I know what manner of works they are 2. The Lord knows our hearts he knows the sinfulness of the heart he knows the deceitfulnesse of the heart he knows wâ—at abominations are in the heart The heart of man is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it he answereth I the Lord search the heart I try the reins even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings Jerem. 17. 9. 10. The Lord knoweth all the errors and sins which thou didst act in thy heart who can understand his error saith David cleanse thou me from the secret faults Psal 19. 12. They are a people that do erre in their hearts saith the Lord. Psal 95. 10. God knows all the thoughts of our hearts how momentany suddain and transient soever they be though they come in and go out again in a moment in the twinckling of an eye yet he knows and observes them all The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity Psal 94. 11. Job acknowledgeth this to God I know that thou canst do every thing and that no thought is with-holden from thee Job 42. 2. He knoweth all the imaginations of man's heart God saw that the wickedness of man was great upon earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually Gen. 6. 5. The Lord likewise knoweth all the purposes and intentions and counsels of the heart he knoweth what your aimes are in all your undertakings whether you intend his glory or your own self interest his word is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. When the Jews came with questions to Christ as if they desired to be informed by him our Saviour knowing their thoughts knew that they came to entrap him 3. The Lord knoweth all the words that we speak There is not a word in my tongue but loe Oh Lord thou knowest it altogether Psal 139. 4. The Lord knows every idle word that you speak and will one day bring you to an account for it Matt. 12. He hath likewise a book of remembrance to set down every good word that they that fear the Lord speak one to another Malach. 3. 16. 3. God knoweth all things to come Thou understandest my thoughts afar off saith David Psal 139. 2 When God sent Moses to Pharaoh he tells him I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you go no not by a mighty hand and I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof and after that he will let you go Exod. 3. 19. 20. so he speaks of the Israelites I know their imaginations which they go about even now before I have brought them into the land which I sware Deut. 31. 21. CHAP. IV. Of the Properties of God's Knowledg NOw concerning the Properties of God's Knowledg we are to understand that 1. God beholdeth all things uno intuitu by one simple act not by divers as Angels and Men do he knoweth all things intuitivè not discursivè or successivè as a man may see many particular objects at once that lie before him but God sees infinite objects intuitively at once and therefore all things are said to be before him even things past and things to come there is no praeterition nor futurition in God's Knowledg to speak properly for all things are present before him 2. God knoweth all things most perfectly and evidently not in part or obscurely as men do but he knoweth all things fully and exactly his knowledg is a perfect knowledg that cannot be increased or diminished God most perfectly knoweth himself he also most perfectly knoweth all other things besides himself His understanding is infinite Psal 147. 5. he knoweth things actually infinite 3. God knoweth all things distinctly not confusedly or universally but he knoweth every particular and individual whatsoever and by this distinct and proper knowledg he knoweth singular things to come even contingent for to him their first cause they are necessary things in respect of second causes contingent and by this distinct knowledg of his he knoweth all the circumstances of all our words and actions with all the aggravations of them as to persons time place c. The Lord distinctly knoweth the persons of all his chosen people The foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. I am the good shepherd and know my sheep saith our Saviour Joh. 10. 14. he knoweth all their names So the Lord to Moses Thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name Exod. 33. 17. he knoweth the number even of the very hairs of their heads they are all numbred by him Luk. 12. 7. 4. God knoweth all things necessarily immutably and infallibly God is his own knowledg he understandeth all things therefore necessarily and infallibly neither can the knowledg of God be any more deceived than his will this knowledg of God is semper eadem always the same not subject to any change or alteration There be many devices in man's heart but the counsel of the Lord that shall stand Prov. 19. 