which doth not cannot rellish affect heavenly and spirituall things so as to be moved by them effectually Because the word finds the heart of man under the guilt and dominion of sin § V and his corrupt lusts therefore one of the first things man is made sensible of is his sinfull and miserable condition Upon this the heart begins to bleed grieve smart as being deeply and mortally wounded And it may be God doth not at the first represent unto man all his sin but it may be one and the same principall or more predominant or some other nor discover all the punishments due but some few or one especially the eternall This may be called that part of judgment which we tearme to be Conviction upon Summons and a charge and the same confessed For when God hath thus made the heart of man sensible he is convinced confesseth accuseth and condemneth himself And though at the first the work begins with the apprehension and sense of one sin yet afterwards he begins to see his sins to be many and heinous and so his condition to be very miserable And in this case a man may continue a longer or a shorter time as it shall please God and this his sad condition is sometimes made more sad by outward afflictions or inward terrours or both and all this while the sinfull wretch is in danger of dispair if God prevent it not by restraining Satans rage who then will be very busie Yet God gives man no occasion to cast away all hope because he doth not at the first represent sin as unpardonable but pardonable nor the punishment as unavoydable but avoydable Some say this is done by the Law and they meane the morall Law discovering unto man his sin by the precept and his misery by the commination But 1. God doth not use onely the morall law but all other laws or any law in force and he maketh use of the History of the first sin and â—all of man nay of the sufferings and death of Christ of his judgments executed upon others 2. No man ought to preach the law of works unto sinfull man as in force for that makes sin unpardonable and is the high way to cause dispaire He indeed that will onely threaten death and punishments according to the Law of works and silence and conceale the promise of the Gospel is a Legal-Preacher indeed and can be no faithfull Servant unto Christ in this work 3. It 's not the Law nor any other Doctrin preached by man which can break his stony heart without the Spirit and power of the Gospel That Doctrin which used by God in this work is most effectuall is the Doctrin of Christ Jesus crucified for our sins and it must be the law of the Spirit of life that must free us from the Law of sin and death In this sad condition § VI whilst man continues guilty and convicted by his own conscience at the bar of divine Justice he will begin to cast about and look on every side to see whether there be any help deliverance and hope of escape and he finds nothing in himself nothing in any Creature no not in Angels to help him and so despairs of any comfort in any thing excepting Christ and so casts away all confidence in any other things and with the Jews pricked in their hearts cryes out Men and Brethren what shall we do Acts 2. 37. And with the Jaylour Sirs what shall I do to be saved Act. 16. 30. To this question made in the anguish and bitternesse of Spirit the answer is Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of sins and ye shall receive the Holy-Ghost Act. 2. 38. And Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Act. 16. 31 This implyes 1. That the Sinner is Savable and remission possible 2. That Remission and Salvation is onely by Jesus Christ. 3. That the meanes to obtaine both by Christ is repentance and faith Upon this follows an appeal from the Throne of Justice to the Throne of Grace and mercy Christ is pleaded the guilty person offers the sacrifice of a broken heart and bruised Spirit to the supreme Judge and earnest suit is made not onely for pardon of sin past but for power against sin for the time to come And though man desires and endeavours to repent and beleive and quiet his mind in Christ's merits and Gods promises yet he cannot do these things to purpose nor any man in the world can give him effectuall comfort by the application of the promises till God put his laws in his mind and write them in his heart by his Divine Spirit Thus to do is a work of the Divine Spirit who alone can write immedâ—ately and imprint the Divine precepts and promises of the Gospel upon the heart of man and so give him a divine power to repent to believe to understand to do the Laws of God and apply his promises The word now is no longer onely in books or in mens mouths or in their eares but also in the heart Yet it 's here to be noted 1. That this great promise of the Gospel is not absolute as though God pre-required no duty to be performed by man 2. That he doth not this work without the word both taught heard and learned 3. That this Law is not fully and perfectly written in any mans heart in this life 4. That therefore the most illuminated and sanctified man in this life hath need of the written Word This is not any precept or promise of the Law it 's a performance of a promise upon some precepts performed and so an act of judgment and the same not a bare sentence pronounced out of man but executed in the soul of man and not a punishment but a blessed reward Upon this follows another performance § VII and that is repentance and belief and the same of a far higher degree then can be performed by any strength natural and moral They are divine and supernaturall not performed by any acquired power but by a strength from Heaven For in writing these divine precepts in the heart of man God himself so immediately speaks to man that he receives the Word of God as the Word of God indeed is taught of God drawn to Christ and comes unto him never to depart from him again I will not deny but there may be some supernaturall illumination and alteration in the heart of man and some comforts thereupon in an heart not fully humbled But for God so to write his laws in our hearts as to cause us to walk in his statutes and keep his judgments to do them and that sincerely and constantly Ezek. 36. 27. is a far higher degree of grace in Christ and the duty performed thereupon is far more perfect and excellent In this repentance and faith there are severall branches The 1. Is a sincere and totall submission unto Christ alone as our onely Saviour and to
Heaven will serve the turn God must give it and this he hath done The Rule is at hand even the Holy Scriptures The Method therefore to be observed is 1. To man fest that these Holy Writings are a certain and perfect Rule And 2. To proceed to speak of this Blessed and Glorious Kingdom according to the same And the Lord of all Wisdom Truth and Mercy in Christ direct and assist me and incline mine Heart with all care and humility to follow his Directions AMEN CHAP. II. Concerning the Holy Scriptures THE Holy Scriptures are the Mind of God concerning his special Kingdom expressed in Writing To understand this more fully we must observe 1. The Mind of God concerning this Kingdom 2. The Expression of his Mind 3. The several Ways and Degrees of this Expression First § 1 The Mind of God are his Thoughts and Counsels concerning this Kingdom as known unto himself For the Wisdome of God contrived and model'd this Kingdom before the World was and his Will decreed it For God ordained these things before the World to our glory 1 Cor. 2. 7. These his Thoughts and Counsels at first were known onely to himself and to none other For what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of Man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 11. Therefore before there can be any knowledge of them God must express himself and communicate his Mind unto Angels or Men who alone are capable and fit to receive the knowledge of his Minde made known to them This Expression and Revelation of himself out of himself is called The Word of God The Word of God is § 2 1. A Word 2. The Word of God The nature of a word is to express or represent the mind of the Speaker The end of it is to make it known to another to whom it is spoken For the end of my speech and so of speech in general is to communicate my mind unto others who know it not So the Word of God declares the Mind of God to Angels or Men who know it not God is the Speaker his Mind the thing spoken his speech is that whereby he expresseth and maketh known his Mind By Word I do not understand that Word which was in the Beginning and was with God and was God and by which the World was made Joh. 1. 1 2. For that Word was a clear and full expression of God himself to himself the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his Person This was the Word in himself But this Word is an expression of some part of his Mind out of himself There be § 3 First several ways Secondly divers degrees of God's Expressions 1. Several ways for he may and doth express himself by his Works and make his Works his Word For the Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his Handy-work Psal. 19. 1. Not onely the Works of Creation but of Providence speak much of Gods glorious perfections as of his Wisdome his Power his Goodness his Justice his Mercy He may express himself by Representations by Angels by an audible Voyce to the outward Senses or by Impression upon the inward and common Sense or by inspiration immediatly unto the immortal Souls of Men. For as God at sundry times so he spake divers ways to the Fathers by the Prophets Heb. 1. 1 How he spake to Angels and Man at the first Creation we know not The Expression by Inspiration and immediate Vision is the most perfect and excellent For by that the persons inspired know not onely what the things spoken are but that it is God that speaketh He expresseth himself by Writing as he wrote the Ten Words or Commandements of the Moral Law in two Tables of Stone and at length in process of time caused the whole Body of his Doctrine concerning his Kingdom to be written And hence that Book with all the parts thereof concerning this Kingdom is called the Holy Scriptures which both in regard of the Author the Matter and the Contexture is the most excellent Book and Writing in the World But before I come to speak of them I must observe the several degrees of Gods expression and signification of his Mind to Man The several degrees of God's expression of his Mind § 4 in the matters of this Kingdom are reducible to Two 1. He spake Immediatly unto man 2. Mediatly by man unto Man For God spake unto the Prophets and Apostles before he spake unto others by them The Word of the Lord came to the Prophets before they could signifie and declare it to the people And the Matter and Doctrine of the Scripture was first communicated by Inspiration and Revelation before it could be infallibly communicated unto others either by Word or Writing The holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. For they must first be moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost before that they spake unto any man that which they received immediatly from God Paul received not the Gospel of man neither was he taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Gal. 1. 12. And the mystery of Christ was revealed unto the Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Ephes. 3. 5. In this respect it is said that all Scripture that is all the Doctrine of Scripture is given by inspiration of God 1 Tim. 3. 16. Thus God speaks immediatly to man § 5 and secondly mediatly by man to man And this he doth two ways 1. By infallible and extraordinary Teachers 2. By ordinary men not immediatly inspired yet both of these agree in two things 1. That God speaks by both to Man and both speak from God 2. That the matter spoken by both is the same For if the latter and ordinary Teachers do not speak the same things which the former did God did not speak by them And the Doctrine of the former ought to be the Rule of the Doctrine of the latter First he speaks by extraordinary men and these are Prophets and Apostles to whom he did reveal his wisdome not that they should conceal it but that they should declare it to others And these expressed the mind of God two ways 1. By Word 2. By Writing And they were infallibly directed in both to a Word to a Letter For the holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost as before And so did write otherwise their Doctrine had not been infallibly true It 's said not onely that the Word but the Scripture all Scripture was given by inspiration of God And now § 6 at length we are come to the Scriptures That the Doctrine and Word of God should be written was no ways necessary in respect of God yet in respect of the frailty and corruption of man the Divine Wisdome thought it expedient if not necessary to express himself by Writing God could have supplyed all
Word and Son of God for his Natures God and Man for his Offices Prophet Priest and King His Work of Redemption hath two Parts 1. His Humiliation 2. His Exaltation in his Resurrection Ascension Session at his Father's right-hand and investiture with all power in Heaven and Earth whereby he is made Lord and Judge of the World The Application whereby we are made partakers of the Benefits of Christ's Redemption is made by the Spirit and Word working Faith whereby sinful men are made Members of Christ and of the Universal Church which is the society of Saints The benefits of this Redemption applyed and whereof the Church is partaker are Remission of sins Resurrection and Life Everlasting Amongst many other Forms of Confessions § V and Creeds delivered by the Ancients I thought good to pitch upon one in Tertullian especially that in his Prescriptions against Hereticks where we read thus REgula est autem Fidei ut jam hinc quod credamus profiteamur illa seilicet qua Credimus Vnum omnino Deum esse nec Alium prater Mundi Conditorem qui universa de Nihilo produxerit per Verbum Suum primo Omnium â—missum Id verbum Filium ejus appellatum in Nomine Dei variè visum Patriarchis in Prophetis semper auditum Postremo delatum ex Spiritu Dei Patris et virtute in Virginem Mariam Carnem factam in utero ejus et ex eâ natum Hominem et esse Jesum Christum exinde Praedicasse Novam Legem et Novam Promissionem Regni Coelorum virtutes fecisse Fixum cruci Tertiâ Die Resurrexisse In Coelos ereptum Sedere ad Dextram Patris Misisse Vicariam Vim Spiritus Sancti qui Credentes agat Venturus cum Claritate ad Sumendos Sanctos in Vitae aeternae et Promissorum Coelestium Fructum et ad Prophanos judicandos igni perpetuo facta utriusque Partis Resusâ—itatio ne cum Carnis Resurrectione Haec Regula à Christo ut probabitur instituta The reason why I propose this § VI is because its the most full and perfect form of Confession both in Irenaeus and Tertullian Concerning which several things are observable 1. That it agrees with all the rest for Matter and Method 2. It 's most exactly Consentaneous to plain and clear Scripture 3 The Method is grounded upon our Saviours Creed 4. It more fully and perfectly out of the Scriptures informs us of the Person and Natures of Christ and so of his Incarnation For that Word by which the World and so man was created was made flesh 5. As in it we have God the Father creating the World by his Word and the same Word by the Spirit assuming flesh redeeming man so we have the same God by his Spirit sanctifying man more expresly delivered then in any of the rest 6. We may observe that that Word which was first uttered and spoken in the Creation before any thing could be created was uttered and produced from everlasting as a lively Representation of God himself to himself 7. That as the Spirit so the Word was in the Prophets as Prophets as without neither of which they could have been Prophets 8. The Government of God Redeemer is therein more expresly declared then in most of the other Forms For the Government of Creation being presupposed 1. The manner of acquiring a New Power by the Humiliation of the Word made flesh 2. His Investiture with this Power in his Exaltation 3. The Exercise of it 1. In giving the New Law with a Promise of Heaven's Kingdom 2. In adjudging men either Prophane to everlasting fire or Holy unto the enjoyment of Life everlasting upon the Resurrection of both in the last and Universal Judgment are in these few Words delivered plainly and clearly 9. This Form was received by the Church from the Apostles and by the Apostles from Christ. 10. That not any but Hereticks did question any thing in this Creed 11. Seeing these Hereticks professed themselves Christians and did acknowledge Christ and this had continued from Christ and the Apostles Universally and without controversie before these Hereticks did arise therefore it did sufficiently prescribe against all Heresies which different from it did arise afterwards The Analysis of these Creeds § VII and Confessions according to the ensuing Discourse intended takes in the matter and method in general of the former yet is delivered in other expressions To understand it the better you must observe 1. That it presupposeth the principal Subject of the Holy Scriptures to be the Kingdom of God and that the Doctrine thereof is contracted in the Ancient Creeds and Forms of Confession 2. That in a Kingdom or Government there must be a King or Governour invested with Power which is 1. Acquired 2. Exercised It 's exercised 1. In constituting a Common-Wealth 2. In the Administration of the same The Common-wealth is administred by Laws and Judgments Laws determine the Duties and Dues of men Judgment renders the Dues of Rewards or Punishments according to the observation or violation of the Laws These things observed We have in this Kingdom 1. The KING 2. His Government The King is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who alone is worthy of all honour glory power and dominion for evermore His Government presupposeth his Power which is 1. Acquired 2. Exercised It 's acquired by Creation as it is continued by Preservation For immediatly upon the Creation he became the Supream Universal and Absolute Lord and continues so for evermore by his perpetual Preservation For seeing he made all things even Men and Angels of nothing and they do always for ever wholly depend upon him therefore he must needs have an absolute full and perpetual Propriety in and Dominion over them and they must needs be his Servants and Vassals This Power thus acquired began to be exercised immediatly upon the Creation 1. In the general Government of all things 1. By a constitution of an Order amongst them 2. By a Direction of them according to that Order to their ends 2. In the special Government of the immortal and intellectual Creatures who alone were capable of Laws Rewards and Punishments These speciall Creatures were Angels and Men. Amongst the Angels he 1. Established an Order 2. According to that Order he doth govern them and exercise his Power 1. In giving them Laws 2. In judging them according to those Laws Some of the Angels continued loyal and obedient and were confirmed in perpetual estate of Holiness and Happiness which was their Reward The disloyal and Apostate Angels were cast down from Heaven and reserved in everlasting Chains under Darkness unto the Judgment of the great day Jude v. 6. This was their Doom and the judgment of God upon the Angels The Government of Men is two-fold The first of Justice The second of Mercy Of Justice in the first Adam of Mercy in the second In the first after God became his Lord and Man his Subject in a special manner he
