bind over to death; sin and death suit together like work and wages: Rom. vi. 23, 'The wages of sin is death.' To affect you while we are explaining this matter, consider three things: -
1. The suitableness of death to sin.
2. The certainty of it.
3. The terribleness of this death.
[1.] The suitableness or correspondence that is between sin and death. This suitableness will appear, if we consider the wisdom, justice and holiness of God.
(1.) The wisdom of God, which doth all things according to weight, measure and order, cannot permit the disjunction of these two things, so closely united together as sin and punishment; but there will be an appearance of deformity and incongruity, if there be such things as good and evil, bonum et malum morale, as he is unworthy of the name, not only of a Christian, but a man, that denieth it. Again if there be such a thing as pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, as the sense telleth us, or that which we call bonum et malum naturale, natural good, and natural evil, then it is very agreeable to the wisdom of God, that these things should be rightly placed and sorted, that a moral evil, which is sin, should be punished with a natural evil, which is pain and misery; and moral good, which is virtue, should end in joy and pleasure; or in short, that there should be rewards and punishments. God is naturally inclined, as the creator of mankind, to make his creatures good and happy, if nothing hinder him from it, if there be no impediment in the way. From hence we may see how incongruous it is to the wisdom of God, who permitteth no dissonancy or disproportion in any of his dispensations, to admit a separation of these natural relatives. If there were no other testimony of this, yet the dispositions of our own hearts would evince it, for there we have some obscure shadows of the properties which are in God. We compassionate a miserable man, who is made so by the iniquity of the times, and we esteem him not deserving his misery: and we are moved with indignation against one, who by evil arts is fortunate and successful, but altogether unworthy of the happiness which falleth to his share; which is an apparent proof that men are sensible of an excellent harmony, and natural order which is between these two things, virtue and felicity, sin and misery, and to see them so suited, doth exceedingly please us. Now this showeth how fitly these two couples are joined, sin and death, grace and life.
(2.) Let us consider the justice of God, as the judge of the world, and so must and will do right: Gen. xviii. 25, 'Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?' It belongeth to his general justice, that it be well with them that do well, and ill with them that do evil. God is readily inclined to provide happiness for man, who is his creature, if there were no sin to stop the course of his bounty; and if sin had not entered into the world, there had been nothing but happiness in the world; but when 'sin entered into the world,' death presently trod upon the heels of it: Rom. v. 12, 'As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all, even for that all have sinned.' Now men are of different sorts; some recover out of the common apostasy, and their cursed estate by sin, and live holy; others wallow in their filthiness still. Therefore it is agreeable to God's general justice to execute vengeance on the one, and to reward the other; at least, the punishment is just: Rom. ii. 9, 10, 'Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil, but glory, honour and peace to every one that worketh good.' So that the justice of God maketh an inseparable connexion between sin and death.
(3.) Let us consider the purity and holiness of God, which inclineth him to hate evil and love that which is good. The first we are most concerned to prove: Ps. v. 5, 'The foolish shall not stand in thy sight, thou hatest all the workers of iniquity.' But the other is true also, 'The upright are his delight:' Prov. xi. 20. Well, then, if God loveth good and hateth evil, he will one way or other express his love and hatred. This he doth by promising life to the good, and threatening death to the evil. Out of all this discourse about the wisdom, justice and holiness of God, we conclude the suitableness of death to sin; that the difference between good and evil is not more naturally known, than it is also evidently known that the one is rewarded and the other punished. Other cannot be looked for if we consider the wisdom of God, which suiteth all things according to their natural order; therefore sin, which is a moral evil, is punished with suffering somewhat that is a natural evil, that is the feeling something that is painful and afflictive to nature; or if we consider the justice of God, which dealeth differently with men that differ in themselves; and the holiness of God, who will express his love to the good in making them happy, and his detestation of the wicked in the misery of their punishment.
[2.] The certainty of this connection of sin and death was the second thing proposed.
(1.) Reason showeth in part, that there is a state of torment and bliss after this life, or eternal life and death. All men are persuaded there is a God, and very few have doubted whether he be a punisher of the wicked and a rewarder of them that diligently seek after him. Now neither the one or the other is fully accomplished in this world, even in the judgment of those who have no great knowledge of the nature and malignity of sin, or what punishment is competent there-unto. Therefore there must be some time after that of sojourning in the body, when men shall receive their full punishment and reward, since here we see so little of what might be expected at the hand of God. Surely if man be God's subject, when his work is ended he must look to receive his wages accordingly as he performed his duty, or failed in it. Now our work is not over till this life be ended, then God dealeth with us by way of recompense, giving us eternal life, or the wages of sin, which is death.
(2.) Conscience hath a sense of it. Conscience is nothing else but serious and applicative reason. Now the consciences of sinners stand in dread of eternal death: Rom. i. 32, 'Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death.' This thought haunts men living and dying: living: Heb. ii. 15, 'And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage;' but chiefly dying: 1 Cor. xv. 56, 'The sting of death is sin.' For then men are most serious, and apprehend themselves nearest to danger. Stings of conscience are most quick and sensible then, and a terrible tempest ariseth in sinners' souls when they are to die.
