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Sermons Volume 4 · Thomas Manton

Sermons Volume 4, Sermons on Titus · Sermon 4

SERMON IV.

TITUS II.12.

—That denying Vngodliness, &c.

Secondly, NOW let me open the thing it self. In Ungodliness there is something Negative, and that is, denying God his due Honour; and something Positive, and that is, putting actual Contempt upon him.

I. For the Negative Part, when God is denied his Honour. Now to find out how this is done, let us a little enquire, what is the special and peculiar Honour which God challengeth to himself. It stands in four things; To be the First Cause, the Chiefest Good, the Supream Authority and Truth, and the last End. And therefore when we do not acknowledg him to be the First Cause, the Chiefest Good, the Supream Authority and Truth, and the last End, we rob him of the Glory of his Godhead, and are guilty of this which the Apostle calls Vngodliness. I shall go over these Branches.

First; God must be honoured as the First Cause, which giveth Being to all things, and hath his Being from none; and so we are bound to know him, to depend upon him, to observe his Providence, and to acknowledg his Dominion over all Events or Things which happen in the World. And so far as any of these are neglected, so far are we guilty of Vngodliness. Well then, under this Head,

1. Ignorance is a Branch of Ungodliness; and I name it in the first place, because it is the Cause of all our Disorder in Worship and Conversation. This is the first cause of all Wickedness, to be ignorant of God. The Apostle seconds the Observation, 3 Epist. Iohn, 11. He that doth Evil, hath not seen God. Certainly he that makes a Trade of Sin, hath not a right sight and sense of God; he knows not God. A true sight and sense of God keepeth the Soul from Sin. There is nothing that keeps in the Fire of Religion, nor maintains Respect between Man and Man, nothing that preserves Honesty and Piety so much as right Thoughts and Apprehensions of God. But now generally People are ignorant of God; they know him as blind Men do Fire. A Man that is born blind, can tell there is such a thing as Fire, because he feels it warm; but what a kind … thing it is, he that never saw it, cannot tell. So the whole World, and Conscience, proclaim there is a God; the blindest Man may see that, but little do they know of his Nature and Essence, what God is according as he hath revealed himself in the Word. Look as the Athenians built an Altar, and the Inscription was foreign, to the unknown God, Acts 17.23. so do most Christians worship an unknown God. And as Christ taxed the Samaritans, John 4.22. Ye worship ye know not what: so generally do People worship they know not what. Ask them what God is? and whom they worship? they cannot tell, they are carried on by Custom, and dark and blind Superstition, and they mutter over their Prayers to an unknown Power; such blind and wild Conceits have they of the Nature of God, till they see him by the Light of his own Spirit. This Ignorance is sad, because it is a sign of no Grace, and it is a pledg of future Judgment. In these days of Gospel-Light it is a sign of no Grace; Jer. 31.34. They shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord. God hath no Child so little, but he knows his Father. In the days of the Gospel, now it is so clearly preached, it is required of the meanest sort as well as those that have the advantages of better Education. And it is a Pledg of future Judgment, 2 Thess. 1.8. Christ will come in flaming Fire, to render Vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel. We have low Thoughts of the Guilt of Ignorance, and think God will not be severe against such; many ignorant Creatures are harmless, and do no wrong: but to live and die in Ignorance, is a matter of sad Consequence. There is Vengeance for Pagans that know not God by showers of Rain and fruitful Seasons; and indeed they principally are intended. Divide Men into two sorts, those that have only the Light of Nature, Sense and Reason to guide them, and those that have the Light of the Gospel; there is Vengeance for Pagans that have no other Apostles sent to them, but those natural Apostles of Sun, Moon and Stars. They had Light shining to them in God's Works, and they had Sense and Reason, Eyes to see the Light; and so they were bound to know the first Cause, and might see God working and guiding all things in the World; but there is much more Vengeance for Christians, for those that have God's Word, the Light of Faith, and yet shut their Eyes against the Light: Usually come and talk with Men, they will acknowledg they are poor ignorant Creatures, and God that made them will save them, tho the Scripture speaks quite contrary, Isa. 27.11. This is a People of no Vnderstanding; therefore he that made them, will not have Mercy upon them; and he that formed them, will shew them no Favour. God is exceeding angry when all Advantages of Light are lost. A Pagan is ignorant of God, but you are worse, being unteachable. He that hath only Sun and Moon to teach him, shall be damned for his Ignorance of God: but if you do not profit by the Light of the Gospel, to conceive more worthily of the Nature and Glory of God, your Judgment will be greater.

