used with David, 2 Sam. xii. 7, 8. ' ' I anointed thee king over " Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, and I gave " thee thy master s house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, " and gave thee the house of Israel and Judah, and if that had " been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee sueh and " such things : wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the " Lord ?" But reader, if thou be a reconciled person, a favourite with God, and hast grieved him by any eminent transgression, how should it melt thy heart to hear the Lord thus expostulating with thee : I delivered thee out of the hand of Satan ; I gave thee into the bosom of Christ ; I have pardoned unto thee millions of sins ; I have bestowed upon thee the riches of mercy ; my favour hath made thee great : and, as if all this were too little, I have prepared heaven for thee : for which of all these favours dost thou thus requite me ?
htf. 6. How precious sliould Jesus Christ be to believers, by whose blood they are ingratiated with God, and by whose intercession they are, and shall for ever be continued in his favour ? When the apos- tle mentions the believer's translation, from the sad state of nature to the blessed privileged state of grace, see what a title he bestows upon Jesus Christ, the purchaser of that privilege, calling him the dear Son, Col. i. 13. Not only dear to God, but exceeding dear to believers also. Christ is the favourite in heaven, to him you owe all the preferment there: Take away Christ, and you have no ground on which to stand one minute in the favour of God. O then let Jesus Christ, the fountain of your honour, be also the object of your love and praise.
Inf. 7. Estimate by this the state and condition of a deserted saint, upon whom the favour of God is eclipsed. If the favour of God be better than life, the hiding of it from a gracious soul must be more bitter than death : Deserted saints have reason to take the first place among all the mourners in the world : The darkness before conversion had indeed more danger, but this hath more of trou- ble. Darkness after light is dismal darkness. Since therefore the case is so sad, let your preventing care be the more ; grieve not the good Spirit of God ; you prepare but for your own grief in so doing.
Inf. 8. Lastly, Let this persuade all men to accept Jesus Christ, as ever they expect to be accepted with the Lord themselves. It is a fearful case, for a man's person and duties to be rejected of God ; to cry and not be heard : And much more terrible to be denied audi- ence'in the great and terrible day. Yea, as sure as the scriptures are the sealed and faithful sayings of God, this is no more than what every christless person must expect in that day, Mat. vii. 22. Luke xiii. 26. trace the history of all times, even as high as Abel,
SEKM. XVIII. THE METHOD OF GRACE. 269
and you shall find that none but * believers did ever find ac- ceptance with God ; all experience confirms this great truth, that they that are in the flesh cannot please God, Reader, if this be thy condition, let me beg thee to ponder the misery of it in a few sad thoughts.
Consider how sad it is to be rejected of God, and forsaken by all creatures at once ; what a day of straits thy dying day is like to be, when heaven and earth shall cast thee out together. Be assured whatever thy vain hopes for the present quiet thee withal, this must be thy case, the door of mercy will be shut against thee ; no man cometh to the Father but by Christ. Sad was the case of Saul, when he told Samuel, " the Philistines make war against " me, and God is departed from me," 1 Sam. xxviii. 15. The saints will have boldness in the day of judgment, 1 John iv. 17. But thou wilt be a confounded man ; there is yet, blessed be the God of mercy, a capacity and opportunity for reconciliation, 2 Cor. v. 19. Isa. xxvii. 5. But this can be of no long continuance. O therefore, by all the regard and love you have for the everlasting welfare of your own souls, come to Christ ; embrace Christ in the offers of the gospel, that you may be made accepted in the be- loved.
The Liberty of Believers opened and stated.
John viii. 36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Ml ROM the 30th verse of this chapter unto my text, you have an account of the different effects which the words of Christ had upon the hearts of his hearers : Some believed, ver. 30. These he encourageth to continue in his word, ver. 31. giving them this encouragement, ver. 32. " Ye shall know the truth, and the truth " shall make you free." Hereat the unbelieving Jews take of- fence, and commence a quarrel with him, ver. 33. " We be Abra- " ham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man." We are of no slavish extraction ; the blood of Abraham runs in our veins. This scornful boast of the proud Jews, Christ confutes, ver. 34. where he distinguisheth on a two-fold bondage ; one to men, ano-
* If any one desires to know the will of God, let him be a friend of God. Aug.
270 THE METHOD OF GRACE. SERM. XVIII.
ther to sin ; one civil, another spiritual : Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin, then tells them, ver. 36. " The servant " abideth not in the house for ever, but the Son abideth for ever.1,1 Wherein he intimateth two great truths, viz. That the servants and slaves of sin may for a time enjoy the external privileges of the house or church of God ; but it would not be long before the mas- ter of the house would turn them out of doors : But if they were once the adopted children of God, then they should abide in the house for ever. And this privilege is only to be had by their believing in, and union with the natural Son of God, Jesus Christ which brings us fairly to the text ; " If the Son therefore shall " make you free, ye shall be free indeed."" In which words we have two parts ; viz.
2. A concession. First, A supposition, " If the Son therefore shall make you free/*
q. d. The womb of nature cast you forth into the world in a state of bondage ! in that state you have lived all your days ; servants to sin ; slaves to your lusts ; yet freedom is to be obtained : And this freedom is the prerogative belonging to the Son of God to bestow : " If the Son shall make you free."
Secondly, Christ's concession upon this supposition, " Then shall " ye be free indeed,'" i. e. you shall have a real freedom, an ex- cellent and everlasting freedom : No conceit only, as that which you now boast of is : If ever therefore you will be free men indeed, belive in me. Hence note,
Doct. That interest in Christ sets the soul at liberty from all that bondage whereunto it was subjected in its natural state.