¶701. HAPPINESS OF HEAVEN INCREASING Tis certain that the inhabitants of heaven do increase in their knowledge ""the angels know more than they did before Christs incarnation for they are said to know by the church [E's line] i.e by the deal- /p. 37/ ings of God with the church, the manifold wisdom of G. [E's lines] & to desire to look into the account the gospel gives of the sufferings of Christ & the glory that should follow" Ridgleys Body of Divinity p. 61. 62. vol. 1. [finis]
¶702. WORK OF CREATION. PROVIDENCE. REDEMPTION. Gods providence taken summarily or in general[, ?] is an operation & work of his superiour to the work of creation for providence may in some respect be called the end of the work of creation[, ?] as the use and improvement any artificer makes of an engine, or the work he intends with it is superiour to his making the engine. God created the world to glorify himself but it was principally that he might glorify him in his disposal of the world or in the use he intended to make of it in his providence, <and Gods providential disposals of the material part of the world are all subordinate to his providence towards the spiritual and intelligent part of it> [¶ ?] And that work of Gods providence, to which all other works of providence both in the material & immaterial part of the creation, are subservient is the work of redemption all other works of providence may be looked upon as appendages [E's line] to this great work, or things [E's line] which God does to subserve that grand design the work of redemption may be looked upon as the great end and drift of all Gods works & dispensations from the beginning & even the end of the work of creation it self Yea the whole creation it was the end of the creation of heaven the preparing that blessed & glorious habitation was with an eye to this It was the end of the creation of the angels it was with an eye to the Son of God & their subserviency to him in the government God intended him as God man Mediatour & the service and ministration they were to be improved in in his mediatorial kingdom they were created that they might be ministring spirits sent forth to minister in the service of that kingdom [¶ ?] And the creation of the visible world [was (om. E.)] in order to it & therefore 1. Hence all things in the formation & constitution & disposal of it in heaven above & [wwxo] & in the earth & the inhabitants of it among all the brute animals & especially in the state & circumstances of the world of mankind shadow forth the things that appertain to this work & do point to them many ways 2 It may be further argued that the creation of the visible world was in order to the work of redemption that not only the things made do shadow forth things that appertain to their work, but the work of creation it self seems to be so done that it should shadow forth the work of redemption in the manner od doing of it. Thus every thing was first a chaos & things were brought out of a state of utter darkness & confusion & (as it were) ruin. And the first thing that appeard by which the world began to come out of this state was light which seems well to shadow forth & represent three things viz First. that the recovery of the world from confusion & ruin is by X who is the wisdom of God & the brightness of his glory & the light of the world & that the first thing that was done in order to the recovery of the ruin'd world was the giving of Jesus X to be the light of the world to put an end to its darkness & confusion
¶Secondly. as the light was the first thing came[ck MS] out of darkness & confusion (for it is said God caused the light to shine out of darkness 2 Cor 4. 6) so X was in a sense the first that rose out of the dismal darkness ruin & death that was occasioned by sin Act 26. 23. Colos. 1. 18 1 Cor 15. 20. 23. Rev. 1. 5. Thirdly spiritual light is the first thing in the new creation, or in the recovery of the redeemed out of their spiritual con sin & misery the first thing that God doth is to cause the light to shine into the dark heart & this work of God is expressly compared to that of his causing light to shine out of the chaos 2. Cor. 4. 6. & the manner of Gods doing this is well represented by the manner of his doing that, viz by speaking the powerfull word his saying Let there be light.
¶And after the light all things were brought to beuty [sic] & perfection & excellent order out of this dark chaos But yet gradually one thing after another till the seventh day the day of holy rest when all things appear'd very good in their compleat beuty & perfection & all remainders of chaos were perfectly done away Gen 1 last v. And God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Which well represents two things viz First, how that the work of grace that is begun in the soul is gradually carried on till it is brought to its perfection without any remains of sin or misery in the heavenly rest & eternal sabbath to which that sabbath of the seventh day is expressly compared Heb 4. 4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, & God did rest on the seventh day from all his works 9 v. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God together with the rest of the context. Secondly How that the work of redemption is gradually carried on in the world till the church shall be brought to the most perfect & glorious & happy state on earth to a state of rest which will probably be after the expiration of the /p. 39/ first six thousand years of the world which answer to the six days of the creation putting a thousand years for a day.
¶Again the state that the earth was brought into out of the chaos seems well to represent the state that the church or the soul of a believer is brought into by the new creation while here in the present earthly state in two respects. for the sin & misery that the soul is involved in before redemption seems in the first creation to be represented by two things viz 1. darkness & 2dly chaos which is called the waters neither of these was wholly & perfectly abolished but only their power & dominion was broke darkness was no longer suffered to possess the whole world but God set bounds to the darkness & divided the light from the darkness so the waters were no longer suffered to fill heaven & earth as the chaos did before but 1st there was a firmament made to divide the waters from the waters a space free from water & 2dly the waters were not sufferd to overwhelm & cover all & bear dominion over all as they did before but God confined the waters to certain bounds & limits he said Let the waters be gathered together into one place & let the dry land appear God set bars & doors to restrain the waters Job 38. 10 & set a bound that they may not pass over & said hitherto shalt thou come & no further & here shall thy proud waves be stayed Ps. 104. 9. Jer. 5. 22. So in the present state of the church in this world the darkness sin & misery is not totally abolished but only the reigning power of it they are kept under confined to certain bounds by Gods power & brace. <Gods limiting & restraining the waters of the sea is expressly compared to his ruling & curbing the corruptions of man & conquering his enemies Ps 65. 7 & Ps 89 9.> [¶ ?] By the waters being removed from off the land the earth had opportunity to bring forth grass & plants & fruit in abundance. So tis by the breaking the reigning power of sin in the soul that it can be fruitfull in graces & good works. <the waters the the sin & misery> misery & calamity is very often put in SS. to represent misery & calamity [See p. 23. of this Book.] [E's brackets.] Thus the remainders of waters in the creation represent the remainders of sin & misery in the present state of the church but in the future triumphant state of the church there shall be no remains of these & therefore in the description of that tis said there was no more sea Rev 21. 1 /p. 40/
¶And the creation of man in particular seems to have been in such a manner as it was that it might shadow the manner of His greater creation viz his new creation It was like it in this respect that there was as it were a consultation of the Persons of the Trinity about it, as there was about his redemption and then he was formed out of the dust of the earth & was from a vile original which represents the man low and vile original which represents the man low and vile state that man is brought out of by redemption he had life given him by Gods breathing into him the breath of life whereby man became a living soul which represents the manner in which man has spiritual life given him in the new creation viz by the communication of the Spirit of God infusing it into him to be in him a vital principle <next p.> tho made from so vile an original, yet he was crowned with glory & honour & was set over the works of Gods hand made to have dominion over all brute creatures that this was a type of the glorious & exalted state that man is brought into in [shd. be xo with following words xo] particularly Jesus X the Head of man & they in him as their head is evident because what is spoken of the one in the 8th Psalm is applied to the other by the Apostle in the 2d chap of Heb. the Psalmist says Ps 8. 4. What is man that thou art mindfull of him &c-- of how mean original is man that is made of the dust and how mean is he in himself that when he is made he should be set in such dignity. vid notes on Ps. 8.
¶And the place that man was introduced into when he was created out of this vile original viz. into Paradise, a garden of sweet delight & pleasure was a type of heaven that place of glory that persons are brought into by redemption as is evident in that heaven is called Paradise or a garden of pleasure, & as such is particularly compared to this garden Rev. 2. 7. of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God, where is a most evident allusion to the tree of life in the midst of the garden of Eden. man was not made in this garden but was made in some more mean place, & then brought & put into the garden Gen. 2. 7. 8. as man in the new creation is not first brought into being and spiritual life in this earthly country in this barren wilderness & then is brought to heaven & tis here also that the saints are raised from the dead from the dust of the earth [E's] & then ascend up into heaven at the last day. & this introduction of Adam the first Head & father of mankind into paradise after he was made in the image of [sic] and the son of God & formed of the dust of the earth represents the ascension of the second man and spiritual head & father of man[ck MS] into the heavenly paradise after the man X Jesus was made in the image of God or state of sonship in this world & after his body was raised from the grave or dust of the earth next p. but one. /p. 41/
¶ Adam in his creation or in the state wherein he was created was a remarkeable type of X Rom 5. 14.---- after the similitude of Adams transgression who was the figure of that [sic] was to come. He was so in various respects. He was the first man that was formed of the dust of the earth so X was the first begotten from the dead or first raised out of the grave or dust So he was the was the [sic] first that was raised out [of (om. E.)] those mean & low circumstances from weakness from disgrace & misery that were the fruits of mans sin He was the first made of all mankind So X was the first born of every creature, as he was He out of whom the woman was taken even from near his heart, bone of his bone & flesh of his flesh by his deep sleep, so X was he out of whom the church is as it were taken from his transcendent love & by the deep sleep of his death As Adam was the natural father of all mankind so is X the spiritual father of all in the new creation Adam was made the foederal head of all his seed so X is the federal head of all his seed. That blessedness that Adam would have obtained if he had stood for himself and his posterity was but a type of the blessedness that X obtained for himself & his seed by his obedience & therefore that tree of life he should have eat of as a seal of that blessedness was but a type of that blessedness that the church is brought to eat of by Xs obedience Rev. 2. 7. Adam was the son of God Luke 3. 38. as X was formed immediately out of the womb of a virgin by the Spirit of God without the seed of man so Adam was immediately formed out of the bowels of his mother earth which is in Scripture made use [of (om. E.)] to represent the formation of the body in the womb. Ps. 139. 15. & it was from the womb of the earth while yet as it were a virgin which in its pure & undefiled state. & this was by the Spirit as the formation of X in the womb of the virgin for it was that which breathed into him the breath of life. Adam tho made of the mean vile dust of the earth yet was made in the image of God, as is particularly observed Gen 1. 27. God created man in his own image, in the image of God [E's line] created he him. by which four things are typified 1 X the antitype of Adam his being the brightness of Gods glory & the express image of his person. 2. The man X Jesus being made in union with the divine nature so as to be in the divine person he was made in that person that was the essential image of God & so had in a sense the Godhead communicated to him. 3. XS having the image of God as God man as his God as such representating [sic] the person of God the F as his vicegerent in governing & judging the world 4. The transcendent advancmt of men in their union with God whereby they partake of the beuty, life, honour & joy of the eternal Son of God & so are made as Gods by communion of his Spirit whereby they are made partakers of the divine nature last p. /p. 42/
¶ When God created men[ck MS] he created them male and female & united them in marriage then it was even before the fall that God said a man shall leave his father & his mother & shall cleave to his wife, & they shall be one flesh Which we are expressly told is a mystery or type representing the relation that there is between X & his church Eph. 5. 32. & the manner of Eves creation was a remarkeable type of the work of redemption. Adam was first made on the later part of the 6th day but was as it were imperfectly made because without a companion and when he had seen his want probably on the night that followed that day when he was in a deep sleep, Eve was made of his rib. & when he rose from his deep sleep in the morning & the sun arose & all things were renewed he recieved his beuteous spouse that had been formed of him she was brought & presented to him in perfect beuty & purity Which represents being of X by [Large copyist's X in r. mg.] his death and his obtaining the church by his death his dying to present it to himself a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing his rising from the dead to recieve the church that he had purchased. This was on the first day of day of adams resurrection from sabbath day the day of this resurrection of Adam & the first compleat day of his life & the first day of his compleat life his life the day before being imcompleat because without his companion so Xs resurrection when he rose from that death whereby he had purchased the church was on the sabbath the first day of the week the first day of Xs immortal life & the day when he first recieved what he had purchased by his death viz the church actually redeemed who is the fullness or compleatness of him who filleth all in all. See notes on Gen. 2. 3.
¶The six days of the old creation typify probably the first six thousand years of the church and the seventh which was the sabbath the glorious millennium also that eternal state of the churches consummate rest & glory at the end of the T of which the glory of the millennium is a type.
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¶3. This seems to have been one reason why God made the world by Jesus X viz that the creation of the world was a work that was subordinate to the work of redemption but the work of redemption was properly the work of the Son it belongs to him to do the whole of it, God hath entirely left it with him & therefore whatever is needfull to be done in order to it to prepare the way for it to introduce it & to compleat it it belongs to him to do & that this was one reason why God /p. 43/ created the world by Jesus X seems plainly to be intimated by the Apostle, Eph. 3. 9. 10. 11. And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world, hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now unto the principalities & powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he hath purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. <See the argument from these words more full cleard in notes on the words> by X all things were created that are in heaven & that are in earth visible & invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers & therefore were all things made by him by the Fathers appointment because1 they are made for him. For God has appointed him as God man & mediatour to be heir of all things & that he should be head over all things to the church & that all things should be gathered together in him Coloss 1. 16 [?] &c-- with Heb. 1. at the beginning.
¶4. That the works of creation & the laws of nature and that course of nature that God established in creation is subordinate to the work of redemption, is confirmed by this that the laws & course of nature have often been interrupted to subserve to the designs of the great work of redemption to them and law aside what by nature belonged to them by nature to serve them as the head of a family imploys his servants for the good of his children and sends them hither and [A: or] thither & bids them stay or [ident. w. prev.] go as their needs require. But yet there is that which does more abundantly manifest it than this viz.
