Discourses Upon the Attributes of God, Sermon 7
SERMON VII.Vol. VI. The Wiſdom, Glory, and Soveraignty of God.
JUDE 25.
To the only wiſe God our Saviour, be glory and Majeſty, dominion and Power, now and ever.
I, AM treating of the Attributes of God; particularly of thoſe which relate to the Divine Underſtanding, his Knowledge and Wiſdom. The Knowledge of God only implies his bare Underſtanding of things, but his Wiſdom implies the skill of ordering and diſpoſing things to the beſt Ends and Purpoſes, the skill of making and governing and adminiſtring all things in Number, Weight, and Meaſure. The Knowledge of God rather conſiders things abſolutely, and in themſelves: The Wiſdom of God conſiders rather the Reſpects and Relations of Things, looks upon things under the Notion of Means, and Ends; accordingly I deſcribed them thus. The Knowledge of God is a Perfect comprehenſion of the Nature of all things, with all their Qualities, Powers, and Circumſtances. The Wiſdom of God is a perfect Comprehenſion of the Reſpects and Relations of things one to another; of their Harmony and Oppoſition, their fitneſs and unfitneſs to ſuch and ſuch Ends. I have largely ſpoken to the Firſt of theſe; I come now to the
Second, The Wiſdom of God in general; together with his Majeſty and Soveraignty, as they are here joyned together. I begin with the
Firſt, That God is the only wiſe God. In handling of this, I ſhall ſhew
1. In what ſenſe God may be ſaid to be the only wiſe God.
2. Prove that this Attribute belongs to God.
1. In what ſenſe God may be ſaid to be the only wiſe God. For anſwer to this, we may take Notice, that there are ſome Perfections of God that are incommunicable to the Creatures; as his Independency and Eternity. Theſe God only poſſeſſeth, and they are to be attributed to him alone, God only is independent and eternal: But there are other Perfections which are communicable, that is, which the Creatures may in ſome meaſure and degree partake of, as Knowledge, and Wiſdom, and Goodneſs, and Juſtice, and Power, and the like; yet theſe the Scriptures do peculiarly attribute to God, not that they are altogether incommunicable to the Creature, but that they belong to God in ſuch a peculiar and Divine manner, as doth ſhut out the Creature from any claim or Title to them, in that degree and Perfection wherein God poſſeſſeth them. I ſhall give you ſome inſtances of this. His goodneſs, this is reſerved to God alone, Matth. 19.17. Why calleſt thou me good? there is none good, but one, that is God: His power and immortality, 1 Tim. 6.15, 16. Who is the bleſſed and only potentate; who only hath immortality: His Wiſdom, 1 Tim. 1.17. The only wiſe God; Rom. 16.27. To God only wiſe be Glory: His Holineſs Rev. 15.14. For thou only art Holy. The tranſcendent degree and ſingularity of theſe Divine Perfections which are communicable, is beyond what we are able to conceive; ſo that altho' the Creatures partake of them, yet in that Degree and Perfection wherein God poſſeſſeth them, they are peculiar and proper to the Deity; ſo that in this ſenſe, there is none good but God; he only is holy, he is the only wiſe; in ſo inconceiveable a manner doth God poſſeſs even thoſe Perfections which in ſome degree he communicates, and we can only underſtand them as he communicates them, and not as he poſſeſſeth them; ſo that when we conſider of any of theſe Divine Perfections, we muſt not frame Notions of them, contrary to what they are in the Creature; but we muſt ſay that the Goodneſs and Wiſdom of God are all this which is in the Creature, and much more which I am not able to comprehend.
This being premiſed in general, God may be ſaid to be only wiſe in theſe two reſpects.
1. As being Originally and Independently wiſe.
2. As being eminently and tranſcendently ſo.
1. God only is originally and independently wiſe. He derives it from none, and all derive it from him, Rom. 11.33, 34. O the depth of the riches both of the Wiſdom and Knowledge of God! How unſearchable are his Judgments, and his ways paſt finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his Counſellor? or who hath firſt given to him, and it ſhall be recompenſed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory for ever, Amen. He challengeth any Creature to come forth and ſay that they have given Wiſdom, or any other Perfection to God; no, all Creatures that are Partakers of it, derive it from him. Prov. 2.6. For the Lord giveth Wiſdom. Eccl. 2.26. God giveth to a Man that is good in his ſight, wiſdom, and knowledge, and joy. Dan. 2.21. He giveth Wiſdom to the Wiſe, and Knowledge to them that know Ʋnderſtanding.
