75o The Spirituality of the Divine Nature, Vol, i, L For the explicationof the Notion of a Spirit. I (hall not trouble you with the flriit Philofophical Notion of it, as that it is fuch a fubflance as is penetrable; that is, may be in the fame place with a Body, and neither keep out the Body nor be kept out by it ; and that the parts which we imagine in it cannot be di- vided, that is, really feparated and torn from one another, as the parts ofa Body but I will give you a negative defcription of it. A Spirit is not Matter, it doth not fall under any of our Senfes, . it is that which we cannot fee nor touch ; it is not a Body, not Flefh, and Blood, and Bones for fo we find Spirit in Scripture oppofed tó Flefh and Body ; Ifa. 3 t. 3. Their horfes are flelh, and not fpirit. So Luke2.4. when Chrift appeared to his Difciples after his Refurreálion, they were terrified, and fappofed it hadbeen a fpirit, v. 39. But he laid, Beholdmy hands and my feet, that it is I my Pelf ; handle me, and fee, for a fpirit hath not flefh and bones, asye fee me have. The moil ufual defcription of a fpirit is by thefe Ne- gatives, it is not a Body, bath not Flefh and Bones, doth not confift of Matter, or of any thing that falls under our Senfes, that we can fee or touch. II. For the proof of this Propofition, that God is a Spirit. This is not to be proved by wayof demonftration, for there is nothing before God, or which can be a caufeof him; but by way of convi ion, by (hewing the abfurdity of the con- trary. The fall and molt natural Notion that we have of God is, that he is a Being every way perrfeû, and from this Notion we muft argue concerning the properties which are attributed toGod, and govern all our Reafonings concern- ing God by this ; fo that when any thing is faid of God, the belt way to know whether it be to be attributed to him, is to enquire whether it be a Perfeûion or not ; if it be, it belongs to him ; if it be not, it is to be removed from him ; and if any Man ask, why I fay God is fo, or fo, a Spirit, or Goad, or Tuft ; the beft reafon that can be given, is becaufe thefe are Perfections, and the contrary to thefe are Imperfections. So that if I fhew that it would be an Imperfeétion, for God to be imagined to be a Body, or Matter, I prove that he is a Spirit, be- caufe it is an imperfeétion, that is, an abfurdity to imagine him any thing elfe. To. imagine God to be a Body, or Matter, Both evidently contradiét four great Perfe&ions of God. a. His Infinitenefs, or the Immenfity of his Being. Grant me but thefe two things, that there is fomething in the World betides God, fome other Matter, as the Heavens, the Air, the Earth, and all thofe things which we fee ; and grant me that two Bodies cannot be in the fame place at once, and then it will evident- ly follow, that where-ever thefe are, God is Phut out ..and conf.=quently God Mould not be infinite, nor in all places ; and fo much as there is of another Mat- ter in the World betides God, fo manybreaches there would be in the Divine Na- ture, fo many Hiatus's. z. The Knowledge and Wifdom of God. It cannot be imagined how mere Matter can underfland, how it can diftinclly comprehend fuch variety of Ob- je&s, and at one view take in pall, prefent, and to, come. Tully fpeaking of Spirits, faith, Animorum nulla in terris erigo inveniri potelt ; their original cannotbe foundupon Earth ; for, faith he, there is no material or bodily thing, Quodvim me- morite mentis, cogitations habeat, quad& preeterita truest, futuriaprovident, fñ compleíli pot prasfentia ; quai fola divina flint ; which hash thepower of Memory, of Underflanding, ofThought ; which can retain things pall, forefee thingsfuture, and comprehend things prefent ; all which Powers arepurely Divine. 3. Freedom and Liberty. For the Laws of matter are necefrary, nor can we imagine any ain 0oiov, any arbitrary Principle in it. This puzzled the Epicureans, as we fee in Lucretius, For if (faith he) all things move by certain and neceffary Laws, andtherebe a connexion of the parts of matter unto each other,fo that if you move this, that mull nece,Qarilly le moved ; whence, faith he, is Liberty o Unde eft hies inquamfatis avulfa voluntas ; Whence is this Principle of Will, whofe motionsare not under any law of necefity ? q. Goodnefs. This follows from the former ; for he is 'not good who does not know what he ,does, nor does it freely; fo that take away Underflandingand Liberty, and you take away Goodnefs ; now take away from God Infinitenefs, and
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