A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 71 (Question 20 cont.)
SERMON LXXI.
3. THE firſt original, or leading cauſe of this Reſtitution, is his meer good pleaſure. We are here p…inted to the Divine Sovereignty, which in nothing appears more eminently than in this affair. It is of the higheſt concernment for man to know the order of the cauſes of his Salvation: nor can the Goſpel be truly underſtood without it: and here we are …or to reſt till we come to the higheſt cauſe of all; hence all the reſt ow… … ordination to, and dependance upon it. …t man's recovery from miſery to felicity derives from God originally. I know none that do in words de…y: that, if ever the undone creature be again reſtored, and made happy, He muſt be the author of it, muſt needs be confeſſed by all thoſe that underſtand and believe how fearfully he is entangled in guilt, and fallen under the wrath and curſe of God. But how it derives from him, or what was the firſt moving cauſe which induced him to extend this mercy to ſuch a creature, is a point that hath exerciſed the minds of many, and given occaſion for hot diſputes, and grievous bickerings among ſuch as call themſelves Chriſtians: proud man, not contenting himſelf to ſtoop to God's Sovereignty, and acquieſce in the divine Prerogative. Hence, ſome there be, who do ultimately reſolve it into God's Natural Goodneſs, and that love which he, as Creator, muſt bear to his creature. Others, who though they pretend to aſſign it to his Will, do yet ſeek a double Will in God, the one abſolute, the other conditionate, and refer it to the latter; and hereupon do really make it dependent on ſomething in the creature; and therefore though it be determined, yet it is upon a foreſight of that, on which the hypotheſis depends. Againſt all theſe, our Catechiſm aſſures us that it was his meer good pleaſure: by which we are to underſtand, that it did purely and entirely ariſe from himſelf, and that he acted his own liberty or freedom fully in it: or that he did it, becauſe he would do it, and there cannot be given any cauſe antecedent to that; not that he did it without any reaſon, or for no end; no, there was the counſel of his will in i…; and he being a wiſe agent, doth nothing in vain.
BUT, for a more particular and diſtinct clearing up of this matter, I ſhall endeavour a little to explicate the meaning of it; and then to give ſome inſtances, wherein it will appear. Here then it is neceſſary that we do in God diſtinguiſh of his acts, of which ſome are natural, ſome voluntary: for without o… ſo diſtinguiſhing, our manner of conception about him, muſt needs be confuſed: it is true, all God's natural acts, are in a ſenſe voluntary; for he is the moſt free agent, and his will is himſelf … but yet all God's voluntary acts are not natural: for though he doth nothing but what is agreable to his nature, yet he doth many things, which it had been no way repugnant to his nature if he had …t done them, or done otherwiſe. Now, between theſe two ſorts of acts, there are theſe differences obſervable.
1. THE ſorr…t are neceſſary; the latter … at liberty and conſequ…ntly contingent. It is true, there is a neceſſity well enough conſiſtent with a freedom of will; natural a…ious, in a rational Agent may be ſpontaneous; but there is a neceſſity, and liberty, which are things repugnant: things naturally neceſſary are determined to one, and may not vary; things of liberty are indifferent, a… opp…ſita, ſo that they may, or may not do. God can or but be himſelf; he cannot deny himſelf; he is a God of truth, and he cannot …e: the Father cannot but eternally beget the Son, &c. And this neceſſity is abſolute, it is impoſſible that he ſhould do other: but then, he might, or might not have willed to make a world, or to have made it that; or put theſe and thoſe creatures into it. It is true, upon the ſuppoſition that he wills it us be ſo, there is an hypotherical neceſſity that it muſt be; becauſe his will is not capable of changes, but yet it was arbitrary with … whether he would have thus willed. H… that, Rev. 4.11. For thou haſt created all things, and for thy pleaſure they are and were cr…d.