¶5. The Creatour of heaven & earth himself, coming into this world his (as it were) leaving heaven quitting that glorious habitation & coming down from it & dwelling in this lower world & even descending into the lower parts of the earth to accomplish the work of redemption is a great intimation that both the upper & the lower world heaven earth & hell have their being in subordination to the work of redemption & from love to the redeemed surely the God of heaven would never himself quit heaven that [wwxo] that those that were to be redeemed might have it if he had not made heaven for them He that made this lower T would surely never have abased himself to use this lower T for their good in such a manner as to make it an habitation for himself, had he not made it from love to them [a little space?] The God of nature himself became himself subject in many respects to the laws of nature in order to redemption & that he might obtain the designed good for the redeemed in recieving nourishment in the womb of a woman & being brought forth thence (tho not there concieved) in a natural way his living by meat & drink sleep &c-- & which is much more he was subject to pain & death by vertue of the laws of nature[, ?] the God of nature never so put himself out of the way in any wise to use nature to accomplish any thing else as the work of redemption or to & never for any other purposes [-s, A; comma?] the laws of nature have often been set aside that they might give place to the designs of redemption but have never yielded to any thing else the course of nature has been very often stop'd & made to stand by as yielding to this because God would make the lesser give place to the greater & would make the means to be subject to the end. Thus God divided the sea and made it stand like a wall on each hand for the children of Israel the redeemed to the Lord to pass through this shewed that the sea & the dry land were by the Creator & upholder of all things subordinate [sic] to redemption & to the good and happiness of the redeemed So the mighty works which God wrought in Egypt, wherein God made the vermine the clouds the River Nilus the dust of the earth the thunder & hail the light & the darkness to serve his people & that in a way beyond their natures[, ?] he caused them to lay aside their natures & to act beside their <its> laws in order to it & in the wilderness God caused the mountains to skip like rams & the little hills like lambs and made the waters of the River Jordan to stand on an heap for them and especially is there a remarkeable intimation of this in Gods causing the sun & moon to stand still in Joshuas time for the redemption of his /p. 44/ people. this was a great intimation in providence that even the sun & moon were created for Xs redeemed people & that the very course of nature was by the God of nature subordinated [sic] to them God shewed at that time that the whole frame of the universe was by him put in subjection to Xs redeemed church & therefore the whole frame was as it were arrested and stopped or at least in the principal wheels of its motion & the course of their nature to stand by and yield obtain any other end as the happiness of his elect by redemption. & therefore we may conclude that it was made & established chiefly for this end So much did he put himself out of the way that he became subject to it himself that it might be subject to /p. 45/ the good of the redeemed. he became subject to nature as he assumed the nature of a creature & lived on earth a natural life & he yielded his own nature to be destroyed for the good of those that were to be redeemed Tis an argument that the author of nature subjected nature to their good that he himself clothed himself with this created nature for them and as vested with this created nature, subjected himself to their good gave himself for their good. & yet when he was thus clothed with created nature & so subject to its laws, yet at the same time he appeared as the Lord of nature & he improved his dominion over it by subjecting of it to the good of his people continually in such a course of miracles making of it give place to their good
¶6. Tis evident that all Gods works both of creation & providence, are subordinate to the work of redemption is manifest by the 136 Psalm throughout in which is plainly set forth that all are from mercy to his people not only for the good of his creatures but from mercy which implies their being for their good in way of redemption or as [?] delivered from misery The main subject of the Psalm is the [?] eternity & perpetuity of Gods mercy to his church or his mercies being forever the literal translation is his mercy is in eternity, i.e. his mercy to his church is from everlasting to everlasting the same unchangeable. with this the Psalm begins in the four first verses before the mention of any particular work of mercy & with this the Psalm ends in the last verse after the enumeration of many works of mercy but in the Psalm are many great works of God enumerated as works of mercy & which do shew this property of divine mercy to his church viz that tis eternal & perpetual many of Gods works are enumerated from the beginning of the world to that time wherein the Psalmist lived to shew that Gods mercy is from everlasting to everlasting unchangeable . & first he mentions many great works of God that he had wrought before even the church had a being as particularly the creation of heaven & the earth & waters making the luminaries of heaven particularly the sun moon & stars to shew that his mercy to his people was from eternity This argues it to be from eternity two ways viz. 1. as it was before Gods people had being & 2dly because it was in the very creation or giving being to the world if the giving being to the world be from mercy to Gods church then that mercy it self must be before God gives being to the world & theref [sic] from eternity being before the foundation of the T is /p. 46/ a phrase that signifies a things being from eternity Ephes 1. 4. according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world & so 2. Tim. 1. 9. as X says Prov. 8. <22. 23 the Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old, I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the earth was &c-----> 27. &c-- When he prepared the heavens I was there when he set a compass on the face of the depth when he established the clouds above when he strengthened the fountains of the deep when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment when he appointed the foundations of the earth then I was by him as one brought up with him & was daily his delight rejoicing alwaies before him Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth my delights were with the sons of men.. this is true in this sense that it was from that delight he had in the sons of men that he was with the Father in this work & acted from the Father in making these things & the Psalmist in this Psalm argues from the earliness of the manifestations of mercy in Gods works as the argument is in Jer. 31. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love.
¶Nextly the Psalmist proceeds to enumerate the great works of God towards the church & especially after it was gathered & formed & settled by Moses wherein is shewn the constancy & unchageableness of that mercy he first mentions the great works God did for em in Egypt, & then his dividing the Red Sea & then his leading the people through the wilderness & then his destroying the great kings & mighty princes & giants of the land God intended to give them for a possession & then his giving them their land & settling them in their land & then his delivering them from their enemies from time to time after they were settled in the land Hence the constancy of Gods mercy to his chh is argued by such a successive course of various works of mercy through so many and great changes & so many provocations agreable to what God said to Moses when he appeared to him to send him to deliver Israel out of Egypt that his name was JEHOVAH & I AM THAT I AM which was especially to signify the eternity & immutability of his mercy to his chh. that it was the same now that it was when God made the promises to Abraham & alwaies would be the same And that Gods mercy to his church was perpetual /p. 47/ & would be to eternity seems to be argued by the Psalmist from the experience the church had had of it hitherto that it had remaind and appeard in Gods works the same from the beginning of the world to this time, Gods mercy had never faild yet one generation had pass'd away & another had come the earth had been often emptied of its inhabitants & yet Gods mercy to his church lasted the exercises of that held on in the great works which God wrought as it was of old so it was [in (om E.)] the Psalmists days in his time God had in a wonderfull manner deliverd & redeemed his people from their enemies as v. 23. 24. hence the Psalmist declares his faith that it never will fail but as it had been from [E's line] eternity & had hitherto been exercised from the beginning of the world so it would still to the end of the world & to to eternity
____________________________ Here see 2 Chron. XVI. 92
¶7 Another argument that redemption is the work to which all things are subordinate is that the Redeemer & as Redeemer is made Head over all things tis [an (om E.)] argument that that work of God whereby the good of the redeemed is wrought out is the supreme work of God because their Redeemer as united to their nature, or as God man & mediatour is made supream or [A; and?] set at the head of all things & has all things put under his feet he as their Redeemer is set over all Gods works over all Gods works of creation & over all his works of providence & tis out of respect to the good of the church that he is so as we are expressly taught, Eph. 1. 22. & hath made him to be head over all things to the church & tis in order to their eternal life Joh 17. 2. And thou hast given him power over all flesh that he might give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him tis an evidence that all things are for the sake of the happiness of the saints which they have by redemption that all things are put under the Redeemer of the saints as all things are made for the redeemed so they are all made for X as their Mediatour Colos. 1. 16. 17. 18. All things were created by him & for him & he is before all things & by him all things consist, & he is the head of the body the church. It is mention'd in the 2d of Mark 27. 28. v as the reason why the son of man is made Lord of the sabbath that the sabbath was made for man & if so there is doubtless the same reason that /p. 48/ the son of man is made Lord of all things viz that all things were made for man[ck MS] i.e for those men that are X's to be redeemed by him. because the works of providence are all for the saints therefore it is that the ministers of providence the angels are all put in subjection to their Head & Redeemer it is that they may be all ministring spirits sent forth to minister to them that shall be the heirs of salvation as we are taught Heb. 1. 6 & 14 verses
¶8. Tis a further evidence that all things are subordinate to the redemption & happiness of the saints that not [only (om. E.)] is their Redeemer set over all things but they are set over all things & shall reign over all things in and with him they shall reign over all things as sitting with X in his throne Rev. 2. 26. 27. Yea
¶9. We are expressly informed in SS. that all things are theirs who are the redeemed of X as 1 Cor. 3. 21. 22. All things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life <or death or things present or things to come all are yours. the angels are expressly called their angels & therefore doubtless were made for them tis no where said that they are the angels as the angels are said to be theirs>[ck MS] & so the Apostle says of himself that he possess all things 2 Cor 6. 10. Now all things are theirs no otherwise than as they are for their good.
¶10. Tis an evidence that the work of redemption & the making happy sinfull men in X is that for which all things are done and to which all things are ultimately directed that the consummation of all things is committed into the hands of X as Redeemer & subjected to the redeemed themselves in him If we would know what is the end of all things we must look to the end of all things & see how they conclude. if we look there we shall see that the concluding or winding up of things (if I may so speak[)] wherein the final issue & event of things is to be is to be [sic] brought about is committed into the hands of X as the Head & Redeemer of the church <& they have communion with him in it.> tis left with him to finish things off to bring em to their last issue[. ?] tis left with him therefore to judge the world & put an end to the present state of things & fix all things in their eternal state this is a plain intimation that the happiness of him whose Redeemer he /p. 49/ is is the end of all things especially considering that they shall bear a part with him in it as having communion with him for they shall judge the world & even angels with him <1 Cor 6 2. 3. because all things are subordinate to the work of redemption therefore both the beginning & the end of the world is by the Redeemer & he is appointed of the Father to be both the Creatour & the Judge of the world & is as he says in the Rev. the Alpha & the Omega.>
¶11. This is further evident by considering what it is that will be brought to pass introduced & established by this final consummation of all thing [sic] & that is the perfection of the redemption of the church & the everlasting kingdom of the redeemed the last kingdom which God [mg] which God will set up in the world will be a kingdom wherein the saints shall reign, which will be begun in an anticipation of it in in [sic] the last state of things in this world before it's destruction by the conflagration in Rev. 5. 10. we have the saints singing to Christ thou hast made us to our God kings & priests & we shall reign on earth & this dominion of the saints will be the last kingdom after all the great kingdoms & monarchies of the earth are destroyed and utterly brought to an end3 & the perfection of this kingdom will be after X has put down all principality & power Dan 7. after giving an account of other great monarchies succeeding one another and the kingdom of Antix as the last of them tis said v. 26. 27. But the judgment shall sit and they shall take away his dominion to consume & to destroy it unto the end, and the kingdom & dominion & the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most high whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him In the 20 of Rev. there is an account of the glorious kingdom of the saints before the end of the world represented by that that the souls of the saints lived and reigned with X a thousand years But in the 22 & last chap is an an [sic] account of their dominion in the last & consummate state of things as in the 3d 4. & 5. verses And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God & of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him & they shall see his face /p. 50/ and his name shall be in their foreheads and there shall be no night there & they need no candle neither light of the sun for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever & ever . We may well conclude that this last & everlasting kingdom is the end of all foregoing kingdoms & monarchies and all the changes & revolutions & all that comes to pass from the beginning to the end <&> [xo] they all doubtless tended to this consummate state of things
¶12. Tis represented in Scripture as tho the whole creation were labouring & travailing to bring forth this perfect redemption of the elect Rom 8. 19. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God & v. 22. For we know that the whole creation groaneth & travileth in pain together until now with the context. All the creatures in all their motions operations & changes are seeking this end viz the perfect redemption of the elect & never will be at rest till that glorious & eternal reign of the saints is established & therefore tis said there in that context v 28. 29. 30 And we know that all things shall work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose & the verses following it tells what good of theirs all things conspire to seek viz that they should be called & conformed to the image of X & that they should be justified & that they should be glorified.
