The Retired Mans Meditations, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Shewing the conviction and judgement that came upon men and Angels for their ſin and diſobedience, by the ſhining forth of the All-ſearching light of Gods ſecond appearance in the WORD; before which every creature ſtands naked and diſcovered.
BY what hath been already evidenced in the precedent Chapter, it may appear that they certainly do very much derogate from the glory of Chriſt, and proclaim their ſhort-ſightedneſs into his fulneſs and rich grace, that look upon the coming of the Lord Jeſus, the ſeed of the promiſe, as an accidental proviſion only that God had in reſerve, in caſe of the entrance and coming in of ſin; never conſidering that through faith in him, ſin from the firſt might and was to have been kept out; and that there was from the beginning no other way, nor name, nor means where, by the creature could obtain a ſare, ſare, incorruptible and immortal life, but by faith in Jeſus Chriſt, who was from the beginning the right object of faith unto Angels and men, to have lead & tranſlated them into the true Reſt & Eternal life, without the coming in of ſin between, if he had been received and believed on, when he cauſed his ſecond voice and heavenly teſtimony to be heard on the ſeventh day. But foraſmuch as the word then preached to them did not profit them, becauſe it was not mixed with faith, Chriſt (finding this his teſtimony thus ſleighted and reſiſted by Angels and men) reſorts to the other part of the power that is in this heavenly voice, which is, to judge and condemn in righteouſneſs thoſe that ſhewed themſelves diſobedient to it and neglecters thereof.
And here behold the goodneſs and ſeverity of God; ſeverity to them that fell, and fell wilfully, as did the Serpent and the wicked Angels, by plain direct diſobedience and down-right oppoſition to their Head (as alſo yet further by enticing and ſeducing man alſo to his ſin and fall) but goodneſs to man, unto whom he made ſin and the judgement declared by reaſon of the ſame, to be the occaſion in all likelyhood of his and Eves converſion; and the reaſon is given why God thus diſtinguiſhed his way of dealing with Angels and men. For the Angels in what they had done, ſinned wilfully, moved by their own malice in a ſelf-hardning fixed way, manifeſtly quitting their Head, and their fellow Angels that followed him to the place whither he looked or intended to go, whileſt they forſook and turned off from him. But for Adam and Eve, they were ſeduced and beguiled as over-reached by the Serpent; wherefore as the Apoſtle Paul ſaid in the like caſe, when in zeal he perſecuted the Church, The Lord was merciful unto me becauſe I did it ignorantly; ſo aſo the Lord was merciful unto our firſt parents that were ſeduced and beguiled by the Serpent, and was pleaſed to renew his Covenant with them in that bleſſed and moſt excellent remedy, the blood of Chriſts ſacrifice, whoſe vertue now appeared to be as well of force to make up and reſtore what was loſt by ſin and the fall, as to bring man into a better ſtate then he had at firſt: which might (as we have ſhewed) have been done without ſins ever entering or making of this breach: and ſo the inſtability of thoſe firſt principles might have been removed, that wavering condition might have been fixed againſt all the aſſaults of ſin or Sathan whatever, and ſecured from all danger of miſcarrying, through the comming of the ſame Jeſus in the fleſh and his entring within the veil by death and the reſurrection from the dead, without being expoſed to the ſhameful and accurſed part of the death of the croſs, which was properly that which was occaſioned by the Fall.
