be good and gracious and to make us know him so great and glorious a God as he is In the second place for the wordes themselves they are plaine and easie to be understood at the first hearing without any laborious interpretation They run thus in the Hebrew All which the Lord pleaseth he hath done in Heaven Earth Sea and all deepe places This word all shewes that he speakes not of some particular workes but of all in that kind The word Jehovah is the proper name of God considered in the unity of his essence with all his essentiall Attributes and every one of the 3. Persons is called by this name as they are of the same essence and all one God The enumeration of all the notable places in the world wherein these workes are done discovers the workes which he here speakes off to be outward workes which doe not abide in Gods essence and there onely subsist as his eternall counsell decrees and inward operations do but are done in time and place and have their subsistance in and among the creatures such as are creating ruling ordering upholding of all things and also redeeming and restoring of all man-kinde The word pleaseth limits the generall note or particle all unto all workes which in themselves are good or else serve for good use and so are pleasing to the Lord for the use sake Hee doth not say that the Lord doth all things which are done but all things which he pleaseth that is he doth not make men sinnefull and wicked neither doth he worke rebellion in men which is displeasing unto him but he doth whatsoever is pleasing that is all things which are agreeable to his nature And whatsoever is according to his will and good pleasure that he doth none can hinder it This is the true sense and meaning of the wordes Now from the text thus opened and the circumstances observed wee may gather a perfect description of them in generall shewing the nature and use of them The description of Gods outward Workes The outward workes of God in generall are all things whatsoever the Lord God Jehovah that one infinite and eternall God 3. Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost doth according to his eternall purpose and after the counsell and good pleasure of his will work and bring to passe not within but without himselfe in all the world and upon all creatures therein and that certainely and irresistably in due time and place to the communicating and making of himself known to men and Angels in his infinite and eternall nature and in his goodnesse grace glory power and all other essentiall properties for the salvation and eternall blessednes of his elect in Christ. This description truely gathered from this Text and the scope and order of it and discovering plainely the nature and use of Gods outward workes in generall I will proove in every part and branch orderly and will conclude with some application The first thing in it is the generall matter of Gods externall workes they are things done that is not onely actions working and operations such as Creation Redemption and the like but also things or works made effâ—cted and done by those actions as Heaven Earth Angels and other things created For all these are things done and wrought by God This Branch is plainly expressed in this word of my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath done or doth or hath made for the Hebrew word signifies all these And that Gods outward worlâ—s consist in doing and are things not spoken or promised but done and wrought Divers testimonies of Scripture doe shew Psal. 44. 1. David cals them workes which he hath done And Isa. 28. 21. The Prophet saith that the Lord doth his worke his strange worke And not to stand in repeating many Scriptures in a point so plaine This is one word is sufficient that the two Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are used in the Scriptures to signifie Gods outward works are both derived of verbs which signifie doing The second branch in this description comprehends in it the Author of these works to wit the Lord God Jehovah that one infinite eternall God and three Persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost This Branch doth distinguish these workes First from the workes of creatures which are proper to them Secondly from the personall operations of God as the eternall begetting of the Sonne which is proper to the Father and is his worke onely That God considered in the unity of his essence as he comprehends all the three Persons is the Authour of these workes and that they are common to the Father Son and Holy Ghost and every one of them hath an hand in every work of this kind though one more immediately than another The word Jehovah here used in the Text doth plainly shew where it is said Whatsoever Jehovah pleased or was willing to do that he hath done which word is so proper to God and signifies One God that it also agrees to every person in that one God And this is also confirmed by divers other testimonies of Gods word which shew that in divers of these outward actions or workes the Father workes by the Sonne and the Sonne by the Father with and by the Spirit The first great work of this kind even the work of Creation which sometimes is attributed to the Father as more peculiar to him because terminatur in Patrâ— as the Schoolemen speak that is it is bounded and termined in the Father and he is principium summus terminus creationis the first beginning and utmost bound of creation from whom it first proceeded even this is attributed to the Sonne and Spirit also as being common to all the Persons as Psal. 33. 