Body of Divinity, Book 2 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. Of Gods Glory and Blessednesse.
FRom all these before mentioned Attributes, ariseth the Glory or Majesty of God, which is the infinite excellency of the Divine Essence, Heb. 1. 3. Exod. 33. 18. Psal. 29. 9. This is called, The face of God, Exod. 33. 20. and light inaccessible, Glory is not so much adistinct Attribute (say some) as the lustre of all his Attributes together, the excellency which results from all. See Mr. Strongs Sermon on 1 Sam. 2. 30. about mans honoring of God, and his honoring of man.1 Tim, 6. 16. which to acknowledge perfectly belongs to God alone, yet the revelation and obscurer vision thereof is granted to us in this life by the ministery of those things which are seen and heard, the clearer in the life to come, where we shall see God face to face, 1 Cor. 13. 12. Mat. 18. 10.
God is and ever shall be exceeding *Isa. 6. 1. Ezek. 1. 28. Numb. 12. 8. Exod. 33. 23.Glorious, Exod. 15. 11. Deut. 28. 58.
Glory is sometime taken for outward lustre and shining, as one glory of the Sun; Non perceperunt vim gloriae qui eam de…imerunt notitiam claram cum laude; nam si ita se res haberet, ne ita quidem Deus gloriosus esset, volo dicere praeditus gloria, nam Latinis gloriosus superbus est. Cameron. de Ecclesia. Gloria quasi claria, saith Aquinas, it is the manifestation and shining forth of Excellency. God is said to glorifie himself, when he manifesteth his unspeakable and incomprehensible excellency. Num. 14. 21. Psal. 72. 19. Levit. 10. 3. Angels and men glorifie him when they extoll his greatnesse, and testifie their acknowledgement of his glory, Isaiah 6. 3. 29. Psal. 1, 2. Luke 2. 14. Revel. 4. 11.sometimes for outward decking and adorning, as long hair is a glory to a woman; but the proper signification of it is, excellent estimation by which one is preferred before others.
It is the splendor, clarity or shining of a thing, resulting and rising from the perfection, eminency, or excellency it hath above other things. The glory of God is the perfection of his Nature and Attributes, infinitely surpassing and outshining the perfection of all creatures.
Things that are good we praise, things that are excellent we honor, and things that are transcendently good we glorifie.
Glory is used metonymically for that which is the ground and matter of glory, as Prov. 19. 11. & 20. 29. Sometimes the glory of God signifieth the very essence and nature of God, as Exod. 33. 18. Sometimes it is used to signifie some of Gods Attributes, Ephes. 1. 12. that is his grace and good will, by shewing forth of which he makes himself glorious. Sometimes it is put for some work of God which is great and marvellous, Iohn 11. 40. that is, the grace and powerful work of God in raising up thy brother Lazarus unto life again, Exod. 25. 16. & 40. 35. that is, some extraordinary splendor, as R. Moses expounds it, which God created thereby to shew forth his magnifience and glory.
Glory is essential, so it signifieth the incomprehensible excellency of the Divine Nature, Exod. 33. 13. or else it signifieth manifestatively the acknowledgement and celebration of his excellencies; and this is called properly glorification: this may have more or lesse.
Or secondly, much to the same purpose, the glory of God may be taken two wayes:
1. For the inward excellency and worth whereby he deserves to be esteemed and praised.
2. For the actual acknowledging of it, for glory is defined a clear and manifest knowledge of anothers excellency; therefore the glory of God is twofold.
First, Internal, which is again twofold:
1. Objective, that glory of God is the excellency of his Divine nature, for such is his Majesty and excellency, that he is infinitely worthy to be praised, admired and loved of all.
2. Formall, is his …own knowledge love and delight in himself; for this is infinitely more the glory of God, that he is known and beloved of himself, then that he is loved and praised by all Creatures, Men or Angels, because this argueth an infinite worth in Gods own nature, that an infinite love and delight is satisfied with it.
God hath this kinde of glory objective and formal, most fully even from all eternity; therefore when he is said to make all things for himself or his glory, it is not meant of this inward glory, as if he could have more of that.
Secondly, External; and that again,
1. By way of object, viz. when he made the Heavens and Earth, and all these glorious creatures here below, which are said to shew forth his glory, Psal. 19. that is, objectively, they are the effects of his glorious wisdom and power, and so become objects of mens and Angels praises of him; and as the glory of men consists in outward ornaments, so Gods glory consists in having such creatures, men and Angels to be his followers.
