discover our misery and deformity by reason of unholinesse as also to discover the beauty of holinesse and the happiness laid up for holy ones bestowing also upon it an inclining power to bow us to the imbracing and obeing of his holy will the pattern of all holiness 2. From God we have our sanctification not by traduction from our parents Grace is not of an equall extent to Nature Grace is not native but donative not by generation but by regeneration it s from the Father of spirits not fathers of our flesh Who can bring a clean thing out of filthinesse The new birth is not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor of man Joh. 1.13 The purest seed-corn brings forth the stalk the husk and chaff and the holiest men have a posterity with a nature covered over with corruption 4. God sanctifies so as the first infusion of the habit of Grace is without the active concurrence of any abilities of our corrupted nature to the acquiring of grace in the heart the plantation of grace in us being purely supernaturall Gods manner of working is altogether divine beyond the power and without the help of any thing in man only he being a rationall creature is a subject capable of grace and therby in the work of sanctification hath a passive concurrence for of our selves we are not sufficient to think a good thought but our sufficiency is of God He worketh in us both to will and to do We are dead in trespasses and sins c. New begotten new created c. Grace is an habituall quality meerly infused by divine vertue not issuing out of any inward force of humane abilities howsoever strained up to the highest pitch of their naturall perfection All civility sweetness of nature ingenuity of education learning good company restraint by laws with all moral Vertues with their joynt force cannot quicken our souls to the least true motion of a spirituall life 5. God sanctifies so as that in the practice of sanctification man doth actually concurr with God for being sanctified and inwardly enabled in his faculties by spirituall life put into them he moves himself in his actions of grace although even in these actions he cannot work alone he being onely a fellow-worker with the Spirit of God not in equality but in subordination to him Neverthelesse though these actions be performed by the speciall assistance of the Spirit yet in regard man is the next agent they are properly said to be mans actions 2. God the Father sanctifies And yet Eph. 5.26 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is said to sanctifie and to be Sanctification and most frequently the holy Ghost is said to sanctifie Gal. 5.22 Ephes 5.9 Gal. 5.17 Grace being called the fruits of the spirit the whole work of Sanctification stiled by the name of spirit and the Scripture expresly speaks us sanctified by the Spirit and the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of Sanctification Yet when the Scripture saith we are sanctified by God the Father it doth not contradict it self For the explication whereof I shall briefly set down this Distinction and these Conclusions All the Attributes of God are either 1. Essentiall Dist which are the very divine Essence and pertaining to the very nature of God as to be a Spirit omniscient eternall true good powerful mercifull c. Or 2. Relative And that either 1. Inwardly to the Persons within themselves as for the Father to beget the Son to be begotten the holy Ghost to proceed from Father and Son Or 2. Outwardly And that either 1. to the creatures as to create sustain c. or 2. to the Church as to redeem and sanctifie c. The Attributes that appertain to the Nature or Essence of God are common to the three Persons as to be a Spirit Concl. 1. omniscient eternall c. The Attributes or properties that inwardly belong to the Persons among themselves Concl. 2. are peculiar and proper to each of them both in regard of order of being and working The Father hath his being from Himself alone the Son hath his being from the Father alone the holy Ghosi hath his being from them both The Father alone begetteth the Son is alone begotten the holy Ghost doth proceed from the Father and the Son All works externall Concl. 3. and in reference to the creatures as to create to govern to redeem to sanctifie c. are in respect of the things wrought equally common to the three Persons of the Trinity who as they are all one in Nature and Will so must they be in operation all of them working one and the same thing together John 5.17 19. Most true is that of Christ Whatsoever things the Father doth these also doth the Son the like may be said of the holy Ghost so that we are sanctified by Father Son and holy Ghost there being the same power and will of all three and in works externall and in respect of the creature when onely one Person or two are named the whole Trinity is to be understood Though the works of three Persons toward the creature Concl. 4. world or Church in regard of the thing wrought are common to all the three yet in respect of the manner of working there is distinction of Persons that work for the Father works through the Son by the holy Ghost The Father works from none the Son from the Father the holy Ghost from both Joh. 5.19 8.28 16.13 there being the same order of working in the Trinity that there is of existing the Father works by the Son and the holy Ghost sending them and not sent by them the Son works by the holy Ghost sending him from the Father into the hearts of beleevers and is not sent by him but by the Eather the holy Ghost works and is sent from the Father and the Son not from himself The works therfore of the Trinity are considerable either absolutely or in regard of the works wrought and so they are the works of the whole Trinity in common Or relatively when we consider in what order the Persons work which Person works immediately which by another And so the Persons are distinguish'd in their works This considered Jude in ascribing Sanctification to God the Father is easily reconciled to those that ascribe it to God the holy Ghost and the Son these last named persons being by Jude included in the working of sanctification and only the order of working of the blessed Trinity noted The Father sanctifying through the Son by the holy Ghost the Father sanctifying by sending the Son to merit and giving his Spirit to work the Son by meriting the holy Ghost by working our sanctification and immediately sanctifying us in which respect he hath the title of holy and Sanctification most commonly exprest as his work This for the Explication of the second particular in the first priviledge of the faithfull to whom Jude wrote viz. The Author of their sanctification
unto nay present with him by his universal care and providence he being not far from every one of us for in him we live c. Act. 17.27 28. 2 By assuming the nature of man into a personal conjunction with himself in the Mediator Christ 3 By conversing with man by signs of his presence extraordinary visions dreams oracles inspiration and ordinarily by his holy Ordinances wherewith his people as it were abide with him in his house 4 By sending his holy Spirit to dwell in man and bestowing upon man the divine nature 5 By taking man into an eternal habitation in heaven Psal 16. ult where he shall be ever in his glorious presence 2 There is a love of God to man considered as a love of benevolence or of good will or of willingness to do good to the thing beloved what else was his eternal purpose to have mercy upon his people and of saving them Rom. 9.13 but as it s exprest concerning Jacob this loving them And to whom can a will of doing good so properly agree as to him whose will is goodness it self 3 There is a lover of God to man considered as a love of beneficence bounty or actual doing good to the thing beloved Thus he bestoweth the effects of his love both for this life and that which is to come And the beneficence of God is called Love 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God And Joh. 3.16 So God loved the world that he sent c. By this love of beneficence bestowes he the good things of nature grace glory God doth good to every creature hating though the iniquity of any one yet the nature of none Gen. 1.31 for the being of every creature is good and God hath adorn'd it with many excellent qualities According to these loves of benevolence and beneficence God loveth not his creatures equally but some more then others in as much as he willeth to bestow and also actually bestoweth greater blessings upon some than upon others he makes and preserves all creatures but his love is more especially afforded to mankinde he stileth himself from his love to man Tit. 3.4 and not from his love to Angels or any other creature He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of man but never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a friend of Angels or creatures without man His love is yet more peculiarly extended to man in creating him after his own image Psal 8.5 Heb. 2.16 Rom. 5.8 and in giving him lordship over the creatures in giving his Son to take upon him mans nature and exalt it above heavens and Angels to dye for sinning dying man offering him to man in the dispensation of the Gospel with wooing and beseechings Mat. 28.18 and yet of men he loveth some more especially and peculiarly than others Omnia diligit Deus quae fecit etinter ea magis creaturas rationales et de illis eas amplius quae sunt membra Unigeniti et multo magis ipsum Unigenitum Aug. T. 9. in Joh. namely those whom he loveth with an electing calling redeeming justifying glorifying love God loves all creatures and among them the rational and among them the members of his Son and much more the Son himself 4. There is a love of God to man considered as a love of complacency and delight in the thing beloved he is pleased through his Son with his Servants and he is much delighted with his own image wheresoever he finds it He is pleased with the persons and performances of his people He hath made us accepted in the Son of his loves the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him Psal 147.11 Zeph. 3.17 They reflecting his excellencies and shewing forth his vertues he rejoying over them with joy he resting in his love accounting a Beleever amiable his soul a lesser heaven his prayers melody his sighs incense his stammerings eloquence his desires performances 2 There is a love of Man to God which is when the Soul is moved Amor concupiscentiae non requiescit in quacunque extrinseca aut superficiali adeptione amati sed quaerit amatum perfectè habere quasi ad intima illius perveniens Aq. 1.2 ae q. 28. ar 2. drawn and called out to desire the participation of his presence yeelding up and conforming it self to his will as also quietly resting in the enjoying of him This love is considerable in its several kinds 1 It s a love of desire to enjoy him for ours as the source of all our happiness The Soul loves God under the apprehension of the greatest good and therefore puts forth it self in strongest desires toward him This love is as strong as death and can take no denyal It is the wing and weight of the Soul that carries all the desires into an intimate unity with the thing beloved stirreth up a zeal to remove all obstacles worketh an egress of the Spirits and as it were an haste of the Soul to entertain and meet it According to those expressions of the Saints in Scripture The desire of our soul is to thy name Es 26.8 Ps 119.10.81 119.20 Psal 42.2 Psal 84.2 With my whole heart have I sought thee My soul fainteth for thy salvation My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgements at all times My soul thirsteth for God I am sick of love c. Oh the vehement panting breathing and going forth of the soul of one toward God who is in love with him he contemns the most serious worldly employments when he is taken up with this and who so discourseth with him of earthly concernments speaks as with one not at home all the world not satisfying without the kisses of the lips of our beloved our desires being a thousand times more for one smile of his face than for all the wealth under the Sun No difficulty so great no danger so imminent nay no death so certain which this love carries not through for the obtaining of the thing beloved this love being a falling mountain that breaks down all that stands betwixt it and the place of its rest In a word no means shall be left unused that by God are appointed for the obtaining of our beloved enquiries of or from others how to find him letters of love sighs tears sobs groans unutterable are sent to win him desires to hear again from him in his promise of grace are expressed The soul is never gotten neer enough till it be in the arms the bosome of God in heaven It saith not as Peter of his Tabernacles Lord Let there be one for me and another for thee but let us both be together in one It s ever night with one who loves Christ till the Sun of his presence be arising He is like a certain kinde of Stone of which some report That if it be thrown into the water
