Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

6o Book II. . Looking tmto 1eft14. Chap. 1 .Sect. , . ---------- ----· ------· ------- God, befides his underftanding, _there i> a will. Secondly, that this will doth work everlaftingly upon it felf, as his underfrand. ing doth. " . For the firft; that in the e!Tence ofGod, befides his underHand. ing, there is a will, is very clear; for he that gives a will to all ra-. tioml creatures, cannotwant it hirnfelf; how lhou!d he be without will,whofe will it is that we wili? of neceffity it is that there · iliou!d be fome prime or chief will, on whofe will all other wills fhould; but the Scriptures are plaine, I am God, •tnrl there is n:-ne rife, J' r.m God, ad there is none life me.-.11£_; counce! fh,r// fland, and I will do (Iff m)' piettfim. For the fecond, that this will in God doth everbfiingly work upon it felf, is clear: for,~s doth the underftanding, fo doth the wil l; but the underftanding ofGod doth act upon it felf as the chier~ ·and mofi pertect truth; therefore the will of God doth will himfelf as the chief and rnofi perfect good. Indeed what othet' futable object can the will ofGod have befides himfelf? an infinite wd! rnuft needs have an infinite good, and in this fenfe, as · our Saviour tells us, there iJ none good but one, that is God; hence it is that the will of God doth reflect upon it felf, and ac? quiefce in it fdf as in an infi:;ire good. And now we come to the manner of this high, myfrical, {piritual proceffion of the Spirit from the Father and the Sonne. As the Will ofGod doth acr and ·refleCl: upon it felffrom all eternity; fo it works this effeCt, that it delights it felfin the-infinite good which it knoweth in it felf, for the aCtion of the Will is delight and liking; and this very delight _which God or his Will hath in his own infinite goodneffe, doth bring forth a third perf on, or fub!ifience in God, which we call the hoi] qhoft.: So that indeed, if yol'l would know what the holy Ghoft is, I would an· fwer, it is the mutual kjndnef{e, and lovingnef{e, and joy, and deli,ght of the Fnther and the Sonne. · The Father by this act of Will do, I) joy and delight in his Sonne, and the Sonne by this act of \ 1 doth joy and delight in his Father; and this is it whicl:J t ' e ~onne faith of himfelf, and of his Father, I was da)'lJ hi,· delig ht , rei-Jcing ahrtt.ye.r before bim, q. d. I was from all eternity his delight, and he was from all eter,nity my delight: the Father (a) it were) from all eternity afpired in his Will, and lov.e,· and joy unto ~he Sonne; and the~onne (as i~ w~re) from all _c:- - ~~~ruty

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