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is to be handled with special prudence and care f, that men attending the will of God revealed in his word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their ef fecual vocation, be affured of their eternal election t. So fall this doctrine afford matter of praife, reverence, and admiration of God v; and of humility, diligence, and a bundant confolation to all that fincerely obey the gospel w,

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CHAP. IV. Of Creation,

T pleafed God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft a, for the manifeftation of the glory of his eternal power, wifdom, and goodness b, in the beginning, to create, or

VIII. Rom. 9. 20. Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? fhall the thing formed fay to him that formed it,Why haft thou made me thus? Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the riches both of the wildom & knowledge of God! how unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways palt finding out! Deut. 29. 29. The fecret things belong unto the Lord our God but thofe things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law., t2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather,brethren, give all diligence to make your calling and election fure: for if ye do these things, ye fhall never fall.

v Eph. 1. 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.Rom. 11. 33. (See lettet fimmediately foregoing.)

w Rom. 11. 5. Even fo then at this prefent time alfo there is a remnant according to the election of grace. v. 6. And if by grace, then is it no more of works other wife grace is no more grace. But if it be of works,then it is no more grace: otherwife work is no more work. v, 29. Well; becaule of un

make

belief they were broken off, and thou flandeft by faith. Be not highminded, but fear. 2 Pet. 1. 10.(See letter t immediately foregoing.) Ro.8.33. Who fhall lay any thing tothe charge ofGod'select?itis God that juftifieth. Luke 10. 20. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the fpirits are fubject unto you: but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

I. a Heb. 1. 2. Hath in these last days fpoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir ofall things, by whom alfo he madethe worlds. John.1. 2.Thefamewas in the beginning with God. v. 3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made,that was made. Gen. 1.2.And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep: And the fpirit of Godmovedupontheface of the waters. Job 26. 13. By his fpirit he hath garnished the heavens: his hand hath formed thecrooked ferpent, Job 33. 4. The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

b Rom. 1. 20. For the invifible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,being understood by the things that are C4

made

. Chap. 4. make of nothing, the world,and all things therein, whether vifible or invifible, in the fpace of fix days, and all very good c.

II. After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female d, with reasonable and immortal fouls e, endued with knowledge, righteoufnefs, and true ho inefs, after his own image f, having the law of God written in their hearts g, and power to fulfill it h; and yet under

made, even his eternal power and Godhead; fo that they are without excufe. Jer. 10.12, He hath made the earth by his power, he hath eftablished the worldbyhis wifdom, and hathftretched out the heavens by his difcretion. Pfal. 104. 24. O Lord,howmanifold arethy works! in wifdom haft thoumade themall; 'the earth is full of thy riches. Pfal. 33. 5. He loveth righteoufnefs & judgment: the earth is full of the goodnels of the Lord. v. 6.Bythe word of the Lordwere the heavens made: and all the hosts of them, by the breath of his mouth.

c(ThewholefiritchapterofGen.) Heb.11.3.Throughfaith we underftand,that the worlds were framed by the word of God,fo that things which are feen, were not made of things which do appear. Col.1.16. For by him were all thingscreated that are in heaven,and that are in earth,vifible & invifible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalitiesorpowers: all things were created by him,and for him. Acts 17. 24. God that made the world,and all things therein, feeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth,dwellethnot in temples made with hands.

II. d Gen. 1. 27 So God created man.in his ownimage,in the image of God created he him: male and female created he them.

e Gen. 2.7. And the Lord God formed man of the duft of the ground, and breathed into his notrils the breath of life; and man

became a living foul.WithEccl.12. 7. Then fhall theduftreturn to the earth as it was: and the spiritshall return unto God who gaveit, And Luke 23. 43. And jefus faid unto him, Verily I fayunto thee, Today fhalt thou be with me in paradife. 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 and let them have dominion over the fifh of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thingthatcreepeth upon the earth. Col.3,10. And haveput on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him. Eph.4. 24. And that ye puton the new man, whichafter God is created in righteousness, and true holiness.

g Rom.2. 14. For when theGentiles which have not the law,do by nature the things contained in the law, thefe having not the law,are a law unto themfelves: v.15,which fhew the work of the law written intheirhearts,their confcience allo bearing witnels, & their thoughts themean while accufing, or elieexcufing 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,

under a poffibility of tranfgreffing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was fubject unto change i, Beside this law written in their hearts, they received a command, nt to eat of the tree of the 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.

CHAP. V. Of Providence.

OD, the great creator of all things, doth up

GOD,
G° hold a, direct, difpofe, and govern all creatures,

actions, and things b, from the greateft even to the

i Gen.3. 6. And when thewoman, fawthat the tree was good forfood, andthat it was pleafanttotheeyes, and a tree to be defired tomake one wife; fhe took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,and gave alfo unto her husband with her, and he did eat, Eccl.7.29 (Seeletter h immediately foregoing.)

k Gen, 2. 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eateft thereof, thou fhaltfurelydie.Gen.3.18.And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adamand his wife hid themfelves from the prefence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. v. 9. And the Lord God called unto Adam,andlaidunto him, where art thou?". 10. And he faid, I heard thy voice in the garden; and I was afraid, becaufe Iwas naked; and I hid myself.v.11. And he faid, Who told thee that thou waft naked? Haft thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee, that thou shouldest not eat? v.23.Therefore the Lord God fent himforthfromthe garden of Eden, to till the ground,from whence he was taken.

