that thou art engaged in Magna silentii laus est quo confessus est Aron justo Dei judicio extinctos esse ita se cohibitum fuisse ut cum Deo rixari non auderet Ad animum enim refertur ut Psal 39.3 Psal 62.1 Calv. in loc Ephes 2.12 Qui extra foedus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est sine Deo à se culto à se amato eoque propitio nonbabet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jus sibi vendicandi postulandi possidendi quod est filiorum Dei Coc. de foeder Testamento Dei. Thes 1. §. 7. prevail not let not thy heart rise against it Aaron had a great tryal Levit. 10.13 He lost two Sons by an immediate stroke of Gods hand in an act of sin and yet Aaron held his peace A higher tryal had Abraham O that Ishmael might live in thy sight The Lord answers my Covenant will I establish with Isaac Abraham knew that there was no salvation out of Covenant and that this Covenant should not be established with Ishmael and yet he sits down in silence under the hand of God If once the will of God be manifested the soul ought to acknowledge it It is the Lord let him do what seems him good This was the blessed temper of Ely when he heard of the miseries that should come upon his house I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy fathers house and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever 1 Sam. 2.31 Brachium ipsa materia cogit ut de fortitudine vitali sermonem esse intelligamus Cajet Descriptio est eripiendi sacerdotii quod illius familiae robur erat firmamentum dignitatem authoritatem tuam Pontificiam auseram c. P. Martyr A Lap. Se tantis opibus spoliatos prae dolore deficiant propter excitati animi dignitatem invidia contabescant and he that is left in thy house shall be to consume thy eyes and to greive thy heart yet he answers it is the Lord. 3. Exercise a weaned heart towards thy present enjoyments It may be thou hast lost an estate thy freinds fail thy hopes are faln God hath blown upon all the projects that thy heart did fancy to thy self for thy own advancement thy heart ought to be as a weaned * Significat se nullius rei esse sollicituÌ„ infantis instar quem mater lacte alere desut ille tamen à matris cura pendet sic se omnem eventum Deo committere c. Muis in loc child Psa 131.2 It s spoken in reference to his dependencies that as children look only to their mother they have no projects for themselves so it is with me I wait only upon God look unto him only Homines quaÌ„ par est sapere providi esse appetunt Calv. Men are prudent and provident creatures but my heart is taken off from the dug of all my former comforts my dependencies are upon an immediate providence for supply I project nothing for my self The poor leaves himself with thee Psal 10.14 So much the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth fignifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est ita quempiam relinquere ut eum juvare aut tueri prorsus dimisit Psa 22.1 Job 39.14 Ezech. 8 12. His verbis signific dandum esse tempus Providentiae ut pii homines curas in Dei finum rejiciant Deo igitur relinquit quisquis in ejus fidem se ita consert ut fidele depositorium esse persuasus maturum redemptionis tempus placide expectet Cal. a man puts himself out of his own protection into the hands of God with an exclusive resolution I will seek no farther I am willing to be in that condition in which he will set me take the provision the Lord will make for me If he will make me a Shepherd or a King my heart is ready Vis me pastorem ovium vis me Regem populorum ecce paratum est cor meum as Bernard brings in David so speaking of himself 4. Accept the punishment That is the expression Levit. 26.41 If their uncircumcised heart be humbled and they * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat consentit Psa 50.18 acceptavit Eccles 9.7 hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derivatur Avernar A Sept. reddit per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat etiam placavit expiavit Esay 40.1 inde sensus est ad poenam tanquam meritam consentire ut propitiam utilem aequo grato animo ferre Videtur etiam subjicere studium placandi Deo alludit enim ad sacrificia quibus se Deo reconciliabant Calv. Esay 39.8 Lam. 3.22 Gen. 32.10 accept the punishment the word signifies to be well pleased with it to acknowledge it to be less then their iniquities deserve Ezra 9.13 As when the Lord threatned a grievous punishment upon the house of Hezechiah He accepts the punishment saying good is the Word of the Lord that there shall be truth and peace in my dayes And when they were in Babylon they acknowledge it is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed And if a man should accept it for himself I conceive it also a Duty to accept the punishment for others and not to have his spirit to rise with impatient frettings as if the Lord had dealt with others in a way of rigour and paid them beyond their deserts Surely there ought to be a complacency of soul in all the dealings of God towards our selves or others An humble heart is less then the least of all Gods mercies And a man should bless God that he is not brought into the lowest condition of men that he sees any creature below him As when the two Cardinals were riding to the a Luther in tertium