A Discourse of the Judgments of God, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Of the much higher Elevation of Reaſon into Chriſtianity, received from the improvement of innate and revealed Principles concerning Judgments.
HItherto we have from evidence of ſenſe ſtated things, as if man finding them in a poſture generally adverſe to him, were by his own wiſdom and virtue to make the beſt of himſelf, and to riſe by it, as much above the condition of the creatures below him, as his underſtanding exceeds theirs: and diſcourſing thus, we have fathomed the excellencies of Chriſtian Religion, without which Morality ſinks very low. But we come now into a debate upon thoſe Principles ingraffed in mans heart, heightned by the Word of God, even as the ſenſitive Soul is elevated by the preſence of the rational; or as the reaſon is advanced by the Spirit of God inhabiting it, viz. That there is a God, an Eternal condition, that all calamities upon humane Nature are from God and his Juſtice for ſin.
And who that is wiſe would leave ſo ſtrong a ſenſe as his Soul hath of theſe things, unſatisfied, unanſwered? Or why ſhould a man be truly dealt with by his eye and ear, his taſt and touch, and that common ſenſe that weilds them, and deceived by that inward intelligence, his mind? Why ſhould it be true, there are wars, plagues, &c. and that theſe are grievous and deſtructive; and not be true, that God puniſhes by them? Senſe is ſure of the one, innate reaſon of the other; the reports of which are as confident and earneſt, and if heeded, moſt prevailing and effective: For as the univerſality of men believe ſenſe about its own objects, ſo do they acknowledge theſe Principles even againſt themſelves, when in their evil actions they wander from them. If evil practice be taken for an argument againſt good Principles, why is not ſelf-condemnation for that evil practice, a much ſtronger argument on their ſide, eſpecially ſeeing it is taken for no ſufficient Plea againſt aſſurance of ſenſe, that men moſt conſiderable disbelieve it, and act contrary to it (wherein it pretends beyond it ſelf againſt truer dictates) that they may obey the ſadder reſolves of their minds? Or who that is any thing ſuſpitious and examinative, as every man in this wilderneſs of things hath reaſon to be, would be careleſs of ſo valuable and reverend a Record as the Word of God? which he ſees ſo great and wiſe a part of men for ſeveral Ages, have had ſuch an awe of, and found ſo great an efficacy in. Every one conſcious of reaſon in himſelf, cannot but attend to him that ſpeaks gravely and rationally, and think him worthy to be heard, and the more, when he knows he is eſteemed and attended to by thoſe of whom he is bound to think, if he have underſtanding himſelf, they have it alſo. But moſt of all in this caſe, he hath cauſe to beware how he deſpiſes, when he converſes with that ſo venerable a repreſentation of things, that vouches it ſelf to be divine, and is ſo received by ſo great and grave an Aſſembly, as the Church of God in all Ages; into which if he patiently and ſeriouſly inquire, and adviſe with it, he ſhall find ſuch an auguſt preſence of truth in it, that he muſt needs acknowledge more then humane. For as men print their Souls, and the ſtrength of reaſon they carry, into their writings, and he that reads them intelligently, traces the ſagacity of that mind that moved in them, gilding its own paths; ſo is the wiſdom of God to be found in his Word, and that power and ſenſe of mans Soul that judges of things divine, as reaſon in general doth of rational, will ſay, God is in it of a truth.
Let us then obſerve the Oracles of our own minds, and thoſe livelier of the Scripture concerning Judgments, and what muſt neceſſarily be inferred from them.
Firſt, it is plain from hence, affliction hath no root of its own, nor doth it riſe up out of the duſt; it is not only the unavoidable claſh of things one againſt another, but all the unhappineſs and pain that is in the world, muſt be an adminiſtration of an infinite Righteouſneſs and Power, who hath all the organs of evil in his own power, aad no inſtrument of it is out of his hand. This is the preſent reſolve of mans mind: For as the Soul of man can riſe no higher in its thoughts, or ſurmiſes of any thing or Being then to God; ſo if it be not ſtupified, as in ſenſeleſs ignorant men, or ſtopped and forced to be quiet, as in the Atheiſt, it cannot reſt, but ſearches and ſoars, and mounts it ſelf, till it comes to ſomething infinite, perfect, divine; and when it is come thither, it moſt plainly profeſſes it can go no further, it being impoſſible to exceed abſolutely perfect and infinite.
Thus it is in the general, and thus it is in this particular caſe, viz. in the queſt it makes after the higheſt cauſe of evil, it cannot ſtay till it diſcovers God; it cannot be ſtill lower, nor ſtir higher then him; the under-ſcale of things ſerves only to lead up to him.
For though all things are indeed formidable from their power to hurt; yet if they cannot move themſelves, but are guided by a ſuperior hand, we muſt go up to that, ere we underſtand the head of our unhappineſs: when we find this to be God, who is a Being infinitely good, we know he afflicts not willingly, he is diſpleaſed & angry becauſe of ſin, which puts the Soul into a neceſſary agony of ſeeking reconcilement with him.
The being of man is ſo lovely to him, that he cannot but deſire to preſerve it; and yet the well-being of this being is ſo much more deſirable, that he had rather quit it, then retain it miſerable: From hence ariſe thoſe fears and ſuſpitions we have of every thing, which our reaſon and experience tell us can do us injury: but our greateſt fear muſt needs be of the greateſt evil, the wrath of God. For it is the fear of a power above us, that can reach us at pleaſure, that is always preſent to us, that comprehends all ways of puniſhment, ſo that it cannot be prevented or impeded, nor can we ſave any thing from it: when a man draws out himſelf to a longer Being, and finds himſelf conſigned for Eternity, the knowledge of God eternal in his wrath, continues his fears to that Eternity; there being the ſubject and principle of this wrath coaeval.
