Chap. V. IV. The almighty power, unfearchable wisdom, and in finite goodness of God, fo far manifeft themselves in his providence, that it extendethitfelf even to the firft fall, and all other fins of angels and men, and that not by a bare permission », but fuch as hath joined with it a moft wife and powerful bound fhewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and caft it in thither, and the iron did swim. Dan. iii. 27.And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counfellors, being gathered together, faw thefe men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head finged, neither were their coats changed, nor the fmell of fire had paffed on them. IV. Rom. xi. 32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. V. 33. 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! V. 34. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor? 2 Sam. xxiv. 1. And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Ifrael, and he moved David against them to fay, Go, number Ifrael and Judah. With Chron. xxi. 1. And Satan ftood up against Ifrael, and provoked David to number Ifrael. ■ Kings xxii. 22. And the Lord faid unto him, Wherewith? And he fid, I will go forth, and I will be a lying (pirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he faid, Thou fhalt periuade him, and prevai- alfo: go forth, and do fo. V.23.Now, therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying fpirit in the mouth of all these thy pro phets, and the Lord hath spoken I evil concerning thee. 1 Chron. x. 4. Then faid Saul to his armour-bearer, Draw thy fword, and thruft me through therewith; left these uncircumcifed come and abufe me. But his armourbearer would not, for he was fore afraid. So Saul took a fword, and fell upon it. V. 13. So Saul died for his tranfgreffion 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; V. 14. And enquired not of the Lord: therefore he flew him, and turned the kingdom unto David, the fon of Jeffe. 2 Sam. xvi. 10. And the king faid, What have I to do with you, ye fons of Zeruiah? fo let him curfe, because the Lord hath faid unto him, Curfe David. Who fhall thenfay, Wherefore haft thou done fo? Acts ii. 23. Him, being delivered by the determinate counfel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and flain. Acts. iv. 27. 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, V. 28. For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counfel determined before to be done. P Acts xiv. 16. Who in times past fuffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 4 Pfalm bounding, and otherwife ordering and governing of them, in a manifold difpenfation, to his own holy ends; yet fo as the finfulness 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 fins. V.The most wife, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a feafon his own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chaflife them for their former fins, or to discover unto them the hidden ftrength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled ; and to raise them to a more clofe and conftant ¶ Pfal. Ixxvi. 1o. Surely the wrath of man fhall praife thee: the remainder of wrath fhalt thou reftrain. 2 Kings xix. 28. Becaufe 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 by which then cameft. Gen. 1. 20. But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pafs, as it is this day, to fave much people alive. Ifaiah x. 6. 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 streets. V. 7. How. beit he meaneth not fo, neither doth his heart think fo; but it is in his heart to deftroy and cut off nations not a few. V. 12. Wherefore it fhall come to pafs, that, when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion, and on Jerufalem, I will punish the fruit of the ftout beart of the king of Affyria, and the glory of his high looks. S James i. 13. Let no man fay when he is tempted, I am tempt ed of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: V. 14. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. V. 17. Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variablenefs, neither thadow of turning. John ii. 16. For all that is in the world, the luft of the flesh, and the luft of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. Pfalm 1. 21. These things haft thou done, and I kept blence :: thou thoughteft that I was altogether fuch an one as thy felf: but I will reprove thee, and fet them in order before thine eyes. 10 V. 2 Chron. xxxii. 25. But Hezekiah rendered not again, according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up; therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerufalem. V. 26. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the price of his heart, (both he and the inhabitants of Jerufalem,) fo that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah. V. 31. Howbeit, in the bufinefs of the ambaffadors of the princes of Babylon, who fent unto Chap. V. conftant dependance for their fupport upon himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occafions of fin, and for fundry other just and holy ends. VI. As for thofe wicked and ungodly men, whom God as a righteous judge, for former fins, doth blind and harden, from them he not only with-holdeth his grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. 2Sam. xxiv. 1. And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Ifrael, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Ifrael and Judah. V 2 Cor. xii. 7. And left Ifhould be exalted above measure, through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the meffenger of Satan to buffet me, left I fhould be exalted above measure. V. 8. For this thing I befought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. V. 9. And he said unto me, My grace is fufficient for thee: for my frength is made perfect in weakness. Moft gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Chrift may reft upon me. Pfalm lxxiii. throughout Pfalm lxxvii. 