of Days Hours and Minutes The second Difference is between the Eternal Duration of God and that Duration of Creatures Psal 102.27 They shall be chang'd but thou art the same and thy Years shall have no End The one is founded in an Immutability the other in Change the Infinite God possesses his whole Essence Independently and most perfectly at once in Time there is Past Present and Future the Eflux of a â—â—ing from Past to Future by the present Minute this agrees not to Him whose Nature is I am that is In me nothing â—ast in me nothing Future This alone has great Matter of Humiliation in it of what awe would the Presence of a Sâ—ge Angel that hath been since the Creation to such a Mushroom as Man a new start-up in the World we suffer not Children to speak in the Presence of Men how much more should mans Mouth be stopp'd before the Ancient of days who has ten thousand Times ten thousand ministring before him and charges the Angels with Folly 5. Man is an Imaginary Being rather the Picture of Being than the Reality and this is not a Dignity that every Creature attains to be called the Image of God they are his Workmanship Rom. 1.20 And so are proofs of an Eternal Powerful and Wise Being and they bear some Prints of his Being upon them 2 Tim. 2.13 He cannot deny himself neither in Word nor in Deed he cannot do any thing but what must represent him to be such as he is though there are vastly different Degrees of Representation The Common Properties of Creatures seems to be their Reality Durability Goodness and Beauty but Man alone of all Earthly Creatures bears the Name of an Image because there is some Representation of all the Divine Attributes in him either Subjectively as Spirituality Knowledge Reason Will or Objectively as he possesses an Idea of the Divine Nature impressed upon him 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face behold as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord and are changed into the same Image Or Qualitively as Righteousness and Holiness Or Reflexively and thus the incommunicable Attributes of Soveraignty Independency and Alsufficiency are represented by our Submission Emptiness and Dependency as the Wax doth represent the Seal Or Deputatively as he is Governour of the World but as this is Mans Dignity above other Creatures to be Gods Image so it is the most excellent thing in it self and this is our great Misery the loss of this Image and our Happiness lies in its Restauration so that Man at his best who is the best of the Creatures is but an Image 6. A meer Passiveness Matter is a very Passive Object to work upon yet through the Disposition of its parts hardness or softness it is fitter for one thing than another and more easily wrought into that frame but nothing is equally Passive for all equally fit to be an Angel and an Atom of Dust and whatever Activity the Creatures may now have on one another yet with respect to God they are Passive Beings 7. Creatures are more Nothing than Being Isa 40.17 We are Nothing and less than Nothing Nothing Naturally and less than Nothing by Debt and Obligation owing the Being we have received but far more by our Guilt and Transgression for what is worse than Nothing is less than Nothing A Marble Statue formed in the likeness of a Man is more a Stone than Man because the one by Art the other by Nature So Man by Nature he is nothing by Divine Art he is God's Image We are from Nothing that is our Original for we are brought into being by the Force and Violence of Omnipotent Power If God's proper Name is Jehovah Psal 83.18 and of him only can it be said Exod. 3.14 I am or He is then properly is it said of the Creatures They are not Philosophers usually grant that Ens or Being is not a Genus Vnivocum when applyed to God and Creatures there is no Generical Oneness in it When we say the Creature is Being and God is Being it is not one thing that is meant by that word Being for the one really is the other is the Image as we call the Picture of a Man a Man Since any one of these affords matter of Humiliation how much more all being put together and if they afford matter of Humiliation for Angels how much more matter of Humiliation for Man If an Angel be but a Contingent Dependent Unprofitable Temporary Passive Imaginary Being a Being more Nothing than Being in Comparison of God how little a thing must Man be in Comparison of him and how much less a sinfull Man I come to the second Topick of Arguments for the Proof of this Doctrine That Man has nothing to Glory in before God which is the Form he was made in and by which he Excells other Earthly Creatures and is called an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of his own Actions a Self-powered Creature or as Cicero says a Power of Living as he will The Common Title for it is Free-will Liberum Arbitrium which Amyrald thinks to be better Translated a Free Judgment The Apostle Paul calls it the Prevailing Will Rom. 7.17 If I do that I would not it is not I but Sin I as that which denominates the Man I shall insist the more largely on this because it is that which the most part of the World are proud of The former Argument is more commonly granted That Man cannot be Proud of his Being but therein still he would be Equal to the Angels and the Pride of Man can hardly aspire higher but for this Argument that Man has no Matter of glorying from his Free Will is not so easily Complyed with whether we View Men's Professions or their Practices 1. The Pagans they commonly ascribed all Virtue all their Heroick Actions and the Praise of 'em to themselves Upon this Account Cicero De Natura Deorum says We may thank God for Riches or Fortune but not for Virtue that is our own for that we are Praised for the want of that we are blamed We may glory of our Virtue which we could not do if it were God's Gift Seneca Ep. 53. A wise Man in some things is preferable to God for the one is Wise by the Benefit of Nature the other by the Benefit of Virtue Ep. 20. Be Content with thy self and the Goods brought forth by and of thy self so thy Happiness shall be next to Gods 2. The Jews especially the Pharisees on this account were as Proud as the others for they reckoned the External Administration of the Law which gâ—ve Occasion to their Merit by Free-Will to be the principal difference between them and the Pagans Maimonides says this is one of their Fundamentals That they had such a perfect Free Will and sufficient Power for Virtue and Goodness that they only needed the Law to exercise their Power about Rab. Gaon Saadia says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are in
than the others for v. 3. Abraham had Believ'd for Ten Years and yet his Works not Imputed to him and so Paul Gal. 2.16 1 Cor. 4.4 2. If Works after Faith be most Meritorious then there is most Matter of Boasting from them but Abraham had none to boast of therefore none that could Merit 3. The Works of Believers 1. Are Due 2. Not our own 3. Imperfect therefore cannot Merit But tho' there are different Opinions about what Works are excluded there is an Agreement about what Works are included Faith as a Work as the Matrimonial Consent pregnant of all the Duties of Marriage Repentance is included Sincere Obedience is included which I shall endeavour to refute on the fourth Verse The Second thing proposed was In what Sense they are Excluded I shall Treat this 1. Positively 2. Comparatively 3. Give Account of the different Notions and Respects under which others think they may be Included For the First the Text excludes them indefinitely in all respects that may be brought under the Particles with of or by for not by Works without works are the Apostle's Terms For tho' Works are the Effects Evidences Concomitants Properties of our Justification yet Justification is not by them for by denotes some Causal Influence either by Efficacy or Dignity and Works have no such Influence on our Justification 2. Comparatively they are more excluded from our Justification here on Earth before God than at the great Day of Judgment Works have a less Influence on our being Called and Entered a Member of the Church Militant here below than on our Entering the Triumphant State in Heaven for the former is meerly a Matter of Right and our Works have neither Being nor Dignity for that End but the latter is Matter of Possession and many things are requisite to Possession that are not to Purchase Our Justification at the Great Day requires Proof of our being Justified here and many things are Necessary to the Proof of Justification that are not Necessary to the first being of it Yet I much doubt any formal Process the bare appearance of the Persons in Sanctity and Glory is evidence enough 1. In Order to our going to Heaven besides the Necessity of Precept Gratitude For Right good Works are real Means of Order Preparation of our selves and helping of others thither 2. Good Works have a real Efficacy in them as all Actions have to beget and strengthen a Habit. 3. Good Works have a real Congruity in them to make us meet and fit for that Holy Fellowship and Communion above 4. Good Works are the Necessary Effects of Justification and Sanctification the Spirit of God cannot dwell in a Soul without transforming it more and more into a Likeness to Christ 5. Good Works have a real Utility in 'em for heightning our Reward in Heaven Not that they can from their own dignity Merit Degrees of Happiness more than the Being of Happiness but from the beautiful and harmonious Order of Divine Providence in advancing us from one step to another and not Conferring Degrees per saltum there is no End of the Encrease of Christ's Kingdom as to its Blessings but its Encrease is by way of a Life in a perpetual and gradual Growth 6. Heaven is truly a Reward to our Holiness here by Virtue of Divine Order and Connexion from Divine Condescendency as Basil says Manet requies sempiterna non tanquam debitum operibus redditum sed secundum munificentissimi Dei gratiam