2. He is eminently and tranſcendently ſo. And this follows from the fo… mer; becauſe God is the Fountain of Wiſdom, therefore it is moſt eminently in him, Pſal. 94.9, 10. He that planted the Ear, ſhall he not hear? he that formed the Eye, ſhall he not ſee? he that teacheth Man Knowledge, ſhall not he know? In like manner we may Reaſon concerning all other Attributes of God, that if he communicate them, he is much more eminently poſſeſt of them himſelf; the greateſt Wiſdom of the Creatures is nothing in Oppoſition to the Wiſdom of God, nothing in Compariſon to it.
Nothing in Oppoſition to it; Job 5.13. He taketh the wiſe in their own craftineſs. Job 9.4. He is wiſe in heart, and mighty in ſtrength; who hath hardned himſelf againſt him, and proſper'd. Prov. 21.30. There is no Wiſdom, nor Ʋnderſtanding, nor Counſel, againſt the Lord. 1 Cor. 1.19. He will deſtroy the Wiſdom of the Wiſe; v. 29. and by fooliſh things confound the wiſe.
Nothing in Compariſon of it. There are a great many that pretend to Wiſdom, but moſt are deſtitute of true Wiſdom; and thoſe who have it, they have it with many Imperfections and Diſadvantages. Uſually thoſe who are deſtitute of true Wiſdom pretend moſt to it, Job 11.12. Vain Man would be wiſe, tho' he be born like a wild Aſſe's colt. The High and the Great of this World pretend to it, Job 32.9. Great Men are not always Wiſe. Learned Men they pretend to it; the heathen Philoſophers were great profeſſers of Wiſdom, Rom. 1.22. Profeſſing themſelves to be wiſe, they became fools, they were wiſe to do evil, but to do good they had no underſtanding, As the Prophet ſpeaks, Jer. 4.22. The Politicians of the World they pretend to it; but theirs is rather a Craftineſs than a Wiſdom; Men call it Prudence, but they are glad to uſe many Arts to ſet it off, and make it look like Wiſdom; by Silence, and Secreſie, and Formality, and affected Gravity, and Nods, and Geſtures. The Scripture calls it the Wiſdom of this World, 1 Cor. 2.6. and a fleſhly Wiſdom, 2 Cor. 1.12. 'Tis Wiſdom miſapply'd, 'tis the purſuit of a wrong End. The petty Plots and Deſigns of this World are far from Wiſdom, 1 Cor. 3.20. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the Wiſe, that they are vain. That cannot be Wiſdom, which miſtakes its great End, which minds mean Things, and neglects thoſe which are of greateſt Concernment to them. Job 22.2. He that is Wiſe is profitable to himſelf. Prov. 9.12. If thou be Wiſe, thou ſhalt be Wiſe for thy ſelf. Tully tells us, Ennius was wont to ſay Nequicquam ſapere ſapientem, qui ſibi ipſi prodeſſe non quiret. The wiſe Sages of the World as to the beſt things are Fools, Matt. 11.25. God hath hid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent. There are many that are wiſe in their own Conceits, but there is more hope of a Fool than of them, Prov. 26.12. So that the greateſt part of that which paſſeth for Wiſdom among Men is quite another thing. Nihil tam valde vulgare quàm nihil ſapere; we talk much of Prodigies, maximum portentum vir ſapiens, Tul. Thoſe few in the World that are the Children of true Wiſdom, they have it in a very imperfect degree, they are not uſually ſo wiſe for their Souls, and for Eternity, as Men of this World, Luke 16.8. The Children of this World are in their Generation wiſer than the Children of Light. It is attended with many inconveniencies, Eccl. 1.18. in much wiſdom there is much grief; he ſpeaks of the wiſdom about natural things.
