Sermons, pages 236–250
SERMON, ROMANS
VIII.
For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to Godbj the Death of his Son.
DOCTRINE. Natural
Men are God's Enemies,
In speaking to this Doftrine, it was proposed, in what refpe ls they are enemies
THO shew 2.
XTo Cod. how
great a degree they are enemies.
Why they are enemies. 4. To answer some objeftions. 5.
The two first things proposed, have been attended to in the foregoing discourse.
III.
now proceed,
To fucw why,or on what account they arc ene-
mies to God. The general Eeafon is, That God is oppofiie to ihcm in the worship of their idols. The jpoftacy of man docs dimmarily consist in dc» parting from the true God, to idols
forsaking his crea-
tor, and felting up other things in his room
When God ?i firllgrcatcd man, he was united to his The crrator the God that made him was his God. ;
true God was the objeflofhis highest refpc6l, and had
the pofrcnj( n (>f his heart.
Love to God was the prin-
ciple in his heart, that ruled oTcr all ihcr principles ; an(*.
Men naturally Gols Enemtes\
Se R. VIII.
i ip
and every thing in the soul, was wholly in fnbje lion to it. But when man fell, he depaned from the true od, and the union that was between his heart and hiscrea* he wholly loll: the principle of love tor was broken And henceforward man clave to other he had to God. gods. He gave that refpeft to the creature, which is due to the creator. When God ceased to be the obje£l: ofhisfupream love and refpedl, other thiijgs of courfc :
became theobjc(Sls of it.
Man will neceftarily have something that he refpe s as his
If man don't give
God.
the God that
made him, there
his highefl refpeft to
will
be something elfc
Men will either worship
that has the poffefljon of it.
the true God, or some idol it is impossible it should be otherwise something will have the heart of man. And that which a man gives his heart to, may be called his God and therefore when man by the fall extinguished all love to the true God, he fct up the crea:
ture in his room
And so man came to be at enmity against the true God. For having loft his cfteem and love of the true God, and set up other gods in his room, and in opposition to him and God still demanding their worship, and opposing them in their worship of thofe falfcgods; ;
and man continuing
still
to worship idols,
enmity ne-
ceftarily follows.
That which a man chufes for his God, he sets heart mainly upon.
And nothing will
so soon excite
enmity, as opposition in that which is dearcft.
A man
be the greareft enemy to him who opposes him in what he choofcs for his God he will look on none as ftunding so much in his way, as he that would deprive will
him of his (jod. "Ye have taken away my gods; and what have I more ?"f A m.an, in this rclpec , cane fcrve two msftcrs, that stand in competition to his fervicc. And not only, if be frrves one, he cannot /c-r-ytf
Men natHrally God's enemies
Ser.VIII.
the other but if he cleaves lo one, he will ncceftarily " No man can fcrvc two maflcrs for hate the other. cither he will hate ihc one, and love the other, or clfc he will hold to the one, and de/pi/e the other. Ye cannot fcrve God and mammon/'f And this is the very ;
reason that men hate God.
In this cafe it is, as when one kingdom, in oppofltion one to the other and they both challenge the same throne, and are competitors for the same crown they that arc
two kings fct up
loyal, hearty fubjcfls to the one, will ncceftarily be enejnies to ihe other. it
always happens so, nor indeed can
be otherwise.
As that which is i man's God, is the obje£l of his so that God which chiefly oppofcs him in
highest love it,
mufl be the objeft of his greatest hatred.
The gods which a natural man worships,instead of the God that made him, are himself and the world. He has withdrawn his eftcem and honor fromgod,and proudly exalts himself. As satan did he was not willing to :
be in such fubje lion
up himself for God.
and therefore rebelled,
So a natural man,
and fct
the proud
and high thoughts he has of himself, sets up hinafelf Upon God's throne. And he gives his heart to the world, worldly riches, and worldly pleasures,and worldly honors: they have the poHcnion of that regard which is due to God. The apostle funis up all the idolatry of wicked men in their love 0/ the -world, " Love not the World, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust f the flcfli, the luQ of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but is of the world. " " And theapoHlc James observes, that a man must ncceftarily be the enemy c;f the true God, if he be a friend of the world. " Know ye not that the friendship of the world is entity
Joh.
Seh. VIII.
Men naturally God's Enemies,
mity with God ? Whofoever thei'cforc will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God. \ All the sin that men commit, is what they do in the there is no one a£l of sin, but fcrvice of their idols :
what is an a£l of service to some false God.
