redemption through his blood? And therefore it is, that _I abhor
myself, and repent in dust and ashes_.” It is meet thou shouldst abhor
thyself; and it is God who hath wrought thee to this self-same thing.
But dost thou now believe? Hath he again enabled thee to say, _I know
that my Redeemer liveth: and the life which I now live, I live by faith
in the Son of God_? Then that faith again cancels all that is past,
and there is no condemnation to thee. At whatsoever time thou truly
believest in the name of the Son of God, all thy sins antecedent to
that hour, vanish away as the morning dew. Now then, _Stand thou fast
in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made thee free_. He hath once
more made thee free from the power of sin, as well as from the guilt
and punishment of it. _O be not intangled again with the yoke of
bondage!_ Neither the vile, devilish bondage of sin; of evil desires,
evil tempers, or words, or works, the most grievous yoke on this
side hell: nor the bondage of slavish, tormenting fear, of guilt and
self-condemnation.
3. But, secondly: Do all they which abide _in Christ Jesus, walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit_? Then we cannot but infer, that
whosoever now committeth sin, hath no part or lot in this matter. He
is even now condemned by his own heart. But _if our heart condemn us_,
if our own conscience beareth witness that we are guilty, undoubtedly
God doth: for _he is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things_;
so that we cannot deceive him, if we can ourselves. And think not to
say, “I was justified once; my sins were once forgiven me.” I know not
that: neither will I dispute whether they were or no. Perhaps, at this
distance of time, ’tis next to impossible to know with any tolerable
degree of certainty, whether that was a true, genuine work of God, or
whether thou didst only deceive thy own soul. But this I know with the
utmost degree of certainty, _He that committeth sin is of the devil_.
Therefore thou art of thy father the devil. It cannot be denied: for
the works of thy father thou dost. O flatter not thyself with vain
hopes. Say not to thy soul, Peace, peace! For there is no peace. Cry
aloud! Cry unto God out of the deep; if haply he may hear thy voice.
Come unto him as at first, as wretched and poor, as sinful, miserable,
blind and naked. And beware thou suffer thy soul to take no rest, till
his pardoning love be again revealed, till he _heal thy backslidings_,
and fill thee again with the _faith that worketh by love_.
4. Thirdly, Is there no condemnation to them which _walk after the
Spirit_, by reason of _inward sin_ still remaining, so long as they do
not give way thereto; nor by reason of _sin cleaving_ to all they do?
Then fret not thyself because of ungodliness, tho’ it still remain in
thy heart. Repine not, because thou still comest short of the glorious
image of God: nor yet, because pride, self-will, or unbelief, cleave to
all thy words and works. And be not afraid to know all the evil of thy
heart, to know thyself as also thou art known. Yea, desire of God, that
thou mayst not think of thyself more highly than thou oughtest to think.
Let thy continual prayer be,
“Shew me, as my soul can bear,
The depth of inbred sin:
All the unbelief declare,
The pride that lurks within!”
But when he heareth thy prayer, and unveils thy heart, when he shews
thee throughly what spirit thou art of: then beware that thy faith
fail thee not, that thou suffer not thy shield to be torn from thee. Be
abased. Be humbled in the dust. See thyself nothing, less than nothing
and vanity. But still, _let not thy heart be troubled, neither let it
be afraid_. Still hold fast, “_I_, even I, _have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous_. And as the heavens are higher than
the earth, so is his love higher than even my sins.”――Therefore God is
merciful to thee a sinner! Such a sinner as thou art! God is love; and
Christ hath died. Therefore the Father himself loveth thee. Thou art
his child. Therefore he will with-hold from thee no manner of thing
that is good. Is it good, that the whole body of sin, which is now
crucified in thee, should be destroyed? It shall be done. Thou shalt
be _cleansed from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit_. Is it
good that nothing should remain in thy heart, but the pure love of
God alone? Be of good chear! _Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with
all thy heart and mind and soul and strength. Faithful is he that hath
promised, who also will do it._ It is thy part, patiently to continue
in the work of faith, and in the labour of love: and in chearful
peace, in humble confidence, with calm and resigned, and yet earnest
expectation, to wait till _the zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall perform
this_.