Hysichius The Kingdom of Heaven is not the Reward of Works but is the prepared Grace of God And as another says It 's proposed as a Reward more to attract us to Duty than a due Debt of our Duty and it is rather the Righteousness of Christ by which all our Actions are rendered acceptable that is Rewarded than our Actions themselves Lastly Our good Works are Necessary to Heaven as the Beginning and Growth of a thing is Necessary to its Perfection as Sowing in the Spring is Necessary to Reaping in Harvest and our being Children in Order to our being Men. Perfect Holiness is as much the Condition of Heaven as Faith is of Justification and Ordinances of Conversion and rather more for there are Exceptions in the last but none in the first The Third thing proposed was the several respects that several Persons plead Works to be necessary in Order to our Justification and herein there is a greater Variety of Terms viz. A Tenor or Hold a Plea the Form or Matter Preparations Dispositions Conditions Moral Means Merits of Dignity or Congruity than there is in Thought and Opinion and so a greater variety of Persons Professions Names and Ages of the World than there is in the thing it self for all these very different Sentiments we may find amongst the Papists themselves 1. The grossest of them as Vasquez and Cajetan fay Our Works Merit from their own Dignity that God in strict Justice could not but Reward such Pains such Mortifications such Fastings and Prayers with Heaven or Eternal Happiness this not true of Adams Covenant But a second and more Moderate sort as Marsilius Leonardus c. admit of a Tripple Allay to render them Meritorious And the first is That Christ hath merited that our Works may Merit Ours as subordinate Conditions to an Interest in his The second is from Divine Ordination because though our Actions are not worth a Pardon yet he hath Promised both a Pardon and a Heaven for them A third that lays Foundation for the former is a natural Congruity and Aptness that the diligent Worker should have a Reward and the sincere Endeavourer should not be slighted when the Bounty doth not Empoverish but Honour the Donor and that a Penitent Person should be pardoned And ever since the Interim at the first Birth of the Reformation there has been a party amongst Protestants in little or nothing differing from them called sometimes Interimists Cassandrians Majorists Conditionalists Calixtians and others that have run as far to a no less dangerous extream as Amsdorfius who said Good Works were so far from being necessary to Justification that they were pernicious and hurtful to it I do not comprehend under Conditionalists all who have asserted the Covenant to be Conditional for they have explain'd themselves that they mean no more by it than the immediate and nearest means of these Blessings viz. Justification and Glory And add many Cautious and Negative Senses that destroy the proper Nature of a Condition some five some ten but I see no Reason for their Zeal against them who say it 's not Conditional since they say it 's three to one five to one more not Conditional than Conditional viz. it 's not Conditional Antecedently it 's not Conditional Naturally it 's not Conditinal Meritoriously it 's not Conditional Legally it 's not Conditional Uncertainly and yet cry Error Error if another say it 's not Conditional and call it a Disposition of Grace thorough means to a
meer nothing is wholly of another I am oblig'd and indebted for it But 4. All who own the Scriptures own that Man is a made Creature a Workmanship of Divine Art and a Fruit of his meer good Pleasure That he might have made us or not made us as he would Rom. 9.20 That the Thing form'd say to him that form'd it Why hast thou made me thus Isa 45.9 Our Possibility is from his Power our Futurity is from his Will our Existence from his Act our Matter our Dust was his by absolute Propriety and our Form is the Effect of his Wisdom 2. We are Dependent Experience proves this we depend of our Parents and yet not solely for they dye and we survive we depend on Meat Drink Air yet not only for our Life is more Noble than they nothing can give or communicate what it has not there must be some more noble Independent Being in whom we live move and have our Being◠Act. 17. c. as the Poet Aratus that liv'd about 290 Years before Christ could say We all use God we all enjoy God we are all his Off-spring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Since we are Contingent we must also be Dependent for Contingency is no more determin'd to Being than not Being Perseverance than Perishing for such as our Nature was in primo fieri so it remains a Contingent thing is a Tottering Being of it self inclinable any way and External Force forces it's Lot 3. It 's a Prerogative of God to be Independent a Spirit Independent is the best Definition we can form of him and it is his Glory to have all things Depending on him the whole Mass of Beings to be nurs'd by the Breasts of his