2. We do not honour God as the First Cause, when we do not depend upon him, that is Ungodliness. Trust and Dependance is the ground of all Commerce between us and God; and it is the greatest Homage and Respect which we yield to the Creator, and First Cause. Now when Men can trust any visible Creature rather than God, their Estates rather than God, they rob him of his peculiar Honour. That there is such a Sin as trusting in the Creature, excluding God, is clear from Job 31.24. If I have made Gold my Hope, or have said to the fine Gold, Thou art my Confidence. Iob, to vindicate himself from Hypocrisy, reckons up the usual Sins of a Hypocrite; among the rest this is one, to make Gold his Confidence. Men are apt to think it the Staff of their Lives, and Stay of their Posterity, and Ground of their Welfare and Happiness; and so their Hearts are diverted from God, and their Trust is intercepted. It is a usual Sin (tho little thought of) for Men to intrench themselves within a great Estate, and then think they are safe and secure against all the Changes and Chances of the present Life, and so God is laid aside. Let God offer to intrench us within the Promises, and leave his Name in pawn with us, yet we are full of Fears and Doubts, Prov. 18.10. The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower, the Righteous runneth into it, and is safe. But, ver. 11. The rich Man's Wealth is his strong City, and as an high Wall in his own Conceit. Such as think themselves safe in a great Estate, do not acknowledg God as the First Cause, which gives Being, and sustains all things: and therefore Covetousness is called Idolatry, Col. 3.5. and a covetous Man is called an Idolater, Ephes. 5.5. not so much because of his Love of Money, as because of his Trust in it. The Glutton counteth his Belly his God, Phil. 3.19. Whose God is their Belly: he mindeth the Gratifications of his Appetite; yet he doth not trust in his Belly-Chear, he thinks not to be protected by it, therefore he is not called an Idolater, as the covetous, who robbeth God of his Trust. We are all apt to make an Idol of the Creature; and poor Men think if they had Wealth, this were enough to make them happy; they trust in those that have it, which is Idolatry upon Idolatry: Therefore it is said, Psal. 62.9. Surely Men of low degree are Vanity, and Men of high degree are a Lie. To appearance Men of low degree are nothing, and Men of high degree are a Lie, because we are apt to trust in them: But chiefly it is incident to the Rich, they that have Riches, are apt to trust in Riches. Mark 10.23. How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God! compared with ver. 24. —Children, how hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God? Now this is a secret Sin. A Man doth not think that he makes Money his Idol, if he he doth not pray or offer Sacrifices to it, or give it some perceivable Worship, and tho he use it as familiarly as any thing in a House: But this Idolatry lies within; tho a Man doth not entertain his Gold with Ceremony, yet there is his Trust and Confidence, that he shall be safe and do well, because he hath such an Estate, which he depends upon, and not upon God. We smile at the Vanity of the Heathens that worshipped Stocks and Stones, and Idols of Gold and Silver; and we do worse, but more Spiritually, when our Trust is terminated in the Creature. Though we do not say to Gold, Thou art my Confidence, or you shall deliver me, or I will put my Trust in you, or use any such gross Language; yet this is the Interpretation of our Carriage. A covetous Man may speak as basely of Wealth as another; he may say, I know Gold is but refined Earth; but his Heart resteth on it as his only refuge and stay, and he thinks he and his Children cannot be happy without it; which is a great Sin, it sets up another God; chains the Heart to the World, and keeps it from good Works.

