foolish hearts are darkened; these men are heart-atheists; and professing themselves wise, they become fools, and are given up to vile affections and as they do not like to retain God in their knowledge (however they may discourse of him, so) God oft giveth them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity.' Many such atheists go up and down under the self-deceiving name of Christians: being indeed unbelieving and defiled, so void of purity that they deride it, and nothing is pure to them; but even their mind and conscience is defiled: they profess that they know God, but they deny him in their works, being abominable and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate.' What are they but atheists, when God is not in all their thoughts,' unless it be in their impious or blaspheming thoughts, or in their light, contemptuous thoughts! To take God for God indeed, and for our God, essentially includes the taking him to be the most powerful, wise and good, the most just and holy, the creator, preserver, and governor of the world, whom we and all men are obliged absolutely to obey and fear, to love and desire, whose will is our beginning, rule and end: he that taketh not God for such as here described, taketh him not for God, and therefore is indeed an atheist what name soever he assumeth to himself, this is the name that God will call him by; even a 'fool that hath said in his heart there is no God: while they are corrupt and do abominably, they understand not, and seek not after God; they are all gone aside, and are altogether become filthy, there is none of them that doth good; they are workers of iniquity, they have no knowledge, and eat up the people of God as bread, and call not upon the Lord.' 'Ungodliness' is but the English for atheism. The atheist or ungodly in opinion, is he that thinks that there is no God, or that he is one that we need not love and serve, and that is but the same, viz. to be no God. The atheist or ungodly in heart, or will, is he that consents not that God shall be his God, to be loved, feared and obeyed before all. The atheist in life, or outward practice, is he that lives as without God in the world; that seeks him not as his chief good, and obeys him not as his highest absolute Lord; so that indeed atheism is the sum of all iniquity, as godliness is the sum of all religion and moral good. If you see by the description which I have given you, what it is to be godly, and to walk with God, and what it is to be an atheist or ungodly, you may easily see that godliness is more rare, and atheism more common, than many that themselves are atheists will believe. It is not that which a man calls his God, that is taken by him for his God indeed. It is not the tongue, but the heart, that is the man. Pilate called Christ the king of the Jews, when he crucified him. The Jews called God their Father, when Christ tells them they were of their father the devil,' and proveth it, because whatever they said, 'they would do his lusts.' The same Jews pretended to honour the name of the Messiah, and expect him, while they killed him. The question is not what men call them. selves, but what they are: not whether you say you take God for your God, but whether you do so indeed: not whether you profess yourselves to be atheists, but whether you are atheists indeed or not. If you are not, look over what I have here said, and ask your consciences : Do you walk with God, and who is it you submit yourselves willingly to be disposed of by? To whom are you most subject, and whose commands have the most effectual authority with you? Who is the chief governor of your hearts and lives, and whom is it that you principally desire to please? Whom do you most fear, and whose displeasure do you principally avoid? From whom is it that you expect your greatest reward, and i whom, and with whom, do you place and expect your happiness? Whose work is it that you do, as the greatest business of your lives? Is it the goodness of God in himself, and unto you, that draws up your hearts to him in love? Is he the ultimate end of your intentions, design, and the industry of your lives? Do you trust upon his word as your security for your everlasting hopes and happiness? Do you study and observe him in his works? Do you really live as in his presence? Do you delight in his word, and meditate on it? Do you love the communion of saints, and to be most frequent and familiar with them that are most frequent and familiar with Christ? Do you savour more the particular affectionate discourse about his nature, will and kingdom, than the frothy talk of empty wits, or the common discourse of carnal worldlings? Do you love to be employed in thanking him for his mercies, and in praising him, and declaring the glory of his attributes and works? Is your dependence on him as your great benefactor, and do you receive your mercies as his gifts. If thus your principal observation be of God, your chief desire be after God, your chief confidence in God, and your chief business in the world be with God, and for God, and your chief joy be in the favour of God, (when you | est of the flesh, and his services must stay till can apprehend it) and in the prosperity of his men have done their service to their lusts, or to church, and your hopes of glory and if your worldly men, that can do them hurt, or show chief grief and trouble be your sinful distance them favour! And his will must not be done, from him, your backwardness and disability when it crosses the will of sinful man! How in his love and service, the fear of his dis- little do all the commands, promises, and threatpleasure, and the injuries done to his gospel and enings of God signify with these atheistical men, honour in the world; then I must needs say, in comparison of their lusts, or the laws of men, you are savingly delivered from your atheism or any thing that concerns their temporal prosand ungodliness; you do not only talk of God, perity. O how is the world revolted from their but walk with God; you are then acquainted Maker! How have they lost the knowledge of with that spiritual life and work, which the sen- themselves, and forgotten their natures, capacisual world is unacquainted with, and with those ties and obligations, and what it is to be indeed invisible, everlasting excellencies, which if world- a