5. Fourthly, If they that _are in Christ, and walk after the Spirit_,
are not condemned for _sins of infirmity_, as neither for _involuntary
failings_, nor for any thing whatever which they are not able to help:
then beware, O thou that hast faith in his blood, that Satan herein
_gain no advantage over thee_. Thou art still foolish and weak, blind
and ignorant: more weak than any words can express, more foolish than
it can yet enter into thy heart to conceive, knowing nothing yet as
thou oughtest to know. Yet let not all thy weakness and folly, or any
fruit thereof, which thou art not yet able to avoid, shake thy faith,
thy filial trust in God, or disturb thy peace or joy in the Lord. The
rule which some give as to wilful sins, and which in that case, may
perhaps be dangerous, is undoubtedly wise and safe, if it be applied
only to the case of weakness and infirmities. Art thou fallen, O man of
God? Yet do not lie there, fretting thyself and bemoaning thy weakness:
But meekly say, Lord, I shall fall thus every moment, unless thou
uphold me with thy hand. And then arise! Leap and walk. Go on thy way.
_Run with patience the race set before thee._
6. Lastly, since a believer need not come into condemnation, even
tho’ he be _surprized_ into what his soul abhors, (suppose his being
surprized is not owing to any carelessness or wilful neglect of his
own:) if thou who believest, art thus over-taken in a fault, then
grieve unto the Lord; it shall be a precious balm: pour out thy heart
before him, and shew him of thy trouble. And pray with all thy might
to him who is _touched with the feeling of_ thy _infirmities_, that he
would stablish and strengthen and settle thy soul, and suffer thee to
fall no more. But still he condemneth thee not. Wherefore shouldst thou
fear? Thou hast no need of any _fear that hath torment_. Thou shalt
love him that lovest thee, and it sufficeth: more love will bring more
strength. And as soon as thou lovest him with all thy heart, thou shall
be _perfect and entire, lacking nothing_. Wait in peace for that hour,
when _the God of peace_ shall _sanctify thee wholly, so that thy whole
spirit, and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ_!
SERMON IX.
THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AND OF ADOPTION.
ROMANS viii. 15.
_Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again unto fear: but
ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father._
1. ST. _Paul_ here speaks to those who are the children of God by
faith. Ye, saith he, who are indeed his children, have drank into his
Spirit. _Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again unto fear._
But _because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son
into your hearts. Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we
cry, Abba, Father._
2. The spirit of bondage and fear is widely distant from this loving
Spirit of adoption. Those who are influenced only by slavish fear,
cannot be termed, the sons of God. Yet some of them may be stiled his
servants, and are _not far from the kingdom of heaven_.
3. But it is to be feared, the bulk of mankind, yea, of what is call’d
_The Christian world_, have not attain’d even this; but are still afar
off, _neither is God in all their thoughts_. A few names may be found
of those who love God: a few more there are that fear him. But the
greater part have neither the fear of God before their eyes, nor the
love of God in their hearts.
4. Perhaps most of you, who by the mercy of God, now partake of a
better spirit, may remember the time, when ye were as they, when ye
were under the same condemnation. But at first ye knew it not, tho’ ye
were wallowing daily in your sins and in your blood: till in due time
ye _received the spirit of fear_ (_ye received_; for this also is the
gift of God:) and afterwards, fear vanished away, and the Spirit of
love filled your hearts.
5. One who is in the first state of mind, without fear or love, is
in scripture term’d _a natural man_. One who is under the spirit of
bondage and fear is sometimes said to be _under the law_: (altho’ that
expression more frequently signifies one, who is under the _Jewish_
dispensation, or who thinks himself obliged to observe all the rites
and ceremonies of the _Jewish law_.) But one who has exchanged the
spirit of fear for the Spirit of love, is properly said, to be _under
grace_.
Now because it highly imports us, to know what spirit we are of, I
shall endeavour to point out distinctly, first, The state of a _natural
man_, secondly, That of one who is _under the law_, and thirdly, of one
who is _under grace_.
