Sion's prospect in it's first view.: Presented in a summary of divine truths, consenting with the faith profess'd by the Church of England, confirmed from scripture and reason: illustrated by instance and allusion. Compos'd and publish'd to be an help for the prevention of apostacy, conviction of heresy, confutation of error, and establishing in the truth, by a minister of Christ, and son of the church, R.M. quondam è Coll ̊S.P.C.

CHAP. V. Concerning God's Will.

* 1.1§. 1. THE Will of God, whereby he is most properly (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) absolutely free in himself, it is but one, as being his very Essence, which admits neithera 1.2 composition, notb 1.3 division; yet (because we speak of the things of God, after the manner of men, wanting thoughts to conceive,* 1.4 and words to express otherwise of him) we distinguish the will of God into hisc 1.5 se∣cret will, and his revealed will; his will of signe, and his will of good pleasure; which are one and the same will under diverse and distinct no∣tions.

* 1.6§. 2. His secret will (which is alwaies his will of good pleasure, though his will of good pleasure is not alwaies secret) that being hid from our eye, we are in humility to attend, not in curiosity to enquire.* 1.7 His revealed will (which is alwaies his will of signe, as his will of signe is alwaies his will revea∣led) that being thea 1.8 object of faith, and theb 1.9 rule of life. We are with diligence toc 1.10 search, and with faithfulness tod 1.11 obey.

* 1.12§. 3. the will of God's good pleasure, whether secret or revealed, hath it's divinea 1.13 reason, but not it's properb 1.14 cause, being perfect and absolute in its self; indeed, impossible it is, that the Prime Cause of all, should it self be caused of any; seeing nothing can bec 1.15 before it, as being eternal; nothingd 1.16 greater then it, as being infinite. As God's wil then cannot be said to be without reason; for it is the determination of his understanding; so of God's will, there can∣not be said to be any cause, for then it should it self be determined by some other, and so

God not absolute and independent in himself.

§. 4.* 1.17 The manifestation of God'sa 1.18 glory is the final cause of the creatures being, but not of his divine volition; the end of what he wills, but not of his will; He wills one thing for another, yet is not any thing the cause (though the reason) of his so willing them. For that, he doth determine the end and the means in one act of his will, as he doth know the cause and the effect in one act of his un∣derstanding. He wills the end and the means, and the means for the end; yet seeing all are external to him in his essence, he cannot be internally mov'd by them in his will.* 1.19 So that when the Orthodox speak of any impulsive or moving cause of God's will, it is an accommodating the mystery to our ca∣pacity, and a fitting their expressions to our weakb 1.20 apprehensions.

§. 5.* 1.21 There may be many causes of the Executi∣on of God's will, which doth consist in the tempo∣ral effects; but none of the volition of God's will, which is an eternal act. Thea 1.22 volition of God's will is an immanent act, eternally residing in him∣self; theb 1.23 execution of his will a transient act, tem∣porally terminated in the creature; of that there can be no cause; of this there are several causes, instrumental and final.

§. 6. Thus the preaching of the word, is instru∣mental toa 1.24 faith and obedience; faith and obedi∣ence instrumental to this subordinate end, theb 1.25 sal∣vation of the elect; and the salvation of the elect instrumental to this the utmost end, the manifesta∣tion of God'sc 1.26 glory; which end is communicated of God unto his elect, notd 1.27 acquired by his elect un∣to himself; for that, as he is a Gode 1.28 Indepen∣dent, so he is a Godf 1.29 Alsufficient. Thus there are several causes of Salvation decreed by God's will, final and instrumental; but no cause of God's will

decreeing Salvation, neither instrumental, nor final, both being within the compass of his decree, and therefore not beyond the circumference of his will, to be the cause of his volition.

* 1.30§. 7. God wills all things, but sin, which hath no efficient, but deficient cause, and therefore the cause thereof cannot be God; True it is, all evil is founded in that which is good, and so sin cannot be but in some faculty, or habit, or action, which thereby is denominated sinful. No doubt then, Goda 1.31 wills the action which is sinful, but not theb 1.32 pravity of the action which is the sin; He wills the action as a natural good, and ordered by him to a greater good, but the ataxy or anomy of the action, that he doth not will, but permit; or at most, he doth but will the permission; For he can∣not be said effectually to will, what he doth actually forbid and punish.

