A Guide to Godliness, Book 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Of carnall ſecuritie, and what it is.
§. 1 Of the general Parts of this Treatiſe.
TO which purpoſe let vsus now ſpeake more ſpecially of it. And for our more orderly proceeding, I will firſt ſhew what it is, that ſo knowing, wee may the better auoid it. Secondly, the cauſes of it and meanes, which Satan and our owne corruption vſe to worke it in vsus. Thirdly, the diuers ſorts and kinds of this Vice. Fourthly, how we may know the one from the other. Fiftly, the ſignes whereby we may diſcerne, whether and how farre forth we are tainted and infected with this deadly poyſon: and laſtly, the meanes whereby we may either be preſerued from falling into it, or recouered, if we be alreadie ouer-taken.
§. 2 Carnall ſecuritie defined.
Concerning the firſt, wee will make it plaine, not onelyonly by a Definition or Deſcription, but alſo by Teſtimonies and Examples of it recorded in the holy Scriptures. It may beſt bee defined, if in all things we oppoſe it to that Vertue whereof it is the priuation, namely, the true feare of God, after this manner. Carnall ſecuritie is a Vice or vicious habit, whereby forgetting or neglecting both the iuſtice and power of God in puniſhing ſinne, and alſo his infinite LoueLove and Goodneſſe in Chriſt, his Merits and Iudgements, his Promiſes and Threatnings, with the manifold benefits which we hauehave receiued from him, we doe caſt off all feare of him, and ſo quietly and ſecurely goe on in ſinne without repentance, promiſing vntounto our ſelues immunitie from all puniſhment, and not onelyonly for the preſent the conſtant fruition of our carnall delights, but alſo euerlaſting ſaluation in the World to come. VntoUnto this deſcription, for the better clearing of the point in hand; we may adde that of Bernards, deſcribing an hard or ſecure heart: It is that (ſaith he) which is not rent with compunction, nor Bernard. de Conſid. ad Eugenium lib. 1.ſoftned with pietie, nor moued with prayers, nor yeeldeth to threatnings, and is hardned with ſtripes. It is vngratefull for benefits, vnfaithfull for counſailes, fierce in reſpect of iudgements, ſhameleſſe in regard of things filthy and diſhoneſt, vndaunted in dangers, inhumane in humane actions, raſh in diuine, forgetfull of things paſt, neglectfull of things preſent, improuident for things to come. It is that which remembreth nothing past but injuries, loſeth the benefit of all things preſent, and fore-caſteth and prouideth for nothing to come but reuenge. And that I may in a word comprehend the euills of this horrible Vice; it is that which neither feareth God nor reſpecteth Man. So that if we would hauehave a briefe definition of this Securitie, it is nothing elſe but the abſence and priuation of the feare of God; for as ſecuritie generally conſidered, is the freedome of the mind from all feare; ſo this ſpeciall kind of it carnall ſecuritie, is that horrible Vice which emptieth the heart wholly of the true feare of God. And thus the wiſe Man oppoſeth them the one againſt the other. Happy is the man (ſaith he) that feareth alwayes, but he that hardneth Pro. 28. 14.his heart ſhall fall into miſchiefe.
§. 3 Teſtimonies of Scripture, ſhewing what it is.
And this is that ſecuritie of which Dauid ſpeaketh: The tranſgreſſion of the wicked ſaith within my heart, that there is no feare of Pſal. 36. 1, 2.God before his eyes: For he flattereth himſelfe in his owne eyes, vntill his iniquitie be found out to be hatefull. And deſcribing the proſperous eſtate of the wicked, he ſaith, That continuing in their corruption, and being couered with violence, as with a garment; They ſpeake loftily, Pſal. 73. 8, 9, 11.and ſet their mouthes againſt the Heauens; ſaying, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the moſt High? And Iob diſcourſing of the ſame ſubiect, namely, wicked men flouriſhing in worldly proſperitie, ſaith, that their houſes are ſafe from feare, neither is the rod of God vponupon Iob 21. 9.them. They take the Timbrel and Harpe, and reioyce in the ſound of the Organs; they ſpend their dayes in wealth, and in a moment goe downe to the graue. Therefore they ſay vntounto God, depart from vsus, for we deſire not the knowledge of thy wayes. What is the Almightie, that wee ſhould ſerue him? and what profit ſhould we hauehave if we pray vntounto him?
