The Incomparableness of God, Treatise · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. The incomparableneſs of God in his Being. It is from its ſelf, for its ſelf, and wholly independent.
THe incomparableneſs of the Divine Being, will appear in ſeveral particulars.
1. His Being is from himſelf; No Being in the World, beſide his, is its own Cauſe or Original: Angels, Men, the higheſt, yea the loweſt Creatures, are derivative Beings: They have what they are from another, even from God; They are drops that flow from the Ocean of all Beings; they are Rays, derived from the Sun, the Fountain of Light and Entity. The Apoſtle tells us, That Men are beholden to God for their Beings, Acts 17.28. In him we have our Beings. They were nothing till he ſpake them into ſomething: He formed and faſhioned their Bodies, Pſal. 139. 13, 14, 15. He created and infuſed their Souls; He put that Heaven-born Inhabitant into the Houſe of Clay, Gen. 2.7. Job 10.11, 12. The whole viſible World is his Workmanſhip, Acts 17.24. God that made the World, and all things therein; The inviſible World are alſo the effects of his powerful word: Angels as well as Men may thank him for what they are. The greateſt Angel is as much bound to him for his Being, as the ſmalleſt Atome, Coloſſ. 1.16. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, viſible and inviſible; whether they be Thrones or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers. But God is beholden to none for his Being: He was when none elſe was, even from eternity, Pſal. 90.1. Therefore none could contribute the leaſt to his Being: I am Jehovah, and there is none elſe beſides me, Iſa. 45.5, 6. I am he that giveth a being to himſelf, that am what I am from my ſelf, and of my ſelf; and there is no ſuch Being beſide me.
2. God is Being, that is, for himſelf; as he is his own firſt Cauſe, ſo he is his own last end; as he is wholly from himſelf, ſo he is wholly for himſelf. All other Beings are not for themſelves, but for another. All things were created by him and for him, Coloſſ. 1.16. Since all are from God, it is but reaſon that all ſhould be for God: The Rivers that run from the Sea, return to the Sea again, owning and acknowledging their Original, Eccleſ. 1.7. Good Men are for God. None of us liveth to himſelf, or dyeth to himſelf; but whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we dye, we dye unto the Lord; and whether we live or dye, we are the Lords, Rom. 14.7. Good Angels are for God, for his glory, Iſa. 6.3. Evil Men, evil Angels are for God, though not in their intentions and purpoſes, yet in his intention, and by his wiſe powerful Government of them, and their practices; Prov. 16.4. The Lord made all things for himſelf, even the Wicked for the day of Slaughter. Good Beings are for him intentionally, and evil Beings are for him eventually. Nay, all Beings are for him: Of him, and through him, and for him are all things, Rom. 11.36. But God is altogether for himſelf, as his higheſt end, and not for any others. He is his own end, as well as his own beginning; who never had a beginning, nor ſhall ever have an end, Revel. 1.8. As all God doth is for himſelf, Revel. 4.11. Thou haſt created all things, and for thy pleaſure they are and were created. So all God is is for himſelf: He is infinite, wiſe, almighty, everlaſting, unchangeable, holy, righteous, faithful Being, is for himſelf. It is the prophaneneſs of ſome Men to be ſomewhat for God; more for the World, and moſt of all for their carnal ſelves: But it is the perfection of God, to be ſomewhat for the World in general; more for his Elect in ſpecial, and moſt of all for Himſelf; Nay, in all that he is for the World, or his Elect; he is ſtill moſt for himſelf. It is the excellency and purity of Saints and Angels to be what they are, and to do what they do for God, to make him who is the efficient, the final Cauſe of their Beings and Actions. But 'tis the excellency and purity of God, to be what he is, and to do what he doth for himſelf: He who is his own happineſs, muſt be his own end.
3. His Being is an independent Being: He is by himſelf, as well as from and for himſelf; None ever in Heaven or Earth contributed the leaſt towards the maintenance or continuance of his Being; Neither the Creatures goodneſs, nor their Goods do him the leaſt good. Not their goodneſs; Men may be advantaged by the goodneſs of Men, but God cannot: My goodneſs extendeth not to thee, but to the Saints that are on Earth, Pſal. 16.3. Not their Goods, He is the Lord Proprietor of the whole world, and if he wanted any thing, he would not ask the leave of any; for all is his own, but he is above all want: If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; for the World is mine, and the fulneſs thereof, Pſal. 50.12. i. e. I declare to the World, That I am uncapable of the leaſt want; or if I needed a Meals-Meat, I would ſcorn to go to the Creatures Door to beg it: I could ſupply my ſelf out of my own Store, if there were need, but there is no need at all. He challengeth all the World, to produce any Being that ever obliged or ingaged him in the leaſt: Who hath prevented me, that I may repay him, Job 41.11. Where is the Man, where is the Angel, where is the Creature that can ſay, He ever did me the leaſt kindneſs, that hath been before-hand with me in courteſie, to whom I am the leaſt in debt for my ſubſiſtance? I am here ready to make him amends: Who hath prevented me, that I may repay him?
But all other Beings are dependent, the higheſt, the ſtrongeſt of them are not able to bear their own weight; but like the Hop or Ivy, muſt have ſomewhat to lean upon: By him all things ſubſist, Coloſſ. 1.17. He preſerveth them in their Beings, and in their Motions; In him we live and move, and have our Beings, Acts 17.28. As the Beams depend on the Sun, and the Streams on the Fountain; ſo do the Creatures for their beings and actions depend on God. He upholdeth all things (as the Foundation the Building) by the word of his Power, Hebr. 1.3. He is the Atlas, that bears up the whole World, without whom it would fall to nothing. Thou preſerveſt Man and Beaſt, Pſal. 36.6. Dependentia est de eſſentia Creaturae.
God is to the World, as the Soul to the Body; He animates and actuates every thing in it, and enableth his ſeveral Creatures to all their motions. Men are apt to think that Fire can burn of it ſelf, it being ſo natural to the Fire to burn; yet if God do but ſuſpend his influence (actum ſecundum, as they ſpeak) a Furnace heated ſeven times hotter then uſual, burns no more then Water, Dan. 3.27. We are ready to conceive, that it's eaſie for a Man to ſee, when the Organ is rightly diſpoſed; there is a fit medium, and a due diſtance of the Organ from the Object: But yet if God deny his concurrence, though there are theſe three Requiſites to ſight, a man can ſee no more then if he were ſtark blind, Gen. 19.11. 2 Kings 6.18.
Angels themſelves muſt have their Maker for their mover; or as active Spirits as they are, they muſt ſtand ſtill.