A09977:506
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
Sermon 12: THE TWELFTH SERMON.Sermon 12: THE TVVELFTH SERMON.
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.
HAVING finished that point, that GOD is a Spirit, which is a particular expression of the Simplicity of GOD, we come to speak of the Simplicity it self: which is that Attribute, by which he is one most pure and entire essence, one most ⟨p. 48⟩simple, being without all composition; so that there is no substance, and accident, matter, and form, body, and soul; but he is every way most simple, nothing in him, but what is God, what is himself. The rise that it hath from hence, we shall see hereafter. All those phrases of Scripture, where God is said to be love, truth, light, and wisdom it self, all these show the Simplicity of God: for of no creature can you say so. The creature is wise, and just, and holy, and true: but to say, it is truth it self, love it self, light it self, or wisdom it self, that cannot be attributed to any creature. So that this you must know, that God is one most pure, entire and uniform being or essence: I AM, shows that he is a being; and if we should ask, what kind of being he is; he is a most simple and uncompounded being. And that he is so, we will make it clear by these reasons.1
HAVING finished that point, that GOD is a Spirit, which is a particular expression of the Simplicity of GOD, we come to speake of the Simplicity it selfe: which is that Attribute, by which he is one most pure and entire essence, one most ⟨p. 48⟩simple, being without all composition; so that there is no substance, and accident, matter, and forme, body, and soule; but he is every way most simple, nothing in him, but what is God, what is himselfe. The rise that it hath from hence, we shall see hereafter. All those phrases of Scripture, where God is said to be love, truth, light, and wisedome it selfe, all these shew the Simplicity of God: for of no creature can you say so. The creature is wise, and just, and holy, and true: but to say, it is truth it selfe, love it selfe, light it selfe, or wisedome it selfe, that cannot be attributed to any creature. So that this you must know, that God is one most pure, intire and uniforme being or essence: I AM, shewes that he is a being; and if we should aske, what kinde of being he is; he is a most simple and uncompounded being. And that hee is so, wee will make it cleare by these reasons.1