Christs Love and Affection Towards Jerusalem, Chapter 9
CHAP. 9.
That mans ruine and deſtruction is not to be charged on God.
Vſes. 1 IF God doe ſeriouſly will the ſalvation of all thoſe to whom the Goſpell is preached, then may this ſerve to reprove ſuch as charge God fooliſhly, like the evill ſervant in the Goſpell, who hid his talent in a Napkin aMat. 25.24., and then layes all the blame on God; I knew thou waſt a hard Maſter, who reapeſt where thou ſowedſt not, &c. Even as it was with the blinde woman in Seneca, when ſhee wanted eyes, ſhee layes all the blame on the darkneſſe of the houſe, as if that were the cauſe and reaſon that ſhe did not ſeebSen Epiſt. 50. Subinde rogat paedagogum ut migret, domum tenebroſam eſſe ait.: ſo it fares with many in their ſpirituall blindneſſe, and other ſinfull diſtempers, they are ready to charge all on God, as if there were no cauſe of their miſery; but onelyonly becauſe hee is unwilling to make them happy: So it was with the IſraelitescEzek. 18.25., when they dealt unfaithfully with God in his Covenant, they are ready to charge the crookedneſſe of their owne doings on God, ſaying, The wayes of the Lord are not equall, &c. in ſo much that hee is put to juſtifie himſelfe, and his dealings with them. And ſo it is with many, who when they are unwilling to walke in the wayes of God, or take thoſe courſes that might doe them good, then doe they charge all upon God, as if he were unwilling to ſhew any mercy unto them: they thinke it skils not much in the point and matter, of their ſalvation what they doe; for if they bee ordained unto eternall life, they ſhall undoubtedly come unto it; and if Hell and damnation be appointed for them, it is not poſſible by all their care and diligence to keepe it away; it would nothing availe them though they ſhould apply thē ſelves unto God in the uſe of all good meanes, and ſtrive with all their might to obtaine mercy, becauſe there is an unchangeable decree and ſentence paſſed upon them, which by no meanes can be altered or revoked: and what is this but to juſtifie themſelves, and lay all the blame upon God, as if they were innocent, and he onelyonly in fault; whereas it is moſt certaine, that at the laſt day God will cleare the equity of his dealing with men in the Miniſtery of the Word, and make it appeare to all the world, that there was no hinderance in him, or in his Word, why thoſe that did injoy it, were not brought into a more happy condition by it; but that the fault was wholly in themſelves dAdmonit. Neoſtad. c. 3. p. 113. Adverſarii fingunt, nos doceiE Deum ſine reſpectu peccati, nudâ et abſolutâ ſua voluntate & decreto, aliquos ad damnationē ordinaſſe: nos vero cum Apoſt. docemus, Deum in damnatione reproborum, velle ſuā juſtitiā declarare; non igitur quemquā damnationi addixiſſe, niſi propter peccatum. Fulgent. l. 1. ad Moni. Deus ad ſupplicium deſtinavit, quos à ſe praeſcivit voluntatis malae vitio diſceſſuros. Vide Aquin. l. 1 ſent. diſt. 40. q. 4. art. 2. & 1. 2 q. 112. art. 3. Mat Martin. cō. in Pſ. 2. pag. 134. Deus neminem ſtatuit damnare, niſi propter peccatum, imprimis propter incredulitatem.: and therefore it cannot be but a ſafer courſe to every one, to ſet the Saddle upon the right horſe; that is, to juſtifie God, and lay the blame upon himſelfe, where indeed it lies. It is the part and duty of every good ſervant now to cleare his Lord and Maſter from all ſuch unbeſeeming imputations, as are caſt upon him by the enemies of his truth. God indeed can cleare himſelfe, and will doe it another day, but with little thanks to thoſe, who now father upon him ſuch antecedent purpoſes, ſuch abſolute and irreſpective decrees, touching the ruine and deſtruction of his creature, as cannot well ſtand with the greatneſſe of that love that hee profeſſeth in the Goſpell; with the nature of that Covenant that hee hath made with man; or with the truth and ſincerity of thoſe paſſionate wiſhes, Patheticall exclamations, mournfull expoſtulations, and compaſſionate lamentations which are ſo frequent in holy Scripture. Wherefore it is my counſell and advice to every one that loves his own ſalvation, If he cannot comprehend and fathome the unſearchable depths of Gods ſecret counſell, and eternall decrees, to let them alone, or at leaſt ſo to conceive of them, as that they may be reconciled with the declaration of that will of God, which is generally propounded in the Goſpell: for it is moſt certaine, that there is no particular decree of God, that is repugnant or contrary to his revealed will, but ſubordinate unto it.
