Defensive Armor Against Four of Satans Most Fiery Darts, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
The Text, Deut. 29. 18, 19, 20. opened. The fitneſs of it to the intended Diſcourſe. The Propoſition founded in it. The Method of handling it propoſed. What it is to preſume. The Nature of Preſumption opened.
MOſes (the Servant of God) when he had a ſecond time repeated the Law of God to the Iſraelites, as you ſhall find in that Book, which from that Second Repetition hath its Name Deuteronomy, commandeth the People, that having paſſed over Jordan, into the Land of Canaan, they ſhould ſet up Stones, and Plaiſter them with Plaiſter, and write the Law upon them; and ſet up theſe Stones in Mount Ebal; Deut. 27. 4. and ſix of the Tribes were to ſtand upon Mount Ebal, ſix upon Mount Gerizzim; v. 12, 13. who were to ſay Amen, to the Levites pronouncing the Bleſſings or Curſings following, after Chap. 27. 28. promiſed to thoſe that obſerved the Laws, or denounced againſt thoſe that preſumed to violate it; after this Moſes exhorteth them to Obedience, from the great Works of God which they had ſeen him doing for them; Chap. 29. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 7, 8, 9. and from thence to the 15 verſe, he ingageth them in a Covenant with God, for the obſervation of his Law. And v. 16, 17. ſhortly again mindeth them of what God had done for them, both in bringing them out of Egypt, and through the Nations of their Enemies. After all this, that great Man of God, from the general Corruption of Humane Nature, fore-ſaw there would be ſome b…ld pr…fane Perſons, that would venture obſequiouſneſs to their Senſual Appetite, to break this Holy Law; and notwithſtanding all the Bleſſings annexed to the Obſervation of it, and all the Curſes entailed to the Violation of it, would adventure upon their Senſual Satisfactions, and yet promiſe to themſelves, not onelyonly Impunity and Freedom, from the threatned Evils, but alſo the obtaining thoſe good Things, for the obtaining of which, the Obſervation of the Divine Law, was made a Condition; he therefore adds v. 18, 19, 20, 21. L…ſt there ſhould be amongſt you, Man, or Woman, or Family, or Tribe, whoſe Heart turneth away from the Lord his God, to go and ſerve the Gods of theſe Nations; leſt there ſhould be amongſt you a Root that beareth Gall and Wormwood, v. 19. and when he heareth the words of this Curſe, that he bleſſeth himſelf in his Heart, ſaying, I ſhall have Peace though I walk in the Imagination of mine Heart, and add Drunkenneſs to Thirſt; v. 20. The Lord will not ſpare him, but then the Anger of the Lord and his Jealouſie, ſhall ſmoke againſt that Man; and all the Curſes of this Book ſhall lie upon him, and the Lord ſhall blot out his Name from under Heaven. v. 21. And the Lord ſhall ſeperate him to Evil, out of all the Tribes of Iſrael, according to all the Curſes of the Covenant, that are written in this Book of the Law. It is true, theſe Words are in the Old Teſtament, but Auguſtine ſaid true, That the Old Teſtament is Occultatio Novi, The New Teſtament in a Myſtery; the New Teſtament Revelatio Veteris, the Old Teſtament explained: both of them the Revealed Will of God, the later onelyonly the more clear Revelation of it: And it is as true, That as Face anſwereth Face in a Glaſs, ſo the Hearts of Men in one Age and Period in the World, anſwer the Hearts of Men in another Period of it. Moſes in the Text afore-mentioned, deſcribeth to you, 1. A Sinner, one who turneth away his Heart from the Lord his God, that walketh according to the imagination of his own Heart, that addeth Drunkenneſs to Thirſt; and all this after he hath heard the Words of the Law, and the Bleſſing to them that keep the Law, and the Curſe to them that violate this Law. 2. The bold Preſumption of this Sinner, when he hath heard the Law, the Bl…ſſings promiſed to them that obſerve it, and the Curſes denounced againſt them that violate it; yet he will flatter himſelf, he ſhall have Peace, though he walks according to the imagination of his Heart, and addeth Sin to Sin, Drunkenneſs to Thirſt. 3. The Fate of ſuch a Sinner, or the Iſſue of that Preſumption, The Lord will not ſpare him, but the Anger of the Lord and his Jealouſie ſhall ſmoke againſt that Man, and all the Curſes in Scripture ſhall lie upon bim, and the Lord ſhall blot out his Name from under Heaven. The Lord ſhall ſeperate him to Evil, out of all the Tribes of Iſrael, according to all the Curſes of the Covenant, that are written in the Book of the Law. God hath alſo made a Covenant with People under the New Teſtament, even the ſame for Subſtance as with the Jews: He then gave them a Law, A Law for Worſhip, called the Ceremonial Law: A Law for ordering their Polity or Common-wealth, called the Judicial Law: A Law for the Ordering their Converſation, called the Moral Law. It is true, the two firſt concern not us, nor are any part of Gods Covenant with us Gentiles. Chriſt hath ſet up a New Worſhip, and taken away the Law contained in Ordinances; Ordinances concerning a Worldly Sanctuary. We may now every where worſhip the Father; John 4. 