Chapter 5
Of Divine Providence
- God the good Creator of all things,
in His infinite power and wisdom, doth
uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all
creatures and things,1
from the greatest even to the
least,2 by His most
wise and holy Providence, to the end for
which they were created, according unto
His infallible foreknowledge, and the
free and immutable counsel of His own
will; to the praise of the glory of His
wisdom, power, justice, infinite
goodness, and mercy.3
- Although in relation to the
foreknowledge and decree of God, the
first cause, all things come to pass
immutably and infallibly;
4 so that there is not anything
befalls any by chance, or without His
Providence;5 yet by
the same Providence He ordereth them to
fall out according to the nature of
second causes, either necessarily,
freely, or contingently.6
- God, in His ordinary Providence
maketh use of means;7
yet is free to work without,8 above,9
and against them10 at
His pleasure.
- The Almighty power, unsearchable
wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so
far manifest themselves in His
Providence, that His determinate counsel
extendeth itself even to the first fall,
and all other sinful actions both of
angels and men;11
(and that not by a bare permission) which
also He most wisely and powerfully
boundeth, and otherwise ordereth, and
governeth,12 in a
manifold dispensation to His most holy
ends;13 yet so, as
the sinfulness of their acts proceedeth
only from the creatures, and not from
God, who, being most holy and righteous,
neither is nor can be the author or
approver of sin.14
- The most wise, righteous, and
gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a
season His own children to manifold
temptations and the corruptions of their
own hearts, to chastise them for their
former sins, or to discover unto them the
hidden strength of corruption, and
deceitfulness of their hearts that they
may be humbled; and to raise them to a
more close and constant dependence for
their support upon Himself, and to make
them more watchful against all future
occasions of sin, and for other just and
holy ends,15 so that
whatsoever befalls any of His elect is by
His appointment, for His glory and their
good.16
- As for those wicked and ungodly men,
whom God, as the righteous judge, for
former sin doth blind and
harden;17 from them
He not only withholdeth His grace,
whereby they might have been
enlightened in their understanding, and
wrought upon in their hearts;18 but sometimes also
withdraweth the gifts which they
had,19 and exposeth
them to such objects as their
corruption makes occasion of
sin;20 and withal,
gives them over to their own lusts, and
the temptations of the world, and the
power of Satan,21
whereby it comes to pass that they
harden themselves, even under those
means which God useth for the softening
of others.22
- As the Providence of God doth in
general reach to all creatures, so after
a more special manner it taketh care of
His Church, and disposeth of all things
to the good thereof.23
Footnotes:
1. Heb
1:3; Job 38:11; Isa 46:10-11; Ps
135:6.
2. Mt
10:29-31.
3. Eph
1:11.
4. Ac
2:23.
5. Pr
16:33.
6. Ge
8:22.
7. Ac
27:31,44; Isa 55:10-11.
8. Hos
1:7.
9. Ro
4:19-21.
10.
Da 3:27.
11.
Ro 11:32-34; 2Sa 24:1; 1Ch 21:1.
12.
2Ki 19:28; Ps 76:10.
13.
Ge 1:20; Isa 10:6-7,12.
14.
Ps 50:21; 1Jn 2:16.
15.
2Ch 32:25-26,31; 2Co 12:7-9.
16.
Ro 8:28.
17.
Ro 1:24-26,28; 11:7-8.
18.
Dt 29:4.
19.
Mt 13:12.
20.
Dt 2:30; 2Kn 8:12-13.
21.
Ps 81:11-12; 2Th 2:10-12.
22.
Ex 8:15,32; Isa 6:9-10; 1Pe 2:7-8.
23.
1Ti 4:10; Am 9:8-9; Isa 43:3-5.
©1998 Limerick Free
Baptist Church
|
Free Baptist Church of Limerick