A Stock of Divine Knowledge, Chapter 11
THE LIFE OF GOD. CHAP. XI.
1 TIM. 1.17.
To the inviſible, and onelyonly wiſe God.
IN the nature of God, we conſidered his greatneſſe, and his goodneſſe: his greatneſſe is diſcerned by his incommunicable attributes; which are, ſimpleneſſe, eternity, immutability, and immenſity: of which we have ſpoken. His goodneſſe is beſt diſcovered by his communicable Attributes, of which we now come to ſpeake: about which, obſerve, that we doe not call them communicable Attributes, as if they were communicated ſo to the creature, as they are in the creator; but becauſe there is in mans nature ſomething in proportion, or in effect, like to theſe excellencies that are in God: In man, wiſedome, juſtice, mercy, &c. are accidents; in God, not ſo, but are his Eſſence: theſe things are truely ſaid of man in the concrete; that he is wiſe, juſt, mercifull, &c. but of God in the abſtract, that he is wiſedome, juſtice, mercy: in man, theſe things are different, juſtice is not mercy, mercy is not wiſedome, &c. but in God they are all the ſame; his moſt ſimple Eſſence being his juſtice, wiſdome, mercy, &c. In man, they have a mixture of imperfection; but in God, they are perfect: thoſe Attributes which are incommunicable, running alſo through theſe, and ſo as it were, making theſe alſo incommunicable: to explane it, God is good, and the creature good, but God is ſimply, eternally, immutably, infinitely good, and therefore goodneſſe is Gods alone; as our Saviour, there is none good but God: in which reſpect alſo, the Apoſtle cals him onelyonly wiſe, becauſe onelyonly ſimple, eternally immutable, infinitely wiſe. In a word, God takes theſe attributes to himſelfe; not becauſe theſe doe fully and perfectly expreſſe what he is, but becauſe our ſhallow and weake underſtandings cannot aſcend higher, in conceiving the nature of God, then theſe perfections doe reveale him: of theſe we ſpeak in order: and firſt of the life of God.
Queſt. What is the life of the divine Eſſence?
Anſw. The anſwer is, it is a communicable attribute, whereby we conceive that God lives of himſelfe, acting and moving of himſelfe. To open this? firſt, it is a communicable attribute, not that life is in man, as it is in God, but that there is in man ſomewhat that is like to this life in God: man hath life, and the man and his life are two things; but in God, his life, and his Eſſence are all one: and there is nothing in God but his life. This is that which acts and moves of it ſelfe, without receiving any thing from any other. It is that which lives eternally, without beginning or ending: this appears by thoſe places of Scripture that call him the living God, Deut. 5.28. My ſoule thirſteth for God, even for the living God, Pſal. 42.2. and other teſtimonies, where God ſaith of himſelfe, that he lives, Ezek. 33. As I live ſaith the Lord: ſo by theſe formes of oathes that they uſed, Iudg. 8.24. As the Lord liveth: So Ruth. 3.3. As the Lord liveth: attributing this to God himſelfe. Hereupon it is ſaid, that he is life, I am life, and therefore he cals him life, 1 Iohn 5.10. the true God, and eternall life: this life is eternall, and hath no beginning, nor ending: ſo Deut. 32.46. I live for ever: I have a perpetuall life without change: and ſo he is called the fountaine of life, Pſal. 36.9.
Queſt. Why is this life attributed to this divine Eſſence?
Anſw. Becauſe he underſtands, wils, and workes of his owne power. Secondly, becauſe he hath life in himſelfe, without any manner of participation from any other. Thirdly, becauſe God gives life to all other living things: whether life of nature, life of grace, or life of glory. To explane this; he is life, becauſe he underſtandeth, willeth, and worketh.
Reaſ. 1. All theſe be actions, which none can do, but ſuch as have life; therefore it muſt neceſſarily follow, if theſe be in God, then life is in him. If any ſhould be ſo ſenceleſſe, as to deny theſe things in God, he muſt be a Pagan rather then a Chriſtian: therefore as Salvian ſaith, If I be to ſpeake to Pagans that deny theſe things, I contemne to prove them, not becauſe I cannot, but becauſe they are ſo ſottiſh. So I ſay, if there be any that deny this, I contemne to prove it, not becauſe I cannot for want of proofes, but becauſe I am in no hope to doe them any good. Theſe three things, are three diſtinct things in man; the ſoule, the motion, and life: the ſoule is one thing, the motion another, and the life another; whereupon theſe are three in man, but in God his Eſſence is all one, by which he willeth, worketh, and underſtandeth: therefore it muſt needes be that God is life.
