The Sinners Sanctuary, Sermon 20
SERMON XX.
Rom. 8.7.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, and is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be.
UNbelief is that which condemns the world: it involves in more condemnation then many other sins; not only because more universal, but especially because it shuts up men in their misery, and secludes them from the remedy that is brought to light in the Gospel. By unbelief, I mean not only that careless neglect of Jesus Christ offered for salvation, but that which is the root of that, The inconsideration and ignorance of our desperat sinfulness, and irremediless misery without Christ; which not being laid to heart seriously, makes such slight and superficial intertainment of a Saviour and Redeemer. Man is truly miserable and unhappy, whether he know it or not; but truly it is an accession to his misery, that he knows it not, that he neither apprehends what he is now by nature, nor what he must shortly be made by Justice. Indeed, if there were no remedy to be …ound, it were a happy ignorance To be ignorant of misery: the knowledge and remembrance of it could do nothing but add unto the bitterness of it: if a man might bury it in eternal forgetfulness, it were some ease: But now, when God hath in His mercy so appointed it, that the beginning of the belief of sin and misery, shall in a manner, be the end of miser…; and seing whether men know it or not, they must shortly be made sensible of it, when there is no remedy to be …ound: then certainly it is the hight of mans misery, That he knows and considers it not. If we would apply our hearts at length to hear what God the Lord speaks, for he only can give account of man to himsel…, we might have a survey of both in these words, and the preceeding, of our desperat wickedness, and of our intollerable misery; for the present, by nature, we are enemies to God, and shortly we must be dealt with as enemies, as rebels to the most potent and glorious King, be punished with death, an endless living death. Experience shews how hard a thing it is to perswade you that you are really under the sentence of death: you will not suffer your hearts to believe your danger, left it interrupt your present pleasures of sin: Nay, you will flatter your selves with the fancied hope of immunity from this curse, and account it a cruel and rigorous Doctrine, That so many creatures made by God, should be eternally miserable, or a sentence of it should be past on all flesh. Now, that which makes us hardly to believe this, is the unbelief and deep inconsideration of your sinfulnesse; therefore the Apostle, to make way for the former, adds, Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. Do not wonder then that your wayes and courses, your affections and inclinations bring forth that ghostly and dreadfull end of death; seing all these are enmity to the greatest King, who alone hath the power of life and death: They have a perfect cont…ariety to His holy Nature and righteous Will; not only is the carnal mind an enemy, but enmity it self, and therefore it is most suitable that the soveraign power of that King o… kings, stretched out to the vindication of His Holiness and Righ…eousness, by taking vengeance on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. If rebellion in a State or Monarchy, against these petty mortal gods, who shall die as men, be so hainous, as to de…erve death, by the consent of all Nations, how much more shall enmity and rebellion against the immortal, ete…nal King, who hath absolute right and dominion over his creatures, as over the clay, have such a suitable recompence of eternal death? Now, my beloved, if you once believed this, the enmity and opposition of your whole natures to God, you could not but fearfully apprehend what might be the issue of it, you could not blesse your selves as you do, and put the evil day far off; but certainly you would be affrighted with the terrour and Majesty of that God you have to do with, whom when he awakes to judgment, you can neither resist nor escape; no standing against his wrath, and no fleeing from it out of His Dominions; and this would dispose and incline your minds in time to hea…ken …o the treaty of peace, which is holden out in the Gospel, and to lay down the weapons of your enmity, and make peace with Him in His Son the Peace-maker.
Amity and Unity is the very being and beauty of the world: This universe is made up of innumerable different kinds and natures, and all these climb and walk together by the bond of peace and concord among themselves, and with that One high understanding that directs all, and supream will of God that moves all. It is that link of union with God, that gives and preserves being and beauty in all the creatures, as the dependence of the ray upon the Sun, or the stream on the fountain, makes them what they are; which being interrupted, they cease to be what they were: All things continue as thou hast ordained them, for all are thy servants, Ps. 119.91. You see then this amity and union of subordination of the creatures to God, is not dissolved to this day: But wo…ull and wretched man alone hath withdrawn from this subordination, and dissolved this sacred tye of happy friendship, which at first he was li…ted up unto, and priviledged with. Amity and friendship, you know, consists in an union of hearts and wills, and a communion of all good things; it makes two one, as much as two can be, by the conspiracy of their affections in one thing, and the joynt concurrence of their endeavours to communicat to one another what each hath, it takes away propriety, and it makes a community between persons. Now how happy was that amity? how blessed that friendship between God and man? Though mans goodness could not extend to God, yet his soul united to God by love and delight, and all that God had given him, returning that to the proper owner, acknowledging his absolute dependence on him, and claiming interest and propriety in nothing, not in himself; and then on the other hand, the love and good-will of infinit God placed on man, and from that fountain all the streams of happiness issuing forth towards man, the fulness of God opening up it self to him, and laying out it self towards him, God so far descending, as in a manner to become the creatures, to expose and dispose Himself, and all in him for poor mans use and comfort.
