A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 155 (Question 46 cont.)
SERMON CLV.
III. WE muſt Ackowledge him to be Our God. It is not enough that we aſcribe to him thoſe Properties & Perſ…tions which are Divine, but we ought to … and make ſure, that this God is our God: … acknowledge the Relation that there is bet wi… him and us. The Command requites, that he be a God to us, or that we have him for a God. And that implies Property, & points us to a Covenant between him and as … for if he is a God to us, it ſignifies that we one to him a People, …nd that comprehends the whole of the Covenant, Exod. 6.7. It is not enough, to acknowledge that he is ours by the right of Creation, but that he is ſo by the right a … the latter of theſe can …, but the former may. For Property … a Pr…ledge, but God may ſo far uſe to be our God, as to become our Enemy; … that is … our advantage, but our miſery. …. …2.10. But they rebe…a…, and vexed … ſpirit: therefore be was r…ned to … their …word, and … againſt them. Now this Knowledgment is the Foundation of all true …, and we … to wiſe elſe pay it …. They that do not believe & confeſs him to be their own God, will never pay … core Service. Hence that, Dear. ….13 … ſear the Lord thy God, and …, and ſhalt ſwear by his name. And Pſal 11… …2. Th… art … God, I will purſe that … God, I … thee. …, or after what manner this Acknowledgment it to be p…d to him, will be conſidered i… the next. … only in general we may obſerve, that there are two Things in which his ſummarily comprehended.
1. WE muſt acknowledgment to be our Rightful Lord … Sovereign, … when … our …, and all that we have and are. We muſt … him to be our King and Lawgiver, …ſ…. 33.22. And conſequently, that we owe all Allegiance to him, and that we are to fear and ſerve him, freely and cheerfully: That his Commands are to be grateful, and are g…er us to us. We are to bring our ſelves under the ſtrongeſt Obligations of Obedience to him, and purſue them with the greateſt reſolution. Pſal. 119.106. We are to acknowledge his Authority over us to be juſt and rightful, and our Obedience to be every way due to him, and that upon our own …aty choice. That all his Commands are juſt and good, Rom. 7 12. And conſequently, that our Obedience to them, is but our reaſonable Service. Chap, 12.1. And this … us underſtand, that the great reaſon of all our Obedience to every Precept of God, is grounded in the Firſt Command, becauſe it he be our …, he is our Lord, and we are his Subjects. His Will ought to be our Rule, and we are not to diſpute, but to practice Duties, becauſe we have profeſſed him to be our …, and our ſelves to be his People. It alſo tells us, that no Obedience performed to God can be acceptable to him, but what is rel…tary from us. Forced Obedience argues, that we look not upon him, as our Lord, but as a Tyrant over us. That therefore is Pre…ed of his Subjects, Pſal. 110.3. Thy people … be willing in the day of thy power, in the …ties of holineſs from the womb of the morning thou haſt the dew of thy youth.
2. WE muſt alſo acknowledge him to be our this Portion and Happineſs. As, when he p…ſeth to any to be their God, he engage… to be unto them, all that which they either do or can ſtand in need of, ſo when they profeſs him to be their God, they therein …dare that they accept of him to be their all. So doth the Church, Lam. 3.24. And this they are to do excluſively of all other Beings in the World, Pſal. 73.23. That all their preſent Safety, and Comfort, …amp; future Bleſſedneſs, depends upon him, Pſal. 82.11. They are to acquieſce in him, and to count that be is Portion enough, and they need to go no whether elſe, but that they are happy in him, Pſal. 16.5, 6. God therefore reckened that … to quiet his People in hearts of greateſt Diſtreſs, Iſai. 41.10. Now the Command being an unchangeable Rule of Obedience, our Obligation thus to acknowledge him, can never ceaſe, becauſe, whereſoever we ſail of ſo doing, we trans;greſs … Command; but ſtill, the true Acknowledgement of this Relation, ſuppoſeth the Being of it, elſe we ſhall profeſs to a Faiſh…rd. Our firſt Care therefore is to ſee and make ſure, that this God is our God, Pſal. 48. ult. We muſt have him to be ſo. And hence all that is requiſite to out obtaining this I …ereſt in him, is a Duty lying upon us by this Command. And without a right Underſtanding of this, we muſt needs be at a Leſs about our Duty in this regard. Here therefore let theſe Concluſions be obſerved.