Creatures Yet God is so One that there are no other Gods though there be other Beings Some things are so one as that there are not actually any other of that kind So there is one Sun one Moon one World one Heaven one Earth yet there may be and might have been more if it had pleased God to make them But God is so one as that there is not there cannot be another God Therefore he is onely one and takes up the Deity so fully as that he can admit no fellow That God is onely One the Scriptures testifie Is there any God besides me Yea there is no God I know not any Isa. 44. 8. Thou art God alone is the confession of the Psalmist Psal. 86. 10. and of Christ himself This is Life Eternal to know thee the onely true God These and many other places represent Him not onely as One but as the onely One so that there cannot be another He was alone and the onely One without Superiour Inferiour equal God Nay without any Being but his own Eternal Being before the World was This Unity was manifested in the Creation and Government of the World For as He was the onely one Being in Himself from Everlasting so He is the onely one Creatour the onely one Governour Vniversal and Supream and shall be so to Everlasting He is the onely one Redeemer and Sanctifier from whom the streams of everlasting Bliss do and shall for ever issue This Truth concerning God's Unity was so imprinted in the very hearts of the Heathen that though they did acknowledge and worship many gods yet they believed that there was onely one Supream God who was King and Lord of all the rest The infiniteness of God § IV is that whereby He is without all Bounds of Being in respect of extent or duration Hence arise two Attributes Immensity Eternity All Creatures have their Bounds within the compass whereof their Being is confined Neither Angels nor the Heaven of Heavens are infinite or boundless But great is our Lord and great is his Power his understanding is infinite Psal. 147. 5. The Power and Understanding of God are God They are not accidents and extrinsecal to his Being but they are his Being And if his Power be great and his Understanding infinite so that there is no number of it then his Being is infinite There is no searching of his Understanding saith the Prophet Isa. 40. 28. In which Chapter from ver 22. to 26. is described and that in most stately terms and expressions the greatness of God The terms indeed are suitable to our capacity and may inform us That he is far greater then we can possibly conceive And this Being is in some measure manifested to be infinite and unmeasurable by the great abundance and unsearchable depth of his Wisdom in his Judgments and his ways of special Providence Rom. 11. 33. The Creatures even all and every one of them yea the World it self have their utmost Circumference of space and the periods and terms of their Duration The space which they take up is finite so is the Duration of their Being though drawn out in greatest length Space of place and length of time with their Periods do measure all Yet this Being is beyond the Circumference of the World and the Periods of Time Neither Time nor Place can circumscribe or measure him that is Absolutely every way infinite For he is Immense Eternal His Immensity is that § V whereby he is beyond all measure of space or place Bodies have their Dimensions of length breadth thickness or depth And the Being of Spirits is confined The World and the Heaven of Heavens have their utmost Bounds and therefore are measurable But this glorious Lord and King hath no Dimensions and therefore is immense or unmeasurable The understanding of the Angels perhaps knows the measure and utmost bounâ—s of all things created even of the Heaven of Heavens yet never knew or can know any out-most circumference of the Divine Being God alone doth comprehend himself and is comprehended of himself Because this God is immense therefore he is incomprehensible and omnipresent Hence his Incomprehensibility Ubiquity or Omnipresence His Incomprehensibility is that whereby he cannot be contained of any thing but containeth all things God saith Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Foot-stool Isa. 66. 3. And again by another Prophet Do not I fill Heaven and Earth Jer 23. 24. And Solomon confesseth unto God 1 King 8. 27. That the Heavens of Heavens do not contain him The first place informs us that God is so in Heaven that He is on Earth so on Earth that He is in Heaven and in both at the same time Yet Because one may be in some part of Heaven and some part of the Earth at one and the same time yet not in every part of both The second Scripture tells us that He filleth Heaven and Earth and takes up both wholly Yet Lest we should think the outmost circumference of Heaven to be the outmost bounds of his Being and Presence The third place signifies plainly that He is not confined within those Bounds so that He must needs be beyond all place and imaginary space This Incomprehensibility of God's Being though not in it self absolute yet is represented unto us by the largest extent of things created yet so as that his Presence extends beyond the World which cannot contain him but He contains it and therefore is called Hamakom the Place From his Immensity follows also his Ubiquity § VI which is called also his Omnipresence whereby he is in every place This is described also in respect of place and signifies the presence of God and the extent thereof which is so vast that there can be no place where God is not yet no place where God is in it as containing him The words of the Prophet I fill Heaven and Earth do prove this For by Heaven and Earth is signified the whole World beyond which there is no place And to fill the World is not onely to be in some or many parts thereof but to be in all and every part so that no part can be empty of God who is where anything is He takes up the whole vast space of the great Body yet he can neither be in any part or in the whole so as to be contained or concluded in it The Scripture â—ets forth this Attribute by an enumeration of places affirming God's presence in every onâ— Whither shall I go saith the Psalmist from thy Spirit Whither shall I fly from thy presence c. That is If I go into Heaven into Hell into the utmost parts of the Sea into darkness or the most secret places of the World there shall I find thee and meet with thee The Philosophers tell us that everything is in some place either circumscriptively as Bodies or definitively as Spirits so that both are limited yet God is so in all places at all times
produceth an infinite and Eternal Knowledge of himself as most perfect and most excellent Thus he cannot know himself and be known of himself But he must love himself and be infinitely and eternally enamoured with his own Beauty which is sufficient sully and perpetually to satiate and content himself within himself And hence ariseth his full happiness For he is fully happy to all Eternity without any Man Angel without Heaven Earth the World or any Creature by acting thus upon himself Therefore perfect and full happiness is accounted one of the Attributes of God And if he were not happy he could not make the intellectual Beings for ever happy by a more full communion with him and enjoyment of him From these immanent acts of the Deity upon himself some conceive arise the Relations of Father Son and Holy Ghost and that stupendious and profound mystery of the glorious Trinity The Doctrine whereof is so far above Natural Reason improved to the highest pitch that the greatest Wits in the World have been confounded in the search thereof and many have denied and are offended with the Terms of Trinity and Persons as not found in the Holy Scriptures But first let us hear what the Scripture saith of this great mystery The Apostles Commission and Charge from Christ was To teach or Disciple all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost Math. 28. 18. And there are Three which bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost 1 Joh. 5. 7. In the former place we may observe § II 1. One Name of three the Father Son and Holy Ghost And whether we take the Name for the Eternal Deity as the word in the Hebrew sometimes signifies or for Worship or for Power yet there is but one Name one Worship one Power of the Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. The Father Son and Holy Ghost are three 3. That the Father is the first the Son the second the Holy Ghost the third in order 4. That the Father as the Father is not the Son nor the Holy Ghost nor the Son as Son either the Father or the Holy Ghost nor the Holy Ghost as the Holy Ghost either of them 5. The Father hath relation to the Son as the Father of the Son the Son as the Son of the Father to the Father and the Holy Ghost being the Breath and Spirit of the Father and the Son hath relation to both and both to Him 6. Here are three distinct Relatives and three distinct Relative Properties 7. The Father as God hath no relation to the Son but as the Father noâ— the Son as God to the Father but as the Son And so the Holy Ghost not as God but as the Holy Ghost to them boâ—h as breathed by and proceeding from both In the latter place 1 Joh. 5. 7. we may observe 1. That there be three the Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. That the Father is first the Son is second the Holy Ghost is third in order as before 3. He that in the former place was called the Son is here called the Word 4. That the Word was in the beginning was with God was God and by it all things were made And by the Son it 's said All things were created and all things consist by him Col. 1. 15 16. From whence it follows That the Father and the Son are but one Creatour and so but one God together with the Holy Ghost to whom the incommunicable Perfections and Works of the Deity are attributed For as the Spirit of Man is the same Substance and Being with man and knows the things of man so the Spirit which searcheth and knoweth the deep things of God must needs be one and the same Substance and Being with God The Father was the Father before he created the World or sent his Son The Word and Son of God was the Word and Son beâ—ore the Word was made Flesh And the Holy Spirit was the Spirit before he sanctified either Man or Angel Yet the Father was more clearly manifested to be the Father by sending his Son into the World and the Son to be the Son by the incarnation and work of Redemption And the Holy Ghost to be the Holy Ghost by the Work of Sanctification The Word which was made flesh was coeternal and coequal with the Father though the Humane Nature assumed by the Word was neither coequal nor co-eternal These Three are called Persons § III by some of the Greek Fathers and most of the later Latine Christian Writers A Person was defined long ago by Occam to be Suppositum intellectuale an individual intellectual Substance subsisting by it self And in this strict Sense three Persons as three Angels three men are three distinct individual Substances But thus the Father Son and Holy Ghost are not Three Persons for then there should be three Gods whereas they are but one God and one Divine Substance though they be considered as they are represented according to these three distinct Relations and Relative Properties These three are so intimately united that they are but one individual substance And this Unity of three is called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Latines Circumincession So that there can be no inequality amongst them in respect of Time Power Dignity or any other ways One may be considered before another in respect of order or origination as some of the School-men speak The Generation of the Son and the Spiration of the Holy Ghost which are wonderful and to us unsearchable had no beginning of Time nor can have end of Duration for they are Eternal In these high and glorious Productions the Essence cannot properly be said to be communicated Some of the Ancients § IV and many of the Modern Writers have denyed the Trinity of Persons and the Deity of the Son and Holy Ghost The Socinians argue against both 1. Against the Trinity of Persons alleaging that three Persons are three individual distinct Substances and thence they infer that if there be three distinct Persons in the Deity then there are three distinct Gods In this Argument they take for granted that in this great mystery the word Person is taken properly and strictly which no understanding Christian ever thought And this is gross and intolerable especially in men otherwise learned and judicious 2. Against the second they argue That because the Father in some places is said to be the onely true God therefore neither the Son nor Spirit can be properly Summus ille Deus that Supream God For example Crellius one of the most learned and judicious of them from those words of our Saviour This is life Eternal to know thee the onely true God argues to this purpose That if the Father be the onely true God then the Son and the Holy Ghost cannot be God This is so unworthy that it deserves no answer In that place the Son is considered as Man and flesh
shall not ever be totally in Act. For he doth not effect all things which he can but those things which he will He is said to be pure Act in respect of his Essence and eternall acting upon himself And this power as an Attribute is pure act and in that respect is properly actual strength not power physically taken It extends to all things possible and is able to produce them But we must not think that they are possible or producible in themselves but in respect of this power And it 's to be conceived first as able to effect before it actually effect any thing as it actually effecteth all things that are effected It 's the root and originall of all created active Power and all Created causes are effects of it and act as acted and moved by him How it acts and concurrs with free Agents when they sin the Wit of Man cannot clearly understand and satisfie it self But this is certain that as the Decree so the Power is alwayes regulated by the Wisdom and Juctice of God It 's great and irresistible For though men and Angels may disobey his Lawes yet they cannot resist or hinder his power For he is in the Heavens and hath done whatsoever he pleased Psal. 115. 3. And whatsoever the Lord pleased that did He in Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and all deep places Psal. 135. 6. Therefore if God promise great things and such as to man may seem impossible we may safely rely upon Him What is said shall certainly be done Thus â—art the Works of God have been considered in respect of the Essence § VIII It remaines that we observe them with respect unto the Father Son and Holy Ghost In this later respect the Authours of Theologicall Systems inform us of two things Their Co-operation Distinct manner of Working The Co-operation is that whereby the Father Son and Holy Ghost concur as one Individual efficient cause of every Work and effect out of themselves In this respect that 's true that Opera Trinitatis ad Extra sunt indivisa What one is said to do all are to be understood to do The Father doth not create without the Word nor was the Word made flesh nor did redeem without the Father nor the Holy Ghost sanctifie without the Father and the Word neither do the Father and the Son any thing without the Holy Ghost For all the Works of God ad extra do necessarily presuppose the immanent necessary acts of the Deity upon it self Yet we must not conceive them as any wayes unequal either in themselves or in their working nor as three distinct agents uniting their forces joyntly to produce one and the same effect For one Individuall Essence must needs if it act be one Individuall Agent in the production of all Creatures and effecting all his works Therefore we find the Creation and other Works of God ascribed as well unto the Word and Spirit as to the Father and for the most part to them all as to one God The manner of their concurrence is that § IX whereby the Father worketh by the Word and Spirit the Son from the Father by the Spirit and the Spirit from them both This doth imply that the manner of their Work is distinct yet it 's very difficult to conceive the distinction or difference We read that the Father doth many things by the Word and Spirit but never that the Word or Spirit did any thing by the Father All things were made by the Word and without him was not any thing made that was made John 1. 3 And by him were all things created and by him all things consist Col. 1. 16 17. And God the Father is said to have made the Worlds by him Heb. 1 2. The Father will quicken our bodyes by his Spirit dwelling in us Rom. 8. 