The Natural Mans Case, Part 1 · Sermon 15
SERMON, XV.
EPHES. 2. 12.
—And without God in the World.
WE come now to the fifth miſery of men by Nature, which is this, that they are without God in the World; and here firſt I ſhall give you ſomething from the order of the words, and then unfold them; and then draw out ſome Doctrines from them.
Quest. 1. For the order of the words, Why is their being without Chriſt put in the firſt place of the Text, and their being without God put in the laſt place?
Anſw. Anſw. Their being without Chriſt, is put in the firſt place, becauſe it was the inlet of all their miſery, and their being without God is put in the laſt place, becauſe it is the finall upſhot of mans miſery; it is the inlet of a mans miſery to bee without Chriſt, and it is his miſery to be an alien to the Common-wealth of Iſrael, and a ſtranger to the Covenant of Promiſe, and to be without hope, and it is the upſhot of all thy miſery to be without God in the World; and here I ſhall ſhew you that there are multitudes of men and women in the World, that are without God, though they doe every day worſhip God, yet they may live all their dayes without God; but before I ſpeak to this, I muſt unfold two or three things in the words, as
Object. 1. How can it be ſaid here that they were without God in the World, when the Apoſtle ſays in another place, that the wicked Act. 17. 27.cannot be without God, the Lord is not farre from every one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being, here the Apoſtle ſayes that wicked men are not far from God, and that they live in God; and therefore how can it be ſaid in the Text, that wicked men are without God in the World, whereas we are all Gods off-ſpring, and come from God, how can this be?
Anſw. Anſw. The anſwer is very eaſie; and that is this, that in ſome ſenſe there is no man nor creature in the World without God; and yet in another ſenſe there are multitudes of men that are without God in the World.
1. In ſome ſenſe there is no man can be ſaid to be without God; that is, by way of creation, preſervation, ſuſtentation, and ruling over us, every one is in God by way of creation and preſervation, &c. But how in another ſenſe there are multitudes of people without God; this is in a way of ſpeciall intereſt in him, without a reconciled God, without God as a Father to you in Jeſus Chriſt, without a God that you can lay claim to as yours, in this ſenſe multitudes of people are without God in the World.
2. Another thing that I ſhall explaine to you is this, what it is to be without God, and without God in the World.
I anſwer, that to be without God it includes in it in Scripture phraſe theſe four things.
1. To be without the knowledge of the true God.
2. To be without the true worſhip of the true God.
3. To be without a true obedience to the true God; And
4. To be without a peculiar intereſt and propriety in God.
1. To be without God, is to be without the knowledge of the true God; then a man is ſaid to be without God, when he doth not know the true God. Every man in the World hath ſomething or other to be his God, as in Jonah 1. 5, 6. when there was a great tempeſt upon the Sea, and the ſhip like to be caſt away that Jonah was in, it is ſaid, that every man prayed to his God, and Jonah be prayed to the Lord his God, and ſo in Micah 4. 5. For all people will Mic. 4. 5.walk every one in the name of his God, and we wil walk in the name of our God for ever and ever. Every man may have ſomething to worſhip as a God, and yet be without the true God, thoſe are ſaid to be without God, that are without the knowledg of the true God, as you may ſee in 2 Chr. 15. 3. it is ſaid there, that for a long time Iſrael was without the true God; without God, how ſo? doth not God rule and governe and preſerve the World? yes, but they are ſaid to be without God, becauſe they were without the knowledge of God, for if you mark the next words, it is ſaid, they were without the teaching Prieſt, and without the Law, ſo that all the while they lay in ignorance of the true God, they were ſaid to be without God.
2. Men may be ſaid to be without God, when they are without the true worſhip of the true God; all the while the children of Iſrael had the Ark among them which was the ſigne of Gods preſence, all that while God was among them, but when the Ark was taken God was gone too, the Lord will be with you while you are with him, while you worſhip God ſincerely and uprightly according to his wil, ſo long God will be with you.
3. To be without God is to live without true obedience to the true God, when men doe ſo live as that the commands of God bear no ſway over them, it is a ſigne they are without God, as in Pſal. 81. 11. Pſal. 81. 11My people, ſaith God, would not hear my voyce, and Iſrael would have none of me; the not obeying of Gods commands is a not having of God; thou art without God in the world oh man, unto whoſe conſcience the ſoveraignty and authority of a God cannot give a check, and a controll to thy luſts, to bring thee into obedience to him.
4. To be without God in the world, is to be without a peculiar intereſt and propriety in God as your God, when you cannot ſay that God is your Father.
Now if you ask me in which of theſe four ſenſes theſe Epheſians here in the text, were without God, I anſwer, that they were without God in all of them, for while they were in a ſtate of Gentiliſm, they were without the knowledge of the true God, and without the worſhip of the true God, and without any obedience to the true God, and without any reall intereſt and propriety in God, but chiefly the two latter are included in this phraſe; the generall point of Doctrine that I ſhall obſerve, from this laſt branch of mans miſery ſhall be this,
Doctr. That every man during the ſtate of his unregeneracy is without God in the world; this only in the generall.