¶So that the work of God is but one <so far as the works of God are made known to us for I would say nothing of possible unreveald works with which we have nothing to do> tis not many works that are separate & not dependent or subordinate tis but one work tis all one scheme one contrivance & that is the scheme & contrivance & work of glorifying himself & his Son Jesus X & gathering & uniting his creatures to himself & making them happy in hims. through X God man by means of that glorious redemption that he has wrought out. & when this design was reveald by coming into the world & accomplishing this great work, it was an opening to the view of angels & saints Gods great design in all that he had been doing from the first foundation of the world which had been till then [See p. 86 this mark [finis; E's bracket]
¶703. SIN against the HOLY GHOST. See No 475. In order to the sin against the Holy Ghost, persons must appear in avowed malicious opposition & contumacy against the Holy Ghost meerly as subsisting in the Godhead or as acting in the Godhead or against those things in God that may be resolved into the divine Spirit as particularly the holiness of God which is not indeed different from the Holy Ghost for every man that hates God hates him for his holiness & so if he hates the Father or hates the Son he hates him for the Holy Ghost which proceeds from them and so every man that blasphemes the Father of the Son & so expresses his malice against them he blasphemes them for that which is the Holy Ghost in them or proceeding from them but X has told us that if men blaspheme the Father or the Son they shall be forgiven, but that which they reproach must be the Holy Ghost in his work and office & as communicated to men & acting in them either in his ordinary or extraordinary influences and operations. This is what is sometimes meant by the Holy Ghost in Scripture, Acts 19. 2. He said unto them have ye recieved the Holy Ghost since ye believed & they said unto him we have not so much as heard whether there be an Holy Ghost. it must be against conviction reproaching the Holy Ghost in his gracious mercifull communications to & operations in men, whether those communications & operations are ordinary or extraordinary <tis reproaching the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of grace Heb. 10. 29 He hath done despite to the Sp. of gr[ace (om. E.)]. The word in the original signifies treating with petulant, proud & insolent reproach vid Mastrict. p 363. Col. 1.> reproaching the Holy Ghost in his extraordinary & miraculous gifts & operations was this blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. So did they to a great degree who had themselves had those extraordinary gifts that yet totally apostatized from Christianity & turned persecutors spoken of Heb. 6. 4. 5. 6. For tis impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift & were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away to renew them again to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh & put him to an open shame. [space on line] Reproaching the Spirit of God as thus communicated to men and operating in them is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost whatever man it be in. if it be as being communicated to the man Christ Jesus there is no reason why it should not be looked upon as a sin of the same nature & kind as if in any other man to reproach the Holy Ghost in that man that was the elder Brother & the Head of all the rest is as much this sin as to reproach him in any of the other brethren. Hence the Jews reproaching the Holy Ghost in Christ & calling him Beelzebub was blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. if they had reproached any thing else in X as reproaching him for being the carpenters son, would not have would not have [sic] been this sin for blasphemy against the Son shall be forgiven /p. 52/
¶With respect to the ground of the unpardonableness of this sin this is not properly the greatness or heinousness of it, or because it brings such a degree of guilt, but Gods arbitrary constitution The exceeding aggravations of this sin its being the most aggravated sort of sin may be one reason why God in wisdom has seen meet so so [sic] to constitute that it never should be pardoned to be a warning to men to take heed how they go great [sic] lengths in sin & for other wise ends but the meer heinousness of it or degree of guilt, without regard to these wise ends & good consequences of such a constitution, is not the thing that renders it unpardonable. for if so then it would follow that the same degree of guilt whereever it was & however contracted was alwaies unpardonable, wheras we have no ground to conclude that none are ever pardoned that have contracted as great a degree of guilt, as is contracted by an act of this sin for tho we should suppose this sin vastly more heinous than tis possible for any other sin to be, yet it cant be supposed impossible for a man by multiplying other sins, to contract as great guilt as a man contracts by one act of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. tis possible that a man should fill up great part of his life with acts of blasphemy against the Father & the Son together with all manner of other most heinous sins whereby his guilt might doubtless far exceed the guilt of one act of sin against the Holy Ghost, but yet this would not be unpardonable for X has expressly taught us that all manner of sins & blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. & I dont know that we have any certain ground to conclude that tis not possible for any other particular sin to be as heinous as an act of this sin or that blasphemy against the Father & against the Son cant be so circumstanced & aggravated as to bring equal guilt with it <to suppose that tis> the degree of guilt that properly rendered this sin unpardonable is to suppose that Gods mercy is not equally sufficient to pardon some sins as others or that Xs blood was not as sufficient to satisfy for the greatest sins as the smallest
¶Tis therefore a grand mistake that person under trouble that are tempted to think that they have committed the unpardonable sin ordinarily argue upon For this is the principle they most commonly go upon viz. that some sin is /p. 53/ unpardonable & beyond the reach of pardoning mercy because of the heinousness of it & they think some sin of theirs that their minds are fixed is bad enough to be unpardonable they therefore conclude it to be the unpardonable sin without without [sic] looking into the word of God to compare it with the description given of that particular sin called blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. vid p. 64 &c. [finis]
[at end of No. 703]
¶ Join this with Numb 475. the 3d particular.] [E's brack.] blaspheming against the Holy Ghost possibly may be done without words but it cant be done meerly with the heart or in the thoughts. for whether blaspheming necessarily implies speaking words or no, yet thus much it implies viz. that the malice & contempt that there is in the heart be some way professed & avowed there is besides malice that horrid presumption & contumacy as in a willfull manner openly to appear in it & profess & declare it <& stand in it. if it bent done by words it must be done by actions that carry a plain open owning & declaring contemptuous malice.> I can think of but three ways of appearing in avowed contempt & reproach against the Holy Ghost viz either 1st by reproaches in words or 2dly by appearing in open & declared war against it which is done by persecution, or 3dly by apostacy & open renouncing Xtianity with the Spirit that confirms it. For persecution against the Spirit of God in the saints <openly & manifestly for that> against light seems to be this sin as well as reproaching the Holy Spirit. Hence X prays that the Father would forgive those that crucified him because they knew not what they did, signifying that other wise there would be no forgiveness. vid notes in loc. So [xo by mistake?] the Apostle when he is declaring how he persecuted the saints 1. Tim 1. 13. says he obtaind mercy because he did it ignorantly & in unbelief, intimating that if he had done it knowingly there would have been no mercy for him. & indeed persecuting may well be called a blaspheming that which is persecuted tis declaring & avowing malice & contempt as openly & with as much presumption & boldness as if done in words & indeed tis difficult to concieve how a man can appear in open war against the holy Spirit in the saints by persecution without also professing & declaring their malice in words & probably never is especially when the persecutors bent heathen but professours of religion & them that have been enlightened thus the Apostle when he is speaking of what he did which if he had done against light he should not have obtained mercy joins blaspheming & persecuting together 1 Tim. 1. 13. who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief <see notes in loc> [¶ ?] blaspheming /p. 54/ and persecuting were joined together in those Pharisees that charged X with casting out devils by Beelzebub. they were joined together in those that crucified X who could never have been forgiven if they had done it against light. They knew he had wrought miracles but they crucified him under that notion that what he did was by the help of Beelzebub & by the power of Satan & their malice against him was for his holy doctrine & practice which gauled them & which they therefore reproached as being from hell & by the influence of the devil For the Pharisees had infused that notion into the people that he acted & was assisted by the devil. Blasphemy & persecution are joind together in AntiX that greatest of all persecutors We read of [wwxo] of the seven headed beast that on his heads were written the name of blasphemy Rev 13. 1. & 17. 3. & in chap. 13. 5. 6. & 7 verses of that chap tis said of him And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies----and he opend his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle & them that dwell in heaven And it was given unto him to make war with the saints. & Dan 7. 25. And he shall speak great words against the most high and shall wear out the saints of the most high. Persecution & blasphemy are joined together <as what went together> in James 2. 6. 7. do not rich men oppress you & draw you before the judgment seats do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called they were joined together in the Jews at Corinth Acts 18. 6. They opposed them selves & blasphemed v. 12. the Jews made insurrection against Paul & brought him to the judgment seat. the Psalmist speaks of them as joind together in the persecutors & enemies of the church Ps. 74. Ps. 74 [sic] 8 They said in their hearts Let us destroy them together they have burnt up all the synagogues of God in the land---v. 10 O God how long shall the adversary reproach shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever <see also v. 18. 19 & v 21. 22. 23.> they were joind together in Rabshakah when he came up against Jerusalem 2. Kings 19. 3. This day is a day of trouble & rebuke & blasphemy.
¶And it tis moreover probable that there are <it seems to be common among those> none that are professours of rel the worship of the worship of the true God that are bitter persecutors of the saints for their holiness but what are guilty of blasphemy this way viz in laying that[the ?] holiness which they persecute them for to the devil So the papists were wont to put on those that they burnt for the protestant religion a cap /p. 55/ painted with devils
¶And as persecution is commonly attended with blasphemy in words so tis probably [sic] that those that reproach the Holy Ghost so as to be guilty of this unpardonable sin are generally if not universally persecutors those that X speaks of were so & those that the Apostle speaks of in the 6th & the 10 chapters of Hebrews seem plainly to have been so <Heb. 6. 6. They crucify the Son of G afresh i.e. in his members & in the 10 chap. 25 &c he evidently has respect to some that were persecutors by what follows in the chapter> Tis certain they cant be guilty of that sin without a great degree of a persecuting spirit, & a great manifestation of it that malice that there [? some verb?] in it is of that nature
¶Another way of open blaspheming the Holy Ghost in deed possibly may be by apostacy & open renouncing Xtianity with the Spirit that confirms it & is the soul of it. So renouncing cant be done without reproaching & indeed a declared open renouncing Xtianity & its Spirit can scarcely be it self distinguished from reproaching in words for this renunciation is declared by words of this see more in notes on Heb. 6. 4. 5. 6. No. 227 <& also notes on Heb. 10. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. No. 230.> There seems to be no hint in Scripture of any other ways of expressing contempt & malice against the Holy Ghost so as to be the unpardonable blasphemy but these three. & this last is commonly & perhaps alwaies attended with the other two <The Pharisees that X charges with the sin against the H. Gh. were therein guilty of something that was of the nature of apostacy as appears by what X in the same place says Luke 11. 24. When the unclean sp. is gone out of a m. &c.> [finis; last sent. is add. after ¶finished.]
¶ 704. DECREES. PREDESTINATION. SUPRALAPSARIANS. SUBLAPSARIANS. See Num 700
¶What divines intend by prior and posterior in the affair of Gods decrees, is not that one is before another in the order of time for all are from eternity but that we must concieve the view or consideration of one decree to be before another, inasmuch as God decrees one thing out of respect to another decree that he has made so that one decree must be conciev'd of as in some sort to be the ground of another or that God decrees one because of another or that he would not have decreed one had he not decreed that other.
¶Now there are two ways, in which divine decrees may be said to be in this sense prior one to another 1. When one thing decreed is the end of another This must in some respect be concievd of as prior to that other the good to be obtain'd is in some respect prior in the consideration of him who decrees & disposes to the means of obtaining it. & 2. when one thing decreed is the ground on which the disposer goes in seeking such an end by another thing decreed as being the foundation of the capableness or fitness that there is in that other thing decreed, to obtain /p. 56/ such an end Thus the sinfullness of the reprobate is the ground on which God goes in determining to glorify his justice in the punishmt of his sinfullness because that his sinfullness is the foundation of the possibility of the [xo E] obtaining that end by such means his having sin is the foundation of both the fitness & possibility of justice being glorified in the punishment of his sin; & therefore the consideration of the being of sin in the subject must in some respect be prior in the mind of the disposer, to the determination to glorify his justice in the punishment of sin for the disposer must first consider the capableness & aptness of such means for such an end, before he determines them to such an end Thus God must be concieved of, as first considering Adonibezek's cruelty in cutting off the thumbs & great toes of threescore <& ten> [c] kings as that which was to be before he decreed to glorify his justice in punishing that cruelty by the cutting off of his thumbs & great toes for God in this last decree has respect to the finess [sic] & aptness of his thumbs & great toes being cut off to glorify his justice but this aptness depends on that [xo E] the nature of that sin that was punished & [xo c] therefore the disposer in fixing on these[ck MS] means for this end, must be concievd as having that sin in view. Not only must God be concieved of, as having some end in consideration before he determines the means in order to that end but also must he be concieved of as having a consideration of the capableness or aptness of the means to obtain the end, before he fixes on the means. both these indifferent respects may be said to be prior to the means decreed to such end, [sic] in the mind of the disposer both in different respects are the ground or reason of the appointment of the means. The end is the ground or reason of the appointment of the means & also the capacity & fitness of the means to the end, if the ground or reason of their [sic] appointment to such an end. So both the sin of the reprobate & also the glory of divine justice may properly be said to be before the decree of damning the reprobate. the decree of damnation may properly be said, in different respects to be because of both these; & that God would not have decreed the damnation of the sinner, had --- [oblit. c] <it> [c] not been for respect he had both to the one and the other both may properly be considerd /p. 57/ as the ground of the decree of damnation. the view of their [xo c] sinfullness of the reprobate must be in some respect prior in the decree, to Gods decree to glorify his justice in punishing their sinfullness because sinfullness is necessarily supposed or already put, [E's line] in this [xo E?] the decree of punishing sinfullness & the decree of damnation being posteriour to the consideration of the sin of men in this latter respect clears God of any injustice in such a decree
¶That which stands in the place of the ultimate end in the decree i.e that is a meer end & not a means to any thing further or higher viz the shining forth of Gods glory & the communication of his goodness must indeed be considered as prior in the consideration of the supream Disposer to every thing excepting the meer possibility of it but this must in some respect be concieved as prior to that because possibility is necessarily supposed in this decree but if we descend lower than the highest end if we come down to other events decreed that bent meer ends but means to obtain that end & [xo c] then we must necessarily bring in more things as in some respect prior, in the same manner as meer possibility is in this highest decree because that more things must necessarily be supposed or considered as put [c's line?] <in the decree,> in order to those things decreed reaching the end for which they are decreed. more things must be supposed in order to a possibility of these things taking place as subordinate to their end & therefore they stand in the same place, in these lower decrees, as absolute possibility does in the [wwxo] the decree of the highest end The vindictive justice of God is not to be considered as a meer or ultimate end but as a means to an end. indeed Gods glorifying his justice or rather his glorifying his holiness & greatness, has the place of a meer and ultimate end but his glorifying his justice in punishing sin (or in exercising vindictive justice which is the same) or by any other particular means is not to be considered as a meer end but a certain way or means of obtaining an end . vindictive justice is not /p. 58/ to be considered as a certain distinct attribute to be glorified; but as a certain way & means for the glorifying an attribute every distinct way of Gods glorifying or exercising an attribute might as well be called a distinct attribute as this. tis but giving a distinct name to it & so we might multiply attributes without end. The considering <of> [c] the glorifying <of> [c] vindictive justice as a meer end has led to great misrepresentations & undue & unhappy expressions about the decree of reprobation. hence the glorifying of Gods vindictive justice on such particular persons has been considered as altogether prior in the decree to their sinfullness yea <to> [c] their very beings whereby, it being only a means to an end, those things that are necessarily presupposed, in order to the fitness or possibility of this means obtaining the end must be concieved of as prior to it
