1
^^6/Opp^-^:
A
BODY
OF
PRACTICAL BIVINITY,
CONSISTING OF ABOVE
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX-SERMONS
ON THE
SHORTER CATECHISM,
COMPOSED BY
THE REVEREND ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES
AT WESTMINSTER,
WITH
A SUPPLEMENT OF SOME SERMONS
ON SEVERAL TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE ; TOGETHER WITH
THE ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT.
TO WHICH IS ADpE0i
CHRIST'S VARIOUS FULNESS. — ■*«<^»» ■
By THOMAS'WATSON,
FORMERLY MINISTER AT ST. STEPHEN'S, WALBROOK, LONDt)N
1—]—
Recommended to Masters of Families, and OtherSi iy Several Ministers,
IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I.
HE BEING DEAD, YET SPEAKETH, Heb. xii. 4-
PRINTED BY AND FOR W. GRACIE ; ALSO, FOR J. RENNISON, BOOKSELLER, BERWICiC
.1806.
T
TO THE
READER.
HESE catechetical Le6tures of the late Reverend Mr. _^ Thomas "Watson, all but one, written with his own hand, I have read over, together with fome Sermons annexed to them; and fince my teftimony is defired concerning them, I do hereby declare, that (though I will not undertake to jullify every expreffion or lentence in them, or in any human writing,) I find them, in the main, agreeable to the do6lrinal articles of this Church, and unto the Weilminfter Affembly's Confeffion of Faith and Catechifms : and I believe, that, through the bleffing of God, they may be profitable unto the edification of all that read them, with an honeft defire to know and do the will of God ; for certainly there are many excellent things in them, which, if they meet with a well diipofed ferious mind, are very apt to have a good etfe6l upon it ; and if it prove other- wife with any that happen to read this book, it will be their own fault more than the book's. Moft writers have different ftyles ; and it is well known that Mr. Watfon had one peculiar to himfelf, which yet hath found good acceptance with, and has been ufeful unto ferious people ; and I hope this (by reafon of the great variety of excellent matter) may be more generally ufeful than any other thing he ever wrote. 1 little doubt but every fober Chriftian will be of this mind, after he has read his ledlures on God's attributes, the ten commandments, Lord's prayer, &c. I fincerely profefs, I have no other end in giving this teftimony of this book, but thereby to ferve the common good of Chrill's church, and not the private intereft of any per- fon or party in the world : if my confcience did not bear me witnefs, that this book may be ufeful to that excellent end, no man fhould ever have prevailed with me, thus to prefix my teftimony and name to it. That it may anfwer the main end for which it was at firft written by the author, (whom I always took to be a grave, ferious, modeft, good man) and for which, I hope, it is now publiftied, to wit, the edification of the church of Chrift in faith, holinefs, and comfort, is the hearty defne of one of the meaneft fervants of our moft blefled Lord Jesus.
William Lorimer.
4
TO THE READER.
We vvhofe names are fubfciibed, having feen the teftimony of our worthy brother, Mr. WiUiam Lorimer, after his peryfal of this book, doubt not but it may be of ufe to many ; as the former writings of Mr. Thomas Watfou have been ; and, with that defireand hope, we recommend it to the maftersof famiUes and others.
William Bates, Matthew Barker, John Howie, Matthew Mead, Edward Lawrence, Samuel Slater, Richard Mayo, Matthew Sylvejier, Daniel Burges, Jofeph Cawthorne, Daniel Williams, Richard Wavel, Timothy Crufo, Timothy Rogers t
Nathaniel Oldjield, Richard Adams, Richard Steel, Samuel Stancliff, John Raynolds, Nathaniel Vincent, John Hughes, Jofeph Read, Abraham Hume, Richard Stretton, John Shower, Francis Glafcoch, Daniel Williams,
A
SHORT ACCOUNT
OF THE
AUTIIOM.
IT is fufficiently known to all that have any acquaintance with the hiitories of the church, that many valuable and uleful minifters were eje6led for non-conformity, by the acl of uni- formity in the reign of King Charles II. which took place, Augull24th, 1602. Among others, the Reverend Mr. Thomas Waison waft eje6led from his charge, at St. Stephen's, Wal- brook, London; whofe chara6ler is given by the Reverend Dr. Edmond Calamy, in his Abridgments, Vol. II. p. 37 ; and is as follows :
*' From St. Stephen's, Walbrook. Mr. Thomas Watfon;
* he was of Emanuel College in Cambridge, where he was noted
* for being a hard fludent; one fo well known in the city, viz. ' London, for his piety and ufefulnefs, that though he was ' fingled out by the Friendly Debate, he yet carried a general ' refpect for all fober perfons along with him to his grave. A ' memorable pafllige, which I have from good hands, muft not
* be pafied by : When Mr. Watfon was in the pulpit, on a ' le6lure-day, before the Bartholomew a<5t took place, among
* other hearers, there came in that Reverend and learned Pre- ' late, Bifhop Richardfon, who was fo well pleafed with his ' fermon, but efpecially with his prayer after it, that he follow- ' ed him home, to give him thanks, and earnefily detired a
* copy of his prayer. Alas! faid Mr. Watfon, that is what ' I cannot give ; for I do not ufe to pen my prayers ; it was
* no lludied thing, but uttered as God enabled me from the
* abundance of my heart and affe6tions, pro re nata. Upon
* which the good Bifhop went away, wondering that any man ' could pray in that manner, ex tempore. After his ejectment,
* he continued in the exercife of the minifiry in the city, ' as providence gave opportunity, for many years : but his
* ftrength wearing away he retired into Eflex, and there died ' fuddenly, in his clofet, at prayer."
A
PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE
TO
CATJECHISING.
Col. i. 23. Jf ye continue in the faith grounded and fettled.
INTENDING the next Lord's day to enter upon the work of catechifing, it will not be amils to give you this prelimi- nary difcourfe, as preparatory to it ; fhewing you how needful it is for Chrillians to be well inllruded in the grounds of religion. * If ye continue in the faith grounded and fettled,' — Two pro- pofitions :
Firft, It is the duty of Chriftians to be fettled in the dodriue of faith.
Second, The bed way for Chriftians to be fettled, is to be well grounded.
DocT. 1. That it is the duty of Chriftians to he fettled in the doctrine of faith. It is the apoftle's prayer, 1 Pet. v. 10. ' The God of all grace, ftablifli, ftrengthen, fettle you.* That they might not be meteors in the air, but fixed ftars. The apoftle Jude fpeaks of ' wandering ftars,' verfe 13. They are called wandering ftars, becaufe, as Ariftotle faith, *' They do leap up and down, and wander into feveral parts of the heaven ; and being but dry exhalations, not made of that pure celeftial matter as the fixed ftars are, they often fall to the earth." Now, fuch as are not fettled in religion, will, at one time or other, prove wandering ftars ; they will lofe their former ftri6l- neCs, and wander from one opinion to another. Such as are unfettled are of the tribe of Reuben, ' unliable as water,' Gen. xlix. 4. like a fhip without ballaft, overturned with every wind of do6trine. Beza writes of one Bel(e6iius, whofe religion changed as the moon. The Arians had every year a new faith. Thefe are not pillars in the temple of God, but reeds ftiaken every way. The apoftle calls them * damnable herefies,' 2 Pet. ii. 1. A man may go to hell as well for herefy as adul- tery. To be unfettled in religion, argues want of judgment: if their heads were not giddy, they would not reel lb fait from one opinion to another. It argues lightnefs : feathers will be
8 A PRELlMlNAIiy DISCOURSE
blown every way ; fo will feathery Chriftians : Tritlcum non rapit ventus inanes palw jaMantur, Cypr. Therefore fuch are compared to children, Eph. iv. 14. * That we be no more children, toffed to and fro.' Children are Jickle, fometimes of one mind, fometimes of another ; nothing pleafes them long : fo unfettled Chriftians are chiklilh ; thole truths they embrace at one time, they reject at another ; fometimes they like the Proteliant religion, and foon after they have a good mind to turn Papifts. Now, that you may labour to be fettled, (as Ignatius) in the faith, in unfettled times of fettled judgments. I. It is the great end of the word preached, to bring us to a fettlement in religion : Eph. iv. 11, 13. * And he gave fome, evangelifts, and fome, paftors and teachers, for the edifying of the body of Chrill ; that we henceforth be no more children.' The word is called an hammer, Jer. xxiii. 29. Every blow of the hammer is to faften the nails of the building ; the preacher's words are but to faften you the more to Chrift; they weaken themfelves to ftrengthen and fettle you. This is the grand defign of preaching, not only for the enlightening, but for the eftablifhingof fouls ; not only to guide them in the right way, but to keep them in it. Now, if you be not fettled, you do not anfwer God's end in giving you the miniftry.
2. To be fettled in religion : it is both a Chriftian's excellency and honour: it is his excellency; when the milk is fettled, it turns to cream ; now, he will be fomething zealous for the truth, walk in clofe communion with God. And his honour, Prov. xvj. 31. * The hoary head is a crown of glory, it* it be found in the way of righteoufnefs.* It is one of the beft fights, to fee an old difciple ; to fee filver hairs adorned with golden virtues.
3. Such as are not fettled in the faith, can never fufFer for it ; fceptics in religion will hardly ever prove martyrs ; they that are not fettled do hang in fuf pence ; when they think of the joys of heaven, then they will efpoufe the gofpel ; but when they think of perfecution, then they defertit. Unfettled Chriftians do not confult what is beft, but what is fafeft : *' The apoftate (faith TertuUian) feems to put God and Satan in balance, and having weighed both their fervices, prefers the devil's fervice, and pro^ claims him to be the beft mafter: and, in this fenfe, may be faid to put Chrift to open (hame," Heb. vi. 6. They will never fufFer for the truth, but be as a foldier that leaves his colours, and runs over to the enemy's fide ; he will fight on the devil's fide for pay.
4. -Not to be fettled in the faith, is highly provoking to God : to efpoufe the truth, and then to fall away, brings an ill report upon the gofpel, which will not go unpunifhed ; Pfal. Ixxviii. 67, oi). ' I'hcy turned back, and dealt unfaithfully; when
TO CATECklSIIfG. 9
God hearcl this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Ifrael.* The apoltate drops as a windfall into the devil's mouth.
5. If ye are not fettled in religion, you will never grow : we are commanded * to grow up into the head, Chrift,' Epli. iv. 14. But if we are unlettled, no growing : ' the plant which is continually removing never thrives.' He can no more grow in godlinefs, who is unlettled, than a bone can grow iii the body that is out of joint.
6. What great need is there to be fettled ? becaufe there are fo many things to unfettle us, and make us fall away from the truth. Seducers are abroad, whole work is to draw away peo- ple from tlie principles of religion, 1 John ii. 26. ' Thofe things have I written unto you concerning them that feduce you.' Seducers sire thfe devils faclors ; they are of all others the greateft felons, that would rob you of the truth : leducers have filver tongues ; a fair tongiie can put olTbad Wares ; they have a flight to deceive, Eph. iv. 14. The Greek word there is taken from thofe that can cog a die, and caft it for the bell advantage : fo feducers are importors, they can cOg a die ; they can fo dif- femble arid Ibphifticate the truth, that they can deceive others. Now, the ih'le by vVhich feducers ufe to deceive, is,
1. By wifdom of words, Rom. xvi. 18. * By good words and fair fpeeches they deceive the hearts of the fimple.' Thev have fine elegaiit phrafes, flattering language, whereby they work on the weaker fort, as being chrifled with Chrift;, and the light within them.
2. Another flight, is a pretence of extrordinary piety, that fo people may admire them, and fuck in their dodrine. They feem to be men of Zealand fan6lity, and to be divinely infpired : they pretend revelations, as Muniler, Michael Servetus, and other of the Anabaptifts in Germany, though they Were tainted with pride, lull, and avarice.
3. A third flight or cheat feducers have, is a labouring to vilify and nullify found orthodox teachers; they would eclipfe thofe' that bring the truth, like unto the black vapours that darken the light of heaven : they would defame others, that themfelves may be more admired. Thus the falfe teachers cried down Paul, that they might be received. Gal. iv. 17.
4. The fourth flight or cheat of feducers, is by " preaching *• do6lrine of liberty :" as the Antinomian preacheth, that men are freed from the moral law, the rule as well as thecurfe. He preacheth that Chrift hath done all for them, and they need to do nothing. So he makes the do6lrine of free grace a key to ojsen the door to all licentioufnefs.
5. Another thing to unfettle Chriflians, is perfecutors, 9 Tim. iii. 12. The gofpel is a rofe cannot be plucked without prickles. The legacy Chrift hath bequeathed is the Crofs : while there is
Vol. I. NO. I. B
10 A PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE
a devil and a wicked man in the world, never expe6t a charter of exemption from trouble ; and how many fall away in an hour of perfecution ? Rev. iii. 4. * There appeared a great red dragon, having feven heads and ten horns; and his tail drew the third part of the (lars of heaven :' the red dragon, the hea- theniOi empire; and his tail, viz. his power and fubtilty, drew away liars, viz. eminent f)rofeffors, that feenied to (hine as liars in the firmament of the church. Therefore w^ fee what need there is to be fettled in the truth, for fear the tail of the dragon call us to the earth.
6. To be uniettled in good, is the fin of the devils, Jude 6. They are called ' morning liars,' Job xxxviii. 7. but ' falling ftars;' they were holy, but mutable. As the velTel is over- turned with the fail, fo their fails being fwelled with pride, were overturned, 1 Tim. iii. 6. By unfettlednefs, who doll thou imitate but lapfed angels? The devil was the lirll apellate. So much for the lirll propofition, that it is a great duty of Chril- tians to be fettled : /the fons of Sion Ihould be like mount Sion, which cannot be removed.
Second, The fecond propofition is, that the way for Chrif- tians to be fettled, is to be well grounded : ' if ye continue grounded and fettled.' The Greek word for grounded, a meta- phor, it alludes to a building that hath the foundation well laid; fo Chrillians fhould be grounded m the effential point of re- ligion, and have their foundation well laid.
Here let me fpeak to two things : 1. That we fliould be grounded in the knowledge of fundamentals. 2. That this grounding is the bell way to fettling.
(1.) That we fhould be grounded in the knowledge of funda- mentals : the apoflle fpeaks of the ' firll principles of the oracles of God,' Heb. v. 13. In all arts ancLlciences, logic, phyfic, mathematics, there are fome prcecognita, fonie rules and prin- ciples that mult necelfarily be known to the practice of thofe arts ; fo, in divinity, there mull be the firfl principles laid down : the knowledge of Uie grounds and principles of religion is ex- ceeding ufeful.
1. Elfe we cannot ferve God aright; we can never worfhip God acceptably, unlefs we worfiiip him regularly ; and how can we do that, if we are ignorant of the rules and elements of re- ligion ? We are bid to give God a * reafonable fervice,' Rom. xu. 1 . If we underfland not the grounds of religion, how can it be a reafonable iervice ?
y. Knowledge of the grounds of religion much enricheth the mind : it is a lamp to oux feet ; it directs us in the whole courfe of Chrillianity, as the eye direds the body. Knowledge of fundamentals is the golden key that opens the chief myfteries of religion ; it gives us a whole fyllem and body of divinity, ex-
TO CATECHISING. 11
a6lly drawn in all its lineaments and lively colours : it helps us to underftand many of thofe difficult things, which do occur in the reading of the word ; it helps to untie many fcripture knots.
3. Armour of proof; it doth furnith us with weapons to fight againft the adverfaries of the truth.
4. It is the holy feed of which grace is formed : It is the femenfidei, the feed of faith, Pfal. ix. 10. It \s radix, amor is,
the root of love, Eph. iii. 17- * Being rooted and grounded in love.' The knowledge of principles conduceth to the making of a complete Chriftian. '' {2. ) That this grounding is the beft way to fettling : * ground- ed and fettled.' A tree, that it may be well fettled, mull be well rooted : fo, if you be well fettled in religion, you mult be tooted in the principles of it. He, in Plutarch, fet up a dead man, and he would not (land. O faith he, " there mufl be " fomething within :" fo, that we may (land in fhaking times, there mull be a principle of knowledge within ; firil grounded, and then fettled. That the Ihip may be kept from overturning, it muft have its anchor fattened ; knowledge of principles, is to the foul as an anchor to the (hip, that holds it (leady in the midll of all the rolling waves of error, or the violent winds of perfecution. Firft grounded and then fettled.
Use I. See the reafon why fo many people are unfettled, ready to embrace every novel opinion, and drefs themfelves in as many religions as they do fafhions ; it is becaufe they are un- grounded. See how the apoftle joins thefe two together, * un- learned and unliable,' 2 Pet. iii. 16. Such as are unlearned in the main points of divinity, will be unliable. As the body cannot be (irong that haih the finews (hrunk ; fo neither can that Chridian be (Irong in religion, who wants the groiuids of knowledge, which are the finews to (Irengthen and llablilh him.
Use II. See then what great neceffity there is of laying down all the main grounds of religion in a way of catechiCe, that the weakeft judgment may be inltru6led in the knowledge of the truth, and llrengthened in the love of it; catechifing is the belt expedient for the s^rounding and fettling of people. I fear, one reafon why there hath been no more good done by preaching, hath been becaufe the chief heads and articles in religion have not bien explained in a catechiftical way; catechiiiog: is the laym^ the toiindation, Heb. vi. 7. to preach, and not to cate- chife, is to build without a foundation. This way of catechili ng, is not novel, it is upollolical : the primitive chuicli had their forms of catechjfm : fo much thofe phrafes imply a ' ibi in of found words,' y Tim. i. 13. and * the firtl principles of the oracles of God,' Heb. vi. 1. And fince the church had their
B 2
IS man's chief end
ca.techimonoi, asGroMusand Erafmus obferve; many of the an- cient iathers have written for it, Fiilgentius, Auflin, Theo'loj-et^ Ladantius and others. God hatli, given great fuQCefs to it. By' this laying down of grounds of religion cateciiiftically. Chrii-, tians have been clearly iDftrufted, and wondroufly built up. in the Chriftian faith, infomuch that Julian the apollale, fceiu^- the great fuccefc of catechifing, did put down all fthools and places of public literature, and inftru6ling of youth. It is my defign therefore (with the blefling of God,) to begin this wo),lc of catechifing the next fabbath-day : and I intend every other fabbath, in theaflernoon, to make it my whole work to lay dowi). the grounds and fundamentals of religion in a catechidical way. If I am hindered in this work by men, or taken away by deatlj,, I hope God will raife up forae other labourer In the vineyard among you that may perfect this work which I am now begi^i^ ning.
iiii«(9j)ii
MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GQD,
Q. 1 . WHA T is the chief end of man ?
Anf. Man's chief end is to glorify God and: to enjoy hir^, for ever.
Here are two ends, of life fpecified, 1. The glorifying of God. 2. The enjoying of God.
Firfi, I begin with the firft, the glojifying of God, 1 Pet. iv. M. • That God in all things may be glorified?' the glory ofj God is a filver-thread which mull run through a)l our actions : 1 Cor. X. 31. ' Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatfo- ever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' Every thing vvorks; to fome end in things natural and artificial ; now man being ^j rational creature, mufl: propofe fome end toliimfelf, and that is, that he may lift up God in the world ; and better lofe his life, than lofe the end of his hving : fo then, the great truth aflerted is this, that the end of every man's living, is to glorify God ; this is the yearly rent that is paid to the crown of heaven. Glorifying of God hath refpe6t to all the perfonsin the Trinity ; it refpe6ts God the Father, who gave us our life ; it refpeds God the Son, who loft his for us; it refpedls God the Holy Ghoft, who produceth a new life in us ; we mull bring glory to the whole Trinity.
When we fpeak of God's glory, the queftion will be moved, tohat are ue to underjiand by God's glory ?
Anf. There is a twofold glory : 1. The glory that God hath, in himfelf, his intrinfical glory. Glory is elfential to the God-- head, as light is to the fun : he is called the * God of glory,"
IS TO GL©«l'FY GOB. 13
A6ls vii. 2. Glory is the fj;>arkIingrof the Deit}^ ; gloify is foco- natuL'ci:! to the Godhead, that God Gaiiiijiot be God wttlaowt ic. The creature's honour ij? act eflential to, his being ; a king is a mau without his regal ortiam,ents,» when hi§. crown and royal robe are taken away : but God's glory is fuch an elieutial part of his being, that he cannot be God vyithoat it ; God's very life lies in his glory. This glory can receive no addition, be-» caufe it is infinit:e ; this glory is that which God is moffe tender of, and which he will not part with, lia. xlviii. 8. ' My glory I will not give to another.' God will give temporal bleO&ugs, to his children., fuch as wifdom, riches, bonour; he will give them Ipiritual bleffings, he will give theip grace, li^e will give theqi his love, he will, give them heaven ; but his efTen.tial glory he will not give to ataother. King Pharaoh parted with a rin^ off his finger to Jofeph, ajjd a gold chain, but he would not part with his throne. Gen. xli. 40. ' Only \n the throne will i be> greater than thou,' So God will do u^iich for his people ; he will give them tjhe inhej'itance, he will put fome ofChrift's. glory, as mediato):; U;ppn them : but his elieutial glory he will not parti with ; * in^ tib« tjjrone he will be greater.'
2. The glory whjchis alcribed to God, or which his creatures, labour to bring to him, I Chron. xvi. 2i). ' Give uMo the Lordi the glory due unto his name.' And, 1 Cor. vi. 20. * Glorify God. in your, body and in your fpirit.' The glory w^e give Godl, ie nothing elfe bu.t our lifting up his name iii the world, and' magnifying him in the eyes of others, Phil* i. 20.. ' Chdlt fliall be magnified in my body.*
Q. What is it to glorify God, or wherein dotit it oon/iji. ?
A, Glorifying of God' con fills in four things : (1.) Appretia- tion. {%.) Adoration. (3.) Aifeftjon. (4.) Subjection. This is the yearly rent we pay to the crown of heaveui-
1. Appretiation : is to glorify God, to fet God higheft in our tlioughts,, to have a venerable efteeiiii of him, Ptal. xcii. 8-. * Thou, Lord, art moll high for evermore,* PlaL xcvii. ()v ' Thou art exalted farabov.e all gods.' There is in Godail that rnay draw forth both wonder and delight ; there is in him a coullellalion of all beauties ; he is/)w??a, caw/a, the original and fjjring-head of being, who (beds, a glory upon the creature. This is to glor-ify God, when we aiie God-aduiiierii ; we admire God in hitj attributes, whjchare the glidering beams by which tjie divine nature (hines forth ; we admire him in his promili-s, vy.hich are the charter of free-grace, and the fpiritual cabinet where the pearl of price is hid ; we admire God in the noble effects of his power and wifdom, viz. the making of the world ; this is called ' the work of his lingers,' PiUl. viii. 3. Such curi- ous needle- work it was, that none but a God couldvvork. This.
