Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

:

[ocr errors]

purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not 'look on iniquity.' His Juftice is the perfect Rectitude of his Nature, whereby he is juft in himself, and in all his Ways towards the Creature: Deut, xxxii. 4. He is the Rock, his work is per'fect for all his ways are judgment: a God of 'truth, and without iniquity, juft and right is he.' It is not confiftent with his Nature, to let Sin pafs unpunished: 2 Theff. i. 6. It is a righteous thing 'with God, to recompenfe tribulation to them that trouble you.' Compared with Gen. xviii. 25. That be far from thee to do after this man'ner, to flay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous fhould be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?' His Goodness is that whereby he is good in himself, and the Author of all Good to be found in or about the Creature: Matth. xix. 17. There is none good but one, that is, God.' His Goodness is confiftent with his Severity against the Wicked, in that it is the Property of Goodness to hate and punish Sin: Exod. xxxiii. 19.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

And

he faid, I will make all my goodness pafs before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord be'fore thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will fhew mercy on whom I will Thew mercy. Compared with Chap. xxxiv. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and tranfgreffion, and fin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.' And it is confiftent with the Afflictions laid on his own People, in that they flow from his Goodness: Job v. 6. Affliction cometh not forth of the duft, neither 'doth trouble fpring out of the ground.' And they tend to their Good: Pfal. cxix. 71.

[ocr errors]

It is

good

good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy ftatutes.' His Truth is that whereby he is perfectly faithful, and free from all Falsehood, Tit. i. 2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lye, promised before the world 'began.'

Queft. 5. Are there more Gods than one?

Auf. There is but One only, the living and true God.

EXPLICATION.

God is called the living God, to distinguish him from dead Idols; and the true God, to diftinguish him from all falfe Gods. Theff. i. 9. Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God.' He is the living God, in that all Life is in him, and from him, 1 Tim. vi. 13.

[ocr errors]

God,

who quickeneth all things. To be the true God, is to be God truly and really; and not in Name only, or in the Opinion of Men. Now, there is but one true God: 1 Cor. viii. 4, We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.' And Reafon teaches, that there can be no more than one, in that there can be but one most perfect Being. So the gods many, mentioned 1 Cor. viii. 5. are Gods in Name only, or in the Opinion of their blinded Worshippers.

Queft. 6. How many Perfons are there in the Godhead?

Anf.

Anf. There are three Perfons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft: And these three are one God, the fame in Subftance, equal in Power and Glory.

EXPLICATION.

A

By the Godhead is meant the divine Nature. Perfon in the Godhead, is the Godhead distinguished by perfonal Properties. The Godhead is one only in Number: But the Perfons in the Godhead are three; and they are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft: 1 John v. 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the "Word, and the Holy Ghoft and these three · are one. Jefus Chrift is the second of these Perfons, namely, the Son. And the Father is true God: The Son is true God: And the Holy Ghoft is true God. Yet they are not three Gods, but one God, 1 John v. 7. forecited. Howbeit, the Godhead neither is, nor can be divided into Parts: But each of the three Perfons hath the one whole indivisible Godhead. They are not then of a like Subftance only, but the very fame in Substance. But they are diftinguished by their perfonal Properties. And it is the perfonal Property of the Father, to beget the Son Heb. i. 5. For unto which of the angels faid he at any time, Thou " art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall 'be to me a Son?' And it is the perfonal Property of the Son, to be begotten of the Father: John

1

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

i. 14.
The Word was made flesh, and dwelt a-
mong us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of
the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and
'truth.' And it is the perfonal Property of the
Holy Ghost, to proceed from the Father and the
Son: John xv. 26. But when the Comforter is
6 come, whom I will fend unto you from the Fa
ther, even the Spirit of truth, which proceed-
eth from the Father, he shall testify of me.' Gal.
iv. 6. And because ye are fons, God hath sent
forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, cry-
ing, Abba, Father.' The Son and the Holy
Ghost are not below the Father, but equal with
him They are all equally powerful and glorious.
So the perfonal Properties make no Inequality a-
mong them; forafmuch as thefe Properties are
not temporary and accidental, but eternal and ne-
ceffary, and could not but be: And every one of
the three Perfons, is the eternal, the fupreme, the
moft high God. This appears, in that to the Son
and the Holy Ghoft, as well as to the Father, is
afcribed the peculiar Name of the true God, the
Moft High: If. vi. 3. And one cried unto ano-

ther, and faid, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hofts, the whole earth is full of his glory?? John xii. 41. These things faid Efaias, when he faw his glory, and spake of him.' Acts xxviii. 25. 26. And when they agreed not among themfelves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well fpake the Holy Ghost by Efaias the prophet, unto our fathers, faying, &c. Pfal. İxxxiii. 18. That men may know, that thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Moft High over all the earth.' And his Attributes are afcribed to them: Rev. i. 8. I am Al

'

[ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

7.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

.

pha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, faith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.' Pfal. cxxxix. 'Whither fhall I go from thy Spirit? or whither fhall I flee from thy prefence?' Likewife his Works: John i. 3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made "that was made.' Matth. xii. 28. But if I caft out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of "God is come unto you.' And also his Worship: "Heb. i. 8. But unto the Son he faith, Thy throne, 'O God, is for ever and ever; a fceptre of righ"teousness is the fceptre of thy kingdom.' Matth. 'xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'

[ocr errors]

Queft. 7. What are the Decrees of God?

Anf. The Decrees of God are, his eternal Purpose, according to the Counsel of his Will, whereby, for his own Glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pafs.

EXPLICATION.

By the Decrees of God is meant his Purpose foreordaining what fhould come to pafs. God hath foreordained in his Decrees, whatsoever comes to pass: Eph. i. 11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predeftinated ' according

« AnteriorContinuar »