Chrift, by his Spirit working in due Seafon; are juftified, adopted, fanctified, and kept by his Power through Faith unto Salvation p. Neither are any other redeemed by Chrift, effectually called, juftified, adopted, fanctified and faved, but the Elect only q.

• Rom. 8. 30. Eph. 1. 5. 2 Thef. 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 5. 9 John 17. 9. Rom. 8. 28. to the End. John 6. 64, 65, John 10. 26. John 8. 47. 1 John 2. 19.

VII. The rest of Mankind, God was pleafed, according to the unfearchable Counsel of his own Will, whereby he extendeth, or withholdeth Mercy, as he pleafeth, for the Glory of his Sovereign Power over his Creatures, to pass by; and to ordain them to Difhonour and Wrath, for their Sin, to the Praife of his glorious Jufticè r.

r Mat. 11, 25, 26. 2. 19, 20. Jude 5. 4.

Rom. 9. 17, 18, 21, 22. 2 Tim. 1 Pet. 2, 8.

VIII. The Doctrine of this high Mystery of Predeftination is to he handled with special Prudence and Caref, that Men attending the Will of God revealed in his Word, and yielding Obedience thereunto, may, from the Certainty of their effectual Vocation, be affured of their eternal Election t. So fhall this Doctrine afford Matter of Praife, Reverence, and Admiration of God u, and of Humility, Diligence, and abundant Confolation to all that fincerely obey the Gofpel w.

/Rom. 9. 20. Rom. 11. 33. Deut. 29. 29. t 2 Pet. 1. 10. a Eph 1.6. Rom. 11. 33. Rom. 11. 5, 6, 20. 2 Pet. i. io

Rom. 8. 33. Luke 10. 20.

CHA P. IV.

Of Creation.

TT pleafed God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost a, for the Manifeftation of the Glory of his eternal Power, Wifdom, and Goodnefs b, in the Beginning, to

$ 3

create,

a Heb. 1. 2. John 1. 2, 3. Gen. 1. 2. Job 26. 13. Job 33. 4. 6 Rom. 1. 20. Jer. 10. 12. Pfal. 104. 24 Pfal. 33. 5, 6. 33.5,

create, or make of nothing, the World, and all Things therein, whether visible or invifible, in the Space of fix Days, and all very good c.

c Gen. Ift Ch. Heb. 11. 3. Col. 1. 16,

24.

Acts 17.

II. After God had made all other Creatures, he created Man, Male and Female d, with reasonable and immortal Souls e, indued with Knowledge, Righteousness, and true Holiness, after his own Image f, having the Law of God written in their Hearts g, and Power to fulfil it ; and yet under a Poffibility of Tranfgreffing, being left to the Liberty of their own Will, which was fubject unto Change i. Befide this Law written in their Hearts, they received a Command, not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; which while they kept, they were happy in their Communion with God k, and had Dominion over the Creatures 1.

d Gen. 1. 27. e Gen. 2. 7. with Eccl. 12. 7. and Luke 23. 43. and Mat. 10. 28. f Gen. 1. 26. Col. 3. 10. Eph. 4. 24, g Rom. 2. 14, 15. h Eccl. 7. 29. Gen. 3. 6. Eccl. 7. 29. k Gen, 2. 17. and 3. 8, 9, 10, 11, 23. Gen. I. 26, 28,

CHAP. V.

Of Providence.

Od the great Creator of all Things, doth uphold a,.

G direct, and govern

and Things b, from the greatest even to the leaft c, by his most wife and holy Providence d, according to his infallible Fore-knowledge e, and the free and immu

table

a Heb. 1. 3. b Dan. 4. 34, 35. Pfal. 135. 6. Acts 17. 25, 25, 28. Job 38, 39, 40, 41 Chapters. e Mat 10. 29, 30, 31. d Prov. 15. 3. Pfal. 104. 24. Pfal. 145. 17. e Acts 15. 18. Pfal.

94. 8, 9,

IO, II.

table Counsel of his own Will f, to the Praise of the Glory of his Wifdom, Power, Juftice, Goodness, and Mercy g.

f Eph. I. II. Pfal. 33. 10, 11. g Ifa. 63. 14. Eph. 3.10. Rom. 9. 17. Gen. 45. 7. Pfal. 145.7.

II. Although, in Relation to the Fore-knowledge and Decree of God, the first Cause, all Things come to pafs immutably, and infallibly h: Yet, by the fame Providence, he ordereth them to fall out, according to the Nature of fecond Caufes, either neceffarily, freely, or contingently i

h Acts 2. 23. i Gen. 8. 22. Jer. 3. 35. Exod. 21. 13. with Deut. 19. 5. 1 Kings 22. 28, 34. Ifa. 10.

6, 7.

III. God, in his ordinary Providence, maketh Use of Means k, yet is free to work without /, above m, and against them at his Pleasure n.

22.

k Acts 2 27. 31, 44. Ifa. 55. 10, 11. Hofea 2. 21, Hofea 1. 7. Mat. 4. 4. Job 34. 10. m Rom. 4. 19, 20, 21. n 2 Kings 6. 6. Dan. 3. 27.

