The British essayists (Volume 14); with prefaces, historical and biographical - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1823 Excerpt: ... in these words he is pleased to acquaint us what kind of thoughts he would have us entertain of him: insomuch, that, could we but rightly apprehend what is couched under, and intended by them, we should doubtless have as high and true conceptions of God as it is possible for creatures to have.' The answer given suggests further to us these following notions of the most high God. ' First, that he is one being, existing in and of himself; his unity is implied in that he saith, ' I;' his existence in that he saith ' I Am;' his existence in and of himself, in that he saith, ' I Am that I Am,' that is, ' I Am in and of myself,' not receiving any thing from, nor depending upon any other. The same expression implies, that as God is only one, so that he is a most pure and simple being; for here we see he admits nothing into the manifestation of himself but pure essence, saying, ' I Am that I Am,' that is, being itself, without any mixture or composition. And therefore we must not conceive of God, as made up of several parts, or faculties, or ingredients, but only as one who ' Is that he Is,' and whatsoever is in Him is himself: And although we read of several properties attributed to him in scripture, as wisdom, goodness, justice, &c. we must not apprehend them to be several powers, habits, or qualities, as they are in us; for as they are in God, they are neither distinguished from one another, nor from his nature or essence, in whom they are said to be. In whom, I say, they are said to be: for to speak properly, they are not in him, but are his very essence, or nature itself; which acting severally upon several objects, seems to us to act from several properties or perfections in him; whereas all the difference is only, in our different apprehensions of the same t...