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The Sole Consideration, That God Is God, Sufficient To Still All
Objections To His Sovereignty
by Jonathan Edwards
Dated June, 1735.
Psalm 46:10, "Be still,
and know that I am God."
THIS psalm seems to be a song of the church in a time of great
revolutions and desolations in the world. Therefore the church glories
in God as her refuge, and strength, and present help, even in times of
the greatest troubles and overturnings, verses 1-3, “God is our refuge
and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will we not
fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried
into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be
troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” The
church makes her boast of God, not only as being her help, by defending
her from the desolations and calamities in which the rest of the world
were involved, but also by supplying her, as a never-failing river, with
refreshment, comfort, and joy, in the times of public calamities. See
verse 4, 5, “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the
city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is
in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and
that right early.”
In the 6th and 8th verses are set forth the terrible changes and
calamities which were in the world: “The heathen raged, the kingdoms
were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. Come, behold the
works of God, what desolations he hath made in the earth.” In the verse
preceding the text is elegantly set forth the manner in which God
delivers the church from these calamities, and especially from the
desolations of war, and the rage of their enemies: “He maketh wars to
cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the
spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire;” i.e. he maketh
wars to cease when they are against his people; he breaketh the bow when
bent against his saints.
Then follow the words of the text: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
The great works of God, wherein his sovereignty appeared, had been
described in the foregoing verses. In the awful desolations that he
made, and by delivering his people by terrible things, he showed his
greatness and dominion. Herein he manifested his power and sovereignty,
and so commands all to be still, and know that he is God. For, says he,
“I will be exalted among the heathen; I will be exalted in the earth.”
In the words may be observed:
1. A duty described, to be still before God, and under the dispensations
of his providence; which implies that we must be still as to words; not
speaking against the sovereign dispensations of Providence, or
complaining of them; not darkening counsel by words without knowledge,
or justifying ourselves, and speaking great swelling words of vanity. We
must be still as to actions and outward behavior, so as not to oppose
God in his dispensations; and as to the inward frame of our hearts,
cultivating a calm and quiet submission of soul to the sovereign
pleasure of God, whatever it be.
2. We may observe the ground of this duty, viz. the divinity of God. His
being God is a sufficient reason why we should be still before him, in
no wise murmuring, or objecting, or opposing, but calmly and humbly
submitting to him.
3. How we must fulfill this duty, of being still before God, viz. with a
sense of his divinity, as seeing the ground of this duty, in that we
know him to be God. Our submission is to be such as becomes rational
creatures. God doth not require us to submit contrary to reason, but to
submit as seeing the reason and ground of submission. — Hence, the bare
consideration that God is God, may well be sufficient to still all
objections and opposition against the divine sovereign dispensations.
This may appear by the following things:
1. In that he is God, he is an absolutely and infinitely perfect being;
and it is impossible that he should do amiss. As he is eternal, and
receives not his existence from any other, he cannot be limited in his
being, or any attribute, to any certain determinate quantity. If
anything have bounds fixed to it, there must be some cause or reason why
those bounds are fixed just where they are. Whence it will follow, that
every limited thing must have some cause. And therefore that being which
has no cause must be unlimited.
It is most evident by the works of God, that his understanding and power
are infinite. For he that hath made all things out of nothing, and
upholds, and governs, and manages all things every moment, in all ages,
without growing weary, must be of infinite power. He must also be of
infinite knowledge; for if he made all things, and upholds and governs
all things continually, it will follow, that he knows and perfectly sees
all things, great and small, in heaven and earth, continually at one
view; which cannot be without infinite understanding.
Being thus infinite in understanding and power, he must also be
perfectly holy; for unholiness always argues some defect, some
blindness. Where there is no darkness or delusion, there can be no
unholiness. It is impossible that wickedness should consist with
infinite light. God being infinite in power and knowledge, he must be
self-sufficient and all-sufficient. Therefore it is impossible that he
should be under any temptation to do anything amiss; for he can have no
end in doing it. When any are tempted to do amiss, it is for selfish
ends. But how can an all-sufficient Being, who wants nothing, be tempted
to do evil for selfish ends? So that God is essentially holy, and
nothing is more impossible than that God should do amiss.