But we need not inſtance in the folly of wicked Men, and worldly Men, and in the imperfect degrees of Wiſdom which are to be found in good Men, in Wiſdom's own Children; the Wiſdom of God needs not theſe foils to ſet it off: the Wiſdom of Man in Innocency, or of the higheſt Angel in Heaven, bears no proportion to the un-erring and infinite Wiſdom of God. We mortal men many times miſtake our End out of Ignorance, apply unfit and improper Means for accompliſhing good Ends; the Angels in Glory have not a perfect comprehenſion of the harmony and agreement of things, of the unfitneſs and oppoſition of them one to another: but the Divine Wiſdom propounds to it ſelf the higheſt and beſt Ends, and hath a perfect comprehenſion of the fitneſs and unfitneſs of all things one to another; ſo that Angels are but fooliſh Beings to God; Job 4.17. His Angels he chargeth with folly. Job, upon a full enquiry after Wiſdom, concludes that it belongs only to God, that he only is perfectly poſſeſt of it, Job 28.12. &c. But where ſhall wiſdom be found? and where is the place of underſtanding? in ſuch an eminent and tranſcendent Degree it is not to be met with in any of the Creatures; God only hath it, v. 23. God knoweth the place thereof.
II. I ſhall prove that this Perfection belongs to God,
1. From the dictates of Natural Reaſon, and
2. From Scripture.
1. From the dictates of Natural Reaſon. I have often told you the Perfections of God are not to be proved by way of demonſtration, becauſe there is no Cauſe of them; but by way of conviction, by ſhewing the abſurdity and inconvenience of the contrary.
The Contrary is an Imperfection, and argues many other Imperfections, therefore Wiſdom belongs to God. Among men Folly is look'd upon as the greateſt defect; it is accounted a greater Reproach and Diſgrace, than Vice and Wickedneſs; it is of ſo ill a Report in the World, that there are not many but had rather be accounted Knaves than Fools; but in a true Eſteem and Value of things, it is, next to Wickedneſs, the greateſt Imperfection; and, on the contrary, Wiſdom is the higheſt Perfection next to Holineſs and Goodneſs; it is uſually more cryed up in the World than any thing elſe. Reaſon tells us, tho' the Scripture had not ſaid it, that wiſdom excells folly as much as light doth darkneſs, Eccl. 2.13. The wiſdom of a man maketh his Face to ſhine, Eccl. 8.1. Wiſdom is a defence, 7.12. and v. 19. Wiſdom ſtrengthneth the wiſe more than ten mighty men that are in the City.
And the denyal of this Perfection to God would argue many other Imperfections; it would be an univerſal Blemiſh to the Divine Nature, and would darken all his other Perfections. It would weaken the Power of God. How impotent and ineffectual would Power be without Wiſdom! what irregular things would it produce! what untoward Combinations of Effects would there be, if Infinite Power ſhould act without the Conduct and Direction of Infinite Wiſdom! It would eclipſe the Providence of God, and put out the Eyes that are in the Wheels, as the Prophet repreſents God's Providence. There can be no Counſel, no Fore-caſt, no orderly Government of the World without Wiſdom. The Goodneſs, and Mercy, and Juſtice, and Truth of God, could not ſhine with that luſtre, were it not for his Wiſdom which doth illuſtrate theſe with ſo much advantage.
I need not bring Teſtimonies from Heathen Writers to confirm this, their Books are full of Expreſſions of their admiration of God's wiſe Government of the World. I will not trouble you with Quotations of particular Teſtimonies. Epicurus indeed denyed that God either made or govern'd the World; but he muſt needs acknowledge him to have been a very wiſe Being, becauſe he made him happy, which cannot be without Wiſdom, tho' he had taken away all other evidence of his Wiſdom. Ariſtotle ſeems to have ſuppoſed the World to be a neceſſary reſult and emanation from God: but then the other Sects of Philoſophers did ſuppoſe the World to be the free Product of God's Goodneſs and Wiſdom.
