¶761. FREE WILL, MANS IMPOTENCE. If men are wholly unable to believe of themselves or unless God works faith in them yet that is no argument that they are not chargeable with the blame of their own unbelief. For the man can't believe in X of himself, yet that is no argument that he can't reject him of himself. Tis no argument that because one of two opposites is of God that therefore the other is so too but the contrary. If sweet water proceed from a certain fountain that is no argument that bitter water is from the same fountain but on the contrary an argument that it is from some other source, James 3. 11. Sinners in laying the blame of their rejection of X to God from that all faith must be of God & not of themselves argue in this manner God is the fountain of all light & therefore he must be the fountain of all darkness too. he is the author of all good & therefore the blame of all evil must be laid to him Whereas it would certainly be more natural & rational to argue contrariwise. If the sun be the fountain of light then certainly darkness don't come from the sun but that must proceed from some other cause. If all faith & recieving X be from God & that be true in John 6. 44. No man can come to me except the Father that hath sent me draw him then tis natural to suppose that unbelief is not of God but of our selves. Tis no argument that man can't hate X of himself, because God is the bestower of all love to X. [finis]

 

¶762. WISDOM OF GOD IN THE WORK OF REDEMPTION. The sin of crucifying X seems to have been designed of God to be a representative of the sin of mankind in general. the sin of mankind was that which shew [sic; A: slew] X for he bear [sic] our sins it was our sin that stood against him This was the enemy that was so cruel to him that naild him to the cross that pierced his side & let out his hearts blood we who have sin'd that he came into the T to redeem are the crucifiers of X therefore the sin of mankind in general is fitly represented by the sin of the immediate crucifiers of X as the sin of mankind crucified X by procuring his crucifixion so the sin of the Jews immediately executed his crucifixion & so fitly represents the other their sin is a fit representative of the sin of mankind in general as therein the nature tendency and malignity of the sin of man does most eminently appear the act of Xs crucifiers shews what is the nature of the sin of man for those that put him to death had no other corruption exerted it self in that wicked act of theirs There never was opportunity but once for it to appear in fact what the corruption of man would do to God or a divine person if it had him within its reach for a divine person never was put within the reach of the malignity of mans sin but only when the Son of God became man & dwelt here on earth then he was liable to the malignant power of sin & at last he was delivered up into their hands a prisoner to execute their will upon him & therefore sin as it exerted it self then against this divine person appeard in such an act as fitly represents all the sin of man[ck MS]. In that instance it appeared that sin aimed at nothing short of the life of God that in its nature it was a murderer of G. & implied a mortal enmity against him yea that it not meerly seeks the life of God but to bring all evil upon him all ignominy torment & misery for the Jews exerted themselves to the utmost to bring ignominy & torment & misery on X to the utmost of their power they were insatiable in it they seemed as if they never could be satisfied with mocking of him & venting their cruelty towards him. And that [mg] that sin might be the fitter to represent the sin of mankind in general there were both Jews & Gentiles concern'd in it & persons of all ranks of both great men & mean men the rulers of the Jews & the common people & Pilate the gentile governour & the soldiers. There was Herod that was originally of Gentile ancestours being Idumeans but by profession a J There were persons both of the sacred & civil order & one of Xs disciples viz Judas & his true disciples in some sort concurring all forsaking him at that time & one of then denying him with oaths & curses. X in dying for the sinfull children of men dies for those that are his crucifiers & murderers as he died for some that actually & immediately put him to death as he called for mercy for them when he was suffering so his voice in that prayer shewed what was the voice of his blood that spoke better things than the blood of /p./ Abel for Abels blood cried for vengeance on him that shed it but Xs blood cries for the forgiveness of them that shed it saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do. His dying for those that immediately crucified him & interceeding for their forgiveness was to represent his dying for all the elect Jews & Gentiles & his forgiving their enmity against him.

___________________WONDERFULL LOVE OF X.

¶ Corol. 1. This shews the greatness & constancy of the love of X to his elect people It appears in the circumstances of his last sufferings that when his passion approached and he had an extraordinary & near view of [it (om.E) [in the time of his agony and was sensible how great his approaching sufferings were & then knew how that those sufferings should be brought on by the malignity of that sin that he was going to die to make attonement for & when he was actually under his extreme sufferings when he had more to give him a view of the hatefullness & malignity & baseness of that sin that he was going to suffer for the attonement of out of love to the sinners he then actually feeling the torments & cruelties & suffering the reproach & contumely that was the fruit of the malignity & venom of that sin yet his love did not fail, all this baseness did not overcome his love but he was willing to yield himself a sacrifice & endure such extreme sufferings out of love to those who were so cruel towards [him (om.E)] & to expiate that very iniquity that appear'd in that cruelty when he saw the hatefullness & baseness of all the sin that he died for in th In this representative iniquity that was now before his eyes & that he now sufferd from. it did not overcome his love.

GOD DECREES MENS SINS. [-S by c?]

¶ Corol. 2. Hence that [or this; changed to "the" by c] sin <of crucifying Christ> [c] being as it were the head sin & representative of all the rest & this being [xo E] foreordained of God in his decree, & ordered in his providence, as we have abundant evidence from the nature of the thing, from the great ends that God had to accomplish by means of this wicked act of crucifying X it being as it were the cause of all the decrees, the greatest of all decreed events, & that on which all other decreed events depend en [xo c?] as their main foundation being the main thing in that greatest work of G. the work of redemption that <which [c]> is the end of all other works &[?] it being so much prophecied of & so plainly spoken <of [c]> as being done according to the determinate counsel & foreknowledge of God I say, seeing we have such evidence of[xo c] <that [c]> this sin<s [c]?> <is [c]> being[xo c] foreordained in Gods decrees & ordered in providence & this being as it were the head sin & representative of the sin of men <a> in general hence is a clear argument that all the sins of man <e> are foreordained, & ordered by a wise Providence [finis]

 

¶ 763 ABSOLUTE DECREES. SINCERITY OF GOD'S INVITATIONS.

Tis objected against the absolute decrees of God respecting the future actions of men, and especially the unbelief of sinners & their rejection of the gospel that this dont consist with the sincerity of God <'s[c?]> calls & invitations to such sinners; as he has willed in his eternal secret decree <that they[c]> never should accept of those invitations. To which I answer that there is that in God respecting that acceptance & compliance of sinners, which God knows will never be & which he has decreed never to cause to be <in[c]> which tho it ben't just the same with our desiring & wishing for that which never will come to pass, yet there is nothing wanting but what would imply imperfection in such a case there is all of it[xo E] <that[E]> in God that is good & perfect & excellent in out desires & wishes for the conversion & salvation of wicked men as for instance there is a love to holiness absolutely considered or an agreableness of holiness to his nature & will or /p./ in other words to his natural inclination for [or so; xo c] the <T[c]> <holiness &[c]> happiness of the creature absolutely considered is[xo c] a <re [c]> thing <s [c]> that he loves. those things are infinitely more agreable to his nature than ours. There is all that[xo E] in God that belongs to our desire of the holiness & happiness of unconverted men & reprobates, excepting what implies imperfection all that is consistent with infinite knowledge <wisdom and power[c]> selfsufficience infinite happiness & immutability. and[xo c] therefore there is no reason that his absolute prescience, yea[xo c] of his wise determination & ordering what is future, should hinder his expressing this disposition of his nature or[? xo] in like manner as we are wont to express such a disposition in us viz by calls & invitations & the like

¶ The disagreableness of the wickedness & misery of the creature absolutely considered to the nature of God is all that is good in good and holy mens lamenting the past misery & wickedness of men their <T[c]> lamenting these is good no farther than it proceeds from the disagreableness of these <o> things to their holy & good nature so [or for[xo c] this <T [c]> is also all that is good in wishing for the future holiness & happiness of men And there is nothing wanting in God in order to his having such desires & lamentings but imperfection & nothing is in the way of his having them but infinite perfection. And[xo c] therefore it properly naturally & necessarily came to pass that when God in the manner <Line fr. c or E?> of his[xo E] existance <Line fr. c or E?> came down from his infinite perfection and accommodated himself to our nature and manner by being made flesh <man [prob E> as he was in the person of Jesus X he really desired the conversion & salvation of reprobates & lamenter their obstinacy & misery as when he beheld the city Jerusalem & wept over it, saying "O Jerusalem" &c-- so [xo c] in <I [c]> like manner when he comes down from his infinite perfection tho' not in the manner of being but in the manner of manifestation & accommodates himself to our nature and manner in the manner of expression tis equally natural & proper that he should express himself as tho he desired the conversion & salvation of reprobates & lamented their obstinacy & misery [finis]

 

¶764.b. INCARNATION OF X UNION of the two natures in X.

What X says in the 3 of John 33. 34. v. confirms that the Holy Spirit is the bond of union by which the human nature of X is united to the divine so as to be one person. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true For he whom God hath dent speaketh the words of God for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. Which words may be thus paraphrased he that hath recieved my testimony as true and sets to his seal that I speak true, he therein sets to his seal that God speaks true for in my speaking of it God speaks it there is such an union between this human nature that immediately speaks with Gods [or comma?] that the words in being my words are Gods words which union is the consequence of Gods communicating his Spirit without measure to my human nature, so as to render it the same person with him that is God. Something more is doubtless intended than that he was an inspired person and spake the word of God as the prophets did. /p./ when X says that he that recieves his testimony sets to his seal that God is true because his words were Gods words he doubtless has respect to something that is peculiar to himself something that is his own prerogative & therefore the reason that he gives for it is something peculiar to him viz. Gods giving the Spirit not by measure unto him when he says that he that hears his words hears Gods words & he that owns him to be true owns God to be true, tis most natural to understand him in a sense analogous to what he says elsewhere My Father worketh hitherto and I work, & he that hath seen me hath seen the Father. [finis]

 

¶ 764.a. X<s> SATISFACTION. It was needfull, that he that was a mediatour between two parties, that are distant & alienated one from the other, to be the middle person to unite them together, should himself be united to both otherwise he could not by coming between them, be a bond of union between them & if he be a mediatour between God and guilty man <e>, it was necessary that he should unite himself to them or assume them as it were to himself. But if he unites himself to guilty creatures he of necessity brings their built on himself if he unites himself to them that are in debt he interests himself in their debt [xo E] he brings their debt on himself He cant properly unite himself unite himself [xo c] to rebel against God and one that is obnoxious to Gods wrath & is condemned to condign punishment to be a mediatour to bring God to be at peace with him without voluntarily taking his suffering on himself because otherwise his undertaking for such an one, and uniting himself to such an one, will appear like a countenancing his offence & rebellion but if at the same time that he unites himself to him he takes it upon himself to bear his penalty it quite takes off all such appearance he shews that tho he loves he[sic] rebel that has affronted the divine majesty yet he at the same time has the greatest possible abhorrence of the injury to Gods majesty & dishonour to his name in that he regards the honour of Gods majesty so much as to be willing <to endure [c]> so extreme <suffering, [c]> that the divine majesty & glory not be injured but fully maintained. [finis]

 

¶ 765. MYSTERIES in Religion If one seeks [changed by c to "If we seek"] for any thing in the dark, by so low a faculty of discerning as the sense of feeling or by the sense of seeing with a dim light sometimes we cannot find it tho it be there it seems to us to be [xo c] impossible that it should be there but yet when a Clear light comes to shine into the Place and we discern by a better faculty viz of sight of the same faculty in a Clearer manner the thing appears very plain to us so doubtless many truth<s[c]> will hereafter appear Plain when we come to look on them by the bright Light of Heaven that now are involved in mystery & darkness

____________________

Has large asterisk and "1." beside it. Corrections and most of the punctuation (esp. the semicolons) added by c. Printed as Pt. II, §1, in M. O., pp.387-388.

