Existence and Attributes of God
3. 'It is more plain, that this was the sin of Adam. The first act of Adam was to exercise a Lordship over the lower Creatures, in giving names to them, a token of Dominion. Gen. 2.19. The next was, to affect a Lordship over God, in rebelling against him; After he had writ the first mark of his own delegated Dominion in the names he gave the Creatures, and owned their dependence on him as their Governor, he would not acknowledge his own dependence on God. As soon as the Lord of the World had put him into possession of the power he had allotted him, he attempted to strip his Lord of that, which he had reserved to himself; He was not content to lay a yoke upon the other Creatures, but desirous to shake off the Divine Yoke from himself, and be subject to none but his own will; Hence Adam's sin is more particularly called disobedience: Rom. 5.19. For in the eating the apple, there was no Moral evil in itself, but a contradiction to the positive command and order of God; whereby he did disown God's right of commanding him, or reserving anything from him to his own use. The Language all his Posterity speaks, Let us break his bands, and cast away his cords from us, Psal. 2.3. was learned from Adam in that act of his. The next act we read of, was that of Cain's murdering Abel, which was an invading God's right, in assuming an Authority to dispose of the Life of his Brother, a Life which God had given him, and reserved the period of it in his own hands. And he persists in the same usurpation, when God came to examine him, and ask him where his Brother was, how scornful was his answer? Gen. 4.9. Am I my Brother's Keeper? as much as if he had said, what have you to do to examine me? or what obligation is there upon me, to render an account of him? Or as one saith, 'It is as much as if he had said, go look him yourself. The Sovereignty of God did not remain undisturb'd as soon as ever it appeared in Creation, the Devils rebel'd against it in Heaven, and man would have banished it from the earth.
4. The Sovereignty of God hath not been less invaded by the usurpations of men. One single order of the Roman Episcopacy hath endeavor'd to usurp the prerogatives of God; The Pope will prohibit what God hath allowed; The Marriage of Priests, the receiving of the Cup as well as of the Bread in the Sacrament, the eating of this or that sort of meat at special times, meats which God hath sanctified; and forbid them too upon pain of damnation. 'It is an invasion of God's right, to forbid the use of what God hath granted, as though the earth, and the fullness thereof were no longer the Lord's, but the Popes; Much more to forbid what God hath commanded, as if Christ over-reached his own Authority, when he enjoin'd all to drink of the Sacramental Wine, as well as eat of the Sacramental Bread, No Lord but will think his right usurped by that Steward, who shall permit to others what his Lord forbids, and forbid that which his Master allows, and act the Lord instead of the Servant. Add to this the pardons of many sins, as if he had the sole key to the treasures of Divine Mercy, the disposing of Crowns and Dominions at his pleasute, as if God had devested himself of the Title of King of Kings, and transferred it upon the See of Rome. The allowing public Stews, dispensing with incestuous Marriages, as if God had acted more the part of a Tyrant, than of a Righteous Sovereign in forbidding them; Depriving the Jews of the propriety in their Estates upon their Conversion to Christianity, as if the pilfering men's goods were the way to teach them self-denial, the first Doctrine of Christian Religion, and God shall have no honor from the Jew without a breach of his Law by theft from the Christian. Granting many years indulgences upon slight performances, the repeating so many Ave-Mary's, and Pater-Nosters in a day, Canonizing Saints, claiming the Keys of Heaven, and disposing of the honors and glory of it: And proposing Creatures as objects of Religions Worship, wherein he answers the Character of the Apostle, 2 Thes. 2.4. Showing himself that he is God, in challenging that power which is only the right of Divine Sovereignty; exalting himself above God, in indulging those things which the Law of God never allowed, but hath severely prohibited.
This controlling the Sovereignty of God, not allowing him the rights of his Crown, is the Soul and Spirit of many errors. Why are the decrees of election and praeterition denied? because men will not acknowledge God the Sovereign disposer of his Creature. Why is effectual calling and efficacious grace denied? because they will not allow God the proprietor and distributer of his own goods. Why is the satisfaction of Christ denied? because they will not allow God a power to vindicate his own Law, in what way he pleaseth. Most of the errors of men may be resolved into a denial of God's Sovereignty; All have a tincture of the first evil sentiment of Adam.
2. The Sovereignty of God is contemned in the practices of men.
1. As he is a Law-giver.
1. When Laws are made, and urged in any State contrary to the Law of God. 'It is part of God's Sovereignty to be a Law-giver; not to obey his Law is a breach made upon his right of Government; But it is Treason in any against the Crown of God, to Mint Laws with a stamp contrary to that of Heaven, whereby they renounce their due subjection, and vy with God for Dominion; snatch the supremacy from him, and account themselves more Lord's than the Sovereign Monarch of the World. When men will not let God be the Judge of good and evil, but put in their own vote, controlling his, to establish their own; Such are not content to be as God's, subordinate to the supreme God, to sit at his feet; Nor co-ordinate with him, to sit equal upon his Throne; but paramount to him, to over-top, and shadow his Crown. A boldness that leaves the serpent in the first temptation, under the Character of a more commendable modesty; who advised our first Parents to attempt to be as God's, but not above him, and would enervate a Law of God, but not enact a contrary one to be observed by them. Such was the usurpation of Nebuchadnezzar, to set up a Golden Image to be adored, Dan. 3. as if he had power to mint God's, as well as to conquer men; to set the stamp of a Deity upon a piece of Gold, as well as his own Effigies upon his currant Coyn. Much of the same nature was that of Darius, by the motion of his flatterers, to prohibit any Petition to be made to God for the space of 30 days, as though God was not to have a Worship without a License from a doting piece of clay. Dan. 6.7. So Henry the Third of France, by his Edict silenced Masters of Families from praying with their Houshoulds. And it is a farther contempt of God's Authority, when good men are oppressed by the sole weight of power, for not observing such Laws, as if they had a real Sovereignty over the Consciences of men, more than God himself. When the Apostles were commanded by an Angel from God, to preach in the Temple the Doctrine of Christ. Act. 5.19, 20. they were fetched from thence with a Guard before the Council. v. 26. And what is the Language of those States-men to them? as absolute as God himself could speak to any Transgressors of his Law; ver. 28. Did not we straitly command you, that you should not teach in this Name? 'It is sufficient that we gave you a command to be silent, and publish no more this Doctrine of Jesus; 'It is not for you to examine our decrees, but rest in our order as Loyal Subjects, and comply with your Rulers; They might have added, though it be with the damnation of your souls. How would those over-rule the Apostles by no other reason but their absolute pleasure? And though God had espous'd their cause, by delivering them out of the Prison, wherein they had locked them the day before; Yet not one of all this Council had the wit, or honesty, to entitle it a fighting against God, but Gamaliel, ver. 39. So foolishly fond are men, to put themselves in the place of God, and usurp a jurisdiction over men's Consciences; And to presume, that Laws made against the interest and command of God, must be of more force than the Laws of God's enacting.
2. The Sovereignty of God is contemned in making additions to the Laws of God. The Authority of a Sovereign Law-giver is invaded and vilified, when an inferior presumes to make orders equivalent to his Edicts. 'It is a Praemunire against Heaven, to set up an Authority distinct from that of God, or to enjoin anything as necessary in matter of worship, for which a Divine Commission cannot be shewn. God was always so tender of this part of his prerogative, that he would not have anything wrought in the Tabernacle, not a Vessel, not an instrument, but what himself had prescribed. Exod. 25.9. According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the Tabernacle, and the pattern of all the Instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it, which is strictly urged again, ver. 40. Look that thou make them after their pattern; Look to it, beware of doing anything of thine own head, and justling with my Authority. It was so afterwards in the matter of the Temple, which succeeded the Tabernacle; God gave the model of it to David, and made him understand in writing by his hand upon him, even all the works of this pattern. 1 Chron. 28.19. Neither the Royal Authority in Moses, who was King in Jesurun; nor in David, who was a man after God's own heart, and called to the Crown by a special and extraordinary providence; nor Aaron and the High Priests his Successors invested in the Sacerdotal Office, had any Authority from God, to do anything in the framing the Tabernacle or Temple of their own heads. God bar'd them from anything of that nature, by giving them an exact pattern, so dear to him was always this flower of his Crown: And afterwards, the power of appointing Officers, and Ordinances in the Church was delegated to Christ, and was among the rest of those Royalties given to him, which he fully completed for the edifying of the body. Ephes. 4.11, 12. And he hath the Elogy by the Spirit of God, to be faithful as Moses was in all his house, to him that appointed him. Heb. 3.2. Faithfulness in a trust implies a punctual observing directions; God was still so tender of this, that even Christ the son should no more do anything in this concern without appointment and pattern, than Moses a servant, ver. 5.6. It seems to be a vote of nature, to refer the Original of the modes of all worship to God: and therefore in all those varieties of Ceremonies among the Heathens, there was scarce any, but were imagined by them to be the Dictates and Orders of some of their pretended Deities, and not the resolves of mere Human Authority. What intrusion upon God's right hath the Papacy made in regard of Officers, Cardinals, Patriarchs, &c. not known in any Divine Order? In regard of Ceremonies in worship, pressed as necessary to obtain the favor of God, Holy-water, Crucifixes, Altars, Images, Cringings, reviving many of the Jewish and Pagan Ceremonies, and adopting them into the Family of Christian Ordinances; as if God had been too absolute and arbitrary in repealing the one, and dashing in pieces the other. When God had by his Sovereign order framed a Religion for the heart, men are ready to usurp an Authority to frame one for the sense, to dress the Ordinances of God in new and gaudy habits, to take the eye by a vain pomp; thus affecting a Divine Royalty, and acting a silly childishness and after this to impose the observation of those upon the Consciences of men, is a bold ascent into the Throne of God; To impose Laws upon the Conscience, which Christ hath not imposed, hath deservedly been thought the very Spirit of Antichrist; It may be called also the Spirit of Anti-God. God hath reserved to himself the sole Sovereignty over the Conscience, and never indulged men any part of it; he hath not given man a power over his own Conscience, much less one man a power over another's Conscience. Men have a power over outward things, to do this or that, where it is determined by the Law of God, but not the least Authority to control any dictate or determination of Conscience: The sole Empire of that is appropriate to God, as one of the great marks of his Royalty. What an usurpation is it of God's right, to make Conscience a slave to man, which God hath solely, as the father of Spirits, subjected to himself? An usurpation which though the Apostles, those extraordinary Officers might better have claimed, yet they utterly disowned any imperious dominion over the faith of others, 2 Cor. 1.24. Though in this they do not seem to climb up above God, yet they set themselves in the Throne of God, envy him an absolute Monarchy, would be sharers with him in his Legislative power, and grasp one end of his Scepter in their own hands. They do not pretend to take the Crown from God's head, but discover a bold ambition to shuffle their hairy Scalps under it, and wear part of it upon their own, that they may rule with him, not under him; And would be joint Lord's of his Manor with him, who hath by the Apostle forbidden any to be Lord's of his Heritage. 1 Pet. 5.3. And therefore they cannot assume such an Authority to themselves, till they can show where God hath resigned this part of his Authority to them. If their Exposition of that place. Matth. 16.18. Upon this rock I will build my Church, be granted to be true, and that the person and Successors of Peter are meant by that Rock, it could be no Apology for their Usurpations; 'tis not Peter and his Successors shall build, but I will build; others are instruments in building, but they are to observe the directions of the grand Architect.
3. The Sovereignty of God is contemned, when men prefer Obedience to men's Laws before Obedience to God. As God hath an undoubted right as the Law-giver and Ruler of the World, to enact Laws, without consulting the pleasure of men, or requiring their consent to the verifying, and establishing his Edicts, so are men obliged by their Allegiance, as subjects, to observe the Laws of their Creator, without consulting whither they be agreeable to the Laws of his revolted Creatures. To consult with Flesh and Blood, whither we should obey, is to Authorize Flesh and Blood above the purest and most sovereign spirit. When men will obey their superiors, without taking in the condition the Apostle prescribes to Servants. Col. 3.22. In singleness of heart fearing God; and post-pone the fear of God to the fear of man; 'tis to render God of less power with them than the drop of a Bucket, or dust of the Ballance. When we out of fear of punishment will observe the Laws of Men against the Laws of God, 'tis like the Egyptians, to Worship a ravenous Crocodile instead of a Deity; when we submit to human Laws, and stagger at Divine, 'tis to set man upon the Throne of God, and God at the footstool of man; to set man above, and God beneath, to make him the tail, and not the head, as God speaks in another case of Israel. Deut. 28.13. When we pay an outward observation to Divine Laws, because they are backed by the Laws of Man, and human Authority is the motive of our observance, we subject God's sovereignty to Mans Authority; what he hath from us, is more owing to the pleasure of men, than any value we have for the Empire of God. When men shall commit Murders, and imbrue their hands in blood by the order of a Grandee; when the worst sins shall be committed by the order of Papal dispensations; When the use of his Creatures, which God hath granted and sanctified, shall be abstained from for so many days in the week, and so many weeks in the year because of a Roman Edict; the Authority of man is acknowledged not only equal, but superior to that of God: The dominion of dust and clay is prefer'd before the undoubted right of the sovereign of the World: The Commands of God are made less than human, and the orders of men more authoritative, than Divine, and a grand Rebels usurpation of God's right is countenanced. When men are more devout in observance of uncertain Traditions, or mere human inventions, than at the hearing of the unquestionable Oracles of God. When men shall squeeze their countenances into a more serious figure, and demean themselves in a more religious posture, at the appearance of some mock Ceremony clothed in a Jewish or Pagan garb, which hath unhappily made a rent in the Coat of Christ; and pay a more exact reverence to that, which hath no Divine, but only a human stamp upon it, than to the clear and plain Word of God, which is perhaps neglected with sleepy nodds, or, which is worse, entertained with profane scoffs; this is to prefer the Authority of man employed in trifles, before the Authority of the wise Law-giver of the World. Besides, the ridiculousness of it is as great, as to adore a Glo-worm, and laugh at the Sun; or for a Courtier to be more exact in his cringes and starcht postures before a puppet, than before his sovereign Prince. In all this we make not the Will and Authority of God our rule, but the Will of man; Disclaim our dependence on God, to hang upon the uncertain breath of a Creature; in all this God is made less than man, and man more than God. God is deposed, and man enthron'd, God made a slave, and man a sovereign above him. To this we may refer the solemn Addresses of some for the maintenance of the Protestant Religion according to Law, the Law of Man; not so much minding the Law of God; resolving to make the Law, the Church, the State, the Rule of their Religion, and change that, if the Laws be changed, steering their Opinions by the compass of the Magistrates Judgment and Interest.
2. The Dominion of God as a Proprietor is practically contemned.
1. By Envy. When we are not as flush and gay, as well spread and sparkling as others, this passion gnaws our Souls; and we become the Executioners to wrack ourselves, because God is the Executor of his own pleasure. The foundation of this passion is a quarrel with God; to envy others the enjoyment of their Propriety, is to envy God his right of disposal, and consequently the propriety of his own Goods. 'It is a mental Theft committed against God, we rob him of his right in our will, and wish; 'tis a Robbery to make ourselves equal with God when it is not our due, which is implied. Phil. 2.6. when Christ is said, to think it no Robbery, to be equal with God. We would wrest the Scepter out of his hand, wish he were not the conductor of the world, and that he would resign his Sovereignty, and the right of the distribution of his own goods to the Capricios of our humor, and ask our leave to what Subjects he should dispense his favors. All Envy, is either a tacit accusation of God as an usurper, and assuming a right to dispose of that, which doth not belong to him, and so it is a denial of his propriety; or else charges him with a blind or unjust distribution, and so it is a bespattering his wisdom and righteousness. When God doth punish envy, he vindicates his own Sovereignty, as though this passion chiefly endeavored to blast this perfection. Ezek. 25.11, 12. As I live saith the Lord, I will do according to thy anger, and according to thy envy, and thou shall know that I am the Lord. The sin of envy in the Devils was immediately against the Crown of God, and so was the sin of envy in the first man, envying God the sole Prerogative in knowledge above himself. This base humor in Cain at the preference of Abel's sacrifice before his, was the cause that he deprived him of his life. Denying God first his right of choice, and what he should accept, and then invading God's right of propriety, in usurping a power over the Life and Being of his brother, which solely belonged to God.
2. The Dominion of God as a proprietor, is practically contemned by a violent or s • rreptitious taking away from any, what God hath given him the possession of. Since God is the Lord of all, and may give the possession and dominion of things to whom he pleaseth, all Theft and Purloyning, all cheating and cozening another of his right, is not only a crime against the true possessor, depriving him of what he is entrusted with, but against God as the absolute and universal proprietor, having a right thereby, to confer his own goods, upon whom he pleaseth; as well as against God as a Lawgiver forbidding such a violence. The snatching away what is an others, denies man the right of possession, and God the right of donation. The Israelites taking the Egyptians Jewels had been Theft, had it not been by a Divine license and order; but cannot be slander'd with such a term, after the proprietor of the whole World had altered the Title, and alienated them by his positive grant from the Egyptians, to confer them upon the Israelites.
3. The Dominion of God as a proprietor is practically contemned, by not using what God hath given us, for those ends for which he gave them to us. God passeth things over to us with a condition, to use that for his Glory which he hath bestowed upon us by his bounty. He is Lord of the end for which he gives, as well as Lord of what he gives; the donors right of propriety is infringed, when the Lands and legacies he leaves to a particular use are not employed to those ends, to which he bequeathed them. The right of the Lord of a Manor is violated: when the Copy-hold is not used according to the condition of the conveyance. So it is an invasion of God's sovereignty, not to use the Creatures for those ends, for which we are entrusted with them; when we deny ourselves a due and lawful support from them; hence Covetousness is an invasion of his right; or when we unnecessarily wast them, hence prodigality disowns his propriety. Or when we bestow not anything upon the relief of others; hence uncharitableness comes under the same title, appropriating that to ourselves, as if we were the Lord's, when we are but the usufructuaries for ourselves, and Stewards for others; this is to be rich to ourselves, not to God. Luke 12.21. for so are they who employ not their wealth for the service and according to the intent of the donor. Thus the Israelites did not own God the true proprietor of their Corn, Wine, and Oil, which God had given them for his Worship, when they prepared offerings for Baal out of his Stock. Hos. 2.8. For she did not know, that I gave her Corn, and Wine, and Oil, and multiplied her Gold and Silver, which they prepared for Baal; as if they had been sole proprietors, and not Factors by Commission, to improve the Goods for the true owner. 'It is the same invasion of God's right, to use the parts and gifts, that God hath given us, either as fuel for our pride, or advancing self, or a witty scoffing at God and Religion. When we use not Religion for the honor of our Sovereign, but a stool to rise by, and observe his precepts outwardly, not out of regard to his Authority, but as a stale to our interest, and furnishing self with a little concern and triflle. When men will wrest his word for the favor of their lusts, which God intended for the checking of them, and make interpretations of it according to their humors, and not according to his Will discovered in the Scripture, this is to pervert the use of the best goods and depositum he hath put into our hands, even divine Revelations. Thus hypocrisy makes the sovereignty of God a nullity.
3. The Dominion of God as a Governor is practically contemned.
I. In Idolatry. Since Worship is an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty, to adore any Creature instead of God, or to pay to anything that homage of trust and confidence, which is due to God, though it be the highest Creature in Heaven or Earth, is to acknowledge that sovereignty, to pertain to a Creature, which is challenged by God; as to set up the greatest Lord in a Kingdom in the Government instead of the lawful Prince, is Rebellion and Usurpation. And that Woman incurs the Crime of Adultery, who commits it with a person of great Port and Honor, as well as with one of a mean condition. While men Create anything a God, they own themselves supreme above the true God, yea and above that, which they account a God: For by the right of Creation, they have a superiority, as it is a Deity blown up by the breath of their own imagination. The Authority of God is in this sin; acknowledged to belong to an Idol, 'tis called loathing of God as a husband; Ezek. 16.45. all the Authority of God as a husband and Lord over them. So when we make anything, or any person in the World the chief object and prop of our trust and confidence, we act the same part. Trust in an Idol is the formal part of Idolatry. Psal. 115.8, So is everyone that trusts in them. i. e. in Idols. Whatsoever thing we make the object of our trust, we rear as an Idol; 'tis not unlawful, to have the image of a Creature, but to bestow divine adoration upon it; it was not unlawful for the Egyptians, to possess and use Oxen, but to dubb them God's to be adored, it was. 'It is not unlawful to have Wealth and Honor, nor to have gifts and parts, they are the presents of God; but to love them above God, to fix our reliance upon them more than upon God, is to rob God of his due, who being our Creator, ought to be our confidence. What we want, we are to desire of him, and expect from him. When we confide in anything else, we deny God the Glory of his Creation, we disown him to be Lord of the World, imply that our welfare is in the hands of, and depends upon that thing, wherein we confide; 'tis not only to equal it to God in sovereign power, which is his own phrase, Isaiah 40.25. but to prefer it before him in a reproach of him. When the Hosts of Heaven shall be served instead of the Lord of those Hosts; When we shall lacquy after the Starrs, depend barely upon their influences, without looking up to the great director of the Sun, 'tis to pay an adoration unto a Captain in a Regiment, which is due to the General. When we shall make Gold our hope, and say to the fine Gold thou art my confidence, 'tis to deny the Supremacy of that God, that is above, as well as if we kiss our hands in a way of adoration to the Sun in its splendor, or the Moon walking in its brightness; for Job couples them together. Job. 31.25. to 28. 'It is to prefer the Authority of Earth before that of Heaven, and honor clay above the Sovereign of the World, as if a Soldier should confide more in the rag of an Ensign, or the fragment of a Drum for his safety, than in the orders and conduct of his General; It were as much as is in his power to uncommission him, and snatch from him his Commanders Staff. When we advance the Creature in our love above God, and the Altar of our Soul smoakes with more thoughts and affections to a petty interest than to God, we lift up that which was given us as a servant in the place of the Sovereign, and bestow that Throne upon it, which is to be kept undefiled for the rightful Lord, and subject the interest of God to the demands of the creature. So much respect is due to God, that none should be placed in the Throne of our affections equal with him, much less anything to perk above him.
