2. Nothing is acted in the world without the will of God. His will
greater bulk, and know every motion of it; how much more God, who hath infinity and excellency and strength of all angels and souls, must need actuate this world, and know every motion of it! There is nothing done in the world but some creature or other knows it; he that acts it doth at least know it. If God did not know it, the creatures then in that particular knowledge would be superior to God, and know something more than God knows; can this be possible?
2. Nothing is acted in the world without the will of God. His will either commands it, or permits it: Eph. 1:11, 'He works all things after the counsel of his own will,' Ps. 135:6, 'Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth.'
Even the sins of the world his will permits them, his power assists in the act, and his wisdom orders the sinfulness of the act for holy ends.
The four chariots in Zech. 6:2–5, by which some understand angels, are sent upon commission into the several parts of the world, and compared to chariots, both for their strength, their swiftness, their employment in a military way to secure the church. These are said to come out of the two mountains of brass, ver. 1, which signify the irreversible decrees of God, which the angels are to execute.* He alarms up the winds, when he would have Jonah arrested in his flight. He sounds a retreat to them, and locks them up in their chambers, Ps. 107:25–29. Bread hath a natural virtue in it to nourish, but it must be accompanied with his secret blessing, Mat.
4:4.
Virtute primi actus, agunt agentia omnia quicquid agunt.
3. Nothing doth subsist without God's care and power. His eyes running to and fro, implies not only knowledge, but care. He doth not carelessly behold what is done in the world, but, like a skilful pilot, he sits at the helm, and steers the world in what course it should sail. Our being we owe to his power, our well-being to his care, our motion and exerting of every faculty to his merciful providence and concurrence; 'in him we live, and move, and have our