God, the Father, Almighty

God, the Father, Almighty

understand that they shall never be utterly forsaken that take God for their God. And king David, having experience of this, useth most excellent speeches for this end, to shew that the ground of his comfort was that God was his God. And it is said (Dan. 6:22) that Daniel had no manner of hurt in the lions' den because he trusted in the Lord his God. And contrariwise, such as distrust God are subject to all miseries and judgments. The Israelites in the wilderness (Psa. 78:21,22) believed not God, and trusted not in His help. Therefore God was kindled in Jacob, and wrath came upon Israel.

God, the Father, Almighty Some have thought that these words are to be coupled to the former without distinction, as if the title of God had been proper to the first Person the Father, and not common to the rest. And thus have some heretics thought.

But indeed there must a pause or distinction be made, that the name or title of God may be set in the forefront, as common to all the three Persons following. For that is the very intent of the order of this Creed, to teach us to believe in one God; who is distinct in three subsistences or Persons, called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And here offers itself to be considered, even one of the greatest mysteries of our religion; namely, that God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. And again, that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are one and the same God. Some at the first may possibly say that this cannot stand, because it is against all reason that one should be three or three one. The answer is that indeed if one and the same respect be kept, it is not possible, but in divers considerations and respects it may. And thus the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three, namely in Person; and again, they three are one, not in Person, but in nature. By nature is meant a thing subsisting by itself, that is common to

many; as the substance of man consisting of body and soul common to all men, which we call the humanity of a man, is the nature of man. By person, is meant a thing or essence subsisting by itself, not common to many, but incommunicable; as among men, these particulars: Peter, John, Paul, are called persons. And so in the mystery of the Trinity, the divine nature is the Godhead itself, simply and absolutely considered; and a Person is that which subsisteth in that Godhead, as the Father, the Son, and the Holy

Ghost. Or again, a Person is one and the same Godhead, not absolutely considered, but in relation, and as it were restrained by personal or characteristical properties; as the Godhead or God begetting is the Father;

God, again considered not simple but so far forth as he is begotten, is the Son; and God proceeding of the Father and the Son, the Holy Ghost. And if any man would conceive in mind rightly the divine nature, he must conceive God or the Godhead absolutely; if any of the Persons, then he must conceive the same Godhead relatively with personal properties. Thus the Godhead considered with the propriety of Fatherhood or begetting, is the Father. And concerning the same Godhead with the propriety of generation, we conceive the Son. And the Godhead with the propriety of proceeding, we conceive the Holy Ghost. Neither must it seem strange to any that we use the names of nature and person, to set forth this mystery by; for they have been taken up by common consent in the primitive church, and that upon weighty consideration, to manifest the truth, and to stop the mouths of heretics; and they are not so used against the proper sense of the Scriptures, nay they are therein contained (Heb. 2:3). Thus we see how it comes to pass that the three things signified by these names, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, are each of them one and the same

God. And this mystery may well be conceived by a comparison borrowed from light. The light of the sun, the light of the moon, and the light of the air, for nature and substance are one and the same light; and yet they are three distinct lights. The light of the sun being of itself and from none, the light of the moon from the sun, and the light of the air from them both. So

the divine nature is one and the Persons are three, subsisting after a divers manner in one and the same nature.

And for the further clearing of this point, we must yet further mark and remember two things; namely, the union and the distinction of the Persons.

1. The union is, whereby three Persons are not one simply, but one in nature, that is, coessential, or consubstantial; having all one Godhead. For the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. Now, there are not three distinct gods, but one God, because there is one God and no more in nature, considering that the thing which is infinite is but one, and is not subject to multiplication. And the Father is this one God, as also the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And as these three Persons are in nature, so whatsoever agrees to God simply considered, agrees to them all three. They are all coequal and coeternal; all most wise, just, merciful, omnipotent, by one and the same wisdom, justice, mercy, power. And because they have all one Godhead, therefore they are not only one with another, but also each in other, the Father in the Son, and the Son in the Father, and the Holy Ghost in them both. And we must not imagine that these three are one God, as though the Father had one part of the Godhead, the Son another part, and the Holy Ghost a third. For that is most false, because the infinite and the most simple Godhead is not subject to composition or division; but every

Person is whole God, subsisting not in a part, but in the whole Godhead.

And the whole entire Godhead is communicated from the Father to the Son, and from both Father and Son to the Holy Ghost.

But some may yet say that this doctrine seems to be impossible; because three creatures, as for example, Peter, Paul, Timothy, be three persons, and so remaining, cannot have one and the same nature, that is, the same body and the same soul. Answer: Three or more men may have the same nature in kind, but the truth is, they cannot possibly have a nature which shall be one and the same in number, in them all three. For a man is a substance created

and finite, and the bodies of men are quantities, and therefore divisible and separable one from another. Hereupon it comes that the persons of men are not only distinguished by propriety, but also divided and sundered one from another. And though Peter, Paul and Timothy have all one common and universal form, yet they three are not one man, but three men. Now it is otherwise with the divine nature or Godhead, which is uncreated and infinite, and therefore admits neither composition nor division, but a distinction without any separation; so as the three Persons subsisting in it, shall not be three gods, but one and the same God.

Yet further, some will object that it is truly said of the Father that he is God, but the same Godhead is not in the Son, nor in the Holy Ghost; for the Son and the Holy Ghost have their beginning from the Father. Answer: The Son and the Holy Ghost have not a beginning of their nature or of their Godhead from the Father, but of their Person only, the Person of the Son is from the Father, and the person of the Holy Ghost is both from the Father and from the Son; but the Godhead of all three Persons is uncreated and unbegotten and proceeding from none.

Yet some may say, both the Son and the Holy Ghost have received from the Father all their attributes, as wisdom, knowledge, power etc. Now he that receiveth anything from another, is in that respect inferior to him that giveth it; and therefore the Son and the Holy Ghost are not God as He is. Answer:

We must know that that which the Son receiveth of the Father, He receiveth it by nature, and not by grace. And He receiveth not a part, but all that the Father hath, saving the personal propriety. And the Holy Ghost receiveth from the Father and the Son by nature, and not by grace. And therefore though both the Son and the Holy Ghost receive from the Father, yet they are not inferior to Him, but equal with Him.

And thus much is both necessary and profitable to be learned of the union between the three Persons in Trinity, whereby they being three have all one

and the same Godhead.

2. The second point to be considered is that though these three have but one Godhead, and all make but one God, yet they are distinguished one from another; for the Father is the Father and not the Son or the Holy Ghost; the Son is the Son, and not the Father nor the Holy Ghost; and the Holy Ghost is the Holy Ghost, not the Father nor the Son. This distinction of the Persons is notably set forth unto us in the baptism of our Saviour Christ; where it is said that when Jesus was baptised, He came out of the water (Matt. 3:16,17). There is the second Person; and the Holy Ghost descended upon Him in the form of a dove; there is the third Person. And the Father the first Person pronounced from heaven that He was His only beloved Son in whom He was well pleased. And we must not conceive this distinction in such manner as though these three, Father, Son and Holy

Ghost, were three names of one God; for the three Persons do not in name or word, but really in truth, distinctly subsist in the same divine nature.

Neither must we imagine that the three Persons are three forms or differences of one God, as some heretics have dreamed, who taught that the Father alone is God, and that He is called a Father in one respect, the Son in another and the Holy Ghost in a third. For this were nothing else but to make the personal proprieties to be nothing but imaginary accidents, which indeed, or at the least in man's conceit, might come and go, and be either in the Persons or forth of them. For the personal relations, though in mind they may be distinguished from the divine essence, yet indeed they are one with it. But some will say, if they make this distinction, there is rather a quaternity than a Trinity, for the Godhead is one, the Father another, the Son a third, and the Holy Ghost a fourth. Thus some heretics have objected against the distinction of the Trinity; but it is untrue which they say. For the Godhead must not be severed from the Father, nor from the Son, nor from the Holy Ghost; for the Father is God or the whole Godhead, so also is the Son and the Holy Ghost. And the Godhead likewise is in every one of these three Persons, and every one of them subsisting in the Godhead, the same

must be conceived to be in them all, and not as a fourth thing out of them.

And therefore we must still maintain that these three Persons are distinguished and not divided, as three men are divided in being and substance; for this division cannot be in them, because all three have one divine nature and one Godhead. This is the mystery of all mysteries to be received of us all, namely, the Trinity of the Persons in the unity of the Godhead. This form of doctrine must be retained and holden for these causes:

(1) Because by it we are able to distinguish this true God from all false gods and idols.

(2) Because among all other points of religion, this is one of the chiefest, being the very foundation thereof. For it is not sufficient for us to know

God as we can conceive of Him in our own imagination; but we must know Him as he hath revealed Himself in His Word. And it is not sufficient to salvation to believe in God confusedly, but we must believe in one God distinct in three Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Yea, and more than this, we must hold and believe that God the Father is our Father, the Son our redeemer, the Holy Ghost our sanctifier and comforter. Well then, if we must in this manner believe in God, then we must also know

Him; for we can have no faith in the thing which is utterly unknown.

Wherefore if we would believe in the Father, Son or Holy Ghost, we must know them in part. (John 17:3), This is life eternal, to know thee the only

God, and whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ. (John 14:17), The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth, because it hath neither seen Him, nor known Him. (1 John 2:23), Whosoever denieth the Son, hath not the Father.

(3) Thirdly, this doctrine directs us in worshipping God aright; for unity in Trinity and Trinity in unity is to be worshipped. One God must be worshipped in the Father, in the Son, and in the Holy Ghost; and if we worship God the Father without the Son and the Holy Ghost; or if we

worship the Son without the Father and the Holy Ghost; and the Holy Ghost without the Father and the Son; we worship nothing but an idol. Again, if we worship the three Persons not as one God, but as three Gods, then likewise we make three idols.

Note further that of all the three Persons, the first Person the Father is set in the first place, and described to us by three things:

I. By His title, that He is a Father II. By His attribute, that He is Almighty III. By His effect, that He is maker of heaven and earth.

Of these in order.

And first of the title: Father.

It may seem that He hath some prerogative over the Son and the Holy Ghost, because He is set before them; but we must know that he is set before them neither in regard of time, nor of dignity, for therein all three are equal; but in regard of order only. The Father is the first, the Son the second, and the Holy Ghost the third; as may appear by this similitude. If three emperors equal in dignity should meet all in one place, being equal also in power and majesty, if all three should sit down, though one be no better than another, yet one of them must needs sit down the first, and another in the second place, and then the third. But yet we cannot say that he which sat down first is the chiefest. And so it is in the Trinity. Though none be greater or above another; yet the Father is in the first place, not because He is before the Son or the Holy Ghost in dignity and honour, but because he is the fountain of the deity, the Son being from Him, and the Holy Ghost from them both.

Now let us come to the title of the first Person. The name Father in Scripture, is ascribed either to God taken indefinitely, and so by consequent to all the three Persons in Trinity; or particularly to the first Person alone.

For the first, God is a Father properly and principally, according to the saying of Christ, Call no man father upon earth, for there is but one your

Father which is in heaven (Matt. 23:9); that is, principally; whereas earthly parents, whom we are commanded to worship and honour, are but certain images or resemblances of our heavenly Father, having this blessing: that they are fathers from Him. And hereupon, this title agrees to men, not simply, but so far forth as God honoureth them with fatherhood in calling them to be fathers, whereas God Himself receives this honour from none.

God is termed a Father in respect both of nature and grace. He is Father in regard of nature, because He created and governeth all things. In this regard

He is called the Father of spirits (Heb. 12:9); and Adam is called the son of God (Luke 3:38). He is a Father in respect of grace because we are regenerate by Him, accepted to be His sons by adoption through the merits of Christ. And in this respect, the second Person as well as the first is called a Father (Isa. 9:6), and said to have an offspring (Isa. 53:10) or seed, and children (Isa. 8:18). But when the name of Father is given to the first

Person, it is done upon a special consideration, because He is a Father by nature to the second Person, begetting Him of His own substance before all worlds. By this it appears that out of the title of the first Person, we may fetch a description thereof on this manner. The Father is the first Person in Trinity, begetting the Son. Now to beget, is the personal property whereby

He is distinguished from the other two. If it be said that creatures do beget, and that therefore to beget is not proper to the Father; the answer is that in this point there are many differences between God the Father and all creatures. First, the Father begets the Son before all eternity; and therefore

God the Father begetting, and the Son begotten are equal in time; whereas in earthly generation, the father is before the son in time. Secondly, God the Father begets His Son by communicating to Him His whole essence or Godhead, which cannot be in earthly parents, unless they should be

abolished and come to nothing. Whereas, nevertheless, God the Father giving His whole nature to His Son, retains the same still, because it is infinite. Thirdly, the Father begets the Son in Himself, and not forth of Himself; but in earthly generation, the father begetting is forth of the child, and the child forth of the father. And that must not trouble us which heretics allege against this doctrine, namely, that if the Father who is of one nature with the Son, did beget the Son, then he did beget Himself; for the Godhead of the Father doth not beget either the Godhead or the Person of the Son; but the Person of the Father begets the Person of the Son, both which in one

Godhead are really distinct.

Thus we see what the Father is. Now to believe in the Father, is to be persuaded that the first Person in Trinity is the Father of Christ, and in Him my Father particularly, and that for this cause, I intend and desire for ever to put my trust in Him.

The duties which we may learn hence are manifold.

1. And here we have occasion offered, first of all to consider who is our father by nature. I shall say to corruption (saith Job) thou art my father; and to the worm, thou art my mother (Job 17:14). Seeing God vouchsafeth this great prerogative to them that love Him, that He will be their Father, therefore Job in consideration hereof, would have every man to have recourse to his own natural condition, to see who is his father by nature. Job saith, corruption is his father; but if we mark well the condition of our nature, we shall further see every man to be the child of wrath, and that Satan is his father; for so long as a man walks in his sins (which every man doth by nature), so long doth he shew himself to be the lively child of the devil. And thus Christ reasoneth against the Scribes and Pharisees. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do (John 8:44).

And true it is that no child is so like his father that begat him, as every man

by nature is like the devil; and the whole tenor and course of his natural life without grace, is a lively resemblance of the disposition of Satan.

2. Secondly, everyone that believes God to be a Father, and in Christ his Father, must as a good child be obedient to his Father's will. So Solomon saith (Prov. 10:1), A wise son maketh a glad father. How? By doing His will. And therefore when one told our Saviour Christ that His mother and brethren stood without desiring to speak with Him, He said, Whosoever shall do my Father's will which is in heaven, the same is my brother, my sister, and mother (Matt. 12:50); wherein we may note that he that will have

God the Father to be his Father, and Christ Jesus his brother, must do the will of God the Father. And hence God saith (Mal. 1:6), If I be a master, where is my fear? If I be a Father, where is my honour? Where it is plainly taught this second duty: that if God be our Father, then as good children we must shew obedience unto Him; but if we disobey Him, then we must know that that former saying of Christ will be verified upon us, that because men do the lusts of the devil, therefore they are the children of the devil. But lest this fearful sentence be verified of us, it is the duty of every man that maketh this confession, that he believes God to be his Father, first, to labout to know God's will; and secondly, to perform continual obedience unto the same; like unto a good child that would fain please his father, and therefore is always ready to do the best he can. And without doubt, that man which unfeignedly takes God for his Father, is then most grieved when as by any sin he displeaseth Him, and no other cross or calamity is so grievous unto him. The greatest grief that the prodigal son upon his repentance had, was that he had offended his father, by sinning against heaven and against him.

The same also must be our grief; and all our care must be set on this: to consider how we may be obedient children to this our loving Father.

3. Thirdly, that man that believes God to be his Father, must imitate and follow Him; for it is the will of God that His children should be like unto

Himself. Now we follow God specially in two things:

(1) In doing good to them that persecute us. So saith our Saviour Christ (Matt. 5:45), Pray for them that hurt you, that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for He maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust.

(2) Our heavenly Father is merciful; for He is the father of the fatherless, and therefore he that will be a son of this Father, must be merciful to his poor brethren. As Job saith of himself (Job 29:15,16), I was eyes to the blind, and I was the feet unto the lame, I was a father to the poor.