2. Impatience is a contempt of God as a Governor. When we meet with rubbs in the way of any design, when our expectations are crossed, we will break through all obstacles, to accomplish our projects, whither God will or no. When we are too much dejected at some unexpected providence, and murmur at the instruments of it, as if God devested himself of his prerogative of conducting human affairs. When a little cross blows us into a Mutiny, and swells us into a sawciness to implead God, or makes us fret against him, (as the expression is, Isaiah 8.21.) wishing him out of his Throne; No sin is so devilish as this▪ there is not any strikes more at all the attributes of God than this, against his goodness, righteousness, holiness, wisdom, and doth as little spare his Sovereignty as any of the rest; What can it be else, but an impious invasion of his Dominion, to quarrel with him for what he doth, and to say, what reason hast thou to deal thus with me? This Language is in the nature of all impatience, whereby we question his Sovereignty, and Parallel our Dominion with his. When men have not that confluence of wealth or honor they greedily desired, they bark at God, and revile his Government; They are angry God doth not more respectfully observe them, as though he had nothing to do in their matters, and were wanting in that becoming reverence, which they think him bound to pay to such great ones as they are. They would have God obedient to their minds, and act nothing, but what he receives a Commission for from their wills. When we murmur, 'tis as if we would command his Will, and wear his Crown, a wresting the Scepter out of his hands, to sway it ourselves, we deny him the right of Government, disown his power over us, and would be our own Sovereigns; You may find the Character of it in the Language of Jehoram, (as many understand it.) 2 King. 6.33. Behold this evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer? This is an evil of such a nature, that it could come from none but the hand of God, why should I attend upon him as my Sovereign, that delights to do me so much mischief, that throws curses upon me, when I expected blessings? I will no more observe his directions, but follow my own sentiments, and regard not his Authority in the lips of his doting Prophet. The same you find in the Jews, when they were under God's lash. Jer. 18.12. And they said, there is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices, and we will everyone do the imagination of his evil heart; We can expect no good from him, and therefore we will be our own Sovereigns, and prefer the Authority of our own imaginations before that of his Precepts. Men would be their own Carvers, and not suffer God to use his right; as if a stone should order the Mason in what manner to hew it, and in what part of the building to place it; We are not ordinarily concerned so much at the calamities of our Neigbours, but swell against Heaven at a light drop upon ourselves. We are content God should be the Sovereign of others, so that he will be a servant to us; Let him deal as he will himself with others, so he will treat us, and what relates to us, as we will ourselves. We would have God resign his Authority to our humors, and our humors should be in the place of a God to him, to direct him what was fit to do in our cause. When things go not according to our vote, our impatience is a wish, that God were deposed from his Throne, that he would surrender his seat to some, that would deal more favourably, and be more punctual observers of our directions. Let us look to ourselves in regard of this sin which is too common, and the root of much mischief. This seems to be the first bubbling of Adam's will, he was not content with the condition wherein God had placed him, but affected another, which ended in the ruin of himself, and of Mankind.
3. Limiting God in his way of working to our methods is another part of the contempt of his dominion. When we will prescribe him methods of acting, that he should deliver us in this or that way, we would not suffer him to be the Lord of his own favors, and have the privilege to be his own director. When we will limit him to such a time, wherein to work our deliverance, we would rob him of the power of times and seasons, which are solely in his hand. We would regulate his conduct according to our imaginations, and assume a power to give Laws to our Sovereign. Thus the Israelites limited the holy one of Israel. Psal. 78.41. They would control his absolute dominion, and of a Sovereign make him their slave. Man that is God's vassal, would set bounds to his Lord, and cease to be a servant, and commence Master, when he would give, not take directions from him. When God had given them Manna, and their fancies were weary of that delicious food, they would prescribe Heaven to rain down some other sort of food for them. When they wanted no sufficient provision in the Wilderness, they quarrel'd with God for bringing them out of Egypt, and not presently giving them a place of Seed, of Figs, Vines and Pomegranates. Numb. 20.5. which is called a striving with the Lord, ver. 13. a contending with him for his Lordship. When we tempt God, and require a sign of him as a mark of his favor, we circumscribe his dominion; when we will not use the means he hath appointed, but father our lazyness upon a trust in his providence, as if we expected he should work a miracle for our relief; when we censure him for what he hath done in the course of his providence; when we capitulate with him, and promise such a service, if he will do us such a good turn according to our platform, we would bring down his Sovereign pleasure to our will, we invade his Throne, and expect a submissive Obedience from him. Man that hath not wit enough to govern himself, would be governing God, and those that cannot be their own Sovereigns, affect a Sovereignty over Heaven.
4. Pride and presumption is another invasion of his dominion. When men will resolve to go tomorrow to such a City, to such a Fair and Market, to traffick, and get gain, without thinking of the necessity of a Divine License, as if ourselves were the Lord's of our time, and of our lives, and God were to lacquy after us. James 4.13.15. Ye that say, today we will go into such a City, and buy and sell, whereas ye ought to say, if the Lord will we shall live; As if they had a free hold, and were not Tenants at will to the Lord of the Manor. When we presume upon our own strength or wit, to get the better of our adversaries; As the Germans (as Tacitus relates) assured themselves by the numerousness of their Army of a victory against the Romans, and prepared chains to fetter the Captives before the conquest, which were found in their camp after their defeat; When we are peremptory in expectations of success according to our will; As Pharaoh, Exod. 15.9. I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my lust shall be satisfied upon them, I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. He speaks more like a God, than a man, as if he were the Sovereign power, and God only his Vicar and Lieutenant; How he struts, without thinking of a superior power to curb him! When men ascribe to themselves what is the sole fruit of God's Sovereign pleasure. As the King of Assyria speaks a Language, fit only to be spoken by God. Isa. 10 13, 14. &c. I have removed the bounds of the people, my hand hath found as a nest, the riches of the people, I have gathered all the earth; which God declares to be a wrong to his Sovereignty by the title wherewith he prefaceth his threatening against him. ver. 16. Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, send among his fat ones leanness, &c. 'It is indeed a rifling, if not of his Crown, yet of the most glittering Jewel of it, his Glory. He that mocks the poor reproacheth his Maker, Prov. 17.5. He never thinks that God made them poor, and himself rich; He owns not his riches to be dropt upon him by the divine hand. Self is the great invader of God's Sovereignty, doth not only spurn at it, but usurp it, and assume divine honorus, payable only to the Universal Sovereign. The Assyrian was not so modest as the Chaldean, who would impute his power and victories to his Idol, Hab. 1.11. whom he thought to be God, though yet robbing the true God of his Authority; and so much was signified by their names, Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-Merodach, Belshazzar, Nebo, Merodach, Bel, being the Chaldean Idols, and the names signifying Lord of wealth, giver of riches, and the like. When we behave ourselves proudly towards others, and imagine ourselves greater than our Maker ever meant us; When we would give Laws to others, and expect the most submissive observances from them, as if God had resigned his Authority to us, and made us in his stead the rightful Monarchs of the World. To disdain that any creature should be above us, is to disdain God's Sovereign disposition of men, and consequently his own superiority over us. A proud man would govern all, and would not have God his Sovereign, but his Subject; to over-value ourselves, is to under-value God.
5. Slight and careless worship of God is another contempt of his Sovereignty. A Prince is contemned, not only by a neglect of those reverential postures which are due to him, but in a reproachful and scornful way of paying them. To behave ourselves uncomely or immodestly before a Prince is a dis-esteem of Majesty. Sovereignty requires awe in every address, where this is wanting there is a dis-respect of Authority. We contemn God's Dominion when we give him the service of the Lip, the Hand, the Knee, and deny him that of the Heart; as they in Ezekiel, Ezek. 33.31. as though he were the Sovereign only of the body, and not of the soul. To have devout figures of the face, and uncomely postures of the soul, is to exclude his dominion from our spirits, while we own it only over our outward man; we render him an insignificant Lord, not worthy of any higher adorations from us, than a senseless statue; We demean not ourselves according to his Majestical Authority over us, when we present him not with the Cream and Quintessence of our souls, The greatness of God required a great house, and a costly Palace; 1 Chron. 29.11.16. David speaks it in order to the building God a house and Temple; God being a great King, expects a Male the best of our flock. Mal. 1.14. a Masculine and vigorous service. When we present him with a sleepy, sickly, rheumatick service, we betray our conceptions of him to be as mean as if he were some petty Lord, whose dominion were of no larger extent than a Mole hill, or some inconsiderable Village.
6. Omission of the service he hath appointed is another contempt of his Sovereignty. This is a contempt of his dominion, whereby he hath a right to appoint what means and conditions he pleaseth, for the enjoyment of his proffered and promised benefits. 'It is an enmity to his Scepter not to accept of his terms after a long series of precepts and invitations, made for the restoring us to that happiness we had lost, and providing all means necessary thereunto, nothing being wanting but our own concurrence with it, and acceptance of it, by rendering that easy homage he requires. By with-holding from him the service he enjoins, we deny that we hold anything of him; As he that pays not the quit rent, though it be never so small, disowns the Sovereignty of the Lord of the Manor; It implies that he is a miserable poor Lord, having no right, or destitute of any power, to dispose of anything in the World to our advantage. Job. 22.17. They say unto God, depart from us, what can the Almighty do for them? They will have no commerce with him in a way of duty, because they imagine him to have no Sovereign power to do anything for them in way of benefit, as if his dominion were an empty title, and as much destitute of any Authority to command a favor for them, as any Idol. They think themselves to have as absolute a disposal of things, as God himself; What can he do for us? What can he confer upon us, that we cannot invest ourselves in? As though they were Sovereigns in an equality with God; Thus men live without God in the World, Eph. 2.12. as if there were no supreme being to pay a respect to, or none fit to receive any homage at their hands; With-holding from God the right of his time, and the right of his service, which is the just claim of his Sovereignty.
7. Censuring others is a contempt of his Sovereignty. When we censure men's persons or actions by a rash judgment, when we will be judges of the good and evil of men's actions, where the law of God is utterly silent, we usurp God's place, and invade his right, we claim a superiority over the Law, and judge God defective as the rector of the World, in his prescriptions of good and evil; Jam. 4.11.12. He that speaks evil of his Brother, and judgeth his Brother, speaks evil of the Law, and judgeth the Law; There is one Law-giver, who is able to save, and to destroy; Who art thou that judgest another? Do you know what you do in judging another? You take upon you the garb of a Sovereign, as if he were more your servant than God's, and more under your Authority than the Authority of God; 'tis a setting thyself in God's Tribunal, and assuming his rightful power of judging; thy Brother is not to be governed by thy fancy, but by God's Law, and his own Conscience.
2. Information, Hence it follows that God doth actually govern the World. He hath not only a right to rule, but he rules over all, so saith the Text. He is King of Kings, and Lord of Lord's; what to let them do what they please, and all that their lusts prompt them to? hath God an absolute Dominion? Is it good, and is it wise? Is it then a useless prerogative of the Divine Nature? Shall so excellent a power lie idle, as if God were a lifeless Image? Shall we fancy God like some lazy Monarch, that solaceth himself in the Gardens of his Palace, or steeps himself in some charming pleasures, and leaves his Lieutenants to govern the several Provinces, which are all Members of his Empire, according to their own humor? Not to exercise this Dominion is all one as not to have it; To what purpose is he invested with this Sovereignty, if he were careless of what were done in the world, and regarded not the oppressions of men? God keeps no useless excellency by him; He actually reigns over the Heathen, Psal. 47.8. and those as bad, or worse than Heathens. It had been a vanity in David to call upon the Heavens to be glad, and the earth to rejoice under the rule of a sleepy Deity, 1 Chron. 16.31. No, his Scepter is full of eyes, as it was painted by the Egyptians; He is always waking, and always more than Ahasuerus, reading over the records of Human actions. Not to exercise his Authority, is all one, as not to regard whither he keep the Crown upon his head, or continue the Scepter in his hand. If his Sovereignty were exempt from care, it would be destitute of Justice; God is more Righteous, than to resign the ensigns of his Authority to blind and oppressive man; to think that God hath a power, and doth not use it for just and righteous ends, is to imagine him an unrighteous, as well as a careless Sovereign, such a thing in a man renders him a base man, and a worse Governor; 'It is a vice that disturbs the World, and overthrows the ends of Authority, as to have a power, and use it well, is the greatest virtue of an Earthly Sovereign. What an unworthy conception is it of God, to acknowledge him to be possessed of a greater Authority than the greatest Monarch, and yet to think that he useth it less than a petty Lord, that his Crown is of no more value with him than a Feather? This represents God impotent, that he cannot, or unrighteous and base, that he will not administer the Authority he hath for the noblest and justest end. But can we say, that he neglects the government of the World? How come things then to remain in their due order? How comes the Law of nature yet to be preserved in every man's Soul? How comes Conscience to check, and cite, and judge? If God did not exercise his Authority, what Authority could Conscience have to disturb man in unlawful practices, and to make his sports and sweetness so unpleasant and sour to him? Hath he not given frequent notices and memorials, that he holds a curb over corrupt inclinations, puts rubs in the way of malicious attempters, and often oversets the disturbers of the peace of the World?
3. Information, God can do no wrong; since he is absolute sovereign. Man may do wrong, Princes may oppress, and rifle, but it is a crime in them so to do: Because their power is a power of Government and not of propriety in the goods or lives of their subjects; but God cannot do any wrong, whatsoever the clamours of Creatures are: Because he can do nothing but what he hath a sovereign right to do. If he takes away your goods, he takes not away anything that is yours, more than his own, since though he entrusted you with them, he devested not himself of the propriety. When he takes away our lives, he takes what he gave us by a temporary donation, to be surrendered at his call. We can claim no right in anything but by his will. He is no debtor to us, and since he owes us nothing, he can wrong us in nothing that he takes away. His own sovereignty excuseth him in all those acts, which are most distasteful to the Creature. If we crop a medicinal plant for our use, or a flower for our pleasure, or kill a Lamb for our food, we do neither of them any wrong: Because the original of them was for our use, and they had their life, and nourishment, and pleasing qualities for our delight and support; and are not we much more made for the pleasure and use of God, than any of those can be for us? Of him, and to him are all things, Rom. 11.36. Hath not God as much right over any one of us, as over the meanest Worm? Though there be a vast difference in nature between the Angels in Heaven, and the Worms on Earth, yet they are all one in regard of subjection to God; he is as much the Lord of the one, as the other; as much the proprietor of the one, as the other; as much the Governor of the one, as the other. Not a cranny in the World is exempt from his jurisdiction. Not a mite or grain of a Creature exempt from his propriety.
He is not our Lord by election; he was a Lord, before we were in being; he had no terms put upon him who capitulated with him, and set him in his Throne by Covenant? What Oath did he take to any subject at his first investiture in his Authority? His right is as natural, as eternal as himself. As natural as his existence, and as necessary as his Deity. Hath he any Law but his own will? What wrong can he do, that breaks no Law, that fulfils his Law in everything he doth, by fulfilling his own will, which as it is absolutely sovereign, so it is infinitely righteous. In whatsoever he takes from us then, he cannot injure us; 'tis no crime in any man, to seize upon his own goods, to vindicate his own honor; and shall it be thought a wrong in God, to do such things? Besides the occasion he hath from every man, and that every day provoking him to do it. He seems rather to wrong himself by forbearing such a seizure, than wrong us by executing it.
4. If God have a sovereignty over the whole World, then merit is totally excluded. His right is so absolute over all Creatures, that he neither is, nor can be a debtor to any; not to the undefiled holiness of the blessed Angels, much less to poor earthly worms; those blessed Spirits enjoy their glory by the title of his sovereign pleasure, not by virtue of any obligation devolving from them upon God. Are not the faculties whereby they and we perform any act of obedience his grant to us? Is not the strength, whereby they and we are enabled to do anything pleasing to him, a gift from him? Can a vassal merit of his Lord, or a slave of his Master by using his tools, and employing his strength in his service, though it was a strength he had naturally, not by donation from the man in whose service it is employed? God is Lord of all, all is due to him; how can we oblige him, by giving him what is his own, more his to whom it is presented, than ours by whom it is offered? He becomes not a debtor by receiving anything from us, but by promising something to us.
5. If God hath a sovereign dominion over the whole World, then hence it follows, that all Magistrates are but soveraigns under God. He is King of Kings, and Lord of Lord's, all the Potentates of the World are no other than his Lieutenants, moveable at his pleasure, and more at his disposal, than their subjects are at theirs. Though they are dignified with the title of God's, yet still they are at an infinite distance from the supreme Lord. God's under God, not to be above him, not to be against him. The want of the due sense of their subordination to God, hath made many in the World, act as soveraigns above him, more than soveraigns under him. Had they all bore a deep conviction of this upon their spirits, such audacious language had never dropt from the mouth of Pharaoh, who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice, to let Israel go? Exod. 5.2. Presuming that there was no superior to control him, nor any in Heaven, able to be a match for him. Darius had never published such a doting Edict, as to prohibit any petition to God. Nero had never fired Rome, and sung at the sight of the devouring flames; nor ever had he ripped up his mothers belly, to see the Womb where he first lodged, and received a life so hateful to his Country. Nor would Abner and Joab the two Generals have accounted the death of men but a sport and interlude. 2 Sam. 2.14. Let the young men arise, and play before us; what play it was, the next verse acquaints you with, thrusting their Swords into one another's sides. They were no more troubled at the death of thousands, than a man is to kill a fly, or a flea. Had a sense of this but hover'd over their Souls, People in many Countries had not been made their foot-balls, and used worse than their dogs? Nor had the lives of millions worth more than a World, been exposed to Fire and Sword, to support some sordid lust, or breach of Faith upon an idle quarrel, and for the depredation of their Neighbors estates; the flames of Cities had not been so bright, nor the streams of blood so d • ep, nor the cries of innocents so loud.
In Particular.
1. If God be sovereign, All under-Sovereigns are not to rule against him, but to be obedient to his Orders. If they rule by his Authority, Prov. 8.15. they are not to rule against his interest, they are not to imagine themselves as absolute as God, and that their Laws must be of as sovereign Authority against his honor, as the Divine are for it. If they are his Leiutenants on Earth, they ought to act according to his Orders. No man but will account a Governor or a Province a Rebel, if he disobeys the Orders sent him by the sovereign Prince that commissioned him. Rebellion against God is a crime of Princes, as well as Rebellion against Princes a Crime of Subjects. Saul is charged with it by Samuel in a high manner for an act of simple disobedience, though intended for the service of God, and the enriching his Country with the spoils of the Amalekites. 1 Sam. 15.23. Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft, like Witchcraft or Covenanting with the Devil, acting as if he had received his commission not from God, but from Satan. Magistrates, as commissioned by God, ought to act for him. Doth human authority ever give a Commission to any, to rebel against itself? did God ever depute any earthly sovereignty against his glory, and give them leave to out-law his Laws, to introduce their own? No, when he gave the vicarious dominion to Christ, he calls upon the Kings of the Earth, to be instructed, and be Wise, and kiss the Son, Psal. 2.10.12. i. e. To observe his orders, and pay him homage as their Governor. What a silly doltish thing is it, to resist that supreme Authority, to which the Arch-Angels submit themselves, and regulate their employments punctually by their instructions? Those excellent Creatures exactly obey him in all the acts of their subordinate Government in the World; those in whose hand the greatest Monarch is no more than a silly fly between the fingers of a Giant. A contradiction to the interest of God hath been fatal to Kings. The four Monarchies have had their wings clipt, and most of them have been buried in their own ashes; they have all like the imitators of Lucifers pride fallen from the Heaven of their Glory to the depth of their shame and misery. All Governors are bound to be as much obedient to God, as their Subjects are bound to be submissive to them. Their Authority over men is limited, God's Authority over them is absolute, and unbounded. Though every Soul ought to be subject to the higher powers, yet there is a higher power of all, to which those higher powers are to subject themselves; they are to be keepers of both the Tables of the Law of God, and are then most soveraigns when they set in their own practice an example of obedience to God, for their Subjects to write after.
