The Chief Interest of Man, Section 14
SECT. XIV. An enquiry into the cauſes, why Religion is ſo much neglected. The remoter cauſes the corruption of Mans nature, the malice and power of the Devil, the nearer cauſe, the prevalenccy of ſence againſt Faith and reaſon, which is removed by ſhewing in how many in ſtances of our Lives, we do by reaſon correct the errors of ſenſe.
HE that ſhall read what I have hitherto written, and obſerve the general practice of the World, will perhaps wonder, that if theſe things be ſo, Men ſhould no better underſtand their own intereſt, but generally neglect this which is pretended to conduce ſo much to the making of the World happy, & what I have ſaid, though it may ſeem to ſome to have ſome ſhew, of probability, will hardly obtain belief, but lye under ſome ſuſpition, like the honeſt projects of ſome well-wiſher to the publick good, which never obtained ſo much credit as to be reduced to tryal. Wherefore I ſhall a little enquire after the cauſes of that ungodlineſſe and prophaneneſſe, that ſo generally reigns in the World. And firſt, we know the Scripture hath oft taught us that the nature of Man is ſo corrupted by that which is called Original Sin, That the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are only evil, and that continually, his heart deſperately wicked and deceitful above all things; his underſtanding ſo darkened that he is alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in him: filled withall unrighteouſneſs; fleſhly luſts, warring againſt the Soul, and prevailing in our members to bring forth fruit unto Death. The Wiſdom of the fleſh is enmity againſt God, ſo that man is wiſe to do evil, but he hath no knowledge to do good. Now experience doth more confirm us in the belief of this, than a thouſand Arguments. Again, we oft read of the enmity of the Devil againſt Mankind, and though his power be not much diſcerned by many, yet it is like the influence of Coeleſtial Bodies (Sun Moon and Stars) upon theſe ſublunary things, powerful and effectual, though not diſcerned but in the effects: hence we read of his working effectually in the hearts of the Children of diſobedience: of men being taken captive of him at his pleaſure: of the ſtrength of deluſion: of his going about like a roaring Lion: of wreſtling with principalities and powers: and reſiſting the Devil ſtedfaſt in the Faith. He that ſhould have ſeen the Poor Man cured by Chriſt, offering violence to himſelf, and caſting himſelf ſometimes into the fire, ſometimes into the water, would have eaſily concluded that he was acted by ſome evil ſpirit to ſuch things as were deſtructive to his own nature: ſo to ſee men ſin againſt their own ſouls, and run ſuch deſperate hazards againſt their own intereſt, is a clear argument that they are acted by ſome other nature, which ſeeks their ruine and deſtruction. Now theſe may be remote cauſes of the prevalency of that Atheiſm, which we ſee and lament in the World, but yet there muſt be ſome nearer cauſes ſearched out; for (unleſſe it be in ſome ſecret Sympathies and Antipathies) Man doth ordinarily act according to reaſon, that is, what is either really ſo, or ſeems ſo to him, and there muſt be ſome ratio motiva to elicite, or draw forth the acts of his will. The Grace of God is powerful in good actions, yet it works congruouſly to our natures, moving by the means of ſome rational arguments and principles: ſo the efficacy of the Devil is very great in evil actions; yet he makes uſe for the moſt part of moral arguments, though he had ſuch a hand in Judas, his Treaſon, and Annanias his coſenage, as that he is ſaid to put theſe things into their hearts, yet, by the whole tenor of their ſtory, we find that there were ſome moral motives he made uſe of, and that it was covetouſneſs that did more, immediately ſway in theſe ſins. Now (it ſeems) one main reaſon of Mens Atheiſm, which is more near and immediate, is the prevalency of ſenſe, as there are ſome actions, which do prevent the reaſonings of the mind, which we call actiones hominis, but not humanae, which indeed are actions of Men, but not humane actions, proceeding from the eſſential principle of man, objects coming to the