 

¶ 766 INCARNATION OF THE Son of God, UNION of the Divine and Human nature of X. The bond of this union is the Holy Spirit Tis manifest that the divine speeches that X utter<e>d and the divine works that X wrought were by the Spirit of God The divine words that he uttered with which he taught the Tdivine things & revealed God & the things of God to mankind was by the Spirit of God as evident by John 3.34. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God. For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him & the divine works that X wrought wherein he manifested divine power were by the Spirit of God as is evident by what X says on occasion of the Pharisees blaspheming him as tho he cast out devils by Beelzebub Math 12. that both X onward & inward divine teachings & also both his outward & inward divine works of power & grace were wrought by the Spirit of God is manifest by Luke 4. 18 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord is [sic] annointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the captives & recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. It will therefore folly [maybe fully or follow, sic!] that the union of Xs human nature with the divine is by the Spirit of God. For those divine works that he wrought were his own works they were not wrought by the Spirit as the Apostles & prophets wrought miracles by the power & in the name of another but as wrought in his own name and by his own power tho he was directed by the Spirit of God when & how to work tho<e>se works & was moved by the Spirit to work them yet he wrought them as of his own wisdom & his own will as he says I will be thou clean Now this can't be that he should [be (om.E)] directed by the Spirit to work & his will moved by the Spirit of God & yet they be done as of his own will any otherwise than as the Spirit of God directed the human understanding & moved the human will as a bond od union between the understanding & the will of the divine Logos & the understanding & will of the human nature of X for those works of the divine Logos united to the human nature or to the human understanding & will But if that human understanding & will was directed & moved by the Holy Ghost & yet it might be said to be done as of his own wisdom & will the Holy Ghost must in this act as a means of conveyance of the understanding & will of the divine Logos to the understanding & will of the human nature or of the union of these understandings & wills & so tho it was /p./ of the motion of the Spirit of God yet it was of himself because the<o>se motions of the Spirit themselves were of himself i.e. of his divine person the person of the Logos conveying & uniting the divine understanding & will & so of the divine nature with the human.

¶ X taught the things of God as of his own knowledge as being in the bosom of the Father as he that had seen the Father & knew the Father he revealed the Father as one that knew him of himself without a revelation And yet the knowledge of divine things that the human nature had was by the Spirit of God by his inspiration or revelation For he taught and did the business of the great prophet of God by the Spirit But these things can't consist together any other way than that the Spirit of God is the bond of union between the knowledge of the divine nature of X & the human So that the knowledge of the divine Logos was his knowledge but that which so unites the human nature of X with the divine that the knowledge of the one is the knowledge of the other is doubtless the same thing that unites them so together that the knowledge of the one is the knowledge of the other os doubtless the same thing that unites them so together that the person of the one is the person of the other That by [mg] by which the knowledge & the power of the eternal Logos came to dwell in Jesus the son of Mary is that by which the Eternal Logos himself dwelt in Jesus the Son of Mary. The union of the eternal Logos with the man X Jesus was doubtless by some communication or other by that means someway peculiarly communicating with that divine Logos in what was his---or by having something dwelling in [him (om.E)] that was divine, that belonged to the Logos if there is no more communication between this individual human nature & the eternal Son of God than others there is no more real union But all that was divine in the man X Jesus is from the Spirit of God divine power & divine knowledge & divine will & divine acts & therefore it must be that the divine Logos dwelt in him by the Spirit. When the man X Jesus said I will be thou clean or speaking in the name and person of the eternal Son of God spake [E's line] by the Holy Ghost then it will follow that it was by the Holy Ghost that the man X Jesus was [E's line] in the name and in the person of the eternal Son of God. But he spake this by the Holy Ghost for it was at the direction motion & influence of the Spirit of God on Xs will that he wrought miracles

¶ Corol. This shews how much the man X Jesus must needs be the most holy of all creatures. For the creature is more or less holy according as it has more or less of the Holy Spirit dwelling in it. But X has so much of the Spirit & hath [sic] it in so high & excellent a manner as to render him the same person with him whose Spirit it is. This shews how much fuller his heart is of love for holiness & the Spirit of God consists in love. and his acts shew the same, never any gave such manifestations of love in their acts as he did. The love of his heart is as much above the love of any other creature as his acts of love were greater. This shews how excellent & sufficient Xs righteousness must needs be. [finis]

 

¶ 767 INCARNATION OF X AND HIS PERFECT HOLINESS Tho X was concieved in the womb and of the substance of a mother that was one of the corrupt race of mankind & born of her yet being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost which is the omnipotent holiness of God it self that which was concieved and formed must needs be a perfectly holy thing as Luke 1. 35. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee & the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. here it seems to be supposed that seeing this thing is formed by the Holy Ghost it must needs be an holy thing. seeing it was the immediate work of infinite omnipotent holiness it-/p./ self the thing wrought must needs be perfectly holy without any unholiness tho wrought in the midst of pollution & brought out of it yet this agent being infinitely powerfull its influence must needs infinitely prevail over any ill influence that the nature of the mother might be supposed to have. it is the proper work of evil light out of darkness life out of death holiness out of impurity [finis]

 

¶768. ABRAHAM is the FATHER OF BELIEVERS. X is our father in other vertues but only those that himself as our Saviour is the Object of & that are proper for us as sinners these X could not set us an example of & therefore another one that is naturally a sinfull man as we are is appointed to be our father Abraham is the father of believers as Jabal was the father of such as dwell in tents and as Jubal was the father of such as handle the harp and the organ Gen. 4. 20. 21. That is he was set as the great example and pattern for them to follow & he that the chh of believers that was afterwards came from he that by his faith laid the foundation of the chh of believers for the promises that in him all the families of the earth should be blessed were by faith, as well as because the church of believers either were of, are [sic; A: or] come [A: came] by means of his natural posterity. [finis]

 

partly [?] out

¶ 769. CHRIST is often spoken of in SS. as being by way of eminency THE ELECT or chosen of God. Isai 42. 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth Luke 23. 35 If he be the X the chosen of God 1. Pet. 2. 4. a living stone chosen of God and precious. Ps. 89. 3. [8?] I have made a covenant with my chosen v. 19 I have exalted one chosen out of the people. Hence those persons in the Old Testament that were the most remarkeable types of X were the subjects of a very remarkeable election of God by which they were designed to some peculiar honour of the prophetical priestly or kingly office So Moses was called Gods chosen in that wherein he was eminently a type of X viz as a prophet & ruler & mediatour for his people Ps. 106. 23 had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach So Aaron was constituted high priest by a remarkeable election of God as in Numb. 16. 5 & 17. 5. Deut 21. 5. So David the king was the subject of a remarkeable election Ps. 78. 67.---72. Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph & chose not the tribe of Ephraim but chose the tribe of Judah the Mt Zion which he loved & he built his sanctuary like high palaces like the earth which he hath established forever He chose David also his servant & took him from the sheepfolds from following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people & Israel his inheritance 1 Sam. 16. 7. 8. 9. 10. The L. hath not chosen this neither hath the Lord chosen this----the Lord hath not chosen these.

¶Christ is the chosen of God both as to his divine & human nature, as to his divine nature he was chosen of God tho' not to any addition to his essential glory or real happiness which is infinite yet to a [xo ?] great declarative glory As he is man he is chosen of God to the highest degree of real glory & happiness of all creatures. as to both he is chosen of God to the office & glory of the mediatour between God & man[ck MS] & the head of all the elect creation. His election as it respects his divine nature was for his worthiness & excellency & infinite amiableness in the sight of God & perfect fitness for that which God chose him to his worthiness was the ground of his election. But his election as it respects his human nature was free & sovereign not being for any worthiness but his election was the foundation of his worthiness. His election as he is God is a manifestation of Gods infinite wisdom. The wisdom of any being is discovered by the wise choice he makes So the infinite wisdom of God is manifest in the wisdom of his choice when he chose his eternal Son one so fit upon all accounts for the office of a mediatour when he only was fit & when he was perfectly & infinitely fit & yet his fitness was so difficultly to be discovered [discerned?] that none but one of infinite wisdom could discover it see serm on Eph. 3. 10. the first particular insisted on under the doctrine . & also serm on Heb. 2. 3. beginning with the 2d page of the seventh leaf [refs at same time?] /p. 7/ His election as he was man was a manifestation of Gods sovereignty & grace God had determined to exalt one of the creatures so high that he should be one person with God and should have communion with God & glory in all respects answerable, & so should be the head of all other elect creatures that they might be united to God and glorified in him. And his sovereignty appears in the election of the man Jesus various ways It appears in choosing the species of creatures of which he should be viz the race of mankind and not the angels the superiour species. Gods sovereignty also appears in choosing this creature of the seed of fallen creatures that were become enemies & rebels abominable miserable creatures. It appears in choosing that he should be of such a branch of mankind in selecting the posterity of David a mean person originally & the youngest of the family and as he was the seed of the woman so his sovereignty appears in his being the seed of such women as he was as of Leah the uncomely wife of Jacob whom her husband had not chosen & of [xo w other ww] Tamar a Canaanitess & a harlot & Rahab a harlot and Ruth a Moabitess and of Bathsheba one that had committed adultery & the immediate seed of Mary a mean person and his sovereignty appears in the choice of that individual female seed of mankind as all the future seed of Adam were in some respect in his loins so all the future posterity of the woman were in the womb or ovary of Eve therewere the [xo E?] are the first principles the stamina of every human body long before it becomes the body of the human body long before it becomes the body of the human being there is a seed of the woman to be afterwards impregnated in the immediate mother if not in the first mother of mankind and what number of these ova or seeds should be impregnated is determined of God before hand & so every individual human being that should have existence from thence Gods sovereignty appears in choosing this individual seed of the woman to advance to such glory & blessedness Tis this free sovereign & gracious election that is the prime ground of any distinction among those seeds of the woman considered antecedent to this they are all in like circumstances they are all alike seeds of the woman all have the same nature are all alike liable to begin their proper human existence the same way, are all alike liable to the guilt & pollution & so to the misery & damnation that comes by the fall That X was concieved by the power of the Holy Ghost was a fruit of his election For that seed of the woman those stamina & [? or?] first principles of his human being that were in the womb of the virgin that was one of those seeds that had future humanity & that individual humanity annexed [?] to it by Gods decree was as liable to be impregnated by man as any other seed of the woman whatsoever So that it was owing to this election of God that the man Jesus was not one of the corrupt race of mankind So that his being freedom from sin & damnation is owing to the free sovereign electing love of God as [xo E?] in him as well as in the rest of elect men all holiness all obedience and [wwxo] & good good [sic] works & perseverence in him was owing to the electing love of God as well as in his elect members & so his freedom from eternal damnation was owing to the free electing love of God another way viz as it was owing to Gods electing love to him & his members but to him in the first place, that he did not fail in that great & difficult work that he undertook that he did not fail under his extreme sufferings & so eternally continue under them for if he had failed his courage resolution & love had been conquered by his sufferings he never could have been delivered from them for then he would have failed in his obedience to God and his love to God failing & being overcome by sufferings those sufferings would have failed of the nature of an acceptable sacrifice to God & the infinite value of his sufferings would have failed & so must be made up in infinite duration to attone for his own deficiency. but God having chosen X he should not fail in this work & so was deliverd from his sufferings from the eternity of them by the electing love of God. his [xo E] justification & his [xo E?] glorification were fruits of Gods foreknowledge & predestination in him as well as in his elect members