2. IN the former there can be no choice, in the latter there is. Choice, is properly at all of liberty, and ſo not compatable, with abſolute neceſſity: Choice is properly an e… act of the will; and it always is exerted in one of theſe two ways; either by accepting or rejecting the thing which is ſet before it, or elſe by taking one among ſeveral, giving it the preference; now neither of theſe … applicable to rational actions, becauſe they are the ſame, and may neither be refuſed … changed: whereas voluntary actions do always come under one of theſe. He had choſen to do the thing, or this rather that the other, and therefore he is determined … by the thing, but by the choice; and for this reaſon it is called his good pleaſure, becauſe it is that which it ſeems good to him to do.
3. HENCE the former admits of us deliberation, whereas the latter doth. Deliberation is properly a conſultation, either with oneſelf, or with others, about the doing of a thing, and it always refers to one of theſe two ca… viz. whether to do the thing, or not to do it, or, ſuppoſing a deſign to do it, after what … or manner it may beſt be done. Now this can rationally be applied only to voluntary or contingent actions, and there is no occaſion for it in ſuch as are natural; more eſpecially as to the former of theſe. For what occaſion is there for any to conſult whether they ſhall do that which they cannot but do? When therefore we ſay that God doth any thing of his meer good pleaſure, it intends,
1. THAT be is under no natural neceſſity of doing it. For though, all his natural actions pleaſe him, yet they are not the reſult of his meer pleaſure; we cannot therefore infer, or poſitively conclude theſe from the being and perfections of God: if he ſhould not do them, he would yet remain, God bleſſed for ever; they do not flow from his Being conſidered abſolutely in itself: the being or not being of theſe acts, ma… to change at all eſſential in him; but he is the ſame.
2. THAT he is under no obſignion to theſe acts, antecedent to his …on good pleaſure. We muſt ſuppoſe, that if once an act of his will hath paſt concerning any thing, it gives a certain infallibility to it, becauſe herein he hath obliged himſelf to himſelf: but if we conſider the thing antecedaniouſly to this act of his will, he was altogether at liberty to have done it, or not to have done it: the meaning is, that there was nothing but his will, to determine his will to it?
3. THAT that which primarily moves him to theſe acts, is his will. It is true, there is mantion made of his counſel, which according to our manner of conception, ſuppoſed a … deliberation about a thing; and to …, ſuppoſeth reaſons confidered of, to ſway … this, rather than that; but it is the … of his will. As, Eph. I.II. Who … all things after the counſel of his own … indeed, this deliberation is abſcribed to him only after our manner, for we cannot ſuppoſh any article in eternity, wherein God i…ly wiſe could be at any ſtand.
4. THAT all the other reaſons of his ſo acting, are the reſultencies of his will. In the con…ce of God's holy purpoſes, there are a … many connexions, and there are the all … reaſons of them all; according to Pſal. … 24. In wiſdom haſt thou made them all. But if we proceed analytically in the reſo… of theſe, we muſt run them up, till … length find them all ſwallowed up in his good pleaſure, and when we arrive there, there is no further that we can go: we muſt … of them all, as our Saviour Chriſt in that …. Math. 11.25. At that time Jeſus anſwered and ſaid, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, becauſe thou haſt bid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent, and haſt revealed them unto babes. And as Paul in one like it, Rom. … 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will … mercy, and whom he will be hardeneth. Now … there are ſuch acts of God…s meet good …ſure, is plain from the Scripture: and … both,
1. TRANSIENT; or all the works of Eff…y. It is a ruled caſe that all God's works out of himſelf are contingent, or acts of liberty; whether the works of Creation, Res. 4.11. and th…ore we find that they received their being, by a word of command from him, Gen. 1. Though the Attribute, Creator, be relative, and one that has a creature for its correlate, yet he had been a God perfectly glorious, if there had been no creatures: Or the works of Providence, in managing the affairs of the World, it muſt be ſaid of them all, as, Pſal. 115.3. But our God is in the heavens, he hath done whenſoever he pleaſed. Pſal. 125.6. Whatſoever the Lord pleaſed, that did be in heaven and in earth, in the ſeas and all deep places There are indeed the reaſons of the thing, but it i… he asked, why God did them ſo? it is this, becauſe he ſaw good ſo to do.