And there-
fore wherein soever God opposes sin in them, he is op« on which account pofite to their worship of their idols :
they are enemies to God. God opposes them in their fcrvice of their idols, iii the following refpcfts. manifcfts his utter abhorrence of their wor1. Their idols are what they love afhip of their idols. they would by no means part with bovc all things
This wickedncfs \%fiueet unto them.f If you If they loofc take them away, what have they more ? away their rend all. To their they loose their idols> idols from them, would be more grievous to them, than it is like rending their to rend body and soul afundcr them.
They
love their idolatry ; on't approve of it, but exceedingly hates it
heart in twain.
but God he hates
implacably, and will by no means be reconciled to it God declares an infinite and therefore they hate him. or every aft hatred of every aft of sin which they do He apthat they do in the service of their false gods. He declares Jpoves of it in no part, but hates it all. a God laimfelf to be an holy God, and a jealous God that is very jealous of his own honor and that greatly abhors the giving that honor to another. it
He utterly forbids their cleaving to thofe idols,
and all the service that they do to them. He not only shews that he dislikes it, but he utterly forbids it and demands that they should worship him, and fcrve him only, and give their hearts wholly to him without tolerating any competitor. He allows them to serve their idols in no degree ; but requires them to call them away ;
utterly, I Jam.
Men nattirally God's EHemies.
utterly, and
Sre.VIII.
pay no more worship to them, at any time.
He requires z final parting with their idols.
Not only
that ihcy should refrain from them for a while, but cast
them away forever
and never gratify their idolatrous This is so exceeding contrary to them, and what they are so averse to, and so obstinate in their refusal of, that they are enemies to God for ir. They can't endure God's commands, because they forbid all that which their hearts are so engaged in. And as they hate God's commands, so they ;
rcfpeel to them any more.
hate Him whose commands they are. 3.
He threatens them with everlasting damnation for He threatens them for their He threatens them with his eternal
their service of their, idols.
idolatry.
wrath, for their having departed from him, and their having chosen to themselves other gods. He threatens them for that disposition to cleave to other gods :
they have in their hearts
He threatens the le/l degrees
of that refpe6b which they have in their hearts to their He manifcfls that he will not tolerate any regard to them, but has fixed eternal death, as the wages of every degree of it. And he won't release them from their guilt he holds them to their obligations he won't acquit them at all And he will accept of no atonement that they can make. He will not forgive them, whatever they do in religion whatever pains they take j whatever tears they fhcd. He will accept of no money or price that they have to offer. And he threatens every future a£l of their idolatry. I e not only forbids them ever to be guilty of the lead nA, but forbids them on pain of eternal damnation. So ilric ly does God prohibit them from the service of idols.
heir idols, that arc so dear to them, that are their all, He and which they would on no account part with. ihreaicns them wirh cvcrlnlfing wrath for all exercifcs for all maiiitcflaof inordinate love of wcvldly profit lions ol inordinate regard tc werldly plcarurc$,or worldly I
Ser. VIII.
]y honors.
He threatens
ments for their
them with everlafling torHe requires them to
self ejiahation.
deny thcmfelves, and renounce themselves, and to abase themfelvcs at his feet, on pain of bearing his wrath to all eternity.
The* (triune ss of God's law is a principle cause of If God were a God that man's enmity against God. if he were one who would did not so much hate sin allow them in the gratification of their kifls, in some degree ; and his threatnings were not (b awful againfl all indulgence of their lust if his threatnings were not io absolute if his displeasure could be appcafed by a few tears, and little reformation, or the like they would not be so great enemies;, nor hate him so much as they do now. But God shews himself to be an implacable enemy 10 their idols, to every degree of their iervice of them and has threatened everlasting wrath, infinite calamity for all that they do in the iervice of their lulls ; and holds them bound under his wrath therefor. And this makes them irreconcilable enemies :
to him.
For this reason, the Scribes and Pharisees were such bitter enemies to Christ ;
because he fliewed himself to be such an enemy to their pride, and conceit of their own wisdom, and their self righteousness, and inordinate affe£lation of their own honor, which was their God. Natural men are enemies to God, because he is fooppofite to them, in that in which they place their all. If you go to take away that which is very dear to a man. nothing will provoke him more. God is infinitely opposite to that in which natural men place all cheir delight, and all their happiness, viz. their gods. He is an enemy to that which natural men value ts their grcatefl honor and highest dignity and which they iruH: wholly to, that which is all their dependence, viz. their ;
own rightaoufnefs. Hence
Men naturally Gois Enemies.
Sek. Vlll.
