What is meant by, whych are in heauen. / God is ech wheat / God alwaye present to helpe vs.
The Question About Heaven
The Master asks why we say God is in heaven and whether He is limited to a place, citing Scripture.
Master. Why do you say he is in heaven? Is he in one specific, limited place in heaven? What does it mean when he says of himself, "I fill both heaven and earth"? And again, "Heaven is my seat, and the earth my footstool."1
The Meaning of 'In Heaven'
The Scholar explains that 'in heaven' signifies God's heavenly nature, His glory, and His omnipresence, supported by the witness of Jeremiah.
Scholar. I've spoken about this somewhat already; to that I'll add what follows. First of all, whenever we say "who are in heaven," it means as much as "heavenly and divine." For we ought to think much more highly of our heavenly Father than of our earthly father. He is also said to be in heaven for this reason: that in that high and heavenly place the noble and wonderful works of God show themselves more clearly and gloriously; and he is now declared to be in everlasting and complete happiness, whereas we still live as exiles on earth in great wretchedness.2 Moreover, just as heaven, by its immeasurable expanse, contains all places—the earth and the sea—and no place can be hidden from heaven's vast reach, since it is present to everything at every moment: so by this we can understand that God is likewise present to everything in every place. He sees, hears, and governs all things, being himself a spirit and utterly far from every earthly and mortal condition. Of this Jeremiah the prophet is a witness.
God's Omnipresence and the First Petition
The Scholar applies Jeremiah's words to inspire fear and trust in God's omnipresence, then transitions to the first petition of the Lord's Prayer.
Am I not a God who is near to you? says the Lord. And am I not a God who is far off? Can anyone hide in a corner where I cannot see him?3 This is a pointed saying, meant to instill fear in us so that we do not offend that Lord of such a vast dominion; and through it we are also firmly persuaded to believe that God will hear us whenever we are in need. For he is present at all times and in all places. With this foundation laid, and such a sweet and pleasant entrance prepared, there follows the first part of the Lord's Prayer, in which we ask that not only we, but also all others, whoever they may be, may in holiness honor, reverence, and worship his name.
Read the original English
Maist. Why doste thousaye, he is in heauen? is he in sō … o…e certayne and lymited place in heauen▪ what me… ▪ neth that which he sayth of hym selfe: I fyll bothe heauen and earthe: agayn, the heauen is my seate and the earthe my footestoole.
Scholer. Hereof haue I spoken, some what before: wher vnto I wyl ioyne this that foloweth. Fyrst of all, as oft as we do say (which arte in heauen) it is as much to sai, as heauēly and diuine. For we ought to thyncke much hier of our heauenly father thā of our earthly. He is also sayde to be in heauen for this cause: that in that hye and heauēly place the n… ble and wonderful workes of God, do the more clearly and gloriously shewe them selues: and he is now declared to be in euerlasting and full felicity: whereas we abide, yet banyshed in earthe full wretchedlye. Moreouer as the heauen by vnmeasurable widnesse of compasse, conteyneth all places, the earthe, and the sea: and no place is thear, that maye be hidde from the large reatch of heauen, sith it is at euery instāt of time, to euery thing present: So hearby may we vnderstād, that god is likewyse present to eche thynge in eche place. He seeth, heareth and gouerneth al thinges: he beyng hym self a spirite, and moste farre from al earthlye and mortall state. Wytnesse whereof Hieremy the Prophete.
Am not I (saythe the Lorde) a God neare vnto you? and am not I a God farre of? shall anye man be able to shroude hym selfe in suche a corner, that I can not espye hym? This is a pithye sentence, to driue feare into vs, that we offend not that Lorde of so large a dominion: wherby also we are perswaded assuredly to beleue, that God wyll heare whensoeuer we shall stande in nede. For he is at al times and in all places presente, This foundacion then laid: and so sweete and plesaunte entraunce prepared: ther foloweth the fyrst parte of the Lordes prayer: wherein we requyre, that not onlye wee, but also all other who soeuer, maye in holynes, honor, reuerence, and worshyp hys name.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source line is damaged (sō … o…e; me… ▪ neth). Restored as 'some one' and 'meaneth' from residual letters, tokenization, and sense.
- 2 ↩Source shows damaged reading 'n… ble'; restored as 'noble' from sense and orthography ('noble and wonderful workes').
- 3 ↩shroude rendered as hide (conceal); espye as see/detect.
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit