A09977:322
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.
Take the best, and most exquisite creatures, the Angels; their perfection is made up by some things, that are no substances, by circumstances, which are not substances, which may be separated, (though they are not;) there is something in them which is better, something which is worse; a substance and an accident, and every accident is separable, it may be lost; you see the evil Angels, they fell, they lost that they had: but God is a perfect substance, wholly substance; there is nothing him, by reason of which it may be said, there is something in him that is best, something that is worse.
Take the best, and most exquisite creatures, the Angels; their perfection is made up by some things, that are no substances, by circumstances, which are not substances, which may be separated, (though they are not;) there is something in them which is better, something which is worse; a substance and an accident, and every accident is separable, it may be lost; you see the evill Angels, they fell, they lost that they had: but God is a perfect substance, wholly substance; there is nothing him, by reason of which it may be said, there is something in him that is best, something that is worse.
Though they have perfection, yet they have always need of something; now God hath need of nothing. The creatures, though full of perfection in their kind, yet still they have exceeding great need of something. As you say of a river, you will say it hath need, though it be full, it hath need of the fountain to maintain it; so may I say of the creatures, though they be full of perfection in their kind, yet they have need of that fountain, from whence their perfection ⟨p. 123⟩cometh, which if it be stopped, they will come to nothing.
Though they have perfection, yet they have alwayes need of something; now God hath need of nothing. The creatures, though full of perfection in their kinde, yet still they have exceeding great need of something. As you say of a river, you will say it hath need, though it be full, it hath need of the fountaine to maintaine it; so may I say of the creatures, though they be full of perfection in their kinde, yet they have need of that fountaine, from whence their perfection