ſenſe, before they can have acceſs to the underſtanding; the ſpirits move diſorderly till the underſtanding taking cognizance of the matter, do rectifie ſuch motions of the ſpirits: as in a ſudden noiſe or unexpected ſight, the ſenſes as the Centinels take the firſt alarm; but as ſoon as the news is carryed to the underſtanding, as the main guard or principal officer, and found to be of no dangerous conſequence, this ſudden commotion is allayed: ſo in more important paſſages of our lives, ſenſe makes many diſorderly ſallies and motions, without taking counſel of the underſtanding, and objects do make very deep impreſſions upon them; and the Scripture doth take notice how much we are led by ſenſe in this frail ſtate, wherein we are ſo as we may all ſay with the Propher, Law. 3.51. Our eye affects our heart, this is the foundation of the Apoſtles argument, 1 John 4.20. He that loveth not his Brother whom he hath ſeen, how can he love God whom he hath not ſeen? We have a thouſand times more reaſon to love God, than to love our Brother, conſidering the perfections and excellencies that are in God, to render him amiable, and the obligations which we are under, to him who hath done more ten thouſand times for us than all the friends which we have in the World; but whatever reaſon there may be in the thing it ſelf, the Apoſtle argues according to our poor capacity, & the acceſs that things have to us, and doth clearly ſuppoſe that things which have acceſſe to out ſenſes, are more effectual for moving our affections, than ſuch things as are only the object of faith. So though we hear of an infinite Majeſty that created and ſuſtains our ſelves, and all other finite beings, who ſeeth all our actions, and will one day call us to an account for them; and likewiſe of an eternal weight of glory, made up of things, which eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, nor ever entred into the heart of Man to conceive: theſe things do not move us, becauſe they are far out of our ſight, and the things of the World which are nearer to our ſenſes, and are the immediate objects of them, pleaſing the taſt, delighting the ſmell, tickling and flattering the Ear, dazling the eyes, have more prevalency upon us.
But yet, upon examination we ſhall find this is not ſufficient to prevail againſt thoſe important conſiderations, which I have already propoſed, nor to leave mankind excuſable for abandoning himſelf to the pleaſures of this life, ſo as to neglect thoſe better things which are propounded as the reward of holineſs. Let us but quit our ſelves like men, and exerciſe thoſe common principles of reaſon, which we exerciſe in other affairs of our lives, and though we cannot perhaps thereby ſilence the clamors of ſence, yet we may confute them, and reject them. Do we not ordinarily ſee men correct the errors of ſenſe by reaſon? Do we not ſee them part with their blood, to prevent the inconveniency of a diſeaſe? which for the moſt part they do believe or ſuſpect, not upon the evident demonſtrations (but probable conjectures) of a Phyſician, or at beſt by their own reaſon. Do not men endure the cutting off of a member to ſave the body, and lengthen out a miſerable life for ſome days or years? Do not men drink the moſt unpleaſing potions for the recovery of their health, or repairing their decayed ſtrength? Do not men caſt their ſeed into the earth, in hopes of receiving the increaſe of it? Doth not the Merchant ſend away his goods, in hope to receive others for them, which may bring him ſome gain and advantage? And what is all this, to denying ungodlineſs and worldly luſts? denying our ſelves the pleaſure of ſin, for the pleaſure of Heaven? yea, do we not ſee men ordinarily binding their Sons to ſome Apprenticeſhip, for many years, that ſo they may learn a Trade to maintain themſelves in ſome repute in the world, when they ſhall come to years? rather than let them live in idleneſſe and pleaſure, giving up themſelves to childiſh ſports and vanities, when they are young, which would afterwards expoſe them to poverty and contempt. And he is accounted a cruel and unjuſt Father; that will not thus love his Child, with ſuch a prudent ſeverity, rather than