3. We do not honour God as the first Cause, when we do not observe his Providence, either in Good or Evil, either in our Crosses or Blessings. The blind World sets up an Idol called Chance and Fortune, and do not acknowledg God at the other End of Causes, as swaying all things by his Wisdom and Power. If Evil come to them, they think it is by Chance and Ill-luck, as the Philistines said, 1 Sam. 6.9. It is not his Hand that smote us, it was a Chance that happened to us. So prophanely do most Men judg of Providence, and of the Evil of the present Life, that it is a Chance. Isa. 26.11. Lord! when thy Hand is lifted up, they will not see. Men look to Instruments, and second Causes, and do not regard God. If things go ill, they snarl at the Stone, but do not look at the Hand of him that throws it; as if all this while God were but an idle Spectator and looker on, and had no hand in all that befals us. Iob doth better, Chap. 1.21. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the Name of the Lord. Chrysostom hath a sweet gloss upon it; he doth not say, foreign, the Thief, the Caldean, the Sabean hath taken away, but the Lord. In all Afflictions we should look beyond the Creature, and not complain of ill Fortune, or Chance, or Stars, or Constellations, or altogether of Men, or Instruments, or any thing on this side God; he is the first Cause in any Evil that befals you, therefore see God's Hand in it. So also in Mercies and Blessings, it is Ungodliness when we do not see God in them. Wicked Men receive Blessings, and never look up. They live upon God every moment; they have Life, Breath, Motion, Health, and hourly Maintenance from him, yet God is not in all their Thoughts. As Swine raven upon the Acorns, and never look to the Oak from whence they fall; and so they may enjoy the Comfort of the Creature, they are content, but never look higher than the next Hand. The Spouses Eyes are compared to Doves Eyes, Cant. 4.1. And some make this gloss upon it, (which is pious, though it doth not interpret the Place) Doves peck, and look upward. When we sip and peck upon every Grain of Mercy, we should look up and acknowledg God. The Lord complains of this Ungodliness in his People, Hos. 2.8. For she did not know that I gave her Corn, and Wine, and Oil, and multiplied her Silver and Gold. There cannot be a greater sign of an ungodly Spirit than this unthankful Prophaneness. We all live upon the meer Alms of God, have all our Comforts and Blessings from him; and all that God expects, is but Acknowledgment, that we should take notice of him as the Author of all the Good we enjoy. Other Creatures live upon God, but they are not capable of knowing the first Cause; but he hath given us a Mind to know him, and Capacities and Abilities, therefore this is the Rational Worship which he expects from us. God hath Leased out the World to the Sons of Men; Psal. 115.16. The Heaven, even the Heavens are the Lord's; but the Earth hath he given to the Children of Men: But what is the Rent God hath reserved to himself? Glory, Praise, and Acknowledgment. But too usual is that Observation true, Qui majores Terras possident, minores Census solvunt; those that hold the greatest Lands, usually pay the least Rent; so those that enjoy most Mercies, seldomest acknowledg God; their Hearts are full and at ease, and they forget God. Men are most led by outward Enjoyments, they love their Bodies best, and the Comforts of the Body most. Now that we may not want Arguments to love and praise God, God tries us by these worldly Enjoyments which concern the Body, to see if we will acknowledg him; but usually we raven upon the sweet of Comfort, but look not from whence it comes. This was the Trial God used to the Gentiles; showers of Rain, and fruitful Seasons, filling their Hearts with Food and Gladness; Acts 14.17. Nevertheless he left not himself without a Witness, in that he did Good, and gave us Rain from Heaven, and fruitful Seasons, filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness. Every time thou eatest and drinkest, thou shouldst think of God: But alas, seldom do we give God the Honour of his Providence, we forget God when he remembers us. None more unworthy of any Good, and more unthankful to God for it, than Man.

4. Another piece of Ungodliness is, when we do not acknowledg his Dominion over all Events. If he be the first Cause, he will have his Government to be acknowledged. How so? By using and undertaking nothing in the course of our Affairs, till we have asked his Leave and Blessing. The Apostle saith, 1 Tim. 4.4, 5. Every Creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with Thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer; that is, by the Word we know our Liberty, and in Prayer we ask God's Leave and Blessing in all things that we use. To use another Man's Goods without his Leave, is Robbery; and so it is to use Food, Physick, or any Creature, till we have asked God's Leave; all should be sanctified by the Word and Prayer. When we go about any Business, or undertake a Journey, or fix our aboad in the World, we ought to be enquiring of God; for things that seem to be most trivial and casual, God hath the greatest Hand in them, therefore we must still enquire at the Oracle. It is a piece of religious Manners, first to enquire of God; and therefore they are taxed, Iames 4.13. Go to now, ye that say, To Day, or to Morrow, we will go into such a City, and continue there a Year, and buy and sell, and get Gain. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that, vers. 15. You forget to bid your selves Good-morrow, or Good-day, or Good-speed, when you forget to consult and advise with God in Prayer. The Heathens would begin nothing weighty, but they would still consult with their Gods; for their Principle was, The Gods regarded greater Matters, but took no notice of those of a smaller Consequence. Now by this means would the Lord preserve a constant remembrance of himself in the Heart of the Creature. It keeps up the Memory of God in the World, to acknowledg him as one that hath an over-ruling Hand in all the Businesses and Affairs of this World. Prov. 3.6. In all thy Ways acknowledg him, and he shall direct thy Paths. The Children of God dare not resolve upon any Course, till they have asked Counsel of God. Thus God will be acknowledged as the first Cause; and so Men are guilty of Ungodliness, if they do not know him, depend upon him, observe his Providence, and acknowledg his Dominion over all Events in the World.

