A09977:255
Life eternalLife eternall
Life eternal or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithful and worthy minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inn.Life eternall or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inne.
London: printed by Richard, 1631
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Such a kind of speech is also used to show the immutability of a thing; as Pilate said, What I have written, I have written; I will not change it: so men use to say; I have done what I have done, to show the constancy of a thing, that it shall not be altered: therefore, when God would show the constancy of his Nature, he adds further, I am, without any other word: as if he should say; Moses, if they inquire of thee, what my name is, tell them only this; He is, hath sent me unto you; as the Septuagints translate it,[Greek or Hebrew]; that is, if I should deliver the most expressing name, whereby I would be known to all ages, this is that which I will pitch upon; I am, or JEHOVAH; ⟨p. 96⟩which comes from the same root. And if Moses should yet further inquire of his Name, he leads him into a further expression: The LORD GOD of your Fathers, the GOD of Abraham, the GOD of Isaac, and the GOD of Jacob hath sent me unto you; this is my Name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. As if he should say; If yet they cannot understand what this Name is, it is the same that I was known by to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; what I was to them, the same will I be to you. I was known to them by my Word, and by my works, and by my miracles, and the same shall you find me, it is that God which hath sent me unto you. This is my Name; which words are to be referred, not only to the latter words, but to the former, I am, that I am. The words in the original are in the future tense; yet it is fitly translated, I am; for the future tense in Hebrew is often put for the present tense; and the words are put in the future tense, to show his immutability; which translation Christs words do warrant; Before Abraham was, I am: therefore the Septuagints do well translate it [Greek or Hebrew], signifying no more, but he which is; so that, that which we are to learn from hence is this; That I am, or Jehovah, I am, that I am, is the proper and essential name of God, (all Divines agree in this, I know none hat differ) because it expresseth him in his Essence, without any limitation, or modification. Besides, you shall find, that this name is never attributed to any other. The Altar, indeed, was called Jehovah; but the meaning was; to Jehovah; ⟨p. 97⟩his other names indeed are given to the creatures, but this is given only to him: Whence I gather this point: