A Stock of Divine Knowledge, Chapter 14
OF THE TRVETH OF GOD. CHAP. XIV.
PSAL. 34.8. Taſte and ſee how gracious the Lord is.
YOU have heard the laſt day, the deſcription of the trueth of God: both what it was, and the confirmation of the ſeverall parts of it: and now we will lay downe ſome Uſes.
Vſe 1. The firſt: If God be true in word and work, this ſerves to awaken up ſecure men, and to rouſe them out of their naturall ſecurity. Theſe uſually bleſſe themſelves when they heare the judgements of God threatned againſt them, and ſee them not preſently executed: I ſay, they bleſſe themſelves, becauſe God doth forbeare, and is not a word and a blow; therefore, ſay they, the Lord will neither doe good nor evill, howſoever his Prophets, the Miniſters ſpeake thus. But let them know, the Lord is true, and while they thus ſpeake, or thinke of him, they make him a lyer: they beleeve not the truth, and hereupon it is, that they ſit in the ſeat of the ſcornfull, Pſal. 1.1. ſcorne and ſcoffe at thoſe meanes which holy men uſe, to eſcape judgement; I meane, prayer, and faſting, becauſe they make God a lyer. But theſe men ſhall know, that the patience of God ſhould lead them to repentance; and therefore the Lord ſpeakes, becauſe he would ſhew mercy; he could execute as well as ſpeak; but they do abuſe the patience of God, to bring upon themſelves greater damnation. God is true, and every man a lyer, and their deceitfull hearts that have deceived them, God ſhall awaken: For moſt certainly, true it is, that God will make good his threatnings, he will ſhew himſelfe true in executing his judgements, in his due time. He hath his owne time for mercy, and for judgement, and he will puniſh them who carry it out the moſt ſtoutly: for the Lord hath ſpoken againſt them, and they ſhall feele it with a heavie hand. And therefore though he doe delay, let them not be ſecure, judgement will be the more heavy when it comes.
The wiſe man in Eccleſ. 11.9. ſpeaking to the yong man, ſaith, Goe toyong man, take thy pleaſure; goe on you young men, and alſo ancient men; but know, for all this, God ſhall bring you to judgement. God is true, he hath ſaid it, and ſhall he not doe it? Pſal. 1.4, 5. they then ſhall be as ſtubble before the winde: therefore be awakened out of that blindeneſſe and ſecurity, or elſe you ſhall know it to your coſt.
Vſe 2. Here is matter of comfort to every one that reſts upon God by faith, and conſtant obedience: for that which he hath promiſed, their faith ſhall never faile; God is true, it is builded upon God, and his word and trueth; that is the comfort of every one that beleeveth, that he ſhall obtaine that which he hopes for. Certainly, God ſhall make it good, according to his trueth: therefore, if any man finde weakeneſſe of faith; if any man be troubled with doubting, What is the comfort? It is not our faith that makes the promiſe here, but the promiſe makes our faith ſure: if God be true, and perpetually true, certainly God ſhall make it good; and whoſoever thou be that buildeſt upon God in that caſe, he will performe it, 1 Tim. 2.12. I know whom I have beleeved, ſaith Saint Paul: ſome expound this place thus; As a man that hath a great debt to pay, and relyes upon other men for the money, and ſome caſt doubts in his minde, what if they ſhould faile you? the Apoſtle anſwers, I know whom I have beleeved: ſo that having taſted of the ſweetneſſe of God in his ſoule, ſaith, I know whom I have beleeved: ſo ought every man to comfort himſelfe upon God, Rom. 4.13. that howſoever there be doubtings, he may have joy: the holy man Abraham was ſtedfaſt in beleeving, becauſe he knew he was able to performe what he had promiſed: we neede not be weake in faith, becauſe he is true: as Saint Auſtin ſpeaking of the Promiſes, ſaith, they are thy Promiſes, whom ſhould we feare? It is trueth that hath promiſed, that cannot deceive, neither can be deceived. So that if a man beleeves, here will be comfort, Ier. 29.11. I know the thought I have toward thee; of peace, and not of evill: but how will he doe it? and when will he doe it? God knowes how to doe it, though we ſee no means how it ſhould come to paſſe; let us leave to God his owne worke, the effecting his gracious promiſes, and be imployed in the worke that concernes our ſelves (as Chryſoſtome ſaith;) when God promiſes feare not, only doe that we ought to doe, to draw ſuch promiſes upon our ſelves, for God never failes his.
