A Glimpse of God, Part 11
A Diſcourſe of God's Inviſibility.
1 Tim. 1. 17. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, inviſible, &c. be honour and glory for ever and ever, Amen.
CHAP. I.
SAint Paul having in the foregoing part of this chapter, laid down the ſ…p…rabundant grace of God in Chriſt, in making him of a perſecutor to become a nurſing father of the Church; of one that was injurious to the ſaints, to be moſt loving and tenderly affected to them, of a blaſphemer to be an excellent preacher of the Goſpel, and in receiving him into ſpecial favour that was the chiefeſt of ſinners (ſuch are the the miraculous effects of God's ſuperabundant grace in Chriſt) here his zeal, love and thankfulneſs to God breaks forth into fervent praiſing of God, giving him the honour due unto his name.
Now to the King eternal—inviſible &c. be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen.
As if he ſhould ſay; ſeeing God hath evidently manifeſted to me his goodneſſe, grace, and mercy in my conuerſion; let him have all the honour and glory for ever and ever. And leſt his converſion ſhould ſeem ſtrange, he ſheweth who was the Author of it.
'Tis God that hath converted me, who is an eternal King, who can do all things, with whom nothing is impoſſible; the eternal King can raiſe children out of ſtones, can make the greateſt ſinner the greateſt Saint.
'Tis an immortal God, who ever liveth, and can give life to the dead, he that can make the earth to yield up her dead, he can make the graves of ſin likewiſe to give up their dead, this immortal God raiſed up me from this death of ſin.
It is an Inviſible God; man cannot ſee him, nor his way of working; his works are viſible, but the manner of his working is Inviſible: that Paul was a convert is as clear as the ſun ſhinneth but the manner of Gods working in his converſion was inviſible, it was above the ken of a carnal eye.
It is a wiſe God who ſweetly ordereth, wiſely brings to paſſe his counſels, therefore it is not impoſſible with God to convert the greateſt ſinners. Here you ſee are four attributes given to God.
1. King everlaſting. foreign, King of Ages, ſo called for two reaſons. 1. Becauſe he is the maker of time, of all ages and generations, foreign, is taken ſometimes for times created, Tit. 1. 2. Secondly, Becauſe he is King eternal, not onelyonly ante temporis durationem, ſed etiam omnem cogitationem, As St. Auguſtine in his book of confeſſions acknowledgeth.Auguſt. Co…feſſ.
2. He is called King Immortall, foreign; ſometimes this word denotes incorruptible, pure and ſincere, and without corruption, but here i… excludeth end of time or being, o elſe it ſignifies God that can not die.
3. He is called inviſible, God that cannot be ſeen, and of this attribute I am to ſpeak.
CHAP. II.
HEnce I note that God is an inviſibleObſerv. King, or God is inviſible: Gods Inviſibility is that divine perfection, whereby his nature being ſo ſpiritual, cannot be ſeen, by any bodily eye. The Scripture ſufficiently proveth this attribute of God, his glory, that is his eſſence is inviſible. When Moſes prayed, Lord I beſeech thee, ſh…w me thy glory; God anſwered him, thou canſt not ſee my face, for Heb. 11. 27.there ſhall no man ſee me and live. Ex. 33. 18. 20. The inviſible things of God, viz. his power, wiſdom, goodneſſe, are ſeen onelyonly in the v…ſible creatures which he hath made, Rom. 1. 20. but the face and eſſence of God cannot be ſeen; for to be inviſible, is to be of ſuch a nature as cannot be ſeen by any mortal eye.
A thing may be ſaid to be inviſible, to a mans eye divers ways.
1. When there is ſomething between he object and the eye, the object being viſible in it ſelf; thus the ſun which is, primum viſible, the chiefeſt viſible thing, being ſet, cannot be ſeen; or when a Cloud is between us and it: ſo we cannot ſee a picture when a curtain is drawn over it: in this ſenſe God is not inviſible, for there is nothing between God and us, for in him we live, move and have our being; we are in God; nothing can ſtand between God and us.
