Sermon 1: God's Name and Attributes

Hebrews 11:6. He that comes to God, must believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him.

Having undertaken to go through the whole body of Theology, I will first give you a brief definition of the thing itself, which we call Divinity, it is this;

It is that heavenly wisdom, or form of wholesome words, revealed by the Holy Ghost, in the Scripture, touching the knowledge of God, and ourselves, whereby we are taught the way to eternal life.

I call it [heavenly wisdom] for so it is called, (1 Corinthians 2:13). The wisdom which we teach, is not in the words, which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches. So likewise the Apostle in another place calls it, The form of wholesome words; that is, That system, or comprehension of wholesome doctrine delivered in the Scripture (2 Timothy 1:13).

Now it differs from other systems, and bodies of Sciences:

1 Because it is revealed from above; all other knowledge is gathered from things below.

2 Again, all other sciences are taught by men, but this is taught by the Holy Ghost.

3 All other knowledge is delivered in the writings of men, but this is revealed to us in the holy Word of God, which was written by God himself, though men were the mediate penmen of it; therefore, I add that, to distinguish it from all other Sciences; that, It is not revealed by men, but by the Holy Ghost, not in books written by men, but in the holy Scriptures.

In the next place I add the object, about which this wisdom is conversant, it is the knowledge of God, and of ourselves. And so it is likewise distinguished from all other knowledge, which has some other objects. It is the knowledge of God, that is, of God, not simply considered, or absolutely, in his Essence, but as he is in reference and relation to us.

And again, it is not simply the knowledge of ourselves, (for many things in us belong to other arts and sciences) but as we stand in reference to God; so that these are the two parts of it; the knowledge of God, in reference to us; and of ourselves, in reference to him.

Last of all, it is distinguished by the end, to which it tends, which it aims at, which is to teach us the way to eternal life: And therein it differs from all other sciences whatever; for they only help some defects of understanding here in this present life: for where there is some failing or defect, which common reason does not help, there arts are invented to supply and rectify those defects; but this does somewhat more, it leads us the way to eternal life: for, as it has in it a principal above all others, so it has a higher end than others: for as the well-head is higher, so the streams ascend higher than others. And so much for this description, what this sum of the doctrine of Theology is.

The parts of it are two: 1 Concerning God. 2 Concerning ourselves.

Now concerning God, 2 things are to be known: 1 That he is; both these are set down in the Text. 2 What he is. Both these are set down in the Text.

1 That God is, we shall find that there are two ways to prove it, or to make it good to us: 1 By the strength of natural reason. 2 By faith.

That we do not deliver this without ground, look into (Romans 1:20). For the invisible things of him, that is, his eternal power, and Godhead, are seen by the creation of the world, being considered in his works, so that they are without excuse. So likewise, (Acts 17:27-28), you shall see there what the Apostle says, that they should seek after the Lord, if happily they might grope after him, and find him: for he is not far from every one of us: for in him we live, move, and have our being: That is, by the very things that we handle and touch, we may know that there is a God; and also, by our own life, motion, and being, we may learn that there is a Deity, from where these proceed: For the Apostle speaks this to them, that had no Scripture to teach them. So likewise, (Acts 14:17). Nevertheless, he has not left himself without witness, in giving us fruitful seasons: As if those did bear witness of him, that is, those works of his in the creatures. So that you see, there are two ways to come to the knowledge of this, that God is; One, I say, is by natural reason: Or else to make it more plain, we shall see this in these two things:

1 There is enough in the very creation of the world, to declare him to us.

2 There is a light of the understanding, or reason, put into us, whereby we are able to discern those characters of God stamped in the creatures, whereby we may discern the invisible things of God, his infinite power and wisdom; and when these are put together, that which is written in the creature, there are arguments enough in them, and in us there is reason enough, to see the force of those arguments, and from there we may conclude that there is a GOD, besides the arguments of Scripture, that we have to reveal it. For, though I said before, that Divinity was revealed by the HOLY GHOST, yet there is this difference in the points of Theology: Some truths are wholly revealed, and have no footsteps in the creatures, no prints in the creation, or in the works of GOD, to discern them by, and such are all the mysteries of the Gospel, and of the Trinity: other truths there are, that have some vestigia, some characters stamped upon the creature, whereby we may discern them, and such is this which we now have in hand, that, There is a God.

