Spiritual Bondage and Freedom, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Concerning the many wonders that may be obſerved in this Freedom.
THE Seventh and Laſt thing, to ſet out the excellency of this Freedom, is to ſpeak ſomething of the many Wonders that may be obſerved in it. Beloved, if ever there were any thing to be wondered at, ſince the beginning of the World, this Freedom is to be wondered at; there's enough in it to amaze and aſtoniſh every beholder: You know people are mightily taken with ſeeing of rare ſights, and the hearing of ſtrange news; but never did any thing preſent you with ſuch rare ſights, nor bring ſuch ſtrange news to your ears, as this Freedom doth. The whole ſtory of it is wonderful from firſt to laſt; it begins in Wonders, and goes on in Wonders, and is finiſhed in Wonders. The Freedom that God gave his people from other Bondages, for their worldly condition, were attended and accompanied with great Wonders; ſo 'twas when he brought them out of Egypt, God was a Wonder-working God at that time; I will ſmite Egypt, ſaith he, with all my wonders. When he came to deliver Iſrael, every one of the ten Plagues were Wonders, the drying up of the Red-Sea, the cauſing of his people to paſs through the midſt of it, the drowning of all their Enemies by the returning of the Waters upon them; they were great and marvellous works; and ſo 'twas when he brought them out of the captivity in Babylon: he did ſuch ſtrange and great things then, that his people were like to them that dreamed, Pſal. 126. 1. they were great things in the eyes of their very Enemies, as well as in their own eyes, verſ. 2, 3. But now this ſame ſpiritual Freedom, is the Wonder of Wonders. I might obſerve to you, how that in many places of the Scripture, where this Freedom is ſpoken of, 'tis brought in with this word behold, that's put before it, as who ſhould ſay, do you mind what a Wonder here is? Can you paſs it by without admiration? ſee it in Iſa. 7. 14. chap. 28. 16. chap. 42. 1. Jer. 23. 5, 6. Zech. 9. 9. Luk. 2. 10. Joh. 1. 29. 1 Joh. 3. 1. and in Iſa. 9. 6. When Chriſt is prophecied of that he ſhould come into the World for the giving of this Freedom, amongſt all his other names, this is one, and the firſt that is mentioned, that he ſhould be wonderful. But now, to come to Particulars, If I ſhould inſiſt upon all the Wonders belonging to this Freedom, I ſhould be too large; and indeed the Subject that I am upon, doth not require any more, than that I ſhould ſpeak ſo far of the Wonders in it, as may ſerve to ſet out the excellency of this Freedom. And therfore, I do willingly omit the Wonders that may be obſerved in the Incarnation, Conception, Birth, Life, Death, Reſurection, and Aſſention of Chriſt; and ſhall only lay before you ſuch Wonders, as by which you may ſee, as I ſaid, that this is an excellent Freedom. I will mention ten of them.
1. What a Wonder is this, That the greateſt loſs ſhould be turned into the greateſt gain! 'tis ſo by this Freedom, it brings Saints the beſt eſtate that ever they were in, out of the worſt eſtate that ever they were in. 'Twas never ſo low with them, as it 'twas by the Fall of man; 'twas never ſo high with them, as it is by this Freedom by Chriſt, by which they are recovered from that. Paul ſaith Phil. 3. 7. That the things that were gain to him, became loſs for Chriſt; and they who are the Children of God may alſo ſay, that the things that were loſs to them, are become gain by Chriſt. Oh how have they gained by the fall! And yet, beloved, we muſt not rejoyce in the fall, while we look barely upon that. No: 'tis matter of heart-breaking ſorrow, to think that ever Adam, and the World in him, ſinned away their innocency, as they did; and 'twill be matter of everlaſting mourning to many millions in Hell, that Adam did not abide in that honour which God gave him at the firſt; but we may, and we muſt rejoyce in Chriſt, who turns even this great evil to the great good of all that believe in him; to them it is according to Sampſons riddle, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the ſtrong came forth ſweetneſs. If ever there were a bleſſed loſs, this was it, conſidering how God took occaſion from it to magnifie the riches of his Grace in his Son. This Wonder you have ſet forth in Rom. 5. 17, 18, 19. where he ſpeaks how we were ruined in the firſt Adam, and raiſed in the ſecond.
