Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral, Tract 1 · Part 25 – Part 26
Now to the second speciall thing, offered from this forme of praysing God.
Quest. What is the forme of praysing of God, that is offered from these words, (Thine is the Kingdome, Power, and Glorie for euer)?
Answ. This it is; a free, willing, and thankefull acknowledgement of Kingdome, Power, and Glory, to belong to God;Iud. vers: 25. Reuel. 1.6. and an ascribing and giuing of these three things to him, which doe generally comprehend all matter of prayse and thankesgiuing that is due to God. Thus did Dauid blesse God: 1 Chronicles. 29.11.12.
Question. How doe wee freely, willingly, and thankefully acknowledge Kingdome to belong to God, and ascribe and giuegive Kingdome to him?
…h. 12.7.8.9 … the end.Answ. Thus; when we freely, willingly, and thankfully, acknowledge Gods soueraigntie ouer eueryevery creature, and that good and that excellencie that is in any creature, is Gods right and interest to be disposed of at his own… good pleasure, and doe ascribe the ordering and disposing of eueryevery creature, and the good of eueryevery creature, wholly and only to God.
Quest. How doe we freely, willingly, and thankefully, acknowledge power to belong to God, and ascribe and giuegive power to him?
Answ. Thus; when we freely, willingly, and thankefully acknowledge the power that is in eueryevery creature of working or effecting of any good,…sal. 62.10.11. sal. 96.7.8. …an. 2.20. to 23 to bee deriued from the power of GOD, and doe ascribe the power that any creature hath to doe vsus good; and the good wee receiue from any thing in any kinde whatsoeuer, spirituall or corporall, to come from the powerfull hand of God, and that it is Gods power that makes any thing serue for our good, and for our comfort in any measure.
Quest. How doe wee freely, willingly, and thankefully acknowledge glory to belong to God, and ascribe and giuegive glory to him?
Psal. 50.23. Psal. 145.1.2.3 Ac…. 3.8.Answ. Thus; when we freely, willingly, and thankefully acknowledge the Lord, to be most worthy of all praise, for the good that is found in any creature; and we finding good and comfort spirituall or corporall from any thing, doe ascribe and giuegive praise and glory to God for the same: and that wholly and only.
Obiection. God is perfection of glory in himselfe, and therefore hee needeth no glory or prayse from vsus.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; our prayse of God is not needfull in respect of God himselfe; but in respect of vsus it is needfull, wee being creatures are bound to praise God our Creator; and it is our chiefe good and happinesse to praise him, and to giuegive glory to his name.
Quest. What are the generall things offered from this, that power is heere giuen to God, being considered apart and by it selfe?
Answ. Foure things especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This: that God is to be feared aboue all creatures, for though Satan and the great men of the world, wicked Princes and Rulers hauehave dominion and power;Nahum. 1.5.6, Mat. 10.28. Iam. 4.12. yet their power is not of themselues, but from God; and they can doe nothing but by power and permission from God: but God of himselfe can saue or destroy, his is power originally and absolutely.
Quest. What is the second generall thing offered from this, that power is here giuen to God, being considered apart and by it selfe?
Answ. This;Dan. 4.31.32 Iam. 4.10. 1 Pet. 5.6. that submission is to be yeelded to God in all our afflictions, when we are vnderunder the crosse, any tribulation or affliction; wee are to humble our selues vnderunder the mighty hand of God without resistance or repining: for it is he who correcteth vsus who is Almightie, able to doe what he will, his is power.
Quest. What is the third generall thing offered from this, that power is here giuen to God, being considered apart & by it selfe?
Answ. That power and abilitie to doe any good in any kind whatsoeuer, is to be sought for at the hands of God; when we are to performe any worke or any duty, either of Pietie and Religion towards God, or of louelove and mercy, either towards our selues or others: wee are to seeke to God, that by power, strength and grace from him: we may be inabled to doe it: his is power. 1 Sam. 2.8. hee raiseth vp the poore out of the dust: and lifteth vp the Begger from the dunghill to set them among Princes, and to make them inherit the seate of glory, in his owne might.
Question. What is the fourth generall thing offered from this, that power is here giuen to God being considered apart and by it selfe?
A. This; that all Gods promises and all his threatnings, shall certainely and effectually be accomplished,King. 17.23. …. 55.11. …e. 44.29. Cor. 1.20. as hee hath promised or threatned; nothing can stop or hinder him, or frustrate and make void his purpose, in making good what he hath either promised, or threatned: his is power, hee is strong to performe whatsoeuer it pleaseth him.
