to walk strictly before the Lord yet come and do it else something will befall thee shortly that thou shalt say is hard to suffer 5. This difficulty that thou findest in religious duties is because as yet thou hast no strength but what is thine own to do them with but if thou dost renounce the Devil and the flesh and give thy self to God and Christ thou shalt have help from Heaven and then they will be more easie to thee While thou art in bonds of sin thou hast neither strength nor skill to do them with and that makes it hard but if God make thee free thou shalt have both and then it will be easie If thou wantest skill God will shew thee and if thou wantest strength God will help thee and then praying work and repenting work will go more smoothly forward When God shall come and break and melt thy heart it will be more easie to repent when God shall come and give to thee a sight and sense of thy sins and wants of thy want of grace and pardon of thy want of Christ and a renewed heart it will be more easie for thee to bewail thy sins and to pray and beg supplies for what thou wantest God is not an hard Master to his servants to put them upon work and give them neither power nor reward for he gives both to those that in sincerity give up themselves unto his service That though without Christ we can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. yet being strengthened by Christ we can do all things in order to the saving of our Souls Phil. 4. 13. and the spirit is purchased and promised by Christ to help the weaknesses and infirmities of his servants Rom. 8. 26. he shall help thee unto words in prayer to express thy wants thy heart and thy desires unto God and when thou wantest words he shall help thee with sighs and sobs and tears which are powerful pleadings with the Lord who understandeth the stammerings and the groanings of his Children Rom. 8. 27. Thus we have shewed the second Chain with which these Captives are bound the Prejudice of their hearts against the holy ways of Gods Redeemed and free new-born people and have endeavoured to cut it in twain to knock it off but alas this is too hard a work for man to do for any Minister upon earth to do or for any Angel in Heaven to do Sinners are so fast locked in their fetters that it requires Almighty power to break them that the captive may escape and be set at liberty Oh that therefore God would come and burst and break it quite asunder Oh that God would come and take it off were it but from one or two amongst you this day that though you came captives in your chain yet you might go home free-men and at liberty but yet something is required from you that you should consider and weigh with your selves impartially and deliberately what hath been said to remove this prejudice of your hearts which makes you like your present captive-state and not desirous to come forth from it and if what hath been spoken is not sufficient ground to silence these carnal pleas I beg the prayers of the Congregation for me that God would forgive my weakness and pardon my unskilfulness that know no better how to deliver a message from the Lord and to pray that for the future I might be more fitted for this weighty work but if there be evidence of truth in what hath been delivered and spoken in your ears I charge you in the name of the dreadful and eternal God in the name of Christ my Lord that sent me that you do not slight it if I have spoken my own words fling them back in my face and tell me that I lie but if it be according to the Scripture then slight them at your peril either shew wherein I have erred or else submit unto it but if thou whosoever thou art or what name soever thou art called by art convinced in thy Conscience and thy reason and judgment is satisfied that these grounds of Prejudice have been made appear to be vain and frivolous and yet shalt upon these accounts chuse rather to continue in thy captive state than come to Christ and be made free and goest to thy grave and hell with these fetters on thy Soul know that thou art hereby rendred inexcusable CHAP. V. The Third Chain is the love of the world 3. A Third Chain wherewith these Captives are bound is the immoderate and prevailing love of the profits and riches of this world This bindeth thousands fast that they will not cannot stir or move or come to Christ that they may be set at liberty these are bound with chains of gold and because they are golden chains therefore they like them so much the more the Devil doth not care for cost if by all he can keep you still in bondage he will not grudg you the riches of the world if he can keep you out of heaven Many moral men that have escaped the gross pollutions of the world that are no Swearers nor Drunkards nor openly profane that bless themselves with the thoughts of their supposed good condition yet are as sure the Devils prisoners and in slavery and bondage and shall as certainly perish and be damned except they get this bond broken as any Drunkard in the Town or Parish where they live Believe this as a certain truth for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it turn and read Ephes 5. 5. Shall not the Whoremonger be saved nor the World monger neither Shall not the unclean person inherit the Kingdom of God no nor the person that hath his heart and affections set upon the world And the Holy Ghost gives a reason because such a man is an Idolater making his Gold his god that love and delight and joy which God should have is given to the world and that God will never bear that hope and trust which should be placed in the living God is placed in uncertain riches and this the jealous God will never brook Turn again to Col. 3. 5 6. God tells you this over and over in one place after another that so you might the more beware of being kept in bondage by this golden chain which is so very strong that the Lord doth tell us the love of money is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. 10. There are many branches of sin which shoot out in the lives of men but all do grow upon this root the heart being fixed in its love unto the world 1. Omissions of duty neglect of Closet and Family-prayer worldliness is the root the heart is so eager after riches that they have no time nor leisure for better things and when they have time yet the worldly heart is indisposed to perform them and is listless to Heavenly employment 2. Commissions of sin the use of false balances and deceitful measures over-reaching breach of promises falsifying their