14 man's chief end
is to glorify God, to have God-admiring thoughts ; we efteem him mod excellent, and fearch for diamonds only in this rock.
2. Glorifying of God confifts in adoration, or worftiip, Pfal. xxix. 2. ' Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worfhip the Lord in the beauty of holinefs.' There is a twofold worfhip: 1. A civil reverence we give to perfons of honour. Gen. xxiii. 7- * Abraham Hood up and bowed himfelf to the children of Heth :' Piety is no enemy tocoiirtefy, 2. A divine worfhip, which we give to God, is his prerogative royal, Neh. viii. 6. * They bowed their heads, and worlhipped the Lord with their faces towards the ground.' This divine worfliip God is very jealous of ; this is the apple of his eye, this is the pearl of his crown, which he guards, as he did the tree of life, with cherubims and a flaming fword, that no man may come near it to violate it; divine worfliip muft be luch as God him- felf hath appointed, elfe it is ' ottering ftrange fire,* Lev. x. 2. The Lord would have Mofes make the tabemacle, • according to the pattern in the Mount,' Exod. xxv. 40. he mufl; not leave out any thing in the pattern, nor add to it. If God was fo exad and curious about the place of worfliip, how exadt will he be about the matter of his wor(hip? burely here every thing mufl; be according to the pattern prefcribed in his word.
3. Affe6lions : this is a part of the glory we give to God ; God counts himfelf glorified when he is loved, Deut. vi. 5. ' Thou flialt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul.' There is a twofold love : 1 . A7nor Concupifcentice, a love of concupifcence, which is felf-love ; when we love ano- ther, becaufe he doth us a good turn : thus a wicked man may be faid to love God, becaufe he hath given him a good crop, or filled his cup with wine ; and, to (peak properly, this is rather to love God's blefling than to love God. 2. Amor ajnicitice, a love of delight, as a man takes delight in a friend ; this is in- deed to love God : the heart is fet upon God, as a man's heart is fet upon his treafure. And this love is, 1. Exuberant, not a few drops, but a ftream. 2. It is fuperlative ; we give God the befl; of our love, the cream of it, Cant. viii. 2. ' I would caufe thee to drink of fpiced wine, of the juice of my pomegra- nate.' If the fpoufe had a cup more juicy and fpiced, Chrilt muft drink of it. 3. It is inteufe and ardent ; true faints are feraphims burning in holy love to God. The fpoufe was amore percul/'a, in fainting fits, * fick of love,' Cant. ii. 5. Thus to love God is to glorify him ; he who is the chiefof our happinefs, hath the chief of our atfedlions.
4. Subje6tion, when we dedicate ourfelves to God, and ft:and ready prefi for his fervice. Thus the angels in heaven glorify him ; they wait on his throne, and are ready to take a commit- fioii from him ; therefore they are referabled by the cherubims
IS TO GLORIFY GOD. 15
with their wings difplayed, to (hew how fwift the angels are in their obedience. This is to glorify God, when we are devoted to his fervice ; our head ftudies for God, our tongue pleads for him, our hands relieve his members : The wife men that came to Chrift, did not only bow the knee to him, but prefented him with gold and myrrh, Matth. ii. 11. So wemuftnotonly bow the knee, give God worfhip, but bring prefents, golden obedi- ence. This is to glorify God, when we flick at no fervice ; we will fight under the banner of his gofpel, againft regiments, and lay to him, as David to King Saul, I Sam. xvii. 32. • Thy fervant will go and fight with this Philiftine.' Thus you fee wherein the glorifying of God doth confift, inappretiation, ado- ration, atFe6iion, fubjeclion.
A good Chriflian is like the fun, which doth not only fend forth heat, but goes its circuit round the world ; thus, he who glorifies God, hath not only his affections heated with love to God, but he goes his circuit too; he moves vigoroufly in the fphere of obedience.
Q. Why muji ice glorify God?
Anf. 1. B^caufe he gives us our being, Pfal. c. 3. * It is he that made us.* We think it a great kindnefs in a man to fpare our life, but what kindnefs is it in God to give us our life } We draw our breath from him ; and as life, fo all the comforts of life are from God : he gives us health, which is the fauce to fweeten our life ; he gives us food, which is the oil that nourifli- eth the lamp of life : now, if all we receive is from the hand of his bounty, is it not good reafon we (hould glorify him, and live to him, feeing we live by him? Rom. xi. 36. ' For of him, and through him areall things.' Ofhim are all, all we have is of his fulnelk ; through him are all, all we have is through his free-grace ; and therefore to him fhould be all : fo it follows,
* To him be glory for ever.' God is not only our benefa6lor, but our founder ; the rivers come from the fea, and they empty their filver dreams into the fea again.
2. .Becaufe God hath made all things for his own glory, Prov. xvi. 4. ' The Lord hath made all things for himfelf;' that is,
* for his glory.' As a king hath excife out of commodities. God will have his glory out of every thing: he will have glory out of the wicked, the glory of hisjultice ; they will notgivehim glory, but he will get his glory upon them, Exod. xiv. 17. * I will get me honour upon Pharaoh.' But efpecially he hath made the godly for his glory ; they are the lively organs of his praife,' Ifa. xliii. 21. ' This people have I formed for myfelf, and they (hall (hew forth my praiCe.' It is true, they cannot add to his glory, but they may exalt it; they cannot raife him in heaven, but they may raife him in the efteem of others. God hath adopted the faints into his family, and made them a royal
16 Mass's CttlEf mo
prielHiood, that they fho«!d (hew forth the praifes of hihi wh<J hath called them, 1 Pet. ii. 9.
3. Becaufe the glory of God hath fuch intrinfic value and exceHency in it ; it tranfcends the thoughts of men, and the tongue of angels. God's glory is his tteafure, all his riches lie here ; as Micah faid, Judges xviii. 24. ' What have I more ?* So of God, what hath God move? God's glory is more worth than heaven, more worth than the (Ulvation of all men's fouls: better kingdoms l>e thrown down, better men and angels be annihilated, than God fiiould lole one jewel of his crovVn, one beam of his glory.
4. Creatures below us, and above us, bring glory to God ; and do we think to tit rent-free? Shall every thing glorify God, but man ? It is a pity then that ever man was made ! 1. Crea- tures below us, glorify God, the inanimate creatures : the hea-* vens glorify God, Pfal. xix. 1. * The heavens declare th6 glory of God.* The curious workmanfliip of heaven lets forth the glory of its Maker ; the firmament is beautified and penciled out in blue and azure colours, where the power and wifdom of God may be clearly feen. * The heavens declare his glory;' we may fee the glory of God blazing in the fun, twinkling in the fiars. 2. Look into the air, the birds, with their chirping mufic, fing hymns of praifeto God, faith Anfelm. Every bealt doth in its kind glorify God,. Ifa. xliii. 20. ' The beads of the field (hall honour me.' (2) Creatures above us glorify God : * the angels are miniflring fpirits,' Heb. i. 14. They are llill waiting on God's throne, and bring tome revenues of glory into the exchequer of heaven. Then furely man fhould be much more ftudious of God's glory than the angels; for God hath honoured him more than the angels, in that Chrill took man's nature upon him, and not the angels : fay, though in regard of creation, God hath made man ' a little lower than the angels,* Heb. ii. 7' yet, in regard of redemption, God hath fet him higher than the angels; he hath married mankind to himfelf; the angels are Chrift's friends, but not his fpoufe ; he halh covered us with the purple robe of his righteoufneft, which is a better righteoufnels than the angels have, 2 Cor. v. 20. So that if the angels bring glory to God, much more (hould we, being dignified with honour above the angelical fpirits.
5. Anf. We muft bring glory to God, becaufe all our hopes hang upon him, Pfal. xxxix. 7. * My hope is in thee.' And Plal. Ixii. 5. ' My expectation is from him ;' I expe6l a king- dom from him. A child that is good-natured will honour his parent, as expecting all that ever he is like to be worth from him, Pfal. Ixxxvii. 8. 'All my frelh fpringsarein thee.* The lilver fprings of grace, the golden fprings of glory.
Q. Ilow muny ivays may V)e glorify God?
IS TO GLORIFY GOD. 17
Anf. (I.) It is a glorifying God , when we aim purely at God's glory ; it is one thing to advance God's glory, another thing tQ aim at it. God mull be the Temwius ad quern, the ultimate end of all adions. Thus Chrill, John viii. oO. * I itvk not mine own glory, but the glory oi hui» that lent me.' It is the note of an hypocrite, he hath a Iquint eye, he looks more to his own glory than God's glory. Our Saviour decy jjhers luch, and gives a caveat againlt them, Matth. vi. a, ' When thou giveft alms, do not found a trumpet.' A ftranger would alk, " What means the nolle of this trumpet?" Then it was anfwered, * they are going to give to the poor.* And fo they did not give alms, but fell thens for honour and applaufe, that they may have glory of men : the breath of men was the wind that blew the fails of their charity; * verily they have their reward.' The hypocrite may make his acquittance and write, ' received in full payment.' Chrylbftom calls vain-glory one of the devil's great nets to catch men. And Cyprian fays, " whom Satan cannot prevail againft by intemperance, thofe he prevails againft by pride and vain-glory." Oh let us take heed of (elf-wor- fhipping! aim purely at God's glory.
Q. Howjliall ice know we aim at God's glory ?
Anfw. 1 . When we prefer God's glory above all other things ; above credit, eftate, relations; when the glory of God comes in competition with them, we prefer his glory before them. If relations lie in our way to heaven, we mult eiiher leap over them, or tread upon them : a child mud unchild himlelf, and forget he is a child ; he mufl know neither father nor mother in God's caufe, Deut. xxxiii. 9. * Who faid unto his father and mother, I have not feen him ;' neither did he acknowledge his brethren. This is to aim at God's glory.
2. Then we aim at God's glory, when we can be content that God's will fhould take place, though it crofs ours: Lord, I am content to be a lofer, if thou be a gainer ; to have lets health, if I have more grace, and thou more glory ; whether it be food or bitter phyfic thou giveft me. Lord, 1 delire that which may be moft for thy glory : thus our blelfed Saviour, ' not as I will, but as thou wilt,' Matth. xxvi. 39. So God might have more glory by his fulFerings, he was content to futfer, John xii. 28. * Father, glorify thy name.'
3. Then we aim at God's glory, when we can be content to be out-fliined by others in gifts and efteem, fo God's glory may be increafed : a man that hath God in his heart, and God's glory in his eye, defires that God fhould be exalted ; and if this be etfected, let who will be the inllrument, he rejoiceth, Phil. i. 15. ' >Some preach Chrift ofenvy : notwithftanding Chrilt is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice;' they preached Chrift of envy, they envied Paul that concourfe of
Vol. I. No. 1. C
18 'MA«'« CHlEt END
people, and they preached that they might outfhinehim in gifts, and get away lome of his hearers : well, faith Paul, Chrift is preached, and God is like to have glory, therefore I rejoice ; let my candle go out, if the Sun of Righteoufnefs may but fliine;
(2.) We glorify God by an ingenuous confeffion of fin : the thief on the crofs had difhonoured God in his life, but at his death he brings glory to God by confelTion of fin, Luke xxiii. 41. * We indeed fufferjuftly.' He acknowledged he deferved tiot only crucifixion, but damnation, Jofh. vii. 19. * My fon, give, I pray thee, glory to God, and make confeflion unto him.' An humble confeffion exalts God : how is God's free-grac6 magnified in crowning thofe who deferve to be condemned ! as the excufing and mincing of fin doth cafta reproach upon God. Adam denies not he did tafte the forbidden fruit, but inft^ead of a full confeffion, he taxes God, Gen. iii. 12. ' The womarj whom thou gaveft me, (he gave me of the tree, and I did eat.* It is long of thee, if thou hadft not given me the woman to be a tempter, I had not finned. So confeffion glorifies God, it clears, it acknowledgeth he is holy and righteous, whatever he doth. Nehemiah vindicates God's righteoufnefs, ch. ix. 33. * Thou art jull in all that is brought upon us.' A confeffion then is higenuous, when it is free, not forced, Luke xv. 18. * I have finned againil heaven, and before thee.' He chargeth himfelf with fin before ever his Father chargeth him with it.
(3.) We glorify God by believing, Rom. iv. SO. * Abraham was ftrong in faith, giving |lory to God.* Unbelief affronts God, it gives him the lie ; ' He that believeth not, maketh God a liar,' 1 John v. 10. So faith brings glory to God, it fets to its feal that God is true, John iii. 33. He that believes, flies to God's mercy and truth, as to an altar of refuge; he doth not ingarrifon himfelf in the promifes, he trufts all he hath with God, Pfal. xxxi. 3. ' Into thy hands I commit my fpirit.* This is a great w'ay of bringing glory to God, therefore God honours faith, becaufe faith honours God. It is a great honour we do to a man, when wetrufi;him with all we have, we put our lives and eftates into his hand ; a fign we have a good opinion of him. The three children glorified God by believing, ' The God whom we ferve, is able to deliver us, and will deliver us,' Dan. iii. 17. Faith knows there are no impoffibilities with God, and will truft; him, where it cannot trace him.
(4.) We glorify God by being tender of God's glory ; God's glory is dear to him, as the apple of his eye : now, when we are tender of his glory, by laying to heart his difhonours, this is a glorifying of him. Aningenuous child weeps to fee a difgrace done to his father, Pfal. Ixix.t). ' The reproachesof them that reproach thee are fallen upon me.* When we hear God re- proached, it is as if we were reproached; when God's glory
IS TO GLORIFY GOD, JQ
fuffers, it is as if we fufFercd. This is to be lender of God's glory.
(5.) We glorify God by fruitfulnefs, John xv. 8. * Hereby is my father glorified, if ye bring forth much fruit.' As it is a dithonour to God to be barren, lo fruitfulnefs doth honour him : Phil. i. 11. ' Filled with the fruits of righteoufnefs, which are to the praife of his glory.' We muft not be like the fig-tree in the gof|5el, which had nothing but leaves, but like the pome- citron, that is continually either mellowing or bloflbming ; it is never without fruit. It is not profeflion, but fruit glorifies God ; God experts to have his glory from us this way, l Cor. ix. 7. * Who planted a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit of it?' Trees in the foreft may be barren, but trees in the garden are fruitful : we mult bring forth the fruits of love and good works, Matth. v. 16. ' Let your light fo fhine before men, that they inay fee your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.' Faith doth fan^lify our works, and works do tefi;ify our faith : to be doing good to others, to be eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, doth much glorify God. And thus Chrift did glorify his Father; * he went about doing good,' A6ts x. 38, By being fruitful, we are fair in God's eyes, Jer. xi. 16. * The Lord called thy name a green olive-tree, fair and of goodly fruit.' And we mult bear much fruit, it is muchnefs of Iruit glorifies God ; * if ye bear nmch fruit.' The fpouie's breafl;s are com- pared to cinders of grapes. Cant. vii. 7. to (hew how fertile fhe was. Though the loweft degree of grace may bring falvation to you, yet not fo much glory to God ; it was not a fpark of love Chrifl: commended in Mary, but much love, ' flie loved much,' Luke vii. 47.
(6.) We glorify God, by being contented in that ftate where his providence hath fet us ; we give God the glory of his wifdom, in that we reft fatisfied with what he carves out to us : Thus did holy Paul glorify God ; the Lord did caft him into as great variety of conditions as any man, ' in prifons more frequent, in de^iths oft,' 2 Cor. xi. 23. yet he had learned to be content; St. Paul conid fail either in a ftorm or a calm ; he could be any thing that God would have him ; he could either want or abound, Phil. iv. 13. A good Chrifl^ian argues thus : It is God that hath put me in this condition ; he could have railed n»e higher, if he pleafed, but that might have been a fnare to me ; God hath done it in wifdom and love ; therefore I will fit down fatisfied with my condition. Surely this doth much glorify God ; God counts himfelf much honoured by fuch a Chrillian : faith God, Here is one after my own heart; let me do what I will with him, I hear no murmuring, he is content: this fliew^ abundance of grace. When grace is crowning, it is not fo much to be content ; but when grace is confli6Vmg withinconveniences,
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20 MAK*S CHIfiF END
then to be content, is a glorious thing indeed : for one to be content when he is in heaven, is no wonder ; but to be content " under the crofs, is hke a Chriftian : this man muft needs bring glory to God ; for he fhews to all the world, that though he hath little meal in barrel, yet he hath enough in God to make him content; he faith, as David, Pfal. xvi. 5. * The Lord is the porrion of mine inheritance ; the lines are fallen to me ia pleafant places.'
(7.) We glorify God in working out our own falvation : God hath twitted thefe two together, his glory and our good ; we glorify him, by promoting our own falvation: it is a glory to God to have multitudes of converts ; now, his defign of free grace takes, and God hath the glory of his mercy ; fo that, while we are endeavouring our falvation, we are honouring God. What an encouragement is this to the fervice of God, to think, while I am hearing and praying, I am glorifying God ; while I am furthering my own glory in heaven, lam increafing God's glory ? Would it not be an encouragement to a fubje6t, to hear his prince fay to him. You will honour and pleafe me very much, if you will go to yonder mine of gold, and dig as much gold for yourfelf as you can carry away ? So, for God to fay. Go to the ordinances, get as much grace as you can, dig out as much falvation as you can ; and the more happinefs you have, the more I (hall count myfelf glorified.
(8.) We glorify God, by living to God, 2 Cor. v. 15. ' that they which live, fliould not live to themfelves, but unto him who died for them.' Rom. xiv. 8. * Whether we live, we live unto the Lord.' The Mammomnift lives to his money, the Epicure lives to his belly ; the defign of a finner's life is to gratify lufl. But then we glorify God, when we live to God. Q. What is it to live to God ?
Anfw. When we live to his fervice, and lay out ourfelves wholly for God ; the Lord hath fent us into the world, as a merchant fends his factor beyond thefeas to trade for him : then we live to God, when we trade for his intereft, and propagate his gofpel. God hath given every man a talent ; now, when he doth not hide it in a napkin, but improves it for God, this is to live to God. When a mailer in a family, by counfel and good example, labours to bring his fervants to Chrift ; when a minifler doth exhauft himfelf in the labours of his holy calling, when he fpends himlelf, and is fpent, that he may win fouls to Chrift, and make the crown flourifh upon Chrift's head ; when the magiftrate doth not wear the fword in vain, but labours to ^ut down fin, and fupprefs vice ; this is to live to God, and this is a glorifying of God ; Phil. i. 20. • That Chrift might be magnified, whether by life or by death.* Three wilhes St. Pau<
IS TO GLORIFY GOD. 21
had, and they were all about Chrill, that he may be found in Chrift, be with Chrill, and ihat he might magnify Chrilt.
(9.) We glorify God by walking cheerfully. It is a glory to God, when the world fees a Chridian hath that within him, that can make him cheerful in the word times; he can, with the nightingale, fing with a thorn at his bread. The people of God have ground of cheerfulnefs; they are juftified, and inflat- ed into adoption; and this creates inward peace; it makes mufic within, whatever ftorms are without, 2 Cor. i. 4. 1 TheH". i. 6. if we confider what Chrill hath wrought for us by his blood, and wrought in us by his Spirit, it is a ground of great cheerfulnefs, and this cheerfulnefs, glorifies God ; it re- fle(5ls upon a mailer when the fervant is always drooping and fad, lure he is kept to hard commons, his mailer doth not give him what is fitting ; fo, when God's people hang their harps on willows, fure they do not fervea good mailer, repent of their choice; this refledts difhonour on God. As the grofs fins of the wicked bring a fcandal on the golpel, lb do the uncheerful lives of the godly, Pf. c. 2. 'Serve the Lord with gladnefs.' Your ferving him doth not glorify him, unlefs it be with glad- nefs. A Chriilian's cheerful looks glorify God ; religion doth not take away our joy, but refine and clarify it ; it doth not break our viol, but tunes it, and makes the mufic fweeter.
(lO.) We glorify God, by (landing up for his truths : much of God's glory lies in his truth ; God hath entrufted us with his truth, as a mailer en trulls his fervant with his purfe to keep. We have not a richer jewel to trull God with, than our fouls, God hath not a richer jewel to trull us with, than his truth : truth is a beam that fliines from God, much of his glory lies in his truth : now, when we are advocates for truth, this is to glo- rify God ; fo Athanafius, the bulwark for truth, JudeS. ' That ye fhould contend earnellly for the truth,' viz. the didlrine of faith. The Greek word to contend, fignifiesa great contending, as one would contend for his land, and not lutfer his right to be taken from him ; fo we fhould contend for the truth; were there more of this holy contention, God would have more glory. Some can contend earnellly for trifles and ceremonies, but not for the truth : we fliould count him indifcreet, that would con- tend more for a picture, than for his land of inheritance ; for a box of counters, than for his box of evidences.
(11.) We glorify God, by praifing ofhirn. Doxology, or prail'e, is a God-exalting work : Pfal. 1. 23. * Whofo otfereth prailt; glorifieth me.' The Hebrew word Bam, to create, and Barak, to praife, are little different, becaufe the end of creation is to praife God. David was called the fweet- finger of Ifrael, and his praifing God, was called a glorifying of God, PlaU
MAN S CHIEF END
Jxxxvi. 19. ' I will praife thee, O Lord my God, and I will glorify thy name.' 1'hough nothing can add to God's effential glory, yet praile exalts him in the eyes of others: when we praife God, we fpread his fame and renown, we difplay the tropliies of his excellency ; in this manner the angels glorify God, and they are the choirifters of heaven, and do trumpet forth God's praife. And praifing of God is one of the higheit and purell a6ls of religion ; in prayer we a6l like men ; in praife we a6t like angels; this is an high degree of glorifying God. Believers are called * temples of God,' 1 Cor. iii. 16\ When our tongues praife, then the organs in God's fpiritual temple are going. How fad is it, that God hath no more of his glory from us this way ! Many are full of murmurings and diicon- tents, but feldom do they bring glory to God, by giving him the praile due to his name. We read of the faints having harps ij3 their hand. Rev. v. 8. the emblems of praile. Many have tears in their eyes, and complaints in their mouth, but few have harps in their hand, bleffing and glorifying of God : let us honour God this way. Praife is the quit-rent we pay to God ; while God renews our leafe, we mull renew our rent.