Therefore we will show you these two things: 1 How it is manifest from the creation. 2 How this point is evident to you by faith.

3 A third thing I will add, that this God whom we worship, is the only true God.

Now for the first, to explain this, that, The power and Godhead is seen in the creation of the world.

Besides those Demonstrations elsewhere handled, drawn from the creation in general, as from:

1 The sweet concent and harmony the creatures have among themselves.

2 The fitness and proportion of one to another.

3 From the reasonable actions of creatures, in themselves unreasonable.

4 The great and orderly provision that is made for all things.

5 The combination and dependence that is among them.

6 The impressions of skill and workmanship that is upon the creatures. All which argue that there is a God.

There remain three other principal arguments to demonstrate this:

The consideration of the origin of all things, which argues that they must necessarily be made by God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth; which we will make good to you by these particulars:

If man was made by him, for whom all things are made, then it is certain that they are made also. For the argument holds; if the best things in the world must have a beginning, then surely those things that are subserving, and subordinate to them, must much more have a beginning.

Now that man was made by him, consider but this reason:

The father that begets, does not know the making of him; the mother that conceives, does not know it; neither does the formative virtue, as we call it, that is, that vigor that is in the materials, that shapes, and fashions, and articulates the body in the womb, that does not know what it does. Now it is certain; that he that makes anything, must necessarily know it perfectly, and all the parts of it, though the bystander may be ignorant of it. As for example; he that makes a statue, knows how every particle is made; he that makes a watch, or any ordinary work of art, he knows all the junctures, all the wheels, and joints of it, or else it is impossible that he should make it. Now all these that have a hand in making of man, do not know the making of him, not the father, nor the mother, nor that which we call the formative virtue, that is, that vigor which is in the materials, which works and fashions the body, as the workman does a statue, and gives several limbs to it, all these do not know it: therefore he must necessarily be made by God, and not by man. And therefore see how the Wise-man reasons, (Psalm 94:9) He that made the eye, shall he not see? He that made the ear, shall not he hear? etc. That is, he that is the maker of the instruments, or organs, or senses, or limbs of the body, or he that is maker of the soul, and faculties of it, it is certain that he must know, though others do not, the making of the body and soul, the turnings of the will, and the windings of the understanding. All those other are but as pencils in the hand of him that does all; the pencil does not know what it does, though it draws all, it is guided by the hand of a skillful painter, else it could do nothing. The painter only knows what he does; so that formative virtue, that vigor that forms the body of a man, that knows no more what it does, than the pencil does, but he in whose hand it is, who sets it on work, it is he that gives vigor and virtue to that seed in the womb, from where the body is raised, it is he that knows it, for it is he that makes it. And this is the first particular by which we prove that things were made, and had not their origin from themselves. The second is:

If things were not made, then, it is certain, that they must have a being from themselves. Now to have a being from itself, is nothing else but to be God: for it is an inseparable property of God, to have his being from himself. Now if you will acknowledge, that the creatures had a being of themselves, they must necessarily be Gods; for it belongs to him alone, to have a being of himself, and from himself. The third follows, which I would have you chiefly to mark.

