DIVINE MEDITATIONS UPON PREDESTINATION, and its Adjuncts.
I.
I Finde that God by his absolute power can do that, which in justice he may not; He can torment the good Angels that sinned not, but he will not: if he could not doe so, he were not omnipotent; if he should, he were not just. I will therefore reverence [Page 2] that power which can doe what he wills, but will not doe all that he can.
II.
God may justly annihilate the good Angels, though justly he cannot punish them: He could not be unjust in taking that nature from them which he freely bestowed; and he could not be just in inflicting a punishment which they had not deserved. But I, that am a sinfull man, must acknowledge it goodnesse in him to annihilate me. I must reverence his Iustice if he punish me, but will admire, and extoll his mercy, if he save me.
III.
God is a most free Agent, being subject neither to a commanding law, nor to a constraining power; yet hath he necessitated some of his externall actions, partly by his goodnesse, partly by his Promise: He must do what he promiseth, because he is true; he must doe what is just, because he is good. I will claime Heaven as my due, not because I merit it, but because he promised it; his own goodnesse hath tied him to give it, though my sinnes may deterre me from begging it.
IIII.
If my Adoption be the end of Predestination, by which [Page 4] Grace and Glorie are prepared for me; then shall the end be first in my intention, but the meanes shall be first in execution. I will strive and beg for faith in Gods naturall Son, that in him I may become Gods adopted sonne.
V.
The good Angels were made happie by the grace of Confirmation, Adam by the grace of Restauration: the Angels fell not, therefore needed not this grace; Adam stood not, therefore wanted that grace. He that is confirmed falls not, he that falls, is not confirmed: God shewed his love to the Angels in confirming them, but his [Page 5] mercy to Adam in restoring him. Lord shew thy mercy to me when I fall, in restoring me; shew thy love to me when I am raised, in confirming me: make me happy with Adam in the one, happy with Angels in the other.
VI.
Gods Prescience is of a larger extent then his Predestination; for he foreknew or foresaw both good and evil, but he predestinated good only: he foresaw good and evill, because he is omniscient; he predestinated only good, because in him there is none, and from him there comes none evill. O that we could be like him, to foresee [Page 6] evil, and hate it; to resolve only upon good, and doe it.
VII.
Gods decrees are in our power, and our power is in his decrees; they are in us as causes in their effect, we are in him as effects in their cause: It's by his decree that we have power, 'tis not by our power that he decrees: 'Its in our power to performe his decrees, but this power we have by his decree. Lord, if thou hast decreed my obedience, give me power of performance, and so thy decree shall be in my power: not that thou didst decree, because thou knewest I would obey; but I will obey, because I know thou hast decreed.
VIII.
God hath decreed to give us faith, and he hath decreed to justifie us by that faith; by the former decree he makes us his sonnes, by the other he acquits us of our sinnes. Lord, if thou hast decreed to make me thy son, bestow faith on me; if thou hast decreed to blot away my sin, by that same faith justifie me.
IX.
God first loved us, and then he decreed to bestow Grace and Glory on us; his love to us is the cause of our happinesse, so our love to him must be the cause of our obedience. Lord make me to love thee, and then I know I shall obey thee.
X.
Faith and Holinesse are graces by which we attain to happinesse; but Gods love is that grace by which we obtaine faith and holinesse. As the action followes the qualitie, so Gods decree followes this first grace, but other graces come after his decree: it was by his decree that we have any grace, it was by his grace that he was pleased to decree. Lord, as the grace of thy love made thee to decree my happinesse; so make the love of thy grace in me increase, that I may enjoy this happinesse.
XI.
God doth so determine the actions of the Will, that sometime [Page 9] he bends it to what he pleaseth; and so it works necessarily, not freely, if we consider the act or use of working: sometime he determines it so, that he leaves it to its own inclination; and then it workes freely: Gods Providence doth not thwart his Creation, if he sometimes suspends, hinders, determines the properties and motions of his creatures; in the creation he gave them, that in his providence he might use them. Lord, if thou shouldest leave my Will to it self in this corrupted estate I now am in, what fruit can it produce but sowre grapes, and wilde olives? for the fruit cannot be better then the tree, and men gather [Page 10] not grapes of thistles, nor figs of thornes. I had rather have a necessitie laid on me to doe good, then be left at libertie to doe evil; I had rather my Will should be a servant to thy commands, then be master over its own actions.
XII.
If Adam had not sinned, he had been saved; and being a sinner, yet he is saved: grace had saved him then, and grace saves him now; the grace of Gods love had saved him then, the grace of Gods mercy saves him now; Gods love then had been grounded upon the first Adams perseverance, it is now grounded on the second Adams death and obedience. I had been [Page 11] happie in Adam, had he not been a sinner; but I am now much more happie in Christ by being my Saviour. I lost Paradise by the first Adam, I have gained Heaven by the second: the first Adam, being man, would needs be God, and so made us equall to the beasts; the second Adam, being God, would needs be man, and so hath made us equall to the Angels.
XIII.
SomeSupralapsarians. say, that God in predestinating man, looked on him as he was to be created; others,Sublapsarians., that he considered him as already created and lapsed, because we are predestinated in Christ: but Christ is a Saviour, [Page 12] and a Saviour presupposeth a sinner. I will not dispute the question, but this I know, that my miserie occasioned his mercy; and, had I not been a sinner, he had not been a Saviour.
XIIII.
I am elected in Christ, who is my Mediator, not only by his merit of impetration of pardon for me, but also by the efficacie of application of that pardon to me. Not only by his bloud hath he made a purchase of Heaven for sinners, but also by that same bloud he hath delivered the possession of Heaven to sinners.
XV.
There is a Promise of Heaven made to us, and there is a [Page 13] law of obedience and faith imposed on us: Heaven is promised upon condition of faith and obedience, and these are promised upon condition of divine assistance. Lord, if thou assist, I will obey; if I obey, thou wilt reward: but here are the odds, that my obedience is the effect and fruit of thy grace and assistance, but not the cause of thy remuneration and benevolence.
XVI.
God, being the supreme cause, can have no superiour cause of his actions; yet some say, he may produce an effect which may occasion him to work further: thus the foresight of mans sin gave him occasion [Page 14] to precondemne him. This well is too deep, and I have no bucket to draw with: I will not soare with the waxen wings of humane reason too nigh this inaccessible light, nor will I prie into the sacred Arke of Gods secret decrees; only this I can say, that whatever his decrees were before time, I am sure, his proceeding to judgement is just in time. He is so just, that he never condemned any man but for sin; and he is so mercifull, that he will not condemne every man that doth sin.
XVII.
Justice and Mercy were still in God actually from all eternitie, in respect of the first act, [Page 15] to wit, of existence; though they were not alwayes in respect of the second act, to wit, of operation: God could not alwayes exercise Justice and Mercy on sinners, because there have not been alwayes sinners; as soone as man sinned, these attributes in God appeared, which were eternally existent in him, but not eternally exercised by him. Lord, thou hast exercised the eternitie of thy Iustice in punishing for me thy naturall Son, exercise, I pray, the eternitie of thy Mercie for him, in saving the soule of me thy adopted sonne.