undo him by a fooliſh indulgence; yet, how wide a difference is there in theſe caſes? And how far doth this fall ſhort of expreſſing the unreaſonableneſs of ſuch as will rather enjoy preſent pleaſures, than prepare for future happineſſe? A Child is bound to an Apprenticeſhip, and he perhaps dies before his time be out, and ſo all his labour and charge is loſt, or he doth not live ſeven years a Freeman after he hath lived ſeven years in a hard ſervice. But he that gives up himſelf to the ſervice of Chriſt, let it be imagined to be as hard as ſome mens prejudice perſwades them, the ſooner he dyes, the ſooner his ſervice is ended, and though he dye never ſo ſoon, he loſeth not his Freedom, but is made a Citizen of Heaven, and once entred there, he never dyes but doth for ever reap the fruit of his labours. Do we not give twenty times as much for the Fee-ſimple (as they ſpeak) of an Eſtate as it will bring us in one year? and according to the ſame rule, were we ſure to enjoy the pleaſures of ſin twenty years, and could imagine them to be equal to the joyes of Heaven, yet we ſhould quit them for thoſe everlaſting pleaſures, which we ſhould enjoy for ever our ſelves; and not only for ſome Ages, as we hope to do Eſtates on Earth, not in our ſelves, but only in our poſterity. Further yet, we ſee it is in vain to lay a ſnare in the ſight of any Bird. Prov. 1.17. they will not come into the Net to feed, if they perceive it, or ſwallow the bait, when they ſee the hook: yet fooliſh men do venture on Hell, which they are told will certainly be the wages of ſin, and will enjoy the preſent pleaſures of it, though they have all the aſſurance that a man can have of any thing which he ſees not with his eyes, that it will coſt him his life, and that his Soul muſt rue for ever in Hell. God indeed doth not manifeſt himſelf to us ordinarily here, nor take us up as he did Paul into the third Heavens, to ſhew us the Glory thereof, but he will have us to exerciſe faith here, and to take his word, which he hath ſo fully confirmed to us, that we may as certainly truſt to it, as if we had the cleareſt evidence in the world. The Husband-man caſts his ſeed into the ground without any fear or ſuſpition of loſing, having been confirmed by many experiments in the hope of receiving it again with increaſe; but a thouſand experiments will not ſo fully perſwade, as a divine teſtimony confirmed by Covenants, Oaths and Seals, (the ordinary wayes of confirmation amongſt men) ſo that a Divine faith, founded upon the word of God, is as the ſubſtance of things hoped for, which are but future, and makes them as it were really ſubſiſt, and is the evidence of things not ſeen, confirming them to us, and as fully perſwading us of them, though they are not obvious to the ſenſe, as any Philoſophical demonſtration can confirm any truth, ſo that notwithſtanding the Apoſtle owns ſence to be a great means to move affections in this frail ſtate wherein we are, yet faith ſerves believers for a ſufficient foundation of love and delight, Though they ſee not Jeſus Chriſt, they love him, and rejoyce in him with joy unſpeakable and full of Glory. 1 Pet. 1.7. We are ſhort ſighted, and cannot ſee a far off. 2 Pet. 1.9. but faith as a perſpective brings things nearer to us, that we may judge of them as really preſent. Let not our ſenſes therefore uſurp authority over Faith and Reaſon, but lot Faith and Reaſon have their perfect work, let not the Men of the World be wiſer in their Generation than Children of light, let us not be wiſer in the things of the World, than in the things of Heaven. We chuſe not the faireſt of things, (for the moſt part) but ſuch as are more ſerviceable and durable, nor the ſweeteſt, but that which is wholſom and nouriſhing, we chuſe not the cleaneſt or pleaſanteſt way, but that which leads to the place which we are going to. So let us judge of things, not according as they preſent themſelves to our ſenſes, but as they have a real intrinſick worth to commend themſelves to our judgments, and let us not judge of things according to their ſuitableneſſe to our preſent fancies, but as they conduce to our abiding good, meaſuring every thing not by Time, but by Eternity.