21. CHAP. V. Reasons to prove God's Omniscience THere are many Reasons may be given to prove God is Omniscient 1. Because God created all things Reas 1. therefore no creature is hid from him but is open and naked before him because all are the works of his hands Now the Rule is this Agentes cum consilio those Agents that do work with counsel do know all their works and what Agent worketh with counsel if the most wise God doth not He makes all things with most deliberate and wise counsel so then for the things themselves God doth fully know them making them by his knowledg and wise counsel he knoweth thee likewise unless thou wilt deny thy self to be his Creature 2. Because there is no action which Reas 2. any creature doth but God cooperates and concurreth with and in the action God enableth natural causes to produce natural actions contingent causes to produce contingent actions free and voluntary agents to produce free and voluntary actions You cannot think a thought you cannot speak a word you cannot do an action without God 'T is the Lord enableth you to lie down to rise up or whatsoever any man doth the Lord enables him to do it yea no wicked man can commit sin act sin either in secret or in publique if God did not uphold him in the act every action as it is an action is from God but the sinfulness or obliquity of it is from the Devil or our selves the Drunkard could not go to an Ale-house nor the Adulterer to the house of the strange woman if God did not uphold them in their actions and motions in Him the worst sinner liveth moveth and hath his being even in the worst action that he goes about Therefore
points that I would draw from hence and handle shall be only these two 1. That the Lord Jehovah doth only Obser 1. subsist of himself and all things subsist by him 2. That the Lord will make good all his promises because he is Jehovaâ— For the first God only subsisteth to speak properly no creature can say I AM absolutely no creature can say I will be but onely God can say I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending which Was and which Is and is to come I will shew the difference between God's subsistence and ours The difference lieth in these things that follow God's subsistence is eternal Thou Differ 1. art God from everlasting to everlasting Psal 90. 2. Before the mountains were brought forth or ever the Earth and the World were formed God had a subsistence and he can subsist if all the world were dissolved again into nothing our subsistence is in time Angels and men that shall live to eternity yet are not from eternity all other suâ—sistent beings shall be turned into nothing God subsisteth independently he Differ 2. depends upon no second causes nor former causes he is All-sufficient his own essence is his own happiness but creatures depend on secondary causes Angels and men and all other creatures depend on him 't is he that continueth all created beings in their being in him we live move and have our being if he command Return ye children of men into dust he turneth them to destruction and they are swallowed up of the grave if he say come again all things shall stand and live before him God subsisteth immutably My Differ 3. name saith he is I AM that is I am the same from eternity to eternity the same yesterday to day and for ever there is not so much as a shadow of change in God There is no encrease or decay in God but he is as holy as just as powerful as merciful as perfect and blessed as ever he was he is God merciful from everlasting to everlasting now the subsistence of the creature is mutable We know there was a mutation among Angels some of them kept not their first estate but left their own habitation Jude v. 6. Man also is a very mutable creature he is subject to many changes we see how all sublunary creatures continue not at one stay but like the Moon sometimes they are in the increase sometimes in the full sometimes in the decrease some creatures as Angels become immutable by participation God keeps and preserves them in their immutable condition God can put an end to all the perfections in the creatures and then change them again God subsisteth immediately by himself Differ 4. without means we do subsist by means and by his blessing upon the means we must eat drink sleep or we cannot long subsist and have a Being in the world The Reason is because the Lord Jehovah hath being from himself therefore he subsisteth by himself and not by any other yea he was from eternity because from no cause therefore independently and immutably because from no first cause but we subsist in time dependently and mutably because we depend on him as the first cause and therefore as God will so we subsist or not subsist According to the presence of the sun so is the light continued in the air if the Sun withdraws his light then darkness covereth the earth because light in the air subsisteth by the presence of the sun so because our life health strength and all the comforts we do enjoy do depend on God and subsist by him according to his presence they stand if he withdraw they soon fall when the sea floweth the rivers swell when the seas ebb the rivers fall so it is with creatures according to the presence or absence of God CHAP. V. THis discovers the folly of all such Vse 1. as set their hearts upon any thing but God that set their hearts upon riches which cannot subsist but take to themselves wings and flie away as an Eagle toward heaven Prov. 23. 5. And as Birds do flye from this tree to that tree so do riches from this house to that house from this man to that man It likewise sheweth the folly of those that set their hearts upon pleasures which are transient and perish in the very use and of those that make flesh their arm put confidence in friends or in the favours of men seeing none of these subsist of themselves but on a suddain perish We see that men do not subsist always sometime their wealth decayeth sometime their favour and love decayeth sometime their beauty decayeth surely then all those that depend upon them do decay with them all outward things are but sandy foundations for us to build all our hopes and comforts upon look over all the creatures and see what creature can say I am that I am I will be what I will be Riches honours pleasures preferments friends cannot say so and therefore it is the greatest folly