A Communicant Instructed, Part 1 · Section 1
I. Knowledge of God.
These things especi…lly ought to be known, touching God in some competent maner, before a man come to the Table of the Lord, viz.
1. That God is, or, That there is a GodzHeb. 11.6.30. He that cometh to God, must believe that he is.
2. That God is one, or that there is only one true God and no more.aDeu…. 6.4 The LORD our God, the LORD is One. b1 Cor. 8.4, 5, 6.We know that there is none other God but one. — But to us there is but one God, He onelyonly cThes. 1.9 Jer. 10.10.is the living and true God.
3. That this one God subsisterh in three distinct Persons; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. dJoh. 5.7.There are three that beare Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. eMat. 28.10. See also Mat. 3.16, 1…. 2 Cor. 13.13. Ps. 33.6.Go teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The Father is …f none, neither begotten, nor proceeding. The Son is begotten of the Father eternally. Hence called,f…oh. 1.14, 18. The onelyonly begotten of the Father. — And, The onelyonly begotten Son, which is in the bosome of the Father. The Ho…y Ghost eternally proceedeth from the Father and the Son. gJoh. 15.26. & 14.6.But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father. The…e three are Co-essentia…, Co-equal, and Co-eternal. This deep mystery cannot be fully comprehended by our understandings must be truely apprehended by our faith. It may darkly be re…embled, by the light of Sun, Moon and Stars, united in the Arre. O…, by the light of three di…tinct Torches, united in one flame. Or, by one of your Bibleleases in three folds. The first fold is not the second, nor the second the third, nor the third either of the other; and yet all those three folds are that one leaf. Thus the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost neither the Father nor the Son; and yet all these three are that one most Holy God.
4. That this one God is a most pure invisible Spirit.hJoh. 4.24 2 Cor. 3.17 God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in Spirit and Truth. — i1 Tim. 1.The King invisible. — k1 Tim. 6.16.Whom no man hath seen, nor can see.
5. That this one God, Father▪ Son, and Holy Ghost, hath made himself gloriously known, Partly by his essential Attributes or Properties. Partly by his Works.
I. Gods essential Attributes or Properties, are the high perfections of his Essence, which are all one, both with his Essence and with one another; yet are revealed to us, and apprehended by us as many and different, because our weak understandings cannot comprehend this one infinite Act: in one Act God is,
1. Most absolutely simple; No way compounded in himself, or with any other thing. lJoh. 4.24.God is a Spirit. The highest Spirit. The most spiritual Spirit. The Spirit of spirits, therefore absolutely uncompounded, without body▪ parts, or passions.—mDeut. 4.15, 16. Ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake to you out of Horeb, &c.— nLuk. 24.39.A Spirit hath not flesh and bones. And Paul proving to the Heathens that himself and Barnabas were no gods, as they imagined said; oActs 14.…1. with 15.Sirs, Why do ye these things? we also are men of like passions with you.
2. All-sufficient.p…en. 17.1 See also Gen. 35.11 & 28.3. & …8.3. Ex. ….3. The LORD appeared to Abraham, and said unto him, I am God All-sufficient, or, God Almighty. The Hebrew word, according to its several derivations may signifie either of these.
3. Immutable, or Vnchangeable.qMal. 3.6. I am the Lord, I change not. — r…am. 1.17Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shaddow of turning.
4. Infinite, without and beyond all bounds and limits. sPs. 147.5.His understanding is infinite. Now Gods understanding is God himself.
Gods essence is infinite and boundlesse, in all respects imaginable. Whereupon, God is
Immense, or unmeasurab…e: Because he cannot be determined or described by any Dimensions of Height, Depth, Length, or Breadth▪ and because he cannot be limited, confined, or circumscribed with any place. t…er. 23.…3, 24.Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? — Do not I fill Heaven and Earth? saith the LORD. — u1 Kings 8.…7.But will God indeed dwell on the Earth? Behold…, the Heaven, and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain the…; how much less this House that I have builded?
Omni-present, or present in all places Gods essence filling all places (yet not comprehended in any place) is consequently in all places xPs. 139.7. to 13.Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I asscend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the utmost parts of the Sea, even there▪ shall thine hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me, &c.
Incomprehensible. Because God is boundless in respect of all created knowledge and understanding. No man nor Angel can fully understand or comprehend him. …Great is the LORD. — And of his greatnesse ther is no search. — …Canst thou by searchin… finde out God? Canst thou finde out the A…mighty unto Perfection? It is as high as Heav…. what canst thou do? Deeper then Hell, … canst thou know? The measure thereof is long then the earth, and broader then the Sea.
Eternal▪ Eph. 1.11.Because God is infinite an… boundless in respect of time and duration.Verse 5. Gods essence never had beginning, never succession or change, and never shall have end. a… & 16. … 6.10The everlasting God, the LORD. — bPs. 25, 26,Of old …hast thou laid the foundation of the Earth; and the Heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thòu shalt endure: yea all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same: and thy years shall have no end. — cPs. 90.2.Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world; even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.
And these are commonly stiled Gods Incommunicable Attributes, as being peculiar onelyonly to God, and no way attributed or Communicable to any thing besides God. The Communicable Attributes follow; so called, because …ometimes in some sense they are communicated to c…eatures.
5. The living God. d…— That hath heard the voice of the living God. —e… My soul …hirsteth for God, for the living God. f…Thou … Christ, the Son of the living God. — g…It … a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the …ving God. God lives most properly and per…ctly; All imperfections of created life must … removed from him. God li…es ete…nally. …od faith of him…elf, h…I live for ever. God … eternal life it self; his own eternal life; — i…And shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father. Yea, he gives life to all living. — k…Seeing he giveth to all Life, and Breath, and all things. — l…For in him we live, and move, and have our Being.
6. Most wise.m1 Tim. 1.17. — The onelyonly wise God, —nRom. 11.33. O the depth of the Riches both of th… wisdome, and knowledge of God! To this purpose are ascribed to God, Counsel, oJer. 32.19— Great in Counsel. pEph. 1.11— Who worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own Will. Knowledge qAct. 15.18.Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Vnderstanding: rPs. 147.5.His understanding is infinite. God in one individed Act most absolutely, eternally, perfectly, infallibly, immutably Knows himself as the most adequate object of his Vnderstanding; Knows all things knowable besides himself, whether possible, or actually existing; Knows all things existing, whether in time past, present or future. God knows all mans wayes, works, words, thoughts, imaginations: all mens sins, with all the kinds, degrees, circumstances, aggravations of them; All mens states in this and the world to come; all future contingencies before they come to pass, though to us never so casual, accidental, or uncertain. Yea he absolutely knows all things in the world.
7. Of most absolute, perfect, and righteous Will. sEph. 1.11.Who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Will: — tVerse 5.Having predestinated us, — according to the good pleasure of his Will. We are taught to pray to God; uMat. 6.10Thy will be done. Gods Will is perfectly one, yet in respect of our divers notions in apprehending of it, is either Approving all thats good: Effecting all that's wrought: Prescribing all that's duty: or Permitting all that comes to passe; yea he even permits or suffers sin to be in the world, himself and his Will being neither directly, indirectly, nor any way the Cause or Author of sin.
8. Most true. God is most true in himself, his works, and words. Most true in himself; xDeut. 32.4.A God of truth; or, (as the Hebrew phrase will well beat it) God is Truth; yJoh. 17.3This is life eternal, that they might know thee the onelyonly true God. All other gods and Idols are but false gods, lies, vanities, nothing in the world. Most true in his works. They are not shadows and fictions, but realities.zPs. 33.4. All his works are done in truth. — aRev. 15.3.Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy wayes, thou King of Saints. True in his words; bJoh. 17.17.Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy word is Truth.—cPs. 119.142, 151. Thy Law is the Truth. — All thy Commandments are Truth. —d2 Cor. 1.20. For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen. — eTit. 1.2.In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised.
9. Most good, yea …upreme goodnesse it self, without all evil or imperfection. Good in himself, and Author of all good to his creatures. —fEx. 33.19 I will make all my goodness passe before thee. Christ said; gMat. 19.17. Mark. 10.18. Luk. 18.19.Why callest thou me good? There is none good save one, that is God. Not Man, Saint, Angel, or Christ himself as man are good as God is good, essentially, infinitely, immutably, &c. — h2 Thes. 1.12.That our God would fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness. — iRom. 2.4The riches of his goodness. kPs. 1 45.9.— The Lord…s good to all. lJam. 1.17Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from abvoe, and cometh down from the Father of lights.
In this goodness of God are …is Graciousnesse, Love, Mercy, Patience.
Graciousness. God is most gracious, incomparable in free grace. mEx. 3 4.6The LORD the LORD God, merciful and gracious. nPs. 116.5—Gracious is the Lord, and righteous.
Love. God is most loving, yea all love. o1 Joh. 4.8.16.He that loveth not, knoweth not God for God is love. — And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Mercy. God is most merciful, yea all mercy it self, and loving kindness it self. pPs. 116.5.— Our God is merciful. qPs. 103.8.— Plenteous in mercy, —tPs. 145.8. Ex. 34.6, 7 Ps. … 13.8, 9 The Lord is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works. sPsal. 136. throughout.— His mercy, (or, loving kindness) endureth for ever.
