grace and as much difficulty in getting this grace of hope as there is in faith And thus I have done with the 4. branch of an unconverted mans misery that hee is without any well grounded hopes for heaven SERMON XV. EPHES. 2. 12. And without God in the World WE come now to the fifth misery of men by Nature which is this that they are without God in the World and here first I shall give you something from the order of the words and then unfold them and then draw out some Doctrines from them Quest. 1. For the order of the words Why is their being without Christ put in the first place of the Text and their being without God put in the last place Answ Answ Their being without Christ is put in the first place because it was the inlet of all their misery and their being without God is put in the last place because it is the finall upshot of mans misery it is the inlet of a mans misery to bee without Christ and it is his misery to be an alien to the Common-wealth of Israel and a stranger to the Covenant of Promise and to be without hope and it is the upshot of all thy misery to be without God in the World and here I shall shew you that there are multitudes of men and women in the World that are without God though they doe every day worship God yet they may live all their dayes without God but before I speak to this I must unfold two or three things in the words as Object 1. How can it be said here that they were without God in the World when the Apostle says in another place that the wicked cannot be without God the Lord is not farre from every one of us for in him we live and move and have our being here the Apostle sayes that wicked men are not far from God and that they live in God and therefore how can it be said in the Text that wicked men are without God in the World whereas we are all Gods off-spring and come from God how can this be Answ Answ The answer is very easie and that is this that in some sense there is no man nor creature in the World without God and yet in another sense there are multitudes of men that are without God in the World 1. In some sense there is no man can be said to be without God that is by way of creation preservation sustentation and ruling over us every one is in God by way of creation and preservation c. But how in another sense there are multitudes of people without God this is in a way of speciall interest in him without a reconciled God without God as a Father to you in Jesus Christ without a God that you can lay claim to as yours in this sense multitudes of people are without God in the World 2. Another thing that I shall explaine to you is this what it is to be without God and without God in the World I answer that to be without God it includes in it in Scripture phrase these four things 1. To be without the knowledge of the true God 2. To be without the true worship of the true God 3. To be without a true obedience to the true God And 4. To be without a peculiar interest and propriety in God 1. To be without God is to be without the knowledge of the true God then a man is said to be without God when he doth not know the true God Every man in the World hath something or other to be his God as in Jonah 1. 5 6. when there was a great tempest upon the Sea and the ship like to be cast away that Jonah was in it is said that every man prayed to his God and Jonah be prayed to the Lord his God and so in Micah 4. 5. For all people will walk every one in the name of his God and we wil walk in the name of our God for ever and ever Every man may have something to worship as a God and yet be without the true God those are said to be without God that are without the knowledg of the true God as you may see in 2 Chr. 15. 3. it is said there that for a long time Israel was without the true God without God how so doth not God rule and governe and preserve the World yes but they are said to be without God because they were without the knowledge of God for if you mark the next words it is said they were without the teaching Priest and without the Law so that all the while they lay in ignorance of the true God they were said to be without God 2. Men may be said to be without God when they are without the true worship of the true God all the while the children of Israel had the Ark among them which was the signe of Gods presence all that while God was among them but when the Ark was taken God was gone too the Lord will be with you while you are with him while you worship God sincerely and uprightly according to his wil so long God will be with you 3. To be without God is to live without true obedience to the true God when men doe so live as that the commands of God bear no sway over them it is a signe they are without God as in Psal 81. 11. My people saith God would not hear my voyce and Israel would have none of me the not obeying of Gods commands is a not having of God thou art without God in the world oh man unto whose conscience the soveraignty and authority of a God cannot give a check and a controll to thy lusts to bring thee into obedience to him 4. To be without God in the world is to be without a peculiar interest and propriety in God as your God when you cannot say that God is your Father Now if you ask me in which of these four senses these Ephesians here in the text were without God I answer that they were without God in all of them for while they were in a state of Gentilism they were without the knowledge of the true God and without the worship of the true God and without any obedience to the true God and without any reall interest and propriety in God but chiefly the two latter are included in this phrase the generall point of Doctrine that I shall observe from this last branch of mans misery shall be this Doctr. That every man during the state of his unregeneracy is without God in the world this only in the generall But here some may enquire what is meant by this expression without God in the World The meaning is that they were without any propriety or interest in God in this world and if they are without God in this world they must of necessity bee without God in another world And thus you have the words explained to you I
