The Light of Faith, Part 2 · Section 5
§. V. Of our duty towards God, and firſt of the knowledge of God.
NOw when thou art rightly qualified by faith and repentance, and haſt ſet foote within the gates of righteouſneſſe, and art fully reſolued in this holy manner to doe the Lords worke; come on, and tread the pathes of the higheſt, thoſe euen and pleaſant waies which lead to the aſſurance of eternall happineſſe: For, the worke of righteouſneſſe is peace, and the effect therof Eſa. 32. 17.quietneſſe and aſſurance for euer.
The particular and expreſſe precepts of holy conuerſation, reſpect thy behauiour towards God, other men, thy ſelfe,
Thy duty to God, is to know Thy duty to God.him, to worſhip him aright, both for the inward affections of thy heart: and for thy outward ſervice.
1 The knowledge of God1 To know him. (deſired more then burnt offerings) is that which muſt be in ſome good meaſure found in all the true worſhippers of him: and that ſuch a knowledge as natures light ſince the fall, reacheth not vntounto, it being rather a ſparkle, whereby wee diſcerne that there is a God, then any flaming light, Rom. 1. 20. 21.that is able either to direct vsus how aright to conceiue of him, or to warme our hearts by liuely impreſſions, that by the ſame we might be brought to glorifie him as God, and not proue vnthankefull; worſhipping the creature, in ſtead of the Creator, Ier. 24. 7. 1 Ioh. 5. 20.who is bleſſed for euer. Scripture then doth teach this knowledge, and God by them doth giuegive an heart, as Ieremie ſpeaketh, an vnderſtanding, as S. Iohn ſaith, To know him that is true: and to know him, that we might worſhip him. And concerning this grace, it is required in the Scripture, as euer we meane to know God, that not alone wee know, but alſo follow on to know the Lord, Hoſ. 6. 3. The precepts thereof muſt direct in both.
1 The Rules for the guiding of our vnderſtandings, to know and conceiue of God aright, are theſe.
1 That we know him by no likeneſſe, nor reſemble him to any thing in the world: hee is a ſpirit, the inuiſible God: to whom then wilt thou compare him, or to whom ſhall he be like? God forbids images in Churches, houſes, and thy head too; Commandement 2. Deut. 4. 12. 15.
2 How ſhall we doe then to conceiue of him, whom no man euer ſaw, nor can ſee, of whom none may thinke by reſembling him to any thing hee doth ſee? the Lord himſelfe hath ſhewen the way, ca…ie, glorious, and able to prepare our hearts vntounto him, in any ſeruice, wherein we would approach neere vntounto him; a way by which hee made himſelfe knowne to Moſes, Exod. 34. 6. 7. by his glorious titles and attributes, the excellenci…s and praiſes of him, that is, I am the Almighty, which is, which was, which is to come. Therefore in prayer, and all other his worſhip, in all thy meditations, faſten thy thoughts vponupon him, as the Lord, God, Gracious, Mercifull, long-ſuffering, that pardoneth iniquitie, tranſgreſſion, and ſinne, that will by no meanes cleare the wicked, the moſt Holy, Alſufficient, eternall, onelyonly wiſe God, with the like, which ſhall lift vp thy heart vntounto him, through the glory that ſhines in them. By this meanes maiſt thou hauehave him in thy minde through the whole day. In the creatures thou beholdeſt, inaſmuch as theſe praiſes may be read plainely in that great booke, If thou wilt take the benefit of this direction, an helpe non contemnendum, not to be deſpiſed; there are three waies to gather theſe glories of the higheſt, out of the booke of the creature. 1 By way of denia…l, remouing from God in our conceiuing of him, what euer argueth weakeneſſe or wickedneſſe in the creature: as to know him to bee the God that cannot lye, that cannot dye, but is immortall, that cannot repent, or deny himſelfe. 2 By way of eminency, aſcribing what is good in the creature, to the Creator, by an excellency: as ſee wee knowledge in men, and he that teacheth men knowledge, ſhall not he know? is wiſedome in men, and is not hee moſt wiſe? are there any drops of mercy, truth, or holineſſe, in the creature? the Ocean is in him, or rather he is the Ocean. Doth the creature liue? with him is the well of life. 3 By way of cauſing all things; ſo by the fabricke of this world, we know him to be the Creator; by wonders therein, we vnderſtand his eternall power and God-head; by gifts beſtowed on the creatures, his bounty and goodneſſe, by their order, his wiſedome, the God of order, by their continuance in the ſame eſtate to this day, his vnwearied prouidence.
