A _________E_P_I_s_T._._vi_L_·__ ~----~~ T 0 M. Eo: A L L E y NE. I I EP. V I I. Adirt?liMh#w IICmceivtofG#d in #urdtvlliiOJ 4/ldmttlitAiiMJ. YOu have·chofen and judged well : How to co~cdve of theDeity in our prayers, inour meditations, Is both the deepefip01m ofall Chnfhamty, and rhe moll necdfary: fo deepe, that ifwe wade into it, we may eafilydrowne, never find the bottome: fo necdfary, thar without it,our fclves,our. fervices,are pro. fane irreligious :we are all borne Idolaters; naturally prone to falh10a God to fome for,;e ofour owne wherher ot.anl1umane'body 1 or ofan admirabk light; or ifour B mind have any oth~r more likely, and pleafing image. Fir£! then, away,with all thefe wicked thoughts, rhefe groffe devotions; and with !Atob bury all our ll.range gods underrheoake of shuhtm,ere you offerto fer up Gods Altar at Bethtl: and without all mental! reprefentations,conceive ofyour God purely, limply, fpiritually; as of an abfolurebeing, without forme, without matter, withouccompofition; yea, an io. finite \~ithout all limit of thoughts. Let your heart adore a fpirituall Majelly, which it can'not comprehend, yet knowes robe 1 and as it were, lofe it fdfe in his infinite· ndfc: Thinke of him, as nortobethoughrof; as one, whofewifdome is his jullice, ·whofc jullice is his power, whofe power is his mercy; and whole wifdome, jullice, power, mercy,is himfdfe; as without quality good,great without quantity, everlafi. C ingwithour time, prefemcvery wherewithout placr, containing all thingswithout extent :and when your thoughts are come to the highell, llay there, and be content to wonder, in filence: and ifyou cannot reach to conceive ofhim as he is, yet take heed you conceive not ofhim as he is nor.Neitherwill it fui!ice your Chrillian mind, to have this awfull and confufed apprehenfion of rhe Deity, without a more fpeciall and inward conceit of three in this one; three perfons in this ooe effcnce, not divi. ded, but dillingui01ed; and nor more ·mingled then divided. There is nothing, wherein thewane ofwords can wrong and grieve us, bur in this: Here alone, as we can adore, and not conceiv~, fo we can concdve,and not utter; yea, urte~rour felves, and not be conceived; yet as we may, Thinke here ofone fubllance in three fubfi. llences1 one effence in three relations; one Jehovah begetting,begotten, proceeding; D Father, Son, Spirit: yet fo, as the Son is no other thing from the Father, but another perfon: or the Spirit, from the Son.ler your thoughts here walke warily, the path is narrow: the conceit either ofthree fubllances or but one fubfillence, is damnable. , Let me kad you yet higher, and further, in this intricate way, towards the Throne ofgrace :All this will not availe you, ifyou take not your Mediator with you : ifyou app~ehend neta tr.ucmanh?od, glorioullyunitedtothe God-head, wirhoutchange ofettber natare, wtthout mixture ofboth ; whofc prefencc, whofe mems mufi give pa1fage, acceptance, vigour to youcprayors. Here mull be therefore (as you fee)thoughts holily mixed: ofa Godhead and hu• maniry: one perfonin two natures: of the fame Deity,in divers perfons,and one na· cure: wherein(ifever) heavenly wifdome mull bellir it felfe, in direCling us,fo to fe. E verthefeapprehenfions, that none be negleCled; foro conjoyne rhern, rhatthey be not confounded. 0 thedepth ofdivine mylleries, more then can be wondered ar! 0 the necdliry ofthis high knowledge, which who acraines not, may babble, but prayeth not. Still you doubt, and aske ifyou may not direCl your praiers to one perfen ofthree.Why not~ Safely,andwith comfort.What noed we feare,while we have our Saviour ~or our patrerne: o my F•thtr(ifp•fthlt) ltt thi& C•p p'f{t:and PAul every where both 10 thanks and «quells : bur with due care ofworlhipping all in one. Ex· clude.rbe other, while you llx your heart upon one, your praier is fin; retaine all, and mention ~n.e, you oJfen9 nor. Noneofthem doth ought for1us,without all.It is atrue rule ofD1vmes: All tbelf external! works are common:To follicit one therefore and not ~11, w~re _injurious. And ifyou llay yourchoughts upon the facred humani;y of Chnll, With mfeparable adorationofthe God-head united, and thence climb up to Ee 3 rhe_ :
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