river you will say it hath need though it be full it hath need of the fountaine to maintaine it so may I say of the creatures though they be full of perfection in their kinde yet they have need of that fountaine from whence their perfection commeth which if it be stopt they will come to nothing Thus God is infinitely perfect and immense having no limits For all limits are either from the matter or from the forme the forme is limited because it wants matter to carry it to a further extent and the matter is limited because it is bounded with such a forme but in God there is neither matter nor forme as there is nothing without him so there is nothing within him to bound that largenesse of being which he hath But now to apply this Vse 1 If God be thus full of being as the sea is full of water and a thousand times fuller then all that you can doe reacheth not to him Psal. 16.4 It extends not to him the sinnes that you commit hurt him not all the righteousnesse you performe doth not pleasure or benefit him and if it be so then consider what little cause you have to murmure against him at any time upon any occasion For all discontentment among the creatures comes from the hence that their expectation is not satisfied and what is the reason why it is not satisfied but because they thinke that there is some reason why they should bee respected Therefore examine your owne hearts whether there be not a secret popery in your hearts that you think that you can do somthing that reacheth to God that he should respect you for but if God be thus ful thou canst doe nothing that can reach to him But you shall see how prone men are to this are we not ready to say Why am I not in so great a place as another Why have not I more gifts Why have I not greater imployments Why have I such imperfections Why am I thus subject to diseases and crosses Whence comes this Because we expect something because we thinke we are not well dealt with and why doe we thinke so because men thinke that there is something in them why they should be lookt after they thinke that they have carried themselves so that they thinke there is something in justice due to them But if thou canst say with David and Iob and Christ when he saith to his disciples When you have done all that you can say that you are unprofitable servants What if God will not have David to build a Temple but his sonne must doe it Or Moses to lead the children of Israel into the Land of Canaan but Ioshua must have the glory of it They must be content yet they did more for God than ever thou canst doe therefore thou must labour to be content also The creature doth but take of him whatsoever it hath and therefore it can give nothing to him and shall the River bee beholding to him that drinkes of it because hee comes and quencheth his thirst Or shall the Sunne be beholding to him that hath the use of his light When thou hast done all that thou canst say thou art an unprofitable servant thou canst doe nothing that reacheth to God therefore labour to be vile and low in thine owne eyes and willing to be disposed of as it pleaseth him Againe if this be so then consider the freenesse of his grace in all the goodnesse which hee bestowes for to have done any thing for a man before-hand doth lessen the benefit bestowed Now consider that thou hast done nothing to the Lord therefore labour to magnifie the Lord that hath bestowed it upon thee For this cause the Lord will have justification by faith and not by workes that he might be magnified And so he will have sanctification not by the power of the free-will but by the infused grace of his Spirit that no flesh might boast It is the Lord that is full it is he that gives it to thee thou canst doe nothing to him Rom. 11.35 36. Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompenced him againe for of him and through him and to him are all things c. As if he should say the Lord out of his free grace had shewed mercy to the Iewes for of them he there speakes they were wet like Gideons fleece when all the world was drie Afterwards it pleased him to bedew the Gentiles when the Israelites were dry well he hath done this sayes Paul and what hast thou to say to him Did he any wrong Is he not free May not he doe what he will This is one use Another is that you should be content with his disposing he owes nothing to any for of him and through him and for him are all things to him be glory for ever Amen Vse 3 If hee be thus full that the creature doth nothing to promerit at his hand then thou mayest goe to God though thou hast no worth in thee though thou hast done little service to God yet goe to him and say Lord I have done nothing if I had done much yet it would not reach to thee thou art full of perfection and blessed for ever therefore a man may goe to him with great faith and aske great things of him though he be little worth and hath done little service for him For if thou didst God any good thou mightest goe to him and say I have done this and that for thee therefore recompence me But seeing it is not so therefore labour to goe to God in faith and