A Plain Discourse on Vain Thoughts, Doctrine 1 · Part 2 – Part 3
THUS much for the Vain Thoughts of Sinners concerning GOD.
2. THERE are Vain Thoughts in the hearts of Sinners concerning the Providence of GOD, which are great hindrances of their being Saved. GOD who made all things, does exerciſe a Providence over them all. He unholds, governs and diſpoſes of all Creatures. Now Sinners, tho' they may not deny the Providence of GOD; yet they entertain Vain Thoughts concerning ſome acts of Divine Providence, which do much hinder and endanger their Salvation. I ſhall here Inſtance only in two of them.
1. IT is a Vain Thought, That becauſe GOD in His Providence, exerciſes Patience towards Sinners, therefore He will never puniſh them for their Sins. It is the uſual way of GOD to be patient towards Sinners: He does not preſently puniſh them; nay, oftentimes ſuffers them to go a long time unpuniſhed. He not only exerciſes Forbearance towards them, but alſo long-ſuffering, Rom. 2.4. Now, Sinners hereupon are apt to think that they ſhall always go unpuniſhed. They interpret the Patience of GOD as an evidence of perpetual impunity. Becauſe GOD ſuſpends the infliction of Puniſhment, they conclude He will totally exempt them from Puniſhment. Yea, They are apt to think, that He is not offended at their Sins; but rather likes well enough of them, as they do themſelves. Pſal. 50.21. Theſe things …ſt the… done▪ and I kept ſilence. i.e. I was providentially ſilent not teſtifying againſt thy Sins in a way of Puniſhment. Then it follows, Tha… thoughteſt that I was altogether ſuch an one as th… ſelf. Now, Such a Thought as this is a great impediment in the way of Sinners Salvation … tends to make them careleſs about Repentance and fleeing from the Wrath to come. If GOD will always let them alone, as they think He will they may then hold on in their evil ways. Eccl 8.11. Becauſe ſentence againſt an evil work is not executed ſpeedily; therefore the heart of the ſons of men is fully ſet in them to do evil. But ſuch a though as this which is lodged in them, is a Vain Though 'Tis a Vain Thought, that a Patient GOD was not be a Sin-puniſhing GOD. Divine Patience yields no ground for ſuch an imagination. The Vanity of this Thought may be ſeen from what follows.
1. THE primary Intention of GOD in everlaſting Patience towards Sinners, is that they might Repent▪ While GOD is Patient, He expects that Sinner… ſhould prove themſelves Penitent. Such is the… Infinite goodneſs of GOD, that He deſires not th… Death of Sinners; but had rather that they ſhoul… turn and live. And for this end, He does not immediately deſtroy them for their Sins, as li… might moſt juſtly do; but gives them time … conſider of their evil doings and Repent thereof 2 Pet. 3.9. The Lord is long ſuffering to us w…ll not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhoul… come to repentance. The Day of His Patience, i… a deſigned ſpace for Repentance. Rev. 2.21. … gave her ſpace to Repent of her Fornication. An… therefore the Day of Divine Patience, is attende… with the Means of Repentance, and calls t… Repentance. GOD is therein graciouſly inviting them to Repent and turn to Himſelf, Rom. 10.21. All the Day long have I ſtretched forth my hands unto a diſobedient and gain ſaving people. In this way GOD is waiting upon them, that He may be gracious to them.
2. IF Divine Patience be not improved to Repentance, it will iſſue in their moſt dreadful Deſtruction. The Patience of GOD will not laſt always. It will ſooner or later come to an and: And the end of it will be terrible to impenitent Sinners. It ſhall not then be will with them as they imagine; but id beyond all poſſible imagination. Eccl. 8. 12, 13. Though a Sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged — Yet it ſhall not be well with the wicked. When GOD's Patience is expired, it ſhall be far from being well with th…m. More is intended than expreſſed. It means that it ſhall be exceeding ill with them. And in other places of Scripture, it is plainly declared how aſtoniſhingly great their Puniſhment will be. Rom. 2.4, 5 Or deſpiſest thou the riches of his goodneſs, forbearance and long-ſuffering, no… knowing that the goodneſs of God leadeth thee to Repentence? But after thy hardneſs and impenitent heart, treaſureſt up unto thy ſelf wrath againſt the Day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous Judgment of God. All the time of GOD's Patience, impenitent Sinners are treaſuring up wrath; and the longer the Day of GOD's Patience is, the greater Treaſures of wrath are they laying up for themſelves. When Sinners are Impenitent under much Long-ſuffering, they are Veſſels of Wrath fitted for amazing Deſtruction, Rom. 9 22. The longer they are ſpared, the more are their ſins multiplied and aggravated, and conſequently the greater will be their Damnation. The meaſure of Wrath will be according to the meaſure of Sin. The longer therefore Men have lived in Sin, the more heavy will their Puniſhment be at the laſt. So far then is the Forbearance of GOD from being an Evidence o… Future impunity, as that it prepares a way fo… the largeſt Vials of Divine Wrath to be poure… out on obſtinate Sinners.