(3.) Scripture, if we take God's word for it, is express. The first threatening: Gen. ii. 17, 'In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die:' and Rom. vi. 23, 'The wages of sin is death;' and ver. 21, 'What fruit have you in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.' Will you believe this, or venture and put it upon the trial? Oh! take heed of sin. 'The dead are there, and her guests are in the depths of hell:' Prov. ix. 18. Men are destroyed by their heedlessness and incredulity. In what a woful case are you, if it prove true? and prove true it will, as sure as God is true.
[3.] Consider the terribleness of this death. The life to come, and the wrath to come are both eternal. Punishment in one scale holdeth conformity with the reward in the other: as those that escape have an eternal and far more exceeding weight of glory; so they that still remain under the sentence of death for sin, are condemned to an eternal abode both in body and soul under torments: Mat xxv. 46, 'These shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.' Oh how woful is their condition whose bodies and souls meet again at the resurrection, after a long separation; but a sad meeting it will be when both must presently be cast into everlasting fire. If we did only deal with you upon slight and cheap motives, you might refuse to hearken; they are but slight matters that can be hoped or feared from man, whose power of doing good or evil is limited to this life; but, 'It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God:' Heb. x. 31. The afflictions and sorrows of this life are a part of this death; our miseries here are the fruit of sin, and after them followeth that death which consists in the separation of the soul from the body, called, in the book of Job, the king of terrors; but after that, there is a second death, which is far more terrible, which consists in an eternal separation from the blessed and glorious presence of the Lord. In all creatures that have sense, death is accompanied with some pain; but this is a perpetual living to deadly pain and torment, from which there is no release; there is no change of estate in the other world after our trial is over, and things of faith become mere matter of sense; the gulf is then fixed, there is no passage from torments to joys; Luke xvi. 26. Things to come would not considerably counterbalance things present, if there were not eternity in the case; therefore this death is the more terrible, that men might abhor the pleasures of sin. Well, then, this is the condition of all men once, to be under sin, and under the sentence of this death, which is a woful bondage.
Secondly. Our liberty must answer the bondage. To be redeemed from wrath is a great mercy; so it is also to be redeemed from sin. These are the branches, Christ delivered us 'from wrath to come:' 2 Thes. i. 10; 'He hath redeemed us also from all iniquity:' Tit. ii. 14. The first part, of freedom from the power of sin, is spoken of, Rom. vi. 18, 'Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.' Man in his natural estate is free from righteousness, ver. 10, that is, righteousness or grace had no hand and power over him; but in his renewed estate he is free from sin. To be under the dominion of sin is the greatest slavery; and to be under the dominion of grace is the greatest liberty and enlargement. They that are free from righteousness, have no inclinations or impressions of heart to that which is good, no fear to offend, no care to please God; are not brought under the awe and power of religion. On the other side, then are we free from sin, when we resist our lusts so as to overcome them, and have a strong inclination and bent of heart to please God in all things, and accordingly make it our business, trade and course of life: Luke i. 75, 'That, being delivered from the hands of our enemies, we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.' The other part of the liberty is when we are freed from and the sentence of death passed upon us by the law, and acquitted and discharged from the guilt of sin, and being 'justified by faith,' are made 'heirs according to the hope of eternal life:' Tit iii. 7. That I will not speak of now, because before in the first verse.
I now proceed to open unto you the last thing at first propounded; which was, -
Thirdly. The manner of getting our liberty. There are three words in the text, Law, Spirit, and Christ Jesus. Let us begin with the last. Christ procureth this liberty for us by the merit of his death and intercession. The law or gospel offereth this liberty to us, and the Spirit first applieth it and sealeth it to the conscience.
1. Christ procureth and purchaseth this liberty for us, both from the damning power of the law, and the slavery of corruption. We were captives, shut up under sin and death, and he paid our ransom, and so obtained for us remission of sins, and the sanctification of the Spirit. Remission of sins: Eph. i 7, 'In whom we have redemption by hi» blood, the remission of sins.' That is one part of our recovery, highly necessary for guilty creatures; how else can we stand before the tribunal of God, or look him in the face with any confidence? But his redemption did not only reach this, but the sanctification of the Spirit also. Therefore it is said: 1 Pet i. 18, 'Ye are not redeemed with corruptible things, but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.' Thus Christ doth what belongeth to him, and none can share with him in this honour; it is his merit that is at the bottom of the covenant, and procured for us both the favour and image of God, that we might love him, and be beloved by him.
2. There is a law or new covenant, which offereth this grace to us. The law of nature concludeth men under sin, and pronounceth death upon them. Christ hath set up a new remedial law of grace, by which we are called to submit to Christ, and thankfully to accept of his merciful preparations, even the great benefits of pardon and life. The gospel or new covenant doth its part.
