CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

2. A right knowledge about one true God is not enough without the knowledge of Christ, partly on Gods part, and partly on our part; On Gods part, for so he is absolutely considered as a righteous and just God,¹ hating all sin, and punishing it where he finds it; Now in this consideration he is a consuming fire, there is a great gulf between him and us; The devils and damned in hell may as well hope for mercy as we, if there were no Christ; The heathens therefore who hoped for pardon they ignorantly thought to satisfy God, as if he could be satisfied by any finite thing, as Luther said, It's not Deus absolutus but relativus, not God considered absolutely but relatively as a Father in Covenant, through Christ that is the ground of all our hope and comfort; This knowledge would only terrify and drive to despair, as you see in Adam till he was comforted with the promise. 2. On our part, It's necessary to know Christ as well as God, because without Christ there is no foundation for any duty; We cannot pray, we cannot approach near to him; As he is a consuming fire, so we are combustible stubble, Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name, saith Christ, shall be given you; It must be through that Name our duties are accepted: Can two walk together unless they be agreed? What ⟨p. 98⟩concord or agreement can there be between a righteous God and a corrupted sinner? For this cause it is that the most holy men have prayed that God would not enter into strict judgement with them, Psa. 143.2, If men sanctified dare not appear at the Tribunal of God in their own persons, much less may sinners; It's necessary then because of that contrariety between God and sinful man, there should be a Mediator, an advocate, one that should stand between justice and us, the condemning power of the Law and us; Who is not afraid of justice? Who hath so much purity that the Law cannot find any fault with him? So that if we consider of these two particulars we shall see great reason that we have to know Christ and God also.

2. A right knowledge about one true God is not enough without the knowledge of Christ, partly on Gods part, and partly on our part; On Gods part, for so he is absolutely considered as a righteous and just God,