wayes entertain and harbour thoughts of Atheisme in thy heart Why so farre as thou hast done so labour to bemoan and bewaile it and be humbled for it and to strive against and keep under this great sinne of Atheisme in time to come Use 2 Use 2. This shall be by way of consolation to comfort and support your hearts it may be there are some of you that hear me this day that are the precious servants of God and yet in some kinde or other have been tempted to this sinne of Atheisme well for your comfort consider these two or three things 1. Art thou tempted to Atheisme why yet consider that so was Jesus Christ himself he was tempted to Atheisme and Blasphemy when the Devill tempted him to fall down and worship him why so though thou hast been tempted to Atheisme and to forget Gods Al-seeing Eye over thee or the like yet this may be for thy comfort that Christ himself was tempted as well as thee as the Apostle saies in Heb. 2. 18. in that Christ suffered and was tempted hee is able to succour those that are tempted Christ was tempted to fall down and worship the very Devill but though Christ was tempted yet the Devill could finde no corrupt matter in Christ to work upon When the Devill shook Christ he shook a pure Crystall-glasse of clear water his Nature was like a Crystall-glasse full of clean water without any muddinesse or corruption at all but if the Devill should shake any of us he would finde abundance of dirty and muddy water in the bottome and corrupt matter enough in our natures to work upon 2. Consider that though you are tempted by the Devill to the sin of Atheisme yet these temptations if you do not approve of them nor yeeld to them shall be charged upon the Devill as his sins and not upon you And thus you see I have briefly dispatched this Doctine that every man by nature is a practicall Atheist living in the world as if there were no God in the world SERMON XVII EPHES. 2. 12. And without God in the World BEsides that Doctrine which I finisht the last sabbath there is something else in the Text wicked men are without God in the World that is they are without any speciall interest or propriety in God as their God the words doe not only imply that they live as if there were no God in the World but they live without any right interest or propriety in God as their God though they are not without wisdome or wealth or goods and estate or honour and esteeme in the World yet they are without any reall interest or propriety in God as their God they are without God in the World from whence I would note you this Doctrine Doctr. That every man by nature is without any reall interest or propriety in God as his God Now Beloved before I come to handle the point I shall onely premise three conclusions by way of explanation to delucidate the point and shew you what I mean by this Doctrine as 1. Take this conclusion that in some sense there is no creature in the world that is without God though in other regards men may be truly said to be without God in some sense there are none without God that is by way of Creation and preservation so the worst Devill in hell may say that God is his God and 2. A wicked man may have God to be his God by way of profession he may professe to know God and professe that God is his God but now in another sense a wicked man cannot be said to have God for his God that is in a way of relation and reconciliation for God to be a God in Covenant with him through Jesus Christ 2. Take this conclusion that though multitudes of people may lay claim to God as their God yet there are but a few men in the world that have God to be their God in a Covenant way as in Zach. 13. 8 9. the Lord there lookes upon the Jewish Church under a threefold consideration And it shall come to passe that in all the land saith the Lord two parts therein shall be cut off and die but the third shall be left therein and I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as Gold is tryed they shall call on my name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God though you all lay claime to God yet there may be but one part in three that can truly say that God is their God in covenant with them 3. Take this conclusion that such is the deceitfulnesse and delusion of mens hearts naturally that the worst of men are ready to beleive and think that God is their God when hee is not as you may read in Jer. 3. 4 5. sayes God there they shall cry unto me My Father thou act the guide of my youth and yet sayes God thou hast done evill as much as thou couldst so in Psal 14. 1. The 〈◊〉 hath said in his heart there is no God they have corrupted and done abominable workes there is none that doth good those that have not God in their hearts nor in all their ways yet they will lay claim to God as their God though they have committed abominable works and done evill as much as they could Thus much for the conclusion I come now to handle a practicall question that necessarily must be spoken to in the purfuance of this Doctrine which is this Quest Quest What are the characters of those men that are without any reall interest and propriety in God as their God in a way of Covenant and relation This question I do the rather resolve upon the consideration of the great delusion and mistake that mens hearts are very apt to run into to think that God is their God when he is not and therefore I shall lay down to you seven distinguishing characters of such men and it may be I may come neer the bosomes of many of you though the Lord knows I would not stagger the hope of the least of you that have a reall and well grounded interest in Jesus Christ those men are without any reall interest in God as their God 1. That are without any effectual knowledge of God as their God 2. Those that live without making the Word of God to be their rule 3. Those that live in the world without making the wayes of God to be their pleasure 4. Those that live in the World without making the glory of God to be their aime 5. Those that live in the World without making the day of the Lord to be their delight 6. Those that live in the World without making the people of God to be the objects of their Love and Lastly those that live in the world without making sinne to be the object
