8 the Godhead, man's salvation cannot be wrought out; if there be no second person in the Trinity, then there is no redeemer; if no third person, then there is no comforter. And so the plank is taken away by which we should get to heaven. 2. It confutes the execrable opinion of the Socinians, who deny the Divinity of the Lord Jesus; they make him only to be a creature of a higher rank. As the Papists blot out the second commandment, so the Socinians would the second person in the Trinity. If to oppose Christ's members be such a sin, what is it to oppose Christ himself? (1). Jesus Christ is co-equal with God the Father, Phil. ii. 6, "He thought it no robbery to be equal with God." (2). He is co-eternal with God the Father, Prov. viii. 23, "I was from the beginning;" for else there was a time when God was without a Son, and so he should be no Father; nay, else there was a time when God was without his glory, for Christ is the brightness of his Father's glory, Heb. i. 3. (3). He is co-essential with God the Father. The Godhead subsists in Christ, Col. ii. 9, "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." It is said, not only Christ was with God' before the beginning, but he was God,' John i. 1, and 1 Tim. iii. 16, God manifest in the flesh.' The title of Lord, so often given to Christ, in the New Testament, doth answer to the title of Jehovah in the Old Testament, Deut. vi. 5. Matt. xxii. 37: so that Christ hath a co-eternity, and con-substantiality with his Father, John x. 30, "I and my Father are one." It were blasphemy for any angel to speak thus. Yet further, to prove Christ's Godhead, consider 1st, The glorious incommunicable attributes belonging to God the Father are ascribed to Christ. 1. Is God the Father omnipotent? So is Jesus Christ. He is the Almighty, Rev. i. 8; he creates, Col. i. 16. 2. Is God the Father infinitely immense, filling all places? Jer. xxiii. 24, so is Jesus Christ. While Christ was on the earth by his bodily presence, he was at the same time in the bosom of the Father, John iii. 13, in regard of his divine presence. 2dly, The same jura regalia, or prerogatives royal, which belong to God the Father, be long also to Christ: 1. Doth God the Father seal pardons, this is a flower of Christ's crown, Matt. ix. 2, "Thy sins be forgiven thee." Nor doth Christ only remit sin organice, as ministers do, by virtue of a power delegated to them from God; but Christ doth it by his own power and authority.-2. Is God the Father the adequate object of faith? Is he to be believed in? So is his Son, John xiv. 1-3. Doth adoration belong to God the Father? So it doth to the Son, Heb. i. 6, "Let all the angels of God worship him." How sacrilegious therefore is the Socinian, who would rob Christ of the best flower of his crown, his Godhead? They that deny Christ to be God, must greatly wrest, or else deny the scripture to be the word of God. 3. It confutes the Arians, who deny the Holy Ghost to be God. The eternal Godhead subsists in the Holy Ghost, John xvi. 13, "He will guide you into all truth." Christ speaks not there of an attribute, but of a person; and that the Godhead subsists in the person of the Holy Ghost, appears thus: the Spirit, who gives diversity of gifts, is said to be the same Lord, and the same God, 1 Cor. xii. 5, 6. The black and unpardonable sin is said in a special manner to be committed against the Godhead subsisting in the Holy Ghost, Matt. xii. 32. The mighty power of God is made mani fest by the Holy Ghost; he changeth the hearts of men. The devil would have Christ prove himself to be God, by turning stones into bread; but thus the Holy Ghost shows his Godhead, by turning stones into flesh, Ezek. xxxvi. 26, "I will take away the stony heart; and give you a heart of flesh." Yet further, the power and Godhead of the Holy Ghost appeared in the effecting the glorious conception of our Lord Jesus Christ; the very shadow of the Holy Ghost made a virgin conceive, Luke i. 35. The Holy Ghost works miracles, which transcend the sphere of nature; as raising the dead, Rom. viii. 11. To him belongs divine worship, our souls and bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. vi. 19, in which temples he is to be worshipped, v. 20. We are baptized in the name of the Holy Ghost; therefore either we must believe his Godhead, or renounce our baptism in his name. Methinks, it were enough for such men as have not so much as heard whether there be a Holy Ghost, Acts xix. 2, to deny his Deity; but that any who go for Christians, should deny this article of their creed, seems to me very strange. They who would wittingly and willingly blot out the third person, shall have their names blotted out of the book of life. and take away that corner-stone, on which the hope of our salvation is built.-2dly, If there be one God subsisting in three persons, then let us give, (1). Equal reverence to all the persons in the Trinity. There is not more or less in the Trinity; the Father is not more God than the Son and Holy Ghost. There is an order in the Godhead, but no degrees; one person hath not a majority or Use 2. Of exhortation. 