¶Hence Gods decree of the eternal damnation of the reprobate, is not to be concieved of as prior to the fall yea & to the very being of the persons [-s c?], as the decree of the eternal glory of the elect is for Gods glorifying his love & communicating his goodness stands in the place of a meer or ultimate end & therefore is prior in the mind of the eternal Disposer, to the very beings [xo E] of the subject & to every thing but meer possibility the goodness of God gives the being as well as the happiness of the creature & dont presuppose it
¶Indeed the glorifying Gods mercy as it presupposes the subject to be miserable & the glorifying his grace as it supposes the subject to be sinfull unworthy & ill deserving are not to be concieved of as ultimate ends but only certain ways or means for the glorifying the exceeding abundance & overflowing fullness of Gods goodness & love & [xo c] therefore those decrees bent to be considered as prior to the decree of the being & permission of the fall of the subject & the decree of election as it implies a decree of glorifying Gods mercy & grace considers man[ck MS] as being created & fallen because the very notion of such a decree supposes as put sin & misery
¶Hence we may learn how much in the decree of predestination are [xo c] <is> [c] to be considered as prior to the creation & fall of man, & how much as posteriour viz. that Gods decree to glorify his love & communicate his goodness & to glorify his greatness & holiness is to be considered as prior to the fall of creation & fall of man & because the glory of Gods love & the commu- /p. 59/ nication of his goodness necessarily implies <y> [c] the happiness of the creature & give both their being & happiness; hence the designing to communicate & glorify his goodness & love eternally to a certain number, is to be considered as prior in both those mentiond respects, to their being & fall for such a design in the notion of it presupposes neither But nothing in the decree of reprobation is to be looked upon as antecedent in one of those respects to mans being and fall; but only that general decree that God will glorify his justice or rather his holiness & greatness which supposes neither their being nor sinfullness. but whatsoever there is in the <is> [E] decree of evil to particular subjects is to be considered as consequent on the decree of their creation & permission of their fall & indeed altho all that is in the decree of election all that respects good to the subjects bent posterior to the being & fall of man;[ck MS] yet both the decrees of election & rejection or reprobation, as so stiled, must be considered as consequent on the decrees concerning the creation & fall For both these decrees have respect to that distinction or determination that is afterwards actually made amongst men in pursuance of these decrees. hence effectual calling being the proper execution of election, is sometimes in SS. called election & the rejection of men in time is called reprobation & [xo c] therefore these [xo c] decrees of election & reprobation must be looked upon as beginning there where the actual distinction begins because distinction is implied in the notion of these decrees. & therefore whatsoever is prior to this actual distinction the foresight of it or decree concerning it or that state that was common, or wherein they were undistinguished the foresight of it, or decree concerning it, must be considered in some respect as prior to the decree concerning the distinction. because all that is before is supposed or looked on as already put in the decree for that is the decree viz to make such a distinction between those[ck MS] that before were in such a common state & this is agreable to the Scriptural representations of these decrees <Joh 15. 19 Ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you. See also Ezek 16. 1---8.>
¶The decrees of God must be concieved of in the same order & an antecedent to and consequent on one another in the same manner as Gods acts in execution of those decrees. if this wont hold with regard to those things that are the effects of those acts yet certainly it will hold with respect to the acts themselves. They depend on one another & are grounded on one another in the same manner as the decrees that those[ck MS] are the execution of & in no other For on the one hand the decrees of God are no other than his eternal doing what is done acted or executed by him in time & [xo c] on the other hand Gods acts themselves in executing can be concieved of no other wise than as decrees for a present effect The [xo E?] they are acts of Gods will God brings things to pass only by acts of his will. he speaks & it is done his will says Let it be & it is & this act of his will that now is cannot be looked upon as really different from that act of will that was in him before & from eternity in decreing that this thing should be at this time it differs only relatively There is no new act of the will in God but only the same acts of Gods will that [xo c] <which> [c] before because the time was not come respected future time & so were called decrees. but now the time being come <they> [c] respect present time & so bent called by us decrees but acts executing decree. but tis <yet they are> [c] evidently the same act in God. & [xo c] <T> [c] therefore these acts in executing must must [xo c?] certainly be concieved of in the same order with the same dependence as the decrees themselves it may be in some measure illustrated by this the decree of God or the will of God decreeing events may be represented by a strait line of infinite length that runs through all past eternity & terminates in the event the last point in the line is the act of Gods will in bringing the event to pass & dont at all differ from all the other points throught [sic] the infinite length of the line in <a> ne <y> [c ?] other respect but this that this last point is next to the event This line may be represented as in motion but yet alwaies kept parallel to it self the hither end of the line by its motion[s ?] describes events in the order in which they come to pass or at least represents Gods acts in bringing the events to pass in their order & mutual dependence antecedence /p. 61/ & consequence by the motion of all the other points of the line before the event or end of the line in the whole infinite length of it is [xo c] <are> [c] represented the decrees in their order; which because the line in all its motions is kept parallel to it self is exactly the same with the order of the motions of the last point for the motion of every point of the whole line is in all respects just like the motion of that last point wherein the line terminates in the event & the different parts of the motion of every point are in every respect precisely in the same order. & that maxim that that which is first in intention is last in execution dont in the least concern this matter for by last in execution is meant only last in order of time without any respect to the priority or posteriority that we are speaking of & it dont all [sic] hinder but that in Gods acts in executing his decrees one act is the ground or reason of another act in the same manner precisely as the decree that related to it was the ground or reason of the other decree. The absolute independence of God no more argues against some of Gods decrees being grounded on decrees of some other things that should first come to pass than it does [?] against some of Gods acts in time being grounded on some other of his acts that went before Tis just in Gods acts in executing as has been said already of his decreeing in one respect the end that is afterwards to be accomplished is the ground of Gods acting in another respect something that is already accomplished is the ground of his acting as tis the ground of the fitness or capableness of that act to obtain that end. There is nothing but the ultimate end of all things viz Gods glory & the communication of his goodness that is prior to all [shd be xo?] Gods [xo by mistake?] <first act in creating the world> actions or executions in one respect & meer possibility in another but with respect to after acts other ends are prior in one respect & other preceding acts are prior in another just as I have shewn it to be with respect to Gods decrees.
¶Now this being established it may help more clearly to illustrate & fully to evidence what we have insited [sic] on concerning the order of the decrees & that Gods decrees of some /p. 62/ things that are to accompl accomplished first in order of time are also prior in the order so as to be the proper ground & reason of other decrees For let us see how it is in Gods acts in executing his decrees will any deny that Gods act in rewarding for righteousness is grounded on a foregoing act of his in giving righteousness <& that he rewards righteousness in such a person because [E's line?] he hath given righteousness to such a person> & that because this latter act necessarily supposes the former act foregoing So in like manner Gods decree in determining to reward righteousness is grounded on <a decr> antecedent decree to give righteousness because the former decree necessarily supposes the latter decree & implies it in the very notion of it. So who will deny but that Gods act in punishing sin is grounded on what God antecedently hath done in permitting sin or suffering it to be because the former necessarily supposes the former. & therefore that the actual permission of sin is prior in the order of nature to the punishment of it . So whatever foregoing act of God is in any respect a ground and reason of another succeeding act so far is [sic] both the act & the decree of the act prior to both that other act & decree
¶It may be objected to this that if so the decree of bestowing salvation on an elect soul is founded on the decree of bestowing faith on him For God actually bestows salvation in some respect because he has bestowed faith & this would be [to (om. E.)] make the decree of election succeedaneous to faith <the decree of giving> [sic] as well as that of reprobation consequent on the decree of permitting sin To this I answer that both Gods act & also his decree of bestowing salvation on such a fallen creature is in some respects grounded on Gods act & decree of giving faith but in no wise as the decree & act of eternal [sic] punishing is on sin because punishment necessarily presupposes sin so that it could not [be (om. E.)] without it but the decreeing & giving the happiness of the elect is not so founded on faith with respect to the the case is very different for with respect to eternal punishment it may be said that God would not yea could not have decreed or executed it had he not decreed and permitted sin but it cant be said either that God could not or would not have decreed /p. 63/ or bestowed the eternal happiness of the elect unless he had decreed & given faith <indeed ye salvation of an elect soul is in this respect grounded on the decree of giving faith viz as Gods decree of bestowing happiness on the elect in this particular way viz as a fallen creature & by the righteousness of X made his own by being heartily recieved & closed with is grounded on the decree of bestowing faith in X because it presupposes as the act that answers to this decree does but the decree of bestowing happiness in general which we concieve of as antecedent to this act presupposes no such thing nor does just so much without any more in execution presuppose faith or indeed the righteousness of or any act or suffering of a mediatour nor indeed the fall of man & the decree of Gods communicating his goodness to such a subject, dont so much as presuppose the being of the subject because it gives being but there is no decree of evil to such a subject can be concieved of as antecedent to a decree of punishment for [xo?] the first decree of evil or suffering implies that in it for there is no evil decreed for any other end but the glory of Gods justice, & therefore the decree of the permission of sin is prior to all other things in the decree of reprobation.
¶Due distinctions seem not to have been observed in asserting that all the decrees of God are unconditional which has occasioned difficulty in controversies about the decrees there are no conditional decrees in this sense viz that decrees should depend on things or conditions of them that in this decree that depends on them as conditions must be considered as themselves yet undecreed but yet decrees may in some sort be conditions of decrees so as that it may be said that God would not have decreed some things had he not decreed others [finis]
¶705. FREE GRACE. JUSTIFICATION. Join this to Numb 682. Tho giving an interest in X is evermore an act of meer sovereignty yet denying an interest in X may be a judicial act tho admitting /p. 64/ to union with X & communion in Xs benefits be only an act of free & sovereign grace, & no judicial proceeding yet excluding <at the day of judgment> those professours of Xtianity that have had the offers of a Saviour & have had a time of probation under the gospel, & a trial whether they would accept of a Saviour or no is alwaies a judicial proceeding & is a just punishment for their unworthy treatment of X & indeed a being denied an interest in X is evermore in some respect a judicial proceeding even in the heathen for the miserable state that they are in is Gods just judgment upon them & so it is that they are continued in it without a Saviour & even that the devils in hell have no Saviour is in just wrath for their sin. [¶?] Tho God of his free & distinguishing grace, dont inflict that just punishment of leaving them finally in their misery without a Saviour yet that dont argue that when God does inflict it inflicting tis as being a just deserved punishment. yea it argues that it is so for it if were [not (om. E.)] a due punishment on those that suffer it it would not be free grace to be delivered from it. [finis]
¶706. SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. why unpardonable. vid. p. 52 & No 475 Tho tis possible that the highest & most aggravated acts of some other kinds of sin may be more heinous than the lowest acts of this sin yet this sin seems evidently to be the most heinous kind [E's] of sin in the world & tis a sort of sin that not only by its degree but by its particular nature is above others inviting & calling for such a judgment & punishment as final dereliction & remediless irrecoverable hardening there is no other sin to whose nature & properties such a punishment is in every respect so consonant & adapted there is no sin that does to such a degree & so many ways as it were seek & embrace & challenge God to inflict such a judgment & that & oppose and reject a remedy. & however the heinousness of the sin & its so much deserving this judgment bent the thing[, ?] that in it self ren-/p. 65/ ders this sin unpardonable, but arbitrary constitution yet that the wisdom of God has respect to these[ck MS] things in this sin in constituting it unpardonable is evident by the reasons the Apostle gives why God has been pleased so to constitute, Heb 6. Tis impossible to renew them again to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh & put him to an open shame, for the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it & bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed recieveth blessing from God, but that which beareth thorns & briars is rejected & is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 10. 26. if we sin willfully after we have recieved the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin-----28. 29. He that despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God & hath counted the blood of the covenant an unholy thing & hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace. But that it is thus with the sin against the Holy Ghost as has been said may appear by the following things
¶This sin is a sin of the most heinous kind in that it is not a sin of omission but commission
¶Tis a sin of the most heinous kind with regard to the Object against whom it is committed tis a sin committed primarily & most directly against God 1 Sam 2. 25 if one man sin against another the judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him Tis a sin against that great command of the law Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul & all thy mind and all thy strength tis a sin against the first table of the law and against the first & chief precept of that table
¶Tis of the most heinous kind that tis not meerly sin in the principle or a lust that has its being in the heart as a principle of sin there but tis actual sin in it the principle is brought forth into act & exercise.
¶Tis of the most heinous kind as tis not only the sin or corruption of the heart in act or exercise & that against God but tis the highest kind of the exercise of corruption the nature of all the corruption of the heart is expressed by that that tis enmity against God /p. 66/
¶This enmity is exercised in a various opposition as in neglecting God flying from God, disliking & disrelishing the things of God disregarding the commands of God being ungratefull towards God unaffected at the displays of his perfections &c. but in this sin is enmity against God in the highest sort of exercise of all both in esteam & affection viz direct contemptuous malice or malicious contempt tis the highest & most direct opposition to the foundation & sum of all duty & the source & comprehension of all holiness viz. love to God
¶Tis the most heinous sort of sin, not only as tis actual sin corruption in exercise & in the most heinous sort of exercise, but tis actual sin in its most perfect production tis not a lust in the first stirrings & motions of it in the heart which the lowest sort of sin with respect to the manner & degree of production. nor is it those[ck MS] motions or stirrings only tolerated & allowed, so far as not presently to be forbidden & expelled which are the workings of lust in order to conception & are next degree of production nor is it only the act or exercise fully consented to & allowed by the explicit deliberate determination of the will whereby lust has fully concieved nor is only the outward act fully resolved upon whereby what was concieved is fully ripend for the birth but what is concieved is actually brought forth [¶?] This malice against God is vented in outward & open acts this contemptuous malice against God is expressed in malicious outward acts & not only so but tis expressed in the highest fullness & perfectness of expression not only in doing those acts & speaking those words that do indeed proceed from such malice but to do it with such horrid audacious presumption & contumacy as to be professed and avowed & open in it to show & declare this malicious contempt. & that either in blasphemous speeches or such a behaviour as carries a plain open owning & declaring this contemptuous malice, so as that it may justly be called blasphemy
¶Tis a sin of the highest kind as tis committed against the greatest & most glorious kind of objective light or light held forth to the sinner tis a sin not only against the light of nature but against the glorious light of the gospel
¶So that tis the highest kind of actual sin against God or against the first table of the law. There are various kinds of actual sins of this sort there is profaneness [mg] there is profaneness [sic] heresy idolatry sacriledge atheism /p. 67/ blasphemy but the [wxo] the most heinous of all is blasphemy
¶Tis a sin of the highest kind as tis committed against the greatest & most glorious objective light tis a sin not only against the light of nature, but against the glorious light of the gospel
¶Tis also of the most heinous kind not only as tis against outward light but against inward light against the light of mens own consciences & tis a sin not only against doubts & misgivings of conscience, but against the plain dictates & clear light of conscience.