man. O hearken, sinners, to the call of your lings knew, they would change their minds, Redeemer! Return, O seduced, wandering souls, choice, and pleasures: you are then acquainted and know at last your resting place! Why is with that rational, manly, saint-like life, which not God in all your thoughts? Or why is he ungodly men are strangers to; and you are in thought on with so much remissness, unwillingthe way of that well-grounded hope and peace ness, and contempt, and with so little pleasure, to which all the pleasures and crowns on earth, seriousness or regard? Do you understand if compared, are but chaff and misery. But if yourselves in this? Do you deal worthily with ye were never yet brought to walk with God, do God, or wisely for yourselves? Do you take not think you have a sound belief in God, nor more pleasure, with the prodigal, to feed swine, that you acknowledge him sincerely, nor that and to feed with them, than to dwell at home you are saved from heart-atheism; nor is it piety with your heavenly Father; and to walk before in the opinion and the tongue, that will save him him, and serve him in the world? Did you but that is an atheist, or ungodly in heart and life. know how dangerous a way you have been in, Divinity is practical science: knowing is not and how unreasonably you have dealt, to forsake the ultimate or perfective act of man: but a God in your hearts, and follow that which cannot means to holy love, joy and service. Nor is it profit you, what haste would you make to leave clear and solid knowledge, if it do not somewhat the crowd, come home to God, and try a more affect the heart, and engage and actuate the life, noble and gainful conversation? If reasons according to the nature and use of the thing may have room and leave to work upon you, I known. The soundness of knowledge and be- will set a few before you more distinctly, to call lief, is not best discerned in the intellectual acts you off from your barren, inordinate creaturethemselves, but in their powerful, free and plea- converse, to a believing, serious converse with sant efficacy, upon our choice and practice. By God. these therefore you must judge, whether you are godly or atheistical. The question is not what your tongues say of God, nor what ceremonious observances you allow him, but what your hearts and your endeavours say of him, and whether you glorify him as God, when you say you know him otherwise you will find that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungod liness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in righteousness.' 6 Now alas, what matter of lamentation is here before us! To see how seriously men converse with one another; and how God is overlooked or neglected by the most! How men live together, as if there were more that is considerable in these particles of animated dust, than in the Lord Almighty, and in all his graces, service and rewards! To see how God is cast aside, and his interest made to give place to the inter 1. The higher and more excellent the object is, especially when it is also of most concern to ourselves, the more excellent is the converse. Therefore as nothing dare compare itself with God, so no employment may be compared with this of holy walking with him. How vile a contempt is it of the Almighty, and of our celestial joys, for the heart to neglect them, and turn away, and dwell upon vanity and trouble, and let these highest pleasures go! Is not God and glory worthy of thy thoughts, and all thy service? 2. What are those things that take thee up? Are they better than God, or fitter to supply thy wants? If thou think and trust in them accordingly, ere long thou shalt know better what they are, and have enough of thy cursed choice and confidence. Tell those that stand by thee at the parting hour, whether thou didst choose not shut your eyes, and turn away your face, and refuse to observe him, who is still observing you. aright and make a gaining or a saving match. O poor sinners! have you not yet warning enough to satisfy you that all things below are vanity and vexation, and that all your hope of happi- Moreover, your dependence both for soul and ness is above! Will not the testimony of God body, is all on him: you can have nothing desatisfy you? Will not the experience of the sirable but by his gift. He feeds, he clothes, he world for so many thousand years together sa- maintains you, he gives you life and breath, and tisfy you? Will not the ill success of the damned all things: yet can you overlook him, or forget satisfy you? Will nothing but your own ex- him; do not all his mercies require your acperience convince you? If so, consider well the knowledgment? A dog will follow him that experience you have already made, and season-feeds him: his eye will be upon his master: and ably retire, and try no further, and trust not so dangerous a deceiver to the last, lest you buy your knowledge at a dearer rate than you will now believe. 3. You have daily more to do with God, than with all the world, whether you will or not therefore seeing you cannot avoid him if you would, prefer that voluntary obedient converse which hath a reward, before that necessitated converse which hath none. You are always in his hands he made you for his service; and he will dispose of you and all that you have, according to his will. It shall not go with you as yourselves would have it, nor as your friends would have it, nor as princes and great ones of the world would have it; unless as their wills comply with God's; but as God would have it, who will infallibly accomplish all his will. If a 'sparrow fall not to the ground without him, and all the hairs of our heads are numbered,' then certainly he over-ruleth all your interests and affairs, and they are absolutely at his disposal. To whom then in reason should you so much apply yourselves as unto him? If you will not take notice of him, he will take notice of you: he will remember you, whether you remember him or not; but it may be with so strict and severe a remembrance, as may make you wish he did quite forget you. You are always in his presence; and can you then forget him, and hold no voluntary converse with him, when you stand before him? If it be but mean inferior persons that we dwell with, and are still in company with, we mind them more, and speak more to