Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. Shewing the carnall man in his corrupt eſtate is altogether alienated from God.
THe fifth and laſt Alienation, declaring the carnall mans miſery, is an Alienation from God, without God in the world. Atheiſts, either not beleeving there was any God at all, or not beleeving aright, but imbracing and adoring an Idoll, inſtead of the true God; but in as much as neither the Epheſians, nor other Gentiles were void of all Religion; but all acknowledged and adored ſome Deity, how doth the Apoſtle call them Atheiſts, and ſay they were without God in the world?
Anſw. 1. They were without the Scriptures, the light by which God ſhineth from above into the ſoules of men, the ſpirituall and heavenly glaſſe by which God doth reveale, and ſhew himſelfe plainly and clearly unto man; and being without the word of God, they were without God, as Iſrael being without a preaching Prieſt, and without Law, 2 Chro. 15.3.is ſaid to have been without the true God. He that is without the word is alſo without God.
2. They were without the knowledge of God, as the blinde is without the Sun, they walked in the vanity of their minde, Eph 4.18.having their underſtanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them.
3. They had falſe opinions of God, their apprehenſions of God were corrupt and carnall,Rom. 1. that which they apprehended was not the true God, but an Idoll, their fooliſh heart was darkened, and they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible man: And as an Idoll is nothing, of no divine power and vertue, ſo the Apoſtle reputeth their opinions, and adorations of God as nothing, and ſaith they were without God: Not God, but an Idoll is the object of ſuperſtitious odoration.
4. They knew not, beleeved not, loved not, adored not God in Chriſt; God is no where rightly and truly knowne and ſerved but in Chriſt; whatſoever is adored out of Chriſt, is an Idoll, and not God; He that is without Chriſt, is without God; no man comes to God, that makes not Chriſt the way; no man knowes God, that beholds him not in the face of Chriſt,Iohn 3.21. He that denyes the Sonne hath not the Father (ſaith Saint John) And thus they were without God in the world; and hence obſerve, That,
Doct.Man in his corrupt and carnall eſtate is altogether eſtranged from God, he hath nothing of God within him, God doth not ſhine into his heart, God lives not graciouſly in his ſoule, God works not powerfully and ſavingly upon him: He hath no ſpirituall commerce and communion with God; he is eſtranged from the thought of God,Pſal. 10 4. God (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) is not in all his thoughts, he thinks not upon God as upon the Creator that formed him, as upon the rocke that ſupporteth him, as upon the King commanding him, as upon the Moderator diſpenſing and ordering him, and all things elſe, as upon the Judge rendring to every man according to his works; but all his thoughts are, that there is no God, no God beholding, obſerving, regiſtring and judging the wayes and works of man; The ſoule of every carnall man is overwhelmed with Atheiſme, running headlong into all impiety, as if there were no God to puniſh him; he is alienated from the feare of God;Pſal. 36.1. he is full of diſhonourable, low, and unworthy apprehenſions of God, ready to ſay with Pharaoh, Who is the Lord that I ſhould obey his voice, I know not the Lord. He thought the God of Iſrael inferiour to the Idols of Egypt, he was ſo puffed up with his worldly fulneſſe, that he thought himſelfe ſufficient of himſelfe without God; Corrupt and carnall man through his ignorance, pride, and prophaneneſſe, hath a very baſe opinion of God, and moſt ſhamefully ſleights and undervalues God:Pſal. 73. He ſets his mouth againſt the Heavens; he ſpeaks reproachfully, againſt the Law and Doctrine of God delivered from Heaven; againſt the authority and dominion of God, whoſe Throne is in Heaven; againſt the Saints and faithfull ſervants of God, whoſe ſpirituall originall is from Heaven; againſt Gods worſhip and Religion, which is of a heavenly inſtitution: Of all this he ſpeaks baſely and preſumptuouſly, this he treads and tramples under feet, and inthrals it to his proud and ſinfull luſt; he is alienated from the knowledge and beliefe of God, either he hath an opinion that there is no God, as the foole in the Pſalmiſt hath ſaid in his heart, there is no God The foole,Pſal. 19.1. the man in whom the light of grace ſhineth not, in the lamp of whoſe ſoule the oyle of ſaving knowledge burneth not, he hath ſaid in his heart, reſolved and concluded with himſelfe, that there is no God of wiſedome diſcerning the wayes of men, no God of Juſtice taking vengeance upon men, for their impieties: Or if he thinke there is a God, he beleeves not that he is ſuch a God, as indeed he is, ſo glorious in his Eſſence, in his Attributes, in his Perſons, and in his works: ſo holy in his wayes, ſo faithfull in his promiſes, ſo gracious to his ſervants, and ſo ſevere againſt his enemies; and therefore ſuch men ſay unto God, Depart from us, for we deſire not the knowledge of thy wayes,Iob 21.14. what is the Almighty that we ſhould ſerve him, and what profit ſhall we have if we pray unto him. God the chiefeſt good is of no eſteeme with them that are empty of all ſpirituall good. Holy and religious ſervices are in their opinion, the moſt frivolous and fruitleſſe undertaking, who are altogether corrupt and carnall: Mans prophane, and baſe ſleighting, and undervaluing of God, and the wayes, worſhip, and ſervice of God, openly proclaime mans miſerable and curſed ignorance of God, mans unhappy and ſinfull Alienation, and eſtrangement from God.