2. They ought to imitate God in the exercise of their sovereignty in ways of Justice and Righteousness. Though God be an absolute sovereign, yet his Government is not Tyrannical, but managed according to the rules of Righteousness, Wisdom, and Goodness. If God that created them as well as their Subjects, doth so exercise his Government, 'tis a duty incumbent upon them, to do the same: Since they are not the Creators of their people, but the conductors. As God's Government tends to the good of the World, so ought theirs to the good of their Countries. God committed not the government of the World to the Mediator in an unlimited way, but for the good of the Church, in order to the Eternal Salvation of his people. Eph. 1.22. He gave him to be head over all things to the Church. He had power over the Devils, to restrain them in their temptation and malice; power over the Angels, to order their Ministry for the Heirs of Salvation. So power is given to Magistrates for the Civil preservation of the World and of human Society: They ought therefore to consider, for what ends they are placed over the rest of mankind, and not exercise their Authority in a licentious way, but conformable to that Justice and Righteousness wherein God doth administer his government; and for the preservation of those who are committed to them.
3. Magistrates must then be obeyed, when they act according to God's order and within the bounds of the divine Commission. They are no friends to the sovereignty of God, that are Enemies to Magistracy, his Ordinance. Sam was a good Governor, though none of the best men, and the despisers of his Government after God's choice were the Sons of Belial. 1 Sam. 10.27. Christ was no Enemy to Caesar. To pull down a faithful Magistrate such an one as Zerubbabel, is to pluck a Signet from the hand of God: For in that capacity he accounts him. Hag. 2.23. God's servants stand or fall to their own Master. How doth he check Aaron and Miriam for speaking against Moses his servant. Numb. 12.8. Were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses; against Moses as related to you in the capacity of a Governor, against Moses as related to me in the capacity of my servant. To speak anything against them, as they act by God's order, is an invasion of God's sovereign right, who gave them their Commission. To act against just power or the justice of an Earthly power, is to act against God's Ordinance, who ordained them in the World, but not any abuse, or ill use of their power.
2. USE. How dreadful is the consideration of this doctrine to all rebels against God. Can any man that hath brains in his head, imagine it an inconsiderable thing, to despise the sovereign of the World? It was the sole crime of disobedience to that positive Law, whereby God would have a visible memorial of his sovereignty preserved in the eye of Man, that showered down that deluge of misery, under which the World groans to this day. God had given Adam a Soul, whereby he might live as a rational Creature; and then gives him a Law, whereby he might live as a dutiful Subject: For God forbidding him to eat of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, declared his own supremacy over Adam, and his propriety in the pleasant World he had given him by his bounty; he let him know hereby, that man was not his own Lord, nor was to live after his own sentiments, but the directions of a superior. As when a great Lord builds a magnificent Palace, and brings in tanoher to inhabit it, he reserves a small duty to himself, not of an equal value with the House, but for an acknowledgment of his own right, that the Tenant may know, he is not the Lord of it, but hath his grant by the liberality of another. God hereby gave Adam matter for a pure Obedience, that had no foundation in his own Nature by any implanted Law; he was only in it, to respect the will of his sovereign, and to understand, that he was to live under the power of a higher than himself. There was no more moral evil in the eating of this fruit, as considered distinct from the command, than in eating of any other fruit in the Garden. Had there been no prohibition, he might with as much safety have fed upon it as upon any other. No Law of nature was transgressed in the act of eating of it, but the sovereignty of God over him was denied by him; and for this the death threatened was inflicted on him and his posterity: For though Divines take notice of other sins in the fall of Adam, yet God in his trial chargeth him with none but this; and doth put upon his question an Emphasis of his own Authority. Gen. 3.11. Hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded ye, that thou sho • ld'st not eat? This I am displeased with, that thou shouldest disown my dominion over thyself, and this Garden. This was the inlet to all the other sins; as the acknowledgment of God's sovereignty is the first step to the practice of all the duties of a Creature, so the disowning his sovereignty, is the first spring of all the extravagancies of a Creature. Every sin against the sovereign Law-giver is worthy of Death. The Transgression of this positive command des • rved death, and procured it to spread itself over the face of the World. God's dominion cannot be despised, without meriting the greatest punishment.
1. Punishment necessarily follows upon the Doctrine of Sovereignty. 'It is a faint and a feeble Sovereignty, that cannot preserve itself, and vindicate its own wrongs against r • bellious subjects; The height of God's dominion infers a vengeance on the contemners of it, If God be an Eternal King, he is an Eternal Judge. Since sin unlinks the dependence between God the Sovereign, and man the subject, if God did not vindicate the rights of his Sovereignty, and the Authority of his Law, he would seem to despise his own dominion, be weary of it, and not act the part of a good Governor. But God is tender of his prerogative, and doth most bestir himself when men exalt themselves proudly against him. Exod. 18.11. In the thing wherein they dealt proudly, he will be above them. When Pharaoh thought himself a mate for God, and proudly rejected his commands, as if they had been the messages of some petty Arabian Lord, God rights his own Authority upon the life of his enemy by the ministry of the Red Sea. He turned a great King into a beast, to make him know, that the most high ruled in the Kingdoms of men. Dan. 4.16, 17. The demand is by the word of the Holy ones, to the intent that the living may know, that the most High ruleth in the Kingdoms of men; And that by the Petitions of the Angels, who cannot endure that the Empire of God should be obscured, and diminished by the pride of man. Besides the tender respect he hath to his own glory, he is constantly presented with the solicitations of the Angels, to punish the proud ones of the earth, that darken the glory of his Majesty. 'It is necessary for the rescue of his honor, and necessary for the satisfaction of his illustrious attendants, who would think it a shame to them, to serve a Lord that were always unconcerned in the rebellions of his creatures, and tamely suffer their spurns at his Throne: and therefore there is a day wherein the haughtiness of man shall be bowed down, the Cedars of Lebanon over-thrown, and high Mountains level'd, that God may be exalted in that day. Isa. 2.11, 12. &c. Pride is a sin that immediately swells against God's Authority, this shall be brought down that God may be exalted; not that he should have a real exaltation, as if he were actually deposed from his Government, but that he shall be manifested to be the Sovereign of the whole World. 'It is necessary there should be a day to chase away those clouds that are upon his Throne, that the luster of his Majesty may break forth to the confusion of all the children of pride that vaunt against him. God hath a dominion over us as a Law-giver, as we are his creatures, and a dominion over us in away of Justice, as we are his criminals.
2. This punishment is unavoidable.
1. None can escape him. He hath the sole Authority over Hell and Death, the Keys of both are in his hand; The greatest Caesar can no more escape him than the meanest Peasant; Who art thou, O great Mountain before Zerubbabel? Zac. 4.7. The height of Angels is no match for him, much less that of the mortal grandees of the World; they can no more resist him than the meanest person; But are rather as the highest Steeples, the fittest marks for his crushing thunder. If he speaks the word, the principalities of men come down, and the Crown of their glory. Jer. 13.18. He can take the Mighty away in a moment and that without hands, i. e. without instruments. Job. 34.20. The strongest are like the feet of Nebuchadnezzar 's Image, Iron and Clay, Iron to man, but Clay to God, to be crumbled to nothing.
2. What comfort can be reaped from a creature, when the Sovereign of the World arms himself with terrors, and begins his visitation? Isa. 10.3. What will you do in the day of visitation, to whom will you fly for help, and where will you leave your glory? The torments from a Subject may be relieved by the Prince, but where can there be an appeal from the Sovereign of the World? Where is there any above him to control him, if he will overthrow us; who is there to call him to account, and say to him, what dost thou? He works by an uncontrollable Authority, he needs not ask leave of any. Isa. 43.13. He works, and none can let it; As when he will relieve, none can afflict; so when he will wound, none can relieve. If a King appoint the punishment of a rebel, the greatest Favorite in the Court cannot speak a comfortable word to him. The most beloved Angel in Heaven cannot sweeten and ease the spirit of a man, that the Sovereign power is set against to make the butt of his wrath. The Devils lie under his sentence, and wear their chains as marks of their condemnation, without hope of ever having them filed off, since they are laid upon them by the Authority of an unaccountable Sovereign.
3. By his Sovereign Authority, God can make any creature the instrument of his vengeance; He hath all the creatures at his beck, and can Commission any of them to be a dreadful scourge. Strong winds and tempests fulfil his word: Psal. 148.8. The Lightnings answer him at his call, and cry aloud here are we. Job 38.35. By his Sovereign Authority he can render Locusts as mischievous as Lions, forge the meanest creatures into Swords and Arrows, and commission the most despicable to be his Executioners; He can cut off joy from our spirits, and make our own hearts be our tormentors, our most confident friends our persecutors, our nearest relations to be his avengers; They are more his, who is their Sovereign, than ours, who place a vain confidence in them. Rather than Abraham shall want children, he can raise up stones, and adopt them into his Family; And rather than not execute his vengeance, he can array the stones in the streets, and make them his armed subjects against us. If he speak the word, a hair shall drop from our heads to choke us, or a vapor, congeal'd into Rheum in our heads, shall dropdown, and putrefy our Vitals. He can never want weapons, who is Sovereign over the thunders of Heaven, and stones of the Earth, over every creature, and can by a Sovereign word turn our greatest comforts into curses.
3. This Punishment must be terrible. How doth David, a great King, sound in his body, prosperous in his Crown, and successful in his conquests, settled in all his Royal conveniencies, groan under the wrathful touch of a greater King than himself, Psal. 6. Psal. 38. and his other Paenitential Psalms; Not being able to give himself a writ of ease, by all the delights of his Palace and Kingdom. If the wrath of a King be as the roaring of a Lyon to a poor subject, Prov. 19.10. how great is the wrath of the King of Kings, that cannot be set forth by the terror of all the amazing vollies of thunder, that have been since the Creation, if the noise of all were gathered into one single crack? As there is an inconceivable ground of joy in the special favor of so mighty a King, so is there of terror in his severe displeasure. Psal. 76.12. He is terrible to the Kings of the earth, with God is terrible Majesty. What a folly is it then to rebel against so mighty a Sovereign?
III. USE of Comfort. The Throne of God drops honey and sweetness, as well as dread and terror; All his other attributes afford little relief, without this of his dominion, and Universal command; When therefore he speaks of his being the God of his people, he doth often preface it, with the Lord thy God; His Sovereignty as a Lord being the ground of all the comfort we can take in his federal relation as our God; Thy God, but Superior to thee; thy God, not as thy Cattle and Goods are thine, in a way of sole propriety, but a Lord too in a way of Sovereignty, not only over thee, but over all things else for thee. As the end of God's settling Earthly Governments, was for the good of the communities over which the Governors preside; So God exerciseth his Government for the good of the World, and more particularly for the good of the Church, over which he is a peculiar Governor.
1. His love to his people is as great as his Sovereignty over them. He stands not upon his Dominion with his people so much, as upon his affection to them; He would not be called Baali, my Lord, i. e. he would not be known only by the name of Sovereignty, but Ishi, my Husband, a name of Authority and sweetness together; Hos. 2.16.19. &c. He signifies, that he is not only the Lord of our spirits and bodies, but a Husband by a Marriage knot, admitting us to a nearness to him, and Communion of goods with him. Though he Majestically sits upon a high Throne, yet it is a Throne encircled with a Rainbow; Ezek. 1.28. To show, that his Government of his people, is not only in away of absolute Dominion, but also in a way of federal relation. He seems to own himself their Subject, rather than their Sovereign, when he gives them a Charter to command him in the affairs of his Church; Isa. 45.11. Ask of me things to come, concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command you me. Some read it by way of question, as a corrective of a sawcyness; Do you ask of me things to come, and seem to command me concerning the works of my hands, as if you were more careful of my interest among my people, than I am, who have formed them? But if this were the sense, it would seem to discourage an importunity of Prayer for public deliverance; And therefore to take it according to our Translation, 'tis an exhortation to Prayer, and a mighty encouragement in the management and exercise of it. Urge me with my promise, in a way of humble importunity, and you shall find me as willing to perform my word, and gratify your desires, as if I were rather under your Authority, than you under mine; As much as to say, if I be not as good as my word, to satisfy those desires that are according to my promise, implead me at my own Throne, and if I be failing in it, I will give Judgment against myself. Almost like Princes Charters, and gracious grants, we grant such a thing against us, and our heirs, giving the subject power to implead them, if they be not punctually observed by them. How is the love of God seen in his condescension below the Majesty of Earthly Governors! He that might command by the absoluteness of his Authority, doth not only do that, but intreats in the quality of a subject, as if he had not a fullness to supply us, but needed something from us for a supply of himself, 2 Cor. 5.20. As though God did beseech you by us. And when he may challenge as a due by the right of his propriety, what we bestow upon his poor, which are his Subjects as well as ours, he reckons it as a loan to him, as if what we had were more our own than his. Prov. 19.17. He stands not upon his Dominion so much with us, when he finds us Conscientious in paying the duty we owe to him. He rules as a Father by Love, as well as by Authority; He enters into a peculiar Communion with poor Earthly Worms; plants his gracious Tabernacle among the troops of sinners, instructs us by his word, invites us by his benefits, admits us into his presence, is more desirous to bestow his smiles, than we to receive them; And acts in such a manner, as if he were willing to resign his Scepter into the hands of any that were possessed with more love and kindness to us than himself. This is the comfort of Believers.
2. In his being Sovereign, his pardons carry in them a full security. He that hath the Keys of Hell and Death, pardons the crime, and wipes off the guilt. Who can repeal the act of the chief Governor? What tribunal can null the decrees of an absolute Throne? Is. 43.25. I, even I am he, that blots out thy transgressions for my names sake. His sovereign dominion renders his mercy comfortable. The clemency of a Subject though never so great, cannot pardon; people may pity a criminal, while the Executioner tortures him, and strips him of his Life; but the clemency of the supreme Prince establisheth a pardon. Since we are under the dominion of God, if he pardons, who can reverse it? If he doth not, what will the pardons of men profit us in regard of an eternal state? If God be a King forever, then he whom God forgives, he in whom God reigns, shall live forever. Else he would want Subjects on Earth, and have none of his lower Creatures, which he formed upon the Earth, to reign over after the dissolution of the World; if his pardons did not stand secure he would after this Life, have no voluntary subjects that had formerly a being upon the Earth; he would be a King only over the damned Creatures.
3, Corruptions will certainly be subdued in his voluntary subjects. The Covenant, I will be your God, implies protection, government, and relief, which are all grounded upon Sovereignty: That therefore which is our greatest burden, will be removed by his Sovereign power. Micah 7.19. He will subdue our iniquities. If the outward enemies of the Church shall not bear up against his Dominion, and perpetuate their rebellions unpunisht, those within his people shall as little bear up against his Throne, without being destroyed by him. The billows of our own hearts, and the raging waves within us, are as much at his beck as those without us. And his Sovereignty is more eminent in quelling the corruptions of the heart, than the commotions of the World; in reigning over men's Spirits, by changing them, or curbing them, more than over men's bodies, by pinching and punishing them. The remainders of Satan's Empire will molder away before him, since he that is in us, is a greater Sovereign, than he that is in the World, 1 Joh. 4.4. His enemies will be laid at his feet, and so neve • shall prevail against him, when his Kingdom shall come. He could not be Lord of any man as a happy creature, if he did not by his power make them happy; and he could not make them happy, unless by his Grace he made them holy. He could not be praised as a Lord of Glory, if he did not make some creatures glorious, to praise him; And an Earthly Creature could not praise him perfectly, unless he had every grain of enmity to his Glory taken out of his heart. Since God is the only Sovereign, he only can still the commotions in our spirits, and pull down all the Ensigns of the Devil's royalty; he can wast him by the powerful word of his lips.
4. Hence is a strong encouragement for Prayer. My King was the strong compellation David used in Prayer, as an argument of comfort and confidence, as well as that of My God. Psal. 5, 2. Hearken to the voice of my cry, my King and my God. To be a King, is to have an Office of Government and Protection. He gives us liberty, to approach to him as the Judge of all. Heb. 12.23. i. e. As the Governor of the World; we pray to one that hath the whole Globe of Heaven and Earth in his hand, and can do whatsoever he will. Though he be higher than the Cherubims, and transcendently above all in Majesty, yet we may soar up to him with the wings of our Soul, Faith, and Love, and lay open our cause, and find him as gracious, as if he were the meanest subject on Earth, rather than the most sovereign God in Heaven.
He hath as much of tenderness, as he hath of Authority, and is pleased with Prayer, which is an acknowledgment of his Dominion, an honoring of that, which he delights to honor: For Prayer, in the notion of it, imports thus much, that God is the Rector of the World, that he takes notice of human affairs, that he is a careful, just, wise Governor, a storehouse of blessing, a fountain of goodness to the indigent, and a relief to the oppressed. What have we reason to fear, when the sovereign of the World gives us liberty to approach to him, and lay open our case? That God who is King of the whole Earth, not only of a few Villages, or Cities in the Earth, but the whole Earth; and not only King of this dreggy place of our dross, but of Heaven having prepared, or established his Throne in the most glorious place of the Creation.
5. Here is comfort in afflictions. As a sovereign, he is the Author of Afflictions, as a sovereign, he can be the remover of them; he can command the waters of affliction to go so far and no farther. If he speaks the Word, a disease shall depart, as soon as a servant shall from your presence with a Nod. If we are banished from one place, he can command a shelter for us in another. If he orders Moab, a Nation that had no great kindness for his people, to let his outcasts dwell with them, they shall entertain them, and afford them sanctuary. Isaiah 16.4. Again God chasteneth as a sovereign, but teacheth as a Father. Psal. 99.12. The exercise of his Authority is not without an exercise of his goodness. He doth not correct for his own pleasure, or the Creature's torment, but for the Creature's instruction; though the rod be in the hand of a sovereign, yet it is tinctured with the kindness of divine bowels. He can order them as a sovereign to mortify our flesh, and try our Faith. In the severest tempest, the Lord that raised the Wind against us, which shattered the ship, and tore its rigging, can change that contrary wind for a more happy one, to drive us into the Port.
6. 'It is a comfort against the projects of the Churches adversaries in times of public commotions. The consideration of the Divine sovereignty may arm us against the threatenings of mighty ones, and the menaces of persecutors. God hath Authority above the Crowns of men, and a Wisdom superior to the cabals of men. None can move a step without him, he hath a negative voice upon their Counsels, a negative hand upon their motions; their politick resolves must stop at the point he hath prescribed them. Their formidable strength cannot exceed the limits he hath set them, their overreaching wisdom expires at the breath of God, There is no Wisdom, nor Understanding, nor Counsel against the Lord. Prov. 21.30. Not a bullet can be discharged, nor a Sword drawn, a wall battered, nor a person dispatched out of the world without the leave of God, by the mightiest in the World. The instruments of Satan are no more free from his sovereign restraint than their inspirer; they cannot pull the hook out of their nostrils, nor cast the bridle out of their mouths. This sovereign can shake the Earth, rend the Heavens, overthrow Mountains, the most Mountainous opposers of his interest. Though the Nations rush in against his people like the rushing of many waters, God shall rebuke them, they shall be chased as the chaff of the Mountains before the Wind, and like a rolling thing before the Whirlwind. Isaiah 17.13. So doth he often burst in pieces the most mischievous designs, and conducts the oppressed to a happy port. He often turns the severest tempests into a calm, as well as the most peaceful calm into a horrible storm. How often hath a well-rigg'd ship, that seemed to sp • rn the Sea under her feet, and beat the waves before her to a foam, been swallowed up into the bowels of that Element, over whose back she rode a little before. God never comes to deliver his Church as a Governor, but in a wrathful posture. Ezek. 20.23. Surely saith the Lord with a mighty hand, and with an out stretched arm, and with fury poured out will I rule over you; not with fury poured out upon the Church, but fury poured out upon her Enemies, as the words following evidence. The Church he would bring out from the Countries where she was scattered, and bring the people into the bond of the Covenant. He sometimes cuts off the Spirits of Princes. Psal. 76.12. i. e. cuts off their designs, as men do the pipes of a water-course. The hearts of all are as open to him, as the riches of heaven where he resides. He can slip an inclination into the heart of the mighty, which they dreamed not of before; and if he doth not change their projects, he can make them abortive, and way-lay them in their attempts. La • an marched with fury, but God put a padlock upon his passion against Jacob. Gen. 31.24.29. The Devils which ravage men's minds, must be still, when he gives out his sovereign orders. This sovereign can make his people find favor in the eyes of the cruel Egyptians, which had so long oppressed them. Exod. 11.3. And speak a good word in the heart of Nebuchadnezzar for the Prophet Jeremy, that he should order his Captain, to take him into his special protection; when he took Zedekiah away prisoner in chains and put out his eyes. Jerem. 39.11. His people cannot want deliverance from him, who hath all the world at his command, when he is pleased, to bestow it: he hath as many instruments of deliverance, as he hath Creatures at his beck in Heaven or Earth from the meanest to the highest. As he is the Lord of Hosts, the Church hath not only an interest in the strength he himself is possessed with, but in the strength of all the Creatures that are under his command, in the Elements below and Angels above; in those armies of Heaven, and in the inhabitants of the Earth, he doth what he will; Dan. 4.35. They are all in order, and array at his command. There are Angels to employ in a fatal stroke, Lice and Frogs to quell the stubborn hearts of his Enemies. He can range his Thunders and Lightnings, the Canon and Granado's of Heaven, and the Worms of the Earth in his service. He can muzzle Lions, calm the fury of the Fire, turn his Enemies Swords into their own bowels, and their Artillery on their own breasts; set the wind in their Teeth, and make their Chariot-wheels languish, make the Sea enter a quarrel with them, and wrap them in its waves, till it hath stifled them in its lap. The Angels have Storms, and Tempests and Warrs in their hands, but at the disposal of God; when they shall cast them out against the Empire of Antichrist Rev. 7.1, 2. then shall Satan be discharged from his Throne, and no more seduce the Nations; the everlasting Gospel shall be preached, and God shall reign gloriously in Zion. Let us therefore shelter ourselves in the divine sovereignty, regard God as the most High in our dangers, and in our petitions. This was David's resolution. Psal. 57.1, 2. I will cry unto unto God most high. This Dominion of God is the true Tower of David, wherein there are a thousand shields for defense and encouragement. Cant. 4.4.