4. Fourthly, seeing we believe God to be our Father, we are hereby taught to use moderate care for the things of this life; for if a man know himself to be the child of God, then he also knows that God will provide for him, as we know in a family the father provideth for all. Now God is a Father and His church is this family; therefore if thou wilt be a member of God's church, and a child of God, thou must cast thy care on God, and follow the counsel of Christ (Matt. 6:25,26), Be not too careful for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink. And mark His reason drawn from the point which we have in hand: The fowls of the heaven (saith He) they neither sow nor reap, nor carry into barns; and yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? But alas, the practice of the world is contrary; for men have no care for the knowledge of God's Word, nor the means of their salvation. All their minds are set on the things of this life, when as Christ saith (Matt. 6:33), First seek the kingdom of heaven, and the righteousness thereof, and all these things shall be ministered unto you. If you should see a young man provide for himself, and no man else for him, we should presently say, surely his father is dead. Even so, when a man's care is set wholly both day and night for the things of this life, it argues that God hath either cast him off, or else that he takes Him for no father of his.

5. Fifthly, if God be our Father, then we must learn to bear any cross patiently that He shall lay upon us, either in body or in mind, and always

look for deliverance from Him; for whom the Lord loveth, them He chastiseth; and if ye endure chastening (saith the apostle), God offereth

Himself unto you as unto children (Heb. 12:7); which may appear more plainly by this comparison: If two children should fight, and a man coming by should part them, and after beat the one, and let the other go free; every man that seeth this will say that that child which he beats is his own son.

Even so, when God chastiseth us, He sheweth Himself unto us as a Father, if we submit ourselves. (Heb. 12:9), Now if our earthly fathers corrected us, and we gave them reverence, taking it patiently, should we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, that we may live? Therefore the conclusion is this: If we displease God, be ye sure He will correct us; and when His hand is upon us, we must not murmur against Him, but bear it with a mild spirit. And furthermore, when we are under the cross, we must always look for deliverance from this Father only. If a son when he is beaten should fly to his father's enemies for help and counsel; it would argue that he were but a graceless child. Sundry and diverse calamities and crosses befall men in this life; which they cannot brook, and therefore it is a common practice of many among us in these days, when God's hand is upon them, to go for help to the devil. They seek counsel at witches and wise men (as I have said) but let them look unto it, for that is the right way to double their misery, and to shew themselves lewd children.

6. Lastly, if we confess and believe God to be the Father of Christ, and in Him our Father also; then in regard of our conversation, we must not frame ourselves like unto the world; but the course of our lives must be in righteousness and true holiness. Paul exhorteth the Corinthians to separate themselves from idolaters, alleging the place out of the Old Testament where the Lord biddeth the Israelites to come out from idolaters, and to touch no unclean thing (2 Cor. 6:17; Isa. 52:11). And the reason followeth out of Jeremiah, that if they do so (Jer. 31:1; 2 Cor. 6:18), then God will be their Father, and they shall be His children, even His sons and daughters; which reason Paul urgeth in the next chapter to this effect (2 Cor.

7:1): Considering we have these promises, that therefore we should cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and grow up unto holiness in the fear of the Lord. Where, if we mark the place diligently, we shall find this lesson: that every man who takes God for his Father, must not only in this sin of idolatry, but in all other sins, separate himself that men by his godly life may know whose child he is. But some will say, this exhortation is needless amongst us, for we have no cause to separate ourselves from others, because all amongst us are Christians, all believe in God, and are baptised, and hope to be saved by Christ. Answer: In outward profession, I confess we carry the shew of Christians, but in deed and truth, by our lives and conversations, many among us deny Christ; for in every place the common practice is to spend the time in drunkenness and surfeiting, in chambering and wantonness. Yea, great is the company of those that make a trade of it. Take this lewd conversation from many men, and take away their lives. And on the Lord's day, it may be seen both publicly and privately, in houses and in the open streets, there is such revel, as though there were no God to fear. In the six days of the week, many men walk very painfully in their calling; but when the Lord's day cometh, then every man takes licence to do what he will. And because of the prince's laws, men will come formally to the church for fashion's sake; but in the meantime, how many do nothing else but scorn, mock and deride, and as much as in them lieth, disgrace both the Word and the ministers thereof; so that the common saying is this: Oh, he is a precise fellow, he goes to hear sermons, he is too holy for our company. But it stands men in hand to take out a better lesson; which is, if we will have God to be our Father, we must shew ourselves to be the children of God by repentance and newness of life. He cannot be but a graceless child that will lead a rebellious life flat against his father's mind.

Let us then so behave ourselves, that we may honour our Father which is in heaven, and not dishonour Him in our lives and callings. Rather let us separate ourselves from the filthiness of the flesh, loathing those things which our Father loatheth, and flying from those things which our Father abhorreth.

And thus much for the duties. Now follow the consolations which arise from this point.

But first we are to know that there are three sorts of men in the world. The first are such as will neither hear nor obey the Word of God. The second sort are those which hear the Word preached unto them, but they will not obey. Both of these sorts of men are not to look for any comfort thence.

Now there is a third sort of men which, as they hear God's Word, so they make conscience of obeying the same in their lives and callings. And these are they to whom the consolations that arise out of this place do rightly belong, and must be applied.

1. First therefore, seeing God the Father of Christ, and in Him the Father of all that obey and do His will, is our Father; here note the dignity and prerogative of all true believers; for they are sons and daughters of God, as saith St John (John 1:12), So many as received Him, to them He gave a prerogative to be the sons of God; even to them that believe in His name.

This privilege will appear the greater, if we consider our first estate; for as Abraham saith (Gen. 18:27), We are but dust and ashes; and in regard of the depravity of our natures, we are the children of the devil. Therefore of such rebels to be made the sons of God, it is a wonderful privilege and prerogative, and no dignity like unto it. And to enlarge it further, he that is the son of God is the brother of Christ, and fellow-heir with Him; and so heir apparent to the kingdom of heaven, and in this respect is not inferior to the very angels. This must be laid up carefully in the hearts of God's people, to confirm them in their conversation among the ungodly men in this world.

2. Secondly, if a man do endeavour himself to walk according to God's Word, then the Lord of His mercy will bear with his wants; for as a father spareth his own son, so will God spare them that fear Him. Now a father commands his child to write, or to apply his book; though all things herein be not done according to his mind, yet if he find a readiness with a good

endeavour, he is content, and falls to praise his child's writing or learning.

So God giveth His commandment, and though His servants fail in obedience; yet if the Lord see their hearty endeavour, and their unfeigned willingness to obey His will, though with sundry wants, he hath made this promise, and will perform it: that as a father spareth his son, so will He spare them. If a child be sick, will the father cast him off? Nay, if through the grievousness of his sickness he cannot take the meat that is given him, or if he take it and for faintness pick it up again, will the father thrust him out of doors? No, but He will rather pity him. And so when a man doth endeavour himself through the whole course of his life to keep God's commandments, God will not cast him away, though through weakness he will fail in sundry things and displease God. This prerogative can none have, but he that is the child of God. As for others, when they sin, they do nothing else but draw down God's judgments upon them, for their deeper condemnation.

3. Thirdly, hence we learn that the child of God cannot wholly fall away from God's favour. I do not say that he cannot fall at all; for he may fall away in part, but he cannot wholly. Indeed so oft as he sins, he deprives himself wholly of God's favour as much as in him lieth. Yet God for His part still keepeth the mind and purpose of a Father. David loved his son

Absalom wonderfully, but Absalom like a wicked son, played a lewd prank, and would have thrust his father out of his kingdom. And David, although he was sore offended with Absalom and shewed tokens of his wrath, yet in heart he loved him, and never purposed to cast him off. Hereupon when he went against him, he commanded the captains to entreat the young man

Absalom gently for his sake (2 Sam. 18:5). And when he was hanged by the hair of the head in pursuing of his father, then David wept and cried, O my son Absalom, my son Absalom, would God I had died for thee, Absalom my son (2 Sam. 18:33). And so it is with God our heavenly Father, when His children sin against Him, and thereby lose His love and favour, and fall from grace, He forsakes them. But how far? Surely He shews signs of anger

for their wickedness, and yet indeed His love remains towards them still; and this is a true conclusion. The grace of God in the adoption of the elect is unchangeable, and he that is the child of God, can never fall away wholly or finally. On the contrary, that is a bad and comfortless opinion of the church of Rome, which holdeth that a man may be justified before God, and yet afterward by a mortal sin, finally fall from grace and be condemned.

4. Fourthly, the child of God that takes God the Father for his Father, may freely come into the presence of God, and have liberty to pray unto Him.

We know it is a great privilege to come into the chamber of presence before an earthly prince; and few can always have this prerogative, though they be great men. Yet the king's own son may have free entrance, and speak freely unto the king himself, because he is his son. Now the children of God have more prerogative than this; for they may come into the presence, not of an earthly king, but of almighty God the King of kings. And as they are the sons of God in Christ, so in Him they may freely speak unto God their

Father by prayer. And this overthrows the doctrine of such as be of the church of Rome, which teach and hold that a man must come to speak to God by prayer through the intercession of saints; for, say they, the presence of God is so glorious that we may not be so bold, as of ourselves, to speak unto Him; but needs must have the intercession of others.

5. Lastly, God will provide for all His church and children all things needful both for their bodies and souls. So our Saviour Christ bids His disciples, take no thought what they should eat, or what they should drink, or wherewith they should be clothed, adding this reason: for your heavenly

Father knoweth all your wants (Matt. 6:31,32). And if we take thought, it must be moderate and not distrustful. It is a part of the father's duty to provide for his family and children, and not the children for the father. Now shall an earthly father have this care for his children; and shall not our heavenly Father much more provide for those that fear and love Him? Nay, mark further, in God's church there be many hypocrites which receive

infinite benefits from God, by reason of His elect children with whom they live. And we shall see this to be true, that the wicked man hath ever fared better for the godly man's cause. Sodom and Gomorrah received many benefits by reason of righteous Lot; and when the Lord was purposed to destroy Sodom, He was fain to pull Lot forth of the city; for the text saith, the angel of the Lord could not do anything, till he was come out of it (Gen.

19:22). So also in Paul's dangerous voyage towards Rome, all the men in it fared better for Paul's company; for the Lord told Paul by an angel that there should be no loss of any man's life, for the Lord had given to him all that sailed with him (Acts 27:24). And undoubtedly, if it were not for some few that fear God, He would pour down His vengeance upon many nations and kingdoms, there is such excess of wickedness in all sorts. Again, if the Lord do thus carefully provide for His children all kinds of benefits; what a wonderful wickedness is this, for men to get their living by ungodly means; as usury, carding, dicing and such like exercises? If a man were persuaded that God were his Father, and would provide sufficiently both for his body and soul; so that using lawful means he should ever have enough; out of all doubt he would never after the fashion of the world use unlawful and profane means to get a living. But this reproveth that howsoever much men say God is their Father, yet indeed they deny Him.

And thus much of this title Father, the first thing whereby the first person is described.

II.

Now followeth the second point, namely, His attribute of omnipotency, in the word Almighty.

And whereas the Father is said to be almighty, it is not so to be understood as though the Son were not almighty, or the Holy Ghost not almighty; for every property or attribute (save the personal properties) is common to all the three Persons. For as God the Father doth impart His Godhead unto the

Son, and to the Holy Ghost, so doth He communicate the properties of the Godhead to them also.

God is omnipotent two ways: (1) Because He is able to do whatsoever He will. (2) Because He is able to do whatsoever he will do. For the first, that God is able to do whatsoever He will, David saith (Psa. 115:3), Our God is in heaven, and he doth whatsoever He will. For there is nothing that can hinder God; but as He willeth, so everything is done. Secondly, that God can do more than He willeth to be done, it is plain where John Baptist saith

(Matt. 3:9), God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

For though God can do thus much, yet He will not do it. So likewise, when Christ was betrayed, the Father could have given Him more than twelve legions of angels (Matt. 26:53) to have delivered Him out of their hands, but yet He would not. And the like may be said of many other things. The Father is and was able to have created another world, yea a thousand worlds, but He would not, nor will not. And likewise, Christ being upon the cross, was able at their bidding to have come down and saved Himself from death, but He would not. And therefore this is true: The Lord can do anything that He willeth to be done actually, yea, and more than He will.

But some will say, God cannot do some things which man can do, as God cannot lie, nor deny Himself; and therefore He is not omnipotent. Answer:

Although some have thought that God could do even these things, and He did them not because He would not; yet we must know and believe that God can neither lie, nor deny Himself. Indeed, man can do both, but these and many other such things if God could do them, He could not be God.

God indeed can do all things which shew forth His glory and majesty; but such things as are against His nature He cannot do. As for example, God cannot sin, and therefore cannot lie. And because He cannot do these things, for this very cause He is omnipotent; for these things and such like are works of impotency; which if God could do, He should even by His own

Word be judged impotent. Secondly, He cannot do that which implies contradiction; as when a thing is, to make it at the same time to be, and not

to be. As when the sun doth shine, to make it at the same instant to shine and not to shine. And therefore false is the doctrine of that church which in their transubstantiation make the body of Christ (whose essential property is to be only in one place at once), to be circumscribed, and not to be circumscribed; to be in one place, and not to be in one place.

And thus much for the meaning. Now follow the duties whereunto we are moved by this doctrine of God's omnipotence.

1. First, whereas God the Father is said to be almighty, we are taught true humiliation. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, saith Peter

(1 Pet. 5:6); where he giveth an exhortation to humility, and allegeth the cause: because God is almighty. To make this more plain: Every one of us was born in sin, and by nature we are most wretched in ourselves. Now what an one is God? Surely He is able to do whatsoever He will, yea, and more than He will, and is able to destroy such as rebel against Him every moment. Therefore our duty is to cast down ourselves for our sins in His presence. This true humiliation was that which our Saviour Christ would have brought the young man in the gospel unto, when He bad him go sell all that he had and give to the poor. Therefore, whosoever thou art, take heed thou must; for if thou run on in thy wickedness, and still rebel against God, it is a thousand to one at length He will destroy thee; for He is an almighty God, and able to do whatsoever He will. His hand is mighty, it boots not a man to strive with Him; for He was never yet overmastered; and for this cause we must needs cast down ourselves under His hand. It is a fearful thing (saith the Holy Ghost) to fall into the hands of the living

God (Heb. 10:31). Therefore if we would escape His heavy and terrible displeasure, the best way for us is to abase ourselves, and be ashamed to follow our sins. Christ biddeth us not to fear him that is able to kill the body, and can go no further; but we must fear Him that is able to cast both body and soul into hell fire (Matt. 10:28). Example of this we have in David, who, when he was persecuted by his own son Absalom, he said unto

the Lord, If He thus say, I have no delight in thee, behold here I am, let Him do to me as seemeth good in His eyes (2 Sam. 15:26). But some will say, I will live a little longer in my sins, in lying, pride, Sabbath-breaking, in swearing, dicing, gaming and wantonness; for God is merciful, and in my old age I will repent. Answer: Well, soothe not thyself, but mark; usually when God holds back His hand for a season, He doth as it were fetch a more mighty blow, for the greater confusion of a rebellious sinner.

Therefore humble, submit, and cast down thyself before God, and do not strive against Him. His hand is mighty and will overthrow thee. Though thou hadst all learning, wisdom, might, riches etc., yet (as Christ said to the young man) one thing is wanting, that thou shouldest be humbled; and until thou be humbled, nothing is to be looked for but God's judgments for sin.

