Treatise of Divinity, Book 2 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
SO much in generall of Gods vertues. Secondly, in speciall, the vertues which imply not imperfection in the reasonable creature, are attributed to God. The principall of which are
1. Bounty or Graciousnesse, Gods bounty. God is like a most liberall housholder, which takes order that nothing in his house or about it shall want that which is necessary, further then the fault is in it selfe.by which God shewes favour to the creatures freely, and that either commonly or specially; 1. Commonly, when he exerciseth beneficence and liberality toward all creatures, powring upon them plentifully all goods of nature, body, mind and fortune, so that there is nothing which tasteth not of the inexhausted fountaine of his blessings and goodnesse. Matth. 5. 44, 45. Psal. 36. 5, 6. Gods bounty is a will in him to bestow store of comfortable and beneficiall things on the creature in his kind. This bounty he shewed to all things in the creation, even to all Spirits, all men and all creatures, and doth in great part shew still, for he opens his hand and filleth every living thing with his bounty, he gives all things richly to enjoy.He gives more then we aske, and before we aske. Vb…rior gratia quam precatio.
2. Specially toward the Church, by which he bestoweth eternall life on certaine men fallen by sinne, and redeemed in Christ, Titus 2. 11. & 3. 4. As this is exercised toward the whole Church, so in a speciall manner toward some members of it, as toward Enoch, 2 Chron. …0. 7.Moses, Jacob, David, Paul, and especially Abraham, Esay 41 8 James 2. 23.who is therefore often called the Friend of God; he made with him and his seed a perpetuall league of friendship, and he constantly kept his Lawes and Statutes, John 15. 14, 15.
Gods Graciousnesse is an essentiall property, whereby he is in and of himselfe most gracious and amiable, Psal. 145. 8. God is onelyonly gracious in and of himselfe, and whatsoever is amiable and gracious, is so from him.
Gods Graciousnesse is that*Gratia est, qua Deus in seipso est ama…il…s, sua…que creaturae favet & benefacit, unde hoc respectu gratia Dei est favor quo creaturas suas & inprimis hemi…es prosequitur. Wendelinus. whereby he is truely amiable in himselfe, and freely bountifull unto his creatures, cherishing them tenderly without any desert of theirs, Psal. 86. 15. & 111. 5. Gen. 43. 29.
God is gracious to all, Psal. 145. 8, 9, 10. but especially to such whom he doth respect in his wel-beloved Sonne, Jesus Christ. Exod. 33. 19. Es…y 30. 19. Luke 1. 30. Gen. 6. 8. 1 Cor. 15. 10. Gods free favour is the cau…e of our salvation, and of all the meanes tending thereunto, Rom. 3. 24. & 5. 15, 16. Ephes. 1. 5, 6. & 2. 4. Rom. 9. 16. Titus 3. 5. Heb 4. 16. Rom. 6. 23. 1 Cor. 12. 4, 9. The gospell sets forth the freenesse, fulnesse, and the powerfulnesse of Gods grace to his Church, therefore it is called the Gospe… of the grace of God, Acts 20. 24.
Gods Graciousnesse is firme and unchangeable, so that those which are once beloved, can never be rejected, or utterly cast off, Psal. 77. 10.
God bestoweth, 1. Good things. 2. Freely. 3. Plentifully. Psal. 111. 4. 4. In a speciall manner He is gracious toward the godly.
Love is 1. grounded often on something which may deserve it; the grace*Dr. Jackson▪ of Gods Attributes, l. 1. c. 14. of God is that love of his which is altogether free 2. Grace is such a kind of love as flows from a superiour to an inferiour; love may be in inferiours toward their superiours▪
We should be also liberall in our services toward God, in our prayers and good works.
We should desire and strive to obtaine the grace and favour of God.Consectaries of Gods graciousnesse. David often calleth on God to cause his face to shine upon him, and to lift up the light of his countenance upon him. The holy Patriarkes often desired to finde grace in the eyes of the Lord. It is better then life to him that hath it; it is the most satisfying content in the world, to have the soule firmely setled in the apprehension of Gods goodnesse to him in Christ. It will comfort and stablish the soule in the want of all outward things, in the very houre of death. 2. It is attainable: those that seeke Gods face shall finde him.