in the world to set up the creatures that cannot subsist and to neglect God There is a curse pronounced against all those that trust in an arm of flesh and do idolize and deifie creatures and neglect God This may exhort you to trust in the Use 2. Lord Jehovah who onely is and subsisteth by himself who hath said He will never leave thee nor forsake thee Now consider these Motives 1. The Lord Jehovah can give being and doth give being to all things he can create peace comforts mercies health strength friends grace and every good thing he can command loving kindnesse he can command comfort and deliverance to Jacob when he speaks the word all things shall subsist according to thy desire so then let thy condition be what it will if God be thy confidence he can proportion all things to thy condition Art thou in want he can make plenty subsist Art thou poor he can make riches subsist Art thou friendless he can make friends to subsist again Art thou in terrours fears and doubts God can make pardon grace and full assurance of faith to subsist 2 Because God Jehovah as he subsists and gives being so he can continue the being and subsistence of all mercies as far and as long as they shall make for thy good he can make thy health to subsist thy riches to subsist thy strength thy friends thy life it self to subsist all comforts inward and outward spiritual and temporal to subsist for it is God that bears up the world and all the creatures and according to his will and pleasure so shall thy comforts subsist 3. When outward things decay God will subsist God wil subsist immutably when there is a change of conditions fals out as all outward things are perishing unconstant and mutable Jehovah saith I the Lord change not when riches decay God saith I Jehovah am riches c. I AM that is my name so that all decays are made up in
what the Lord Jehovah doth fot thee it is for the best 3. That the Lord performeth his Promises in his own time not in times that we prescribe to him Heb. 4. 16. He will give grace and mercy in a time of need 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in opportunum auxilium for a seasonable aid It is said 2 Cor. 6. 2. In a time accepted have I heard thee and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee Therefore blessed is the man that waiteth always when Gods time begins to dawn then mercy shall shine forth The Israelites did endure a long and sore bondage in Egypt did groan heavily yet Moses came not to deliver them till the appointed time came 4. When God's determinate time is come then he will be made known by his Name Jehovah the Lord is very punctual in the observation of moments days and years as the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt was at the end of 430. years determined before and then Moses came at the fulness of time Christ came in the flesh so in the fulness of time pardon of sin peace of conscience comfort and deliverance shall come or whatsoever it be thou standest in need of When we would have things done in our time the Lord answers us as Christ did his Mother complaining there was no Wine Woman what have I to do with thee mine hour is not yet come Joh. 2. 4. When his hour was come then he turned Water into Wine So when thou art in affliction thou prayest Lord comfort now send deliverance now send assurance now our Saviour answereth My time is not yet come when that is come then will I turn thy Water into Wine then be it unto thee according to thy faith 5. Now the Rule for temporal Promises is though godliness hath an interest title and claim to all the Promises of this life yet the Lord performeth not all the promises of this life to all that are Godly but gives to all that which is good for them Now the goodness of an outward thing lies not in the nature of a mercy as in the conveniency and fitness of the mercy to thy heart Though godly men can lay claim to all Promises yet all godly men have not fit hearts for all Promises As for instance Every godly man hath the promises of Riches of Honours of Long-life but every godly man hath not an heart fit for Riches or Honours Should God give them Riches they would perhaps wax proud careless loose wanton and their hearts being puffed up would make them kick and spurn against God therefore God in his wisdome debarreth them from Riches When godly men put temporal promises in suit in the Court of Request God answereth them as our Saviour answered the Mother of Zebedee's children that desiâ—ed that her two sons might sit one at his right hand the other at his left hand in his Kingdome Ye know not what ye ask can ye be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with So ye may ask for Honours and Riches but ye know not what ye ask saith our Saviour can ye be poor can ye be contented can ye be meek and lowly can ye endure tribulation and persecution for righteousness sake CHAP. IX NOw I proceed to make Application of the Point The first Use shall be for terrour to Vse 1. all such as go on in their sins hearing what the just and faithful God doth threaten The Lord Jehovah is as true faithful and constant in his threatnings as in his promises what he hath spoken shall undoubtedly fall upon the generation of the ungodly he will be made known to the wicked by his name Jehovah in the full execution of his threatnings as in the full performance of his promises to the godly and both in due time As in Heaven all the Saints will put their seals to the Lord's truth and faithfulness in his promises so in Hell all the damned will put to their seals that God is true in