Wisdom Justice and Holiness that saving the honour of these he might pardon and advance to dignity rebells against Heaven upon their returning to their subjection and allegiance that the honour and credit of these might be maintained and yet the offenders not perish And this atrocious death of the Son of God for sin did do God great honour in the face of the Sun and of the World did assert his holiness and ha 〈…〉 proclaim his Righteousness and is a loud Thunder-clap of terror against such as shall again a second time and after such hope brought in undo themselves And by this all the dishonour that would have come to God by pardoning submitting and yielding enemies and rebells is cleared and wiped off and the repute of the Law as well secured and kept up and offenders considerate no more imboldened to sleight Him and his Laws and Threats by looking on him as no great enemy to sin than if the penalty had been executed upon all Men for ever I shall add no more here because I have prevented my self in speaking largely of this before 6. That God might be just and a justifier of faln man that God might be just and merciful 1. That God might be just it would not be sense to stop here for God would have been just without this Propitiation inflicting the punishment on sinners themselves but then he would have been meerly just and no justifier of faln man because man could never have satisfied he would have been always paying and yet the debt always to pay still so that there could never have been any Justification of sinners 2. But that he might be just and a justifier He set out Christ a Propitiation for the remission of sins Here you see two causes of Christ's death The love of God to Man one and the justice of God the other He was induced to this amazing act by his Philanthropy his love of man and zeal of justice He so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believed on him might not perish but might have everlasting life And here his justice did not swallow up his Mercy nor his Mercy his Justice but they are of quite distinct considerations Here is a loud Testimony of his Love to us and love to his Law and Justice of love to us that Christ should die rather than we perish and of love to his Law and Justice in that he hereby took order that they should not be injured by his pardoning of us Yet observe well here for the understanding of the things I have spoken of and shall speak of depend much upon it that this love was not the love of Complacency or Rectoral love for that is and was the fruit of Christ's Death but a love of pity such as was consistent with Rectoral and Legal hatred Zaleucus might lawfully have a love of pity to his Son before his invented Satisfaction but Rectoral wrath and hatred He was bound in honour as a iust Rector to execute the Law to keep it sacred and unblemished and this restrained his natural pity from doing an injury to justice And this Love that I am speaking of was the Love of one that was bound in honour and justice to be an enemy as things stood but yet of one willing to find out some way that he might with safety to his honour and justice be a friend as Governour that is might justly not inflict the penalty Thus you see the love of Pity that sent Christ was not the fruit of Christs Death But his love of Complacency his justifying love Pardoning love Rectoral love that is the fruit of his Death 7. Justifier of Sinners of faln Man that is implied in the word Propitiation and remission of sin and in the whole texture of the words And here I will shew you he died for Justification of the greatest of sinners upon their acceptance of him yea and of sinners then long since dead 1. For the Pardon and Justification of the greatest Sinners worst of Men whose throat was an open Sepulcher and their feet swift to shed blood as is expressed before in this Chapter The greatest Sins cannot exceed the price paid for they are but the Sins of Man but the Sufferings were the Sufferings of God They that were guilty of the hainousest act that ever the Sun saw of that horrid act of Crucifying Christ upon their repentance and being pricked in their hearts were forgiven as we read in the Acts of the Apostles 2. For the Pardon and Justification of Sinners then dead before Christ's death God now declareth his righteousness in the remission of those past sins Whether all those that were justified and saved under the Old Testament did know of this to come satisfaction or not I do not now dispute But this is plain whether they knew of it or not they were not justified and saved without God's having respect to this to come Propitiation it was by virtue of this which is now declared It is now declared to Men and Angels that it was upon the account of the Satisfaction intended and promised They were justified by virtue of Satisfaction designed and undertaken by Christ and in due time to be exacted and paid but through the forbearance of God the exacting of the price for sins past and fore-committed was deferred till the time of the Gospel A Meritorious cause is a Moral cause and for a Moral cause to operate and have its effect it is not necessary that it do exist it sufficeth that it have an Esse cognitum a beeing in knowledg A man may be properly said to have bought that which he hath not yet paid for and may have the actual benefit of his purchase if he hath undertaken the payment and the other accepts of and rests satisfied with his promise and