Sermons Volume 2, Romans 8 · Sermon 28
SERMON XXVIII.
ROM. VIII.21.
Because the creature its self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
IN this Verse the Apostle sheweth what hope was appointed by God for the creature, which for a while was subject to vanity; Because the creature, &c.
In the Words observe,
1. The deliverance asserted, Because the creature its self also shall be delivered.
2. The terms of this deliverance explained, 1. A quo terminus, From the bondage of corruption. 2. Ad quem, Into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
1. Asserted; foreign may be taken casually, as giving a reason of the hope, mentioned; sowe render it, because, or specificative, as shewing what kind of hope they have (subjected the same in hope; that the creature its self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption); for the word foreign asserted into freedom; for it is now in bondage, as the following words declare.
2. Explained: First, the terminus a quo; that which he called vanity before, he now calleth bondage of corruption; therefore this foreign must be explained as the vanity was, that signifieth either disorder or alteration, and corruption or dissolution, or perversion from its use, as it serveth wicked men, especially as 'tis abused by them to the fulfilling of their lusts; all this vanity, and all this bondage is an heavy yoke to the creature, and from all this it shall be freed. 2. The term to which; Into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
But here a doubt ariseth; Shall the sensless creatures be made partakers of the same glory with Gods Children? That's absurd to be conceived: To solve this, Chrysostom thinketh foreign is put for foreign as these particles are often exchanged; so foreign should be rendred, by the glorious liberty; others to prevent this absurdity, make it not the term of the change, but the term of expectation; when the children of God are advanced into their glory; then, and not till then, shall the creatures be freed from the bondage of corruption; but the Apostles words do signifie not only time, but estate; not at, but into; 'tis no such absurdity to say, that the creature shall in its kind and manner partake of the glorious estate of the saints, for there is somewhat common to them both▪ and that is incorruption, 1 Cor. 15.42. So the meaning is, it shall be translated from a state of corruption to a state of incorruption, and such a measure of beauty and glory as doth agree thereunto.
Two Points I shall observe from this Verse:
1. Doct. That the creatures shall be freed from corruption, and be made partakers of a better estate than now they have.
2. Doct. That the liberty to which Gods children are reserved, is a glorious liberty.
First let me speak of the restauration of the creature, and then of the glorious liberty of the Saints.
For the first, Let me state it how far the creatures shall be delivered from the present vanity and misery, and for what reasons: We must keep to Scripture generals, lest we run into curiosities; that rule of Augustine is good; Melius dubitare de occul…is, quam litigare de incertis; 'Tis better to doubt of what is hidden, than to contend about what is incertain: We may define things with danger, but we may be ignorant of them without danger; therefore as to creatures that shall be restored, and not restored, we must not be too nice and inquisitive: Possibly this is one of those difficulties mentioned by St. Peter, 2 Pet. 3.16. That in his beloved Brother Pauls Epistles, there are foreign I am sure these concern the matter there treated of.
1. For things that are not to be restored.
1. What ever came in by sin, will be utterly destroyed, as Thorns, Thistles, poysonous Weeds, Gen. 3.17, 18. Cursed is the ground for thy sake, thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee. The reason is, when the cause is taken away, the effect ceaseth. If the Curse of God upon the Earth, be a part of mans punishment; then upon mans deliverance the creature is delivered also. Now it continueth for a mark of Gods displeasure, and our Humiliation, because man is restored but in part; but upon our full deliverance, no more of this is found.
2. All creatures that arise out of corruption and putrifaction, as Toads, Mice, Flys, Bats; as they were not in the first Creation, so they shall not appear in this restitution of all things, at the coming of the Lord.
3. All living creatures which perish before, or at the end of the world. 'Tis probable these shall not be renewed, and restored again: Partly, because these serve only for the use, and the sustenance of the earthly Life; but in glory freed from this necessity, 1 Cor. 6.13. Meat is for the belly, and the belly for meats; but God shall destroy both it and them: In this Life the Body hath an absolute necessity of them; but in the next Life the meat its self, as well as the eating, or desiring of meat, shall be taken away. Partly, because, if these should be restored, there must be a Resurrection of them, which is only promised to men. And the Apostles when they speak, restrain it to mankind, who have reasonable Souls living to God, while their Bodies are not …otting in the Grave; but the Soul of the Beasts goeth downward, Eccl. 3.21. that is, perish with their bodies, which are buried in the ground.
