The Abuse of Gods Grace, Chapter 5 · Section 4 – Section 7
SECT. 4
4. WAnt of receiving the Truth in the Truth in the love of it, is an Advantage 4. Want of receiving the truth in the love, is an advantage to turn a Libertine.to trun a Libertine. The Apoſtle deſcribes the Antichriſtian ſpirit, that waxed wanton in taking pleaſure in unrighteouſneſſe; receiving the Truth for by-ends, not the love of it, 2 Theſ. 2. 10. So Heretical, looſe, prophane ſpirits are not in love with truth; and as a Wife who is not in love with her Husband, abuſeth his kindeſſe, ſo do theſe the truth: Love is kind, behaveth not it ſelf unſeemly, 1 Cor. 13. 4, 5. True love of truth is ſo kind to her, as not to put unſeemly affronts upon her. I wonder not when David ſetting up a pair of ballances, and weighing truth in one ſcale, and the greateſt glories of the world in the other, in his judicious eſteem, Truth as moſt weighty and maſſie did preponderate: His love run out in fulleſt ſtream to the Truth; O how do I love thy Law! Pſal. 119. 97. The joy of his high love was not onelyonly parallel to the joy of all riches, V, 14. accounted as a rich fee-ſimple, an heritage for ever, V. 111. but the beauty and treaſure of truth was better unto him than thouſands of Gold and Silver, V. 72. Above Gold, yea above fine Gold, V. 128. And now as a faithfull Spouſe, deeply in love with, and betrothed to her dear …ridegroom, by no difficulties and afflictions is beat off from him, quickens and ſharpens her zeale after him by oppoſition, ſo David, eſpouſed to the pure and lovely truth of God, V. 140. was faithfull to the intereſt of it in all affictions; the whetſtone of his holy profeſſion, meditation of, and converſation by it. This was the ſweet ſong of his pilgrimage, v. 54. Neither trouble and anguiſh that took hold on him, v. 145. nor Princes perſecutions, v. 161. nor the preſence of Kings, v. 46. nor his enemies deſpiſing of him, v. 141. nor proud mens forging lyes againſt him, v. 69. nor their digging pits, nor laying ſnares for him, v. 85. 110. nor their waiting to deſtroy him, v. 95. nor their almoſt conſuming him upon earth, v. 87. could bring down his high eſteem, nor cool his burning love to the Truth, whoſe guiding, purifying, comforting influence he had found in his heart & life. Buy the truth and ſell it not, Prov. 23. 23. buy it at any reat, ſell it at no rate, as it is with perſons deeply ſick of love; they will have ſuch a man or woman, though they beg with them, ſo it is with the lovers of ſaving truth, they will be match'd to it, though they periſh by it, though it coſt them the loſſe of their eſtates, liberties, and lives. The word of truth, the Goſpel of ſalvation, hath been dearer to bleſſed Martyrs than their hearts blood. The Apoſtles could doe nothing againſt the truth but for the truth, 2 Cor. 13. 8. and then no wonder they were zelots for the truth, did neither Sancti viri amando diſcunt, quod docendo proferunt: Greg. ſuper Ezek.deny the profeſſion of it, nor wantonly abuſe it. Reall Saints learn the truth by loving it, profeſſe the truth they have learned, and ſtick to the truth they profeſſe. 'Tis a true and ſure experience they who have not received the truth for the love of it, rience they who have not received the truth for the love of it, but for, and by carnall ends, will make it their decoy and ſtalking Horſe; and as it was never heartily loved for it ſelfe, in time Mollior & ſolutior vita, eſt quaſt laſcivia adverſus Chriſtum. Calv. in loc.of Temptation, they will reject it, or diſſemble it, with which they have ever played the wantons, to which they never yeelded hearty obedience. The Apoſtle tells us, that younger widdows, profeſſed Chriſtians, waxed wanton againſt Chriſt in their too ſoft, and delicate life of pleaſures, 1 Tim. 5. 6, 11. a reaſon is ſubjoyned, Nemo vel tantillum poteſt a Chriſto deflectere, quin Satanam ſequatur. Hinc admonemar quam exitialis ſit … &c. 1b.beca uſe they caſt off their firſt faith, v. 12. The faith of … ſevere, mortifying Chriſtianitie: Theſe alſo are ſaid, to go after Satan, v. 15. A ſad Text, that will prove many ſpecious, pompous chriſtians, to be fatanicall. Calvin beginnes his Expoſition of thoſe words, Some are turned aſide after Satan, with a Notanda loquutio: Note the words well; No man can a little turn from jeſus Chriſt, but he is in a ready way to follow Satan, Hence we are admoniſhed, how deadly a ſinne it is to turn aſide from the right courſe, which of the ſons of God will make us the ſlaves of Satan, and being drawn off from the government of Chriſt, ſets Satan over us to be out Leader.