praeceptum Ecce hanc bestiam bufonem intuitus tam eximiam creaturaÌ„ fecit â—e Deus nunquam gratias egi quod me quoque tam deformem bufonem non fecerit hoc est quod amarè fleo Councel of Constance they heard a man in the way weeping and wailing greatly asking him what he alled they found him looking upon an ugly Toad and his heart was melted with the consideration of this mercy that God had not made him such a creature who was made of the same clay with it Which made one of them cry out well said the Father Surgunt indocti rapiunt coelum nos cum doctrinis nostris volutamur in carne sanguine Aug. 5. Judge it to be best now the will of God is manifested or else thou dost prefer thy will above Gods will Blush at such an unworthy thought that when God hath declared what his will is thou shouldst think that if it had been thus it had been better for herein thou dost make thy will the Rule of goodness and dost prefer it unto the will of God Surely The b Psal 24.1 principes non cogitent se dominos esse terrarum
that he was no over-confident and daring Divine His direction is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keep the Commandments and walk according to the light that ye have received action is the way to raise a mans contemplation He that will do my will shall know of the Doctrine and the end of all our Disputes will be this To fear God and keep his Commandments this is the whole man Eccles 12.13 For the opening of this Doctrine four things are to be spoken of 1. Man is to walk by Rule 2. That the will of God is unto man this Rule of duty 3. This will of God as a Rule is manifested unto us 4. In a submission of our wils unto this will of God doth the power of godliness consist First A man must walk by Rule a Christians walk must be regular which shall be manifested in five things 1. The Lord doth promise no blessing but to such as walk by Rule and the Saints are Heirs of blessings Gal. 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As many as walk according to this Rule peace be to them Here is the only Canonical Obedience when a mans heart and ways lie level with the Rule of the Law he shall be blessed in his deed Jam. 1.25 2. Sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a digression from a Rule Heb. 2.2 a turning aside out of the way that is called holy Esay 30.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Via quae in gyros more Serpentum torquetur Therefore Sinners are said to walk in crooked ways Psal 125.5 They have their diverticula's departing from the Rule by which they ought to walk 3. Est unica fidei cultus norma in hoc scculo secundum quam Christiani judicabuntur in suturo Daven de Judice cap. 11. If a man walk not by Rule he can never tell when he is out of the way for rectum est index sui obliqui By this means the duty of Examination would be made utterly voyd 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himself If there be an examen it must be according to a Rule by which all Errors and aberrations may be discovered and reproved for by these same we are to judge our selves by which God will judge us at the last 4. Psal 37.14 125 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Casu ex accidente contingentiâ Levit 26. Septem vicibus tantum invenitur Marin Brixian in arc Noe. Unless men walk by Rule there can be no upright walking He that walks uprightly walketh surely Pro. 10.9 which no man else can do all others walk at an adventure Levit. 26.25 And the ground of the uncertainty of God's walking towards us is our unsteady walking towards him for with the froward he will shew himself froward Psal 18.26 5. Else we can never give an account of any of our actions For an account is to be given by a Rule upon which there must be a mutual agreement For if two Parties differ in the Rule there can be no account given and so no satisfaction the Rule being the Standard to judge between both There is a double account which every Saint is in this life bound to give First To his Brother Confessio desensio verae religionis spei voce per Metonym significatur Gomar Rom. 14.12 Be ready to give a reason of the hope that is in you 1 Pet. 3.15 That is an account of the Rule and of the conformity of your Actions thereunto Secondly An account to God and this every man should give daily that he may appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 approved 2 Cor. 13.7 Besides that last account 2 Cor. 5.10 when we must all be made manifest before the Judgment Seat of Christ And then also wil the Lord judge us by a Rule There is one Joh. 5.45 that judgeth you even Moses in whom ye trust Joh. 12.48 Rom. 2.16 he will judge the secrets of all men according to my Gospel By the same Rule will he judge us by which he would have us judge our selves And to give an account unto the Rule daily is daily to give an account of our selves unto God Secondly This Rule of Duty is the will of God There are abundance of false Rules by which men guide their way Such as the wisdom of the flesh propounds to them For there are two things in men mainly corrupted Ephes 4.18.19 First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the seat of principles there is a corruption of the very Rule in the man Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the seat of the discussive faculty and the conclusions drawn from those principles In the first of these our Actions are corrupted as in the Fountain or Foundation and by these most of the world are deceived The only right Rule of Duty being the will of God as will appear by these four demonstrations 1. This will of God was the ground of the creation of men and Angels Revel 4.12 And that which was the cause of their being must be the Rule of their Acting It s said of the Angels Psal 103.20 They do his Commandment and hearken unto the Voice of his Word He doth Rule them by the same will that he did create them This is the great Office of the Spirit to act them according to the will of God Ezech. 