2. That every ſin that a man hath committed, ſhould be damnable, and yet that all the ſins that he hath committed, ſhall not damn him. Certainly, there muſt be ſome wonderful way found out to bring this to paſs; why, now this Freedom by Chriſt doth it. 'Tis the nature of every ſin, to deſerve Hell, not only the evils and miſeries of this preſent life, but alſo everlaſting wrath in the World to come; and who ever is not made free by Chriſt, ſhall find that every ſin is a deadly ſin, and that 'tis not a Purgatory ſhall ſerve their turn, to cleanſe them from the leaſt tranſgreſſion. Oh, what a curſed practiſe is this of the Papiſts, to harden ſinners hearts thus, as if ſome ſins were of ſuch a ſmall guilt, and of ſuch a venial nature, as if Hell were a place of too great torment for them; but we ſay as Paul in another caſe, Nay, O man, who art thou that replieſt againſt God? Doth not this word ſay, that death is the wages of ſin, Rom. 6. ult. of ſin, as 'tis ſin, and by death there is meant, that which is in oppoſition to eternal life. But now, this Freedom makes innumerable damnable ſins not to damn; would you not count it a wonderful thing, if there ſhould be ſuch a thing as were able to quench unquenchable fire? Why this Freedom does it, for thoſe that have it; it puts cut the Fire of Hell to them. Beloved, if you would imagine that one that hath this Freedom were to walk in the flames of Hell, they would not hurt him, they would all part, and give way, as who ſhould ſay, this is one that we muſt not faſten upon; as the Children of Iſrael paſt through the Red-Sea, that dreadful gulf; and all the waters fell back as if they were frighted at them; why, they were the people, who were under Gods redeeming love, therefore they were not drowned, no, not ſo much as wetted. So if thoſe who have obtained, through faith, a part in this Freedom, were to paſs to Heaven through Hell, it would be with them, as it were with the three Children, when they were caſt into the burning fiery furnance, Dan. 3. 28, 29.
3. That the higheſt mercy ſhould be reconciled to the ſtricteſt juſtice. It would have poſed any but a God to tell what to ſay to this, which way to ſhew the greateſt ſeverity againſt ſin, and yet to ſhew the greateſt mercy to the ſinner; but by this Freedom this is done. Mercy doth not fall out with Juſtice for being ſo terrible; and Juſtice doth not fall out with Mercy for being ſo favourable; but both are well pleaſed in what is done, and ſo well pleaſed with one another, that as Davids expreſſion is, they can kiſs each other, as moſt intimate loving Friends. Gods Attributes, as I may ſpeak with reverence, did never ſeem to be ſo near a falling out, as when the Covenant of Works was broken by our firſt Parents. Mercy lookt as if it would fain have pittied us; but Juſtice looked as if it would by no means let it; theſe two, they were (only by way of alluſion to it) like the Twins in Rebekahs Womb, that ſtrugled together, Gen. 25. 22. And one did not prevail over the other, like two Armies when they fight, and one puts the other to the worſt, and ſo gets the Victory; but a ſweet peace and harmony was kept between them, by the intended Freedom that ſhould be by Chriſt. Take notice by the way, what a dreadful breach ſin made in our firſt Apoſtacy, in that it did not only make us to fall out with God, but alſo as much as lay in us, to give an occaſion (if it had been poſſible) for God to fall out with himſelf, to ſet Attribute againſt Attribute, Mercy againſt Juſtice, and Juſtice againſt Mercy; but now by this Freedom all is quiet and well enough on both ſides, as the Apoſtle ſaith, when he is ſpeaking of it, in Gal. 3. 21. Is the law then againſt the promiſe? God forbid.