1. THAT when God gave to Man his Law at firſt, be became his God by Covenant. That the Law was at firſt given in the way of a Covenant, is a Truth that hath its Foundation in the Word of God. God therefore not only delivered it to Man Preceptively, requiring Obedience of him as a natural Duty, but he indented with him in a Promiſe of Life, as the Reward of his Obedience. He was practically to acknowledge God to be his Lord and Sovereign, and God promiſed upon this to be his Portion and Happineſs. And thus God was his God upon a Covenant Contract, and would have been ſo forever, upon his Compliance with his Obligation. And this Conſideration was, as the Reaſon of his Obedience, ſo the Encouragement he had to it.
2. THAT Man in his Apoſtaſy renounced this Relation, whereupon God ceaſed to be his God by Covenant. It is true, God's Relation to him as his Creator and Governour could not ceaſe, nor could his Duty to acknowledge him as ſuch ceaſe, nor could his Relation to that Covenant be hereby out off, inaſmuch as there was another Sanction belonging to it, which doomed him to die upon his Diſobedience, which holds him faſt under the Curſe, and that according to Covenant; but that Relation to him as his God and Portion was hereby made void, and he loſt all his Claim to him as ſuch. He renounced God's Authority, and rebelled againſt his Government, and put himſelf under another Yoke. He hearkened to Satan, and ran himſelf upon the very Swords point of the Threatning, by doing of that individual thing, of which God gave him all aſſurance that he ſhould dye if he did it, Gen. 2.17. with 3.6. And he renounced God from being his Portion, and choſe lying vanities in his room: For therein the very nature of Sin, in regard of Man's Object, is comprehended; as is expreſſed in Jer. 2.13. For my people have committed two evils: they have forſaken me the fountain of living teaters, and bewed them out ciſterns, broken ciſterns that …an hold no water.
3. HENCE till this Relation be recevered, Man is not capable of obeying this Command. The acknowledging him to be his God, muſt ſuppoſe him to be ſo; but he is not ſo to fallen Man, as long as he abides under the Curſe which Sin hath brought upon him. All ungodly Men are on this account ſaid to be Strangers, alar off. Enemies; and while they continue to be ſuch, they cannot ſerve God according to the tenour of this Precept. The very frame of the natural Man's Heart is ſuch as incapacitates him for this Obedience. He hath a rebelli us Heart, and cannot be ſubject to the Law, by reaſon of Enmity. Rom 8.7. His Heart is ſet upon idols, and truſts in lying Vanities. How then ſhould he take God for his Portion? And thus it will be, till the diſtance between them is removed, and they are reconciled.
4. GOD becomes our God again, only in the way of the New Covenant, which is in & through Chriſt. This Relation ceaſed according to the tenour of the Firſt Covenant, and there was no proviſion made in that for the reſtoring of it again; but God hath opened a New Covenant, in which he treats with fallen Man, and ſets a good Hope before him. And this is the great deſign of the whole Word of God, to open a way in which Man may be again reſtored to God's favour, and enjoy him as his God and Portion; and this was provided in and by Jeſus Chriſt, who hath pulled down the Wall of Partition which Sin had ſet up, and made our Peace with God, Eph. 2.14. And now, the way to obtain him to be our Covenant God, is by Jeſus Chriſt, Joh. 14.6. Jeſus ſaith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. God out of Chriſt is a conſuming Fire, Heb. 12.29. There is no coming at him but by this Mediator; but he is ready to receive all ſuch as come to him by Chriſt.
5. HENCE by this Command it becomes our duty to ſeek and ſecure an Interest …n God, by Chriſt. We formerly obſerved, that our Obedience being founded in God's rightful Sovereignty, we are therefore under a moral Obligation to obey him in whatſoever he ſhall at any time reveal to us to be his Will. As alſo, that whatſoever is requiſite for the performing of Obedience to any of his Commands, is required of us by that Command. Now the Firſt Command poſitively requires us to have God to be our God; nor can this on any terms be diſpenſed withal, but the want of it is a total violation of the Precept. When God treated with Man in the firſt Covenant, he had to do with him immediately. He was his God Jehovah; and there needed no more. But when he treats with him in the New Covenant, he looks upon Man in his lapſed ſtate, as at a diſtance from him; and he can have to do with him only by a middle Perſon, who is Chriſt. So that, till he is his through Chriſt, he cannot ſerve him as ſo: and without this, he is in no poſture to keep this Command. It is our Duty to come unto God, but it muſt be in this way and no other, Eph. 1.6 3 12.
