gence, and abundant consolation, to all that sincerely obey the gospel.w

CHAPTER IV.

OF CREATION.

I. 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.c

w Rom. xi. 5, 6, 20. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.-Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear. Rom. viii. 33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Luke x. 20. Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

I. a Rom. xi. 36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 1 Cor. viii. 6. But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Heb. i. 2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. John i. 2, 3. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Gen. i. 2. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Rom. i. 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Psa. civ. 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. Jer. x. 12. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

Gen. i. throughout. Acts xvii. 24. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. Col. i. 16. For by him were

II. After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female,d 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,9 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.i Besides 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

all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. Ex. xx. 11. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Gen. i. 31. God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. See Psa. xxxiii. 5, 6.

II. Gen. i. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

• Gen. ii. 7. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Psa. viii. 5. For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Eccl. xii. 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Matt. x. 28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Gen. i. 26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

Rom. ii. 14, 15. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another.

Col. iii. 10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Eph. iv. 24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

iGen. iii. 6. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

communion with God, and had dominion over the creat

ures.

CHAPTER V.

OF PROVIDENCE.

I. GOD, the great Creator of all things, doth uphold,a direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence,d according to his infallible fore

*Gen. ii. 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. See Gen. iii.

'Gen. i. 28. And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. See Gen. i. 29, 30; Psa. viii. 6–8.

I. a Neh. ix. 6. Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshipeth thee. Psa. cxlv. 14-16. The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

Dan. iv. 34, 35. I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose 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 say unto him, What doest thou? Psa. cxxxv. 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. See Acts xvii. 25, 26.

Matt. x. 29-31. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall 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 sparrows. See Matt. vi. 26, 30.

d Prov. xv. 3. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. 2 Chron. xvi. 9. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. See Psa. civ. 24.

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.9

II. Although, in relation to the foreknowledge, 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 xv. 18. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Psa. xciv. 8-11. Understand, ye brutish among the people and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

f Eph. i. 11. Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Psa. xxxiii. 10, 11. The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

9 Eph. iii. 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. ix. 17. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Gen. xlv. 7. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Psa. cxlv. 7. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. II. Jer. xxxii. 19. Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Acts. ii. 23. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.

i Gen. viii. 22. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Jer. xxxi. 35. Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name. Isa. x. 6, 7. I will send him against a 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 like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

k

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

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

0

III. *Acts xxvii. 24, 31. Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar: and lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.-Paul said to the centurion, and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Isa. lv. 10, 11. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow, from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall 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 it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

'Hos. i. 7. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

m Rom. iv. 20, 21. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded, that what he had promised, he was able also to per form.

n Dan. iii. 27. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their heads singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. See 1 Kings xviii. 17-39. John xi. 43-45. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. Rom. i. 4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

IV. Isa. xlv. 7. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil; I the LORD do all these things. Rom. xi. 32-34. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? Acts iv. 27, 28. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were