A Guide to Go to God, Petition 6 · Section 224 – Section 225
§ 224. Of Eternitie. To what things it is applyed.
Q. HOw are the Kingdome, Power, and Glory of God amplified?
A. By their vnchangeable continuance. This phraſe FOR EVER implyeth both Eternitie, and Immutabilitie. The phraſe in the originall, to tranſlate it word for word,*foreign. in ſecula. foreign quaſi foreign. Ariſt. lib. 1. de coelo. is, for ages: The originall roote (foreign) doth properly ſignifie that which is for euer. Now becauſe an age is the longeſt vſuall diſtinction of time, the ſame word that ſignifieth eternity is put for an age. And when there is no end of that which is ſpoken of, the plurall number indefinitely without any limitation, thus, for ages, is vſed to ſet out the euerlaſtingneſſe of it. But euerlaſtingneſſe, or eternitie is diuerſly vſed in Scripture. For ſuch things are ſaid to bee for euer, euerlaſting, eternall, which hauehave both beginning and end, which hauehave beginning, but no end, which hauehave no beginning yet an end, which hauehave neither beginning nor end.
1. The things which hauing both beginning and end alſo are ſaid to be eternall and for euer,1. Such as hauehave both beginning and end. are 1. Such as hauehave no ſet and determinate date. Thus becauſe there was no date ſet for that heape which was made of the ruines of Ai, neither was any time of the reedifying of it knowne, it is ſaid to beaIoſ. 8. 28. an heape for euer. bDeut. 13. 16.The like is noted of that heape which was to bee made of that Citie where Idolaters were harboured. 2 Such as are immutable while their date laſteth. ThuscExod. 21. 6. the things which remained inalterable for the time of a mans life are ſaid to bee for euer, as the ſeruice of him whoſe eare was boared thorow with a nawle, by his Maſter: and the things which endured all the time of the Iewes pedagogie, and politie till the firſt comming of Chriſt, as thedExod. 12. 24. Paſſeouer, and other like legall Rites: and the things which are to endure till the end of the world: aseGen. 9. 16. the Couenant whereof the Rainbow is a ſigne, andfEccl. 1. 4. the earth. All theſe had their beginning: and they hauehave had or ſhall hauehave their end. Yet are they ſaid to bee for euer, becauſe no abrogation, or alteration was to be of them, till their date and end was come.
2. The things which hauing a beginning hauehave no end,2. Such as hauehave a beginning but no end. are more properly ſaid to be for euer, or euerlaſting; becauſe theſe phraſes hauehave eſpeciall reſpect to future continuance. Such are
1. Good Angels, whogLuk. 20. 36. Heb. 2. 9. neuer dye: whohMath. 18. 10. alwayes behold the face of God.
2. Euill Angels, who areiInde, verſe 6. reſerued in euerlaſting chaines.
3. The humane nature of Chriſt: whoſekA. &. 2. 31. fleſh ſaw no corruption: and who, euen as man,lHeb. 7. 24. continueth for euer.
4. The ſoules of men,mEccl. 12. 7. which returne to God when the body which is but duſt returneth to the earth.
5. Mens bodies after the Reſurrection, whenn1. Cor. 15. 53. This corruptible muſt put on incorruption, and this mortall muſt put on immortalitie: and wheno1. Theſ. 4. 17. wee ſhall be euer with the Lord.
6. The higheſt heauen: that place where Chriſt now abideth in his humane nature, and which is the bleſſed habitation of the glorious Angels, and glorified Saints. This is ſtiled p2. Cor. 51.an eternall houſe: q1 Pet. 1. 4 foreign.an inheritance incorruptible, that fadeth not away.
7. Hell: the place of the damned, where their worme dyeth not, Flos quidam qui non marceſſit, dicitur foreign. Flos iſte adhiberi ſolebat coronis. vide Tibul. lib. 3. El. 4.and the fire is not quenched (Mar. 9. 44) where their puniſhment is euerlaſting, Mat. 25. 46.
8. All things that remaine after the day of Iudgement: when there ſhall be no more death, Reu. 21. 4.
3. The things which hauehave no beginning but an end, are ſuch decrees of God as were in time accompliſhed. The decree was in the purpoſe of God before all times,3. Such as hauehave no beginning but an end. but performed in an appointed time. Thus grace is ſaid to be giuen before the world began. 2. Tim. 1. 9.The decree of giuing it was before the world: yet the decree had his date, and was accompliſhed: grace is actually giuen in the time of this world.
4. The things which hauehave neither beginning nor end are moſt properly eternall.4 Such as hauehave neither beginning nor end. For herein lyeth a difference betwixt eternitie, and ſempiternitie or euerlaſtingneſſe. Eternity looketh backward and forward. It neuer ſaw beginning, nor euer ſhall ſee end. Euerlaſtingneſſe looketh onelyonly forward to that which is to come. That which is properly eternall hath his being of and in himſelfe,Things properly eternall are alſo immutable. being ſupported and ſuſtained by none, and in that reſpect is immutable. Thus the phraſes which do ſet out true and proper eternitie, doe alſo by iuſt conſequence imply immutabilitie. Wherefore vnderunder this phraſe FOR EVER here in the Lords Prayer both eternitie and immutability are compriſed. The things thus properly eternall are onelyonly God himſelfe and ſuch things as are eſſentiall to him, as his Sonne, his Spirit, his Properties.
