The Dignity of Gods Children, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Of the firſt moouing cauſe of our regeneration, viz. which firſt mooued God to regenerate vsus.
AS in the former Chapter the dignity of Gods children hath been declared by the excellency of God who is their Father, as alſo by this, that God only hath begotten them againe vntounto himſelfe, and that no other can worke the worke of our regeneration: ſo now to ſet foorth the ſame further by the firſt and principall cauſe thereof, viz. by that which firſt mooued God ſo to regenerate and adopt vsus vntounto himſelfe, let vsus a little more conſider of the infinit louelove of his towards vsus in this behalfe, whereof before we hauehave heard, euen that that louelove is the principall cauſe of our adoption and regeneration.
This louelove of God is here to be conſidered two waies. Firſt, as the cauſe of election before the foundations of the world were layd, both to adoption, whereof now we ſpeake: and alſo to the fruition of all other mercies in this life and the life to come. Secondly, as it was afterward in the fulneſſe of time declared, by the ſending ſpecially of his ſonne into the world, for the effecting of that our adoption.
Touching the firſt, it hath been before noted, that the Apoſtle in this very place, ſpeaking of the louelove of God as of the cauſe of making vsus his children, doth not ſpeake in the time preſent, but in the time paſt, by that circumſtance of time ſignifying the ſaid louelove of God, not to be a new louelove, or a preſent louelove only, but an ancient louelove, euen from the beginning. The ſame (beſides the Scriptures before alledged) is expreſly teſtified by the Apoſtle Paul, who not only ſaith that God hath elected vsus before the foundation of the world, but alſo touching the cauſe and the end of our ſaid election, hee addeth, that God hath then predeſtinated vsus to be adopted, (or to bee made children) through Ieſus Chriſt vntounto himſelfe, according to the good pleaſure of his will, Epheſ. 1. 5. that is, according to his meere and moſt free grace, without reſpect of any worthineſſe of them, whom he hath choſen: and the words following of the principall end of our election, viz. the praiſe of the glory of his grace, do further manifeſt his free grace to hauehave beene the principall cauſe of election to adoption, and to the ſonneſhip (if I may ſo ſpeake) of God. For if there were any other principall cauſe thereof then only Gods free grace, then alſo the praiſe of the ſaid cauſe ſhould be the end of our election, as well as the praiſe of the free grace of God.
As alſo it is ſaid, that God choſe the children of Iſrael to be his ſpeciall people, becauſe only he loued their fathers, Deut. 4. 37. and as Samuel ſaith, it had pleaſed the Lord to make them his people, 1. Sam. 12. 22. inſinuating by that phraſe, the meere pleaſure of God to hauehave bin the cauſe of making them his people: ſo and much more may be ſaid touching our adoption to bee the children of God. Yea, ſo alſo it is ſaid, that God of his own will hath begotten vsus againe, &c. that is, of his meer louelove, Iam. 1. 18.
As this louelove of God (afterward declared by the act it ſelfe, of adopting vsus to be his children) was thus eternall without beginning, ſo alſo it is eternall in reſpect it ſhalbe without end: Therefore it is called euerlaſting louelove, Ierem. 31. 3. and Iohn ſaith, that whom God loueth once he loueth to the end: Iohn 13. 1. And indeed whatſoeuer is without beginning, is alſo without end. Many things hauehave beginning, which ſhall hauehave no end, as all Angels good and bad, and the ſpirits of all men: but nothing ſhall hauehave end, that hath no beginning. Therefore as before we heard that all that are regenerated hauehave beene beloued of God without beginning of his louelove, ſo Peter ſaith that ſuch alſo are kept by the power of God vntounto ſaluation, &c. 1. Pet. 1. 5. But of this before, Chap. 2. Neither only is that louelove of God towards the regenerated euerlaſting and without end, becauſe it is without beginning: but for the ſame reaſon alſo it is the more free and without all reſpect of any worthineſſe in them that are without beginning beloued. For how can they pretend any worthines in themſelues to hauehave beene the cauſe of that louelove, that was more ancient then themſelues, yea then the world? The cauſe muſt be before the effect, and not the effect before the cauſe. In this reſpect therefore the dignity of Gods children is ſo much the greater; firſt becauſe they are beloued of God: ſecondly becauſe they hauehave been ſo long beloued of God: thirdly, becauſe they hauehave been and are freely beloued of God: fourthly becauſe the louelove of God is euerlaſting. Concerning the firſt; if the fauor of a king be as the dew vponupon the graſſe, Pro. 19. 12. and if in the light of a Kings countenance be life, and his fauour be like a cloud of the latter raine, Pro. 16. 15. what ſhall we ſay of the fauor of God, and of the light of his countenance that is king of kings?