Secondly; God will be acknowledged as the chiefest Good; and so if we do not often think of him, and delight in Communion with him, fear to offend him, and care to please him, all this is Ungodliness.

1. If we do not often think of him: if we did not want Hearts, we cannot want Objects to put us in mind of God; He is not far from every one of us, Acts 17.27. But though God be not far from us, yet we are far from God; and though he be every-where, where we walk, lie and sit, yet he is seldom found in our Hearts. We are not so near to our selves as God is to us. Who can keep his Breath in his Body for a minute, if God were not there? But though he be present with us, we are not present with him. There's usually too great a distance between him and our Thoughts. God is round about us in the Effects of his Power and Goodness, yet afar off in regard of our Hearts, and the workings of our Spirits; Psal. 10.4. God is not in all his Thoughts. O consider how many there are that live upon God, that have daily and hourly maintenance from him, yet regard him not. Wicked Men abhor their own Thoughts of God, and hate any savoury Speech and Mention of his Name. Look, as the Devils believe and tremble; the more they think there is a God, the more is their Horror encreased: thus do carnal Hearts; and therefore they do all they can to drive God out of their Mind. How many Trifles do occupy our Mind, we muse of nothing, unless it be of Vanity it self; but God can seldom find any room there, we would fain banish God out our Minds. When David beheld God's Works, and looked upon the Creation, he cried out, Psal. 104. 34. My Meditation of him shall be sweet. O it is the Spiritual Feast and Entertainment of a gracious Soul to think of God! We cannot put our Reason to a better use. None deserves our Thoughts more than God, who thought of us before the World was, and still thinks of us. Saith David, Psal. 139.17. How precious also are thy Thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! It is a great part therefore of Ungodliness and Ingratitude, not to present God with so reasonable a Service as a few Thoughts, not to turn the Thoughts, and set the Mind a-work upon the Glory, Excellency, and Goodness of God, that is every-where present to our Eye.

2. We do not honour him as the chiefest Good, if we do not delight in Communion with him. Friends love to be often in one another's Company: and certainly if we did value and prize God, we would say, It is good to draw nigh to God, Psal. 73.28. We would preserve a constant Acquaintance between him and us. God hath appointed two Ordinances to preserve Acquaintance between him and the Soul, the Word and Prayer, which are as it were a Dialogue and interchangeable Discourse between God and the Creature: In the Word he speaks to us, and in Prayer we speak to him: He conveys his Mind to us in the Word, and we ask his Grace in Prayer: In Prayer we make the Request, and in the Word we have God's Answer: In Prayer we come to inform God with our Wants, and seek for his Grace; and God answers by his Word to Salvation. Well then, when Men neglect publick or private Prayer, or fit and meet Opportunities of Hearing, they are guilty of Ungodliness, for so far they break off Communion with God: especially if they neglect Prayer, that is a Duty to be done at all times, a sweet Diversion which the Soul injoys with God in private; it is that which answers to the daily Sacrifice; and therefore it is said, Psal. 14.2. They seek not God: and ver. 4. They do not call upon the Lord. When Men are loth to come into God's Presence, whether it be out of Love to Ease, or carnal Pleasure; when Men care not though God and they grow strange, and seldom hear from one another, this is Ungodliness: Our Comfort and Peace lies in Access to God. So for Family-Worship; when God is neglected in the Family, it is a Sign Men do not delight in God as the chiefest Good. Many Families call not upon God's Name; Ier. 10.25. Pour out thy Fury upon the Heathen that know thee not, and upon the Families that call not on thy Name. From one End of the Week to another there is no Prayer or Worship in the Family; the House that should be a Church is made a Sty; yea, there is not a Swine about the House but is better regarded than God: Morning and Evening, they shall have their Attendance; but God is neglected, and not worshipped.