Reaſ. 2. Secondly, becauſe he lives of himſelfe, without any participation from others: therefore is life truely attributed to God. Iohn 5.26. The Father hath life in himſelfe, and hath given to the ſonne to have life in himſelfe: therefore he is ſaid to be the fountain of life, ecauſe as the fountaine receives not water from any other, but conveys it to others; ſo, neither doth God receive life from any, but doth communicate it to all things that live: ſo then, God hath life in himſelfe, whoſoever ſhall ſeperate life from him, ſhall ſeperate him from himſelf, and deſtroy God: therefore ſeeing that God lives without participating life from any other, it muſt needs follow, that life is truely given to God.
Reaſ. 3. The third reaſon is, becauſe they that have life, whether the life of grace, the life of nature, or the life of glory, have it of God. The Scripture ſpeakes of all theſe three lives. The life of nature is common to all living things, trees, beaſts, men live: but not to ſpeake of life but as it is in men; men receive their naturall life from God; therefore it is ſaid, God breathed in man the breath of life, and man became a living ſoule, Gen. 2.7. The life of grace is called in Scripture, the life of God; they were alienated from the life of God, Ephe. 4. that is, they had not that life, that God gives to thoſe that are his: God gives a naturall life to all; but not the life of grace, which, becauſe it comes from God, and leades to God, is called the life of God; he alſo gives the life of glory, to thoſe that by continuance in well doing, ſeek glory, immortality,Rom. 2.7. eternall life: &c. ſo that ſeeing God is the author, and giver of theſe lives, it is plaine that life is truly attributed to God.
Vſe 1. This teacheth us, that certainly, we ſerve the onelyonly true God, becauſe we ſerve the living God: for the true God, is the living God, that hath life in himſelf, & of himſelf: the Gods of the Nations are falſe gods; the heathen worſhip the hoſt of Heaven, ſtocks, and ſtones, ſilver, and gold, the workes of mens hands, that have no life, or if they had life, they have no ſuch life, as is in the true God, which hath his life in himſelfe, and of himſelfe: we may ſay of their gods, as the Lacedemonians prophanely ſcoffed at Conſtantines god, that he worſhipt ſuch a god, as no man could tell from whence he came; their gods are made with mens hands, and have no life in them.
Vſe 2. Secondly, this ſhewes the heinouſneſſe of that ſinne which is uſually committed among men, who when they ſpeake earneſtly, ſay as the Lord liveth, which is an aſſeveration, a kinde of an oath; and though men thinke they doe not ſinne, yet they doe abuſe an oath, and a greater oath, then if they did ſweare by God himſelfe: an oath ought to be taken with feare and reverence, in truth, righteouſneſſe, and judgement; and not to be abuſed, as Salvian obſerves in his time: as if they were not oathes to binde men, but as meere complements of ſpeech; they who are now ſo bold to ſay, the Lord liveth, ſwearing falſely or prophanely, ſhall one day finde, and feele, that the Lord liveth to take vengeance of perjury and prophaneneſſe; and that it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Vſe 3. This teacheth us, how we may have life and length of daies; it muſt be by ſerving, and loving, and cleaving to God, the author and fountaine of life, this is the way to obtaine life; it is not my uſe, but the uſe that Moſes makes; Deuter. 30.19.20. I have ſet before ye this day, life, and death; chuſe life: how? by ſerving and obeying, and cleaving to the Lord, for be is thy life: Where he ſhewes, that a man may have life, and length of daies; There is nothing that man deſires more then life, and length of dayes; and therefore the divell, that could not prevaile with Iob in other things, yet for his life, he thought he ſhould: There is no way to attaine this much deſired long life, but this, to cleave to God, the fountaine, and giver of life. This is the courſe in which, God himſelfe directed Solomon; if thou wilt walke in my waies to keep my ſtatutes, and my commandements, then I will lengthen thy dayes: This is the argument which Hezechiah uſed, and by which he prevailed, not only reverſed the ſentence of death, but obtained a leaſe of life, for fifteene years; Remember, oh Lord! how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart: it was not the ſtrength of conſtitution, but the ſincerity of ſpirit, that prolonged the life, and vigor of Caleb, and Ioſua, for forty yeares: How ſhould this conſideration lift up our hearts in the waies of God? What man is he, ſaith David, Pſal. 34-12. that deſireth life, and loveth many daies, that he may ſee good? nay, rather, what man is he that doth not? Every man deſireth life, and proſperity; then heare Davids direction; Keep thy tongue from evill, and thy lips from ſpeaking guile, depart from evill, and doe good, ſeeke peace, and purſue it. This is the way to obtaine them: In humility, and the feare of the Lord, are riches, and honour, and life. It is true, ſome wicked men live long; but no wicked man can promiſe himſelfe long life, he is under the curſe, Pſal. 55. The bloudy and deceitfull man, ſhall not live out halfe his daies. It is true, ſome good men die in their youth, but not till they are glutted with life; The child ſhall die an hundred yeares old, Iſa. 65.20. that is, as well ſatisfied with life, as if he had lived an hundred yeares: Thus, to feare God, is the way to live long in the earth; nay it is the way never to die: Eternall life is promiſed, to thoſe who with patience continue in well doing. To conclude, God is life, God is the Fountaine of life; unto him, we muſt ſeek for the continuance of the life of nature, the inchoation, and preſervation of the life of grace, and the obtaining of the life of glory.