But here ſome may enquire what is meant by this expreſſion without God in the World; The meaning is, that they were without any propriety or intereſt in God in this world, and if they are without God in this world, they muſt of neceſſity bee without God in another world. And thus you have the words explained to you, I ſhall now give you a more particular view of them; without God in the World, the words as they are rendered in our tranſlation, incline this way, for a man to be without any peculiar intereſt and propriety in God, but theſe words (without God in the World) in the Greek ſignifies Atheiſts in the World; that is, they did ſo live as if there were no God in the World; ſo then the words being thus opened, there are two things involved in this phraſe without God in the World.
1. That they were Atheiſts in the world, that is, ſo living, as if there were no God in the World.
2. They were living in the World without any peculiar intereſt or propriety in God.
Doctr. From the firſt of theſe, that they were Atheiſts in the World, you may note this,
Doctr. That every man in the ſtate of unregeneracy, hee is an Atheiſt in the World; he is a man that lives as if there were no God in the World, every man in the ſtate of unregeneracy is a practicall Atheiſt; now when I tell you that every wicked man is an Atheiſt, doe not miſtake me, for there are two ſorts of Atheiſts, an Atheiſt in judgement, and an Atheiſt in practice; an atheiſt in judgement is ſuch a one, as Pagans and Heathens are, but an Atheiſt in practice is ſuch a one as lives, as if there were no God in the World; ſo that the Doctrine is, that every unregenerate man is a practicall Atheiſt, that is, he ſo lives as if there were no God in the World, Pſal. 14. 1. The Fool hath ſaid in his heart there is Pſal. 14. 1.no God, that is, he ſo lives as if there were no God that takes notice of what hee does; thou art a practicall Atheiſt oh man that ſo liveſt in the World, as if there were no God in the world: and here
1. I ſhall ſhew you how it comes to paſſe that any man is ſo groſſely wicked to live as if there were no God in the World; And
2. I ſhall give you the characters of a man that does live after this manner.
1. How it comes to paſſe that men ſhould be ſo groſſely wicked, ſuch practicall Atheiſts, to live as if there were no God in Foure grounds of Atheiſm.the World, I ſhall give you four grounds of it.
1. The firſt reaſon is becauſe of Gods forbearance towards them, Eccleſ. 8. 11. Becauſe Eccleſ. 8. 11.God doth not ſpeedily execute judgement upon wicked men when they commit a finne, therefore they run into thoughts of Atheiſm, and ſinne with greedineſſe, as if there were no God in the World, as in Pſal. 50. 21. Theſe things, ſayes God, thou Pſal. 50. 21haſt done, and I held my tongue, therefore thou thoughteſt that I was like thee, but I will reprove thee, and ſet thy ſins in order before thee, becauſe God held his tongue, and did not reprove them for their ſins, therefore they thought him to be ſuch a one as themſelves, that he was a ſinner as well as they; becauſe ſentence againſt an evill work is not ſpeedily executed, therefore the hearts of the ſonnes of men are ſet in them to doe evill, the for bearance of God to wicked men makes them run on into practicall atheiſm, whereas this is no ground at all to encourage thee to run on in ſin; for
1. The forbearance of Gods judgments was never intended by God to breed atheiſm in thy heart, but to provoke thee to repentance, as the Apoſtle ſays, The bountifulneſſe Rom. 2. 4.and long ſuffering of God ſhould lead us to repentance.
2. This will aggravate thy condemnation, to make the forbearance of God, a provocation to thee to goe on in ſinne; And,
3. Know this that though God doth forbeare a while from puniſhing of thee for thy ſins, yet he does neither forgive thee nor forget thee, as in Nahum. 1. 3. The Lord is ſlow to anger, but he is great in power, and hee will not ſurely clear the wicked; though God does forbear thee, yet he will not forget thee: ſo in Eccleſ. 8. 12. Though a ſinner doth Eccleſ. 8. 12.evill an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet it ſhall not bee well with him in the latter end.
2. Another ground whereby wicked men do plunge themſelves into atheiſm is this, becauſe they ſee other men that are knowing men, and profeſſing religion, men that doe pretend to know God, and love God, and worſhip God, when wicked men ſhall ſee ſuch men as theſe fall into great and groſſe ſins, and live ſo unanſwerable to their profeſſion, this makes them conclude that there is no God in the World, as in Rom. 2. 24. ſayes the Apoſtle there, the name of God is blaſphemed Rom. 2. 24among the Gentiles through you. I have read a hrange ſtory of a woman here in England, that called in queſtion the Deity, whether there was a God or no, and a Miniſter coming to her to convince her, and ſatisfie her conſcience, and to perſwade her into a beleife that there was a God, asked of her this queſtion, how ſhe came to bee an atheiſt, ſhee anſwered the very firſt thing that cauſed her to entertaine thoughts of atheiſme, to beleive there was no God, was the ſeeing of him live ſo wickedly and profanely; for, ſayes ſhee, I know you to be a learned and knowing man, and you preach good Sermons, and exhort people well, and the very beholding you to live ſo wickedly, to be a ſwearer, a lyer, a drunkard, and a Sabbath breaker, &c. this made me to queſtion, whether there were a God in heaven or no, ſeeing he did let you run on ſtill unpuniſhed.
3. Another thing that makes men live as if there were no God in the World, is the queſtioning of the authority of the Scriptures. I have read of one (a great ſcholar in this kingdome) that the means whereby he came to be an atheiſt was this, he firſt began to queſtion, whether the Bible were the Word of God or no, becauſe he did not know whether Moſes that penned the beginning of it were a man of God or no; then he queſtioned how Moſes could write of thoſe things that were done before he was born, and then whether the Papiſts might not alter it in the tranſlating of it; and many others queſtions till by degrees he came to be a very atheiſt, and to queſtion whether there were a God or no: and ſo there are ſome errours now in print, that tend very much to atheiſm; there are ſome that doe affirme, that that Booke or volume of Bookes called the Bible is not the Word of God, and ſuch an opinion as this does very much worke upon mens hearts and perſwade them, that there is no God, as in i Pet. 3. 4. ſayes the Apoſtle, There ſhall 1 Pet. 3. 4.come in the laſt dayes ſcoffers, walking after their owne lusts, (there are the Atheiſts, but how came they to be ſo? mark the next words) and ſaying, Where is the promiſe of his coming? for ſince the Fathers fell aſleep all things continue as they were from the beginning, ſay they, we have heard that all men muſt be judged, that after death they muſt appeare before the Judgement-ſeat of God, to give an account of all their actions; Now becauſe they did not ſee theſe things accompliſht already, they cryed out, Where is the promiſe of his coming? they would not beleeve there was any ſuch thing, the queſtioning of the truths of God was that which brought them to be very atheiſts.
4. Another ground from whence atheiſm doth flow is pride of heart; it is very well obſerved by one, that moſt commonly Atheiſts are of the greateſt men; you ſhall ſeldome ſee a poore man an atheiſt, but rich men altogether: as Pharaoh in Exod. 5. 2. Who is the Lord (ſayes he) that I Exod. 5. 2.ſhould obey his voice? and ſo Nebuchadnezzar, in Dan. 3. Who is that God (ſayes Dan. 3. 15.hee) that ſhall deliver you out of my hands? ſo Alexander ſaid himſelfe was God. Atheiſts are ordinarily of the greateſt and richeſt and higheſt people.
Object. But here ſome may object and ſay; What doe you tell us here in England, that wee are without God in the world? you may ſay ſo to Pagans and Heathens, but wee hope you will not ſay ſo to us.
Anſw. For anſwer to this Objection, I ſhall here ſhew you 13 diſcoveries of a practicall atheiſt. I ſhall give you three of Thirteen Characters of an Atheiſt. Pſal. 14. 1.them out of the Scripture, and ten more deduced from the Scripture: in Pſal. 14. 1. where it is ſaid, The Foole hath ſaid in his heart there is no God, in that very Pſalm there are three diſcoveries of an atheiſt.
1. A man living all his dayes in a prophane and diſordered courſe of life towards God, ſuch an one is an atheiſt in the firſt verſe of that ſame Pſalme, The Foole hath ſaid in his heart there is no God, what follows? they are corrupt, they have done abominable workes, there is none that doth good, that man that all his life time lives in a diſorderly courſe of life, and addes drunkenneſſe to thirſt, and commits one ſinne after another, that man is a practicall atheiſt, hee lives as if there were no God in the World.
2. That man that doth wholly neglect the duty of prayer in the 4. verſe of the 14. Pſalm, They eat up my people as they eat bread, and they call not upon the Lord, ſuch a man is a practicall atheiſt.
3. That man that hates and carries a grudge in his heart, againſt thoſe that feare the Lord, that man is an atheiſt: in Pſal. 14. 6. You have ſhamed the counſell of the poore, becauſe the Lord is his refuge.
Uſe. Now give me leave a little to preſs theſe three diſcoveries home upon your conſciences. Are they atheiſts that live a diſorderly life, and walk in a courſe of wickedneſſe all their dayes? are ſuch as theſe atheiſts? Oh then how many atheiſts are there now in the world, that doe ſpend all their days in ſin and vanity, and in a moment goe down into the grave!
2. Are they atheiſts that doe neglect the duty of prayer? oh then with grief of heart be it ſpoken, how many atheiſts are there in the World that doe wholly omit this duty, both in their families and in their cloſets? How many are there that can ſay, they never goe to God upon their knees in ſecret, to beg for grace and mercy from God? and this neglect of ſecret duties, is a palpable demonſtration that you doe live as if there were no God in the World, and in ſo doing ye are very atheiſts.
3. Is hatred and contempt of the people of God, a badge of an atheiſt? then likewiſe are there many Atheiſts in the world: how many are there that can love a ſwearer and adulterer, a prophaner, &c. yea, love a dog and yet hate a Chriſtian? this proceed from a root of Atheiſme; that is in their hearts.