2. As he is God, he is so great, that he is infinitely above all
comprehension. And therefore it is unreasonable in us to quarrel with
his dispensations, because they are mysterious. If he were a being that
we could comprehend, he would not be God. It would be unreasonable to
suppose any other, than that there should be many things in the nature
of God, and in his works and government, to us mysterious, and which we
never can fully find out.
What are we? and what do we make of ourselves, when we expect that God
and his ways should be upon a level with our understandings? We are
infinitely unequal to any such thing, as comprehending God. We may less
unreasonably expect that a nutshell should contain the ocean: Job 11:7,
etc. “Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the
Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven, what canst thou do?
deeper than hell, what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer
than the earth, and broader than the sea.” If we were sensible of the
distance which there is between God and us, we should see the
reasonableness of that interrogation of the apostle, Rom. 9:20, “Who art
thou, O man, that repliest against God?”
If we find fault with God’s government, we virtually suppose ourselves
fit to be God’s counselors; whereas it becomes us rather, with great
humility and adoration, to cry out with the apostle, Rom. 11:33, etc. “O
the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who
hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor? Or who
hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For
of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory for
ever.” If little children should rise up and find fault with the supreme
legislature of a nation, or quarrel with the mysterious administrations
of the sovereign, would it not be looked upon that they meddled with
things too high for them? And what are we but babes? Our understandings
are infinitely less than those of babes, in comparison with the wisdom
of God. It becomes us therefore to be sensible of it, and to behave
ourselves accordingly. Psa. 131:1, 2, “Lord, my heart is not haughty,
nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or
in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a
child.” This consideration alone of the infinite distance between God
and us, and between God’s understanding and ours, should be enough to
still and quiet us concerning all that God does, however mysterious and
unintelligible to us. — Nor have we any right to expect, that God should
particularly explain to us the reason of his dispensations. It is fit
that God should not give any account of his matters to us, worms of the
dust, that we may be sensible of our distance from him, and adore and
submit to him in humble reverence.
Therefore we find, that when Job was so full of difficulty about the
divine dispensations, God did not answer him by particularly explaining
the reasons of his mysterious providence; but by showing him what a poor
worm, what a nothing he was, and how much he himself was above him. This
more became God than it would have done, to enter into a particular
debate with him, or to unfold the mysterious difficulties. It became Job
to submit to God in those things that he could not understand, and to
this the reply tended to bring him. It is fit that God should dwell in
thick darkness, or in light to which no man can approach, which no man
hath seen nor can see. No wonder that a God of infinite glory shines
with a brightness too strong and mighty for mortal eyes. For the angels
themselves, those mighty spirits, are represented as covering their
faces in this light; Isa. 6.
3. As he is God, all things are his own, and he hath a right to dispose
of them according to his own pleasure. All things in this lower world
are his; Job 41:11, “Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.” Yea,
the whole universe is God’s; Deu. 10:14, “Behold the heaven, and the
heaven of heavens is the Lord’s; the earth also with all that is
therein.” All things are his, because all things are from him; they are
wholly from him, and from him alone. Those things which are made by men,
are not wholly from them. When a man builds a house, it is not wholly
from him. Nothing of which the house is made has its being from him. But
all creatures are wholly and entirely the fruits of God’s power, and
therefore it is fit that they should be subject to, and for, his
pleasure. Pro. 16:4 — And as all things are from God, so they are upheld
in being by him, and would sink into nothing in a moment, if he did not
uphold them. And all things are to him. Rom. 11:36, “For by him, and
through him, and to him are all things.” Col. 1:16, 17, “For by him were
all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible
and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, principalities or
powers: all things were created by him and for him: and he is before all
things, and by him all things consist.” All mankind are his; their
lives, and breath, and being; “for in him we live, and move, and have
our being.” Our souls and capacities are from him. Eze. 18:4, “All souls
are mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son, is
mine.”
4. In that he is God, he is worthy to be sovereign over all things.
Sometimes men are the owners of more than they are worthy of. But God is
not only the owner of the whole world, as all is from and dependent on
him; but such is his perfection, the excellency and dignity of his
nature, that he is worthy of sovereignty over all. No man ought in the
temper of his mind to be opposite to God’s exercising the sovereignty of
the universe, as if he were not worthy of it; for to be the absolute
sovereign of the universe is not a glory or dignity too great for him.
