Common Places, Part 3 · Chapter 3 · Section 3
Of Securitie.
14 Securitie ſéemeth to be a contempt of Gods iuſtice, whereby ſinnes are puniſhed. In Iud. 18. verſe. 27.If we ſpeake of this ſecuritie, it can neuer be otherwiſe than wicked; but there is alſo another found, the which no doubt is to be allowed, and is commendable. Hope is the meane betweene ſecuritie and deſperationBut to make the thing more plaine, let vsus conſider of thrée things; ſecuritie, hope, & deſperation. Hope is the meane which ought alwaies to be commended: ſecuritie is exceſſe, but deſperation is a want. For as in putting awaie the merciemercy of God, Whence ſecuritie riſeth, & what it is.we are made deſperate; ſo in contemning his iuſtice, we become ſecure. Wherefore we may conclude, that Securitie is a certeine immoderate hope: and hereof it ſpringeth; either bicauſe we attribute too much to our owne ſtrength and wiſedome, as though we thinke that by our ſelues we be able to obteine anie thing: or elſe, though we thinke that the ſame lieth in the merciemercy of God, yet we ſuppoſe that he for our woorthines ought to accompliſh it. So doo they, which promiſe to themſelues remiſſion of their ſinnes, and eternall felicitie, though they vſe no repentance, but liue vnpurelie and wickedlie. Or elſe it ſpringeth hereof, bicauſe we beléeue not that there is in God anie execution of iuſtice.
Securitie is contrarie to deſperation and to the feare of God. Whereof deſperation proceedeth. Barnard. Securitie the foundation of all impietie.And this ſecuritie, whereof we intreate, is not onelie contrarie vntounto deſperation; but alſo vntounto the feare of God. For deſperation procéedeth of too much feare of the iuſtice of GOD againſt ſinnes; but ſecuritie thinketh nothing at all of that iuſtice. Wherefore Barnard hath rightlie ſaid; Euen as the feare of God is the beginning of wiſedome, ſo ſecuritie is the foundation of all impietie, and the beginning of fooliſhnes. For the feare of the Lord (as the ſcriptures teſtifie of it) perteineth chéeflie vntounto pietie and religion. Wherefore in the Acts the tenth chapter; verſe. 2.Cornelius is called a man religious and fearing God. Iuſtlie therefore ſecuritie hath impietie ioined therewith; which, as it ſpringeth of an euill beginning, ſo alſo it bringeth foorth euill and naughtie fruits: as ſluggiſhnes, vnluſtines of mind, and ſlothfulnes. Wherefore they, which truſt vntounto themſelues, neither ſéeke for helpe at the hand of God, neither yet for the aid of men.
15 The people of Lais, which are ſpoken of in the 18. of Iudges, liued ſecurelie, although they were ioined in no league or fellowſhip with their next neighbours. What is negligence.They were alſo infected with negligence, which is nothing elſe but a priuation of that indeuour, which we ought to applie for the gouerning of things: by it the will is weakened, and the chéerfulnes of the bodie is diminiſhed. This kind of ſecuritie hath euermore a danger ioined with it; for thoſe things are not chaſed awaie which may be hurtfull. For how ſhould that be doone, when as they be ſecure or careleſſe; thinking rightlie neither of their owne ablenes, nor yet of the merciemercy of God? Yea, they are vtterlie vnknowne vntounto themſelues; for if they knew themſelues, they would not liue ſo ſecurelie. Auguſtine.Auguſtine vponupon the 99. pſalme writeth; Whereas moſt ſecuritie is, there is moſt danger. And he addeth, that a ſhip, A ſimilitude.when it is brought into the hauen, thinkeſt thou that it is in ſafetie? But by the ſame waie that the ſhip entereth in, the wind entereth alſo, & oftentimes toſſeth it, and breaketh it vponupon a rocke. Where then can there be ſecuritie? Adam fell in paradiſe, Iudas in the fellowſhip of Chriſt, Cham in the familie of Noe, manie in the lawe, and manie alſo in the Goſpell; where then ſhall wée liue ſecurelie? Vndoubtedlie no where. Wherefore, Eccleſiaſticus dooth verie well admoniſh vsus; Sonne, ſtand in the feare of the Lord, Eccleſ. 2, 1.and prepare thy ſelfe to temptation. The Iſraelits ſawe the Aegyptians drowned in the red ſea; Exod. 14, 31was it then méet for them to liue in ſecuritie? No verelie: yea, within a while after, they were tempted in the wilderneſſe. Chriſt was baptiſed by Iohn; Matth. 3, 16 Matth. 4, 1.was he therefore made ſecure? No, for he was ſtraitwaie tempted of the diuell. Wherefore we ought then to be moſt carefull of all, when we are receiued into the fauour of God: for then the diuell dooth moſt of all watch for our deſtruction, and indeuoureth to make vsus fall; and therefore there is no place for ſecuritie.
