Discourse of Excuses, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Excuſes taken from God, and from Satan.
NEither are Men content to fetch Excuſes Excuſes taken from God.from themſelves, or others, but they will open their mouths againſt Heaven: Some have been ſo bold as to challenge God, ſeeking any ſtarting hole to creep out at; as we have too many inſtances, whereof ſome follow.
1. Such as go about to excuſe themſelves, 1. From his Providence.and fault Gods Providence: The firſt Excuſe that ever was made, ſeemed to glance this way: The woman thou gaveſt me, gave it me, and ſo I did eat, q. d. Hadſt thou not given me that woman, I had never offended: But God gave her to be a help, not a ſnare to the man. Thus the Drunkard faulteth the Wine, and therein God's Providence. Had not the Wine ſuch fragrancy, delicacy of taſte, and that intoxicating quality, I had not been overcome. And the riotous Gallant, had I not had ſuch an Eſtate fallen to me, I had never been ſo luxurious: Thus muſt all be caſt upon God, and every man innocent. But God gave the Woman to be an inciter to Good▪ not an enticer to Evil: It was thy own fault, Adam, not thy Makers. Thy own intemperance, Drunkard, not the Vine, Grape, or Wine that is in fault. And thou riotous perſon, It is thy wicked abuſe of thy State, not the State it ſelf which is to be condemned; that was given for better Uſes. But how ill is God dealt withall in the mean time, when his own favours are turned againſt him to his diſhonour! Suppoſe now a Prince ſhould advance a Servant, or a Son, to the higheſt degrees of Honour and Dignity; and ſhould as ſome of the Roman Emperors have done, and once a King of England did, give him a Partnerſhip in the Empire: If this Servant Henry 11.or Son ſhould afterwards lift up the heel againſt his Soveraign, and break out into Rebellion, and then ſhould ſay, You ſhould never have raiſed me to this height of Honour, but have kept me lower; we would think he pleaded fair for his deprivation and deſtruction. How juſtly may the Lord ſay, Shall I not be avenged on ſuch a Jer. 5. 7, 8.Nation as this? When I fed them to the full, they aſſembled themſelves by troops in Harlots houſes. And in another place, When I gave them Corn, and Wine, and Oyl, and multiplyed their Silver and Gold, they beſtowed it all on Baal; ſpent it all on their Luſts: Therefore he threatens to return and take all away again as faſt as he gave it them, Hoſea 2. 8, 9.
2. Some fly higher, and pick a quarrel 2. From Gods Decrees.at Gods Decrees, as if they would charge all their Sin and Condemnation upon God; themſelves being either innocent, or inevitably deſtined thereunto. For thus are ſuch black-mouthed perſons repreſented cavilling, Ezek. 33. 10. If our Sins and our Tranſgreſſions be upon as and wepine away in them, how can we then live? q. d. It is no fault of ours if we periſh, God Almighty might have helpt all this, i… he had pleaſed. But who art thou, O man, that thus diſputeſt with Rom. 9. 30.God? Yet let us reaſon the caſe together, and ſee where the fault is, in God or thy ſelf. Firſt, Thou wilt confeſs it was free for the Soveraign Creator to make his Creatures of what form, and for what uſe he pleaſed; as ſome Rational, others Bruits, Plants, &c. Nor have any of them cauſe to ſay, why haſt thou made me thus, not us Men, Angels; us Bruits, Men and Women. 2. That God creating Man, ſhould endue him with ſuch excellent faculties of underſtanding to diſcern Good and Evil, of Liberty of will to make Election of his own acts; thou wilt not ſay this was evil yet. 3. To preſcribe to man thus formed holy Precepts, commanding Good, forbidding Evil; nor can this be called Evil, but moſt Juſt; that God's Soveraignty might be owned in the World, and Man's Subjection exerciſed. 4. To hedge Man in by Promiſes and Threats of Rewards and Puniſhments, to excite Hope and Fear, as, Do this, and live; Tranſgreſs, and die, can't but be yielded juſt and reaſonable. 