Vſe. 3. The third uſe is to exhort to imitation: every one that thinks himſelfe Gods, muſt be like God, though he cannot bee perfectly like him, yet he muſt have truth in every thing; trueth in ſpeech, trueth in performance, &c. Pythagoras being asked what that was that makes a man moſt like the Gods: when they ſpeake truly ſaith he; but Pythagoras was a lyer, and all the gods of the nations were lyars; yet they ſaw this trueth, that, that which made a man ſpecially like to God, was to ſpeake truth; every man ought to labour to ſpeake truth: All lies muſt be laid a ſide, for he is the child of the divel that makes ſporte of a lye: There be officious lyes, as to lye for a mans benefit; yet as Saint Auguſtine anſwers Saint Hierome, this makes a man, that when he tells the trueth hee ſhould not bee believed; and this alſo makes them unlike to God: So alſo there bee pernitious lyes which are worſt of all, as when men lye for the hurt of others; this makes men moſt unlike God: put away lying ſaith the Apoſtle, and every man ſpeake the trueth to his neighbour: So every man ought to be conſtant, and faithfull to performe whatſoever he promiſes, Iam. 5.12. Let your yea be yea, and looke that what you ſay that you performe; Gods promiſes are yea and amen, ſo every mans word muſt be certainely kept in things lawfull, and holy: Gods promiſes are all made in wiſdome, mans in infirmity: this is that for which every man ought to labour, even to performe, what he promiſes. We muſt be wary what we promiſe, and carefull that we performe; for it is lying to promiſe a thing, and never meane to performe it: yea it is an impious thing, for he that is unfaithfull in the leſſe, is unfaithfull in the greater; if not, yet his faithfulneſſe is not for love of the truth: the refore men muſt conſider what they promiſe, as Act. 5.4. Saint Peter ſaith to Ananias, Was it not thine owne? but when hee promiſed it, he put himſelfe out of his owne power.
Queſt. But is a man alwaies bound to performe whatſoever he promiſes?
Anſ. The anſwer is, yes, except in theſe and the like caſes. Firſt, if a man can get him ſelfe free by him to whom he hath promiſed: becauſe he that bound him may free him; and if he ſhall free him, a man needs not performe his promiſe, and yet ſtand free ſtill. Secondly, a man may promiſe a thing he underſtands not to be unlawful, yet afterwards comes to ſee that it was unlawfull, then he is free, not to keep it, and yet remaines true. As if a man ſhould promiſe to conceale a ſecret prejudicall to the ſtate and common wealth; or an apprentice ſhould promiſe to waſt, or give away his maſters goods: In theſe, and ſuch caſes they were bound to be humble for, and repent of the raſhneſſe of their promiſes, and are not tied to the performance of them. Theſe and ſuch like caſes excepted, promiſes are alwaies to be kept.
The concluſion is, plaine dealing is a jewell, for it will alwaies more honor a man, and comfort him both living, and dying, then all that is got by deceiving, by lying, and diſſembling; by officious lyes, or pernitious lyes: But this is prophanely added, that he that uſeth it will die a begger; but I ſay, he that uſeth it not, ſhall die much worſe then a beaſt: for a beaſt hath not any underſtanding, and therefore he ſhall never come to judgement; but man hath underſtanding, and therefore ſhall come to judgement; even he that was afraid to die a begger, ſhall come to judgement: ſuch deceitful men, the holy one excludes out of heaven: Pſal. 15.
The next attribute is, goodneſſe, and that belongs to the will of God; of that gooneſſe of God we are to ſpeake now; and therefore to avoyde all diſtinction according to our order, the queſtion is this:
Queſt. What is the goodnes of God; and of the divine Eſſence?