undertaking Grotius lib. de Satisf thus interpreteth this place remission of sins past And it seemeth probable enough to be the meaning of this difficult place Sanguis Christi profuit antequam fuit Both the Ancients were and we are saved by Christ and God hath now set him forth a Propitiation for those past sins And indeed till Christ thus came the Satisfaction was not paid but through the forbearance of God thus served the turn that it was undertaken and promised and typified and represented by the Sacrifices and Types which shadowed it out but the Truth Reality and true Sacrifice came not till Christ And God did forbear to inflict wrath on them because he should at length have satisfaction and now he declareth his Righteousness in exacting the prefigured Satisfaction They drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them which Rock was Christ Hence it is not improbably concluded by some that he is called The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world * Yet I rather encline to them that read it written from the foundation of the world in the book of the Lamb slain Because in the same Book
others peace upon his innocent Son which is a glory of Justice beyond that as I shall make appear which would have been in executing it upon all men to all eternity 2. He would have lost the glory of his Mercy the glory of that Grace and Mercy which fills the hearts of his people with love and the mouths of Men and Angels with high praises of God and lays the greatest obligation on the World 3. All Religion had utterly perished out of the earth truth had fallen in the streets and righteousness perished from the earth there being no forgiveness with him that he might be feared there would have been no fear no filial fear of God no love to God he not beginning in love to us while enemies no coming to God for he that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of such coming and returning to him no hope and so no motion hope being the spring of obedience There would have been no foundation for Religion in the World 4. All mankind had utterly perished and so we might have cryed as they over Benjamin of a Tribe being fallen in Israel So a Tribe a whole Tribe a goodly Tribe of the Creation had been utterly lost such a Tribe such a beautiful Piece of God's Creation that sometimes it is called all creatures and every creature Mark 16. 15. Col. 1. 23 As if a Man was the whole Creation being so considerable a part of it It was not so with the Angels it was only some of them that left their first estate and so some of them reserved in chains of darkness but here it would have been all Some of the Trees of that Heavenly Paradise were left standing but all the Trees of this our Earthly would have been for Fuel and not one for Fruit. I mention not these things as if God needed to value them or as if he must be moved with them so as that he could not do otherwise than he hath done No we must still suppose as it were a great contest between his Mercy or Pity and his strict Justice his Justice enclining him to execute it upon the offenders and his Mercy prevailing and carrying away the day to provide and accept of an Offering a Propitiation But I bring in these to shew there were great reasons to dispense with the Law if it might be done with safety to his other Attributes And these great ends will so far support and maintain such a dispensation with the Law if there can be found out a compensation a due reparation to the injured Law to do it with honour and justice that he cannot be accused of Levity of being fickle of dispensing with it lightly upon slight grounds and motives but upon sufficient ones though not necessary ones For though Legislators may dispense with their Laws yet it is a weakness to do it upon sleight or no grounds 5. Had God said to faln man as Moses once to Pharoah Glory over me in this take thou this honour over me to appoint the time when the Plague of Frogs shall be removed So had God said Glory over me take this honour over me to appoint what I should now do for you Had God said Sit down and consider yea and take Angels to assist you in counsel and tell me how I may in these circumstances of things do you good and my self no hurt in my government shew mercy to you and do no wrong no dishonour to my self cast no blemish on my Law Rule and Government and I will do it We must yet have perished the redemption of the Soul is precious and would have ceased for ever We might have wept as John did to think none worthy to open the Book We might have said Lo this we have by considering found out that God cannot suffer and that the Creature cannot satisfie to eternity and therefore our condition is hopeless our bones are dried our hope is lost and we are cut off for our parts The Wisdom of Men and Angels could not have known such a thing possible that God and Man could be so nearly joined as to become one Person that God might suffer being Man and satisfie being God And further Who durst have made such a motion Who durst have let such a thing enter into their thoughts The just to suffer for the unjust God for Man which yet God freely offered and gave 6. Though this way I am speaking of could not be of Humane or Angelical Reason's ready finding out yet it would be of right Reason's ready acceptance when found out Right Reason would say Could God now find out a way to dispense with and not execute the Law and yet keep up the repute of the Law and