* 1.33§. 8. Besides, the purpose of God's will doth not take away thea 1.34 liberty of man's will, no more then the certainty of his fore-knowledg doth take away the contingency of events: rather indeed, that purpose doth confirm this Liberty, and that certainty this contingency; for that thereby he ma∣keth good the liberty which he hath given, and the contingency which he hath made; accommodating the concurrence of his power and will, according to the nature of the Agents which himself hath created, and that constitution of the causes which himself hath established; wherefore though the purpose of God's will doth exclude every act and event, which is contrary to it, yet can it not be said to destroy the liberty of man's will (even to that contrary act) which is altogether consistent with it,* 1.35 yea, establish'd by it. And thus, what ne∣cessity of Being is caus'd by the immutability of God's Will, is only a conditional necessity, upon this

supposition that God wills it: And because what God wills in his ordinary Providence, is according to that order which he hath established in the se∣condary causes; therefore the Necessity of Being, which flows from the immutability of God's will, doth not destroy the contingency of Events, or the liberty of Agents.

§. 9.* 1.36 The secret will of God's good pleasure is the first anda 1.37 chief cause of all things,b 1.38 unchange∣able andc 1.39 irresistable; which when God is pleased to reveale unto man, he doth it by the signification either of his word, or of his works. His works de∣clare his will in their events; and his word, that signifies his good pleasure, by Prophesies, by Pre∣cepts, by Promises, and by Threatnings.* 1.40 God's word is called his will (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) figuratively; as the sign is put for the thing signified; his word being the sig∣nification, ord 1.41 revelation of his will, in what he hath thereby determined, and decreed.

§. 10. Such is the sweeta 1.42 harmony;* 1.43 and firm consent of the sign with the thing signified; the revelation of God's word with the determination of God's will; that they admit not the least jar of discord, without a manifest violation of the sinceri∣ty and truth of God himself; wherefore to pre∣serve that harmony, and prevent this discord,* 1.44 it must be our care so tob 1.45 interpret the right meaning of his word, that it agree with the true intent of his minde, and purpose of his will; least otherwise we make God seem to contradict himself or deceive his people.

§. 11. If God should will any thing by his will of sign, which he doth not will by his will of good pleasure, he should plainly contradict himself, and destroy the the truth of his word; wherefore seeing God doth certainlya 1.46 intend in his will, what he reveals in his word; we must observe rightly to in∣terpret,

that his Revelation to a declaring what he truly intends,* 1.47 not what web 1.48 falsly conceive. As when God, by the precept of his revealed will, and will of signe, doth require all men to bec 1.49 holy; we must not conclude it the purpose of his secret will, or will of good pleasure, that all men be holy; For that, experience, and other parts ofd 1.50 Scripture, too sufficiently testifie, that all are not holy; which yet necessarily they should be, or a contradiction must be in his revealed will, if that were the in∣tent of his good pleasure, which is evere 1.51 effective in what he wills. Wherefore, when God by the Precept of his revealed will, requires all men to be holy; it is the purpose of his good pleasure that men be therebyf 1.52 admonished of their duty, and ob∣liged to his Law.

* 1.53§. 12. Again, we read that God gave Abra∣ham a command, saying,a 1.54 Take thy Son, thine onely Son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and offer him for a burnt-offering. If we say, God here purposed Isaac's sacrificing (as the words seem to signifie) we shall make a change in Gods secret will, to avoid a con∣tradiction in his will revealed; whereas if the true meaning of Gods word be applyed to the right purpose of his will, the harmony is sweet; and it is thus: when God gave Abraham the Command, Take thy Son, and offer him for a burnt-offering; the purpose of his good pleasure revealed in that precept of his word, was to put Abraham upon the service, by obliging him to the duty; which he intended for the testimony, andb 1.55 trial of Abra∣ham's faith, not for the death or sacrifice of his Son; which not till afterward he revealed unto Abraham by the voice of the Angel, calling to him, and saying,c 1.56 Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not

withheld thy Son, thine onely Son from me.

§. 13.* 1.57 Whereas God's revealed will in his pro∣mises and threatnings runsa 1.58 conditionally, yet is his will of good pleasure, signified in the true meaning of those conditions, absolute; which is, to declare unto men the effectual means, whereby his promi∣ses are obtained, and his threatnings avoided in them that are saved; even a performing those con∣ditions prescribed; And the demeritorious cause for which his promises are null'd, and his threat∣nings executed in them that perish, even a contempt of those conditions required.

§. 14.* 1.59 So that it is not the meaning of the con∣ditions in God's word, to signifie any conditions in God's will, but that God wills them to be condi∣tions; intended, and so revealed, asa 1.60 means effectu∣al to that end he hath appointed them for; even the obtaining the blessings promised, and the avoi∣ding the judgments threatned. And thus his re∣vealed will doth not at all oppose that which is se∣cret, not his will of signe, that of his good pleasure; but the Analogy stands good in both, without con∣tradiction in Gods will, or deception in God's word, and thereby a violation of both.