Devill but he that commits sin that is with complacency and delight and without any compulsion such a man is of the Devill And so likewise he that cloth not doe righteousnesse is not of God that is he that doth not act and doe it with delight and alacrity and complacency such a one is not of God so in Joh. 3. 11. sayes the Apostle Beloved follow not that which is evill but that which is good he that doth good he is of God but he that doth evill hath not seen God that is he that doth evill with delight and satisfaction and he that doth not take delight in the wayes of God and perform holy duties with chearfulnesse and complacency such a man is not of God and therefore you that take more delight in the committing of sin then you doe in the performance of holy duties you are but in a bad condition 4. Another Character is this that man is without God that lives in the World without making the glory of God to bee his aim it is very observable that when the Jews did accuse Christ saying hee was a Samaritan and bad a Devill but did not come from God he did convince them that this was a slander cast upon him because he fought not his own honour but the glory of God Joh. 8. 49. 50. Jesus answered I have not a Devill but I honour my Father and ye doe dishonour him and I seek not my own glory there is one that seeketh and judgeth 5. That man is without an interest in God that lives in the World without making the day of God his delight hee that takes no delight in sanctifying of the Lords day but rather takes delight in prophaning it that man is without God in the World as in Joh. 9. 26. It was the speech of the Pharisees to Christ say they This man is not of God because he keepeth not the sabbath-Sabbath-day this had been a very good argument had it been rightly applyed the argument had been very strong if the application had been good if Christ had not indeed kept the Sabbath but they were greatly mistaken for Christ did keep the Sabbath Why now beloved these Pharisees were they now alive and should see you Christians prophaning the Sabbath day spending and trifling it away in sports and pleasures in swearing and drunkennesse and dishonouring the name of God never imploying one hour of it in prayer reading or hearing or any holy and religious exercise they would presently conclude that you are not of God because you doe not keep the Sabbath day 6. That man is without God that lives without making the people of God to be the object of his love as you may see in 1 Joh. 3. 10. He that doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother and so in 1 Joh. 4. 20. If any man say I love God and hateth his brother he is a lyer for hee that loveth not his brother whom be hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen He that does not love his brother the children and people of God he cannot love God You that carry in your hearts a secret malice and spleen against those that are godly and more holy and religious then your selves you that doe tiger-like hate the very pictures of godly men you that hate the people of God and the Ministers of the Gospell because they are so that hate godlinesse as godlinesse these are evident arguments that the love of God is not in you 7. That man is without God that lives in the World without making sinne to bee the object of his hatred that man hath not God that hates not sin though that man may have God that hath sin yet that man cannot have an interest in God that doth not hate sin And thus I have run over briefly these seven heads whereby you may know whether you are the men that can lay a true claim to God as your God yea or no if you are men that have a true knowledge of God and make his Word your rule and his way your pleasure and his day your delight and his glory your aime and good men the object of your love and sin the object of your hatred if these things be in you you may know undoubtedly that you have an interest in God We come now to the application which may serve for unspeakable comfort to all you that are the people of God that can lay a well grounded and Scripture claim to God as your God 1. If you have God you have all things and let me tell you you that have God for your God you may outvie all the Kings and Princes and Potentates in the World Other men may say they have wealth and you have none they have riches and honours and pleasures and you have none but you may goe further and out-vye them all for you can say you have an interest in God and they have none Wicked men cannot lay claim to God as theirs and therefore when they speak of God they speak of him as a God to others and not to them as in Gen. 31. 29. when Laban spake to Jacob sayes he The God of your Fathers and so Pharaoh in Exod. 8. 