lives, arc of the same complexion with tliese men's words : they do not heartily assent to the truth of the gospel which they hear, and though bare assent would not save them, yet their assent, or non- assent, will certainly damn them, except the Lord heal their under- standings and hearts, by the light and life of religion. To this last sort I shall offer a few things.
The eighth way to hell shut up by six weighty considerations.
1. You that attend upon the ordinances, but believe them no more than so many devised fables, nor heartily assent to the truth of what you hear ; know assuredly, that the word shall never do your souls good, it can never come to your hearts and affections in its regenerating and sanctifying efficacy, whilst it is stopt and obstructed in your understandings in the acts of assent. And thus you may sit down under the best ordinances all your lives, and be no more the better for them, than the rocks are for the showers of rain that fall upon them ; Heb. iv. 2. " The word preached " did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that *' heard it." This is Satan's chief strength and fatness, wherein he trusteth ; he fears no argument, whilst he can maintain his post : the devil hath no surer prisoner than the Atheist ; there is no escaping out of his possession and power, whilst this bolt of un- belief is shut home in the mind or understanding. An unbelieved truth never converted or saved one soul from the beginning of the world, nor never shall to the end of it. Those bodies that have the Boulema, or dog-appetite, whatever they eat, it affords them no nourishment or satisfaction, they thrive not with the best fare : just so it is with your souls, no duties, no ordinances can possibly do them good ; as in argumentation, no conclusion, be it never so regularly drawn, and strongly inferred, is of any force to him that denies principles.
2. If you assent not to the truth of the gospel, you not only make God speak to your souls in vain, which is fatal to them : but you also make God a liar, which is the greatest affront a creature can put upon his Maker ; 1 John v. 10. " He that believeth not " God, hath made him a liar." Vile dust, darest thou rise up against the God that made thee, and give him the lie ? An affront which thy fellow creature cannot put up, or bear at thy hands. Darest thou at once stab his honour, and thy own soul ? Are not the things that thou lookest on as romances and golden dreams, mere artifice, neatly contrived to cheat and awe the world ? Are they not all built upon the veracity of God, which is the firmest founda- tion and greatest security in the world ? Hath he not intermingled.
206 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN.
for our satisfaction, not only frequent assertions, but his asseveration* and oath to put all beyond doubt ? and yet dare any of you lift up your ignorant, blind understandings against all this, and give him the lie ? Surely the wrath of God shall smoke against every soul of man that doth so, and his own bitter, lamentable, doleful experience shall be his conviction shortly, except he repent.
3. Dare any of you give the thoughts of your hearts as certain conclusions under your hands, and stand by them to the last, and venture all upon them.
Wretched Atheist ! bethink thyself, pause a while, examine thine own breast ; whatever thy vile atheistical thoughts sometimes are, is there not at other times a fear of the contrary ? A jealousy that all these things which thou deridest and sportedst thy wicked fancy with, may, and will prove true at last ? When thou readest or hearest that text, John iii. 18. V He that believeth not is con- demned already ;" his mittimus is already made for hell : doth not thy conscience give thee a secret gird, like a stitch in thy side ? Dare you venture all upon this issue, that if those things you find in the word be true, you will stand to the hazard of them ? If that be a truth, Mark xvi.'l6. "He that believeth not shall be damned," you will be content to be damned.? Or if, Rom. viii. 13. be a truth. That "they who live after the flesh shall die," you Tvill run the hazard,"^ and bear the penalty of eternal death ? If Heb. xii. 14. prove true. That " without hoKness no man shall " see God," you will be content to be banished from his presence for evermore ? Speak your hearts in this matter, and tell us, do not you live betwixt atheistical surmises, that all these are but cunning artifices, and fears, that at last they will prove the greatest verities.
4. Hath not God given you all the satisfaction you can reasonably desire of the undoubted truth and certainty of his word? What would you have which you have not already ? Would you have a voice from heaven ? the scriptures you read or hear are a more sure word than such a voice would be, 1 Pet. i. 19. Or would you have a messenger from hell ? He that believeth not the written word, neither would believe " if one should rise from the *' dead," Luke xvi. 31. View the innate characters of the scripture, is it not altogether pure and holy, full of Divine wisdom and awful majesty, and in every respect such as evidence th its author to be the wise, holy, and just God, who searcheth the hearts and reins ? Look upon the seals and confirmations of it : hath not God con- firmed it by divers miracles from heaven, a seal which neither men nor devils could counterfeit? And do not you see the blessing and power of God accompanying it in the conversion and wonder- ful change of men's hearts and hves, which can be done by no
A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN^. 20T
other hand than God's ? Say not, the miracles, whicli confirm the (Tospcl, are but uncertam traditions, and except you yourselves see them wrought, you cannot beheve them. There are a thousand things which you do beheve, though you never saw them; and what you require for your satisfaction, every man may require the same for his; and so Christ must hve again in all parts of this world, and repeat his miracles over and over in all ages to satisfy the unreasonable incredulity of those that question their trut'n, after the fullest confirmation and seal hath been given, that is capable to be given, or the heart of man can desire should be given ; and if all this should be done, you might be as far from believing as now you are ; for many of those that saw and heard the things wrought by Christ contradicted and blasphemed, and so might you.