of his Honour and Justice as high as if it had been in the very word executed could he find out a way not to execute this dirâ—ful Threat and yet ward off those unbecoming reflections of not being Holy Just and a Hater of Sin and of not being of purer eyes than to behold Iniquity unrevenged and to keep and secure the Creature still in obedience so as no encouragement to come to transgressors of his Laws for the future this would be the way that the Reason of Men and Angels would acquiesce and â—â—ke delight and complacency in But alas we despair of finding out such a way but whether such a way can be found out as he said of dry bones living Lord thou knowest 7. Now this is that way revealed and brought to light by the Gospel that I am to speak of The Sum of the Text is comprehended in this Proposition Doct. Jesus Christ was set forth by God to be a Propitiation and Expiation a Price of Redemption for Sin and Sinners that God might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus I shall speak of this by parts lying in the Text following the natural order of the things 1. God set him forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word that is here translated set forth signifies either to fore-ordain or set forth either ante decernere or in medium proferre I shall speak something of it in both Significations 1. God fore-determined fore-ordained him a Propitiation And so it is in the Margent of your Bibles This Propitiation was of Gods own invention When Darius perceived Dan. 6. 14 how Daniel was ensnared by his Decree by his Law he was greatly troubled He was foolishly righteous over-much and was averse through care of his Honour to cast disrepute on his Law though unjust and the greatest injustice would be in executing it We read he set his heart on Daniel to deliver him and laboured that is in contriving till the going down of the Sun but could not find a way to do it and keep up the repute of his Justice and of his freedom from unadvisedness fickleness and inconstancy with himself But our God set his heart on us to deliver us from the
of compensation and expiation in their stead What possible reason can be given why no Sacrifices were to be offered for them that were to be taken away out of the land of the living 3. Now Christ is called our Sacrifice Walk in love as Christ also hath Eph. 5. 2. loved us and hath given himself for us an Offering and Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour He alludeth to the expression of the Old Testament where God is said to smell a sweet savour or a savour of rest in their Sacrifices He is called as was said before Gen. 8. 21 Lev. 1. 9. by the name of his own Types Lamb without spot Behold the Lamb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lamb of God the eminent Lamb the true propitiatory Lamb indeed that did that in reality which others but represented that did really take away and expiate the sins of the World So he is called our Passeover I will here answer two Objections more before I pass to another general head Object But can one satisfie himself Christ was God and so the party offended as well as Man Answ Passing by what may colourably be said upon consideration of the distinctions of Persons I answer 1. Do we not read of God reconciling the World to himself God was 2 Cor. 5. 19. the Agent in it and this he could not do but by finding out some way to satisfie and propitiate himself that he might not impute their sins 2. Did not Zaleucus in part help to satisfie his own Law by his own suffering losing one of his own eyes as we heard in the story fore-mentioned And this is not accounted an imprudent act but commended highly by the Authors that relate it as a worthy noble act and expedient and I told you we have only one thing to object against it which cannot be objected here 3. Tell me O vain dark man that wouldst teach God that repliest against God What way was there else possible Think a little on that What way so ever you will propound as suppose of less satisfaction by some meer creature or no satisfaction you may see the reason why you like it better is because you have not the hatred of Sin and love of Holiness and care of Law and Justice that God hath nor indeed such as you ought to have or else you must say You would have had God suffer Mankind remedilesly to perish and then it is because you have not that love to Mankind that God and Christ had And this last is the most seeming rational ground of our offence and surely we will easily be prejudiced against and offended with what God doth when God displeaseth us because he did not leave us irrecoverably to perish without remedy O curvae in terris animae caelestium manes O the crooked mind ef dark man Object But some have objected It is impossible one cannot suffer for another I have already answered what can be objected about the injustice but here the impossibility is objected Answ 1. God's ways are above our ways and understandings Shall we say that is impossible which he hath said he hath done because we cannot understand it 2. It is not oriously possible God's forbidding Men to punish one for another argueth the thing possible he would not forbid impossible things The Heathens knew it very possible we may see by their offering up the fruit of their body for the sin of their soul 3. It is so highly possible that it hath been and is common amongst Men. How common is the translation of punishment from one to another