Gospel Liberty, Sermon 1
GOSPEL LIBERTY EXPLAINED.
1 COR. 10.23.
ALL thing are LAWFULL for me, but ALL things are not EXPEDIENT: ALL things are LAWFULL for me, but ALL things EDIFIE not.
The ſcope of the words.THeſe words that I have read to you, they are the concluſion of Pauls anſwer to certaine Queſtions that the Corinthians (it ſeems in writing) had propoſed to him. What thoſe Queſtions were you may read, from the beginning of the 7th Chapter, to part of this 10th Chapter. I ſhall onelyonly touch them a little; In the beginning of the ſeventh Chapter they had written to Paul, and asked him this queſtion, Whether it were lawfull for a man under the Goſpel to marrie? Becauſe it ſeems they thought the profeſſion of the Goſpel ſuch a holy thing in old time (otherwiſe than Profeſſors do now,) that they thought it a kind of defilement to that ſpirituall and glorious profeſſion to marrie. That was one queſtion. Another was Chapter 7.4. Whether being married they might live with there husbands and wives as before, Paul anſwers that. They aske him againe, whether a Believer being matched to an unbeliever, might turne away his wife, and leave his houſe? He anſwers that; Then the ſervants that were believers, and their maſters unbelievers, they wrote, and asked whether they in conſcience ſhould ſeek their freedom? He anſwers that alſo. So there are divers queſtions from that place to the end of the Chapter; as whether it were lawfull for people to marrie in the time of perſecution; or for people that were once married to marrie any more; he anſwers that. In the 8th Chapter they have other ſorts of queſtions greater than theſe; Whether it were lawfull for believers to eat fleſh offered to Idols? that was a great queſtion: for in thoſe Countries the Goſpel was among Infidels, and thoſe that were without they worſhipped the devill in Idols, and ſacrificed meat to them; and this meat when it had been ſacrificed was carried to the market and ſold: Now they queſtioned, whether they knowing that that meat was offered to an Idol, might eat of it? Paul anſwers that; And in the 9th and 10th Chapters illuſtrates it, and ſo comes to ſumme up all his anſwers in theſe words, All things are lawfull for me, but all things are not expedient &c. That is, the moſt of thoſe things that you have propoſed, if not all, they are lawfull, I ſay not they ſin if they marrie, they ſin not; and for meat offered to Idols, an Idol is nothing in the world. All theſe things are lawfull, and abundance of things more: but all things are not expedient. As if he ſhould ſay, I wonder why you Corinthians ask ſo many queſtions, whether this or that be lawfull; you may doe lawfull things, and yet damne your ſoules for ever. I will not hide the liberty of the Goſpel from you; It is lawfull to eat meat offered to an Idol: for, an Idol is nothing; and to marrie it is lawfull, ſo it be in the Lord: but yet in the New Teſtament you ſhould look higher than that which is lawfull, & unlawfull, you ſhould look what is expedient, and what edifies, and thoſe things that doe not edifie, (as moſt of theſe things did not, though they were lawfull in themſelves,) you muſt not uſe them: for ſaith he in the verſe following, We ought not every man to ſeek his own things, but another mans good. So that I ſay the words are the ſumme of Pauls anſwer to the Corinthians to theſe queſtions; you may finde the particular anſwers to every one of theſe queſtions, if you peruſe the former Chapters.
So that come to the words they have in them theſe two things.Parts of the Text.
Firſt, here is a conceſſion; they ask the queſtion if theſe things were lawfull,1. a conceſſion. Paul grants that they may be lawfull; It is lawfull to marrie, it is lawfull for a believer to keep his unbelieving wife, it is awfull for a ſervant to abide with his maſter, though he be an unbeliever: it is lawfull to eat meat offered to an Idol, Paul grants it, All things are lawfull.
Secondly, here is a reſtriction, an exception againſt that rule, that although All things be lawfull, 2. a reſtricton.all things are not expedient, all things edefie not. So that before I goe about to tell you my thoughts from this place: for the ſetling of you in theſe wavering times, wherein you grope for light; I will open a little to you theſe words, that you may the more clearely ſee the Doctrines.