6. By the word of the Lord that is the Sonne were the Heavens made and all the host of them by the Spirit of his mouth 'To which adde Job 33. 4. The Spirit of God made me John 1. 3 10. Colos. 1. 16. where it is said that by the eternall word the Sonne all things were made both in Heaven and Earth visible and invisible and without him was made nothing of all that was made So likewise in that outward worke of Judgement executed on Sodome and Gomorrah Gen. 19. 24. Jehovah is said to raine downe from Jehovah out of Heaven fire and brimstone that is Jehovah the Son from Jehovah the Father who are both one and the same God Jehovah yea that these externall workes of God are not divided some to one Person and some to another in the Trinity but are common to all the Persons and proceed from that one common essence according to that saying of the School-men opera Trinitatis ad extra suns indivisa Our Saviour sheweth most plainly Ioh. 5. 19 22. where he saith that as the Sonne cannot worke of himselfe alone without the Father but he must have and see the Father working with him so the Father doth not
judge any that is by his owne proper act of judgement but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne that he may have a hand in all judgements together with himselfe and Iohn 16. 13 14. speaking of that speciall illumination of mens hearts and inward teaching which seemes most proper to the Spirit he saith it is not of himselfe alone but it is what he hath heard and received from the Father and the Sonne And therefore the second Branch is manifest that the doer of the outward workes of God is Jehovah our God and all the three Persons in God The third Branch comprehends in it the outward moving cause of all these outward workes namely Gods owne will and pleasure for he is said to do them according to his eternall purpose and after the counsell of his owne will This is expressed in the description and in the words of the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whatsoever the Lord pleased that is whatsoever is according to the Lords will and pleasure that he hath done and this is testified in other Scriptures as Psal. 115. 3. where it is said that the Lord doth whatsoever pleaseth him and Isa. 46. 10. where the Lo 〈…〉 saith I will do all my pleasure and Ionah 1. 14. All which places shew that first the Lord hath a mind and pleasure to doe such things and therupon he doth them Also Ephes. 1. 11. It is said he doth worke all things after the counsell of his will And Acts 2. 23. 4. 28. the worke of our Redemption by Christ and all that he did and suffered is said to be done by the determinate counsell of God Therfore this Branch is manifest namely That Gods will and pleasure is the only inward mooving cause of all his outward works and that they are nothing but the execution of his eternall will and decree The fourth Branch by which these outward works are specially distinguished from his inward operation comprehends in it the subject wherein these workes do subsist and the circumstance of time and place wherein they are done For these workes are not done within God himselfe neither doe they subsist in his Essence as his inward operations do but they are Extra Dei essentiam without Gods essence they are done in all the world and upon the creatures some in Heaven and some in Earth others in the Sea and all deepe places as my Text saith and they have their circumstances of time and place as God hath appointed from all eternity The Creation was in the first beginning of time in the first six dayes of the world Gen. 1. The Redemption wrought by Christ in the midst of yeares betweene the Law and the Gospell Hab. 3. 2. and upon the mountaine where Hierusalem stood Isa. 25. 6 7. The great execution shall be at the end of the world in the last day of Judgement and the works of Gods governement and actuall providence as they are divers so they are done at divers times and in divers places of the world as experience teacheth on the very day which the Lord appointed did the flood come upon the old world Gen. 7. 11. In the same day which God had fore-told was Israel delivered out of Aegypt Exod. 21. 41. And howsoever the words of the Apostle Act. 17. 18. intimate that in God and not without him We live moove and have our being yet we are not thus to understand that these things are and that we subsist in Gods Essence and that we are so in God as his inward operations and eternall decrees are But that we all are compassed about with Gods presence and essentiall power which are every where and by him as by the chiefe efficient cause and authour of life motion and being are sustained and upheld in life being and motion continually For to be in God that is to subsist in his essence doth necessarily imply coeternity and consubstantiality with God Quicquid est in Deo Deus est nothing can be within his Essence but it must be coeternall with God and of the same Substance with him Hee who denies this must needes deny God to be immutable and most simple free from all composition Therfore this Branch also is most manifest and doth containe in it nothing but solid Truth The fifth Branch containes in it the manner of Gods outward works to wit that in respect of God himselfe they are done with such power as cannot be resisted and in respect of the event they are certaine infallible and cannot faile This is truely collected from the Text For it is said that all Whatsoever the Lord pleaseth hee doth or hath done which shewes that not one jot of his will and pleasure failes but comes to passe If his will or pleasure could be resisted or any thing prevented which he willeth to worke surely the Divell who is so cunning watchfull and malitious would in some things have defeated God or this either by himselfe or some of his instruments But this Text affirmes the contrary that whatsoever the Lord pleased he hath done in all the world Therfore in respect of God they are all unresistable and in respect of the event infallible And this David testifieth Psal. 115. 3. saying The Lord doth whatsoever pleaseth him And Isa. 46. 10. my counsell shall stand and I will performe all my pleasure yea because these are voluntary workes of God and are willed and decreed in his secret counsell from all eternity as I have noted before therefore they must needs be unresistable for Who can resist his will Rom. 9. 19. The sixth Branch containes the principall use and effects of Gods outward workes namely the making of himselfe knowne in his nature and essentiall attributes and so communicating himselfe to his elect That Gods externall workes doe all serve for this use and doe worke this effect we may gather from the dependance and inference of this Text. For the Psalmist having professed that he knows the Lord to be great and that he is the onely true God above all gods that is who hath all the essentiall properties of the true God he proves it by and from his workes and sheweth that by meanes of them he knoweth it And other Scriptures and experience confirme the same Psal. 19. 1. It is said that the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge and Rom. 1. 20. The visible things of God are seene from the creation of the world clearly being understood by the things which were made Even his divine Power and God-head So the works of Gods actual providence in governing and upholding the world and in mooving the Heavens and the starres in order doe shew his infinite wisdome and supercelestia'l glory Psal. 8. 1. His overthrowing of his enemies and the persecutors of his Church as in the stood of Noah and in the drowning of Pharaoh and his host do shew his power His
fulnesse thereof Secondly this former discourse shewes what a vaine and foolish thing it is for Christian people to be so wedded to the opinions of godly learned men in all points which have beene formerly received and commonly beleeved or to be so strongly conceipted and perswaded of their full understanding and perfect knowledge of all the Scriptures and of all truth taught in the written word of GOD that whatsoever they have taught and commonly held they will cleave too till death and they will receive and embrace no truth nor any exposition of any Scripture which hath not beene before observed taught and published in the Sermons and writings of the godly learned Ancient Fathers and the soundest Orthodox moderne Divines I confesse the Scriptures alone dayly read and heard by men of ordinary capacity and learning are able to make them wise to Salvation For the way to life may easily be discerned by their guidance and direction But there are degrees of knowledge and divers measures of gifts and when a man knoweth enough to bring him on in an ordinarie way to life yet there is still more knowledge to be learned and a greater depth of knowledge to be found in the Scriptures which are doubtfull obscure and more hard to be understood and many new expositions of divers places which more plainly and fully confirme solid truthes formerly beleeved which he that searcheth out and discovereth doth thereby get more strength in faith and growth in grace and more spirituall joy and comfort and runs on faster and more speedily and steadfastly in the way to Salvation Wee see here for example the common opinion of Ancient and moderne writers to goe currant that there is but one kind of Image of God in man and that the Image unto which Christ restores us is the very same in which Adam was created that Adam had power by that Image to obtaine Heavenly glory and to grow up to that estate which the elect Saints come to in Christ that Christ restores no more but that which Adam lost and unto which he should have attained after some time of continuance in innocency that he was created in holinesse as well as Christ and true Christians are and so partaker of the Holy Ghost And when any thing is taught out of the Scriptures to the contrary many mouthes even of more learned men are opened to gainsay and oppose And yet you see the Scriptures more narrowly sifted do teach most plainely to the contrary and have not any plaine speech tending to prove these common opinions yea the Scriptures which are alledged for them are so applied expounded do prove the contrary if they be well weighed and considered with a cleare judgement not forestalled with prejudice and partialitie wherefore let us wholly depend on Gods word and not on mens reason or jugdement to subject either the Scriptures or the sense of them thereunto and let us still more and more thirst after increase of knowledge and understanding of Divine truths hid in the harder places of Gods written word knowing that these are the last times wherein knowledge shall be increased as wee read Dan. 12. 