The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 1 · Chapter 11 – Chapter 13
CHAP. XI. The Deſignes and Intendments of the Spirit in this method of working Converſion, in twelve Particulars.
Queſt. 4. WHy will the Spirit work this way?
Anſw. For ſeveral Reaſons.
1. Hereby is Chriſt made far more precious then he would be, if he dropt this grace into our mouthes without any ſuch ſharpning our appetites by the pain of hunger and want, to receive him. The full ſoul loatheth (or as it is in the Original) treadeth under foot the honey comb, Prov. 27. 7. The whole will think a fee loſt upon a Phyſician, and the man on whom the Law hath not paſſed, will not ſay Gramercy for a pardon. And on the other ſide, it is neceſſity that endears any thing to us. And the more extreme that neceſſity is, the more welcome is the ſupply. A beggar that is pinched with hunger, and even ſtarved with cold, what courſe fare, and thread bare garments will he beg hard for? A man upon the Gallowes, and ready to be turned off, what will he give for a pardon. Sharking Tradeſmen know well enough what uſe to make of the buyers neceſſity to enhance the price. A man will huck, and drive the bargain for Chriſt to half pence and farthings till he be brought to this paſſe.
2. Hereby doth God engage the hearts of men more to him. Look over the thankful remembrances of Gods Saints over all the Word, and ſee how great an ingredient their miſery is into their thankfulneſs. Ezra, We were bond-men, yet our God hath not forſaken us in our Bondage, &c. Ezra 9. 9 David frequently enlargeth upon this common place, Pſal 18. 5, 6, 7. The cords of hell compaſſed me about, and the ſnares of death prevented me. In my diſtreſs I cryed upon the Lord, and he heard my voice, &c. And ſo Pſal. 116. The ſorrowes of death compaſſed me, and the pains of hell gate hold upon me. Then called I on the name of the Lord, &c. And after followes a thankful enquiry, Quid retribuam? What ſhall I render to the Lord? q. d. I do not know any return in the world that may be anſwerable to ſo great a mercy. So Hezekiah, Iſai. 38. 20. after his ſad complaint wherein he drawes a picture of his ſad condition in all the ſaddeſt and darkeſt colours imaginable, at laſt ſaith he, The Lord was ready to ſave me, therefore will I ſing my ſongs to the ſtringed inſtruments all my life long in the houſe of the Lord.
Think how thankful a ſtarving begger will be for an Almes, a condemned man for a Pardon, a Priſoner in Argier for a Ranſom, a man that roars under the Stone, or Gout, or Collick, for a cure; and (in ſome ſort) you conceive how engaging ſuch a mercy as Pardon, Redemption, Healing is to a ſinner broken, weary, laden with the weight of his ſins, terrified, afrighted, diſtracted with the ſenſe of Gods diſpleaſure for them; to hear of a Saviour, a Redeemer, a Comforter, how welcome is it? How Paul ſpeaks, 1 Tim. 1. 13, 15, 16 I was a Perſecutor, a Blaſphemer, injurious, &c.
3. Love, in ſuch a ſoul, will keep even pace with thankfulneſs. Undoubtedly the more low the Spirit ſinks us in this dungeon, the more low thoughts will men have of themſelves, and by conſequence, the more love will they ſhew to Chriſt, who even in ſuch a condition did not abhor them, but took them out of ſuch a condition to advance them unto the neereſt friendſhip with himſelfe. For a Prince to take a condemned Malefactor from the Priſon or Gallowes, and advance her to his Bed and Throne, how endearing a love would this bee? how every way free, undeſerved, unexpected, unconceived, muſt it appear? This is evident in the former, Pſalm 18. 1. &c. and Pſalm 116. 1. &c. compared with their following Verſes.
