The Abuse of Gods Grace, Chapter 3 · Section 10
SECT. 10.
10. FReeing Grace is turned into wantonneſs: The ſweet 10. Freeing Grace is turned into wantonneſs.name of liberty, but not rightly ſtated and underſtood, hath been one of Satans ſnares, and is ſtill to undoe precious ſouls: We are bid to ſtand faſt in that liberty wherewith Chriſt hath made us free, Gal. 5. 1. but not in the liberty that Satan, the luſts of men, the ſpirit of error, carnal Intereſts and Policy makes us free: Jeſus Chriſt never died to give the Devil a free trade: Goſpel-Grace hath glorious freedom, from the curſe of the Law, …al. 3. 13. the guilt of ſin, the wrath to come, 1 Theſſ. 1. 10. Theſe are purchaſed liberties by the blood of Chriſt, and are all abuſed by licentious ſpirits, who turn Chriſtian liberty into un-Chriſtian Libertiniſm: They are free from the curſe of the Law, as they believe, but are curſed Children, 2 Pet. 2. 14. have unmortified curſed Corruptions, do accurſed things, and lead accurſed lives; ſo their freedom from the guilt of ſin, is abuſed to wallowing in the filth of ſin; and their fancied liberty from the wrath to come, is to enjoy the preſent pleaſures of ſin, and by treaſuring up of ſin, to treaſure up wrath againſt the day of wrath, Rom. 2. 5. Too many ſleeps on this ſweet pillow, pleaſing indempnity, freedom from hell, and abuſe this liberty, by a ſecure walking in the way to hell: How 2 Pet. 2. 19.is liberty miſtaken? It is a freedom from ſin, not in ſin; It is putting the old man in chains, not allowing him enlargement; It is abſolute denying of unlawful things, yea limitation and omiſſion of lawful: It is a free ſervice of God, not a ſervile freedom of luſt; It is confined to Scripture rule, not left looſe to a ſelfiſh arbitrary will; It is full of humility, fear and trembling, not audacious, adventuring on any thing: It muſt write after the copy of Heavens liberty, which is to do the will of God, not the fleſh: Holy Angels are free, but it is to duty, not rebellion. A wonder it is, that under Goſpel-light, Chriſtian liberty is made ſo broad a cover, as almoſt to hide any thing: How many come in here for their ſhare? laviſh Gaming, that throws away that in an hour, which would feed and cloath ſeveral poor Families for many years; ſpotted, yea painted faces, ſhroud themſelves under lawful liberty: Exceſſive gluttonous Feaſts, have their freedom too: A Cup too much, that tempts to many more, is made bold with, though it load the ſtomach and brains to ſtaggering, vomit, laying reaſon aſleep, miſ-ſpending time and money: Covetous getting and keeping Eſtates, hath its patronage from Scripture liberty: Parents muſt lay up for their Children, 2 Cor. 12. 14. It is Infidel-like not to provide for them, when under this pretence the numerous Texts of Scripture, concerning giving to the poor, are made of none effect: Every abſurd and ſottiſh opinion in Religion, among the ſides of needleſs and offenſive diviſions pleads Chriſtian liberty; yea which is ſad, horrid, not onelyonly unchriſtian, but uncivil and unnatural practices have the ſame refuge: O when that arch Libertine the Devil ſhall once gull men, that his helliſh ſuggeſtions have the leave and liking of Chriſt and his Spirit, wickedneſs will be boundleſs: It is ſad to think how ſlily and ſucceſsfully the Devil hath made prodigious Errors and practices paſſ…ble, as in former times, ſo in the preſent age: O you that are falſly ſo called free men and women, know whom the Son makes free, they are free indeed: You do but dream of true freedom, who are the ſlaves Non unius hominis, ſed quod gravius eſt, lot dominorum quot vitiorum ſervi, Aug. l. 4. de Civ. Dei.not of one man, but of as many Lords as luſts: Who will believe he is free, who goeth ratling up and down in chains, with his keeper by him? Alaſs! carnal Libertines conceive they are free, when they go up and down in chains of accuſtomed ſins, and have their Keeper with them, yea in them, (i. e.) the Prince of this wicked world.
How not onelyonly unreaſonable, but unchriſtian, hath been the practice of looſe, not Chriſtian Reformation: Satan can ruine by extreams: Some Proteſtants in Germany, that did well in leaving Antichriſt, did ill too in Apoſtacy from Chriſt: It was the complaint of Mencelius: O ſad and ſhameful diſgrace! After the power of the holy Goſpel had ſet enthralled Conſciences at liberty O de decus, toſtquam per ſanctum Evangelium, a Papae tyrannide & poteſtate libertas. Volunt homines eſſe liberi, nec d quequam prohiberi, quo minus arbitratu ſuo vivant. Joan. Mencelius, l. de Paſtore.from the power and tyranny of the Pope, men would be free from all bonds, nor ſuffer any to hinder their licentious lives. Are not theſe ſad extreams the practice of theſe times? After many amongſt us are freed from humane Conſcience-yoaks, they complained of, have they not alſo thrown off the Government of Chriſt by his Word and Spirit, and do as much boggle at Divine, as humane impoſitions? as if the pure and ſtrict Laws of Chriſt were equally intolerable with the erring Laws of men. Surely Chriſtian liberty puts an univerſal confinement upon corruption, forbids every proud, wanton, erring Judgement; is prone and free to paſs a ſentence upon, & crucifie carnal Luſts and Affections; dares not adventure on a vain thought and idle word, much leſs monſtrous opinions, and courſes of old and preſent times. Some men ſo fearfully manage their Goſpel liberty, as if they might have leave to deſire, think, affect, believe, ſpeak, Ac ſi evangelium eſſet talis doctrina, quae unicuique poteſtatem faciendi & credendi quod illi placei Concedat Joan Mence. lius, l. de Paſtore.and do whatſoever they pleaſe, under Goſpel-allowance, which interpretative Blaſphemy, ſpeaks the Goſpel a prophane, not an holy Goſpel: But it need fear no ſuch reproach: Its pure rules will vindicate themſelves from looſneſs; Its ſound words, from corrupt opinions; Its condemning holineſs, ſhine in the threatned damnation of all thoſe that make its liberty an occaſion to the fleſh: yet far be it from me that I ſhould ſo reproach Chriſts free ones, that better improve their glorious Liberty, in theſe trying times, as to deny, there are many who through preſerving Grace, hold faſt to the form of ſound words, and do more warily manage Chriſtian liberty by others Libertiniſm, that dare not live as very many do, that do not allow and follow, but reprove, pray againſt, and weep over their looſneſs; a better courſe then they take, that rebuke ſin with ſin, and while they declaim againſt unwary Chriſtians uſe of liberty, do fearfully abuſe it themſelves: But the working out Salvation with fear and trembling, will prevent among us many Libertines. Ah dear Chriſtians, are you called to liberty? ſee to it, that you be guided by the life and laws of Chriſt: Utter diſproportions from theſe, are none of Chriſts purchaſe nor diſpenſations: Your dangers are fearful, in common liberty of Conſcience to be unconſcionable, Qui liber eſt naturâ, ſervus eſt conſcientiâ. Euſebius Hom. 3. de Paſcha.while you may have nature, ſtate, and Church-freedom, you may be Conſcience ſlaves: No thraldom like that wherein the Devil rides and drives Conſciences where he pleaſe: If he can once be maſter in the Conſcience, the Soul, and all elſe, in his own.