A Catechism, Chapter 6 – Chapter 7
CHAP. 6. Of Gods providence.
Q. WHat is the Providence of God?
A. That whereby God doth preserve, and governe, dispose, and order all creatures with all their actions.
A. What scriptures do shew that there is such a providence of God?
Q. Many, and namely these, Ioh. 5. 17. Eph. 1. 11. Act. 17. 25. 28. Lam. 3. 37: Eccles. 3. 1. 2 &c.
Q. How els may the same be proved?
A. Such is the wisedme, and knowledge of God, that nothing can come to passe, but he must needes know it, and such is his omnipotency, that what he absolutely would not have to be, he is able to hinder it, and therefore nothing falls out but he seeth it, and by his providence hath an hand therein.
Q. What are the parts of Gods providence, or the severall acts of it?
A. Preserving of the creatures aAct. 17. 18. 1. Tim. 4. 10. Ps. 36. 6.and goverment of them bPsal. 29. 10. & 103. 19..
Q. What need is there of the providence of God for the preservation of creatures?
A. Yes very much, aswell as of his power for the creating of them.
Q. How may that appeare?
A. Not onelyonly because making, and preserving of the creatures, are Coupled together as acts of the same power cNeh. 9. 6.. but also because otherwise the creatures could not continue in being, but would soon returne to nothing dPs. 104. 29..
Q. And why must the government of the creatures be also ascribed to God?
A. Partly because it would argue inperfection in God, if he should make creatures, and leave the government of them to others; and partly because the creatures would never certainly▪ attaine the ends for which they were created, if they were not governed by the same power by which they were created.
Q. VVhat are the things whereto the providence of God doth extend?
A. All things without exception of any. Rom. 11. 36 Eph. 1 11.
Q. VVhat are some sorts of them?
All persons, and all living things, though never so meane ePsal. 145. 15, 16. and 104. 21. & 147. 9. Luk. 12. 6., and all the very accidents, and Circumstances of actions, as the times, and seasons of them fProv. 16. 1. 33. Ioh. 14. 5. Psal. 31. 16. Eph. 1. 10. Ioh. 8. 20.and the like.
Q. What kinde of actions of the Creatures are ordered by the providence of God?
A. All kinde of actions, whether they be great or small gDan. 4. 25, 32, Psa. 76. 12. Iob. 12. 17, 18, 19, 20. Ps. 135. 7. & 113. 7, 9. Mat. 10. 29. Prov. 16. 1. 1. King. 20. 23., whether they be of kindnesse, and favour unto men, or of judgement & correction hAmos 3. 6. Isa. 45. 7. Lam. 3. 37, 38..
VVhat else?
A. Actions that are most contingent, and casuall iProv. 16. 1, 33. Exod. 21. 13. 1 King 22. 34., and actions wherein the creature is most sinfull, and wicked kEzek. 14. 9. Deut. 2. 30. Isa. 29, 9. 10. Gen. 45. 8. 2. Sam. 12. 11..
Q. How farre forth hath God an hand by his providence in the sinfull actions of creatures?
A. Partly by permitting sinne to enter, when he could easily hinder the same, if he pleased; and partly by disposing and ordering of it for good ends.
A. How doth God permit the entrance of sinne?
A. Partly by leaving men to themselves, not bestowing upon them his grace, that might keep them from sinne lDeut. 29. 3, 4, 2 Chron. 32. Act. 14. 16., and partly by letting Sathan loose upon them to be blinded, and mis-led by his temptations m1. King. 22. 22, 23. 1 Sam. 16. 15. 16..
Q. How is this just that God should deny the assistance of his grace, and leave men to themselves, and the temptations of Sathan?
A Yes, it is very just, because he is debtor to none, but may bestow his grace where, and upon whom he pleaseth. Rom. 11. 35. Mat. 20. 15.
Q. VVhat else may be said for the cleering of Gods justice herein?
A. God being the Judge of the world may punish sinne with what punishment he seeth meete, and so by giving sinners up unto further sinne, Ps. 8…. 11. 12. Rom. 1. 24, 25, 26. &c. 2 Thes 2. 11, 12.
Q VVhat may be some instance of Gods disposing and ordering of sinne for good ends?
A. The sinne of Joseph brethren when they sold him into Egypt, which God disposed, and ordered for the preserving of Iacob and his house in time of famine. Gen 45. 5. 7. & 50. 20.
Q VVhat else?
A. The sinne of Amnon, and Absolom which God disposed and ordered for the Correction, and Humiliation of David. 2 Sam. 12. 10. 11, 12.
Q. VVhat may be a third instance hereof?
A. The great sinne, and wickednesse of them who put the Lord Jesus Christ to death, as fowle a fact as the sunne ever saw, and yet even this did the Lord dispose, and order for the redemption and salvation of his elect, Act. 2. 23. & 4. 27, 28.
