CHAPTER IV
Of Creation
It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days; and all very good.
Heb. i. 2; John i. 2, 3; Gen. i. 2; Job xxvi. 13; Job xxxiii. 4; Rom. i. 20; Jer. x. 12; Ps. civ. 24; Ps. xxxiii. 5, 6; Gen. i. chap.; Heb. xi. 3; Col. i. 16; Acts xvii. 24.
II. After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, endued with knowledge, righteousness, 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 possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject unto change. Beside 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.
Gen. i. 27; Gen. ii. 7 with Eccles. xii. 7 & Luke xxiii. 43 & Matt. x. 28; Gen i. 26; Col. iii. 10; Eph. iv. 24; Rom. ii. l4, 15, Eccles. vii. 29;
Gen. iii. 6; Gen. ii. 17; Gen. iii. 8, 9, 10, 11, 23; Gen. i. 26, 28.
CHAPTER V
Of Providence
God the great Creator of all things doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible fore-knowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness and mercy.
Heb. i. 3, Dan. iv. 34, 35; Ps. cxxxv. 6; Acts xvii. 25, 26, 28; Job xxxviii to xli chapters; Matt. x. 29, 30, 31; Prov. xv. 3; Ps. civ. 24; Ps. cxlv. 17; Acts xv. 18; Ps. xciv. 8, 9, 10, 11; Eph. i. 11. Ps. xxxiii. 10, 11; Isa. lxiii. 14; Eph. iii. 10; Rom. ix. 17; Gen. xlv. 7; Ps. cxlv. 7.
II. Although, in relation to the fore-knowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass immutably, and infallibly: yet, by the same providence, He ordereth them to fall out, according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.
Acts ii. 23; Gen. viii. 22; Jer. xxxi. 35; Exod. xxi. 13 with Deut. xix. 5; 1 Kings xxii. 28, 34; Isa. x. 6, 7.
III. God in His ordinary providence maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at His pleasure.
Acts xxvii. 31, 44; Isa. lv. 10,11; Hos. ii. 21, 22; Hos. i. 7; Matt. iv. 4; Job xxxiv. 20; Rom. iv. 19, 20, 21; 2 Kings vi. 6; Dan. iii. 27.
IV. The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in His providence, that it extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men; and that not by a bare permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering and governing of them, in. a manifold dispensation, to His own holy ends; yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous, neither is, nor can be, the author or approver of sin.
Rom. xi. 32, 33, 34; 2 Sam. xxiv 1 with 1 Chron. xxi. l; 1 Kings xxii. 22, 23; 1 Chron. x. 4,13,14; 2 Sam. xvi. 10; Acts ii. 23; Acts iv. 27, 28; Acts xiv. 16; Ps. lxxvi. 10; 2 Kings xix. 28; Gen. 1. 20; Isa. x. 6, 7, 12; James i. 13,14,17; 1 John ii. 16; Ps. 1. 21.
V. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a season His own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption, and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and, to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends.
2 Chron. xxxii. 25, 26, 31; 2 Sam. xxiv. 1; 2 Cor. xii. 7, 8, 9; Ps. lxxiii throughout; Ps. lxxvii. 1 to 12; Mark xiv. 66 to the end, with John xxi. 15, 16, 17.
VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as a righteous Judge, for former sins doth blind and harden, from them He not only withholdeth His grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon in their hearts; but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had, and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasions of sin; and, withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan: whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God useth for the softening of others.
Rom. i. 24, 26, 28; Rom. xi. 7, 8; Deut. xxix. 4; Matt. xiii. 12; Matt. xxv. 29; Deut. ii. 30; 2 Kings viii. 12, 13; Ps. 1xxxi. 11, 12; 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11, 12, Exod. vii. 3 with Exod. viii. 15, 32; 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16; Isa. viii. 14; 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8; Isa. vi. 9, 10 with Acts xxviii. 26, 27.
VII. As the providence of God doth in general reach to all creatures, so after a most special manner it taketh care of His Church, and disposeth all things to the good thereof.
1 Tim. iv. 10; Amos ix. 8, 9; Rom. viii. 28; Isa. xliii. 3, 4, 5, 14.
Of Creation
It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days; and all very good.
