tooke an occasion to grow stubborne and rebellious and more to harden his heart in a resolution not to let them goe Exod. 5.2 I know not the Lord saith he neither will I let them go yea the ofner Moses came to him with command from God for doing it the more he still hardned his heart against it looke as a strong streame the more it is stopt the higher it riseth though no new water be added to it so it is in this case Thus the Jewes the more they were warned by the Prophet of their Idolatry and that they should not goe downe into Egypt Jer. 42.17 the more obstinate and wilfull they waxed both these wayes Chap. 44.16 so when Christs hearers heard that which they thought touched themselves it is said they were filled with with wrath and thrusting him out of the City they led him to the edge of an hill with purpose to have throwen him downe headlong Luk. 18.27 When Stephen preached so excellently to the Jews they hurst with anger and gnashed upon him with their teeth running violently upon him Act 7.54.57 So that Christs and Stephens preaching was an accidentall cause of the wrath of these wicked men as the stopping of a streame is the cause of the rising of it Hence the Apostle speaking of the Law saith where there is no law there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 that sin took occasion by the command and wrought in him all manner of concupiscence for without the Law sin is dead but when the Law came sin revived Rom. 7.8,9 that sin took occasion by the command and deceived him verse 11. so that the Law quickned sin put life into it and set it on worke it lying as it were dead before and not stirring so strongly as it did after the comming of the Law by all which it appeares that the Law is an accidentall cause of sin Now so far as the Law workes it God workes it the Law being his agent and instrument Quest But here it may be asked how can it be that the Law which in it selfe is holy just and good should any way be the cause of evill Answ This ariseth from the contrariety that is betwixt the good and holy law of God and mans corrupt and wicked heart there is nothing more pure and holy then the Law of God it being the perfect rule of righteousnesse and an exact idaea of all purity and holinesse there is nothing more corrupt and and impure then the wicked heart of man it being the fountaine of all pollution and filthinesse Mat. 15.19 Jer. 17.9 Now it is a true rule in Logick Contraria juxta se posita magis elucescunt when contraries are placed neer together the contrarieties of their natures doth more appeare and put forth it selfe keep fire and water at a distance and the contrarieties of their natures doth not much shew it selfe but bring them together cast water upon the fire or put coales of fire into the water then they fight one with the other and the stronger overcomes the weaker so the more neer and close the most pure and holy word of God be brought and applyed to the corrupt and rebellious will of man the more is the innate corruption and rebellion of it irritated and stirred up and the more strongly doth it put forth it selfe The more strongly the command was pressed upon Pharaoh touching letting the Israelites goe the more strongly did his rebellious will rise up against it This we may see true in the ordinary carriage of wicked men Let a proud swearer or filthy speaker be rebuked for their ill language and they will the more breake forth into abusive speech Thus we see how the Law and Word of God that in its owne nature tends to restraine and represse sin may accidentally provoke and put men forward to greater eagernesse and violence in sinning yea not onely the Law but the Gospel may by accident be an occasion of greater evil Thus our Saviour tels the Pharisees that if they had been blind they had had no sinne but because they said they did see therefore their sin remained Joh. 9. last if they had had no meanes of knowledge their sin had not been so great but now the light shined upon them thereby their sin was increased because they shut their eyes against it Hence likewise the Apostle saith that the Gospel was to some the savour of death 2 Cor. 2.16 In it owne nature it did tend to life but by accident it came to be an occasion of death to such as rejected it Thus we see how God may be accidentally a cause of sin namely by administring occasion and that both inwardly and outwardly both by his workes and by his word and Bellarmine himselfe is forced in a manner to acknowledge thus much for he saith Bellar. de amiss grat statu pcti l. 2. c. 14. Patientia Dei aliquo modo indurat Caeterum non dicitur excecare vel indurare nisi per accidens sed ipsis homines abutentes rebus bonis seipsos obdurat The patience of God doth after a sort harden men but yet he is not said to blind or to harden but onely by accident for when they doe abuse good things they harden themselves Here Bellarmine grants that God may bee said to blind and harden men by accident when they