Treatise of Divinity, Book 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
THe next Attribute in God is his understanding; which is the Divine*Matth. 11. 27. 1 Cor. 2. 10. * essence, understanding, and knowing all things alwayes, and by one act. It is called also Science, knowledge, and omniscience. God knowes all things, because first he knew himselfaIn homine differunt intellectus tanquam facultas, scientia tanquam habitus intellectus, cognitio tanquam actio a facultate per habitum proficiscens. In Deo omnia sunt unum, & tantùm nostro concipiendi modo distinguuntur. directly in himself, by himself, and primarily as a most perfect object; which knowledge in God, is of absolute necessity (for he could not exist without the knowledge of himselfe) and infinite apprehending an Infinite object, 147. Psal. 5.
Secondly, because he knows the creatures all(a)See 21. of John 17. Heb. 4. 13. and singular bDe singularibus, qualia sum, hic angelus hic homo, haec planta, olim multi Philosophi dubitaru…t an Deus haec nesset. Sed manifesta vetitas est. Creavit enim Deus singularia; judicia sua exercet cicra singularia; reddit cuique secundum opera sua, supputat numerum stellarum, & nominibus suis singula… vocat Psal. 47. v. 4. vide Psal. 56. 9. & Matth. 10. 30. Pertinet huc totus Psalmus 147. Wendelinus. Simul & semel uno actu & uno ictu.viz. all things which have been, are, or shall be, might have been, and may be; not onelyonly the substances, but all the accidents of creatures, not onelyonly things necessary, but also contingent, all good things by himselfe, and all evils by the opposite good; and that infallibly without errour.
For the manner of divine knowledge, God knowes all things by his essence, not by species abstracted from the things; for so things should be before the divine knowledge, on which yet they depend. God doth not understand by discoursing from a known thing to that which is unknown, in a doubtfull and successive reasoning; but by looking on them, and by one most simple Individuall and eternall act Comprehending all things. He apprehends by one act of his understanding, and by himself simple things without species, compound without composition and division, syllogismes and consequences without discourse; lastly, he most perfectly understands all the multitude of things without distraction, and distance both locall and temporall, without distinction of former and later, past or future, according to the beginning, progresse, and end, possessing all things together and alwayes present; which with us are revolved in time, Dan. 2. 21. 22. 1 Cor. 3. 19, 20. 44. Isay 7. Rom. 11. 33. Heb. 4. 13. Psal. 94. 9. 10. 11.
The Scripture proves Gods omniscience.
1. Affirmatively or positively, Job. 28. 24. 1 Sam. 2. 3. he is called by Hanna in her Song,Psal. 139. l. 2, 3 4. 6. 12. a God of knowledge, 1 Sam. 16. 7. 1 King 8. 39. Psal. 94. 11. He knows from eternity,Act. 15. 18. 1 John 3. 20. by one simple act, before all time, before there was a world; secondly, certainly; he cannot be deceived.
2. Negatively, Job. 42. 2. Psal. 139. 45. Heb. 4. 13.
3. Metaphorically and Figuratively, for when eyes and eares be given to God, his omniscience is signified, 2 Chron. 16. 9. Psal. 11. 7. when he is called light, 1 John 1. 5.
2. It is proved by reason.
1. By way of negation, ignorance is a defect, and imperfection; but God is most Perfect, therefore all Ignorance is to be removed from him.
2. By way of causality; God governs all things in the whole universe and directs to convenient ends even those things which are destitute of all knowledge and reason. Therefore he foreknows and sees all things; all creatures are Gods works, and an artificer knows his work; the Prophet knew what was in Gebezis heart, God revealing it to him. God made the heart; shall not he know it?
3. By way of eminency. God hath made creatures intelligent and full of knowledge, viz. Angels and men; therefore he knows and understands in a farre more perfect and eminent manner, Psal. 94. 10.
He knows.
1. The substantiall natures of all other things; as of Angels, Men, Beasts, Plants, Gen. 1. He saw all things which he had made, Matth. 6. He is said to take care of Sparrows, which could not be without knowledge.
2. Their accidentals, as actions, and passions with the circumstances of them.Psal. 33. 14. 15. & 94. 11. & 73 9. per totum. Prov. 15. 11. Psal. 139. …. God is totus ocnlus quia omnia videt. Aug. Hence he is said to know the hearts, and try the reines of men; and there is nothing hid from him, Matth. 6. The Father which seeth in secret.
