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II. After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female", with reasonable and immortal fouls, endued with knowledge, righteoufnefs, and true holiness, after his own image, having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfil it"; and yet under a poffibility of transgreffing, being left to the liberty of their own will which was fubject unto change'. Befides this law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; which while they kept they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures'.

was; and the fpirit fhall return unto God who gave it. And, Mat. 10. 28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the foul; but rather fear him which is able to deftroy both foul and body in hell.

f Gen. 1. 26. And God faid, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

g Rom. 2. 14, 15. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, thefe having not the law, are a law unto themfelves. Which fhew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witnefs, and their thoughts the mean while accufing, or elfe excufing one another.

h Eccl. 7. 29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath

made man upright; but they have fought out many inventions

i Gen. 3. 6. And when the woman faw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be defired to make one wife, fhe took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave alfo unto her husband with her; and he did cat. See Eccl. 7. 29.

k Gen. 2. 17. But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day thou eateft there. of, thou shalt furely die. See Gen. 3. 8. 11. 23.

1 Gen. 1. 28-And have dominion over the fith of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. See Pfal. 8. 6, 7, 8. verses.

G

CHA P. V.

Of Providence.

OD, the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, direct, difpofe, and govern all creatures, actions and things", from the greateft even to the leaft, by his moft wife and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable coun

1. a Heb. 1, 3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, and upholding all things by the word of his power,

b Dan. 4. 34, 35.-I blef fed the Moft High, end I praifed and honoured him that liveth for ever, whofe dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.-And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand, or fay unto him, What doest thou? Pfal. 135. 6. Whatfoever the Lord pleafed, that did he in heaven and in earth, in the feas, and all deep places. See alfo, Acts 17. 25,

26, 28, and Job 38, 39, 40, 41 chapters.

c Mat. 10. 29, 30, 31. Are not two fparrows fold for a farthing? And one of them fhall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.-Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many fparrows. See also Mat. 6, 26, 30.

d Prov. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. 2 Chron. 16. 9. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to fhew himself strong in the behalf of them whole heart is perfect towards him. See also Pfal. 145. 17. and 104. 24.

e Acts 15. 18. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. D

fel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness and mercy.

II. Although in relation to the foreknowledge, and decree of God, the firft caufe, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly", yet, by the fame providence, he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either neceffarily, freely or contingently'.

f Eph. I. 11. Who worketh all things after the counfel of hisown will. Pfal. 33. 11.The counfel of the Lord ftandeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

g Eph. 3. 10. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. Rom. 9. 17. For the fcripture faith unto Pharoah, Even for this fame purpose have I raised thee up, that I might fhew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Pfal, 145. 7. They fhall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodnefs, and fhall fing of thy righteousness.

II. h Acts 2. 23. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and flain.

i Gen. 8. 82. While the earth remaineth, seed-time and

harveft, and cold and heat, and fummer and winter, and day and night fhall not cease. Jer. 31. 55. Thus faith the Lord which giveth the fun for a light by day; and the ordinances of the moon and of the ftars for a light by night, which divideth the fea when the waves thereof roar; the Lord of hosts is his name. Exod. 21. 13. If a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand, then I will appoint thee a place whither he fhall fice, 1 Kings 22. 34. And a certain nian drew a bow at a venture, and fmote the king of Ifrael between the joints of the harnefs: wherefore he faid unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the hoft; for I am wounded. Ifai. 6, 7.

10.

I will fend him against an hypocritical nation; and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down.

-Howbeit, he meaneth

III. God, in his ordinary providence, maketh ufe of means, yet is free to work without', above and against them, at his pleasure".

IV. The almighty power, unfearchable wif dom, and infinite goodness of God, fo far manifeft themselves in his providence, that it extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other fins of angels and men", and that not by a bare per

not fo, neither doth his heart think fo, but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off nations not a few.

III. k Acts 27. 24, 31. Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæfar: and lo, God hath given thee all them that fail with thee. Paul faid to the centurion, and to the foldiers, Except thefe abide in the fhip, ye cannot be faved. Ifai. 55. 10, 11. For as the rain cometh down, and the fnow, from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give feed to the fower, and bread to the eater.-So fhall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it fhall accomplish that which I please, and it fhall profper in the thing whereto I fent it.

1 Hof. 1. 7. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and I will fave them by the Lord their God, and will not fave them by bow, nor by fword, nor by battle, by horfes, nor by horfenien.

m Rom. 4. 19, 20, 21. And being not weak in faith, he confidered not his own body now dead; when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadnefs of Sarah's womb.-He ftaggered not at the promife of God through unbelief; but was ftrong in faith, giving glory to God. And being fully perfuaded that what he had promifed, he was able alfo to perform.

n 2 Kings 6. 6. And the man of God faid, Where fell it? And he fhewed him the place. And he cut down a tick, and caft it in thither, and the iron did fwim, Dan. 3. 27. And the princes, governors and captains, and the king's counfellors being gathered together, faw these men, upon whofe bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head finged, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had paffed on them.

IV. o Rom. II. 32, 33. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might

miffion, but fuch as hath joined with it a most wife and powerful bounding", and otherwise ordering and governing of them, in a manifold

have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wifdom and knowledge of God! how unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways paft finding out! 2 Sam. 24. I. with 1 Chron. 21. 1. And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Ifrael, and he moved David againft them, to fay, Go number Ifrael and Judah, I Chron. 10. 4. 13, 14. Then faid Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy fword, and thrust me through therewith; left thefe uncircumcifed come, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not, for he was fore afraid. So Saul took a fword, and fell upon it.So Saul died, for his tranf greffion which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord which he kept not, and alfo for afking counfel of one that had a familiar fpirit to enquire of it; and enquired not of the Lord; there fore he flew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the fon of Jeffe. 2 Sam. 16. 10. And the king faid, What have I to do with you, ye fons of Zeruiah? So let him curfe, because the Lord hath faid unto him, Curfe David. Who fhall then fay, Wherefore haft thou done fo? See alfo Acts 4. 27, 28. For of a truth against thy holy child

Jefus whom thou haft anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Ifrael, were gathered together.-For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counfel determined before to be done.

p Pfal. 76. 10. Surely the wrath of man fhall praise thee; the remainder of wrath fhalt thou reftrain. 2. Kings 19. 28. Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nofe, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way which thou camek.

q Gen. 50. 20. But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to fave much people alive. Ifai. 10. 6, 7, 12. I will fend him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the fpoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the ftreets.-Howbeit, he meaneth not fo, neither doth his heart think fo; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. -Wherefore it fhall come to pafs, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion, and on Jeru falem, I will punish the fruit

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