The Eye and Wheel of Providence, Chapter 1
Chap. 1. The Text opened, an Introduction to this Work.
THe words are an anſwer to the Jews that perſecuted our Saviour, and ſought to ſlay him, for healing one on the Sabbath-day, that had been diſeaſed thirty eight years. Chriſt pleadeth with them in the defence of his fact, to let them ſee, and the world know, that he had done nothing but what was lawfull and juſtifiable. He might have told them; what though it were unlawfull upon the Sabbath-day to do any ſervile work, except with limitation about the Sacrifices in the Temple, Mat. 12.5, 6. yet it's lawfull to cure as I do; for I uſe no work, but do all by my Word; now it was ever held lawfull to ſpeak on the Sabbath-day. But by his anſwer he fully inſtructeth us in the doctrine of the Sabbath: they might have remembred that he was Law-maker and Lord of the Sabbath, and therefore not tied by the Law: for though it be a Queſtion in policy, whether the Law made or the Law-maker be the greater; yet it's no Queſtion in Divinity, but that the Law-giver is above the Law; for he doth not command and enjoyn things, becauſe they be good as men do; but his willing of them, altereth the nature of them, and maketh them good. The ground of the Jews opinion was,Ceſſavit ab opere ſine labore ſolo nutu. God the Father …eſted on the ſeventh day from all …is work which he had made, Gen. ….2. this Chriſt denieth not, but ex…licateth the meaning thereof. It is …rue! my Father reſted the ſeventh …ay from all his work, and yet he worketh hitherto; that is, he ceaſed …rom his former work, without la…our, with a word or a beck, with…ut the leaſt difficulty: or as Aqui…as Aquinas ad loc.well noteth; he reſted the ſeventh day, à novis Creaturis condendis, …rom making any new Creatures; yet he worketh hitherto, Creaturas …n eſſe conſervando, by preſerving his Creatures in their being: or thus; he reſted the ſeventh day from making any new world, or from any new kinds of Creatures. This reſt of God is not an abſolute reſt from doing any thing at all, (for ſuch a …eſt contradicteth the nature of God) …ont is a reſpective reſt, and a ceaſing to do any work of any kind of thoſe his ſix dayes works, in which the Heavens and the Earth, and all the Hoſts of them were fully furniſhed and finiſhed. But God the Father worketh hitherto.]
Mio padre opera infin ad hora, & ancora io opero. Ital.1. In governing the created World, and Kingdome of nature, according to the enacted Lawes thereof.
2. By ſetting up in the Kingdome of nature a Kingdome of Grace. And
3. By means of the Laws of both duely adminiſtred, to promote both finally to a ſtate of glory. So that God is not idle in his Sabbath or reſting day,Ut Filium Creatorem, nòn Creaturam intelligeres, nòn attulit Creaturae operantis exemplum ſed Patris. Chryſoſt. ad loc. Loquitur Chriſtus de admirandis operibus, quibus divina potentia & bonitas hic omni tempore patefit. Hyper. Method. Theol l. 1. that hath ſo much ſacred and holy work to do, about the doing whereof our Saviour ſaith here, My Father worketh hitherto.
And I work;
That is, as my Father worketh in the daily governing, preſerving, and ſuſtentation of all his Creatures; even ſo I (that am his Son) having power and example from him, to work thoſe things that are conducing to the good of mankind, am not lett by the obſervation of the Sabbath, to do that work which my Father hath commanded, (for Chriſt ſpeaks here of thoſe admirable works, in which the power and wiſdome of God are manifeſt at all times) if therefore the Father by preſerving, governing, upholding,Commendat hic locus divinam nobis providentiam, & Patris & Filii eandem eſſe poteſtatem, & operationem, quod viz divinam attinet naturam. Bulling. ad loc. Non intelligendum eſt de ſimilitudine, ſed de paritate aut conjunctione operationis Patris cum Filio; nequis eorum actiones dividat. Greg. Nazianz. ad loc. Deus finito illo opere Creationis ſpacio ſex dierum, ceſſavit quidem ab opere Creationis die ſeptimo, verùm ab opere adminiſtrationis & gubernationis, jàm indè à condito mundo nullo unquàm die ceſſavit, ne illo quidèm Sabbathi, in quo tùm primùm ceſſavit ab opere Creationis, ne que enim adhùc ceſſat: continuò enim ac indeſinentèr res à ſe creatas tuetur ac ſuſtinet. Rolloc. ad loc. and bleſſing all things which he hath made, doth not break the reſt of the Sabbath; neither do I violate the Sabbath, in healing this impotent man on the Sabbath-day.
My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Hence I ſhall take occaſion to ſpeak ſomething on the Doctrine of Providence, and lay down this point of Inſtruction.
Doctr. That the Providence of God is alwayes in operation.
My Father worketh hitherto, &c.] God having finiſhed that work of Creation in the ſpace of ſix dayes, reſted from that work on the ſeventh day; but from the work of his providence, and governing the things he hath made, he never reſted one day from the Creation of the World. In ſix dayes the Creation of the World was finiſhed, but the government thereof is perpetuall, and God continually worketh in preſerving and maintaining the order thereof, even as the Apoſtle ſaith; In him we live, move, and have our being, Act. 17.28. I ſhall not ſpeak of the providence of God as it is potentiall and immanent, but as it is actuall and tranſient, as it is the execution of his Decree in governing the World.