¶So that the man Christ Jesus has the eternal electing love of God to him to contemplate & admire & to delight & rejoice his heart as all his elect members have. /p. 8/ He has it before him eternally to praise God for his free & sovereign election of him and to ascrible [sic? for "ascribe all"?] the praise of his freedom from eternal damnation & [xo?] (which he with his elect members beholds & has had a taste of far beyond all the rest & so has more to excite joy & praise for his deliverance from it), & the praise [of (om. E.)] the glory he possesses to that election as others have This election is not for Xs works or worthiness for all his works & worthiness are the fruits of it God had power over this seed of the woman to make it either a vessel to honour or dishonour as he had over the rest.

¶X is by way of eminency called THE ELECT of God for tho' other elect men are by election distinguished from the greater part of mankind yet they in their election have that which is common to thousands & millions & tho the elect angels are distinguished by election from the angels that fell yet they are chosen among myriads of other [sic] but this man by his election is vastly distinguished from all other creatures in heaven or earth & X in his election is the head of election & the pattern of all other election. He [xo c?] <X> [c?] is the head of all elect creatures; and both angels & men are chosen in him in some sense; i.e. chosen to be in him. all elect men are said to be chosen in S, in Eph. 1. 4. Election contains two things, viz. foreknowledge & predestination; which are distinguished in the 8<th> [c] chap. of Romans. the <T> [c] elect are chosen in him with respect to these two; in senses some what diverse. With respect to foreknowledge or foreowning, we are chosen in him, as God chose us to be actually his in this way, viz. by being in X, or being members of his Son. this is the way that God determined we should actually become his. God chose X & gave them [xo c] <his elect people> [c] to him, & so looking on them as his, owned them for his own . but by predestination, which is consequent on this foreknowledge, we are elected in X, as we are elected in his election. For God having in foreknowledge given us to X, he thenceforward beheld us as members or parts of him; and so ordaining the head to glory, he therein ordained the members to glory. or [? xo c?] <&> [?] in <I> [c] destining X to eternal life, he destin'd all parts of X to it also. so that we are appointed to eternal life in X, as Xs ap being in X, his members from eternity <.I> [c] in his being appointed to life, we are appointed [mg] to [?] ted [? tnd? and?] <to it.> [c] so Xs election is the foundation of our's, as much as his justification & glorification are the foundation of our's . by election in Scripture is sometimes meant this latter part, viz destination to conformity to X, in life & glory, as 2. Thess 2. 13. ""God from the beginning hath chosen you to salvation". & it seems to be spoken of in this sense chiefly, in Eph. .1. 3. 4. 5. ""Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in X; according as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy & without blame before him in love; having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus X to hims, according to the good pleasure of his will." see Miscell. 1245. B. 8. [finis]

 

¶ 770. MYSTERIES. How are we ready to trust to the determinations of a man that is universally reputed a man of great Genius of vast penetration and Insight into things if he [be c] Positive in any thing that appears to us very mysterious and is quite Contrary to what we thought our selves clear & certain in before How are we ready in such a case to suspect our selves especially if it be a matter wherein he has been very much versed has had much more Occasion to Look into it than we & has been under greater advantages to Know the truth How much more still if one should be positive in it as a thing that he had clearly & undoubtedly seen to be true if he were still of ten times Greater Genius & more penetrating Insight into things than any that ever have appear'd And In matters of Fact if some Person that we had Known that was a Person of Great Judgment & discretion Justice Integrity & Fidelity and had alwaies been universally so reputed by others should declare to us that he had seen & Known that ["that" added by c] to be true that[xo c] which ["which" added by c to replace E's "that"] appeared to us very strange & mysterious & what we cant [xo and changed to "could not" by c] see how it is [xo and changed to "was" by c] possible that it should be how in such a case should we be ready almost to suspect our own faculties & to give credit to such a testimony in that which if he had not positively asserted it & persisted in it we should have looked upon as perfectly incredible and absurd to suppose. [changed to "to be supposed" by c]

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This no. has the large asterisk and "2." by it. Some of the more sensible punctuation is by E; rest, plus corrections, by c. Printed as Part II, §2, M. O., p.338. The No. comes near bottom of a MS page numbered (prob. by later hand) 8, top middle.

 

¶ 771. CONVICTION HUMILIATION. Its being needfull that a person that is saved should be sensibly saved & so first sensible of his misery dont prove that persons /p./ universally are first in great terrour before they are converted For whether any are are [sic] converted in proper infancy or no yet doubtless some are converted in early childhood when if they have great terrour yet the sense of it in a course of nature will in a great measure wear off so that so far as the sensibleness of their salvation depends on that terrible sense of their own misery that they had before they were converted, their salvation will cease to be sensible when they are grown up they will not be more sensibly delivered by reason of that than if they were converted when adults [? about comma] with far less terrour. [finis]

 

¶ 772. MEDIATION OF CHRIST. The business of a mediatour is as a middle person between two parties at a distance and at variance to make peace between them. Christ is mediatour between God and ma<e>n [mg.] to God. [sic] He alone is fit to be the Mediatour he only of the persons on the Trinity is fit being the middle person between the Father & the Holy Ghost & so only is fit to be a Mediatour between the Father & sinners in order to their holiness & happiness for in so being he is a middle person between the Father & the Holy Ghost in them in that he is the means or middle person by which holiness & happiness is purchased for them of the Father or which is the same thing by which the holy Ghost is purchased for them for the conferring of holiness & happiness consists in conferring the holy Ghost the purchaser & the price are intermediate between the person of whom the purchase is made and the thing purchased of him so he acts intermediately as between the Father & the Holy Ghost is purchased of the Father but also by whom it is conferred on sinners from the Father. Thus the Mediatour acts as a middle person between the Father & the Holy Ghost in transacting with sinfull men from the Father so also is he in transacting for them & from them with the Father when their desires their prayers & praises their love their trust & their obedience is offered to God through X as Mediatour & the<o>se are presented to the Father through his hands for that love & tho<e>se prayers &[c ?] are from the actings of the Holy Spirit in them.

¶ X God man is a fit person for a Mediatour between God and ma<e>n not only as he is a middle person between the Father & the Holy Ghost but also between God and man but as he is a middle person between God and men themselves he is nearly allied to both he is the Son of God & the son of man he is both God & man he is Gods Son & our Brother & as he has the nature of both so he has the circumstances of both the glory majesty & happiness of the one and the infirmity meanness disgrace guilt & misery of the other <see the paper inserted?> & he undertakes for each with the other he undertakes for ma<e>n with God he becomes surety for him he undertakes that the law shall be answered Gods majesty vindicated & glorified with respect to man yea he so undertakes for sinners that he assumes them to himself he puts himself before the Father in the sinners stead that whatever justice has to demand of the sinner it may demand it of him he takes the sinners debt becomes bound for him so that justice no longer looks to the sinner for a discharge of the debt but to Christ. & so he also undertakes for the Father with ma<e>n in order to their being reconciled to God & resting in him as their sure & everlasting portion that God will preserve them, & keep them that none shall pluck them out of his hands away from their [possibly this] portion & inheritance that so they may rest in him without having all rest in him destroyed through continual fear of a dissolution of their union with him through their great weakness & continual sins X therefore undertakes with men to be their Advocate & intercessour & therein engages them [sic] the continuance of Gods favour [See the next No 773 (E's brackets)] [a character after 773?]

¶ Christ being Mediatour between God and ma<e>n appears in the stead of each to the other & is the representative of each before the other He appears in Gods stead to us in his prophetical & kingly office He pleads & manages the cause of each with the other He manages the cause of God with us as prophet & he manages our cause with God as priest he acts for both as king as prophet he is Gods representative to us as priest he is out representative but as our head & for our benefit he is head of the church & head over all things to the church he reigns as Gods vicegerent and delegate and out Mediatour & spiritual husband he reigns in some sort in the name of both.

