Vet. 3. the 17th Chapter of St. J O H N. 3 do not live on Providence ; I Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that are rich in this World, that they be not kigh.minded, nor trtß in uncertain Richer, but in the Living God. Prov. to. 15. A rich Man's Wealth is his fireng City ; He is provided of a Defence, againft all the Chances and Stroaks of Providence. So for Care; a Man devoteth his Time to his God ; and the Senfualittfacrificeth his Eftate, his Health, his Soul to his own Gullet, many Sacrilegious Morfels to his own Throat ; every day he offereth a Drink -Offer- ing and Meat - Offering to Appetite. Oh Brethren! take heed of Gods of Man's making: He is as much an Idolater, that preferreth his Wealth to Obedience, hi§ Pleafures before God's Service, as he that falleth down to a Stock. It would be fad, if on your Death -Beds God Ihould turn you back, as he did the If aelites in their diftrefs; Judges t o. t4. Go, and cry to the Gods whom ye have chafeen, let them deliver you in the time of your Tribulation. Go to your Wealth, to your Pleafures. a. If God be' but One, worthip him with an intire Heart. The Story goeth, that the Senate hearing of the Miracles in Judea, decreed Divine Worthip, to Chrift ; but Tiberius the Emperor croffed it, when he heard that* would be worthipped alone. God is but one, our Hearts Ihould dole with him as an Allfuflicient Portion : There is enough in one. The Scripture (peaks of believing with all the Heart : Other Comforts and Confidencesmutt be difclaimed. Sometimes Carnal Perlons fet their Hearts upon' other Comforts ; Chrift is not their whole Delight : they would have Chrift for their Confcences, and the World for their Hearts ; Chri(t in an extremity, but their Affe -: lions go out to other things. Sometimes they will have other Confidences : they would troll 'Chrift for their Eternal Salvation, to falve Confcience ; but the World ingroffes their Care ; as if they were to Ihift for themfelves in temporal things, and be Matters of their own Fortunes : as it appeareth when temporal Supplies fail; when vifible Sup- plies are abfent, then they defpair. It is a meet miftake and folly to think, it is eafie,v to truft Chrift for Pardon of Sins, and Eternal Life, than for daily Bread, as Chrift faid, Mark.a. 9. Whether io eater to fay, Thy Sins are forgiven thee ; or to fay, Arife; take up thy Bed and Walk? The truth is, Temporal Wants are more prefiing and urging. than Spiritual, and Men are carelefs in the bulnels of their Souls. Doll. g. The next Propoftion is, That this God is One in three Perfno. This alai is colleeced from the Text. To know thee, that is, the Father, with all the Coeffential Perlons. They are undivided in Effence, though diftinguilhed in Petfonality. Take a place of Scripture, i John S. 7. There are three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghofi, and thefe three are one. Let me a'little open the Poderine of the Trinity by Come Ihort Obfervations. This is a Myftery proper to the Scriptures. Other Truths are revealed in 1?lfltvrte, but this is a Treafure peculiar to the Church. There are fame Paffages in Heathens, that feem to look this way ; as Plato fpeaketh of s, Tó Jos, 7FVEÚl41X1 Mind, Word, and Spirit : And TrifinegJ1us, aq.,a-n osós, &c. but thefe were either Come general Notions, received by Tradition from the Jews, and by them miCunder(tood, for they dream'd of three diftina leparate Effences : or elfe Paffages foífted into their Writings, by the fraud and fallacy of Come Chriflians, who counted it a piece of their Zeal to lye for God. It is not likely that God would give the Heathens a more clear Revelation of thefe Myfleries, than he did to his own People, the Church of the yews. We find it but Cparingly revealed in the Old Teftamenr, though I might bring many places where- it is fufficiently hinted but more diftin liy in the New, after the vifible and fenfible difcovery of the three Perlons at Chrift's Baptifm. Mat. 3. 17. The Spirit of God de- fcended like a Dave, and lighted upon him, and lo, a Voice from Heaven, faying, This ii my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleajed ; Voce Pater, .attu Corpore, Numen Ave. The whole Trinity were prefent at that Solemnity. Some Darknefs there is (till upon the face of this Deep, we (hall have more perfe& knowledg of it in the Heavens. John 14. 20. At that day ye frail know, that 1 am in my Father, and you its me, and I in you. Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity, hill troubleth the prefent weaknefs of Reafon : but when we (hall fee God face to face, our Knowledg (hall be more fa- tisfaflory and compleat. For the prefent, we mutt come to this Truth with a lober mind, and adore it with a humble Piety, left we 'puzzle Faith; while we would fa- tisfy and inform Reafn- There are many words which the Church hath tiled in the e explication
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=