8. That man is a very Atheist, whose conscience does never trouble him, nor check him for the commission of any sin; That man that can be drunk to day, and swear to morrow, and cheat the next day, ⟨p. 255⟩and commit one sin after another, and yet his conscience never give him any control, that man is a very Atheist. Those that can live in the world, and commit gross sins every day, and their consciences never check them for their sins, it is a sad sign that such men are practical Atheists. If you have the fear of God in you, and the thoughts of a God upon you, it will make you reflect upon sins past, and be grieved for sins and miscarriages of twenty years standing: thus did Josephs brethren call to mind their former sins, Gen. 42. 21. And they said one to another, We 1have verily sinned against our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear him, and therefore is this evil come upon us; and so Job, Thou writest bitter 2things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth: and so David prays, that 3God would not remember the sins of his youth. But now you that can be drunk one day after another, and belch out one oath after another, and commit one sin after another, and thy conscience never control thee, the Lord be merciful to thee, for thou art plunged into a depth of Atheism. One compares an Atheist to a duck in a pond, if a man throws a stone into the water, where she is, she will presently dive under, but let it thunder or lighten never so much in the heavens, she takes no notice ⟨p. 256⟩of it; so an Atheist he cannot endure, that men should take notice of him, or discover his wickedness, to reprove him, or speak against him, but let God thunder upon him never so much, he will not be troubled at it; did you live under the apprehensions of a Deity, it is impossible your consciences should be so long and so frequently out of its office.
8. That man is a very Atheist, whose conscience does never trouble him, nor check him for the commission of any sinne; That man that can be drunk to day, and swear to morrow, and cheat the next day, ⟨p. 255⟩and commit one sin after another, and yet his conscience never give him any controll, that man is a very Atheist. Those that can live in the world, and commit grosse sins every day, and their consciences never check them for their sinnes, it is a sad sign that such men are practicall Atheists. If you have the fear of God in you, and the thoughts of a God upon you, it will make you reflect upon sins past, and be grieved for sinnes and miscarriages of twenty years standing: thus did Josephs brethren call to minde their former sins, Gen. 42. 21. And they said one to another, We 1have verily sinned against our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear him, and therefore is this evill come upon us; and so Job, Thou writest bitter 2things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth: and so David prays, that 3God would not remember the sins of his youth. But now you that can be drunk one day after another, and belch out one oath after another, and commit one sinne after another, and thy conscience never controll thee, the Lord be mercifull to thee, for thou art plunged into a depth of Atheisme. One compares an Atheist to a duck in a pond, if a man throwes a stone into the water, where she is, she will presently dive under, but let it thunder or lighten never so much in the heavens, she takes no notice ⟨p. 256⟩of it; so an Atheist he cannot endure, that men should take notice of him, or discover his wickednesse, to reprove him, or speak against him, but let God thunder upon him never so much, he will not be troubled at it; did you live under the apprehensions of a Deity, it is impossible your consciences should be so long and so frequently out of its office.
- 1Gen. 42. 21.
- 2Job 13. 26.Iob 13. 26.
- 3Psal. 25. 7