1st, Believe this supereminency above another, therefore we doctrine, the Trinity of persons in the unity must give equal worship to all the Persons: of essence. The Trinity is purely an object John v. 23, "That all men should honour of faith; the plumb-line of reason is too short the Son, even as they honour the Father." to fathom this mystery; but where reason Adore Unity in Trinity.-3dly, Obey all the cannot wade, there faith must swim. There Persons in the blessed Trinity, for all of are some truths in religion may be demon- them are God. 1. Obey God the Father; his strated by reason, as that there is a God; words, either perceptive or minatory, must but the Trinity of persons in the Unity of be observed. Christ himself, as man, obeyed essence is wholly supernatural, and must be God the Father, John iv. 34, much more then believed by faith. This sacred doctrine, must we, Deut. xxvii. 10.-2. Obey God the though it be not against reason, yet it is Son, Ps. ii. 12, "Kiss the Son, lest he be above reason. Those illuminated philoso- angry?" Kiss him with a kiss of obedience; phers, that could find out the causes of Christ's commands are not grievous, 1 John things, and discourse of the magnitude and v. 3. Nothing he commands but is for our influence of the stars,-the nature of mine-interest and benefit. O then kiss the Son! rals, could never, by their deepest search, Why do the elders throw down their crowns find out the mystery of the Trinity: this is at the feet of Christ, and fall down before of divine revelation, and must be adored with the Lamb? Rev. iv. 10, 11, but to testify humble believing. We can be no good Chris- their subjection, and to profess their readitians, without the firm belief of the Trinity.ness to serve and obey him.-3. Obey God How can we pray to God the Father, but in the Holy Ghost. Our souls are breathed the name of Christ, and through the help of into us by the glorious Spirit, Job xxxiii. 4, the Spirit? Believe the glorious Trinity. "The Spirit of God hath made me." Our How are the Quakers to be abhorred, who souls are adorned by the blessed Spirit, every go under the name of Christians, yet under-grace is a divine sparkle lighted in the soul value and renounce Jesus Christ. I have by the Holy Ghost. Nay, more, the Spirit read of some of the Quakers, who speak of God sanctified Christ's human nature; he thus: "We deny the person of him whom united it with the divine, and fitted the Man you call Christ, and affirm, That they who Christ to be our Mediator. Well then doth expect to be saved by that Christ without this third person in the Trinity, the Holy works, will be damned in that faith?" Could Ghost, deserve to be obeyed; he is God, and the devil himself speak worse blasphemy? this tribute of homage and obedience is to be: They would pull up all religion by the roots, paid him by us. OF THE CREATION. QUEST. VII. What are the decrees of purpose, according to the counsel of his will, God? whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreANS. The decrees of God are his eternal ordained whatsoever shall come to pass. I should now come to speak concerning sider, 1. God made the world without any the decrees of God, but I have already spoken pre-existent matter. This is the difference something to this under the attribute of God's between generation and creation. In generaimmutability. God is unchangeable in his tion there is materia habilis et disposita,essence, and he is unchangeable in his de- some matter to work upon; but in creation crees; his counsel shall stand; he hath de- there is no pre-existent matter. God brought creed the issue of all things, and carries them all this glorious fabric of the world out of the on to their period by his providence; and womb of nothing. We see our beginning, therefore I shall proceed to the execution of it was of nothing. Some brag of their birth his decrees. and ancestry; you see how little cause they QUEST. VIII. The next question is, What have to boast, they came of nothing. is the work of creation? ANs. It is God's making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, &c.-Gen. i. 1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." The creation is glorious to behold,—it is a pleasant and fruitful study. Some think that Isaac, when he went abroad into the fields to meditate, it was in the book of the creatures. The creation is the heathen man's Bible,the plowman's primer,—the traveller's perspective glass, through which he receives the species and representation of those infinite excellencies which are in God. The creation is a large volume in which God's works are bound up; and this volume hath three great leaves in it, heaven, earth, and sea. 66 2. God made the world with a word. When Solomon had to build a temple, he needed many workmen, and they all had tools to work with, but God wrought without tools, Ps. xxxiii. 6, By the word of the Lord were the heavens made." The disciples wondered that Christ could with a word calm the sea, Matt. viii. 26, 27. But it was more with a word to make the sea. 3. God made all things at first very good, Gen. i. 31, no defect or deformity. The creation came out of God's hands a curious piece; it was a fair copy, without any blot, written with God's own fingers, Ps. viii. 3. So perfect was God's work. II. The adorning of the world. 