2. Formal, when men and Angels do know, love and obey him, and praise him to all eternity.
The Scriptures every where extol the Majesty and glory of God:
1. Essentially, when it calls God Great, Most high, glorious, The God of glory, Acts 7. 2. King of glory, Psalm 24. 8. Father of glory, Ephes. 1. 17.
2. Efficaciously, when it affirmeth that all the earth is full of the glory of God, Isa. 6. 3. and propounds the glorous and wonderful works of God to be considered by us, Exod. …2. 18. He means he will shew him so much of his glory as it is possible for a creature to behold and live, we cannot behold the fulnesse of it.
God is glorious in his nature, 1 Cor. 11. 7. his glory obscureth all other glory, Isa. 6. 2. Gen. 18. 17 1 Kings 10. 13.
His glory is manifested:
1. Extraordinarily, …n the cloud, in apparations and visions.Exod. 16. 10. Ezek. 1. 28.
2. Ordinarily, in his word and works. *Exod. 9. 15. Fearful in praises, because Gods Majesty is so excellent, that even with trembling we are to praise him, but especially because he works such miraculous deliverances, and sheweth his terrible power.The Law sets forth the glory of his justice, and the Gospel that of his mercy, 2 Cor. 3. 8. it is called his glorious Gospel, Luke 2. 14.
All his works set forth his glory, both those of creation, and preservation or providence, Psalm 19. the whole creation must needs shew forth his glorious power and wisdom, the sound is said to go over all the world; that is, All creatures must needs gather, that if the Heavens be such glorious Heavens, the Sun so glorious a Sun, how much more must that God be a glorious God, who is the author and worker of them.
The whole Platform of saving the Church by Christ, sets forth Gods glory principally, Phil. 2. 11. Luke 2. 14. glory to God in the highest. In some works the excellency of Gods power, in others the excellency of his wisdom, patience, but in this all the Attributes of God shine out in their utmost perfection.
1. His wisdom, that all the three persons of the Trinity should joyn in one work, to one end, wherein mercy, power, grace, justice, patience, all meet together.
2. Power, in upholding Christ to undergo the weight of Gods vindictive Justice.
3. Free-grace, to do all this without any motive in the world but himself, nothing was foreseen in them, and some rather then others were saved.
4. His revenging Justice and Wrath here were manifested, as much as they be in Hell it self.
5. His Holinesse, he can have no communion with those that are unclean.
6. His Majesty, none may be admitted to speak or come nigh to him, but in the mediation of Christ. The Gospel is The glorious Gospel of the blessed God, 1 Tim. 1. 11. that is, The glory of all the Attributes of God doth appear in the Gospel more brightly, then in all the works which God hath made, Mr. Burrh.
God is glorious in all his works upon the hearts of believers, he puts a glory upon them, so that in this sense he is effectually glorious, Ephes. 5. a glorious Church, and Psalm 43. The Kings daughter is all glorious within; this glory is grace, when God makes one holy, heavenly minded, meek, zealous; hereafter we shall have glorious bodies and souls.
God made all things for his glory, for of him and to him are all things, Rom. 11. All the unreasonable creatures are for Gods glory.
1. In that they are serviceable to man, for herein God is glorified, in that they can accomplish those ends for which they were made, and that is for man, Gen. 1. the Sun and Stars are for him, as well as creeping things: These creatures are for a twofold use:
1. To give him habitation and to be means of his corporeal life.
2. To be continual quickners of him, to praise Gods glorious power and wisdom; God is said Acts 4. not to leave himself without witnesse; the reasonable creatures are made chiefly for his glory, because they know and love him.
That God is Glorious appears:
1. God hath made many of his creatures glorious, Dan. 10. 8. so there is one glory of the Sun, another of the Moon; the King clad with gorgeous attire, and being arrayed with the Ensigns of his Soveraignity is glorious, so Solomon.
2. This glory shall continue for ever, because God hath it from himself, and deriveed it not from another. He is a perfect being, independent, all things are under him; the inferior cannot work without the Superior.
There is a double glory in things:
1. Inherent in themselves, which is partly visible, as that of the Sun; partly intelligible,Solomons glory was in part visible, the shining of his Throne, his glittering apparel, but his wisdom and understanding were not; God perceives his own glory, and that it shal continue for ever; the Apostle beheld the glory of Christ as of the onelyonly begotten Son. an excellency in a thing which affects the understanding.