XVIII.
God by his antecedent will [Page 16] decreed to bestow Faith and Grace on us, which by his consequent will he resolved to deny us; his former will was moved by his own goodnesse, but his latter will was provoked by our wickednesse: if we have unjustly rejected the grace which by his former will he resolved to give us, may not he justly by his latter will deny that grace, which was rejected so perversly by us. Lord, if thou art resolved by thy first will to bestow grace on me, let me not by my disobedience provoke thy second will to deny that grace unto me.
XIX.
Our wickednesse is the cause that moveth God to exercise [Page 17] his acts of Justice; but his own bountie is the cause, and our miserie the occasion, why he exerciseth his acts of Mercy. When I am punished, I will accuse my own wickednesse, which provoked against me divine Iustice; and when I am saved, I will extoll and reverence that bountie, which took occasion by my miserie, to make me an object of his Mercy.
XX.
I finde a two-fold decree, the one of Providence, the other of Predestination: by that, God resolved to give us as much grace as might suffice to save us; by this, he appointed to give us effectuall grace, [Page 18] that we might be powerfully saved: by the former we may beleeve if we will, by this we doe actually beleeve. They are inexcusable that have sufficient grace, though it be not effectuall; for God hath dealt graciously with us in affording sufficient helps of our salvation, and we have dealt wickedly with our selves in hindring the efficacie of these helps. No man then hath cause to complaine of Gods crueltie, seeing he hath bestowed on all men sufficient grace of Providence, whereby they may be saved; but many men have cause to admire Gods mercie, who hath bestowed on some the effectuall grace of Predestination, whereby they shall be saved.
XXI.
God will have all men to be saved, and he will have wicked men to be damned: that, is his antecedent will; this, his consequent: that, is sometimes frustrated of its end, this never; and its fitting that seeing his will cannot be fulfilled by us, it should be fulfilled upon us. They that will not satisfie his will by their obedience, shall satisfie his will in suffering just vengeance.
XXII.
God loves himself, and so he doth man: the one love is internall, the other externall; the one is eternall, the other temporarie; the one necessarie, the other voluntarie; for Gods [Page 20] internall actions, if the object be internall naturally, are absolutely necessarie; as when he loves himself, the agent, the object, the action are all internall, and all necessarie in respect of existence: but if the object be internall voluntarily, as when God decreeth and understandeth externall objects, which he makes internall, by uniting them to his understanding, then all these actions are voluntarie and free, even his very decrees which proceed from his free will. It was in his choice whether he would decree any thing concerning man or not; whether he would bestow grace and glorie on him: [Page 21] The eternall generation indeed of his own Son is an action of necessitie, but the regeneration of his adopted sonnes is a work altogether voluntarie. So much the more then will I admire and praise that goodnesse which elected and saved me, by how much the more I see it was free and voluntarie, but no wayes, in respect of his perfection, necessarie.
XXIII.
There is in man a two-fold judgement, to wit, an antecedent, which is that of the affections and senses; and a consequent, which is that of reason: so there is a two-fold volition; the one followes the judgement of sense, and it is rather
[Page 22] an imperfect desire, then a perfect volition; the other followes the judgement of reason: both these volitions were in Christ more eminently then in us, because in him were two Wils, and these, by reason of his two natures, were distinct in him, though his person was but one; therefore he desired the cup might passe from him, but willed it not; or, he willed it by his antecedent, not by his consequent will. O thou that madest in thy selfe, the judgement of affection stoope to the judgement of reason, and madest thy desire subservient to thy will, and causedst thy antecedent will to give place to thy consequent; produce in me the [Page 23] same effect, that these sinfull delights which my affections so earnestly run after, and thy gentle corrections, which they so earnestly run from, may be so ordered, that the one by me may be courageously subdued, the other patiently indured; that my affections may submit to my will, my will to reason, and reason to thy Spirit.
XXIIII.
God worketh not immediately by his decree, but by his power: his decree is but a remote cause, his power immediate; his decree is an internall action, the actions of his power are externall; the actions of his decrees depend on his wisedome, the actions of his power [Page 24] are subservient to his decrees. Lord, if in thy wisedome thou thoughtest it good that my soul should be saved, and if thou hast decreed it, then let thy power be seen in effecting it.
XXV.
The necessitie and contingencie of things is not to be attributed to Gods decree, but to the working of his power; contingencie, is when he useth his resistible power, if he works irresistibly then followes necessitie: what is contingent to the second cause, is infallible to Gods prescience, but necessarie to the work of his omnipotencie: his decree is a remote cause, which without his power [Page 25] worketh not. Christs death was contingent to the Jewes, that crucified him; infallible to Gods prescience, who foresaw that the Jewes would kill him; but necessarie in regard of his decree, working by his power in presenting that bitter cup unto him. Why then shall afflictions dismay mee, which though they be contingent in respect of the second agent, yet they are infallible to that all-seeing eye of Heaven that foresaw them; and necessarie, if we regard that powerfull hand which inflicted them?
XXVI.
God ordereth sin, though he ordained it not: he ordereth it, that it may be subservient to [Page 26] his glory; he ordained it not, because he sinneth not: He could not ordain it, seeing he hates it, forbids it, and punishes it. Lord, I ascribe to thy glorie both my salvation, and my sin: my salvation thou hast ordained, my sin thou hast ordered; that by the one I may love thy mercie, and by the other, I may feare thy Iustice. Who but Goodnesse it selfe would ordaine the salvation of a sinner, and who but Wisdome it self would order the prevarications of a sinner? What is more offensive to thy nature then sin? What is more destructive of thy feature in me then sin? yet out of sin thou hast drawn the meanes to manifest the goodnesse of thy nature in my salvation, [Page 27] and out of the same sin thou hast drawn a meanes to repaire in me thy decayed feature by my repentance and conversion.
XXVII.
God gave to Adam sufficient grace to stand, but not to persist; he permitted him to fall, who by the grace he received might have stood; he gave him sufficiencie of grace, not permanencie in grace: by the one God is cleared from iniquitie, and by the other he manifests his justice and mercie: if man had not been a sinner, God had not been a Saviour; we had not known Emanuel, God with us, if Adam by sin had not separated God from us; we [Page 28] had known him as Jehova, but not as Jesus. O my God, if thou give me sufficiencie of grace, I may fall; but if thou give me permanencie in grace, I shall not fall: give me Adams happinesse in Paradise, that I may sufficiently love and know thee; give me the Angels happinesse in Heaven, that I may constantly love and know, and eternally abide in thee.
XXVIII.
