surer way of knowing God's mind than by revelation, 2 Pet. i. 18. This voice which came from heaven we heard ; we have also a more sure word of prophecy. The devil is God's ape, and he can transform himself into an angel of light ; he can deceive with false revelations : as I have heard of one wlio had, as he thought, a revelation from God to sacrifice his child, as Abraham had, whereupon he, following this impulsion of the devil, did kill his child. Thus Satan oft deceives people with delusions, instead of di^^ne revelations, therefore we are to be thankful to God for revealing his mind to us by writing. We have a more sure word of prophecy. We are not left under a doubtful suspense that we should not know what to believe, but we have an infallible rule to go by. The scripture is our pole- star to direct us to heaven ; it shews us e- very step we are to take; when we go
wrong, it instructs us ; when we go right, it comforts us; and it is matter of thank- fulness, that the scriptures are made intel- ligible, by being translated.
A. 8. Adore God's distinguishing grace, if you have felt the power and authority of the word upon your conscience ; if you can say as David, Ps. cxix. 50., " Tliy word hath quickened me." Christian, bless God that he hath not only given thee his word to be a rule of holiness, but his grace to be a principle of holiness ! Bless God that he hath not only written his word, but seal- ed it upon thy heart, and made it effectual ! Canst thou say it is of divine inspiration, because thou hast felt it to be of lively ope- ration? O free grace ! that God should send out his word, and heal thee ; that he should heal thee, and not others ; that the same scripture, which is to them a dead letter, should be to thee a savour of life.
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THAT THERE IS A GOD.
Quest. III. WHAT do the scriptures principally teach ?
Ans. The scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.
Q. What is God?
A. God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Here is, 1st. Something implied, — that there is a God ; 2d. Expressed, — that He is a spirit. — 3d. What kind of spirit.
1st. Implied, — That there is a God. Tlie question, Wliat is God ? takes it for grant- ed that there is a God ; the belief of God's essence is the foundation of all religious worship, Ileb. xi. 6., " He that comes to God, must believe that he is." Tliere must be a first cause which gives a being and existence to all things besides.
We come to know that tliere is a God : I . By the book of nature ; the notion of a Deity is engraven on man's heart, — it is demonstrable by the light of nature. I think it hard for a man to be a natural a- tfaeist. He may wish there were no God, —he may dispute against a Deity, — but he
cannot in his judgment believe there is no God, unless by accumulated sin his con- science be seared, and he hath such a le- thargy upon him, that he hath sinned away his very sense and reason.
2. We come to know that there is a God by his works ; and this is so evident a de- monstration of a Godhead, that the most a- theistical spirits, when they have consider- ed these M'orks of God, haA'e been forced to acknowledge some wise and su]>reme power, the maker of these things ; as it is reported of Galen and others.
(1.) We will begin with the greater world : 1. The creation of the glorious fa- bric of heaven and earth ; sure there must be some architect or first cause, the world could not make itself. Who could hang the earth on nothing, but the great God ? Wlio could pro^•ide such rich furniture for the heavens, — the glorious constellations, — the firmament bes])angled with such glit- tering lights ? All tliis speaks a Deity. We may see God's glory blazing in the sun, twinkling in the stars. Who could give the earth its clothing, — cover it with grass and corn, — adorn it with flowers, — enrich
THAT THERE IS A GOD.
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