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The
Purpofes
of
GodConfdered
cAP.111.:4,g.
but
yet in
referen
ce
to
the things,
that
are difpofed
of, we may call them
the
49
Purpofes
ofGod:
And
thefe
are
the
EternállSprings
of
Gods Aûuall
Provi-
dence which being(Ratio
ordinis
ad
finé)the
difpofing
of
all
thingsto their
ends
in
an appointed
manner and
order
in
exa&
correfpondence
unto them; thefe
Purpofes
themfelves tnuft
be
the
Infinitely
Wife,Eternall,Immanent
As
ofhis
Will,appointingand determining
all
Things,
Beings,and
Opperations,kinds
of
Beings,
manners
of
Opperations free,
neceffar_y,
contingent
as
to their Exi-
ftence,
and Event,
into
an
Immediate tendency
unto
the exaltation
of
his
Glory:
Or
as
the
Apoftle calles
them the
Counfell
of
his
Will, according where-
unto
he
effectually
worketh
all things. Ephef s.
r
r.
4.
4;
Our
confideration
of
thefe Purpofes
of
God
being only
in reference
to
the
Bufineffe
which we have
in
hand, I
Ihall
doe thefe two things.
r.
Firft manifeft,
that
they are
all
of
them
Abfolute
and
Immutable:
wherein
I!hall be briefe, not going out
to
the
Compafl'e
of
the Controverfy therea-
bout,as I intimated
before.
My
intendment
lyes
another way.
2.
Secondly thew,
that
God hath Purpofed the
continuance
ofhis
Love
to his
Saints,.
to
bring
them?,
infallibly
to
himfelfe:
and
that
this
Purpofe
of
God
in
particular,
is
unchangeable; which
is
the
fecond
part
of
the
Foundati-
on
ofour
Abiding with
God
in
the Grace
of
Acceptation.
By
the Purpofes
of
God,
I meane
(as
Ifaîd
before)the
Eternall
A
&s
ofhis
4.
5
Will
concerning all things
that
outwardlyare ofhim,
which
are
theRule
(if
I
may
fo
fpeake)
of
all
his following Operations.
All
external!
temporary
Produ
&s
ofhis Power
univerfally anfwering thofe
internall
A
&s
of
his
Will.
TheJudgment
of
thofe whomake thefe
Decrees
or
Purpofes
of
God,(for I
Ihall
conftantly ufe thefe words promifcuoufly,
as
being purely
of
the fame
im-
port
as
relating
unto
God
)
to
be
in
themfelves Effentiall
to
him, and
his;ve-
ry
Nature
or Underftanding and
Will,
may
be
fafely
clofed withal!.
They
are
inGOd,as
was
fayd,but one:There
is
not
a
reali multiplication
of
any
thing
butSubfiflence
in
the
Deity.
To
us
thefe
lye
under
a
double Confideration.
Firft
simply
as
they are
in
God, and
fo
it
is
impoffible
they thould be
dif-
ferenced from
his
Infinite
Wifdome
and
Will,
whereby he
determineth
of
any
thing- Secondly in
refpell
of
the
Habitude
and Relation
which
they
beare
to
the
things
Determined,
which
the
Wifdome
and
Will
ofGod
might. not
have
m
e.In
the
firft
fence,as
was
faid,they can be
nothing
but the
very
nature
of
God:
The
velle
of
God
hisInternall
willing
of
any
thing
that
is
either
Crea-
ted orIncreated;for thofeTermes
difiribute the
whole
nature
of
beings.
Created
they are not,for they are
Eternall;&hat
no
new
immanent
A&
can poflibly
be
afcribed
toGod,hath
full well
of
late
been
demonftrated.)Farther
If
they
are
Created,thenGod
willed
that
they fhould
beCreated;for
heCreates only
what
he
will:
If
fo, was
he
willing
they fhould
be
Created
or no
?
If
he
were,
then
a progreffe will
be
given infinitely,
for the Queftion
will arife
up
to
Eterni-
ty.
If
Increated,then
doubtlellè
they
are.
God
himfelfe
for he onely
is
fo.
'Tin
impoffible
that
a Creature
thould be increated. Againe, Gods very
willing
of
things
is
the
caufe
of
all things,
and therefore
muff needs
be
omnipotent,
and
God
himfelfe:
that
Voluntas
Dei
is
Caula reruns, is
taken
for
granted and
may
be
prooved
from
P.M.
515.
3.
Which the
Apoftle afcribes
Omnipotency
un-
to
Rorer.
g. 19.
Who
hath
refilled his
Will?
Doubtleffe
it
is
the Property ofGod
alone
to
be the
Caufe
()fall things and
to
be
Almighty in his
fo
beings
but
hereof at prefent no
more.
On
this fuppofall,
the
Immutability
of
the
De-
crees
of
God, would
plainely
becoincident with the
Immutability
of
his
Na-
ture
before
handled.
It
is
then
of
the
Decrees
and
Purpofes
of
God,
with
refpe&
to
the matter
about
which
they
are, whereof'
fpeake, in which
regard
alto
they
are'
Abfo-
H
lute