personally and as signifying some one person of the Trinity thus the Father is called God Mat. 16.16 Joh. 3.16 Rom. 7.25 c. thus the Holy Ghost is called God Act. 5.4 compared with verse the 3. Thou hast not lyed to men but to God Satan hath filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 6.16 compared with 1 Cor. 6.19 And thus the Son is called God Act. 20.28 The Church of God which he hath purchased with his blood 1 Tim. 3.16 Tit. 2.13 The great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ c. and this is the person which is here called God To whom 1. Are given the same Titles which are given to God Isai 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 14.22 Psal 95.8 9.6 He is called The mighty God and chap. 6.1 He is called Jehovah for there Isaiah is said to see Jehovah sitting upon a throne c. And Joh. 12.41 This is expresly by the holy Evangelist applyed to Christ of whom he saith that Isaiah saw his glory and spake of him Exod. 17.7 The people are said to tempt Jehovah and the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.9 Let us not tempt Christ as some of them tempted It is said of Jehovah Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth Psal 102.25 and the heavens are the work of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt endure c. And the Apostle clearly testifies Heb. 1.10 that these words are spoken of Christ Zech. 13.7 Christ is called the Fathers fellow Joh. 1.1 The word which in the beginning was with God is expresly said to be God And Rom. 9.6 He is called God blessed for evermore And 1 Tim. 3. ult God manifested in the flesh And 1 Joh. 5.20 The true God 2. The same essentiall Attributes and properties of the God-head are ascribed to him as 1. Eternity Prov. 8.22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old Joh. 8.58 Before Abraham was I am John 17.5 Glorifie me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was And ver 24. Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world Col. 1.17 He is before all things 2. Omnipresence Mat. 18.20 Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them And chap. 28. ult I am with you alway even to the end of the world 3. Omniscience Joh. 2. ult He knew what was in man Mat. 9.4 and 12.25 Luk. 5.22 and 6.8 Luk. 11.17 and 24.38 He is also frequently said to know the thoughts yea Joh. 21.17 to know all things 4. Omnipotency All power is given unto me Phil 3. ult He is able to subdue all things Joh. 5.19 What things soever the Father doth these also do the Son 3. The same works which are peculiar to God are ascribed unto Christ As 1. Election the Elect are Mat. 24.31 called his Elect. 2. Creation 1 Joh. 3. All things were made by him and ver 10. The world was made by him Col. 1.16 By him were all things created 3. The Preservation and sustentation of all things Col. 1.17 By him all things consist Heb. 1.3 He upholdeth all things by the word of his power 4. Remission of sins Mat. 9.6 The Son of man hath power to forgive sins 5. Working of miracles works either above or against the order of nature Joh. 9.32 He opens the eyes of the blind Joh. 11. He raiseth dead Lazarus Yea he both raiseth from the grave of sin Joh. 5.21 25 And raiseth all the dead Joh. 5.28 29. 6. The bestowing of eternall life Joh. 10.28 My sheep hear my voice and I give unto them eternall life 4. The worship which is due to God alone hath been both given to and accepted by Christ First Inward worship as 1. Beleeving on him Faith is a worship which belongs only to God enjoyned in the first Commandment and against the trusting in man is there a curse denounced Jer. 5.17 But Christ bids us beleeve in him Joh. 14.1 Beleeve in me Joh. 8. ult He that beleeveth in the Son hath everlasting life 2. Loving him with all the heart commanded above the love nay even to an hatred of father mother wife children yea our own lives Luk. 14.26 and for the gaining of him Blessed Paul accounted all things but loss and dung Phil. 3.8 Secondly Outward worship is due to Christ 1. Dedication in baptism is in his name Mat. ult 19. 2. Divine Invocation is given to him Act. 7.59 Steven calls upon the Lord Jesus to receive his spirit 1 Cor. 1.2 All that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ 1 Thes 3.11 God himselfe and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you Revel 5.9.12 Praises are offered to him 3 Divine adoration is also given to him Mat. 8.2 A leper worshipped him Mat. 2.11 Though the Wise men of the east who saw Herod in all his royalty worshipped not him yet they fell down before Christ Yea not men only but Angels are commanded to worship him Hebr. 1.6 OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. As groundlesse as blasphemous are all the cavils against the deity of Christ For though he be from and begotten of the the Father by an ineffable communication of the divine essence to his person yet if we consider his deity and essence absolutely he is God of himselfe and hath being from none and he is only God of God as we consider the divine essence in the Son and as it is under a certain and distinct manner of subsistence Though the Father be greater than the Son in respect of his manhood Joh. 14.28 Joh 10.30 Phil. 2.6 yet the Son is equall with the Father in respect of his Godhead Though the Son be truly called the image of God Col. 1.15 yet he is as truly said to be very God For when the Apostle saith that he is the image of God this word God ought not to be taken essentially but personally and by it we are to understand not the divine nature but the person of the Father Christ is the image of the Father not of the deity and the person of the Son bears the image of the person of the Father but the divine essence in the Son is one and the same with that which is in the Father I and my Father are one 2 Vnconceivable was the wisdome Observ 2. justice love and humble condescention manifested in Gods becoming of Man 1. Wisdome None but a God could have contrived it and so far was Man from inventing this plot of Mercy that it had been blasphemie should it have entred into his thoughts before God had discovered it to him The hypostaticall union was purely a divine invention Poor short-sighted man cannot conceive it now since it was much lesse could he have contrived it before it was Infinite was that wisdome which found out a way for God to begin to be what he was not and to remain what he was
nemo videbit in judicio quia filius hominis est ut possit ab impiis videri August lib. 1. de trin cap. 13. Talis apparebit judex qualis possit videri ab iis quos coronaturus ab iis quos damnaturus est Prosp The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Son he hath given him authority to execute judgment Joh. 5.22.27 And all power is given him in heaven and in earth 3. By his former estate of humiliation As he emptyed and humbled himself according to his humane nature so in that hee is to be exalted He humbled himselfe and became obedient to death c wherefore God hath highly exalted him Phil. 2.9 And as Christ in his humane nature was unjustly judged so in that nature shall he justly judge Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and he shall appear the second time without sin Heb. 9.28 4. By reason of the necessity of the visibility of the Judge and judiciall proceedings at the last day He executes judgement because he is the Son of man Joh 5.27 and every eye shall see him The Judge is to be beheld and heard by the Judged God will judge the world by that man c. In respect of the judiciall process a man must be our Judge for God is invisible and the Judge shall so appear as to be seen both of those whom he shall crown and of those whom he shall condemn Nor can it be but that God will be the more justified and men without all excuse having one who is bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh to be judge between God and them Notwithstanding all which immediate audible visible administration of the last judgement by the second Person this judgement belongs to the other Persons in Trinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of Authority Dominion and judiciary power though to the Son only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of dispensation and office and externall exercise 2. For the second viz. Wherein the Judge makes the day of Judgement great 1. He makes it a great day 1. As he is considered in himselfe 2. As he is attended and accompanied by others 1. As we consider him in himselfe and that either 1. as God or 2. man 1. As God He who shall be the Judge is the mighty God It is Jehovah to whom every knee shall 〈◊〉 Isai 45. Hence the Apostle cals the appearance of this Judg who is God glorious in those words Tit. 2.13 The glorious appearing of the great God If the great God be Judge the day of Judgement must needs be a great day How great is the day of an earthly Judges appearance a man a worme dust and ashes one who though hee can give yet cannot avoid the sentence of death and one who hath scarce a faint reflection of that majesty with which this King of glory is adorned think then and yet thoughts can never reach it what it is for God before whom the whole world though full of Judges is as nothing and less then nothing and vanity to come to judge the word God is a judge Omnipotent and therefore one whose voice as the living who are distanced so many thousands of miles shall hear and obey so even the dead shall hear being quickned and shall at his beck come and stand before his judgment seat He shall come with great power 2 Thes 7.9 and the wicked shall be punish'd with everlasting destruction from the glory of his power Nor shall he use the ministry of