2. A thing is ſaid to be inviſible in reſpect of the indiſtance of the object, ſo we cannot diſcern it: put your hand upon your eye or any thing, you cannot ſee it, in reſpect of the neerneſſe of it, neither alſo in this reſpect is God ſaid to be inviſible.
3. In reſpect of the diſtance of the object from the eye, when the object is too remote from us, we cannot ſee i…, though it be a mountain, becauſe the ſight is terminated and bounded, beyond which the eye cannot exceed or ken: and in this ſenſe God is not inviſible, for he is neer every one of us, that were it poſſible for bodily hands of fleſh to touch and feel a ſpirit, we might touch and feel him. Act. 17.
4. A thing is ſaid to be inviſible, when the medium is not rightly dispoſed; as in the dark we can ſee nothing, becauſe the air is not light, which is the medium or mean of ſeeing, in that ſenſe the School-men ſay God is inviſible, becauſe there is lumen gloriae a light of glory required to behold God; and ſo God as he hath revealed himſelf in his word is inviſible to ſinners, becauſe they are in darkneſs, and there is a thick vail of ignorante drawn over their eyes, that they cannot ſee God in his word of grace.
5. An object is inviſible, through the glorious perfection of it, when there is not a proportion between the eye and the object; ſo the glorious Sun d…zleth the eyes, that we cannot look upon it: So God is inv…ſible, therefore he is ſtiled light inacceſſible, unto which no mortal eye can approach. A thing is ſaid to be inviſible, in reſp…ct of the nature or eſſence of it, being ſpiritual and incorporeal; and in this ſence God is inviſible, who is a Spirit, more ſpiritual than Angels; incorporeal, though the Scripture attributeth to God eyes, hands, mouth, noſe, &c. it ſpeaks of him to us after the manner of men; but it ſets forth the inviſible things of God, by the viſible parts of mans body, as by the eye Gods Omniſciency, and his provident care, &c.
CHAP. III. Reaſons to prove God's Inviſibility.
THe Reaſons to prove this Doctrine, are theſe.
1. Becauſe if God were viſible, thenReaſ. 1. we ſhould ſee nothing in the world but God, becauſe God being Omnipreſent, immenſe and infinite, and ſo filling heaven and earth with his preſence, then ſhould we ſee nothing elſe but God, his immenſe Eſſence would exclude all other viſible objects.
2. Becauſe if God were viſible, thenReaſ. 2. God ſhould be corporeal, and not a Spirit, becauſe there is nothing ſubject to bodily ſenſes, but what is corporeal. This was our Saviours Argument to confirm his ſtaggering Diſciples, after his Reſurrection, That he was truly the Chriſt that was crucified, and riſen again, becauſe they might feel and ſee him, for a ſpirit had not fleſh and bones as he had, Luk. 24. as if he had ſaid, Were I a ſpirit, you could not feel me, becauſe ſpirits are not ſubject to ſenſible qualities. Now God being a ſpirit, and …ot corporeal, we cannot ſee him with theſe eyes.
3. We know there are many creaturesReaſ. 3. that are inviſible, therefore much more muſt God the Creatour of them be inviſible. The wind, whoſe bluſtering guſts we feel, whoſe ſound we hear, yet we cannot ſee, nor do we know whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth, as our Saviour tells us, John 3. 8. The Air is inviſible; the ſoul of man is inviſible, we cannot ſee the eſſence of it, while the ſoul is in the body, we ſee it not, when the ſoul at death departs from the body, we ſee it not: The Angels and Devils are inviſible, the Angels that protect and preſerve us, the Devils that tempt us are inviſible, theſe we ſee not, therefore God is inviſible; therefore if an Heathen ſhould upbraid us, you worſhip a God whom you ſee not, where is your God? ſhew him to us, that we may ſee him. We may anſwer him, Therefore we worſhip the true God, for the true God is inviſible; a God that is viſible, is not the true God; thoſe viſible ſtocks and ſtones which ye worſhip, are not gods: They cannot do evil, neither is it in them alſo to do good; but the inviſible God he is the true God, the living God, and an everlaſting King, Jer. 10. 10.