If things have a being from themselves, it is certain then that they are without causes. As for example; that which has no efficient cause, that is, no maker, that has no end. Look upon all the works made by man, that we may express it to you; take a house, or any work, or instrument that man makes; therefore it has an end, because he that made it, proposed such an end to himself; but if it has no maker, it can have no end: for the end of anything is that which the maker aims at. Now if things have no end, they could have no form: for the form and fashion of everything arises only from the end, which the maker proposes to himself. As for example, the reason why a knife has such a fashion, is, because it was the end of the maker, to have it an instrument to cut with: the reason why an axe or hatchet has another fashion, is, because it might be an instrument to chop with; and the reason why a key has another fashion different from these, is, because the maker proposed to himself another end, in making of it, namely, to open locks with. These are all made of the same matter, that is, of iron, but they have diverse fashions, because they have several ends, which the maker proposes to himself. So that, if there are no ends of things, there is no form, nor fashion of them, because the ground of all their fashions, is their several ends. So then we will put them all together; if there is no efficient, no maker of them, then there is no end, and if there is no end, then there is no form nor fashion, and if there is no form, then there is no matter, and so consequently, they have no cause; and that which is without any cause, must necessarily be God; which I am sure none dares to affirm; and therefore they have not their being of themselves. But besides that negative argument, by bringing it to an impossibility, that the creatures should be Gods, we will make it plain by an affirmative argument, that all the creatures have an end.

For look upon all the creatures, and we shall see that they have an end; the end of the sun, moon and stars is, to serve the earth; and the end of the earth is, to bring forth plants; and the end of plants is, to feed the beasts: and so if you look to all particular things else, you shall see that they have an end, and if they have an end, it is certain, there is one did aim at it, and did give those creatures, those several fashions, which those several ends did require: As for example, What is the reason, why a horse has one fashion, a dog another, sheep another, and oxen another? The reason is plain, a horse was made to run, and to carry men; the oxen to plow; a dog to hunt, and so of the rest. Now this cannot be without an author, without a maker, from whom they have their beginning. So likewise this is plain by the effects: for this is a sure rule: Whatever it is, that has no other end, but itself, that seeks to provide for its own happiness in looking no further than itself; and this is only in God, blessed for ever; he has no end but himself, no cause above himself, therefore he looks only to himself, and therein does his happiness consist. Take anything that will not go out of its own sphere, but dwells within its own compass, stands upon its own bottom to seek its happiness, that thing destroys itself; look to any of the creatures, and let them not stir out of their own shell, they perish there. So, take a man that has no further end than himself, let him seek himself, make himself his end in all things he does, look only to his own profit and commodity, such a man destroys himself: for he is made to serve God, and men, and therein does his happiness consist, because that he is made for such an end: take those that have been serviceable to God, and men, that have spent themselves in serving God, with a perfect heart, we see that such men are happy men; and do we not find it by experience, that those that have gone a contrary way, have destroyed themselves? And this is the third particular.

4 If things had no beginning, if the world was from eternity; what is the reason there are no monuments of more ancient times, than there are? For, if we consider what eternity is, and what the vastness of it is, that when you have thought of millions of millions of years, yet still there is more beyond: if the world has been of so long continuance, what is the reason, that things are but, as it were, newly ripened? What is the reason, that things are of no greater antiquity than they are? Take all the writers that ever wrote, (besides the Scripture) and they all exceed not above four thousand years; for they almost all agree in this, that the first man, that had ever any history written of him, was Ninus, who lived about Abraham's time, or a little before; Trogus Pompeius, and Diodorus Siculus agree in this. Plutarch says, that Theseus, was the first, before him there was no history of truth, nothing credible; and this is his expression: Take the histories of times before Theseus, and you shall find them to be but like skirts, in the maps, wherein you shall find nothing but vast seas. Varro, one of the most learned of their writers, professes, that before the kingdom of the Sicyonians, which began after Ninus's time, that before that time nothing was certain, and the beginning of that was doubtful, and uncertain. And their usual division of all history, into fabulous, and certain, by historians, is well known, to those that are conversant in them; and yet the historians, that are of any truth, began long after the captivity in Babylon; for Herodotus, that lived after Esther's time, is counted the first that ever wrote in prose, and he was above eight hundred years after Moses's time. For conclusion of this, we will only say, that which one of the ancientest of the Roman poets, drawing this conclusion from the argument we have in hand, says, If things were from eternity, and had not a beginning; Cur supra bellum Thebanum & funera Trojae Non alias alii quoque res cecinere Poetae? If things were from eternity, what is the reason, that before the Theban and Trojan war, all the ancient poets, and ancient writers did not make mention of anything? Do you think, if things had been from eternity, there would be no monuments of them, if you consider the vastness of eternity, what it is? So likewise for the beginning of arts and sciences; what is the reason that the original of them is known? Why were they no sooner found out? Why are they not sooner perfected? Printing, you know, is a late invention; and so is the invention of letters: take all sciences, the ancientest, as astrology and philosophy, as well as the mathematics; why are their authors yet known, and we see them in the blade, and not in the fruit? So for the genealogies of men (for that I touch, because it is an argument insinuated by Paul, when he disputed with the Heathens (Acts 17:26), that God has made of one blood all mankind) you see evidently how one man begets another, and he another, and so on: and so go and take all the genealogies in the Scripture, and in all other historians, we shall see, that they all come to one well-head. Now, I ask, if the world was from eternity, what is the reason that there is but one fountain, one blood of which we are all made? Why should they not be made all together? Why was not the earth peopled together, and in every land a multitude of inhabitants together, if they had been from eternity, and had no beginning?