Hence natural men are greater enemies to God, than Some of their fellowihey arc to any other being. creatures may stand very much in their way,with regard to some things they fct their hearts upon
but God op-
pofesihem with rcfpefl to all ihelr idols, and ihofe gods which are their all. And then God's opposition to their idols, which arc above all things dear to them, is infinone of our fellow- creatures everopponitely great. fe$ us in any of our intereils so much as God opposes For God has an infinite wicked men in their idolatry His infinite opposition is manioppoiition against it. feited by his threatning an infinite punishment, viz. :
his dreadful
wrath to
eternity, misery without end.
Hence we need not wonder that natural men are enemies to God.
Having thus fliewn, in some measure, wt y
men are God's enemies; 1 proceed
natural
the lad thing
proposed.
To corfider and make anfwcr to some objecti-
ons, that some may be ready to make against this.
Natural men don't generally conceive themselves to they han't this notion of themselves, that be so bad And therefore when they ihey are enemies to God. hear such doflrine as this taught them, they fland rea:
dy to make objcdVions. Obj.
Somf natural men may be ready to say, I feel any such enmity in my heart *'
don't know that I against.
God,
spoken
am not sensible that
God, and to and to have a dis1 feel no such thing position. if 1 could, to kill him. in myfclf, and why Ihould 1 th/mk that 1 have such a If I have such enmity, why don't I thing in me
1 am such a dreadful enemy, lb as to hate
have a mertal enmity against him
If 1 am a mortal eiiCmy, why fliould not I feel it ? know it better than any body c!lc How can others see
Ser VIII. see what is in
Men naturally GtJ's Enemies. my heart, better than I myself
hate one of my fellow creatures, and have a spirit against To (uch an him, 1 can feel it inwardly working." Dbje6 4oii I vyould
nf. I. if you dobutobferre yourself, and fcarch your own heart, unless you are strangely blinded, y ii may be sensible of thofc things, wherein enmity docs As particularly, you may be fundamentally confill. fcndble that you have at lead had a low & contemptible and that you in your eftcem set the cfteem of God so as trifles and vanities of this world, far above him to esteem the enjoyment of thcfe things far before the enjoyment of God, and to value these things better than his love. And you may be sensible that you despise the authority of God, and value his commands and his honor but very little. Or if by some means you have blinded yourfcif now, so as to think you do regard them now, doubt less you can look back and see that you have not reg.trded them. You may be sensible that you have had a difrelifli and aversion towards God an oppofit on to thinking of God, or to have any thing to do with him so that it would have been a very uncomfortable talk to have been confined to it for any time and that when the vanities of the world, at the same lime, have been very pleafmg to you and you have been all fwallowexl up in them, while you have been averse to the things of religion. If you look into your heart, it is there plain to be seen, that there is an enmity in your will, that your will is contrary to God's will for you have been opposing the will of God all your life long. These things arc plain in natural men 'tis nothing but some great delufjon that can hide them from you. And these things are the foundation of alJ enmity if these things be in you, all the reft that wc have spoken of will follow of ;
course, J.
Men naturally Gois Enem'tfs.
Ser.VIII.
One leafon why you han't more sensibly felt the God,
excrcifcs of* malice againfl
ihat your enmity is
nr.w cxcrcifcd j arrly in your unbelief of* God's being
prevents irs appearing in other ways, that other-
aiiJ 'ills
Man has naturally a principle of aiheifn> an indisposition to realize God's being, and a
wile it wDuId. in
djipofition tu doubt
of it.
that there
are ot
God don't or-
'J'he being of
dinal ily (cern real to natural
men.
All the difcovcries
God's being, in his works, won't o-
verome the j rinciple of atheilin, that is in
ilie
heart.
y\pd ilu/ I hey leem in some measure to be rationally convinced, yet it don't appear real the conviction is ;
fvmr. there is no llrong conviction
mind, that
imprclled
on the
and often times they are eady to think that there is none. Now this will prevent the exercifeof this cnmiiy, that othcrwile w -uld be felt particularly, it may be an occasion of there not being there is
ihoftfinfib! exercises of hatred, that
othcrwife there
would be. It may in some measure be illustrated by this If you had a rooted malice against anotiier man, a prineij:>le that had been long cftablifhed there if you should hear that lie was i aa], and so fhonld conceive that he :
had no
workings of your malice he was alive, or that there was such a pcrfon and that aliho' there b<* the same thing in ilic foundation, which would being, the
fenlibjc
woul*! not be felt, as when you realized it that :
appear, if you fliould afterwards hear the news contradialed, and perceive that your enemy was still alive ; you
would feel the same workings of hatred that you did before. And when you thought he was dead, you might feel the cxercile of your ennViiy. in being glad of it.