¶Tis a sin of the highest kind as tis in opposition to the greatest means that ever God uses with natural man tis not only against the means God uses with all mankind in the manifestations he makes of himself in the works of creations [sic] & providence, & in his providential dealings with them preserving them bestowing good things on them & correcting them for sin & also against the much greater external means given & appointed by revelation his word & ordinances & the outward warnings counsels calls & invitation[sic] wherewith God is striving with men & X knocking at the door of their hearts but in opposition to the inward strivings of Gods Spirit, whereby X comes as it were down from heaven & stands & knocks at their door. & tis against those motions & strivings of the Spirit of God which is <circumstance of> an aggravation of sin that does exceedingly provoke God & tends above all others to harden the heart & this sin is not only against the inward strivings of Gods Spirit but against those strivings that are of the highest kind that are ever given to natural men as Heb. 6. So great as to give conviction of the truth & what is called the knowledge of the truth viz the truth of the things of reveald religion
¶Tis a sin of the most inexcuseable sort because tis the most willfull. tis not willfull meerly as there is an approbation of the will to what is evil in it as there is in sins of ignorance, nor [is (om. E.)] it wilfull as the will is gained by being driven against light by fear or drawn by carnal appetite or the like, but tis so willfull that tis done sponte. They commit it of their own accord for oppositions sake, committed from meer malice & contumacy
¶Tis a sin of the most heinous kind as tis committed against the greatest mercies that ever are bestowed on any natural man the outward means of grace are much greater mercies than any outward mercies but the greatest of all are the inward motions & strivings of Gods Spirit those that commit this sin do it against these, & not only but [sic] the highest of this sort the highest kind of inward motions that ever natural men have.
¶Tis a sin attended with those circumstances of the sinner which do above all others render him capable of offring an high injury to God in that they are such as are or have been professours of religion that have visibly recieved God & been visibly recieved by him besides the mercy there is in this to them this capacitates them to do a greater injury than others these two ways viz. 1 as hereby they have voluntarily laid themselves under the highest obligation by that holy covenant which they have owned & bound themselves to God by & 2. as they by such a visible relation to God & concern with him are capable of casting a greater reproach on G. and putting X to a greater shame than others & they improve this capacity they are under in actually committing the greatest injury that their circumstances make them capable of, viz actually openly renouncing this God that they profess in an apostacy or something that is equivalent & in blaspheming him in words or persecuting of him he that has been ownd between whom & them there has been a visible union is openly turnd out of doors with open malice & avowed contempt. & it seems that this sin most commonly happens in those that are highly exalted in the visible church of God & that sustain the place of teachers & pastors there, as it did in the Pharisees & those mentiond in the 6 of Hebrews who had the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit in order to teach & profit others in the church.
¶Upon this & other accounts it is the most heinous sort of sin as it brings the greatest dishonour to God & X & as the greatest scandal ariseth from it it is that sin which above all others puts X to an open /p. 69/ shame Heb. 6. 6.
¶He that commits this sin is guilty of reproaching all the persons of the Trinity in their work & office for the Holy Spirit is the last of them and he by whom both the other[s ?] act he acts in the name of both the other[s ?] & by him is consummated all that each of them do He that reproaches the Father in his Oeconomical concern reproaches him alone in that respect for he acts only in his own name. He that reproaches the Son reproaches both the Father & the Son for he acts not only in his own name but the name of the Father but he that blasphemes the Holy Ghost in his work & office, reproaches & renounces & declares war with them all in all their distinct concerns & offices & that not only because the Spirit acts in the name of the other two but because he is the great & ultimate end of the acting of the other two in the affair of redemption & all their concern in it. Thus he both tramples under foot the Son of God & also does despite to the Spirit of grace, as in Heb. 10. 29. He tramples on all the <causes> [sic] means of his own deliverance, he reproaches the Father who elects to that end that men might have the Holy Spirit, & who gives the Son to purchase the Spirit, & accepts the sacrifice of the Son for the Spirit & sends the Spirit to bring home the sinner to X that he may be justified through him to impute that righteousness to him that is indeed in some respect the Spirit in [sic] the Son the expressions of his influence & actings in him & he justifies them that so they may have a right to the Spirit. He tramples on the blood of X by which he should be cleansed from the guilt of sin he counts that an unholy thing Heb 10. 29. For tis through the Spirit that he offered up that blood & whence it has its excellency & cleansing vertue & tis by the Spirit that he applies his blood he tramples on his righteousness which as has been said is in some sort his Spirit, & is applied by his Spirit he tramples on that Spirit himself by whom he should be brought to repentance & faith & salvation. Thus the whole Trinity is reproached and so all remedy is maliciously and contumaciously opposed and openly trampled for we have no help but in God no salvation by the persons of the Trinity in their offices and the last remedy in a particular manner is thus trampled on viz. the Holy Ghost in his office. So that /p. 70/ there is no remedy left according to the order of acting among the persons of the Trinity It belongs to the Father in the oeconomy of the persons to sustain the dignity of the Deity as a lawgiver & judge & therefore he is the person whose majesty is to be vindicated & his law satisfied for sin committed the Son has the place of a Mediatour who satisfies for our sins the Holy Ghost has the office of a Sanctifier who puts the last hand to the work of our salvation by bringing of us to X & by X to the Father so that he that that [sic] has violated the laws of the Father may have a remedy in the satisfaction of the son he that injures the person of the Son and casts contempt on his satisfaction there remains hope for him in the grace of the Spirit which may open his eyes and change his heart to cast off his enmity against the Son & bring him to repent of it & heartily to close with that satisfaction that was before rejected the Spirit of God does in a sense make intercession for us by working in the heart humble penitent faith in X the Spirit in the heart does as it were look to X & come to him for help for the poor sinner. but he that does avowedly reject & trample on against [sic] the Spirit & declare war against him there remains nothing else whence any hope can arise to him there remains never another divine person to appear for his help the operation of the Spirit is last in the affair of salvation after which there [wwxo] there is no remedy of divine grace to be expected See Turret. Vol. 1. p 718 § 16. <Here join that in p 76 this mark >
¶Moreover he that commits this sin dont only reproach each person in the Trinity but he is guilty of a far greater injury both to the divine being & also to each particular person than if he blasphemed either of the other persons. [It's unclear whether the following is in a new ¶]
¶I. This is the highest injury to the divine being the divine nature & essence is more heinously opposed than it would be by reproaching God or the Deity undistinguishedly or than if would be by reproaching either of the two first persons. because in the sin against the Holy Ghost that person is maligned & vilified that is the very excellency of the Deity or divine being The hatred & malice is /p. 71/ directed against the very beuty & loveliness of the Godhead so that the hatefull & deformed nature of sin appears in this above all sins the sin is against the very holiness of God it self in the most direct manner possible & not only so but tis most directly against that Person who is the very goodness & love & grace of the divine nature they herein vent malice against divine love it self they reproach & trample on divine mercy & grace it self So that both the unholy & [wwxo] & also the ungratefull nature of sin is expressed & manifested in this sin above all other kinds of sin.
¶And IIdly he that commits the sin against the Holy Ghost is guilty of a far greater injury to each of the other persons than if he reproached them directly For as has been already observed in reproaching him in his office he reproaches them in theirs for his is subordinate to theirs he acts in their name & as representing each of them his work is as their messenger to finish & compleat their work So that on this account he reproaches each of the other two as much as if he reproached them single & directly
¶But then he injures them much more than if he reproached them singly & directly for two reasons First. He reproaches the other two in that which is supream & ultimate in their work he reproaches what is ultimate in their work in two respects viz 1. as he reproaches that which is the supream & ultimate aim & end of the work of the other two Thus the ultimate aim of the Father in electing & sending the Son &c-- is the Spirit So the thing ultimately sought & aimed at by the Son in satisfying & purchasing was the Spirit What the Father & the Son make their end in their concern in this affair they do from two grounds viz from the view & consideration of the excellency of the thing aimed at and the graciousness of it or otherwise its goodness or excellency in it self & its tendency to the happiness of the creature. But the Holy Spirit is ultimate in the operations of the other persons in both these re-/p. 72/ spects he is sought by them in their concern in the work of redemption as the thing ultimately excellent & ultimately gracious to man or the ultimate benefit to him & reproaching of the Holy Ghost is a peculiarly aggravated & heinous opposition of the other persons on each account. 2. He that reproaches the Holy Ghost in his office reproaches what is ultimate in the work of the other two as their sending the Holy Ghost in their name <or rather coming by him to apply & actually to accomplish redemption> is the last part of their work that part of it that compleats all & that crowns all the rest & immediately attains the end of all in the sinners actual deliverance & happiness. Secondly. he not only reproaches that which ultimate in their work but he reproaches that which is the very excellency & grace of their work it self. the grace & love of the Father in electing & in sending his Son & acepting his sacrifice consists in the Holy Spirit . the holiness grace & love of the Son in all that he did & suffered & now does consists in the Holy Spirit. Thirdly. He that reproaches the Holy Ghost reproaches each person of the Trinity in their whole work He that reproaches the other persons directly dont reproach them in the whole work He that reproaches X [singly ?] in his office he reproaches him in his satisfying for sin & interceding for sinners & other parts of his office performed by him in his own person separately but he dont reproach him as coming <in &> by his Spirit to make application of this redemption but he that reproaches the Spirit dont only reproach the Fathers election & mission of the Son but also as coming by his Spirit to bestow salvation & life.
¶Hence we may learn that this sin is the greatest violation of that great command of Gospel revelation that we should believe on the Son of God or the highest degree of that great sin of unbelief, or rejection of X Which seems to [be (om. E.)] intimated in the apostles calling it a treading under foot the Son of God, & counting the blood of the covenant an unholy thing & putting X to an open shame:
¶He that commits the sin against the H. Gh. dont only re- /p. 73/ ject & trample on all means of repentance & the favour of God & spiritual & eternal life & all gospel benefits but also on the benefits themselves, for the Holy Ghost is the sum of all those benefits he tramples on the love of the Father [xo ?] he tramples on the grace of the Son For these are the Holy Ghost & the enjoymt of em consists in the communion of the Holy Ghost. He maliciously & contumaciously & with avowed contempt rejects & reproaches his own holiness & happiness love to God & joy in God for this is the Spirit of God he tramples on his own good both of perfection & happiness for tis that divine person in the communication of which consists both our holiness & joy.
¶Sins against the persons of the Trinity are great & heinous in the reverse order of their subsisting & acting in the work of redemption. the Son is second in order but sins against him in his office are much more highly resented by God than sins directly against the Fathers glory and does most remarkeably appear as such in the affair of redemption that glory [shd. be xo ?] <peculiar & wonderfull glory of G. that appears in this work> shines forth in the face of Jesus X & therein X acts in the name of the Father. Hence the heinousness of the sin of unbelief, & hence sins against the gospel are greater than sins against the law the Holy Ghost is last in order of subsisting & acting but sins against him are greatest of all
¶Persecution is one thing wherein this sin commonly if not alwaies appears & therein it is not only the greatest sin against the first table of the law but also against the second Persecution is a kind of sin above all others a violation of that second great command of the law which is like the first viz thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self & this there is no kind of sin so contrary to that Xtian vertue of charity & that on several accounts it consists in malice, and that against those of our neighbours that are most excellent & that we have most reason to love, viz the saints & especially for that which /p. 74/ is their loveliness & is the highest loveliness that our neighbour can have viz his holiness & the image of God in him none so contrary to the foundation & source of this vertue viz love to God . & [xo ?] that persecution that carries in in which the sin against the Holy Ghost is committed is the most aggravated sort of persecution. [finis]
¶707. SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. with respect to the degree of light persons must have. add this to Num. 475 at this mark & it dont seem to be sufficient that persons should only be in doubt whether it bent indeed something divine or no or that they should have some wavering sort of opinion that it is so but there must be something that is of the nature of conviction that may be called a recieving the knowledge of the truth as Heb. 10. 26. So that what they do they may be said not to do ignorantly & in unbelief 1 Tim 1. 13. & so that they may be said to know what they do. Luke 23. 34.
¶This light by being <so> spoken of seems to be the highest sort of light that natural men ever attain to or are capable of in a natural state & it is probable is not attaind without without [sic] great inward convictions of the Spirit of God those[ck MS] that the Apostle has respect to in the 6 of Heb. evidently had such great enlightenings & convictions of the Spirit. <Tis evident that they had such a conviction of the truth of things of religion for without it they could not work miracles or exercise miraculous gifts which is evident by 1 Cor 13. 2. and tho I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have no charity I am nothing> or at least it is not probable that persons can have this sort of conviction without either great influence of the Spirit of God immediately on their minds or [& ? changed from as] having extraordinary effects of the power & influence of the Spirit of God immediately set before their eyes either in miracles or in exceeding wonderfull works of God in the pouring out of his Spirit in convincing & converting sinners. & probably both do commonly go together, when this sin is committed the pharisees that blasphemed Xs Spirit & called it Beelzebub probably had both We have reason to think that that nation were subject to very great & even the greatest strivings of Xs Spirit before they were cast off and particularly their teachers for we are taught that X exceedingly stove with that people before they were rejected as being lothe [sic] to cast /p. 75/ them of [sic] he said he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel & therefore confined his ministry very much to them preaching & working great miracles among & innumerable miracles among them & his miracles were wrought chiefly for them Hence when the woman of Canaan desired a miracle of him he told her it was not meet to take the childrens bread to cast it to dogs & he directed his disciples when he sent them forth not to go to the Gentiles but to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel & X when the time of his crucifixion drew nigh spake as one that had been striving & using all manner of means to gain them [How often says he has ?] & with tears laments their obstinacy & utter incorrigeableness. how often says he would I have gathered thy children together as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings & ye would not. from the analogy to these[ck MS] things we may well suppose that the inward strivings of Xs Spirit & knocks at the doors of their hearts were very great he who used the greatest outward means with them (for Abrahams & the fathers sakes & because they had long been Gods chosen people) before he rejected them doubtless also used the greatest inward strivings & especially with their teachers & rulers for a people bent rejected & destroyed as a people but for the perverseness & obstinacy of these. & then we have an account that the pharisees were under great convictions a little before under Johns preaching which wrought without doubt by convincing them of the things which John taught of which the main thing was that another should come after him whose shoes latchet & that this person was the X for he came as the harbinger of X & the Pharisees understood him to testify of this very person as appears by Math 21. 25. what they said there when X asked them whence the baptism of John was & tis not to be thought that the Spirit of X finally left striving with them till X himself left striving with them but as X used greater means with them after John before he gave them up so that the Spirit also used greater strivings & convictions & that they ran parallel with the means X used in other respects in that as X used utmost means in other respects be- /p.76/ fore he gave them up so he did in this respect also viz the utmost inward means & that the highest inward convictions were given that are ever given to natural men Hence Stephen charges this sort of men among the Jews with resisting the Holy Ghost with a thorough & persevering obstinacy Acts 7. 51 ye stiff necked & uncircumcised in heart & ears ye do alwaies resist the Holy Ghost. & no more likely reason can be given why those that naild X to his cross were not convinced tho X had so lately wrought that great miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead & that the Pharisees were convinced but that the one had recieved convincing influences of the Spirit of God & the other had not. <That apostacy is alwaies an ingredient in this sin see Note on Luke 11. 24. 25. 26.> [finis; last ref. later add.]
