The sum of sacred divinity briefly & methodically propoundedThe summe of sacred diuinitie briefly & methodically propounded

To define God perfectly, as that great and Christian^{1 x}Logician said, we had need of Gods own Logic, whose nature known only to himself, infinitely exceedeth all thought and apprehension that can possibly be in any creature: wherefore to keep us within the limits of sobriety, not taking upon us to define that we know not, which were folly and madness, much less attempting it in the God-head, which were extreme ungodliness, we must remember the answer that God made unto Moses, desiring to see the Majesty of his presence, that he should see his hinder ^yparts, but his face could not be seen. There is then in God a forepart, and a face, there is a hinder part and back. By his face, that is, his very Majesty and Essence, no man or Angel is able to define GOD, but by those steps and marks of his glory, whereby he hath manifested himself in his Word and Works, as it were by his hinder and back parts, we may in some sort describe him, which what they are, appear in the next Chapter, when passing by Moses, (whom he set in the hollow of a Rock, and covered with his hand till he were gone by) he cried, ^zJEHOVAH, JEHOVAH, the mighty God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and full of kindness and truth, preserving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and rebellion, and sin, by no means freeing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of fathers upon children, and upon children's children to the third and fourth Generation. All which, and whatsoever notes of his glory else, scattered here and there, in the whole Volume of the Scriptures, or shining every-where in the large Volume of the Heavens, are many times comprehended in one only word, as Jah, Jehovah, or Ehieh, (that is to say, I am) as if you would say, Being or perfection it self. For these three (coming from the same ^aroot, and being in effect but one) are that essential and proper name of God, whereby he calleth himself, when he would paint out▪ men the excellency of his Nature, and distinguish it from all other things that are in Heaven, or upon the earth, or under the earth. So