A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 13 (Question 4 cont.)
SERMON XIII.
II. THAT God as he is in himſelf, is not to be comprehended by the Creature. After we have been aſſured, That there is a God, our next inquiry would have been, Who he is. But behold, the very entrance into ſuch a Contemplation, the very firſt glan… upon the Deity, amazeth the Underſtanding and it muſt either reflect or break. Though nothing be more knowable than that there is a God, yet nothing harder to know than what …e is. The Heathen Simonides acknowledged, that the longer he ſtudied on the queſtion, the harder he found the reſolution. Here then we are taken up, and called to the Contemplation of one of his glorious Attributes, viz. his Incomprehenſibility: which tho' it be as a veil drawn between his face & our eyes, yet it diſcovers to us, that he is therefore moſt excellent, becauſe we cannot comprehend him. And the conſideration of this comes in properly here, to check our Curioſity, and confine our Contemplations to ſobriety, in our ſearching after God. That this is an Attribute of God, or one of his relative Perfections the Scripture aſſures us. See, Exod. 33.20. And he ſaid, Thou cauſt not ſee my face: for there ſhall no man ſee me, and live. Job 26.14. Lo, theſe are parts of his ways, but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can underſtand? But for a more full and clear diſcovery of this point. I ſhall firſt lay down a few general Rules introductory, and then proceed to the Confirmation of the Propoſition. In general take theſe Rules.
1. THAT the knowledge of a thing is by bringing the Object & Faculty together. A thing is ſo far known, as it is irradiated upon the underſtanding of the perſon knowing. As there is no ſight actual, but by bringing of the thing ſeen, to the thing ſeeing; for which reaſon, the Object is ſaid to be in the eye: ſo it is in reſpect of the Underſtanding, which is the eye of the mind. The Object muſt be, in a ſenſe, in the Faculty, or elſe it is not known by it.
2. THAT the Object known, is in the Faculty not according to its real Eſſence, but according to its Rational & imaginary Being, i. e. by the reflection of the rays and beams of it upon the faculty; or conveying the ſimilitude of it into the Underſtanding. The Underſtanding doth not underſtand without the Image of the Object refracted upon it: for to know a thing, is to conceive of the Image of it. Knowledge is made by an aſſimilation between the Knower, and the thing known. He conceives an Idea of it in his mind. In all our underſtanding of things, we repreſent and act upon our minds the Effigies of that which we conceive of, and ſee it there before us. Hence the Underſtanding makes uſe of the Imagination in this affair.
3. THE thing known is in the knower, according to the manner, & meaſure of him that knows, and therefore the knowledge of every one is accommodated to the manner of his own Nature, & not according to the manner of the Nature of the thing known. Quicquid recipitur, recipitur ad modum Recipientis. The Underſtanding can receive nothing but in its own way, according to the manner of its being and operation. It is like an Artificer; take him out of his way, and he knows not what he doth. If you go about to carry any thing into the Underſtanding of Man any other way, it will be at a loſs & confounded. It is alſo after its own meaſure. The created Underſtanding is finite; it hath its Ultimum Conamen, its bounds beyond which it cannot paſs; and if you go about to put more into it, it will break it. There is a knowledge that is too high, too hard for it. Prov. 30.3, 4. I neither learned wiſdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. Who hath aſcended up into heaven, or deſcened? who hath gathered the wind in his fiſt? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath eſtabliſhed all the ends of the earth? What is his name, & what is his Son's name, if thou canſt tell?
4. TO know a thing as it is, is to know it in its Eſſence, and comprehend it in its definition. He that hath a through knowledge of a thing, ſees it in its naked eſſence, and is able to define it: he can tell what it is, and what is the whole latitude of its being, for he that doth not ſee through a thing, to the other ſide of its Eſſence and Operation, comes ſhort of knowing it perfectly: he muſt comprehend, in himſelf, all that the Being comprehends in it, and have the entire reflection of it on his Underſtanding.
