the body of Divinity First I will begin with the Creation and will labour to unfold the nature of it in generall And then I will proceed to the handling of all the speciall works therof every one distinctly by it self in particular Secondly I will passe from thence to the works of Gods actuall providence under which comes the government and preservation of the world and of al things created and the ordering and disposing of every thing to the proper end of it More especially the fall of man into sin misery and guilt of damnation And the Redemption of man from misery and his Restauration to grace and glory by the application and fruition of Redemption and by true spirituall union and communion with Christ the Redeemer and with God the Father in him by the inhabitation of the Holy Ghost Thus much for the generall Doctrin of Gods outward works laid down in this Text and for the division of them in their severall heads and kinds unto which all the particular outward works may be reduced FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OF THE CREATION OF THE VVORLD GEN. 1. 1. In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth IN this Chapter the historle of the Creation is most plainely and succinctly written by Moses and the workes of the six dayes are distinctly laid downe according to the order wherein God created and made all creatures in heaven and earth In the second Chapter some things which were but more briefely and generally laid downe in the first Chapter to wit the creation of plants herbes and trees and of birds and beasts and especially of man and woman and the creation of the garden of Eden with other circumstances are more plainely and fully related And therefore I have made choice of those two Chapters the words whereof doe give us ground and occasion to handle the doctrine of the creation and to discusse of all points therein needfull to be knowne for the glory of God and our own profit and comforts In the whole history comprehended in these two Chapters the Spirit of God offers to our consideration two things First the creation as it is a worke of God together with the severall parts and degrees of it Secondly the creatures produced by that work even the whole world and all things therein contained that is the heavens and the earth all the host of them Creation is here described First generally according to the common nature of it as it concernes all creatures and is the making of them all Secondly it is distinguished and described particularly according to the severall parts and branches thereof as it concernes severall kindes of things created First Creation is described generally by the name the Author or cause and by the time and forme of it throughout this whole Chapter Secondly it is distinguished into two branches or degrees The first is simple or absolute and immediate creation which is a making of something out of nothing The other is secondary creation that is a making of perfect things out of an imperfect matter which was before created of nothing and was of it selfe most unfit for any such substantiáll forme and being as was raised out of it Simple or absolute creation which is a making of things out of nothing is laid downe in the first verse And that is here distinguished into two particular branches according to the number of the things created the Heaven and the Earth The first is the creation of the highest heavens and all the host of them as the spirit of God by Moses expounds himselfe more plainely Chap. 2. 1. This was a most perfect creating and making of things perfect in nature forme and being out of nothing and that in an instant The second is the creating of the earth that is a rude imperfect masse and confused Chaos or deep which was without forme and void and fit for no substantiall forme or perfect being as yet neither could subsist but by the spirit supernaturally susteining it For so the word Earth is expounded in the next verse even to be that rude masse and deep which he made of nothing that it might be the common matter of all the inferiour visible world and of the creatures therein conteined The second maine branch of creation which I call secondary or mediate creation and which is a making of things perfect out of an imperfect matter created of nothing is laid downe historically throughout these two Chapters where the creation of the severall kindes of creatures in the six dayes is described particularly And this hath also two particular branches The first is the creating of things out of the first rude confused matter which was without forme and void and full of darknesse such was the creating of the foure elements 1. Fire called light 2. The Aire called the firmament 3. The Waters or the Seas 4. The Earth or drye land The second is the creating of things perfect out of the second matter which was beforehand formed and disposed into the forme and substance of elements such was the creation of the Sunne Moone and Starres in the heavens and of the foules in the aire and fishes in the sea and beasts on earth which were all created of the second matter that is of the matter of the elements brought into forme There is besides these branches of creation another particular creation mixt of simple and secondary creation namely the creation of man who in respect of his body was made of the dust of the earth by secondary or mediate creation and in respect of his soule was created by God as the Angels were immediatly of nothing by a simple absolute and immediate creation This is also described First generally in this Chapter verse 26 27. and also distinctly and particularly Cap. 2. 