2. Secondly, seeing God is almighty, we must tremble and fear at all His judgments, we must stand in awe, quake and quiver at them, as the poor child doth when he seeth his father come with the rod. Example of this we have often in God's Word; as when the sons of Aaron offered strange fire before the Lord (Lev. 10:1-3), He sent fire from heaven, and burned them up. And though Aaron was very sorry for his sons, yet when Moses told him that the Lord would be glorified in all that came near Him, then the text saith, Aaron held his peace. So also we read that the apostles reproved

Peter for preaching unto the Gentiles (Acts 11:18); but when Peter had expounded the things in order which he had seen, then they held their peace and glorified God. As also David saith (Psa. 39:9), I held my tongue, O

Lord; because thou didst it. Isaiah saith (Isa. 30:15), In hope and silence is true fortitude. If a man be in trouble he must hope for deliverance, and be quiet and patient at God's judgments. But the practice of the world is flat contrary; for men are so far from trembling at them, that they use to pray to God that plagues, curses and vengeance may light upon them, and upon their servants and children. Now the Lord being a mighty God often doth answerably bring His judgments upon them. Again, many carried away with impatience, with themselves hanged or drowned, which evils they think

shall never befall them; yet at the length God doth in His justice bring such punishments upon them according as they wished. And (which is more) in all ages there have been some which have scorned and mocked at God's judgments. Hereof we had not far hence a most fearful example. One being with his companion in a house drinking on the Lord's day, when he was ready to depart thence, there was great lightning and thunder; whereupon his fellow requested him to stay, but the man, mocking and jesting at the thunder and lightning, said (as report was), It was nothing but a knave cooper knocking on his tubs; come what would, he would go; and so went on his journey. But before he came half a mile from the house, the same hand of the Lord, which before he had mocked, in a crack of thunder, struck him about the girdlestead, that he fell down stark dead. Which example is worthy of our remembrance, to put us in mind of God's heavy wrath against those which scorn His judgments. For our duty is to tremble and fear; and it were greatly to be wished that we could with open eye behold the terribleness and fearfulness of God's judgments; it would make a man to quake and to leave off sin. If a man pass by some high and dangerous place in the night, when he cannot see, he is not afraid; but if ye bring him back again in the day, and let him see what a steep and dangerous way he came, he will not be persuaded to pass the same way again for anything. So it is in sinning; for men living in ignorance and blindness, practise any wickedness, and do not care for God's judgments; but when God of His goodness bringeth them back, and openeth their eyes to see the downfall to the pit of hell, and the judgments of God due to their sins; then (they say) they will never sin as they have done, but become new men, and walk in the way to eternal life.

3. Thirdly, we are taught by the apostle Paul, that if we be to do any duty to our brethren, as to relieve them, we must do it with cheerfulness; for he laboureth to persuade the Corinthians to cheerful liberality, and the reason of his persuasion is because God is able to make all grace to abound towards them (2 Cor. 9:7,8). Where also this duty is taught us, that seeing

God is omnipotent, and therefore able to make us abound, therefore we must give cheerfully to our poor brethren which want.

4. Fourthly, whereas there are many in every place which have lived long in their sins, even from their cradle; some in wantonness, some in drunkenness, some in swearing, some in idleness, and such like; out of this place to all such there is a good lesson, namely, that every one of them do now become new men and repent of all their sins, for all their life past. For mark what Paul saith of the Jews which are cut off from Christ through unbelief, and have continued in hardness of heart and desperate malice against Him almost 1600 years (Rom. 11:23), If (saith he) they abide not still in unbelief, they may be grafted in their olive again. And his reason is this: because God is able to graft them in again. Even so, though we have lived many years in sin (and sure it is a dangerous and fearful case for a man to live twenty, thirty or forty years under the power of the devil), yet we must know that if we will now live a new life, forsake all our sins and turn to God, we may be received to grace, and be made a branch of the true olive, though we have borne the fruits of the wild olive all our life long. But some will object that they have no hope of God's favour because they have been so grievous sinners, and continued in them so long. Answer: But know it, whosoever thou art, God is able to graft thee in; and if thou repent, He will receive thee to His love and favour. This must be observed of all, but especially such as are old in years and remain ignorant without knowledge; they must turn to the Lord by repentance; otherwise, if they continue still profane and impenitent, they must know this: that their damnation comes post-haste to meet them, and they to it.

And thus much for the duties. Now follow the consolations which God's church reap from this, that God the Father is omnipotent.

1. First, the wonderful power of God serveth to strengthen us in prayer unto God; for he that will pray truly, must only pray for those things for which

he hath warrant in God's Word. All our prayers must be made in faith, and for a man to pray in faith, it is hard. Therefore a special means to strengthen us herein is the mighty power of God. This was the ground and stay of the leper, whom our Saviour Christ cleansed (Matt. 8:2). Lord (saith he), if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And in the Lord's prayer, when our Saviour

Christ hath taught us to make six petitions; in the end he giveth us a reason, or motive to induce us to stand upon and to wait for the benefits before craved, in these words (Matt. 6:13): Thine is the kingdom, thine is the power etc.

2. Secondly, hence we learn this comfort, that all the gates of hell shall never be able to prevail against the least member of Christ. I do not say, they shall never be able to assault or tempt them, for that may be; but they shall never overcome them. How (will some say) may we be resolved of this? I answer, By reason of faith; for if a Christian man do believe that God the Father and Christ His Son is almighty, no enemy shall ever be able to prevail against him. So St John reasoneth (1 John 4:4), Little children, ye are of God, and have overcome them, that is, all false teachers, because greater is He that is in you (Christ Jesus by His Holy Spirit, who is God, and therefore almighty) than he that is in the world, that is, the spirit of Satan; therefore you need not to fear. So David compareth himself to a silly sheep (Psa. 23:4), and saith: Though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, that is, as it were in the mouth of the lion, yet I would fear none evil. Why so? Because the Lord is with him: Thy rod (saith he) and thy staff comfort me.

Thus much for the benefits.

Now whereas it is said the first person is a Father, and also Almighty, join these two together, and hence will arise singular benefits and instructions.

1. First, whereas we are taught to confess that the first Person is a Father Almighty, we, and every man, must learn to have experience in himself of

the mighty power of this Almighty Father. Why, will some say, that is nothing, for the devil and all the damned souls feel the power of the Almighty. True indeed they feel the power of God, namely as He is an almighty judge condemning them; but they feel not the power of an Almighty Father. This is the point whereof we must endeavour to have experience in ourselves. Paul prayeth (Eph. 1:19,20), that the God of our

Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give unto the Ephesians the spirit of wisdom, to see what is the exceeding greatness of His power in them which believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ. Which place must be considered; for here the apostle would have us have such a special manifestation of God's power in ourselves, like to that which He did once shew forth in Christ.

But how did Christ see and find the power of God as He was man? Answer:

Divers ways:

(1) On the cross He died the first death; which is the separation of body and soul; and He suffered the sorrows of the second death, for in His soul He bare the whole wrath of God, and all the pangs of hell, and after was buried and laid in the grave, where death triumphed over Him for the space of three days. Now in this extremity, God did shew His power in that He raised Christ from death to life. And look as His power was manifested in Christ the Head, so must it be manifested in all His members; for every man hath his grave, which is natural sin and corruption, which we draw from our first parents, and look as a man lies dead in the grave, and can move neither hand nor foot; so every man by nature lieth dead in sin. Now as God did shew His power in raising Christ from death; so everyone must labour to have this knowledge and experience in himself of the mighty power of God, in raising him from the grave of sin to newness of life. For thus Paul makes a special request, that he might know Christ, and the virtue of His resurrection (Phil. 3:10), that is, that he might feel in himself that power

whereby Christ was raised from death to life, to raise him also from the bondage of his sins to a new life more and more.

(2) Furthermore, when Christ was upon the cross, and all the gates of hell were open against Him, then did he vanquish Satan, He bruised the serpent's head; and, as Paul saith (Col. 2:15), He spoiled principalities and powers, and made a shew of them openly, and hath triumphed over them on the cross. He overcame the devil and all his angels by the power of His

Almighty Father, and by His own power as He is God. And even so must Christian men labour to find the same power in themselves of this Almighty

Father by which Christ did triumph over Satan; that by it they may tread him under their feet, which men can never do by any power in themselves.

(3) Again, Christ prayeth that that cup might pass from Him; and yet he saith (Luke 22:42), Not my will, but thy will be fulfilled. For it was necessary that Christ should suffer. And this request was heard, not because

He was freed from death, but because God His Father Almighty gave Him power and strength in His manhood to bear the brunt of His indignation.

Now look as this power was effectual in Christ Jesus the Head, to make Him able and sufficient to bear the pangs of hell; so the same power of God is in some measure effectual in all the members of Christ, to make them both patient, and of sufficient strength to bear any affliction, as St Paul saith

(Col. 1:11), Being strengthened with all might through His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering, with joyfulness. And this is a notable point which everyone ought to learn, that whereas they confess God to be their Almighty Father, they should here withal labour to feel and have experience in themselves that he is Almighty in the beginning and continuing of grace unto them, and in giving them power and patience to suffer afflictions.

(4) Further, Christ Jesus, when the work of our redemption was accomplished, was lifted up into heaven (Eph. 1:20-22), and set at the right

hand of God, in heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers etc.; even by the power of His Father. Well, as this power was made manifest in the Head, so must it be in the members thereof. Every child of God shall hereafter see and feel in himself the same power to translate him from this vale of misery in this life, to the kingdom of heaven.

Wherefore, to conclude, we have great cause to be thankful and to praise God for this privilege: that He shews His power in His children in regenerating them, in making them die unto sin and to stand against the gates of hell, and to suffer afflictions patiently; as also that he translates them from death to life. And everyone should shew his thankfulness, in labouring to have experience of this power in himself, as Paul exhorteth us in his epistles to the Colossians and Ephesians. Yea, read all his epistles, and we shall find he mentioneth no point so often as this, namely, the mighty power of God, manifested first in Christ, and secondly in His members; and he accounts all things loss, that he might know Christ, and the virtue of His resurrection (Phil. 3:8,10).

This point is the rather to be marked because this power in the matter of grace is not to be seen with eye; and few there be in respect that have felt the virtue thereof in themselves; for the devil doth mightily shew his contrary power in the greatest part of the world, in carrying them to sin and wickedness.

2. Secondly, hence we learn that which Paul teacheth (Rom. 8:28), namely, to know that all things work together for the best unto them that love God.

God is Almighty, and therefore able to do whatsoever He will. He is also a Father, and therefore is willing to do that which is for our good. But some will say, we are subject to many crosses, yea, to sin. What? Can our sins turn to our good? Answer: If God Almighty be thy Father, He will turn thine afflictions, yea thy sins which by nature are evil, beyond all expectation

unto thy salvation. And thus much God will do to all such as be obedient unto Him. Yet no man must hereupon presume to sin.

3. Thirdly, whereas we believe that God is a mighty Father, it serves to confirm God's children in the promises of mercy revealed in His Word. The chiefest whereof is that if men will turn from their sins, and believe in Christ, they shall not perish, but have life everlasting. I know some men will make it an easy thing to believe, especially those which never knew what faith meant. But such persons need no means of confirmation of faith.

Therefore let all those which have tasted of the hardness of attaining unto it, learn how to establish their wavering hearts in the promise of God, by the consideration of these two points: God is a Father, and therefore He is willing; He is Almighty, and therefore He is able to perform His promise.

He that will be resolved of God's promises, must have both these settled in his heart and build on them as on two foundations.

Creator of Heaven and Earth III.

We have spoken of the title of the first Person, and of His attributes; now we come to speak of His effect, namely, the Creation. But before we come to it, we are to answer a certain objection which may be made. At the first it must seem strange to some that the work of Creation is ascribed to the first

Person in Trinity, the Father; whereas in the Scripture it is common to them all three equally.

And first, that the Father is Creator, it was never doubted. As for the second Person, the Son, that He is Creator it is evident (John 1:3), All things were

made by Him, that is, by the Son, who is the substantial Word of the Father, and without Him was made nothing that was made. And again it is said (Heb. 1:2) that God by His Son made the world. As for the Holy Ghost, the work of Creation is also ascribed unto Him. And therefore Moses saith

(Gen. 1:2), The Spirit moved upon the waters. And Job saith (Job 26:13), His Spirit hath garnished the heavens. How then is this peculiar to the Father, being common to all three Persons in Trinity? I answer, The actions of God are twofold: either inward or outward.

The inward actions are those which one Person doth exercise toward another; as the Father doth beget the Son, and this is an inward action peculiar to the Father. And all inward actions are proper to the Persons from whom they are. So the Son doth receive the Godhead by communication from the Father; and the Holy Ghost from them both; and these are inward actions peculiar to these Persons. So likewise, for the Father to send His

Son, it is an inward action proper to the Father, and cannot be communicated to the Holy Ghost. And the Son to be sent by the Father only, is a thing proper to the Son, and not common to the Father, or to the Holy Ghost.

Now outward actions are the actions of the Persons in the Trinity to the creatures, as the work of Creation, the work of preservation, and of redemption. These and all such actions are common to all the three Persons.

The Father createth, the Son createth, and the Holy Ghost createth. And so we may say of the works of government, and of redemption, and of all outward actions of the Persons to the creatures.

But some again may say, How then can the work of Creation, being an outward action of God to the creature, be peculiar to the first Person, the Father? I Answer: the work of Creation is not so proper to the first Person as that it cannot also be common to the rest; for all the three Persons jointly created all things of nothing; only they are distinguished in the manner of

creating. For the Father is the cause that beginneth the work, the Son puts it in execution, the Holy Ghost is the finisher of it. And again, the Father createth by the Son (Col. 1:16; Rom. 11:36) and by the Holy Ghost; the Son createth by the Holy Ghost and from the Father; the Holy Ghost createth not by the Father nor by the Son, but from the Father and the Son. And this is the reason why the work of Creation is ascribed here unto the Father, because He alone createth after a peculiar manner, namely, by the Son and by the Holy Ghost. But the Son and the Holy Ghost create not by the Father, but from Him.

Thus, having answered the objection, we come to speak of the Creation itself. In handling whereof, we must withal treat of the counsel of God as being the cause thereof, and of the government of the creatures as being a work of God whereby he continues the Creation. And the order which I will observe is:

1. First to speak of the counsel of God 2. Secondly of the execution of His counsel, which hath two special branches:

2a. The first, the creation, 2b. The second, the preservation or government of things created.

The counsel of God is His eternal and unchangeable decree whereby He hath ordained all things either past, present or to come, for His own glory.

First, I call it a decree because God hath in it set down with Himself as appointed sovereign Lord, what shall be, what shall not be. I add further that all things whatsoever come under the compass of this decree, as Paul saith (Eph. 1:11), He worketh all things according to the counsel of His will.

And our Saviour Christ saith (Matt. 10:29) that a sparrow cannot fall on the ground without the heavenly Father. Yea, further, He tells His disciples

(v.30) that the very hairs of their head are numbered, meaning that they are known and set down in the counsel of God. And considering that God is

King over heaven and earth; and that most wise, yea wisdom itself; and most mighty, yea might and power itself; it must needs be that He hath determined how all things shall come to pass in His kingdom, with all their circumstances, time, place, causes etc. in such particular manner that the very least thing that may be, is not left unappointed and undisposed.

The counsel of God hath two properties: eternity and unchangeableness. It is eternal because it was set down by God from everlasting before all times, as Paul saith (Eph. 1:4), God hath chosen the Ephesians to salvation before all worlds. And he saith of himself (2 Tim. 1:9) that he was called according to the purpose of God, which was before all worlds. Again, the same counsel once set down, is unchangeable. God saith (Mal. 3:6), I am Jehovah, and I change not. With God (saith St James (Jam. 1:17)) there is no variableness nor shadow of change. Now such as God is, such is His decree or counsel. And being unchangeable, His counsels also are unchangeable.

God's counsel hath two parts: His foreknowledge and His will or pleasure.

His foreknowledge, whereby He did foresee all things which were to come.

His will, whereby in general manner He wills and ordains whatsoever is to come to pass; and therefore such things as God altogether nilleth, cannot come to pass. Now these two parts of the counsel of God must be joined together, and not severed. Will without knowledge is impotent, and foreknowledge without will is idle. And therefore such as hold that God doth barely foresee sundry things to come, no manner of way either willing or decreeing the issue and event of them, do bring in little better than atheism. For if we say that anything comes to pass either against God's will,

or God not knowing of it or not regarding it, we shall make Him either impotent or careless, and raise the very foundation of God's providence.

And this decree of God must be conceived of us as the most general cause of all things subsisting; being first in order, having all other causes under it, and most principal, overruling all, overruled by none.

Thus we see what is to be held touching God's counsel. Now for the better clearing of the truth, three objections of some difficulty are to be answered:

(1) First may some man say, If God decree and ordain all things whatsoever, then He decreeth and ordaineth sin. But God decrees not sin inasmuch as it is against His will. And therefore He decrees not all things. Answer: We use not to say that God doth simply will or decree sin, but only in part, adding withal these caveats:

(i) That God willeth and decreeth sin, not properly as it is sin, but as it hath in it sundry regards and respects of goodness, so far forth as it is a punishment, or chastisement, or trial, or action, or hath an existence in nature.

(ii) God can so use evil instruments that the work done by them being a sin, shall nevertheless in Him be a good work; because He knows how to use evil instruments well. If it be further alleged that God willeth no wickedness

(Psa. 5:5), we must know that God's will is twofold: general and special.