Meanes of purchasing Gods favour.
1. Take notice that your sinnes have worthily deprived you of his favour, and presse these thoughts upon you till you feele your misery; meditate on the law, to shew you your cursednesse.
2. Consider of the gracious promises of the Gospell, and see the grace of God in Christ. His grace was exce…ding abundant, saith the Apostle.
3. Confesse and bewaile your sins, with a full purpose of amendment, and cry to God for grace in Christ.
This staies our hearts when we apprehend our owne unworthinesse;Psalm 103. 8 9. God is gracious and shewes mercy to the undeserving,1 Pet. 5. 16. the ill deserving. 2. We should acknowledge that all grace in us doth come from him the fountaine of grace,Nehe. 9. 17, 31. and we should go boldly to the Throne of grace,Rom. 5. 20, 21. and beg grace of him for our selves and others, Heb 4. 16. Paul in all his Epistles saith, grace be unto you. We should take heed of encouraging our selves in s…nne, because God is gracious; this is to turn Gods grace into wantonnesse. We should frequent the Ordinances, where God is graciously present, and ready to bestow all his graces on us; the word begets grace, prayer increaseth it, and the Sacraments seale it.
It refutes 1. the Papists,Ephes. 2. 9. 2 Tim. l. 9. which boast of their own merits; By the grace of God I am that I am, 1 Cor. 15. 10. Rom. 11. 6. By grace we are saved, B…na mea …. Aug. l. 10. confess. c. 4. Every one is born with a Pope in his belly, men had rather be saved by something of their own then be beholding to Christ for salvation. Ignorant people say, they hope to be …aved by their good deeds and meaning.Ephes. 2. 8. They distinguish grace into that which is gratis data freely given, as the worke of miracles, the gift of prophesying, and that which is gratum faciens making us accepted, as faith and love are graces making us accepted; but the grace which maketh us accepted is freely given, therefore they are not opposite members. 2. The Arminians (the patrons of mans free will, and enemies of Gods free grace) who say that a man may so farre improve naturals as to merit grace, and that God gives effectually grace to the wicked which*Dr. Twisse in a Manuscript. shall never be saved, to Judas as well as Paul. How is that effectuall, which moving men unto faith and repentance, doth never bring them to one nor other? it seems these Remonstrants never learnt this Lesson, A…minio praeceptore; for he defines effectuall grace to be that quae sortitur effectum, which obtaines the effect.In Johannem tract. 81. They say that a man without Gods grace may keepe all Gods Commandements, whereas Christ saith not (as Augustine notes) John 15. 5. without me you can doe little, but without me you can doe nothing. Haec recitasso est refutasse.
It comforts us against sinne, and feare of eternall death, Rom. 5. 20, 21. Paul and Silas sung in prison.
We ought to love and reverence God above all; and returne praise to him for his free goodnesse; gracious and amiable men winne love and reverence from others. Some Divines thinke David is called a man after Gods owne heart, especially for his frequent praising of God in the Psalmes. We should learn contentation and patience also under Gods hand, and to beare losses quietly in these times, since all that we have we received freely from God. This was Jobs argument, The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken, though he was plundered by the Chaldeans and the Sabeans.
2. Mercy, which is as it were a sence of anothers misery, with a prompt and ready inclination of the will to helpe the creatures freely in their miseries.Exod. 33. 19. & 34. 6. This affection God challengeth as proper to himselfe, and glories in it. Heroicke and Noble Spirits are most gentle and mercifull;Psalm 103. …. cruelty is a signe of a weake and base mind. This mercifull nature of God although it principally appeare toward man, as appeares by the Lawes given concerning orphanes,Exod. 22. 22. Esay 30. 18. Lament. 3. 22. Titus 3. 5. Exod. 34. 6, 7. Ephes. 2. 4. Rom. 4. 19. & 11. 30, 31. widdowes, strangers, poore, and others oppressed with any calamity, yet his mercy is exercised also toward the bruit beasts, Deut. 22. 4, 6, 7. Exo. 23. 5. 11. 12.
Mercy is a disposition toward the creature considered as sinfull and miserable by his sinne.
