A centurie of divine meditations upon predestination and its adjuncts wherein are shewed the comfortable uses of this doctrine : to which are annexed sixteen meditations upon Gods justice and mercy / Alexander Ross. Ross, Alexander, 1591-1654. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A57648 of text R1065 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing R1948). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 107 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 84 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A57648 Wing R1948 ESTC R1065 12686687 ocm 12686687 65783 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A57648) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 65783) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 367:15) A centurie of divine meditations upon predestination and its adjuncts wherein are shewed the comfortable uses of this doctrine : to which are annexed sixteen meditations upon Gods justice and mercy / Alexander Ross. Ross, Alexander, 1591-1654. [8], 158 p. Printed by James Young, London : 1646. Reproduction of original in British Library. eng Predestination -- Early works to 1800. God -- Mercy. God -- Righteousness. A57648 R1065 (Wing R1948). civilwar no A centurie of divine meditations upon predestination, and its adjuncts: wherein are shewed the comfortable uses of this doctrine. To which a Ross, Alexander 1646 20275 4 10 0 0 0 0 7 B The rate of 7 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2003-09 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-09 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-10 Stephanie Batkie Sampled and proofread 2003-10 Stephanie Batkie Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-12 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A CENTURIE OF Divine Meditations UPON PREDESTINATION , and its Adjuncts : Wherein are shewed the comfortable uses of this Doctrine . To which are annexed sixteen Meditations upon Gods Justice and Mercy . By ALEXANDER ROSS . LONDON , Printed by Iames Young , 1646. TO The Right Honourable and Vertuous Lady , FRANCES Countess of Rutland , wife to the Right Honorable JOHN Earle of Rutland . Noble Lady , AS you have been pleased to make me happy , by permitting me to gaze with admiration upon the rare structure and goodly fabrick of that beautifull temple of your Vertues ; so give me leave to passe through this , into your temple of Honor , and there , at the shrine of your perfections , to lay this Centurie of Divine Meditations ; a sacrifice , I know , more acceptable to you then whole Hecatombes of fat beasts , or the smoake of Sabean incense . Your noble Progenitors have devolved upon you many naturall endowments , whereby you out-strip most of your own sex : but grace hath gifted you with cleernesse and perspicuitie of judgement in the mysteries of speculative Divinitie , even beyond many who think themselves learned Clerks of our sex . Madam , though you are every way honourable , yet nothing doth so much enoble you , as your zeale to Religion , and love to learned men : When your beautie , wealth , outward honours and pleasures shall determine in death , even then Religion and Learning will beautifie and inrich your soul , and immortalize your name . The highest pitch of my ambition in this , and the former Dedication , is only to shew my gratitude to your honourable Husband , and your Self , though in small mites , compared to your noble favours ; and withall , to set forth the lustre of your own knowledge in these points which still perplex the mindes of many Christians . The Father of Mercies crowne you both , and your hopefull Issue , with the blessings of both hands here , and of Eternitie hereafter . This is , and still shall be , the prayer of Your Honours devoted Servant , Alexander Ross . I Have perused these divine and learned Meditations on Gods Predestination , Iustice and Mercie ; and , judging them to be pious and profitable , I allow them to be printed and published . JOHN DOWNAME . January the 7. 1645. DIVINE MEDITATIONS UPON PREDESTINATION , and its Adjuncts . I. I Finde that God by his absolute power can do that , which in justice he may not ; He can torment the good Angels that sinned not , but he will not : if he could not doe so , he were not omnipotent ; if he should , he were not just . I will therefore reverence that power which can doe what he wills , but will not doe all that he can . II. God may justly annihilate the good Angels , though justly he cannot punish them : He could not be unjust in taking that nature from them which he freely bestowed ; and he could not be just in inflicting a punishment which they had not deserved . But I , that am a sinfull man , must acknowledge it goodnesse in him to annihilate me . I must reverence his Iustice if he punish me , but will admire , and extoll his mercy , if he save me . III. God is a most free Agent , being subject neither to a commanding law , nor to a constraining power ; yet hath he necessitated some of his externall actions , partly by his goodnesse , partly by his Promise : He must do what he promiseth , because he is true ; he must doe what is just , because he is good . I will claime Heaven as my due , not because I merit it , but because he promised it ; his own goodnesse hath tied him to give it , though my sinnes may deterre me from begging it . IIII. If my Adoption be the end of Predestination , by which Grace and Glorie are prepared for me ; then shall the end be first in my intention , but the meanes shall be first in execution . I will strive and beg for faith in Gods naturall Son , that in him I may become Gods adopted sonne . V. The good Angels were made happie by the grace of Confirmation , Adam by the grace of Restauration : the Angels fell not , therefore needed not this grace ; Adam stood not , therefore wanted that grace . He that is confirmed falls not , he that falls , is not confirmed : God shewed his love to the Angels in confirming them , but his mercy to Adam in restoring him . Lord shew thy mercy to me when I fall , in restoring me ; shew thy love to me when I am raised , in confirming me : make me happy with Adam in the one , happy with Angels in the other . VI . Gods Prescience is of a larger extent then his Predestination ; for he foreknew or foresaw both good and evil , but he predestinated good only : he foresaw good and evill , because he is omniscient ; he predestinated only good , because in him there is none , and from him there comes none evill . O that we could be like him , to foresee evil , and hate it ; to resolve only upon good , and doe it . VII . Gods decrees are in our power , and our power is in his decrees ; they are in us as causes in their effect , we are in him as effects in their cause : It 's by his decree that we have power , 't is not by our power that he decrees : ' Its in our power to performe his decrees , but this power we have by his decree . Lord , if thou hast decreed my obedience , give me power of performance , and so thy decree shall be in my power : not that thou didst decree , because thou knewest I would obey ; but I will obey , because I know thou hast decreed . VIII . God hath decreed to give us faith , and he hath decreed to justifie us by that faith ; by the former decree he makes us his sonnes , by the other he acquits us of our sinnes . Lord , if thou hast decreed to make me thy son , bestow faith on me ; if thou hast decreed to blot away my sin , by that same faith justifie me . IX . God first loved us , and then he decreed to bestow Grace and Glory on us ; his love to us is the cause of our happinesse , so our love to him must be the cause of our obedience . Lord make me to love thee , and then I know I shall obey thee . X. Faith and Holinesse are graces by which we attain to happinesse ; but Gods love is that grace by which we obtaine faith and holinesse . As the action followes the qualitie , so Gods decree followes this first grace , but other graces come after his decree : it was by his decree that we have any grace , it was by his grace that he was pleased to decree . Lord , as the grace of thy love made thee to decree my happinesse ; so make the love of thy grace in me increase , that I may enjoy this happinesse . XI . God doth so determine the actions of the Will , that sometime he bends it to what he pleaseth ; and so it works necessarily , not freely , if we consider the act or use of working : sometime he determines it so , that he leaves it to its own inclination ; and then it workes freely : Gods Providence doth not thwart his Creation , if he sometimes suspends , hinders , determines the properties and motions of his creatures ; in the creation he gave them , that in his providence he might use them . Lord , if thou shouldest leave my Will to it self in this corrupted estate I now am in , what fruit can it produce but sowre grapes , and wilde olives ? for the fruit cannot be better then the tree , and men gather not grapes of thistles , nor figs of thornes . I had rather have a necessitie laid on me to doe good , then be left at libertie to doe evil ; I had rather my Will should be a servant to thy commands , then be master over its own actions . XII . If Adam had not sinned , he had been saved ; and being a sinner , yet he is saved : grace had saved him then , and grace saves him now ; the grace of Gods love had saved him then , the grace of Gods mercy saves him now ; Gods love then had been grounded upon the first Adams perseverance , it is now grounded on the second Adams death and obedience . I had been happie in Adam , had he not been a sinner ; but I am now much more happie in Christ by being my Saviour . I lost Paradise by the first Adam , I have gained Heaven by the second : the first Adam , being man , would needs be God , and so made us equall to the beasts ; the second Adam , being God , would needs be man , and so hath made us equall to the Angels . XIII . Some † say , that God in predestinating man , looked on him as he was to be created ; others , * , that he considered him as already created and lapsed , because we are predestinated in Christ : but Christ is a Saviour , and a Saviour presupposeth a sinner . I will not dispute the question , but this I know , that my miserie occasioned his mercy ; and , had I not been a sinner , he had not been a Saviour . XIIII . I am elected in Christ , who is my Mediator , not only by his merit of impetration of pardon for me , but also by the efficacie of application of that pardon to me . Not only by his bloud hath he made a purchase of Heaven for sinners , but also by that same bloud he hath delivered the possession of Heaven to sinners . XV . There is a Promise of Heaven made to us , and there is a law of obedience and faith imposed on us : Heaven is promised upon condition of faith and obedience , and these are promised upon condition of divine assistance . Lord , if thou assist , I will obey ; if I obey , thou wilt reward : but here are the odds , that my obedience is the effect and fruit of thy grace and assistance , but not the cause of thy remuneration and benevolence . XVI . God , being the supreme cause , can have no superiour cause of his actions ; yet some say , he may produce an effect which may occasion him to work further : thus the foresight of mans sin gave him occasion to precondemne him . This well is too deep , and I have no bucket to draw with : I will not soare with the waxen wings of humane reason too nigh this inaccessible light , nor will I prie into the sacred Arke of Gods secret decrees ; only this I can say , that whatever his decrees were before time , I am sure , his proceeding to judgement is just in time . He is so just , that he never condemned any man but for sin ; and he is so mercifull , that he will not condemne every man that doth sin . XVII . Justice and Mercy were still in God actually from all eternitie , in respect of the first act , to wit , of existence ; though they were not alwayes in respect of the second act , to wit , of operation : God could not alwayes exercise Justice and Mercy on sinners , because there have not been alwayes sinners ; as soone as man sinned , these attributes in God appeared , which were eternally existent in him , but not eternally exercised by him . Lord , thou hast exercised the eternitie of thy Iustice in punishing for me thy naturall Son , exercise , I pray , the