Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 154
§ 154.
BUt thou wilt ſay unto me; Objection, that muſt men are of a contrary judgement and practice.if this be ſo, that all the promiſes are conditionall; that mercy is entayled onelyonly to ſuch as love God, and keepe his Commandements; that none are reall Chriſtians, but ſuch as imitate Chriſt, and ſquare their lives according to the rule of Gods word; that of neceſſity we muſt leave ſinne, before ſinne leaves us; and that God will not heare us another day when we call to him for mercy, if we will not heare him now, when he calls to us for repentance; how is it, that ſo few are reformed, that moſt men minde nothing but their profits, and pleaſures, yea, count them fooles, that doe otherwiſe: I anſwer, VVhereof a double reaſon.there be two maine reaſons of it, though one be the cauſe of the other.
1 Ignorance.
2 Vnbeleife.
Firſt, Firſt few men beleeve the whole written word.few men beleive what is written of God in the Scripture, eſpecially, touching his juſtice and ſeverity in puniſhing ſinne, with eternall deſtruction of body and ſoule: for, did they really and indeed beleeve God, when he ſaith, that his curſe ſhall never depart from the houſe of the ſwearer, Zack 5. they durſt not ſweare, as they doe. Did they beleive, that neither Fornic…tors, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor Theeves, nor Murtherers, nor Drunkards, nor Swearers, nor Raylers, nor Lyers, nor Covetous perſons, nor Extortioners, nor Vnbeleivers, nor no Vnrighteous men ſhall inherit the Kingdome of Heaven; but ſhall have their part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimſtone, which is the ſecond death. 1 Cor. 6.9.10. Rev. 21.8. they durſt not continue in the practiſe of theſe ſinnes, without feare, or remorſe, or care of amendment. Did they beleive, that except their righteouſneſſe doe exceede the righteouſneſſe of the Scribes and Phariſees, they ſhall in no caſe enter into the Kingdome of Heaven, Matth. 5.20. and that without holineſſe no man ſhall ſee the Lord, Heb. 12.14. with many the like, it were impoſſible they ſhould live as they doe. Yea, if they did in good earneſt believe that there is either God or Devill, Heaven or Hell, or that they have immortall ſoules, which ſhall everlaſtingly live in bliſſe or woe, and receive according to that they have done in their bodies, whether it be good or evill, 2 Cor. 5.10. they could not but live thereafter, and make it their principall care, how to be ſaved.
But alas! they are ſo farre from beleiving what God threateneth, in his Word againſt their ſinnes; that they bleſſe themſelves, in their heart, ſaying, we ſhall have peace; we ſhall ſpeede as well as the beſt, although we walke according to the ſtubbornneſſe of our owne wills, ſo adding drunkenneſſe to thirſt, Deut. 29.19. yea, they preferre their condition before other mens, who are ſo abſtemious, and make conſcience of their wayes, even thinking that their God deceiveth them with needleſſe feares, and ſcruples, as once Rabſhekah would have perſwaded the Iewes, touching their truſt and confidence. 2 King. 18.22.25.30.32.33.35.
They beleive what they ſee, and feele, and know; they beleeve the lawes of the Land, that there be places and kinds of puniſhment here below, and that they have bodies to ſuffer temporall ſmart, if they tranſgreſſe; and this makes them abſtaine from Murther, Fellony, and the like: but they beleeve not things inviſible, and to come; for if they did, they would as well, yea, much more, feare him that hath power to caſt both body and ſoule into Hell, as they doe the temporall Magiſtrate, that hath onelyonly power to kill the body: they would thinke it a very hard bargaine, to winne the whole world, and loſe their owne ſoules, Luk. 9.25. but enough of this, having proved the Drunkard an Atheiſt, Sect. the (146.)