God delivered his Son to death, so did Satan by Iudas: God had power to doe so, Satan had none; God did this in love to the sonnes of men, Satan did it in malice to the Son of God: by an affirmative act God was willing to permit Satan [Page 29] to exercise his malice, by a negative act he hindered him not: in all this God sinned not, if we consider the authoritie of the agent, the forme of the action, and the justice and goodnesse of his intention. Though God acts not sin, nor is willing it should be acted by man, yet he is willing to permit it. Not sin, but permission is the object of his will; he could not will sin, because he is not sinfull; he permits it, because he can draw good out of it.
XXIX.
God permits not punishment, but inflicts it; he permits not good, but commands it; he wills not sin, but permits it; not as it is good, but as out of it he [Page 30] drawes good. O thou that drewest light out of darknesse, and meat out of the eater; draw good out of my evils, and comforts out of my afflictions: Thou canst draw honey out of the rock, and turne water into wine, and make bitter Meribah potable; we pray thee, turn the bitter waters of our Meribah, our strife and contention, into the pure and sweet streames of Peace and Union.
XXX.
What God cannot doe, he cannot will; what he cannot will, he cannot decree: and although affirmatively his power be of a larger extent then his will, for he can doe that which he will not doe; yet negatively [Page 31] he cannot will what he cannot doe, nor doe what he cannot will: he cannot doe evil, therefore he cannot will it; he cannot will it, therefore he can neither doe it by an externall, nor decree it by any internall act. O that my will and actions, Lord, were conformable to thine: for oftentimes I doe the evil which I will not, and I will the good, which I doe not. Lord, make my will conformable to thine, that my actions may be conformable to my will.
XXXI.
Gods grace reacheth further then his mercy; his grace is extended to all, his mercy only to those that are in miserie: by [Page 32] grace the Angels were confirmed, by grace the world is preserved, but by mercie man is redeemed; he is gracious then to all, but mercifull onely to some: yet though his grace be more universall and communicable, his mercy is more wonderfull and amiable. Lord, the noblest of all thy Attributes is thy goodnesse to thy creatures▪ but the excellencie of thy goodnesse is, in shewing mercy to sinners: Thy goodnesse made me a man, but thy mercy a happy man: by the one, thou deliverest me from nothing; by the other, from worse then nothing: thy goodnesse gave me being, and thy mercy well being.
XXXII.
In every sin the act and the obliquitie, in every vertue the act and the circumstances are distinguishable. In sin the act is alwayes good metaphysically, but evill morally; either because it is prohibited, as the act of eating the fruit to Adam; or because it is repugnant to justice and sanctitie, though they were not prohibited, as theft and murther: In every vertue the act is alwayes good both morally and metaphysically, but the circumstances may be evill; as to give almes is good, but to give out of pride is evill. I will not forbeare to doe good, because the circumstances may be [Page 34] evil; nor will I venture to doe evil, because the circumstances may be good. If God command that which may seeme to be evil, I will doe it; for his command makes it good: if he forbids that which may seeme to be good, I will not doe it, because his prohibition makes it evil. Adam sinned in eating of the fruit (though seemingly good) because God prohibited it; and the Hebrewes sinned not, in spoiling the Egyptians (though seemingly evil) because God commanded it.
XXXIII.
God did no wayes necessitate Adam to sin, neither by inward perswasion, nor by outward coaction: besides, he gave him a law easie to be kept, and [Page 35] power sufficient to keep it: He did then neither will nor decree his fall, nor perswade nor force it, only he gave way that he might fall, who had power to stand; that, being by Christ raised from his fall, he might more firmely stand. Lord, as thou didst permit my fall, so be now pleased to remit it; I fell willingly from thee, make me to returne as willingly to thee: Thou gavest me a will to stand or fall, give me a will to rise, and so to stand, that I may never fall again.
XXXIIII.
There is a two-fold necessitie; the one isConsequentiae. Syllogisticall, the other is Consequentis.reall: there was a [Page 36] Syllogisticall necessitie of mans fall, in respect of Gods foreknowledge, but not reall: Gods prescience was an antecedent not a cause; and mans fall was the consequent, not the effect of that prescience: but there is a reall necessitie of that which God decreeth. Lord, I did not sin, because thou didst foresee it; but because I was to sin, therefore thou didst foresee it: my fall was a necessarie sequell of thy precognition, so let my rising be a necessary effect of thy Predestination.
XXXV.
Sin properly is not the punishment of sin, because we sin willingly, we suffer punishment unwillingly; in sinning we are [Page 37] agents, in punishments we are patients: yet sin may be the cause of sin; not that one sin can procreate another, but because one sin can deserve and prepare the way for committing of another. Lord, free me from the guilt and stain of Adams sin, which hath been both the preparatorie and meritorious cause of all my actuall sins.
XXXVI.
God worketh on the will either by a physicall motion, or by morall perswasion; and he perswades either powerfully by his Spirit, or sufficiently by his Word: so he hindereth sin, either by his law prohibiting it, [Page 38] or by his power inhibiting it: let no man sin presumptuously, because he is not stopped in the full careere of his sin powerfully; though there is not alwayes an inhibition by his Power, yet there is still a prohibition by his Law, to make us inexcusable. Lord, work on my depraved will physically, work morally, work sufficiently, and work powerfully, by the Word, by thy Spirit, by thy Law, by thy Sword: circumcise my heart and eares; the one by the Sword of the Spirit, the other by the Sword of the Word: if I cannot be restrained by thy Law, to forbeare the forbidden fruit with Adam; let me be constrained by the glittering of thy sword, to stop [Page 39] in the wayes of wickednesse with Balaam.
XXXVII.
Though nothing is contingent to God, yet his knowledge may consider contingencies, as they are contingent: for what by man is done contingently, by him it is foreseen certainly; in which regard Gods judgements are founded upon sin, which may more fitly be called the object and occasion of his judgements, then the cause. Lord, the cause of thy judgements is thy justice, and my sin the occasion: thy justice is eternall, thy judgements are just, my sins are contingent: if it were not for thy judgements, I should not acknowledge [Page 40] my sinnes; if it were not for my sinnes, thou couldst not exercise thy judgements; and if it were not for thy justice, there would be no proportion between thy judgements and my sinnes: the exercise of thy judgements will cease, if thou put an end to my sins; but thy justice shall not cease, though thou in mercy pardon my sins.
XXXVIII.
Nature is before grace, and the works of creation before the effects of Predestination: Man was first made a living soul, by the outward breath of Gods mouth; and then was made a quickning spirit, by the inward breath of the holy Ghost: so he decreed first to [Page 41] give man naturall abilitie by the work of Creation, and then to bestow on him supernaturall graces, the effects of Predestination. Lord, thou hast gifted me with naturall faculties, whereby I exceed the beasts; and thou hast endowed me with supernaturall graces, whereby I am equall to the Angels: I praise thee for the work of thy Creation, much more for that of Predestination; by the one thou madest me a man, by the other a happy man: make me to exceed the beasts as much in morall vertues, as I excell them in naturall abilities; so make me to equall the Angels as much in love and obedience, as I come neer them in supernaturall happinesse.
XXXIX.
