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THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.

SERMON LIII.

ISA. Ixi. 1.-To proclaim liberty to the captives.

H

AVING, in the preceding difcourfe, fpoke to the first of the doctrines which we took from this part of the subject, we go on to

DOCT. II. That Jefus Chrift, with the exprefs confent of his Father, has iffued out his royal proclamation of liberty to Satan's captives: He bath fent me to proclaim liberty to the captives.

IN illuftrating this doctrine, we shall, I. Shew what this proclamation is.

II. Explain what liberty is proclaimed in the gospel to Satan's captives.

III. Mention fome of the circumstances attending this proclamation. And then,

IV. Subjoin the improvement of the subject.

WE

WE are,

I. To fhew what this proclamation is. This royal proclamation iffued out by Jesus Christ, is the gofpel, the glad tidings of falvation. The gofpel is the proclamation of the King of heaven to poor finners, in which he proclaims liberty to all the captives of Satan, to whom it comes. The law lays the heavy yoke of the curfe upon finners, the gofpel brings the offer of liberty. Here we obferve,

You

1. That it is a jubilee-proclamation. have the law of jubilee, which was every fiftieth year, when feven times feven were over: Lev. XXV. 10. "And ye fhall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof; it fhall be a jubilee unto you; and ye fhall return every man into his poffeffion, and ye shall return every man unto his family." It was proclaimed by found of trumpet, on the day of atonement, ver. 9. then all the poor flaves got their liberty, whether their masters. were willing to part with them or not; and all thofe who had been obliged to mortgage or fell their lands returned to the poffeffion of them again. And fo it was a proclamation which made many a heart glad. Now, the gofpel is fuch a proclamation, and the time of it is a year of jubilee. Jefus came, Ifa. Ixi. 2. "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn;" compare 2 Cor. vi. 2. "Behold, now is the accepted time! behold, now is the day of falvation!" O! good news, finners, there was a day of atonement on the crofs, and now the trumpet of the gofpel foundeth, and there is a proclamation, bearing that Satan's captives may now have their liberty, tho' their master be not willing to part with them;

that

that the mortgaged inheritance of heaven and God's favour, though forfeited, may be poffeffed; poor criminals and-bankrupts may return to them again.

2. It is a conqueror's proclamation to captives. The king of Babylon took the Jews captive, and held them feventy years in captivity; but God raised up Cyrus, Ifa. xlv. 1.-4. and he overturned the Babylonian empire; the deftruction of that kingdom was the deliverance of the Jews, for he proclaimed liberty to them to return to their own land. This alfo was a type of the gofpel-proclamation. Satan warred against mankind, he carried them all captive into his own kingdom; and there was none to deliver out of his hand. But King Jefus has engaged him, routed all his forces, overturned his kingdom, and taken the kingdom to himself: Col. ii. 15. " And having fpoiled principalities and powers, he made a fhew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." 1 John, iii. 8. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifefted, that he might deftroy the works of the devil." And now being fettled on his throne, his royal proclamation is iffued out, that Satan's captives may again return into the kingdom of God,

WE fhall now,

II. Explain what liberty is proclaimed in the gofpel to Satan's captives.

This is the great fubject of the proclamation; and that you may fee the riches of this proclamation, know that Chrift by the gospel proclaims to every poor finner to whom it comes,

1. Liberty from the power and flavery of Satan: Acts, xxvi. 18. "He turns them from the power of Satan unto God." Every one who is

willing

willing to quit their old mafter the devil, may come away without his leave. You are welcome to Jefus the conqueror, and the conquered tyrant fhall not have power to keep you. Now, "the Spirit and the bride fay unto you, Come; and let him that heareth fay, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whofoever will, let him take of the water of life freely," Rev. xxii. 17. He is a ftrong one, but there is a stronger one than he, who will break his yoke from off your necks, make his iron fetters to give way, like ropes which are burnt with fire. And though, as long as you are here, he will be molefting you, yet he shall never, never gain his former power over you, and you fhall at length be completely freed from the leaft moleftation by him: "The God of peace fhall bruife Satan under your feet shortly," Rom. xvi. 20. He proclaims,

2. Liberty from the law as a covenant of works: Rom. vi. 14. "You are not under the law, but under grace." Satan's captives are under the law as a covenant of works, and it lays a heavy yoke upon them, namely, perfect obedience, under the pain of the curfe, Gal. iii. 10. "For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curfe, for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law, to do them." This curfe they carried away with them when they went into captivity, and it abides on them always, till they be loofed from it. Now, Chrift proclaims liberty from this curse, offers to bring finners from under the dominion of the law, to be under grace, where there is no more curfe: Gal. iii. 13. « Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law." Here they are provided with a righteoufnefs imputed to them, and not set to seek it by their own works; where,

in

in cafe of finning, the utmost penalty is fatherly chaftisement, Pfal. lxxxix. 30.-33. Thus he offers to take off the law's yoke, to set you without the reach of its curse, and to lay on his own yoke, which is easy, Matth. xi. 29.—Jesus proclaims,

3. Liberty from the dominion and bondage of fin: Rom. vi. 14. "Sin fhall not have dominion over you." Satan's captives are all the drudges of fin. It does not only dwell in them, as it does in the best, but it reigns over them, fills their hearts and hands continually with its work, fo that they can do nothing else but fin: Pfal. xiv. 3. "There is none that doeth good, no not one." It lays its commands on them, which are a law which they cannot difpute, but must obey; it has its feveral lufts in the heart, which are chains to them as its captives, the handles by which it holds. them, and drags them after it. Now, Chrift proclaims liberty from this, and his Spirit effects it: Rom. viii. 2. " The law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus, makes them free from the law of fin and death." He will break fin's dominion, loose the chains of unmortified lufts, and fet the prisoners free John, viii. 32. "Ye fhall know the truth, and the truth fhall make you free." And though fin may dwell for a season, as an unclean, unwelcome gueft, he will at length extirpate it wholly. He proclaims,

4. Liberty from the ruining influence of this prefent evil world: Gal. i. 4. "Who gave himself for our fins, that he might deliver us from this prefent evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." This world has a ruining influence on Satan's captives. The things of this world work their deftruction, the fmiles of it are killing Prov. i. 32. "The profperity of fools

fhall

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