The ſame is to be ſaid of the antiquity of Gods louelove. For as it is the greater grace and honor for a ſubiect, the longer he hath been in fauor with his Prince; ſo likewiſe that all the children of God hauehave been ſo long in fauour with God, and that God hath ſo long loued them, it cannot but be the greater honor vntounto them.
Thirdly, the freeneſſe of Gods louelove without reſpect of any deſert in his children, doth as much dignifie his ſaid childrē, as the free grace of a Prince without any deſert or gifts, whereby to procure the Princes fauor, doth the more honor ſuch a ſubiect as is in ſuch free fauour with his Soueraigne.
Fourthly, and principally the louelove of God is the more honorable in reſpect that it is euerlaſting, becauſe we ſee the grace and fauour of all Princes to be mutable. Though Haman were in ſuch grace with Ahaſhueroſh that hee procured him to write his royall letters for the deſtruction of all the Iewes: yet we know what a change fell out afterward. Yea, how ſoone and vponupon how light an occaſion (euen vponupon the falſe report only of flattering Ziba) was the great louelove of Dauid qua… led towards Mephiboſheth the ſonne of his ancient and moſt faithfull friend Ionathan? Sith therefore the louelove of mortall Princes is ſo vncertaine, it cannot but be the greater honor to the children of God, that they are ſo rooted and grounded in grace and fauor with God, that nothing whatſoeuer ſhall euer bee able to diſgrace them with him, ſo as that he ſhall for euer caſt them off. But this ſhall further appeare by other things, afterward handled concerning their further dignity. All this of the louelove of God, of his ancient louelove, and of his free louelove, and of his vnchangeable louelove towards his children, is the more honor vntounto them, becauſe as it is ſaid, Iacob hauehave I loued and Eſau hauehave I hated: Rom. 9. 17. ſo it is ſaid that the Lord hateth all the workers of iniquity. Pſal. 5. 5. and that his face is againſt them that do euill, to cut off their remembrance from the earth. Pſal. 34. 16. And therefore the wicked hauehave no part in the foreſaid louelove of God, but it is proper and peculiar only to the children of God. And thus we ſee, that the foreſaid louelove of God towards his children is not only to be conſidered as the principall and firſt mouing cauſe of their regeneration: but alſo as a ſingular, and moſt honourable benefit and prerogatiue. Thus much for the firſt conſideration of the louelove of God in making vsus his children, viz. as it was the cauſe of our election at the firſt, euen before all times, vntounto our adoption and regeneration to be made in time. Touching the ſecond conſideration of Gods louelove in making vsus his children, namely as it hath been declared particularly, in giuing his ſonne for the effecting of our adoption whereunto we were predeſtinated and elected, it is ſaid, So God loued the world, that he hath giuen his only begotten ſonne, that whoſoeuer beleeueth in him ſhould not periſh, &c. Ioh. 3. 16. If God ſo loued the world that he ſent his ſonne, that men might hauehave euerlaſting life by beleeuing in him, then alſo in his ſaid louelove he ſent his ſonne to adopt them vntounto God. For none can beleeue but ſuch as are adopted, and hauehave the ſpirit of adoption, whereby to beleeue God to be their father. And adoption is one neceſſary ſtep to euerlaſting life: and without adoption and regeneration, can no man enter into the kingdome of heauen, as our Sauiour teacheth Nicodemus in the ſame chapter.