God did first foresee that Adam would sin, before he predestinated Christ to die for sin; he foresaw the disease, then prepared the remedie; he foresaw the leprosie, then ordained the bloud of his Son to wash it: for as the sinner only is capable of the grace of Regeneration; so this grace was preordained to the sinner in Gods Predestination. O my God, if thou wast so provident as to prepare physick for my sinfull soule before I had sinned; I am confident thy goodnesse is not now lessened, but that thou wilt apply that same physick to my soule having sinned.
XL.
Gods Image in man consisted in nature and naturall properties, in morall vertues, and supernaturall graces; the first were totally retained in Adams fall, the third totally lost, the second lost in part. Again, the essentiall part of Gods Image remained, to wit, the soul; but the accidentall part was lost, to wit, justice and holinesse; the subject continued, though this forme perished: therefore for the soul, renovation is sufficient; but for those graces in the soul, a new creation is required. Lord, by thy Image I excell the beasts, by it I match the Angels, by it I resemble thy self; but the [Page 44] subject of this image is by sin decayed, and by sin the forme is quite abolished. O thou that in my Creation didst grace me with the breath of life, now in my Regeneration breathe in me the life of grace: the temple of God is decayed in me, and the God of this temple is banished from me; repaire this temple, that thy image again may stand in it, and renew thy image that this temple may be sanctified by it.
XLI.
Adams sin was committed after Predestination, if we consider Adams actuall existence; but it was before Predestination, in respect of Gods prescience. What madnesse is it to think, that God sees not our sinnes [Page 45] which we commit secretly; whereas he did foresee our sins before they were committed, and that from all eternitie?
XLII.
In Predestination, the preterition of some men, was the punishment of those men; and the deniall of felicitie, was their miserie: but punishment presupposeth sin, and preterition as a punishment must come after the prevision of sinne. If this doctrine be true, that the prevision of sin was the cause of preterition; sure it is most true, that the commission of sin is the cause of condemnation.
XLIII.
Passive excaecation, or the [Page 46] wilfull ignorance and spirituall blindnesse in man, is both a sin, and the cause of sin: active excaecation, as it is from man, it is a sin; as from God, it is the punishment of sin. It stands with thy justice, O God, to punish them with blindnesse, who have with delight blinded themselves; and to deprive those of light, who love to walke in darknesse. Why shouldest thou hold out the lamp of thy Word to those that despise it; and cause thy sun to shine on them, who wilfully shut their eyes against it? Lord, deale with me as thou didst with Saul: I am blinded spiritually, make me blinde corporally; [Page 47] that by losing the sight of my body, I may regain the sight of my soul. I will gladly lose the light of the sun, moon, and other planets; so I may behold the light of the Son of righteousnesse.
XLIIII.
Some say, that the hearts induration is not the cause of Gods indignation; but that God is first angry, then hardneth: I am sure God hath just cause to be angry with those who will be hardned, and therefore in his just anger hardneth them. I confesse, Lord, that I have hardned my own heart, therefore thou mayest justly be angry with me; and because my voluntary hardnesse hath provoked [Page 48] thy anger, therefore may thy anger effect in me, and that most justly, a further degree of hardnesse.
XLV.
God who by his irresistible will decreeth the hardning of a sinner, yet actually by his resistible will useth to harden that sinner. Though none can resist the will of his decrees, yet he permits us sometimes to oppose the actions of his will: in the one he shewes himself the God of power, in the other he shewes his mercy, in suffring man to resist the power of God. O thou that diddest wrestle with Jacob, and gavest him strength both to resist and conquer thee; when thou wrestlest with me by [Page 49] tentations, give me so much strength as by mortification to subdue my self, and then give me leave by faith and teares to vanquish thee.
XLVI.
There is in God a two-fold negative act; the one of Providence, the other of Preterition: by the former, God denyed to Adam the gift of Perseverance, and so suffered him to fall; by the other, he denyeth to some men the gift of Faith and Repentance, and so suffers them to remain in their fall. God was not bound to give Adam perseverance, seeing otherwise he furnished him with grace sufficiently; nor is he [Page 50] bound to give to those faith, and repentance, who fell from their former grace willingly, and oppose his Word and Spirit obstinately. Lord, I confesse, that as thou wast not in Adams debt for perseverance, so neither art thou in mine for any grace: but if thou wilt be pleased to bestow on me so much grace, as to attaine true happinesse; I will impute it not to my deserts, but to thy favour and goodnesse.
XLVII.
Some say, that those whom God hath decreed for Salvation may be damned, but that they shall not be damned; that his decree hindreth the act, but not the possibilitie. I leave this [Page 51] nicetie for the Schooles: But this use I will make of it, that if I may be damned, I will work out my salvation with fear and trembling; if I shall not be damned, I will not fear, though I walk through the valley of death: if I may be damned, I acknowledge, Lord, it is through my own wickednesse; if I shall not be damned, it is out of thy unspeakable goodnesse.
XLVIII.
It is the doctrine of many in these dayes, that as God by his revealed will saves none, but such as beleeve in him; so he decreed by his secret will to save none, but such as he foresaw would beleeve in him. I am confident, God could foresee nothing [Page 52] thing in me, but what he was pleased to bestow upon me: if he foresaw my faith, he foresaw the fruit of his preventing grace; if he foresaw my perseverance, he foresaw the effect of his subsequent grace.
XLIX.
Election (say some) is Gods decree to justifie the faithfull; others say, 'tis Gods decree to save man, as he is man, and to that end to make him faithfull: In the one opinion, I finde faith the meanes of Justification; in the other, of Salvation: meanes, I say, but not the cause. Lord, the cause of my happinesse is in thee, the meanes in me; but the efficacie of this meanes, both in my [Page 53] justification and salvation, is only from thee.
L.
If the decree of preterition went before the act of sin, but not before the prevision of that sin; I am confident, the act of preterition cannot, much lesse can the act of condemnation, precede the act of sin. Therefore how injurious are some to the God of mercy, in daring to accuse him of crueltie, who is so far from condemning any man, but for sin committed, that he would not decree mans condemnation, but for sin foreseen?
LI.
There was injoyned to Adam the law of abstinence from the [Page 54] forbidden fruit, and the law of obedience: the former was particular to Adam, the other was common to him and his posteritie: it was not for the breach of the former, which was personall; but for the breach of the other, which was universall, that we are condemned: not Adams act of eating, but his disobedience was our bane; for we sinned in him: sin is a transgression of the law; but the law could not have been transgressed by us, had it not been in him given to us. Lord, we have great cause to admire and respect thy mercy, in saving us for the second Adams obedience; but we have no cause to [Page 55] suspect thee of crueltie, in condemning us for the first Adams disobedience.
LII.
Punishment was prepared in Gods decree as well for the sin of Iacob as of Esau, both having sinned alike in Adam; but it was pardonable in the one, unpardonable in the other: which difference proceeded from grace, not from nature. Lord, I confesse, thou couldst see no more originall sin in Judas, then in me; yet thou wast pleased to punish him, and to spare me: if thou hadst condemned us both, thou hadst done justly; but in sparing the one, thou hast magnified thy mercie.