All things in heaven and earth, angels and men, are nothing in
comparison with him. All are as the drop of the bucket, and as the light
dust of the balance. It is therefore fit that everything should be in
his hands, to be disposed of according to his pleasure. — His will and
pleasure are of infinitely greater importance than the will of
creatures. It is fit that his will should take place, though contrary to
the will of all other beings; that he should make himself his own end;
and order all things for himself. — God is possessed of such perfections
and excellencies as to qualify him to be the absolute sovereign of the
world. — Certainly it is more fit that all things be under the guidance
of a perfect unerring wisdom, than that they should be left to
themselves to fall in confusion, or be brought to pass by blind causes.
Yea, it is not fit that any affairs within the government of God should
be left without the direction of his wise providence; least of all,
things of the greatest importance.
It is absurd to suppose, that God is obliged to keep every creature from
sinning and exposing himself to an adequate punishment. For if so, then
it will follow, that there can be no such thing as a moral government of
God over reasonable creatures. And it would be an absurdity for God to
give commands; for he himself would be the party bound to see to the
performance, and there could be no use of promises or threatenings. But
if God may leave a creature to sin, and to expose himself to punishment,
then it is much fitter and better that the matter should be ordered by
wisdom, who should justly lie exposed by sin to punishment, and who not;
than that it be left to come to pass by confused chance. It is unworthy
of the Governor of the world to leave things to chance; it belongs to
him to govern all things by wisdom. — And as God has wisdom to qualify
him to be sovereign, so he has power also to enable him to execute the
determinations of wisdom. And he is essentially and invariably holy and
righteous, and infinitely good; whereby he is qualified to govern the
world in the best manner. — Therefore, when he acts as sovereign of the
world, it is fit that we should be still and willingly submit, and in no
wise oppose his having the glory of his sovereignty; but should in a
sense of his worthiness, cheerfully ascribe it to him, and say, “Thine
is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever;” and say with those
in Rev. 5:13, “Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be to him that
sitteth upon the throne.”
5. In that he is God, he will be sovereign, and will act as such. He
sits on the throne of his sovereignty, and his kingdom ruleth over all.
He will be exalted in his sovereign power and dominion, as he himself
declares; “I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the
earth.” He will have all men to know, that he is most high over all the
earth. He doth according to his will in the armies of heaven and amongst
the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand. — There is no
such thing as frustrating, or baffling, or undermining his designs; for
he is great in counsel, and wonderful in working. His counsel shall
stand, and he will do all his pleasure. There is no wisdom, nor
understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. Whatsoever God doth, it
shall be forever. Nothing shall be put to it, nor anything taken from
it. He will work, and who shall let it? He is able to dash in pieces the
enemy. If men join hand in hand against him, to hinder or oppose his
designs, he breaks the bow, he cuts the spear in sunder, he burneth the
chariot in the fire. — He kills and he makes alive, he brings down and
raises up just as he pleases. Isa. 45:6, 7, “That they may know from the
rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me. I
am the Lord, and there is none else; I form the light and create
darkness; I make peace and create evil; I the Lord do all these things.”
Great men, and rich men, and wise men cannot hinder God from doing his
pleasure. He leadeth counselors away spoiled, he accepteth not the
persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor. There are
many devices in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord that shall
stand, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations. — When he gives
quietness, who can make trouble? When he hides his face, who can behold
him? He breaketh down, and it cannot be built up again: he shutteth up a
man, and there can be no opening. When he purposeth, who shall disannul
it? And when his hand is stretched out, who shall turn it back? — So
there is no hindering God from being sovereign, and acting as such. “He
hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”
He hath the keys of hell and of death. He openeth, and no man shutteth:
he shutteth, and no man openeth. This may show us the folly of opposing
ourselves against the sovereign dispensations of God; and how much more
wisely they act who quietly and sweetly submit to his sovereign will.
6. In that he is God, he is able to avenge himself on those who oppose
his sovereignty. He is wise of heart, and mighty in strength. Who hath
hardened himself against God and prospered? He that will contend with
God must answer it. And what a poor creature is man to fight against
God! Is he able to make his part good with him? Whoever of God’s enemies
deal proudly, he will show that he is above them. They will be but as
the chaff before the whirlwind, and shall be as the fat of lambs. They
shall consume into smoke, they shall consume away. “Who would set the
briers and thorns against him in battle? He would go through them, he
would burn them together.” Isa. 27:4.
