A Guide to Go to God, Preface · Section 16
§. 16. Of Gods being in heauen.
Q. HOw is Gods greatneſſe ſet forth?
A. By his manſion place which is in heauen. A manſion place is an vſuall meanes of greatneſſe or meaneſſe. When we ſee a little thatcht ruinous cottage, we imagine that he is a poore meane perſon that dwelleth there. Thus Eliphas ſetteth out the baſeneſſe of men,Iob 4. 19. who dwell in houſes of clay, whoſe foundation is in the duſt. But if we ſee a faire and ſtately Pallace, we thinke that he is a great perſonage that inhabiteth there. Great Nebuchadnezzar did thus ſet out his owne greatneſſe,Dan. 4. 30. Is not this great Babylon that I hauehave built for the houſe of the kingdome, and for the honour of my maieſtie? Yea if beggars ſee but a faire porch before the doore of an houſe, they conceit that one which can ſpare them ſomething there abideth. To our capacitie therefore the Lord (who dwelleth in the light that no creature can approach vntounto) is pleaſed thus to ſet forth his greatneſſe▪ 1. Tim. 6. 16.glorie, and magnificence.
Many do ſo peruert this deſcription of Gods greatneſſe, as thereby they much impeach the excellencie of his Maieſtie. For
1.God is not circumſcribed in heauen. Some thence inferre that God may be circumſcribed, and compaſſed in a place: which is contrary to his infinite greatneſſe,Ier. 23. 23. by reaſon whereof he is ſaid to fill heauen, and earth: to hauehave the heauen for his throne, Math 5. 34, 35.and the earth for his foot-ſtoole: to be eueryevery where,Pſal 139. 7, &c. ſo as none can withdraw themſelues from his preſence: 1. King. 8. 27.yea to be ſo incomprehenſible, as the heauen, and heauen of heauens cannot containe him.
2.Heauen hinders not Gods ſight. Others thence inferre, that he is ſo high as he cannot ſee the things below:Iob 22. 12, 13, 14 which Eliphas noteth to be the mind of the prophane in his time, who ſay, Is not God in the height of heauen? How doth God know? Can he iudge through the darke cloud? Thicke clouds are a couering to him, that he ſeeth not: and he walketh in the circuit of heauen. But this conceipt is directly contrary to that omniſcience and perfect ſight of God, which the holy Ghoſt thus ſetteth out:Pſal. 102. 19. Out of heauen doth the Lord behold the earth. Prou. 15. 3.The eyes of the Lord are in eueryevery place, beholding the euill and the good. Heb. 4. 13.There is not any creature that is not manifeſt in his ſight, Gods prouidence on things below.&c.
2. Others thence inferre, that thought it be granted that God ſeeth the earth, & all things done thereon, yet he ordereth them not:Apud Cicer. lib. 5 de Nat. Deorum, Cotta negat Deū curare ſingulos homines, aut ciuitates, aut nationes. which was the conceipt of many Philoſophers: A conceipt directly contrary to that excellent diſcourſe which God himſelfe had with Iob, and to the euidences of Gods prouidence extending it ſelfe to the ſmalleſt things, as to all kinde of creatures, euen to little ſparrowes: to the haires of our head: and to the graſſe of the field.Iob 38. & 39. & 40. & 41.
But to let paſſe all ſuch falſe, erroneous, abſurd, and blaſphemous collections,Math. 10. 29, 30. & 6. 30. know that this placing of God in heauen is not properly,God ſaid to be in heauen. but comparatiuely, and reſpectiuely to bee taken: and that to giuegive vsus occaſion to conceiue ſomething of Gods excellencie,1. To make our ſoules ſoare vp. which is in truth vnconceiueable, and incomprehenſible.
Q. Why is God thus ſet forth?Cum deum dicit eſſe in coelis à terris abducit ornatem▪ &c. Chryſ. Hom. 20. in Mat. 6.
A. 1. To make our ſoules aſcend as high as poſſibly can be when we pray vntounto him. Aboue heauen our thoughts cannot aſcend. Therefore he is ſaid to be in heauen, which is the higheſt place of all.Pſal. 123▪ 1. I lift vp mine eyes to thee who dwelleſt in heauen, ſaith the Pſalmiſt.
2. To diſtinguiſh God from earthly parents:2. To put difference betweene God and earthly parents. and to ſhew that he is farre more excellent then they: euen as heauen is higher then the earth: and things in heauen more excellent then things on earth. No Kings or Monarchs, though they ſhould rule from one end of the earth to the other, can be like to our Father which is in heauen.Pſal. 113. 5. Who is like to the Lord our God who dwelleth on high?
3. To ſhew that he is free from all earthly infirmities:3. To ſhew Gods immutabilitie. and from that changeableneſſe whereunto things on earth are ſubiect. In heauen there is no corruption, dim…uution, or alteration. Much leſſe can there be any ſuch thing in him, who is the chiefeſt of all in heauen;Iam. 1. 17. and with whom is no variableneſſe, nor ſhadow of turning.
4. To ſet him forth in the moſt glorious manner that can be.4. To declare his excellencie. As Kings are moſt glorious in their thrones, ſo is God in heauen, Math. 5. 34.which is his Throne. In heauen it is, where the Angels behold the face of God: Math. 18. 10.and where thouſand thouſands minister vntounto him, Dan. 7. 10.and ten thouſand thouſands ſtand before him. In heauen is Chriſt ſet at the right hand of the Throne of Maiestie. In heauen it was where Saint Paul heard vnspeakable words, Heb. 1. 3. & 8. 1.which it is not lawfull (or poſſible) for man to vtter. 2. Cor. 12. 4. foreign.In a word, in heauen truly and properly are the things which eye hath not ſeene, 1. Cor. 2 9.nor eare heard, nor hauehave entred into the heart of man.
5. Becauſe his glorie is moſt manifeſted as in heauen,5. To ſhew whence his glorie moſt ſheweth it ſelfe. ſo from heauen. For from heauen eſpecially the glorie of his power, prouidence, iuſtice, merciemercy, and other attributes is declared. The heauens declare the glorie of God. From heauen did God cauſe iudgement to be heard. Pſal. 19. 1.—76. 8.From heauen the wrath of God is re…ealed. From heauen did the Lord behold the earth, Rom. 1. 18.to heare the groaning of the priſoners, Pſal. 102. 19, 20.&c. From aboue is eueryevery good giuing, and eueryevery perfect gift.Iam. 1. 17.