7. And as this history doth describe the act or worke of creation both generally and particularly in all the bâ—anches thereof so also all the Creatures or kindes of things created The Creatures are here distinguished according to the time and order of their creation Some of them were created in the first beginning of time in the first moment wherein time first began to wit the highest heaven with the inhabitants thereof the Angels and the earth that is the rude masse or first common matter of the inferiour world and all the creatures therein Some of them were created in the progresse of time or in times distinct even in six severall dayes to wit all the rest of the creatures and they are distinguished by the time and order of their creation Some were created the first day some the second and the rest severally in the rest of the six dayes and they are described by their severall names and natures as shall appeare hereafter when they come to be handled distinctly CHAP. I. Of the Creation in generall What the Hebrew word signifieth Of the Author Time Object and Forme of the Creation A description of
there is no helpe in them Psalme 146. 3. and that of the Prophet Ieremie Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme Ier. 17. 5. Secondly though there happen many changes and great confusion in the World yet let us here take notice that they come not by chance and allwayes acknowledge that they are in the will and power of God and are ordered and disposed by his over-ruling wisedome If to the wicked enemies and persecutors of Gods Church changes come for worse to their confusion and overturning of their power let us see Gods hand therein and let us give him the praise for working our deliverance and avenging our cause on our enemies If changes come to our selves and our peace bee turned into trouble and danger let us humble our selves as under Gods hand If our adversity bee turned into prosperity let God have all the thankes If wee see just cause to feare great changes in Church or State let us flie to God for helpe strength courage and patience and betake our selves to his protection that wee may rest safely under the shadowes of his wings The third point of doctrine which wee may observe from the Spirit of God moving upon the waters cherishing and fitting the unformed masse to receive a perfect being and perfect formes of visible creatures doth shew the concord and perfect similitude which is between the worke of creation by which God formed all things by his word and Spirit and the worke of restauration and redemption of mankind by which he reformes them by Christ and by his Spirit and brings them to supernaturall perfection and blessednesse As in the creation God by his Spirit cherishing the rude masse did prepare and fit every part thereof to receive a perfect forme and naturall being so in the restoring of man kind being deprived of his image and deformed God doth by his Word and by his Spirit shed on us through Christ regenerate renue reforme and prepare us for the fruition of himselfe and doth fit and prepare us for supernaturall perfection and blessednesse As in Ezechiels vision the wind from God did move and shake the drie bones scattered upon the face of the earth and fitted them by flesh and skinne to receive life and to stand up living men in perfect strength and stature So by the word and Spirit of God men dead and rotten in sinnes and sinfull corruption are by the Spirit of God breathed through Christ renued after his image and fitted by the life of grace for the eternall life of glory Ezech. 37. The Spirit of God as our Saviour testifieth is like the wind which bloweth where it listeth it is hee which doth frame us after Gods image in our new birth Ioh. 3. 5 8. and fits us for the Kingdome of glory Wee are as farre from God and from Christ and as void of his image and of all Spirituall life as the rude masse was of all forme in the first creation untill the Spirit of God bee given to us in Christ to dwell in us and renue us as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 8. 9. 13. Ephes. 2. 18. 22. and Tit. 3. 5. 6. Wherefore as wee desire to be made like unto Christ in the image of glory and to see and enjoy God in his heavenly Kingdom where all fulnesse of perfection and blessednesse is to bee found So let us by the consideration of this Doctrine bee stirred up to thirst after the river of the water of life even the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost and never rest satisfied till wee feele within us the testimony of the Spirit of Christ witnessing with our Spirits that wee are the children of God and till wee feele our selves sanctified throughout both in soule and body and holinesse engraven upon our hearts without which none can see God Secondly seeing the Spirit of God is he who prepares men for supernaturall perfection and there is no communion to be had with Christ nor participation of his merits and saving benefits to salvation except men have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and of profane and carnall sons of Adam making them holy and