¶ He as Mediatour between both brings to each what is said by the other he brings the word of God to ma<e>n as prophet in his instructions & counsels & he carries our words to God in our prayers confessions & praises as priest in his intercession

¶ By his death he has reconciled each to other by his blood he has taken away that on our part which was the partition wall & the cause of Gods enmity towards us viz our sin & by the same he has taken away that which was the partition wall on Gods part that was the occasion of out enmity to him viz the law of the comandmts the law or covenant of works which condemned us & so rendred God the object of our slavish fear & hatred. /p./

¶ Christ by dying has offered to God the strongest inducement to him to recieve man into his favour as it was the most glorious act of righteousness and he has also by the same offered to man the strongest inducemt to ma<e>n to love God as it was the most glorious manifestation of his amiable holiness & winning grace and mercy. Christ being Mediatour between God and man goes from one to the other he in the first place came down from God to man and dwells in this

 

¶ 773. PERSEVERANCE. X's MEDIATION. The doctrine of perseverance is manifest from the nature [? Rem.;check] of the mediation of X spoken of in the proceeding number.[xo c] For X <as X is [c]> being [sic xo c] a mediatour between God & man to reconcile God to man & man to God and as he is a middle person between both & as he has the nature of both so he undertakes for each and in some respect becomes surety for each with the other he undertakes & becomes a surety for man to God he engages for him that the law that was given him shall be answered & that justice with respect to him shall be satisfied & that justice with respect to him shall be satisfied & the honour of Gods majesty vindicated So he undertakes & engages for the Father with men in order to their being reconciled to God and induced to come to him to love men & trust confidently in him & rest quietly in him He undertakes for the Fathers acceptance & favour John 14. 21. "He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father." He undertakes that the Father shall hear and answer their prayers he becomes as it were [xo c] surety to see their prayers answered [sic] John 14. 13. "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, that will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." He undertakes for them [xo E] that they shall have all needed supplies of grace from the Father & he engages for the continuance of Gods presence with them & [wwxo] & the continuance of his favour & of the supplies of grace necessary to uphold & preserve them & keep them from finally perishing John. 14. 16. "And I will pray the Gather & he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you forever" & v. 23. "If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him & we will come to him & make our abode with him." X dont only declare that God will give us needed grace but he himself undertakes to see it done. He promises that he will bestow it from the Father. John 15. 26. "But the Comforter, whom I will send you from the Father." It was necessary that some one should thus undertake for God with men for the continuance of his pardoning & sanctifying grace in order to the sinners being fully reconciled to God and brought fully & quietly to rest in him as his God otherwise the sinner conscious of his own weakness & sinfullness could have no quiet rest in God for fear of the unions being broken between God & him & for fear of incurring Gods displeasure & wrath & so having God an Enemy forever which man in hims in his fallen state is a thousand times as liable to as he was under the first covenant. He is in a capacity to undertake for us & be surety for us with the Father because he puts himself in our stead as priest[xo E] &[xo c] he also is <in [c]> a capacity to undertake for the Father & be surety for him with us because the Father hath put him in his stead. He puts himself in our stead as Priest and answers for us & [?] does & suffers in that office what we should have done & suffered & God puts him in his stead as King he is appointed to the governmt of the T as God's vicegerent & so in that office answers for God to us does that & orders & bestows that which we need from God He undertakes for us in things that are expected of us as subjects because he puts himself into our subjection he appears in the form of a servant for us. so he undertakes for the Father in that which is desired & hoped for of him as King for the Father hath put him into his kingdom & dominion & has committed all authority & power unto him he is in a capacity to undertake for the Father with us because he can say as in John 16. 15., "all things that the Father hath are mine."[finis]

 

¶ 774. PERSEVERENCE. The first covenant failed of bringing man to the glory of God through mans instability whereby he failed of perseverance mans weakness was & xx& [all xo c] <& [c]> changeableness was the thing wherein it was weak. it was weak through the flesh. But God had made a second covenant in mercy to falen [sic] man that in the way of this covenant he might be brought to the glory of God which he failed of under the other. But 'tis Gods manner in things that <he [c]> appoints & constitutes, when one thing fails of its proper ind and he appoints another to succeed in the room of it to introduce that the second time that [xo E] in which never shall fail but shall surely reach its end & so shall remain as that which needs no other to succeed it. So God removed the first dispensation by Moses Heb. 8. 7.---13. "For if the first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. for finding fault with them he saith, behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers ----because they continued not in my covenant & I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts & I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people and they shall not teach every man his neighbour &c-- For I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesses & their sins & their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, a new covenant, he hath made the first old. now that which decayeth & waxeth old, is ready to vanish away."

¶ So the priesthood of the order of Aaron ceases because of the weakness & insufficiency of it to answer the ends of priesthood which are to reconcile God to man therefore God introduces another priesthood after the order of Melchizedeck that is sufficient & cant fail & remains forever. Heb. 7. 11. 12. "If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people reciev'd the Law) what further need was there, that another priest should arise, after the order of Melchizedeck, & not called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law." 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. verses "after the similitude of Melchizedeck there ariseth another priest who is made not after the law of a carnal commandmt but after the power of an endless life For he testifieth thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedeck For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness & unprofitableness thereof For the law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did" What the law failed of being weak through the flesh X performed Rom. 8. 3. 4. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak thro' the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinfull flesh, & for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. So the old heavens & earth are destroyed, because of their defects and a new heavens & earth introduced that are to remain forever. Heb 12. 26. 27. 28. "But now hath he promised, yet once more I shake not the earth only but also heaver. & this word yet once more <prob. c's (too sharp for E)> signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of those things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we recieving a kingdom which cannot be moved"&c--. So Moses the first leader of Israel faild of bringing them into Canaan but Joshua the second leader did not fail t<T [c]>he kingdom of Saul the first anointed of the Lord did not continue but the kingdom of the second anointed remains forever. The first sanctuary that was built in Israel was a moveable tabernacle & therefore ready to vanish away or be removed finally & God forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh but the second sanctuary was a firm building an immoveable temple which was typically an everlasting sanctuary & that which God never would forsake 2 Sam. 7. 10. 11. So the first covenant that God made with Adam faild because it was weak through the flesh or through the weakness of human nature to whose strength & stability the keeping was betrusted Therefore God introduces another better covenant committed not to his strength but to the strength of one that was mighty & stable & therefore is a sure & everlasting covenant God betrusted the affair of mans happiness on a weak foundation at first to shew men that that foundation was weak & not to be trusted to that he might trust in God alone. the first was only to make was /p./ for the second.--- God lit up divine light in me<a>ns soul at the first but it remaind on such a foundation that Satan found means to extinguish it & therefore when God lights it up a second time it is that it never may be extinguished. [finis]

 

¶775. HAPPINESS OF SEPARATE SAINTS. The proper time of Xs reward is not 'till after the end of the world for he will not have finished the work of Mediatour 'till then but yet he has glorious rewards in heaven before The proper time of the angels reward is not till the end of the T and their work of attending on & ministring to X in his humbled militant state both in himself & members or body mystical is not finished 'till then but yet they are confirmed before and have an exceeding reward before. The proper time of the saints reward is not in the T nor is their work their hard labours trials & sufferings finished till death but yet they are confirmed as soon as they believe & have an earnest of their future inheritance the first fruits of the Spirit now And so tho the proper time of judgmt & reward of all elect creatures is not till the end of the world yet the saints have glorious rewards in heaven immediately after death [finis]

 

¶776. SAINTS in HEAVEN know what comes to pass in the CHURCH ON EARTH. MILLENNIUM. The glory of X the chief of elect men and head of the whole [sic; mg] that he has in reward for his labours & sufferings here in this T consists in great measure in the glorious flourishing of the church & success of the gospel after he is gone to heaven Isai 49. 4. 5. 6. Then I said I have laboured in vain and spent my strength for nought & in vain yet surely my judgment is with the Lord & my work. [in the margin reward] with my God And now saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant Tho' Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord & my God shall be my strength And he said it is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob & to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my salvation to the end of the earth So Isai 53. 10. 11. 12. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand He shall see of the travail of his soul & be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great & he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death &c-- And there are multitudes of passages of SS that shew the same thing.

¶So doubtless much of the reward of others of the company & laboured for the advancement of Xs kingdom & have suffered for it & therein been made partakers with their head in his labours & sufferings have been made have filled up what is lacking in the sufferings of X for the same end will be in seeing that glory accomplished after their death. As they partook in desires & prayers & labours & sufferings for this with their head & older Brother in this T so they shall partake with him in the reward that consists in the attainmt of the scope & end of those desires prayers labours & sufferings of them both X is our forerunner in the reward he recieves he is the first fruits & the pattern of the saints not only in deeds & sufferings but in his reward & glory. See next corol 2. & . 3. See No. 778 [finis]

 

¶777. HAPPINESS of HEAVEN is PROGRESSIVE and has various periods in which it has a new & glorious advancement and consists very much in BEHOLDING the manifestations that God makes of himself in the WORK OF REDEMPTION. There can be no view or knowledge that one spiritual being can have of another but it must be either immediate and intuitive or mediate or [xo ?] some manifestations or signs. And [sic] immediate and intuitive view of any mind if it be consequent & dependent on the prior existence of what is viewed in that mind is the very same with consciousness for to have an immediate view of a mind is to have an immediate view of the thoughts volitions exercises, & motions of that mind for there is nothing else in any mind to be beheld, but to have an immediate view of the ideas and exercises of any mind consequent on their existence is the same as to have an immediate perception sense or feeling of them as they pass or exist in that mind . For there is no difference between immediate seeing ideas & immediate having them neither is there any difference between a created minds immediate view of the sense or feelings of a mind either of pleasure or pain & feeling the same therefore a spiritual created being cant have an immediate view of another mind without some union /p. 13/ of personality. If two spirits were so made of God that the one evermore necessarily saw all that passed in the others mind fully and percieved it as in that mind so that all the ideas & all the sense of things that was in one was fully viewed by the other, or a full idea of all was necessarily constantly excited in the one consequent on its being in the other and beheld as in the other those two would to all intents & purposes be the same individual person. & if it were not so constantly but only for a season there would be for a season an union of personality & if these seasons were determined by the will of one of them viz of him whose ideas were consequent on those of the other when he pleased to turn the attention of his mind to [the (om. E.)] still the effect is the same there is for a season an union of personality. If the ideas & sense that pass in one tho immediately percieved yet are not fully percieved but only in some degree, still this dont hinder the effects being the same viz an union of personality in some degree.

¶Therefore there is no creature can thus have an immediate sight of God but only Jesus X who is in the bosom of God. For no creature can have such an immediate view of another created spirit for it they could they could search the heart & try the reins but to see & SEARCH THE HEART is often spoken of as GODS PREROGATIVE and as one thing Gods divinity & infinite exaltation above all creatures appears & God who is called the infisible God Colos. 1. 15. & the King eternal immortal invisible 1 Tim 1. 17. & he that is invisible, Heb. 11. 27. & of whom it is said 1 John 4. 12. No man (in the original no one.) hath seen God at any time, & 1. Tim. 6. 16. who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man (or no one) hath seen or can see. I say this being is doubtless as invisible as created spirits & 'tis not to be thought that he that gives no meer creature to an immediate sight or knowledge of any created spirit but reserves it to hims. & his Son as their great prerogative properly belonging to them as God would admit 'em to an immediate sight or knowledge of himself whom to know is an infinitely higher prerogative of the only begotten Son of God, who is in the bosom of the Father. The man X Jesus <X> is admitted to know God immediately but the knowledge of all other creatures in heaven & earth is by means or by manifestations or signs held forth & Jesus X who alone sees immediately, the grand medium of the knowledge of all others they know no otherwise than by the exhibitions held forth in and by him as the Scripture is express. Math 11. 27. No man (in the Heb. [sic] no one) knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any one the Father save the Son & he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him & Joh. 1. 18 No one hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Joh 6. 46. Not that any one hath seen the Father save he which <is> [in left mg; prob And. c] of God he hath seen the Father