And although it be the ſecret counſel of God which makes the true and general diſcrimination between the objects of his mercy and his ſeverity, wherein he freely hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and ſhews ſeverity on whom he will ſhew ſeverity, yet in the revealed and declared diſpenſation of his will herein unto Angels or men, when he comes to deal and proceed with them either in the way of his mercy and favour, or ſeverity and diſpleaſure, he alwaies obſerves a method of proceedings with them, moſt exactly conſonant unto his juſtice, and conſiſtent therewith: ſo as he proceeds not actually to a final rejection and caſting off the veſſels of wrath, till they have ripened themſelves for the ſame through their own unworthineſs and long abuſe of his patience, under full and ſufficient means of light, diſſwading and warning the contrary. Nor doth he ſuffer thoſe that he intends for objects of his mercy, to ſin the ſin unto death, or to arrive at that height of unworthineſs as willfully to reſiſt the light of his love, but alwaies prevents this extremity of ſin in them with ſeaſonable diſcoveries of mercy and manifeſtations of his free grace: which ſurely was the meaning of the aforeſaid place of Paul when he ſaid, becauſe I did it ignorantly, I found mercy; as much as if he ſhould have ſaid, The Lord in mercy would not ſuffer me to come to that height of ſinning for which he ſwears in his wrath, thoſe that do arrive thereunto, ſhall never enter into his Reſt: which is, to do that which all thoſe in ſome ſenſe or other are guilty of, whom God hath determined for ever to exclude from partaking of that union through which only they can enter into the true Reſt, foraſmuch as they have thereby wilfully rendred themſelves unworthy and uncapable thereof.
We are therefore to acknowledge righteouſneſs and truth to be the pillars that bear up the judgements and determinations of God in his moſt ſecret counſels, when from all Eternity he predetermines and deſigns Angels and men to their uſe and ſervice in his houſe, either as veſſels of honour or diſhonour, as objects of his love or hatred. For God is true and righteous altogether, and will appear and be found ſo when he is judged, and when he comes to declare and lay open the grounds of his proceedings toward his creatures, ſhewing himſelf willing to be argued with concerning the ſame: but however the ſecret of theſe things belongs to God who is beſt able to give his own account of them in his own time: yet what he hath already revealed, and ſo made appertaining unto us, to caſt our eyes upon, we may and ought to take notice of, the better to ſettle our minds in duty and ſubjection unto him who is the Father of our ſpirits.
This then he gives us to underſtand, that he hath ſupplied and provided againſt the faultineſs and waveringneſs of the creatures ſtanding by the firſt covenant, in the ſeventh daies rich grace that was to follow; ſo that what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the fleſh…, God by giving the promiſed ſeed in the light and power of the new and ſecond appearance, fulfilled that which the firſt was not able to carry through, by reaſon of the weakneſs of the fleſh, or readineſs which is in all natural beings to prefer the light and glory of Gods firſt appearance before his ſecond, and to refuſe the hard condition which appears to fleſh and blood in the obſervation of the duty of the true Sabbath, or ceſſation from its lawful works, when ever it is called thereunto: though the penalty annexed in caſe of wilful refuſal and diſobedience, be the utter excluſion of the creature from the bleſſed end for which it had any being given unto it at all.
Upon this conſideration it is, that God who from all eternity doth foreſee all things, and foreknow how univerſally all Angels and men will conclude themſelves under ſin, and do as much as in them lies, utterly to exclude and debar themſelves from the priviledge and mercy of that manner of converſing with him and enjoying of him, which is accepted and well pleaſing unto him) doth fore-determine within himſelf thoſe Angels and men by name, that ſhall taſte of his free mercy and love, notwithſtanding all they do to make themſelves unworthy thereof, reſolving, not to ſuffer them to deſtroy themſelves by their own will, but to apply an effectual remedy to them, whereby they ſhall be ſaved to the utmoſt.
And for the others, known alſo to him by name, he doth determine not to ſhew them the mercy and kindneſs which he is pleaſed of his bounty to afford his Elect; but upon condition, leaving them to the righteous rule ſet up in the firſt Covenant, to be proceeded with, according to their works. Wherein notwithſtanding he is pleaſed of his own free accord and good will, to give them all the helps and means incident to that diſpenſation, that are requiſite to enable them to the diſcharge of ſuch a condition: ſhewing thereby, that he takes no pleaſure in the death of a ſinner, but would have all men to be ſaved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. So that God having thus given a righteous rule to all, which nevertheleſs would be fulfilled by none, through their own voluntary default: if he left all to ſtand or fall by that, he did none any wrong. And who is there now that can reply againſt God, for freely doing with his own what he himſelf pleaſeth? and for diſtributing that which is matter of his love and free bounty, upon whomſoever his own good pleaſure leads him to?