Angels for necessity but Majesty God is an omniscient Judg infinitely onely wise his eyes are clearer then ten thousand suns one who will in the day wherein the brightnesse of his omniscience shall shine in its full lustre bring every hidden work to light and tell to all as the woman of Samaria said all that ever they did one who doth not as earthly Judges onely know what to ask but what every one will answer who wants no witnesses nor needs he that any should testifie of man for he knows what is in man God is a true and a just Judge The Apostle 2 Tim 4.8 cals him The Lord the righteous Judge hee will render to every one according to his works The Apostle proves the righteousnesse of God from his judging the world Rom. 3.6 and Abrahams question asserts it strongly Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Other Judges may do righteously but God cannot do otherwise The wils of other Judges must be regulated by righteousnesse but so righteous is God that righteousnesse it selfe is regulated by his will which is the root and rule of all righteousnesse 2. This Judge shall make the day great as he is Man greatly amazing and dismaying must his appearance as Judge in mans nature needs be to sinners who have denyed him persecuted crucifyed and put him to an open shame all whose designes have been to crush and keep him under With what horror shall the Jews then see their delusion who would not heretofore beleive him to be the Messiah Needs must they and others who would not have this man to reign over them to whom he was a stumbling stone when low and small contemptible in his former discoveries upon earth now find and feel him a rock to fall upon them from heaven and crush them to powder Greatly comforting and refreshing must the appearance of this man be to beleevers who shall not onely behold him to be the great Judge of the whole world who hath taken upon him their nature but who hath also given to them his spirit whereby through faith they are mystically united unto him as their head their husband and upon whom they have fixed all their hopes and expectations of happinesse for and with whom they have so long suffered from the world whom they look upon as their treasure their portion and for whose coming they have so long'd and sigh'd and groan'd In a word How greatly glorious shall his appearance in our nature be both to good and bad when in it he shall be deck'd and adorn'd with Majesty and clothed with unspeakeable glory above all the Angels he being to come in the glory of his father Mat. 16.27 with power and great glory Mat. 24.30 The glory of a thousand Suns made into one will be but as sack cloth to that wherein Christ shall appear in mans nature that great day The glory of the Sun scatters the clouds but from the glory of Christs face the very earth and heaven shall flie away Rev. 20.11 The beames of his glory shall dazzel the eyes of sinners and delight the eyes of Saints The wicked shall be punish'd with everlasting destruction from his presence and the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.9 and when his glory shall he revealed the Saints shall be glad with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4.13 2. The Judge shall make this day of judgement great considering him not
whereof I meet with sundry opinions among Writers Jansen Harm p. 220. 1 Some conceive that he had this diversity of names from an usuall custom they say among the Jews which was that if any name had in it three or more of the letters of Iehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it should not be us'd in ordinary speech but that some other name like it should be us'd in stead of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now Iudah containing in it all the four letters in the name Iehovah having besides the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Apostle had other names to be ordinarily called by but this reason seems what-ever is the superstition of the later Jews not to have taken place in our Iude or in any other that we read of the Patriarch Iudah the son of Iacob had no other name but Iudah bestowed upon him by his mother or friends nor did the custom appear upon Iudas Iscariot 2. Others conceive that these names were conferred upon him to difference him from Iudas of the same name the traytor grown detestable for his execrable fact and heinous treason for which cause our Apostle may in the title of this Epistle stile himself also the brother of Iames the name of Iudas being so odious in the Church that as a learned man observes a Lorin in loc p. 320. Id verum doprehendi abstinere ferè Christianos ab imponendo et usurpando nomine Judae Exeâ—rabile hoc nomen Christianis ob execrabilem proditionem à Juda factam Christians have in all ages in a manner abstained from imposing it though a good name in it self and that very rarely is it to be found mentioned in any History And there seems to be an exact care in the Evangelist that when this holy Apostle Joh. 14.22 was named he might not be taken for the traytor speaking thus Iudas not Iscarior Nor was it any change of his name that did serve the turn for it was no lesse wisely then piously heeded that those other names Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus should be sutable to the person upon whom they were bestowed Thaddaeus signifying in the Syriack the same thing Praise or Confession with Judah in Hebrew the imposers of this name intimating the constancy of this holy man in confessing Christ what name soever he had Nor is it to be thought but that the other name Lebbaeus was applyed fitly and sutably to him as being derived either from the Hebrew word †from the Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Videantur Junius in loc Brugens in 10. Matt. Jansen c. 39. Lapide in loc Justini in loc Lorin in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labi which signifieth a Lion the cognizance of another Judah Gen. 49. of which tribe this Jude was to shew his holy resolution and b Leo dicitur à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leb Cor quasi cordatus seu animosus quia à generositate praesentia animi imperterritus cor enim sedes est symbolum fortitudinis unde Aristomenes qui to tam Graeciam stupefecerat audaciae miraculo post mortem dissectus inventus est habere cor totum pilis hirsutum Plin. lib. 11. c. 37. courage for God in opposing sin and the enemies of the truth even as with a Lion-like heart or from the Hebrew word Leb which signifieth a heart thereby noting say some that he was a man of much wisdom and understanding in his place and carriage for he who was of greatest c Corculum dicebant antiqui solertem acutum Fest Qui valdè cautus prudens vocabatur Corculum Plin. l. 7. cap. 31. Unde Scipio Nasica ob prudentiam bis Consul appellatus est Corculum Cic. Tusc 1. discretion and prudence was of old wont to be called Corculum from cor a heart and a wise understanding man is usually termed homo cordatus a man with a heart or noting say others that he was Cordis cultor a man that laboured much about his heart studying diligently the purity and sanctifying thereof This for the expository part of the first thing considerable in the description of the pen-man of this Epistle viz. his Name the collection of Observations followeth Observations from the first thing in the description of the Author of this Epistle his Name Jude 1. Obs 1. I observe from the samenesse or commonness of the name Judas to a holy Apostle and a perfidious traytor together with that seditious Galilean That Names commend us not to God nor conduce any thing to our true happinesse Many that have holy and blessed names come much short of them Zedekiah Jehoahaz as Adonijah Judas c. Absolom signifieth the fathers peace but he that was so call'd proved his fathers trouble On the other side many have unpromising and infamous names who are excellent persons and have lost nothing thereby It s not a holy name but a holy nature that makes a holy man No outward titles or priviledges profit the enjoyer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliquando mali 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliquando boni Si coÌ„munio nominum condicionibus praejudicat quanti nequam servi Regum nominibus insultant Tert. cont Mart. c. 7. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new creature A peasant may have the name of a Prince a traytor the name of an holy Apostle It s all one with God to call thee holy and to make thee so Oh beg of him inward renovation more then outward estimation otherwise a great name for holinesse will prove but a great plague hereafter Hell is a wicked Judas his own place A good name with an unchanged nature is but white feathers upon a black skin A great priviledge unsanctified is a great punishment 2 I observe Obs 2. That wicked men make the best names and things odious by their unholy carriage Judas the traytor makes the name Judas by many the worst thought of 1 Sam. 2.17 Ezek. 36.20 Elie's sons made the people to abhorr the Lords offering God tels the people that they had profaned his holy Name while the heathen said These are the people of the Lord c. Vita Evangelica debet esse vita Angelica Scandalous Christians have brought an odium upon Christianity It s the duty therfore of those that are conversant about holy things to be holy to tremble lest any should think the worse of Ordinances of Ministry of Sanctity for them The blood of seeming Saints will not wash away the scandall they have brought upon true sanctity nor make amends for the evil report which they have brought upon the Canaan of godliness and yet we should take heed of thinking the worse of holinesse or of any way of God for the wickednesse of any person whatsoever Eli's sons sinn'd in making the people abhorr the Lords offering 1 Sam. 2.24 and yet the Text saith the people sinn'd too in abhorring it Obs 3. 3 Our Baptismall names ought to be such as