2. From without, given by others; so there is a kinde of glory and excellency in some precious stones which affect a man with a kidde of wondering; so in an Angel a great shining, as in that which appeared to Zachary; so in the vision that Paul saw, and when God appeared to Moses.
There is an inward glory standing in being worthy of highest esteem, and an outward glory standing in being highly accounted of; God is worthy to be esteemed above all, and is so by the Saints.
The chiefest and highest cause of any benefit shewed to us, is not our selves, but the name of God, even his glory, and the clear declaration of his own excellencies, Ezek. 20. 9. 14. 22. Psalm 25. 1. Ezek. 36. 22.
Reas. 1. The thing which induced God to make all things, must needs be the cause of all other benefits bestowed after the creation; now he made all things for himself, and his own name; for neither had they any being, nor could they have any before, and therefore could not be any moving cause to their own creation, therefore neither of any other thing.
2. All creatures are nothing, and lesse then nothing in comparison of God, therefore he could not by them be moved to work any thing, but doth it for his own names sake. Things mean and trifling are not fit to be the highest end of an excellent work. God is most high and glorious, and all creatures are lesse then nothing before him, therefore himself must be moved by himself, not by them chiefly to do any thing for them; for as God hath no efficient, material or formal cause at all, but is to himself instead of all these, because he is of himself, so neither can he have any final cause but himself; for if he have any other end then himself, that is, his own glory, he were some way dependent upon some other thing, which is impossible.
If it be objected, How is it said then, that God doth this or that for Abraham, Isaac and Iacobs sake, as often Moses presseth him in his prayers.
The Answer is, he looks upon them still in subordination to his own name, so that they are motives but in reference to his name, and no otherwise. He glorifieth himself, and aimeth at his own glory, in keeping covenant and promise with them.
Gods glory is the end of predestination, both reprobation, Prov. 16. 1. and election, Ephes. 1. 5, 6. of the creation and administration of all things, Rom. 11. 36. of all benefits obtained in Christ, 2 Cor. 1. 20. and should be of all our actions, 1 Cor. 10. 35.
Quest. Whether the infinite glory which God hath as God, be communicated to Christs humane nature.
Answ. That being a creature, cannot have that glory which is due to the Creator. It is true, Christ is infinitely to be glorified, because he is God and man, but not therefore his humane nature. Our Divines distinguish between a glory meerly divine, and a Mediators glory, which is next to Divine, far above all creatures.
Object. Christ prayed for the glory which he had before the beginning.
Answ. Christ had it in decree and predestination, and that was not Gods essentialJohn 17. 5. glory, which is a property, for he requires he may have it now, which could not be if he had it from eternity.
We glorifie God, not by putting any excellency into him, but by taking notice of his excellency, and esteeming him accordingly, and making manifest this our high esteem of him.
There is a twofold glory:
1. Essential, infinite, everlasting; this is called gloria, it receives neither addition nor diminution by any created power.
2. Accidental, finite, temporary, called glorificatio; this ebbs or flows, shines, or is overshadowed, as goodnesse or gracelesnesse prevails in the world.
It serves,
1. To shew the vilenesse and basenesse of all wicked men, which oppose GodsConsectaries from Gods, glory. glory, and strive to obscure it, dishonor this glorious God, setting light by him in their hearts, and blaspheming him with their tongues; a sinner in sinning lifts up himself above God, preferring his own wisdom before Gods, and his will before his; therefore David worthily concludes the 104 Psalm with an imprecation against sinners, God will gain glory of them in despight of their hearts by magnifying his justice.
2. We should labor to partake of Gods Image, that we might be partakers of his glory; we must earnestly desire that Gods glory may be communicated to us, that he would send forth his Spirit of glory to rest upon us, by which means we shall commend our selves to God, Christ, the Angels and Saints, and our own consciences.
3. We must learn to contemplate the glory of God with admiration; by thisThose that do not take notice of Gods name, lose the chief fruit of his works. one principally differs from a beast. He hath not a capacity to behold the excellency of Gud, the Saints in Heaven are even taken up and filled with beholding Gods glory; set your eyes round about to behold Gods works and his glory in them, so as you may admire God, this will make your souls to enjoy God. Paul saith, In the mystery of the Gospel we behold as in a glasse the glory of God; be much in this exercise.
