* obedient children,' are opposite to these u/oi)? rf/? aTreiOeLa^, 'children of disobedience,' that profess obedience, and yet relapse into their old practices.
[2.] That the wrath of God lighteth not upon them that have once fallen into these sins, or it may be often, in their unregeneracy, but afterwards repent and return to an holy life, but upon the ' children of •disobedience,' that remain obstinate and impenitent, and will not be reduced from this impure course of living.
Doct. 1. That all those words which promise impunity or immunity from the wrath of God to gross open sinners are vain words.
They are vain, because they cannot make good what they promise, being expressly both against the light of nature and scripture. And here I shall inquire —
1. What are the vain words wherewith sinners usually deceive themselves.
222 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR. VI.
2. How it cometli to pass that such gross self-flattery can ever pos- sess theh' minds.
I. What are the vain words or pretences by which they usually harden their hearts ?
1. That God will not call them to an account, or punish them for their sins. That there is such a thought in their minds appeareth plainly in their actions to any discerning beholder: Zeph. i. 12, 'I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled upon their lees, that say in their hearts, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.' There are implicit thoughts and explicit thoughts ; explicit thoughts are what we actually and inwardly conceive in our minds, and do expressly think of; implicit thoughts are the latent principles which lurk in our hearts, which, though they do not bubble up into actual thoughts and opinions, yet secretly govern us and taint our actions. And these are usually called in the scripture, ' Saying in their hearts,' and are known by interpreting and running up our actions into their proper principle ; for man being a reasonable creature, it is supposed that all he doth is influenced by some reasonings of his mind, either more close or reserved, or more apparent and open. And now, though we in bashfulness and unconfidence of their truth for a while suppress our principles, yet their force and influence is too discernible in our actions. As, for instance, men that live securely in open sins, condemned not only by the light of scripture but nature, surely they are influenced by this thought, that either there is no God, or that he is careless of human affairs, and will not call them to an account whether they do good or evil : Ps. xxxvi. 1, * The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes;' that is, their lewd life showeth that they have no reverence of God, and plainly bespeaketh this thought in their mind and observation, that either they think there is no God, or that he is a senseless idol, and taketli no notice of human affairs so as to call men to any account for them ; for what could they do more wickedly if they were professedly leavened and plainly possessed with these opinions ? But these are but vain words ; for if there be no God, how could things fall into this order and proportion wherein we see them ? Scripture and nature, reason and conscience, will tell thee there is a God. Look within thee, without thee, upward, downward, round about thee, everything thou seest, hearest, and feelest, proclaimeth a God to thee. And if there be a God, doth he not take notice of what men do ? Surely there is such a thing as good and evil, vice and virtue, sin and holiness ; the one worthy of blame, the other of praise. If it be not so, whence is it that we all affect to be counted honest and good ; to seem so at least, if we have no mind to be so? The most wicked are offended to be taken for such as they are, and endeavour to cover their vices with the appear- ance of virtue and goodness. If all things were utterly indifferent in their own nature, it were no more crime for a man to kill his father than his neighbour's dog, or to rob and murder men in the woods than to hunt a hare, to lie and forswear in our denlings than to be honest, just, and sincere. Surely there is a God, and there is moral good and evil ; and if it be so, will not God punish the evil and reward the
VeK. 6.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 223
good? If yon think he will not, it is because he hath no right, or no jDOwer, or no will to do it. You cannot say no right, because man is his creature, and therefore his subject. You cannot say no power, for our life is in his hands. Now if he will not trouble himself with human affairs, or mind what is done liere below, if he is neither pleased with our good deeds nor angry with our offences, why then hath he made a law with a sanction ? This is against all sense, reason, and experience. It is against the purity of his holy nature that he should be indifferent to good or evil, and wholly connive at the disorders of mankind. How then can we pray to him for mercies, or praise him for benefits ? Or could there be any such thing in men towards God as fear and hope ; fear that God will avenge their misdoings, or hope that he will support them in a righteous cause ? Which yet is against the universal sentiment of all mankind and common experience ; for God doth daily make known himself by punishments and benefits : Heb. ii. 2, ' For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward,' &c. ; Kom. i. 18, ' But the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men ; ' Acts xiv. 17, ' He left not himself without a witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.' We see the effects of his wrath in pestilences, tem- pests, inundations, and of his goodness in fruitful seasons. Therefore why will you cherish such vain thoughts, as if God would never call you to an account, when he is known by the judgments which he executeth daily ?