the services of his creature may be because he desires to manifest and make knowne both these gracious dispositions of his to the world He rewards his servants both because hee loves them and is bountifully disposed as likewise because he desires to make a discovery of both these properties in himselfe As a man may build partly because he hath skil in architecture and so building is a naturall kind of exercise or imployment to him and in that respect delightfull and againe hee may build too to expresse and shew the skill and insight sight hee hath into that art So God may reward those that serve him partly because the goodnesse of his nature his love and bounty leades him thereunto in which respect it is sutable and delightfull to him to doe it though hee had no further end or intent in doing it partly because hee desires to make knowne unto his creature how he is disposed both those wayes both in point of love to his creature and bountifulnesse of nature also And this discovery or manifestation of these two natures or properties in God may bee called their perfection in such a sense as Christ himselfe 2 Cor. 12. 9. saith that his strength is perfected through weakenesse And Abrahams faith is sayd to have beene perfected by workes lames 2. 22. Any thing that is excellent and glorious whilst it is kept secret and remaines invisible suffers a kind of imperfection and wants something that belongs unto it and which would in some respect in an externall consideration better the condition of it that is to say discovery or manifestation As the Sunne when it is in the eclipse or a candle when it is in a darke Lanthorne or under a Bushel though there be nothing internally defective or wanting to them no more then when the one shines in his might and the other is put on a Candlesticke yet they are in a kind of suffering condition the native inclination or tendencie in light being to be seene or to inlighten others So the excellencies and vertues and glorious perfections in God love bountie power wosedome c. though they be internally perfect and intire and wanting nothing of their perfection in that kind whilst they remaine unknowne and undiscovered to any but to himselfe yet it is a kind of improvement to them which the Scripture calls a perfection when they are brought forth into a further light when the knowledge of them is communicated ad extra For that doubtlesse is the full and direct meaning of our Saviours words mentioned my strength is perfected in weakenesse that is that absolute strength and power I have to support my creature receives perfection such a perfection as it is capable of that is to say discovery or manifestation in and through the creatures weakenesse In such cases it is best discovered and consequently made perfect or rather perfected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The like may be sayd of all the other divine perfections in God their manifestatiō is their perfection in this sense so then this may well bee another reason of the point why God should reward the services of his people viz. to manifest those two excellent properties of his his love to his creature and the bountie of his nature Fourthly a fourth reason may be the love that God beares to the righteousnesse or obedience it selfe of his creature the desire he hath or the delight he takes to have his voyce and his Lawes obeyed by men The Lord takes a pleasure and holy contentment to see men walking in wayes of righteousnesse to see their hearts and hands lift up to his Commandements And because hee would fill the world with righteousnesse if it might be he would have all the plants all the vines in his great Vineyard the world laden with clusters of these Grapes he therfore strengthēs the hands of men hereunto by propounding and promising them large rewards for such works The Scripture speakes much of this disposition in God also his love to righteousnesse his delight in the obedience of men The righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse saith David Psal 11. 7. meaning in men or in his creatures and that with a love redundante in personam as they say that is with a love flowing over and redounding to the persons working it as it followes in the latter clause of the Verse and his countenance beholdeth the just that is to say with favour and acceptation he takes a pleasure to looke upon them in the wayes of their uprightnesse So 1 Sam. 15. 22. The Prophet informes us of the same disposition in God Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when the voyce of the Lord is obeyed Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fat of Rams implying that the Lord takes a holy and solemne contentment in the obedience of his creature for being of a holy and righteous disposition himselfe hee cannot but sympathize be affected with the same wayes and courses wheresoever hee findes them as David implyed in the words before mentioned the righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse intimating that his owne righteous disposition is the ground or foundation of this his affection to righteousnesse in others Now then as no man but will use meanes and seeke to have and injoy that which hee loves and takes pleasure in yea and if it may be will seeke to have it in aboundance So God loving righteousnesse and obedience in men layeth out for it in the world holding forth rewards and ample considerations to those that will accommodate and pleasure him therein Gods promises are as it were the seede of obedience to his Commandements CAP. V. The Doctrine further opened and established by an addition of three grounds more AGaine in the fift place God promiseth rewards to those that serve him happly for this reason also because this is the most proper and naturall way or method to deale and treate with his reasonable creature man for that commoditie of righteousnesse it is a course most agreeable to the principles of his nature and being and likewise to the termes of his condition It is a knowne commendation of the wisedome of God and sweetnesse of his providence disposing and governing all things to comply and follow to goe along and fall in with the severall tempers frames natures and properties of his creatures so as to act and move every of them by wayes and meanes peculiarly fitted to them When God made Balams Asse to speake to reprove the madnesse of the Prophet as the Scripture speakes he did not effect it in such a way or by such meanes as hee used to move his Prophets as for example Isaiah or Ieremy to speake to the like purpose to reprove the false Prophets amongst them Hee did not enlighten the phantasie of the Asse to know or understand the weight or intent of what shee spake neither did hee move her by way of cöscience or reverence of