How joyful was that amity! but the breaking of this bond of peace is as sad and grievous. There was a woful interposal between God and us, which hath separated these chief friends ever since the beginning, and that is sin, the seeds of all enmity and discord▪ this hath rent asunder the bond of amity, this hath made such a total aversion of the soul from God, and imprinted such an irreconciliable e…mity in the heart, against the holy will of God, that there is no possibility to reunite again, and restore the old friendship, as long as the soul is not quite changed and transformed: that first creation is so marred and defaced, that there is no mending of it till a second creation come. The carnal mind is not simply an enemy, but enmity it self; an enemy may reconcile again, and accept terms of peace, but enmity cannot reconcile to amity, without the very destruction of it self: the opposition of the heart is so perfect, that as soon may enmity unite with amity, and become one with it, as a carnal natural-mind can submit to Gods holy will. That which was at the beginning voluntary, is become necessary, and turned into the nature of an in-bred antipathy, that no art can cure. The fall was such a disjoynting of the soul from God, that no skill but infinit wisdom, no strength but Almighty power can set it right, and put it in the first posture again. It is true, there are not many who will openly and expresly denounce war against Heaven; it is not so incident that any man should have explicit plain thoughts of hatred against God, there are some common principles engraven by God in all mens minds, which serve as his witnesses against men, that God should be loved, served, adored, and worshipped; that there is nothing so worthy of the desires of the soul. Now this general acknowledgment deludes the most part, for they take it for granted that they do love God with their heart, because their consciences bears witness that they ought to love him, as if it were all one to know our duty, and to do it. Who is there but he intertains himself with this good opinion of himself, that his heart is good and true to God; for, say you, Wh…m should I love if I love not God, I were not worthy to live if I love not Him? It is true indeed that you say, but if you did know your hearts, you would find their faces turned backward, and averted from God, and …ould no more please your selves in such a confession of the truth, then the Devil hath reason to think himself a believer, because he is convinced that Christ is the Son of God, and confessed it too; no more then the son that promised to go to the Garden to work, and went not, had ground to think himself an obedient son, Mat. 21.30. Such a confession of duty may be extorted from damned spirits, and therefore you would not draw this vail over the wretched wickedness of your natures, to the end that you may conceive well of yourselves: It is so far from extenuating or excusing, that the very conviction of the great obligation to love and obey God, is the greatest aggravation of the enmity: it is this which makes it the purest malice, and per…ctest hatred, that knowing the goodness of God, convinced of our bound duty to love and serve him, yet in the very light of such a shining truth, to turn our hearts away from him, and exercise all acts of hostility against him. That you may know then wherein the enmity of your hearts consists, I shall instance it in three branches or evidences: There is an enmity in the understanding, that it cannot stoop to believing of the truth; there is an enmity in the will, that it cannot subject to obedience of Gods holy cammands; and this is extended also to a stubborn rebellion against the will of God, manifested in the dispensations of his providence: In a word, the natural and carnal mind is incapable of faith, of obedience, and of submission. There are many truths revealed in the Scripture, that the natural man cannot receive or know, for they are foolishness to him, 1 Cor. 2.14. Some spirits there are lifted up above others, either by nature, or education, in which this rebellion doth more evidently appear; reason in them contends with Religion, and they will believe no more then they can give a reason for. There is a wisdom in some men, that despiseth the simplicity, or the inevidence of the Gospel, and accounts it foolishness: The carnal mind will needs start out …rom implicit trusting of God, when once its possessed with some imagination of wisdom; therefore how many are the insurrections of of mens spirits against Gods absolute power over the creatures, against the mysteries of the holy Trinity and Incarnation, against the resurrection of our bodies? In these, and such like, the pretended wisdom of men hath taken liberty to act enmity, and to dispute against God. But truly, the rebellion and insubjection against the truth of God, is more generally practised even by the multitude of men, though in an unfree hidden way; How few do believe their own desperat wickedness, though God hath testified it of man? Doth not every one apprehend some good to remain in his nature, and some power to good? what an impossibility is it to perswade you, that all mankind are under the sentence of eternal condemnatio…, that children who have not done good or evil are involved in it also? Your hearts riseth against such doctrines, as if they were bloody and cruel inventions. To tell you that many are called, and few chosen, that the most part of them who prosesse the truth, are walking in the way to Hell, and shall undoubtedly fall into it: you may hear such things, but you blesse your selves from them, and cannot be perswaded to admit them into your mind…: The hearts of men will be giving the very lie to the God of