Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A39886
|
Nehushtan, or, John Elliot's Saving grace in all men proved to be no grace and his increated being in all a great nothing by J.F.
|
J. F. (James Forbs), 1629?-1712.; Elliot, John. Saving grace of God.
|
1694
(1694)
|
Wing F1444; ESTC R29851
|
45,242
|
37
|
Grace In respect of the Intenseness of it it is in him in the highest degree in the utmost as much as is possible to be in a Creature both negatively it could not be exceeded and positively none could be equal to it the Soul of Christ doth not only eminently contain but exceed all the Grace that is in Men and Angels In regard of the Effects that he might be fit to derive unto his members all that measure and fulness of Grace that becomes such an Head Thus again he speaks of Christ's power as Man as Christ received the Spirit out of measure so the created Power of Christ was and is out of measure The power of Working Miracles was in Christ constantly and permanently after the manner of an habit Homo Christus habet omnem potentiam humanitas omnem potestatem the Man Christ is omnipotent the Humanity hath as much power as a Creature is capable of Hereby Christ was capable to receive that complete Authority of executing all Power in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28.18 The Knowledge that is in Christ is either Increated or Created Increated is that which is in him as God whereby he knows all things John 2.25 Created is that which is in him as Man and is of three sorts Beatifical Infused Experimental Beatifical Knowledge is called the Knowledge of Vision by it he not only sees God face to face as all the Blessed do but seeth also the Manhood in personal Union with the Godhead John 1.18 It s Principle the perfect understanding of the Manhood its medium the Light of glory Infused whereby he knows all thins that can be known by the concreated Abilities of Angels or Men Isa 11.2 It s Principle is a habit infused of God its medium the light of Grace Experimental whereby he knows all things that could be known by practice and rational observation of events Luke 2.52 It s Principle the faculty of reason its medium personal experience Heb. 5.6 and observation of re-iterated events by the light of reason Christ's Beatifical Knowledge admits not increase in respect of the Habit or Act His Infused Knowledge admits not increase in respect of habit though it might in respect of the Act His Experimental Knowledge seems to have admitted increase both in respect of Habit and Act. 3. If the Angels of Heaven with all the Grace they have be created Beings then also the Sons of Men with all the Grace they have are created Beings The former is true therefore the latter I do not know what can be denied however I proceed to the proof of what I argue for Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth therefore also Angels and Men in All they are and have Gen. 2.1 Thus the Heavens and the Earth were finished and all the Host of them The Angels are called the Hosts of Heaven Psalm 103.20 21. and 148.2 Luke 2.13 Col. 1.16 By him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers Job 38.6 7. Whereupon are the foundations of the Earth fastned or who laid the corner Stone thereof When the morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy By these must be understood the Angels for neither the Stars in the Firmament were created non Man when the Foundations of the Earth were fast'ned They are called Stars even as some Men of Eminency are so called Dan. 8.10 and 12.3 Rev. 16.20 and morning Stars for their excellent Luster and Glory for which they are called Angels of Light 2 Cor. 11.14 Sons of God partly because they had the whole of their Being from God and partly because they were Partakers of his Glorious Image They are said to sing together because probably none of them having then apostatized they were all of them harmonious in this Heavenly Work of celebrating the Praise of their Creator How Glorious soever the Angels are in respect of their Essence and Graces and though they are Stars of the first Magnitude in comparison of all in this Sublunary World yet they are but Creatures and there is an infinite disparity between them and the Increated Being Job 4.18 19. Behold he put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with Folly How much less on them that dwell in Houses of Clay whose Foundation is in the Dust which are crushed before the Moth God did discern Vanity and Folly in them they were liable to Sin and some of them being left to themselves did actually sin 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude 6. There are many things which they know not but by Revelation from God Daniel had the Knowledge of the Mystery of the Seventy Weeks from Gabriel as he no doubt had it from the Father of Lights Dan. 9.22 23 24 25 26. There are many things also the Knowledge whereof they acquire by Observation and Experience Taking Cognizance of the Occurrences and Acts of Providence towards the Church in her Militant State they learn what they were sinlesly ignorant or nescient of before Ephes 3.10 Though they are most excellent Creatures yet they are not Omniscient they know not the Day of Judgment Mark 13.32 They cannot know future Contingencies which depend not on necessary Causes and Agents which keep one certain regular uniform Course but upon voluntary Agents which are variable tickle and uncertain in their Actings The certain Knowledge of such things God reserves only to himself Isa 41.22 23. and 42.8 9. and 44.7 8. They know not the Hearts of Men Jer. 17.9 10. 1 Chron. 28.9 and 2 Chron. 6.30 The Knowledge of Angels is not Intuitive and noetical but dianoetical and discursive No finite Creature can by one Intuitive Act see all things at once that is proper to God Act. 15.18 Known unto God are all his Works from the beginning of the World If what Holiness Adam had in the State of Innocency was no Increated Being what Grace Believers have now is no Increated Being The former is true Therefore If Grace be as to Substance what Holiness was in Adam then it remains still what it always was no Increated but a Created Excellency Essentia rerum posit a est in indivisibili The Essence of things is unalterably the same in all Ages Though Grace as it is in this and the other Subject may recipere majus minus it does admit of different degrees and measures in one more than another yet it is in its nature the same in all If Adam had no Holiness in him before the Fall but what was derived from God the Creator then it was no Increated but a Created Excellency The former is true Therefore Gen. 1.26 God said Let us make Man in our Image after our Likeness Adam not only considered as a Man was made of God but also as endued with divine Qualities The Image of God and Grace are identical or at least Grace is no small part of