4. We must long to go out of this world to behold Gods glory *It is said of Fulgentius when he came out of Africa to Rome, that he said, Quantum fulges Coelestis Hierosolyma, cum adeo splendet terrestris Roma?fully, Iohn 17. 24. raise up your hearts to heavenly desires, wish earnestly to be in Heaven. Every one would be willing to go to Heaven when he dyeth, but we must desire to leave this life to go thither.
5. This should comfort us:It is a comfort to Gods people when they go to him for any favour. Let them not be out of heart because they finde nothing in themselves upon which to ground their prayers or faith. There is enough in his own Name, the Lord doth not look upon any thing in us, but upon himself for argument of doing good to us. His name is the more magnified by how much we are more vile.
1. Against reproaches and contempt in the world; if God be glorified, we must sacrifice our names as well as our lives to him.
2. Against death, then we shall no more dishonor God.
3. The day of judgement should be longed for, because it is Gods glorious day, 2 Thess. 1. 10. we run to glorious sights on earth, as the Queen of Sheba.
6. We should ascribe all glory to God, the fountain of glory, 1 Chron. 29. 11, 12. Psalm 115. 1. God challengeth this from men, Give unto the Lord glory and strength, give unto the Lord the glory due to his name. He is very jealous of his glory,We should ascribe unto his Name all the inercies we enjoy, giving all the praise from our selves wholly to him. God for his Names sake hath made and redeemed us. and will not suffer the least part of it to be given to the creature.
7. Take heed of those Tenets which oppose Gods glory; as
1. The lawfulnesse of giving religious honour to images; the Popish Doctors have wearied themselves and wracked their brains to coin distinctions, how divine worship may be given to Images, but the second Commandment forbids Imageworshipping, and God acknowledgeth himself a jealous God, and saith, He will not give his glory to another.
2. Attributing too much to our free-will, or setting up our merits, *Hereby we may judge which is the true Religion, what Doctrine is sound, pure, and of God, and what corrupt and from men. That Doctrine which letteth forth the praise of God commeth from Heaven, but that which is from men advanceth the power, pride, and merit of man.this is robbing God likewise of his glory.
Let us first live to his glory, and do all for his glory: 1. Because he intended it. 2. He hath joyned our happinesse and his glory together. 3. It is infinitely more worth then all the world. 4. It is his condescending, that he will take this for glory. 5. He will have glory of us against our wills. 6. The Creatures glorifie God in their way. 7. How much glory do we give to things of an inferior nature? 8. God will hereby give us glory.
We should do all we do for him and to him, even to shew forth our apprehensionJohn 7. 18. Ephes. 1. 6. & 2. 4. Rom. 3. 21. of his name. Doing whatsoever good we do, and leaving whatsoever evil we leave, that we may declare our high esteem of him, and make it appear that we do judge and repute him most wise, good, just, excellent, worthy all the service that we can do, and more too. And whatsoever is not thus done with reference to the name *Duobus modis referri aliquid ad Dei gloriam dicitur. Primum formaliter & explicitè, quando aliquis cogitat cum animo, hoc sibi agendum esse, quia nomini divino sit gloriosum. De…de virtualiter & implicitè, cum quis divinae studens gloriae, eoque nihil facere decernens nisi quod legi congruat, & ad hoc gratiam Dei quotidic exposcens, boni quippiam facit, de universali fine actu non eogitans; sed solùm particularis finis bonum intendens. Vossius in Thesibus. Though we cannot actually intend Gods glory always in every thing, yet we should virtually. Vide Aquin, 1. 2. Quest. 1. Artic. 6.of God, as the motive and end of it, doth want so much of goodnesse as it wants of this reference. Nothing is good, farther then it hath reference to God the chiefest good. If we aim at onelyonly or chiefly, and be moved onelyonly or chiefly by temporal benefits and respects of this kinde, looking to our selves, our deeds are hollow and seemingly good alone, not real. If we look to our selves alone even in respect of eternal benefits, and not above our selves, to him and his name, that also is but hypocrisie. But this is truth, to make our ends and motives the same with Gods, and to have an eye still above and beyond our selxes, even to Gods name, that we may cause it to appear to him, and our selves, and others, that we know him and confesse his great name. Omnibus operibus nostris coelestis intentio adjungi debet. Aquinas.