1.20 It s said of them whether the Spirit was to go thither their Spirit was to go and for the Saints Rom. 8.26 He maketh intercession for them according to the will of God Therefore Christ teacheth us to pray that his will may be done on earth by us as by the Angels and Saints in glory with the same readiness and the same exactness even his whole will 2. A Christian must have this generall intention in all his ways that he may please God and walk with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto all well pleasing Col. 1.10 Now there can be nothing pleasing unto God but what is agreeable unto his will Acts 13.22 I have found David my servant a man after mine own heart who shall fulfil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all my wils therefore after his own heart because he fulfilled all his wils 3. The great evil of sin lies in this that a man doth his own will not the wil of God Ephes 2.3 fulfilling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wils of the flesh and of the mind In the most religious Duties when men take not Gods will for the Rule it is will worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 19.6 Col. 2.18 whereby men unlord the Law of God making it of none effect for if the will of man be set up then the will of God is put out of its dominion Ita vobis placet quos non bona mens sed malus vester agit transversos abripit spiritus Tarnov Therefore this is their charge Amos 4.5 This liketh you well oh house of Israel they took more care what would please themselves then
sed constitutos esse tantum vicarios Hospitiae etiam nusquam sanctis defutura Domini enim terra est plenitudo ejus Cum etiam clarificatur Dominus annuntiatur in fidem omnium Gentium universus orbis terrarum fit Ecclesia ejus August in Psal 24. Earth is the Lords and fulness thereof The Government belongs to him Therefore it was a gratious and wise admonition that Luther sent to Melancton who was much troubled at the present affairs of the Church Ibi quoque vis est facultas ea dirigendi gubernandi quibus providere dicitur nam in rebus invenitur non modo natura eorum sed ordo quo sibi invicem connectuntur una in aliam tendit ut eam adjuvet sive ut ab illa perficiatur utroque pacto res benè institutae sunt quoad seipsas sigillatim quaeque dictae sunt bonae generaliter quoad ordineÌ„ valdè bonae Petr. Martyr loc com Provid Rom. 8.28 Pet. Martyr Monendus est Philippus ut desinat esse rector mundi That he would leave off to govern the world for we are no more able to Rule it then we are to create it 6. With thankfulness and faith expect the good that the Lord will bring out of it If thy design had gone on be it what it will it had been but particular to have served a present turn but the Lords end is general and sutes with all the glory of his other actions in all times and in all Ages past and to come And the order of those must not be inverted nor the glory of them defaced for thee Therefore say surely all things shall work together for good for those that love the Lord. God in all this doth but carry on his own design the plot of his eternal Counsel De operibus Dei non est judicandum ante quintum actum And the rather we are with thankfulness to expect what God will bring to pass because he hath in the book a Rev. 5.1 Liber intus foris scriptus septem sigillis obsignatus est Codex satidicus seu consiliorum Dei quo scries ordo rerum gestarum ad sccunduÌ„ illuÌ„ gloriosuÌ„ Christi adventuÌ„ pertexebatur Mede of the Revelation fore-told us all the designes that he hath upon the world untill the end thereof The Lord made all things for himself Prov. 16.4 b Quamvis Deus nihil propter utilitatem propriam fecerit eo quod nullo indiget tamen omnia propter semet ipsum ut ultimuÌ„ fineÌ„ operatus est Cajet in loc Psal 43.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teipsum deprimes Mont. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tumultuaberis Vt quid me conturbas anima ita vertit August Mentes nostras ad gratiae absconditae intuitum procul evehit os sibi in praesentiâ satâ—tur obstructum esse spem suam in â—ongum tempus extendit sibi promittit quod non apparet Calv. that is for his own ends and he doth rule all things so as may accomplish those ends As therefore in spiritual dispensations the Lord doth sometimes lift up the light of his countenance upon his people and sometimes he doth hide his face from them their hearts are cast down or as the word signifies they do cast down themselves the heart makes a noise or there is an uproar or tumult in the soul not being pleased with the present dispensations This is a mans fault that he should reprove and reason his soul out of from a principle of faith saying I shall yet praise him that is not only the Lord will turn to me again in mercy and remove the affliction and when his hand is changed towards me he will give me matter of praise as now I have matter of sorrow But there is this farther in it that though in this present dispensation I can see nothing but matter of trouble and sorrow yet I shall see God working all things so for his glory and my good which are bound up together that this which is now to me matter of grief shall be unto me in time to come Laudo Deum ut qui hactenus mecum egerit liberalissimè nunc etiam pro liberrinia potestate inculpabiliter Cocceius in loc We have so much blessing in our affliction as we can bless God for our affliction Caryl matter of prayse There are two famous instances of it in the Scripture Job 1.21 Blessed be the name of the Lord. He doth as well bless God for taking as for giving Now as we love God because he loved us first so we can never bless God for any thing but when we do apprehend that there is in it a blessing from God unto us And the Lord doth as well bless by taking as by giving therefore we should bless him in both who is blessed for evermore The other instance is that of Christ Scipsum nos secum Christus attollit ad considerandum Dei occultum judicium quod adorat praedicat ne nos illud sub examen vocare audeamus in quo filius Dei se acquiescere testatur quo Patri gratias agit Par. Matth. 11.25 I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes He doth thank God for hiding as well as revealing To let the greatest part of the world to walk in their own ways to live without God in the world to have no taste or savour of the great things that he hath wrought that Christ hath purchased and these many of them men of the greatest parts the highest place the most improved abilities yet laid aside * Liberatur pars hominuÌ„ parte percunte latet discretionis ista ratio sed non latet ipsa discretio quid calumniamur justitiae occultae qui gratias debemus misericordiae manifestae Laudemus veneremur quod agitur quia tutum est nescire quod tegitur Prosper de vocat Gent. l. 1. cap. 15. as vessels in which there is no pleasure Those upon whom the Spirit of God in his common works hath bestowed so much cost a man would think it sad to consider but when the will of the Lord is manifested it is the duty of the Saints as it was of Christ not only to be silent and submit to it but even to bless God and to be thankful for such dispensations He that abounded in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or loving kindness to mankind he that sought their salvation above his life yet if the Lord will hide the things of salvation from the wisest of them he is not only well pleased but it being the will of God to glorifie his Justice in the one as well as mercy in the other he doth bless God for hiding as well as revealing 7. Take heed of standing in the way of God when he is going forth in judgement Whatsoever God hath a design to
illud nihil possint sacere aut omittere Hoc sensu â—â—rbum praecipiendi sumitur sc pro ordâ—â—are dâ—cernere 2 Sam. 16.10 Esay 5 6. Jer. 33.22 Ursin Calv. c. vide Pet. Martyr 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 16. quaest An Deus sit author peccati quomodo illud praecipâ—â— p. 275. charge to take the spoyl and the prey and to tread them down as mire in the streets Isa 10.6 And yet all this was but the permitting will of God So the ten Kings the Lord did put it into their ‖ Rev. 17.14 Fontem ostendit unde Imperatores forent per taâ— longum inter vallum adeo obsequentes ab eo proficiscitur in cujus manibuâ— sunt câ—â—da Râ—gum hic justo judicio quos vult occaecat Bright hearts to give their Kingdoms unto the Beast that Antichrist might be set up which hath been the ground of all the miseries that have been brought upon the Christian Churches ever since yet iâ— was their sin and only the permitting will of God He did neither approve the act nor acquit the Actors So the Lord will have Ahab to fall aâ— Ramoth Gilead Satan offers his servicâ— to perswade him and to be a lying spirit in the mouth of his Prophets and the Lord saith thou shalt perswade him and prevail go forth and do so Satanae voluntas semper est iniqua sed potestas nun quam injusta Gregor Deus iratus dat amanti quod male amat Multi enim miseri sunt habendo quam carendo Amando res noxias miseri habendo sunt miseriores Augustin in Psal 26. Yet it was only Gods permitting will the Act and the Agent were both hateful unto God as not doing that which was good in his sight Quest How therefore should a man know whether Gods effecting will and commanding will be the same And that what I do be done in submission unto both whether it be Gods permitting will only For the Lord may suffer evil Instruments yea he may suffer good men in an evill way as appears in Jacobs getting of the blessing Or whether it be the effecting will of God so as he allows the act and approves the Actor If I had Rules for this then I could rest securely in respect of all the dealings of God in the World Answ Before we come to give an answer to this great enquiry I must premise these two