truth, when he speaks these things in his word, God forbid that all that be true! If we should expound the Law unto you, and shew you that the least idle word, the lightest thought, the smallest inward motion of the heart deserves eternal misery; that anger, is murder in Gods sight; that lusting, is fornication; that covetousness and love of the world, is idolatry; these things you cannot know them or receive them; ther… are so many high imaginations in your minds that exalts themselves against the knowledge of God, so many thoughts that are mustred and set in battel array against the holy truths of God, that truly no weapons of humane perswasion, or instruction, can be able to cast down your misapprehensions and imaginations, or reasonings of your hearts, or able to scatter these armies of rebellious thoughts, and bring them in captivity, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. Mans darkned mind is a strong hold, that all the repeated and continued beatings of the word, the multiplying precept upon precept, and line upon line, cannot storm it, to make any true light shine into it. It is a dungeon, a pit so shut up and inclosed, no door nor window in it; so that albeit the Sun of Righteousness shine upon it, and round about it, there is no beam of that light can enter in the hearts of many thousands: the generality are drowned as yet in a deludge of ignorance, under the very light of dayly preaching. It is a night of as thick darkness within mens souls, as if there were no light about us: Certainly this declares the hight of enmity, the strength of the opposition; this prison of your minds is a strong hold indeed, that is proof of all preaching or instruction; and certainly they will hold out, till Almighty power storm them, and beat or batter op…n some entry in your souls, to receive this shining light of the Gospel.
Then there is a rebellion of the will, against Gods holy will revealed in his Law or Word: It cannot be subject to the Law of God. It neither is, nor can; for enmity and antipathy is sunk into its nature so, that it is the most deformed monstruous thing in the world: If the disfigured face of mans soul were visible, O how ugly were it! How would you loath it? If there were a creature that could do nothing but hate it self, and sought its own destruction, that were a hateful enough object; but self-hatred and enmity is nothing so deformed and abominable, as for the creatures will to be set in opposition to the holy will of Him that made it. It needs not much demonstration this, if you had but a little more consideration: look back upon the …eno… of your wayes, set them beside the Will and Commands o… God, and what find you? whether ag…eement or disagreement? Take a view of the current of your inclinations and affections, and compare that with the holy Will of God, and what find you? friendship or enmity. You cannot digest the reproach of that, to be called enemies to God, but, I pray you consider if there be not as perfect contrariety in your desires, affections, inclinations, and actions to the will of God, as if you did professe it, what would you do if you professed your selves enemies to God? could you possibly vent your enmity any other way then this, in withdrawing from the yoke of his obedience, in revolting from that alledgiance you owe to Him? you could wrong him no further then by setting your hearts and wayes contrary to his heart and wayes, in loving what he hates, and hating what he loves, for his own blessed beeing you could not impair it. Now consider, if that be not acted as really as if you did professe it; Can you say, that cursing, swearing, lying, railing, anger, strife, envy, revenge, and such like wo…ks of darkness, are the things which his soul loves? Are these suitable to his holy will? And yet these are your inveterated customs, to which your natures are so inured and habituated, that you can no more forsake th…m, then hate your selves. Are filthiness, drunkenness, Sabbath-breaking, covetousness, and love, of the world, are these his delight? And yet these are your delight. Again, is it not his will that ye should purge your selves from all filthiness of fl…sh & spirit, and perfect holiness? is not righteousness that which he loves? and truth in the inward parts: Doth not he look to a contrite heart, and account that a savoury sacrifice? Is it not his royal statute and commandment (of which not one jot shall fail) that ye should deny yourselves, love your enemies, forgive them that offend you, sanctifie his Name alwayes in your hearts? and especially on the holy Sabbath: That ye should watch unto prayer, be sober in the use of the world, be much in watching for his second coming again? Now what repugnance is in your hearts and wayes to all these? Do not the conv…rsations of men display a Banner against the Gospel? and proclaim as much in reality, as is said in words, in Psal. 2. Let us cast his cords behind us, and cut his hands. These things are unsavoury unto you, you smell nothing pleasant in them; but only in the puddle of the world: in running at randome at your own liberty, after your own imaginations, That you account only liberty. O! when shall your hearts be subdued, and your affections brought in captivity to the obedience of Christ: When shall you be delivered up to the truth! and so made to obey from the heart, that form of doctrine and sound words, Rom. 6.17. This is the strongest hold that Satan hath in mans heart, His will and affections: and this keeps out longest against Jesus Christ; till he that is stronger come, and bind the strong man, and cast out the enmity, and make all captive, to his loving obedience, and willing subjection, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5.