25. 28. sayes he Go sacrifice to your God in the land and from hence Divines doe observe that the Scriptures doe not suffer wicked men to name God as in a way of propriety to them as their God but now those that are righteous and holy that have indeed an interest in God God is not ashamed to be called their God You that have an interest in God though you are a poor despicable people yet be not afraid to own God as your God for the Lord is not ashamed that you should call him your God God is not ashamed of us whose dwellings are in the dust he will own us and therefore let this encourage you to goe to God as your God and apply him as your God and trust in him as your God and pray to him and call upon him as your God for he is not ashamed of you And here that I may speak a little further to this particular I would exhort you to two things 1. To prove your interest in God and 2. To improve it 1. Labour to prove your interest in God examine and try whether or no upon conscientious grounds and Scripture evidences your hearts can be satisfied that you are a people in Covenant with God rest not and trust not upon It may bees but labour to prove it to your own souls that God is your God that I may a little help and further you in this examination I shall here lay you down three discoveries whereby you may know prove unquestionably that God is your God 1. If thou art such a one that doest labour to keep thy inward man from secret defilement by sin as well as thy outward man from grosser
that all men must be judged that after death they must appeare before the Judgement-seat of God to give an account of all their actions Now because they did not see these things accomplisht already they cryed out Where is the promise of his coming they would not beleeve there was any such thing the questioning of the truths of God was that which brought them to be very atheists 4. Another ground from whence atheism doth flow is pride of heart it is very well observed by one that most commonly Atheists are of the greatest men you shall seldome see a poore man an atheist but rich men altogether as Pharaoh in Exod. 5. 2. Who is the Lord sayes he that I should obey his voice and so Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 3. Who is that God sayes hee that shall deliver you out of my hands so Alexander said himselfe was God Atheists are ordinarily of the greatest and richest and highest people Object But here some may object and say What doe you tell us here in England that wee are without God in the world you may say so to Pagans and Heathens but wee hope you will not say so to us Answ For answer to this Objection I shall here shew you 13 discoveries of a practicall atheist I shall give you three of them out of the Scripture and ten more deduced from the Scripture in Psal 14. 1. where it is said The Foole hath said in his heart there is no God in that very Psalm there are three discoveries of an atheist 1. A man living all his dayes in a prophane and disordered course of life towards God such an one is an atheist in the first verse of that same Psalme The Foole hath said in his heart there is no God what follows they are corrupt they have done abominable workes there is none that doth good that man that all his life time lives in a disorderly course of life and addes drunkennesse to thirst and commits one sinne after another that man is a practicall atheist hee lives as if there were no God in the World 2. That man that doth wholly neglect the duty of prayer in the 4. verse of the 14. Psalm They eat up my people as they eat bread and they call not upon the Lord such a man is a practicall atheist 3. That man that hates and carries a grudge in his heart against those that feare the Lord that man is an atheist in Psal 14. 6. You have shamed the counsell of the poore because the Lord is his refuge Use Now give me leave a little to press these three discoveries home upon your consciences Are they atheists that live a disorderly life and walk in a course of wickednesse all their dayes are such as these atheists Oh then how many atheists are there now in the world that doe spend all their days in sin and vanity and in a moment goe down into the grave 2. Are they atheists that doe neglect the duty of prayer oh then with grief of heart be it spoken how many atheists are there in the World that doe wholly omit this duty both in their families and in their closets How many are there that can say they never goe to God upon their knees in secret to beg for grace and mercy from God and this neglect of secret duties is a palpable demonstration that you doe live as if there were no God in the World and in so doing ye are very atheists 3. Is hatred and contempt of the people of God a badge of an atheist then likewise are there many Atheists in the world how many are there that can love a swearer and adulterer a prophaner c. yea love a dog and yet hate a Christian this proceed from a root of Atheisme that is in their hearts SERMON XVI EPHES. 2. 12. And without God in the world I Have delivered you in my last three Scripture discoveries of an Atheist there are ten other Characters yet behinde that are drawn from the Scriptures As 1. That man is an Atheist that does indulge and favour himself in the practise of secret sins he that does continually allow and favour himself in the practise of secret sins that man lives as if there were no God in the world Reverend Mr. Perkins gives us this badge of an Atheist that that very sinne which he will not dare to commit in the presence of a child yet that sin will he venture upon when no eye sees him thou that canst venture upon a sin in hope of secrefie thinking to hide it from the All-seeing Eye of God thou art a very Atheist thou that darest do that in the sight of God that thou art afraid to doe in the presence of a man this proceeds meerly from a root of Atheisme that is in the heart as in Job 22. 