VIII.

itself to be acted upon by Nothing. All SER M. the fenfible Qualities of Matter, are merely relative to Us in our present fttate, depending on the frame of our bodily Organs, and not being any thing really inherent in the Things themselves. We behold only the outward Surfaces of things, and are affected only by the various Motions and Figures of certain fmall parts of Matter; which, by the Help of Microscopes, appear even to Us to be really very different in Themselves from what our Senses represent them; And to a Spirit, which fees the inward real Effences of Things, and not the external fenfible Images which affect Us, they have no fimilitude at all with our Imaginations.

4thly, IT will be here neceffary to obferve, How and in what fenfe, God, who is every where where neceffarily alike prefent, is yet in Scripture fo frequently represented to be in Heaven: As if He who is in All places, could be confined in Any; or any proper Habitation could be afcribed to Him, whom (as Solomon declares) the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain. The True meaning therefore of God's

N 3

SER M. God's being in Heaven, is to exprefs his VIII. Height and Dignity not in place, but in Power: It being only a fimilitude drawn into common Speech, from the Situation of things in Nature. As the Heavenly Bodies, the Sun and Stars, are High above us in place; and all Earthly Bleffings depend on the Sun and Rain and the Defcent of kindly Influences literally from above fo, by an easy figure of speech, whatsoever is above us in Power, we are from hence used to reprefent as being above us in Place. Our Saviour, fpeaking of the Pride and Greatnefs of Capernaum; And thou Capernaum, fays he, which art exalted unto Heaven, falt be brought down to Hell, Matt. xi 23. The Power and Dominion of the King of Babylon, is thus fet forth by the Prophet Ifaiah, ch. xiv. 13, 14. Thou haft faid in thine heart, I will afcend above the heights of the clouds, I will afcend into Heaven, I will exalt my Throne above the ftars of God: And the Defruction of his Monarchy is described after the like manner, ver. 12. thou fallen from Heaven! The Greatness and Dignity of cur Servicur's Kingdom, is repre

How art

represented in Scripture, by his fitting at SER M. the right hand of God in the Heavenly VIII. places. We know that God has no Hands, nor any Shape or Figure; but the meaning of Chrift's fitting on his right hand, is his being exalted next to him in Authority and Power. Thus therefore when we fpeak likewise of God, even the invi fible Father himself, as being in Heaven; it must be understood to express his Supremacy, not in Place but in Power and Dominion; that He is the High and Holy One, Great and Glorious and Supreme above All. But there is also another reafon of this expreffion, of God's being in Heaven And That is, To fignify, that though of his real actual Prefence there is indeed no Confinement, yet of his Glory and Majesty there is in that Place a particular and extraordinary Manifeftation. Thus the Angel in the Book of Tobit represents it, ch. xii. 15, I am (faith he) one of the feven holy Angels, which go in and out before the Glory of the Holy One: And the Salutation to the Churches, which begins the Book of the Revelation, ch. i. 4. Grace be unto you, and Peace from him N 4 which

VIII.

SER M. which is, and which was, and which is to come, and from the feven fpirits which are before his Throne. The real and proper

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A&ts xvii. Prefence of God, is equally in all places: But his Throne, his Glory, the place where the righteous fhall fee his Face, where they fhall behold a more particular glorious Manifeftation of his Power and Majefty, is in Heaven. In like manner, here upon Earth; in places, where God has been pleafed more particularly to manifest his Glory, to place his Name There, to receive There the Homage of his Servants; in thofe places God in Scripturephrafe is faid to Be: Not as if at the fame time he was not equally in all other places alfo; but that in thefe places he chofe to manifeft himself to his Servants, and There to receive Homage from them. The Patriarch Jacob, concerning the place where he firft faw the Vifion of Angels afcending and defcending out of Heaven; Surely, fays he, the Lord is in this place, Gen. xxviii. 16; and it shall be the House of God, ver. 22. In like manner in the Temple at Jerufalem, the Glory of God. appeared vifibly, 2 Chron. vii. 1. and there

it alfo was, when it did not appear: and SER M. how He whom the Heaven, and the Hea- VIII, ven of Heavens cannot contain, did thus at that time dwell on Earth in a Temple made with hands, is well expreffed by Solomon, 1 Kings viii. 30, Hearken thou to the Supplication of thy Servant, and of thy people Ifrael, when they shall pray in, or towards, this place; and hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling-place: The fenfe is; God, who is prefent in every place, had appointed in That place to receive his Tribute of worship. And upon this Account, the place was efteemed Holy, and refpected accordingly: Ecclef. v. 1. Keep thy foot; when thou goeft to the house of God. What the meaning is, of that unufual Phrafe, Keep thy foot; is explained Exod. iii. 5. where God, appearing to Mofes in the Bufh, fays thus unto him; Put off thy fhoes from off thy Feet, for the place whereon thou ftandeft is holy ground. The Cuftom or Manner in thofe Eaftern countries of fhowing Honour or Veneration, was by uncovering the Feet; as our prefent method of fhowing refpect, is by uncovering the Head. Yet God himself was

not