11. And he revealed the deep things of his Gospel by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10. And God elected the Thessalonian Christians to Salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes. 2. 13. We have some resemblance hereof in the soul of man which being one individuall essence is one individuall agent It conâ—riveth all its works by the counsell of the understanding determines them by his will and is ready to effect them by his active power When it actually produceth any thing the Will commands the understanding directs and the power executeth The Will is first and begins the understanding is the second and goes on the power is the last and finisheth the Work And these three inseparably and individually concur efficiently to produce the effect as one efficient And the Will directs by the understanding and executes by understanding directing the power and by the Power Acting according to the Understanding How Redemption is appropriated to the â—on and Sanctification to the Holy Ghost must be considered hereafter In these things We must be sober and not Curious We must neither confidently affirm any thing as a Divine Truth which is not evident unto us out of the Scripture nor Peremptorily deny any thing because We do not clearly see it in the Scriptures For so the Sadduces deny'd the Resurrection because they could not see it in the Book of God Though it was in that book as our Saviour made it evident These things premised concerning the Works of God in general § X I will proceed to say something of them in particular Though they be many yet may they all be reduced to three heads For they all are either works of Creation of Preservation or of Ordination Some bring these under two heads the first of Creation the second of Providence And by Providence they understand both Preservation and Government But this is but difference in Words The first work whereby the Eternall King did first acquire his power is Creation Which is a Work of God whereby in the beginning he created Heaven and Earth and all things therein This work must be considered Absolutely in it self Respectively as aground of absolute power And in it self Generally Specially in respect of man In it self generally it 's A Work or Act of God yet this Act is not immanent but emanant and transient yet farr different from the Acts of any Creature and from many other Acts of God It had an objâ—ct logically considered no subject existent For the Creature as existent was an effect and not the subject of it As Cameracensis doth distinguish of Predestination That Praedestinatio Activa est Deus Praedestinans Passiva est Res Praedestinata So Creatio activa est Dâ—uâ— creans Passiva Res creata So that in Creation we have God and his Creativity as Occam and Bacon expresse it and the thing created It is a proper Act of God and can be truly affirmed of nothing else if it were not so God by this work could not be distinguished from all other things as by this act we read in Scripture he is The first part of the Creation presupposed no matter
and the other parts no matter immediately capable of a â—orm to be either introduced into it or educed out of it by any agent but by God So that God supplyed wholly all the causes And when we say that God Created all things either mediately or immediately of nothing the word Nothing doth neither signifie the matter nor properly the term of that act but is a Negative and denyes all pre-existent matter in the first part of Creation Neither doth the word Create in Ancient authors signifie to make a thing of nothing as some think it doth Therefore we must learn what Creation is from the Scripture not from this or that word God by this Act did so clearly manifest his eternall power and God-head that it 's evident that he alone is the efficient cause and Maker of the World and that without the advice or assistance of any others and also without any tool or instrument It was a frâ—e act of God For he was no wayes necessitated to make the World or to make it before or after or at that time when he did make it or to produce it in this or that order or manner rather then another For he Created all things and for his pleasure they are and were Created Rev. 4. 11. He Created Heaven and Earth in the beginning The word may signifie the Beginning of time as its the measure of things existing and standing out of their causes in their proper entity Or it may referr to the first part of the Creation teaching us That in the beginning and first of all God created Heaven and Earth which was voyd and without form and afterwards he made Light the Firmament and other things or it may referr unto the whole Creation and signifyes unto us that the first Work of God was the Creation of the World in six dayes And in this sense Creation was the first issuing-forth of his Almighty Power to make and do some things out of Himself This was the Act of Creation § XI and the Effects were all things Created All things joyntly taken together are the World and the principall parts thereof are Heaven and Earth And because Heaven and Earth are not Vacant places as it is written that the Heavens and the Earth were finished with all the Host of them Gen. 2. â— Where the word Host signifies all things in Heaven and Earth And these are called The Host of them 1. Because they are Many 2. Because they were all Created in an excellent order So Paraeus on the place 3. Because they were the Ornament and beauty of Heaven and Earth Thus the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uâ—ed by the Sepruaguit doth signifie By Heaven and Earth some understand by a Metonymie and Synechdoche all things Created as though these first words of the Scripture were an abridgement of the first Chapter of Genesis Others and upon better grounds do interpret Heaven to be the Heaven of Heavens and the Host thereof which is the innumerable multitude of Angells And Earth to be the Masse which was voyd and without form and the first rudiment and Seminary of all things Created-afterwards The first works of Creation therefore were Heaven and Angels The Scriptures tells us that there is an Heaven of Heavens which is sometimes called the Throne and Temple of God the third Heaven the place into which Christ ascended and where he will keep his residence till he come to judge the World No doubt its a Stately Glorious piece a place of Beauty and incomparable delight and therfore called Paradise In it are many Mansions where the Saints of God shall ever rest and enjoy their most excellent Inheritance Yet this highest place which is the Circumference of the World was not Created without the Host thereof which is the innumerable company of Angels These were concreated with the Heavens and are called the Angells of Heaven and by Creation as the Heavens so they are incorruptible and immortall Spirits which once began but shall never cease to live They are endued with a most piercing understanding free-Will and an admirable executive and active Power They were all at first righteous and holy like unto their God and had been for ever blessed as now the Holy Angels he if they had continued subject and obedient to the everlasting King who made them They were made and that in the Beginning as appeares from Psal. 104. 4. They were made before the foundation and Corner-stone of the earth was â—ay'd Job 38. 7. That they were Created long before the World was Jeroms groundlesse conceit And it was Austins fancy to think God made them when he said Let there be Light The Heaven of Heavens with their Host § XII was Created in the Beginning and with them the earth as co-aeval and concreated By Earth as appeares from the Text Gen. 1 2. was not meant this lowest part and Basis of the World as now it is for that was Created the third day but if we may so speak that first draught and imperfect Beeing which was as it were the rudiment and Seminary of this Lower world as distinct from the Heaven of Heavens and all things therein And if any thing may be called the first matter this surely is it which was so imperfect that only the skill and power of God could inform it And he did inform it and out of it made first the Elements and out of them all Mixt bodyes The first Elements was light which may be called the fire which is the purest the most subtil and active of all the rest and soared aloft into the highest place and the nature of it such that it hath great affinity with a Spirit and is next unto it The next was the Firmament which we call the Ayr And it was spread like a Curtain round about the Globe of the Earth and Water and takes up the space between them an the Aethereal light or fire a fit receptacle or subject to receive the Beames of light and being transparent to transmit them to the earth The third was the Water which first covered the earth and stood above the Mountaines but afterwards by the mighty power of God was reduced to the fluid substance which now we see it to be and gathered together into deep and Vast Channels of the earth whence the main Ocean and the narrow Seas and it s diffused into every part of the Earth through secret subterraneal Passages as through so many veines And hence our Springs Rivers Lakes The last the lowest and the dullest Element was the Earth And with it were created Minerals and Vegetables as Grasse Hearbs Plants and all Manner of Trees And with these he first furnished and beautified the earth the third day The Fourth he returns unto the Aetherial Part and creates the Sun Moon and Stars The two first as greater Lights the one for the Day the other for the Night together with the Stars These are the Lights and Lamps placed under the
this Government of Angels which no doubt is wonderful we have 1. The Legislation 2. The Judgment of God For no doubt God gave them Laws and according to their obedience or disobedience judged them for both these are evident out of Scripture What Laws God gave them in particular we know not That they were bound to continue righteous and holy as God made them and to love God and one another there can be no question These were Principles written and concreated if I may so speak with them yet that upon the Performance Eternal Glory and Security of the same would follow or that upon the non-Performance eternal punishments would be inflicted could not be so clear by Creation unto them There was another Law whereby they were obliged to observe that order amongst themselves which he at first instituted For there is an Order and Polity amongst the Angels but whether Monarchical or some other we know not If the Devils those Apostate Angels do observe the order of their Creation it seems to be Monarchical For we read of the Prince of Devils the Prince of the World the Prince of the Power of the Air or Darkness as the Word doth sometimes signifie What their Duty was in respect of Man or of the other Creatures is not so evident It 's certain that the Holy Angels are Ministring Spirits for the good of Gods servants and Sons since the fall Though the Pure and Generall Morals of the Decalogue did bind them yet as that Law was given to Adam to Israel or to the Church-Christian it could not bind them For therein there be Duties proper to Man and such as no ways can agree to Angels And here I might take occasion to explain the Morall Law but this I reserve till I come to speak of the Laws of God as Redeemer by Jesus Christ exalted at his right hand and reigning in the Brightnesse of eternall Glory For there were Laws of Righteouâ—nesse and Holinesse and morall duties given to Angels to Adam to the Heathen to Israel to the Church-Christian as shall be made manifest hereafter After Laws Moral and Positive § IV follows Judgment and upon the observation and violation of the same God began to exercise his Jurisdiction and to judge the Angels And this was the first Court God kept and the generall Assises wherein all the Angels were convented and rewarded to punished according to Observation or Violation of the Laws given to them The rule of this judgment were those Laws The Object Angels obeying or disobeying The Retribution was of Rewards or Punishments That many of the Angels sinned and transgressed those Laws and many did obey them the Holy Scriptures make evident And here it 's to be noted that the Sin of Angels was personall For in one sinning all did not sin in one condemned all were not condemned though by one man sin entred upon all mankind and by sin death Some one oâ— few of the Angels might be leaders in this Apostacy and by their example and Perswasion pervert many That vision of the Dragon and his Angels Revel 12. 7. may seem to imply some such thing But whether it be so or otherwise it 's certain a multitude of Angels sinned and revolted under one Head and Prince under whom they continue Revolters unto this day And here I might take occasion to speak of sin in general but I defer it till I speak of the fall and sin of Man What the first sin of these immorall spirits was in particular is not so clear as it 's clear they did sin And therefore we must obâ—erve 1. That they sinned 2. Were judged and condemned 1. They sinned 2 Pet. 2. 4. They kept not their first estate or Principality but left their own habitation Jude v. 6. which seems to imply their Ambition through which they aspired higher as discontented with their Station wherein God placed them at first and so violated the order established by him were murtherers and lyars from the beginning and abode not in the truth Joh. 8. 44. And he sinned from the beginning 1 Joh. 3. 8. That they sinned signifies unto us their Disobedience in generall That they abode not in the truth kept not their first state or Principality seems to be their first sin That they were lyars and murtherers doth point at their Envy and Malice against man which moved them to seek and contrive his ruine And upon this many think their condition desperate and their eâ—ernal punishment unavoydable But this is certain it did aggravate their former sin and made their punishment more grievous which punishment is expresed in the said texts That God spared them not that he cast them down to Hell as some turn it But Jude explaines the meaning That they are reserved in everlasting or invisible Chaines under darknesse unto the Judgment of the great day And he accursed them The sentence passed upon them was a sentence of condâ—mnation and the execution was that curse of excommunication and their Banishment out of Heaven and the light of glory the confining of them in darknesse and the binding them over to the Punishment of the great day of Final Judgment and so that their eternal misery and torment is inevitable And these places with others inform us That their Punishment is not Consummate but shall be far greater then now it is When at the great and last day they shall be cast into the Lake of fire and Brimstone and tormented with eternall paines without any intermission Their Punishment for the Present is loss of Heaven and Light Darknesse imprisonment fear and torment in the remembrance of that dreadfull day And this judgment passed upon them is an example to us sinfull Wretches to take heed of their sins lest we be sent into that eternall fire prepared for the Prince of Devils and his Angels The judgment of the rest of the Angels was passed at the same time § V And therein we may Consider 1. Their obedience 2. Their reward Their obedience is implyed by the disobedience of the Apostate Angels For iâ— this was their sin that they abode not in the Truth then the obedience of the rest of the Angels was that they abode in the truth were contented with their Station and â—oved man upon whom Gods Image was stamped They were found humbly subject unto the Power and obedient to the Laws of their glorious and Eternall Lord and Soveraign and that in the day of their great triall when the rest of their fellow-Angels revolted rebelled and became murderers of mankind Their reward was agreeable to their loyalty and obedience And it may be considered as inchâ—ate and received in part or as Consummate As begun and received in part they continue in the happy condition wherein they were created and are confirmed and secured there in And their joy and happinesse must needs be great because they enjoy the Glorious habitation of Heaven though many times sent from thence They see the