God the Father Secondly the Observations follow 1. Even our holinesse administers matter of humility Obs 1. Our very graces should humble us as well as our sins as these later because they are ours so the former because they are none of ours Sanctity is adventitious to Nature Heretofore holinesse was naturall and sin was accidentall now sin is naturall and holinesse accidentall when God made any of us his garden he took us out of Satans waste ws are not born Saints the best before sanctification are bad and by nature not differing from the worst the members that God accepts to be weapons of righteousnesse were before blunted in Satans service when God sanctifieth us he melteth idols and makes of them vessels for his own use Before any becomes as an Israelites wife he is as a captive unpared unwash'd unshaven Sanctification is a great blessing but was this web woven out of thine own bowels the best thou didst bring to thine own sanctification was a passive receptivenesse of it which the very worst of heathens partake of in common with thee having a humane nature a rationall soul and was there not with that a corrupt principle of opposition to God and all the workings of God was not God long striving with a cross-grain'd heart how many denyals had God before he did win thee to himself How far was the iron gate of thy heart from opening of its own accord and if he had not wrought like a God omnipotently and with the same power wherewith Christ was raised Eph. 1.19 20. had thy resistence been ever subdued and when the being of grace was bestowed from whence had thy grace at any time its acting Didst thou ever write one letter without Gods guiding thy hand didst thou ever shed one penitentiall tear till God unstop'd thy spouts smote thy rock and melted thy heart didst thou hunger after Christ till God who gave the food gave the stomack also Was ever tentation resisted grace quickned corruption mortified holy resolution strengthened power either to do or will received from any but from God Doth not every grace the whole frame of sanctification depend upon God as the stream on the fountain the beam on the Sun when he withdraws his influence how dead is thy heart in every holy performance onely when he speaks the word effectually bidding thee go thou goest and do this or that thou dost it 2. Obs 2. The reason why all graces of a sanctified person are for God they are from him Gods bounty is their fountain and Gods glory must be their center He planted the Vineyard and therefore he must drink the wine We are his wormanship and therefore we must be his workmen All our pleasant fruits must be laid up and out for our well-beloved All things but particularly our graces are from him and for him we can never give him more or other then his own when we give all we can The streames will rise as high as the fountain head and so should our graces ascend as high in duty as he who gave them Where should God have service if a sanctified person denyes it 3. Obs 3. From this Author of Sanctification I note t s excellency and worth It s a rare work certainly that hath such a workman a beauteous structure that hath such a builder What is a man to be desired for but his sanctification if we see a beauty on that body which hath a soul how much more on that soul that hath the reflexion of God himself upon it Every Saint is a woodden casket fill'd with pearls The Kings daughter is all glorius within Love Jesus Christ in his worky-day clothes admire him in his Saints though they be black yet they are comely Did the people of God but contemplate one anothers graces could there be that reproaching scorn and contempt cast upon one another that there is Certainly their ignorance of their true excellency makes them enemies they strike one another in the dark 4. Obs 4. Great must be the love that God bears to Sanctification It s a work of his own framing a gift of his own bestowing God saw that the work of the first creation was very good much more that of the second Wonder no more that the faithfull are call'd his garden his Jewels his Treasure his Temple his Portion God hath two heavens and the sanctified soul is the lesser How doth he accept of Saints even in their imperfections delight in their performances pity them in their troubles take care of them in dangers He that hath given his Son for them promised heaven to them and sent his Spirit into them what can he deny them Jesus Christ never admired any thing but grace when he was upon the earth the buildings of the Temple he contemned in comparison of the faith of a poor trembling woman Certainly the people of God should not sleight those graces in themselves that God doth so value as they do when they acknowledge not the holinesse that God hath bestowed upon them Shall they make orts of those delicates that Jesus Christ accounts an excellent banquet 5. The love of God is expressive Obs 5. really and effectually in us and upon us even in sanctifying us Creatures when they love will not put off one another with bare words of bidding be clothed sed c. much lesse doth God If there be love in his heart there will be bounty in his hand Thou sayst that God is mercifull and loves thee why what did he ever do for thee work in thee hath he changed thy nature mortified thy lusts beautified thy heart with holinesse Where God loves be affords love-tokens and such are onely his soul-enriching graces No man knows love or hatred by what he sees before him but by what he findes in him If our heart moves toward God certainly his goeth out toward us the shadow upon the Dyall moves according to the motion of the Sun in the Heaven 6. Obs 6. We are to repair in our wants of Sanctification to God for supply He is the God of grace The Lord will give grace and glory He hath the key of the womb the grave the heavens but chiefly of the heart He that sitteth in heaven can onely teach and touch the heart How feeble a thing and unable is man whether thy self or the Minister to do this He hath the windes in his own keeping and till he send them out of his treasury how necessarily must thy soul lye wind-bound Whither shouldst thou goe but to him and how canst thou go but by him The means of grace are to be used in obedience to him Parum prodest Lectio quam non illuminat Oratio not in dependancy upon them A golden key cannot open without him and a woodden can open with him Man may with the Prophets servant lay the staff upon the fore-head but God must give life How many fat and rich Ordinances have been
that Preservation flowes from the decree of Election Quod datur ex efficaci intentione infallibiliter servandi illam personam cui donatur illud ex decreto dilectionis dimanare manifestum est Suffr Br. p. 197. is most manifest in regard it s given with a previous intention of infallible bringing him to salvation to whom it is given for what is election but to ordain infallibly to obtain salvation And this immutable purpose the all-powerfull and faithfull God backs with infallible promises The mountains shall depart but the covenant of his peace shall not Isa 54.10 I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 My sheep shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Joh. 10.29 I will betroth thee unto me for ever Hos 2.19 Christ shall confirm you to the end 1 Cor. 1.8 Nay this stablenesse of his Councel he shews by an oath also which was Luc. 1.75 That we being delivered c. might worship him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our life This purpose and these promises God even in this life backs with such performances as prove Perseverance infallibly to follow he bestows upon his people an inward continuing principle of holinesse the seed of God remaining in Gods people which makes them that they cannot sin 1 Joh. 3.9 A well of water springing up unto everlasting life Joh. 4.14 An annointing abiding in them 1 Joh. 2.27 The Spirit abiding for ever Joh. 14.26 The fear of God in their hearts not suffering to depart from God Jer. 32.40 Gifts without repentance Rom. 11.29 Upon these performances of God 1 Joh. 5.13 Heb. 3.6 2 Pet. 1.10 beleevers have been assured and are commanded to labour for the assurance of their salvation A priviledge not to be attained if assurance of perseverance were impossible for without perseverance there is no salvation 3. The third and fullest preservation is Eternal which shall be perfectly from every enemy that may hurt in a way of sin and misery truly called foelix securitas secura foelicitas happy safety and safe happinesse when the people of God shall neither offend nor be offended when there shall be neither a sin in the soul nor a sinner in their society when Satan shall no more solicite when the faithfull shall not onely be exempted from foyls but even from fighting when in stead of swords they shall only have palms in their hands Oh blessed condition to have rest on every side fulnesse of grace perfection of peace to be freed from all fears to be lodg'd in the bosom and lock'd up in the embraces of God to eternity to be in our haven our center our fathers house O my soul 't is a heaven to hope it what then is it to have it And this for the explication of the nature of this Preservation the second kinde of priviledge bestowed upon the faithfull The Observations follow 1. Obs 1. Sanctified persons have many enemies 'T is true none are safe but such and yet none so much solicited as such What need this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this carefull preservation this garison of Gods power if there were none feared to give and take the possession of thy soul from God Is there not a false party within The best-govern'd City hath some traytors and so hath the best-govern'd heart nay is not the better party in the soul far the lesser and how oft doth the disaffected conspire to let in the enemy without which they had long agoe done and destroy'd the good party too Perfectiones sibi relictae sunt pondera ad ruinam Gers for Grace left to it self falls had it not been for Gods power The great designe of Satan is to surprize Sanctity the thief gotten into the house presently enquires where the jewels and money are laid up the Divel had rather catch one fish then a hundred frogs he is sure already he thinks of his own Besides they do not much credit his cause but could he bring over to himself one sanctified person he would boast in such an addition to his Kingdom It s the tree that bears fruit which is pluck'd and cudgel'd under other trees which have onely leaves men sit and walk indeed but they pluck them not And of all trees which bear fruit those which bear the best are pull'd and beaten most It s the richly laden ship that is most endangered by the Pirates the soul enrich'd with holinesse for which Satan lyes most in wait There are as many miracles wrought as a Saint is preserved minutes Let us neither be secure nor discouraged Not secure we live in the midst of enemies He that will be alway safe must never be secure we cannot trust God too much nor our own hearts too little the former is our keeper the later is our traytor there 's no Christian his own keeper we can neither stand not rise alone all we can do alone is to fall Not discouraged thy many robbers shew thou hast something worth the taking from thee thy enemies though they endanger thy holinesse yet grant it in opposing thee they speak thee none of theirs nay they engage Jesus Christ to oppose them who will lose none of his Cadit mundus sed non cadit Christianus quia non cadit Christus Aug Obs 2. to pity thee who will not suffer thee to be tempted above thy power Let the world fall yet a Christian falls not as long as Christ stands 2. Then God keeps most graciously when he keeps us from sin then he keeps us as his own people He keeps from sicknesse or poverty by way of a generall providence but from sin by way of peculiar preservation what-ever other preservation he bestows without this 't is but a reservation to eternall ruine Christ that loveth all his members most tenderly never desired of his Father to keep them free from outward troubles he prayeth not that he should take his disciples out of the world Joh. 17.15 but keep them from the evill Not that they should be exempted from suffrings but preserved from sin the evill that they might never side with the times against God that they might never apostatize or forsake the truth Every one seeks safety but who desires this true safety this soul-safety Worldly policy would that a man sleep in a whole skin but true wisdom puts a man upon preserving a whole conscience A whole skin countervails not for a wounded conscience And yet this is the study of the times every one labours to save one to fall upon his feet to keep from being plundred c. but who study to be kept from offending God If thou couldst as easily keep thy self from Gods wrath as from mans by all thy projects thy policy would be a good pattern gain in the chist and loss in the conscience is but a bad exchange he that will save his life when he should
