A76991:182
The True Bounds of Christian Freedom
The true bounds of Christian freedom or a treatise wherein the rights of the law are vindicated, the liberties of grace maintained, and the several late opinions against the law are examined and confuted. Whereunto is annexed a discourse of the learned John Cameron's, touching the threefold covenant of God with man, / faithfully translated, by Samuel Bolton minister of the word of God at Saviours-Southwark.The true bounds of Christian freedome or a treatise wherein the rights of the law are vindicated, the liberties of grace maintained, and the severall late opinions against the law are examined and confuted. Whereunto is annexed a discourse of the learned Iohn Camerons, touching the threefold covenant of God with man, / faithfully translated, by Samuel Bolton minister of the word of God at Saviours-Southwark.
London: printed by J.L. for Philemon Stephens, 1645
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Sin in a Believer makes him the object of Gods pity. Men you know hate poison in a toad, but pity it in a man. In the one it is their nature, in the other their disease: Sin in a wicked man is as poison in a toad; God hates it and him, it's his nature; but sin in a child is like poison in a man; God pities him, he pities the Saints for sins and infirmities, he hates the wicked. It's the ones nature, and the others disease.
Sin in a Beleever makes him the obiect of Gods pitty. Men you know hate poyson in a toade, but pitty it in a man. In the one it is their nature, in the other their disease: Sin in a wicked man is as poyson in a toad; God hates it and him, it's his nature; but sin in a childe is like poyson in a man; God pitties him, he pitties the Saints for sinnes and infirmities, he hates the wicked. It's the ones nature, and the others disease.
Fourthly, This was again the rigour of the Law, that it enforced it self upon the conscience with threats and with terror; but now the Gospel comes otherwise, with beseeches and love. I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God, Rom. 12.1. In the Gospel the spirit is not a spirit of bondage and fear, 1but a spirit of power and love, as you see Rom. 8.15. 2 Tim. 1.7. The Law urgeth obedience upon pain of eternal death, Deut. 27.16. Gal. 3.10. and it enforceth it by terror, but the Gospel by sweetness and love, all terror is gone. The book of the Law was placed between the Cherubims, and upon the Mercy-seat, to tell us under the Gospel; ⟨p. 53⟩