(12.) We glorify God, by being zealous for his name. Numb. XXV. 11. • Phineas hath turned my wrath away, while he was zealous for my lake.' Zeal is a mixed afle6lion, a compound of iove and anger; it carries forth our love to God, and anger againli fin in a moll intenfe manner : Zeal is impatient of God's dilhonour ; a Chriftian fired with zeal, takes a dilhonour done to God, worl'e than an injury done to himfelf: Rev. ii. 2. * Thou canft not bear them that are evil.' Our Saviour Chrift did thus glorify his Father : he, being baptized with a fpirit of ztal, drove the money-changers out of the temple, John ii. 14, 37. ' The zeal of thine houle hath eaten me up.'
(13.) We glorify God, when we have an eye at God, both in our natural and in our civil a6tions : 1. In our natural ac- tions; in eating and drinking, I Cor. x. 31. * Whether there- fore ye eat or drink, do all to the glory of God.' A gracious perfbn holds the golden bridle of temperance ; he takes his meat as a medicine to heal the decays of nature, and that he ii^ay be the fitter, by the flrength he receives, for the fervice of God, he makes his food, not fuel for luft, but help to duty. 2. In buying and felling, we do all to the glory of God. The wicked live upon unjuft gain, either by falfifying the balance, Hof. xii. 7. ' The balances of deceit are in his hands:' While men make their weights lighter, they make their fins heavier ; or, by exading more than^he commodity is worth, they do not for fourfcore write down fifty, but for fifty, fourfcore ; they ex- a6l double the price that a thing is worth : but then we buy and fell to the glory of God, when in , pur buying and felling.
13 TO GLORIFY GOD. 23
we obferve that golden maxim, * To do to others, as we would have them to do to us,' Matth. vii. 12. When we do fell our commodities, that we do not Cell our confcience, Ads xxiv. l(i.
* Herein do I exercife mv lelf, to have always a conl'cience void of otrence toward God, and toward men.' This is to glorify God, when we have an eye at God in all our civil and natural a6tions^ and will do nothing that may reflect any bleraifh on re- ligion.
(14.) We glorify God, by labouring to draw others to God ; we convert others, and fo make them inftruments of glorifying God. We fiiould be both diamonds and ioadllones ; diamonds for the luftre of grace, and Ioadllones for our attra6live virtues in drawing others to Chriil: Gal. iv. 19. ' My little children, of whom 1 travel,' &c. This is a great way of glorifying God, w4ien we break the devil's prifon, artd turn men from the power of Satan to God.
(15.) We glorify God in a high manner, when we futfer for God, and feal the gofpel with our blood; John xxi. 18, IP.
• When thou flialt be old, another fhall gird thee, and carry thee, whether thou wouldeft not; This fpake he, fignitying by what death he fhouid glorify God.' God's glory (hines in the afhes of his martyrs: Ila. xxiv. 15. * \¥herefore glorify the Lord in fires.' Micaiah was in the prifon, Ifaiah was fawn afunder, Paul beheaded, Luke hanged on an olive-tree; thus did they, by their death, glorify God. The fufferings of the primitive faints did honour God, and make the gofpel famous in the world : what would others fay ? See what a good mailer they lerve, and how they love him, that they will venture the lols of ali in his fervice. The glory of Chrift's kingdom doth not ftand in worldly pomp and grandeur, as other kings; but it is i'een in the cheerful fulFerings of his people ; The faints of old * loved not their lives to the death,' Rev, xii. 11. They fnatch up torments as fo many crowns. God grant we may thus glorify him, if he calls us to it. Many pray, * Let this cup pafs away,' but not, ' thy will be done.'
(J 6.) We glorify God, when we give God the glory of all we do. Herod, when he had made an oration, and the people gave a (hout, faying, * it is the voice of a God, and not of a inun ;' and he took this glory to himfelf, the text faith, * Im- medi-^teiy the angel of the Lord fniote him, becaufe he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten of worms,' A6ts xii. 23. Then we glorify God, when we facrihce the praife and glory of all 10 God, 1 Cor. xv. 10. ' I laboured more abundantly than they all,' a fpeech, one would think, favoured of pride ; but the apoftle pulls- the crown from his own head, and fets it upon the head of free-grace, ' yet not I, but the grace of God which was with ma ;' as Joab, when he fought againll Rabbah
24 MAN S CHIEF END
fent for king David, that he might carry away the crown of the vidory, 2 Sam. xii. 28. So a Chriilian when he hath gotten power over any corruption, or tentation, fends for Chrift, that he may carry away the crown of the victory ; as the (ilk worm, when the weaves her curious work, Ihe liides herfelf under the filk, and is not feen; fo when we have done any thing praife- worthy, we muft hide ourfelves under the vail of humility, and transfer the glory of all we have done to God. Conftantine did ufe to write the name of Chrift over his door, fofhould we write the name of Chrift over our duties ; let him wear the garland of praife.
(17.) We glorify God, by an holy life. As a bad life doth difhonour God, 1 Pet. ii. 9. ' Ye are an holy nation, that ye fhould fhew forth the praifesof him that hath called you.' Rom. ii. 24. * The name of God is blafphemed among the Gentiles through you.' Epiphanius faith, *' That the loofenefs of fome Chrillians, in his time, made many of the heathen fhun the company of the Chriftians, and would not be drawn to hear their fermons." So, by our exaCf Bible-converiktion we glorify God. Though the main work of religion lies in the heart, yet cur light muflfo fhine, that others may behold it; the chief of building is in the foundation, yet the glory of it is in the fron- tifpiece, fo beauty in the converfation : when the faints, whoare called jewels, caft afparkUng luftreof holinefs in the eyes of the world ; then they * walk as Chrift walked,' 1 John ii. 6. when they live as if they had feen the Lord with bodily eyes, and been with him upon the mount ; then they adorn religion, and bring revenues of glory to the crown of heaven.
Uj'e 1. It fliews us what fhould not be our chief end, not to get great eftates, not to lay up treafures upon earth; this is the degeneracy of mankind (ince the fall, their great defign is to compafs the earth, and grow rich; and this they make their chief end : thofe never think of glorifying God, they trade for the world, but are not fadors for heaven : Ecclef. ix. 3. • Mad- nefs is in their heart while they live.' Sometimes they never arrive at an eftate, they do not get the venifon they hunt for; or tho' they do, what have they ? that which will not fill the heart, no more than the mariner's breath will fill the fails of a Ihip ; like a pi6lure drawn on the ice, and to fpend all one's time, as Ifrael, in gathering ftraw, but remember not the end of living to glorify God : Ecclef. v. 16. ' What profit hath he that laboureth for the wind ?' And thefe things are foon gone.
Ufe 2. It reproves fuch, 1 . As bring no glory to God : They do not anfwer the end of their creation, their time is not true lived, but time loft; they are like the wood of the vine, Ezek. XV. 2. Their lives are, as St. Bernard fpeaks, " Either finful" nefs or barrennefs. An ufelefs burden on the earth." God
is TO GLORIFY GOD. 85
yHfiW one day afk fuch a queftion as king Ahafuerus did, Efth. vi. 3. * What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai?' So will the Lord fay, What honour hath been done to me ? what revenues of glory have you brought into ray exchequer? There is none here prelent but God hath put you in I'ome capa- city of glorifying him ; the health he hath given you, the parts, eliate, leafons of grace, thefe all are opportunities put into^^our hand to glorify him ; and, be affured God will call you to ac- count, to know what you have done with the mercies he hath intruded you with, what glory you have brought to him. The parable of the talents, Mat. xxv. 1.5. where the man with the five talents, and the two talents are brought to a reckoning, doth evidently (hew that God will call you to a ftricl account, to know how you have traded with your talents, and what glo- ry you have brought to him. Now how fad will it be with th'em who hide their talents in a napkin, that bring God no glo- ry at all? ver. 30. * Call ye the unprofitable fervantinto utter darknefs.' It is not enough for you to fay, that you have not diflionoured God, you have not lived in grofs fin ; but what good have you done ; whatgiory have you brought to God ? Itis not enough tor the fervant of the vineyard, that he do no hurt in the vineyard, he doth not break the trees, or dellroy the hedges; if he doth not do fervicein the vineyard, he looft^th his pay ; if you do not good in your place, not glorify God, you will lofe your pay, mifs of falvation. Oh think of this, all you that live unferviceably ! Chrift curfed the barren fig-tree.
2. It reproves fuch as are fo far from bringing glory to God, that they rob God of his glory, Mai. iii. 8. ' Will a man rob God ? yet ye have robbed me.* They rob God, who take the glory due to God to themfelves : 1. If they have gotten an eliate, they alcribe all to their own witand induftry, they fetthe crown upon their own head, not confidering that, Deut. viii. 18. ' Thou (halt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.' Q. If they do any duty of re- ligion they look a fquintto their own glory. Mat. vi. 5. * That they may be feen of men,' That they may be fet upon a theatre, that others may admire and canonize them. The oil of vaia glory feeds their lamp. How many hath the wind of popular breath blown to hell } Whom the devil could not dellroy by in- temperance, he hath by vain-glory.
3. It reproves them who fight againft; God's glory. Acts V. 29. * Led ye be found to tight againft God.'
Q. But icho do fight againji God's glory f
Anf. Such as do oppole tliat, whereby God's glory is promo- ted : God's glory is much promoted in the preaching of the word, becaufe it is his engine whereby he converts Ibuls. Now, fuch as would hinder the pr^achhig of the word, thefe fi^hfr
Vol. I. No. 1. D
26 man's chief end
againft God's glory, 1 ThefT. ii. 16. * Forbidding us to fpeak to the Gentiles, that they might be faved.' Dioclefian, who railed the 10th periecution againft the Chriftians, did prohibit church meetings, and would have the tem|jles of the Chriftians razed down ; Such as hinder preaching, do as the Phihftines that ftop the wells, they ftop the well of the water of life; they tdUe away the phyficians that fhould heal (in-fick fouls ; minifters are lights, Matth. v. 14. and who but thieves hate the light? thefe perfonsdodire6tly ftrike at God'^s glory ? and what an account will they have to give to God, when he ftiall charge the blood of men's fouls upon them? Luke xi. 5^. ' Ye have taken away the key of knowledge ; ye entered not in yourfelves and them that were entering in ye hindered.' If there be either juflice in heaven, or fire in hell, they (hall not go unpunilhed. Ufe. 4. Exhortation, let us every one, in our place, make this our chief end and defign to glority God : 1. Let me fpeak to niagiftrates ; God hath put much glory upon them, Pf. Ixxxii. 6. ' I have faid ye are gods ; and will they not glorify him whom he hath put fo much glory upon? Magiftrates Ihould be zealous for God's worfliip and day ; they fhould not let the fword rultin the fcabbard, but draw it out for the cutting down of lin. 2. Minifters how fhould they ftudy to promote God's glory ; God hath entrufted them with two of the moft precious things, liis truths, and the fouls of his people. Minifters are, by virtue of their oftice, to glorify God : 1. They murt glorify God by labouring in the word and doClrine ; 2 Tim. iv. 1. * I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jefus Chrift, who fhall judge the quick and the dead : preach the word, be inftant in I'ealbn, out of I'eafon,' &c. It was Aguftine's wifli, " that Chrift at his coming, might find him either praying or preach- ing." 2. Minifters muft glorify God by ther Zealand fan6tity. The priePis under the law before they ferved at the altar, did wafli in the laver : fuch as ferve in the Lord's houfe, muft firft. be waftied fromgrofs fin in the laver of repentance. It is mat-^ ter of grief and ftiame, to think how many, who call themfelves minifters, do, inftead of apparently bringing glory to God, dif- lionour God, 2 Chron. xi. 16. Their lives, as well as doctrines, are heterodox, they are not free from the fins which they re- prove in others. Plutarch's fervant upbraided him, " It is not as my malter Plutarch faith ; he hath written a book againft wrath, anger, etipjimihi irafcitur, yet he falls into a palfion of anger with me :" So this miniller preacheth againft drunken- nels, yet he will be drunk ; he preacheth againft fwearing, yet he will fwear ; this reproacheth God, and makes the offering of the Lord to be abhorred. 3. Matters of families, do ye glorify God, feafon your children and fervants with the knowledge of the Lord ; your houfes fhould be little churches, Gen. xviii. 19.
IS TO GLORIFY GOD. S7
* I know that Abraham will command his children that they may keep the way of the Lord.' You that are mailers, know you have a charge of fouls under you ; for want of the bridle of family difcipline, youth runs wild ; well, let me lay down fome motives to glorify God.
1. Mot. It will be a great comfort in a dying hour, to think we have glorified God in our lives ; it was Chriit's comfort be- fore his death : John xvii. 3. * I have glorified thee on earth.* At the hour of death, all your earthly comforts will vanilh : if you thinkhow rich you have been, what pleafures you havehad on earth ; this will be fo far from comforting you, that it will but torment you the more : what is one the better for an eftate that is fpent ? But now, to have confcience telling you, that you have glorified God on earth, what fweet comfort and peace will this let into your foul! how will this make you long for death ! Tlie fervant that hath been all day working in the vineyard, longs till evening comes, when he (hall receive his pay. They who have lived, and brought no glory to God, how can they think of dying with comfort ? They cannot expert an harveit, that never lowed any feed : how can they expect glory from God, that never brought any glory to him ? O in what horror will they be at death ! the worm of Confcience will knaw their fouls, before the worms are knawing their bodies.
2. Mot' If we glorify God, he will glorify our fouls for ever ; by raifing God's glory, we increafe our own ; by glorifying God, we come at laft to the bleifed enjoying of him. And that brings me to the 2d, * The enjoying of God.'
^2dly, Man's chief end is to enjoy God for ever, Pf. Ixxiii. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee ? that is, what is there in hea- ven I defire to enjoy but thee ? There is a twofold fruition, or enjoying of God ; the one is in this life, the other in the life to come.
lit. An enjoying of God here in this life : The enjoying of ^od's prefence ; it is a great matter to enjoy God's ordinances (a mercy that fome do envy us) but to enjoy God's prefence; in the ordinances, is that which a gracious heart afpires after, Pfal. Ixiii. 2. ' To fee thy glory fo as I have feen thee in the fan6l;uary.' This fweet enjoying of God, is, when we feel his Spirit co-operating with the ordinance, and diftilling grace upon our hearts : 1. When in the word the Spirit doth quicken and raife the affe6tions, Luke xxiv, 32. * Did not our hearts burn within us?' 2. When the Ipirit doth transform the heart, leav- ing an imprefs of holinefs upon it, 2. Cor. iii. 8. ' We are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory.' When the Spirit doth revive the heart with comfort, it comes not only with its anointing, but its feal ; it iheds God's love abroad in the heart, Rom. v. 5. This is to enjoy God in an ordinance,
D 2
28 Man's chie*' en»
1 John V. 3. * Our fellowfhip is with the Father, and with his Son JefusChrifl:.' In the word, we hear God's vwce, and in thefacranient we have his kils ; this is enjoying of'God : and what infinite content doth a gracious Ibul find in this ! The heart being warmed and inflamed in a duty, this is God's anfwering by fire. When a Chrifl:ian hath thefvveet illaples of God's Spi- rit, ihefe are the firll fruits of glory, when God comes down to the foul in an ordinance : Now, Chrift hath pulled off his vail, and (howed his fmiling face ; now, he hath led a believer into the banqueting-houfe, and given him of the fpiced wine of his love to drink ; he hath put in his finger at the hole of the door ; he hath touched the heart, and made it leap for joy ; O how fweet is it thub to enjoy God ! The godly have, in the ufe of the ordinances, had Cuch divine raptures of joy, and foul transfi- gurations, that they have been carried above the world, and have defpifed all things here below.
Uj'e 1. Is the enjoying of God in this life fo fweet? How prodigioufly wicked are they that prefer the enjoying of their lulls, before the enjoying of God! 2 Pet. iii. 3. * The lull of the flefh, the lull of the eye, the pride of life,' is the Trinity they worfliip. Lull is an inordinate defire or impulfe, provok- ing the loul to that which is evil ; there is the revengeful lull, and the wanton lull. Lufl is like a feverifli heat, it puts the foul into a flame. Arillotle calls fenfual luft;s brutifli, becaule, when any luft is violent, reafon or confcience cannot be heard, the beall rides the m^n : thele lufts, when they are enjoyed, do befot and difpirit perfons, Hof. iv. 11. * Whoredom and wine take away the heart ;' they have no heart for any thing that is good. How many make it their chief end, not to enjoy God, but to enjoy their lulls; as that Cardinal faid, *• Let him but keep his cardinal-fliip of Paris, and he was content to lofe his part in Paradife." Lull firll bewitcheth with pleafure, and then conies the fatal dart, Prov. vii. 23. ' Till a dart ftrike through his liver.' This Ihould be as a flaming fword to Hop men in the way of their carnal delights. Who would for a drop of pleafure, drink a (isa of wrath ?
Uf'e 2. Let it be our great care to enjoy God's fweet prefence here, which is the beauty and comfort of the ordinances. En- joying Ipiritual communion with God, is a riddle and myllery to moii people ; every one that hangs about the court doth not fpeak with the King. We may approach to God in ordinances, and, as it were, hang about the court of heaven, yet not enjoy communion with God : we may have the letter without the Spirit, the vifible fign without the invifible grace : it is the en- joying of God in a duty we Ihould chiefly look at, Pfal. xlii, S. * My foul thirlleth for God, for the living God.' Alas! what are ail our worldly enjoyments without the enjoying of
IS TO GLORIFY GOD. ^0
God ? What is it to enjoy a frreat deal of health, a brave efiate, and not to enjoy God ? Job xxx. '28. ■' I went mourning with- out the fun.' So niayeit thou fay in the enjoyment of all crea- tures without God, * I went rtjourning without the fun.' I have the tlar-light of outward enjoyments, but I cannot enjoy God, I want the Sun of Righteoufnefs. * I went mourning without the fun.' This fliould be our great delign, not only to have the ordinances of God, but the God of the ordinances : the en- joying of God's fweet prefence with us here, is the molt con- tented life : he is an hive of fweetnefs, a magazine of riches, a fountain of delight, Pfal. xxxvi. 8, 9. The higher the lark flees, the fvveeter it lings; and the higher we fly by the wing of faith, the more of God we enjoy, the fweeter delight we feel in our Ibuls. How is the heart inflamed in prayer and medita- tion ? What joy and peace in believing? Is it not comfortable being in heaven ? He that enjoys much of God in this life, carries heaven about him. O let this be the thing we are chiefly am- bitious of, the enjoying of God in his ordinances; remember, the enjoying of God's fweet prefence here, is an earnell of our enjoying him in heaven.
And that brings us to the fecond thing, viz.
2d, The enjoying of God in the life to come: Man's chief end is to enjoy God for ever. Before this plenary fruition of God in heaven, there mufl be fomething previous and antece- dent ; and that is, our being in a ftate of grace : We mull have conformity to him in grace, before we can have communion with him in glory ; grace and glory are linked and chained to- gether; grace precedes glory, as the morning-ftar ufliers in the fun. God will have us qualified and fitted for a Hate of bleffed- nels : drunkards and fwearers are not fit to enjoy God in glory ; the Lord will not lay fuch vipers in his bofom ; only the * pure in heart (hall fee God :' we muftfirft be, astheking'sdaughter, glorious within, before we are clothed with the robes of glory. As king Ahafuerus lirft caufed the virgins to be purified and anointed, and they had their fweet odours to perfume them, and then they went to ftand before the king, Etih. ii. 12. ib mufl we, we mull have the anointing of God, and be perfumed with the graces of the Spirit, thofe iweet odours, and then we ihall fland before the king of tieaven : now, being thus divinely qualified by grace, we fhall be taken up to the mount of vifion, and enjoy God for ever : this enjoying God for ever, is nothing eife but to be put to a itate of happinefs. As the body cannot have life, but by having communion with the foul ; fo the foul cannot have blelTednefs, but by having immediate communioa with God. God is the/wmmwrn ionum, the chief good ; there- fore the enjoying of him is the higheft felicity ; he is, I fay, the chief good.
30 man's chief end
1. He is an univerfal good ; bonum in quo omnia bona, '* A. good, in which are all goods." The excellencies of the crea- ture are Hmited A man may have health, not beauty ; learn- ing, not parentage ; riches, not wifdom : but in God are emi- nently contained all excellencies : He is a good, commenfurate fully to the Ibul ; he is a fun, a portion, an horn ot'falvation ; in him dwells • all fulneis,' Col. i. U). 2. God is an unmixed good : no condition in this life but hath its mixture ; for every drop of honey there is a drop of gall. Solomon, who gave him- felf to find out this philofopher's ftone,tofearch out for an hap- pinefs here below, he found vanity and vexation, Eccl. i. 2. But God is a perfe6t, quinteffential good. He is fweetnefs in the flower. 3. God is a fatisfying good. The foul cries out, I have enough, Pfal. xvii. 15. ' I fliall be fatisfied with thy likenefs.' A man that is thirfty, bring him to the ocean, and he hath enough. If there be enough in God to fatisfy the an- gels, then Aire, enough to fatisfy us. The foul is but finite, but God is an uncreated infinite good. And yet though God be fuch a good as doth fatisfy, yetnotfurfeit. Frelhjoys fpring continually from God's face ; and God is as much to be defired after millions of years by glorified fouls, as at the firfl; moment. There is fb much fulnefs in God as fatisfies, yet fo much fweet- nefs, that the Ibul fl.ill defires ; it is fatisfaclion without iurfeit. 4. God is a delicious good. That which is the chief good mull ravifli the foul with pleafure ; there mufl; be in it fpirits of de- light and quinteflence of joy ; and this is to be enjoyed only in God. In Deo qnadam dulcedine delectatiir anima, immo rapHar : The love of God drops fijch infinite fuavity into the foul as is unfpeakable and full of glory. If there be fo much delight in God, when we fee him only by faith, I Peter i. 8. what will the joy of vifion be, when we (hall fee him face to face? If the faints have found fb much delight in God while they were fuf- fering, O then what joy and delight will they have when they are crowning! If flames are beds of roles, O then what will it be to lean on the bofom of Jefus ! what a bed of rofes will that be ! 5. God is a fuperlative good. He is better than any thing you can put in competition with him ; he is better than health, riches, honour. Other things maintain life, he gives life. But who would go to put any thing in balance with the Deity ? who would weigh a feather with a mountain of gold ? God excels all other things more infinitely than the fun the light of a taper, t). God is an eternal good : He is the ancient of Days, Dan. vii. 9. yet never decays, nor waxes old. The joy he gives is eternal, the crown fadeth not away, 1 Peter v. 4. Theglorified foul fhall ever be folacing itfelf in God ; it Ihaii be fealling on his love, and funning itfelf in the light of his countenance. We read of the river of pleafure at God's right hand ; but will not
IS TO GLORIFY GOD. 31
this in time be dried up ? No, there is a fountain at the bottom which feeds it : Pfal. xxxvi. 9. * With the Lord is the foun- tain of life.' Thus God is the chief good ; and the enjoyingj God for ever is the fupreme fehcity the foul is capable of.
