The Sincere Convert

First,¹ In opinion; such as either conclude, or suspect there is no God. Oh blasphemous thought! Are there any such men? men! nay beasts, nay Devils, nay worse than Devils, for they believe and tremble. Yet the fool hath said in his heart, there is no God, Psal. 18. 1. Men that have little heads, little knowledge, without hearts, as scholars sometimes of weak brains, seeing how things come by second causes, though they might believe their books, yet cannot raise their dull ⟨p. 11⟩thoughts to the beholding of a first cause. Great Politicians are like children always standing on their heads, and shaking their heels against Heaven; these think Religion to be but a piece of policy, to keep people in awe: profane persons desiring to go on in sin, without any rub or check for sin, blow out all the light of nature, wishing there were no God to punish, and are willing to suspect that which is not. Those also that have sinned secretly, though not openly against nature, or the light of Conscience: GOD smites men for incest, sodomy, self-pollution, with dismal blindness. Those also that are notorious worldlings, that look no higher than their barns, no further than their shops: the world is a pearl in their eyes; they cannot see a God.

First,¹ In opinion; such as either conclude, or suspect there is no God. Oh blasphemous thought! Are there any such men? men! nay beasts, nay Devils, nay worse than Devils, for they beleeve and tremble. Yet the foole hath said in his heart, there is no God, Psal. 18. 1. Men that have little heads, little knowledge, without hearts, as scholars sometimes of weak brains, seeing how things come by second causes, though they might beleeve their bookes, yet cannot raise their dull ⟨p. 11⟩thoughts to the beholding of a first cause. Great Politicians are like children alwayes standing on their heads, and shaking their heeles against Heaven; these thinke Religion to bee but a peece of policie, to keepe people in awe: prophane persons desiring to goe on in sinne, without any rubb or checke for sinne, blow out all the light of nature, wishing there were no God to punish, and are willing to suspect that which is not. Those also that have sinned secretly, though not openly against nature, or the light of Conscience: GOD smites men for incest, sodomy, selfe-pollution, with dismall blindnesse. Those also that are notorious worldlings, that looke no higher than their barnes, no further than their shops: the world is a pearle in their eyes; they cannot see a God.