-10 Chapter 10. Of Special Gubernation about intelligent Creatures.

1-10 Chapter 10. Of Special Gubernation about intelligent Creatures. In the former disputation, common Gubernation was handled;
now follows special Gubernation.

1. SPECIAL Gubernation is that by which God governs reasonable Creatures 166 in a special way.
2. The special condition of those Creatures causes the difference. For seeing that they are in some way immortal, and created after the Image of God, and have an inward principle of their own actions proceeding from counsel, they are therefore to be governed to an eternal state of happiness or unhappiness, agreeably to such counsel and freedom.
3. Yet this special Gubernation does not conclude that real Gubernation of the reasonable Creature, which is common to all Creatures, but is added to it.
4. This moral government consists in teaching and fulfilling according to that which he has taught before. Micah 6:8, He has shown you O man what is good. Deuteronomy 30:15, Life and good: Death and Evil. Up to here properly pertains that revealed Will of God which is the rule of doing, as it touches manners, for the reasonable Creature.
5. God governs by teaching, partly in making a Law, partly in establishing it.
6. A Law is made by commanding, and forbidding.
7. A Law is established by promising, and threatening.
8. God governs by fulfilling, when he performs those things he has taught. Jeremiah 32:19, Your eyes being open, look to all the ways of men, that you may give to everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
9. From this special and proper way of governing reasonable Creatures, there arises that covenant which is between God and them. For this covenant is as it were, a certain transaction of God with the Creature, whereby God commands, promises, threatens, and fulfills; and the Creature ties itself in obedience to God, thus covenanting [together]. Deuteronomy 26:16-19, This day Jehovah your God commands you, etc. You have avouched this day the Lord to be your God, etc. Jehovah has avouched you this day, etc. To make you high, etc. And that you may be a holy people, etc.167
10. Now because this way of entering into covenant is not between those that are equal, but between Lord and servant, it therefore pertains to government, for which reason it is also most properly called not the covenant of man, but of God, who is the author and chief Executor of it. Deuteronomy 8:17-19, That he may perform his covenant.168
11. By virtue of this covenant, the moral works of the intelligent Creature, while he is in the way, always respect either happiness as a reward, or unhappiness as a punishment; in the last, there is meriting, but in the former there is not.
12. Hence the proper and highest difference between a good work and sin flows: namely, in that a good work is an operation expecting happiness from another by way of reward; as by the opposite privation of it, evil works are made extremely evil in their kind.
13. From this arises the force and reason of conscience, which is the judgment of an intelligent Creature about itself, as he is subjected to God.
14. Special government of the reasonable Creature is of Angels and men [thesis 25].
15. Special government of ANGELS is either a special prescription, or ordering the event that follows upon it.
16. This was the same Law as touching the substance with the moral Law which is contained in the Decalogue.169
17. Yet those in the Decalogue are excepted which either pertain to the nature of man’s body, or to the condition of this mortal life, which have no place in them, as many things about propagation pertain to the seventh precept, Matthew 22:30.170 Also, many things pertaining to the fifth precept, about subjection of inferiors to their superiors; in like fashion, some things belonging to the eighth precept, about everyone getting food in his vocation; finally, many duties of the second and fourth Commandments are to be performed to men.
18. The ordering of the event was in some a preservation to persist in obedience. Hence it is that they were confirmed in good, and endowed with full happiness; so that they immutably cling to God with perfect obedience, and fulness of glory. This why those Angels are called elected, 1 Timothy 5:21. Good and holy, Luke 9:26. Blessed also, and Angels of light, 2 Corinthians 11:14.
19. In others, the ordering of the event was a permission; which is why those abusing their liberty fell into Apostasy.
20. Hence it is, that from that time they were obstinate in evil, and condemned to extreme misery. Jude 1:6; 2 Peter 2:4.171 Which is why the evil Angels are called impure spirits, and angels of darkness, Luke 8:2; Luke 9:42.172
21. In that different ordering, there manifestly appears the election of some Angels, and the reprobation of others, by God’s free counsel and good pleasure.
22. Touching the time of the fall of Angels, it only appears that it was before Adam’s fall.173
23. Touching the kind of their sin which was first committed by them, it is most likely that it was pride.
24. Touching their punishment, the Scripture witnesses that it is not yet inflicted in the highest degree, but it is to be inflicted at the end of the world, Matthew 25:41; 1 Corinthians 6:3.174
Thus much of the government of Angels.
The government of Man follows.
25. In the special government of MEN, two things are to be observed, as there were in the government of Angels; namely, prescribing a Law, and ordering the event that would follow from it. Yet there is not the same reason for all on either side.
26. In prescribing a Law, there is a like reason, 1. In that the Law prescribed to Men and Angels was the same as it touched the Essence of it; namely moral, the sum of which is in the Decalogue. 2. In that it was written in the heart by way of habit, in which the first reason of conscience is placed, which is called Synteresis,175 Romans 2:15.176
27. But the dissimilitude and difference is diverse. For First, the principles of this Law are common to Angels and Men, but many secondary conclusions are only proper to men — such as Parents, marriage, foods, and the like.
28. Secondly, man’s nature is more imperfect than Angels’ nature, and so he needs more instruction and exercise; therefore a certain positive thing was added to the Law of nature, otherwise of the same reason with it, as sanctifying the seventh day.
29. Thirdly, because Man in this animal life177 understands by senses, and he is, as it were, led by the hand from sensible things178 to intelligible and spiritual things — there were therefore added to that spiritual Law for Man, outward Symbols and Sacraments to illustrate and confirm it. In these Symbols was contained both a certain special and positive Law, and a profession of general obedience to the Law of nature put into him beforehand; and also a confirmation of that solemn sanction of the Law, which consisted of promises, and threatenings.
30. Fourthly, because Adam was the beginning of mankind, out of whom all Men were to be derived, therefore a Law was given to him not only as one private person, as was done in the Angels, but also as a public person, or as the head of man’s nature, from whom all good and evil was to be derived to his posterity, Acts 17:26; Romans 5:18-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22.179
31. Fifthly, in the sanction of this Law was contained a promise of continuing animal life, and of exalting it afterward to spiritual life, as there was also a threatening of bodily death, which had no place in the Angels.
32. This interpretation being had, the Law and covenant of God with man in the Creation was, “Do this and you shall live.”180 If you do not, you shall die the death. In these words there is contained 1. A precept, “Do this.” 2. A promise joined to it, “If you do it, you shall live.” 3. A like threatening, “If you do not do it, you shall die the death.”
33. To this covenant were adjoined two Symbols or Sacraments. In one of these, the reward due for Obedience was sealed by a Tree, namely the Tree of Life; and in the other, the punishment for disobedience was sealed by a Tree, namely the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. That first was a Sacrament of life; this second is a Sacrament of death.