not this then one of the Depths of God FAITH enters now in Poem 't is the Grace That leads the Van of others in the Race This is a Depth of God and so wil go With ev'ry Freind but not with any Foe This is the GIFT of God this is his Will And of all Works this is the greatest stil This is the Work of Works an EMPHASIS Deservedly is written over This. The Heart is Cabinet and Faith a Jewel Which thorough Christ fails not in any Duel 'T was so with PETER and with many Saints That greatly Comforts might out-bid Complaints FAITH may be shaken in the Soul of Man But shaken out of Souls this never can For Faith must live til the Beleiver dies When all his TEARES are wiped from his Eyes Lord Jesus Christ thou Author art of Faith And Consummator too th' Apostle saith Oh be the ACTOR of it now to Me For act it Self it cannot without Thee INCARNATION The Incarnation of Christ that 's one of the Depths of God As an Vnity in Trinity and a Trinity in Vnity is the Mystery of Mysteries so the Hypostatical Vnion or Vnion of Natures in Christ is the Wonder of Wonders Is not this then one of the Depths of God That Christ was GOD is evident Thus John 1.1 In the beginning was the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the beginning Before the beginning of any Creatures In the beginning of Time so Brugensis In which the World began to be so Beza In the beginning is Christ from the beginning are Creatures That which was in the beginning was ever In the beginning Not temporal determinate or to be measured by time but indeterminate eternal and before all time In the beginning was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Was the Word The Word the Son of God Was Not that the Son of God had beginning with the Creatures but was before their beginning from Eternity This WORD was not made when the Creatures were but before any of them were HE WAS. And the word was with God Here Word is taken personally And the word was God Here Word is taken essentially And the word was God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or according to the Greek and God was the word Christ was co-equal co-essential co-eternal and consubstantial with the Father The Son of God Christ did not then begin to be when he was manifested in the Flesh but was God from all Eternity made Flesh in the last times That Christ was MAN is as evident Thus John 1.14 And the word was made flesh The Son not the Father nor the Spirit became Man not by Confusion of Natures but by Vnion of Natures in one Person of Christ God and Man Was made flesh Made himself or assumed flesh in which he might be manifested to the Senses of Men. Was made flesh Not by changing the GOD-HEAD Non mutando quod erat sed assumendo quod non crat but by assuming the MAN-HOOD Though he became Man he stil remained God The God-head became not a Man-hood nor the Humanity a Deity The Assumption of the Humanity was no Diminution of the Deity But what follows And dwelt among us As in a Tabernacle or Tent for a short time And we beheld his glory The manifestation of his divine Majesty not only in his Transfiguration but also in his Doctrine Life Miracles Passions The glory as of the only begotten of the Father Such glory as was proper and peculiar to the only so begotten of the Father Ful of grace and truth Ful of Grace or the Favour of God towards us And of Truth or by Gifts and Benefits which might demonstrate the Truth of that Favour so L. de Dieu Ful of Grace or with the cheifest Mercy and of Truth or with the Truth of praeceding Shadows so Hammond Is not the Incarnation of Christ now one of the Depths of God So 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversie Omnium Consensu Confessione Confessedly and by an universal Confession Great is the Mystery of godliness The GOSPEL may be so called because as it is a Doctrine made for the Dignity and Promotion of Godliness so it is a Doctrine consisting of such truths and connexious of things that are far remote from the common Cogitations Reasons and Intellects of Men. But what follows God was manifest in the flesh The eternal Son of God made his Divinity known in his Humanity which he assumed into the UNITY of his Person Justified in the Spirit Approved righteous and innocent though condemned by Jews and Gentiles as a Malefactor Seen of Angels As his Messengers and Ministers Preached unto the Gentiles As the Subject and Substance and Summ of the Gospel to Sinners in Folio Beleived on in the World Made the Object of FAITH by a Remnant according to the Election of Grace Received up into Glory His Session is at the right hand of the Majesty on high Is not the Incarnation of Christ now one of the Depths of God For him who had Eternity for his Mansion Thus Isa 57.15 For thus saith the high and lofty one who inhabiteth Eternity Who alone hath Immortality who alone is eternal