Here …t may be demanded, whetherQueſt. 1. God be viſible in Heaven?
1. We ſhall in Heaven beholdSol. 1. Chriſt in his Humanity, God man with theſe bodily eyes, as Job ſpeaks, I know that my Redeemer liveth; and though after my skin worms deſtroy this body, yet in my fleſh ſhall I ſee God, whom I ſhall ſee for my ſelf, and mine eyes ſhall behold, and not another, though my reins be conſumed within me, Job 19. 25, 26, 27. Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye ſhall ſee him, and they alſo which pierced him, R…v. 1. 7.
2. We ſhall ſee God, that is, we ſhall ſee his glory with the eye of the body to our intimate ſatisfaction, though we ſhall not ſee the Divine Eſſence. Philip makes this requeſt to Chriſt, Lord ſhew us the Father, and it ſufficeth us, John 14. 8. The Saints in Heaven ſhall ſee ſo much of God, as ſhall ſatisfie them.
3. With the eye of the mind we ſhall ſee God more clearly; our intellectual ſight of God ſhall be much clearer than now it is, our underſtanding and mental ſight of him ſhall be infinitely beyond what now we are able to conceive of him.
4. In heaven we cannot ſee God comprehenſively, as much as he is to be known; thus no man hath ſeen him, nor can ſee him, 1 Tim. 6. 16. Men and Angels ſhall never be able fully to comprehend him.
Seeing God is inviſible, is it lawfulQueſt. 2. for us to frame conceits of God, or to frame an image of God in our minds, to help us in our devotion?
1. It is unlawful, becauſe againſtSol. 1. the ſecond Commandment; which forbids not onelyonly all corporeal, but alſo mental repreſentations of God.
2. It is impoſſible to make an image of God, becauſe we never ſaw him: No man hath ſeen God at any time, Joh. 1. 18. Chriſt tells the Jews (ſpeaking of his Father) Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor ſeen his ſhape, Joh. 5. 37. Moſes tells the Iſraelites (a people very prone to Idolatry) The Lord ſpake to you out of the midſt of the fire; ye heard the voice of the words, but ſaw no ſimilitude, or viſion, onelyonly ye heard a voice. Deut. 4. 12.
3. God is a Spirit, and no man is able to make an image or repreſentation of a ſpirit: all ſuch mental conceits of God, are idolatrous.
How then may we conceive of GodQueſt. 3. in Prayer?
We are ſo to conceive of him, as heSol. hath revealed himſelf in his Word; that h… is a Spirit, moſt wiſe, moſt juſt, moſt holy, moſt powerful, &c.
CHAP. IV.
Sect. 1.
THis condemneth the idolatrousUſe 1. cuſtome of the Papiſts, who make viſible repreſentations, pictures, and images of the inviſible God; they picture God the Father like an old man, becauſe he is called, the Ancient of dayes; they make blaſphemous pictures of the inviſible and glorious Trinity, as three heads on one body: Monſtrous blaſphemy! Not to meddle with their fond arguments and trifling diſtinctions, by which they would juſt…fie themſelves in this practice; as that they are Helps to Devotion, &c. But I may ſay, they are rather Hindrances to Devotion, than Helps; pulling the mind down from God to the Creature made; for the mind will be apt to follow the eye. They ſay, they make them not objects of their devotion, but motives to ſtir up and quicken their devotion: But whatſoever they can ſay, they cannot anſwer this one prohibition of God, Thou ſhalt not make to thy ſelf any graven image, nor the likeneſs of any thing that is in heaven, &c. Exod. 20. 3. a Command which God often repeateth, becauſe the Lord knoweth man is naturally prone to Idolatry, and that ſenſual men are prone to a ſenſual worſh…p of a ſenſible Deity: Therefore the Papiſts have taken a wiſe courſe to uphold their idolatrous worſhip, by expunging the ſecond Commandment out of the Decalogue; but let them look how they can be able to undergo that ſevere curſe, Rev. 22 19. threatned againſt thoſe that ſhall diminiſh any of the words or Commandments of God.