Carnall mans wretched and ſoule-deſtroying eſtrangement from God,7 Grounds of mans eſtrangement from God. is moreover manifeſt, deſcribed in ſuch characters that he that runs may reade it: As,
1. By carnall mans enmity and oppoſition againſt God, 1 Oppoſition and contrariety to God. Rom. 8.7.and his contrariety to God, as contrary as death to life, darkeneſſe to light, evill to good, bitter to ſweet; The carnall minde (ſaith Saint Paul) is enmity againſt God, oppoſing God, ſighting againſt God; It is not ſubiect to the Law of God, neither indeed can be; It breakes the bands, and caſts away the cords of Gods Law, as Sampſon ſometimes burſt his withes; as the man in the Goſpell poſſeſſed with an uncleane ſpirit,Mar. 5. plucked in ſunder the chaines, and breake in peeces the fetters which tyed him, neither could any man tame him: Thus the carnall man poſſeſſed by Satan, and his owne uncleane and prophane ſpirit, breaks all the chaines and fetters of Gods Law, no Miniſter, no friend, no counſell, no perſwaſion, no comination can tame him, and make him humble and ſubject to the Law of God;Iob 24. but he rebelleth againſt the light, he ſhutteth his eyes, and will not ſee, he ſtoppeth his eares, and will not heare, and is altogether contrary unto God; God is light, but he is darkneſſe; God is holy, perfectly, abſolutely, infinitely holy, but he is corrupt and altogether filthy; God is good, the fountaine of all goodneſſe, but he is evill, a root of bitterneſſe, all the thoughts and imaginations of his heart are only and altogether evill; God is a God of knowledge, perfectly knowing himſelfe, and all things elſe, but carnall man neither knowes God nor himſelfe; God is a God of love, he loves himſelfe, and them that beare his Image, but the carnall man hates God, and all them that are like God, he loves evill, and hates good; God is a God of truth, a true and faithfull God; the carnall man is full of hypocriſie and deceit, his heart is deceitfull above meaſure; God delighteth himſelfe, he taketh pleaſure in them that feare him, he delighteth in them that are upright in the way; To the carnall man the thought of God is terrible, he taketh pleaſure in unrighteouſnes, and delighteth in the frowardnes of the wicked, and thus his contrariety to God proclaims his alienation from God.
2. Eſtrangemē from the life of God. Eph 4.2. By carnall mans eſtrangement from the life of God, alienated (as Paul ſaith) from the life of God, without the life of grace. God lives not in him by his Spirit regenerating and quickning him; The body alienated from the ſoule, without the ſoule living in it, is dead, unprofitable, unſavoury, an uncomfortable ſpectacle; Man alienated from the life of God, is dead in ſinne, unprofitable to God, to his Church, to his owne ſoule, unſenſible of his ſinne, uncapable of the word, unſavoury and abominable in the noſtrils of God, a very monſter in the eyes of God, more ugly then any leper, toad, or lothſome creature; the dead body is earthy, inclining to the earth, fit only for the grave; The carnall man is earthly, minded, inclining onelyonly to things here below, and is ready to be caſt into the grave of Hell, fit for an infernall funerall with the damned in outer darkeneſſe; He that wants the life of grace, is far from the God of grace, whoſoever is not ſpiritually quickened by God, is miſerably eſtranged from God.
