the only true God, and our God, and not worshipping and glorifying him accordingly.

2. Let these things ferve to convince us of our fin, and deeply to humble us, Pfal. xix. 12. This preaching of the commands is a glass held before your face, wherein ye may fee your fpots. O look into it, that ye may see what are your fins. And when ye go home, go over these things in your meditation.

3. Learn from hence the impoffibility of falvation by the way of the law, or keeping the commandments. Ye have heard yet but a part of the explication of one of thefe commands; but durft ye venture your falvation on the fulfilling of this one part of this one? How then can ye think to be capable enough for them all?

4. See the infinite obligations we lie under to Chrift, for that he was made under the law, exactly fulfilled it in every point, and offers us his righteousness, whereby we may answer all the demands of the law in point of juftification.

5. See the abfolute need ye have of Chrift. Look rightly on these commands as your creditors, behold the articles they charge on you, as juft debt, and ye will fee ye must have a cautioner. Ye need Chrift,

(1.) For juftification and pardon, to remove the guilt ye have contracted. There is need of blood to wash away that guilt.

(2.) For fanctification. Here is the rule of your life. To each of thefe duties and other duties ye muft fet yourselves. Have ye not need of his Spirit to ftrengthen, incline, and make you perfevere therein?

mand.

II. I come now to the negative part of this com"The first command forbiddeth the deny. ing, or not worshipping and glorifying the true "God, as God, and our God; and the giving that "worship and glory to any other which is due to "him alone." There are three fins chiefly forbidden

in this commandment. I. Atheism. 2. Profanenefs. 3. Idolatry.

FIRST, Atheism is here forbidden. It is the denying of God, a fin that overturns all religion by the root, Prov. xxx. 9. It is twofold; fpeculative in the judgement, and practical in the converfation.

First, There is a fpeculative Atheism, which has its feat in the corrupt mind of man. It is also twofold; one ftriking fimply at the being of a God, another at the being only of the true God manifefted to us in his word. Both these are forbidden here; for the command fays two things: 1. Thou fhalt have a God. 2. Thou fhalt have me for thy God.

1. Then there is abfolute fpeculative Atheism, when mens hearts are fo filled by Satan, that they do not believe there is a God at all, Pfal. xiv. 1. I do not think that any person can arrive at a constant, habitual, uninterrupted Atheism of this fort, more than they can deftroy the being of their own fouls, God has fo interwoven the notion of his being with the very make of the foul. But fuch a conclufion they may come to lay down, and labour habitually to maintain it againft themfelves and others. This is confummate Atheism.

There is alfo an initial Atheism; that is, doubting of the being of a God, the mind going from one fide to another, doubting whether there be a God or not. This arifes from man's natural corruption, and is often carried on by Satanical injec tions. We have all Atheistical thoughts. They may be found both in godly and wicked men. But in the godly efpecially, as they arife from Satan, they will be found exceeding heavy and tormenting. Men may reafon against them, but the beft cure is prayer, with God's manifefting him felf to the foul.

Atheism, lefs or more, is a dreadful fin. 1. It is of a moft malignant nature, ftriking at the very being of God, and fo plucking up all religious worship and fervice to God by the roots: For he that cometh un

to God, must believe that he is, Heb. xi. 6. 2. It is moft contrary to the light of nature, and does violence even to a natural confcience. It is a flying in the face of nature and revelation at once. 3. It is deftructive to human fociety: for take away the notion of a God from amongst men, there would be no living more than among wild beafts. Lastly, It is a fin whereof devils are not guilty; for however they fofter it among men, they yet believe and tremble, Jam. ii. 19. But if nothing else do, death and hell, where there are no Atheists nor Atheistical thoughts, will cure the disease.

2. There is a comparative speculative Atheism, when men though they deny not the being of a God, yet do not believe the true God, as manifefted in the fcriptures, is he. So they have not him for their God, and therefore are Atheists in fcripture ftyle, Eph. ii. 12. Such are Heathens, Jews, Turks, Deifts, Socinians, and others, who do not believe one God in three perfons, denying any of the three, 1 John ii. 23. Such receive an idol of their own fancy, but deny the true God. This is condemned here, and fo is al doubting leading thereunto. And the leaft hankering that makes men come fhort of a full perfuafion of what God is as he is revealed in his word and works, is a fin here prohibited.

