Part 1
A Body of Divinity
A BODY OF DIVINITY:
WHEREIN THE DOCTRINES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION ARE EXPLAINED AND DEFENDED.
BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF SEVERAL LECTURES ON THE ASSEMBLY’S LARGER CATECHISM.
BY THOMAS RIDGLEY, D. D.
WITH NOTES, ORIGINAL AND SELECTED, BY JAMES P. WILSON, D. D.
IN FOUR VOLUMES.
_VOL. II._
FIRST AMERICAN, FROM THE THIRD EUROPEAN EDITION.
PHILADELPHIA:
PRINTED BY AND FOR WILLIAM. W. WOODWARD, CORNER OF CHESNUT AND SOUTH SECOND STREETS.
1815.
THE CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME.
QUEST. XIV, XV. Of the work of Creation.
_CREATION, the word explained_ _Page_ 5
_It was not from eternity_ 7
_This proved from the invention of things_ 13
_By the power and for the glory of God_ 14
_Performed in six days_ 16
_Each day’s work_ 19
_Of instantaneous production_ 17
_The condition and season of the year in which things were created_ 24
_Antiquity of nations vainly boasted of_ 10
QUEST. XVI. Of Angels.
_Of their existence_ 26
_Nature and properties_ 28
_Work and employment_ 30
_Worship. Harmony therein, but no Hierarchy_ 31
_How they impart their_ Ideas _to one another_ 33
QUEST. XVII. Of the creation of Man.
_Man was created male and female_ 34
_Excellency of his make_ 40
_Origin of the soul_, in a note 41
_Of God’s image in man_ 44
_No men before_ Adam 37
QUEST. XVIII. Of Providence.
_Providence governs all creatures_ 47
_And all their actions_ _ibid_
_His concern for man_ 51
_How conversant about evil actions_ 52
_Sin over-ruled for God’s glory, and his people’s good_ 53
_Other things over-ruled by providence_ 59
_Objections against providence answered_ 60
_Unequal distributions of providence vindicated_ 61
QUEST. XIX. Of God’s providence towards the angels.
_How it was conversant about the fall of apostate angels_ 63
_These fell all at once_ 64
_Some angels confirmed in holiness and happiness_ 66
_Ministry of angels_ 68
QUEST. XX. Of God’s providence towards man in innocency.
_Of Paradise_ 70
_Man’s secular employment and food therein_ 72
_His dominion over the creatures_ 74
_His spiritual concerns were under the direction of providence_ 75
_Sabbath instituted and the covenant established_ 76
_Representation_, in a note 77
_Difference between a law and a covenant_ 78
Adam _was under a covenant_ 82
_Objections answered_ 83
_Conditions of that covenant_ 84
_Tree of life a seal of it_ 86
_Of the tree of knowledge_ 90
QUEST. XXI. Of the fall of man.
_Our first parents were endued with freedom of will_ 93
_Were left thereunto_ 94
_How they were tempted_ 96
_Satan’s subtilty in the temptation_ 99
_Eve represented by Adam_, in a note 103
_Aggravations of their sin_ 105
_Its immediate consequences_ 104
QUEST. XXII. All mankind fell in _Adam_.
Adam _a federal head_ 109
_All fell in him, except Christ_ 112
_His sin imputed to his posterity_ 113
_Penal evils which followed_ 111
_Appointment of his headship vindicated_ 114
QUEST. XXIII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI. Of Sin.
_Original sin_ 118
_Actual transgressions proceed from it_ 120
_Conveyed by natural generation_ 132
_Original righteousness lost_ 121
_Man’s nature inclined to sin_ 123
_Propensity to sin not put into our nature by God_ 124
_Not harmless even in childhood_ 125
_Origin of moral evil_ 127
_The notion of two first causes exploded_ _ibid_
_Pre-existence of souls a mere fancy_ 126
_Corruption of nature not by the soul’s traduction_ 128
_Not from imitation_ _ibid_
_Necessarily ensues on the privation of original righteousness_ 131
QUEST. XXVII. Of man’s misery by the Fall.
_Various opinions about the salvation of infants_ 138
_Punishment of original sin increased by actual_ 141
_Sinners liable to God’s wrath and curse_ 143
_Slaves to Satan_ 144
_Sin exists in the intentions_, in a note 145
QUEST. XXVIII, XXIX. Of the punishment of sin in both worlds.
