Chap. 37. axEsrftron upsn the Book of j © B. Vert. a s, i ti 7 Chance. ilriftotle, the fore-man, the wif_efi of that rapk, thought theWorld was eternal ; he could not find how it had a beginning, and therefore concluded it hadnone yet offers of the wife Hea- then had a notion that there was a beginning, that there was a firff-worker, but when or how he wrought they could not tell. And as thewifefl men, who had but the light of nature and rea- fon to teach them, were verydark about the b.:ginningof all thing, to alle about their motion , they thought that all things either moved of themfelves, or that the fupream Pówer having put Nature into a courfe, ir aced alone, fo that Godnever mew- led about particulars. Whereas we are taught and affured , by- this Scripture-Text, and many more, that Cod nor onlymade all, things,but difpofethall things, even to the fall of a Sparrow upon the ground, or to the lofs of an hair of the head(Math. co. en.) Chrif} faith alto ( john 5. t 7.) (ily.father worketh hitherto, and Iwork. Creation was a work ended in fix dayes, but Providence is a work that never ends thus God alwayes worketh,thoughal- wayes at ref(. That's the leffon here intended. It may be matter of much comfort to us, that all things are or- dered by God,that he difpofeth of_Thunder and Lightning, of Rainand Wind, of Snow and Froa ; much moremay it comfort us, that he difpofeth the affaires of men, of his Church and Peo- ple. Known unto Godare allhis work!, from the beginning of the world (AEIs r g. -t 8.) and therefore the Prophet brings in the Lo:dthus (peaking of hitofelf, (Ifa, 46.9, to,) ! am God and there is none elfe, I am Godand there rs none like me, declaring the endfrom the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are notyet done, He that knoweth what the end of all things will be, muff needs difpofe of all fecond caufes, and intermediate a&s leading thereunto. The reafon why men often mil- reckon and faile of their expeEtation about the ends and ilfues of things, is, becaufe theyhave not all themeans in their power , yea, I may fay, they havenot any of themeans fully , no nor at all in their own power. The way ofman is not in himfelf , how then can his ends be ? only God knoweth what (hall be the concluíìon,becaule he bath the full diffofure of all the premifes, means, andwayes, by which the concluhon is brought about. Let us-adore and confi- der the power of God, as well indifpofing of the creature, as in making of ir. Z x 7 Agair,
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