Treatise of Divinity, Book 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
GOd in respect of his nature is a Spirit; that is, a substance, or essence altogether incorporeall. This the Scripture expressely witnesseth, John 4. 24. 2 Cor. 3. 17.
An understanding Spirit is either created or uncreated.
Created Spirit, as the soule of man or an Angell, Psal. 104. 4. 1 Cor. 6. ult. uncreated, God.
Whatsoever is affirmed of God,God is called a Spirit. 1. Negatively, because he is not a body. 2. Analogically, or by a certaine likenesse, because there are many perfections in Spiritu…Il subst…nces, which doe more shadow forth the Divine nature, then any bodily …ng can. Doctor Ammes. Theol. which is also communicable to the creatures, the same must be understood by a kinde of excellencie and singularity above the rest. Angels are Spirits, & the soules of men are spirits, but God is a spirit by a kind of excellency or singularity above all spirits, the God of spirits, Num 16▪ 22. the Father of spirits, Heb. 12. 9. the Authour of spirits, and indeed the spirit of spirits.
The word spirit in Greek foreign, in Hebrew Ruach, is used chiefely 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 Godhead absolutely as I…hn 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. I… the word be taken metonymically, it signifieth sometimes the effects of grace, either the common graces of Gods spirit, propheticall, 1 Sam. 10. 6. 10. miraculous, or the sanctifying graces, Ephes. 5. 13.
Reasons.
1. God is a spirit,God is of a pure and spirituall nature. because a spirit is the best, highest and purest nature; God being the most excellent and highest nature, must needs be a spirit too.
2. God is a most simple and noble being,To be a spirit implies, 1. Invisibility. 2. Efficacie, and activity, Ezek. 1. 20. therefore must needs be incorporeall; 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 holinesse is his nature.
3 God is insensible,3. Simplicitie. therefore a Spirit. Spirits are not subject to senses,God is invisible, 14. Luke 39. Col. 1. 15 John 1. 18. John 1. 18.
This confutes 1.Consectaries Tertullian alib. adver, Prax. & de anima, Rom. 1. 23. Anthropomorphites, a sort of Hereticks so called because they misconceived, that God had a bodily shape like man.who held God to be Corporeall, then he should consist of matter and forme.
2. The Anthropomorphites who ascribed to God the parts and members of a man; they alleage that place, Gen. 1. 27. But some thinke the soule is the onelyonly 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 corporall figure, but in respect of knowledge, righteousnesse and holinesse, Ephes. 4. 23. Col. 3. 10. not in respect of his substance, but qualities.
Ob. God is said to have members, face hands, eyes, in some places of Scripture,Psal. 34. 16.and yet in others he is said not to be a body but a Spirit;Zach. 4. 10. and consequently to have no hands nor eyes.
Sol. The word hand and eye is taken figuratively,Quod 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. for the power of seeing and working, which are actions, that men performe 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 againe, those words are taken properly for members of the body of some such forme, 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 what ever hath a being, may be called a body; in this sence 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 forme, so Angels are incorporeall.
3. This shewes the unlawfulnesse then of painting the Godhead; Cajetane disliked it. Bellarmine L. 2. de Imag. Sanct. C. 8.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 soule 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 soule,Consectaries from Gods being a spirit, and invisible. which cannot be pictured.
1. We must call upon God, and worship him with the Spirit; our Saviour Christ te…cheth us this practicall use, John 4. 24. Blesse the Lord O my soule, Psal. 103. whom I serve in the Spirit, Rom. 1. 9.saith Paul. The very Heathen made this inference, Si Deus est animus, Rom. 1. 20.sit pura mente colendus.
2. God though invisible in himselfe, may be knowne by things visible: He that seeth the Sonne, hath seene the Father, John 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.
aMatth. 5. 83. Labour for pure hearts, that we may see God hereafter.
bInvisibile aliquid dicitur dupliciter, inquit Cham. primò per se, & ipsa sui natur… ut Deus, ut Spiritus sunt invisibiles. Secundi, per accidens; …um quid in se tale est quidem ut possitvideri: sed, al qua externa superveniente causa, fit invisibile ijs à quibus vel alias, potuit, vel etiam debuit videri: quo modo ijs, qui sunt ad Septentrionem invisibiles sunt stellae ad Austrum, quo modo stellae quaedam minutissimae sunt invisibiles.4. 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 onelyonly make thee poor, sick, but make thy conscience roare for sinne, it was God put that horrour into Cain, Judas, Spira's spirits. He is a Spirit, and so can deale with the Spirit.
2. Take heed of the sinnes of the heart and spirit, pride, unbeleefe, insincerity, 2 Cor. 7. 1. 1 Thess. 5. 23. such as not onelyonly arise from, but are terminated in the spirit. These are first, most abhorred by God. He is a Spirit, and as he loveth spirituall performances, so he hates spirituall iniquities, 6 Gen. He punisht the old world, because all the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts were evill. 2. Most contrary to the Law of God, which is chiefely Spirituall. 3. Sinne is strongest in the spirit, as all evill in the fountaine, Matth. 15. 19. 4. Spirituall evill make us most like the Devils, who are Spirituall wickednesses.The Divine essence, is simple and altogether uncompounded. All sinne is from Satan per modum servitutis, these per modum imaginis. God is most Simple, Ens Simplicissimum. Simplicity is a property of God, whereby he is voide of all composition, mixtion and division, being all essence; whatsoever is in God, is God. Simplenesse is the first property in God,Simplex proprie dicitur quod compositum ex diversis non est. which cannot in any sort agree to any creature.
