Bates - BT766 B3 1699

146 Spiritual Per fecction. 4. God reveals himfelf to us in Scrip- ture by Humane Expreffions, according to our Capacity of receiving the Know- ledge of Divine things : and we are to underfland them in their apparent fenfe, unlefs the precife litteral: fenfe containsan evident Contradiction to what is cer- tainly known by Reafon, and difparag- ing the Divine PerfeEions The fure Rule of interpreting them, is to feparate whatever is defeaive in them, and ap- ply them to God in the highefl degree of PerfeEtion. We read of the Hands and Eyes of God in Scripture, which fignifie the perfeaion of God's Know- ledge and Power : they are the Organs by which Men do and know things : but 'tis Infinitely unworthy of God to think that the Divine Operation has need of fuch Inftruments. Thus the Communicatingof the divine Nature from the Father to the Son, is exprefs'd by Generation, which is the moil Noble ProduEion of one Living Creature from another, efpecially of an Intelligent Creature, with all its proper- ties : but who can declare his generation? We mull. not conceive it with the Im- perfe&ion ofHumane Generation, where- in the Effea is feparate from the Caufe, and fiicceffive to it. For 'tis a contra - di&ion, that God lhould beget a Son in his

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