4. Sinne muſt needs be far more odious to to ſuch a ſoul. The burnt child dreads the fire, 'tis the wormwood upon the dug, that weans the child from it; ſay to a condemned thief, or other malefactor that hath narrowly eſcaped the gallowes, as the wicked tempters are brought in ſeducing, Prov. 1. 11. come with us, caſt in thy lot among us, we will all have one purſe, will he not (except he be a deſperately hardened wretch) deny the motion with deteſtation? God forbid that I that but now am come off from the Ladder, that but now have had the bolts knockt off my hands, ſhould any more take up that courſe that brought me thither. Let a mans jolly companions ſollicite ſuch an one as hath been acquainted with the Spirit of Bondage, whoſe feet have been hunt in the ſtocks of the Law, and the Iron hath entred into his ſoul, to a drinking match, or a ſtage play, or any other of the ſinnes and vanities of his former days, what will he ſay, but as that Philoſopher, when the whore valued her common ware at ſo dear a rate? Non emam tanti poenitere. Friends, forbear to preſſe me any longer. Had you felt thoſe heart aches, and cramps, thoſe agues and convulſions of conſcience which I have done for ſuch courſes as thoſe; had you been in the Spirits houſe of Bondage as I have been, had you been ſtretched upon the Spirits rack, had you felt the ſtrappado of the Law, and hady our bones broken on its wheele; had you fed upon aſhes, and drunk tears and been whipt with ſcorpions every morning, and ever and anon been douſed over head and ears in the gulfe of Gods wrath, ſhaken over hell fire, and carryed the coals of it in your boſomes, as I have done for divers weeks, moneths, years (it may be) you would find out ſome other way of ſpending your times, and not treaſure up ſorrow for your ſouls here, and wrath againſt the day of wrath hereafter? One ſaith, Sweetneſſe before ſenſe of ſinne, is like cordials to a foul ſtomack.Shepherds Sound Believer.
I ſhall eaſily grant that the love of Chriſt is a very effectual, and the moſt effectual reſtraint to ſinne when it is manifeſted to the ſoul, and ſet home effectually by the ſpirit; but ſo dull are we to improve ſuch ingenuous inducements, that we have but too much need of experience of the bitterneſſe of ſinne, to ſecond that conſideration. And indeed, though that be moſt effectual where it works, yet this is effectual with the moſt. And moreover (as before was ſhewed) the argument from love is ſtrengthened by this experience. The experience of the bitterneſſe of ſinne makes the love of Chriſt in delivering us from it, more engaging.
5. Hereby the Spirit terrifies others, and reſtrains them from ſinne; As publique priſons and gallows do not only puniſh malefactors, but prevent many evils that would be committed, but for the ſeverity uſed againſt ſome.
The World muſt needs read the torments of Hell to unconverted ſinners by an eaſie deduction from thoſe terrors that they ſee in converts, or (at leaſt) the hard termes upon which they muſt be delivered from them. And this works often more effectually by comparing their lives who are made the butts of theſe divine arrowes, with their own; when they conſider that if others ſmart ſo heavily for the fewer and ſmaller ſins which they (to appearance) are guilty of, their own more and greater deſerve worſe.
6. Hereby the Spirit teacheth us to pray, to ſigh and grone out unutterable requeſts.
Jeſus Chriſt upon earth, when he ſuffered for our ſinnes, was under a Spirit of Bondage: The Law ſaid to him when he ſtood in our ſtead, whoever is under the Law is under the curſe of God, and under the ſentence of eternal death: but thou art under the Law. And this had the ſame effects which it hath on us, it wrought horrour and anguiſh, and ſuch a deſpair of help every way but from his Father, that was able to deliver him from death; and that made him powre out ſtrong cries and groanes. Heb. 5. 7.
Thus David cried to the Lord in the cords of hell, Pſ. 18. 5, 6. & 116. 3, 4, he groans and roares, &c.