4. All artificial works done by the hand of man, as Cities, Castles, Houses, Gardens; They shall all be burnt up, and be extant no more; for tho these things are useful during the earthly Life: yet then they are all consumed, as being defiled by the inhabitants thereof, 2 Pet. 3.10. The earth also, and the works which are therein, shall be burnt up. That is, which men have made, and built thereupon; which should turn our hearts from our affecting those things, or fixing upon the Creature which is passing away, whilest we neglect God, who is the same that passeth not.
2. That which shall be restored, is the Fabrick of Heaven and Earth; not the highest Heavens; they need no purifying fire, no unclean things entring there. But the lower Heavens, and this Earth; the State, of things after the Dissolution, is called a World to come often: Now World, in the sacred Dialect, comprehendeth the visible Heavens and Earth: Meaning by Heavens, the airy and starry Heaven; and by Earth, dry Land, and Waters. Well then, Heaven and Earth, Sun, Moon, and Stars, which had a being in the Creation, and undergo the purging fire at the dissolution, shall be restored as Gold, that hath been melted and refined in the fire: If you ask for what use? We must refer that to the event; the Scripture in the general, 2 Pet. 3.13. We expect according to his promise, new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherein righteous men shall have a firm place, and always dwell therein, and exercise righteousness. Whereas this earth is full of wicked and unrighteous men, which then shall be all in Hell. But the difficulty is about the use of this lower World.
1. What if God restore it as a monument of his Wisdom, Goodness and Power? An object wherein by the great beauty of the creature, the just shall see God by reflection.
2. What if for the exercise of our delight and gratitude? To delight the eyes and minds of the Saints; the creatures having a glory and brightness put upon them, somewhat proportionable to their own glorious estate. God will make a proportion between the Heir and the Inheritance, the Lord and the Servants, the Habitation and the Inhabitant; as the Church is altered, so must her dwelling; there shall he nothing in nature displeasing to the Eyes of Gods Children, but all delightful to all eternity.
3. What if to be a Trophy of the final Abolition of Death, the last enemy that shall be destroyed? The World is now a Monument of Sin, and then of our Redemption, that all the fruit of Sin is done away both in us, and the World.
4. What if to compleat the first grant of Dominion to man over the creatures? This grant must sometime or other take place, Psal. 8.6. Thou madest him to have dominion over the work of thine hands; thou hast put all things under his feet. 'Tis not done here, therefore in the World to come, as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 2.5. For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come. Which World to come, concerneth the state of the Church under Christ, and the state of Glory after the Resurrection; now we have the right, then the possession; An eternal Kingdom over all creatures; for 'tis said of the Saints, that they shall have Dominion in the morning, and that they shall reign with Christ for ever and ever, Rev. 22.5. and of the new Heavens and the new Earth, Rev. 21.7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things, which beareth some sense.
VSE. It sheweth us three things.
1. The certainty of our Hopes. There is hope that the creature at length shall be delivered into a state agreeing with the future Glory of Gods Children. Therefore much more is their deliverance to be hoped for, by the Children of God themselves. For if these dumb insensible things be made partakers of a better estate than they have now; Will not God take care for the recompence of his people?
2. The excellency of our Hopes. It appeareth hence, what excellency of Glory is reserved for the Children of God, since all the World shall be refined, and restored for their sakes, and seeing the Glory of that state requireth the creature should be changed, before it can suit with it.
3. It sheweth us the manner of entring into our hopes. As the creature must be freed from the state of Corruption, before it can partake with Gods Children in any degree of their glorious Liberty; so must we be changed before we are capable of it. How changed? First, By Grace. Secondly, By Death.
1. We must be changed by Grace, and freed from the Corruption of sin, Eph. 5.5. For this we know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, and of God. Common knowledg will easily shew us, that those that impenitently persist in gross sins, are uncapable of any right unto, and never shall come to the Possession of that blessed estate of eternal Glory. We have a larger Catalogue, Gal. 5.20, 21. And the Apostle concludeth, that they that do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. There is no mixture of godly and ungodly in the Kingdom of Heaven: Nay, we may go further; not only exclude them, who live in gross sin; but every unregenerate Person, Joh. 3.3. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God; and in the 5th vers. 'tis explained, he cannot enter into it. Every man in his natural estate, be he to appearance better or worse, is unmeet for Glory. And there must be a change wrought in him, he must be delivered from the Bondage of sinful Corruption, or he cannot injoy the glorious liberty of the Children of God; not only an Epicure, or Drunkard, or Whoremonger is excluded; but a painted Pharisee, as long as his heart is corrupt, and unrenewed, hath no right, and never shall have possession; he must be changed from a state of Corruption to a state of holiness; and the Image of God in which he was created, must be restored in him.
