The Chief Interest of Man, Section 15
SECT. XV. Inconſiderateneſſe, another great cauſe of Atheiſm, againſt which the beſt remedies are a ſerious apprehenſion of the great moment, and importance of ſpiritual things, frequent reading and hearing the word of God, Chriſtian communion and conference about matters of Religion, mutual admonition. The prevalency of evil cuſtoms and habits, the folly of deferring repentance.
ANother chief reaſon of that Atheiſm, which abounds ſo much in the World is, inconſiderateneſſe, the moſt important truths do not affect us any longer than we conſider them. The Platoniſts obſerved this who made knowledge nothing but remembrance, or an actual conſideration of that which Man knows, not reckoning that to be knowledge which lyes dead in the habit, and doth not at all affect the Soul. And we find that the Scripture layes much weight upon this conſideration or remembrance, yea, as much as Mans ſalvation comes to. We may obſerve, Iſa. 1.3. There is an Epimone, wherein the Prophet layes the ſin of Iſrael upon this, that they did not conſider. So 1 Kings 8.47. We may obſerve affliction brings men to bethink themſelves, that brings them to repentance, and repentance is a means to obtain pardon; and we find by experience, that when Men are by ſickneſſe brought to a ſerious weighing of matters, they are eaſily perſwaded to make good promiſes and reſolutions, which when their minds are afterwards (by the pleaſures of the World) diverted from the thoughts of, they turn to their former courſe; yea, we ſee many times that Men are ſo ingenuous as to yield to reproofs, and to condemn themſelves and their own wayes, when they are admoniſhed of them, as if they ſtood in need of no more, but to be put in mind of ſuch things as they have in their own hearts, and only to have conſcience awakened, and we find Ezek, 18.14.28. that the turning away of a wicked man, from the evil of his wayes, depends chiefly upon conſideration. I have already ſhewed that the Devil is the remote cauſe of that wickedneſſe and prophaneneſs, which abounds in the World; yet, he uſeth this as the great means to draw Men from God, to divert their minds from the thoughts of ſuch things, as may have an influence upon their affections and actions to make a change in them, as we ſee plainly in the Parable of the Sower. Luk. 8.12. Men hear the word, then comes the Devil and takes it away out of their hearts, leſt they ſhould believe and be ſaved. Firſt, we find by experience that M…n are oft ſeriouſly affected with thoſe things, that they hear while they are lively repreſented to their minds, and preſſed ſeriouſly upon their conſciences, preſently we obſerve that their thoughts are quite taken off from thoſe things, and (like water which hath been warmed) they return to their old temper again. We ſee here Chriſt himſelf aſſigns the cauſe of it, it is the Devil that doth this, where it is ſuppoſed that he hath power to do it, though we are not ſo eaſily able to underſtand how he doth it, unleſſe it be by propounding other objects to us. We ſee here his deſign in it diſcovered, which is to hinder their believing, and conſequently their Salvation, which we find by ſad experience to be the woful conſequent of this his malice. Now the moſt effectual remedy againſt this inconſiderateneſſe, would be a ſerious apprehenſion of the great moment and concernment of theſe things. It is the means which Moſes preſcribes to the Iſraelites, Deut. 32.47. for ſetting their hearts to thoſe things, which he teſtified to them. It is not a vain thing for you (ſaith he) it is your life, and by thoſe things you ſhall prolong your dayes. It is a rule of Prudence which prevails throughout, that we ſhould look to the main chance, and not neglect the important affairs of our life. The Husbandman ſorgets many petty buſineſſes, but he never forgets to Plow and ſow. He would be accounted a mad man that ſhould go to the Market and buy trifles and toyes for his children, and forget to buy them bread. A Traytor will not forget to ſue out his pardon, or a Man that hath a ſuit for his whole Eſtate, forget to produce his evidences, and prepare his anſwer againſt the Term. This is our caſe, we are condemned already in law, John 3.18. that is in force againſt us, we know not how ſoon we ſhall be ſetched to execution. If a Man did but apprehend the danger he is in continually, while he is a wicked man, and in an unregenerate condition, ſtanding continually upon the pits brink, and ready to fall in, it would ſurely awake him out of his ſecurity, and prevent his ſleep, till he ſhould have ſome hope of his pardon, or the thoughts of the infinite advantage that true Godlineſs brings with it, would make him continually apply his heart