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A20943 A treatise of the knovvledge of God, as excellently as compendiously handled by the famous and learned divine, Peter Du Moulin, late minister of the Reformed Church in Paris, and professor of theologie in the Vniversitie of Sedan. Faithfully translated out of the originall by Robert Codrington, Master of Arts; De cognitione Dei. English Du Moulin, Pierre, 1568-1658.; Codrington, Robert, 1601-1665. 1634 (1634) STC 7321; ESTC S118646 41,950 94

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which two knowledges doe answer the two trees which God first planted in Paradise whereof one gaue the knowledge of Good and Euill which is the office of the Law the other doth beare the fruit of Life which is the benefit of the Gospell For wee haue three wayes of knowing God one by the workes of God the second by the Law the third by the Gospell among which the knowledge by the Gospell is farre most excellent for the other two knowledges present God to our vnderstandings as a Creator a Lord and as the Master of our life but this as a father and Redeemer The two former knowledges of God doe teach what God is in himselfe but this latter what God will bee towards vs the former doe strike feare and wonder into vs the latter advanceth Hope and createth Love so that without the knowledge of God by the Gospell the knowledge of him by his workes is but a lazy speculation and the presse of him by the law is terrible and doth presse our Consciences with a burden vnsupportable It seemed not enough therefore to God to teach us by his creatures who in throngs as it were and by admirable consent giue testimony of him but hee hath unlocked his sacred mouth that by his word hee might endue us with the knowledge of himselfe and by that knowledge inflame our loues For by the Architecture of the world the Power and the Wisedome of God is acknowledged but not his Iustice nor his Mercy without the knowledge of which there is no salvation also the works of God doe witnesse the greatnesse of the Workeman but they lay not open unto us his will nor deliver in what manner he is to bee worshipped Besides when the contemplation of the creatures doth represent God unto us as hee is armed with thunders and shaking heaven and earth but with the turning of his eye this contemplation doth affect us with astonishment with the feare and horrour of an Armed Iudge were there not another doctrine which doth appease our consciences and giue unto us assurances of the loue of God for then doe wee with filiall eyes behold heaven as the portall of our fathers Palace when God in his word hath given to us the evident testimonies of his paternall loue Moreover wee should grow darke in the very contemplation of the workes of God did we not distinctly see them by the word as through spectacles which of themselues would hardly be discerned this doth the Apostle teach us in the 11. Heb. Through faith wee understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seene were not made of things which doe appeare giving us to understand that they onely beleeue as they ought the creation of the world to be without any praeexistent matter which receiue the word of God with the obedience of faith would you haue it made legible by examples The history of the Creation is well knowen as it is related by Moses in the beginning of Genesis It is there declared that the Sunne was created but in the fourth day so that three dayes and as many nights were past when the Sunne was first created this being to informe us that God did so use the Sunne to illustrate the world that yet without it and before it hee shined into the world by his owne light being no wayes obliged to second causes And when Moses assigneth a beginning and ending to every day in these words And the Evening and the Morning were the first day and so of the other dayes onely in the seventh day Moses maketh no mention of the Evening for the Rest of the seventh day is the shadow and the figure of the heavenly and eternall Rest of which there is no End so when the Naturalists report many things of the Rainebow the onely end and signification of the Rainebow can be learned out of the word of God But how many mysteries and instructions doth the Creation of Man and Woman containe Surely God forming the body of Man out of clay did conforme his mind also to humility and a religious lowlinesse by remembring him of his discent and ignoble parentage also when God created a Wife for the man when he was asleepe it doth instruct us that a good Wife is not obtayned by a mans owne industry or wisedome but by the Providence of God which doth bring her to him while hee is asleepe Againe the creation of the Woman from the part most neere unto the heart what doth it imply but faith and loue and that I may not diue into hidden mysteries and by what meanes Adam overcome with a deepe sleepe which is called by Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brother of Death was a figure of Christ in the sleepe of Death which sleepe God made use of to raise unto him his Spouse which is the Church And truely a Spirit that is exercised in the word of God will receiue much fruite and pleasure from the contemplation of the creatures For besides that hee beholds the fields the woods and whatsoever else is pleasant on earth as the possessions of his father and doth walke in them as in his owne inheritance and gathers those fruits which hee knowes by right are his as being created for the use of the Sonnes of God there is this addition more that hee cannot bestow his eyes on any place wherein a resemblance of vertue shall not encounter them and refresh his memory with something which hee hath heard or read in the word of God If a godly man and one that knowes God by his word beholds a fountaine of running waters they wil presently prompt his memory to the fountaine of life in Iohn 4. And to the waters springing up to everlasting life If he beholds the Sunne he contemplates how greater farre is the Light of the Sun of Righteousnesse If he considers the vicissitude of the dayes and nights he comforts himselfe in the remembrance of the assurance of the Covenant of God God himselfe so speaking by the mouth of Ieremy If you can breake my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night that there should not be Day and Night in their season then shall you also be able to breake my Covenant with David If he beholds a Shepheard driving of his flocke hee remembers presently that in the Psalme The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want Finally wheresoever hee turnes his eye hee will find an ample subject of prayse and of thankesgiving and a wide field will be opened for holy meditation That which we speake of the workes of Creation is to be vnderstood also of the workes of Gubernation and of the divine Providence the effects of which man is not able to discerne unlesse he annoynt his eyes with the salve of Gods word and wipe the filmes from off them There are not wanting examples among the Heathens who being opprest by calamities have acknowledged God the revenger of their