The divine life in three treatises

Use. WE are next to consider how far this doctrine doth concern our selves, and what use we have to make of it upon our hearts and lives.

And first it acquainteth us with the abundance of Atheism that is in the world, even among those that profess the knowledge of God. It is Atheism not only to say, There is no God: but to say so in the heart. Psal. 14. 1. While the heart is no more affected towards him, observant of him, or confident in him, or submissive to him, than if indeed there were no God: When there is nothing of God upon the Heart, no Love, no Fear, no Trust, no Subjection, then is Heart-Atheism. When men that have some kind of knowledge of God, yet glorify him not as God, nor are thankful to him, but become vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts are darkened; these men are Heart-Atheists, and professing themselves wise, they become fools, and are given up to vile affections: And as they do not like to retain God in their knowledge (however they may discourse of him, so) God oft giveth them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, &c. Rom. 1. 21, 22, 26, 28, 29, 30. Swarms of such Atheists go up and down under the self-deceiving name of Christians: being indeed unbelieving and defiled, so void of Purity, that they deride it, and nothing is Pure to them; but even their mind and conscience is defiled: They profess that they know God, but they deny him in their works, being abominable and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate, Tit. 1. 15, 16. What is he but an Atheist, when God is not in all his thoughts, Psal. 10. 4. unless it be in their impious or blaspheming thoughts, or in their sleight contemptuous thoughts! To take God for God indeed, and for our God, essentially includeth the taking him to be the most powerful, wist and good, the most just and holy, the Creator, Preserver