Quest. What is the Efficiency of God?
Answ. The Efficiency of God is that whereby he worketh all in all things according to the counsel of his will, for his own glory, by his Omnipotency in Creation and Providence, and which honour of working belongs to the three persons, who work the same according to their distinct manner and order of Subsistence.
1. It is that whereby he worketh all in all things for he is the first Being, hence the power of working is of him, and hence he is the first mover in all other causes, and worketh all in all, Eph. 1.11.
2. Hence appeareth his Omnipotency, if he doth all, then he can do all, hence all powerfulness belongeth to him, he can do a work of power.
1. Not that which argueth weakness.
1. Hence not that which is contrary to his nature, 2 Tim. 2.13 and
2. Hence not that which is contrary to the Rule of nature, for the Rule of nature is a beam of his own wisdome.
3. He can do all possible things as to raise Children out of stones, which is not to produce an effect without a cause, that would be contrary to the rule of nature and his wisdome, but he can supply the place of the cause immediately. Math. 3.9
Attribute Omnipotency to him eminently, his power of acting and act is one in him, otherwise a change in him, which can not be, but the creature is the Subject of the change not God, the beams of the Sun are in power to warm or shine upon this or that thing which they do not in act until that thing comes under the beams of the Sun, and yet no change in the beams of the Sun, but in the thing warmed by the same, so in respect of the power of god.
3. According to the counsel of his will or his own glory, here appears the decree of God, whereby he determines what shall be done.
1. He can do all things absolutely possible, that is his absolute power.
2. He will do that only which may stand with his wisdome and good will this is his ordinate power, that he will do only that which is conditionally and respectively possible, Eph. 1.11 he could have made more than one woman for one man at first, in respect of his absolute power it was possible, Mal. 2.15. but in respect of its inconsistency with his wisdome it was respectively and conditionally impossible.
3. Hence a decree to determine what shall be done and what shall not be done, and to this decree belongs that which is Complemental and Essential. 1. Complemental, 1. His truth, his words agree with his mind, Jer. 10.10. 2. His faithfulness, he doth what he hath said, and that as he hath spoken, I Cor. 10.13.
3. His constancy, - his decree can not change, Isai. 6.10.
2. That which is Essential to his decree.
1. The final cause his own glory, for if he intended ultimately any end besides himself, he should deny himself, Eph. 1.6.
The Efficient causes of his decree, his wisdome and good will.
1. His wisdome, Psal. 104.24.
1. He acts well.
2. Hence according to Rule 3. This Rule is not of the creatures, but of him.
4. This Rule by which he acts is the idea or pattern of well acting.
5. This Idea in God is the first cause of well acting.
1. It borroweth not.
2. Hence its meerly imprinting, and that wisdome in the creatures is imprinted, and is the impression or Image of it.
3. Hence the Rules of Art as in God are eternal, but as in the frame of Creation they are in time, if there had been a man from all Eternity he must have been Animal, Rational, the definitions of things are eternal Truths, whatever becomes of the things themselves.
2. The other Efficient cause of the decree is the will of God, to which we ought to attribute the greatest liberty, for either he acts freely, or by necessity, if by necessity, then either by outward necessity, that which is called the necessity of coaction, as forced by an external power, but this can not be, he doth his pleasure: or inward necessity, the necessity of nature, as fire burneth, and as all natural causes act ad extremum potentie, then he had done all things absolutely possible, but he acted not as a cause by necessity, nor by nature, but as a cause by counsel most freely, Rom. 9.18, 19.
2. The goodness of his will.
1. He willeth himself, as the chiefest good.
2. He willeth what is agreeable to himself.
3. He seeth it to be such, and willeth it as such otherwise he might will that which is contrary to himself.
4. Hence, because he seeth it to be agreeable to himself, and best, Consideratis Considerandis, he willeth it, Eph. 1.5.
3. The Efficacy of his will.
1. He willeth the Being and the manner of the Being and acting of a creature, that it be such a creature, and so qualified.
2. Hence he willeth some to be natural causes, and some to be contingent, and act as causes by counsel.
3. Hence he willeth that man shall act freely.
4. Hence he doth not put any necessity or constraint upon mans will, for then he should act contrary to his own decree, Rom. 9.19. which can not be.
1. He willeth what is agreeable to himself.
2. Hence his will presupposeth at good, and therefore willeth.
3. but it presupposeth none in the creature, but willeth and worketh it.
4. The Independency of his will, it depends not upon any cause out of himself, only distringuish between Eupraxie and well acting, as it leads to God, and is agreeable to himself, and therefore willeth it. And that the Creature may thus act, he willing worketh it - voluntas decreti, the will of his Command enjoyeth the practice of that which is good, hence his commanding will is the Rule of obedience. And God is Omniscient and Omnipotent, but not Omnivolent, Dan. 4.35.
The last particular in the description of the Efficiency of God is, that the honour of Efficiency ought to be attributed to all the three divine persons.
1. Efficiency belongeth to God as God, therefore to all the three persons.
2. Hence a cooperation of the persons.
1. They work the same, Job 5.16, 17.
2. They are equal in their working.
3. Hence the causal power, a divine person putteth forth, is not of another, but of himself as God.
3. Yet a distinct manner of working, according to their distinct manner and order of Subsistence, which order,
1. Is no order of dignity, for they are coequal.
2. No order of time for they are co-Eternal.
3. No order of Existence and nature, for they are Relates and are coexsistent.
4. It is an order of origination or first in numeration, God works by knowing, and being of himself, and breathed after by himself. Hence,
1. The Father works of himself by his Son and Spirit, and the origination of things, and especially Creation is attributed to him.
