A76991:548
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.
But though we are to go when Gods Spirit moves, Answ. 2 yet are we not to neglect when we do not perceive such sensible motions of the Spirit. Grace moves us, or should move us to converse with God every day, and if so, the Spirit moves, the Spirit regenerated, though the Spirit regenerating doth not appear, and Gods Spirit may move secretly, though not apparently, and sensibly to thy soul.
But though we are to goe when Gods Spirit moves, Answ. 2 yet are we not to neglect when we doe not perceive such sensible motions of the Spirit. Grace moves us, or should move us to converse with God every day, and if so, the Spirit moves, the Spirit regenerated, though the Spirit regenerating doth not appeare, and Gods Spirit may move secretly, though not apparently, and sensibly to thy soule.
Besides, if you look for an immediate call upon the duty, then you will not do duty out of obedience to the command. We must do duty sometime out of obedience, although we want both a heart to it, and a heart in it. That duty is esteemed of God which is gotten and wrested out of the hands of the flesh, which is done against temptations and gain-sayings. ⟨p. 203⟩Besides, if you will never go to duty but when the Spirit sensibly moves, you would often want that communion with God which you do enjoy; How often have you gone to prayer with a dead heart, and rose with a quick heart, with a strait, and rose again with an enlarged heart, with a dejected, and rose comforted? How often when you could find no such motion of God before to it, have you yet met with God in the duty, and enjoyed God, in a prayer, in a glorious sweet way? Isa. 64.5. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth, and worketh righteousness, them that remember thee in thy ways: God loves to meet those that are in his way. Though the Miller be not able to command a wind, yet he will spread his sails, be in the way to have it, if it come. Though the lame man could not get into the waters, nor command the movings of them: yet he would lye 38. years by the waters side, and no question with a deal of longing every time the waters moved; Oh that some would throw me in! So though we cannot bring the Spirit to us, yet let us set our selves in the way for him to meet with us. Hold up the performance of duty: by them you come to see the