Neither is it only manifeſt thus by conſequence, that God ſo loued the world, (that is, the elect men in the world) that he ſent his ſonne for their adoption, but the Apoſtle doth alſo teach the ſame expreſly; When the fulneſſe of time (ſaith he) was come, God ſent his ſonne made of a woman, and made vnderunder the law, (that is, not only borne in the time of the law, but alſo made ſubiect both to the obedience and to the curſe of the law) that he might redeeme them that were vnderunder the law, that they might receiue the adoption of ſonnes. Galat. 4. 4. 6.
By theſe teſtimonies it is manifeſt, not only that God declared his great louelove towards vsus in ſending his own and only ſonne into the world, to make vsus his children, but that alſo God the ſonne was a principall agent in the work of our adoption and regeneration, as well as God the father: and that wee could no more hauehave been made the children of God without the worke of God the ſonne, then without the worke of God the father.
The ſame is yet further manifeſt, by the Euangeliſts interpretation of the propheticall words of Caiph as ſpoken as hee was high Prieſt, touching the neceſſity of the death of one for the people, and that the whole nation ſhould not periſh, For this (ſaith the Euangeliſt) ſpake hee not of himſelfe, but being high Prieſt that ſame yeere, he prophecied that Ieſus ſhould die for that nation: and not for that nation only, but that he ſhould gather together the children of God that were ſcattered. Ioh. 11. 50. By gathering together he meaneth adopting: and by the children of God he meaneth not them that were already in act the children of God, but that were appointed and predeſtinated ſo to be, as before we heard. It is alſo in the ſaid place to be obſerued Note.that he ſpeaketh not paſſiuely, but actiuely. He ſaith not, that the children of God might be gathered together, but he ſaith that he might gather together, &c. So he noteth that the gathering together and adopting of the children of God, is a worke of Ieſus Chriſt as well as of God the father. The ſame our Sauiour himſelfe teſtifieth, ſaying: Other ſheepe I hauehave alſo which are not of this fold, them alſo must I bring. Ioh. 10. 16. he ſaith not they ſhall be brought, but that he himſelfe muſt bring them. Peter accordeth with both the former teſtimonies, making this to be the end of Christs ſuffering once for ſinnes, &c. not that we might be brought only to God, but alſo that he might bring vsus vntounto God. 1. Pet. 3. 18. As therefore we could not hauehave been ſaued without Chriſt, ſo neither could we hauehave been adopted without him.
Therefore alſo, as before we heard the dignity of Gods children, to be the greater by the worke of the father, ſo it is alſo the greater hereby, that the father worketh herein by the ſonne: and the ſonne worketh with the father as well in this our ſecond creation as in the firſt: For Chriſt is the ſame in glory and excellency with the Father. Whatſoeuer is ſpoken of the Father (according to the Deity) the ſame may alſo be ſayd of the ſonne. For I (ſaith Chriſt himſelfe) and my Father are one. Ioh. 10. 30. and the Apoſtle ſaith, that hee being in the forme of God, thought it no robbery to be equall with God. Philip. 2. 6. And he is called the heire of all things, by whom God the Father made the world: and the brightneſſe of the glory, and the ingraued forme of his fathers perſon. Heb. 1. 2. 3.
Neither was Chriſt only ſo excellent as he was God: but he was alſo very excellent in his humanity: the ſame being conceiued in the wombe of a virgin by the immediat operation of the holy ghoſt; and being perſonally vnited to the Godhead, that both natures might make one perſon; and ſo vnited, being alſo altogether without ſinne, vnſpotted, vndefiled, moſt holy and righteous. In his offices alſo he was moſt honorable: being the onelyonly King, Prieſt, and Prophet of his Church: yea, ſuch a King, Prieſt, and Prophet, as of whom Dauid and Salomon, and all their kingly poſterity, with the Prieſts of the law, and the Prophets extraordinarily raiſed vp and ſent to the ancient people of God, were but types, figures and ſhadowes.
The more excellent therefore that Chriſt is and was before his ſending into the world and afterward, the more hath God dignified his children, in ſending him ſo into the world to make them his children. The more honorable perſons that any Prince doth imploy for the good of any other, the more is he dignified and graced, for whoſe good ſuch honourable perſons are ſo imployed.
Did not Balak King of Moab, much honour Balaam by ſending vntounto him, firſt ſome of the Elders and Princes of Moab and Midian: Num. 22. 5. 7. and 13. and afterward more Princes and more honorable then the former? verſ. 15.
