A Body of Divinity, Vol. 1 (of 4): Wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are explained and defended, being the substance of several lectures on the Assembly's Larger CatechismRidgley, Thomas
Religion
A Body of Divinity, Vol. 1 (of 4): Wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are explained and defended, being the substance of several lectures on the Assembly's Larger Catechism
_4thly_, Men change their minds many times, for want of foresight;
something unexpected occurs that renders it expedient for them to alter
their purpose, which argues a defect of wisdom: but God is infinitely
wise; therefore nothing unforeseen can intervene to induce him to change
his purpose.
_5thly_, Men are sometimes obliged to change their purpose by the
influence, threatenings, or other methods, used by some superior; but
there is none equal, much less superior, to God; and consequently none
can lay any obligation on him to change his purpose.
VII. God is incomprehensible: this implies that his perfections cannot
be fully known by any creature; thus it is said, _Canst thou by
searching, find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto
perfection?_ Job xi. 7.
When we consider God as incomprehensible, we do not only mean that man
in this imperfect state, cannot fully comprehend his glory; for it is
but very little, comparatively, that we can comprehend of finite things,
and we know much less of that which is infinite; but when we say that
God is incomprehensible, we mean that the best of creatures, in the most
perfect state, cannot fully conceive of, or describe his glory; and the
reason is, because they are finite, and his perfections are infinite;
and there is no proportion between an infinite God, and a finite mind:
the water of the ocean might as well be contained in the hollow of the
hand, or the dust of the earth weighed in a balance, as that the best of
creatures should have a perfect and adequate idea of the divine
perfections. In this case, we generally distinguish between
apprehending, and comprehending; the former denotes our having some
imperfect, or inadequate ideas of what surpasses our understanding; the
latter, our knowing every thing that is contained in it, which is called
our having an adequate idea thereof: now we apprehend something of the
divine perfections, in proportion to the limits of our capacities, and
our present state; but we cannot, nor ever shall, be able to comprehend
the divine glory, since God is incomprehensible to every one but
himself. Again, we farther distinguish between our having a full
conviction that God hath those infinite perfections, which no creature
can comprehend, and our being able fully to describe them: thus we
firmly believe that God exists throughout all the changes of time, and
yet that his duration is not measured thereby, or that he fills all
places without being co-extended with matter; we apprehend, as having an
undeniable demonstration thereof, that he does so, though we cannot
comprehend how he does it.
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