3. If we do not fear to offend, God will be served with every Affection. Love is of use in the spiritual Life, so is Fear; 2 Cor. 7.1. Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God: They are both of great Use; Love sweetens Duties, and Fear makes us watchful against Sin; Love is the doing Grace, and Fear is the conserving or keeping Grace: and therefore this is the Honour that God constantly expects from us, that we should always walk in his Fear: O think of the pure Eyes of his Glory that are upon us; Eccles. 12.13. Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his Commandments, for this is the whole Duty of Man; that is, the Sum of all practical Godliness. The internal Root of all Duty and Worship is a holy filial Fear and reverent Awe of God, when as obedient Children, we dare not grieve God, nor affront him to his Face, as Ahasuerus said concerning Haman, Esther 7.8. Will he force the Queen also before me in the House? God is always a Looker on; and can we grieve our good God when he directly looks upon us? But now when you are secure and careless, and sin freely in Thought, and foully in Act, and without any Remorse, you deny God his Fear. Fear is a Grace of continual Use; we cannot be always praying or praising God, or imployed in Acts of solemn Worship, and special Communion with him, but we must be always in the Fear of God. You have not done with God when you have left your Requests with him in the Morning, you must fear him all the Day long; Prov. 23.17. Be thou in the Fear of the Lord all the Day long. A Man hath done with his Devotion in the Morning, but he hath not done with God: A Man should think of him all the Day long, in the Shop, in the Streets; especially when Corruptions arise, and we are tempted to Folly and Filthiness, or any unworthy Act, remember God looks on. Thus must we be in the Fear of God continually, rise in Fear, walk in Fear, feed in Fear, and trade in Fear; it is a Grace never out of Season.

4. If we do not care to please him, it is Ungodliness: If we make it our Work and the Drift of our Lives, to find out what may be pleasing and acceptable to God in order to Practice, and value our Lives for this End only, that we may serve God; it is a sign Grace is planted in the Heart. But now ungodly Men neither care to know the ways of God, nor to walk in them: They that are willingly ignorant, and do not search to know how God will be served and pleased, and make this their Work, they do not count God their chiefest Good: They search not, that they may not practice; they err not in their Mind only, but in their Hearts; Psal. 95.10. It is a People that do err in their Hearts, they have not known my ways. To err in the Mind, may be through invincible Ignorance; but a Man errs in his Heart, when he doth not desire to know God, and to know his Will, and what he must do in Worship and Conversation, but saith, I do not desire to know God; Iob 21.14. Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the Knowledg of thy ways. Therefore he that doth not make it his great Work, and the Business of his Life, to find out what God would have him do, he is ungodly. Usually this is found in Men half convinced, they have not a Mind to know that which they have not a Mind to do; and so they are willingly ignorant. But now a godly Man makes it the Business of his Life still to follow God Foot by Foot, to know more of his Mind and Will: Rom. 12.2. That you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect VVill of God. Ephes. 5.12. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. A true Christian always practiseth what he knows, and still searcheth, that he may know more; he would be always more useful for God, and more according to his Heart; that is the Study, the great Business and Project of his Life, to find out God's Will, and then practise it. What shall I do more for God?

Thirdly; God must be acknowledged as the supream Truth and Authority: and there if we be not moved with his Promises, with his Threatnings and Counsels, as the Words of the great God, as if he had spoken from Heaven by an audible Voice; if we do not yield him Reverence in his Worship, and subject our Hearts and Lives unto his Laws, it is Ungodliness.

1st. We must receive the Counsels of his Word with all Reverence and Veneration, as if God had spoke to us by a Voice from Heaven. This is to receive the Word as the Word of God; 2 Thess. 2.10. They received not the Love of the Truth, that they might be saved. The Heathens received the Oracles of their Gods with great Reverence, and were much moved when they had an Oracle; but when the Word comes with a mighty convincing Power upon the Heart, and you are not moved and affected; this argues your Ungodliness: So when we can drousily hear of the great things of Heaven, and the Death of Christ, and the Covenant of Grace, and the glorious Salvation offered, and are no more moved than with a Fable, or with a Dream of Rubies dropping down from Heaven in the Night; this is Ungodliness. That there is a great deal of Ungodliness in this kind, is clear by our Neglect of these Precious Things. If a Man should proffer another a thousand Pound for a Trifle, and he should not accept it, you would not say it was because he prized that Trifle that is not profitable, but because he did not believe the Offer: So when God offers Heaven and Christ to us upon such easy terms, as to part with nothing but our Sins, which are better parted with than kept; we do not honour him as the eternal Truth, if we do not accept it, but count him a Liar; and this is the greatest Affront you can put upon God: for he that believeth not, God hath made him a Liar, because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son, 1 John 5.10. He that doth not regard the Offer of the Gospel, certainly he believes it is not true, and so he dishonours God as the supream Truth.