eternitie of thy Mercie for him , in saving the soule of me thy adopted sonne . XVIII . God by his antecedent will decreed to bestow Faith and Grace on us , which by his consequent will he resolved to deny us ; his former will was moved by his own goodnesse , but his latter will was provoked by our wickednesse : if we have unjustly rejected the grace which by his former will he resolved to give us , may not he justly by his latter will deny that grace , which was rejected so perversly by us . Lord , if thou art resolved by thy first will to bestow grace on me , let me not by my disobedience provoke thy second will to deny that grace unto me . XIX . Our wickednesse is the cause that moveth God to exercise his acts of Justice ; but his own bountie is the cause , and our miserie the occasion , why he exerciseth his acts of Mercy . When I am punished , I will accuse my own wickednesse , which provoked against me divine Iustice ; and when I am saved , I will extoll and reverence that bountie , which took occasion by my miserie , to make me an object of his Mercy . XX . I finde a two-fold decree , the one of Providence , the other of Predestination : by that , God resolved to give us as much grace as might suffice to save us ; by this , he appointed to give us effectuall grace , that we might be powerfully saved : by the former we may beleeve if we will , by this we doe actually beleeve . They are inexcusable that have sufficient grace , though it be not effectuall ; for God hath dealt graciously with us in affording sufficient helps of our salvation , and we have dealt wickedly with our selves in hindring the efficacie of these helps . No man then hath cause to complaine of Gods crueltie , seeing he hath bestowed on all men sufficient grace of Providence , whereby they may be saved ; but many men have cause to admire Gods mercie , who hath bestowed on some the effectuall grace of Predestination , whereby they shall be saved . XXI . God will have all men to be saved , and he will have wicked men to be damned : that , is his antecedent will ; this , his consequent : that , is sometimes frustrated of its end , this never ; and its fitting that seeing his will cannot be fulfilled by us , it should be fulfilled upon us . They that will not satisfie his will by their obedience , shall satisfie his will in suffering just vengeance . XXII . God loves himself , and so he doth man : the one love is internall , the other externall ; the one is eternall , the other temporarie ; the one necessarie , the other voluntarie ; for Gods internall actions , if the object be internall naturally , are absolutely necessarie ; as when he loves himself , the agent , the object , the action are all internall , and all necessarie in respect of existence : but if the object be internall voluntarily , as when God decreeth and understandeth externall objects , which he makes internall , by uniting them to his understanding , then all these actions are voluntarie and free , even his very decrees which proceed from his free will . It was in his choice whether he would decree any thing concerning man or not ; whether he would bestow grace and glorie on him : The eternall generation indeed of his own Son is an action of necessitie , but the regeneration of his adopted sonnes is a work altogether voluntarie . So much the more then will I admire and praise that goodnesse which elected and saved me , by how much the more I see it was free and voluntarie , but no wayes , in respect of his perfection , necessarie . XXIII . There is in man a two-fold judgement , to wit , an antecedent , which is that of the affections and senses ; and a consequent , which is that of reason : so there is a two-fold volition ; the one followes the judgement of sense , and it is rather an imperfect desire , then a perfect volition ; the other followes the judgement of reason : both these volitions were in Christ more eminently then in us , because in him were two Wils , and these , by reason of his two natures , were distinct in him , though his person was but one ; therefore he desired the cup might passe from him , but willed it not ; or , he willed it by his antecedent , not by his consequent will . O thou that madest in thy selfe , the judgement of affection stoope to the judgement of reason , and madest thy desire subservient to thy will , and causedst thy antecedent will to give place to thy consequent ; produce in me the same effect , that these sinfull delights which my affections so earnestly run after , and thy gentle corrections , which they so earnestly run from , may be so ordered , that the one by me may be courageously subdued , the other patiently indured ; that my affections may submit to my will , my will to reason , and reason to thy Spirit . XXIIII . God worketh not immediately by his decree , but by his power : his decree is but a remote cause , his power immediate ; his decree is an internall action , the actions of his power are externall ; the actions of his decrees depend on his wisedome , the actions of his power are subservient to his decrees . Lord , if in thy wisedome thou thoughtest it good that my soul should be saved , and if thou hast decreed it , then let thy power be seen in effecting it . XXV . The necessitie and contingencie of things is not to be attributed to Gods decree , but to the working of his power ; contingencie , is when he useth his resistible power , if he works irresistibly then followes necessitie : what is contingent to the second cause , is infallible to Gods prescience , but necessarie to the work of his omnipotencie : his decree is a remote cause , which without his power worketh not . Christs death was contingent to the Jewes , that crucified him ; infallible to Gods prescience , who foresaw that the Jewes would kill him ; but necessarie in regard of his decree , working by his power in presenting that bitter cup unto him . Why then shall afflictions dismay mee , which though they be contingent in respect of the second agent , yet they are infallible to that all-seeing eye of Heaven that foresaw them ; and necessarie , if we regard that powerfull hand which inflicted them ? XXVI . God ordereth sin , though he ordained it not : he ordereth it , that it may be subservient to his glory ; he ordained it not , because he sinneth not : He could not ordain it , seeing he hates it , forbids it , and punishes it . Lord , I ascribe to thy glorie both my salvation , and my sin : my salvation thou hast ordained , my sin thou hast ordered ; that by the one I may love thy mercie , and by the other , I may feare thy Iustice . Who but Goodnesse it selfe would ordaine the salvation of a sinner , and who but Wisdome it self would order the prevarications of a sinner ? What is more offensive to thy nature then sin ? What is more destructive of thy feature in me then sin ? yet out of sin thou hast drawn the meanes to manifest the goodnesse of thy nature in my salvation , and out of the same sin thou hast drawn a meanes to repaire in me thy decayed feature by my repentance and conversion . XXVII . God gave to Adam sufficient grace to stand , but not to persist ; he permitted him to fall , who by the grace he received might have stood ; he gave him sufficiencie of grace , not permanencie in grace : by the one God is cleared from iniquitie , and by the other he manifests his justice and mercie : if man had not been a sinner , God had not been a Saviour ; we had not known Emanuel , God with us , if Adam by sin had not separated God from us ; we had known him as Jehova , but not as Jesus . O my God , if thou give me sufficiencie of grace , I may fall ; but if thou give me permanencie in grace , I shall not fall : give me Adams happinesse in Paradise , that I may sufficiently love and know thee ; give me the Angels happinesse in Heaven , that I may constantly love and know , and eternally abide in thee . XXVIII . God delivered his Son to death , so did Satan by Iudas : God had power to doe so , Satan had none ; God did this in love to the sonnes of men , Satan did it in malice to the Son of God : by an affirmative act God was willing to permit Satan to exercise his malice , by a negative act he hindered him not : in all this God sinned not , if we consider the authoritie of the agent , the forme of the action , and the justice and goodnesse of his intention . Though God acts not sin , nor is willing it should be acted by man , yet he is willing to permit it . Not sin , but permission is the object of his will ; he could not will sin , because he is not sinfull ; he permits it , because he can draw good out of it . XXIX . God permits not punishment , but inflicts it ; he permits not good , but commands it ; he wills not sin , but permits it ; not as it is good , but as out of it he drawes good . O thou that drewest light out of darknesse , and meat out of the eater ; draw good out of my evils , and comforts out of my afflictions : Thou canst draw honey out of the rock , and turne water into wine , and make bitter Meribah potable ; we pray thee , turn the bitter waters of our Meribah , our strife and contention , into the pure and sweet streames of Peace and Union . XXX . What God cannot doe , he cannot will ; what he cannot will , he cannot decree : and although affirmatively his power be of a larger extent then his will , for he can doe that which he will not doe ; yet negatively he cannot will what he cannot doe , nor doe what he cannot will : he cannot doe evil , therefore he cannot will it ; he cannot will it , therefore he can neither doe it by an externall , nor decree it by any internall act . O that my will and actions , Lord , were conformable to thine : for oftentimes I doe the evil which I will not , and I will the good , which I doe not . Lord , make my will conformable to thine , that my actions may be conformable to my will . XXXI . Gods grace reacheth further then his mercy ; his grace is extended to all , his mercy only to those that are in miserie : by grace the Angels were confirmed , by grace the world is preserved , but by mercie man is redeemed ; he is gracious then to all , but mercifull onely to some : yet though his grace be more universall and communicable , his mercy is more wonderfull and amiable . Lord , the noblest of all thy Attributes is thy goodnesse to thy creatures ▪ but the excellencie of thy goodnesse is , in shewing mercy to sinners : Thy goodnesse made me a man , but thy mercy a happy man : by the one , thou deliverest me from nothing ; by the other , from worse then nothing : thy goodnesse gave me being , and thy mercy well being . XXXII . In every sin the act and the obliquitie , in every vertue the act and the circumstances are distinguishable . In sin the act is alwayes good metaphysically , but evill morally ; either because it is prohibited , as the act of eating the fruit to Adam ; or because it is repugnant to justice and sanctitie , though they were not prohibited , as theft and murther : In every vertue the act is alwayes good both morally and metaphysically , but the circumstances may be evill ; as to give almes is good , but to give out of pride is evill . I will not forbeare to doe good , because the circumstances may be evil ; nor will I venture to doe evil , because the circumstances may be good . If God command that which may seeme to be evil , I will doe it ; for his command makes it good : if he forbids that which may seeme to be good , I will not doe it , because his prohibition makes it evil . Adam sinned in eating of the fruit ( though seemingly good ) because God prohibited it ; and the Hebrewes sinned not , in spoiling the Egyptians ( though seemingly evil ) because God commanded it . XXXIII . God did no wayes necessitate Adam to sin , neither by inward perswasion , nor by outward coaction : besides , he gave him a law easie to be kept , and power sufficient to keep it : He did then neither will nor decree his fall , nor perswade nor force it , only he gave way that he might fall , who had power to stand ; that , being by Christ raised from his fall , he might more firmely stand . Lord , as thou didst permit my fall , so be now pleased to remit it ; I fell willingly from thee , make me to returne as willingly to thee : Thou gavest me a will to stand or fall , give me a will to rise , and so to stand , that I may never fall again . XXXIIII . There is a two-fold necessitie ; the one is * Syllogisticall , the other is * reall : there was a Syllogisticall necessitie of mans fall , in respect of Gods fore-knowledge , but not reall : Gods prescience was an antecedent not a cause ; and mans fall was the consequent , not the effect of that prescience : but there is a reall necessitie of that which God decreeth . Lord , I did not sin , because thou didst foresee it ; but because I was to sin , therefore thou didst foresee it : my fall was a necessarie sequell of thy precognition , so let my rising be a necessary effect of thy Predestination . XXXV . Sin properly is not the punishment of sin , because we sin willingly , we suffer punishment unwillingly ; in sinning we are agents , in punishments we are patients : yet sin may be the cause of sin ; not that one sin can procreate another , but because one sin can deserve and prepare the way for committing of another . Lord , free me from the guilt and stain of Adams sin , which hath been both the preparatorie and meritorious cause of all my actuall sins . XXXVI . God worketh on the will either by a physicall motion , or by morall perswasion ; and he perswades either powerfully by his Spirit , or sufficiently by his Word : so he hindereth sin , either by his law prohibiting it , or by his power inhibiting it : let no man sin presumptuously , because he is not stopped in the full careere of his sin powerfully ; though there is not alwayes an inhibition by his Power , yet there is still a prohibition by his Law , to make us inexcusable . Lord , work on my depraved will physically , work morally , work sufficiently , and work powerfully , by the Word , by thy Spirit , by thy Law , by thy Sword : circumcise my heart and eares ; the one by the Sword of the Spirit , the other by the Sword of the Word : if I cannot be restrained by thy Law , to forbeare the forbidden fruit with Adam ; let me be constrained by the glittering of thy sword , to stop in the wayes of wickednesse with Balaam . XXXVII . Though nothing is contingent to God , yet his knowledge may consider contingencies , as they are contingent : for what by man is done contingently , by him it is foreseen certainly ; in which regard Gods judgements are founded upon sin , which may more fitly be called the object and occasion of his judgements , then the cause . Lord , the cause of thy judgements is thy justice , and my sin the occasion : thy justice is eternall , thy judgements are just , my sins are contingent : if it were not for thy judgements , I should not acknowledge my sinnes ; if it were not for my sinnes , thou couldst not exercise thy judgements ; and if it were not for thy justice , there would be no proportion between thy judgements and my sinnes : the exercise of thy judgements will cease , if thou put an end to my sins ; but thy justice shall not cease , though thou in mercy pardon my sins . XXXVIII . Nature is before grace , and the works of creation before the effects of Predestination : Man was first made a living soul , by the outward breath of Gods mouth ; and then was made a quickning spirit , by the inward breath of the holy Ghost : so he decreed first to give man naturall abilitie by the work of Creation , and then to bestow on him supernaturall graces , the effects of Predestination . Lord , thou hast gifted me with naturall faculties , whereby I exceed the beasts ; and thou hast endowed me with supernaturall graces , whereby I am equall to the Angels : I praise thee for the work of thy Creation , much more for that of Predestination ; by the one thou madest me a man , by the other a happy man : make me to exceed the beasts as much in morall vertues , as I excell them in naturall abilities ; so make me to equall the Angels as much in love and obedience , as I come neer them in supernaturall happinesse . XXXIX . God did first foresee that Adam would sin , before he predestinated Christ to die for sin ; he foresaw the disease , then prepared the remedie ; he foresaw the leprosie , then ordained the bloud of his Son to wash it : for as the sinner only is capable of the grace of Regeneration ; so this grace was preordained to the sinner in Gods Predestination . O my God , if thou wast so provident as to prepare physick for my sinfull soule before I had sinned ; I am confident thy goodnesse is not now lessened , but that thou wilt apply that same physick to my soule having sinned . XL . Gods Image in man consisted in nature and naturall properties , in morall vertues , and supernaturall graces ; the first were totally retained in Adams fall , the third totally lost , the second lost in part . Again , the essentiall part of Gods Image remained , to wit , the soul ; but the accidentall part was lost , to wit , justice and holinesse ; the subject continued , though this forme perished : therefore for the soul , renovation is sufficient ; but for those graces in the soul , a new creation is required . Lord , by thy Image I excell the beasts , by it I match the Angels , by it I resemble thy self ; but the subject of this image is by sin decayed , and by sin the forme is quite abolished . O thou that in my Creation didst grace me with the breath of life , now in my Regeneration breathe in me the life of grace : the temple of God is decayed in me , and the God of this temple is banished from me ; repaire this temple , that thy image again may stand in it , and renew thy image that this temple may be sanctified by it . XLI . Adams sin was committed after Predestination , if we consider Adams actuall existence ; but it was before Predestination , in respect of Gods prescience . What madnesse is it to think , that God sees not our sinnes which we commit secretly ; whereas he did foresee our sins before they were committed , and that from all eternitie ? XLII . In Predestination , the preterition of some men , was the punishment of those men ; and the deniall of felicitie , was their miserie : but punishment presupposeth sin , and preterition as a punishment must come after the prevision of sinne . If this doctrine be true , that the prevision of sin was the cause of preterition ; sure it is most true , that the commission of sin is the cause of condemnation . XLIII . Passive excaecation , or the wilfull ignorance and spirituall blindnesse in man , is both a sin , and the cause of sin : active excaecation , as it is from man , it is a sin ; as from God , it is the punishment of sin . It stands with thy justice , O God , to punish them with blindnesse , who have with delight blinded themselves ; and to deprive those of light , who love to walke in darknesse . Why shouldest thou hold out the lamp of thy Word to those that despise it ; and cause thy sun to shine on them , who wilfully shut their eyes against it ? Lord , deale with me as thou didst with Saul : I am blinded spiritually , make me blinde corporally ; that by losing the sight of my body , I may regain the sight of my soul . I will gladly lose the light of the sun , moon , and other planets ; so I may behold the light of the Son of righteousnesse . XLIIII . Some say , that the hearts induration is not the cause of Gods indignation ; but that God is first angry , then hardneth : I am sure God hath just cause to be angry with those who will be hardned , and therefore in his just anger hardneth them . I confesse , Lord , that I have hardned my own heart , therefore thou mayest justly be angry with me ; and because my voluntary hardnesse hath provoked thy anger , therefore may thy anger effect in me , and that most justly , a further degree of hardnesse . XLV . God who by his irresistible will decreeth the hardning of a sinner , yet actually by his resistible will useth to harden that sinner . Though none can resist the will of his decrees , yet he permits us sometimes to oppose the actions of his will : in the one he shewes himself the God of power , in the other he shewes his mercy , in suffring man to resist the power of God . O thou that diddest wrestle with Jacob , and gavest him strength both to resist and conquer thee ; when thou wrestlest with me by tentations , give me so much strength as by mortification to subdue my self , and then give me leave by faith and teares to vanquish thee . XLVI . There is in God a two-fold negative act ; the one of Providence , the other of Preterition : by the former , God denyed to Adam the gift of Perseverance , and so suffered him to fall ; by the other , he denyeth to some men the gift of Faith and Repentance , and so suffers them to remain in their fall . God was not bound to give Adam perseverance , seeing otherwise he furnished him with grace sufficiently ; nor is he bound to give to those faith , and repentance , who fell from their former grace willingly , and oppose his Word and Spirit obstinately . Lord , I confesse , that as thou wast not in Adams debt for perseverance , so neither art thou in mine for any grace : but if thou wilt be pleased to bestow on me so much grace , as to attaine true happinesse ; I will impute it not to my deserts , but to thy favour and goodnesse . XLVII . Some say , that those whom God hath decreed for Salvation may be damned , but that they shall not be damned ; that his decree hindreth the act , but not the possibilitie . I leave this nicetie for the Schooles : But this use I will make of it , that if I may be damned , I will work out my salvation with fear and trembling ; if I shall not be damned , I will not fear , though I walk through the valley of death : if I may be damned , I acknowledge , Lord , it is through my own wickednesse ; if I shall not be damned , it is out of thy unspeakable goodnesse . XLVIII . It is the doctrine of many in these dayes , that as God by his revealed will saves none , but such as beleeve in him ; so he decreed by his secret will to save none , but such as he foresaw would beleeve in him . I am confident , God could foresee nothing thing in me , but what he was pleased to bestow upon me : if he foresaw my faith , he foresaw the fruit of his preventing grace ; if he foresaw my perseverance , he foresaw the effect of his subsequent grace . XLIX . Election ( say some ) is Gods decree to justifie the faithfull ; others say , 't is Gods decree to save man , as he is man , and to that end to make him faithfull : In the one opinion , I finde faith the meanes of Justification ; in the other , of Salvation : meanes , I say , but not the cause . Lord , the cause of my happinesse is in thee , the meanes in me ; but the efficacie of this meanes , both in my justification and salvation , is only from thee . L. If the decree of preterition went before the act of sin , but not before the prevision of that sin ; I am confident , the act of preterition cannot , much lesse can the act of condemnation , precede the act of sin . Therefore how injurious are some to the God of mercy , in daring to accuse him of crueltie , who is so far from condemning any man , but for sin committed , that he would not decree mans condemnation , but for sin foreseen ? LI. There was injoyned to Adam the law of abstinence from the forbidden fruit , and the law of obedience : the former was particular to Adam , the other was common to him and his posteritie : it was not for the breach of the former , which was personall ; but for the breach of the other , which was universall , that we are condemned : not Adams act of eating , but his disobedience was our bane ; for we sinned in him : sin is a transgression of the law ; but the law could not have been transgressed by us , had it not been in him given to us . Lord , we have great cause to admire and respect thy mercy , in saving us for the second Adams obedience ; but we have no cause to suspect thee of crueltie , in condemning us for the first Adams disobedience . LII . Punishment was prepared in Gods decree as well for the sin of Iacob as of Esau , both having sinned alike in Adam ; but it was pardonable in the one , unpardonable in the other : which difference proceeded from grace , not from nature . Lord , I confesse , thou couldst see no more originall sin in Judas , then in me ; yet thou wast pleased to punish him , and to spare me : if thou hadst condemned us both , thou hadst done justly ; but in sparing the one , thou hast magnified thy mercie . LIII . There is a two-fold grace , the one of Creation , the other of Election ; the one was the gift of God without Christ , the other was the gift of God in Christ ; the