All things are lawfull for me;
[ALL] By ALL here you are not to underſtand,The meaning of the words. ALL univerſally, as it is often uſed in the Scripture,All, what meant by it. that is, ALL excepting more, as in Exod. 1.6. The people of Iſrael, and ALL that generation died. That is, every one that came into Egypt were gone at that time, or as it is Rom. 5. …n by Adam entered upon ALL men. That is, every man in the world became a ſinner by Adams ſin; Now you are not to underſtand ALL in this place ſo, as though that all things were lawfull, that is, that there is liberty for people to doe what they liſt now, men may ſweare and lie, and curſe, that men may be profeſſors, and be cheaters, and couzeners, Profeſſors, and be drunkards, and proud, and covetous. This is not the meaning, Paul doth not meane by the word ALL a univerſalitie: but by ALL he meanes many things, many things are lawfull,Many meant by all. but many things are not expedient, and that all is taken for many, I might ſhew at large in Scripture it is very uſuall, Pſal. 118 ſaith David, ALL nations roſe up againſt me, and compaſſed me about. David doth not meane that all the nations in the world did come about him, but he meanes many; divers people did come together againſt him. But more plainly in 2 Tim. 2.6. There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Chriſt Jeſus, who gave himſelfe a ranſome for ALL. Hence divers now a dayes do hold a univerſall Ranſome and redemption, that Chriſt died for ALL men alike, becauſe of this word ALL, that Chriſt is ſaid to be a ranſome for ALL: but if you compare this place with Mat. 20.28. there you ſhall ſee the meaning of it, VVhoſoever will be chiefe among you, ſhall be your ſervant, even as the Son of man came not to be miniſtered unto (to be waited upon in this world) but to miniſter and ſerve, and to give his life a ranſome for MANY. That which in the other place is a ranſome for all Matth. interprets it for many. So in Mark. 10.45. (for wee muſt expound Scripture by Scripture, or elſe we ſhall run giddily and endleſſely into error) for even the Son of man, came not to be miniſtered unto: but to miniſter, and give his life a ranſome for MANY. There is the ſame word. So by ALL things in this place, you are to underſtand many things. All things are lawfull; that is, all theſe things that you propoſe, and many more: for I comprehend many more than they queſtioned, or elſe he might have ſaid, theſe things are lawfull: but he makes a generall rule from it, Theſe are lawfull particularly, and all things are lawfull; that is, abundance more than theſe.
[ARE] All things ARE lawfull. Things lawful now, that were not of old.There is ſomewhat in that word Are in the preſent tenſe, that is, they are now lawfull under the new Teſtament, it was not ſo alway: for they could not ſay under the old Teſtament, all things are lawfull, that is, many things: for they were tyed; every thing was either commanded, or forbidden to them, their meat, their drink, their cloathes, their worſhip their manner, and circumſtance, the place where and the time when; nay they were tyed to their very oyle, and to the ſnuff of a candle, nay (with reverence) they were tyed cōcerning their excremēts; the Lord made a law for their excrements. Now, all things are lawfull; they were not before; there are not ſo many bonds and obligations as there were then. Now under the new Teſtament there are many things lawfull that were not under the old. Indeed ſometime they were intended by Gods diſpenſation in caſes of neceſſity, as Davids eating of the ſhewbread that was not lawfull; God paſſed by it, but there was a law for that There were but a few things (I will not ſay none) but were abſolutely ſinful or abſolutely lawful in the old Teſtament.
All things are LAWFULL.
[Lawfull] what is that?Lawfull what it is. A thing is lawfull when in it ſelf it is neither commanded nor forbidden in the word of God: when it is not determined by the will of God whether we ſhall doe it or not doe it: that is lawfull ſo when he ſaith all things are lawfull; he meanes that there are abundance of things left in the new Teſtament that are neither commanded nor forbidden by the Lord.
Miſunderſtand me not:Sin in doing of lawful things. you ſin when you doe unexpedient things; and then you are readie to ſay is it not lawfull? no; though the thing in particular be not unlawfull, yet you ſin in that you croſſ a generall rule; that is, thoſe things that are lawfull yet you are not to doe them in extreames. As for inſtāce you may marry, yet you may ſin in marrying, not that you croſſ a particular cōmand: for it is lawfull to marrie; but you croſſe a generall rule, and ſo you ſin.
BUT all things are not expedient.
[BUT] that is when I ſay all things are lawfull, you think you have all libertie by that, but, hold all things are not expedient. Though it be lawfull yet look not only to that but ſee that it be expedient, and ſo if you look to the rule of expediency you will walke a hundred times ſtricter, than men that only looke what is lawfull, and what is not.
[ALL THINGS] That is, divers things are not expedient. [ARE NOT] That is, they are not ſo altogether, alwayes, in all places, to all perſons; all things, in all places, at all times, and in all circumſtances, are not expedient for all perſons: for there is nothing almoſt but in ſome places, and at ſome times,Expedient what. and for ſome perſons are expedient [E XPEDIENT] What is that? It doth not edifie, it doth not beſeeme the profeſſion of Jeſus Chriſt; it is not lovely, it is not venerable, it is not true, it is not honourable, it doth not edifie the brethren, it doth not win ſinners, it doth not adorne the Goſpel, it doth not become our profeſsion. When he ſaith all things are not expedient, it is, as if he had ſaid, there are abundance of things that are lawfull, that doe not honour God, that do not win ſinners, and build up the Saints. So now you underſtand the words.
