314 Inftarzces of extreams and tmilifl Oppojitions. he never the further from the dfdl, but immediatione virtutiJ & [uppofiti. is hirnfelf as near, as if he ufed· none. Infr'"" 2· 9· 40. l>tfl. 2• The fpcci;l Providence ofGod, and his being the firjl Vnivcrfal caufe, are conjuncr with the culpabi~ity of finners; and no man mufi pu~ thefe afu?der•.Thofe that cannot fee jult bow they are con1oyf'l.ed, may be fure that they are conjoyncd. It IS no dtChonour to an Engineer rhac he can make a Watch which !hall go longu than he is moving it with his finger; Nor is it a dif-. honour to our Creator, that he can make a Creature which can Morally determine it felf to an aCti– on as commanded or forbidden, without the predetermination of his Maker, though not without his univerfal concourfe necdfary to aCtion as action. If Adam cOuld not do this through rhe natural impoflibility of it, than the Law was, that he lhould dye the death if he did not overcome God or do that which was naturally impoffiblc; and this was the nature of his lin. l'cw clan:: fay, ;hat God c.nmot make a free filf:.detcrmining agent : And if he ca11, we ihall tatily prove that he bath ~ and the force of their oppofition then is vani!hed. ' ' ],Jla;tcc 3• 9· 41· Inft. 3· The Omnifcience of God, and hM Dominion, Go::crnmmt andDecrur, are conjund with the liberty and fin of ma11 1 .Yet thefe by many arc put afu~der: As if God mull either be Ignor:mt, _or be the au1hor of fin! As1f he made ont poor, by Dccret:ng to make another Rich! As if he can~ bot be a per[eli Governo"''• unlcfs he prOcure all his fubjeCis perfectly to keep his Laws I As if all the [.111lt of thofe that break the L1w were to be laid upon the Maker of the Law: As if all Gods will de debito \vrre not ,ffed:ive cf its proper work , uulefs man fulfi}l it in the Event! And as if it were poffible for any Creature to comprehend the way o.f the Creators Kuowlt:dge! ]11_~ance4· 9· 42. bUI· 4· Many w"uld fiparate N~ture and Grace whtch God the author of both conjoyn· .eth. When Grace fuppufeth N.ztttrt, and m her GJrden foweth all her feed, and exciteth and•re· .difieth all her powers;·yet theft: men talk as if N2ture had been annihilated, or Gracecame to an– nihilate it, and not to cure it. As if the Lcprofie and Difcafe of N21tue were NtJture it fdf! And as if Natural Good had been loH as much as Moral Good! As if man were not man, till Grace make him a ma1t! Jn~ance 5· . 9· 43· litjl. 5· Many. fepuate the Natural Powe~ of a finn_er from his . Mural impotmcy add h1s NatHral frctd,Jmt of w1ll, from hts Mo:Jl forvltude; •as tf they were mcmftjlmt, when they are conj~tntl. As if the Na1urat f acully m1ght · not '?nht\ with an evil diffo{itirm : or a NiJ~ wral power with an habiueat unwiUingnrfi to cxercife it aright ! And as ir a /inner were not fiill a maJt 1 Inj!ance o. 9· 44• Infl. 6. Many feparate Gwcral and fpccial Grace and Redemption, as inconfifient, when they a_re conjunClJ \yhe~ the Gemral is t~e proper \vay and. means of ac,ompi~01ing tl.le ends of the [pe· cJ.zl Grace ; and IS lbll fuppofed; As tfGod could not g1ve more to Come, 1f he gtveany thing to all ! Or as if he gave nothing to all, if he give more to any! As if he could not deal equally and witbo 11 t differmce with all aJ aLegifl.Jtor, and rigbteoufly with ::all ,wa Ju~'l,e, unld5 he deal equ"lly and witb– out difference wirh all as a Benefaaor in the free dilhibution of his gifts ! As if hewere obliged to make every WBrm and Beajl a man, and every nun aKing, and every Ki11g an AHgel, and every Clod a Star, and every Star a Su~t! Jnj!anat 7· 9· 45· Infl. 7· Many fepuate the Gl"'J ofGod and mam fa/v.rum, God a11d malt, in alli~ning the ultimate End of maJJ! A'i if a Mor.1l Intention rtlight not tdke in b·1tb! As if it were not finU am. 1 n– tif! and the end of a Lover were not union in Mumal Lo~·e ! As if Lave ta God may not be fOr ever the ji>tal ali, and God bimfelf the final objcCI: ! And as if in this magnetic!< clofure, though both may be called the E1td, yet there might not in the clohng parties, be an infinite difproporcion, and one only be finis ultimate ultimM! Inj!ance 8. ~· 46. Injl. 8. Yea, many would feparare God from God, whik they would feparate God from He.•· 'Den, ar.d fay that we mull: be contellt to be !hut out of Heavm for the Love "[God! When our Heavw ·is the per[tli Love I![God: And fo they fay in dfeCI:, that f"' the Loveof God we mnf\ b, conrentto be ]hut out fi'om t/Je Love ofGod. · Jhjlance 9 • ~- 47· Inj!. 9• Thusalfo the vul~ar fcpnate the Mercy and the Juj!icc of God! As if God knew not better than man to whom his mercy fhould extend! And as ifGod be not merciful, if he will be a righteous Govcrnour, and unlefshe will fuffc:r all the world to fpit in his face and blafpheme him, and let his enemies go all unpunifhed? Inftanct to. ~· 48. I1tfto~o. Thus many feparate <fbrcatnings and Promifu,Fear and Lo11e.a prrfetl: Lnt",lnd ap3r~ donining Gofptl: As if he that is a ma11, and hath bothfe.~r and L?ve in his n.lture, mult not make ufc of both for God and his falvation! and the Law~giver might not tic his Laws to work on both l As if Htll may not be feared, and Heaven lcrJed at once. Inffance 1 J• ~· 49· Inft. 1 l• Thus hypocrites feparate in conceit their [eemiug H~Jlimfi and drvotion to God fr?m ' duties of J.. jlice and ChJriry to mm : As ifthey could fer•c God acceptably, and difobey him wiltul· Iy! Or as if they could love him whom they never faw, and not love his Image in his works and children whom they daily Ice I As if they could hate and perfecute Chrif\ in his little ones, or at leal! negle{1 him, and yet fincercly love him in himftlf! J 11 fianct 12 • 9· 50· l1tji. 12. Thus by manr Scripture and 1ra.d~tio~, Divint faith, and hurna1:c faith are co~monly oppofed : Becaufe thePaplf\s have fc:t 1radztzon IS aniroug place, many cafi 1t away bccaufe tt fitt not., that place : When mans Tradition and Min~!erial Revelation , is neceffary ~u make known and bring down 6od1 Revelation to us : And i fob[cr~itnt Tradition is no d1fparagement to Scripture, though a fopplemental Tradition be : And mall muf\ be btlieved aJ m'" , though • not
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