shunning what he should desire and desiring what he should shun rejoycing in that which should be the matter cause and reason of his sorrow and grief and grieving and being weary of that which should be matter of his delight and joy This is mans sinful bondage 2. The very will of man is inthralled That though man hath a liberty of will as to natural actions and to civil actions and to outward spiritual actions he can come and hear if he will he can set upon the outward duty of prayer if he will he can read the Word of God if he will yet he hath no liberty of will to supernatural actions without the grace of God as to believe on Christ to love God above all man must have a will as well as a power from God to do these things Phil. 2. 13. It is God that giveth us to will and to do of his own good pleasure And this is a sore bondage though a natural man feel it not and is not sensible of it 3. In bondage by reason of punishment being liable to all the curses plagues and punishments threatned for sin in the Word of God both in this life and that which is to come to sickness and sorrows to pain and griefs to death at last and to hell and damnation after death And in this estate man doth need a Redeemer and a Ransome and is utterly and eternally undone if he be not delivered from this bondage 3. Man might be considered in a state of grace as recovered by Christ as renewed and restored by the Spirit of God for God doth not suffer all men to remain in their bondage and those that are redeemed and recovered must not ascribe this to their own free-will but to the free grace of God And in this estate man is made partaker in part of the fruits of Redemption by Christ 4. Man might be considered in a state of glory And there the Saints are all free and altogether free they have perfect liberty from sin from sorrow from temptations to sin from all inclication to sin from a possibility of sinning and in this estate the Saints of God do fully and eternally enjoy the fruits of Christs Redemption and of his giving of himself a ransom for them Qu. 1. What it is that we have not a liberty from by Christ the Redeemer There are many things that Christ did not come to purchase or proclaim liberty from while we are in this life 1. None of Gods Elect are freed by Christ from being born in original sin we are not born free but are made free even those that are descended from free-men in Christ are by birth in spiritual bondage for grace doth not come by blood but by the will of God John 1. 13. No man since the Fall except Christ the Redeemer hath been free from this sinful contagion that hath infected all mankind Rom. 5. 12. 17 18. 2. Christ doth free us in this World from the indwelling of sin Christ doth free all Believers from the reigning power of sin Rom. 6. 14 but not from the conflicting power of sin no nor altogether from the captivating power of sin the Lords free-men might sometimes be overpowred with a temptation and with a corruption and in a particular combate be carried captive Rom. 7. 23. nor doth Christ free us at all from the indwelling of sin As God did not presently free the people of Israel from the Nations that did vex them nor drive them out at once but by degrees he left some of them to prove them and to humble them Exod. 23. 28 29. so all Gods redeemed and free servants do still experience the remainders of sin and corruption and do complain thereof and cry out because of it Rom. 7. 24. there are still reliques of pride and unbelief and hardness o◠〈◊〉 Thus we are not free from distractiâ—◠〈…〉 ghts in holy duties nor from all dulness of 〈…〉 ction and deadness of heart in the service of God This is reserved for the state of glorious freedom in the life to come when we shall be and live in the immediate presence of the blessed God above and shall 〈◊〉 in the beholding of him immediately that hath redeemâ—â— us from our Captivity and Bondage 3. Christ hath not freed us from the service of God but rather doth engage us to it Wicked men judg this to be liberty to live as they list and to walk and act as they please in gratifying their lusts and pleasing of the flesh This is not liberty but licentiousness this indeed is the bondage that Christ came to deliver us from Oh how is the blind world mistaken when they take their very bondage for their liberty The strictest Service of God is the greatest Liberty Psal 119. 45. It is not a liberty from duty but from sin and misery that Christ came to purchase and proclaim Luke 1. 74 75. 1 Pet. 2. 16. Rom. 6. 18. The most under the very Gospel do live in the constant omission of duty and commission of sin as if Christ came to give them liberty so to do which yet they might have done if Christ had never come 4. This spiritual freedom by Christ doth not exempt us nor excuse us from the service we owe to men in the places and relations wh 〈…〉 God hath set us Indeed the Lords 〈◊〉 must not be the servants of men so as â—o 〈…〉 e men in that in which they will displease God 1 Cor. 7. 23. but yet one that is the Lords free man might be in the place of a servant to man and ought to follow his calling and mind his Masters business and that with greater care and conscience than others do even to such Masters as be the servants of sin Ephes 6. 5 6. 1 Pet. 2. 18. Gal. 5. 13. And to such Masters that are the Lords free-men 1 Tim. 6. 1 2. 5. Christ doth not free us from afflictions nor from troubles from men Christ hath nowhere told us he came to free us from scorns and from reproaches from prisons and from tribulations but the contrary Joh. 16 last All Gods Free-men will be hated by the Devils Slaves and we shall not be freed from them till we be out of their reach and that will not be till we get to Heaven Those that have spiritual liberty might lose their civil liberty as a man might have a civil liberty but not spiritual a man might be free of a City free of a Company and yet not free by Christ so a man might be in prison bound in chains there and yet be spiritually free Joseph in the prison Daniel in the den Jeremiah in the dungeon and yet all the Lords Free-men When Christ calls to many in their bondage to come to him to be made free they would indent with Christ that they should enjoy freedom from crosses and troubles and sufferings which because Christ doth not free his followers from they had rather have their