All things are lawfull for me, but all things are not expedient.
There are three Leſſons that I meane to obſerve from theſe words, and which (if the Lord will) I intend to open to you.
Firſt, you may learne this, that
The Saints under the new Teſtament, they are not ſo ſtrictly bound in point of LAWFULNES as the Saints were in the old Teſtament.
The Second is this, that
The Saints under the new Teſtament, are as ſtrictly, or rather more ſtrictly bound, in point of expediency, than they were in the time of the old Teſtament.
For you ſhall ſeldom read of expediency in the old Teſtament, but if a thing were lawfull, for the generallity they might doe it.
Thirdly, you may learne this Leſſon, that
If a Chriſtian will walk honourably, and ſpiritually as becometh the Goſpel, he muſt not onelyonly (ſo much eye) what is LAWFULL, as what is EXPEDIENT.
Theſe three things are taught here as I apprehend, in the words; And of theſe let me this day only open a little of the former: for you muſt take them together, you muſt not without wrong to your owne ſoules, and diſhonour to God, take one Doctrine, and not all; but heare all, and without prejudice compare all, and weigh, and try them.
The firſt Obſervation, Doct. 1 That Sts in the New-Teſtament are not ſo ſtrictly bound in point of lawfulnes, as in the Old.or Doctrine is, that
The Saints in the new Teſtament, in point of LAVVFULNES are not ſo ſtrictly bound, as the Saints were in the old Teſtament.
That is, many things in the new Teſtament are lawful for the Saints to doe, that were not lawfull in the old Teſtament: or, there is a greater latitude, there is more ſpace, for a Chriſtian, for a believer in his walking and converſation in the new Teſtament, than there was in the old.
Beloved, There is ſome truth in this, that you may apprehend preſently: for goe no further than theſe very queſtions that were here asked; It ſeemeth that in the old Teſtament all theſe things were not lawfull; it was not lawfull for them to eat all kind of fleſh, no fleſh that was defiled that was offered to Idols, it was not lawfull to eat; ſwines fleſh, and divers other things: Now, all things are lawfull; every creature of God is good. If they had unbelieving wives, ſtrange wives, Ezra 9. Nehem. 9. It was not lawfull to keep them, they muſt drive them away, and their children: but now it is lawfull for a man that hath an unbelieving wife to remaine with her. I ſay, there is ſomewhat that you preſently ſee, that the Saints in the new Teſtament, in point of lawfulnes, are not ſo ſtrictly, and abſolutely bound up as they were in the Old.
I will give you a few Scriptures, before I come to open it further. Mat. 11. ult. Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reſt; take my yoke on you: for my yoke is eaſie, and my burthen is light. If you will give me leave to tell you my thoughts upon theſe words, I conceive that the meaning of it is this, that Chriſt Jeſus ſaw poore people trudging in the way to Heaven (as they thought) and every one thought to be ſaved in his own way and labour: as the Papiſts that do abundance of good works, & by their own righteouſneſſe they will be ſaved: And there the poore Jews were under a yoke that they nor their fathers could beare; And by faſting and prayer they did ſtrive and ſtruggle, and all in vaine; Now, ſaith Chriſt, Come unto me all ye that are weary & heavy laden. Now I ſay, (with ſubmiſſion) I think the meaning is not as we uſually take it, come to me all yee that are laden with ſin, and receive ſalvation, (though that be true) but yee that wearie your ſelves with the yoke and burthen of your own righteouſneſſe, Chriſts yoke, what.and labouring to fulfill the law; Come unto me yee that are wearie and heavy laden, and I will give you reſt: How is that? I will take away the rough yoke, and the heavie burthen that is on you, and I will give you an eaſie yoke, (as I ſhall ſhew anon) you ſhal have now ſaith Chriſt, an eaſier, and more comfortable way to Heaven than ever you thought of. Chriſt doth not onelyonly pittie poore groſſe ſinners that are not in the way to Heaven; but it pitties him to ſee men goe in odd wayes to Heaven; that labour, and goe about the buſh, and tire themſelves in their own waies, when there is an eaſie ſweet way that Jeſus Chriſt offers; Come unto me, for my yoke is eaſie, & my burthen is light. That is, not only in reſpect that we have more grace in the New Teſtāent than there was in the Old,More grace in the new Teſtament then in the Old. (though that be true) but in it ſelfe, the way by Jeſus Chriſt, the way to Heaven, and ſalvation in obedience to Chriſt, is a lighter burden and an eaſier yoke, than the way that the Saints had (as it were) by works in the Old-Teſtament, or that ſinners now have, that are out of Chriſt.