¶ Join this p. 70 at this mark.] [E's] and he that commits the sin against the Holy Ghost dont only avowedly resist & reproach the Holy Sp. the person that is the next & immediate author of repentance & faith & saving conversion but with this exceeding aggravation that he does it at that <the>[?] very time when the Spirit is mercifully striving with him to bring him [sic] & that with his highest & greatest influences that are ever bestowed on natural men[ck MS] by those operations that are the highest step next to those saving benefits. [finis]
¶ 708 XTIAN RELIGION Tho some may be ready to object against the Xtian Religion that there seem to be innumberable difficulties & inconsistences [sic] attending it which would appear to be insolvable but only as a multitude of heads have been employed for many ages to find out solutions for 'em innumerable attempts have been made and multitudes have been rejected one after another as insufficient for the sake of others that have been thought less liable to objection till at length such solutions have been found out for many of them as are in some measure plausible but there is nothing no history nor scheme of doctrine nor set of principles whatever however inconsistent absurd & confused but what might be made to seem consistent at this rate no difficulties nor inconsistences but what something plausible might be found out to colour it <them> [c] over & hide it <them> [c] by so much search & study by a combination of such multitudes through so many ages
¶To this I answer that as there have <has> [c] been many ages [E] a long time to answer objections so there have been many ages [xo c] <long time> [c] to strengthen them as there have been many ages to solve difficulties so there have been as many to find out difficulties & inconsistences Falsehood in things that are in like manner complicated as all that is contained in the whole compass of the scheme of the Xtian religion must needs be attended with numberless things that may discover it more & more of which will appear by time & [xo c] besides there has been all this time to make difficulties more plain & bring out inconsistences more to the light & by thorough & exact consideration to make them more manifest & apparent by setting all things forth more exactly & minutely as they be Time is a thing that wonderfully brings truth to light & wears off by degrees false colourings & disguises if [xo c] the truth be <is always> [c] of that side that would <will> [c] have most advantage by time appearing inconsistences being founded on truth would <will> [c] grow plainer & plainer & difficulties more & more evident it would <Time will> [c] bring [? xo prob. E] discover more circumstances to strengthen them [xo E] & confirm them & [? looks like blotted letter "s" is above line] pretences of solution would <will> [c] appear more & more evidently absurd & ridiculous when there are contending parties that contend by argument & search & enquiry time greatly helps that party that have <has> [c] truth of <on its> [c] their side & weakens the contrary side it gradually wears away the [oblit. by c] sandy foundation & rots away the building that is not made of substantial materials. The Xtian religion has evermore in all ages had its enemies & that among those that were [xo c] learned [xo E] men yea tis observable that there have commonly been some of the most subtil of men to scan the Xtian scheme & to discover the objections that lie against it & have done it with a good will to overthrow it. <Thus it was in Judea in the infancy of the church the scribes & pharisees & the wise men among the Jews employed all their wisdom against it.> Thus in the first ages of the church not many wise not many mighty not many noble were called but Xtianity had the wisdom learning & subtilty of the world to oppose it So of latter ages how many learned & subtil men have done their utmost against Xtianity so that the length of time that there has been for persons to strengthen there [sic] own side in this controversy that is brought as an objection against Xtianity is much more of an argument for it than an objection against it [end of p. 77]
MO. 39-41 §42.
¶709. INCARNATION MYSTICAL UNION. <vid No 624.> A further evidence that the union of the man X Jesus to the divine Logos in the same person so as to be the same Son of God is <by communicating the Spirit of God is> the answer X gives the Jews when they charge him with blasphemy in that he being a man made himself God in the 10 chap. of John 36 v. Say ye of him that the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God. the Jews objection was that he being a man [E's line here and following] made himself one with God X here answers directly to their objection and shews how he a man is the Son of God or how his manhood is united to the Deity and this is by his being sanctified by which it is evident that it must be by his having the Holy Spirit given to him the Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier for the Spirit is the very divine holiness Hence typical sanctifications or settings apart to offices were by those things that represented giving the Spirit of God as anointing with oil &c. X is sanctified by being anointed hence he is called X or the anointed he was sanctified when he was anointed with the oil of gladness. When X <was> [xo ?] enterd on his publick ministry & solemly sanctified by a renewed renewedly sanctified & set apart it was by setting to his work it was by giving the Spirit the Spirit descended like a dove upon him X vindicates his saying that he is the Son of God tho he is a man in that he was sanctified & sent into the world by sending into the world X doubtless means his incarnation & herein he shews that he is the Son of God by the manner of his incarnation as it was first brought to pass which was by the Holy Ghost he was concieved by the Holy Ghost he recieved his first being in this T by the Spirit of holiness & thus the Father sanctified him when he sent him into the world & sanctified him in sending him, into the T incarnated him by sanctification. by sending the Spirit assuming his flesh into being & into the person of the divine Logos at the same time & by the same act the Father sent him into the world or incarnated him by an act of sanctification for the incarnation was assuming flesh or human nature into the person of the Son or giving communion of the divine personality to human nature in giving that human nature being and this was done by giving the Holy Spirit in such a manner & measure to that human nature in making it. & this was sanctifying that human nature /p. 79/ <by this sanctifying> was given communion in the personality of the eternal Son to human [nature (om. E.)] was the very same as sending X into the world there is no other sending the Son into the world & here is the force of Xs argument. seeing the Father hath sanctified him & sent him into the world he has given his manhood being so as to be the Son of God. it was not properly the making the flesh of X that was sending X into the world but making the word flesh it was not meerly giving being to the manhood of X but the communicating the divine personality from heaven to earth in giving being to Xs manhood that was sending X into the world & this God did by an act of sanctification or by an imparting of the Spirit of holiness. So that these two expressions together sanctified & sent into the [world (om. E.)] do shew the nature of Xs incarnation so as to show how that which was produced by it was the Son of God a divine person & so united to the Father that he & the Father were one as X has said v. 30.
¶It was necessary that the same person that acted as the principle of union between the manhood of X & the person of the Son should make the manhood of X for it must be by that person that acted as the principle of union that the human nature must be assumed for assuming implies the united & making is[?] what is part of belongs to assuming This assuming may be considered as one act but having two effects viz the being of the manhood & his union with the person of the Son assuming is the making the human nature in the person of the Logos it was the uniting something out of nothing (i.e. something as yet unmade) to him. Whatever X assumes into union to himself must be by that person that acts as the principle of union & therefore when something was to be assumed out of nothing into union to himself, <X sent forth the> the Logos or word sent forth this constituent or principle of assumption or unition to assume it out of nothing to himself but this implies making & uniting in one act or making in union. if the making had been by one person & the unition by another, it must have been by two dis /p. 80/ tinct acts because by two distinct agents & the humanity would not by him that made it be made out of nothing into the Son nor could the person that made it be properly said to make the word flesh.4 [finis]
¶710. HEAVEN. SEPARATE STATE. RESURRECTION. DISPENSATIONS. How the happiness of the resurrection state will exceed the present happiness in heaven. It looks to me probable, that the glory of the state of the church after the resurrection will as much exceed the present glory of the spirits of just men made perfect as the glory of the gospel dispensation exceeds the Mosaick dispensation or as much as the glory of the state of the church in its first or purest state of it, or rather in its state in the millennium (wherein alone the glory of the gospel dispensation will be fully manifested) exceeds the state of the church under the law & as much as the state [of (om E. mg)] the company of glorified souls exceeds this. of old under the Mosaic dispensation the church saw things very darkly they saw as it were by a reflex light as we see the light of the sun by that of the moon they saw gospel things in dark types & shadows & in dark sayings that were as it were riddles or enigmas the glory of that dispensation was no glory in comparison of the glory of the evangelical dispensation it so much excells but under the gospel dispensation those dark shadows are ceased & instead of enigmas or dark saying [g is prob. an s] the apostles use great plainness of speech, 1 Cor. 3. 12. the night in which we saw by a reflex light only is ceased & X is actually come & [xo ?] we enjoy dailight [sic] John the Baptist was the day star to usher in the day & when he was born the day spring from on high visited us as Zacharias his father sang Luke 1. 78. 79. & when X hims. came the sun rose especially when he rose from the dead & shed forth his light & heat on the day of Pentecost. & now we see the sun by his own direct light we see him immediately the veil[ck MS] is taken away & we all see with open face, 2 Cor 3. 18 But still even under the gospel dispensation we see by a reflex light we see through a looking glass in comparison of what we shall in the future state 1 Cor 13. 12. we understand not by plain speeches and declarations [?] [mg.] but as in an enigma or dark saying as tis said in the same place for the things of heaven cant be expressed as they be in our language /p. 81/ the apostle when he went there said of them that it was not lawfull or possible to utter them. But when the souls of the saints are separated from their bodies they shall no longer see heavenly things as in an aenigma or dark saying for they shall go themselves to heaven to dwell there & shall immediately see & hear those things that it is not possible or lawfull to utter plainly or know immediately in this world. they shall then no longer see X by reflexion as in a looking glass because they shall be where X himself shall be immediately present for they that are departed are with X they that are absent from the body are present with the Lord When that which is perfect is come then we shall no more see by a looking glass in an enigma but shall see face to face, as the apostles [sic] shews 1 Cor 13. 10. 12. but that which is perfect is come with respect to the separate souls of the saints as is evident, by Heb. 12. 23. for they are there called the spirits of just men made perfect And therefore when the soul of the saint leaves the body & goes to heaven it will be like coming out of the dimm light of the night into day light the present state is a dark, benighted state, but when the souls enter [sic] into heaven it we [sic; will be?] like the rising of the sun for they shall then see the sun of righteousness by his own direct light because they shall be with him they will be spirits made perfect in that respect that it will be perfect day with them Prov 4. 18. We cant in the present state see clearly because we have a vail before us even the vail of the flesh the church is X mystical the church in the Old Testament state was represented by X in his fleshly state, such as he was in before his death for X was the head of that chh in that state and was subject to the same ordinances with them was under the same dispensation with his church till his death <his flesh was as it were a vail th> vid notes.
¶His flesh was as it were a vail that hindered our access to heavenly things or seeing them immediately when X died this vail was rent from the top to the bottom & the holy of /p. 82/ holies with ark [sic] of the Testament were opened to view and especially will this be fulfilled in the glorious [lit. gloriod] period of this evangelical dispensa[tion (om. after mg)] when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord & of his Christ Rev. 11. 15. 19. but still the church of X has a vail before it, to hinder it from seeing immediately things in the holy of holies & this vail is their flesh which is mystically the flesh of X <X in his members is still in his fleshly state.> [TS didn't mark the end of the < >; I'm guessing it's here] but when the saints die this vail is rent from the top to the bottom & a glorious prospect will be opend through this vail. The day is a time of glory in comparison of the night, because of the sun that is then seen which is the glory of the visible universe, & by his light fills the world with glory. So the [wwxo] the gospel state of the church is spoken of as a state of glory in comparison of in comparison of [sic] its Old Testament state 1 Pet. 1. 11. Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of X which was in them did signifie when it testified beforehand the sufferings of X & the glory that should follow 2. Cor 3. 10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth & this state was prophecied of of old as a state of glory. but the state of holy separate souls is a state of glory in comparison of the present state, Ps. 73. 24. 26. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel & afterwards recieve me to glory--- my flesh & my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart & my portion forever So tis said of Moses & Elias who were in the state that the saints are in now in heaven that at Xs transfiguration they appeard in glory Luke 9. 30. 31
¶But yet the glorified souls of saints in their present state in heaven tho they cant be said properly to see as in an enigma yet tis but darkly in comparison of what they will see after the resurrection therefore tho we are said now to see with open face in comparison of what they did under the Old Testament & tho separate souls in heaven see face to face in comparison of what we do now yet the sight that the saints shall have at the resurrection /p. 83/ is spoken of as if it were the first sight wherein they should see him as he is 1 Joh 3. 2. beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. The glory of X is what will as it were they first appear to all the church to all that shall then lift up their heads out of their graves to behold it as well as to those that will then be alive. tis called the blessed hope & glorious appearing of the great God & Saviour Jesus X with respect to both those companies of which the church consist The Apostle speaks of it as what would be a glorious appearing [TS has: "E's but see MS"] to them to the Xtians that were then living Tit. 2. 13. which implies something that will be seen anew as tho had been till then unseen. That appearing of X will be like the appearing of the sun when it rises to all both those that shall then be saved [prob. sic; D; found] alive & those that will then rise it will be to them both as the morning succeeding the dim light of the night Ps. 49. 14. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning Tho in the state the saints are now in in heaven there is no proper darkness because there is no evil yet the light they have is dim like the light of the night in comparison of the glorious light that shall appear in that morning. The happiness that separate souls have now in heaven is like the quiet rest that a person has in his bed before a wedding day or come other joyfull & glorious day in comparison of the light & joy after the resurrection Isai 57. 1. 2. The righteous perisheth & no man layeth it to heart & mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come he shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightness 1. Thess. 4. 14. 15. Them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive & remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. the morning of the natu- /p. 84/ ral day when the sun rises & persons awake out of sleep & the face of the whole world seems to be renewed by the light of the sun seems to be a type of the resurrection when the saints shall awake out of sweet repose to glory
¶The saints now in heaven see God or the divine nature by a reflex light comparatively with the manner in which they will see it after the resurrection; seeing now through the glass of the glorified human nature of X & in the glass of his works especially relating to redemption as was observed No 702. p 37. of this Book
¶of old under the Old Testament the church of X was as a child Gal. 4. 1. So still under the gospel dispensation the church on earth is as a child in comparison of what the church of glorified [lit, glorifies] [D: souls] in heaven is when what is perfect is come 1 Cor. 13. 10. 11 But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things But yet the church remains a child & dont come to the stature of a man till the resurrection Eph. 4. 10---13. He that descended is the same also that ascended for above all heavens that he might fill all things & he gave some apostles & some prophets & some evangelists & some pastors & teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying the body of X till we all come in the unity of the faith & of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of X. but this wont be till that time comes when the work of those[ck MS] officers ceases which wont be till the end of the world & there [will (om. E.)] be no further use of them Math 28. 20 it wont be till the time comes when he that is ascended shall descend again it wont be till the church has all its members & all the members delivered from all remaining corruption & all are brought to their consummate glory.