It is a great question among the Schoolmen, and some of our Divines, Whether one should actually propound the rule, and intend the end in every service, Adam and Christ did so, though lapsed man cannot do it: it is a duty neverthelesse, it is good to do it as often as possibly men can. In serious and solemn actions our thoughts should be actual, in lesser the habitual intention sufficeth.
God glorified himself, Iohn 12. 28. Christ glorified him, his whole life was nothing but a seeking of his Fathers glory, Iohn 17. 4. *Christ glorified his Father, 1. By denying himself and his own glory, Iohn 8. 50. Heb. 5. 5. 2. By his word, by his preaching, Luke 4. 15. by his prayer, Iohn 12. 28. Mat. 26 39. by his confession, Iohn 10. …9 and 14. 27. 3. By his works or miracles, Mat. 9. 8. & 15. 31. Mark 2. 12. Luke 17. 16. & 13. 13. & 17. 15. & 23. 47. 4. By his sufferings, Iohn 13. 3…. To glorifie is to manifest ones excellency, as appears Iohn 17. 4. compared with Verse 6. See of glorifying God Church his Miscellanies, p. 11. to 18.See Phil. 2. 11. the Saints and Angels spend eternity in setting forth his glory, Isa. 6. 23. Rev. 4. 10, 11. & 7. 9, 10. all the creatures do glorifie God in their kinde, Psalm 145. 10. & 148. the worm is not exempted, therefore that man (saith Chrysostome) which doth not glorifie God, is baser then the basest worm. This is all the first Table of the Decalogue, and above half of the Lords Prayer; the three first Petitions concern Gods glory, and the conclusion likewise hath reference to it. We should glorifie God in all conditions, in adversity as well as in prosperity, Psalm 50. 15. in all the parts of our bodies, in our hearts, 1 Pet. 3. 15. with our mouthes, Rom. 15. 6. in our lives, 1 Cor. 6. alt. Mat. 5. 16.
Let us often think of the personal glory and excellency which the Saints shall enjoy when they come to Heaven.
1. In Body.
2. In Soul.
The bodies of the Saints in Heaven shall be,
1. Perfect, free from all blemishes, and every way for the souls use.
2. Incorruptible, not liable to sicknesse, weaknesse, *1 Cor. 1…. 42, 43.mortality.
3. Spiritual, 1. In regard of state and condition, because they shall be upheld by the Spirit of God, without the use of meat, drink and sleep. 2. In regard of quality and operation, active and agile as a Spirit, they shall move swiftly upward, downward, any way at the command of the soul.
4. Glorious, the bodies of the Saints shall then shine as the Sun, and be like the glorious body of Christ.
The soul shall be totally freed from all spiritual evils, all reliques of sin, andThere is (say the Schools) Beatitudo objectiva, so whatever is the chiefest good of the soul, is the souls blessednesse. 2. Formalis, when the soul and its beatifying object are united, as the fruition of God. The soul is here united to God remotely and imperfectly, there immediately and perfectly. 2 Sam. 22. 47. 1 King. 1. 48. Paul entituleth him, God blessed for ever, the only blessed Potentate. all possibility of sin; the corruption of the understanding, will, affections, conscience shall, be quite taken away. 2. From all apprehensions of wrath and eternal death.
2. It shall perfectly enjoy all spiritual good: 1. The Image of God shall be absolutely perfect in every one of the glorified Saints, every faculty of the Soul shall have all grace that faculty is capable of, and that in the highest degree. The minde shall have all intellectual vertues, the will and affections all moral vertues, and that in the highest degree they are capable of, 1 Cor. 13. 10. The understanding uno intuitu shall know omne s…ibile, the will shall be fully satisfied with God, the conscience filled with peace, the affections of love and joy shal have their full content, the memory shall represent to you perpetually all the good that ever God did for you.
God is most Blessed, 1 Cor. 11. 31. Rom. 9. 4. 1 Tim. 1. 11. & 6. 15. 2 Cor. 11. 31. yea, blessednesse it self, he is blessed in himself, and to be blessed by us.
Gods blessednesse is that by which God is in himself, and of himself All-sufficient Or thus, Gods happinesse is that Attribute whereby God hath all fulnesse of delight and contentment in himself, and needeth nothing out of himself to make him happy.