12 13 14. when a wicked man hath done wickedly he is ready to say How doth God know can he judge through the thick clouds thick clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not these are the expressions of an Atheisticall heart An Atheist if he can but keep himself from the censure and reproach of men he is well enough if men cannot say black to his eye or there goes a drunkard a swearer an adulterer or the like he is never troubled for his sins Oh therefore thou that wouldst be accounted chast where thou dwellest and yet keepest thy Dalilah in thy lap and oh thou debaucht liver that canst quietly and securely walk on in wayes of sin so that thou canst but keep them from the eyes of men know thus much that this proceeds from thy Atheisticall heart When the hope of secrefie imboldens any man to the practise of any sin that man is a very Atheist you that can fear the eye of a mortall man and yet not be afraid of the All-seeing Eye of an immortall God you that were never troubled for your sinnes when no body knew them but your selves but now this is that which troubles you that your sins are known to others if it be thus with thee thou art a practicall Atheist those that are troubled not because God sees their sins but because man sees them they are very Atheists as in Job 24. 13. 15. 17. these are they that abhorre the light that know not the way thereof nor continue in the path thereof the eye also of the Adulterer waiteth for the twilight and saith no eye shall see me and disguiseth his face for the morning to them is as the shadow of death and if one know them they are in the terrours of the shadew of death such as these are very Atheists they were not troubled because God saw their sins but because man did see their sins this is as the terrour of death to them they would not have men see their sins and yet they do not care what follies they are guilty of in the sight of God so that men cannot say black to their eyes
grace and as much difficulty in getting this grace of hope as there is in faith And thus I have done with the 4. branch of an unconverted mans misery that hee is without any well grounded hopes for heaven SERMON XV. EPHES. 2. 12. And without God in the World WE come now to the fifth misery of men by Nature which is this that they are without God in the World and here first I shall give you something from the order of the words and then unfold them and then draw out some Doctrines from them Quest. 1. For the order of the words Why is their being without Christ put in the first place of the Text and their being without God put in the last place Answ Answ Their being without Christ is put in the first place because it was the inlet of all their misery and their being without God is put in the last place because it is the finall upshot of mans misery it is the inlet of a mans misery to bee without Christ and it is his misery to be an alien to the Common-wealth of Israel and a stranger to the Covenant of Promise and to be without hope and it is the upshot of all thy misery to be without God in the World and here I shall shew you that there are multitudes of men and women in the World that are without God though they doe every day worship God yet they may live all their dayes without God but before I speak to this I must unfold two or three things in the words as Object 1. How can it be said here that they were without God in the World when the Apostle says in another place that the wicked cannot be without God the Lord is not farre from every one of us for in him we live and move and have our being here the Apostle sayes that wicked men are not far from God and that they live in God and therefore how can it be said in the Text that wicked men are without God in the World whereas we are all Gods off-spring and come from God how can this be Answ Answ The answer is very easie and that is this that in some sense there is no man nor creature in the World without God and yet in another sense there are multitudes of men that are without God in the World 1. In some sense there is no man can be said to be without God that is by way of creation preservation sustentation and ruling over us every one is in God by way of creation and preservation c. But how in another sense there are multitudes of people without God this is in a way of speciall interest in him without a reconciled God without God as a Father to you in Jesus Christ without a God that you can lay claim to as yours in this sense multitudes of people are without God in the World 2. Another thing that I shall explaine to you is this what it is to be without God and without God in the World I answer that to be without God it includes in it in Scripture phrase these four things 1. To be without the knowledge of the true God 2. To be without the true worship of the true God 3. To be without a true obedience to the true God And 4. To be without a peculiar interest and propriety in God 1. To be without God is to be without the knowledge of the true God then a man is said to be without God when he doth not know the true God Every man in the World hath something or other to be his God as in Jonah 1. 