4. Let us not consider the Person which preacheth and teacheth but what is by him taught If new expositions and Doctrines not formerly taught yea crossing the common opinions be proved by better grounds and clearer evidence of Scripture and tend more to advance other saving truthes to beate downe errours and to increase Piety and godly affection in men let men take heed and beware of rash opposition and gainesaying lest they be found to fight against God while they stand too much for the authority of men though such as have beene holy and godly servants of Christ and famous in their generations Thirdly this doctrine of Gods Image in Adam doth both discover and also minister strong arguments whereby to confute divers erroneous opinions much dissenting and dissonant from the solid truth and word of God to wit not onely those mentioned before but others also as that Gods Image was onely originall righteousnesse or justice and that the naturall faculties of Soule and Body did not concurre to it that the whole Image of God in Adam was utterly lost by his fall and is quite abolished till it be repaired and restored by Christ with divers others of the same stampe concerning which I finde many hot disputations among the learned all which appeare superfluous if this doctrine were well weighed and made a rule whereby to measure them for it will like a just measure shew which of them come short and which goe too farre beyond the truth and true line of holy Scriptures Lastly in this wee see as in a cleare glasse the dignity and excellency of humane nature above the nature of all other visible creatures in that he was made completely in Gods Image and conformable to God and like to him in his whole frame and in all faculties of Soule and parts and members of body And let this stirre us up to walke worthy and beseeming such a nature and frame and labour to keep both our whole Soule and Spirit and all members of our bodies unspotted and unstained with sinne which is the defacing of Gods Image and let us reverence Gods Image in other men especially seeing it is repaired and made of a better kind by Christ and above all take heed of cruelty and of defacing Gods Image in any part by cuting of members and mangling the bodies of men especially of Gods Saintes whose bodies are Temples and Tabernacles of God by his Spirit Thus much concerning the first externall worke of God the creation and the state wherein God created man and wherein the state of Innocency did consist CHAP. XVI Of the actuall providence of God The Obiect of it What the word signifieth in 3. things Proofe that there is a providence by Texts and Arguments Description shewing what it is demonstrated in the parts and branches of it Providence generall and speciall Acts of it Speciall providence in saving the elect by Christ what and in what parts Uses THe next great externall worke of God after the creation is his actuall providence by which hee doth rule and dispose all things created and doth order all actions which are done and all events which come to passe in the World to the manifestation of his glorious goodnesse This great worke of God doth reach through all other externall works which are done either by God himselfe or any other and doth comprehend with in the compasse of it all Gods works which hee doth in the World whether they bee works of wisedome and power in ruling and preserving his creatures or workes of iustice in punishing and destroying or workes of mercy and grace in redeeming repairing and saving the World and in bringing his chosen to eternall blessednesse Yea there is no worke done nor any event which comes to passe at any time or in any
to the manifestation of his glory and the eternall salvation of his elect in Christ. The glory of God is two wayes made manifest by his actuall providence First in a more generall way by a more generall providence Secondly by a more speciall way which is called his speciall providence First by the generall thâ— whole World is ruled by an universall motion and all things in the World every one according to the proper nature and naturall disposition and inclination of it For as the Apostle saith Hee giveth to all life and breath and all things and in him wee all live move and have our being Act. 17. 25 28. Hee by his mighty word sustaineth all things Hebr. 1. 3. His name is excellent in all the World in which he sheweth his glory Psalme 8. 1. The Heavens declare his glory and the firmament sheweth his handy-worke day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge and that by the Suns going round about the World and discovering by his light all things from one end of Heaven and Earth to another Psalme 19. 