as in Hostages and men undertaking to bring out the offender liable to the mulct of the offender Solomon writeth much about avoiding suretiship because the debter failing he must pay Which takes it for granted as a thing common 4. If the Papists who yet would not be accounted Socinians and many of them are not should scoff at this doctrine of Justification by Christ's Righteousness and Satisfaction as absurd impossible as some of them do you may tell them how shamefully they contradict themselves and grant it eminently possible by their proclaiming a Justification by the merits and sufferings of Saints Saint Francis his Wounds and Becket's Blood yea the Virgin 's Milk will justifie Men yea the scourgings and severities and good deeds of Men of their religious Orders will so stand Men in stead as if they had done those things themselvs And yet some of them can make little or nothing of Christ's Death 5. To declare his Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to declare plainly his Righteousness There is such a rectitude in God's Nature as causeth him to hate sin and inclineth him to punish it and this natural justice inclineth him to punish fin in the person that commits it but yet not as fire burneth that cannot do otherwise but this inclination or this which we must conceive as analogical to an inclination is subject to his wisdom and orderable by it And this Oeconomy or dispensation concerning a Satisfaction was as Governour and Rector of the world that he might not dishonour Himself in pardoning to secure the glory of his Justice which would otherwise have been aspersed by sins impunity and to please himself in displaying the glory of his Attributes God is just and this was an act of justice governing justice to declare at this time c. We are prone to think that this time of the Gospel was only a time of love grace and compassion to sinners but we see it was also a time of Demonstration of Justice of the strictest justice and most inflexible holiness and hatred of sin He hereby sheweth how little he respecteth persons that if the dearest Son of his love will intercede undertake for the pardon of sinners He shall pay dear for it Here is inexorable Justice indeed There were indeed former demonstrations of God's justice in the Destruction of the Old World Overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Babylonian Captivity but never any like this at this time to vindicate his injured Law and Honour before Men and Angels It is natural to God to have a regard to himself to his own honour and concernment that he make not himseif contemptible slighted as a patron of sin or no great en 〈…〉 to it And as Rector it beho 〈…〉 assert his Majesty and keep up the repute of his Law and Government How unworthy is it of a Rector by impunity and indulgence to seem to have a confederacy with the breakers of his Law Though he pardon offenders yet it must be in such a way as there may be no ground of suspition as if he was pleased with sin become such a one as themselves or not highly displeased with the violators of his Law it must be upon dreadfully-awing honourable terms What can you imagin Christ's Death was a compensation for or a satisfaction unto but to those high and glorious Attributes of his
Christ never agreed for the salvation of final impenitent Unbelievers never satisfied for that though he did for impenitency and unbelief and rejection of Christ for a time provided they came in at last He obtained of God not to take every denial every rejection for an utter loss of all for then we had all perished but obtained that God would wait and be long-suffering to sinners and accept them to righteousness and life provided they come in before death They that have a mind to it notwithstanding Christ's bearing their sins may bear them themselves and many will do so even they that knowing the terms of Justification and Salvation by Christ do chuse rather his eternal wrath and displeasure than to accept him on the condition of his love and favour They agreed that they and they only shall have benefit by this Propitiatory death of Christ that shall in this life perform the conditions whereon it is offered and if they finally refuse it on these terms they shall have no benefit by it but the wrath of God shall abide on them yea and they shall perish with heavier perdition with soâ—â—r punishment because of their treading under foot the blood of the Covenant slighting of it as not worthy their acceptance upon the terms of it Which is this new Covenant this second Covenant made in the blood of Christ So that I may say Though immediately and antecedently to the consideration of fixing the terms and making this second Covenant Christ dyed as I told you before that God might be just though he should pardon sinners yet he dyed eventually and the new Covenant being considered that God might be just and the justifier of him that is of the faith of Jesus He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believed c. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new Covenant that by means of death for the redemption of Transgressions they which are called that is Heb. 9. 15 effectually called converted might receive the promise of the eternal Inheritance Now it is necessary for your instruction herein that I make out to you these three things 1. What Justification is 2. What the Covenant 3. What the Condition First What Justification and to justifie â—s If you know what Condemnation is you may by it know what Justification is for contraries are mutually known by one another Now Condemnation is contrary to Justification Who shall lay any thing to Rom. 8. 