7. Hereby the ſpirit keeps us the more humble all our dayes. And for my part, I may ſuſpect the other way by the pride that attends it in thoſe that boaſt of it; as when a man whoſe life hath been forfeited to juſtice, and ſaved by meer mercy; growes proud, we ſay, Sir, remember you were in another garb in ſuch a Priſon, at ſuch a place of Execution; ſo will the Spirit make uſe of ſuch admonitions ever after to ſuch perſons. Remember my fetters, the gall and wormwood, &c.
Hereby it makes us contented with Gods ſlow and gradual way of comforting, which is uſual with him, which our pride and tenderneſs cannot endure.
8. That it may provoke pity, and tenderneſſe, and prevent cenſoriouſneſſe in one to another in ſuch caſes. This made Chriſt a merciful and compaſſionate High Prieſt, Heb. 2. 18. that he had the experience of our griefs and ſorrowes.
God will have heart anſwer heart, as face, face. Were ſuch works not uſual, even Prov. 27. 19Saints would look upon ſuch as Monſters whom the hand of the Lord hath ſmitten. Chriſt was ſo ſtared on as a Monſter, Pſalm 22. 17. They look and ſtare upon me. And Iſai. 8. 18. Behold I, and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for ſignes and wonders. As the World looks upon troubled ſpirits, ſo would other Saints, but for this experience.
9. That he may fit them for the comfort of ſeveral Goſpel Promiſes which without this work they are not qualified for. Such as that to hungring and thirſting after Righteouſneſſe, poverty of ſpirit, Matth. 5. 3, 4, 6. To wearineſſe and being heavy laden with ſin, Matth. 11 28. To an humble and contrite heart. Iſai. 57. 15. To a Saint in a Wilderneſſe, Hoſea 2. 14.
How can men be the ſubjects of theſe promiſes without this work? Many comfortable promiſes of the Scripture ſignifie nothing, but ſtand for cyphers to ſouls who have had no acquaintance with this Work.
10 That it may make us prize and take care to keep the favour of God when we have it. Seeing we know by experience that if he hide his face, we are like them that go down into the pit, Pſ. 143. 7
11 That he may make the yoak of duty appear more deſirable to the heart, and feel more eaſie to the neck of Saints, by compariſon with the heavineſſe of the yoak of ſin.
12 That he may ſettle comfort the more by ſuch ſhaking at firſt. As the tree growes more downward, and roots deeper, when it is exerciſed with ſtorms and ſhaken at firſt; and broken bones grow ſtronger, if new ſet again.
Theſe are ſome of many Reaſons that might be given why the Spirit uſually converts this way.
CHAP. XII. A Caſe of Conſcience eoncerning the meaſure of this work.
Queſt. 5 VVHat meaſure doth the Spirit work by in this bringing ſouls under bondage?
Anſw. He obſerves not the ſame meaſure with every ſoul, nor continues it ſo long on one ſoul as on another. Only ſo much muſt be wrought of all the forementioned works, as will accompliſh the ſaving ends of thoſe works. Now the end of one of theſe works is the begetting of the other, and the end of all Chriſt. Chriſt is the end of the Law to a Rom. 10. 4Believer, as ſoon as a man is brought to a full cloſe with Chriſt, the works mentioned are at an end, and ſo they will when they have done the immediate preparatory work to faith, which is to drive the ſoul out of all other ſhelters, and make it conclude it ſelf under a neceſſity of coming to Chriſt. So much conviction (ſaith a godly and a learned man now with God) is neceſſary as breeds Shepherds Sound Believer.compunction, and ſo much compunction as breeds a through Humiliation. And when is that? When the ſoul thinks no more of by-wayes to eſcape, but accepts the bonds, and kiſſeth the fetters of the Spirit, and acknowledgeth its impriſonment juſt, and that juſtice might without any wrong done, condemn it to perpetual impriſonment. Theſe are wrought generally in all Converts, but not in al ſo viſibly, nor do the Converts themſelves alike long ſtay in one as the other; ſome have leſſe horror