one was the image of God , the other was the renovation of that image ; the one was lost in Paradise , the other shall never be lost in Heaven . Lord , thou hadst no other inducement , but thine own goodness to create me to thy image ; but now thou hast another inducement , to wit , thy Sons merits , to renew in me that decayed image : the one thou mightst not have done , the other thou canst not but doe ; for , though thou wast not bound in the creation to bestow thy image on me , yet now thou art bound by thy Sonnes satisfaction to repaire this image in me . LIIII . Adam could have abstained from the externall act of touching , by naturall grace only ; but in him could not be the inward and permanent affection of obeying , without supernaturall grace also . Lord , if Adam could not yeeld constant obedience to thee in his estate of integritie , how shall I be able to persevere in obedience , without thy speciall grace , being now in the estate of iniquitie ? LV . Though the habit of justice , as it is the essence of God , be necessarily in him ; yet the actions of justice , which are not his essence , are not necessarily performed by him : He is necessarily just , but a voluntarie agent : He doth necessarily hate injustice , but freely and voluntarily he punisheth it , and decreed punishment for it . Lord , what should become of me , and of all the other wretched sonnes of Adam , if it were as necessarie for thee to punish , as it is to be just ? But my comfort is , that , as justice is so necessarie in thee , that thou canst not be unjust ; so thy actions are so free and voluntarie , that thou canst pardon my sin , and yet notwithstanding thou canst not be but just . LVI . There was no necessitie why God should manifest his justice in punishing sinners , seeing he had power to manifest that , in punishing his own Son for sinners . In the one , he shewes himself to be a God of mercy , not of revenge , in sparing his enemies ; in the other , he shewes himself a God of justice , in punishing his beloved Son , who became suretie for his enemies . LVII . There is a two-fold cause of predemnation ; the one is sin , the other is Gods decree ; the one is necessarie , the other voluntarie : sin is the cause why God may condemne all , Gods decree is the cause why he will condemne but some : he looks on sin as it is pardonable in some , unpardonable in others ; the one eye by which he lookes is justice , the other is mercie . Lord , thou didst look upon my sin with justice and severitie , when thou punishedst it in thine own naturall Son ; therefore look on it as it is in me , with meeknesse and mercy , and pardon it in me that am thy adopted son . LVIII . Every man is not a reprobate that falls into sin , but he that finally perseveres in sin : for all men fell into sin , by the permission of providence ; but wicked men only continue to the end in sin , by the permission of preterition . Lord , that sin which was voluntary in Adam , is necessary in me ; but although in thy just judgements , there is a necessitie that I should be tainted with originall contagion , yet there is no necessitie why I should lye still and persevere in actuall transgression : without thy providence I could not fall , without thy assistance I cannot rise : as by thy providence thou hinderest not my falling , because the glory of thy justice was thereby manifested ; so , I pray thee , further , by thy assistance , my rising again , that the glory of thy goodnesse may be thereby magnified . LIX . In Gods externall actions there is neither naturall nor coactive necessitie ; for both nature , and coaction exclude libertie : the fire burnes naturally , the bullet flyes upward violently , therefore both necessarily ; but Gods internall actions on himself are naturall , therefore necessarie : the Father begot his eternall Son , neither willingly nor unwillingly , but naturally and necessarily ; so because Gods attributes are naturall , and essentiall to him , they are necessarily in him : he is necessarily not voluntarily good , because he cannot be but good ; he doth voluntarily , not necessarily make man good , because he can forbeare , if he would , to make him good . Lord , I confesse , that the more free Agent thou wast in the work of my conversion , the lesse free am I , but the more necessitated to praise thy goodnesse and wisdome ; for , how can I choose but honour and obey thee , who couldst have chosen whether thou wouldst have redeemed and saved me ? LX . Faith is both an habit , and an action : if it justifie , as it is an habit , I will not dispute ; this I know , that it justifieth , as it is an action : for Abraham beleeved , and so was justified . The life then of Religion consisteth in action ; not onely of the outward works of the hand , but also of the inward work of the heart ; for this is the work of God , that we beleeve in him . O Lord , faith is thy work , and it is mine too ; it is thy work to infuse it , it is my work to apprehend Christ by it : let thy work be first performed in me , and then I know my work , if thou assist , shall be performed by me . LXI . Though we are not actually free from sin in this life , yet there is a possibilitie that we may be free ; if either we consider the power of God , who can mightily effect it ; or the will of a regenerate man , who doth so earnestly affect it . Lord , in that I may be free from sin , it argues thy omnipotencie ; but in that I am not free from sin , I must blame my own impotencie : There is in me a desire to be freed from this body of death , and in thee there is power to free me , who art the Lord of life . LXII . There was in Adam a directive light of the minde while he was falling , to let him see his danger ; but there was not in him that perswasive light which might powerfully restrain him from danger : that light had kept him from falling , had he followed it ; and this light had kept him from falling , had he received it . Lord , though thou didst not give Adam this light , thou art unblameable ; seeing thou didst give him so much of that light , as made him inexcusable . LXIII . In what facultie of the soul the cockatrice of Adams sin was first hatched , I will not now dispute ; whether it was in the understanding , being first blinded ; or in the will , being first perverted : this I know , that the will is apt to be seduced by a blinde understanding , and the understanding as apt to be clouded by a perverse will : The understanding * moves the will by proposing the object , which the will cannot affect , except the understanding knowes it ; the will † moves the understanding to judge and consider the object , which the understanding cannot consider , except the will command it . Lord , illuminate my understanding , that it may direct my will to affect the things that thou commandest ; and rectifie my will , that it may command the understanding to exercise its act in meditating on the things which thou commandest . LXIIII. If Christs obedience had been necessarie or naturall , and not voluntarie , he had not been like to us in all things except sin ; neither had he been subject to the tentation of disobedience , nor had his obedience been meritorious , nor had it been more excellent then the obedience of Angels : but in this was his obedience more noble then theirs , in that he yeelded that obedience willingly , which they doe necessarily . I will strive whilst I am here to obey willingly , that hereafter I may obey necessarily : for , though voluntary obedience be the nobler , yet necessarie obedience is the surer ; for I may disobey in the one , I cannot but obey in the other . LXV . Though the sufficiencie of Christs death be extended to all , yet the efficacie thereof is not applied to all ; nor did he pray and make intercession for all : By his death he procured pardon for us , and by his intercession he applies that pardon to us . Lord , in thy birth , thou acceptedst my nature ; in thy death , thou representedst my person : by thy intercession put away my sins , and pardon my offences , that the mediation which thou begannest in thy birth , and didst accomplish in thy sacrifice and passion , may be fully made effectuall to me , by thy prayers and intercession . LXVI . Action followes the affection ; therefore we love and hate actually , because these affections are in us radically : Though hatred be no affection in God , yet we conceive it as an affection : God therefore rejected Esau , because he hated him ; but he did not hate him , because he rejected him . Lord , I know thou maist justly reject me , because in me there is that pravitie , for which thou maist justly hate me : repaire therefore in me the lost image of thy Son , and so I shall escape thy just wrath and indignation . LXVII . The acts of Christs righteousnesse are ours , not as they are performed by him , but as they are imputed to us . ; imputed , I say , by his merit and goodnesse , and apprehended by our faith , though in much weaknesse . Then I see , Lord , that without faith thy righteousnesse will not availe me , and without thy merit and goodnesse my faith cannot prevaile with thee : give me then the hand of faith , that with the Hemorroisse , I may touch thee ; and by thy merit strengthen that hand , that , with Jacob , I may hold thee . LXVIII . Christ first suffered , before we could be redeemed ; and we are redeemed , before it is applyed , or can receive benefit by it : then are we fully redeemed , when we are from Satan and sin delivered . Though Christ in suffering hath sufficiently paid the ransome , yet whilst we are here subject to sin and Satan , we are not fully partakers of redemption ; Heaven , not earth , is the place where that shall be perfected . I will therefore lift up my head with joy , because by death the day of my redemption draweth nigh . LXIX . A double benefit we have by Christ : one , that he hath purchased Redemption for us by his bloud ; the other , that he hath applyed that Redemption to us by his Spirit : if he had not died , I could not have beleeved ; if I had not beleeved , he had not applyed his death and merits to me : Redemption is the cause of Faith , and Faith the cause of Application . Lord , produce Faith in me by the vertue of thy passion , that by Faith I may injoy thee in a true and spirituall Application . LXX . That the Church injoyes life eternall , she is bound to Gods dilection ; but that she injoyes that life alone , she is bound to his election : because he loved her , he hath bestowed this happinesse upon her ; because he chose her , he hath appropriated this happinesse unto her . Lord , I will praise thy love , by which I was elected ; and I will praise that election , by which I am separated from the reprobate . LXXI . Gods will is the cause of preterition , his justice is the cause of predemnation : he was not bound to give grace to all , therefore he passed by some without prejudice to his goodnesse ; he was bound to punish sin in all , therefore he preordaines the death of his own Son ; and eternall paines for reprobates , that he might not suffer prejudice in his justice . Lord , if thou hadst passed by me , I could not have blamed thy goodnesse : if thou shouldst punish me eternally , I cannot blame thy justice ; for , if thou givest grace to all , where is thy libertie ? if thou forgivest all , where is thy justice and equitie ? LXXII . God is a most free Agent , because he can doe what he pleaseth , not because he can doe every thing : his will is the supreme cause of all externall things , but not of his justice , which is internall : as he cannot doe that which is evil , so he cannot will that which is unjust ; as goodnesse is the object of his actions , so justice is the rule of his will . Lord , make my actions subordinate to thy will , as thy wil is subordinate to thy justice : that , as thou canst not will that which in justice thou maist not ; so I may not doe that , which in wisedome thou wilst not . LXXIII . Though God foresaw sin in all , yet he rejected not all : sin was the occasion why he rejected some , his will was the cause why he rejected but some ; his will was the cause of discrimination , but sin of reprobation . Lord , I confesse , it was not for want of sin in me , that thou didst not reject me ; but because there was no want of goodnesse in thee , therefore thou didst elect me : my sin was the