4. That one that hath but a little grace, ſhould be looked upon as one that hath no ſin. What a Wonder is this! you have not one Child of God, but is very ready to confeſs that he hath but a little grace; yea, you'l ſay that's their holy modeſty and humilty; it may be 'tis not ſo indeed. I grant it is ſo in ſome, that they have much more of God and Chriſt in them, then they deſire to ſpeak of; and the more grace any one hath, the more apt, I think, they are to bewail their own vileneſs; and in this caſe we muſt not take every Child of God juſt at their word; but we may tell ſome of them, Come, bleſſed be God, you are better than you will acknowledg. But really beloved, there be ſome in Chriſt that have but a very little Grace; ſome I know they have, and they muſt have. It is inconſiſtent with being truly in Chriſt, to have no grace at all; but there are ſome of them that are but new-born Babes; their Grace is but like the bruiſed reed, and the ſmoaking flax; they be for their Souls as Zacheus was for his Body, of whom 'tis ſaid, that he was little of ſtature, Luk. 19. 3. Now you may think, that certainly they who have ſo little Grace, muſt needs be counted by God to be perſons that have a great deal of ſin; but in reſpect of their juſtification by Chriſt, who hath made them free, it is not ſo. Obſerve 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs of the fleſh and ſpirit, perfecting holineſs in the fear of God. As if he ſhould ſay, Oh, Friends, you have a deal of filthineſs yet to be got out of you, both as to your outward converſation, and as to your inward frame; and you are very imperfect and ſhort in point of holineſs and grace; and yet he had told them before, cap. 5. 21. that being in Chriſt, they were made, or reckoned and counted ſuch as had no leſs a righteouſneſs than the righteouſneſs of God.
5. That the eyes of one ſhould be opened, that was born blind: this is ſuch a Wonder that you read in Joh. 9. 32. that ſince the World began, 'twas not heard that ever any man did it; but this is done in this Freedom; they who have it, were born blind, as blind as Moles, and ſo continued in reſpect of ſpiritual ſight, till Chriſt had made them free; and then, as it is ſaid of Saul, immediately there fell from their eyes, as it had been ſcales, and they received ſight forthwith. This ſame Freedom by Chriſt, is that eye ſalve, which you read of Rev. 3. 18. If any hath but the eyes of his underſtanding anointed with it, it will make him ſee that he never ſaw, 'twill make him behold wondrous things out of Gods law; things that he paſt by, and took no more notice of, than a blind man doth of the beautifulleſt ſight that ever was ſeen.
6. That a man that is poſſeſſed by the Devil, ſhould have the Devil caſt out of him. Would you not count it a wonderful thing to ſee a man that had been poſſeſſed with the Devil, and he his now caſt out? If any ſhould tell you, when you are in the ſtreets, There goes a man that a little while ago the Devil ſpoke in him, and dwelt in him as a man doth in his own houſe, where he counts himſelf at home; how would you look upon, and marvel to ſee ſuch a man! Well, this Freedom is ſuch a thing that it caſts out Devils: Mary Magdalen that was brought into it, had ſeven Devils caſt out of her: what is the heart of men by nature, but an habition of Devils? 'tis not an expreſſion that at all deſerves to be thought much on, to ſay, concerning wicked men, That the Devil is in them, the Scripture it ſelf ſaies ſo, Eph. 2. 2. and the Devil was in Judas, Satan entred into him; and where the Devil is, there he will be, he will keep his hold till this Freedom comes, and then let him look to himſelf; he ſhall be caſt out, tho he hath legions with him. 'Tis obſervable there in Luk. 10. how the ſeventy Diſciples whom Chriſt had ſent out to Preach this Freedom, returned with joy to ſee what work the Goſpel made with the powers of darkneſs; Lord, ſay they, even the Devils are ſubject to us through thy name, verſ. 17. And mark what Chriſt ſaies again, verſ. 18. I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven. As if he ſhould ſay, I foreſaw this, when I ſent you out, that it would be ſo; I knew that he would come down as ſwift as the lightning▪ Beloved, this Freedom makes ſinners vomit up Devils where it comes; what a wonderful thing is this!
