Hence 3. Sinners are apt to flatter themselves, That though they do iniquity they shall escape Punishment. Notwithstanding the awful threatenings of God in His word, the Sinner thinks he shall do as well as others. When he heareth the words of the Curse, He blesseth himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace though I walk in the Imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. Deut. 29. 20. There are many such sinners, who after they have made themselves a thirst with strong drink, will make themselves drunk again, and yet say they shall have Peace. They promise themselves Impunity in sinning against the Holy God. Hence the Psalmist speaketh, as in Psal. 10. 13. Wherefore doth the wicked Contemn God? he hath said in his heart thou shalt not require it. Every Sinner so far forth as he is a sinner, is an Atheist: he faith in his heart that there is no such God as the Lord is. Either he is such an Atheist as to Imagine that God does not take notice of the sins of men, Psal. 94. 7. They say the Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. A vile wretch when he is about to commit a sin, suppose The•t or Uncleanness o• the like odious wickedness, if he believed that any man, nay, that a Child of Seven years ⟨p. 73⟩old saw him, he would not do that wicked thing: Doth he then believe that God seeeth him? No, he is an Athei••. Or, he sayeth in his heart, that the Lord is not so Holy a God as his Word declare, Him to be. That He is not so much offended with sin as His Ministers say He is. They imagine a God made up all of mercy, without any justice or Holiness. They Judge of God by themselves; because they do not hate sin, they think the Lord hates it not. They flatter themselves that because God bears with them for a time, that He will never call them to an account, Psal. 50. 21. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughest that I was altogether such an one as thy self; but I will reprove thee, and set them in Order before thee. Or, they flatter themselves that because of some external show of Religion, or some good works done by them, all their sins will be forgiven. They vainly suppose that by some Righteousness of their own they shall make amends for all their transgressions. They think the Lord will be pacified with Rivers of oil, and that the fruit of their bodies will Compensate for the sin of their Souls.
Hence 3. Sinners are apt to flatter themselves, That though they do iniquity they shall escape Punishment. Notwithstanding the awfull threatnings of God in His word, the Sinner thinks he shall do as well as others. When he heareth the words of the Curse, He blesseth himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace though I walk in the Imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. Deut. 29. 20. There are many such sinners, who after they have made themselves a thirst with strong drink, will make themselves drunk again, and yet say they shall have Peace. They promise themselves Impunity in sinning against the Holy God. Hence the Psalmist speaketh, as in Psal. 10. 13. Wherefore doth the wicked Contemn God? he hath said in his heart thou shalt not require it. Every Sinner so far forth as he is a sinner, is an Atheist: he faith in his heart that there is no such God as the Lord is. Either he is such an Athest as to Imagine that God does not take notice of the sins of men, Psal. 94. 7. They say the Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. A vile wretch when he is about to commit a sin, suppose The•t or Uncleanness o• the like odious wickedness, if he believed that any man, nay, that a Child of Seven years ⟨p. 73⟩old saw him, he would not do that wicked thing: Doth he then believe that God seeeth him? No, he is an Athei••. Or, he sayeth in his heart, that the Lord is not so Holy a God as his Word declare, Him to be. That He is not so much offended with sin as His Ministers say He is. They imagine a God made up all of mercy, without any justice or Holiness. They Judge of God by themselves; because they do not hate sin, they think the Lord hates it not. They flatter themselves that because God bears with them for a time, that He will never call them to an account, Psal. 50. 21. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughest that I was altogether such an one as thy self; but I will reprove thee, and set them in Order before thee. Or, they flatter themselves that because of some external show of Religion, or some good works done by them, all their sins will be forgiven. They vainly suppose that by some Righteousness of their own they shall make amends for all their transgressions. They think the Lord will be pacified with Rivers of oyl, and that the fruit of their bodies will Compensate for the sin of their Souls.
