A Stock of Divine Knowledge, Chapter 8
OF GOD AND HIS ATTRIBUTES. CHAP. VIII.
JOHN 4.24.
God is a ſpirit, and they that worſhip him &c.
THE laſt day, you heard theſe things concerning God, that he is one ſpirituall Eſſence, diſtinguiſhed into three perſons. In which deſcription of God, I have ſhewed you that we are to ſpeake of theſe particulars. Firſt, that he is an Eſſence. Secondly, that he is one Eſſence. Thirdly, that his Eſſence is ſpiriuall. Fourthly, that it is perfect, of his Eſſence, and that he is but one, was ſpoken of the laſt day. Now to proceed to the third, viz. that it is a ſpirituall Eſſence according to our order, the queſtion and anſwer ſtand thus;
Queſt. What is meant, when it is ſaid, that God is a ſpirituall Eſſence?
An. That God is a ſpirit, & his nature, & ſubſtance is indiviſible, and corporeall; we may come to ſee what he is, by that which he is not; as it is not poſſible to tell what God is, ſo it is hard to deſcribe what a ſpirit is; but yet by that which he is not, we may ſee in part what he is, as Saint Auſtin ſaith, to know what God is, is the ſafeſt way to know what he is not. To prove this deſcription of God, that he is a Spirit, 2. Cor. 3.17. The Lord is a ſpirit inviſible, that a ſpirit is inviſible, Chriſt ſaith, Luke 24.34 ſee, feele me, for a ſpirit hath not fleſh and bones, as you ſee I have, 1. Tim. 1.17. To God only wiſe, inviſible: and he is deſcribed by negatives: Col 1.15. The Image of the inviſible God; where it appeares, that God is a Spirit, inviſible and incorporeall.
Queſt. How do you confirme this by reaſon?
Anſw. By three reaſons, Firſt; becauſe he is moſt ſimple without compoſition. Secondly, becauſe he cannot be contained in any ſpace, or place. Thirdly, becauſe he is inſenſible, he cannot be perceived by any ſenſe; therefore he muſt needs be inviſible, and incorporeall; to explane every one of theſe.
Reaſon 1. Firſt, that God is moſt ſimple, without compoſition, as you have heard out of Saint Bernard, he is ſo ſimple, that there are no parts in him: if he have no parts, then he muſt needs be ſimple, and without compoſition; and indeed of what ſhould he be compounded? He was before all things; therefore neceſſarily, he muſt be without all compoſition; all created ſpirits are without bodies, but all created ſpirits have a kinde of compoſition, but God hath none: all created ſpirits, both Angels, and ſoules of men, have a kinde of compoſition, they are compounded of act, and power; but God hath neither matter, nor forme, nor is compounded of act, and power, therefore he is without compoſition, and it may well be ſaid, that he is a ſpirit inviſible and incorporeall.
Reaſon 2. The ſecond reaſon is; becauſe he cannot be comprehended, or contained in any place, or ſpace; corporeall things, are comprehended, as the bodies that are in this place may be circumſcribed the reaſon is; becauſe they have length, bredth, and depth; but no ſuch thing is in God: I ſay all ſpirits are without theſe, and free from circumſcription, then much more this Spirit; this is that Solomon ſpeaks of, 1. Kings 8.2, Doth God indeed dwell among men, behold the heavens of heavens are not able to containe thee. So Ier. 23.24. I fill heaven and earth. Saint Cyprian ſaith, God is ſuch an eſſence as is ſpirituall, and is in every place, and excluded out of no place, nor included in any place, but fills every place, therefore, he muſt needs be a ſpirit inviſible and incorporeall.