power of all he had said and done Mark 6.6 We are carried unto unbelief both by the tide of our own natures and the winde of tentation Our hearts ever since we left God crave and look for relief from sensible objects and having forsaken the true embrace even any opinionative God or good which hath enough to flatter into expectations though nothing to fill or to yeeld satisfaction And so great is our natural pride that we had rather steal than beg rather rob God of glory by resting upon our own crutches then go out of our selves to depend upon another for happinesse The batteries of Satan are principally placed against faith He would not care for taking away our estates names liberties unlesse he hoped hereby to steal away our faith He fans not out the chaffe but bolts out the flour Luke 22.32 Satan saith Christ to Peter hath desired to winnow thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Satans first siege in Paradise was laid against the faith of threatnings He knows that all our strength like Samsons in his Locks is from laying hold upon another If therefore he can make us let go our hold which is our faith he desires no more Faith is the grace that properly refisteth him and therefore he principally opposeth it unbelief befriendeth Satan and therefore he most promotes it in our hearts Oh that we might most fear and oppose that sin which is most difficultly avoided and most dangerously entertained Of all keepings keep thy heart and of all means principally use this of keeping out unbeleef 4. Nothing more displeaseth God Observ 4. than the forsaking of our own mercies In the true loving of our selves we cannot provoke God He is angry with Israel because they refuse that which might make themselves happy God loves to be giving and is pleased with them who are alwayes taking in his goodnesse Unbeleef obstructs mercy and God opposeth unbeleef He delights in them who hope in his mercy He hath such full brests that he is most pained when we will not draw them by beleeving The great complaint of Christ was that people would not come to him for life He was grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts and incensed against those guests that would not come when they were invited to the feast of his Gospel-dainties He is so abundant a good that he wants nothing or if he doth he wanteth only wants If he be angry with us how should we be displeased with our selves for rejecting mercy It s the proud and unbeleving soul which God only sends empty away They who will buy his benefits must leave their mony behind them How inexcusable are they who perish they starve and dye in the midst of fulnesse But alasse wee are the poorest of beggars not onely without bread but without hunger Oh begge that hee who bestowes grace upon the desires would first give us the grace of Desire 5. Observat 5. Nullum genus insipientiae infidelitate insipientius Bern. de Consid None are such enemies to unbeleevers as themselves nor is any folly so great as Infidelity The business and very design of unbelief and all that it hath to do is to stop mercy and hinder happinesse Every step which an unbeleever takes is a departing from goodnesse it self Heb. 3.12 And no wonder if such an one carry a curse along with him Jer. 17.5 and ver 6. if he be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh Unbelief is like the unwary hand of him who being without the door puls it too hard after him locks it and locks himself out Faith is the grace of receiving and unbelief the sin of rejecting all spirituall good How vainly doth the unbeliever expect refreshment by going from the fountain or gain by leaving the true treasure Distrustfull sinner who is the looser by thy incredulity and who would gain by thy beleeving but thy self What harm is it to the cool and refreshing fountain that the weary passenger will not drink and what benefit is it to the fountain though he should What loseth the Sun if men will shut their eyes against its light what gains it though they open them What good comes by distrusting God unlesse the gratifying of Satan in the damning of thy self How foolish is that disobedience that will not wash and be cleansed from a worse leprosie then Naaman's that like a man in a swoun shuts the teeth against a life-recalling cordiall that will not open a beggars hand for the receiving of a Jewell more worth then all the world that beleeves the Father of lyes who cannot speak truth unless it be to deceive and will not trust the God of truth nay Truth it self to whose nature lying is infinitely more opposite than to our good O Unbeliever either thou shalt believe before thou dyest or not if not how scalding will be this ingredient among the rest of those hellish tortures which hereafter shal compleat thy pain to consider that offered sincerely offered mercy was despised that the promise of grace and truth daily desired thy acceptance but had nothing from thee but contempt That thou who art now crying eternally and vainly for one drop hadst lately the offers and intreaties of the fountain to satisfie thy self fully and for ever If thou shouldst beleeve before thou diest how great a trouble to thy heart holily ingenuous will it be that thou hadst so long together such unkind thoughts of Mercy it self that thou didst deem Truth it self to be a Lyer How angry wilt thou be with thy self that thou didst so slowly beleeve and so hardly wert brought to be happie 6. Observat 6. Our greatest dangers and troubles are no plea for unbelief Notwithstanding Israel's tentation their unbelief was a provocation A houling wilderness and dismall tidings excused them not from sin in distrusting of God Even he who hides his face from the house of Jacob is to be waited for When we sit in darkness and see no light we should trust in the Lord and stay our selves upon our God Faith goeth not by feeling and seeing but should go against both It must both beleeve what it sees not and contrary to what it sees Psal 119.49 114. Verbum fidei pabulum Not outward props but the stability of the word of promise should be the stay of our Faith a stud that ever stands though heaven and earth should fail In thy word saith David I do and thou hast caused me to hope The greatness of danger must not lessen Faith Dangers are the element of Faith among them faith lives best because among them it findes most promises When the world is most against us then the word is most for us Faith hath best food in famine and the fullest table in a time of scarcity The very earth which we tread on should teach us this so massy a body hangeth in the midst of the aire and
by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and those among the Latine by the word Genii It properly is a word which intends the office of angels and signifieth no more than messengers or those who are sent at the command and by the commission of their superiours And yet it comprehends and recalls to mind the essence of Angels which is considerable before the office and without which the office is but a meer notion Briefly therefore for the explaining thereof I shall consider 1. The nature and essence 2. The office and imployment of Angels 1. For their essence Angels are spirituall and incorporeall creatures subsisting by themselves 1. By the name of spirits the Scripture useth to expresse the essence and nature of angels Nomen spiritus nomen est naturae Aug. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 104.4 Heb. 1.14 and it s used both to denote good and bad angels of the former its said he maketh his angels spirits a place cited in the New Testament Heb. 1.14 Of the later 1 Kings 22.21 22. its said There came forth a spirit to perswade Ahab to go to Ramoth Gilead Who afterward proved a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets And Mat. 8.16 when they brought to Christ many who were possessed with divels the Evangelist immediately subjoyns that hee cast out the spirits with his word And our Saviour plainly expresseth that such persons who have not flesh and bones and such are angels are spirits Luk. 24.39 Nor is it imaginable but that those are spirits of whom a legion that is at least six thousand according to Hierom may be in one man but this is clearly asserted concerning the divels or evill angels Luk. 8.30 Where it s added that many divels were entred into the man Nor can any but spirits get entrance into bodies without moving or hurting them and into prisons and other places when closely shut up and most narrowly watch'd 'T is true angels have often appeared in humane bodies and shapes The Son of God before his incarnation as also the holy Ghost afterward did so and yet it followes not hence that their essence is corporeall as neither can it be evinc'd that soules are corporeall because Moses appeared to the Disciples in an outward shape These their bodies might either be such only in shew and appearance or if they were true bodies they were only joyned to them for a time by Gods power and afterward resolved againe into their own principles as also were their garments which the angels did wear while they conversed with men And whereas * Tertul. lib. de carne Christi et contra Praxeam Aug. de Trin. lib. 2. c 7. lib. 3 c. 1. De div Daem cap. 3 5. l. 15 c. 23. de Civ Dei Bern. ser 5. in Cant. Angeli compa ratione nostrorum corporum sunt spiritus sed comparatione summi et incircumscripti Spiritus sunt cor pora Greg. Mor. l. 2. c. 2. Angeli non sunt absolutè simplices compouuntur ex actu potentiâ ex subjecto accid eutibus ex esse essentia Polan Synâ—ag 1779. pag. sundry of the Fathers have asserted that the angels are corporeall and have bodies of their own they are to be understood commonly as speaking of them in comparison of God as if though being compared with us they are spirits yet compared with God they are bodies And certain it is that angels are not spirits purely and altogether simple as God is who only is that most simple Spirit and yet it s conceived by learned Zanchy that their bodies are more refined subtil and pure than either bodies aeriall or celestiall which were created out of the first matter and that the substance of the bodies of the angels is very like to the substance of the heavens of the blessed or the Empyrean wherein he saith they were created and which are of a corporeall substance but far more excellent for their purity than the other heavens From this spirituall nature of the angels flowes their immortality incorruptibility or immutability for since they are immateriall and free from all contrary qualities composition of matter and forme and the contrariety of qualities being the causes of intrinsecall corruption they are rightly termed incorruptible Indeed only God is simply immutable who is a being of himselfe and not by participation and every creature is mortall mutable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and may be brought to nothing by him who made it of nothing should he only withdraw his sustaining power Easi in angelorum naturg nul la propriè est potentia passiva propter quam possunt dici corruptibiles propter potentiam tamen Dei activam à qua illorum esse dependet simpliciter