Atheism
From
Thomas Boston's “Commentary on the Shorter Catechism”.
Thomas
Boston
(1676-1732) was a pastor of
God's flock in
Ettrick,
Scotland,
whose preaching God abundantly blessed in the saving of many souls. The son of
a Presbyterian who knew the Lord and was imprisoned for non-conformity,
Boston
was raised in times of murderous persecution. Nevertheless, he lived to see
God’s people flourish and multiply, as “the Lord added to the church daily
such as should be saved” (Acts
2:47). He
is perhaps best known for his part in the reprinting of “The Marrow of
Modern Divinity”, a book which distinguishes the Covenant of Works from the
Covenant of Grace.
There are
two things which ye should take heed of as tending to atheism. (1.) The
influence of prosperity on a corrupt heart, which is like that of the sun on a
dunghill, Proverbs 30:9, 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, Malachi
3:14,15, Psalm 73:13. If men once get God excluded from the earth, it is a
great step to the excluding him out of heaven too.
3. There is practical atheism, which is a denying of
God in our works, Titus 1:16. These have a language for or against God which
he understands, yea, even men too sometimes, Psalm 36:1. It matters not 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 conversation. This practical atheism is opposite to that
acknowledgment of God as the true God spoken of before. Accordingly it is
twofold.
1st.
Practical heart-atheism, which is, when men entertain no frame of spirit
suitable to what God has revealed of himself in his word and works, Psalm
14:1,2,3. And may not that be a confounding question to us on that point,
Malachi 1:6: 'If I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master,
where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts.' God is light, which discovers
itself wherever it is; but if we look into our hearts, we will quickly find
ofttimes that he is not there, by an absolute unsuitableness in them to his
presence; that they are in no other case than if indeed there were no God;
so that if de non apparentibus et non
existentibus eadem est ratio, how oft and justly
are we chargeable as atheists?
To instance in a few things. God is a spirit, but
how do we put him off with mere bodily service, as if we were serving an
idol? Isaiah 29:13. God is omnipresent; but though we should act as before
him everywhere yet it is scarcely done anywhere. How often does our heart
find a great deal of sinful liberty in one place which it has not in
another; and to do that fearlessly in secret, which men would be ashamed to
do before a child? He is omniscient; yet what a deal of security do men seem
to have from secrecy, while the thoughts of God abide within their own
breast, as if he no more saw our thoughts than men do? He is omnipotent; but
how soon are we at giving up all for lost in difficulties to us
inextricable? and how little awe is there of God on our spirits, when we are
in ways wherein his power is engaged against us? What is all this but
heart-atheism originally?
If we consider how we handle his word, heard, or
read, his promises, threatenings, commands, and how little our hearts are
influenced thereby, suitably to what is read or heard, much heart-atheism
will appear; so that when we are closing 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 seem to
be but idle tales.
If we consider how little God's works influence us,
much heart-atheism will appear. I am sure, that men's 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 concourse of atoms, that is, to pass
them unregarded. And for his providence under crosses, how often are men
like the dog that snarls at the stone, but looks not after the hand that
threw it? and in mercies as the fed horse, that greedily falls to the 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 seen, believed, or laid stress upon, by
the most 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-atheism, which is when men carry before the world as if there
were no God, Psalm 36:1.— Such are,
(1.) The factors for atheism in the world, who, by
their devilish reasonings, mockings, and cavils at religion, do what they
can to banish the notion of a God out of the world.
(2.) Those who, as they have no religion, make as
little profession of it. God indeed is not their God, and as little do they
avouch him to be so. They are none of God's servants, and they will not wear
his livery.
(3.) Those who, whatever they profess, yet live as
if there were no God, no heaven, no hell, but the Bible were a fable. There
is a spice of this life-atheism in all the irregularities and disorders of
our lives wherein our actions do contradict our principles of God.
(4.)
Lastly, Those who having
had a profession, do at length quit it. Their leaf faileth and falleth. [1.]
There are some whose leaf fadeth, as the leaf of a tree in harvest, through
want of sap from the stock, and so falls of. There are not a few at this day
of that sort, who sometimes were blooming professors, but now they have lost
leaf as well as fruit; and nothing ailed them to loose it, but just that the
root of the matter was never in them. They have drawn back, and have not
staid till they had been driven back. [2.] There are some whose leaf
falleth, like the leaf of a tree in summer, by a stormy wind of persecution.
They would keep their leaf if it would always abide calm; but they cannot
abide the shock of persecution, and so, rather than deny themselves, they
will deny Christ before men, Mark 8:38, and many such our times are likely
to produce, because we have no other gods before the Lord.
Go home then, and mourn over the sin that some of us
have never been troubled about hitherto; that is, atheism, which is not so
rare in the world as is imagined. Thy heart is too kindly a soil for the
worst of abominations, to miss any devilish corruption therein, that is
going on in the world. And apply to Christ for his blood and Spirit, to
remove the guilt of this sin, and destroy its power and influence in you.
Reference
“Commentary
on the Shorter Catechism - Of the First Commandment” by Thomas Boston.
