Serm CXCIII: Refulf ofChriflidnity. it were Lord of the eftate ; and then it follows, If theSon thereförefhall make you free, ye fhall he free indeed. Inwhich words our Saviour feems to allude to a cuflom ivhich was in.fomeof the Cities ofGreece, and perhaps in other places, whereby the Son and heir had a Powerto adopt Brethren, and to give them the liberty and privilegeof the Family. If the Son of God fet you free from this fpiritual flavery, and adopt you to be his Brethren , Then areyoufree indeed ; not only in a vain opinion and conceit, as you take your felves to be by virtue of being Abraham's Children ; but reallyand in truth; ye (hall be afferted to a truer and more excellent kind of liberty, than that whichye value your felves fo much upon by virtue of being Abraham's Seel Thenfhallye be free indeed. . So that our Saviour's meaning is plainly this ; that the Do&rive ofthe Chriftian Religion, which the Son of God carne to preach to the world, heartilyembraced, does affert men to the'trueft and molt perfe& kindof liberty. I know this is but a Metaphor wherebythe Benefits and Advantageswhich the Do&rineof God our Sa- viour hath brought to mankind, are expreft and fet forth to us 3 but it is a very eafie and fit Metaphor, and does convey the thing intended very fully to our minds, and hath a great deal of Truth and Reality under it. And to the end we may un- derftand it the better, I (hall do thefe two things. Firfl, Obferve to you in the general, That the Spirit of God, in the holySeri- ptures, delightsvery much to fet forth to us the Benefits and Advantages of the Chriftian Religion, by Metaphors taken from fuch things as are moll pleafant and defirable to men. Secondly, I (hall Phew particularly in what refpeds the Son of God by his Do- &rinemakesusfree. For when the Son is faid remake tofree, we are tounderftand, that it is by his Doctrine; for that our Saviour had exprefly faid before, refhall know the truth, and the truthJhall make youfree. Firs, I (hall obferve to you in the general, that the Spirit of God, in the holy Scriptures, delights very much to fet forth to usthe Benefits and Advantages of the Chriftian Religion, by Metaphors taken from fuch things as are molt pleafant and defirable to men ; more efpeciallyby thefe three, ofLight , Life, and Liberty, than which nothing can be named that is moredelightful and valuable to men. By light- ; of which Solomon fays that it 'is fweet, and apleafant thingforthe eyes to behold the Sun. Hence our Saviour is calld The.Sun ofrighteoufnefs, Mal. 4. 2% and the light of the world. And ver. i2.ofthis Chapter, I am the light ofthewsiorld; be that fblloweth me, (hall not walk in darknefs. And Chap. r.. 9. he is called the true light, That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world ; or, as the words fhould rather be tranflated , which coming into the world, lighteth every man. He is faid Togive light to them that fit in darknefs, and in the fhadow ofdeath, Luke 7. 79. To be a light to lighten the Nations, Luke2.32. And the Doctrine which he preached is called a light, John 3. 19. This is the con- demnation, That light is come into the world, andmen loveddarknefs rather than light. And 2 Cor. 4. 6. the Gofpel is called The light ofthe knowledge of theglory ofGod, in the face offefus Chrid. So likewife by the Metaphor of life ; which is that which menvalue above all other things. John i i. 25. I am the Refurreilion and the life. And John 4. 6. I am the way, the truth, and the life. And becaufe bread is, the chief fupport of life, our Saviour is likewife fet forth to us under that notion, John 6. 32. For the breadof God is he which cometh downfrom Heaven, andgiveth life unto the world. And we are faid to have life through his name, John 20.3 I. But theft arewritten, thatye might beleive that Jefus is the ChriFt, the Son ofGod, and that believing, ye might have life through his name. And the Doctrine of theGofpel is likewifecalled The word of life, Phil. 2. 16. 1 And to come to my prefent purpofe, the Benefits and Advantagesof the Gofpel are frequently reprefented to us under the notion of libertyand redemption from fla- very and bondage, which among men is valued next to Life it felt Hence are thofeTitles given to our Saviour, of a Redeemer, and Deliverer ; and he is Paid to have obtained eternal redemptionfor us, Heb. 9. 12. He is faid To have given him- fe 6i5'
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