The Holy Arbor, Chapter 4 · Section 2
§. 2. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth.
THat is, I believe that God is my Father, as by Generation and Creation, ſo by Regeneration and Adoption, able to do all things as it pleaſeth him, the Creator of the whole world, and the Lord and Governor of the ſame. I believe; not we believe (with the Papiſts) as the Church believes; but every man muſt ſo believe, as to be able to give an account of his Faith when lawfully called thereunto. Now it is one thing to believe God, another thing to believe in God; To believe God, ſheweth onelyonly a Faith of knowledge, or hiſtorical Faith; To believe in God, declareth true Faith or confidence, that is, to be perſwaded, That whatſoever God is, and is ſaid to be, he is all that, and referreth it all to our ſafety, for his Sons ſake; that is, to reſolve that he is ſuch an one to me in particular.
God is to be conſidered in the three perſons, Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt, a perſon being nothing elſe but a maner of being in the Godhead. Now no man is able to know God according to the excellency of his own Nature, Joh. 1.10, 18. but the Scripture delivers us ſuch a knowledge of him, as is both neceſſary and profitable for us, Rom. 1.19, 20. We muſt therefore acknowledge God to be ſuch as himſelf hath manifeſted himſelf to be; and though he cannot be defined, becauſe he is Immenſe, and becauſe his Eſſence is unknown to us, yet may he be deſcribed by his Attributes and Properties, the perſons and principal works, which may be thus:
God is a Spiritual Eſſence, a Spirit, John 4.24. or ſimple Spiritual Eſſence, Exod. 3.13. an everlaſting Spirit, 2 Chron. 3.17. Infinite, Pſalm 139. Jer. 23.24. moſt holy, Iſa. 6.3. onelyonly wiſe, 1 Tim. 1.17. moſt juſt and moſt merciful, Exod. 34.6, 7. Almighty, Rev. 1.8. And he is but one, Exod. 10.3. Living, Pſal. 84.2. True, Jer. 10.10. without body, parts or paſſions, John 4.24. of infinite power, Ezek. 10.5. wiſdom, Pſal. 147.5. and goodneſs, Pſal. 106.1. The Maker, Gen. 1.1. and Preſerver of all things, Mat. 10.29, 30. other from all the Creatures, Incomprehenſible, moſt perfect in himſelf, Immutable, of an immenſe Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs, True, Juſt, Pure, Merciful, moſt free, angry and wroth with ſin, of whoſe days there is no beginning nor ending, Rev. 1.8. And in the Unity of this Godhead, there be three Perſons of one Subſtance, Power and Eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt, 1 Joh. 5.3.2. Cor. 13.13. Or, which Eſſence is the eternal Father, who from everlaſting begot the Son according to his Image, and the Son who is the Coeternal Image of the Father, and the Holy Ghoſt proceeding from the Father and the Son: And the Eternal Father, together with the Son and the Holy Ghoſt, hath created Heaven and Earth, and all Creatures, and worketh all good things in all: And that in Mankinde he hath choſen unto himſelf and gathered a Church, by and for the Son, that by his Church this one and true Deity may be according to the word delivered from above, acknowledged, celebrated and adored in this life, and in the life to come: And laſtly, he is the Judge both of the juſt and unjuſt.
The Name Father, as it is oppoſite to the Son, is underſtood perſonally, or it ſignifies the firſt perſon of the Godhead, as here; but as it is referred to, or compared with the Creatures, it is taken eſſentially, ſignifying the whole Divine Nature, which is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt: And Creation is here aſcribed unto God the Father, becauſe he is the Fountain, as of the Divinity of the Son and of the Holy Ghoſt, ſo alſo of thoſe Divine operations which he worketh and performeth by the Son and the Holy Ghoſt. Now that God is, we know many ways, but chiefly by our own Conſciences, accuſing us for ſecret ſins, which cannot be but unto an infinite wiſdom, that knows the moſt ſecret thoughts of the heart, ſuch as is or can be neither Man, Devil nor Angel, but God onelyonly.
All the Doctrine concerning God, is either
1. Of his Nature, which is taught in the Law and Goſpel.
2. Of his Will, which is ſeen and made manifeſt in
His Commandments.
His Threatnings.
His Promiſes.