It is palpably vain to enter a Covenant with little and petite powers of evil, to make our peace by, when this greateſt is inſecured; whoſe power is, as the Heavens to the Earth, that flows round about it, and compaſſes it every way. But when a man is at peace with God, the whole body of evil is ſetled, commanded, and compoſed.
The Scripture therefore to correct our vain fears, and to guide that paſſion or affection of fear aright, goes down to the very center of it, and with trueſt wiſdom explains to us the great object of it, God, and that firſt Mover of all miſery, his wrath and diſpleaſure, the ſuſpenſion of which is the quiet of the world, the removal of it our eternal conſolation.
It is therefore of greateſt neceſſity we make our peace with him; for then we have a league with all: before this every whiſper and ruſtle, every noiſe of danger alarms our quiet; yea, the very ſurmiſes we have of unknown powers, thoſe very unſhapely and inconſiſtent ſuſpitions affright us, becauſe we are ſo placed, that we are ever offered at by danger; the waves are always rolling towards us, and we can never be truly quiet, till we are reconciled to him, who ſays to theſe proud waters, Hither ſhall ye go, and no further.
Reconcilement with God lyes in a moſt wiſe and ponderous method of things; for he being the higheſt reaſon, and not a force or power only, the pureſt Holineſs and Righteouſneſs, and not a meer irreſiſtable ſtrength, our ſafety ſtands in agreement with thoſe Attributes, according to which he governs every thing, and ſeeing he is alſo infinite in beneficence and Grace, we have the advantage of all expectations from that Grace, either as it is impreſſed upon our minds, together with the apprehenſions we have of a God, or more clearly diſcovered in the Goſpel; the declarations of which are always ready to unite with thoſe ſecret intimations in mans Soul, conveyed thither for this very purpoſe.
The fundamental peace of a man lyes in his conformities to God in Holineſs and Goodneſs, without which it is hardly poſſible for it ſo much as to imagine its peace after cold conſideration of it, there being no overthrowing ſo deep a ſenſe, as conſcience hath of this; for it ariſes from the moſt intimate perſwaſions we have of God, as a Nature infinitely pure, and thoſe we have alſo of our own Souls, whoſe due perfection and accompliſhment is a participation of the divine Nature, or likeneſs; and therefore from the correlation between God and the Soul, flows that pertinacious exaction of the Soul from it ſelf, that it be good and holy, that it may have peace with God.
But becauſe the Soul finds ſo much diſorder and contrariety in it ſelf to that awful Law, ſo many tranſgreſſions againſt it, that cannot be undone; it can have no reſt here, but needs ſomething that may countervail that guilt within it. There can be none ſo convenient, ſo great and potent, as the pardoning mercy of God in Jeſus Chriſt, who by his obedience to death in our Nature, carries up the ſupreme forgiveneſs of God.
Yet this not exhauſting that Principle and perſwaſion of the Soul, that it muſt be inwardly good; it is moſt neceſſary the Doctrine of pardon by a Saviour ſhould be filled with a ſpirit and influence of Holineſs, that this grace may not ſeem proſtituted as an indulgence to ſin.
Thus the foundations of our peace ſtand upon the free Grace of God, and ſincerity of Holineſs, as an evidence we are within the compaſs of that Grace: To aſſure which, the very ſame Spirit of Holineſs, alone able to diffuſe the comforts of this peace, comes in and anoints the Soul with the Joy of it, till it enters into the full poſſeſſions of Salvation, which is the final acquittal from evil.
Evil may in the mean time be uſed for chaſtiſement, and higher inticement to Holineſs, but loſes its ſting, when that Juſtice that armed it, is ſatisfied.
Thus a man acting upon the Principles of his own mind, when he finds himſelf oppreſſed with evil, is led into the Doctrine of Chriſtianity; for obſerving the hand-writing upon himſelf, he reads God the Author of affliction; hence flows the ſenſe of ſin, ſince God afflicts not without cauſe: ſenſe of ſin and the diſpleaſure of God upon it, makes it neceſſary to inquire after the Doctrine of pardon and repentance. Theſe are no where in their Oriency, but in the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt: The Doctrine of pardon and peace carry a man into expectations of good from God. This being not found here, the Soul is ſent to the promiſes of Eternal life, made known and brought to light by Chriſt. Theſe give joy in tribulations, and hope of the Glory of God. This crowns the Soul, and ſets it triumphant over all evil in the world.
Leſs then this can give us no true ſenſe or conſtruction of the great miſeries of our condition, nor with reaſon cluck us out of them into ſo much as the diſcourſe of laſting reſt and ſafety.
The Soul of man ſo buſie as it is, firſt to inquire the reaſons of its unhappineſs, then to find the remedies of it, hath great advantage of accepting that truth which tells it all that is within it concerning theſe things, and explains them ſo far, that it finds it ſelf at the very utmoſt ends of theſe wonders, and to have as much made known of them, as is to be known.
Thus out of the eater comes forth meat and ſweetneſs, out of evil conſidered by the mind of man, either acting its own reaſon, and ſecuring it ſelf the beſt it can againſt what it cannot remove, or turning it ſelf upon thoſe Principles ingraffed within it, that lead it to the ſource and Antidotes of miſery: Both which convey it to the Diſcipline of Jeſus Chriſt, as the true relief of humane condition, and its infelicity.