This is proved that God is Simple, by removing from him, all kinds of composition, which are five.
1. Of quantitative parts, as a body.
2. Of essentiall parts, matter and forme, as a man consists of Soule 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.2 Cor. 12. 3. The Gospell and the wayes of it are not Simple, as Simplicity is opposed to the depth of wisedome (for therein is made knowne the manifold wisedome of God; Ephes. 3. 10.) But as Simplicity is opposed to mixture. Every thing the more simple (in this sence) the more excellent. In Deo idem est esse & essentia, vivens & vita, quia Deus non vivit per aliud essentiae superadditum, sed vitam habet inscipso & est ipsa vita, vivit à scipso & per scipsum. All things 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 essentiall and integrall, as a man of soule and body, and the body of flesh, bloud, bone, and such parts. The Spirits which have not so plaine a composition, are yet compounded of substance, and accidents sustained by that substance, and inherent in it; for the substance of an Angell and his faculties, and qualities are different things; his life is one thing, his reason another, his will another, his power, wisdome, nimblenesse, other things. So the soule 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 himselfe, 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 eternall, Isay 43. 10. he is one most pure and meere act. In God to be, to will, and to doe are the same, John 15. 26. compared with John 14. 6. and 1 John 1. 7. compared with 1. of John 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, John 14▪ 6. 1 John 4. 8.
This is one reason why God is so perfect, because he is Eus Simplissimum. In every kinde a thing is so much perfect, by how much it is more Simple and pure. Whence the same Hebrew *foreignword signifieth both Simple and perfect.
2. No accidents are in God, when we affirme that God is good and gracious; we meane it not as when we say so of men; in men they are qualities, vertues, in God they are his essence.
1. We should be simple as Doves,Consectaries. of God simplenesse. Matth. 10. 16. Simplicitas Columbina, non asinina. Carthusian, Ephes. 6. 5. 2 Cor. 1. 12. It is called godly sincerity, which God worketh, and which is pleasing to him.Simplex quasi sine plicis. Sincerus, sine cera. See prov. 11. 20. Simplenesse and Simplicity of heart, is the maine thing in*A great French paire is called Le bon Chr…stien, the good Christian, because (they say) it never rots at the core. 22. Matth. Christ opposeth a single eye and corrupt one, an Israelite in whom is no guile, is worth an ecc…, a rare man: M…s. Elizabeth Juxton said, she had nothing to comfort her, but poore syncerity. Christianity, Ephes. 6. 5. Col. 3. 22.
2. Here is matter of joy and comfort to the good; mercy and love are Gods essence, Isay 54. 8. and of feare and terrour, 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;1 John 5. 20. 21. 115. Psal. 4. 5. turne from Idolls to serve the living God, Gen. 16. 14. and 24. 62. and 25. 11. Deut. 5. 26. Ruth. 3. 13. Judg. 8. 19. Isay 3. 10. Jer. 10. 10. Ezek. 3. 11. Dan. 4. 34. Math. 16. 76. Act. 14. 15.Psal. 42. 2. He is called life, 1 John. 5. 10. the fountaine of life,Rom. 9. 26. Psal. 36. 9. He hath his name in Greek from life;Graeci Deum vocant … â vivendo, quoniam solus verè vivit & omnia vivificat, ut meritò: sic ut vocatur foreign ita appellari possit foreign. He saith often of himselfe I live; as if he should say, I alone doe truly live, and he often addes 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 truly and alwayes lives. He himselfe sweares by nothing but by his life and holinesse, Jud. 8. 24. Ruth. 3. 3. This Oath is used 14. times in Ezekiel. Zeph. 2. 9. Jer. 46. 18. 22. 24. Isay 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 sencelesse Stocks, Act. 17. 15.
2. To represent unto us, theavivere est esse actuosum in se, perse, singulari vi; unde & Latinis viv… à vi, ut Graecis foreign dicitur. Deut. 30. 20. active nature of God, he is all life.
3. To direct us to the Fountaine or Well of life, from whom all life is derived unto the creature by a threefold streame.
1. Nature, God is the authour of the life of nature, Gen. 2. 7. Act. 17. 28.
2. Grace, he is the authour of that life, John 1. 2. Ephes. 4. 18.
3. Glory, he is the authour of the life of glory, Rom. 2. 7.
A reasonable life (to which God resembleth his) is a power to performe variety of regular and limited actions, to a certain known end, and that out of choice and councell. Gods life is his power of working all things according as seemes good to himselfe after his owne Councell for his own glory; to say he liveth, is to say he doth perpetually worke.
