The divine life in three treatises

CHAP. I.

GOD is the Principal Efficient, the Supreme Directive, and the Ultimate final Cause of man: For OF him, and THROUGH him, and TO him are all things, and to him shall be the Glory for ever, Rom. 11. 36. The New life, or Nature in the Saints is his Image, Col. 3. 10. The Principle of it is called The Divine Nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. The exercise of that principle (including the principle it self) is called The life of God, Eph. 4. 18. from which the Gentiles are said to be alienated by their ignorance. Therefore it is called Holiness, which is a separation to God from common use: and [Gods dwelling in us▪ ] and [ours in him] 1 John 4. 12, 13. of whom we are said to be [born and regenerate] 1 John 4. 7. John 3. 5. And our perfection in Glory, is our living with God, and enjoying ⟨p. 2⟩him for ever. GODLINESS then is the comprehensive name of all true Religion. Jesus Christ himself came but to restore corrupted man to the Love, and Obedience, and Fruition of his Creator, and at last will give up the Kingdom to the Father, that God may be All, and in all: and the Son himself shall be subject to this end, 1 Cor. 15. 24, 28. The End of Christs Sacrifice and Intercession is to Reconcile God and man: The End of his Doctrine is to teach us to know God: The end of his Government is to reduce us to the perfect obedience of our Maker. It is therefore the greatest Duty of a Christian to know God as revealed by his Son; and it is such a Duty about our Ultimate End as is also our greatest Mercy and Felicity. Therefore doth the Lord Jesus here in the Text describe that Life Eternal which he was to give to those whom the Father had given him, to consist in Knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he had sent. My purpose is in this Treatise to speak only of the first part of the Text, (The Knowledge of God) And first I shall very briefly explain the Text.