when we are once in Christ we are not wholly freed from that Sentence because it continues partly in force untill the Resurrection But of these more fully hereafter CHAP. XIV Of the Penalties Executed on Mankind more Partiuclary As also to which the Sentence made it liable FOr the more full understanding of this Judgment § I it will be very convenient to declare 1. More particularly the punishments which were executed upon mankind and whereunto the Sentence made it liable 2. The extent of sin and death in respect of the subject and the Derivation of the same from Adam to his posterity Where something shall be said of Original sin 3. The Attributes of God chiefly manifested in this Judgment 1. For the punishments we must know they were lesse then the desert of this sin For in strict justice man had deserved far more and more grievous punishments then this Sentence did determine For as you shall hear hereafter God punished man Citra condignum far lesse then he deserved And he in great mercy ordained meanes whereby many of these Judgments might be prevented and all in the processe of time removed as he reserved a power to abate them or aggravate them at will and pleasure So that man hath cause to blesse God that though he might Yet he will not always chide neither will he keep his anger for ever He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Psal. 103. 9 10. Where we may observe the intermission interruption and mitigation of his Justice 1. The intermission of his chiding He sometimes chides but not alwayes as he might 2. The abruption of his anger He chides sometimes and is angry yet he breaks off and continues not his wrath as he might do for ever 3. The mitigation He punisheth and sometimes grievously yet not according to our sins and so much as we deserve And thus his Sentence is to be understood For his execution is the best intepretation of his own mind which he knew best himself when he passed this Judgment Besides the punishment formerly mention'd § II there be many others not there exepressed but either implied and that darkly in that Scripture or more fully expressed in others These are either spirituall and such as immediately affect the soul of man and tend to it's spirituall and eternall misery or such as referr unto his body and temporal estate in this life or such as afflict both body and soul for ever in the world to come if not prevented The first and great penalty spiritual was the losse of Original Righteousness and Holiness when God took away his sanctifying Spirit By this it came to passe that the active free power of man to do good and that which was pleasing to God was not onely weakned but wholly taken away For though the essence and faculties of man remained yet the Spirituall and divine vigour was lost A natural but not a spiritual free will he hath The Councel of Trent tells us that Liberum Arbitriâ—us fuit viribus attenuatum non penitus sublatum Free-will by the Fall was weakned but not wholly lost If they mean that it was so weakned that it lost all spiritual and supernaturall power clearly to understand and effectually to prosecute spirituall good or if any such strength doth remain yet it was given to man and left in his soul for the merit of Jesus Christ promised then they speak the truth otherwise they cannot be excused By this incomparable lâ—sse there followed in mans understanding ignorance and errour and in his wâ—ll perversnesse and a disorder in his faculties and a difference between the rational and sensitive appetite A pronesse or strong inclination to that God forbids and a disaffection to all Heavenly good The soul hath loâ—â— all rellish of heavenly things Besides this Man became subject and a slave to Sathan who thereupon could easily bâ—ind and delude his understanding and pervert his will so that nothing so heynous but he could perswade him unto it and work in his heart an hatred of the Power of Godlinesse That there was such a Penalty which passed upon Adam and Eve and all their Posterity may be made evident out of Gods word For 1. The nakednesse shame fear hiding from Gods presence false pretences of fear and slight and excuses of their sin in our first parents do imply this 2. What necessity is there of every son of Adam even the best to be born again and that of water and the spirit before he can enter into the kingdom of God if man by this fall had not lost the Sanctifying spirit How comes it to passe that except the spirit of Christ be in us we are carnally minded at enmity against God so that we are neither subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be 3. What necessity is there to turn men from the power of Satan to God Act. â—6 18. and to be deâ—â—â—ered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Gods Dear Son Col. 1. 13 To this purpose I might multdiply other 〈◊〉 of Scripture to prove that this was one great penalty consequent to the sin of Adam Another penalty was § III the loss of Gods comforting spirit For where the spirit doth ceaâ—e to sanctifie it doth cease to comfort And hence the losse of boâ—dnesse confidence peace heavenly joy sweet communion with God testimony of a good conâ—cience right to the life and all Solace that might arise from the hope and assurance thereof Instead of these succeeded horror grief anguish perplexity an â— despair so that he conceived and found himself cast out of Gods presence and favour This seems to be signified by Gods casting him out of Paradise denying him accesse to the Tree of Life and that must needs torment his soul grievously and perpetually the passage into that Holy happy place was guarded by Angels with a fiery sword This was the Sentence of Excommunication executed upon him signifying that seeing man had sinned and polluted himself there was no possibility of Life by the Law of works And except Christ by his blood had quenched the fire of Gods wrath and made a new passage to Life we had perished for evermore and to draw near to God was to approach to a consuming fire to our eternall destruction We must needs think that Adam looked back towards the Tree of Liâ—e with weeping eyes and an heavy heart especially when he considered the distance and the impossibility of accesse How grievously did wicked cursed Cain complain of this that he was cast out of Gods sight How importunately doth David deprecate this punishment saying Lord cast me not out of thy presence and take not thine Holy spirit from me Besides this he became timerous and of a dejected spirit 〈◊〉 having lost that Majesty whereby he awed the inferiour creatures and his dominion over them was much impaired The penalties § IV which referred unto his body
to give grace sufficient and necessary and effectual to work repentance and faith in Christ. 4. Upon his fore-knowledge of the event of these means administred to choose single persons fore-seen finally to believe Yet if we will understand consider and speak accurately The 1. Is the Decree of Redemption The 2. Of the Covenant The 3. Of giving the means of Conversion But none of these are the Decree of Election Nor is the 4th as delivered by them Others imagine Election to be a Decree to save certain single persons without respect to sin Christ the Covenant-grace for keeping the Covenant And these for the most part make this Decree antecedent to the Decree of Redemption and the Covenant All these forsake the simplicity of the Scriptures which teach us that this Decree essentially includes single persons the means the end and pre-supposeth the Providence and Government of Man first innocent in Adam then fallen afterwards continuing in sin till God call him according to purpose And also the Decâ—ee of sending Christ of the Redemption by Christ and of the New Covenant 5. This Decree hath something of absolute and arbitrary power according to that Similitude Hath not the Potter power c. Rom. 9. 21. For as He could have called and converted all so He could have decreed to have saved all yet He hath done neither He hath passed by many And this Preteâ—ition which is rather Non-Decretum than Decretum is made by some to be Reprobation Yet Reprobation according to Scripture is a Positive Decree according to which God not onely in His absolute power passeth by certain single persons but also decrees to order them according to His Laws and Judgment unto Eternal Misery That there is such a Preterition is certain but that this Preterition is the whose Decree of Reprobation upon which follows necessarily and unavoidably Eternal Death who can evidently prove out of God's Word 7. As this Decree of Election doth con-note an absolute and arbitrary power of God's Will so no reason thereof can be given but from his good pleasure and we must say with the Scripture he will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy and whom He will He hardeneth Yet in God's Eternal Wisdom there may be many Reasons of both and the same weighty and preponderant perhaps though they are concealed and not made known to us For there is no act of Ordination of intellectual and immortal Creatures unto their final estate of felicity and misery that is an act of mere absolute Power as abstracted from all Mercy Wisdom sustice In the execution of the Decree there is given a plain reason of the Rejection of the Jew and that is Vnbelief Rom. 9. 31 32. Chap. 11. 20. Yet no reason or cause in the Gentiles why God called them but His absolute power free-will mere grace yet of their first Rejection the moral cause in themselves was their Idolatry and Apostacy Yet 1. Why did not God prevent the Apostasie of the Gentiles but reject the generality of them for two thousand years and chuse the Jew and the Posterity of Abraham by Jacob and continue them His people for so many hundred years And 2. Why He should reject the Jew and take away from the generality of them both the Word of the Gospel and the Spirit for these sixteen hundred years and upward and chuse the Gentiles And 3. Why in the end He should choose both in one main Body no Wit of man can give a reason Therefore the Apostle cryes out O the depth of the riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out Rom. 11. 33. Which place implyes 1. That there were weighty Reason why God did thus for they were Acts of His profoundest Wisdom 2. That these Reasons to Man and perhaps to Angels are unsearchable 7. These Decrees are no ways contrary unto but exactly agreeing with the Redemption by Christ the tenour of the New-Covenant the Execution and the final Judgment if we truly understand them as they are revealed in Scripture And He muâ—â— needs be a false Prophet who shall tech them otherwise and he that shall so teach them as to derogate the least from Free-grace in Christ is inexcusable There be two Propositions unworthy to be made Principles in this Doctrine § XI The first is Quod Primum in intentione id ultimum in executione That which is first in intention is last in execution The second is Ordinatè volens prius vult finem deinde media ad finem He that acts rationally and orderly first wills the end then the means to the end and yet these are made Principles in Divinity and must be the measure and rule according to which we must understand the Word of God speaking of these high and mysterious Decrees Yet 1. These do not agree unto God but applyed unto him derogate from His glorious Perfections 2. They are neither truly understood nor rightly applyed to the Decrees of God 3. The first taken out of the Blasphemous Commentator whom some think to be Averâ—oes or some other is falsly understood and otherwise interpreted than the Author first meant it as Occam tells us For thus some expound it That which is the chiefest thing in intention is that to which all things in the Execution are ultimately referred And what 's this to their purpose who use or rather abuse it 4. The second is by the School-men and such as follow them applyed to the Decree of Election in this manner That seeing God is the most orderly Agent He must needs first intend glory unto sinful man as the end Secondly grace as the means for glory Yet as that excellent School-man saith well That glory is not the end of God predestinating but of man predestinated and it was indifferent to him whether to will Glory the end or Grace the means first in order and as He gives Grace first and then Glory so no doubt He decreed to do so To say and affirm that first God absolutely chose such persons then decreed to give them glory thirdly that they might attain glory He intends and decrees to give them Christ and grace are groundless speculations and the imaginations of mens hearts who conceive of God as they do of themselves But here we may truly say How far are God's thoughts above the thoughts of silly sinful ignorant men That there are Decrees of Election and Reprobation Free-will natural and Grace is evident out of Scripture and most men even such as differ amongst themselves do grant but how to reconcile these hath been the business of the subtillest Wits and is not yet so clearly done as to satisfie others The manner of Conversion the manner how God fore-knows and decrees all things especially the contingent and free acts of Angels and Men cannot be evidentâ—y known by us neither is it needful Scientia media decreta ex hypothesi vocatio congrua are much
be cleansed and purified before he could enter and be admitted into God's Kingdome Yet all the Water in the World had no power nor all the washing with Water could have any such effect as to cleanse from the guilt or stain of sin This power was merited by the Blood of Christ to be exercised by the Spirit Regeneration therefore iâ— signified by washing One end of washing is cleansing and washing may be by dipping diving powring on water The principall thing is washing whatsoever way it be done Therefore Baptism is said to be a washing of water Ephe. 5. 26. The putting away of the fiâ—th of the flesh 1 Pet. 3. 21. The washing of Regeneration Tit. 3. 5. The washing of our bodyes with pure water Heb. 10. 22. It cannot be denyed but that the whole body descending into the water and plunged wholly and after that ascending out of the water again might resemble Christs Death and Resurrection more perfectly Yet neither was this the principal signification nor the immediate end of Baptism But how will it be proved that in Baptism the whole body with the head and all parts were plunged under the waters And suppose some were Baptized so it doth not follow that all ought to be so by vertue of any command All the washings lustrations purifications mysticall and sacred in the Law were contracted in this washing of Baptism The words added to washing with water do complete the Rite § X and make it very solemn The words are these I Baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost In which words we have 1. The name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost 2. The Baptizing into this name These words containe the Doctrin of One most Glorious God the Father the Son and Holy-Ghost with the great and stupendious works of creation redemption sanctification For that Great Almighty and ever Blessed God created the world by the Word made flesh dying and rising again redeemed mankind and by the Holy-Ghost sanctifies his people And by the Redemption of Christ and sanctification of the Spirit he is the Fountaine and cause of mans eternall happinesse and glorification This Doctrin must be preached heard received believed professed by the party to be baptized if at age by himself if not at age by some other representing him And he must further promise to renounce the Devill and all other Lords to subject himself unto this God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost to obey his Commandements By virtue of this profession and promise when nothing to the contrary is manifest the party is baptizable according to Christs commission But besides these words there must be baptizing in this Name which is understood severall wayes 1. With some in the Name is in and by the authority and power of the Father Son and Holy-Ghost With other it s in this name invocated and called upon And the truth is that Baptism ought to be administred by commission and command from God and with solemn invocation of and prayer unto God With others it is to be by baptizing devoted subjected to God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost as their onely Lord and King in whom the party baptized must believe whom he must worship and obey as his onely supreme Lord and Saviour expecting eternall life from him and him alone With this sense agrees that of such as understand it of baptizing in or unto the Faith which was professed and unto the worship and service of the true God which was promised These words do contain both the duty of man and the promise of God The duty of man is to believe and obey God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and the promise of God is to accept him as such and admit him as a subject of his Kingdome to receive the benefits of protection regeneration and eternall life After the Rite consummate § XI follows the effect and the end or according to some the act and that is the confirmation of Regeneration Where we may consider 1. What is confirmed 2. How it is confirmed 1. The thing confirmed is Regeneration By regeneration is meant our first insâ—tiâ— into Christ dying and rising again for us and our first receiving of the remission and the Spirit for sanctification that we may dye unto sin and live unto God and of adoption whereby we are made Sons of God and heires of glory For we are saved by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life Titus 3. 5 6 7. Where we have 1. Washing which is the baptismall rite 2. Regeneration the thing signified sealed or confirmed 3. This regeneration is by the renewing of the Holy-Ghost 4. We have justification by grace 5. Adoption whereby we are made heires of Glory It 's our first ingrafting into Christ for mortification of sin and newnesse of life Rom. 6. 4 5 6. Col. 2. 12. You must take notice that Regeneration Adoption and the state of Justification are onely begun upon our first faith and admission and not finished till the Resurrection And Johns Baptism was for remission upon Repentance and confession of sin Marke 1. 4. with Mat. 3. 6. The manner how this is confirmed is this 1. The party to be baptized by receiving Baptism doth solemnly testifie and as it were Seal and confirme that Faith which he had professed and that promise of submission and obedience he made 2. God by the party baptizing him doth solemnly testifie his admission of the party Baptized into his Kingdome as a Subject thereof to enjoy the priviledges thereof So that the administring on the one side and receiving of Baptism on the other is a deep and mutual engagement and makes the obligation strong on mans side to do his duty on Gods side to perform his promise This is an immediate confirmation of the covenant and promises as a covenant and promises and doth engage to mutual performance for time to come For if there be a performance on both sides there must needs be an actual possession which needs no confirmation If it be said that the performance on mans side is onely begun and so is the performance on Gods side but in part for it is onely full when we fully enjoy eternal glory It 's true that it is so and therefore it 's a confirmation of mans promise of faith and obedience to the end and of Gods promise that when mans performance is perfect His performance shall follow and in due time be full and perfect For the more full and clear understanding of the point we must observe 1. That the Covenant between God and man differs from other ordinary covenants In other covenants the partyes covenanting are equally free from any antecedent obligation in respect of the thing covenanted and the obligation of both partyes
