A Golden Chain, Chapter 6 – Chapter 8
CHAP. 6. Of Gods workes, and his decree.
THus farre concerning the first part of Theologie: the second followeth, of the workes of God.
The workes of God, are all those, which he doth out of himselfe, that is, out of his diuine essence.
These are common to the Trinitie, alwaies reserued the peculiar manner of working to eueryevery person.
The end of all these, is the manifestation of the glorie of God. Rom. 11.36. For him are all things, to him be glorie for euer.
The worke, or action of God, is either his decree, or the execution of his decree.
The decree of God, is that by which God in himselfe, hath necessarily, and yet freely, from all eternitie determined all things. Eph. 1. 11. In whome also we are chosen when we were predestinate, according to the purpose of him, which wor…eth all things after the counsell of his owne will. and vers. 4. As he hath chosen vsus in him before the foundation of the world. Matth. 10.29. Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing, and not one of them falleth on the ground without your Father? Rom 9. 21. Hath not the potter power on the clay, to make of the same lumpe one vessell … dishonour, and another to honour.
Ther…fore the Lord, according to his good pleasure, hath most certainely decreed e…ery both thing and action, whether past, present, or to come, together with their circumstances of place, time, meanes, and ende.
Yea, he hath most iustly decreed the wicked workes of the wicked. For if it had not so pleased him, they had neuer beene at all. And albeit they of thei… owne nature, are and remaine wicked; yet in respect of Gods decree, they are to be accounted good. For there is not any thing absolutely euill, 1. Pet. 3.17. For it is better (if the will of God be so) that ye suffer for well doing, then for euill doing.
The thing which in the owne …ature is euill, in Gods eternal counsel comes in the place of a good thing; in that it is some occasion and way to manifest the glorie of God in his iustice, and his merciemercy.
God his foreknowledge, is conioyned with his decree; and inde…e is in nature before it: yet not in regard of God, but vsus; because knowledge goeth before the will, & the effecting of a worke. For we doe nothing, but those things that we hauehave before willed, neither doe we will any thing which we know not before.
God his foreknowledge in it selfe, is not a cause why things are, but as it is conioyned with his decree. For things doe not therefore come to passe, because that God did foreknow them; but because he decreed and willed them: therefore they come to passe.
The execution of Gods decree, is that by which all things in their time are accomplished which were foreknowne, or decreed, and that euen as they were foreknowne and decreed.
The same decree of GOD, is the first and principall working cause of all things, which also is in order, and time before all other causes. For with Gods decree is alwaies his will annexed, by the which he can willingly effect that he hath decreed. And it were a signe of impotencie, to decree any thing which he could not willingly compasse. And with Gods will is conioyned an effectuall power, by which the Lord can bring to passe, whatsoeuer he hath freely decreed.
This first and principall cause, howbeit in it selfe it be necessarie, yet it doth not take away freedome of will in election, or the nature and propertie of second causes, but onelyonly brings them into a certaine order, that is, it directeth them to the determinate ende: whereupon the effects and euents of things are contingent or necessarie, as the nature of the second cause is. So Christ according to his Fathers decree died necessarily, Act. 17.3. but yet willingly, Math. 25. 39. And if we respect the temperature of Christs bodie, he might hauehave prolonged his life; and therefore in this respect may be said to hauehave died contingently.
The execution of Gods decree, hath two branches, his operation, and his operatiue permission.
Gods operation, is his effectuall producing of all good things, which either hauehave beeing or moouing, or which are done.
Gods operatiue permission, is that by which he onelyonly permitteth one and the same worke to be done of others, as it is euill; but as it is good, he effectually worketh the same. Gen. 50.20. You indeede had purposed euill against me, but God decreed that for good, that he might, as he hath done this day, preserue his people aliue. And Gen. 45.7. God hath sent me before you to preserue your posteritie in this land. Esai 10. 5, 6, 7. Woe vntounto Asshur, the rod of my wrath, and the staffe in their hands is mine indignation. I will send him to a dissembling nation, and I will giuegive him a charge against the people of my wrath to take the spoile, & to take the praie, and to tread them vnderunder feete like the myre in the streete. But he thinketh not so, neither doth his heart esteeme it so: but he imagineth to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations.
God permitteth euill, by a certaine volun…arie permission, in that he forsaketh the second cause in working euill. And he for…aketh his creature, either by detracting the grace it had, or not bestowing that which it wanteth. Rom. 1.26. For this cause God gaue them vp vntounto vile affections. 2. Tim. 2.25, 26. Instructing them with meekenes that are contrarie minded, proouing if God at any time will giuegive them repentance, that they may know the trueth, and that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the diuell, which are taken of him at his will:
Neither must we thinke God vniust, who is indebted to none, Rom. 9.15. I will hauehave mercy on him to whome I will shew merciemercy. Yea, it is in Gods pleasure to bestowe how much grace and vponupon whome he will. Matth. 20.15. Is it not lawfull for me to doe as I will with mine owne?
