in a Compass or Circuit and unto Glory wil I be in the midst of her So the Seventy Unto her Unto Jerusalem But what wil this CHRIST who is the Lord of Lords be unto Jerusalem A Wall of Fire The City shal be safe though it may not have Walls so Calvin A Wall of Fire Not of Mud though that may be strong nor of Brick though that may be stronger nor of Stone though that may be strongest but of Fire As if God had said If you want a Wall I wil be your Wall my immediate Providence shal be your Defence rather then you should not be defended Is not the Convoy of Christ now one of the Depths of God The ROMANS in their Wars used to call out the Tutelar-Gods of those Cities they beseiged as beleiving them a stronger Defence to those Places than Walls or Forts What may be said of a Christ then who hath promised to be a Wall of Fire Who can batter down a Fire that is it 's own Fewel Or who can set up a Ladder to scale the Flames Is not the Convoy of Christ then one of the Depths of God And the Glory or unto Glory or of Glory in the midst of her She shal not only be safe and secure though without Walls of Stone and Brass though without Towers and Fortifications though without Ditches and Trenches but I wil also be the Glory in the midst of HER. They shal sing Praises and Thanks to Me so Grotius There wil I be glorified so Menochius The solid Felicity of Jerusalem within and without shal be in me alone and in my grace so Calvinus Is not the Convoy of Christ now one of the Depths of God Once more Psa 125.2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem to fortifie and defend that so Jehovah is round about his People to fortifie and defend them from henceforth even for ever Is not the Convoy of JEHOVAH now one of the Depths of God The Trojans had their Palladium so long as That was safe They were safe The Romans had their Ancile or Buckler so long as that was kept they were secure The Isralites had their Ark so long as that was sure there was a Defence upon mount Sion If CHRIST be thine then thou hast a far better and a far greater Guard Is not this then one of the Depths of God To dissipate the direful Pangs of Fear A Depth of God a CONVOY doth appear The meanest Saint is guarded far above The might'st Prince that 's not a Valley-Dove Where is the Man who lives without Complaints The Angels are a CONVOY to the Saints They Keepers are of These in all their Ways And wil be Keepers of Them all their Days But These must keep the Ways of GOD and so Must not aside to right or left Hand go The ANGELS are Ambassadors to bring The timely Tidings of the greatest KING These Solace swiftly carry from the Throne Unto the Footstool when 't is most alone From Heaven These do carry timed JOY Unto the Earth when this is like a TROY The noblest part of Man is called Soul Lower than Angels 't is without Controul An ANGEL is a perfect Soul but then Imperfect Angels are the SOULS of Men. Angels commanded are by Heavens Sage A CONVOY unto Saints in ev'ry Age. One greater than all These is now at hand At Sea a Convoy and a Guard at Land There is the present and the future Tense Oh HEAD of SAINTS be thus to me Defence But who is this 'T is He that beareth Sway Oh HEAD of ANGELS keep me Night and Day Lord round about me be a Wall of Fire And qualifie me for the Papal-Ire CONDUCT The Conduct of God that 's one of the Depths of God For a Person to walk after the Spirit and not after the Flesh to walk in the Flesh and not war after the Flesh is not this one of the Depths of God Thus 2 Cor. 10.3 For walking in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Greek Although we may be Men so Erasmus Like to the rest of Men so Tirinus As to Infirmimities so Sclaterus And Afflictions so Vorstius The Building of the Body so Menochius Or the Nature of the Flesh Though living in the Flesh We do not war after the flesh We do not practice a carnal Warfare so Estius We do not follow carnal Affections so Tirinus We live not after the manner of carnal and political Men so Menochius Is nor the Conduct of the Spirit now one of the Depths of God For a Person to be indulged the CONDUCT of the Spirit to live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit is not this one of the Depths of God Thus Gal. 5.25 If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit Where there is Life there wil be Motion What the Soul is to the Body that the Spirit is to the Soul If there be Life from the Spirit there is also a Life after the Spirit For a Person to be led by the Spirit in the way to Heaven until he be led into Heaven is not this one of the Depths of God That there is the Conduct of the Spirit is evident Thus Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God It is not said ruled but led When one is ruled by another Plus est Agi quam Regi he acts Him-self and his Action is Visible but when he is led by another though he may act Himself yet the Action of the Other is more Visible than his Own The SPIRIT leads according to the WORD A Child of God hath the Word without and the Spirit within for a Guide is not the Conduct of these then one of the Depths of God So Gal. 5.18 If ye be led by the Spirit then are ye not under the law Not under a law of condemnation for there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 But as there is the Conduct of the Spirit so of the FATHER Thus Ps 27.11 Teach me thy way Jehovab and lead me in a path of plainess be cause of those which observe me There is also the Conduct of the SON Thus John 10.3 He calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out Into Pastures In Pasiua so Grotius As Christ is the Leader of His so he leads these from Earth to Heaven from a state militant to a state triumphant thorough a State of GRACE to a State of GLORy Thus Ps 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterward receive me to Glory Is not the Conduct of the Father now and of the Son thorough the Spirit one of the Depths of God Those actually Christ's are under a constant and continual Conduct The Prophet having eligantly and eloquently expressed a counterfeit and a true Fast registers and transmits to Posterity this pure and pretious Promise
Luke 1.6 Who were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blamless that so when your TIMES shal go into ETERNITY your SOULS also may go into GLORY is the Cordial Cry of Honoured Sir Your observant Servant R. Mayhew The INDEX SECTION The DEPTHS of GOD. CHAP. 1. Whether there be the DEPTHS of GOD. PAGE 1-7 CHAP. 2. What these DEPTHS of GOD are 1. Generally They are 1. Things 2. Things of God 3. Spiritual Things PAGE 7 8. 2. Particularly They are reduced to two Heads 1. SALVATION PAGE 9 -13 2. All in a Tendency unto SALVATION For Instance 1. FREE-GRACE PAGE 13-17 2. ELECTION PAGE 17-22 3. REDEMPTION PAGE 22-29 4. CONVICTION PAGE 29-33 5. CONVERSION PAGE 33-41 6. AODPTION PAGE 41-48 7. VOCATION PAGE 48-53 8. RESURRECTION PAGE 53-73 9. REMISSION PAGE 73-80 10. SATISFACTION PAGE 80-93 11. JUSTIFICAION PAGE 93-105 12. SANCTIFICATION PAGE 105-121 13. UNION PAGE 121-137 14. COMMUNION PAGE 137-141 15. CONVOY PAGE 141-150 16. CONDUCT PAGE 150-156 17. CONCURRENCE PAGE 156-162 18. FAITH PAGE 162-168 19. INCARNATION PAGE 162-175 20. GLORIFICATIOM PAGE 175 c. Qu. But what manner of State is a State of Glory PAGE 177. Sol. 1. Sinless 2. Sorrowless PAGE 184. 3. Warless PAGE 196. 4. Wantless PAGE 199. 5. Persecutionless PAGE 202. 6. Prisonless PAGE 207. 7. Cursless PAGE 209. 8. Contagionless PAGE 213. 9. Temptationless PAGE 217. 10. Timeless PAGE 220. Tempora mutantur sic nos mutamur in illis THE DEPTHS of GOD. SECTION 1. The Depths of God CHAP. I. Whether there be the DEPTHS of GOD. THat there are the Depths of God that these also are searched and revealed by the Spirit of God is so legible in the Sacred Scripture as if it were written with a Beam of the Sun and so intelligible in the blessed Bible the BOOK of BOOKS that they are bound for Hel and not for Heaven who live and dye altogether Strangers unto them As there are the Depths that spring out of the Valleys the Depths of the Sea the Depths of the Earth the Depths of Dissertion the Depths of Hel and the Depths of Satan Rev. 2.24 which are the devices and policies of Satan wherewith he inspires his PUPILS under the Notion of profound Wisdom so there are the Depths of God which are searched and revealed by the Spirit of God Thus 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit Here is the Assertion there is a revelation by the Spirit of God But what is revealed by this Spirit This running may be read v. 9. Eye hath not seen Ear hath not heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man c. Here are things invisible inaudible inconceivable revealed by the Spirit of God For the Spirit searcheth all things The word SEARCH is Metaphorical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is taken from such as use to search in Mines for Gold and Silver They search deep they will break the Clods and Clots of the Earth all to pieces to find out the Oar. Thus the Spirit of God the Spirit of the Father or of the Son the Spirit of the Father and of the Son searcheth all things Yea the deep things of God The Depths of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Greek Here is the Argument For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the DEPTHS of God The Mysteries of God chiefly kept secret so Menochius The occult Counsels of God so Grotius 'T is the Spirit of God that unvaileth God and detecteth the Depths of God 'T is therefore called the Manifestation of the Spirit Thus 1 Cor. 12.7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every one to profit withal The Word PROFIT importeth such a kind of Profit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as redoundeth to Community To the Vtility of the Church so Piscator That the Church may receive Fruit thereby so Calvin Revelation is from the Spirit but 't is according to the Word If the Word goeth without the Spirit 't is a sealed Book Thus 1 Cor. 2.12 We have not received the Spirit of the World but the spirit which is of God that we may know the things which are freely given to us of God As the Spirit will