Anſ. The anſwer is: It is a communicable attribute, whereby it is abſolute in, and of it ſelfe, good, liberall, and bountifull, communicating good to the creature; This being the deſcription, we muſt open the ſeverall parts: and firſt, the anſwer ſaith that God is good, liberall, &c. (and this is true:) But yet to expreſſe the extention of that we have in hand; I ſay further that he is goodneſſe it ſelfe. God is an accident, and no accident is in God; God is good, and whatſoever is in God is good: God is good, and ſuch a good as hath no evil annexed to it; as that which is truly heate, is not mixed with any cold: and that which is eſſentially ſweet, is not mixed with any ſowre; ſo God is ſuch, as that whatſoever is in him is eſſentiall. Thus we finde in Scripture, as in Pſal. 52.1. Why boaſteſt thou thy ſelfe, thou cruell man? ſeeing the goodneſſe of God, &c. Rom. 2.14. The bountifulneſſe of God, that is the godneſſe of God: ſo the Apoſtle ſpeakes, 2 Theſ. 1.11. Secondly, I call it a communicable Attribute, becauſe this goodneſſe is in ſome proportion in man, though not as it is in God: therefore we call it communicable, not that there is goodneſſe in man, as it is in God; but a goodneſſe whereby we reſemble the divine nature, as the Apoſtle Peter ſaith. The next thing, that he is good, in, and of himſelfe: the ground of this, is that which Chriſt ſpeakes, Mat. 19.17. Why calleſt thou me good? there is none good but God. There are good men, but there are none eternally and eſſentially good, but God. There is a created goodneſſe, and there is an uncreated goodneſſe; and therefore we ſay, he is good in and of himſelfe, and is good to the creatures: and this the Learned call a relative goodneſſe. This goodneſſe in the extenſion (not eſſentially relative, as it is in the three perſons is here ment) but a relative betweene the creature and God: and this is the ſame Gen 1.13. And he looked upon all that he had made, and behold it was very good: ſo in many other things, Pſal 118.1. Praiſe ye the Lord becauſe he is good, and his mercy, &c. he is good ſhewing mercy; that is, his bountifulneſſe continues for ever, Pſal. 73.1. However, God is good to Iſrael. The goodneſſe of God admits this diviſion; ſome is ſpirituall, ſome temporall, ſome generall, and ſome particular. Common goodneſſe he ſhewes to all, but his ſpeciall he ſhewes but to ſome, Pſal. 34.11. The Lord is a ſunne, and ſhield, and he will give grace, and glory: what to every man? no: but to the pure in heart. So Chriſt ſaith, Mat. 7.10. If a ſonne aske his father bread, will he give him a ſtone? If you, being evill, can give good things to your children, how much more ſhall your heavenly father give his holy ſpirit to thoſe that aske it of him? as Luke 11.13. ſo Mat. 5.45. he maketh the ſunne to ſhine upon the juſt and unjuſt. So Acts 14.7. he hath not left himſelfe without witneſſe, in that he hath filled our hearts with food and gladneſſe; that as we know the goodneſſe of the tree by the fruit thereof, ſo we know this goodneſſe of God by the fruits thereof in the creatures: and ſo we have this deſcription proved. The next Queſtion is:
Queſt. Why is ſuch a goodneſſe attributed to God, and his divine Eſſence?
Anſw. The anſwer is, becauſe he is deſired of all, and above all. Secondly, Becauſe he communicates his goodneſſe freely. To explane theſe.
Firſt, Becauſe God is deſired of all, and above all: The object of the will is good; for the will deſires nothing, but that which is good either truely, or at leaſt in appearance. Trueth is the object of the underſtanding; whatſoever the underſtanding imployes it ſelfe about, is trueth: ſo, whatſoever the will imployes it ſelfe about, is goodneſſe: nothing is good but God, and nothing can be good, but it is deſired. Now then if goodneſſe be that which all deſire, and if all deſires be bent upon goodneſſe, it muſt needs follow that all muſt deſire God, the author of all goodneſſe: as Saint Auſtin ſaith, thou haſt made our hearts for thy ſelfe, becauſe thou art goodneſſe: or thus, thou haſt made us for thee, and our heart is never at quiet till it come to thee.
Reaſ. 2. Secondly, Becauſe he communicates his goodneſſe to others: this is the onelyonly property of goodneſſe, that it will communicate it ſelfe. The better and more holy any man is, the more he deſires to make himſelfe common; The good man is mercifull, and lendeth, Pſal. 145. and Pſal. 9. God is good to all: and his goodneſſe is ſeene in the workes of his creation, and in the workes of redemption, and the worke of his deſpoſing of all things: thus we ſhall finde he communicates his goodneſſe to all. The next queſtion is:
Queſt. Why is it ſaid that he is abſolute good, in, and of himſelfe?
Anſw. The anſwer is, Becauſe his goodneſſe is perfect; It is infinite, therefore cannot be from others. It is eternall: What is eternal, but to have being when all other things are nothing? Who then can make that which is eternall? Hence it muſt needes be that God is good, in, and of himſelfe. But beſides this, his goodneſſe is perfect: whatſoever is communicated to others by participation, is imperfect, but Gods goodneſſe is not imperfect, therefore it is not communicated by participation, but is abſolute in and of it ſelfe. In him goodneſſe is moſt perfect, in us it is unperfect; as the heat that is in the Sunne is perfect, but the reflection is imperfect; the reaſon is, becauſe the heat is moſt principally in the Sunne: So the goodneſſe that is in others is imperfect, but the goodneſſe of God is perfect. If he ſhould receive his goodneſſe, it muſt be finite; if finite, then imperfect. A finite and imperfect creature cannot communicate infinite and perfect goodneſſe, of which themſelves are not capable. Therefore we ſee that God is not ſuſtained in his goodneſſe by any, but is good, in, and of himſelfe. The next queſtion is:
Queſt. Why is it ſaid that he communicates goodneſſe, and is good to all creatures?