Heb. i. 2; John i. 2, 3; Gen. i. 2; Job xxvi. 13; Job xxxiii. 4; Rom. i. 20; Jer. x. 12; Ps. civ. 24; Ps. xxxiii. 5, 6; Gen. i. chap.; Heb. xi. 3; Col. i. 16; Acts xvii. 24.
II. After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, endued with knowledge, righteousness, 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 possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject unto change. Beside 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.
Gen. i. 27; Gen. ii. 7 with Eccles. xii. 7 & Luke xxiii. 43 & Matt. x. 28; Gen i. 26; Col. iii. 10; Eph. iv. 24; Rom. ii. l4, 15, Eccles. vii. 29;
Gen. iii. 6; Gen. ii. 17; Gen. iii. 8, 9, 10, 11, 23; Gen. i. 26, 28.
CHAPTER V
Of Providence
God the great Creator of all things doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible fore-knowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness and mercy.
Heb. i. 3, Dan. iv. 34, 35; Ps. cxxxv. 6; Acts xvii. 25, 26, 28; Job xxxviii to xli chapters; Matt. x. 29, 30, 31; Prov. xv. 3; Ps. civ. 24; Ps. cxlv. 17; Acts xv. 18; Ps. xciv. 8, 9, 10, 11; Eph. i. 11. Ps. xxxiii. 10, 11; Isa. lxiii. 14; Eph. iii. 10; Rom. ix. 17; Gen. xlv. 7; Ps. cxlv. 7.
II. Although, in relation to the fore-knowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass immutably, and infallibly: yet, by the same providence, He ordereth them to fall out, according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.
Acts ii. 23; Gen. viii. 22; Jer. xxxi. 35; Exod. xxi. 13 with Deut. xix. 5; 1 Kings xxii. 28, 34; Isa. x. 6, 7.
III. God in His ordinary providence maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at His pleasure.
Acts xxvii. 31, 44; Isa. lv. 10,11; Hos. ii. 21, 22; Hos. i. 7; Matt. iv. 4; Job xxxiv. 20; Rom. iv. 19, 20, 21; 2 Kings vi. 6; Dan. iii. 27.
IV. The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in His providence, that it extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men; and that not by a bare permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering and governing of them, in. a manifold dispensation, to His own holy ends; yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous, neither is, nor can be, the author or approver of sin.
Rom. xi. 32, 33, 34; 2 Sam. xxiv 1 with 1 Chron. xxi. l; 1 Kings xxii. 22, 23; 1 Chron. x. 4,13,14; 2 Sam. xvi. 10; Acts ii. 23; Acts iv. 27, 28; Acts xiv. 16; Ps. lxxvi. 10; 2 Kings xix. 28; Gen. 1. 20; Isa. x. 6, 7, 12; James i. 13,14,17; 1 John ii. 16; Ps. 1. 21.
V. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a season His own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption, and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and, to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends.
2 Chron. xxxii. 25, 26, 31; 2 Sam. xxiv. 1; 2 Cor. xii. 7, 8, 9; Ps. lxxiii throughout; Ps. lxxvii. 1 to 12; Mark xiv. 66 to the end, with John xxi. 15, 16, 17.
VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as a righteous Judge, for former sins doth blind and harden, from them He not only withholdeth His grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon in their hearts; but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had, and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasions of sin; and, withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan: whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God useth for the softening of others.
Rom. i. 24, 26, 28; Rom. xi. 7, 8; Deut. xxix. 4; Matt. xiii. 12; Matt. xxv. 29; Deut. ii. 30; 2 Kings viii. 12, 13; Ps. 1xxxi. 11, 12; 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11, 12, Exod. vii. 3 with Exod. viii. 15, 32; 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16; Isa. viii. 14; 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8; Isa. vi. 9, 10 with Acts xxviii. 26, 27.
VII. As the providence of God doth in general reach to all creatures, so after a most special manner it taketh care of His Church, and disposeth all things to the good thereof.
1 Tim. iv. 10; Amos ix. 8, 9; Rom. viii. 28; Isa. xliii. 3, 4, 5, 14.