Thirdly, becauſe he is inſenſible, it muſt needs follow he is a ſpirit; for ſpirits are not ſubject to ſenſes; ſo you heard out of Luk. 24. feel, ſee, a ſpirit hath not fleſh & bones as you ſee me have: The reaſon is, becauſe ſpirits have not ſenſible qualities, which are the object of mens ſenſes; much leſſe hath God any ſuch qualities; in God there is no mutability, nor change, therefore he is not ſubject to ſenſe; for whatſoever is ſubject to ſenſe is mutable; that which is the ſnarpeſt ſenſe, and beſt able to comprehend, is the eies, but this cannot comprehend God; God is infinite, & therefore cannot poſſibly fal under finit ſenſe of man; that which is ſubject to ſenſe, is ſubject to mans underſtāding; but God exceeds mans underſtanding: he is great; we know him not, ſaith Elihu: we know him no futher then he doth reveale himſelfe, and when we know the moſt how little of him do we perceive? Therefore it followes, from hence, that God is a Spirit.
Vſe 1. The firſt uſe: if this be ſo, it reproves the error of thoſe heretiques called the Anthropomorphite, that taught, that God had a bodily ſhape; they are confuted by this, that God is a Spirit, in whom there cannot be any ſuch thing; Ob. Yea, but ſay they, the Scriptures give theſe things to God, hands eies, eares, and feet. Anſw. Theſe are given to God by a Metaphor, by a kinde of borrowed ſpeech; namely, that which man doth with theſe members, God doth without them, and theſe are given to God in Scripture for our capacity; when we ſay God hath a head, feet, or other members, it is by effect, and not by nature; we ſay that God is life (ſaith St. Ierom) wiſdome, and hath eies, &c. we ſay God hath eies, becauſe he is wholly an eie, and ſees every thing, in every place; and ſo we ſay he hath feet, becauſe he is wholly feet, he is in every place, and doth behold all things, and workes all things: Obje. And whereas it is ſaid, that man is made after the Image of God; Anſw. He is indeed but not in bodily ſhape, but in the ſoule, in righteouſneſſe, in wiſdome, holineſſe, knowlege, &c. therefore theſe are but cavells of theirs.
Vſe 2. Secondly, this reproves any repreſentations of God, in any Images, either internall, in the minde, by thoughts, or externall by Pictures: there cannot be any repreſentation of God, for God is a ſpirit, and a ſpirit cannot be repreſented by any groſſe or earthly matter; much leſſe can God, who is more ſpirituall then ſpirits: It is not befitting his Majeſty to to be pictured; and hereupon it is, that he forbids all repreſentations of him; neither did the people of God, (howſoever God did appear to them in bodily ſhapes) at any time in any manner repreſent him: the molten Image is a teacher of lies, ſaith the Prophet; it is the originall of divers errors, which they have juſtly fallen into, and juſtly deſerve to fall into, that will not ſeeke God in his word, but in painted walls: from theſe the people of God have been preſerved, becauſe they have ever ſought him in his word; and as all outward repreſentations of God, ſo all inward conceits of him, beſides the word, are unlawfull; to abſtaine from Images is eaſie, but to abſtaine from inward thoughts is hard; and that partly by reaſon of the corruption of our natures, and partly by the ſuggeſtion of the divell: therefore we ſhould be more carefull, not to conceive of God as like to any thing; nor to make any reſemblance of him in our minde: and then this is the comfort that a man hath, that though theſe thoughts come, if he diſlike them, and ſtrive againſt them, they are infirmities that God will cure them, and not condemne us for.