Patience. God is most patient, long-suffering, slow to anger. rPs. 145.9.The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of great mercy. uRom: 2.4— Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? — x2 Pet. 3.9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise (as some men count slackness) but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10. Most Just and Righteous. Vniversally righteous, as God should be righteous; and the Author of all Righteousness in the world, eternally and immovably disposed to give to himself and to all creatures their due. yPsal. 11.7The righteous LORD loveth Righteousness. — zPs. 92.25The LORD is upright, — and there is no unrighteousness in him. — aEx. 34.7.That will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children, and upon the childrens children, unto the third and to the fourth Generation.—bRev. 19.5 Thou art righteous, O Lord, which a…, and wast, and shalt be. — cPs. 145.17.The LORD is righteous in all his wayes.
11. Most Holy, God is not onelyonly infinitely holy and pure, but holiness it self. dPsal. 22.8But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. — eIsa. 6.3.Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of Hosts. — fRev. 4.8.The four Beasts rest not day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. — gPs. 89.35.Once have I sworn by mine Holiness. He is all holiness. hDeut. 32.4.Without iniquity, — iPs. 92.15.There's no unrighteousness in him.— kHab. 1.13…hou art of purer eyes then to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. That is, not vvith the least approbation. — l1 Joh. 1.5.God is light; and in him is no darkness at …l.
12. Most Powerful, Strong, Omnipotent. mEph. 3.20He can do beyond all that we are able to ask or think. He can do everything that argues or implies, power. —nGen. 17.1 The LORD appeared to Abraham, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God. — oJob 42.1, 2.Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing. — pMat. 19.26.With God all things are possible.
13. All-ruling. God hath absolute Authority, Dominion, and Power to dispose of all creatures as he pleaseth, for their present or perpetual estate without any their check or controle. qPsal. 103.19.His Kingdom rulleth over all. —rDan. 4.34, 35. His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, and his Kingdom is from genera…ion to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are …eputed as nothing; and he doth according to his Will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What dost t…ou? — sJude 25.To the onelyonly wise God our Saviour, be Glory and Majesty, Dominion, and Po…er, now and ever. Amen.
And in respect of all these former essential Perfections of God, whether Incommunicable or Communicable, God is most Perfect, Excellent, Blessed, and Glorious.
14. Most perfect. God is so perfect, that in him th…re is no want, defect, or need of any thing. He is perfect in all his former essential Attribut…s. tMat. 5.48Be ye th…refore perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect, —uActs 17.24, 25. God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing he is Lord of Heaven and Earth, dwelleth not in Temples made with hands, neither is worshipp…d with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he gi…eth to all life, and breath, and all thi…gs.
15. Most Excellent. God absolutely surpasseth all Beings in his Being, and all their Perfections; and in that respect is the most excellent. Hence High-excellency is ascribed to him: xAm. 8.7.The LORD hath sworn by the High-excellency of Jacob: that is, by Himself, for God swears by himself. yPs. 8.1, 9.O LORD, our Lord, how exc…llent is thy name in all the earth? — zExod. 15.7.In the greatnesse of thine excellency thou hast ov…rthrown them that rose up against thee.— aJob 37.23.Touching the Almighty we cannot finde …im out. He is excellent in Power, and in …udgement, and in plenty of Iust…ce.
16. Most blessed. God is the most blessed Being, hath infinit… happinesse in himself; is fully satisfied in hi… own blessedness; yea he is his own happinesse, depending on …one other. Hence those expressions; bPs. 119.12Blessed art thou, O LORD, teach me thy sta…i…es, — cRom. 1.25.Worshipped and served the creature more then the Creator, who is blessed for ever; Amen. — d1 Tim. 1.11.According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God. Hence the Father is by way of Excellency called, The Blessed; eMat. 14.61.Art thou the Christ, the Son of the blessed? And Christ is stiled in like manner, f1 Tim. 6.15.The blessed and onelyonly Potentate. —gRom. 9.5 Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever, Amen. Yea God is so blessed, that all blessedness in the creatures is originally from him; they being only so far happy indeed as they enjoy God to be their God, their supreme happiness hPs. 144.15.Happy is the people that are in such a case; yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord. That's the true happiness indeed.