called a seeking him in regard of that losse of him we sustained by our fall in Adam First in our creation God was our portion and possession by our sinne wee lost him and knew not how to finde him or recover him a-againe but God in mercy willing to bee found re-injoyed by his creature in a way of righteousnesse bids them seeke him that is serve and obey his voyce and this he assures them hee doth not require of them in vaine meaning that if they would thus seeke him they should finde him that is they shall recover their ancient and first interest in him and hee would deale as graciously and as bountifully with them if not abundantly more as ever he meant to have done had they continued in his first covenant had they never lost him And this aboundant reward which he intended towards them if they would seeke him as hee required of them may well be imployed in the figurative expression here used I sayd not seek you me in vaine that is I required not this of you upon any other termes nor with any other intention then of your owne unspeakable and infinite advantage It is that kind of expression which they call a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is when a rich sense or meaning is put into low and meane words As in that of our Saviour Matth. 10. 42. Verily I say unto you he shall not lose his reward the meaning is not that hee shall have something or that hee shall have that which shall bee as good to him as that which hee parted with his Cup of cold water though the precise letter of the words reacheth no further then thus but the true and apparent meaning and importance of that promise is that he shall be richly and aboundantly rewarded Besides very many like expressions in the Scriptures So againe Ier. 2. 31. O generation see yee the Word of the Lord or take heed to the Word of the Lord as the former translation hath it have I beene as a Wildernesse unto Israel or a land of darknesse Wherefore say my people then wee are Lords wee will come no more unto thee as if he had sayd if whilst they served me I had not beene gracious and bountifull unto them if requiring of them to bee as Eden or the Garden of God unto me fruitfull in workes of righteousnesse and holinesse and I had beene nothing but a Wildernesse unto them they might with some pretence and colour have sayd thy had been Lords that is that they had power to doe with themselves and disposed of their service as and where and to whom they pleased But the case being farre otherwise and their service alwayes aboundantly recompenced and rewarded by mee they have no cloake for their revolting and apostacie from my service 2. Yea it is not onely a truth that God will not suffer such services of his creature to goe unrewarded as have the true nature and spirit of services indeede such as are performed in love and with truth of zeale to his glory but even to those that have beene but halfe services that have beene services in the letter and outside onely he hath for the most part gratified abundantly Thus in Ezek. 29. Vers 18 19 20. to Nebuchadnezzer who served him with his army against Tyrus he promised the lands of Egypt with all her spoyle and treasure for his reward So to Iehu for that service he did unto God in rooting out the house of Ahab he granted the succession of the Kingdome of Israel to him and his children for foure generations 2 King 10. 30. so to Ahab himselfe in reward of that outward and formall repentance which reached onely to the rending of his cloathes and putting on and lying in Sackcloth and outward abstinence and walking softly for it reached not his heart in any effectuall change or conversion unto God yet we know God gratified this repentance of his such as it was with the defering of that judgement he had intended against him and his house for his dayes Many other like instances there are of this particular in the Scriptures CHAP. IV. Wherin the foure first grounds of the Doctrine are briefly laid downe and opened THe Reasons of this point are First God will not be served by his creature for nought because the love that hee beares unto his creature man being the workemanship of his owne hand I shall not neede to prove this love of God to men the Scripture nay the whole world is full of it I meane of the sweet fruits and expressions of it Yea the truth is that this same roote The love God beares to the World beares fruit farre more excellent and glorious then that wee now speake of this rewarding men for their service done unto him so that we may easily give way in our apprehensions and judgements to this So God loved the world saith our Saviour Ioh. 3. 16. that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne c. It was a thousand times more to give such a gift as Iesus Christ was freely to the world then to give the greatest reward under heaven yea or in heaven either to the meanest service that could be performed Love is kind or bountifull saith Paul 1 Cor. 13. 4. that is is of a communicative nature or disposition And if this affection out of it 's owne nature propertie and inclination otherwise unprovoked disposeth to doing good or giving gifts to those that are loved how much more is this nature and propertie of it strengthned when those that are loved are also serviceable and still ready to obey and fulfill the desires of the lover As if a man loves his child because he is his child how much more doth hee love him when hee serveth him This is one reason of the love of God to man 2. The second reason may bee the royall and bountifull disposition in God It is the peculiar genius or spirit as it were of this disposition which wee call bountie to reward services and that with a liberall and full hand above the levell as it were or nature of them This bountifulnesse in God the Scripture often expresseth David speaking of the judgements or commandements of God tells us to the glory of God in this behalfe Psal 19. 11. that in keeping of them there is great reward So it was this bountifull disposition in God that was the foundation upon which Paul built that high saying of his 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh unto us a farre more exceeding eternall weight of glory light and momentany afflictions could never worke after such a rate of recompence and reward did they not worke upon the glorious munificence and bountie of God A manifest demonstration of this disposition in God you may see in Gods aboundant rewarding of Abraham for the obeying his voyce Gen. 22. 17 18. This for the second Reason 3. Againe a third reason why God will reward all
