Ver. 3Q. the 8thÇhapter to the ROMANS. 3C foreappoint from all eternity, that fuch men (hould live here and there; fo many, and fo long, in fuch places. Again, that Come fhould have more means of knowing their Creator, others lets; 'tis all from the mercy and will of God, Pfal. 147. 19, 20. He (hewed his word unto Jacob, his flatutes andjudgments to 1, frael5 he hath not dealt fo with any Nation. His Church bath a priviledge, and an advantage above other Nations in the world; the Jews had above the Heathens, and Chrillians above the Jews 5 and no other reafon can be affigned but his eternal love; as many people that have the means, all the difference between them andothers,cometh from Gods will,as the rife of it;2 Tim. 2. 18. The Lord knoweth who are bàs. Now the will of God, reacheth to the fmalleft and leaft matters, even to the contingent motions "of fecond caufes ; in the leaft things, the Scripture plainly'witneffeth, Matth. ro. 29, 30. Are not two fparraws fold for a far- thing, and one of them fhall not fall to the ground, withoutyour Heavenly Father ? but the very hairs of your head are all numbred. The leaft things are not left to blind chance, or the will of man, but God determineth the fmalleft matters; Purely God bath the know- ledge, and care, and over-ruling of them 5 and of the bruit creatures, that are made to be taken and deflroyed, much more of man 5 for it is laid, ACts 17. 28. In him we live, and move, and have our being; our life dependeth upon God, as the founding of the pipe dependeth on the breath of the Mufitian; and we move, as the divers tunes of the pipe dependeth on the modulation of his breath, or the motion of his fingers. Have our be- ing; there the fimilitude faileth 5 a pipe though it cannot found without the breath of a mufician, or found to a tune, unlefs he play upon .it 5 yet it may be, whether he breathe in it, or play upon it, yea or no : but we have life, and breath, and all.things from God ; for if he Ihould fufpend his providential influence, we do not only ceafe to . live, and move, but alfo to be now God doth not only rule and govern thefe things, but Both rule and governthem with refpeft to his decree, or his eternal purpofè: 1 will prove it, becaufe, Firfl he foreknew all things, before they came to part. Secondly, That God determineth all thefe things, that they may come to pap. God foreknew them, Aas 15_ i8. Known,unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Things that come not to pats till long afterward , were forefeen by God; hè is not furprized by any event : If any thing could fall out which God forefaw not, his wifdom were not infinite and eternal. And how could he foretel things to come , if he did not know them, Ifa. 44.7. Who as I, 'ball call, and (hall declare it, and fit it in order for one ; fnce I appointed the ancient people, and the things that are coming and fall come? that is, who can tell afore -hand, what Ihall befall a people in after times ? and relate the con - fiant courfe and tenon of my difpenfations ? But how doth God foreknow things ?. from the nature of the thing,or from his own decree ? Certainly, God bath not his pre - fcience from the nature of future things, but all things have there futurity from Gods decree ; becaufe it was the purpofe of .God to do this, or permit that therefore -he knoweth that this, or that, Will come to pafs, Aûs 2. 23. Him being delivered by the de- terminate counfil and foreknowledge of ,God ; fo that God determineth as Well as fore - knoweth. Many will fay, that God doth foreknow what men will do in time by their own free -will, but hath not determined; but the Scripture teacheth us, that nothing is done in time, by rational or irrational agents, but it was by the determination of God, working the good, and permitting the evil, Alls 4. 28. For to do whatfoever thy hand and toy counfel determined before to be done. God fore-feeth nothing as certainly future, but what he hath before determined (hall be; nothing good, but what he bath decreed to work in us; nothing bad, but what he hath decreed to permit, 'and ferve his pro- vidence of it; and fo it will certainly come to pafs; fo that all the difference between us and others, cometh meetly from God, and is to be afcribed to him, i Cor. 4. 7. Who made thee to diffir? 2. That what God fo willeth and purpofeth, cloth infallibly come to pats. Certainly what God intendeth to do he will not ceafe till he bath done it; for what fhould' hinder? Any change in God himfelf, or any impediment without ? No change in God himfelf; no, For he is Jehovah that changeth not, Mal. 3. 6. For I amGod, I change not. Job 23: 13. But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? And what his find defiretb, even that he cloth; for he performeth the thing that is appointed for me. Certainly God is unchangeable in him- felf, and allo in his mind, and in the purpofe of his love towards his children; and he' carrieth on the pleafure of his own will,by h'js efficacious providence, without còntrole- ment. 'Tis fpoken by Yob in his vexation, gut 'tis ufually obferved that in that whole book there are good Dolrines, though fometimes n» fapplyed by the fpeakers ; if God himfelf Ihould change his purpofe, it mutt be either for the betters that refleâeth -on . 9 Q. his
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