That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him; though he be not far SERMONS VI. VII. VIII. That ye fhould turn from these vanities unto the living God, who made heaven and earth, and the fea, and all things that are therein: who in times paft fuf- fered all nations to walk in their own ways. Ne- vertheless, he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, SERMON IX. Be ready always to give an anfwer to every man 291. For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of THE FOLLY OF ATHEISM, And (what is now called) DEISM: EVEN WITH RESPECT TO THE PRESENT LIFE. SERMON I. Preached March the 7th, 169. PSALM XIV. I. The fool hath faid in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. I SHALL not now make any enquiry about the time and occafion and other circumstances of compofing this Pfalm: nor how it comes to pass, that with very little variation we have it twice over, both here the 14th, and again number the 53d. Not that thefe and fuch like are not important confiderations in themfelves; but that I think them improper now, when we are to argue and expoftulate with such persons, as allow no divine authority to our text; and profefs no greater,or, it may be they will fay, lefs veneration for these facred hymns, than for the profane fongs of Anacreon or Horace. So that although I myself do really believe, that all fuch as say in their hearts, There is no God, are foolish and corrupt, both in understanding and will; because I fee infinite Wisdom itfelf has pronounced them to be fo: nevertheless this argument would at present have no force upon these men, till in due time and method we have evinced the fufficient authority of holy Scripture. But however there are other books extant, which they muft needs allow of as proper evidence; even the mighty volumes of visible nature, and the everlasting tables of right reason; wherein, if they do not wilfully shut their eyes, they may read their own folly written by the finger of God, in a much plainer and more terrible sentence, than Belfhazzar's was by the hand upon the wall. a And as the impious principles of these perfons do preclude any argumentation from the revealed Word of God; fo they prevent us alfo from speaking at present to the second part of the text. The whole verfe hath apparently two propofitions; the one denoting the folly of Atheism, The fool hath said in his a Dan. v. 5. heart, |