In purſuance of theſe eternal decrees was the righteous judgement of God revealed from heaven againſt the Serpent, and upon fallen Adam and Eve: exactly anſwering unto what was contained in the books or law of the firſt and ſecond Covenant, ſet up in the perſon of Chriſt, declaring wrath and ſeverity againſt thoſe that were found deſpiſers of the riches of his goodneſs, and after the hardneſs and impenitency of their hearts, had been treaſuring up, of wrath againſt the day of wrath: but ſhewing mercy to thoſe that ſinned ignorantly, and were beguiled; ſetting before them the ſight of the ſon of man that was to be lifted up upon the Croſs, and have his heel bruiſed by the Serpent, that whoſoever believeth upon him, ſhould not periſh but have ever laſting life. This Chriſt did,
Firſt, by revealing himſelf to them, as he that was to deſcend out of that ſtate of glory wherein he now lived in and with the Word of life, and was to be made fleſh, or the ſeed of the woman, by being born of a woman, and made uuder the law: in which ſtate he was to be ſubjected to the death of the Croſs, and to the enduring all that could be brought upon him from the power of the devil or his inſtruments, for the bruiſing of his heel, the putting of him to death in the fleſh.
Secondly, by declaring the woman (as he was to be her ſeed) the mother of all living, or rather by manifeſting himſelf to be him that was to ſpring up out of her womb, to be the new root, ſeed and head to all living, or of all natural and ſpiritual life that was to be derived to the whole creation of God, upon a new account and tenure, the firſt having failed, and being through ſin and diſobedience loſt (ſo as the whole fabrick thereof might have been diſſolved and ſunk down into ruine and deſolation) if Chriſt now, made this ſeed of the woman, had not born up the pillars of it, by vertue of his becoming the firſt born from the dead, and had not ſent forth his ſpirit upon the face of the firſt world, to renew it again upon the terms of the firſt Covenant into fellowſhip and communion with God, as well as from his ſpiritual headſhip derived life and being unto his Church, the ſpiritual ſeed, in and through whom, he was to make warr with the devil & his ſeed, & perfectly to overcome them.
Chriſt therefore, as the head and root unto both theſe ſeeds, (as well that by the law and renewal of the firſt covenant through the blood of his Croſs, as that by promiſe and the making or conſtituting the new covenant in the vertue and power of the ſame blood) is preached and held forth unto man, in the work of the ſeventh day, as the free and voluntary workmanſhip of Gods hands, wherein Adam had cauſe to rejoyce, when the works of his own hands miſcarried and failed, Pſal. 82. 5. For this is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes: this is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoyce and be glad in it, Pſal. 118. 23, 24. even to ſee the ſtone which the builders refuſed, to be made the head-ſtone of the corner, ver. 22. both Lord and Chriſt: Lord of the firſt creation, and Gods anointed one, made higher then the Kings of the earth, in his ſpiritual head-ſhip.
This day is the day-ſpring from on high, that may ſeem to have viſited our firſt parents, to make them Children of the day and of the light of Gods new creation on the ſeventh day: who elſe were like to have ſunk irrecoverably into the lowermoſt hell by their works of ſin and diſobedience, in a manner as ſoon as they were created. And as a type or figure of theſe two ſeeds, the natural and ſpiritual, ſpringing both of them up in the beginning from the ſame womb, Cain and Abel are recorded for us to take notice of: who for a while, were both worſhippers and ſervants of the true and living God, approaching unto him by ſacrifice, in teſtimony of their owning and relying upon the blood of Chriſt; but the one doing it without faith (though he were a man gotten from the Lord) acting only upon the account of a life derived from Chriſt as head of the natural man, and reſtoring him to the exerciſe of the ſame life in kind (upon the tenure of the firſt covenant which was conditional, Gen. 4. 7.) which Adam had before his fall: the other doing it through the obedience of faith, Heb. 11. 3. or participation of that higher and better union with God in the new and everlaſting covenant, for which he was envied and hated by his brother; who by taking in a bitterneſs and enmity from the devil againſt Abel the ſeed of the promiſe, became thereby the ſeed of the ſerpent, whoſe latter end was worſe then his beginning, and who proved the ſubject wherein the firſt enmity was managed by the natural and fleſhly worſhipper and ſervant of God, againſt the true ſpiritual worſhipper, and ſon and heir of eternal life: and who in that ſtate of fleſhly life, was permitted to rule over his brother, and bring him into ſubjection unto him, as to the exerciſe of worldly power, as it is written: unto thee ſhall be his deſire, and thou ſhalt rule over him, Gen. 4. 7.