(a) General, whereby God willeth and decreeth that a thing shall be; and by this kind of will He may be said to will sin; and that without sin. For though

He decreeth it thus, yet doth He not instil wickedness into the heart of any sinner, and His decree is only for a most excellent end. For in regard of God which decreeth it, it is good that there should be evil. To this purpose,

Augustine saith excellently, By an unspeakable manner it comes to pass, that that which is against God's will, is not without His will.

(b) Now the special will of God is that whereby He willeth anything in such manner that he approveth it and delighteth in it. And thus indeed we cannot say without blasphemy that God willeth sin.

Thus then we see in what manner, and how far forth God may be said to decree sin, that is, to will and appoint the permission of it.

(2) Again, it may be objected thus: If all things be determined by the unchangeable decree of God, then all things come to pass by an unchangeable necessity; and men in their actions have no free will at all, nor liberty in doing anything. Answer: This must be learned as a certain rule: that the necessary decree of God doth not abolish the nature of the second causes, and impose necessity upon the will of man, but only order and incline it without any constraint, to one part. As, for example, when a people is gathered together to hear God's Word, there is none of them but they know that they come thither by God's providence (and in that respect, necessarily), yet before they come, they had all freedom and liberty in themselves to come or not to come. And God's eternal counsel did not hinder the liberty of our wills in coming or not coming, nor take away the same; but only incline and turn them to the choice of one part. Another example hereof we may have in our Saviour Christ, whose state and condition of body, if we regard, He might have lived longer. Yet by the eternal counsel of God, He must die at that place, at that time, at that hour, where and when He died. Whereby we may see that God's counsel doth not hinder the will of man; but only order and dispose it. Which answer being well marked, we shall see these two will stand together: the necessary and unchangeable counsel of God, and the free will of man. And again, that the same action may be both necessary and contingent: necessary in regard of the highest cause, the counsel of God; not necessary but contingent in respect of the second causes, as, among the rest, the will of man.

(3) Thirdly, some will yet object against this doctrine, that if all things come to pass according to God's unchangeable decree, then what needs the use of any means? What needs the preaching of the Word? And receiving of the sacraments? What needs any laws, princes, magistrates or government?

What needs walking in men's ordinary callings? All is to no end; for let men play, or work, sleep or wake; all is one, for God's eternal counsel must needs come to pass. Therefore it may seem in vain for men to busy themselves about such things. Answer: But we must know that as God hath appointed all things to come to pass in His eternal and unchangeable counsel; so in the same decree, He hath together set down the means and ways whereby He will have the same things brought to pass; for these two must never be severed, the thing to be done, and the means whereby it is done. We may read in the Acts in Paul's dangerous voyage towards Rome

(Acts 27:23,24), an angel of the Lord told Paul that God had given him all that sailed with him in the ship. Now the soldiers and mariners hearing this, might reason thus with themselves: Seeing God hath decreed to save us all, we may do what we will, there is no danger, for we shall all come to land alive. But mark what Paul saith (v.31), Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be safe; where we see that as it was the eternal counsel of God to save Paul and all that were with him, so He decreed to save all by this particular means of their abode in the ship. King Hezekiah (2 Kin. 20:6,7) was restored to his health, and received from God a promise that he should have fifteen years added to his days, and the promise was confirmed by a sign. Now what doeth he? Cast off all means? No; but as he was prescribed, so he applieth a bunch of dry figs to his sore, and useth still his ordinary diet. Therefore it is gross ignorance and madness in men, to reason so against God's decree: God in His unchangeable counsel hath decreed and set down all things how they shall be; therefore I will use no means, but live as I list. Nay, rather we must say the contrary: because God hath decreed this thing or that to be done; therefore I will use the means which God hath appointed to bring the same to pass.

2a.

Now followeth the Creation, which is nothing else but a work of the blessed Trinity, forming and framing His creatures which were not before, and that of nothing.

The points to be known concerning the Creation are many:

(1) The first, is the thing by which God did begin and finish the Creation.

And we must understand that at the first God made all things without any instrument or means, and not as men do which bring to pass their business by servants and helps, but only by His Word and commandment; as the Psalmist saith (Psa. 148:5), He commanded, and all things were made. In the beginning, God said (Gen. 1:3), Let there be light, and there was light; and by the same means was the creation of every creature following. The very power of the Word and commandment of God was such, as by it that thing was made and had a being, which before was not. It may be demanded, what Word this was by which God is said to make all things? Answer: The Word of God in Scripture is taken three ways: for the substantial Word, for the founding, or written Word, and for the operative, or powerful Word. The substantial Word is the Second Person begotten of the substance of the Father. Now howsoever it be true that God the Father did create all things by His Word, that is, by His Son; yet doth it not seem to be true that by these words ÒGod said, Let there beÉ this or thatÓ that the Son is meant. For that Word which God gave out in the Creation was in time, whereas the Son is the Word of the Father before all times. And again, it is a Word common to the three persons equally, whereas the Son is the Word of the Father only. Furthermore, it is not like that it was any sounding word standing of letters and syllables, and uttered to the creatures after the usual manner of men, that was the cause of them. It remains therefore that all things were made by the operative Word, which is nothing but the pleasure, will, and appointment of God; and is more powerful to bring a

thing to pass than all the means in the world besides. For God willing of anything, is His effecting and doing of it. And this is proved by David when he saith (Ps. 33:9), He spake the Word, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created. Hence we must take out a special lesson, needful to be learned of every man. Look what power God used and shewed in making the creatures when they were not; the same power He doth, can and will shew forth in re-creating and redeeming sinful men by the precious blood of Christ. By His Word He created man's heart when it was not; and He can and will as easily create in us all new hearts specially when we use the good means appointed for that end. As, when Christ said to dead Lazarus (John 11:43), Lazarus, come forth, he arose and came forth of his grave, though bound hand and foot. So when the Lord speaks to our dead heart by His Word and Spirit, we shall rise forth of the graves of our sins and corruptions. In the Creation of the great world, God said, Let there be light, and presently darkness gave place. And the same He can do to the little world, that is, to man. We are by nature darkness, and let God but speak to our blind understandings, our ignorance shall depart, and we shall be enlightened with the knowledge of the true God and of His will. As Paul saith (2 Cor. 4:6), God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness, is

He which hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

(2) Secondly, God made all creatures, without motion, labour or fatigue; for His very bidding of the work to be done, was the doing of it. And this thing no creature can do, but God only, though unto Adam labour was without pain before the fall.

(3) Thirdly, the matter and the first beginning of all creatures was nothing; that is, all things were made, when as there was nothing whereof they might be made, as Paul saith (Rom. 4:17), God calleth those things which be not, as though they were. And indeed in the first Creation, all things must be made either of the essence of God, or of nothing. But a creature cannot be

made of the essence of God, for it hath no parts, it is not divisible. And therefore God made all things that were made out of Himself or His own essence. The conclusion then is that the framing of the creatures in the beginning, was not of any matter, but of nothing, because before the Creation, out of God there was nothing. This must teach us to humble ourselves. Many there be that stand upon their ancestors; but let them here look whence they came first, namely, as Abraham saith of himself (Gen.

18:27), of dust and ashes. And what was this dust and ashes made of?

Surely of nothing. Wherefore every man's first beginning is of nothing. Well then, such men as are carried away with their pedigree and descent, if they look well unto it, they shall find small cause to boast or brag. And this consideration of our first beginning, must move us to true humiliation in ourselves.

(4) Fourthly, God in framing His creatures in the beginning made them good; yea, very good. Now the goodness of the creature is nothing else but the perfect estate of the creature, whereby it was conformable to the will and mind of the Creator allowing and approving of it, when He had made it.

For a creature is not first good, and then approved of God; but because it is approved of God, thereof it is good. But wherein, will some say, stands this goodness of the creature? I answer, in three things:

(i) In the comeliness, beauty and glory of every work in his kind, both in form and constitution of the matter.

(ii) In the excellency of the virtue which God hath given to it; for as He hath appointed every creature for some especial end, so He hath fitted and furnished it with sufficient power and virtue to the accomplishing of the same end.

(iii) In the exceeding benefit and profitableness that came by them to man.

But since the fall of man, this goodness of the creature is partly corrupted and partly diminished. Therefore when we see any want, defect or deformity in any of them, we must have recourse back again to the apostasy of our first parents, and remember our fall in them, and say with a sorrowful heart, this comes to pass by reason of man's most wretched sin, which hath defiled heaven and earth, and drawn a curse not only upon himself, but upon the rest of the creatures for his sake; whereby their goodness is much defaced.

(5) Fifthly, the end of creation, is the glory of God, as Solomon saith (Prov.

16:4), God made all things for His own sake, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. And God propounds this principal end to Himself, not as though

He wanted glory, and would purchase it unto Himself by the creation; for He is most glorious in Himself, and His honour and praise being infinite, can neither be increased nor decreased; but rather that He might communicate, and make manifest His glory to His creatures, and give them occasion to magnify the same. For the reasonable creatures of God, beholding His glory in the creation, are moved to testify and declare the same among men.

(6) The sixth shall be touching the time of the beginning of the world, which is between five thousand and six thousand years ago. For Moses hath set down exactly the computation of time from the making of the world to his own days; and the prophets after him have with diligence set down the continuance of the same to the very birth of Christ. But for the exact account of years, chronologers are not all of one mind. Some say there be

3929, from the creation to Christ's birth, as Belroaldus; some 3952, as Jerome and Bede; some 3960, as Luther, and lo, Lucidus; some 3963, as Melanchthon in his Chronicle, and Functius; some 3970, as Bullinger and Tremellius; some towards 4000, as Buntingus. Now from the birth of Christ to this day are 1592 years, and adding these together, the whole time

amounteth. And God would have the very time of the beginning of the world to be revealed:

(i) First, that it might be known to the church when the Covenant of grace was first given by God to man, and when it was afterward renewed, and how Christ came in the fulness of time (Gal. 4:4).

(ii) Secondly, that we might know that the world was not made for the eternal and ever-living God, but for man.

(iii) Thirdly, that we might learn not to set our hearts on the world, and on the things therein, which have beginning and end, but seek for things eternal in heaven.

And before the time which I have named began, there was nothing beside God; the world itself, and all things else were uncreated. Some men used to object and say, What did God all that while before the world was? How did

He employ Himself? What, was He idle? Answer: The Jews to which bad this question, made as bad an answer; for they say He was continually occupied in making many little worlds, which He continually destroyed as He made them, because none pleased Him till He made this. But we must rather say that some things are revealed which God did then, as that He decreed what should come to pass when the world was, and that the blessed

Persons in Trinity did take eternal delight each in other. If any man will needs know more, let him hear what Moses saith (Deut. 29:29), Secret things belong to the Lord our God, but things revealed, to us and our children for ever. And let them mark what one eluding the question answered; namely, that God was making hell fire to burn all such curious persons as will needs know more of God than He hath revealed to them. For where God hath not a mouth to speak, there we must not have a care to hear. Therefore our duty is to let such curious questions pass.

(7) Seventhly, some may ask in what space of time did God make the world? Answer: God could have made the world and all things in it, in one moment; but He began and finished the whole work in six distinct days.

In the first day He made the matter of all things and the light.

In the second, the heavens.

In the third day, He brought the sea into His compass, and made the dry land appear, and caused it to bring forth herbs, plants and trees.

In the fourth day, He made the sun, the moon and the stars in heaven.

In the fifth day, He made the fishes of the sea, the fowls of the heaven, and every creeping thing.

In the sixth day, He made the beasts of the field, and all cattle, and in the end of the sixth day, He made man.

Thus in six distinct spaces of time, the Lord did make all things; and that especially for three causes:

(i) To teach men that they ought to have a distinct and serious consideration of every creature; for if God had made the world in a moment, some might have said, This work is so mystical, that no man can speak of it. But, for the preventing of this cavil, it was His pleasure to make the world and all things therein, in six days; and the seventh day, He commanded it to be sanctified by men, that they might distinctly and seriously meditate upon every day's work of the Creation.

(ii) God made the world and everything therein, in six distinct days, to teach us what wonderful power and liberty He had over all His creatures; for He made the light when there was neither sun nor moon, nor stars, to shew that in giving light to the world, He is not bound to the sun, to any creature, or

to any means; for the light was made the first day, but the sun, the moon and the stars were not created before the fourth day. Again, trees and plants were created the third day, but yet the sun, the moon and the stars, and rain, which nourish and make herbs, trees and plants to grow, were not created till after the third day; which shews plainly that God can make trees, plants and herbs to grow without the means of rain, and without the virtue and operation of the sun, the moon and the stars.

(iii) He made the world in six distinct days and framed all things in this order, to teach us His wonderful providence over all His creatures; for before man was created, He provided for him a dwelling place, and all things necessary for his perpetual preservation and perfect happiness and felicity. So also He created beasts and cattle; but not before He had made herbs, plants and grass, and all means whereby they are preserved. And if God had this care over man, when as yet he was not; much more will God have care over him now when he is, and hath a being in nature.

And thus much concerning the points of doctrine touching the creation.

The duties follow.

(1) And first, by the work of creation, we may discern the true Jehovah from all false gods and idols in the world. This, Isaiah maketh plain (Isa.

45:6,7), I am God, and there is none other God besides me. How is that produced? Thus: I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I the Lord do all these things. If a man ask thee how thou knowest the true God from all false gods, thou must answer, By the works of Creation; for He alone is the maker of heaven and earth, and all things in them. This property cannot agree to any creature, to any man, saint or angel; nay, not to all men and all angels. They cannot give being to a creature which before was nothing.

(2) Secondly, whereas God the Father is creator of all things, and hath given unto man reason, understanding and ability more than to other creatures; we are taught to consider and meditate on the work of God's creation. This, the wise man teacheth us (Eccl. 7:13), saying, Consider the works of God. And indeed, it is a special duty of every man who professeth himself to be a member of God's church, as he acknowledgeth God to be the Creator, so to look upon His workmanship, and view and consider all creatures. A skilful workman can have no greater disgrace, than when he hath done some famous thing, to have his friend pass by his work, and not so much as look upon it. If it be demanded for what end we must look upon the work of God's Creation, I answer, that in it we may see and discern God's power, wisdom, love, mercy and providence, and all His attributes, and in all things, His glory. This is a most necessary duty to be learned of every man.

We think nothing too much or too good to bestow on vain shews and plays, idle sports and pastimes, which are the vanities of men, and we do most willingly behold them; in the mean season utterly neglecting and condemning the glorious work of God's Creation. Well, the Lord hath appointed His Sabbath to be sanctified, not only by the public ministry of the Word, and by private prayers, but also by an especial consideration and meditation of God's creatures, and therefore the duty of every man is this: distinctly and seriously to view and consider the creatures of God; and thereby take occasion to glorify His name, by ascribing unto Him the wisdom, glory, power and omnipotence that is due unto Him, and appears in the same.

(3) Thirdly, we must give God glory in all His creatures, because He is the Creator of them all. So in the Revelation, the four and twenty elders fall down before Him, and say (Rev. 4:11), Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; giving this reason, for thou hast created all things, and for thy will's sake they are and have been created. Read Psalms

147 and 148, both of which tend to this effect, that God must be praised because He is the Creator of all things, to whom all glory is due. We know

that when men behold any curious work of a cunning and skilful craftsman, straightway they will leave the work, and enquire after him that made it, that they may praise his skill. The same is our duty in this case, when we come abroad and behold everywhere in all the creatures the admirable and unspeakable wisdom, goodness and power of God, then we must make haste from the creature, and go forward to the Creator, to praise and glorify

Him. And herein must we shew ourselves to differ from brute beasts, in that by the use and view of God's creatures, we do return due glory, praise and honour unto the Creator.