1. Uje of Exhortation. Let it be the chief end oTour living to enjoy this chief good hereafter ; this is that which will crown us with happinefs, Auftin reckons up 288 opinions among the philofophers about happinefs, but all did (hoot fliort of the mark. The higheft elevation of a reafonable tbul is to enjoy God for ever. It is the enjoying God that makes heaven, 1 Theif. iv. 17. * Then Ihall we ever be with the Lord.' The foul trembles, as the nee(:le in the compafs, and is never at rell till it comes to God. To fet out this excellent flate of a glorified foul's en- joying God : 1. This enjoying of God muft not be underftood in a fenCual manner ; we mull not conceive any carnal pleafures m heaven. The Turks in their Alcoran fpeak of a paradife of pleafure, where they have riches in abundance, and red wine ierved in golden chalices. Here is an heaven confifting of plea- iures for the body ; the epicures of this age would like fuch an heaven wlien they die. Though indeed the (late of glory be compared to a feaft, and is fet out by pearls and precious ftones, yet thefe metaphors are only to be helps to our faith, and to fhow us that there is fuper-abundant joy and felicity in the em- pyrean heaven ; but thofe are not carnal, but facred delights : as our employment Qiall be fpiritual, it will confift in adoring and praifing of God : So our enjoyment fliall be fpiritual, it (hall confilt in having the perfe6tlon of holinefs, in feeing the pure face of Chrill, in feeling the love of God, in converfing with heavenly fpirits : thefe delights will be more adequate and proper for the (oul, and infinitely exceed all carnal voluptuous delights. 2. We (hall have a lively fenfe of this glorious etVate. A man in a lethargy, though he be alive, yet he is as good as dead, becaufe he is not fenfible, nor doth he take any pleafure in his life ; we (ball have a quick and lively fenfe of the infinite pleafure which arifeth from enjoyment of God ; we (hall know ourfelves to be happy, we (hall re(le6l with joy upon our dig- nity and felicity ; we (hall tafte every crumb of that fweet- uefs, every drop of that pleafure which flows from God. 3. We (hall be made able to bear a fight of that glory : we could not now bear that glory, it would overwhelm us: as a weak eye cannot behold the fun ; but God will capacitate us for glory ; our fouls fliall be fo heavenly, and perfected with holinels, that they may be able to enjoy the blefled vifion of God. Mofes in a cleft of the rock faw the glory of God pafiiug by, Exod. xxxiii. 21. Through that bleifed rock Chrifi, we fliall behold the beatifical fight of God. 4. This enjoyment of God fhall be more than a bare contemplation of him. Some of the learned
$^ man's CHIEF EHD
move the queflion, Whether the enjoyment of God Oiall he only by way of contemplation ? Anl". That is Something, but it is but pm hall of heaven ; there [liall be a loving of God, an acquief- cence in him, a tailing his fweetnefs ; not only inlpeclion but poUeflion, John xvii. 24. * That they may behold my ^lory ;* there is iulpedion : Ver. 26. ' And the giory thou hall given I me, have given them ;* there is pollellion. * Giory fhall be re- vealed in us,' Rom. viii. IS. not only revealed to us, but in us. To behold God's glory, there is glory revealed to us; but to par- take oi his giory, there is glory revealed in us. As the fpunge fucks in the wine, lb fliall we fuck in glory. There is no inter* miifion in this Hate of glory. We fliall not only have God's glo- rious prefence at certain fpecial fealbns, but we Ihall be conti- nually in his prefence, continually under divine raptures of joy. There fliall not be one minute in heaven, wherein a glorified foul may fay, I do not enjoy happinefs. The llreams of glory are not like the water of a conduit, often Hopped, that we can- not have one drop of water ; but thoie heavenly Itreams of joy are continually running. O how fliould we defpile this valley of tears, where we now are, for the mount of transfiguration ! how Ihould we long for the full enjoyment of God in paradile ! Had we a fight of that land of promiie, we (hould need patience to be content to live here any longer.
2. Let this be a fpur to duty. How diligent and zealous fhould we be in glorifying God, that we come at lad to enjoy him ? If TuUy, Demollhenes, Plato, who had but the dim watch-light of reafbn to fee by, and did but fancy an elyfiuna and happinels after this life, did take fuch Herculean pains to enjoy it; O then how fliould Chrillians, who have the light of fcriptqre tofeeby, beftir themfelves, that they mayattend^at the eternal fruition of God and glory ! If any thing may make us rife otf our bed of floth, and feive God with all our might, it fhould bethis; the hope of our near enjoyment of God forever. What made Paul fo active in ihefphere of religion ? 1 Cor. xv, 10. * I laboured more abundantly than they all.' His obedience did not move flow, as the fun on the dial ; but fwift, as the fun in the firmament. Why was he fo zealous in glorifying God, but that he might at lalt centre and terminate in him ? 1 Theff. iv. 17. ' Then ihall w^ be ever with the Lord.'
3(1, Uj'e of Conjolatwn. Let this comfort the godly in all the prefent miferies they ftel. Thou complainell, Chriftian, thou doll not enjoy thyfelf, fears difquiet thee, wants perplex thee; in the day ihou canft not enjoy eafe, in the night thou canll not enjoy fleep : thou dolt not enjoy the con»forts of thy lite. Let this revive thee, that fliortly thou flialt enjoy God, and then Ihalt h<jv€ more than thou canft alk or think ; thou ihalt have
OF THE scriptures; 33
angels joy, glory without intermiffion and expiration. We (hall never enjoy ourlblves fully, till we enjoy God eternally.
OF THE SCRIPTURES.
Q. II. WHAT rule hath God given to direct us hoio we may glorify and enjoy him ?
Anf. The word of" God (which is contained in the fcriptures of the Old and New Teftanient) is the only rule to dire6t us how we may glorify and enjoy him.
2 Tim. iii. 1(5. ' All fcripture is given by the infpiration of God,' ^c. By fcripture is underfiood the iacred book of God. -Alt is given by divine infpiration ; that is, the fcripture is not the contrivance of man's brain, but of a divine origmal. The image of Diana was had in veneration by the Ephefians, be- caufe they did fuppofe it fell from Jupiter, A6tsxix. 35. This book then of the holy fcripture is to be highly reverenced and elleemed, becaufe we are fure it came from heaven, 2 Pet. i. 21. The two Teftaments are the two lips by which God hath fpoken to us.
Q. How doth it appear that the fcriptures have a Jus Divinum, a divine authority Jiamped upon them?
Anf. Becaufe the Old and New Teftament are the foundation of all religion. If their divinity cannot be proved, the founda- tion is gone on which we build our faith. I fliall therefore en- deavour to evince this great truth, that the fcriptures are the very word of God. I wonder whence the Icriptures Ihould come, if not from God. 1. And bad men could not be the authors of fcripture ; would their minds be employed in indi6t- ing fuch holy lines? would they declare fo fiercely againll fin ? 2. Good men could not be the authors of fcripture. Could they write in fuch aflrain? or could it ftand with their grace to coun- terfeit God's name, and put. Thus faith the Lord, to a book of their own devifing } 3. Nor could any angel in heaven be the author of fcripture, becaufe, 1. The angels pry and fearch into the abyfs of gofpel myfleries, 1 Pet. i. 1'2. which implies their nefcience of feme parts of fcripture ; and fure they cannot be authors of that book which themfelves do not fully underlland. Befides, 2. What angel in heaven durfl be fo arrogant as to perfbnate God, and fay, 'I create,' Ila. Ixv. 17. and ' I the Lord have laid it,' Numb. xiv. S3. So that it is evident, the pedigree of fcripture is facred, and it could come from none but God himleif.
Not to fpeak of the harmonious confent of all the parts of
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fcripture, there are feven cogent arguments which may evince it to be the word of God.
1. By its antiquity: It is of ancient (landing. The grey hairs of fcripture make it venerable. No human hiflories ex- tant reach fiu'llier than fiuce Noah's flood ; but the holy fcrip- ture relates matters of fa6t that have been from the beginning of the world ; it writes of things before time. Now, that is a fure rule of Tertullian, *' That which is of the greatell antiquity, id verum quod primum, is to be received as moil facred and authentic."
2. We may know the fcriptures to be the word of God, by the miraculous prefervation of it in all ages. The holy fcrip- tures are the richell jewel that Chrill liath left ; and the church of God hath keptthefe public records of heaven, that they have not been loll. The word of God hath never wanted enemies to oppofe, and, if pollible, to extirpate it. They have given out a law concerning fcripture, as Pharaoh did the midwives concerning the Hebrew women's children, to llrangle it in the birth ; yet God hath preferved this blelfed book inviolable to this day. The devil and his agents have been blowing at fcrip- ture-light, but could never prevail to blow it out; a clear fign that it was lighted from heaven. Nor hath the church of God, in all revolutions and changes, only kept the fcripture that it fhould not be loft, but that it fliould not be depraved. The letter of fcripture hath been preferved, without any corruption, in the original tongue. The fcriptures were not corrupted be- fore Chrill's time, for then Chrift would never have fent the Jews to the fcriptures; but he fends them to the fcriptures, John V. 39. ' Search the fcriptures.' Chrift knew thefe facred fprings were not muddied with human fancies.
4. The fcripture appears to be the word of God, by the matter contained in it. (1.) By its profundity. The myftery of fcripture is fo abllrufe and profound, that no manor angel could have known it, had it not been divinely revealed. That eternity (hould be born ; that he who thunders in the heavens fhould cry in the cradle ; that he who rules the ilars, (liould luck the breads ; that the Prince of life fhould die ; that the Lord of glory fhould be put to (hame ; that fin fliould be punilhed to the full, yet pardoned to the full ; who could ever have con- ceived of fuch a myllery, had not the fcripture been the oracle to reveal it to us? So, for the do6trine of the refurre6lion, that the fame body which is crumbled into a thoufand pieces, fhould rife idem numero, the fame individual body, (for elle it were a creation, not a refurre«5lion.) How could fuch a facred riddle, above all human difquifition, be known, had not the fcripture made adifcovery of it? (2.) By its purity. It is, for the mat- ter of it, lb full of goodnefs, jullice and fundity, that it could be
OP THE SCRIPTURES. 85
breathed from none but from God ; the holinefs of it fliews it to be of God, it bears his very image. The fcripture is com- pared to filver refined feven times, Pfal. xii. 6. This book of God haih no errata in it : it is a beam of the Sun of Righteouf- iiefs, a cryftal Itrram flowing from the fountain of life. All laws and edi6ls of men have had their corruptions, but the word of God hath not the leail tin6lure, it is of a meridian fplendor, Pfal. cxix. 140. ' Thy word is very pure,' like wine that comes from the grape, which is not mixed nor adulterated. It is fo pure, that it purities everything elfe, John xvii. 17. * Sandify them through thy truth.' The fcripture preffeth holinefs, fo as never any book did : it bids us ' live foberly, righteoufly, godiv,' Tit. ii. 12. Soberly, in a6ts of temperance; righteoufly, in acts of juilice ; godly, in the a6ts of zeal and devotion. It commends to us, * whatever is juft, lovely, and of good report/ Phil. iv. 8. This fword of the Spirit, Eph. vi. 17. cuts down vice. Out of this tower of fcripture is thrown down a milllone upon the head of fin. The Icripture is the royal law, which commands not only the adions, but affe6tions ; it binds the heart to its good behaviour. Where is there fuch holinefs to be found, as is digged out of this iacred mine? who could be the author of fuch a laook but God himfelf ?
4. That the fcripture is the word of God, is evident by its predi6tions ; it prophefieth of things to come. This fliows the voice of God fpeaking in it ; it was foretold by the prophet, ' A virgin Ihall conceive,' lia. vii. 14. and, the ' Mefliah fliall be cut off,' Dan. ix. 2(i. The fcripture foretels things that fliould fall out many ages and centuries after ; as how long Ifrael fnouid ferve in the iron furnace, and the very day of their de- liverance, Exod. xii. 41. ' At the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the (elf- fa me day, it came to pals, that the hoft of the Lord went out of Egypt.' This prediction of future things, merely contingent, and not depending upon natural caufes, is a clear denionitration of its divine original.
5. The impartiality of thole men of God, who wrote the fcriptures; they do not fpare to let down their own failings. What man that writes an hiftory, would black his own face, viz. record thole things of himfelf, that might ftain his reputa- tion ; Moles records his own impatience when he (truck the rock, and tells us, therefore he could not enter into the land of prouiii'e. David writes of his own adultery and bloodlhed, which (lands as a blot in his fcutcheon to fucceeding ages. Peter relates his own pufillanimity in denying Chrifl:. Jonah lets down hisown paflTions, * I do well to beangry to thedeath.' Surely, had not their pen been guided by God's own hand, they would never have written that which did reflect diflionour upon themCelves. Men do ufually rather hide their blemiOics, than
£2
OF THE SCRIPTURES.
publiOi them to the world : but tliefe penmen of holy fcrlpture eclipfe their own name ; they take away all the glory from them- felves, and give the glory to God.
6. The mighty power and efficacy the word hath had upon the fouls and conlciences of men. (I.) It hath changed their hearts. (2.) Some by reading of Icripture have been turned into other men, they have been made holy and gracious. By reading other books the lieart may be warmed, but by reading this book it is transformed, 2 Cor. iii. 3. * Ye are manifeftly declared to be the epillle of Chrift, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.' The word was copied out into their hearts, and they were become Chrift's epiftle, fo that others might read Chriil in them. If you fliould let a leal upon marble, and it fliould make an impreflion upon the marble, and leave a print behind, there were a llrange virtue in that feal: fo, when the feal of the word leaves a heavenly print of grace upon the heart, there muft needs be a power going along with that word no lefs than divine. ("2.) It hath comforted their hearts. When Chriftians have (itten by the rivers weeping, the word hath dropped as honey, and fweetly revived them. A Chriftian's chief comfort is drawn outofthele wells of ialvation ; Rom. XV. 4. ' That we thro' comfort of the fcriptures might have hope.' When a poor foul hath been ready to faint, he hath had nothing to comfort him but a Icripture cordial. Wheri he hath been fick, the word hath revived him ; 2 Cor. iv. 17. * Our light affli6lion, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' When he hath been deferted, the word hath dropped in the golden oil of joy into his heart. Lam. iii. 31. ' The Lord will not caft off for ever.' He may change his providence, not his purpole ; he may have the look of an enemy, but the heart of a father. Thus the word hath a power in it to comfort the heart; Pfal. cxix. 50. • I'his is my comfort in mine afflidlion ; for thy word hath quickened me.' As the fpirits are conveyed through the arteries of the body ; fo divine comforts are conveyed through the promifes of the word. Now the fcriptures having fuch an exhilarating heart-comforting power in them, it fliovvs clearly, that they are of God, and it is he that hath put this milkof con- Iblation into thefe brealls.
7. The great miracles wherewith the Lord hath confirmed fcripture. Miracles were ufed by Moles, Elijah, Chriil, and continued many years after by theapoitles, to confirm the verily of the holy Icriptures. As props are let under weak vines, fo thefc miracles were fet under the weak faith of men, that if they would not believe the writings of the word, yet they might be- lieve the miracles. We read of God's dividing the waters, making a cauleway in the i'en for his people to go over, the iron
OF THE SCRIPTURES. 37'
fwimmlng, the oil increafing by pouring out, Chfift's making wine of water, his curing the blind, and raifing the dead : thus God hath let a leal to the truth and divinity of the Icripture by miracles.
Object. The Papi/ts indeed cannot deny hut that the fcripture is divine and /acred; but they affirm, that quoad nos»^ ivith re- fpect to us, it receives its divine authority from the church, and they brinjr that fcripture, 1 Tim. iii. 13. where the church is faid to he the ground and pillar of truth,
Anf. It is true, the church is the pillar of truth ; but it doth not therefore follow, that the Icripture hath its authority fromi the church. The king's proclamation is fixed on a pillar, the pillar holds it out, that all may read, but the proclamation doth not receive its authority from the pillar, but from the king ; fo tjie church holds forth the Icriptures, but they do not receive their authority from the church, hut from God. If the word of God ftiould be divine becaule the church holds it forth, then it will follow, that our faith isto be built upon the church, and not upon the word ; contrary to that, Eph. ii. 20. ' Built upon the foundation (that is the doctrine) of the apoftles and prophets.'
Qu. Are all the hooks in the Bible of the fame divine au- thority ?
Anf. Thofe which we call canonical.
Qu. Why are the fcriptures called canonical?
Anf. Becaule the word is a rule of faith, a canon todirecl our lives. The word is the judge of controverfies, the rock of in- fallibility ; that only is to be received for truth, which is con- Ibnant to, and agrees with fcripture, as the tranfcript with the original. All maxims in divinity are to be brought to the touch- Itone of fcripture, as all meal'ures are brought to the itandard.
Qu. Are the fcriptures a complete rule f
Anf. The fcripture is a full and perfect canon, containing in it all things neceliary to falvation, 2 Tim. iii. 13. 'From a child thou hall known the holy fcriptures, which are able to make thee wife unto falvation.' It (hews the Credenda, what we are to believe; and Agenda, what we are to practife. It gives us an exa6t model of religion, and perfectly inllructs us in the deep things of God. The Papids therefore make them- i'elves guilty, who go to feek out Icripture with their traditions, to which they equallize it. The council of Trent faith. That the traditions of the church of Rome are to be received pari pietatus affeclu, with the lame devotion that fcripture is to be received with ; fo bring thenifelves under that curie, Rev. xxii.' 18. ' If any man fhall add unto thele things, God Ihall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.'
Q. What is the main fcope and end of fcripture t
3S OF THE SCRIPTURES.
A??/. To chalk out a way to falvation. It makes a clear dif- covery of Chrifi:, John xx. 31. ' Thefe things are written, that ye might believe that Jefus is the Chriil, aiul that believing ye might have life through his name.' The defign of the word is to be an examine, whereby our grace is to be tried ; a fea-mark to fhow us what rocks we are to avoid. The word is to fubli- mate and quicken our affections : it is to be our directory and confolatory ; it is to waft us over to the land of promife.
Q. Who fliall have the power of interpreting J'criptures 9
The Papifts do aifert, that it is in the power of the church. If you aflc who they mean by the church, they fay, the Pope who is head of it, and he is infallible ; fb Bellarmine. But that affertion is falfe, becaufe many of the Popes have been ignorant aud vicious, as Platinaaflirms, who writes of the livesof Popes: Pope Liberius was an Arian, and Pope John XII. denied the immortality of the foul ; therefore Popes are not fit interpreters offcripture: who then?
Anf. The fcripture is to be its own interpreter, or rather the Spirit fpeaking in it; nothing can cut the diamond but the diamond; nothing can interpret fcripture, but fcripture; the i'xxn beft difcovers itfelf by its own beams; the fcripture inter- prets itfelf in eafy places to the underftanding. But the quef- tion is concerning hard places of fcripture, where the weak Chriftian is ready to wade beyond his depth, who fhali interpret here?
AriC- In the church, God hath appointed fome to expound and interpret fcripture ; therefore he hath given gifts to men ; the feveral pallors of churches, like bright conllellations, give light to dark fcriptures, Mai. ii. 7. * The prieils lips fhould keep knowledge, and they fliould leek the law at his mouth.*
Q. But this is to pin our faith upon men ?
Anf. We are to receive nothing for current but what is agree- able to the word ; as God hath given to his minillers gifts for the interpreting obfcure places, lb he hath given to his people fo much of the f'pirit of difcerning, that they can tell (at leaft in things neceHary to falvation) what is confonant to fcripture, and what is not; 1 Cor. xii. 10. * To one is given a fpirit of prophecy, to another difcerning of fpirits :* God hath endued his people with I'uch a meafure of wifdom and dil'cretion, that they can difcern between truth and error, and judge what is found, and what is fpurious, A6ts xvii. 11, ♦ 'Ihe Bereans fearched the fcriptures daily, whether thole things were fo:' They weighed the dodrine they heard, whether it was agreeable to fcripture, though Paul and Silas were their teachers, 2 Tim. iii. 16.
life 1. See the wonderful goodnefs of God, who, befides the ight of nature^ hath committed to us the facred fcriptures.
OF THE SCRIPTURES. 39
Tlie heathens are inveloped with ignorance, Pfal. dxvii. 20. * As for liis judgments ilie\? have not known ihem.' They have the oracles of the Sybils, but noi the writings of Mofesand the apo(tles. How many hve in the region of death, where this bright ftar of fcripture never appeared! We have this bleiied book of God to relblve ail our caies, to chalk out a way of life to us. John xiv. 22. * Lord, how is it thou wilt manifeftthy- feifuMto us, and not unto the world ?'
