put indefinitely may signifie four or five persons as well as three less or more so there may be occasion given of making more or lesse persons as well as three 2. Because if Elohim signifie the Trinity here it should signifie the Trinity in all other places of Scripture but it doth not and the placing of of it in the plural number with the verb in the singular is usual in Scriprure without a Mystery as Genes 9. 15. Exod. 2. 3. Jos 24. 19. Some say 't is put in the plural number propter reverentiae amplitudinem because the Majesty power wisdome goodness of God is manifested in the creation Others would gather it from those words of Moses Gen. 1. 26. And God said Let Us make man in our Image after Our likeness Others again gather the Mystery of the Trinity from the unanimous cry of the Seraphims Isa 6. 3. they cry Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty therefore say they the word holy is trebled in relation to the Trinity to the three Persons But these are not plain and evident proofs of the Trinity Holy holy holy is trebled here principally for these reasons 1. To shew that the Angels do continually praise God 2. To shew that the Seraphims do praise God with all vehemency and fervency 3. To shew the infinite Perfection of his holinesse that the tongues of Seraphims and Angels cannot express his holinesse There are more plain proofs of the plurality of persons in the Godhead Mat. 3. there is a clear revelation of the Trinity the Father speaks from heaven the Son is incarnate and is baptized the holy Ghost descendeth in the shape of a Dove Moreover Mat. 28. 19. the Commission that our Saviour gives to his disciples runs thus Go teach all nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost baptizing them tanquam in nomen unius veri Dei It plainly sheweth that there are three persons in the Deity and that these are but one God To be baptized into the name is to be bound to believe and obey and worship this one God the Trinity in the Unity Joh. 15. 26. These three are one John 17. 22. CHAP. III. THe further explication of this mysterious Doctrine of the blessed Trinity shall be by Questions Quest 1. The first question shall be about the terms used both by ancient and modern Divines Whether seeing the Scripture hath no such terms as Divine Essence or Being Person or Trinity they are then well used by Divines Though these terms are not literally Sol. epxressed in any place of Scripture yet in it there is something fully equivalent to them and so are rightly used by Divines as to instance in all three 1. For Essence and Being the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essence or Being hath an equivalent phrase from that speech of God to Moses when he nameth himself I AM Exod. 3. 14. and Revel 1. 8. where he is calâ—ed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is it hath the same identity with Divine Essence or Being so then that term may be used 2. For Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a plain place for tâ—is Heb. 1. 3. where Christ is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The expresse Image of his Person It is true Some would have it translated the expresse Image of his Substance rather then of his Person but this cannot be because there can be no impresse of the Fathers substance in the Son because the same â—ssence is in both and then there would be a multiplication of the Divine Essence therefore it is rightly translated the expresse image of his Person 3. As for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trinity Nomen ab Arithmeticis ad Theologos traductum there is no such term in Scripture but my Text will afford an equivalent term there are three that bear record in heaven this will warrant the lawfull use of the term Trinity In the second place may it be demanded Quest 2 What is a person Solu I answer in general A person is a Substance subsisting by it self individual and incommunicable but this is rather a suppositum then a persona therefore they add Intelligent living and active or doing so Men so Angels are persons other creatures singularia supposita individua not personae So then a Person is thus defined A Person desiâ—ed It is a substance subsisting by it self indivisible incommunicable understanding living and working Now for the Persons in the Godhead they are thus described The Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost are subsisting in the Divine Essence undiviced incommnicable intelligent by their properties distinguished among themselves but not divided from each other or in brief thus A Person in the Godhead is the Divine Essence distinguished by his proper manner of subsisting To illustrate it consider that the Father is the Divine Essence subsisting by himself understanding willing distinguished from the Son and Holy-Ghost by his proper manner of subsisting or by his Personal property As the Father's Personal property is To be of himself and beget The Personal property of the Son is to be of the Father And the Personal property of the Holy-Ghost is to be from the Father and the Son So that the Son is the Divine Essence subsisting by himself undivided incommunicable understanding willing distinguished from the Father and the Holy-Ghost by his Personal property What is the Father the Son and Quâ—st 3. the Holy-Ghost The Father is Deus ingenitus sed Sol. generans God not begotten but begetting The Son is God begotten not begetting the Holy-Ghost God neither begetting nor begotten but proceeding How do the Persons differ Quest 4. They differ from the Essence as Sol. â— modus