A Stock of Divine Knowledge, Chapter 10
OF THE IMMVTABILITY OF GODS NATURE. CHAP. X.
I TIM. 6.16.
Who onelyonly hath immortalitie, dwelling in light.
THE perfection of God, as you have heard, is made knowne to us by his Attributes: and his Attributes be of two ſorts; either communicable, or incommunicable, ſuch as cannot be aſcribed to any other: and of the firſt ſort of theſe, you heard the laſt day. In the next place, we are to handle two more; and theſe are, his immutability, and his infiniteneſſe: and now concerning the firſt of theſe, the Immutability of God: according to our order; the queſtion is:
Queſt. What is the Immutability of God?
Anſ. It is an incommunicable Attribute, whereby he is void of all corruption, and alteration. This attribute is given to God divers wayes: there is an immutability of his nature, and there is an unchangeableneſſe of his courſe, and of his will: but we will not here ſpeake of any other immutability, but the unchangeableneſſe of his nature; for the immutability of his Counſell, and his Will, will fall in their place to be ſpoken of. I ſay this is an incommunicable Attribute, becauſe it is not common, neither can be attributed to any other, but God: for though there are things that are immutable, yet they are ſubject of themſelves to alteration: the ſoules of men are ſubject of themſelves to alteration, through the condition of their creation; but they are kept by God, if he would, he might leave them, and then they are mutable.
This Immutability, not to be ſubject to corruption, is properly attributed to the divine Eſſence: that it is ſo, is manifeſt in this place I have read, Hee onelyonly hath immortality, 1 Tim 1.17. he cals him the King immortall: the ſame is in Pſal 102.26, 27. They ſhall change, ſpeaking of the heavens and the earth, but thou ſhalt endure: thy yeeres never faile: ſo the Apoſtle ſaith, Heb. 2.12. And this ſhall ſuffiſe for this queſtion.
Queſt. For what cauſe is the divine Eſſence free from corruption and alteration?
Anſw. The anſwer is, Becauſe the power of it is ſo great, that it cannot be corrupted, by any power whatſoever. Secondly, becauſe it is without quantity, and cannot be leſſe or greater. Thirdly, becauſe it is without quality, and cannot be better or worſe: nor in any other condition: we will manifeſt theſe ſeverally.
Firſt, concerning Gods power: Chriſt ſaith, Iohn 10.26. My Father that gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pull them out of his hand: why? becauſe there is no power greater then himſelfe: And this is the nature of every thing, to preſerve it ſelfe: If any thing had power enough, it would not be corrupted; we apply this to God that hath all power; none can corrupt him: our Saviour Chriſt alledgeth, that place, Ioh. 10. to ſhew that his ſheepe can never perriſh: why? becauſe my father that gave them me, is greater then all: Saint Auguſtine uſeth theſe words, If any of theſe ſheepe periſh, (ſpeaking of the children of God) God is overcome by the faculty of man, or ſome power that comes from him.
Secondly, againe, God is without quantity: and therefore can be neither leſſer nor greater, as Saint Auguſtine ſaith; he is great without quantity: and wher there is no quantity, there can be no diminution, for God cannot be leſſer or greater: he cannot be greater, for then he ſhould not be infinite; and he cannot be leſſer, for then he ſhould ceaſe to be infinite; and therfore he cannot be leſſer or greater, ſo is voyd of all alteration.
Thirdly, againe, he cannot be better, or worſe; why? he cannot be beter, for then he ſhould not be perfect; he cannot be worſe, for then he ſhould ceaſe to be perfect; neither can he be in a leſſe good eſtate, for if he be, then he loſeth the good he had, and takes the ill he had not: if he loſe the good he had, then hee wants, and ſo ſtill ſhould be imperfect, and therefore hee is thus without quality, &c. ſo immutable.
Vſe. 1. This confirmes us, that we ſerve the true God, and not the falſe Gods of theſe nations; becauſe we ſerve the Immortall, and the Immutable God: they ſerve falſe Gods, becauſe their Gods are mutable; how appeares this? thus, becauſe their Poets which were their prophets, tell us, they were Adulterers, &c. and the Apoſtle ſaith they were ſubject to ſinne; becauſe for ſinne, death went over all fleſh; therefore they are falſe Gods, and they ſerve falſe Gods: Saint Bernard ſpeaking of celeſtiall creatures, ſayth, they are ſubject to ſinne; for the Angels, ſome of them ſinned and became divels: and ſome of them did not ſinne, not becauſe they were not able to ſinne; but for that God aſſiſted them, that they ſinned not; they alſo were ſubject to ſinne, and ſo to death after their kind; for there is none free, no not the Angels by their nature, but as they are eſtabliſhed by Chriſt: So that we ſee the Gods of the nations are falſe Gods, and as they ſay they are Gods of the mountaines, and not of the valleis.
