I know what manner of works they are 2. The Lord knows our hearts he knows the sinfulness of the heart he knows the deceitfulnesse of the heart he knows wâ—at abominations are in the heart The heart of man is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it he answereth I the Lord search the heart I try the reins even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings Jerem. 17. 9. 10. The Lord knoweth all the errors and sins which thou didst act in thy heart who can understand his error saith David cleanse thou me from the secret faults Psal 19. 12. They are a people that do erre in their hearts saith the Lord. Psal 95. 10. God knows all the thoughts of our hearts how momentany suddain and transient soever they be though they come in and go out again in a moment in the twinckling of an eye yet he knows and observes them all The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity Psal 94. 11. Job acknowledgeth this to God I know that thou canst do every thing and that no thought is with-holden from thee Job 42. 2. He knoweth all the imaginations of man's heart God saw that the wickedness of man was great upon earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually Gen. 6. 5. The Lord likewise knoweth all the purposes and intentions and counsels of the heart he knoweth what your aimes are in all your undertakings whether you intend his glory or your own self interest his word is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. When the Jews came with questions to Christ as if they desired to be informed by him our Saviour knowing their thoughts knew that they came to entrap him 3. The Lord knoweth all the words that we speak There is not a word in my tongue but loe Oh Lord thou knowest it altogether Psal 139. 4. The Lord knows every idle word that you speak and will one day bring you to an account for it Matt. 12. He hath likewise a book of remembrance to set down every good word that they that fear the Lord speak one to another Malach. 3. 16. 3. God knoweth all things to come Thou understandest my thoughts afar off saith David Psal 139. 2 When God sent Moses to Pharaoh he tells him I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you go no not by a mighty hand and I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof and after that he will let you go Exod. 3. 19. 20. so he speaks of the Israelites I know their imaginations which they go about even now before I have brought them into the land which I sware Deut. 31. 21. CHAP. IV. Of the Properties of God's Knowledg NOw concerning the Properties of God's Knowledg we are to understand that 1. God beholdeth all things uno intuitu by one simple act not by divers as Angels and Men do he knoweth all things intuitivè not discursivè or successivè as a man may see many particular objects at once that lie before him but God sees infinite objects intuitively at once and therefore all things are said to be before him even things past and things to come there is no praeterition nor futurition in God's Knowledg to speak properly for all things are present before him 2. God knoweth all things most perfectly and evidently not in part or obscurely as men do but he knoweth all things fully and exactly his knowledg is a perfect knowledg that cannot be increased or diminished God most perfectly knoweth himself he also most perfectly knoweth all other things besides himself His understanding is infinite Psal 147. 5. he knoweth things actually infinite 3. God knoweth all things distinctly not confusedly or universally but he knoweth every particular and individual whatsoever and by this distinct and proper knowledg he knoweth singular things to come even contingent for to him their first cause they are necessary things in respect of second causes contingent and by this distinct knowledg of his he knoweth all the circumstances of all our words and actions with all the aggravations of them as to persons time place c. The Lord distinctly knoweth the persons of all his chosen people The foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. I am the good shepherd and know my sheep saith our Saviour Joh. 10. 14. he knoweth all their names So the Lord to Moses Thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name Exod. 33. 17. he knoweth the number even of the very hairs of their heads they are all numbred by him Luk. 12. 7. 4. God knoweth all things necessarily immutably and infallibly God is his own knowledg he understandeth all things therefore necessarily and infallibly neither can the knowledg of God be any more deceived than his will this knowledg of God is semper eadem always the same not subject to any change or alteration There be many devices in man's heart but the counsel of the Lord that shall stand Prov. 19. 