rei à re ipsa as the manner of a thing from the thing it self for a person is essentia divina modisicata or limited with a certain manner of subsisting Now would you understand how they differ among themselves you must know they do not differ in nature or being for the same nature and being is in all in the Deity there is not aliud aliud but alius alius the whole divine nature in each particular Person They differ these three waies 1. Respectu ordinis in regard of Order the Father is before the Son and Holy-Ghost not in time and in dignity for they are all Câ—-eternal and Coequal but in order the Father is before the son the Father and the Son before the Holy-Ghost 2. They differ in operationibus ad intra where the personal properties or actions in the Father differ from the Son because the Father begetteth the Son is begotten 3. In operationibus ad extra The Father worketh of himself by the Son the Son of the Father by the Holy-Ghost hence Creation is first attributed to the Father Redemption and dispensation to the Son Sanctification to the Holy-Ghost so that the same work is the work
light and darkness create good and evil Again our own souls are notable instances We see one and the same soul worketh diversly as to will and not will it perceiveth various things it understandeth divers things it move's the body from place to place it resteth the body If one creature can produce various and divers things then much more God we may as well argue that there are two contrary souls in man as argue there be two Gods from diverse operations and effects There is no summè malum principium Arg. 2. as there is summè bonum because God who is summè bonus good in the highest manner can and doth disperse order and govern the greatest evil according as he will for either it is Sin that is summè malum or the Devil now both Sin and Devils are all subject to Gods government which would not be if there were a summè malum principium as there is summè bonum because then there would be an equal power in both that the chiefest evil would never endure the chiefest good but would strongly oppose it CHAP. IV. IT is needlesse for me to confute Vse 1. the Heathens who worshipped many Gods in heaven and earth most kind of creatures were Gods to some nation or other I know there are no such persons here among us we are Christians and all say I believe in God so we profess but one God It were needlesse for me any further to confute the old heresie of the Manichees which heresie St. Augustine Aug. in Haeres c. 1. 7 8. c. 6 22. 46. held before his conversion because I believe there are none here that hold that wretched Tenet There are other Heretiques called Tritheitae who held there were three Gods and that upon this ground because there were three Persons and each person is very God this errour ariseth from the ignorance of this in that they consider not that though the three Persons are truly distinct yet are they but one and the self same glorious Being and Essence I hope there is none that heareth me that thinketh the three persons in holy Trinity to be three gods really distinct Now because the Heathen have worshipped many gods and because mâ—ny errours have sprung from thence I will draw these useful Considerations from the Premises 1. We may see in them the most horrible pollution of nature by the fall of Adam the strong and strange pronenesse of mans heart naturally to idolatry and to make many Gods How can we but wonder to consider how reasonable Man should be so besotted blinded and stupefied as to fall down before stocks and stones beasts and clouts and worship them for gods Hence God compareth them to Oxen and Asses yea makes them more brutish Isa 1. 3. 2. We may see hence the full necessity of having the holy Scriptures which are Gods own Testimony of himself as he is and how many gods there are or rather that there is but one God the onely living and true God Then what a mercy is it to have the scriptures read and diligently preached among us Why did the Gentiles like blind Sodomites go feeling and groping after God as they for Lot's door if haply they might find him and therefore took creature 's for God but because they had not the light of the Word to discover the one glorious God to them So how comes it to passe that Papists are kept under spiritual darknesse and in an idolatrous worship this is one reason because they are kept from reading the Scriptures in the mother-tongue The Psalmist makes the word of God to be the greatest blessing Psal 147. 19. 20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them 3. Take heed of foolish reasonings about the Godhead I mean about the Unity of the Godhead and of thy foolish conceits how three persons can be but one God these foolish reasonings were the ground of the heresie of the Tritheites as How can three persons being very God make one God The best answer unto all such thoughts about the unity of the Godhead is to hold to the holy Scriptures God in his word hath given this testimony that there is but one God I will believe no more Gods because God hath said There is but one God I will acknowledg no more His own testimony is the very ground why I will believe and acknowledg but one God Take this for a rule when once a man departs from the word of God he exposeth himself to an hundred errors What the German Proverb is concerning a Lie is true of all errors Nothing is more fruitful one error begetteth another CHAP. V. FRom hence I gather that Christ Use 2. is God equâ—l with the Father contrary to the Arrians of old and Socinians of late who maintain that Christ is God but yet diverse and not of the same substance with the Father for Christ must either be the same with the Father or else there must of necessity be more Gods then one Now if Christ be God and diverse from the Father then the Father and the Son be two real distinct Gods which is blasphemously false 'T is true what learned Zanchy saith A man makes Zanch. de trib Elohim more Gods intra Deum as well as extra Deum Intra Deum as the Arrians and Photinians of old and the Socinians unto this day If there be but one God and we acknowledge Use 3. but one God then as God is to have all worship so only God is to be worshipped Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Matt. 4. 