APPLICATION
A manifold improvement might be made of this doctrine, which a little
reflection may suggest to each of us. But the improvement which I shall
at this time make of it, shall be only in a use of reproof to such under
convictions of sin, and fears of hell, as are not still, but oppose the
sovereignty of God in the disposals of his grace. This doctrine shows
the unreasonableness, and dreadful wickedness, of your refusing heartily
to own the sovereignty of God in this matter. It shows that you know not
that God is God. If you knew this, you would be inwardly still and
quiet; you would humbly and calmly lie in the dust before a sovereign
God, and would see sufficient reason for it.
In objecting and quarreling about the righteousness of God’s laws and
threatenings, and his sovereign dispensations towards you and others,
you oppose his divinity, you show your ignorance of his divine greatness
and excellency, and that you cannot bear that he should have divine
honor. It is from low, mean thoughts of God, that you do in your minds
oppose his sovereignty, that you are not sensible how dangerous your
conduct is, and what an audacious thing it is for such a creature as man
to strive with his Maker.
What poor creatures are you, that you should set up yourselves for
judges over the Most High; that you should take it upon [yourself] to
call God to an account; that you should say to the great Jehovah, what
dost thou? and that you should pass sentence against him! If you knew
that he is God, you would not act in this manner. But this knowledge
would be sufficient to still and calm you concerning all God’s
dispensations, and you would say with Eli, in 1 Sam. 3:18, “It is the
Lord, let him do what seemeth good in his sight.” — But here I shall be
more particular in several things.
1. It is from mean thoughts of God that you are not convinced that you
have by your sins deserved his eternal wrath and curse. If you had any
proper sense of the infinite majesty, greatness, and holiness of God,
you would see, that to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, and
there to have no rest day nor night, is not a punishment more than equal
to the demerit of sin. — You would not have so good a thought of
yourselves; you would not be so clean and pure in your own eyes; you
would see that vile, unworthy, hell-deserving creatures you are. If you
had not little thoughts of God, and were to consider how you have set
yourselves against him — how you have slighted him, his commandments and
threatenings, and despised his goodness and mercy, how often you have
disobeyed, how obstinate you have been, how your whole lives have been
filled up with sin against God — you would not wonder that God threatens
to destroy you forever, but would wonder that he hath not actually done
it before now.
If you had not mean thoughts of God, you would not find fault with him
for not setting his love on you who never exercised any love to him. You
would not think it unjust in God not to seek your interest and eternal
welfare, who never would be persuaded at all to seek his glory. You
would not think it unjust in him to slight and disregard you, who have
so often and so long made light of God. If you had not mean thoughts of
God, you never would think him obliged to bestow eternal salvation upon
you, who have never been truly thankful for one mercy which you have
already received of him. — What do you think of yourselves? What great
ideas have you of yourselves? And what thoughts have you of God, that
you think he is obliged to do so much for you though you treat him ever
so ungratefully for the kindness which he hath already bestowed upon you
all the days of your lives? It must be from little thoughts of God, that
you think it unjust in him not to regard you when you call upon him;
when he hath earnestly called to you, so long and so often, and you
would not be persuaded to hearken to him. What thoughts have you of God,
that you think he is more obliged to hear what you say to him, than you
are to regard what he says to you?
It is from diminutive thoughts of God, that you think he is obliged to
show mercy to you when you seek it, though you have been for a long time
willfully sinning against him, provoking him to anger, and presuming
that he would show you mercy when you should seek it. What kind of
thoughts have you of God, that you think he is obliged, as it were, to
yield himself up to be abused by men, so that when they have done, his
mercy and pardoning grace shall not be in his own power, but he must be
obliged to dispense them at their call?