The second principal head, by which we will make this good to you, that there is a God, that made heaven and earth, is, the testimony of God himself. There is a double testimony; one is the written testimony, which we have in the Scripture; the other is, that testimony, which is written in the hearts of men.

Now, you know that all nations do acknowledge a God, (this we take for granted) indeed, even those that have been lately discovered, that live, as it were, disjoined from the rest of the world, yet they all have, and worship a God; those nations discovered lately by the Spaniards, in the West Indies, and those that have been discovered since; all of them, without exception, have it written in their hearts, that there is a God. Now the strength of the argument lies in these two things:

1 I observe that phrase used (Romans 2:15). It is called a law written in their hearts. Every man's soul is but, as it were, the table or paper, upon which the writing is; the thing written is this principle that we are now upon, that there is a God, that made heaven and earth: but now who is the writer? Surely it is God, which is evident by this; because it is a general effect in the heart of every man living, and therefore it must come from a general cause: from where else shall it proceed? No particular cause can produce it; if it were, or had been taught by some particular man, by some sect, in some one nation or kingdom, in one age, then, knowing the cause, we should see that the effect would not exceed it, but when you find it in the hearts of all men, in all nations and ages; then you must conclude, it was a universal effect, written by the general author of all things, which is God alone; and so consequently, the argument has this strength in it, that it is the testimony of God.

2 Besides, when you see every man looking after a God, and seeking him, it is an argument that there is one, though they do not find him: it is true, they pitch upon a false god, and go the wrong way to seek him, yet it shows that there is such a deity. For as in other things; when we see one affect that thing which another does not; as to the eye of one, that is beautiful which is not to another, yet all affecting some beauty; it is an argument that beauty is the general object of all, and so in taste and other senses. So when we see men going different ways, some worshipping one God, some another, yet all conspiring in this, to worship a God, it must needs argue that there is one: for this law engraved in every man's heart, you will grant that it is a work of nature at least, and the works of nature are not in vain; even as, when you see the fire to ascend above the air, it argues that there is a place where it would rest, though you never saw it; and as, in winter, when you see the swallows flying to a place, though you never saw the place, yet you must needs gather that there is one which nature has appointed them, and has given them an instinct to fly to, and there to be at rest; so when you see in every man's soul such an instigation to seek God, though men never saw him, and the most go the wrong way to seek him, and take that for God which is not, yet this argues there is a deity which they intend. And this is the third.

The last argument is taken from the soul of man, the fashion of it, and the immortality of it.