(<2.) Seeing God hath given us his written word to he our di- rectory, this takes away all excufes from men. No man can fay, I went wrong for want of a light ; no, God hath given thee his word as a lamp to thy feet ; therefore now, if thou goefb wrong, thou dofl it wilfully. No man can fay, If I hud known the will of God, I would have obeyed ; no, thou art inexcufable, Q man, God hath given thee a rule to go by, he hath written his law with his own finger ; therefore now, if thou obeyeft not, thou haft no apology left. If a mailer leaves his mind in writ- ing with his fervant, and tells him what work he will have done, yet the fervant neglects the work, that fervant is left without excufe, John xv. 22. ' Now you have no cloke for your fins.*
U/e 2. Is all fcripture of divine infpiration > is it a book made by God himlelf? Then this reproves, I. The Papilts, who take away part of fcripture, and fo clip the King of heaven's coin ; they expunge the fecond commandment, out of their catechifm^, becaufe it makes againll images : it is ui'ual with ihem, if they meet with any thing in fcripture which they diflike, either they put a falfe glofs upon it, or, if that will not do, pretend it is corrupted ; thefe are like Ananias, who kept back part of the money, A6ls v. 2. fo they keep back part of the fcripture from the people. This is an high aft'ront to God, to deface and ob- literate any part of his word: by this they bring themfelves under that premunire. Rev. xxii. 9. ' If any man fliall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God (hall take away his part out of the book of life.' la all fcripture of divine infpiration ? 2. It condemns the Antinomians, that lay afide the Old Teftament as ufelefs, and out of date; they call them Old-Tellament Chriftians: God hath Itamped a divine majefty upon both Teftaments ; and till they can (hew tne where God hath given a repeal to the Old, it Hands in force. The two Teitaments are the two wells oflalvation; the Antino- mians would (lop up one of thefe wells, they would dry up one of the breafts of fcripture. There is much gofpel in the Old Teftament ; the comforts of the gofpel in the New Teftament have their rife from the Old. The great promife of the Melfiali is in the Old Teftament, * A virgin (hall conceive and bear ?i fon :' — Nay, I fay more, the moral law, in fbme parts of it, fi)eaks gofpel, ' I am the Lord thy God ;' here is the pure wine
40 OF THE SCRIPTUilES.
of the gofpcl. The faint's great charter, where God proniifeth to * fprhiUle clean water upon them, and put his Spirit within them,* is to be found primarily in the Old Teftament, Ezek. xxxvi.25, ^6. So that they who take away the Old Tella- ineiit, do, as Samfon, pull down the pillars, they would take away the pillars of a Chridian's comfort. 3. It condemns the Entliuli.ills, who, pretending the Spirit, lay afide the whole Bible ; ihey fay the fcripture is a dead letter and they live above it. What imprudence is this ? Till we are above fin, we fliall not be above fcripture. Let not men talk of a revelation from the Spirit, fufpe(A it to be an impoilure ; the Spirit of God ads regularly, it works in and by the word ; and he that pretends to a new light, which is either above the word, or contrary to it, abufeth both himfelf and the Spirit : his light is borrowed from him who transforms himfelf into an angel of light. 4. It con- demns the (lighters of fcripture: fuch are they, who can go whole weeks and months and never read the word. They lay it afide as rufty armour; they prefer a play or romance before Icripture, the magnalia legis are to them miniitula. O how many can be looking their faces in a glafs all the morning, but their eyes begin to be fore, when they look upon a Bible! hea- thens die in the want of fcripture, and thefeinthe contempt of it. They furely mult needs go wrong who flight their guide ; fuch as lay the reins upon the neck of their lulls, and never ufe the curbing bit of fcripture to check them, are carried to hell, and never fiop. 5. It condemns the abufers of fcripture : (1.) Who do mud and poifon this pure cryflal fountain with their corrupt gloffes ; who wrefl fcripture, 2 Pet. iii. 16. The Greek word is, they fet it upon the rack ; they give wrong interpreta- tions of it, not comparing fcripture with fcripture : as the An- tinomians pervert that fcripture. Numb, xxiii. 21. * He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob;' hence they infer, God's people may take liberty in fin, becaufe God fees no fin in them. It is true, God fees no fin in his people with an eye of revenge, but he fees it with an obfervation. He fees not fin in them, fo as to damn them ; but he fees it, fo as to be angry, and feverely to punifh them. Did not David find it fo, when he cried out of his broken bones? In like manner the A rminians wrefl fcripture, John v. 40. ' Ye will not come to me ;' here they bring in free will. This text fliows 1. How willing God is that we fhould have life ; 2. That finners may do no more than they do ; they may improve the talents God hath given them : but it doth not prove the power of free-will, for it is contrary to that fcripture, John vi. 44. * No man can come to me, except the Father which hath lent me draw him.' Thefe therefore writing the text fo hard, as they make the blood come ; they do not com- pare fcripture with fcripture. (2.) Who do jell with fcripture .^
OF THE SCRIPTURES. 41
When they are fad, they take the fcripture as their lute or minllrei to play with, and fo drive away the iadfpirit ; as that drunkard I have read of, who, having drunk otf hiscups, called to fome of his fellows. Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. In the fear of God, take heed of this. Eulebius tells us of one, who took a piece of fcripture to make a jell of, who wag prefently ftruck with a frenzy and ran mad. And, it is a faying of Luther, Quos Deus vult perdere, &c. '* Whom God intends to deftroy, he gives them leave to play with fcrip- ture."
Ufe 3(\. Of exhortation. If the fcripture be of divine in- fpiration, then be exhorted, 1. To ftudy the fcripture; it is a copy of God's will : be fcripture-men, Bible*chrillians, " I adore the fulnefs of fcripture," faith Tertuliian. In the book of God are fcattered many truths as fo many pearls, John v. 3i5. * Search the fcriptures :' Search as for a vein of filver : this bleffed book will fill your head with knowledge, and your heart with grace. God wrote the two tables with his own fingers ; and if God took pains to write, well may we take pains to read. Appollos was mighty in the fcriptures, A<5ls xviii. 2-1. The wordjs onr mag7ia charta for heaven; fliall we be ignorant of our charter ; Col. iii, 19. * Let the word of God dsvell in you rich- ly.' The memory muftbe a table-book where the word is writ- ten. To make us read the word,confider, 1. There is majefty fparkling in every line of fcripture : take but one inftance, Ifa. Ixiii. 1. ' Who is this that coraeth from Edom, with dyed gar- ments from Bozrah ? This that is glorious in his apparel, tra- velling in the greatnefs of his ftrength ? I that fpeak in righte- oufnefs, mighty to lave.' Behold here a lofty magnificent flyle ? What angel could fpeak after this manner? Junius was con- verted by reading one verfe of John : he beheld a majefty in it beyond all human rhetoric. 2. There is a \nelody in fcripture. This is that bleffed harp which drives away fadnefs of fpirit : hear the founding of this harp a little, i Tim. i. 15. ' This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came into the world to lave finners ;' he took not only our flefh upon him but our fins. And Mat. xi. 28. ' Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you refl.* How fweetly doth this harp of fcripture found, what heavenly mu- fic doth it make in the ears of a diftrelied finner, efpecially when the finger of God's Spirit toucheth upon this inlirument? 3. There is divinity in fcripture. It contains the marrow and quintelfence of religion : The fcripture is a rock of diamonds, amyftery of piety ; the lips of fcripture have grace poured into them. The fcripture fpeaks of faith, felf-denial, and all the graces, which, as a chain of pearl adorn a Chriftian. The fcrip- ture excites to holinels, it treats of another world, it gives a
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profpe6l of eternity : Oh then fearch the fcripture! make th^ . word familiar to you. Had I the tongue of angels, I could not fufficieiitly fet forth the excellency of fcripture : it is alpiritual optic-glafs, in which we behold God's glory : it is the tree of life, the oracle of wifdoin, the rule of manners, the heavenly*" feed of which the new creature is formed, James i. 18. •' The two Teftaments (faith Auftin) are the two brealls which every Chrifiian mud fuck, that he umy get fpiritual nourifhment.'* The leaves of the tree of life were for healing. Rev. xxii. '-2. So thefe holy leaves of fcripture, like thofe leaves, are for the heal- ing of our fouls. The fcripture is .profitable for all things: if "we are deferted, here is fpiced wine that chears the heavy heart ; if we are purfued by Satan, here is the fword of the Spirit to re- l]ft him : if we are difeafed with fin's leprofy, here are the wa- ters of the fanclnary , both to cleanfe and cure. Oh then, fearch the fcriptures! there is no danger in tailing this tree of know- ledge : there was a penalty laid at firfi;, that we might not tafle of the tree of knowledge. Gen. iii. 17- * In the day that thou eateil thereof, thou (hal-t furely die :' but there is no danger of plucking this tree of holy fcripture ; if we do not eat of this tree of knowledge, we fhall furely die : oh, then, read the fcrip- tures! — Time may come, when the fcriptures may be kept from us.
Q. How fliould ice fo fearch the fcriptures, as to find life ? Anf 1. Read the Bible with reverence ; think every line you read God is fpeaking to you. The ark wherein the law was put was overlaid with pure gold, and was carried on bars, that the Levites might not touch it, Exod. xxv. 14. And why was this, but to breed in the people reverence to the law? 9. Read with ferioufnefs. It is matter of life and death : by this word you mull be tried ; confcience and fcripture are the jury God will proceed ,by, in judging of you. 3. Read the word with afFedion. Get your hearts quickened with the word ; go to it to fetch fire, Luke xxiv. 32. * Did not our hearts burn within us?' Labour that the word may not only be a lamp to direct, but a fire to warm. Read the fcripture, not only as an hiftoiy, but as a love-letter fent to you from God, which may aflre6l your hearts. 4. Pray that the fame Spirit that wrote the word, n»ay aifift you in the reading of it; that God's Spirit would fhew you the wonderful things of his law. Go near, fairh G<»d to Philip, 'join thyfelfto this chariot,* A6ls viii. 19. So, when God's Spirit joins himfelf with this chariotof the word, then it becomes etft::6lual.
2. Be exhorted to prize the word written. Job xxiii. 19. Da- vid valued the word more precious than gold. "What would the martyrs have given for a leaf of the Bible! The word is the fidd where Chrift the pearl of price is hid. In this facred
OF TH5 SCRIPTURES. 4$
•ifiine we dig, not for a wedge of gold, but a weight of glory. 1. The fcriptureis a facredcollyrium, or eye-falveto illuminate us. Prov. vi. 23. * The commandment is a lamp, and the law js light.' The fcripture is the chart and compafs by which we fail to the new Jerufalem. The Icripture is a fovereign cordial in all diftreffes. What are the promiCes but the water of lite to renew fainting fpirits? Is it fin troubles? There is a fcripture cordial, Pfal. Ixv. 3. * Iniquities prevail againft me : as for our tranfgreffions thou fhalt purge them away;' or as it is in the Hebrew, * thou fhalt cover them.* Is it outward afflictions difquiet thee? There is a fcriptural-cordial, Pf. xci. 15. 'I will be with him in trouble ;' not only to behold, butto uphold. Thus, as in the ark was laid up manna, promifes are laid up as manna in the ark of fcripture. 3. The fcripture wilt make WS wife : wifdom is above rubies ; Plal. cxix. 104. ' By thy pre- cepts I get underftanding.* What made Eve fo defire ihxi tree of knowledge? Gen. iii. 6. * It was a tree to make one wife.* The fcriptures teach a man to know himfelf : they difcover Sa- tan's I'nares and ftratagems; 2 Cor. ii. 1 1. They make one wife to falvation,' 2 Tim. iii. 15. O then highly prize the (crip- tures! I read of Queen Elizabeth, at her coronation, flie receiv- ed the Bible prefented to her, with both her hands, and kiifing it, laid it to her breaft, faying, that that book had ever been her chiefeft delight.
3. If the fcripture is of divine infpiration, believe the word. The Romans, that they might gain credit to their laws, report- ed that they were infpired by the gods at Rome. O give cre- dence to the word ! it is i.)reathed from God's own mouth. Hence arifeth all the profanenefs of men, they do not believe the fcripture. If. liii. 1. ' Who hath believed our report?' Did you believe the glorious rewards the fcripture fpeaks of, would you not give dihgence to make your ele6tion fure? Did you believe the infernal torments the fcripture fpeaks of, would not thig put you into a cold fweat, and cauf'e a trembling at heart for fin ? But people are in part Atheifts, they give but little credit to the word, therefore they are fo impious, and draw fuch dark (hadows in their lives. Learn to realize fcripture, get your hearts wrought to a firm belief of it. Some think, if God Ihould fend an angel from heaven, and declare his mind, then they Ihould rather believe him, or if he Ihould fend one Irom the damned, and preach the torments of hell all in flames, then ihey would believe. But Luke xvi. 31. * If they believe not Mofes and the prophets, neither will they be perluaded though one arofe from the dead.' God is wile, and he thinks this way fitted to make his mind known to us by writing; and fuch as will not be convinced by the word, ihall be judged by the word. The belief of the fcripture is of high importance : it is the be-
F2
44 Oi" THE SCRIPTURES.
lief of fcriptiire, that will enable us to refill temptation ; 1 Johit 1i. 14. • The word ot God abideth in you, and ye have over- come the wicked one.' It is the belief of fcripture conduceth much to our lan6tification ; therefore thefe two are put toge- ther, fanclification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, ^Theif. ii. 13. If the word written be not believed, it is like writing on the water, which takes no imprelTion.
4. Love the word written : Pf. cxix. 97- * O how love I thy law !' " Lord (faith Auguftine) let the holy fcriptures be my chafte delight." Chryfoitora compares the fcripture to a garden ; every truth is a flagrant flower, which we (hould wear, not on our bofom, but our heart. ^ David tailed the word
* fweeter than honey and the honey-comb,* Pfal. xix. 10. There is that in fcripture may breed delight : it fhows us the way to riches, Deut. xxviii. 5. Prov. iii. 10. To long life, Pf. xxxiv. J 2. To a kingdom, Heb. xii. 28. Well then, may we count thofe the fweeteft hours which are fpent in reading the holy fcriptures : well may we lay with the prophet, Jer. xv. 16. ■ Thy words were found, and I did eat them ; and they were the joy and rejoicing of my heart.'
5. Conform to fcripture, let us lead fcrlpture-lives. O that the Bible might be feen printed in our lives ! do what the word commands. Obedience is an excellent way of commenting upon the Bible, Pfal. Ixxxvi. 11. * 1 will walk in thy truth.' Let the word be the fun-dial by which you fet your life. What are we the better for having the fcripture, if we do not direct all our fpeeches and a6lions according to it? What is a carpen- ter the better to have his rule about him, if he flicks it at his back, and never makes ufe of it for the meafuring and fquaring his work ? So, what are we the better for the rule of the word, if we do not nmke ufe of it, and regulate our lives by it ? How many fwerve and deviate from the rule .? The word teacheth to be fober and temperate, but they are drunk; to be chafte and holy, but they are profane ; they go quite from the rule. What a diflionour is this to religion, for men to live in contradi6lion to fcripture! The word is called a ' light to our feet.* Pf. cxix. 105. It is not only a light to our eyes to mend our fight, but to our feet to mend our walk. O let us lead Bible converlations.
6. Contend forfcripture. Though we (hould not be of con- tentious fpirits, yet we ought to contend for the word of God ; this jewel is too precious to be parted with; Prov. iv. 13.
• Keep her, for (lie is thy life.' The fcripture is befet with fnemies; heretics fight againft it, we mull therefore * contend for the faith once delivered to the faints,' Jude 3. The fcrip- ture is our book of evidences for heaven ; (hall we part with our evidences ! The faints of old were both advocates and martyrs
THAT THERE IS A GOD. 45
for truth ; they would hold faft (cripture, though it were with the lots of their lives.
7. Be thankful to God for the fcriptures. What a mercy is it that God lialh not only acquainted us what his will is, but that he hath made it known by writing! In the Old times God did reveal his mind by revelations, but the word written is a furer way of knowing God's mind than by revelation, S Pet. i. 17. * This voice which came from heaven we heard, we have alio a more fure word of prophecy.' The devil is God's ape, and he can transform himfelf into an angel of light ; he can de- ceive with falfe revelations : as I have heard of one who had, as he thought, a revelation from God to facrifice his child, as Abraham had ; whereupon he following this impulfe of the devil, did kill his child. Thus Satan oft deceives people with d.eluhon, inftead of divine revelations; therefore we are to be thankful to God for revealing his mind to us by writing: we have a more fure word of prophecy. We are not left under a doubtful fufpence that we Ihould not know what to believe, but we have an infallible rule to go by. The fcripture is our pole- ftar to direct us to heaven, it Ihews us every liep we are to take ; when we go wrong, it inilru6ls us ; when we go right it comforts us ; and it is matter of thankfulnefs, that the fcriptures are made intelligible, by being tranflated.
S. Adore God's dillinguilhing grace, if you have felt the power and authority of the vvor^ upon your confcience ; if you can fay as David, Pfal. cxix. 50. ' Thy word hath quickened me.' Chriltian, blefs God that he hath not only given thee his word to be a rule of holinefs, but his grace to he a principle of holinefs: blels God that he hath not only written his word, but fealed it upon thy heart, and made it elfedual. Canll thou fay it is of divine infpiration, becaufe thou hall felt it to be of lively operation ? O free grace ! that God fhould fend out his word, and heal thee ; that he fliould heal thee, and not others? that the fame fcripture, which is to them a dead letter, (hould be to thee a favour of life.
— ».::;.;:«siSJ^.xr:.>—
THAT THERE IS A GOD.
Q. III. WHAT do the fcriptures principally teach 9
Anf. The fcriptures principally teach, what man is to believe
concerning God, and what duty God requires of man. Q. What is God? Anf. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in
48 THAT THERE IS A GOD.
his being, wifdom, power, holinefs, juftice, goodnefs, and truth.
Here is, I. Something implied, That there is a God. 2. Ex- prelied, That he is a Spirit. 3. What kind of Spirit.
1. Implied, That there is a God: The queltion. What is God? takes it for granted that there is a God; the behef of God's effence is the ioundation of all religious worlliip, Heb. xi. 6'. * He that comes to God, muft believe that he is.' There muft be a firlt caufe, which gives a being and exillence to all things befides. fWe come to know that there is a God, 1. By the book of nature, the notion of a Deity is engraven on man's heart, it is demonftrable by the light of nature. I think it hard for a nmn to be a natural Atheilt : he may wilh there were no God, he may difpute againil a Deity, but he cannot in his judg- ment believe there is no God, unlets by accunmlated (in hiscon- fcience be feared, and he hath fuch a lethargy upon him, that he hath finned away his very fenfe atvd realbn. '2. We come to know that there is a God by his works, and this isfo evident a demonftration of a Godliead, that the mofl atheillical fpirits, when they have confidered thefe works of God, have been forced to acknowledge fome wife and fupreme power the maker of thefe things ; as it is reported of Galen and others. ( 1 . ) We will begin wilh the greater world, (1.) 7'he creation of the glorious fabric of heaven and earth ; fure there muil be fome archited or full caufe, the world could not make itfelf ; who could hang the earth on nothing, but the great God ? Who could provide fuch rich furniture for the heavens, the glorious confiellations, the firmament befpangled with fuch glittering lights ? All this fpeaks a Deity : we may fee God's glory blazing in the fun, twinkling in the ftars. Who could give the earth its clothing, cover it with grais and corn, adorn it wilh flowers, enrich it with gold ? Only God, Jobxxviii. 4. Who but God could make the fweet mufic in the heavens, caufe the angels to join in concert, and found forth the praifes of their Maker? Job xxxviii. 7. ' When the morning liars fang together, and all the fons of God fliouted for joy.' If a man fhould go into a far country, and fee (lately edifices there, he would never imagine that thefe could build themfelves, but that fome greater power built them : to imagine that the work of the creation was not framed by God, is as if we fiiould conceive a curious landfcape to be drawn by a pencil without the hand of a limner; A6ls xvii. <i4. * God that made the world, and all things therein.* To create, is proper to the Deity. 9. The wife government of all thmgs, evinces there is a God : God is the great Super- intendent of the world, beholds the golden reins of government m his hand, guiding all things moll regularly and hurmonioufly to their proper end ; who that eyes providence, but muft be
THAT THERE IS A GOO, 47
forced to acknowledge there is a God ? Providence is the queen and governels of the world ; it is the hand that turns the wheel of the whole creation ; providence lets the fun its race, the Tea its bounds. IfGodlhouid not guide the world, things would run into diforder and coufufion : when one looks on a clock, and fees the motion of the wheels, the ftriking of the hammer, the hanging of the plummets, he would fay, there were fome artiticer did make it, and put it into that order: fo, when we fee the excellent order and harmony in the univerle, the fun, that great luminary, difpenling its light and heat to the world, without which, the world were but a grave or a prifon ; the rivers Tending forth their filver llreams to refrefli the bodies of men, and prevent a drought; and every creature acting within its rphere, and keeping its due bounds ; we rnult needs acknow- ledge there is a God, who wifely orders and governs all thefe tilings. Who could fet this great army of the creatures in their feveral ranks and fquadrons, and keep them in their contlant march, but He, whole name is The Lord of hosts? And as God doth wifely difpoie all things in the whole regiment of the creatures, fo, by his power, he doth fupport them : did God fufpend and withdraw his influence never lb little, the wheels of the creation would unpin, and the axle-tree break afunder. (3.) The motion of the creatues : all motion, as the philofo- phers fay, is from fomething that is unmoveable. As for ex- ample, the elements are moved by the influence and motion of the heavenly bodies ; the fun and moon, and thefe planets, are moved by the higheft orb, called Primum Mobile: now, if one ftiould afk. Who moves that higheft orb, or the fini mover of the planets? fure it can be no other hand but God himfelf.
(2. ) Let us fpeak of Man, who is a microcofm or leffer world : the excellent contexture and frame of his body, which is wrought curioufly as with needle-work, Plal. cxxxix. 15. ' i was curi- ouUy wrous^ht in the lowelt parts of the earth :' and the endow- ment of this body with a noble Ibul ; who but God could make fuch an union of difierentfubltances, flefti and fpirit ; in him we live, and move, and have our being. The quick acute motioa of every part of tiie body, (hews that there is a God : we may fee Ibmething of him in the Iparkling of the eye ; and if the cabinet of the body be fo curioufly wrought, what is the jewel ? Tbe foul hath a celeilial brightnefs in it; as Damafcene laith, *' It is a diamond fet in a rinff of clay." What noble faculties is the foul endowed with? Underltanding, Will, Affections, which are a glafs of the Trinity, as Plato fpeaks. The matter of the foul is fpiritual, it is a divine fparkle lighted from heaven; and being fpiritual, is immortal, as Scaliger notes; anima non fenejcitt the foul doth notw^axold, it lives for ever: and who could create a foul ennobled with fuch rare angelical properties.
48 THAT THERE IS A GOD*
but God ? We mud needs (ay as the Pfalmift, * It is he that hath made us, and not we ourfelves,' Pfal. c. 3.
2. We may prove a Deity by our confcience. Confcience is God's deputy or vicegerent. Confcience is a- witnefs of a Deity: if there were no Bible to tell us there is a God, yet confcience might. Confcience, as the apoftle faith, * either accufeth,' or • excufeth,' Rom. ii. 15. Confcience a6ts in order to an higher judicatory. 1. Natural confcience, being kept free from grofs fin excufeth. When a man doth virtuous adlions, lives foberly and righteoufly, obferves the golden maxim, doing to others as he would have them to do to him ; then con- fcience approves, and faith. Well done : confcience, like a bee, gives honey. 2. Natural confcience in the wicked doth accufe : when men go againft the light of confcience, then they feel the worm of confcience. Eheu quis iniusfcorpio f Sen. Confcience, being finned againft, fpits fire in men's faces, fills them with ihame and horror : when the finner fees an hand-writing on the wall of confcience, his countenance is changed. Many have hanged themfelves to quiet their confcience. Tiberius the em- peror, a bloody man, felt the lallies of his confcience ; he was fo haunted with that fury, that he told the Senate, he fuffered death daily. And what is it fliould put a man's confcience into fuch an agony, but the imprefllon of a Deity, and the thoughts of coming before God's tribunal? Thofe who are above all hu- man laws, yet are fubje6l to the checks of their own confcience. And it is obfervable, the nearer the wicked approach to death, the more they are terrified, and confcience gives a louder alarm to them ; and whence is this, but from the apprehenfion of judgment approaching? The foul, being fenfible of its immortal nature, trembles at him, who never ceafeth to live, and there- fore will never ceafe to punifh.
