The Incomparableness of God, Treatise · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. God incomparable in the manner of his Working: He worketh irreſistibly, arbitrarily.
2. IF you conſider the manner of his Working, He is incomparable therein alſo.
1. He worketh irreſistibly: He worketh ſo, as none can hinder him: All the united Wiſdom, Power of Men, of Angels, cannot ſtop him at his Work. The mighty King Nebuchadnezzar was taught this Truth, when he was grazing among the Beaſts, Dan. 4.35. He doth according to his will in the Armies of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth, and none can ſtay his Hand. Mark, He doth what he will, and none can ſtay his Hand; the Prayers of his People have ſometimes ſtay'd his Hand, when he was going to ſlay and deſtroy, but it was becauſe out of his Grace he ſtay'd it himſelf. Alas, what Creature can ſee, or know, or reach his Hand, that is inviſible and omnipreſent, Iſa. 48.10. My Counſel ſhall ſtand, and I will do all my Pleaſure. The Counſels of Men do not alwayes ſtand, he makes them to fail and fall: He bringeth the Counſels of the Heathen to naught, and maketh the Devices of the People of none effect, Pſal. 33.10 But none can make his Counſel void, or his Devices invalid.
What he will do he doth, and there is no withſtanding him: If he will bring an Enemy againſt a Nation, none can prevent their coming: Calling the Ravenous Bird from the East, the Man that executeth my Counſel from a far Country, (Cyrus that ſhould ſeiſe on Babylon, as a Ravenous Bird on his Prey) yea, I have ſpoken it, and I will bring it to paſs; (Let me ſee who ſhall hinder it,) I have purpoſed it, and I will do it. I would ſee who dares undertake to oppoſe it, Iſa. 40.11, 12.
If he will deprive Men of their Honours and Grandeur, of their Eſtates and Treaſures, of their Might and Power; there is no contending with him, it muſt be done; Job 9.4, 12. Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? If he will take away, nothing ſhall ſtand in his way. The four great ſtrong Monarchies of the World, that ſucceſſively were the dread and terrour of the Earth, were taken away by him, and who hindered him? All their Policy and Power could not prevent him, or hinder their Ruine, Dan. 2.44.
God hath a Negative Voice upon the motions of all the Creatures: Who is he that ſaith, and it cometh to paſs, if the Lord commandeth it not? Lament. 3.27. They who reckon without him, muſt reckon again: They muſt aſk his leave; as well as have his aſſiſtance, or ſit ſtill and do nothing. Their Wheels, though never ſo well oyl'd, ſtand ſtill, or go backward, if he ſay Nay, to their motion forward; He ſpeaketh to the Sun, and it riſeth not, and ſealeth up the Stars, Job 9.7. No day, not the leaſt light in the Heavens at night without his leave; but no Creature hath a Negative Voice upon the leaſt of his Actions: What he will do he doth, and never aſketh Men or Angels leave. Nay, challengeth them to hinder him if they can, Iſa. 43.13. I will Work, who ſhall let it? Obſerve his Reſolution, I will Work; He ſpeaks like one in Authority, that is above all Checks and Controls, that can make good what he purpoſeth in ſpight of all oppoſition; I will Work; Obſerve alſo his Challenge, who ſhall let it? Would I could ſee the Man, the Angel, that durſt ſtand in the way of my motions. The Jews might think Babylon will let: I (ſaith God) have ſent to Babylon, and deſtroyed all their Princes, I have broken in pieces thoſe Iron Bars; There is no fear that they ſhould hinder my entrance into their City.
He can give a Superſedeas to the higheſt Attempts, and ſtrongeſt Deſigns of Creatures: He can blow on them, and they are ſoon blaſted, all their politick Conceptions prove abortive: Take Counſel together, and it ſhall come to nought, Iſa. 8.10. Their moſt powerful Engins prove ineffectual, Verſe 9. Gird your ſelves, and ye ſhall be broken in pieces. Some of them talked at a great, at a high rate; We will go up againſt Judas and destroy it, and ſet a King in the midſt thereof, even the Son of Tabeal; But they ſpeak beyond their ſtrength, and reckon (as we ſay) without their Hoſt; Thus ſaith the Lord God, It ſhall not ſtand, neither ſhall it come to paſs, Iſa. 7.6, 7. But none can give a Superſedeas to the leaſt of his Attempts: Behold he breaketh down, and it cannot be built up again; he ſhutteth up a Man, and there can be no opening, Job 12.14.