when thou goest thinke with thy selfe why may I not have it aswell as another Doe not say I am not so holy and I cannot doe as Paul and Moses their workes did nothing to him Thinke with thy selfe that when he first chooseth a man he doth it freely and thinkest thou that he is not the same afterwards Therefore now thou mayest go to him on this ground with boldnesse because whatsoever thou doest it is nothing to him Vse 4 Moreover if the Lord be thus full in himselfe then he hath need of nothing He therefore saith to all the men in the world and to all things he saith to Princes I have no need of you to rich men I have no need of you or of your wealth he saith to Schollers that have excellent parts I have no need of you therefore say not I am undone or the Churches are undone because Princes are not for you because men helpe you not for God can helpe them alone he doth not need Princes When there was none saith the LORD I stirred up my selfe like a mightie Giant hee needs no helpe he is most perfect full of being able to doe whatsoever he pleaseth Vse 5 Againe consider with thy selfe that if thousand thousands perish it is nothing to him hee cares no more for the destruction of the whole world than thou
converted many It is not in vaine that phrase of the Scripture hee was a man full of faith and therefore many were added to the Lord. And you shall finde it by experience when you converse with worldly men they will be readie on every occasion to attribute the event of things to naturall causes but the godly they ascribe it to God Now good words strengthen our faith but the evill words of naturall men they corrupt good manners And not only the words of the godly worke so but the very manner of the delivery of it is emphaticall for they doe beleeve it themselves now if a man deliver an history that he beleeves he will deliver it in such a manner that hee will make others beleeve it also Act. 14.1 They so spake that a great multitude of the Iewes beleeved that is in such a manner that many were turned to the faith Iunius professeth in his life that the very first thing that turned him from his Atheisme was the talking with a country-man of his not farre from Florence and his manner of expressing himselfe The next was the majesty of the Scripture which he observed in Ioh. 1. but the other was the beginning of it So it will still be true that walking with godly men will increase our faith but with worldly men it will weaken it Therefore use all these meanes to strengthen these principles in you for they will have many excellent effects in your lives As When a man beleeves this throughly he will take the judgement of the Scripture against his owne fancy and the opinions of men with which we are still ready to be misled so that when the Scripture saith of riches that they are nothing whereas before thou thoughtest them to be a strong tower now you thinke them to be but a staffe of reed so of sinfull lusts that are so pleasant to us the Scripture saith of them that they fight against the soule though they are sweet for the present yet they are sowre in the latter end so that thou takest the judgement of the Scripture against thy own reason So for the praise of men see what the Scripture saith he is praise-worthy whom God praiseth so thou judgest vaine-glory to be but a bubble I say if you could beleeve this throughly you would set the judgement of the Scripture against your owne reasons and the opinions of men Besides this it will breed a notable fervencie in prayer when a man knoweth that there are such promises it will make him never give over it will make him watch and pray continually with all perseverance though many times hee prayeth and hath no answer as the woman of Canaan yea though he hath sometimes a contrary answer and effect to what he asketh yet when he hath laid hold on the promises he will not let goe he will never give over hee knowes Hee who hath promised is faithfull therefore he is not like a wave of the sea tossed up and downe with every wind But it is not onely a ground of all this but it brings forth the effect it doth exceedingly strengthen our faith in matters of justification for it is certaine that the same faith whereby we beleeve and apply the promises of salvation through Christ it is the same faith whereby we beleeve the Scripture and that there is a God that made both Heaven and Earth There is no difference in the faith yea that justifying faith by which thou art saved it ariseth from the beleefe of these principles as it was the same eye whereby the Israelites did see the mountaines and trees and other objects and by which they saw the brazen Serpent No man beleeves justification by Christ but his faith is mainly grounded upon this Word of God for whereas in Scripture we finde that IESVS CHRIST is come in the flesh and that he is a Lambe slaine for forgivenesse of sinnes that he is offered to every creature that a man must thirst after him and then take up his Crosse and follow him Now come to a beleever going out of the world and aske him what hope hee hath to be saved and what