without Beginning or Ending who is not only immortal but also immutable For him also who hath Eternity for his Measure Thus Psa 90.2 Vme gnolam gnad-gnolam attah El So the Hebrew From Eternity until Eternity thou God To be an Infant of a day old Thus Luke 2.11 To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Is not this the Wonder of Wonders and consequentially one of the DEPTHS of GOD For him who had Heaven for his Pallace to have the Earth for his Pilgrimage is not this one of the Depths of God For him who was higher than the Heavens Heb. 7.26 to be lower than Angels Heb. 2.9 and who was waited by sinless Angels Mat. 4.11 to be watched by sinful Men is not this one of the Depths of God For him who was the Antient of Days Dan. 7.22 to be a Babe Luke 2.12 and who was the GOD of Joys Mat. 11.29 to be a MAN of Sorrows Isa 53.3 is not this one of the Depths of God For him who was born King of the Jews Mat. 2.2 to be born in a Stable and who lies in the Bosome of the Father John 1.18 to lie in a Manger Luke 2.7 is not this one of the Depths of God For him who was crowned with Glory Heb. 2.7 to be crowned with Thorns Mat. 27.29 and who was the Desire of Nations Hag. 2.7 to die for Sinners Rom. 5.8 is not this one of the Depths of God For him who was the Being of of Beings as God John 1.3 the Beauty of Beauties as Man Psa 45.2 and the Blessing of Blessings as God-man Heb. 7.22 to be written if this be a Prophesie of him a worm and no man a reproach of Men and despised of the People Psa 22.6 Is not this the Wonder of
Luke 1.6 Who were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blamless that so when your TIMES shal go into ETERNITY your SOULS also may go into GLORY is the Cordial Cry of Honoured Sir Your observant Servant R. Mayhew The INDEX SECTION The DEPTHS of GOD. CHAP. 1. Whether there be the DEPTHS of GOD. PAGE 1-7 CHAP. 2. What these DEPTHS of GOD are 1. Generally They are 1. Things 2. Things of God 3. Spiritual Things PAGE 7 8. 2. Particularly They are reduced to two Heads 1. SALVATION PAGE 9 -13 2. All in a Tendency unto SALVATION For Instance 1. FREE-GRACE PAGE 13-17 2. ELECTION PAGE 17-22 3. REDEMPTION PAGE 22-29 4. CONVICTION PAGE 29-33 5. CONVERSION PAGE 33-41 6. AODPTION PAGE 41-48 7. VOCATION PAGE 48-53 8. RESURRECTION PAGE 53-73 9. REMISSION PAGE 73-80 10. SATISFACTION PAGE 80-93 11. JUSTIFICAION PAGE 93-105 12. SANCTIFICATION PAGE 105-121 13. UNION PAGE 121-137 14. COMMUNION PAGE 137-141 15. CONVOY PAGE 141-150 16. CONDUCT PAGE 150-156 17. CONCURRENCE PAGE 156-162 18. FAITH PAGE 162-168 19. INCARNATION PAGE 162-175 20. GLORIFICATIOM PAGE 175 c. Qu. But what manner of State is a State of Glory PAGE 177. Sol. 1. Sinless 2. Sorrowless PAGE 184. 3. Warless PAGE 196. 4. Wantless PAGE 199. 5. Persecutionless PAGE 202. 6. Prisonless PAGE 207. 7. Cursless PAGE 209. 8. Contagionless PAGE 213. 9. Temptationless PAGE 217. 10. Timeless PAGE 220. Tempora mutantur sic nos mutamur in illis THE DEPTHS of GOD. SECTION 1. The Depths of God CHAP. I. Whether there be the DEPTHS of GOD. THat there are the Depths of God that these also are searched and revealed by the Spirit of God is so legible in the Sacred Scripture as if it were written with a Beam of the Sun and so intelligible in the blessed Bible the BOOK of BOOKS that they are bound for Hel and not for Heaven who live and dye altogether Strangers unto them As there are the Depths that spring out of the Valleys the Depths of the Sea the Depths of the Earth the Depths of Dissertion the Depths of Hel and the Depths of Satan Rev. 2.24 which are the devices and policies of Satan wherewith he inspires his PUPILS under the Notion of profound Wisdom so there are the Depths of God which are searched and revealed by the Spirit of God Thus 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit Here is the Assertion there is a revelation by the Spirit of God But what is revealed by this Spirit This running may be read v. 9. Eye hath not seen Ear hath not heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man c. Here are things invisible inaudible inconceivable revealed by the Spirit of God For the Spirit searcheth all things The word SEARCH is Metaphorical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is taken from such as use to search in Mines for Gold and Silver They search deep they will break the Clods and Clots of the Earth all to pieces to find out the Oar. Thus the Spirit of God the Spirit of the Father or of the Son the Spirit of the Father and of the Son searcheth all things Yea the deep things of God The Depths of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Greek Here is the Argument For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the DEPTHS of God The Mysteries of God chiefly kept secret so Menochius The occult Counsels of God so Grotius 'T is the Spirit of God that