That which is euill, hath some respect of goodnes with God: first, in that it is the punishment of sinne: and punishment is accounted a morall good, in that it is the part of a iust Iudge to punish sinne. Secondly, as it is a meere action or act. Thirdly, as it i… a chastisement, a triall of ones faith, martyrdome, propitiation for sinne, as the death and passion of Christ. Act. 2.23. and 4.24. And if we obserue these caueats, God is not onelyonly a bare permissiue agent in an euill worke, but a powerfull effectour of the same, yet so, as he neither instilleth an aberration into the action, nor yet supporteth, or intēdeth thesame, but that he most freely suffereth euill, and best disposeth of it to his own glorie. The like we may see in this similitude: Let a man spurre forward a lame horse; in that he mooueth forward, the rider is the cause; but that he halteth, he himselfe is the canse. And againe, wee see the sunne beames gathering themselues into a sunne glasse, they burne such things as they light vponupon: now, that they burne, the cause is not in the sunne, but in the glasse. The like may bee said of Gods action in an euill subiect.
CHAP. 7. Of Predestination and Creation.
GOds decree, in as much as it concerneth man, is called Predestination: which is the decree of God, by the which he hath ordained all men to a certaine and euerlasting estate: that is, either to saluation or condemnation, for his owne glorie. 1. Thes. 5.9. For God hath not appointed vsus vntounto wrath, but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 9.13. As it is written, I hauehave loved Iacob, and hated Esau. and vers. 22. What and if God would, to …hewe his wrath, and to make his power knowne, suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction, and that he might declare the riches of his glorie vponupon the vessells of merciemercy, which he hath prepared vntounto glorie?
The meanes of accomplishing Gods Predestination are two fold:
The creation, and the fall.
The creation, is that by which God made all things very good, of nothing, that is, of no matter which was before the creation, Gen. 1.1. In the beginning God created the heauen, &c. to the end of the chapter.
Gods manner of creating, as also of gouerning, is such as that by his word alone, he, without any instruments, meanes, assistance, or motion produced al sorts of things. For to will any thing with God, is both to be able… and to performe it, Heb. 11.3. By faith we vnderstand, that the world was ordained by the word of God, so that the things which wee see, are not made of things which did appeare. Psal. 148.5. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.
The goodnes of the creature, is a kind of excellencie, by which it was void of all sinne, that is, free from punishment and transgression.
The creation, is of the world, or inhabitants in the world.
The world, is a most beutifull palace, framed out of a deformed substance, and fit to be inhabited.
The parts of the world, are the heauens and earth.
The heauens are threefold: the first is the aire, the second the skie, the third an inuisible and incorporall essence, created to bee the seate of all the blessed, both men, and Angels. This third heauen is called Paradise, 2. Cor. 13.4.
The inhabitours of the world, are reasonable creatures made according to Gods owne image: they are either Angels or men, Gen. 1. 26. Furthermore, God said, Let vsus make man in our owne image, according to our likenes. Iob. 1.6. When the children of God came and stood before the Lord, Satan came also among them.
The image of God, is the integritie of the reasonable creature, resembling God in holines, Eph. 4. 24. And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse.
CHAP. 8. Of Angels.
THe Angels each of them beeing created in the beginning, were setled in an vpright estate. In whome these things are to be noted. First their nature. Angels are spirituall and incorporall essences. Heb. 2. 16. For he in no sort tooke the Angels, but he tooke the seede of Abraham. Heb. 1.7. And of the Angels he saith, he maketh the spirits his messengers, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Secondly, their qualities. First, they are wise, 2 Sam. 14.18. My lord the king is euen as an Angel of God in hearing good and badde. 2. They are of great might, 2. Thes. 1.7. When the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels. 2. Sam. 24. Dauid sawe the Angel that smote the people. 2. King. 19.35. The same night the Angel of the Lord went out and smote in the campe of Ashur, an hundreth, fourescore, and fiue thousand. 3. They are swift and of great agilitie, Esay, 6,6, Then flew… one of the Seraphims vntounto me with an hotte cole in his hand. Dan. 9.21… The man Gabriel whome I had seene before in a vision, came flying and touched me. This is the reason why the Cherubins in the Tabernacle were painted with winges.
Thirdly, they are innumerable, Gen. 3.2. Now Iacob wēt forth on his iourney, and the angel of God met him. Dan. …0.7. Thousand thousands ministred vntounto him, and ten thousand thousands stood before him. Matth. 26.25. Thinkest thou I cannot praie to my father, and he will giuegive me moe then twelue legions of Angels? Heb. 12. 22. To the company of innumerable angels.
Fourthly, they are in the highest heauen, where they euer attēd vponupon God, and hauehave societie with him. Mark. 18.10. In heauen their Angels alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heauen. Psal. 68.17. The chariots of God are twentie thousand thousand Angels, and the Lord is among them. Mark. 12.25. But are as Angels in heauen.
Fiftly, their degree. That there are degrees of Angels, it is most plaine. Colos. 1.16. By him were all things created which are in heauen and in earth, things visible and invisible: whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers. Rom. 8.38. Neither Angels, nor principalities, nor powers &c. 1. Thes. 4.16. The Lord shall descend with the voice of the Aarchangel, and with the trumpet of God. But it is not for vsus to search, who, or how many bee of each order, neither ought we curiously to enquire howe they are distinguished, whether in essence, or qualities. Coloss. 2. 18. Let no man at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenes of minde, and worshipping of Angels, advancing himselfe in those things which he neuer saw.
Sixtly, their office. Their office is partly to magnify God, & partly to performe his commandements. Psalme 103. vers. 20. 21. Praise the Lord, ye his Angels that excell in strength, that doe his commandement in obeying the voice of his vvorde. Praise the Lord, all ye his hostes, ye his seruants that doe his pleasure.
Seuenthly: The establishing of some Angels in that integritie, in which they were created.