LIII.
There is a two-fold grace, the one of Creation, the other of Election; the one was the gift of God without Christ, the other was the gift of God in Chirst; the one was the image of God, the other was the renovation of that image; the one was lost in Paradise, the other shall never be lost in Heaven. Lord, thou hadst no other inducement, but thine own goodness to create me to thy image; but now thou hast another inducement, to wit, thy Sons merits, to renew in me that decayed image: the one thou mightst not have done, the other thou canst not but doe; for, though thou wast not [Page 57] bound in the creation to bestow thy image on me, yet now thou art bound by thy Sonnes satisfaction to repaire this image in me.
LIIII.
Adam could have abstained from the externall act of touching, by naturall grace only; but in him could not be the inward and permanent affection of obeying, without supernaturall grace also. Lord, if Adam could not yeeld constant obedience to thee in his estate of integritie, how shall I be able to persevere in obedience, without thy speciall grace, being now in the estate of iniquitie?
LV.
Though the habit of justice, as it is the essence of God, be [Page 58] necessarily in him; yet the actions of justice, which are not his essence, are not necessarily performed by him: He is necessarily just, but a voluntarie agent: He doth necessarily hate injustice, but freely and voluntarily he punisheth it, and decreed punishment for it. Lord, what should become of me, and of all the other wretched sonnes of Adam, if it were as necessarie for thee to punish, as it is to be just? But my comfort is, that, as justice is so necessarie in thee, that thou canst not be unjust; so thy actions are so free and voluntarie, that thou canst pardon my sin, and yet notwithstanding thou canst not be but just.
LVI.
There was no necessitie why God should manifest his justice in punishing sinners, seeing he had power to manifest that, in punishing his own Son for sinners. In the one, he shewes himself to be a God of mercy, not of revenge, in sparing his enemies; in the other, he shewes himself a God of justice, in punishing his beloved Son, who became suretie for his enemies.
LVII.
There is a two-fold cause of predemnation; the one is sin, the other is Gods decree; the one is necessarie, the other voluntarie: sin is the cause why God may condemne all, Gods decree [Page 60] is the cause why he will condemne but some: he looks on sin as it is pardonable in some, unpardonable in others; the one eye by which he lookes is justice, the other is mercie. Lord, thou didst look upon my sin with justice and severitie, when thou punishedst it in thine own naturall Son; therefore look on it as it is in me, with meeknesse and mercy, and pardon it in me that am thy adopted son.
LVIII.
Every man is not a reprobate that falls into sin, but he that finally perseveres in sin: for all men fell into sin, by the permission of providence; but wicked men only continue to the end [Page 61] in sin, by the permission of preterition. Lord, that sin which was voluntary in Adam, is necessary in me; but although in thy just judgements, there is a necessitie that I should be tainted with originall contagion, yet there is no necessitie why I should lye still and persevere in actuall transgression: without thy providence I could not fall, without thy assistance I cannot rise: as by thy providence thou hinderest not my falling, because the glory of thy justice was thereby manifested; so, I pray thee, further, by thy assistance, my rising again, that the glory of thy goodnesse may be thereby magnified.
LIX.
In Gods externall actions [Page 62] there is neither naturall nor coactive necessitie; for both nature, and coaction exclude libertie: the fire burnes naturally, the bullet flyes upward violently, therefore both necessarily; but Gods internall actions on himself are naturall, therefore necessarie: the Father begot his eternall Son, neither willingly nor unwillingly, but naturally and necessarily; so because Gods attributes are naturall, and essentiall to him, they are necessarily in him: he is necessarily not voluntarily good, because he cannot be but good; he doth voluntarily, not necessarily make man good, because he can forbeare, if he [Page 63] would, to make him good. Lord, I confesse, that the more free Agent thou wast in the work of my conversion, the lesse free am I, but the more necessitated to praise thy goodnesse and wisdome; for, how can I choose but honour and obey thee, who couldst have chosen whether thou wouldst have redeemed and saved me?
LX.
Faith is both an habit, and an action: if it justifie, as it is an habit, I will not dispute; this I know, that it justifieth, as it is an action: for Abraham beleeved, and so was justified. The life then of Religion consisteth in action; not onely of the outward works of the hand, but also [Page 64] of the inward work of the heart; for this is the work of God, that we beleeve in him. O Lord, faith is thy work, and it is mine too; it is thy work to infuse it, it is my work to apprehend Christ by it: let thy work be first performed in me, and then I know my work, if thou assist, shall be performed by me.
LXI.
Though we are not actually free from sin in this life, yet there is a possibilitie that we may be free; if either we consider the power of God, who can mightily effect it; or the will of a regenerate man, who doth so earnestly affect it. Lord, in that I may be free from sin, it [Page 65] argues thy omnipotencie; but in that I am not free from sin, I must blame my own impotencie: There is in me a desire to be freed from this body of death, and in thee there is power to free me, who art the Lord of life.
LXII.
There was in Adam a directive light of the minde while he was falling, to let him see his danger; but there was not in him that perswasive light which might powerfully restrain him from danger: that light had kept him from falling, had he followed it; and this light had kept him from falling, had he received it. Lord, though thou didst not give Adam [Page 66] this light, thou art unblameable; seeing thou didst give him so much of that light, as made him inexcusable.
LXIII.
In what facultie of the soul the cockatrice of Adams sin was first hatched, I will not now dispute; whether it was in the understanding, being first blinded; or in the will, being first perverted: this I know, that the will is apt to be seduced by a blinde understanding, and the understanding as apt to be clouded by a perverse will: The understandingQuoad speciem actus. moves the will by proposing the object, which the will cannot affect, except the [Page 67] understanding knowes it; the willQuoad exercitium actus. moves the understanding to judge and consider the object, which the understanding cannot consider, except the will command it. Lord, illuminate my understanding, that it may direct my will to affect the things that thou commandest; and rectifie my will, that it may command the understanding to exercise its act in meditating on the things which thou commandest.
LXIIII.
If Christs obedience had been necessarie or naturall, and not voluntarie, he had not been like to us in all things except sin; neither had he been subject [Page 68] to the tentation of disobedience, nor had his obedience been meritorious, nor had it been more excellent then the obedience of Angels: but in this was his obedience more noble then theirs, in that he yeelded that obedience willingly, which they doe necessarily. I will strive whilst I am here to obey willingly, that hereafter I may obey necessarily: for, though voluntary obedience be the nobler, yet necessarie obedience is the surer; for I may disobey in the one, I cannot but obey in the other.
LXV.
Though the sufficiencie of Christs death be extended to all, yet the efficacie thereof is not [Page 69] applied to all; nor did he pray and make intercession for all: By his death he procured pardon for us, and by his intercession he applies that pardon to us. Lord, in thy birth, thou acceptedst my nature; in thy death, thou representedst my person: by thy intercession put away my sins, and pardon my offences, that the mediation which thou begannest in thy birth, and didst accomplish in thy sacrifice and passion, may be fully made effectuall to me, by thy prayers and intercession.