3. Of his Works, which are
The Benefits
The Judgements
of his Will, which are to be beheld in the
Creation.
Fall.
Reſtoring of Man.
The devils believe there is a God, and tremble; if any Atheiſt hath leſs faith then they, and doubt the truth thereof, he may believe it from theſe Reaſons; though as he is not worthy any, ſo the truth hereof is above all:
1. The beautiful and goodly order of Nature, beheld in the Creatures and frame of the great body of the world, Rom. 1.20.
2. The preſervation and government of the world created, Acts 14.17.
3. The Nature and excellency of mans minde; the ſoul of man, endewed with excellent gifts of Underſtanding and Reaſon.
4. From the notions of general Rules and Principles naturally engendred in the minde of man; yea, the natural notion of this Principle, That God is;
1. Becauſe every one hath experience hereof in himſelf.
2. All wiſe men confeſs it.
3. All Nations conſent in it.
5. From the terrors of Conſcience, which are ſtricken in the mindes of the wicked, after that they have ſinned.
6. The puniſhments of the wicked which they ſuffer, beſides the torments of Conſcience.
7. From Bodies Politick, which are wiſely ordered and regulated by Laws.
8. From the order and nature of efficient cauſes, and from the final cauſes of all things.
9. From certain and evident foretellings and clear ſignifications of future Events.
10. From heroical and noble inſtincts of minde.
For what Reaſons the voice of Nature concerning God, is not wholly to be rejected or contemned by reaſon of the inſufficiency thereof:
1. God will alſo out of the Church bridle the lewd and diſſolute, by the teſtimonies which their Conſcience and puniſhments give of his will, Anger and Judgement, and according to them alſo will he have the maners of men regulated.
2. He will have mans Corruption and his own Juſtice made more perſpicuous and clear, in puniſhing them who ſtubbornly withſtand the known truth.
3. He will by natural teſtimonies, mens Conſciences ſhewing the imperfection thereof, have men ſtirred up to ſeek the true God in the Church, Acts 17.26, 27.
4. He will have alſo them who are converted to him, to be more confirmed by the conſent of Nature and the Word, as the often alleaging of Natural teſtimonies in the Scripture declareth.
5. He will (the imperfection of Natural knowledge being conſidered) have mens ignorance concerning God acknowledged, and his mercy magnified, who diſcovereth and openeth himſelf in his Word.
There is nor can be but one God for theſe Reaſons:
1. The ſufficient teſtimonies of Miracles and Propheſies, and other works.
2. His own Authority and Majeſty, which admitteth no fellows.
3. That which is greateſt perfection can be but one, for the whole is perfecter then any part thereof.
4. There can be but one chief God, but one Omnipotent, but one Infinite.
5. There can be but one chief Cauſe, and more Gods would be unperfect or ſuperfluous.
How God doth deſcribe himſelf in Exod. 34.6. viz.
1. He is Jehovah; that is, he is a conſtant friend to whomſoever he is a friend, he is alway the ſame; that is, I am that I am, that is, whatſoever the Lord was from eternity, the ſame he is to eternity, there is no change in him.
2. He is ſtrong, that is, Almighty; that is, he hath all Excellency in him, and that in the higheſt degree.
3. He is Merciful, exceeding pitiful, exceeding ready to forgive, though our ſins be many and exceeding great: None ſo ready to forgive as God, for if he were as man, if he were not God, could he bear with us as he doth? Jer. 3.2.
4. He is Gracious; that is, though there be no worth found in us, yet he is ready to do us good. Now to be gracious, is to do things freely, when there is no motive, for Grace is nothing but freeneſs.
5. He is Long-ſuffering; that is, though we provoke him out of meaſure, he continues patient, we cannot weary him out, … his mercy endures for ever; though our ſins are often repeated, yet he as often repeats his Mercies.
6. He is abundant in Kindeneſs; that is, though he be ſo great a God as he is, yet he is exceeding ready to bear with us, he is not harſh, but ready to grant what we ask according to his will.
7. He is abundant in Truth; that is, we ſhall finde him as good as his word, he is engaged, we have many Promiſes he hath made us; nay, abundant in Truth; that is, his performances exceed, they run-over, he will be better then his word, whatſoever he hath ſaid, he will more then do it.