3 Yet all this is not ſuffici…nt, wee muſt know him to bee that one God, who is three; the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghoſt; and know God the Father, as the Father of Ieſus Chriſt, his Sonne, and as our Father in him, by the holy Ghoſt. The firſt of theſe, namely, to hold the doctrine of the Trinity, diſtinguiſheth Chriſtians from Iewes, Paynims, Turkes, Arrians, Antitrinitarians. The ſecond which the Apoſtles cals the knowledge 2 Cor. 4. 6.of the glory of God, in the face of duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page Ieſus Chriſt his Sonne; diſtinguiſheth true Chriſtians from all Hereticall, Papiſticall, and formall Chriſtians: which is called ſauing knowledge by Diuines, and is eternall life in the beginnings of it, Ioh. 17. 3. Which hath a power to transforme the2 Cor. 3. 18 Col 3. 10. whole man into Gods image, and change him from glory to glory. It is a chiefe part of Gods image in vsus: at which time the vaile of ignorance is ſaid to be rent. And this is, when by the Goſpell (wee hauing firſt ſeene our miſery by the law, and how vile we are by ſinne) we vnderſtand the louelove of the Father ſet vponupon vsus before euer there was a world, chooſing vsus to life, and predeſtinating vsus to the Adoption of children by Ieſus Chriſt, whom hee gaue to vsus, and made him to bee to vsus, wiſedome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, and redemption; and alſo the grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt the Sonne, in taking on him our nature, and dying for vsus, to reconcile vsus to God, and riſing againe to make vsus righteous; and the fellowſhip of the holy Ghoſt, who vniteth vsus to the Father, and the Sonne, and ſanctifieth, and preſerueth in the eſtate of grace, When I ſay, wee know with perſwaſion of heart, the louelove of God in Chriſt, pardoning our ſinnes, and receiuing vsus for his ſonnes and daughters: ſo that by the ſpirit of the Son, ſent into our hearts, we call him Abba, Father, then know we him effectually.
And thus muſt thou conceiue of him, and thus conceiuing, approach to him when thou worſhipeſt him, Eph. 2. 18. In Chriſt wee hauehave, ſaith Paul, acceſſe vntounto the Father by one ſpir…t.
For this wee ſhould pray on …he bended kne…s of our ſoules eueryevery day, that God would enlarge our hearts to comprehend with all Saints, what is the height, depth, length, and breadth, and to know the louelove of God, which paſſeth knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fulneſſe of God, Epheſ. 3. 17. 18. 19.
2 After thou canſt thus conceiue of him, then follow on to know the Lord; acquaint thy ſelfe with him, doe not indure to ſpend thy time without God in the world: this is done,
1 By remembring him in thy waies, and ſetting him euer before thine eyes, walking before him, as Abraham, with him, as Henoch and Noah did, Gen. 17. 1.
2 By vſing thy ſelfe to ſoliloquies and meditations, and to this end beſeeching the Lord to open thine eyes, that thou mightſt ſee his glory in his word and works, that thence thou mightſt extract matter of frequent meditation.
3 By ſeeking after him in the meanes wherein hee vſeth to reueale himſelfe familiarly vntounto men: for we know but in part, and wee hauehave the promiſe, that then we ſhall know, if we follow on to know the Lord: now theſe meanes are two, 1. Gods Ordinances.Hoſ. 6. 3. 2. Houſhold, 1 Ioh. 1. 3.
Hitherto of the knowledge of God, the worſhip of God followes.