The Sum of Sacred Divinity, Book 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Of the Eternall Decrees of God.
THE glory of God, which from all EternitieGod being thus in his nature and Perſons moſt glorious, hath further embroidered himſelfe in glory, by two notes of excellency which he taketh to him, Kingdom and Hanour. Kingdome is that whereby he doth excite an abſolute ſoueraigntie toward other. The order whereof, anſwerable to the relation betweene the perſons themſelues, is from the Father in the Sonne, by the Holy Ghoſt; to whom is attributed the immediate doing of them. did ſhine in and to himſelfe, it hath further pleaſed him, both to manifeſt in the exerciſing of a Kingdome, and to inlarge, by taking honour vntounto him. Therefore, our Sauiour in the Lords Prayer, after the Name of God, comprehending his nature and perſons, which hitherto hauehave beene handled, addeth theſe other two: Thy Kingdome come, thy will bee done, &c. By the one he ruleth, by the other his rule is obeyed. This, to ſpeake properly, is not any other Kingdome then that which he had before, but the actuall exerciſe, and putting into practice of that Kingdome or Soueraigntie, which is of his very nature, as our Sauiour doth diſtinguiſh them, Matth. 6. when ſaying, Thy Kingdome come, &c. he addeth by and by, For thine is the Kingdome, &c.
The order or the adminiſtration of it is in this manner: The Father is firſt in Order, not in Power, nor in Time, is the ſupreme working cauſe, who doth whatſoeuer hee doth, in the Sonne, and they both by the holy Spirit: To whom is attributed the immediate doing of them, nor as if eyther the Sonne or Spirit were inſtruments to worke by, but both of them be principall efficient cauſes and they all, that one and the ſame God that worketh all in all. The place for this diuerſitie of working, is manifeſt …n the Epiſtle to the Romanes, aRom. 8. 11.But if the Spirit of him that rayſed Ieſus from the dead, dwell in you, hee that rayſed Chriſt from the dead, will quicken alſo your mortall bodies by his Spirit dwelling in you. Here (as you ſee) all is comprehended. The Father quickening in Chriſt, by his Spirit that dwelleth in vsus; for to this end hee maketh mention of Chriſts rayſing from the dead. More cleere betweene the Father and the Sonne, is that to the b1. Cor. 8. 6.Corinthians, But vntounto vsus there is one God, The Father from whom are all things, and one Lord Ieſus Chriſt, through whom are all things. From, he giueth to the Father as the Fountaine of the Action: Through, to the Sonne, in regard of the perſonall Diſtinction. So in the Epiſtle to the cHeb. 1. 2.Hebrewes, Through his Sonne hee made the World. Of the Holy Ghoſt alſo it is ſaid, By his dIob 26. 13.…pirit he beautified the Heauens. And our Sauiour, Iohn 16. 14. He ſhall glorifie me, for he ſhall receiue of mine, and ſhew it vntounto you: whoſe proper kind of working (as the next and immediate cauſe of all things) is moſt liuely ſet forth, e1. Cor. 12. 4, 5, …, 7, …, 10, 11.1. Cor. 12. Now there are differences of gifts, but the ſame ſpirits, & there are differēces of Miniſteries, but the ſame Lord. And there are differences of working, but there is the ſame God who worketh all in all. But to eueryevery one is giuen the manifeſtation of the Spirit to profit: for vntounto one by the Spirit is giuen the Word of Wiſedome, and to another the Word of Knowledge, by the ſame Spirit, and to another, Faith by the ſame Spirit, and to another the gifts of healing by the ſame Spirit, and to another the working of Powers, and to another Prophecie, and to another diſcerning of Spirits, and to another kinds of Tongues, and to another interpretation of Tongues. But all theſe things worketh one and the ſame Spirit, diſtributing them ſeuerally to eueryevery one as he pleaſeth.
This Kingdome ſtandeth in three things, whereof the firſt are his Purpoſes, or Decrees. Then his Creation, andThe Kingdom of God hath two parts, purpoſe & workes. Purpoſe is his Decree before all times of eueryevery thing. thirdly, the Gouernment of the World: the Apoſtle reduceth them vntounto two, purpoſe, and workes, Epheſ. 1. 21. Who worketh all things after the counſell of his will. In the Counſels and Workes of God (putting them both together) fiue things may be noted, one proper to the purpoſe of God, the other in common, appertayning both to his Workes and Purpoſe.
The firſt is, as touching the Eternitie of this Decree, that it is before all times, that is to ſay, from euerlaſting.
The ſecond, is the generalitie of his Diſpenſation, that it ſtretcheth it ſelfe to all things, to wit, to all kinds, and each particular of eueryevery kind.
Thirdly, the relation betweene his Purpoſe and Workes, that he effecteth nothing, which before he hath not decreed, decreeth nothing, which in time hee doth not effect: whereupon followeth the ineuitable neceſſitie of the execution of his counſels.
The fourth is, touching the Lords moſt free and abſolute ſtroke in this whole diſpenſation.
