104 / 504
O
A
pi
II.
IL;
Ofthe Nature
of
the
Purpofes
of
God.
48
infifted on and vindicated. 53.
M.G.Exceptions
atlarge difcuffedand removed.
55. Ephef.
r
3,4,5
2
Mel.
2.
13,14.
opened.
56.
The
clofe
ofthe
fecond Argument from the Immuta-
bility
of
the Purpofes
of
God.
4.
I.
Ailing
cleared
the
Truth
in
hand,
from
the
Immutability
of
the
Na-
ture ofGod,which himfelfe
holds
out,
as
ingaged for
us
to
reft upon,
as
to the
Unchangeable Continuance
of
his
Love
unto
us
; Proceed
we now
to
confider
the
stedfailneffe, and
Immutability
of
his
Purpo-
fes,
which
he frequently
afferts,
as
another
Ground
of
Affurance
to the
Saints,
of
his
Sa
fegarding their
Glory
of
ree
Acceptation,
to
the
end.
I
thall
not enter upon the
confideration
of
the
Nature,
and
Abfoluteneffe
of
5.2.
the
Purpofes
of
God,
as
to
an
expreffe
handling
of
them,
but
only
a
little un-
fold
that
Property,and
Concernement
of
them,
whereon
the
ftrength
of
the in-
ferencewe aime
at,
doth
in fomemeafure depend. Many needleffe, and
curi-
ous
&l
eftions
have been,
by
the Serpentine witts
of
men,
moved and
agitated
concerning
them :
wherein perhaps
our Author bath not
been outgon
by
many,
as
will
be judged
by thofe,
who have weighed
his
Difcourfes concern-
ing them, with
his
diftindions
of
Defres,
Intentions,
Pnrpofes
and
Decrees
in
God;
But this
is
not the
bufineffe we
have
in
hand; forwhat concerneth that,
that
which enfueth, may
fufce;
God himfelfe being
an Infinite
Pure
A&,
thofe
A
&s
of
his
Will andWifdome,
which
are Eternafl and Immanent ,
are
not
diftinguifhed from his
Nature
and
Being,
but
only in refpe&
Of
the
refe-
rence and .habitude, which they beare
unto
Come
thing
to
be produced
out-
wardly
from him.
The
Obje&s
of
them all are
fuch
things,
as
might
not
be.
Gods Purpofes are
not
concerning
any
thing,
that
is
in
it
felfe
abfolutely
ne
ceffary.
He
doth not
purpofe
that
he
will
beWife, Holy,
Infinitely
Good, Tuft:
all thefe things,
that
are
of
abfolute
neceffity,
come not within
the
compaffe
of
his
Purpofes.
Of
things
that
might not
be,
are
his
Decrees and
intentions;
they are,
of
all
the Produ
&s
of
his
Power,
all
that
outwardly hebath
done,
Both, or
will
doe
to
Eternity.
All
thefe things
to
the
falling
of
a haire,
or the
N1ae.6.283o9,
withering
of
a Graffe,
bath
he determined from
of
old;
now
this
divine
Fore
-
Luk
r2. 6,7.
appoyntment
of
all
things,
the Scripture
affignes
fome times
to the
Knowledge
Jon.4.6.7,9.
&
Vnderfianding, fometimes
to
the
Will
of
God
,known unto him are
all
his
Works
from
the beginning
of
the
World,
Atts 15.18.
It
is
that
Knowledge,which
bath
an influence
into
that
moft Infinitely
wife difpofall
ófthem,
which
is
there
intimated: and
the determination
of
things
to
bedone
is
referred
to
the
counfell
of
God.
AEEs4.
28.
which denotes an
A&
of
his
Wifdome and
Underfranding,and
yet withal!,
it
is
the Counfell
of
his
Will, Eph.1. r
1.
4.
3
I know
that
all things originally owe
their
Futurition
to
a
free
a&
of
the
Will
of
God:
He
Both
what ever he
will
and pleafeth.
Their
Relation
there-
unto
,
tranflates them
out
of
that
(Fate
of
Poffibility,
and (being
Obje
&s
of
23.9.
Gods
abfolute Omnipotency,
and
infinite fimple
Intelligence,
or Undeftanding,
Terem.sr.z9.
whereby he Intuitively
beholdeth
all
things,
that
might be produced by
the
Rom.
e.28.
exerting
of
his infinite
Almighty
Power) into
a
frate
of
Futurition, making
9.11,19.
g
Y
Pe. 139.
rr,
them Obje
&s
of
Gods fore-
Knowledge,or
Science
of
vifion as
it
is
called. But
Ifa.4o.z812.
yet the
Scripture expreffeth
(as before)
that
Alf
of
God,
whereby he deter
-
tieb.4.13.
mines
the
Beings, Iffues,
and
orders
of
things,
to
manifeft
the concurrence
of
his
infinite
Wifdome.
and
Vnderf
anding in all his
Purpofes.
Further,
as
to
the
way
of
expreffing
thefe things
to
our manner
of
apprehenfion,
there
are held out
Intentions,
and
Purpofes
of
God,
diftin&ly fuited
to
all
Seings,
Operations;
and
Events,
yet
in
God
himfelfe
they are not multiplyed.
As
all
things are
prefent
to
him
in
one moft fimple, and
fingle
A&
of
his
Underfean-
ding,
fo
one individuali
A&
of
his
Will
he determines concening
all,
but