A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

Security, generally taken, is (as Aquinas defineth it) a perfect tranquillity and freedom of the mind from fear. In which sense ¹it is opposed to fear as the privation thereof. And from hence it hath it Etymology and Notation, as Isidore noteth; Securus quasi sine cura; a Man is said to be secure, who is without care or fear. More specially security is taken either for that which is natural, or that which is supernatural, divine and holy. Natural security is that which proceedeth from natural causes, as safety from all dangers, and assurance of the constant fruition of all the good things which we desire. The which is to be considered▪ as it was originally in us by creation, in the state of innocency and perfection, or as it is now in us in the state of corruption after the fall. Security in the state of innocency, was a perfect tranquillity of the mind without the encounters of any fears, which was wrought in our first Parents by the Lord our Creator, and was a fruit of their full assurance of Gods protection and providence continually watching over them, whereby they were assured of freedom from all evil, and of the fruition of all good; and of that inward peace of conscience with God, and that outward peace which they had with all the visible Creatures, none of which could hurt them, all of which were useful and serviceable unto them. The which security was lost by the fall of our first Parents, whereby they became guilty of sin, obnoxious to Gods wrath, and as out-laws, cast out from under the privilege and safe-guard of his protection, which was accompanied with horror and fear, proceeding from a dreadful expectation of deserved punishment. And this fear was continually increased by the consideration of Gods exact Justice, which will not let sin escape unpunished, from our enmity with God, appearing in the opposition of his goodness and purity, against our wickedness and corruption; and that inward war of the conscience, against our passions and carnal concupiscence, and that outward war between us and all the Creatures. For no sooner became we rebels against our Lord and Creator, and broke the peace between us and him, but they also rebelled against us, and breaking the peace between us, became our professed Enemies, and ready instruments of executing Gods wrath against us for our sins.