Use 2(1. If God be Jehovah, the supreme Lord, then it condemns the blasphemous papists, who speak after this manner, ' Our Lord God the Pope.' Is it a wonder the pope lifts his triple crown above the head of kings and emperors, when he usurps God's title, " shewing himself that he is God ?" 2 Thess. ii. 4. The pope goes to make himself Lord of heaven, — for he will canonize saints there; Lord of earth, — for with his keys he doth bind and loose whom he pleaseth ; Lord of hell, — for he can free men out of purgatory: but God will pull down these plumes of pride ; he will " con- sume this man of sin with the breath of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming." 2 Thess. ii. 8.
2c?/?/, God is described by his relative goodness, " thy God." Had God only call- ed himself Jehovah, it might have terrified us, and made us flee from him, but when he said, " thy God," this may allure and draw us to him ; this, though a preface to the law, is pure gospel. This word Eloeha, ' thy God,' is so sweet, that we can never suck out all the honey in it. ' I am thy God,' not only by creation, but by elec- tion. This word, " thy God," though it was spoken to Israel, yet is a charter be- longs to all the saints. For the further ex- plication, here are three questions.
Quest. 1. How God comes to be our
God?
Ans. Through Jesus Christ. Christ is a middle person in the Trinity ; he is Em- manuely ' God with us :' he brings two dif-
ferent parties together ; he makes our na- ture lovely to God, and God's nature lovely to us ; he, by his death, causeth friendship, yea, union : he brings us within the verge of the covenant, and so God becomes our God.
Quest. 2. JVhat doth this imply, God be- ing our God ?
Ans. It is comprehensive of all good things. God is our strong tower, — our foun- tain of living water, — our salvation. More particularly, God being our God implies the sweetest relation.
1. The relation of a father, 2 Cor. vi. 18., " I will be a Father unto you." A father is full of tender care for his child.: whom doth he settle the inheritance upon, but IiIm child ? God being our God, will be a fa- ther to us : a " Father of mercy," 1 Cor. i. 3. ; " The everlasting Father," Isa. ix. 6. If God be our God, we have a Father in heaven that never dies.
2. It imports the relation of a husband, Isa. liv. 5., " Thy Maker is thy husband." If God be our husband, he esteems us pre- cious to him, as the apple of his eye, Zech. ii. 8. He imparts his secrets to us, Ps. XXV. 14. He bestows a kingdom upon us for our dowry, Luke xii. 32.
Quest. 3. Hotv mmj ice come to hnow this covenant union., that God is our God ?
Ans. 1. By having his grace planted in us. Kings' children are known by their costly jewels : it is not having common gifts which shews we belong to God, many have the gifts of God without God, but it is grace gives us a true genuine title to God. In particular, faith is vinculum unionise — the grace of union ; by this we may spell out our interest in God. Faith doth not, as the mariner, cast its anchor down- wards, but upwards ; it trusts in the mercy and blood of God, and trusting in God, engageth him to be our God; other graces make us like God, faith makes us one with him.
A. 2. We may know God is our God by having the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts, 2 Cor. i. 22. God often gives the purse to the wicked, but the Spirit only to such as he intends to make his heirs. (1.) Have we had the consecration of the Spi- rit ? If we have not had the sealing work
OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
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of tlio Spirit, have we liad tbc licalin«^ work ? 1 John ii. 20,, " Yo liavo an iiiictioii iVoin the holy One." Tlic Spirit, wlicrc it is, stamps the impress of its own holiness upon tlie heart ; it embroiders and bespanjjles tlie soul, and makes it all <]^lorious within. (2.) Have we had the attraction of the Spirit? Cant. i. 4., " Draw me, we will run after thee." Ilath the Spirit, by its magnetic virtue, drawn our hearts to God? Can we say, as Cant. i. 7., " O thou whom my sold loveth !" Is God our paradise of delight? our SeguUah, or chief treasure! Arc our hearts so chained to God, that no other objecl can enchant us, or draw us away from him? (3.) Have we had the elevation of the Spirit? Ilath it raised our hearts above the world? Ezek. iii. 14., " The Spirit lifted me up." Hath the Spi- rit made us supremn onhclare ? seek the things above where Christ is. Though our flesh is on earth, is our heart in hea- ven ? Though we live here, trade we a- bove? Hath the Spirit thus lifted us up? By this we may come to know, that Cod is our God : where God gives his Sj)irit for an earnest, there he gives himself for a portion.