LXVI.
Action followes the affection; therefore we love and hate actually, because these affections are in us radically: Though [Page 70] hatred be no affection in God, yet we conceive it as an affection: God therefore rejected Esau, because he hated him; but he did not hate him, because he rejected him. Lord, I know thou maist justly reject me, because in me there is that pravitie, for which thou maist justly hate me: repaire therefore in me the lost image of thy Son, and so I shall escape thy just wrath and indignation.
LXVII.
The acts of Christs righteousnesse are ours, not as they are performed by him, but as they are imputed to us.; imputed, I say, by his merit and goodnesse, and apprehended by [Page 71] our faith, though in much weaknesse. Then I see, Lord, that without faith thy righteousnesse will not availe me, and without thy merit and goodnesse my faith cannot prevaile with thee: give me then the hand of faith, that with the Hemorroisse, I may touch thee; and by thy merit strengthen that hand, that, with Jacob, I may hold thee.
LXVIII.
Christ first suffered, before we could be redeemed; and we are redeemed, before it is applyed, or can receive benefit by it: then are we fully redeemed, when we are from Satan and sin delivered. Though Christ in suffering hath sufficiently paid the [Page 72] ransome, yet whilst we are here subject to sin and Satan, we are not fully partakers of redemption; Heaven, not earth, is the place where that shall be perfected. I will therefore lift up my head with joy, because by death the day of my redemption draweth nigh.
LXIX.
A double benefit we have by Christ: one, that he hath purchased Redemption for us by his bloud; the other, that he hath applyed that Redemption to us by his Spirit: if he had not died, I could not have beleeved; if I had not beleeved, he had not applyed his death and merits to me: Redemption is the cause of Faith, and [Page 73] Faith the cause of Application. Lord, produce Faith in me by the vertue of thy passion, that by Faith I may injoy thee in a true and spirituall Application.
LXX.
That the Church injoyes life eternall, she is bound to Gods dilection; but that she injoyes that life alone, she is bound to his election: because he loved her, he hath bestowed this happinesse upon her; because he chose her, he hath appropriated this happinesse unto her. Lord, I will praise thy love, by which I was elected; and I will praise that election, by which I am separated from the reprobate.
LXXI.
Gods will is the cause of preterition, his justice is the cause of predemnation: he was not bound to give grace to all, therefore he passed by some without prejudice to his goodnesse; he was bound to punish sin in all, therefore he preordaines the death of his own Son; and eternall paines for reprobates, that he might not suffer prejudice in his justice. Lord, if thou hadst passed by me, I could not have blamed thy goodnesse: if thou shouldst punish me eternally, I cannot blame thy justice; for, if thou givest grace to all, where is thy libertie? if thou [Page 75] forgivest all, where is thy justice and equitie?
LXXII.
God is a most free Agent, because he can doe what he pleaseth, not because he can doe every thing: his will is the supreme cause of all externall things, but not of his justice, which is internall: as he cannot doe that which is evil, so he cannot will that which is unjust; as goodnesse is the object of his actions, so justice is the rule of his will. Lord, make my actions subordinate to thy will, as thy wil is subordinate to thy justice: that, as thou canst not will that which in justice thou maist not; so [Page 76] I may not doe that, which in wisedome thou wilst not.
LXXIII.
Though God foresaw sin in all, yet he rejected not all: sin was the occasion why he rejected some, his will was the cause why he rejected but some; his will was the cause of discrimination, but sin of reprobation. Lord, I confesse, it was not for want of sin in me, that thou didst not reject me; but because there was no want of goodnesse in thee, therefore thou didst elect me: my sin was the cause why I might have been rejected, but thy mercie is the cause, why I was not rejected.
LXXIIII.
God hindred Adams sin morally, by his law; not physically, by his power: he gave a law to guide him, threatnings to affright him, promises to induce him, sufficient grace to strengthen him; but used no violence or force to restraine him: he would not thwart or destroy, by any violent restriction, that libertie which he gave him by Creation. Thus we see his prudence, in not restraining sin physically; and withall his goodnesse, in curbing it morally.
LXXV.
God willeth the death of a sinner, because he foresaw the impenitencie of the sinner: this [Page 78] is his consequent, not his antecedent will; in this, his will depends not on the creatures actions, but on his own prescience: his will may be Posterior to the foreseen sin of the creature, but no wayes depending on the will of the creature. In willing the death of sinners, he shewes his justice; in willing the death but of some sinners, he shewes his goodnesse.
LXXVI.
All men may beleeve, only some men will beleeve; in all there is a possibilitie, in some only a velleitie: the possibilitie to beleeve, is the gift of nature; but the will to beleeve, is the gift of grace: the one we [Page 79] have by Creation, the other by Regeneration. Lord, what is possibilitie without will, and nature without grace? As in Generation thou gavest me a reasonable soul, that had a capabilitie to beleeve in thee; so, in my Regeneration, give me a sanctified will, that I may actually and constantly beleeve in thee.
LXXVII.
He that bestoweth Faith upon sinners, bestoweth also Salvation upon repentant sinners; by faith we are brought to repentance, by repentance we are prepared for salvation. Lord, if thou hadst not bestowed faith upon Peter, to beleeve in thee, he had not repented for denying thee; and [Page 80] if he had not repented, he had not been saved: lead me then, by the hand of faith, to the Iordan of repentance; that, being washed there from my spots, I may see Heaven opened with Christ, and with him injoy thy Spirit, and light of thy Countenance.
LXXVIII.
There is in Gods will both a necessitie, and a libertie; he wills necessarily what concerns himself, he wills freely what concerns other things besides himself: he did necessarily will his own glorie, he did freely will and decree my felicitie. Lord, thou couldst not but will thine own honour and goodnesse; thou couldst not have willed my [Page 81] happinesse: the more free thou wast from necessitie in willing my felicitie, the more am I bound to praise the glorie of thy mercie.
LXXIX.
Gods will hath a two-fold consideration, one as it is concealed, another as it is revealed; the former hath relation to his own actions, the other to ours; what he will doe himselfe is concealed, what he will have us doe is revealed: this will is not alwayes forcible, the other is powerfull and irresistible. Lord, let me follow the directions of thy revealed will, and not meddle with the hid secrets of thy concealed will. I will not be too forward to know what thou hast not revealed, [Page 82] nor will I be too backward to doe what thou hast commanded.
LXXX.
God hath decreed to bestow on man first grace, then glory: to the decree of giving grace, preterition is opposite; to the decree of giving glory, reprobation: no man is debarred from glory, but he that was first deprived of grace; preterition then is the antecedent to reprobation, and the want of grace to the want of glory. Thus they whom God doth here honour with the spirituall crown of grace, shall be hereafter graced with the eternall crown of honour.
LXXXI.
That is a just law which is [Page 83] given by him that hath right to impose it, and imposed on him who hath power to performe it: such was the law that God gave to Adam; the one had power to give, the other power to keep it. Lord, thy law is just which thou hast given to me, because thou hast power to impose it; this law will not be the lesse just, if thou wilt assist me, and give me power to obey it.
