his pleasure n. IV. The almighty power, unfearchable wifdom, and infinite goodness of God, fo far manifeft themselves in his providence, that it extendeth itfelfeven to the firft fall, and all other fins of angels and men o, and that not by a bare permiffion p, but fuch as hath joined with it a most wife and powerful bounding q, and otherwife ordering,and governing of was ftrong infaith,givingglory to God: v. 21. And being fully per1waded,that what hehad promised, he was able alfo to perform. n 2 Kings 6.6. And the man of God faid, "Where fell it? And he fhewed him the place. And he cut down a ftick, and cait in thither, and the iron did fwim.Dan. 3.27. And the princes, governors and captains, and the kingscounfellers being gathered together,fawthefe men, upon whofe bodies thefirehad no power,nor was an hair of their head finged, neither were their Coats changed,nor the fmell of fire had palled upon them. IV.okom. 11.32.ForGod hath concluded them allin unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 7.33. O the depth of the riches both of thewildom and knowledge of God! how unfearchable are his judgments,and his ways paltfinding out! v. 34. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counfeller? 2 Sam.24. 1.And again the anger of the Lord was kindled againft Ifrael,and he moved David againit them, to fay, Go number Ifrael and Judah: With Chr.21,1.And Satan itood up against Ifrael, and provoked David to number Ifrael. Kings 22.22. And the Lord faid unto him, wherewith? And he laid will go forth, and I will be a ly ing ípirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he faid, thou fhalt perfwade him, and prevail alfo : go forth, and do fo. v. 23. Now therefore behold, the Lord hath put a lying ipirit in the mouth of allthefe thy prophets,and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee. 1 Chr.10. 4.Then faid Saul to his armour-bearer, Draw thy fword, and thurit me through therewith; left thefe uncircumcifed come and abule me. But his armour-bearer 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 aíking counsel of one that had a familiar fpirit, to enquire of it. v. 14.And enquired not of the Lord: therefore he flew him,andturned the kingdom unto David the fonof Jeffe.Sam. 16.10. And the king faid,what have I to do with you, ye fons of Zeruiah? folet him curfe,becaufe, the Lord, hath faid unto him, Curfe David. Whofhallthenfay, wherefore halt thou done fo? Acts 2. 23. Him, being delivered by the determinate counfel and foreknowledge ofGod, ye have taken, andby wickedhands have crucified and flain. Acts4.27. 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 gatheredtogether,v.28.For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counfel determined before to be done. 'p Acts 14.16. Whoin times past fuffered all nations to walk in their NEW JERSEY OLLEGE LIBRARY of them, in a manifold difpenfation, to his own holy ends r Yet fo, as the finfulness thereof procéedeth only from the creature, and not from God, who,being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of fin f. V. The most wife, and righteous and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a feafon his own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chaftife them for their former fins, to difocover unto them the hidden strength of corruption, and deceitfulness of their hearts,that they may be humbled t;and to raise them to a more clofs and conftant dependence for their fupport upon himfelf, and to make them more watchful against all future oc ftrain.2 Kings 19. 28. Becaufe thy r Gen. 50.20.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. Ifa. 10. 6. I will fend him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I givehim a charge to take the fpoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them downlike the mire of the streets. v. 7.Howbeit, he meaneth not fo, neither doth his heart think fo, but it is in his heart to deltroy, and cut off nations,not a few. v. 12. Wherefore it fhall come to pafs, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work uponmount Zion, and on Jerufalem, I willpunifhthefruit of the tout heart of the king of Affyria, and the glory of his high looks. f James 1. 13. Let no man fay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempt ed with evil, neither tempteth he any man. v. 14. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luft,and enticed, v. 17. cafions Every good gift,and every perfect V. 2 Chr. 32. 25. But Hezekiah v a Cor. cafions of fin, and for fundry other juft and holy ends v. VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men, whom God as a righteous judge,for former fins, doth blind and harden w, from them he not only withholdeth his grace, whereby they might have been enlightned in their understandings, and wrought upon in their hearts x; but fometimes alfo withdraweth the gifts which they had y, and expofeth them to fuch objects as their corruption makes occafion of fin; me? And he faid unto him, Lord, thou knoweft all things; thou knoweft thatI lovethee, Jefus faith unto him, feed my fheep, VI. w Rom. 1. 24. Wherefore God alfo gave themupto uncleannefs, thro' the lofts of their own hearts, to difhonour their own bodies between themfelves: 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: 7. 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a re probate mind, to do thofe things which are not convenient. Rom. 11.7. What then? Ifrael hath not obtained that which he feeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded, v. 8. According as it is written, God hath given themthe fpirit of flumber, eyes that they fhould not fee, and ears that they should nothear unto this day. v 2Cor. 12. 7. And left I should 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 meafure. v.8. For this thing I befought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 7. 9. And he laid unto me, My grace is fufficient for thee: for my ftrength is made perfect in we aknefs. Moft gladly thereforewill I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Chrift may rest upon me. Pfal. 73. throughout.* Plal77.1.I cried unto God with my voice:even unto God with my voice,andhe gave ear unto me. . 10. And 1 faid, This is my infirmity: But I will remember the years of theright hand of the moft High. v, 12. I will meditate alfo,ofallthy works,andtalk of thy doings. (Read the intermediate verfes in the Bible) Mark14. from the 66. to theend,with John 21. 