60 ANIMADVERSIONS ON A TREATISE.
him ; that the eyes of our understanding being enUghtened, we may know what is the hope of his caUing, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards them that beheve, according to the working of the might of his power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places ; " — " that our hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the FULL ASSURANCE or UNDERSTANDING, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," and by whom alone we may obtain any saving acquaintance with them ; " who also is come, and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true."
This is the port-haven of Protestants, whatever real darkness may be aljout them, or whatever mists may be cast on them by the sleights of men that lie in wait to deceive, — that they need know no more of God, that they may love him, fear him, believe in him, and come to the enjoyment of him, than what he hath clearly and expressly in Ciirist revealed of himself by his word. Whether the storms of this gentleman's indignation be able to drive them, or the more pleasant gales of his eloquence to entice them from this harbour, time will show. In the meanwhile, that indeed they ought not so to do, nor will do so with any but such as are resolved to steer their course by some secret distempers of their own, a few strictures on the most material passages of this chapter will discover.
It is scarce Avorth while to remark his mistake, in the foundation of his discourse, of the " Obscurity of God," as he is pleased to state the matter, from that of the prophet, asserting that " God is a God who hideth himself," or, as he renders it, a " hidden God." His own prophet will tell him that it is not concerning the essence of God, but the dispensation of his love and favour towards his people, that these words were used by the prophet of old; and so are unwillingly pressed to serve in the design he hath in hand. Neither are we more concerned in the ensuing discourse of the " soul's cleavinjx to God by affection," upon the metaphysical representation of his ex- cellencies and perfections imto it, it being purely Platonical, and no way suited to the revelation made of God in the gospel ; which ac- quaints us not with any such amiableness in God as to endear the souls of sinners unto him, causing them to reach out the wings of tlieir love after him, but only as he is in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself; — a consideration that hath no place, nor can obtain any, in this flourish of words; and the reason is, because they are sinners, and tlierefore, without the revelation of an atonement, can have no other apprehension of the infinitely holy and righteous God
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but as of a devouring fire, witli wliom no sinner can inhabit : nor yet in the aggravation of the obscurity of God from the restless endeavours of mankind in the disquisition of him; who, as he says, " show their love in seeking him, having at their birth an equal right to his favour, which they could nowise demerit before they were born," — being directly contrary to the doctrine of his own church, in the head of original sin.
That which first draws up towards the design he is in pursuit of is his determination, " that the issuing of men's perplexities in the investigation of this hidden God must be by some prophet or teacher, sent from God unto men ;" but the uncertainty of coming into any better condition thereby is so exaggerated by a contempt of those ways and means that such prophets have fixed on to evidence their commg forth from God, by miracles, visions, prophecies, a show of sanctity, with a concourse of threats and promises, as that means also is cashiered from yielding us any relief Neither is there any thing intimated or offered to exempt the true prophets of God, nor the Lord Christ hiinself, from being shuffled into the same bag with false pretenders, in the close, that were brought forth to play their game in this pageant. Yea, the difficulty put upon this help, of the loss we are at in the knowledge of God by prophets and prophecies, seems especially to respect those of the Scripture, so to manifest the necessity of a farther evidence to be given unto them than any they carry about them or bring with them, that they may be useful to this end and purpose: and this intention is manifest a little after, where the Scripture is expressly reckoned among those things which all men boast of, — none can come to certainty or assurance by. Thus are poor unstable souls ventured to the borders of atheism, under a pretence of leading them to the church ! Was this the method of Christ or his apostles, in drawing men to the faith of the gospel? this the way of the holy men of old that laboured in the conversion of souls from gentilism and heresy? Were ever such bold assaults against the immovable principles of Christianity made by any be- fore religion came to be a matter of carnal interest? Is there no Avay to exalt the pope but by questioning the authority of Christ and truth of the Scripture? Truly, I am sorry that wise and con- sidering men should observe such an irreverence of God and his word to prevail in the spirits of men, as to entertain thoughts of persuad- ing them to desert their religion by such presumptuous insinuations of the uncertidnty of all divine revelation. But all this may be made good on the consideration of the changes of men after their profes- sions of this or that religion, — namely, that notwithstanding their former pretensions, yet indeed they know nothing at all, seeing that "from God and the truth no man doth willingly depart;" which, if it