The divine life in three treatises

CHAP. XIV.

13. THE next Relation to be spoken of, is Gods sovereignty: both by Creation and Redemption, he hath the Right of Governing us as our Sovereign King, and we are obliged to be ⟨p. 116⟩his willing subjects, and as such to obey his holy laws. He is the Lord or Owner of all the world; even of Brutes as properly as of Man: But he is the Sovereign King or Governor only of the Reasonable Creature; because no other are capable of that proper Moral Government which now we speak of. Vulgarly indeed his Physical motions and dispositions are called his Rule or Government: and so God is said to Govern Brutes and inanimate creatures: but that is but a Metaphorical expression: as an Artificer Metaphorically Governeth his clock or engine, or a Shepherd his sheep. But we now speak of proper moral Government. God having made man a Rational and free agent having an immortal soul, and capable of everlasting happiness, his very nature and the end of his creation required, that he should be conducted to that end and happiness by means agreeable to his nature: that is, by the Revelation of the Reward before he seeth it, that he may seek it and be fitted for it: and by prescribed duties that are necessary to obtain it, and to his living here according to his nature: and by threatened penalties to quicken him to his duty: so that he is naturally a creature to be Governed, both as sociable, and as one to be conducted to his end. He therefore that created him having alone both sufficiency and Right, doth by this very Creation become his Governor. His Government hath two parts (the world being thus constituted the Kingdom of God) The first is by Legislation, or making Laws and Officers for execution. The second is by the procuring the execution of these Laws: To which end he doth exhort and persuade the subjects to obedience, and judge them according to their works, and execute his judgement. His first Law was to Adam, the Law of Nature, obliging him to adhere to his Creator, and to love him, trust him, fear him, honour him, and obey him with all his might, in order to the pleasing of his Creator and the attainment of everlasting life: To which was added a positive Law, against the eating of the tree of Knowledge: and Death was the penalty due to the sinner: This Law was quickly broken by man; and God delayed not his judgement, but sentenced the Tempter, the Woman and the Man: