London's lamentation, or, A serious discourse concerning the late fiery dispensation that turned our…

Secondly, That though sin in the general, lays people under §2the fiery Dispensations of God; yet if we will but diligently search into the blessed Book of God, which never spoke Treason nor Sedition, we shall find that there are several sins that brings the heavy Judgment of Fire upon Cities and Countries. As,

First, Gross Atheism, practical Atheism, is a sin that §1brings desolating and destroying Judgments upon a people, Zeph. 1. 12. And it shall come to pass, at that time that I will ¹search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled upon their lees, that say in their heart, the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil. What horrid Blasphemy, what gross Atheism is here? How do these Atheists ungod the great God? How do they deny his Omnipotency and Omniscience? What a God of Clouts, what an Idol-god do they make the great God to be, when they make him to be such a God as will neither do good nor hurt? Epicurius denied not Gods Essence, but only his Providence; for he granted that there was a God, though he thought him to be such an one as did neither good nor evil; but certainly God sits not idle in Heaven, but has a sharp and serious Eye upon all that is done on the Earth: and this both Saints and sinners shall find by experience, when in the great day he shall distribute both his rewards and punishments according to what they have done in the flesh. Atheism is the main disease of the Soul, not only pestilent to the person in whom it is harboured, but also to the whole Land where 'tis practised and permitted. Atheism is worse then Idolatry; for Idolatry only robs God of his Worship, but Atheism robs God both of his Attributes and Being, and therefore mark what follows, verse 13. Therefore their God shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation, they shall also build houses, but ⟨p. 68⟩