2dly. If we would honour God as the supream Lord of Heaven and Earth, we must reverence him in his Worship. God is not only terrible in the high Places of the Field, and there where he executes his dreadful Judgments; and not only so in the Depths of the Sea, where the Wonders of the Lord are seen; but he is also terrible in his holy Places; Psal. 68.35. O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy Places. Then are the Hearts of his People filled with most awful Apprehensions of his glorious Majesty, and of his excellent Holiness, and this makes them tremble. But now when we do not come with these awful Apprehensions, we do not own God as the supream Majesty: and therefore when they brought him an unbeseeming Sacrifice, saith the Lord, Mal. 1.14. Cursed be the Deceiver which hath in his Flock a Male, and voweth, and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of Hosts, and my Name is dreadful among the Heathens. This is not becoming my Majesty. And the Saints of God never feel such Self-Abhorrency and Loathing of themselves, as when they are worshipping God: God is even dreadful then when he is most comfortable to his People; Deut. 28.58. That thou mayst fear this glorious and fearful Name, the Lord thy God. Thy God, this is the comfortablest Name in all the Scripture, this is the Foundation of our Hope, and this puts the Saints upon a Holy Reverence. But now ungodly Men come with slight, cold and careless Hearts; their Thoughts are upon the Shop, and the Cart, and the Plough, and any where else than upon God; they dream nigh to him with their Lips, but their Hearts are removed far from him: They do not come to him as a great King, and supream Majesty and Authority of all, and so they dishonour God exceedingly. Our Thoughts in Worship should be more taken up with his Glory.

3dly. If we would honour God as supream, there must be a willing Subjection of our Hearts and Lives to his Laws: Usually here we stick in a want of Conformity thereto. Men that love God as a Creator, naturally hate him as a Law-giver: Men love him as a Giver of Blessings, but they would fain live at large. Thoughts that strike at the Being of God and Doctrines of Liberty, are welcome to a carnal Heart; therefore it is tedious to them to hear of one to call them to account; and it is pleasing to them to think (which is an Argument of the highest Hatred that can be) that there were no God to call them to a reckoning, that they might let loose the Reins to vile Affections. We would be absolute, and Lords of our own Actions: And this Subjection must be in Heart and Life. There must be a Subjection of the Heart. God's Authority is never more undermined than by a mere Form of Godliness; 2 Tim. 3.5. Having a Form of Godliness, but denying the Power thereof: This is the greatest Ungodliness that can be; they will not own his Authority in their Hearts, nor suffer him to have any Dominion in their Conscience, nor own him without in their Actions before Men. The Heart is his Chair of State, and Chamber of Presence; but Hypocrites and wicked Men rob God of his Dominion over the Conscience, therefore Hypocrisy is practical Blasphemy; Rev. 2.9. I know the Blasphemy of them that say they are Iews, and are not, but are the Synagogue of Satan. Men pretend to obey God, yet blaspheme him in their Heart, and refuse the Power of that to which they pretend. And the Life must be conformed to God's Laws. God will be honoured in our Conversation, as well as have his Throne set up in the Conscience; his Laws must be visibly obeyed in the Sight of Men. It is the Glory of a Commander to be obeyed; Matth. 8.9. I am a Man under Authority, having Souldiers under me; and I say to one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my Servant, Do this, and he doth it. So God will have all the World know that he hath his Servants at a beck: If he bids them deny and abstain the Flesh, O they durst not meddle with it; or if he bids them practise Holiness, they must do it; his Honour is much promoted by your Lives. God will have all the World see, that he hath called you to his Foot, and that he hath an absolute Authority and Power over the Sons of Men, they are a People formed for his Praise; he looks for Glory in this kind.

Fourthly; God will be honoured as the last and utmost End, and so in all Acts natural, moral and spiritual. If we do not aim at God's Glory, we are guilty of Ungodliness: This is the proper Work of Godliness to refer all we do to the Glory of God; and this is the Distinction between Godliness and Holiness; Holiness minds the Law of God, and implies only a Conformity to the Law; Godliness minds the Glory of God, and is the Aim of the Soul to exalt God; 2 Pet. 3.11. What manner of Persons ought we to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness? You see Godliness is distinguished from Holiness; Godliness refers all we do to God's Glory. But more particularly;

1. In natural Acts we must have a supernatural Aim; 1 Cor. 10.31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God. If we are to take a Meal to sustain the Body, and refresh Nature, it is that we may be more serviceable to God. And he that eats and drinks to himself, to his own Pleasure, to satisfy his own Appetite, and hath no Respect to God, he doth but offer a Meat-Offering and a Drink-Offering to an Idol. And he that traffiques for himself, meerly to get Wealth, and doth not aim at Usefulness and Serviceableness to God, he is a Priest consecrated to Mammon, his eating is Idolatry; Phil. 3.19. VVhose God is his Belly, and his trading is Idolatry: Matth. 6.24. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.