not go without the Word so if the Word goeth without the Spirit the Soul is not arrived at an understanding of these DEPTHS of GOD. There is a prodigious Film upon the eye of lapsed Man and he cannot see the Depths of God without the Spirit of God Some men are born naturally blind but all men are born spiritually blind and cannot see the Depths of God without the Spirit of God The Reasons are obvious whether we respect Them or the Spirit In respect of Themselves The Depths of God are Things of God and these are super-natural Now things super-natural cannot be discovered by those that are natural but by those that are spiritual and that from the Spirit Thus 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man The Souly Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Greek A Man indued with the Faculties of NATURE only A Souly man is a man solely led by the light of humane reason A Souly man is a man purely considered in his Naturals who wants the Spirit of God and judgeth of Divine things from the Intelligence of the Flesh so Paraeus But what of this Souly man He receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he because they are spiritually discerned This Word discerned is a Law Term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vox fovensis and is usually applicable to the Tryal of Doctrine In respect of the Spirit It is the OFFICE of the Spirit of God to search and reveal the Depths of God It is the Spirit of God that leads into Truth into this and that Truth into one Truth after another Vicarius ille meus meae causae Patronus Grotius It is the Spirit that gradually leadeth into all Truth Thus John 16 13. When the spirit of Truth is come He that supplyeth and doth the Office of another He will guid you into all Truth By internal illumination or inspiration For he shall not speak of himself Not without Me or such things which I have not taught But whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak All that he shall hear from the Father or from Me. And he will shew you the things to come Concerning the Kingdom of Christ c. Concerning future Contingencies c. Concerning the Dishes that shall be served in to the Church c. No POET am I nor a Poets Son I am not one that hath the Lawrel won In Poetry I learning am to spel This is in order unto reading wel My Vessel is not filled to the Brim But Lambs may wade where Elephants do swim If PIGMIES shall upon these Strings be harping This follows then a MOMUS will be carping What Poets ever could all carping shun May not I
Defect makes one sinful but many good Actions cannot make one righteous He is just not only that hath no Sin but He also who is acquitted from his Sin or to whom his Sin is not imputed Is not Justification then one of the Depths of God To justifie our selves that we are righteous is worse than all our Vnrighteousness JAH hath no Respect to our Righteousness in the business of Justification is not this then one of the Depths of God 'T is said of Christ 1 Jo. 5.6 that he came by Water and Blood To intimate and indicate that no more are justified by his MERIT than are sanctified by his SPIRIT It is Christ who takes from Man Vnrighteousness and gives unto Man his own Righteousness Is not Justification now one of the Depths of God Aug. One saith that Marcellina hung the Picture of Christ and the Picture of Pythagoras together Are there not many not only in ITALY but also in ENGLAND who join Christ and their Works together Christ and their Prayers together Christ and their Tears together Christ and their Teachers together Christ and their Alms together In the Law Deu. 22.11 God commands not to wear a garment mingled of linnen and woolen This Law was figurative and teacheth that in the case of our Justification Acceptation and Salvation we are not to join our Services and Sacrifices to the Righteousness of Christ Is not Justification then one the Depths of God The Object of Worship God abominates a LINSEY-WOOLSEY Righteousness The Glosse of the Scoolmen is flagitious who say that Faith adorned with Charity justifieth The Romanists condemned in Councils the Doctrine of Justification by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ which is not in us but in him The Rhemists call it a fantastical Justice a new-no Justice But Luther saith whosoever rightly esteemeth of the Vtility and Majesty of Justification to him all things should seem vile and worthless For what is Paul what is Peter what is an Angel from Heaven what are all other Creatures to the ARTICLE of Justification Is not this then one of the Depths of God I cannot but mention the Tutissimum of Bellarmine who having written 5 Books against Justification by Faith gives a Defeat to his whole Design in concluding the Controversie with a Confutation of all that he had written of it in these words Tutissimum est Fiduciam totam in Dei sola Misericordia et Benignitate reponere 'T is safest to put the whole Confidence in the Mercy and Benignity of God Is not Justification now one of the Depths of God The Justification of one Sinner is a far greater Work