21. CHAP. V. Reasons to prove God's Omniscience THere are many Reasons may be given to prove God is Omniscient 1. Because God created all things Reas 1. therefore no creature is hid from him but is open and naked before him because all are the works of his hands Now the Rule is this Agentes cum consilio those Agents that do work with counsel do know all their works and what Agent worketh with counsel if the most wise God doth not He makes all things with most deliberate and wise counsel so then for the things themselves God doth fully know them making them by his knowledg and wise counsel he knoweth thee likewise unless thou wilt deny thy self to be his Creature 2. Because there is no action which Reas 2. any creature doth but God cooperates and concurreth with and in the action God enableth natural causes to produce natural actions contingent causes to produce contingent actions free and voluntary agents to produce free and voluntary actions You cannot think a thought you cannot speak a word you cannot do an action without God 'T is the Lord enableth you to lie down to rise up or whatsoever any man doth the Lord enables him to do it yea no wicked man can commit sin act sin either in secret or in publique if God did not uphold him in the act every action as it is an action is from God but the sinfulness or obliquity of it is from the Devil or our selves the Drunkard could not go to an Ale-house nor the Adulterer to the house of the strange woman if God did not uphold them in their actions and motions in Him the worst sinner liveth moveth and hath his being even in the worst action that he goes about Therefore
A GLIMPSE of GOD Or A Treatise proving That there is a GOD. Discovering the Grounds of Atheism With Arguments of divers sorts against Atheists Shewing also the Unity of the Godhead and the Trinity of the Persons as likewise what God is in himself and and what he is to us with particular Discourses on some of God's Attributes viz. the Simplicity Eternity Incomprehensibility Omnipresence Omniscience Immutability Omnipotency Life and Immortality of God Scholastically and Practically handled By that Eminent and Judicious Divine Mr. THOMAS BYRDALL Late Minister of the Word and Preacher at Walsall in the County of Stafford Nil cum majori periculo ignoratur quam Deus Inquisitione Dei opus est animo religioso cauto Religioso ne manibus illotis ad tanta mysteria temerè accedamus cauto ne vel nostris vel aliorum cogitationibus innitamur Muscul loc com LONDON Printed by A. Maxwel for Thomas Parkhurst at the Sign of the Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side over against the great Conduit 1665. To the Right VVorshipful Sir Thomas Wilbraham of Woodhey in the County of Chester Baronet and to the Vertuous Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham his Wife Right Worshipful THeology is that heavenly and sure Wisdom revealed by the Holy Ghost in the Scripture touching thé knowledg of God and of our selves whereby we are taught the way to Eternal Life The design of this Treatise is concerning God to shew 1. That He is 2. What He is 1. That God is First and most generally God makes himself known by his Works whereby his glory appeareth to the whole world So the very Philosophers knew the Majesty of the Invisible Rom 1 20. God viz. by the Creation in which are two things 1. the Greatness of the work for by what Engines could the Creatures raise so great a building 2. The artificial sitting of things together sheweth it was some great Artificer that made it the Majesty of God appeareth in the ordering and disposing of the whole Universe which in Greek is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Latin Mundus for the orderly disposing the parts and the harmony thereof It is reported that Archimedes made a Sphere wherein all the world was fram'd and the frame thereof described with the orderly course of the Sun Moon and Stars the â—bbing and flowing of the Sea c. Now as no man that saw this would doubt but that it was an Artificer that made it much less reason is there to call into question whether the substantial world whereof this was a shadow was not made by a wise God of heaven and earth 2. This may be further confirmed from Providence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 providentiâ— the word in Greek and Latin betokens God's care concerning the whole world and every part of it The word in the Hebrew cometh from Hâ—sgiah which signifieth subtilitèr videre vel despicere an accurate sight or looking down upon things Now when we see the effects of Providence the former and latter rain summer and winter and all the creatures provided for the course of things maintained and every thing done in due order this argues there is a God whose governing hand holds all together God is the first universal Cause and all creatures depend upon him as the secondary causes who cannot work without help from the first and universal cause 3. Because in the subordination of efficient causes there cannot be processus in infinitum 4. The works of unreasonable creatures being many of them done according to reason shew that they are guided by some higher intelligence even as the Arrow that knows not the mark is directed to it by the Archer Hence it is said that Opus Naturae est opus intelligentiae 5. Because the sense of the Deity is imprinted upon every mans's heart and conscience which importeth an universal Cause by which it was imprinted And albeit Cicer. d. Natur. Deâ—r lib. 1. Lactant. instit Caâ— 10 lâ—b 3 many things were feigned in the Religion of the Heathen yet this could not for this is the ground and root of all other for unless it be setled in men's minds that there is a God in vain are men