8. He is a God reſerving mercy for Thouſands; that is, when any of us do him faithful ſervice, he cannot content himſelf to do good to our own perſons, but to our Children and to our Generation: So Davids love extended not to Barzillai and Jonathan onelyonly, but to their poſterity alſo.
9. He is a God forgiving Iniquity, Tranſgreſſion and Sin: Thoſe three words are put in, that we may know he forgives ſins of all ſorts; and ſignifie, That he is ſtill and ſtill forgiving Iniquity, Tranſgreſſion and Sin.
God is ſaid to be
1. An Eſſence; that is, a thing which
1. Hath his Being from none, but from himſelf.
2. Is preſerved or ſuſtained of none, but ſubſiſteth by himſelf.
3. Is neceſſarily.
4. Is the onelyonly Cauſe unto all other things of their Being.
2. Spiritual:
1. Becauſe he is Incorporeal, as being Infinite and Indiviſible.
2. Becauſe he is Inſenſible, as experience ſufficiently manifeſteth.
3. Becauſe both himſelf liveth, and is the Author of all life both Corporal and Spiritual.
3. Intelligent:
1. Becauſe he is the cauſe both of the minde of man, and of the notions ſhining in it, and alſo of the order which is in the nature of things and Common-weals.
2. Becauſe all intelligence or underſtanding of the Creature cometh from him, both in reſpect of the faculty, as in reſpect of the operation.
4. E…ternal, without beginning or end of Being, Pſal. 90.2. and is ſo to us, that we may oppoſe the certain hope of eternal bleſſings, grounded upon his Eternity, againſt the ſhortneſs of mortal life, and againſt the frailty of mans condition.
5. Other from all his Creatures, which we muſt hold
1. Againſt Philoſophers, who will have the World or Nature it ſelf to be God.
2. Againſt thoſe who imagine the Creatures, either all or ſome, to ſpring from the very Eſſence or Nature of God, deriving it ſelf, as they ſpeak, into others by propagation.
3. That all prophane, unworthy and idolatrous cogitations of God may be excluded:
4. Becauſe there can neither be nor be imagined any ſimilitude between a finite and an Infinite Nature.
6. Incomprehenſible or Immenſe, for
1. He cannot be comprehended in the cogitation of any creature.
2. The Deity cannot be comprehended or circumſcribed, in place, in ſpace, or any limits; that is, his Eſſence is Immenſe, neither to be extended, nor divided, nor multiplied: Therefore it is all every where one and the ſame.
7. Moſt perfect in himſelf.
1. Becauſe he onelyonly hath all things which may be deſired to perfect felicity and glory.
2. Becauſe he receiveth no part of this moſt abſolute felicity from any other, but hath all things in himſelf and of himſelf, and is alone ſufficient to himſelf for all things.
3. Becauſe he is not for himſelf onelyonly, but alſo for the creating, preſerving, guiding and furniſhing of all and every Creature ſo ſufficiently, that he alone doth give to all of them, all good things meet and neceſſary for them, as well eternal and heavenly, as terrene and temporal, neither yet doth depart from any part of his power or his happineſs.
8. Unchangeable:
1. His Eſſence, and whatſoever is proper thereto, cannot be augmented or diminiſhed.
2. His Nature and Will cannot be changed.
3. Himſelf hath no need to tranſport himſelf from place.
9. Omnipotent:
1. That whatſoever he will, or whatſoever (not impairing his Nature or Majeſty) he is able to will, he is alſo able to perform.
2. That he is able to perform all thoſe things, without any difficulty or labor, even with his onelyonly beck and will.
3. That all the force and power of working and effecting any thing, is ſo in God onelyonly, that there is not the leaſt ability or efficacy of any Creature, but what he continually imparteth and preſerveth at his pleaſure.
The five Properties of God (which ought to ſtir us up to obey him) contained in the Exhortation to obedience annexed to the ſecond Commandment:
1. He calleth himſelf our God; that is, our Maker and Savior, and the Author of all good things; hereby advertiſing us, what execrable unthankfulneſs it is to revolt from the true worſhipping of him unto Idolatry.
