The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Certain other improvements of this Truth.
THis truth alſo may be enlarged by way of 1 Exhertation, to depend wholly on this Spirit for a b…eſſed Iſſue of, and comfortable deliverance from this Bondage. It is he onelyonly that makes the wound can heal it, as the ruſt of Ac…illes his Sword onelyonly, cured the wounds which it made. He hath the Key of David, if hee open the Heart, to receive comfort, all the jealouſies & fears of a mans own Spirit, all the mal…ce of Satan, and all the other hinderances that poſſibly can be imagined cannot ſhut it out. So on the other ſide, if he ſhut the door, all the promiſes in the word applyed by the greateſt Barnabaſſes on earth, and by all the Angels in bleaven cannot open it Apoc. 3. 7. Wee are apt to depend upon Miniſters and meanes for peace, but Chriſt makes us oftentimes like the troupes of Tema, to return aſhamed at our Job 6. 20.diſappointment from ſuch failing brooks. Let the meanes be never ſo good, if this Spirit do not annoint them with the oil of gladneſs, they cannot make your faces ſhine. Chriſt was the moſt powerfull comforter in his miniſtery that could be, yet that he might do this work effectually, he is annointed by the Spirit. Iſ 61. 1. 2, 3. The ſpirit of the Lord is upon me, becauſe he hath annointed me to proclaim liberty to the capives, and the opening of the priſon to them that are bound &c. Friends, I ſpeak not theſe things to diſſuade you from the uſe of ſuch means, onelyonly to warn you that you lay not the ſtreſſe of your expectations upon means, but rather that you uſe them, in dependance upon, and with addreſſes to the Spirit to make them effectuall. For my part, I ſuſpect that peace and comfort which comes in a groſſe neglect and contempt of Ordinances and Duties, or is attended with it. I doubt, ſuch perſons get out of priſon by a falſe key, the devill can pick the lock and let out the Spirits priſoners, he can file off their chaines, and ſet them free from trouble; but they had better have kept in priſon, then have been beholden to him for their liberty, when men are delivered from a conſcientious bondage to an unconſcionable liberty, they had need pray to God to free them from that liberty. This I ſpeak to prevent a miſtake of my drift in this uſe. To returne to what I intend. Beloved, if the Spirit have brought you under bondage, apply your ſelves to him that he will accompliſh his end in your troubles, that he will manage them to the ſubduing of your proud hearts, to the deſtruction of the fleſh, that your ſpirit may be ſaved in the day of the Lord.
2. Let this convince us that the miniſtery of the Goſpel excludes not the preaching of the Law as inſtrumentall to converſion. I know the Law alone converts no man, neither doth the Spirit of Bondage; yet it prepares the way of the Lord, the Spirit working thereby, to levell high thoughs, &c. that lift themſelves up againſt Chriſt. Miniſters are the Servants of the Spirit and muſt ſerve the ſpirits deſignes, in Law as wel as Goſpel. What would men have us do? Shall we ſpeak peace to thoſe to whom the Spirit denounceth open war? How ſhall we keep to our Commiſſion, if in ſtead of binding on earth, thoſe who are bound in heaven, we let them looſe and help them to eſcape; preach doctrines of univerſall Redemption, and Salvation, and teach them how to apply generall Goſpell truths to harden their ſouls in ſin? Mee thinks I hear the Lord when he gives a Miniſter his charge, ſpeak in the language of Jehu, when he had ſhut up Baals worſhippers in a guard; If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands eſcape, he that letteth him go, his life ſhal be for the life of him. 2 Kings 10. 24. Or rather in his own words to the Prophet Ezekiel. 3. 18. When I ſay, &c. Yet I muſt tell you, I would have the Law preached as it is in the hands of Chriſt, i. e. not as caſting men under an irrecoverable condemnation for every offence, not as exacting rigorouſly every punctilio of a duty, under pain of being rejected by God, not as requiring obedience as a condition of a covenant of works to ſalvation. Although it be neceſſary too, that as a Covenant of works it ſhould be declared to thoſe that are under the Law, that by the ſight of it, they may be made to fly to the Goſpel, as a Map diſcovers rocks and quickſands that men may avoid them; and Phyſick books, poiſons, to warn men of them. By preaching it as in the hands of Chriſt, I mean wee muſt withall open a door of hope, ſhew them Chriſt as the end of the Law, to whom all the preaching of the Law aymes.
