Yet these Three all are One God, 1 Joh. v. 7. Καὶ ὅτοι οἱ τρεῖς ἔν είσι, Ι Cor. xii. 4, 5, 6. Christ was also believed, ὁμού. Quest. 4. What Neceffity is there of our believing 1. It is necessary to our right believing in the true God, the Father Almighty: For he that doth not believe in him, as he is Revealed, doth not believe in him aright, Job. xvii. 3. 2. It is necessary to distinguish us from Jews, Turks and Heathens. 3. It is necessary to confirm our Faith in Christ's Merits and Mediation for us, Heb. x. 4. • Quest. 5. What Use are we to make of this Truth? 1. It should stir us up to more Thankfulness to God. 1. For revealing this great Mystery to us, Matt. xi. 25. 2. For sending this his Son to die for us, Joh. iii. 16. Rom. v. 8. 1 Joh. iv. 9, 10. 2. It should teach us to Honour and Worship the Son and Holy Ghost as God, Job. v. 22, 23. Heb. i. 6. 1. To love him, Matt. x. 37. 1 Cor. xvi. 22. 2. To pray to him, Act. 7. 59. 3. To praise Christ, Rev. v. 13, 14. PSAL Ps A L. cxlv. 3. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unSearchable. .בדול יהוה ומהלל מאד ולבדלתו אין חקר Queft. 1. What is THat is the Meaning of the Name here given to God, יהוה ? It signifies Effence or Being, and so is the most Proper or Effential Name of God, Exod. vi. 3. Exod. iii. 14. ὁ ὧν τὸ ὄν, Pfal. lxviii. 4. Pfal. lxxxiii. 18. e, and so it denotes, 1. His Simplicity, without Parts, Mixture, or Composition; without Faculties, Habits, or Qualities. Nothing in God, but what is God, his Effence; therefore his Properties are not diftinct. 1. From his Effence: For then he would be compounded, and his Properties are not finite, for infinitude is One; yea, the Property of all his Properties; they could not be infinite if diverse from his Essence; for then there would be Two, yea, many Infinites. 2. Nor from One another; for then they muft be diftinguished from his Essence, and he compounded. But the Properties of God are only the several Apprehenfions we have of God according to the feveral Manifestations he maketh of himself to us, 1 Joh. i. v. Joh. xiv. 6. Hence God is all and every Perfection in himself; Wisdom, Goodness, Power, &c. which as in God, may be predicated upon him, and on One another, not as we conceive them. : 2. It denotes his Immutability or Unchangeableness: For he that is a pure and simple Being, cannot admit of any Change; as appears, 1. From Scripture, Jac. i. 17. Pfal. xxxiii. 11. Ifa. xlvi. 10. Heb. vi. 17, 18. Numb. xxiii. 19. 2. From Reason. 1. He cannot be changed from any Thing, either within him or without him. 2. Neither to the better, the worse, nor the like. OBJECT. God is said to Repent, Gen. vi. 6. Exod. xxxii. 14. RESP. This is spoken of God only after the manner of Men, as Moses spake to him, Exod. xxxii. 10, 11. USE. This should, r. Enflame our Love and Affections to God, as One in whom is all Good, all Perfections. 2. Confirm our Faith in him and his Promises, Joh, xiii. 1. 3. Make us fear his Threatening, because he is unchangeable. 1 : Quest. 2. In what Sense is God said to be Great? Not in Quantity, nor Quality, but it denotes, 1. His Immensity, the Greatness of his Being, whereby he is every where, containing all Things, and yet being contained of Nothing, 1 Reg. viii. 27. Pfal. cxxxix. 7. Ifa. lxvi. 1. Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. But how then is God said sometimes to be near? As Ifa. lv. 6. Because he then shews himself and his Favour more, Deut. iv. 7. 2. It denotes his Eternity, or the Greatness of his Duration, without Beginning of Time, or End of Days, Pfal. xc. 2. Ifa, xli. 4. c. xliv. 6. Apoc. i. 8, 17. This is also plain from his Name, Exod. iii. 14. Τὸ δὲ ὁ ὤν τὸ ἀνεὶ εί) σημαντικόν ότι, κὶ τὸ ἀνάρχως κή τε ὄντως) xweίως. Chryf. Quid est Ego fum qui sum, nifi æternus sum? Quid eft Ego sum qui sum, nifi mutari non poffum? Aug. Quest. 3. What Use are we to make of this his Immenfity and Eternity. 1. That God is to be praised and adored before all Things else; being so infinitely above all Things, Ifa. xl. 15. Revel. vii. 12. 2. That we are to make no Pictures or Images of him, not so much as in our Minds; because he is infinitely above and beyond all Things that we can conceive, Rom. xi. 33. 3. That if we be but Holy, and have him our Friend, we need not fear any Thing, Pfal. xxvii. 1, 2, 3. Pfal. xxxvii. 3, 4, 5. 4. How dreadful a Thing is it to Sin, and so to fall into the Hands of so great a God, Heb. Χ. 31. 5. He being Eternal, is able to torment the Wicked, and to glorifie the Righteous, unto all Eternity. 6. Be fearful to offend, and careful to please, so great a God, who is always with you. 7. Be constant in performing your Devotions to him, Pfal. cxxii. 1. and that with Reverence, Heb. xii. 28. I JOHN IV. 16. کا Quest. 1. N what Serife is God suid to I be Love? 1. Not as if he had any such Paffion of Love : as we have. い 2. But by reason of his extraordinary Kindness and Favours to every Thing that is; from whence he is called, not only Loving, but Love it self, 1 Joh. iv. 8. as Light, 1. Job. i.5. and so all Perfections in the Abstract. I : i Quest. 2. Whom doth God thus Love? 1. Himself: As the Fountain of all Good› ness. 1 2. His Son, Joh. iii. xxxv. Matt. iii. 17. John xvii. 24. Because he is his express Image, - Heb. i. 3. Χαρακτὴς ἡ ὑποτάσεως ἀυτε. 3. Mankind; as bearing his Image, Gen. i. 26. Col. iii. 10. Hence God is called, Φιλάγθρωπος; and his Φιλανθρωπία, as well as his χρηςότης is spoken of, Tit. iii. 4. A Quest. 3. Wherein doth his Love to Mankind appear? 1. In his taking Care of all, Matt. V. 44,45,48. 2. Especially in sending his Son to redeem us, Job. iii. 16. 1 John iii. 16. ? The Greatness of which Love appears, 1. In the Dignity of the Person that died for us, I Job. iv. 9, 10. Vol. 1. G 2. In |