10. There is the Act that is to give Divine worship unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae quantum ad religionem attinet non nisi uni et soli Deo debetur Isidor lib. 11. Aug. cont Faust Manic lib. 20. God and the object is both exclusive and inclusive God must be worshipped and served and no other but he only A place if well weighed that would scatter all Popish shifting distinctions concerning Divine Worship given to Creatures as to Angels Saints and Images as the common distinctions of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Creature and to this may be added their hyperdulia to the Virgin Mary But we find that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are promiscuously used for service to God and the creature therefore it is a meer verbal distinction because they signifie one and the same No distinction will excuse the Papists from Idolatry and as they give Divine worship to others rather then to God they make moe Gods then one Their own praiers put up to the Virgin Mary testify against them that they make her a God praying to her for grace and mercy yea their putting up
like unto me Saint Augustine saith that every creature cries out to man Ego non sum Deus I am no God I cannot save you I cannot help you I cannot comfort you honours riches friends all say we cannot save you therefore expect Salvation from Him who is the onely true God and author of all blessedness A Discourse of the Three Persons in the Sacred Trinity 1. John 5. 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy-Ghost and these three are one CHAP. 1. THe coherence of these words is this The Apostle St. John sets forth the excellency of two main graces Love and Faith in respect of the object of both God is the prime object of Love and Christ the sole object and matter of justifying Faith from whence salvation is onely to be expected and so Faith apprehends him as the Author and finisher of our salvation Now that our Faith may rest upon Christ alone for salvation the Apostle bringeth heaven and earth to witnesse the same whose testimony are without all possible exception God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost do give this testimony that Christ is the only begotten Son of God and that life Eternal is in his Son these three do bear record in heaven and in earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood The Spirit that is the sanctifying efficacy of God's Spirit purging and renewing our hearts Water put here for remission of Sins typified by the legall purifications and now sealed to us in Baptism and Blood put here for the infinite expiatory price of our Redemption from Sin all these testifie that salvation is onely from Jesus Christ The mention of the three Heavenly Witnesses are in the Text the three Witnesses on earth are mentioned ver 8. Now to open the words of my Text. There be three that bear record 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do witnesse or give testimony The testimony or record is expressed ver 11. that life eternall is freely given to us of God in his onely begotten Son This is the record that God hath given to us eternall life and this life is in his Son to him must all the ends of the earth look for salvation In heaven These words are left Beza in loc out in seven antient Copies as the learned Beza observeth but yet they are to be retained that these three in heaven may answer the three in earth and Jerome thinks they were left out Hieron more through malice then errour 'T is said in Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be-because in heaven the glorious God displaies the full brightnesse of his glory there he reigneth like a Glorious King 1 The Father here is taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the first Person of the Trinity God is the Eternal Father of his Eternal Son Jesus Christ by an Eternal generation he is the Father of all the Elect in Christ the Father of all men by Creation He bears record of Christ Take one Testimony for all Matth. 3. 17. This Jesus Christ whom John Baptist did baptize before your eyes is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 2. The second witness is the Word that is the eternall Son of God The Son of God hath many titles in the Scripture and this is one he is called The Word many of the Antients endeavour to give reasons of this title but among all I will give but this one he is called the Word The reason is because Jesus Christ is the main subject of the Oracles of God and of the whole Word Moses the Prophets and Apostles do all preach Christ our Saviour himself saith of Moses that he wrote of him Joh. 5. 45. To him also gave all the Prophets Witness Search the Scriptures saith Christ of the writings of the Prophets they are they which testifiy of me John 5. 