spirituall sons of God Let us not count it any shame or reproach to us that profane mockers of these last times doe in mockery and derision call us spirituall men who ascribe all good motions which are in us to the Spirit of God dwelling in us directing us in all our wayes We doe not deny but that all Enthusiasts and other men of fanaticall Spirit doe most profanely and sacrilegiously Father their owne fansies and lustfull motions on the Spirit of God and therein deserve reproach and derision but let men take heed that they doe not by loathing their hypocrisie and arrogancy runne into Atheisme and blasphemous impiety by rejecting and denying the Spirits dwelling in all Gods regenerate children working in them all saving graces and moving them to walke in the holy wayes of God which lead unto supernaturall perfection and eternall blessednesse For most certaine it is that as the first rude matter of the visible World was sustained and cherished by the Spirit of God moving upon the face of it and was not otherwise able to subsist or to bee formed into divers creatures every one made perfect in their kind with naturall perfection so the perfect stabilitie of man in an happie unchangable estate yea the perfection of the visible World made for mans use is the work of the holy Ghost uniting man to to God in Christ and gathering and reconciling all things unto God in him who is the head over all Although man and all creatures as appeares in the last verse of this Chapter were created every one good and perfect in his kind with naturall perfection yet man the chiefe and the Lord of them all having not as yet the holy Ghost shed on him through Christ as all the regenerate and faithfull have was mutable and in that honourable estate of innocency hee did not stand and abide but did full from it very quickly after that the Woman was created and given to him as wee read Chap. 3. yea hee did not lodge one night therein Psalme 49. 12. and by Mans sinfull fall and corruption the whole frame of the visible World was made subject to vanity and groaneth under it as under an intolerable burden and with earnest longing waiteth for deliverance and restitution to an higher estate in the glorious libertie of the sons of God Rom. 8. 19. 20. And although the eternall Word the Son of God had undertaken for man in the eternall counsell of the blessed Trinitie and did step in to mediate for man and in the first promise made upon mans fall was proclaimed to bee the onely and all-sufficient Redeemer and was fully exhibited in the flesh and became a perfect Redeemer in his death and resurrection so that in him is plenteous redemption and matter sufficient to merit more then
given to all mankind in the creation so marriage which God appointed for the increase of men on earth is by the law of God which is written in mans heart and engraven in mans nature free for all Men and Women to whom God hath given ability and strength of body for procreation and fruitfulnesse for increase of mankind As the text here openly expresseth so much so in all the Scriptures wee have examples of holy men of all sorts even of Priests and Prophets not onely allowed but also commanded by God to take Wives and beget children as Isaiah cap. 8. 3. Ezechiel chap. 24. Hosea chap. 1. And the Apostle commends it as honourable in all Hebr. 13. 4. And the Apostles who were most devoted to Christ and to his worke did lead about Wives with them 1 Cor. 9. 5. And although in times of great trouble and persecution raised up against Christianity Wives are a great burden and breed much care and griefe to preachers of the Gospell especially who must bee ready to run and flee whithersoever God cals them and therefore in such cases the Apostle by reason of the urgent and pressing necessity holdeth it better for continent and chaste Men and Women to remaine unmarried 1 Cor. 7. 26. And our Saviour doth approve and well like it in case when a mans heart and affection is so extraordinarily taken up with the love of the Kingdome of heaven that hee is like an Eunuch without any desire of affection of marriage Matth. 19. 12. Yet wee have no word or precept in all the Scripture to restraine any Persons of any order or calling from liberty of marriage Saint Paul affirmes that he and Barnabas had power and liberty in this kind though they used it not 1 Cor. 9. 5. The consideration whereof serves First to teach Men and Women of all sorts to maintaine and retaine that liberty which God had given them from their first creation and to admonish them to beware that neither Satan by his suggestions nor any of his wicked instruments by their cunningly devised fables nor any misconceipt of their owne hearts doe lay a needlesse snare upon their consciences and possesse them with a false opinion concerning that liberty which God hath written in mans heart in the state of innocency which cannot bee taken away without violence offered to nature They who are thus instructed and fully perswaded if they doe marrie they may have comfort in this assurance that they are not out of Gods high-way neither in this have swerved from his perfect law and rule of liberty If they find many crosses in the married life yet let them know that they are not curses laid on marriage for an unlawfulnesse of it If they doe live single to avoid worldly cares and to devote themselves wholly to heavenly thoughts and spirituall cares for the Kingdome of heaven they have more cause to rejoyce and glory in the aboundance of Gods speciall grace to them in that hee hath given them an heart to forsake lesser blessings for the gaining of greater and bringing of more glory to God Secondly this sheweth that the Popes prohibitions of Priests marriage and the absolute vowes of virginity and single life taught and imposed by the Church of Rome are cursed and corrupt inventions of men and diabolicall devices yea damnable haeresies as the Apostle calleth them 1 Tim. 4. 1. and 2 Pet. 2. 1. For though divers holy Men of God to whom God gave power over their owne wils and the gift of continency to stand steadfast in their owne hearts have strongly resolved to keepe their virginity and to live single that they might apply themselves to the service of God and his Church with greater freedome from worldly eares and have steadfastly held their resolution proving themselves such as our Saviour and his Apostle doe commend Matth. 19. 12. and 1 Cor. 7. yet wee never read in Scripture that they were commanded by God or that they did bind themselves voluntarily by an unchangable vow or under any execration to abstaine from marriage and from procreation of children therein but alwayes without any absolute necessity imposed on them remained at liberty to marry if just occasion were offered If our adversaries object that the law of nature must give place to the Evangelicall law which hath greater promises and tends to lead men to supernaturall and heavenly happinesse and that for Christs sake and his Churches good wee must renounce liberty of nature I answere that the Evangelicall law doth not offer violence to the law of nature neither doth it abolish any part thereof but rather doth perfect it by giving men grace willingly to neglect naturall liberty for the gaining of a better estate As for example the law of nature requires that men love Fathers Mothers Wives Children and their owne lives and gives them liberty to hold lands and houses but yet when the case so stands by reason of tyrannie and presecution raging that a man must either forsake all these or deny Christ and renounce Christian religion here a man ought to forgoe all for Christ as the Gospell teacheth And yet the Gospell never commandeth us to renounce Father or Mother or Houses or Land and the like and to expose our selves to death when we may together with Parents Wives Children and Life still cleave to Christ and enjoy him for salvation yea it were frensie and fury for any Church to impose lawes on men for the hating of Parents Wives and Children forsaking houses and lands and giving themselves to death voluntarily when there is no inevitable necessity laid on them but they may live good and faithfull Christians and yet love Parents Wives and Children possesse lands and houses and live in safety Wherefore though wee highly commend them who more zealously follow Christ and forsake the World and make small account of naturall blessings in comparison of spirituall but doe as Saint Paul did who made the Gospell free and did not use lawfull liberty and power yet wee cannot but count them execrable who tyrannize and lay cruell snares upon mens consciences and impose lawes and vowes upon themselves or others to forsake and renounce utterly their lawfull liberty and to bind them by that law and vow which either they must breake or else fall into many wofull inconveniencies and abominable evils and mischiefes as wee see in the Popes lawes and vowes which have proved causes and occasions of secret Whoredomes publike Stewes many Rapes and Murders of innocents to the staining and defiling of the whole Land Thirdly we hence learne that our first parents in the state of innocency had in them both the affection and naturall desire to bring forth children and to increase mankind with all convenient speed God so commanding them also they had all strength and ability of body to beget and bring forth and there was in them no defect to hinder procreation for a moment The words of the
Ioseph professeth ascribing all his piety and charity which hee shewed in nourishing his bretheren and their families to God And all naturall good things God worketh either immediatly by his owne hand alone as in the creation wherein hee gave being to all things without any meanes at all or by instruments and meanes which hee himselfe hath first created hee giveth light by the Sun Moone and Starres and by them and the whole Heavens which are turned about by his counsels and by their influâ—nce hee refresheth and nourisheth all creatures on Earth and also doth by them both use correction and shew mercy Iob 37. 12 13. and Matth. 5. 45. There are besides these other things which are good and profitable not simply in their owne nature but by accident and in some respect as for example for men to abstaine from marriage and from begetting children for the increase of mankind is not a thing naturally or morally good in it selfe being a refraining from the use of Gods ordinance but yet in case of urgent necessity when Gods Ministers and Servants doe live in times and places of persecution and are driven to flee and wander from place to place naked and destitute of meanes whereby to maintaine Wives and Children Saint Paul tells us it is good for a Man to live single and not to touch a Woman 1 Cor. 7. 