5 6. when there was a great tempest upon the Sea and the ship like to be cast away that Jonah was in it is said that every man prayed to his God and Jonah be prayed to the Lord his God and so in Micah 4. 5. For all people will walk every one in the name of his God and we wil walk in the name of our God for ever and ever Every man may have something to worship as a God and yet be without the true God those are said to be without God that are without the knowledg of the true God as you may see in 2 Chr. 15. 3. it is said there that for a long time Israel was without the true God without God how so doth not God rule and governe and preserve the World yes but they are said to be without God because they were without the knowledge of God for if you mark the next words it is said they were without the teaching Priest and without the Law so that all the while they lay in ignorance of the true God they were said to be without God 2. Men may be said to be without God when they are without the true worship of the true God all the while the children of Israel had the Ark among them which was the signe of Gods presence all that while God was among them but when the Ark was taken God was gone too the Lord will be with you while you are with him while you worship God sincerely and uprightly according to his wil so long God will be with you 3. To be without God is to live without true obedience to the true God when men doe so live as that the commands of God bear no sway over them it is a signe they are without God as in Psal 81. 11. My people saith God would not hear my voyce and Israel would have none of me the not obeying of Gods commands is a not having of God thou art without God in the world oh man unto whose conscience the soveraignty and authority of a God cannot give a check and a controll to thy lusts to bring thee into obedience to him 4. To be without God in the world is to be without a peculiar interest and propriety in God as your God when you cannot say that God is your Father Now if you ask me in which of these four senses these Ephesians here in the text were without God I answer that they were without God in all of them for while they were in a state of Gentilism they were without the knowledge of the true God and without the worship of the true God and without any obedience to the true God and without any reall interest and propriety in God but chiefly the two latter are included in this phrase the generall point of Doctrine that I shall observe from this last branch of mans misery shall be this Doctr. That every man during the state of his unregeneracy is without God in the world this only in the generall But here some may enquire what is meant by this expression without God in the World The meaning is that they were without any propriety or interest in God in this world and if they are without God in this world they must of necessity bee without God in another world And thus you have the words explained to you I
they are well enough Such men as indulge themselves in the practise of secret sins are practicall Atheists A godly man will fear to commit a secret sin as well as a known grosse and open sinne as Joseph How shall I doe this great wickednesse and so sin against God if the apprehensions of a God do lie near your hear you will have a care to avoid secret as well as open ans 2. Another discovery is this that man is a practicall Atheist that does not make conscience of the performance of secret duties he that never prayes in secret harbours this Atheisticall thought in him that God doth not hear him it is very observable of the Scribes and Pharisees in Scripture you shall never read of a secret fast they kept nor of a private prayer they made but they had publique fasts a great many they did fast twice a week and pray in the corners of the streets and give Almes c. but you never read of any private and secret duties they did perform which did proceed meerly from roots of Atheisme in their hearts and so this is an evidence of the Atheisticall heart if thou dost never make conscience of going to God in secret and beg for grace and mercy from him he is a very Atheist that lives in the neglect of secret duties for those men that retain in their hearts an apprehension of a Deity they know that there is no time so well spent as that which is imployed in secret prayer to God Cant. 2. 14. Oh my dove sayes Christ that art in the clifts of the rocks in the secret places of the stairs let mee see thy countenance let me hear thy voyce for sweet is they voice and thy countenance is comely Oh thou poor soul saies Christ that dost pray in secret and weep in secret corners let me see thy face and hear thy voice A man that hath the apprehensions of a God before him he knowes that the Lord sees and takes notice of the breathings of his heart before him in secret and therefore they are as much in the closet to pray in secret and to powre out their souls before God in private as they are in publique It is very observable that there were very few actions of Christ that were recorded by all the four Evangelists and yet this of Christs praying alone when no body was with him is recorded by them all whereas other things if they be recorded by one they are left out by another but this is spoken of by all of them Now the reason of it is this because Christ would be an example to us to teach us to be frequent in the performance of this duty and therefore it is a sign of an Atheisticall heart in any one that does not make conscience of powring out his heart in secret prayer to God 3. Another Character is this that man that doth make impunity to be a provocation to impiety my meaning is this he that makes the patience and for bearance and long-suffering of God towards him to be a provocation to sinne that because God doth not presently punish him for his sin therefore he will go on in sin still such a man is a very Atheist as in Psal 50. 