39. the Apostles all preached Christ also Thus Paul to King Agrippa Having obtained help of God saith he I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying no other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come That Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew light unto the people and to the Gentiles Acts 26. 22 23. Christ is the main subject of the Scriptures hence Count Anhalt said of A worthy saying of the Count Anhalt on the Scriptures the Scriptures They were the swadling bands of the holy Child Jesus who is found in every page Now Christ bears record of himself his testimony of himself are his own words and Miracles how hath he testified to the World that he came to call Sinners to repentance to seek and save that which is lost and whosoever beleeveth on him should have or hath life everlasting 3. The third witnesse is the Holy Ghost the third person in the Trinity called so ab officio because he sanctifieth God's Elect and worketh all spirituall graces and motions in them He bears record of Jesus Christ Mat. 3. 16. as soon as he was baptized the heavens were opened to him and the Spirit of God descended like a Dove and lighted upon him Act. 2. by his Apparition of fiery cloven tongues upon his Apostles then the blessed Trinity proclaims Jesus Christ the onely Saviour and from him we must by faith expect life eternal And these three are one There is a double exposition of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad unum sunt they agree in one as if they were one and the same witnesse so Calvin and Beza expound it Or else this These three are one respectu essentiae in respect of their essence these three persons that bear record in heaven are but one in essence From these words I will briefly and soberly handle the doctrine concerning the glorious and undivided Trinity CHAP. II. HEnce I note that in the Unity Observ of the Divine Essence there is a Plurality of persons or There are three persons but one God For proof hereof whereas it is said Gen. 1. 1. that In the begining the Lord made heaven and earth Some gather the mystery of the Trinity from these words Elohim Bara Elohim is in the plural number denoting the Trinity of persons and Bara which signifies created is the singular number to denote the unity of essence Many arguments are brought to prove the Trinity from these words as first It were incongruous to put a word of the plural before a verb of the singular number 2. Because whom Moses calls here Elohim he afterward calls Jehovah which is the name of the Trinity 3. Because Moses was not ignorant of the Trinity would not silence it But others though they approve of this as a pious and probable collection yet upon better arguments think the Mystery of the Trinity cannot be collected from these words their reasons are these 1. Because Elohim being
in relation not in substance wherein they are one and therefore he saith elsewhere Filius ad se Deus vocatur ad Patrem Filius the Son in respect of himself is called God in respect of the Father he is called Son in respect of substance they have the same beginning in relation the Father is the beginning of the Son I conclude this with that saying of the forementioned Father Non possum unum cogitare quin trium fulgore circumfundor nec tria possum discernere quin subito ad unum referor I cannot think upon the Unity but I am every way confounded with the brightness of the Trinity neither can I discern the Trinity but I am suddenly brought back to the Unity Now this one God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and truth John 4. 24. He hath being from himself to distinguish him from all other creatures who have a communicative being he is full of all perfections whereas every creature hath some perfection in him which another hath not he hath simply all which may be had Moreover the best perfections of the creatures do fall short of his perfections both because they are infinite and uncapable of any defects the creatures be they never so exact yet are they capable of defects as a glass in a mans hand though it be not broken yet it is weak and subject to be broken Now God as to his Nature he is simple there is no composition of parts in him neither doth he come into composition with his creatures He is infinite in duration which is his Eternity infinite in Essence which is his Immensity his presence is infinite filling all places in heaven and earth God who is every-where and in every thing doth wholly hear wholly see wholly effect every thing saith Hilary he is infinite in knowledge understanding all things by his own Essence he is his own knowledge understanding all things together uno ictu actu and not successively as the Schools speak he is sempèr idem alwayes the same his Essence and Nature is unchangeable other Essences or Substances have accidents by which they are changed more or less but no such thing can befall God therefore he only is immutable he is spiritual and incorporâ—al and therefore cannot be seen with mortal eyes he is Almighty able to do whatsoever he pleaseth and his power both in its own nature and the objects on which it worketh is infinite and unmeasurable I shall not insist upon these things because the ensuing Treatise will furnish you with particular apt Discourses upon God and his Attributes Now Right Worshipful and much Honoured Sir I humbly dedicate this first Part of the description of God and his Attributes unto your Self and worthy Lady To you Sir above all others I commend the Patronage of this Treatise as being now Patron of that place where the Worthy and Learned Authour presented thereunto by your Renowned Grandfather Sir Richard Wilbraham exercised his Ministry with good success for divers years to whom also your Worship was as I have been informed a good Mecaenas The scope of this Treatise will lead you to the knowledge of God the unity of the Divine Essence and the Trinity of the Persons subsisting in the Divine Essence We cannot worship God aright without some knowledge of this glorious and incomprehensible Truth because the Trinity of Persons God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are both the object of our worship and of our faith This is life eternal to know thee to be the only true God and him whom thou hast sent Christ Jesus Joh. 17. 