sight, and shall introduce it into a more full and open view of that primitive eternal light? Perhaps the properest answer we could give to the question, What is God? would be to observe a most profound silence: or, if we should think proper to answer any thing, it ought to be something next to this absolute silence; viz. GOD IS; which gives us a higher and better idea of him, than any thing we can either express or conceive. Theological writers mention three methods, whereby men come to some kind of knowledge of God themselves, and communicate that knowledge to others, viz. the way of negation, the way of causation, and the way of eminence: yet the very terms that are used to express these ways, shew what a faint knowledge of the invisible Being is to be attained by them; so that the two last may be justly reduced to the first, and all our knowledge of this kind called negative. For to pretend to give any explanation of the Divine Essence, as distinct from what we call his attributes, would be a refinement so absurd, that, under the appearance of more accurate knowledge, it would betray our ignorance the more: and so unaccountable would it be to attempt any such thing, with regard to the unsearchable majesty of God, that possibly the most towering and exalted genius on earth ought frankly to acknowledge, that we know neither our own essence, nor that of any other creature, even the meanest and most contemptible. Though in the schools they distinguish the divine attributes or excellencies, and that by no means improperly, into communicable and incommunicable; yet we ought so to guard this distinction, as always to remember, that those which are called communicable, when applied to God, are not only to be understood, in a manner, incommunicable, and quite peculiar to himself; but also, that in him they are, in reality, infinitely different from those virtues ; or rather, in a matter where the disparity of the subjects is so very great, those shadows of virtues, that go under the same names, either in men or angels; for it is not only true, that all things, in the infinite and eternal being, are infinite and eternal, but they are also, though in a manner quite inexpressible, himself. He is good without quality, great without quantity, &c. He is good in such a sense, as to be called by the Evangelist, the only good being*. He is also the only wise being; "To the only wise God," saith the Apostle. And the same Apostle tells us, in another place, "That he only hath immortality," that is, "from his own nature, and not from the will or disposition of anothert." "If we are considered as joined to, or united with God, says an ancient writer of great note, we have a being, we live, and in some sort are wise; but if we are compared with God, we have no wisdom at all, nor do we live, or so much * Matth. xix. 17. † ἐξ οικείας φύσεως ἐκ ἐξ ἑτέρα βολήσεως, as have any existence*." All other things were by him brought out of nothing, in consequence of a free act of his will by means of his infinite power; so that they may be justly called mere contingencies, and he is the only necessarily existent being. Nay, he is the only really existent being. τὸ ὄντως ἐν ; or, as Plotinus expresses it, τὸ ὑπερόνως ὄνο Thus also the Septuagint speaks of him, as the only existent being†, and so also does the heathen poet‡. This is likewise implied in the exalted name Jehovah, which expresses his being, and that he has it from himself; but what that being is, or wherein its essence, so to speak, consists, it does not say; nor, if it did, could we at all conceive it. Nay, so far is that name from discovering what his being is, that it plainly insinuates, that his existence is hid, and covered with a vail. I am who I am; or, I am what I am §. As if he had said, I myself know what I am, but you neither know, nor can know it; and if I should declare wherein my being consists, you could not conceive it. He has, however, manifested in his works, and in his word, what it is our interest to know, "That he is the Lord, God, merciful and gracious, abundant in goodness and truth." * Deo si conjungimur, sumus, vivimus, sapimus: Deo si comparamur, nec sapimus omnino, nec vivimus, imo nec sumus. Greg. Mag. Mor. † ὁ ων. † εδὲ τὶς εσθ ̓ ἔτερος χωρις μεγαλη βασιλῆος. § Exod. iii. 14. We call him a most pure spirit, and mean to say, that he is of a nature entirely incorporeal; yet this word, in the Greek, Hebrew, and all other languages, according to its primitive and natural signification, conveys no other idea, than that of a gentle gale, or wind, which every one knows to be a body, though rarified to a very great degree; so that, when we speak of that infinite purity, all words fail us; and even, when we think of it, all the refinements of the acutest understanding are quite at a stand, and become entirely useless. It is, in every respect, as necessary to acknowledge his eternity, as his being; provided, that, when we mention the term God, we mean by it the first being, supposing that expression to include also his self-existence. This idea of a first and eternal being is again inseparably connected with an infinite degree of all possible perfection, together with immutability, and absolute perseverance therein. But all these are treated of, at great length, in Theological books, whereof you have a very large collection. In like manner, if we suppose God to be the first of all beings, we must, unavoidably, therefrom, conclude his unity: as to the ineffable Trinity subsisting in this Unity, a mystery discovered only by the sacred scriptures, especially in the New Testament, where it is more clearly revealed than in the Old, let others boldly pry into it, if they please, while we receive it with an humble faith, and think it sufficient for us to admire and adore. The other Attributes, that use to be mentioned VOL. IV. on this subject, may be supposed to be perfectly comprehended under the following three, viz. power, wisdom, and goodness: for holiness, justice, mercy, infinite bounty, &c. may be, with great propriety, ranked under the general term of goodness. But rather than insist upon metaphysical speculations, let us, while we walk daily in these pleasant fields, be constantly culling fresh and never fading flowers. When the Psalmist cries out, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and of his greatness there is no end*;" he wanted to shew, saith St Augustine, how great he is; but how can this be done? Though he repeated, great, great, the whole day, it would have been to little purpose, for he must have ended at last, because the day would have ended; but his greatness was before the beginning of days, and will reach beyond the end of timet." The poet expresses himself admirably well," I will praise thee, O blessed God, with my voice, I will praise thee, also, with silence. For thou, O inexpressible Father, who can'st never be known, understandest the silence of the mind, as well as any words or expressions‡.” Psalm cxlv. 3. + Volebat dicere quam magnus sit, sed hoc qui fieri potest? Etsi tota die magnum diceret, parum esset, finiret enim aliquando, quia, finiretur dies, magnitudo autem illius ante dies, et ultra dies. † Υμνῶ σε μάκαρ, Καὶ δια Φωνᾶς. Καὶ δια σιγᾶς. |