his threatnings Lay your ears a while to the gates of Hell and hearken to the howling outcries that the damned Drunkards make crying out to those that were their pot-companions that are yet upon the face of the earth Oh ye swinish Drunkards that are yet living believe what your faithful Ministers say unto you from God it is most true what you have been told that no Drunkard shall inherit the Kingdome of God God hath made himself known to us to be Jehovah faithful in his threatnings to us poor creatures Attend to the howling of the damned in Hell and may ye not hear them cry out to you Hearken ye proud wretches will ye proud creatures see that God resisteth the proud oh look upon us that are turn'd into hell for our pride we see we feel now the cursed fruits of our pride Then will the adulterer and the lustful wanton cry out to their companions here upon earth that went with them to harlots Houses Oh we burned in lust and now we suffer the vengeance of eternal fire the Lord hath now made good his threatnings against us Consider what God speaks of his threatnings in Ezek. 5. 13. 15. Then shall mine anger be accomplished and I will cause my fury to rest upon them and I will be comforted and they shall know that I the Lord or Jehovah have spoken it in my zeal when I have accomplished my fury in them so it shall be a reproach and a taunt an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes then he confirmeth it thus I Jehovah have spoken it Threâ— things I will commend to the consideration of all persons concerning Gods threatnings 1. Consider seriously the Lord who threatens thee he is not a man that he will repent he cannot lie but what his mouth hath uttered shall come to pas if he hath threatned damnation to thee O impenitent sinner damnation shall be thy portion if God hath spoken against such a Nation People or Peâ—son that they shall be pluck't up and destroyed it shall certainly come to pass except they repent 2. Consider how God hath threatned and also executed judgment accoâ—ding to his threâ—tnings upon the woâ—ld the old world was drowned according to his threatenings by his name Jehovah he was made known unto them He hath inflâ—cted his judgments upon the Church the vequintessence of the whole world Jerusalem was threatened Jerusalem was accordingly plagued he hath inflicted Judgments according to his threatnings upon his own children the very quintessence of his Church David a man after Gods own heart felt the force of his threatnings And as for particular persons let drunkards look upon Belshazzer let Adulterers look upon Zimry let all profane persons look upon Esau let Worldlings consider Judas and as our Saviour said to the Jews speaking of the death of those men upon whom the Tower of
he shall have them God will not deceive him he will not promâ—se one thing and give another but what he hath spoken be thou upright toward him he will sincerely make good his word God never did nor can deceive any that put their trust in him So again he is sincere in all his threatnings he will execute upon the ungodly what he denounced against them Doth he threaten damnation to an impenitent wretch then there damnation slumbers not men through ignorance and self love think that God is not and will not be so severe and terrible as his word sets him forth to be but deceive not your selves God is sincere and if he speak the word God is sincere and if he speak the word it shall come to pass 2. Seeing God is most simple Use 2. hence it is that he approveth of all sincere hearts and accepts of all duties where he seeth sincerity he passeth by many imperfections of his servants because he sees they pray they hear they give almes and whatsoever they do they do all in sincerity of heart unto him he hath promised to be a shield and sun to them who walk uprightly Psal 84. 11. A shield to preserve those that are sincere and simple in heart a sun to comfort and refresh them And indeed 't is all the comfort of the Godly that whatsoever they do to God and for God is in simplicity of heart 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity c. We have had our conversation in the World Though many imperfections and infirmities may adhere to the best duties of upright men yet if conscience testifie to thee thou dost them in simplicity and sincerity of heart here is thy rejoycing uprightness breeds boldness and heavenly joy Hence it is that he abhors all hypocrites in whose heart and performances there is abundance of fraud and guil who have as the Psalmist speaks an heart and an heart a double heart because such persons are most opposite and contrary to his most simple nature therefore he throws away all duties of hypocrites how glorious soever they are to outward shew to publique view as so many abominations as hateful things in his sight for want of simplicity and sincerity of heart which he looks into When we go to duty the Lord speaks as Jehu to Jehonadab is thy heart right plain and simple as mine is then give thee mine hand then pray and I will hear thee then I will accept of all that thou dost but if thy heart be false double full of fraud and guile then bring no more vain oblations your incense your prayers are an aâ—omination to me who am a most simple God upright sincere Sincerity is the life and soul of all our works without which how beautiful soever our works are in the eyes of men they are stinking and abominable in the eyes of God as loathsome in God's eyes as stinking and putrifying carcasses are in ours many splendid performances doth God reject when not done