PSA L. cxlv. 3. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is un fearchable. בדול יהוה ומהלל מאד ולגדלתו אין חקר Queft. 1. THat is the Meaning of the Name here given to God, •W Hat ? It fignifies Effence or Being, and fo is the moft Proper or Effential Name of God, Exod. vi. 3. Exod. iii. 14. v To ov, Pfal. lxviii. 4. Pfal. lxxxiii. 18. e, and fo it denotes, 1. His Simplicity, without Parts, Mixture, or Compofition; 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 diverfe from his Effence; for then there would be Two, yea,many Infinites. 2. Nor from One another; for then they muft be diftinguished from his Effence, and he compounded. But the Properties of God are only the feveral Apprehenfions we have of God according to the feveral Manifestations he maketh of himfelf to us, 1 Job. i. v. Job. xiv. 6. Hence God is all and every Perfection in himfelf; 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 Unchangeablenefs: For he that is a pure and fimple Being,cannot admit of any Change; as appears, 1. From Scripture, Fac. i. 17. Pfal. xxxiii. 11. Ifa. xlvi. 10. Heb. vi. 17, 18. Numb. xxiii. 19. 2. From Reafon. 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 faid to Repent, Gen. vi. 6. Exod. xxxii. 14. RESP. This is fpoken of God only after the manner of Men, as Mofes fpake to him, Exod. xxxii. 10, 11. USE. 1. Enflame our Love and Affections to God, as One in whom is all Good, all Perfections. 2. Confirm our Faith in him and his Promifes, Job. xiii. 1. 3. Make us fear his Threatening, because he is unchangeable. Queft. 2. In what Senfe is God faid to be Great? Not in Quantity, nor Quality, but it denotes, 1. His Immenfity, the Greatness of his Being, whereby he is every where, containing all Things,and yet being contained of Nothing, Reg. viii. 27. Pfal. cxxxix. 7. Ifa. lxvi. I. Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. But how then is God faid fometimes 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 Greatnefs 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 alfo plain from his Name, Exod. iii. 14. Τὰ δὲ ὅ ἂν τὸ ἀνεὶ τῇ σημαντικόν ὅτι, καὶ τὰ ἀνάρχως FD 1 TO OUTONS ED welws. Chryf. Quid eft Ego fum qui fum, nifi æternus fum? Quid eft Ego fum qui fum, nifi mutari non poffum? Aug. Queft. 3. What Ufe are we to make of this his Immenfity and Eternity: 1. That God is to be praised and adored before all Things elfe; being fo infinitely above all Things, Ifa. xl. 15. Revel. vii. 12. 2. That we are to make no Pictures or Images of him, not fo 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 fo to fall into the Hands of fo great a God, Heb. X. 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, fo great a God, who is always with you. 7. Be conftant in performing your Devotions to him, Pfal. cxxii. 1. and that with Reverence, Heb. xii. 28. { i I JOHN iv. 16. Queft. 1.TN what Senfe is God fuid to be Love? I.IN W 1. Not as if he had any fuch Paffion of Love as we have. 2. But by reafon of his extraordinary Kindnefs and Favours to every Thing that is; from whence he is called, not only Loving,, but Love it felf, I Job, iv. 8. as Light, Job. i... and fo all Perfections in the Abstract. Queft. 2. Whom doth God thus Love?.. 1. Himself: As the Fountain of all Goodnefs. : 2. His Son, Job. iii. xxxv. Matt. iii. 17. Job. xvii. 24. Because he is his express Image, Heb. i. 3. Χαρακτὴς ο ὑποτάσεως αυτό 3. Mankind; as bearing his Image, Gen. i.26. Col. iii. 10. Hence God is called, advopamos; and his Φιλανθρωπία, as well as his Χρησότης is fpoken of, Tit. iii. 4. Queft. 3- Wherein doth his Love to Mankind : appear? 1. In his taking Care of all, Matt. v. 44,45,48.. 2. Especially in fending his Son to redeem us, Job. iii. 16. 1 John iii. 16. · The Greatness of which Love appears, 1. In the Dignity of the Perfon that died for us, 1 Job. iv. 9, 10. Vol. I. G 2. In 1 2. In the Unworthiness of those for whom he died, Rom. v. 8. 3. In the Greatnefs of the Benefits we receive from it, Tis. iii, 4, 5, 6. Queft. 4. Doth God love all Men alike? 1. No. He loveth wicked Men only with a general Love. As they are his Creatures, he takes Care of them in this World; but as wicked, he hateth them,Pfal.v. 5. Hof. ix. 15. 2. Those who are truly Pious, he loveth with a fpecial Love, Prov. viii. 17. Pfal. ciii. 11, 12, 13. Queft. 5. What Use are we to make of this? 1. Seeing God is Love, we ought to love him above all Things, Deut. vi. 5. 2. We fhould imitate him, Matt. v. 48. 1. In loving our Enemies, Matt. v. 45. 3. In having a greater Love for those who 3. Hence we fhould put our whole Truft and Confidence in God for our Salvation: He having loved us while Enemies, how much more if we love him, Rom. v. 10. |