Vſe. 2. The ſecond vſe is, to eſtabliſh the certainty of our faith; becauſe God is immutable: we truſt not to mutable man, wee make not fleſh our Arme, whoſe breath is in his noſtrils; but we truſt upon him that is immutable: Heere is the certainty of our faith; our ſtrength reſts not in us, but in him, on whom it is built: and it is with us, as it is with children, who have but a weake hand and arme, notwithſtanding, if they be helped by their father who is a ſtrong man, they can performe ſomething: wherein is the childs ſtrength? it is plaine it is not in the childe, but in the father; ſo ſaith Saint Bernard, man holds not God, but God him: And this is the comfort that we have, when we feele our faith weake, we are kept by the power of God unto ſalvation; Therefore this Attribute ſheweth, that our faith being ſo kept can never faile. I doe not doubt, (for the Diſciples began to doubt, we hoped that this man ſhould have redeemed Iſrael,) but it cannot faile; for it muſt needes be certaine becauſe grounded, and built upon God.
Vſe. 3. The third uſe is matter of comfort, to all thoſe that are Gods children, and ſo in the love of God: what is their comfort? their King that loveth them is immortall: they have not the favour of a mortall King, but of an immortall King; how great is that worldly honour, that earthly joy, and that temporall reſt, that many men have in the favour of Princes? and yet notwithſtanding, what are theſe Princes? even mortall, ſuch as muſt moſt certainely die, and none can tell how ſoone; this therfore is a vaine thing to truſt to; for we ſee in what a trice, Nebuchadonozer was taken away, and Belſhazzer his ſonne, even in a moment; all their honour was taken away and layd in the duſt: yea and more then this, they that have the favour of earthly Princes abuſe it and grow proud and inſolent of their inferiors; who as ſoon (or before) as the Kings bones be cold, labor to pluck them down from their excellency: as Bathſheba ſaid to David, 1 King. 1.21. When thou my Lord ſhalt be gathered to thy fathers, I and Solomon ſhall be reputed offenders; So they may ſay, when the king ſhall be gathered to his fathers, they ſhall be counted vile; ſo that this is a comfortleſſe comfort, to depend upon a mortall man; but here is the comfort and happineſſe of thoſe that have the favour and countenance of God; they depend upon the favour of an immortall King that never dies, but ever lives, and will preſerve all thoſe that are his: they need not feare any earthly power, if they have confidence in Chriſt; they need not feare, if their owne corruptions doe not provoke God: ſo then we ſee here is matter of comfort to Gods people, they have the love of an immortall king that lives for ever, and loves for ever, and will be their God, and the God of their ſeeed: Therefore parents if they labour to make their children great, let them not have that exceſſive care to get riches for them, but labour to make them religious, that God may care for them: that ſame that Barzillat ſaid to David 2. Sam. 19.37. When David would have had him to go over with him; no ſaith he take my Sonne; and we ſee David gave Solomon charge of him when he was a dying; here is the comfort of good children, when their parents feare God: God lives for ever to helpe and bleſſe them, though their parents be dead; but where the parents will exceſſivelv care for them, God leaves them: how many doe we ſee come to poverty that have had thouſands left them? how comes this to paſſe? God hath with-drawne his bleſſing and providence from them: their parents tooke care to gather, and heape up, but not to ſowe religion in their hearts, and intreſt them in God. Brethren if you would beſtow halfe the time in labouring to make your children religious, that you ſpend to make them great, and rich, Gods favourable providence would be greatly ſeene towards them; but for want of this, the ſame riches that perchance carrie the father to hell in getting them, may bring the ſonne after him in ſpending them: thus then we ſee, to Gods people it is a marvailous comfort that we have a God that lives for ever; that will take care for us, and our poſterity; and thus much for this Immutability of God.
To come to the next thing, his infinitenes; and to avoid all deſcriptions, defining infinitenes, and diviſions, ſhewing how many wayes God is infinite: and to keepe our ſelves to this place: It affoords only the Infinitenes of place, and this is the thing that we are now to ſpeake of.
