upon you that the earth affords that hell affords are against you Therefore if ye will walk contrary to God prepare ye to meet the Almighty God in most horrible and almighty wrath But tell me O sinner hast thou the strength of stones to bear his wrath such strength is too weak God can break the rocks and pound them to pouder much more thy stubborn heart If he touch the mountains they will smoak much more when he shall inflict full stroaks of vengeance upon thy soul and body What saith the Apostle Do we provoke the Lord to anger are we stronger then he Can ye stubborn sinners grapple with the terrible wrath of the Almighty God or can ye overcome him when ye shall meet him cloathed with almighty vengeance if ye can you can do more then all the Devils in hell can do for they tremble at the power of his wrath 2. Let the stout-hearted and stubborn sinners be admonished to humble themselves before this Almighty God and fear to sin any more against him Go and break your hearts and humble your souls deeply and make your peace with Almighty God before the decree bring forth his irresistible wrath Our most conquering contention and wrestling with God is our serious humiliation under the mighty hand of God Brethren either your hearts must be broken with the sense of sin or else the Almighty God will break you all to pieces like a potters vessel with his iron rod either you must cast your selves down before him or God in his wrath will cast you into the lowest hell Isa 27. 4 5. But you will say how shall we do it What said the Leaper to Christ Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Go ye to Christ and say Lord if thou wilt thou canst humble my proud heart Lord if thou wilt thou canst break my stubborn heart Lord if thou wilt thou canst soften this hardned heart of mine Lord if thou wilt thou canst smite this rook of mine and rivers of tears shall gush out I see it is an hard matter for such proud stubborn hearts to be humbled but nothing is impossible for thee SECT 2. THe second Use is a use of terror Vse 2. to the professed enemies of God's Church and people 1. God will shew forth his almighty power and wrath against his Churches enemies to their utter destruction however the Nimrods the mighty hunters before the Lord may set themselves in their pride fury and malice against his people yet these lofty mountains shall be made plain and these Anakims these great Nimrods shall be driven away by his Almighty wrath as the chaff before the wind The Lord who is King of his Church is most wise and therefore can frustrate and bring to nothing all their devices he is Almighty therefore can destroy them with a sudden destruction Vse 2. Here is comfort to God's people Be not affraid thou worm Jacob for the Almighty God that hath all power all might all strength is thy sheild buckler tower God is on thy right hand and left hand before thee behinde thee to uphold preserve defend and save thee If God be with us who can be against us if God be with you who is he that can harm you let all the furies of hell with their malice and madness set upon you yet Vmbra Dei plus valet quam mille gladii hominum mille sagittae mille exercitus The shadow of Gods protection will be more available for your help then a thousand swords and darts of men then a thousand Armies are able to do you hurt Vse 4. Then be exhorted to pray with confidence at all times and daily to depend upon Almighty God So long as there is a possibility that the thing may be done though small or no probability in respect of the outward secondary causes and means appear yet pray because every thing is possible to Almighty God and he will put forth his Almighty power to do what shall make for his glory and thy good Despair of no mercy whatsoever Eph. 3. 20. God can do abundantly above what ye can ask or think God can do great matters give great mercies he can give great deliverances remove great evils confound the crafty overcome the mighty therefore pray still you cannot ask so great things as God can do for you you cannot think of so great things as God can do yet the mind can conceive greater things then the tongue can utter ask and think as great things as you can yet God can do and give more abundantly Despair likewise of no person despair not of the conversion of thy wife and children and friends after whose salvation thy soul longeth pray for them and continue in so doing because all things are possible to God he can break hearts he can change hearts convert the stubborn humble the proud he can draw a Camel through a needles eie Be exhorted likewise to depend always upon the Almighty God let him be thy stay trust and confidence in the greatest streights difficulties perplexlties or in what condition soever What! are means weak its no matter God is Almighty and can bring mighty things to pass by small means Do means go cross it is no matter God is Almighty and can make contraries to work thy happiness Do means fail God is Almighty and can do any thing without means All things are possible to him that beleiveth that dependeth on the Lord the Almighty God Vse 5. If God be Almighty then be ye lifted up ye heads that hang down and be strong ye feeble knees Gods almighty power is matter of great comfort Art thou weak be not cast down but hope in God and he can strengthen thee to do all things Art thou faint be not cast down God Almighty can renew thy strength that thou shalt run and not be weary walk and not be faint Isa 40. 