In Phil. 4.8. Finally my brethren, whatſoever things are true, whatſoever things are honeſt, whatſoever things are juſt, whatſoever things are pure; whatſoever things are of good report. If there be any love, if there be any praiſe, think on theſe things. Paul having taught them concerning things to be believed, matters of faith, he comes to matters of obedience; and now he makes a generall rule: as if he had ſaid, You are Saints of the New-Teſtament, and Chriſt hath made you an eaſie yoke; And it is not for me to deſcend much to particulars for you: but I will make a generall rule, If you finde any thing that is true, any thing that is honeſt, any thing that is honourable, or venerable, any thing that is lovely, or any thing that is of good report, if there be any vertue, or praiſe, think of thoſe things, lay hold on thoſe things; I will not tye you, but doe you ſpie them out; if there be any thing lovely, that makes the Goſpel of Chriſt prayſe worthy, or any thing that hath vertue, lay hold upon thoſe things; he ties them not to particulars: For they might ſay, a thing may be pure, and not lawfull it may be lovely, and venerable, and not lawfull; O, ſaith he, talk not of lawful,Not to look ſo much to lawfulneſs as expediency. you ſhould not walk ſo much by that rule, but if it be expedient and honour God, and adorne the Goſpel, lay hold on thoſe things, And whatſoever yee have ſeen me doe, that doe.
I will propoſe one place more, becauſe I deſire that you may underſtand this point, 2 Cor. 9. Where Paul doth ſhew them by his owne example, that it was not fit for them to look to lawful things only, but to what is expedient: for ſaith he, may I not lead about a Siſter as well as Peter, and others? May I not marrie as well as they? and live by my preaching as well as other men? Doth not the Law of God ſay, Thou ſhalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne? Yet I did none of theſe things, I did not marrie, nor take any thing for my paines of you Corinthians; why ſo? becauſe he might honour the Goſpel of Chriſt, and not looſe his glory in that: for, ſaith he, though I be free from all men, I make my ſelfe a ſervant to all, that I might gaine the more; to the Jews I become as a Jew, that I might gaine the Jewes, to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gaine them that are under the law, to them that are without law as without law, being not without law to God, I become every thing to all men, that by all meanes I might gaine ſome. Paul would be a Jew with the Jewes, and a Gentile with the Gentiles, he would be ſtrong with the ſtrong, Pauls compliance.and weak with the weak; how could he complie thus to win and ſave ſoules, unleſſe there were a latitude given by Chriſt, wherein there is a liberty that is not determined, and the Saints may apply themſelves to, for the glory of God and the good of others? But Paul he was not without law to God; that is, in his ſoule and ſpirit he did keep cloſe to God. And not only ſo, but in externals where God had determined: for he would not ſin to cōplie with men: but it ſeems things were not much determined, when Paul could be a Jew with the Jews, & a Gentile with the Gentiles, as if he had not known the Jews, & as he ſaith, catch them by guile. Not as a cunning abominable creature, but he could be wiſe & politick for the glory of God, & the good of others; he could be a weak profeſſor with the weake, and ſtrong with the ſtrong, and be circumciſed, and ſhave his head; and when he was among the Gentiles he could ſhew his freedome, and win them; he could be all things to all men, which he could not have been, if there had not been a latitude in the Goſpel, that people may uſe for the glory of God, and the good of others. So that we have now the leſſon, the truth proved.
Now let us open it a little:The Doct. opened. For the opening of it two things are to be conſidered.
The firſt is,1. Wherein this latitude in the new Teſtament is. what are thoſe things that you ſay are lawful now under the new Teſtament, that were not in the Old? wherein is that latitude? what is admitted that was not then?
Then 2ly why the Lord in the new Teſtament hath given a larger ſcope for his people, than God by Moſes did in the Old? For could not the Son of God, be ſo faithfull as Moſes that was a ſervant (I ſpeake with reerence) why could he not be as ſtrict as Moſes?
Beloved,not in the ten Commandmēts, you are to underſtand that the morall Law of God, that is, the ten words, as God calls it, the ten commandments, with the ſpirituall expoſition of it, through the booke of God: God hath not given us more ſcope, & libertie in theſe, than he did to them, if ſo much. As, thou ſhalt not ſteale; thou ſhalt not commit adulterie; thou ſhalt not take the name of God in vaine: God doth not give us leave now to cozen, and ſweare, and ſteale, and be filthy: this is not the meaning, you are bound as much to this, as ever they were.
