A Glimpse of God, Part 14
A diſcourſe of the Life and Immortality of God.
Hebr. 3. 12. Take heed brethern, leſt there he in any of you an evil heart of unbeleif, in departing from the living God.
CHAP. I.
THe Author of this Epiſtle, doubtleſs was St. Paul: the chief ſubject of it is Chriſt; A ſecondary drift and ſcope of it, is to deter ſuch as make profeſſion of the faith of Chriſt from backſliding and departing from Chriſt, as appears by this Chapter, and by the fourth and tenth Chapters. In his ſpeaking of Chriſt he ſets him forth two ways.
1. In his abſolute and perſonal excellency; in the beginning of the firſt Chapter.
2. In his comparative excellency; being compared with Angels, Prophets, and Prieſts, and Levitical Sacrifices, he ſheweth how Chriſt infinitely tranſcends all theſe. He ſheweth how far he excelleth all the glorious Angels in the firſt Chapter, and that in divers particulars.
1. He is the natural Son of God.
2. He is the heir of all things.
3. He is the Creatour and Lord of Angels, him all the glorious Angels worſhip and adore.
Then he ſhews Chriſts tranſcendent excellency above all Prophets; he inſtanceth in Moſes, the firſt and Prince of Prophets, here in this third Chapter, ſetting forth the excellency of Moſes in an high manner, that he might the better declare the tranſcendent excellency of Chriſt above him.
The thing chiefly commended in Moſes, was his faithfulneſs in Gods Houſe (by houſe, underſtand not a material, but a ſpiritual houſe) his Church. Now Chriſt excelled Moſes in two things.
1. Chriſt was the Son of God; Moſes a Servant.
2. Chriſt was builder and Maſter of the Houſe; Moſes was part of this houſe.
Now in the following Verſes, the Apoſtle ſtrongly inferreth, that Chriſt is more excellent then Angels and Moſes. We ought to give more heed to the word ſpoken by him, then to the word ſpoken by Angels or by Moſes; and this he preſſeth from the danger of unbeleif, after men have heard and received the Goſpel of Chriſt. Thoſe that did not beleive Moſes, were not ſuffered to enter into Canaan, but periſhed in the Wilderneſ Now the Apoſtle tells the Hebrews, that as God dealt with their forefathers for their unbelief, ſo will he deal with all unbeleivers, they ſhall never enter into his glorious reſt, but ſhall periſh eternally.
My Text is a ſerious admonition to all, to beware of unbeleif, ſeeing it ſhuts men out of heavenly reſt, and throws them headlong into helliſh torments. Wherefore]Calv. in loc. for ſo Calvin thinketh, is to be referred to this twelfth verſe, all the foregoing words being a Parentheſis; take heed, leſt there be in any of you, &c.
In the words there are theſe three things conſiderable.
1. A dangerous diſeaſe, to which thoſe that make profeſſion of Chriſt are ſubject, viz. Apoſtacy from Chriſt, who is here ſtiled a living God.
2. The cauſe of that dangerous diſeaſe, is an evil heart of unbeleif, it is an hebraiſm, put for an evil unbeleiving heart, where the Apoſtle doth deſcribe unbeleif by an elegant paranomaſia. foreign, unbeleif is Apoſtacy.
3. The cure and remedy both of the root and diſeaſe; Take heed, foreign, look about you, look circumſpectly, above all things take heed of an unbeleiving heart, for in time of trial it will make you to fall off from God. There are theſe four points obſervable from theſe words.
1. That an unbeleiving heart, isObſerv. the evil heart.
2. That an unbeleiving heart, is the cauſe of Apoſtacy from God.
3. Chriſtians muſt ſpecially watch and keep their own hearts.
4. That our God is a living God.
CHAP. II.
MY purpoſe is onelyonly to handle the laſt point, viz. that attribute of the life of God; That God from whom unbeleivers back-ſlide is a living God.
The life of God is taken two ways in Scripture.