3. That their is a God, appears by the confent of nations, by the univerfal vote and futfrage of all. Nulla gens tarn harhara cut non injkleat hcec perfuajio Deum ejje. Tully : No nation fo barbarous, faith Tully, as not to believe there is a God. Though the heathen did miftake in their devotion, they did not worfhip the true God, yet they worshipped a god. They fet up an al- tar, • To the unknown God.' A6ls xvii. 22. They knew a God ftiouUi be worlhipped, though they knew not the God whom they worfhipped. Some did worfhip Jupiter, fome Nep- tune, fome Mars ; rather than not to worihip fomething, they would worfhip any thing.
4. That there is a God, appears by his predi6lion of future things. He who can foretel things which Ihallfurely come to pafs, is the true God : God foretold, that a virgin fhould con- reive ; he prefixed the time when the Mefliasdiould be cut off, Dan. ix. 26. He foretold the captivity of the Jews in Baby-
THAT THERE IS A GOD* 49
Ion, atid whofliould be their deliverer^Ifa. xlv. 1. This is fuch a ftrong argument to prove a Deity, as God himfelf ufeth it to prove he is the true God, and that ail the gods of the heathens were fi6tions and nullities, Ifa. xli. ^9. TejUmonivm dioinita" lis eji Veritas divinatiojiis, Tertull. To foretel things contm- gent, and which depend upon no natural caufes, is proper to a Deity.
5. That there is a God, appears by God's unlimited power and fovereignty. He who can work, and none hinder him, is the true God ; but God can do fo, Ifa. xtiii. 13. ' I will work, and who (hall let it.' Nothmg can hinder action but fonie fu- perior power; but there is no power above God: all power that is, is by him, therefore all power is under him : he hath a ' mighty arm,' Pfal. Ixxxix. 13. He lees the defigns men drive on a^ainil him, and plucks off their chariot-wheels; he maketh diviners mad, Ifa. xliv. 25. He cutteth otf the fpirit of princes : he bridleth the fea, gives check to the leviathan, binds the devil in chains ; he a6ts according to his pleafure, he doth what he will ; I will work, and who fliall let it.
6. There are devils, therefore there is a God. Atheifts can- not deny but there are devils, and then they mull grant there is a God. We read of divers poffefTed with the devil. The de- vils are called in fcripture, Hairy Ones, becaufe they often ap- peared in the form of goats or iatyrs. Gerfon, in his book de probatione fpirituum, tells us how Satan on a time appeared to an holy man in a moft glorious manner, profeffing himfelf to be Chriil : the old man aniwered, " I defire not to fee my Saviour here in this defart, it iliall fuffice me to fee him in heaven/* Now, if there be a devil, then there is a God. Socrates an hea- then, when he was accufed at his death, confefled, that, as he thought, there was a ma/us genius, an evil fpirit, fo he thought there was a good.
Uj'e I. Seeing there is a God, this reproves fuch atheillical fools as deny it. Epicurus denied there was a providence, fay- ing, that all things fell out by chance, Diagoras. He that faith there is no God, is the wicked ell creature that is ; he is worfe than a thief, who doth but take away our goods from us, but the Atheift would take away our God irom us, John. xx. ' They have taken away my Lord.* So we may lay of Atbeifis, they would take away our God from us, in whom all our hope and comfort is laid up, Pfal. xiv. 1. ' The fool hath faid in his heart, their is no God.' He durft not Ipeak it with his tongue, but faid it in his heart ; he wiflied it. Sure none can be fpecu- lative Atheids, ' The devils believe and tremble.' James ii. 10\ I have read of one Arthur, a profeifed Atheill, who wtien he came to die, cried out, he wa.-s damned : but though there are few found who fay, There is no God ; yet many deny him ia
Vol.. I. No. 2. G
50 THAT THERE IS A GOD.
their pra6lices, Tit. i. 16. * In works they deny him/ Cicero faid of Epicurus, verbis reliquit Deos refiijiiilit : The world is full of pra^ical atheifm ; moil people live as if they did not be- lieve their was a God. Durft they lie, defraud, be unclean, if they believed there were a God who would call them to an ac- count? If an Indian, whenever heard of a God, fhould come among us, and have no other means to convince him of a Deity, but the lives of men in our age,*furely he would be of Protago- ra's mind, who did hang in a doubtful fuf pence, and did quef- tion whether there were a God ; utrum Diijint non aujim affir- mare.
Ufe 2. Seeing there is a God, he will deal righteoufly, and give juft rewards to men. Things feem to be carried in the world very unequally ; the wicked flourifh, Pf. Ixxiii. They who tempt God are delivered, Mai. iii. 15. the ripe clufters of grapes are iqueezed into their cup, and, in the mean while, the godly, who weep for iin, and ferved God, are afflicted ; Pf. cii. y. * I have eaten alhes Uke bread, and mingled my drink with weeping.' Evil men enjoy all the good, and good men endure all the evil. But feeing there is a God, he will deal righteoufly with men. Gen. xviii. 25. * Shall not thejudge of all the earth do right?' Offenders muftcome to punilhment. Thefinner's death-day and dooms day is a-coming ; Pfal. xxxvii. 13. * The Lord feeth that his day is coming.' While there is an hell, the wicked fhall be fcourged enough ; and while there i» eternity, they Qiall lie there long enough ; and God will abun- dantly compenfdte the faithful fervice of his people. They fhall have their white robes and crowns : Pfal. Iviii. 11. Verily there is a reward for the righteous ; verily he is a God that judg- eth in the earth.' Becaufe God is God, therefore he will give forth glorious rewards to his people.
Ufe 3. Seeing there is a God, woe to all fuch as engage this God againll them ; he lives for ever to be avenged upon them, Ezek. xxii. 14. * Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be ftrong in the day that I fhall deal with thee ?' Such as pol- lute God's fabbath, oppole his faints, trampling the jewels in the duft ; fuch as live in a contradiction to God's word : thefe do engage the infinite majefty of heaven againflthem ; and how difmal will their cafe be ! Deut. xxxii. 1. * If 41 whet my glittering fword, and mine hand take hold of judgment, 1 will render vengeance to mine enemies : I will make mine arrows drunk with blood,' &c. If it be fo terrible to hear the lion roar, what is it when he begins to tear his prey ? Pfal. Iv. 22. * Con- fider this, ye that forget God, lell I tear you in pieces.' O that men would think of this, who go on in fin ! Shall we engage the great God againil us? God llrikes flow but heavy ; Job xl. 9, * Haft thou an arm like God ? Canft thou ftrike fuch a
THAT THERE IS A GOD. St
blow ? God is the beft friend, but the word enemy. If he can look men into their grave, how far can he throw them ? ' Who knows the power ot his wrath !' Pfal. sc. 11. What fools are they, who, for a drop of pleaiure, drink a fea of wrath ! Para- ceifus fpeaks of a phrenzy I'ome have, which will make them die dancing : finners go dancing to hell.
Ufe 4. Seeing there is a God, let us firmly believe this great article of our creed. What religion can their be in men, if they <lo not believe a Deity ? ' He that cometh to God, muft believe that he is.' To worthip God, and pray to him, and not be- lieve there is a God, is to put a high fcorn and contempt upon God. Believe that God is the only true God ; fuch a Gud as he hath revealed himlelf in his word, 'A lover of rightecufnefs, and hat«r of wickednefs,' Plal. xlv. 7- The real belief of a Deity gives life to all religious worfliip : the more we believe the truth and infinitenefs of God, the more holy and angelical we are in our lives. Whether we are alone, or in company, God fees us : he is the heart-fearcher : the belief of this would make us live always under God's eye, Pfal. xvi. 8. * I have fet the Lord always before me.' The belief of a Deity would be a bridle to fin, a fpur to duty ; it would add wings to prayer, and oil to the lamp of our devotion. The belief of a Deity would caufe dependance upon God in all our fl;raits and exigencies; Gen. xvii. 1. * I am God all fufficient;' a God that can fupply all your wants, fcatter all your fears, refolve all your doubts, conquer all your temptations ; the arm of God's power can never be flirunk; he can create mercy for us, and therefore can help, and not be beholden to the creature. Did we believe there is a God, we Ihould fo depend on his providence as not to ufe any indirect means : we would not run ourfelves into fin to rid ourfelves out of trouble : 2 Kings i. 3. * Is it not becaufe there is not a God in Ifrael that ye go to inquire of Beelzebub the God of Ekron.-^' When men run to finful Ihifts, is it not becaufe they do not believe there is a God, or that he is all- fufficient?
2. Seeing there is a God, let us labour to get an intereftin him, Pf. xlviii. 14. * This God is our God.* Two things will com- fort us. Deity and propriety ; fince the fall we have loll like- nefs to God and communion with God ; let us labour to recover this loft intereft, and pronounce this Shibboleth, ' My God,' Pf. xliii. 5. It is little comfort to know there is a God, unleishe be ours; God offers himfelf to be our God, Jer. xxxi. 33. * I will be their God.' And faith catcheth hold of the oifer, it ap- propriates God, and makes all that is in him over to us to be ours ; his^ wifdom to be ours, to teach us ; his hoiinel's ours to fandify us, his fpirit ours, to comfort us ; his mercy ours, to
G2
5^ GOD IS A SPIRIT.
fave us. To be able to fay, God is mine, is more than to have all the mines of gold and lilver.
3. Seeing there is a God, let us ferve and worQiip him as God : it was an indictment brought in againll them, Ilom. i. 21. * They glorified him not as a'God.' 1. Let us pray to him as to a God. * Pray with fervency,' Jam. v. 16. An ' eftec-» tual fervent prayer prevails much.' This is both the fire and the incenie ; without fervency it is no prayer. 2. Love him as a God, Deut. vi. 5. ' Thou (halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.' To love him with all the heart, is to give him a precedency in our love, defire to let him have the cream of our affedtions ; to love him not only appretiatively, but inten- fively, as much as we can. As the fun-beams united, in a burn- ing-glafs, burn the hotter, fo all our atfeclions fhould be united, that our love to God may be more ardent. 3, Obey him as a God, All creatures obey him, the liars fight his battles, the wind and lea obey hmi, Mark iv. 41. much more fhould man, whom God hath endued with a principle of reafon : he is a God, and hath a fovereignty over us ; therefore as we received life from him, fo we mufl receive a law from him, and fubmit to his will in all things : this is to kils him with a kifs of loyalty, and it is to glorify him as Go9.
GOD IS A SPIRIT.
Q. IV. WHAT is GOD 9
Anf. God is a fpirit.
2. The thing exprefled, John iv. 24. * God is a fpirit,* Go(j| is ejfentiafpmtualijjima, Zanchy.
Q. What do you mean iclien you fay, God is a fpirit?
Anf. By Spirit I mean, God is an immaterial fubllance, of a pure, fubtil, unmixed elfence, not compounded of body and foul, without all extenfion of parts. The body is a dreggifti thing : the more fpiritual God's effence is, the more noble and excellent. The fpirits are the more refined part of the wine.
Q. Wherein doth God differ from other fpirits f
1. The angels are fpirits.
Anf. We muft dift:ingui(h of fpirits. 1. The angels are cre- ated, God is a fpirit uncreated. 2. The angels are fpirits, but they are finite, and capable of being annihilated ; the fame power which made them, is able to reduce them to their firft nothing ; but God is an infinite fpirit. 3. The angels are con- fined fpirits, they cannot be duobos locisjimul, they are confined to a place : but God. is an immenfe fpirit, and cannot be con- fmed, being in all places at once. 4. The angels, though they
g6d is a spirit. 53
Are fpirits, yet they are but miniftring fpirits, Htb. i. 14. Though they are fpirits, yet are they f'ervants, God is a fuper- excelfent fpirit, the * Father of fpirits,' Heb. xii. 0-
2. The ibul is a fpirit, Ecclef. xii. 7. * The fpirit fliall return unto God thatgave it.'
Q. Hoiv doth God, being a fpirit, differ from the foul ?
Servetus and Ofiander thought, that the foul being infufed, did convey into man the very fpirit and fubftance ol'God ; ati ab(urd opinion, for the elfence of God is incoinmunicab!e.
Anf Therefore, when it is faid, the foul is a fpirit, it is meant, God hath made it intelligible, and hath (lamped upon it his likcnefs, not his etlence.
Q. But is it not faid ^ That we are made partaJcers of the di" vine nature 9
• Anf. By divine nature, there is meant divine qualities, 2 Pet. i. 4. We are made partakers of the divine nature, not by identity or union with the divine effence, but by a transforma- tion into the divine likenefs. Thus you fee how God ditVers from other fpirits, angels and fouls of men. He is a fpirit of tranfc.»ndent excellency, the ' Father of fpirits.'
Ohj. Agaiiifi tliis Vorjiius and the Anthropomorthites ohjecl, that, infcripture, an human fliapeandfgure is given to God; he is faid to have eyes and hands ?
Anf. It is contrary to the nature of a fpirit to have a corpo- real fubftance ; Luke xxiv, 39. ' Handle me, and fee me ; for a fpirit hath not tleih and bones, as ye fee me have.' Bodily members are afcribed to God, not properly, but metaphorically, and in a borrowed fenfe; he is only fetout to our capacity : by tlie right-hand of the Lord is meant his power ; by the eyes of the Lord is meant his wifdom. Now that God is a fpirit, and is not capable of bodily (hape or fubftance, is clear. 1. A body is vifible, but God is invifible; therefore he is a fpirit, I Tim. vi. 16. whom ' no man hath feen, nor can fee,* not by an eye of fenle. 2. A body is terminated, can be but in one place at once ; but God is every where, in all places at once ; therefore he is a fpirit, Pf. cxxxix. 7, 8. God's centre is every where, and his circumference is no where. 3. A body being compound- ed of integral parts may be dilfolved ; qiiicquid divifihile eft cor" Tvplibile : but the Godhead is not capable of diliolution ; he can have no end, from whom all things have their beginning. So that it clearly appears that God is a fpirit, which adds to the perfe/itioii of his nature.
Uj'e J. U God be a fpirit, then he is impaftible ; he is not capable oi' being hurt. Wicked men fet up their banners, and bend thciv tori.esagainft God ; ihcy are faid to fight againllGod, A6ts V. 39. Eut what will this lighting avail ? What hurt can they do to the Deity .^ God is a ipirit, and therefore cannot re-
54 GOD IS A«PIIllt.
ceive any hurtful impreffion : wicked men may imagine evil againft the Lord ; Nahum i. 9. * What do ye imagine againft the Lord?* But God, being a fpirit, is impenetrable. The wicked may eclipfe his glory, but cannot touch his effence. God can hurt his enemies, but they cannot hurt him. Julian might throw up his dagger into the air againll Heaven, but could not touch the Deity. God is a fpirit, invifible. How can the wicked with all their forces hurt him, when they cannot fee him ? Hence ail the attempts of the wicked againfl God are foolilh, and prove abortive; Pfal. ii. 3, 4. * The kings of the earlh fet themfelves againll the Lord, and againft his anointed. He that fits in heaven ftiall laugh.' He is a fpirit, he can wound them, but they cannot touch him.
Ufe 2. If God be a fpirit, then it fhews the folly of the Pa- pifts, who worfliip him by pi6tures and images. Being afpirit, we cannot make any image to reprefent him by ; Deut. iv. 12. • The Lord fpake to you out of the midtl of the fire, ye heard the voice of the words, but faw no fimilitude.'
1. God being a fpirit is imperceptible, cannot be difcerned ; how then can there be any refemblance made of him; Ifaiah xl. IS. * To whom then Avill ye liken God, or what likenefs will ye compare unto him?' How can you paint the Deity .? Can we make an image of that which we never faw ? Ye faw no fimili- tude. God is a fpirit. It were a folly to go to make the pi6lure of the foul, becaufe it is a fpiritual thing ; or to paint the angels, becaufe they are fpirits.
Obj. Are not tJie angels in fcr'ipture reprefented by the che^ ruhims ?
Anf. There is Imago per/once et officii ; there is the image of the perfon, and the image thatreprefents the office. The che- rubims did not reprefent the peribns of the angels, but their of- fice. Thecherubims were made with wings, to fhew the fwift- nefs of the angels in difcharge of their office : and if we cannot pi6lure the Ibul, nor the perfons of angels, becaufe they are fpirits, much lefscan we make an image or pi6tureofGod, who is infinite and the Father of fpirits.
S. God, being a fpirit, is omniprefent ; he is prefent in all places, Jer. xxiii. 24. ' Do not 1 fill heaven and earth .!^ faith the Lord.' Therefore, being every where prefent, it is abfurd to worftiip him by an image : were it not a foolifli thing to bovvr down to the king's pidure, when the king is prefent.? So to go to worfhip God's image, when God himfelf is prefent.
Q. But how then fliall ice conceive of God^ being a fpirit^ if we may make no image or refemblance of him 9
Anf. We mull conceive of him fpiritually, viz. (L) In his attributes : his holinefs, juftice, goodnefs, which are the beams by which his divine nature Ihines forth. (2.) We rauftcon-
GOD IS A SPIRIT. 55
eeive of him as he is in Chrifl, ; Chrift * is the image of the in- vifible God :' Coi. i. 15. Set the eyes of your faith on Chrift, God-man- In Chrift we fee fomefparklingsof the divine glory; in him there is the exa6t relemblance of ail his Father's excel- lencies. The wifdoni, love and holinefs of God the Father ftiine forth in Chrift; John xiv. 9. * He that hath fee n me hath f^;en the Father.'
3. Infer. If God be a fpirit, it fhevfs us, that the more fpiri- tual we grow, the more we grow like to God. How do earth acd fpirit agree? Phil. iii. 9. Earthly ones may give for their creft, the mole or tortoife that live in the earth. What refem- blance is there between an earthly heart, and him who is a fpirit? The more fpiritual any one is, the more like God.
Q. What is it to be fpiritual ?
'Anf. To be refined and fublimated, to have the heart ftill in heaven, to be thinking of God and glory, and to be carried up in a fiery chariot of love to God ; this is to be fpiritual : Pfal. Ixj^iii. <id. * Whom have I in heaven but thee?* On which Beza paraphrafeth thus, Apage terra, utinayn tecum in ccelo ejjhn / " O that I were in heaven with thee !" a Chriftian, who is taken off thel'e earthly things, as the fpirits are taken off' from the lees, hath a noble fpiritual foul, and doth moft refemble him who is a fpirit.
4. Infer. It (hews us what that worfhip is God requires of us, and is moft acceptable to him, viz. fuch a worftiip as is fuit- able to his nature, * fpiritual worftiip,' John iv. 24. * They which worfliip him, mnft worftiip him in fpirit and in truth.* Spiritual worftiip is the virgin-worrtiip. Though God will have the fervice of our bodies, our eyes and hands lifted up, to tellify to others that reverence we have of God's glory and majefty, yet chiefly he will have the worftiip of the foul, 1 Cor. vi. 20. * Gionfy God in your body and in our fpirit.' Spirit-worftiip God prizeth, becaufe it comes fo near to his own nature, who is a fpirii.
Q. What is it to ivorfJiip God in the fpirit f
Anf. 1. To worftiip him without ceremonies. The ceremo- nies of the law, which God hinifelf ordained, are now abrogated, and out of date ; Chrift the fubftance being come, the ftiadows fly away ; and therefore the apoftie calls the legal ceremonies carnal rites, Heb. ix. 10. and if we may not ufe thofe Jewilli ceremoiiies which God did once appoint, then not thofe which lie did never appoint.
Anf I. To svorftiip God in fpirit, is to worftiip him, {\.) With faith in the blood of the Meliiah, Heb. xi. 9. And (-3.) 7'o worihip him with the utmoft zeal and intenfenefs of foul. Acts xxvi. 7. ' Our twelve tribes inllantly fervingGod day and night,' with inJLenienef^ of fpirit ; cot only conftantly, but in-
56 COD IS A SPIRIT.
llantly. This is to worfhip God in the fpirit. The more ffn-* ritual any lervice is, the nearer it comes to God, who is a fpirit, and the more excellent it is; the fpiritua! part of the dnty is the tat of the lacrifice, it is the foul and quinteiience of religion. Ilie riclieft cordials are made of fpirits, and the bed duties are fuch as are of a fpiritual nature. God is a Ipirit, and will be worOiipped in fpirit: it is not pomp of worHiip, but purity, which God accepts. Repentance is not in the outward feve- ritiesufed to the body, penance, falling, andchaftifing thebod}^ but it confids in the lacrifice of a broken heart : thankrgivir.^ doth not Hand in church-mufic. the melody of an organ, but rather in making melody in the heart to the Lord, Eph. v. l[). Prayer is not the tuning the voice into a heartlel's confelhon, or telling over a few beads, but it con lifts in lighs and groans, Rom. viii. 26. When the fire of fervency is put to the incenle of prayer, then it alcends as a f'weet odour ; that is the true holy water, not that which the Pope f|)rinkles, but what is dil- tilled from the limbec of a penitent eye. Spirit-worfhip bell pleal'eth that God who is a fpirit, John iv. 23. * The Father feeketh fuch to worfliip him ;' to fliew the great acceptance of luch, and how God is deliglited with fpiritual worlhip. This is the lavoury meat God loves. How few mind this ! Wor- fhipping him who is a Spirit, in the I'pirit; they give him more dregs than fpirits ; they think it enough to bring their duties, but not their hearts, which hath made God difclaim thefe very fervices he himfelf appointed, 11a. i. 12. Ezek. xxxiii. 31. Let us then give God fpirit-worfliip, this beftfuits with his nature; a fovereign elixir full of virtue may be given in a few drops; a little prayer, if it be with the heart and fpirit, may have much virtue and elFicacy in it. The publican made but a (hoit pray- er, * God be merciful to me a finner,' Luke xviii. 13. but it was full of life and fpirit; it came from the heart, therefore it was accepted.