§. 4 Examples of carnall ſecuritie.
The examples of this Vice, recorded in the holy Scriptures, are very many. It was one of the firſt ſinnes which tainted our firſt Parents; who vponupon the Deuils word promiſed vntounto themſelues, in the tranſgreſſion of Gods Commandement, not onelyonly impunitie for their ſinne, but alſo a great addition to their preſent happineſſe. The old World was drowned in deepe ſecuritie, before it was drowned with the generall Deluge. For though Noah, the Preacher of Righteouſneſſe, denounced Gods Iudgements, that hee might bring them to repentance, yet they ſecurely went on in their ſinnes without feare of danger, eating and drinking, marrying and giuing in marriage, vntill Luk 17. 27, 28.the day that Noah entring into the Arke, the Flood came and tooke them all away. It was a chiefe ſinne of Sodom and Gomorrah, accompanying their Eaſe and Plentie, Peace and Proſperitie, which made them to bleſſe themſelues in all their abominable wickedneſſe, to ſtop their eares to righteous Lot, fore-telling their imminent plagues; and to run on in their ſinfull courſes, as though they were obnoxious to no danger. For as our Sauiour noteth, They did eate, they dranke, they bought, they ſold, they planted, they builded, vntill the day that Lot departing out of Sodom, it rayned Fire and Brimſtone from Heauen and deſtroyed them all. Thus Dauid complayneth of the great Ones of his time, who grieuouſly oppreſſed the Poore, preſuming of Gods conniuency and their owne impunitie: Hee hath ſaid in his heart, God hath Pſal. 10. 11.forgotten, hee hideth his Face, hee will neuer ſee it. This was the ſinne of old Babylon, who hauing lifted vp her ſelfe by blood and crueltie aboue all other Nations, neuer laid her ſinnes to heart, but dwelled careleſly Eſa. 47. 7, 8.and gaue her ſelfe to pleaſure, and concluded, That ſhee ſhould be a Lady for euer, and neuer ſit as a Widdow, nor know the loſſe of Children. And ſuch is the carnall ſecuritie, of the new Babylon and the Romane Antichriſt, as the Apoſtle Iohn deſcribeth it, who hauing multiplied her Idolatries, and made the Kings and Nations of the Earth drunke with the golden cup of her Fornications, and her ſelfe with the blood of the holy Martyrs, ſecurely goeth on in her ſinnes without repentance, Apoc. 18. 7.and preſumeth notwithſtanding of impunitie, and the long continuance of her worldly proſperitie. Such was the ſecuritie of thoſe deſperate ſinners, of whom the Prophet Eſay ſpeaketh, who made a couenant with Death, and were at an agreement with Hell, and ſo ſecurely went on in their ſinne, promiſing vntounto themſelues, that when the ouer-flowing ſcourge ſhould paſſe through, it ſhould not come vntounto them; becauſe they had made lyes their refuge, and were hid vnderunder falſehood. Eſa. 28. 15.For this the Ancients of the Houſe of Iſrael are condemned, who hauing committed many and great abominations in the darke, were out of all feare of puniſhment, ſaying. The Lord ſeeth vsus not, the Lord hath forſaken the Earth. And finally, this was the ſecuritie of the Ezech. 8. 12. & 9. 9.people of the Iewes, who were ſetled on their lees, and reſolued to goe on in their wicked courſes, ſaying in their hearts, The Lord will not doe Zeph. 1. 12.good, nor will hee doe euill.