(4) Our fourth duty is set down by the prophet Amos, who moving the people to meet God by repentance, addeth a reason taken from the Creation

(Amos 4:13). He that formeth the mountains and createth the winds, which declareth unto man what is His thought, which maketh the morning darkness etc., The Lord God of hosts is His name. The meaning of the prophet is this: God is a terrible judge, and we are as traitors and rebels against Him. Therefore the best way that we can take is this: He is coming to judgment, let us therefore meet Him, fall down before Him, and humble ourselves under His mighty hand. And the Holy Ghost by the prophet would move the people to meet God by serious repentance, by a reason framed thus: If God who is their judge, be able to create the winds, and to form the mountains, and to make the morning darkness, then He is also able to make an eternal judgment for their confusion. And therefore all such as be impenitent sinners, let them prepare themselves to turn unto Him; and surely if men had grace to lay this to their hearts, they would not live so long in their sins without repentance as they do; nay, rather they would prepare themselves to meet Him in the way before He come to judgment, because He is a Creator, and therefore able to bring infinite punishments upon them at His pleasure, and to bring them to nothing, as He made them of nothing. And let them know it whosoever they be that go forward in their sins, that God the Creator whensoever He will, can open hell to devour them; and that He can shew Himself as mighty in His judgments to man's

destruction, as He was mighty in the beginning in giving us being when we were nothing. Wherefore notable is the practice of David, who inures himself to the fear of God (Psa. 139:14) by the consideration of His

Creation, saying, I am fearfully and wonderfully made etc.

(5) Lastly, those that have been impenitent sinners though all their life past, must not only learn to repent for their sins, but also endeavour to perform obedience unto God's Word. God is a Creator, and the thing created should in all respects be conformable to His will; for David saith (Psa.

119:73), Thine hands have fashioned me, and framed me; give me understanding therefore, that I may learn thy commandments. And good reason; for there is no man of any trade, but that he would fain have all that he maketh and deviseth, to be used; but yet so as the use thereof must be conformable to the will of the maker. For this cause, Moses, that faithful servant of God, saith (Deut. 32:6) that the people of Israel dealt wrongfully with the Lord. Why? For He hath created them, and proportioned them. He is their Father and He bought them. Yet they have dishonoured Him by corrupting themselves towards Him by their vice.

All creatures in heaven and earth do the will of the Creator, except man, and the devil and his angels; for the sun, the moon and the stars, they keep that course which God hath appointed them; but man, though he be bound to do the will of God because God is his Creator, yet he rebels against Him. The potter, if in tempering his clay, he cannot make and frame it according to his mind, at length he will dash it in pieces. So God, He createth man, not that he should do his own will, but God's will; and therefore the Lord in His wrath will confound him eternally, whosoever he be that followeth the lusts of his own wicked heart, and will not be brought to be conformable to God's will, but goes on in his rebellion without stay. For this cause it stands every man in hand to yield himself pliable to God's will, and to endeavour to obey it by keeping a good conscience before God and all men, and by walking faithfully in his calling, lest the end be confusion. If a man have a trade and

other men come into his shop, and use such tools and instruments as be there, to wrong ends, he will in no wise brook it, but take the abuse in great displeasure. Now the world is as it were an opened shop, in which God hath set forth unto His glory and majesty, and the creatures of all kinds to be instruments appointed for excellent uses, and specially man for the accomplishment of His will. And therefore when he rebels against the will of God, and by sin puts the creatures to wrong ends, he cannot but most grievously offend God.

And thus much of the duties.

Now in the third place follow the consolations unto God's church and people.

(1) First, as St Peter saith (1 Pet. 4:19), God is a Creator, yea, a faithful Creator. The properties of faithful Creators are two:

(i) He will preserve His creature. No man is so tender over any work as he that made it, for he cannot abide to see it in any way abused. God therefore being a faithful Creator, tenderly loves all His creatures. So Job reasoneth with God (Job 10:3) that He will not cast him off, because he is the work of His hands.

(ii) God will bear with His creature, to see whether it will be brought to any good end and use, before He will destroy it. And to use the former comparison, the potter will turn and work the clay every way to make a vessel unto his mind; but if it frame no way, then will he cast it away, and dash it against the wall. And so God who created man, still preserveth him, and useth all means to make him conformable to His will, before He cast him off. The Lord did long strive with men in the old world, to turn them from their wickedness; but when nothing would serve them, it is said (Gen.

6:6), It repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth. And in like manner, if we which are the creatures of God, shall rebel against this our

Creator, it may be, He will bear with us for a time; but if we continue therein, and do not turn to Him by repentance, He will bring upon us a final destruction both in body and soul. Yet I say, before He does this, His manner is to try all means to preserve us, and turn us unto Him; and afterward if nothing will serve, then will He shew forth His power in men's confusion; and therefore it stands us in hand to look unto it betime.

(2) Secondly, look what power the Lord did manifest in the creation of all things, the same power He both can and will make manifest in the redemption of mankind. In the beginning God made all things by His Word; and so likewise He is able still to make by the power of His Word, of a wicked man that is dead in sin, a true and lively member of Christ; which the prophet Isaiah signifieth when he saith (Isa. 45:12,13), The Lord hath created the heavens, and spread them abroad, He that stretcheth forth the earth, and the bounds thereof etc., I the Lord have called thee in righteousness. This must not encourage evil men in their wickedness, but it serveth to comfort the people of God, considering that the same God which once created them, is also as able to save them; and will shew Himself as mighty in their redemption as He was in their creation of nothing.

And thus much of the Creation in general. Now it followeth that we come to the handling of the parts thereof. For it is not said barely that God is a Creator, but particularly that He is a Creator of heaven and earth; of both which we will speak in order.

(1) And first of the creation of heaven.

Heaven.

Heaven, in God's Word signifieth all that is above the earth; for the air wherein we breathe is called heaven. And according to this acceptation of the word, there are three heavens, as Paul saith (2 Cor. 12:2), He was taken up into the third heaven. The first of these heavens is that space which is

from the earth upward unto the firmament where the stars are. Thus the birds which fly in the air between the earth and the stars, are called the fowls of heaven (Gen. 6:7). And when God sent the flood to drown the old world, Moses saith, The windows of heaven were opened (Gen. 7:11), meaning that God poured down rain from the clouds abundantly, for the making of a flood to drown the world. The second heaven is that which containeth the sun, the moon and the stars. So Moses saith (Gen. 1:14), that God in the beginning created the sun, the moon and the stars, and placed them in the firmament of heaven. Besides these two heavens, there is a third, which is invisible. And yet it is the work of God's hands. And it is that glorious place where Christ even in His manhood sitteth at the right hand of the Father; and whither the souls of the faithful departed are carried and placed; and in which at the end of the world shall all the elect both in body and soul have perfect joy and bliss in the glorious sight and presence of God for ever. But for the better conceiving the truth, we are to scan and consider diligently three questions:

(i) First, whether this third heaven be a creature; for many have thought it was never created, but was eternal with God Himself. But it is a gross error contrary to God's Word. For the Scripture saith (Heb. 11:10),

Abraham looked for a city (meaning the heavenly Jerusalem, this third heaven) having a foundation, whose builder and maker is God. Further, if it be eternal, it must either be a creator or a creature. But it is no creator, for then it should be God; and therefore it must needs be a creature. But some will say, the Lord is eternal, and this third heaven hath always been the place of the Lord's abode, and therefore it is also eternal. Answer: True it is indeed that God doth shew His glory and majesty in the third heaven. But yet that cannot possibly contain His Godhead, as Solomon saith (1 Kin.

8:27), Behold the heavens, and the heaven of heavens, are not able to contain thee. Wherefore though God doth manifest His eternal glory in this third heaven, yet doth it not follow that therefore this place should be

eternal; for He needs no habitation to dwell in, He is everywhere, filling all things with His presence, excluded from no place.

(ii) The second question is, where this third heaven is? Answer: There are some Protestants who say, it is everywhere. And they hold this opinion to maintain the real presence of the Lord's body in or about the sacrament. But if it were everywhere, then hell should be in heaven, which no man will say.

But heaven is indeed above these visible heavens which we see with our eyes. So the apostle saith (Eph. 4:8,10), Christ ascended on high far above all heavens etc. and again it is said of Stephen (Acts 7:55,56) that, being full of the Holy Ghost, He looked up steadfastly into the heavens, and saw them open, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.

(iii) Thirdly, it may be demanded, why God created this third heaven? Answer: God made it for this cause: that there might be a certain place wherein He might make manifest His glory and majesty to His elect angels and men; for the which cause it was created a thousandfold more glorious than the two former heavens are, and in this respect is called Paradise (Luke 23:43), by reason of the joy and pleasure arising from God's glorious presence. And our Saviour Christ calleth it the house of God His Father (John 14:2), because into it must be gathered all God's children. It is called the kingdom of heaven, because God is the King thereof, and ruleth there in perfect glory. True it is, God hath His kingdom here on earth; but He ruleth not so fully and gloriously here, as He shall in heaven; for this is the kingdom of grace, but that is the kingdom of His glory, where He so reigneth that He will be all in all, first in Christ, and then in the elect, both angels and men.

Now follow the duties whereunto we are moved principally in consideration of the making of the third heaven:

(i) First, if God created it especially for the manifestation of His glory unto men, that at the end of the world, by the fruition of God's most glorious

presence, there they might have perfect joy and felicity; we have occasion here to consider the wonderful madness and forgetfulness that reigneth everywhere among men which only have regards to the estate of this life, and cast all their care on this world, and never so much as once dream of the joyful and blessed estate which is prepared for God's children in the highest heaven. If a man having two houses; one but a homely cottage and the other a princely palace, should leave the better and take all the care and pains for the dressing up of the first, would not every man say he were a mad man? Yes, undoubtedly. And yet this is the spiritual madness that takes place everywhere among men; for God hath prepared for us two houses, one is this, our body which we bear about us which is an house of clay, as Job saith (Job 4:19), We dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is dust, which shall be destroyed before the moth; and as Peter saith (2 Pet. 1:14), a tabernacle, or tent, which we must shortly take down, and where we abide but as pilgrims and strangers (1 Pet. 2:11). Again, the same God of His wonderful goodness hath provided for us a second house in the third heaven, wherein we must not abide for a time and so depart; but for evermore enjoy the blessed felicity of His glorious presence. For all this mark a spiritual frenzy possessing the minds of men; for they employ all their care and industry for the maintaining of this house of clay, whose foundation is but dust; but for the blessed estate of the second house, which is prepared for them in the kingdom of heaven, they have little regard or care. They will both run and ride from place to place day and night, both by sea and land; but for what? Is it for the preparing of a mansion in the heavenly Jerusalem? Nothing less, for they will scarce go out of the door to use any means whereby they may come unto it; but all their study is to patch up the ruins and breaches of their earthly cabin. Now let all men judge in their own consciences whether, as I have said, this be not more than senseless madness? Again, the body is but a tabernacle wherein we must rest as it were for a night, as a stranger doth in an inn, and so away; but the second house is eternal in the heavens, an everlasting seat of all felicity and happiness. And therefore our duty is above all things to seek the

kingdom of God and His righteousness, as Christ Himself biddeth us (Matt.

6:33). And if the Lord have there prepared such a place for us, then we must in this world use all good means whereby we may be made worthy of the fruition of it; and also fit and ready at the day of death to enter into it; which at the day of judgment we shall fully possess both in soul and body, and there reign eternally in all happiness with God Almighty our Creator, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. But some may say, How shall a man so prepare himself that he may be fit for that place? Answer: This the Holy

Ghost teacheth us; for speaking of this heavenly Jerusalem, He saith (Rev.

21:27), There shall enter into it none unclean thing, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or lies. The means then to make ourselves fit is to seek to be reconciled to God in Christ for our sins past, and withal to endeavour to have an assurance of the free remission and pardon of them all in the blood of Christ. And as touching that part of life which is to come, we must remember what St John saith (1 John 3:3), Everyone that hath this hope purifieth himself, meaning that he which hath hope to reign with Christ in heaven, useth the means whereby he may purify and keep himself from sin. As also he saith after (1 John 5:18), that he which is born of God keepeth himself, and the wicked one toucheth him not, signifying that all such persons as are truly justified and sanctified, carry such a narrow and strait watch over the whole course of their lives and conversations that the devil can never give them deadly wounds, and so wholly overcome them.

Now the man that is resolved in his conscience of the pardon of his sin for the time past, and hath steadfast purpose in his heart to keep himself upright, and continually to walk in righteousness and true holiness all the days of his life; this man, I say, is prepared and made fit to enter into the heavenly Jerusalem. Come death when it will, he is ready. And howsoever he must not look for heaven here upon earth, yet he is as it were in the suburbs of this heavenly city; and at the end of this life, the King thereof, the Lord Jesus, will open the gates and receive him into His kingdom, for he is already entered into the kingdom of grace. To conclude this point, let every man in the fear of God, be moved hereby to set his heart to prepare

himself; that when God shall call him hence, he may be fit to enter into that glory.

(ii) Secondly, seeing God hath prepared the third heaven for us, it teacheth every man in this world to be content with the estate wherein God hath placed him, whether it be high or low, rich or poor. Why so? Because here he is but a pilgrim, and lives in a cottage of clay, and in a tent wherein he must abide but a while, as a pilgrim doth, oftentimes carrying his house about with him. And we shall in better sort accept the afflictions which God sends us in this life, if we remember that there is prepared for us a place of joy, which must be our resting place and perfect felicity for evermore. This was the practice of the children of God, especially of Abraham; for when the Lord called him out of his own country, he obeyed, and by faith abode in the promised land, as in a strange country, as one that dwelt in the tents, with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him in the same promise; and the reason followeth: for he looked for a city having a foundation, whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:9,10). They believed that these things which the Lord promised were shadows of better things; and hereon stayed themselves, being well content with that estate whereto God had called them. So Paul was contented to bear the afflictions which God hath laid upon him, and his reason was (2 Cor. 4:18), We look not on things that are seen, but on things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. And in the next chapter (2 Cor. 5:1,2), We know (saith he) that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed, we have a dwelling given us of God, that is, an house not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens. And for this cause his desire was rather to remove out of this body and to be with the Lord.

(2) And thus much concerning heaven. Now followeth the second part of God's creation in these words:

And earth.

Earth signifieth the huge mass or body standing of sea and land on which we live, and all things that be in or upon the earth whatsoever. As Paul saith

(Col. 1;16), For by Him were created all things that are in heaven or in earth etc. In other creeds which were made since this of the apostles, being expositions of that; there is added maker of all things visible and invisible.

Here we have occasion to speak of all creatures, but that were infinite.

Therefore I will make choice of these two: (i) good angels and (ii) men.

(i) (a) That angels had a beginning it is no question; for Paul saith (Col. 1:16) that by God all things were created in heaven and earth, things visible and invisible whether thrones, principalities or powers. And in respect of the creation, angels are called the sons of God (Job 38:7). But the time and day of their creation cannot be set down further than this: that they were created in the compass of the six days. For Moses saith (Gen. 2:1), Thus, namely in the compass of the first six days, the heavens and the earth were fashioned, and all the host of them; that is, all variety of creatures in heaven and earth, serving for the beauty and glory thereof; whereof no doubt the angels are the principal.

(b) Touching the nature of angels, some have thought that they are nothing but qualities and motions in the minds of men, as the Sadducees and Libertines of this time. But the truth is that they are spirits, that is, spiritual and invisible substances created by God, and really subsisting; for the Scripture ascribes unto them such kind of actions which cannot be performed by the creatures, save only such as be substances; as to stand before the throne of God, to behold the face of the Father, to carry men's souls to heaven. Yet we must not imagine that they are bodily substances consisting of flesh and bone. And though they took upon them visible shapes and forms, and did eat and drink in company of men, and thereupon are called men in Scripture (Luke 24:4); yet they did this by divine

dispensation for a time, that they might the better perform the actions and businesses among men, to which they were by God appointed. And the bodies of men which they assumed, were no parts of their natures united to them, as our bodies are to us; but rather they were as garments are to us, which they might put off and on at their pleasure. If any shall ask whence they had these bodies, the answer is that either they were created of nothing by the power of God, or framed of some other matter subsisting before. If again it be asked, what became of these bodies when they laid them down, because they used them but for a time, the answer may be that if they were made of nothing, they were again resolved into nothing; if made of other creatures, that then they were resolved into the same bodies of which they were first made, though indeed we can define nothing certainly in this point.

(c) Angels are reasonable creatures, of excellent knowledge and understanding, far surpassing all men save Christ. Their knowledge is threefold: natural, revealed and experimental. Natural, which they received from God in the creation. Revealed, which God makes manifest to them in process of time, whereas before they knew it not. Thus God revealed to Gabriel the mystery of the seventy weeks (Dan. 8,9). And in the apocalypse many things are revealed to the angels that they might reveal them to us. Experimental knowledge is that which they get by observing the dealing of God in the whole world, but especially in the church. And thus Paul saith

(Eph. 3:10) that to principalities and powers in heavenly places is known the manifold wisdom of God by the church.