blindness of their Heart then that which is in them is meer Darkness and no Gospel Light they can know nothing of Evangelical Verities and whatever is of supernatural Revelation from any thing within themselves The former is true Luke 1.79 Ephes 4.18 Therefore also the latter If that which is in Heathens is the Devil and the Spirit of the Devil then that which is in them is not the Spirit of God for what Communion hath Light with Darkness What Concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.14 15. The former is true Ephes 2.2 Act. 26.18 Col. 1.13 Joh. 8.44 1 Joh. 3.8 I call this but one Argument for it is diversified only with respect to the several denominations which J. E. gives unto that which is in every Man without Restriction or Limitation I humbly leave it to those that are impartial whether this alone is not of sufficient force cogency and validity utterly to overthrow the very Foundation of John's Book and consequently whether the whole of the Superstructure is not also therewith overthrown and whether I deserved such hard words for calling not that which is in True Believers and a special Work of the sanctifying Spirit of God a great nothing but that which is nominally only and equivocally called the saving Grace of God in All Turks and Mahometans Heathens and Pagans Papists and Atheists Where Foundation and Superstructure are both naught these will not be able to bear the trial by fire 1 Cor. 3.11 12 13 14 15. But I pass from this to the disquisition of what I have seen cause chiefly to insist on which you may take in this categorical Proposition Thesis or Position The saving Grace of God in True Believers is no Increated Being That which is Grace in those that are Christians indeed is a Creature a mere Creature and an imperfect Creature For methods sake and a regular procedure herein 1. I shall set down some Preliminaries tending to a right stating of the Question or the Thing in controversie between us and to the clearing of some things ignorantly and confusedly delivered by the Author of the saving Grace of God 2. It 's needful there should be some Definition or Description given of Grace otherwise we are like Men beating the Air disputing of we do not know what 3. Having given one or two descriptive Defintions of Grace we shall by express Scripture Testimonies and Arguments from thence deduced prove the Thesis Grace in Believers is no Increated but a Created Being 4. What is said of this Theme and Subject is to be improved by us and in order thereunto I shall give you some practical Inferences from all the premisses 1. Preliminary There is no Person or positive Entitie in Heaven or Earth but what 's Created of the Lord Jehova Father Son and Spirit Sin being no positive Entitie but privative properly hath no efficient but rather a deficient Cause This is a Principle and the Foundation of all Religion therefore it 's the first Lecture read from Heaven to us by him that was the first authorized Amanuensis of the Holy Ghost in Penning some Part of the Sacred Oracles Gen. 1.1 See also Acts 17.24 God made the World and all things therein If Grace be one of those things that 's in Heaven or Earth then it is to be reckoned among the number of Created Beings but Grace is one of those things that 's in Heaven or Earth Therefore 2. Preliminary follows upon the former The word Increate signifieth that which is not created or made at all Hence the Argument runs thus If Grace be that which is not created or made at all it must be Self-existent Independent the first Being and Creator of the Universe But it 's not Self-existent Independent the first Being nor the Creator of the Universe therefore it 's no Increated Being It 's a true saying in School Divinity omne ens est vel Primum vel à primo ortum whence if Grace be Increate it must be the first Being from which every other Being derive theirs 3. Preliminary There is a passage in my Opponents Pamphlet pag. 26. which savours so much of unsoundness Heterodoxy and scandalous Ignorance in this our Goshen or Land of Light that I cannot let it pass without some Animadversion His Words are speaking of Grace in his fence It is of his divine saving nature but yet not the only entire God Eternal Jehova Doth not this imply that Grace is God though not Jehova and doth not this imply that Jehova is a divisible and compounded Being Jehova is the entire God and the English of our Authors Phrase is Grace is a piece or part of Jehova This occasions my third Preliminary as an Antithesis hereunto Deus est ens simplicissimum God is an uncompounded and indivisible Being and this is one thing that doth distinguish him from all created Beings Simplicity says Nort. Orthod Evang. is God one mere and perfect Act without all composition his name is I AM Exod. 3.14 that is mere essence wherein is nothing past nor to come from what is there more largely treated of I contract this Argument If God does admit of composition it is either a composition of Parts which are bounded by quantity or of Matter and Form or of General and Special Nature or of a Subject and Accident or of an Act and Possibility or of a Person and Nature or of Being and Individuation But God doth not admit of any of these Compositions therefore of none at all the enumeration is full and complete else the defect must be shewed 4. Preliminary The Divine Essence is incommunicable to Creatures When some of the Attributes and Perfections of God are said to be communicable unto Men all such Predications are Analogical and Equivocal Deus creaturae nihil habent commune praeter nomen Any resemblance that Man hath unto God is very low mean dark and shadowy notwithstanding of any likeness between God and Man The disproportion and distance between them is still as great as between Infinite and Finite Perfect and Imperfect Perfection and Imperfection that which is Eternal and that which is of Yesterday as between that which is the Supreme Being and that which is only subordinate as between that which is Independent and Dependent as between him that is Essentially All and that which is Originally nothing Whatever it is that Man is or whatever it is that is in Man compared with God it is imperfection it self and as nothing Isai 40.17 All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity The Essence of God says Nort. Orthod Evang. p. is that one pure Act of God by which he is God Deus est necesse esse God could never have been any other than what he is God cannot hereafter cease to be any other than what he now is and ever was This is the Signification of Jehova He that was He that is He that is to