than the Creation of all the WORLD is it not then one of the Depths of God They justifie themselves sinfully who say they are justified by Christ from their Sins and yet continue in their Sins and hold fast their iniquities Is not Justification then one of the Depths of God What Righteousness saith Farnworth Christ performed without Me was not my Justification neither was I saved by it May not this be beleived of this man himself if he died in the same mind Ob. Do men say that Justification is by Grace and not by Works The Scripture saith it is by Works and not by Grace only and who is most authentick God or Man Resp There 's a two-fold Justification before God and before Man Before GOD. Thus Works cannot justifie No righteousness can stand before God but the Righteousness of Christ only Thus Rom. 3.20 Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No flesh all flesh so the Greek All flesh shall not But the meaning is no flesh shall Metonymia Materiae Flesh by a double Figure is put for a Man 'T is put for the Body it being the Matter of it Synecdoche Membri 'T is also put as a part for the whole man Here the word ALL joyned with the Negative is often according to the Hebrew phrase put for none All flesh that is no flesh All Men that is no Man No man how great soever how good soever can be justified by Works before God So Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God If Abraham were justified by the Works of the Law or Nature apart from faith so Estius He hath whereof to glory but not before God Not in Scriptures of God where God speaketh so Vatablus Not before God because such a Righteousness cannot free from Sin nor reconcile to God so Toletus Before MAN Thus Mat. 7.20 By their works ye shall know them So Jam. 2.26 As the body without the Soul is dead so faith without works is dead As the Body is Lifeless if Soul-less so the Soul is Faithless if Workless Though a man be justified without the Righteousness of Works yet that MAN who is without Works of Righteousness is not justified Is not Justification now one of the Depths of God As it is true Grace is ever alone in justifying before God it is as true Grace is never alone in the person justified by God Is not Justification then one of the Depths of God Grace and Works dwell under the same Roof JUSTIFICATION is the Thesis next An Act of Grace according to the Text Most absolute Can ISH in his own Dress Be just with JAH No 't is the Right'ousness Of JESUS intervening with the Flag Mans Right'ousness is but a filthy Rag. God had for Sin with Man a certain Duel Justification is the Christ'ans Jewel Where is the Man but for a BANKRUPT went This is unto his Ear an Ornament Yea Golden-Chain this is unto his Neck And doth indeed a BLACK most rarely deck No more are justified by the Merit Than also sanctified by the Spirit The Spirit of th' Almighty gave me Breath Lord Jesus me acquit from Sin and Death I thorough Grace delight in sacred Story Lord right'ous me account to Life and Glory Oh dearest JESUS is my Sin made Thine Then is thy Right'ousness made also Mine SANCTIFICATION Sanctification that 's one of the Depths of God For the Heart of Enosh that was black with sin to be beautified with Grace and for Him who was a BLACK by Nature to be a BEAUTY by Grace is not this one of the Depths of God That there is such a thing as Sanctification is evident that this according to the Greek is a Sanctification of Spirit and belief of Truth is as evident Thus 2 Thes 2.13 But c because God hath from the beginning chosen you From the beginning of Evangelical preaching so Cajetan From the beginning of your Vocation so Vorstius From Eternity so Beza Before the foundations of the world were laid Et Animae Corporis so Piscator But unto what are these chosen Vnto Salvation Eternal so Grotius Both of Soul and Body so Gomarus Then followeth in sanctification of Spirit Of a divine
Rom. 8. 28. And we know We assuredly certainly and experimentally know Either from the Word of God or the History of the Saints or from a filial Confidence so Paraeus But what follows That all things shal work together for good Things prosperons and adverse Tam prospera Quam adversa so Estius All things Not only this thing or that thing and the other thing but also ALL things These things shal co-operate for Good But to whom To them that love God From the whole HEART so Tirinus To them that are the called according to his purpose As they are the called according to his Purpose so it is his Purpose which is not a successless Purpose that there should be a Concurrence and Co-operation of all things for their good Is not this now one of the Depths of God CONCURRENCE is another Depth of God That Saints may make a Comfort of a Rod As wel as make a Comfort of a Staffe And dying in the Face of DEATH may laugh Thus may a Rod under a dismal Shade As wel as Staff be then a Comfort made If CHRIST be mine in Covenant then I Shal find all things concurring really For saving GOOD though seemingly for Evil And so Defeat is given to the Devil Though Joseph Goaled be a Jedidiah And in the