2. Changed by Death. The Saints being mortal, must be changed, before they can inherit eternal Life. All that we derived from old Adam, must be laid and left in the Grave, 1 Cor. 15.50. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. These earthly frail bodies of ours, cannot be received into Heaven, till they be changed and immortalized, vers. 53. This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. As a man to build his house better, razeth it to the very bottom; so God will have the body resolved into dust, before he will set it forth in this new fair Edition. As the creature is dissolved, that is, delivered from the Bondage of Corruption; first the creature is set free, and discharged from being obnoxious to change and alteration; so we must first die, then be raised in Incorruption, which should make us the more ready and willing to submit to the appointed course, and not only even dare to die, but to be willing to dye, since Death puts an end to sin, and all our calamities, and is the gate and entrance by which we pass into Glory.
2. Doct. That the liberty to which Gods people are reserved, is a glorious liberty.
Here I shall first speak of the liberty of Gods children in this life.
2. The glorious liberty in the world to come; for the one is a step to the other; for 'tis called, a glorious liberty, to distinguish it from the liberty of Gods children here in this world, which is not glorious, but gracious, to shew how it exceedeth this estate in glory: Therefore I must shew,
1. What is the liberty of Gods children in this world.
2. What in the world to come.
1. What is the liberty of Gods children in this world: There are three practical notions in which man is greatly mistaken, Misery and Happiness, Wisdom and Folly, Liberty and Bondage. Misery and Happiness. Men count none miserable, but the afflicted; none happy but the prosperous, because they judg by the present ease and commodity of the flesh. Wisdom and Folly; we all affect the repute of Wisdom, Job 11.12. Please our selves with a false shew of wisdom, neglecting what is true and solid, which is to be wise to salvation. Liberty and Bondage; Man accepteth of a false liberty rather than none; every man would be at his own dispose, live as he list; whereas the true liberty must be determined by our condition as creatures; by our end, as creatures that are in pursuit of true happiness: To think the only true liberty is to be at the command and controul of none above our selves, or to live at large according to our hearts desire, is to affect a thraldom and bondage instead of liberty; therefore it concerneth us to state exactly what is the liberty of Gods children now; it either relateth to our duty, or to our felicity.
1. To our duty; and so our liberty must he stated by these four Things.
1. It must be such a liberty as becometh a creature who is in subjection to God. 'Tis not a power to live as we list, but a power to live as we ought; to affect a power to live as we list, and to be accountable to none, is to revive the arrogancy of Adam, and to sup up again the poyson of the old Temptation, ye shall be as Gods, Gen. 3.5. 'Twas mans Original Ambition to be at his own dispose, and Lord of his own Actions, to think and speak, and do as he pleaseth, Psal. 12.4. Our tongues are our own, who is Lord over us? And the Rebellion of the Libertine World is set forth by casting off the Yokes and Cords of Duty, Psal. 2.3. Let us break their …ands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. Meaning there, the Laws of God and Christ; who are impatient of any restraint. But this is a liberty cannot be justified, for since man hath principium & finem, A principle upon which he dependeth in his Being and Operations, and an end unto which he is appointed, he must wholly give up himself to the will of another, and his liberty lyeth in a readiness to comply with Gods commands, who is his proper Lord, to whom he is to subject himself, and to give an account of all his Actions? So that mans true liberty is Gods Service, Psa. 119.45. I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts. To will and do things pleasing to our Creator, is the only liberty proper to us.