2. From Scripture; Job. 9.4. He is wiſe in heart; 36.5. He is mighty in ſtrength and wiſdom. Dan. 2.20. Bleſſed be the name of God for ever and ever, for wiſdom and might are his. Hither we may refer thoſe Texts which attribute Wiſdom of God in a ſingular and peculiar manner, Rom. 16.27. and thoſe which ſpeak of God as the Fountain of it, who communicates and beſtows it upon his Creatures, Dan. 2.21. James 1.5. and thoſe Texts which ſpeak of the Wiſdom of God in the Creation of the World, Pſal. 104.24. O Lord, how wonderful are thy works, in wiſdom haſt thou made them all; Jer. 10.12. who hath eſtabliſht the world by his wiſdom, and ſtretched forth the heavens by his diſcretion; in the Providence and Government of the World, Dan. 2.20. Wiſdom and ſtrength are his, and he changeth times and ſeaſons, he removeth Kings and ſetteth up Kings; and in many other places; in the redemption of Mankind; therefore Chriſt is called the Wiſdom of God, 1 Cor. 1.24. and the diſpenſation of the Goſpel, the hidden wiſdom of God, and the manifold wiſdom of God, Eph. 2.10.
If then God be only wiſe, the Original and only Fountain of it, from hence we learn,
Firſt, To go to him for it. Jam. 1.5. If any man lack wiſdom, let him ask it of God. There are many conceited Men, that think they are Rich and increaſed, and ſtand in need of nothing. The Apoſtle doth not ſpeak as if there were ſome that did not want Wiſdom, but becauſe there are ſome ſo proud and conceited, that they think that they lack nothing; thoſe are ſtark Fools, and God reſiſts ſuch fooliſh and proud Men: but if any Man, ſenſible of his Defect and Imperfection, cometh to God, he gives liberally and upbraids no man. We are aſhamed to learn Wiſdom of Men, leſt they ſhould contemn and upbraid us with our Folly; Men are envious and unwilling that others ſhould be as wiſe as themſelves: but God's goodneſs makes him willing to impart Wiſdom, he gives liberally, and upbraids no man.
This is the moſt deſirable Accompliſhment and Perfection; happy is the man that getteth wiſdom; wiſdom is the principal thing, therefore get wiſdom; it is better than thoſe things that are of higheſt value among men, as Solomon often makes the Compariſon. Now becauſe it comes down from above, we ſhould look up for it; it's by the Revelation of his Will, and the wiſe Counſels of his Word, that we are made wiſe unto ſalvation, therefore we ſhould beg of him, that he would give us the Spirit of wiſdom and revelation in the knowledge of himſelf, Eph. 1.17.
2. If God be only Wiſe in ſuch an eminent and tranſcendent Degree, then let us be humble. There's no cauſe of boaſting, ſeeing we have nothing but what we have receiv'd. The loweſt inſtance, the leaſt ſpecimen of Divine Wiſdom out-ſhines the higheſt pitch of Humane Wiſdom; the fooliſhneſs of God is wiſer than men, 1 Cor. 1.25. therefore let not the wiſe man glory in his wiſdom, Jer. 9.29. Of all things we ſhould not be proud of Wiſdom; the proud man throws down the Reputation of his Wiſdom, by the way that he would raiſe it. No ſuch evidence of our Folly, as as a conceit that we are Wiſe; ſapientis animus nunquam turgeſcit, nunquam tumet, Cic. To pride our ſelves in our own Wiſdom, is the way to have our Folly made manifeſt. God threatens to deſtroy the wiſdom of the wiſe man, and to turn their wiſdom into fooliſhneſs.
3. We ſhould labour to partake of the Wiſdom of God, ſo far as it is communicable. The greateſt Wiſdom that we are capable of, is to diſtinguiſh between Good and Evil; to be wiſe to that which is good, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Rom. 16.19. that is, to provide for the future in time, to make proviſion for Eternity, to think of our latter end, to fear God and obey him, to be pure and peaceable, to receive inſtruction, and to win Souls; theſe are the Characters which the Scripture gives of Wiſdom. When Job had declared that the excellency of the Divine Wiſdom was not to be attained by men; he tells us what that Wiſdom is, which is proper for us; And unto man he ſaid, the fear of the Lord that is wiſdom, and to depart from evil, that is underſtanding. There are many that are wiſe to worldly Ends and Purpoſes, as our Saviour tells us, wiſe to get Riches, and to aſcend to Honours: But this is not the wiſdom which we are to labour after; this is but a ſhort-witted Prudence, to ſerve a preſent turn, without any proſpect to the future, without regard to the next World, and the Eternity which we are to live in; this is to be wiſe for a moment, and fools for ever.