It is true indeed, that the revealed will of God, it is not his whole will, but onelyonly a part of it; there is another part kept ſecret, but it is never contrary to this. As for example, the time when the day of Judgement ſhall be, it is kept ſecretdMark. 12.22.: but it may be to day, or to morrow, this yeare, or the next, for any thing that is revealed in the Scripture to the contrary: and the like is to be conceived, touching other paſſages of Gods ſecret will and purpoſe in the matter of ſalvation. It is moſt certaine, that the decree*Aug. vel Proſp. ad art. falſo impoſit. ad 7. Dei volūtas eſt, ut in bona voluntate maneatur, qui et priuſquā deſeratur, neminē deſerit, et multos ſaepe deſertores convertit. Sent. Theol. mag. Brit. de Reprob. theſ. 5. Deus neminem damnat aut dānationi deſtinat, niſi ex conſiderationē peccati, quia mala poenae nō decernit, niſi pro hominum praevio merito: dānatio enim eſt actꝰ juſtitiae punitivae, culpā igitur praecedē tem ſupponit. Aug. ep 106. ad Paulin. Si quenquā immeritū, et nulli obnoxium peccato, Deus damnare creditur, alienus ab iniquitate non creditur. of election and reprobation, divides the whole race and body of mankinde: not Adam himſelfe, nor any that ever came out of his loynes, but doth neceſſarily fall under one of theſe two: this is a truth which none queſtions, all agree in the thing that it is ſo, though they differ in the manner, how man is conſidered and looked upon, when God paſſeth this decree upon him. And indeed, the curioſity of man hath preſumed farre, and waded deepe into this high and profound myſterie, which made the great Apoſtle of the Gentiles to ſtand and wonder,eRom. 11.33. O the deepneſſe of the riches both of the wiſdome and knowledge of God! how unſearchable are his judgements, and his wayes paſt finding out! and therefore it ſhall be every mans wiſdome in theſe high matters, and incomprehenſible depths, to keepe himſelfe within due compaſſe and moderation, not to preſume above that which is written, but ſo to frame his thoughts and notions, and to regulate his judgement, that it may be clearly conſonant, and no wayes contrary to that which is revealed, and then I am ſure whatſoever he holds, there will be the leſſe danger in it.