31. Art thou afraid thou shalt not hold out but fall back from God the almighty power of God shall keep thee through faith unto salvation Gods almighty power is a Christians strong hold and garrison Art thou afraid of tentations Gods almighty power is sufficient to bear thee up and out of the most fearful tentations Hast thou a dead heart God's almighty spirit will quicken thee Fear no affliction for God's almighty power shall make thee more then a conqueror in all these Fear not death nor the grave for Gods almighty power can raise thee from the dust and make thy body glorious like unto the glorious body of Christ A discourse of the Life and Immortality of God Hebr. 3. 12. Take heed brethern lest there he in any of you an evil heart of unbeleif in departing from the living God CHAP. I. THe Author of this Epistle doubtless was St. Paul the chief subject of it is Christ A secondary drift and scope of it is to deter such as make profession of the faith of Christ from backsliding and departing from Christ as
yet the living God can breath the spirit of life upon them and make a dead sinner become a living soul to God a dead drunkard and a dead worldling buried under a dunghil become a living soul to God t is no superstition for you that live the life of God to pray for such dead for a living husband to pray for his dead wife a living father to pray for his dead children so when God shall bring a Minister as he did the Prophet Ezekiel into a valley of dead bones of dead sinners and say unto him Prophecy O ye dead sinners hear ye the word of the Lord and while we are prophecying God should cause the breath of life bones and sinews to come upon these dry bones should we then despair of the quickening of any dead soul we are to mourn over the dead but not as men without hope of their better and more glorious life and condition the living God can yet make them live the life of God we should do therefore for sinful men as David did for his sick Child while it was living he humbled his soul laid on the ground fasted and praied for the childs recovery while there was hope he would not give over praying so while there is hope of a mans resurrection from death to life of his conversion from sin to God be not wanting in all means for in so doing you may save a soul This likewise may teach the godly in all their dead and dull tempers of heart whether to go for life and motion sc to the living God in whom as all naturally live move and have their being so the Saints in him have their spiritual being life and motion Thus David prayeth nine times in Psa 119. that God would quicken him as who should say my heart is dead my prayers are dead and lazy I have no heart to any good but thou who art the living God canst quicken me and revive me and enlarge my heart and make me to run the way of thy commandments Therefore in all your deadest frames be more frequent in prayer do not give over because thou findest not thy heart so fervent It is reported of that holy Martyr Mr. Bradford that when he went about any duty he would never give over till he found some reviving from God if he confessed his sins he would confess till he found his heart melting and mourning if he prayed for pardon he would still beg for pardon till he found his heart somewhat eased of his sins in praying for grace he would never give over till he found his heart warmed in prayer go then and do likewise in all thy dead frames importune the living God till he doth revive thy spirit Vse 5. This should comfort the godly against the fear of death and the forerunners of death ye are for the present the Sons of the living God ye are come to the City of the living God what need you to fear to dye seeing God will give you life eternal ye are the living stones of the Temple of the living God and he can raise your dead bodies when mouldered into dust and make both soul and body live gloriously and eternally when a godly man dieth eternal life swalloweth him up did ever man fear to go to bed to put on better apparel shall we be afraid to die to put on glory immortality and eternal life Vse 6. Take heed of sinning against God because he liveth to take vengeance upon stubborn Rebels he is a living God and takes exact notice what sinners do and lives for ever to torment the wicked to eternity The wicked need not fear eternal death if they did sin against a dead God but God who is life eternal will doom them to eternal death Vse 7. Here see the folly of Apostates in departing from a living God to embrace dead creatures that forsake the fountain of living waters and run to a pool that one warm day will dry up as Mephibosheth said to David proferring him kindness for Jonathan his fathers sake What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am So do creatures say to Apostates What are we thy servants that that thou shouldest take thy heart and eye from off a living God and look upon such dead dogs as honours riches and preferments are or rather speak to them as David to Saul 1 Sam. 24. 