5. As to reward Obedience, ſo to puniſh Diſobedience, can't be accounted other then moſt juſt. Otherwiſe, as in our lower States, when Kings and States have made Laws againſt ſuch and ſuch Crimes, under ſuch Penalties, the Offender might ſay, Had not ſuch a Law been made, I had not been an Offender or Sufferer; whereas it is not the King, or the Law, but thy Delinquency only that makes thee a Sufferer. But hear what the Lord anſwers to that Cavil himſelf, As I live, ſaith the Lord, I have no pleaſure in the death of the Wicked, but that the Wicked turn from his way and live: Ezek. 33. 11.Turn ye, turn ye from your evil wayes; for why will ye die, O houſe of Iſrael? In which Anſwer, Obſerve theſe four particulars: 1. Here is a ſtrong Aſſeveration, by way of Negation, atteſted with an Oath, As I live ſaith the Lord, I have no pleaſure in the death of the Wicked, q. d. I call Heaven and Earth to witneſs, I do not make any to damn them; It is far from me to uſe my abſolute Soveraignty, in an arbitrary ſentencing them to damnation. 2. Here is a plain and poſitive Affirmation, under the ſame atteſtation (to both, as I live.) It is a pleaſure to me, that the Wicked turn from his way and live, to which I am ready to give my aſſiſtance, if he ſincerely deſire it. 3. Both thoſe are backed with an earneſt and redoubled invitation, [Turn ye, Turn ye,] He exhorts, invites, excites, directs, knocks, calls, waits again and again, Turn ye, Turnye. 4. A pathetical Expoſtulation, Why will ye die, O houſe of Iſrael? Herein aſſigning the proper and immediate cauſe of Ruine and Perdition; q. d. It is your own default, and that only; not my will, but yours is in fault: Not my will not, but your will not is the bar. You will not come Joh. 5. 40.unto me, that you may have life; I have called, and ye refuſed; not I have refuſed you, but ye me: I would have gathered you, as the Hen gathereth her Chickens, to cheriſh Mat. 23. 37.and preſerve them, but ye would not. It is not God's ſhall not, but thy will not; nor thy cannot, but thy care not, thou haſt moſt cauſe to fear. What wilt thou have then to plead, O Sinner, in the day of Viſitation, when thou wilt be forced to acknowledge not God's Decrees, but thy ſins have found thee out, and undone thee; nor art thou bound with the Chains of God's Decrees, but with the Cords of thy own Sins, Prov. 5. 22. Therefore let none ſay my caſe is deſperate, as they cryed out, Numb. 17. 13, 14. Behold, we die, we periſh, we all periſh, we ſhall be conſumed with dying: There is no neceſſity of thine, or any mans deſtruction, how great a Sinner ſoever, while God ſaith, Why will ye die? No impoſſibility of any mans Salvation, while God ſaith, Turn and live. Therefore Sinner leave making Objections, and fall to ſome courſe, whereby thou mayſt ſecure thy Soul. Thy caſe, at leaſt, is as ſa…e as the Gibeonites or Ninevites: The Gibeonites did not ſay, there is a Decree gone out againſt us Canaanites to deſtroy Root and Branch; therefore are we dead men, it is in vain to ſtrive againſt Decrees and Divine Threats, or to ſue for our Lives, or uſe any endeavours: But they ſet their wits awork to ſave themſelves, and ſped. Rahab did not ſay, Jericho is devoted. Nineveh did not ſay, The word is gone out of God's mouth, & can't be reverſed: But who knoweth if God may not be intreated? Acts 27. 20. When all hope of ſafety was gone, they wrought ſtill, and came all ſafe to Land: while there is life, there is hope; while endeavors, hope, while mercy in God, reconciliation by Chriſt, and ſpace of Repentance, there is yet hope. Therefore do not thou caſt away thy ſelf through careleſneſs, but ſet thy ſelf to the uſe of the means preſcribed, and ſay, If I periſh, I'le periſh crying, praying, repenting, reforming, believing, flying to Chriſt; I will die in the way to the Refuge City, I will adventure over the deepeſt waters to go to Chriſt, as Peter did; and if I ſink in my way towards Mat. 14. 30. 3. From God's permiſſion. 1. As to Grace.him, I'le cry, Lord ſave me, or I periſh.
