A Golden Chain, Chapter 2
CHAP. 2. Of God, and the nature of God.
THat there is a God, it is euident: 1. by the course of nature: 2. by the nature of the soule of man: 3. by the distinction of things honest and dishonest: 4. by the terrour of conscience: 5. by the regiment of ciuill societies: 6. the order of all causes hauing euer recourse to some former beginning: 7. the determination of all things to their seuerall ends: 8. the consent of all men well in their wits.
God is Iehouah Elohim. Exod. 6.2. And Elohim spake vntounto Moses, and said vntounto him, I am Iehouah: and I appeared vntounto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Iacob, by the name of God almightie, but by my name Iehouah was I not knowne vntounto them. Exod. 3.13. If they say vntounto me, What is his name? What shall I say vntounto them? And God answered Moses, I am that I am: Also he said, thus shalt thou say vntounto the children of Israel, I am hath sent me vntounto you. And God spake further to Moses, Thus shalt thou say vntounto the children of Israel, Iehouah Elohim, &c. hath sent me vntounto you. In these wordes, the first title of God, declareth his Nature, the second his Persons.
The Nature of God, is his most liuely and most perfect essence.
The perfection of the nature of God, is his absolute constitution, by the which he is wholly complete within himselfe Exod. 3. 13. I am that I am. Act. 17.24. God that made the world, and all things that are therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heauen and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giueth to all life and breath and all things.
The perfection of his Nature, is either Simplenes, or the Infinitenes therof.
The Simplenesse of his nature, is that by which he is void of all Logical relation. He hath not in him, subiect or adiunct. Ioh. 5.26. As the Father hath life in himselfe, so hath he giuen to the Sonne to hauehave life in himselfe: conferred with Ioh. 14.6. I am the way, the truth, and the life. 1. Ioh. 1.7. But if we walke in light, as he is in light: conferred with v. 5. God is light, and in him is no darkenesse. Hence it is manifest, that to hauehave Life, and to be Life: to be in Light, and to be Light, in God are all one. Neither is God subiect to generalitie, or specialtie: whole, or parts: matter, or that which is made of matter: for so there should be in God diuers things, and one more perfect then another. Therefore, whatsoeuer is in God, is his essence, and all that he is, he is by essence. The saying of Augustine in his 6. booke and 4. chap. of the Trinitie, is fit to prooue this: In God (saith he) to be, and to be iust, or mightie, are all one: but in the minde of man, it is not all one to be, and to be mightie, or iust: for the minde may be destitute of these vertues, and yet a minde.
Hence it is manifest, that the Nature of God is immutable and Spirituall.
Gods immutabilitie of nature, is that by which he is void of all composition, diuision, and change. Iam. 1. 17. With God there is no variablenesse nor shadowe of changing. Mal. 3.6. I am the Lord and am not changed. Where it is saide, that God repenteth, &c. Gen. 6.6. the meaning is, that God changeth the action, as men doe that repent: therefore repentance, it signifieth not any mutation in God, but in his actions, and such things as are made and chaunged by him.
Gods Nature, is spirituall in that it is incorporall, and therefore inuisible. Ioh. 4.24. God is a spirit. 2. Cor. 3. 17. The Lord is the spirit. 1. Tim. 1.17. To the King eternall, immortall, inuisible, onelyonly wise God, be glorie and honour for euer and euer. Col. 1.15. Who is the image of the inuisible God.
The infinitenesse of GOD, is twofolde: his Eternitie, and Exceeding greatnesse.
Gods eternitie, is that by which he is without beginning and ending, Psal. 90. 2. Before the mountaines were made, and before thou hadst formed the earth and the round world, euen from euerlasting to euerlasting, thou art our God. Revel. …. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, that is, the beginning and ending, saith the Lord, Which is, Which was, and Which is to come.
Gods exceeding greatnes, is that by which his incomprehensible nature is eueryevery where present, both within and without the world. Psal. 145.3. Great is the Lord, and worthie to be praised, and his greatnes is incomprehensible. 1. King. 8.27. Is it true indeede that God will dwell on the earth? behold the heauens, and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee: how much lesse is this: house that I hauehave built? Ier. 23. 24. Doe not I fill the heauen and earth, saith the Lord? Hence it is plaine:
First, that he is onelyonly one, and that indiuisible, not many. Eph. 4.5. One Lord, one faith, one Baptisme, one God and Father of all. Deut. 4. 35. VntoUnto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God, and that there is none but he alone. 1. Cor. 8.4. We know that an idoll is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. And there can be but one thing infinite in nature.
Secondly, that God is the knower of the heart. For nothing is hidden from that nature, which is within all things, and without all things, which is included in nothing, nor excluded from any thing. Because 1. King. 8. 39. the Lord searcheth all hearts, and vnderstandeth eueryevery worke of the minde. Psal. 139.1,2. Thou knowest my sitting downe, and my rising vp, thou vnderstandest my cogitation a farre off.