If God send or grant the gospel, which is the means of grace, upon any other gi'ound but his mere good pleasure, then it must be an act of remunerative justice.^ Now, there is no such justice in God to- wards the creature, but what is founded upon some preceding cove- nant, or promise of God to the creature, — which is the only foun- dation of all relation between God and man, — but only those that attend creation and sovereignty. Now, what promise do you find made to, or covenant with, a people as yet without the gospel ; — I mean conditional promises, inferring any good to be bestowed on any required performance on their part? Free, absolute promises there ai-e innumerable, that light should shine to them that were in dark- ness, and those be called God's people which were not his people; but such as depend on any condition on their part to be fulfilled, we find none. God bargains " not with the creature about the gospel,
' " Si <lc debito qufprattir respectu crcaturrc, in Deum cadere non potest, nisi ex aliqua siiiipositionc ipsi Deo voluntaria, qniu non potest esse nisi proniisso aut pacto a'iqno, ox quilnis fidelitatis aut justitirc debitum oiiri solet." — Suarez. do Libert. Div. Vol., disji. 1, seet. 2, num. 5.
* " Dous nulla ohliuatione tenetur, aiitequam ipse fidem suam astringat,ergo ante promissioneni nulla justitia dist)•ibuti^•a in Deo repcritur." — Vasq. in q. 21, a. 1, disp. 8fi.
UNCHANGEABLE, FREE MERCY. 23
knowing how unable he is to be merchant for such pearls. If a man had all that goodness which may be found in man without Jesus Christ, they would not in the least measure procure a discovery of him.
I deny not but God may, and perhaps sometimes doth, reveal him- self to some in a peculiar and extraordinary manner. Whereunto tends that story in Aquinas,^ of a corpse taken up in the days of Con- stantino and Irene, with a plate of gold, and this inscription on it, " Christus nascetur ex virgine, ego credo in ilhim. 0 sol sub Irense et Constantini temporibus iterum me videbis." But that this should be regular unto men living, (j^ira Xoyou, in Justin Martyr's phrase,^ or using their naturals aright (which is impossible they should, the right use of naturals depending on supematurals), is wide from the word.
If there be any outward motive of granting the gospel unto any, it is some acceptable performances of theirs, holding up to the rule and will of God. Now, this will and rule having no saving reve- lation but by the gospel, which should thus be procured by acts agreeable unto it, makes up a flat contradiction, — supposing the re- velation of the gospel before it be revealed. Doubtless, according to all rules of justice to us made known, it is an easier thing to desei've heaven by obedience now under the covenant of works, than being under that covenant, to do any thing that might cause a new way of salvation, such as the gospel is, to be revealed.
With some observations I descend to application.
[1.] There is the same reason of continuing the gospel unto a people as of sending it; especially if oppositions rise high, apt and able in themselves for its removal. Never nation as yet enjoyed the word that deserved the continuance of the word. God hath always ^ something against a people, to make the continuing of his grace to be of grace, the not removing of his love to be merely of love, and the preaching of the gospel to be a mercy of the gosjsel, free and unde- served. Though there be work, and labour, and patience for Christ's sake at Ephesus ; yet there is somewhat against Ephesus, Rev. ii. 4, 5, for which he might justly remove his candlestick ; and if he doth it not, it is of the same mercy that first set it there. As God lays out goodness and grace in the entrance; so patience, long-suffering, and forbearance in the continuance. He bears with our manners, whilst we grieve his Spirit. Look upon the face of this kingdom, and view the body of the people ; think of the profaneness, villany, trampling upon the blood of Jesus, ignorance, contempt of God and his ways, despising his ordinances, revihng his servants, branding and defaming the power of godliness, persecuting and tearing one another, — and yet
" Aquiii. 2, 2, q. 2, art. 7,
•' Ka< 01 //.ira Xoyou (■UMira.'jTi; XnnTTiat/ni liiri Jlistill., Apol. ii.
3 Hos. xi. 8, 9.
24 A VISION OF
hear the joyful sound of the word in every corner; and you will quickly conclude, that you see a gi'eat fight of God's love against our sins, and not of our goodness for his love.
[2.] There is the same reason of the reformation and the doctrine of the gospel corrupted with error, and of the worship of God col- lapsed with superstition, as of the first implantation of the gospel. God, in his just judgment of late ages, had sent upon the western world the efficacy of error, that they should believe lies, because they received not the love of the truth ; as he foretold, 2 Thess. ii. Now, whence is it that we see some of the nations thereof as yet suffered to walk in their own ways, others called to repentance, — some wilder- nesses turned into green pastures for the flock of God, and some places made barren wildernesses for the wickedness of them that dwell therein ? How comes it that this island glories in a refoniia- tion, and Spain sits still in darkness ? Is it because we were better than they, or less engaged in antichristian delusions ? Doubtless no. No nation in the world drank deeper of that cup of abomina- tion. It was a proverbial speech amongst all, " England was our good ass" (a beast of burden) for (Antichrist whom they called) the Pope. Nothing but the good pleasure of God and Christ, freely coming to refine us, Mai. iii. 1-4, caused this distinction.