The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 2 · creation of the world · Question 28
Queſt. 28. What doth this knowledge of the Creation and Providence of God profit us?
Anſw. That in adverſity we may be patientaRom. 5.3. James 1.3. Job 1.21, 22. Pſal. 39.10., and thankfull in proſperitybD…. 8.1…. 1 Theſſ. 5.18., and have hereafter our chiefeſt hope repoſed in God our moſt faithfull FathercPſal. 55.2…. Rom. 5.4., being ſure that there is nothing which may withdraw us from his lovedRom. 8.38, …9., foraſmuch as all creatures are ſo in his power, that without his will they are not able not only to do any thing, but not ſo much as once to moveeJob 1.12. & 2.6. Prov. 21.1. Acts 17.25..
The Explication.
The cauſes why this doctrine is to be known.THis doctrine of Gods providence is neceſſary to be known: The glory of God.For the glory of God; for he will have us to aſcribe to him moſt great liberty, goodneſſe, wiſdome, power and juſtice: and this he will have us to acknowledge and profeſſe againſt the dreams and dotings of Epicures, Manichees, and Stoicks. But if the providence of God in moving and guiding all things, even the leaſt, both good and bad, be denied, theſe alſo his properties are denied; and if theſe be denied, God is not worſhipped and magnified of us, but denied. Our own comfort & ſalvation. 1. Patience in adverſity.For our own comfort and ſalvation, that by this means there may be ſtirred up in us, firſt, Patience in adverſity; becauſe all things come to paſſe by the moſt wiſe, juſt, and available counſell and will of our heavenly Father: and whatſoever either good or bad God ſendeth us, in them we conſider the fatherly will of God towards us. Whatſoever cometh unto us by the counſell and will of God, and is profitable for us, that we ought to bear patiently: But all evils come to us by the counſell and will of God, and are profitable for us: Therefore we ought to bear all evils patiently. Secondly, That we may be thankefull for benefits received of God: Thankfulneſſe for Gods bleſſings.wee ought to be thankfull, becauſe, Of whom we receive all good things both corporall and ſpirituall, great and ſmall, to him we ought to be thankfull, and worſhip him: But from God the authour of all good things we have all things: Therefore wee ought to be thankfull unto God, and to worſhip him. Now thankefulneſſe hath two parts: 1. Truth, to acknowledge his benefits, and to be thankfull both in word and mind unto him. 2. Juſtice, to remunerate and recompence. Or, Thankefulneſſe conſisteth, 1. In acknowledging of the benefit. 2. In celebrating it. 3. In remunerating it. 3. Confidence of future bleſsings.Thirdly, That we may conceive a good hope and confidence of things to come: when as God by his providence delivereth us out of evils. He that hath decreed unchangeably to ſave, and is able, and will ſave beleevers, doth never ſuffer them to periſh. Hope here ſignifieth ſuch a hope as reſolveth all things ſo to be governed of God, as that alſo they ſhall hence-forward be profitable for our ſafety, and that he will never ſuffer us to be pulled away or withdrawn from his love; nor will ever ſo forſake us, that wee periſh: Becauſe his will and power in preſerving and ſaving us is unchangeable, and far above the forces of all his enemies. Exerciſe of godlineſſe.The deſire and ſtudie of godlineſſe, prayers and labours: becauſe, although God alone giveth all good things, yet he giveth them with this rule and order, that they be deſired and expected from him, and ſought by our labour and ſtudy, which muſt be guided by his word. Briefly, the ends of the doctrine of providence are, 1. The glory of God. 2. Our patience in adverſity. 3. Our thankfulneſſe in proſperity. 4. Our hope of things to come. 5. Prayer for the obtaining of our hope.
All the grounds of religion ſhaken in pieces, if the providence of God be denied.By this it appeareth, That all the grounds and foundations of godlineſſe or religion are pulled a ſunder, if the providence of God be once denied, ſuch as before it hath been deſcribed out of the Scripture. For, 1. We ſhall never be patient in adverſity, except we know it to come from God our Father unto us. 2. We ſhall never be thankfull for his benefits, except we acknowledge them to be given us from above. 3. We ſhall never have certain hope of our future delivery from all evill both of crime and pain to be perfected and accompliſhed, except wee reſolve, that the will of God of certainly ſaving all the elect is unchangeable. 4. Wee ſhall never with aſſured confidence crave of God his bleſſings promiſed us, eſpecially thoſe which are neceſſary to ſalvation; neither ſhall we ſtrive thereto with right endeavours and agreeable to Gods word, except we be aſſured that God both hath from everlaſting decreed for us thoſe bleſſings themſelves, and hath deſtined and appointed the means whereby they are received, and doth alſo moſt certainly beſtow thoſe decreed and promiſed bleſſings upon all, to whom he giveth thoſe means, and the lawfull uſe of them.