6. HENCE all the Duties required in the Goſpel in order to this, are inforced by the Authority of this Precept. That the Goſpel is not delivered only in the way of an Offer, but by the Authority of God we are aſſured. For we are told, Joh. 1.23. He ſaid, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderneſs, Here ſtraight the way of the Lord, as ſaid the Prophet …ſairs. Acts 17.30. And the times of the ignorance God winked at, but now command … all men every where to repent. And hence the Goſpel Covenant hath its Sanctions, as well as the firſt had. There are both Promiſes … compliance therewith, & Threatnings againſt the refuſal of compliance. And whence here th…ſe their Authority in the Moral Law, … from this Firſt Command? For they all unter in our having God for our God. The deſign of the Goſpel is to tell us how we … come to have him ſo by Chriſt, and … opened th…ſe Terms upon which it is to be obtained. Which if we refuſe our Conforming unto, we therein manifeſtly declare that as diſclaim him, and will none of him. The therefore betray their ignorance, that cannot tell where to find a place for Faith in Chriſt, in the whole Duty of Man. But this … be particularly conſidered afterwards.
III THEY ought to Worſhip and Glorify … accordingly, i. e. We muſt accommodate … our Worſhip of him to his Nature as … God, and to the Relation he ſtand in … as our God. The light of Nature ſaith … if there be a God, he is to be ſerved & glorifyed; and that no Service can be offe… … him acceptably, but what is agreable … Nature and Perfections. And doubtleſs, … Conceptions as Men have of God, ſuch a manner of Worſhip they wil pay to …. Thus our Saviour Chriſt argues from his being a Spirit, to ſpiritual and ſincere Worſhip, Joh. 4.24. God is a Spirit, and they that worſhip him, must worſhip him in ſpirit and in …. Thus Paul argueth from ſome of his Attributes to his Worſhip, as to the kind or manner of it, Acts. 17.24, 25. God that made the …, and all things that are therein, ſeeing that …e is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in … made with hands. Neither is worſhipped with mens hands, as tho' he needeth any thing, ſeeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. And there is great reaſon for it; for is … Worſhipping him, we are to pay him Divine Honour: And if we pay him any thing … of that, let our pretences be never ſo ſpacious, we do not indeed Worſhip God, but diſhonour him. And from this Conſideration we … be led to take an Account of theſe more principal Things, wherein this Natural Worſhip conſiſts, and ought to be paid to him. In order to our right taking up whereof, let theſe Two general Rules be obſerved,
1. THAT …n …r Wor ſipping of God, we can … to him, but what is his … …lready. … nothing to his Eſſential … all the …eſpects which we pay to … Service we do for him. He enjoys … in … at In…e & …ver…ath … to which nothing can be added … the Worsh… o… Angels on…. Hence … ſuch … made. Jobs. 22.2, 3, … b…o …able God, as be that is … be … that thou art righ…ous? … …o bread … thou ma…eſt the ways … 11.35 … …ath firſt given … is ſhall be … him agains … the Acknowledgment that we can …, is infinibody der…ctive; for we … knowledge of his … Job. 11.2, &c. How then ſh…ld we … him: And it us …ble con… …dy in the Great God, that he will … ſuc… a… mu…lons Service as our …eſt … is a hen his de…l…ritive Glory that we … med with, in which we are to aſcribe …, all thoſe Perfections of his, which …e … himſelf known to us by… in his …, and in his Works. We are therefore … alow of thoſe, and aſcribe them … him as his own, and proporly belonging … So, Pſal. 29.1, 2. Gr… u… the Lord … give unto the Lord glory & strergth. … the Lord the glory da… unto his … the Lord … the beauty of …in…ſs. … giving, we … not to understand a … thing to him that was not his own … only …n aſc…ibing of theſe to him, …ght and due. De…. 32.3. Pſal. 68.34. … God this Worſhips, with … Man. Man conſiſts of two eſſential … Parts, …oul and Body. We owe …iſe is …o God, and both are to be … in our Worſhipping of him. And …oul be firſtly and prine…pally con… … According to Prov. 23.26. My ſ…; … beart. Yet the other is not ex… for he made both, and the Hody … to he the Soul's Organ, or … ſerving of him. God is to be …ed with our Hearts, and with our … with our. Bodily Services: And us …rciſe pro…eth little if alone, it is … ſice without the Heare; where as … …o him a living one … So Heart Ser… when the ou…ward Mari is con… take its part… is imperfect, & ſhort … God requ…es of …s? We are there …. 