I. 1. And, first, the state of a _natural man_. This the scripture
represents as a state of sleep. The voice of God to him is, _Awake,
thou that sleepest_. For his soul is in a deep sleep. His spiritual
senses are not awake: they discern neither spiritual good nor evil. The
eyes of his understanding are closed; they are sealed together, and see
not. Clouds and darkness continually rest upon them; for he lies in the
valley of the shadow of death. Hence having no inlets for the knowledge
of spiritual things, all the avenues of his soul being shut up, he is
in gross, stupid ignorance of whatever he is most concerned to know. He
is utterly ignorant of God, knowing nothing concerning him as he ought
to know. He is totally a stranger to the law of God, as to its true,
inward, spiritual meaning. He has no conception of that evangelical
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord; nor of the happiness,
which they only find, whose _life is hid with Christ in God_.
2. * And for this very reason, because he is fast _asleep_, he is,
in some sense, at _rest_. Because he is _blind_, he is also _secure_:
he saith, _Tush, there shall no harm happen unto me_. The darkness
which covers him on every side, keeps him in a kind of peace: (so far
as peace can consist with the works of the devil, and with an earthly,
devilish mind.) He _sees_ not that he stands on the edge of the pit;
therefore he _fears_ it not. He cannot _tremble_ at the danger he does
not _know_. He has not understanding enough to fear. Why is it that
he is in no dread of God? Because he is totally ignorant of him: if
not _saying in his heart, there is no God_, or, that he _sitteth on
the circle of the heavens, and humbleth_ not _himself to behold the
things_ which are done on earth; yet satisfying himself as well, to
all _Epicurean_ intents and purposes, by saying, “God is merciful:”
confounding and swallowing up at once, in that unweildy idea of mercy,
all his holiness and essential hatred of sin, all his justice, wisdom
and truth. He is in no dread of the vengeance denounced against those
who obey not the blessed law of God, because he understands it not. He
imagines the main point is, to _do thus_, to be _outwardly_ blameless:
and sees not that it extends to every temper, desire, thought, motion
of the heart. Or he fancies, that the obligation hereto is ceas’d; that
Christ came to _destroy the law and the prophets_; to save his people
_in_, not _from_ their sins: to bring them to heaven, without holiness.
Notwithstanding his own words, _Not one jot or tittle of the law shall
pass away, till all things are fulfilled_: and, _Not every one that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord! shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but
he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven_.
3. He is secure, because he is utterly ignorant of himself. Hence he
talks of “repenting by and by;” he does not indeed exactly know when;
but some time or other before he dies: taking it for granted, that this
is quite in his own power. For what should hinder his doing it, if he
will? If he does but once set a resolution, no fear but he will make it
good.
4. But this ignorance never so strongly glares, as in those who are
term’d, _men of learning_. If a natural man be one of these, he can
talk at large of his rational faculties: of the freedom of his will,
and the absolute necessity of such freedom, in order to constitute man
a moral agent. He reads and argues, and proves to a demonstration, that
every man may do as he will; may dispose his own heart to evil or good,
as it seems best in his own eyes. Thus the God of this world spreads a
double veil of blindness over his heart, lest by any means _the light
of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine_ upon it.
5. From the same ignorance of himself and God there may sometimes arise
in the natural man a kind of _joy_, in congratulating himself, upon his
own wisdom and goodness. And what the world calls joy, he may often
possess. He may have pleasure in various kinds; either in gratifying
the desires of the flesh, or the desire of the eye, or the pride of
life: particularly if he has large possessions; if he enjoy an affluent
fortune. Then he may _cloath_ himself _in purple and fine linen, and
fare sumptuously every day_. And _so long as_ he thus _doth well unto
himself, men will_ doubtless _speak good of_ him. They will say, he is
a happy man: for indeed this is the sum of worldly happiness: to dress,
and visit, and talk, and eat, and drink, and rise up to play.
