Body of Divinity, Book 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. That GOD is a Spirit, Simple, Living, Immortall.
GOd in respect of his Nature is a Spirit; that is, a Substance or …ssence altogether Incorporeal. This the Scripture expresly witnesseth, Iohn 4 24. 2 Cor. 3. 17.
An understanding Spirit is either created or uncreated:
Created Spirit, as the soul of man or an Angel, Psal. 104. 4. 1 Cor. 6. ult. uncreated, God.
Whatsoever is affirmed of God, which is also communicable to the creatures, theGod is called a Spirit, 1. Negatively, because he is not a body. 2. Analogically, or by a certain likenesse, because there are many perfections in spiritual substances, which do more shadow forth the Divine Nature, then any bodily thing can. D• Ames▪ Medul. Theol. At enim quem colimus Deum nec ostendimus, nec videmus. Imm… ex hoc Deum credimus, quod eum sentire possumus videre non possumus. Minut. Fel. Octav. same must be understood by a kinde of Excellency and Singularity above the rest. Angels are Spirits, and the souls of men are spirits, but God is a Spirit by a kinde of Excellency or Singularity above all spirits, the God of Spirits, Numb. 16. 22. the Father of Spirits, Heb. 12. 9. the Author of Spirits, and indeed the Spirit of spirits.
The word Spirit in Greek foreign, in Hebrew Ruach, is used chiefly of God, and secondarily of the creatures; when it is used of God, it is used either properly or metonymically; properly, and so first essentially, then it signifieth the God-head absolutely, as Iohn 4. 24. or more restrictively the Divine Nature of Christ, Heb. 9. 14. 1 Pet. 3. 18. Secondly, Personally for the third Person in the Trinity, commonly called the holy Spirit or Ghost, 1 Cor. 2. 11. If the word be taken metonymically, it signifieth sometimes the effects of grace, either the common graces of Gods Spirit, prophetical, 1 Sam. 10. 6, 10. miraculous, or the sanctifying graces, Ephes. 5. 18.
Angels and mens souls are created spirits, but God is an infinite Spirit, the word is not applied to God in the same sense, Nihil de Deo & creaturis univocè dicitur, say the Schoolmen: God is not simply Invisible, but in reference to us, Angels and Saints above see him, they behold his face. He is Invisible to a mortal eye, as the Apostle speaketh.
Reasons.
First, God is a Spirit, because a Spirit is the best, highest and purest Nature;God is of a pure and spiritual Nature. To be a spirit implies, 1. Invisibility. 2. Efficacy and activity, Ezek. 1. 20. 3 Simplicity. God is invisible, Luke 24. 39. Col. 1. 15. Iohn 1. 18. God being the most excellent and highest Nature, must needs be a Spirit too.
Secondly, God is a most simple and noble being, therefore must needs be incorporeal; Angels and souls have a composition in them; their Essence and Faculties are distinguished; they are compounded of Subject and Accidents, their Nature and Qualities or Graces; but Gods Holiness is his Nature.
Thirdly, God is insensible, therefore a Spirit. Spirits are not subject to senses, Iohn 1. 18.
This confutes, 1. Tertullian aI…b▪ adver. Pr…. & de a…ma. Rom. 1. 23. … …, a so…t of …e …i…ks so called, because they misconceived that God had a bodily shape like man.who held God to be corporeal, then he shouldConsectaries. consist of matter and form.
2. The Anthropomorphites who ascribed to God the parts and members of a man; they …lled…e that place, Gen. 1. 27. But some think the soul is the only subject and seat, in which the Image of God is placed; Grant that it was in the body likewise, it being capable of Immortality, yet a man was not said to be made after the Image of God in respect of his corporal figure, but in respect of Knowledge, Righteousness and Holiness, Ephes. 4. 23. Col. 3. 10. not in respect of his substance, but qualities.
Object. God is said to have Members, Face, Hands, Eyes, in some places of Scripture,Psal. 34. 16. Zech. 4. 10. and yet in others he is said not to be a body, but a Spirit; and consequently to have no hands nor eyes.
