The Sinners Sanctuary, Sermon 36
SERMON XXXVI.
Rom. 8.14.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God.
Vers. 15.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, &c.
CHildren do commonly resemble their parents, not only in the outward proportion and feature of their countenances, but also in the disposition and temper of their spirits; and generally they are inclined to imitate the customs and carriage of their parents, so that they sometimes may be accounted the very living images of such persons, and in them men are thought to out-live themselves. Now indeed, they that are the sons of God, are known by this Character, that they are led by the Spirit of God: and there is the more necessity, and the more reason too, of this resemblance of God, and imitation of him in his children; because that very divine birth that they have from Heaven, consists in the renovation of their natures, and assimilation to the divine nature; and therefore they are possessed with an inward principle, that carries them powerfully towards a conformity with their heavenly Fathe…; and it becometh their great study and endeavour to observe all the dispositions and carriage of their Heavenly Father, which are so honourable and high, and suitable to Himself, that they at least may breath and halt after the imitation of Him. Therefore our Lord …xhorts us, and taketh a domestick example, and familiar patern to perswade us the more by, Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect, Matth. 5.48. And there is one perfection he especially recommends for our imitation, mercifulnesse and compassion towards men, opposed to the violence, fury, and implacablen…sse, to the oppression and revenge, and hatred that abounds among men, Luk. 6.36. And generally, in all his wayes of holinesse and purity, of goodnesse and mercy, we ought to be followers of Him, as dear children, who are not only oblidged by the common Law of Sympathy between Parents and Children; but moreover engaged by the tender affection that he carrieth to us, Eph. 5.1. Now, because God is high as Heaven, and his way and thoughts and dispositions are infinitly above us, the pattern seems to be so far out of sight, that it is given over as desperat by many to attempt any conformity to it; therefore it hath pleased the Lord to put his own Spirit within his own Children, to be a bosom-pattern and example: and this is our duty to resign our selves to his leading and direction: the Spirit brings the copy near hand us, and though we cannot attain, yet we should follow after; though we cannot make out the lesson, yet we should be scribling at it; and the more we exercise our selves this way, setting the Spirits direction before our eyes, the more perfect shall we be.
It is high time indeed to pretend to this, to be a son or a daughter of God: its a higher word then if a man could deduce his genealogy from an interrupted line of a thousand Kings and Princes, there is more honour, true honour in it, and more profit too, that which enriches the poorest, and e…nobles the basest, inconceivably beyond …ll the imaginary degrees of men. Now, my beloved, this is the great design of the Gospel, to bestow this incomparable priviledge upon you, to become the Sons of God. But it is sad to think how many souls scarce think upon it, and how many delude themselves in it: but consider, that as many as are the Sons of God, are led by the Spirit of God, they have gotten a new leader and guider, other then their own fancy or humour, which once they followed in the ignorance of their hearts. It is lamentable to conceive how the most part of us are acted, and driven, and carried head-long, rather then gently led, by our own carnal and corrupt inclinations; men pretending to Christianity, yet hurried away with every self-pleasing object, as if they were not Masters of themselves, furiously agitated by violent lusts, miscarried continually against the very dictates of their own reason and conscience. And I fear there i… too much of these, even in those who have more reason to assume this honourable title of Son ship. I know not how we are exceedingly addicted to self-pleasing in everything, whatsoever our …ancy or inclination suggest, to us, that we must do without more bands, if it be not directly sinful; whatsoever we apprehend, that we must ven… and speak it out, though to little or no ed…fication; like that o… Solomon, We deny our hearts nothing they desire, except the gross…esse of it restrain us. Now, certainly if we knew what we are called to, who are the Sons of God, we could not but disingage more with our selves even in lawful things, and give over the conduct o… our hearts and wayes to the Spirit of our Father, whom we may be perswaded of, that he will lead us in the wayes of pleasantnesse and peace.
Now, the special and peculiar operations of the Spirit, are expressed in the following words: There are some workings of the Spirit of God that are but introductory and subservient to more excellent works; and therefore they are transient, not appointed to continue long, for they are not his great intendment; of this kind are these terrible representations of sin and wrath, of the Justice of God, which puts the soul in a fear, a trembling fear; and while such a soul is kept within the apprehension of sin and judgment, its shut up, as it were, in bondage. Now, though it be true that in the conversion of a sinner, there is alwayes something of this in more or lesse degrees; yet because this is not the g…eat design of the Gospel, to put men in fear, but rather to give them confidence; nor the great intendment of God in the dispensation of the Law, To bring a soul in bondage under terror, but rather by the Gospel to free them from that bondage; therefore he hath reason to expresse it thus, ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, &c. But there are other operations of the Spirit, which are chiefly intended, and principally bestowed, as the great gift of our Father, to expresse his bounty and goodnesse towards us; and from these he is called the Spirit of Adoption, and the Spirit of Intercession. The Spirit of Adoption, not only in regard of that witness-bearing and testification to our consciences of Gods love and …avour, and our interest in it, as in the next vers. but also in regard of that child-like disposition of reverence and love and respect that he begets in our hearts towards God, as our Father: and …rom both these flowes this next working, …rying, Abba, Father, aiding and assisting us in presen…ing our necessities to our Father, making this the continued vent of the heart in all extremitie…, to pour out all that burthens us in our Fathers bosom: and this give… marvelous ease to the heart, and releases it from the bondage of carefuln…sse and anxiety, which it may be subject to, after the soul is delivered from the …ear and bondage of wrath.