3. A third excuſeth himſelf from God's permiſſion; 1. As to Grace. 2. As to his outward Eſtate. As to Grace, when ſome have been blamed for their Ignorance, or wicked courſe of life: This Anſwer hath been returned, I do as well, and ſerve God as well, as he will give me leave: And no man is to be blamed that he is no wiſer or holier then God hath made him; But this is with the Sluggard, to keep his hand in his Boſome, and himſelf in his warm Bed, till God ſend warmer Weather, and to ſay, I'lle not feed my ſelf, but expect Ravens ſhould feed me, or Angels bring me meat: But what ſaith the wiſe man, Awake Sluggard, Prov. 20, 13.open thine Eyes, and thou ſhalt be ſatisfied with Bread. Conſider man, God hath made thee neither Stock nor Bruit, given thee another Spirit, endued it with Reaſon; given thee divers helps beſides, as Exhortations, Reproofs, Promiſes, Threats, better Examples; beſides the checks of Conſcience, and motions of his holy Spirit. Uſe thou thy endeavour, and ſee if God will not give thee leave to be better. In other caſes we uſe not to argue thus, I am as rich as God hath made me, and I muſt be content, and no fault of mine if I have no more: Here the diligent man findeth Hands, Legs, Endeavours, Head, Brains, and what ever he can. But here is the miſery of it, when every thing elſe ſuffereth Violence, the Kingdom of God muſt ſuffer none for us, but expect rather it ſhould offer Violence to us. No Prayers, Study, Endeavours for more Grace; but expect, as Naaman, the Sore ſhould be 2 Kings 5. 11.ſtroked, and we cured without our waſhing. The Wind ſhould come ruſhing upon us, and we be filled with the Holy Ghoſt, as the Act. 2. 2, 4.Apoſtles were once, and we not praying. Or that a fiery Chariot ſhould coaſt us to Heaven, as Elias once, though we have 2 Kings 2. 11.none of his fiery zeal, activity and holineſs in our Lives. But conſider again of this Anſwer, Who art thou that ſayeſt? Thoudoſt as well as God will give thee leave? Will he not give thee leave to be better? who commands, exhorts, threatens, promiſeth, affordeth ſuch means; the Miniſtry of his Word, motions of his Spirit, time, ſpace, opportunity: forbear therefore to charge God ſo fooliſhly. 2. Others there be, who excuſe themſelves, by God's permiſſion, 2. As to their outward ſtate.as to their outward State, aſcribing that to his Providence, which he will never own. But with this difference from the former; They impute their ill eſtate to God, which he never made ſo bad, and theſe their good outward ſtate, which he never made ſo good. Thus thoſe wicked one Zachary, who had enriched Zach 11. ….themſelves by oppreſſing the Poor, would intitle God to their wickedneſs: They cry out, applauding themſelves, Bleſſed be the Lord, for I am rich. Thus Ephraim plays the cunning Merchant, gets an Eſtate by wicked means, Balances of deceit; yet crys out, I am become Rich, I have found Hoſ. 12. 7, 8.Subſtance; there is no Iniquity or Sin in all this. Thus the inſatiable Chaldaean, when by Rapine and Spoil he had poſſeſſed himſelf of all the Kingdoms and Treaſures of the Earth, he imputeth all to his god, (as we Hab. 1. 9, 10, 11.have known ſome have done in our dayes, crying out, Providence, Providence,) yet might he be better excuſed for entitling his ill-gotten power and wealth to his god (a curſed Idol) then we Chriſtians any ill acquired ſtate to the true God, who loveth Righteouſneſſe, and hateth Iniquity, and is 1 Theſſ. 4. 6.an Avenger of all acts of injuſtice.
A fourth excuſeth himſelf, with a foul 4. From God's Auſterity.reflection upon God for his Auſterity, as he will pretend. Thus the evil and ſlothful Servant pleads, when he had done nothing at all in diſcharge of his duty; I knew thee Mat. 25. 24.to be an auſtere man, reaping where thou doſt not ſow, &c. therefore I hid thy Talent, q. d. I had been a better Servant, if I had had a better Maſter; I thought all was a caſe: I had as good ſit ſtill for nothing, as work for nothing, for it would have come to nothing. But I pray conſider whoſe arguing this was: The two endeavouring Servants ſaid not thus, found not God ſuch a hard Maſter; But received an Euge of praiſe, and for a ſmall meaſure of faithfulneſs and diligence, had full meaſure, heaped, preſſed down, and running over, of Reward: Thou ſhouldſt have found the like, if thou hadſt ſhewed like diligence. But obſerve what ſhifts men will uſe to ſpare their pains, There is a Lyon in the way, Prov. 26. 13.ſaith the Sluggard: There is difficulty, impoſſibility in the way. When the Devil can once get thee to entertain an hard thought of God, he firſt drives thee from thy duty, and at laſt drives thee into deſpair. Cain's, Judas's and Spira's deſpair, ſprang firſt from ſuch a horrid thought. But it is the whole deſign of Scripture, as Luther well obſerved, to ſet out God as gracious, and merciful, and abundant in goodneſs, as Exod. 34. 6, 7. Pſal. 145. 9. Heb. 11. 6. 1 Cor. 15. ult. But men will not do thus in other caſes; If a gangrened Leg or Arm (Cuncīa prius tentanda) they will not preſently cut it off; but try all means firſt, and if no remedy, cut it off, to preſerve the whole at laſt. But here, as if men had made an Agreement with Death, and Covenant with Hell, they throw off all endeavours, and think to charge their Condemnation upon God's inflexible ſeverity.