17. Finally, God is most glorious. Infinite in his Highnesse, Majesty, Greatnesse, Splendor, Beauty, and Renown; Herein none may compare with him. — iMat. 6.13Thine is the Kingdome, and the Power, and the Glory for ever. Hereupon God is stiled, kPs. 24.7, 9, 10.The King of Glory; Isa. 3 3.21The glorious LORD; and mPs. 29.3. Act. 7.2.the God of Glory. To this effect his Name and his essential Attributes are declared to be glorious.— nNeh. 9.5Blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise — oEx. 15.11Who is like unto thee, O LORD, amongst the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in Holinesse? — pEph. 1.6.To the Praise of the glory of his Grace.—q2 Thes. 1.9. From the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his Power.
These are Gods essential attributes revealed in Scripture, whereby he hath made himselfe known. And without a competent knowledge of these, we cannot truly know God as we ought before we come to the Lords Supper. The next way whereby God makes himself known to us, is by his works, or Acts.
II. Gods works, or Acts are either 1. Before all time, as his Decree. Or, 2. In time, as the execution of his Decree.
1. The works of God before all time, are his Decrees. Gods Decrees may be considered, 1. More generally, in reference to all creatures. 2. More specially, in reference to the intellectual creatures only, viz. Angels and Men.
(1) Gods decrees more generally considered, are, Gods purposes in himself according to the Counsel of his own Will, whereby he hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes to passe▪ for the praise of his glory. Gods Decrees are his purpose in him…elfe according to the Counsel of his own Will; — rRom. 9.11.That the purpose of God according to Election might stand. — sEph. 1.9.According to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself. — tEph. 1.11Being predestinated according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Will. According to this purpose God hath fore ordained, for the praise of his Glory, whatsoever comes to passe; — uRom. 8.29.For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. — xEph. ….12That we should be to the praise of his glory. —yRom. 11.36. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things.
(2.) Gods Decrees more specially considered are, Gods purpose according to the Counsel of his own Will, whereby he hath fore-ordained for the praise of his glory whatsoever comes to passe touching Angels and Men. I call it Purpose: because Scripture stiles it, zRom. 9.11.The purpose of God according to Election. aEph. 1.11Who worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own Will. According to this purpose, God hath fore-ordained for the praise of his glory whatsoever comes to passe touching Angels and Men. And this especially in respect of their eternal state. For some he hath predestinated to the Adoption of children, electing and cho…sing them in Christ as vessels of mercy: Others he hath in his eternal Counsel passed by and rejected, as vessels of wrath. That, is stiled in Scripture sometimes Predestination, sometimes Election: This, is termed by learned men, sometimes Preterition or passing-by, sometimes Reprobation. Of both, the Scripture saith bRom. 9.22, 23, 24.What if God willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction; and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy; which he had a fore prepared unto glory? Though this be spoken only of men; yet elsewhere the Scripture mentions the c1 Tim. ….21.Elect Angels, therfore there are rejected & reprobate Angels, even dJude 6.The Angels that kept not their first estate: eMat. 25.the Devil and his Angels, for whom everlast…ng fire is prepared. God intending more especially to glorifie himself in the intellectuall cre…tures▪ Angels and Men, hath more especially decreed their final state, & all things concerning them, tending thereunto. This the Apostle calls fEph. 1.5, 9.Predestinating us to the Adoption of ch…ldren, by Iesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will, to the praise of the glory of his grace. And in order to this end, gRom. 8.30.Whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified them he also glorified.
This Decree of God, whether more Generally or more Specially considered, hath the…e excellencies and perfections in it. It is Eternal, Vnchangeable, Free, Wise, Iust, and the Cause of Causes. 1. Eternal; hEph. 1, 4.According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, &c. 2. Vnchangeable, for it is said, iRom. 9.11. w…th Jam. 1.17That the purpose of God according to Election might stand —with whom is no variablnesse neither shadow of turning. And, —k2 Tim. 2 19. The foundation of God standeth sure, having this Seale, The Lord knoweth them that are his; and there is a determinate number of them, which cannot be increased, nor di…inished. 3. Free, Gratuitous, and meerly …ndependent on the creature, or any thing in the creature: ha…ing no inward impulsive cause moving him thereunto, but the good pleasure of his Will; not foreseen Faith, Works, Freedome of Will, Perseverance, &c. lEph. 1.5.Having predestinated us to the Adoption of children, by Iesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his Will.—m2 Tim. 1.9. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ before the world began.—nRom. 9.15, 16. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 4. Wise For, oEph. 1.11.We are predestinated according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things according to the Counsell of his own Will.—pRom. 11.33, 34. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! for who hath known the minde of the Lord, or who hath been his Counsellor? 5. Just and most equal. Gods Decrees may be secret and mysterious, cannot be unjust or injurious; God is so just, yea such infinite justice, that he can do or decree nothing but what is just and equal. It is written, qRom. 9.13, 14, 31, 22, 23.Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.—Hath not the Potter power over the Clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? And hath not God greater power to dispose by his decree, of his creatures? yet God no way wrongs the cr…ature: nor the Potter the Clay. 6. Finally, Gods Decree is the Cause of Causes. All inferiour Causes and Means conducing to the ends whereunto God decrees any thing, are subordinate to Gods decree as the supreme cause of them all. Gods Decree not onelyonly foreappoints the end, but also all the secondary causes and means tending and conducing to that end. Hence that Concatenation of the causes of our salvation;—rRom. 8.30. Whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Thus of Gods works before all time: His Decrees.