15. So when they had dined, Jefus faith to Simen Peter, Simon fon of Jonas,lovelt thou me more than these? He faith untohim, Yea, Lord; thou knoweft that I love thee. He faith unto him, Feed my lambs..16.Hefaithuntohim again the fecond time, Simon son of Jonas,loveft thou me? He faith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that love thee. He faith unto him, Feed my sheep. v. 17.He faith!unto him the third time, Simon, fon of Jonas, loveft thou me? Peter was grieved, because he faid unto him the third time, Lovelt thou X Deut.29.4.Yet the Lordhath not givenyouanheart to perceive, and eyes to fee, and ears to hear, unto this day. y Matth. 13.12. For whofoever hath, to him fhall be given, and he fhall have more abundance: but whofoever hath not,fromhimfhall be taken away, even that he hath. Mat. 25.29.Foruntoeveryonethat hath fhall be given, and he hall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. z Deut fin z; and withal, gives them over to their own lufts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan a: Whereby it comes to pafs, that they harden themselves, even under thofe means which God ufeth for the foftning of others b. VII. As the providence of God doth, in general, reach z Deut. 2. 20. But Sihon king of Hefhbon wouldnotletus pafs by him: for the Lord thy God hardned his fpirit, and made his heart obftinate, that he might deliver himintothyhands.asappeareththis day. 2 Kings 8. 12, And Hazael faid, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evilthat thouwilt dounto the chil dren of Ifrael. their strong holds wilt thou fet on fire, and their young menwilt thou lay with the fword,and wiltdafh their children, and rip uptheirwomen withchild. v. 13.And Hazael faid, But what, is thy fervant a dog,that he fhould do this greatthing? AndElifha an1wered, The Lord hath fhewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria, a Plal. S1. 11. But my people would not hearkenunto my voice: and Ifrael would none of me.v.12. So I gave them up unto their own hearts lofts: and they walked in their own counfels.2 Thefl. 2.10. And with all deceivableness of unrighteoufnels in them that perifh; because they received not the love of the truth; that they might be faved. v. 11. And for this caule Godthallfendthem ftrongdelufion, that they should believe a lie.v. 12. That they all might be damned, who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteoufnefs, b Exod.7. 3. And I will harden Fharaoh's heart, and multiply my figns and wonders in the land of Egypt. WithExod.8.15.Butwhen Pharaoh faw there was a refpite, he hardened his heart, and heark ned not unto them; as the Lord had faid. v. 32.And Pharaoh hardned his heartat this time alfo, nei to ther would he let the people go. 2 Cor. 2.15. Forwe areuntoGoda fweet favour of Chrift,in them that are faved, and inthem that perish. v. 16.To the onewe are thefavour of death unto death; and to the other, the favour of life unto life: And who is fufficient for thefe things? Ifa. 8.14. And he fhall be for a fanctuary; but for a stoneof ftumbling, and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Ifrael, for a gin, and for a fnare to the inhabitants of Jerufalem. 1 Pet. 2. 7. Unto you therefore which believe,he is precious:but unto them which be difobedient, the tone which the builders difallowed, the fame is made the head of the corner,v.8. And a ftone of ftumbling, and a rock of offence,eventothem which stumble at the word, being difobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. Ifa. 6.9. And he faid, Go & tell this people, Hear ye indeed,but understand not; and fee ye indeed, but perceive not. v. 10.Make the heartof this people fat, and make their ears heavy,and fhut their eyes: left they fee with their eyes,andhear with their ears, & understand with their heart,and convert and be healed. With Acts 28.26. Saying, Go unto this people.and fay,Hearing ye fhall hear, & fhall not understand; and feeing ye fhall fee,and not perceive.v.27. For the heart of thispeopleis 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. II. c 1 Tim. to all creatures; fo, after most special manner, it taketh care of his church, and difpofeth all things to the good thereof c. CHAP. VI. Of the fall of man, of fin, and of the punishment thereof. UR firft parents, being feduced by the fubtilty and temptation of Satan, finned in eating the forbidden fruit a. This their fin, God was pleafed, according to his wife and holy counfel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory b. II. By this fin they fell from their original righteoufnefs and communion with God c, and fo became dead in fin, VII. c 1 Tim.4.10.For therefore weboth labour,and fufferreproach, because wetruft in the living God, whoistheSaviour of all men,efpeciallyof thofethatbelieve. Amosq. 8. Behold theeyes of the LordGod are upon the finful kingdom,and I will deftroy it from off the face of the earth; favingthat I willnotutterly deftroy the houfe of Jacob, faith the Lord. v. 9. For lo, I will command, & will fift the houfe of Ifraelamongallnations,likeas corn is fifted in the five, yet fhallnotthe leaftgrainfallupon the earth. Rom. 8. 28.Andwe know that allthings work together for good, to them that love God,to them who are the called according to his pupofe.Ifa. 43.3. For I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Ifrael thySaviour: IgaveEgypt for thy ranfom, Ethiopia and Sheba for thee. v. 4.Since thouwas precious inmyfight,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 caft, and gather thee from the welt. 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. I. a Gen. 3.13. And the Lord God faid unto the woman, What is this that thou haft done? And the woman faid, the ferpent beguiled me, andIdid eat. 2Cor, 11.3.But I fear leaft by any means, as the ferpent beguiled Eve through his fubtilty, fo yourminds fhould be corrupted fromthefimplicity that is in Chrift. b Rom. 11. 32. ForGod had con⚫ cluded them all in unbelief,that he might have mercy upon all. II. cGen.3.6. And when the woman faw that the tree was goodfor food,and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be defired to makeonewife;fhe took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave allo unto her husband with her, and he did eat. v. 7. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they fewed fig trees together and made themselves aprons, v. 8. Andthey heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden, in the cool of theday and Adam and his wife hidthemselves fromtheprefence of the |