Alsufficient Fulness he is a Careful Parent of his Off-spring it is no Toil to his Power nor Difficulty to his Wisdom nor Draining to his unsearchable Riches where all is Infinite but a wonderful discovery of that Plenty that is in him which is his very End and Design How should this stop the boasting Mouth silence the glorying Tongue and stifle the proud Thoughts of Man If thy Dependance were a bare Permission that thou cannot live an hour on Gods Earth without his leave or use his Creatures for Profit or Pleasure he can sweep thee off the Stage of Being with a Beesom of Destruction in a Minute But Dependency is a Divine Manutenency it 's a keeping us up by force from falling into that Pit or Abyss of Nothing we were drawn out of and still hang over Job 26.7 He hangeth the Earth upon nothing For since Creating was an Act of Violence upon Nothing and such an Act as needed Omnipotent Strength to force it into the Condition of Being Preservation is the Positive Influence of the same powerful Hand to keep this Tottering Being upward that is by Natural Tendency declining into its Original Nothing there is no need of Power to make any thing Nothing for then nothing would be the Effect of Divine Power There is no necessary Connexion between the Creation of any thing and its Continuance because we were Yesterday it doth not follow that we shall be to Morrow we daily change we are not to Day what Yesterday there is no such Inference where the Being is Contingent how gladly would we live but it is not in the Power of our Will our Nature or all our Friends and Physicians no Cordial no Food no Physician can do and if they cannot preserve Life far less Being The Glorious Arches of the Heaven would dwindle away the Depth of the Ocean dry up the steady Earth tremble into a Non-entity the most Immortal Spirits faint and Angels be annihilate by one Minutes Intermission of Omnipotency A Proud Man is a Mad Man a deceiv'd Soul thou cannot move thy Tongue nor exercise thy Thought but thou art under an Infinite Obligation to Infinite help for supporting thee in it and wilt thou use it against him the more perfect we are the more we depend the more imperfect we are the more we need his Power to support us 3. Unprofitable Job 35.7 If thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand Job 22.2 Can a man be profitable to God as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself 1. It is a Property of Divine Decrees to be disinterested of pure Generosity and Bounty the Issues of Love and Goodness that is still giving and communicating 2. His End to make his likeness and form his Praise without himself from that Content and Satisfaction he had in beholding it in himself he would have others taste of the sweetness of that Being he enjoved therefore called Nothing into his Banqueting-house and his Banner over it was Love by which it was brought into Being 3. His Fulness it is Gods Original Glory to want nothing his Sufficiency and Fulness is such that admits of no Addition 4. Creatures Emptiness we must pay our debt before we Profit and every day we are obliged for an Infinite Flux of Goodness and Power to keep our Souls in Life and yet we have craving Appetites like the Barren Womb that cries Give give but make no grateful return this keeps all the Quires of Angels in the perpetual Exercise of humbling themselves and praising of God Not unto us O Lord not unto us unto thee be all Glory and Honour 4. Temporary Beings Job 8.9 For we are but of Yesterday and know nothing because our Days upon Earth are a Shadow 1. There is a difference between the time of Men in this World and the Aeviternity of Angels Rev. 14.6 7. The one is to end viz. Time with the seventh Trumpet that is Time measur'd by Sun and Moon for there will be no Sun the true Standard of Time Rev. 21.23 No more Night and Day the Foundation of Chronology But Aeviternity or Time as defin'd by Successive Motion still continues in Heaven for the Mind of an Angel is not Infinite therefore comprehends not all Objects at once nor doth not comprehend the incomprehensible God for that is Inconsistent with Adoration or Admiration which still supposes something unknown therefore of Necessity their Minds change its Objects sometimes thinking of one thing sometimes of another and consequently one thing in Order before another and Time is a Motion thorough former and latter This affords another Argument that this World is not from Eternity because Successive for where a former and latter a second third and fourth there is a first and last this may be rendred more easie by these Instances 1. No Mans Death is from Eternity for his Life his Birth was before it and if his Death not from Eternity neither his Birth for that but a short time before his Death no Man has liv'd a thousand Years it were a very absurd thought of Eternity to say it was but a thousand years longer than Time 2. Eternity is an Infinite Duration but the Duration of Years not so because exceeded by number