The next Attribute that is communicable, is the wiſdome of God, and ſo according to our order, the queſtion is:
Queſt. What is the wiſdome of the divine Eſſence?
Anſw. The anſwer is, that it is that, by which God knowes, and underſtands himſelfe, and all things elſe; not ſucceſſively, nor by diſcourſe, or reaſoning, but in a moment, by one eternall act of underſtanding: this needs a little explaning; and Firſt, that it is a communicable Attribute, becauſe there is the like in man, though not the ſame. 2. By which he underſtands and knowes himſelfe; and not himſelfe only, but all things elſe, with the cauſes, circumſtances, and whatſoever elſe thereto belongeth: how? Not ſucceſſively, and by diſcourſe and reaſoning; for though they be diſtinct one from another, and come one after another, yet he in a moment underſtands them all by one act of underſtanding. Therefore howſoever the Scripture tells us of three things in God, that there is preſence, ſcience, and remembrance, yet they are all one in God: for God, to ſpeake properly, hath neither preſence, nor remembrance, for he knowes all things by one eternall act of underſtanding; he admits no ſucceſſion, howſoever in reſpect of us, God doth foreknow, yet in God there is nothing but ſcience, for by one act of underſtanding, he knowes all things: and that it is ſo, that he underſtands himſelfe, is manifeſt, Matth. 11. No man knoweth the Father but the ſon; no man hath ſeen the Father: Iohn 1.18. No man knowes the things of God, but the ſpirit of God. 1 Cor. 2.11. In which places, though Chriſt and the Apoſtle expreſſe the Sonne, or holy Ghoſt, yet they exclude not the Father, but intimate him, teaching Pſal. 147.5. that this knowledge is in them all, as he knowes himſelfe, ſo alſo all things elſe: The wiſedome of God is infinite; if it be infinite, then is nothing to be excluded from it, Heb. 4.15. Every thing is manifeſt before him, with whom we have to doe: He knowes things paſt, preſent, and to come, Prov. 15.3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evill and the good; he knowes all, Gen. 6.5. He knew the wickedneſſe of mans heart was great: So Pſal. 139.4. Thou ſeeſt my thoughts a farre off; there is not a word in my mouth but thou knoweſt it. Whither ſhall I goe from thy preſence, the night and the day are all one? Againe, he knowes all things without ſucceſſion of time; as well that which is preſent, as that which is to come: Therefore ſaith David, Pſal. 90.4. a thouſand yeares are with the Lord, but as yeſterday, when it is paſt. Whatſoever is to be done with the Lord a thouſand yeares after, is as preſent with him, or as a thing already paſt. The Apoſtle Saint Peter ſpeaketh, A thouſand yeares is but as one day: So that we ſee, God underſtands all things paſt, preſent, and to come.
Queſt. Why is this wiſedome Attributed to the Divine Eſſence?
Anſw. The anſwer is, becauſe this wiſedome is this Eſſence it ſelfe. Secondly, becauſe he is the Creator, and governor of all things. Thirdly, becauſe he is infinite both in time and place; theſe things opened will manifeſt that he hath this infinite wiſedome.
For the firſt, this wiſedome of God is his Eſſence it ſelfe; as his will, his holineſſe, his juſtice, his mercy are himſelfe; ſo alſo the wiſedome of God is himſelfe. You heard the rule, becauſe he is moſt ſimple, and therefore of no compoſition, nothing but himſelfe; therefore in this caſe, ſeeing all is himſelfe, it will follow that his wiſedome is himſelfe.