3. He knows things which are to come, not as if they were to come; for to him all things are present. God makes this an argument of his Divinity, when he bids them see, if their Gentile Gods can tell what is to come. He doth not onelyonly know what things naturally shall be, but likewise what is possible.
By his Prophets, he hath often foretold future things.
4. He is privy to all our actions, Psal. 119. 168. Job. 34. 21. 22. 2. knowes our words, 2 King 6. 12. Psal. 139. 4. Matth. 12. 36. 3. He knowes our thoughts,It was said of Christ, he knoweth what is in man. Prov. 15. 11. Job. 42. 2. 4. 1 Sam. 16. 7. Psal. 94. 11. God is foreign he sees and knowes the heart, Gen. 6. 5. Psal. 90. 8. and Rom. 8. 27 Apoc. 2. 23. He made the heart, and will judge men for their thoughts, he gives lawes to the heart, saying thou shalt not Covet thy neighbours house; else God were not infinite in knowledge if he knew not the heart.
Our understanding differs from Gods, many wayes.
1. We have our knowledge from others, from him; he his from himselfe. He understands by himselfe without any help; man needs many helpers, his sences, fancie and intellgible species.
2. In extent; we know but some things, he all, generall and particular.
3. Our knowledge is simply finite, but Gods infinite.
4. We understand things by species or Images, abstracted from them, he by his essence.
5. We understand things successively one after another, with paines of discourse, proceeding from an unknown thing to a known, or from a lesse known to a more known: but God knows all things together, and by one most simple, immutable, and eternall act of understanding.
6. He knows himself,He is prìmus intelligens and prímum intelligibile. and all other things perfectly, all things past, present and to come, open, secret, certain, contingent, that which shall be, which shall be never be; we cannot shew the causes nor properties of an Herbe, and understand onelyonly those things which are, or at least have been, and we know doubtingly.
There is in God (say the Schoolmen) scientia visionis, a knowledge of all future things; 2. Simplicis intelligentiae, a most perfect knowledge of all, and the severall things, which may be done.
1. This is a terrour to the wicked, who is Ignorant of God, 2. Thess. 1 8. The Study of the knowledge of God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, is the highest, noblest, the most soule perfecting and exalting knowledge that can be; all other knowledge without this will nothing advantage us.
2. It is necessary for us to be ruled by him, who is so full of knowledge, and to beleeve all which he saith by way of relating, promising, threatning.
3. This may comfort Gods people,Against worldlynesse. 6. Matth. 30. 32. my witnesse is in heaven, said Job. if they know not how to expresse themselves in Prayer, God knows their groanes.
To Gods understanding are referred his Wisedome, or Prudence, and Prescience.
The wisdome or Prudence and counsell of God,Great in councello Jer. 32 19. Rom. 11. 33. Job 9. 4. The wisdome of God is sometime taken personally, and so the Sonne of God is called wisdom, Prov. 8. 1. sometime Essentially which is common to all the persons in the Trinity. by which God rightly perceives the best reason of all things which are do…e. Hence it is that all things are joyned, and knit together in a most perfect harmony, and beautifull order, so that they well agree, both amongst themselves and with God.
God is wisdom it selfe, Prov. 8.
His wisdome is.
1. Infinite, Psal. 136. 5. and unsearchable Job. 11. 7.
2. Essentiall to himselfe. He is the onelyonly wise God, Rom. 16. 27. 1 Tim. 1. 17.
3. He is perfectly, originally, unchangeably wise Isay 40. 13.
4. The fountain of all wisdom; was there such wisdome in Adam, to give names to things according to their natures? and in Salomon to discourse of all things? and is there not much more in God?
Wisdome*Wisdome is a vertue of right understanding things to be known and making right use of th…t knowledge to the ordering of himselfe and his actions for the best. is an ability to fit all things to their ends. He that worketh for a worthy and good end, and fitteth every thing unto it, worketh wisely. God doth 4 Actions to all his …reatures as Creatures, viz.
1. He made them. 2. Sustaineth them. 3. Actuateth them. 4. Guideth and disposeth them all wisely; aiming at a noble end, viz. his own glory, content and satisfaction.