Notes

• * 1.1

  God's Will one, and absolutely free.
• a 1.2

  1 John 1.5.
• b 1.3

  Isa. 45.6.
• * 1.4

  Distinguish'd in∣to his will secret and revealed; of sign, and of good pleasure.
• c 1.5

  Deut. 29.29. Rom. 11.34. Col. 1.9.
• * 1.6

  What this secret will.
• * 1.7

  What his re∣vealed will.
• a 1.8

  Rom. 12.2. Ephes. 1.9. Col. 4.12.
• b 1.9

  Mat. 6.10. and 7.21. 1 Thes. 4.3. Heb. 13.21.
• c 1.10

  John 5.39.
• d 1.11

  Rom. 6.17.
• * 1.12

  The Will of God's good pleasure, hath it's reason, not it's cause.
• a 1.13

  Isa. 1.18. Ezek. 18.25, 29
• b 1.14

  Isa. 40.13.
• c 1.15

  Isa. 43.10.
• d 1.16

  Exod. 18.11. John 10.29.
• * 1.17

  God's glory the final cause of what he wil's but not of his will.
• a 1.18

  Psal. 8.1. Isa. 6.3. Ephes. 1.12. and 3.16.
• * 1.19

  How the im∣pulsive cause of God's will to be understood in Theology.
• b 1.20

  Heb. 5.11.12.
• * 1.21

  The Execution of God's will a••∣mits several cau∣ses; the volition not any.

  What the voliti∣on, and what the execution is.
• a 1.22

  Eph. 1.9.11.
• b 1.23

  Luke 2.14. 1 Thes. 4 3. Jam. 1.18.
• a 1.24

  Rom. 10 17. and 16.26.
• b 1.25

  Ephes. 2.8. Heb. 5.9.
• c 1.26

  Ephes. 1.12.
• d 1.27

  Psal. 16.2.
• e 1.28

  Exod. 3.14.
• f 1.29

  Gen. 17.1.
• * 1.30

  God wills not sin, and why.
• a 1.31

  Act 4.27, 28.
• b 1.32

  Psal. 5.4. Habak. 1.13.
• * 1.33

  The purpose of God's will doth not abolish, but establish the li∣berty of man's will.
• a 1.34

  Levit. 1 3. Dan. 11 3. Phil. 2.13. Psal. 40.8.
• * 1.35

  What the Ne∣cessity of Being, from the immu∣tability of God's will.
• * 1.36

  How God's se∣cret wil becomes revealed by his word, and by his works.
• a 1.37

  Psal. 135.6. Eph 1.11. Rev. 4.11.
• b 1.38

  Num. 23.19. Psal. 102.27.
• c 1.39

  Rom. 9.19.
• * 1.40

  How God's word is called his will.
• d 1.41

  1 Thes. 2 13. Rom. 1.16.17. 1 Cor. 2.10.
• a 1.42

  Psal. 119.160 John 5.32. 2 Cor. 4.2. 1 Tim 3 15. Rev. 19 9.
• * 1.43

  How they agree in a sweet har∣mony.
• * 1.44

  S•• to be inter∣preted, as that the harmony be perserv'd.
• b 1.45

  Mat. 9.13. 2 Pet 1.20.
• a 1.46

  Tit. 1.2. Heb. 6.18.
• * 1.47

  How God's re∣vealed will a∣grees with that of his good pleasure, when he wills all men to be holy.
• b 1.48

  2 Cor. 2.17. 2 Pet. 3.16.
• c 1.49

  Lev. 21.2. and 20, 7.
• d 1.50

  Psal 14 3. 2 Tim. 3.13.
• e 1.51

  Psal. 135.6. Rom. 9.19.
• f 1.52

  Deut. 30.11, 14.15.
• * 1.53

  Where also he commands A∣braham to sa∣crifice his Son Isaac.
• a 1.54

  Gen 22.2.
• b 1.55

  Heb. 11.17.
• c 1.56

  Gen. 22.11.
• * 1.57

  How the promi∣ses and threat∣nings in God's revealed will, which are con∣ditional, d•• a∣gree with God, secret will, which is absolute.
• a 1.58

  Isa. 1.19, 20. Mark 16.16.
• * 1.59

  What the true meaning of the conditions de∣clared.
• a 1.60

  Gal. 2.8. Ephes. 3.7.