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. …at, know ye … body …is the temple of …holy Ghoſt, … you which ye have of God, and ye … ye are bought with a price: … g…rify God i… your body, and in your … are Gods, Accordingly, we find … …ging of His whole …an in this … … 57.7… To this put … …id down by the Apo…e, in Rom. … with the heart man be…veth …nt… …ſneſs, and with the mouth confeſſion … made unto ſa…en. We are therefore hourd to be ever in a readi…ſs to coa…ſs …an, i… times that are m… perillous, 1 … is. Theſe things premiſed, we may deſcei… … take a more …articul… Account, o… thoſe Duties there required. And here I ſhall not go about to make a critical Diſtinction, between that Worſhip which is due to him under the conſideration of his being God, and that which belongs to him corſidered as our God: in as much as theſe are in…parable in Practice. Particularly then,
2. We are to Worſhip God. by placing & … pr…ſing our Faith in him. Faith is the fo… g…e…t Grace that belongs to Natural Worſh…p; and it muſt …unthrough all, and enlive… elſe it will be …a…n. There is a general truth contained in…ha… aſſertion. Heb. 11.6. But … ſaith… … ſ…ble to pleaſe him… for … G…aſt behav… that he is and that he is a re…der of them that d…gen…ly ſec… …im. It is not only true ſince the Apoſta…y, but it was ſo when Man ſtood in his integ…y. Faith conſidered as it hath God for its O…act, a…dd…s accordingly called a D…vene Faith, a…y begenerally deſcribed, a Conſide… g… …ed … Knowl…dge; whereby God is truſſed in for Life. And with ſuch a Faith Man was to Worſhip God before the Fall; and it is his Duty to do ſo ſtill. Though there is a great difference in the way and man… of the exerciſe of it then and now. The ground whereof we may obſerve in two or three Things,
1. THAT God alone is the ultimate Object of a Divine Faith. It flows front his very Nature that he ſhould be ſo, not can any other … ſuch an Object, but he who is God: for no other can do that for us, which ſuch a Faith hath a Dependance upon. And that is given as the Reaſon, why we ſhould not truſt in Idols. Jer. 10.5. And why we ought …o …iuſ… in God, Iſai. 26.4. The Expectation of this Faith from its Object is Life, that is all Good and Bleſſedneſs, and this is in God to con…e… …on us, Pſal. 26.9.
2. THAT God was the next and immedi…te Object of Man's Faith, in his Sta…of Integrity. Not only was Man's Faith then to terminate on God, for ſo is ours alſo now, …a… it was to aſcend directly unto him. Man then ſtood next to God, God was his in Convenant, h…ld familia… …ell…ſhip with him, he needed come to bring him into his Preſence. There was nothing then to obſ…ct his Truſt in God or diſcourrage him from placing his e…ire Reliance upon him. God and he were Friends, and God had pr…miſed him Life, if he obeyed, Rom 10. ….
3. THAT Sin hath cut Man off from this immediate Communion with God, and now there … no coming at him but by a Mediator. And that there is one, is the great Conſolation aff…dsed us in the Goſpel, 1 Tim. 2.5. …or there is the God und immediate between God and men, the man Chriſt Jeſus. And we are to come …o God by him, Heb. 7.25. That therefore was the Complaint of him in his Diſtreſs, Job. 9.32, 33. If it had not been for this Mediator, out Caſe had been deſperate, nor would it have been leſs than Deſtruction for us Sinners, to have truſted in God for Life.
4. THAT …eace Chriſt is the next and immediete Object of ſallen Man's Faith. God is the ultimate ſtill, but there is to be a Faith in him intermediate, in o…des to our tru…ing in God for Life and Good. And the Reaſon is, becauſe God comes to be our God again, only in this way. Hence Chriſt gave that direction to them, Joh. 14.1. Ye believe in God, believe alſo in me. It is true, if Chriſt were not God, we might not believe in him. But Chriſt as God-Man-Mediator, is a middle Perſon, who interpo…eth betw…en an Offended God, and Sinning Man, who hath ſatisfyed. Juſtice, a…d p…rchaſed Life for us. And God hath requited of us to believe on his Son, that we may live, becauſe the Diſpe…ſation of all is in his Hand, and he muſt be truſted i… for it. And thus God will have the Perſon of Chriſt, who is own Son, to have a Divine Honour paid unto him; according to Job 5.22, 23. And on the account of this difference, the former is by way of distinction called Faith in God, & this latter Faith in Chriſt; not becauſe it is not Faith in God, but becauſe it nextly goes to Chriſt, & through him unto God. Now there are two Things to be conſidered in this Faith, viz
1. That … …or…ly believe God to be ſuch …n Object as is thus to be truſted in and reli… on.
2. That b…reupo… …s place our whole re…umbency on him as ſuth an one, for all the Good that we ſt…nd in need of, and practically m…ke it appe…r that we ſo do.