4. If God be only Wiſe, then put your Truſt and Confidence in him. Whom ſhould we truſt rather than Infinite Wiſdom which manageth and directs Infinite Goodneſs and Power? In all Caſes of difficulty truſt him for direction, acknowledge him in all thy ways, that he may direct thy ſteps, commit thy way unto the Lord, and lean not to thine own underſtanding. The race is not to the ſwift, nor the Battel to the ſtrong, but the Providence of God diſpoſeth all theſe things. And if we rely upon our own Wiſdom, that will prove a broken reed. And as our own Wiſdom is a broken Reed, ſo the Wiſdom of other men, Iſa. 31.1, 2. God curſeth them that go down into Egypt, and truſt to their ſtrength and Wiſdom, but look not to the holy one of Iſrael, neither ſeek the Lord; yet he alſo is wiſe, ſaith the Prophet.
5. Let us adore the Wiſdom of God, and ſay with St. Paul, 1 Tim. 1.17. To the only wiſe God be honour and glory, for ever and ever Amen; and with Daniel, Bleſſed be the name of God for ever and ever, for wiſdom and might are his. Veneration is the acknowledgement of an Infinite Excellency and Perfection. We reverence any extraordinary degree of Wiſdom in Men; but the Divine Wiſdom which is Perfect and Infinite, is matter of our Adoration, and Bleſſing, and Praiſe. Thankſgiving reſpects the Benefits we receive: but we bleſs God when we acknowledge any Excellency; for as God's Bleſſing us is to do us good, ſo our Bleſſing him is to ſpeak good of him; and as all God's Perfections are the Objects of our Bleſſing, ſo more eſpecially his Wiſdom is of our Praiſe; for to praiſe God is to take notice of the wiſe Deſign and Contrivance of his Goodneſs and Mercy towards us.
Before I paſs on to the other Particulars contained in theſe words, I cannot but take notice that this wiſe God, here ſpoken of, is ſtiled our Saviour, which ſome underſtand of our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, and bring this place as an Argument to prove his Divinity; and if that were ſo, it were all one to my purpoſe, which is in the next place to ſhew that Glory, and Majeſty, and Dominion, and Power belong to the Divine Being. But altho' I would not willingly part with any place that may fairly be brought for the proof of the Divinity of Chriſt, yet ſeeing there are ſo many plain Texts in Scripture for the proof of it, we have the leſs reaſon to ſtretch doubtful places; and that this is ſo, will appear to any one who conſiders that the Title of Saviour is ſeveral times in Scripture attributed to God the Father; beſides that in a very Ancient and Authentick Copy, we find the words read ſomewhat otherwiſe, and ſo as to put this out of all Controverſie, foreign, &c.
Having premiſed thus much for the clearing of theſe words, I ſhall briefly conſider, firſt God's Glory and Majeſty, and then his Dominion and Soveraignty.
Firſt, God's Glory and Majeſty. By Majeſty, we may underſtand the greatneſs, or eminent excellency of the Divine Nature, which reſults from his Perfections, and whereby the Divine Nature is ſet and placed infinitely above all other Beings; I ſay the eminent excellency of the Divine Nature, which reſults from his Perfections, more eſpecially from thoſe great Perfections, his Goodneſs, and Wiſdom, and Power, and Holineſs.
And his Glory is a manifeſtation of this Excellency, and a juſt acknowledgment and due opinion of it. Hence it is, that in Scripture God is ſaid to be glorious in power, and glorious in holineſs, and his Goodneſs is call'd his glory; and here in the Text, Glory and Majeſty are aſcribed to him upon the account of his Wiſdom and Goodneſs.