IV. USE. If God hath an extensive Dominion over the whole World, this ought to be often meditated on, and acknowledged by us. This is the universal duty of mankind; if he be the sovereign of all, we should frequently think of our great Prince, and acknowledge ourselves his Subjects, and him our Lord. God will be acknowledged the Lord of the whole Earth, the neglect of this is the cause of the Judgments which are sent upon the World. All the Prodigies were to this end, that they might know, or acknowledge that God was the Lord. Exod. 10.2. As God was proprietor, he demanded the first-born of every Jew, and the first-born of every Beast, the one was to be Redeemed, and the other Sacrificed; this was the Quit-Rent they were to pay to him for their fruitful Land. The first Fruits of the Earth were ordered to be paid to him, as a homage due to the Landlord, and an acknowledgment they held all in chief of him. The practice of offering first-fruits for an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty was among many of the Heathens, and very ancient; hence they dedicated some of the chief of their spoils, owning thereby the Dominion and Goodness of God, whereby they had gained the Victory. Cain owned this in offering the Fruits of the Earth, and it was his sin, he owned no more, viz. His being a sinner, and meriting the Justice of God, as his Brother Abel did in his bloody Sacrifice. God was a sovereign Proprietor and Governor, while man was in a state of innocence, but when man proved a Rebel, the sovereignty of God bore another relation towards him, that of a Judge, added to the other. The First-fruits might have been offered to God in a state of innocence, as a homage to him as Lord of the Manor of the World; the design of them was to own God's propriety in all things, and men's dependence on him for the influences of heaven in producing the fruits of the Earth, which he had ordered for their use. The design of Sacrifices, and placing beasts instead of the criminal, was to acknowledge their own guilt, and God as a sovereign Judge; Cain owned the first, but not the second, he acknowledged his dependence on God as a proprietor, but not his obnoxiousness to God as a Judge, which may be probably gathered from his own speech, when God came to examine him, and ask him for his Brother. Gen. 4.9. Am I my Brothers keeper? Why do you ask me; though I own thee as the Lord of my Land, and Goods, yet I do not think myself accountable to thee for all my actions. This Sovereignty of God ought to be acknowledged in all the parts of it, in all the manifestations of it to the creature. We should bear a sense of this always upon our Spirits, and be often in the thoughts of it in our retirements. We should fancy that we saw God upon his Throne in his Royal Garb, and great attendants about him, and take a view of it, to imprint an awe upon our Spirits.
The meditation on this would,
1. Fix us on him as an object of trust. 'It is upon his Sovereign Dominion as much as upon anything, that safe and secure confidence is built; for if he had any superior above him, to control him in his designs and promises, his veracity and power would be of little efficacy, to form our souls to a close adherency to him. It were not fit to make him the object of our trust, that can be gainsaid by a higher than himself, and had not a full Authority to answer our expectations; If we were possessed with this notion fully and believingly, that God were high above all, that his Kingdom rules over all, we should not catch at every broken reed, and stand gaping for comforts from a pebble stone. He that understands the Authority of a King, would not wave a reliance on his promise, to depend upon the breath of a changeling favorite. None but an ignorant man would change the security he may have upon the height of a Rock, to expect it from the dwarfishness of a Mole-hill. To put confidence in any inferior Lord, more than in the Prince, is a folly in civil converse, but a rebellion in Divine; God only being above all, can only rule all, can command things to help us, and check other things which we depend on, and make them fall short of our expectations. The due consideration of this Doctrine would make us pierce through second causes to the first, and look further than to the smaller sort of Sailers, that clime the ropes, and dress the Sails, to the Pilot that sits at the Helm, the Master, that by an indisputable Authority orders all their motions. We should not depend upon second causes for our support, but look beyond them to the Authority of the Deity, and the dominion he hath over all the works of his hands. Zach. 10.1. Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; When the seasons of the year conspire for the producing such an effect, when the usual time of rain is wheeled about in the year, stop not your thoughts at the point of the Heavens, whence you expect it, but pierce the Heavens, and solicit God, who must give order for it, before it comes. The due meditation of all things depending on the Divine Dominion, would strike off our hands from all other holds, so that no creature would engross the dependence and trust which is due to the first cause; As we do not thank the Heavens when they pour out rain, so we are not to depend upon them when we want it; God is to be sought to when the Womb of 2d. causes is opened to relieve us, as well as when the Womb of 2d. causes is barren, and brings not forth its wonted progeny.
2. It would make us diligent in worship. The consideration of God as the supreme Lord, is the Foundation of all Religion; Our Father which art in Heaven, prefaceth the Lord's Prayer; Father is a name of Authority; in Heaven, the place where he hath fixed his Throne, notes his Government; not my Father, but our Father, notes the extent of this Authority. In all worship we acknowledge the object of our worship, our Lord, and ourselves his vassals; If we bear a sense that he is our Sovereign King, it would draw us to him in every exigence, and keep us with him in a reverential posture, in every address; When we come we should be careful not to violate his right, but render him the homage due to his Royalty. We should not appear before him with empty souls, but filled with Holy thoughts. We should bring him the best of our flock, and present him with the prime of our strength; Were we sensible we hold all of him, we should not with-hold anything from him, which is more worthy than another. Our hearts would be framed into an awful regard of him, when we consider that glorious and fearful name, the Lord our God, Deut. 28.58. We should look to our feet, when we enter into his house, if we considered him in Heaven upon his Throne, and our selves on Earth at his Footstool, Eccles. 5.2. lower before him than a worm before an Angel; It would hinder garishness and lightness. The Jews saith Capel, on the 1 Tim. 1.17. repeat this expression, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 King of Worlds, or Eternal King; Probable the first Original of it might be, to stake them down from wandering. When we consider the Majesty of God clothed with a Robe of light, sitting upon his high Throne, adorned with his Royal Ensigns, we should not enter into the presence of so great a Majesty with the Sacrifice of fools, with light motions and foolish thoughts, as if he were one of our companions to be droll'd with. We should not hear his word, as if it were the voice of some ordinary Pesant. The consideration of Majesty, would engender reverence in our service; It would also make us speak of God with honor and respect, as of a great and glorious King, and not use defaming expressions of him, as if he were an infamous being. And were he considered as a terrible Majesty, he would not be frequently solicited by some, to pronounce a damnation upon them, upon every occasion.
3. It would make us charitable to others. Since he is our Lord, the great proprietor of the World, 'tis sit he should have a part of our goods, as well as our time: he being the Lord both of our goods and time. The Lord is to be honor'd with our substance; Prov. 3.9. Kings were not to be approached to without a present; Tribute is due to Kings: but because he hath no need of any from us, to bear up his state, maintain the charge of his wars, or pay his Military Officers and Host, 'tis a debt due to him, to acknowledge him in his poor, to sustain those that are a part of his substance; Though he stands in no need of it himself, yet the poor, that we have always with us, do; As a 7th. part of our weekly time, so some part of our weakly gains are due to him. There was to be a weekly laying by in store somewhat of what God had prospered them, for the relief of others. 1 Cor. 16.1, 2. the quantity is not determined, that is left to every man's Conscience, according as God hath prospered him that week. If we did consider God as the donor and proprietor, we should dispose of his gifts according to the design of the true owner, and act in our places as Stewards entrusted by him, and not purse up his part as well as our own in our coffers. We should not deny him a small quit rent, as an acknowledgment that we have a greater income from him; We should be ready to give the inconsiderable pittance, he doth require of us, as an acknowledgment of his propriety, as well as liberality.
4. It would make us watchful, and arm us against all temptations. Had Eve stuck to her first Argument against the Serpent, she had not been instrumental to that destruction, which Mankind yet feel the smart of. Gen. 3.3. God hath said, ye shall not eat of it; The great Governor of the World hath laid his Sovereign command upon us in this point. The temptation gained no ground, till her heart let go the sense of this for the pleasure of her eye and palate. The repetition of this, the great Lord of the World hath said, or ordered, had both unargumented and disarmed the Tempter. A sense of God's Dominion over us would discourage a temptation, and put it out of countenance; It would bring us with a vigorous strength to beat it back to a retreat; If this were as strongly urged as the temptation, it would make the heart of the tempted strong, and the motion of the tempter feeble.
5. It would make us entertain afflictions, as they ought to be entertained, viz. with a respect to God. When men make light of any affliction from God, 'tis a contempt of his Sovereignty, as to contemn the frown, displeasure and check of a Prince, is an affront to Majesty: 'It is, as if they did not care a straw what God did with them, but dare him to do his worst. There is a despising the chastening of the Almighty. Job 5.17. To be unhumbled under his hand, is as much or more affront to him, than to be impatient under it. Afflictions must be entertained as a check from Heaven, as a frown from the great Monarch of the World; Under the feeling of every stroke, we are to acknowledge his Sovereignty and Bounty; to despise it, is to make light of his Authority over us; As to despise his favors, is to make light of his kindness to us. A sense of God's Dominion would make us observe every check from him, and not diminish his Authority, by casting off a due sense of his correction.
6. This Dominion of God would make us resign up ourselves to God in everything. He that considers himself a thing made by God, a vassal under his Authority, would not expostulate with him, and call him to an account why he hath dealt so, or so with him. It would stab the vitals of all pleas against him. We should not then contest with him, but humbly lay our cause at his feet, and say with Eli, 1 Sam. 3.18. 'It is the Lord, let him do what seems good. We should not commence a suit against God, when he doth not answer our Prayers presently, and send the mercy we want upon the wings of the wind; He is the Lord, the Sovereign: The consideration of this would put an end to our quarrels with God; Should I expect that the Monarch of the World should wait upon me, or I a poor worm wait upon him? Must I take State upon me before the Throne of Heaven, and expect the King of Kings should lay by his Scepter, to gratify my humor? Surely Jonah thought God no more than his fellow, or his vassal, at that time when he told him to his face, he did well to be angry, as though God might not do what he pleased with so small a thing as a Gourd; He speaks as if he would have sealed a lease of ejectment, to exclude him from any propriety in anything in the World.
7. This Dominion of God would stop our vain curiosity. When Peter was desirous to know the fate of John the Beloved Disciple, Christ answereth no more than this. Joh. 21.22. If I will, that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Consider your duty, and lay aside your curiosity, since it is my pleasure not to reveal it. The sense of God's absolute Dominion would silence many vain disputes in the World; What if God will not reveal this or that? the manner and method of his resolves should humble the Creature under intruding enquiries.
V. USE of Exhortation.
1. The Doctrine of the Dominion of God, may teach us Humility. We are never truly abas'd, but by the consideration of the eminence and excellency of the Deity. Job never thought himself so pitiful a thing, so despicable a creature, as after God's magnificent declamation upon the Theme of his own Sovereignty. Job 42.5, 6. When God's name is regarded as the most excellent and Sovereign name in all the earth, then is the Soul in the fittest temper to lie low, and cry out, what is man, that so great a Majesty should be mindful of him? When Abraham considers God as the Supreme Judge of all the earth, he then owns himself but dust and ashes. Gen. 18.25, 27. Indeed, how can vile and dusty man vaunt before God, when the Angels, far more excellent creatures cannot stand before him, but with a Vail on their faces? How little a thing is man in regard of all the earth? How mean a thing is the earth in regard of the vaster Heavens? How poor a thing is the whole World in comparison of God? How pitiful a thing is man, if compared with so excellent a Majesty? There is as great a distance between God and man, as between being and not being, and the more man considers the Divine Royalty, the more dis-esteem he will have of himself, it would make him stoop and disrobe himself, and fall low before the Throne of the King of Kings, throwing down before his Throne, any Crown he gloried in. Rev. 4.10.
1. In regard of Authority. How unreasonable is pride in the presence of Majesty? How foolish is it for a Country Justice of Peace, to think himself as great as his Prince that Commission'd him? How unreasonable is pride in the presence of the greatest Sovereignty? What is human greatness before Divine? The Stars discover no light when the Sun appears, but in a humble posture withdraw in their lesser Beams, to give the sole Glory of enlightening the World to the Sun, who is as it were the Sovereign of those Stars, and imparts a light unto them. The greatest Prince is infinitely less, if compared with God, than the meanest scullion in his kitchen can be before him. As the Wisdom, Goodness, and Holiness, of man is a mere mote, compared to the Goodness and Holiness of God, so is the Authority of man a mere trifle in regard of the sovereignty of God. And who but a simple Child would be proud of a mote, or trifle. Let man be as great as he can, and command others, he is still a subject to one greater than himself. Pride would then vanish like smoke at the serious consideration of this sovereignty.
One of the Kings of this Country did very handsomely shame the flattery of his Courtiers, that cried him up as Lord of Sea and Land, by ordering his chair to be set on the Sand of the Sea shore, when the Tide was coming in, and commanding the waters not to touch his feet, which when they did without any regard to his Authority, he took occasion thereby to put his flatterers out of countenance, and instruct himself in a lesson of humility; See, saith he, how I rule all things, when so mean a thing as the water will not obey me. 'It is a ridiculous pride that the Turk and Persian discover in their swelling Titles. What poor soveraigns are they, that cannot command a Cloud, give out an effectual order for a drop of Rain, in a time of drought, or cause the bottles of Heaven, to turn their mouth another way in a time of too much moisture. Yet their own Prerogatives are so much in their minds, that they justle out all thoughts of the supreme Prerogative of God, and give thereby occasion to frequent Rebellions against him.
2. In regard of Propriety. And this doctrine is no less an abatement of pride in the highest, as well as in the meanest, it lowers pride in point of Propriety, as well as in point of Authority. Is any proud of his possessions, how many Lord's of those possessions have gone before you? How many are to follow you? Your Dominion lasts but for a short time, too short, to be a cause of any pride and glory in it. God by a sovereign power can take you from them, or them from you, when he pleaseth. The Traveler refresheth himself in the heat of Summer under a shady Tree; how many have done so before him the same day, he knows not, and how many will have the benefit after, before night comes, he is as much ignorant of; he and the others that went before him, and follow after him, use it for their refreshment, but none of them can say, they are the Lord's of it. The property is invested in some other person, whom perhaps they know not; the propriety of all you have, is in God, not truly in yourselves. Doth not that man deserve scorn from you, who will play the proud fool in gay Clothes and attire, which are known to be none of his own, but borrowed? Is it not the same case with every proud man, though he hath a property in his Goods by the Law of the Land? Is anything you have your own truly? Is it not lent you by the great Lord? Is it not the same vanity in any of you, to be proud of what you have as God's loan to you, as for such a one to be proud of what he hath borrowed of man. And do you not make yourselves as ridiculous to Angels, and good Men who know, that though it is yours in opposition to man, yet it is not yours in opposition to God, they are granted you only for your use, as the Collar of Esses and Sword, and other Ensigns of the chief Magistrate in the City, pass through many hands in regard of the use of them, but the propriety remains in the Community and body of the City. Or as the Silver plate of a person that invites you to a Feast, is for your use during the time of the invitation. What ground is there, to be proud of those things, you are not the absolute Lord's and Proprietors of, but only have the use of them granted to you, during the pleasure of the sovereign of the World?
2. Praise and Thank fullness results from this doctrine of the Sovereignty of God.
1. He is to be praised for his royalty. Psal. 145.1. I will extol thee my God, Oh King. The Psalmist calls upon men five times, to sing praise to him as the King of all the Earth. Psal. 47.6, 7. Sing praises to God, sing praises, sing praises to our King, sing praises: For God is the King of all the Earth, sing ye praises with understanding. All Creatures even the inanimate ones are called upon to praise him, because of the excellency of his Name and the supremacy of his Glory in the 148. Psal. throughout and ver. 13. That sovereign power that gave us hearts and tongues, deserves to have them employed in his praises especially since he hath by the same hand, given us so great matter for it. As he is a sovereign we owe him thankfulness, he doth not deal with us in a way of absolute Dominion, he might then have annihilated us: Since he hath as full a Dominion to reduce us to nothing, as to bring us out of nothing. Consider the absoluteness of his sovereignty in itself, and you must needs acknowledge, that he might have multipli'd precepts, enjoined us the observance of more than he hath done, he might have made our tedder much shorter, he might exact obedience, and promise no reward for it; he might dash us against the walls, as a Potter doth his Vessel, and no man have any just reason to say, what dost thou? Or why dost thou use me so? A greater right is in him to use us in such a manner, as we do sensible, as well as insensible things. And if you consider his dominion, as it is capable to be exercised in a way of unquestionable Justice, and submitted to the reason and judgments of Creatures, he might have dealt with us in a smarter way, than he hath hitherto done; instead of one affliction we might have had a thousand. He might have shut his own hands from pouring out any good upon us, and ordered innumerable scourges to be prepared for us; but he deals not with us according to the rights of his Dominion. He doth not oppress us by the greatness of his Majesty; he enters into Covenant with us, and allures us by the Cords of a man, and shows himself as much a merciful as an absolute sovereign.
2. As he is a Proprietor we owe him thank fullness. He is at his own choice, whither he will bestow upon us any blessings or no, the more value therefore his benefits deserve from us, and the Donor the more sincere returns. If we have anything from the Creature to serve our turn, 'tis by the order of the chief proprietor. He is the spring of honor, and the fountain of supplies; all Creatures are but as the conduit pipes in a great City, which serve several houses with water, but from the great spring. All things are conveyed originally from his own hand, and are dispensed from his Exchequer. If this great sovereign did not order them, you would have no more supplies from a Creature, than you could have nourishment from a chip. 'It is the Divine will in everything that doth us good, every favor from Creatures is but a smile from God, an evidence of his Royalty to move us to pay a respect to him as the great Lord. Some Heathens had so much respect for God, as to conclude that his Will and not their own prudence, was the chief conductor of their affairs. His Goodness to us calls for our thankfulness but his sovereignty calls for a higher elevation of it; a smile from a Prince is more valued, and thought worthy of more gratitude, than a present from a Peasant. A small gift from a great person is more greatefully to be received, than a larger from an inferior person. The condescension of Royalty magnifies the gift. What is man, that thou so great a Majesty, art mindful of him, to bestow this or that favor upon him, is but a due reflection upon every blessing we receive? Upon every fresh blessing we should acknowledge the donor, and true proprietor, and give him the honor of his Dominion. His property ought to be thankfully owned, in everything we are capable of consecrating to him. As David after the liberal collection he had made for the building of the Temple, own's in his dedication of it to that use the propriety of God. 1 Chron. 29.14. Who am I? and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. It was but a return of God's own to him, as the waters of the River are no other than the return to the Sea, of what was taken from it.