ground for it he will be ready to say I know that Christ is come into the world and that he is offered and I know that I am one of them that have a part in him I know that I have fulfilled the conditions as that I should not continue willingly in any knowne sinne that I should love the LORD IESVS and desire to serve him above all I know that I have fulfilled these conditions I say if the ground whereon our faith is builded be the Word then it is builded on a sure rocke and the gates of hell Satan and all his temptations shall not prevaile against it but against a strong fancie it may Therefore let us labour to strengthen our faith in these principles that there is a GOD that made Heaven and Earth and that the Scripture is his Word whereby his minde is revealed to us that so you may know what his will is and what to expect of him upon all occasions There is one thing which remaines in this point which we added in the third place That that God which we worship is this GOD for either it is that God whom we worship or else there is no true God in the world we are to propound it negatively to take away all other false religions For if there was ever a God revealed in the world he was the God of the Iewes and if he was the God of the Iewes then of the Christians and if of the Christians then surely of the Protestants and not the Papists for they doe in most points adde to the garment of Christ and the Protestants doe but cut off what thy have added before and if of the Protestants then surely of those that doe make conscience of their wayes that doe not live loosely but doe labour to please him in all things THE FIFTH SERMON ISAI 46.9 Remember the former things of old for I am GOD and there is none else I am GOD and there is none like mee THe third thing which remains is this that there is no other GOD and it is an argument which is often used in Scripture to prove that the Lord is God because there is none besides him for so you are to understand it I am GOD because there is no other this particle is so used many times Esay 45.22 I am GOD and there is none else there is none beside me and this shewes the falsenesse of all other gods and all other religions and the argument stands thus That if you looke to all former times you shall see that there was never any other God or any other religion but this which wee professe There are two arguments set downe in the Text 1 Remember the former times and you shall alwayes finde it thus that there is none besides mee 2 There is none like
of his in the creatures So that you see there are two wayes to come to the knowledge of this that God is One I say is by naturall reason Or else to make it more plaine we shall see this in these two things 1 There is enough in the very creation of the world to declare him unto us 2 There is a light of the understanding or reason put into us whereby we are able to discerne those characters of God stamped in the creatures whereby we may discerne the invisible things of God his infinite power and wisdome and when these are put together that which is written in the creature there are arguments enough in them and in us there is reason enough to see the force of those arguments and thence we may conclude that there is a GOD besides the arguments of Scripture that wee have to reveale it For though I said before that Divinity was revealed by the HOLY GHOST yet there is this difference in the points of Theologie Some truths are wholly revealed and have no foot-steps in the creatures no prints in the creation or in the workes of GOD to discerne them by and such are all the mysteries of the Gospell and of the Trinitie other truths there are that have some vestigia some characters stamped upon the creature whereby wee may discerne them and such is this which wee now have in hand that There is a God Therefore we will shew you these two things 1 How it is manifest from the creation 2 How this point is evident to you by faith 3 A third thing i will adde that this God whom we worship is the only true God Now for the first to explicate this that The power and God-head is seene in the creation of the world Besides those Demonstrations else-where handled drawne from the Creation in generall as from 1 The sweet concent and harmony the creatures have among themselves 2 The fitnesse and proportion of one unto another 3 From the reasonable actions of creatures in themselves unreasonable 4 The great and orderly provision that is made for all things 5 The combination and dependance that is among them 6 The impressions of skill and workmanship that is upon the creatures All which argue that there is a God There remaine three other principall arguments to demonstrate this The consideration of the Originall of all things which argues that they must needs bee made by GOD the Maker of Heaven and Earth which wee will make good to you by these particulars If man was made by him for whom all things are made then it is certaine that they are made also For the argument holds If the best things in the world must have a beginning then surely those things that are subserving