2. The works of God in time, are, His executions of his Decrees. God executeth his Decrees, 1. Partly in the beginning of Time, by Creation. 2. Partly in the succession and continuance of time, by Providence. By both which God makes himself most gloriously known to his creatures, Discovering sRom. 1.19, 20.his invisible perfections by his visible works.
1. Creation is Gods making the world and all things therein, of nothing, in the space of the first six dayes, very good, by the word of his power, for himself. tHeb. 11.…Through faith we understand, that the worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seen, were not made of things which do appear.—uEx. 20.11 Gen. 1. throughout In six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Man was reserved to the last place, as Gods most accurate and curious piece; being by reason of his heavenly soul, and earthly body, as an Epitome or Abstract of Heaven and Earth, and thence justly styled the Microcosme, or Little-worlds— xGen. 1.31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.—yPro. 16 … The LORD hath made all things for himself, yea even the wicked for the day of evil.
In this work of Creation, Gods Freedome, Wisdome, Power, and Goodnesse shine forth most gloriously. 1. Freedome; in that he zPs. 115.3hath done whatsoever he pleased. He made one world and no more: such creatures and no other: in such sort and not otherwise; because he pleased. None may controll his work. aRom. 9.20.Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 2. Wisdome; for he bEph. 1.11worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own Will. How many ways hath God discovered his wisdome herein! As, in the cSee Gods excellent order in creating. Gen. 1. & Psal. 104.Order of Creation. He made all things in six days. He could have made them in one day, in one houre as easily; but he would shew himself a God of Order; He first made the Creatures containing, then the contained; and from the more imperfect proceeds to the more perfect Creatures. In the variety of Creatures. dPs. 104.24.O LORD how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all. In the distinct Natures and Properties of all those varieties. e1 Cor. 15.41.Ther's one glory of the Sun, another glory of the Moon, another glory of the Stars, and one Star differeth from another Star in glory. Some of the Elements are hot, some cold; some moist, some dry; some light, some heavy. The vertues of plants, fruits, &c. are innumerable. In the sweet Harmony of the whole Vnivere, though consisting of such different creatures, the wisdome of God also wonderously appears. 3. Power, in that he could frame all things of nothing, without any pre-existent matter: and all most easily, by his word; fGen. 1.3.He said, Let there be light, and there was light, &c. He spake works more easily then we can speak words. gPsal. 33.9He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.—hPs. 148.5 He commanded, and they were created. It was but A word, and A work. 4. Goodnesse, in that God, (though infinitely happy and satisfied in himself,) was pleased to create the world, especially Men and Angels, to communicate himself and his goodnesse to them.
2. Providence is Gods sustaining, governing, and ordering all Creatures together with all their actions to his own glory. So that in Gods Providence generally considered, there are three grand acts, viz. 1. Sustaining, upholding or preserving of the Creatures in being and well-being. He iHeb. 1.2, 3. with Ps. 3…7.8.9.that made the world, —is still upholding all things by the word of his power. 2. Governing and disposing all Creatures and all their actions, even the least and smallest of them all. kPs. 103.19.The LORD hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens, and his Kingdome ruleth over all.— lMat. 10.29, 30.Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father: but the very hairs of your head are all numbred. 3. O…dering and directing all creatures and al their actions to his own glory, and his peoples good. Ioseph said to his brethren; mGen. 45.7, 8. and 50.20.God sent me before you, to preserve you a posterity on earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God.—Ye thought evil against me, but God mean't it unto good, &c.— nIsa 63.14So didst thou lead thy people, to make thy self a glorious name,—oRom. 11.36. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things.
As for Gods special Creation of man, and Providence over man in his fourefold state, viz. of 1. Creation; 2. Corruption; 3. Restitution; and 4. Perfection; They will come farther to be considered in the next branch, the knowledge of our selves. Hitherto of the first branch of knowledge, requisite in some competent sort before communicating, viz. The Knowledge of God.