Answ. The word Hand and Eye is taken figuratively, for the power of seeing andQuod de Deo dicitur foreign intelligi debet foreign. Dextra Dei significat potentiam & majestatem Dei: Oculi & Aures Omniscientiam. The Scripture referring Eyes to God, by them intends, 1. His Knowledge, and notice of things, Prov. 15. 3. 2. His Care, Psal. 34. 15. 3. His Direction, Psal. 42. 8. working, which are actions, that men perform with the hand and eye as an Instrument; and so it is attributed to God, because he hath an ability of discerning, and doing infinitely more excellent then can be found in man. Sometimes again, those words are taken properly for members of the body of some such form, fashion, making; so they are not to be attributed unto God; who because he hath no body, cannot have an hand, an eye. A body is taken three wayes, 1. For every thing which is opposite to a fancy and notion, and so whatever hath a being, may be called a body; in this sense Tertullian attributes a body to God. 2. For that thing which hath some composition or change; so God onelyonly is incorporeall. 3. More strictly for that which consists of matter and form, so some say Angels are incorporeal.
3. This shews the unlawfulness then of painting the God-head; Cajetan dislikedcLib. 2. de Imag. Sanct. cap. 8. it. Bellarmine b argues thus, Man is the Image of God, But man may be pictured, Therefore the Image of God may be pictured.
Man is not the Image of God, but in the faculties of his soul, which cannot be pictured; therefore the Image of God cannot be pictured. Although the whole man may be said Synecdochically to be pictured; yet is not man called the Image of God in his whole, but in a part, which is his reasonable and invisible soul, which can not be pictured.
1. We must call upon God, and worship him with the Spirit; our SaviourConsectaries from Gods being a spirit, and invisible▪ See Phil. 3. 3. Rom. 1. 9. Rom. 1. 20. Christ teacheth us this practical use, Iohn 4. 24. Blesse the Lord, O my soul, Psalm. 103. Whom I serve in the Spirit, saith Paul. The very Heathen made this inference,
Si Deus est animus, sit pura mente colendus.
1. The Lord chiefly cals for the heart, Prov. 23. 26. His eye is upon it, Ezekiel 33. 31.
2. He abhors all services done without the heart, Matth. 5. 8.
3. It hath been the great care of Gods people to bring their hearts to these services, Phil. 3. 3.
Motives to excite us when we draw neer to God to bring our hearts:
1. It is this only which will make the service honourable, Gal. 4. 9.
2. This only makes it acceptable, 1 P…t. 2. 5. Hos. 14. 6.
3. This only makes it profitable, 1 Tim. 4. 7. Heb. 9. 9. Rom. 6. 22.
4. This only will make it comfortable, all true comfort flows from the sweetness in fellowship with God and Christ, Revel. 3. 24.
5. Else in every service we tempt God, Acts 5. 9. Isa. 29. 13.
How to know when I serve God in my heart, or worship him in Spirit:
1. Such a ones great care in all services will be to prepare his heart before-hand, 2 Chron. 30. 9.
2. Then the inward man is active thorowout the duty, Revel. 3. 3. 2 Pet. 1. 5.
3. Then one keeps his thoughts intent throughout, Matth. 6. 21.
4, The grief after the duty done will be that the heart was so much estranged from God in duty.
2. God though invisible in himself, may be known by things visible: He that seeth the Sonne hath seen the Father, Joh. 14. 9. We should praise God, as for other Excellencies, so for his Invisibility, 1 Tim. 1. 17.
2. Learn to walk by faith, as seeing him who is Invisible, Heb. 11. 27.
3. cMatth. 5. 12.Labour for pure hearts, that we may see God hereafter.