2. IMMANENT: with reſpect to his eternal Decrees: In which the foundation was laid for the futurity of all the works of Efficiency. That there is ſuch a Decree, we have before confidered, and of the nature of it; but we are now concerned in one great Article of it; as will appear more in the next head. Although this was from eternity fixt, and ratified; God himſelf is not more ancient than his Decree; yet if we will entertain right notions of it, we muſt not only confider it as already made. but in the making of it; or according to its nature: and here the cauſe of it, or what, in God, gives being to it, is to be weighed. Now the Apoſtle calls it the counſel of his will, Eph. I.II. and the reaſon is, becauſe it is the product of his good pleaſure; and it muſt needs be ſo, from the confideration of the nature of a Decree. If God had done all his works naturally, a Decree had been ſuperfluous; we conceive a decree to be the iſſue of a deliberation, which hath room only in things voluntary. God doth not lay out his whole Omnipotency in his works of efficiency; there is the reſidue of the ſpirit with him: there are innumerable poſſible beings, which ſhall never have exiſtence, equally capable of being ſerviceable to the glory of God, with thoſe that be: whence is it then, that theſe, and no other do paſs into futurity? nothing elſe can be aſſigned as the leading cauſe, but his meet pleaſure; He could have made them if he would, and why would he not, but becauſe he did not ſee it good ſo to do? Now, among thoſe things thus willed by him, this was one, viz. The reſtitution of ſome of fallen men to happineſs: and that this flows from his meet good pleaſure, is the thing that I am now to make evident. And this may be cleared up to us in ſome inſtances; viz. That there ſhould be ſuch a reſtitution: That this ſhould be terminated on mankind. That it ſhould be conſerred only upon ſome of this kind: That theſe and thoſe perſons individually, ſhould be the ſubjects of it, and the reſt ſhould be left to periſh in their miſery, the laſt of theſe will come to be handled under the next head; we may take a brief acount of the other then at preſent.
1. THAT there ſhould be ſuch a reſtitution. The meet good pleaſure of God exerted itſelf in this determination, and there can be no other cauſe aſſigned for it: This will be made good by theſe Concluſion.
1. THAT the ſixſal nature was in ſily ſallen into its as ſcry. There was no hard lealing in the firſt Covenant, which ſhould call for an abatement in another. It God would have taken the toreiture, and perſued the ſinful creature to deſtruction, it had been righteous: it was fallen into his hands and lay open to vergeance: Juſtice had its full ſcope to have protecured its quarrel, and recovered its own of ſinners: and if God had ſeen meet to have ſaid, ſo it ſhall be without any remedy, who ſhould have been able to have found any the leaſt fault with him? He was provoked to it; the ſinner had dell… yel himſelf; he was dead to law; and what ſaith he, Pſal. ii. 2. That then … teſt be judfied wherein u…peatrej…, and be dead when th…gaigeſe.
2. GOD and have recovered is run glory …f the return what any reſtutan n. God indeed made all things for his Glory; and he muſt have it by them: but then was no neceſſity that he muſt either reſtore the creature, or loſe it. True, he had not had it in this way; but that was a thing arbitrary with him. That all are not reſtored, we have obſerved under the former head; that he is glorified in them, in their eternal deſtruction, is certain. We read, Pſal. 9.16. and, Fzek. 26.22. I will be glor…ſied in the widſt of thee, and them ſhall know that I am the Lord, when I ſhall have executed judgement in her, and ſhall be ſanctified in her. God gets himſelf an everlaſting name, in the triumphs of revenging Juſtice over his enemies.