6. It is not surprizing, if one in such circumstances as these,
dozed with the opiates of flattery and sin, should imagine; among his
other waking dreams, that he walks in great _liberty_. How easily may
he persuade himself, that he is at liberty from all _vulgar errors_,
and from the _prejudice_ of education, judging exactly right, and
keeping clear of all extremes. “I am free (may he say) from all the
_enthusiasm_ of weak and narrow souls: from _superstition_, the disease
of fools and cowards, always righteous over much; and from _bigotry_,
continually incident to those who have not a free and generous way of
thinking.” And too sure it is, that he is altogether free, from the
_wisdom which cometh from above_, from holiness, from the religion of
the heart, from the whole mind which was in Christ.
7. For all this time, he is the servant of sin. He commits sin, more
or less, day by day. Yet he is not troubled: He “is in no bondage;”
(as some speak) he feels no condemnation. He contents himself, (even
tho’ he should profess to believe that the Christian revelation is of
God) with, “Man is frail. We are all weak. Every man has his infirmity.”
Perhaps he quotes scripture: “Why, does not _Solomon_ say, ‘The
righteous man falls into sin seven times a day?’ And doubtless, they
are all hypocrites or enthusiasts who pretend to be better than their
neighbours.” If at any time a serious thought fix upon him, he stifles
it as soon as possible, with, “Why should I fear, since God is merciful,
and Christ died for sinners?” Thus he remains a willing servant of sin,
content with the bondage of corruption; inwardly and outwardly unholy,
and satisfied therewith; not only not conquering sin, but not striving
to conquer, particularly that sin, which doth so easily beset him.
8. Such is the state of every _natural man_; whether he be a gross,
scandalous transgressor, or a more reputable and decent sinner, having
the form, tho’ not the power of godliness. But how can such an one be
_convinced of sin_? How is he brought to _repent_? To be _under the
law_? To receive the _spirit of bondage unto fear_? This is the point
which is next to be consider’d.
II. 1. By some awful providence, or by his word applied with the
demonstration of his Spirit, God touches the heart of him that lay
asleep in darkness and in the shadow of death. He is terribly shaken
out of his sleep, and awakes into a consciousness of his danger.
Perhaps in a moment, perhaps by degrees, the eyes of his understanding
are opened, and now first (the veil being in part removed) discern the
real state he is in. Horrid light breaks in upon his soul; such light,
as may be conceived to gleam from the bottomless pit, from the lowest
deep, from a lake of fire, burning with brimstone. He at last sees
the loving, the merciful God, is also _a consuming fire_; that he is a
just God and a terrible, rendering to every man according to his works,
entering into judgment with the ungodly for every idle word, yea, and
for the imaginations of the heart. He now clearly perceives, that the
great and holy God is _of purer eyes than to behold iniquity_: that he
is an avenger of every one who rebelleth against him, and repayeth the
wicked to his face; and that _it is a fearful thing, to fall into the
hands of the living God_.
♦3. The inward, spiritual meaning of the law of God now begins to glare
upon him. He perceives the _commandment is exceeding broad_, and _there
is nothing hid from the light thereof_. He is convinced, that every
part of it relates not barely to outward sin or obedience, but to
what passes in the secret recesses of the soul, which no eye but God’s
can penetrate. If he now hears, _Thou shalt not kill_, God speaks in
thunder, _He that hateth his brother is a murtherer_. He that saith
unto his brother, _Thou fool, is obnoxious to hell-fire_. If the law
say, _Thou shalt not commit adultery_, the voice of the Lord sounds
in his ears, _He that looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath
committed adultery with her already in his heart_. And thus in every
point, he feels the word of God _quick and powerful, sharper than a
two-edged sword_. It pierces even _to the dividing asunder of_ his
_soul and spirit_, his _joints and marrow_. And so much the more,
because he is conscious to _himself_ of having neglected so great
salvation; of having _trodden under foot the Son of God_, who would
have saved him from his sins, and _counted the blood of the covenant
an unholy_, a common, unsanctifying _thing_.
