Discourse of Excuses, Treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. The ſinfulneſs, vanity and frivolouſneſs of Excuſes.
HAving given an account of the Cauſes The ſinfulneſs of Excuſes.and Reaſons of Excuſes in general, (not intending to ſpeak of each particularly:) I come now to give an account why in our Propoſition at firſt I called them ſinful and frivolous.
1. I ſhall ſpeak to their ſinfulneſs.
2. To their frivolouſneſs.
Their ſinfulneſs appears in three things.
1. They are Maxima impeditiva bonorum; The greateſt hinderances of any one thing 1. The great hinderers of good.in the World, of all good. 1. They keep men from the good of Duty, Faith and Obedience, which they are call'd to. 2. From the duty of Repentance, which they might have upon failour of the former. 3. Then from the comfort they might have had from Faith, Obedience and Repentance, had it not been for them. 4. They keep from God that Subjection, Honour and Obedience which we owe to him. All which is to be ſeen in thoſe Gueſts in that Parable, Luke 14. 18. when invited to come to the Goſpel-Supper, to partake of Chriſt and his benefits, they ſhew little Faith to believe the report of ſo much Grace and Mercy tendered; little Obedience to come in upon a Goſpel invitation, perſuming thoſe were juſt Excuſes they alledged of the Farm, Oxen, and Marriage. 2. Having thoſe Excuſes in readineſs, they never trouble their minds with Repentance, as if they had been at all to blame. 3. Then are they fruſtrated of all that good and benefit which ſhould have accrued to them upon acceptance: They rejected the Councel of God againſt themſelves, as was ſaid of ſome, Luke 7. 30. They were in a fair poſſibility of well-doing, had they not barred up the way to Salvation by theſe excuſes. 4. The Lord ſeeing his Grace ſo ſlighted, upon ſuch ſleeveleſs and frivolous pretences, is juſtly incenſed, ſendeth to call in others, reſolving (whoſoever ſhould) theſe ſhould not participate of his Grace and Mercy.
2. They are ſecondly, The maxima 2. The great Seminary of Evils.productiva malorum, The greateſt Nurſery and Seminary of Evils: A world of evil ſprings from them. They may be called Progenies Viperarum, A Generation of Vipers; or Semen Maleficentiſſimum, as Junius; or Malignantium, as Ar. Montanus renders that of Eſay 1. 4. A Seed of evil Doers, a peſtilent Seed of a very lewd Race. Of theſe Excuſes that may be ſaid, which Solomon chargeth the Whore withall, She increaſeth Tranſgreſſors among men, Prov. 23. 28.and maketh them ten times worſe then they would be: Or what was charged on Jeroboam, an active Ring-leader unto general Sin, who lay under much guilt; He ſin'd, and made Iſrael to Sin: Yea, which is worſe then both, that may be charged upon Excuſes, which the Lord chargeth upon the falſe Prophets, That they ſtrengthened the Jer. 23. 14, 17.Hands of evil Doers, that none doth return from his wicked way, by promiſing them life. Encouraged and animated with theſe, they have made a Covenant with Death, and Agreement with Hell; not as if in a Eſay 28. 15.regardleſs and deſperate manner they ſlighted them, but as being in their own conceit and apprehenſion ſufficiently ſecured againſt them. So Junius gives the See Jun. in locum.ſenſe.
3. Whatever men may pretend, theſe 3. They are all one with flat denial.Excuſes are upon the matter none other then plain refuſals, and flat denials; but in a more ſmooth and complemental garb. They ſpeak as if the men were wondrous well affected, onelyonly ſorry they could not magnifie their religious Inclinations, by reaſon of theſe diverſions: But the truth is, they had no real intention at all; Verbalis excuſatio realis recuſatio, An excuſe in words is a refuſal in deeds. And the Lord interprets it for no orher, therefore ſends to call in others more cordially willing: Theſe have rejected me, and I will reject them. Hence our word foreign, Luke 14. 18. rendred excuſe; is often rendred to refuſe, renounce, reject, deny, as Acts 23. 11. 1 Tim. 4. 7. & 5. 11. Tit. 3. 10. Heb. 11. 25. So that they might as well have ſpoken out in plain Engliſh, as Corah did, Numb. 16. 14.We will not come up; for they never meant it, though they made ſuch a fair pretence for a blandation and colour.
2. Their frivolouſneſs appears, in that 2. Their frivolouſneſs.they are not able to ſtand; 1. Before the preſence of God. 2. The tryal of his Word. 3. The ſtrict examen of Conſcience. 4. A fiery tryal of Affliction. 5. Leaſt of all the day of Judgment. Thoſe muſt be more ſolid things (not Wood, Hay or Stubble,) that can ſtand before theſe; ſuch are pretious Faith, true Repentance, ſincere Obedience, a pure Conſcience, and undiſſembled Holineſs, and the whole new Creature.