3. THE end of this reſtitution proves it to be of his will; which is the maniſſtation of his rich grace. Eph. 1.5, 6. Having predectinated us unto the adoption of children by Jeſus Chriſt to himſelf, according to the good pleaſure of his will. To the praiſe of the glory of his grace, wherein be hath made us accepted in the beloved. This will be after conſidered; only here we may ſufficienly argue, that the great Epithet of Grace is, that it is free; and the freeneſs of it, is not meetly in the ſpontaneity of it; becauſe God takes delight in …t; but alſo in the liberty of it; that the creature was fallen into his hands forſeited, and he might have taken the forſeiture, but of his own meet motion, without any neceſſity urging, he was pleaſed to remit it: if he had been under any other obligation, but his own will, it would have infringed the Grace appearing in it; but this makes it Grace indeed. Eph. 2. begin.
4. THE ſinner cannot be reſtored without a ranſom of God's own providing; and he was at his liberty whether he would provide one or no. The neceſſity of this way, will hereafter be conſidered: but, upon the ſuppoſition of it, this concluſion neceſſarily follows: that when the ſinful creature had rejected God, and tained himſelf, God ſhould be under a neceſſity of providing him one to repair him again, is againſt all reaſon: that there is ſuch a thing revealed in the world, is a my ſtery where the very Angels are aſtoniſhed at, a wonder which is unſearchable by as, and therefore He … was provided for it, is upon this account called Wonderful, Iſal. 9.5. Surely God's giving his Son, and Chriſts undertaking, was an … of the greateſt liberty that ever was.
2. THAT this ſhould be terminated an … End. There were two ſorts of creation fallen into Apoſtacy, and ſo become miſerable, Angels &c Men. It is true, there were … ſome Angels involved here, whereas the whole kind of men was comprehended in the full of Adam, and all the ſorrowful effects of it. Now, that God provided Salvation for the one kind, and not for the other; that him ſhould taſte of this benefit, and not one of the apoſtate Angels, is very remarkable; the Ap…ſile takes …p cial notice of it, and p… remark upon it. Heb. 2.1. For verily be and not in him the nature of Angels: but he and on him the ſeed of Abraham. But why he thus determined, can have to other cauſe aſg…d for it, than what is under conſideration. For
1. GOD wed no were hardneſs to Men th… be did to Devils. They were both in the ſome condemnation; God's natural goodneſs could not oblige him more to one than the other they were both his creatures, the work… ſhip of his hands, and both now equally he come rebels; and whatſoever aggravation we may put upon the ſin of the one above the other, it is certain, both were horribly guity, both dolefully miſerable; and if miſery could have moved him, he would have ſeen as and reaſon for compaſſion to devils as men: … doom is ſubſtantially the ſame, Mat. 25.…. Depart from me, ye curſed, into everlaſting …, prepared for the devil and his angels.
2. THE glory of his grace would have as … appeared, in the ſalvation of Devils as of …. They were as capable of being made moments of his free mercy: they had as gone ſins to pardon, as horrible a pit to be devered from, there was as great a ranſom and have gone, for their redemption; his love therefore would have as clearly & gloci…ty appeared in this as the other.
3. THERE was nothing, that we know of, it their condition to have hindred his chaſing then, if he had pleaſed. I know, ſome ſay, they had finned the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt … they ſay without book: we have no Sc… ture account, that tells us, that God could not with the ſalving his honour, have re… them, as well as men, and at as cheap a p…n And indeed, were it not ſo, the Apoſtles … phatical obſervation, Heb. 2.16. were of an validity; his diſtinguiſhing love to us could not be hereby made evident; becauſe that was an obſtacle.
4. THEY would have glorified God in this recovery us will as men do. The Angelically nature is nothing inferiour, but indeed ſuperiour to that of man: they are of the own the more noble beings; man was made a little lower than they. It then, they had been recovered they would have done more than we can; they would have glorifyed God according to their nature, and that would have been eminently. There remains therefore nothing to make this difference upon, but his good pleaſure.