1 35. for by this meanes he shall avoid much distraction and more freely attend the service of God Also for men to fast and afflict their bodies by abstaining from comfortable nourishment and necessary food for a time is not simply good in it selfe but yet it is profitable for taming the proud and rebellious flesh and for furthering of our humiliation in times of private and publike calamities when Gods hand is heavy upon us or upon our Land and the feare of his threatning judgments which hang over our heads doe terrifie us these and such like are called good things that is profitable expedient and by accident and in some respect and condition good Other things there bee which in their owne nature are evill and hurtfull and evils of affliction and punishment as crosses of Gods people and plagues which though they hurt and destroy the outward man and the flesh yet by God gracâ— they worke to the saving of their soules and the amendment of their lives as wee read Psalme 119. 67 71. and 1 Cor. 5. 5. and 11. 32. and in that respect are called good And the plagues and destructions which befall the wicked which to them are dreadfull and wofull evils and curses but as they tend to the deliverance of Gods Church from their 〈…〉 rsecutions and oppressions to the purging of his land and the magnifying of Gods justice and power so they are good in the issue and event and in respect of Gods purpose intending good by them Now in all these God hath an active and working band as well as a permitting will and his actuall providence ruleth in them Hee gives men the gift of continency and power over their owne wils to live single and to make themselves Eunuches for his Kingdomes sake as our Saviours words shew Matth. 19. 11 12. and the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 37. Hee cals upon men in his word and by his grace stirres them up to fasting weeping mourning and afflicting of their bodies for the greater humiliation of their soules Joel 1. 14. and 2. 12. and Zach. 12. 10. Hee doth sometimes by his owne hand afflict his people when hee sends among them sore diseases which are the stroke of his hand Job 36. 18. and Psalme 39. 10. and by his owne immediate hand hee strikes and consumes the wicked Iob 34. 25 26. as wee see in the drowning of the old World in the destruction of Pharaoh Ananias and Saphyra and divers others Sometimes hee doth by good instruments afflict and punish his people and plague and consume the wicked as by his Angell hee punished Israels sin and Davids pride 2 Sam. 24. 17. and destroyed the host of Senacherib 2 King 19. and smotte Herod Act. 12. And by Joshua Moses David destroyed the Canaanites and the Philistines and other enemies of his Church Sometimes by evill instruments hee afflicteth and punisheth his owne people and plagueth and destroyeth the wicked by Absalom and Shimei hee punished David and by wicked Jehu hee destroyed the wicked family of Ahab by Satan and the wicked Sabaeans and Chaldâ—ans hee afflicted and tryed Job and by the proud King of Ashur hee punished Israel and Judah and destroyed the Idolatrous nations as appeares Isa. 10. where hee is called the rod of Gods wrath and proud Nebuchadnezar is called his servant in punishing his people the Iewes and destroying the obstinate among them and in crushing the wicked nations Ier. 25. 9. For he in whom all doe live move and have all being Act. 17. 28. gave to those wicked Kings power and might and though their owne lusts and unsatiable desire and ambition stirred them up and so â—he act was in the wicked themselves yet hee over-ruled and disposed their malice to performe his purpose and to execute his most just judgements And thus wee see that Gods actions are most wise and just in those evils which hee executeth by wicked instruments and that which they doe with a wicked mind and for an evill end God doth justly give them power to doe and permits them to abuse his power to their owne ends when hee purposeth to direct all to a good end and so doth And therefore though no evill is done in the World but by his providence yet is hee no author or efficient cause of sin the sinfulnesse of the action is of the evill instruments and the power of it and the disposing of it to good that onely is Gods And although men who are limited by Gods law may doe no least sin or evill for a good end that greatest good may come thereof and if they doe it is sin in them yet God who is supreme Lord of all and whose will is the rule of all righteousnesse and who by his omnipotency can raise out of the greatest evill a farre greater good and can make the Divels malice and mans fall the occasion of bringing Christ into the World and a way to shew his infinite goodnesse and mercy in saving and redeeming his elect and to magnifie his glorious power and justice in their eyes by destroying the wicked with eternall destruction the sight whereof brings them to a more full fruition of his glory and makes them farre more sensible of his goodnesse to them and of their owne eternall blessednesse hee may doe what seemes good to his heavenly wisedome and evill so farre as he willeth it and hath an hand in the ordering of it is no sin but doth more shew his goodnesse and unspotted purity and holinesse The third thing is that God by his actuall providence disposeth all things which are done in the World