3. By the carnall mans eſtrangement from the knowledge of God: Of ſuch the Pſalmiſt ſaith, they have no knowledge; no knowledge of God as a Father, of Chriſt as a Husband,3. Eſtrangemēt frō the knowledge of God. of the Spirit as a Sanctifier and comforter, of the word as of a light guiding, and food feeding, and nouriſhing them to life eternall; they have no ſpirituall knowledge, no principle of ſpirituall light to perceive the things of God which are ſpiritually diſcerned;Pſal. 14.4. no experimentall knowledge of Gods worke upon their ſouls, in the vivification, illumination, ſanctification, and gracious change of their hearts; no affective knowledge,1 Cor, 2.14. they know not God as a child knows his father, as a wife knows her husband with fervent love & hearty affection; no ſubmiſſive knowledge, they know not God as a Subject his Soveraigne, a ſouldier his Centurion yeelding hearty, free, & cheerfull obedience unto him no appretiative knowledge they know not God as the rich man knowes his jewell, eſteeming it farre above all his ſtraw and common lumber in his houſe, as the people knew David, accounting him better then many thouſands of themſelves, they doe not prize God above the creature and themſelves, they doe not repute all baſe and vile, as nothing in reſpect of God; no appropriative knowledge, they know not God, as the wife the husband, ſelecting and taking God unto themſelves, and making him their God, as the wife doth the husband, they take not God unto them, as their King, Crowne, portion, and as all in all to their ſoules; no conſolative and delightfull knowledge, they know not God as the … the Sun, rejoycing in the light of the Sun, they delight …n God, their ſoules take not up their ſweet repoſe in the botome of God, the meditation of God is not ſweet unto them; no ſatiative knowledge, they know not God, as the thirſty the full fountaine, they are not filled with God, they meet not with contentation in God, their deſires are not terminated in God, and ſatisfied with God, they know not Gods All-ſufficiency, they take not up their full and eternall reſt with God, they are ſtill ſtepping out from God, with Judas they are not content with Chriſt, but they muſt have the bag too; and as the blinde is a ſtranger to the Sun, ſo is the blinde ſoule a ſtranger to God.
3 Eſtrangemēt from the l…ve of God.3. By the carnall mans eſtrangement from the love of God, he is a ſtranger to the love of God: Paſſively, it is a Sun, with whoſe beames his ſoule was never warmed, a wine which his palate never taſted, a banner under which he was never covered; God never communicated the ſweet ſence and feeling of his love unto him; none but the Bride hath the ſence of the Bridegroomes love; he is a ſtranger to the love of God actively; he is a ſtranger to the love of union with God, he declines not the things which ſeparate from God, he delights not in the meanes which unite the ſoule to God, he deſires not ſpirituall conjunction and communion with the Church and people of God, he grieves not at the abſence of the efficacy of the Spirit, he longs not after the full fruition, of the bleſſed and gracious preſence of God; he is a ſtranger to the love of Complacency in God; he neither abhorres the things which are adverſe to the will of God, nor highly prizeth the Society of the Saints of God, nor is ſenſible of that joy and ſweetneſſe which is found in the exerciſes of godlineſſe, nor knowes that delight which a gracious ſoule meets with, by holy walking, and maintaining a ſweet communion with God, he is not comforted and well-pleaſed in and with God, as the eye with the Sun, and the thirſty pallate with the cleare and full fountaine, but hath more pleaſure in the creature then in the Creator; he is alſo a ſtranger to the love of benevolence, and welwiſhing towards God; having no zeale for Gods glory, nor yeelding any filiall and ſincere obedience to Gods precepts: Whatſoever be the pretences of a carnall mans love… God, he loves himſelfe more then God, his love is the lov… harlots, whoſe love is more to ſtrangers then to their husbands. Want of free, full, and fervent love to God, ever argues an unhappy eſtrangement from God.