it doth exceed all worldly glory 4. It is a more exceeding weight of glory more than can be conceived 5. It is a far more exceeding weight of glory 6. It is eternal too All this is not for a little while only or for some thousands of years only but for ever and for ever The glory of the world as it is but light if weighed with this so it is but fading and transitory and but short if compared with this that is eternal Thus you have a little view and alas it is but little of the positive freedom and liberty that you have by Christ CHAP. XII Containing the Vses of the whole Vse 1. THen search your hearts and examine narrowly and throughly what you are bond-men or free whether yet Captives or redeemed and set at liberty The misery of spiritual Captives you have heard doth exceed the misery of Captives by men And the good estate of such as are made free by Christ you have also heard Now say to thy self Tell me O my Soul which of these two is thy state and thy condition one of them is thy condition but which it is is worthy of thy strictest search and most diligent enquiry Are thy fetters knocked off and thy bonds broken and thy chain â—ut and thou delivered or art thou yet held fast by them Take heed O my Soul of being mistaken in this point If thou takest it for granted that thou art made free when yet thou art in bonds and leavest thy body in this mistake thou art lost for ever if on the other hand thou sayest thou art a captive still when thou art made free thou will lose the comfort of thy freedom and wilt spend thy time and life in complaints and griefs and fears which thou shouldst spend in praising and admiring God for his love and mercy in bringing thee out of thy captivity For your help herein take these few marks to try your selves by for the resolution of this question 1. Freemen have their spiritual eye-sight restored unto them When Christs opens the prison-doors to let the Captives out he doth also open their eyes to let them see that in sin in God in Christ in grace and holiness that before they never saw That the redeemed Captive crieth out Oh I never thought my heart had been so bad so bad so very bad as now I see it is I never thought that sin had been so vile so very vile and so deformed as now I plainly see it is I never thought that Christ was so excellent and so necessary so absolutely necessary for me as now I see he is Oh methinks he is now altogether lovely altogether desirable after I have had a view of the beauty and the excellency of Christ methinks all the glory of the world and all the delights in pleasure and sin is darkened and doth vanish and disappear Oh how was I blinded in my captivity that I never saw the excellency of Christ and deformity of sin till now Isa 42. 6. Act. 26. 18 23. Col. 1. 13. Rev. 3. 18. 2. When Christ breaks the bonds wherewith poor Captives were held he also breaketh their hearts that they have been kept and held thereby in the service of Satan and sin from God and Christ so long As the eye doth see and weep so the heart doth consider and bleed and grieve at the remembrance of his former folly and sin Oh what did I do to sin against this blessed gracious merciful God! Oh what did I mean so long to stop mine ears against all the calls and wooings and intreatings of this Lord-Redeemer who was so kind to suffer bleed and dye for such a wretch as I for such a wretch as I for such a rebellious disobedient and delaying wretch as I. Oh there is no love like his there is no mercy like to his there is no kindness like to his Oh why did I slight him so much so long so very much so very long as I have done Oh what a fool was I to prefer the world the pleasures and the profits of the world before this blessed Redeemer Oh what a beast was I to prefer my very lusts and sins and the service of the Devil before this glorious gracious Saviour and the serving of him that died to deliver me from my bondage O Lord I am grieved that ever I did so it is the burden and the breaking of my heart that ever I did so Oh now I could wash my self in tears at the remembrance of my folly and my madness but if I should that will not wash me from my guilt and from my filth and because that would not do this blessed Saviour shed his blood for the cleansing of me from my guilt and my pollution I weep but not enough my heart is troubled but not enough my Soul is humbled within me but not enough for so great rebellion against and slighting of this Lord Redeemer But I am troubled because I am no more troubled Lord I grieve because my heart is yet so hard and can grieve no more my sin is bitter unto me now which once was sweet and pleasant to my Soul 3. Such as are made free by Christ are delivered from the reigning power of sin For it is impossible to be a willing voluntary servant of sin and yeild obedience to the Law of sin and to be made free by Christ 2 Pet. 2. 19. Rom. 6. 16 18. Doth sin command you and you obey hath sin the chiefest room and place in your affections and your hearts you are then yet in your bondage 4. Such as are made free by Christ have resigned up themselves their hearts their love their all to him accept of him for Lord as welâ— as for their Saviour and to consent to take him in all his Offices for Prophet Priest and King and giving up themselves to him do become his servants and consequently yeild obedience to him they have changed their master and they have changed their work and ways and are become new creatures having new hearts wills and affections ends and designs than what they had before For the Condition of sinners being partakers of Christs Redemption is their believing on him and consenting to him as Lord and Saviour chusing him before all and loving him above all and if this you do not do you are yet in your bondage to Satan and to sin For is it not reasonable you should be his Servants that brings you from this slavery And if he purchase and buy you out is it not reasonable you should take him for your Lord and obey him and that universally submitting to all his Laws even those that are most spiritual and cross to your corrupt hearts and most beloved sins not pick and chuse but to have respect unto them all Psal 119. 6 constantly not by fits and starts not only when in straits and sickness but at all times to have the frame and bent and inclination of your hearts to yeild