Vſe 3. This teacheth us, when we are about the worſhip of God, to thinke of the nature of God, what he is; that he is a ſpirit, without diviſion, or compoſition; and though we ſhould glorifie God with our bodies, for God will have them, yet eſpecially we ſhould doe it with our ſpirits, which God in a ſpeciall manner requires: why? becauſe that is moſt agreeable to his nature, and moſt pleaſing to him; he that will ſerve a man, muſt labour to do it principally outwardly; but he that will ſerve God, muſt do it eſpecially inwardly, in the heart; if he do it in the heart, he cannot but do it in the outward man; man reſpects more the outward, then the inward; but God reſpects more the inward, then the outward: if a man worſhip God in ſpirit, though he be hindred in the outward by occaſions, God wil excuſe it. God never excuſes a man, for the want of inward affections, but hath oftentimes taken the inward, when the outward hath been wanting: S. Gregory ſaith, there is this difference between God and man; man requires the outward, and doth not ſo much looke at the inward; but God requires the inward; man can go no further then the outward, but God meaſures the outward ſervice, by the inward affections: there is no true ſervice in the outward, where the inward is wanting; therefore when thou commeſt to praier, hearing the word, or ſinging of Pſalmes, whom haſt thou to deal withall, with God who is a ſpirit? then thy worſhip muſt be ſpirituall: if thou haſt a mouth to ſpeake to God in praier, thou muſt have a mouth in thy heart alſo; elſe thou art but an hypocrite, and art abhorred of him: David ſaith, praiſe the Lord O my ſoule! and all that is within me, praiſe his holy name: therefore with thy outward ſervice, thou muſt joine the inward, or elſe thy ſervice, is but a ſtinking thing to him.
Queſt. The next queſtion is, what meane you by that when you ſay, he is moſt perfect?
Anſ. The anſwer is, that he is ſufficiently perfect, and needs nothing out of himſelfe, nor retaines any thing from any other, Gen. 17. I am God al-ſufficient, walk before me: there God ſaith to Abraham, I am God in my ſelfe, and out of my ſelfe: the ſame phraſe is often uſed in Geneſis, the God al-ſufficient be with thee, when Izaack bleſſed his Sonne, and in reſpect of this he is called the happy God, 1 Tim. 1.11. the Goſpell is called a happy Goſpel, and in the 6. chap. 15. verſe, hee is happy, becauſe hee is al-ſufficient in himſelf, Pſal. 16.12. thou art my Lord, and all my well doeing extendeth not to thee: God needs nothing, whatſoever a man doeth, it is nothing to him; he made all mankinde, God is not worſhipt with mens hands, as if he had need of any thing, ſo that every part of this deſcription is proved that he is ſufficient and perfectly happy in himſelfe, &c.
Queſt. Have you any grounds for this you ſay?
Anſ. We have three, firſt becauſe he was thusſufficient and happy, before there was any creature made.
Secondly, becauſe he is the author and cauſe of all good, and perfection in all creatures.
Thirdly, that good and perfection that is in the creature, was firſt and moſt perfect in him; theſe we will explane.
Reaſ. 1. Firſt, before there was any creature made he was ſufficient, and happy: then it follows that hee muſt bee perfect of himſelfe; for of whom ſhould he have this perfection? that he was thus, we prove, Pſal. 92. Before the mountaines, were made, and before the hills were layd, from everlaſting to everlaſting, thou art God; arguing that he muſt needs be ſufficient: the ſame is in Pſal. 102.25.26. ſpeaking of the works of God, They ſhall periſh, and goe away like a garment, but thou art the ſame, and thy yeares never faile: that is, the ſame thou waſt, the ſame thou ſhalt be ſtill: whence it appeares plainely, that God was before any creature was made; and though it be ſaid, Pro. 16.4. That God made all things for himſelf: yea the wicked, &c. yet he made them without their helpe; and though he made all things for himſelfe, yet he had need of nothing; but made them that he might communicate his goodnes to them: for this is the nature of that which is good, not only to preſerve it ſelfe, but to communicate it ſelfe to others.