3. We are baptized in the Name of the Three Persons which layeth an indispensable necessity upon all Christians to know them in some measure There is a four-fold knowledge or rather four Properties or Qualifications of the knowledge of God 1. A meer notional or speculative knowledge of God a knowledge which is only in the brain and reacheth not the heart like the Moon which giveth light but no warrnth to inferiour bodies A man may as St. Paul speaks have all this knowledge and yet his knowledge may profit him nothing this makes men great Scholars but not good Christians and some great Scholars are but Dunces in Christianity The deepest Philosopher that ever was saving the reverence of the Schools is but a Sot to the simplest Christian that hath the saving knowledge of God in Christ yet we are all to labour after this speculative knowledge for we cannot come to saving knowledge without a natural apprehension Speculation is previous to practice but meer Speculation will not serve our turn 2. There is a practical and obâ—diential knowledg which is required of us practice is the end of knowledg hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments 1 John 2. 3. And indeed knowledg without obedience may be termed ignorance of God and Christ saith that such knowledg will greaten a mans torments in hell he that knoweth and doth not his masters will shall be beaten with many stripes Luk. 12. 47. A practical knowing Christian is a more knowing man than he that hath all knowledg without practice some Divines give this definition of Divinity Theologia est ars benè vivendi Divinity is the art of holy living he is a Divine Preacher that lives holily he is a Divine Christian that lives obediently 3. An affectionate knowledg of God and the things of God is requisite to a Christian if the star of knowledg doth not guid our affections to Christ to love him to desire him this knowledg is nothing Christian knowledg is love and delight in the person known to us 't is as the husband knows his wife the father his child and one friend knoweth another loving and delighting in them 'T is a common rule Verba sensus intellectûs in scripturâ sempèr implicant affectum Words of understanding and sense imply affection God himself is said to know us and our ways when he loveth and approveth of our persons and ways and he is said not to know us when he loves us not in like manner we then know God when we love him and we cannot but love him if we truly know him 4. An experimental knowledg of God a scientia gustus as the School-men term it a knowledg of taste sapida scientia a savoury knowledg of spiritual truths O tast and see that the Lord is good Ps 34. 8. The more you taste of Gods goodness in your hearts the more will you love him and delight in him your souls will then relish nothing but God the sweetness of all creatures pleasures profits will be unsavoury to your souls of all Christians those are the most knowing that have tasted of sins bitterness and Christs sweetness he that hath once tasted of hony doth more perfectly know the sweetness of it than he that hath read a thousand books of the sweetnesse of it but never tasted it That
VII BEhold here the incomparable and Use 3. unconceiveable happiness and priviledge of Believers how mean despicable and troublesome soever their condition in the world be Every Believer hath an eternal interest in this glorious Trinity The Eternal Father is their Eternal Father and he will shew forth his Almighty Power to save protect and defend them and wâ—ll bless them with all good the Eternal Son is their Eternal Saviour Brother and Co-heir the Eternal Spirit is their Eternal Comforter and Sanctifier This glorious Trinity do put forth their Eternal Attributes to work their eternal good the infinite Power the infinite Mercy the infinite Wisdom the infinite Goodness of this glorious Trinity worketh their good and they shall be all happy if these three glorious Persons can make them so It was the answer of David to Saul's servants Is it a small thing to be son in law to a King Implying it to be an high honour and dignity to be the son of a King the same may be spoken of every Believer 't is no small hononr and dignity for such poor creatures as Believers are to be the Sons of God the Father Brethren and Coheirs with the Eternal Son of God and to have the infinite blessed Spirit to be their Comforter Take heed then O ye wicked of the earth how ye do harm the Saints of God their Father their Saviour their Comforter will judge and avenge their wrongs you cannot long wrong and oppress them because God is their Father Sin and Devils cannot damn them because the Eternal Son of God is their Saviour you see they can rejoyce in tribulation because the Holy Ghost is their Comforter Seeing these glorious Persons do Use 4. delight in and love each other and glorifie one another let it admonish us that do profess three Persons and one