A09977:509
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.
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.
If GOD should have love in him, or justice, 1or wisedome, or life, or any other quality different from his essence, as the creatures have them, he should be what he is, not originally of himselfe, but derivatively, and by participation, and so imperfectly; as to be fiery is more imperfect than to be fire it selfe, to be gilded is more imperfect than to be gold it selfe: So to be wise, loving, holy, that is, to be indewed with the qualities of wisedome, love, holinesse, is more imperfect, than to be wisedome, and love, and holinesse it selfe. Therefore there is not a substance and a quality in GOD, as in the creature: but he is love, and light, and wisedome, and truth, and so the Scripture expresseth him.
- 1Reas. 3.
Wheresoever there is any composition, 1there must be two or three things, so that there may be a division; they are separable, though not separated; but where division may be, there may be a dissolution and destruction, though it never be: But of GOD, we cannot say, that this may be, and consequently, there cannot be two things in him, but what he is, he is; one most simple, most pure, and most entire being, without