2. Mighty; that is, in power, as well to puniſh the obſtinate, as to reward the obedient.
3. A jealous God; that is, a moſt ſharp defender of his own Honor, wonderfully diſpleaſed with ſuch a revolt from him, or violate and impair his Worſhip and Honor.
4. He calleth himſelf A God which viſiteth the ſins, &c. whereby he encreaſeth his anger to take vengeance of the Anceſtors ſins in their Poſterity, even to the fourth degree and deſcent, if they partake with the ſins of their Anceſtors.
5. He ſaith, that He is a God which ſheweth mercy unto Thouſands, &c. here he extendeth his puniſhments unto the fourth Generation, but his mercy unto Thouſands; thereby to ſignifie, That he had rather ſhew Mercy then Anger, and ſo by this means to allure us the more to love him; and worthily excluded is that man, who abuſeth ſuch Infinite Mercy.
The uſe we are to make of the deſcription of God:
1. As God is a Spirit, let us worſhip him in Spirit, and abhor Images and Idols.
2. As he is a Spirit, let us not be offended or ſtumble at this, That we never ſee him, calling it therefore into queſtion whether he be or not; when we are Spiritual, we ſhall ſee him as he is, Joh. 3.4.
3. Let us acknowledge from whence we have our being and life, Acts 17.28.
4. As he is Infinite, let us in no place adventure to ſin on any vain conceit, becauſe it is ſecret, for whereſoever we be, God is preſent.
5. As he is moſt Holy, let us prefer Holineſs as the greateſt excellency, without which no man ſhall ſee God.
6. As he is onelyonly wiſe, let no man uſe his wit ſecretly and cloſely, to contrive evil againſt his brother, or by any unlawful policy to circumvent him.
7. As he is moſt Juſt, let no man preſume to go on in ſin, hoping for mercy without repentance.
8. As he is moſt Merciful, let no man that is caſt down for his ſins, deſpair.
9. As he is Almighty, let us fear him, and put our whole truſt in him, in all times of danger and diſtreſs.
10. As of whoſe days there is no beginning nor ending, let us be humbled in the Conſideration of Gods Eternity, ſeeing our ſelves are ſo momentary.
The Attributes of God are the main Supporters of our faith, as thus:
1. His Holineſs makes the believer approach before him in an utter abnegation of himſelf, and in the mediation of Chriſt, knowing that in himſelf he is all over polluted and defiled with ſin.
2. His Wiſdom makes the Believer ſubject to God in all eſtates of proſperity and adverſity, even againſt his own ſenſe and natural Reaſon, knowing that God is wiſeſt, and beſt knoweth what eſtate is fitteſt for him.
3. His Truth makes the Believer judge him, who hath promiſed that which he believeth, to be faithful and true; he that believeth hath ſealed that God is true, Joh. 3.33.
4. His Power makes the Believer aſſent to the poſſibility of performance of thoſe Promiſes which God hath made to his children, of things which ſeem impoſſible.
5. His Mercy makes the Believer believe the pardon of his ſins, being fully perſwaded that he is infinite rich in mercy, otherwiſe he could not believe the pardon of his ſins.
When we read in Scripture of eyes, ears, mouth, face, hands, heart, head, arms and feet aſcribed to God, we muſt not imagine that God is like unto us, or hath a bodily ſhape, whereas he is a Spirit; or that theſe parts are aſcribed to him properly, but only for our better capacity and underſtanding, ſignifying unto us his gracious Attributes; as by his eyes, his Omnipreſence; by his mouth, his Word; by his hands, his Providence; by his arms, his Power; and by his face,
1. The inviſible Nature and Eſſence of God, Exod. 33.23. which no mortal man can ſee and live.
2. The Favor of God, as alſo all his Benefits, Deliverances and Graces, Dan. 9.17. Pſal. 80.3.
3. Revenge and Puniſhment, and the ſigns of his Anger, Lev. 20.3.
4. The place of Gods Worſhip, where his face and favor is perceived through delivery of the Doctrine of Godlineſs; From this was Cain baniſhed, Geneſis 4.14. Hereof David complains, 2 Sam. 26.49.