4. Eſtrangemēt from the ſpirituall miniſtrations of God.4. By the carnall mans estrangement from the ſpirituall ſoule-ſanctifying and ſoule-ſaving miniſtrations of God. The carnall man is an empty houſe, there is nothing of God dwelling there; he is a Tree twice dead, and plucked up by the roots,Rom. 7.18. Jude v 12. there is no miniſtration of spirituall life, Chriſt doth not live in him, he ſits in darkneſſe, and the ſhadow of death, the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of his underſtanding, as the Philiſtines put out the eyes of Sampſon; there is no miniſtration of ſpirituall and ſaving knowledge, God hath not ſhined into his heart, he hath not the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jeſus Chriſt; he lyes in the priſon of the prince of darkneſſe, like Peter in Herods priſon, his luſts fettering him, Satan on his right hand, the world on his left hand, like two ſtrong and vigilant ſouldiers keeping him; There is no miniſtration of spirituall freedome, he is led captive by ſin, the Devill, and the world; he is full of ſinne, as Naamans fleſh of leproſie; there is no miniſtration of grace and ſanctification, God hath not powred out his Spirit like cleane water upon him;Iſa. 57.20. he is like the troubled Sea which cannot reſt, whoſe waters caſt up mire and durt, his conſcience accuſing, his heart condemning him; there is no miniſtration of ſpirituall peace, no ſeale of the pardon of ſinne, no attonement between God and his ſoule; where there is no light, the Sun appeares not, where there is no miniſtration of grace God dwels not, without grace, without God.
6. Eſtrangemēt from Chriſt. Ioh. 1.11.6. By the carnall mans eſtrangement from Chriſt, he receiveth not Chriſt as a dweller to poſſeſſe him, as a King to command him, as a Lord and Maſter to be every way ſerviceable to Chriſt, as a friend to love Chriſt, as a husband to marry his ſoule to Chriſt, as a Phyſitian to be healed by Chriſt, as a fountaine to be filled with Chriſt, as the root of life to live in and by Chriſt; Every carnall man is a ſinfull, and a Chriſtleſſe creature, having nothing of Chriſt in him; and being without Chriſt he is without God, God is no God of grace, of mercy, of peace to the ſoule without Chriſt. Whoſoever (ſaith Saint John) denieth the Son, embraceth not, loveth not, honoureth not the Sonne, hath not the Father. And againe, whoſoever tranſgreſſeth, and abideth not in the Doctrine of Chriſt hath not God. God is truly and comfortably knowne, rightly adored, and ſweetly and ſavingly enjoyed onelyonly in Chriſt. Man hath no way to God but Chriſt, he is the glaſſe in whom God is clearly ſeen, he is the fountaine whence the fulneſſe of God is received, he is the beloved, in whom alone man is accepted. God is an utter ſtranger to the ſoule of that perſon, who hath not Chriſt dwelling in him.
7. Eſtrangemēt from the remembrance of God.7. By the carnall mans eſtrangement from the remembrance of God: In the grave (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) there is no remembrance of thee. Among the carnall men, the dead in ſin, there is no remembrance of God, God is not in all their thoughts, their thoughts are worldly thoughts,Pſal. 6.5. Pſal. 10.4. vain thoughts, evill thoughts, thoughts of iniquity, Every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts is only evill continually; they remember not, they thinke not upon the Lord: He is forgotten (as he ſpeakes by Jeremy) dayes without number: Jer. 2.32.The carnall mans thoughts of God are erronious thoughts, ſuperſtitious thoughts, doubtfull thoughts, low thoughts, diſhonourable thoughts, ſeldome, cold, and flitting thoughts, no ſerious, dwelling, abiding and working thoughts: He doth not remember God as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, with high, honourable, tranſcendent, awefull, and reverent thoughts, diſpoſing his ſoule to the feare of God; He doth not remember God, as the rich man his treaſure with ioyfull and delightfull thoughts; as the captive his Ranſomer, with gratulatory and praiſe rendring thoughts; as the Bride her Bridegroome, with loving, ſoule-warming, and heart-affecting thoughts; as the thirſty man the fountaine, with longing and inceſſant thoughts; He doth not remember the dominion of God to be ſubject to him, the Wiſedome or God to be guided by him, the power of God to repoſe himſelfe upon him, the preſence of God to walke all the day long as in Gods ſight, nor the Al-ſufficiency of God to ſeeke all ſatisfaction in him; Perhaps like Mariners in a ſtorme, in a time of trouble, he hath ſome conſtrained thoughts of God, but otherwiſe he forgets God as Pharaohs Butler forgate Joſeph; as men in time of peace lay aſide their weapons, and thinke no more upon them till warre be renewed: Thus carnall men lay aſide all thought of God, make no uſe of God untill ſome diſmall diſtreſſe ceaze upon them; and as they are ſtrangers to the remembrance of God, ſo they muſt of neceſſity be eſtranged from all intereſt in God, and from all communion with God.