¶But the other kind of view of knowledge that one spiritual being may have of another is mediate or by manifestations or signs held forth & there are but three sorts of signs by which any thing that is in another spiritual being can be manifested or made known either 1. images or resemblances. 2. words and declarations or voluntary significations either inward or outward equivalent to speaking &3. effects by which what is in the mind any be argued as cause is argued from the effect. or 4. a priori by arguing from the causes or from something that must be concieved of after the manner of a cause or something prior on which the thing argued in the manner of arguing is consequent & dependant . There are no other ways than these four in which we can have any view or knowledge of a created mind tis in these ways only that we see & know one anothers souls or minds either by that image & resemblance there is in the body & its air & motions of the sense & affections & motions of the mind or by words or voluntary significations we make to each other of what we are conscious to [sic] in our own minds by voice writing or other signs or from the effects we see of each others thought choice sense & exercises of mind in our actions & works & as we may argue something about each other a priori. So these are the only ways in which any creature can see or know God We see him either in images either something that is intended on purpose for a representation of him such as the visible symbols of his presence of old to the prophets & others & such is the man X Jesus or any thing that being from him has some resemblance of him as the sun has some shadow of his glory, the clouds & /p. 14/ mountains of his majesty, & the green fields & pleasant flowers of his grace & mercy such also is the soul of man that is made in the image of God & especially souls endowed with holiness such are the angels & such above all is the soul of Jesus X or [A; prob meant "as"?] we see him in his word or voluntary signification, of what is invisible in him either internally speaking to the mind by impulses made on the mind as in inspiration or externally by voices or by his written word or else we behold him in the effects of what is in him in his works of creation & providence and the manifestations that are made of God by his word are chiefly as shewing us the manifestations that there are of him in his works, or lastly we argue the things of God a priori from the necessity of his existence & perfections & there are no other ways but these[ck MS] four that the saints can see God They see him in his image which especially is his Son Jesus X who is said to be the Image of the invisible God Colos. 1. 15. Chiefly for that reason because he is that visible image by which God who in himself is invisible is pleased to manifest himself by [sic] to the creature he that seeth the Son seeth the Father & they see & know God in heaven by his word or speech for there the saints are with God & converse with God & God converses with them by voluntary manifestations & significations of his mind either by external signs or by impulse [sic] of his Spirit & this also is by X they converse with God by conversing with X who speaketh the words of God [see John 3. 33. 34. with notes] [E's bracks.] & no one hath seen God at any time but the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him & no one knows the Father but the Son & he to whom the Son will reveal him tis Gods pleasure that X should be the light the sun of heaven by which God should be seen & known there For it pleases the Father that in him all fullness should dwell. And again they see & know God in heaven in his works which are the effects of the glorious perfections there are in him & this also is in X for all the works of God are wrought in him by whom all things are made in heaven & earth whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers & by him all things consist & especially do they see his glory as it is manifested in the work of redemption which the angels desire to look into & by which the manifold wisdom of God is made known to the angels. So far as they see God & know him in his works (which is the principal way in which God manifests himself & to which the manifestation of himself in his word is subordinate ) <see after Num. 778. this mark> They see & know [sic] as he manifests himself in the work of redemption which [is (om. E.)] the greatest & most glorious of all Gods works the work of works to which all Gods works are reduced [? And c om.] & is the end and as it were the summ of all Gods works to the purposes & ends of which work heaven & all its angels were created, & which is a work that the redeemed saints in heaven are concerned far [sic? mg] above all other works of God in which the glory of the divine perfections & especially the glory of his love appears as much more brightly than in any other work as the light of the sun is above that of the stars & of which work all their glory & blessedness in heaven is a fruit & a part And this work by way of eminency is THE WORK of Jesus X the Image of the invisible [sic] by whom alone G. is seen & known by the saints.

¶Corol. 1. Hence that BEATIFICAL VISION that the saints have of God in heaven is in beholding the manifestations that he makes of himself in the work of redemption For that arguing of the being & perfections of God that may be a priori dont seem to be called seeing God in Scripture, but only that which is by manifestations Gods [sic] makes of himself in his Son all other ways of knowing God are by seeing him in X the Redeemer the image of the invisible God & in his works or the effects of his perfections in his redemption & the fruits of it (which effects are the principal manifestation or shining forth of his perfection). & in conversing with them by X which conversation is chiefly about those things done & manifested in this work if we may judge by the subject of Gods conversation with his chh. by his work in the T. And so we <may infer that> business [sic] & employment of the saints so far as it consists in contemplation praise & conversation is mainly in contemplating the wonders of this work in praising God for the displays of his glory & love therein & in conversing about things appertaining to it.

¶Corol. 2. This greatly confirms that the SAINTS IN HEAVEN see what comes to pass in the CHURCH ON EARTH. For seeing their happiness in so great part consists in beholding the work of redemption & their business so much in contemplating of it hence tis most reasonable to suppose that they see this work as it is carried on in the T in the various steps of it that they saw those things that were preparatory to it from age to age before X came & that they saw X birth & the acts of his life & his death & resurrection by which this redemption was procured & afterwards saw the success of it in the chh of God that was founded on X blood & saw the overthrow of Satans heathenish kingdom & so have seen the various steps of the progress of redemption & the erection of Xs kingdom & will behold the future remaining great events by which the success of Xs redemption is to be obtaind in the T. see No. 776. & 778.

¶Corol. 3. Seeing that the happ[iness of heaven is in X the Redeemer & their vision & enjoymt of God is through him & his redemption this renders it more probable that the happiness of heaven in its p is PROGRESSive have [sic? A ed above And. c's hence] several PERIODS of new accession of glory & blessedness to their state answering to the several periods of the accomplishmt & advancemt of this work & that the same periods that are happy & blessed periods to the church on earth are so also to the chh in heaven as particularly that the chh in heaven and a new accession of glory when the church on earth was redeemed out of Egypt & settled in Canaan in such a series of glorious & wonderfull works of God & that again they had another happy period of glorious advancement in the time of the establishment of the throne of David & the great prosperity of Gods chh on earth under David & Solomon & again had another happy period of new accession of glory at the redemption of the church on earth out of Babilon. & that the light & love & glory of the chh in heaven was as much advanced from the period of Xs first coming especially from his ascension into heaven as of the chh on earth. & again had a new period of advancemt in Constantines time & at the Reformation & again [xo?] far above all that has been hitherto on [? A: in] the fall of AntiX & the beginning of the millennium & that last period of all whence will beginning the consummate glory both of the chh in heaven & that on earth when they shall be united in one will be at the end of the T. This seems to appear by the promises made to the Fathers of those several periods on earth & their so [wwxo] so wishing for the accomplishmt of them & rejoicing in the foresight of them So Abraham rejoiced & rested in hope of the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt & God fulfilled those promises to Abraham in the character of the God of Abraham & Isaac & Jacob as not the God of the dead but of the living so Abraham rejoiced to see Xs day, that is he rejoiced in hopes of the coming of the glo. day of the gospel & therefore when he sees it has doubtless answerable happiness & satisfaction in the accomplishmt, Joh. 8. 56. So David exceedingly rejoiced in the foresight of gospel times that should come & doubtless therefore when he saw them his satisfaction was answerable. Therefore it was promised to Daniel that he should have a lot & portion in the future glorious times of the church when they should be accomplished Dan 12. 13. This is one sense wherein the saints of old the chh in heaven are not made perfect without the accomplishmt of the glorious periods of the chhs prosperity on earth that the chh in heaven & the chh on earth are so united that the glory of the one is not advanced and perfected without the perfecting of the glory of the other as is meet in those that are one body tis meet that all the members should rejoice together & be honoured & glorified together Heb. 11. 39. 40 And all these having obtained a good report through faith recieved not the promise, that they without us should not be made perfect. By this also we may happily [sic] understand Heb. 11. 13. These[ck MS] all died in faith not having recieved the promises but having see them afar off. (viz at the distance of their times form the days of the gospel) and were perswaded of them and embraced them. This shews how that Xs promise to his disciples that when he should sit on the throne of his glory they should sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel in the glorious accomplishmt of it in this T which is principally after their death especially in the millennium will be their real glory & happiness . & this explains how in the millennium the SOULS [E's line and large wr] of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus & for the word of God &c-- live & reign with X a thousand years Rev. 20. 4. And tis observable & very much confirming & evidencing what I /p. 16/ have here supposed that in the book of Revelation all along the periods of new advancemt of glory to the chh on earth seem to [be (om. E.)] so no less to the chh in heaven Hence the saints in heaven rejoice & praise X in the thoughts of that they shall reign on earth. Rev. 5. 10. Hence the departed souls of the martyrs are represented as being so deeply concernd for the flourishing of the church on earth, Rev. 6. 9. 10. 11. I saw under the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God & for the testimony which they held & they cried with a loud voice saying how long Lord holy & true dost thou not judge & avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth & white robes were given to every one of them & it was said to them that they should rest yet for a little season till their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled. Hence the church in heaven is represented as so rejoicing in the victory of the chh over AntiX Rev 7. 9 &c--& hence those great rejoicings in heaven at the overthrow of Satan's kingdom & the beginning of the glo. times of the church in Rev. 11. 15 &c-- & chap 19. & their rejoicing is represented as not only being on the account of the prosperity of the chh on earth with whom they sympathize but as that wherein they are immediately concerned chap. 19. v. 6. 7. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of might thundrings saying Alleluia for the L. God omnipotent reigneth Let us be glad & rejoice in him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready. in the 18. chap. 20 heaven & the holy Apostles & prophets are called upon to rejoice on this occasion as what they are immediately concerned in Rejoice over her thou heaven & ye holy apostles & prophets for God hath avenged you on her the success & victory of the chh on earth over her enemies is represented as the success & victory of the saints & angels in heaven See Rev. 19. 11 to the end with chap. 11. 3. See No. 744, Corol. 5. [finis]

 

¶778. SAINTS IN HEAVEN see what comes to pass in the CHURCH on earth. For tis evident by many places that they see the sufferings & torments of the damned in hell & are they so much less concerned in the happiness of that part of the same family that they are of the members of the same body on earth than they are in the state of the damned be [A: are] they less nearly related to the saints on earth than to the devils & wicked souls in hell. See No 776. & 777. Corol 2. 3. [finis]

 

[Between Nos. 778 and 779]

¶ add this to Numb. 777. The last p. but one at the place marked with the asterisk.] [E's brack.] The manifestations Gods [sic] makes of himself in his works are the principal manifestations of his perfections and the declarations & teachings [-s xo?] of his word are [wwxo] are to lead to these[ck MS]. by Gods declaring & teaching that he is infinitely powerfull or wise, the creature believes that he is powerfull & wise as he teaches but in seeing his mighty & wise works the effects of his power & wisdom the creature not only hears & believes but sees his power & wisdom & so of his other perfections. [finis]

 

¶ 779. The NECESSITY of SATISFACTION for sin &[c?] the reasonableness of that Xtian doctrine. <may appear from the following considerations [c]>