wayes entertain and harbour thoughts of Atheisme in thy heart Why so farre as thou hast done so labour to bemoan and bewaile it and be humbled for it and to strive against and keep under this great sinne of Atheisme in time to come Use 2 Use 2. This shall be by way of consolation to comfort and support your hearts it may be there are some of you that hear me this day that are the precious servants of God and yet in some kinde or other have been tempted to this sinne of Atheisme well for your comfort consider these two or three things 1. Art thou tempted to Atheisme why yet consider that so was Jesus Christ himself he was tempted to Atheisme and Blasphemy when the Devill tempted him to fall down and worship him why so though thou hast been tempted to Atheisme and to forget Gods Al-seeing Eye over thee or the like yet this may be for thy comfort that Christ himself was tempted as well as thee as the Apostle saies in Heb. 2. 18. in that Christ suffered and was tempted hee is able to succour those that are tempted Christ was tempted to fall down and worship the very Devill but though Christ was tempted yet the Devill could finde no corrupt matter in Christ to work upon When the Devill shook Christ he shook a pure Crystall-glasse of clear water his Nature was like a Crystall-glasse full of clean water without any muddinesse or corruption at all but if the Devill should shake any of us he would finde abundance of dirty and muddy water in the bottome and corrupt matter enough in our natures to work upon 2. Consider that though you are tempted by the Devill to the sin of Atheisme yet these temptations if you do not approve of them nor yeeld to them shall be charged upon the Devill as his sins and not upon you And thus you see I have briefly dispatched this Doctine that every man by nature is a practicall Atheist living in the world as if there were no God in the world SERMON XVII EPHES. 2. 12. And without God in the World BEsides that Doctrine which I finisht the last sabbath there is something else in the Text wicked men are without God in the World that is they are without any speciall interest or propriety in God as their God the words doe not only imply that they live as if there were no God in the World but they live without any right interest or propriety in God as their God though they are not without wisdome or wealth or goods and estate or honour and esteeme in the World yet they are without any reall interest or propriety in God as their God they are without God in the World from whence I would note you this Doctrine Doctr. That every man by nature is without any reall interest or propriety in God as his God Now Beloved before I come to handle the point I shall onely premise three conclusions by way of explanation to delucidate the point and shew you what I mean by this Doctrine as 1. Take this conclusion that in some sense there is no creature in the world that is without God though in other regards men may be truly said to be without God in some sense there are none without God that is by way of Creation and preservation so the worst Devill in hell may say that God is his God and 2. A wicked man may have God to be his God by way of profession he may professe to know God and professe that God is his God but now in another sense a wicked man cannot be said to have God for his God that is in a way of relation and reconciliation for God to be a God in Covenant with him through Jesus Christ 2. Take this conclusion that though multitudes of people may lay claim to God as their God yet there are but a few men in the world that have God to be their God in a Covenant way as in Zach. 13. 8 9. the Lord there lookes upon the Jewish Church under a threefold consideration And it shall come to passe that in all the land saith the Lord two parts therein shall be cut off and die but the third shall be left therein and I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as Gold is tryed they shall call on my name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God though you all lay claime to God yet there may be but one part in three that can truly say that God is their God in covenant with them 3. Take this conclusion that such is the deceitfulnesse and delusion of mens hearts naturally that the worst of men are ready to beleive and think that God is their God when hee is not as you may read in Jer. 3. 4 5. sayes God there they shall cry unto me My Father thou act the guide of my youth and yet sayes God thou hast done evill as much as thou couldst so in Psal 14. 