The First Principles of the Oracles of God, Part 3
Q. What is his Providence?
A. Whereby he provideth for his creatures being made, even to the least circumstance. Psal. 145. 16. Proverbs 16. 33.
Q. How is Gods Providence distinguished?
A. It is either, first, Ordinary, and mediate, whereby he provideth for his creatures by ordinary and usual means, Hos. 2. 22.
Secondly, Extraordinary and immediate, whereby he provides for his creatures by miracles, or immediately by himself, Psal. …6. 4 Dan. 3. 17.
Q. Wherein is his Providence seen?
A. First, in Conversation, whereby he upholdeth things in their being and power of working, Act. 17. 28. Psal. 104. 29, 30. Nehem. 9. 6.
Secondly, in Gubernation, whereby he guides, directs and brings all creatures to their ends, Psal. 29 10. Psal. 33. 11.
Q. Doth God govern all creatures alike?
A. No, but some he governs by a common providence, and others by a special providence, to wit, Angels and Men, to an eternal estate of happiness in pleasing him, or of misery in displeasing …im, Deut. 30. 15, 16.
Q. What of Gods Providence appears in his speciall government of man?
A. Two things.
1. Mans Apostacy or fall.
2. His Recovery or rising again.
Q. Concerning mans fall, what are you to observe therein?
A. Two things.
1. His transgression in eating the forbidden fruit, Gen. 2. 17.
2. The propagation of this unto all Adams posterity.
Q. Was this so great a sin to eat of the forbidden fruit?
A. Yes, exceeding great, this Tree being a Sacrament of the Covenant; also he had a special charge not to eat of it: and in it the whole man did strike against the whole Law, even when God had so highly advanced him.
Q. What are the causes of this transgression?
A. The blamelesse cause was the Law of God. Rom. 5. 13. And hence as the Law did it, so God did it, holily, justly, and blamelesly. Rom. 7. 10, 1…, 12.
Q. What are the blameable causes?
A. Two principally
1. The devill abusing the Serpent to deceive the women, Gen. 3. 1.
2. Man himself, in abusing his own free-will, in receiving the temptations which he might have resisted, Eph. 7. 29.
Q. What is the Devil?
A. That great number of apostate and rebellious Angels, which through pride and blasphemy against God, and malice against man, became lyars and murtherers of man, by bringing him into that sin, Luke 11. 18. 1 Tim. 3. 6. 1 John 3. 12. John 8. 44.
Q. What are the effects and fruits of this transgression?
A. They are two.
1. Guilt, whereby they are tyed to undergo due punishment for the fault, Rom. 3 19.
2. Punishment, which is the just anger of God upon them for the filth of sin, Rom. 1. 18.
Q. What are the particular punishments insllcted on the causes of this sin?
A. Besides the fearful punishment of the devils, mentioned Jude 6. and that of the Serpent and the Woman, Gen. 3. 14, 16. the punishment of man was first, Sin Original and Actual; Secondly, death. Gen. 5. 5.
Q. What is sin?
A. The transgression of Gods Law, John 3. 4.
Q. What is Original and Actual sin?
A. First, Original sin is the contrariety of the whole nature of man to the Law of God, whereby it being averse from all good, is enclined to all evil, Eccles. 8. 11. Gen. 6. 5. Rom. 6. 20.
Secondly, Actual sin is the continual jarring of the actions of man from the Law of God, by reason of Original sin, and so man hath no free-will to any spiritual good, Esa. 65. 2, 3. James 1. 14, 15. Esa. 1. 11.
Q. What death is that God inflicts on man for sin?
A. A double death.
1. The first death of the body, together with the beginnings of it in this world, as grief, shame, losses, sicknesses, Deut. 28. 21, 22, 25.
2. The second death of the soul, whi…h is the eternal separation and ejection of the soul after death, and soul and body after judgment, from God, into everlasting torments in hell.
Q Is there no beginning of this death, as there is of the other in this life?
A. Yes, at first, security and hardnesse of heart, which cannot feel sin its greatest evil.
2. Terrors of conscience, Heb. 2: 15.
3. Bondage of Satan, Eph. 2. 2.
4. The curse of God in all blessings, whereby they are fitted for destruction, Rom. 9. 22.
Q. What of Gods Attributes shine forth here?
1. His holiness, whereby he being pure from all sin, cannot away with the least sin in the best of his creatures, Heb. 1. 13.
2. His Iustice, whereby he being most just in himself, cannot but punish man for sin, as well as reward him for well doing, 2 Thes. 1. 6.