exhorted to this or that way of worshipping for from this perswasion that there is a God Emergit omnis ad religionem propensio and unless this be certainly believed all the mysteries of our Religion and Salvation will be no better nor more certain than old wives fables for hereupon they all depend Now as this Treatise will evidently shew you That God is so likewise What God is Indeed God cannot be defined because of his Immensity for as Moses we see his back-parts onely but he may be described God is one in Essence three in Persons Jehovah Eâ—ohim or a Spirit having being of himself full of all perfection uncapable of all defects 1. He is one God but three Persens which is said onely of him and of no creature therefore 't is well to be put in as a note to distinguish him from us But here it may be objected That if the Father be God and the Son begotten of the Father be God also then there are more Gods than one I answer that God the Father begetteth God the Son yet they are not two Gods but one God the meaning is God the Father did not beget another God but another Person In the Three Persons there is neither prius nor posterius being all Coeternal by nature and time yet in regard of order the Father is first named the Son in the second and the Holy Ghost in the last place and in this regard sometime the first work viz. the work of Creation is attributed to the Father the work of Redemption to the Sonne the work of Sanctification to the Holy Ghost though they be all common and communicable Nor doth this distinction any whit hinder the simple and indivisible unity for the Son is one with the Father because he consisteth of the same Spirit and the Spirit is not diverse from the Father and Propter uâ— tatem naturae totus Pater in Fâ—lâ—o Spiâ—itâ—â— totus Spiritus S. in Paâ—â—e Fâ—lio Aug de 〈…〉 e. Fatemur qâ—od Pater est in Filio Filâ—us in Patre Dâ—us in Deo non pâ—r duplcem convâ—nieâ—t iâ—â—m generâ—m conjâ—nctâ—oâ—â—m nâ—c pâ—r insiâ—am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed per naturae unitam simil â—udinem Hâ—lar It was a 〈◊〉 si 〈◊〉 of Lombard concerning some curious questions about tâ—â— Trinâ—ty Ego nescâ—o non requiâ—â— sed consolabor â—e taâ—â—en 〈◊〉 nâ—sciâ—nt Angeli non â—udâ—ve 〈…〉 Propheta â—â—n 〈◊〉 Apostolâ—s non interrog 〈…〉 〈◊〉 ipse non 〈◊〉 câ—ssâ—t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lâ—mb 〈◊〉 the Son because he is the Spirit of the Father and the Son the whole nature is in every person John 14. 30. I am in the Father and the Father in me saith Christ St. Augustine saith that by these terms which note a distinction is signified a difference
points that I would draw from hence and handle shall be only these two 1. That the Lord Jehovah doth only Obser 1. subsist of himself and all things subsist by him 2. That the Lord will make good all his promises because he is Jehovaâ— For the first God only subsisteth to speak properly no creature can say I AM absolutely no creature can say I will be but onely God can say I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending which Was and which Is and is to come I will shew the difference between God's subsistence and ours The difference lieth in these things that follow God's subsistence is eternal Thou Differ 1. art God from everlasting to everlasting Psal 90. 2. Before the mountains were brought forth or ever the Earth and the World were formed God had a subsistence and he can subsist if all the world were dissolved again into nothing our subsistence is in time Angels and men that shall live to eternity yet are not from eternity all other suâ—sistent beings shall be turned into nothing God subsisteth independently he Differ 2. depends upon no second causes nor former causes he is All-sufficient his own essence is his own happiness but creatures depend on secondary causes Angels and men and all other creatures depend on him 't is he that continueth all created beings in their being in him we live move and have our being if he command Return ye children of men into dust he turneth them to destruction and they are swallowed up of the grave if he say come again all things shall stand and live before him God subsisteth immutably My Differ 3. name saith he is I AM that is I am the same from eternity to eternity the same yesterday to day and for ever there is not so much as a shadow of change in God There is no encrease or decay in God but he is as holy as just as powerful as merciful as perfect and blessed as ever he was he is God merciful from everlasting to everlasting now the subsistence of the creature is mutable We know there was a mutation among Angels some of them kept not their first estate but left their own habitation Jude v. 6. Man also is a very mutable creature he is subject to many changes we see how all sublunary creatures continue not at one stay but like the Moon sometimes they are in the increase sometimes in the full sometimes in the decrease some creatures as Angels become immutable by participation God keeps and preserves them in their immutable condition God can put an end to all the perfections in the creatures and then change them again God subsisteth immediately by himself Differ 4. without means we do subsist by means and by his blessing upon