1. The 〈◊〉 hath said in his heart there is no God they have corrupted and done abominable workes there is none that doth good those that have not God in their hearts nor in all their ways yet they will lay claim to God as their God though they have committed abominable works and done evill as much as they could Thus much for the conclusion I come now to handle a practicall question that necessarily must be spoken to in the purfuance of this Doctrine which is this Quest Quest What are the characters of those men that are without any reall interest and propriety in God as their God in a way of Covenant and relation This question I do the rather resolve upon the consideration of the great delusion and mistake that mens hearts are very apt to run into to think that God is their God when he is not and therefore I shall lay down to you seven distinguishing characters of such men and it may be I may come neer the bosomes of many of you though the Lord knows I would not stagger the hope of the least of you that have a reall and well grounded interest in Jesus Christ those men are without any reall interest in God as their God 1. That are without any effectual knowledge of God as their God 2. Those that live without making the Word of God to be their rule 3. Those that live in the world without making the wayes of God to be their pleasure 4. Those that live in the World without making the glory of God to be their aime 5. Those that live in the World without making the day of the Lord to be their delight 6. Those that live in the World without making the people of God to be the objects of their Love and Lastly those that live in the world without making sinne to be the object
for it as the Apostle sayes But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alwayes to give an answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear Now examine your selves what grounds can you give for your hopes of heaven have you a promise for it or one Scripture ground for it or the witnesse of the Spirit for it if not then doe not nourish any hopes of heaven in your hearts Thus I have laid down these four conclusions I come now to handle the query it self which is this Quest Quest What are the characters whereby it may be knowne whether you are such a one that hath no hopes for heaven or a meer deluding an ungrounded and presumptuous hope as good as no hope Answ The hearts of all the sons of men are desperately wicked and deceitfull above all things man is a proud creature and apt to have proud and high conceits of himself and therefore I shall give you five distinguishing characters whereby you may know whether your hopes for heaven be true and well grounded hopes or no. 1. That man that nourisheth in his heart great hopes for heaven and yet at the same time fosters and favours great lusts and sins in himself that man hath no true hopes for heaven I shall give you a clear place to prove this Deut. 29. 15. And it come to passe when hee heareth the words of this curse if he shall blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of my heart to add drunkennesse to thirst c. The Lord will not spare such a man but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and so in Esay 57. 20. sayes the Prophet there Thou art wearied in the greatnesse of thy wicked wayes yet saidst thou not There is no hope it is a very strange place as if the Prophet should say to them you walk in a great course of sin and wickednesse and yet you flatter you selves you will not say there is no hope for you you that doe nourish great sins and wickednesse in your bosomes and allow your selves in the practise of great sins you should say there is no hope for you to goe to heaven for God does here charge it upon you that notwithstanding you walk on in wayes of sin yet you say not there is no hope but are rather very confident you shall go to heaven for all that and so in Psal 36. 1 2. The transgression of the wicked saith in his heart there is no fear of God before his eyes and yet sayes the Psalmist he flatters himselfe with vain hopes of heaven wicked men have heaven and the hopes thereof in their eyes when they have sinne in their hearts and this shews that their hope is onely a deluding and a vain hope 2. That man hath no true hope but onely a presumptuous and vain hope for heaven that is strong in his expectations of heaven as his aim and end but slow in his actions and endeavours after holinesse as his way he that can with Baalam desire to dye the death of the righteous but never care nor desire to live the life of the righteous that mans hope is but a vain hope as the Psalmist hath it in Psalm 119. 155. Salvation is farre from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes and if salvation be far the hope of salvation is as far but why is salvation far from the wicked because they seeke not Gods statutes those men that hope that salvation is neer them when they are far from seeking after Gods statutes and endeavouring after holinesse as the way to happinesse these men are far from salvation and the hope of salvation too 3. That man hath only deluding hopes for heaven that is unwilling to have his hope tryed examined and come to the touchstone those that will not as the Apostle bids us be ready to give to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear now let me ask you what ground you can give for your hopes in heaven have you the testimony of Gods Spirit for it or the testimony of a good conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your conversation here in this world have you a promise or any ground in scripture for your hopes if you have no ground for your hopes and cannot indure to come to the triall or touchstone it is an argument that you are counterfeit metall that you have no reall hopes for salvation and happinesse in another World 4. That man that builds his hopes for heaven more upon his own performances then upon Gods promises his hope is only a deluding hope this is that sandy ground Christ speaks of in Matth. 