Unto both theſe ſeeds, Chriſt, as the Redeemer and Saviour propheſyed of, to come into the world and be born of a woman, is, in his own perſon, the begetter and deriver of life. And both come as worſhippers of him by ſacrifice, for cleanſing and perfecting their conſciences, and maintaining union and communion between them and God, which through the fall was loſt. And he that is thus propheſyed of, as one to come, Mich. 5. 2. is alſo prepared and ſet up from everlaſting (His goings forth having been of old) though he takes occaſion by the fall of man to reveal himſelf more fully who is the WORD that hath been heard from the beginning, and hath cauſed the ſound of his voice, and the power of his Rule and dominion to go forth and be obeyed, from the riſing of the ſun to the ſetting thereof, in all ages. For the government of Angels and men is upon the ſhoulders of this great Councellor and Prince of peace; Who as he had the bounds of his Kingdoms, and the confines of his dominions ſet out by the Father from all Eternity: ſo was it now high time to declare himſelf in the adminiſtration and exerciſe thereof, upon this foul miſcarriage of the fallen Angels, with all mankind in Adam, and to ſhew himſelf to be He that is the poſſeſſor of all power in heaven and in earth, and that hath the chief adminiſtration thereof.
This is he ſpoken of, Iſa. 49. 2. whoſe mouth the Lord hath made like a ſharp ſword; who was hid in the ſhadow of his hand, and as a poliſhed ſhaft in the quiver of the living WORD, before the Lord called him from the womb of the virgin, and from the bowels of his mother, ver. 1. and to whom God ſaid, ver. 3. &c. Thou art my ſervant, whom I have raiſed up in righteouſneſs, and in whom I will be glorified; Ask of me and I will give thee the utmoſt ends of the earth for thy poſſeſſion: for it is a light thing for me that thou ſhouldſt be my ſervant to raiſe up the Tribes of Jacob, and to reſtore the preſerved of Iſrael, I will alſo give thee for a light unto the Gentiles that thou maiſt be my ſalvation to the ends of the earth. Thus ſaith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of ſalvation have I helped thee (who, as a Lamb ſlain from the foundation of the world, was with God) and I will preſerve thee, and give thee as a covenant of the people: to eſtabliſh the earth, and cauſe to inherit the deſolate heritages: to ſay to the priſoners, go forth; and to them that are in darkneſs, ſhew your ſelves: to give bread to them that are hungry, and waters freely to them that thirſt: for he that hath mercy on them, will lead them, even by the ſprings of water will he guide them, and he will make all his mountain a way, and his high way ſhall be exalted. Behold theſe ſhall come from far, and theſe from the North and the Weſt, and theſe from the Land of Sinim.
Thus is this poliſhed ſhaft that is hidden in the ſhadow of his hand, and in the quiver of the Living WORD, provided from the beginning, with all the power of a mighty Saviour and compleat Redeemer, and is bringing of it into exerciſe upon the firſt occaſion, promiſing the familiar and plain diſcovery of himſelf, to the very outward as well as the inward ſenſes of man, by the Words being made fleſh, and born of a woman, whereby that which was in the beginning, might be heard with our ears, ſeen with our eyes, & handled with our hands, of the WORD of life which was with the Father, and who from the Creation downward, during Moſes his miniſtry, was ſpoken to the Fathers by the Prophets, at ſundry times and in divers manners, till at laſt he came himſelf to ſpeak in his own perſon: through whom, as in Adam all died, all are again revived and made to live.