Then thirdly, The enmity of the soul of man, is acted in his rebellion, against the will of God manifested in his works, In his unsubjection, and unsubmisive disposition, towards the good pleasure of the Lord, in carving out such and such a lot in the world: It is certain, that as the Will of God is the supream rule of righteousness, so it is the soveraign cause and fountain of all things; and therefore, how infinitly is the creature bound to subject to him as a Law-giver? by pleasant and willing obedience, to his righteous and reasonable commands: and to submit to him as the absolute ruler, by quiet and humble condescendance, to all the dispensations of his providence. Now you know (if you know any thing of your selves) how crosse and opposit, these hearts of yours are to His good pleasure; how they are set just contrary: and whence flowes all the murmurings, grudgings, discontents, griefs, cares and perplexities of men? but from this fountain, The rebellion of the heart against God. There is nothing in all the creation, mutinous and malecontent, but the Heart of man. You see frequent examples of it, in the murmurations of the people in the wilderness. It is frequently styled A tempting of the Lord, Exod. 17.2. Importing a high provocation of his holy Majesty; a special incitement, as it were, and motive to declare his absolute power and righteousness against such; and therefore these are often conjoyned, Psal. 78.17, 18. They finned yet more, by provoking the most High: and they tempted God in their heart: And its added vers. 19. Yea, they speak against God. Wherein you may observe, a gradation of agrravations of this enmity: when men have already deserved infinit punishment at his hand, and may alwayes look within, and find an answer to all the murmurings of their hearts, as having sinned so often against him; yet then, to …ise up against his good pleasure; and a…ter we have so often sinned, to repine at any thing coming from him. And this certainly, is a high provocation of the most high God: it puts a kind of necessity upon him, to inflict that which thou indeed deserves; and then, this inward heart burning against God, it breaks out often in words, against that most high and holy one so, vers. 40, 41. and vers. 56, 57. Provoking, which is the plain expression of murmuring, in the margent is rendered, rebelling against Him: and so in vers. 8. When a short account is given of them, when the Character or An…gram of such a people is expressed, its set down thus, A stubborn and rebellious generation. Therefore Paul, considering this woful and wretched posture of the soul, set in opposition to the alwayes blessed will of God; and the madness and folly of it, he exhorts us, neither murmure ye, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer; for these things happened for ensamples, &c. 1 Cor. 10.10, 11. Truly, there is nothing either more deformed and vile in it self, or more disquieting and tormenting to the soul, or more dangerous in the consequents of it, then such a posture of spirit, a discontented humour against Gods providence. Whether it be in withholding that good thing …rom us which we desire, or sending that which crosseth our humour; whether sicknesse, or want, or reproach, or disrespect; whatsoever it be that the heart is naturally carried to pursue or eshew. What more abominable and ugly visage, then the countenance of an angry and furious person? but when this is against God, it adds infinitly to the deformity and vileness of it. I do well to be angry is the Motto of a discontented soul. It erects an imaginary soveraignty against true soveraignty: it sets up an Antiprovidence; it establisheth another Divine power and wisdom; and brings the Majesty, highnesse and holiness of God, down to be tread upon by the creature. And then it is its own tormenter: a sin that needs no punishment, but it self: the insurrection and mutany of the heart, against Gods will, sets all the powers of the soul out of course, vexes, pains and disquiets all. There is no peace and tranquility, but in the complacency of the heart, with Gods heart, as Ephraim was like a bullock unaccustomed with the yoke, Jer. 31.18. The more he fretted and spurned at his yoke, the more it galled him, and g…ieved him, till he was instructed, and then he was eased. This fills the soul with hideous tormenting thoughts and cares: this feeds upon its own marrow, and consumes it (as some have made the Emblem of envy) which is a particular kind of this enmity: as if you would imagine a creature, that did waste and consume all its moisture and marrow, and feed upon the destruction of it self. Now, this is but the prelude of what follows: this self-punishment is a messenger to tell what is coming…, That the most high God is engaged in his power against such a person, and shall vent his displeasure to their eternal displeasure; that is the fruit of this enmity.