1 2. This generall providence appeares First by his consecration of things Secondly by his destruction of so many as hee in his just will and judgement thinks fit Thirdly by his governing of all things according to his eternall counsell and just will First hee doth universally conserve and uphold all things in the World by the light motion and influence which hee hath given to the heavens in the creation which are continually turned about by his counsels that they may doe whatsoever hee commandeth them upon the face of the World in the Earth Iob 37. 12. Hee maketh his Sun to shine on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the iust and uniust Matth. 5. 45. Hee giveth food to all flesh Psalme 136. 27. Hâ—â— giveth meat to the beasts and feedeth the young ravens which crie Psalme 147. 9. He provideth for the fowles of the aire their food though they neither sow nor reape and cloatheth the grasse of the field Matth. 6. 26 30. This conservation is first by succession For when any creatures passe away hee maketh others of their race and kind to succeed by a continuall generation and propagation as it were by a continued creation The forming and fashioning of men in the wombe is ascribed to him Iob 10. 8. 9 10. and 31. 15. and Psalme 139. 13. So that as men and other living creatures dye their off spring and progeny succeed in their place and by this meanes he doth renue the face of the Earth Psalme 104. 30. and not onely one generation of living creatures passeth away and another commeth in the place so that the earth is alwayes replenished but day and night succeed continually by the going and returning of the Sun and the winde whorleth about continually going and returning according to his circuits The waters doe all run into the Sea and yet the Rivers are supplied by springs which come from the Sea by secret passages under the Earth as the wise-Man sheweth Eccles. 1. 4 5 6 7. Secondly hee preserveth all things universally by changing mutable things from an evill to a good and from a lesse good to a better condition Hee girdeth the weake with strength Job 12. 18. 1 Sam 2. 4. Hee maketh the barren wombe fruitfull Psalme 113. 9. Hee turneth the wildernesse into standing pooles of water and dry ground into water springs and maketh the barren desert a fruitfull field Psalme 107. 35. Isa. 41. 18. and 51. 3. Hee raiseth the needy out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill 1 Sam. 2. 8. and Psalme 113. 7. And because the universality of creatures cannot bee preserved without Gods carefull keeping and preserving every particular therefore God hath an eye to every singular thing and his provident hand is reached forth to every one of them in so much that our haires are numbred and not one small sparrow can fall on the ground without him Matth. 10. 29 30. Hee cloathed the grasse of the field even every Lillie Matth. 6. 30. Hee reckons up our teares Psalme 56. 9. and is with every one in his going out and comming in in his downe sitting and uprising Psalme 139. 1. 2. Isa. 27. 28. Secondly his generall providence appeareth and is exercised in the destruction which hee himselfe according to his just will bringeth upon the whole Earth or upon whole Nations and Cities or upon some notable persons The destruction of the whole World in the dayes of Noah came by his hand and providence for hee said Behold I will bring a flood of waters and will destroy all flesh Gen. 6. 13. and hee foretold his purpose so to doe an hundred yeares before And the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrha was by fire which hee rained upon them Gen. 19. Hee smotte Egypt with plagues and destroyed the first borne and also Pharaoh and his host Exod. 12. and 14. Psalme 135. 10. And the Canaâ—nites by Joshua and Israel Josh. 10. and 11. and Senacheribs host 2 King 19. And the murmuring Israelites together with Corah Dathan and Abiram Num. 16. Vzzah 2. Sam. 6. 6. Herod Act. 12. and many others By this destroying and abolishing of men and other creatures and by his consuming and wasting of them by smitting the earth with barrennesse and sending pestilence and warre hee makes men know that hee is Jehovah the righteous Iudge and the Nations to see and feele that they are but mortall men as the Psalmist testifieth Psalme 9 21. and 46. 11. Thirdly this generall providence is seene in his government of all things according to his owne just will and good pleasure Hee doth after a generall manner rule inferiour things by the light and influence of the Heavens and of the Sun Moone and Starres By the Sun hee rules the day and by the Moone and Starres hee governes the night Psalme 136. 8. 9. And as his eyes are upon all things and upon all the wayes and workes of men so hee fashioneth their hearts Psalme 33. 15. Hee keepeth the waters of the Sea within their bounds beyond which they doe not passe Psalme 104. 9. Hee hath a set time and season for every thing and for every purpose under Heaven Eccles. 3. 1. And this government hee exerciseth by motion and direction of motions and by cohibition First by motion for hee moveth all things not onely the mindes wils of men by turning their hearts at his pleasure Ier. 12. 24. Act. 17. 28. Psalme 105. 25. and Prov. 21. 1. but also things without life by a naturall inclination which hee giveth to every thing in his kind as the Psalmist sheweth in the Sun Moone and Starres the windes and the waters Psalme 104. 19. 25. And as hee moveth every creature so hee directeth all their motions as appeares Psalme 37. 23. Prov. 20. 24. Ier. 10. 23. In so much that what men