DUNG'ON be a Jeremiah Though Daniel too be in the Lyons Den And in the Furnace be the three Children Though ISRAEL no Prospect hath of Life No more than Job had Comfort from his Wife Yet all things did concur for all their Good And They the Depths of SHADDAI understood Lord Jesus Christ mine Eyes are up to THEE Oh let all thins in a Concurrence be For Good and not for Evil unto ME That I also the Depths of God may see FAITH Faith that 's one of the Depths of God If Mary once a Virgin but not always so was more blessed in receiving the FAITH than in conceiving the FLESH of Christ certainly then Faith is one of the Depths of God If an affectionate closing with and acting of any known Sin be utterly incompatible and inconsistent with a living Faith certainly then this is one of the Depths of God If Faith comes with an empty hand and takes in all from the Plenitude of Christ certainly then this is one of the Depths of God If Faith be the first work the great work Yea THE WORK by way of Emphasis Eminency Excellency If Faith be the greatest and most glorious work the Work of Works certainly then this is one of the Depths of God Thus John 6.29 This is the work of God that ye beleive in him whom he hath sent This is the work of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the Command and Will of God 1 Jo. 3.23 This is the work which God esteemeth above all Works This is the Work and Gift of God Eph. 2.8 This is saith Beza the work that pleaseth God 'T is true Quod DEO placet for saith the Apostle Heb. 11.6 without faith 't is impossible to please God Is not FAITH now one of the Depths of God If Faith may be shaken in the Soul but not out of the Soul if Faith goes not into Vision til Time goeth into Eternity if Beleif lives til the Beleiver dies certainly then this is one of the Depths of God This should be the DIALECT of a Christian Vox Christiani under the greatest Despondency of Spirit Lord thorough grace I beleive yet Lord thorough Grace I do beleive Yet Lord thorough Grace I would beleive Yet Lord thorough Grace I wil beleive help Lord thorough Grace my Vnbeleif The Father of that Child who had a dumb Spirit hath set us this Copy to write after Thus Mark. 9.24 Lord I beleive help thou mine unbeleif Supply with Grace in thy Self the Defect of this Grace in my Soul Faith and Vnbeleif may be in the same Soul at the same Time in the same Action and upon the same Subject Hath not Faith a Chymical-Art Wil not Chymists extract Gold out of Silver or Stones Wil not the Act of Faith thorough the Object of Faith draw help out of things cross and contrary Is not FAITH an Herculean-Task and the hardest work in the World Hic Labor hoc Opus May Spira though dead speak You call upon me to beleive but I cannot beleive Oh how fain would I beleive but cannot 'T is easier to keep the moral Law than to beleive for 't is natural to work for Life but 't is supernatural to beleive for Life Is not Faith now one of the Depths of God To beleive things incredible to hope things improbable and to do things impossible any other way to be done they were Luthers WONDERS and are Mine and may be Thine To beleive that another wil pay my Debts and bear my Charges that He wil be buffeted that I may be blessed that He wil be hated that I may be loved that He wil be crucified that I may be crowned that He wil be sacrificed that I may be saved is not this one of the Depths of God Did Vlpian complain that there were few true Philsophers We may complain there are few true Beleivers Is not Faith then one of the Depths of God If FAITH be a Gift of God effected by the Spirit of God whereby there is a Reception of Christ and a Recumbancy upon Christ only for Salvation certainly then this is one of the Depths of God If Faith be the first Hand to receive a Mercy and the first Eye to discover a Judgment is it not then one of the Depths of God If this be the true Logick of FAITH to draw Conclusions of Peace in War of a Feast in Famine of Safety in Danger of Light in Darkness of Life in Death certainly then this is one of the Depths of God If Salvation and all in a Tendency unto Salvation be intailed upon Faith in the Person of Christ certainly then this is one of the Depths of God Thus Acts 16.31 Beleive on the Lord Jesus Christ Ther 's the Precept The Object of Faith is the Person of Christ in his Triple OFFICE Prophetical Sacerdotal and Regal Lord Jesus Christ We may beleive the Church but we must not beleive in the Church 'T is Christ and not the Church that must be beleived on and beleived in for the Church is not God but the House of God And thou shalt be saved Ther 's the Promise Is not Faith now one of the DEPTHS of GOD It is as easy for the Children of Belial and of Blood to pluck the Sun out of the Firmament as true Faith out of a true Christian Is not this then one of the Depths of God Tertullian saith of the Papists They beleive without the Scriptures Credunt sine Scripturis ut credant contra Scripturas that they may beleive against the Scriptures The Jewel of Faith can never be kept in a cracked Cabinet in a crasie Conscience Is