The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 3 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the ſecond ſort of preſeruatiues to keepe vsus from ſinne.
§. Sect. 1 ANd ſo much concerning the firſt ſort of arguments grounded vponupon louelove;The firſt reaſon taken from Gods all-ſeeing wiſedome and all-filling preſence. the ſecond ſorte whereby we may be withdrawne from committing ſinne, may be taken from that feare and reuerence of God, which ought to be in eueryevery one of vsus: vntounto which we may be moued by diuers effectuall reaſons. As firſt by the conſideration of Gods all-ſeeing wiſedome, and all-filling preſence, whereby he ſeeth euen our moſt ſecret thoughts, and is a preſent witneſſe of all our hidden actions. For this being remembred, who dare in ſuch a glorious preſence commit that wickedneſſe, which he knoweth hatefull vntounto him, before whom he committeth it? He is counted an vngracious childe, who will wittingly breake his fathers commaundement euen before his face; and he is eſteemed a deſperat malefactor who dare preſumptuouſly offend againſt the law in preſence of his iudge; how then can our vngracious impudencie and deſperate preſumption be excuſed, who dare offend and ſinne in the ſight and preſence of a father ſo gracious, and of a iudge ſo iuſt?
§. Sect. 2 Secondly,The ſecond reaſon taken from Gods exact iuſtice. let vsus call to minde Gods iuſtice, which is ſo exact, that rather then he would let ſinne goe vnpuniſhed, he puniſhed it in his deerely beloued ſonne. If therefore thou ſin, thou canſt not corrupt him with bribes, nor pacifie him with faire words, nor ouercome him by intreatie, nor ſtop the courſe of iuſtice, with the interceſſiō of friends. For, hath he not ſpared his ſonne, and will he ſpaire his ſeruants? hath he puniſhed ſin in his owne childe, and will he winke at it in a common ſubiect? could neither the intreatie, nor teares, nor grones, nor ſtrong cryes, nor bloodie ſweate of his beſt beloued ſonne, appeaſe his wrath and ſatiſfie his iuſtice, but that ſtanding in our place hee muſt needes beare our puniſhment, and being ſuretie for ſinners he muſt die for ſinne? and ſhall they who are the principalls eſcape, who in ſtead of pleading his paiment, doe contemptuouſly refuſe it, and as it were tread it vnderunder foote? It is true indeede that Chriſt ſuffered for vsus that we might eſcape, and paid our debt that it might not be required at our hand; but ſeeing all ſinners hauehave not their part of Chriſt and his merits, but onelyonly thoſe that are in Chriſt; and thoſe onelyonly are in Chriſt, who walke not after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit; ſeeing alſo thoſe onelyonly are partakers of all the gracious promiſes made in him, who approue their faith by the liuely fruite thereof vnfained repentance; and thoſe onelyonly doe truely repent, who ſorrow for their ſins paſt, hate their preſent corruptions, and deſire and indeauour to ſerue God in newneſſe of life; how can we hauehave any aſſurance that Gods iuſtice is ſatiſfied for vsus, and that we hauehave eſcaped condemnation, if we quench the good motions of Gods ſpirit, and obey the fleſh in the luſts thereof, and if ſtill being in louelove with our ſinnes, we reſolue to goe forward in our courſe of wickedneſſe?
§. Sect. 3 Thirdly,The third reaſon taken from Gods fierce anger againſt ſin, ſhewed in his fearefull iudgments executed vponupon ſinners. let vsus cal to our remembrance Gods fearce wrath conceiued againſt ſinne, and his fearefull iudgements which he hath executed vponupon ſinners, and that not onelyonly particular men, but alſo whole ſtates and common-wealthes. Let vsus call to minde the generall deluge in which all mankinde ſauing eight perſons were drowned; the deſtruction of Sodome and Gomorrah by fier and brimſtone; the rooting out of the whole nation of the Cananites; the reiection of the Iewes; the ouerthrow and vtter defacing of thoſe famous Churches of the Corinthians, Galathians, Epheſians, Philippians, Colloſſians, Theſſalonians; and the reſt mentioned in the Reuelation. And to the examples of former times adde thoſe which eueryevery man obſerueth in his owne experience; and then conſider withall that the cauſe which moued the Lord to execute in his iuſt diſpleaſure theſe heauie iudgements vponupon mankinde, was nothing elſe but ſinne, and it will be a forcible reaſon to withdraw vsus from it. For the Lord is immutable and vnchangeable in his courſe of iuſtice, and he hateth ſinne now as deadly as in former ages; neither will he ſpare vsus more than others, if we liue in our ſinnes without repentance: nay certainly as our ſinnes being aggrauated by many circumſtances are more odious vntounto him, ſo will the Lord proportionably inflict more heauie iudgements vponupon vsus then he hath vponupon others, whoſe ſinnes hauehave not been ſo great and preſumptuous. For if the Lord giuegive vsus now extraordinarie knowledge, or at leaſt the meanes thereof, and we ſinne againſt this knowledge and againſt our owne conſciences; if he hath in moſt abundant meaſure, multiplied his mercies vponupon vsus, and we hereby be made more vnkind and vngratefull; if he hath giuen vsus warning by innumerable examples of his heauie iudgements executed vponupon others in former times, and in our own daies, yea euen in our owne ſight, layeth heauie puniſhments vponupon ſuch as hauehave committed no other ſinnes then wee our ſelues are guiltie of, and yet wee continue in our ſinnes without repentance, how is it poſſible but that wee ſhould prouoke Gods fierce wrath againſt vsus, and draw downe violently vponupon our ſelues with theſe cartropes of iniquitie, Gods fearefull plagues and heauie iudgements. It is true indeede that God is long ſuffering and ſlow to anger, but if hereby wee take occaſion to continue in our ſinnes, and doe delay our repentance, what doe we elſe but treaſure vp againſt our ſelues wrath againſt the day of wrath, Rom. 2.5.and the declaration of the iuſt iudgement of God? It is moſt certaine that God is not eaſily prouoked to wrath and anger, but let not this incourage vsus to continue in our ſinnes; for if it be once inflamed, it is ſo fierce and terrible, that with the heate thereof it drieth vp the ſeas; and ſo powerfull that he maketh therewith the earth to tremble and the mountaines to melt like waxe in his preſence, and the voyce of his furie doth breake and rent in ſunder the ceaders, yea the mightie ſtrong ceaders of Libanus, as the ſcripture ſpeaketh. As therefore fire doth burne more hotly in ſuch ſolid matter as is long in kindling, then in flaxe or ſtraw which is ſoone inflamed, and ſoone extinguiſhed; ſo the anger of God is not eaſily inflamed, but if it be once kindled, it burneth ſo furiouſly that nothing will quench it, but the blood of Chriſt applied by faith, and the ſtreaming teares of vnfained repentance. Seeing then Gods iudgements are ſo fearefull, and his anger ſo terrible, let vsus carefully take heede of prouoking his wrath againſt vsus by our ſinnes,He 2.10.31. for it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God.