2. It is from little thoughts of God, that you quarrel against his
justice in the condemnation of sinners, from the doctrine of original
sin. It must be because you do not know him to be God, and will not
allow him to be sovereign. It is for want of a sense how much God is
above you, that those things in him which are above your comprehension,
are such difficulties and stumbling-blocks to you. It is for want of a
sense how much the wisdom and understanding of God are above yours, and
what poor, short-sighted, blind creatures you are, in comparison with
him. If you were sensible what God is, you would see it most reasonable
to expect that his ways should be far above the reason of man, and that
he dwells in light which no man can approach unto, which no man hath
seen, nor can see. — If men were sensible how excellent and perfect a
Being he is, they would not be so apt to be jealous of him and to
suspect him in things which lie beyond their understandings. It would be
no difficulty with them to trust God out of sight. What horrid arrogance
in worms of the dust, that they should think they have wisdom enough to
examine and determine concerning what God doth, and to pass sentence on
it as unjust! If you were sensible how great and glorious a being God
is, it would not be such a difficulty with you to allow him the dignity
of such absolute sovereignty, as that he should order as he pleases,
whether every single man should stand for himself, or whether a common
father should stand for all.
3. It is from mean thoughts of God, that you trust in your own
righteousness, and think that God ought to respect you for it. If you
knew how great a Being he is, if you saw that he is God indeed, you
would see how unworthy, how miserable a present it is to be offered to
such a Being. It is because you are blind, and know not what a Being he
is with whom you have to do, that you make so much of your own
righteousness. If you had your eyes open to see that he is God indeed,
you would wonder how you could think to commend yourselves to so great a
Being by your gifts, by such poor affections, such broken prayers,
wherein is so much hypocrisy, and so much selfishness. — If you had not
very mean thoughts of God, you would wonder that ever you could think of
purchasing the favor and love of so great a God by your services. You
would see that it would be unworthy of God to bestow such a mercy upon
you, and peace with him, and his everlasting love, and the enjoyment of
himself, for such a price as you have to offer; and that he would
exceedingly dishonor himself in so doing. — If you saw what God is, you
would exclaim, as Job did, Job 42:5, 6, “Now mine eye seeth thee;
wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” And as Isaiah
did, Isa. 6:5, “Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of
unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
4. It is from mean thoughts of God, that you contend with him, because
he bestows grace on some, and not on others. Thus God does. He hath
mercy on whom he will have mercy; he takes one, and leaves another, of
those who are in like circumstances; as it is said of Jacob and Esau,
while they were not yet born, and had done neither good nor evil, Rom.
9:10-13. With this sinners often quarrel. But they who upon this ground
quarrel with God, suppose him to be bound to bestow his grace on
sinners. For if he be bound to none, then he may take his choice, and
bestow it on whom he pleases. And his bestowing it on some brings no
obligation on him to bestow it on others. Has God no right to his own
grace? Is it not at his own disposal? And is God incapable of making a
gift or present of it to any man? For a person cannot make a present of
that which is not his own, or in his own right. It is impossible to give
a debt.
But what a low thought of God does this argue! Consider what it is you
would make of God. Must he be so tied up, that he cannot use his own
pleasure in bestowing his own gifts? Is he obliged to bestow them on
one, because it is his pleasure to bestow them on another? Is not God
worthy to have the same right to dispose of his gifts, as a man has of
his money? Or is it because God is not so great, and therefore should be
more subject, more under bounds, than men? Is not God worthy to have as
absolute a propriety in his goods as man has in his? At this rate, God
cannot make a present of anything; he has nothing of his own to bestow.
If he have a mind to show a peculiar favor to some, to lay some under
special obligations, he cannot do it, on the supposition, because his
favor is not at his own disposal! The truth is, men have low thoughts of
God, or else they would willingly ascribe sovereignty to him in this
matter. Mat. 20:15, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine
own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?”
God is pleased to show mercy to his enemies, according to his own
sovereign pleasure. And surely it is fit he should. How unreasonable is
it to think that God stands bound to his enemies! Therefore consider
what you do in quarreling with God, and opposing his sovereignty.
Consider with whom it is you contend. Let all who are sensible of their
misery, and afraid of the wrath of God, consider these things. Those of
you who have been long seeking salvation, but are in great terrors
through fear that God will destroy you, consider what you have heard, be
still, and know that he is God. When God seems to turn a deaf ear to
your cries; when he seems to frown upon you; when he shows mercy to
others, your equals, or those who are worse, and who have been seeking a
less time than you; — be still. Consider who he is that disposes and
orders these things. You shall consider it. You shall know it. He will
make all men to know that he is God. You shall either know it for your
good here, by submission, or to your cost hereafter.
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