The Worlds Resurrection, Section 48 – Section 50
Through vnbeliefe they are broken.
Doctr.Heere wee see and vnderstand what a vile and dangerous sinne, misbeliefe and infidelity is, it is the roote and fountaine of all disobedience, it draweth Gods anger vponupon vsus, it hasteneth his iudgements, it depriueth vsus of Gods promises, and nullifieth and maketh frustrate his couenant.
Hence it was that the Iewes were growne out of request with God, lost their prerogatiues, ceased to bee Gods people, and lastly most of them were excluded from the kingdome of Heauen.
Vnbeliefe was the first sinne of Adam and Eue, and was the cause of their fall, and so of all the sinne and miseries that befell vntounto all their posteritie.Heb. 3. v 12, Heb. 4. v. 2. Infidelitie debarred the Israelites from entering into the blessed land of Canaan, a Type of the kingdome of heauen: it is the cause of all Apostasie and reuolting from GOD and his Euangelicall trueth. It maketh Gods heauenly and sacred word vnprofitable vntounto the hearers,Mark. 1…. v. 16 …poc. 2…. v. 8. it maketh all things impure and vnlawfull vntounto men, Titus 1. verse. 14.15. and (in a word) it is the fore-runner and meritorious cause of damnation and destruction.
The reason hereof is, because it wilfully refuseth the grace of God offered: it doth distrust and discredit Gods word, contemne his promises, rebell against his will, and [to conclude] it reiecteth and shutteth out Christ,Math. 13 v. 58 the cause, author and finisher of redemption, happinesse and holynesse.
1. Vse. Wee must therefore beware of infidelitie and vnbeliefe, wee must be prouident that it doe not wound vsus with his dartes, and then the Gun-shotte of all other temptations shall neuer blinde nor batter vsus: let vsus therefore put on the complet harnesse of God, and the armour of proofe, i. a liuely faith, which will quench and blunt all Sathans Dartes:1. Iohn. 5. v. 4. well may wee bee seduced for a time, but not alwayes, nor vntounto death, for faith preserueth the Castle of our heart, and it ouercommeth the world.
Secondly▪ wee must alwayes thinke and speake honourably of Gods word, and labour to bee riche in the knowledge of his wil, and with full purpose of heart cleaue vnseperably vntounto GOD, and by assent of minde applie and claspe fast Christ Iesus, and all his sauing graces and promises vntounto our owne selues, and then nothing shall bee able to dampe or daunt vsus, much lesse to seclude and seperate vsus from Christ, and the certaine enioyment of the heauenly Ierusalem.
Thou standest by faith: that is. Thou profitest in thy profession and practise of Christianitie by faith. i. by a firme assent of thy minde, relying vponupon Gods grace, and acknowledging and receiuing Christ, as he is reueiled in holy Scripture, from whence this necessary collection ariseth. The grafting in of the Gentiles into the Oliue,Doctr. doth not depend vponupon their owne worthinesse, vertues, and merits, but onelyonly vponupon faith, assenting vntounto and firmly apprehending Gods gratious promises. Now this faith is a free yet a most rare gift of God, not common to all professors, but peculiar onelyonly to the elect: from it proceedeth both the beginning and the continuance of their engrafting into Christ,Heb. 3.14. and hereby wee are made partakers of Christ and of saluation, and without this faith wee are in worse estate then any vassall vnderunder the Turke, or any Spanish Galley slaue, for their seruice is onelyonly bodily and temporall, but this is spirituall, horrible, and (if they repent not) eternall. Heb. 2. ver. 15.
1. Vse. This doctrine serueth, to argue and reprooue those that condemne the doctrine of faith, whereas without it there is neither iustification nor saluation. By it wee are made the children of God, Iohn. 1.12. and stand and sticke to Christ the true Vine,Eph. 3. v. 17. and hereby wee are interessed in Christ, and all his sauing merits and g…aces.