First, God is said to have made man after his own image; he does not mean his body, for that is not made after the image of God; neither is it only that holiness which was created in us, and now lost: for then he would not have said (Genesis 9:6), "He that sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God made he man." The principal intent of that place, is (for ought I can see or judge) of that Scripture (speaking of the natural fashion of things, and not of the supernatural graces) it is, to express that God has given a soul to man, that carries the image of God, a likeness to the essence of God, immaterial, immortal, invisible; for there is a double image of God in the soul, one in the substance of it, which is never lost; another is the supernatural grace, which is an image of the knowledge, holiness, and righteousness of God, and this is utterly lost. But the soul is the image of the essence of God, (as I may so speak) that is, it is a spirit immaterial, immortal, invisible, as he is; has understanding and will, as he has; he understands all things, and wills whatever he pleases. And you see an expression of him in your own soul, which is an argument of the deity.

Secondly, besides, the immortality of the soul, which argues it came not from anything here below, but that it has its original from God; it came from GOD, and to GOD it must return; that is, it had not any beginning here, it had it from him, and to him again it must return. For what is this body, wherein the soul is? It is but the case of the soul, the shell, and sheath of it; therefore the soul uses it but for a time, and dwells in it, as a man dwells in a house, while it is habitable, but when it is grown ruinous, he departs: the soul uses the body, as a man does a vessel, when it is broken, he lays it aside; or as a man does an instrument, while it will be serviceable to him; but when it is no longer fit to play upon, he casts it aside; so does the soul, as it were, lay aside the body: for it is but as a garment that a man uses; when it is worn out, and threadbare, he casts it off: so does the soul with the body. And for the further proof of this, and that it depends not on the body, nor has its original of it, or by it; consider the great acts of the soul, which are such, as cannot arise from the temper of the matter, be it never so curious: As the discourse of the soul from one general to another; the apprehension of so high things, as God, and Angels; the devising of such things as never came into the senses. For, though it be true, that sounds and colors be carried into the understanding by the senses; yet to make pictures of these colors, and music of these sounds, this is from the understanding within: So the remembrance of things past; observing the condition of things, by comparing one with another. Now, look upon brute beasts, we see no actions but may arise from the temper of the matter; according to which their fancy and appetite are fashioned; though some actions are stronger than others, yet they arise not above the wellhead of sense: all those extraordinary things, which they are taught to do, it is but for their food, as Hawks, and some Pigeons, it is reported, in Assyria that they carry letters from one place to another, where they use to have food; so other beasts that act dancing, and such like motions, it is done by working on their senses: but come to man, there are other actions of his understanding and will in the soul: It is true indeed, in a man there are fancy and appetite, and these arise from the temper of the body; therefore as the body has a different temper, so there are several appetites, dispositions and affections; some man longs after one thing, some after another, but these are but the several turnings of the sensual appetite, (which is also seen in beasts) therefore when the soul is gone, these remain no longer; but come to the higher part of the soul, the actions of the will, and understanding of man, and they are of a higher nature; the acts which they do, have no dependence upon the body at all: Besides, come to the motions of the body; the soul guides and moves the body, as a Pilot does a ship, (now the Pilot may be safe, though the ship be split upon the rock.) Look on beasts, they are led wholly as their appetite carries them, and they must go that way; therefore they are not ruled, as a Pilot governs a ship: but in men, their appetites would carry them here, or there, but the will says no, and that has the understanding for its counselor. So that the motions of the body arise not from the diversity of the sensual appetites, as in all other creatures, but of the will and understanding; for the soul depends not upon the body, but the acts of the body depend upon it: therefore, when the body perishes, the soul dies not; but, as a man that dwells in a house; if the house fall, he has no dependence on it, but may go away to another house; so the soul has no dependence upon the body at all; therefore you must not think that it does die when the body perishes.