Was it not a great honor to the Prophet Iſaiah, that Hezekiah ſent Eliakim the ſteward of his houſe, and Shebna his Chauncellor and the elders of the Prieſts to aske counſell of him touching Rabſheka? 2. King. 19. 2. May not the like be ſayd of Ioſiahs ſending Hi…kia the Prieſt, Ah…kan the ſonne of Shaphat, Achbor the ſonne of Michaiah, Shaphan the Chancellor, and Aſahia the Kings ſeruant, to Huldah the Prophe…eſſe for counſell from the Lord touching the finding of the lawe… 2. King. 22. 12.
That the Centurion ſent not one of his own ſeruants, but the elders of the Iewes vntounto our Sauiour in behalfe of his ſicke ſeruant, Luc. 7. 3. was it not to doe the more honour to our Sauiour?
If the ſending of ſuch honourable meſſengers were ſome honour to them to whom they were ſent, what ſhall we thinke of Gods ſending his owne ſonne to vsus, and for vsus, to make vsus his children? Doth not God thereby greatly honor vsus? verely it cannot be denied: ſith the ſending of Chriſt was more, then if he had ſent all the Angels in heauen. For Chriſt is made ſo much more excellent then the Angels, by how much more he hath obtained a more excellent name then they. Heb. 1. 4.
This is ſo much the more, becauſe God ſent not his ſonne in glory, and to liue here in glory, but in baſeneſſe and in forme of a ſeruant, cloathed with our baſe nature (yet purged from all corruption as ſoone as it was ſeparated in the wombe of the Virgin to be that which afterward it was) and ſo to liue a while in pouerty, in ſhame, and in all contempt, and at the laſt to be put to the moſt ſhamefull death of the croſſe, as though he had been a worme and no man; or as though he had been the vileſt man, that had before come into the world.
Were it not a very great honor to a poore, yea, to a trayterous ſubiect, being ſomewhere in captiuity, bondage, and great miſery, if his Prince ſhould abaſe his only ſonne, and ſend him diſguiſed in baſe apparell, and to vndergoe much pouerty and other hardneſſe, with ſhame alſo and contempt for a time, for the redeeming the ſaid ſubiect and to bring him home to the Court of the Prince, there to eat meat with the Prince his ſonne, and to be accounted as a companion of his? How great then, is this honour that God hath done vntounto vsus in ſending his own ſonne, and in expoſing him to many, (yea to all) indignities to redeeme vsus that we might receiue the adoption of ſonnes?
Before I proceed any further, let me here inſert another principall cauſe of our regeneration, viz. the mercy of God. This may ſeeme to be all one with the louelove of God, before handled. And indeed it is ſo like thereunto, that it is often confounded therewith: ſo that the word louelove is often taken for mercy: and mercy is often taken for louelove, when there is ſpeech of the dealing of God with men: eſpecially in the matter of election, calling and ſaluation. This may be obſerued in diuers places before alledged, and therefore I ſtand not vponupon it. But although there be great ſimilitude betwixt them, yet Note.they are alſo to be diſtinguiſhed. For firſt of all both are in God towards man, but both cannot be in man towards God. LoueLove may be and muſt be in man towards God: but it is very abſurd to ſay that a man may ſhew mercy vntounto God. Againe the louelove of God hath reſpect vntounto vsus as being only the creatures of God; euen baſe creatures, ſuch as were altogether vnworthy ſo great honour of being made the children of God. But the mercy of God hath reſpect and relation vntounto vsus, not only as we are creatures, baſe, and vnworthy of the foreſayd louelove, but alſo as we were miſerable, eſpecially polluted with infinit … yea, dead in all ſinnes and treſpaſſes; more then vnworthy of his fauour, euen ſuch as had deſerued his euerlaſting diſpleaſure and indignation: as hauing been traitors and rebells againſt him in the higheſt degree. Furthermore, the louelove of God is in order before the ſending or giuing of Chriſt, being the cauſe both of our election, and alſo of ſending or giuing Chriſt Ieſus as hath beene ſhewed touching election out of Epheſ. 1. 5. 6. and touching the ſending of Chriſt out of Ioh. 3. 16. But the mercy of God is only in Chriſt Ieſus, and for Chriſt Ieſus his ſake, as afterward ſhall appeare.