There are two things which ye fhould take heed of as tending to Atheism. 1. The influence of profperity on a corrupt heart, which is like that of the fun on a dunghill, Prov. xxx. 9. and therefore often is that added to threatenings, They shall know that I am the Lord. This should make afflictions welcome as antidotes against Atheism. 2. Doubting or denying of providence, Mal. iii. 14. 15. Pfal. lxxiii. 13. If men once get God excluded from the earth, it is a great ftep to the excluding him out of heaven too.

3. There is practical Atheism, which is a denying of God in our works, Tit. i. 16. Thefe have a language for or against God which he underftands, yea VOL. II.

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even men too fometimes, Pfal. xxxvi. r. It is much alike what principles men have, when their practice is nothing but a contradiction to them, when the web of principles in their head is every day opened out by their converfation. This practical Atheifm is oppofite to that acknowledgement of God as the true God fpoken of before. Accordingly it is twofold.

1st, Practical heart-Atheism, which is when men entertain no frame of spirit fuitable to what God has revealed of himself in his word and works, Pfal. xiv. 1. 2. 3. And may not that be a confounding question to us on that point, Mal. i. 6. If I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? faith the Lord of hofts. God is light, which difcovers itself where ever it is; but if we look into our hearts, we will quickly find oft-times that he is not there, by an abfolute unfuitableness in them to his prefence; that they are in no other cafe than if indeed there were no God; fo that if de non apparen tibus et non exiftentibus eadem eft ratio, how oft and justly are we chargeable as Atheists?

To inftance in a few things. God is a fpirit; but how do we put him off with mere bodily fervice, as if we were ferving an idol? If. xxix. 13. God is omniprefent; but though we fhould act as before him every where, yet it is fcarcely done any where. How often does our heart find a great deal of finful liberty in one place which it has not in another; and to do that fearlessly in fecret, which men would be ashamed to do before a child? He is omnifcient: yet what a deal of fecurity do men feem to have from fecrecy, while the thoughts of God abide within their own breast, as if he no more faw our thoughts than men do? He is omnipotent; but how foon are we at giving up for loft in difliculties to us inextricable? and how lit tle awe is there of God on our fpirits, when we are in ways wherein his power is engaged against us? What is all this but heart-Atheism originally?

all

If we confider how we handle his word heard or

read, his promifes, threatenings, commands, and how little our hearts are influenced thereby, fuitably to what is read or heard, much heart-Atheism will appear; fo that when we are clofing the Bible, or going out of the church-door, the language of our hearts in effect would often be found, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil, for practically they feem to be but idle tales.

If we confider how little God's' works influence us, much heart-Atheism will appear. I am fure, that mens hearts often, when they behold the works of creation, could do no less than they do, if the world had been made by a fortuitous concourfe of atoms, that is, to pafs them unregarded. And for his provis dence under croffes, how often are men like the dog that fnarls at the ftone, but looks not after the hand that threw it? and in mercies as the fed horfe that greedily falls to his hay, but regards not him that laid it before him, but to kick at him? And as to the work of redemption, it is not feen, believed, or laid stress upon by the moft part of the world; and those that do, how often do they lay their weight on it but at a venture, as afraid it would break with it ?

2dly, Practical life-Atheifm, which is when 'men carry before the world as if there were no God, Pfal. xxxvi. i. Such are,

(1.) The factors for Atheism in the world, who, by their devilish reafonings, mockings, and cavils at religion, do what they can to banith the notion of a God out of the world.

(2.) Thofe who as they have no religion, make as little profeffion of it, God indeed is not their God, and as little do they avouch him to be fo. They are none of God's fervants, and they will not wear his livery,

(3.) Those who whatever they profefs, yet live as if there were no God, no heaven, no hell; but the Bible were a fable. There is a fpice of this life A