dici incorruptibiles non possunt Zanc. de op Dei But a thing may be said to be mortall and corruptible two ways either by a passive power which is in it self or by an active power which is in another and upon whom it depends now although in the nature of angels there be no passive power wherby they are corruptible yet in respect of the active power of God upon which their being depends they cannot simply be termed incorruptible because if God withdraw his power they would instantly perish though denomination being from the nearest and internall cause they may properly be call'd incorruptible 2. Angels are true subsistences or substances by themselves and separately subsisting The Sadduces of old and the Libertines of later ages have held that angels are only certaine inspirations motions and inclinations of the mind and that the good of these are the good angels and the bad of these the bad angels But that they are Vera 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they are substances and truly subsist by themselves is most clearly evinced 1. From their creation Accidentia sunt concreata Psal 104. Actiones sunt suppositorum God created no accidents separately from their sustances accidents were concreated in and with their substances But angels were created by themselves and not in any subject 2. From their actions they praise God they worship the Son they are heavenly messengers they assume bodies defend the faithfull they have wrastled eaten been received as strangers had their feet wash'd c. they shall gather the Elect from the four corners of the earth they shall come with Christ to judgement none of which actions could be done unlesse they were substances 3. From their endowments they have life power understanding wisdom they are immortal they are excelling in strength some things they know not as the day of judgement Some of them sinn'd others abide in the truth 4. From their happinesse and misery Some of them behold the face of God and are blessed and glorious Mat. 18.10 Mat. 25.41 Mar. 12.25 others are punish'd in everlasting fire prepared for the divell and his angels 5. From that likenesse which we shall have to them in heaven where we shall be
And custome without truth is at the best but the antiquity of error The old path and the good way are put for the same Jerem. 6.16 If the removall of the ancient bounds and landmarks which our fathers have set be a sin so frequently prohibited how heinous is the violation of the ancient boundary of holinesse which at the first was fixed by God himself 3. The depravation of nature Observ 3. introduceth all disorder in practice When these angels had left their originall purity they soon forsake their originall employment and Mat. 7.18 the divel abiding not in the truth becomes a murderer All the irregularities of life are but derivations from unholy principles The corrupt tree yeelds not good fruit Luk. 6.45 Out of the evill treasure of the heart are evill things brought forth The wheels of the Clock going wrong needs must the hand do so the Translation will be according to the Original We see at what door to lay all the prodigious impieties in the world which are but the deformed issues of corrupted nature How foolishly are men angry with themselves for outward and visible transgressions in their lives when they tamely and quietly endure an unchanged nature like men who dung and water the roots of their trees and yet are angry for their bearing of fruit How preposterous and how plainly begun at the wrong end are those endeavours of reformation which are accompanyed with the hatred of renovation If the tree be bitter and corrupt all the influences and showrs of heaven cannot make the fruit good When these angels had lost the integrity of nature even heaven it self did not help them to it How miserable lastly is he who hath no better fountain than corrupted nature for the issuing forth of all his services Even the best performances of an unrenewed person cannot be good coming not from a pure heart Phil. 1.11 Eph 2.10 a good conscience and faith unfained they are but dead carcasses embalmed and at the best but hedg-fruit sowre and unsavoury till they who bear them are ingrafted into Christ and partake of his life 4. Corrupt nature cares not for the joyes Observ 4. joyned with the holinesse of heaven As soon as these angels had left their first estate of integrity they forsook even that holy though most happy habitation Heaven it selfe was no heaven to them when they became unholy A sinner may not unfitly be compared to a common beggar who had rather live poorly and idly than plentifully in honest imployment How great is the antipathy of corrupt nature to heavenly performances when they will not down though never so sweetened The enmity of sin against God and holinesse is not to be reconcil'd How little are we to wonder that heaven is a place only for the pure in heart and that Christ at the last day will say to the workers of iniquity Mat. 7.23 Job 22.17 Depart from me since they not only in this life say to God Depart from us Job 21.14 but should they be admitted into that habitation of blisse with unholy hearts they would be unwilling there to continue with him Let it be our care to be made meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light if we expect to have nay to love the joyes thereof 5. Observ 5. How irrationall is every sinner There 's no person in love with any sin but is indeed out of love with his owne happinesse These angels for a meer supposed imaginary happinesse of their own contriving part with the reall blessednesse of enjoying the satisfying presence of the blessed God None can become a divell till first he become a beast A sinner can with no better plea of reason yeeld to any tentation of sin Jud. 16.6 then could Samson to that motion of Delilah Tel me where thy great strength lieth and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee Wicked men are rightly call'd unreasonable 2. Thes 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jud. 10. Psal 49. ult or absur'd such whom no reason will satisfie and brute beasts led with humour and sense against all reason Who that had not laid aside even reason would lose his soul for a trifle a shadow and die as Jonathan said for tasting of a little hony He who accounts it unreasonable to part with the poorest worldly commodity without a valuable consideration much more to exchange a conveyance of a thousand pound per annum for a painted paper is yet much more absur'd in sinning against any command of God which is back'd with the very height of reason both in respect of our duty to the Commander and benefit by the command 6. It s a sin for any even the highest Observat 6. to exempt himselfe from service Angels have their tasks set them by God which they must not leave There 's no creature but hath an allotment of duty Though we cannot be profitable yet must we not be idle God allowes the napkin to none upon whom he hath bestowed a talent nor hath he planted any to cumber the ground and only to be burdens to the earth If wee are all of him we must be all for him It s not consistent with the soveraignty of this great King to suffer any subject within his dominions who will be absolute and not yeeld him his homage nor to his wisdome to make any thing which he intends not to use The first who adventur'd to cease from working was a divel and they who follow him in that sin shall partake with him in the sutable punishments of chains and darknesse It s a singular mercy to have opportunities of service abilities for it and delight in it at the same time It s the priviledg of the glorious angels to be confirmed in their work as well as in their happinesse God never is so angry with any as those whom he turns out of his service 7. The glorifyed are in heaven as in an habitation Observ 7. Luk. 16.9 Joh. 14.2 2 Cor. 5.1 Heb. 11.10 16 Heb. 13.14 Heb. 4.9 Omnis homo est advena nascendo incola vivendo quia compellitur migrare moriendo Aug. in q. 91. sup Lev. Heaven is in Scripture often set out by expressions importing it to be a place of stability setlement and abode as Everlasting habitations a Fathers house Mansions a building of God an House not made with hands eternall in the heavens A city a city which hath foundations a continuing city a Rest How sutable are fixed and immovable affections to this permanent and stedfast happinesse everything on this side Heaven is transitory The fashion of this world passeth away here we have no continuing city Our bodies are tabernacles and cottages of clay which shortly shall bee blown down by the wind of death * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pelus l. 1. ep 65. yea their falling begins with their very building and this whole world is an habitation which ere long will be
efficient cause of an evill and sinfull will of this their being not an efficient Nemo quaerat efficientem causam malae voluntatis non enim est efficiens sed deficiens Causas defectionum istarum cum efficientes non sint sed defiicientes velle invenire tale est ac si quisquam velit videre tenebras vel audire silentium quod tamen utrumque nobis notum est neque illud nisi per oculos neque hoc nisi per aures c. Aug. l. 12. d. c. D. c. 7. Vitio depravari nifiex nihilo facta natura non posset per hoc ut natura sit ex eo habet quod à Deo facta est ut autem ab eo à quo facta est deficiat ex hoc quod de nihilo facta est Aug. de civ Dei l. 14. c. 13. Non ex conditione naturae sed ex dono gratiae Aquin. par 1. q. 63. Esti dist 7. § 9. Solum illum actum à rectitudine declinare non contingit cujus regula est ipsa virtus agentis si enim manus artificis esset ipsa regula incisionis nunquam possit artifex nisi rectè lignum incidere sed si rectitudo incisionis sit ab alia re gula contingit incisionem esse rectam vel non rectam Divina autem voluntas sola est regula sui actus quia non ad superiorem finem ordinatur omnis autem voluntas cujustibet creaturae rectitudinem in suo actu non habet nisi secundùm quod regulatur Id. Ib. but onely a deficient cause for to depart from that which is chiefe and highest to that which is lesse and lower is to begin to have an evill and a sinfull will To enquire therefore after the causes of that defection when as they are not efficient but deficient is as if a man would go about to see darknesse or to hear silence both which notwithstanding are known to us the former by the eye the later by the ear and yet not by any species or representation but by the privation thereof darknesse cannot be seen unlesse it be by not seeing nor silence perceived unlesse by not hearing 5 The originall or beginning of the sin of these Angels was the defectibility and mutability of their own will whereby though for the present they willed that which was good and might have willed to have persevered therein yet being mutable they might also will evill and so fall from God Every creature as it s made of nothing may again unlesse sustained by God return to nothing and in that respect it was that the intellectuall creature might make a defection from him who created it and deviate from the rule of divine righteousnesse for as St Augustine observes the being of nature comes from hence that it s made by God the defection of nature from hence that it s made of nothing If there be any creatures therefore which cannot sin they have