3. His Patience, whereby he useth pitty, patience, and bounty, to his creatures offending, Rom. 2. 3.
Q. Is this sin, and the punishment of it derived to all mens postetity?
A. Yes, John 3. 3. Eph. 2. 3.
Q. How is it propagated?
A. By the imputaiion of Adams sin unto us, and so the punishment must needs follow upon it, Rom. 5. 13.
Q. Why should Adams sin be imputed to all his posterity?
A. Because we were in him as the members in the head, as children in his loynes, as debtors in their surety, as branches in their roots, it being just, that as if he standing, all had stood, by imputation of his righteousnesse, so he falling, all should fall, by the imputation of his sin.
Q. Thus have you seen mans apostacy from God, What is his recovery?
A. It is the return of man to the favour of God again, meerly out of favour, and the exceeding riches of his free grace, Eph. 2. 12, 13. Rom. 5. 8.
Q. How are we brought into favour, and what are the parts of this recovery?
A. Two wayes.
First, by Redemption, 2 Cor. 5. 19, 20,
Secondly, by Application hereof, Tit. 3. 6.
Q. What is Redemption?
A. The satisfaction made, or the price paid, to the justice of God for the life and deliverance of man out of the captivity of sin, Satan, and death, by a Redeemer, according to the Covenant made between him and the Father, 1 Cor. 6. 20. Luk. 1. 74. Esa. 55. 10, 11.
Q. Who is this Redeemer?
A. Iesus Christ, God and Man, Matth. 1. 23. John 1. 14. Col. 2. 19.
Q. Why is he God-Man?
A. That so he might be a fit Mediator, to transact all businesses between God and man, in the execution of his three Offices whereunto he was anointed of the Father, 1 Tim. 2. 5. Esa. 42. 12.
Q. What are those three Offices of Christ?
1. His Propheticall Office, whereby he doth reveale the will of the Father, Act. 3. 22. Col. 2. 3.
2. His Priestly Office, whereby he makes full atonement with the Father for us, Col. 1. 20.
3. His Kingly Office, whereby he governs his people whom he had taught and reconciled, subduing their enemies, and procuring their eternal peace, Psal. 2. 6. Esa. 9. 6.
Q. How hath Christ Jesus made satisfaction?
A. By his humiliation, whereby he was made subject throughout his whole life and death, to the strict Iustice of God, to perform what ever the same might require for the redemption of man, Gal. 4. 4, 5.
Q. What did Gods Justice require of man?
A. 1. Death, for the breach of the Law, and that Christ tasted, in his bitter sufferings, both of body and Soul, by being made sin, and so abolishing sin; and this is called his Passive Obedience, Heb. 2. 9. Eph. 1. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Gal. 3. 13.
2. Perfect Obedience, in fulfilling the Law perfectly, both in his Nature and Actions, for the procuring and meriting of life; and this is called his Active Obedience, Heb. 7. 26.
Q. What follows Christs Humiliation?
A. His Exaltation, which is his glorious victory, and open Triumph over all his and our enemies, sin, Satan, and death, in the severall degrees of it, Luke 24. 26. Phil. 2. 8, 9. 1 Cor. 15. 5, 7.
Q. What is the first degree of Christs Exaltation?
A. His Resurrection the third day, whereby his Soul and body by the power of the God-head, were brought together again, and so rose again from death, appearing to his Disciples for the space of fourty days, 1 Cor. 15. 4. Joh. 2. 19. Act. 1. 3.
Q. What is the second degree of Christs Exaltation?
A. His Ascension into Heaven, which was the going up of the Man-hood into the third Heaven, by the power of the Godhead, from Mount Olivet, in the sight of his Disciples, Acts 1. 11, 12.
Q. What is the third degree of his exaltation?
A. His sitting at the right hand of God, whereby he being advanced to the fulnesse of all glory, in both natures, governeth and ruleth all things together with the Father, as Lord over all, for the good of his people, Mark 16. 9. Psal. 110. 1. 1 Cor. 15. 25. Eph. 1. 20, 21, 22. 1 Pet. 3. 22.
Q. What is the fourth and last degree of his exaltation?
A. His return to judgement, which is his seconid comming into this world with great glory and Majesty to judge the quick and the dead, to the confusion of all them that would not have him rule over them, and to the unspeakable good of his people, Mat. 19. 28. 2 Tim. 4. 1. Act. 17. 31. 2 Thes. 1. 7, 8, 9.
Q. Thus much of Redemption, the first part of his Recovery. What is application?
A. Whereby the Spirit by the Word and Ministery thereof, makes all that which Christ as Mediator hath done for the Church, efficacious to the Church as her own, John 16. 14. Titus 3. 5, 6, 7. John 10. 16. Rom. 10. 14, 17. Eph. 5. 25, 26.
Q. What is the Church?
A. The number of Gods Elect, Heb. 12. 23. John 17. 9, 10, 11. John 10. 16. Eph. 1. 22, 23.
Q. How doth the Spirit make application to the Church?
A. 1. By union of the Soul to Christ, Phil. 3. 9, 10.
By Communion of the benefits of Christ to the Soul.
