Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

of their State by Creation. lievcr, that alwaies lives in joy unfpeal<able and glorious, and another that .-...A.-/'' wants it and lives mecrly by Fatth: Such , tf nor more will be found Chap. 7· to be be;wceo /Jd,,m, who lived ordinarily by the Light ~f Nature. and~ but fometimes had a Revelation by Faith, and us, who live all our' lives by faith, and Communicate with God wholly by rhe Ligh thereof. 2 • Confider that yet in refpeCl: of the Objects of his Knowledge and ours whereby God was !mown to him and to us, we infinitely tranfcend him'and his way , if our Faith were made complear. For firlt the things revealed to him and to hts Fauh were but fome matters of precepts and duty, which being for the. moft part Pojitivi .?uri&, arbitrary, and fo were not fo clearly wntten m hts heart , as that of the Sabbath, and about the Tree of life (which was a Sacrament , and fo muft be in!lituted, and elfe he had not a fecond Command) fo it was to be known Revelation ·neceifari· ly : Neither could more have been revealed than ·was necetfary and what could be known no other way. But ftillall thelmowledgehe was to have of God himfelf, and what a God he was , ~c. which is the knowledge · wherein happinefs lies, this was !ltll left to be obtained in that natural way forementioned. We read not of any defcriptions God made of himfelf to A dam , as to us and Mojes. For what mig ht be known more clearly by natural Light out of the works, or written in his heart , God revealed not to Faith. But we know all thefe Attributes by Revelation unto Faith; and fo in a clearer, diftinCl:er, and indeed a more immediate manner we take in by Fa1th that Defeription which God makes of himfelf: And hear what himfelf fays , of lumfelf; and th,s by the Light of Faith: Whereas he had the !mowledge of thefe Attributes no fuel• way, but from the Light of Nature , to be emproved out .of the works of God ; as God had mani– fefted himfelf therein. Again feconclly , confider that all that he knew wharfoever by fuch a Natural Light, or by Faith either, whether of the Nature· of God, or the Love of God in ~is heart, we know it all by Faith ; And fo to have the knowledge of all, he had in an hrgher way than he, and fo more evident and Clear: Whereas he had the knowledge of Faith but about fome few paruculars. And the reafon why we I<now all by Faith which he any way !<new, is, becaufe thofe things of God and the law which he !mew by inbred Light, that Light being now ex· tint!: in us, it is nece[ary to be revealed by Revelation , and fJ to be let in by Faith. Fir1l he by natural inbred Light knew that there was a God, but we by Faith believe That God is. Heb. 11. 6. and a Reward– er of them that feek him. And fo all that Tbeologia >~attp'alu; that na– tural Divinity to pick God out of his works, and to fee how the worl;s of Creation and providence fhew God forth and argue him and his Attri· tributes the Rules hereof, we have now revealed and written. The Book of Jo6, •and the Pfalms, tecch us how to fetch God our of the Creation, and to praife him : So as God reads to us his own Logick , and a Lecture on his own Works : Whereas, Adam was left to !ludy the bare Texr, but by natural Light: Yea, and this Lecture is read to Faith, a higher Prin· ciples , mere capable than Nature IS; God teach,ng us by fairh how to interpret his Works. So as out of the word, If w e h,1d Fa11h, enougl1 might we learn more of God, even in his Works, reoding the Text wnh that God's own Comment, than At!am ever could have done by his plod– ding and poring on them , and utiog his Reafon and Natural Light. · 2. By Natural Light , he knew out of the Creatures , that God made. the World , Rom. 1. 20. But we know it by the Light of Faith and Revelation from God, how it was , ~c. Hebr. I I. ~- By F.z•th we V11dn·fJmtd the Worlds were m,1de by the Word of God. He ( tor ought we read ) knew but of a new World made, that which he faw ; and whether he fhould ever have heard of Heaven, or Angtls, is a que– ftion : But we Undcr!land the Worlds were made the Heaven of Heavens, and this Vifible World. And

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