7. That the dead ſhould be raiſed; would you not Wonder to ſee a man raiſed from the dead? If ſo be that any of you ſhould ſtand in a Church-yard, and while you are looking upon a grave, and think of the perſon that lies dead and buried there, and how many years ago it is ſince he died, and that now he were rotten and conſumed; to ſee him come forth, and ſtand up, and live? Why now, ſuch a marvellous work is done by this Freedom, it hath ſpiritually opened the graves of many thouſand Souls, and bleſſed be God we are not without ſome ſuch that live and walk amongſt us at this day, and that are with us in this Congregation. Beloved, do but turn your eyes now, and look upon ſuch a man, and ſuch a woman that fears God, and you have this wonderful ſight before you; concerning whom it may be ſaid, as in Eph. 2. 1. And you hath he quickned, who were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins. By this Freedom God ſhews Wonders to the dead, the dead ariſe and praiſe him. Pſal. 88. 10, 11, 12. Wilt thou ſhew wonders to the dead? ſhall the dead ariſe and praiſe thee? Selah. Shall thy loving-kindneſs be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulneſs in deſtruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteouſneſs in the land of forgetfulneſs? Why yes; God doth ſo in this caſe that I am upon. And therefore, if you that have any Relations, any Children, any Friends, that are for the condition of their Souls, ſtark dead, you cannot perceive the leaſt motion or breathing in them towards God, or any thing that is good: Why 'tis true, indeed, if you be ſpiritually alive your ſelves, you can't but do that which perſons uſe to do for their Friends that are dead; you cannot but mourn for them, and in this ſenſe you may, and you muſt do that which would be a great ſin in another ſenſe, you may pray for the dead, and you may be ſtirred up to it, by the conſideration of the wonderful nature of this Freedom, that it is a thing that will put life into the dead. You may look upon a wicked Child or Relation, it may be ſo far gone in ſin, that they are even paſt hope, as we uſe to do upon people when they are dead; oh, as long as they were alive, tho very ſick, yet while there's life there is hope, as we uſe to ſay; but when we ſee they are dead, then hope is gone. Yea, but as to this I am ſpeaking of, how know you but Chriſt may come to the grave of that dead Soul, and raiſe it, as he did to Lazarus? So beloved, we that are Miniſters of Chriſt, we preach of this Freedom to you, and as to divers of you we are afraid we preach to the dead: and one would think, Why then, what hope is there? were it not as good to give over? Oh no! Preach we muſt, for all this, in hope that you may live; we are ſure that if God pleaſe to give you this Freedom, tho you have it not yet, when it comes, it ſhall do Wonders in you, 'twill fetch you out of your graves. Our Preaching to ſinners, 'tis like Ezekiels prophecying to the dry bones, cap. 37. God brought him and ſet him down in the midſt of a Valley full of them, verſ. 1, 2. and when he had been viewing them well, and ſeen what a ſad Spectacle there was; now, Son of man, can theſe bones live, ſaith he? doſt think 'tis poſſible that ever they ſhould live? And he anſwered, O Lord God thou knoweſt. As if he ſhould ſay, O Lord, that's with thee; who can reſolve that, but thy ſelf? verſe. 3. Well, in verſ. 4. Come, do thou prophecy upon them, ſaith God, and keep on prophecying, and ſee what I will do by it. Now, verſ. 7. the Prophet propheſied as he was commanded. As if he ſhould ſay, That I did, and that was all that I could do; but mark what wonderful ſucceſs here was, ſee verſ. 7, 8, 9, 10. and you read in verſ. 10. that they lived, &c. The Lord bleſs our preaching, as he bleſſed Ezekiels prophecying here.
