Stand fast in liberty
And if your Lord has already fulfilled his word, if he has already written his law in your heart, then stand fast in the liberty, with which Christ has made you free (Galatians 5:1). You are not only made free from Jewish ceremonies, from the guilt of sin and the fear of hell: (these are so far from being the whole, that they are the least and lowest part, of Christian liberty:) but what is infinitely more, from the power of sin, from serving the devil, from offending God. O stand fast in this liberty, in comparison of which, all the rest is not even worthy to be named. Stand fast in loving God with all your heart, and serving him with all your strength. This is perfect freedom; thus to keep his law, and to walk in all his commandments blameless. Be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. I do not mean of Jewish bondage: nor yet of bondage to the fear of hell: these, I trust, are far from you. But beware of being intangled again with the yoke of sin, of any inward or outward transgression of the law. Abhor sin far more than death or hell; abhor sin itself, far more than the punishment of it. Beware of the bondage of pride, of desire, of anger; of every evil temper or word or work. Look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), and to that end, look more and more into the perfect law, the law of liberty (James 1:25). And continue in it: so you shall daily grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
1771 text
10. And if thy Lord hath already fulfilled his word, if he hath already written his law in thy heart, then stand fast in the liberty, wherewith Christ hath made thee free. Thou art not only made free from Jewish ceremonies, from the guilt of sin and the fear of hell: (these are so far from being the whole, that they are the least and lowest part, of Christian liberty:) but what is infinitely more, from the power of sin, from serving the devil, from offending God. O stand fast in this liberty, in comparison of which, all the rest is not even worthy to be named. Stand fast in loving God with all thy heart, and serving him with all thy strength. This is perfect freedom; thus to keep his law, and to walk in all his commandments blameless. Be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. I do not mean of Jewish bondage: nor yet of bondage to the fear of hell: these, I trust, are far from thee. But beware of being intangled again with the yoke of sin, of any inward or outward transgression of the law. Abhor sin far more than death or hell; abhor sin itself, far more than the punishment of it. Beware of the bondage of pride, of desire, of anger; of every evil temper or word or work. Look unto Jesus, and in order thereto, look more and more into the perfect law, the law of liberty. And continue therein: so shalt thou daily grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 34 in the 1771 Works. Romans 7:12.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.