14. after whom is the King of Israel come out aâ—ter whom dost thou pursue after a dead dog after a flea dost thou pursue after a vile and base creature and cast off a most blessed God the fountain of all glory and happiness O ye Apostates seeing you forsake a living God ye shall die the death God liveth for ever to see sore execution done upon you this shall be your dying life in Hell to bemoan your departure from the living God CHAP. VI. Vses drawn from Gods Immortality IS God an immortal God then Vse 1. hence behold the infinite love of Christ who being immortal yet would become subject to death an immortal God become a mortal man for our salvation Rom. 5. 8. 2 Seeing God is immortal hence we may see what a beam of divine perfection we lost by the fall of Adam we were made immortal but our sin makes us mortal and liable to all mortal and sore diseases we lose a double immortality because of sin the immortality of our bodies and which is worse in some sense we lose the immortality of our souls Sin brings eternal death will ye still go in sin hath it not done enough to you in making you obnoxious to death but will ye bring upon you the eternal death of your immortal souls 3. This likewise should allay the fears of death in us God being immortal we also shall be immortal these mortal bodies shall put on immortality 4. See that ye fear God more then men the wrath of God more then the rage of men because man is but mortal and their rage and fury is but mortal when their breath goeth forth their rage ceaseth but as God is immortal so is his wrath an immortal wrath as he will never cease to be so the fire of his wrath shall never be quenched FINIS
Joh. 1. 4. 2. The life of grace and it is God alone that quickens men that are dead in trespasses and sins to live the life of godliness Eph. 2. 1. 3. The life of comfort Sorrow is called death Psa 116. 8. Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears c. What is the eternal death of the damned but eternal sorrow sorrow is called the vale of death Now it is the Lord that speaks peace and creates joy to disconsolate spirits Vita nihil aliud est quam actio cum delectatione as some define it and what is the life of Angels and Saints but unspeakable and endless joy in God 4. Resurrection of dead men to life God onely by his almighty power can command the graves to yeild up their dead and make each soul to possess its own body after a long divorce made by death God alone brings these two old friends together which at first were loth to part and then shall never part again but shall then live with God for ever or else dye a living death with Devils in Hell 5. A life of glory which he alone gives to all the godly Christ saith of his sheep Joh. 10. 28. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish CHAP. III. Of the Properties of the life of God with reasons to prove him to be a living God NOw I shall explicate Gods life further in the properties of it 1. It is a most perfect and blessed life because there is nothing wanting to make his life most perfect he living of himself independing 2. It is an immutable life there is no change nor alteration of his life man is up and down sometimes brought as low as death anon revived and walks again in the land of the living Gods life is always the most happy glorious and delightsom life 3. It is an immortal and eternal life it hath no beginning neither is it capable of dying God cannot cease to be Now I shall prove that God is a living God by Scripture and Reason For Scripture read Deut. 32. 40. I lift up my hand to heaven and say I live for ever This lifting up the hand was either a sign of swearing or a gesture used by such as took an oath Gen. 14. 22. as Abram said to the King of Sodom I have lifted up my hand to the Lord the most high God the possessor of heaven and earth Sometimes it was a sign to make the hearers more attentive Thus saith the Lord Behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people c. Isa 49. 22. Both ways it may be taken here though in the former properly for there Moses brings in God swearing I say I live for ever God speaks like a living God I say saith God None but he can say so Should creatures be so impudent as to say I say I live God will make them appear to be but dead dogs God saith I live for ever admit creatures may say we live yet herein is the living God discerned I live for ever Before the world was I lived and when the world shall have an end I live Psal 42. 