I Gen. 1. 26. And God faid, let us make man in our image, after ourlikeness: and let them havedo

leaft

minion over the fish of the fea,and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth. andoverevery creeping thingthat creepethuponthe earth.".28 And God bleffed them,and Godlaid unto them, Be fruitful,and multiply andreplenish the earth,and fubdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

La Heb. 1. 3. Who being the brightnefsof his glory,and the exprefsimage of his perion, andupholding all things by the word of his power, when hehad by himself purgedoutour fins,fat down onthe right hand of the majefty on high.

b Dan. 4. 34. And at the end of thedays,I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned untome, and I blefled the most high, and I praised and honoured him that li veth forever, whofe dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is fromgeneration to ge nation. v. 35. And all the innabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and hedoth accordingto his will in the army of heaven, and among theinhabitants of the earth:and none can itay his hand, or lay unto him, What doit thou? Pfal, 135. 6, Whatloever the Lord

pleated

leaft c, by his most wife and holy providence d, according to his infallible foreknowledge e, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will f, to the praife of the glory of his. wifdom, power, juftice, goodnefs, and mercy g.

II. Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first caufe, all things come to pafs immutably and infallibly h: Yet, by the fame providence he ordereth them

pleased,that did he in heaven and in earth, in the feas, and all deep places. Acts17.25. Neither is worhipped with mens hands, as tho' he needed any thing,feeing he giveth to all life,and breath, and all things; v. 26. And hath made of one blood,all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of theearth and hath determined the times before appointed,and the bounds of their habitation: v. 28. For in him we live, and move,and have our being: as certain alfo of your own poets have faid,For we are alfo his off-fpring.Job.38,39,40,41.Chap.

ters.

c Mat. 10.29. Are not two sparrows fold for a farthing? and one of them fhallnot fall on the ground without our Father. v. 30. But the very hairs of your head are all numbred.v, 31. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many fparrows.

d Prov. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place,beholding the evil and the good. Pfal. 104. 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wildom halt thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches. Pfal, 145.17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways,and holy in all his works.

e Acts 15. 18. Known unto God are all his works from the begin ning of the world. Pfal.94 8. Understand,yebruitillamongthe people and ye fools, when will ye be wile? v. 9. He that planteth the ear, fhall he not hear? he that formed the eye, fhall he not fee? v. 10. He that chaitifeth the heathen,

fhall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, fhall not he know? v. 11. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

f Eph.1. 14. In whom alio we have obtainedaninheritance, being predeftinated according tothe purpole of himwho worketh allthings after the counfel of his own will. Pfalm 33. 10. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. v. 11, The counfel of the Lord ftandeth for ever,the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

gIfaiah 63. 14. As a bealt goeth down into the valley, the fpirit of the Lord caufed him to reft: lo didit thou lead thy people,tomake thyfelf a gloriousname. Eph.3.10. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in hea venly places, might be known by the church the manifold wifdom of God. Rom. 9. 17. For the fcripture faith unto Pharaoh, Even for thisfamepurpofe have I raised thee up, that I might fhew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Gen.45.7. And God fent me before you, to preferve you a pofterity in the earth, and to fave your livesby a great, deliverance, Pfalm 45.7.They fhall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodnefs, and fhall fing of thy righteoufnefs,

11. h Acts 2.23. Him, being de livered by the determinatecounfel and foreknowledge ofGod,ye have

taken,

them to fall out, according to the nature of the second caufes either neceffarily, freely, or contingently i.

III. God in his ordinary providence maketh use of means k, yet is free to work without, above m, and against them at

taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and flain.

i Gen. 8. 22. Whiletheearth remaineth, feed-time and harveft, and cold and heat, and fummer and winter, and day and night, fhall not ceale. Jer. 31, 35. 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 host's ishis name. Ex. 21.31.And if a man ly not inwait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whetherhefhallflee. WithDeut. 19 5. As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a ftroke with the ax to cut downthe tree,and the headslippeth fromthe helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour that he die; hefhallflee unto one of thofe cities, and live. 1 Kings 22. 28. And Micaiah faid, If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath no fpoken by me.And he faid, hearken, O people, every one of you. v, 34. And a certain man 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 holt, for I am wounded. Ifaiah 10. 6. I will send him againstanhypocriticalnation; and aganift the people ofmywrath will I give him acharge to takethe 1poil and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of ftreets. v. 7. Howbeit,he meaneth not fo,neither dothhis heart think lo,but it is in his heart todeftroy, and cut of nations not a few.

III, k Acts 27. 31. Paul faid to

his

the centurion, and to the foldiers, Except thefe abide in the fhip, ye cannot be faved, ". 44. And the reft,fome on boards, and fome on broken peaces of thefhip: Andfo it came to pass that they el caped all fafe to land. Isaiah 55. 10. For as the rain cometh down, and the fnow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth theearth, and maketh itspring forth andbud, that it may give feed to the fower, and bread to the eater; v. 11. So fhall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and itfhall profperin thething whereto 1 fent it. Hof. 2. 21. And it fhall come to pafs in that day,I will hear faith the Lord, I will hear the hea vens,and they fhall hear theearth. v. 22. And the earth fhall hearthe corn, and the wine, and the oyl, and they fhall hear Jezreel.

I Hof. 1. 7. But I will havemercyuponthe houfe of Judah,and will fave them by the Lord their God and will not fave thembybow, nor by fword, nor by battle,by horfes, nor by horsemen. Matth.4.4. But he anfwered and faid, It is written, Man fhall not live by bread alone, but byevery wordthat proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Job 34. 10. Therefore hearken untone,ye men of understanding; far be it from God,thathefhoulddowickednefs, and from the Almighty,that he should commit iniquity.

m Rom. 4. 19. And being not weak in faith,heconfiderednot his own body now dead, when he was about anhundred years old,neither yet the deadnefs of Sara's womb, v, 20. He itaggered not at thepromile of God through unbelief; but

was

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