It is a readinesse to take a fit course for the helping of the miserable, or it is an Attribute in God*Misericordia est, qua propensus est Deus ad succurrendum su… creaturis in aliqua miseria constitutis, iisque re ipsa succurrit. Wendelinus. whereby the Lord of his free love is ready to succour those that be in misery, Judges 2. 18. & 10. 26. He is called the father of mercies, 2 Cor. 1. 3. said to be abundant in mercy, 1 Pet. 1. 3. rich in mercy, Ephes. 2. 4. He hath a multitude of mercies, Psal. 51. 1. is said to be of tender mercy, Luke 1. 58. to have bowels of mercy, Psalmxs 40. 12. Gods mercy in Scripture usually hath some epithite: Matchlesse, Jer. 3. 1. Great, Nehem. 13. 22. Everlasting, Psal. 25. 6. Luke 1. 50. Free, Ephes. 2.
Gods mercy to his Church shines in these things,The Scripture hath three notable words to expresse the fulnesse of Gods mercy in Christ, Ephes. 2. 7. Rom. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 1. 14. 3 foreign put upon Gods mercy. 1. In passing by her infirmities, Exod. 34. 7. 2. In accepting her endeavours. 3. In correcting, 1. sparingly. 2. unwillingly. 4. In providing all things needfull for it.
Mercy in God is not any passion or quality as it is in men,Luke 1. 50. 54. Psalm 48. 2, 3. & 89. 28. but it is the very divine essence it selfe, and therefore*Ephes. … ▪ 4. 1 Pet. 1. 3. perpetuall and in…inite, such as no tongue can expresse.
Mercy in God and in us differ.
1. It is in him essentially, in us as a quality.
2. In him primarily,Mercy and compassion d…ffer onelyonly in the ex…rinsecall denominations taken from different objects. Compassion is good will toward othe…s provoked from notice of their misery; mercy is an excesse of bounty not estranged from ill deserves in distresse. in us secondarily.
Gods mercy is the cause of all mercy, it is without motive or worth in us, naturall, free, Rom. 9. 18. boundlesse, extends to a mans soule, body, this life, the next; to a man and his posterity, Exod. 34 6, 7. it is above all his workes, Psal. 145. 9. it is beyond his promise, and our expectation.
Reasons.
1. Whatsoever good and commendable thing is to be found in the creature,That God hath mercy in h…m. that must needs be found eminently and excellently in the Creator, from whom it is derived to the creature; and who could not derive it t… the creature, if he had it not more perfectly in himselfe. Now mercy is to be found in all good men, and it is a lovely and commendable thing in them, such as begets good will and liking towards them; therefore it is much more fully in God.
2. He hath great mercy in him; if God be mercifull at all, he must needs be mercifull in great measure,He is ready to forgive more sinnes th…n we can imagine. yea above all measure, beyond all degrees, in all perfection; for the essence of God is infinite, and his wisdome, power, and mercy are inf…nite.
There is a mercy of God which extends to all his creatures, Psal. 145. 9. Luke 6. 35.Luke 6. 11. God is mercifull unto all men, but especially to some*Exod. 20. 6. The mercy of God which reacheth to the pardon of sin, is peculiar to the Catholick Church. men whom he hath chosen unto himselfe.
The speciall mercy of God is offered unto all within the Church, Ezech. 16. 6. Acts 13. 40. but is bestowed onelyonly upon some, viz. such as receive Christ, John 1. 11, 12.
This life is the time of mercy, wherein we obtaine pardon for sinne; after this life there is no remission or place for repentance.
All blessings Spiritual and Corporeall are the effects of Gods mercy.Esay 33. 24. Luk… 16. 24, …5 Titus 3. 5. Luke 1. 77, 78. Lament. 3. 2…. Common blessings of his generall mercy, speciall blessings of his speciall mercy.
The effects of Gods speciall mercy, are
1. The giving of Christ for us. 2. His Word. 3. Justification. 4. Sanctification. 5. giving his Spirit for a comforter in our griefes and afflictions, I…hn 14. 16. 6. The Sacraments.
