A09977:647
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.
1Thirdly, That which is beyond all that we ⟨p. 129⟩can conceive is infinite: but GOD is so, for if any thing could be imagined more perfect than he is, that should be GOD and not he: and therefore in Scripture, whatsoever we can conceive of him, yet he is beyond it. Rom. 11. His ways are past finding out; and it is said, that he dwells in light inaccessible.
1Thirdly, That which is beyond all that wee ⟨p. 129⟩can conceive is infinite: but GOD is so, for if any thing could be imagined more perfect than he is, that should be GOD and not he: and therefore in Scripture, whatsoever we can conceive of him, yet he is beyond it. Rom. 11. His wayes are past finding out; and it is said, that hee dwells in light inaccessible.
- 1Reas. 3.
Fourthly, Consider it from his works: you see that he hath made the world of nothing.1 Whence I reason: If you would heat the air, it is more easily heated than water, because the passive power is nearer the active; and if you would heat water, you may more easily heat it than the earth: Now according to the resistance, according to the passive power, such is the active: if the passive power lie open, the active power is less, that works upon it: now when the passive power is infinitely low, then the active power must be infinitely high, and answerable to it. Therefore when GOD comes to make something of nothing, the active power must be exceeding high, because the passive power is so low: and therefore requires an infinite active power to make something of nothing, and consequently, he must be infinite, in whom this power is seated.