and subordinate to them must much more have a beginning Now that man was made by him consider but this reason The father that begets knowes not the making of him the mother that conceives knowes it not neither doth the formative vertue as we call it that is that vigour that is in the materials that shapes and fashions and articulates the body in the wombe that knowes not what it doth Now is is certaine that he that makes any thing must needs know it perfectly and all the parts of it though the stander by may be ignorant of it As for example he that makes a statue knowes how every particle is made he that makes a Watch or any ordinary worke of art he knowes all the junctures all the wheeles and commissures of it or else it is impossible that hee should make it now all these that have a hand in making of man know not the making of him not the father nor the mother nor that which wee call the formative vertue that is that vigour which is in the materials which workes and fashions the bodie as the work-man doth a statue and gives severall limbes to it all these know it not therefore hee must needs be made by God and not by man and therefore see how the Wise-man reasons Psal. 94.9 Hee that made the eye shall he not see he that made the eare shall not he heare c. that is he that is the maker of the engines or organes or senses or limbes of the body or hee that is maker of the soule and faculties of it it is certaine that he must know though others doe not the making of the body and soule the turnings of the will and the windings of the understanding all those other are but as pensils in the hand of him that doth all the pensill knowes not what it doth though it drawes all it is guided by the hand of a skilfull Painter else it could do nothing the Painter only knoweth what he doth so that formative vertue that vigour that formes the bodie of a man that knowes no more what it doth than the pensill doth but he in whose hand it is who sets it on worke it is he that gives vigour and vertue to that seed in the womb from whence the bodie is raised it is he that knows it for it is he that makes it And this is the first particular by which wee prove that things were made and had not their originall from themselves The second is If things were not made then it is certaine that they must have a being from themselves Now to have a being from it selfe is nothing else but to be God for it is an inseparable propertie of God to have his being from himselfe Now if you will acknowledge that the creatures had a being of themselves they must needs be Gods for it belongs to him alone to have a being of himselfe and from himselfe The third followes which I would have you chiefly to marke If things have a being from themselves it is certaine then that they are without causes as for example That which hath no efficient cause that is no maker that hath no end Looke upon all the workes made by man that we may expresse it to you take an house or any worke or instrument that man makes therefore it hath an end because he that made it propounded such an end to himselfe but if it have no maker it can have no end for the end of any thing is that which the maker aymes at Now if things have no end they could have no forme for the forme and fashion of every thing ariseth only from the end which the maker propounds to himselfe as for example the reason why a knife hath such a fashion is because it was the end of the maker to have it an instrument to cut with the reason why an axe or hatchet hath another fashion is because it might be an instrument to chop with and the reason why a key hath another fashion different from these is because the maker propounded to himselfe another end in making of it namely to open lockes with these are all made of the same
he cannot change it suddenly But it is not so with God hee can alter a thing as easily to the left hand as to the right and that in an instant Object But what dependance is there between things doe we not see strange things come to passe that we can see no reason for as the Churches overthrowne the godly afflicted the wicked exalted Answ. Well saith the Lord this is to bee considered further that one wheele is within another and the wings of the Angels are one within another there is a sutablenesse and an agreeablenesse betweene them so that take the changes of a thousand yeares and if you summe them up you shall finde them as wheeles one within another Therefore I would summe up the answer thus this deceives us we look upon Gods providence in some few particulars only that we looke upon a wheele or two and not as they are one within another for then indeed we should see things that might cause us to wonder as we see Ioseph an innocent man lying in disgrace and imprisonment and David though innocent yet a long time disgraced in the Court of Saul and afterwards Shimei cursing him yea wee see Iesus Christ himselfe delivered and condemned for an impostor and that by witnesses and in a legall manner so we see Paul one that was a man full of zeale yet accounted one of the worst men that lived in his time