abusing his Patience and long suffering take occasion from thence to harden themselves in sinne CHAP. VI. Shewing that such causes as worke by accident may have a true efficiency and yet not be altogether blameless in blame-worthy actions THat accidental causes may have a true efficiency and yet not be faulty when the effect is faulty may appear both by Reason and Scripture 1. The rule of reason tels us that whatsoever hath a vis any power or vertue to bring forth an effect is so far a cause of that effect For causa est cujus vi res est Now there be many things which have an efficiency in bringing forth such or such an effect which yet cannot justly be blamed though the effect be evill When a man stands so neare the fire that he scorcheth his legges the fire hath a true efficiency in this scorching yet not the fire but the man onely is to be blamed for though it be the natural property of the fire to burne yet the end why the fire was made was to warme not to burn those that stand before it and that it scorcheth the mans leggs it is his owne fault because he did not stand further off when he might have done it and the fire was onely an accidental cause of scorching When a man weares a sword for his defence and he in a Melancholike or mad humour shall run the Sword into his own body here not the Sword but the man is to be blamed because the end of wearing a Sword is the safety not the hurt of the owner and though it hath a true efficiency in hurting wounding
him yet the fault onely is his owne because he willingly turned the Sword against himself When a Physitian according to the true rules of Art shall administer wholesome Physick to his Patient for such or such a disease and this meeting with some hidden distemper or corrupt humour in the body shall cause greater pain or it may be death yet here neither the Physick nor Physitian are to be blamed because the work of both these in their owne nature tended to health and was fit to procure it When Jason had his impostume cured by the thrusting of a Sword into his body by the hand of his enemy this was no thank to his enemy who intended not his health but his death so on the contrary it is no blame to the Physitian that intends health and useth fit meanes to procure it though death follows by accident When the same Sun beames lights upon a Garden and a Dunghil and raise a sweet smell from the one and an ill savour from the other neither the Sun nor the beames thereof are to be blamed because the efficacy of them did extend to both a like but the different effect did arise from the difference of the matter whereon they did light The like instances also may be brought from Scripture when a man is hewing wood with an Axe and the head of the Axe slippeth from the helve and slayes the stander by here neither the Axe nor the man are to be blamed though they have an efficiency in the death of the other because they are onely causes by accident the scope of neither being to hurt the stander by Deut. 19.5 When King Uzziah went into the Temple of the Lord to burn Incense Azariah with fourscore other Priests went in after him and withstood him telling him that it did not belong to him to burne incense to the Lord then it is said Vzziah was wrath 2 Chron. 26.16,17,18,19 Here the Priests were causes of the wrath of the King but no faulty causes because they did but their duty and their intention was onely to hinder him from doing that which was unlawful for him to do but not to provoke him to anger and wrath When the Pharisees were filled with wrath against Christ and the Jews breast with anger against Stephen because they justly reproved them they were accidental causes of their wrath and anger but no faulty causes The Apostle saith that the Law causeth wrath Rom. 4.15 It causeth wrath by meanes of Transgression for transgression onely properly causeth wrath as the Law is the cause of wrath so likewise is the cause of transgression namely an accidental cause yet no faulty cause for the proper end of the Law was neither to procure wrath nor to procure transgression but rather to be a meanes to preserve man from both these by directing him so to walke as he might please God so when he saith that the motions of sin were by the Law that is were stirred up by the Law Rom. 7.5 and that sin took occasion by the Commandement and wrought in him all manner of conceupiscence verse 11. here sin is said to be stirred up by the Law and to take occasion by the Commandement of working concupiscence and therefore the Law hath some kind of efficiency in producing of sin it is an accidentall cause but no faulty cause As the Law is in it selfe holy and just and good Rom. 7.12 so it is good that it should be brought to mans understanding by the knowledge of it and to his will and affections by the right application of it but the more this is done he being lest to himselfe the more doth it irritate and stir up corruption in him and his will by reason of the contrariety