2. Seeing God is inviſible, thisUſe 2. ſhould admoniſh us to take heed of any mental conceits of God in our minds and repreſentations of him in our fancies. When we go to prayer otherwiſe than what his Word alloweth, viz. that we go to one, who is moſt gracious, merciful, &c. we may be idolatrous in reſpect of our thoughts and conceits, as well as in worſhipping Pictures and Images: and what are theſe conceits, but gods of our own making and framing? Conceits of God in our minds beſide the Word of God, (which many apprehend to be good) come from theſe two fountains:
1. Partly from our corrupt natures; there is a bitter root of Idolatry and Superſtition in every man's nature; theſe conceits are bloſſoms and buds of this curſed root; ſo many Adders bred and crawling out of this dunghil, and we are greatly to humble our ſouls for them, as for other ſins.
2. Theſe fantaſtical conceits that we have of the inviſible God, are likewiſe of the Devil's ſuggeſtion; who if he cannot bring us to down-right Idolatry, to worſhip Pictures, yet he will ſuggeſt falſe reſemblances of God to our minds, and ſo to make us commit mental Idolatry. Therefore concerning theſe conceits of God, who is inviſible, and the reſemblances of him in our minds, I will ſay th…ſe two things.
1. If we harbour ſuch conceits of God, though we think to do it to quicken our devotion, and to keep our hearts in awe of God, during the duty we perform to him; yet know, they are breaches of the ſecond Commandment, which forbids mental reſemblances, as well as viſible by Pictures or graven Images, and reſolve to offend God ſo no more.
2. Seeing it is exceeding hard for us to abſtain from ſinful thoughts, conceits, and mental reſemblances of God, and that the Devil will ever be ſuggeſting them; if you ſtrive aga…nſt them, and do hate them, as you hate an idolatrous image of the divine inviſible Eſſence, then they are the Devil's ſins, and your burdens; God will then cure you of this infirmity, and not condemnUſe 3. you for it.
Sect. 2.
3. Is God inviſible, then be admoniſhed from hence, not to conceive that God cannot ſee us, becauſe we cannot ſee him; as children ſhutting or blinding their own eyes, think that no body elſe ſees them: So the wicked, becauſe they ſee not God, are ready to ſay, Tuſh, God ſees us not: they break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage: they ſlay the widdow and the ſtranger, and murder the fatherleſ yet they ſay, the Lord ſhall not ſee, neither ſhall the God of Jacob regard it. Pſal. 94. 6, 7. But this inv…ſible God hath an all-ſeeing eye to behold what we do; he ſees all our ſecret thoughts, he ſearcheth and trieth our ways, he ſees all our hypocriſies, filthineſs, and all our unfruitful works of darkneſs. All the wicked ſhall one day know to their ſhame and horrour, that he ſaw them when they ſaw no… him: when he ſhall lay open all their wickedneſs: he will ſay to the wicked man, Theſe things thou haſt done; I the Judg of all the world am an eye-witneſs of theſe things, & wil teſtifie againſt thee.
Therefore think not, ye Atheiſts, that ye can ſin ſecurely, that no eye ſeeth you; and that ye may take liberty to ſin, when you are in places where no mortal eye can behold you; the immortal, all-ſeeing, and every where piercing eye of God beholds you.
