A Little Cabinet, Section 41 – Section 42
The order of cauſes, how God comes downward, from the cauſes to, the effects; and how we muſt go upward, from the effects to the cauſes.
IT will make much for our information, and conſolation, to conſider what order and method the Lord doth take to unvail his love to man, and what order and method man ſhould take to apprehend and enjoy this love, viz. God goes downward from the cauſes to the effects, and we muſt go upward, from the effects to the cauſes: the web that God hath weaved we muſt unweave; he goes from election downward, we muſt go from regeneration upward, thus ſhall God and we meet in the middle way; we muſt prove our ſelves to be called, and he will acknowledge us to be elected: conſider and weigh theſe enſuing things.
1. The cauſe of ſalvation is Gods love.
2. The way is Jeſus Chriſt.
3. The guide is the Holy-Ghoſt.
4. The rule for our footſteps is the Scriptures.
5. Faith is the evidence.
6. Hope is the Anchor of the ſoul, and Baptiſm and the Lords Supper are the ſeals.
1. Gods love to ſinners, was the cauſe of ſending his ſon to dye for them, Job. 3. 16. Rom. 5. 6, 8. 1 Pet. 3. 18. Tit. 3. 4, 5.
2. Chriſts dying for our ſins, and riſing again for our juſtification, is the cauſe of the Goſpels being preached to ſinners, Mat. 28. 18, 19. Mar. 16. 15, 16. 1 Cor. 15. 13.
3. The Goſpel being preached to ſinners, is the cauſe of their believing, Rom. 10. 14, 15, 17. Epheſ. 1. 13. Act. 13. 48.
4. Mans believing is the cauſe of his juſtification from ſin, Act. 13. 38, 39. Rom. 3. 26, 28.
5. Our knowing our ſelves to be juſtified from our ſins, by faith in the blood of Chriſt, is the cauſe of our love to Chriſt, 1 Joh. 4. 10, 19.
6. Our love to Chriſt, is the cauſe of our obeying of Chriſt, 1 Joh. 5. 3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: ſo again, Joh. 14. 15. If ye love me, keep my commandments, See the 21. and 23. ver.
7. In our obedience to him, he doth manifeſt theſe things to us, that we have right to the tree of life, Rev. 22. 14. Bleſſed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates, into the City: that is, in the obedience, he ſhall have the manifeſtation of that, 2 Pet. 1. 11. For ſo an entrance ſhall be adminiſtred unto you abundantly, into the everlaſting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. And ſo he is manifeſted to be the Author of ſalvation to all them that obey him, Heb. 5. 9.
Behold obedience to God is the way of conveyance to us, ſo it is a lively evidence to others that we are the Lords, Joh. 13. 35. By this ſhall all men know that ye are my Diſciples: becauſe our faith, which is the evidence of things not ſeen to us, is proved to others to be true by its works, Jam. 2. 18.
Behold here is the Lords going downward, from the cauſes to the effects; now we muſt go upward, from the effects to the cauſes.
1. God ſhews us what is our duty, and puts us upon doing it, and for the doing of it, thoſe that behold it, and hear of us, judge us to be true Chriſtians.
2. In the doing of it, God manifeſts himſelf more and more to our ſouls; in the keeping of his appointments there is great reward, for ſo an entrance is adminiſtred to us abundantly, 2 Pet. 1. 11.
3. The cauſe of our obedience is our love to God, If ye love me, keep my commandments.
4. The cauſe of our love, was our ſeeing that God did love us firſt, 1 Joh. 4. 10, 19.
5. The cauſe of our faith in Chriſt, is the preaching of the Goſpel, Rom. 10. 17.
6. The cauſe of the preaching the Goſpel to us, was Chriſts dying for us.
7. The cauſe of Chriſts dying for us, was Gods great love of pitty to us-wards, even when we were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, Epheſ. 2. 4.
So then Gods love was the cauſe of ſending his ſon o deye for our ſins, Chriſts dying and riſing again is the cauſe of the Goſpe…s being preached. The preaching of the Goſpel is the cauſe of our believing: Our believing is the cauſe of our juſtification from ſin; the knowing of our ſelves free from ſin by the blood of Chriſt, is the cauſe of our love to Chriſt; our love to Chriſt is the cauſe of our obeying of him; and in onr obedience is the manifeſtation more and more conveyed to us. So by our obedience, others have ſome evidence of our faith in Chriſt.
Mans life is, or ſhould be guided by theſe vertues.
1. FAith whereby we believe in, and lay hold on God for ſomething promiſed.
2. Hope, and that is either for pardoning mercy, or for glory.
3. Charity, whereby we love God as the only good, and his people, and our enemies in obedience to his command.
4. Prudence.
1. In our hearts to guide our thoughts.
2. In our mouths, to order our ſpeeches.
3. It ſhould be in our words to grace or adorn our actions.
4. In the intelligence, to underſtand things preſent.
5. Prudence, to gueſs at things to come.
6. Prudence, to recal matters paſt.
5. Temperance, which moderates our deſires, and brings the Appetite under a rule of reaſon, that it may not exceed the rule of moderation.
6. Perſeverance, which continueth in doing and ſuffering valiantly.
7. Juſtice, which giveth every man his due, without ſelf-love, fear or ranckor; it binds us to give due to God, to our parents, and kindred: verity and equity in all that we do, in order to our duty herein.
1. Senſe perceiveth.
2. Imagination repreſenteth.
3. Underſtanding formeth.
4. Wit deviſeth.
5. Reaſon judgeth.
6. Memory preſerveth.
7. Intelligence apprehendeth.
8. Contemplation in the proſecution, perfecteth.