things 1. That all prejudiced and pre-engaged wils be laid aside There is a meekness of spirit with which the Word is to be received Jam. 1.21 called the meekness * Status regimiais apud Hebraeos causam denotat sensus est manfuetudo à sapientia provenions vel effectum denotat sensus est verae sapientiae effectum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est prudens mansâ—â—â—â—â—o Glass Gram. saâ—â— p. 101. c. Gomar in loc of wisdom Jam. 3.13 The words of the wise are heard in quiet †Si audiantur animo tranquillâ— non perturbato Coâ—h Eccles 9.17 more then the cry of him that rules among fools Advice given with a calm humble and submissive spirit and received with a minde free from passion and pre-engagements prevails with men much more and sinks deeper then the proud confident and censorious dictates of men whose affections engage and byass their judgements In all cases of difference a man should fear himself in this least he should shut his eyes against any truth delivered It was that which Luther found by experience Hoc meâ experientiâ disco quod non habeo tam magnam timendi causam extra quam intra me Therefore be jealous of your selves especially in those things wherein ye have received prejudice before-hand and know it is one of the greatest judgements that can befal a man to be given up to believe a lye to have his heart deeply engaged in a wrong cause and to appear much for that which will prove a falshood at the last day And it is a most dangerous sign that thou art so the less fearful that thou art of thy self in it with the greater confidence and gloriyng of Spirit that thou dost go on and with the more bitter violent and censorious spirit towards others that are not of thy minde and judgement Ne pergas quaerere quid cor durum sit si non expavisti tuum est Bern. 2. I desire you not to expect from me State-considerations belonging to the conventions of Kingdoms and Nations or the municipal Laws of the Commonwealth First It being but an Ordinance of man 1 Pet. 2.13 therefore different in severall States and Kingdoms all being not bound unto the same constitution God gave unto the Jews their judicial Laws and therefore saith he was their King for the Legislative power he reserved unto himself though the executive power he did commit unto Officers under him But that Commonwealth being dissolved though for the moral equity all people should have respect unto those Laws yet the Lord hath left the Legislative power unto themselves to chuse the Laws by which they will be ruled and unto which they will submit And as they are different in several Kingdoms so they may vary in one and the same Kingdom as the Nation shall finde them prejudicial unto that body for the good of which they were at first intended And though after the Captivity the people of the Jews were governed by Kings no more for the Lord had said that in Zedechiah the Kingly form of Government should cease Ezeh 21.25 26. Thou profane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come when inquity shall have an end Thus saith the Lord God Remove the Diadem and take off the crown this shall not be the same exalt him that is low and abase him that is high I will overturn overturn overturn it and it shall he no more until he come whose right it is and I will give it him And yet when Kings ceased the Scepter departed not from Judah * Equidem ego sceptrum esse nil aliud nisi Majestatem imperii opinor eam nempe quae ipsi reipublicae assidet Quare quorum respublica est corum Sceptrum dici debet Non recessit sceptrum etsi mutatus reipub status sit ac penes Optimates modò Pontificesque summa fuerit imperii Nimis ineptè faciunt qui hic in arctum desilierunt nominis hujus honorem haud pertinere nisi ad Reges autumant Quicunque enim populus suâ quâdam republicâ suisque legibus utitur is recte gloriari de imperio deque sceptro potest Cunaeus de repub Heb. l. 1. c. 9. Ejecto regio nomine juris statuendi potestas in senatum translata est ei omnia jura insignia regum data legesque Regum in contemptum abiêre Et Majestatis crimen est quod adversus populum Romanum vel adversus securitatem ejus committitur Ulpian l. 1. §. 1. F. ad legem Jul. majest Gen. 49.10 After the
is Here I must give you these distinctions First There are some things that the Lord doth of himself work by his own immediate power and stays not for any humane concurrence but doth them of himself and by himself If he doth work Isaiah 43.13 Psa 135.6 None can let it he doth whatsoever pleaseth him and so he governs the world and preserves and maintains it He suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways He did not incline them to walk in their own ways he did not command them but he did leave them to themselves and in the hands of their own Counsells And is therefore said to suffer them Mala sinit fieri non facit bona vero ipse facit sed nolens mala sinit volens bona operatur being in himself a free Agent he concurs with the creature when he pleaseth and as far as he pleaseth Lumb lib. 1. Sent. 45. Secondly we are to consider that the permitting will of God only respects the reasonable creature to whom properly his commanding will belongs It is true that all the Creatures come under his will For he rules all things according to the