8. That Death it ſelf ſhould be killed. Is not this a ſtrange thing? You know what a killing thing Death is; you have heard of many, and ſeen many that have been ſlain by it, it is a killing all over the World: Whether you conſider Death naturally or ſpiritually, what a great deſtroyer 'tis! But now, that there ſhould be ſomething that ſhould cauſe Death it ſelf to dye; would not this be a wonder? why this Freedom doth it, it kills the bodily death by the Reſurrection of the body; it kills the ſpiritual Death, by their being riſen with Chriſt; it kills the eternal Death, by giving them eternal Life. You have two Verſes in Joh. 11. 25, 26. that ſpeak to this, ſays our Saviour there, I am the reſurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, tho he were dead, yet ſhall he live; And whoſoever liveth, and believeth in me, ſhall never dye. See alſo 1 Cor. 15. 54, 55, 56, 57. So when this corruptible ſhall have put on incorruption, and this mortal ſhall have put on immortality, then ſhall be brought to paſs the ſaying that is written, Death is ſwallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy ſting? O grave, where is thy victory? The ſting of death is ſin, and the ſtrength of ſin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
9. That a man ſhould be made able to do all things. Would you not Wonder to ſee a man that is ſo able? It may be you will not believe that there is any ſuch man in the World: Nay, that if he could do all things, he would not be a man; and 'tis true, if you take [all things] in the largeſt ſenſe; he cannot do all things that God can do; but he can do all things through God, that he hath to do, Phil. 4. 11. A true Chriſtian is in ſome ſenſe weak, and yet ſtrong, as Paul ſaith, When I am weak, then am I ſtrong, 2 Cor. 12. 10. And ſays our Saviour to the man that brought to him his Son poſſeſſed with a Devil, beſeeching him to help him, Mark 9. 23 If thou canſt believe, all things are poſſible to him that believeth. As if he ſhould ſay, Art thou got into Freedom? if ſo, there's nothing that thou haſt to do, but thou maiſt go through with it by faith in me. A man that hath this Freedom, and improves it as he ſhould do, he can be poor, he can be rich, he can do, and he can ſuffer, he can live, and he can dye, he can love his Enemies, he can gain by loſſes, he can prevail with God, &c.
10. That a poor creature ſhould come to know what thoughts God had of him before the World began, and what he intends to do with him to all eternity. Why many will be ready to ſay, how is it ever poſſible that ſuch a thing ſhould be? Why, now 'tis one of the Wonders of this Freedom, that by the having of it a man may come to know this; if you look backward from all eternity, he may be ſure that God hath choſen him; if you look forward to all eternity, he may be ſure that God will receive him into Glory. See how Paul ſpeaks about this, 1 Theſ. 5. 9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain ſalvation by our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Many there be, who are in this Freedom, that are aſſured of this, and ſuch as are in it, tho they be not ſure as yet of it, yet they are in the way to it.
You ſee ſomething of the Wonders of this Freedom; and now is it not an excellent Freedom alſo upon this account? I will only add this, That the Scripture holds forth to us, that Gods wonderful works muſt have five Duties performed about them, and ſo muſt this wonderful Freedom. (1.) They muſt be talked of, Pſal. 105. 2. So now, oh ſpeak of this wonderful Freedom one to another, as you ſit in the houſe, and as you walk by the way; declare what God hath done for his people by Jeſus Chriſt. (2.) They muſt be conſidered, pondered upon, Joh. 37. 13. So this wonderful Freedom you muſt obſerve the Wonders in it, have deep and ſerious thoughts of it: Search into it by Meditation; Myſteries cannot be underſtood by a ſuperficial looking upon them, but▪ they muſt be dived into. (3.) They muſt be remembred, Pſal. 105. 4, 6. So take heed of forgetting this wonderful Freedom; 'tis a mercy never to be forgotten. (4.) God muſt be praiſed for them; yea, praiſed and praiſed again, Pſal. 136. 1, 2, 3, 4. So highly bleſs God for this wonderful Freedom; ſee in two Pſalms which are made about it, Pſal. 72. and he cloſes up all with this; verſ. 18. 19. Bleſſed be the Lord God, the God of Iſrael, who only doth wondrous things. And bleſſed be his glorious name for ever, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen. And Pſal. 98. read the whole Pſalm. (5.) They muſt be believed, Pſal. 78. 32. So you muſt believe this report about this wonderful Freedom; you muſt cloſe with it by faith, you muſt not continue in your ſins, as if all this were a lye that we tell about Salvation by Chriſt. I will end this Seventh thing of the Wonders of this Freedom, with that Scripture, Acts 13. 38, to 42. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgivneſs of ſins. And by him all that believe are juſtified from all things, from which ye could not be juſtified by the Law of Moſes. Beware therefore, leſt that come upon you which is ſpoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye deſpiſers, and wonder, and periſh: for I work a work in your days, a work which you ſhall in no wiſe believe, tho a man declare it unto you. Do you Wonder at the things you have heard? Oh! take heed that you don't Wonder and periſh for want of believing of them.