the living God; i. e. he that liveth for ever and ever. Rev. iv. 9. This is what he afferteth concerning himself with great Solemnity, as it were calling his own Deity to witness, I lift up my Hand to Heaven, and fay, I live for ever. Deut. xxxii. 40.

The Eternity of God is one Thing efpecially intended in that mysterious Character, I am that I am. It denoteth his permanent, ftable, immutable Existence, that ne always neceffarily is, and hath an abfolute Fulness of Being eternally and independently in himself. The fame Thing, by the Acknowledgment of the most learned Critics, is fignified by the Name Jehovah, by which he is fo frequently defcribed in Scripture, and which might properly enough be rendered, the eternal', as it is in fome Verfions.

Upon confidering and comparing the feveral Representations made to us in Scripture of the Eternity of God; we may obferve the following Things concerning

it.

Firft, It fignifies, that he never had a Beginning of his Being or Existence. This is neceffarily included in the Notion of a proper Eternity. It is a Duration without Beginning; and fuch most certainly is the Duration of the bleffed God. This is what the Pfalmift here intendeth by fay[VOL. I.]

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ing

He

ing, from everlafting-thou art God. exifted from all Eternity by the glorious Neceffity of his own moft perfect Nature, which is fuch, that it was abfolutely impoffible for him ever not to have been, and confequently it was impoffible for him ever to begin to be. This is the peculiar noble Prerogative of the fupreme felf-existent Jehovah. There was a Time when this whole wonderful Syftem of created Things began to be: But from everlasting, from the Beginning, ere ever the Earth was, when as yet there was no Creature formed, the eternal God did exist, infinitely happy in himself, and in the Fulness of his own Perfection. The Space of Time which hath run out fince the Creation may appear a long Time to us, and fo it really is, if we compare it with the fhort Duration of human Life, or confider the great Variety of Events which have happened in it. How many fucceffive Generations of Men have, in that Time, acted their Parts on this various and ample Theatre! And yet, what is the Duration of the whole Frame of Heaven and Earth compared with that of the infinite God? If we look back to the Beginning of the World, we may compute by Days and Years; but if we look into the immense Duration before it, Days and

Years

Years are loft, and we have no Measure to adjust it by. Let us fuppofe ourselves removed to the Distance of infinite Ages before the World was formed, when we have carried our Thoughts as far back as the Power of Numbers can go, we shall still be no nearer a Beginning of the divine Existence than we were at firft. In this amazing Contemplation we foon lose ourfelves, and are overwhelmed with Aftonishment.

Secondly, When God is faid to be eternal, as it fignifieth that he never had a Beginning, fo alfo that he fhall never have an End. This is no lefs neceffarily included in the Notion of Eternity than the former, and it doth no lefs certainly and evidently belong to the Supreme Being. Hence, in the Language of the Psalmist, he is not only from everlasting, but to ever lafting, God. Reafon affureth us, that that which had no Beginning cannot poffibly have an End. For that which is without Beginning, oweth not its Exiftence to the Efficiency of any external Caufe, but hath the Reafon of its Exiftence within itself, in the incomprehenfible Perfection of its own Nature; and that which thus neceffarily exifteth, by the fame Neceffity muft exist always. Whatfoever hath an End of its Being, it must G 2

either

either be owing to an inward Weakness and Imperfection in itself, or to the Violence of fome external Caufe; neither of which can, without the highest Abfurdity, be fuppofed of the abfolutely perfect, the independent, the omnipotent Jehovah. The vaft Fabrick of this vifible material System, however stable it appeareth to be, may be diffolved and fall to Ruin, but God can never fail or decay. This is elegantly and nobly expreffed by the Pfalmist, Pfal. cii. 25, 26, 27. Of old haft thou laid the Foundations of the Earth, and the Heavens are the Work of thine Hands. They fhall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea all of them fhall wax old like a Garment; as a Vefture fhalt thou change them, and they fhall be changed: But thou art the fame, and thy Years fhall have no End. Hence God is called immortal. He is the King eternal, immortal, invifible. 1 Tim. i. 17. Yea it is faid, that he only bath Immortality. 1 Tim. vi. 16. i. e. He only hath it originally and abfolutely in himself, all others have it of and from him. Angels, and the Souls of Men, are immortal; but then this is only by his Donation and Grant, not by a Neceffity of Nature; 'tis because it is the Will and Appointment of God that they should be fo, who continually upholdeth them in Being, and is a Foun

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tain of Life to them, and could, if he so pleased, foon put an End to their Existence. But God is effential, felforiginate Life; he hath Life neceffarily and independently in himself, and therefore it is in the Nature of the Thing abfolutely impoffible that he fhould

ever

ceafe to be. The Eternity of God, confidered in this View, is no lefs aftonishing and incomprehenfible than in the former. Let us carry our Views forward, and compute Millions of Millions of Ages, till our Minds are wearied with the Computation, and then let us begin again where we left off, and add Millions of Millions more, and continue thus adding for ever, we shall never be able to measure out that Eternity which is to come, no more than we are able to measure that Eternity which is paft; we shall be as far from reaching to the End of the one, as from arriving at the Beginning of the other.

Thirdly, Another thing to be observed with refpect to God's Eternity, is, that there is no proper Succeffion in his Being or Duration, as there is in ours. We are fucceffive, because we are but temporary Beings; our Duration is computed by Moments, Days, and Years; but his Duration is like himself, stable and permanent, God existeth in a different Manner from us, in a Manner

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