Besides, the soul is not worn, it is not weary, as other things are; the body is weary, and the spirits are weary: the body wears, as does a garment, till it be wholly worn out: now, anything that is not weary, it cannot perish; but, in the very actions of the soul itself there is no weariness, but whatever comes into the soul perfects it, with a natural perfection, and it is the stronger for it; therefore it cannot be subject to decay, it cannot wear out, as other things do, but the more notions it has, the more perfect it is: the body, indeed, is weary with labor, and the spirits are weary, but the soul is not weary, but in the immediate acts of it, the soul works still, even when the body sleeps: Look upon all the actions of the soul, and they are independent, and as their independence grows, so the soul grows younger and younger, and stronger and stronger, senescens juvenescit, and is not subject to decay, or mortality: as you see in a chicken, it grows still, and so the shell breaks, and falls off: so is it with the soul, the body hangs on it, but as a shell, and when the soul is grown to perfection, it falls away, and the soul returns to the Maker.

The next thing that I should come to, is to show you how this is made evident by faith. When a man has some rude thoughts of a thing, and has some reason for it, he then begins to have some persuasion of it; but when, besides, a man wise and true, shall come, and tell him it is so, this adds much strength to his confidence: for when you come to discern this Godhead, and to know it by reasons from the creatures, this may give you some persuasion; but when one shall come, and tell you out of the Scripture, made by a wise and true God, that it is so indeed; this makes you confirmed in it. Therefore the strength of the argument by faith, you may gather after this manner: You believe the Scriptures to be true, and that they are the Word of God; now this is contained in the Scriptures, that God made Heaven and Earth; therefore, believing the Scriptures to be the Word of God, and whatever is contained in them; hence faith lays hold upon it also, and so our consent grows strong and firm, that there is a God: After this manner you come to conclude it by faith. For what is faith? Faith is, but when a thing is propounded to you, even as an object set before the eye, there is a habit of faith within, that sees it what it is; for faith is nothing else, but a seeing of that which is: for though a thing is not true, because I believe it is so, yet things first are, and then I believe them. Faith does not believe things imaginary, and such as have no ground; but whatever faith believes, it has a being, and the things we believe, do lie before the eye of reason, sanctified and elevated by the eye of faith; therefore Moses, when he goes about to set down the Scripture, he does not prove things by reason, but propounds them, as, In the beginning GOD made the Heaven and Earth; he propounds the object, and leaves it to the eye of faith to look upon. For the nature of faith is this: God has given to man an understanding faculty, (which we call, Reason) the object of this is all the truths that are delivered in the world, & whatever has a being. Now take all things that we are said to believe, and they also are things that are, and which are the true objects of the understanding and reason. But the understanding has objects of two sorts:

1 Such as we may easily perceive, as the eye of man does the object that is before him.

2 Such as we see with more difficulty, and cannot do it, without something above the eye to elevate it: As the candle and the bigness of it, the eye can see; but to know the bigness of the Sun, in the latitude of it, you must have instruments of art to see it, and you must measure it by degrees, and so see it: So is it here, some things we may fully see by reason alone, and those are such as lie before us, and them we may easily see: but other things there are, that though they are true, yet they are more remote, and further off; therefore they are harder to be seen; and therefore we must have something to help our understanding to see them. So that indeed, Faith, it is but the lifting up of the understanding, by adding a new light to them and it; and therefore they are said to be revealed, not because they were not before, as if the revealing of them gave a being to them; but, even as a new light in the night discovers to us that which we did not see before, and as a prospective glass reveals to the eye, that which we could not see before, and by its own power, the eye could not reach to. So that the way to strengthen ourselves by this argument, is to believe the Scriptures; and the things contained in them.

Now you should see, why we are to believe the Scriptures; but this we must leave till the next time. We will now come to some use of the point, for we are not to dismiss you without some application, but we must insert some uses here and there.