Secondly, becauſe he is the Creator, and governor of all things, therefore he muſt needs know all things; elſe the holy Ghoſt reaſons not ſubſtantially, Pſalm. 94. He that planteth the eare, ſhall he not heare? He intimates thus much, that God knowes all things, becauſe he made all things: And in the 11. verſe, he ſaith, he knowes the thoughts of men that they are but vaine; therefore he muſt needs know all ſecret things; as it is with an Artiſt that hath made a Clock or ſome other inſtrument, that hath motions in it, both ſecret, and open; thoſe that are open he ſeeth, and all others may ſee them, but thoſe that are ſecret none knowes but he that made them; ſo is it with God: Thoſe things which are in man no man knowes, yet the Lord knowes them, becauſe he is the maker of them. Secondly, God governes and guides all things to their proper ends, ſo that he muſt both know the things, and the ends they are made for; he made all things for his owne glory. Thirdly, he ſuſtaines and bears up althings by his power; then he muſt needs know every thing that he hath in his hand. Againe, he is the Judge of all men, then he muſt needs know all, that he may rightly judge; for it is unrighteous judgement, if it be not according to knowledge, but God judgeth righteouſly; I, the Lord, ſearch the heart to give to every one according to his works; to add to this, that he is not only a Judge, but a moſt wiſe Judge; that will aſſure any thing upon his own knowledge: Mal. 3.5. I will be a ſwift witnes againſt you, ſaith God; he will be both the Judge, and witnes; therefore he muſt needs know all things.
Finally, he knowes all things, not ſucceſſively, and by diſcourſe of reaſon, but by one act of underſtanding, becauſe he is infinite in place, and in time, without beginning, and without ending: this is the ſame which Saint Auguſtine ſpeakes of, that he is not prevented by any time, or place, but by one act of knowledge, knowes all things: and thus much for this.
Vſe. 1. The firſt uſe then teacheth us that we ſerve the true, and living God, becauſe we ſerve the alknowing God; we may heere diſcerne the true God from falſe gods: Thus the Lord himſelfe in the Prophet, reaſons; Let them bring forth, and ſhew us what ſhall happen; let them ſhew the former things what they be, or declare us things to come; ſhew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that yee are gods, &c. Iſaiah. 40.21.22.23.26.
Vſe. 2. The ſecond uſe doth admoniſh men, that they ſhould not conceive too highly of themſelves, for any good that they finde in themſelves, nor yet to pleaſe themſelves with this conceite, that other men doe thinke well of them, becauſe the Lord is infinite in wiſdome; he knowes that by men, that they know not by themſelves, nor doth any other know. This is the eye of the world, that every thing is manifeſt unto: he knowes that by us, that we know not by our ſelves, therefore no man ought to pleaſe himſelfe in his owne goodneſſe; God knowes all his thoughts, though never ſo ſecret; both paſt, preſent, and to come: then no reaſon, any ſhould preſume upon any grace; The Prophet ſaith, Pſal. 19. Who can underſtand his owne faults? no man can but God can: therefore reaſon after this manner, as Saint Bernard ſaith: I know and am knowne, I know but in part, but God knowes me and knowes me wholy, but what I know, I know but in part: So the Apoſtle reaſons, I know, nothing of my ſelfe, yet am I not hereby Juſtified; admit, that thou keepeſt thy ſelfe ſo free, and reneweſt thy repentance ſo daily, that thou knoweſt nothing by thy ſelfe, yet marke what the Apoſtle adds farther; notwithſtanding, I doe not judge my ſelfe. I am not hereby juſtified, but he that judgeth me, is the Lord: This is the condition of all men, he that is infinite knowes them; therefore they ſhould not dare to judge themſelves, but (with the Prophet David in 19. Pſal.) intreate the Lord that he would cleanſe them from their ſecret ſinnes.
Vſe. 3. The third uſe teacheth us, that men ought to feare God, becauſe he is preſent in all places, and infinite in knowledge: Men may have things done behind their backs, which they know not of, but it is not ſo with God; therefore, every man ſhould be wary of himſelfe; even in the ſecret thoughts of his heart, for there is a God that knowes all things: every man muſt beware of ſinne in all places, even in the ſecret places of their owne hearts, for God knowes them: we have a fooliſh proverbe, that thoughts are free; free indeed from the law of men, becauſe men know them not, but if men did know them, they were in danger of the law, but they are free by reaſon of mans ignorance, but to God all things are knowne; There are many men that ſeeme to make conſcience of many things, becauſe that God ſees, yet they take liberty to them ſelves in ſecret thoughts, and they thinke God knowes not them; yes, God knowes thy heart better then thy ſelfe: that which thou knoweſt not to be ſinne, he knowes to be ſinne; they that take away ſeeing from God, ſaith Salvian, they overthowe the Eſſence of God; they are Atheiſts: he ſees all things, and he knowes all things; therefore take heed of ſecret ſinfull thoughts that men ſee not: Though thou carrie, or colour things, ſo that neither Maſter, nor Servant, nor Wife, nor Husband ſee them, thou haſt a God that ſeeth, and knowes all things, and will bring every thing to judgment; no thing ſo ſecret but he will make knowne: therefore labour (in the feare of God) that thou walk ſecretly, and openly, doeing nothing that is diſpleaſing to God, becauſe thou canſt doe nothing but in the preſence, and privity of God.