A09977:508
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.
1If there be two things in God, then there is multiplication; now all multiplication ariseth from some imperfection, from some want and defect: for if one would serve, two would not be required. As if one could draw a ship or boat up the stream, two were needless; if one medicine would cure, two would be unnecessary; ⟨p. 49⟩so in all things else: so that the reason of multiplication is, because one will not serve the turn. Therefore GOD being all-sufficient, it is not needful, yea it cannot be, that a breaking into two should be admitted in him, and consequently, he must be most simple, without all composition, a pure and entire essence, full of himself, and nothing besides.
1If there be two things in God, then there is multiplication; now all multiplication ariseth from some imperfection, from some want and defect: for if one would serve, two would not be required. As if one could draw a ship or boate up the streame, two were needlesse; if one medicine would cure, two would be unnecessary; ⟨p. 49⟩so in all things else: so that the reason of multiplication is, because one will not serve the turne. Therefore GOD being all-sufficient, it is not needfull, yea it cannot be, that a breaking into two should be admitted in him, and consequently, he must be most simple, without all composition, a pure and intire essence, full of himselfe, and nothing besides.
- 1Reas. 2.
If GOD should have love in him, or justice, 1or wisdom, or life, or any other quality different from his essence, as the creatures have them, he should be what he is, not originally of himself, but derivatively, and by participation, and so imperfectly; as to be fiery is more imperfect than to be fire it self, to be gilded is more imperfect than to be gold it self: So to be wise, loving, holy, that is, to be endued with the qualities of wisdom, love, holiness, is more imperfect, than to be wisdom, and love, and holiness it self. Therefore there is not a substance and a quality in GOD, as in the creature: but he is love, and light, and wisdom, and truth, and so the Scripture expresseth him.