cause why I might have been rejected , but thy mercie is the cause , why I was not rejected . LXXIIII . God hindred Adams sin morally , by his law ; not physically , by his power : he gave a law to guide him , threatnings to affright him , promises to induce him , sufficient grace to strengthen him ; but used no violence or force to restraine him : he would not thwart or destroy , by any violent restriction , that libertie which he gave him by Creation . Thus we see his prudence , in not restraining sin physically ; and withall his goodnesse , in curbing it morally . LXXV . God willeth the death of a sinner , because he foresaw the impenitencie of the sinner : this is his consequent , not his antecedent will ; in this , his will depends not on the creatures actions , but on his own prescience : his will may be Posterior to the foreseen sin of the creature , but no wayes depending on the will of the creature . In willing the death of sinners , he shewes his justice ; in willing the death but of some sinners , he shewes his goodnesse . LXXVI . All men may beleeve , only some men will beleeve ; in all there is a possibilitie , in some only a velleitie : the possibilitie to beleeve , is the gift of nature ; but the will to beleeve , is the gift of grace : the one we have by Creation , the other by Regeneration . Lord , what is possibilitie without will , and nature without grace ? As in Generation thou gavest me a reasonable soul , that had a capabilitie to beleeve in thee ; so , in my Regeneration , give me a sanctified will , that I may actually and constantly beleeve in thee . LXXVII . He that bestoweth Faith upon sinners , bestoweth also Salvation upon repentant sinners ; by faith we are brought to repentance , by repentance we are prepared for salvation . Lord , if thou hadst not bestowed faith upon Peter , to beleeve in thee , he had not repented for denying thee ; and if he had not repented , he had not been saved : lead me then , by the hand of faith , to the Iordan of repentance ; that , being washed there from my spots , I may see Heaven opened with Christ , and with him injoy thy Spirit , and light of thy Countenance . LXXVIII . There is in Gods will both a necessitie , and a libertie ; he wills necessarily what concerns himself , he wills freely what concerns other things besides himself : he did necessarily will his own glorie , he did freely will and decree my felicitie . Lord , thou couldst not but will thine own honour and goodnesse ; thou couldst not have willed my happinesse : the more free thou wast from necessitie in willing my felicitie , the more am I bound to praise the glorie of thy mercie . LXXIX . Gods will hath a two-fold consideration , one as it is concealed , another as it is revealed ; the former hath relation to his own actions , the other to ours ; what he will doe himselfe is concealed , what he will have us doe is revealed : this will is not alwayes forcible , the other is powerfull and irresistible . Lord , let me follow the directions of thy revealed will , and not meddle with the hid secrets of thy concealed will . I will not be too forward to know what thou hast not revealed , nor will I be too backward to doe what thou hast commanded . LXXX . God hath decreed to bestow on man first grace , then glory : to the decree of giving grace , preterition is opposite ; to the decree of giving glory , reprobation : no man is debarred from glory , but he that was first deprived of grace ; preterition then is the antecedent to reprobation , and the want of grace to the want of glory . Thus they whom God doth here honour with the spirituall crown of grace , shall be hereafter graced with the eternall crown of honour . LXXXI . That is a just law which is given by him that hath right to impose it , and imposed on him who hath power to performe it : such was the law that God gave to Adam ; the one had power to give , the other power to keep it . Lord , thy law is just which thou hast given to me , because thou hast power to impose it ; this law will not be the lesse just , if thou wilt assist me , and give me power to obey it . LXXXII . As Gods will hath relation to his own actions , it is accompanied with omnipotencie ; as it hath relation to our actions , it is regulated by justice : for , when he will doe what he hath determined , he cannot be resisted ; so , when he will have us doe what he hath commanded , he cannot be unjust : what he himself will doe , is best known to him ; what he will have us do , is not unknown to us . Lord , as it is thy will , that I doe that which thou commandest , wherein thou shewest thy justice ; so let it be thy will to command that , which by thy help I can doe , and therein shew thy goodnesse . LXXXIII . He that opposeth Gods revealed will , which can be resisted ; deserveth to be hardned by Gods concealed will , which cannot be resisted : for that will of God which is not done by him , shall be done on him . Lord , assist me to follow the direction of that will which is revealed , that I may avoid the destruction which by that other will is decreed : for although , by the secret will of thy * pleasure , thou hast determined death for obstinate sinners ; yet , by the pleasure † of thy revealed will , thou hast proposed life to penitent sinners . LXXXIIII . God in his goodnesse made man a vessell of mercy , Satan in malice made him a vessell of miserie ; therefore God in his justice hath made him a vessell of his wrath and furie : God made the vessell , which , whilst it staid in his hand , remained sound ; falling from thence , it hath received a crack , therfore , by this crack being made unserviceable , it is rejected . Lord , the substance of the vessell is thine , the crack is mine ; I have made my self unfit to serve thee , therefore justly maist thou refuse to honour me . LXXXV . God hated Pharaoh , not because he hardned him , but because he obstinately resisted God , therefore he hated him , and consequently hardned him ; and that not by the force of his omnipotencie , but by his patience and longanimitie . Lord , if I by thy goodnesse should take occasion to become obstinate in wickednesse , why maist not thou take occasion by my perversenesse , to obdurate me in my sins , and to debarre me from grace and happinesse ? Therefore , I pray thee , keep me from obstinacie , that thy patience , by my sins , may not be turned into fury . LXXXVI . There be two sorts of carnall men ; some are carnall in knowledge , some in affections : the former sort are children , who are fed with milk , and not yet , with spirituall men , able to judge of all things ; the other sort are wicked men , who walk after the flesh , not after the spirit , and have not mortified the deeds of the flesh : now God is a Spirit , and will be worshipped in spirit . Lord , remove from me all fleshly understanding , that I may conceive thee spiritually ; and remove from me all carnall affections , that I may love thee spiritually . Give me the love of knowledge , that I may attain to the knowledge of thy love : Make me by the spirit of understanding , to come to the understanding of thy Spirit . LXXXVII . Goodnesse hath a two-fold residence ; one in the minde , the other in the flesh : when 't is there , I will good ; when 't is here , I doe good : 't is good to have the knowledge of good , and that is in the minde ; 't is good to subdue and mortifie sinfull lusts , and that is in the flesh : the former goodnesse is sometimes in wicked men , the other is onely in good men . Lord , place in my minde the goodnesse of knowledge , whereby I may see and understand thee ; and place in my flesh the goodnesse of holiness , whereby I may love and injoy thee : for what is knowledge without goodnesse , and sight without injoyment ? It is by knowledge I see , it is by love I enjoy . LXXXVIII . 1. There is in us an inward man , so there is an outward . 2. There is a new man , so there is an old man . 3. There is a law of the minde , so there is a law of the members , and there is a law also of the spirit of life . 4. There is a voluntarie dominion in sin , and there is an involuntarie . 5. There is an universall tyrannie of sin , and there is a particular . 6. There is a regeneration in the minde and will , and there is a regeneration in the members and affections . 7. There is a complete will , or volition ; and there is an incomplete will , or velleitie . 8. There is a generall , or confused judgement ; and there is a more particular , or distinct judgement . 1. The inward man is the minde , the outward man is the body . 2. The new man is grace , the old man is sinne . 3. The law of the minde is knowledge and conscience , the law of the members is sin , the law of the Spirit of life is saving grace . 4. The wicked are under the voluntarie , the godly under the involuntarie dominion of sin . 5. Originall sin is an universall tyrant , actuall sins are particular tyrants . 6. Regeneration in the minde and will , is knowledge and desire ; Regeneration in the members , is action , or working the will of God . 7. Volition followes the last judgement of reason , velleitie followes the antecedent , or confused judgement . 8. By a generall and confused judgement , my will affects the good which is commanded by Gods law ; by a particular and distinct judgement , my will affects the evil which is condemned by Gods Law . Lord , 1 as I praise thee for the inward and the outward man , 2 so will I much more praise thee , if thou wilt strengthen in me the new man of grace , and weaken the old man of sin ; 3 if thou wilt give me the law of the spirit of life , to illuminate the law of the minde , and to debilitate the law of the members : 4 Make my service of sin involuntarie ; 5 and though I cannot be free from that catholike tyrant of originall sin , yet in thy mercy deliver me from the insolencie of these particular tyrants , my actuall sinnes : 6 And let not my Regeneration be only intellectuall , but also operative and effectuall . 7 Rectifie and cleere my judgement , that it may direct my will : 8 And make my will to affect the good which thou c●mmandest , and to dis-affect the evil which thou condemnest . LXXXIX . Though Predestination , as it is an act or work of God , can nothing be furthered or hindered by our good or wicked lives ; yet salvation , which is the effect of Predestination , may be furthered by prayers and holinesse , hindered by our infidelitie and wickednesse : for God who preordained Salvation , preordained also the means which may help forward our Salvation . Lord , let not the conceit of my Election dull me with securitie , or puffe me up with presumption : but assist me , that by good works I may make my Election sure , and in feare and trembling I may work out my Salvation . XC . There are three books of life ; the one is Gods Register book , the other is Gods book of Statutes , the third is his book of Records . In the first , as in a Register , are set down all the names of the predestinate ; in the second , which is the Scripture , are set out all the duties that are to be performed by the predestinate ; in the third are set down all the good actions and sufferings of the predestinate : Out of the first we cannot be blotted , for our names are written in Heaven ; and though an earthly mother may forget the fruit of her womb , yet our heavenly Father cannot forget the fruit of his Spirit . Out of the third book we may be blotted , because our sinnes may occasion him to forget our good works , and to slight our suffrings . Lord , I confesse that I have slighted thy sacred Book of divine Statutes , therefore thou maist justly blot me out of the book of thy remembrance : but in that thou hast not blotted my name out of thy first book , I ascribe it to thy immutabilitie ; and if thou wilt not blot out my patience and suffrings out of thy other book , I will admire and praise thy mercy . XCI . Though God loves all men , yet he saves not all men : he loves them , because he made them ; he saves them not , because he willed it not : he could not in justice will all mens Salvation , seeing man by his voluntary unjustice deprived himself of Salvation ; he loves his own image , but hates that which defaced his image ; he loves the man , but hates the sin ; and if it were not for sin , he would not punish man . Lord , thy love to man is unspeakable , in that thou savest some ; and thy justice is unsearchable , in that thou savest not all . I cannot blame thy justice , but my sins , that caused my miserie ; I cannot brag of my merits , but of thy goodnesse , that moved thee to mercie . XCII . God hates the sins of man , because he loves his own justice with the love of † complacencie ; he hates the miseries of man , because he loves mans welfare with the love of * amitie ; but by accident he loves the death of wicked men , because he hates the works of iniquite . Thus it is as naturall for God to hate evil , as it is to love himself ; and as impossible for him to love evil , as it is to hate himself . XCIII . Christ loved us when we were his enemies , and he loves us being his friends : when we were his foes , he suffered death for us ; being his friends , he hath purchased life to us : that love was greater then this , if we consider the object ; this love is greater then that , if we consider the benefit . O my God , how am I bound to thee , who when I was thine enemie , didst weare the crown of thornes for me ; and being now thy friend hast bestowed a Crown of glory on me : Let not the servant repine to beare the reproaches of so gracious a master , who was content to beare the sins and shame of so ungracious a servant . XCIIII . God did first will his own glory . 