7. ult To build your hopes of heaven upon any services you doe or any duties you perform it is all one as if you should goe about to build a house upon the sand ask a wicked man whereon he grounds his hopes for heaven he will tell you that he does the works of charity he gives every man his due and he lives honestly and civilly amongst his neighbours hee hears and reads the Word he prayes and receives the Sacrament he does such and such good duties and this is that which they build hopes for heaven upon they think that Christ is espoused for them because they are bidden to the Wedding Supper for the Ordinances of Christ are his marriage supper they are ready to say with those in Luk. 13. 26. We have eaten and drunken in they presence Lord Lord open to us I doe not deny but a man may have evidence from his graces from the work of God upon his heart but the great pillar of Marble that must bear up thy hope must be the promise of God in Christ he that builds his hopes for heaven only upon his own performances and good duties his hope is a vain and deluding hope I doe not deny but the graces of Gods spirit are reall evidences of Gods love to the Soul as the Apostle sayes By this we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the Brethren and again By this we know that we are of God because of his spirit which he hath given us but I say this is not the main pillar and ground of our hope we should be so fervent in prayer and diligent in the performance of holy duties as if we did expect to be saved by our duties but when we have done all that we can we must lay down all at the feet of Christ and conclude that our best righteousnesse is but as filthy rags and when wee have done all that we can do we are unprofitable servants and we must wholly and only depend upon the merits and mercies of Christ for salvation and comfort 5. That
Another instance is in 1 King 18. 25. between Elijah the Prophet and the Prophets of Baal Elijah the Prophet tooke two Bullocks and bid the Prophets of Baal to chuse one and you must think they would not chuse the worst of them and he took the other and yet the Lord shewed a token of acceptance to Elijah and his sacrifice though it was the worst of the Bullocks and shewed no acceptance to the Prophets of Baal and the reason of it was because Elijah was a justified man in the sight of God when the others were not And so again in Prov. 15. 8. it is said there that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the wright is his delight God doth delight in a poore pennilesse prayer coming from a godly man when he will not accept of a costly sacrifice coming from a wicked man 4. The bare performance of duties can be no prop to build hopes for heaven upon because God doth not look so much upon the matter of the duty what you do perform as to the manner how and the end why you doe perform them though it may be the duty which you perform be the same for the matter of them as God requires and commands yet if they be not done in a right manner God lookes upon it as nothing God will not own those duties as done to him that are not done in a right manner and to a right end as in Joh. 16. 24. Hitherto sayes Christ you have asked nothing in my name aske and receive that your joy may be full and yet they had put up many petitions in his name but because they did it not in a right manner Christ lookt upon it as if they had asked nothing at all 5. Another false prop that wicked men build hopes of heaven upon is a meere mistake of the promises and pillar of hope in Scripture and this is done two wayes either 1. They make those promises to be props of hope which are not or 2. They doe misapply those promises that are true grounds of hope 1. They make those to be props of hope which are not I shall name you three of them the first is that passage in our common Liturgy At what time soever a sinner doth repent from the bottome of his heart I will blot out all his sins out of my remembrance saith the Lord This very sentence hath been a means to delude a world of men whereas indeed it is no ground at all to build hopes for heaven upon for 1. There are no such words as these to be found in the whole Scripture and 2. The place where these words are found it is onely in the common Liturgie which Liturgie is but an abstract of the Popish Masse for though all that is in the Popish Masse be not in the Common-Prayer yet all that is in the Common-Prayer is in the Popish Masse it may be you will scarse beleeve this but it is very true as you may see if you look into the second volume of the Book of Martyrs the 667. page where there is a Letter inserted of King Edward the sixth sent to the Papists in Cornwall who were risen up in armes about the translating of the Masse into Englsh which they would by no meanes agree to but rose up to oppose it King Edward to pacifie them wrote to them on this manner As for the Service-booke the translating of it may seem to you to be some new thing but they are the very same words in English which were before in Latine and if the Masse book which is in Latine be good then it is as good now though it be translated into English 3. You will say the Lord himself said these words At what time a sinner doth repent I will blot all his sins out of my remembrance saith the Lord I answer that it is not said so in the whole Book of God and if you look into that Text of Scripture which they ground these words upon that the Lord did say so you shall finde it otherwise it is in Ezek. 18. 