2. In your moral Actions; Ephes. 6. where all moral Duties are reciprocally set down, as Duties of Husbands and Wives, Masters and Servants, Parents and Children: the Apostle presseth them to do all as in and to the Lord, not merely that they may live together in Contentment and Peace▪ but they must walk in their Relations, so as God may have Honour. A Christian by an excellent Art turns his second Table-Duties into first Table-Duties; and makes his civil Commerce a kind of Religious Worship.

3. So in all spiritual Acts: The whole Ordination of the spiritual Life must be to God; I through the Law am dead to the Law, that I might live unto God, Gal. 2.19. All the Motions and Tendencies of the Soul are to advance God, and glorify God. In the very spiritual internal Actions and Reachings forth of the Soul after God, why do I desire to have Grace and Pardon? That God may be glorified, that must be the last End. Our Desires can never be regular in asking Grace, till they suit with God's End in giving Grace. Now what are God's Ends in giving Grace? Eph. 1.6. To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved. All that God aims at, is to make Grace glorious; and that Grace may carry away all the Praise. So in your Desires of Pardon, Heaven and Salvation, you are to desire them, that God may be glorified in your Salvation, and in the Pardon of your Sins. So in our external Actions, Prayer, Worship, Preaching, whatever we do. In sacred things it is dangerous to look asquint, and to serve our selves, our own Lusts, our Covetousness or Pride upon the Worship of God; this is to put Dung in God's own Cup. It were a mighty Affront to a King to fill his Cup full of Excrements. Nothing alienates the Heart from God so much as Selfrespect. God hath given us many things, but he hath reserved the Glory of all to himself; as Pharaoh said to Ioseph, Gen. 41.40. Thou shalt be over my House, and according unto thy VVord shall all my People be ruled; only in the Throne will I be greater than thou. This is the first Branch of Ungodliness, the Negative Part, when we deny God his due Honour.

II. For the Positive Part. Positive Ungodliness is more gross when we put an actual Contempt and Scorn upon God. We are guilty of this when we slight his Providence, and disobey his Laws.

1st. When we slight his Providence; Heb. 12.5. My Son, despise not thou the Chastening of the Lord. Men harden themselves against Corrections, and count light of them: Men cannot indure to have their Anger despised. When the three Children despised Nebuchadnezzar's Threatnings, it is said, Dan. 3.19. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of Fury, and the Form of his Visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego; therefore he spake and commanded, that they should heat the Furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heat. It is a mighty Affront to God, and a Contempt of him, when we provoke him, while we are under his afflicting Hand, if in Despite of God we break out into Sin, when he hedgeth up our way with Thorns; 2 Chron. 28.22. And in the time of his Distress, did he trespass yet more against the Lord. This is that King Ahaz.

2dly. When we are disobedient to his Laws. Open Irreligion is a Despite to God, when we cast off his Yoke: This is Ungodliness in the Height, when God is not only neglected, but rejected; Ier. 2.31. VVe are Lords, we will come no more unto thee. We would be absolute Masters of our own Wills: This was the first Bait; Gen 3.5. Ye shall be as Gods, knowing Good and Evil. This endeth in open Prophaneness, which groweth upon Men by Degrees: as Lactantius said of Lucian; Nec Diis nec hominibus pepercit; ad impietatem in Deos in homines adjunxit injuriam: He spared neither the Gods nor Men; to his Impiety against the Gods he added Injuries to Men: he was both ungodly and unrighteous.

Vse. Would we not then be counted ungodly? let us take heed of all these Sins; deny them all.

1. How else will you look God in the Face at the Day of Judgment? Psal. 1.5. The Vngodly shall not stand in the Iudgment, nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous: He shall not be able to lift up his Head; 2 Pet. 3.11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of Persons ought we to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness? The Day of Judgment is to take Vengeance of Ungodliness; Iude 15. To execute Iudgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly Deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard Speeches which ungodly Sinners have spoken against him. It is the Day wherein God, that is now hidden behind the Curtain of the Heavens, cometh forth to vindicate his Honour.