§. Sect. 4 Fourthly, let vsus meditate vponupon the day of iudgement,The fourth reaſon taken from them day of iudgement. when as we muſt giuegive an account not onelyonly of our words and workes, but alſo of our ſecret thoughts, before a moſt iuſt iudge, who with the all-ſeeing eye of his diuine knowledge ſearcheth and beholdeth the very heart and reynes, in the preſence alſo of men and Angels. And this will reſtraine vsus from falling into ſinne, though it may be ſo ſecretly acted that we neede not to feare in this life, either ſhame or puniſhment. For let it be ſuppoſed that we can hide our ſinnes from the ſight of all men, yet what wil this benefit vsus if God againſt whom we ſinne, and before whom as our ſupreme iudge, we muſt giuegive an account doe looke vponupon vsus? what will it profit vsus though time weare our offences out of mans remembrance, if God keepe a faithfull regiſter of them, and ingraue our reckoning with a penne of yron? what will it helpe vsus if by our cunning conueyances, we can hide our ſinnes and auoyde ſhame, or with an impudent forehead can face them out without bluſhing, if our nakedneſſe be diſcouered, and our ſhame proclamed in the preſence of God and all his Saints and Angels? What will it auaile vsus to be exempted from puniſhment in this life, through our great power and vncontrouleable authoritie, or to eſcape the penaltie of humaine lawes by the interceſſion of friends, or by corrupting the iudge, or by procuring the princes pardon; if againe we muſt be arraigned before ſuch an vpright iudge, as reſpecteth no perſons, receiueth no rewards, and being found guiltie, be condemned vntounto the eternall torments of hell fire? When therefore we heare the voyce of Sathans temptations alluring vsus to commit ſinne, let vsus alſo hauehave the voyce of the Archangell ſounding in our eares, Ariſe ye dead and come vntounto iudgement: when the world tempteth vsus vntounto ſinne on the one ſide by intiſing promiſes of honors, pleaſures, and riches, and on the otherſide, by terrifying threatnings of loſſe, daunger, or puniſhment, let vsus call to minde the day of iudgement, when either we muſt heare the ſentence of ſaluation,Matth. 25. Come ye bleſſed of my father and inherit the kingdome prepared for you &c, or the ſentence of condemnation, Depart ye curſed into hell fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels: and then ſhall not the momentanie vanities of the world ſo forcibly draw vsus into the ſnares of ſinne,2. Pet. 3.11. Iude. 14.15. as the remembrance of the heauenly ioyes prepared for vsus in Gods kingdome will retaine vsus in holy obedience; then will not the worlds threats of temporarie miſeries ſo ſtrongly vrged vsus to wound our conſciences with the ſting of ſinne, as the feare to heare the definitiue ſentence of eternall condemnation will reſtraine vsus from it.
§. Sect. 5 Laſtly,The fifth reaſon taken from the manifold euils of ſinne. let vsus call to minde the manifold euils, wich ſinne cauſeth both to body and ſoule, in this life and the life to come; and ſo though the vglineſſe of it ſelfe will not make vsus to flee from it, yet the miſerable effects which it produceth may moue vsus to abhorre it. Conſider therefore that there is no euill vnderunder the ſunne, in this life or afterwards, which is not a fruit of this curſed roote: it ſubiecteth the bodie to ſickneſſe and diſeaſes, hunger and thirſt, cold and wearineſſe; the minde to ignorance and blindneſſe, the will to peruerſneſſe, the affections to all prepoſterous diſorder; it ruinateth the eſtate, and bringeth a man to pouertie and extreame miſerie; it maketh the whole man obnoxious to the curſe of the law, the anger of God, and all thoſe innumerable euils, which euer accompanie them. In this world it bringeth the body to death and corruption, and in the world to come both body and ſoule to condemnation, and endleſſe deſtruction; it depriueth vsus of our heauenly inheritance, and the euerlaſting ioyes of Gods kingdome, and plungeth vsus into the lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone. In a word there is no euill which can be imagined which doth not proceede from this euill of ſinne, and therefore though it ſeeme neuer ſo ſweete to our carnall appetites, yet being mixed with this gall and wormewood of innumerable euils, let vsus loath and abhorre it; when the vaine and vncertaine benefits which it promiſeth moue vsus to imbrace it, let the miſerable euils which accompanie it, and the moſt aſſured and ſurpaſſing ioyes which it depriueth vsus of, make vsus to auoyde it as a deadly ſtinging ſerpent.