33 the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth If there be a controversie between men Deu. 25. 1 and they come unto judgment that the Judges may judg them then they shall justifie the righteous and condemn the wicked Now there is a two fold Condemnation viz. by the Law and according to the Law that is by the Law and by the sentence of the Judg. A man that transgresseth a Law is immediately condemned by the Law Adam in the very moment he transgressed the Law was condemned in Law that is made guilty the death threatned was made due to him And again when an offender is proceeded against according to the Law and by the sentence of the Judg sentenced according to the Law then he is Sententially condemned First the Law condemns him and then the Judg according to the Law So there is a Justification in Law and a Justification by the Sentence of the Judg. And these two senses of the word can only challenge any kind of propriety one is called Sentential Justification by the sentence of the Judg pronouncing him righteous and one that ought to be acquitted according to the Law The other is called * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constitutive Rom. 5. 19 Justification or Justification in Law which is of one that hath right to be acquitted when accused When the Scripture speaketh of Justification by Christ by faith or to life it constantly useth it in one of these senses He that is a believer that hath performed the Gospel-condition is justified immediately ipso jure in Law-title by the Law of Grace he is constitutively justified by that Covenant or Gospel-grant He that believeth shall be saved hath right to not-perishing and a right to eternal life by this promise though he is not sententially justified till the day of Judgment The Lord grant he may find mercy at that day saith the Apostle By the Law of Grace or Promise immediately the sinner upon his believing hath right to impunity as to Hell and right to the Inheritance by Promise and at the last day shall be adjudged to it to the immediate possession of all those Immunities which were given by the Law of Grace or Promise Not the hearers but the doer of the Law shall be justified In the Gal. 5. 5. day when God shall judg the secrets of all men according to my Gospel We through the spirit do wait for the hope of righteousness by faith that is for justification by faith at the last day But this Sentential justification is to come Therefore whensoever the Scripture speaketh of justification in this life as for the most part it doth being justified by faith we have peace with God But you are sanctified you are justified it is to be understood of justification in Law-title and in this sense it is to be understood here We may say of a man whose case is good according to the Law that ought to be acquitted when it cometh to trial The Law justifieth him the Law acquits him he is justified already in Law and so are believers in this life There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit The justification here spoken of is expressed by another word in the Text viz. Remission of sins And the Scripture constantly useth Justification in the Gospel-way and pardon or remission of sins as equipollent terms and the Apostle proveth there is no justification now by works but by pardon of sins Rom. 4. 7 8. citing it out of the Psalms Blessed are they whose iniquities are pardoned and whose siâ—â— are covered Blessed is the man to whâ—â— the Lord doth not impute iniquity Observe the place and you will see he useth imputing righteousness without works and not imputing iniquity as the very same Again in the Text justified freely by his grace through the 〈…〉 pt 〈…〉 â—hat is in Christ is thâ—s 〈…〉 Scriptures Redemption through his Eph. 1. 7. blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace And redemption through his blood even Col. 1. 14. the remission of sins Be it known unto Acts 13. 38 39. you therefore brethren that through this Man is preached unto you the remission of sins and by him all that believe are justified from those things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses The blood of the Matt. 26.
spoken Now to prove that we must not conceive his punishing-Justice as meerly a free act of his Will and Wisdom that he might as well do otherwise but as a virtue or rectitude inherent in his nature Let these things be considered 1. Express Scripture Hab. 1. 13. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil that is without being angry at it without punishing it Now what can be meant by the purity of his eyes but the holiness justice and righteousness of his Nature Psal 11. 5. The wicked his soul hateth Ver. 8. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness not meerly because he will Josh 24. 