Only take that with this exception,So bound to obey the Commandmēts, though the curſe be gone. that if you be Saints and borne againe new creatures, you are bound to doe this [I ſhall ſhew upon what grounds and motives anon] but the curſe, and plague, and damnation that ſhould ſeize on you, and that was to ſeize upon them that went to be ſaved by it, that is remooved. and gone. There is no damnation to them that are in Chriſt. But the thing it ſelfe ſtands firme, Chriſt came not to deſtroy the law, but to eſtabliſh it; heaven and earth ſhall paſſe, but not one iot or tittle of it ſhall paſſe.The Law the outward, & the Spirit the inward rule. I could ſhew may the law of God is the outward rule, and the ſpirit the inward rule; and theſe are not contrarie one to another as men uſually make them. Theſe rules are the ſame to the Saints in the new Teſtament as well as in the old: and as a Saint under the old Teſtament was a Saint under the Goſpel, as it were: ſo in the times of the Goſpel, a ſinner one that is not borne againe is under the law, and under the curſe, and damnation of it at this day. So, this libertie, and latitude it lies not at all in the morall law of God, thoſe commands of God thoſe laſt for ever there is no gap opened there.
Wherein then is it:
It in theſe two things principally:The liberty of Sts. in the new-Teſtāent.
One is that now we are freed from all thoſe ceremonies that lay upon them under the law; in the new Teſtament we are freed from them. I need not name many places.Freedome from Ceremonies. In Gal. 5.1. compared with verſe 13. Standfaſt in the libertie wherewith Chriſt hath made you free, and be not brought back into bondage. What is that? be not circumciſed, and circumciſion is taken divers times for all the ceremoniall law; you obſerve daies, and times, and moneths, and years, I am afraid of you. Chriſt hath made us free from all the ceremonies of the law.
But you will ſay that it is a poore freedome.
A great freedome.You are miſtaken; it is a great thing: for if you looke Act. 15. the Apoſtles and Elders there ſay of the ceremonies, neither we nor our fathers were able to beare them, they were ſo heavie. For if we conſider the coſt they were at, how they were driven to kill beeves, and ſheep, and oxen, and to make morning, and evening ſacrifice, and burnt offrings, and to beſtow ſo much money, to be at abundance of coſt, and charges, and to goe to Ieruſalem every yeare, and to a ſacrifice in the Temple, and a great deale of labour; And which is more, there were abundance of ceremoniall reſtraints; their places they were reſtrained to them; they muſt worſhip in this place, and not in another: but now in the Goſpel, we muſt lift up pure hands in every place. And then, for the time they had dayes, and moneths, and they had yeares of Jubilee, which are all gone; And for the very creatures, they muſt have ſuch meat, and ſuch cloathes; they were reſtrained, and tied in every thing, and croſſed that they could not have their minde; If you conſider this, it is a great matter that Chriſt Jeſus hath at once removed all theſe beggerly rudiments away: ſo I ſay, there is ſo much more roome for you, that unleſſe Popiſh Moſaicall ſpirits bring them in againe, Chriſt Jeſus hath removed them. That is one thing.
The ſecond, and the chiefe is this,2. Libery in in the externalls of Gods worſhip. That there is a greater liberty in reſpect of the externalls of Gods Worſhip; that is, that God hath not tied people in the new Teſtament ſo ſtricly to his outward worſhip, as he did the people in the Old; I doe not meane that he hath not tied them for the ſubſtance, or for the matter of it;Nor in the ſubſtence or matter, or māner. neither doe I meane (to ſpeak properly) that he hath not tied them for the manner; but for circumſtance; and ſome circumſtances too, it may be, God hath tied us to. So I meane not matter ſo much as manner, nor properly the manner ſo much as circumſtances; nor all circumſtances: for it may be there are ſome that God hath inſtituted and appointed: but there are abundance of circumſtances in the worſhip of God, that are undetermined in his bleſſed Word, and are left to the ſpirituall diſcretion of the Saints, to determine, as may agree moſt with love, and peace, and charity. As you may ſee clearly,Punctuall lawes in the old Teſtament. if you compare the one with the other, the outward worſhip of God in the old Teſtament, and in the New, you ſhall ſee for their outward worſhip there, they were tied to the ſnuffe of a candle, there muſt be ſo many loopes, and ſo many pins, and ſo many ilet holes.Paſſeover. Nay, come to the paſſeover, you ſhall ſee the Lord made them divers laws; as they muſt take a lambe of ſuch a yeare, & on ſuch a day of the monethmonth, and what kind of lambe it muſt be, and he ſhews them what they ſhall doe with the lambe, how they muſt kill it, and what their poſture muſt be, they muſt ſtand and have their ſtaves in their hands: and what ſauce they muſt have, and how they ſhall roaſt it, and what they muſt doe with the reſt of it. The Lord did punctually binde them, and ſtint them in that & other things, the Lord made all his lawes deare to them. But in the new Teſtament, take the chiefe of the holy Ordinances, the Supper of the Lord, we ſee Chriſt when he was betrayed,Lords Supper. he took bread and wine, ſaying, This is my body, and this is my blood, and there is an end. You may ask five hundred queſtions if you will, what bread it was? and what wine? and how oft it was taken by the Diſciples, or adminiſtred, but there you heare no further of it.