16 But are we ſo made by God, that we can be no where ſecure? Not ſo vndoubtedlie: for there is another good and laudable ſecuritie, What ſecuritie is good and laudable.which (as Auguſtine ſaith) conſiſteth in the promiſes of God, and is taken hold of by faith. This ingendereth not luſkiſhnes or ſluggiſhnes, but chéerfulnes and diligence. Of this, Dauid hath verie well pronounced in the 91. pſalme; He which dwelleth in the helpe of the moſt high, verſe. 1.ſhall abide vnderunder the protection of the God of heauen. Whereas it is written in the Latine, Adiutorio; that is, In the helpe; the Hebrue word ſignifieth A couer, or ſecret place, which no man taketh hold of, but he which hath faith in the promiſes of God. By that buckler we be defended, with that ſhadowe we be couered againſt all harme. Securitie of faith is good.This is the ſecuritie of faith and of the ſpirit, which cleaueth vntounto the word of God; and therefore it muſt néeds be commended. But the other ſecuritie is of the fleſh, Securitie of the fleſh is ill.and therefore it is execrable and deteſtable. Againſt it are extant moſt manifeſt commandements of Chriſt; namelie, To praie alwaies, to knocke, to ſeeke, Mat. 7, 7. & 25, 13. & 23, 4.and to watch: for the daie of the Lord will come like a theefe. If the good-man of the houſe knew what time the theefe would come, he would vndoubtedlie watch, neither would he ſuffer his houſe to be broken through. & 26, 41.We ought to praie and watch: bicauſe, although the ſpirit be readie, yet is the fleſh weake.
Paule admoniſheth vsus To put on the armour of God, that we may reſiſt in the euill day. Epheſ. 6, 13.Stand (ſaith he) with your loines girded with the girdle of truth, being clothed with the breſtplate of righteouſneſſe, and hauing ſhooes on your feet, that ye may be readie to the Goſpell of peace; aboue all things taking vntounto you the ſhield of faith, wherby ye may quench all the fierie darts of that euill one: and take vntounto you the helmet of ſaluation, and the ſword of the ſpirit, which is the word of God. So dooth Peter alſo warne vsus againſt ſecuritie, verſe. 8.in his firſt epiſtle the fift chapter; The diuell (ſaith he) your enimie goeth about like a roring lion, ſeeking whom he may deuour; reſiſt him with a ſound faith. But bicauſe I hauehave ſaid, that ſecuritie is contrarie to feare, I would not hauehave anie man to thinke, that all feare is to be praiſed: for there is alſo an euill feare, An euill feare and wherof it ſpringeth.and that ſpringeth of an euill iudgment of good and euill things: as if a man ſhuld thinke that the aduerſities of this world, and the croſſes which the elect ſuffer, are both altogither euill, and vtterlie to be feared. Againſt theſe things we muſt ſing togither with Dauid; I will not feare what man can doo to me. Pſal. 56, 5.There is alſo another feare of the vngodlie to be reprooued, which feare is ingendred by an euill conſcience: for they which liue ſhamefullie and wickedlie are alwaies afraid that the vengeance from heauen hangeth ouer them.How feare comming of an euill conſcience is called by Plutarch. A ſimilitude.