The Hebrews call blessed Ashrei in the abstract, and in the plural number, Blessednesses,Vide Amesium in Psal. 1. 1. Psal. 1. 1. & 32. 1. Because no man (saith Zanchy) can be called and be blessed for one or another good, unlesse he abound with all goods. Blessednesse is a state of life wherein there is a heap *Beatitudo status est omnium bonorum aggregatione perfectus Boetius de consol. Phil.of all good things. The Greeks called blessed foreign, one that is not subject to death, miseries. By the Etymologies and significations of these two words, it appears (saith Zanchy) that there are two parts of blessednesse, one to be free from all miseries, another to abound with all goods, and so to abound with them that thou desirest nothing more. A third particle (saith he) is to be added per se & sua natura, and a fourth condition, that he well know his own blessednesse. So that he is truly blessed (saith Zanchy) which of himself and from his own nature is alwayes free from all1 Tim. 6. 15. evils and abounds with all goods, perfectly knowing his own felicity, and desiring nothing out of himself, but being fully content with himself, which description agreeth only to God.
God is blessed essentially, primarily, originally, of himself such, and not by the help of any other thing.
Reasons.
1. He that is the fountain *He that is the cause of al welfare to other things, and makes them in their several kinds happy, he must needs be therefore most happy himself. God is the author of all blessednesse, Psal. 132. 1. 2.of all blessednesse to others, how can he be but infinitely blessed himself. He makes all those things happy to whom he vouchsafeth in any sort to communicate himself. Wherefore as that which maketh hot and light, that is more hot and light then that which is made so; so must he exceed all other things in blessednesse, which makes all those persons blessed which have any part of blisse.
2. Either he hath blessednesse, or there should be none; for if it be not found in the first and best essence and cause of all other essences, it cannot be found in any other thing. All men and things affect it, therefore such a natural and universal inclination cannot be wholly in vain, as it should be if there were no blessednesse to satisfie it. The happinesse of every thing stands in the perfect enjoying of it self, when it hath all which it inclineth to have, and inclineth to have all and only that which it hath, then it is fully satisfied and contented, and full contentment is felicity. Goodnesse filleth the reasonable appetite of mans soul, therefore must he needs be happy whose will is filled with good, for then he enjoyes himself, then is his being truly comfortable to him, and such as he cannot be weary of. Nothing is happy in enjoying it self, and of it self, but God alone; all other things do enjoy themselves by help and benefit of some other thing besides themselvs. And if they enjoy themselves by help, favour, and communication of a perfect, lasting, constant, eternal and full goodnesse, then have they a real, solid and substantial happinesse; but if by a vain, short, momentany, partial, defective goodnesse, then have they but a shew and resemblance of happinesse, a poor, weak, feeble, imperfect, nominal happinesse. The happinesse of a man consists in enjoyingDicimus nos ea re frui, quam diligimus propter se▪ & ea re faciendum nobis esse tantum qua efficimur beati: Caeteris ver… utendum. Lombard. lib. 1. Distinct. 1. himself by vertue of the possession of the greatest good, whereof he is capable, or which is all one, by enjoying the greatest good; for enjoying it he enjoys himself in and by it; and enjoying himself by it, he doth enjoy it, these are inseparably conjoyned. So when a man is possessed of such a thing as doth remove from him all that may be discontentful and hurtful to him, and can fill him full of content, then is he happy, and that is when he hath possession of God as fully as his nature is capable of possessing him. Accordingly we must conceive Gods happinesse to be in the enjoyment of himself; he doth perfectly enjoy his being, his life, his faculties, his Attributes, his vertues. I say himself in himself and of himself doth perfectly enjoy himself, and this is his perfect happinesse. He liveth a most perfect life, abounds with all perfect vertues, sets them a work himself in all fulnesse of perfection, and in all this enjoys himself with unconceivable satisfaction.
Blessednesse or felicity is the perfect action or exercise of perfect vertue in a perfect life. The Lord hath a most perfect life, and perfect faculties, and also most perfect vertues, and doth constantly exercise those perfect vertues and faculties. He is blessed because he is strong, and enjoyes his strength, wise and enjoyes his wisdom, just and enjoys his justice, eternal and enjoys his eternity, Infinite, Perfect, and that without any dependence, reference or beholdingnesse to any other.
God is Happy.
First, Formally in himself, which implies: 1. That there is no evil of sinne or misery in him, neither is he lesse happy because men offend him. 2. That he abounds with all positive good, he hath infinitely himself, and after a transcendent manner the good of all creatures; this is implied in that name, when he is called a God All-sufficient; he made not the Angels or the world because he needed them. 3. That he is immutably happy because he is essentially so. Happiness is a stable or setled condition; therefore Saints and Angels also are happy but dependently, they have it from God.