He hath set also to each of them speciall ends, to which they serve in nature, and that end is the mutuall preservation one of another, and common beautifying of the whole workemanship, in subordination to that high end of his glory; and so he hath fitted each thing for that particular end he made it; and all for the universall end, to which he intended all. The Sunne was made to distinguish day and night and the severall seasons, it is most fit for that end, it is most fit for the end in its quantity, quality, motion, and all that pertain to it. God made Grasse for the food of Beasts, it is fit for that end; so in the rest.
Wisdome hath two principall acts, fore-sight, and fore-cast, by which a man can beforehand see what will be after to make his use of it; 2. disposing and ordering things, by taking the fittest meanes and opportunities to attain his own good and right ends. This vertue is Infinitely in God, for he doth fore-see all thiings eternally; and in time disposeth of them most fitly, by the fittest meanes and opportunities for the best that can be, to his own glory, which is the highest end that he can and should ayme at; for to that which is the best of all things, must all things else be referred; therefore God is the onelyonly wise God. Gods knowledge differs from his wisdome, in our apprehension thus. His knowledge is conceived as the meer apprehension of every object, but his wisdome is conceived as that whereby he doth order and dispose all things. His knowledge is conceived as an act; his wisdome as an habit or inward principle; not that it is so, but onelyonly we apprehend it in this manner.
Gods wisdom is seene in these particulars.
1. In making of this great world, 1 Cor. 1. 21. all things therein are disposed in the best order, place, time, by the wisest Architect.Prov. 3. 19, 20. Eccles. 3. 11. Pro. 12. 12. 13. 16. How doth David in the Psalmes, admire the wonderfull power and wisdome of God, in making of the world Psal. 136. 5. and 104. per totum. Much wisdome and art is seene in the Sunne, Starrs, creeping things; Salomon in all his glory was not comparable to one of the lilies; for that is native and imbred, his adventitious.
2. In particular, in making of man, the little world, David is much affected with this Psal. 139. 14. 15.
3. In the order which is in these things, God hath made every thing beautifull in his season, saith Salomon. He is called the God of order,Gen. 1. 31. Psal. 19. The heavens are said to have a line, which is likewise called their voyce, because God by this exact order and art, which he shewed in making of them, doth plainly declare to all the world, his glory and power.
4. In that nothing is defective or superfluous.
5. In contrivi…g things by contrary meanes. He brings about contrary ends, by contrary meanes; by death he brought life to beleevers, by Ignominy and shame the greatest glory. By terrours for sinne, he brings the greatest comfort, and leads men by hell to heaven.
6. By catching those which are wise in their own craftinesse, Psal. 59. Job. 9. 4.
7. In finding out a way to save man by Christ,1 Cor. 2. 7. Ephes. 1. 8. Ephes 3. 10. foreign wisdome in many curious passages, 1 Pet. 1. 12. the very Angels desire to prie into this mystery; and indeed here was so much wisdome, that if the understanding of all men and Angels had been put together, they could not have devised a possible way for mans salvation.
8. In the Church, in the Oracles of Scripture, exceeding all sharpnesse of humane wit, in the originall, progresse, change, and migration of the Church,Ephes. 3. 10. and other mysteries of the Gospell,Rom. 11. 33. the profound and immense wisdom of Gods councels shines.Matth. 11. 25.
9. In the particular passages of his Providence to his Children, about their outward condition; in taking David from the sheep-fold to be a King; but how much misery did he undergoe before he was setled? So to Jacob, Abraham and Paul; in doing them good by their sinnes, making them wary.
10. In Heaven, in which the Councels, acts, decrees, and promises of God (all obscurity being removed) shall be most clearly unfolded.
Dost thou want wisdome, go to this fountain, Jam. 1. 5. Psal. 94. 10. all the wisdome of men and Angels comes from him.Dan. 2▪ The godly have a most wise teacher, Job. 36. 22.
2. Take heed of trusting in thy own crafty wisdome, 1 Cor 3. 18.
3. Gods wisdom cals for our feare; the people feared Salomon for his wisdom; and praise, Rom. 16. 27.
4. The order and variety of things ariseth not from nature, but the Divine working.
5. We should be content with the portion which God gives us, that weather which he sends, those troubles he brings on us; since he is wisest, and knowes best what is fittest for us, and when is the best time to help us.