19. He will not forgive your trespasses for he is a jealous God 2. A man cannot imagine God indifferent or almost indifferent whether he punish or pardon sinners but in so doing he fancies him very little abhorring sin very indifferent whether men obey or disobey which is to have more unworthy thoughts of him than we have of some men It is as necessary for us to conceive God to do that which we cannot better conceive and express than by saying and conceiving He crossed a strong inclination in not executing the Law upon Offenders themselves through a stronger inclination of love and pity to man not to execute but to provide and accept an offering as it is necessary for us to conceive of God as one crossing a strong inclination of affection to his Son in offering up his dear Son And whatever vain and bold disputers may say to the contrary it is our duty so to conceive and we please God in so conceiving and there is truth in the main in our conception notwithstanding the inadequateness of our Conceptions for we should have sinful and false apprehensions if we should conceive it was all one to God and that it was altogether or almost indifferent to him whether he punish the Offender himself or no or whether he offer up his Son or no or whether man perish or no. 3. The very Heathens knew something of the Natural Justice of God by the light of Nature as we read Rom. 1. 32. which could not be if the deserved Condemnation there mentioned came meerly from the free-will of God and not from his nature for things of his Free-will can only be known by a Revelation of his Will and not by Nature 4. How can his Justice be demonstrated By an act which his Justice requires not What weakness would it be for a Prince to affect a name of Justice and Righteousness in doing those things he might indeed justly do but to the doing of which he was no way bound in Justice and Honour If he could well enough and justly and honourably enough have pardoned offenders without but chose to shew his Justice and hatred of sin in the death of his Son it would be to demonstrate and make a shew of something that is not in reallity To affirm this would be to accuse him of Pageantry Socinus and Crellius themselves that deny God's essential Justice yet say that he cannot with safety to his Justice and Sanctity save impenitent sinners What is this but to grant what they deny even an essential Justice They grant in this so much that it seemeth wilfulness in them not to grant all To let go that which is with much shew of reason insisted on by some That all would have been impenitent without the Satisfaction surely the reason why He cannot pardon impenitent sinners is because this mode of sin contumacy in it is sin and where then will any fix and say Hither he may go in pardoning without Satisfaction and no further See the Apostle here going further implying that he could not have justified saved repenting believing sinners without this Propitiation that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth c. And the Apostle argueth a necessity of satisfaction by Christ's death because sin could not otherwise have been taken away plainly implying that repentance would not have taken it away Heb. 10. 1 4. And how weak would his Argument be to prove a necessity of this Expiation because it was impossible the blood of Bulls and Goats should take it away If it might be taken away without any expiation at all why then not with such low things 5. God is said to commend his love and kindness to us in that when we were sinners Christ dyed for us but what great love could there be shewed if there was no necessity of such an Expiation There was indeed wonderful love if Justice required our blood for his love and pity to overcome and swallow up such inexorable fury to find out and give for us such a Ransom But if Justice no way required it What great Love would it be In such a case it might indeed be Love but not eminent stupendious Love To pardon for he obliges less by pardoning that may easily pardon without diminishing the repute of his Justice or doing himself as it were any injury and he obligeth and engageth the more that forgiveth that which is so contrary to his Holiness Justice and Honour that there needs so great and atrocious a Satisfaction as putting out or tormenting the Apple of his own Eye his dear Son to make Expiation But if no such thing was necessary then to pardon in such a dreadful way as by the death of his Son would not be an act of mercy or of love but of wisdom if of any thing if that indeed may be called wisdom to give up thus his Son without necessity 6. It seems contrary to the Wisdom and Goodness of God when he might go so easie and near and plain a way in pardoning sinners to go in so difficult a way and in a way so far about for then it was a large digression to flee to a Satisfaction And surely God that doth not afflict men meerly because he will would not afflict his innocent Lam. 3. 33 beloved Son meerly because he will if he could without reluctancy without grating on his Justice Holiness and Honour have scattered our sins as a Cloud with an easie breath of his mouth Object But may not one justly part with his own right Can there be any injustice in pardoning a Debtor without Satisfaction And is not he more to be commended that doth it without any Satisfaction May not a party offended forgive a wrong against him If one threaten to beat a man that deserves it may he not justly pass it over without any satisfaction Ans He may and I grant all But the things I am treating of are not Debts but Offences and these not offences against private persons as such God is as most hold the Governour of the World necessarily and essentially however we are sure he hath taken on him the government of it and although it had been a free act at the first to undertake it yet when he hath once undertaken it he by so doing obligeth himself to govern it wisely holily and