4. Eternity is an attribute peculiar to God, and therefore we call it an incommunicable perfection. There are, indeed, other things that shall endure to everlasting, as angels, and the souls of men; as also those heavenly bodies that shall remain after the creature is delivered from the bondage of corruption, to which it is now subject: the heavenly places, designed for the seat of the blessed, as well as their happy inhabitants, shall be everlasting; but yet the everlasting duration of these things infinitely differs from the eternity of God; for as all finite things began to be, and their duration is successive, so their everlasting existence depends entirely on the power and will of God, and therefore cannot be called necessary, or independent, as his eternal existence is.
Object. Since the various parts of time, as days, years, &c. and the various changes, or flux of time; such as past, present, and to come, are sometimes attributed to God; this seems inconsistent with the account that has been given of his eternity.
Answ. It is true, we often find such expressions used in scripture: thus he is called, the ancient of days, Dan. vii. 9. and his eternity is expressed, by his years having no end, Psal. cii. 27. and it is said, He was, is, and is to come, Rev. i. 4. and chap. iv. 8. But, for the understanding of such-like expressions, we must consider, that herein God is pleased to speak according to our weak capacity, who cannot comprehend the manner of his infinite duration; we cannot conceive of any duration but that which is successive; therefore God speaks to us, as he does in many other instances, in condescension to our capacities; but yet we may observe, that though he thus condescends to speak concerning himself, yet there is oftentimes something added, which distinguishes his duration from that of creatures; as when it is said, Behold God is great, and we know him not; neither can the number of his years be searched out, Job xxxvi. 26. so that though we read of the years of his duration, yet they are such as are unsearchable, or incomprehensible years, infinitely different from years, as applied to created beings; and it is said, A thousand years in thy sight, are but as yesterday, when it is past, Psal. xc. 4. One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, 2 Pet. iii. 8. and, by the same method of reasoning, it may be said, one moment is with the Lord as a thousand millions of ages, or a thousand millions of ages as one moment; such is his duration, and therefore not properly successive, like that of creatures.
2. When any thing past, present, or to come, is attributed to God, it either signifies that he is so, as to his works, which are finite, and measured by successive duration; or else it signifies, that he, whose duration is not measured by succession, notwithstanding, exists unchangeably, through all the various ages of time. As he is omnipresent with all the parts of matter, yet has no parts himself, so he exists in all the successive ages of time, but without that succession, which is peculiar to time and creatures.
Several things may be inferred, of a practical nature, from the eternity of God. As,
1. Since God’s duration is eternal, that is, without succession, so that there is no such thing as past, or to come, with him; or if ten thousand millions of ages are but like a moment to him; then it follows, that those sins which we have committed long ago, and perhaps are forgotten by us, are present to his view; he knows what we have done against him ever since we had a being in this world, as much as though we were at present committing them.
2. If God was from eternity, then how contemptible is all created glory, when compared with his; look but a few ages backward, and it was nothing: this should humble the pride of the creature, who is but of yesterday, and whose duration is nothing, and less than nothing, if compared with God’s.
3. The eternity of God, as being to everlasting, affords matter of terror to his enemies, and comfort to his people, and, as such, should be improved for the preventing of sin.
(1.) It affords matter of terror to his enemies. For,
1st. He ever lives to see his threatenings executed, and to pour forth the vials of his fury on them: thus the prophet speaking of God, as the everlasting King, adds, that at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation, Jer. x. 10. Therefore the eternity of God argues the eternity of the punishment of sin, since this great Judge, who is a consuming fire to impenitent sinners, will live for ever to see his threatenings executed upon them. This appears, if we consider,