1. For that life whereby God livethVita Dei dicitur, vel quâ vivit in nobis qui regenerati ſumus. in his Saints, or a Saints godly life, …ph. 4. 18. The Apoſtle ſetting forth the ſtate of unregenerate perſons, men addicted to their luſts, ſaith, They are alienated from the life of God; that is, have no acquaintance with the holy, heavenly and ſpiritual life, this life is here called the life of God; and Gal. 2. 20. it is called the life of Chriſt; I live; yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me; this life is alſo called the life of the ſpirit, and beleivers are alſo ſaid to live in the ſpirit, Gal. 5. 25. But this life I am not to ſpeak of.
2. Tis taken for that eſſentialVel quà ipſe vivit in ſeſe. life of God, or that life which God liveth himſelf, and in himſelf, and which is very God himſelf. In him was life, ſaith John of Chriſt, as God, John 1. 4. that is, eſſentia vivens ab aeterno in aeternum, that living eſſence who lives for ever and ever, giving life to all others; and this I am to ſpeak of: As the life of God is taken two ways, ſo again living God is taken two ways in Scripture.
1. Either it is oppoſed unto dead and falſe gods, 1 Theſ. 1. 9. Ye turned from idols, which cannot hear, ſpeak, or do any thing for you, to the living and true God; Or,
2. Living God, implies that God is a powerful, lively, and effectual God, Heb. 10. 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, moſt powerful, able to deſtroy body and ſoul; or, who eternally liveth to take eternal vengeance on your immortal ſouls. This being premiſed, I will briefly ſhew, what the life of God is. Thus it is deſcribed.
It is Gods own divine being,Deſcr. who of himſelf doth all things, and is the Author of all life in his creatures.
Or thus, It is the divine being, who of himſelf, underſtandeth, willeth, and loveth infinitely, and is the fountain of all life, being, and motion in all his creatures, both bodily and ſpiritual. Let me give it in parts.
1. It is the divine being, ſo it isAnima, vivere, & operationes vitae. diſtinguiſhed from the life of creatures, for in their life are three things; the ſoul, by which it liveth; the life it ſelf; and the actions of life, diſtinguiſhed in the creatures; but in God, the eſſence, life, and the actions of life, are one and the ſame; his life is nothing elſe but his very being, hence he is called that life, and life eternal, and the living God.
2. Who of himſelf doth all things, or of himſelf underſtandeth, willeth, and loveth all things, and in this he is diſtinguiſhed from the life of creatures, for they live in another; live, move, and have their being in God; but he moſt independently lives of himſelf, underſtandeth and willeth of himſelf, therefore called Jehovah, who hath being from himſelf.
3. He is the Author of all life in his Creatures, in him they live; if he withdraw himſelf, Creatures are turned into deſtruction: if he ſay, Return again ye ſons of men; they live, Pſa. 90. 3. of dry bones he makes living men, and of living men he makes dry bones. Tis ſaid, he breathed the ſpirit of life into Adam, and he takes away mans breath again. Some Divines make a fivefold life of men.
1. The life of nature, and this God is the Author of, he made man a living ſoul; In him was life, and that life was the light of men, Joh. 1. 4.
2. The life of grace; and it is God alone that quickens men that are dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, to live the life of godlineſs, Eph. 2. 1.
3. The life of comfort; Sorrow is called death, Pſa. 116. 8. Thou haſt delivered my ſoul from death, mine eyes from tears, &c. What is the eternal death of the damned, but eternal ſorrow? ſorrow is called the vale of death; Now it is the Lord that ſpeaks peace, and creates joy to diſconſolate ſpirits; Vita nihil aliud eſt, quam actio cum delectatione, as ſome define it: and what is the life of Angels and Saints, but unſpeakable and endleſs joy in God?
4. Reſurrection of dead men to life; God onelyonly by his almighty power, can command the graves to yeild up their dead, and make each ſoul to poſſeſs its own body, after a long divorce made by death. God alone brings theſe two old friends together, which at firſt were loth to part, and then ſhall never part again, but ſhall then live with God for ever, or elſe dye a living death with Devils in Hell.
5. A life of glory, which he alone gives to all the godly; Chriſt ſaith of his ſheep, Joh. 10. 28. I give unto them eternal life, and they ſhall never periſh.
CHAP. III. Of the Properties of the life of God, with reaſons to prove him to be a living God.
