The Natural Mans Case, Part 1 · Sermon 16
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 Iob 22. 12, 13, 14.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 Job 24, 13, 15, 17.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, 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 Gen. 39. 9.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 Cant. 2. 14dove (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: Mat 26. 39. Luk. 22. 41. Mar. 14. 35. Ioh. 17.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 Act. 24. 25.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 Eph. 15. 5.Idolater, he makes an idoll of his money: and this Job frees himſelf from, in Job 31. Job 31. 24.24. 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. verſ. 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; Ioſh. 24. 25, 26.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 Gen. 42. 21.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 Iob 13. 26.things againſt me, and makeſt me to poſſeſs the iniquities of my youth: and ſo David prays, that Pſal. 25. 7God 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 1 King. 18. 21.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 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 Alſeeing 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 Heb. 2. 18.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.