¶of old the church was in a preparatory state as a woman preparing for the marriage to X the coming of X & destroying the Jewish /p. 85/ state & church & setting up [the: D] gospel dispensation is compared to the coming of the bridegroom & his marriage with the church the gospel day to the wedding day & the provision of Gods house under the gospel to the wedding feast, & gospel ministers to servants sent out to invite persons to the wedding Math 22. at the beginning <& Isai 61. 10.> & especially is the most glorious time of the Xtian church on earth when the glories of the gospel dispensation be [sic] most fully manifested called the marriage of the Lamb. Rev. 19. 7. Let us be glad & rejoice & give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready &c--. But yet the translation of the soul from the earthly to the heavenly state at death is representated [sic] as its marriage to X & therefore Xs coming by death is called the coming of the bridegroom in the beginning of the 25 of Math one thing that X has there respect to is his coming by death because in the application X makes of it[, ?] in the 13. verse, X speaks of the coming of the bridegroom as what would be hidden & unexpected & as it were at midnight to them that then were his hearers & what they therefore should continually watch & wait for that they might not be found slumbering & sleeping as the foolish virgins were Watch therefore for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh but this manner [sic] is not in this manner applicable to those that were then living with respect to Xs last coming at the end of the world but with regard to his coming by death. But yet the glorification of the church after the last judgment, is represented as the proper marriage of the Lamb. Rev. 21. 2. & I John saw the holy city new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband & v. 9. Come hither I will shew thee the bride the Lambs wife see Luke 14. 14. 15. 16. &c. compared with Math 22d at the beginning See No. 744 corol. 5. p. 162 of this book. [finis of No. 710 proper]
[No. 710, appendix]
¶Join this to the end of Numb. 702. at p. 50.] [E's bracket] all along in a great degree a mystery to them & that seems to be plainly the Apostles meaning Eph. 3. 9. 10. 11. And to make all men what [sic] is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus X To the intent that now unto the principalities & powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom according [sic] to the eternal purpose which he purposed in X Jesus our Lord (vid Rom 16. 25. 26 & Colos 1. 26) The sum of the wisdom of God in all his works appears in bringing to pass this great event, & thus the manifold wisdom of God appeard by it to the angels who desire to look into these things in that now by this his wise & great design now was made manifest in all in all [sic] his manifold works that they had seen & till now never understood the meaning of. And that eternal purpose which God purposed in X Jesus our Lord mentiond here in v. 11. is a comprehension of all Gods eternal decrees & purposes all of [sic] was comprehended in that eternal transaction that there was between the F and the Son even the covenant of redemption in the revealing Gods purpose of gathering together in one all things in heaven & earth in X by accomplishing it in the fullness of time, the whole mystery of all Gods eternal will & sovereign purposes is made manifest as in Eph. 1. 9. 10. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in X both which are in heaven & which are on earth even in him Every thing that God has purposed he has purposed in X the Redeemer. all his purposes are included in the work of redemption & all that has [sic] done or will do in fullfilment of those purposes is done in & by X he created the world by X all things visible & invisible were created by him & for him he governed the church of old by X he governs heaven & earth by X the consummation of all things will be by X the world will be brought to an end /p. 87/ by him & the last issue of all things in creation & providence will be brought forth by X the Redeemer & the ultimate end of all things in all their motions changes & revolution [sic] from the beginning will be accomplished by X God man Mediatour. all Gods enemies will be conquered by him all Gods elect will be gathered together to God by him all rational creatures angels men & devils will be judged by him reprobate men & angels will be punished by being made his footstool & dashed in pieces with his rod of iron & elect men and angels will have the reward & crown from his hands and will be eternally happy in God through him. The end of the creation of God was to provide a spouse for his Son Jesus X that might enjoy him & on whom he might pour forth his love, & the end of all things in providence are to make way for the exceeding expressions of Xs love to his spouse & for her exceeding close & intimate union with & high & glorious enjoyment of him & to bring this to pass & therefore the last thing & the issue of all things is the marriage of the Lamb & the wedding day is the last day the day of judgment <or rather that will be the beginning of it.> the wedding feast is eternal & the love & joys the songs entertainments & glories of the wedding never will be ended it will be an everlasting wedding day.
¶Coroll. 1. Hence is a great confirmation that Gods communicating happiness to the creature, stands in the place of a supream end, because we see that that work even the making the creature happy by redemption is the end of all Gods other works vid No 461. 445.
¶Corol. 2. Hence we may undoubtedly conclude that the redeemed of Jesus X will be advanced to greater honour & happiness & a more intimate union & communion with God than the glorious angels seeing all Gods works are in subordination to the work of the redemption of mankind or making them happy by redemption which is the same /p. 88/ thing & even the angels themselves were created in order to this & so their very beings are in order to the happiness of the redeemed Without <doubt> their happiness & glory will be superiour to that of the angels. <The world was created that X might obtain a spouse, see notes on Eph. 1. 22. 23 No. SS 235> In this way had God been pleased to make it manifest, that the happiness & glory of every blessed creature, is purely owing to his sovereign eternal electing love. & therefore hath not chosen the highest rank of beings to make them the chief objects of his love, but he has chosen those that are much inferiour unto them. however God has created various ranks of intelligent beings yet tis but one species that is peculiarly the beloved race, & we are told who they are, Prov. 8. 30. Rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth & my delights were with the sons of men [E's] Infinite wisdom did not chose [sic] to this those creatures that were in their first creation set in heaven in such an exceeding exaltation , but these were above all others the elect species or race chosen to have his love most gloriously manifested to them & to enjoy most of it & to be brought to the most intimate union with him should be fetched up from a lower & meaner T from a weak & feeble state & not only so but should be brought up from an universally ruin'd state from exceeding depths of sin & misery, hereby gloriously manifesting his sovereignty [¶ ?] He wisely chose those to the highest happiness in whom an absolute and most universal & exceeding dependence on him on his power & wisdom & sovereign & infinite goodness & free love for happiness might be most conspicuous & in most ways. that they who are most obliged for the greatness of the gift might be most obliged also to gratitude & praise & humble & thankfull admiration for the manner of giving that those who are most honoured & exalted might have the most abundant occasion to cast themselves down low /p. 89/ in humility
¶Tis an evidence of this that there has been far the greatest manifestation of the love of God to this race, such as was in sending his only begotten Son into the world to die for them God never gave any manifestation of his love to the angels in any wise comparable to this seeing therefore that the love of God has been most manifested to them it will doubtless be most enjoyed by them the manifestation is in order to enjoyment those that God is pleased to shew most love to we may well suppose he has set his love most upon God communicates his love to enjoyment by manifestation none can enjoy only [sic] as God manifests the enjoyment therefore will be proportionable to the manifestation. the angels admire & desire to look into the manifestations of Gods love to men.
¶And it was a great evidence that the human & not the angelical nature, was the nature that God intended to bring nearest to himself, that he took one of this nature into a personal union with himself, to be the Head & King of the angels therein as it were assuming all the elect that were in that nature, who are all united to him as members to the head. <Heb. 2. 16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham> Elect men have an higher honour than the angels for concerning them X has said the angels are their angels tho they are but little children but the saints are never said to be the a concerning the angels hath he said at any time that the saints are their saints. <vid No. 103.> [Does inter. end here?] Hence the church of saints is not only called Gods son as the angels are but is called Gods first born. See notes on Exod 4. 22 vid after Corol. 3. p. 97.
¶Coroll. 3. This greatly strengthens the probability that Gods design of accomplishing this work should be early <in some degree> revealed in heaven to the angels even soon after they were created. Seeing that this was the end of the creation of all things & seeing that the angels were early created that they might be the spectatours of Gods work in creating the world especially of the creation of this lower world that was created or brought into form after they were created and they beheld it & praised God for it Job. 38. 4. 5. 6. 7. & seeing that this world that they beheld the formation of was created to be the seat of this great work, tis highly probable that God would give them some notice of his great design in creating this world . and seeing that the angels /p. 90/ themselves were created to be the ministers of providence, tis probable that God would give them some notice of that work of providence that was the grand design & drift of all Gods works of providence, & especially seeing that the angels had their beings & station in heaven & exalted powers given them to that end that they might be ministers to the Redeemer in that great affair. Tis very probable that when God created or was about to create the human nature, the nature that God had determined so to exalt & to create Adam one of the elect & beloved race that was to be the spouse & body of X & who in particular is called Gods son & was so eminent a type of X as has been shewn p. 41. that God then declared the decree to the thrones dominions principalities & powers which God declares to the earthly principalities dominions & powers in the second Psalm viz that this nature that he this day had begotten out of the earthly chaos should be exalted to the honour of sonship to himself that one in this nature should be his Son & as such should be set up as his king on his holy hill of Sion that he should be king of heaven & that the uttermost parts of the earth should be given him for his possession. i.e. that he should be king of both heaven & earth, & that that [sic] those principalities & powers should be required to be subject to him & humbly to worship. v. 10. 11. 12. Be wise now therefore O ye kings be instructed ye judges of the earth Serve the Lord with fear & rejoice with trembling Kiss the Son least he be angry &c--- and as tis there represented that the kings & princes of the earth on the notice of this design of God or when they apprehended such a thing was like to be took it in disdain & could not bear to submit to this person that God had anointed [E's] to be king over them & therefore entered into a conspiracy to oppose & resist this design & deliver themselves from such subjection 2. & 3d verses the kings of the earth set themselves & the rulers take counsel together against the Lord & against his Anointed /p. 91/ saying Let us break their bands[ck MS] asunder & cast away their cords from us So that there was such a conspiracy amongst [lit, amongs] the thrones & principalities in heaven when this decree was declared there
¶ tis not unlikely that God in this Psalm in speaking of kings & rulers of the earth has an eye both to earthly & also heavenly principalities who are often compared one to the other in Scripture, & sometimes are spoken of under one as Rev. 21. 24. see my notes on the Rev. No. 59. They are both called the sons of God Ps. 82. 6. & Job. 38. 7 & both are called gods & both seem to be spoken of under one, Ps. 97. 7. Worship him all ye gods (compared with Heb. 1. 6.). which place is parallel with what we have in this second Ps. Be wise now therefore O ye kings be instructed ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear & rejoice with trembling Kiss the Son as <tis there declared that> God in spite of those[ck MS] earthly rulers did set his Son on his holy hill of Zion [sic] according to his decree, & made X to rule over these his enemies with a rod of iron that scorned to submit to his golden scepter so that he dashed them in pieces as a potters vessel & took the heathen & uttermost parts of the earth that were before under their dominion & gave em to his Son for his possession so hath God done with respect to those revelling spiritual dominions & powers This man whom they despised & would not submit [to (om. E.)] yet they are subjected to against their wills he has power given him over them & takes the heathen world & uttermost parts of the earth that they long reigned as gods of gods[cap G's?] of out of their possession into his own & at last will be their Judge & will rule em [xo] with a rod of iron & dash them in pieces as a potters vessel.