and anguiſh, yet perhaps a more kindly ſelf-denying, ſoul-humbling, ſelf deſpair; ſome ſtay longer in this, and ſome in that work. As in the way to London, every man paſſeth through the ſame Stages, but every man doth not ſtay as long at, or take as much notice of every Stage as another may: one quick Gallopper, and luſty young man well mounted, will ride through in a day, and perhaps only call at every Town for a cup of drink; another of flower conſtitution of body, and with worſe accommodations can ſcarce travel twenty miles a day, and ſo makes longer work of it. But all that go the right way, go through them all; and if perhaps God may be ſuppoſed to lead any ſoul a ſhorter cut, and help him to paſſe beſide ſome of them; it is by a private way that he only knowes and can direct in. His Miniſters know no other, and therefore we muſt direct you in the beaten rode. Yet becauſe the Lord doth make a difference betweene ſins and ſinners, he doth ordinarily alſo proportion this work of humiliation and bondage to them and their ſins. And indeed, were the ordinary way to peace and comfort no more difficult from one ſin then from another; men would thence have a great ground to embolden themſelves to the indifferent commiſſion of greater and leſſe ſins. As good be whipped for ſomething as nothing, (ſay untoward Scholars) for a great matter as for a ſmall. Therefore if a ſinner hath ſinned with an high hand againſt God, and waſted his own conſcience, and had a more then ordinary influence upon the ſins of others; when ſins have been aggravated by abundance of patience, of means, of mercies, of Judgments, of vowes, and reſolutions, and (by conſequence) of Apoſtaſies; this man muſt look for more ſorrowes. Pſalm 16. 4. Idolaters ſorrowes ſhall be multiplyed. As the moſt hainous Malefactors uſe to be fettered hand and foot, and clapt up in dungeons, when others of inferious guilt are not ſo handled.
CHAP. XIII Another Caſe concerning the ſtate of a ſoul under this work.
Queſt. WHat is the real nature of this work, and the caſe and condition of ſouls under a ſpirit of bondage? are they regenerate or unregenerate, Gods children or Satans?
Anſw. A ſoul is then an Embryon, that is, Camero in Heb, 6. 4 Neque regeniti ſunt iſti, neque etiam irregenti: neque verò conſequens eſt tertium genus dari. Quemadmo. dum quod diatheſin habet ad virtutem, &c.neither altogether what it was, nor what it muſt be, but an imperfect creature of Gods Spirit, that will, if the womb miſcarry not, be a Saint, a child of God. This as to the work.
And if the Queſtion be, what the ſtate is? I anſwer, A ſtate of Nature, though in a capacity of Grace, and in a neer capacity, almoſt a Chriſtian, Acts 26. 28. Not far from the Kingdome of God, Mark 12. 34. In the next capacity (if the work be through) of grace, as the body organized is of a reaſonable ſoul. And therefore ſuch have abundant need both of their own and others prayers-
Theſe muſt be tenderly uſed, leſt they miſcarry. Chriſt is ſaid to lead thoſe that are with young gently, Iſai. 40. 11. As Jacob drave his tender flocks gently, Gen. 33. 13. A ſoul is never in more danger then now. Queſtionleſſe, this ſtate is a ſtate of nature yet; for there are but two Covenants; therefore, but two Standings under thoſe Covenants. A man cannot at once be equally a ſubject of both Kingdomes, Gods and Satans. He is in the poſture of Iſrael at the red ſea, or rather in it; not entirely delivered from his old Task-maſters, but in the way of eſcaping. He hath eſcaped the pollutions of the world, but may yet be entangled again; he 2 Pet. 2. 20hath taſted the powers of the world to come, hell in its horrors, and heaven in its ſupports, and hopes, but may yet fall away; which no man that is a true child of God can do, ſeeing Heb. 6. 5, 6.the ſeed of God (which is eternal life 1 John 3. 15.) abidet… in him. 1 John 3. 9. What may come of it we knew not, whether a Tympany or a Birth; many fair buds are blaſted.