WELL then, Let us not be ſo Vain as to think That becauſe GOD ſpares us for a time, He will therefore ſpare us always, tho' we continue in Sin▪ Let us not thus abuſe the Patience of GOD unt… Impenitency. But on the other hand, let us fa… in with the Gracious deſign of GOD's Patience by a ſpeedy Repentance. Let us no longer harden our hearts, but hearken unto His Voice while the Day of His Patience laſts. Let us think how great a Favour of GOD it is, that His Patience with us is not yet at an end, and th… there is yet room for Repentance & reconciliation to GOD. He might have cut us down, as He be done many others, not greater Sinners than ou… ſelves. Since then we are continued to have outſtanding in the Lord's Vineyard, let us anſwe… the expectations of GOD, by bringing for… the fruits of Unfaigned Repentance, then ſha… the Long-ſuffering of GOD prove Salvatio… to us.
THUS much for the firſt Vain Though… concerning the Providence of GOD.
2. IT is a Vain Thought that becauſe GOD i… His Providence Outwar… Proſpers Men, therefore … bears a ſpecial Affection to them. How common is it for Men to bleſs themſelves on the account of their Worldly Proſperity? How ready are they to conclude that GOD muſt needs greatly love them becauſe He ſo greatly Proſpers them? If He beſtows upon them Riches and Honours, and Health beyond what He does to others, they ſuppoſe themſelves to be the peculiar favourites of GOD. Surely, think they, If GOD had not a ſingular favour for us, He would not ſo ſmile upon us in His Providence. Such a Thought as this is a great Hindrance to Men's Salvation; for it tends to make Men ſecure in Sin, and ſo reſt ſatisfyed with their preſent Spiritual Condition, tho' it be not good. The Outward favourable Diſpenſations of Providence towards them, makes them think that all is as well as needs be: But this is a Vain Thought, as will appear from two things.
1. THE Greateſt Outward Proſperity is not in it ſelf an evidence of GOD's Special Love. This is what GOD has teſtifyed to us that we might not thereby miſs judge of our ſelves. Eccl. 9.1, 2. No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them; all things come alike to all, there is one event to the Righteous, and to the Wicked, &c. Proſperous and Adverſe Providences are Common to good and bad, and therefore by them alone no Man can know whether he be an Object of the Love, or of the Hatred of GOD. Nay, oftentimes the worſt of Men, thoſe that are moſt abhorred of the Lord, are the moſt Proſperous Men, as to this World. Jer. 12.7. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked proſper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherouſly? Pſal 73.3, 12. I … envious at the fooliſh, when I ſaw the proſperity of th… wicked. Behold, theſe are the ungodly, who proſper in the World, they increaſe in riches. Nay, ſometimes GOD gives Vaſt Kingdoms to the worſt … Men. Dan. 4.17. The Moſt High …leth in … Kingdom of Men, and giveth it to whoeſoever b… will, and ſetteth up over it the …aſest of Men. Not of the baſeſt Spirits, and baſeſt Lives, are for th… moſt part ſet up over the Kingdoms of thi… World. The Holy Scriptures and the Record… of all Ages do abundantly confirm this for a tr… It is then a Vain Thought to think that Proſperity, tho' never ſo great, is an Infallible Ma… of GOD's Special Love.