6. Admire that in the works of God which we understand not▪ Gods wisdome is unsearchable, and his Counsell like unto the great depth.
7. Be constant and diligent in reading, and pondering upon the Scriptures; they will make you wise to Salvation, to which adde Prayer and Practise.Act. 2. 23.
Gods Prescience or fore-knowledge is that, whereby God fore-knew all future things necessarily, certainly, immutably, and from everlasting. Neither fore-knowledge*It is called Prescience, not in respect of God but men. Gen. 18. 1. and 15. 16. Praescientia Dei est cognoscitiva, non causativa. Act. 2. 23. Rom. 8. 29. 1 Pet. 1. 2. nor remembrance are properly in God, all things both past, and to come, being present before him.
Although Gods prescience bring not a nec…ssity upon events, yet it is necessary for all things to happen so as God hath foretold, because God so fore-knows, as he hath decreed and wil'd it shall be; but his decree gives existence.
So much for Gods understanding; his will follows; by which GodaVoluntas, qua Deus seipsum vult per se, & extra se omnia propter se, seu suam gloriam. Wendelinus. Job. 9. 12. Psal. 115 3. and 135. 7. Dan. 4. 25. Exod. 33. 19. Rom. 19. 18. 21. 2 Cor. 12. 11▪ God created all things, because he would, he redeemed us of his good pleasure, sheweth mercy to whom he will shew mercy. God is 1. most Perfect. 2. Truly blessed, therefore most free. freely immutably, and efficaciously wils and approves of Good and that onelyonly, both the chiefest and first, viz. himself and his own glory, as the end: and also the Secondary, inferiour and subordinate good, viz. that of the creature, asfarre as it hath an Image of that chiefest good, and tends as a meane to that ultimate end. God wills, 1. Most freely; for as liberty is essentiall to every will; so it is chiefely proper to the Divine, because it is a will especially; yet God wils good necessarily with a necessity of Immutability, but not with a necessity of coaction; for he is necessarily and naturally Good, and that which he once willed, he always wils immutably and yet freely; 2. God wils efficaciously; for no man resisteth, nor can resist his will, Dan. 4. 32. Rom. 9. 19. voluntas Dcisemper impletur aut de nobis aut à Deo in nobis Augustine.
Will is taken.
1. For a faculty or power of the soule whereby we will; so we say there are these faculties in the soule, the understanding and the will.
2. For the act of willing called volitio.
3 The object or thing willed, so John 6. this is the will of my Father, that is, that which he willeth and hath decreed. So we say, it is the Princes will, that is, that which the Prince will…th.
But Gods will is his essencebThe Scripture often ascribes a will to God, Isay 46. 10. Rom 9. 19. John 6. 39. The will of God is an essentiall property whereby the Lord approveth that which is good and dis-proveth the contrary, Matth. 19. 17. Jam. 1. 17. Psal. 5. 4. whereby he freely willeth good, and nilleth evill; or it is a faculty whereby God chooseth all and onelyonly good, and refuseth all and onelyonly evill.
The will of God is.
1. Most holy Rom. 12. 2. Psal. 119. 137. the rule of justice, Lam. 3. 37. Ephes. 1. 11. Deut. 29. 29. Isay 8. 20.
2. Eternall, Rom. 9. 11.
3. Unchangeable, Mal. 3. 6. Rom. 11. 1.
The will of God is one and the same; but it is*Every distinction of Gods will, must be framed ex parte volitorum. non ex parte volentis Doctor Jackson. S…e Doctor Prideaux his Sermon on 2 Chron. 32. 24. p. 17. distinguished 1. In respect of the object into voluntatem bene plac… ti & placiti. God wils good things, and good effects with the will of his good pleasure, approving them first of all, and by h…mselfe, he intends their end and meanes, Ephes. 1. 5. but evill and evill effects as they are evill, he nils, disapproves and dislikes. Yet he voluntarily permits evill, and as there is a good end of it, he wils it with the will of his pleasure, for it is good that there should be evill. Psal. 81. 12. Act. 14. 16. 1 Cor. 10. 5. 2. In respect of application to the creature, into 1. Absolute, when God willeth and concludeth any thing concerning us withont any condition in us.aMiro & ineffabili modo not fit praeter ejus voluntatem. quod etiam contra ejus fit voluntatem, quia non …eret si non si…eret, nec utique …, sed volent. Nec si…eret bonus fieri malè, nisi omnip…tens etiam de malo facere p…ssit … August. Enchir. ad Laurent. c. 100. 2. Conditionall, when he wils some condition being put in us; so God would have all men saved on this condition if they can beleeve. The first of these is by another name called voluntas beneplaciti, the last voluntas signi.
