THOUGHTS

UPON

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

THOUGH religion in general be a thing that all men naturally agree in, yet there is nothing, I think, that men differ so much about, as about the particular acts and exercise of it: for all nations in the world have some religion; but there is scarce two amongst them all that have the same; yea, in one and the same nation too, there are divers modes of religion professed and practised. No nation or country in the world but will afford us instances of this; and our own, I think, as many as any other whatsoever: for could we but cast our eyes into the several corners of this land, at this very moment, what variety might we observe in these acts which the several parties among us account to be religious! Some we should see sitting silently for a while together, without either speaking, or hearing of a word spoken; until at length up starts a man or a woman, or some such thing, and entertains them with a discourse made up of censures and malice, blasphemy and nonsense; and this is all the religion they pretend to. Others we should find crowded together in several corners, sometimes praying, sometimes discoursing, as it were, sometimes arguing the case with Almighty God, and acquainting him with what happens in the world, and that with as much confidence and malapertness, as if he was their fellow-creature; and then very gravely walk home, and please them

selves with a vain conceit that they are more religious than their neighbours. Another sort of people there are amongst us, who are as superstitious as the former were slovenly and irreverent in their devotions: for these having been sprinkled with a little holy water, and performed their obeisance to a crucifix or picture, presently fall a pattering over Ave Maria's and Pater Nosters to themselves, as fast as they can; whilst the priest, in the mean while, says something too, but the people generally know not what it is, nor indeed what themselves say, it being all in an unknown tongue. But howsoever, though they know not what they say, they think that God doth, and therefore satisfy themselves that they have said something, though they know not what, and think that God is well pleased with what they have done, because themselves are so.

Others there are, and, by the blessing of God, far more than all the rest, in this nation, who present themselves before the great Creator and Possessor of the world, in that solemn and reverent manner as the constitutions of our church direct, humbly confessing their manifold sins against God, begging mercy and pardon from him, imploring his favour, and praising his name for all the expressions of his undeserved love to mankind and all this in our vulgar tongue, that we all understand, and so perform a reasonable service unto God.

And, verily, if we consider the institution itself, of that religious worship which we thus perform, it is certainly the best that ever was prescribed by any church, as being most consonant to the general rules of devotion laid down in Scripture; as also most conformable to the discipline and practice of the primitive church. But we must not think that we serve God aright, because we be present with them that do so. I do not doubt but that there are many amongst us, who sincerely endeavour to worship God, whensoever they present themselves before him in public. I wish that all of us would do so.

But we must still remember, that we should serve the Lord elsewhere as well as at church, and on all other days as well as upon the Lord's day and that if we would be truly religious, our whole man must be devoted to the service of God, yea, and our whole time too. We must not think that it is enough to do something, but we must do all things that are required of us, which notwithstanding we can never do, unless we know both that God whom we ought to serve, and that service which we ought to perform unto him. And therefore David directs his son to the right and only way to true religion, saying, 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. And thou Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind: which words, did we apply them to ourselves, would, by the blessing of God, put us upon sincere endeavours after real and universal obedience to all the commands of God: and persuade us not to content ourselves with vain pretences to, and professions of, religion, as most do; but strive to live up unto our profession, and carry and behave ourselves so as becometh those who desire to be religious, and to serve God in good earnest. Which that we may do, let us observe the rule and method which David here prescribes to his son: first to know God, and then to serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind.

I shall not trouble the reader with any critical division of the words, for they naturally divide themselves into two parts.

First, That we should know, and then that we should serve God with a perfect heart, and a willing mind.

I shall begin with the first, not only because it is first placed, but because it necessarily must precede the second; it being impossible for us to serve God aright unless we know him for without this, all our services will be but like the altar which the Athenians dedicated, Te ayvásw e, To the unknown God. By which inscription, they manifested to the world, that they knew that they ought

to serve some God, but that they knew not that God whom they ought to serve. But that we may so know him as to serve him aright, I shall first shew what it is of God which we must know, in order to our serving him aright.

First, therefore, he that would serve God aright, must believe and know that he is, Heb. xi. 6. that is, that there is such a supreme and all-glorious Being in and over the world that we call God, that made, preserves, governs, and disposes of every thing in the world, as seemeth best to him: and that it is not only probable that there is such a one, but that it is the most certain and necessary truth in the world; without which, there would be no such thing as truth or certainty. For indeed if God was not, nothing could be; he alone being the basis and foundation of all being in the world, yea, and of all motion too, Acts xvii. 28. And therefore every thing that lives, every thing that moves, nay, every thing that is, argues God to be; which therefore is the first great truth, upon which all the rest depend; without which nothing would be true, much less would our services be so: so that the first thing to be done in order to our serving God is to know and believe that he is, and that he ought to be served and adored by us.

Secondly, It is necessary to know his essence too, as well as his existence; what, as well as that he is; what he is in himself, and what he is to us; that in himself he is what he is, in and of himself, the source of all wisdom, the abyss of all power, the ocean of all goodness, the fountain of all happiness, the principle of all motion, and the centre, yea, perfection of all perfections in the world; whose nature or essence is so pure, so glorious, so immense, so infinite, so eternal, so every way perfect, transcendent, and incomprehensible, that the more we think of him, the more we contemplate upon him, the more we praise and admire him, the more we may. And the highest apprehensions that we can have of him is still to apprehend him infinitely higher than all our

apprehensions of him. And therefore that man best knows God, that knows him to be beyond his knowledge; and that knows he can never know him enough.

But we must know too what he is to us, even the Author and Giver of every good thing we have, and who in himself is whatsoever we can desire to make us happy; and therefore it is that in the covenant of grace, when he would assure us that we shall have all things that we can enjoy, he only promises to be our God, Heb. viii. 10. which is as much as we can desire, and indeed as himself can promise; for in promising himself, he hath promised whatsoever he is, whatsoever he hath, whatsoever he doth, nay, whatsoever he can do as God. And thus are we to look upon God as the only object of all true happiness, and the only centre wherein all the desires and inclinations of our souls can rest.

Thirdly, It is necessary also to know the several attributes and perfections which he hath revealed of himself in Scripture; that he is so wise as to know whatsoever can be known; so powerful as to do whatsoever can be done: so great and glorious in himself, that we have all just cause to fear him; so kind and gracious in his Son, that it is our duty also to trust in him; so true, that whatsoever he says is true because he saith it; so good, that whatsoever he doth is good because he doth it; so just, as to punish every sin that is committed, and yet so merciful, as to pardon every sinner that repenteth: that he is pure without mixture, infinite without bounds, eternal without beginning, everlasting without end, and every way perfect without comparison.

Fourthly, We must know also the works of God, what he hath done, wherein he hath manifested himself to us. But what hath God done? or rather, what hath he not done? It was he that raised this stately fabric of the world we live in, out of the womb of nothing. It was he that extracted light out of darkness,