2. The Son worketh from the Father by the Spirit, and thus the dispensation of all things is attributed to him and especially Redemption.
3. The Spirit worketh from the Father, and the Son, by himself and thus the confirmation of things is attributed to him, and especially the work of application, Jeh. 16.13(?), 25(?). 16, 17. the parts of Efficiency followeth, (namely) Creation and Providence.
Quest. What is Creation?
Answ. Creation is that whereby God made the World out of nothing, very good in six dayes, some Creatures were made Immediately out of nothing, as the third Heavens, the Angels, and the first matter, and some immediately out of nothing as the Elements, and the --, and amongst those, last of all man was made.
1. Creation is that whereby God made the World for it was made, or not made, if not made, then no causes of its Being, then no matter nor form, nor end, which cannot be; and either God made it, or it made its self then it was the cause of its own Being, and should be before it was, which cannot be.
2. Out of nothing or else out of some first, then out of himself, for there was no other first Being, then of the same Essence with him, this cannot be, therefore made out of nothing, or if the World had been Etnernall, then a numberless company of dayes had been before this day, then this day had never been, there is a Succession of things and times, therefore the World mot Etneral, a parte post.
3. Very good goodness is a fitness for the end.
1. Universal, in respect of the last end to which all ought to serve (namely) the glory of the Creator.
2. Particular sabordination of things and ends one to another, until it cometh to the last end. Gen. 1. ult.
4. In six dayes, Gen. 1. ult.
The parts of the World are Creatures made out of nothing, either Immediately, or mediately. Immediately, and were perfect, or imperfect, perfect as the third Heavens, and Angels, Gen. 1.1. Job 38.7.
Hence these were not made out of any preexistent principles.
2. Hence their matter and form stood together immediately out of nothing and are constant natures.
3. Hence not subject to generation nor corruption, cannot acquire nor lose their form, because made and continued by Gods immediate hand.
4. Hence everlasting Math. 6, 20 & 22, 30. The third heavens is that most stately and glorious habitation where God is seen as it were face to face, I Co. 13.12, Math. 18.10.
The Angels were Spirits made to praise God by being ministering Spirits, Hebr. 1.7.14.
2. That which was made immediately out of nothing, & was imperfect, was the first matter; it was a first matter, for it was not of the Elements, nor of any pre-existent principle.
2. Made out of nothing, as the third heavens & the Angels, Gen. 1.1, 2, 3. It was imperfect.
1. Without form.
2. Hence no special nature.
3. Hence no qualityes.
4. Hence overspread with darkness, which was not created, but is a meer privation of light.
5. Hence the first matter was meerly supported by the power of God, otherwise it would have fallen into nothing; called Earth in respect of its deformity, inferiority and vileness.
Next follows the Creatures, mediately made out of nothing, Elements and Elementaryes.
1. Elements made out of the first matter; but the first matter having no form, could give no substantial form to the Elements.
2. Hence their Forms were immediately out of nothing.
3. Hence in respect of their special natures not subject to corruption, but eternal: and though they shall change accidentally but not substantially in respect of their forms and special natures; for the heat of the fire shall not be extinguished but remain forever. 2 Pet. 3.10, Isai. 66 ult.
Elements are either the higher or lower.
The higher, as fire, Air. The Fire is the highest and hottest Element, and being condensated it burneth and shineth: hence is light, and from light a constitution of day and night.
1. The day is when the light turneth downward, and overspreads our Hemisphere.
2. The night is when the light turneth upward, and overspreads our Hemisphere, hence followeth a division of day and night, and this division is by Morning and evening properly taken.
1. Morning is the end of darkness, and beginning of light, and Evening is the contrary.
And night and day considered together do make up one night-day, called a natural day consisting of twenty four hours, the other called a Civil or artificial day.
And the third Heavens, the Angels, the first matter and the Element of fire from which proceeded Light, was the work of the first day, Gen. 1 from the 1 to the 5.
2. The Air which is a higher Element and most moist, and as it were the matter of every found.
1. It slides into the most intimate passages, where matter cannot.
2. It is easily assimilated to the figure of another thing, and therefore is most moist, called the Firmament, or Expanse because it was spread as a Curtain, and was the work of the second day, Gen. 1.8.
The lower Elements are water and Earth, the water most cold, the Earth most dry, and both make one Globe, but the water being next to the Air by order of Creation, and therefore inclineth to stand above the Earth, Psal. 104.6.
The Elementaries imperfectly mixed, or perfectly mixed. Imperfectly mixed, whose parts are not so closely united as the meteors which arise from the fumes of of the Elements.
2. Elementaries perfectly mixed, which have either a body only, or not only a body, but a quickning Spirit, a body only in the Minerals, and a body, and a quickning Spirit, and have either a single life, or compound. A single life, one kind of life only, either springing, or moving. A springing life as the Plants, and the lower Elements the Meteors, the Minerals and Plants were the work of the third day. Gen. 1.13.
2. A moving life as the Lights, the greater, or lesser.
1. The greater as the Sun and Moon.
2. The lesser, the other Stars the work of the fourth day, Gen. 1.19.
Those which lead a compound life, more lives then one, and either less compound or more compound. Less compound as Bruits, who are either remote from man, or more nigh to man, remote from man, as Fishes and Fowls, the work of the fifth day, Gen. 1.23 or more nigh to man as the Beasts, made the sixth day with man, Gen. 1.26, 31.
The most compound life as the life of man.
To be continued . . .
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