¶ 1. Justice requires that sin be punished because sin deserves punishment. what the demerit[c?] of sin calls for justice calls for for tis only the same thing in different words for the notion of a desert of punishment is nothing else but the [xo E] the very same, as a just connection with punishment None will deny but that there is such a thing in some cases as the desert or <de[c?]>merit of a crime and [xo E] its calling for of requiring punishmt & to say that the desert of a crime does require punishmt is the same thing as to say the reason why it requires it is <that [c]> because[xo c] it deserves it. so that the meetness or [xo c] suitableness of the connection between the crime & punishment consists in the desert & therefore wherever desert is there is that meetness or [xo c] suitableness. [E's line] None will deny but [xo c] that some crimes are so horrid & so deserving of punishment, that tis requisite that they should not go unpunished <unless [c]> without [xo c] something very considerable <be done, [c]> in some wise [xo c] to make up for the crime either some answerable repentance, or some other compensation, that in some measure at least balances the desert of punishmt and so as it were takes it off or as it were [xo c] disannuls it. otherwise the desert of punishment remaining, all will allow, that tis fit & becoming and to be desired, that the crime should be severely punish'd. And why is it so but only from the <de[c]> merit of the crime or because the crime so much deserves such a punishmt? it justly excites so /p./ great abhorrence & indignation, that tis requisite that there should be a punishmt answerable to this abhorrence & indignation that is fitly excited by it. But by this all is granted that need [sic] to be granted to shew that desert of punishmt carries in it a requisiteness of the punishmt deserved for if greater crimes do very much require condign [xo E] punishment because of their great demerit lesser crimes will also require punishmt, but only in a lesser degree proportionably to their demerit because the ground of the requisiteness of the punishment of great crimes is their demerit. tis requisite that they should be punished on no other account but because they deserve it.

¶ And besides if it allowed that it is requisite that great crimes should be punished with condign [xo E?] punishment in some measure answerable to the heinousness of the crime without something to balance them some answerable repentance or other satisfaction because of their great demerit & the great abhorrence and indignation they justly excite it will follow that tis requisite that God should punish all sin with infinite punishment because all sin as it is against God is infinitely heinous and has infinite abhorrence and indignation in him. therefore by what was before granted tis requisite that God should punish it unless there be something in some measure to balance this desert either some answerable repentance & sorrow for it or other compensation. But there can be no repentance of it or sorrow for it in any measure answerable or proportionable to the heinousness of the demerit of the crime because that is infinite and there can be no infinite sorrow for sin in finite creatures yea there can be none but what is infinitely short of it none that bears any proportion to it or but what is as nothing in comparison of it, & therefore can weigh nothing when put in the scales with it, and so does nothing at all towards compensating it or diminishing the desert or requisiteness of punishmt any more than if there were no repentance And [xo c] if any ask why God could not pardon the injury on repentance without other satisfaction without any wrong to justice I also ask the same person why he could not also pardon the injury without repentance.-----For the same reason could he not pardon with repentance man is capable of is no repentance at all or is as little as none in comparison <with [c]> as the [xo E] to [xo c] the greatness of the injury for it bears no proportion to it & it would be as dishonourable & unfit for God to pardon the injury than none at all. <T [c;someth. xo before?]>therefore we are not forgiven on repentance because it in any wise compensates or takes off or diminishes the desert or requisiteness of punishment but because of the respect that evangelical repentance has to compensation already made.

¶ If sin therefore deserves punishment that is the same thing as to say that tis <fit [c]> meet [xo c] & proper that it should be punished. If the case be so that sin deserves punishment from men in those cases it is meet & [xo c] proper that it should recieve punishment from men a fault cant be properly said to deserve punishment from any but those to whom it belongs to inflict punishment when it is deserved. in those cases therefore wherein it <belongs to men[E]> is meet & proper for men [xo E] to inflict punishmt, tis in [?] those cases is it <is [c]> meet & [last 3 words xo c; others E?] proper for them to inflict th[e?] <at [c?]> punishmt that is deserved of them

¶ again if a [xo?] sins desert of punishmt be the proper ground of the fitness of its connection with punishmt or rather be that wherein fitness of connection consists, it will then [thence? Rem] follow not only that tis fit that sin that deserves punishmt should be punished but also that it should be punished as it deserves

¶ Tis meet that persons state should be agreable to the quality of their dispositions & voluntary actions. suffering is a thing that is [xo c] answerable and suitable to the quality of sinfull dispositions & actions tis suitable that they that will evil & do evil should recieve evil in proportion to the evil that he [sic] does or wills. 'tis but justice that it should be so & when sin is punished it recieves but its own or that which suitably is connected with it but it is a contradiction to say that it is suitably <& meetly[xo c] connected <with punishment [c]> or that it is suitable <& meet?[xo c]> that it should be connected <with it; [c]> & yet <it is [c]> suitable & meet [xo c] that it should not be connected <with it [c]> ---- All sin may be resolved into hatred of God and our neighbour as all our duty may be resolved into love to God and our neighbor. And tis but meet that this spirit of enmity should recieve <a return [c]> in its own kind that it should recieve enmity again. sin is of such a nature that it wishes ill & aims at ill to God and me<a>n: but to God especially. it strikes at God: it would, if it could, procure his misery & death it is but suitable that with what measure it metes it should be measured to it again tis but suitable that men should reap what they sow, & that the reward of every man's hands should be given him. [N.B. This MS p. has written in left mg: "See Miscellaneous Observations page 516 vol.7" Not sure whose hand] This is what the consciences of all men do naturally declare. There is nothing that men know sooner, after they come to the exercise of their reason, than that when they have done wickedness, they deserve punishment. The natural [xo E] consciences not only of Xtians & those that have been educated in the principles of divine revelation, but also the consciences of the heathen<s [c]>, inform them of this. & [xo c] therefore unless conscience has been stupified by frequent violations when men /p./have done wickedness there remains a sense of guilt upon their minds a sense of an obligation to punishmt 'tis natural to expect that which conscience or reason tells em it is suitable should come and therefore they are afraid and are jealous & ready flee when no man pursues

¶ Seeing therefore tis requisite that sin should be punished as punishmt is deserved and just therefore the justice of God obliges him to punish sin for it belongs to God as the supream Rector [sic] of the universality of things to see to <it [c]> it that[xo E?] to maintain order & decorum in his kingdom & to see to it that decency & right takes place at all times & ["&" xo c; others ?] in all cases. <T [c]>that perfection of his nature whereby he is disposed to this is his justice & [xo c] therefore his justice naturally disposes him to punish sin as it deserves.

¶ 2. The holiness of God which is the infinite opposition of his nature to sin naturally & necessarily disposes him to punish sin. Indeed his justice is part of his holiness but when we spake of Gods justice inclining of him to punish sin we had respect only to that exercise of his heinous whereby he [wwxo] loved<s[c]> that holy & beautifull order that consisted<s [c]> in the connection of one thing with another according to their [last two letters by c?] nature & so between sin & punishment & his opposition to that which would be so unsuitable as a disconnection of these things. But now I speak of the holiness of God as appearing not directly & immediately in his hatred of an unsuitable hatefull disconnection between sin it self,[alt?] as[xo ?] or the opposition of his nature to the odious nature of sin.

¶ If Gods nature be infinitely opposite to sin then doubtless he has a disposition answerable to oppose it in his acts & works if he by his nature be an enemy to sin with an infinite enmity then he is doubtless disposed to act as an enemy to it or to do the part of an enemy to it & if he [be (om.E)] disposed naturally to do the part of an enemy against sin or <against [xo c?]> which is the same thing against the faultiness or blameworthiness of moral agents then it will follow that he is naturally disposed to act as an enemy to those that are the persons faulty & blameworthy or are chargeable with the guilt of it as the <being [c]> they were [xo c] the persons faulty. Indignation is the proper exercise of hatred of any thing as a fault or thing blameable & there could be no such thing either in the Creatour or creature as hatred of a fault without indignation unless it be concieved or hoped that the fault is suffered for & so the indignation be as it were [xo c] satisfied whoever finds a hatred to a fault & at the same [time (om.E)] imputes the fault to him that committed it he therein feels an indignation against him for it so that God by his necessary [sic] infinite hatred of sin is necessarily disposed to punish it with [?mg] a punishmt answerable to his hatred

¶ tis [xo c] <It does [c]> not becoming of [xo c] <e [c]> the sovereign of the T a being of infinite glory purity & beauty to suffer such a thing as sin an infinitely uncomely disorder an infinitely detestable pollution to appear in the T subject to his governmt without his making any opposition to it or giving some publick manifestations & tokens of his infinite abhorrence of it. If he should so do it would be countenancing of[xo c] it which God cannot do for "he is of purer eyes than to behold evil & cannot look on iniquity" [quotes by c] Heb. 1. 13. Tis natural in such a case to expect tokens of the utmost opposition. If we could behold the infinite fountain of purity & holiness & could see with [xo E] what an infinitely pure flame it was [xo c] <is, [c]> & with what a pure brightness it shone [xo c] <shines; [c]> so that the heavens appeared [xo c] impure when compared with it & then should behold some infinitely odious & detestable filthiness brought & set in its presence would it not be natural to expect some ineffably vehement opposition made <to it? [c]> & would not the want of it be indecent & shocking

¶ If it be to Gods glory that he is in his nature infinitely holy & opposite to sin then it is to his glory to be infinitely displeased with sin and if it be to God's glory to be infinitely displeased with sin then it must be to God's glory to exercise and manifest that displeasure and <to [c]> act according to it. but the proper exercise & testimony of displeasure against sin in the supream being & absolute governour of the T is taking vengeance men may shew their hatred of sin by lamenting it & mourning for it & taking great pains & undergoing great difficulties to prevent or remove it or by approving Gods vengeance for it. Taking vengeance is not the proper way of fellow subjects hatred of sin but it is in the supream Lord & Judge of the T to whom vengeance belongs because he has the ordering & governmt of all things & therefore a suffering sin to go unpunished would in him be a conniving at it. Taking vengeance is as much the proper manifestation of God's displeasure at sin as a mighty work is the proper manifestation of his wisdom. There may be other testimonies of Gods displeasedness with & abhorrence of sin without testifying his displeasure in condign punishmt he might declare that he has such a displeasure and abhorrence so there might be other testimonies of Gods power & wisdom besides a powerfull or [xo E] <& [change by E] wise effect. he might have declared himself to be infinitely wise & powerfull /p./ but yet there would [have (om.E)] been wanting the proper manifestations of Gods power & wisdom if God had only declared himself to be possessed of the<o>se attributes the creature<s [c?]> might have believed him to be alwise and almighty but by seeing his mighty & wise works they see his power & wisdom so if there had been only a declaration of Gods abhorrence of [xo E] & displeasure against sin the creature might have believed it but could not have seen it unless he should also take vengeance for it.