3. PROSPERITY is oftentimes granted … Men, not in Love, but in Truth. So far is Proſperity from being always a fruit and token … GOD's Special Love, that it is often a fruit and token of His dreadful Wrath. He grant Proſperity ſometimes in Judgment, and not it Mercy: it is many times a Curſe of GOD and not a Bleſſing to Men. The good thing of this World are many times denied to Men in love, and many times given to them in wrath Pſal. 78.29, 30, 31. So they did eat and were filled for he gave them their own deſire: but while the… meat was yet in thier Mouths, the wrath of God can upon them. Proſperity is many times accompanied with a Divine Curſe, ſo as to prove a ſ… to Men's Souls, and an occaſion of their eterna… deſtruction. Prov. 1.32. The proſperity of fools ſhe deſtroy them. It does but fat them for the ſlaughter and ripen them for ruine. Well then, L… us not think that the liberality of GOD diſpenſed to us in Providence is an Infallible Sign of His Special Favour for us. Let us not flatter our ſelves with ſuch a Vain Imagination, that becauſe GOD opens His bountiful hand to us, therefore we lye near His Heart, and are moſt dear unto Him. Bare Proſperity affords no ſolid foundation for ſuch a concluſion. I ſay bare or meer Proſperity; for Proſperity conſidered in its Circumſtances, may be to a Man a token for Good, and an Evidence of the Fatherly care and kindneſs of GOD. And it is ſo, when Proſperity comes in a way of Honeſty and Prayer, when it is enjoyed with a Spirit of Humility, and a ſenſe of Unworthineſs of it, when it is made an effectual Motive to Love and Serve GOD, when it is moderately uſed for our own preſent Comfort, and readily employed for the Good and Benefit of others in ways of Beneficence and Charity. Proſperity thus circumſtanced may be looked upon as an Argument of Divine Love; by this we may know that GOD has a Favour for us. Let us then he concerned that our Proſperous Circumſtances, may always carry along with them ſuch Indications of the Love of GOD to us, as of a Father to his Children. When it is a Day of ſuch Proſperity with us we may then moſt reaſonably be joyful, Eccl. 7.14.
THUS for the Vain Thoughts of Sinners concern▪ in the Providence of GOD; which was a ſecond ſort of Vain Thoughts.
3 THERE are Vain Thoughts in the hearts of Sinners concerning Jeſus Chriſt, which are great Hindrances of their being Saved. They do ſometimes entertain ſuch thoughts concerning the v… Saviour Himſelf, as do hinder their being Sav… by Him. I ſhall name only two of them, an… ſhow their Variety.
1. IT is a Vain Thought That Jeſus Chriſt … ſave Men from Wrath, though they Live in Sin. Sinners are apt to look open Jeſus Chriſt as a deliverer only from the Wrath to come. And … ſuch a one they accept of Him and are willing to be Saved by Him. They cry up the Infinit… Vertue of His moſt Precious Blood, as that which is ſufficient to Cleanſe them from the Guilt … all their Sins, and to ſave them from the Damnation of Hell. And thus they pleaſe themſelve… in the all ſufficiency and abundant Merit of th… Blood of Chriſt, and hope to be Saved on the Account thereof, though they continue in Si… Such a thought as this makes Men look upon Repentance for Sin, the Mortification of Luſts an… Reformation of Life, to be needleſs things. An… ſo it is an Obſtruction to the Salvation of Men Souls, as it puts them by from thoſe things whic… are neceſſary to Salvation. This thought then … a moſt pernicious thought, and alſo as vain as … is pernicious The Vanity of it will be ſe… from theſe things.
1. TO ſuppoſe that Jeſus Chriſt will ſave M… from Wrath, though they Live in Sin, is to ſuppoſe th… Chriſt is a Miniſter of Sin. Such a ſuppoſition … this is moſt vain and impious. The Apoſtle rejects ſuch an imagination with the greateſt abhorrence and indignation, Gal. 2.17 Is Jeſ… Chriſt the Miniſter of Sin? God forbid. 'Tis horrid Blaſphemy to ſuppoſe Chriſt to be a countenancer and abettor of Sin. For He is one that Loveth Righteouſneſs, and hateth Iniquity, Heb. 1 9. But now, ſuch as think that Chriſt will ſave them from Hell, though they ſpend their Days in Sin, do make Chriſt a conniver at Sin, and an approver of it. They repreſent Him as One that undertakes to ſecure them from harm, tho' they go on in their Treſpaſſes to the end. They repreſent Him as One that died to procure for them a liberty to Sin with impunity. How does this reproach the Holy One of Iſrael!
