implies "praise." This appears from what was observed before, that
himself, or of his being glorified, that one thing directly intended, is a manifesting or making known his divine greatness and excellency.
4. Again "glory," as the word is used in Scripture, often signifies or implies "praise." This appears from what was observed before, that glory very often signifies honor, which is much the same thing with praise, viz. high esteem and respect of heart, and the expression and testimony of it in words and actions. And 'tis manifest that the words "glory" and "praise" are often used as equivalent expressions in Scripture. Ps. 50:23, "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me." Ps. 22:23, "Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye seed of Israel, glorify him." Is. 42:8, "My glory I will not give unto another, nor my praise to graven images." Ver. 12, "Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands." Is. 48:9–11, "For my name's sake will I defer mine anger; for my praise will I refrain from thee.… For mine own sake I do it; for … I will not give my glory unto another." Jer. 13:11, "That they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory." Eph. 1:6, "To the praise of the glory of his grace." Ver. 12, "To the praise of his glory"; so ver. 14. The phrase is apparently equivalent to that, Phil. 1:11, "Which are by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God." 2 Cor. 4:15, "That the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God."
It is manifest the "praise of God," as the phrase is used in Scripture, implies the high esteem and love of the heart, exalting thoughts of God, and complacence in his excellence and perfection. This is so manifest to everyone acquainted with the Scripture, that there seems to be but little or no need to refer to particular places. However, if any need satisfaction, they may, among innumerable other places which might be mentioned, turn to those in the margin.
It also implies joy in God, or rejoicing in his perfections, as is manifest by Ps. 33:1, "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, for praise is comely for the upright." Other passages to the same purpose, see in the margin. How often do we read of "singing praise"? But singing is commonly an expression of joy. It is called making a joyful noise.8 And as it is often used, it implies gratitude or love to God for his benefits to us.
Having thus considered what is implied in the phrase, "the glory of God," as we find it used in Scripture, I proceed to inquire what is meant by the "name" of God.
And I observe that 'tis manifest that God's name and his glory, at least very often, signify the same thing in Scripture. As it has been observed concerning the glory of God, that it sometimes signifies the second person in the Trinity; the same might be shown of the name of God, if it were needful in this place. But that the "name" and "glory" of God are often equipollent expressions is manifest by Ex. 33:18–19. When Moses says, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory": and God grants his request, he says, "I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee." Ps. 8:1, "O Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens." Ps. 79:9, "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake." Ps. 102:15, "So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord; and all the kings of the earth, thy glory." Ps. 148:13, "His name alone is excellent, and his glory is above the earth and heaven." Is. 48:9, "For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee." Ver. 11, "For mine own sake, even for mine own sake will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? And I will not give my glory unto another." Is. 59:19, "They shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun." Jer. 13:11, "That they
might be unto me for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory." As "glory" often implies the manifestation, publication and knowledge of excellency, and the honor that anyone has in the world; so, it is evident, does "name." Gen. 11:4, "Let us make us a name." Deut. 26:19, "And to make thee high above all nations, in praise, in name, and in honor."
So 'tis evident that by "name" is sometimes meant much the same thing as "praise," by several places which have been just mentioned, as Is. 48:9, Jer. 13:11, Deut. 26:19. And also by Jer. 33:9, "And it shall be unto me for a name, a praise and an honor, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear of all the good I do unto them." Zeph. 3:20, "I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth."
And it seems that the expression or exhibition of God's goodness is especially called his "name" in Ex. 33:19, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee." And ch. 34:5–7, "And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, gracious and merciful, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands," etc.
And the same illustrious brightness and effulgence in the pillar of cloud that appeared in the wilderness, and dwelt above the mercy seat in the tabernacle and temple (or rather the spiritual divine brightness and effulgence represented by it) which is so often called "the glory of the Lord" is also often called "the name of the Lord." Because God's glory was to dwell in the tabernacle, therefore he promises, Ex. 29:43, "There will I meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory." And the temple
was called the "house" of God's glory, Is. 60:7. In like manner, the name of God is said to dwell in the sanctuary. Thus we often read of the place that God chose "to put his name there": or (as it is in the Hebrew) to cause his name to inhabit there. So it is sometimes rendered by our translators. As Deut. 12:11, "Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there." And the temple is often spoken of as built for God's name. And in Ps. 74:7 the temple is called "the dwelling place" of God's "name." The mercy seat in the temple was called the throne of God's name or glory, Jer. 14:21, "Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory." Here God's name and his glory seem to be spoken of as the same.
SECTION VII.
SHOWING THAT THE ULTIMATE END OF THE CREATION OF
THE WORLD IS BUT ONE, AND WHAT THAT ONE END IS
FROM what has been observed in the last section, it appears that however the last end of the creation is spoken of in Scripture under various denominations; yet if the whole of what is said relating to this affair be duly weighed, and one part compared with another, we shall have reason to think that the design of the Spirit of God don't seem to be to represent God's ultimate end as manifold, but as one. For though it be signified by various names, yet they appear not to be names of different things, but various names involving each other in their meaning; either different names of the same thing, or names of several parts of one whole, or of the same whole viewed in various
lights, or in its different respects and relations.2 For it appears that all that is ever spoken of in the Scripture as an ultimate end of God's works is included in that one phrase, "the glory of God"; which is the name by which the last end of God's works is most commonly called in Scripture: and seems to be the name which most aptly signifies the thing.
The thing signified by that name, "the glory of God," when spoken of as the supreme and ultimate end of the work of creation, and of all God's works, is the emanation and true external expression of God's internal glory and fullness; meaning by his fullness, what has already been explained.4 Or in other words, God's internal glory extant, in a true and just exhibition, or external existence of it. It is confessed that there is a degree of obscurity in these definitions: but perhaps an obscurity which is unavoidable, through the imperfection of language, and words being less fitted to express things of so sublime a nature. And therefore the thing may possibly be better understood, by using many words and a variety of expressions, by a particular consideration of it, as it were by parts, than by any short definition.
There is included in this the exercise of God's perfections to produce a proper effect, in opposition to their lying eternally dormant and ineffectual: as his power being eternally without any act or fruit of that power; his wisdom eternally ineffectual in any wise production, or prudent disposal of anything, etc. The manifestation of his internal glory to created understandings. The communication of the infinite fullness of God to the creature. The creature's high esteem of God, love to God, and complacence and joy in God; and the proper exercises and expressions of these.
These at first view may appear to be entirely distinct things: but if we more closely consider the matter, they will all appear to be one thing,
in a variety of views and relations. They are all but the emanation of God's glory; or the excellent brightness and fullness of the divinity diffused, overflowing, and as it were enlarged; or in one word, existing ad extra. God's exercising his perfection to produce a proper effect is not distinct from the emanation or communication of his fullness: for this is the effect, viz. his fullness communicated, and the producing this effect is the communication of his fullness; and there is nothing in this effectual exerting of God's perfection, but the emanation of God's internal glory.
The emanation or communication is of the internal glory or fullness of God, as it is. Now God's internal glory, as it is in God, is either in his understanding or will. The glory or fullness of his understanding is his knowledge. The internal glory and fullness of God, which we must conceive of as having its special seat in his will, is his holiness and happiness. The whole of God's internal good or glory, is in these three things, viz. his infinite knowledge; his infinite virtue or holiness, and his infinite joy and happiness. Indeed there are a great many attributes in God, according to our way of conceiving or talking of them: but all may be reduced to these; or to the degree, circumstances and relations of these. We have no conception of God's power, different from the degree of these things, with a certain relation of them to effects. God's infinity is not so properly a distinct kind of good in God, but only expresses the degree of the good there is in him. So God's eternity is not a distinct good; but is the duration of good. His immutability is still the same good, with a negation of change. So that, as I said, the fullness of the Godhead is the fullness of his understanding, consisting in his knowledge, and the fullness of his will, consisting in his virtue and happiness. And therefore the external glory of God consists in the communication of these.
The communication of his knowledge is chiefly in giving the knowledge of himself: for this is the knowledge in which the fullness of God's understanding chiefly consists. And thus we see how the manifestation of God's glory to created understandings, and their seeing and knowing it, is not distinct from an emanation or communication of God's fullness, but clearly implied in it.8
Again, the communication of God's virtue or holiness is principally in communicating the love of himself (which appears by what has before been observed). And thus we see how, not only the creature's seeing and knowing God's excellence, but also supremely esteeming and loving him, belongs to the communication of God's fullness. And the communication of God's joy and happiness consists chiefly in communicating to the creature that happiness and joy, which consists in rejoicing in God and in his glorious excellency; for in such joy God's own happiness does principally consist. And in these things, viz. in knowing God's excellency, loving God for it, and rejoicing in it; and in the exercise and expression of these, consists God's honor and praise: so that these are clearly implied in that glory of God, which consists in the emanation of his internal glory.
And though we suppose all these things, which seem to be so various, are signified by that "glory" which the Scripture speaks of as the last end of all God's works, yet it is manifest there is no greater, and no other variety in it, than in the internal and essential glory of God itself. God's internal glory is partly in his understanding, and partly in his will. And this internal glory, as seated in the will of God, implies both his holiness and his happiness: both are evidently God's glory, according to the use of the phrase. So that as God's external glory is only the emanation of his internal glory, this variety necessarily follows.
And again, it hence appears that here is no other variety or distinction, but what necessarily arises from the distinct faculties of the creature, to which the communication is made, as created in the image of God;4 even as having these two faculties of understanding and will. God communicates himself to the understanding of the creature, in giving him the knowledge of his glory; and to the will of the creature, in giving him holiness, consisting primarily in the love of God: and in giving the creature happiness, chiefly consisting in joy in God. These are the sum of that emanation of divine fullness called in Scripture, "the glory of God." The first part of this glory is called "truth," the latter, "grace." John 1:14, "We beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
Thus we see that the great and last end of God's works which is so variously expressed in Scripture, is indeed but one; and this one end is most properly and comprehensively called, "the glory of God"; by which name it is most commonly called in Scripture. And is fitly compared to an effulgence or emanation of light from a luminary, by which this glory of God is abundantly represented in Scripture. Light is the external expression, exhibition and manifestation of the excellency of the luminary, of the sun for instance: it is the abundant, extensive emanation and communication of the fullness of the sun to innumerable beings that partake of it. 'Tis by this that the sun itself is seen, and his glory beheld, and all other things are discovered: 'tis by a participation of this communication from the sun that surrounding objects receive all their luster, beauty and brightness. 'Tis by this that all nature is quickened and receives life, comfort and joy. Light is abundantly used in Scripture to represent and signify these three things, knowledge, holiness and happiness.6
What has been said may be sufficient to show how those things, which are spoken of in Scripture as ultimate ends of God's works,
though they may seem at first view to be distinct, all are plainly to be reduced to this one thing, viz. God's internal glory or fullness extant externally, or existing in its emanation. And though God in seeking this end, seeks the creature's good; yet therein appears his supreme regard to himself.
The emanation or communication of the divine fullness, consisting in the knowledge of God, love to God, and joy in God, has relation indeed both to God and the creature: but it has relation to God as its fountain, as it is an emanation from God; and as the communication itself, or thing communicated, is something divine, something of God, something of his internal fullness; as the water in the stream is something of the fountain; and as the beams are of the sun. And again, they have relation to God as they have respect to him as their object: for the knowledge communicated is the knowledge of God; and so God is the object of the knowledge: and the love communicated, is the love of God; so God is the object of that love: and the happiness communicated, is joy in God; and so he is the object of the joy communicated. In the creature's knowing, esteeming, loving, rejoicing in, and praising God, the glory of God is both exhibited and acknowledged; his fullness is received and returned. Here is both an emanation and remanation. The refulgence shines upon and into the creature, and is reflected back to the luminary. The beams of glory come from God, and are something of God, and are refunded back again to their original. So that the whole is of God, and in God, and to God; and God is the beginning, middle and end in this affair.
And though it be true that God has respect to the creature in these things; yet his respect to himself, and to the creature in this matter, are not properly to be looked upon as a double and divided respect of God's heart. What has been said in Ch. I, Sec. III and IV may be
sufficient to show this. Nevertheless, it may not be amiss here briefly to say a few things, though they are mostly implied in what has been said already.
When God was about to create the world, he had respect to that emanation of his glory, which is actually the consequence of the creation, just as it is with regard to all that belongs to it, both with regard to its relation to himself, and the creature. He had regard to it as an emanation from himself, and a communication of himself, and as the thing communicated, in its nature returned to himself, as its final term. And he had regard to it also as the emanation was to the creature, and as the thing communicated was in the creature, as its subject. And God had regard to it in this manner, as he had a supreme regard to himself, and value for his own infinite internal glory. It was this value for himself that caused him to value and seek that his internal glory should flow forth from himself. It was from his value for his glorious perfections of wisdom and righteousness, etc., that he valued the proper exercise and effect of these perfections, in wise and righteous acts and effects. It was from his infinite value for his internal glory and fullness, that he valued the thing itself, which is communicated, which is something of the same, extant in the creature. Thus, because he infinitely values his own glory, consisting in the knowledge of himself, love to himself, and complacence and joy in himself; he therefore valued the image, communication or participation of these, in the creature.2 And 'tis because he values himself, that he delights in the knowledge and love and joy of the creature; as being himself the object of this knowledge, love and complacence. For it is the necessary consequence of the true esteem and love of any person or being (suppose a son or friend) that we should approve and value others' esteem of the same object, and disapprove and dislike the contrary. For the same reason it is the
consequence of a being's esteem and love of himself that he should approve of others' esteem and love of himself.
Thus 'tis easy to conceive how God should seek the good of the creature, consisting in the creature's knowledge and holiness, and even his happiness, from a supreme regard to himself; as his happiness arises from that which is an image and participation of God's own beauty; and consists in the creature's exercising a supreme regard to God and complacence in him; in beholding God's glory, in esteeming and loving it, and rejoicing in it, and in his exercising and testifying love and supreme respect to God: which is the same thing with the creature's exalting God as his chief good, and making him his supreme end.5
And though the emanation of God's fullness which God intended in the creation, and which actually is the consequence of it, is to the creature as its object, and the creature is the subject of the fullness communicated, and is the creature's good; and was also regarded as such, when God sought it as the end of his works: yet it don't necessarily follow, that even in so doing, he did not make himself his end. It comes to the same thing. God's respect to the creature's good, and his respect to himself, is not a divided respect; but both are united in one, as the happiness of the creature aimed at is happiness in union with himself. The creature is no further happy with this happiness which God makes his ultimate end than he becomes one with God. The more happiness the greater union: when the happiness is perfect, the union is perfect. And as the happiness will be increasing to eternity, the union will become more and more strict and perfect; nearer and more like to that between God the Father and the Son; who are so united, that their interest is perfectly one. If the happiness of the creature be considered as it will be, in the whole of the creature's eternal duration, with all the infinity of its progress,
and infinite increase of nearness and union to God; in this view, the creature must be looked upon as united to God in an infinite strictness.
If God has respect to something in the creature, which he views as of everlasting duration, and as rising higher and higher through that infinite duration, and that not with constantly diminishing (but perhaps an increasing) celerity: then he has respect to it as, in the whole, of infinite height; though there never will be any particular time when it can be said already to have come to such an height.
Let the most perfect union with God be represented by something at an infinite height above us; and the eternally increasing union of the saints with God, by something that is ascending constantly towards that infinite height, moving upwards with a given velocity; and that is to continue thus to move to all eternity. God who views the whole of this eternally increasing height views it as an infinite height. And if he has respect to it, and makes it his end, as in the whole of it, he has respect to it as an infinite height, though the time will never come when it can be said it has already arrived at this infinite height.
God aims at that which the motion or progression which he causes aims at, or tends to. If there be many things supposed to be so made and appointed, that by a constant and eternal motion, they all tend to a certain center; then it appears that he who made them and is the cause of their motion, aimed at that center, that term of their motion to which they eternally tend, and are eternally, as it were, striving after. And if God be this center, then God aimed at himself. And herein it appears that as he is the first author of their being and motion, so he is the last end, the final term, to which is their ultimate tendency and aim.
We may judge of the end that the Creator aimed at, in the being, nature and tendency he gives the creature, by the mark or term which they constantly aim at in their tendency and eternal progress; though the time will never come when it can be said it is attained to, in the most absolutely perfect manner.
But if strictness of union to God be viewed as thus infinitely exalted; then the creature must be regarded as infinitely, nearly and closely united to God. And viewed thus, their interest must be viewed as one with God's interest; and so is not regarded properly with a disjunct and separate, but an undivided respect. And as to any difficulty of reconciling God's not making the creature his ultimate end, with a respect properly distinct from a respect to himself; with his benevolence and free grace, and the creature's obligation to gratitude, the reader must be referred to Ch. I, Sec. IV, Obj. 4 where this objection has been considered and answered at large.
If by reason of the strictness of the union of a man and his family, their interest may be looked upon as one, how much more one is the interest of Christ and his church (whose first union in heaven is unspeakably more perfect and exalted, than that of an earthly father and his family), if they be considered with regard to their eternal and increasing union! Doubtless it may justly be esteemed as so much one that it may be supposed to be aimed at and sought, not with a distinct and separate, but an undivided respect.
'Tis certain that what God aimed at in the creation of the world was the good that would be the consequence of the creation, in the whole continuance of the thing created.
'Tis no solid objection against God's aiming at an infinitely perfect union of the creature with himself, that the particular time will never come when it can be said, the union is now infinitely perfect. God
aims at satisfying justice in the eternal damnation of sinners; which will be satisfied by their damnation, considered no otherwise than with regard to its eternal duration. But yet there never will come that particular moment, when it can be said, that now justice is satisfied. But if this don't satisfy our modern freethinkers, who don't like the talk about satisfying justice with an infinite punishment; I suppose it will not be denied by any that God, in glorifying the saints in heaven with eternal felicity, aims to satisfy his infinite grace or benevolence, by the bestowment of a good infinitely valuable, because eternal: and yet there never will come the moment, when it can be said, that now this infinitely valuable good has been actually bestowed.
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A Dissertation Concerning The End For Which God Created The World by Jonathan Edwards, Copyright © 2020
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