Reaſ. 2. Secondly, becauſe he is the author of all the good and perfection that is in the creature: Act. 17.25. He gives life & breath, and all things, that is to ſay, God gives a man his life & breath, and the good things that he hath. This the Apoſtle asketh the queſtion, Cor. 4.7. What haſt thou, that thou haſt not received? what hath man? If man have nothing, what creature ſhould have any thing? as for man, he received all from him, he is the father of lightes, of whom comes all good things. This is his perfection, that he is not onelyonly ſufficient for himſelfe, but for all others; this is manifeſt, for he gives all things to all creatures, yet nothing diminiſheth his owne ſtore: what good any creature hath, it hath it from him (as St. Baſil ſaith.) This argues a man hath much, when he hath ſufficient for himſelfe, and to give to others. This is a proofe that God is rich, after another manner then men are; for when men give, they have the leſſe; but when God gives, he hath nothing the leſſe: for that he gives to man, he is like to a ſpringing Fountaine, ſaith the Father, the more that you draw, the more it hath. What can you compare God to? for he is perfect; but we are glad to flye to imperfect things, to ſhew his excellency: ſo that this is the concluſion of this Reaſon, that he is ſufficient of himſelfe, becauſe ſufficient for all other things.
The third reaſon is this, becauſe that good and perfection that is in the creature, was firſt in God, Gen. 1.17. God made man after his owne Image; the Image of God, what is it? Principally, that man received authority over all the creatures; no, but knowledge, righteouſneſſe, and true holineſſe; this is to be made after the Image of God. Hence, it neceſſarily followes, that God had them firſt, and moſt perfectly, becauſe man is but the Image; therefore he cannot have them ſo perfectly as the thing he repreſents: We adde further, they might be more perfect in man if God would make them ſo; but God cannot be made more perfect, becauſe he is perfection it ſelfe: adde to this, that man hath this perfection with many imperfections; man is ſaid to be juſt, but not to be juſtice; to be loving, but not love; to be wiſe, but not wiſedome; but God is juſtice it ſelfe, love it ſelfe, and wiſedome it ſelfe: this is manifeſt, 1 Iohn 1.5 God is light; he ſaith not thus, God is a thing lightened, but that he is light without darkeneſſe; whereas man, if he have light, hath darkeneſſe alſo; but God is voide of all imperfection. Laſtly, I adde, theſe perfections in man are accidents, but in God they are very ſubſtance; in man and Angels they are accidents. An accident is that which may be added to a ſubſtance, and after be taken away from the ſubſtance, without deſtroying of the ſubſtance. Theſe things, wiſedome, knowledge, holineſſe, as in Angels and men are accidents they may be loſt, and leſſened; the Angels are fallen, their juſtice and righteouſneſſe, being qualities in them, are loſt. Againe, they may be leſſened and have degrees in men, and ſo righteouſneſſe & holines are but accidents in the very Saints of God, ſo they are at one time more righteous then another; they ſometimes decay, ſometimes grow in grace, but in God they are ſubſtances; his knowledge is himſelf, his juſtice himſelfe: look how far the Eſſence of God paſſeth the nature of man, theſe paſſe that perfection that are in men; therefore it muſt needs follow that God is moſt perfect, having all things from none, but from himſelfe, communicating to all creatures the perfections they have, and having in himſelfe their perfections more perfectly.
Vſe 1. The firſt Uſe then teacheth us, that ſeeing God is ſo perfect, no man when he performeth any ſervice to God, profits God any thing; God is ſo abſolute in himſelfe that he needs nothing: If any man doth not performe this ſervice to God, doth he detract any thing from him? no, though he doth not performe it, he detracts nothing from God; for God is perfect in the higheſt degree; whereupon it followes that a mans ſervice that he performes to God, is for his owne benefit, and not for any benefit to God: God never commands any worſhip for himſelfe, there cannot be any thing added to him: Saint Auſtin ſaith, they are deceived who thinke that in commanding any thing, God doth it either in reſpect of his owne pleaſure or profit: they are deceived, for God never commands any thing but for the profit of the doer. If you aske the ground of this, he is perfect, he is the true God, he hath no need of any mans ſervice; (as we ſaid the other day) other Lords need the ſervice of their ſervants, but God never needs it: therefore whoſoever offer any ſervice to God, they tend to their owne profit, and if men contemne theſe things, they doe not take any thing from God, but themſelves, are leſſe perfect; for herein is mans perfection, to ſerve God; and not to ſerve God, is his imperfection, Iob 35.6, 7, 8. If thou ſinne againſt God, what is that to him? if thou doeſt righteouſly, what giveſt thou to him? there is nothing added to God: he is ſo perfect, that no ſinne can hurt him; and ſo righteous, that no righteouſneſſe can benefit him: you heard in Pſal. 16.3. Oh Lord my righteouſneſſe extendeth not to thee! thou haſt no need of my righteouſneſſe. Acts 17. God hath no need of any thing.