21. These things hast thou done saies God and I held my tongue therefore thou thoughtst that I was such a one as thy self Beloved if any of you harbour such thoughts as those in your hearts that because God doth not presently punish you for your sins therefore you will go on still in sin let me tell you that this is the practise of a very Atheist Because the drunkard is not taken away by God while the wine is in his head and because the swearer is not destroyed by God while the oath is in his mouth and because the lyer is not cut off by God while the lie is upon his tongue therefore they will run on with greedinesse and willingnesse in the same sins all this flowes from the very root of Atheisme that is in thy heart 4. That man is an Atheist that carries in his heart a forgetfulnesse and a carelesnesse of the day of judgement as in 2 Pet. 3 4. And there shall come in the last dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts saying Where is the promise of his coming Thou that doest not harbour in thy heart a mindfulnesse of the day of Judgement art a very Atheist for thou that doest not beleeve God to be a Judge doest not beleeve him to be a God When Paul spake to Felix of temperance and of the judgement to come his heart trembled at the hearing of it Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce oh young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Thou that livest in the world and never so much as thinkest of a day of judgement thou art a very Atheist and oh beloved how many Atheists are there now in the world in this regard that do put far from them the evill day 5. That man is a very Atheist that in the time of trouble and distresse does mistrust the providence of God and run unto base means for help and remedy thus did Saul discover himself to be an Atheist 1 Sam. 28. 7 8. when he was in distresse he went to the Witch of Endor for help and succour And what does God say of such as run to Witches and Wizards Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that you run to other Gods to inquire of them It is meer Atheisme for any to distrust God and run unto others for help or any other way to run into sinfull courses in times of danger to finde relief you do hereby declare that you think there is no God in the world 6. That man is an Atheist that does place his affections upon any thing in the world more then upon God such a man lives without God in the world A covetous man that placeth his love upon his money more then upon any thing in the world that man makes gold his God and therefore these two are joyned together Ephes 15. 5. The covetous person who also is an Idolater he makes an idoll of his money and this Job frees himself from in Job 31. 24. saies he I have not made gold my hope nor 〈◊〉 gold my confidence for if I had done so then I had denyed the God above saies he in the 28. verse why now beloved there are many among us that love money better then their own souls that will sell their souls to gain a little wealth many among us love money better then we love heaven it self that do not care what sins they commit for it and had rather part with their souls then with their riches And so when you set your
love upon your belly you make your belly your God or if upon pleasures then you make pleasures your God and so of any thing else And therefore beloved I beseech you look to it and examine your selves is not God undervalued sometimes when your lusts are set in the throne is not God sometimes very low in your estimation and other things set above him if it be so it is meer Atheisme in your hearts 7. That man is an Atheist that makes no conscience of keeping those vowes and covenants he hath made with God The Scripture looks upon that man as an Atheist that does not make conscience of performing those covenants which he hath made with God in Josh 24. 25 26. there Joshua made a covenant with the people and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem and he wrote these words in the book of the Law of God and took a great stone and set it up there under an oake that was by the Sanctuary of the Lord and Joshua said unto all the people Behold this stone shall be a witnesse unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us it shall be there for a witnesse unto you lest ye deny your God and therefore those men that do call the covenant that we have made with hands lifted up to the high God an old Almanack out of date and do scorn and despise the oath they have taken and make no conscience of keeping the vowes and covenants they have made with God the Scripture looks upon such men as very Atheists and beloved in this regard there are more Atheists now in England then ever there were since the world stood But the Lord will manifest himself to be a just God though wicked men do despise his covenant and count it as an unholy thing 8. That man is a very Atheist whose conscience does never trouble him nor check him for the commission of any sinne That man that can be drunk to day and swear to morrow and cheat the next day and commit one sin after another and yet his conscience never give him any controll that man is a very Atheist Those that can live in the world and commit grosse sins every day and their consciences never check them for their sinnes it is a sad sign that such men are practicall Atheists If you have the fear of God in you and the thoughts of a God upon you it will make you reflect upon sins past and be grieved for sinnes and miscarriages of twenty years standing thus did Josephs brethren call to minde their former sins Gen. 42. 