Defensive Armor Against Four of Satans Most Fiery Darts, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
The Seeming Good enticing is Temptations of this Nature, the enjoyment of unlawful Senſual Satisfactions, without regrets, or diſturbances from Conſcience. Several falſe Notions inſtanced in, which the Tempters inſtill into Men and Women; upon which they build up Preſumptuous Hopes.
THe ſeeming Good, which is the Bait that covereth this Hook, is evident enough from the former Diſcourſe: It is The Enjoyment of unlawful ſenſual Satiſfactions without Regrets or Diſturbances from Conſcience. There are many Trees of forbidden Fruit, in the midſt of the World wherein we live: As there are many other Trees, the Fruit of which we may eat of, under due Circumſtances, and yet live with God; many lawful Pleaſures which we may take and uſe moderately, many Actions which may tend to our Profit and Advantage, in order to our comfortable Subſiſtance, and a living in the World with Honour and Reputation; ſo that God hath not ſcanted us, and we need not Steal for the Satisfaction of our juſt Hunger: So I ſay there are many Trees of forbidden Fruit, which we may not eat the Fruit of, leaſt we die. God hath not ſaid to any, Thou ſhalt not Marry: But he hath ſaid, Thou ſhalt not commit Adultery. He hath not ſaid, Thou ſhalt not enjoy Silver, or Gold, Houſes, or Lands: But he hath ſaid, Thou ſhalt not Covet thy Neighbours Houſe nor Lands. He hath ſaid, Thou ſhalt not Steal. He hath not ſaid, Thou ſhalt not ſpend any day, but in the ſolemn Worſhip of God. But he hath ſaid, Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Now our Luſts encline us to forbidden things, Nitimur in vetitum; and theſe deſires of unlawful things, or lawful things in an immoderate, undue, and unlawful manner, are what we call Luſts; duplicate page duplicate page yet Men living under the Revelations of Divine Truth, and of the Divine Will, and hearing of an immortal State of Souls, and of an Eternity which waiteth for all Men after this Life, and that either in Bliſs or Miſery, we knowing that we muſt all die, and after come to Judgement, and receive an Eternal Reward, or an Eternal Puniſhment, cannot but deſire an Eternal Happineſs; and our buſineſs (I mean the buſineſs of a Natural Man, reſolved upon the Satisfaction of his Luſt, and yet deſirous to ſhew himſelf one that believeth the Scriptures, and to cheriſh in himſelf an hope of an Eternal Happineſs) is to cloſe with ſuch Notions and falſe Repreſentations of the Divine Will, as may ſerve to cheriſh his hopes for a Living with God for ever; he in the mean time enjoying thoſe Luſts and ſenſual Satisfactions to which he is moſt biaſſed and inclined: Hence it is that he Preſumeth, that is he buildeth up unto himſelf Hopes and Confidences of Gods Favour to him as well as others, and that he ſhall when he dies goe to Heaven, whatever Miniſters ſay; who would put a Yoke upon Peoples Necks, that no Fleſh is able to bear. Now it may be worth an enquiry, what falſe Notion: thoſe are, upon which Men build up theſe Preſumptions, and which the Devil, the World, or our own Luſts, ſuggeſt and build upon, as upon a ſandy Foundation. I ſhall name ſome, and onelyonly in this place ſhew you, that if theſe Notions were true, they might give a foundation for ſuch Confidences (at leaſt ſome of them, others not) I ſhall reſerve my demonſtration of the falſhood of them, until I come to the Applicatory part of my Diſcourſe.
1. That God will not Eternally Condemn any Man or Woman that he hath made, eſpecially not any within the boſome of the Church: This hath not been the avowed Opinion of many who have publiſhed their Sentiments to the World; We Read of Huberus and Paccius and ſome two or three more, who have adventured to publiſh ſuch Sentiments to the World, but by the lives of too many it is proclaimed; that there are too many ſuch Atheiſts in the World; for they wallow in ſuch prodigious Filthineſs as it is impoſſible but that they muſt conclude, that if there be an Hell; and it be not to ſtand empty, they are like to goe to it; for none can live more prodigiouſly lewd and profane lives than they do. Now indeed if this Notion were true, if Men could but perſwade themſelves that they are Gods Creatures, it were enough for them to be confident of Gods Favour and their going at laſt to Heaven.