NOw I ſhall explicate Gods life further in the properties of it.
1. It is a moſt perfect and bleſſed life; becauſe there is nothing wanting to make his life moſt perfect, he living of himſelf, independing.
2. It is an immutable life; there is no change nor alteration of his life; man is up and down, ſometimes brought as low as death anon revived, and walks again in the land of the living; Gods life is always the moſt happy, glorious and delightſom life.
3. It is an immortal and eternal life, it hath no beginning, neither is it capable of dying; God cannot ceaſe to be.
Now I ſhall prove that God is a living God by Scripture and Reaſon. For Scripture, read Deut. 32. 40. I lift up my hand to heaven, and ſay I live for ever. This lifting up the hand was either a ſign of ſwearing, or a geſture uſed by ſuch as took an oath, Gen. 14. 22. as Abram ſaid to the King of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand to the Lord, the moſt high God, the poſſeſſor of heaven and earth. Sometimes it was a ſign to make the hearers more attentive; Thus ſaith the Lord, Behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and ſet up my ſtandard to the people, &c. Iſa. 49. 22. Both ways it may be taken here, though in the former properly; for there Moſes brings in God ſwearing, I ſay, I live for ever; God ſpeaks like a living God. I ſay, ſaith God, None but he can ſay ſo: Should creatures be ſo impudent as to ſay, I ſay I live, God will make them appear to be but dead dogs. God ſaith, I live for ever; admit creatures may ſay we live; yet herein is the living God diſcerned, I live for ever: Before the world was, I lived, and when the world ſhall have an end, I live, Pſal. 42. 2. David calls him the living God. Now the Reaſons of it are theſe.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe whatſoever is a perfection in the creature, is moſt eminent in God. Of all natural perfection life is the principal, it is better then beauty, ſtrength, wiſdom, nothing is more dear then life: Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life. A living Dog is better then a dead Lion, Eccleſ. 9. 4. One living Souldier is better then an huge Army of dead Souldiers; a living beggar is better then a rich Nobleman. Now if life be ſuch a perfection, then ſurely God is living, and his life is moſt perfect, and moſt eminent: If God were a dead God, he ſhould want the greateſt perfection; then many living creatures would be better then God himſelf; he is no God, if he be not a living God.
Reaſ. 2. From the actions of God, we may evidently argue him to be a living God; he knows all things, he wills all things, he makes all things; he is a God that heareth our prayers, and granteth the very deſires of our hearts, giveth the very things we beg, which he could not do, were he not a living God. What makes him the onelyonly true God? but becauſe he is a living God. The falſe gods, the Idolls, the vanities of the Gentiles, have eyes, and ſee not; ears, and hear not; hands, and work not. Baal could not hear his Prieſts crying aloud to him, O Baal hear us; therefore they are no gods: But God hath eyes to ſee all things, yea the ſecrets of mens hearts; ears to hear the deſires and groans of the poor and dictreſſed; therefore he only is the true and living God.
Reaſ. 3. All our life is from him, therefore he is a living God; therefore Chriſt is called The author of life, Acts 3. With thee is the fountain of life, Pſal. 36. 9. Life natural, ſpiritual, eternal is from God as the fountain; therefore he is called life, not onelyonly becauſe he is life eſſentialitèr, eſſentially; but alſo effectivè, effectually. And by the Platoniſts he is called foreign; The ſoul of the world; he quickens and governs the whole world, and hath all the lives of his creatures in his hands, I kill, I make alive, I ſave, I deſtroy, Deut. 32. 39.
CHAP. IV. Of the Immortality of God.
NOw becauſe the Immortality of God (though it be a diſtinct Attribute) falls under, and in with the life of God; I will annex a brief diſcourſe of the nature of it, and ſo make application of the life and immortallity of God together. God is a living God, and this life of God is not ſubject to death, wherefore he is called immortal. Now I ſhall give a brief deſcription of Gods Immortality.
