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

Concerning the first, we will make it plain, not only by a Definition or Description, but also by Testimonies and Examples of it recorded in the holy Scriptures. It may best be defined, if in all things we oppose it to that Virtue whereof it is the privation, namely, the true fear of God, after this manner. Carnal security is a Vice or vicious habit, whereby forgetting or neglecting both the justice and power of God in punishing sin, and also his infinite Love and Goodness in Christ, his Merits and Judgements, his Promises and Threatenings, with the manifold benefits which we have received from him, we do cast off all fear of him, and so quietly and securely ⟨p. 7⟩go on in sin without repentance, promising unto our selves immunity from all punishment, and not only for the present the constant fruition of our carnal delights, but also everlasting salvation in the World to come. Unto this description, for the better clearing of the point in hand; we may add that of Bernards, describing an hard or secure heart: It is that (saith he) which is not rent with compunction, nor ¹softened with piety, nor moved with prayers, nor yieldeth to threatenings, and is hardened with stripes. It is ungrateful for benefits, unfaithful for counsels, fierce in respect of judgements, shameless in regard of things filthy and dishonest, undaunted in dangers, inhumane in humane actions, rash in divine, forgetful of things past, neglectful of things present, improvident for things to come. It is that which remembereth nothing past but injuries, loseth the benefit of all things present, and fore-casteth and provideth for nothing to come but revenge. And that I may in a word comprehend the evils of this horrible Vice; it is that which neither feareth God nor respecteth Man. So that if we would have a brief definition of this Security, it is nothing else but the absence and privation of the fear of God; for as security generally considered, is the freedom of the mind from all fear; so this special kind of it carnal security, is that horrible Vice which emptieth the heart wholly of the true fear of God. And thus the wise Man opposeth them the one against the other. Happy is the man (saith he) that feareth always, but he that hardeneth