Let us speak then to these in order: the first working of the spirit…, to put a m…n in fe…r of himself, and such a fear as mightily straiten… and embondages the soul of man: and this, though in it self it be neither so pleasant nor excellent, as to make it come under the notion of any gift from God, it having rather the nature of a torment and punishment, and being some sparkle of Hell already kindled in the Conscience; yet, hath made it beautiful and seasonable in its use and end, because he makes it to usher-in the pleasant and refreshing sight of a Saviour, and the report of Gods love to the World in Him. It is true, all men are in bondage to sin and Satan, and shut up in the darknesse of ignorance and unbelief, and bound in the setters of their own lusts, which are as the chains that are put about malefactors before they go to prison, He that commits sin, is a servant of sin, Joh. 8.34. And to be a servant of sin, is slavery under the most cruel tyrant: all these things are, yet how few souls do apprehend it seriously, or are weary of their prison? how few groan to be delivered! nay, the most part account it only liberty, To hate true delivery as bondage. But some there are, whose eyes the Spirit of God open…, and lets them see their bondage and slavery, and how they are concluded under the most heavy and weighty sentence that ever was pronounced, The curse and wrath of the everliving God, that there is no way to flie from it, or escape it, for any thing they can do or know. Now indeed, this serious discovery cannot choose but make the heart of a man to tremble, as David, my heart trembles because of thy Iudgments, and I am afraid of thee, P…al. 119.120. Such a serious representation will make the s…outest and proudest heart to fall down, and …aint for …ear of that infinit intollerable weight of deserved wrath, and then the soul is in a sensible bondage, that before was in a real, but insensible bondage; then its invironed about with bitter accusations, with dreadful challenges, then the Law of God arrests and confines the soul within the bounds of its own accusing Conscience; and thi… is some previous …epres…ntation …f that eternal …mp…isonment and banishment …om the pressence o… God: albe…t many of you are free from this, …ear, and enjoy a kind o… liberty to …erve your own lusts, and are not sensi…le o… any thraldom o… your spirits; yet certainly the Lord will sometime arrest you, an… b…ing you to this spiritual bondage, when he shall make the in…q…ties o… your heels encompasse you about, and the cur…es of h…s Law sur…ound: when your Conscience accu…eth, and God cond…mneth, it may be too late, and out of date.
Alas then! w…at will you do, who now put your consc…ence by, and will not hearken to it, or be put in fear by any th…ng can be represented to you: we do not desi…e to put you in fe…r, where n… …ear is; but where there is infinit cause of …ear, and when it is possible that fear may introduce faith, and be the forerunner o… these glad tidings that will compose the soul: We desi…e only you may know what bondage you are really into, whether it be observed or not, that you may fear, lest you be enthralled in the chains o… everlasting da…knesse, and so may be perswaded to flee from it before it be irrecoverable. W…at a vain and empty sound is the Gospel of liberty by a Redeemer, to the most pa…t who do not feel their bondage? Who believes its report, or care, much for it? because it is necessity that casts a beauty and lust…e upon it, or takes the scales off our eyes, and opens our closed ears.
Now for you, who either are, or have been detained in this bondage, under the fea…ful apprehension o… the wrath of God, and the sad remembrance o… your sins, know that this is not the prime intent, and grand businesse to torment you, as it were, before the time; there is some other more beautiful and satisfying structure to be raised out of this …oundation: I would have you improve it thus, to commend the necessity, the absolute necessity of a Redeemer, and to make him beautiful in your eyes. Do not dwell upon that, as if it were the ultimat or last work, but know that you are called in this rational way to come out of your selves into this glorious liberty of the sons of God, purchased by Christ, an… revealed in the Gospel. Know you have not received the spirit of bondage only to fear, but to drive you to faith in a Saviour, and then you ought so to walk, as not to return to that …ormer thraldome o… the …ear of wrath, but believe his love.