5. Another again deſtroys himſelf, and 5. From God's mercy.excuſeth it when he hath done, by a clean contrary pretenſe of God's mercy, Deut. 29. 19. I ſhall have peace, ſaith he, though I walk after the imagination of my heart, and add drunkenneſs to thirſt, q. d. though I add ſin to ſin, God is ſo merciful, I ſhall do well enough; though I neither fear, nor repent. Thus Juſtice abuſed ſends ſome to Hell, and Mercy others; and all muſt be laid upon God. When he pipes, they will not dance; when mourns, not lament: If he command, warn, threaten; Behold ſeverity enough to drive men to deſpair. Again, if he exhort, intreat, beſeech men to be reconciled, wait to be gracious, ſwear he delighteth not in the death of the wicked; Behold mercy enough to make us ſecure and lazy. The Lord may juſtly complain, I am Amos …. 13.preſſed under you, as a Cart full of Sheaves. One man ſaith, I have only fears; had I any hope, or the leſt aſſurance, I ſhould have ſome heart to pray and reform, but now what joy to ſtir or endeavour? And another ſaith, becauſe I have ſuch hopes, and ſo full aſſurance (a lying preſumptuous aſſurance) I will caſt off all fears; ſure I am, I cannot out-ſin the grace and mercy of God. But Tertullian anſwereth ſuch well, They who can Salvo metu & fide peccare, ſalva venia in Gehennam detrudentur; They who can live in ſin, and yet ſay, they have never the leſs of Faith, and fear of God, ſhall be caſt into Hell, and yet God have never the leſs of mercy.
6. There be that would be excuſed, 6. For not giving Grace.by caſting an imputation upon God, for his denegation and with-holding his Grace; for thus they plead, It is not in the power of man to direct his own way, to convert himſelf: Jer. 10.The Scripture ſaith, No man can receive any Joh. 3. 27.thing, except it be given him from Heaven. And if God give not his Grace and Spirit, how ſhould I have it? or how ſhould I be better? But give me leave to ask, Didſt thou ever go and ask theſe, and deſire them? Ye have not, ſaith St. James, becauſe Jam 4. 2.you ask not. And if Grace and the Spirit are not worth asking, thou art worthy to go without them. Shall the Sun be faulted for not giving light, when thou ſhutteſt thy Windows, and draweſt the Curtains? Or the Springs of niggardlineſs, becauſe they ſpurt not their waters into thy mouth? Or the Earth be charged with illiberalneſs and unkindneſs, becauſe it putteth not its Corn into our Sacks, or its Treaſure into our Laps, without ploughing for the one, ſearching and digging for the other? And if thou ſearcheſt for Grace as for Silver, and Prov. 2. 4, 5.ſeekeſt for it as for hid Treaſure, there is a promiſe thou ſhall have it; Thou ſhalt underſtand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. We expect, as I ſaid before, every thing elſe ſhould ask pains, but Grace none at all: But that it ſhould drop into our mouths, as the Rain from Heaven; or be brought to us, and ſet at our Bedshead 1 Kings 19. 5, 7.when we are aſleep, or ſick, as Elias had his meat brought to him by an Angel. We muſt have a ſhort and eaſie way to Heaven, or we will have none.