_Of judicial blindness of mind_ 146
_Hardness of heart_ 149
_Sins that lead to it_ 150
_Difference between the hardness found in believers and judicial_ 152
_Of strong delusions_ 147
_A reprobate sense_ 152
_Vile affections_ 153
_Horror of conscience. When judicial_ 154
_Punishment of sin in outward things_ 155
_In the world to come_ 158
_This will be perpetual_, in a note 159, 160
QUEST. XXX. Of man’s Recovery.
_God’s love the only moving cause of it_ 162
_Covenant of grace. Its various periods_ 166
_Opposed to that of innocency_ 165
QUEST. XXXI. The covenant of grace made with Christ, and, in him, with the elect.
Covenant, _scriptural sense of the word_ 168
_Between the Father and Son, explained_ 171
_And proved_ 173
_Of redemption distinguished by some from the covenant of grace_ 178
_God’s covenant differs from human_ 170
_How he covenants with man_ 181
_How man covenants with him_ 183
QUEST. XXXII. Of the grace manifested in the second covenant.
_Conditions of a covenant, how understood_ 190
_Faith is a duty_, in a note 193
_Meritorious performed by Christ_ 192
_Conditional promises uncertain_ 191
_Interest in Christ, what meant by it_ 189
_Grace glorified, in ordaining, promising, and working faith_ 197
_Other graces promised and connected with salvation_ 195
QUEST. XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV. Of the various dispensations of the covenant of grace.
_Christ revealed of old by promises and prophecies_ 199
_Ceremonial law typified Christ and the gospel_ 201
_Types. Cautions about them_ 203
_Rules how to judge of them_ 205
_How the_ Jews _knew their meaning_ 207
_Cocceius’s sentiments about the bondage and darkness of that dispensation_ 208
_Gospel-dispensation, when it began_ 212
_How it excels the Legal_ 213
QUEST. XXXVI, XXXVII. Of the Mediator of the covenant of Grace.
_Saints and angels no Mediators_ 218
_Christ the only Mediator_ 217
_Two distinct natures in Christ, but not two Persons_ 222
_His human nature was united to his Person_ 220
_It shall continue so for ever_ 234
_How formed like ours. How not_ 227
_It was formed of the Virgin_ 229
_His body was truly human_ 224
_His soul distinct from his deity_ 226
_He was expected by the_ Jews 231
_Born in the fulness of time_ 233
_What meant thereby_ 233
QUEST. XXXVIII, XXXIX, XL. Of the necessity of the Mediator’s having two natures.
_Why he should be God_ 235
_Why man_ 238
_Why both God and man_ 242
QUEST. XLI, XLII. Of the Mediator’s name and offices.
_Why he was called Jesus_ 244
_Why he was called Christ_ 245
_His offices distinguished, but not divided_ 252
_He was set apart and authorized to execute them_ 248
_He was fitly qualified for them_ 249
QUEST. XLIII. Of Christ’s prophetical office.
_He reveals the will of God_ 253
_He was qualified for it_ 254
_He does it in various ages_ 257
_To whom and how he does it_ 255
QUEST. XLIV. Of Christ’s priestly office.
_Priesthood of Christ and_ Aaron _compared_ 280
_Typified by_ Melchisedek 264
_Various opinions who_ Melchisedek _was_ 265
_Proved that he was Christ_ (quære tamen) 267
_Objections answered_ 270
_Satisfaction demanded for sin, of what value and kind_ 275
_Of Christ was necessary_ 273
_His active obedience a part of it_ 283
_Least degree of his sufferings not sufficient for it_ 281
_No redemption without price_ 286
_Death of Christ a ransom_ 290
_Confirmation of his doctrine not its principal end_ 293
_Christ died in our stead_ 290
_Objections answered_ _ibid_
_Modern opinions on the atonement_, in a note, 276 _to_ 280, _and_ 292 _to_ 297.