2. It must be such a liberty as will leave us in a capacity, to pursue our chief good, and last end. For all creatures are by natural instinct carried to their last end; and the more fettered and restrained from this, the more they are in Bondage; the less, the more free: which holdeth good in all creatures; but principally in the reasonable. Certainly the reasonable nature is dishonoured, and debased, and under a defect, as 'tis disabled from the fruition of God, or seeking after it; we are in Bondage, as we are captivated, and intangled with the love of inferior things, and so perverted and diverted from the pursuit of true happiness. The restraining of our irregular desires, is not Bondage, but the gratifying of them, for that is a snare to us. Men live in sin with as much delight, as Fishes in their own Element; yet they are in bonds still, as they are detained from God, and turned aside from him; our liberty is our power over inferior things; and our Bondage is their power over us, 1 Cor. 6.12. When we love God with all our hearts, and serve him with all our minds, we are free. Liberty in the root implyeth an inclination to God, as the supream Object of our love. In the first Act, In a power of chusing the means, whereby we may injoy him. In the second Act, in an exercise of this power, or in an actual pursuing the end by these means. The elective power, and a governing our Actions in order to our great end, is our liberty; the Angels that immutably and indeclinably adhere to their last end, are freer than us, who may err from it. Well then, None are such slaves as they that cannot use the means which should make them happy; but imploy their whole time in seeking after Pleasures, and Honours, and Profits, like dissolute Servants, who being sent by their Masters to a Mart or Fair to buy Commodites, spend their time and money in some Inn or House of Entertainment by the way, and neglect their Fair or Mart, to which they were sent to imploy their Money to the best advantage. So we are inslaved by the way, and neglect our main business.
3. It must be such a liberty as will suit with the dignity of a rational creature, as man is. For that is the liberty of a man, when he acteth with a condecency to the reasonable nature. Man was at first made to be happy, his happiness consisted in the Fruition of God, and his subjection to him was no captivity and restraint, but rather a part of that blessedness; but we became bondmen, not only by breaking the Law of God, but by disordering the constitution of our Souls, by submitting conscience and reason to our lusts: so suffering the beast to ride the man; for the rule of the Apostle is of immutable equity, Rom. 6.11. His servants you are, to whom ye yield your selves to obey. Now man giving up reason to appetite, becometh a very slave; as a Country is inthralled when the base prevail above the honourable, and Beggars get on horseback, but the Princes are on foot: such a deordination there is, when reason is put out of Dominon, and lusts prevail; our Bondage is described by the Apostle, Tit. 3.3. Serving divers lusts and pleasures. Our lusts urge us to an eager pursuit of inferior things; reason or the leading-part of the Soul reclaimeth, but it hath no force besides our dependance upon God, which cannot be shaken off: if since our Apostacy from him, we have a perfect understanding to guide us, the danger would not be so great; but in this corrupt estate, the mind is blinded by our Passions and Appetites; and therefore to be left to the dispose of our bruitish affections, is the greatest judgment that can be, Psal. 81.12. So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts, and they walked in their own counsels. This is the greatest thraldom that can befal such a creature as man is; it leaveth us no power to dispose of our selves; men often see what they should do, but cannot do it, being drawn away by their own lusts; and tho we have some kind of remorse from the remainders of reason, especially being assisted by the Holy Spirit, as to some common help; yet we foully miscarry still, till it hath brought us to misery, as it did Sampson the strongest, Solomon the wisest of men. Then therefore is a man at liberty, when reason and conscience are again put into dominion, and a man is fitted to please God, and seek after his true happiness with the contempt of all worldly things.
4. It must be such a liberty as bringeth us nearest to the state of innocency, which is mans first estate; and the state of glory, which is his last and most perfect state. Now this doth consist in a freedom from the Power of sin; the liberty of Innocency, was posse non peccare; Adam might not have sinned; the liberty of Glory will be non posse peccare, they cannot sin; as not with a moral cannot, 'tis absurd, that may be obtained here, 1 John 3.9. He cannot sin, because he is born of God; but with a natural cannot; 'tis impossible; the Soul doth indeclinably adhere to God as the chiefest good; therefore now the nearer we come to this, the will of man is best disposed, and the more to be accounted as free. Divines usually consider man in a fourfold estate; In statu instituto, in a state of integrity, and so man might not have sinned; In statu destituto, in a state of corruption, so he can do nothing else but sin. That every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, Gen. 6.5. In statu restituto; and so he hath an inclination, partly, to good; by the spirit of grace dwelling in him; partly, to evil; by reason of the relickes of sin and is only so far freed from the bondage of corruption, as that it shall not reign in him, Rom. 6.14. In statu preestituto, in the state to which he is appointed; in the state of glory, in which he can will nothing but what is good; a blessed necessity it is, and our highest liberty; for liberty is not opposite to necessity, but obligation or impulsion; we are never more free, than when we are passed all possibility of sinning