4. dInvisibile aliquid dicitur dupliciter, inquit Chamier; Primò, per se, & ipsa sui natura; Ut Deus, ut Spiritus sunt invisibiles. Secundò, per accidens; cum quid in se tale est quidem ut possit videri: sed aliqua externa superveniente causa, sit invisibile iis à quibus vel alias potuit, vel etiam debuit videri: quomodo ils qui sunt ad Septentrionem invisibiles sunt stellae ad Austrum, quomodo stellae quaedam minutissimae sunt invisibiles.Here is comfort against invisible Enemies, we have the invisible God, and invisible Angels to help us.
3. God hath immediate power over thy Spirit, to humble and terrifie thee. He is the Father of Spirits, he cannot only make thee poor, sick, but make thy conscience roar for sin: it was God put that horrour into Cain, Iudas, Spira's spirits. He is a Spirit, and so can deal with the Spirit.
Lastly, Take heed of the sins of the heart and spirit, ignorance, pride, unbelief, insincerity,Preferre spiritual excellencies, priviledges and comforts, be spiritual in duties and performances. 2 Cor. 7. 1. 1 Thess. 5. 23. such as not only arise from, but are terminated in the spirit. These are first abhorred by God. He is a Spirit, and as he loveth spiritual performances, so he hates spiritual iniquities, Gen. 6. He punisht the old world, because all the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts were evil. 2. Most contrary to the Law of God, which is chiefly spiritual. 3. Sin is strongest in the spirit, as all evil in the fountain, Mat. 15. 19. …4. Spiritual evils make us most like the Devils, who are spiritual wickednesses. All sin is from Satan, per modum servitutis, these per modum imaginis.
We should therefore also take heed to our own spirits, because of the danger we are in from these spiritual adversaries:
1. They are malignant spirits, 1 Iohn 5. 18. and 2. 13, 14.
2. The spirit of a man is most maligned by Satan, all he did to Iobs name, estate, posterity, was to enrage his spirit.
3. The spirit of a man is frequently and very easily surprized, few men are able to deny temptations that are sutable.
4. When the spirit is once surprized one is ready to ingage with and for the Devil, Mat. 12. 30.
5. The spirit will then bring all about for the service of sin, the excellent parts of the minde, wit, memory, strength, Rom. 8. 7. and 6. 13, 19. Iames 3. 15. Matth. 23. 15.
6. It is hard for such a sinner to be recovered, Prov. 27. 1.
God is most Simple, Ens simplicissimum, Simplicity is a property of God, wherebyThe Divine Essence is simple and altogether uncompounded. Simplex propriè dicitur quod compositum ex diversis non est. he is void of all composition, mixtion and division, being all Essence; whatsoever is in God, is God. Simpleness is the first property in God, which cannot in any sort agree to any creature.
God is Simple, because he is free from all kindes of composition, which are five.
1. Of Quantitative parts, as a body.
2. Of essential parts, matter and form, as a man consists of soul and body.
3. Of a genus and difference, as every species.
4. Of subject and accidents, as a learned man, a white wall.
5. Of act and power, as the spirits.
Every creature is subject to composition, and consequently to division. All things2 Cor. 1 2. 3. The Gospel and the wayes of it are not Simple, as Simplicity is opposed to the the depth of wisdome (For therein is made known the manifold wisdom of God. Ephes. 3. 10.) But as Simplicity is opposed to mixture. Every thing the more simple (in this sense) the more excellent. In Deo idem est esse & essentia, viveus & vita, quia Deus non vivit per aliud essentiae superadditum, sed vitam habet in seipso, & est ipsa vita, vivit a scipso & per seipsum. which are created, are made by joyning together more things then one in one, and so they consist of divers things.
Some have a more grosse and palpable composition of parts, both essential and integral, as a man of soul and body, and the body of flesh, bloud, bone, and such parts. The Spirits which have not so plain a composition, are yet compounded of substance, and accidents sustained by that substance, and inherent in it; for the substance of an Angel and his faculties, and qualities are different things; his life is one thing, his Reason another, his Will another, his Power, Wisdom, Nimblenesse, other things. So the soul of a man, and all created things, are made up of many things conjoyned in one.