to it. The abundance of the Rich, ſuffers him not to ſleep; by reaſon of his care and ſolicitude for the keeping of it, and we have more cauſe a thouſand times to be ſollicitous in this caſe, leſt a promiſe and poſſibility being left us of entring into ſuch a reſt, we ſhould by any means fall ſhort of it. The ordinances of the Goſpel, the reading of the Word, the Communion of the Saints are preſcribed by God, as a further remedy of this evil. Heb. 3.13. Daily mutual exhortation is commended as a means to prevent the hardening of our hearts through the deceitfulneſs of ſin, which the more it is indulged, the more it inſinuates, and prevails upon us. Mens knowledge makes not the Word of God leſs uſeful to them; therefore it is a vain ignorant thing for Men to neglect it, upon pretence of knowing as much as their Teachers: though the Saints to whom Peter writes, were inſtructed and eſtabliſhed in the truth, yet he thinks it neceſſary to write thoſe things to them, 2 Pet. 1.12. to put them in remembrance, and thereby to ſtir up their pure minds. Cap. 3.1. The words of the wiſe being not only as nails to faſten, that Chriſtians may be eſtabliſhed, but as goads to excite, that ſo they may not grow negligent, Eccl. 12.11. and the work of Miniſters lies more in awakening the conſcience, and quickening the affections, than informing the Judgement, and there are few men that live where the ſound of the Goſpel comes, but know, that which duely improved, would make a conſiderable change in their lives, and I think it might be of ſingular uſe in a Chriſtian life, for thoſe that have near Relations (if ſuch as are prudent and faithful) or thoſe that have friends which are to them as their own Souls, if they live together, and have opportunity to know well each others converſation, ſeriouſly to oblige themſelves to each other, if they obſerve any thing in each others lives, or carriages which is unbecoming their profeſſion, to take the firſt opportunity (with all Chriſtian meekneſs and privacy) to tell them of it, how they ſpake ſuch a thing unadviſedly, did this thing unſeemly, exceeded in the other thing. I know it is a duty of zeal and charity, which all Chriſtians owe to each other, but thoſe have the beſt opportunity for it, who have daily intimate converſation with others, and advantage for obſerving the whole procedure of their lives. And this which I have now been ſpeaking of doth likewiſe make that gracious Chriſtian communication, which the Goſpel requires more neceſſary. And for this cauſe God did not only require it of the Jews, but further enjoyns them the uſe of their Phylacteries, and the writing, the moſt important Periods of the Law, upon their Gates and Poſts, that ſo the things which did ſo nearly concern them, might be continually ſounding in their ears, and repreſented before their eyes. I might aſſign further, ſome other cauſes and cures of mens Atheiſm and wickedneſſe, as the corruption of mans nature doth ſtrongly incline a man to evil, ſo Regeneration is that which doth change their natures, and diſpoſe them to holineſs; but there are many acts of morality, which conduce to Mens preſent advantage, (both in a perſonal and a relative capacity) to which regeneration is not abſolutely neceſſary, and I have already ſpoken ſomething of it, Sect. 7. therefore I ſhall ſay no more of it in this place. Concerning the praevalency of evil habits, and cuſtoms, and the prejudice that doth thereby ariſe againſt holineſs, as alſo concerning the advantage that one who is a Chriſtian indeed, (and hath experience of ſpiritual comforts, and the ſweetneſſe of the duties of Religion) hath above one that is only outwardly a Chriſtian, and doth duties only as a task, I have elſewhere ſpoken ſomewhat alſo, and ſo ſuperſede from any further conſideration of them. I confeſs, I think the putting off, and procraſtinating of repentance, detains many in the ſnares of Satan: but the former part of my diſcourſe doth wholly militate againſt this folly of men, and deprive them of all ſuch pretence in that, (beſides the imprudence and extream madneſſe of putting off that which we know not whether we ſhall ever have opportunity for, and leaving a matter of ſuch importance, as our eternal Salvation at uncertainties) the advantages which Men have by obſerving the precepts of the Goſpel, even in this life, do require our moſt ſpeedy applying our ſelves to the obſervance of them, and argue the deferring of our repentance of the greateſt folly, and all that have been brought thereto, (eſpecially in their old age) have been ready with Auſtin to complain, that they have known God too late, & repented that they did no ſooner exchange the pleaſures of ſin, for the joy and peace which is in believing.