the means we must eat drink sleep or we cannot long subsist and have a Being in the world The Reason is because the Lord Jehovah hath being from himself therefore he subsisteth by himself and not by any other yea he was from eternity because from no cause therefore independently and immutably because from no first cause but we subsist in time dependently and mutably because we depend on him as the first cause and therefore as God will so we subsist or not subsist According to the presence of the sun so is the light continued in the air if the Sun withdraws his light then darkness covereth the earth because light in the air subsisteth by the presence of the sun so because our life health strength and all the comforts we do enjoy do depend on God and subsist by him according to his presence they stand if he withdraw they soon fall when the sea floweth the rivers swell when the seas ebb the rivers fall so it is with creatures according to the presence or absence of God CHAP. V. THis discovers the folly of all such Vse 1. as set their hearts upon any thing but God that set their hearts upon riches which cannot subsist but take to themselves wings and flie away as an Eagle toward heaven Prov. 23. 5. And as Birds do flye from this tree to that tree so do riches from this house to that house from this man to that man It likewise sheweth the folly of those that set their hearts upon pleasures which are transient and perish in the very use and of those that make flesh their arm put confidence in friends or in the favours of men seeing none of these subsist of themselves but on a suddain perish We see that men do not subsist always sometime their wealth decayeth sometime their favour and love decayeth sometime their beauty decayeth surely then all those that depend upon them do decay with them all outward things are but sandy foundations for us to build all our hopes and comforts upon look over all the creatures and see what creature can say I am that I am I will be what I will be Riches honours pleasures preferments friends cannot say so and therefore it is the greatest folly in the world to set up the creatures that cannot subsist and to neglect God There is a curse pronounced against all those that trust in an arm of flesh and do idolize and deifie creatures and neglect God This may exhort you to trust in the Use 2. Lord Jehovah who onely is and subsisteth by himself who hath said He will never leave thee nor forsake thee Now consider these Motives 1. The Lord Jehovah can give being and doth give being to all things he can create peace comforts mercies health strength friends grace and every good thing he can command loving kindnesse he can command comfort and deliverance to Jacob when he speaks the word all things shall subsist according to thy desire so then let thy condition be what it will if God be thy confidence he can proportion all things to thy condition Art thou in want he can make plenty subsist Art thou poor he can make riches subsist Art thou friendless he can make friends to subsist again Art thou in terrours fears and doubts God can make pardon grace and full assurance of faith to subsist 2 Because God Jehovah as he subsists and gives being so he can continue the being and subsistence of all mercies as far and as long as they shall make for thy good he can make thy health to subsist thy riches to subsist thy strength thy friends thy life it self to subsist all comforts inward and outward spiritual and temporal to subsist for it is God that bears up the world and all the creatures and according to his will and pleasure so shall thy comforts subsist 3. When outward things decay God will subsist God wil subsist immutably when there is a change of conditions fals out as all outward things are perishing unconstant and mutable Jehovah saith I the Lord change not when riches decay God saith I Jehovah am riches c. I AM that is my name so that all decays are made up in
c. 3. They are such as tyranically and barbarously abuse the people of God lâ—ke wild Bores in the Lord's Vineyard treading down his people like mire in the streets miserably afflâ—cting and persecuting them They break in pieces thy people O Lord and afflict thine heritage They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless Vers 5 6. where he amplifieth their barbarous cruelty in that they spare none unto the destitute widows the poor fatherless children the helpless and friendless strangers to whom all compassion should be shewen they shew cruelty In the seventh verse is the depth and height of their impiety the fountain of all their impudency and cruelty and ungodliness viz. they perswade themselves that God beholds them not and what they do in earth They say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it Hence they run into all wickedness with greediness and resolve so to do because they think God knoweth not them nor their mischievous doings and so they shall escape divine vengeance Now in the Text the Psalmist upbraids them for that Atheism and tells them that God takes notice of all their wickednes he understands and knoweth all that they do and will take vengeance on them Understand O ye brutish among the people By brutish some understand the ordinary common people of