It is that perfection of God, Deſ…r.whereby his life cannot be ſeparated from him by death. God cannot ceaſe to live; God cannot dye, 1 Tim. 1. 16. The Reaſons of it are theſe.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe God is moſt ſimple, void of all compoſition of body and ſoul: or a principle of life, and life it ſelf being the ſame in God, his own eſſence is his life. Only things which are compounded, are ſubject to diſſolution: Man being compounded of ſoul and body is obnoxious to a ſeparation by death; where there is no union, there is no ſeparation; where there can be no ſeparation of parts there can be no death or mortality.
Queſt. But are not Angels and the ſouls of men immortal, who are not ſubject to death? therefore not God onelyonly.
Sol. 1. It is true, Angels and the ſouls of men are immortal, but they are ſubject to annihilation, which God is not: Angels and ſouls of men may ceaſe to be, but God cannot ceaſe to be.
2. Angels and the Souls of men are immortal dependently; God conſerveth them in their being, they are kept by the power of God; but God is immortal abſolutely and independently.
3. Angels and ſouls of men are immortal per participationem, by participation; God makes them partakers of his immortality.
4. There is an analogical mortality in Angels and the ſouls of men, though they cannot ceaſe to live, yet they may ceaſe to be happy, and to live miſerably to eternity. The damnation of the Apoſtate Angels is a kind of death; ſo the damned ſouls ſuffer a kind of death: Damnation is called in Scripture the ſecond death; it were better that ſuch ſouls did periſh as the ſouls of beaſts; and when they ceaſe to live this natural life in the body, that they did ceaſe to be.
CHAP. V. Ʋſes drawn from the life of God.
IF God be the living God, thenƲſe 1. he is the onelyonly true God, to be feared of all, and to be worſhipped.
1. To be feared, becauſe he only can kill and make alive, he alone preſerves men from deſtruction, and turns men into deſtruction. The vanities of the Gentiles can neither do good nor hurt, neither ſave nor deſtroy; they have hands but cannot ſtrike a man into deſtruction, nor pluck a man from deſtruction. When Daniel was caſt into the den of lions, the living God preſerved him from death; when his accuſers were thrown in, their Idols and golden images could not preſerve them, but the living God deſtroyed them: See what a good uſe Darius, an heathen King made of it, and what a charge he giveth; Dan. 6. 26. I make a decree, that in every dominion of my Kingdom, men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; the reaſon followeth, for he is the living God; the Images whom we adore for God, are dead things; how doth he prove that God is a living God? verſ. 27. he delivereth, and reſcueth, &c. therefore fear and tremble before him; the gods whom we ſerve, can neither deliver, nor reſcue, nor work ſigns and wonders; the like argument Chriſt uſeth to perſwade us to fear God, becauſe being a living God, he can deſtroy both body and ſoul.
2. He is the onelyonly true God to be worſhipped, becauſe a living God, and therefore can hear, help, and ſave all ſuch as worſhip him in ſpirit and truth; men ſhew no greater madneſs in the world, nor do more un-man themſelves, then in worſhiping dead ſtocks and ſtones, who have carved hands, but are dead hands and cannot ſave; have carved ears, but are dead and cannot hear; ſuch were the gods of the Heathen; and to adore dead ſtocks, was the fruit of their blind Religion; and the Papiſts that pretend to know the true God are no leſs ſottiſh; what is their Bread-Worſhip, Altar-Worſhip, Crucifix-Worſhip, but a robbing of the living God of his glory, and giving it to dead ſenſeleſs creatures?