21. mark the words these are Gods words indeed If a wicked man will turn from all the sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and doe that which is lawful and right he shal surely live and not dye They say if a wicked man does repent of his sins now repentance is a generall work Judas did repent but his repentance did him no good but here you see it is said that if a wicked man turn from all his evill wayes and do that which is lawfull and right then he shall surely live 2. Another Scripture-prop which wicked men build their hopes for heaven upon but is indeed no prop is this that the righteous man sinneth seven times a day this is one of the greatest props a wicked man hath sayes he what doe you tell me of my sins the best men have their failings the righteous sin seven times a day and why may not I goe to heaven as well as they wicked men make this a great prop to their hopes when indeed there is no place of Scripture like this in the whole Bible that which comes nearest to it is in Prov. 24. 16. A just man falleth seven times and riseth again but the wicked fall into mischief now here is no mention of falling into sin in the text nor no mention of a day but only thus a just man falleth seven times and riseth again St. Austin gives this sense of the word a godly man falleth seven times that is often times expounding this place with that in Job 5. 19. The Lord will be with thee in six troubles and in seven there shall no evill touch thee A righteous man sayes Augustine falleth seven times not sinneth seven times he doth not fall into sin but into affliction the righteous falleth seven times that is the godly in this world are liable to fall seven times into affliction that is very often into afflictions and troubles while he lives here in this world according to that of Job In six troubles and in seven the Lord shall deliver thee meaning oftentimes and therefore this place carries no reference at all of falling into sin seven times a day 2. Suppose it were so that the righteous did sin seven times a day yet the text sayes in the next words that as often as he falleth he riseth again now it may be many of you that make this a prop for your hopes of heaven doe fall into sin day after day and never rise out of them again by repentance you leave out these words and riseth again for many of you live your whole lives long in an evill course you wallow and lye down in sin and therefore this can be no prop for your hopes 3. Another sentence which they make a Scripture prop but is not is this that Christ died for all and for
by meaning and purposing to be rich but by labouring and endeavouring after it so no man ever went to heaven by good meanings without good actions accompanying them 2. But say they we do no body any harm but pay every man his own Ans 1. Though you pay every man his own yet do you give God his own or rather do you not wrong God and do him infinite indignities 2. Though you do not do man wrong yet doe you not your own souls wrong as we use to say of free-hearted men they are enemies to no man but themselves So now do not you doe your own souls wrong by harbouring of bosome lusts and corruptions in your souls What benefit will it be to thee that you do no body else wrong when you doe your own souls wrong you are no better then the Pharisees for they were very exact in giving every man his due the proud Pharisee could boast in Luk. 18. 11. I am no extortioner nor unjust man you may mean well and give every man his own and yet be a wicked man SERMON XIV EPHES. 2. 12. Having no hope WE come now to the last prop that wicked men doe build their hopes of heaven upon which is this if you beat them off from all the former props from their small sins from the mercies of God in generall from their good duties and good meanings c. then they run to this last plea say they Have not we reason to nourish hopes for heaven for we have been present with dying men that have been as bad as wee in their life time and yet they have had very strong hopes for heaven and strong hopes in God and you know dying men will speak the truth and therefore why may not we nourish hopes for heaven as well as they This is a very strong prop wicked men build their hopes upon but I shall shew you the rottennesse and insufficiency of it in these three or four particulars 1. You must know that it is one thing to die stupidly and another thing to die hopefully and peaceably indeed the worst men in the world may die stupidly their consciences may not doe its office when they die they may have their consciences feared as it were with a hot iron and think they are going to heaven and never think otherwise till they drop down into hell but now the godly they die full of peace and comfort as in Psal 37. 37. Mark the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace but there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Esai 57. 