7. The laſt Excuſe we ſhall mention in 7. God did owe them a ſhame.relation to God, is of ſuch, who when they, or theirs, have fallen into ſome ſoul ſin, as Theft, Whoredom, &c. are ready to excuſe themſelves, and ſay, It could not be helped; God ought them a ſhame, and hath now paid it them; and they now hope God hath done with them: (Some again are ſo ignorant, as to ſay, The Devil ought them this ſhame.) But know, O vain man, God owes thee no ſuch ſhame, till thou haſt ſhamefully caſt him off; Non deſerit niſi deſerentes, The ſhame ſprang from Aug.thy ſelf. Prov. 22. 14. The mouth of the ſtrange woman, ſaith Solomon, is a deep Pit, (but mark what follows) he that is abhorred of the Lord ſhall fall therein. There not Satan, but God owes and pays the ſhame: But more plainly, Eccleſ. 7. 26. where you ſee the cauſe, and what went before; Whoſo pleaſeth God, ſhall eſcape from her, (God will preſerve his Joſephs) but the Sinner (the old prophane irreligious Sinner) ſhall be taken by her. So likewiſe ye may read, Rom. 1. 26. That the Gentiles who ſmothered the natural light of their own Reaſon, and ſinned againſt Conſcience, not liking to retain God in their knowledge, but became vain in their imaginations; how God left them, and as they went on farther and farther in a way of ſin, God went on in puniſhing. Firſt, verſe 24. God gave them up to uncleanneſs, &c. verſe 26. God gave them up to vile affections, and then they fell into unnatural and prodigious luſts. And laſt, verſe 28. God gave them quite and clean over to a Reprobate mind, and then he paid them home their ſhame with a witneſs; for then were they filled with all and all manner of unrighteouſneſs, verſe 29, 30, &c.
2. Excuſes taken from Satan: Some again Excuſes taken from Satan.are apt to take Excuſes from Satan, caſting their ſin upon him; and becauſe he is ſo bad, think they may lay all their dirt at his Door: Thus was the firſt ſin parted between God and Satan. The woman that thou gaveſt me, ſaid the man; There's for God. The Serpent beguiled me, ſaid the woman; There's for Satan: There's nothing but excuſe upon excuſe, and ſin upon ſin: Yet did not this avoid the juſt Sentence againſt both, for it was their own voluntary act; Satan might perſwade, did not compel. One ſaith, the Devil as a ſly Serpent deceived me; another, as a roaring Lion affrighted me; a third, as a fell Dragon, caſt a flood of temptations out of his mouth, and over-whelmed me; a fourth, as a reſtleſs Friend, he dogged and haunted me, I could never be quiet for him. All this excuſeth not, the ſin is thy own; ſollicite and entice he may, compel he cannot: Thy will he hath no power over, but by thy own conſent. The faithful Commander, betruſted by his Prince with keeping a Fort, thinks it not enough to hold no Correſpondence with the Enemy; but when he aſſaults him with his Batteries, he manfully repels him, makes up his Breaches, prevents his Underminings, ſeeks to Countermine him; prevents his nearer Approaches, Sallies out againſt him, ſpends all his Darts and Ammunition againſt him, endures all Extremities; and when he fears, and wants Supplies, ſends to his Prince and is relieved. So it is with us, not enough to ſay, I was tempted, enticed, aſſaulted, winnowed, buffeted, dogged; but we ſhould take the whole armor of God, make reſiſtance, watch, pray, take the ſhield of Faith, cry out, and ſend to Heaven for aſſiſtance, as Hezekiah; with him is an Arm of Fleſh, but with us is the Lord of Hoſts to fight our Battels; and with him it is all one to ſave with ſtrength, or with them that have no might, as Aſa ſaid, 2 Chron. 14. 11.Help us, O Lord our God, for we reſt on thee; Help us againſt this Enemy: And in thy Name we go out againſt him. Reſiſt the Devil, ſaith St. James and St. Peter, Jam. 4. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 9. Eph. 6.and he will fly from you: Reſiſt him manfully, ſtedfaſt in the Faith, and all his fiery Darts are blunted: The Devil craves thy own help to deſtroy thee. Thoſe (for the moſt part ſimple and ſorry Creatures) Witches and Sorcerers, the Devil never leaves them till he gains their conſent, and a compact ſigned and ſealed (as their own act and deed) then, and not till then (though they have been ignorant and lewd before) doth he reckon himſelf ſure of them. And as theſe Witches have confeſſed, they could have no power over ſome, till they had gotten ſomething of theirs: So it is with their Maſter. The Devil is call'd by many names in Scripture, a Tempter, Deceiver, Accuſer, an Enemy, Lyer, Murderer, &c. no where a Compeller: Preſerve thy Will free and pure, and he ſlinks. It is not in his power to work in thee to will and to do what he will at his pleaſure, that is God's peculiar Prerogative, Phil. 2. 13. As learned Zanchy De potentia daemonum in animas.ſpeaking of the power of the Devil upon mens Souls, ſaith, The Devil hath great power, may have power over the Air, Water, over mens Bodies, Goods, Cattle, States, (as in Jobs caſe) may abuſe our Senſes, Phancy, work upon our Affections, ſollicit and aſſault the Will: But this can he neither bend nor bow, without our conſent: That is only in the power of God to do.