¶ 3. The honour of the greatness excellency & majesty of God's being requires that sin be punished with an infinite punishmt. Hitherto I have spoken of the requisiteness of Gods punishing sin on the account of the demerit & hatefullness of it absolutely considered & not directly as God is interested in the affair. But now if we consider sin as level'd against God not only compensative justice to the sinner but justice to himself requires that God should punish sin with infinite punishmt Sin casts contempt on the greatness & majesty of God the language of it is that he is a despicable being not worthy to be honoured or feared not so great that his displeasure is worthy to be dreaded & that his threatnings of wrath are despicable things. [xo c] Now the proper vindication or defence of God's majesty in such a case is for God to contradict this language of sin in his providence towards sin that speaks this language or to contradict the language of sin in the event & fruit of sin sin says God is a despicable being & not worthy that he [sic] the sinner [that sinns?] should fear him & so affronts him without fear. the proper vindication of God's majesty from this is for God to show by the event that he is worthy that the sinner should have [xo c] regarded [xo c] him & feared [xo c] him by his appearing in the fearfull dredfull event to the person guilty that he is an infinitely fearfull & terrible being. [TAS Notes: "Odd, how so much of JE's arguing vs. deists & Arminians unconsciously implies the uncommitted third party, besides the elect (who dont need the demonstr) & the reprobate (to whom it is no use). Of course to JE in his study, the third (of NTV & End) is the order of wisdom & logic & mathematical precision- but to be effective in the 18th cent. world it must also be free man."] The language of sin <is [c]> that God's displeasure is not worthy that the sinner should regard it t<T [c]>he proper vindication of God from this language is, to she<o>w, by the experience of the event the infinite dreadfullness of that slighted displeasure. in such a case the majesty of God requires this vindication. it cant be properly vindicated without it neither can God be just to himself without this vindication unless there could be such a thing as a repentance humiliation and sorrow for this proportionable to the greatness of the majesty despised. When the majesty of God has such contempt cast upon it & is trodden down in the dust by vile sinners tis not fit that this infinite & glorious majesty should be left under this contempt but that it should be vindicated wholly from it that it should be raised perfectly from the dust wherein it is trodden by something opposite to the contempt that is equivalent to it or of weight sufficient to balance it either an equivalent punishmt or an equivalent sorrow & repentance so that sin must be punished with an infinite punishment

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¶ God is to be considered in this affair not meerly as the Governour of the T of creatures to order things between one creature and another but as the supream regulator or Rector of the univers<e [c]>ality of things,[xo c] the Orderer of things relating to the whole compass of existence including himself to maintain the rights of the whole & decorum through the whole & to maintain his own rights and the due honour of his own perfections as well as to keep justice among creatures. Tis fit that there should be one that has this office and the office properly belongs to the supream being. & if he should fail of doing justice to him<self [c]> in a needed vindication of his own majesty & glory it would be an immensely greater failure of his rectoral justice than if he should deprive the creatures that are beings of infinitely less consequence of their rights [or period?]

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¶ Sin casts contempt on the infinite glory & excellency of God. the language of it is that God is not an excellent being but an odious one & therefore that tis no heinous thing to hate him. Now tis fit that on this occasion omniscience should declare & manifest that it judges otherwise & that it should shew that it esteems God infinitely excellent & therefore that it looks on it as an infinitely heinous thing to cast such a reflection of God by infinite token of resentment of such a reflection and such hatred.

¶ 4. There is a necessity of sin's being punished with condign punishmt from the law of God that threatens such punishment. All but Epicureans will /p./ own that all creatures that are moral agents are subjects of Gods moral governmt & that therefore he has given a law to his creatures But if God has given a law to his creatures that law must have sanctions i.e. it must be enforced with threatnings of punishment. otherwise it fails of having the nature of law & is only of the nature of council [sic] or advice or rather of the nature of a request For one being to express his inclination or will to another concerning any thing that he would recieve from him any love or respect without any threatning annexed but leaving it with the person applied to whether he will afford it or not[t by c?] whether he will grant it or no<t [c]>, supposing that his refusal will be with impunity is properly of the nature of a request it dont amount to counsel or advice because when we gibe counsel to others it is for their interest but when we express our desire or wish[will?] of something we would recieve from them with impunity to them whether they grant it or no<t [c]> this is more properly requesting than counseling. Besure [sic] it falls far short of the nature of law-giving for such an expression of ones' will [prob. sic] as this is an expression of will without any expression of authority It holds forth no authority for us meerly to manifest our wills or inclinations to another nor indeed does it exhibit any authority over a person applied to promise him rewards so persons may do & often do for doing those things that they have no power to oblige them to so may persons do to their equals. so may a king do to others that are not his subjects this is rather bargaining with others than giving them laws. That expression of will only is a law that is exhibited in such a manner as to express the lawgiver's power over the person to whom it is manifested expressing his power of disposal of him according as he complies or refuses that which shews power over him so as to oblige him to comply or to make it to be to his cost, that he refuses.

¶ And [xo c] for the same reason that it is necessary the divine law should have a threatning of condign punishmt annexed, it is also necessauy that the threatning should be fulfilled. for the threatning wholly relates to the execution. if it had no connection with execution it would be wholly void & would be as no threatning & so far as there is not a connection with execution, whether that be in a greater or lesser degree; so far & in such a degree is it void, and so far approaches to the nature of no threatning, as much as if that degree of unconnection was expressed in the threatning. as for instance, if sin fails of threatend punishmt half the time, this makes void the threatning in [Rem.on?] one half of it, and brings it down to be no more, than if the threatning had expressed only so much, that sin should be punished half the times that it is committed. But if it be needfull, that all sin in every act should be forbidden by law, i.e. with a prohibition & threatning of condign punishmt annexed; & so that the threatning of sin with condign punishmt should be universal; then 'tis necessary that it should be universally executed. A threatning of an omniscient & true being can be supposed to signefy no more punishmt than is intended to be executed. & is not necessarily to be understood of any more. a threatning, if it signifies any thing is a signification of some connection between the crime & punishmt. but the threatning of an omniscient being cant be understood to signify <no [c]> more connection with punishmt than there is.

¶ If it be needfull that there should be a divine law, 'tis needfull that that law should be maintain'd & fulfilled, [xo E] in the nature, life, authority & strength that is proper to it as a law. The authority, life and strength of every law consists in its sanction, by which the deed is connected with the compensation: and therefore depends on the strength & firmness of that connection. in proportion as that connection is weak, in such proportion does the law loose its strength, & fails of the proper nature & power of a law and degenerates towards the nature of requests[xo prob. E] & expressions of a[xo?] will or desire, to recieve love or respect, without being enforced with authority.

¶ Dispensing with the law in[xo c] <by [c]> the lawgiver, so as not to fulfill it or execute it, in its nature dont differ from an abrogation of it unless the law it self contains in it such a clause, that it shall or may be dispensed with, & not fulfilld in certain cases, or when the lawgiver pleases. But this would be a contradiction. for if the law contain'd such a clause, then not to fulfill it would be according to the law & a fulfillmt of the law; & therefore there would be no dispensing with the law in it; because tis doing what the law it self directs to. The law may contain /p./ clauses of exception, wherein particular cases may be excepted from general rules: but it cant make provision for a dispensation. & therefore for the lawgiver to dispense with <it, [c]> is indeed to abrogate it. tho it may not be an abrogating of it wholly yet tis in some measure changing it. to dispense with the law in not fulfilling it on him that breaks it is making the rule give place to the ease of the [xo E] sinner. But certainly tis an indecent thing that sin which provokes the execution should procure the abrogation of the law [The necessity of fulfilling the law in the sense that has been spoken of appears from Math 5.18 <quote [c]> The words will allow of no other tolerable sense]<E's brackets. Later note at end of ¶

¶ Tis necessary that the law of God should be maintained & executed & not dispensed with or abrogated for the sake of the sinner on[Rem; in?] the following <reasons.[c]>

¶ 1. The nature & being of the law requires it for as has been already shewn by such dispensation it looses the life and authority of & nature of [xo E] a law as it respects the subject. but it dont only fail of being a law in this respect but[xo c] it fails of being a rule to the supream Judge. The law is the great rule of righteousness & decorum that the supream & universal Rector has established & published for the regulation of things in the common wealth of the universality of intelligent beings & moral agents in all that relates to them as concerned one with another a rule by which things are not only to be regulated between one subject and another but between the King & subjects that it may be a rule of judgmt to the one as well as a rule of duty to the other. Tis but reasonable to suppose that such a rule should be established & published for the benefit of all that belong to this universal common-wealth to be a rule to direct both their actions towards each other & their expectations from each other that they may have a fixed & known rule by which they are["both" xo here by accident?]to act & to be dealt with to be both active & passive as members of this common wealth. The subject is most nearly concern'd not only in the measure of its[xo c] <his [c]> own actions, but also in the consequences of them or the method of his Judge's determinations concerning him.

¶ None that own the being of a divine law with threatenings annexed, can deny that there actually is such a rule as this that relates both to the manner of the creature's acting & also the Judges acting towards him as subject to that law. For none will deny, but [xo c] that the precepts relate to the manner of the subjects acting, & that the threatnings relate to the manner of the Judge's proceeding with the subject in consequence of his obedience or disobedience.

[TAS Notes: the devotion to authority & hatred of rebellion in JE- who often refers to his Puritan ancestors T, but never to their political activities]

¶ Tis needfull that this great rule of regulation of things in this universal common wealth should be fixed & settled & not <be [c]> vague & uncertain. so far as it fails of this it ceases to be of a [xo c] <the [c]> nature of a rule. for tis essential to the nature of a rule, that it be something fixed. But if it be needfull, that it be something fixed then it is needfull that the author of it[xo E?] & he by whom it subsists should maintain & fulfill it, & not depart from it because that is in a measure to disannul it if he doth so, therein the rule becomes unfixed, & [c] it so far ceases to be a rule to the Judge.

¶ 2. That the law should be made to give place to the sinner is contrary to the direct design of the law. for the law was made that the subject should be regulated by it, & give place to it; & not to be regulated by the subject & to give place to him, especially <to.[c]> a wicked vile rebellious subject. tis made that <it [c]> might prevent sin, & cause that not to be; & not that sin should disannul that, & cause it not to be. &[xo c] therefore it would be very indecent, for the supream Recton, to cause this great rule to give place to the rebellion of the sinner.