Resurrection and last Judgment when God shall be all in all and Reign perfectly without any enemy without any opposition This we pray for here as that special and spiritual Kingdom which is distinguished from the civil government of temporall States opposed to the Kingdom of darknesse of Sin Sathan Death It 's called in Scriptures the Kingdome of God the Kingdome of Heaven the Kingdom of Light the Kingdom of Christ the Kingdom of Grace the Vniversal and Eternall Kingdom The King is God § VIII not merely as Creatour and Preserver of the World but as Redeemer who since Christs Exaltation Reigns by him in Heaven and Earth as by his Administratour-generall Heaven is the place of his speciall residence his glorious pallace and his Royal throne His Territory is the World His speciall subjects men Redeemed by the blood of Christ His Lawes the Rules of the Gospel to direct mans obedience with promises and threats which are the standard of his judgments The eternall holy Spirit is his power His Judgments are spirituall and eternall rewards and punishments with temporall and bodily thereunto subordinate And because men are found in the Kingdom of darknesse and under the power of Sathan they are reduced by the word and spirit unto subjection Which is a work of great and most free mercy The word and Laws must be made known outwardly by man and then written in the heart by the Spirit In this government he doth exercise his severe justice his greatest power his choisest wisdome and his sweetest mercy in the highest degree This Kingdom comes unto a people when God graciously vouchsafeth to give them the word Sacraments Ministers and all the meanes of conversion with a promise in the word of his Spirit to make this used effectual He continues it with them whilst he continues these meanes and doth not take away his spirit and deliver them up to a reprobate mind so that the things that concern their everlasting peace are not eternally hid from their eyes It comes close and effectually when God by these meanes made efficacious by his spirit destroyes the dominion of sin and dispossesseth Sathan It 's then consummate when sin is wholly destroyed and the person made fully subject and perfectly obedient to his eternall Sovereign It 's consummate to the Universall Church upon the execution of the final judgment It 's principally with in us and established in our hearts by God when he there to Reigns as first to take away the Dominion then in the end the very existence as I may so call it of sin For it proceeds by degrees and sin doth first cease to Reign then to Be in us This government therefore is an act of God Redeemer in Christ giving all things doing all things necessary sufficient effectuall for our Conversion confirmation perseverance and consummation as he hath promised and by promise bound himself to us So that in this Petition we pray for and humbly seek of God his Word his Sacraments the Ministery of the Gospel Christian Sabbaths Discipline pious Magistrates the gifts and graces of the spirit the continuance and good successe of these the ordering of all things for the good of the Church the conversion of the Jews the reducement of all Nations to subjection unto Christ justification the continuance and perfection of sanctication the first fruits of the spirit of joy and comfort the destruction of the Kingdom of Sathan and Antichrist and all enemies of his truth and our salvation for the comming of Christ the Resurrection of the last judgment the execution of it in the eternall glorification of his Saints and perdition of their enemies That God by Christ hath thus far reigned in the World in this Nation in our hearts is a matter of thanksgiving and a benefit never to be forgotten The next Petition for spirituall blessings § IX is Thy will be done on Earth as it 's done in Heaven Wherein we have 1. Our Heavenly Father's Will 2. The doing of it 3. The manner and degrees of doing it By Will is not meant the essence of God nor his Decrees but the Lawes of his spirituall kingdom wherein he requires Subjection and Obedience Repentance Faith good works and these to be performed to him as Lord Redeemer by Christ Jesus To do this will is to be really and sincerely subject and obedient in avoyding all sins prohibited and doing all good Commanded by the Laws of his Kingdome having a speciall eye to the rewards promised and the punishments threatned The manner how this duty is to be performed is set down by prescribing a Pattern in Heaven It 's true that the Starrs of Heaven do continually and constantly in their motion observe their order fixed unto them in Creation Yet this is far short though something it be and they continually accuse us of disobedience and exorbitancy seeing they have followed strictly and precisely the rule of Creation from the first time of their Being but we are exorbitant and continually wander The will of God is done in an higher degree and more excellently by the Angels those blessed and immortall spirits who never sinned and are so confirmed that they shall never sin For they do his commandements Hearkening to the voyce of his Word Psal. 103. 20. They subject themselves wholly unto him Whose throne is in Heaven and his Kingdome ruleth over all vers 19. They acknowledge Jesus Christ at Gods right hand to be their Lord. They performe an universall obedience to all his Laws and that 1. Most freely 2. Perpetually 3. In a degree of Perfection It must be our design desire endeavour to follow their example till we reach and attain their perfection And because we have no power to do this will in this manner we therefore in these words pray for Gods sanctifying assisting and confirming power accompanying his Word and that we may wholly subject our selves unto his power and be effectually and continaully inclined and enabled to do his Will in all things at all times with all our hearts The reason why this petition followes the former and is immediately subjoyned is manifest For except we subject our selves unto the power of this King and thus observe the Lawes of this Heavenly Kingdome we cannot be capable of have any right unto or enjoy the honour joy peace and happinesse of the same It hath very near connexion with the former petition and therefore we may desire of God some mercies which in both are the same but in different respects In the former we desire them so as they are such as without which he cannot Reign and give us everlasting peace We desire here the same things as necessary and without which we cannot performe our duty in observing his Laws which is the condition of the rewards promised By them we acknowledge our fall depravation inability the want of Gods divine Spirit to re-instamp his Image upon us and we earnestly desire his sanctifying grace to be given and continued unto
difference and the abrogation of the Law of Works which to a guilty person denyes all possibility of salvation To come nearer to the intended Scope § III These punishments may be distinguished 1. In to those of losse and paine Because some deprive us of that good we have or may have Some vex us with some evil which either lyes upon us or threatens us Some do both But this is a generall distinction and agrees to punishments in generall 2. They may be distinguished in respect of the principall cause or instrumentall For some are from God immediately Some are inflicted from him by some of his Creatures as by fire destroying Sodome by the water drowning Pharoah by the earth swallowing up Dathan and Abiram by the Pestilentiall vapours of the aire infecting many thousands by Wild Beasts Locusts Cater-pillars Frogs and other animate or inanimate Creatures by Angels good or bad and God punisheth man by man and that many wayes For all the just judgments and penaltyes inflicted by humane jurisdiction are punishments of God who judgeth amongst the Gods and rulers of the earth Many times the unjust judgments of man are the just judgments of God For man may be adjudged unjustly to death in a cause wherein he is innocent and yet justly suffer that death from God for some other Crime whereof he is guilty 3. They may be distinguished in respect of the subject whether single persons or societyes lesse or greater A single person may be the subject of these punishments in respect of his goods his body his person his Soul A society may be considered as one body in respect of it self for the present or joyntly with posterity for time to come There are penaltyes proper to Familyes to Cityes to Viâ—inityes to States and whole nations wherein they are involved at one time There may be penaltyes transmitted from Parents to their Familyes as from Gehezi to his posterity and so likewise from Joab and from Judas and so from States and other Societyes But I spake before particularly though briefly of the punishments both of Civil and Ecclesiasticall Polityes 4. The punishments may be distinguished into ordinary and usual incident to the generality of Mankind or extraordinary For the punishment of Cain the old World Babel's builders Sodome Lots Wife and such like were extraordinary and rare and so will be the burning of the World in the end But 5. The principall distinction of punishments is that of Temporal and Spirituall and by temporall I mean all such as are different from spirituall The one deprives men of the comfort and happinesse which we may enjoy in this life and the other touch a man more nearly and tend more directly to his eternall misery hereafter The temporall punishments of single persons are easily known by the History of the Scriptures and others Writers and especially by Gods threatnings against the Jews for their disobedience Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. which though they had some speciall reference to the Law and the Jewes yet are incident to all even those that live under the Gospel The greatest punishments § IV and most to be feared which men do suffer in this life are spirituall When it 's said The Wages of sin is Death Rom. 6. 23 By death is meant not onely that death which is seperation of Soul and body for the time and all the fore-running miseryes of this life but all kind of punishments and especially spirituall because death in that place is opposed to eternall life which is an aggregation of all spirituall mercyes If we should follow the order of time then all the spirituall penaltyes inflicted by God and suffered by man since the first promise of Christ for the sins following are reducible to this head as the rejection of Cains offering his excommunication the Rejection of the greatest part of the World before the flood as being the Sons of men and seperated from the Sons of God After the flood seeing all first in Noah's person then in his family had the Word and other means of conversion yet the greatest part of them for Apostasie were punished with the losse of these meanes and were left without the Oracles of God the promise of Christ and the power of the restoring Spirit and this punishment lay many yeares upon their posterity continuing Apostates After God had singled out the Posterity of Abraham by Jacob and renewed the promise unto them and continued the meanes of conversion in that nation the rest of mankind being rejected were called Heathens Yet to these he left the light of nature and some remnants of the truth continued from their first Apostate-Parents and Ancestours by tradition and some if not very many had not onely a possibility but opportunityes to be Proselytes and so incorporated into the Church of the Jews Yet these did generally not onely neglect these opportunities but held the truth in unrighteousnesse lived contrary to the light of nature left unto them and worshipped the creature above the Creatour God blessed for ever And for this sin God gave them up to vile affections delivered them up unto a reprobate mind whereby they became full of all unrighteousnesse and this was that fearfull judgment and penalty whereby all hope of Salvation was taken from them Their sad condition is described unto us not onely at large Rom. 1. from verse 18. to the end but briefly yet fully Ephes. 2. 1 2 3. 11 12. The taking away the Word and the Spirit of grace and sending upon them the spirit of slamber was also the punishment of the Jew after they refused their Saviour and rejected the Gospel But to proceed to the particular degrees of these punishments § III according to the different nature and degrees of sin against the Law of grace and the Lord Redeemer we must distinguish of persons never sincerely converted and â—o regenerate and of such as have been truly regenerate and are entred the state of justification Amongst those who were never truly regenerate some reject some receive the meanes of conversion and their punishments are inflicted in this life or after death For here I speak not of Heathens which never enjoyed the meanes neither can say that they were tendred unto them For such as to whom God sends his Messengers and by them offers the meanes their sin if they reject them is Rebellion and they refuse to submit themselves to their Lord and Saviour These say We will not have this man reign over us Luk. 19. 14. Their punishment is this for the present that they shall be accounted enemyes be devoted and deâ—â—ined to final and utter destruction verse 27. Such must be sure and they must certainly know this that the Kingdome of God came nigh unto them and their Condition shall be very sad and wofull For Christ himself saith that it shall be more tolerable in the last day for Sodom then for them Luke 10 11 12. Others receive these meanes and proceed to profession
and severall degrees thereof but do not proceed to perfection and sincerity Some will hear the word but not receive it into their minds to understand the very principles and fundamental Laws of this Kingdom Their punishment is that as they will go no further with God so God will go no further with them but denyes unto them the Spirit of illumination leaves them blind as he found them and suffers Satan to take the Word from them Luke 8. 12. Some receive it so far as to understand it but are not willing to do it Their punishment is this that God will not make it further effectuall to promote their spirituall happinesse and they are left as the former to Satan to take it out of their hearts lest they should be ieve and be saved And though these may receive the Spirit of illumination yet they receive not the Spirit of Conversion Some receive if onely into their understandings but not into their hearts so as to delight in it and to do something commanded and obey it in some degree but either for fear of adversity or love of the World and the Cares of this life they bring no fruit unto perfection but either deny the truth or receive it not into an honest heart Their punishment is this That the Spirit of conversion sanctification and Adoption is denyed unto them whilst they are such but they remaine under the Power of Satan the dominion of sin and in the state of Damnation Some continue for a longer or a shorter time in this imperfect condition and in the confines of these Kingdomes of life and death and though God be patient and calls for an honest and good heart yet they deny it and at length the time of grace allotted by their Saviour is expired and then the things which belonged to their peace are hid for ever from them and the gates of mercy and eternall life are shut against them Luke 19. 42. The last sin is Apostacy of such as have received the knowledge of the truth have been convinced of the same escaped the corruption that is in the World through lust have tasted some joy and comfort in their Saviour yet turn back to their Vomit and Wallowing in their former sins or deny the Lord who bought them or do not only deny him but blaspheme him and persecute him in his Members The punishment of these is that God suffers the unclean Spirit with seven other spirits worse then himself to enter and keep possession and so the end of that man is Worse then the first Math. 12. 45. And it had been better for them never to have known the way of righteousnesse then after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandement delivered to them 2 Pet. 2. 21. There remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Heb. 10. 27. They cannot be renewed to Repentance Heb. 6. 6. So that they make Repentance and Salvation plainly impossible to themselves Such is the Punishment of them who blaspheme the Holy Ghost Though many of these may live a while in worldly Peace yet their case is miserable and so miserable as no Tongue of man can expresse and God delivers them up unto security till they suddainly sink into Hell or before their end awakes them and they become desperate and the â—lames of Hell begin to kindle and rage in their hearts and so intolerably that some with Judas murther themselves The Sins § VI deserving these Punishments formally considered are Impenitency and Vnbelief Impenitency is a continuance in Ignorance or Errour or other sins against the meanes and motives of Conversion and it 's the same with Blindnesse and Hardnesse of Heart which admit of many degrees according to the meanes greater or lesser or continued a shorter or a longer time or according to the Malignancy of the Heart which may be more or lesse Unbelief is a reâ—usal to receive Christ upon those terms God doth offer him After a time of Mercy wherein God calls us to Repentance mispent Impenitency and Unbelief which before were Sins may become Punishments The Punishment of these Sins is deniall of the Spirit either sufficiently to prepare them or convert them and so justifie them From some of these he takes the Word To some of these he continues the Word and denies the Spirit To some he grants the Spirit for some degrees of Preparation but not of full Conversion From some he takes away the Spirit wholly and delivers them up to Satan And this deniall of the Spirit is the heaviest Judgement that God inflicts or man can suffer in this life when men shall hear and not understand see and not perceive to have their Hearts made fat their Eares heavy their Eyes shut lest they see with their Eyes and hear with their Eares and understand with their Hearts and convert and be healed Esa. 6. 9 10. and Act. 28. 26 27. As the State of impenitent Sinners § VII upon their death doth alter so their Punishments different from the former do begin and they suffer in another kind and their condition being miserable becomes unalterable The day of Grace with them if not before as it is with many yet surely then is past No place for Repentance will be found No Prayers Tears Intercession of Saints and Angels or any other meanes can do them any good Their Conversion and Salvation become irrecoverable and impossible Death which in it self is a Curse yet by the Wisdom and Mercy of God in Christ to the faithfull is a door to Eternity of Blisse and an end of all their Misery is the beginning of their greater Woe and though it doth not wholly take away their Being yet it deprives them of all hope of a better Being Their Bodies are laid in the Grave or left upon the Surface of the Earth for a prey to Fowles Dogs wild Beasts or hurled into the Deep or howsoever dissolved and turned into dust are reserved for greater Torment Their Souls departed from their Bodies are forsaken of God not received by Christ not guarded by Angels nor carried into Abraham's bosome and are left as a prey unto the Devils and into whatsoever dismal Lodging they are brought or in whatsoever woeful Region they wander as in this life they had no faith in God no Union with Christ no heavenly Consolation of the Spirit so now they are destitute of all peace and joy And it 's not the least Torment to remember that once there was a day of Mercy and Grace an Opportunity of obtaining pardon or at least a power to have lessened Sin to lessen the Punishment yet now that day is past and that Opportunity neglected is for ever lost They are in the same condition with the Devils and reserved as it were in chains unto the Judgment of the great Day This certainly known and continually remembred continually torments In consideration of which
