The Chief Interest of Man, Section 2
SECT. II. The equity of Gods commands: Love (which is the fulfilling of the Law) founded on Gods goodneſs, Patience, Bounty. Fear (which with that obſervance that is the effect of it, is the whole Duty of Man) founded on his Power and Wiſdom: ratio rei, or reaſon it ſelf the ground of ſuch things as are of natural right: Gods ſoveraignty the ground of ſuch things as are of poſitive right.
I Shall begin with the Equity of Gods commands, and ſhew how reaſonably he requires the obſervance of them, his nature moſt juſtly challenging, and the excellency of his attributes really meriting whatſoever his Law exacts as our duty. Man hath (as the Moraliſts obſerve) but a Political Dominion over his affections, not ſuch a deſpotical and abſolute power as over his locomotive faculty, and ſo over his outward actions, ſo that he cannot love and hate, and fear, and deſire as he liſt. The Soul being a rational Agent, moveth it ſelf in reſpect of all Objects according to what it ſees there of good or evil which begets liking or averſion. Wherefore arrogancy is one of the moſt contemptible vanities amongſt the Sons of men, it being the moſt ridiculous thing in the World for men to require of others that Honour, eſteem, reverence, which they have no real worth in themſelves to be a foundation of. And it is worſe tyranny than that of the Egyptian task-Maſters who required brick without giving ſtraw. They ſay indeed honor eſt in honorante depending on the will of the giver, yet it muſt be radically in him that is honoured, there muſt be a Foundation laid by him, whereon others muſt raiſe their eſteem of him. Wherefore the charge is given to Timothy and Titus, that none ſhould deſpiſe them, that is, they were to carry themſelves with that gravity, prudence, integrity, that none might have occaſion to think meanly and contemptibly of them. Now there is in God a real foundation for all thoſe affections, which he requires of us as the principles of all our outward actions, whereby they are formed and faſhioned. Firſt, God requires that we ſhould love him with all our might, with all our ſtrength, with our whole Soul, and this is in effect the keeping of his commands, the fulfilling of his Law, Love being the Queenregent, the commanding affection of the Soul, the firſt mover that ſets all on work (as Auſtin ſaith) Love is the byaſs which turns us where ever we go? We may judge of the power of this affection by obſerving the effects of it in our ſelves where we do truly love, how careful are we to pleaſe? how fearful to offend? how deſirous to enjoy? how ambitious to ſerve? how unwearyed in ſerving? how ready to run hazards, to undergo difficulties? what ſympathy is there of all affections? what jealouſie? So that God needs require no more of us, for if he have our Love, the reſt will follow. Now it were not beſeeming the Majeſty of God to require this of us, were there not that in his nature, and in his works that did juſtly deſerve it, but there is nothing in the creature attractive of our Love which is not eminently in him, how great is his goodneſs! how great is his beauty? Zach. 9.17. that is, thoſe perfections of his nature, which being found in the Creature infinitely below what they are in him, make it amiable to us.
Goodneſs and greatneſſe where they meet in Man are very deſirable and lovely, but God is Optimus Maximus (as he is wont to be called) the greateſt and the beſt, not exceeding us more in his greatneſſe than in his goodneſſe, in his Glory than in his Grace. Mich. 7.18. What narrow bounds did Peter ſet to his forbearance when he asked if he ſhould forgive his brother ſeven times? what would ſoon become of us if the forbearance of God were confined within ſuch narrow limits? we indeed paſs by many offences in others becauſe we know not how to revenge them, but God could every moment by a word of his mouth, an act of his will let us know what it is to contemn his authority. And let us but conſider the diſproportion between God and Man, how infinitely he is above him, and the nature of God, how holy and contrary to whatſoever is evil, and we ſhall much more admire his patience and goodneſſe. We can do good to our Friends, we who are evil, but to do good to Enemies whom we have daily in our power, and who ſtill continue their enmity againſt us is too hard for us. God is good to Angels that never ſinned, patient only to ſinners. Let us but recount the various acts of his Providence towards us, conſider the daily care which he hath of us, the mercies which we daily receive from him, the evil he preſerveth us from, what offers he makes to us of an eternal Glory with himſelf, what means he affords for obtaining it, how long ſpace of repentance he gives us, and we ſhall find our obligations to him to be infinitely beyond what they are to Parents, Princes, Friends, diſloyalty and ingratitude to whom is condemned, abhorred of all. Further the Fear of God is the whole Duty of Man. Eccl. 12.13. that is, efficienter though not formaliter, for where ever it is it doth bind the Soul to its duty. Job. 28.28. Prov. 1.7. and I may ſay as much for this as for the Love of God. Methinks it is a condeſcenſion in him to argue the matter as he doth with ſinners. Jer. 5.22. Mat. 10.28. when he might let them run upon their own ruine, and know by experience the danger that they deſpiſe. We ſhould deride the threatnings of ſome vain boaſter that ſhould go about to affright us with ſuch things as it were far above his power to effect, but the frown of a Caeſar, an Alexander might