41. There may be a fearednesse of conscience and stupidity of heart but they cannot die peaceably and in hope 2. You that make this a prop for your hope because you have seen wicked men die peaceably like Lambs let me tell you thus much that it is the greatest judgement in the world for a wicked man to die peaceably and quietly in delusions and conceits of going to heaven when they are tumbling down headlong to hell it were better for him that God did let the flashings of hell fire to flie in his face it were better for him that his conscience did tell him his danger and his doom then thus to die in a stupid manner In Job 21. 23. it is said that a wicked man dies in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet no sin troubles him nor no danger makes him afraid so in Psal 73. 4 5. they have no bands in their death but their strength is firm they are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued as other men they have no trouble in their life time and no bands in their death now this is rather to be looked upon as a judgement upon them and not as a mercy 3. If this peace and quietnesse in a wicked mans conscience did arise from any grounded assurance or hope of heaven then it might be lookt upon as a blessing but when it doth arise meerly from the delusions of his own heart then it is nothing but as it were a golden dore to let him into hell it shall be with him as in Esai 29. 8. An hungry man dreameth and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty so a wicked man dreams he is going to heaven when he is falling down into hell 4. There may be great hopes of heaven exprest in a dying mans words when there is not so much peace and quietnesse in his heart as in Prov. 14. 23. In the midst of laughter the heart is sorrowfull In the midst of a wicked mans boasting there is a fear of hel 5. Though you have seen some men that have dyed with stupidity of heart depart quietly yet there are other wicked men whose consciences are awakened that die full of horror and terror and amazement When their consciences tell them they have dyed swearers or lyers or drunkards or adulterers c. they are filled with horror and terror of conscience that though he thought all his life time he should goe to heaven yet he now fears he is going down into hell And thus I have done with the third Question in shewing you the reasons why seeing the Scripture saies that a wicked man hath no hope that of all the men in the world wicked men do nourish greatest hopes for heaven in their hearts there are only two queries more to handle and then come to the fifth branch of mans misery Quest 4 4. The fourth Query in order is this that seeing the Scripture sayes a wicked man hath no hope and esteems of their false and presumptuous hope to be as good as no hope then how shall we know the difference between those well grounded hopes a godly man hath and those presumptuous and deluding hopes wicked men have Answ Ans I shall here give you six apparent differences between them 1. The hopes of a godly and regenerate man for heaven it is gotten by and grounded upon the word of God and therefore it is called the hope of the Gospell because it is gotten by the Gospell as the means and grounded upon the Gospell as the end that we sayes the Apostle through the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope a godly man hath his comforts from the Scriptures Psal 119. 49. Good is the word of the Lord wherein thou hast caused thy servant to hope But now the hopes of wicked men as they are gotten they know not how so neither do they know upon what they are grounded and this is the reason why they are called presumptuous hopes for this is presumption when a man does beleeve a thing when he can have no visible nor likely means to ground or bottome his hopes upon 2. True and patient hope is bottomed upon the mercies of God and the merits of Jesus Christ and hence it is that Christ is called our hope because he is the foundation on
love upon your belly you make your belly your God or if upon pleasures then you make pleasures your God and so of any thing else And therefore beloved I beseech you look to it and examine your selves is not God undervalued sometimes when your lusts are set in the throne is not God sometimes very low in your estimation and other things set above him if it be so it is meer Atheisme in your hearts 7. That man is an Atheist that makes no conscience of keeping those vowes and covenants he hath made with God The Scripture looks upon that man as an Atheist that does not make conscience of performing those covenants which he hath made with God in Josh 24. 25 26. there Joshua made a covenant with the people and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem and he wrote these words in the book of the Law of God and took a great stone and set it up there under an oake that was by the Sanctuary of the Lord and Joshua said unto all the people Behold this stone shall be a witnesse unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us it shall be there for a witnesse unto you lest ye deny your God and therefore those men that do call the covenant that we have made with hands lifted up to the high God an old Almanack out of date and do scorn and despise the oath they have taken and make no conscience of keeping the vowes and covenants they have made with God the Scripture looks upon such men as very Atheists and beloved in this regard there are more Atheists now in England then ever there were since the world stood But the Lord will manifest himself to be a just God though wicked men do despise his covenant and count it as an unholy thing 8. That man is a very Atheist whose conscience does never trouble him nor check him for the commission of any sinne That man that can be drunk to day and swear to morrow and cheat the next day and commit one sin after another and yet his conscience never give him any controll that man is a very Atheist Those that can live in the world and commit grosse sins every day and their consciences never check them for their sinnes it is a sad sign that such men are practicall Atheists If you have the fear of God in you and the thoughts of a God upon you it will make you reflect upon sins past and be grieved for sinnes and miscarriages of twenty years standing thus did Josephs brethren call to minde their former sins Gen. 42. 