N07809:94
Two dissertations, I. Concerning the end for which God created the world. II. The…
Two dissertations, I. Concerning the end for which God created the world. II. The nature of true virtue. / by the late Reverend, learned and pious Jonathan Edwards, A.M. president of the College in New-Jersey.
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland, 1765
Concerning the END for which GOD created the WORLD. › Chapter 1 › Sect 3
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.
ONE part of that divine fullness which is communicated, is the-divine knowledge. That communicated knowledge which must be supposed to pertain to God's last end in creating the world, is the creatures knowledge of him. For this is the end of all other knowledge: And even the faculty of understanding would be vain without this. And this knowledge is most properly a communication of God's infinite knowledge which primarily consists in the knowledge of himself. God in making this his end, makes himself his end. This knowledge in the creature, is but a conformity to God. 'Tis the image of God's own knowledge of himself. 'Tis a participation of the same: 'Tis as much the same as 'tis possible for that to be, which is infinitely less in degree: As particular beams of the sun communicated, are the light and glory of the sun in part.
ONE part of that divine fulness which is communicated, is the-divine knowledge. That communicated knowledge which must be suppos'd to pertain to God's last end in creating the world, is the creatures knowledge of him. For this is the end of all other knowledge: And even the faculty of understanding would be vain without this. And this knowledge is most properly a communication of God's infinite knowledge which primarily consists in the knowledge of himself. God in making this his end, makes himself his end. This knowledge in the creature, is but a conformity to God. 'Tis the image of God's own knowledge of himself. 'Tis a participation of the same: 'Tis as much the same as 'tis possible for that to be, which is infinitely less in degree: As particular beams of the sun communicated, are the light and glory of the sun in part.
BESIDES God's perfections, or his glory, is the object of this knowledge, or the thing known; so that God is glorified in it, as hereby his excellency is seen. As therefore God values himself, as he delights in his own knowledge; he must delight in every thing of that nature: As he delights in his own light, he must delight in every beam of that light: And as he highly values his own excellency, he must be well pleased in having it manifested, and so glorified.