not this from the condition of nature but from the gift of the grace of God And Aquinas seems to argue rightly that according to the condition of nature none is exempted from a possibility of sinning but only God in regard that sin being the declining of an act from the rectitude of the rule it is onely impossible for that act not to decline from rectitude the rule of which is the very power and will of the agent for as he well illustrates it if the hand of the artificer were the very rule of cutting a piece of timber the artificer could not but cut the wood evenly and rightly but if the rectitude of the cutting be by another an externall rule the cutting may either be right or not right The divine will is onely the rule of his act as not being ordained to any higher end but the will of every creature hath in its act no rectitude but as it is regulated by the will of God which is its ultimate end And hence it is that notwithstanding the nature of the intellectuall creature was good yet evill is said to arise and proceed from it and that Augustine so frequently and others after him assert that evill hath its originall and beginning from that which was good For though evill doth not proceed from good saith Saint Augustine as that good was made by God yet it did proceed from good Vid. l. 1. cont Jul. Pelag. c. 3. as that good was made of nothing and not of God And whereas it is objected against this that a good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit Catholica fides dicit non prolatum esse malum nisi de bono iniquum nisi de justo ex bouis mala orta sunt Et de nup. concup c. 28. Ecce ergo ex bono oritur malum nec fuit omnino unde oriri posset nisi ex bono nec ideo tamen potuit ex bono criri malū quia bonum factum est à Deo sed quia de nihilo factum est non de Deo Vide August in Enchirid. cap. 15. Nec fuit prorsus unde primitus oriretur voluntas mala nisi ex angeli hominis natura bona Esti in l. 2. dist 34. §. 1. therefore evil could not arise from the nature of angels and the angels could not sin of themselves it 's answered by the fore-mentioned Father That though a good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit yet good ground may bring forth evill plants out of the same soil may grow both thorns and vines and though from the good act of the will sin cannot arise yet out of the same nature may sprout and arise a will either good or evill Nor was there any beginning from whence at first a sinful will should arise but from the intellectuall nature which was created good Nor doth this defectibility of the intellectuall creature at all countenance the profane cavils of those who hence would needs inferre That God might have made the world better then he did and that he had done so if he had made the intellectual creature free from all possibility of sinning For 1. It is a Question though perhaps too curious and by some learned among the Schoolmen diversely maintained whether it was possible for any creature to have been made impeccable by nature Johan Major in 2 dist 23. q. Ambr. l. 3. de fid ad Grat. l. c. 2. Vna sola substantia divinitatis quae mori nescit Anima moritur nec angelus immortalis c. in angelis naturae capacitas vitio obnoxia Nec ex immortali natura habet sed ex gratia si se ad vitia non mutat Hierom in 6. Gal. Exceptâ Trinitate omnis creatura etiamsi non peccat tamen potest peccare Aug. cont Max. cap. 12. Jun. in Jud. Creaturarū natura coelestium moripotuit quia peccare potuit Angeli qui non peccaverunt peccare potuerunt Per hoc solus Deus habet immortalitatem quia non cujusquam
gratiâ sed naturâ suâ c. Greg. de Val. q. 14. punct 1. Aquin. 1. p. q. 63. Esti l. 2. d. 7. Etiamsi ab initio tales conditi fuissent quales nune per gratiam confirmationis facti sunt nec sic tamen ex conditione naturâ impeccabiles essent sed ex dono gratiae quod etsi hactenus naturale dici posset quia cum ipsa natura datum esset in natura insitum eâ dem tamen naturâ atque essentiâ salvâ posset auferri Solus Deus est qui non gratiâ cujuspiam sed naturâ suâ non potest nec potuit nec poterit peccare Aug. l. 3. cont Max. c. 12. or free from all possibility of sinning Some of them indeed determine it affirmatively but herein they oppose the Fathers Ambrose Augustine and Hierome The two former of whom teach that because it s said that God only hath immortality it follows that he only hath immutability and so by consequence only by nature impeccability The same argument is also used by the learned Junius who denyes that simply God could have made the Angels better then they are by nature because then they should have been most constant in their own perfect goodnesse by themselves which can only be attributed to God Also to the forecited Fathers agree the Schoolmen of the greatest note among whom Estius asserts That supposing that the Angels had been from their beginning created such as they are now made to be by the grace of confirmation yet even so they had not been impeccable or free from a possibility of sinning by the condition of nature but by the gift of grace which although it may be termed naturall as given with and implanted in their nature yet it might have been taken away and removed without the destruction of their nature And he saith It s no derogation from the power of God that a Creature cannot be made by nature impeccable for the thing spoken of is not in the number of possibles Res de qua agitur non est de numero possibilium Includit enim contradictionem ut quod creatum est i.e. ex nihilo productum deficere non possit Ideo non potest Deus facere creaturā ex natura impeccabilem quia facere non potest ut creatura non fit creatura Siquidem eo ipso quo creata est defectibilis est Deo potente subtrabere vel esse vel operari vel ipsius operationis rectitudinem ex quo manifestum est non negatione sed positione creaturae per naturam impeccabilis derogari potentiae Dei. Est in 2. sent Dist 7. § 9. and it is a contradiction to say that a Creature that is a thing made of nothing should not be able to change and that therefore God cannot make a creature by nature immutable because he cannot make that a creature should not be a creature which as such is defectible God being alwayes able to withdraw its being or the operation of its being or the rectitude of its operation Whereby saith he its manifest that not by the denying but by the granting that a creature may be impeccable by nature we derogate from the power of God But 2. I answer with Aquinas p. 1. q. 36. a. 2. that God appointing an inequality in the things which hee created hereby made the world after the best manner The perfection of the whole requires that there should be an inequality in the severall Creatures that so there might be all degrees of goodnesse made up and this is one degree of goodnesse that somthing be so good that there should bee an impossibility for it ever to swerve from its goodnesse and another degree of goodnesse is that some things should bee made defectible and in a possibility of leaving their goodnesse And as the perfection of the world requires that there be not only incoruptible but also corruptible creatures so likewise that there should be some things defectible from goodnesse If angels might have been made more excellent in themselves yet not in relation to that goodly order and admirable beuty which God hath caused in the world by making them in that capacity wherein they were created A Captain a Colonel are better then a common souldier in an army but yet it s better for the order and beuty of the army that some should be common souldiers and commanded than that all should be Officers and Commanders And God as * Aug. Ench. c. 11.27 Melius judicavit de malis bene facere quam mala nulla esse permittere Augustine saith thought it better to bring good out of that which was evil then not at all to suffer evil to be For he that is perfectly good would not suffer evil in his works unlesse he were so omnipotent as to bring good out of that evil 2. By way of explication of this second branch 2d Branch it may be enquired what was that first sin whereby this defection was made or this first estate of the angels not kept And here sundry opinions offer themselves Some falsly expounding that place of Gen. 6.2 Philo. Orig. Josephus Irenaeus Justin Mart. in Apol. pro Chr. Clem. Alex. strom l. 3 Tertul. l. de hab mul. Lactant. The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair and they took them wives c. imagined that the angels being taken with the love of women sinn'd by lust Strange it is that so many learned men among the ancients should embrace an opinion so flatly opposite to Scripture and reason For not to speak of the spirituall nature of angels whereby they are incapable of Carnall and sensible pleasures or of the different nature of their by some supposed bodies from ours theirs being if they be at all not compounded of the elements but so pure and thin that its impossible they should be fit for generation the Scripture plainly teacheth that the angels fel from their integrity before there were any daughters of men in being besides Christ tels us that the angels in heaven neither marry nor are given in marriage Mat. 22.3 Others conceive that the first sin of the angels was hatred of God Odium omne ex amore est Nascitur odium Dei tanquam prohibentis amantem ab eo quod inordinatè amat Est in 2. l. sent dist 6. §. 2. the adhering of the angels unto God being by love their departure from God they say must needs be by hatred but this opinion seems false because hatred of God must needs proceed from inordinate love of something else God being hated because he hinders the creature from something which it loves inordinately Hatred therefore could not be the first sin but the irregular affecting of something else or some other sin A third opinion is of those who hold that the first sin of these angels was envying the dignity of man in being created after the image of God but this is confuted by Augustine