Laſtly, That all this is proper vntounto God, within the compaſſe of one▪ of which will fall whatſoeuer wee are to ſpeake, concerning the Gouernment and Kingdome of God. The Apoſtle in that one ſentence elegantly comprehendeth all: for in ſaying, Him that worketh, &c. meaning God, he ſheweth the ſupreme cauſe before aſſigned, and maketh it proper to God, by calling him as it were by that name, and ſaying all things, hee leaueth nothing free. Now where he addeth; recording to the purpoſe, & after the counſell: he giueth to vnderſtand, that nothing is wrought but that which is decreed, nothing decreed, but in time it is effected. In which words, of purpoſe & counſell, the Eternity of this Decree is alſo included, as fore-running all his Works, yea, the firſt worke of Creation it ſelfe. Laſtly, the free-will of God is expreſſed in adding, after the counſell of his will: But for a better view to be taken of them all, let vsus handle theſe three apart. Therefore to begin with his Purpoſes, or Decrees, obſerue in them three things.
Firſt, The Eternitie of thoſe Decrees: for as God himſelfe is eternall, ſo are his deep and vnſearchable counſels, all of them written and decreed, or euer the World was. And as fPſal. 93. ….He is from euerlasting, ſo is his Throne and Kingdome, in the diſpenſation of his great and glorious purpoſes, eſtabliſhed before any time. In which regard, the Pſalmiſt gPſal. 78. 69.ſaith of the Land of Canaan, That he founded it for his people the Iewes, from euerlaſting: meaning, in his eternall counſell: and hEſay 45. 7.ESAY: Since I dispoſed an euerlaſting people, the Church in the purpoſe and appointment of God eternally elected. And when the Pſalmiſt iPſal. 103. 17.cryeth out, The kindneſſes of IEHOVAH are from euerlaſting to euerlaſting, doth he not euidently point hereat? But more cleerely to this purpoſe, ſerueth that of Paul, kEpheſ. 3. 11,commending the excellency of the Doctrine of the Goſpell, in the gathering together of the Churches of the Gentiles aſwell as Iewes, in that it was according to his euerlaſting purpoſe. As alſo l1. Cor. 2. 7.in another place hee ſaith of the Wiſedome of God, lying hid in the Myſtery of the Goſpell, that God had fore-ordayned it before the World. And of Chriſt, Peter m1. Pet. 1. 20.ſaith, that he was fore-appointed before the foundation of the World was layd. The truth hereof not onelyonly ſhineth forth in theſe and other great and high points of our Faith, and namely, of Election, and Reprobation (which come hereafter to be conſidered) but reacheth farther, and hath a place in all. So nPſal. 193. 15. 16.Dauid ſpeaketh of his conception (an ordinary courſe of nature) When I was ſecretly framed, and as it were curiouſly wrought and wouen together, thine eyes did ſee my very lumpe, what time they were faſhioned▪ yea, euen then when none of them was extant: that is, from euerlaſting. And the ſaying of Iames oActs 15. 18.hath no exception, All the workes of God are knowne to him from Eternitie. In this Argument, I finde that the Prophet Eſay (from whom the Apoſtles, p2. Pet. 2. 3. foreign.Peter and Iude, ſeeme qIude verſe 4. foreign.to hauehave taken it) delighteth himſelfe much to ſet out the Eternitie of Gods Decrees by the Phraſe of Long rforeignagoe. In the two and twentieth ſEſay 22. 5, 8, 11.Chapter, Thou diddeſt looke in that day, (when the enemie did beſiege you) to the Armour of the Forreſt, Houſe, &c. But ye looke …ot to the Authour of it▪ nor had respect to him that framed it long agoe. Chap. 25. The tEſay 25. 1.counſels long agoe (eternally decreed, and in their time propheſied, and made knowne to the Church) are Faith and Truth. And ſo himſelfe doth in another uEſay 37. 26.place expound it, to import as much as from all Eternitie.
Secondly, The cauſe why all things are ſo decreed, is not the knowledge or fore-knowledge of God, but his abſolute will and pleaſure, for cauſes reſting onelyonly in himſelfe, although vnknowne to vsus, yet moſt iuſt and holy, Epheſ. 1. 11. Hee worketh all things after the counſell of his will.
Thirdly, The generalitie, in that hee hath decreed all things, and all the meanes and circumſtances of eueryevery thing, Acts 15. 18. All the workes of God are knowne to him (that is, purpoſed and decreed of him) from Eternitie. So that whatſoeuer experience ſheweth, or the Word of God confirmeth to come to paſſe in Heauen, or in Earth, or in the loweſt Hell, both the confounding of the wicked, the Saluation of the Elect, and the things that pertayne to the buſineſſe and affaires of this life, the ſame are all eternally decreed of God; and that for his owne good pleaſure onelyonly: the xEpheſ. 11. 1.Apoſtle bearing witneſſe, That hee worketh all things after the counſell of his will.