that is in it to the holy Law of God waxeth so much more stubborne and rebellious as the Law is more closely applyed to it When the Apostle saith that beleevers are not under the Law Rom. 6.14 and that they are delivered from the Law that being dead namely that corruption wherein we are held Rom. 7.6 this must needs be understood of the accidentall worke of the Law whereby by meanes of our corruption it stirs up sin in us for it cannot be understood of the Law as it is a rule of obedience because then the Law should be wholly abolished to which the Apostle gives an absit do we then make the Law of none effect through faith God forbid Rom. 3.31 neither can it be understood in this place of the condemning power of the Law for though it be true that believers are freed from the curse and condemnation of the Law yet this is an effect of justification and hath reference to that whereas the subject of the Apostles discourse in these two Chapters where he speakes of freedom from the Law namely the sixth and seventh is altogether about sanctification and he brings many arguments to prove the necessary connexion of these two together and this amongst the rest because they were not under the Law they were delivered from it they must not suffer sin to raigne in their mortall because they were not under the Law but under grace cap. 6.14 they were delivered from the Law lust and concupiscence being kild in them chap. 7.6 How were they not under the Law how were they delivered from it So far as they were truly sanctified they were no longer under the accidentall worke of the Law whereby it had power to irritate and stir up the rebellion and corruption of their natures and so to cause sin more to abound in them being implanted into Christ and made partakers of the vertue of his death and resurrection their old man was crucified and their body of sin destroyed so as they should no longer serve sin as they did before chap. 6.6 while they were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law which were stirred up by having the Law brought nearer to them did worke in their members to bring forth fruit unto death but they were delivered from the Law from that accidentall worke of the Law that being dead wherein they were held their sinfull lusts being in part mortified that they should serve God in newnesse of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter chap. 7.5.6 by both which places it appeares that the Law hath power to stir up sin and corruption in those that are in the a state of corruption that remaine as yet altogether unsanctified and so it is an accidentall cause of sin yet no faulty cause that remaining still holy and just and good In this sence likewise Christ saith of himselfe that be came not to send peace but the Sword that he came to set a man at variance against his Father and the daughter against the Mother Mat. 10.34,35 that he came to set fire on the earth Luk. 12.49 How is this to be taken that Christ came not to send peace but the sword is he not the Author and
and as wicked men will it But as the skilfull Physitian can so order and temper some poysons that though they be in themselves destructive to nature yet he can make them medicinall and helpfull so the wise and mighty God is able to make that which is in it selfe against his glory to be serviceable to his glory he can worke out his owne glory from the work of mens actions he can make them usefull to the best ends and so far he may both will them and worke them namely as he can and will bring good out of them Enchirid. cap. 100. Non sineret bonos fieri malis nesi omnipotens etiam de malo facere pâ—…t bene saith Augustine the good God would not suffer evill to be unles he being omnipotent could bring good out of evil To the same purpose he saith also in another place De correpes grat cap. 10. Scivit Deus magis ad omnipotentissimam ejus bonitatem pertinere etiam de malis benefacere quam mala non sinere God did know that it more befits his omnipotent goodnesse to bring good out of euill then not to suffe any evill at all to be yea Bellarmine himselfe acknowledgeth that God did Ex lapsu hominis ingens bonum eliceâ—e did draw forth a wonderfull great good out of the fall of man So that we see that sin though evill in it selfe may have some respect of good in it and some way make for the glory of God now in this respect onely God wils it and this he may do and his will still be a just holy and righteous will Object 2. If mans sin be the object of Gods decree then mans sins necessarily for what God hath decreed must necessarily come to passe and if the decree of God be the cause of this necessitie then likewise it is the cause of that sin which followes upon it and so God shall be the Author and proper cause of sin Answ That Gods decrees do not take away the liberty of mans will may appeare many wayes 1. Christs death was decreed for he was delivered by the determinate counsell of God Acts. 23. yet he dyed freely for