The Cause and Cure of Ignorance, Section 71
SECT. 71.
BUt to prevent after claps, let this point be argued in the Court of thy Conscience: say, whether thou art guilty, or not guilty. He that believes the promises of God, to be true, believes also the commands and threatnings, and thereupon feares God,Notes of triall touching beliefe and unbeliefe. and makes conscience of sin; otherwise, if thou beest as it were a dead man, continuing under the burthen of notorious crimes, without sorrow, or fear, or remorse, or care of amendment, Ephes. 2 1. If thou art of a reprobate judgement touching actions, and persons, esteeming good evil, and evil good, if the Devil hath so bewitched thee, that thou preferrest Hell to Heaven, and blamest those that do otherwise: if, Ishmael-like, thou mockest; or, Cham-like, thou scoffest at the religious, or usest bitter jests against them, Psal. 1.1. Ephes. 5.4. If thou raisest slanders of them, or furtherest them being raised, Psal. 4.2 & 31.18 & 35.20. As the Red Dragon, Rev. 12. cast a floud of water out of his mouth, after the Woman, when he could not reach her with his clawes, verse 15. Or any way opposest them; for the opposition of goodnesse, gives thee the title of wickednesse, which alone is the enemy thereof, and shewes that thou art a Souldier of the great Dragon, who goes out to make War with that blessed Seed, which keep the Commandments of God, Rev. 12.17. These or any one of these, shew that thou hast neither part nor fellowship in the Christian beliefe▪ that thou art an Infidell, yea an Atheist, which is a higher degree of infidelity, and that thou doest no way differ from an Heathen, but onelyonly in the saying of a Pater noster, a Creed, and, it may be, the ten Commandments: neither hast thou any more of a conscience, than fear, which fear also arises more from the power of the Magistrate, than from the Omnipotency of a God.
But to make thy selfe confesse this,H…w men may examine themselves examine thy beliefe by thy life; for infidelity is the bitter root of all wickednesse, and a lively Faith the true Mother of all goodnesse. Indeed if pride, sw…aring, prophaning of the Lords Day, drunkennesse, adultery, contempt of Religion and all goodnesse were fruits of Faith, then the World were full of Believers; but Faith purifieth the Heart, Acts 15.9. and worketh by love, Gal 5.6. Consumes our natural unnatural corruptions, and sanctifieth the whole man th…oughout, 1 Thes. 5.23. Acts 26.18 So that our Faith to God is seen in our faithfulnesse to men: Shew me thy faith by thy workes, saith S. Iames, that is, thy invisible beliefe, by thy visible life:Men would never do as they do if they thought they shold be called to an account. for the hand is the best Commentary of the heart. What a man does, I am sure he thinkes: not alwayes what he speakes. Men may say they believe the Word, but certainly they would never speak as they speak, thinke as they thinke, do as they do, if they thought that their thoughts, words and deeds, should ever come to judgement.
If men believed that Heaven were so sweet, and Hell so intolerable, as the word makes them, they would be more obedient upon earth; the voluptuous would not say, with Esau, Give me the pottage of pleasure, take who will the Birth-right of grace here, and glory hereafter; the Covetous would not say, Take you Heaven, let us have money. Ile clear it by a similitude.
Most men beleive not an hell proved undeniably.If a Physician should say unto his Patient, here stands a Cordial, which if you take will cure you; but touch not this other Vial, for that is deadly Poyson, and he refuseth the Cordial, to take the Poyson; in this case, who can chuse but conclude, that either he believed not his Physician, or preferred death before life? But go on.
If men but believed, that God alwayes beholds them, they durst not sin. No Thiefe was ever so impudent, as to steale in the very face of the Judge. O God, let me see my selfe seen by thee, and I shall not dare to offend thee. Againe, if men believed, that there is a place of Darknesse, they would fear the workes of Darknesse. If Lot's sonnes-in-Law had believed their father, when he told them the Citie should suddenly be destroyed with fire and brimstone, and that by flying they might escape it, they would have obeyed his counsel. If the old World had believed, that God would indeed, and in good earnest bring such a Floud upon them, as he threatned, they would not have neglected the opportunity of entring the Arke, before it was shut up, and the windowes of Heaven opened: much lesse would they have scofft and flouted at Noah, while he was building it: so if you did firmely believe what the Scripture speaks of Hell, you would need no intreaties to avoid it: yea, cast but your eyes upon that fiery gulf with a full perswasion of it, and sin if you dare▪ You love your selves well enough to avoid a knowne paine, wee know that there are Stocks and Bridewells, and Goales, and Dungeons, and Racks, and Gibbits for Malefactors, and our very feare keeps us innocent: were your hearts equally assured of those hellish torments, ye could not, yee durst not continue in those sinnes, for which they are prepared: yea, if you did truly beleeve a hell, there would bee more danger of your dispaire, than of your security.
Yea, had you but so much of an historicall faith,Did men beleeve what God hath already inflicted on the Angels old World Sodom &c. they would not live as they doe. as to beleeve the Scriptures, touching what God hath already inflicted upon sinners; as, upon the Angells, the old world, Sod…me and Gomorrah, Pharoah and the Egyptians, Nadab and Abihu, Chora, D…than, and Abyram, with their 250 Captaines, and many thousands of the Children of Israel, together with the whole Nation of the Iewes, Hammon and Balaam, Saul and Doeg, Absolon and Achytophell, Ahab and Iesabell, Senacherib and Nebuc…adnezar, the two Captaines and their fifties, Herod and Iudas, Annanias and Saphirah, with a world of others.
Much more, if you did beleeve how severely he hath dealt with his owne Children, when they sinned against him. viz. with Moses, & Aaron, and Eli, which were in singular favour with him; yea, with David, a man after his own heart, and that after his sin was remitted; it were impossible but you woulde feare to offend so Jealous a God: for thus you woulde argue, If God be so just and severe to his owne children, who were so good and gracious; how shall I, a wicked and ungracious servant, that never did him a peece of good service all my dayes, looke to be dispensed withall? If the godly suffer so many, and grievous afflictions here; what shall his adversaries suffer in hell? If Sampson be thus punished, shal the Philistims escape? If the righteous shall scarcely be saved, were shall the ungodly and sinner appeare? as the Scripture speakes: 1 Pet. 4.18. For thou canst not Imagine, that he will deale after a new and extraordinary way with thee, and so breake the Course of his so Just, and so long continued proceedings.