God to give all honour and worship to this Trinity in unity to put all our delight in glorifying this one God with one mind and heart and with all our hearts and souls If God the Father be called Father by you then hear what the Apostle exhorts you to see that you pass the time of your sojâ—urning here in fear he is an holy Father be ye holy as he is holy If you call the Eternal Son of God your brother your Saviour then strive after a conformity to his Image if you call the Spirit of God your comforter then take heed of grieving your comforter by quenching and rebelling against his blessed motions let your hearts be for God let him have all your love your desires your esteem and rest fully satisfied in him From the whole verse thus explained we may draw two considerable uses 1. We may behold a strong ground Use of confidence and faith in Christ we have it in that this glorious Trinity with one consent bare this record that in Christ the son of God is life eternal God the Father testifies this to all that life eternal is from his Son God the Son gives the same testimony I Am the life and whosoever believeth on me hath life eternal And God the Holy Ghost gives this testimony therefore you that look for life eternal receive Christ for in him eternal life is found and you may be assured of it the glorious Trinity hath spoken the word therefore be confident 2. It sheweth to us the horrid nature of the sin of unbelief not only in that it is a full rejection of whole Christ but also it make's the glorious Trinity a liar 1 John 5. 10. God hath given this Testimony that pardon of Sin righteousness Life Eternal is in Jesus Christ if thou believest not dost thou not make God a liar A Discourse shewing What GOD is Exod. 6. 3. And I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them CHAP. I. HAving already proved there is a God and but one God and in the Divivine Essence that there are Three Persons I am now to shew what God is and here I can shew no more then he hath revealed to us even his back parts his titles and his names As for his Essence never shall Angels or men know with a comprehensive knowledge we come to the knowlede of God four waies 1. Per viam negationis by way of of negation He is not this or that therefore this S. Paul laboureth to convince the idolatrous Athenians out of some of their own Poets that we are the off-spring of God and for that reason we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone engraven by Art or man's device but God was he that made the World and all things therein Lord of heaven and earth and not dwelling in Temples made with hands who is not Worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things Acts 17. 24 25. 29. 2 Per viam eminentiâ— by way of In perfectionibuâ— datur suprâ—mum in quâ—est status Eminency There are creatures Eminent in some one or other perfection but God is most Eminent There is wisdome power strength justice goodnesse holinesse in the Scriptures but God is most wise powerful just good and therefore 't is usual with Scripture speaking of excellent creatures to call them Gods things Mountains are called the Mountains of God Numb 10. 33. The tall Cedars are called God's Cedars Psal 80. 11. Sometimes the Scripture compounds names with the name of God as Ariel the strong Lion of God teaching us that when we behold any excellency in the creature we should lift up our minds tanquam per scalam to the Infinite Excellencies that are in God 3. We know God Per remotionem by removing all imperfections and defects from God as when we say God is Infinite Immortall Immutable we remove all defects from God he is most wise there is no shadow of folly in him he is most good there is no shadow of evil in him 4. Per viam causationis by his Efficiency this sheweth that there is a God the other three shew what God is Et qualis Deus what manner of God he is The Scripture make's known God to us all those waies but especially by his titles or names and by his Attributes Concerning God's titles which shew his Nature to us I will shew them here and his Atributes hereafter That his titles and names declare what God is this text is plain for it and nomen rei est notificatio rei And I appeared c. For the coherence of the words briefly this is to be considered Moses being sent to deliver Israel out of Egypt was an occasion of their sorer labour for Pharaoh and his mercilesse servants did redouble their tasks and slavery The children of Israel were much grieved at it and with a murmuring reproof did sharply rebuke Moses and Aaron as appeareth Exod. 5. 20 21. Saying to
Stephen that his heart was full of the holy Ghost but of Ananias it is said that Satan had filled his heaâ—t Act. 5. A wicked man is full of the devil and in this respect God is said to know the wicked afar off he looketh on them and all that they do as hateful abominations They are said to be withouâ— Christ and without God in this world So thâ—ugh God be present to the wicked and in the wicked yet he dwells not in them the presence of his essence notes not God's dwelling but his dwelling is the efficacious work of his sanctifying and quickning spirit his supping with his Saints 3. If God be every where present Quest 3. then how is it said that God departs from us and comes unto us God doth not depart and come Sol in respect of his essence but in respect of his efficacy or working God is said to draw nigh to his servants when he gives them the sense of his gracious presence the comfortable sense of his favour and quickning their hearts to run the way of Gods commandements and