Whereas it is ſaid that we are elected in Chriſt, that is not to be vnderſtood ſimply of election itſelfe, but rather of the ends whereto we are elected, viz. adoption and ſaluation. To ſpeake ſimply of election itſelfe, it was meerly of the free louelove of God, and the efficient cauſe thereof was only in God himſelfe. And ſo God hauing eternally decreed our ſaluation, did alſo at the ſame inſtant decree the meanes of our ſaluation; namely the giuing of his only ſonne to be made man for vsus. We were firſt in order elected to be ſaued, and then Chriſt was appointed and at the ſame inſtant deſtinated, to be the perſon by whom we ſhould be ſaued. Therefore, as Peter ſaith that the Iewes had put Chriſt to death by the determinate counſell and foreknowledge of God, Acts 2. 23. ſo he calleth Chriſt alambe vnſpotted, &c. ordained before the foundations of the world, 1. Pet. 1. 20.
Notwithſtanding this priority of decreeing our ſaluation, before the ſending of Chriſt was decreed, muſt be vnderſtood of a priority in order in the nature of things, not of a priority in time. For both being eternall and before all times, (to wit the decree for ſauing vsus, and the decree for ſending Chriſt to worke out that ſaluation for vsus) one could not bee before an other in time. For in things eternall, there can be neither priority, or poſteriority in time. Thus then we ſee a plaine diſtinction betwixt the louelove of God, and the mercy of God, either in our election, or in the worke of regeneration, or in any other thing.
That the mercy of God was one of the principall mouing cauſes of our regeneration, viz. which moued God to worke this worke in vsus, it is manifeſt alſo by the teſtimony of Peter. For he in his firſt Epiſtle and Chapter, hauing after his Apoſtolicall maner ſaluted the Chriſtians to whom he wrote, maketh this entrance into the reſt of the Epiſtle, ſaying: Bleſſed be God the father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, who according to his abundant (or rich) mercy hath begotten vsus againe, &c. 1. Pet. 1. 3. Is it not in theſe words plaine, that the Apoſtle doth make the mercy of God a principall cauſe firſt mouing God to beget vsus againe? So the Apoſtle Paul in the worke of our ſaluation ioineth together the mercy of God, and the waſhing of the new birth, Tit. 3. 5. So alſo particularly ſpeaking of his owne conuerſion from blaſpheming, and from perſecuting and oppreſſing of the Church, to the true feare of God, and louelove of his Saints, he attributeth the ſame to the mercy of God, ſaying: I was a blaſphemer, and a perſecuter, and an oppreſſor, but I was receiued to mercy, or I found mercy. By the mercy of God here, I vnderſtand the pity and compaſſion that God tooke vponupon vsus beholding vsus in our miſerable ſtate by nature, being blind, deafe, dumb, lame, ſicke, dead, &c. (as hath been ſaid) and ſo his bowels of compaſſion being moued towards vsus, and neuer ceaſing to worke (as it were) in him till by the worke of our regeneration he had releaſed and diſcharged vsus from our foreſaid miſerable ſtate and condition. I might ſpeake in this place of the mercy of God in forgiuing our ſinnes: but becauſe I ſhall ſpeake afterward of the forgiueneſſe of ſinnes amongſt the benefits belonging to the children of God by their communion with God: therefore I will ſpare all ſpeech thereof here. In the meane time that God hath ſhewed ſuch mercy vntounto men, as to make them his children, it cannot but adde ſomthing to their dignity. For as it is a great preferment to be beloued of God, he being the King of kings: ſo it is no leſſe matter for ſuch miſerable, yea, rebellious and traiterous creatures, as we were, to find ſuch mercy with God, as not only to be pardoned of all our ſinnes, but alſo to be made his children: yea, this is the greater matter, becauſe it is a ſpeciall teſtimony of the louelove of God before handled. For if he had not loued vsus full dearely, he would neuer hauehave ſhewed ſuch compaſſion vponupon vsus.