That theſe belong to God, I ſhall prove,
1. From the acknowledgment of Natural Light. The Heathens did conſtantly aſcribe Greatneſs to God, and that as reſulting chiefly from his Goodneſs, as appears by their frequent conjunction of theſe two Attributes, Goodneſs and Greatneſs. Opt. Max. were their moſt familiar Titles of the Deity; to which I will add that known place of Seneca, primus deorum cultus eſt deos credere, dein reddere illis majeſtatem ſuam, reddere bonitatem, ſine quâ nulla majeſtas.
2. From Scripture. It were endleſs to produce all thoſe Texts wherein Greatneſs and Glory are aſcribed to God. I ſhall mention two or three. Deut. 10.17. the Lord is a great God; Pſal. 24.10. he's call'd the King of glory; 104, 1. he is ſaid to be cloathed with majeſty and honour. The whole Earth is full of his glory. Hither belong all thoſe Doxologies in the Old and New Teſtament, wherein Greatneſs and Glory and Majeſty are aſcribed to God.
From all which we may learn,
1. What it is that makes a Perſon great and glorious, and what is the way to Majeſty, viz. real worth and excellency, and particularly that kind of excellency which Creatures are capable of in a very eminent degree, and that is goodneſs; this is that which advanceth a Perſon, and gives him a pre-eminency above all others; this caſts a luſtre upon a man, and makes his face to ſhine. Ariſtotle tells us, that Honour is nothing elſe but the ſignification of the eſteem which we have of a Perſon for his goodneſs; for, ſaith he, to be good, and to do good, is the higheſt glory. God's Goodneſs is his higheſt Glory; and there is nothing ſo glorious in any Creature, as herein to be like God.
2. Let us give God the Glory which is due to his Name; Aſcribe ye greatneſs to our God, Deut. 32.3. Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and power, Pſal. 29.1. The Glory and Majeſty of God calls for our Eſteem and Honour, our Fear and Reverence of him. Thus we ſhould glorifie God in our Spirits, by an inward eſteem and reverence of his Majeſty. The thoughts of Earthly Majeſty will compoſe us to reverence: how much more ſhould the Apprehenſions of the Divine Majeſty ſtrike an awe upon our Spirits in all our Addreſſes to him? his excellency ſhould make us afraid, and keep us from all ſaucy boldneſs and familiarity with him. Reverence is an Acknowledgment of the diſtance which is between the Majeſty of God and our meanneſs. And we ſhould glorifie him in our bodies, with outward Worſhip and Adoration; that is, by all external ſignifications of reverence and reſpect; and we ſhould glorifie him in our Lives and Actions. The higheſt glory a Creature can give to God, is to endeavour to be like him; ſatis illos coluit, quiſquis imitatus eſt, Sen. hereby we manifeſt and ſhew forth his Excellency to the World, when we endeavour to be conformed to the Divine Perfections. And in caſe of ſin and provocation, we are to give glory to God by repentance, which is an acknowledgment of his Holineſs, who hates ſin; and of his Juſtice, which will puniſh it; and of the mercy of God, which is ready to pardon it; for it is the glory of God to paſs by a provocation.
3. We ſhould take heed of robbing God of his Glory, by giving it to any Creature, by aſcribing thoſe Titles, or that Worſhip to any Creature, which is due to God alone. This is the Reaſon which is given of the Second Commandment; I the Lord am a jealous God; God is jealous of his Honour, and will not give his glory to another, nor his Praiſe to graven Images, Iſa. 42.8. Upon this account, we find the Apoſtle reproves the Idolatry of the Heathens, becauſe thereby they debaſed the eſteem of God, and did ſhew they had unworthy thoughts of him, Rom. 1.21, 23. When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, but became vain in their imaginations. And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and four-footed beaſts, and creeping things. Hereby they denyed the glorious Excellency of the Divine Nature; that is, that he is a Spirit, and ſo incapable of being repreſented by any material or ſenſible Image.