Ufe 2. Of exhortation. Pray to God, that as he is a fpirit, fo he will give us ot his fpirit. The elience of God is incora- numicable; but the motions, the pretence and influences of his Spirit. When the fun Ihines in a room, not the body of the fun is there, but the light, heat, and influence of the fun. God hath made a promife of his Spirit, Ezek. xxxvi. 27. * I will |iut my Spirit within you.' Turn promifes into prayers. " O Lord, thou who art a fpirit, give me of thy I'pirit ; 1 tlelh, beg thy Ipirit, ihy enlighlning, fan6tifying, quickning fpirit." Me- lanchon's prayer, '* Lord, inflame my Ibul with thy Holy Spirit." How needful is his Spirit.? We cannot do any duty without it in a lively manner ; when this wind blowh upon our fdils, then v.'e move fvviftly towards heaven. Pray therefore.
GOD IS INFINITE* 57
tliat God would give us of the refidue of his Spirit, Mai. ii, 15. that we may move more vigoroufly in the fphere ot religion.
Ufe 3. Of comfort i As God is a fpirit, fo the reward that he gives is Ipiritual ; that is the excellency of it. As the chief blelfings he gives us in this life are fpiritual bieffihgs, Eph. i. .3. not gold and filver ; he gives Chrift his love ; he tills us with grace : fo the main rewards he gives us after this life are Ipiri- tual, * a crown of glory that fadeth not away,' 1 Pet. v. 4. Earthly crowns fade, but the believer's crown, being fpiritual, is immortal, a never-fading crown. " It is impolfible (faith Julius vScaliger) for that which is fpiritural to be fubjedt to change or corruption." This may comfort a Chrillian in all his labours and futferings ; he lays out himfelf for God, and hath little or no reward here; but remember, God, who is a fpirit, will give fpiritual rewards, a fight of his face in heaven, white robe.s, a weight of glory. Be not then weary of God's fervice ; think of the fpiritual reward, a crown of glory which fadeth not away*
GOD IS INFINITE.
Q. WHAT kind of fpirit is God?
Anf. He is infinite ; lb he ditfers from all created beings Vi'hich are finite. Tho' infinite may be applied to all God's attributes, he is infinitely merciful, infinitely wife, infinitely holy ; yet, if we take infinitenefs properly fo, it implies,
1. God's omniprefence ; the Greek word for infinite, figni- fies * without bounds or limits:' God is not confined to any place, he is infinite, and fo is prefent in all places at once. His centre is every where, Divina effentia nufjuam inclufa aut excbifa, Aug. 1 Kings viii. 27. ' Behold, the heaven, and hea- ven of heavens cannot contain thee.' This the Turks have a notion of, they build their temples open on the top, to (hew that God cannot be confined to their temples, or circumfcribed, but is in all places by liis prefence. God's elfence is not limit- ed either to the regions above, or to the terreftrial globe, but his whole efience is every where ; this is to be infinite. As philofophers fay of the foul, it is, Totain tola, ettota in qaulibet parte : the foul is in every part of the body, in the eye, heart, foot : fo we may lay of God, he is nbique, his effence is every where, his circuit is in heaven and in earth, and fea, and he is in all places of his circuit at once : * This is to be infinite.' God, who bounds every thing elfe, is himfelf without bounds . he fet bounds to the fea, Hue i/fque, ' Hitherto llialt thou come, and no further.' He fets bounds to the angels ; thev, like the
Vol. I. No. 2. H
58 GfOD IS INriNITE.
•
cherubims, move and (land at his appointment, Ezek. x, 10. but he is infinite, without bounds. He u-4io can fpan the hea- vens, and weigh the earth in a pair of fcales, mud needs be in- finite, Ila. xl. 22.
Obj. Vorjiins, That God is in all places at once^ but not in regard of his ejjence, hut, Virtute et potentia, by his virtue and influence ; as the body of the fun is in heaven, it only fends forth its beams and influences to the earth ; or as a king, who is in all places of his kingdom authoritative, by his power and authority, but he is perfonally in his throne.
Anf. But to anfwer ; God, who is infinite, is in all places at once, not only by his influence, but by his effence ; for, if his effence fills afl places, then he mull needs be there in perlbn. But, Ergo, minor in, Jer. xxiii. 24. * Do not I fill heaven and earth.'
Obje6l. But doth not God fay, heaven is his throne? Ifaiah Ixvi. 1.
Anf. It is alfo faid, that an humble heart is his throne, Ifa. Ivii. 15. The humble heart is his throne, in regard of hisgraci- ons prefence; and yet neither of thefe thrones will hold him, for the heaven of heavens cannot contain him.
Obje«5t. But if God be infinite in all places, then he is in places impure, and mingles with that impurity ?
Anf. Though God be in all places, in the heart of a finner by his infpeftion, and in hell by his juft;ice, yet he doth notmingle with that impurity, or receive the leafl tin6ture of evil. Divina natura non eft immifla rebus aut fordibus inquinota, Aug. No more than the fun fhining on a dunghill is defiled, or its beauty fpotted, or than Chrift going among finners was defiled, his Godhead was a fufiicient antidote againfl infe6tion.
Reafon why God mufl; needs be infinite in all places at once, not only in regard of the fimplicity and purity of his nature, but in regard of his power, which being fo glorious who can fet him bounds, or prel'cribe him a circuit to walk in ? It is as if the drop fhould go to limit the ocean, or the ftar to fet the fun its hounds. Ufe 1. Itconderans the Papifls, who would make more things infinite than the Godhe,\d : They hold that Chrift's body is in many pU^ces at once, that it is in heaven, and in the bread and wine in the ficrament. Though Chrift as he is God is infinite, and in all places at once, yet as man he is not: Chrift, when he was on earth, his manhood was not in heaven, though his Godhead was; and now he is in heaven, his manhood is not on earth, though his Godhead be; Heb. x. 5. it is fpoken of Chriil, ' A body thou haft prepared me.' This body cannot be in all places at once ; for then it is no more a body, but a fpirit ;, Chrilt's body in heaven, though it be glorified, it isnotdeified ;
GOD IS INFINITE. 50
it is not infinite, for fo it muft be, if it be both in heaven, and in the bread and wine by tranfubllantiation.
If God be infinite, prefent in all places at once, then it is cer- tain he governs all things in his own perlbn ; he needs no proxies or deputies to help him to carry on his government. He is in all places at an inllant, and manageth uU aJfairs both in the earth and heaven. A king cannot be in all places of his king- dom in his own perfon, therefore he is fain to govern by deputies and vicegerents, and they often pervert juftice ; but God, being infinite, needs no deputies, he is prelent in all places, he fees all with his own eyes, and hears all with his own ears ; he is every where in his own perfon, therefore is fit to be the judge of the world, he will do every one right.
If God be infinite by hisomniprefence, then fee the greatnefs and immenfenefd ofthe divine Majeftyt What a great God do we ferve? I Chron. xxix. 11. ' Thine, O Lord, is the great- nefs, and the glory, and the majefty, and thou art exalted as head above all.* Well may the fcripture difplay the greatnefs of his glory, who is infinite in all places. He tranfcends our weak conceptions ; how can our finite underllanding compre- hend him who is infinite? He is infinitely above all our praifes, Neh. ix. 5. ' Biefi^ed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blefiing and praife.' O what a poor nothing is man, when we think of God's infinitenefsl As the liars dilappear at the rifing of the fun, O how doth man fiirink into nothing, when infinite Majelty fliines forth in his glory ! Ifa. xl. 15. * The nations are as a drop of the bucket, or the fniall dull of the balance!' O what a little of that drop are we! The heathens thought they had fufficiently praifed Jupiter, when they called him Great Jupiter. Of what immenfe majefty is God, who fills all places at once! His excellent greatnels, Plal. cl. ^. If God be infinite, filling heaven and earth, fee what a full portion the faints have ; they have him for their portion, who is infinite. His fulnefs is an infinite fulnefs ; and he is infinitely fweet, as well as infinitely full : if a conduit be filled with wine, here is a fweet fulnefs, but ftill it is finite ; but God is a fweet fulnefs, and it is an infinite. He is infinitely full of beauty, of love; his riches are called unfearchable, Eph. iii. 8. becaufe they are infinite. Stretch your thoughts as much as you can, there is that in God exceeds ; it is an infinite fulnefs. He is faid to do abundantly for us, above all that we can afk, Eph. iii. ^0. What can an ambitious fpirit aflc ? He can afk crowns and king- doms, millions of worlds ; but God can give more than we can hH/p; becaufe he is infinite, nay, or think : we can think, what if all the dull were turned to filver, if every flower were a ruby, every land in the fea a diamond : yet God can give more than we can think, becaufe he is infinite ! O how rich are they who
H2
60 GOD IS INFINITE.
have the infinite God for their portion! Well might David fay, • The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, the lines are fallea iinto me in pleafant places, and I have a goodly heritage,* Plal, xvi. 5, (j. We may go with the bee from flower to flower, but we fhall never have full fatisfadion till we come to the in- finite God. Jacob laid, • I have enough ;' in the Hebrew, •' 1 have all," Gen. xxxiii. 11. becaufe he had the infinite God for his portion. God being an infinite fulnefs, there is no fear of want for any of the heirs of heaven ; though there be millions of faints and angels, which have a fliare in God's riches, yet he hath enough for them all, becaufe he is infinite. Though a thoufand men behold the fun, there is light enough in the fun for them all : put never lb many buckets into the fea, there is water enough in the lea to fill them. Though an innumerable company ot laints and angels are to be filled out of God's ful- nefs, yet God, being infinite, he hath abundantly enough to fatisfy ihem. God hath land enough to give to all his heirs, there can he no want in that which is infinite.
If God be infinite, he fills all places, is every where prefent ; tliis is fad to the wicked, God is their enemy, and they cannot efcape him, nor flee from him, for he is every where prefent : they are never out of his eye, nor out of his reach, Pfal. xxi. 8. * Thy hand fliall find out all thy enemies.' What caves or thickets can men hide in, that God cannot find them : go where they will, he is prefent, Pfal. cxxxix. 7- * Whither fliall I flee from thy prefence?' If a man owes a debt to another, he may make fome efcape, and flee into another land, where the creditor cannot find him. * But whither fliall I flee from thy prefence ?' God is infinite, he is in all places ; fo that he will find out his enemies and punifli them.
Obje6l. But is it notfaidy Cain went out from the prefence of the Lord? Gen. iv. 16.
Anf. The meaning is, he went out from the church of God, where were the vifible figns of God's prefence, and where God did in a fpecial manner, manifefl; his fweet prefence to his peo- ple : but Cain could not go out of God's fight ; for God being infinite, is every where prefent. Sinners can neither go from an accufingconlcience, nor a revenging God.
If God be every where prefent, then for a Chriftian to walk with God is not impoffible. God is not only in heaven, but he js in earth too, Ha. Ivi. 1. Heaven is his throne, there he fits; the earth is his footftool, there he fiands. He is every where prefent, therefore we may come to walk with God : * Enoch walked with God,' Gen. v. 21. If God was confined to hea- ven, a trembling foul might think, How can I converfe with pod, how can I walk with him who lives in exceljis, above the Vpper region } but God is not confined to heaven, he is omni-
GOD IS INFINITE. 61
prefent ; he is above us, yet lie is about us, he is near to us, A6ls xvii. '-27. * Though lie be not far from the adembly of the faints. He (lands in the congresfation of the mighty,' Pfal. Ixxii. 1. He is prefent with us, God is in every one of us ; fo that here on earth we may walk with God. In heaven the faints red with him, on earth they walk with him. To walk With God, is to walk by faith ; we are faid to draw nigh to God, Heb. x. 22. and to fee him, Heb. xi. 27- ' As feeina^ liim who is invifible ;' and to have fellowfliip with him. Hoi'. i. 3. * Our fellowfliip is with the Father.' Thus we may take a turn with him every day by faith : (It is a flighting of God not to walk with him : if a king be in prefence, it is a flighting him, to negle6t him, and walk with the page) there is no walk in the world fo fweet as to walk with God : Pfalm Ixxxix. 16.
* They fliall walk in the light of thy countenance,' Pfal. cxxxviii. 5, ' Yea, they fhall fing in the ways of the Lord ;' it is like walking among beds of fpices, which fend forth a fragrant perfume.
life 2. If God be infinite in his glorious eflence, learn toad- mire, where you cannot fathom. The angels wear a vail, they cover their faces, as adoring this infinite majefty, Ifu. vi. 3. Elias wrapped himfelf in a mantle when God's glory paffed by. Admire where you cannot fathom. Job xi. 7. ' Canft thou by fearching find out God ? Here we fee fome beams of his glory, we fee him in the glafs of the creation ; we fee him in his pitture, his image fliines in the faints; who can but fearch out all his efl'ential glory? What angel can meafure thefe pyramids?
* Canll thou by fearching hud out God ?' he is infinite. We can no more fearch out his infinite perfe6lions, than a man upon the top of the highefl mountain can reach the firmament, or take a liar in his hand. O have God-admiring thoughts! Adore where you cannot fathom : there are many myileries in nature which we cannot fathom ; why the fea fliould be higher than the earth, yet not drown it ; why Nilus (hould overflow in fummer, when, by the courfe of nature, the waters are lowefi;; how the bones grow in the womb; Eccl. xi. 3. If theft things oppofe us, how may the infinite myfi;eryof the Deity tranfcend our moft raifed inteUe<5tuals : Mk the geometrician, if he can, with a pair of ccmpafies, meafure the breadth of the earth. So unable are we to meafure the infinite perfe6lions of God. In heaven we fliall fee God clearly, but not fully, for he is infinite: he will communicate himfelf to us, according to the bignels of our vefl'el, but not the immenfenefs of his nature. Adore then where you cannot fathom.
If God be infinite in all places, then let us not go to limit God, Pfal. ixxxviii.41. * They limited the holy Oneof Ifrael.' It is a limiting God to confine him within the narrow compafs
d2 or THE KNOWLEDGE OIF GOD.
of our reafon. Reafon thinks God muft go fuch a way to work, or the bufincfs will never be eff'edled. This is to limit God to our realbn : whereas he is infinite, and his ways are pall finding out, Rom. xi. 33. In the deHverance of the church, it is a limiting God, either to fethima time, orprefcribehimamethod for deliverance. God will deliver Zion, but he will be left to his own liberty ; he will not be tied to a place, to a time, to an inflrunient: this were to limit him, and then he Ihould not be infinite. God will go his own way, he will poie and nonplus realbn, he will work by improbabilities, he will fave in fuch a way, as we think he will dcliroy ; now he aclblike himfelt, like an infinite wonder-working God.
OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
• For the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him a6lionsare weighed,* 1 Sam. ii. 3. Glorious things are fpoken of God ; he tranfcends our thoughts, and the ange!-; praifes. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are She feveral beams by which the divine nature fliines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the It aft, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, * A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own eifence, he hath a full idea and cognilance of all things ; the world is to him a tranfparent body. He makes an heart-anatomy ; Rev. ii. 25. ' I am he which fearcheth the reins and the heart.' The clouds are no canopy, the night is no curtain to draw be- tween usand his fight, Plal.cxxxix. 12. ' Thedarknefs hideth not from thee.' There is not a word we whifper, but God hears it, Plal. cxxxix. 4. * There is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knoweft it altogether.' There is not the moft fubtil thought comes into our mind, but God perceives it, Ifa. Ixv. 8. • I know their thoughts.' Thoughts fpeak as loud in God's ears, as words do in ours. All our actions, though never fo fubtilly contrived, and fecretly conveyed, are vifible to the eye of omnilciency, Ifa. Ixvi. 18. * I know their works.' Achan hid the BabylonKh garment in the earth, but God brought it to light, Jofh. vii. 21. Minerva was drawn in fuch curious colours, and fo lively penciled, that which way foever one turn- ed, Minerva's eyes were upon him; fo, which way foever we turnourfelves, ftill God's eye is upon us, Jobxxvii. 16. ' Doft thou know the balancing of the clouds; the wondrous works of him that is perfe(5t in knowledge.^' God knows whatever is knowable ; he knows future contingencies. He foretold Ifrael's coming out of Babylon, and the virgin's conceiving. By thi§
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the Lord proves the truth of his Godhead againft idol-gods, Tfa. Xli. 23. * Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know ye are gods.* The perfe6lion of God's knowledge is primary. He is the original, the pattern and. prototype of all knowledge ; others borrow their knowledge of him ; the angels light their lamps at this glorious fun. (2.) God's know- ledge is pure. It is not contaminated with the obje(5t. Divinict ndtura 771011 eft immijia rebus aut fordibus inqninata, Auguft. Though God knowns fin, yet it is to hate and punilh it. No evil can mix or incorporate with his knowledge, no more than the fun can be defiled with the vapours which arife from the earth. (3.) God's knowledge is facile ; it is without any dif- ficulty. We ftudy and fearch for knowledge, Prov. ii, 4. ' If thou feekeft for her as for filver.' But the lamp of God's knowledge is fo infinitely bright, that all things are intelligible toliim.
(4.) God's knowledge is infallible ; there is no mifl;ake in his knowledge. Human knowledge is fubjecl to error and mifpri- fion. A phyfician may miftake the caufe of a difeafe : but God's knowledge is unerring; he can neither deceive, nor be deceived ; he cannot deceive, becaufe he is truth ; nor be de- ceived, becaufe he is wifdom. (o.) God's knowledge isinfi;an- taneous. Our knowledge is fucceflive, one thing after another. "We argue from the efFe6t to the caufe. God knows things pafl;, prefent, and to come, una untuitUy at once, they are all before liim in one entire profpecl.
(I.) God's knowledge is retentive ; hcnever lofeth any ofhis knowledge ; he hath reminifceiitia, as well as inteUigentia ; he remembers as well aslunderftands. Many things elapfe out of our mind, but God's knowledge is eternized. Things tranfacted a thoufand years ago, are as freth to him, as they were done but the laft minute. Thus he is perfe6t in knowledge.
Obje6l. But is it not /aid, Gen. xviii. 21. [ loill go dozen and fee whether they have done according to the cry which is come up unto me, and I loill know ?
Anf. It' could not be a nefciency, or that God was Ignorant ; becaufe there is mention made of a cry ; but the Lord fpeaks there after the manner of a judge, who will firft examine the caufe before he paiieth the fentence. God, when he is upon a work ofjuftice, is not in a riot, as if he did not care where he hits; but he goes in a way ofcircuitagxinft oftenders ' He lays judgment to the line, and righteoufnefs to the plummet, Ila. ^xviii. 17.
Object. Hof. xiii. 13. The iniquity ofEphraimis bound up, tfteirjin is. hid ?
' Anf. Not that his fin was hid from God, but his fin is hid; that is, it is recorded, it is laid up againll a day of reckoningr
61 OF theJ knowledge o^ god.
That this is the meaning, is clear by the foregoing words, hh iniquity is bound up: as the clerk of ihe affizes binds up the indu'^lnients of malefatStors in a bundle, and, at the aflizes, brings out the indictments, and reads them in court ; fo God hind's up men's fins in a bundle, and, at the day of judgment, this binidle (liall be opened, and all their fins brought to light before men and angels.
That God is thus infinite in his knowledge: I. It cannot butbe fo ; for he, who is the original caufe, and gives a being to things, muft needs have a clear infpedion into them, Pfal. xciv. 9. * He that planteth the ear, fliall he not hear ? He that formed the eye, fliall he not iee ?' He who makes a watch or engine, knows all the workmanfhip in it. God, that made the heart, knows all the motions and fallacies ol" it : He is like Ezekiel's wheels, full of eyes, and, as Auftin faith. Tutus ocnltis, " All eye." "-2. It ought to be fo : for he is to be ' Judge of all the world,' Gen. xviii. 23. There are fo many caufes to be brought before bun, and fo many perlbns to be tried, that he muft have a molt cxquifite perfect knowledge, or he could not do jullice. An ordinary judge cannot proceed without u jury, the jury mull fearch the caufe, and give in their verdict ; but God can judge vithout a jury. He knows all things in and ofhimfelf, and needs no witneffes to inform him. A judge judgeth only mat- ters of fact, but God judgeth the heart. He not only judgeth wicked a6lions, but wicked defigns. He fees the treafoti of the heart, and punifheth it.
Ufe 1. Is God infinite in knowledge, 1 John i. 5. * He is light, and in him is no darknefs ;' then how unlike are they to God, who are darknefs, and in them is no light, vrhoare def- titute of knowledge, fuch as the Indians who never heard of God ? And are there not many among us, who are no better than baptized heathens.^ who are to feek in the firft principles of the oracles of God. It is fad, that after the fun of the gof- f)el hath (hined fo long in our horizon, yet to this day the veil ihould be upon their heart. Such as are inveloped with igno- rance, cannot give God a reafonable fervice, Rom. xii. i. " Ig- norance is the nurfe of impiety :" The fchoolmen fay, Omne peccatum fundatur in ignorantia. Jer. ix. 3. ' They })roceed from evil to evil, and know not me, faith the Lord.' Where ignorance reigns in the underfianding, lull rageth in the atfec- tions; Prov. xix. 2. * That the mind be without knowledge, it is not good ; neither faith nor fear : no faith ; for knowledge carries the torch before faith. Pfal. ix. 10. * They that know thy name fliall put their trull in thee.' A man can no more believe without knowledge, than the eye can fee without light. JVor fear of God ; how can they fear him whom they do not know 1 The covering of Haman's face was a lad prelage of
OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. ^ 65
death. When people's minds are covered with ignorance, this covering of the t'ace is a fatal forerunner of deftru6lion. i , 2. If God be a God of knowledge, then fee the folly of hy- ■pocrify. Hypocrites do not i;////(/£7w/acere, but Jlngere. Me- ]an6l. They carry it fair with men, but care not how bad their hearts are; they live in fecret fin, Pf. Ixxiii. 11. ' They fay how doth God know ?' Pf. x. 11. * God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will never fee it.' But, Pf. cxlvii. 5. * His underllanding is infinite :' He hath a grate {^crates'] that looks into men's hreafts, he hath a key for the heart, he beholds all the finful workings of men's fpirits ; as in a giafs-hive we can fee the bees working in their combs. Mat. vi. 4. * He fees in fecret ; vi impios habet. Rivet. As a merchant enters down debts in his book, fo God hath his diary or day-book, and he enters down every fin into the book : he makes a critical def- cant upon men's actions. Jeroboam's wife difguifed herfelf that the prophet fhould not know her ; but he difcerned her, I Kings xiv. Q. ' Why feigueft thou thyfelf to be another ?' The hy- pocrite thinks to prevaricate and juggle with God, but God will unniafk him, Eccl. xii. 14. * God Ihall bring every work into judgment, with every fecret thing,' Jer. xxix. 32. * They have committed villany in Ifrael, even 1 know, and am a wit- nefs, faith the Lord.' Ay, but the hypocrite hopes he fliall colour over his fin, and make it look very fpecious. Abfalom mafks over his treafon with the pretence of a religious vow. Judas diffembles his envy at Chrifl, and covetoufnefs, with the pretence of ' charity to the poor,' John xii. .5. Jehu makes re- ligion a ftirrup to his ambitious defign, 1 Kings x. 16. But God fees through thefe fig-leaves. You may fee a jade under his gilt trappings, Jer. xvi. 17. ' Their iniquities are not hid from mine eyes.' And he that hath an eye to fee will find an hand to punifh.