unvaileth God and detecteth the Depths of God 'T is therefore called the Manifestation of the Spirit Thus 1 Cor. 12.7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every one to profit withal The Word PROFIT importeth such a kind of Profit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as redoundeth to Community To the Vtility of the Church so Piscator That the Church may receive Fruit thereby so Calvin Revelation is from the Spirit but 't is according to the Word If the Word goeth without the Spirit 't is a sealed Book Thus 1 Cor. 2.12 We have not received the Spirit of the World but the spirit which is of God that we may know the things which are freely given to us of God As the Spirit will not go without the Word so if the Word goeth without the Spirit the Soul is not arrived at an understanding of these DEPTHS of GOD. There is a prodigious Film upon the eye of lapsed Man and he cannot see the Depths of God without the Spirit of God Some men are born naturally blind but all men are born spiritually blind and cannot see the Depths of God without the Spirit of God The Reasons are obvious whether we respect Them or the Spirit In respect of Themselves The Depths of God are Things of God and these are super-natural Now things super-natural cannot be discovered by those that are natural but by those that are spiritual and that from the Spirit Thus 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man The Souly Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Greek A Man indued with the Faculties of NATURE only A Souly man is a man solely led by the light of humane reason A Souly man is a man purely considered in his Naturals who wants the Spirit of God and judgeth of Divine things from the Intelligence of the Flesh so Paraeus But what of this Souly man He receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he because they are spiritually discerned This Word discerned is a Law Term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vox fovensis and is usually applicable to the Tryal of Doctrine In respect of the Spirit It is the OFFICE of the Spirit of God to search and reveal the Depths of God It is the Spirit of God that leads into Truth into this and that Truth into one Truth after another Vicarius ille meus meae causae Patronus Grotius It is the Spirit that gradually leadeth into all Truth Thus John 16 13. When the spirit of Truth is come He that supplyeth and doth the Office of another He will guid you into all Truth By internal illumination or inspiration For he shall not speak of himself Not without Me or such things which I have not taught But whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak All that he shall hear from the Father or from Me. And he will shew you the things to come Concerning the Kingdom of Christ c. Concerning future Contingencies c. Concerning the Dishes that shall be served in to the Church c. No POET am I nor a Poets Son I am not one that hath the Lawrel won In Poetry I learning am to spel This is in order unto reading wel My Vessel is not filled to the Brim But Lambs may wade where Elephants do swim If PIGMIES shall upon these Strings be harping This follows then a MOMUS will be carping What Poets ever could all carping shun May not I
Defect makes one sinful but many good Actions cannot make one righteous He is just not only that hath no Sin but He also who is acquitted from his Sin or to whom his Sin is not imputed Is not Justification then one of the Depths of God To justifie our selves that we are righteous is worse than all our Vnrighteousness JAH hath no Respect to our Righteousness in the business of Justification is not this then one of the Depths of God 'T is said of Christ 1 Jo. 5.6 that he came by Water and Blood To intimate and indicate that no more are justified by his MERIT than are sanctified by his SPIRIT It is Christ who takes from Man Vnrighteousness and gives unto Man his own Righteousness Is not Justification now one of the Depths of God Aug. One saith that Marcellina hung the Picture of Christ and the Picture of Pythagoras together Are there not many not only in ITALY but also in ENGLAND who join Christ and their Works together Christ and their Prayers together Christ and their Tears together Christ and their Teachers together Christ and their Alms together In the Law Deu. 22.11 God commands not to wear a garment mingled of linnen and woolen This Law was figurative and teacheth that in the case of our Justification Acceptation and Salvation we are not to join our Services and Sacrifices to the Righteousness of Christ Is not Justification then one the Depths of God The Object of Worship God abominates a LINSEY-WOOLSEY Righteousness The Glosse of the Scoolmen is flagitious who say that Faith adorned with Charity justifieth The Romanists condemned in Councils the Doctrine of Justification