(4.) Grace is wronged by turning it into Wantonness. It is a heavy Charge, and a black Note is set on them, Jude 4. Ungodly Men, turning the Grace of God into Lasciviousness. When Men sin freely, that God may pardon freely; when they presume upon Grace, as if that should bear all, and use it as a Dung-Cart to carry away all their Filth; or like riotous Children, who have a rich Father, therefore spend freely, their Father's Estate shall pay for all. It is a mighty wrong to Grace, when we make it pliable to such a vile purpose. You dishonour God, and disparage Grace, when you would make it to father the Bastards of your own Carnal Hearts. You are vile and sinful, and you are so under the Encouragements of Grace, and the rather, because of the abundance of Grace; and like the Spider suck Poison out of the Flower, and turn it into the Nourishment of your Lust; or as the Salt Sea turns the sweet Rivers and Dews of Heaven, and all that falls into it into Salt-Water; so Carnal Hearts do assimilate all that they meet with, and turn it into Fuel for their Lusts. Men would fain sin securely, and cum Privilegio, with Licence from Heaven; and therefore they take Liberty even from the Grace of God. This is a vile abuse, a quite contrary way the Grace of God teacheth us, to deny Ungodliness and worldly Lusts; and not to be more secure and careless because they have so much Grace. But they hale it, and wrest it from its natural End and Purpose, and sin freely, because God pardons freely. Grace giveth no such liberty to sin. This is done grievously by the Antinomians, who say, Grace gives them Freedom from the Moral Law. It is true, Grace makes us free, but to Duty, not to Sin. There is a sad Expression, Rom. 6.20. When ye were the Servants of Sin, ye were free from Righteousness; it is a Description of the Carnal State, Duty hath no awe upon his Heart; when Men think themselves free from the Law, rather than Sin; and when they expect Comfort, though they walk in the Way of their own Heart, they have abused Grace, and taken hold of the Devil's Covenant, and not of God's. There is never any Creature freed from the Law, God never made a Creature to be absolutely, sui juris, at his own disposal. The Angels themselves, though they have many Immunities and Privileges above us, as being exempted from Troubles, Diseases and Death, and from the Clog of Flesh which we carry about us;
(4.) Grace is wronged by turning it into Wantonness. It is a heavy Charge, and a black Note is set on them, Iude 4. Vngodly Men, turning the Grace of God into Lasciviousness. When Men sin freely, that God may pardon freely; when they presume upon Grace, as if that should bear all, and use it as a Dung-Cart to carry away all their Filth; or like riotous Children, who have a rich Father, therefore spend freely, their Father's Estate shall pay for all. It is a mighty wrong to Grace, when we make it pliable to such a vile purpose. You dishonour God, and disparage Grace, when you would make it to father the Bastards of your own Carnal Hearts. You are vile and sinful, and you are so under the Encouragements of Grace, and the rather, because of the abundance of Grace; and like the Spider suck Poison out of the Flower, and turn it into the Nourishment of your Lust; or as the Salt Sea turns the sweet Rivers and Dews of Heaven, and all that falls into it into Salt-Water; so Carnal Hearts do assimulate all that they meet with, and turn it into Fuel for their Lusts. Men would fain sin securely, and cum Privilegio, with Licence from Heaven; and therefore they take Liberty even from the Grace of God. This is a vile abuse, a quite contrary way the Grace of God teacheth us, to deny Vngodliness and worldly Lusts; and not to be more secure and careless because they have so much Grace. But they hale it, and wrest it from its natural End and Purpose, and sin freely, because God pardons freely. Grace giveth no such liberty to sin. This is done grievously by the Antinomians, who say, Grace gives them Freedom from the Moral Law. It is true, Grace makes us free, but to Duty, not to Sin. There is a sad Expression, Rom. 6.20. When ye were the Servants of Sin, ye were free from Righteousness; it is a Description of the Carnal State, Duty hath no awe upon his Heart; when Men think themselves free from the Law, rather than Sin; and when they expect Comfort, thô they walk in the Way of their own Heart, they have abused Grace, and taken hold of the Devil's Covenant, and not of God's. There is never any Creature freed from the Law, God never made a Creature to be absolutely, sui juris, at his own disposal. The Angels themselves, thô they have many Immunities and Priviledges above us, as being exempted from Troubles, Diseases and Death, and from the Clog of Flesh which we carry about us;
