The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

1. It is the great Character of a Man presumptuously and flagitiously wicked, that God is not in all his Thoughts, Psal. 10.4. That is, he is in none of them. And of this want of Thoughts of God there are many Degrees; for all wicked men are not equally so forgetful of him.

1. Some are under the power of Atheistical Thoughts: They deny, or question, or do not avowedly acknowledge the very Being of God. This is the height of what the enmity of the carnal Mind can rise unto. To acknowledge God, and yet to refuse to be subject to his Law or Will, a Man would think were as bad if not worse, than to deny the Being of God. But it is not so. That is a Rebellion against his Authority, this and Hatred unto the only Fountain of all Goodness, Truth and Being; and that because they cannot own it, but withal they must acknowledge it to be infinitely righteous, holy and powerful, ⟨p. 127⟩which would destroy all their desires and security. Such may be the Person in the Psalm; for the words may be read, All his Thoughts are that there is no God. Howbeit the Context describes him as one who rather despiseth his Providence, than denieth his Being. But such there are whom the same Psalmist elsewhere brands for Fools, though themselves seem to suppose that Wisdom was born and will dye with them, Psal. 14.1. Psal. 53.1.

1. Some are under the power of Atheistical Thoughts: They deny, or question, or do not avowedly acknowledge the very Being of God. This is the height of what the enmity of the carnal Mind can rise unto. To acknowledge God, and yet to refuse to be subject to his Law or Will, a Man would think were as bad if not worse, than to deny the Being of God. But it is not so. That is a Rebellion against his Authority, this and Hatred unto the only Fountain of all Goodness, Truth and Being; and that because they cannot own it, but withal they must acknowledge it to be infinitely righteous, holy and powerful,