Use 1 When you hear these arguments, and this conclusion proving that there is a God, the use you should make of it, is, to labor daily to strengthen our faith in this principle, and to have an eye at God in all our actions, for this is the reason given in the Text, why one man comes to God, because he believes that he is, and another does not, because he believes it but by halves; if they did believe this fully, they would serve God with a perfect heart. What is the reason, that Moses breaks through all impediments, he had temptations on both sides; prosperity and preferment on the one side, and adversity and afflictions on the other, yet he passes through wealth and poverty, honor and dishonor, and goes straight on in the way to heaven, and [reconstructed: the] reason is added in the Text, because he saw him that was invisible (Hebrews 11:27); even so, if you did see him that was invisible, the God we now speak of, as you see a man that stands before you, your ways would be more even, and we should walk with him more uprightly than we do, if we did but believe, that it is he that fills the heaven and earth; as he says of himself (Jeremiah 23:24).

Some may here say; Object. How can we see him that is invisible? Here is oppositum in adjecto, to see him that is invisible.

Come to the body of a man, you can see nothing but the outside, the outward bulk and hide of the creature, yet there is an immaterial, invisible substance within, that fills the body; so come to the body of the world, there is a God that fills heaven and earth, as the soul does the body. Now to draw this a little nearer, that invisible, immaterial substance, the soul of man which stands at the doors of the body, and looks out at the windows of the eyes, and of the ears, both to see and hear, which yet we see not; yet it is this soul that does all these; for if the soul be once gone out of the house of the body, the eye sees no more, the ear hears no more, than a house or chamber can see, when there is no body in it; and as it is the spiritual substance within the body that sees, and hears, and understands all; so apply this to God that dwells in heaven and earth; that as, though you see not the soul, yet every part of the body is full of it; so if we look into the world, we see that it is filled, and yet God (like as the soul) is in every place, and fills it with his presence; he is present with every creature, he is in the air, and in yourselves, and sees all your actions, and hears all your words; and if we could bring ourselves to a settled persuasion of this, it would cause us to walk more evenly with God than we do, and to converse with him after another manner; when a man is present, indeed, are solicitous, thinking what that soul thinks of you, how that soul is affected to you; so if you believed God were in the world, it would make you have an eye to him in all your actions, as he has an eye to you, and to have a special care to please him in all things, rather than to please men. And this is the ground of all the difference between men: one man believes it fully that there is such a mighty God; another believes it but by halves; and therefore one man has a care, only to please God in all things, and to have an eye to him alone; the other believing it but by halves, he seeks and earnestly follows other things, and is not so solicitous what the Lord thinks of him.

The thing therefore which we exhort you to, is, that you would endeavor to strengthen that principle more and more. We speak not to atheists now, but to them that believe there is a God, and yet we do not think our labor lost: for, though there be an assent to this truth in us, yet it is such a one as may receive degrees, and may be strengthened: for I know that there are few perfect atheists, yet there are some degrees of atheism left in the best of God's children, which we take not notice of; for there is a twofold atheism:

1. One is, when a man thinks that there is no God, and knows he does so.

2. Another kind of atheism is, when a man doubts of the Deity, and observes it not. There are some degrees of doubting in the hearts of all men, as we shall see by these effects, that this untaken-notice-of atheism does produce. As, when men shall avoid crosses, rather than sin, not considering that the wrath and displeasure of God goes with it, which is the greatest evil that can befall us: what is the reason of it? That whereas the greatest cross is exceeding light, if the wrath of God be put in the other balance, what is the reason that yet this should outweigh the other, in our apprehension, if we be fully persuaded of this principle, that God made heaven and earth? What is the reason that when crosses and sin come into competition, as two several ways, that we must go one way; why will men rather turn aside from a cross, to sin against God, and violate the peace of their consciences, rather than undergo losses, or crosses, or imprisonment?

Again, what is the reason that we are so ready to please, and loath to displease men, as a potent friend or enemy, rather than God? If this principle were fully believed, that there is a God, that made heaven and earth, you would not do so. The Prophet Isaiah does express this most elegantly (Isaiah 51:12-14): "Who are you that are afraid of man that shall die, and the son of man, which shall be made as grass, and forgets the LORD your Maker, which stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundation of the earth?" As if he should say, what atheism is this in the hearts of men?

From where else are also those deceits, lies, and shiftings, to make things fair with men, when they know that God is offended with it, who sees all things.

What is the reason that men are so sensible of outward shame, more than of secret sins; and care so much what men think of them, and speak of them, and not what God sees or knows? Does not this declare that men think as those atheists of whom Job speaks (Job 22), and do they not conceive in some degree, as those do, as if GOD did not descend beneath the circle of the heavens to the earth, and his eyes were barred by the curtains of the night, that he did not take notice of the ways of men; and look how men do this in a greater measure, so much greater atheism they have.

Again, if you do believe that there is such a God, what is the reason when you have anything to do, that you run to creatures, and seek help from them, and busy yourselves wholly about outward means, and seek not to God by prayer, and renewing of your repentance? If you did fully believe that there is a God, you would rather do this.

Again, what is the reason that men are carried away with the present, as Aristotle calls it, [in non-Latin alphabet], this same very (nunc) does transport a man from the ways of virtue to vice, that they are too busy about the body, and are careless of the immortal soul, that they suffer that to lie, like a forlorn prisoner, and to starve within them? Would you do so, if you did believe that there is such a God, that made the soul, to whom it must return and give an account, and live with him forever?

Again, what is the reason that men do seek so for the things of this life, are so careful in building houses, gathering estates, and preparing for themselves here such goodly mansions for their bodies, and spend no time to adorn the soul? (when yet these do but grace us among men, and are only for present use) and look not for those things which commend the soul to God, and regard not eternity in which the soul must live? I say, what is the reason of this, if there be not some grounds of secret Atheism in men?

What is the reason that there is such stupidity in men, that the threatenings will not move them, they will be moved with nothing, like beasts, but present strokes, that they do not foresee the plague to prevent it, but go on, and are punished? And so for God's promises and rewards; Why will you not forbear sin, that you may receive the promises, and the rewards? From where is this stupidity both ways? Why are we as beasts, led with sensuality, that we will not be drawn to that which belongs to God and his Kingdom? Is not this an argument of secret Atheism and impiety in the heart of every man, more or less?

Again, what is the reason, that when men come into the presence of God, they carry themselves so negligently, not caring how their souls are clad, and what the behavior of their spirits is before him? If you should come before men, you would look that your clothes be neat and decent, and you will carry yourselves with such reverence, as becomes him, in whose presence you stand; this proceeds from Atheism, in the hearts of men, not believing the Lord to be he that fills the Heaven, and the Earth. Therefore, as you find these things in you, more or less, so labor to confirm this principle more and more to yourselves; and you should say, when you hear these arguments, certainly I will believe it more firmly, surely I will hover no more about it. To what end are more lights brought, but that you should see things more clearly, which you did not before? So that this double use you shall make of it:

One is, to fix this conclusion in your hearts, and to fasten it daily upon your souls.

Use 2: The second is, if there be such a mighty God, then labor to draw such consequences as may arise from such a conclusion.

As, if there be such a one that fills Heaven and Earth; then look upon him, as one that sees all you do, and hears whatever you speak. As when you see a ship pass through the sea, and see the sails applied to the wind, and taken down, and hoisted up again, as the wind requires, and shall see it keep such a constant course, to such a haven, avoiding the rocks and sands, you will say, surely there is one within that guides it; for it could not do this of itself. Or as when you look upon the body of man, and see it live and move, and do the actions of a living man; you must needs say, the body could not do this of itself, but there must be something within that quickens it, and causes all the actions. Even so when you look upon the creatures, and see them to do such things, which of themselves they are no more able to do, than the body can do the actions that it does, without the soul: therefore hence you may gather that there is a God, that fills Heaven and Earth, and does whatever he pleases. And if this be so, then draw near to him, converse with him, and walk with him from day to day; observe him in all his dealings with us, and our dealings with him, and one with another; be thankful to him for all the blessings we enjoy, and fly to him for succor in all dangers, and upon all occasions.