2. As it relateth to our felicity; and so it implyeth two things.
1. Our immunities and priviledges.
2. Our rights and prerogatives.
1. The immunities and priviledges of Gods Children: we are delivered from much misery by Christ. First, From the slavery of sin. Rom. 6.18. Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Tho sin still dwelleth in us, yet the guilt is remitted, the damning power gone, Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. The reigning power broken, Rom. 6.14. For sin shall not have dominion over you; and so 'tis more and more mortified in us, by the grace of Regeneration, till at length it be abolished by death; and so the being is gone, and our inthralled spirits are in some measure set free, to know, serve, and love God, and delight in him as our Lord, and life, and end, and all. Secondly, From death, as the curse of the law. And so from those everlasting torments which the wicked must endure. The second death hath no power over such; and tho we are obnoxious to the first death, yet the venom and sting of it is gone, 1 Cor. 15.56, 57. O death, where is thy sting! O grave, where is thy victory! And of an enemy 'tis made a friend, 1 Cor. 3.22. Death is yours. 'Tis made the gate and entrance into eternal rest. Thirdly, From the Bondage that did arise in us from the fear of eternal death. Where sin is entertained, it bringeth another inmate along with it, and that is the fear and terror of death and damnation, which ariseth from the consciousness of sin; now to be free from the accusations of a guilty conscience, and those self-tormentings which in the wicked are the foretasts of Hell, is surely a great mercy, and this is the priviledge of Gods People, Heb. 2.14, 15. To deliver them who through fear of death are all their life-time subject to bondage. And sinners are such Bond-men that they dare not call themselves to an account for the expence of their time, and course of their imployments, which all wise men should do; and think seriously of God, and the day of judgment, and the World to come; therefore it is a great mercy to have a quiet well settled conscience. Fourthly, From the tyranny and power of Satan, as a deceiver, and enemy, and executioner of the wrath of God; who thereby taketh wicked men captive at his will and pleasure: He cannot totally prevail against the elect; Matth. 16.18. VponUpon this rock I build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. tho he vex and tempt them continually. He hath a kind of right to apostate Souls, Eph. 6.12. Rulers of the darkness of this world; but his power is much broken as to the elect; they are dayly exercised by him, but they overcome, and stand stedfast in the faith. Fiftly, They are freed from the law and covenant of works, which requireth that which to us is become impossible, and also from the burdensome task of useless ceremonies imposed on the Church in the times of imfancy and darkness. And the Apostle biddeth us stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, Gal. 5.1. The ceremonial law was a Bondage by reason of the great trouble, expence, and pain to the flesh which did attend the observation of it: especially in its use, a bond confessing the debt; and Christ hath purchased this freedom and liberty to the Church, and we should stand to the defence of it. Sixthly, An immunity from such temporal judgments as might hinder our salvation, and the service of God, 1 Cor. 10.13. There hath no temptation taken hold of you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it; and Rom. 8.28. All things shall work together for good to them that love God. No absolute immunity from troubles; God hath reserved a liberty to his wisdom and justice to afflict us as he shall see cause, Psal. 89.32. Then will I visit their transgressions with the Rod, and their iniquity with stripes; But will preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdom, 2 Tim. 4.17, 18.
1. Their rights and prerogatives. First, They have a right to serve God with a ready and free will, and on comfortable terms, Luke 1.74, 75. That being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our lives. Psal. 51.12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me by thy free spirit. And Rom. 8.15. For we have not received the spirit of Bondage again to fear, but we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
2. A liberty of access to God; a large door is opened to us, for communion with him Eph. 3.12. To whom we have boldness and access with confidence, Heb. 4.16. Let us come with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may have grace, and find mercy in a time of need, and Heb. 10.19. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holyest, by the blood of Jesus. 1 John 3.21. Beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, then have we boldness toward God.
3. A free use of all the creatures, which fall to our share and allowance by Gods fatherly providence, 1 Tim. 4.3, 4. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meat, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them that believe and obey the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving, 1 Cor. 3.22, 23. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christs, and Christ is Gods. With good conscience we may use the creatures, and get them Sanctified to us by the word and prayer.
4. A right to eternal life, Tit. 3.7. That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Rom. 8.17. If children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; If so be, we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Tho we have not the possession, yet a Title sure and indefecible; so that you see (and yet I have told you little of it) it is valuable; but 'tis a glorious liberty we are to speak of.
2. Our glorious liberty in the world to come. That is a liberty which implyeth the removal of all evil, and the affluence of all good: and may be considered either as to the Soul, or to the Body.
