Milk for Babes, Questions · Question 5
5. Q. What is God?
A. He is that Almightie one, who made, and governeth all things.
Know (my child) that we cannot know God as he is in himſelfe; Thou canſt not know God as he is.for he dwels in a light that no man can attain unto: And therefore we may ſay, as that Heathen did of old, when he was asked what God was? By how much more I thinke, by ſo much leſſe I underſtand what that is which we call God. Yet may we know Gods back-parts, that is, thoſe works, Exod. 34.and names by which he is made known unto us in the Scriptures. For thus he hath manifeſted himſelfe unto us for this end.
Object. Obiect. It may be, thou mayſt thinke, that if God cannot be known, it is unlawfull for me to enquire of thee what he is.
Sol. Sol. This is true if it were impoſſible for us to know God any wayes.
But, Yet thou muſt labour to know him as he will.becauſe we may and muſt know him as he hath manifeſted himſelfe unto us; therefore, ſurely, it is not unlawfull to ſearch into him ſo farre. For otherwiſe it might be ſaid of us, as Chriſt of the Samaritanes, Joh. 4.They worſhip they know not what. Yea, without this, we cannot according to our meaſure, aſcribe unto him ſuch excellencies as his nature doth deſerve: for we cannot ſay, that is gold, which we cannot affirme to be gold, or braſſe. Yea, without this we cannot love and deſire God. We cannot deſire, and love what we know not. The love of God muſt not be a groundleſſe love, which is more in the lover, then in the thing loved; but a well grounded love, which muſt proceed from the knowledge of the amiableneſſe of the thing loved. Of this alone we can give a true reaſon, from the worth of God, or any perſon, or thing elſe which we love.
Vſe. Therefore (good child) know the wickedneſſe of all our, and thy natures, which care leaſt to know God. Doe but mark, and you ſhall ſee your ſelfe ready to know every thing, and yet thou takeſt no notice of God though thou art continually in his preſence. Yet I hope better things of thee, and that which doth accompany thy ſalvation. If the Heathens groped after him, and rather then they would not find him, Acts 17.erected an altar to the unknown God; much more wilt thou, who art crowned with more bleſſed favours of light, and love.
But why ſhould I preſſe thee to enquire after God, when thou telleſt me plainly what God is? You tell me, that God is that Almightie one, that doth make, and governe all things. Though thou knoweſt him not as he is in himſelfe, yet thou deſcribeſt him as he hath manifeſted himſelfe to the Church. If I ſhould aske thee what the Apoſtle Paul was? You would anſwer, that he was an able and extraordinary Miniſter of the New Teſtament. Herein you did not tell me, what he is, or was in himſelf, (for ſo he was a living creature endued with a reaſonable ſoule), but you tell me what Paul was as God did imploy him in, and for the Church; ſo in this deſcription thou telleſt me what God is, with reference to the whole world. Thus thou telleſt me two things of God.
1. His ſufficiency (He is that Almightie one).
2. His Efficiency, or how he hath manifeſted it in part two waies:
1. By making all things.
2. By governing all things.
Firſt, God is the Almightie.thou ſaiſt (He is that Almightie one), and ſo he is: for God ſaith to Abraham, Gen. 17.1.I am God Almightie, and Jeremy calles him, Jer. 32.18, 19.The great and mightie God, great in Counſell, and mightie in ſtrength. Almightie, is one mightie to doe all, or one that is all-ſufficient for all things in himſelfe, and for us.
This Almightineſſe, or All-ſufficiency ſtands in his skill, in his will, and in his power. He is Almightie in skill, to know all things: Almightie in will, to will all things that are good: and Almightie in power, to doe all things according to his will. Were he not Almightie all theſe waies, he could not be ſelf-ſufficiently bleſſed in himſelfe, neither could he be almightily ſufficient for us. Were he not Almightie in skill, he could not almightily will according to an almightie knowledge. Were he not Almightie in will, he could not almightily doe according to an almightie knowledge and will. Were he not Almightie in power, were he never ſo Almightie in skill, and will, he could not be an all-ſufficient worker for his own, and our bleſſedneſſe. But when theſe three things meet, his knowing all things, his willing all things good, and doing all things according to his will, nothing can lye between him and his own bleſſedneſſe, nothing can hinder us from our bleſſedneſſe in him if we lye in his rode.
