Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

Solomon plainly asserts this of God, That he was so far from being bounded within the rich Wall of the Temple, which with so much Cost he had framed for the Glory of his Name, that the richer Palace of the Heaven of Heavens could not contain him; 'tis true, it could not contain his Power and Wisdom, because his Wisdom could contrive other kind of Worlds, and his Power erect them: But doth the meaning of that wise King reach no farther than this? Will the Power and Wisdom of God reside on the Earth? He was too wise to ask such a question, since every object that his eyes met with in the World resolved him, That the Wisdom and Power of God dwelt upon the Earth, and glittered in every thing he had Created; and Reason would assure him, That the Power that had framed this World, was able to frame many more: But Solomon considering the immensity of Gods Essence, wonders that God should order a House to be built for him, as if he wanted Roofs, and Coverings, and Habitation, as bodily Creatures do. Will God indeed dwell in a Temple, who hath an Essence so immense as not to be contained in the Heaven of Heavens? 'tis not the Heaven of Heavens that can contain Him, his Substance. Here he asserts the immensity of his Essence, and his Presence not only in the Heaven, but beyond the Heavens; he that is not contained in the Heavens, as a man is in a Chamber, is without, and above, and beyond the Heavens; 'tis not said they do not contain him, but it is impossible they should contain him; they cannot contain him. 'Tis impossible then but that he should be above them; he that is without the compass of the World, is not bounded by the limits of the World; as his Power is not limited by the things he hath made, but can Create innumerable Worlds, so can his Essence be in innumerable spaces; for as he hath power enough to make more Worlds, so he hath Essence enough to fill them, and therefore cannot be confined to what he hath already Created; innumerable Worlds cannot be a sufficient place to contain God, he can only be a sufficient place to himself^*; He that was before the World and place, and all things, was to himself a World, a Place and every thing^*: He is really out of the World in himself, as he was in himself before the Creation of the World: As because God was before the Foundation of the World, we conclude his Eternity;

Solomon plainly asserts this of God, That he was so far from being bounded within the rich Wall of the Temple, which with so much Cost he had fram'd for the Glory of his Name, that the richer Palace of the Heaven of Heavens could not contain him; 'tis true, it could not contain his Power and Wisdom, because his Wisdom could contrive other kind of Worlds, and his Power erect them: But doth the meaning of that wise King reach no farther than this? Will the Power and Wisdom of God reside on the Earth? He was too wise to ask such a question, since every object that his eyes met with in the World resolv'd him, That the Wisdom and Power of God dwelt upon the Earth, and glitter'd in every thing he had Created; and Reason would assure him, That the Power that had fram'd this World, was able to frame many more: But Solomon considering the immensity of Gods Essence, wonders that God should order a House to be built for him, as if he wanted Roofs, and Coverings, and Habitation, as bodily Creatures do. Will God indeed dwell in a Temple, who hath an Essence so immense as not to be contain'd in the Heaven of Heavens? 'tis not the Heaven of Heavens that can contain Him, his Substance. Here he asserts the immensity of his Essence, and his Presence not only in the Heaven, but beyond the Heavens; he that is not contain'd in the Heavens, as a man is in a Chamber, is without, and above, and beyond the Heavens; 'tis not said they do not contain him, but it is impossible they should contain him; they cannot contain him. 'Tis impossible then but that he should be above them; he that is without the compass of the World, is not bounded by the limits of the World; as his Power is not limited by the things he hath made, but can Create innumerable Worlds, so can his Essence be in innumerable spaces; for as he hath power enough to make more Worlds, so he hath Essence enough to fill them, and therefore cannot be confin'd to what he hath already Created; innumerable Worlds cannot be a sufficient place to contain God, he can only be a sufficient place to himself