with a perfect heart 3. Seeing God is most simple let Use 3. us strive after simplicity and singleness of heart our simplicity is our sincerity and singleness of heart 't is our perfection 't is our conformity to God What is it to do things in simplicity Quest of heart An heart is said to be simple when Sol. it proposeth one object or end to it self and a double heart when it proposeth a double end or object as when a man proposeth God and himself for his ends God's glory and his own credit and esteem among men to give alms to pray preach hear to aim at himself and God together such an one is an hypocrite and God abhorreth his works But singleness of heart proposeth none but God for his end and object onely I will do such and such good works saith a sincere soul in obedience to God's command that God may be glorified and I rejoyce in my performances as in that which is well-pleasing to him To this purpose consider these Motives 1. 'T is the highest perfection of our works and persons that we are sincere There is no possibility for us to attain to a perfection of degrees but to sincerity in this life 2. The more single in heart and sincere thou art in all duties the more doest thou grow in a conformity to God who is most simple 3. Sincerity and simplicity like love covereth abundance of infirmities and imperfections in our performances Though Satan should feed thee with a thousand suggestions in thy duties yet if Conscience shall give thee this testimony that thou didst them in simplicity of heart thou hast matter of rejoycing 4. It is the highest perfection of glorified Saints in Heaven to be simple and sincere for though neither Angels nor Saints shall have simple beings yet then and there they shall be without the mixture of all hypocrisie and guile they shall be perfectly holy pure upright they shall delight wholly in God and purely love him Admire God's simplicity and give Use 4. him the glory of this most glorious Property of his that he is so pure that there is not in his nature the least mixture of pollution nor the least tincture of defilement he is so holy that he is holiness onely totaliter sanctus wholly and altogether holy A Discourse of the Eternity of God Deut. 33. 27. The eternal God is thy Refuge CHAP. I. THis Chapter as ye may see by the Contents contains three things 1. The Majesty of the God of Israel from the first to the sixth verse 2 The Blessings of the twelve Tribes of Israel from vers 6. to v. 26. Then 3. from the 26. to the end he sheweth the Excellency of Israel above all Nations this belongeth to all the twelve Tribes and not to any one in particular above the other Their Excellency lies in these things 1. That God is the God of Israel vers 26. he is called the God of Jesâ—run 2. That God is for their help and Râ—â—uge Other Nations had their imagined tutelar gods which could not help nor protect them but the true and onely God was Israel's Protector there 's no Protector like to him From this two excellent blessings follow 1. Victory over their Enemies because God is their help and refuge and his everlasting arms uphold them The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and say Destroy them 2. Besides their safety the Heaven from above should drop down blessings upon them and the Earth should yield plenty to them because God is their God Israel then shall dwell in safety alone the fountain of Jacob sâ—â—ll be upon a land of corn and wine also his heaven shall drop down dew Vers 28. Then Moses breaks forth into a gratulatory exclamation Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee vers
the Saints are their spiritual warfare against the Enemies of Christ's Kingdome Consider this the Saints are never conquered though they suffer the spoiling of ther goods the loss of their lives and liberties While the ship is in a storm we cannot say 't is cast away but when it is split upon a rock and men and goods are sunk in the Sea So it is with Christians while they are in storms they are not cast away but when they make shipwrack of Faith Oh the dominion and power of God over the Enemies malice and a Christians heart that he is not cast away in such storms CHAP. VI. NOw as God's dominion and power so likewise his glory is eternal 1 Tim. 1. 17. the Apostle ascribes it to him Here I will give general Reasons for all 1. Because as God is from everlasting Reas 1. to everlasting Psal 90. 2. so whatsoever is in God is from everlasting to everlasting his dominion his power and glory all his prerogatives and properties are from everlasting to everlasting if his mercy enduseth for ever then his glory will endure for ever so his justice his power and all his divine excellencies being but the divine nature and essence endure for ever his glory then must endure for ever God is glorified in Heaven by his Saints because his mercy endureth for ever he is likewise glorified in Hell because his justice endureth for ever 2. Because God is absolutely independing Reas 2. above all things whatsoever therefore his dominion power and glory and all his divine excellencies are from eternity to eternity What is the reason that all the excellencies in the Creatures are not from eternity it is because they are depending and all came from an external cause Why are the Creatures and created excellencies mutable and fading It is because they depend upon that external cause and according to his withdrawing or putting forth his influence so the creatures do flourish or wither But God's dominion power and glory are originally from himself and not derivatively from