IV. The almighty Power, unfearchable Wisdom, and the infinite Goodness of God, fo far manifeft themselves in his Providence, that it extendeth itself even to the first Fall, and all other Sins of Angels and Men o, and that not by a bare Permission p, but such as hath joined with it a most wife and powerful Bounding q, and otherwise ordering and governing of them, in a manifold Difpenfation, to his own holy Ends r: Yet fo, as the Sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the Creature, and not from God, who, being moft holy and righteous, neither is, nor can be the Author or Approver of Sins.

21. I.

• Rom. 11. 32, 33, 34. 2 Sam. 24. 1. with 1 Chron. Kings 22. 22, 23. 1 Chron. 10. 4, 13, 14. 2 Sam. 16. 10. Acts 2. 23: and 4:27, 28. p Acts 14. 16. q Pfal. 76. TO. 2 Kings 19. 28. James I. 13, 14,

Ifa. 10. 6, 7, 12.

16. Pfal. 50. 21.

S 4

r Gen.

50. 20.

17.

I John 2.

V. The

V. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God, doth oftentimes leave for a Season his own Children to manifold Temptations, and the Corruptions of their own Hearts, to chaftife them for their foriner Sins, or tò difcover unto them the hidden Strength of Corruption, and Deceitfulness of their Hearts, that they may be humbled t, and to raise them to a more elofe and conftaut Dependence for their Support upon himself, and to make them more watchful against all future Occafions of Sin, and for fundry other just and holy Ends u.

# 2 Chron. 32 25, 26, 31. 2 Šam. 21. I. # 2 Cor.12. 7,8,9. Pfal. 73 throughout Pfal. 77 1, 10, 12. Mark 14. 66 to the End, with John 21. 15, 16, 17.

VI. As for thofe wicked and ungodly Men, whom God as a righteous Judge, for former Sins, doth blind and harden w, from them he not only withholdeth his Grace, whereby they might have been inlightuted in the'r Understandings, and wrought upon in their Hearts x; but fometimes alfo withdraweth the Gifts which they hady, and expofeth them to fuch Objects as their Corruption makes Occafion of Sin z: And withal, gives them over to their own Lufts, the Temptations of the World, and the Power of Satan a; whereby it comes to pass that they harden themfelves, even under thofe Means which God ufeth for the foftning of others b.

w Rom. 1, 24, 26, 28. Rom. 11. 7, 8. & Deut. 29. 4. Mat. 13. 12. Mat. 25. 29. 2 Deut. 2. 30. 2 Kingi 8. 12, 13. a Pfal, 81. 11, 12. 2 Thef. 2. 10, 11, 12 b Exod. 7. 3 with Exod. 8. 15, 32. 1 Cor. 1. 15, 16. lfa, 8. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 7, 8. Isa. 6. 9, 10 with Acts 28. 26, 27,

VII. As the Providence of God doth, in general, reach to all Creatures; fo after a most special Manner it taketh Care of his Church, and difpofeth all Things to the Good thereof c.

89

9.

Rom. 8. 28. Ifa. 43:

CHAP.

CH A P. VI.

Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment

thereof.

UR first Parents, being feduced by the Subtilty and Temptation of Satan, finned in eating the forbidThis their Sin, God was pleafed, accor ding to his wife and holy Counfel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own Glory b.

den Fruit a

a Gen. 3. 13. 2 Cor. 11. 3. b Rom. 11. 32.

It. By this Sin they fell from their original Righteouf defs and Communion with God c, and fo became dead in Sind, and wholly defiled in all the Faculties and Parts of Soul and Body e.

c Gen. 3. 6, 7, 8. Ecclef. 4. 29. Rom. 3. 23. dGen. 2. 17. Eph. 2. ì. e Tit. 1. 15. Gen. 6. 5. Jer. 17. 9. Rom. 3. 10, to 19.

III. They being the Root of all Mankind, the Guilt of this Sin was imputed f, and the fame Death in Sin, and corrupted Nature, conveyed to all their Posterity defcending from them by ordinary Generation g.

ƒ Gen. 1. 27, 28. and Gen. 2. 16, 17. and Acts 17. 26. with Rom. 5. 12, 15, to 19. and 1 Cor. 15. 21, 22, 45, 49. g Pfal. 51. 5. Gen. 5. 3. Job 14. 4. and 15. 14.

IV. From this original Corruption, whereby we are utterly indifpofed, difabled, and made oppofite to all Good A, and wholly inclined to all Evil i, do proceed all actual Tranfgremous k.

A Rom. 5. 6. and 8, 7. and 7. 18. Col. 1. 21. #Geh. 6. 5. Gen. 8. 21. Rom. 3. 10, 11, 12. k Jámės 1. 14; 15. Eph. 2.2, 3. Mat. 15. 19.

V. This Corruption of Nature, during this Life, doth remain in those that are regenerated: And, although

1 John 1. 8, 10. Rom. 7. 14, 17, 18, 23. James 3. 2. Prov. 20. 9. Eccl. 7, 20.