1. As to the Soul. We are admitted into the blessed sight of God; and the perfect fruition, and pleasing of him in perfect love, joy, and praise, to all eternity, 1 Cor. 13.12. For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face; now I know it partly, but then shall I know even also as I am known. 1 John 3.2. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Psal. 16.11. Thou wilt shew me the path of life, for in thy presence is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand pleasures for evermore. Psal. 17.15. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.
2. As to the Body it is in a state of immortality, and incorruption, wholly freed from death, and all the frailties introduced by sin: and because the body remaineth behind, when the Soul is in Glory, our Deliverance and Redemption is sa…d to be yet behind, Eph. 1.14. Which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, Eph. 4.30. And grieve not the holy spirit, whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption: And that in respect of the body, Rom. 8.23. Waiting for the adoption; to wit, the redemption of our body. In short, This glorious liberty may be somewhat understood by the liberty which we have now.
1. Our liberty now is imperfect, and incompleat; but then 'tis full, and perfect: 'Tis but begun now, and our bonds loosed in part; but our compleat deliverance is to come from sin at death, from all misery, when our bodies are raised up in glory; sin dwelleth in the Saints now, but in death it will be utterly abolished; therefore groan and long for it, Rom. 7.24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of death? Yet with hope, v. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord; so then, with the mind I my self serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Our bodies now are subject to corruption and diseases, as others are, but Phil. 3.21. God will then perfectly glorifie his children in body and soul.
2. Spiritual liberty is consistent enough with corporal bondage. Paul was in Prison when Nero was Emperor of the world; many that are taken into the liberty of Gods children are not freed from outward servitude, 1 Cor. 7.21, 22. Art thou called, being a servant? care not for it; but if thou canst be made free, use it rather. The condition of a slave is not incompetent with Christianity; Joseph was a slave in Egypt, but his Mistress was the Captive, as she was overcome by her own lusts; servants may be the Lords Freemen, and Freemen may be Satans slaves.
3. All the parts of liberty are quite other than now: First, as to duty, we are not so free from the power of sin, as to be able to govern our own actions in order to eternal happiness, Rom. 7.25. With my mind I serve the law of God, with my flesh the law of sin. There is law against law, mutual conflicts, and mutual opposition; tho grace gets the mastery, not absolute freedom: Our present estate is but a convalescency, a recovery out of sickness by degrees.
2. As to felicity: First, Immunity from the curse of the law, and the wrath of God. We have a right, but the solemn and actual judgment is not past, nor the case adjudged; but at the last day, when the condemning sentence is past upon the wicked, our sins shall be blotted out, Acts 3.19. Secondly, Death remaineth on the body, but then the last enemy shall be quite destroyed, 1 Cor. 15.26. Thirdly, Satan doth still trouble us, and vex us, winnow us as wheat, but then he shall be trodden under our feet, Rom. 16▪20. Fourthly, For the afflictions of the world: They do not now endanger salvation, but then wholly gone, Rev. 21.4. Then God shall wipe all tears from our eyes: then no more sorrow and crying. That is, because of oppression and violence.
2. For Rights and Prerogatives. Now we serve God at a distance by some remote service, then immediately minister before the Throne: Here we come to God now and then, but then we shall be ever with him; we have now a right to use creatures, then we shall need none; now a title to Heaven, but then possession, made actual partakers of eternal blessedness; therefore there cannot be a greater liberty than the children of God have at the last day.
1. USE is to admire the goodness of God to poor afflicted creatures. We have this glorious liberty from Gods bounty, Matth. 25.34. Christs love, he purchased it; 'tis the Son of God, hath made us free, John 8.36. 'Tis applied to us by the spirit, Rom. 8.2. The spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made us free from the law of sin and death: The Roman Captain said, With a great sum obtained I this freedom, Acts, 25.28. To us it cometh on meer favour.
2. Have you interest in this blessedness? Is the liberty begun? Hath he sealed you to the day of redemption? Eph. 4.30. You will find the comfort and benefit of his sealing: On that day God will own those whom he hath stamped and marked with his own seal; that is, whom the spirit hath formed for God, by impressing his image upon them in righteousness and true holiness; after that day no more place will be left for doubts and fears: But till that day this is our warrant and assurance, till full possession; the seal of the spirit is an holy frame of heart, fitted to serve, please, and enjoy God.