And ſo for Baptiſme, Baptiſme.it is ſaid, John baptized in Jordan; as if it had been known before, though it were never heard of. And the Diſciples when they were to preach after the reſurrection, ſaith Chriſt, Goe preach, he that beleeves and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved. Go, baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the holy Ghoſt, and there was an end. They might ask a hundred queſtions, Shall we doe it in a River, or in a Brook? to young, or to old? in Winter, or in Summer? Who ſhall doe it? and what ſhall his calling be? and many ſuch queſtions: but Chriſt layes down the ſumme of the Doctrine, and the end of it, In the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghoſt, and there is no more of it.
And ſo for Offices, Offices and Officers.and Officers in the new Teſtament. For Offices, you have a lite or two of Paſtors, and Preachers, and Deacons, and two or three lines of his duty, and this is all, a briefe touch, and there is an end. Now doe you think that the Sonne of God in the new and glorious Teſtament, would paſſe over theſe things out of careleſneſſe? Or did he ſlight it, as if he cared not how it were done? Might not he have made his Supper as curious as the Paſſeover, and all thoſe ordinances? He might. But to me there are many clear reaſons why he left it ſo: among the reſt this is one, that in the new Teſtament the Saints are not ſo ſtrictly, and ſo ſtraitly bound, as they of the old were.
But you will ſay,Why Chriſt hath left the Saints now at more liberty. How doth it appeare that it was ſo? Why did Jeſus Chriſt leave it thus? Why did he not binde us hand and foot as they were?
There are theſe foure or ſive reaſons.
Firſt, this is one reaſon that the Apoſtle hath, why Chriſt gave this liberty; becauſe they in the old Teſtament were Servants, 1. The Saints under the new Teſtament are ſonnes, under the old they were ſervants.as it were; and we under the new Teſtament are Sonnes. You ſhall read, Gal. 4.1. that the heire as long as he is a childe, differs not from a ſervant. What is the reaſon that Paul calls them Servants? You ſhall ſee afterwards, that they being ſervants, were tied to ſuch burdens and rules. You expect from a ſonne more care than from a ſervant, and that a ſonne ſhould doe more for your advantage than a ſervant. But here is the difference between a ſonne and a ſervant, you will not lay ſuch burdens on a ſonne as on a ſervant. And you tell a ſervant every day how he ſhall doe every thing one after another, and call him to account; this is the condition of a ſervant: But to a ſonne you onelyonly ſay, Walk honorably, and as becomes your ſelfe, do ſome good, be imployed, be not idle. A ſonne looks to his buſineſſe, and honours his father more though he be not tied. It is baſe to tie a ſon as much as a ſervant. So we being now to be ſonnes, truly and really, the Lord hath given us a larger liberty.
Another thing is this,2. The Saints then were children under tutors, the Saints now as men in years. that they were ſonnes too, (though they were as ſervants) but they were in their minority, they were under Tutors and Governours, till the time appointed of the Father; and being ſo, they were in bondage: they were little children as it were in their coats, and we are grown ſtrong, grown men to full age. We are as men in ripe yeares, but they in the old Teſtament were little children (as it were:) you know you muſt make lawes for little children: you ſay to a little childe, take heed of a knife, that you do not cut your fingers; take heed that you doe not goe over the threſhold, or over a bridge, or neare the fire, or the water, leſt you fall in; and you have lawes how he ſhall doe every thing: but when this childe is grown up to twenty or foure and twenty yeares, is it not a ſhamefull thing that a man ſhould tie ſuch a ſonne, and ſay, goe not over the threſhold, unleſſe you ask leave, nor take a knife in your hand? &c. No, we break thoſe little lawes, and diſſolve them by degrees, as the childe growes up to yeares. So when we were grown to full yeares, as we are under the Goſpel, the Lord Jeſus hath broken and diſſolved thoſe little childiſh lawes, thoſe beggerly Rudiments: thoſe A. B. C. lawes and accidences wet for children, the child is led by the ſleeve, and reads with a feskew: the Lord hath broken theſe, and the reaſon is good that theſe ſhould be diſſolved, and the people of God ſhould not be tied as when they were children.