(d) And as the knowledge, so also the power of the good angels is exceeding great (Psa. 103:20). They are able to do more than all men can.

Therefore Paul calls them mighty angels (2 Thess. 1:7). Yea, their power is far superior to the power of the wicked angels who, since the fall, are under them and cannot prevail against them.

(e) The place of abode of angels is the highest heaven, unless they be sent thence by the Lord to do some thing appointed by Him. This our Saviour

Christ teacheth, when he saith (Matt. 18:10) that the angels of little ones do always behold the face of their Father in heaven. And the wicked angels before their fall, were placed in heaven, because they were cast hence.

(f) That there be certain distinctions and diversities of angels, it is very likely, because they are called thrones and principalities and powers, cherubim and seraphim. But what be the distinct degrees and orders of angels, and whether they are to be distinguished by their natures, gifts or offices, no man by Scripture can determine.

(g) The ministry of angels to which the Lord hath set them apart is threefold, and it respecteth either God Himself, of His church, or His enemies. i. The ministry which they perform to God is, first of all, to adore, praise and glorify Him continually. Thus the cherubim in Isaiah's vision (Isa. 6:3) cry one to another, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts; the world is full of His glory. And when they were to publish the birth of the Messiah, they begin on this manner (Luke 2:14), Glory to God in the highest heavens, peace on earth. And John in his vision heard the angels about the throne (Rev. 5:11,12) crying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, riches and strength, wisdom, and honour, and glory, and praise. And indeed the highest end of the ministry of angels is the manifestation of the glory of God. The second is to stand in God's presence, evermore ready to do His commandments, as David saith (Psa.

103:26), Praise the Lord ye His angels that excel in strength, that do His commandments in obeying the voice of His Word. And here is a good lesson for us. We pray daily that we may do the will of God, as the angels in heaven do it. Let us therefore be followers of the holy angels in praising

God and doing His commandments as they do.

ii. The ministry of angels concerning the church stands in this: that they are ministering spirits for the good of them which shall be the heirs of salvation. This good is threefold: in this life, at the end of this life, and in the last judgment. Again, the good which they procure to the people of God in this life is either in respect of body or soul. In respect of the body, in that they do most carefully perform all manner of duties which do necessarily tend to preserve the temporal life of God's children, even from the beginning of their days to the end. David saith (Psa. 34:7) that they pitch their tents about him that fears the Lord. When Hagar was cast forth of Abraham's family (Gen. 16:7), and wandered in the wilderness, an angel comes unto her and gives her counsel to return to her mistress and humble herself. When Elijah fled from Jezabel (1 Kin. 19:5,7), he was both comforted, directed and fed by an angel. And an angel bids the same Elijah

(2 Kin. 1:3) be of good courage and without fear to go to king Ahaziah and reprove him. Angels (Gen. 19:15-17) bring Lot and his family out of Sodom and Gomorrah before they burn the cities with fire and brimstone. When

Jacob feared his brother Esau (Gen. 32:1,2), he saw angels coming unto him; and he plainly acknowledgeth that they were sent to be his protectors and his guides in his journey. Abraham, being persuaded of the assistance of God's angels in all his ways (Gen. 24:7), said to his servant, The Lord God of heaven who took me from my father's house etc., will send his angel before thee. The wise men that came to see Christ (Matt. 2:12,13), are admonished by angels to return another way, and Joseph by the direction of an angel fled into Egypt that he might preserve Christ from the hands of the cruel tyrant. The tents of the Israelites (Exod. 14:19; 23:20) were guarded by angels. The three children (Dan. 3:28) are delivered from the fiery furnace, and (Dan. 6:22) Daniel out of the lions' den by angels. When Christ was in heaviness (Matt. 4:11), they ministered unto Him and comforted

Him. And (Acts 12:7) they brought Peter out of prison, and set him at liberty.

Again, the angels procure good unto the souls of the godly, in that they are maintainers and furtherers of the true worship of God, and of all good means whereby we attain to salvation. The law was delivered in mount

Sinai by angels (Acts 7:38), and a great part of the Revelation of John. They expound to Daniel the seventy weeks (Dan. 9:22). They instruct the apostles touching the return of Christ to the last judgment (Acts 1:11). An angel forbids John to worship him (Rev. 22:9), but worship God the Creator of heaven and earth. They fetch the apostles out of prison (Acts 5:19,20), and bid them teach in the temple. An angel brings Philip to the eunuch (Acts

8:26), that he may expound the Scriptures to him. Lastly, they reveal the mysteries and the will of God: as to Abraham (Gen. 22:12) that he should not kill his son Isaac; to Mary and Elizabeth (Luke 1:13, 28, 35), the nativity of John Baptist and of Christ our Saviour; and all this they do according unto the will of God (Gal. 1:8). Beside all this, angels rejoice at the conversion of sinners by the ministry of the gospel (Luke 15:7,10). And for the church's sake, they protect not only particular men, but even whole nations and kingdoms.

The ministry of angels in the end of this life is to carry the souls of the godly into Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22), as they did the soul of Lazarus.

And in the day of judgment (Matt. 25:31,32) to gather all the elect that they may come before Christ, and enter into eternal fruition of glory both in body and soul. iii. The third and last part of the ministry of angels concerns God's enemies; and it is to execute judgments on all wicked persons and impenitent sinners.

Thus all the firstborn of Egypt are slain by an angel (Exod. 12:23,29). When Joshua was about to sack Jericho (Josh. 5:13), an angel appeared unto him as a captain, with drawn sword to fight for Israel. When the host of Sennacherib (2 Kin. 19:35) came against Israel, the angel of the Lord in one night slew an hundred eighty and five thousand. Because Herod gave not

glory unto God (Acts 12:23), the angel of the Lord smote him, as he was eaten up of worms and died.

Uses.

And thus we see what points we are to mark touching the good angels. Now followeth the use which we are to make in regard of their creation.

(a) First, whereas they are God's ministers to inflict punishments upon the wicked, here is a special point to be learned of us: that every man in the fear of God take heed how he liveth and continueth in his sins, for the case is dangerous, considering that God hath armies of angels which stand ready everywhere to execute God's heavy judgments upon them that live thus.

When the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord (Exod. 32:25), Moses saith, they were naked, that is, open to all the judgments of God; even destitute of the guard of His good angels. Wretched Balaam, that wizard (Num. 22:31), went to Balak to curse the children of Israel; and as he went it is said, the angel of the Lord stood in his way with a drawn sword; and if the ass had been no wiser than his master, the angel had slain him. Whereby it appears that when we rush on into the practice of any sin, we do as much as in us lieth to cause God to send down His judgments upon us for our sins, and that by the ministry of His angels.

(b) Secondly, we are taught another lesson by Christ Himself (Matt.

18:10). See (saith he) that you despise not one of these little ones. Now mark His reason: For I say unto you, that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father. By little ones He meaneth young infants which are within the Covenant; or others which are like to young infants in simplicity and innocence of life and humility. And Christ will not have them to be despised. A duty very needful to be stood upon in these times. For nowadays, if a man carry but a shew of humility, of good conscience, and of the fear of God, he is accounted but a silly fellow, he is hated, mocked, and despised on every hand. But this should not be so. For him whom God

honoureth with the protection of His good angels, why should any mortal man despise? And it stands mockers and scorners in hand to take heed whom they mock. For though men for their parts put up many abuses and injuries, yet their angels may take just revenge, by smiting them with plagues and punishments for their offences.

(c) Thirdly, seeing angels are about us, and serve for the good of men, we must do whatsoever we do in reverent and seemly manner, as Paul gives counsel to the Philippians (Phil. 4:8), Brethren (saith He) whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, just, pure, and pertain to love, of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. Many men do all their affairs orderly for avoiding shame, but we must do the same upon a further ground, namely, because God's holy angels wait on us. And considering that men have care to behave themselves well when they are before men, what a shame is it for a man to behave himself unseemly either in open or in secret, he then being before the glorious angels? Paul saith (1 Cor. 11;10), that the woman ought to have power on her head because of the angels; that is, not only the ministers of the church, but God's heavenly angels, which daily wait upon His children and guard them in all their ways.

(d) Fourthly, this must teach us modesty and humility; for the angels of God are very notable and excellent creatures, and therefore they are called in the Psalms, Elohim, gods. Yet how excellent soever they be, they abase themselves to become guardians and keepers unto sinful men. Now if the angels do so abase themselves; then much more ought every man to abase and humble himself in modesty and humility before God. And whatsoever our calling is, we must not be puffed up, but be content. This is a necessary duty for all, but especially for those which are in the schools of the prophets; whatsoever their gifts or birth be, they must not think themselves too good for the calling of the ministry, And if God hath called us thereto, we must be content to become servants unto all in the matter of salvation;

though the men whom we teach be never so base or simple; for no man doth so far excel the basest person in the world, as the glorious angels of God do exceed the most excellent man that is. Therefore seeing they vouchsafe to become servants unto us, we must not think ourselves too good to serve our poor brethren.

And thus much of the duties. Now follow the consolations that arise from this, that God hath given His glorious angels to serve for the protection and safeguard of His church and people. If men's spiritual eyes were opened, they should see the devil and his angels, and all the wicked of this world to fight against them. And if there were no means of comfort in this case, then our estate were most miserable. But mark, as God's servant hath all these wicked ones to be his enemies; so he hath garrisons of angels that pitch their tents about him and defend him from them all. So David saith (Psa.

91:11,12), He shall give thy angels charge over thee, and they shall keep him in all thy ways, that thou dash not thy foot against a stone; where the angels of God are compared to nurses which carry little children in their arms, feed them, and are always ready at hand to save them from falls and many other dangers. When the king of Syria sent his horses (2 Kin. 6:1517) to take Elisha the Lord's prophet, because he revealed his counsel to the king of Israel; his servant saw them round about Dothan where he was, and he cried, Alas, master, what shall we do? Then Elisha answered, Fear not, for they that be with us, are more than they that be with them; and he besought the Lord to open his servant's eyes, and he looked, and behold, the mountains were full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. So likewise not many years ago, our land was preserved from the invasion of the Spaniard, whose huge navy lay upon our sea coasts. But how were we delivered from them? Surely by no strength, nor power, nor cunning of man; but it was the Lord, no doubt, by His angels that did keep our coasts, and did scatter our enemies, and drown them. Let enemies rage, and let them do that they will, if a man keep himself in the ways which God prescribeth, he hath God's angels to guide and preserve him; which thing

must move men to love and embrace the true religion, and conform themselves in all good conscience to the rule of God's Word. For when a man doth not so, all the angels of God are his enemies; and at all times ready to execute God's vengeance upon him. But when men carry themselves as dutiful children to God, they have this prerogative: that God's holy angels do watch about them, and defend them day and night from the power of their enemies, even in common calamities and miseries. Before God sends His judgments on Jerusalem, an angel is sent to mark them in the foreheads that mourn for the abominations of the people (Ezek. 9). And this privilege none can have, but he whose heart is sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and that man shall have it unto the end (Exod. 12:23 with 1 Cor.

5:7).

And thus much of the creation of angels.

(ii) Now it followeth to speak of the creation of man; wherein we must consider two things: the points of doctrine and the uses.

For the points of doctrine:

(a) First, man was created and framed by the hand of God, and made after the image of God. For Moses brings in the Lord speaking thus (Gen.

1:26,27): Let us make man in our image etc., in the image of God created He them, which also must be understood of angels. The image of God is nothing else but a conformity of man unto God, whereby man is holy as God is holy; for Paul saith (Eph. 4:24), Put on the new man, which is after God, that is, in God's image is created in righteousness and holiness. Now I reason thus: wherein the renewing of the image of God in man doth stand, therein was it at the first. But the renewing of God's image in man doth stand in righteousness and holiness. Therefore God's image wherein man was created at the beginning, was a conformity to God in righteousness and

holiness. Now whether God's image doth further consist in the substance of man's body and soul, or in the faculties of both, the Scripture speaks not.

This image of God hath two principal parts: i. Wisdom; ii. Holiness. i. Concerning wisdom, Paul saith (Col. 3:10), Put ye on the new man, which is created in knowledge after the image of Him which created him. This wisdom consists in three points: a. In that he knew God his Creator perfectly; for Adam in his innocency knew God so far forth as it was convenient for a creature to know his

Creator. b. He knew God's will so far forth as it was convenient for him, to shew his obedience thereunto. c. He knew the wisdom and will of his Creator touching the particular creatures; for after Adam was created, the lord brought every creature unto him, presenting them unto him, as being lord and king over them, that he might give names unto them. Whereby it appears that Adam in his innocency did know the nature of all creatures and the wisdom of God in creating them, else he could not have given them fit names. And when God brought Eve unto Adam, he knew her at the first, and said (Gen. 2:23), This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman etc. ii. The second part of God's image in man is holiness and righteousness; which is nothing else but a conformity of the will and affections, and of the whole disposition of man both in body and soul, to the will of God his

Creator. Yet we must remember that Adam in his innocency had a changeable will, so as he could either will good or evil. He was created with such liberty of will, as that he could indifferently will either. And we must not think that the will of the creature was made unchangeably good, for that

is peculiar to the will of God, and hereby is the Creator distinguished from the creature.

And here two things offer themselves to be considered: a. The first: Why the man is called the image of God, and not the woman. Answer: He is so called, not because holiness and righteousness is peculiar to him which is common to both; but because God hath placed more outward excellency and dignity in the person of a man than of a woman. b. The second: How Christ should be called the image of God (Col.

1:15). Answer: He is so called for two special causes: First, because He is of the same substance with the Father, and therefore is His most absolute image, and as the author of Hebrews saith (Heb. 1:3), The brightness of His glory, and the engraven form of His Person. Secondly, because God, being invisible, doth manifest Himself in Christ, in whom as in a glass we may behold the wisdom, goodness, justice, and mercy of God.

(b) The second point to be considered in the creation of man is the dignity of his person. For David saith (Psa. 8:5), Thou hast Him little inferior to the angels, and crowned Him with glory and worship. This dignity stands in four points: i. A blessed communion with the true God. For Paul speaking of the Gentiles which were not called, saith (Eph. 4:18) they were strangers from the life of God. Where, by the contrary, we may gather that our first parents in their innocency lived the life of God, which is nothing else but to lead a life here on earth, as that the creature shall have a blessed and immediate fellowship with God; which stands in this: that before the fall of man, God revealed Himself in a special manner unto him, so as his very body and soul was a temple and dwelling place of the Creator. This fellowship between God and man in his innocency, was made manifest in the familiar

conference which God vouchsafed to man. But since the fall, this communion is lost; for man cannot abide the presence of God. And therefore when Peter had fished all night and caught nothing, our Saviour bad him cast down his net to make a draught, who did so; but when he saw the great multitude of fishes that were taken, at this sight beholding but as it were some sparks of the glorious majesty of God in Christ, he fell down at His feet, saying (Luke 5:8), Lord depart from me, for I am a sinner. ii. The second point wherein man's dignity consisteth, is that man was made lord and king over all creatures. As David saith (Psa. 8:6), Thou hast made him to have dominion in the works of thy hands. And therefore God, having created him in His image, biddeth him (Gen. 1:28), Rule over the fishes of the sea, over the fowls of the heaven, and over every beast that moveth upon the earth. And afterward, He brought them all to him, as a sovereign lord and king, to be named by him. And answerably every creature in his kind gave reverence and subjection unto man, before his fall, as unto their lord and king. Where, by the way, we must remember that when we see any creature that is hurtful and noisome unto man, and would rather devour than obey him; it must put us in mind of our sin. For by creation, we were made lords and kings over all creatures. And they durst not but reverence and obey us. But the rebellion of man unto God is the cause of the rebellion of the creatures unto us. iii. The third part of man's dignity by creation, is that before his fall he had a wonderful beauty and majesty above all creatures in his body. Whereupon

David saith (Psa. 8:5), the Lord hath crowned him with glory and worship.

And in the renewing of the covenant with Noah, God saith (Gen. 9:2) that the dread and fear of man shall be upon all creatures; which now though it be but small, yet doth it plainly shew what was the glory and majesty of man's person at the first.

iv. The fourth dignity of man's estate in innocency, is that his labour was without pain or weariness. If he had never fallen, he should have laboured in the garden; but so as he should have never been wearied therewith. For when Adam was fallen, God said (Gen. 3:19), In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread. Now if the pain in labour come after as a curse upon man for his transgression, then before his fall, man felt no pain in his affairs.

