William Ames
William Ames
William Ameswas an English Protestant divine, philosopher, and controversialist. He spent much time in the Netherlands, and is noted for his involvement in the controversy between the Calvinists and the Arminians...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
attributes attributes-of-god
The attributes of God tell us what He is and who He is.
father son essence
The relative property of the Son is to be begotten, that is, so to proceed from the Father as to be a participant of the same essence and perfectly carry on the Father's nature.
may creation efficiency
The efficiency of God may be understood as either creation or providence.
yield firsts concern
The first act of religion, therefore, concerns those things which are communicated to us from God. The other concerns those things which we yield to God.
special ordinary inward
Sanctification is not to be understood here as a separation from ordinary use or consecration to some special use, although this meaning is often present in Scripture, sometimes referring to outward and sometimes to inward or effectual separation.
blessing faithful unions
Participation in the blessings of the union with Christ comes when the faithful have all the things needed to live well and blessedly to God.
matter eternity makers
Nothing exists from eternity but God, and God is not the matter or a part of any creature, but only the maker.
exercise perfect firsts
In the exercise of God's efficiency, the decree of God comes first. This manner of working is the most perfect of all and notably agrees with the divine nature.
afterlife heard knows
Everyone who understands the nature of God rightly necessarily knows that God is to be believed and hoped in, that he is to be loved and called upon, and to be heard in all things.
spiritual prayer hearing
From faith, hope, and love, the virtues of religion referring to God, there arises a double act which bears on the spiritual communion exercised between God and us; the hearing of the word and prayer.
church today helping
Therefore, the church is not absolutely necessary as an object of faith, not even for us today, for then Abraham and the other prophets would not have given assent to those things which were revealed to them from God without any intervening help of the church.
essence property subsistence
This subsistence, or manner of being of God is his one essence so far as it has personal properties.
men soul grace
Although the whole man partakes of this grace, it is first and most appropriately in the soul and later progresses to the body, inasmuch as the body of the man is capable of the same obedience to the will of God as the soul.
mind contentment acquiescence
The virtue of contentment is the acquiescence of the mind in the lot God has given