the world But it is rather meant of those men whether high or low noble or base rich or poor that are Enemies to God's people and yet think God seeth them not acting their wickednes he saith of such they are no better then brute creatures they know God no more than the Horse or the brutish Ass Understand that is know and take this for an undoubted truth that the Lord sees and knows what ye do Now see how he doth illustrate and prove it He that planted the ear shall not he hear He that gives man the hearing ear he much more must hear himself there is for all your words your hard proud and ungodly speeches He that formed the eye shall not he see He that gives man the seeing eye shall not he much more see there is for all your actions He that chastiseth the heathen shall not â—he correct He that hath taken vengeance upon others that hath drown'd the World burnt up Cities with fire and brimstone shall not he take vengeance upon such proud insolent wretches as ye are He that teacheth man knowledge shall not he know i. e. He that hath given to man an understanding faculty whereby he is able to know and perceive things shall not he much more know what is done the Lord knoweth your vain thoughts vers 11. much more your outward actions CHAP. II. SO then from these words hear see and know I purpose to handle the glorious perfection of God's Wisdom and Knowledg Thence I observe That God is an all-knowing and wise Observ God You see here how God knows all our words actions and thoughts for proof of the Point read Job 28. 23 24. God seeth and knoweth all things far and near all that is under the heavens as well as above the heavens All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4. 13. that is all things are known of him perfectly and evidently the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things that are with the causes and reasons of things Act. 15. 18. Known unto God from the beginning of the world are all his works I shall fuâ—ther prove the Point in the explication of God's Omniscience which I will plainly thus describe God's knowledg is that glorious Descript Attribute whereby he perfectly knows all things whatsoever Here I will shew â—hree things 1. Some Distinctions of God's Knowledg 2. The Object of his Knowledg 3. The manner and Properties of this his Knowledg As to the distinctions of Gods knowledg 1. There is scientia simplicis intelligentiae which is the knowledg of things that were are or shall be or may be though actually it shall never come to pass whatsoever his power can do he knoweth many things he can do which he will not do these he perfectly knoweth 2. There is scientia Visionis which is God's knowledg of all things that were are or shall be because they are necessary free or contingent This knowledg in respect of things to come is called praescience or foreknowledg but in respect of things past and present it is called knowledg There is this difference between Gods knowledg and foreknowledg of things 1. His knowledg is general of all things whatsoever his foreknowledg is of things to come 2. His knowledg is of objects internal and extrinsecal his fore knowledg is onely of extrinsecall objects 3. Knowledg is properly in God fore knowledge is improperly in him because 't is in respect of things themselves and in respect of us Again Gods knowledg is General Speciall General so he knows all things whatsoever every creature the causes and Eminenter novit omnia in sâ—ip so ut in causa an tâ—cedentèr in rebus sâ—cundis praesentèr in sâ—iâ—sis infallibiliter novit omnia pâ—opter insinitatem immutahilitatem essentiae reasons of all in himself in themselves in their causes with their circumstances he knows all things in himself as in the first cause eminently antecedently in second causes at present in the things themselves he knoweth all things by reason of the infiniteness and immutability of his essence so he knoweth them infallibly His knowledg is also special and so it is of the elect and reprobate of what Men or Angels do think This again is twofold either general of all Men and Angels or special so he is said onely to know his elect which is a knowledg with special love and approbation of their persons and actions Psal 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous that is with a knowledg of approbation CHAP. III. Of the Objects of Gods knowledg NOw for the Objects of God's knowledg In a word omnescibile whatsoever can be known he knoweth but I will rank the objects of his knowledg into these three heads 1. He knows all things that are past as if they were now present Psa 90. 8. All thy sins secret and publick long agoe committed are before God as if they were now in acting thy adultery thy oathes thy drunkennesse committed 10. or 20. years agone Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sins in the light of thy countenance 2. God knoweth all creatures all things present here I shall speak especially of his knowledg in reference to man 1. He knows all our works there is nothing thou canst do or dost whether in the light or in the dark in closets or in the house tops but he knows it Rev. 3. 1. Thus saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars to the Angel of the Church in Sardis I know thy works c.