III. God in his ordinary providence maketh use of means, yet is free to work without1, above", and against them", at his pleasure. Exod. xxi. 13. And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. With Deut. xix. 5. As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live. 1 Kings xxii. 28. And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you. Ver. 34. And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host, for I am wounded. Isa. x. 6. I will send him against an 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. Ver. 7. 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. III. k Acts xxvii. 31. Paul said to the centurion, and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Ver. 44. And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship; and so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land. Isa. Iv. 10. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow, from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and IV. The maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: Ver. 11, 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. ii. 21. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord; I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth. Ver. 22. And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and they shall hear Jezreel. 1 Hos. i. 7. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and 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. Mat. iv. 4. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Job xxxiv. 10. Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. m Rom. iv. 19. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb. Ver. 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God: Ver. 21. And being fully persuaded, that what he had promised he was able also to perform. 2 Kings vi. 6. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed 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 shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and the iron did swim. Dan. iii. 27. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed 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 wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Ver. 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 Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. With 1 Chron. xxi. 1. And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. 1 Kings xxii. 22. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also go forth, and do so. Ver. 23. Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee. 1 Chron. x. 4. Then said Saul to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not, for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. Ver. 13. So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; Ver. 14. And enquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David, the son of Jesse. 2 Sam. xvi. 10. And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 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. Acts iv. 27. 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 gathered together, Ver. 28. For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. P Acts xiv. 16. Who in times past suffered all nations. to walk in their own ways. 9 Psal. lxxvi. 10. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the 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. 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 the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. 2 Kings xix. 28. Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. Gen. 1. 20. But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Isa. x. 6. I will send him against an 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. Ver. 7. 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. Ver. 12. Wherefore it shall come to pass, that, when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion, and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the tout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. S James i. 13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted af God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he' any them man: Ver. 14. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Ver. 17. Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 1 John H. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. Psalm 1. 21. These things hast theu done, and I kept silence: thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. 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 Jerusalem. Ver. 26. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, (both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,) so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah. V. 31. Flowbeit, in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder them to a more close and constant dependance 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 ". 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, wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. 2 Sam. xxiv. 1. And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. u 2 Cor. xii. 7. And lest I should be exalted above measure, through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Ver. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. Ver. 9. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Psal. lxxiii. throughout. * Psal. lxxvii. 1. I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. Ver. 10. And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. Ver. 12. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. [Read the intermediate Verses in the Bible.] Mark xiv. from the 66th verse to the end, with John xxi. 15. So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. Ver. 16. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Ver. 17. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved, because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. W VI. Rom. i. 24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves. Ver. 26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. Ver. 28, And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, Go gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are no convenient. Rom. xi. 7. What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the election hat obtained it, and the rest were blinde Ver. 8. (According as it is writter God hath given them the spirit slumber, eyes that they should ne see, and ears that they should ne hear,) unto this day. 10 standings, 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 occasion 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 ". * Deut. xxix. 4. Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. Matth. xiii. 12. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall he taken away even that he hath. Matth. xxv. 29. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath. Deut. ii. 30. But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day. 2 Kings viii. 12. And Hazael said, Why weepeth my Lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. Ver. 13. And Hazael said, But what! is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. a Psal. lxxxi. 11. But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me. Ver. 12. So I gave them up unto their own VII. As hearts' lust; and they walked in their own counsels. 2 Thess. ii. 10. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Ver. 11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; V. 12. That they all night 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 signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. With Exod. viii. 15. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said. V. 32. And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go. 2 Cor. ii. 15. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish. Ver. 16. To the one we are the savour of death unto death, and to the other the savour of life unto life; and who is sufficient for these things? Isa. viii. 14. And he shall be for a sanctuary: but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence, to both the houses of Israel; for a gin, and for a snare, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 1 Pet. ii. 7. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the C 2 buil lers |