VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. 83
Secondlv, God will be acknowledged as the chiefest good ; and so, if we do not often think of him, and delight in communion with him, fear to offend him, and care to please him, all this is ungodliness.
1. If we do not often think of him ; if we did not want hearts, we cannot want objects to put us in mind of God : ' He is not far from every one of us,' Acts xvii. 27. But though God be not far from us, yet we are far from God ; and though he be everywhere, where we walk, lie, and sit, yet he is seldom found in our hearts. We are not so near to ourselves as God is to us. Who can keep his breath in his body for a minute if God were not there ? But though he be present with us, we are not present with him. There is usually too great a distance between him and our thoughts. God is round about us in the effects of his power and goodness, yet afar off" in regard of our hearts and the workings of our spirits : Ps. x. 4, ' God is not in all his thoughts.* Oh ! consider how many there are that live upon God, that have daily and hourly maintenance from him, yet regard him not. Wicked men abhor their own thoughts of God, and hate any savoury speech and mention of his name. Look, as the devils believe and tremble, the more they think there is a God, the more is their horror increased, thus do carnal hearts ; and therefore they do all they can to drive God out of their mind. How many trifles do occupy om* mind ! We muse of nothing unless it be of vanity itself ; but God can seldom find any room there ; we would fain banish God out of our minds. When David beheld God's works, and looked upon the creation, he cried out, Ps. civ. 34, 'My meditation of him shall be sweet.' Oh! it is the spiritual feast and entertainment of a gracious soul to think of God. We cannot put our reason to a better use. None deserves our thoughts more than God, who thought of us before the world was, and still thinks of us. Saith David, Ps. cxxxix. 17, ' How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, 0 God ! how great is the sum of them ! ' It is a great part there- fore of ungodliness and ingratitude not to present God with so reason- able a service as a few thoughts, not to turn the thoughts, and set the mind a-work upon the glory, excellency, and goodness of God, that is everywhere present to our eye.
2. AYe do not honour him as the chiefest good, if we do not delight in communion with him. Friends love to be often in one another's company ; and certainly if we did value and prize God, we would say, * It is good to draw nigh to God,' Ps. Ixxiii. 28. We would preserve a constant acquaintance between him and us. God hath appointed two ordinances to preserve acquaintance between him and the soul, the word and prayer, which are as it were a dialogue and interchangeable discourse between God and the creature. In the word he speaks to us, and in prayer we speak to him. He conveys his mind to us in the word, and we ask his grace in prayer. In prayer we make the request, and in the word we have God's answer. In prayer we come to inform God with our wants, and seek for his grace, and God answers by his word to salvation. Well, then, when men neglect public or private prayer, or fit and meet opportunities of hearing, they are guilty of ungodliness, for so far they break off communion with God. Especially if they neglect prayer ; that is a duty to be done at all times, a sweet diversion which the soul enjoys with God in private ;
84 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [SeK. IV,
it is that which answers to the daily sacrifice ; and therefore it is said, Ps. xiv, 2, ' They seek not God ; ' and ver. 4, ' They do not call upon the Lord.' When men are loath to come into God's presence, whether it be out of love to ease or carnal pleasure ; when men care not though God and they grow strange, and seldom hear from one another, this is ungodliness. Our comfort and peace lies in access to God. So for family-worship ; when God is neglected in the family, it is a sign men do not delight in God as the chiefest good. Many families call not upon God's name : Jer. x. 25, ' Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name.' From one end of the week to another there is no prayer or worship in the family ; the house that should be a church is made a sty ; yea, there is not a swine about the house but is better regarded than God ; morn- ing and evening they shall have their attendance, but God is neglected and not worshipped.