Praise and Thankfulness is a Rent due from all mankind, and from every Creature to the great Landlord, since all are Tenants, and hold by him at his Will. Every Creature in Heaven and Earth, under the Earth, and in the Sea, were heard by John to ascribe blessing, honor, glory, and power to him that sits on the Throne. Rev. 5.13. We are as much bound to the sovereignty of God for his pre •• rvation of us, as for his Creation of us. We are no less obliged to him, that preservs our beings, when exposed to dangers, than we are for bestowing a being upon us, when we were not capable of danger. Thankfulness is due to this Sovereign for public concerns; Hath he not preserved the Ship of his Church in the midst of whistling winds, and roaring waves, in the midst of the combats of men and Devils, and rescued it often, when it hath been near ship-wracked?
3. How should we be induced from hence to promote the honor of this Sovereign? We should advance him as supreme, and all our actions should concur in his honor. We should return to his Glory, what we have received from his Sovereignty, and enjoy by his mercy: He that is the superior of all, ought to be the end of all. This is the harmony of the Creation, that which is of an inferior nature, is ordered to the service of that which is of a more excellent nature, thus water and earth, that have a lower being, are employed for the honor and beauty of the plants of the earth, who are more excellent in having a principle of a growing life; These plants are again subservient to the beasts and birds, which exceed them in a principle of sense, which the others want; Those beasts and birds are ordered for the good of man, who is superior to them in a Principle of reason, and is invested with a Dominion over them; Man having God for his superior, ought as much to serve the glory of God, as other things are designed to be useful to man. Other Governments are intended for the good of the Community, the chief end is not the good of the Governors themselves; But God being every way Sovereign, the Sovereign being, giving being to all things, the Sovereign Ruler, giving order and preservation to all things, is also the end of all things, to whose glory and honor all things, all creatures are to be subservient. Rom. 11.36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory forever. Of him as the efficient cause, through him as the preserving cause, to him as the final cause; All our actions and thoughts ought to be addrest to his glory, our whole beings ought to be consecrated to his honor, though we should have no reward, but the honor of having been subservient to the end of our Creation; So much doth the excellency and Majesty of God, infinitely elevated above us, challenge of us. Subjects use to value the safety, honor and satisfaction of a good Prince above their own; David is accounted worth 10000 of the people, and some of his Courtiers thought themselves obliged to venture their lives for his satisfaction in so mean a thing, as a little water from the Well of Bethlehem. Doth not so great, so good a Sovereign as God, deserve the same affection from us? Do we swear, saith a Heathen, to prefer none before Caesar, and have we not greater reason, to prefer none before God? 'It is a Justice due from us to God, to maintain his Glory, as it is a Justice to preserve the right and property of another. As God would lay aside his Deity, if he did deny himself, so a creature acts irregularly, and out of the rank of a creature, if it doth not deny itself for God. He that makes himself his own end, makes himself his own Sovereign. To napkin up a gift he hath bestowed upon us, or to employ what we possess, solely to our own Glory, to use anything barely for ourselves, without respect to God, is to apply it to a wrong use, and to injure God in his propriety, and the end of his donation. What we have, ought to be used for the honor of God; He retains the Dominion and Lordship, though he grants us the use; We are but Stewards, not Proprietors, in regard of God who expects an account from us, how we have employed his goods to his honor. The Kingdom of God is to be advanced by us, we are to pray that his Kingdom may come, we are to endeavor that his Kingdom may come, that is, that God may be known to be the chief Sovereign, that his Dominion, which was obscured by Adam 's fall, may be more manifested, that his Subjects which are suppressed in the World, may be supported, his Laws which are violated by the rebellions of men, may be more obeyed, and his enemies be fully subdued by his final judgment, the last evidence of his Dominion in this State of the World, that the Empire of sin and the Devil may be abolished, and the Kingdom of God be perfected, that none may rule but the great and rightful Sovereign. Thus while we endeavor to advance the honor of his Throne, we shall not want an honor to ourselves. He is too gracious a Sovereign to neglect them, that are mindful of his Glory; those that honor him, he will honor; 1 Sam. 2.30.
4. Fear and reverence of God in himself, and in his actions, is a duty incumbent on us from this Doctrine. Jer. 10.7. Who would not fear thee, O King of Nations! The ingratitude of the World is taxed, in not reverencing God as a great King, who had given so many marks of his Royal Government among them. The Prophet wonders, there was no fear of so great a King in the World; Since among all the wise men of the Nations, and among all their Kings, there is none like unto this; No more reverence of him, since none ruled so wisely, nor any ruled so graciously. The dominion of God is one of the first sparks, that gives fire to Religion and Worship, considered with the goodness of this Sovereign. Psal. 22.27.28. All the Nations shall worship before thee, for the Kingdom is the Lord's, and he is Governor among the Nations. Epicurus, who thought God careless of human affairs, leaving th •• at hap-hazard to the conduct of men's wisdom, and mutability of fortune, yet acknowledged, that God ought to be worshipped by man for the excellency of his nature, and greatness of his Majesty. How should we reverence that God, that hath a Throne encompassed with such Glorious Creatures as Angels, whose faces we are not able to behold though shadow'd in assumed bodies! How should we fear the Lord of Hosts, that hath so many Armies at his command in the Heavens above, and in the Earth below, whom he can dispose to the exact obedience of his will; how should men be afraid to censure any of his actions, to sit judge of their Judge, and call him to an account to their Bar; How should such an earth-worm, a mean animal as man, be afraid to speak irreverently of so great a King among his pots and Strumpets! Not to fear him, not to reverence him, is to pull his Throne from under him, and make him of a lower Authority than ourselves, or any creature that we reverence more.
5. Prayer to God, and trust in him is infer'd from his Sovereignty. If he be the supreme Sovereign, holding Heaven and Earth in his hand, disposing all things here below, not committing everything to the influence of the stars, or the humors of men: we ought then to apply ourselves to him in every case, implore the exercise of his Authority, we hereby own his peculiar right over all things and persons. He only is the supreme head in all causes, and over all persons; Thine is the Kingdom concludes the Lord's Prayer, both as a motive to pray, Mat. 6.13. and a ground to expect what we want. He that believes not God's Government, will think it needless to call upon him, will expect no refuge under him in a strait, but make some creature-reed his support. If we do not seek to him, but rely upon the dominion we have over our own possessions, or upon the Authority of anything else, we disown his Supremacy and Dominion over all things, we have as good an opinion of ourselves, or of some creature, as we ought to have of God. We think ourselves, or some natural cause we seek to, or depend upon, as much Sovereigns as he, and that all things which concern us, are as much at the dispose of an inferior, as of the great Lord. 'It is indeed to make a God of ourselves, or of the Creature: When we seek to him upon all occasions, we own this divine eminency, we acknowledge that it is by him men's hearts are ordered, the World governed, all things disposed; And God that is jealous of his glory, is best pleased with any duty in the creature, that doth acknowledge and desire the glorification of it, which Prayer and dependence on him doth in a special manner; Desiring the exercise of his Authority, and the preservation of it in ordering the affairs of the World.
6. Obedience naturally results from this Doctrine, As his justice requires fear, his goodness thankfulness, his faithfulness trust, his truth belief, so his Sovereignty in the nature of it demands Obedience. As it is most fit he should rule in regard of his excellency: so it is most fit we should obey him in regard of his Authority. He is our Lord, and we his Subjects, he is our Master, and we his servants; 'tis righteous we should observe him, and conform to his will. He is everything, that speaks an Authority to command us, and that can challenge an humility in us to obey. As that is the truest Doctrine, that subjects us most to God, so he is the truest Christian, that doth in his practice most acknowledge this subjection. And as sovereignty is the first notion a Creature can have of God, so obedience is the first and chief thing Conscience reflects upon the Creature. Man holds all of God: and therefore owes all the operations capable to be produced by those faculties to that sovereign power that endowed him with them. Man had no being but from him, he hath no motion without him; he should therefore have no being but for him, and no motion but according to him. To call him Lord, and not to act in subjection to him, is to mock, and put a scorn upon him. Luk. 6.46. Why call you me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say? 'It is like the Crucifying Christ under the Title of a King. 'It is not by professions, but by observance of the Laws of a Prince, that we manifest a due respect to him. By that we reverence that Authority, that enacted them, and the prudence that framed them.
This doctrine affords us motives to obey and directs us to the manner of Obedience.
1. Motives to obey.
1. 'It is Comely and Orderly. Is it not a more becoming thing to be ruled by the will of our sovereign, than by that of our lusts? To observe a wise and gracious Authority, than to set up inordinate appetites in the room of his Law? Would not all men account it a disorder, to be abominated, to see a slave or vassal control the just orders of his Lord, and endeavor to subject his Masters will to his own? Much more to expect, God should serve our humor, rather than we be regulated by his Will? 'It is more orderly that subjects should obey their Governors, than Governors their Subjects; that Passion should obey Reason, than Reason obey Passion. When good Governors are to conform to Subjects, and reason veil to passion, 'tis monstrous; the one disturbs the order of a community, and the other defaceth the beauty of the Soul. Is it a comely thing for God to stoop to our meanness, or for us to stoop to his greatness?
2. In regard of the Divine Sovereignty, 'tis both honorable and advantageous to obey God. 'It is indeed the glory of a Superior, to be obeyed by his Inferior; but where the sovereign is of transcendent excellency and dignity, 'tis an honor to a mean person, to be under his immediate commands, and enrolled in his service. 'It is more honor to be God's Subject, than to be the greatest worldly Monarch; his very service is an Empire, and disobedience to him is a slavery. 'It is a part of his sovereignty to reward any service done him. Other Lord's may be willing to recompense the service of their Subjects, but are often rendered unable; but nothing can stand in the way of God, to hinder your reward, if nothing stand in your way to hinder your obedience. Levite. 18.5. If you keep my Statutes, you shall live in them, I am the Lord. Is there anything in the World can recompense you for Rebellion against God, and obedience to a Lust? Saul cools the hearts of his Servants, from running after David, by David's inability to give them Fields and Vineyards. 1 Sam. 22.7. Will the Son of Jesse give everyone of you Fields, and Vineyards, and make you Captains of thousands, and Captains of hundreds, that you have conspired against me? But God hath a Dominion to requite, as well as an Authority to command your obedience. He is a great sovereign, to bear you out in your observance of his precepts against all reproaches and violences of men, and at last to crown you with eternal honor. If he should neglect vindicating one time or other your loyalty to him, he will neglect the maintaining and vindicating his own sovereignty and greatness.
3. God in all his dispensations to man was careful, to preserve the rights of his sovereignty, in exacting obedience of his Creature. The second thing he manifested his sovereignty in, was that of a Law-giver to Adam, after that of a Proprietor in giving him the possession of the Garden; one followed immediately the other. Gen. 2.15, 16. The Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden, to dress it, and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every Tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it, &c. Nothing was to be enjoyed by man but upon the condition of obedience to his Lord; and it is observed that in the description of the Creation, God is not called Lord till the finishing of the Creation, and particularly in the forming of man. Gen. 2.7. And the Lord God formed man. Though he was Lord of all Creatures, yet it was in man he would have his sovereignty particularly manifested, and by man have his Authority specially acknowledged. The Law is prefaced with this Title, I am the Lord thy God. Exod. 20.2. Authority in Lord, sweetness in God, the one to enjoin, the other to allure obedience; and God enforceth several of the commands with the same Title. And as he begins many precepts with it, so he concludes them with the same Title, I am the Lord, Levite. 19.37. and in other places.
In all his communications of his Goodness to man in ways of blessing them, he stands upon the preservation of the rights of his sovereignty, and manifests his graciousness in favor of his Authority. I am the Lord your God, your God in all my perfections for your advantage, but yet your sovereign for your obedience. In all his condescensions he will have the rights of this untouched and unviolated by us. When Christ would give the most pregnant instance of his condescending, and humble kindness, he urgeth his Authority, to ballast their Spirits from any presumptuous eruptions because of his humility. John 13.13. You call me Master and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. He asserts his Authority, and presseth them to their duty, when he had seemed to lay it by for the demeanour of a Servant, and had below the dignity of a Master put on the humility of a mean underling, to wash the Disciples feet; all which was to oblige them to perform the command he then gave them. ver. 14. in Obedience to his Authority, and imitation of his Example.
4. All Creatures obey him. All Creatures punctually observe the Law he hath imprinted on their nature, and in their several capacities acknowledge him their sovereign, they move according to the inclinations he imprinted on them. The Sea contains itself in its bounds, and the Sun steps not out of its sphere, the Stars march in their Order, they continue this day according to thy Ordinance, for all are thy Servants. Psal. 119.91. If he Orders things contrary to their primitive nature, they obey him. When he speaks the word, the devouring fire becomes gentle, and toucheth not a hair of the Children, he will preserve. The hunger-starved Lions suspend their ravenous nature, when so good a morsel as Daniel is set before them. And the Sun which had been in perpetual motion since its Creation, obeys the writ of ease God sent it in Joshua 's time, and stands still. Shall insensible and sensible Creatures be punctual to his Orders, passively acknowledge his Authority? Shall Lions and Serpents obey God in their places, and shall not man, who can by reason argue out the sovereignty of God, and understand the sense and goodness of his Laws, and actively obey God with that will he hath enriched him with above other Creatures? Yet the truth is, every sensitive, yea every senseless Creature obeys God more than his rational, more than his gracious Creatures in this World. The rational Creatures since the fall have a prevailing principle of corruption. Let the Obedience of other Creatures incite us more to imitate them, and shame our remissness in not acknowledging the dominion of God, in the just way he prescribes us to walk in.
Well then, let us not pretend to own God as our Lord, and yet act the part of Rebels. Let us give him the reverence, and pay him that obedience, which of right belongs to so great a King. Whatsoever he speaks as a true God, ought to be believed, whatsoever he orders as a Sovereign God, ought to be obeyed. Let not God have less than man, nor man have more than God. 'It is a common principle writ upon the reason of all men, that respect and observance is due to the Majesty of a man, much more to the Majesty of God as a Law-giver.
2. As this Doctrine presents us motives, so it directs us to the manner and kind of our Obedience to God.
1. It must be with a respect to his Authority. As the veracity of God is the formal object of faith, and the reason why we believe the things he hath revealed; so the Authority of God is the formal object of our obedience, or the reason why we observe the things he hath commanded. There must be a respect to his will as the rule, as well as to his Glory as the end. 'It is not formally obedience that is not done with a regard to the order of God, though it may be materially obedience, as it answers the matter of the Precept. As when men will abstain from excess and rioting, because it is ruinous to their health, not because it is forbidden by the great Law-giver; This is to pay a respect to our own conveniency and interest, not a Conscientious observance to God; a regard to our health, not to our Sovereign, a kindness to ourselves, not a justice due to the rights of God. There must not only be a consideration of the matter of the Precept as convenient, but a consideration of the Authority of the Law-giver as Obligatory. Thus saith the Lord, Ushers in every order of his, directing our eye to the Authority enacting it. Jeroboam did God's will of prophesy in taking the Kingdom of Israel; And the devils may be subservient in God's will or providence; but neither of them are put upon the account of obedience, because not done intentionally with any Conscience of the Sovereignty of God. God will have this owned by a regular respect to it; So much he insists upon the honor of it, that the Sacrifice of Christ, God-man was most agreeable to him, not only as it was great and admirable in itself, but also for that ravishing obedience to his will, which was the Life and Glory of his Sacrifice, whereby the justice of God was not only owned in the Offering, but the Sovereignty of God owned in the Obedience. Phil. 2.8. He became obedient unto death; Wherefore God highly exalted him.
2. It must be the best and most exact obedience. The most Sovereign Authority calls for the exactest and lowest observance, the highest Lord for the deepest homage: being he is a great King, he must have the best in our flock. Mal. 1. Obedience is due to God, as King, and the choicest obedience is due to him, as he is the most excellent King. The more majestic and noble any man is, the more careful we are in our manner of service to him. We are bound to obey God, not only under the title of a Lord in regard of jurisdiction and political subjection, but under the title of a true Lord and Master in regard of propriety: since we are not only his subjects but servants, the exactest obedience is due to God Jure servitutis, Luk. 17.10. when you have done all, say you are unprofitable servants, because we can do nothing which we owe not to God.
3. Sincere and inward Obedience. As it is a part of his Sovereignty to prescribe Laws not only to man in his outward State, but to his Conscience, so it is a part of our subjection to receive his Laws into our will and heart. The Authority of his Laws exceeds Human Laws in the extent and riches of them, and our acknowledgment of his Sovereignty cannot be right, but by subjecting the faculties of our soul to the Law-giver of our souls; We else acknowledge his Authority to be as limited, as the Empire of man. When his will not only sways the outward action, but the inward motion, 'tis a giving him the honor of his high Throne above the Throne of mortals. The right of God ought to be preserved undamaged in affection, as well as action.
4. It must be sole Obedience. We are ordered to serve him only, Matt. 4.10. Him only shalt thou serve; as the only supreme Lord, as being the highest Sovereign, it is fit he should have the highest obedience before all Earthly Sovereigns, and as being unparalleled by any among all the Nations, so none must have an obedience equal to him. When God commands, if the highest power on earth countermands it, the Precept of God must be preferred before the countermand of the creature. Act. 4.18, 19. Whither it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. We must never give place to the Authority of all the Monarchs in the World, to the prejudice of that obedience we owe to the Supreme Monarch of Heaven and Earth: this would be, to place the Throne of God at the footstool of man, and debase him below the rank of a creature. Loyalty to man can never recompense for the mischief accruing from disloyalty to God. All the obedience we are to give to man, is to be paid in obedience to God, and with an eye to his Precept: therefore what servants do for their Masters, they must do as to the Lord, Col. 3.23. and children are to obey their Parents in the Lord, Eph. 6.1. The Authority of God is to be eyed in all the services payable to man; Proper and true obedience hath God solely for its principal and primary object; all obedience to man that interferes with that, and would justle out obedience to God, is to be refused. What obedience is due to man, is but rendered as a part of obedience to God, and a stooping of his Authority.
5. It must be Universal Obedience. The Laws of man are not to be Universally obeyed: some may be oppressing and unjust; No man hath Authority to make an unjust Law, and no subject is bound to obey an unrighteous Law; but God being a Righteous Sovereign, there is not one of his Laws but doth necessarily oblige us to Obedience. Whatsoever this supreme power declares to be his will, it must be our care to observe; Man being his creature, is bound to be subject to whatsoever Laws he doth impose, to the meanest as well as to the greatest: they having equally a stamp of Divine Authority upon them. We are not to pick and choose among his Precepts: this is to pare away part of his Authority, and render him a half-sovereign.
It must be Universal in all places. An English-man in Spain is bound to obey the Laws of that Country, wherein he resides: and so not responsible there for the breach of the Laws of his native Country. In the same condition is a Spaniard in England. But the Laws of God are to be obeyed in every part of the World; wheresoever divine providence doth cast us, it casts us not out of the places where he commands, nor out of the compass of his own Empire. He is Lord of the World, and his Laws oblige in every part of the World, they were ordered for a World, and not for a particular Climate and Territory.
6. It must be indisputable Obedience. All Authority requires readiness in the Subject; the Centurion had it from his Soldiers, they went when he ordered them, and came when he beckned to them. Matt. 8.9. 'It is more fit God should have the same promptness from his Subjects. We are to obey his Orders, though our purblind understanding may not apprehend the reason of everyone of them. 'It is without dispute that he is Sovereign, and therefore 'tis without dispute, that we are bound to obey him, without controlling his conduct. A Master will not bear it from his slave, why should God from his creature? Though God admits his creatures sometimes to treat with him about the equality of his Justice, and also about the reason of some commands, yet sometimes he gives no other reason, but his own Sovereignty, Thus saith the Lord, to correct the malapertness of men, and exact from them an entire obedience to his unlimited and absolute Authority. When Abraham was commanded to offer Isaac, God acquaints him not with the reason of his demand till after, Gen. 22.2, 12. nor did Abraham enter any demur to the order, or expostulate with God, either from his own natural affection to Isaac, the hardness of the command, it being as it were a ripping up his own Bowels, nor the quickness of it after he had been a child of the promise, and a divine donation above the course of nature. Nor did Paul confer with flesh and blood, and study arguments from nature and interest, to oppose the divine command, when he was sent upon his Apostolical employment. Galatians 1.16. The more indisputable his right is to command, the stronger is our Obligation to obey, without questioning the reason of his Orders.
7. It must be joyful Obedience. Men are commonly more cheerful in their obedience to a great Prince, than to a mean Peasant: because the quality of the Master renders the service more honorable. 'It is a discredit to a Prince's Government, when his Subjects obey him with discontent and dejectedness, as though he were a hard Master, and his Laws tyrannical and unrighteous. When we pay obedience but with a dull and feeble pace, and a sour and sad temper, we blemish our great Sovereign, imply his commands to be grievous, void of that peace and pleasure he proclaims to be in them; That he deserves no respect from us, if we obey him, because we must, and not because we will. Involuntary Obedience deserves not the Title: 'tis rather submission than obedience, an act of the body, not of the mind; a Mite of Obedience with cheerfulness, is better than a Talent without it. In the little Paul did, he comforts himself in this, that with the mind he served the Law of God; Rom. 7.25. The Testimonies of God were David's delight. Psal. 119.24. Our Understandings must take pleasure in knowing him, our wills delightfully embrace him, and our actions be cheerfully squar'd to him. This credits the Sovereignty of God in the World, makes others believe him to be a gracious Lord, and move them to have some veneration for his Authority.