For my part, I meet with a dictinction often of the Law as in the hands of Moſes, and as in the hands of Chriſt; I think, as 'tis ordinarily taken, it is grounded on a principle of Socinianiſme, that the Spirit was not a ſpirit of Adoption under the old Teſtament. But I can allow the expreſſion in this ſenſe. Goſpell muſt bee held forth more clearly now then it was then, and believing more urged then doing, and doing in a way of believing. God giving them a yoke of obſervances which vailed the Spirit, and looked much like a Covenant of works, the Miniſters of the Goſpell are to take off that vail, and ſhew Chriſts open face.
3. Let this plead a little for poor troubled ſpirits, to Miniſters and friends that take paines to comfort them. When we ſpeak comfort to them, and their ſouls refuſe it, as Heman, Pſ. 77. 2. We are apt to cenſure them for peeviſh, and perverſe, &c. But friends, is this reaſonable, to charge a priſoner with peeviſhneſſe, becauſe he doth not ſhake off his bolts, and come forth without the keepers leave? I know ſometimes there is much fault in ſuch ſouls, but the ſpirit works with their weakneſſe to withhold comfort; and though they be blameable for refuſing it, yet the ſpirit orders their weakeneſſes therein to his bleſſed ends. Wherfore, if you chide them for ſhutting the doors upon themſelves, do it ſo, as withall to pray the Spirit to open them, elſe they cannot open them, if they would never ſo fain. And thoſe of us who were once in their condition were as untoward as they, till Gods Spirit opened our eyes to ſee a well of conſolation.
4. Let this humble us all who have taſted any of the powers of the World to come, and been made partakers of the Holy Ghoſt, this way, for our often grievings and vexings of the H. Spirit; That we have ſtouted it out againſt the Spirits arreſts, and refuſed to bee his priſoners. If this were wilfully done, O how evill a thing was it, how high a provocation! If a warrant from Weſtminſter in the hands of a Bayliffe will make a man ſtand and render himſelf priſoner. How dares any man make an eſcape when the word arreſts him by the authority and warrant of the Spirit? Nay farther, think what a ſad caſe you were in, ſhould God reſolve to ſtrive no more with you. Think on that terrible place, Heb. 6. 4, 5, 6.
If involuntarily, this is very bad, though not ſo bad as the Former. When you look over the former convictions by the light of this Sermon, Friends, be humbled to think how often was the Lords Spirit in a ſermon, in the advice of friends, in afflictions, and we were not aware of it? How often did hee lay his hand upon our ſhoulders, and ſhew the Warrant of Scripture to arreſt our ſouls and we fought with him and delivered our ſelves out of his hand? Oh brethren, when the Spirit ſeizeth on you again, ſubmit, yeild your ſelves; if his Arreſts from time to time bee ſleighted, beware of a Writ of rebellion next, See it Deut. 29. 19, 20. The Lord will not ſpare that man, but the anger of the Lord and his jealouſie ſhall ſmoke againſt that man, and all the curſes that are written in this Book ſhall lie upon him. Then will you bee outlawes to the Covenant of life and ſalvation, and God will raiſe all the poſſe of heaven, and earth, and hell too for your ruine and deſtruction. Your fear ſhall come as deſolation, and deſtruction ſhall come upon you as a whirlwind: you ſhall eat of the fruit of your own way, and bee filled with your own devices. The turning away of ſuch fools ſhall ſlay them, and their falſe peace, and proſperity ſhall deſtroy them, Proverb. 27, 31, 32.