2. He worketh arbitrarily, according to his own will: He doth what he will, and he alone may do what he will. It is argued by many, that ſome Princes are not accountable for what they do to any Men, but all hold they are accountable to God. They are his Stewards and Deputies, and muſt give an account to him of their Stewardſhips. They are his Creatures, and are, or ought to be, limited by his Laws, and ſo muſt be reſponſible to him for their Carriages and Government. No King is abſolute or arbitrary in his Governments, becauſe all Kings are his Subjects, and owe Allegiance to His Majeſty, and Obedience to his Commands: But God is abſolute and arbitrary, and may do what he will do; every thing that he doth is juſt, becauſe he doth it: He doth what he will in Heaven and Earth, and none can ſay unto him, what dost thou? Dan. 4.35. He is reſponſible to none for any of his Actions; none may queſtion him, much leſs quarrel with him for what he doth: Angels are far from being arbitrary, His will, not their own, is their Rule, Pſal. 103.20. Ye Ministers of his, that do his Pleaſure. He onelyonly that is above all Law, is above all Tranſgreſſion, 1 John 4.3. And he whoſe will is the onelyonly Rule of Rectitude and Righteouſneſs, may well do what he will, Rom. 12.2.
He hath an abſolute illimited Propriety in all the Works of his Hands: He is the great Proprietor of all the World, and therefore may diſpoſe of all at his pleaſure, Pſal. 24.1. Matth. 20.13, 15. May I not do what I will with mine own? Friend, I do thee no wrong; Though men may have a civil Right to their Eſtates, and a natural Right to themſelves and their Children; yet the Original in all is ſtill God's. He diveſts himſelf of nothing, by lending any thing to us, or truſting us with it; and therefore he may uſe what is his own, at his own liberty and pleaſure, and none may queſtion or quarrel With him for it.
Again, He is Supreme, and ſo above all anſwering, or accounting for any thing he doth: He is the most high, Pſal. 92.1. It's no diſparagement to Men or Angels to be under a Law; nay, 'tis eſſential to them as they are Creatures: But he that is Supreme, and giveth all Laws to others, is under no Law himſelf: Indeed, if he had a Superior, he might be called to account by him: But why ſtriveſt thou against him? he giveth no account of any of his matters, Job 33.13. Why ſtrivest thou againſt him? Not by open force, but ſecret murmurings, and logical arguings, againſt his providential Diſpenſations; It's vain, for he giveth no account of any of his matters. He is not bound to tell thee what he doth, or why he doth it: He hath received nothing from thee, and ſo not bound to account to thee, Rom. 11.35. Thou haſt no Authority to call him to account; what Man or Angel hath Power to call him to account? In the next Chapter the Holy Ghoſt doth fully ſpeak for our purpoſe, Job 34.10, 12, 13. Far be it from God, that he ſhould do wickedly; and from the Almighty, that he ſhould pervert Judgment: Who hath given him a Charge of the Earth? Whoſe Deputy is he in the Government of the World? If he be a Deputy or Vice-Roy to any Superior Power, then he muſt keep cloſe to the Inſtructions, and act according to the Commiſſion he receiveth from them, or be accountable for his wandrings and deviations; But who hath given him a Charge over the Earth? What Man? what Angel? where is he? what or who is he that hath given him a charge? If there were one higher then God to give him a Rule, then if he ſwerved from it, he was faulty; but becauſe he is higher then the higeſt of Beings, and his own Law, therefore he may do what he will without blame: Who hath enjoyned him his way? or can ſay unto God, Thou haſt wrought Iniquity? Job 36.23. God's way is his method of Working, his manner of governing the World: Now ſaith the Holy Ghoſt, Who hath any authority over him, to injoyn him his way of working, the Path in which he ſhould walk, that in caſe he ſtept aſide, he might ſay unto him, Thou hast wrought Iniquity? No, not any; and therefore its deſperate preſumption for any to complain of him what ever he doth: Who art thou that replyest against God? Rom. 9.20. He is a bold Man indeed that will contend with his Maker; Who art thou? what manner of Man? what monſter of Men? Who art thou, a clod of Clay, a lump of Earth, a ſink of Sin, a fire-brand of Hell, that thou dareſt chop Logick with God? For ſhame ſet ſtill, lay thy Hand on thy Mouth, and be ſilent.