A treatise of the incomparableness of God in his being, attributes, works and word…

2. God hath no succession in his Duration: He dwelleth in one indivisible point of eternity; He is what he is in one infinite moment of being: His duration knoweth nothing of former or latter, past or to come: His Essence is not bounded by those Hedges, but he enjoyeth his whole eternity every moment. ⟨p. 35⟩Hence he is said to inhabit eternity, to be sixth always in eternity, Isa. 57.15. Time is nunc fluens, but eternity is nunc stans: One day with him is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, 2 Pet. 3.8. He inhabits a million of years in a moment, and each moment to him is as a million of years: He hath not the least added to his duration since the World was, though it hath been near 6000 years: It's not proper to say of him, He was (for none of his duration is ever past with him) or he shall be (for none of his duration is ever to come) but he is, his full eternity is always present; Hence his Name is I am, Exod. 3.14. Not I was, or shall be; and Christ tells the Jews, Before Abraham was, I am, John 8.58. It seems false Grammar, but it's the most proper true Divinity. Indeed, had Adam been then alive, it had been proper for him to have said, Before Abraham was, I was; or if an Angel had spoken, it had been proper for him to have said, Before Abraham was, I was, because Men and Angels enjoy their Being by piece-meals, now a little and then a little, somewhat of their duration is gone, and somewhat ⟨p. 36⟩to come; but it was most proper for him that was God to say, Before Abraham was, I am, because his duration is without all succession, the whole of it is ever present: The Psalmist further clears this, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, Psal. 2.7. Which words are interpreted of the eternal Generation of the Son of God before all Worlds, and also of his Resurrection in time, which was to be some hundreds of years after, as the Apostle either expounds it, or alludes to it,