21. And they said one to another We have verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we would not hear him and therefore is this evill come upon us and so Job Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth and so David prays that God would not remember the sins of his youth But now you that can be drunk one day after another and belch out one oath after another and commit one sinne after another and thy conscience never controll thee the Lord be mercifull to thee for thou art plunged into a depth of Atheisme One compares an Atheist to a duck in a pond if a man throwes a stone into the water where she is she will presently dive under but let it thunder or lighten never so much in the heavens she takes no notice of it so an Atheist he cannot endure that men should take notice of him or discover his wickednesse to reprove him or speak against him but let God thunder upon him never so much he will not be troubled at it did you live under the apprehensions of a Deity it is impossible your consciences should be so long and so frequently out of its office 9. Those men are very Atheists that do yeeld to a detestable indifferency in matters of Religion that man that will sleep in a whole skin and not dare to do any thing to the hazarding of his estate or person for the advancement of true religion such a man is a very Atheist I will give you a strange place for this in 1 King 18. 21. sayes Elijah the Prophet to the people How long will you halt between two opinions if the Lord be God then follow him but if Baal be God then follow him and the text saies the people held their peace and answered him not a word they neither said they would follow after God neither did they say they would follow after Baal if God were too strong for Baal they would be for God but if Baal did prevail they would follow after him which did manifest their Atheisme and that God was not their God that man that takes God to be his God must follow him through whatsoever troubles or afflictions hee meets withall in the world and indifferency in matters of religion does argue men to be very Atheists And therefore all time servers that live according to the times that are men of indifferent tempers any religion rather then fail will serve their turns such men are practical Atheists 10. Men do then shew themselves to be very Atheists when their practises shall palpably thwart and contradict their professions when they are such as those spoken of in Tit. 2. 16. that in their words do professe to know Christ but in their works they deny him Those that do professe themselves to be Christians and yet live like heathens that professe themselves to have an inheritance with the Saints in light and yet walk here as Children of darknesse such men are very Atheists And thus I have done with these 10. discoveries of a practicall Atheist I have given you thirteen in all three of them out of the Scripture and ten more deduced from the Scripture Use 1 Now the use that I shall make of this shall be by way of counsell and advice if this be so as you have heart that all unregenerate men are practicall Atheists they live as if there were no God in the world Oh then that you would bewaile this practical Atheism that is among you Doest thou favour thy self in the practise of secret sinnes or dost thou make no conscience of the performance of secret duties Doest thou make impunity to be a provocation to impiety and doest thou carry in thy minde a forgetfulnesse of the day of Judgement or doest thou distrust the providence of God in times of trouble and distresse Doest thou place thy affections upon any thing in the world more then upon God And doest thou make no conscience of performing the vowes and covenants thou hast made with God Does thy conscience never trouble thee after the commission of sinnes Art thou a luke warm and indifferent man in matters of Religion Doest thou professe to know God and in thy works deny him Doest thou any of these
in his darknesse you should bee wrapt in the winding sheet of Christs righteousnesse there is no shrowd like to that come thus to the grave and the grave shall have no power over you But to leave the Metaphor this must be your great work and care Christians to reflect upon these things in the serious applications and discourses of faith the infinite mercy of God the abundant merit of Christ and the sufficiency of his righteousnesse for your acceptance with God 2 Doe not onely act faith but strive after assurance of Gods love to your souls Old Simeon said Luk. 2. 