The Goſpell reveales and teſtifies, that there is in God ſuch a generall love towards the ſons of men, that hee is willing to give them life and ſalvation, upon ſuch termes and conditions as are expreſſed in the new Covenant; and therefore it is a ſafe way ſo to conceive of the decree of reprobation, as that it may not goe croſſe and contrary thereunto; that is, that it leaves a man under ſuch a generall providence, wherein hee is capable of ſalvation, upon ſuch conditions as the Goſpell tenders it unto him, though it be moſt certaine, in regard of the infallible pre-ſcience and fore-knowledge of God, that in the event he will never attaine unto that which the Covenant of grace makes him capable of, no more than Adam attained to that happineſſe which the covenant of works made him capable of. And let not any then ſay, that God made the way to life impaſſable for him, and that he is abſolutely purpoſed to deny that grace unto him, without which he cannot repent and forſake his ſinnesfAug. ad ar. theſ. falſo impoſi. ar. 3. Omnium quidem hominum Deus Creator eſt, ſed nemo ab eo ideo creatꝰ eſt ut pereat, quia alia eſt cauſa naſcendi, alia percundi: ut enim naſcā tur homines, Creatoris eſt beneficium; ut autem pereant, praevaricatoris eſt vitium. Idem l. 3. con. Iul. c. 28. Poteſt aliquos ſine bonis meritis liberare, quia bonus eſt; non poteſt quenquam ſine malis meritis damnare, quia juſtus eſt.. For whoſoever thou art that thus ſpeakeſt againſt God and thine owne ſoule, let mee but aske thee this queſtion: How canſt thou tell that God will not heare, nor have mercy upon thee, before thou haſt made tryall, and uſed all fitting meanes for the obtaining of his favour? and who is there that ever did ſeeke unto God in this manner, that ever found him unwilling to help him, or have mercy upon him? and if there can be no example found in all the Booke of God, of any one who did apply himſelfe to God in the uſe of the meanes, and ſet himſelfe ſeriouſly and in good earneſt to ſeeke unto God, ſo as hee ought, and might have done, that did not ſpeed in his errand, and finde God willing to meet him, and inclinable to heare his prayers, and grant his requeſts; why ſhould any entertain ſuch a groundleſſe ſuſpition of God, as that there is no mercy to be had and obtained at his hands, though it bee ſought for? It is fit indeed, that God ſhould reſerve a liberty to himſelfe, in the diſpenſation of his gracious favours, becauſe hee is indebted to none, he owes nothing to any; and therefore if he ſhould with hold from his creature that help and aſſiſtance which is ſought for, there is no place for duſt and aſhes to complain againſt him, becauſe hee doth him no wrong; but yet God doth not ſo deale with men under the Goſpell of grace; he is before-hand with them, in working upon them by his preventing grace, before they ſeeke unto him; and when he hath done ſo, hee lets them know that it ſhall not be in vaine for them to ſeeke unto him; for he layes this tye and obligation upon every one that comes unto him, in the uſe of the meanes,gHeb. 11.6. to beleeve that he is a rewarder of thoſe that ſeeke him. So that if any ill betide him, he may thanke himſelfe and his own ill carriage for ithFulgent. li. 1. ad Monimū, c. 22 Nec juſtitia iuſta dicetur, ſi puniendum reum non invenit, ſed feciſſe dicatur. Major vero erit injuſtitia, ſi lapſo Deus retribuit poenam, quem ſtantem praedeſtinaſſe dicitur ad ruinam. Chryſoſt. to. 2 in N. T. in Ioa. hom. 67. pa 438. foreign., according to that of the Prophet,iHoſ. 13.9. Thy deſtruction is of thy ſelfe, O Iſrael, onelyonly in me is thy help. And indeed, he that obſerves Gods dealing in particular with this people of the Jews, who notwithſtanding were afterwards miſerably deſtroyed for their great ingratitude and contempt of his favours, he ſhall find ſo many prints and footſteps of love and kindneſſe towards them, as doe abundantly teſtifie how willing and deſirous he was to doe them good; and that the fault was wholly in themſelves, that it was ſo ill with them; for hee choſe them out of all other Nations to be a peculiar people unto himſelfe kDeut. 7.6.: Hee intruſted them with the oracles of heaven lRom. 3.2.: Hee ſhewed his ſtatutes to Iacob, and his judgements to Iſrael, dealing better with them than with any other NationmPſa. 147.19.. His wayes were ſo full of equity in this kinde, that hee referres himſelfe to the judgement of any, that had but the light of common reaſon left in him; If he had fayled or been wanting in any thing that was requiſite and fitting for him to doe.nEſay 5.4. O ye Inhabitants of Ieruſalem, judge I pray you betweene mee and my Vineyard: what could I have done more that I have not done unto it? Implying, that if they would looke upon his carriage towards them, and his dealing with them, with an impartiall and indifferent eye, they might clearely ſee that they had none to complaine of but onelyonly themſelves,Chap. 10. and their owne ill carriage, if any good thing were wanting to them, as the Prophet tells them plainly elſwhere,oJer. 5.25. Your iniquities have turned away theſe things, and your ſinnes have kept away good things from you.