2. Mans existence . 3. His righteousnesse . 4. His own Promises . 5. The execution or accomplishment of them concerning mans happinesse . Gods glory is the great wheele of this clock , which moves all the rest ; the finall cause , which moves all other causes . Had it not been for his glory , I had neither had being , nor well-being ; he gave me existence , he made me to his image , he promised me happinesse , and he hath performed it , to the end I might glorifie him . Shall I then dishonour thee , O God , by whom I am what I am , when I look on my creation ; and am by grace what I am not by nature , when I look on my regeneration ? Therefore I will praise the glory of thy power , for my existence ; the glory of thy goodnesse , for my righteousnesse ; the glory of thy mercy in promising , and the glory of thy truth in performing what thou hast promised , though thus I have not deserved . XCV . All the afflictions of Gods people are either punishments , chastisements , or probations ; punishments for sins past , chastisements to prevent sinnes to come , probations to make triall of our Christian vertues : and , though Christ was punished for our sinnes , to free us from eternall torments ; yet we are not thereby exempted from temporarie punishments : he died to save us from death eternall , not from death temporall : he both suffered and satisfied ; we suffer , though we cannot satisfie : our sufferings are to shew our conformitie with Christ , but not to shew any insufficiencie in the death of Christ . Thou , O Lord , hast paid a plenarie ransome for sin ; and thou that knewest no sin , becamest sinne , and didst suffer death as a punishment for us , that we who are born in sin might be free from sin , that death might not be a punishment , but a chastisement to us . XCVI . As by one simple act God knowes his own Essence , so by one simple act he wils his own goodnesse ; which will , whether we take it for an act or for an habit , is eternally in God , and differs but in some respects from his essence , and therefore is immutable , infinite , and holy as his Essence : and though many things are willed by him , yet there is but one will in him ; which cannot be moved by any efficient end , or object different from himself . Lord , though my will cannot attain that simplicitie , infinitenesse , and immutabilitie that is in thee : yet let it obtain some measure of holinesse , that in desiring of that only which is good , it may in some measure resemble thine . XCVII . All have not had the happinesse to heare of Christ , and yet there is no happinesse without Christ : in this God is not unjust , for they who either in themselves , or in their parents have rejected him , are not worthy of him ; besides , God hath not left himself without a witnesse , for he hath left a law written in all mens hearts , and so much light of his goodnesse and justice as may make all men excuselesse . If therefore they shall be rejected that had not that light of knowledge which we have : how can we think we are elected , who have even spurned at the knowledge of that light which they have not ? XCVIII . Regeneration , which is the killing of the old man , and quickning of the new , hath for her ushers Sorrow and Contrition ; for her Attendants Faith and Hope ; for her followers the works of Charitie : if any of these be defective , Generation will be little effective : neither is this the work of nature , but of grace ; for nature by generation can give us a mortall essence , but grace by regeneration gives us an immortall existence : in our first birth we had a new nature from our corporall parents , in our second birth , nature is renewed by our spirituall parents : So easie is the work of physicall generation , that it 's performed in the instant of our conception ; so difficult is the work of hyperphysicall regeneration , that we cannot be consummately reformed , till the instant of our dissolution . Lord , the great world was with greater facilitie by thee created , then the little world of man could by thee be re-created ; that was done only by uttering thy externall word , this could not be done , but by the suffering of thy internall Word : therefore , as I am bound to thee for the tempor all life , which in my generation by thy spirit thou breathedst in me ; much more am I bound for that eternall life , which , in my regeneration , by thy Sonnes death , thou hast purchased for me . XCIX . In thy sight , O Lord , no flesh can be justified , if we consider the puritie of thy nature , the rigour of thy justice , the infirmities of our flesh , and the imperfections of our righteousnesse : For the first , the Angels are not pure in thy sight , much lesse we who dwell in houses of clay : For the second , if thou shouldst marke , Lord , what is done amisse , who could abide it ? For the third , there is no man that doth good , no not one , we are all gone out of the way : For the fourth , the justest man falleth seven times a day , and our righteousness is like a menstruous cloath . Therefore we acknowledge , Lord , there is no righteousnesse inherent in us , by which we can be saved , but that righteousnesse which is inherent in thee , and imputed to us , and by that we are justified ; and there is in thee exuberance of mercies , by which we may be pardoned . C. We are justified by grace formally , by faith instrumentally , by the word ministerially , by good works demonstratively , by sorrow and repentance preparatively , by Christs death and obedience meritoriously , and by God himself principally : if then God be the efficient cause , if Christs active and passive obedience be the materiall , if grace be the formall , if Gods glory be the finall cause of our justification ; how can we claime any share in it ? We are only subjects and patients , no wayes agents ; our good works are but fruits and effects , no wayes causes ; our sorrow and repentance are effects of preventing grace , not of free-will ; our faith is from above , not from our selves . Therefore , O Lord , I disclaime all merit of congruitie and condignitie , all efficacie of Sacraments , all suffrages of Saints , all power of Romane Prelates , all absolution of Priests , all observation of humane tradition , and all will-worship , from my justification . I acknowledge no other merits but thy mercies ; by thy grace thou preventedst my merits ; my merits are thy suffrings , my holinesse is thy goodnesse ; my righteousnesse is but a sparkle of thy brightnesse , a drop of that Ocean , a grain of that heap , a stone of that immense mountain of thy incomprehensible goodnesse ; for which I am indebted to thee , not thou to me : Therefore , not unto us , O Lord , not unto us , but to thy Name we glve the glory . DIVINE MEDITATIONS UPON Gods Justice . I. GOD will not pardon any sin , except we repent of every sin ; for as he that breaks one command , is guiltie of the breach of all ; so he that faileth in repenting of one sin , repenteth of never a sin . God loves not to doe things by halves , he will pardon all , or none ; and he will have us repent of all , or none : for , as it stands not with his goodnesse and perfection to give an imperfect pardon ; so it consisteth not with the sinceritie of repentance , to conceale any sin not repented : as he ejected seven divels out of one , and a legion out of another , without leaving any behinde in the possessed ; so he will have us cast out all our sinnes , without hiding of any unrepented . What availes it to be freed from Satans power in casting us into the water of drunkennesse , if he can , when he pleaseth , fling us into the fire of concupiscence ? O thou that art the great Physician of my soul , to thee I open all my wounds , and disclose all my maladies : make me , by the vomit of confession , to cast up all my sinfull humours before thee ; that , by the cordiall of a generall pardon , my soule may be cured , and totally saved by thee . II. So severe is the great Judge of the quick and the dead , that when he shall come to judge the world in righteousnesse , at his presence the powers of Heaven shall shake , the elements shall melt , the starres shall fall , the sun shall be darkned , the sea shall roare , and the moone shall give no light ; yea , the heavens shall be rolled up like a scrole , and shall passe away with a noise . Lord , if the righteous shall scarcely be saved , where shall sinners appeare ? If there be no puritie in the Angels , nor stabilitie in the heavens , nor holinesse in thy Saints , what shall become of me , who am sold under sin , and drinks in iniquitie as water ? But my comfort is , that thou hast committed all judgement to thy Son , who died for sinners . Shall I feare to be judged by a brother ; or appear before a Saviour ? He that left Heaven to suffer death for me , will he after death shut Heaven against me ? I will not feare from that mouth the sentence of condemnation , which by prayer hath been the meanes of mediation between God and me . Surely , he that came to seek that which was lost , will not loose that , which he came to seek . III. Such is the severitie of Gods Justice , that he will not exempt his own children from temporarie punishments , though he died for them : 1. Because , like gold , they must shine in the furnace of affliction . 2. That they may not be damned with the world . 3. That they may be the better fitted for Heaven ; for they must be baptized in this red sea , before they can obtain that heavenly Canaan ; and through the temple of Vertue must passe into the temple of Honour . 4. That the wicked may have lesse cause to complain when they see Gods own Sonnes not spared . 5. That by chastisements sin may be suppressed , as Pauls pride by an Angel of Satan was buffetted . 6. That the Patience , Faith , and Obedience of the Saints might be manifested and exercised ; that the metall of their vertues may not , for want of exercise , be rusted . 7. That in some sort they might be made conformable to Christ their Master ; for , if he suffered for sin , that knew not sin , shall we escape punishment , that are born , live , and die in sin ? Shall the head be wounded with thornes , and the members sleep in beds of Roses ? 8. That others by their example may be animated to run with patience the race which is set before them . 