them, than we do to greater persons that we seldom see. But in God there is both greatness and nearness to invite you. Should not all the worms on earth stand by, while the glorious God doth call you to him, and offer you the honour and happiness of his converse? Shall the Lord of heaven and earth stand by, and be shut cut, while you are chatting or trifling with his creatures? Nay, shall he be neglected that is always with you? You cannot remove yourselves a moment from his sight; and therefore you should shall we live upon God, and yet forget and disregard him? We are taught a better use of his mercies by the holy prophet David, 'O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved!' Nay, it is not yourselves alone, but all the world that depends on God. It is his power that supports them, and his will that disposes of them, and his bounty that provides for them: and therefore he must be the observation and admiration of the world: it is less unreasonable to take no notice of the earth that bears us and yields us fruit, and of the sun that yields us heat and light, than to disregard the Lord that is more to us than sun, and earth and all things. The eyes of all things wait on him; and he giveth them their meat in due season: he openeth his hand and satisfieth the desire of every living thing.' The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works: all his works therefore shall praise him, and his saints shall bless him: they shall speak of the glory of his kingdom, and talk of his power.' Moreover, God is so abundantly and wonderfully represented to us in all his works, as will leave us under the guilt of most unexcusable contempt, if we overlook him, and live as without him in the world. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy-work day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.' Thus 'that which may be known of God is manifest; for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead: so that the ungodly are without excuse.' Cannot you see that which all the world reveals; nor hear that which all the world proclaims? O sing ye forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious! Say to the Lord, How terrible art thou in thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee: all the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee they shall sing unto thy name: come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doings towards the children of men.' Can we pass him by, that is every where present, and by every creature represented to us? Can we forget him, when all the world are our remembrancers? Can we stop our ears against the voice of heaven and earth? Can we be ignorant of him, when the whole creation is our teacher? Can we overlook that holy, glorious name, which is written so legibly upon all things that ever our eyes beheld, that nothing but blindness, sleepiness or distraction, could possibly keep us from discerning it! I have many a time wondered, that, as the eye is so dazzled with the beholding of the greatest light, that it can scarcely perceive the shining of a lesser, so the glorious transcendent majesty of the Lord, doth not even overwhelm our understandings, and so transport and take us up, as that we can scarcely observe or remember any thing else. For naturally the greatest objects of our sense, are apt to make us at that time insensible of the smaller and our exceeding great business, is apt to make us utterly neglect and forget those that are exceeding small: O what trifles are the best and greatest of the creatures, in comparison of God! What toys and trifles are all our other businesses in the world in comparison of the business which we have with him! But I have been stopped in these admirations by considering that the wise Creator hath fitted and ordered all his creatures according to the use which he designs them to: therefore as the eye must be receptive only of so much light as is proportioned to its use and pleasure, and must be so distant from the sun, that its light may rather guide, than blind us, and its heat may rather quicken, than consume us; so God hath made our understandings capable of no other knowledge of him here, than what is suited to the work of holiness: while we have flesh, and fleshly works to do, and lawful necessary business in the world, in which God's own commands employ us, our souls, in this lanthorn of the body, must see him through so thick a glass, as shall so far allay our apprehension, as not to distract us, and take us off the works which he enjoins us. God and our souls shall be at such a distance, as that the proportionable light of his countenance may conduct us, and not overwhelm us and his love may be so revealed, as to quicken our desires, and draw us on to a better state, but not so as to make us utterly impatient of this world and utterly weary of our lives, or to swallow us up, or possess us of our most de sired happiness, before we arrive at the state of happiness. While the soul is in the body, it maketh so much use of the body in all its operations, that our wise and merciful Creator and governor doth respect the body as well as the soul, in his ordering, disposing, and representing of the objects of those operations: so that when I consider that certainly all men would be distracted, if their apprehensions of God were any whit answerable to the greatness of his majesty and glory (the brain being not able to bear such high operations of the soul, nor the greatness of the passions which would necessarily follow) it much reconciles my wondering mind to the wise and gracious providence of God, even in setting innocent nature itself at such a distance from his glory, allowing us the presence of such grace as is necessary to bring us up to glory. Though it reconciles me not to that doleful distance which is introduced by sin, and which is furthered by satan, the world, and the flesh, and which our Redeemer by his Spirit and intercession must heal. It further reconciles me to this disposal and will of the blessed God, and this necessary natural distance and darkness of our mind, when J consider, that if God, heaven, and hell, were as near and open to our apprehensions, as the things are which we see and feel, this life would not be what God intended it to be, a life of trial and preparation to another, a work, a