Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

of their State by Creaii01i. :n on God's parr, I would call it adufllefs, rcmombring how T aut prolubirs _,_ ..,~ ti\e ,\·o~d rrcwtpel!ce os any way challengeable by any, or all the Creatures ,. Chap. 1. R om. r 1. 3)• Who hmh fri1 grvm to hnn, n11d ll j !J,,[J h recompmad r<Nto ~~ hnn t~[,.;in ?, and he fays tt eo exclude all ~rcornpeoce. So rh .at ~Ius duenefs .nn• pPrt S<,ni yw:1·:n ir beCame Cod todo, :u:d was wonhyot han . Jn fuch or fuc h a cafe ; as lie uferh tile word, Hr6r. 2.I_o. For Jt 6ecamf him' f!ic. fo as the mea ning is in this only refpet?, Th~t 11 God would pleafe <o create two fuch n nl<s ()t Cre~tul-es, t\ngels and Man) it became hHn to do to and for them, wh :n was wOrthy oi fu ch a RcJarton, of abountill;ll Creator, to caco in rhe1r kind not let exceeding what that Relation of 11 Creator, confidcred Ctmply as fu~h, rcqutred: So as.if he did rxcced it, it was but what was ap 0 1erplus, as his a[Ji(\tng rhein, in cauftng them to lland fo long as, they .drd; othcn<~fe God himfelf condefccnded to ma,ke an,Equity the Rule of his,Will 1n that Covenant of Works, condcfc~nding_ro mitig<,le the abfolute rigidity of it, and. to moderate it unto the Jews, (who clamour'cl him in E.ztkld) yielding from his Curf,d iuvery one I b.~t ohys not in every th(ng• . Upon Ihis .he Anfwers the ClJmours of the Jews, f.ze/,, t8. r7, 29. Are not my ""!YS equa!,faitb he:. Wh onheoffered, that if one, who had been never. (o great a ftnner, would turufrom his fVJI W1)'r, and the like,, he -vould,receive him; and alundantly p<~rdou: As on the contrary, If havmg been fo nghteous befor~, h.e begins to turn away from it, he muft _Iofe the benefit of all his former Obedience. Thi; was fair for God to offer, and his ways therein equ31. Yet God knew that rh is was unprallicable by them; ?ut to convi.nce them, he tried tl)eiJ:l t)y tha~ offer, as Chrif't did the young man 10 the Gofpd, when he put b1m upon keep1ng the Commandments, and there left him. And fuch like Equity may be confider~d in Godsfirfi foundin.g the Coven.ant cf Creation: t,ln what he would befiow in and by the Ad of Creation it felf, in them. He gave all that was du,, or coflvmifltt andmut for the Natures of fuc:1Creatures,ro attain their End of Happinefs in a proportioned Communion \Vith himfelf. And_although it was free for him, whether to have created tbem, or not created them; yet if he refolved fotocreate fuch, his Wtll re– gulated it felf by what was mfet for their Nllures,as fuch,to reoeive from him, uitd for !urn as a Creator to gtve. Ir. ellery work of God'•, .he obferveth a duencfs or becomingnefs according io the kind of it: So in the work of Redemption in its k1nd, in which he was yet at a far greater freedom, than in thts of the firll Creation. And in this fetife the Apofile is bold to ufe thePhrafe of what becomes Gqd 10 fuch, or fuch a Sphere to do: Thru, (Hebr. 2, to.) it hcamr htm, for whom ''" att thing<, .a11d 6j wbomare ,,[J thmgs, i11 6r~ngittg m11lY So~tuwtoglor)•,to makr tbr Captdi11 of their s ,,tv,ttion prrfdl thro11gh Sufferiltgr. Now,in the work of Creation in its kind, as in other works in their lnnd, God reg-ulates himfelf by the'meafure of a duenefs and becomingnefs between him and the Creature. And although there could be no Obligation, ftmply conlidered, in him that workr ,,/Jaccording to thf Counfe! of his Wtlt, freely; yet h'is W,ll regulated it felf by what that fame Counfd judged mof\ becoming him to do, as that which his Counfel judged fo to be: And fo in this work of Creation God would bef\ow fueh Faculti~s and Powers, as the Creature it felf could ony 'way judge · requifite to h;s performing the work of a Creature of an Intelligent Nature, Thus, in cafe God refalved to do (uch or fuch a thing, he would do it fuitably to the matter of it , and w~at the Nature of the thing required; and worthy and hke htmfelf, and the.Relatton he tak:s upon htm, by doing fuch or fuch a work. The truth IS, He ollferves tt as hts Rule 10 at! thi11gs, as that Text forementioned infinuares; ond of all other Works, let no man be offend 1 d to fay, God fet himfelf an equitable Rule or Law in this his firf't and bottom work ot Creauon, wherem yec he was mofi free to have begun it 1 or. nQt b~gun ir. Thus in General.

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