Anſw. The anſwer is, Becauſe what goodneſſe ſoever is begun, and continued in any, is from God, and the cauſe is in him onelyonly. It is not the creatures owne goodneſſe. Pſal. 30.11. The goodneſſe of God hath made my mountaine to ſtand ſtrong: where he ſheweth that this eſtate and condition wherein he was, was nothing from himſelfe, all came from God. Therefore when as Eſau asked Iacob, how he came by that wealth, Gen. 33.11. The Lord hath bin good to me, &c. therefore I have all meerely of his goodneſſe: and hereupon Iacob ſaith, Gen. 33.10. I am leſſe then the leaſt of all thy mercies: where he cals Gods goodneſſe, his mercy, becauſe it comes from the mercy of God, 2 Sam. 7.8. Lord, what am I? ſaid David, or what is my fathers houſe, &c? So every man may ſay, whatſoever he is, whatſoever he hath; Lord, what am I, that thou haſt brought me to this, &c? So, whatſoever any man hath, it comes from the goodneſſe of God.
There be many Uſes of this point, but we will content our ſelves with ſome.
Vſe 1. The firſt Uſe, is briefly this: It teacheth us that, of the Apoſtle Saint Iames is true, Iames 1.13. God tempts no man, God is not tempted; why? his goodneſſe, is ſuch; that which is good of it ſelfe, hath no evill mixed with it: hony hath no ſowre in it, the ſun hath no darkneſſe, God nothing but goodneſſe; ſo that this is true, God tempts no man: the ground why man is tempted, is in himſelfe, not in God; becauſe there is no evill in God: tempting is when there is ſome ſetting upon, and receiving an aſſault, with rejection: how can a man caſt darts into the ſun? God being good in himſelfe, &c. cannot tempt nor be tempted.
Vſe 2. Secondly, this teacheth us that we ſhould not ſinne againſt this God; the reaſon is, becauſe he is good, nay, becauſe he is goodneſſe; therefore we ought not, this ſhould be a reſtraint to us: how doth every man condemne wrongs done to a poore innocent, that hath done no evill? ſo if we ſee a man full of goodneſſe brought to miſery, every man will cry out of them, that brought him to it: and do we ſo in reſpect of men, ought we not ſo to reaſon in reſpect of God? that if God be ſo good in himſelf, why ſhould I commit this wickedneſſe, againſt him? when Sathan tempts, the world provokes, &c. What ſhould be the anſwer, if I ſhould commit ſuch a wickedneſſe, you your ſelves, and Sathan would accuſe me, for ſinning againſt ſuch a good God? and indeed the divill inticeth to ſin, for nothing, but to accuſe us when we have ſinned; therefore get thee behind me Sathan; ſhall I ſinne againſt this God? that is not only ſo good in himſelfe, but is good to all his creatures; looke which way thou wilt, thou canſt not but ſee the goodneſſe of God: Oh what ingratitude! what impiety were this, for a man to offend this God, that is ſo good in himſelfe, and good to all creatures? and why hath God ſhewed thee this goodneſſe? but becauſe he would have thee good to him: S. Bernard hath this ſaying, for a man to do good for good, is naturall, & for a man to do evill for good, is diabolicall: now then if there be but ſo much as common reaſon, we will returne good for good; but to returne evill for good, is diveliſh; and the more good any man hath received, the more good he ought to be; as Salvian ſaith: God hath given us good; then we ought to be good to him againe: remember what good thou haſt in thy creation, redemption, and renewing; let it be a provocation, to returne good againe to God, or elſe the more ſhall be thy condemnation: let every man therefore labour after this manner, to anſwer the goodneſſe of God, that herein may be his comfort; for then we are beſt to our ſelves, when we returne good againe; and worſe to our ſelves, when we returne evill; therefore we ought thus to approve our goodneſſe to him, and have this ever upon our hearts: how doth the goodneſſe of God call for obedience, that we may glorifie God heer, and then by him, we may be glorious in the life to come?