may sometimes glorifie or sanctifie God as the naturall or unreasonable creature doth that is to say without any knowledge or intention of any such end in their actions The heavens saith David Psal 19. declare the glory of God and in that respect may be said to sanctifie him So Caiphas when he prophesied and Iudas when hee confessed he had sinned in betraying innocēt blood glorified God but this glorifying or sanctifying God was not their end in what they did this end set them not a work to do either and therefore they glorified God without any reward 6 But this for the externall sanctifying of God which though it be not the principall sanctification here intended yet is it included and intended as well as the other which is the internall and that which is in the heart And what this is may readily and clearly be understood by what hath beene already sayd concerning the outward for looke what worke or effect it is which by the externall sanctifying of God when this prospers and takes place in the hearts of others is wrought there when we worke act or doe the same in our selves and in our owne hearts this is our internall sanctifying of him And this worke or duty of sanctifying God internally and in the hearts we may well place in these foure things First in a right apprehension or understanding the attributes or properties of God and that not onely in their severall natures and qualities but some wayes also in the height or excesse of proportion which they have above all perfections in the creature of the same kinde or that goe under the same name As for example a man must understand and apprehend what love meaneth that is what the nature and propertie of such an affection is and so what goodnes wisdome truth power c. meane and import and likewise what an infinite love infinite goodnes wisedome truth power c. import at least indefinitely and by way of negation that is that by an infinite love is meant a love more intense large and fervent than by any created and finite understanding can be comprehended Secondly in a true and unfained beleeving that such perfections even in that height and surplussage above all that is found in the creature are truly and really in God and in him alone Thirdly in deliberate and serious contemplation or consideration of these infinite perfections rightly apprehended and firmly beleeved to be in God Fourthly and lastly in framing the heart and composing the affections and shaping and fashioning all a mans purposes intentions and resolutions in an answerable decent and comely manner thereunto that is to these attributes of God so apprehended beleeved and considered upon though if wee speake strictly and properly the duty wee speake of stands precisely in the last of the foure the having the heart and and all the counsels and purposes of it tamed and set in a just and sweete proportion to the Name or Attributes of God so that every thing which is in God as Mercy Truth Power Wisdome c. not only so but that the proportion of every thing of all these that is that fulnes or overplus wherin all these the like are found in God above what they are in any creature may have a peculiar proper distinct effect sutable to every of thē in the heart soule of man Even as we see a seale that is well cut or graven when it is applied to wax well tēpered soft doth not leave an impression or likenesse of it self in a generall or confused manner upon the wax but you shall see letter for letter point for point and every part of the incision in the seale will have its peculiar and distinct effect upon the waxe so is the great God then sanctified in the heart of a man or woman indeed when there is no attribute in God but you may finde it there and that not only in the nature or kind of it but in the proportion or dimension of it too as when not onely the goodnes of God is found in our love to him but the proportiō of his goodnes foūd in the measure degree of our love so not onely his truth and faithfulnesse found in or dependance upon him but the unquestionablenesse or infallibility of his truth and faithfulnesse found in the freenesse willingnesse strength and intirenesse of our dependance upon him and so in other his attributes 7 Not as if we were able to draw the full proportiof Gods Attributes which we know are all infinite in the narrow compasse of our hearts or affections there is no roome or space for any thing that is infinite to stand there in its positive and proper Notion As for example a creature cannot love God with any such infinitenesse of affection as Gods goodnesse is infinite in him but yet the infinitenesse of the goodnesse of God may be thus represented in our love and affections to him wee may love him with a love stronger and greater then any love wee beare to the creature or know that wee ought to beare unto any creature whatsoever and this is interpretatively infinite that is it is such love as plainly confesseth and acknowledgeth the object of it to be infinite The same is to be conceived touching all other holy impressions dispositions and inclinations raised in the heart or soule by a due consideration of the attributes of God As for those other three things mentioned right apprehension of the nature and infinitie of these divine perfections or attributes the settled beliefe or perswasion of their being in God together with an effectuall consideration of them as united and seated in him these I conceive are not parts of this dutie this sanctifying of God but rather acts of the minde or soule precedently requisite and necessary thereunto A man cannot possibly sanctifie God with that internall and speciall sanctification which this Scripture principally requires and which hath in part beene described without somewhat done more or lesse in all these Hee that either knoweth not what infinite love infinite wisdome power c. meane and import or beleeveth not that such natures are indeed in God in their infinitenesse or lastly doth not affectuously contemplate or consider these things in him can never worke his heart to that close and intire dependance upon God which is the speciall sanctification of him required there elsewhere in the Scriptures 8 For that in a word is further to be considered that howsoever the phrase and expression of sanctifying God in the Scripture be indifferently used for the sanctification of him in any kinde that is for them agnifying of him in any one of his Attributes whether love mercy goodnesse wisdome power c. particularly yet it is in speciall manner and with greatest propriety and as I take it more frequently used for that sanctification of him which is by dependance or reliance on him This of all other acts or kindes of