Ʋſe 2. Is God a living God? then commit your lives to him in welldoing; truſt the eternal living God with your mortal lives, and fear not the rage and malice of evil men, for they cannot take away your lives from you, unleſs God permit them; not an hair ſhall fall from your head without his knowledge, then much leſs ſhall a drop of your blood fall, much leſs a limb ſhall be cut off from your bodies; much leſs ſhall they take away your lives from you, if the living God will keep them and preſerve them; See Davids practice in a time when his enraged Enemies conſulted to take away his life from him; They deviſed to take away my life, but I truſted in thee O Lord; I ſaid, thou art my God, my times are in thy hand, deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, &c. Pſalm 31. 13, 14, 15. all our times are in the hands of the living God; our time of life, the continuance and length of it; our time of death, the manner, moment, and inſtrument of it, all is in the hands of the living God; thy life and death are not in thine enemies hands, they cannot take away thy life at their pleaſure; wherefore commit thy life to God, and fear not the rage of enemies. Should we at any time forſake God to pleaſe men, for the preſervation of life, and betake our ſelves to ſinful ſhifts, it may fall out to us, as Chriſt foretold; He that ſaves his life ſhall loſe it, and he that loſeth his life for Chriſts ſake ſhall ſave it, even this natural life, or the eternal life of the immortal ſoul. Therefore if ye will have us to dye, let us not be much troubled, but be ready to give up our lives into the hands of the living God, and if he will have us dye, we can but dye; as the Leapers ſaid at the gate of Samaria, the living God can give us a better life, and if the Lord will, he can deliver us from death. The three Children were more regardful of their duty to God, then of their lives, Dan. 3. 16, 17, 18. this was the ſum, whether God would deliver them, or not deliver them, they were not anxiouſly careful, they were careful to ſerve God, but careleſs about the ſaving of their lives: Better it were that the fiery Furnace ſhould conſume their lives, then that the fire of Hell ſhould conſume their ſouls.
Ʋſe 3. Hence there is good ground we ſhould place all our confidence in God, and in no creatures whatſoever, becauſe they are all dead periſhing vanities; if we may confide in any creature, then may we put confidence in Princes, becauſe they are great and powerful, they are Gods on earth, and can afford the beſt aid and help to men in diſtreſ yet conſider that in Pſa. 146. 3, 4, 5. Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the ſon of man, in whom there is no help. Princes, though they are great in power, yet they are the Sons of men, and obnoxious to the common condition of mankind; they are vain, mortal, they dye and periſh, and when they dye all their thoughts periſh; all the purpoſes, plots, deſigns and intentions of Princes to do men good, dye with them, and their favourites are left to ſhift for themſelves. Then the Pſalmiſt, Verſ. 5. breaks forth into admiration of ſuch a man, who maketh God his help, his aid, his confidence and hope; he is a living God, he cannot dye, he is a great God, and his greatneſs is a living greatneſ and none of all Gods thoughts periſh, but they endure from one generation to another; if we muſt not put confidence in Princes, then much leſs are we to truſt in uncertain riches, in uncertain honours, in in Houſes and Lands, for theſe are all dead things, and more vain, and leſs able to help then man; when riches are gone and periſh, the living God will and can aid us; all the creatures are by fits, but ſo many dead dogs before the living God.
Ʋſe 4. …s God a living God, and the fountain of all life and motion? then we ſhould not deſpair of any, though they through corrupt luſts do even ſtink in the noſtrils of the godly, yet the living God can breath the ſpirit of life upon them, and make a dead ſinner become a living ſoul to God, a dead drunkard, and a dead worldling, buried under a dunghil, become a living ſoul to God; tis no ſuperſtition for you that live the life of God, to pray for ſuch dead, for a living husband to pray for his dead wife, a living father to pray for his dead children; ſo when God ſhall bring a Miniſter, as he did the Prophet Ezekiel into a valley of dead bones, of dead ſinners, and ſay unto him, Prophecy: O ye dead ſinners, hear ye the word of the Lord, and while we are prophecying, God ſhould cauſe the breath of life, bones and ſinews to come upon theſe dry bones, ſhould we then deſpair of the quickening of any dead ſoul? we are to mourn over the dead, but not as men without hope of their better and more glorious life and condition; the living God can yet make them live the life of God; we ſhould do therefore for ſinful men, as David did for his ſick Child, while it was living, he humbled his ſoul, laid on the ground, faſted and praied for the childs recovery; while there was hope, he would not give over praying; ſo while there is hope of a mans reſurrection from death to life, of his converſion from ſin to God, be not wanting in all means, for in ſo doing you may ſave a ſoul.