1. God made this great lump and mass,-rudis inThe author of the creation is God, so it is digeslaque moles, and then beautified it, and in the text, God created.' The world was put it into a dress. He divided the sea and created in time, and could not be from eter- the earth, he decked the earth with flowers, nity, as Aristotle thought. The world must the trees with fruit; but what is beauty have a maker, it could not make itself. If when it is masked over? Therefore, that one should go into a far country, and see we might behold this glory, God made the stately edifices there, he would never imagine light. The heavens were bespangled with that these could build themselves, but that the sun, moon, and stars, that so the world's there had been some artificer there to raise beauty might be beheld and admired. God, such goodly structures; so this great fabric in the creation, began with things less noble of the world could not create itself, it must and excellent, vegetables and sensitives; and have some builder or maker, and that is God; then the rational creatures, angels and men. "In the beginning God created." To imagine Man was the most exquisite piece in the that the work of the creation was not framed creation. He is a microcosm, or little world. by the Lord Jehovah, is as if we should con- Man was made with deliberation and counceive a curious landscape to be drawn with-sel, Gen. i. 26, "Let us make man." It is out the hand of a limner: Acts xvii. 24, "God that made the world and all things therein." In the work of creation there are two things to be considered: I. The making. II. The adorning of it. I. The making of the world. Here con the manner of artificers to be more than ordinary accurate, when they are about their master-pieces. Man was to be the masterpiece of this visible world, therefore God did consult about the making of so rare a piece. A solemn council of the sacred persons in the Trinity was called, "Let us make man, and let us make him in our own image." On the king's coin his image or effigies is stampt; so God stampt his image on man, and made him partake of many divine qualities. I shall speak, 1. Of the parts of man's body. (1). The head, the most excellent architectonical part, it is the fountain of spirits, and the seat of reason. In nature the head is the best piece, but in grace the heart excels. (2). The eye, it is the beauty of the face; it shines and sparkles like a lesser sun in the body. The eye occasions much sin, and therefore well may it have tears in it. (3). The ear, which is the conduit-pipe through which knowledge is conveyed. Better lose our seeing than our hearing, for "faith cometh by hearing," Rom. x. 17. To have an ear open to God, is the best jewel on the car. (4). The tongue. David calls the tongue his glory, Ps. xvi. 9, because it is an instrument to set forth the glory of God; the soul at first was a viol in tune to praise God, and the tongue did make the music. God hath given us two ears, but one tongue, to show that we should be swift to hear, but slow to speak. God hath set a double fence before the tongue, the teeth and the lips, to teach us to be wary that we offend not with our tongue. (5). The heart, this is a noble part, and seat of life. 2. The Soul of man; this is the man of the man. Man, in regard of his soul, partakes with the angels; nay, as Plato saith, The understanding, will, and conscience, are a glass that resemble the Trinity. The soul is the diamond in the ring; the soul is a vessel of honour; God himself is served in this vessel. It is a sparkle of celestial brightness, saith Damascene. If David did so admire the rare contexture and workmanship of his body, Ps. cxxxix. 14, 15, "I am wonderfully made, I was curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth,"-if the cabinet be so curiously wrought, what is the jewel? How richly is the soul embroidered? Thus you see how glorious a work the creation is, and man especially, who is the epitome of the world. QUEST. But why did God make the world? ANS. 1. Negatively: Not for himself: he did not need it, being infinite. He was happy L before the world was, in reflecting upon his own sublime excellencies and perfections. 2. God did not make the world to be a place of mansion for us, we are not to abide here for ever. Heaven is the mansion-house, John xiv. 2. The world is only a passageroom to eternity; the world is to us as the wilderness was to Israel, not to rest in, but to travel through to the glorious Canaan. The world is a dressing-room to dress our souls in, not a place where we are to stay for ever. The apostle tells us of the world's funeral, 2 Pet. iii. 10, "The elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up." A. 2. Positively: God made the world to demonstrate his own glory. The world is a looking-glass in which we may see the power and goodness of God shine forth: "The heavens declare the glory of God," Ps. xix. 1. The world is like a curious piece of arras or tapestry, in which we may see the skill and wisdom of him that made it. Use 1. Did God create this world? This convinceth us of the truth of his Godhead; to create is proper to à Deity, Acts xvii. 24. This convinced Plato of a Deity, when he saw all the world could not make a fly. Thus God proves himself to be the true