Ufe 2. Of exhortation . Is God fo infinite in his knowledge? Then we fhould always fet ourfelves as under his omnifcient eye. Sic vivendum eji tanquam in conJpe6iu, Seneca. Let us fet David's profpe6t before our eye, Pfal. xvi. 8. ' I have fet the Lord always before me.' Seneca counfelled Lucillius, that whatever he was doing, he fliould imagine fome of the Roman worthies before him, and then he would do nothing difiionour- able. The confideration of God's omnifciency would, 1. Be preventive of much fin. The eye of man will reftrain from fin ; and will not God's eyes much more ? Ellh. vii. 8. * Will he force the queen before me, when I fl:and and look on ?' Will we fin when our judge looks on ? Would n)en fpeak fo vainly, if they confidered God over-heard them } Latimer took heed to every word in his examination, when he heard the pen go be- hind the hangings :' fo, what care would perfons have of their
Vol. I. Na. 2. I
66 0:F THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
words, if tliey remembered God heard, and the pen is going in heaven? Wotdd men go after llrange flelli, if they believed God was a fpedator of their wickednefs, and would make them do penance in hell for it ? Would they defraud in their dealings, and ufe falie weights, if they thought God favv them, and for making their weights lighter would make their damnation hea- vier? '2. The fettingourfelves as under the eye of God's omnif- ciency, would caufe reverence in the worfliip of God. God fees the frame and carriage of our hearts when we come before him ! how would this call in our draggling thougl)ts ? How would this animate and fpirit duty ? It would make us put fire to the incenfe, A6ls xxvi. 7. * The tribes inflantly ferved God day and night,' omnibus venibns, with the utmoll zeal and in- tenfenefs of fpirit. To think God is in this place, he beholds us, would add wings to prayer, and oil to the flame of our de- votion.
2. Is God's knowledge infinite? Study fincerity, be what you feem, 1 Sam. xvi. 7. * The Lord looketh upon the heart,' Men judge of the heart by the a6tions, God judgeth of the ac- tions by the heart ; if the heart be fincere, God will fee the faith and wink at the failing. Ala had his blemilhes, but his heart was right with God, 2 Chron. xv. 17. God faw his fin- cerity, and pardoned his infirmity. Sincerity in a Chriffeian, is like chaftity in a wife, which doth excufe many failings. Sin- cerity makes our duties acceptable, like mulk among linen, that perfumes it. As Jehu laid to Jehonadab, 2 Kings x. 13.
* Is thy heart right with me? And he laid. It is. If it be, faid, he, give me thy hand ; and he took him up into the cha- riot :' fo, if God fee'our heart is right, that we love him, and defign his glory, now faith he, give me your prayers and tears ; now you fhall come up with me into the triumphant chariot of glory. Sincerity makes our fervices to be golden, and God will not call away this gold though it may want forae weight. Is God omnifcient, and his eye chiefly upnvi the heart? Wear this girdle of truth about you, and never leave it off.
Ufe S. Of comfort. Is God a God of infinite knowledge? Then there is comfort, I. To the faints in particular, 2. To the church in general, in three refpedts.
1. In cafe of private devotion, Chrillian, thou fettefi; hours apart for God, thy thoughts run upon him as thy treafure : God takes notice of every good thought, Mai. iii. 17. He had a book of remembrance written for them that thought upon his name. Thou entereft into thy clofet, and prayeil to thy Fa- ther in fecret ; he hears every figh and groan, Pfal. xxxviii. 9.
* My groaning is not hid from thee.' Thou waterefl: the feed of thy prayer with tears, God bottles every tear, Plal. Ivi. 8.
* Put thou my tears into thy bottle.' \Vhen the fecrets of
OT THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 67
all hearts (liall be opened, God will make an honourable men- tion of the zeal and devotion of his people, and he himleif will be the herald of their prailes, 1 Cor. iv. 5. ' Then (hall every man have praife of God.'
2. The infinitenefs of God's knowledge is a comfort, in cafe the faints have not fo clear a knowledge of themfelves. They find fo much corruption, that they judge they have no grace. Gen. XXV. 22. ' If it be fo why am I thus? If I have grace, why is my heart fo dead and earthly a frame ! O remember, God is of infinite knowledge, he can fpy grace where thou canft not; he can fee grace hid under corruption, as the flars may be hid under a cloud. God can fee that holinefs in thee which thou canfi not difcern in thyfelf ; he can fpy the flower of grace in thee, though overtopped with weeds, 1 Kings xiv. 13. ' Be- caufe there is in him fome good thing.' God fees fome good thing in his people, when they can iee no good in themfelves ; and though they judge themfelves, he will give them an ablb- lution.
3. It is comfort in refpe6l of perfonal injuries. It is the feints* lot to fuffer ; the head being crowned with thorns, the feet muil not tread upon rofes. If faints find a real purgatory, it is in this life; but this is the comfort, God fets wliat wrong is done to them ; the apple of his eye is touched, and is not he fenfible ; St. Paul was fcourged by cruel hands, 1 Cor. xi. 35. • Thrice was I beaten with rods ;' as if you fliould fee a fcuUion whip the king's Ion. God beholds it, Exod. iii. 7- * I know their fbrrows.' The wicked make wounds in the backs of the faints, and then pour in vinegar ; God writes down their cruelty. Believers are part of Chrifi's myftical body ; and for every drop of a faint's blood fpilt, God puts a drop of wrath in his vial.
4. Comfort to the church of God in general. If God be a God of knowledge, he fees all the plots of the enemies againft Zion, and can make them prove abortive. The wicked are fubtile, having borrowed their flvill of the old ferpent; they dig deep, to hide their counfels from God, but he lees them, and can eafily counter-work them. The dragon is defcribed with feven heads. Rev. xii. 3. to (hew how he plots agaiuft the church : but God is defcribed with feven eyes, Zech. iii. 9. to fhew, that he fees all the plots and ft^ratagems of the enemies ; and when they deal proudly, he can be above them. Come, faith Pharaoh, ' let us deal wifely,' Ex. i. 10. and he never played the fool more than when he thought to deal wifely, Ex. xiv. 23. ' In the morning-watch the Lord looked to the hofh of the Egyptians, by the pillar of fire, and troubled the holt.' How may this be as lap in the vine, and may comfort the church of God in her militant ftate. The Lord hath an eye in
68 OF THE ETERNITY OF GOD.
all the councils and combinations of the enemy; he fees them in their train, and can blow them up in their own mine. -
OF THE ETERNITY OF GOD.
THE next attribute is, * God is eternal,' Pf. ex. 2. * From everlafting to everlafting thou art God.' The fchool- men diftinguilh between cevum etetemum, to explain the notion of eternity. There is a three-fold being : 1ft, Such a being as had a beginning, and fhall have an end ; fo all fenfitive creatures, the beafts, fowls, fifties; thefe at death are deftroyed, and re- turn to duft ; their being ends with their life. 2d, Such a being as had a beginning, but fhall have no end, as the angels and fouls of men ; they are eternal a parte poji ; they abide for ever. 3d, Such a being as is without beginning, and without ending, and that is proper only to God. He is Jemper exijiems, viz. from everlafting to everlafting : it is God's title, ajewel of his crown: (I.) He is called * the King eternal,' 1 Tim. i. 17. (2.) Jehovah, a word that properly fets out God's eternity ; a word fo dreadful, that the Jews trembled to name or read it; therefore ufed another word, Adonai, Lord. Jehovah con- tains in it time paft, prefent, and to come. Rev. i. 14. ' Which is, and which was, and which is to come;' it interprets the word Jehovah, f Which is J Hefubfifts of himfelf, having a pure and independant being, f Which was J God only was before time. There is no fearching into the records of eternity. C Which is to come J His kingdom hath no end : his crown hath no fuccelfors, Heb. i. 8. * Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.* The doubling of the word ratifies the certainty of it, as the doubling of Pharaoh's dream did. 1 fliall prove that God only could be eternal, without beginning. Angels could not ; they are but creatures, though fpirits ; they were made ; and therefore their beginning may be known ; their antiquity may be fearched into ; if you afk when they were created? Some think before the world was ; but not fo : for what was before time was eternal : the angels' firft rife and original reacheth no higher than the beginning of the world. It is thought by the learned, that the angels were made that day on which the hea- vens were made, Job xxxviii. 7. ' "When the morning ftarsfang together, and all thefons of God fhouted for joy.' St. Hierom, Gregory, and venerable Bede, underftandsit of the angels, when God laid the foundation-ftone of the world, the angels being then created, did fing the anthems ofjoy and praife ; the angels could not be before time ; for what was before time was eter- pal. It is only proper to God to be eternal, without begin-
OF THE ETERNITY OF GOD. 69
inng: He is Alpha and Omega, the firfl and the lafl, Rev. i. 8. No creature can write itlelf Alpha, that is only a flower of the crown of lieaveij, Exod. ili. 14. * lam that 1 am,' viz. He who exilts from and to eternity,
Ufe I. Htre is thunder and lightning to the wicked ; God is eternal, therefore the torments of the wicked are eternal. God lives for ever ; and as long as God lives lie will be punilhing the damned. — This, methinks, ihould be as the hand-writing upon the wall, Dan. v. 5. it fliould ' make their joints to be lool'ed,' &c. The (inner takes liberty to fin ; he breaks God's laws, like a wild beallthat breaks over the hedge, and leaps into for- bidden pallure ; he fins with greedinei's, Eph. iv. ly. as if he thought he could not fin fall enough. But remember, this is one of God's names. Eternal ; and as long as God is eternal, he hat"h time enough to reckon with all his enemies. To make finners tremble, let them think of thefe three things ; the tor- ments of the damned are without intermiirion, without mixture, and eternal.
1. Without intermijjion. Their pains fhall be acute and fiiarp, and no relaxation ; the fire Ihall not be flackened or abated. Rev. xiv. 11. * They have no rell day nor night;* like one that hath his joints flretched continually on the rack, and hath noeafe: therefore the wrath of God is compared to a ftream of brimftone, l(a. xxx. 33. Why to a ftream ? Becaufe a ftream runs without intermillion ; it runs, and doth not liop ; fo God's wrath runs like a llream, and pours out without any intermiflion. In the pains of this life, there is fome abatement and inlermiiTion ; the fever abates, after a fit of the Hone, the patient hath (ome eafe : but the pains of hell are intenfe and violent, in fummo gradu ; the damned foul never faith, I am now more at eafe.
2. Without mixture. Hell is a place of pure jnftice. In this life, God in anger remembers mercy, he mixeth cnmpaffion with iuti'ermg, Deut. xxxiii. 25. Alher's (hoe was of iron, but his foot was dipt in oil. Affliction is the iron-flioe, but mercy is mixed with it; here is the foot dipt in oil. But the torments of the damned have no mixture. Rev. xiv. 10. ' They fliall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture.' No mixture of rnercv. How is the cup of wrath faid to be full of mixture, Plal. Ixxxv. 8. ' They thall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture.' No mixture of mercy. How is the cup of wrath faid to be full of mixture, Plal. Ixxxv. S. * The wine is red, it is full of mixture ;' yet in the Revelation it is ftid to be ■without mixture.^ It is full of mixture, that is, it is full of all the ingredients that may make it bitter; the worm, the fire, the curfe of God, all thefe are bitter ingredients. It is a cup
70 OF THE ETERNITY OF GOD.
mixed, yet it is without mixture, viz. there fliall be nothing to atiord the lead coaifort, no mixture of mercy ; lb it is a cup without mixture. In the (acrifice of jealouly, Numb. v. 15. there was no oil put to it; fo, in the torments of the damned, there is no oil of mercy to abate their lutferings.
3. Without ceJJ'atioii, eternal. The pleafure of fin are but for a lealbn, but the torments of the wicked are for ever. Sin- ners have a ihort fealt, but a long reckoning. Origen errone- oufly thought, that after a thoufand years the damned Ihould be releafed out of their mifery : but the worm, the fire, the pri- fon are ail eternal. Rev. xiv. 11. * The fmoke of their tor- ment afcendeth for ever and ever.' Poena gehennales punint, nonfimunt. Profper. Eternity is a fea without' bottom and banks. After millions of years, there is not oneminutein eter- nity wafted ; and the damned muft be ever burning, but never confuming, always dying, but never dead, Rev. ix. 6. ' They ihall leek death, but fiiall not find it.' The fire of hell is fuch, as multitudes of tears will not fjuench it, length of time will not finifli it; the vial of God's wrath will be always dropping upon a finner. As long as God is eternal, he lives for ever to be avenged upon the wicked. O eternity ! eternity! who can fathom it? Mariners have their plummets to meafure the depths of the lea; but what line or plummet Ihall we ufe to fathom the depth of eternity ? The breath of the Lord kindles the infernal lake,Ifa. xxx. 33. and where fljall we have engines or buckets to quench that fire; O eternity! if all the body of the earth and lea were turned to fand, and all the air up to the Harry heaven were nothing but fand, and a little bird fhould come every thoufand year, and fetch away in her bill, but the tenth part of a grain of all that heap of fand, what a number- lefs number of years would be fpent before that vail heap of land would be fetcht away ? Yet if at the end of all that time, the finner might come out of hell (tho' long) yet there would be fome hope : but this word Ever, breaks the heart, * The fmoke of their torment afcendeth up for ever and ever,' What a terror is this to the wicked, enough to put them into a cold fweat, to think, as long as God is eternal, he lives for ever to be avenged upon linners.
Q. Here aqueltion may he moved. Why Jin that is commilted in a Jhort time , Piould be puni/hed eternally :•?
Anf. We muft hold with St. Agulline, " that God's judg- ments on the wicked, ocult ejj'e pojjunty injiijia ejje non pojjhnt, may be fecret, but never unjuft." The reafon why fin com- milted in a ftiort time is eternally puniflied, is becaufe every fin is committed againft an infinite elience, and no lefs than eternity of puniihment can fatisfy. Why is treafon puniflied with confilcation and death, but becaufe itisagainll the king's
or THE ETERNITY OF GOD. 71
peiTon, which isfacred ? much more th=\t offence which is againft God's crown and dignity, is of an heinous and infinite nature, and cannot be fatisfied with lefs than eternal punifliment.
life 2. Of comfort to the godly: God is eternal therefore lives for ever to reward the godiy, Rom. ii. 7- ' To them who feek for glory and honour, eternal life.' The people of God here are in a fuffering condition, Acts xx. 23. * Bonds and affli6lions abide me.' The head being crowned with thorns, the feet mull not tread upon rofes. The wicked are clad in pur- ple, and fare delicioufly, while the godly fuffer. Goats climb upon high mountains, while ChrilVs flieep are in the valley of daughter. But here is the comfort, God is eternal, and be hath appointed eternal recompences for the faints : in heaven are freih delights, fweetnefs vt'ithout furfeit ; and that which is the crown and zenith of heaven's happinefs, is, it is eternal,' 1 John ii. 15. Were there but the lealt fufpicion that this glory muit ceafe, it would mucheclipfe, yeaimbitter it : but it is eter- nal. What angel can fpan eterr>ity? 2 Cor. iv. 17- ' An eter- nal weight of glory.* The faints Ihall bathe themfelves in the rivers of divine pleafure : and thefe rivers can never be dried up, Pfal. xvi. 11. 'At thy right hand are pleafures for evermore.* This is the Elah, the highell ftrain in the apoftle's rhetoric, I Theff. iv. 17. ' Ever with the Lord.* There is peace without trouble, eafe without pain, glory without end, ' Ever with the Lord.' Let this comfort the faints in all their troubles; their fufferings are but fliort, but their reward is eternal. Eternity makes heaven to be heaven ; 'tis the diamond in the ring : O bletled day, that fhall have no night! the fun light of glory Ihall rife upon the foul, and never let ! O bleffed fpring, that fiiall have no autumn, or fall of the leaf! the Roman Emperors have three crowns fet upon their heads, the firft of iron, the le- cond of filver, the third of gold : fo the Lord fets three crowns on his children, grace, comfort and glory ; and this crown is eternal, 1 Peter v. 4. ' Ye (hall receive a crown of glory that fadetb not away.' The wicked have a never-dying worm, and the godly a never-fading crown. O how ftiouldthis beafpur to virtue! How willing fiiould we be to work for God ? Though we had nothing here, God hath time enough to reward his peo- ple; the crown of eternity (hall be fet upon their head,
(7/<? 3. Of exhortation. 1. In general, lludy eternity. Our thoughts (hould chiefly run upon eternity. We are all for the piefcnt, lomething that may delight the fenfes. If we could have lived (as Aguftine faith) a cunahulis mundi, from the in- fancy of the world to the world's old age, what were this ?" What is time, meafured with eternity ? As the ea;rth is but a fmall point to the heaven, fo time is but, nay fcarce a minute to eternity ! And, then, what is this poor life which crumbles
75 OF THE ETERNITY OF GOD.
away fo fail r O think of eternity! Annos ceternos in menle habe : Bretliren, we are every day travelling- to eternity : and wlietiier we wake or fleep, we are going our joyrney ; fonie of us are upon the borders of eternity. (J lludy the Ihortnefs of life and length of eternity.
2. More particularly ; think of God's eternity, and the foul's eternity. J. Think of God's eternity. He is the Ancient of days, wlio was before all time. 7'here is a figurative defcrip- tion of God, Dan. vii. <^. • The Ancient of days did fit, whole garn^ent was white as fnow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool.' His white garment, wherewith he was clothed, iignified his majelty ; his hair, like the pure wool, his holinefs ; and the Ancient of days, his eternity. The thoughts of God's eternity would make us have high adoring thoughts of God. We are apt to have mean, irreverent thoughts of him, Pfal. I. 21. ' Thou thoughteit 1 was fuch an one as thyfelf ;' weak and mortal, but if we would think of God's^eternity, when all power ceafeth, heis King eternal, his crown flourifhethfor ever, who can make us happy or miferable for ever, this would make us have adoring thoughts of God ; Rev. iv. 10. ' The four and twenty elders tall down before him that fat upon the throne, and worlhip him that liveth for ever and ever; and call their crowns before the throne.' The faints fall down, to fignify by that humble pollure, that they are not worthy to fit in God's prefence. They fall down and they worlliip him that liveth for ever and ever ; they do as it were kifs his feet, and they call their crowns before the throne, they lay all their honour at his feet : thus they fliew humble adoration to the eternal eflence. Study God's eternity, it will make us adore where we cannot fathom. 2. Think of the foul's eternity. As God is eternal, fo he hath made us eternal. We are never-dying creatures; we are fhortly entering upon an eternal flate, either of happinefs or mifery. Have ferious thoughts of this : fay, O my foul, Avhic.h of thefe two eternities, is like to be thy portion ? I muft Ihortly depart hence, and whether then (liall I go, to which of thefe eternities, either of glory or mifery ? The ferious medita- tion of the eternal ftate we are to pafs into, fliould work Itrong- ly with us.
1. Thoughts of eternal torments are a good antidote againft fin, fin tempts with its pleal'ure ; but, when we thitik of eter- nity, it may cool the intemperate heat of lull. Shall I, for the plcafure of (in for a feafon, endure eternal pain ? Sin, like thofe locults. Rev. ix. 7. feems to have on its head a crown like gold, but it hath in it a tail like a fcorpion, ver. 10. and a fting in its tail, and this fting can never be plucked out. Shall I venture eternal wrath ? Is fin committed lb i'weet, as lying in hell for
god's unchangeableness. 73
ever is bitter? This would make us flee from fin, as Mofes from the ferpent.
2. The i'erious thoughts of eternal happinefs would very much take usolFfrom thefe worldly things ; we Ihould not elleem much of them : what are thele I'ubl unary things to eter- nity ? they are quickly gone, they iaiute us, and take their fare- wel. But I am to enter upon an everlafimg ellate ; 1 hope to live with him who is eternal : what is the world to me ? They who Hand upon the top of the Alps, the great cities of Campa- nia Ceem as linall things in their eyes ; fo he who hath his thoughts fixed on his eternal ftate after this life, all thefe things feem as nothing in his eye. What is the glory of this world ? how poor and contemptible, compared with an eternal weight of glory ?
3. To conclude; The ferious thoughts of an eternal ftate, either of happinefs or mifery, fhould have a powerful influence upon whatibever we take in hand : every work we do, pro- motes either a blefled or curfed eternity ; every good a6tion lets us a ft,ep nearer to an eternity of happinefs ; every bad a6lion fets us a ftep nearer to an eternity of mifery. O what influ- ence would the thoughts of eternity have upon our religious du- ties? It would make us do them with all our might: a duty well performed, lifts a Chriftian higher towards heaven, and fets a Chriftian a ftep nearer to ablelled eternity.
GOD'S UNCHANGEABLENESS.
The next attribute is God's unchangeablenefs, Mai. iii. 6. ' I am Jehovah, I change not.* 1. God is unchangeable in his nature. 2. In his decree.
Ifl, Unchangeable in his nature: 1. There is no eclipfe of his brightnefs. 2. No period put to his being.
I. Xo eclipfe of his brightnefs : his elfence fliines with a fixed luftre, James i. 17. * With whom is no variablenefs, neither fliadow of turning,' Pfal. cii. 27. * Thou art the fame,' All created things are full of viciiHtudes : 1. Princes and emperors are fubje6t to mutation. Sefoftris, an Egyptian prince, having fubdued divers kings in war, made them draw like horfes in his chariot, as if he intended to turn them to eat grafs, as God did King Nebuchadnezzar. The crown hath many fucceflbrs. 2. Kingdoms have their eclipfes and convulfions : what is become of the glory of Athens ? The pomp of Troy ? Jamfeges ejl ubi Trojafint. Kingdoms, though they have a head of gold, yet fett of clay. 3. The heavens change, Pfal. cii. 26. * As a vellure flialt thou change them, and they ftiall be changed.'
Vol. I. No. ^2. K
74 god's ujjchangeableness.
The matter of the elements, as it is more pure, fo more firnt and Iblid ; the heavens are the moft ancient records, where God