and Naboth an innocent man condemned to death by witnesses stoned and who shall rise againe to shew his innocencie If you looke but upon a wheele or two you shall finde the Church ready to bee swallowed up in Esters time but if you looke upon them all at once then you will see that these passages have eyes in them and that they have Angels and the Spirit to guide them As for example looke on all the wheeles of Iosephs life you shall see the envie of his brethren selling him to the steward of Pharaohs house and there his falling out with his mistresse his casting into prison and there meeting with Pharaohs officers he was thereby made knowne to Pharaoh and so he became great in Pharaohs Court and then you see it is a goodly worke So in David take all the wheeles together and you shall see a glorious work how God brought him along to the Kingdome God was with him and wrought his works for him when he did sit still and when his hand was not upon Saul then he sent the Philistines to vex him and to end his dayes and first hee gave David the Kingdome of Iudah and then afterwards Abner and Isobosheth fell out about a word and one of them was slaine and then also came two wicked men and tooke off the others head and so came home the whole Kingdome of Israel into his hand So also in Esthers time take all the wheeles together and you shall see an excellent act of Gods providence when the Church was ready to be destroyed when the neck was upon the block and the sword drawne out ready to strike and that that night the King should not sleepe but that a booke must be brought and rather that than another and that the place should be opened where he should finde Mordecai his revealing of the treason against him and thereupon the decree was revoked and the Church delivered I say take all these together and we shall plainly see that in this strange administration of things there is still a providence and that there are eyes in the wheeles and a spirit to guide them Object 3 If there be such a God that made the Heaven and the Earth what is the reason then that wee see things are brought to passe by naturall causes If there be a cause for such a thing the effect doth follow when there is no cause then the effect doth not as a wise man doth bring a thing to passe but the foolish miscarry in them we see the diligent hand maketh rich and hee that labours not hath nothing and things that are strong prevaile against those that are weake and so God is forgotten in the world and his wisdome and power is not seene Answ. 1 It is not so God doth carry it often another way as it is Eccles. 9.11 Alway the battell is not to the strong but chance and accident befall them all that is the LORD of purpose doth often change them that his power and might may be seene We see often that Princes walke on foot like servants and servants ride like Princes as in Chap. 10. that is things doe not alwayes come to passe according to their causes for when the cause is exceeding faire to bring forth such an effect yet we see it is an abortive birth and such things come to passe that we looked not for as he that was diligent many times comes to povertie the wise doe often miscarry in bringing their enterprises to passe Answ. 2 Though the immediate cause produceth the effect yet who is the first cause As for example though folly be the cause that such a businesse doth miscarry yet who is the cause of that folly It is sin that bringeth destruction and doth precipitate a man thereunto but who is it that leaveth men to their sins and lusts You see what was the immediate cause of the losse of Rehoboams Kingdome the ill counsell that was given him by the young men but who was it that fitted the cause thereunto was it not the Lord So on the contrary wee see that godlinesse is the cause of good successe and makes men to prosper but who is the cause of that cause is it not the Lord himselfe Object 4 But oftentimes it is ill with those that are good and well with those that are wicked the wicked prosper many times when it goes ill with those that feare the LORD oftentimes it commeth to the wicked according to the worke of the righteous and contrarily If there be a God what is the reason that this comes to passe Answ. It is certaine that whensoever any wicked man doth an evill act and a good man doth well and serveth the Lord with a perfect heart that there is a sentence of good and evill goes with it but God doth often suspend the reward to the godly and of punishment to the wicked the execution of them is deferred Besides we are often mistaken for that which we thinke to be ill to us is many times for our good and that which we thinke is very happie and prosperous may be hurtfull to us As for example when Iacob came from Laban GOD said to him Be not afraid I am with thee and I will doe thee good You see Iacob was no sooner gone but Laban follows him and would have done him much hurt had not the Lord taken him off No sooner was Laban gone from him but Esau comes against him and when the Lord had rescued him from him when he was come neerer home when he might have