he saith of himselfe that he laid downe his life when no man had power to take it from him John 10.17,18 he laid it downe willingly and freely beside if he had not done thus if Christs death had not been voluntary it had not been an act of perfect obedience and so could not have been meritorious The stedfastnesse and firme standing of the good Angels in their integrity is a free act for they are not enforced to it 2 〈◊〉 2.13 yet this was 〈◊〉 for they are elect Angels The Saints are chosen to faith and sanctification yet they beleeve and repent freely not being led to it by any naturall or violent necessity All our naturall motions and actions proceed freely from us yet to deny these to be within the compasse of Gods decree were to deny a great part of his providence In him we live and move Act. 11.28 Pro. 16.9 And what he doth in time he hath determined to doe before all time 2. Gods decree is actus ad intra one of those immanent acts which are alwayes within himselfe and of these acts the rule holds true that they do nihil ponere in objecto they put nothing into the object about which they are conversant Gods decree alone being an instrument within himselfe works nothing upon the creature till it comes to execution till some some way or other he doth put forth his purpose by some outward act unlesse therfore it can be shewed how God in the execution of his decree by some outward act upon man doth necessitate mans will his decree alone will never infer any necessitie upon it and we find the contrary by experience namely that we are carryed forward to the committing of sin frely as we are to eat out meat or drinke our drinke or performe any other action most agreeable to our natures being led to it neither by any violent or naturall necessity 3. Gods decree is so far from infringing the liberty of the second causes that it establisheth and strengthens them in their liberty for he doth not onely discernere rem ipsâ—m sed modum rei not onely determine and decree the thing it selfe but also the manner of it he determines that somethings shal come to passe necessarily other things freely and contingently That necessary things shall come to passe by necessary causes contingent things by contingent causes All entilies and beings as from God with all the adjuncts and properties that belong to them and he worketh in all things according to the nature of the things and therefore in naturall agents he causeth things to come to passe necessarily in free agents contingently so that though Gods will determine mans will yet it determines to worke contingently and freely Vt voluntas necessario movetur ad agendum ex suppositione motionis divinae ita etiam necessariâ— movetur ad agendum libere quia movet Deus voluntatem hominis conveniunter suae naturae 〈…〉 pag. 31. page 27. saith Dr Twisse as the will is necessarily moved to act upon supposition of the divine motion so it is necessarily moved to act freely because God moves mans will in a way agreeable to its owne nature Posito decreto necesse erat ut primus home peccaret sed necesse erat ut peccaret liberè Upon supposition of Gods decree it was necessary that the first man should sinne but it was also necessary that he should sinne freely 4. Causes by accident never worke necessarily but contingently the Sun sends forth light necessarily but darkes weake eyes contingently The Law is onely an accidental cause of sin as before was shewed and look how the law works it God workes it and as he workes it so he hath decreed to worke it therefore his decree inferres no necessity Besides a cause by accident never workes till causa per se such as is properly and in its owne nature a cause sets it on worke The Sword which a mad man weares will never move to hurt him till he himselfe begins to move it The wall will never hurt the glasse or pot till the drunken man or some other dasheth it against the wall no more will the Law of God ever hurt a man till he dasheth himselfe against it Causes by accident are alwayes reducible to other causes so the last resolution of sinne must be in the freewill of man as into the true and proper cause of it Object But here it may be further objected that if that which God hath decreed doth not necessarily come to passe then his decree may be frustrated Answ This Objection makes as much against Gods foreknowledge as against his decree for as he cannot be disappointed in his decree so he cannot be deceived in his foreknowledge but it is granted on all sides that God did foresee and foreknow
grace but in all actions he workes as the supporter of nature whereas wicked men worke as the abusers of nature Bellarmine grants that Gods has an influx into all the actions that proceed from men and yet that he is not the author of sin because he hath onely a generall no particular influx into the action wherein sin is committed such an influx as is indifferent either to good or evil But by this reason as he is not the Author of evill so he should not be the Author of good and if God be the Author of nature he must needs have a particular influxe into all natural actions but into good actions he hath a double influxe namely not onely a naturall but a gracious influxe 3. As they differ iâ— the ground and manner so also in the end of their actings The end of all Gods actions is himselfe and his owne glory He hath made all things for his owne sake even the wicked for the day of evill Prov. 16 4 for this purpose he stirred up Pharaoh that he might shew his power in him and might declare his name through all the earth Rom. 9.17 and for this end doth he suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction namely to make his power knowne verse 22 Now the now the end which wicked men aime at in their actions is not God and his glory but some unworthy and base respects of their owne wicked men usually make themselves and the satisfying of their lusts the end of their actions they prefer their owne glory before Gods Is not this great Babel which I have built by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty saith that proud King Dau. 4.27 How far evill instruments when they worke in the same action together with God doe differ from him in the ground and end of their working will yet further appeare if we shall look into some particular instances When Sathan assayled Job with his temptation he did it out of hatred against him to drive him to distrust and impatience so overthrow ruine him But God did this out of love that thereby he might exercise his faith and patience and make way for his greater advancement When Satan moved David to number the people he did this out of malice against David and the people and that hereby he might stir up the anger of God against them But God did it to humble David and to make it an occasion of inflicting just punishment upon the people for their many miscariages When Josephs brethren sold him into Egypt they did it out of envie and hatred and that they might rid themselves of him but God did it out of love to Jacob and his family that it might be an occasion of Josephs preferment in Egypt and so of preferring of Jacob and his houshold in the time of extreame Famine when the Jewes high Priests and Elders delevered up Christ to the Souldiers to be Crucified they it out of envy and ill will and that they might rid the world of him but God did it out of love and good will to his Elect that they might be saved and delivered out of their lost condition so that the ends of evill instruments in those actions wherein they worke together with God being altogether differing yea sometimes contrary to Gods ends they may be justly blame-worthy when he is altogether blamelesse Object But wicked men are blame-worthy though they propound good ends to themselves in the bad actions they doe how then can God be blamelesse when he concurs with them in the same actions though his end be good 1 Because he differs from them not onely in the end but also in the ground and manner of his working Answ 2 There is not the same reason betwixt God and man betwixt the Creator and the creature Man is bound not onely to aime at a right end but also to be guided by a right rule he is bound to regulate all his actions by the holy Law of God but though man be bound to yeeld obedience to the Law God is not bound to do it for he made the law not for himselfe but for the creature not to put himselfe but man under the subjection of it he having no other Law but his owne most righteous and holy will Who shall say to him What doest thou Job 9.12 He giveth not an account to any of his matters cap. 33.13 If he be not to give an account to any then is he not subject to any Law for whoever is subject to the Law must give an account to some or other else the Law would be of no use So that this is sufficient to make all Gods actions good because the end is alway good namely himselfe and his owne glory If a man were free from all obligation of a Law and onely bound to aime at the glory of God or the good of his neighbour in the things which be doth then if he propounded these these ends to himselfe in all his dealings with God and men he should be free from blame but besides this he is obliged to live by a Law to this law he owes subjection which God doth not But God is a Law to himselfe If this be so understood as that whatever is the ground and guide of his actions it is within himselfe then it is true for he borroweth nothing from without himselfe which he makes the motive and ground of any of his actions but all proceed from his owne good will and pleasure But if this be so taken as that whatever Gods law binds man to do his nature binds him also to do the like then it holds not for the Law binds a man to do many things to which God is not bound it binds man not onely not to commit sin but also to hinder it if he hath power to hinder it but God is not bound to this yea man is bound to employ all the skill and power that he