Now to believe in God Almighty, is to be believe in ſuch a one
1. Who is able to do whatſoever he will.
2. Who doth all things even with his beck and word onelyonly, without any difficulty.
3. Who alone hath power to work all things; and is Author of that power which is in all his Creatures.
4. Who is alſo unto me Almighty, and both can and will direct all things to my ſafety.
The Power of God is twofold:
1. Abſolute; whereby he can do whatſoever can be Infinite, and yet will not: hereby he could of ſtones raiſe up Children unto Abraham.
2. Actual; whereby he moſt powerfully doth all things which he willeth: Thus his Power in ſaving us, dependeth upon his Will, not his Will upon his Power.
So alſo are the works of God of two ſorts:
1. General; which are divided into the works of
1. Creation.
2. Preſervation.
3. Adminiſtration.
2. Special; which are wrought in the Church and Company of Elect, to juſtifie, ſanctifie and glorifie them; and are either works
Of Reparation, and reſtoring:
or,
Of perfection & accompliſhment.
Again, the Power of God is
1. Infinite,
1. In its own Nature, and of it ſelf.
2. In regard of the diverſity of objects unto which it doth extend it ſelf.
3. In regard of the manifold effects it is able to do and bring to paſs.
4. In regard of the action of this Power, by which it worketh and can work, Eph. 1.9.
2. Univerſal, over all the works of God, Mat. 28.19.
3. Immutable, everlaſting, to crown us if we obey, to condemn us if we diſobey.
4. It is moſt certain, for it is ſhewn in raiſing Chriſts body from death.
God is called a Father,
1. In reſpect of Chriſt his onelyonly begotten and natural Son.
2. In reſpect of all Creatures, as he is Creator and Preſerver of them all.
3. In reſpect of the Elect, whom being adopted in his Son, he regenerateth.
The duties to be performed by us to ſhew our faith in God the Father, are theſe four:
1. We muſt obey his Will, he is our Father.
2. We muſt be like unto him, and bear in us ſome reſemblance of his Majeſty, Eph. 5.1.
3. To moderate our care for worldly things, he is our Father.
4. To look up to God upon every accident, and to conſider his anger againſt ſin, when we ſuffer any way whatſoever; and if it falleth out well unto us, to be thankful to him, as from whom alone all good cometh.
That God the Father Almighty is the Maker of Heaven and Earth, or that the World was Created by God, may beſide the Teſtimonies of Scripture, be proved by Reaſons, ſuch as theſe:
1. By the Authority of God himſelf avouching the ſame.
2. The Originals and Beginnings of Nations ſhew it.
3. The novelty and lateneſs of all other Hiſtories, compared with the Antiquity of the Sacred.
4. The Age of men decreaſing, ſhew a former and better ſtrength, and that not without ſome firſt Cauſe.
5. The certain courſe and race of Times, even from the beginning of the World to the exhibiting of the Meſſias.
6. The order of things inſtituted in Nature.
7. The excellency of the minde of Men and Angels.
8. The principles, or general Rules and natural notions engendred in our mindes.
9. The tremblings of Conſcience in the wicked.
10. The Conſtitution and Founding of Common-weals.
11. The ends of all things profitably and wiſely ordained.
12. The very order of Cauſes and Effects, which cannot be carried backward or forward infinitely.
To Create ſignifies
1. To order or conſtitute.
2. To make ſomething of nothing, without any motion, with a beck or word onelyonly.
3. The continuating of Creation, or Creation continued, which is the Providence of God.
How God made the world.
1. The World was Created of God the Father, by the Son and the Holy Ghoſt, Gen. 1.2. Joh. 1.3. Job 33.4.
2. Moſt freely, without any conſtraint, not by any abſolute neceſſity, but by neceſſity of Conſequence, that is, by the Decree of his Will: which Decree, though it were Eternal and Unchangeable, yet was it moſt free.
3. With his beck onelyonly, or will, without labor, weariſomneſs, motion, or any change of himſelf; that is, not by any new action of his, but by his forcible Will onelyonly, which from everlaſting would that things ſhould on a ſudden exiſt and be, at ſuch a time as he had freely appointed & decreed, Iſa. 40.28.
4. God created the World and all things therein of nothing, not of any preexiſtent or fore-being matter, but of no matter; not of the Eſſence of God, nor of any matter Coeternal with God.