_He offered himself_
_by the Spirit_ 297
_without spot to God_ 297
_Not for all men_ 301 & 276
_but for his sheep and friends_ 316
_and for his church_ 318 _Dr. Magee’s Discourses_, in a note 298-317
_This evidenced_
_by his love to it_ 318
_his propriety in it_ 322
_and saving it_ _ibid_
_Objections answered_ 319
_Christ purchased grace and glory_ 328
_Universal redemption_,
_its consequences_ 326
_Arguments for it considered_ 327
_Texts urged for it explained_ 343
_How the word_ All, &c. _is to be explained_ 341
_Special Redemption,_
_consistent with the covenant of grace_ 329
_and with preaching the gospel_ 331
_It advances grace more than general does_ 337
_It leads not to despair_ 331
_Whether it be contrary to scripture_ 338
_Christ intercedes not for all_ 324
_Divine expostulations explained_ 333
_How all should repent and believe, though Christ died not for all_ 335
_Sacrifice of Christ sufficient for all_, in a note 349
QUEST. XLV. Of Christ’s Kingly office.
_As respecting his subjects_
_What they were, before subdued_ 353
_How brought into subjection_ 354
_How their subjection expressed at first_ 357
_Their behaviour and conflicts_ 358
_How Christ deals with them_ 361
_As respecting his enemies_ 362
_He governed the church before and since his incarnation_ 364
_This office executed by him in glory_ 365
Of the MILLENNIUM.
_Various opinions about it_ 366
_Some have gross_ Ideas _of it_ 370
_What shall precede or attend it_ 368
_Gospel shall then be more spread_ 373
_How this doctrine to be treated_ 367
_In what respects it is to be allowed_ 368
_Some prophecies of the call of the_ Jews _not yet fulfilled_ 376
_Why Christ shall not reign visibly in his human nature_ 379
_Temple-service not to be revived_ 381
_Gospel-ordinances shall be continued_ 382
_First resurrection; how understood by some_ 383
_Its literal sense debated_ 384
_General conflagration_ 387
_New heavens and new earth_ 388
_Resurrection of the church sometimes taken mystically_ 389
_1000 years how understood by some_ 391
_These not yet begun_ _ibid_
_Mediatorial kingdom of Christ eternal_ 392
1 Cor. xv. ver. 24, 25, 28. _explained_ 393
QUEST. XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII. Of Christ’s Humiliation.
_This shewn in his birth and infancy_ 398
_In his parentage_ 399
_In the place of his birth and abode_ 400
_In the sinless infirmities of his life_ 422
_In his being made under the law_ 401
_In his being exposed to indignities_ 402
_Temptations endured by him_ 404
_General remarks on them_ 406
_The time and place thereof_ 405
_His first temptation_ 410
_His second temptation_ 412
_Its matter explained_ 416
_His third temptation_ 417
_What to be observed therein_ 419
_Temptations were mental_, in a note 420
Quest. XLIX, L. Of Christ’s humiliation before and after his death.
_Christ betrayed by_ Judas 424
_Forsaken by his disciples_ 425
_Denied by_ Peter 426
_Scorned by the world_ _ibid_
_Reviled by many_ 428
_Inferences_ _ibid_
_Prosecuted by the_ Jews 429
_Condemned by_ Pilate _ibid_
_Tormented by his persecutors_ 431
_Bore the wrath of God_ _ibid_
_Death of the cross cruel and painful_ 433
_Shameful, servile, and cursed_ 434
_Christ buried with respect by his friends_ 437
_Was under the power of death till the third day_ 438
_Of his descent into hell_ 440
_How the Papists understand it_ 441
1 Pet. iii. 18. _explained_, in a note 442
QUEST. LI, LII. Of Christ’s Resurrection and Exaltation.
_Resurrection of Christ proved_ 444
_By credible witnesses_ 448
_They were men of integrity_ 449
_By the conduct of his enemies_ 450
_By miracles_ 451
_Properties of his risen body_ 452
_Christ raised the third day_ 453
_Reasons of it_ 454
_Was not three whole days and nights in the grave_ 455
Socinians’ _account of Christ’s resurrection_ 457
_Christ’s own and his peoples’ concern in his resurrection_ 458
QUEST. LIII, LIV. Of Christ’s Ascension.
_It was real and visible_ 464
_Its necessity and design_ 468
_Its distance from the time of his resurrection_ 461
_How this interval was employed_ 463
_Matter of his conversation with his disciples_ 464
_Remarks on what preceded it_ 460
_He ascended from mount_ Olivet 467
_Christ’s sitting at the right hand of God_ 471
QUEST. LV. Of Christ’s Intercession.
