The divine life in three treatises

1. HE that cometh to God, must believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Heb. 11. 6. The first thing to be imprinted on the soul is, that there is a God: that he is a real most Transcendent Being. As sure as the Sun that shineth hath a Being, and the Earth that beareth us hath a being, so sure hath God that made them a Being infinitely more excellent then theirs. As sure as the streams come from the fountain, and as sure as Earth and Stones, and Beasts, and Men did never make themselves, nor do uphold themselves, or continue the course of nature in themselves and others, nor govern the world, so sure is there ⟨p. 15⟩an Infinite eternal Being that doth this. Every Atheist that is not mad must confess that there is an Eternal Being, that had no beginning or cause; The question is only, which this is ▪ which ever it is, it is this that is the true God. What now would the Atheist have it to be? Certainly it is that Being that hath being it self from none that is the first cause of all other Beings: And if it caused them, it must necessarily be every way more excellent then they, and contain all the good that it hath caused; For none can give that which it hath not to give; nor make that which is better then it self; that Being that hath made so glorious a creature as the Sun, must needs it self be much more glorious. It could not have put strength and power into the Creatures, if it had not it self more strength and power. It could not have put Wisdom and Goodness into the Creature, if it had not more Wisdom and Goodness then all they. Whatever it is therefore that hath more Power, Wisdom and Goodness then all the world besides, that is it which we call God. That cause that hath communicated to all things else, the Being, Power, and all perfections which they have, is the God whom we acknowledge and adore; If Democritists will ascribe all this to Atoms, and think that the Motes did make the Sun; or if others will think that the Sun is God because it participateth of so much of his excellency, let them be mad a while till judgement shall convince them. So clear beyond all question to my soul is the Being of the Godhead, that the Devil hath much lost the rest of his more subtle temptations, when he hath foolishly and maliciously adjoined this, to draw me to question the Being of my God;