Many are discovered hence to have no Spirit of God in them. In trouble whither go they ? To their purse, to their friends, to anything. They labour to overcome their troubles one way or other, by physic and the like, but never to go with boldness and comfort, and a kind of fami- liarity to God. They have no familiarity with God. Therefore they have not a Spirit of liberty,
[4.] Again, where this Spirit of liberty is, as there is a freedom to go to God, so in regard of the creature and the things here below, there is a freedom from popular, vulgar conceits, from the errors of the times and the slavish courses of the times.
There are alway two sorts of wicked persons in the world.
(1.) The one loho accounts it their heaven and happiness, to domineer over others ; to bring them into subjection, and to rule over their consciences if they can, and sell all to please them, conscience and all.
(2.) Another sort again, so theg mag gain, theg will sell their lihertg, their reason and all : if it be but for a poor thing, so they may get anything that they value in the world, to make them beasts, as if they had no reasonable Tinderstaiiding souls, much less grace. Between those two, some domineer- ing and others beastly serving, a few that go upon terms of Christianit}^ are of sound judgment. Now where the Spirit of God is, there is libertj^ that is, a freedom not to enthral our judgments to any man, much less con- science. The judgment of man enlightened by reason is above any creature ; for reason is a beam of God, and all the persons in the world ought not to think to have power over a man, to say anything against his knowledge.* It is to say against God, if it be but in civil matters, be it what it will. Judgment is the spark of God. Nature is but God's candle. It is a light of the same light that grace is of, but inferior. For a man to speak against his conscience to please men, where is liberty ! For a man to enthral his conscience to please another man ! No man that hath the spirit of a man will be so Pharisaical, to say as another man saith, and to judge as another man judgeth, and to do all as another man doth, without seeing some
* That is, power to make a man say anything that he knows to be untrue. — G.
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reason himself ; going upon the principles of a man himself. It is true of a man as a man, unless he will unman himself. It is much more true of a Christian man. He will not for base fears and engagements enthral his con- science, and sell heaven and happiness and his comfort for this and that ; and those that do it, though they talk of liberty, they are slaves ; though they domineer in the world, the curse of Cain-' is upon them, they are slaves of slaves.
Therefore, where the Spirit of Christ is, there is an independent liberty. A man is independent upon any other man, further than he sees it agrees with the rules of religion ; and he is dependent only upon God, and upon divine principles and grounds. The apostle saith, ' The spiritual man judgeth all things, and is judged of none,' 1 Cor. ii. 15. So far as a man is ' led with the Spirit,' Rom. viii. 14, he discerns things in the light of the Spirit. He judgeth all things to be as they are, in the light of the Spirit, and is judged of none. His meaning is not, that none will usurp judgment of him, for that they will do. The emptiest men are most rash and censorious ; but he is judged of none aright. It is a fool's bolt. But the spiritual man indeed passeth a right verdict upon persons and things, as far as he is spiritual. And that is the reason that carnal men especially hate spiritiial men above all things. They hate men that have a natural conscience, that judge according to the light of reason, for that is above any creature. When a man will not say white is black, that good is evil, to please any man in the world, a man that hath a natural conscience will not do this. And this is very distasteful. Where men idolise themselves they love not such, but such as are slaves to them. But much more, when a man is spiritual, he judgeth all things and censureth them and their courses ; for he is above all, and seeth all beneath him. Therefore the greatest men in the world are holy men. They are above all other men, and without usurpation, they pass a censure upon the course and state of other men, though they be never so great. Howsoever the image of God is upon them, in regard of their authority and the like, yet in their dispositions they are base, and slaves to their corruptions and to Satan. They are not out of the base rank of nature. Now a man that is a child of God, he is taken into a better condition, and hath a spiritual liberty in him. ' He judgeth all things and is judged of none.' They may call him this and that ; it is but malice, and a spice of the sin against the Holy Ghost ; but their hearts tell them he is otherwise. He shall judge them ere long, for ' the saints shall judge the world. 'f Therefore Christians should know, and take notice of their excellency. ' Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty' to judge all things as far as they come within their reach and calling, to judge aright of all things. Therefore we should know how to maintain the credit of a Christian, that is, to maintain a liberty independent upon all but God ; and other things with reservation, as far as they agree with conscience and religion. Thus we see how we may judge of this liberty. ' Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.'