an external cause therefore without beginning because he had none and shall have no end because there is none can put an end to his power and dominion 'T is by this eternal King that all earthly Kings do reign and from him they receive honour dominion power and riches and therefore at his pleasure they shall cast down their Crowns and Scepters before him but God reigneth by himself and hath his dominion power and glory in himself and from himself therefore it is from eternity to eternity In the last place the thoughts of this should wonderfully quicken us up to get an interest in this eternal and omnipotent King of glorious state Why do ye spend your days in the pursuit of perishing vanities Suppose you had a Kingdome in this world all the treasures riches strength and all the glory of an earthly Kingdome 't is somewhat that would perhaps make your hearts to overflow with joy and pride yet 't is nothing in comparison of an interest in God An earthly Kingdome is not for ever earthly Princes die like ordinary men then all their earthly honours pleasures treasures and riches die with them the World it self had a beginning and so shall have an end then shall all the glory of the world pass away but God is for ever his Kingdome power and glory are eternal therefore in getting an eternal God you shall obtain an eternal Kingdome and eternal glory Be you Judges whether it be not better to be godly how miserable soever for the present and to be glorious and happy in the enjoying of an eternal God for ever or to be rich potent and glorious in this present world and to be destroyed from the presence of God for ever Lay to heart these things Thy time is drawing nigh when all thy worldly pomp power riches honour credit esteem among the Rich in the world will be at an end if you neglect a diligent seeking after an eternal good what will ye do when your power and glory and esteem and riches shall fail and you have no interest in this God of eternal power and glory Wo unto you when you shall be thrown out of the world shut out of the Kingdom of God and be both thrown and trodden down for enemies into the burning prison to suffer the everlasting vengeance of the eternal King of glory A Discourse of Gods Infiniteness and Incomprehensibility 1 Kings 8. 27. But will God indeed dwell on the earth Behold the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee c. CHAP. I. THese words are part of the preface of Solomon's prayer which he made at the dedication of the Temple in which he sets out the incomparable excellency of God ver 23. And he said Lord God of Israel there is no God like to thee in heaven above or earth beneath who keepest Covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart Secondly he sets forth the admirable faithfulness of God in keeping covenant and performing promises ver 24. 25. Who hast kept with thy servant David that thou promised'st him thou spakest also wiih thy mouth and hast fulfilled it with thy hand as it is this day therefore now O Lord God of Israel keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him c. In this verse he sets forth the incomprehensibleness and infinitenesse of his Majesty I shall a little explain the words before I handle the attribute from them But will God indeed dwel on the earth God is said to dwel in heaven per praesentiam gloriae by the presence of his glory because in heaven he sets out the fulness of his glory to the view of Angels and Saints He dwelleth in his Saints per praesentiam gratiae by his grace in their hearts He dweleth in his ordinances so he is said to dwel at Jerusalem because in and by his ordinances he communicateth himself to his people He dweleth every where by his essence and power in heaven earth hell These words shew that God dwels not in earth and much less in that Temple circumscriptivè as if so limited in one place as that he is no where else as bodily things are for here Solomon sheweth that God's essence is infinite and incomprehensible Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens c. the highest heavens are of a most vast circumference and capacity and yet the heaven of heavens cannot comprehend the infinite essence of God so that his argument is a majori ad minus from the greater to the les if the highest and largest heavens cannot contain God much less this house which he had built which is of a far less capacity than the earth CHAP. II. Observ HEnce I note that God is an infinite and incomprehensible being here in the first place I will briefly shew what it is to be infinite for dâ—stinction of infinitenesse take one for all There is a
Stephen that his heart was full of the holy Ghost but of Ananias it is said that Satan had filled his heaâ—t Act. 5. A wicked man is full of the devil and in this respect God is said to know the wicked afar off he looketh on them and all that they do as hateful abominations They are said to be withouâ— Christ and without God in this world So thâ—ugh God be present to the wicked and in the wicked yet he dwells not in them the presence of his essence notes not God's dwelling but his dwelling is the efficacious work of his sanctifying and quickning spirit his supping with his Saints 3. If God be every where present Quest 3. then how is it said that God departs from us and comes unto us God doth not depart and come Sol in respect of his essence but in respect of his efficacy or working God is said to draw nigh to his servants when he gives them the sense of his gracious presence the comfortable sense of his favour and quickning their hearts to