The Incomparableness of God, Treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. God incomparable in his Attributes, as they are from him, as they are his Eſſence, as they are all one in him, as they are in him in an infinite manner.
2. I Shall ſhew more ſpecially the difference between God and his Creatures, in reference to theſe communicable Attributes.
1. Theſe Attributes are all eſſential to God: They are from God, as well as in God. He is their Author, as well as their Subject: But in Men and Angels they are all derivative; though Truth, and Juſtice, and Holineſs, may be in them, yet they are not from them, but from God. God is not obliged to any but himſelf for them; He can thank onelyonly himſelf that he hath them, but Angels and Men are not obliged to themſelves, but to him for them. When the high God would lay Job low, by manifeſting the vaſt difference between himſelf and Job; He bids Job be obliged to himſelf for his Excellency,Job 40.10. Deck thy ſelf with Majesty and Excellency, array thy ſelf with Glory and Beauty. To be deckt and array'd with Majeſty and Excellency, notes, 1. The extent and abundance of it, the whole man is cover'd with Rayment. To be cloath'd with ſhame, is to be extremely reproached, Pſal. 35.26. To be arrayed with humility, is to be very humble, lowly in an extraordinary degree, 1 Pet. 5.5.2. The publikeneſs of it; our Deckings and Rayments are viſible, we cannot go abroad, but all ſee our Clothes. God ſpeaks to Job to this purpoſe, Job, thou hast talk'd very preſumptuouſly, and carried thy ſelf as if there were no great diſtance or difference between Me and thy ſelf, as if thou wert like me, and and equal to me: If thou art, let me ſee it; Deck thy ſelf with Majeſty and Excellency, array thy ſelf with Glory and Beauty. I can deck my ſelf, and array my ſelf with all theſe in the highest degree, and will not be beholden to any others for their help: I am clothed with Majesty, but no Creature lent an hand for the making up, or puting on thoſe Clothes. Pſal. 104.1. I have cover'd my ſelf with light as with a Garment, Pſal. 104.2. But neither Man nor Angel aſſorded me the least aſſistance therein. Do thou as much for thy ſelf as I have done for my ſelf, and then indeed thou mayſt compare with me. God might make the ſame offer to Angels which he doth to Job, and none of them would or could accept it. Dependance is of their eſſence, as they are Creatures; and they can no more be ſeparated from it, then from themſelves.
2. Theſe Attributes are the very eſſence of God; not Qualities or Properties, as in Men and Angels. The holineſs of God is the holy God: Once have I ſworn by my Holineſs, Pſal. 89.36. (i. e. by my ſelf,) that I will not lye unto David. For Heb. 6.13. God having no greater to ſwear by, ſwore by himſelf. The Power of God is the powerful God, the Truth of God is the true God, the Wiſdom of God is the wiſe God. All his Attributes are himſelf, his Eſſence: In Men and Angels, their Wiſdom, and Power, and Juſtice, and Truth, are Accidents, and differ from their Subſtances; and this is apparent, becauſe Angels and Men may be, and are, without theſe Attributes, as Devils and wicked Men. In them theſe Properties are one thing, and their Eſſence is another thing, ſo that they may be ſeparated. An Angel may be an Angel, and not holy, nor wiſe, nor juſt, &c. A Man may be a Man, and not powerful, nor patient, nor merciful; and the reaſon is, becauſe theſe Properties are really diſtinct from the Eſſences of Men or Angels; but in God they are his very Being and Eſſence; they are himſelf, and can no way be ſeparated from him, no more then he can be ſeparated from himſelf: God could not be God, if he were not moſt wiſe, moſt holy, moſt juſt, moſt patient, &c. God's Attributes are one moſt pure Eſſence diverſly apprehended of us, as it is diverſly manifeſted to us. God's puniſhing the Wicked, is his Juſtice; God's performing his Promiſes, is his Faithfulneſs: His relieving the Miſerable, is his Mercy: His bearing with the Guilty, is his Patience; ſo all are his Eſſence, himſelf.
3. Thoſe Attributes are all one in God: His Juſtice, is his Mercy; and his Wiſdome, is his Patience, and his Knowledge, is his Faithfulneſs; and his Mercy, is his Juſtice, &c. Though they are diſtinguiſhed, in regard of their Objects, and in regard of our Apprehenſions of them, and in regard of their Effects: yet they are all one in themſelves, and this floweth from the former head, becauſe they are the Eſſence of God, and his Eſſence is a pure undivided Being. In Men and Angels, theſe Attributes or Perfections are different and ſeveral, for they may have one without the other: Their Righteouſneſs is one thing, and their Power another thing, and their Truth a third thing: For we ſee in Angels ſome that are ſtrong and powerful, that are not righteous or faithful; and among Men, ſome have one of theſe Perfections who have not another; yea, though in good men all theſe perfections are in ſome degree, yet all are not in any one in the ſame degree; there is ſcarce any Saint who is not more eminent for ſome ſpiritual excellency then for others. But in God they are all one and the ſame. As when the Sun-beams ſhine through a yellow Glaſs, they are yellow; a green Glaſs, they are green; a red Glaſs, they are red; and yet all the while the beames are the ſame: Or as when the Sun ſhines on Clay, it hardens it; on Wax, it ſoftneſs it; on ſweet Flowers, it draweth out their fragrancy; on Dunghills and Ditches, it draweth out their ill ſavours: yet ſtill it's the ſame Sun, and the ſame Influences; the difference lyeth in the Objects and the Effects. So the great God, who is alwayes working in the World, when he worketh towards the Wicked in puniſhing, he is righteous; towards the Godly in ſaving them, he is merciful; yet ſtill the ſame immutable God.
4. All theſe Attributes are in God in the highest degree; yea, beyond all degrees: Theſe communicable Attributes which are in Angels and Men in degrees, and limited, (for a finite Subſtance will not admit of an infinite Property) are in God infinitely. Immenſity, like a golden Thread runs through all his communicable Properties: His Ʋnderſtanding is infinite, Pſal. 147.5. So his juſtice is infinite, his Mercy is infinite, and all the reſt: They have no bounds, no limits, but his own will and pleaſure. He never acted to the utmoſt in any of them; he never put forth ſo much Power, but he could put forth more if he pleaſed: He never exerciſed ſo much Patience, but he could exerciſe more if he would.
Hence it is, That in Scripture that they are affirmed of God not onelyonly in the concrete, but alſo in the abſtract. He is not onelyonly loving, but Love, God is love, 1 John 4.7. He is not onelyonly wiſe, but Wiſdom, Prov. 9.1. Wiſdom hath built her Houſe: He is not onelyonly good, but goodneſs; I will make all my goodneſs (i. e. my ſelf,) paſs before thee, Exod. 33.19. He is not onelyonly holy, but holineſs: Look down from Heaven, the Habitation where thy holineſs dwelleth, Iſa. 63.15. Therefore theſe Attributes of God muſt be boundleſs, becauſe they are his Being himſelf.