1. God ſaith of himſelfe, Before mee there was no God formed, neither ſhall there bee after mee. Iſai. 43. 10. Fitly therefore doth the man of God ſay vntounto him, From euerlaſting to euerlaſting thou art God, Pſal. 90. 2. The proper name of God *foreign Iod Sheuatum innuit futurum: Holem, praeſens: Lamed He quieſcens in camets, praeteritum. Omnia igitur tempora in ſe continet. Nomen iſtud ſacrum ſic explicat Iohannes Gracè, foreign. Vide Bezaean. not. in Apoc. 1. 4. Iſa. 96. foreign Pater aeternitatisIehouah doth fully ſet out this propertie, and immutable eternitie. For it compriſeth vnderunder it all times, paſt, preſent, future.
2. The Sonne of God is called Father of Eternitie, in that, he is eternall himſelfe, and the author of ſuch things as endure for euer.
3. The Spirit of God in the beginning moued vponupon the face of the waters, Hebrai expo… foreign incubabat ſicut gallina ouis ſuis incubat donec pulli gignantur.Gen. 1. 2. He was therefore in the beginning: and if he was in the beginning, hee had no beginning. For hee it was that formed the things that had a beginning: in which reſpect he is ſaid to moue, or (as the Iewish expoſitors interpret the word) to ſit as an Hen vponupon her Egges, till her Chickens be hatched.
4. All the properties of God are, as theſe three, (Kingdome, Power, Glory) for euer.
His Dominion is an euerlasting Dominion, Dan. 7. 14. euen from generation to generation, Dan. 4. 31.
His Glory is eternall, 1. Pet. 5. 10.
His righteouſneſſe is an euerlaſting righteouſneſſe, Pſal. 119. 142.
His truth is for euer, Pſal. 117. 2.
His mercy is for euer, Pſal. 136. 1.
So alſo his Counſell, Law, Oath, Couenant and the like, whereof ſee §. 226.
Thus we ſee that eternitie properly taken,Difference betwixt Gods eternitie and creatures. is proper to God. Howſoeuer other things are alſo stiled eternall, yet there is a manifeſt difference betwixt that which is proper to God, and that which is common to creatures.
1. Gods Eternitie is without beginning. So is no creatures. For by him were all things created that are in heauen,Col. 1. 16. and that are in earth, viſible and inuiſible.
2. Gods is without alteration. So is no creature as wee ſhall *§. 227.afterwards ſhew.
3. Gods is independent. Hee euer was, and euer remaineth to be of himſelfe, and by himſelfe. Creatures hauehave their continuance of God,Act. 17. 28. and by God. In him wee liue, and moue, and hauehave our being. Rom. 11. 36,Of him, and through him, and to him are all things.
§ 225. Of the Duties which ariſe from Gods Eternitie.
Q. VVHat duties doth that Eternitie which is proper to God teach vsus?
A. 1. To acknowledge him to be the onelyonly Creator.Ioh. 1. …2 3. By the eternitie of Chriſt doth S. Iohn proue that he is God, and that all things were made by him.
2. To ſeeke preſeruation of him. On this ground the Pſalmiſt thus prayeth,Pſal. 102. 24. O my God take mee not away in the middeſt of my dayes: thy yeares are throughout all generations.
3. To giuegive the praiſe of continuance of all good to him. It was vſuall with the Pſalmiſt to giuegive thankes to God,Pſal. 136. becauſe his mercy endureth for euer.
4. To aſcribe eternall glory to him that is eternall. This phraſe is frequent among the Saints, To God bee glory for euer and euer.2. Tim. 4. 18.
5. In our time to ſerue him. Thus doe wee what lyeth in our power to continue ſeruice to the Eternall for euer. If all generations were carefull eueryevery one in their time to ſerue God, the mortalitie of man would be no hindrance to the perpetuitie of Gods ſeruice. Abraham called vponupon the name of the euerlaſting God. Gen. 21. 33.Becauſe the Lord was an euerlaſting God, Ahraham was carefull in his time to worſhip him.
6. To make him knowne to poſteritie. This is a further meanes of procuring an euerlaſting name to the euerlaſting God. For our poſteritie being inſtructed by vsus, may declare Gods name to their poſteritie: and ſo poſteritie to poſteritie throughout all generations. Marke theſe things (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) that ye may tell it to the generations following:Pſal. 48. 13, 14. For this God is our God for euer and euer.
7. To depend on him for our poſteritie. Wee are mortall, and ſhall not euer liue to prouide for our poſteritie. But God remaining for euer wee may well commend ſuch as ſuruiue vsus to his prouidence, and depend on him for his care ouer them. The Pſalmiſt hauing made acknowledgement of Gods euerlaſting continuance, ſaying thus to him, Thou art the ſame: Pſal. 102. 27. 28.and thy yeares ſhall hauehave no end, he maketh this inference, The children of thy ſeruants ſhall continue: and their ſeed ſhall be eſtabliſhed before thee.
8. To feare him more then creatures. Creatures though neuer ſo mighty, and malicious may die, & we be freed from feare of them.Pſal. 92. 8, 9. But God euer liueth. Thou Lord art moſt high for euermore, but thine enemies ſhall periſh.
9. To preferre him before all. To ſhew what iuſt cauſe there is to preferre God before all, thus ſaith the Lord of himſelfe, Before me there was no God formed, neither ſhall there bee after me.Iſa. 43. 10.
10. To follow after righteouſneſſe.
11. To turne others to righteouſneſſe.Dan. 12. 3.
For both theſe ſhall ſhine,Math. 13. 43. the one as the Firmament, the other as the Starres in the Kingdome of God, for euer and euer.
12. To hope in death.1. Theſ. 4. 13, 14. &c.
13. To be comforted for thoſe that die in the Lord. For the eternall God will raiſe vp both vsus and others beleeuing in him, to eternall life.
Thus much of Gods Eternitie plainely expreſſed vnderunder this phraſe, for euer. His Immutabilitie is alſo imployed thereby.