Secondly, I come now to ſpeak of the Soveraignty and Dominion of God. In which I ſhall ſhew,
Firſt. What we are to underſtand by the Soveraignty and Dominion of God. By theſe we mean the full and abſolute Right and Title and Authority which God hath to, and over all his Creatures, as his Creatures, and made by him. And this Right reſults from the Effects of that Goodneſs, and Power, and Wiſdom whereby all things are and were made; from whence there doth accrew to God a Soveraign Right and Title to all his Creatures, and a full and abſolute Authority over them; that is ſuch a Right and Authority which doth not depend upon any Superior, nor is ſubject and accountable to any for any thing that he does to any of his Creatures. And this is that which is call'd ſummum imperium, becauſe there is no power above it to check or control it, and therefore there can be none greater than this. And it is abſolute, becauſe all the Creatures have what they have from God, and all depend upon his Goodneſs, and therefore they owe all poſſible Duty and perpetual Subjection ſo long as they continue in Being, becauſe it is ſolely by his Power and Goodneſs that they continue; and therefore whatever Right or Title any one can pretend to any Perſon or Thing, that God hath to all things, in Deo omnes tituli omnia jura concurrunt.
So that Soveraignty and Dominion ſignifies a full Right and Title and Propriety in all his Creatures, and an abſolute Authority over them, to govern them and diſpoſe of them, and deal with them in any way he pleaſeth, that is not contrary to his eſſential Dignity and Perfection, or repugnant to the Natural State and Condition of the Creature.
And for our better underſtanding of this, and the preventing of Miſtakes which Men are apt to fall into about the Soveraignty of God, I will ſhew,
I. Wherein it doth not conſiſt. And,
II. Wherein it doth conſiſt.
I. Wherein it doth not conſiſt.
1. Not in a Right to gratifie and delight himſelf in the extreme Miſery of innocent and undeſerving Creatures; I ſay, not in a right; for the right that God hath in his Creatures is founded in the Benefits he hath conferred upon them, and the Obligation they have to him upon that account. Now there's none, who becauſe he hath done a Benefit, can have, by vertue of that, a right to do a greater Evil than the Good which he hath done amounts to; and I think it next to madneſs, to doubt whether extreme and Eternal Miſery be not a greater Evil, than ſimple Being is a Good. I know they call it phyſical goodneſs; but I do not underſtand how any thing is the better for being call'd by a hard Name. For what can there be that is good or deſirable in Being, when it only ſerves to be a foundation of the greateſt and moſt laſting Miſery? and we may ſafely ſay, that the juſt God will never challenge more than an equitable right. God doth not claim any ſuch ſoveraignty to himſelf, as to cruſh and oppreſs innocent Creatures without a cauſe, and to make them miſerable without a provocation. And becauſe it ſeems ſome have been very apt to entertain ſuch groundleſs Jealouſies and unworthy Thoughts of God, he hath given us his Oath to aſſure us of the contrary. As I live, ſaith the Lord, I have no pleaſure in the death of a ſinner, but rather that he ſhould turn and live. So far is he from taking Pleaſure in the miſery and ruin of innocent Creatures, that in caſe of ſin and provocation, he would be much rather pleaſed, if ſinners would, by Repentance, avoid and eſcape his Juſtice, than that they ſhould fall under it. The good God cannot be glorified or pleaſed in doing Evil to any, where Juſtice doth not require it; nothing is further from infinite Goodneſs than to rejoice in Evil. We account him a Tyrant and a Monſter of Men, and of a deviliſh temper, that can do ſo; and we cannot do a greater Injury to the good God, than to paint him out after ſuch a horrid and deformed manner.
2. The ſoveraignty of God doth not conſiſt in impoſing Laws upon his Creatures, which are impoſſible either to be underſtood or obſerved by them. For this would not only be contrary to the dignity of the Divine Nature, but contradict the nature of a reaſonable Creature, which, in reaſon, cannot be obliged by any Power to impoſſibilities.