1. I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave car unto me. V. 10. And I faid, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. V. 12. I will meditate alfo of all thy works, and talk of thy doings. [Read the intermediate Verfes in the Bible.] Mark xiv. from the 66th verfe to the end, with John xxi. 15. So when they had dined, Jefus faith to Simon Peter, Simon, fon of Jonas, loveft thou me more than these? He faith * upon unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knoweft that I love thee. He faith un to him, Feed my lambs. V. 16. H: faith to him again the fecond time, Simon, fon of Jonas, lovest thou me? He faith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He faith unto him, Feed my fheep. V. 17. He faith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, loveft thou me? Peter was grieved, because he said unto him the third time, Loveft thou me? And he faid unto him, Lord, thou knoweft all things; thou knoweft that I love thee. Jefus faith unto him, Feed my sheep. VI. w Rom. i. 24. Wherefore God alfo gave them up to uncleannefs, through the lufts of their own hearts, to difhonour their own bodies between themselves. V. 26. For this caufe God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural ufe into that which is against nature. V. 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their know. ledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. Rom. xi. 7. What then? Ifrael hath not obtained that which he feeketh for, but the election hath obtainedit, and the reft were blinded. V. 8. According as it is written, God hath given them the fpirit of lumber, eyes that they should not fee, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day. X * Deut. upon in their hearts; but fometimes alfo withdraweth the gifts which they had, and expofeth them to fuch objects as their corruption makes occafion of fin; and withal, gives them over to their own lufts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan: whereby it comes to pass, that they harden themselves, even under thofe means which God ufeth for the foftening of others". * Deut. xxix. 4. Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to fee, and ears to hear, unto this day. Mat. xiii. 12. For whofoever hath, to him shall be given, and he fhall have more abundance: but whofoever hath not, from him fhall be taken away even that he hath. Mat.xxv. 29. For unto every one that hath thall be given, and he fhall have abundance: but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath. Deut. 30. But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let as pats by him; for the Lord thy God hardened his fpirit, and made his heart obftinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appear eth this day. 2 Kings viii. 12. And Hazael faid, Why weepeth my lord? And he anfwered, Becaufe I know the evil that thou wik do unto the children of If rael: their ftrong holds wilt thou fet on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the fword, and wilt dafh their children, and rip up their women with child. V. 13. And Hazael faid, But what! is thy fervant a dog, that he fhould do this great thing? And Elisha anfwered, The Lord hath fhewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. * Pfal. Ixxxi. 11. But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Ifrael would none of me: V. 12. So I gave them up unto VII. As their own hearts' luft; and they walked in their own counfels 2 Theff. ii. 1o. And with all deceiveableness of unrighteoufne's in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be faved. V. 11. And for this caufe God fhall fend them ftrong delufion, that they should believe a lye: V. 12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. b Exod. vii. 3. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my figns and my wonders in the land of Egypt. With Exod. viii. 15. But when Pharaoh faw that there was refpite he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had faid, V. 32. And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time alfo, neither would he let the people go. 2 Cor. ii. 15. For we are unto God a tweet favour of Chrift, in them that are faved, and in them that perifh. V. 16. To the one we are,the favour of death unto death, and to the other the favour of life unto life; and who is fufficient for thefe things? Ifa. viii. 14. And he shail be for a fanctuary; but for a stone offtumbling, and fer a rock of offence, to both the houfes of Ifracl; for a gin, and for a fnare, to the inhabitants of Jerufalem. 1 Pet ii. 7. Unto you, therefore, which believe he is precious: but upto them which be dilobedient, the C 2 fone Chap. VI. 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 difpofeth all things to the good thereof. CHAP. VI. Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof. UR firft parents, being feduced by the fubtilety and temptation of Satan, finned in eating the forbidden fruit. This their fin God was pleafed, according to his wife ftone which the builders difallow ed, the fame is made the head of the corner. V. 8. And a ftone of ftumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being difobedient; whereunto alfo they were appointed. Ifa. vi. 9. And he said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and fee ye indeed, but perceive not. V. 1o. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and that their eyes; left they fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. With Acts xxviii. 26. Saying, Go unto this people, and fay, Hearing ye fhall hear, and fhall not understand; and seeing ye fhall fee, and not perceive. V.27. For the heart of this people is waxed grofs, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they clofed; left they fhould fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and fhould be converted, and I fhould heal them. VII.1 Tim. iv. 10. For there fore we both labour, and fuffer reproach, because we truft in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, fpecially of thofe that believe. Amos ix. 8. Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the finful kingdom, and I will deftroy it from off the face of the earth; faving that I will not utterly deftroy the houfe of Jacob, faith the Lord. V. 9. For, lo, I will command, and I will fift the house of Ifrael among all nations, like as corn is fifted in a fieve, yet fhall not the leaft grain fall upon the earth. Rom. viii. 28. And wẹ know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Ifa. xliii. 3. For I am the Lord thy God, the holy One of Ifrael, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ranfom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. V. 4. Since thou waft precious in my fight thou haft been honourable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. V. 5. Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy feed from the eaft, and gather thee from the weft. V. 14. Thus faith the Lord, your Redeemer, the holy One of Ifrael, For your fake I have fent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whofe cry is in the fhips, 1. Gen. iii. 13. And the Lord God faid unto the woman, What is this that thou haft done? And the |