hath to hinder the committing of sin if it were so with God then there should never be any sin committed in the world for by his omnipotent power he is able to hinder it besides if there were no sin at all he should loose a great part of his glory for as he is able to bring light out of darknesse good out of evill so he daily doth it The Apostle saith our unrighteousnesse commends the righteousnesse of God and some sins by accident make much for the glory of God as before hath been shewed Besides the Law bindes man to doe all the good he can to convert all his children and kindred his friends and neighbours if we were able to doe it God is able to do this but he doth it not neither is bound to do it God supporteth sinfull men in their sinfull actions and supplyeth them with naturall strength for the acting of them as in the actions of uncleannesse of drunkennesse and the like but man if he
were able were bound not to do this so that we see God may do many things which his Law binds men not to do the other side may not do many things which by his Law men are obliged to do and therefore he is not subject to it as men are he is Dominus legis non subditus True it is that God is so a Law to himselfe that he can do nothing which is contrary to his one nature as he cannot lye he cannot deny himselfe but there are some things forbidden in the Law which are not contrary to the nature of God Thus we see how God may worke in the same actions with the sinfull creature and yet himselfe be altogether blamelesse for look as when God gets himselfe glory by the actions of wicked men as by the Jewes crucifying of Christ it is no thanke to them because they never intended it so on the other side when they abuse his power and providence supporting the strength of nature euen in sinfull actions it is no blame to him because he being the good of nature must sustaine nature in all her actions and motions and because that as the evill which wicked men doe is onely an accidentall cause of his glory so the good which he affords them and the helpe which he administers in upholding their naturall strength is onely an accidentall cause of the evill which they commit CHAP. VIII Shewing how those Scriptures are to he understood which by the sound of words seeme to make God the author and proper cause of sinne THose Scriptures wherein the same sinfull actions are attributed both to God and men and set forth by the same expressions as when God said that what David had done he would doe 2 Sam. 12.12 seem to sound so as if both were alike causes of these actions therefore it will be needfull to speake something that may be helpfull to weaker apprehensions for the right understanding of these Scriptures and for clearing of Gods holinesse and justice I shall instance onely in some of the principall of them and what shall be held forth for the clearing of these may likewise be helpfull for giving satisfaction to other places wherein the like expressions are used Object In that place Exodus 9.12 which was propounded for the subject of this discourse it is said that God hardned Pharaohs heart afterward it is said that Pharaoh hardned his owne heart verse 34. Now it may be asked since the same action is attributed to both how both were not causes alike in producing of it Answ The Lord did this in another way then Pharaoh did it he did it onely by administring occasion he sent Moses with a peremptory emptory command to Pharaoh to let his people go this did irritate the natural pride and rebellion of Pharaohs heart and stir up in him a stronger and more stubborn resolution not to let them go As the command was holy just and good so it was good that it should be applyed to Pharaoh by propounding it and urging it upon him but the more this was done the worse he grew for the command being holy and his heart altogether unholy these two being contrary the nearer they were brought together the more they did strive and fight one against another this being the nature of contraries as before was shewed But here was no fault at all in the command for the proper end of the command was to informe Pharaoh of his duty and to stir him up to the performance of it But Pharaoh takes a contrary course for whereas the end of the command was to make him willing to let the people goe he takes occasion from it to grow more refractory either because it put him in mind of the damage he should receive by their departure they being so serviceable in making brick for his buildings or that it might appear that he thought not any no not the great God greater then himself and therefore he scorned to stoope and submit himself to any of his commands By all which it appeares that the command was onely an occasion or accidentall cause of Pharaohs hardning but no faulty cause at all Now as the command did it God did that being his agent and he working by it Neither God nor his command put any evill into Pharaohs heart but by propounding good to him and not