Vſe. The ſerious thought of this ſhould (my child) humble, direct, and comfort thee. It ſhould humble thee under the mightie hand of God. Power breeds feare; and fear, humilitie. God made his power known to Job, in the wind, horſe, earth-quake, and Leviathan; Job 42.6.And then he abhorred himſelfe, and repented in duſt and aſhes. Act. 12.As when the men of Tyrus and Sidon heard that Herod would wage warre with them, they, knowing that they were nouriſhed with the Kings bread, feared his power: ſo, when thou heareſt of this Almightineſſe, thou muſt not ſo much feare them that kill the body, Matth. 10.as feare him that is able to caſt body and ſoule into hell; if thou approach not to him with due obedience.
Againe, thou muſt be directed from hence, to labour to feele this Almightie power of God in thy body and ſoule for thy ſanctification, and ſalvation. Paul prayes for the Epheſians, Eph. 1.19, 20.that they may know what is the exceeding greatneſſe of his power to us-ward that beleeve, according to the working of his mightie power, which he wrought in Chriſt, when he raiſed him from the dead. And how is this? Surely, onelyonly by feeling, that as God raiſed up Chriſt, ſo, by their fellowſhip in, and with them, he doth raiſe up them from the death of ſinne, to the life of grace. The good Lord grant that it may be thus with thee: that as the power of that Almightie one did raiſe up the Lord Jeſus, ſo thou maiſt find thy ſelfe raiſed in, and from him to ſuch a new life as may appeare before God with acceptance.
Laſtly, thou maiſt have ſingular comfort alſo, from this meditation, in any adverſitie that may come upon thee. For this Almightie one can change thy vile body, Phil. 3.and make it like unto his glorious body, according to the mightie power by which he is able to ſubdue all things unto himſelf. What though, by affliction, thy face be withered with weeping, thy body cruſted like a potſheard, and burnt to aſhes, yet this Almightie one is able to raiſe thee up in the latter day, Joh. 6.and to make thoſe eyes of thine to ſee thy Redeemer, Job 19.when thou ſhalt ariſe for thy ſelfe, to the glory of Gods grace, and thy everlaſting comfort.
Next here, thou telleſt me how God hath manifeſted his Almightineſſe, God made all things.(By making and governing of all things.)
That this Almightie God made all things doth appeare in Geneſis: Gen. 1. and 2.4, 5. Eſa. 44.24.and God ſaith by Eſay, I am the Lord that maketh all things, that doth ſtretch forth the heavens alone, and ſpreadeth abroad the earth by my ſelfe. To make all things is, to give all things their being. God gives the heavens to be, the earth to be, and all creatures in heaven, and earth, their ſeverall beings. And doe but weigh that it cannot be otherwiſe. For the world was neither made by chance, nor by nature. Not by chance: For as thou maieſt ſee an excellent order in every thing (and chance is an enemy to order): ſo maiſt thou diſcerne ſet purpoſe in every thing. All creatures have every thing provided of purpoſe to perfect them. An eye hath a colour, an eare a ſound, a palate a taſtable thing, and a ſmell, ſavours; yea, brute beaſts have fodder, and man hath heaven and earth of purpoſe for body, and ſoul. Neither is it made by nature. For then as nothing could be done above nature, the contrary whereof thou maiſt perceive in the very butter-flies painted wings, and the little gnats trunk, which can pierce, and draw bloud thorough a tough horſes skin; ſo could nothing be done againſt nature; but thou maiſt obſerve the contrary: Joſh. 10.for the Sunne ſtood ſtill in Gibeon, and the Moone in the valley of Ajalon, in the daies of Joſhuah; and the Sun went ten degrees backward, as was to be ſeene on the diall of Ahaz: yea, thou readeſt of an Eclipſe of the Sun, at the death of Chriſt, when the Moon was at the full, which was quite againſt nature. If therefore the world was neither made by chance, nor by nature, thou mayſt juſtly conclude, that the Almightie God made all things.
Vſe. Therefore (my deare child) learn how to uſe, and feare to abuſe, We muſt uſe all the creatures from God.any of Gods creatures. Thou muſt aske Gods leave to uſe any of them: we hold all in God, and from God, and have no freedom to uſe them; but as we have leave from him. Godleſſe people account every creature, within their power, their own: and becauſe they have a creatures right, and a civill right, by the laws, and compacts of men, they think they have an abſolute right without dependance. Therefore they never looke to God, but ſay with Nabal, ſhall I take my meat, 1 Sam. 25.and my bread, and my drinke, which I have provided for my ſervants, and give it unto ſtrangers whom I know not from whence they come, or whither they go? But it muſt be otherwiſe with thee.
Thou haſt the uſe of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, heaven, earth, and all their furniture. God made them all, therefore thou muſt not dreame of an abſolute right, but humbly pray that thou mayſt have libertie to uſe them under God, without which thou canſt have no ſound comfort.
