A39660:1054
Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20
Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20 : wherein is opened the admirable condescension and patience of Christ in waiting upon trifling and obstinate sinners, the wretched state of the unconverted, the nature of evangelical faith ..., the riches of free grace in the offers of Christ ..., the invaluable privileges of union and communion granted to all who receive him ... / by John Flavell ...Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20 : wherein is opened the admirable condescension and patience of Christ in waiting upon trifling and obstinate sinners, the wretched state of the unconverted, the nature of evangelical faith ..., the riches of free grace in the offers of Christ ..., the invaluable priviledges of union and communion granted to all who receive him ... / by John Flavell ...
London: printed for Matthew Wotton, 1689
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
XVI. Excellency.
'Tis Liberty to the straitened Soul; and the most comfortable and excellent liberty in the whole World. He only walks at liberty that walks with God, Psal. 119. 45. I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts. Wicked men cry out of bands and cords in Religion, they look upon the duties of godliness as the greatest bondage and thraldom in the whole World, Psal. 2. 3. Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their ⟨p. 434⟩cords from us. q. d. Away with this strictness and preciseness, it extinguishes the joy and pleasure of our lives; give us our Cups instead of Bibles; our profane Songs instead of Spiritual Psalms; our Sports and Past-times instead of Prayers and Sermons. Alas, poor creatures, how do they dance in their shackles and chains! When in reality the sweetest liberty is enjoyed in those Duties at which they thus snuff. The Law of Christ is the Law of Liberty; the Soul of man never enjoys more Liberty, than when it is bound with the strictest bands of Duty to God. Here's liberty from enthralling lusts, and from enslaving fears. The Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of Sin and Death, Rom. 8. 2. And here is freedom indeed, If the Son make you free, then are you free indeed, John 8. 36. And here is freedom from fears, Luke 1. 74, 75. Those that will not endure any restraint from their lusts, they will have their freedom to sin; a freedom they shall have, such as it is,