LXXXII.
As Gods will hath relation to his own actions, it is accompanied with omnipotencie; as it hath relation to our actions, it is regulated by justice: for, when he will doe what he hath determined, he cannot be resisted; [Page 84] so, when he will have us doe what he hath commanded, he cannot be unjust: what he himself will doe, is best known to him; what he will have us do, is not unknown to us. Lord, as it is thy will, that I doe that which thou commandest, wherein thou shewest thy justice; so let it be thy will to command that, which by thy help I can doe, and therein shew thy goodnesse.
LXXXIII.
He that opposeth Gods revealed will, which can be resisted; deserveth to be hardned by Gods concealed will, which cannot be resisted: for that will of God which is not done by him, shall be done on him. [Page 85] Lord, assist me to follow the direction of that will which is revealed, that I may avoid the destruction which by that other will is decreed: for although, by the secret will of thy Voluntas placiti. pleasure, thou hast determined death for obstinate sinners; yet, by the pleasure Voluntas signi. of thy revealed will, thou hast proposed life to penitent sinners.
LXXXIIII.
God in his goodnesse made man a vessell of mercy, Satan in malice made him a vessell of miserie; therefore God in his justice hath made him a vessell of his wrath and furie: God made the vessell, which, whilst it staid in his hand, remained [Page 86] sound; falling from thence, it hath received a crack, therfore, by this crack being made unserviceable, it is rejected. Lord, the substance of the vessell is thine, the crack is mine; I have made my self unfit to serve thee, therefore justly maist thou refuse to honour me.
LXXXV.
God hated Pharaoh, not because he hardned him, but because he obstinately resisted God, therefore he hated him, and consequently hardned him; and that not by the force of his omnipotencie, but by his patience and longanimitie. Lord, if I by thy goodnesse should take occasion to become obstinate in wickednesse, [Page 87] why maist not thou take occasion by my perversenesse, to obdurate me in my sins, and to debarre me from grace and happinesse? Therefore, I pray thee, keep me from obstinacie, that thy patience, by my sins, may not be turned into fury.
LXXXVI.
There be two sorts of carnall men; some are carnall in knowledge, some in affections: the former sort are children, who are fed with milk, and not yet, with spirituall men, able to judge of all things; the other sort are wicked men, who walk after the flesh, not after the spirit, and have not mortified the [Page 88] deeds of the flesh: now God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in spirit. Lord, remove from me all fleshly understanding, that I may conceive thee spiritually; and remove from me all carnall affections, that I may love thee spiritually. Give me the love of knowledge, that I may attain to the knowledge of thy love: Make me by the spirit of understanding, to come to the understanding of thy Spirit.
LXXXVII.
Goodnesse hath a two-fold residence; one in the minde, the other in the flesh: when 'tis there, I will good; when 'tis here, I doe good: 'tis good to have the knowledge of good, [Page 89] and that is in the minde; 'tis good to subdue and mortifie sinfull lusts, and that is in the flesh: the former goodnesse is sometimes in wicked men, the other is onely in good men. Lord, place in my minde the goodnesse of knowledge, whereby I may see and understand thee; and place in my flesh the goodnesse of holiness, whereby I may love and injoy thee: for what is knowledge without goodnesse, and sight without injoyment? It is by knowledge I see, it is by love I enjoy.
LXXXVIII.
1. There is in us an inward man, so there is an outward. 2. There is a new man, so there [Page 90] is an old man. 3. There is a law of the minde, so there is a law of the members, and there is a law also of the spirit of life. 4. There is a voluntarie dominion in sin, and there is an involuntarie. 5. There is an universall tyrannie of sin, and there is a particular. 6. There is a regeneration in the minde and will, and there is a regeneration in the members and affections. 7. There is a complete will, or volition; and there is an incomplete will, or velleitie. 8. There is a generall, or confused judgement; and there is a more particular, or distinct judgement. 1. The inward man is the minde, the outward man is the [Page 91] body. 2. The new man is grace, the old man is sinne. 3. The law of the minde is knowledge and conscience, the law of the members is sin, the law of the Spirit of life is saving grace. 4. The wicked are under the voluntarie, the godly under the involuntarie dominion of sin. 5. Originall sin is an universall tyrant, actuall sins are particular tyrants. 6. Regeneration in the minde and will, is knowledge and desire; Regeneration in the members, is action, or working the will of God. 7. Volition followes the last judgement of reason, velleitie followes the antecedent, or confused judgement. 8. By [Page 92] a generall and confused judgement, my will affects the good which is commanded by Gods law; by a particular and distinct judgement, my will affects the evil which is condemned by Gods Law. Lord,1 as I praise thee for the inward and the outward man,2 so will I much more praise thee, if thou wilt strengthen in me the new man of grace, and weaken the old man of sin;3 if thou wilt give me the law of the spirit of life, to illuminate the law of the minde, and to debilitate the law of the members:4 Make my service of sin involuntarie;5 and though I cannot be free from that catholike tyrant of originall sin, yet in thy mercy deliver me from the insolencie [Page 93] of these particular tyrants, my actuall sinnes:6 And let not my Regeneration be only intellectuall, but also operative and effectuall. 7 Rectifie and cleere my judgement, that it may direct my will: 8 And make my will to affect the good which thou c [...]mmandest, and to dis-affect the evil which thou condemnest.
LXXXIX.
Though Predestination, as it is an act or work of God, can nothing be furthered or hindered by our good or wicked lives; yet salvation, which is the effect of Predestination, may be furthered by prayers and holinesse, hindered by our infidelitie and wickednesse: for [Page 94] God who preordained Salvation, preordained also the means which may help forward our Salvation. Lord, let not the conceit of my Election dull me with securitie, or puffe me up with presumption: but assist me, that by good works I may make my Election sure, and in feare and trembling I may work out my Salvation.
XC.
There are three books of life; the one is Gods Register book, the other is Gods book of Statutes, the third is his book of Records. In the first, as in a Register, are set down all the names of the predestinate; in the second, which is the Scripture, [Page 95] are set out all the duties that are to be performed by the predestinate; in the third are set down all the good actions and sufferings of the predestinate: Out of the first we cannot be blotted, for our names are written in Heaven; and though an earthly mother may forget the fruit of her womb, yet our heavenly Father cannot forget the fruit of his Spirit. Out of the third book we may be blotted, because our sinnes may occasion him to forget our good works, and to slight our suffrings. Lord, I confesse that I have slighted thy sacred Book of divine Statutes, therefore thou maist justly blot me out of the book [Page 96] of thy remembrance: but in that thou hast not blotted my name out of thy first book, I ascribe it to thy immutabilitie; and if thou wilt not blot out my patience and suffrings out of thy other book, I will admire and praise thy mercy.
XCI.