Q. What is this Vnion?
A. Whereby the Lord joyning the Soul to Christ, makes it one spirit with Christ, and so gives it possession of Christ, and right unto all the benefits and blessings of Christ, 1 Cor. 6. 17. John 17. 21. Rom. 8. 32. 1 John 5. 12.
Q. How doth the Spirit make this Vnion?
A. Two wayes.
1. By cutting off the Soul from the old Adam, or the wild Olive-Tree; in the work of preparation, Rom. 11. 23, 24.
2. By putting or ingrasting the Soul into the second Adam, Christ Iesus, by the work of vocation, Acts 26. 18.
Q. What are the Parts of the Preparation of the Soul so Christ?
A. They are two.
1. Contrition, whereby the Spirit immediately cuts off the Soul from its security in sin, by making it to mourn for it, and separating the Soul from it, as the greatest evill, Isa. 61. 1, 3. Jer. 4. 3. 4. Mat. 11. 20, 28.
2. Humiliation, whereby the Spirit cuts the Soul off from self-confidence in any good it hath or doth. Especially, by making it to feel its want, and unworthinesse of Christ, and …nce submitteth to be disposed of as God pleaseth, Phil. 3. 7, 8. …ke 16. 9. Luke 15. 17, 18, 19.
Q. Wh…t a…e the parts of Vocation of the Soul to Christ?
A. 1. The Lords call and invitation of the Soul to come to Christ, in the Revelation, and offer of Christ and his rich Grace, 2 Cor. 5. 10.
2. The receiving of Christ, or the comming of the whole Soul out of it self unto Christ, for Christ by vertue of th…t resistable power of the Spirit in the call, and this is Faith, Jer. 3. 32. John 6. 44, 45. John 10. 16. Esa. 55. 5.
Q. Thus much of our Union. What is the communion of Christs benefits unto the Soul?
A. Whereby the Soul possessed with Christ, and right'unto him, hath by the same Spirit fruition of him, and all his benefits, John 4. 10. 14.
Q. What is the first of those benefits we do enjoy from Christ?
A. Justification, which is the Gracious Sentence of God the Father, whereby for the satisfaction of Christ apprehended by Faith, and imputed to the faithfull, he absolves them from the guilt and condemnation of all sins, and accepts them as perfectly righteous to eternall life, Rom. 3. 24, 25. Rom. 4. 6, 7, 8. Rom. 8. 33, 34.
Q. What difference is there between Justification, and Sanctification?
A. Iustification is by Christs Righteousnesse inherent in Christ onelyonly▪ Sanctification is by a righteousness from Christ inherent in our selves, 2 Cor. 5. 21. Phil. 3. 9.
2. Iustification is perfected at once, and admits of no degrees, because it is by Christ his perfect righteousnes: sanctification is imperfect, being begun in this life, Rev. 12. 1. Phi. 3. 11.
Q. What is the second benefit next in order to Justification, which the faithfull receive from Christ?
A. Reconciliation, whereby a Christian justified is actually reconciled, and at peace with God, Rom. 5. 1. John 2. 12. and hence follows his peace with all creatures.
Q. What is the third benefit next unto Reconciliation?
A. Adoption, whereby the Lord accounts the faithfull his Sons, c…owns them with privileges of Sons, and gives them the Spirit of Adoption, the same spirit which is in his only begotten Son, 1 John 3. 2. Rom. 8. 11. 14, 15, 16, 17.
Q. What is the fourth benefit next to Adoption?
A. Sancification, whereby the Sons of God are renewed in the whole man, unto the Image of their heavenly Father in Christ Iesus, by Mortification, or their dayly dying to sin by vertue of Christs death: and by Vivification their dayly rising to newness of life, by Christs resurrection, 1 Thes. 5. 23. Eph. 4. 24. Jer. 31. 32. Rom. 6. 7, 8.
Q. What follows from this Mortification and Vivification?
A. A continuall war and combat between the renewed part assisted by Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and the unrenewed part assisted by Satan and this evill world, Rom. 7. 21, 22, 23.
Q. What is the fifth and last benefit next unto Sanctification?
A. Glorification, which hath two degrees. The one in this life, and the other in the world to come.
Q. What is the first degree of Glorification in this life?
A. Lively expectation of Glory, from the assurance and shedding abroad Gods love in our hearts, working joy unspeakable, Rom 5. 2, 5. Titus 2. 13.
Q. What is the second degree in the world to come?
A. Full frution of Glory, whereby being made compleat and perfect in Holinesse, and Happinesse, we enjoy all that good eye hath not seen, nor ear hath heard, in our Immediate and Eternall Communion with God in Christ, Heb. 12. 23. 1 Cor. 15. 23.
Thus much of the first part, of living to God by Faith in God.