Collection of Discourses, Part 11 · Subpart 4 – Subpart 7
OF GOD AND THE TRVE KNOWledge of him.
1 MAn being deſtitute of the true knowledge of God, is moſt vnhappy.
2 It is no true knowledge of God, which agreeeth not with Gods own opening of himſelfe, nor is ioined with true louelove and feare of God.
3 Of this opening & knowledge of God in mā kinde there are 3 degrees, 1 By Gods workes ſhining in nature: 2 by the word of God delivered to the church: 3 by the grace of the holy ſpirite lightning the mindes of the regenerate through conſideration of the workes and word of God.
4 For that there is a God, theſe teſtimonies cō pell all reaſonable men though ignoraunt of the doctrine of the church to confeſſe. 1 The moſt wiſe order of things in nature: 2 The excellencie of the minde of man: the knowledge of naturall principles, and amongſt them of this, that there is a God: 4 The feares of conſcience in the wicked: 5 The puniſhments of ſinne in this life: 6 The inſtituting and preſervation of Civile order: 7 The vertues and ſingular motions in heroike mindes: 8 The ſignifications of future things: 9 The deſtinating and appointment of all thinges vntounto certaine ends: 10 The order of cauſes not proceeding to infinitie.
5 That there is but one true God, beſides the teſtimonies of Gods word, theſe alſo proue. 1 The revealing of one true God only: 2 The moſt high and excellent maieſtie, perfection, and omnipotencie of the true God. 3 Becauſe more then one would be either idle or ſuperfluo….
6 Laſtly, they who doe not oppoſe themſelues againſt reaſon, confeſſe that God is a nature ſpirituall, intelligent, eternal, divers frō al other things, incōprehenſible, in it ſelfe moſt perfect, immutable, of infinite power, wiſdome, & goodnes, iuſt, chaſte, true, merciful, bountifull, moſt free, angrie for ſinne, governing the world.
7 But without the light of Gods word men neither vnderſtand theſe things which they confeſſe of God, neither know anie of thoſe things, which the voice of heavenly doctrine, that is, the ſcripture, addeth to this knowledge of God, as of the eternal father and ſon & holy Ghoſt, of the creatiō of things, ſending his ſon, gathering his diſperſed church, vniverſall iudgment, & eternall life.
8 Wherefore the teſtimonies of God in nature are to be conſidered, but whoſoeuer ſeeke GOD without the doctrin of the church, they ſubſtitute an idoll in ſteede of the true God.
9 Moreover the true knowledge of God is not to be learned out of the very word of God, without the ſpeciall grace of the holy Spirit.
10 And in the ende, all the knowledge of God which mē hauehave in this life, is but ſlender, and begunne, nor ſhal be perfited, but in the celeſtiall eternitie.
11 The eternal Father,Three perſons of one God. Son, and holy Ghoſt are three perſons
12 Indeed diſtinct one from an other.
13 Equall in all eſſentiall or naturall properties of the Deitie.
14 And of one eſſence or nature.
15 By the divine eſſence church vnderſtādeth that which the eternall father,What is meant by eſſence. ſon, & holy Ghoſt, (every of them beeing abſolutely conſidered in himſelfe,What a perſon is or his owne nature) are, & are called. But by this word perſon they meane that which everie of the three is, and is called, beeing conſidered as he is compared with the other, or reſpectiuely, or according to the manner of their exillence.
16 That the ſonne is a divine ſubſiſtence or perſon,The Sonne … perſon of the …, or a ſubſiſtence. it is prooved, becauſe 1 He is named the proper and only begotten Sonne of GOD, that is, his naturall Sonne: 2 Hee is ſaide in ſcripture to hauehave taken vponupon him the nature of man, and before that to hauehave beene the ſonne of GOD. duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page 3 He is called the word which by Iohn is deſcribed to be a perſon ſubſiſtent and by Salomon wiſdome ſubſiſtent. 4 He is the mediatour betweene God and man, who muſt needs hauehave beene from all eternitie. 5 He is named an Angell even before his incarnation. 6 Laſtly, he is deſcribed to be CHRIST borne of the virgin, naturall and true God & the ſonne of God.
17 That the holie Ghoſt alſo is a ſubſiſtence or perſon ſubſiſting it is plaine 1. Becauſe he appeared in a viſible forme:The holy Ghoſt a perſon. 2. Becauſe in ſcripture hee is called God, 3. Becauſe in his name we are baptiſed. 4. Becauſe to him are attributed thinges proper to a perſon.
18 But that theſe perſons are diſtinct one from an other,That theſe perſons are diſtinguiſhed. hereby it is manifeſt, 1. Becauſe the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghoſt are alſo called for reference and reſpect which they hauehave one to an other: and, 2. Becauſe the ſcripture ſaith that the Sonne and holy Ghoſt are not one with the Father, nor the holie Ghoſt with the Sonne: 3. Becauſe they are ſaid to be more then one; and becauſe properties are attributed to one, which agree not to an other.
19 The equalitie of godhead in theſe three perſons is prooued by expreſſe teſtimonies of ſcripture,That the perſons be equall. by their perſonall proprieties, becauſe not ſome parte, but the whole divine eſſence is communicated to the Sonne by the Father, and to the holy Ghoſt by the Father and the Sonne: 2. By ſuch attributes or proprieties as are common to the divine nature: 3. By the workes of GOD; and by equalitie of honour due vntounto them.
20 That they are conſubſtantiall it is certaine,That the perſons are conſubſtā tiall. 1 Becauſe they are Iehovah which is one; 2 Becauſe they are in ſcripture deſcribed as the true GOD, which is onelyonly one: 3. Becauſe there is one ſpirite of the Father and of the Sonne: 4. Becauſe the Father communicateth to the Sonne and the holy Ghoſt, and the Sonne to the holie Ghoſt, not an other, but his own proper eſſence, and that whole and vndevided.