their hands And Paul that was the meanes of converting so many thousands he ascribes nothing to himselfe but it was the grace of GOD that was with him So Samson was strong but yet he had his strength from God and therefore this is an argument that the Scriptures were written by holy men inspired by the Holy Ghost Seeing we have such just ground to beleeve that there is a GOD that made Heaven and Earth and that this word which testifies of him is indeed the word of GOD. This use we are to make of it that it might not be in vaine to us it should teach us to confirme this first principle and make it sure seeing all the rest are built upon it therefore we have reason to weigh it that we may give full consent to it and not a weake one Object But you will say this is a principle that needs not to be thus urged or made question of therefore what need so many reasons to prove it Answ. Even the strongest amongst us have still need to increase our faith in this point and therefore we have cause to attend to it and that for these two reasons Because these principles though they be so common yet there is a great difference in the beleefe of the Saints and that with which common men beleeve them the difference is in these foure things both of them doe beleeve and they speak as they thinke yet you shall find this difference A regenerate man hath a further and a deeper insight into these truths he gives a more through and a stronger assent to them but another man gives a more slight and overly assent that faith with which they beleeve them is a faith that wants depth of earth therefore if any strong temptation comes upon them as feare of being put to death c. they are soone shaken off and doe often fall away when they are put to it they shrink away in time of persecution for their faith wants depth of earth that is the assent they give to the Scripture is but an overly and superficiall assent it doth not take deep root in their soule and therefore it withers in time of temptation they doe not so ponder them as others doe and therefore they are not so grounded in these first principles as others are though they have some hold 〈◊〉 yet not so great a hold as the godly have So as they are not so firmely established so grounded in the present truth they are not so rooted as the Saints are That which breeds this assent in them is but a common gift of the Holy Ghost but that with which the Saints beleeve them is a speciall grace infused wrought by the Holy Ghost now that which hath a weaker cause must needs have a weaker effect that which is wrought by a common cannot be so strong an assent as that which is wrought by an infused habit of the Holy Ghost therefore the faith of the Saints is stronger than the faith of the wicked The Saints the regenerate men build their hope comfort and happinesse upon the truth of these principles as that there is a GOD that rules Heaven and Earth and that the Scriptures are his Word and whatsoever is in them is truth they build all upon these therfore if any doubts arise they can never be at rest till faith hath resolved them and wrought them out with another man it is not so he takes these things upon trust and beleeves them as others do but he doth not much trouble himselfe about them and therfore if any doubts come against them he suffers them to lye there and goes on in a carelesse manner But with the Saints it is not so they building their hope upon them doe therefore resolve to suffer any thing for God they will be content to lose all for Him if occasion requires and therefore they are upon sure ground but the other they doe but receive upon trust and therefore they doe not cleave to him in that manner that the Saints doe Regenerate men have a lively and experimentall knowledge that there is a GOD and that the Scriptures are his Word from the communion that they have had with this God and from the experience they have had of the truths delivered in the Scripture They know very well and that experimentally what difference there was betweene what they were once and what they are now what it is to envie the Saints and what it is to have an affection of love to them they know the time when they slighted sinne when they made no reckoning of it they know againe the bitternesse and sorrow of sin when the commandement came and shewed it unto them in its colours they know a time when they judged perversely of the wayes of God when they had a bad opinion of them and how now they are changed besides they know how that once they did admire and magnifie worldly excellencie and preferment but since they were inlightned their opinion is otherwise I say they know all this experimentally Take the whole worke of regeneration they know it in themselves and so for God himselfe as hee is described in the Scriptures such have they found him to themselves Now where a man doth know things thus experimentally it is another kinde of knowledge than that which is by heare-say so that though there is a beleefe in them both yet there is a great difference betweene them We must labour to confirme our faith in these