And if he did work as necessarily as the Sun doth shine, according to your similitude; yet, 1. Even the shining of the Sun doth not illuminate the blind, nor doth it make the seeds of thorns and nettles to bring forth vines or roses, nor the ⟨p. 209⟩gendering of frogs to bring forth men; but it actuateth all things according to the several natures of their powers. And therefore how can you expect that an ignorant unbelieving and unholy soul, should enjoy felicity in God, when in that state they are uncapable of it? 2. And if the Sun do necessarily illuminate any one, he must necessarily be illuminated; and if it necessarily warm or quicken any thing, it must be necessarily warmed and quickened: else you would assert contradictions. So if God did necessarily save you and make you happy, you would necessarily be saved and made happy. And that containeth essentially your Holiness, your Loving, desiring and seeking after God; To be saved or happy without enjoying God by Love, or to Love him and not Desire him, seek him or obey him, are as great contradictions as to be illuminated without light, or quickened without life. What way soever it be that God conveyeth his sanctifying spirit, I am sure that if any man have not the spirit of Christ, the same is none of his, Rom. 8. 9. and that without Holiness none shall see God, Heb. 12. 14. and that if you will have the Kingdom of God, you must seek it first, preferring it before all earthly things, Matth. 6. 33. Joh. 6. 27. Col. 4. 1, 2, 3. And then if all the question that remaineth undecided be, whether God do you wrong or not in damning you, or whether God be Good because he will not save you when he can, I shall leave you to him to receive satisfaction, who will easily silence and confound your impudence, and justify his works and laws. Prepare your accusations against him, if you will needs insist upon them, and try whether he or you shall prevail: but remember that thou art a worm and he is God, and that he will be the only judge when all is done; and ignorance and impiety that prate against him to their own confusion, in the day of his patience, shall not then usurp the throne.
And if he did work as necessarily as the Sun doth shine, according to your similitude; yet, 1. Even the shining of the Sun doth not illuminate the blind, nor doth it make the seeds of thorns and nettles to bring forth vines or roses, nor the ⟨p. 209⟩gendering of frogs to bring forth men; but it actuateth all things according to the several natures of their powers. And therefore how can you expect that an ignorant unbelieving and unholy soul, should enjoy felicity in God, when in that state they are uncapable of it? 2. And if the Sun do necessarily illuminate any one, he must necessarily be illuminated; and if it necessarily warm or quicken any thing, it must be necessarily warmed and quickened: else you would assert contradictions. So if God did necessarily save you and make you happy, you would necessarily be saved and made happy. And that containeth essentially your Holiness, your Loving, desiring and seeking after God; To be saved or happy without enjoying God by Love, or to Love him and not Desire him, seek him or obey him, are as great contradictions as to be illuminated without light, or quickened without life. What way soever it be that God conveyeth his sanctifying spirit, I am sure that if any man have not the spirit of Christ, the same is none of his, Rom. 8. 9. and that without Holiness none shall see God, Heb. 12. 14. and that if you will have the Kingdom of God, you must seek it first, preferring it before all earthly things, Matth. 6. 33. Joh. 6. 27. Col. 4. 1, 2, 3. And then if all the question that remaineth undecided be, whether God do you wrong or not in damning you, or whether God be Good because he will not save you when he can, I shall leave you to him to receive satisfaction, who will easily silence and consound your impudence, and justifie his works and laws. Prepare your accusations against him, if you will needs insist upon them, and try whether he or you shall prevail: but remember that thou art a worm and he is God, and that he will be the only judge when all is done; and ignorance and impiety that prate against him to their own confusion, in the day of his patience, shall not then usurp the throne.