_Necessity of it_ 473
_His fitness for it_ 474
_Manner of it_ 477
_How it differs from our prayers_ 476
_What procured by it_ 479
_How to be improved_ _ibid_
QUEST. LVI. Of Christ’s coming to judge the world.
_The time of his appearance_ 481
_The glory that shall attend it_ 482
QUEST. LVII, LVIII, LIX. Of the benefits of redemption, and the application thereof.
_Benefits procured by Christ_ 486
_These applied by the Holy Ghost_ 487
_To all for whom they were purchased_ (_vide_ 349) 488
QUEST. LX. Of the disadvantages of those who never hear the gospel.
_State of the Heathen considered_ 491
_No salvation without the gospel_—tamen quære 492
_Nor without faith in Christ_—tamen quære _ibid_
_Deists; falseness of their hope set forth_ 494
_False grounds of hope in others_ 496
_Salvation in none but Christ_ 498
_This proved_ 499
_Objections answered_ 502
_Christ the Saviour only of his Body the church_ 508
QUEST. LXI, LXII, LXIII, LXIV. Of the Church, visible and invisible.
Church, _the word how used_, (515 in a note) 510
_Places of worship so termed_ 511
_Their first erection_ 512
_Its distinction into visible and invisible_ 516
_Invisible church described_ 519
_This farther explained and defended_ 520
_Visible church described_ 521
_In what respects it is one_ 522
_In what respects it is not one_ _ibid_
_Its concern for the children of its members_ 526
Jewish _church, its establishment_ ibid
_Its government_ 527
_How they promoted religion in their synagogues_ 529
_Their_ Proseuchæ, _or places appointed for prayer_ 530
_A particular_ gospel-church _described_ 536
_Its matter_ 539
_Its form or bond of union_ 540
_Its subjection to Christ to be professed_ 542
_How this to be made visible_ 543
_Its power of admission_ 541
_The reformed churches differ about this_ _ibid_
_Terms of communion fixed by Christ_ _ibid_
_Its power of exclusion_ 544
_Causes of exclusion_ 545
_The way of proceeding therein_ 547
_With what temper this should be done_ 549
_What meant by being delivered to Satan_ 550
_and for what end_ 551
_The first preaching and success of the gospel_ 532
_Conduct of the Apostles in planting gospel-churches_ 534 _Church-communion proved_
_from the law of nature_ 538
_from scripture_ _ibid_
_Government of churches by their officers_ 552
Αποστολος, Επισκοπος, Διακονος, in a note, _ibid_
_The office of a Pastor, Bishop, or Elder_ 555
_Bishops and Elders the same_ 556
_Jerom’s account of the increase of the power of Bishops_, in a note 558
_Pastors chosen by the church_ 561
Χειροτονεω, in a note 563
_How to be set apart_ _ibid_
_How their office to be discharged_ 565
_Whether a Teacher be a distinct officer_ 566
_Synods, the abuse and advantage of them_ 566
_Parishes, why churches were so called by ancient writers_ 567
_The office of a Deacon_ 570
_Officers of the church_, in a note 571
_Privileges of the visible church_ 572
_It is under Christ’s special care_ 574
_Wherein this consists_ 575
_It is under Christ’s special government_ 576
_In what respects_ 577
_It enjoys communion of saints_ _ibid_
_It has the ordinary means of grace_ 578
THE WORK OF CREATION.
Quest. XIV., XV.
QUEST. XIV. _How doth God execute his decrees?_
ANSW. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence, according to his infallible fore-knowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will.
QUEST. XV. _What is the work of creation?_
ANSW. The work of creation is that, wherein God did, in the beginning, by the word of his power, make, of nothing, the world, and all things therein, for himself, within the space of six days, and all very good.