Mercy must accord with wisdome,On what terms God will shew mercy. justice, and truth; therefore those that stoope to justice by acknowledging their offence, and worthinesse to be punisht for it, and are sorry they have so offended, and …esolve to offend so no more, and earnestly also implore Gods mercy, shall partake of it. The Lord is plenteous in mercy to all which call upon him, and the Lords delight is in them which feare him, and hope in his mercy. Judge your selves, and you shall not be judged; humble your selves under the hand of God,2 To whom he will shew merciemercy. and he will exalt you. On these termes he will shew mercy universally to all, which submit to him thus, and seeke to him for mercy, without any exception of person, fault, time.
Quest. Whether mercy and justice be equall in God, and how can he be most just and most mercifull?
Answ. Mercy and Justice may be considered ad intra, as they are essentiall properties in God, and so he is equally just as well as mercifull. 2. Ad extra, as he puts himselfe forth into the outward exercise of mercy and punishment. In this latter sence, we must distinguish between this present time, where mercy triumphs against judgement,E…si omnes h… m…nes Deus damnaret un… excepto, tame… adhuc major esset misericordia quam judicium, nimirum quia nullum … judicii divini effectum …isi propter merita eorum qui damnantu…: at miseric…rdia nulla invenit merita. Chamier. … 3. lib. 7. c. 8. Misericordia & justitia Dei in se & quatenu… in Deo sunt, pares sunt; respectu effect…rum & objectorum major est miseri…ordia. Wendelinus. Jam. 2. 13. and the day of judgement, that is a time of justice and retribution to the wicked, and so David speaking of this present time, saith, All thy waies are mercy and truth, Psalm 25. and that of the Schooles is true, remunerat ultra condignum, punit infra.
Gods justice and mercy are both infinite and equall in him, onelyonly in regard of man there is an inequality. For God may be said to be more mercifull unto them that are saved then just to them that are damned; for the just cause of damnation is in man, but of salvation is wholy from God. In himselfe and originally they are both equall, and so are all his attributes; but in respect of the exercise and expression upon his creatures and abroad in the world, there is some difference. Mr Bolton on Prov. 18. 14.
1. We should believe this point, labour to be fully perswaded in our hearts that Gods mercies are great and many; he hath preventing mercies; how many sinnes hath he preserved thee from? 2. sparing mercies, Lam. 3. 22. behold Gods severity towards others, and mercy toward thee; 3. renewing mercies; 4. pardoning mercies. He is willing and ready to helpe us out of misery. Therefore we should praise him for this attribute; how excellent and desirable a thing is mercy, therefore give him the glory of his mercy.
2. It is full of comfort to a child of God, he need not be dismayed with any thing, not his imperfections; since the divell himselfe cannot hurt him: for God is more mercifull to help him then the divell can be malicious to hurt him.
3. We should be encouraged to seeke to him for mercy, seeing there is so great store of it in him. There is an infinitnesse of mercy in God, so that what ever my sinnes have been, if now I will turne he will accept me;Matth. 18. 30. if I strive to turne he will enable me; Therefore I will now runne to him*The Papists s…ek… to the Virgin Mary, and other Saints, Maria mater gra…iae, mater miserioo…diae, Tu nos ab hoste protege & horâ mortis suscipe. for mercy, I will fall down before the Throne of justice, and confesse I have deserved wrath, and nothing but wrath, but will cry to him for mercy.
4. Those that have and doe seeke, should give him the glory of his mercy, and take comfort themselves in the confident hope of finding mercy. Praise him for his mercy to others, and he will give thee some comfortable hope of finding it thy selfe.Psalm 106. 3. Luke 1. 46, 50.
5. We should be mercifull like God to our selves and brethren,Luke. 6. 36. their soules and bodies, imitate his mercy; be you mercifull to the afflicted and distressed, shew mercy freely and constantly, and then we shall obtaine mercy, Matth. 5. 7.
6. We should labour to be qualified for mercy.
1. Confesse our sinnes and forsake them, Prov. 28. 13.
2. Feare God, his mercy is on them that feare him, Luke 1. 50. Psal. 103. 11, 17, 18.
3. Love God, He shewes mercy to them that love him, Exod. 20. 6.
4. Trust in God, then mercy shall compasse us, Psal. 32. 10.
5. Thinke on good things, then we shall have mercy, Prov. 14. 22.
6. Keepe close to the rule of Gods Word. Gal. 6 16.