8. It must be perpetual Obedience. As man is a subject as soon as he is a creature, so he is a Subject as long as he is a Creature. God's Sovereignty is of perpetual duration, as long as he is God; Man's obedience must be perpetual, while he is a man. God cannot part with his Sovereignty, and a creature cannot be exempted from subjection; We must not only serve him, but cleave to him. Deut. 13.4. Obedience is continued in Heaven, his Throne is established in Heaven, it must be bowed to in Heaven, as well as in Earth. The Angels continually fulfil his pleasure.
7. Exhortation; Patience is a duty flowing from this Doctrine. In all strokes upon ourselves, or thick showers upon the Church; The Lord reigns, is a consideration to prevent muttering against him, and make us quietly wait to see what the issue of his divine pleasure will be. 'It is too great an insolence against the Divine Majesty, to censure what he acts, or quarrel with him for what he inflicts. Proud clay doth very unbecomingly swell against an infinite superior. If God be our Sovereign, we ought to subscribe to his afflicting will without debates, as well as to his liberal will with affectionate applauses. We should be as full of patience under his sharper, as of praise under his more grateful dispensations, and be without reluctancy against his penal, as well as his preceptive pleasure. 'It is God's part to inflict, and the creatures part to submit.
This Doctrine affords us motives, and shows us the nature of Patience.
1. Motives to it.
1. God being Sovereign, hath an absolute right to dispose of all things. His Title to our persons and possessions is upon this account stronger than our own can be; We have as much reason to be angry with ourselves, when we assert our worldly right against others, as to be angry with God for asserting the right of his Dominion over us. Why should we enter a charge against him, because he hath not tempered us so strong in our bodies, drawn us with as fair colors, embellisht our spirits with as rich gifts as others? Is he not the Sovereign of his own goods, to impart what, and in what measure he pleaseth? Would you be content your servants should check your pleasure, in dispensing your own favors? 'It is an unreasonable thing, not to leave God to the exercise of his own dominion. Though Job were a pattern of patience, yet he had deep tinctures of impatience, he often complains of God's usage of him, as too hard, and stands much upon his own integrity; But when God comes in the latter Chapters of that book, to justify his carriage towards him, he chargeth him not as a criminal, but considers him only as his Vassal. He might have found flaws enough in Job's carriage, and corruption enough in Job's nature, to clear the equity of his proceeding as a Judge, but he useth no other medium to convince him, but the greatness of his Majesty, the unlimitedness of his sovereignty, which so appales the good man, that he puts his finger on his mouth, and stands mute with a self-abhorrenc; before him as a sovereign, rather than as a Judge. When he doth pinch us, and deprive us of what we most affect, his right to do it should silence our lips, and calm our hearts from any boisterous uproars against him.
2. The property of all still remains in God, since he is sovereign. He did not devest himself of the property, when he granted us the use. The Earth is his, not ours, the fullness of the Earth is his, 'tis not ours, the fullness any of us have, as well as the fullness others have. After he had given the Israelites Corn, Wine, and Oil, he calls them all His, and emphatically adds My to everyone of them. Hos. 2.9. His right is universal over every mite we have, and perpetual too. He may therefore take from us, what he please. He did but deposit in our hands for a while the benefits we enjoy, either Children, Friends, Estate or Lives; he did not make a total conveyance of them, and alienate his own property, when he put them into our hands; we can show no Patent for them, wherein the full right is past over to us, to hold them against his will and pleasure, and implead him if he offer to reassume them. He reserved a power to dispossess us upon a forfeiture, as he is the Lord and Governor. Did any of us yet answer the condition of his grant? It was his indulgence, to allow them so long. There is reason to submit to him, when he reassumes what he lent us, and rather to thank him, that he lent it so long, and did not seize upon it sooner.
3. Other things have more reason to complain of our sovereignty over them, than we of God's exercise of his sovereignty over us. Do we not exercise an Authority over our Beasts, as to strike them, when we please, and merely for our pleasure; and think we merit no reproof for it, because they are our own, and of a nature inferior to ours? And shall not God who is absolute, do as much with us, who are more below him, than the meanest Creatures are below us? They are Creatures as well as we, and we no more Creatures than they, they were framed by omnipotence, as well as we; there is no more difference between them and us in the notion of Creatures.
As there is no difference between the greatest Monarch on Earth, and the meanest Beggar on the dunghill in the notion of a man: The Beggar is a man, as well as the Monarch, and as much a man; the difference consists in the special Endowments we have above them by the bounty of their and our common Creator. We are less, if compared with God, than the worst, meanest, most sordid Creature can be, if compared with us. Hath not a Bird or a Hare, (if they had a capacity) more reason to complain of men's persecuting them by their Hawks and their Dogs? but would their complaints appear reasonable, since both were made for the use of man, and man doth but use the nature of the one, to attain a benefit by the other? Have we any reason to complain of God, if he lets loose other Creatures, the devouring Hounds of the World, to bite and afflict us? We must not open our lips against him, nor let our heart swell against his scourge, since both they and we were made for his use, as well as other Creatures for ours. This is a reason to stifle all complaints against God, but not to make us careless of preventing afflictions, or emerging out of them by all just ways. The Hare hath a nature to shift for itself by its winding and turning, and the Bird by its flight, and neither of them could be blamed, if they were able, should the one scratch out the Eyes of the Hounds, and the other sacrifice the Hawk to its own fury.
4. 'It is a folly not to submit to him. Why should we strive against him, since he is an unaccountable sovereign, and gives no account of any of his matters. Job 33.13. Who can disannul the judgment God gives? There is no appeal from the supreme Court; a higher Court can repeal, or null the sentence of an inferior Court, but the sentence of the highest stands irreversible, but by itself, and its own Authority. 'It is better to lower our Sails, than to grapple with one, that can shoot us under Water. To submit to that sovereign, whom we cannot subdue.
2. It show's us the true nature of Patience in regard of God. 'It is a submission to God's sovereignty. As the formal object of Obedience is the Authority of God enacting the Law, so the formal object of patience is the Authority of God inflicting the punishment. As his right of commanding is to be eyed in the one, so his right of punishing is to be considered in the other. This was Eli 's condition when he had received a message, that might put flesh and blood into a mutiny, the rending the Priesthood from his Family, and the ruin of his House, yet this consideration, 'It is the Lord, calms him into submission, and a willing compliance with the Divine pleasure, 1 Sam. 3.18. 'tis the Lord, Let him do what seems good in his sight. Job was of the same strain. Job. 1.21. The Lord gives, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. He considers God as a sovereign, who was not to be reproached, or have anything uncomely uttered of him, for what he had done. To be patient, because we cannot avoid it, or resist it, is a violent not a Loyal Patience, but to submit because it is the will of God to inflict: To be silent, because the sovereignty of God doth order it, is a patience of a true complexion. The other kind of patience is no other than that of an Enemy, that will free himself as soon as he can, and by any way though never so violent that offers itself. This sort of patience is that of a subject acknowledging the supreme Authority over him, and that he ought to be ordered by the will, and to the Glory of God, more than by his own will, and for his own ease. I was dumb, I opened not my mouth. Psal. 39.10. Not because I could not help it: But because thou didst it, thou who art my sovereign Lord. The greatness of God claims an awful and inviolable respect from his Creatures, in what way soever he doth dispose of them; this is due to him, since his Kingdom ruleth over all, his Kingdom should be acknowledged by all, and his Royal Authority submitted to in all that he doth.
A DISCOURSE UPON GOD'S Patience.
NAHUM. I. Verse 3.
The Lord is slow to Anger, and great in Power, and will not at all acquit the Wicked: The Lord hath his way in the Whirl-wind, and in the Storm, and the Clouds are the dust of his Feet.
THE Subject of this prophesy is God's sentence against Nineveh, the Head and Metropolis of the Assyrian Empire. A City famous for its strength, and thickness of its Walls, and the multitude of its Towers for defense against an Enemy. The Forces of this Empire did God use as a scourge against the Israelites, and by their hands ruined Samaria the chief City of the Ten Tribes, and transplanted them as Captives into another Country, 2 Kin. 17.5, 6. about six years after Hezekiah came to the Crown of Judah. 2 Kings 18. compared with the 17 chap. v. 6. In whose time, or (as some think) later, Nahum uttered this prophesy. The Name Nahum, signifies Comforter, though the matter of his prophesy be dreadful to Nineveh, it was comfortable to the people of God: For a promise is made ver. 7. The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them, that trust in him. And an encouragement to Judah, to keep their solemn Feasts, ver. 15. And also in chap. 2.3. with a declaration of the misery of Nineveh and the destruction of it.
Observe.
I. In all the fears of God's people, God will have a Comforter for them. Judah might well be dejected with the calamity of their Brethren, not knowing but it might be their own turn shortly after. They knew not where the ambition of the Assyrian would stop, but God by his Prophets calms their fears of their furious Neighbor, by predicting to them the ruin of their feared Adversary.
II. The destruction of the Churches Enemies is the comfort of the Church. By that God is glorified in his Justice, and the Church secured in its Worship.
III. The Victories of Persecutors, secure them not from being the triumphs of others. The Assyrians that conquered, and captiv'd Israel, were themselves to be conquered, and captiv'd by the Medes. The whole oppressing Empire is threatened with destruction in the ruin of their chief City; accordingly it was accomplisht, and the Empire extinguished by a greater power. God burns the Rod, when it hath done the work he appointed it for; and the wisp of straw wherewith the vessels are scour'd is flung into the fire, or upon the Dunghil.
Nahum begins his prophesy majestically, with a description of the wrath and fury of God. ver. 2. God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth, the Lord revengeth, and is furious, the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and reserveth wrath for his Enemies: And therefore the whole of it is called ver. 1. The burden of Nineveh, as those prophesies are, which are composed of threatenings of judgments, which lie as a mighty weight upon the heads, and backs of sinners.
God is Jealous,] jealous of his Glory and Worship, and jealous for his people and their security. He cannot long bear the oppressions of his people, and the boasts of his Enemies. He is jealous for himself, and is jealous for you of Judah, who retain his Worship. He is not forgetful of those that remember him, nor of the danger of those that are desirous to maintain his honor in the World. In this first expression, the Prophet uses the Covenant Name, God, the Covenant runs, I am your God, or The Lord your God, mostly God without Lord, never Lord without God: And therefore his jealousy here is meant of the care of his people, and the relation that his actions against his Enemies have to his Servants. He is a lover of his own, and a revenger on his Enemies.
The Lord Revengeth and is Furious.] He now describes God by a name of sovereignty and Power, when he describes him in his Wrath, and Fury, and is Furious. Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Lord of hot Anger. God will vindicate his own Glory, and have his right on his Enemies in a way of punishment, if they will not give it him in a way of Obedience. 'It is three times repeated, to show the certainty of the judgment. And the name of Lord added to everyone, to intimate the Power wherewith the Judgment should be executed. 'It is not a Fatherly correction of Children in a way of Mercy; but an offended soveraigns destruction of his Enemies in a way of vengeance. There is an anger of God with his own people, which hath more of Mercy than Wrath; in this his Rod is guided by his bowels. There is a fury of God against his Enemies, where there is sole Wrath without any tincture of Mercy; when his Sword is all edge without any Balsom-drops upon it. Such a fury as David deprecates. Psal. 6.1. Oh Lord rebuke me not in thy Anger, nor chasten me in thy sore displeasure; with a fury untempered with Grace, and insupportable Wrath.
He reserves Wrath for his Enemies.] He lays it up in his Treasury, to be brought out, and expended in a due season. Wrath is supplied by our Translators, and is not in the Hebrew. He reserves, what? that which is too sharp to be expressed, too great to be conceived. A vengeance it is. And 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He reserves it. He that hath an infinite Wrath, he reserves it, that hath a strength, and power to execute it.
VERSE 3.
The Lord is slow to Anger,] Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Of broad Nostrils. The Anger of God is expressed by this word, which signifies Nostrils. As Job 9.13. If God will not withdraw his Anger, Heb. his nostril. And the Anger whereby the wicked are consumed, is called the breath of Nostrils, Job 4.9. and when he is angry, smoke and fire are said to go out of his Nostrils. 2 Sam. 2.9. and in the 74th. Psalm 1. Why doth thy anger smoke, Heb. Why do thy Nostrils smoke. So the rage of a Horse when he is provoked in battle, is called the Glory of his Nostrils. Job 39.20. He breaths quick fumes, and neighs with fury.
And slowness to anger is here expressed by the phrase of long or wide Nostrils: Because in a vehement anger the blood boiling about the heart, exhales men's Spirits, which fume up, and break out in dilated Nostrils. But where the passages are straiter, the spirits have not so quick a vent; and therefore raise more motions within. Or because, the wider the Nostrils are the more cool Air is drawn in, to temper the heat of the heart; where the angry spirits are gathered. And so the passion is allayed, and sooner calm'd. God speaks of himself in Scripture often after the rate of Men, Jeremy prays. Jer. 15.15. That God would not take him away in his longsuffering, Heb. in the length of his Nostrils. i. e. Be not slow and backward in thy anger against my Persecutors, as to give them time, and opportunity to destroy me. The Nostrils as well as other members of a human Body are ascribed to God. He is slow to anger, he hath anger in his nature, but is not always in the execution of it.
And great in Power.] This may refer to his Patience as the cause of it, or as a bar to the abuse of it.
1. He is slow to anger, and great in power, i. e. his power moderates his Anger; he is not so impotent, as to be at the command of his passions, as men are. He can restrain his anger under just provocations to exercise it. His power over himself is the cause of his slowness to wrath. As Numb. 14.17. Let the power of my Lord be great, saith Moses, when he pleads for the Israelites pardon. Men that are great in the World, are quick in passions, and are not so ready to forgive an injury, or bear with an offender, as one of a meaner rank. 'It is a want of a power over a man's self, that makes him do unbecoming things upon a provocation. A Prince that can bridle his passion, is a King over himself, as well as over his Subjects. God is slow to Anger, because great in Power. He hath no less power over himself, than over his Creatures. He can sustain great injuries without an immediate and quick revenge. He hath a power of Patience, as well as a power of Justice.
2. Or thus, he is slow to Anger, and great in Power. He is slow to Anger, but not for want of Power to revenge himself; his Power is as great to punish, as his Patience to spare. It seems thus, that slowness to Anger is brought in as an objection against the revenge proclaimed. What do you tell us of vengeance, vengeance, nothing but such repetitions of vengeance? As though we were ignorant, that God is slow to Anger? 'It is true, saith the Prophet, I acknowledge it as much as you, that God is slow to Anger; but withal great in Power. His Anger certainly succeeds his abused Patience; he will not always bridle in his Wrath, but one time or other let it march out in fury against his Adversaries. The Assyrians who had captiv'd the Ten Tribes, and been victorious a little against the Jews, might think that the God of Israel had been conquered by their God's, as well as the People professing him had been subdued by their arms. That God had lost all his power, and the Jews might argue from God's Patience to his Enemies, against the credit of the Prophets denouncing revenge. The Prophet answers to the terror of the one, and the comfort of the other. That this indulgence to his Enemies, and not accounting with them for their Crimes, proceeded from the greatness of his Patience, and not from any debility in his power. As it refers to the Assyrian, it may be rendered thus: You Ninevites upon your Repentance after Jonahs thundering of Judgments are Witnesses of the slowness of God to Anger, and had your punishments defer'd. But falling to your old sins, you shall find a real punishment, and that he hath as much Power, to execute his ancient threatenings, as he had then compassion to recall them. His Patience to you then was not for want of power to ruin you, but was the effect of his goodness towards you. As it refers to the Jews, it may be thus paraphrased: do not despise this threatening against your Enemies, because of the greatness of their might, the seeming stability of their Empire, and the terror they posse • s all the Nations with round about them. It may be long before it comes, but assure yourselves, the threatening I denounce, shall certainly be executed, though he hath Patience to endure them a hundred thirty five years, (for so long it was before Nineveh was destroyed after this threatening, as Ribera in loc. computes from the years of the reign of the Kings of Judah ) yet he hath also power to verify his word, and accomplish his will: assure yourselves, he will not at all acquit the wicked.
He will not acquit the wicked.] He will not always account the criminal an innocent, as he seems to do by a present sparing of them, and dealing with them as if they were destitute of any provoking carriage towards him, and he void of any resentment of it. He will not acquit the wicked, how is this, who then can be saved? Is there no place for remission? He will not acquit the wicked i. e. He will not acquit obstinate sinners. As he hath Patience for the wicked, so he hath Mercy for the penitent. The wicked are the subjects of his long suffering, but not of his acquitting grace. He doth not presently punish their sins, because he is slow to anger; But without their Repentance he will not blot out their sins, because he is righteous in judgment. If God should acquit them without Repentance for their crimes, he must himself repent of his own Law, and Righteous Sanction of it.
He will not acquit, i. e. he will not go back from the thing he hath spoken, and forbear, at long run, the punishment he hath threatened.
The Lord hath his way in the Whirl-wind,] The way of God signifies sometimes the Law of God, sometimes the providential operations of God. Ezek. 18.25. Is not my way equal? It seems there to take in both.
And in the Storm, and the Clouds are the dust of his feet.] The Prophet describes here the fight of God with the Assyrians, as if he rusht upon them with a mighty noise of an Army, raising the dust with the feet of their horses, and motion of their Chariots. Symbolically, it signifies the multitude of the Chaldean, and Median forces invading, besieging and storming the City.
It signifies,
1. The rule of Providence. The way of God is in every motion of the creature; He rules all things, Whirl-wind, Storms, Clouds, his way is in all their walks, in the whirlings and blustrings of the one, in the raising and dissolving the other. He blows up the Winds, and compacts the Clouds, to make them serviceable to his designs.
2. The management of wars by God. His way is in the storm; As he was the Captain of the Assyrians against Samaria, so he will be the Captain of the Medes against Nineveh. As Israel was not so much wasted by the Assyrians, as by the Lord, who levied, and armed their Forces; So Nineveh shall be subverted, rather by God than by the Arms of the Medes. Their force is described not to be so much from Human power as Divine; God is President in all the commotions of the World, his way is in every Whirl-wind.
3. The easiness of executing the judgment. He is of so great power that he can excite Tempests in the Air, and overthrow them with the Clouds, which are the dust of his feet. He can blind his enemies, and avenge himself on them: he is Lord of Clouds, and can fill their womb with Hail, Lightnings, and Thunders, to burst out upon those he kindles his anger against. He is of so great force, that he needs not use the strength of his Arm, but the dust of his Feet, to effect his destroying purpose.
4. The suddenness of the judgment. Whirl-winds come suddenly without any harbingers to give notice of their approach; Clouds are swift in their motion. Isa. 60.8. Who are those that fly as a Cloud, i. e. with a mighty nimbleness; What God doth, he shall do on the sudden, come upon them before they are aware, be too quick for them in his motion to over-run, and over-reach them. The winds are described with wings, in regard of the quickness of their motion.
5. The terror of judgments, The Lord hath his way in the Whirl-wind, i. e. in great displeasure. The anger of the Lord is often compared to a storm; He shall bring Clouds of judgments upon them, many and thick, as terrible as when a day is turned into night, by the mustering of the darkest clouds, that interpose between the Sun and the Earth. Clouds and darkness are round about him, and a fire goes before him, when he burns up his enemies. Psal. 97.2, 3. The judgments shall have terror without mercy, as clouds obscure the light, and are dark masks before the face and glory of the Sun, and cut off its refreshing Beams from the Earth. Clouds note multitude and obscurity; God could crush them without a Whirlwind, beat them to powder with one touch, but he will bring his judgments in the most surprizing and amazing manner to flesh and blood, so that all their Glory shall be changed into nothing but terror, by the noise of the bellowing winds, and the clouds like ink blacking the Heavens.
6. The confusion of the Offenders upon God's proceeding. A Whirlwind is not only a boisterous wind, that hurls and rouls everything out of its place, but by its circular motion, by its winding to all points of the compass, it confounds things, and jumbles them together. It keeps not one point, but by a circumgyration toucheth upon all. Clouds like dust shall be blown in their face, and gumm up their eyes. They shall be in a posture of confusion, not know what counsels to take, what motions to resolve upon; Let them look to every point of Heaven and Earth, they shall meet with a Whirlwind to confound them, and cloudy dust to blind them.
