An Expojition upon the -------------------- And thet:eforc although th~ Scr ipturc·frequentlyafcribes to God d1e members and line:tments <?f a Mau, as Eyes, and Mouth, ~md E:u:s, and Hands, and Feet, &c. yc.t ~ve mufr not!)~ rolftupidly ignor~nt as to believe tha~ there arc properly ap~Jcr; r:umng to the D1vme Effence, (whtch was the old cxplodecl Herefic of the Amhropomorphittt) but thcfc defcriptions are gio,;cn us o,nly in condefcenfion to onr \V'caknclli::s and In finnjcics; and though they are fpokcn dP8etom>I'CI61Zh after the manner of Men , yet they muft be un<lerftoOd e,~-;rf<mJh after filch·a manner as becomes the Majefty of t he Divine Nature~ And· by fi1ch expreffion$ the Scripture only means, that a ll thofe powers and faculties. which are in us, arc likewifc to be found, althot1gh i11 an infinite and tranfcendcnt eminency in. the Being of God. He henq and fees, and is able to effeCl whatfoever he pleafeth ; and that without any configuration of'Part~, or Organs, which are utterly repugnant tOthe Simplicity and Spirituality of his Effence. And t herefore to Illlpc and fa-Jh ion out fnch a God In onr thoughts, when we pray unto him, is but to make and worfhip an Idol: And nnlef.<; Faith and Reli gion demolifh fuch Images which we fet up in Ollr Fancy, the Worfhip which we dire& unto them, is hardl y to be efteemcd the Worfhip of the tnrc Gcxi, but the \vorlhipping the \Vork of our own making, and a Creature of our own Imaginltion. And yet unlcfs we do reprefent God. to our [elves, when we worfhip him, it is very ha rd, if not altogether impollible, to keep llp the intention of our Spirit, and to hinder our Mind from ftnyingand gadding. Therefore, · 2. Secondly, The right way to attain unto 3 true Notion, and a found Underftanding; of the Divine Nature, is by a ferious confidcration of his Attributes. For thefc :tre his very Nature; and when we know them, we know as much of God as can ba known by us in this our wc:tk and imperfeCt: Eftate. Thefc Attributes of the Djvine Natt1rc arc man ifold; and commonly aredift inguifl;cd into Negative, Relative, , and Pofitivc; I fh:tll only enumerate the chief of them, Simplicity, Eternity, U nchangeablenefs, Immenfity, Dominion, All-fufl:iciency, HolineiS, Truth, Omnipotence, Omnifcicnce, Jufl:ice, and Mercy : Of which the principal, :tnd that moll: rcfpett m, are Mercy and Juftice; all the other are declared to us in order to the 11luftration of thefc. For the glory of thcfe hath God created the World, and 3.1[ th ings in it; cfpec ially thofe two capit<~:l kinds of Creatures, Angcls·aild Men : for thcfc hath he pennitted Sin, which is fo odious and dcteitablc to his infi nite Purity: for thefc hath he fent his Son into the World to tafre of Death for every Creat.urc: for thcfe hath he proclaimed his Law, :1nd declared his Gofpel, the ThrC'.ttni ngs of the one, and the Promifes of the other: for thcfe hath he appointed a Day, and will eretl: a Tribunal of Judgment, that he may make the Glory of his Mercy and of his Juftice confpicnous; his Jufl:ice in the eternal Damnation of impenitent\~rctchcs, who arc VeJfcls of Wrath fitted by their own fins for defiruction; his Mercy in the S:tlvation of l)cnitent and believing Souls, who arc VeflCis of Mercy fitted by his Grace for eternal Glory. All other Attributes~ I fay, fcrvc to illufiratc thefe two; :1nd as we conjoin them either to Mercy or Jnfrice, fo they are moll: in forcing Motives either of Hope or Fear : It is a mi~hty fupport to our Hope, when we reflect 11pon the Mercy of God accompanied with the Attributes of Eternity, Immutabilit y, Truth, and Omnipotence. And aga in, it will affeCt us with a profound Fear and Dread of this Great and Glorious God., to confider that the fame Attributes ar.o tend oa his Juft ice; fo that both arc Almighty; the one to favc , the other to dt!- frroy. Now if we would conceive aright of God, when we come to worfhip him, Jet l l S not frame any Idea of him in our Imaginations, (for all fi1ch Reprefcntations are falfc and foolifh,) but labour to l.JOITCfs our Hearts with an awful cfteem of his Attributes; and when we have with all poffible reverence collected onr Thonghs, and fix'd them upon the Contemplat ion of infinite Jnfrice, infinite Mete~, infinitC.~~ruth, infinite Power, and the rcft; let us then fall profl:ratc, and adore It, for tlus ts our God : And.therefore the Apoftlc tells us, 1 1ohn 4· 8. God is love; not only loving, but Love it fclf in the abftnB:. And, 1 1ohn I. 5· . God is lifht . 3 . Thirdly, All the knowledge that we have, or can have o't God here, is collected from what he hath been pleafed to difcover of himfclf, either in his Works, or in hisWord. . We have but two Books to infi:ruCl: us; the Book of the Creatures and the Book of the Scriptures. From the \Vorks of Creation and Providence, we may come to know much of God., even his eternal Being and qoohcad·:, and the Letl:nrcs which •re
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