counsel of his own will He doth whatsoever he will in heaven and in earth Rev. 4.11 in the sea and all deep places It is by his will that they are created and it is by the same will by which they are preserved and governed in their being Ex necessitate naturae ad ultimum potentiae But all other creatures being to act necessarily no permission can belong to them but God either acts them or suspends their Acts at his pleasure not by a permitting but by a powerfull effecting will Only the reasonable creatures seeing they were created to act out of choice and election the Lord rules them Modo proportionate according to their own nature therefore he hath not put a Law in their natures which shall necessarily and infallibly carry them to their ends but he rules them in a Covenant-way and they are voluntary in all their actings neither shall any of them be confirmed or made impeccable but by grace in which the Lord would have all the vessels of mercy to stand as they were chosen in Christ so by him they are to be confirmed That as they â—â—nor God the Creator in ordine naturae so they should honour the Son as Mediator in ordine gratiae And for this cause whereas the Lord could have confirmed Men and Angels in the day of their Creation as he hath now the Angels in heaven and the souls of just men made perfect yet he will not but reserves it as a blessing that should come in by the Government of his Son in a way of grace by whom the beatifical vision is bestowed upon the Saints And therefore I conceive Christ is called The Angel of Gods face that is Qui faciem Dei quasi conspicuam populo fecit Isa 63.9 Now the face of God in Scripture is put for three things 1. For a full Revelation of his will They shall see his face and his name shall be written in their foreheads Rev. 22.4 2. For a full manifestation of his favor So the Church is said To seek the face of God And the Lord is said to cause his face to shine upon his Saints Psal 67.1 3. A perfect vision of his glory and so heaven is a seeing of God face to face 1 Cor. 13.12 And in â—ll these respects Christ is said to be the Angel that discovers the face of God unto the Saints And it is by this last manifestation that they are made impeccable Thirdly The permitting will of God is only conversant about the sins of the reasonable Creatures in all their good actions the Lord doth concur and act them by an efficacious and a working will so as it is rather Gods work then theirs 1 Cor. 13.10 Yet not I but the grace of God that was with me Cooperando perfecit quod operando incipit Aust But for evil actions God cannot have a hand in them as the Author or Efficient cause for he is light and in him is no darkness at all he is goodness it self and in him is no evil neither can any evil come from him James 1.13 14. The case is decided that God is not the Author of Sin neither can be for he that forbids all sin cannot work any darkness cannot proceed from the Father of lights and yet against his will sin cannot be Non fit aliquid nisi Omnipotens fieri velit vel sinendo vel faciendo Aust Sin could not have come into the world if God would have kept it out he could have created all the creatures impeccable if he had pleased There is a threefold order to be observed concerning the decrees of God 1. The same Soveraign Lord that did elect some to life did decree to pass by others and not to confer the same grace and favour upon them For we teach no absolute Reprobation but a preterition only and non-election or which the Schoolmen call Reprobatio negativa which as Suarez hath well observed opusc lib. 2. pag. 175. Non est poena sed solum negatio gratuiti beneficii quod Deus ut supremus Dominus negare potest 2. Unto these he doth resolve and decree not to give grace but to leave the other to the instability of their own wills 3. He doth decree that he will for their sin cast them off for ever and eternally destroy them So that the Lord decreed to leave the creature unto that strength which he had received in his Creation and then falling he did decree to damn him for that sin which he did of himself voluntarily commit Thus God did from eternity decree to permit sin to come into the world though it be the act of the Creatures and not of God And hence it was that sin entred into the world and death by sin Rom. 5.14 4. The Lord in his permission doth withhold his grace and doth not bestow that which should keep a man from sin but leave a man to walk in his own ways to act according to his own counsels and doth not effectually determine his will unto that which is good but leaves it to be freely carried away to that which is evil Therefore permission is as it were the removing of the impediment and no more As Twiss Vindic. part 2. pag. 28. hath well observed Ex remotione impedimenti effectus interdum sequitur cujus causa non est removens impedimentuÌ„ sed aliquid aliud As if a stone being staid from falling you remove the impediment then it falls immediatly the stop being taken away but the taking away of the stop is not properly the cause of its fall but it s own natural form which hath a tendency to its center So when there is restraining grace upon a man an impediment put in the way of sinning his way is hedged up but when the Lord removes the restraint the