21 The differences of theſe perſons in the Deity are either internall,Two ſortes of differences in the perſons. from thoſe operations which they exerciſe one towardes an other: or externall, from thoſe operations which they exerciſe towardes the creatures.
22 The internall differences are,Internall. that the Father is the firſt perſon of the Deity, neither borne nor proceeding from any other, but being of it ſelfe, which from all eternitie begate the ſonne, and from whom the holy Ghoſt proceedeth: the Son is the ſecond perſon of the Deity, begotten from all eternitie of the Father, and from whom the holy Ghoſt proceedeth: the holy Ghoſt is the thirde perſon of the Deity proceeding from all eternity from the Father and the ſonne.
23 Theſe workes vvhichwhich the Deity exerciſeth towardes the creatures,Externall. although they bee common to the three perſons, yet the order which the three divine perſons obſerue in performing them make their difference externall: as that the Father doth all things of himſelfe, by the Sonne and holie Ghoſt; the Son & holy Ghoſt not of thēſelues; but the Sō of the father by the holy ghoſt; and the holy GHOST of the father & the Son by himſelfe.
24 And hence it is that ſome benefites are properly ſaid to be gifts of the holy ghoſt, nor becauſe the father hath no part in them, but becauſe hee beſtoweth them vponupon vsus by the ſon or the holie ghoſt, as when the ſon is called the wiſedom, the word, counſellor, angell, apoſtle, image of the Father, power of the father, vniting vntounto him the humane nature, and therefore incarnate, and man, and mediatour, interceſſor, prieſt, redeemer, iuſtifier, ſhepheard, head, and king of his church. Sitting at the right hand of his father, iudge of quick and dead &c. Alſo that the holy ghoſt is called a ſanctifier, that is a perſon immediately lightning vsus, regenerating, vniting vsus to God, comforting and confirming vsus.
OF THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.
1 THe order in nature, the minde of man, the knowledge of principles, civill diſcipline, final cauſes, the finite orderly chaine of cauſes, do ſhew that it was created by ſome principall creating ſpirite.
2 Yet becauſe of the knowledge of God now obſ…ured in men by ſin, for the continuall change of corruption and generation, for the abſurditie of imagining the creator to bee idle, and for loſſe of the hiſtorie of the creation and originall of the world, there is no truth & certainety to be found concerning the creation of the worlde, but in the doctrine of the church.
3 Therefore the ſacred ſcripture teacheth vsus that al things begā to be, & to hauehave bin created by the only true God, the eternall father, ſonne and holy Ghoſt, according to the eternall purpoſe and pleaſure of this true and eternall God.
4 But this eternall father created all thinges of nothing by his ſonne and the holy Ghoſt, moſt freely, without any alteration or chaunge of himſelfe, or any labour: ſo that all was verye good.
5 The ende of the creation of the worlde vvas chiefly the glorie of God: other ends ſubordinate vntounto this are the manifeſtation and contemplation of Gods wiſedome, power, and goodneſſe in his workes; his providence, or preſervation, and perpetuall governing of all things, eſpeciallie the goodneſſe & bountie of God toward his church: and to conclude, that al other things might ſeru… for the life and ſafety of man.
6. OF THE SAME.
1 VVHatſoeuer is, is either the creatour, or his creature.
2 All other things which hauehave begun to be beſides this one, onelyonly, eternall, and trew God manifeſted in his church, were created by the one trew God.
3. In that beginning of time wherein it pleaſed God to hauehave it ſo:
4. And that of the eternall father by the ſonne and holy Ghoſt.
5. By the moſt free purpoſe & decree of Gods will.
6. With out anie motion, change, or laboure of the creator,
7. And that of nothinge.
8. And ſo that al things were moſt excellent in their kind.
9. Not that the creator might thereby be made better or more perfect.
10. But that in the creation he might impart his goodneſſe and ioy to reaſonable creatures.
11. And afterwardes preſeruinge, ruling, and ſuſtaining by his providence al thinges which he had created, he might for ever be beneficiall vntounto them, eſpecially to his church.
12. And that being willing that other creatures ſhould ſerue eſpecially for mans vſe and ſaftie,
13. He might declare vntounto them his wiſedome, goodneſſe, power, and ioy.
14. And being knowne by his workes, …ee might for euer be praiſed by reaſōable creatures, for his wiſedome, bountie, power, and ioy.
7. OF THE ANGELS.
1 IT is certaine that there are angells both good and bad.
2. But both good and bad angelles are ſpirites, that is, incorporall ſubſtances, not ſubiect to ſenſe, liuing, intelligent, excellent in ſtrength and wiſedome.
3. Finite in nature and proprieties.
4. Created by God of nothinge, then when other things were created.
5. In trew holineſſe, iuſtice, and bleſſedneſſe.
6. Wherin the good Angells are by the ſingular grace of the creator confirmed,
7. That they may agnize and praiſe him for ever.
8. And be Gods miniſters to finiſh the ſaluatiō of the elect, and repreſſe and puniſh the euill.
9. But the evill angells by their proper and free will, a…d by their owne fault fell from God, and are made enemies of God, and the good angels and mankind.
10. And therefore through hatred againſt God they force men to ſinne, & practize their deſtruction.
11. And theſe are immutable evill, caſt of from God into eternall puniſhment.
12. But God ſuffered them to fall, and ſaueth them being fallen, that he may ſhewe his anger and iuſtice in their puniſhments, and by them may puniſhe, chaſtize, and exerciſe the elect.