Beſides, We muſt not abuſe any of the creatures.thou muſt feare to abuſe any of them, becauſe they are the good creatures of God. Wilt thou dare to abuſe the Kings ſtuffe, or furniture of his houſe, or thoſe proviſions which he hath made for his ſervants? How then wilt thou dare to abuſe thy meat for gluttony, thy drinke for drunkenneſſe, thy apparell for pride, or the Sunne to give thee light to worke the works of darkneſſe, or the houſe, and woods, and ſhades to cover wicked practiſes? If thou have right to any thing, and lend it to another, thou wouldſt be loath it ſhould be abuſed: yea, God made proviſion under the Law, Exod. 22.that the lender ſhould be no loſer, but that the thing lent ſhould be made good. Much more is it equall, that, if God lend thee the uſe of any of his creatures, it ſhould be made good to God when thou haſt had the comfort of it. Be ſure therefore that thou do it, and do it upon this ground, that God made all things.
Secondly, this Almightie God doth Governe all things alſo. Jeremie ſaith, God is the governour of all things Jer. 10.23.O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himſelfe, It is not in man that walketh to direct his ſteps; becauſe it is God that governs him. And Solomon ſaith, that there is no wiſdome, nor underſtanding, Prov. 21.30, 31.nor counſell againſt the Lord: the horſe is prepared againſt the battell, but ſafetie is of the Lord; becauſe man is not the Maſter of his own Iſſues, but God is the higheſt Governour above him, and above all the world. As when we have a Journey to goe, and get on horſeback, with a bridle we guide him onward, and backward; this way, and that way, till we have done our buſineſſe: Pſal.ſo God rides upon the heavens as upon a chariot. He hath an hooke in the noſthrils, 2 Chron.and a bridle in the mouthes of his creatures; and, as he ſaith to the Sea, Here ſtay thy proud waves; ſo he ſaith, by the active word of his providence, to all his creatures, as that Centurion to his ſouldiers; Goe, Luk. 8.and it goes; come, and it comes; doe this, and it doth it; and ſo he governs all the creatures to the Iſſue of his will. When a man looks upon the horrible diſorders in the world, and ſees Atheiſts, blaſphemous ſwearers, prophaners of the Lords Day, murtherers, whoremongers, theeves, lyers, to ſwarme in the world, a man would thinke that God did not Govern all things. But thy ſenſe teacheth thee, that if thou ride upon a lame horſe, to diſpatch all thy buſines, though he halt, which is from himſelf, (by leaping over hedge and ditch) yet thou governeſt him till thy buſineſſe is over, which is from thee. So though all the men in the world be lame in actions, and all the creatures of the world doe groane under the vanitie of their ſinnes, yet doth God (as it were) ride about, and governe all, and will bring the wickedeſt; at laſt, either to repentance, and to ſhame and juſt confuſion for ever.
And thou canſt not conceive other, but that God muſt needs governe all things. For otherwiſe the flint and ſteele of contradictions would ſo kindle the tinder of corruption, that the whole world would have been long agoe in the flame of ruine: yea, the Church of God would have been devoured by her enemies. The Church of God, thou knoweſt, Luk. 12.is but a little flock, and her enemies like the army of the Aramites covering the earth, and their hearts like thoſe of the Edomites, who cryed over Jeruſalem, Down with it, down with it, Pſal. 137.even to the ground. What then can hold them but Gods bridle, which reſtraines the Gates of Hell; Matth. 16.that they cannot prevaile over them? Reſolve then therefore that God governes all things.
Vſe. Hence when thou findeſt any thing to worke together for thy good, give the glory to God who governes all things: and deſire this Almightie one to ſhew himſelfe a Governour by governing thee. Thou art not able to governe thy thoughts, words, or actions without God. In conſcience of this, David ſaid, Let the words of my mouth, Pſal. 19.and the meditations of my heart, be alwayes acceptable in thy ſight; and ſet a watch before my lips; and Lord, open thou my lips: even ſo, Pſal. 51.and much more mayſt thou. Therefore, by how much leſſe able thou art to governe thy ſelfe, by ſo much more muſt thou pray to God every day, to governe thy mind, heart, life, will, affections, deſires, conſcience, and actions, that thou mayſt walke through the land of uprightneſſe, Eſa. 26.into a place of happineſſe, where there are fulneſſe of pleaſures at the right hand of God for evermore.Pſal. 16.
Thus (my good child) thou haſt told me what God is. Now tell me next,