3. THAT it ſhould be conferred only upon ſome of this kind. Though God hath choſen this ſpecies of being to be the ſubjects of this rich favours; yet he hath not extended it to the whole ſpecies in all the Individuals; but there are only ſome, as was before evidenced, and theſe too but a few, in compariſon of the reſidae. Now if it be enquired, why ſome, and not all; it will be found, that ſtill the ſame account muſt be given. I am not now conſidering why this man rather than that; that will come after; but why not all as well as a number. And here,
1. THERE was vertue enough in the remedy provided for all as well as ſome. If the ſatisfaction of Chriſt had not been ſufficient for all, it would not have been ſo for one: there would have needed no more coſt to have been laid our for their Redemption. That one Sacrifice had a vertue in it that could not be exhauſted, being infinite. Heb. 7.25. Wherefore he is able to ſo…e them to the uttermoſt, that come unto God by him. He is therefore ſaid to be mighty to ſo…e, Iſai. 63.1. His riches are unſearchable, Eph. 2.8.
2. THE juſtice of God would not have ſuffered … injury by the delivery of all. It never ſet in ſuch ſtate and triumph, as when it had Chriſt the Son of God its priſoner, and laid upon him the ſins of us all: and if this had been applied to all the children of men, Juſtice would have remained for ever ſatisfied in it, having received a ſatisfactory oblation of Chriſt on their account: and this is a neceſſary inference from the former; for if there were enough, more could not have been needed.
3. THE mercy of God would have had ſo many the more everlaſting monuments. God will be for ever admired in all his Saints; the more then that there had been, the more inſtances flower would have had, for him thus to be admired in: and though it be certain, that the dammed are a …oil to ſet off God's diſtin…ing love to them that are ſaved; yet if all had been ſaved, the vaſt extenſiveneſs of his Salvation, would have made the greater Chorus of thoſe who would eternally have damned forth his praiſes, in everlaſting Hal…jubs: and ſo he would have been no loſer by it; where, to the ſatisfaction of juſtice, the triumph of grace had been added.
4. THEY were all alike involved in guilt, and …ap…ed to his wrath. The whole race were … alike miſerable; they were all equally guilty, curſed, condemned; equally … full of ſin, and enmity; equally become …itable: the condition of all was one and the ſame; there was no difference in them. Rom. 3.9. For we have before proved both Jewes & Gentiles, that they are all under ſin, Eph. 2.3. And why God ſhould not damn all, or ſave all, but make ſuch a vaſt difference in his dealings with ſome, and others, what other account can there be given of it, but this? it was his good pleaſure ſo to do.
USE. LET this ſerve to diſcover to us the wonderful good will of God is the children of men, and encourage us to go to him for recovery out of our miſery. Was poor man become miſerable, by his own default? and was there nothing to oblige God to think a thought of mercy for him; but all provocation to ſtir him up to take his revenge upon him? and hath he yet for all that, of his own meet motion, moſt freely purpoſed, and declared his purpoſe to receive a number of this company? how wonderful is his loving kindneſs? how beyond compariſon admirable is this benignity of his? that he ſhould do ſo for enemies, traitors, thoſe that had trampled upon his honour, deſpiſed the riches of his goodneſs, and made themſelves as vile as could be? that could do nothing for him; that were become altogether unprofitable? and is his meer good pleaſure the fountain of all this favour? be not then diſcouraged, reckon not any of thoſe objections with which Satan and your miſ-giving hearts would go about to make you deſpair of his help, to be ſufficient to damp your hopes, or drive you away from coming to him for his ſalvation: remembring that if it be his Pleaſure that rules and determines this matter, he will moſt readily take ſuch advantages as may give the cleareſt and moſt full demonſtration of his uſing the ſovereign liberty of his will; and therefore, though you have been the vileſt, and moſt flagitious ſinners in the world, yet, if he will have mercy becauſe he will have mercy; you may for all this ſtand as fair as any, for the emanations of this favour to influence you; and beſtow this wonderful reſtitution upon you; which may encourage you to come and ask it of him with hope.
[MARCH 20. 1693.]