God, and distinguisheth himself from idols, Jer. x. 11. It is written in Chaldee, "Thus shall ye say to them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish." Who but God can create? The creation is enough to convince the heathen that there is a God. There are two books out of which God will judge and condemn the heathen, viz. the book of Conscience, Rom. ii. 15, "Who have the law written in their heart ;" and the book of the Creation, Rom. i. 20, "The invisible things of him are clearly seen by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." The world is full of emblems and hieroglyphics; every star in the sky,-every bird that flies in the air,--is a witness against the heathen. A creature could not make itself. Use 2. Here is a mighty support for faith, God creates. He that made all things with a word, what cannot he do?. He can create strength in weakness; he can create a sup ply of our wants. What a foolish question driving man out of paradise, v. 24, "So he was that, Ps. lxxviii. 19, “Can he prepare a drove out the man." God at first brought table in the wilderness?" Cannot he that Adam into paradise, as into a house ready made the world do much more? Ps. cxxiv. 8, furnished, or as a king into his throne, Gen. "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who i. 28, "Have dominion over every living thing made heaven and earth." Rest on this God that moveth;" now God's driving Adam out of for help, who made heaven and earth." The paradise, signified his dethroning and banishwork of creation, as it is a monument of ing him, that he might look after a heavenly God's power, so it is a stay to faith. Is thy and a better paradise.-5. A fifth fruit of the heart hard; he can with a word create soft-curse was death, v. 19, "To dust thou shalt Is it unclean, he can create purity? return." Death was not natural to Adam, it Ps. li. 10, “Create in me a clean heart, O came in after sin. Josephus is of opinion, man God!" Is the church of God low, he can should have died though he had a longer term create Jerusalem a praise, Isa. lxv. 18. No of years added to his life; but out of question, such golden pillar for faith to stay upon, as death grew out of the root of sin; the apostle a creating power. saith, Rom. v. 12, "By sin came death." See then how cursed a thing sin is, that hath brought so many curses upon the creation. If we will not hate sin for its deformity, let us hate it for the curse it brings. ness. Use 3. Did God make this world full of beauty and glory, every thing very good, then, what an evil thing is sin, that hath put out of frame the whole creation! Sin hath much eclipsed the beauty, soured the sweetness, and marred the harmony of the world. How bitter is that gall, a drop whereof can embitter a whole sea? Sin hath brought vanity and vexation into the world, yea, a curse. God cursed the ground for man's sake, Gen. iii. There were several fruits of the curse.-1. "In sorrow shalt thou eat of it," ver. 17. By that word sorrow, is to be understood all the troubles and cares of this life.-2. "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread," v. 19. In innocency Adam did till the ground, (he must not live idly) but it was rather a delight than a labour; that tilling was without toiling. The eating in sorand the sweat of the brow, came in after sin.—3. “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth," v. 18. row, QUEST. Whether in innocency did not the earth bear thorns, because it is threatened as a punishment } ANS. It is likely it did bear thorns; for, when God had done creating, he made no new species or kinds of things; but the meaning is, Now, after sin the earth should bring forth more plenty of thorns, and now those thorns should be hurtful, and choke the corn, which hurtful quality was not in them before. Ever since the fall, all the comforts of this life have a thorn and a thistle in them. 4. The fourth fruit of the curse was the Use 4. Did God make this glorious world? Did he make every thing good? Was there in the creature so much beauty and sweetness? Oh! then what sweetness is there in God? Quicquid efficit tale, illud est magis tale,— the cause is always more noble than the effect. Think with yourselves, is there so much excellency in house and lands, then how much more is there in God, that made these! Is there beauty in a rose? What beauty then is there in Christ, the rose of Sharon! Doth oil make the face shine? Ps. civ. 15. How will the light of God's countenance make it shine! Doth wine cheer the heart? O what virtue is there in the true vine! How doth the blood of this grape cheer the heart! Is the fruit of the garden sweet? how delicious are the fruits of the Spirit! Is a gold mine so precious? how precious is he who founded this mine! What is Christ, in whom are hid all treasures? Col. ii. 3. We should ascend from the creature to the Creator. If there be any comfort here below, how much more is there in God, who made all these things! How unreasonable is it, that we should delight in the world, and not much more in him that made it? How should our hearts be set on God, and how should we long to be with God, who hath infinitely more sweetness in him, than any creature! Use 5. Of Exhortation. 1. Did God |