race, a pilgrimage, a warfare; what trial would there be of any man's faith or love, or obedience, or constancy, or self-denial? If we saw God stand by, or apprehended him as if we saw him (in degree) it would be no more praiseworthy or rewardable for a man to abhor all temptations to worldliness, ambition, gluttony, drunkenness, lust, cruelty, &c. than it is for a man to be kept from sleeping that is pierced with thorns, or for a man to forbear to drink a cup of melted gold which he knows will burn out his bowels, or to forbear to burn his flesh in fire. It were no great commendation to his chastity, that would forbear his filthiness, if he saw or had the fullest apprehensions of God; when he will forbear it in the presence of a mortal man: it were no great commendation to the intemperate and voluptuous, to have no mind of sensual delights, if they had but such a knowledge of God as were equal to sight. It were no thanks to the persecutor to forbear his cruelty against the servants of the Lord, if he saw Christ coming with his glorious angels, to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel, and to be admired in his saints, and glorified in them that now believe.' I deny not but this happily necessitated holiness is best in itself, and therefore will be our 6 state in heaven; but what is there of trial in it? Or how can it be suitable to the state of man, that must have good and evil set before him, and life and death left to his choice; and that must conquer if he will be crowned, and approve his fidelity to his Creator against competitors, and must live a rewardable life before he have the reward? But though in this life we may neither hope for, nor desire, such overwhelming sensible apprehensions of God, as the rest of our faculties cannot answer, nor our bodies bear; yet that our apprehensions of him should be so base, small, dull, and unconstant as to be borne down by the noise of worldly business, or by the presence of any creature, or by the tempting baits of sensuality, this is the more odious, by how much God is more great and glorious than the creature, and even because the use of the creature itself is but to reveal the glory of the Lord. To have such slight and stupid thoughts of him, as will not carry us on in uprightness of obedience, nor keep us in his fear, nor draw out our hearts in sincere desires to please him, and enjoy him, and as will not raise us to a contempt of the pleasures, profits, and honours of this world, this is to be despisers of the Lord, and to live as in a sleep, and to be dead to God, and alive only to the world, and flesh. It is no unjust dishonour or injury to the creature, to be accounted as nothing in comparison of God, that it may be able to do nothing against him and his interest; but to make such a nothing of the most glorious God, by our contemptuous forgetfulness or neglect, as that our apprehensions of him cannot prevail against the sordid pleasures of the flesh, and against the richest baits of sin, and all the wrath or allurements of man, this is but to make a God of dust, and nothing, and (in heart and practice) to make God worse than dust and ashes. It is a wonder that man's understanding can become so sottish, as thus to wink the sun itself into a constant darkness, and to take God as nothing, or as no God, who is so abundantly revealed to them in astonishing transcendent greatness and excellency, by all the creatures in the world, and with whom we have continually so much to do. O sinful man! into how great a depth of ignorance, stupidity and misery art thou fallen! it, what business it is that they have with God. 1. It is not a business that may be done, or left undone, like your business with men but it is such as must be done, or you are undone for ever. Nothing is absolutely necessary but this: nothing in all the world doth so much con-cern you. You may at far cheaper rates forbear to eat, or drink, or clothe yourselves, or live, than forbear the dispatch of this necessary work. 2. Your business with God, and for God in the world, is that which you have all your powers and endowments for; it is that which you were born into the world for, and that which you have understanding and free-will for, and that which you have your thoughts, memories and affections for, and that which you have eyes, ears, and tongues, and all your corporal parts and abilities for; and that which you have your time for ; and your preservation, protection and provisions: it is that which you have all your teaching for; which Christ himself came for into the world; which the scriptures are written for; which ministers are sent for, which all order and government in church and state is principally appointed for: in a word, it is that for which you have your lives, and all things, and without which all were as nothing, and will be to you worse than nothing, if they do not further your work with God: you will wish you had never seen them if they befriend you not in this. 3. Your business with God, and for him, is such as you must be continually doing as is incumbent on you every hour, for you have every hour given you for this end. You may dispatch this man to-day, and another to-morrow, and have no more to do with them again for a long time: but you have always incessantly important works to do with God. For your common work should be all his work; and all should be done with principal respect to him. But I shall yet more particularly tell the ungodly what business it is that they have with God, which it seems, by their careless negligent lives, they are not aware of. 1. You must be either saved or damned by him; either glorified with him, or punished by him to everlasting: and it is now that the matter must be determined, which of the two conditions you must be in: you must now obtain your title to heaven, if ever you will come thither: you must now procure deliverance from hell-fire, if ever you will escape it. Now it is that all that must be done, upon which the scales must turn But because we may see by the lives of the ungodly, that they little think that they have so much to do with God, though I have spoken of this to the godly in the other part of this treatise, I shall somewhat more particularly acquaint those that have most need to be informed of for your salvation or damnation: you know this |