Heavens Treasury Opened, Principle 1
The firſt Principle, There is one God, Creator and Governour of all things, diſtinguiſhed into three Perſons, Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt.
Here we muſt conſider three things:
1. That there is a God.
2. His Works.
3. That he is diſtinct.
Queſt. WHat is the reaſon that there is a God?
Anſw.
1. Becauſe in every thing there is a firſt cauſe, (that is, infiniteneſſe and power) which cannot not be attributed to any creature.
2. In regard that all things were made for man, man for an end, which end muſt needs be God.
Q. But can we conceive of God as he is?
A. No, becauſe of the great diſtance between him and us; for when a man looketh upon the Sun, he cannot poſſibly endure it, becauſe that is ſo glorious, and his eyes ſo feeble.
Q. How may we conceive of God?
Anſ.
1. Caſt downe thy ſelfe before him, confeſſing thy unfitneſſe to draw nigh him.
2. Look how he is ſet forth in his Word, as a gracious, glorious, eternall being, without any mixture of infirmity or diſability. Man hath with power, weakneſſe; with mercy, cruelty; God hath not ſo.
3. Goe into the world, and view the height of its glory, and then conclude, If the Creature be thus excellent, what muſt the Creator be?
Q. What is God?
A. A Spirit that hath life and being of himſelfe.
Q. What is a Spirit?
A. It is the fineſt and ſubtileſt ſubſiſtence that can be.
Q. Why had God rather be a Spirit then a Creature?
Anſ.
1. Becauſe that is the moſt pure and excellent eſſence.
2. There is a great difference between God and us; wee have a fleſhly part, he is all ſpirituall; we borrow our being, but God hath life of himſelfe, and gives being to every thing.
3. That he is an infinite and Almighty God, the ſole Creator and Governour of all things.
Q. What is it to create?
A. To make ſomething of nothing.
Q. Wherein doe Mans works, and Gods differ?
Anſ.
1. Man muſt have ſomething to work upon, God needeth not any thing; a word of his mouth is ſufficient.
2. Man is ſubject to be weary, but GOD cannot.
Q. What is meant by Government?
A. A ſeaſonable ſuccouring and guiding of the Creature. Such is the weakneſſe of poore mortals, that as they were firſt made of nothing, ſo unleſſe God upholds them, they will ſoon reſolve to their firſt nothingneſſe.
Q. What are the particulars of this Government?
A. Two: Firſt, Suſtentation, Secondly, Direction.
Q. What is Suſtentation?
A. The good providence of God, whereby he protects and provides for his people.
Q. What is Direction?
H. A power of the Lord, whereby he orders every thing to its right end.
Q. How doth he direct the creature to its end?
Anſ. 1. God gives them direction whereby to work, and puts forth their ability into action.
Q. What may we learn from hence?
Anſ.
1. Comfort to the Saints, ſeeing God is ſo great a Creator, and powerfull a Governour; there is no people under heaven (that worſhip any other God) are ſo bleſſed as they are: Among the Gods there is none like unto thee O Lord, neither are there any works like unto thy works. Pſal. 86.8.
2. This ſhould teach us to mind Gods dealing with us in every paſſage of our lives, and to ſtand in awe of his Majeſty.
Q. How is God diſtinguiſhed?
A. Into three Perſons.
Q. What is meant by a Perſon?
A. A Perſon is a manner of Divine being.
Q. Why doe you ſay a being?
A. Becauſe the Deity and the Perſon is all one.
Q. Why doe you ſay a manner?
A. Becauſe there be divers turnings, that the God-head puts upon it ſelfe.
Q. How?
A. The God-head is full of wiſdome and underſtanding: Now the Fathers underſtanding caſts it back againe upon himſelfe; for if he had underſtanding before the world; then there muſt needs be ſomewhat to be underſtood: but there was none but himſelf, therefore he caſts it back upon himſelf.
2. This being underſtood is the Son, the wiſdome of the Father, and the third Perſon being willed is the Spirit, who not withſtanding are all one. As long as a man teacheth, he is a Maſter; but when he is taught, he is a Scholar: practice comes from teaching; after a man is taught hee becomes a practicioner: here now be divers behaviours, yet all but one man. As a Sun beame falling upon a wall, caſts back its heat; ſo doth the Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son.
Queſt. What is that which is common to all the Perſons?
A. The God-head is common to them all; and whatever is proper to the God-head, is proper to all the reſt; with this difference, in regard of the particular relation that every one of them hath; the Fathers property being to beget, the Son to be begotten, and the Spirit to proceed: none of them exceeding the other in time, but in order onelyonly.