And in these four things consisteth man's dignity which he had in the Creation.

(c) Now in the third, followeth man's calling before his fall, which is twofold: i. Particular. ii. General. i. Man's particular calling was to come into the garden of Eden, to keep it, and to dress the trees and fruits thereof. This shews unto us a good lesson that every man must have a particular calling wherein he ought to walk.

And therefore such as spend their time idly in gaming and vain delights, have much to answer to God at the day of judgment. This will not excuse a man to say then that he had land and living to maintain himself, and therefore was to live as he list; for even Adam in his innocency had all things at his will, and wanted nothing, yet even then God employed him in a calling. Therefore none must be exempted, but every man both high and low must walk in his proper calling. ii. Adam's general calling was to worship his Creator, to which he was bound by the right of creation, considering the moral law was written in his heart by nature. Which is signified in the Decalogue (Exod. 20:2), where the Lord requires worship and obedience of His people because He is

Jehovah, that is, one which hath being in Himself, and gives being to all men by creation. For the better understanding of this point, we are to consider three things: a. The place where Adam did worship. b. The time. c.

The sacraments.

a. For the first, God ever since the beginning had a place where He would be worshipped, and it is called God's house, which then was the garden of Eden. For it was unto Adam a place appointed by God for His worship; as church assemblies are unto us; where also the Lord at sometime did in a special manner shew Himself unto His creature. b. Touching the time of God's worship, it was the seventh day from the beginning of the creation, the Sabbath day. And here we must note that the keeping of the Sabbath is moral. Some indeed do plead that it is but a ceremony, yet falsely; for it was ordained before the fall of man, at which time ceremonies signifying sanctification had no place. Nay, mark further,

Adam in his innocency was not clogged with sin as we are; yet then he had a set Sabbath to worship God His Creator. And therefore much more need hath every one of us of a Sabbath day wherein we may sever ourselves from the works of our callings, and the works of sin, to the worship of God in the exercise of religion and godly meditation of our creation. This point must be learned of us, for when no occasion is offered of business, then men will formerly seem to keep the Sabbath; but if there come occasion of breaking the Sabbath, as traffic, gaming and vain shews, then Sabbath farewell, men will have their pleasures, let them worship God that will. But let us remember in the fear of God, that whosoever continue in the breach of this law, being moral, God will no less pour forth His punishments upon them, than for the breach of any other commandment. The consideration whereof, must move every man to a reverent sanctifying of the Lord's day. c. Now for Adam's sacraments, they were two: The tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. These did serve to exercise Adam in obedience unto God. The tree of life was to signify assurance of life for ever, if he did keep God's commandments. The tree of knowledge of good and evil was a sacrament to shew unto him that if he did transgress God's commandments, he should die. And it was so called because it did signify

that if he transgressed this law, he should have experience both of good and evil in himself.

(d) Now in the fourth place followeth the end of the creation of man, which is twofold: i. First, that there might be a creature to whom God might make manifest

Himself, who in a special manner should set forth and acknowledge His wisdom, goodness, mercy, in the creation of heaven and earth, and of things that are in them, as also His providence in governing the same. ii. Secondly, God having decreed to glorify His name in shewing His mercy and justice upon His creature, hereupon in time createth men to shew His mercy in the salvation of some, and to shew His justice in the just and deserved damnation of other some. And therefore He hath appointed the creation specially of man, to be a means of manifestation and beginning of the execution of His eternal counsel.

Thus much concerning man's creation in general. The special parts of men are two: body and soul. And the reason why the Lord would have him stand on these two parts is this: Some creatures made before him were only bodily; as beasts, fishes, fowls. Some spiritual, as angels. Now man is both, spiritual in regard of his soul, corporal and sensible in regard of his body, that nothing might be wanting to the perfection of nature. If it be alleged that man consists of three parts, body soul and spirit, because Paul prayeth

(1 Thess. 5:23) that the Thessalonians may be sanctified in body, soul and spirit; the answer is that the spirit signifies the mind, whereby men conceive and understand such things as may be understood; and the soul is there taken for the will and affections; and therefore these twain are not two parts, but only two distinct faculties of one and the same soul.

The body of man at the first was formed by God of clay, or of the dust of the earth, not to be the grave of the soul, as Plato said, but to be an excellent

and most fit instrument to put in execution the powers and faculties of the soul. And howsoever in itself considered, it is mortal, because it is compounded of contrary natures called elements; yet by the appointment and blessing of God in the creation, it became immortal till the fall of man.

As for the soul, it is no accidental quality, but a spiritual and invisible essence or nature, subsisting by itself. Which plainly appears in that the souls of men have being and continuance as well forth of the bodies of men as in the same; and are as well subject to torments as the body is. And whereas we can and do put in practice sundry actions of life, sense, motion, understanding, we do it only by the power and virtue of the soul.

Hence ariseth the difference between the souls of men and beasts. The souls of men are substances, but the souls of other creatures seem not to be substances; because they have no being out of the bodies in which they are; but rather they are certain peculiar qualities arising of the matter of the body, and vanishing with it. And it may be for this cause (Gen. 9:4) that the soul of the beast is said to be in the blood, whereas the like is not said of the soul of man.

And though men's souls be spirits as angels are, yet a difference must be made; for angels cannot be united with bodies, so as both shall make one whole and entire person, whereas men's souls may. Yea, the soul coupled with the body is not only the mover of the body, but the principal cause that makes man to be a man.

The beginning of the soul is not of the essence of God, unless we will make every man's soul to be God; neither doth it spring of the soul of the parents, for the soul can no more beget a soul than an angel can beget an angel. And Adam is called a living soul, and not a quickening soul. And earthly fathers are called the fathers of our bodies, and not of our souls. It remains therefore as being most agreeable to the Scriptures, that the souls of men are then created by God of nothing when they are infused into the body.

And though the souls of men have a beginning, yet they have no end, but are eternal. And when they are said to die, it is not because thy cease at any time to subsist or have being in nature, but because they cease to be righteous, or to have fellowship with God.

Uses.

(a) Whereas our bodies are God's workmanship, we must glorify Him in our bodies, and all the actions of body and soul, our eating and drinking, our living and dying, must be referred to His glory. Yea, we must not hurt or abuse our body, but present them as holy and living sacrifices unto God.

And whereas God made us of the dust of the earth, we are not to glory and boast ourselves, but rather to take occasion to praise the great goodness of God, that hath vouchsafed to honour us being but dust and ashes. And after that man is created, what is his life? Alas, it is nothing but a little breath.

Stop his mouth and his nostrils, and he is but a dead man. By this we are put in mind to consider of our frail and uncertain estate, and to lay aside all confidence in ourselves. And for this cause Isaiah teacheth us (Isa. 2:22) to have no confidence in man, because his breath is in his nostrils.

(b) Again, let us mark the frame and shape of man's body. All other creatures go with their bodies and eyes to the groundward; but man was made to go upright; and whereas all other creatures have but four muscles to turn their eyes round about, man hath a fifth, to pull his eyes up to heavenward. Now what doth this teach us? Surely, that howsoever we seek for other things, yet, first of all, and above all, we should seek for the kingdom of heaven, and the righteousness thereof; and that our whole desire should be set to enjoy the blessed estate of God's children in heaven.

Secondly, it teaches us in receiving God's creatures, to return thankfulness unto God, by lifting up the heart to heaven for the same. These are very needful and profitable lessons in these days; for most men indeed go upright; but look into their lives, and they might as well go on all fours; for

in their conversation they set their whole hearts upon the earth as the beast doth, and their eyes upon the things of this world. Hereby they do abase themselves, and deface their bodies, and being men, make themselves as beasts. We shall see great numbers of men that run and ride from place to place, to provide for the body; but to seek the kingdom of heaven, where their souls should dwell after this life in joy for ever, they will not stir one foot.

(c) Thirdly, man's body by creation was made a temple framed by God's own hands for Himself to dwell in; therefore our duty is to keep our bodies pure and clean, and not to suffer them to be instruments whereby to practise the sin of the heart (1 Cor. 6:19). If a man had a fair house wherein he must entertain a prince, and should make thereof a swine sty, or a stable, would not all men say that he did greatly abuse both the house and the prince?

Even so, man's body being at the first made a palace for the ever-living God; if a man shall abuse it by drunkenness, swearing, lying, fornication, or any uncleanness, he doth make it instead of a temple for the Holy Ghost, to be a sty or stable for the devil. For the more filthy a man's body is, the more fit it is to be a dwelling place for sin and Satan.

(d) Fourthly, man by creation was made a goodly creature in the blessed image of God; but by Adam's fall, men lost the same, and are now become the deformed children of wrath. Our duty therefore is to labour to get again our first image, and endeavour ourselves to become new creatures. If a nobleman should stain his blood by treason, after his death the posterity will never be at rest till they have got away the spot. Man, by Adam's fall, is become a limb of the devil, a rebel and a traitor against God's majesty; and this is the state of every one of us: by nature we are at enmity with God, and therefore we ought to labour above all things in the world, to be restored in Christ to our first estate and perfection, that so we may become bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh, being justified and sanctified by His obedience, death and passion.

(e) Fifthly, man was created that there might be a way prepared whereby God might shew His grace and mercy in the salvation of some, and His justice in the deserved damnation of others for their sins. And in the creation of man, God's eternal counsel begins to come into execution.

Hereupon it stands us in hand to make conscience of every evil way, being repentant for all our sins past, and having a constant purpose never to sin more as we have done, that by our good conversation here in this life, we may have assurance that we be eternally chosen to salvation by the Lord

Himself.

(f) Lastly, whereas we have learned that the soul of man is immortal, we are hereby taught to take more care for the soul than for the body; for it cannot be extinguished. When it is condemned, even then it is always in dying, and can never die. But alas, in this point the case is flat contrary in the world; for men labour all their lives long to get for the body, but for the soul they care little or nothing at all, whether it sink or swim, go to heaven or hell, they respect not. This doth appear to be true by the practice and behaviour of men on the Lord's day; for if the number of those which come to hear

God's Word, were compared with those which run about their worldly wealth and pleasure, I fear me the better sort would be found to be but a little handful to a huge heap, or as a drop to the ocean sea, in respect of the other. But wilt thou go an hundred miles for the increase of thy wealth and delight of thy body? Then think it not much to go ten thousand miles (if need were) to take any pains for the good of thy soul, and to get food for the same, it being everlasting.

And thus much for the duties. Now follow the consolations. Although by reason of the fall of man we can have but little comfort now; yet the Creation doth confirm the unspeakable providence of God over His creatures, but especially over man, in that the Lord created him the sixth day; and so before he was made, prepared him a paradise for his dwelling place, and all creatures for his use and comfort. And if He were thus careful

for us when we were not, then no doubt He will be much more careful for us at this present, in which we live and have being. Nay, mark further; since the fall, man eats and drinks in quantity a great deal which in common reason should rather kill him than turn to the strength and nourishment of his body. Yet herein doth the wonderful power of the Creator most notably appear, who hath made man's stomach as a limbeck or still to digest all meats that are wholesome for his nourishment and preservation.

2b.

And thus much for the Creation. Now in these words, Maker of heaven and earth, is more to be understood than the works of creation, namely, God's providence in governing all things created, as He appointeth in His eternal decree. And therefore St Peter saith (1 Pet. 4:19), God is a faithful Creator, that is, God did not only make heaven and earth, and so leave them, as masons and carpenters leave houses when they are built; for by His providence He doth most wisely govern the same.

Now therefore let us come to speak of God's providence. And first of all, the question offers itself to be considered, whether there be any providence or not? For the minds of men are troubled with many doubtings hereof. And to make the question out of all doubt, I will use four arguments to confirm the providence of God:

(1) The first is the testimony of the Scripture, which ascribes the event of all particular actions, even such as are in themselves casual as the casting of lots and such like (Prov. 16:33), to the disposition of God. Which very thing also teacheth that even men themselves, endued with reason and understanding, have need to be guided in all things, and governed by God

(Prov. 20:24; Jer. 10:23); and it serves to confute those that deny God's providence. Why sayest thou O Jacob, and speakest O Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over by my God? (Isa.

40:27).

(2) The second argument may be taken from the order which appeareth in the whole course of nature. First, to begin with families, there is to be seen an eutaxie or seemly order, in which some rule and some obey. And the like is to be found in towns, cities, countries and kingdoms; yea, even in the whole world in which all things are so disposed that one serveth for the good of another. Trees and herbs and the grass of the field serve for beasts and cattle; beasts and cattle serve for men; the heavens above serve for them which are beneath; and all the creatures which are above and beneath serve for God. This argueth that God is most wise and provident in ordering and disposing all things whatsoever.

(3) The third argument is taken from conscience, specially of malefactors.

Suppose a man that commits a murder so closely that no man knows thereof, and that the party himself is free from all the danger of the law; yet shall he have his own conscience to accuse, upbraid and condemn him, yea even to fright him out of his wit, and to give him no more rest than he can find upon the rack or gibbet. Now this accusation and terror of conscience, is nothing else but the forerunner of another most terrible judgment of God, who is Lord of all creatures, and judge of all men. And this also proves the providence of God. For if the conscience can find a man out and lay his faults to his charge, how much more shall God Himself the Creator of the conscience see and consider all his doings?

(4) The fourth and last argument is this: The prophecies of things to come should be uncertain or false, if God governed not the world. But now considering things many years ago foretold, come to pass in the same manner as they were foretold by the prophets and apostles; hereby we must certainly conclude that there is a providence of God whereby all and everything is governed.

Against the providence of God sundry things be alleged:

(1) The first and special is that providence and disorder, confusion and order, cannot stand together. Now, in the world there is nothing but disorder and confusion, in seditions, treasons, conspiracies, and subversions of kingdoms; where also sin and wickedness prevails. Answer: It is true indeed there hath been confusion in the world ever since the fall of man and angels; and it ariseth not from God, but from them alone; who as they did at the first transgress the will of God, so they do what they can to turn all upside down. Now then, confusion and disorder is only in respect of the devil and his instruments; but in regard of God, in the very midst of all confusion, there is order to be found, because He can, and doth, dispose it to the glory of His own name, and to the good and salvation of His chosen, as also to the confusion of His enemies.

(2) Again, it may be objected that with ungodly and wicked men, all things go well; and contrariwise with the godly, all things go hardly. For through the world, none are more molested and more under outward misery than they. But if there were any providence in God, then it should be otherwise; the godly should flourish and the wicked perish. Answer: The consideration of the outward estate of men in the world, was to David an occasion of a sore temptation. For when he saw the wicked to prosper always, and their riches to increase, he brake forth and said (Psa. 73:13), Certainly, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. Now if we would repel this temptation, as David afterward did, then we must go into the Lord's sanctuary with him, and learn to be resolved in these points:

(i) Though the godly be laden with miseries, yet even that, by the especial providence of God, turns to their great good. For every man since the fall of Adam is stained with the loathsome contagion of sin. Now the child of God that is truly regenerate, and must be fellow-heir with Christ after this life in the kingdom of glory, must in this life be cast into the Lord's furnace, that in the fire of affliction he may more and more be scoured and purified from

the corruption of his nature, and be estranged from the wickedness of the world.

(ii) The prosperous success of the wicked, their spoils, their revenues, and all their honour, turns to their greater woe in the end; as doth appear in Job's history, and in the examples of the Chaldeans, of David's enemies, and of Dives and Lazarus.

(3) Thirdly, it may be objected that many things come to pass by chance, and therefore not by God's providence; because chance and providence cannot stand together.

Answer:

We must distinguish between chance and mere chance. Chance is when anything comes to pass, the cause thereof being unknown not simply, but in respect of man; and therefore in regard of men which know not the reason of things, we may say there is chance. And so the Spirit of God speaks (Eccl. 9:11) Time and chance come to them all. And again (Luke 10:31), By chance there came down a priest the same way. Now this kind of chance is not against the providence of God, but is ordered by it. For things which in regard of men are casual, are certainly known and determined by God. Mere chance is when things are said or thought to come to pass without any cause at all.

But that must be abhorred of us as an overturning the providence of God.

Thus seeing it is plain that there is a providence, let us in the next place see what it is. Providence is a most free and powerful action of God, whereby he hath care over all things that are.

