A85953:43
Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of…
Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of Christ. And, 3 The Excellency of mans immortal soul. By Jeremiah Burroughs, late preacher of the gospel at Stepney, and Giles-Cripple-gate, London. Published by William Greenhill. William Bridge. Philip Nigh. John Yates. Matthew Mead. William Adderly.Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of Christ. And, 3 The Excellency of mans immortal soul. By Jeremiah Burroughs, late preacher of the gospel at Stepney, and Giles-Cripple-gate, London. Published by William Greenhill. William Bridge. Philip Nye. John Yates. Matthew Mead. William Adderly.
London: printed for Nath. Brook, 1660
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Treatise 1 › Sermon 1: The First SERMON ON The Nature of God.
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.
In the second place, God, he is a present being, I am, saith he, that is, God enjoys himself, that infinite being of himself altogether, there is no succession at all in the being of God, as there is in other creatures, the creature ⟨p. 8⟩enjoys but little of its own being; I beseech you consider the difference between God and the creature in this, when (I say) he is a present being, that is set forth in the words I am; I say the creature enjoys but very little of its own being; why, because whatsoever is past, it cannot enjoy, and whatsoever is to come it enjoys not; now all that it doth enjoy of it self, it is only what it hath at an instant, this present instant what it hath, that it may be said to be; but now with God there is nothing past, there is nothing to come; there is nothing past, I say, in respect of Gods being, there is nothing to come, but his being is always present, he always saith, I am; therefore Christ speaking of his Divine Nature, in John 8.58.1 saith he, Before Abraham was, I am; Christ doth not say, I was before Abraham was, no, but before Abraham was, I am. Certainly this had been no good English to have spoken of any creature; If any man should say thus, Before such a thing was, I am; if any Angel should say so, this were no proper speech; but Christ saith so, Before Abraham was, I am, because Christ in regard of his Divine Nature hath no succession of being at all; we cannot say that God hath so many years added to him since the world began, God was as eternal before the world was, as he is now, or ever shall be; it cannot be said that he was, not will be, but always it may be said I am; I am, was, and will be, the difference of time, it is in respect of the creature, not in respect of God, and that is the reason of those phrases in Scripture, That a thousand years with God are •s one day, 2and one day as a thousand years; There is no difference of time with God at all: And that is the second thing, therefore he alone is excellent.
In the second place, God, hee is a present being, I am, saith hee, that is, God injoyes himself, that infinite being of himself altogether, there is no succession at all in the being of God, as there is in other creatures, the creature