imparting grace to perform it he takes occasion to become more evill Augustine Epist 105. ad Sixtum Deus obdurat non impartiendo malitiam sed non impatiendo gratiam saith S. Austine God hardneth not by infusing any evil but by not bestowing grace To this purpose Doctor Twiss saith well In his answer to Mr. Cotten that when a man is moved to courses contrary to his corrupt humours whether by the word of God or his works these motions being onely by way of perswasion and he doth not by grace remove or correct those corrupt humours in this case to move and to deny grace is to harden It is a good thing to move to good actions by outward perswasions neither is God bound to confer grace inwardly upon all those whom he doth thus perswade outwardly Object 2 It is said that God did that which Absolon did when he defiled his Fathers Concubines Answ 1. As God did it it was an Act of justice in punishing Davids sin with Vriahs wife by suffering Absolon to commit the like sin with his wives 2. God administred occasion of this action by causing David to leave his Concubins to keep his house There was no evill in this but hence Ahitophel takes occasion to give that wicked counsell and Absolon takes occasion to follow it in defiling his Fathers Concubines Object 3. David saith that God bad Shimei go and curse him 2 Sam. 16.10 Answ This is not to be taken properly as if Shimei had received a command from God to do this but onely it sheweth the efficacy of the divine administration of things even in such things whereof God is onely a cause by accident 2. God did administer occasion to Shimei for his heart being full of rancor against David he seeing now David to be brought into distresse thought this a fit time to vent bis malice because now he might do it with hope of impunity as before was shewed 3. He did it as an Act of justice David had caused the name of God to be blasphemed by the sins which he had committed and the Lord suffers this wretch to curse and blaspheme him Object 4. It is said that God turned the heart of the Egyptians to hate his people Psal 105.25 Answ He is said to doe this not that he infused any hatred into their hearts but in that he administred occasion for he caused his people to grow and increase exceedingly both in number and in wealth Now this gave occasion to the Egyptians to envy and to hate them here the goodnes of God to his people stirred up evill affections in them
operis operantis the intention of worke and the workeman Sin is besides the scope of the worke which God doth but not besides his owne intent who is the agent and workeman When he decrees sin shall be he intends it shall be by such wayes and meanes by which acts and workes so far as he works in it as in themselues and their own nature tend onely to good and are meer accidentall causes of the evill which man does The Law and word of God his mercies judgements and all his dealing with men in their owne nature tend to this end namely to make men better nor worse and if they be made worse by them it is propter scopum besides the scope and intent whereto these things in their owne nature tend The Gospel in it selfe tends to life when therefore it is the savour of death it is besides the proper scope intent and of the Gospel but though it besides the intent of the Gospel to be the savour of death it is not besides Gods intent for he both knows and intends in what effect the Gospell shall have otherwise he should be defective in his wisedome and providence besides what power the Gospel hath to produce an effect either way it receives from him Hence it is aid to be the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1.16 the powerfull instrument which God useth to bring men salvation which power he puts into it and so likewise when he workes the other way it is power also The Lord bids the Prophet Go make the hearts of this people fat and make their â—ares heavie and shut their eyes c Isa 6.10 and how should he do this namely by preaching the word unto them by which it appeares that sometimes the word doth harden mens hearts close their ears and shut their eyes and that God intends it should do so and sends it for this very purpose yet the word in owne nature tends to soften their hearts to open their eares and eyes to make them see and heare better so that the word here is onely an accidentall cause it being beside the scope and intent of the word to harden yet this is not besides Gods intent who in all his actions and in the use of such instruments as are imployed in them propounds to himselfe a most sure and certaine end By all which appeares as the secret and just judgement of God so his infinite wisedome and skill who can worke out his owne ends by such meanes as in their owne nature do tend a contrary way CHAP. X. Shewing some usefull conclusions which do necessarily follow from what hath been spoken of this Subject Conclu 1. IF God so ordereth things that in all the sins which are committed by men though