772 Godthefirff Caufe, and lafl End. Vol.1 heaven; and that are in earth, viftble and invifble, whether theybe thrones, or domi- nions, or principalities, or powers, all things were. Created by him, and for him, and he is before all things, andby himall things conffl. Heb. r, a. By whom alfo be made the Worlds. And, v. 3. Upholding all things by the wordof hic power. Thirdly, And laftty, to ,apply this Doctrine. Ufe. Firfl, If God be thefrfi Caufe ofall things, who did at firft produce all Creatures, and does fince preferve them and govern them, and difpofeth of all their With orders all ndThankfulefs to oewn and acknowledge, and admire and blefs God as the Author and Original of our Being, as the Spring and Fountain of all the Bleflings and good things that we enjoy. If we do but confider what there words lignifie, that God is the firfl Caufe of all things, we fhall feegreat Reafon to own and acknowledge, to adore and praife him, and that with the greareft humility ; becaufe we have not given him any thing, but have received all from him ; he is the Caufe of all things, who did freely and of his own good will and pleafure communicate Beings to us, without any conitraint or neceffity, but what his own goodnefs laid upon him, Rev. q. a a. Thou art worthy, 0 Lord to receive glory, andhonour, andpower ; for thou haft Createdall things, andfor thy pleafure they are andwere Created. We could not, before we were, defèrve any thing from him, or move him by any Argument, or importune himby Intreaties to make us ; but he freely gave us Being ; and ever fince we depend upon. him, and have been preferved by him, and cannot fubfift one moment without the continued influence of the Power and Goodnefs which firft called us out of no- thing. He is the Author of all the good, and the Fountainof all thofe Bleffings, which for the prefent we enjoy, and for the future hope for. When he made us at firft, he deigned us for Happinefs ; and when we by our fin and wilful mifcarriage 'fell fhort of the Happinefs which he defign'd us for, he fent his Son into the World for our recovery, and gave his life for the Ranfom of our Souls.. He hath not only admitted us into a newCovenant, wherein he hath promifed pardon, and eternal life to us ; but he hath alto pur- chafed there Blethngs for us, by the moft endearing price, the blood of his own Confideati hath fweeefhould awaken our felves too the aflonifh us. and with the holy Pfalmìfl, call up our Spirits, and fummon all the Powers and Faculties of our Souls to aflift us in this Work, Pfal.103. i,z, 3, 4, &c. Blefi the Lord, 0 my Soul, andall that is within me, bleßhis holy Name ; 11eß the Lord, 0my Soul, and forget not all his benefits; whoforgiveth all thy iniquities, soh healeth all thy difea- fes, who redeemeth thy life from deflruflion, who crowneth thee with loving-kindneß, and tender mercies; 'tis he that fatisfies our Souls with goodthings, and crowneth us with ténder mercies, and loving- kindnefs ; that hath promifed Eternal Life and Hap- pinefs to us, and muff confer and beflow this upon us ; Therefore our Souls andall that is within us fhould Refs' his holy Name. z. IfGod be theftri Caufe, that is, orders all things that befall us, and by his Providence- difpofeth of all our concernments, this thould teach us with patience, and quietnefs, to fubmit to all Events,.to all Evils and Afflictions, that come upon us, as being difpofed by his wife Providence, and coming from him ; we are apt to attribute all things to the next and immediate Agent, and to look no higher than Second Caufes ; not confidering that all the motions of Natural Caufes are . directly fubordinate to the firft Caufe,. and all the actions of free Creatures are under. the Government of God'swife Providence, fo that nothing happens to us betides the defign and intention ofGod. And methinks this is one particular Excellency of the ftyle of the Scripture above all other Books, that the conftant Phrafè of the Sacred Dialed is to attri- bute all Events (excepting fins only) to God, fo that every one that reads it can- not but take notice, that it is wrote with a more attentive confideration of God than anyother Book, as appears by thole frequent and cxprefs acknowledgments of God as the Cattle of all Events; fo that what in other Writers would be laid to-be.done by this or that Perron, is afcribed toGod. Therefore it is fo often laid, that
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