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righteousness, and true holiness, after his own image, having the law of God written in their hearts, 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. 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 communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures'.

the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. Luke xxiii. 43. See also Eccl. xii. 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. And, 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.

f 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.

b Eccl. vii. 29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many in

ventions.

i Gen. 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. See Eccl. vii. 29.

Gen. ii. 17. But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou catest thereof, thou shalt surely die. See Gen. iii. 8.—xi. 23.

1 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 Psal. viii. 6, 7, 8.

CHAPTER V.

Of Providence.

GOD, the great Creator of all things, doth upholda, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will', to

I. a Heb. i. 3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,

b Dan. iv. 34, 35.-I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honoured 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 is nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of neaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? Psal. CXXXV. 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. See also Acts xvii. 25, 26, 28. and Job xxxviii, xxxix, xl, xli chapters. • Mat. x. 29, 30, 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 also 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 towards him. See also Psal. cxlv. 17. and civ. 24.

• Acts xv. 18. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

Eph. i. 11.-Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Psal xxxii. 11.-The counsel of the Lord

the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, jus tice, goodness and mercy.

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.

III. God, in his ordinary providence, maketh

standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

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. Psal. cxlv. 7. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

II. Acts ii. 23. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and toreknowledge of God ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.

i Ger. viii. 22. While the earth remaineth, seed-time 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. Exod. xxi. 13. 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. 1 Kings xxii. 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 thy hand, and carry me out of the host; for 1 am wounded. Isai. x. 6, 7. 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.- -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.

use of means, yet is free to work without', above", 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 bare permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise and power

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. Isai. 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 Bower, 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.

1 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. 19, 20, 21. 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 Sarah's womb. -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 perform

• 2 Kings vi. 6. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed 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, Lor the smell of fire had passed on them.

IV. Rom. xi. 32, 33. 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

ful bounding, and otherwise ordering and governing 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;

unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 2 Sam. xxiv. 1. with 1 Chron. xxi. 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. 1 Chron. x. 4. xiii. 14. Then said Saul to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not, for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. 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 inquire of it; and inquired 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? See also 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 gathered together.-For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

P Psal. lxxvi. 10. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee; 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 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. Isai. x. 6, 7, 12. 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. -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. — 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 stout heart of the king of Assy ria, and the glory of his high looks.

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