SECT. 5.
5. WAnt of laying to heart Goſpel threatnings, contributes 5. Want of laying to heart Goſpel threatnings contributes to the Gods grace,to the Abuſe of Gods grace. The Lord hath to prevent the abuſe of it, annexed the threatnings of the covenant of works, to the violation of the covenant of grace. Death, Hell, the wrath to come, the curſes of the Law, were the threats of the covenant of Works. Theſe are uſed to Hedge in a reverend regard to, and obedience of the covenant of grace. God in infinite wiſdome and love, jealous of the Apoſtaſy of his peoples hearts, and zealous of his own glory, and their ſalvation, hath annexed dreadfull threatnings to the Preaching of the Goſpel, to keep down proud wanton fleſh, to be a thorny thick-ſett preventive of over-leaping rebellions, and preſervative of obedienceThe fear of anger is a good expedient, left the hope of Gods goodneſſe be abuſed to carnal neglect. Hence we read theſe comminations; Expedit eſſe ſub … ne foreign divinae benignitatis ſolvamur in negligentiam. Orig.We are not of thoſe which draw back to perdition, Heb. 10. 38. Perdition is implyedly threatned againſt A poſtaſie from Chriſt; He that loveth not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in ſinceritie, let him be Anathema Maranatha; accurſed, excommunicate for ever, 1 Cor. 16. 22. The everlaſting curſe is threatned to Chriſts falſe friends: He that believeth not is damned, Joh. 3. 18. Except ye repent ye ſhall periſh, Luk. 13. 3. Yea there where the Lord proclaimes the glory of his name in grace and mercy, left it ſhould be wronged to wantonneſs, he mentions a terrible threatning, That he will by no means clear the guilty, Exod. 34. 6, 7. Such as by unbeleeving looſe impenitent courſes, a ſecond time cruciſie the Son of God, and proſtitute his metits to wicked courſes, ſhould doe well to ſtudy thoſe angry words, He will by no means clear ſuch guilty ones. Becauſe pround ſecure Libertines, either Impii ſimul & metuunt & contemnunt ſaenas. Luth. in Gen:conſider not, or fear not, or poſitively contemn Gods threatned wrath, Hence it is that they ſecurely play the … in the hopes of mercy. 'Tis rare theſe ſad and ſerious thoughts are layd to heart; If I do not beleeve in Chriſt I am loſt for ever; If I live in my ſinne I ſhall periſh; If I depart from Chriſt I ſhall be. … one; If I abuſe the long-ſuffering, goodneſs, truth, and pardoning mercy of God, Iſhall never be cleard of this guilt, the glory of his Juſtice will ſhine in my ruin, the glory of whoſe grace, hath been darkned by my looſeneſs. The daring thoughts, counſels, words, and practices of all Libertines doe betray ſuch a ſpirit as was in Marcion of old, who fancied God made all of mercy and grace, and removed ſeverities, and judicial penal authorities from the good God, as if he were a ſtupid Eſſence, inſenſible of any affronts and indignities put upon him. Thus as if God were not eſſentially juſt as well as mercifull, he is by impudent Libertiniſme ſpoyled of his Juſtice, who as hee is juſt, and a justifier of true beleevers, ſo he is juſt and a condemner of all his enemies, the greateſt whereof are they that continue in ſin becauſe grace abounds.
SECT. 6.