principles because they are of exceeding great moment and consequence in the lives of men though they seeme to be remote yet they are of more moment than any other as of a house you see a faire top but yet the foundation is of more moment and that cannot be seene the streames are seene but the Well-head cannot so all the actions of the lives of men are built upon these principles and as they are more strongly or weakly beleeved so have they more or lesse influence into the hearts and lives of men As take a man that beleeves fully that there is a GOD and that the Scriptures are his Word this breeds an unresistable resolution to serve and please him notwithstanding all oppositions he meets with Take the greatest things that use to daunt men as take a man that is to die if he considers that there is a God with whom he is to live for ever what is death then no more than the stones flying about Stevens eares when he beheld the heavens opened so when men speake against him and slander him when they scoffe and revile him and trample upon him yet if God be with him he can boldly say I care not for mans day nor for the speaking against of sinners he is not moved a whit with them they passe away as a vapour that moves him not so when hee sees the current of the times to runne against him yet when he
cleave to him Iohn 6.68 2 Chron. 15.6 Vse 2. For comfort That he will shâ—w himselfe to be the true God in raising up his Churches Esay 48.11 Vers. 10. Esay 42.8 To keepe our hearts from idolatry and to set up no other god Two kindes of Idolatrie Iames 4. Rom. 1. Three grounds of Idolatrie Psal. 115.9 The second thing to bee knowne concerning God What God is What the Essence of God is Exod. 6.3 Gen. 17.1 What is meant by such aforme of expression I am what I am Doctr. God only and properly hath Being in him What this Being is explained in five things Immense Isai. 40. Vers. 17. Of himselfe Rom. 11. Everlasting Without succession Giving Being to all things There is something in Gods Essence not to be inquired into Rom. 1.18 Exod. 33. Isai. 45.9 Rom. 11. Prov. 30.4 Vse 2. To strengthen our faith and encourage us in our wants and crosses Rom. 4.17 Exod. 6.6 Isai. 50.10 Gen. 1. 2 Cor. 4.5 Isai. 6.13 Isai. 42.13 14 Vse 2. To give him the praise of his Being To say I will doe such a thing what a sinne it is It is Idolatrit Isai. 42.8 Hab. 1.16 It is a vanity Psal. 37.5 Isai. 26.12 Psal. 37.7 Vse 3. Learne the vanity of all creatures and the remedie against it Act. 17.28 1 Chro. 29.18 Isai. 56.12 Iames 4.13 14. The Attributes of God are of two sorts God is perfect Act. 17.25 Isai. 40. Five differences betweene the perfection that is in God and which is in the creatures 1 Iohn 1. Reason Then all we can doe reacheth not to him to merit any thing Psal. 16.4 Vse 2. This perfection of his shews the freenesse of his grace and goodnesse in all he gives Rom. 11.35 36. To goe to God with faith though wee have no worth in us to move him God hath no need of any man or creature That many perish is nothing to him His Commandements are for thy good Isai. 36.17 To praise God for himselfe give him the honour of his perfection Psal. 68.1 Foure signes of entitling Gods perfection Deut. 28. Nahum 1. Signe Signe Psal. 27.1.3 Hebr. 11. Signe Coloss. 3. Isai. 55.2 That the creatures in themselves are of no moment to us are nothing in three respects Their efficacie is from God They are at his command Prov. 23. They can doe little good at best and that which they do is of no continuance The second attribute of God GOD is the first without all cause Rev. 1.8 Rev. 3.14 Isai. 44.6 Rom. 11.36 Reason 1. Reason 2. Object it hath that part of it selfe originally Reason 3. God therefore wils not things because they are just but they are just because he wils them God may doe all things for himselfe and his owne glory Matth. 20.15 16. We should do nothing for our owne ends but for God Signes whereby a man may know whether hee maketh God or himselfe his end Acts 6.4 Ioh. 17.4 A third Attribute of God His Eternity Doctr. Five things required in eternitie Isai. 57.15 Psal 90.2 Iohn 8.58 Psal. 90.2 3. The reasons why God must be eternall Foure differences between the eternity of God and the duration of all creatures Consect 1. He possesseth all things together and all time is present and as it were past with him Psal 90.4 To God no time is either long or short 1 Tim. 1.17 Isai. 57.15 Consect 2. Eternitie makes good things infinitely good evill things infinitely evill To mind more those things which are eternall 1 Ioh. 2.17 1 Tim. 1.17 1 Cor. 9.25 Ioh. 6.27 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. Motives hereunto God then hath time enough to fulfill his promises and his threatnings therefore not to be offended though he stay long Isai. 40.27 28. 2 Pet. 3.4 with 8 9. Consider you have to doe with a God whose love and enmitie are eternall And therefore first to trust in God and not man Psal. 146.3 4. Psal. 90.1 Secondly to feare him Isai 5.13 14. 