4. Labour to live and walk as if youUſe 4. ſaw him that is inviſible: When you are alone, then walk circumſpectly, becauſe the inviſible God beholds you; Say to thy ſelf, Shall I, being alone, ſin this or that ſin to which I am tempted? the inviſible God beholdeth me; and if he ſee me, it is more then if all Angels and Men did look upon me in the act. What though I may take away a Babyloniſh garment, a golden wedge, and there may be all poſſible ſecreſie offered me, yet I will not touch it, becauſe the inviſible God ſees me, and ſure he will find me out, and make my ſin find me out. I have ſet God always before mine eyes, ſaith David, and this kept him in his uprightneſs. Though God be inviſible, yet walk thou ſo, as having God before thine eyes, as if thou didſt continually ſee him. So it is ſaid of Moſes, Heb. 11. 27. By faith he forſook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the King, for he endured, as ſeeing him that is inviſible. He did not fear the wrath of Pharaoh King of Egypt, he durſt not abide in Egypt, he was contented to endure his ſhare, as ſeeing him who is inviſible; he feared the wrath of the inviſible God more than the wrath of viſible Pharaoh.
5. If God be inviſible, then doubtleſsUſe 5. there are glorious things prepared for the godly, which are yet inviſible. The beſt things of Chriſtianity are inviſible; the ſincerity and truth of grace is hidden from the world, Your life is hid with Chriſt in God, Col. 3. 3. your life of grace, your life of comfort, and your life of glory too. The Saints themſelves are a myſtery, the world knoweth them not. 1 Joh. 3. 1. But the reward which God hath in ſtore for his people is much more inviſible; God hath prepared ſuch things for his people, as eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive: Therefore a Chriſtian with an eye of Faith ſhould look, not to the things that are ſeen, which are temporal; but to the things which are not ſeen, that are eternal, 2 Cor. 4. ult.
Sect. 3.
6. This may juſtifie the godly man'sƲſe 6. ſelf-denial, and willing parting with the viſible things of this world: All viſible delights, honours, and advantages, they are content to part with all; all miſeries viſible they patiently undergo, which the world counts madneſ here is the Reaſon, They live by Faith, and not by Senſe; have hopes of better and inviſible things, inviſible Riches, inviſible Joys and Pleaſures; they ſee inviſible treaſures of happineſs, and in the hopes of theſe, they can part with all viſible things: They ſee inviſible torments treading on the heels of viſible pleaſures, therefore they regard not the viſible pleaſures of ſin, which are but for a ſeaſon: Therefore the godly are happy, becauſe they have hopes of inviſible happineſ and the hope of thoſe excellent and inviſible things doth blaſt the glory of all viſible excellencies, and quench the flame of all viſible miſeries.
7. Here's comfort to the godly inUſe 7 two things.
1. Againſt inviſible Enemies; the Devil is an inviſible enemy, and by ſecret ways, ſuch as we ſee not, ſeeketh to deſtroy our immortal ſou…s; but this may comfort them, that they have an inviſible God to confound the inviſible ſtratagems of inviſible Devils.
2. Againſt all afflictions whatſoever. 1. Becauſe God hath inviſible ways to work out our deliverance and ſalvation for us: God's working is inviſible, though his works are manifeſt and viſible. 2. He hath inviſible comforts to revive the hearts of his people, when their hearts are ready to faint within them. He hath alſo Promiſes of inviſible rewards wherewith to ſuccour them.
Laſtly, Though God be inviſible,Uſe 8. yet we may come to the ſight of his glory, to our unſpeakable joy, and endleſs comfort. Will ye ſee God hereafter, then labour for pure hearts; pure eyes ſhall ſee God, and a pure heart ſhall enjoy him: Without holineſs, no man ſhall enjoy God, nor ſee him in his glory. As light is neceſſary to enable us to behold things here which are viſible; ſo is holineſs neceſſary for the man that will behold him that is inviſible: What is that blackneſs of darkneſs which eternally hindreth the damned from ſeeing God, but the woful impurity and uncleanneſs of their hearts and lives?