Gods happinesse is more then the happinesse of any creature. The creatures are happy by the aggregation of many good things together, they are happy in their knowledge, in their love, joy, and these are divers things; but now God is happy by one act which is the same with his Essence. A man here on earth is happy, but it is not in Act alwaies, it is sometimes in habit.
Secondly, Those Acts by which Angels are happy are successive, they have oneHappinesse is taken two wayes: 1. Objectively, for the object wherein one is happy. as Gods infinite Essence is the object both of Gods, Angels, and mens happinesse. 2. Formally, for those acts whereby we possesse that object. God is happy formally, because he knoweth, loveth, and enjoyeth himself; therefore it is said, Our goodnesse extendeth not to him; so Angels and men are formally happy, when they know and enjoy God. Beatitudo objectiva consists in the vision of God, and the glorious excellencies that are in him. Beatitudo formalis is that glory which shines from God to the creature, by which he is made conformable to God in holinesse and happinesse for ever. Act of Understanding, one of Love, one of Joy after another; but Gods happinesse can be no more multiplied then his very nature or being can.
Thirdly, He is happy effectively, he makes his children happy, Deut. 28. 3. Happy are the people whose God is the Lord. He can blesse the conscience with peace, though hell and devils rage, the soul with grace, he is the Author of all blessednesse, all the blessednesse in Heaven is from him.
Fourthly, He is objectively blessed, God the only object and good thing, which if a man have, he must needs be blessed.
God is also to be blessed by us, which blessing adds nothing to his blessednesse, but is therefore required of us that we may somewhat enjoy his blessednesse. The reasonable creature ought to blesse God, that is, to observe and know his blessednesse, and to do two things to him.
1. To applaud it.
2. To expresse and acknowledge it.
In Scripture-phrase to blesse signifieth two things:
First, To praise a person for those things which are praise-worthy in him, as Gods name is said to be above all blessing and praise. Blesse the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me blesse his holy Name.
Secondly, To wish well to it, That my soul may blesse thee before it die, pronounceWe should praise God, 1. Intensivè, Psal. 36. 19. and 103. 1. 2. Extensivè, with all praise, Psal. 9. 14. and for all mercies, Psal. 71. 7, 8. and wish thee blessed. We cannot pronounce any blessing upon God, nor bestow any benefit upon him. He is too excellent to receive any thing by way of promise or performance from us, but we must perform these two things, viz. wish well to him, speak well of him. Wish well to him, that is, acknowledge his exceeding happinesse, and will that he may be ever what he is, as we know he ever will be. For to wish a thing continue being that is, is possible, and to will Gods eternal, blessed and glorious being, that is one of the most excellent acts of the creature, and in doing so we blesse God so much as a creature can blesse him.
Perfect happinesse is not to be had here, but so much happinesse as can be hadDicique beatus ante obitum nemo supremaque funera possit. Vide Aquin. summam 1, 2. Quaest. 5. Art. 3 here is to be had in him, he can give himself to those which seek him in some degrees, and then are they in some degrees happy; he can give himself to them in the highest degree, and then they are in the highest degree happy, according as he doth communicate himself to us more or lesse, so are we more or lesse happy.
1. We have little minde to wish well to God, or rejoyce in his welfare, or to acknowledgeConsectaries from Gods blessednesse. and speak of it.
2. We should stir up our selves to bless God, and say, how blessed art thou, and blessed be thy Name. We should set our mindes and our tongues awork to set forth to our selves and others his exceeding great excellencies. When we see and know excellent abilities in any man, we cannot but be oft talking with our selves and others of his great worth: so we seeing and knowing the infinitenesse of God must be often telling our selves and others what we do know by him, thereby to stir up our selves and others more and more to know him, and we must declare before the Lord his goodnesse, and his loving kindenesse to the sonnes of men.
