A85953:73
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 2: The Second 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.
First, God can let out as much of himself as he will to any creature; now one creature cannot let out as much as he pleases to another; for instance, A man that hath learning, he cannot make another as learned as he will; a man that hath holiness and goodness, cannot make another as holy, and as good as he will: but God can, this is Gods propriety, he can let out of himself as much as he pleases, as much holiness, as much goodness, as much power as he pleases he is able to let out.
First, God can let out as much of himself as hee will to any creature; now one creature cannot let out as much as hee pleases to another; for instance, A man that hath learning, hee cannot make another as learned as hee will; a man that hath holiness and goodness, cannot make another as holy, and as good as hee will: but God can, this is Gods propriety, hee can let out of himself as much as hee pleases, as much holiness, as much goodness, as much power as hee pleases hee is able to let out.
Secondly, the creature, When it doth communicate any excellency, the more it lets out, the less it hath; but God hath never a whit less by that that he doth let out to his creatures; as thus, the Sea is full of water, yet if you take out but a little water, the Sea hath so much the less; therefore some of the Fathers would set out Eternity by this, that if a Sparrow should but once in a thousand years fetch one drop of water from the Sea in the bill of it, yet the Sparrow would sooner empty all the Sea, than the torments ⟨p. 24⟩of the damned should be at an end; so that if a drop be taken out of the Sea it is the less: but God is such an infinite ocean of being, of excellencies, of happiness, that let him let out, and communicate never so much of himself, yet he hath as much still as ever he had: God hath let out excellency, and good to all his creatures ever since the world began, all the good, the comfort, the happiness, the sweetness, the beauty and excellency of all creatures have been from God that infinite fountain, but now this fountain is as full as ever it was, and will be as full to all eternity as ever it was: And here lies the excellency of God beyond all creatures whatsoever.