Quest. What is in generall offered from this, that glory is heere giuen to God, being considered apart and by it selfe?
…am. 2 30. …h. 5, 44.Answ. This; that true honour, glory and praise, in the world, comes to men only from God, and is giuen to man of God; his is fulnesse of glory, and of his fulnesse doth he impart some measure of glory and honour heere in this world, to such as honour him and seeke it in weldoing. Heb. 11.2. By faith manifested in the fruites of it, our Elders were well reported of.
…iection.Some worthy Seruants of God liue obscurely, and are of no reckoning in the world; yea they are accounted base and contemptible, as the filth of the earth. 1 Cor. 4.13.
Quest. How then doth God impart a measure of glory and honour heere in this world to such as honour him, and seeke it in weldoing?
Answ. First, God sees obscurity as well as pouertie to be meete and profitable for some of his children.
And againe, the holy seruants of God are basely accounted of in the world only by men of the world, that cannot discerne who are to bee honoured: and they are reproached of them for weldoing; and that is their glo…y. Heb. 11.26. Moses preferred it, and esteemed the rebuke of Christ, greater riches th…n the treasures of Egypt: and when they lie vnderunder disgrace in the world, then are they honoured in the hearts of …ll Gods Children that know them, which is true honour.
Quest What are the generall things offered from these words, Thine is the Kingdome, Power and Glory, for euer.
Answ. Ei…her such things as these words doe offer being ioyntly consid…red: or such things as they doe offer being considered seuerally.
Quest. What are the generall things offered from these words ioyntly considered?
Answ. Two things especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This;Philp. 4.6. Coloss. 3.17. Coloss 4.2. 1 Thess. 5.17.18 that praise and thankesgiuing to God must be ioyned to prayer: that wee must as well giuegive thankes and praise to God, as pray vntounto him for grace, and for things needfull: as in the six Petitions we make request for things needfull, so in these words wee giuegive praise and thankes to God.
Quest. What is the second generall thing offered from these words ioyntly considered?
Answ. This; that in prayer we must abase our selues before God, and vtterly denie our selues,Gen. 32.10. Dan. 9.7.8. and all that is in vsus of our selues, and in humilitie of heart freely acknowledge our owne vilenesse and vnworthinesse, and vnfainedly confesse that shame and confusion belongs to vsus, and that all power, praise, and glory is due to God.
Now to the generall things offered from these words considered seuerally.
Quest. What are the generall things offered from this, that kingdome is heere giuen to God, being considered seuerally and by it selfe?
Answ. Three things especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This; that God alone can make and giuegive lawes truly and properly binding the consciences of men,Iam. 4.12. Reuel. 1.6. and that he is the onelyonly Law-giuer, and hath power to make lawes, binding the consciences of all men properly; yea, of the greatest Monarchs in the world is his kingdome.
Obiection. Rom. 13.5. We must be subiect to the higher powers, to Magistracie, not because of wrath onelyonly, but for conscience sake: therefore it seemes that Princes and Magistrates may make lawes binding mens consciences.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; Princes and Magistrates may make lawes binding mens consciences, not simply and properly as they bee their lawes, but onelyonly in relation to Gods will reuealed in his Word, and so farre forth as they be agreeable to Gods lawes, and not contrary to common honesty, equitie, reason, or religion; and so their Lawes binde not mens consciences simply as Gods lawes doe, but only respectiuely as they hauehave respect to the Lawes of God; so they are to bee obeyed for conscience sake.
Quest. What is the second generall thing offered from this, that Kingdome is heere giuen to God being considered seuerally, and by it selfe?
Answ. This; that we must giuegive to God simple and absolute obedience;Gen. 17.23. Sam. 12.14. sai. 48.18. Princes and Magistrates must bee obeyed so far as they command in the Lord, and for the Lord: but God must be obeyed simply and absolutely, and perpetually in all his commandements without exception, seeme they neuer so hard, or contrary to flesh and blood: is his Kingdome.
Quest. What is the third generall thing offered from this, that Kingdome is heere giuen to God, being considered seuerally and by it selfe?
…sal. 2.9.10. …sal. 110.2.Answ. This; that we must not be discouraged when wee are called to suffer any thing for the truth, and holy religion of God: for though tyrants rage and bend their force and might, yet we hauehave our God a King aboue them all, for whom we suffer, and he can rule and ouercome them, and at his pleasure confound them: is his Kingdome.