The Heavenly Conversation and Natural Mans Condition, Analysis
A methodicall Analyſis of the principall things contained in this Sermon.
Doct.
THat we are by nature enemies of God.
1. Explication of the Termes.
1. The ſubject of the propoſition: Wee.
2. The qualification of the ſubject: by Nature.
3. The predicate, Enemies.
1. What conditions concurre to enmitie.
1. It muſt be between two.
2. It muſt be reciprocall.
3. It muſt bee betweene perſons in a reaſonable nature.
2. How it is here underſtood.
1. Actively, we are Enemies to God, and hate him.
2. Paſſively, God is an enemy to us and hates us.
Theſe are conſidered.
1. Ioyntly: in the ground of it, Diſſimilitude betweene God and us.
2. Severally.
1. We are by nature enemies to God.
1. Proved by Scripture.
2. Demonſtrated.
1. By the degrees of hatred.
1. Not to love ſo much as we ought:
Hatred is,
1. Abſolute.
2. Comparative.
2. Not to love at all.
Hatred is,
1. Negative.
2. Poſitive.
3. Poſitive ill will or hatred, which is,
1. Explicite,
1. Formall.
2. Implicite.
2. Interpretative.
II. By the degrees of corruption.
1. Originall.
2. Actuall.
III. By the object of
1. Love
1. Good.
2. Hatred
2. Evill.
1. Abſolute.
2. Relative.
IIII. By the nature of ſinne.
1. In generall, it is ſo oppoſite to God, as that the love of ſin argues a hatred of God.
2. In particular, ſin is enmitie to God.
1. Immediatly, in all the degrees of hatred.
1. Comparative, to love any thing more than God is to ha…e him.
2. Negative, the love of God hath no command in him.
1. Not in the underſtanding, if it were it would be knowne by theſe.
1. The minde and thoughts would alwayes run on the party loved.
2. Love is learned in the knowledge of all the perfections of the party.
3. Love is witty in deviſing meanes to injoy its love.
2. Not in the will and affections, expreſſed in three kinds of them.
1. Such as are converſant immediatly about the good we love, as
1. Abſent.
1. Deſire.
2. Preſent.
2. Ioy.
2. Such as are occupied about the will.
3. Mixt affections.
3. Not in the whole man: not in,
1. Tongue.
2. Reſt of the members.
3. Goods.
3. Poſitive haired: where is
1. Promiſed
1. Diſtinction of hatred,
1. Explicite.
2. Implicite.
2. Difference of degrees of corruption.
2. Proved that ſinne is direct enmitie to God: which is,
1. Illuſtrated: by the nature of oppoſition, as
1. Nature of love:
1. Affection it ſelfe, willing good.
2. Ground of it; for his ſake.
3. Effect or fruit of it.
2. Nature of hatred, which is oppoſite.
1. A wiſhing evill.
2. For himſelfe.
3. Indeavour to bring all that evill upon him.
2. Confirmed: in this propoſition.
2. That naturall men labour to bring all the evill upon God that they can.
1. Conſider by way of caution.
1. God is not capable of any injury.
2. The hurt reflects upon themſelves.
3. What is done by them to his hurt is directed by him to his honour.
2. By way of proofe. They wrong him,
1. By diſpleaſing of him.
1. Their beſt actions are diſpleaſing.
2. The more God forbids ſinne the more they deſire it.
3. They are moſt refractary in thoſe things God doth moſt earneſtly require.
2. By Diſhonoring of him.
1. By conceiving baſely of him in their minde.
2. By ſpeaking Diminitively of his Majeſtie.
3. By the deformity of ſin it ſelf.
4. By the contempt.
1. Sinning againſt
1. Commands.
2. Promiſes.
3. Threatnings.
2. Sinning in his preſence.
3. Sinning for ſo little advantage.
3. By damaging of him: making
1. The fleſh,
2. The world,
their God
3. The divell,
I. Mediately.
1. They love the enemies of God.
2. They hate his friends.
1. All the children of God.
2. Thoſe that have moſt ſimilitude with God.
3. Thoſe that are in more neare and ſpeciall relation to God.
II. God is an enemy to all men as they are by nature,
1. Explication.
1. How can God whoſe eſſence is himſelfe, be ſaid to have any affections.
1. Conſider God.
1. As he is in himſelfe.
2. As he hath revealed himſelfe.
2. Conſider that amongſt thoſe things attributed unto God,
1. Some things are ſimply perfection.
2. Some involve ſome imperfection in them.
2. How can God hate man: man is conſidered,
1. As created.
2. As corrupted.
3. How can this be ſince God hates neither Elect nor Reprobate, though in the ſtate of corruption?
1. Elect may be conſidered,
1. According to Gods eternall counſell.
2. According to Gods revealed Will.
1. As they are in themſelves.
1. God ſees nothing in them which he can love.
2. He gives no ſignification of any thing but diſpleaſure.
3. Expreſſeth many evident tokens of wrath.
2. As they are in Chriſt.
2. Reprobate, favours of God, are,
1. Common.
2. Speciall.
II. Proofe.
1. By Scriptures.
2. Grounds of Gods hatred:
1. Sinne as it is ſinne.
2. Sinne as it is Hatred.
3. Our ſpeciall evidence of it in the puniſhment of ſinne.
1 The generall nature of puniſhments.
1. Materiall of it: ſufferance of ſome evill.
2. Formall: reference to ſome fault.
3. This inflicted with a mind to puniſh.
1. The kindes of puniſhments, comprehended in that word Evill.
1. Evill of loſſe.
1. Privative.
2. Evill of ſenſe.
2. Poſitive.
2. The cauſes or integrall parts, comprehended in the word death.
1. Diſpleaſure of God.
2. Darkeneſſe of underſtanding.
3. Perverſeneſſe of will.
4. Diſtemper of body.
5. Croſſes in outward eſtate.
6. All evill is included if we conſider,
1. The rice of them.
2. The continuation.
3. The effects in the ſpecies of puniſhment.
1. Temporall.
2. Eternall, which are differenced,
In regard of
1. Intenſion,
2. Extenſion,
3. Duration.
2. Some remarkeable examples of the
1. Fall of Angels,
2. Fall of Adam,
3. Vniverſall Deluge,
4. Deſtruction of Sodom and Gomorah.
5. Plagues of Egypt,
6. Deſtruction of the Iewes,
7. Laſt Conflagration of the world.
3. One ſingular example, The ſufferings of Chriſt.
1. Explication of his ſufferings.
1. Who it was that ſuffered.
2. What he ſuffered.
1. In his Incarnation,
2. In his whole life.
3. In his death.
2. How Gods hatred is demonſtrated in this: In that
1. He will not be appeaſed without ſatisfaction.
2. He requires an equivalent ranſome out of the rigour of juſtice.
3. He tooke it not of the Debtor but of the Suerty.
II. Application.
1. Inſtruction of the miſerable condition of every naturall man: being deepely
Plunged in
1. Sinne,
2. Puniſhment.
1. In generall.
1. There can be no greater height of ſinne than to be an enemy to God.
2. No greater weight of puniſhment, then to be hated of God.
3. No greater depth of miſery then both theſe joyned.
2. In ſpeciall, To hate God is extreamely ſinfull.
1. In reſpect of the univerſality of it.
2. The iniquitie of it.
1. There is no reaſon for it.
2. There is great reaſon to the contrary: if we conſider that excellency that is in God.
1. His Eſſentiall goodneſſe,
2. His Actuall graciouſneſſe,
3. Infinite greatneſſe and power.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Stoughton, The Heavenly Conversation and Natural Mans Condition (1640)