29 30. Mine eyes have seen thy salvation now let me depart in peace he held the Messiah not onely in his Arms but in his heart and then he could comfortably dismisse his soul now let me dye said Jacob when he had seen Joseph he can never dye too soon as for himself his owne comfort and profit that hath seen Jesus his death is not untimely and immature by what stroke soever he be cut off whereas otherwise if you live an hundred yeares you dye too soon if you dye before you have gotten an interest in Christ the sinner of an hundred years shall be accursed old sinners that are left to be eaten out by their own rust are chimneys long foul and come at last to be fired 3 Mortifie corruptions sin must dye ere wee dye he dyeth well whose sinnes are dead before him either sin must dye or the sinner as the Prophet said in another case I say in this thy life must goe for its life you will find those sins mortall that are not mortified what should an unmortified man doe with heaven there are no sports nor carnall pleasures there those blessed mansions seem to him but dark shades and melancholy retirements the Apostle hath an expression Col 1. 12. He hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light we are first made meet for heaven before we enter into it we are weaned from the world before we leave it when men hang upon the world as long as they can and when they can hang no longer think then to make use of God the Lord will refuse them with disdain Go to the Gods which you have chosen let the world now help you and save you in short a mortified man is prepared and ready he doth but wait for winde and tide and falleth like a shock of corn in season 4 An holy life and conversation men live as if they never thought to dye and then dye as if they never thought to live the best way to dye well is to live well they that are not ashamed to live are not afraid to die Balaam desired to dye the death of the righteous but would not take pains to live a godly life every man cannot say Thanks be to God that giveth us victory through Jesus Christ you can not dye in Christ unlesse you live in him and in the power of his life advance towards heaven oh labour to exercise your selves in these things that you may be in a constant preparation you never enter into the combate of death but once 't is impossible to mend oversights either we are slain or saved eternally Now if you doe what I have here exhorted you to you may wait till your change come and when it cometh your last hour will prove your best Use 3 3. It serveth to presse Gods children to improve the comforts of Christs victory doe not let it goe out of your hands 1 Improve it for your friends that are departed in the Lord our weeping puts some disparagement upon Christs conquest why should wee weep in the day of their preferment in the day of their solemn espousals to Jesus Christ In the primitive times at Funerals they were wont to sing Psalmes of thanksgiving we should bring them as champions to the grave as those that have passed the pikes and finished their course and kept the faith and have conquered the world and sin and death and danger Chrysostome in one of his homilies on the Hebrews speaketh of the ancient rites at funerals of their Hymnes and Psalmes and Praises haec omnia sunt laetantium saith he All these signifie joy and wilt thou weep and sing a Psalme of praise and triumph at the same time I confesse 't is said Act. 8. 2. That devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him 't is our losse when the Church is bereaved of such excellent persons there is cause of sorrow but there should be a mixture we should not mourn as those without hope 1 Thes 4. 13. as Christians must not rejoice without sorrow so they must not be sorry without some mixture of joy let us declare that we hope for a resurrection that we expect to meet our friends again in heaven and when wee weep let it be like rain when the Sun shineth there should be somewhat of joy in our countenances as well as tears in our eyes 2. Improve it for your selves and that 1 In life time that in your resolutions you may bee willing to dye many times we are like Lot in Sodome or like the Israelites in Egypt we could wish for Canaan but are loath to goe out of Egypt this argueth little faith Can we beleeve there is a heaven so excellent and glorious and yet shun it can we hope for such an incorruptible inheritance and yet be afraid of it that we shall enter upon it too soon what Prince would live uncrowned what heir would whine when hee is called to come and take the inheritance what thoughts have we of eternall life do we count it a priviledge or a misery and a burden And again it argueth little love can we pretend to love Christ and be shie of his company he should be unwilling to dye that is unwilling to goe to Christ And again it argueth little judgement and consideration Wherein is this life valuable the world is nothing else but a place of banishment here is nothing but groaning all the creatures join in consort with the heirs of promise Rom. 8. 23. What do you see in the world or in the present life to make you in love with it are you not weary of misery and sin the longer thou livest thou sinnest the more certainly thou hast provoked God long enough already 't is high time to breath after a better estate and thou hast had taste enough of the worlds misery and deceit and of the frailties and weaknesses of the body a longer life would be but a longer sicknesse what 's the matter that we are so loath to let goe our hold of present things if it be not want of faith or want of love to Christ or too much love of the world certainly it must be fear of death what a baseness lowness of spirit is this to fear an enemy so often vanquished by Christ and his Saints