Queſt. What is the Infinitenes, and the Immenſity of the Divine Eſſence?
Anſ. It is an incommunicable property, wherby it is preſentin all places in the world, and out of the world, …tone time; to explane this.
Firſt I ſay, it is an incommunicable Attribute, becauſe it cannot be attributed to any other; for though ſome creatures are not to be limited by external bounds; yet there is no creature but may be limited by his nature; and thus Angels, and ſpirits, that are not to be limited by externall bounds, yet by the bounds of their own nature they may; and though they have not ſubſtantiall bodies, externall, yet they are limited in themſelves internally; but God is ſo infinite that he is not limited externally or internally, and this is ſolely proper to God, that he ſhould be in all places in a moment, and not divided in any place, but the whole Eſſence is every where; we doe not ſay part of the Eſſence: as if a man were ſo great that his head were in England, his leggs in Spaine, his armes in France; but the whole is not in every place. I doe not ſay ſo, but our God is never divided, he is never parted, but his whole Eſſence is every where. We explane this, by the ſimilitude of the ſoule; the whole is in every part of the body; there is not ſome in the foote, ſome in the head, and ſome in the hand, but the whole is in every parte; thus have I explaned this queſtion: I now come to prove it, Pſal. 139. Whither ſhall I goe from thy preſence? if I aſcend up to heaven, thou art there: If to the utmoſt part of the earth, thou art there: There is no place to which we can goe from God; for he is in every place, and excluded out of no place, Iſai. 66.1. Heaven is my throne, and earth is my foote ſloole: (St. Hilar. de trin lib. 1.) obſerves the Prophet ſo ſpeakes, to ſhew that the Lord fills heaven and earth. Ier. 23.24. explanes it, I fill heaven, and earth; and more then this, he is neere to every one: Act. 17.27. This ſhewes, that God is within the world, and without the world; that apeares in, 1 King. 8. The heaven of heavens are not able to containe thee; how much leſſe the houſe that I have built? and thus the Prophet Iſaiah ſaith, Iſa. 40.12. He hath the ſea in his fiſt, and hath meaſured the heavens with his Spann; where is be that ſhuts up the duſt of the earth in a void place, and hath weyed the mountaines? therefore it is manifeſt that he is in all places, both within and without the world.
The next queſtion is:
Queſt. Why is he ſo infinite, in every place?
Anſ. The anſwer is, becauſe he is ſimple, neither having nor poſſible to have parts; ſecondly, becauſe the power of the Divine Eſſence is every where: thirdly, becauſe there is but one Eſſence in three perſons of the Diety, common to them all; To explane theſe:
Reaſ. 1. Firſt, that the Divine Eſſence is moſt ſimple, I explaned it the laſt day. The next, that, it is without parts, it followes, if it have no parts, it is whole; and this is the reaſon that Philoſophers, and antient Divines have given, that the ſoule ſhould be whole in every part, becauſe it is moſt ſimple, and hath no parts.
Reaſ. 2. Secondly, becauſe the power of the divine Eſſence is every where, for nothing is in God, but his Eſſence; if therfore the power of God be every where, then it muſt needs followe that God is every where; It is manifeſt, that his power is in the creating of every thing, we will not now ſtand to prove it: therefore he being the only maker of all things, ſhall neceſſarily be in them: but God doth not only make all things, but ſu ſtaineth all things made, and therefore he muſt needs be every where: this is manifeſt, Gen. 1.2. the Spirit moved upon the waters; that is, for the ſuſtaining and the upholding of them by his power: what power but his Eſſencial? As a hen hatches her egges by ſitting over them, ſo doth the holy Ghoſt ſuſtaine all things, by mooving upon them; and therefore his Eſſenciall preſence muſt be every where: This the Apoſtle St. Paul teaches, Act. 17. he is neere to every one of us: in him, we live, move, and have our being; ſo that by this, it appeares, that God is infinite.
