CHAP. IV. Of Creation, T pleafed God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft a, for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal power, wisdom, and goodness b, in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space 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, endu mediately foregoing.) Rom. viii. 33. Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? it is God that juftifieth. Luke x. 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. i. 2. Hath in these last days, fpoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom alfo he made the worlds. John i. 2. The fame was 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. i. 2. And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Job. xxvi. 13. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked ferpent. Job xxxiii. 4. The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. b Rom. i. 20. For the invifible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly feen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; fo that they are without excufe. Jer. x. 12. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established ed the world by his wifdom, and hath ftretched out the heavens by his difcretion. Pfal. civ. 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wifdom haft thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches. Pfal. xxxiii. 5. He loveth righteoufnefs aud judgment: the earth is full of the goodnefs of the Lord. v. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made: and all the hoft of them, by the breath of his mouth. c (The whole firft chapter of Gen.) Heb. xi. 3. Through faith we underftand, that the worlds were framed by the word of God, fo that things which are seen, were not made of things which do appear. Col. i. 16. For by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, vifible and invifible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers; all things were created by him, and for him. 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. II. d 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. e Gen. ii. 7. And the Lord God formed man of the duft of the ground ed with knowledge, righteoufnefs, and true holiness, after his own image f, having the law of God written in their hearts g, and power to fulfil it h; and yet under a poffibility of tranfgreffmg, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was fubject unto change i. Befide 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 k, and had dominion over the creatures/. CHAP. ground, and breathed into his noftrils the breath of life; and man became a living foul. With Eccl. xii. 7. Then fhall the duft return to the earth as it was: and the spirit fhall return unto God who gave it. And Luke xxiii. 43. And Jefus faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, today fhalt thou be with me in paradife. And Mat. x. 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 destroy both foul and body in hell. f Gen. i. 26. And God faid, let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 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. g Rom.ii. 14. For when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, thefe having not the law, are a law unto themselves. ver. 15. Which fhew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accufing, or else excufing one another. b Eccl. vii. 29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have fought out many inventions. i Gen. iii. 6. And when the woman faw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be defired to make one wife; fhe took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave alfo unto her husband with her and he did eat. Eccl. vii. 29. (See letter h immediately foregoing.) k Gen. ii. 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou fhalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt furely die. Gen. iii. 8. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the prefence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. v. 9. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and faid unto him, Where art thou? v. 10. And he faid, I heard thy voice in the garden: and I was afraid because I was naked: and I hid myself. v. II. And he faid, Who told thee that thou waft naked? Haft thou eaten of the tree,whereof I commanded thee, that thou shouldst not eat? v. 23. Therefore the Lord God fent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground, from whence he was taken. / Gen. i. 26. And God faid, let us make man in our image, after our like G CHAP. V. Of Providence. OD the great Creator of all things, doth uphold a, direct, difpofe, and govern all creatures, actions, and things b, from the greatest even to the leaft c, by his moft wife and holy providence d, according to his infallible foreknowledge e, and likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cat tle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. v. 28. And God bleffed them, and God faid unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and fubdue it: 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. I. a Heb. i. 3. Who being the brightnefs of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our fins, fat down on the right hand of the Majefty on high. V. b Dan. iv. 34. And at the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I bleffed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whofe dominion is an everlafting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation. 35. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can Ray bis hand, or fay unto him, What doft thou? Pfal. cxxxv. 6. Whatfoever the Lord pleafed, that did he in heaven and in earth, in the feas, and all deep places. Acts xvii. 25. Nei ther is worshipped with mens hands, as though 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 the earth, 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. xxxviii. xxxix, xl, xli, chapters. c Mat x. 29. Are not two fparrows fold for a farthing? and one of them fhall not fall on the ground without your 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 sparrows. d Prov. xv. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Pfal. civ. 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wifdom has thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches, Pfal. cxlv. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. e Acts xv. 18. Known unto God' are all his works from the beginning of the world. Pfal.xciv. 8. Underftand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wife? v. 9. He that planted the ear, fhall he not hear? he that formed the eye, fhall he not fee? v. 10. He that chaftifeth the heathen, fhall not he correct? and the free and immutable counsel of his own will f, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy g II. Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the firft caufe, all things come to pafs immutably and infallibly h: yet, by the fame providence, he ordereth them to fall out, according to the nature of second caufes, either neceffarily, freely, or contingently i. 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. i. 11 In whom alfo we have obtained an inheritance, being predeftinated according to the purpofe of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Pfalm xxxiii. 10. The Lord bringeth the counfel of the heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. v. 11. The counsel of the Lord ftandeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Ifaiah lxiii. 14. As a beaft goeth down into the valley, the fpirit of the Lord caufed him to reft; fo didft thou lead thy people, to make thyfelf a glorious name. 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 fcripture faith unto Pharaoh, Even for this fame purpofe 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. xlv. 7. And God fent me before you, to preferve you a pofterity in the earth, and to fave your lives by a great deliverance. Pfal. cxlv. 7. They fhall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and fhall fing of thy righteoufnefs. III. God II. h 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. i Gen. viii. 22. While the earth remaineth, feed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and fummer and winter, and day and night, shall not ceafe. Jer. xxxi. 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 hosts is his name. 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 fhall flee. With Deut. xix. 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 down the tree, and the head flippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour that he die; he fhall flee unto one of thofe 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 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 harness: wherefore he faid unto the driver of his chariot, Turn D thine III. God in his ordinary providence maketh ufe of means, k, yet is free to work without I, above m, and against them at his pleasure n. IV. The Almighty power, unfearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, fo far manifeft themselves in his providence, that it extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other fins thine hand, and carry me out of the hoft, for I am wounded. Ifa. 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 spoil, 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 destroy, and cut off nations not a few. And the III. k Acts xxvii. 31. Paul faid to the centurion, and to the foldiers, Except thefe abide in the ship, ye cannot be faved. v. 44. reft, fome on boards, and fome on broken pieces of the fhip: and fo it came to pafs that they efcaped all fafe to land. Ifaiah lv. 10. For as the rain cometh down, and the fnow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring furth and bud, 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 fhall not return unto me void, but it fhall accomplish that which I pleafe, and it fhall profper in the thing whereto I fent it. Hof. ii. 21. And it fhall come to pafs in that day, I will hear faith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they fhall hear the earth. v. 22. And the earth fhall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and they shall hear Jezreel. Hof. i. 7. But I will have mer 4. cy upon the houfe of Juda, and will fave them by the Lord their God, and will not fave them by bow, nor by fword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horfe-men. Matth. iv. But he answered and faid, it is written, Man fhall 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 confidered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadnefs of Sara's womb. v. 20. He ftaggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was ftrong in faith, giving glory to God: V. 21. And being fully perfuaded, that what he had promised he was able alfo to perform. n 2 Kings vi. 6. And the man of God faid, Where fell it? And he fhewed him the place. And he cut down a ftick, and caft it in thither, and the iron did fwim. Dan. iii. 27. And the princes, governors and captains, and the king's counfellors being gathered together, faw these 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. |