3. We must learn to seek happinesse where it is, even in God, and in his favourableHappinesse consists in two things, when the soul enjoys a proportionable good; and a good that it hath a propriety in, a good of his own. The happiness of man consists in the enjoying of God. All other things are no otherwise means of happinesse or helps to it, then as we see and taste God in them. We must account our selves happy in this thing wholly and onelyonly in that God is ours. Happinesse is the enjoyment of good commensurate to our desires. Ad perfectam beatitudinem requiritur, quod intellectus pertingat ad ipsam essentiam primae causae: Et sic perfectionem suam habebit per uniouem ad Deum sicut ad objectum in quo solo beatitudo hominis consistit. Aquinas 1…, 2ae, Quaest. 3. Art. 8. vouchsafing to be ours, and to give himself to us. It is not possible for the creature to be happy and enjoy it self, unlesse it enjoy the best and greatest good, whereof it is capable, and which will fully satisfie all the longings and inclinations of it. We should, 1. See our misery, that being alienated from God must needs be miserable till this estrangement be removed. 2. Set our selves to get true blessednesse by regaining this union and commuoion with God the fountain of all blisse, and hate sinne which only separates between God and us, and hinders us from enjoying the blessed God. 3. We should place all our happinesse in him, and in him alone, for he is not only the chief but the sole happinesse; we should use the world, but enjoy him, Psal. 16. 11. we should use the means which may bring blessednesse, Psal. 1. 1. Matth. 5. 3, to 12. if we live holily we may look for happinesse. All the promises in the Scripture belong to godly men, they shall be blessed here and hereafter, who serve God in sincerity. We must expect and look for happinesse only in our union with and fruition of him. Augustine alledgeth out of Varro two hundred eighty eight several opinions of Philosophers concerning felicity. Aristotle made it to consist in the knowledge of the Summum bonum, Seneca in the possession of vertue, and Epicurus in the enjoying of delight. Vide Ludovic. Viv. de veritate Fidei Christianae l. 1. c. 5. & Aquinam 1am secundae, Quaest. 2. Art. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Blessednesse is the enjoying of the Soveraign good, now what that is, we must judge by these two Characters *Bishop Lake., it must be 1. Optimum the best, otherwise it will not Sistere appetitum give us content, we will be ever longing. 2. Maximum the most compleat, otherwise it will not Implere appetitum, we shall not be satisfied therewith; God is Optimus maximus.
Some say five properties must concur in that which shall be unto a man the chief good:
1. Summum bonum est tantùm bonum, there is no mixture of evil in it, as there is in all the creatures, Iob 4. 18. There is none good but God, that is Essentially.
2. Summum bonum est bonum universale, contains all good, Revel. 21. 6. it must be a self-sufficient good.
3. Summum bonum est bonum proprium, the chief good must be ones own good, he must have a propriety in it, God even our own God shall blesse us.
4. Summum bonum est bonum incommutabile, the chief good is an eternal and unchangeable good.
5. Summum bonum est appetitus quietativum. Aquinas, The chief good must be a satisfactory good, it must satisfie without satiety, I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse, Ps. 17. ult. See 1 Joh. 2. 15. That God which is the happines of the Angels in heaven, And to the souls of just men made perfect, and to Christ as Mediator, Psal. 16. ult. nay which is his own happinesse by his self-sufficiency will be an All sufficient portion.
Perfect blessednesse consisteth in the immediate fruition of the chief, perfect,Man in the state of blessednesse cannot see God absolutely as he is in himself; for that which is infinite cannot be comprehended of that which is limited. Visio beatifica est cognitio non comprehensiva sed quid ditativa But God doth manifest himself so far forth as a creature is able to know him. As a vessel may be filled with the water of the Sea, but it cannot contain all the water in the Sea. The Apostle saith, We shall know God even as he also is known. But as is not a note of equality, but of likenesse. As God knoweth me after a manner agreeable to his infinite excellency, so shall I know God according to my capacity. and all-sufficient good, even God himself. The good to be desired simply for it self is God only, who being the first cause of all things, the first essential, eternal, infinite, unchangeable and only good, must needs be the chief good, and therefore the last end intended by man, given by God, who being not only desired but enjoyed, of necessity must fully satisfie the soul that it can go no further, not only because the subject is infinite, and so the minde can desire to know no more, but also because fulnesse of all good that can be wished is to be found in God. Therefore our happinesse is Compleat and Perfect when we enjoy God, as an object wherein the powers of the soul are satisfied with▪ everlasting delight.
This may suffice to have spoken concerning Gods Essence and Attributes, by which it appears, that God is far different both from all feigned gods, and from all creatures. The consideration of the Divine Persons followeth, for in one most simple nature of God there are distinct Persons.