Having considered God’s eternal purpose, as respecting whatever shall come to pass, which is generally called an internal, or immanent act of the divine will, we are now to consider those works which are produced by him, in pursuance thereof. It is inconsistent with the idea of an infinitely perfect Being, to suppose, that any of his decrees shall not take effect, _Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?_ Num. xxiii. 19. _His counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure_, Isa. xlvi. 10. This is a necessary consequence, from the immutability of his will, as well as from the end which he has designed to attain, to wit, the advancement of his own glory; and therefore, if he should not execute his decrees, he would lose that revenue of glory, which he designed to bring to himself thereby, which it cannot be supposed that he would do; and accordingly we are to consider his power as exerted, in order to the accomplishment of his purpose. This is said to have been done either in the first production of all things, which is called, _The work of creation_, or in his upholding and governing all things, which is his _providence_; both which are to be particularly considered. And,
I. We are to speak concerning the work of creation, and so to enquire what we are to understand by _creation_, and to consider it as a work peculiar to God.
II. That this work was not performed from eternity, but in the beginning of time.
III. How he is said to create all things by the word of his power.
IV. The end for which he made them, namely, for himself, or for his own glory.
V. The time in which he made them. And,
VI. The quality or condition thereof, as all things are said to have been made very good.
I. As to the meaning of the word _creation_; it is the application thereof to the things made, or some circumstances attending this action, that determine the sense of it. The Hebrew and Greek words[1], by which it is expressed, are sometimes used to signify the natural production of things: Thus it is said, in Psal. cii. 18. _The people that shall be created_, speaking of the generation to come, _shall praise the Lord_; and elsewhere, in Ezek. xxi. 30. says God, _I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created_, that is, where thou wast born, in the land of thy nativity. And sometimes it is applied to signify the dispensations of providence, which, though they are the wonderful effects of divine power, yet are taken in a sense different from the first production of all things: thus it is said, in Isa. xlv. 7. _I form the light, and create darkness_; which metaphorical expressions are explained in the following words, _I make peace, and create evil_.
And, on the other hand, sometimes God’s creating is expressed by his _making all things_; which word, in its common acceptation, is taken for the natural production of things; though, in this instance, it is used for the production of things which are supernatural: thus it is said, in John i. 3. _All things were made by him_; and elsewhere, in Psal. xxxiii. 6. _By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all by the host of them by the breath of his mouth._ Therefore it is by the application of these words, to the things produced, that we are more especially to judge of the sense of them. Accordingly, when God is said to create, or make the heavens and earth, or to bring things into being, which before did not exist, this is the most proper sense of the word creation; and in this sense we take it, in the head we are entering upon. It is the production of all things out of nothing, by his almighty word; and this is generally called immediate creation, which was the first display of divine power, a work with which time began; so we are to understand those words, _In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth_, Gen. i. 1. that is, that first matter out of which all things were formed, which has been neither increased nor diminished ever since, nor can be, whatever alterations there may be made in things, without supposing an act of the divine will to annihilate any part thereof, which we have no ground to do.
Again, it is sometimes taken for God’s bringing things into that form, in which they are, which is generally called a mediate creation, as in the account we have of it in the first chapter of Genesis; in which God is said, out of that matter which he created at first, to create the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all living creatures that move therein, after their respective kinds, which no finite wisdom, or power, could have done. The work was supernatural, and so differs from the natural production of things by creatures, inasmuch as they can produce nothing, but out of other things, that have in themselves a tendency, according to the fixed laws of nature, to be made, that which is designed to be produced out of them; as when a plant, or a tree, is produced out of a seed, or when the form, or shape of things is altered by the skill of men, where there is a tendency in the things themselves, in a natural way, to answer the end designed by them that made them, in which respect they are said to make, but not create those things; so that creation is a work peculiar to God, from which all creatures are excluded. Accordingly, it is a glory which God often appropriates to himself in scripture: thus he is called, by way of eminence, _The Creator of the ends of the earth_, Isa. xl. 28. and he speaks, concerning himself, with an unparalleled magnificence of expression, _I have made the earth, and created man upon it; I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded_, Isa. xlv. 12. and he is said to have done this, exclusively of all others: thus he says, _I am the Lord, that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself_, Isa. xliv. 24. And, indeed, it cannot be otherwise, since it is a work of infinite power, and therefore too great for any finite being, who can act no otherwise, but in proportion to the circumscribed limits of its own power; and being, at best, but a natural agent, it cannot produce any thing supernatural. From whence it may be inferred, that no creature was an instrument made use of, by God, in the production of all things; or that infinite power could not be exerted by a finite medium: but this has been already considered, under a foregoing answer.