3. The ſoveraignty of God doth not conſiſt in a liberty to tempt Men to Evil, or by any inevitable Decree to neceſſitate them to ſin, or effectually to procure the ſins of Men, and to puniſh them for them. For as this would be contrary to the Holineſs, and Juſtice, and Goodneſs of God; ſo to the nature of a reaſonable Creature, who cannot be guilty or deſerve Puniſhment for what it cannot help. And men cannot eaſily have a blacker thought of God, than to imagin that he hath, from all Eternity, carried on a ſecret Deſign to circumvent the greateſt part of men into deſtruction, and underhand to draw Men into a Plot againſt Heaven, that by this unworthy practice he may raiſe a Revenue of glory to his Juſtice. There's no generous and good man, but would ſpit in that man's Face that ſhould charge him with ſuch a Deſign: and if they who are but very drops of goodneſs, in compariſon of God, the infinite Ocean of Goodneſs, would take it for ſuch a Reproach; ſhall we attribute that to the beſt Being in the World, which we would deteſt and abominate in our ſelves?
II. Wherein the Soveraignty of God doth conſiſt.
1. In a right to diſpoſe of, and deal with his Creatures in any way that doth not contradict the Eſſential Perfections of God, and the natural Condition of the Creature.
2. In a right to impoſe what Laws he pleaſeth upon his Creatures, whether natural and reaſonable; or poſitive, of Tryal of Obedience, provided they contradict not the Nature of God or of the Creature.
3. In a right to inflict due and deſerved Puniſhment in caſe of provocation.
4. In a right to afflict any of his Creatures, ſo the Evil he inflicts be ſhort of the Benefits he hath conferred on them; yea, and farther, in a right when he pleaſeth to annihilate the Creature, and turn it out of Being, if it ſhould ſo ſeem good to him, tho' that Creature have not offended him; becauſe what he gave was his own, and he may without injury take it away again when he pleaſeth. In theſe the Soveraignty of God conſiſts, and if there be any thing elſe that can be reconciled with the eſſential Perfections of God.
Secondly, For the Proof and Confirmation of this. This is univerſally acknowledg'd by the Heathens, that God is the Lord and Soveraign of the World, and of all Creatures. Hence Plato calls him foreign; and Tully, omnium rerum Dominum, Lord of all; and this the Scripture doth every where attribute to him, calling him Lord of all, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; to which we may refer all thoſe Doxologies, in which Power, and Dominion, and Authority are aſcribed to God. I will only mention that eminent Confeſſion of Nebuchadnezzar a great King, who, when his Underſtanding came to him, was forced to acknowledge that God was the moſt high, Dan. 4.34, 35. I infer,
Firſt, Negatively, we cannot, from the ſoveraignty of God, infer a right to do any thing that is unſuitable to the Perfection of his Nature; and conſequently that we are to reſt ſatisfied with ſuch a Notion of Dominion and Soveraignty in God, as doth not plainly and directly contradict all the Notions that we have of Juſtice and Goodneſs: nay it would be little leſs than a horrid and dreadful Blaſphemy, to ſay that God can, out of his Soveraign Will and Pleaſure, do any thing that contradicts the Nature of God, and the eſſential Perfections of the Deity; or to imagin that the Pleaſure and Will of the Holy, and Juſt, and Good God is not always regulated and determined by the eſſential and indiſpenſable Laws of Goodneſs, and Holineſs, and Righteouſneſs.
Secondly, Poſitively; we may infer from the Soveraignty and Dominion of God,
1. That we ought to own and acknowledge God for our Lord and Soveraign, who by creating us, and giving us all that we have, did create to himſelf a Right in us.
2. That we owe to him the utmoſt poſſibility of our Love, to love him with all our hearts, and ſouls, and ſtrength; becauſe the Souls that we have he gave us; and that we are in a capacity to love him, is his Gift; and when we render theſe to him, we do but give him of his own.
3. We owe to him all imaginable ſubjection, and obſervance, and obedience; and are with all diligence, to the utmoſt of our endeavours, to conform our ſelves to his Will, and to thoſe Laws which he hath impoſed upon us.
4. In caſe of Offence and Diſobedience, we are without murmuring, to ſubmit to what he ſhall inflict upon us, to accept of the puniſhment of our iniquity, and patiently to bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe we have ſinned againſt him, who is our Lord and Soveraign.