Q. But if God by his providence have a stroake in ordering of the sinnes of men, is not God himselfe then tainted with sinne?
A. No, by no meanes: for God cannot be tempted of evill nIam. 1. 13., neither doth any sin proceed from him o1. Ioh. 2. 18., but contrarily he is then holy, holy, holy, when he gives men up to be hardened in their sinnes pIsa. 6. 3, 9. 10..
Q. VVhat else may be said for the further learning of this truth?
A. God is so far from being tainted hereby with the uncleannesse of sinne, that his wisdome and goodnesse doth hereby the more appear, in that he can worke good by evill instruments, and make even sinne it selfe to seeme to his glory.
Q But whether may not sinners then hereby have excuse for themselves, and lay the blame of their sin upon God?
A. If God did infuse corruption into the hearts of men, or incline them or command them to sins who else were unwilling so to doe, then there were more colour for this demand; but this cannot be affirmed with truth.
Q. VVhat then is truth in this case?
A. God made man altogether righteous and upright qEccle. 7. 29,, and gives men an holy commandement that prohibits all sinne rGen. 2. 17. Rom. 7. 12., and yet they sinne of their owne accord sEccles. 7. 29., and therefore their destruction (and so their sinne as cause thereof) is of themselves tHos. 13. 9..
Q. May not this be illustrated by some similitude, to shew how God may have an hand in the evill actions of men, and yet all the sinfulnesse of the action be wholly of the creature and not of God?
A. As he that spurs a lame horse, is the cause of his going, but not of his halting, which is from the beast himselfe; and as the sunne shining on a carcasse, or a dunghill, is the cause of the savour, but not of the stench which is from the carcasse it selfe; even so it is in this case.
Q. How or in what manner doth the providence of God put forth, and shew it selfe?
A. Most freely and as it pleaseth him uPsal. 115. 3. and 135. 6., most commonly in the ordinary use of the means w2 King. 14. 27. Hos. 2. 21, 22.and sometimes it pleaseth him to work without meanes xDeut. 9. 18. & 29. 5, 6. 1 King 19. 8, Isay. 37. 30..
Q. How else doth the providence of God put forth and shew itselfe?
A. Sometimes by working great and mighty workes by weake meanes y1 Cor. 1. 26, 27. Iudg. 7. 2, 3. 2 Chron. 24. 24. 2 Sam. 14, 7. Amos 5. 9. Ier. 37. 10,, sometimes by disapppointing the best and the most probable meanes that they become ineffectuall, zPs. 78. 9, 10. Eccles. 9. 13. Hos. 4. 10. Ps. 127. 1, 2, 3.; and sometimes by working contrary to all meanes, and the naturall course of things aIosh. 3. 15, 16. & 10. 13. & 2 King. 20. 10, 11. Dan. 3. 27. 2 King. 6. 6..
CHAP. 7. Of Angels.
Q. WHat are the Kindes of Gods providence?
A. It is either generall towards all Creatures, or specially towards some.
Q. What are those speciall creatures which the providence of God doth extend unto?
A. Angels and men.
Q. VVhat is the nature of Angels?
A. They are Spirits bPs. 104. 4. Heb. 1. 14. Luk. 24. 39.or spirituall substances, and therefore invisible that they cannot be seene with bodily eyes, no more then the wind that bloweth, or the soules of men, nor are they preserved by sleep and food, & raiment, as living bodyes are cMat. 22. 30.; and yet they are immortall, and cannot dye dLuk. 20. 36..
Q. VVhat else are we to know concerning the nature of Angels?
A. That they are creatures of excellent strength ePs. 103. 20. 2 Pet. 2. 11., great acutenesse of understanding f2 Sam. 14. 20. mat. 18. 10., very swift and speedy in their motion gIsa. 6. 2. Ezek. 1. 6. Dan. 9. 21., and by creation very pure, and holy hGen. 1. 31. Luk. 9. 26..
Q. What is the number of Angels?
A. Though they be not infinite, yet their number is very great, and to us they are innumerable. Dan. 7. 10. Ps. 68. 17. Mat. 26. 53. Heb. 12. 22
Q. What end and office were they created for?
A. To celebrate the Lords praises, and to execute his commands iIsa. 6. 2, 3. Ps. 103. 20., specially towards the heirs of salvation kHeb. 1. 14..
Q Do the Angels continue in that estate wherein they were first created?
A. Not all, for a great many fell away from that happy condition who are now become devils, Ioh. 8. 44. 2. Pet. 2. 4. Iude 6.
Q. May the rest also fall away, and perish with the devils?
A. No, because they are elected of God, and so for ever upholden in that good estate. 1 Tim. 5. 27.