loving', gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in Ik goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin"; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him w; and and "I John iv. 8. He that loveth y Psal. v. 5. The foolish shall not . God is love; and he that the Lord will abhor the bloody and Z Nah. i. 2. God is jealous, and W Heb. xi. 6. But without faith gression, and sin, and that will by it is impossible to please him; for no means clear the guilty; visiting he that cometh to God must be the iniquity of the fathers upon the lieve that he is, and that he is a children, and upon the children's rewarder of them that diligently children, unto the third and to the seek him. fourth generation. * Neh, ix. 32. Now therefore, II. a John v. 26. For as the Fa. our God, the great, the mighty, ther hath life in himself, so hath and the terrible God, who keepest he given to the Son to have life in covenant and mercy, let not all the himself. trouble seem little before thee that b Acts vii, 2. And he said, Men, hath come upon us, on our kings, on brethren, and fathers, hearken ; The our princes, and on our priests, and God of glory appeared unto our on our prophets, and on our fathers, father Abraham, when he was in : and on all thy people, since the time Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in of the kings of Assyria unto this day. Charran... Ver. 33. Howbeit, thou art just c Psal. cxix. 68. Thou art good, in all thát is brought upon us ; for and doest good, teach me thy sta-, thou hast done right, but we have tutes. d 1 Tim, vi. 15. Which in his times B6 he.. done wickedly, and of himself; and is alone in and unto himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he hath made", not deriving any glory from them', but only manifesting his own glory, in, by, unto, and upon them: he is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom, are all things"; and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself pleaseth". In his sight all things are open and manifest'; his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature", so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain He ever. e a he shall shew, who is the blessed and they shall make thee to eat and only Potentate, the King of grass as oxen, and they shall wet kings, and Lord of lords. Rom. ix, 5. thee with the dew of heaven, and Whose are the fathers, and of whom seven times shall pass over thee, till as concerning the flesh Christ came; thou know that the most High who is over all, God blessed for ruleth in the kingdo:n of men, Amen. and giveth it to whomsoever he Acts xvii. 24. Gid, that made will.. Ver. 35. And all the inhathe world, and all thirgs therein, bitants of the earth are reputed seeing that he is Lord of heaven as nothing: and he doeth accordand earth, dwelleth not in tempies ing to bis will in the army of made with hands : Ver. 25. Neither heaven, and among the inhabitants is worshipped with imen's hands, as of the earth; and none can stay. though he needed any thing, seeing his hand, or say unto him, What be giveth to all life, and breath, and doest thou ? all things, i Heb. iv, 13. Neither is there any f Job xxii. 2. Can nian be creature that is not manifest in his profitable unto God, as he that is sight: but all things are naked and wise may be profitabie unto hiniself? opened upto the eyes of him with Ver. 3. Is it any pleasure to the whoni we have to do. Almighty that thou art righteous ? k Rom. xi. 33. O the depth of or is it gain to hina that thou makest the riches, both of the wisdom and thy ways perfect ? knowledge of God! how unsearchable 8 Rom. xi. 36. For of him,, and are his judgments, and his ways past . through him, and to him, are all finding out! Ver. 34. For who things: to wirom be glory for ever. hath known the mind of the Lord ?: Amen. or who hath been his counsellor ? h Rev. iv. 11. Thou art worthy, Psal. cxlvii. 5. Great is our Lord,. O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and of great power: his understandand power: for thou hast created ali ing is infinite. things, and for thy pleasure they are Acts xv, 18. Known unto God and were created. 1 Tim. vi. 1.5. are all his works from the begina. (See letter d immediately foregoing.) ning of the world, Ezek. xi. 5. Dan. iv, 25. That they shall drive And the Spirit of the Lord fell thee from men, and thy' dwelling upon me, and said unto ine, Speak, shall be with the beasts of the field; Thus saith the Lord, Thus have ұе He mer, and good. corta a cient. He is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands". To him is due from angels and men, agli and and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or fou obedience, he is pleased to require of them ". 1), ar III. In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; God the Father, Iseli God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost°. The Father is ; hof none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eterer the nally begotten of the Father p; the Holy Ghost eternally cain proceeding from the Father and the Son. CHAP. ye said, 0 house of Israel: for I the heavens were opened unto know the things that come into hin, and he saw the Spirit of your mind, every one of them. God descending like a dove, and Fu Psal. cxlv. 17. The Lord is lighting upon him. Ver. 17. And, righteous in all his ways, and holy lo, a voice from heaven, saying, in all his works. Rom. vii, 12. This is my beloved Son, in whom Wherefore the law is holy, and I am well pleased. Mat. xxviii. 19. the commandment holy, and just, Go je therefore and teach all na tions, baptizing them in the name a Rev. v. 12. Saying with of the Father, and of the Son, and loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb of the Holy Ghost. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. that was slain to receive power, The grace of the Lord Jesus and riches, and wisdom, and Christ, and the love of God, and That strength, and honour, and glory, the communion of the Holy Ghost, and blessing. Ver. 13. And every be with you all. Amen. made Aesh, and dwelt anong us, and such as are in the sea, and all (and we beheld his glory, the that are in them, heard I saying, glory as of the only begotten of Blessing, and horour, and glory, the Father,) full of grace and and power, be unto him that sit truth. Ver. 18. No man hath seen teth upon the throne, and unto God at any time; the only begotthe Lamb, for ever and ever. ten Son, which is in the bosom Ver. 14. And the four beasts, said, of the Father, he hath declared Amen, And the four and twen him, ty elders fell down and worship 9 John Xv. 26. But when the or? ped him that liveth for ever and Comforter is come, whom I will de send unto you from the Father, ed III. ° 1 John v. 17. For there are even the Spirit of truth, which three that bear record in heaven, proceedeth from the Father, he od the Father, the Word, and the shall testify of me. Gal, iv. 6. And Holy Ghost; and these three are because. ye sons, God hath one, Mat: iii. 16. And Jesus, when sent forth the Spirit of his Son 11 he was baptized, went up straight into your hearts, crying, Abba, , way, out of the water ; and, lo, Father. I. * Eph ta 2nd with of and able ever. are CHAP. III. Of God's Eternal Decree. Go OD from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own vill, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass a: yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established [ II. Although God knows whatsoeyer may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions d; yet hath he not de creed I. & Eph. i. 11. In whom also C Acts ii. 23. Him, being deliverwe have obtained an inheritance, ed by the determinate counsel and being predestinated according to the foreknowledge of God, ye have purpose of him who worketh all taken, and by wicked hands have things after the counsel of his own crucified and slain. Mat. xvii. 12. will. Rom. xi. 33. O the depth of But I say unto you, That Elias the riches both of the wisdom is come already, and they knew and knowledge of God! how un him not, but have done unto him searchable are his judgments, and his whatsoever they listed : likewise ways past finding out! Heb. vi. 17. shall also the Son of man suffer Wherein God, willing more abun of them. Acts iv. 27. For of a dantly to shew unto the heirs of pro truth, against thy holy child Jesus, nise the imnutability of his counsel, whom thou hast anointed, both confirmed it by an oath. Rom. Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the ix. 15. For he saith to Moses, I will Gentiles and the people of Israel, have mercy on whom I will have were gathered together, Ver. 28. mercy, and I will have compassion For to do whatsoever thy hand on whom I will have compassion. and thy counsel determined before Ver. 18. Therefore hath he mercy to be done. John xix. 11. Jesus on whom he will have mercy, and answered, Thou couldest have no whom he will he hardeneth. power at all against me, except it b James i. 13. Let no man say were given thee from above: there. when he is tempted, I am tempt fore he that delivered me unto thee · ed of God: for God cannot be tempt hath the greater sin, Prov. xvi. 33. ed with evil, neither tempteth he The lot is cast into the lap; but : any man. Ver. 17. Every good the whole disposing thereof is of the gift and every perfect gift is from Lord. above, and cometh down from the II. d Acts xv. 18. Known unto, Father of lights, with whom is God are all his works from the no variableness, neither shadow of beginning of the world. 1 Sam. turning. I John i. 5. This then is xxiii. 11. Will the men of Keilah the message which we have heard deliver me up into his hand? Will of him, and declare unto you, that Saul come down, as thy servant God is light, and in him is no dark hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, ness at all, I beseech thee, tell thy servant, And creed any thing because he foresaw it as future, or as that III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his IV. These angels and men, thus predestinated and fore- V. Those And the Lord said, He will come nothing by partiality. Mat. xxv. 41. Rom. ix. 11. For the children his will, Ver. 6. To the praise of being not yet born, neither having the glory of his grace, wherein done any good or evil, that the he hath made us accepted in the purpose of God according to elec- Beloved. Prov. xvi. 4. The Lord tion might stand, not of works, hath made all things for himself; but of him that calleth, Ver. 13. yea, even the wicked for the day As it is written, Jacob have I lo of evil. ved, but Esau have I hated. Ver. 16. IV. h 2 Tim. ii. 19. NevertheSo then, it is not of him that less the foundation of God stand. willeth, nor of him that runneth, eth sure, having this seal, The but of God that sheweth mercy. Lord knoweth them that are his. Ver. 18. Therefore hath he mercy And, let every one that naneth on whom he will have mercy, and the name of Christ depart from whom he will he hardeneth. iniquity. John xüi. 18. I speak II. f 1 Tim. v. 21. I charge not of you all ; I know whom I thee before God and the Lord Jesus have chosen : but that the scripChrist, and the elect angels, that. ture may be fulfilled, He that thou observe these things, without eateth bread with me hath lifted preferring one before another, doing up his heel against me. V. i Eph |