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¶ Again we may argue from the sin of proud ministers who in their office are compared to the angels as Rev. Chap. 2d & 3d The sin of such ministers the Apostle signifies to be the same with that of the devil 1 Tim 3. 6. Not a novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil The sin & condemnation of such ministers is this that whereas they are set to [be (om. E.)] the ministers & servants of a despised & crucified X & that for his sake they should be the servants of his people that are committed to their [care (om. E.)] & not carry it as /p. 92/ lords over Gods heritage 2. Cor 4. 5. 1 Pet 5. 1. & that they should not lift themselves up above Xs people of their flock or exercise dominion over them or authority upon them but that they should be least of all & servants of all, Math. 20. 25. 26. 27. & 23. 11 they are appointed to serve the members of X & minister unto <them tho not set in such place of dignity as they are> much as the angels are all made ministring spirits to minister to Xs [sic] God man & sent forth to minister to his saints that are so much inferiour to them. But they being lifted up with pride, by the honour they are set in are not content with this & being set higher than the dignity than the rest scorn to be their servants & ministers & least of all as God has appointed but affect to be lords over Gods heritage, & so instead of being ministers for their good they make merchandise of them & use them only to aggrandize themselves & become ravening wolves that devour the flock Math 7. 15. & Acts 20. 29. as the devil not [sic] content to be a ministring spirit to the beloved race of mankind has set up himself to be God over men & is become a roaring lion to devour them. False teachers that thus make merchandise of the flock instead of being servants for their good are in their condemnation & punishmt compared [mg] [to (om. E.)] the angels that fell, 2 Pet 2 at the beginning But there were false prophets also among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you----& through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, whose judgmt now of a long time lingreth not, & their damnation slumbereth not for if God spared not the angels that sinned but cast them down to hell, & delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment --------
¶& we may argue particularly from the Romish hierarchy or AntiX [E's line here and following] that first born of the devil who is the & is his greatest image as Christ is the image of God so is Antichrist the image of the devil, as is evident by comparing these following places in the Revelation Chap 12. 3. 9. & chap. 13. 1. & 12. 14. 15. So that they seem to be often spoken of & signified in SS. under one, both are represented by the same types. Thus Pharaoh was a type of the devil & therefore is called Leviathan & the dragon in the waters Ps. 74. 13. 14. Thou /p. 93/ didst divide the sea by thy strength thou breakest the heads of the dragons in the waters Thou breakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces & gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness Isai 51. 9. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab & wounded the dragon. So Pharaoh is called the great dragon that liveth in the midst of his rivers Ezek. 29. 3. So also he was a type of AntiX for Egypt in the oppression that the church of Israel suffered there under Pharaoh & his taskmasters was a type of the church of Rome, as we are directly taught Rev. 11. 8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city that is spiritually called Sodom & Egypt [E's] & therefore the king of Egypt the oppressour of Gods people is the type of the king of this spiritual Egypt, the persecutor of the Xtian Church. So also the king of Babilon was a type both of the devil & also antiX he was a type of antix for the church of Rome is the spiritual Babilon & therefore is more commonly called in the Rev. by the name of Babilon than any thing else, & he was also a type of the devil as is evident by Isai 14. 12. 13. 14. for there he is called Lucifer a son of the morning or morning star that fell from heaven & the devil & antiX are both in that place represented under one as is evident by comparing of it with 2 Thess. 2. 3. 4. The ministers of the true church of X are the angels of the churches but the clergy of the church of <anti> the false church of antiX are devils. But we know the sin of this man of sin is that wheras he was appointed to be an angel of the church that he should be a minister of a crucified Saviour one that was poor despised & afflicted & to be a minister & servant of the people of X he being exceedingly lifted up with pride <& affectation of his own dignity & exaltation> scorns the meanness & poverty of X & to be subject to X therein & disdains to be a servant of the people of X & therefore sets up a rebellion against God seeks to justle [sic] him out of his throne & get into his throne himself 2 Thess. 2. chap & so has set up himself for God of this world & God over men & is become a roaring lion to devour the flock & is drunk with the blood of the saints
¶Again we may argue from various types of the devil that we have in SS. as particularly Pharaoh was a type of the devil as we have shewn his sin that was the occasion of all his others [sic] sins that we have an account of was his proud contempt of the children of Israel & fear lest they should get /p. 94/ above him and he said unto his people behold the people of the children of Israel is more & mightier than we. And at last it was a spirit of envy in Pharaoh against the people of God that occasiond his ruin he could not bear it, that they were gone forth with an high hand having obtaind the victory and gotten as it were above him & so he pursued after them to bring them under again & then was drowned in the Red Sea a type of hell or the eternal gulf of misery & lake that burns with fire & brimstone. God had made Moses the leader & head of Israel, & therein was a remarkeable type of X & God had made him to be instead of X in the contest with Pharaoh Exod 7. 1. See I have made thee a God to Pharaoh . he in this contest represented X contending with the devil. Pharaoh could not bear that Moses one of that race that he lookd upon so servile & abject should get above him & obtain victory over him & therefore when he went out pursued after him to reduce him & so was cast from his throne & hight [sic] of dignity into the bottom of the sea.
¶We may also argue from the sin & condemnation of the King of Babilon mention'd in Isai 14. 12. 13. 14. 15. How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer son of the morning How art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations For thou hast said in thine heart I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the stars of God I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north I will ascend above the height of the clouds I will be like the most high yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. here the king of Babilon in his sin & fall is most evidently compared to the devil for he is called by his name Lucifer Lucifer and is represented to be as the devil was before his fall a morning star Job. 38. 7. his punishment being cast down from heaven & from exceeding glory there to hell to the lowest disgrace & misery & the sin mentiond for which he was thus cast down was that he being lifted up with pride, was not content to be below but affected to be above the stars of God i. e. the saints as is evident by many Scriptures & aspired after the very throne of God himself.
¶This also appears in Haman another remarkeable type of both the devil & AntiX concerning his being a type of AntiX see my notes on the book of Esther he seems to be in many things a lively type of the devil for he was a [sic] first a great prince in Ahasuerus's court /p. 95/ was set in exceeding dignity by him but was exceeding proud of his dignity & was the bitter enemy of the people of God & sought their destruction he fell suddenly from this height to the lowest disgrace & the most terrible destruction but the occasion of his fall was that being exceedingly lifted up he could not bear that Mordecai a type of X should appear as one that would not pay honour to him as superiour hence was his enmity against him & all his seed whence he so exceedingly sought their destruction. but Mordecai the type of X & head of the people of the Jews the people of God <& their brother being one of them> was one that King Ahasuerus delighted to honour as God delighted to honour Jesus X God man Ahasuerus clothed him with his own royal apparel & set him on the horse that the king was wont to ride upon & set the crown royal upon his head . as God the Father hath exalted X God man & hath put his own honour upon him & hath set his own crown on him & hath made him King over his kingdom that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father. And Haman himself was appointed to attend on Mordecai in this honour & dignity as his minister & servant, which Haman could not bear. Haman fell into the pit that he had digged was himself hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai & tho he intended the destruction of Mordecai & the Queen & all their seed yet they on the other hand procured his destruction & his friends. even as the devil is fallen into the pit that he hath digged X & his church & people that he envied & would not honour or minister to whose destruction he sought are made the means of his destruction the same destruction that he thought to procure to them. The house of Haman was given to Queen Esther & Mordecai is put in Hamans place as X & his church shall take the heathen T out of the hands of Satan & the kingdom of X shall be erected on the ruins of Satans kingdom.
¶Another remarkeable type of the devil is Goliath who exceedingly lifted up himself in pride in his own strength & monstrous bulk, & disdain'd the thought of being a servant to Israel 1 Sam 17. 9. 10. & particularly despised David (the greatest personal type of X) in his design of subjecting him to himself, because he appeared in a nature so much inferiour to him but his contempt of David, & defying the armies of Israel proved his ruin /p. 96/
¶This well accounts for that exceeding enmity that Satan manifests against X and the race of mankind in that it was for their sakes that he was cast down from heaven to hell that was the sin for which he was condemned & cast down viz that when God reveald the great love he had to this race & his design of exceeding honour & happiness to them & to one in their nature especially that should be his Son & that the angels should minister to this race & [xo ?] should be subject to this elect one of the race & worship him & serve him as their Lord they envied them this honour & could not bear to yield it to them. & for this was [sic] cast into eternal [sic] hence they have an exceeding inveterate spite against mankind and against X in particular & do their utmost to prevent that honour & happiness that God has revealed as designed for them & to prevent their own being subjected to em & brought under 'em which they are aware God is set to bring to pass since their fall that they may not get their wills in that regard they look upon the honour & happiness of mankind in all degrees of it as so many steps towards the fulfillment of this viz their being set above them & over them their pride therefore stirs them up to labour with indefatigable industry & their utmost craft, instead of being subject to them & to one of them as their King and their God as G. has declared themselves to rule over them & reign over them as God to make himself God of this world. hence such endeavours to reign over em as their God in this world & such endeavours to carry em captives to hell & tyrannize over em there Hence such indefatigable endeavours to get the victory over X when he was in the world hence he would feign [sic] perswade him to fall down & worship him hence he so indefatigably laboured to bring him into the greatest contempt & disgrace & to be put to the most ignominious death & the death of a slave in particular which was most gratifying to him who was cast out of heaven for refusing to be minister & servant to him and seek humbly to worship him how pleasing may we well think it was to the devil to see X mocked & spit upon & crucified instead of himself humbly serving & worshipping him as G. had said. vid No. 320 438. 664. § 6. 7. 8. 9. next p. /p. 97/
¶ add this to Coroll. 2d. p 89. If any object against this that it seems not suitable thus to advance an inferiour nature above one that is so much superiour , a full & sufficient answer to all subjections is that tis certain that it has pleased God to advance this very same nature to a vast & immense superiority above the angels in the person of X making the man X Jesus Lord of all the angels in communion with the Logos So that we see all that in this instance is done that is objected against: if it bent thought by God improper to so [to (om E.)] advance this nature in X why should we suppose that God looks on it improper to set this nature higher than they in these[ck MS] that are Xs, that are his spouse & his members the saints in X in this honour of being nearer to God than the angels as X with respect to the angels & every creature is Gods first born so the saints are the church of the first born as they are said to be mention'd with the company of angels in Heb. 12. 22. 23. The members of X will have communion with X in his dominion for they shall sit with him in his throne. and as X is Lord of the angels so the saints shall in some sort reign over angels in heaven this dominion will extend to all things that shall be theirs whatsoever they shall inherit as joint heirs with X they shall in some respect reign over as kings with X but the angels are some of those things that are theirs that they inherit as heirs with X for the angels are their angels. & they shall judge the angels 1 Cor. 6. 3. Which we have no reason to confine to the fallen angels when both the elect angels & the fallen angels will doubtless be judged at the day of judgmt but his dominion will be exercised <in no wise separately by themselves> only in & through X their head as partaking with him and as reigning in & by him & as being honoured by the angels in him
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¶ Last p. Coroll. 4. Hence also tis the more probable, that the sin & fall of the reprobate angels, should be with reference to /p. 98/ this work but that the confirmation & reward of the elect angels should also have a near concern with this work. since that the work of redemption by Jesus X God man is that work to which all the other works of God are subordinate & that which all intelligent beings & even the angels were created with an eye to God hath so ordered in that all the great concerns & events of the universe should be some way concerning of this work & bearing some respect to it & as it were some way interwoven with it that the occasion of the fall of some of the angels should be something about this & the confirmation & reward of others should be for something relating to this for seeing this work is their end tis probable that the undoing of those that fell was their opposition to this their end & that what proves the eternal happiness of the rest is their falling in with their end & cheerfully submitting to God in it. & as <both> the occasion of both of the of [mg. "the falling"] some & the ground of the reward of others was something about this work so Gods end in permitting the fall of some & his preserving others was this work. the fall of the devils was wisely permitted & ordered to give occasion for a redemption from that evil they should introduce & that the Redeemer might be glorified in their ruin & the preservation of the other[-s ?] was that they might minister to the Redeemer in the [that ?] work, might be to his glory in their submission to him & attendance on him & might recieve their reward at his hands for their submission to him in this work & that they might employ their glorious wisdom in contemplating the wonders of the work & praising the Father & the Son for it & declaring of it to others. vid No 515.
¶Corol. 5. Hence we may learn a reason why the fall of man was so soon permitted because the world being made for the work of redemption God did not see meet that it should stand long without occasion for that work.
¶Corol. 6. Hence tis no wonder that X has been so variously & manifoldly revealed & that God hath so abundantly spoken of him that he was so soon reveald & promised to man after he fell & has been so much spoken to & in the church in all ages from the beginning of the world & that X & his redemption are so much spoken of in the word of God from the beginning of the /p. 99/ Bible to the end of it so much insisted on [in (om. e.)] the prophecies promises & song of the Scripture, & that so many things were appointed of God to typify things pertaining to this & so much done for so many ages in order to it, so many things recorded in history that are typical of it & that so much is made of this work by X & his apostles in the New Testament
¶Corol. 7. Hence it is that in this work tho in no other God doth distinctly manifest himself in each of the person of the Godhead in their mutual relations one to another & in that oecononomy [sic] there is established amongst them & in their distinct person appearing in the eternal agreement & covenant these divine persons entred into about this work & in the several offices & parts which each one bears in it, & how they are therein concerted one with another. Tis meet this this should be in the greatest & supream work of God to which all other works are subordinate.
¶Corol. 8. Hence no wonder that faith in X or the hearts closing with X as Redeemer should be insisted on in the word of God as so great a duty so necessary & important & that it should be made the great condition of salvation & no wonder that unbelief or the hearts dissallowing & rejecting X & his redemption should be reckoned as so great a sin & that self righteousness or ascribing our salvation to our own works & not Xs redemption should be set forth to be so fatal to the soul.
¶Corol. 9. Hence tis no wonder that that design & purpose of the sabbath that consists in commemorating Gods rest from the old creation should give place to the commemmoration of Gods finishing this so much greater work of the creation which the old was but a shadow of & was done wholly in subserviency to. No wonder that when the prophet is making comparison between these[ck MS] two creations the former & the latter he says the former shall not be rememberd nor come into mind Isai 65. 18 [17 over it by A copyist?]
¶Corol. 10. Hence how greatly are those ministers to blame, who in a great measure neglect X in their preaching who insist /p. 100/ sist on morality only & that in such a manner as to find but little occasion to mention the name of X the Redeemer & his glorious work of redemption
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¶711 HAPPINESS OF HEAVEN. REDEMPTION.
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¶Corol. 11. Hence we may well infer that the glory & happiness that the saints will be brought to by redemption will immensely exceed the happiness that man was possessed of before the fall, or that he could have expected if he had stood For this happiness of man by redemption as has been shewn is the great end of all things the end of the work of creation the end of all Gods dispensations towards man before the fall & what those things were but types of as has been shown p. 40. &c-- both that happiness that man had before he fell & that which he had to expect if he did not fall were but types & shadows of this happiness So that this happiness exceeds that as antitypes are wont to exceed types That garden was but a type of the heavenly paradise, that tree of life, but a type of the true tree of life & therefore answerably hereto the blessedness that would have followed the eating of that tree if man had stood but a type of the blessedness that comes by the eating of the fruit of the true tree of life. Adam in being the head of that covenant was but a type of X the second Adam as has been plainly shewn & therefore the happiness he by his obedience would have brought his posterity to is but a type of [mg ?] the second Adam the Lord from heaven will bring his children too as the second Adam is a more worthy & more glorious person than the first & his obedience immensely more excellent than the perfect obedience of the first Adam would have been so will the blessedness he procures for his spiritual posterity by his obedience be more glorious than that which the first Adam would have obtaind for his posterity [finis]