5. He Created it at a certain and definite time, and even at the beginning of times, not from everlaſting.
6. God Created all things moſt wiſely, very good, that is, every thing in its kinde and degree perfect.
7. He did it all, not in a moment, but in the ſpace of ſix days, which (if it had ſo pleaſed him) he could have made in an inſtant.
The end or final cauſes of the Creation of all things:
1. The firſt and chief End is the Glory of God.
2. The manifeſting, knowledge and contemplation of his Divine wiſdom and goodneſs, ſhining in the very Creation of all things, Pſ. 19.1.
3. The Adminiſtration and Governing of the World, which is his Providence.
4. To gather a Church of Angels and Men, who ſhould acknowledge and magnifie this great and wonderful Creator.
5. That all other things might ſerve for the ſafety both of the ſoul and body of man, as alſo for the life, neceſſity and delight of men, Gen. 1.28. Pſal. 8.26.
The uſe of the doctrine of the Creation of the world; viz.
1. That the glory of the Creation be given wholly to God, and his wiſdom, power and goodneſs therein acknowledged.
2. That neither the Son nor the Holy Ghoſt be excluded, but each have their own parts yielded them therein.
3. That as the world was created of God by the Son and the Holy Ghoſt, ſo alſo we muſt know that by them Mankinde is reſtored.
4. That ſeeing God created all things of nothing, we muſt know that he is able to reſtore them, being corrupted and ruinated, into their firſt ſtate again.
5. That we muſt not refer the original of corruption to God, but know that it was purchaſed by the faults of Devils and men, Joh. 8.
6. That knowing God, as in the creating, ſo alſo in the maintaining and governing of all things, not to be tyed to ſecond cauſes, or to the order by him ſetled in Nature, but that he may either keep or alter it, we ſhould with confidence and full perſwaſion look for, and crave thoſe things which he hath promiſed, yea thoſe things which in reſpect of ſecond cauſes ſeem impoſſible.
7. Seeing all other things were created for mans uſe, profit or happineſs, we above all other creatures, eſpecially being Redeemed from ſin and death to Righteouſneſs and life, ſhould for ever celebrate the wonderful known goodneſs of God.
8. That we knowing God (in as much as of nothing, and through his meer goodneſs he created all things) to owe nothing to any, but all his creatures to owe themſelves and all that they have to him their Creator, ſhould confeſs that to be moſt juſt whatſoever he ſhall do concerning us and all his creatures, Jer. 45.4.
9. That we ſhould refer the uſe of all things to the glory of God, ſince that we have received all good things from him.
10. That ſeeing the works of God were therefore created and placed before our eyes, even for us to behold them, we do not idlely but earneſtly, and as much as every mans ability, occaſion and vocation permitteth him, contemplate and conſider them, and therein celebrate the wiſdom, power and goodneſs of the great Creator.
The Power of God is the very Eſſence of God; it is an eſſential Property in God, working and effecting all things in all things, by determining and executing all things that he will: And the Providence of God is a joynt-operation of his infinite Wiſdom, infinite Juſtice, and infinite Mercy; it is the Eternal, moſt free, unchangeable, moſt juſt, wiſe, and good counſel of God, whereby he worketh all good things, and permitteth alſo evil things to be done, and directeth all things both evil and good, to his own glory and the ſafety of his choſen; yea, it is his Almighty Power every where preſent, whereby he doth uphold and govern the world, with all the creatures therein; ſo that nothing cometh to paſs by Chance, Fortune or Deſtiny, but by his Fatherly Counſel. So that to believe in God the Creator, is to believe that God who hath created all things, and governeth them by his Providence, hath created me and the faithful in the world, to celebrate and ſerve him, and all other things to ſerve for our ſafety: All things are yours, and you are Chriſts, and Chriſt is Gods.
Moſt Holy, Juſt, Spiritual Eſſence,
All Power, all Mercy, all Intelligence,
Thou Father of our Savior Chriſt, whereby
Thou daign'st thy Faithful ones Paternity
By that moſt Free-grace of Adoption,
Or New-birth of Regeneration.
Thou Almighty wonderful Creator,
Gracious Preſerver, moſt wiſe Governor
Of the world, Help my Ʋnbelief; in me
Confirm thy Faith, for I believe in thee.