am â—ought of them that asked not for me and am found of them that sought me not Esay 65. 1. For no man by the light of nature especially so much darkned in man doth ask for God or seek him first God must first seek us before we can seek him As God loved us first and gave Christ for us when we thought of no such thing so he calls us first before we can do so much as call upon him for spirituall mercyes And it was a great mistake in Pelagius to think that if man did any good though but by the power of nature God was bound to reward him and that necessarily For this was his great errour as some tell us So it 's no lesse an errour to assert that there can be in any man meritum ex congruo to deserve the first spirituall rewards The one takes away grace and the freenesse of Gods spiritual mercyes the other preventing-grace Such men as these little know themselves and their condition by nature These meanes of conversion are the Word and the Spirit The word must inform the spirit must reform us For we are both blind impotent We have no spirituall knowledge of Jesus Christ by nature no active power to do so much as effectually desire him The word alone is not sufficient without the spirit the spirit without the word will not ordinarily do any thing The word concerning mans â—in Gods love Christs redemption mans duty as it is an outward revelation written or spoken cannot penetrate the heart of man Something it may teach and something it may move and work upon a man that attends unto it and by naturall reason considers it But this is nothing to purpose Whether God concurs with any measure of his preparing Spirit with the first publishing or making known his word by man to naturall man is hard to determine He may do so if he please and there can be no doubt thereof Yet if he do I think its a speciall if not an extraordinary gratuity But this is certain that man is bound to this duty of hearing and attention to the word first spoken unto him And besides if any man will neglect this duty at the first or to do any thing in this kind which by nature he can do God may justly both deny the Spirit and also take away his word for ever from such a person To alledge in this point that of our Saviour To him that hath it shall be given that is to him that useth that power which he hath God will give him more and reward him is to little purpose For our Blessed Saviour is not to be understood of that power which man hath by nature but of some stock or talent of grace which He his Lord and Master had given him And suppose it were true that to him that doth Quod in se est what he can do more shall be given him Yet 1. No man doth what he can do by nature 2. Nor can do any thing in spirituals without grace 3. Though he should ever answer man in this kind Where do we find that he hath bound himself by promise so to do Men may talk at randome this and that yet the Crosse of Christ was such a doctrin as neither Jew nor Gentile could by nature digest It was to the one a Stumbling block and to the other foolishnesse though some of them might be of exquisite and highly improved naturall parts This doctrin is Gods Wisdome in a mystery and so hidden that it poseth the great wits and profoundest learning of the World and if Paul himself had not preached it in demonstration of the Spirit and power it had taken little effect It 's far above nature God must give man so much of his Spirit as he may see the want of the Spirit before he can pray for the Spirit so as to obtaine it for conversion and consolation The first duty that man being instructed by the word can perform § IV is Hearing the Word Yet there be many kinds of hearing and many degrees thereof neither is any kind of hearing such as upon which faith doth follow For when the Apostle saith That faith is by hearing he intends some special hearing which requires a due preparation of the heart â—ntecedent For when a regenerate person heares the Word with an unprepared heart he shall find little effect neither can man hope for a benefit by the Word when he doth not hear it in due manner A man may heare the Word with attention and he may hear the Word without attention He may heare and forget heare and remember it He may heare and consider with application of it to himself He may heare and neither seriously consider it nor rightly apply it He may heare for knowledge or some other end onely He may hear for practise and reall practise He may hear it as the Word of God or not as the Word of God but of man He may heare it so as to obey the commands and to do the dutyes commanded to avoid the sins prohibited to trust in the mercyes promised to fear the punishments threatned He may hear it as casting away all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse and with a meek heart and he may hear it another way Though notwithstanding the Word may be heard many and severall wayes yet these things are certain 1. That a man is to hear the Word of God according to the best power naturall God hath given him and to proceed so far as a naturall Morall Heathen may do 2. Whether there be any promise of further grace to be given upon this performance or no yet if he neglect to do what he can in this particular its just with God to deny any further grace then that which hath been granted the teaching of the Word 3. That the Word of God ought to be heard as the Word of God 4. That it 's never heard as the Word of God so as to assent to the truth and consent to the practise of it effectually without the power of the Spirit going along with it and carrying it close to the heart 5. One effect if not the first which by the Word God works upon the heart of him that useth the meanes of conversion aright is to make the heart sensible For by nature it 's senslesse stupid stony And this is one promise of God to put a new Spirit within us and to take away the stony heart out of our flesh and give us an heart of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. This is not to give us a new soul but a new quality another disposition of the Soul different from that which we have by nature And even in this work as he maketh use of our senses so he doth of our naturall reason and wit He by illumination and inspiration takes away the blindnesse of the understanding which naturally cannot judge of spirituall things as spirituall represented by the Word and the stupidity of the Will
Spiritual as opposed to Temporal For otherwise Bodily punishments which we call Temporal may by continuance be Eternal To pass by therefore these Temporal Penalties one Spiritual Punishment and the greatest is the want and loss of the Holy Spirit to be a continual and constant Principle and cause of Sanctification This Spirit was given Man in the day of his Creation and was taken away from Adam and in him from all his Posterity by the judgment of God and a Sentence yet in power and force and to continue to the end of the World The Law indeed of Works is abâ—ogated but it was in force at that very time when the Sentence was passed and upon the Promise of Christ the Law was abrogated as a Law of Works but the Sentence remained in force still Concerning the sanctifying Spirit we may observe and consider 1 That the loss and so the want of it is a punishment 2 This punishment lying upon every Man before this Spirit be restored presupposeth a guilt 3 This punishment and guilt is never taken away till this Spirit be restored 4 This Spirit may be testored for preparation of a sinner for justification or in and after to continue as a constant cause of Sanctification Or as others express it for perpetual Habitation to prevent the Dominion of Sin and Damnation for time to come It doth not prevent all sin and so the contracting of new guilt nor is given in that measure to us and this is the reason why your estate of Justification is not perfect at the first 5 God never justifies any man with that justification whereof Paul speaks in the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians and elsewhere but in justifying them He gave them instantly this Spirit as the Spirit of Christ to be in them a constant cause of Regeneration and Sanctification and therefore that Justification is not without some Execution 6 Consider this restoring of the Spirit as the removal of a Punishment and the loss and want of the Spirit as a Punishment it must needs be essentially included in Justification and Remission of Sin For that which 1 Takes away the Punishment of sin And 2 The Guilt and Obligation unto Punishment is properly remission of sin If the Punishment as a Punishment should remain so far as it doth remain it doth invincibly prove that the guilt is not taken away so far and in that respect If any distinguish of the Sentence and Execution and make the one the cause the other the effect I will not quarrel about words Onely I will demand Whether it 's not better to say in this particular judgment of God that the Sentence and Execution are really the same and differ onely in respect or at most in degree 7 The active sanctification of this Spirit taken in it self either habitually or actually and as inherent in us can in no wise be Justification or any Branch of Justification as Justification is a remission of sins For God gave this Spirit to Angels He gave it to Adam in the day of Creation and this Spirit did sanctifie and now doth sanctifie the blessed Angels yet this Sanctification is not reâ—mission But consider remission of sin as a removal of punishment as punishment whether of sense or loss deserved by sin and the loss of the Spirit and the blindness perversness and slavery under the power of Sathan following necessarily upon the taking away and denying the Spirit by a just Judgment as a Penalty then this restoring of the Spirit must needs put on another Notion as it hath another Nature This restoring of the Spirit is so necessary that a bare Sentence without it can give a man no comfort nay Heaven without it is no Heaven or place of Bliss and abode But lest I may be thought to agree with the Doctrine of the Councel of Trent or at least come too near it Let us consider what they say Their Doctrine Sess. 6. Cap. 7. is this That Justification is not onely remission of sins but also the sanctification and renovation of the Inner-Man by the susception of Grace and Gifts whereby or whereupon a man of unjust is made just and of an Enemy a Friend that he may be an Heir according to the hope of Eternal Life And afterwards The onely formal cause of Justification is the Righteousness of God not whereby he is just but whereby He makes us just They mean inherently just Thus far they Now let 's examine Whether there be any Agreement between the former Doctrine and this And 1 I grant with all our Divines that Justification and Sanctification go always inseparably together and this they of Rome know well enough to have been always the constant Doctrine of the Reformed Churches 2 They say that Justification is not onely remission of sins but Sanctification I say it 's onely remission 3 They assert that this Sanctification and Renovation is by voluntary Susception and so understand this Sanctification passively as formally inherent I make neither Sanctification active nor much less passive as considered in themselves to be justification nor any part of justification 4 They make the formal cause of Justification to be this Sanctification I utterly disclaim this I had said before that Sanctification in it self is no remission and is in Angels without any such thing and do affirm that this Sanctification as they understand it is no part of that justification which the Gospel speaks of and that the restoring of the sanctifying Spirit for Renovation as an act of God as Judge for to remove a punishment as a punishment and the obligation thereunto is properly remission And here I cannot but much wonder what these Tridentine Divines did understand by Remission For if the formal cause of Justification be Sanctification and inherent Righteousness as they make it so to be I find no place nor need of any place for remission Yet first they make it a part of Justification distinct from Sanctification It 's neither final nor efficient nor meritorious nor material neither by their own words can it enter the formal That this Sanctification considered in it self especially Passive and inherent cannot be Justification is evident For 1 Sanctification thus understood is not properly any act of God as a Judge much less a Sentence passed upon a guilty Wretch 2 That justification of Believers in this life whereof the Scripture speaks doth leave the party chargeable with no sin is perfect and bears out the severity of God's Justice before His Throne This our inherent Righteousness in this life can never do both because we are guilty before and also it 's imperfect 3 A man may be sanctifyed and that perfectly so as to prevent all sin for time to come and yet the party may remain guilty and liable to Eternal Death for the guilt of former sins committed before this Sanctification and not remitted by it Some make remission two-fold Remissio Culpae Remissio Poenae 1. Of Sin 2. Of
doth not hence follow that we shall be justified by our works In the matter of Judgment and the Cause to be tried there are two things the Merit and the Evidence And who dare say that good works are the merit of the cause which are only the Evidence Gregory the Great distinguisheth in this case saith we shall be judged and so rewarded Secundum sed non propter Opera Where Promises of Life Blessing Reward and of Glory and of Remission of Sin are made to such as do works of Mercy or suffer for Christ's sake or love God or serve and fear him we must observe that where any one of these is named all the rest are meant and that the Person qualified with one is qualified with all and the reason is because there is such a connexion between them that where one is predominant and in sincerity all the rest are inseparably joyned Yet none of these can be where faith in Christ is not neither can a living faith continue without all these or any of these and where such a faith is not none of these can be in such a Subject or if they could be without it yet without it they could not be acceptable nor rewardable Neither could this qualifie the Person aright nor faith qualify aright if it were not fixed on Christ. The Apostle James indeed saith that Abraham was justified by works and that by works a man is justified and not by faith onely Chap. 2. 23. Yet we must consider 1. That he speaks of the same justification of Abraham wherein Paul instanceth who affirmeth that Abraham was justified by faith and not by works and proves it out of Psal. 32. 12. 