2. When we are disobedient to his laws. Open irreligion is a de- spite to God, when we cast off his yoke. This is ungodliness in the height, when God is not only neglected, but rejected : Jer. ii. 31, ' We are lords ; we will come no more unto thee.' We would be absolute masters of our own wills. This was the first bait : Gen. iii. 5, ' Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.' This endeth in open pro- faneness, which groweth upon men by degrees ; as Lactantius said of Lucian, Nee diis nee Jiomimbus pepercit ; ad impietatem in deos in homines adjunxit injuriam — He spared neither the gods nor men ; to his impiety against the gods he added injuries to men ; he was both ungodly and unrighteous.
Use. Would we not then be counted ungodly, let us take heed of all these sins, deny them all.
1. How else will you look God in the face at the day of judgment? Ps. i. 5, ' The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.' He shall not be able to lift up his head : 2 Peter iii. 11, * Seeing then that all these things shall be dis-
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solved, what manner of persons ouglit we to be in all holy conversation and godliness ? ' The day of judgment is to take vengeance of ungod- liness : Jude 15, ' To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.' It is the day wherein God, that is now hidden behind the curtain of the heavens, cometh forth to vindi- cate his honour.
2. Great judgments shall befall them in this world : 2 Peter ii. 6, * And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them examples unto those that should live ungodly ; ' and 1 Peter iv. 18, ' And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear ? ' God's jealousy is great : Isa. lix. 17, ' For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head ; and he put on the garments of vengeance for a clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.' God is not only jealous of his honour, but he will be known and plainly profess himself so to be ; the cloak of a man being his outward garment. No such visible providences as against ungodliness. So Exod. xxxiv. 13, ' The Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.' That is tit to make the name of a thing which distinguisheth it from all other things of the same kind. This distinguisheth the true God from all gods whatsoever. Others are so far from being jealous gods, that though their worshippers went to never so many gods, yet to them it was all one ; they were good-fellow gods, and would admit of partners ; when they brought their gifts, like common whores, they received them with- out more ado. The true God will admit of no partners ; this he will severely punish, and do them as much harm as ever he did do them good.
3. It is the great aim of the gospel to promote godliness : 1 Tim. iii. 6, 'And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness;' 1 Tim. vi. 3, ' If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to whole- some words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine that is according to godliness.' So far men are christians as they are godly. Men might be ungodly at a cheaper rate when they had not so much means. As the angel said to Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 26, Let me go for the day breaketh.' Now grace appeareth, we should deny ungodliness.
4. Ungodliness is the root of all irregular courses : Gen. xx. 11, ' I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wife's sake.' Godliness is the bulwark of laws and of all honest discipline ; there can be no honesty without piety. The first part of the law provideth for respects to God, as being the proper foundation for respects to our neighbour. Without the knowledge of the true God the heart cannot be clean : Prov. xix. 2, ' Also that the soul be without knowledge is not good.'
The means are these —
[1.] Purge the heart from all principles of ungodliness. There are many gross maxims, as, that it is folly to be precise ; that they have a good heart towards God ; that it were better when there was less knowledge ; ^at it is an easy matter to repent, and have a good heart
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towards God ; that it is in vain to serve G-od ; that thoughts are free ; let us carry it fak- before men, and all will be well ; when men have done their best, petty sins are not to be stood upon. These are the implicit thoughts and maxims of ungodly men, which are the ground of all sottish practices. Purge your hearts from them.