run the way of Gods commandements and vouchsaâ—ing his pâ—esence with them in duties God departeth from his servants wheâ— he withdraws the presence of his â—avour the senâ—â— of his grace and the quickning veâ—â—ud of his spirit upon which follows â—â—sâ—â—al â—ears horrour and sadnesse of heart and then their â—â—uls like Pharaoh's wheels drive heavily in duâ—â—â—s when God thus deaâ—eth with his servants he is said to hide himself and to cast them out of his presence Again God is said to draw nigh to the wicked when he knocks at the doors of their souls by the motions of his spiâ—â—t for entrance or when he breaks open the door and cometh in and casteth out Satan and changeth their heart And he is said to depart from the wicked when his Spirit ceaseth to strive with them any longer and leaveth them in their hardnesse and and blindness â—o be blinded and hardened more and gives them up to their lusts and to Satan and to be ruled and swayed by them 4. How is it said that Cain went Quest 4. out from the presence of the Lord seeing God is present every where There is a double presence of God Solâ— his Universal presence his special presence his universal presence the presence of hiâ— essence Cain could not nor can any man â—â—y from but as to his special presence among his saiâ—â—s and in his ordinanâ—es so Cain went from God's presence â—â— when he left society with Adam he forsook the presence of God in the Assembly of his Saints he forsook the Church and worship of God the place where he dwelleth thus every man that absents himself from the communion of Saints in publique worship goes out from the presence of the Lord As often as any one purposely absenteth himself from the hearing of the word and the publick worship he goes from the presence of God hence the publick worship and the coming to the ordinances are called our appearing before God Psal 84. 7. this is called the face of God anâ— the beauty of the Lord Psal 27 4. CHAP. VII 1. THis sheweth the sottish Atheism Vse 1. of many wicked persons who if they can sin in secret from the sight of mortal men promise themselves security and safety from punishment perswading themselves that the immortal eye of the holy God who cannot endure to behold sin can no more see them in thee dark or in secret than the mortal eyes of man Oh tremble rather for here is matter of terrour to such your sins and your persons are always before God he seeth thy secret sins acted in thy bosome thy heart-pride thy heart covetousness thy heart-adultery thy heart-murther as well as the outward act he sees thy filthy thoughts as well as thy filthy actions and heareth every word spoken by thee Thy sins committed in the dark at midnight are all open to him as thy sins committed at noon day in the face of the sun thy sins acted in the most secret place that can be found are open before him as well as Absoloâ—s adultery acted on the house top as 't is said of Nimrod he was a mighty hunter before the Lord so of the secret Adulterer the speculative adulterer he is a mighty adulterer before the Lord so of the secret drunkard he is a mighty drunkard before the Lord therefore in vain do men dig deep to hide their counsels from him in vain doth the Adulteresse wipe her mouth and say she hath done no evil seeing all that men or women think speak or do in publick in secret at midnight and at noon is before the Lord who is more than a thousand eye-witnesses more then if thou shouldst act sin upon a publique Stage in open market Then if thy sins be acted before God never imagine thou art free from vengeance thy person is always before the sin-revenging God who will not acquit the guilty but be sure O sinner his vengeance will pursue thee and overtake thee and never leave till it hath destroyed thee with an everlasting destruction as the Prophet speaketh of an impossibility of escaping his presence the like may be said of his wrath neither shall the wicked flie from his wrath though the wicked be hid from his fight in the bottom of the Sea thence the Lord saith he will command the Serpent and it shall bite them and though they go into captivity before their enemies thence he saith he will command the sword and it shall slay them Amos. 9. 3. 4 God will command this and that Plague to destroy them he that fills Heaven and earth with his Essence is able to fill all sinful places with his wrath 2. The consideration of Gods Omnipresence Use 2. should be a Curb to restrain and keep us back from committing sin we cannot sin but in his presence if it were possible for thee to find out a place where God is not then and there thou might'st take liberty to sin and there thou maist commit folly securely but dic ubi non est Deus said the Philosopher to one who asked Where is God Tell me saith he where God is not It was a Philosophers advice to some That if they would keep themselves from Vanity and Folly they should alwayes imagine some severe Cato were beholding them he had well said if he had counselled them to have set God alwayes before their eyes What preserved Joseph from yielding to the adulterous Temptations of his unchaste Mistress having a fair opportunity to act in secret How shall I do this wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. As if he had said Though my Master and all his Servants behold us not yet God whom I fear and serve beholdeth me how shall I sin in his presence If we did reason thus with our selves we should vanquish temptations and though we have the fairest opportunities to commit sin yet we should stand in awe of him and not