23, 24. Carnal Ordinances and Typical Ordinances, that Law is aboliſhed; Chriſt the Anti-type being come. The Subſtance is come, the Shadows are fled away; we are not concerned in the Judicial Law, any further than in the Equity of it: it was the Revealed Will of God, with reſpect to that particular People, and the Complexion of them. But we are all concerned in the Moral Law, that is the ſame in the Covenant with us as with the Jews, and the Bleſſings promiſed to the Obſerver of it, and the Curſes denounced againſt the Breakers of the ſame. OnelyOnly as to the Law-part, the Law of Faith is more fully and clearly revealed; you read not ſo much of Chriſt and Believing in Chriſt, and in his Name under the Old Teſtament, as in the New; yet even then Abraham ſaw Chriſts day and rejoyced: and there is enough to prove, that Faith in Chriſt was then a term of Salvation. And for the Bleſſings and Curſes, they are much more Plain, Spirutual and Comfortable, or Dreadful, under the New Teſtament than under the Old. All things happening to the Jews in a Figure. The Bleſſings under the New Teſtament promiſed, are Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life, more eminently the Curſes eminently threatned, are dying in Sins and being Eternally Condemned. Now look as it was amongſt the Jews, when God had plainly given them his Law, and threatned the Diſobedience of it, with all manner of Curſes and Judgements; and promiſed to the Obeſrvance of it, all manner of Good; yet there was a Generation that were mad of their Luſts, and yet not willing to think they ſhould be Curſed in that manner and undone, therefore promiſed themſelves, that though they walked according to their own Luſts and Imaginations, and went boldly on in Courſes of Sin, yet they ſhould have Peace, Outward Peace, Inward Peace, Eternal Peace. So there are a multitude of People ſtill that do the like, as to whom the Lord ſaith, He will not ſpare them, but make them eminent inſtances of his Wrath and Vengeance.
I have hitherto been diſcourſing of the vehement Temptations, That to Atheiſtical Thoughts, that to Self-Murther, and that to Deſpair; I come now to ſpeak to a Fourth, that of Preſumption. What the Women ſaid of Saul, may be ſaid of the other three; but what they ſung of David may be applied to this, Atheiſtical and Blaſphemous Thoughts, Self-Murther, may have ſlain their Thouſands; but Preſumption hath ſlain, and I fear goes on yet, to ſlay its Ten Thouſands. Suffer me therefore to inlarge a little upon this ſo neceſſary an Argument: you may (if you pleaſe) take this Propoſition as a bottom to my Diſcourſe.
Prop. That it is very ordinary for Perſons enamoured and reſolved upon their Luſts, notwithſtanding the clear Revelations of the Divine Will, and the Conditions upon which Bleſſings are promiſed; as alſo as to the Threatings denounced againſt the Violators of the Divine Law; yet to preſume upon their receiving the promiſed Bleſſings, though they live directly contrary to the terms on which God hath promiſed them. In ſpeaking to this Temptation (of all others moſt common and ordinary, and as pernicious, tho not ſo troubleſome) I will firſt enquire into the Nature of Preſumption, and when a Man or Woman may be ſaid to Preſume in a Theological Senſe. 2. What Tempters thoſe are that move to this Sin. 3. What that ſeeming Good is, which they propound to the Soul, to entice the Soul to preſume. 4. Upon what Grounds (ordinarily) Souls are tempted to preſume. 5. What may be adviſed or done, in order to the avoiding this Rock.
Preſumption and to preſume, are terms very variouſly taken, as they are uſed by Lawyers or Divines, or in our ordinary Diſcourſe and way of Speaking. I ſhall neither trouble my ſelf nor you with the Amphibology, and various uſage of the Terms. I am ſpeaking to it onelyonly as a Divine. In the general Notion of it, it ſignifies, To take a thing too quickly before it be given: A Proof taken for granted, before it be fully made according to Rules of Law, when the thing is made by it no more than very probable or ſuſpicious, is called a Preſumption. In Divinity an Hope or Confidence taken up without juſt and ſufficient grounds to warrant it, is called Preſumption; and without any more Diſcourſe, that is the ſenſe in which I am ſpeaking of it, the Objects of it (as I am ſpeaking to it) are the Favour of God, as to the Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life and Salvation. Thoſe are the Objects of the good Hope of a true Chriſtian, and of the vain Hope of a preſumptuous Hypocrite. In ſhort, It is an unwarrantable Hope and Confidence, reſpecting the Favour of God, as to the Pardon of Sin, and the obtaining Eternal Life; when Men and Women will be unreaſonably confident of their Spiritual Eſtate, that they are in the Favour of God, that their Sins are Pardoned, and they ſhall be Eternally Saved; like the fooliſh Virgins, that when they wanted Oil, came and cried, Lord open to us, when the Door was ſhut againſt them; Matth. 25. 10, 11. or thoſe Matth. 7. 22. that our Saviour tells us of, who ſhould ſay to him (and I pray obſerve, he ſaith there will be Many under thoſe circumſtances) that will ſay, Lord, Lord, have we not Prayed in thy Name, and Propheſied in thy Name, and in thy Name caſt out Devils; to whom our Lord telleth us he will profeſs, I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of Iniquity. This is that which I call the Sin of Preſumption, and a great Sin it is, it would not elſe have been ſo ſeverely threatned as it is; Deut. 29. 20, 21. and Motions to it are Temptations. Let me in the next place find out our great Adverſaries in this caſe.