9. That Gods love to them may be testified ; for he passeth by bastards , and corrects those whom he loves . Lord , with all reverence I kisse thy rod ; by it I am bettered ; thy flail doth not break me , but separates the chaffe from me ; thy fire purifieth , but consumeth me not ; in thy morter , the more that the spices of my vertues are bruised , the more they are made fragrant : My spirituall Camomell by thy treading is not spoiled , but made more redolent : in thy Presse , though , like grapes , I am squeezed , yet the pretious liquor of my vertues are not lost , but increased ; the more that the stormes of afflictions beat upon me , so much the more , like a strong Cedar , let my roots be fastned in thee ; the darker the night is , I will , like a star fastned in thy firmament , shine the cleerer ; and the more burthen thou layest upon me , with the Palme , I will rise the higher . I acknowledge , Lord , thy goodnesse , in that thou hast not drowned the Ark of my soul in the flood of afflictions , but hast raised it higher then the highest mountaines : Thy rod hath sweetned my bitter waters ; and thy salt hath preserved me from rottennesse . IIII. Such is the severitie of Gods Justice , that some mens temporarie sinnes are punished with eternall paines ; because the person offended is eternall , the happinesse which they lost is eternall , their desire to sinne is eternall , the malice of Satan in tormenting men is eternall ; the Justice of God is immutable , the fire of hell is inextinguishable , the repentance of wicked men in hell is impossible , the wrath of God without Christ is implacable . Lord , make me seriously to meditate upon these infernall paines , which for acerbitie are unspeakable , for varietie innumerable , for permanencie interminable ; that I may not run the hazzard of suffring endlesse torments , for the injoyment of a few , short , and fruitlesse vanities : make me to prevent thy wrath by timely repentance , that I may , before I goe hence , obtain thy favour and indulgence . V. As God in his Justice suffers his Children to lye under the rod of correction , and adversitie ; so doth he permit wicked men to flourish with all outward prosperitie . Lazarus starves , whilst the rich Glutton surfets : whilst Ioseph is a prisoner , his brethren are at libertie ; and whilst Belshazzar is feasting , Gods people are in captivitie . This God is pleased to suffer : 1. That his goodness may appeare , which causeth his sun to shine upon the good and bad . 2. To make the wicked inexcusable , who have not wanted the bait of outward blessings to bring them to goodnesse . 3. That we may know worldly prosperities to be none of Gods choicest blessings , seeing bad men injoy them ; and outward adversities to be none of his chiefest judgements , seeing good men are annoyed by them . 4. That the wicked may not complain for wanting the reward of their good actions ; verily they have received their reward here : let them be content with their temporarie blessings , that is all the reward they shall have ; let them take then that which is their own , and goe their way . 5. The more outward prosperitie is heaped on them , the greater judgements are prepared for them . 6. It stands with Gods Justice , that these temporall vanities which they preferre to life eternall , should be the occasion of their stumbling and downfall . 7. Here is the comfort of Gods Children , that he who heapes so many outward and earthly benefits on his Enemies , will not forget to bestow inward and heavenly blessings on his Friends : if the few good actions of wicked men are here so plentifully rewarded , surely the many sufferings of good men cannot be forgot and obliterated . O my God , as thy outward blessings , which are but temporall , content not my desires , which are immortall ; neither am I assured by them that thou lovest me , seeing thou bestowest them on such as hate thee : therefore , Lord , conferre on whom thou wilt wealth and honour ; that which I desire of thee , is thy love and favour . VI . It stands with Gods Justice to suffer us to fall into divers doubts and tentations , when we are puffed up with pride and conceit of our own excellencies ; he will by such meanes humble us , that we may see our own infirmities ; he will suffer us , with Peter , to sink in these waters , that with him we may flie to our Master Jesus : the Angel of Satan is permitted to buffet us , that we may , with Paul , pray to him whose grace is sufficient for us : God himself in these tentations wrestles with us , as the Angel did with Iacob ; but we must not despaire though we halt : he that strives with us all the night , will give us a blessing in the morning ; and he that commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son , will send an Angel to Abraham to rescue his son ; though Satan seek to winnow us , yet we have a supporter of our faith , a Saviour who prayes to his Father for us . Feare not drowning , though these billowes of tentations shake our ship , so long as we have Christ with us in the ship , though our tentations are unpleasing , ( for a wounded spirit who can bear ? ) though all the waves and stormes of the Almightie goe over our head , though from our youth up we suffer his terrours with a troubled minde , though he give us vinegar and gall to drink , and feed us with the bread of teares : in a word , though he would slay us , yet , with Iob , let us trust in him ; he will lay no more on us then we can beare ; he can make the same rod that beats us , support and comfort us ; and though the vinegar which he powres into our wounds be sharp , yet he will temper it with oile : he can sweeten our corrupted potage with meale , as well as our corrupted waters with salt . What though the gall of tentations be bitter ; what though the spitle and clay of afflictions be unpleasant , so long as he can by them recover our spirituall eye-sight , which we by pride have lost ? Give the Physician leave to lance and scarifie , so long as by such meanes he can cure thee of thy maladie . O great Physician of my soul , I will not refuse to swallow the bitter Aloes of afflictions , if by them thou canst purge out the rank humours of my sickly affections . If I cannot obtain the Crown , but by fighting in this bloudie field ; if I cannot attain the haven of Heaven , but by sailing through this stormie sea ; be thou my Pilot to conduct me , my Captain to lead me , and my King to reward me , or rather thy own worke in me . O my God , if these waters of tentation doe at any time over-flow their banks , like Iordan , let the presence of the true Ark of the Covenant drive back these waters , that I may passe safely through them to the land of eternitie : let the rod of thy passions divide this red sea of tribulations , and let the long robe of thy righteousnesse , which farre exceeds Elijah's mantle in vertue and largenesse , make me a way through this Iordan , to the Kingdome of true happinesse . VII . 1. God in his severe Justice doth often punish a multitude for the sinnes of one man ; one Achan offends , and all the host of Israel suffers . 2. Oftentimes he punisheth the children for the parents , to the third and fourth generation . 3. Sometimes he punisheth the good for the sinnes of the bad ; Mordecai , Daniel , and the three Children are punished with captivitie , for the Jewes rebellion and iniquitie . 4. Oftentimes for mans transgressions , he destroyes the dumb creatures ; Man sinned , and the earth with the beasts are destroyed . In this God is not unjust , though his judgements be occult : for , if the Chirurgion can strike the arme for the infirmitie of the head , why may not God punish one for the offence of another , if by punishing the one , he can cure the other ? 1. It was no injustice in God to punish a multitude for the sin of Achan , because the multitude was guiltie of other sinnes , though not of the sinne of Achan . 2. It is no injustice in God to punish children for the sin of their parents , because they are parts of their parents . 3. Neither is it injustice in God to punish the good , for the offences of the wicked , because no man is so good , that can say , he is no wayes wicked . 4. It is no injustice in God to punish the creatures for mans transgression , seeing it was Gods goodnesse to make the creatures for mans use and recreation : thus , as God can justly punish a whole nation for the sinnes of a wicked Prince , so as justly can God punish a good Prince for the sinnes of a wicked nation . O Lord , if harmelesse Infants , who have not sinned but in their pare●ts , are not exempted from thy justice ; how shall I , who to the stock of my parents sinnes have added such an increase of actuall transgressions , think to escape ? And if the dumb creatures , which know not sin , are punished for mine iniquitie ; doe not I deserve to be punished both for mine own sins , and for subjecting the creature unto vanity ? VIII . Gods Justice appeares in punishing the wicked , in releeving the oppressed , in rejecting the bribes of rich men , in refusing to accept the persons of any men , in pronouncing just judgement , and putting the same in execution towards all men ; and in tempering his justice with mercy towards the most wicked men : He drowned the first world for their abominations : he relieved the Israelites from their oppressions : he spared not kings and rich men for their wealth and greatnesse ; and yet in sparing some , when he drowned the world , he shewed his mercy and goodnesse . O thou righteous Iudge of the world , look with the eye of Iustice upon the oppressions of thy Church , and remove them ; and with that same eye of Iustice look on her oppressors , and destroy them : but yet with the other eye of mercy look upon such of her persecutors as thou wilt save , and in time reclaime them . DIVINE MEDITATIONS UPON Gods Mercie . I. AS there is in God no passion , so consequently no compassion ; yet he is truly the God of Mercie , because there is in him a promptitude to help those that are in miserie : This mercy he extends not only to the good that love him , but also to the bad that hate him : 1. That they who are bad by their own perversenesse , may be made good by his love and kindnesse . 2. As no man is so bad , in whom there is not some goodnesse ; and no man so good , in whom there is not some wickednesse : so God is not so unjust , as to suffer the one to goe unpunished ; nor is he so mercilesse , as to suffer the other to goe unrewarded . 3. As he sheweth mercie to the bad , and to those by whom he is hated ; he will teach us , by his example , how to carrie our selves to those by whom we are persecuted . He healed the eare of him that came to apprehend him ; he forgave Peter that denyed him ; he made Paul a vessell of mercy , though he persecuted him ; he prayed for those that crucified him ; and he died for those sheep that went astray from him : he causeth his sun to shine upon the good and bad ; his rain to fall upon the just and unjust . O my God , I acknowledge thy goodnesse and mercie towards me a wretched sinner , who am sold under sin , and laden with iniquitie : O let this thy goodnesse be a forcible meanes to reclaime me from the course of sinne ; that I may henceforth walk before thee in truth , in righteousnesse , and in sinceritie . II. A great argument of Gods goodnesse and mercie is his forbearance and longanimitie : he stretcheth out his hands all day long to a rebellious generation . Why will you die , O house of Israel ? As I live , saith the Lord , I will not the death of a sinner . Many miracles did he work to turn Pharaohs heart : sixscore yeares did he spend to bring the first world to repentance : many Prophets did he send , before he would destroy the Jewes ; he would have healed Babylon , but she would not be healed ; he would have gathered Jerusalem , as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings , but she would not be gathered : How loath was he to cut down the fig-tree , though fruitlesse ? how loath was he to destroy his Vineyard , though grapelesse ? how loath to overthrow the Jewes , though gracelesse ? O Lord , I confesse , that thy forbearance in punishing me so great a sinner , proceeds not from any liking thou takest in my sinning , for thou art most good : nor for any neglect in correcting , for thou art most just : nor for any ignorance that can be in thee , for thou art omniscient : nor for any impotencie that can befall thee , for thou art omnipotent ; but onely out of thy goodnesse and mercie towards me , who delightest not in any mans destruction , but patiently waitest for the sinners conversion . Lord , I am more bound to thee for thy long forbearance , then the Angels , who sinned in Heaven , and Adam in Paradise : they had no sooner offended thee , but they were rejected by thee ; I have oftentimes sinned , and yet I am spared . O let me not abuse thy long animitie by presumption , but let it work in me a true and speedie conversion . III. God sheweth his great mercie towards us , in using so many meanes to call us : when we are wearie , he bids us come to him , and he will ease us ; when we are thirstie , he bids us come and drink , that with these waters of life he may refresh us ; when we are hungrie , he bids us come and eat , for with his own body he will feed us ; when we have fought , and got the victorie , he will bid us come to receive the Crown of glorie , which he hath laid up for us . He calls us by his Spirit inwardly , and by his Word outwardly : Every good motion is a call , and an inward knocking : every Preacher is a Messenger , every Sermon is a Summons , every Scripture is a Love-letter , by which he invites and calls us . Besides , every benefit that we receive from him , is a Messenger to invite us to him : every morning the sun riseth , not onely to give us light , but to invite us unto him who is the fountain of light : every night the moon or stars appeare , not only to lessen the darknesse of the aire , but also to drive away the darknesse of the minde ; to call us both out of corporall and spirituall obscuritie ; Every drop of rain , every flower in the field , every eare of corne , every grape in thy Vineyard , every increase of thy flock , every addition to thy stock , are so many trumpetters of Gods mercie , to stirre up and call thee . Again , every crosse and affliction he layes upon us , whether sicknesse , povertie , banishment , imprisonment , or infamie , are so many Heraulds sent to summon and call us . Besides all these , the horrour of hell-darkness , which shall never be illightened ; of that fire , which shall never be extinguished ; of that thirst , which shall never be quenched ; of that worm , that shall never be consumed ; of that weeping and gnashing of teeth , which shall never be ended ; are proposed to us as so many sad Apparitors to summon us : But , lastly , if none of these will prevaile with us , then the joyes of Heaven are painted out unto us ; the light that knowes no darknesse , the joy that knowes no sorrow , the life that knowes no death , the comfort of Gods countenance , the beautie of the new Jerusalem , the societie of holy Angels , the companie of Christ , and of all the blessed Soules ; the rivers of delight , fulnesse of joy , and pleasures for evermore . O God , how wonderfull is thy goodnesse , which thou hast shewed to me , in profering so many baites to catch and draw me out of the turbulent sea of this world , unto the shore of eternall happinesse ! But I have not obeyed thy outward invitations , nor inward motions : I have not taken notice of thy benefits , nor of thy chastisements ; not of thy threatnings , nor of thy promises . Lord , I am so backward , thou must not only call me , but compell me ; thou must not only warne me , but thou must draw me , and then I will cheerfully run after thee . IIII. The mercy of God appeares also in this , that , after our relapses , he is ready to receive us : his mercies are those sweet oyntments , which make the Virgins follow him . He came to call sinners to repentance , to save that which was lost : he rejected not that sinfull Mary Magdalene , nor Matthew , though a Publican ; nor the Canaanitish woman , though a dog ; nor the Thief upon the Crosse , nor Peter that denied him , nor the Jewes that crucified him , nor Paul that persecuted him : that loving Father in the Gospel did not receive his prodigall Son when he returned , nor the shepherd that sheep which went astray , nor the woman her groat which she had lost , with so much joy and gladnesse , as he will us , if we return to him by repentance . O Lord , I have gone astray , like a lost sheep , from thee ; I have , like a Prodigall , spent that patrimonie of grace which thou gavest me ; I have gone a whoring after this vain world , and have forsaken thee : O thou that art a carefull Shepherd , a pitifull Father , a loving Husband , reject not thy lost sheep , thy prodigall sonne , thy disloyall wife . Shall I dispaire to come unto thee , whose armes are stretched out on the crosse to embrace me , whose head bendeth downward to kisse me , whose heart is opened to receive and entertain me ? V. Gods mercie is to be considered , either as it is in him , or as it is from him : as it is in him , it is his act or habit ; as it is from him , it is his effect : as it is in him , it is immutable ; as it is from him , it is changeable : as it is in him , it is necessarie ; as it is from him , it is voluntarie ( for he will have mercie on whom he will : ) as it is in him , it is his * power ; as it is from him , it is his † operation : as it is in God , it is God ; for nothing is eternall except God , but his mercy is eternall , from generation to generation , saith David : it is not lawfull to trust in any , but in God ; yet David trusteth in Gods mercy ; doubtlesse then his mercy is himself : and , being it is so , his mercy and justice are all one , though the effects of his justice and mercy are different . Lord , as thy justice is seen in punishing sinners ; so is thy mercy manifested in sparing them ; as thy justice was unspeakeable in punishing thy Son for my sin , so is thy mercy incomprehensible in pardoning my sin by the punishing of thy Son . VI . As Christs active and passive obedience is the meritorious cause , so is Gods free mercy and grace the impulsive cause of our Justification and Salvation : And although God was bound in justice to pardon our transgressions , having received full satisfaction by his Sonnes death and mediation , yet was he not bound in justice to send his Son into the world , or to make him an attonement for our prevarications : to send a Mediatour , who , by his obedience , might make satisfaction , and consequently save us , was an act of his free grace and mercie , to which he was not tied ; but having sent a Mediatour , who , by his obedience , hath made satisfaction , it is an act of justice now to save us , and to this he is necessarily tied . O my God , how much am I bound to love and honour thee , who hast bound thy selfe to justifie and save me ? I pray thee , as thou hast divested thy self of thine own libertie in condemning me , and hast freely subjected thy self to necessity , that thou mightest save me ; so debarre me from all libertie in offending thee , and impose on me this necessitie , that all my dayes I may love and serve thee . VII . To shew mercy , and to pardon sin , are not of equall extent ; for God shewes mercy to all that are in miserie , but he only pardons their sinnes whom he meanes to glorifie : he is mercifull to the wicked , in causing his sun to shine , and his rain to fall , and in bestowing of many outward blessings on them ; but he pardoneth only the sins of them , who by repentance turn from sinne to him , and by faith lay hold on Christ that died for them . And , although God be mercy it self , or mercifull in the highest degree ; yet , without satisfaction , he will not pardon iniquitie ; because pardoning is an act rather of his free will , then of his mercy : neither is it essentiall to his mercy to pardon , for so he should pardon all to whom he is mercifull ; which is not true : and though he is mercifull to all those whom he pardoneth , yet the act of pardoning is not mercy , but the effect of mercy : for his mercie is essentiall , immutable , necessarie ; but to pardon is a free and mutable act : therefore , as Gods justice is not prejudiced by punishing one for the sinnes of another , seeing that other undertook voluntarily to suffer punishment ; so neither is Gods mercy wronged by pardoning that sin for which satisfaction is made , because the satisfaction was not made by the party that offended : it was justice then in God to punish Christ for our sinnes , because voluntarily he took upon him our sinnes ; so it was mercy in God to pardon that sinne , for which Christ had fully satisfied . It was justice in God the Son , having become our surety , to satisfie for us ; so it was mercy in God the Father to apply and impute his Sonnes satisfaction to us . I confesse , Lord , that though thou art bound in justice to pardon my sinne , for which thou art fully satisfied ; yet thou art not bound in justice to impute that satisfaction , or to account it mine ; seeing by my personall righteousnesse thou hast not been satisfied . I will admire thy justice in punishing thy Sonne for the sins which by him were not committed , and I will magnifie thy mercie in forgiving my sinnes , for which I have no wayes satisfied . VIII . The highest degree of Gods mercy was in sending of his only begotten Sonne into the world , to be our Jesus , to procure Salvation for us ; which he did , not by shewing us the way of Salvation onely , or by declaring his Fathers will unto us , or by shewing us the example of his life and death ; but by paying the price of our Redemption : for we are reconciled to God by the death of his Son , Rom. 5. 10. we are redeemed by the precious bloud of that immaculate Lamb , 1 Pet. 1. 18. his bloud was given for the remission of sins , Matth. 26. 28. we are justified by his bloud , Rom. 5. 8. he was made a curse , to free us from the curse of the law , Gal. 3. 13. by his death he hath abolished death , &c. Heb. 2. 14. the Son of man came to give his life for the Redemption of many , Mat. 20. 28. his bloud cleanseth us from all sin , 1 Ioh. 1. 7. by his stripes we are healed , Isai. 53. 5. he made himselfe a sacrifice for sin , Isai. 53. 10. therefore it is by his bloud , by his sacrifice , by his death , by his stripes , that we are saved , expiated , justified , redeemed , cleansed , healed : and it was for our sinnes that he suffered , Rom. 4. 25. for our iniquities that he was bruised , Isai. 53. 5. our transgressions he bore in his body on the tree ; and upon him was laid the iniquitie of us all , Isai. 53. 7. neither did he undertake this wretched condition for us forcedly , but freely ; nor was the death temporall , but eternall in the intention , and greatnesse of the torments ; neither was Christs death a bare manifestation , but a just price of our Redemption : for in him we have Redemption by his bloud , remission of sins , &c. Eph. 1. 5. we are redeemed by the precious bloud of that immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus , 1 Pet. 1. 18. which was represented by the Leviticall sacrifices , save onely that the Leviticall Priest offered for his own sinnes , and for the sinnes of the people ; but Christ had no sins of his own for which he should offer : And as the Priests office was to offer sacrifice , and to make intercession , Christ performed the one upon the Crosse , when by his death he made satisfaction , and blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances ; but the other , Christ performes in Heaven , interceding for us , and applying his death unto us ; for we have an Advocate with the Father , Jesus Christ the righteous , 1 ▪ Ioh. 2. 1. whose Intercession must not be confounded with his oblation , because this was once performed , and cannot be iterated , for he cannot die often , Heb. 9. 25. and with one oblation he hath consecrated for ever those that are sanctified , Heb. 10. 14. but his Intercession is performed daily , for he is entered into Heaven , that he might appeare in the sight of God for us , Heb. 9. 24. by vertue of whose propitiatorie sacrifice we are not taught the way to offer and reconcile our selves to God , but by him we are reconciled , redeemed , justified , saved . O my God , who is able to comprehend the height , depth , breadth , and length of thy unspeakable mercy ? In height it reacheth to the heavens , in confirming the Angels ; in depth it reacheth to hell , for thou deliveredst David from the nethermost hell ; in breadth it extends from East to West , over all the world , even over all thy works ; and the length thereof is from generation to generation : Therefore there is none of thy Attributes so gracious and admirable as thy mercy : for , as there is nothing greater in thee , then that thou canst ; so there is nothing better , then that thou wilt have mercy on those that are in misery . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A57648e-260 † Supralapsarians . * Sublapsarians . * Consequentiae . * Consequentis . * Quoad speciem actus . † Quoad exercitium actus . * Voluntas placiti . † Voluntas signi . † Amor benevolentiae . * Amor amicitiae . Notes for div A57648e-5530 * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . † {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} .