2. David calls him the living God Now the Reasons of it are these Reas 1. Because whatsoever is a perfection in the creature is most eminent in God Of all natural perfection life is the principal it is better then beauty strength wisdom nothing is more dear then life Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life A living Dog is better then a dead Lion Eccles 9. 4. One living Souldier is better then an huge Army of dead Souldiers a living beggar is better then a rich Nobleman Now if life be such a perfection then surely God is living and his life is most perfect and most eminent If God were a dead God he should want the greatest perfection then many living creatures would be better then God himself he is no God if he be not a living God Reas 2. From the actions of God we may evidently argue him to be a living God he knows all things he wills all things he makes all things he is a God that heareth our prayers and granteth the very desires of our hearts giveth the very things we beg which he could not do were he not a living God What makes him the onely true God but because he is a living God The false gods the Idolls the vanities of the Gentiles have eyes and see not ears and hear not hands and work not Baal could not hear his Priests crying aloud to him O Baal hear us therefore they are no gods But God hath eyes to see all things yea the secrets of mens hearts ears to hear the desires and groans of the poor and dictressed therefore he only is the true and living God Reas 3. All our life is from him therefore he is a living God therefore Christ is called The author of life Acts 3. With thee is the fountain of life Psal 36. 9. Life natural spiritual eternal is from God as the fountain therefore he is called life not onely because he is life essentialitèr essentially but also effectivè effectually And by the Platonists he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The soul of the world he quickens and governs the whole world and hath all the lives of his creatures in his hands I kill I make alive I save I destroy Deut. 32. 39. CHAP. IV. Of the Immortality of God NOw because the Immortality of God though it be a distinct Attribute falls under and in with the life of God I will annex a brief discourse of the nature of it and so make application of the life and immortallity of God together God is a living God and this life of God is not subject to death wherefore he is called immortal Now I shall give a brief description of Gods Immortality It is that perfection of God Desâ—r whereby his life cannot be separated from him by death God cannot cease to live God cannot dye 1 Tim. 1. 16. The Reasons of it are these Reas 1. Because God is most simple void of all composition of body and soul or a principle of life and life it self being the same in God his own essence is his life Only things which are compounded are subject to dissolution Man being compounded of soul and body is obnoxious to a separation by death where there is no union there is no separation where there can be no separation of parts there can be no death or mortality Quest But are not Angels and the souls of men immortal who are not subject to death therefore not God onely Sol. 1. It is true Angels and the souls of men are immortal but they are subject to annihilation which God is not Angels and souls of men may cease to be but God cannot cease to be 2. Angels and the Souls of men are immortal dependently God conserveth them in
he is the maker of time of all ages and generations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken sometimes for times created Tit. 1. 2. Secondly Because he is King eternal not onely ante temporis durationem sed etiam omnem cogitationem As St. Augustine in his book of confessions acknowledgeth August Coâ—fess 2. He is called King Immortall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes this word denotes incorruptible pure and sincere and without corruption but here iâ— excludeth end of time or being o else it signifies God that can not die 3. He is called invisible God that cannot be seen and of this attribute I am to speak CHAP. II. HEnce I note that God is an invisible Observ King or God is invisible Gods Invisibility is that divine perfection whereby his nature being so spiritual cannot be seen by any bodily eye The Scripture sufficiently proveth this attribute of God his glory that is his essence is invisible When Moses prayed Lord I beseech thee shâ—w me thy glory God answered him thou canst not see my face for Heb. 11. 27. there shall no man see me and live Ex. 33. 18. 20. The invisible things of God viz. his power wisdom goodnesse are seen onely in the vâ—sible creatures which he hath made Rom. 1. 