Gods will is 1. Secret, that whereby he hath absolutely, and freely determined with himself what he will doe, permit, or hinder.
2. Revealed,Psal. 115. 3. Ephes. 1. 11. Rom 9 18. called the will o… God, concerning us. that whereby God hath manifested what he would have beleeved, done or left undone by his reasonable creatures, Marke, 3. 35. 1 Thess. 4. 3. That distinction of Gods will into beneplaciti & signi differs little from this. Signi is the same with revealed, beneplacitum is the decree properly so called, which may be either hidden or manifest.
It serves first to comfort us in adversities; God is a most free agent, therefore he is not bound to second causes, so as he cannot help without them, Psal. 115. 3.
2. To exhort us to sobriety in our judgement of Gods works.Rom. 9. 20. 21. 22. He is a most free agent, therefore we should not rashly exact of him a reason of his deeds.
2. We should labour first to know Gods will; so did Eli. 1 Sam. 3. 17.
2. Our wils should be pliable to the will of God, we should be carefull; 1. To doe his will*Psal. 110. Deut. 16. 14. cheerfully,*Psal. 119. speedily,*Psal. 51. 8. a Rev. 2. 4. Levit. 10. 3. Jo…. 1. 21. Psal. 39. 19. Psal 119. 6. Prov. 30. 6. sincerely, constantly; a Christian makes God in Christ his portion that is his faith, and the word of God his rule, that is his obedience.
3. Be patient under the hand of God in all afflictions, for nothing can befall us but that which is the good pleasure of our heavenly Father.2 Sam 6. 7. and 7. 7.
3. We should not depart from the word of God, but make that the warrant of all our actions; for there is nothing sinne but what God forbiddeth; and nothing acceptable, but what he commandeth. A man may with a good will, will that which God nils; as if a good Sonne desire*Aug. Ench. ad …aur. c. 101. his Fathers life whom God would have dye, & one may will with an ill will, that which God wils with a good will, as if an ill Sonne should desire his Fathers death, which God also wils.
4. Prie not into the Lords secrets*Deut. 19. 29. R…m. 9. 20. Eccles. 7. 15. 16., they belong not unto thee, but be wise unto sobriety.
5. We should be afraid to sinne against God, who can punish how he will, when he will, and where he will; God wils seriously the conversion of all men, by the preaching of the word, voluntate approbitionis, by way of allowance,*Master Pemble, vin…licie gratiae p 108. 109. Apostolus 1 Tim. 2. 4. non intelligit si…gulos homines, … quos…is …omi…es, hoc est, om…l… genr… …, genera singul…rum, non singul… generum. but not voluntate effectionis & intentionis, not effectually, by way of full intention to worke it in them. It is one thing to approve of an end as good, another thing to will it with a purpose of using all meanes to effect it. Gods Commandements and exhortations, shew what he approves and wils, to be done as good; but his promises or threatenings shew what he intendeth effectually to bring to passe.
Under Gods will are comprehended affections, which are attributed to God, and are divers motions of his will according to the diversity of Objects. Yet they are not suddain and vehement perturbations of God*God pleaseth to ascribe to himselfe our humane affections, not because he hath any perturbation or passion or troublesome stirring, and working within, as we have; but because he hath an aptnesse to produce such effects, as we out of those passions doe accustome to produce, but without any manner of those weaknesses or distempers, which accompany us in such actions. as they are in man, rising and falling as occasion serves, but constant, fixed, tranquill, and eternall Acts and inclinations of the will, according to the different nature of things, either contrary or agreable to it. There are in man some habituall and perpetuall affections as love and hatred; much more hath the Eternall will of God Eternall affections, whiles it moves it selfe to the objects, without alteration, impression and passion. God is so farre affected toward particulars, as they agree or disagree with the universall and immutable notions, and Ideas of good existing in God from eternity; so God hates evill, and loves good, both in the abstract and universall Idaea, and also in the concrete in particular subject as farre as it agrees with the Generall.