2. That James speaks against such as professe â—aith without practise and his principall Scope is to shew that a vain faith a dead faith a faith without works the faith of Devills which may be in Devills cannot justify nor can any man be justified by such a faith and implies that when Paul or any Apostle speaks of justifying faith they do not mean such a faith and that no Solifidian can be justified at all before God He speaks of such works as follow faith and Justification by saith which did evidently prove the sincerity of their faith and the certainty of their Justification One cause of this mistake both in them of Rome and others is 1. Because they do not consider that the Righteousnesse required before the Judgment Seat of God especially at last triall must be perfect and such as the party to be justified cannot by law that Law which should be the Rule of Judgment be chargeable with any the least Sin 2. They do not consider that the party to be justified is in himself a guilty Sinner and as such can in no wise be justifiable before the most just and sin-detesting Judge 3. That the Justification so much spoken of in Scripture especially in the Apostles writings is Remission and onely Remission of Sin in which respect no man guilty can be justified by Works For all the good works a man can do in a thousand years cannot expiate one Sin antecedent intervenient or consequent nor free him from the guilt of eternall death Austin saith truly that our righteousnesse is true because referred to the right end yet in this life it consists potius remissione Peccatorum quà m perfectione Virtutum rather in Remission of Sin then perfection of Virtue For as he manifestly shews our righteousnesse of good works is imperfect many wayes imperfect therefore he exhorts us to give thanks to God for our good works whereby he implies that they are God's gifts and more God's then ours And certainly they are so and God never gave them to us that we should stand upon Terms with God and plead that the Righteousnesse of them was such as that for them he in Justice was bound to justify them No penitent Sinner dare plead so No wise man will plead so and the best of men in that last day of Triall will wave the Plea of Works and will onely plead God'â— Mercy and Christ's Merit and his own faith in the one and the other onely What shall we plead Merit or righteouâ—ness of works or any title to reward by them because God hath freed us from the Dominion of Sin and the Power of Satan and by his Spirit enabled us to do a few good Works and the same through our own default imperfect whereas he might have bound us to a thousand years oâ— Penance and as many of service in good Works without promising any Reward the least Men may dispute acutely and subtilly for justification by Works now and here but then and there summond to be tried before the great glorious and most just King they will recant be ashamed of their arguments and abhor themselvs as in themselvs most sinfull and guilty wretches God did never ordain good works which are the fruits of a sincere faith in Christ to acquire a right unto Remission of Sin and eternall life but to be a means whereby we may obtain the Possession of these Rewards he hath promised And whosoever will take the words of St. James in proper Sense neglecting the true Scope of the Apostle can hardly avoid it but must contradict the Doctrine of St. Paul agree with the Papists in their Doctrine of justification by Works for the main use the same arguments to maintain it and give the same Answers to Objections against it which they do though in some Terms and Circumstances they may differ CHAP. XXIII Of the several Branches Parts and Degrees of Justification and the continuance of them unto us until the Final Judgment HItherto of Justification by Faith in Christ § I in general After which follow the several Branches or Parts and degrees thereof if we may so call them and the continuance of them to us till the final and universal Judgment of our great and glorious Lord and King-Redeemer These are Regeneration Reconciliation Adoption Ministery of Angels and the rest And they may be considered 1 As they free us from the guilt and punishment of sin Whether the punishment be privative or positive 2 As they make the estate of the justified person of miserable to be happy and blessed The first is Regeneration which in the Execution of this great and special Judgment frees us from that great Penalty of Original Unrighteousness the Dominion of sin and slavery under Sathan of this you have heard before and shall hear more distinctly and particularly of it in the continuance hereafter For the first thing in order though not in time seeing all go together is the restoring of the regenerating and sanctifying Spirit to abide in us after it hath prepared us and it is so necessary a part of Justification that if we distinguish between the Sentence removing the guilt and the Execution removing the punishment the Sentence without the Execution could be little advantage unto us nor could it minister any
we are Heirs according to express Scripture Rom. 8. 17. It differs from Reconciliation because God may love us as his Servants and yet not as Sons and Heirs Therefore it 's a further degree of God's love and special favour For we may be His Subjects and yet not of His Houshold and Family We may be of His Family as Servants and Friends yet not as Sons and Heirs in the highest Rank and Degree of Dignity in His Family And we must here take special notice 1 That God by one act doth justifie regenerate reconcile and adopt For though we may distinguish them and conceive of them under several notions yet we must not separate them For though God might have separated some of them yet He doth not 2 That Justification Regeneration Reconciliation are not distinct and different Titles but one and the same Title unto Everlasting Life which God doth give us by these in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we are justifyed by His Grace that we should be Heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life Tit. 3. 7. Where Justification gives right unto Eternal Life And Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who of his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead unto an Inheritance c. 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Where Regeneration is said to give right unto glory And again If Children that is adopted then Heirs joint-Heirs with Christ. Where Adoption is said to be the Title unto this Heavenly Inheritance Rom. 8. 17. The like may be said of Reconciliation For having Peace with God by Jesus Christ our Lord by whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand we rejoyce in the Hope of Glory Rom. 5. 2. How Faith and these may be the Title shall be known hereafter The second thing to be considered § IV and observed is the nature of Adoption This actively considered in general is a gracious act of God in Christ But in particular it 's such an act as whereby we are made of no Sons Sons and Heirs of God with Christ of glory Where we must acknowledge that by Nature we are not Sons For according to the Laws of men such as are adopted are different from Natural Sons which are Sons necessarily but these are made Sons freely by an act of free grace For Adoption is a free Election and always makes a person who is not a Child to be a Child By Nature indeed we are the Sons and heires of Wrath or rather Slaves to sin and Satan By sin we lost our â—iliation and our right to the inheritance of eternal life and this was a very sad condition and an heavy judgment of God This is our condition before Adoption But presently upon our Adoption we who were no Sons are Sons of God and heires of an eternall Kingdom and being washed in Christs blood are as Sons advanced to the dignity of Kings and Priests unto ouâ— God for ever Yet we are not heires severally and apart from but joyntly with Christ and of the same estate in our measure but in his right For as one with him and members of his body as he is a Son and heir so we must needs be Sons and heirs with Him In the third place § V The parties who are adopted are Believers in Christ for as by faith in him we are justified regenerated reconciâ—ed so by the same faith we are adopted For as many as received Christ he give them the priviledge or dignity to be the Sons of God even to them that Believe on his name Joh. 1. 12. You have heard often before that faith is the Title to justification by vertue of Christs merit and Gods promise But the immediate title to eternall glory is justification in regeneration reconciliation and Adoption For thoâ—gh by faith we have a remote and mediate right to glory yet the immediate subjects of this right to glory are the justified regenerate reconciled and adopted Saints and Sons of God For though God give this inheritance of glory unto Believers yet he gives it to Believers as justified regenerated and adopted This faith is fixed on Christ as meriting and interceding for this adoption For such as believe in his name are made the Sons of God Joh. 1. 12. And as God predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his Will Ephes 1. 5. So he also by him according to this Pedestination by him before time adopts us by him in time The fourth thing to be considered § VI is the estate and condition of these adopted Sons of God which is imperfect in this life and onely begun For it was a great and transcendent love of God that we should now in this life be called the Sons of God and have not onely the name but the thing it self And though now in this life we be the Sons of God it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when Christ shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Ioh. 3. 1 2. And now we have the first fruits of the Spirit and we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our bodyes Rom. 8. 23. Where by the Redemption of our bodyes is understood the Resurrection when our Adoption shall be perfect And this is our great comfort for the present that we not onely are but certainly know that we are the Sons of God For the Spirit it self beareth witnesse with or rather to our Spirits that we are the Children of God Rom. 8. 16. And we are assured and have good security that in due time when we shall be at full age and past our minority we shall have â—ull enjoyment of the inheritance For we have the first fruits now ibid. 23. and are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the Redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory Ephes. 1. 13 14. Where the Redemption may be the Resurrection and it 's the Redemption of Acquisition because upon the same we shall have full possession Great is the happinesse joy and comfort of the Adopted Sons of God For 1. By Adoption we are not onely freed from the slavery of sin but the bondage and servitude of the Law now in the times of the Gospel We have not received the Spirit of Bondage to fear again as it was under the Law Rom. 8. 15. We are not now under Tutours and Governours nor in Bondage unâ—er the Elements of the World that is the Ceremonial Law Galat. 4. 3 4. 2. We have the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 6. We cry and pray and we pray unto God as a Father and that with greatest confidence For what may not Children expect from a Father such a Father
before whose Throne of Grace we may approach without fear We are free Children of a free Mother We are not Servants born of Hagar the Bond-woman but free women of Jerusalem which is above and Mother of us all Gal. 4. 26. And as Jerusalem is our Mother so God is our Father who hath given us the Spirit of Adoption 3 We being adopted enjoy the Ministery of Angels those Blessed and Immortal Spirits who have a charge to keep us in all our ways guard us and pitch their Tents about us If we be in any place in any danger at any time they must be ready at hand If Jacob fear his Brother Esau two Armies of them shall meet him and secure him from danger When man by sin forsakes his God he 's out of God's special Protection and the Angels have no Commission to take care of him But if he return unto his God again they rejoyce upon his Conversion and upon God's Command do pitch their Tents about him And since Jesus Christ the Son of God was made Lord of Angels as soon as any do believe in him and are made the Sons of God he gives them special charge concerning his little Ones For they are all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them that shall be Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1. 14. 4 So soon as we are Sons we fall under God's special Providence and so He takes a far greater care of us than of others If we offend He in dearest love will chastise us not to destroy us but correct us because He will not suffer sinne to lye upon us He will try us not vex us but to exercise our Virtues and purifie our Faith that so we may come out of the Furnace of afflictions more pure then finest Gold If we fall He will raise us up again If we grow cold He will quicken us If we fall into danger He will deliver us if into want He will provide for us necessaries For our Heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of all these things 5 He in His excellent Wisdom out of greatest mercy so orders all events all conditions either of Prosperity or Adversity all his Works of Providence so that Heaven and Earth Men and Angels yea all Creatures and all things shall conspire and work together for our good and all shall unite Forces and full power which united as in one single cause shall further our Salvation 6 God loves them as his Children with a special love and pities them far more then any Father in the World pities his Child and nothing shall be able to separate from the love of that Father whom they love 7 He gives his Spirit of Adoption into their Hearts to anoint them seal them assure them of their present right unto and the full Possession in due time of their Heavenly Inheritance God their Father loves them and they must certainly know it Their estate therefore is an estate of unspeakable joy comfort Yet it requires that we should be obedient and dutiful Children and the love of God which is so great and advanceth them so high should deeply engage them to the love and obedience of their Heavenly Father This is the beginning of God's Judgment § VII in dispensing and disposing of his Spiritual Rewards of Conversion and Justification which include all the rest and bring them into an happy and blessed estate After this the continuance of this blessed estate is to be considered For God continues to judge and reward according to the continuance of their Faith and this in all parts of the World where any of his Saints shall be For all jointly and every one severally are the subjects of this Judgment which continually proceeds according to his Laws of Redemption As their Faith and Repentance are not made perfect at the first so their rewards joys and comforts are not consummate but by degrees And as their Faith may be sometimes greater sometimes less so this estate is better or worse or rather not so good Whilest Faith habitual remains rooted in 〈◊〉 heart they are virtually justified When it 's actual their Justification actual will follow When their Faith is lively and continues to act vigorously their estate is so much the more comfortable In this continuance of Rewards the same Rewards formerly given there is required a continuance of the grace of God's Spirit abiding in them to enable them to Duty and observance of his Laws and according to the continuance of this grace a continuance of performances without both which there can be no continuance of Rewards The grace of God is so continued that it doth not prevent all sin and disobedience and therefore we are not free from all punishments Yet as we contract new guilt every day so every day we should renew our Repentance and Faith and so present our selves before the Tribunal of this Heavenly Judge and sue for Pardon in the Name of Christ and suffer no guilt to lye long upon us And as this Court is continually open to dispense Rewards so it is to punish and chastise according as our deserts shall be If our sins shall be greater and our neglect of our renewing our Repentance and Faith longer the greater punishments both of loss and pain shall be as was evident in David This state of Conversion § VIII and Justification may be considered as continued in this Life or after Death until the Resurrection And it 's a continuance of it in the several Branches of Justification as in the continuance of Regeneration Reconciliation Adoption Regeneration which is commonly called Sanctification as continued is the first For that which they call Sanctification which follows Justification is the continuance of the first Regeneration which is a Bâ—anch of Juâ—â—ification and a removing of that great Penalty of loss of the sanctifying Spirit and the woful immediate consequent thereof as Blindness Perversness and the Dominion of Sin from which issue all Actual Transgressions which would multiply to a great number and rise to a higher degree of Malignancy if God by Reâ—â—raint or Renovation did not prevent both To understand this Sanctification continued the better we must distinguish of it as Active and Passive As Active it's an act of God sanctifying us Passive it 's those gifts and graces of the Spirit whereby we are enabled to avoid sin and obey God For though this be an active Power yet in respect of God giving it and us receiving it it may be called Passive though properly it be an effect of God the cause and a cause of an obedience following The active Sanctification is 1 The acting of the Spirit to prepare us convert us work Faith in us and by Faith unite us unto Christ. For all these may be called Acts of Sanctification in a large sense yet in Scripture they are called Vocation whereby God through the power of the Spirit accompanying the Word doth convert us and bring us to Christ. 2 This Sanctification active