Thirdly,3. The Saints under the new Teſtament have more of the Spirit. another reaſon is this, that the Saints under the new Teſtament were to have more of the Spirit of God to teach them within what is the will of God, and what is for the glory of God; therefore they have leſſe need of teaching by externall things. A word to the wiſe is enough; the wiſer a man is, the leſſe you need to beat things into his head, to ſay you muſt turn at this corner and at that: to a foole you ſay, you muſt doe this, and doe that; but if it be a wiſe man that hath brains in his head, you tell him his meſſage, and there is an end. So they were children, and ſilly, and things muſt be beaten into their heads, and they muſt be told every meeting, and every turning. But in the Goſpel God hath promiſed to poure out his Spirit, as it is, Joel 2. I will poure out my Spirit upon all fleſh. And in Hebr. 8. In the new Covenant it ſhall not be as in the dayes of old. What is the difference? Then every man did teach his neighbour, but it ſhall not be ſo now, but they ſhall be all taught of God, from the leaſt to the greateſt. Moſt of their knowledge in the old Teſtament by outward means.The meaning is this, they in the old Teſtament had little knowledge but what they got by outward meanes; therefore they were to write the law of God upon their walles, and upon their poſts, and to ſpeake of it when they did ſit down, and when they roſe up, and thoſe that had moſt parts, and breeding, and learning, and moſt knowledge in the Scriptures, they were the knowingeſt men: but now they ſhall not every man teach his neighbour. Not but that it is lawfull for every one to help another; but the meaning is this, that moſt of their knowledge ſhall not come by outward externall wayes: But, ſaith God, I will poure out abundance of my Spirit, and they ſhall all know me from the leaſt to the greateſt. Therefore we ſee in 1 Joh. 2. that John himſelfe being accounted, and that deſervedly, the moſt ſpirituall Apoſtle of all, Little Children (ſaith he) you have an anointing, and I need not teach you. John would not take upon him to teach them, they had ſo much of the Spirit. Therefore under the new Teſtament the Lord having appointed to poure out abundance of his Spirit upon his people, he thinks it unfit to goe and make ſuch endleſſe lawes as were in the old Teſtament. Now the Spirit of God doth not onelyonly teach us what is the will of God, and the mind of Chriſt in things lawfull, but in things that were undetermined, that were neither lawfull nor unlawfull; the holy Ghoſt teacheth us what is expedient, and what is not: and thou haſt as much need of the Spirit of God to ſhew thee that which is expedient and inexpedient, as to know the will of God, and the rule what is lawfull, and what is unlawfull.
Fourthly,4. God would ſet up a ſpirituall kingdome in the new Teſtament. if you would know why Chriſt hath given a larger latitude and liberty in externall things, to the Saints now, than to them, it is, becauſe the Lords purpoſe and deſigne was, under the new Teſtament, to ſet up a ſpirituall kingdome: all the old things, the ſervices and offerings in the old law, were but ſignes and ſhadowes of ſpirituall worſhip. The Kings daughter is all glorious within; propheſying of the Saints in the new Teſtament, that their glory ſhould be chiefly & mainly in inward graces. Therefore as in the old Teſtament there is a great deale of externall worſhip laid down in every leafe, but the ſpirituall was vailed and covered: ſo in the new Teſtament, in every leafe, and line almoſt, the ſpirituall worſhip is ſet down in the ſerving of God and Chriſt and the outward in a ſort is vayled.
Now you know by experience how hard it is to break a cuſtome, if we be but 20 or 40 years accuſtomed to a thing,Cuſteme hardly broken. it is hard to break it. How hard is it to break a drunkard of his cuſtome? as hard as to waſh a Blackmore white. Now this people being a cuſtomed foure thouſand yeares to ſerve God with offerings, and ſacrifice, and Temple, and Jeruſalem, it was not eaſie to breake them of that cuſtome. Therefore the Lord Chriſt comes, and when hee would ſet up his worſhip, he ſpeaks exceeding fairly of that outward worſhip, becauſe they had fed ſo long upon it, that they doted, As we at this day (as they) would make a curious outward worſhip: as of old, they wrung and wreſted the Scripture to make it faire, and delicate, and curious, as that that God would have of them.