5. THE Comprehenſion of a thing, is the exact and adequate knowledge of it. It is a word uſed of Bodies, that have quantity in them; and is when one body graſps another within it ſelf, ſo that nothing is left out. One thing then is comprehended by another, when it is adequately contained in it, ſo that nothing of the thing contained be without the thing containing. The word is hence Metaphorically tranſlated to the underſtanding; and it is, when the whole Object is ſo contained in the mind, that nothing, in the thing comprehended, is beyond its knowledge: all of it is ſo ſeen, as nothing eſcapes the eye of the mind. In a word, that is comprehended which is perfectly known, which is known ſo far as it is obſervable: and this knowledge doth imply an Adequation, or perfect equality of the Underſtanding to the thing underſtood.
6. THE Knowledge, Comprehenſion, and Apprehenſion of GOD, are not really diſtinct things. The apprehenſion of God eſſentially, or as he is in himſelf, is a comprehenſive knowledge of him. To comprehend, apprehend, perceive, and throughly to know God, are all one. The Apprehenſion of God's Eſſence, is the knowledge of his whole Eſſence; and he that knows it all, comprehends it: he that knows the eſſence, contains the whole eſſence in his knowledge; for there is nothing in the Divine Eſſence beſides it ſelf: there is nothing contained in God, but what is abſolutely God. Compound beings may be apprehended, when they are not comprehended; but ſo cannot the uncompounded being of God.
FROM theſe conſiderations, we may proceed to the particular confirmation of the Propoſition, viz. That the firſt Being is not knowable by us, as he is in himſelf. And there are two heads, to which the demonſtration may be referred.
(1.) THAT our Reaſon is not able to graſp in the knowledge of him. It cannot entertain the quidditative conception of him. It is certain, that man knows nothing, but by ſome Rule of reaſon, which is the carrier between God & man: all things which are conveyed into out underſtandings, are handed to them in a Logical way: and we come to know them, by ſeeing into the reaſons of them. But our reaſon is not able to apprehend God eſſentially. And that,
1. BECAUSE there is no equal proportion between the faculty & the Object. We heard, that the Object known muſt be (ſome way) in the faculty knowing: and hence it follows of neceſſity, that there muſt be a due proportion between theſe two. But now there is an infinitely vaſt diſtance between God & the creature: the moſt extendedly vaſt created underſtanding, is ſtill a finite underſtanding; but God is Infinite, and between Finite … Infinite, there is no proportion: the faculty is bounded, but the Object is boundleſs. Pſal 147.5. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his underſtanding is infinite. How then ſhould this eggſhell comprehend the Ocean?
2. BECAUSE if he were comprehenſible by our knowledge, than our knowledge of him would be equal to his own knowledge of himſelf. Divine knowledge is adequate to the Divine Eſſence: the Nature of God is the proportionable Object of his Underſtanding, he knows not any thing above or below himſelf. If therefore we could know him eſſentially, our weak and finite underſtanding would be equal to his Divine, Infinite and Supream knowledge: for the perfection of his Underſtanding, is to know himſelf, i. e. the latitude and glory of his own being. But, Oh! the vaſt diſtance that the Creature ſtands at from God! Shall the upſtarts of time, equal themſelves in Underſtanding with Eternity it ſelf? Shall they that are of Yeſterday, and know nothing, compare with him that is from Everlaſting? Shall our purblind eyes challenge as much as he, who is light it ſelf?
3. BECAUSE he is without Cauſes▪ Humane knowledge comes to diſcern into things, by reaching the Cauſes of them, and in that way it pries into the Nature or Eſſence of them. He that apprehends the firſt being, is able to ſay what he is, to trace his Original, to give a true and proper definition of him, to find out and diſcover the Nature of his eſſential & conſtituting principles; but this no Creature can do; and that becauſe there is no Eſſence, nor Nature that (in propriety of ſpeech) can be attributed to God: for Nature and Eſſence beſpeak a thing ariſing out of ſome fore-going Principles; but there is no Principle of God, for there is nothing before him. Iſai. 44.6. Thus ſaith the Lord, the King of Iſrael, and his Redeemer the Lord of hoſts, I am the firſt, and I am the laſt, and beſides me there is no God.