6. VVAnt of Grace changing and affecting the heart, that 6 Want of Grace changing the heart, cauſeth Gods grace to be turned into wantonneſſe: foreign, violent ū quiddam ſignificat: Beza. Ʋſurpatur de iis qui in carcere & cuſtodia detinentur. Gen. 39. 20. Quotquot in officio ſuo tor, pent, & dona ſpiritus ignavo otio defodiunt, & nec propriam nec aliorū ſalutem provehunt. Gualt: in Luk: 19. Hom. 174. Verba in opera: Bernard.ſhines in the Head. Convictions may, and doe often ſtand with poſitive Rebellion. The truth of God is held priſoner in unrighteouſneſs. Rom. 1. 18. takes no hold on the wills and affections of men: ſuch violent reſtraint is laid upon it by over-powering worldly luſts, that its ſanctifying reforming liberty and authority is quite ſuppreſt. It is with the lightſome beames of Gods grace as with the Sun: The light may ſhine in the upper ſleeping room, but be ſhut out of the lower working rooms: The grace of God ſhines often in the upper ſleeping room, idle, drouſie Speculation, and conviction in the mind, but is ſhut out of the lower working rooms, the Will and the Affections. Evil ſervants know their Maſters will, but have no hearts to doe it. They are evill ſervants, who, in the Lords ſpirituall huſbandry, trading and occupation, are negligent in their duty, and hide the talents of the Spirits gifts in ſluggiſh idleneſſe, and neither promote their own, nor others ſalvation. Family-guides cannot beare it, who ſee their looſe Attendants waſte and abuſe the light of great Candles, to wantonneſſe, when their more conſcionable Miniſters doe much work by leſſer lights. What a ſhame will it bee in the reckoning day, when perſons of vaſt apprehenſions, but looſe hearts and lives, ſhall be condemned from the vaſt practice of Godlineſs, in men of mean, yet ſound intellectuals, who turn a few gracious notions, into holy motions, and words into works.
SECT. 7.
7. WAnt of the upright and genuine uſe of Cods grace, 7. Want of the genuine uſe of grace, cauſeth it to be turned into wantonneſs. Of foreign, an aſſault, becauſe if the fleſh have never ſo little liberty, it will aſſault us.as a Medicine to cure, not as a Cloak to cover ſin: We read 1 Pet. 2. 16. a Cloak of maliciouſneſs, or wickedneſs, foreign, and the danger of uſ…rg liberty an occaſion to the fleſh, Gal. 5. 13. which let alone, will make aſſault upon us, as the word foreign imports: The Sheeps-skin on the Wolves back doth indeed cover, not alter the ravenous Creature: While the cloak of grace doth but hide, not heal the old Man, he will be a Libertine. The matter is not with carnal Goſpellers, whether they ſin or no, but whether concealed. Unſound hearts are not ſo much troubled with the conſcience, as infamy of ſin: Much wickedneſs in the world, appearing in its native colours would be abominable, but when it borrows a dreſs from the grace of God, it looks lovely, and is unſuſpected: A pitty it is, ſo fair a cloak as Gods grace, ſhould be put on ſo foul a body as ſin; it is as if a leprous Body were covered with Purple, and a Dung-hill with Scarlet. It was a part of Jeremiah's Lamentations, That the Sons of Zion, that were cloathed in Scarlet, embraced Dung-hills, Lam. 4. 5. It ſhould be for a lamentation, that ſpurious Goſpellers, the falſe ſons of Zion, clad in a rich, ſcarlet, glorious profeſſion, ſhould ſtain themſelves with durg-hill words and works. To put the cover of nature upon unnatural, unmorral ſins, is abominable; to put the cloak of grace on works of darkneſs, to waſh the Devils face with holy-water, is much more deteſtable: It is as if Satan ſhould court God to licenſe his wickedneſs, as if his pure nature ſhould priviledge uncleanneſs. They were falſe Jews, uncircumciſed in Spirit, though not in fleſh, who made their ceremonious ſervices, which Jer 7. 8. Plus licentiae ſibi in ceremoni is ſumebant, quae debebant eſſe paenitentiae … ercitia. Calv.ſhould have been exerciſes of repentance, the Patrons of Licentiouſneſs; and ſo they are adulterate Chriſtians, who proſtitute their Religious Worſhip, to irreligious deſigns and practices: But ſure Grace was never intended to cover, but cure ſin. As the God of grace hath clearly vindicated grace from this diſhonor, in his Scriptures, and in the mortified converſation of his real …aints, ſo will he in the great day of reſtitution of all things, all things by their proper names, ſet them on their own bottoms, arraign ſin as ſin, grace as grace, the enemies of Chriſt as enemies, and friends as friends, and avenge before the world diſhonors done to his Goſpel-grace, and invincibly clear it to the judgement both of elect and reprobates, that grace is a deſtroyer, not a Saviour of ſin, an help, not an hindrance of good life; Take with you words, and ſay, receive us graciouſly, Hoſ. 14. 2. This grace was an healing remedy; I will heal their backſlidings, v. 4. Grace, like the covering wings of the Chicken, like the covering Plaiſter of the wound, doth both cover, and cure: Pardoning and purging Grace go together. As the wiſdom, ſo the grace that is from above, is pure, as well as peaceable. It is the conſtant Petition of the ſound Spirit of Prayer, Lord pardon, Lord heal my ſins.