When men think least of God, 1then is Gods time to come upon them for their sins, when they are in the greatest security of all: whereas if you would remember your sins God might forget them, or if you would remember God your sins should not be remembered, but you forgetting God, your sins are remembered. It is an abominable thing for us to forget God by whom we had our memory, by whom we are remembered, we should never have been thought of if God had not given us what we have, and therefore for us not to think of God it is a vile sin. Now God is forgotten when he is not honoured, minded as our confidence, help, refuge, our only good, when he is not obeyed; if we do but remember sin, we cannot but honour him. How many forget what manifestations once they had of God? they are passed by from them, and other things take up their thoughts; Oh! what an appearing was there of God to many of your souls heretofore, and what conference between God and your souls? what lustre of Gods Spirit upon you? and you thought you should never forget those things; but now other things are in your hearts,2 Oh! such men and women have cause to fear that they are under much wrath that they should forget their Maker. God challenges remembrance under this title:3 Remember thy Creator in ⟨p. 127⟩the days of thy youth. There's no creature but the rational creature that can reflect upon the cause of their being, the first cause, and therefore God would not lose the honour from this creature; Indeed the Ox knows his owner, and the Ass his Masters crib, the beasts can take notice of those that bring them good things; but to reflect upon the cause of their first being, (I say) that's proper to the rational creature, and therefore it is an honour that God expects from you, and will not lose it.
When men think least of God, 1then is Gods time to come upon them for their sins, when they are in the greatest security of all: whereas if you would remember your sins God might forget them, or if you would remember God your sins should not be remembred, but you forgetting God, your sins are remembred. It is an abominable thing for us to forget God by whom we had our memory, by whom we are remembred, we should never have been thought of if God had not given us what we have, and therefore for us not to think of God it is a vile sin. Now God is forgotten when he is not honored, minded as our confidence, help, refuge, our only good, when he is not obeyed; if we do but remember sin, we cannot but honor him. How many forget what manifestations once they had of God? they are passed by from them, and other things take up their thoughts; Oh! what an appearing was there of God to many of your souls heretofore, and what conference between God and your souls? what lustre of Gods Spirit upon you? and you thought you should never forget those things; but now other things are in your hearts,2 Oh! such men and women have cause to fear that they are under much wrath that they should forget their Maker. God challenges remembrance under this title:3 Remember thy Creator in ⟨p. 127⟩the daies of thy youth. There's no creature but the rational creature that can reflect upon the cause of their being, the first cause, and therefore God would not lose the honor from this creature; Indeed the Ox knows his owner, and the Ass his Masters crib, the beasts can take notice of those that bring them good things; but to reflect upon the cause of their first being, (I say) that's proper to the rational creature, and therefore it is an honor that God expects from you, and will not lose it.
- 1Obs. 1.
- 2A sign of much wrath.
- 3Eccles. 12. 1.
