*any where, either to have been out of Himself, or in any thing, but only in Himself. He was therefore an heaven to Himself. But when He pleased He created the world; that in so large and goodly a Theatre He might declare and convey His power, goodness and bounty, some way or other, to all creatures. Especially, He prepared this glorious heaven we speak of, not that it might enclose or enlarge His happiness: But that He might unspeakably beautify and irradiate it with unconceivable splendour of His Majesty and Glory; and so communicate Himself beatifically to all the Elect, Saints and Angels, even for ever and ever. I said, not that it might enclose, conclude and confine Him: For, He is as truly without the heavens, as He is in them: And He is where nothing is with Him. He was when nothing was, and then He was, where nothing was beside Himself. Before the Creation there was properly, neither when nor where, but only an incomprehensible perfection of indivisible immensity and eternity; which would still be the same, though neither heaven nor earth, nor any thing in them should any more be. *But we may not so place Him without the ⟨p. 117⟩Heavens, as to clothe Him with any imaginary space, or give the check to His immensity by any parallel distance local. He is said to be without the heavens, in as much as His infinite Essence cannot be *contained in them, but necessarily contains them. He is so without them, or (if you will) beyond them, that albeit a thousand moe worlds were heaped up by His all-powerful hand each above other, and all above this; He should by virtue of His infinite Essence, not by free choice of will or mutation of place, be as intimately coexistent to every part of them, as He now is to any part of this heaven and earth we enjoy. In a sober sense, *Bernard saith true; Nusquam est & ubique est: He is no where; because no place, whether real or imaginary can comprehend or contain Him: He is every where; because no body, no space or spiritual substance can exclude His presence, or avoid the penetration (if I may so speak) of His Essence.
*any where, either to have been out of Himselfe, or in any thing, but onely in Himselfe. He was therefore an heaven to Himselfe. But when He pleased He created the world; that in so large and goodly a Theater He might declare and conveigh His power, goodnesse and bounty, some way or other, to all creatures. Especially, He prepared this glorious heaven we speake of, not that it might enclose or enlarge His happinesse: But that He might unspeakably beautifie and irradiate it with unconceiveable splendour of His Majesty and Glory; and so communicate Himselfe beatifically to all the Elect, Saints and Angels, even for ever and ever. I said, not that it might enclose, conclude and confine Him: For, He is as truly without the heavens, as He is in them: And He is where nothing is with Him. He was when nothing was, and then He was, where nothing was beside Himselfe. Before the Creation there was properly, neither when nor where, but onely an incomprehensible perfection of indivisible immensity and eternity; which would still be the same, though neither heaven nor earth, nor any thing in them should any more be. *But we may not so place Him without the ⟨p. 117⟩Heavens, as to cloath Him with any imaginary space, or give the checke to His immensity by any parallell distance locall. He is said to be without the heavens, in as much as His infinite Essence cannot be *contained in them, but necessarily containes them. He is so without them, or (if you will) beyond them, that albeit a thousand moe worlds were heaped up by His all-powerfull hand each above other, and all above this; He should by vertue of His infinite Essence, not by free choyce of will or mutation of place, be as intimately coexistent to every part of them, as He now is to any part of this heaven and earth we enjoy. In a sober sense, *Bernard saith true; Nusquam est & ubique est: He is no where; because no place, whether reall or imaginary can comprehend or containe Him: He is every where; because no body, no space or spirituall substance can exclude His presence, or avoid the penetration (if I may so speake) of His Essence.
- *As for the place of GOD before the world created, the sinite wisdom of mortal men hath no percep•i •n of it: neither can it limit the s•at of infinite power; no more than infinite power it self can be limited; for, His Place is in Himself, whom no magnitude else ca• contain. Sr. W. Rawleigh. Lib. 1. Cap. 4. Non est quod quaeras ultia, ubi •rat ante quam mundus tieret? P•eter ipsum nihil erat, ergo in seipso […]. Be•. de consid. Lib. 5. Cap. 6. Antequam faceret DEVS coelum & terram, ubi habitabat? In Se habitabat apud Se habitabat, & apud Se est DEVS. Aug•in Psal. 122. Ante omnia DEVS erat solus, Ipse Sibi & mundus, & locus, & omnia. Solus autem: quia nihil extrinsecus praeter Illum. T•rtull. adversu• Praxean. non procul ab initioAs for the place of GOD before the world created, the sinite wisdome of mortall men hath no percep•i •n of it: neither can it limit the s•at of infinite power; no more than infinite power it selfe can be limited; for, His Place is in Himselfe, whom no magnitude else ca• containe. Sr. W. Rawleigh. Lib. 1. Cap. 4. Non est quod quaeras ultia, ubi •rat ante quam mundus tieret? P•eter ipsum nihil erat, ergo in seipso 〈…〉. Be•. de consid. Lib. 5. Cap. 6. Antequam faceret DEVS coelum & terram, ubi habitabat? In Se habitabat apud Se habitabat, & apud Se est DEVS. Aug•in Psal. 122. Ante omnia DEVS erat solus, Ipse Sibi & mundus, & locus, & omnia. Solus autem: quia nihil extrinsecus praeter Illum. T•rtull. adversu• Praxean. non procul ab initio