2. A Second Notion which ſome have taken up, is That Chriſt hath dyed for all, and all thoſe for whom he dyed ſhall be Saved. The latter part of this, is held by no learned Man that I know (though if I could admit the former; I ſhould not be very difficult as to the latter.) There are (as I have formerly told you) three Opinions concerning Redemption, as to the Objects of it: Some ſaying he died equally for all, as much for Judas as Peter: (Thus ſay the Arminians) others that he died for all, but not equally: He purchaſed a certainty of Salvation for ſome a poſſibility for all. (Thus the Methediſts, or thoſe that are for the middle way.) Others ſay he died for no more than the Elect. I intend not to meddle with this great Queſtion; onelyonly I ſay, no judicious and learned Man, that hath held either of the two firſt Opinions, hath ſaid, or will ſay, That all thoſe for whom Chriſt died, ſhall be Saved. All agree in the Negative of that; but I fear, abundance of leſs judicious People are of that Mind, and here build up their Preſumptuous Hopes.
3. A Third Notion is, That Sin is waſhed away in Baptiſm. There are ſome learned and great Men indeed, who have thought, that the Guilt of Adams Sin, yea all Original Sin, is waſhed away in Baptiſm, and Men Juſtified in it; but they add, If by Actual Sins they put not a barr, ſo as all the Relief that Opinion affords (if it be true) as to Perſons dying in their Infancy, as to whom they are as gentle, as Auguſtine was judged an hard Father; but I ſhall not enlarge on this, for there can be no other Pretence for this as to grown Perſons, than their Admiſſion into the Catholick Church by that Ordinance, and ſo it in part falleth in with the firſt Notion I named.
4. A Fourth Notion is, That Men and Women have their lives in their own hands, a Power in themſelves to believe and do whatſoever God hath required of them in order to their Salvation; ſo as they ſhall not need look after their Salvation, till they come within ſight of the Grave: Upon this they build up Preſumptuous Hopes all their Life, hoping to have time before their Death to bethink themſelves, and to turn unto God.
5. Under a fifth Head may come Mens falſe Notions of Faith, Repentance, and Holineſs. They are told by Papiſts, that Faith is nothing elſe, but an Agreement to the propoſition of the Word (and that they think they do.) That Repentance is nothing elſe, but ſome ſorrow for Sin, and a turning from ſome flagitious Courſes unto God: That Holineſs is nothing but a performance of ſome good Works Commanded in Gods Word, or a Reſolution to do them, if they have time; ſo as if they do upon their Death-bed profeſs they die in the Faith, and declare they are ſorry for their miſpent Life; and their Reſolution, if God ſpare their lives, to live a better Life: This is enough to carry them to Heaven.
6. A Sixth is this, That if they do but receive the Sacrament, and receive Abſolution from a Miniſter before they Die: This is enough to ſecure their Eternal Salvation: For whoſe Sins they Remitt are Remitted.
7. A Seventh is (and that is perfectly Popiſh) That if they happen to die under the Guilt of Sin (if it be not one of the ſeven Mortal Sins, and that without Repentance) it is but lying ſome years in Purgatory, and they ſhall come out and go to Heaven; nor would thoſe Teachers of Preſumption put that neceſſity upon them, if it were not to get money for Maſſes to be ſaid for their Souls, or to get Indulgences for them, to help them out of the Imaginary Fire.
There are ſome of thoſe Notions, which drank in, and imbraced by any, are the grounds of this Preſumption, as to which I am now Diſcourſing.
The onelyonly Queſtion remaining, is what Chriſtians ſhould do to avoid daſhing upon this deſperate Rock.