Such feare Plutarch in his booke of felicitie calleth ſores of the mind. There are (ſaith he) ſores as well in the mind, as in the bodie. And he addeth an excellent ſimilitude. As they, which in a feuer either cold or hot, bicauſe inwardlie they be either cold or hot, are more gréeuouſlie ſicke, than if either the heate or cold were applied outwardlie to their bodies: ſo they, which are vexed in the mind, are much more tormented, than they which are afflicted in the bodie. After the ſame maner we may ſaie, that they alwaies tremble and are afraid, whoſe conſciences are troubled. Wherefore Dauid ſaid; They hauehave trembled through feare, Pſ…l. 53, 6.whereas no feare was: ſo Cain, and ſo Iudas alſo were woonderfullie afraid. Gen. 4, 14. Matt. 26, 5. Seneca.Seneca vntounto Lucillus, in his hundred & 6. epiſtle ſaith, that No place will make a wicked man quiet: for thus he alwaies thinketh; Although I be not as yet taken, I may neuertheleſſe be taken at the length: and that I hauehave not hitherto béene taken, it came rather of fortune, than of confidence. They alſo doo feare excéedinglie, which are themſelues fearefull and horrible vntounto others, for he muſt néeds be afraid of manie, whom manie doo feare.
Remedies againſt an ill feare.17 Againſt ſuch feares Seneca hath inuented remedies; namelie, that we ſhould liue vprightlie, and commit nothing that is wicked. But who can by this meanes be ſecure at anie time? For who is he that ſinneth not? But we much better repoſe our ſelues in the faith of Chriſt, & put all our confidence & ſecuritie in his merciemercy onelie. This maner of waie Paule teacheth vsus; Rom. 5, 1.Being iuſtified (ſaith he) by faith, we hauehave peace with God. This medicine hath vertue againſt all diſeaſes. Alſo carefulnes, which ſéemeth to be contrarie vntounto ſecuritie, Carefulnes is not alwaies to be praiſed.is not alwaies to be praiſed; bicauſe therein are two vices to be taken héed of. The firſt is, that being mooued with it, we ſéeke not by vniuſt meanes to remedie an euill that commeth vnlooked for: as the Iewes did, when they ſaid; Ioh. 11, 48.If we ſuffer this man to liue, the Romans will come and othrowe our place and nation: wherefore they decréed, to deſtroie him. Furthermore, we muſt beware, that we be not ſo mooued for temporall things, as we ſhould caſt awaie our hope and confidence of the goodneſſe and prouidence of God. Wherefore the true ſecuritie is that, Which is a true and laudable ſecuritie. Rom. 8. 31▪which is receiued by faith, and conſiſteth of the promiſes of God. Paule did put vsus in mind hereof, when he wrote to the Romans; If God hauehave giuen his ſonne vntounto vsus, how ſhall he not alſo giuegive vsus all things with him? Who ſhall laie any faults againſt the elect of God? It is God which iuſtifieth, who ſhall then condemne? It is Chriſt which died, yea and which roſe againe, who alſo ſitteth at the right hand of God and maketh interceſſion for vsus. Who ſhall ſeparate vsus from the louelove of God? Shall affliction? Shall trouble? Shall perſecution? Shall hunger? Shall nakednes? Shall danger? Shall the ſword? I am perſuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſent, nor things to come, nor heigth, nor depth, nor anie other creature can ſeparate vsus from the louelove of God, which is in Chriſt Ieſus our Lord. Now it ſufficientlie appéereth (as I thinke) what maner of ſecuritie is allowed, and which is condemned.