God is absolutely Simple, he is but one thing, and doth not consist of any parts; he hath no accidents; but himself, his Essence and Attributes are all one thing, though by us diversly considered and understood. If he did consist of parts, there must be something before him, to put those parts together; and then he were not Eternal, Isa. 43. 10. In God to be, to will, and to doe are the same, Iohn 15. 26. compared with Iohn 14. 6. and 1 Iohn 1. 7. compared with 1 Ioh. 1. 5. where to have life, and be life; to be in the light, and be light, are the same. God is therefore called in the Abstract Light, Life, Love, Truth, Iohn 14. 6. 1 Iohn 4. 8.
This is one Reason why God is so perfect, because he is Ens Simplissimum. Unum quodque quo simplicius co Deo similius, say the Schoolmen.In every kinde a thing is so much Perfect, by how much it is more Simple and Pure. Whence the same cforeignHebrew word signifieth both Simple and Perfect.
2. No Accidents are in God; when we affirm that God is good and gracious, we mean it not as when we say so of men; in men they are Qualities, Vertues, in God they are his Essence.Consectaries of Gods simplenesse. Simplex quasi sine plicis. Sin…erus sine cera. See Prov. 11. 20.
1. We should be simple as Doves, Matth. 10. 16. Simplicitas Columbina, non Asinina. Carthusian, Eph 6. 5. 2 Cor. 1. 12. It is called godly sincerity, which God worketh, and which is pleasing to him. Simplenesse and Simplicity of heart is the main thing in *A great French Pear is called Le bon Chrestien, the good Christian, because (they say) it never rots in the core, Matth. 22. Christ opposeth a single eye and corrupt one, an Israelite in whom is no guile, is worth an Ecce, a rare man: Mistresse Elizabeth Iuxton said, She had nothing to comfort her but poor Sincerity. Lactantius observes that the Heathens counted it the greatest honouring of their gods to be like unto them, one would be drunk, because he would be like Bacchus.Christianity, Eph. 6. 5. Col. 3. 22.
2. Here is matter of joy and comfort to the good; Mercy and Love are Gods Essence, Isa. 54. 8. and of Fear and Terror to the wicked, because Gods Anger and Justice are his Essence, and he is Unchangeable.
God is Living.
He is often called the living God in opposition to dead Idols: Turn from Idols to 1 Joh. 5. 20, 21 Psal. 115. 4, 5. Psal. 42. 2. Rom. 9. 26. Graeci Deum vocant foreign à vivendo, quoniam solus verè vivit & omnia vivificat, ut meritò sic ut vocatur foreign ita appellari possit foreign. Jer. 10. 10.serve the living God, Gen. 16. 14. & 24. 62. & 25. 11. Deut. 5. 26. Ruth 3. 23. Iud. 8. 19. Isa. 3. 10. Ier. 10. 10. Ezek 3. 11. Dan. 4. 34. Matth. 16. 76. Acts 14. 15. He is called Life, 1 Iohn 5. 18. The fountain of Life, Psal. 36. 9. He hath his name in Greek from life; He saith often of himself, I live; as if he should say, I alone do truly live, and he often adds for ever, Deut. 32. 40. The Oath which the Fathers used, is most frequent, The Lord liveth, Jer. 5. 2. and 12. 16. for they swore by him, who truely and alwayes lives. He himself swears by nothing but by his Life and Holinesse, Iud. 8. 24. Ruth 3. 3. This Oath is used fourteen times in Ezekiel, Zeph. 2. 9. Jer. 46. 18, 22, 24. Isa. 49. 18. Deut. 32. 40. Numb. 14. 21, 28. God is called the living God.
1. To distinguish him from the false gods of the Gentiles, which were dead and senslesse stocks, Acts 14. 15. 1 Thess. 1. 9.
2. To represent unto us the fVivere est esse actuosum in se per se, singulari vi; unde & Latinis vivo à vi, ut Graecis foreign à foreign dicitur. Deut. 30. 20.active Nature of God, he is all life.