And thus your liOt realizing it, that God has a being, may prevent thofcfcnfible workings of hatred, that oiherif wicked men in thii world
wiic you would have.
were (enfible of the reality ofgods being, as the wicked arc in another, they would feci more of that haired.
Men naturally GoU's Enemies.
The exercise of corrup-
that men in another world do. tion in one way,
may, and often does prevent its work-
ing in other ways.
As covetousness may prevent the
exercise of pride, so atheism may prevent malice ; and yet it may be no argument of ihere being any the Icfs of
of enmity in the heart ; for 'tis the lame The same enmity enmity, working in another way. that in this world works by atheism, will in another world, where there will be no room for atheism, work by malice and blasphemy. The same mortal enmity that, if you saw there was a God, might make you to wiQi him dead, and to defirc. if it were poffibie, to kill him, may now dispose and incline to think there is none. Men are very often apt to think things arc so as they would have them to be. The same principle disposes you to think God has no life, which, if you knew he R principle
had, would dispose you,
if it
were poflible to take
away.
If you think that there is a God, yet you don't You don't that he is such a God as he is. realize it, that he is so holy a God as he is : You don't realize it, that he has such an hatred of fm as indeed he has. You don't realize it, that he is so just a God as he But that in is, that will by no means clear the guilty. the Psalms is applicable to you : *' These things hafl: thou done, and 1 kept filencc thou thoughteft that I So that if you was altogether such a one as thy fclf. * 3.
realize it,
think there is a God,
you don't think there
such a
God as there is.
And your atheism appears .in this, as well as in thinking there is no God. For that God that you think there is, is not that God that indeed is but another,onc of your own feigning, the fruit of your own ;
So that your objection arifrom this, that you don't find such a sensible hatred againfl that God which you have formed, to suit your fclf a God that you like better than the true God. vain, deluded imagination.
Ser.VIIF,
you han't
bitter enmity
But this is no argument against the true
that
for it was your enmity again!! the
true GoJ, and your not liking him, that has put you upon forming up another in your imagination, that you like brttcr.
your enmity againd thofc attributes
es God's holinefsand juflicc, and the like, that has put
you upon conceiting another, who is not io holy as \\t and won t be so firi lly is, and don't hate sin so much, jufl in puniQiing it
and whofii wrath againll sin is not
(o teirible.
But if you was fcnfiblc of the vanity of your own conceits, and ihac God was not such an one as
imagin«d
you have
but that he is, as he is indeed, an infinitely holy,
hating 5c sin revcngingGod,who will not tolerate nor endure the worfhipof idols, you would be much more
jufl,sin
liable to feel the sensible exercifcs of enmity againflhim,
And ihii experience confirms. For we see that when men come to be under convi lions, than you arc now.
and to be made sensible that God is not as they have but that he is such a jealous, sin heretofore imagined hating God, and whofc wrath against sin is (b dreadful, they are much more apt to have sensible cxcrcifes of en;
mity against God, than before. 4. Your having always been taught that God is infinitely above you, and out of your reach.has prevented your enmity's being exercised inthofe ways, that otherYou have always from your wife it would have been. infancy been taught, that God is so high, that you can't And that notion has grown up with you. hurt him ;
hence you be
fcnfiblc,
you have any
that
dis-
been conceivpofirion to your mind. into come has not it that ed foimpoffible, in reexercifed been has not enmity your And hence never found has revenge because thoughts; vengeful take to handle any found never it has here any room any fucu of conception no been has there hold of hurt him
because
ihin ,
and licncc
has lain Hill,
A ferprpt won\ bite
Ser.VIII.
poison at that which it fees at a great which if it saw near, would do it immediOpportunity fliews what men be often times, ately. whether friends or enemies. Opportunity to do, puts men in mind of doing wakens up such principles as Opportunity flirs up desire to do, lay dormant before. where there was before a disposition, that without opif a man has had an portunity would have lain still. old grudge against another, and has a fair opportunity to be revenged, this will revive his malice, and waken up a defirc of revenge. If a great and sovereign prince injures a poor man, and tho' what he does is looked upon very cruel, that won't ordinarily flir up that paflionate revenge, as if he sustain'd no bigger an injury from one of his equals, because he is so much above him, and out of his reach* Many a man that has appeared calm and meck,when he has had no power in his hands, and has not appeared, either to himself or oihers, to have any disposition to these and thofe cruel a6ls that yet afterwards when he came to have opportunity by unexpe<fled advancement, or oiherwife, has appeared like a ravenous wolf, or deSo it was with HazaeL *' And Hazael vouring lion. And he answered, Befaid, Why weepeth my lord ? cause I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel their flrong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou flay with the sword, and wilt dafli their children, and rip up their women with child. And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he fliould do this great thing And Elisha answered. The Lord hath shewed me that thou flaalt be king over Syria. "I Hazael was then a servant ; he had no power in his hands to do as he plea fed and so that cruel disposition that was in him had lain hid, and he did not himself imagine that it was there ; Buc afterwards when he became king of Syria, and was absolute, and * had 1 bite,
spit
distance ;
f 2 Kings viii.