7. The irresistibleness of the judgment. Winds have more than a Giant like force, a torrent of compacted Air, that with an invincible willfulness bears all before it, displaceth the firmest Trees, and levels the tallest Towers, and pulls up bodies from their natural place. Clouds also are over our heads, and above our reach; When God places them upon his people for defense, they are an invincible security. Isa. 4.5. And when he moves them as his Chariot against a people, they end in an irresistible destruction; Thus the ruin of the wicked is described. Prov. 10.25. As the Whirlwind passes, so is the wicked no more. It blows them down, sweeps them away, they irrecoverably fall before the force of it. What heart can endure, and what hands can be strong, in the days wherein God doth deal with them? Ezek. 22.14. Thus is the judgment against Nineveh described; God hath his way in the Whirlwind to thunder down their strongest Walls, which were so thick, that Chariots could march a-breast upon them, and batter down their mighty Towers, which that City had in multitudes upon their Walls.
They are the first words I intend to insist upon, to treat of the Patience of God, described in those words; The Lord is slow to anger.
Doct. Slowness to anger, or admirable Patience, is the property of the divine nature. As Patience signifies suffering, so it is not in God. The divine nature is impassible, uncapable of any impair, it cannot be touched by the violences of men, nor the essential Glory of it be diminished by the injuries of men; But as it signifies a willingness to defer, and an unwillingness to pour forth his wrath upon sinful creatures; He moderates his provoked justice, and forbears to revenge the injuries he daily meets with in the World. He suffers no grief by men's wronging him, but he restrains his arm from punishing them according to their merits; And thus there is Patience in every cross a man meets with in the World: because though it be a punishment, 'tis less than is merited by the unrighteous rebel, and less than may be inflicted by a righteous and powerful God.
This Patience is seen in his providential works in the World; He suffered the Nations to walk in their own way, and the witness of his Providence to them was his giving them Rain, and fruitful seasons, filling their heart with food and gladness. Act. 16.17. The Heathens took notice of it, and signified it, by feigning their God Saturn, to be bound a whole year in a soft cord, a cord of wool, and expressed it by this Proverb; The Mills of the God's grind slowly; i. e. God doth not use men with that severity that they deserve: The Mills being usually •• nn'd by criminals, condemned to that work. This in Scripture is frequently expressed by a slowness to anger, Psal. 103.8. sometimes by long suffering, which is a patience with duration; Psal. 145.8. and Joel 2.13. He is slow to anger, he takes not the first occasions of a provocation; He is long suffering, Rom. 9.22. and Psal. 86.15. he forbears punishment upon many occasions offered him. 'It is long before he consents to give fire to his wrath, and shoot out his Thunderbolts; Sin hath a loud cry, but God seems to stop his ears, not to hear the clamor it raises, and the charge it presents. He keeps his Sword a long time in the sheath; One calls the Patience of God, the sheath of his sword, upon those words, Ezek. 21.3. I will draw forth my sword out of his sheath. This is one remarkable letter in the name of God, he himself proclaims it; Exod. 34.6. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful, gracious and long suffering. And Moses pleads it in the behalf of the people, Numb. 14.18. where he placeth it in the first rank; The Lord is long suffering, and of great mercy: 'It is the first spark of mercy, and ushers it to its exercises in the World. In the Lord's Proclamation, 'tis put in the middle link, Mercy and Truth together; Mercy could have no room to act, if Patience did not prepare the way; And his truth and goodness in his promise of the Redeemer would not have been manifest to the World, if he had shot his Arrows as soon as men committed their sins, and deserved his punishment. This perfection is expressed by other phrases, as keeping silence; Psal. 50.21. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 it signifies to behave ones self as a deaf or dumb man. I did not fly in thy face, as some do with great a noise, upon a light provocation, as if their Life, Honor, Estates were at the stake. I did not presently call thee to the bar, and pronounce judicial sentence upon thee according to the Law, but demean'd myself, as if I had been ignorant of thy crimes, and. had not been invested with the power of judging thee for them, Chaldee. I waited for thy Conversion. God's Patience is the silence of his Justice, and the first whisper of his mercy.
'It is also expressed by not laying folly to men. Job 24.12. Men groan under the oppressions of others, yet God lays not folly to them, i. e. to the oppressors, God suffers them to go on with impunity. He doth not deliver his people, because he would try them, and takes not revenge upon the unrighteous, because in Patience he doth bear with them. Patience is the Life of his Providence in this World. He chargeth not men with their crimes here, but reserves them upon impenitency for another trial. This attribute is so great a one, that it is signally called by the name of perfection. Matt. 5.45, 48. He had been speaking of Divine goodness, and Patience to evil men, and he concludes, be you perfect, &c. Implying it to be an amazing perfection in the divine nature, and worthy of imitation.
In the prosecution of this,
- 1. Let us consider the nature of this Patience.
- 2. Wherein 'tis manifested.
- 3. Why God doth exercise so much Patience.
- 4. The USE.
1. The nature of this Patience.
1. 'It is part of the divine goodness and mercy, yet differs from both. God being the greatest goodness, hath the greatest mildness; Mildness is always the companion of true goodness, and the greater the goodness, the greater the mildness. Who so Holy as Christ, and who so meek? God's slowness to anger is a branch, or slip from his mercy. Psal. 145.8. The Lord is full of compassion, slow to anger. It differs from mercy in the formal consideration of the object; Mercy respects the creature as miserable, Patience respects the creature as criminal: Mercy pities him in his misery, and Patience bears with the sin, which engender'd that misery, and is giving birth to more.
Again, Mercy is one end of Patience, his long suffering is partly to glorify his Grace, so it was in Paul. 1 Tim. 1.16. As slowness to anger springs from goodness, so it makes mercy the butt, and mark of its operations; Isa. 30.18. He waits that he may be gracious; Goodness sets God upon the exercise of Patience, and Patience sets many a sinner on running into the arms of mercy. That mercy which makes God ready to embrace returning sinners, makes him willing to bear with them in their sins, and wait their return.
It differs also from goodness, in regard of the object. The object of goodness is every creature, Angels, Men, all inferior creatures, to the lowest worm that crawls upon the ground. The object of Patience is primarily man, and secondarily, those creatures that respect men's support, conveniency and delight; But they are not the objects of Patience, as considered in themselves, but in relation to man, for whose use they were created, and therefore God's Patience to them is properly his Patience with man. The lower creatures do not injure God, and therefore are not the objects of his Patience, but as they are forfeited by man, and man deserves to be deprived of them; As man in this regard falls under the Patience of God, so do those creatures which are designed for man's good. That Patience which spares man, spares other creatures for him, which were all forfeited by man's sin, as well as his own life, and are rather the testimonies of God's Patience, than the proper objects of it. The object of God's goodness then is the whole Creation, not a Devil in Hell, but as a creature is a mark of his goodness, but not of his patience. There is a kind of sparing exercised to the Devils, in deferring their complete punishment, and hitherto keeping off the day, wherein their final sentence is to be pronounced, yet the Scripture never mentions this by the name of slowness to anger, or long suffering. It can no more be called Patience, than a Princes keeping a Malefactor in chains, and not pronouncing a condemning sentence, or not executing a sentence already pronounced, can be called a Patience with him, when it is not out of kindness to the Offender, but for some reasons of State. God's sparing the Devils from their total punishment (which they have not yet, but are reserved in chains, under darkness for it. Jude 6.) is not in order to Repentance, or attended with any invitations from God, or hopes in them: and therefore cannot come under the same title as God's sparing man; Where there is no proposal of mercy, there is no exercise of Patience. The fallen Angels had no mercy reserved for them, nor any Sacrifice prepared for them, God spared not the Angels, 2 Pet. 2.4. but delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment, i. e. he had no Patience for them: For Patience is properly a temporary sparing a person, with a waiting for his relenting, and a change of his injurious demeanour; The object of goodness is more extensive than that of Patience: Nor do they both consider the object under the same relation. Goodness respects things in a capacity, or in a state of Creation, and brings them forth into Creation, and nurseth, and supports them as Creatures. Patience considers them already Created, and fallen short of the duty of creatures; It considers them as sinners, or in relation to sinners. Had not sin entered, Patience had never been exercised; but goodness had been exercised, had the creature stood firm in its Created State without any transgression; Nay Creation could not have been without goodness: because it was goodness to Create; But Patience had never been known without an object, which could not have been without an injury. Where there is no wrong, no suffering, nor like to be any, Patience hath no prospect of any operation. So then goodness respects persons as creatures, Patience as transgressors; Mercy eyes men as miserable and obnoxious to punishment: Patience considers men as sinful, and provoking to punishment.
2. Since 'tis a part of goodness and mercy, 'tis not an insensible patience. What is the fruit of pure goodness, cannot be from a weakness of resentment; he is slow to anger; The Prophet doth not say, he is uncapable of anger, or cannot discern what is a real object of anger; It implies, that he doth consider every provocation, but he is not hasty to discharge his arrows upon the Offenders; He sees all, while he bears with them: his omniscience excludes any ignorance; He cannot but see every wrong; every aggravation in that wrong, every step and motion from the begi •• ing to the completing it: For he knows all our thoughts; he sees the sin, and 〈◊〉 sinner at the same time, the sin with an eye of abhorrency, and the sinner with an eye of pity. His eye is upon their iniquities, and his hatred edged against them; while he stands with arms open, waiting a penitent return. When he publisheth his patience in his keeping silence, he publisheth also his resolution, to set sin in order before their Eyes. Psal. 50.21. I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thy Eyes. Think me not such a piece of phlegm and so dull as not to resent your insolencies; you shall see in my final charge, when I come to Judge, that not a wry look escapit my knowledge, that I had an eye to behold, and a heart to loath everyone of your Transgressions. The Church was ready to think, that God's slowness to deliver her, and his bearing with her oppressors, was not from any Patience in his nature, but a drowsy carelessness, a senseless Lethargy. Psal. 44.23. Awake, why sleepest thou, Oh Lord? We must conclude him an inapprehensive God, before we can conclude him an insensible God. As his delaying his promise, is not slackness to his people, 2 Pet. 3.9. So his deferring of punishment, is not from a stupidity, under the affronts offered him.
3. Since 'tis a part of his Mercy and Goodness, 'tis not a constrained or faint-hearted Patience. 'It is not a slowness to Anger, arising from a despondency of his own p •• er to revenge. He hath as much power to punish, as he hath to forbear punishment. He that created a World in six days, and that by a word, wants not a strength to crush all mankind in one minute; and with as much ease as a Word imports, can give satisfaction to his Justice in the blood of the offender. Patience in man is many times interpreted, and truly too, a cowardice, a feebleness of Spirit and a want of strength. But i • 〈…〉 not from the shortness of the divine arm, that he cannot reach us, nor from th • 〈…〉 of his hand, that he cannot strike us. 'It is not because he cannot lev • 〈…〉 dust 〈◊〉 us in pieces like a Potters Vessel, or consume us as a Moth • 〈…〉 • tiest, to fall before him, and lay the strongest at his fe • 〈…〉 crime. He that did not want a powerful Word, to 〈…〉 want a powerful Word, to dissolve the whole frame of 〈…〉 it out of being. 'It is not therefore out of a distrust of his own power, that he hath supported a sinful World for so many ages, and patiently born the Blasphemies of some, the neglects of others, and the ingratitude of all, without inflicting that severe Justice which righteously he might have done; he wants no thunder to crush the whole generation of men, nor waters to drown them, nor Earth to swallow them up. How easy is it for him to single out this or that particular person, to be the object of his Wrath, and not of his Patience? What he hath done to one, he may to another; any signal judgment he hath sent upon one, is an evidence, that he wants not power to inflict it upon all. Could he not make the motes in the Air to choke us at every breath, Rain thunderbolts instead of drops of water, fill the Clouds with a consuming Lightning, take off the reverence and fear of man, which he hath imprinted upon the Creature, Spirit our domestic Beasts to be our Executioners, unloose the Tiles from the house top to brain us, or make the fall of a house to crush us? 'It is but taking out the pins, and giving a blast, and the work is done. And doth he want a power to do any of those things? 'It is not then a faint-hearted, or feeble Patience, that he exerciseth towards Man.
4. Since 'tis not for want of power over the Creature, 'tis from a fullness of power over himself. This is in the Text; The Lord is slow to Anger, and great in Power; 'tis a part of his Dominion over himself, whereby he can moderate, and rule his own affections according to the holiness of his own Will. As it is the effect of his power, so it is an argument of his power; the greatness of the effect demonstrates the fullness, and sufficiency of the Cause. The more feeble any man is in reason the less command he hath over his passions, and he is the more heady to revenge. Revenge is a sign of a Childish mind; the stronger any man is in reason, the more command he hath over himself. Prov. 16.32. He that is slow to Anger is better than the mighty, and he that rules his own Spirit, than he that takes a City. He that can restrain his Anger, is stronger than the Coesars, and Alexanders of the World, that have filled the Earth with slain Carcasses, and ruined Cities. By the same reason, God's slowness to Anger is a greater argument of his Power, than the creating a World, or the power of dissolving it by a Word. In this he hath a Dominion over Creatures, in the other over himself. This is the reason he will not return to destroy; because I am God, and not Man. Hosea 11.9. I am not so weak and impotent as man, that cannot restrain his Anger. This is a strength possessed only by a God, wherein a Creature is no more able to parallel him, than in any other. So that he may be said to be the Lord of himself; as it is in the verse before the Text, that he is the Lord of Anger, in the Hebrew instead of furious as we translate it, so he is the Lord of Patience. The end why God is Patient, is to show his Power. Rom. 9.22. What if God willing to show his Wrath, and to make his Power known, endured with much Long-suffering, the Vessels of Wrath fitted to destruction? To show his Wrath upon Sinners, and his Power over himself, in bearing such indignities, and forbearing punishment so long, when men were vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, of whom there was no hopes of amendment. Had he immediately broken in pieces those Vessels, his power had not so eminently appeared, as it hath done, in tolerating them so long, that had provoked him to take them off so often. There is indeed the power of his Anger, and there is the power of his Patience; and his power is more seen in his Patience, than in his Wrath. 'It is no wonder that he that is above all, is able to crush all. But it is a wonder, that he that is provokit by all, doth not upon the first provocation, rid his hands of all. This is the reason, why he did bear such a weight of provocations from vessels of wrath, prepared for ruin, that he might 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , show what he was able to do, the Lordship and Royalty he had over himself. The power of God is more manifest in his Patience to a multitude of Sinners, than it could be in Creating Millions of Worlds out of nothing; this was the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a power over himself.
5. This Patience being a branch of Mercy, the exercise of it is founded in the Death of Christ. Without the consideration of this, we can give no account, why Divine Patience should extend itself to us, and not to the fallen Angels. The threatening extends itself to us, as well as to the fallen Angels. The threatening must necessarily have sunk man, as well as those glorious Creatures, had not Christ stepped into our relief. Had not Christ interposed to satisfy the Justice of God, man upon his sin had been actually bound over to punishment, as well as the fallen Angels were upon theirs, and been fettered in chains as strong as those Spirits feel. The reason why man was not hurled into the same deplorable condition upon his sin, as they were, is Christ's promise of taking our nature, and not theirs. Had God designed Christ's taking their nature, the same Patience had been exercised towards them, and the same offers would have been made to them, as are made to us. In regard of these fruits of this Patience, Christ is said to buy the wickedest Apostates from him. 1 Pet. 2.1. Denying the Lord that bought them; such were bought by him, as bring upon themselves just destruction, and whose damnation slumbers not, ver. 3. he purchased the continuance of their lives, and the stay of their execution, that offers of Grace might be made to them. This Patience must be either upon the account of the Law, or the Gospel; for there are no other rules, whereby God governs the World; a fruit of the Law it was not, that spake nothing but Curses after Disobedience, not a letter of Mercy was writ upon that: And therefore nothing of Patience.
Death and Wrath was denounced, no slowness to Anger intimated. It must be therefore upon the account of the Gospel, and a fruit of the Covenant of Grace, whereof Christ was Mediator. Besides this perfection being God's waiting that he might be Gracious. Isai • h 30.18. that which made way for God's Grace, made way for his waiting to manifest it. God discovered not his Grace, but in Christ: And therefore discovered not his Patience but in Christ; 'tis in him he met with the satisfaction of his Justice, that he might have a ground for the manifestation of his Patience. And the Sacrifices of the Law, wherein the Life of a beast was accepted for the sin of a man, discovered the ground of his forbearance of them, to be the expectation of the great sacrifice, whereby sin was to be completely expiated. Gen. 8.21. The publication of his Patience to the end of the World is presently after the sweet savor he found in Noah's sacrifice. The promised and designed coming of Christ was the cause of that Patience God exercised before in the World. And his gathering the Elect together, is the reason of his Patience since his death.
6. The naturalness of his Veracity and Holiness, and the strictness of his Justice, are no bars to the exercise of his patience.
1. His Veracity. In those threatenings where the punishment is expressed, but not the time of inflicting it prefixed, and determined in the threatening, his veracity suffers no damage by the delaying Execution; so it be once done, though a long time after, the credit of his Truth stands unshaken: As when God promises a thing without fixing the time, he is at liberty to pitch upon what time he pleases for the performance of it without staining his faithfulness to his Word, by not giving the thing promised presently. Why should the deferring of Justice upon an offender, be anymore against his Veracity, than his delaying an answer to the petitions of a suppliant? But the difference will lie in the threatening. Gen. 2.17. In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death. The time was there settled, In that day, thou shalt die; some refer day to eating, not to dying; and render the sentence thus, I do not prohibit thee the eating this fruit for a day or two, but continually. In whatsoever day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die; but not understanding his dying that very day he should eat of it. Referring [day] to the extensiveness of the prohibition, as to time. But to leave this as uncertain, it may be answered; that as in some threatenings, a condition is implied, though not expressed; as in that positive denouncing of the destruction of Nineveh. Jonah 3.4. Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed; the condition is implied, unless they humble themselves, and repent, for upon their Repentance, the sentence was deferred. So here, in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shall die the death, or certainly die, unless there be a way found for the expiation of thy crime, and the righting my honor; This condition in regard of the event, may as well be asserted to be implied in this threatening, as that of Repentance was in the other. Or rather, thou shalt die, thou shalt die spiritually, thou shalt loose that image of mine in thy nature, that Righteousness which is as much the Life of thy Soul, as thy Soul is the life of thy Body; that Righteousness whereby thou art enabled to live to me, and thy own happiness. What the Soul is to the Body, a quickening Soul, that the image of God is to the Soul, a quickening image. Or thou shalt die the death, or certainly die, thou shalt be liable to death. And so it is to be understood, not of an actual death of the Body, but the merit of death, and the necessity of death; thou wilt be obnoxious to death, which will be avoided, if thou dost forbear to eat of the forbidden fruit; thou shalt be a guilty person, and so under a sentence of death, that I may when I please inflict it on thee. Death did come upon Adam that day, because his nature was vitiated. He was then also under an expectation of death, he was obnoxious to it, though that day it was not poured out upon him in the full bitterness and gall of it. As when the Apostle saith, Rom. 8.10. The Body is dead because of sin, he speaks to the Living, and yet tells them, the body was dead because of sin; he means no more than that it was under a sentence, and so a necessity of dying though not actually dead. So thou shalt be under the sentence of death that day, as certainly as if that day thou shouldst sink into the dust. And as by his Patience towards man, not sending forth death upon him in all the bitter ingredients of it, his Justice afterwards was more eminent upon man's surety, than it would have been, if it had been then employed in all its severe operations upon man. So was his Veracity eminent also in making good this threatening, in inflicting the punishment included in it upon our nature assumed by a mighty person, and upon that person in our nature, who was infinitely higher than our nature.
2. His justice and righteousness are not prejudiced by his patience. There is a hatred of the sin in his holiness, and a sentence past against the sin in his justice, though the execution of that sentence be suspended, and the person reprieved by patience, which is implied; Eccles. 8.11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily: therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil; Sentence is past, but a speedy execution is stopped.