3. To direct us to the Fountain or Well of Life, from whom all Life is derived unto the creature by a threefold stream.
1. Nature, God is the Author of the life of Nature, Gen. 2. 7. Acts 17. 28. We could contribute nothing to natural life.
2. Grace, he is the Author of that life, Iohn 1. 2. Ephes. 4. 18.
3. Glory, he is the Author of the life of glory, Rom. 2. 7.
A reasonable life (to which God resembleth his) is a power to perform variety of regular and limited actions, to a certain known end, and that out of choice and councel. Gods life is his power of working all things according as seems good to himself after his own councel for his own glory; to say he liveth, is to say he doth perpetually work.
The life of God is an essential Property of the Divine Nature, whereby it is, and is conceived of us to be in perpetual action, living and moving in it self, and of it self.
Life in things bodily ariseth from the union of the body and the soul together; and in things that be not bodies but spirits, from the perfection of the matter and qualities of them.
Our own life is a power, by which we are able to produce lively actions; Gods life is that power, whereby he is fit to work or produce all sorts of actions suitable to the perfect Essence of his Divine Majesty; Or it is that whereby he knoweth, willeth and affecteth, and can doe all sort of actions, beseeming his excellent Nature.
Reasons.
First, From the Effects of life, God understands, wils, loves, therefore he truly lives; for these are all the Properties of livers, therefore Aristotle often concludes from this, that because God understands all things, he lives a blessed Life.
Secondly, Those things live which move and stir themselves; God doth all thingsAct. 17. 28. by himself, he is the first and perfectest cause of all; therefore he most properly lives, and that a most blessed life.
Thirdly, From his Name Iehovah, he is Iehovah, who is by himself and mostGen. 2. 7. God lives because life is originally in him, Psa. 36. 9. Iohn 1. 4. In him was life. perfectly, and of whom all things are which are and live; God therefore so lives, that he is the author of all life to all livers, and therefore he is called our life, Deut. 30. 20. Iohn saith of Christ, in him was the Author of life, and Acts 3. Ye have killed the Author of life.
Amongst the creatures which are subject to our sense, there is a threefold kinde of life: Two more imperfect; the third more perfect.
The former is the life of Vegetation or growth; by which things are able to doe what is requisite for the attaining and maintaining of their full strength and Nature, and the propagating of their kinde, according to their severall kindes.
The second is the life of sense, whereby things are inabled to discern things hurtfull to them, and things good for them; to shun the one, and to seek the other.
These are imperfect kindes of life, because they are inherent after a sort in the bodies of things, accompanying a corporall being, which is the meanest being.
But thirdly, there is a more worthy and noble kinde of life called reasonable, such as is seen in men and in Angels, which is an ability to proceed reasonably andA man hath four kindes of faculties in the exercise of which he liveth; and life in him is an ability to exercise them. He hath understanding, will, affections, and a power to move and work outwardly. The living God sees it sit to ascribe all these to himself. understandingly in all actions, for the attaining of good and shunning of evils, fit for the welfare of the person endued with reason. Now we must not conceive in God any such imperfect thing as growth or sense, for he is a spiritual, a simple and immaterial Essence; but his life is to be understood by the similitude of the life of reason, for he is a perfect understanding. To the being then of God adjoyn reasonablenesse in our conceiving of him, and we conceive his life somewhat aright.
Gods life differs from the life of the creature:
1. His life is his Nature or Essence, he is life it self; theirs the operation of their Nature, he is life, they are but living.
2. His life is his own, he liveth of, and by, and in himself; their life is borrowedTheir life hath a cause, his none. from him, in him we live and move, Acts 17. 25, 28. He is life, and the fountain of life to all things.
3. His life is Infinite, without beginning or ending; their life is finite, and had a beginning, and most of them shall have an end.
4. His life is entire altogether and Perfect, theirs imperfect, growing by additionHis life consisteth in rest, and he possesseth all his life in one instant, our life is a flux and succession of parts. of dayes to dayes. He liveth all at once, hath his whole life perfectly in himself, one infinite moment.