he hath a secret working hand yet he workes in a most just and holy manner and doth nothing but what is right and good Hence it followes that in all the sin which is committed in all the evill which is done either by our selves or others we lay all the blame on our selves or them not imputing the least miscarriage on God not so much as in our thoughts He is just in al his wayes and holy in all his workes what ever he doth is well done be the instruments never so bad by whom it is done In all the evill that befals us we have no just reason at all to repine and murmur to be impatient or discontent for all his dealings with us whether by his word or his workes his mercies or his judgements do in themselves tend to good when therefore any evill comes we must take heed we do not charge God foolishly Iob. 1.22 but remember that we have procured these things to our selves as the Prophet tels the people Jer. 2.17 Sin is the seed of sorrow all the evill of suffering ariseth from the evill of sinning and this ariseth onely from our selves yea though sometimes we suffer many evils altogether unjustly as they proceed from men yet as they come from God who guides all the actions of men they are done most holily wisely and justly Thus Daniel acknowledgeth in regard of himselfe and his people O Lord righteousnesse belongs to thee open shame to us Dan. 9.6 Thou art just in all that is â—one upon us saith Nehemiah for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly cap. 9. last Let God be true and every man a lyar saith the Apostle Rom. 3.4 So let God be just and holy and every man sinfull wicked and wretched abundantly worthy of all the evill which comes upon him Conclu 2. Hence it follows that we ought with all reverence to admire and to adore the infinite wisedome justice and power of God that is able to worke in the most blame worthie actions of sinfull men and yet himselfe remaine altogether blamelesse that is able to bring about the best ends by the worst meanes that in many great works which have been done in the world hath wrought out such ends as have been altogether different yea sometimes contrary to the scope and intent of those who have been the principall actors and agents in them Little did Josephs brethren thinke that when they sold their brother for a slave this should be the meanes of making him the greatest mam in all the Land of Egypt next to Pharaoh Little did Haman thinke that when out of his hate and indignation against Mordecai he gate a decree of destroying all the Jewes in the Kings Dominion in one day that this should be a meanes and occasion of making them have a hand against their adversaries and of procuring liberty to destroy them yea of bringing himselfe to the Gallowes Hest 8.11.7.10 Little did the Jewes thinke that their envie and hatred against Christ should be an occasion of redemption of mankind that when they spit upon him buffeted him beat him with rods crowned him with thornes caused him to suffer the shamefull and accursed death of the Crosse that this should be a meanes of his greater advancement and exaltation yet the Scripture saith that because he made himselfe of no reputation and humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse therefore God highly exalted him and gave him a name above every man Phil. 2.8 what reason therefore have we in way of admiration to cry out with the Apostle Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and ounsell of God unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 Conclu 3. Thirdly hence it follows that we ought to acknowledge with all thankefulnesse that infinite goodnesse of God which doth not suffer us to goe on in a course of sinning especially in such a sort as would ruine our soules and drive us to destruction for if he should it would be in vaine for us to complaine against him he would easily acquit himselfe and justifie his owne proceedings he would be justified in his words and overcome when he is judged as the Apostle speakes Ro. 3.4 he would easily convince us that in all the evill which we have done or shall suffer the just blame lyes upon our owne heads and our destruction is of our selves he would cause our mouthes to be stopped and make us as all the world to be found culpable before him Rom. 3.10 If he should enter into judgement with us we should not be able to answer one of a thousand what a mercy is it that he doth not suffer us to fall into sin so frequently and in so fowle a manner as we are ready to doe especially that he doth not charge our sins upon us What reason have we to say with the Psalmist Praise thou the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thine infirmities who doth not deale with us after our sins nor reward us after our iniquities but as high as the heaven is above the earth such is his mercy towards us as far as the East is from the West so far he doth remove our sins from us Psalm 103.1,3,10,11,12 to him alone be all glory now and ever FINIS