¶ 3. Tis in no wise fit, that this great rule should be agrogater & give place to the opposition & violation of the rebellious subject, on account of the perfection of the law & The holiness & rectitude & goodness of this great rule that the supream lawgiver has established for the regulation of the common wealth of maral agents, & its universal fitness & wisdom & absolute perfection render a partial abrogation for the sake of them that dislike it & wont submit to it needless & unseemly If the great rule should be set aside for the sake of the rebel it would carry too much of the face of an acknowledgemt in the Lawgiver of want of wisdom & foresight or of some defect in point of holiness or righteousness in his law. he that breaks the law finds fault with it & casts that reflection on it that tis not a good law & if God should in part abrogate the law upon this it would have too much of a face of a conceeding to the sinner's objection against the law. but God will magnify his law & make it honourable & will give no occasion for any such reflection upon it nor leave the law under such a reflection

¶ If this great rule of righteous<n.[c]> be so excellent & good a law tis not only unfit that it should give place to rebellion as this would be a dishonour to the excellency of the law & Lawgiver but also a wrong to the publick good which the supream Rector of the T has the care of & is the Guardian of [TAS Note: what really is the publick good, in E's system? there is no final good common to elect & reprobate & no third category] If the rule be perfect perfectly right & just & holy & with infinite wisdom ada<o?>pted to the good of the whole; then the publick good require that it be strongly established. the more firmly tis settled & the more strongly it is guarded & defended the better & the more is it for the publick benefit & every thing by which it is weakend is a damage & loss to the common wealth of being.

¶ 4. The sacredness of the authority & majesty of the lawgiver requires that he should maintain & fulfill his law when it is violated by a rebellious subject. I have before spoken of the majesty & greatness of his Being how that is concerned in it. I now would consider the sacredness of his authority, as he stands related to the creatures as their Lawgiver. The majesty of a ruler consists very much in that which appears in him, that tends to strike the subject with reverence and awe, and dread of contempt of him or rebellion against him. and tis fit that this awe and dread should be in proportion to the greatness and dignity of the ruler and the degree of authority that he is vested with. But this awe & dread is not by an apprehension of the terribleness of the consequences of that contempt & rebellion and the degree of the danger of those terrible consequences, or the degree of connection of that rebellion with those consequences Therefore if it be meet that this awe or this apprehension should be in proportion to the greatness & dignity of the ruler, then tis fit that the consequences of contempt of the supream Ruler of the world should be infinitely terrible & the danger that it brings of it, or connection that it has with it, <be [c]> strong & certain, & consequently that the threatnings, that enforce his laws, should be sure & inviolable. Tis fit that the authority of a ruler should be sacred proportionably to the greatness of that authourity i.e in proportion to the greatness of the ruler & his worthiness of honour & obedience, the height of his exaltation above us, & the absoluteness of his dominion over us, & the strength of his right to our submission & obedience. but the sacredness of the authority of a sovereign consists in the strength of the enforcement of it & guard that is about it; i.e in the terrible consequences of the violation to him that is guilty, & the degree of danger of those consequences. for <the [c]> authority of a ruler dont consist in the power or influence he has on another by attractives, but coercives. The fence that is about the authority of a prince, that guards it as sacred is the connection there is between the violations of it & the terrible consequences: or in other words, in the strength or sureness of the threatning. & [xo c] therefore if this connection be partly broken the fence is partly broken in proportion as the threatnings are weak the guard is weak. But certainly it is fit that the authority of the supream & infinitely great & absolute Lord of heaven & earth should be infinitely sacred, & should be kept so with an infinitely strong guard & a fence without any breach if it. And it is not becoming the sacredness of the majesty & authority of the great , that that perfectly holy just & infinitely wise & good law that he has established as the great rule for the regulation of all things in the universal common wealth of beings, should be set aside to give place to the infinitely unreasonable & vile opposition, that sinners make to it & & their horrid & daring rebellion against it.

¶ 5. The truth of the Lawgiver makes it necessary that the threatning of the law should be fulfill'd in every punctilio. The threatning of the law is absolute Thou shalt surely die Tis true the obligation dont lie in the claim of the person threaten'd as 'tis in promises for 'tis not to be supposed that the person threatend will claim the punishment threatend. And indeed if we look upon things strictly, those seem to reckon the <wrong [c]> way that suppose the necessity of the futurity of execution to arise from an obligation on God in executing properly consequent on his threatning. for the necessity of the connection of the execution with the threatning seems to arise the other directly other way viz from the obligation that was on the omniscient God in threatning, consequent on the futurity of the execution. tho strictly speaking he is not <properly [xo c]> obliged to execute because he has threatened yet he was obliged not absolutely to threaten if he at the same time knew that he should not & would not execute because this would not have been consistent with his truth. so that from the truth of God there is an inviolable connection between absolute threatnings & execution not so properly from an obligation on God to conform the execution to the past absolute threatning to the future execution. This God was absolutely obliged to do, as he would speak the truth. for if God absolutely threatend contrary to what he knew would come to pass then he absolutely threatend contrary to what he knew to be truth & how any can speak contrary to what they know to be truth in declaring promising or threatening /p./ or any other way consistently [ly c?] with perfect & inviolable truth I can't concieve. Threatnings are significations of something and if they are made consistent with truth or are true significations, they are significations of truth or significations of that which is true. if absolute threatnings are significations of any thing, they are significations of the futurity of the thing threatend. but if the futurity of the thing threatend is not true, then how can the threatnings be true significations? And if God in them speaks contrary to what he knows, & contrary to what he intends how he can speak true is to me inconcievable. It is with absolute threatnings, as 'tis with predictions. when God has foretold some thing, that shall come to pass hereafter, that dont concern our interest, & so is of the nature neither of a promise nor threatning; there is a necessary connection between the prediction & the fulfillmt: but not by vertue of any claim that we have to make, & so not properly by vertue of any obligation to fulfill, consequent on the prediction; but by vertue of an obligation on an omniscient being in predicting, consequent on what he knew he should fulfill; an obligation to conform the prediction to the future event and [xo c] it is as much against the veracity of God absolutely to threaten what he knows he will not accomplish as to predict what he knows will not be; & that he intends to do that which he does not intend to do. Absolute threatnings are a sort of predictions. <God in them foretells or declares what shall come to pass. they dont differ from meer predictions> in their[xo c] nature of the declaration or foretelling, but only in that that the thing declared or foretold is an evil to come upon us; & a meer prediction is a thing indifferent; & in the end of foretelling. <I[c]>in a threatning the end of foretelling is to deter us from sinning, and predictions of things indifferent are for some other end. Absolute threatnings are Gods declarations of something future, & the truth of God does as much oblige him to keep to truth in declarations of what is future, as of what is past or present. For things past, present & future are all alike before God, all alike in his view. & when God declares to others what he sees himself, he is equally obliged to truth, whether the thing declared be past, present or to come And indeed there is no need of the distinction between present truth & future in this case. for if any of Gods absolute threatnings are not to be fulfilled, those threatnings are declarations or revelations contrary not only to future truth; for such a threatning is a revelation of the futurition of a punishment That futurition is now present with God, when he threatens; present in his mind, his knowledge. & if he signifies that a thing is future, which he knows not to be future; then the signification he gives is contrary to present[c's line] truth even contrary to what God now knows is future again an absolute threatning is a signification of the present intention of him that threatens. & therefore if he threatens what he dont intend to fulfill, then he signifies an intention to be, which is not, & so the threatning is contrary to present truth. God's absolute threatnings are a revelation to his subjects of the appointed measures of their Judge's proceeding with respect to their breaches of his law; & if they dont reveal what is indeed the intended method of the Judges proceeding, then it is not a true revelation.

¶ There is a necessity of the fulfillmt of God's absolute promise <s[c]> both ways; viz both by an obligation on God to foretell or foredeclare the future benefit according to what he foresaw would be, & <he [c]> intended should be; & also by an obligation on him to fulfill his promise consequent on his predicting, & by vertue of the claim of the person to whom the promise was made. & there is also an obligation on God to fulfill his absolute threatnings consequent on his threatning, indirectly by vertue of many ill & undesireable consequences of the event's being beside the certain dependance or certain expectations raised by Gods threatning, in the persons threatend, & others that are spectatours: which consequences God may be obliged not to be a cause of but threatnings dont properly bring an obligation on God that is consequent on them as threatnings, as it is with promises.

¶ as to those threatnings that bent positive or absolute they bent necessarily followed with the punishmt mentiond in them, because a possibility of escaping the punishment is either expressed or understood in the threatning. but the divine truth makes it necessary, that there should be a certain connection between them, and as much as is signified by them. if certain suffering be not signified by them then there is no necessary connection between them and certain suffering. if it be only signified in them, /p./ that there is great danger of the suffering according to Gods ordinary method of dealing with men & that therefore they as they would act rationally have great reason to fear it seeing that God dont see cause to reveal what he will do to them: if this be all that is really contained & understood in the threatning, then this is all that the threatning is connected with. or if the proper meaning of the threatning be, that such suffering shall come unless they repent & this be all that can fairly be understood then the truth of God makes no more necessary. but Gods truth makes a necessary connection between every threatning & every promise & all that is properly signified in that threatning or promise.

 

¶ NECESSITY OF EXECUTION of absolute THREATNINGS. See in what precedes under this 5th particular in this & the two foregoing pages.<also here add Num.798.>

¶ As to any objection that may be made against the force of the foregoing arguments, from the practice of all & even the wisest of human legislatures, their dispensing with their own laws & forbearing to execute them & pardoning offenders without any ones being substituted to suffer in their stead The case is vastly different in the supream Lawgiver & subordinate lawgivers, & in the supream Judge & subordinate judges. The case is vastly different in them that give rules only to a certain small part of the commonwealth of moral agents and with relation only to some few of their concerns & for a little <while; in[c]> by [xo c] lawgivers that are weak & fallible & very imperfect in the exercise of a limited subordinate & infinitely inferiour authority; from what it is in him who is the great infinitely wise, omniscient holy & absolutely perfect Rector of all to whom it belongs to establish a rule for the regulation of the whole universality of beings, throughout all eternity, in all that concerns them in the exercise of an infinitely strong right of supream, absolute dominion & sovereignty. The laws of men may be dispensed with, who can't foresee all cases that may happen; & if they could, hant both the laws & the state of the subject perfectly at their own disposal, so that it should be [xo c] <is [c]> possible for them universally & perfectly to suit one to the other. & moreover there is a superiour law that all are subject to & a superiour tribunal to which all are obnoxious, to which inferiour tribunals, when the exigence of affairs or any thing extraordinary in the case requires it, may refer offenders, dispensing with inferiour subordinate laws. But there is no wise & good law, but that care should be taken that it ordinarily be put in execution And the nearer any law approaches to the supream in perfection & in extent of jurisdiction the more care should be taken of its execution. the wisdom of nations teaches this. And besides persons repentance may be proportionable & answerable at least in some measure to offences against men And as to publick truth that is to be upheld in the[xo E] execution of the threatnings of human laws there ought to be great care to uphold it according to the true intent & meaning of tho<e>se threatnings If all that is meant by them & all that by the very nature of the publick constitution (that is the foundation on which all their laws stand) is to be understood by the<o>se threatnings is that this punishmt shall be inflicted but only[xo c] <excepting [c]> when the exigence of <the [c]> publick requires otherwise, or when the pleasure of the prince is otherwise then the publick truth obliges to no more [finis]