1 Ioh 2.17 To serve God and to doe his will To comfort our selves against the mutabilitie of things here below Psa. 102.11 12. Psa. 102.26 27. Isai. 57.15 God is the Lord of all time appoints seasons and we are not to looke on time to come as ours Psal. 90.5 Iames 4.13 14. The fourth Attribute of God His Simplicity Iohn 4.24 GOD a Spirit What kinde of spirit 4 Properties of a spirit Luke 24.39 Iohn 3.8 Isay 31.3 Gods eye is chiefly upon the spirits of men and our care therefore is to keep our spirits fit for communion with GOD. 1 Sam. 16.7 How that is to be done 2 Cor. 7.1 Lust defiles the spirit 2 Pet. 1.4 T it 1.15 Mat. 15 19. Rom 7. Actuall sinnes coâ—â—itted by 〈…〉 of the spiâ—â—t Iames 4. 3 Reasons or considerations proving it Isay 57. Iames 4.1 Iames 1.15 Directions for cleansing the spirit Ezek. 24.11 12. Ezek 24.13 Ezek. 36.21 2 Cor. 7. Isay 4.4 Ierem. 23.24 Mal. 3. Zach 13.9 Isay 66.2 1 Pet. 3.3 Prov. 3.22 Iam. 2.5 Heb. 12.28 Phil. 4.8 2 Cor. 5. Iames 1 10. 1 Cor. 6.12 13. 2 Pet. 2.12 Iohn 4.34 His government chiefly exercised on the spirits of men Rom. 14.17 Psal. 13.14 15. Psal. 81.12 Deut. 30.6 Ezek. 36.26 2 Tim. 4.22 Proved by 3 Demonstrations Eccles. 9.1 Iohn 16.9 Lam. 3 65. 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 4.24 â—orship him 〈◊〉 â—pirit Rom. 1.9 What it is to serve God in the spirit Col. 3.16 Particularly in three things Isay 29.13 Ier. 12.2 2 Sam. 6.14 Rom. 15 30. Acts 20. Col 3.22 Col. 3.22 What necessity there is of fit gestures of the body in Gods worship 1 Cor. 6 20. Acts 9. Psal. 51.16 17 Luke 22 42. Luke 4. * How God describes himself to Moses Exod. 34.6 Ier. 23.24 Deut. 24. Exod. 34.6 The Simplicity of GOD proved by 6 Reasons Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Reas. 5. Reas. 6. Consect 1. See what a stable foundation faith hath to rest upon Psal. 46.1 2. Consect 2. God cannot be hindred in any worke he goes about Consect 3. That the Attributes of GOD are equall in his iustice and his mercy c. To labour for contentednesse with the simplicity of our condition Phil. 4. Labour for simplicity and singlenesse of heart Iam. 1.8 Iames 4.8 Matth. 10.16 Rom. 12.8 Goe to God rather than the creatures hee being mercy wisedome it selfe c. by reason of the simplicity that is in him The fifth Attribute of God His Immutability Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Reas. 5. Consect 1. Consect 2. That all his love hatred ioy c. were in him from eternity Whence 1. He must needs be righteous in all his wayes Take heede of provoking him to cast thee off Gods gifts and calling are without repentance to his Elect Heb. 6.18 Isay. 55.3 Heb. 10.23 1 Cor. 15.58 That the unchangeablenes of Gods Decrees takes not away endeavours We shall finde God the same in dispensing iudgements mercies in these times to us that he hath beene in former times to them Two cases wherein God will punish his owne A caution added Esay 59.1 Containes two branches Looke on the creatures as mutable and expect not much from them Goe to God to put a stability into the things thou enioyest Learn to prize things by their unchangeablenesse as Grace c. To goe to God to get constancy in well-doing Two causes of inconstancy and two means to procure constancy Lusts get them mortified Iam 4.8 Vnconstancy comes from weaknesse Three helpes to strengthen purposes The sixth Attribute of God His Greatnesse and Infinitenesse The Greatnes of GOD declared in 6 things By the workes of Creation By the Ensigns of his Greatnesse By the workes of his providence By comparing him with the greatest things By the Immensity of his being By his holinesse Proved by 4 Reasons Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. To know our interest in this Great God and to take up a greatnesse of minde answerable How a man shall come by this greatnesse of minde and what rise it hath from Gods greatneâ— Learne to feare for his greatnesse That no affection or obedience in us is great enough for him and therefore not to 〈◊〉 our selves in either 1 Iohn 2.15 Iames 4.4 To reverence him when wee come before him and to feare him The seventh Attribute of God The Infinitenesse of his Presence Or His Immensity Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Hee governes the world immediately which is a remedy against the complaint of evill Governours Therefore to choose him and reioyce in him as a friend in all places See a ground of his particular providence in the smallest things It teacheth us patience and meeknesse when iniuries are offered Iames 5 9 To walk with God A mans presence is seene in three things And so is Gods with us and ours with him Vse 6 Hee observeth all the sinnes thou committest and all the good thou doest for encoragement and restrainte Terror to wicked men who have such an enemy from whom they cannot fly Amos 9.2 3 4. The eighth Attribute of God His Omnipotence Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Let all in Covenant with God reioyce that they have an Almighty God for their God Make use of his power in all wants and in all straits c. To beleeve this great power of God That men doubt as much of the power of God as of his will by 3 instances Seeke and pray to him in all straits with confidence