4. BECAUSE, being a ſimple Nature, there can be no judgment framed concerning him. Such is the Nature of an Humane judgment that it cannot judge of any thing but by framing and compounding ſome ſentences concerning it: for Humane knowledge is nothing elſe, but the judgment of a neceſſary Axiome, and there is no axiome or ſentence, that can be truely and properly formed concerning God: for in every ſentence, there is an Antecedent and a Conſequent, or a Subject and a Predicate, ſomething going before, and ſomething following after. Whereas in God, there is neither priority, nor poſteriority; but whatſoever is in the Divine Eſſence, …s moſt properly the Divine Eſſence.
5. BECAUSE he is a moſt glorious & illuſtrious Object. Though it be, by the means of light, that we are capable of ſeeing a thing, yet a too bright and ſhining light puts out our eyes; and thus doth this great light, the eye of the mind. All Reaſon is too finite to comprehend the infinite; too ſhallow to contain the deep, the bottomleſs; too narrow to graſp the boundleſs; too little comprehenſive to include this incomprehenſible Object. God is a moſt eminently glorious Object; the ſhining brightneſs …ar is in him, our ſore eyes cannot be able to look upon. 1 Tim. 6.16. Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath ſeen, nor can ſee: to whom be honour and power everlaſting. Amen. God therefore, not for want of good will to us, but in compathon to our frail and norrow capacities, will make no ſuch diſcoveries of himſelf to us: He will for this reaſon put Moſes into the cleft of the rock, and lay his hand upon him, whiles his glory paſſeth by him, Exod. 33. latter end.
(2.) THAT our Words are not capable of uttering his being, or declaring his Name. Names are the ſigns of things; and the impoſition of Names ſuppoſeth him, that gives them, to know there Natures. Adam knew the Natures of the Creatures, and accordingly he put Names upon them, and the proper end of Names is, that the thing ſignified by a Name, may by it be underſtood, but no man can give ſuch a Name unto God, as can ſ…ificantly expreſs his Nature; neither indeed ca… we ſay any thing concerning him, as he is. Whatever title was put upon God, or whatſoever we aſſert concerning him, it is all improper, becauſe the firſt being is ineffable. Prov. 30.4. What is his name? and what is his ſons name, if thou canſt …ell? This appears,
1. BECAUSE … men can frame in his mind a proper conception of God. Names are the repreſentation of the Conception, which the Underſtanding hath of things; and therefore of that thing, of which we can conceive nothing proper in our minds, we never can expreſs any thing properly. The conception may outbid the expreſſion; but this can never go beyond that. Impoſſible it is for our ignorance to ſpeak of God with ſuch words as can demonſtrate his being properly.
2. BECAUSE God cannot reveal and make known to the Creature his innate perfection, ſo … to make it to Underſtand what he is in himſelf; and hence to be able to Name him properly. God cannot make a Creature of ſuch a Capacity as to know him in the latitude of his being; and hence flows the impoſſibility for a man, or any other ſecond being, to put an adequate Name upon him. That God cannot thus do, is not by reaſon of any imperfection in him, but becauſe of his great perfection. For,
[1] IF God ſhould reveal himſelf to any ſecond being fully, and make his name perfectly known, it muſt be to a Creature that is able to receive this revelation, and apprehend what he declares concerning himſelf: but there cannot be a Creature capable of this; it is inconſiſtent with a Created Nature: to fit a ſecond being for this, God muſt make ſuch another as himſelf not only in his Image and likeneſs, but equality; Infinitely wiſe, Eternally knowing, which would imply a contradiction: for he ſhould not make a Creature, but a God.
[2] IF he ſhould reveal himſelf fully to the Creature, it muſt be either in one word and moment, or in a ſpeech and ſpace of time: but not in a word and moment, becauſe there can be no one word formed, which can draw forth & comprehend the whole ſum of the perfection of the Firſt Being; not in a ſpeech, or many words & ſpace of time; becauſe if God ſhould ſpeak concerning himſelf throughout all Eternity, it would not explain to us all the perfection that is in him. Eternity would not compleat the diſcourſe, but there would be ſomething yet behind: eſpecially if we add to this,
[3] THAT if God diſcourſe to us of himſelf, it muſt be either in his own Language, or in ours. If in his own Language, it would not inform us; we ſhould not be any whit acquainted by it. We can hardly underſtand heavenly things tho' cloathed in earthly language, how then ſhould we if ſpoken of in heavenly? Joh. 3.12. If I have told you earthly things, & ye believe not, how ſhall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things.? If he ſpeak to us in our own language that hath no words in it to expreſs Divine things properly, much leſs adequately, his Nature being above us.
3. BECAUSE his Name is wonderful & ſecret, and therefore God would not have us inquire after it; as, when Moſes deſired to ſee his face, God gave him a Check, (fore-cited, Exod. 33.20) giving him to underſtand, that he ask'd his own bane and deſtruction, in that demand. So, when Jacob inquired for his Name, he rebukes him for his boldneſs, Gen. 32.29. And the like to Manoah upon a like inquiry, (Judg. 13.17, 8.) and gives him the reaſon, Becauſe his Name …s ſecret or wonderful. That which is wonderful, is a thing ſequeſtred from knowledge and reaſon; which excels humane Capacity; which out-bids the reach of a created underſtanding. Such is his Name, Iſai. 9.6. His name ſhall be called Wonderful. How then ſhould the Creature know him as he is?
THERE are two CASES, which would here offer themſelves.
(1.) Whether we ſhall know the naked Eſſence of God in our glorified State?
(2.) What hope then of happineſs, becauſe we read Jo…. 17 3. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent. But the former of theſe may be conſidered under the head of Glorification; the latter will be taken up in the next Propoſition. I ſhall here then only leave theſe words of Exhortation.
1. BEWARE of diving too deep into the M…ſteries of the Divinity. Quaint curioſity here is but diſtraction: faithful ignorance is better than temerarion knowledge. Know for certain, that when your Underſtanding hath fluttered as high as the wings of Reaſon can carry it, you will find ſuch riddles in the Deity, as you will never be able to unfold.
2. LET us be much in meditating upon this God. The more God's People ſee of him, the more they diſcover how little they know of him; and knowing, that they can never know too much, it puts them upon the Apoſtle's Practice, Phil. 3.13. Brethren, I count not my ſelf to have apprehended: but this one thing I do forgetting thoſe things which are behind, & reach… forth unto thoſe things which are before, &c. … their prayer is after him, Eph. 3.16, to 20. That God would grant them according to the riches of his glory, to be ſtrong…ed with might, by his Spirit in the inner man; That Chriſt may dwell in their hearts by faith; that they being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all ſaints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Chriſt, which paſſeth knowledge, that they might be filled with all the fulneſs of God.
3. LET us be ſober in the Conceptions, that we entertain in our minds concerning God. Beware of rude, fooliſh, and abſurd thoughts of him. Let his incomprehenſible greatneſs make us afraid: when we have thought our higheſt and beſt of him, ſtill remember that all this comes infinitely ſhort of his glorious Perfections.
4. LET us therefore admire and adore this incomprehenſible Being. Here we have a proper ſubject for our Admiration to work upon. Then is our Admiration called for, when we ſee a Being into whoſe Nature and Cauſes, we have not, nor can have any inſight: ſuch a One is God. Where then we cannot reſolve, let us contemplate; and what we cannot comprehend, let us wonder at: where our reaſon is non-pluſt, let it be our work to gaze our ſelves into aſtoniſhment. And here is matter of Eternal Admiration. The glorious Angels cover their faces, and ſpend Eternity in crying Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts! And let us, in imitation, ſit down, and cry with the Apoſtle. Oh the depth!
JANUARY 2. 1688.