5. He liveth necessarily, they contingently, so as they might not live.
6. His life is immutable, theirs mutable and subject to many alterations.
First, This serves to blame those which carry themselves no otherwise to God,Consectaries from Gods life. then if he were a very dead Idol, not fearing his threats, or seeking to obey him.
Secondly, To exhort us all often to revive in our selves the memory and consideration of his life, by stirring up our selves, to fear his threats, respect his Promises, obey his Commandments, decline his displeasure, and seek his favour. Let usDan. 6. 27. Heb. 9. 14, 15. Rev. 4. 9, 10. serve, fear, and trust in him, which liveth for evermore. Provoke not the Lord by your sinnes; For it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10. 31.
Thirdly, Here is comfort to all the faithful servants of this God, which desire to please him; for they have a King which liveth and hath lived for ever, a KingPsal. 18. 46. This upheld Luther amidst his opposition, Christus vivit & regnat. St Augustine prefers a flie before the Sun, because a flie hath life, and the Sun hath not. Eternal, Immortal, Invisible and onelyonly Wise; in his life they shall enjoy life; though friends die, God ever liveth. His life is the preserver, upholder and comforter of your life. God living of himself, can blesse you with natural, spiritual and eternal life, Iohn 14. 10. Rom. 8. 10. 17. Life is better then all the comforts of it. Men will give skin for skin, and all that they have for life. It is reported of one, that he offered to redeem his life, thrice his weight in Silver, twice in Gold, once in Pearl. But we do little for the living God, and communion with him in the life of grace, and for obtaining eternal life.
It were better we had never had any life at all, then only the life of nature, Mat. 26. 24. and 18. 5. Eccles. 6. 3.
God is Immortal and Incorruptible, he liveth for ever in like perfection.
The Scripture confirmeth this:
1. Negatively, when it removes mortality and corruption from God, Rom. 1. 23. 1 Tim. 1. 17. and 6. 16.
2. Affirmatively, when it giveth life to God, Genes. 16. 14. Deuter. 5. 26. Ier. 2. 13.
The property of Gods life is, it is Endlesse, Incorruptible, Deut. 32. 40. Life is essential to God, he is life it self, but the life of other things is accidental. His life is also effective, he gives life to all living creatures.
2. God is of himself Eternal, of himself, and absolutely Immortal and Incorruptible. He only hath immortality, 1 Tim. 6. 16. Angels are not immortal in and of themselves, they have not original or absolute immortality; their immortality is dependent and derivative.
3. Because he is void of all composition, therefore he is free from corruption.
4. Because he is simply and every way Immutable.
5. This is proved from the Nobility and perfection of the Divine Essence. Living bodies are more perfect then such as do not live; but God is the most perfect and noble being, Iohn 5. 26.
6. Because he is blessed, therefore he is Immortal, Ezek. 37. 14.
1. This comforts all Gods people, who have the living God for their friend; who liveth for ever, and they shall live eternally with him; the life of God comforted Iob 19. 25. Let them trust in the living God. This should comfort us against spiritual weaknesse and deadnesse, though we be dull and dead in Prayer, God is life, and will quicken us.
2. We miserable men for sin are all subject unto gThe Latine word for men, is mortales, Ipso vocabulo suae conditioni… admonentur. Erasm. in Coll…. Psal. 17. 15.death, 2 Sam. 14. 14. Psalm. 144. 4. Psal. 90. 6. Iob 14. 1. Iob describes there the brevity, frailty, instability, and manifold miseries of this life; therefore let us place all our confidence and hope in God, who is Immortal and Incorruptible; our soul is immortal, and made for immortality, it is not satisfied with any thing nor resteth but in God, who is Immortal and Incorruptible. A thing may be said immortal two wayes: First, Simpliciter, absolutè, per se, suaque Natura, so that there is no outward, nor inward cause of mortality; so only God. Secondly, which in its own nature it may be deprived of life, yet ex voluntate Dei neither dies, nor can die; so the soul andZanchius de immortalitate l. 2. c. 8. Angels are immortal.