But Chriſts deſigne being to ſet up a ſpirituall kingdome, he ſhewes, that as in the old Teſtament, unleſſe there were ſomething internall, the externall did not pleaſe God, My ſoule abhorres your ſacrifices, &c. So in the new Teſtament much more, the Lord doth not regard outward worſhip at all, without the inward; and the inward is almoſt all that God looks after. Therefore conſider a few places of Scripture, Gal. 5.6. There was great queſtion about ceremonies and outward things, ſaith the Apoſtle, Neither circumciſion availeth any thing, or ununcircumciſion, but faith that worketh by love. For in Chriſt Jeſus, ſaith he, that is, in the dayes of Chriſt, in the new Teſtament, neither circumciſion nor uncircumciſion avails, Externals to be looked to as for as God hath let them downbut faith that worketh by love. Talk not of outward things, ſtand not ſo much upon them, (not but that the ſervants of God muſt look to externals, as farre as God hath ſet them down, but talk not ſo much of them) but faith that worketh by love, ſee there be that. So in Gal. 6.15. the ſame words almoſt: For in Chriſt Jeſus neither circumciſion availeth any thing, or uncircumciſion, but a new creature. In the time of Chriſt he lookes not whether men be circumciſed, or uncircumciſed, but whether they be new creatures. So in 2 Cor. 5.17. there are the ſame words almoſt: The Apoſtle poynts out unto us how much God in the time of the new Teſtament, regards inward worſhip. Therefore we ſee in Rom. 14. where there was great controverſie concerning the eating of hearbs, and the keeping of dayes; Paul anſwers not directly, but ſaith, The kingdome of God is not in theſe things, but in righteouſnes and peace and ioy in the holy Ghoſt. He would not have them ſtrive about theſe things, but goe to the inward worſhip; ſee that there be righteouſnes, and peace and ioy in the holy Ghoſt: ſo in Heb. 13. when there was claſhing about theſe outward things; It is a good thing [ſaith he] that the heart be ſtabliſhed with grace. And ſo in Timothy; bodily excerciſe profitteth little, but godlines is profitable for all things. Therfore. The deſigne of God, being to ſet up a ſpirituall kingdome, the work of grace in the heart, that we might worſhip him in ſpirit, the lord hath given more libertie, and is more ſparing in laying downe of externall worſhip.
Laſtly, this is another reaſon [though I could give many more] that the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt was to be preached to all nations & they being different in cuſtomes in clymates in conſtitution, The Goſpel being to bee preached to different nations, Chriſt ties them chiefly to that ſubſtance.and diſpoſitions Chriſt tied them in his law for the ſubſtance, ſo left the reſt to be by the ſpirit of God in his people, to be determined according to the beſt advantage for the honour of God, and the good of his people. As for inſtance, it is a hard thing to make a law for all England, and for all the Counties and Townes, that that ſhould be good for one Countie that is for another, and for one Towne that is for another. But if a man were to make a law for Spaine and France, and Italie and Turkie & for all the world, that are nations croſſe, and contrary one to another, in their clymate and diſpoſition; that law that were good for one Kingdome would deſtroy another. So here, when Chriſt made lawes in the old Teſtament, there was but one nation, and a little nation, and the Goſpel was not to remove from that nation; Therefore he comes to particulars, but the Goſpel now being to be preached to all nations, he hath left a latitude for his people, that they may apply the Goſpel, to all countries and nations for the glory of God, and the good of his people.
As for inſtance,Baptiſme, ſaith Chriſt, Baptize all nations, that is, go and uſe water for their waſhing) for whatever men find in the word, I ſpeak not of now) go uſe water for a ſpirituall end, to purge their bodies, to ſignifie the purging of the ſoule. If Chriſt had tied men to go into Jordan, as in that countrie it was ſo hote, they might goe with a great deale of comfort: but if Chriſt had made Baptiſme ſuch an Ordinance, as that in all Climates, and Countries, and Regions, they muſt go over head and eares in a River; we know in ſome climates it would have been preſent death; As with us in this climate, at ſome times of the yeare to be put over head and eares in the Thames it would be death, at others not. Therefore Chriſt layes down the ſubſtance, and the end; and by the Word of God and ſound Preaching, he left the reſt for the Spirit of God, in his people to apply.
Againe, to inſtance in the Supper of the Lord; The Lords Supper.The Lord tooke bread and wine, and bleſſed, and broke, and gave them; and the drift of all the buſines is to ſhew the breaking of his body, and the ſhedding of his blood; Now, he hath bound us that we ſhould break bread, and drink wine, that may repreſent the thing: but he hath not bound us to bread ſo properly called, or to wine properly ſo called: for there are ſome countries that have neither bread nor wine, but only rootes that they called bread, and they have water for their drink; Now, if Chriſt had ſaid it muſt be true bread, and true, and reall wine, that muſt doe the deed, theſe people could never have the Supper of the Lord: Therefore the Goſpel being not to be limitted to one countrie, but to be ſpread to many nations, Chriſt hath left a latitude for the conveniency of all nations. So you have the Doctrine, and the Reaſons of it. I ſhould come to the Uſes; but I muſt leave them for another day.