Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

You may meet with suggestions to it; though the Devil formerly never attempted to demolish this notion in the World, but was willing to keep it up, so the worship due to God might run in his own Channel; and was necessitated to preserve it, without which he could not have erected that Idolatry, which was his great design in opposition to God: yet since the Foundations of that are torn up, and never like to be rebuilt, he may endeavour, as his last refuge, to banish the Notion of God out of the World; that he may reign as absolutely without it, as he did before by the mistakes about the divine Nature. But we must not lay all upon Satan; the corruption of our own hearts ministers matter to such Sparks. 'Tis not said Satan hath suggested to the Fool, but the Fool hath said in his heart there is no God. But let them come from what principle soever, silence them quickly, give them their dismiss; oppose the whole Scheme of Nature to sight against them, as the Stars did against Sisera. Stir up sentiments of Conscience to oppose sentiments of corruption. Resolve sooner to believe, that your selves are not, than that God is not: And if you suppose they at any time come from Satan, object to him that you know he believes the contrary, to what he suggests. Settle this principle firmly in you, let us behold Him that is invisible, as Moses did: ^*Let us have the sentiments following upon the Notion of a God; to be restrained by a fear of him, excited by a love to him, not to violate his Laws and offend his Goodness. He is not a God careless of our actions, negligent to inflict punishment, and bestow rewards, he forgets not the labour of our love, ^*nor the integrity of our ways: He were not a God, if he were not a Governor: And punishments and rewards are as essential to Government, as a Foundation to a building: His being and his Government in rewarding, which implies punishment, (for the neglects of him are linked together,) ^*are not to be separated in our thoughts of him.

You may meet with suggestions to it; though the Devil formerly never attempted to demolish this notion in the World, but was willing to keep it up, so the worship due to God might run in his own Channel; and was necessitated to preserve it, without which he could not have erected that Idolatry, which was his great design in opposition to God: yet since the Foundations of that are torn up, and never like to be rebuilt, he may indeavour, as his last refuge, to banish the Notion of God out of the World; that he may reign as absolutely without it, as he did before by the mistakes about the divine Nature. But we must not lay all upon Satan; the corruption of our own hearts ministers matter to such Sparks. 'Tis not said Satan hath suggested to the Fool, but the Fool hath said in his heart there is no God. But let them come from what principle soever, silence them quickly, give them their dismiss; oppose the whole Scheme of Nature to sight against them, as the Stars did against Sisera. Stir up sentiments of Conscience to oppose sentiments of corruption. Resolve sooner to believe, that your selves are not, than that God is not: And if you suppose they at any time come from Satan, object to him that you know he believes the contrary, to what he suggests. Settle this principle firmly in you, let us behold Him that is invisible, as Moses did: