εξ οὗ τα παντα there is no other God but one Father, of whom are all things.

In the work on "the Object of the Gospel and epistles of John," § 95, it is remarked, that the context of John 17:3, and 1 Cor. 8:4-6, proves, that God the Father is denominated the only true God, in opposition to the false deities of the heathen. In the first passage (v. 2) the phrase лασα σαo§ all flesh, refers to this contradistinction; and in the second passage, it is expressly mentioned.

ILLUSTRATION 6.

Is. 44: 8,

"There is no other Being beside myself in whom unbounded confidence can be reposed, I

-I am he, be אֲנִי הוּא לְפָנַי לֹא־נוֹצַר אֶל110 :43 ”.know none

I am Jehovah who made all נֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם לְבַדִּי רֹקַע הָאָרֶץ מֵאתִּי

fore me there was no God formed. 44: 24,

things, who stretched out the heavens by myself, who spread abroad the earth by myself.

Deut. 6:4,

ILLUSTRATION 7.

ing in Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. This is a figure of speech in which the subject of the proposition is repeated in the predicate, as is the case in John 3: 31; and it may be explained by Is. 45: 5, 6, 18. In these verses, the words "I (he is called Jehovah v. 1, 3, 18) am Jehovah, and there is no other Jehovah." The name Jehovah, here used as the predicate of Jehovah, designates the greatness of Jehovah ; by virtue of which he is able to foretell and to perform such great things (v. 1-3, 7, 19— 21), and to be the Creator of the heavens and the earth (v. 18), which of course belong to him alone, to the exclusion of all whose greatness might be compared with his. The proper name Jehovah, is therefore in this place synonymous with the appellative God; and the words, "I am Jehovah, there is no

other Jehovah," signify the same as the words (in v. 5): "besides me, there is no God;" that is, no other is, what I Jehovah am-the character of God, which belongs to me, is ascribable to no other.

ILLUSTRATION 8.

Compare Job 4: 18, with 15: 15.-Even spirits of the higher orders are not perfectly pure.

§ 29.

Absolute selfexistence, eternity, and immutability of God. As God does not derive his existence, from any other being, he must have "his life within himself," -Soon exei ev εavio John 5: 26. This life in him-ζωην εχει εν self, is nothing else than his absolutely necessary existence (1); which renders it impossible that his existence should terminate (2), or that his power should be diminished, or any change in him occur (3), or that his existence should have had a beginning (4); in short, which renders him eternal (5).

ILLUSTRATION 1.

The absolutely necessary existence of God.

1 Tim. 6 : 16 ὁ μονος εχων αθανασιαν who alone has immortality. The immortality here ascribed to God exclusively, must be something different from that immortality which belongs to all rational beings; it must denote the absolute necessity of his existence, such an existence as not only will never terminate, but which continues necessarily, and on account of this necessity neither had a beginning nor will have an end; in a word, an eternal life, Sion arvios 1 John 5: 20. 1: 2. comp. v. 1. John 1:1—3. But as absolute immortality belongs to God

exclusively, it follows that the spirits whom God has created, are not necessarily immortal; but as they began to exist, so they may cease to exist, if their Creator, on whose will they are dependent, should not wish their existence to continue.

That the word αιωνιος, in the phrase ζωη αιωνιος 1 John 5: 20, refers not only to future existence or immortality, but also to past existence, eternal preexistence; appears from 1 John 1: 1, ò ŋv añ2 ɑoxns, which is equivalent to εv ɑogy John 1: 1, i. e. in the beginning of the world, before all creatures (John 1: 3), from eternity (Is. 43: 13 in LXX). See the "Object of St. John," p. 385. Note, p. 437 &c.

ILLUSTRATION 2.

Ps. 102: 25, 27, 28, No17 ON

בְּדוֹר דּוֹרִים שְׁנוֹתֶיךָ:

– throughout eternity are thy years וּשְׁנוֹתֶיךָ לֹא יִתָּמוּ:

thou

art (he) the same, and thy years shall not terminate. Deut. 32: 40, I live forever. Dan. 12: 7. Rev. 10: 6, 5wv εις τους αιώνας των αιωνων living forever and ever.