21. And they said one to another We have verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we would not hear him and therefore is this evill come upon us and so Job Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth and so David prays that God would not remember the sins of his youth But now you that can be drunk one day after another and belch out one oath after another and commit one sinne after another and thy conscience never controll thee the Lord be mercifull to thee for thou art plunged into a depth of Atheisme One compares an Atheist to a duck in a pond if a man throwes a stone into the water where she is she will presently dive under but let it thunder or lighten never so much in the heavens she takes no notice of it so an Atheist he cannot endure that men should take notice of him or discover his wickednesse to reprove him or speak against him but let God thunder upon him never so much he will not be troubled at it did you live under the apprehensions of a Deity it is impossible your consciences should be so long and so frequently out of its office 9. Those men are very Atheists that do yeeld to a detestable indifferency in matters of Religion that man that will sleep in a whole skin and not dare to do any thing to the hazarding of his estate or person for the advancement of true religion such a man is a very Atheist I will give you a strange place for this in 1 King 18. 21. sayes Elijah the Prophet to the people How long will you halt between two opinions if the Lord be God then follow him but if Baal be God then follow him and the text saies the people held their peace and answered him not a word they neither said they would follow after God neither did they say they would follow after Baal if God were too strong for Baal they would be for God but if Baal did prevail they would follow after him which did manifest their Atheisme and that God was not their God that man that takes God to be his God must follow him through whatsoever troubles or afflictions hee meets withall in the world and indifferency in matters of religion does argue men to be very Atheists And therefore all time servers that live according to the times that are men of indifferent tempers any religion rather then fail will serve their turns such men are practical Atheists 10. Men do then shew themselves to be very Atheists when their practises shall palpably thwart and contradict their professions when they are such as those spoken of in Tit. 2. 16. that in their words do professe to know Christ but in their works they deny him Those that do professe themselves to be Christians and yet live like heathens that professe themselves to have an inheritance with the Saints in light and yet walk here as Children of darknesse such men are very Atheists And thus I have done with these 10. discoveries of a practicall Atheist I have given you thirteen in all three of them out of the Scripture and ten more deduced from the Scripture Use 1 Now the use that I shall make of this shall be by way of counsell and advice if this be so as you have heart that all unregenerate men are practicall Atheists they live as if there were no God in the world Oh then that you would bewaile this practical Atheism that is among you Doest thou favour thy self in the practise of secret sinnes or dost thou make no conscience of the performance of secret duties Doest thou make impunity to be a provocation to impiety and doest thou carry in thy minde a forgetfulnesse of the day of Judgement or doest thou distrust the providence of God in times of trouble and distresse Doest thou place thy affections upon any thing in the world more then upon God And doest thou make no conscience of performing the vowes and covenants thou hast made with God Does thy conscience never trouble thee after the commission of sinnes Art thou a luke warm and indifferent man in matters of Religion Doest thou professe to know God and in thy works deny him Doest thou any of these
SERMON preached on a speciall occasion On 1 COR. 15. 57. But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ THese words are a part of Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Triumphant Song In the Song there are two parts and this is the last 1. A confident Challenge 2. A solemne Thanksgiving The one is directed to the enemies the other to the giver of victory 1. A confident Challenge in which he outbraveth Death and all the powers of the Grave O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory the words allude to Ilos 13. 