Let us see what this general enlargement and freedom is from these places. It consists in two things — a freedom from the power and from the guilt of sin, or the curse and obligation to eternal damnation.
The first sort of freedom from the power of sin is spoken of Rom. vi. 18, ' Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of right-
326 - SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXXIV.
eousness.' There is a freedom from sin, and a freedom /o/' sin, or a freedom from righteousness, as it is called, ver. 20, ' When you were the servants of sin,' saith the apostle, ' you were free from righteous- ness.' To be under the dominion of sin is the greatest slavery, and to be under the dominion of grace is the greatest liberty and enlarge- ment. Then is a man free from righteousness, when he hath no impulsions or inclinations of heart to that which is good, when right- eousness hath no command over him, when he will not be held under the restraints of grace, when he hath no fear to offend or care to please God. But on the other side, then is a man free from sin when he can thwart his lust, always warring against it, cutting off the provi- sions of the flesh ; when he hath no purpose and care to act his lust, but it is always the bent and inclination of his heart to please God ; and this is our liberty and enlargement.
The other part of this liberty and enlargement is, when we are freed from the bondage of conscience, or fears of death and hell. Every covenant hath a suitable operation of the spirit attending upon it: the covenant of works hath an operation of the spirit of bondage ; the covenant of grace hath an operation of the spirit of adoption. I say, the covenant of works, rightly thought of, produceth nothing in the fallen creature but bondage, or a dreadful sense of their misery ; it is called the spirit of bondage, and every one which passeth out of that covenant hath a feeling of it : Eom. viii. 15, ' You have not received the spirit of bondage, again to fear.' You had it once, but not again. Then are we enlarged in this sense when the shackles are knocked off from our consciences, when we have that other spirit, the spirit of adoption, or that free spirit, as it is called : Ps. li. 12, ' Kestore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit.' This free spirit enlargeth us, that we may serve God cheerfully and comfortably.
According to this double captivity (the slavery of sin and bondage of conscience) so must our freedom and enlargement be interpreted ; a freedom from the power of sin, and a freedom from the guilt of sin. The carnal estate is often compared to a prison ; as Kom. xi. 32, ' God hath concluded,' or ' shut them all up together in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all ; ' Gal. iii. 22, ' The scri|)ture hath con- cluded,' or ' shut up all under sin ; ' aweKXecaev, that is the word. A man in his sinful and unbelieving state is like a man shut up in a strong prison, that is made sure and fast with iron bars and bolts, so that there is no hope of breaking prison ; mercy alone must open the door to him : this being in prison notes the power of sin. But take the other notion, because of the guilt of sin. Now this prison is all on fire in the apprehension of the sensible sinner ; and therefore the poor trembling captive, when the prison is all on a light flame, runs hither and thither, seeking an outgate and a way of escape, and mourns and sighs through the grates of the flaming prison. This is all our condi- tion by nature. Now, when God loosens the bolts, and shoots back the many locks that were upon us, as the angel made Peter's chains fall off, Acts xii. 12, then are we said to be enlarged, to run the way of his commandment, or, as it is expressed Luke i. 74, to be ' delivered out of the hands of our enemies, that we might serve him without feai- in holiness and righteousness all the days of . our life ; ' when we are
VeR. 32.] SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. 327
delivered from the powers of corruption, which are as l)olts and locks upon us, and the power of sin is broken, and we let out of the stocks of conscience, that we might serve God without slavish fear. This is the first thing we should mainly look at ; the general enlargement must always go before the particular. First see that you be con- verted to God. It is that which hardeneth many. You shall find many are praying for strengthening grace when they should ask re- newing grace ; and when they should bewail the misery of an unre- generate carnal state, they confess only the infirmities of the saints, and so are like little children, that attempt to run before they can stand or go. Therefore here God must enlarge you, free you from the slavery of sin and bondage, that you may serve God.