BOOK 2. FROM ETERNITY.
CHAPTER 1.
2.1.5. The Counsel.
The Counsel.
Of the counsels of God concerning man before all worlds, we read in several texts, "Christ was delivered by the determinate counsel of God," Acts ii. 23. "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand, and thy counsel determined before to be done," Acts iv. 27, 28. And thus the members of Christ are said to "obtain an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Eph. i. 11. Of this counsel of God's will we know but little now, yet this will be made known when we come to glory; yea, it will be a great part of the glory of heaven for the Lord to make known the counsel of his will; we now know his will, but we shall then know the counsel of this will, and praise him to all eternity for it; this shall be the glory of the saints, that they shall see into the counsel of God's will in choosing them, and calling them, and passing by others, and letting others go. In the mean while thus far we may know, for thus far he hath revealed himself concerning his counsels about man from everlasting.
1. That man should be a reasonable creature, and because that every creature is unavoidably subject to the Creator (for "he made all things for himself" Prov. xvi. 4, and all is to return that glory to him for which he made them,) therefore man should serve him as all other creatures must, only his service should be after a reasonable manner, out of judgment, discretion and election; hence David is said to "have chosen the way of truth," Psal. cxix. 30. and Moses to have "chosen the affliction of God's people, and the reproaches of Christ before the pleasures of sin, or the treasures of Egypt," Heb. xi. 25, 26. And hence it is, that holiness in the phrase of scripture is called judgment, "He shall convince the world of judgment," John xvi. 11,. and he shall "send forth judgment unto victory," Matth. xii. 20. And hence it is that our service is called, "a reasonable service" Rom. xii. 1. God would not set any such determinating law over the operations of man, as over other creatures, that, so he might truly work out of judgment, and stand or fall by his own election.
2. That if man should deviate from this reasonable service, and break the law, which God would give, and which he himself should have an original power to perform, that then he should incur the displeasure of God; and such a curse, and such a penalty should be inflicted: and here comes in the fall of man into God's consideration; he looks upon it as a wilful transgression of his law, and by how much the law was more just, and the obedience more easy, by so much he judges the transgression more unreasonable, and the punishment more certain and intolerable.
3. That sin should not pass unrevenged: and that for these reasons,
(a). Because of God's infinite hatred thereof, "He is of purer eyes than to behold evil, he cannot look on iniquity," Heb. i. 13. It provokes a nauseousness arid abhorrency in him; "for all these are things which I hate, saith the Lord, -- they are a trouble unto me, I am weary to bear them," Zech. viii. 17.
(b). Because of his truth, he hath said, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die, or. thou shalt dying die," Gen. ii. 17, die temporally, and die eternally; and surely God will in no ways abolish his law. "One jot, or tittle shall in no ways pass from the law till all be fulfilled," Matth. v. 18.
(c). Because of his terror and fearful majesty, for God will have men always to tremble before him, and by his terror to be persuaded from sinning, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men," 2 Cor. v. 11. And "Fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell, I say unto you, fear him," Matth. x. 28. and "let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for God is a consuming fire," Heb. xii. 28, 29.
Upon these reasons, God is resolved sin shall not pass unrevenged, lest thereby his justice should be securely abused, his hatred against sin the less declared, his truth questioned, and his dreadful majesty by men neglected.
4. That every man, notwithstanding sin, should not be utterly destroyed: and that for these reasons.
(a). Because of that infinite delight which the Lord hath in mercy, why? this delight is it that so disposeth him to pardon abundantly, and to exercise loving-kindness on the sons of men; "Who is a God like unto thee that pardonest iniquity and passes by the transgression of the remnant of thy heritage? Thou retainest not thine anger forever, because thou delightest in mercy," Mic. vii. 18. And, "I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, saith the Lord," Jer. ix. 24.
(b). Because of that delight which God hath to be actively glorified by his creatures voluntary service and subjection; "Herein is my Father glorified, if ye bear much fruit" John xv. 8. And, "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that he turn from his way and live," Ezek. xxiii. 11. He delighteth most in unbloody conquests, when by his patience, and goodness, and forbearance, he subdueth the hearts, affections, and consciences of men unto himself! He esteemeth himself more glorified in the services, than in the sufferings of men, and therefore in this eternity he resolves not to destroy all men, lest there should be no religion upon the earth. When the angels fell, they fell not all, many were still left to glorify him actively in their service to him, but when Adam fell, all mankind fell in him; so that there was no tree in this paradise left to bring forth any fruit unto God: and this is most certain that God would rather have his trees for fruit than for fuel; hence he resolves that mankind, notwithstanding sin, should not be utterly destroyed.
Hereupon the Trinity calls a counsel, and the question is, "What is to be done with poor man?" The learned here frame a kind of conflict in God's holy attributes, and by a liberty which the Holy Ghost from the language of holy scripture doth allow them, they speak of God after the manner of men, as if he were reduced unto some straits and difficulties, by the cross demands of his several attributes. Justice calls upon him for the condemnation of a sinful, and therefore worthily accursed creature; which demand is seconded by his truth, to make good that threatening, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die the death;" mercy on the other side pleads for favour, and compassion towards man, woefully seduced, and overthrown by Satan, and this plea is seconded by love and goodness, and the like attributes; at last, when the business comes to a determination, wisdom finds out a way, which the angels of heaven gaze on with admiration and astonishment, how to reconcile these different pleas of his attributes together. A Jesus is resolved on; one of the same blessed Trinity, who by his Father's ordination, his own voluntary susception, and the holy Spirit's sanctification should be fitted for the business. To this purpose this Jesus should be both a surety and an head over sinful men; a surety to pay men's debts unto God, and an head to restore God's image unto man; and thus in him "mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other," Psal. lxxxv. 10.
This is the great mystery of the gospel; this is that which the angels (as I tell you) pry into; nay, this is that which the angels and saints too shall admire, and bless God for to all eternity; this is that which set the infinite wisdom of God on work from all eternity. If all the angels in heaven, and all the men in the world, had been put to it to find out a way to answer this question, "How shall sin be pardoned, the sinner reconciled, and God glorify his justice?" They could never have done it; this cost God dear, it cost him the heart-blood of his own Son, and that is a sure sign that God's heart was much in it, and indeed we are not Christians, until in some measure we see and have our hearts taken with the glory of God in this mystery, O the wonder of heaven and earth! here is the case, man is fallen through sin, and ever since the fall, man and sin are as inseparably joined together as fire and heat; yet God will have mercy on the man, and he will take vengeance on the sin; the eternal wisdom of God hath found out a way to translate this man's sins on another person who is able to bear them, and to interest this man's person in another's righteousness, which is able to cover him: so that now all is one in regard of man, as if the law hath been utterly abrogated; and all is one too in regard of God, as if the creature had been utterly condemned. And all this is done in our Jesus; on him was executed the curse of the law, by him was fulfilled the righteousness of the law, for him was remitted the sin of man, and through him were all things, made new again. The world was in Christ as in its surety, making satisfaction to the justice of God; and God was in Christ as in his ambassador, reconciling the world unto himself again, (0 bathos!) "O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out?" Rom. x1. 33. You have seen the project, and the counsels of God for man's salvation, before all worlds; it is but dimly, "For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor?" Rom. xi. 34.