by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ which is not in us but in him The Rhemists call it a fantastical Justice a new-no Justice But Luther saith whosoever rightly esteemeth of the Vtility and Majesty of Justification to him all things should seem vile and worthless For what is Paul what is Peter what is an Angel from Heaven what are all other Creatures to the ARTICLE of Justification Is not this then one of the Depths of God I cannot but mention the Tutissimum of Bellarmine who having written 5 Books against Justification by Faith gives a Defeat to his whole Design in concluding the Controversie with a Confutation of all that he had written of it in these words Tutissimum est Fiduciam totam in Dei sola Misericordia et Benignitate reponere 'T is safest to put the whole Confidence in the Mercy and Benignity of God Is not Justification now one of the Depths of God The Justification of one Sinner is a far greater Work than the Creation of all the WORLD is it not then one of the Depths of God They justifie themselves sinfully who say they are justified by Christ from their Sins and yet continue in their Sins and hold fast their iniquities Is not Justification then one of the Depths of God What Righteousness saith Farnworth Christ performed without Me was not my Justification neither was I saved by it May not this be beleived of this man himself if he died in the same mind Ob. Do men say that Justification is by Grace and not by Works The Scripture saith it is by Works and not by Grace only and who is most authentick God or Man Resp There 's a two-fold Justification before God and before Man Before GOD. Thus Works cannot justifie No righteousness can stand before God but the Righteousness of Christ only Thus Rom. 3.20 Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No flesh all flesh so the Greek All flesh shall not But the meaning is no flesh shall Metonymia Materiae Flesh by a double Figure is put for a Man 'T is put for the Body it being the Matter of it Synecdoche Membri 'T is also put as a part for the whole man Here the word ALL joyned with the Negative is often according to the Hebrew phrase put for none All flesh that is no flesh All Men that is no Man No man how great soever how good soever can be justified by Works before God So Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God If Abraham were justified by the Works of the Law or Nature apart from faith so Estius He hath whereof to glory but not before God Not in Scriptures of God where God speaketh so Vatablus Not before God because such a Righteousness cannot free from Sin nor reconcile to God so Toletus Before MAN Thus Mat. 7.20 By their works ye shall know them So Jam. 2.26 As the body without the Soul is dead so faith without works is dead As the Body is Lifeless if Soul-less so the Soul is Faithless if Workless Though a man be justified without the Righteousness of Works yet that MAN who is without Works of Righteousness is not justified Is not Justification now one of the Depths of God As it is true Grace is ever alone in justifying before God it is as true Grace is never alone in the person justified by God Is not Justification then one of the Depths of God Grace and Works dwell under the same Roof JUSTIFICATION is the Thesis next An Act of Grace according to the Text Most absolute Can ISH in his own Dress Be just with JAH No 't is the Right'ousness Of JESUS intervening with the Flag Mans Right'ousness is but a filthy Rag. God had for Sin with Man a certain Duel Justification is the Christ'ans Jewel Where is the Man but for a BANKRUPT went This is unto his Ear an Ornament Yea Golden-Chain this is unto his Neck And doth indeed a BLACK most rarely deck No more are justified by the Merit Than also sanctified by the Spirit The Spirit of th' Almighty gave me Breath Lord Jesus me acquit from Sin and Death I thorough Grace delight in sacred Story Lord right'ous me account to Life and Glory Oh dearest JESUS is my Sin made Thine Then is thy Right'ousness made also Mine SANCTIFICATION Sanctification that 's one of the Depths of God For the Heart of Enosh that was black with sin to be beautified with Grace and for Him who was a BLACK by Nature to be a BEAUTY by Grace is not this one of the Depths of God That there is such a thing as Sanctification is evident that this according to the Greek is a Sanctification of Spirit and belief of Truth is as evident Thus 2 Thes 2.13 But c because God hath from the beginning chosen you From the beginning of Evangelical preaching so Cajetan From the beginning of your Vocation so Vorstius From Eternity so Beza Before the foundations of the world were laid Et Animae Corporis so Piscator But unto what are these chosen Vnto Salvation Eternal so Grotius Both of Soul and Body so Gomarus Then followeth in sanctification of Spirit Of a divine