Men naturally Gois Enewles.
Ser.VIL
then it broke out and aphad nnT>e to controul him peared, and he did as the prophet had foretold. He committed thofe very afts of cruelty, that he thought not in his heart to do. And it was want of opit was portuniry that was the thing that made the difference. he was such a dog then it was all in his heart before as to do this thing, but only had not had opportunity. And therefore when he seems furprized that the prophet should fiy so of him, all the reason the prophet gives is, *' 'i ie Lord hath fliewed me that thou shalt be kinp ;
over Syria.'*
And some natural men are such dogs as to do things, if they is
had opportunity, which they
in their hearts to do.
don't imagine it
You object againll your having
God that you never felt any But one reason has been, that it has always been conceived so impoHlble by you, and you have been so sensible how much defircs would be But if the in vain, that it has kept down such a desire. life of God were within your reach, and you knew it, Who knows what it would not be safe one hour. thoughts would prefcntly arifc in your heart by such an opportunity, and what difpofiiion would beraifedup a mortal hatred ag.iinft
deiirc to kill him.
your heart
Who v.ould trull ytiur heart, that there
would not prefcntly be such thoughts as these.iho' they one tremble to mention them ?
are enough to m.ikc
have opportunity to see myself at liberty that I need not bc'kept in continual ilavery by thefiri(ft law Then I may take my liberty to walk in that of God. *
way I like best, and need noc be continually in such And God has not flaviih fear oi God s displeasure. inflances. He has done mod well me.in many by done imjuflly by me, in holding me bound to deflruclidn for .
unbelief, and other things which i cant help
— He has
shewn mercy to others, and refused it to me.
have
now an opportunity to deliver my self, and there can be no danger of my being hurt for it ; God will not b« tfliv«
Men naturally God's Enem'es.
Ser. VIII.
And then there will be no G<od for
alive to revenge it.
us to be tefrined about, and so keep us in slavery.'' Who would trull your heart, that such thoughts would not arise ?
And others, much more horrid ? too dreadthofe and therefore I forbear.
ful to be mention'd
natural men are fooliflily insensible of what
in their
own hearts, who think there would be no danger of any such workings of heart, if they knew they had opportunity.
You little confider, how much your having no
more of the fenlible exercises of hatred to God, is owing to a being retrained by fear. You have always been taught uhat a dreadful thing it is to hate God. And you h ve been taught what a dreadfulbeinggod is,and
how terrribleGod's displeasure is thatGod fees the heart ;
and knows all the thoughts ; and that you are in his hands, and he can make you as miferabie as he pleases, And these things have reand as soon as he pleases. and the fear that has risen from thefc flrained you things, has kept you from appearing what you be ic has kept down your enmity, and made that ferpenc afraid to shew it's head, as otherwise it would do. If a man were wholly under the power of an enemy, tho* he were never so much of an enemy to him, he would be afraid to cxercife his hatred in outward a ls, unless it was with great disguise. And if ic be supposed thac such an enemy, in whose power he was, coulJ see his heart, and know all his thoughts and apprehended that he would put him to a terrible death, if he fiw the workings of malice there, how greatly would this reflrain He would be afraid so much as to believe him* self, that he hated his enemy But there would be all manner of fnochcring, disguise and hypocrisy, and f.;:?ing even of thoughts and afre<flions. Thu your enmity has been kept under reflraint and thns ic has been fvom your infancy, i'ou have grown I 2 up :
Men naturally God's Enemies,
Ser. VIIL
up in it. so that it is become an habitual restraint. You If you do dare not so much as think you hate God. cxercifc hatred, you have a difguifc for it, whereby you
endeavour even to hide it from your own confcience and so have all along deceived your self. And your deceit is very old and habitual And hence you are so But this has been only restraint difficultly convinced. But there has been an it has been no mortification. enmity against God in its full flrength. It has been only retrained, like an enemy that durfl not rife up and shew himself. ;