2. 'TIS moſt certain that the great end of Chriſt's Coming into the World, was to ſave Men from their Sins. For this reaſon was the Name Jeſus given to Him, Becauſe he ſhould ſave his People from their Sins, Matth. 1.21. The Great Work of Jeſus Chriſt was to ſave from Sin. Sin is the greateſt of evils, and therefore the main deſign of Jeſus Chriſt was to ſave from Sin. This was His chief errand into the World, 1 Joh. 3.5, 8. And ye know that he was manifeſted to take away our Sins. For this purpoſe the Son of God was manifeſted, that he might deſtroy the works of the Devil. Sin is the ſpecial work of the Devil, and this work Chriſt in a peculiar manner came to deſtroy. The Devil had ſet up the Dominion of Sin in our Hearts; and Jeſus Chriſt came to deliver us from this Curſed Dominion. He came not to eſtabliſh the reign of Sin in us, but to overthrow it, and ſet us at Liberty therefrom. Tit. 2.14. Who gave himſelf for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity. So far was Chriſt from coming to ſave Men in their Sins, that He came to ſave them from their Sin And if Chriſt be not our Saviour from Sin, in vain do we expect▪ that He will be our Saviour from the Wrath to come. Salvation from Sin and Wrath are inſeparable.
3. IT is alſo to … that the Death of Chriſt fo… Sin, is one of the greateſt Motives to abſtinence from Sin. In Chriſt's Dying for Sin, we have the cleareſt Diſcovery of the heinous nature of Sin and its hatefulneſs unto the Holy GOD. Therei… we may ſee, that Sin was ſo great an Evil, … nothing could make Expiation or Attonement fo… it, but the Sacrifice of the Son of GOD Himſelf▪ Therein we may ſee GOD's hatred of Sin to … ſuch, as that He ſpared not His own Sea, wh… He ſtood under the imputation of it. The Eternal burnings of Hell, in which Damned Sinners are Puniſhed, do not give ſuch a Demonſtration of the Lord's abhorring Sin, as the ſufferings and Death of His Son, for our ſins … Since then the Death of Chriſt on the Croſs fo… Sin, does afford ſuch an evident Manifeſtation of the exceeding greatneſs of the evil of Sin, i… ſhould then fill us with the greateſt hatred of Sin The deſign of GOD in giving us any way a f…h of the evil of Sin, is, that we might be move to hate it, and flee from it. When therefor… He gives us the moſt hideous proſpect of Sin evil, in the Glaſs of Chriſt's ſufferings and Death He expects that we ſhould thereby be induce to fear Sin and forſake it. Such then as m… Chriſt's Death for Sin, an Argument for continuing in Sin, are guilty of a moſt vile abuſed the Death of Chriſt They make that a Motiv… to hold on in Sin, which in its own Nature, and in the intention of GOD and CHRIST, is the greateſt Motive to a Total and Eternal ab…ndoning of Sin.
FROM theſe things then it is clear, That Men do but in vain hope that Chriſt will ſave them from the Damnation of Hell, tho' they abide under the power and practiſe of Sin. Let us not then entertain ſuch a Vian Thought in our hearts. But on the other hand, let us think▪ and ſay to our ſelves thus; If I am not ſaved from Sin▪ I muſt infallibly Periſh for ever. If I die in my Sins, Jeſus Chriſt will be ſo far from ſaving me from Deſtruction, that with His own Mouth He will condemn, and ſentence me to Hell; and with His own hand will caſt me down into the Pit, from whence there is no Redemption. Inſtead of being a gracious Deliverer, He will be a terrible Judge and Avenger to me. Let me then look to Chriſt to be a whole Saviour unto me; to ſave me from Sin here, and from Wrath hereafter. In thus doing, I may hope to find Mercy with Him now and in the Day of His Glorious appearing to Judge the World.
THUS for the firſt Vain Thought concerning JESUS CHRIST.
1. IT is a Vain Thought, That Chriſtians need …, obey the Law of GOD, therefore Jeſus Chriſt has perfectly obeyed it for them It is the opinion of ſome, that Chriſt's compleat Obedience to the Law of GOD, in the place and ſtead of Believers, makes their Obedience to it needleſs. They think this exempts Chriſtians from any Obligation to keep the Commandments of GOD. Chriſt by fulfilling it for Chriſtians, has thereby, they ſuppoſe, abrogated it, ſo that now Obedience to it is not required. Such a thought as this is a great hindrance of Men's Salvation; for it makes them neglect Duty, and look upon themſelves as Law, leſs Perſons, that are at Liberty to Live as they Liſt; but ſuch a thought as this is moſt abominable and vain. The Libertine will find this his Imagination a meer Deluſion in the latter end.