Life in things bodily ariseth from the union of the body and the soule together; and in things that be not bodies but spirits, from the perfection of the matter and qualities of them.
Our owne life is a power, by which we are able to produce lively actions; Gods life is that power, whereby he is fit to worke 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. 1. 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, that he lives a blessed life.
2 Those things live which move and stirre themselves; God doth all things by himselfe,Act. 17. 28. he is the first and perfectest cause of all; therefore he most properly lives, and that a most blessed life.
3. From his name Jehovah, he is Jehovah, who is by himselfe and most perfectly, and of whom all things are, which are and live;Gen. 2. 7. God lives because life is originally in him, Psal. 36. 9 John 1. 4. in him was life. God therefore so lives, that he is the Authour of all life to all livers, and therefore he is called our life, Deut. 30. 20. John saith of Christ, in him was the Authour of life, and Act. 3. ye have killed the Author of life.
Amongst the creatures which are subject to our sense, there is a three fold 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 kinds.
The second is the life of sence, whereby things are inabled to discerne things hurtfull to them, and things good for them; to shune the one, and to seek the other.
These are imperfect kinds 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,A man hath foure 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 wo…ke outwardly. The living God sees it fit to ascribe all th…se to himselfe. 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 and understandingly in all actions, for the attaining of good and shunning of evils, fit for the welfare of the person indued with reason. Now we must not conceive in God any such imperfect thing as growth or sense, for he is a spirituall, a Simple and Immateriall 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 concerning of him, and we conceive his life somewhat aright.
God life differs from the life of the creature.
1. His life is his nature; or essence, he is life it selfe, theirs the operation of their nature, he is life, they are but living.
2. His life is his own,Their life hath a cause, his none. he liveth of, and by, and in himself; their life is borrowed from him, in him we live and move, Act. 17. 25. 28. He is life, and the fountaine 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,His life consisteth in r…st, and he possesseth all his life in one instant, our life is a fluxe and succession of parts. and Perfect, theirs imperfect, growing by addition of dayes to dayes. He liveth all at once, hath his whole life perfectly in himselfe, 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.
1. This serves to blame those which carry themselves no otherwise to God,Consectaries from Gods l…fe. then if he were a very dead Idoll, not fearing his threats, or seeking to obey him.
2. To exhort us all often, to revive in our selves, the memory and consideration of his life, by stirring up our selves, to feare his threats, respect his promises, obey his Commandements,Dan 6. 27. decline his displeasure, and seeke his favour. Let us serve,Heb. 9. 14, 15. feare, and trust in him, which liveth for evermore. Provoke not the Lord by your sinnes;Rev. 4. 9 10. for it is a fearefull thing, to fall into the hands of the living God. Heb. 10. 31.
3. Here is comfort to all the faithfull servants of this God, which desire to please him; for they have a King which liveth and hath lived for ever,Psal. 18. 46. a King eternall, immortall, invisible and onelyonly wise; in his life they shall injoy life; though friends dye, God ever liveth. His life is the preserver, upholder, and comforter of your life. God living of himselfe, can blesse you with naturall, spirituall, and eternall life John 14. 19. Rom. 8. 10. 17. Men will give skinne for skinne, and all that they have for life. It is reported of one, that he offered to redeeme his life, thrice his weight in Silver, twice in Gold, once in Pearle. But we doe little for the living God, and communion with him in the life of grace, and for obtaining eternall life.
God is immortall 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, Gen. 16. 14. Deut. 5. 26. Jer. 2. 13.
The property of Gods life is, it is endlesse, incorruptible, Deut. 32. 40. Life is essentiall to God, he is life it selfe, but the life of other things is accidentall. His life is also effective, he gives life to all living creatures.
2. God is of himselfe eternall, of himselfe, and absolutely immortall, and incorruptible. He onelyonly hath immortality, 1 Tim. 6. 16. Angels are not immortall in and of themselves, they have not originall, or absolute immortality; their immortality is dependent and derivative.
3. Because he is voyd 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 doe not live; but God is the most perfect, and noble being, John 5. 26.
6. Because he is blessed, therefore he is immortall, 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 Job. 19. 25. Let them trust in the living God. This should comfort us against spirituall weaknesse,John, v. 5. 21. and deadnesse, though we be dull, and dead in Prayer, God is life, and will quicken us.
2. We miserable men for sinne are all subject unto*The Latine word for men, is mortales. ipso vo cabulo suae conditionis admonentur. Erasmus in colloq. Psal. 17. 15. death, 2 Sam. 14. 14. Psal. 144. 4. Psal. 90. 6. Job. 14. 1. Job 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 immortall and incorruptible; our soule is immortall, and made for immortality, it is not satisfied with any thing, nor resteth but in God, who is immortall and incorruptible. A thing may be said immortall two wayes; first, Simpliciter, absolutè per se, suaque natura, so that there is no outward,Zanchius de immortalitate l. 2. C. 8. nor inward cause of mortality; so onelyonly God. Secondly, which in its owne nature may be deprived of life, yet ex voluntate Dei neither dyes, nor can dye; so the soule and Angels are immortall.