of f nation enddamatiarr. 19 `Godsoperation,is hiseffedluall producingofall good things,which either hauebeingor mouing,or which aredone. Gods operatiuepermiflìon, is that bywhichrhee onelypermitteth oneand éhe fa`ine work to be done ofothers,as it is euill ; but as-it isgood, heeffed}ual- ly worketli the fame.Gen.5 0,2o. Toga indeede hadprdrpofed etaagainff me, brat God decreed that forgood,that he might, ashe bathdone thisday,preferste hispeople autos. And Geu.43 .y, God hathfont me before you topreirueyour polleritie in this land. Efay. t o.5,6,ß. Woe tintoAffrnr,the rodofmywrath, theJIaffe intheir handsis mine indignation. l willfendhim toa dfembling na.- tion,and Iwilgittehimachargeagam/f thepeopleofmywrarh,totake thefpoile, andto tall theprdy, and to tread themvederfeete like themyre in the j7r'eete. But he thinkethnotfo,neithcrdotbhis heart el!eeme it fo : bat he imagineth to dejlroy,andto cut ofnot afew nations. Godpermitteth euill, by a certaine voluntarie permifsion,in that he forfa. keth the fecond caufe inworking euill. Andhe forfaketh his creature,either by detracttingthe grace ithad,ornot bellowing that which it wanteth.Rom.t.26. For this caufe Godgaue them vp vetovile affet ions.- 2.Tim.2.25,26. infirm. Fling them withn eekenes that are contrarie minded, praouing if 'Godat any timewiltgiuethem repentance, that they may k ow the trueh,andthat they may come to amendment ant of thefnareoftheditaell, whicharetalinofhirathit will. Neither mullwe thinke Godvniufl, who is indebted to none. Rom.9. t 5. :Twillbasemercieonhim, to whom Iwillfter, mercie. Yea, it is in Gods plea- fure to bellow howmuch grace and vpon whomhe will. Matth.2o.z 5. Is it not lawful!for metadoeasIwill withmineo vne ? That which is eurll, path force refped: ofgoodnefle withGod : firfc,in that it is thepunithment of(inne : andpunithment is accounted a morall good, in that it is the part ola mull Iudge topunifh Ilene. Secondly, asit is a meere a- dion orad.Thirdly,as it is a chaflifement, a trial! ofones faith martyrdoms propitiationfor finne, as the death and paillon ofChritl. Ad.2.23.and 4..24. And ifwe obferue thefecaucats, God is not onely a bare permiffìueagent in an euill worke,but apowerful! effedìour ofthe farne,yet fo,as he nitherintlil- leth an aberration into theaction, noryet fiipporteth, or intendeth the fame, but that he moll freely flferetheuill, andbell difpofeth of it tohis ovine glo- rie. The like wemay fee in this fmilitude : Let a man fpurre forward a lame borde; In thathemoueth forward,therider is the caufe; but that hehalteth,he himfelfe is thecaufe. And againe, wee fee theSurine beanies gathering them- felues into a frnneglaffe,theyburne fuch thingsas they-light vpon : now, that they burne,the caufe is not in theSunne,burin the glaffe. The likemaybe fayd ofUcds adlion in aneuil! fubiedl. B CHAP,
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