Reaſ. 3. Thirdly, becauſe there is but one Eſſence of the three perſons in the deietie: that is common to them all, and is in ſeverall, and diſtinct places, at one, and the ſame time, then it muſt followe that it is infinite: for firſt, the Eſſence is not divided, part in the Father, part in the Sonne, part in the holy Ghoſt; but is intire in each perſon, as hath bin proved: Secondly, theſe three are in ſeverall places, not at ſeverall times, as a finite thing may be, but at the ſame time, which nothing can be that is not infinite: This appeares; the Father is ſaid to be in heaven, who is the ſame Eſſence with the Sonne, who was ſomtimes on earth and dwelt amongſt us: the Sonne at the ſame time was in heaven, when he was upon the earth, Ioh. 3.13. Heaven and earth are diſtinct places, therefore it muſt needs follow, that the ſame Eſſence being in them both at the ſame time, is infinite: the ſcripture maketh this more plaine, Ioh. 16.32. I am not alone, but the Father is alway with me; So likewiſe, Ioh. 14.11. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; How is this mutuall immeation made? they have both the ſame Eſſence; therefore the perſons though diſtinguiſhed yet cannot bee ſeparated, as ſhall afterwards be declared.
The holy Ghoſt is the ſame Eſſence with the Father, and the ſame is in the hearts of all the faithfull, wherſoever they be, and how farre diſtant one from another; for they are the temple of the holy Ghoſt: who dwels in them not only by his grace, but by his Eſſence; therefore this Eſſence is infinite. Ambroſe proves the deity of the holy Ghoſt by this infinitenes of his Eſſence: who dares ſay, (ſaith he) that the holy Ghoſt is a creature, when he is not limited? ſo then we ſee by theſe reaſons that God is infinite.
Vſe. 1. The firſt uſe then ſerves to confute the doctine of Popery, and the ubiquitaries that hold, that the body of Chriſt is in all, or in many places at the ſame time, which cannot be ſo; my reaſon is, becauſe that Chriſts body, is a finite creature, and though it be glorified, yet it is not deified; and it is an incommunicable attribute of the deity, to be in many places at one and the ſame time: Chriſt his body though it be glorified, yet it remaines a body ſtill; and therefore contrary to theſe opinions, can bee but in one place at one time; for to bee circumſcribed in a place, is an inſeparable property of a body.
Vſe. 2. The ſecond uſe is for our inſtruction. Is God in every place by his Eſſence? certainely, if this were knowne, and beleeved, it would be a ſpeciall meanes to reſtraine men from evill; for they would know that whatſoever they doe, they doe it before the face of God: be they never ſo ſecret, there is no place from which God is excluded, but in every place is that God, who is of more pure eyes then to behold ſinne, and can abide to looke upon any wickedneſſe: therefore whereſoever a man is, this ſhould make him afraid to ſinne againſt God, whatſoever his place be, or whatſoever his wealth bee, yet this ſhould reſtraine him: This ſhould not only reſtraine men from eternall ſinning, but even from the inward evill thoughts of the heart; for God is in every place, and ever preſent in the heart; this preſence of God being rightly conſidered, is like a grave Matron coming among wanton maides; as when ſhe comes all is quiet: ſo this will ſet the heart free from that coveteouſnes, pride, that hatred which is ordinary in it. Againe, if God dwell in us, and if we be deſirous to have God to delight to dwell in us, let us delight in good duties, and labour to be the ſame inwardly, that we ſeeme to be outwardly; for God takes notice of our meditations, as well as he takes notice of our outward actions; God is in every place, therfore this ſhould make every man labour inward purity and holineſſe. Indeed man may forbeare the act of ſinne for outward, and carnall reſpects: but to have a pure heart, becauſe God is preſent, this is to be like him that loves truth in the inward parts: God delights in him that trembles at his word; therefore labour that God may delight in thee; labor to be good in ſecret places where no body ſees, for God is preſent in ſecret, to reward openly: To conclude this point; It is much to be lamented, that many men know not this doctrine of Gods omnipreſency, that more beleeve it not; for if they did, it could not be, that they ſhould live ſo ungodly as they doe: certainely, the men of this age are meere infidels; it appeares in this, when they come into the Church, the houſe of God, and the place where they apprehend him preſent, what holineſſe and reverence doe they make a ſhew of? when they depart from thence, they leave their holyneſſe with the place: A great fault which Clemens Alexandrinus pedagog. l. 3. c. 11. ſub finem. complained of in the Chriſtians of his time: whereas if they did know, and believe that God fils every place, even their ſecret cogitations, what maner of men would they alwaies be? we think that God doth not ſee us, but God doth ſee us, therefore let us walke in the ſight of God, and we ſhall keepe our ſelves from many corruptions.