Providence hath two parts: knowledge and government.

(1) God's knowledge is whereby all things from the greatest to the least are manifest before Him at all times. As David saith (Psa. 11:4), His eyes will consider, His eyelids will try the children of men. And again (Psa.

113:6), He abaseth Himself to behold the things that are in the heaven and the earth. And the prophet Hanani said to Asa (2 Chr. 16:9), The eyes of the

Lord behold all the earth. And St James saith (Acts 15:18), From the beginning of the world God knoweth all His works. This point hath a double use, as St Peter saith (1 Pet. 3:11,12), it must move us to eschew evil and do good. Why? Because, saith he, The eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and His countenance against evildoers. Secondly, it must comfort all those that labour to keep a good conscience. For the eyes of God behold all the earth to shew Himself strong with them that are of perfect heart towards

Him (2 Chr. 16:9).

(2) Government is the second part of God's providence, whereby He ordereth all things and directeth them to good ends. And it must be extended to the very least thing that is in heaven or earth, as to the sparrows, and to oxen, and to the hairs of our heads (Matt. 6:26; Deut. 25:4;

Matt. 10:29,30).And here we must consider two things: the manner of government and the means.

(i) The manner of government is diverse, according as things are good or evil.

(a) A good thing is that which is approved of God. As, first of all, the substances of all creatures, even of the devils themselves; in whom whatsoever is remaining since their creation is in itself good. Secondly, the quantities, qualities, motions, actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselves considered with all their events are good. Again, good is either natural or moral. Natural, which is created by God for the lawful use of man. Moral, which is agreeable to the eternal and unchangeable wisdom of God revealed in the moral law.

Now God governeth all good things two ways: First, by sustaining and preserving them that they decay not. Secondly, by moving them that they may attain to the particular ends for which they were severally ordained.

For the quality and virtues which were placed in the sun, moon, stars, trees, plants, seeds, etc., would lie dead in them and be unprofitable, unless they

were not only preserved, but also stirred up and quickened by the power of God so oft as He employs them to any use.

(b) Evil is the destruction of nature; and it is taken [a] for sin, or [b] for the punishment of sin.

[a] Now sin is governed by two actions: i The first is an operative pemission. I so call it, because God partly permitteth sin and partly worketh in it. For sin as it is commonly taken hath two parts: the subject or matter, and the form of sin. The subject of sin is a certain quality or action; the form is the anomie or transgression of God's law. The first is good in itself, and every quality or action, so far forth as it is a quality or action, is existing in nature, and hath God to be the author of it. Therefore sin, though it be sufficiently evil to eternal damnation, yet can it not be said to be absolutely evil as God is absolutely good, because the subject of it is good, and therefore it hath in its respects and regards of goodness. In respect of the second, that is, the breach of the law itself, God neither willeth, nor appointeth, nor commandeth, nor causeth, nor helpeth sin, but forbiddeth, condemneth and punisheth it; yet so as withal He willingly permitteth it to be done by others as men and wicked angels, they being the sole authors and causes of it. And this permission by God is upon a good end; because thereby He manifesteth His justice and mercy. Thus it appears that in original sin, the natural inclination of the mind, will and affections in itself considered is from God; and the ataxie or corruption of the inclination is in no wise from Him, but only permitted. Again, that in actual sin the motion of the body or mind is from God, but the evilness and disorder of the motion is not from Him, but freely permitted to be done by others. As for example, in the act of murder, the action of moving the whole body, of stirring the several joints, and the fetching of the blow whereby the man is slain, is from God; for in Him we live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28); but the disposing and applying of all these actions to

this end, that our neighbour's life may be taken away, and we thereby take revenge upon him, is not from God, but from the wicked will of man and the devil. ii. God's second action in the government of sin is after the just permission of it; partly to restrain it more or less, according to His good will and pleasure, and partly to dispose and turn it against the nature thereof to the glory of His own name, to the punishment of His enemies, and to the correcting and chastisement of His elect.

[b] As for the second kind of evil, called the punishment of sin, it is the execution of justice, and hath God to be the author of it. And in this respect,

Isaiah saith (Isa. 45:7) that God createth evil; and Amos (Amos 3:6), that there is no evil in the city which God hath not done. And God as a most just judge may punish sin by sin, Himself in the mean season free from all sin. And thus the places must be understood in which it is said that God giveth kings in His wrath (Hos. 13:11; Neh. 9:37); hardeneth the heart, blindeth the eyes (Exod. 4-7); mingleth the spirit of errors (Isa. 19:14); giveth up men to a reprobate sense (Rom. 1:28); sendeth strong illusions to believe lies (2 Thess. 2:11); sendeth evil spirits giving them commandment to hurt, and leave to deceive (1 Kin. 22:22) etc.

(ii) Thus having seen in what manner God governeth all things, let us now come to the means of government. Sometimes God worketh without means, thus He created all things in the beginning; and He made trees and plants to grow and flourish without the heat of the sun or rain. Sometimes He governs according to the usual course and order of nature, as when He preserves our lives by meat and drink; yet so, as He can and doth most freely order all things by means either above nature or against nature, as it shall seem good unto Him. As when He caused the sun to stand in the firmament (Josh. 10:12), and go back in Ahaz's dial (Isa. 38:8); when He caused the fire not to burn the three children (Dan. 3:27); when He kept

back dew and rain three years in Israel (1 Kin. 18:45; Jam. 5:17); when He made waters flow out of the rock (Exod. 17:6); when He caused Elijah's cloak to divide the waters of Jordan (2 Kin. 2:8); when He caused iron to swim (2 Kin. 6:6); when He preserved Jonah alive three days and three nights in the whale's belly (Jon. 1:17); when He cured diseases by the strength of nature incurable, as the leprosy of Naaman (2 Kin. 5:14), the issue of blood (Matt. 9:20), and blindness (John 9:6,7) etc.

Among all the means which God useth, the special are the reasonable creatures, which are no passive instruments, as the tools in the hand of workmen, but active; because as they are moved by God, so again being endued with will and reason, they move themselves. And such instruments are either good or evil.

Evil, as wicked men and angels. And these He useth to do His good will and pleasure, even then when they do least of all obey Him. And considering that the sinning instrument which is moved by God doth also move itself freely without any constraint on God's part; God Himself is free from all blame, when the instrument is blameworthy. In directing the instrument,

God sinneth not. The action indeed is of Him, but the defect of the action from the instrument; which, being corrupt, can itself do nothing but that that is corrupt; God in the mean season by it, bringeth that to pass which is very good. The whole cause of sin is in Satan and in us. As for God, He puts no wickedness into us, but the evil which he finds in us He moves, that is, orders and governs, and bends it by His infinite wisdom, when and in what manner it pleaseth Him, to the glory of His name, the evil instrument not knowing so much, nay, intending a far other end. As in the mill, the horse blindfolded goes forward, and perceives nothing but that he is in the ordinary way, whereas the miller himself whips him and stirs him forward for another end, namely for the grinding of corn. And this is that which we must hold touching God's providence over wicked men and angels. And it stands with the tenor of the whole Bible. Joseph's brethren sold him to

Egypt very wickedly, even in the testimony of their own consciences; yet Joseph having respect to the counsel and work of God which He performed by His brethren, saith that the Lord sent him hither (Gen. 45:7,8). And the church of Jerusalem saith that Herod and Pontius Pilate did nothing in the death of Christ but that which the hand and counsel of God had determined to be done (Acts 4:28); because though they wickedly intended nothing but to shew their malice and hatred in the death of Christ; yet God propounding a further matter by them than ever they dreamed of, shewed forth His endless mercy to man in the work of redemption. On this manner must all the places of Scripture be understood in which it is said that God gave the wives of David to Absalom (2 Sam. 12:11); that God moved David to number the people (2 Sam. 24:1); that He commanded Shimei to rail on David (2 Sam. 16:11); that the Medes and Persians are His sanctified ones

(Isa. 10:5; 13:3); that the revolt of the ten tribes was done by God (2 Chr.

11:4) etc. By all these examples it appears that we must not sever God's permission from His will or decree; and that we must put difference between the evil work of man; and the good work of God which He doth by man. And the whole matter may yet be more clearly perceived by this comparision: A thief at the day of assize is condemned, and the magistrate appoints him to be executed; the hangman owing a grudge to the malefactor, useth him hardly, and prolongeth his punishment longer than he should. Now the magistrate and the hangman do both one and the same work, yet the hangman for his part is a murderer, the magistrate in the mean season no murderer, but a just judge putting justice in execution by the hangman. So God, though He use evil instruments, yet is He free from the evil of the instruments.

And further we must here mark the difference which must be made in God's using all kinds of instruments. When He useth good creatures, as angels, He worketh His will not only by them, but also in them; because He inspires them and guides them by His Spirit so as they shall will and do that which He willeth and intendeth. As for evil instruments, He worketh by them only,

and not in them; because He holds back His grace from them and leaves them to themselves, to put in practice the corruption of their own hearts.

Thus much of the parts of God's providence; now follow the kinds thereof.

God's providence is either general or special.

(1) General, is that which extends itself to the whole world and all things indifferently, even to the devils themselves. By this providence God continues and maintains the order which He set in nature in the Creation, and he preserves the life, substance and the being of all and every creature in his kind.

(2) The special providence is that which God sheweth and exerciseth towards His church and chosen people, in gathering and guiding them by His mighty power against the gates of hell. And therefore God's church here upon earth is called the kingdom of grace, in which He shews not only a general power over His creatures, but withal the special operation of His

Spirit in bowing and bending the hearts of men to His will.

Thus much concerning the doctrine of God's providence. Now follows the duties:

(1) First, seeing there is a providence of God over everything that is, we are hereby taught to take good heed of the transgression of the least of God's commandments. If men were persuaded that the prince had an eye everywhere, doubtless many subjects in England would walk more obediently to the laws of the land than they do; and durst in no wise work such villainies as are daily practised. Well, howsoever it is with earthly princes, yet this all-seeing presence is least wanting in God. He hath an eye everywhere. Wheresoever thou art, there God beholdeth thee, as David saith

(Psa. 53), God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand and seek God. Therefore, except thou be brutish and past shame, take heed of sin. If men had but a spark of grace,

the consideration of this would make them loathe the practice of any evil work. Elijah saith to Ahab (1 Kin. 17:1), As the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these three years.

Where the prophet confirmeth his speech with an oath saying, As the Lord of hosts liveth it shall be so. And lest Ahab should think he made no conscience what he said, he addeth this clause: that he stood in the presence of God. As if he should say: Howsoever thou thinkest of me, yet as it stands me in hand, so do I make conscience of my word, for I stand in the presence of God, and therefore know it, as the Lord liveth there shall be no rain nor dew these three years. So Cornelius having an eye to God's providence, doth move himself and all his household to a solemn hearing of the Word of God delivered by the mouth of Peter, saying that they were all present before God, to hear all things commanded of Him (Acts 10:33). As these men had regard to God's providence, so we likewise must behave ourselves reverently, making conscience of our behaviour both in words and works; because wheresoever we be, we are in the presence of God.

(2) Secondly, if there be a providence of God over everything, then we must learn contentment of mind in every estate; yea, in adversity under the cross when all goes against us we must be content, because God's providence hath so appointed. So David in the greatest of his griefs was dumb and spake nothing (Psa. 39:9), because thou Lord didst it. And when Shimei cursed David (2 Sam. 16:10), Abishai would have had the king to have given him leave to have slain him; but David would not suffer it, but said,

He curseth even because the Lord hath bidden him, Curse David; who dare then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? In whose example we may see a pattern of quietness of mind. When a cross cometh, it is a hard thing to be patient; but we must draw ourselves thereunto by consideration of God's especial providence.

(3) Thirdly, when outward means of preservation in this life do abound, as health, honour, riches, peace and pleasure, then we must remember to be

thankful; because these things always come by the providence of God. Thus Job was thankful both in prosperity and adversity (Job 1:21), The Lord, saith he, gave, and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Indeed to be patient in every estate and thankful to God is a very hard matter; yet will it be more easy if we learn in all things that befall us in this life, never to sever the consideration of the things that come to pass from God's providence. For as the body and soul of man (though we see only the body) are always together as long as man liveth; so is God's providence joined with the thing done; so we must also in it, labour to see and acknowledge the good pleasure and appointment of God. As for example, a man's house is set on fire, and all his goods consumed; this very sight would make him at his wits end; but now as he beholds this event with one eye, so with the other eye he must at that very instant look upon God's blessed providence. When a man beholds and feels the loss of his friends, he cannot but grieve thereat, unless he be more senseless than stock or stone; yet that he may not be overwhelmed with grief, he must ever with one eye look at the pleasure of God herein. This will be an especial means to stay the rage of any headstrong affection in all our afflictions. In the world, the manner of men is, if health, wealth and ease abound, to think all is well; but if crosses come, as loss of friends, and loss of goods, then men cry out, as being straught of their wits. The reason is because they look only at the outward means, and tie God's providence to them; not being able to see any goodness or providence of God out of ordinary means. Again, when a man is stored with riches, honour, wealth and prosperity, he must not barely look on them, but behold withal God's goodness and blessing in them; for if that be wanting, all the riches in the world are nothing.

Likewise in receiving thy meat and drink, thou must look further into the blessing of God upon it; which if it be away, thy meat and thy drink can no more nourish thee than the stone in the wall. And the same must we do in every business of our callings; which if men would learn to practise, they would not so much trust to the means, as honour, wealth, favour etc., but rather to God Himself. The Lord by the prophet Habakkuk (Hab. 1:16),

reproves the Chaldeans for offering sacrifice unto their nets; which sin they committed because they looked only upon outward things; and like moles had no power to see further into them, and to behold the work of God in all their proceedings. And this is the very cause why we are unthankful for God's benefits; for though we behold the bare creatures, yet are we so blind, that we cannot discern any blessing and providence of God in them.

Therefore let us learn to look upon both jointly together, and so shall we be thankful unto God in prosperity, and patient in adversity with Job and David. This lesson Paul learned (Phil. 4:12,13); I can be abased (saith he) and I can abound; everywhere in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry; and to abound and to be in want.

(4) Fourthly, seeing God's providence disposeth all things, we are taught to gather observations of the same in things both past and present, that we may learn thereby to be armed against the time to come. Thus David, when he was to encounter with Goliath, gathered hope and confidence to himself for the time to come, by the observation of God's providence in the time past; for, saith he (1 Sam. 17:36,37), When I kept my father's sheep, I slew a lion and a bear that devoured the flock. Now the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and our of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.

(5) Fifthly, because God's providence disposeth all things, when we make lawful promises to do anything, we must put in, or at the least conceive this condition: Of the Lord's will. For St James saith that we ought to say (Jam.

4:15), If the Lord will, and if we live, we will do this or that. This also was David's practice; for to all the congregation of Israel he said (1 Chr. 13:2), If it seem good to you, and if it proceed from the Lord our God, we will send to and fro, etc.

(6) Sixthly, seeing God's providence is manifest in ordinary means, it beholdeth every man in his calling to use them carefully. And when

ordinary means be at hand, we must not look for any help without them, though the Lord be able to do what He will without means. Joab, when many Aramites came against him, he heartened his soldiers though they were but few in number, bidding them (2 Sam. 10:12), Be strong and valiant for their people, and for the cities of their God, and then let the Lord do that which is good in His eyes. And our Saviour Christ avoucheth it to be flat tempting of God for Him to leap down from the pinnacle of the temple to the ground (Matt. 4:6,7), whereas there was an ordinary way at hand to descend by stairs. Hence it appears that such persons as will use no means whereby they may come to repent and believe, do indeed no more repent and believe than they can be able to live which neither eat nor drink.

And thus much of the duties. Now follow the consolations. First, this very point of God's special providence is a great comfort to God's church; for the Lord moderateth the rage of the devil and wicked men that they shall not hurt the people of God. David saith (Psa. 16:8), The Lord is at my right hand, therefore I shall not slide. And, when Joseph's brethren were afraid because they had sold him into Egypt, he comforteth them saying (Gen.

45:7) that it was God that sent him before them for their preservation. So king David, when his soldiers were purposed to stone him to death, he was in great sorrow; but it is said (1 Sam. 30:6), He comforted himself in the Lord his God. Where we may see that a man which hath grace to believe in God and rely on His providence in all his afflictions and extremities, shall have wonderful peace and consolation.

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