when we are once in Christ and the Spirit is derived from him to us in him to abide as a constant Spring of Regeneration at the first is that I call Regeneration as a Branch of Justification and as neither before nor after the first judgment of justification 3 This Sanctification active not being perfect in respect of the Subject is continued For we being in Christ as Branches in the Vine derive continual Sap or sanctifying Vigour from him that we may bring forth Fruit. Christ communicating this continually unto us by his Spirit may be said to continue to sanctifie us From all this you may understand a three-fold Sanctification 1 Preparing 2 Initiating us prepared 3 Continued to consummate us For the First Work of the Spirit is to prepare us and ingrast us into CHRIST The Second Is to regenerate and renew us once in CHRIST at the first The Third Is a continuance of the Second to perfect us In the first sense it seems to be taken 2 Thes. 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 2. In the second sense Joh. 15. 1 2 3 c. Rom. 6. 4 5 c. 1 Cor. 6. 11. In the third sense 1 Thes. 5. 23. Yet this must be known that Regeneration Sanctification Renovation are taken for the same several times and Sanctification in Scripture is taken for Justification and that we call Sanctification too as Ephes. 5. 26. Heb. 9. 15. 10. 10 14. 13. 12. and many other places Sometimes it 's taken for that purity we acquire by the Works of Sanctification and the constant practise of Righteousness as Rom. 6. 19 22. As for Sanctification Passive it 's easily understood by the Active This Sanctification differs from that of Adam § IX and the Blessed Angels for this finds us unsanctified corrupted unclean perverse and blind Therefore it 's called Regeneration and Renovation and Cleansing the other did not find them such What this doth at first it continues to do it makes us at the first Righteous and holy and imprints God's Image upon us and continued it continues us such and makes us more and more holy And the more we exercise this Active Power the more we are sanctified according to that Promise To him that hath that is useth and exerciseth it shall be given that is more shall be given It 's a Reward given at the first and it 's a Reward continued enabling us to perform Duty that the Reward may be greater and greater For the effect of it is to cause us to walk in God's Statutes and the more our obedience is improved the more our comfort is increased because our estate of Justification and our Title to Eternall Glory is thereby the more evident There is an ablute necessity of the continuance thereof For if God desert us but a moment there presently follows a Relapse The subject of it is the whole man Soul and Body the Soul chiefly and primarily the Body secondarily In the Soul it enlightneth the Understanding more and more and dispelleth the Mists of Ignorance and Errour and rect fies the Heart declining it from sin inclining it to Righteousnesse It fixeth it upon the right Object Christ and Eternal Glory in Him and continues to strengthen and incite us to the performance of Obedience and the practise of those Duties whereby Eternall Life is obtained All the Motions and Inclinations and Dispositions and those we call Affections are by it set in a right order especially the Affections of Love and Hatred which principally move and sway the Soul It limits and directs the Sensitive Appetite and makes the Body and the Members thereof Instruments of Righteousness to Holiness Yet this Sanctification was neither given to expiate sin past nor merit life to come but to prevent sin and bring forth the fruits of Righteousness In respect of Sin and Corruption yet inherent it 's called Mortification in respect of righteousnesse this heavenly active power is called Vivification And by vertue of Christ's death it destroies Sin and by vertue of Christ's Resurrection it quickens us to an heavenly life Yet this Mortification and Vivification are not properly integrall Parts but onely Adjuncts of this Sanctification For take away Corruption wholly there will be no Mortification because there remains nothing to be mortified Because this regenerate power is not consummated at the first § X therefore it will meet with continuall opposition from Corruption within and the Devill and the World without For in every regenerate man there is in this life Flesh and Spirit Corruption and Grace and these two being contrary one unto another have continuall conflicts both habituall and actuall Yet Grace and the Spirit is predominate otherwise Regeneration could not be Regeneration These are Jacob and Esau continually striving in the Bowels and Womb of our Souls The Assistants to the Flesh are the Devill and the World The Assistants of Grace are the Father Son and Holy Ghost the blessed Angels Ministers and sanctified Christians For as God useth the Ministery and Discipline of the Church in the declaring outwardly with the Word the Sentence of Absolution so he useth them to stir up continually to holy Duties to restrain Sin to strengthen us and promote our Sanctification And I cannot see but the blessed Angels should have as much power to help us as the Devill to hurt us For they are ministring Spirits not onely for temporall Safety but spirituall Assistance And from this opposition ariseth that spirituall Warr so much mentioned in Scripture in respect of which all spirituall and heavenly Vertues are called Armour the Armour of God and the more we exercise them with Prayer and Watchfullnesse the more and the faster we gird them upon us the stronger and safer we are Some of these though onely the principall are named Ephes. 6. 11 12 13. c. 1 Thes. 5. 8. Yet all are understood for Sanctification inclines to Obedience and fenceth us against all Sin The event of this War is either intermediate § XI or finall The intermediate from the first Regeneration is often and for the most part Victory yet not without many wounds hurts foils falls and the same sometimes very grievous And though Grace in us be habitually predominant yet actually it is not alwayes so We may neglect our watch be too carelesse and then we suffer Yet the weaker by Humility Prayer Watchfulnesse may stand when the stronger fall And the Victory doth not depend so much upon the eminent degrees of gifts and graces in us as upon divine Assistance from without The more we fight according to the rules of this war the stronger we are by God's Assistance and our Saviours intercession who prayed that Peter's faith and so ours though fearfully sometimes shaken might not fail This war is to be waged not onely by strength but policy and holy prudence whereby we foresee dangers to prevent them and take all opportunities and advantages for our safety and our Enemies ruine Because our weaknesse
Circumincession the nearest Union that can be with any distinction in the World In the Natures § VI we must consider 1. The number 2. The union 3. The distinction of them The Natures are two 1. Divine 2. Humane The Divine is He was the Word The Humane as He was Flesh. For if He was that Word which was in the beginning with God and was God so that all things were created and upholden by Him He must needs be God as the Father is God yet not the Father yet one God with the Father If He be Flesh He must needs be Man As God and the Word He is Eternal as Flesh and Man He is not Eternal That Jesus Christ was Man and that such a man there was both Jews and Mahumetans confess Yet Orthodox Christians onely acknowledge him to be God and that according to the Scriptures which in these great Mysteries are the onely infallible Rule And in them we do not read that ever the Word assumed the Nature of any irrational Creature nor of any of the Intellectual but the Nature of Man For he took not on him the Angels or the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham Heb. 2. 16 For the Children being partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself likewise took part of the same that through Death he might destroy him that had the power of Death that is the Devil For 1. He redeemed not Angels 2. He redeemed Men. 3. He redeemed them Onely 4. He redeemed them by Death 5. Because the Word as the Word could not dye therefore the Word was made Flesh that he might dye This seemed good unto the Divine Wisdom and this was determined in the secret Counsel of the Eternal Deity The Union of these two Natures is personal § VII The Person and one Nature was Divine The other Nature was Humane This Union was by assumption the Person assuming was the Word the Nature assumed was that of Man This Assumption was begun in Conception consummate in Birth As His Birth was both mean on Earth and glorious from Heaven so his Conception was wonderful For He was so conceived that He had a Mother and the same a Virgin in her Conception yet he had no immediate Father who begot him and because his Mother was descended from David and Abraham therefore in respect of his Humane Nature he was the Son of David the Son of Abraham according to Divine Prediction and Promise and the Seed of the Woman in a special manner Concerning this Conception we are informed That the Virgin Mary after she was espoused and before she and Joseph came together was found with child of the Holy Ghost and to satisfie him an Angel was sent from Heaven to signifie unto him that that which was conceived in her was of the Holy Ghost and that according to a Prophesie Behold a Virgin shall conceive Math. 1. 18 20 22. And we read in another Evangelist that an Angel answered to this Blessed Virgin demanding how she should conceive such a Son seeing she was a Virgin and knew no man That the Holy Ghost should come upon her and the power of the Highest should over-shadow her therefore that Holy Thing which should be born other should be called the Son of God Luke 1. 34 35. So that this Conception was singular extraordinary and supernatural and no ways to be paralleâ—d And there was a two-fold end why it pleased God to have him thus conceived 1. That he should be holy 2. That he should be called the Son of God And certainly these two things followed upon it 1. He was holy and so free from Original Corruption either as considered in it self or as a punishment for the first sin For this Originall Sin was prevented 1. By the Sanctification of the Spirit 2. By this extraordinary Propagation For two things concur to this Native Corruption 1. That the man be in Adam as sinning and so sentenced for sin 2. And also descend from him by naturall propagation But neither of these did agree to him For though he was the Son of Adam and the seed of the Woman yet he was not in Adam sinning nor the Son of Adam in that manner as all other men were 2. He was called the Son of God not onely because he was conceived in a divine manner by the Holy Ghost but also as the Word was the Son of God and had that relation to his Father so this Nature assumed being personally one with this Word must have the same relation to the father too This incarnation of the Word and Son of God is a great mystery That Jesus Christ is the Word and not only flesh and not onely the Word but the Word made flesh is plain and expresse Scripture But the manner of this union is unsearchable And we must simply believe what is plain that it is so not curiously enquire how it is for that 's above our capacity Aquinas contra Gentes endeavours to exemplify this by the union of the Soul and body As the body is the instrument of the Soul and supposeth an universall reason or intellect which assumes and unites it self to the nature of man so as to use it as a Proper instrument as the hand is to the body and by the same worketh divine works proper to God and that not sometimes transiently but after the manner of a constant and permanent Act. This is the Sum of his exemplification which as he confesseth is very imperfect and farr too short This assumption was an act ad extra and therefore both Father Word and Spirit must concur in it yet so that the Word did in a special manner assume and was the proper terme of this Act. And that word in which was life which life was the light of men in the Creation did assume possesse dwell in and act by the Soul and body of man so as to be a Fountaine of Life and Spiritual light to man for ever This Word § VIII so became and was made flesh as that he assumed not onely the body but the Soul of man even whole man and the same at first subject to frailtyes and infirmityes to violence and death yet without sin And this union was indissoluble for ever And many were the consequents of this union as 1. The communication of Idioms in predication So that because the Word which was God was flesh and word and flesh are one therefore what is true of the word may be affirmed of that flesh and that which was properly true of that flâ—sh might be truly affirmed of that Word which was God So that it may be truly said That the flesh and man did that which God did and God might be said to suffer that which the flesh did suffer and that by a Metonymy and such as no Rhetorick ever taught us 2. A neare relation between the Word and that flesh and such as is not to be found in all the world 3.
The excellency and dignity of that Nature and flesh not onely above all men but all Angels 4. The concurrence of the Word and flesh in the acts of Redemption and the same singular and extraordinary But whether the gifts of the Spirits confirmation in holinesse universall power glory and happinesse which Christ attayned did necessarily and instantly follow upon this Union may justly be doubted That the redeemer should be the Word and so God and Flesh too One and the chief Reason was the Wisdome and Will of God And other reasons not clearly contayned in Scripture are better forborne then mentioned After the number and union follows the distinction of the two Natures § IX for although they were personally united which union is extrinsecall yet they remained really distinct The Word was not changed into flesh nor flesh into the Word but the Word is the Word still and flesh flesh still and that essentially It 's true the word before the conception of the humane nature was not flesh but then it was flesh yet so that it continues the Word Neither was there any mixture or composition of these two to make one substance different from both nor any such union of both that so a third thing should arise by way of resultancy except we may say and that according to the Scripture that the word and flesh were so united that thence did arise a third thing which we call Christ and some call God-Man Yet still he was so God that he was Man and so man that he was the Word and God and so shall continue blessed for evermore Jesus Christ our Lord is the word made flesh § X and this is the definition that the Scriptures give of him That which followes is his office as he is Redeemer An office is a derivative power and therefore cannot be supreme but subordinate and as an officer by commission with a Mandate receives his power so he is liable to account In this respect and for this cause it is that though Jesus Christ of Nazareth be the Word and so God yet as God he cannot be an officer as flesh and man he may be and was such This the Scripture teacheth plainly when it saith that he was sent received commandement from his Father was sealed annoynted with the Holy-Ghost and with power did not glorifie himself that his Father gave him power over all flesh and that all power in Heaven and earth was given him all these things are true of him only as man His office was the greatest and highest that ever was Because he was supreme and universall governour above the Angels and all other creatures next unto God Therefore his place upon his investitute and solemn inauguration was at the right hand of the eternal Throne of God And in this particular Joseph advanced by Pharoah was a lively type of him In him as an officer we may consider 1. His Ability 2. His power and Authority His Ability is expressed in that metaphor of being annoynted with the Holy Ghost for he was endued with all the gifts of the Holy Ghost and in the highest degree that any creature was capable of therefore it is said God giveth not the Spirit in measure unto him Joh. 3. 34. but in fullnesse So that of his fullnesse we all have received grace for grace Joh. 1. 16. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of Wisdome and understanding the spirit of counsail and might the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord Isay. 11. And at his Baptism the Heavens were opened and the Holy-Ghost was seen in the likenesse of a Dove to descend and rest upon him These gifts and endowments he received with a power to communicate in a certain measure unto others The Spirit in this fullnesse was given him not only to sanctifie him but to enable him for the undertaking managing and accomplishing the great work of Redemption which was committed unto him Besides these Abilityes he received power and authority accordingly and so had plain right to do such things as neither men nor Angels had right to do He had power to command all the Angels of Heaven the Devils and all Creatures and they must obey him because they were subject unto him And because he must discharge this Office for that end was required an high degree of wisdom and the knowledge of the deep and secret Counsels of God especially concerning the Eternal Salvation of sinful man whose Nature he had taken upon him Therfore he must be a Prophet able fully infallibly and with Power and Majesty to declare the Mind and Will of God In which capacity and faculty he was more excellent then all the Prophets then Moses then the Angels who have the Spirit of Prophesie as being in the Bosome of the Father and more intimate then the Angels were And he could reach men not onely outwardly but inwardly and speak by the Spirit immediately unto the Souls of men and that not onely ordinarily by imprinting the Doctrines of the Scripture outwardly upon the Tables of the Heart but also extraordinarily by Inspiration and immediate Revelation of the Mysteries of Gods Kingdom Thus he taught Apostles Prophets Evangelists And he is the Head and Lord of all Prophets and all Angels Prophets Apostles Pastours Teachers are his Servants and subject unto him as a Prophet and his Doctrine must be heard believed obeyed and he that will not submit unto it must be cut off and everlastingly accursed Because Man is guilty § XI and God angry and Justice requires Eternal Punishments to be executed if not prevented therefore there must be some to interpose between the just God and unjust Man and make satisfaction unto justice procure his favour and plead the cause of penitent sinners before the Throne of God in the Heavenly Temple Therefore Christ if he will be a Redeemer must do all this and be a Priest and as a Priest offer a Sacrifice for the Eternall expiation of sin and as an Advocate plead his bloud and sacrifice before his Father for all such as come to God by him And he must not onely be a Priest but an Universal and Eternal Priest holy without any sin who may have free and immediate access to the Throne of God and such who is sensible of the Peoples misery and in that respect willing and ready to make reconciliation for their sin Such a Priest Christ and onely Christ Jesus of Nazareth is made so by God and now confirmed by Oath to minister in the Heavenly Tabernacle there to appear before God for us Therefore he is more excellent and above all other Priests even Aaron nay above Melchizedeck one of the greatest Priests on Earth and also above the Highest Priests of Angels if there be any Priest-hood amongst them Besides because he must have Subjects of all Nations in times successively unto the end of the World and He and His shall have many Enemies both Men and Devils