Existence and
章节目录
共 155 段- Nor were Charnock’s moral qualities less estimable than his
- In the doctrinal part of several of his discourses thou wilt
- It is a folly to deny or doubt of a Sovereign Being, incompr
- First, It could not be by mere tradition. Many things indeed
- 1. Time cannot be infinite, and, therefore, the world not et
- Secondly, As the production of the world, so the harmony of
- From all this it follows, if there be an order, and harmony,
- Secondly, As man’s own nature witnesseth a God to him in the
- Fourthly. The evidence of a God results from the vastness of
- 2. Whosoever doubts of it, makes himself a mark, against whi
- 2. It is universally natural: “The wicked are estranged from
- 3. Under this rank fall those who perform external duties on
- (7.) Many desire an acquaintance with the law and truth of G
- (1.) There is a kind of constraint in the first engagement.
- 2. In observing that which is materially the will of God, no
- 5. As we account the actions of others to be good or evil, a
- 8. It is evidenced, in suiting interpretations of Scripture
- 3. It is as much as in us lies a destroying of God. By this
- 1. In our loving God, because of some self‑pleasing benefits
- 3. Hence springs all presumption, the common disease of the
- 4. We may gather from hence, the difficulty of conversion, a
- Secondly, Watch against this atheism, and be daily employed
- I. For the first: “God is a pure spiritual being.” It is the
- 8. If God were not a Spirit, he could not be the most perfec
- 4. To represent God by a corporeal image; and to worship him
- _Inference 6._ If God be a Spirit, we should take most care
- _Prop. III._ Spiritual worship therefore was always required
- The matter of the worship is spiritual; it consists in love
- 4. Spiritual worship is performed with an unitedness of hear
- 6. Spiritual worship is performed with delight. The evangeli
- 10. Spiritual worship is performed with spiritual ends, with
- _Reason VI._ A spiritual worship is to be offered to God, be
- _Use III._ is of comfort. And it is very comfortable to cons
- I. Not to give God our spirit is a great sin. It is a mocker
- 2. It renders the worship not only unacceptable, but abomina
- _Doct._ God is of an eternal duration. The eternity of God i
- II. God is eternal. The Spirit of God in Scripture condescen
- IV. _Use 1._ Information. If God be of an eternal duration,
- 5. Hence follows another comfort; since God is eternal, he h
- (2.) He only is worthy of our best service. The Ancient of D
- _Doctrine._ God is unchangeable in his essence, nature, and
- 4th. Therefore the distinction of past and future makes no c
- 3. God were not the most simple being if he were not immutab
- _Prop. II._ There was no change in the Divine nature of the
- 1. If God be unchangeable in his nature, and immutability be
- _Use 2._ Of comfort. The immutability of a good God is a str
- (4.) Let this doctrine teach us to have recourse to God, and
- 2. Limited to such subjects that are capacitated for this or
- I shall give one place more to prove both these propositions
- _Reason V._ Because of his omnipotency. The Almightiness of
- 1. Christ hath a divine nature. As eternity and immutability
- 2. The omnipresence of God is a comfort in sharp afflictions
- _Obs. 1._ From the two first verses, observe: 1. All people
- 1. God knows himself, and only knows himself. This is the fi
- 1. He knows all creatures from the highest to the lowest, th
- Fourthly, God knows all future things, all things to come. T
- (5.) God foreknows all things as present with him from etern
- (2.) God foreknows the voluntary sinful motions of men’s wil
- _Prop. I._ God knows by his own essence; that is, he sees th
- _Prop. V._ God knows all things infallibly. His understandin
- 2. Christ knows all creatures. That knowledge which comprehe
- _Instruct. 7._ In the consideration of this excellent attrib
- 3. It is discovered by putting God off with an outside worsh
- 8. It is some comfort in the fears of some lurking corruptio
- 5. The consideration of this attribute would make us humble.