14. where Christ is brought in speaking I will ransome them from the power of Death and redeem them from the Grave O Death I will be thy plagues O Grave I will be thy destruction there is Christs ingagement and undertaking for a full conquest of Death Christ threatneth Death and the Apostle insulteth over it the form of the words is altered because the enemy was now faln and Paul proclaimeth the victory hitherto Death and the Grave had insulted over the misery and frailty of mankinde all the tombes and charnels of the World were but so many Monuments of Deaths conquests Golgotha the place of skuls seemed to be designed on purpose to upbraid and discourage our Redeemer so many skuls and rotten reliques of humane frailty as there were in that place so many Trophies and Monuments of triumph did Death produce before the eyes of Christ as if it were said to him Canst thou darest thou grapple and enter into the lists with such an enemy But our Lord was not discouraged when he ascended upon the Crosse he did as it were answer these bravings of Death thus O Death I will be thy plagues O Grave I will be thy destruction and because he was as good as his word and every way performed his ingagement the Apostle as one of Christs followers cometh and insulteth over this proud adversary that was now faln O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory This challenge is illustrated by a Prolepsis or an Anticipation of an objection some might ask What is this sting of Death What is this power of the Grave The Apostle answereth The sting of Death is sin the strength of sin is the Law Death cometh to have this power by sin and sin to have this power by the Law The sting of Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The prick it implyeth both the stroke of Death and the anguish of it as in the sting of a Serpent there is the deadly touch and the pain and torment of the wound and so it noteth the power of Death over us the prick or weapon by which it striketh is sin Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and the terrours and horrours of it which also doe arise from sin now by horrours I mean not onely the naturall aversation retirement or flight of the spirits but the bondage torment and despair that is upon the conscience as Death is a penall evill inflicted by the justice of God guilt maketh Death terrible so that a sinner is all his life time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 14 15. and kept under an awe of judgement to come 't is not alwayes felt but soon awakened especially in sicknesse and approaches of Death when we feel the cold hands of it ready to pluck out our hearts conscience is whipped with a scourge of six strings fear horrour distrust grief rage and shame The strength of sin is the Law How is that to be understood The Law giveth strength to sin ratione cognitionis obligationis augmentationis they are the words of a German Divine and will yeeld us a fit method wherein to open the matter 1. The Law discovereth sin and maketh it appear in its owne colours the more light and knowledge of the Law the more sense of sin as in transparent vessels dregs are soon discerned Rom. 6. 9. I was alive without the Law but when the Law came sin revived and I dyed When by a sound conviction all disguises are taken off from the conscience we finde sin to be sin indeed Paul was alive before that is in his owne hopes as many a stupid soul maketh full account he shall goe to heaven till conscience be opened and then they finde themselves in the mouth of Death and Hell 2. The Law giveth strength to sin in regard of the obligation of it it bindeth over a sinner to the curse and wrath of God God hath made a righteous Law which must have satisfaction and till the Law be satisfied we hear no news but of a curse and that maketh Death to be full of horrours there remaineth nothing but a fearfull expectation of the fiery indignation of the Lord. 3 It augmenteth and increaseth sin by forbidding it lusts are exasperated and rage upon a restraint as the yoke maketh the young bullock more unrulely Now put all together and you will understand the force of the expression The strength of sin is the Law the Discovery of the Law stoppeth the sinners mouth and the curse of the Law shutteth him up and holdeth him fast unto the judgement of the great day by which restraint sin groweth the more raging and furious all which put together make Death terrible not an end of misery but a door to open into Hell Now this being the case of every man what shall we do and how shall we extricate our souls from such a labyrinth of endlesse horrour You have an answer of that in the next verse in the Apostles Thanksgiving where he acquainteth you not onely with grounds of Hope but Triumph Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ In this thanksgiving you may observe 1. The Author of the mercy God by Jesus Christ 2. The manner how we come to be interested in it He giveth us victory Or rather you may observe 1 The Act of the Father as to Jesus Christ in that he appointed him to get the victory 2 The Act of the Father as to us in that hee applyeth this victory to our souls Christs victory and the application of it are the two grounds of this thanksgiving 1. Christs victory over Sin Death and the Law for it must be extended to all the things mentioned in the context they are enemies by combination and knit together in a fast league the Law giveth strength to sin and sin giveth a sting to Death as long as the Law hath power sin will be strong and as long as sin hath strength Death will bee terrible But Christ hath overcome Death he foyled it in his own person as I shall shew you anon fully and for Sin he hath taken away the guilt of it by his own merit and will destroy it more and more by the power of the Holy Ghost when he stood before the tribunall of God he stood there as a