make us tremble; it is the moſt aſtoniſhing madneſſe and folly in the World for men to account it generoſity & braveneſs of ſpirit, not to be awed by the great words of Scripture, to dare to ſin, to take courage againſt God like the Philiſtins, 1 Sam. 4.9. and to account it meanneſs of ſpirit to be affrighted with the threatnings of an inviſible God, whoſe greatneſſe we neither ſee nor feel, though it is our own fault, we ſeeing it in its effects every day. It is he that hangs the Earth on nothing, and when he pleaſeth, makes it tremble, ſends the Sun on his errand every day, orders the hoſt of Heaven, making every Star keep its place, thundring with his voice ſo as he can make the Emperors of the World run to hide themſelves, ſetting bounds to the raging waves of the Sea which they dare not paſſe; and though he doth not every day reveal his wrath from Heaven againſt ſinners, yet he hath told us it is not becauſe he approves of their ways, or knows not how to right himſelf, he only ſtays till the time of the Revelation of his righteous judgment, and then he will pour out his wrath like fire and make the ſtouteſt ſinners run, (if it were poſſible for them) under the Rocks and Mountains to hide themſelves from his preſence. David and Solomon were both feared for their Wiſdom; and indeed Wiſdom doth make a Mans face to ſhine, commanding reverence and a kind of veneration from others. Now there is none to be compared to God for Wiſdom, he is ſo wiſe he cannot be deceived, cannot be mocked, he ſees through the moſt ſecret deſigns of Men, and laughs them to ſcorn, takes the wiſe in their own craftineſſe, makes thoſe that dare tranſgreſſe his precepts, whether they will or no, to fulfil his purpoſe, over-reaching them in their moſt cunning contrivances, making them ſerve his holy ends when they leaſt intend it. Further, he requires that we ſhould acknowledge him in all our wayes, owning him as our Soveraign in the obſervance of his precepts, as our Preſerver in depending on his providence. And what more juſt and equal, when we had our being from him, when we live and move in him, when we are daily maintained at his coſt and charges, and are therefore ſent to the Ox and the Aſs to learn our duty; it being he that gives us all things richly to enjoy, and hath not only right and authority to command us, but might and power to force us? ſo that if we will do any thing without his leave or moral permiſſion, we cannot do it without his natural permiſſion. If we run away from his ſervice, he can command the Sea to way-lay us (as in the caſe of Jonah) and ſend a Whale to fetch us back. If we would go out of the reach of his Rod, he can make it reach us where ever we go, as the Iſraelites in their going to Egypt, Jer. 42.16. In ſhort, he commands the boiſterous Winds, the unruly Waves, the Angels that excel in might and glory, the Devils that are filled with rage and envy, the Sun, that as a Gyant runs his race, and makes it ſtand ſtill at his pleaſure, the Stars whom he makes as his Hoſt to fight his battels; the frogs, the Flies, the Lice, the Bears, the Lions, the Ravens, as the ſeveral inſtances in holy Scripture ſhew. All theſe are at his beck, and he ſends them at his pleaſure. Degenerate Man only, (for whom he hath done more than for any of the works of his hands, and whom he hath made capable of more happineſſe than the whole viſible Creation) caſts off the authority of his Creator in thoſe things wherein eſpecially it would be his Wiſdom to make a vertue of neceſſity; for when Men will venture upon any thing without asking Gods leave, or taking his counſel, he ſtands by and derides their counſels, and tells them that he is wiſe alſo, and will bring evil upon them, and not call back his word, what he ſaith ſhall be done, none ſhall diſanul it; when their deſigns which they would undertake without him ſhall come to nothing, and they periſh in them. Eſa. 31.2. thus God will ſooner or later teach all what it is to deſpiſe his authority or to diſpute his commands. As for our outward actions (what I have already ſaid concerning our internal affections, and thoſe acts and attributes of God whereon they are grounded, being ſuppoſed) though they ſhould not be of any natural right, or have any intrinſick goodneſſe in them, antecedently to any command of God concerning them, (which yet doubtleſſe ſome have, and are therefore commanded, becauſe good, as thoſe which are grounded on the precepts of the Law of Nature) yet as we ſay of the credenda, or the things which we are to believe, though our finite underſtandings be not able to comprehend the nature and cauſes of ſome of them, yet we have reaſon enough to believe them, becauſe they are ſpoken by him that cannot lye; ſo I may ſay of the agenda of Religion, though they ſhould not be of natural moral right (which yet many of them are) yet being commanded by him who is ſo wiſe and ſo good, to whom we have ſuch obligations lying upon us, and on whom we have ſuch an abſolute dependance we have, all the reaſon in the World to do them without murmuring or diſputing, and though the ſoveraignty of God is ſuch that he might juſtly try our obedience, and make us know our ſubjection to him, by requiring of us ſuch things as are meerly of poſitive right, yet it is evident that in what he hath required, he hath not ſtood much upon his Soveraignty and Authority, but hath commanded ſuch things as he might juſtifie at an impartial Bar, though man were an Independant Creature, and co-ordinate with him, and this will ſufficiently appear by the enſuing diſcourſe.