vouchsaâ—ing his pâ—esence with them in duties God departeth from his servants wheâ— he withdraws the presence of his â—avour the senâ—â— of his grace and the quickning veâ—â—ud of his spirit upon which follows â—â—sâ—â—al â—ears horrour and sadnesse of heart and then their â—â—uls like Pharaoh's wheels drive heavily in duâ—â—â—s when God thus deaâ—eth with his servants he is said to hide himself and to cast them out of his presence Again God is said to draw nigh to the wicked when he knocks at the doors of their souls by the motions of his spiâ—â—t for entrance or when he breaks open the door and cometh in and casteth out Satan and changeth their heart And he is said to depart from the wicked when his Spirit ceaseth to strive with them any longer and leaveth them in their hardnesse and and blindness â—o be blinded and hardened more and gives them up to their lusts and to Satan and to be ruled and swayed by them 4. How is it said that Cain went Quest 4. out from the presence of the Lord seeing God is present every where There is a double presence of God Solâ— his Universal presence his special presence his universal presence the presence of hiâ— essence Cain could not nor can any man â—â—y from but as to his special presence among his saiâ—â—s and in his ordinanâ—es so Cain went from God's presence â—â— when he left society with Adam he forsook the presence of God in the Assembly of his Saints he forsook the Church and worship of God the place where he dwelleth thus every man that absents himself from the communion of Saints in publique worship goes out from the presence of the Lord As often as any one purposely absenteth himself from the hearing of the word and the publick worship he goes from the presence of God hence the publick worship and the coming to the ordinances are called our appearing before God Psal 84. 7. this is called the face of God anâ— the beauty of the Lord Psal 27 4. CHAP. VII 1. THis sheweth the sottish Atheism Vse 1. of many wicked persons who if they can sin in secret from the sight of mortal men promise themselves security and safety from punishment perswading themselves that the immortal eye of the holy God who cannot endure to behold sin can no more see them in thee dark or in secret than the mortal eyes of man Oh tremble rather for here is matter of terrour to such your sins and your persons are always before God he seeth thy secret sins acted in thy bosome thy heart-pride thy heart covetousness thy heart-adultery thy heart-murther as well as the outward act he sees thy filthy thoughts as well as thy filthy actions and heareth every word spoken by thee Thy sins committed in the dark at midnight are all open to him as thy sins committed at noon day in the face of the sun thy sins acted in the most secret place that can be found are open before him as well as Absoloâ—s adultery acted on the house top as 't is said of Nimrod he was a mighty hunter before the Lord so of the secret Adulterer the speculative adulterer he is a mighty adulterer before the Lord so of the secret drunkard he is a mighty drunkard before the Lord therefore in vain do men dig deep to hide their counsels from him in vain doth the Adulteresse wipe her mouth and say she hath done no evil seeing all that men or women think speak or do in publick in secret at midnight and at noon is before the Lord who is more than a thousand eye-witnesses more then if thou shouldst act sin upon a publique Stage in open market Then if thy sins be acted before God never imagine thou art free from vengeance thy person is always before the sin-revenging God who will not acquit the guilty but be sure O sinner his vengeance will pursue thee and overtake thee and never leave till it hath destroyed thee with an everlasting destruction as the Prophet speaketh of an impossibility of escaping his presence the like may be said of his wrath neither shall the wicked flie from his wrath though the wicked be hid from his fight in the bottom of the Sea thence the Lord saith he will command the Serpent and it shall bite them and though they go into captivity before their enemies thence he saith he will command the sword and it shall slay them Amos. 9. 3. 4 God will command this and that Plague to destroy them he that fills Heaven and earth with his Essence is able to fill all sinful places with his wrath 2. The consideration of Gods Omnipresence Use 2. should be a Curb to restrain and keep us back from committing sin we cannot sin but in his presence if it were possible for thee to find out a place where God is not then and there thou might'st take liberty to sin and there thou maist commit folly securely but dic ubi non est Deus said the Philosopher to one who asked Where is God Tell me saith he where God is not It was a Philosophers advice to some That if they would keep themselves from Vanity and Folly they should alwayes imagine some severe Cato were beholding them he had well said if he had counselled them to have set God alwayes before their eyes What preserved Joseph from yielding to the adulterous Temptations of his unchaste Mistress having a fair opportunity to act in secret How shall I do this wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. As if he had said Though my Master and all his Servants behold us not yet God whom I fear and serve beholdeth me how shall I sin in his presence If we did reason thus with our selves we should vanquish temptations and though we have the fairest opportunities to commit sin yet we should stand in awe of him and not
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.