1. They cannot ſtand before the preſence 1. They can't ſtand before Gods preſence.of God, in any ſolemn approach before him; for what Communion hath Light with Darkneſs? A ſolemn drawing near to God in any religious Duty will diſpel theſe frivolous Excuſes, as the approaching Sun doth Fogs and Miſts, and ſends the Beaſts into their Dens. If the Majeſty of a King Prov. 20. 8.(then much more of a God) ſitting upon his Throne, doth ſcatter the Wicked from before him: What man that hath any reverence of a Deity dare come before him with his Idols in his heart, to enquire of him, leaſt God ſhould anſwer him according to Ezek. 14. 2, 3.his Idols? Who is there that allows himſelf in any known ſin, can come before God and ſay, Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my Reins and my Heart? ſee if there be Pſal. 26. 2. Pſal. 139. 23.any way of Wickedneſs in me. Who is there that hath any acquaintance with God and Prayer, and knows that God is a jealous God, of pure Eyes, and will be ſanctified in thoſe that draw near to him; that dare ſay to God as the Heathen to his Goddeſs? Da mihi fallere, da juſtum, ſanctum que videri. Or as he to Eliſha, Herein the Lord be merciful 2 Kings 5.to me, when I go into the houſe of Rimmon, &c. This were to mock, not worſhip him. Theſe Excuſes muſt off, as Moſes his Vail, when we go to have any thing to do with God.
2. They are not able to ſtand before the 2. Nor before the word. Acts 24. 25.Word of God, applyed cloſe to the Soul; as we ſee in Faelix, who ſtarted and trembled, and had ſoon enough of the Sermon. True it is, a man may ſlightly and curſorily run over the whole Bible, and daily have a glance at this Glaſs, and not minding himſelf, turn away, and go on in a ſinful courſe. But if he continue to look wiſhly into it, as St. James ſaith, as if he would look it Jam. 1. 25.through: As Eliſha ſo looked upon Hazael, it would daſh ſin out of countenance, as that look did him. So mightily and powerful is the word of God, that it pierceth the thoughts and intents of the heart: And theſe paltry Excuſes are no more able to ſtand before it, then Dagon before the Ark.
3. Frivolous again, becauſe not able to 3. Nor the ſtrict enquiry of Conſcience.abide the ſtrict examen of Conſcience, when it calls ad ſcrutimùm ſecundo, & tertio; When it takes them to task, as Eliſha did his Servant, It finds them faultring and ſumbling. Few men are either Scripture-proof, or Conſcience-proof, willing to put themſelves upon the Tryal and Verdict of God and Conſcience. Conſcience is as Eliah to Ahab; God's word, as Micaiah; the one 1 Kings 22. 8.an Enemy, the other ſpeaks no good to them but alwayes evil.
4. Nor able to abide a day of tryal, when 4. Nor a day of diſtreſs.God lays his hand upon the outward man by Affliction; or the inward man, by impreſſions of his Diſpleaſure, writing bitter things againſt them: The Paint falls off when it comes near the Fire: Or as we ſay of Witches, all their skill fails them, when under an Arreſt of Authority. (Such is the impreſſion of Divine Majeſty upon his own Inſtitution, that Satan falls as Lightning before it.) So when theſe Excuſe-makers, the Maſters of this Black-Art are under God's Arreſt, all their Art, fails them, and their heart too. But the godly man is not afraid to converſe with God, with his Word and Conſcience; therefore no Prov. 31. 21.more dreads Affliction, then the good Huſwives Family dreads the winter Snow, being clothed with double and treble Garments. God himſelf, his Word and Conſcience, ſpeak good to him, therefore Affliction alſo and every thing elſe muſt do the ſame.
5. Laſtly, Leaſt of all are they able to 5. Nor before Gods Judgment-Seat.ſtand before God's Judgment Seat; for if they cannot ſtand before God in any ſolemn manner of approach, nor before his Word, when he ſpeaketh on Earth, and his Voice ſhaketh the Conſcience of the guilty Sinner, nor before Conſcience, God's Sub-Officer, nor a day of Sickneſs; how ſhall they be able to ſtand before the Son of man, when he ſhall come in flaming fire, with his mighty Angels, to render Vengeance 2 Theſſ. 1. 8.to all that obey not his Goſpel? How ſhall they be able to endure when he ſpeaketh Heb. 12. 26.from Heaven, whoſe Voice ſhall ſhake Heaven and Earth. I may therefore reaſon with thee in the Prophets words, If thou haſt run with Foot-men, and they have Jer. 12. 5.wearied thee; how wilt thou contend with Horſe-men? Or as Rabſhakeh ſaid to the diſmayed Jews, If you be not able to ſtand before any of theſe ſingle, how will ye be able to withſtand the whole Power of his wrath.