4. And as he knows _all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of
him with whom we have to do_, so he sees himself, naked, stript of all
the fig-leaves which he had sewed together, of all his poor pretences
to religion or virtue, and his wretched excuses for sinning against
God. He now sees himself, like the ancient sacrifices, τετραχηλισμένον,
cleft in sunder, as it were, from the neck downward, so that all within
him stands confest. His heart is bare, and he sees it is all sin,
_deceitful above all things, desperately wicked_; that it is altogether
corrupt and abominable, more than it is possible for tongue to express:
that there dwelleth therein no good thing, but unrighteousness and
ungodliness only; every motion thereof, every temper and thought, being
only evil continually.
5. And he not only sees, but feels in himself, by an emotion of soul
which he cannot describe, that for the sins of his heart, were his life
without blame, (which yet it is not, and cannot be: seeing _an evil
tree cannot bring forth good fruit_) he deserves to be cast into _the
fire that never shall be quenched_. He feels, that the _wages_, the
just reward _of sin_, of his sin above all, _is death_; even the second
death, the death which dieth not, the destruction of body and soul in
hell.
6. * Here ends his pleasing dream, his delusive rest, his false peace,
his vain security. His joy now vanishes as a cloud: pleasures, once
loved delight no more. They pall upon the taste; he loaths the nauseous
sweet; he is weary to bear them. The shadows of happiness flee away,
and sink into oblivion. So that he is stript of all, and wanders to and
fro, seeking rest, but finding none.
7. The fumes of those opiates being now dispelled, he feels the
anguish of a wounded spirit. He finds that sin let loose upon the
soul (whether it be pride, anger, or evil desire, whether self-will,
malice, envy, revenge, or any other) is perfect misery. He feels sorrow
of heart for the blessings he has lost, and the curse which is come
upon him; remorse for having thus destroyed himself, and despised his
own mercies; fear, from a lively sense of the wrath of God, and of
the consequences of his wrath; of the punishment which he has justly
deserved, and which he sees hanging over his head; fear of death, as
being to him the gate of hell, the entrance of death eternal; fear
of the devil, the executioner of the wrath and righteous vengeance of
God; fear of men, who if they were able to kill his body, would thereby
plunge both body and soul into hell; fear, sometimes arising to such
a height, that the poor, sinful, guilty soul, is terrified with every
thing, with nothing, with shades, with a leaf shaken of the wind. Yea
sometimes it may even border upon distraction, making a man _drunken,
tho’ not with wine_, suspending the exercise of the memory, of the
understanding, of all the natural faculties. Sometimes it may approach
to the very brink of despair: so that he who trembles at the name
of death, may yet be ready to plunge into it every moment, to _chuse
strangling rather than life_. Well may such a man _roar_, like him of
old, _for the very disquietness of_ his _heart_. Well may he cry out,
_The spirit of a man may sustain his infirmities; but a wounded spirit
who can bear_?
8. Now he truly desires to break loose from sin, and begins to struggle
with it. But tho’ he strive with all his might, he cannot conquer; sin
is mightier than he. He would fain escape; but he is so fast in prison,
that he cannot get forth. He resolves against sin, but yet sins on: he
sees the snare, and abhors, and runs into it. So much does his boasted
reason avail! Only to inhance his guilt, and increase his misery.
Such is the freedom of his will! Free only to evil; free to _drink in
iniquity like water_; to wander farther and farther from the living God,
and do more _despight to the Spirit of grace_!
9. The more he strives, wishes, labours to be free, the more does he
feel his chains, the grievous chains of sin, wherewith Satan binds and
_leads him captive at his will_: his servant he is, tho’ he repine ever
so much; tho’ he rebel, he cannot prevail. He is still in bondage and
fear, by reason of sin: generally, of some outward sin to which he is
peculiarly disposed, either by nature, custom or outward circumstances;
but always, of some inward sin, some evil temper or unholy affection.
And the more he frets against it, the more it prevails; he may bite,
but cannot break his chain. Thus he toils without end, repenting and
sinning, and repenting and sinning again, till at length the poor
sinful, helpless wretch is even at his wit’s end, and can barely groan,
_O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this
death_?