2. Vse. Wee must louelove the Lord and feare him, for his great mercies shed vponupon vsus, and for his pretious promises made to vsus, for they are not procured by our deferts or endeuours, but frankely and freely bestowed vponupon vsus, of God.
3. Vse. We must nourish and preserue faith, and see that it be not of story or a temporarie faith, but a true iustifying faith. For a true iustifying faith is such a roote, such a foundation and assurance so built and founded vponupon the Rock Christ, and the sacred Scriptures, that the gates and power of Hell cannot preuaile against it; and as for temporary and historicall faith like a flower,Ma…. 16.16. like painting, and like guilt, and it will soone fade away and bee defaced.
Be not high minded.
When wee see proud hipocrits to contemne and condemne other poore men for their present misbeleife and miseries,Doctr. and to admire and magnifie their owne selues they must be terrified with Gods iudgements. Isa. 28. ver. 9.10. Luk. 16.15. Apoc. 3.16 and 17. Act. 13.40.41. Math. 21. v. 33
The reason hereof is,Iude Epist. v. 23. first, that otherwise no good can bee done of them if they bee not pulled out of the fire of Gods iudgements they wilbe burned, and if they bee not violently awaked, they will droppe away and die in their slumber, as they do that are bitten by an Aspe.
Secondly for that if they will not repent they may be left without excuse in Gods sight.
Vse. 1. Let vsus therefore beware and bee aduised that we do not braue out and insult vponupon others, least God call and conuert them in his mercy, and plague and punish vsus in his iudgement, for our pride and contempt.
Vse 2. Let no man presume of his owne ability and strength, as though hee could stand by it in temptation, neither let him please himselfe in a conceite and imagination of his owne constancy, as though hee might liue securely and dissolutely, and yet escape all danger, least God correct and plague him, for his conceitednes in suffering him to fall into grosse sinnes, and greeuous euill, as he hath suffered many others. 1. Cor. 10. v. 11. and 12.
But feare.
Wee must not be secure,Doctr. drowsie and presumptuous & so emplunge our selues vnaduisedly into many sinnes & punishmēts; but stand in a reuerend awe of Gods iudgements, suspect and misdoubt our owne secret corruptions and be careful in eueryevery action to shun and auoide ye offence & displeasure of God. The reasons herof are, this feare is ye beginning of wisdom, a part of Gods worship, and a meane to make vsus blessed.Prou. 28.14. Gen 39. v. 9 Secondly, it is a notable reine and bridle to keepe and retaine vsus from Apostacy and falling away from God, for he that most suspecteth his owne weaknesse and seeketh means to cure it and to strengthen him-selfe is of all men farthest of from presumption and perilles: and here; abundan… cau…ela non nocet. i. many caueats and prouisoes are not amisse, and Gods grace is perfited through infirmitie.
Thirdly, wee are apt and ready vppon eueryevery temptation to fall and offend and so deserue reiection; and therefore that wee may conteyne our selues in our duties, and to subiugate and subdue our proud flesh, wee had need euer and anon with Dauid and others, to set before our eies Gods threatnings & iudgements against sinne.
Vse. 1. When wee see and behold gods iudgements to ceaze vponupon others, we must bee so far from rash and presumptuous censuring and condemning of them, that we must first descend into our owne selues and soules, and ransacke by the light and lanthorne of Gods word, eueryevery corner of our hearts, least that we be found iu…penitent and so in wrapped in the common destruction.
Vse. 2. We must by a dilligent search of our own sores, and by a narrow view & inspection of Gods law, iustice and iudgement, vse all dilligence and care to nourish and maintaine this holy feare, & so to snib and correct al high and presumptuous thoughts and conceits that may possibly exalt themselues against God and his word.
Vse. 3. We must learne to decline from all occasions of offending God, and to beware of al shewe and kindes of euil, such as are lewd company, immoderate feastings, idlenesse, or the lauish spending of our time, either in pleasures and deceitfull delights, or in the affected reading of fables, fained stories, play books, popish treatises and al vnfruitfull and dangerous curiosities.