[1.] There is grace published or offered to us: Luke iv. 18, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he hath anointed me to preach deliverance to the captives.' It is not enough that our ransom be paid, but the offer must be made; or else how shall it be laid hold upon by faith, and received with thankfulness, and with a due sense of the benefit? Now the gospel showeth, liberty may be had upon sweet and commodious and easy terms.
[2.] The terms are stated in the covenant; that we give up ourselves to the Lord by Christ, and be governed and ruled by the conduct of his word and Spirit: Gal. iii. 2. 'Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or the hearing of faith?' and 2 Tim. ii. 25,26, 'In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth: and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.' The covenant is not left to our humours and fancies, to model and bring it down to our liking; no, nor are only the benefits offered, but terms stated: Isa, lvi. 4. 'That choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant.' When he hath stated his terms, it is too late for man to interpose his vote, or to imagine to bring down Christianity to a lower rate; for we must not new model it, but take hold of it as God hath left it. Be in Christ, and walk after his Spirit
3. This liberty is assured and established by the covenant. The conscience of sin, and the fears of condemnation, are not easily done away; and we are so wedded to our lusts, that the power of reigning sin is not easily broken; therefore we had need of a sure firm covenant to ratify these privileges to us, because our fears are justified by a former law, made by God himself. Therefore God would not deal with us by naked promise, but put his grace into a covenant-form, that we may have as good to show for our salvation, as we had for our condemnation; yea, and more; and God hath added his oath, 'That the consolation of the heirs of promise might be more strong,' Heb. vi. 18. And it being a latter grant, former transactions cannot disannul it; so that the covenant doth its part also to free believers from the power of sin, and the fears of condemnation.
4. The Spirit applieth this grace, both as to the effects and the sense;
[1.] As to the effects, he applieth it in effectual calling; as this quickening Spirit doth regenerate us, and convert us to God, and break the power and tyranny of sin, the wages whereof is death. The gospel is the means, but the blessing is from the Spirit: John viii. 32, 'Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free;' that is, ye shall know it savingly, so as to feel the power and efficacy of it. To be set free to know, love, serve, and delight in God, is that liberty that we have by the free Spirit: Ps. li. 12, 'Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit.'
[2.] The Spirit sealeth it as to the sense, when we come to discern our freedom by the effects of it in our own souls: Eph. i. 13, 'After ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise;' and in the fruit of Christ's purchase, Gal. iv. 4, 5, 6, 'But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.' The Spirit s seal is God's impress upon our souls; left there, not to make us known to God (for he knoweth who are his, from all eternity), but for the increase of our joy and comfort; not by guess, but some kind of certainty: 1 John iv. 13, 'Hereby we know that we dwell in God, and God dwelleth in us, by his Spirit that he hath given us.' By the Spirit dwelling and working in us, we know our interest; this is not so absolutely necessary as the former to our safety, but very comfortable. There is a spirit that attendeth the law, reviving fears in men, and a sense of God's wrath; and there is a spirit attending the gospel, inclining us to come to God as a father: Rom. viii, 15. The one is called the spirit of bondage, the other the spirit of adoption. Now, because the law is so natural to us, we the more need this liberty.
Use 1. Since there is a liberty by Christ, and that wrought in us by the Spirit, but dispensed by the gospel; let us seek it in this way.
Therefore consider: -
1. Your need, since every man is under the power of sin naturally, and so under a sentence of condemnation to death. If you be not sensible of the evil and burden of sin, yet surely you should flee from wrath to come. Is that a slight matter to you? Our first and quickest sense is of wrath; when our hearts are made more tender, we feel the burden of sin; fear worketh before shame and sorrow; therefore surely he that considereth his deep necessity, should cry out, 'O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?' Rom. vii. 24.
2. Consider the possibility of your delivery from this bondage by the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Surely the blood of Jesus can 'purge your consciences from dead works, that you may serve the living God:' Heb. ix. 14. There is a covenant, all the promises of which in Christ are, 'Yea, and Amen:' 2 Cor. i. 20. The covenant of night and day may sooner be dissolved, than this covenant broken or repealed. There is the Spirit also, who can subdue your strongest lusts, and is ready to help you to mortify the deeds of the body, and to reclaim you from your vain pleasures.
3. How comfortable it will be for you when once this work is in progress, and you begin to pass from death to life; every step will be sweet to you; and as you grow in grace, you do apace advance to heaven: Prov. iii. 17, 'All her ways are pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.'
Use 2. Let us examine whether we have received this regenerating grace, to free us from the reign of sin. Some are free in show, but others are 'free indeed:' John viii. 36. Some have the outward badges of liberty, are Christians in name, receive sacraments, and enjoy the ordinances, but not the grace in and by the ordinances. You may know the state of your service by the course of your life. Are you as ready to do any thing for God, as before for sin? Rom. vi 18.
Use 3. If we be free, let us not return to our old slavery again: Gal. v. 1, 'Stand fast in the liberty wherein Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage.' Especially that chief part of freedom from the dominion of sin: Rom. vi. 12, 'Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof;' and the 14th verse, 'For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.'
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