who saith That pride must needs go before envy and that envy was not the cause of pride but pride the cause of envy for none can by envy hate anothers excellency unlesse by pride he first inordinately love his own Superbi endo invidus non invidendo quisquam superbus est Aug. Invidus ex hoc de bono alterius dolet in quantum bonum alterius aestimat sui boni impedimentum Aquin. 1. p. q. 63. a. 2. Bern. in Cant. ser 22. Greg. l. 34. moral c. 14. Ambros in Psal 37. Hierom. in Es 14. August l 12. de Civ Dei c. 6. Ab illo qui summus est aversi ad se conversi sunt hoe vitium nihil aliud est quam superbia Proprium objectum superbiae est excellens mensuram à Deo praefixam Bona vero spiritualia cum secundum se excessiva esse non possunt consequens est ut ex hoc primum habeant rationem vitiosi appetibilis ex quo primum habent rationem excedentis in commensurati alicui hoc autem constat esse divinam dispensationem regulam Cajetan in 1. p. sum q. 63. a. 2. Quid est supcrbia nisi perversae celsitudinis appetitus Aug. de civit D. l. 14. cap. 13. which he apprehends to be impaired by anothers A fourth to adde no more and the most probable opinion is of those who hold that the first sin of these angels was pride And this is the opinion most received and commonly embraced by the Fathers and after them received generally by the Schoolmen and others Aquinas seems strongly to prove that it could be no other sin but pride A spirituall nature and such is the angelicall can only saith he affect some spiritual object as being that which is only agreeable to it now there can be no sin in affecting spirituall objects which in themselves are good unless it be because in affecting of them the rule of the superiour is therein not obeyed and this is the sin of pride For the proper object of pride saith Cajetan is something exceeding that measure prefixed and limited by God Now in regard spirituall things cannot be excessive nor can we have too much of them in respect of themselves because the more of them the better it followes that then they come to be sinfully desired when they begin to exceed and to become incommensurate to the divine rule and dispensation the affecting them in which inordinate measure namely beyond the limits prescribed by God was the sin of pride in the angels That this pride then or an affecting as Augustine calls it of some spirituall highness beyond the bounds of Gods will was the first sin seems very probable by reason but more then probable by that of Paul 1 Tim. 3.6 where the Apostle gives this reason why a Bishop must be no novice Ne ob superbi am incidat in eandem damnationis poenam cum diabolo Est in Loc. lest saith he heing lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the divell in which place I understand not why the Apostle expresseth the condemnation or punishment of the divel to deterre from pride unlesse the divel had faln into condemnation for that sin and unlesse the Apostle had intended to shew the danger of being proud by setting down the punishment of the divel for that sin But more particularly if it be enquired wherein this pride of the angels did consist and what that highnesse was which they did affect beyond their measure I think the answer hereunto can be but conjecturall and uncertain Some conceive that it was revealed to the Angels soon after their creation that the humane nature should in time be hypostatically united to the divine that the Son of God in humane nature should be the head of men yea of angels that hereby mans nature was to be exalted above the very angels Heb. 1.6 and that they were commanded to worship and submit to him Hereupon say some they desired that the dignity of this union with the divine might be afforded to their own angelical nature But say others they refused to consent and submit to Gods pleasure in the former discovery Vid Zanch. de op Dei in this say they stood the pride of angels And of this opinion is Zanchy whose chiefest argument is taken from that deadly hatred which Satan hath ever put forth against the doctrines of the Person and Offices of Christ and his incessant opposing of beleeving and affiance in him Others conjecture for indeed none in this point can do much more that the angels desired to be equal with God and that they aspired to the divinity it self And here they distinguish of a twofold will in the angels 1. A will of efficacy which others term a will of intention 2. A will of delight and complacency According to the former they say that the angels did not desire to be equall with God as if they had intended or used means to attain to divinity For this the angels knew was absolutely impossible but according to the later will of complacency they say the angels might desire to be equall to God namely wish it as a pleasing and delightfull thing to them as a sick a dying man who despaires of recovery desires health though not as using means to procure it because he judgeth it impossible to be obtained yet as a good and most pleasing benefit and thus they say these angels had this will of delight or a velle conditionatum such a will whereby if it had been possible to have attained to the divinity Scotus in l. 2. sent dist 6. Estius in dist 6. §. 6. they would have used means to have done it and this was the opinion of Scotus and after him of sundry others who consider the tentation that Satan laid before our first parents Ye shall be gods And afterward being blinded with pride his endeavouring to have Christ worship him and his propagating the adoration of himselfe among heathens under the names of sundry gods The most probable opinion is that of Augustine Suâ potestate delectati velut bonum suum sibi ipsi essent à superiore communi omnium beatifico bono ad propria defluxerunt Aug. de Civ Dei l. 12. c. 1. It seemeth that there was no other way for angels to sin but by reflex of their understanding upon themselves who being held with admiration of their own sublimity and honour their memory of their subordination to God and their dependency on him was drowned in this conceit whereupon their adoration love and imitation of God could not chuse but be also interrupted Hooker L. 1. §. 14. and after him Aquinas Cajetan and others who think that the pride of the angels was in desiring and resting in their own naturall perfection as their ultimate end That as God is blessed by his own nature having no superiour from whom to draw his blessednesse so did these angels
the wicked lest we fall from our own stedfastness If Satan double his rage let us double our guard Doctor Taylor reports of a noble Lord who was wont to say That he would never go without a sword so long as there was a Papist about the Court Never let us lay off our spirituall weapons till Satan be taken from us by judgement or we out of his reach by death Let us even taught thus much by our adversary make the shortnesse of our time a motive to lay out our selves the more for God short seasons require speedy services The nearer we come to judgement the fitter let us labour to be for it Let the sweetest part of our lives be at the bottom and as Samsons let our last prove our greatest goodnesse To conclude this Let those poor soules who are daily buffetted by Satan consider that his judgement is approaching that all conflicts with him shall then be at an end and that the fury of his assaults prove not their success but the shortnesse of continuance Thus far of the first particular considerable in the punishment of these Angels at the Bar viz that to which they are reserved to Judgement The second follows the time when they shal be brought to judgement viz. at the Great day Two things for the Explication hereof 1. Explication How the word Day is here to be taken 2. In what respect it s called a Great day For the first There are three opinions 1. Some take the day here spoken of precisely and properly as if the day of the last judgement should not exceed that space and proportion of time 2. Some conceive that by the Day is meant a 1000 years because some are said to sit on thrones and have judgement given unto them that is power of judging and to live and raigne with Christ a thousand years Rev. 20.4 But I conceive that this judgment and raign of a thousand years cannot be understood of the last Judgement because death the last enemy shall in the Resurrection be destroyed now after the end of the thousand years mentioned by Saint John Satan shall be loosed out of prison and the nations deceived by him shall compasse the camp of the Saints about Isai 27.1.2 14.3 12.1 4.1.2 2.11.17 Per quot dies hoc judicium extendatur incertum est scripturarum more diem poni solere pro tempore nemo nescit Aug. l. 20. de Civ Dei cap. 1. Mat. 7.22 Luk. 21.34 2 Tim. 1 12.18 4.8 Joh. 6.39 40. 44.46 54. 2 Pet. 3.7.12 Rom. 2.5.16 Act. 17.31 Apoc 6.17 and the beloved City and fire shall come down from God out of heaven and devour them 3. Others seem more safely to apprehend that the day here mentioned is to be taken improperly for time indefinitely it being in Scripture very ordinary to put a day for time In an acceptable time have I heard thee in a day of salvation have I helped thee Isai 49.8 If thou hadst known in this thy day Luk. 19.42 Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day Joh. 8.56 c. There must be a day wherein that great work of judgement shall begin but the duration thereof is to be measured by the nature of the thing and the counsell of God With Augustine I determine nothing peremptorily concerning the continuance of the last judgment day For the second the greatnesse of this day The titles given it in the Scripture speak it great it being called that day the last day the day of judgment and perdition of all ungodly men The day of God the Lord The day when God shal judge the secrets of men a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God the day of the Lambs wrath the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6.10 c. More particularly this day of Judgement is called great in respect of the Judge Judged Properties of the Judgment 1. The Judge who is Jesus Christ And herein two particulars are considerable 1. That Christ shall be Judge 2 Wherein his being Judge shall make the day great The first is evident 1. From the frequent and expresse mentioning him as Judge in Scripture which assures us that God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ Heb. 10.27 Tit. 2.13 Act. 10.42 Phil. 3.20.4.5 1 Tim. 6.14.15 Rom. 2.16 that Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead 2 Tim. 4.1 that the Lord Jesus shall be revealled from heaven 2 Thes 1.7 that the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father Mat. 16.27 that they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory Mat. 24.30 that the son of man shall come in his glory Mat. 25.31 that hereafter we shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven Mat. 26.64 that the same Jesus who is taken into heaven shall so come in like manner as he was seen to go into heaven Act. 1.11 that he cometh with cloudes and every eye shall see him Rev. 1.7 In which respect the day of Judgement is call'd The day of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1.8 so 1 Cor. 5.5 2 Cor. 1.14 Phil. 1.6.10 and Phil. 2.16 And the seat of judgment is call'd The judgment seat of Christ Rom. 24 10. 2 Cor. 5.10 And some understand that place Heb. 4.12 The word of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a discerner of the thoughts concerning the Hypostatical word c. Nor is the old Testament destitute of testimonies of this kind though somewhat more obscurely exprest Abraham speaks to the son of God when he said Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18.25 And the Father spake to the Son when he said Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt dash them in peices like a Potters vessel Psal 2.9 And that of Isaiah chap. 45.23 By my selfe have I sworn unto me every knee shall bow the Apostle Rom. 14.11 applies to Christ and thence proves that we shall all stand before his judgement seat 2. By Gods appointment of him and giving him authority to judge He is ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead Act. 10.42 He will judge the world by that man whom he hath ordained c Act. 17.31 Humilitas carnis no strae throno judicator is honorata est Cypr. in ser deaf Sedebit judex qui stetit sub judice damna bit veros reos qui factus est falsus reus Aug. Homil. 150. Pater dedit ei potestatem facere quia filius hominis est cum magis quasi hoc expectaretur ut diceret quo niam filius Dei est sed quia filium Dei secundum id quod in forma Dei aequalis est patri videre iniqui non possunt oportet judicem vivorum mortuorum coram quo judicabuntur justi videant iniqui Aug. lib. 1. de trin c. 13. Patrem