This likewiſe may teach the godly in all their dead and dull tempers of heart, whether to go for life and motion, ſc. to the living God, in whom, as all naturally live, move, and have their being; ſo the Saints in him have their ſpiritual being, life and motion. Thus David prayeth nine times, in Pſa. 119. that God would quicken him; as who ſhould ſay, my heart is dead, my prayers are dead and lazy, I have no heart to any good; but thou who art the living God canſt quicken me, and revive me, and enlarge my heart, and make me to run the way of thy commandments. Therefore in all your deadeſt frames be more frequent in prayer, do not give over becauſe thou findeſt not thy heart ſo fervent. It is reported of that holy Martyr Mr. Bradford, that when he went about any duty, he would never give over, till he found ſome reviving from God; if he confeſſed his ſins, he would confeſs till he found his heart melting and mourning; if he prayed for pardon, he would ſtill beg for pardon, till he found his heart ſomewhat eaſed of his ſins; in praying for grace, he would never give over till he found his heart warmed in prayer; go then and do likewiſe, in all thy dead frames, importune the living God till he doth revive thy ſpirit.
Ʋſe 5. This ſhould comfort the godly againſt the fear of death, and the forerunners of death; ye are for the preſent the Sons of the living God, ye are come to the City of the living God, what need you to fear to dye, ſeeing God will give you life eternal? ye are the living ſtones of the Temple of the living God, and he can raiſe your dead bodies, when mouldered into duſt, and make both ſoul and body live gloriouſly and eternally? when a godly man dieth, eternal life ſwalloweth him up; did ever man fear to go to bed, to put on better apparel; ſhall we be afraid to die, to put on glory, immortality, and eternal life?
Ʋſe 6. Take heed of ſinning againſt God, becauſe he liveth to take vengeance upon ſtubborn Rebels; he is a living God, and takes exact notice what ſinners do, and lives for ever to torment the wicked to eternity. The wicked need not fear eternal death, if they did ſin againſt a dead God; but God who is life eternal, will doom them to eternal death.
Ʋſe 7. Here ſee the folly of Apoſtates, in departing from a living God to embrace dead creatures, that forſake the fountain of living waters, and run to a pool that one warm day will dry up; as Mephiboſheth ſaid to David, proferring him kindneſs for Jonathan his fathers ſake: What is thy ſervant, that thou ſhouldſt look upon ſuch a dead dog as: I am? So do creatures ſay to Apoſtates, What are we thy ſervants, that that thou ſhouldeſt take thy heart and eye from off a living God, and look upon ſuch dead dogs as honours, riches, and preferments are? or rather ſpeak to them, as David to Saul, 1 Sam. 24. 14. after whom is the King of Iſrael come out? a…ter whom doſt thou purſue, after a dead dog, after a flea? doſt thou purſue after a vile and baſe creature? and caſt off a moſt bleſſed God, the fountain of all glory and happineſs. O ye Apoſtates, ſeeing you forſake a living God, ye ſhall die the death; God liveth for ever to ſee ſore execution done upon you, this ſhall be your dying life in Hell, to bemoan your departure from the living God.
CHAP. VI. Ʋſes drawn from Gods Immortality.
IS God an immortal God? thenƲſe 1. hence behold the infinite love of Chriſt, who being immortal, yet would become ſubject to death; an immortal God, become a mortal man for our ſalvation▪ Rom. 5. 8.
2 Seeing God is immortal, hence we may ſee what a beam of divine perfection we loſt by the fall of Adam; we were made immortal, but our ſin makes us mortal, and liable to all mortal and ſore diſeaſes; we loſe a double immortality becauſe of ſin, the immortality of our bodies; and which is worſe, in ſome ſenſe, we loſe the immortality of our ſouls; Sin brings eternal death; will ye ſtill go in ſin? hath it not done enough to you, in making you obnoxious to death, but will ye bring upon you the eternal death of your immortal ſouls?
3. This likewiſe ſhould allay the fears of death in us, God being immortal, we alſo ſhall be immortal; theſe mortal bodies ſhall put on immortality.
4. See that ye fear God more then men, the wrath of God more then the rage of men; becauſe man is but mortal, and their rage and fury is but mortal; when their breath goeth forth their rage ceaſeth; but as God is immortal, ſo is his wrath an immortal wrath, as he will never ceaſe to be, ſo the fire of his wrath ſhall never be quenched.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Byrdall, A Glimpse of God (1665)