The former of theſe was conſi…d under our Acknowledging him as God; and this latter is the Application of that, in our Worſhipping and Glorifying of him accordingly. And here we conſider two Things, viz.
1. How God was to be W…rſhippel by the exerciſe of this Faith a… firſt?
2. How fallen Man is to exerciſe this Faith in …is W…rſhipping of God?
1. HOW God was to be Worſhipped by the exerciſe of this Faith at the f…ſt
Anſ. IN General, By a …i…ucial Dependance …n him for all Good. And this follows from the Nature of God. and the Nature of Man compared together. It is a ſtanding Truth, which can never alter, that God is infinitely Good: He is Goodneſs itſelf, and the Fountain of all Good to the Creature. So that all Good is in him Originally, and muſt derive from him unto other Beings. And it is with reſpect to this, that Chriſt ſo ſaid, in Mat. 19.17. There is none good but one, that is God. And it is no leſs true, that Man is by Nature a denegerate Creature: Not hath Sin only made him to be ſo, tho' that hath Sin only made him to be ſo, tho' that hath increaſed his want, but he was ſo in his Creation, and ſlate of Integrity. Independency is a Divine Prerogative, and God cannot make an Independent Creature, it being a Contradiction. All that goodneſs which was in him, …e rece…ved from God, and all that good whereby be may be made happy, … come … ſame Hand. It was thefore … from the firſt to acknowledge thi…k … and accordingly to fetch in all the … this good from God, by the e…e…ſe … Faith. Pſal. 62.5, 6. And here it is … that Man did believe that God is the …tain of all Good, and the Creature … nothing, but what th…e in an … of in him, able to o…do all our … cravings, E… 3.20. And that this G… of his is Communicable: That he is … All…ſufficient in himſelf, but alſo that … the Efficient of all to his Crearure … th…re is a way of participation in this … according to the te…ous of the Cove… which Man was received. Accordingly … Faith was to apply itſelf ne…ly in …
(1). IN an abſo… Choice of God, … alone Pertion, and a comp… acquirſ… as ſuch. He was to take God as his …tance, and account it enough for his … Bleſſedneſs to enjoy him. And this … includes in it, an utter r…o…ncing & … all affiance in any other Object wha… … as being …erly inconſiſtent with … Choice. According to that, Pſal. 73. … have I in heaven but th…? and th… in … upon …arth that I defore beſides th…. And … declares the difference between God's … and other Men. Pſal. 20.7. Some … riots; and ſome in horſes: … her the Name of the Lord … God. … nothing more could Man at firſt … fied God, than in making ſuch an … fixed, and firm choice of him: And … be for all Good that we can need. … comprehended in it, all that Man co… … bly want, both for Soul a…d Body, … and Eternity; and Bodily Good, and …ritual Good; all Supplies and all P… This is comprehenſively expreſs, Pſal. … For the Lord God is a ſun & ſhield … will give grace & glory; no good thing … …ithhold from them that walk uprightly.
(2.) IN an entire Corifitence in him, … on his Promiſe, for the Enjoyment of … The ground of that Faith of … the Promiſe. For though Faith … power and ſufficiency of God, as the …tion of its truſt in him, yet the … reaſon of its truſting in God, is the … which he hath made to Man to be … and according to the …enou… of that … ſo it is to act. Faith takes God at … And God at firſt engaged so Man … Portion, if he k…pt cloſe to his Ob… … him; and it was his Duty to … in the Power, Goodneſs, Truth, and … of God to his Word, and accordingly … kept cloſe to his Duty, conſiding … would be to him, as good as his W… … doubtleſs is was a wound in this … that was the firſt ſtep of his Apo… … perture from God at the firſt. He … God's Veracity and ſo advent…ed to … his Command.
[JULY I. 1701.]