20. but the face and essence of God cannot be seen for to be invisible is to be of such a nature as cannot be seen by any mortal eye A thing may be said to be invisible to a mans eye divers ways 1. When there is something between he object and the eye the object being visible in it self thus the sun which is primum visible the chiefest visible thing being set cannot be seen or when a Cloud is between us and it so we cannot see a picture when a curtain is drawn over it in this sense God is not invisible for there is nothing between God and us for in him we live move and have our being we are in God nothing can stand between God and us 2. A thing is said to be invisible in respect of the indistance of the object so we cannot discern it put your hand upon your eye or any thing you cannot see it in respect of the neernesse of it neither also in this respect is God said to be invisible 3. In respect of the distance of the object from the eye when the object is too remote from us we cannot see iâ— though it be a mountain because the sight is terminated and bounded beyond which the eye cannot exceed or ken and in this sense God is not invisible for he is neer every one of us that were it possible for bodily hands of flesh to touch and feel a spirit we might touch and feel him Act. 17. 4. A thing is said to be invisible when the medium is not rightly disposed as in the dark we can see nothing because the air is not light which is the medium or mean of seeing in that sense the School-men say God is invisible because there is lumen gloriae a light of glory required to behold God and so God as he hath revealed himself in his word is invisible to sinners because they are in darkness and there is a thick vail of ignorante drawn over their eyes that they cannot see God in his word of grace 5. An object is invisible through the glorious perfection of it when there is not a proportion between the eye and the object so the glorious Sun dâ—zleth the eyes that we cannot look upon it So God is invâ—sible therefore he is stiled light inaccessible unto which no mortal eye can approach A thing is said to be invisible in respâ—ct of the nature or essence of it being spiritual and incorporeal and in this sence God is invisible who is a Spirit more spiritual than Angels incorporeal though the Scripture attributeth to God eyes hands mouth nose c. it speaks of him to us after the manner of men but it sets forth the invisible things of God by the visible parts of mans body as by the eye Gods Omnisciency and his provident care c. CHAP. III. Reasons to prove God's Invisibility THe Reasons to prove this Doctrine are these 1. Because if God were visible then Reas 1. we should see nothing in the world but God because God being Omnipresent immense and infinite and so filling heaven and earth with his presence then should we see nothing else but God his immense Essence would exclude all other visible objects 2. Because if God were visible then Reas 2. God should be corporeal and not a Spirit because there is nothing subject to bodily senses but what is corporeal This was our Saviours Argument to confirm his staggering Disciples after his Resurrection That he was truly the Christ that was crucified and risen again because they might feel and see him for a spirit had not flesh and bones as he had Luk. 24. as if he had said Were I a spirit you could not feel me because spirits are not subject to sensible qualities Now God being a spirit and â—ot corporeal we cannot see him with these eyes 3. We know there are many creatures Reas 3. that are invisible therefore much more must God the Creatour of them be invisible The wind whose blustering gusts we feel whose sound we hear yet we cannot see nor do we know whence it cometh nor whither it goeth as our Saviour tells us John 3. 8. The Air is invisible the soul of man is invisible we cannot see the essence of it while the soul is in the body we see it not when the soul at death departs from the body we see it not The Angels and Devils are invisible the Angels that protect and preserve us the Devils that tempt us are invisible these we see not therefore God is invisible therefore if an Heathen should upbraid us you worship a God whom you see not where is your God shew him to us that we may see him We may answer him Therefore we worship the true God for the true God is invisible a God that is visible is not the true God those visible stocks and stones which ye worship are not gods They cannot do evil neither is it in them also to do good but the invisible God he is the true God the living God and an everlasting King Jer. 10. 10. Here â—t may be demanded whether Quest 1. God be visible in Heaven 1. We shall in Heaven behold Sol. 1. Christ in his Humanity God man with these bodily eyes as Job speaks I know that my Redeemer liveth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Job 19. 25 26 27. Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him Râ—v 1. 7. 2. We shall see God that is we shall see