Though God loves all men, yet he saves not all men: he loves them, because he made them; he saves them not, because he willed it not: he could not in justice will all mens Salvation, seeing man by his voluntary unjustice deprived himself of Salvation; he loves his own image, but hates that which defaced his image; he loves the man, but hates the sin; [Page 97] and if it were not for sin, he would not punish man. Lord, thy love to man is unspeakable, in that thou savest some; and thy justice is unsearchable, in that thou savest not all. I cannot blame thy justice, but my sins, that caused my miserie; I cannot brag of my merits, but of thy goodnesse, that moved thee to mercie.
XCII.
God hates the sins of man, because he loves his own justice with the love of Amor benevolentiae.complacencie; he hates the miseries of man, because he loves mans welfare with the love ofAmor amicitiae. amitie; but by accident he loves the death of wicked men, [Page 98] because he hates the works of iniquite. Thus it is as naturall for God to hate evil, as it is to love himself; and as impossible for him to love evil, as it is to hate himself.
XCIII.
Christ loved us when we were his enemies, and he loves us being his friends: when we were his foes, he suffered death for us; being his friends, he hath purchased life to us: that love was greater then this, if we consider the object; this love is greater then that, if we consider the benefit. O my God, how am I bound to thee, who when I was thine enemie, didst weare the crown of thornes for me; and being now [Page 99] thy friend hast bestowed a Crown of glory on me: Let not the servant repine to beare the reproaches of so gracious a master, who was content to beare the sins and shame of so ungracious a servant.
XCIIII.
God did first will his own glory. 2. Mans existence. 3. His righteousnesse. 4. His own Promises. 5. The execution or accomplishment of them concerning mans happinesse. Gods glory is the great wheele of this clock, which moves all the rest; the finall cause, which moves all other causes. Had it not been for his glory, I had neither had being, nor well-being; he gave me [Page 100] existence, he made me to his image, he promised me happinesse, and he hath performed it, to the end I might glorifie him. Shall I then dishonour thee, O God, by whom I am what I am, when I look on my creation; and am by grace what I am not by nature, when I look on my regeneration? Therefore I will praise the glory of thy power, for my existence; the glory of thy goodnesse, for my righteousnesse; the glory of thy mercy in promising, and the glory of thy truth in performing what thou hast promised, though thus I have not deserved.
XCV.
All the afflictions of Gods people are either punishments, [Page 101] chastisements, or probations; punishments for sins past, chastisements to prevent sinnes to come, probations to make triall of our Christian vertues: and, though Christ was punished for our sinnes, to free us from eternall torments; yet we are not thereby exempted from temporarie punishments: he died to save us from death eternall, not from death temporall: he both suffered and satisfied; we suffer, though we cannot satisfie: our sufferings are to shew our conformitie with Christ, but not to shew any insufficiencie in the death of Christ. Thou, O Lord, hast paid a plenarie ransome for sin; and thou that knewest [Page 102] no sin, becamest sinne, and didst suffer death as a punishment for us, that we who are born in sin might be free from sin, that death might not be a punishment, but a chastisement to us.
XCVI.
As by one simple act God knowes his own Essence, so by one simple act he wils his own goodnesse; which will, whether we take it for an act or for an habit, is eternally in God, and differs but in some respects from his essence, and therefore is immutable, infinite, and holy as his Essence: and though many things are willed by him, yet there is but one will in him; which cannot [Page 103] be moved by any efficient end, or object different from himself. Lord, though my will cannot attain that simplicitie, infinitenesse, and immutabilitie that is in thee: yet let it obtain some measure of holinesse, that in desiring of that only which is good, it may in some measure resemble thine.
XCVII.
All have not had the happinesse to heare of Christ, and yet there is no happinesse without Christ: in this God is not unjust, for they who either in themselves, or in their parents have rejected him, are not worthy of him; besides, God hath not left himself without a witnesse, [Page 104] for he hath left a law written in all mens hearts, and so much light of his goodnesse and justice as may make all men excuselesse. If therefore they shall be rejected that had not that light of knowledge which we have: how can we think we are elected, who have even spurned at the knowledge of that light which they have not?
XCVIII.
Regeneration, which is the killing of the old man, and quickning of the new, hath for her ushers Sorrow and Contrition; for her Attendants Faith and Hope; for her followers the works of Charitie: if any of these be defective, Generation [Page 105] will be little effective: neither is this the work of nature, but of grace; for nature by generation can give us a mortall essence, but grace by regeneration gives us an immortall existence: in our first birth we had a new nature from our corporall parents, in our second birth, nature is renewed by our spirituall parents: So easie is the work of physicall generation, that it's performed in the instant of our conception; so difficult is the work of hyperphysicall regeneration, that we cannot be consummately reformed, till the instant of our dissolution. Lord, the great world was with greater facilitie by thee [Page 106] created, then the little world of man could by thee be re-created; that was done only by uttering thy externall word, this could not be done, but by the suffering of thy internall Word: therefore, as I am bound to thee for the tempor all life, which in my generation by thy spirit thou breathedst in me; much more am I bound for that eternall life, which, in my regeneration, by thy Sonnes death, thou hast purchased for me.
XCIX.
In thy sight, O Lord, no flesh can be justified, if we consider the puritie of thy nature, the rigour of thy justice, the infirmities of our flesh, and the imperfections [Page 107] of our righteousnesse: For the first, the Angels are not pure in thy sight, much lesse we who dwell in houses of clay: For the second, if thou shouldst marke, Lord, what is done amisse, who could abide it? For the third, there is no man that doth good, no not one, we are all gone out of the way: For the fourth, the justest man falleth seven times a day, and our righteousness is like a menstruous cloath. Therefore we acknowledge, Lord, there is no righteousnesse inherent in us, by which we can be saved, but that righteousnesse which is inherent in thee, and imputed to us, and by that we are justified; and there is in thee [Page 108] exuberance of mercies, by which we may be pardoned.
C.
We are justified by grace formally, by faith instrumentally, by the word ministerially, by good works demonstratively, by sorrow and repentance preparatively, by Christs death and obedience meritoriously, and by God himself principally: if then God be the efficient cause, if Christs active and passive obedience be the materiall, if grace be the formall, if Gods glory be the finall cause of our justification; how can we claime any share in it? We are only subjects and [Page 109] patients, no wayes agents; our good works are but fruits and effects, no wayes causes; our sorrow and repentance are effects of preventing grace, not of free-will; our faith is from above, not from our selves. Therefore, O Lord, I disclaime all merit of congruitie and condignitie, all efficacie of Sacraments, all suffrages of Saints, all power of Romane Prelates, all absolution of Priests, all observation of humane tradition, and all will-worship, from my justification. I acknowledge no other merits but thy mercies; by thy grace thou preventedst my merits; my merits are thy suffrings, my holinesse is thy goodnesse; my righteousnesse is but a [Page 110] sparkle of thy brightnesse, a drop of that Ocean, a grain of that heap, a stone of that immense mountain of thy incomprehensible goodnesse; for which I am indebted to thee, not thou to me: Therefore, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy Name we glve the glory.