A65285:170
A Body of Practical Divinity
A body of practical divinity consisting of above one hundred seventy six sermons on the lesser catechism composed by the reverend assembly of divines at Westminster : with a supplement of some sermons on several texts of Scripture / by Thomas Watson ...
London: printed for Thomas Parkurst, 1692
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Use 1. Seeing there is a God, this reproves such Atheistical Fools as deny it. Epicurus denied that there was a Providence, saying, That all things fell out by Chance, Diagoras. He that saith there is no God, is the wickedest Creature that is, he is worse then a Thief, who doth but take away our Goods from us, but the Atheist would take away our God from us: Joh. 20. They have taken away my Lord. So we may say of Atheists, they would take away our God from us, in whom all our Hope and Comfort is laid up: Psal. 14.1. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. He durst not speak it with his Tongue, but said it in his Heart; he wished it. Sure none can be Speculative Atheists: The devils believe and tremble, Jam. 2. I have read of one Arthur a professed Atheist, who when he came to die, cried out, he was damned. But though there are few found who say, There is no God, yet many deny him in their Practices: Tit. 1.16. In works they deny him. Cicero said of Epicurus, Verbis reliquit Deos resustulit. The World is full of Practical Atheism: most People live as if they did not believe there was a God. Durst they lie, defraud, be unclean, if they believed there were a God, who would call them to account? If an Indian, who never heard of a God, should come among us, and have no other means to convince him of a Deity, but the Lives of Men in our Age, sure he would be of Protagoras his mind, who did hang in a doubtful suspense, and did question, Whether there were a God; Utrum Dii sint non ausim affirmare.
Use 1. Seeing there is a God, this reproves such Atheistical Fools as deny it. Epicurus denied that there was a Providence, saying, That all things fell out by Chance, Diagoras. He that saith there is no God, is the wickedest Creature that is, he is worse then a Thief, who doth but take away our Goods from us, but the Atheist would take away our God from us: Joh. 20. They have taken away my Lord. So we may say of Atheists, they would take away our God from us, in whom all our Hope and Comfort is laid up: Psal. 14.1. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. He durst not speak it with his Tongue, but said it in his Heart; he wished it. Sure none can be Speculative Atheists: The devils believe and tremble,