The concluſion is, We ſerve God for our owne good; we increaſe our ſelves: the Scripture cals for ſeruices only by way of juſtice, becauſe we are bound to do them: therefore Chriſt ſaith, Luk. 17.20. When you have done all things that you can, yet you muſt ſay that you are unprofitable ſervants.
Vſe 2. This ſhould provoke every man to labour to ſerve and pleaſe this God; becauſe he is a God moſt perfect in himſelfe, ſufficient to inrich men with graces and gifts: this is not my uſe, but God himſelfe makes it to Abraham, Gen. 17.1, 2. I am God al-ſufficient; what then? walke before me: there is the uſe that God hath made of it. Every man, that he may receive a bleſſing (as Abraham, the father of the faithfull did) muſt doe this, walke before God: for he will be the portion of all that walke before him: Walke before me; uſe no unlawfull meanes whereby thou mayeſt be made rich: if thou doeſt, thou art an Infidell: God is ſufficient both in ſpirituall, and in temporall things: our nature, that it might be, muſt have God the creator, ſaith Saint Auſtin: and that we may be wiſe, we muſt have God our wiſedome; and that we may be happy, we muſt have God our happineſſe: that we may have God, walke with God, and he will beſtow himſelfe upon us. Every man, if he might be his owne carver, if he might chooſe whom he would ſerve, would ſerve a King, that he might receive great gifts of him; as the Proverb is, There is no fiſhing to the Sea, &c. Here is a King that is richer then all the Kings of the earth; for he can make all beggers Kings. Therefore labour to ſerve this King, and pleaſe this King: the ſame that he ſaid before, Walke before me, &c. ſo I ſay, beleeve God is al-ſufficient, then goe on, walke on in a godly courſe; walke after God, ſtand not ſtill, looke not backward, but goe on without breaking of this courſe; it is enough that thou haſt ſuch a God that is thus ſufficient. And thinke not that thou art holy enough, and pure enough; if thou doeſt, thou art an Atheiſt. Chriſt ſaith, Mat. 5.48. Be yee perfect, as your father in heaven is perfect: Thou muſt goe on ſtill, and never thinke thou art holy enough, &c. if thou thinke ſo, thou never dideſt yet walke with thy God; and it is a queſtion, whether he be thy God or not; he may be thy God as creator, but not as redeemer: every man therefore muſt labour to proceed in godlineſſe, that is, walke in this way. Bernard ſpeakes of that ſpeech of Pauls, Philip. 3.12, 13. marke how he preſſeth toward it: he was a man (ſaith he) ful of grace and goodneſſe, and he had a long time walked with God, yet he ſaith, I doe not count as though I had attained to perfection, but I preſſe hard towards the marke, and ſtretch my ſelfe, ſo that I forget that which I was before. This is that which all men ought to do (for the more grace any man hath, the more weakeneſſe he feeles in himſelfe:) and therefore let every one affect this courſe. It is not ſufficient that a man hath begun to run well, there is danger to begin to ſit down; what if he ſhould then be ſet upon by the dart of death? was there not danger? but if a man ſit not downe, let death come upon him, he ſhall dye in peace. If death finde thee walking, thou ſhalt reſt with God, and ſhalt have all things in this life; and in the life to come, eternall happineſſe.