ILLUSTRATION 3.

thou shalt endure אַתָּה תַעֲמוֹד אַתָּה הוּא,27,8 :102 .Ps

-thou art the same. This immutability of the essence and attributes of God, renders the immutability of his purposes the more certain (§ 26).

On account of the immutability and indestructibility of his nature, God is called uvuoros incorruptible, Rom. 1:23. 1 Tim. 1: 17.

ILLUSTRATION 4.

from eternity to eternity מֵעוֹלָם עַד־עוֹלָם אַתָּה אֵל,23,900:12 .Ps

thou art God.

ILLUSTRATION 5.

Rom. 1: 20, αίδιος αυτου δυναμις και θειότης his eternal power and Godhead.

§ 30.

Incomparable excellence or infinity of the divine attributes.

As the highest excellences by which other beings are distinguished, must be regarded as nothing, in comparison with the divine attributes; God is termed the incomparable One (sanctus, ayos, wip) (1); or he is the being who is separate from all other beings (2), and who cannot be compared to any other (3). This incomparable excellence, which philosophers and divines have denominated the infinity(4) or the boundless perfection of God (5), refers to his holiness (6), his justice (7), his power (8), and in short, to each divine perfection. If applied to his power, it is termed omnipotence (9); if to his knowledge, omniscience (10). Both are included in the expression, omnipresence (11). And on account of his infinite goodness, he is called the blessed God (μanagios εos 1 Tim. 1: 11. 6:15), who needs the aid of no other, because he is selfexistent, (all things depending on him (12),) and the sum and substance of all grace (лaca zapis 1 Pet. 5: 10), and love itself ayaлn 1 John 4: 8, 16 (13).

ILLUSTRATION 1.

holy, holy, holy is קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת,6:3 .Is

myself the incomparable One." Ps. 22: 4.

99: 3, 5, 9. 111: 9

(here the predicate i is placed with wip, as in Ps. 99 :3) Rev. 4: 8, άγιος, άγιος, άγιος κυριος ὁ θεος ὁ παντοκρατωρ holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty.

ILLUSTRATION 2.

1 Tim. 6: 16, φως οικων απροσιτον, ὃν ειδεν ουδεις ανθρωπων, ουδε ιδειν δύναται dwelling in inaccessible light, whom no

man hath seen or can see. 1 Tim. 6: 16. (ip, according to its primitive import, as is known, signifies, "to separate a thing from others.")

ILLUSTRATION 3.

Ex. 15: 11, in

77: 14, Dyibną baby

who is like thee, Jehovah? Ps. who is so great a God as thou God

66

to whom will * אֶל־מִי תְדַמְּיוּנִי וְאֶשְׁוָה יֹאמַר קָדוֹשׁ,40:25 .art? Is

you compare me ?" whom shall I resemble ? saith the holy One, ip. See also, on this incomparableness of God, the following passages: Ps. 86: 8-10. 89: 7-9. 113:5. 148:13. The expression dɣions tov dεov Heb. 12: 10, seems also to signify the superior perfections of God, in general; as well his happiness as his moral perfection. Vide Comm. in loc. note n.

ILLUSTRATION 4.

Ps. 145: 3,778 in-LXX, ins μeɣadwovvns avTOν OVX EσTI пεoas his greatness is unsearchable-has no end.

ILLUSTRATION 5.

In Job 11: 7-9, the immensity of God is represented in a poetic manner, according to height, depth, length, and breadth.2

ILLUSTRATION 6.

1 Pet. 1: 15, 16, άγιοι γενεσθε, ότι εγω άγιος ειμι be ye holy, because I am holy. As all the attributes of God, and especially his holiness, are distinguished from the characteristics of all other beings, by their greatness and elevation; so also should

1 Michaelis has elucidated the meaning of wip, in a very appropriate manner, by the phrase of Horace: "Nil habens simile vel secundum." Supplem. ad Lex. Heb.

2 The immensity of God, is that attribute of his greatness, which consists in its sustaining no relation to any known measure or standard ;—his infinity signifies, that no divine perfection will admit of comparison with any finite excellence. See Carus' Religionsphilosophie, S. 284.