Use 1 If he be so great a GOD, he that is our God, the GOD,1 who is our Father, if he be thus great and incomprehensible, learn you to know what you are then: that you have an infinite God to maintain, defend and uphold you, in all all that you have to do, or suffer for his will. ⟨p. 130⟩This will cause you to take great minds to your selves to have a holy magnanimity in you: And the consideration of this Attribute is of great use, to make Christians come to have great minds. For what is it that makes the mind great? It is the greatness of the object: whence it is, that Kings have great minds, because of their great Kingdoms; and great men have great thoughts, because of the great objects that they have to look upon. Now therefore, if thou wouldest look upon the great God, if thou wouldest consider that he is thy Father, and that all that he hath is thine, this would likewise make thy mind exceeding great: it would take from us that pusillanimity and narrowness of mind, which we are subject to; and it is of great moment it should do so. A little mind though it be good, yet because it is a little vessel, it can be and receive but a little good; whereas when the mind is great it is capable of great grace, great actions, and great endeavours: therefore we should get our minds to be enlarged, by considering the greatness of GOD, and our interest in it. For want of this it is, that Christians are so apt to be led aside into byways by the power of great men; because they think that they are greatly graced when they are looked after by great men; when as if they did know their own greatness, that they are Sons of GOD, and heirs of heaven, this goes beyond it. Hence likewise it is, that men are so easily wrought upon by pleasure, profit, ⟨p. 131⟩and the like, that they are ready to transgress: why is it? It is, because they do not know what they are borne to, that the great GOD of heaven is theirs.
Vse 1 If he be so great a GOD, he that is our God, the GOD,1 who is our Father, if he be thus great and incomprehensible, learne you to know what you are then: that you have an infinite God to maintaine, defend and uphold you, in all all that you have to doe, or suffer for his will. ⟨p. 130⟩This will cause you to take great mindes to your selves to have a holy magnanimity in you: And the consideration of this Attribute is of great vse, to make Christians come to have great mindes. For what is it that makes the minde great? It is the greatnesse of the object: whence it is, that Kings have great mindes, because of their great Kingdomes; and great men have great thoughts, because of the great objects that they have to looke vpon. Now therefore, if thou wouldest looke vpon the great God, if thou wouldest consider that he is thy Father, and that all that hee hath is thine, this would likewise make thy minde exceeding great: it would take from us that pusillanimity and narrownesse of mind, which we are subject to; and it is of great moment it should doe so. A litle mind though it be good, yet because it is a litle vessell, it can bee and receive but a litle good; whereas when the minde is great it is capable of great grace, great actions, and great indeavours: therefore we should get our minds to be inlarged, by considering the greatnesse of GOD, and our interest in it. For want of this it is, that Christians are so apt to bee led aside into bywayes by the power of great men; because they thinke that they are greatly graced when they are look't after by great men; when as if they did know their owne greatnesse, that they are Sonnes of GOD, and heires of heaven, this goes beyond it. Hence likewise it is, that men are so easily wrought vpon by pleasure, profit, ⟨p. 131⟩and the like, that they are ready to transgresse: why is it? It is, because they doe not know what they are borne to, that the great GOD of heaven is theirs.
- 1To know our interest in this Great God, and to take up a greatness of mind answerable.To know our interest in this Great God, and to take up a greatnesse of minde answerable.
