A76991:353
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.
The Law may chain up the Wolfe, but the Gospel changeth the Wolvish nature, the one stops the stream, the other heals the fountain; the one restrains the practises, the other renews the principles. And who doth not see this the ordinary fruit of the Law of God now? It was the speech of a holy man, That our Cain hath not killed his brother Abel; that our Ammon hath not deflowered his sister Tamar; that our Reuben hath not gone up to his fathers couch; that our Absalom hath not conspired the death of his father. It is because God restrains them, therefore was the law added, and therefore for this use it continues, to restrain wicked men, to set bounds and banks to the rage of mens lustful hearts.
The Law may chaine up the Wolfe, but the Gospel changeth the Wolvish nature, the one stoppes the streame, the other heales the fountaine; the one restrains the practises, the other renewes the principles. And who doth not see this the ordinarie fruit of the Law of God now? It was the speech of a holy man, That our Caine hath not killed his brother Abel; that our Ammon hath not defloured his sister Tamar; that our Reuben hath not gone up to his fathers couch; that our Absolon hath not conspired the death of his father. It is because God restrains them, therefore was the law added, and therefore for this use it continues, to restraine wicked men, to set bounds and bankes to the rage of mens lustfull hearts.
2. The law was given to discover and reveal transgressions, and this might stand with grace, nay, it serves to advance it, and it still continues for this end, even to discover and reveal transgressions to us, to make sin and misery appear, and by that to a waken the conscience to fly over to Christ. Hence the Apostle, Gal. 3.19. ⟨p. 121⟩Wherefore serveth the law, why saith he, it was added because of transgression, till the seed should come, unto whom the Promise was made. Some take seed here for the faithful, & make this the meaning, that so long as there are any to be brought unto Christ, so long there will be use of the law to discover sin, both 1. in the unregenerate,