- 5. Observe that libertinism and licentiousness find no encou
- 6. He is only wise _incomprehensibly_. “His thoughts are dee
- First, In creation. As in a musical instrument there is firs
- (1.) It is suited to the nature of man. As God hath given a
- (2.) His wisdom appears, in making use of sinful instruments
- (2.) He often orders it, to make conscience more tender, and
- (2.) In the seasons of punishments and afflictions. He stays
- (2.) Mercy doth not want a plea. It is true, indeed, the sin
- (2.) He was hereby fitted for the working out the happiness
- [3.] It presents us with the strongest motives to obedience
- (3.) The wisdom of God is seen in the instruments he employe
- {a586} 1. As it defaceth the wise workmanship of God. Every
- 1. Comfort in all straits and afflictions. There is a wisdom
- _Exhort. 3._ Let none of us be proud of, or trust in our own
- BILDAD had, in the foregoing chapter, entertained Job with a
- 3. It follows, then, that the power of God is that ability a
- The objects of Divine power are innumerable. The objects of
- (1.) The Scripture saith it is impossible for God to lie
- FIRST, In CREATION. With what majestic lines doth God set fo
- 2. God created the world by a word, by a simple act of his w
- (2.) Consider the variety of motions in a single creature. H
- (1.) By ordering the nature of creatures as he pleases. By r
- _Fourthly_, Divine power was apparent in his resurrection. T
- 4. The Divine power was conspicuous in the great success it
- Thirdly, This power is evident in the preserving grace. As t
- _Instruct. 4._ Hence is the ground for the immutability of G
- 4. It is contemned by trusting in ourselves, in means, in ma
- 1. Meditate on this power of God, and press it often upon yo
- _Fearful in praises._ Various are the interpretations of thi
- 2. God is only absolutely holy; “There is none holy as the L
- (3.) Nor can God necessitate man to sin. Indeed sin cannot b
- 3. This holiness appears in the allurements annexed to the l
- 2. The holiness of God in his hatred of sin appears in our
- 3. God’s foreknowledge that his law would not be observed, l
- 2d. The holiness of God is not tainted by this, because he w
- (4.) It is very congruous to the wisdom of God, to move his
- 2. The whole positive cause of his hardness is from man’s co
- 5. The holiness of God is injured, when men will put up peti
- 2. As his holiness is natural and necessary, so is the punis
- 3. _Comfort._ Since holiness is a glorious perfection of the
- 2. We honor it, when we regard chiefly the illustrious appea
- (5.) It is this only fits us for communion with God. Since i
- 2. It is the disease of human nature, since its corruption,
- 6. The goodness of God comprehends all his attributes. All t
- 6. This goodness is communicative with the greatest pleasure
- 5. God ought to be allowed the free disposal of his own good
- 2. A goodness in the execution of them. They are good, as th
- (1.) The world was made for man. Since angels have not need
- 3d. The reward he promised manifests yet further his goodnes
- 3. To enhance this goodness yet higher; it was a greater goo
- 4. Man was reduced to the lowest condition. Our crimes had b
- 5. This goodness of God is remarkable also in the condition
- 3. How meltingly doth he bewail man’s wilful refusal of his
- vii. This goodness in redemption extends itself to the lower
- 2. The goodness of God in the preserving human society, is s
- 6th. The Divine goodness doth appear in answering prayers. H
- (3.) God takes this contempt of his goodness heinously. He n
- 8th. The Divine goodness is contemned, in sinning more freel
- 5. The fifth information is this: Hence we may infer the gro
- (3.) A confidence in him gives him the glory of his goodness
- (1.) Consider, nothing but good can be the object of a ratio
- {b352} 3. Which is that of thankfulness for Divine goodness.
- _His throne in the heavens._――This is an expression to signi
- 1. On the excellency of his nature. Indeed, a bare excellenc
- 1st. Absolute in regard of freedom and liberty. (1.) Thus cr
- (2.) The hell of devils belong to his authority. They have c
- (3.) The dominion of God is manifest in the reason of some l
- (2.) Nor could it be any foresight of works to be done in ti
- (2.) The Jews had this privilege granted them above other na
- 7. His sovereignty is manifest in the bestowing much wealth
- 4. The dominion of God is manifest in defeating the purposes
- 5. This sovereignty of God appears in exalting Christ to suc
- [3.] The sovereignty of God is contemned when men prefer obe
- [6.] Omission of the service he hath appointed is another co
- 3. This punishment must be terrible. How doth David, a great
- 3. It would make us charitable to others. Since he is our Lo
- 6. Obedience naturally results from this doctrine. As his ju
- 2. It shows us the true nature of patience in regard of God:
- 1. It is part of the Divine goodness and mercy, yet differs
- (2.) His justice and righteousness are not prejudiced by his
- (1.) When God doth punish he doth it with some regret. When
- The heavens did still “declare the glory of God, day unto da
- (1.) It is abused by misinterpretations of it, when men slan
- 1. It is a comfort, in that it is an argument of his grace t
- 3. Exhortion; therefore presume not upon his patience. The e
- _Envy._
- _Obedience_ to God.
- _Worship_ of God.
- 592 – Amyrant sur Heb. ix. p. 153.
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