2. Great Judgments shall befal them in this World: 2 Pet. 2.6. And turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into Asbes, condemned them with an Overthrow, making them Examples unto those that should live ungodly. And 1 Pet. 4.18. And if the Righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the Ungodly and the Sinner appear? God's Jealousy is great; Isa. 59.17. For he put on Righteousness as a Breast-plate, and a Helmet of Salvation upon his Head; and he put on the Garments of Vengeance for a Clothing, and was clad with Zeal as a Cloke. God is not only jealous of his Honour, but he will be known, and plainly profess himself so to be, the Cloke of a Man being his outward Garment. No such visible Providences as against Ungodliness: So Exod. 34.13. The Lord, whose Name is Iealous, is a jealous God. That is fit to make the Name of a thing, which distinguisheth it from all other things of the same kind. This distinguisheth the true God from all Gods whatsoever; others are so far from being iealous Gods, that tho their Worshippers went to never so many Gods, yet to them it was all one; they were good Fellow-Gods, and would admit of Partners: when they brought their Gifts, like common Whores, they received them without more ado. The true God will admit of no Partners; this he will severely punish, and do them as much Harm as ever he did do them Good.

3. It is the great Aim of the Gospel to promote Godliness: 1 Tim. 3.6. And without controversy, great is the Mystery of Godliness. 1 Tim. 6.3. If any Man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesom Words, even the Words of our Lord Iesus Christ, and to the Doctrine that is according to Godliness. So far Men are Christians, as they are godly. Men might be ungodly at a cheaper rate, when they had not so much Means. As the Angel said to Iacob, Gen. 32.26. Let me go, for the Day breaketh. Now Grace appeareth, we should deny Ungodliness.

4. Ungodliness is the Root of all irregular Courses. Gen. 20.11. I thought, surely the Fear of God is not in this Place, and they will slay me for my Wife's sake. Godliness is the Bulwark of Laws, and of all honest Discipline: there can be no Honesty without Piety. The first part of the Law provideth for Respects to God, as being the proper Foundation for Respects to our Neighbour. Without the knowledg of the true God the Heart cannot be clean; Prov. 19.2. Also that the Soul be without knowledg, is not good.

The Means are these.

1. Purge the Heart from all Principles of Ungodliness: There are many gross Maxims, as that it is Folly to be precise; that they have a good Heart towards God; that it were better when there was less Knowledg; that it is an easy matter to repent, and have a good Heart towards God; that it is in vain to serve God; that Thoughts are free; let us carry it fair before Men, and all will be well; when Men have done their best, petty Sins are not to be stood upon. These are the implicite Thoughts and Maxims of ungodly Men, which are the ground of all sottish Practices: purge your Hearts from them.

2. Suppress all ungodly Thoughts and Motions, all gross Thoughts of God; Psal. 14.1. The Fool hath said in his Heart, There is no God. Shame may lay a restraint upon the Tongue, but such Thoughts and Whispers do arise in the Heart. Again, that God is not so harsh as he is represented; Psal. 50.21. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self. That God cannot see through the dark Cloud; Iob 22.12, 13. Is not God in the height of Heaven, and behold the height of the Stars how high they are? And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judg through the dark Cloud? These are the Thoughts of carnal ungodly Men; have a care of giving them the least Entertainment; suppress them when they first rise in the Heart.

3. Mortify vile Affections. As the Air in some Countries is seldom clear, but dark and foggy, so it is with the Minds of carnal Men; vile Affections steeming in the Heart, cloud the Understanding and Judgment, and beget ungodly Thoughts; as a filthy Stomach sends up Fumes to the Head.

4. Keep close to God's Institutions; these keep up his Honour, and preserve his Memorial. Divine Truths breed Godliness. False Worship, and multitude of Ceremonies darken the Nature of God: Images beget a gross Opinion of God, as if he were a poor sensless thing, that could do little good or harm. God knows what is best, and how he will be worshipped: do not presume to be wiser than God; his own Institutions keep up the repute of his Nature and Essence.

5. Let us exercise our selves unto Godliness; 1 Tim. 4.7. But refuse prophane and old Wives Fables, and exercise thy self rather unto Godliness. Give God the Honour due to him; let him have your Love, Delight, Trust and Fear; do all things with an aim at his Glory; and worship him not out of Custom, but out of Conscience: so should we exercise our selves unto Godliness.