Some of the Heathens who would not imagine God unjust, and yet seeing the villainies and oppressions of men in the World remain unpunisht, and frequently beholding prosperous wickedness, to free him from the charge of injustice, denied his providence, and actual Government of the World: for if he did take notice of human affairs, and concern himself in what was done upon the Earth, they could not think an infinite goodness and Justice could be so slow, to punish oppressors, and relieve the miserable, and leave the World in that disorder under the injustice of men. They judged such a patience as was exercised by him, if he did govern the World, was drawn out beyond the line of fit and just. Is it not a presumption in men to prescribe a rule of Righteousness and conveniency to their Creator? It might be demanded of such, whether they never injured any in their lives? and when certainly they have one way or other; would they not think it a very unworthy, if not unjust thing, that a person so injured by them should take a speedy and severe revenge on them? And if every man should do the like, would there not be a speedy dispatch made of Mankind? Would not the World be a shambles, and men rush forwards to one another's destruction, for the wrongs they have mutually received? If it be accounted a virtue in man, and no unrighteousness, not presently to be all on fire against an offense; by what right should any question the consistency of God's patience with his justice? Do we praise the lenity of Parents to children, and shall we disparage the long suffering of God to men? We do not censure the righteousness of Physicians and Surgeons, because they cut not off a corrupt member this day as well as tomorrow? And is it just to asperse God, because he doth defer his vengeance, which man assumes to himself a right to do? We never account him a bad Governor, that deferrs the trial, and consequently the condemnation and execution of a notorious offender, for important reasons, and beneficial to the public, either to make the nature of his crime more evident, or to find out the rest of his complices by his discovery. A Governor indeed were unjust, if he commanded that which were unrighteous, and forbad that which were worthy and commendable; But if he delays the execution of a convict offender, for weighty reasons, either for the benefit of the state whereof he is the Ruler, or for some advantage to the offender himself, to make him have a sense of, and a regret for his offense, we account him not unjust for this. God doth not by his patience dispense with the holiness of his Law, nor cut off anything from its due Authority. If men do strengthen themselves by his long suffering against his Law, 'tis their fault, not any unrighteousness in him. He will take a time to vindicate the Righteousness of his own commands, if men will wholly neglect the time of his patience, in forbearing to pay a dutiful observance to his Precept. If Justice be natural to him, and he cannot but punish sin, yet he is not necessitated to consume sinners, as the fire doth stubble put into it, which hath no command over its own qualities, to restrain them from acting; But God is a free agent, and may choose his own time, for the distribution of that punishment his nature leads him to. Though he be naturally just, yet it is not so natural to him, as to deprive him of a dominion over his own acts, and a freedom in the exerting them what time he judgeth most convenient in his Wisdom. God is necessarily holy, and is necessarily angry with sin, his nature can never like it, and cannot but be displeased with it; yet he hath a liberty to restrain the effects of this anger for a time, without disgracing his holiness, or being interpreted to act unrighteously; As well as a Prince or State may suspend the execution of a Law, which they will never break, only for a time, and for a public benefit.
If God should presently execute his Justice, this perfection of patience which is a part of his goodness, would never have an opportunity of discovery. Part of his Glory, for which he Created the World, would lie in obscurity from the knowledge of his creature. His Justice would be signal in the destruction of sinners, but this stream of his goodness would be stopped up from any motion. One perfection must not cloud another, God hath his seasons to discover all, one after another. The times and seasons are in his own power. Act. 1.7. The seasons of manifesting his own perfections as well as other things; Succession of them in their distinct appearance makes no invasion upon the rights of any. If justice should complain of an injury from patience, because it is delaid, patience hath more reason to complain of an injury from justice, that by such a plea it would be wholly obscured and unactive. For this perfection hath the shortest time to act its part of any, it hath no stage but this World to move in; Mercy hath a Heaven, and Justice a Hell, to display itself to Eternity, but long suffering hath only a short lived earth for the compass of its operation.
Again Justice is so far from being wronged by Patience, that it rather is made more illustrious, and hath the fuller scope to exercise itself; 'It is the more righted for being deferred, and will have stronger grounds than before for its activity. The equity of it will be more apparent to every reason, the objections more fully answered against it when the way of dealing with sinners by patience hath been slighted. When this dam of long suffering is removed, the floods of fiery justice will rush down with more force and violence; Justice will be fully recompenc'd for the delay, when after Patience is abused, it can spread itself over the offender with a more unquestionable Authority, it will have more arguments to hit the sinner in the teeth with, and silence him. There will be a sharper edge for every stroke, the sinner must not only pay for the score of his former sins, but the score of abused patience; so that justice hath no reason to commence a suit against God's slowness to anger. What it shall want by the fullness of mercy upon the truly penitent, it will gain by the contempt of patience on the impenitent abusers. When men by such a carriage are ripen'd for the stroke of justice, justice may strike without any regret in itself, or pull-back from mercy. The contempt of long suffering will silence the pleas of the one, and spirit the severity of the other. To conclude, since God hath glorified his justice on Christ, as a surety for sinners, his patience is so far from interfering with the rights of his justice, that it promotes it; 'It is dispensed to this end, that God might pardon with honor, both upon the score of purchased mercy, and contented justice; that by a penitent sinners return his mercy might be acknowledged free, and the satisfaction of his Justice by Christ be glorified in believing: for he is long suffering from an unwillingness, that any should perish, but that all should come to Repentance. 2 Pet. 3.9. i. e. All to whom the promise is made, for to such the Apostle speaks, and calls it long suffering to us ward; And Repentance being an acknowledgment of the demerit of sin, and a breaking off unrighteousness, gives a particular glory to the freeness of mercy, and the equity of Justice.
II. The 2d. thing; How this patience or slowness to anger is manifested.
1. To our First Parents. His slowness to anger was evidenced, in not directing his Artillery against them, when they first attempted to rebel. He might have struck them dead, when they began to bite at the temptation, and were inclinable to a surrender; for it was a degree of sinning, and a breach of Loyalty, as well, though not so much as the consummating Act. God might have given way to the floods of his wrath at the first spring of man's aspiring thoughts, when the monstrous motion of being as God began to be curdled in his heart; But he took no notice of any of their Embryo sins, till they came to a ripeness, and started out of the womb of their minds, into the open Air; And after he had brought his sin to perfection, God did not presently send that death upon him, which he had merited, but continued his Life to the space of 930 years. Gen. 5.5. The Sun and Stars were not arrested, from doing their Office for him. Creatures were continued for his use, the earth did not swallow him up, nor a Thunderbolt from Heaven raze out the memory of him. Though he had deserved to be treated with such a severity for his ungrateful demeanour to his Creator and Benefactor, and affecting an equality with him, yet God continued him with a sufficiency for his content, after he turned rebel, though not with such a liberality as when he remained a Loyal Subject; And though he foresaw; that he would not make an end of sinning, but with an end of living, he used him not in the same manner, as he had used the Devils. He added days and years to him, after he had deserved death, and hath for this 5000 years continued the propagation of Mankind, and derived from his loins an innumerable posterity, and hath crowned multitudes of them with hoary heads; He might have extinguished human race at the first, but since he hath preserved it till this day, it must be interpreted nothing else, but the effect of an admirable Patience.
2. His slowness to anger is manifest to the Gentiles. What they were, we need no other witness than the Apostle Paul, who sums up many of their crimes. Rom. 1.29.30, 31, 32. He doth preface the Catalogue with a comprehensive expression, being filled with all unrighteousness; And concludes it with a dreadful aggravation; They not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. They were so soaked and naturaliz'd in wickedness, that they had no delight and found no sweetness in anything else, but what was in itself abominable; All of them were plunged in Idolatry and Superstition: none of them but either set up their great men, or creatures beneficial to the World, and some the damned Spirits in his stead, and paid an adoration to insensible Creatures or Devils, which was due to God. Some were so depraved in their lives and actions, that it seemed to be the interest of the rest of the World, that they should have been extinguished for the instruction of their contemporaries and posterity. The best of them had turned all Religion into a fable, coin'd a World of rites, some unnatural in themselves, and most of them unbecoming a rational creature to offer, and a Deity to accept; Yet he did not presently arm himself against them with Fire and Sword, nor stopped the course of their Generations, nor tare out all those relics of natural light, which were left in their minds. He did not do what he might have done, but he winked at the times of that ignorance, Act. 17.30. their ignorant Idolatry: for that it refers to, ver. 29. They thought the God-head was like to Gold or Silver, or stone graven by Art, and men's device; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 overlooking them; He demean'd himself so, as if he did not take notice of them. He winked as if he did not see them, and would not deal so severely with them: the eye of his Justice seemed to wink, in not calling them to an account for their sin.
3. His slowness to anger is manifest to the Israelites. You know how often they are called a stiff-necked people; they are said to do evil from their youth, i. e. from the time wherein they were erected a Nation and Common-wealth; and that the City had been a provocation of his anger, and of his fury from the day that they built it, even to this day, i. e. the day of Jeremiah 's Prophesy, that he should remove it from before his face. Jer. 32.31. From the days of Solomon say some, which is too much a curtailing of the Text, as though their provocations had taken date no higher than from the time of Solomon 's rearing the Temple, and beautifying the City, whereby it seemed to be a new Building. They began more early, they scarce discontinued their revolting from God, they were a grief to him 40 years together in the Wilderness, Psal. 95.10. Yet he suffered their manners, Act. 13.18. He bore with their ill behavior, and sawcyness towards him; And no sooner was Joshua 's head laid, and the Elders that were their conductors, gathered to their fathers, but the next Generation forsook God, and smutted themselves with the Idolatry of the Nations; Judge. 2.7.10, 11. And when he punished them by prospering the Arms of their enemies against them, they were no sooner delivered upon their cry and humiliation, but they began a new Scene of Idolatry. And though he brought upon them the power of the Babylonian Empire, and laid chains upon them, to bring them to their right mind. And at 70 years end he struck off their chains, by altering the whole posture of affairs in that part of the World for their sakes; Overturning one Empire, and settling another for their Restoration to their ancient City. And though they did not after disown him for their God, and set up Baal in his Throne, yet they multiplied foolish traditions, whereby they impaired the Authority of the Law; yet he sustained them with a wonderful Patience, and preferred them before all other people in the first offers of the Gospel; And after they had outrag'd not only his servants the Prophets, but his Son the Redeemer, yet he did not forsake them, but employed his Apostles to solicit them, and publish among them the Doctrine of Salvation. So that his treating this people, might well be called much long suffering, it being, above 1500 years, wherein he bore with them, or mildly punished them, far less than their deserts. Their coming out of Egypt being about the year of the World 2450, and their final destruction as a Common-wealth, not till about 40 years after the death of Christ; And all this while his Patience did sometimes wholly restrain his Justice, and sometimes let it fall upon them in some few drops, but made no total devastation of their Country, nor wrote his revenge in extraordinary bloody Characters, till the Roman conquest, wherein he put a period to them, both as a Church and State.
In particular this Patience is manifest.
1. In his giving warnings of Judgments, before he orders them to go forth. He doth not punish in a passion, and hastily; He speaks before he strikes, and speaks that he may not strike. Wrath is published, before it is executed, and that a long time; An 120 years Advertisement was given to a debauched World, before the Heavens were opened, to spout down a deluge upon them. He will not be accused of coming unawares upon a people; He inflicts nothing, but what he foretold either immediately to the people that provoke him, or anciently to them that have been their fore-runners in the same provocation. Hos. 7.12. I will chastise them, as their Congregation hath heard. Many of the leaves of the Old Testament are full of those Presages and Warnings of approaching judgment. These make up a great part of the Volume of it in various Editions, according to the State of the several provoking times. Warnings are given to those people that are most abominable in his sight; Zeph. 2.1, 2. Gather yourselves together, yea gather together Oh Nation, not desired; 'tis a Meiosis, Oh Nation abhor'd, before the decree bring forth. He sends his Heralds, before he sends his Armies; He summons them by the voice of his Prophets, before he confounds them by the voice of his Thunders. When a parley is beaten, a white flagg of Peace is hung out, before a black flagg of fury is set up. He seldom cuts down men by his Judgments, before he hath hewed them by his Prophets; Hos. 6.5. Not a remarkable judgment, but was foretold: the Flood to the Old World by Noah: The Famine to Egypt by Joseph; The Earthquake by Amos. Amos 1.1. The storm from Chaldea by Jeremy; The Captivity of the Ten Tribes by Hosea; The total destruction of Jerusalem, and the Temple by Christ himself; He hath chosen the best persons in the World to give those intimations; Noah, the most Righteous person on the earth for the Old World; And his Son the most beloved person in Heaven for the Jews in the later time. And in other parts of the World, and in the later times, where he hath not warned by Prophets, he hath supplied it by Prodigies in the Air and Earth; Histories are full of such Items from Heaven. Lesser judgments are fore-warners of greater, as Lightnings before Thunder, are Messengers to tell us of a succeeding clap.
1. He doth often give warning of Judgments. He comes not to extremity, till he hath often shaken the rod over Men; He thunders often, before he crusheth them with his Thunder-bolt, He doth not till after the first and second admonition punish a rebel, as he would have us reject a Heretic. He speaks once, yea twice, Job 33.14. and man percieves it not; He sends one Message after another, and waits the success of many messages, before he strikes. Eight Prophets were ordered to acquaint the Old World with approaching judgment: 2 Pet. 2.5. He saved Noah the 8th. person, a Preacher of Righteousness, bringing in the Flood upon the World of the ungodly, called the 8th. in respect of his Preaching, not in regard of his preservation; He was the 8th. Preacher, in order from the beginning of the World, that endeavored to restore the World to the way of Righteousness. Most indeed consider him here, as the 8th person saved, so do our Translators: and therefore add Person, which is not in the Greek. Some others consider him here, as the 8th. Preacher of Righteousness, reckoning Enoch the Son of Seth the first: grounding it upon Gen. 4.26. Then began men to call on the Name of the Lord, Hebr. Then it was began to call in the Name of the Lord; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Sept. He began to call in the Name of the Lord, which others render, he began to preach, or call upon men in the Name of the Lord. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies to Preach, or to call upon men by Preaching. Prov. 1.21. Wisdom crieth, or preaches; And if this be so, as it is very probable, 'tis easy to reckon him the 8th. Preacher, by numbering the successive heads of the Generations; Gen. 5. Beginning at Enoch the first Preacher of Righteousness, So many there were before God choked the Old World with water, and swept them away; 'It is clear he often did admonish by his Prophets, the Jews of their sin, and the wrath which should come upon them. One Prophet, Hosea, Prophesied 70 years; for he Prophesied in the days of 4 Kings of Judah, and one of Israel, Jeroboam, the Son of Joash, Hos. 1.1. or Jeroboam the second of that name. Uzziah King of Judah, in whose Reign Hosea Prophesied, lived 38 years after the death of Jeroboam. The Second Jotham, Uzziah's Successor, Reign'd 16 years, Ahaz 16, Hezekiah 29 years; Now take nothing of Hezekiah 's time, and Date the beginning of his Prophesy from the last year of Jeroboam 's Reign, and the time of Hosea 's Prophesy, will be 70 years complete; Wherein God warned those people, and waited the return particularly of Israel; and not less than 5 of those, we call the lesser Prophets, were sent to foretell the destruction of the Ten Tribes, and to call them to Repentance: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Micah, Jonah; And though we have nothing of Jonah 's Prophesy in this concern of Israel, yet that he lived in the time of the same Jeroboam, and Prophesied things, which are not upon record in the book of Jonah, is clear; 2 King. 14.25. And besides those, Isaiah Prophesied also in the Reign of the same Kings, as Hosea did; Isa. 1.1. And it is God's usual method, to send forth his servants, and when their admonitions are slighted, he Commissions others, before he sends out his destroying Armies. Mat. 22.3, 4, 7.
2. He doth often give warning of Judgments, that he might not pour out his wrath. He summons them to a surrender of themselves, and a return from their Rebellion, that they might not feel the force of his Arms. He offers peace before he shakes off the dust of his feet, that his despised peace might not return in vain to him, to solicit a revenge from his anger. He hath a right to punish upon the first Commission of a crime, but he warns men of what they have deserved, of what his Justice moves him to inflict, that by having recourse to his mercy, he might not exercise the rights of his Justice. God sought to kill Moses for not circumcising his Son. Exod. 4.24. Could God, that sought it, miss of a way to do it? Could a creature lurch, or fly from him? God put on the garb of an enemy, that Moses might be discouraged from being an instrument of his own ruin: God manifested an anger against Moses for his neglect, as if he would then have destroyed him, that Moses might prevent it, by casting off his carelessness, and doing his duty. He sought to kill him by some evident sign, that Moses might escape the judgment by his obedience. He threatens Nineveh by the Prophet with destruction, that Nineveh 's Repentance might make void the Prophesy. He fights with men by the Sword of his mouth, that he might not pierce them by the Sword of his wrath. He threatens, that men might prevent the execution of his threatening; He terrifies, that he might not destroy, but that men by humiliation may lie prostrate before him, and move the bowels of his mercy to a louder sound, than the voice of his Anger. He takes time to whet his Sword, that men may turn themselves from the edge of it. He roars like a Lion, that men, by hearing his voice, may shelter themselves from being torn by his Wrath. There is patience in the sharpest threatening, that we may avoid the scourge. Who can charge God with an eagerness to revenge, that sends so many Heralds, and so often before he strikes, that he might be prevented from striking? His threatenings have not so much of a black flag, as of an Olive branch. He lifts his up hand, before he strikes, that men might See and avert the stroke. Isaiah 26.11.
2. His Patience is manifest, in long delaying his threatened Judgments, though he finds no Repentance in the Rebels. He doth sometimes delay his lighter punishments, because he doth not delight in torturing his Creatures; but he doth longer delay his destroying punishments, such as put an end to men's happiness, and remit them to their final and unchangeable state; because he doth not delight in the death of a Sinner. While he is preparing his arrows, he is waiting for an occasion to lay them aside, and dull their points, that he may with honor march back again, and disband his Armies. He brings lighter smarts sooner, that men might not think him asleep, but he suspends the more terrible judgments, that men might be led to Repentance. He scatters not his consuming fires at the first, but brings on ruining vengeance with a slow pace; sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed. Eccles. 8.11. The Jews therefore say that Michael, the Minister of Justice, flies with one wing, but Gabriel the Minister of Mercy with two. An 120 years did God wait upon the old World, and delay their punishment, all the time the Ark was preparing. 1 Pet. 3.20. Wherein that wicked Generation did not enjoy only a bare patience, but a striving patience. Gen. 6.3. My Spirit shall not always strive with man, yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years, the days wherein I will strive with him; that his Long-suffering might not lose all its fruit, and remit the objects of it into the hands of consuming Justice. It was the Tenth Generation of the World from Adam, when the deluge overflow'd it, so long did God bear with them. And the Tenth Generation from Noah wherein Sodom was consumed. God did not come to keep his Assizes in Sodom, till the cry of their sins was very strong, that it had been a wrong to his Justice to have restrained it any longer. The cry was so loud, that he could not be at quiet, as it were, on his Throne of Glory for the disturbing noise. Gen. 18.20, 21. Sin transgresseth the Law, the Law being violated, solicits Justice, Justice being urged pleads for punishment; the cry of their sins did as it were force him from Heaven to come down, and examine what cause there was for that clamour. Sin cries loud and long, before he takes his Sword in hand. Four hundred years he kept off deserved destruction from the Amorites, and defer'd making good his promise to Abraham, of giving Canaan to his Posterity out of his Long-suffering to the Amorites. Gen. 15.16. In the fourth Generation they shall come hither again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Their measure was filling then, but not so full as to put a stop to any further patience till four hundred years after. The usual time in succeeding Generations from the denouncing of Judgments to the execution, is forty years, this some ground upon Ezek. 4.6. thou shalt bear the iniquity of the House of Judah forty days, taking each day for a year. Though Hosea lived seventy years, yet from the beginning of his prophesying Judgments against Israel to the pouring them out upon that Idolatrous People, it was forty years. Hosea as was mentioned before, prophesied against them in the days of Jeroboam the second, in whose time God did wonderfully deliver Israel. 2 Kings 14.26.27. From that time till the total destruction of the ten Tribes it was forty years, as may easily be computed from the Story, 2 Kings 15, 16, 17. chapters. by the Reign of the succeeding Kings. So forty years after the most horrid villainy that ever was committed in the face of the Sun, viz. The Crucifying the Son of God, was Jerusalem destroyed, and the inhabitants captiv'd; so long did God delay a visible punishment for such an outrage. Sometimes he prolongs sending a threatened judgment upon a mere shadow of humiliation; so he did that denounced against Ahab. He turned it over to his posterity, and adjourn'd it to another season. 1 Kings 21.29. He doth not issue out an Arrest upon one Transgression, you often find him not commencing a suit against men, till three and four Transgressions. The first of Amos, all along that chapter, and the second chapter; for three and four, i. e. seven. A certain number for an uncertain. He gives not orders to his judgments to march, till men be obstinate, and refuse any commerce with him. He stops them, till there be no remedy. 2 Chron. 36.16. It must be a great wickedness that gives vent to them, Hos. 10.15. Heb. your wickedness of wickedness. He is so slow to anger, and stays the punishment his enemies deserve, that he may seem to have forgot his kindness to his Friends. Psal. 44.24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction, and oppression? He lets his people groan under the yoke of their Enemies, as if he were made up of kindness to his Enemies, and anger against his Friends. This delaying of punishment to evil men, is visible in his suspending the terrifying acts of Conscience, and supporting it only, in its checking, admonishing, and controlling acts. The patience of a Governor is seen in the patient mildness of his Deputy. David's Conscience did not terrify him, till