and disposition: thus the earth should be disposed to fruitfulness, Gen. i. 11, and the lights to distinguish the times, and to give light upon the earth, Gen. i. 14—18. (3) By establishing all things in such a manner, that they should remain fixed and steadfast: thus "God hath established the earth, and it abideth: all things continue this day according to his ordinances, for all are his servants," Psalm cxix. 90, 91. See also Gen. Viii. 22. Jer. xxxi. 35, 36. xxxiii. 20. (4) By God's approbation and blessing, by which he blessed the creatures, that they might be useful to the generations following: thus God blessed the earth, beasts and men, so that they became fruitful, Gen. i. 11, 12, 22, 28.

5. But when did God create the world? Moses saith, "In the beginning," Gen. i. 1, namely, in the beginning of time, which was when the creatures began, so that we find an earlier or later date only in the first existence and continuance of the creatures; for we cannot conceive of any time before the beginning of the creatures, but only an unbounded eternity. We leave it to others to inquire how long it is since the world was created, in what season of the year, whether in the spring or autumn, how long God was engaged each day, a moment, or longer. or a whole day: there are many who enlarge much on these things; we only say, that although God the Lord was able to produce the whole world in a moment, in a perfect state, it nevertheless pleased him to employ six days upon it, that we might contemplate his several works with the greater attention. On the first day God created the heaven, the earth, and light, Gen. i. 1-5, and undoubtedly the angels also in heaven, Job xxxviii. 6, 7. On the second day he created the firmament, and divided the waters, which were above the firmament, from the waters which were below the firmament, Gen. 6, 7, 8. God did not bless the second day, but he bestowed a double blessing on the third day, because the work of the second day was completed by the work of the third day, to wit, the sea, the herbs and plants, ch. i. 9-13. On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon and stars, ch. i. 14-19; on the fifth day, the fishes and fowls, ch. i. 20-23; and on the sixth day he created the beasts of the earth, and last of all man, because the Lord would introduce him into a plentiful habitation, and thus manifest that he had created all things for the good of man, ch. i. 24-31. On the seventh day God rested, ch. ii. 2; not because he was weary: "The Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is he weary," Isaiah xl. 28. But it is said that God rested, because he ceased to produce new kinds of creatures, and solaced himself in his works, inasmuch as they displayed his glory in its proper lustre, Exod. xxxi.

17. This rest God prescribed as a pattern to man, requiring that he should rest every seventh day from his daily labour, after the example of his Creator; and thus, separating himself from all besides, solace himself in God. See Gen. ii. 2, 3. Exod xx. 8-11. Isaiah lviii. 13, 13.

6. Finally, we must know that God the Lord, who is perfectly wise, did not create all these things without a holy and great end. Solomon saith, Prov. xvi. 4. "The Lord hath made all things for himself; yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." This doth not imply that God had need of the creatures, in order to perfect his glory for "he is not worshipped by men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and all things," Acts xvi. 25. No creature can be profitable to God; it is no advantage to the Almighty, that any one is righteous, neither is it gain to him, that he maketh his ways perfect: our goodness extendeth not to him; he is exalted above all honour and praise, but because he is good, therefore he would communicate himself, that his eternal power, Godhead and glory might be seen and acknowledged; God hath therefore impressed his glory upon all the inanimate and irrational creatures, and endowed rational men with his image, that all might thank and glorify the Creator, according to their nature. See this Psalm xix. 1-6, and Psalm viii. Have mankind departed from God, and honoured and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for evermore, the Lord hath nevertheless not failed of a his end, inasmuch as he manifests his power, justice and longsuffering in the vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction; and displays the riches of his glory in his power, wisdom, and inconceivable grace in the vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory: for surely God hath filled the world with men, that he may gather a people out of them, in whom he will be glorified; for it would other wise appear as if "God had created all the children of men in vain," Psalm lxxxix. 48. Isaiah xlv. 17, 18. Eph. iii. 9. And verily if God had not intended this, the world would long ere now have been destroyed in a dreadful manner; but the Lord is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance," 2 Peter iii. 9. God the Father doth also "uphold and govern the world, which he hath created, by his eternal counsel and providence," as the instructor saith here; but of this he treats more particularly in the following Lord's day. "

II. The believing exercise of a Christian with respect to the object proposed, God the Father, Almighty Maker, is that he believes in him. He doth not say, "we" believe, as he saith, when he prays,

"our" Father; but "I" believe, because we can indeed pray for another, but we cannot believe for another: "The righteous shall live by his faith," Hab. ii. 4. To believe in God the Father, the Almighty Maker is,

1. Seriously to hold upon the declaration of God, all the foregoing particulars to be true. It is indeed manifest from reason, that God created the world out of nothing, inasmuch as it cannot exist of itself, but must have an allsufficient cause, as "the heathens also understood and clearly saw the invisible things of God, even his eternal power and Godhead, by the things that are made," Rom. i. 20. Nevertheless we obtain a clearer knowledge of this by the testimony of God, that he created all these things out of nothing, and in such a manner for "through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear," Heb. xi. 3. Verily reason cannot teach us that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath such an inconceivable purpose to save sinners, is the Creator; this is "hidden from the wise and prudent, and is revealed unto babes, according to the sovereign good pleasure of God," Matt. xi. 25, 26. See also John i. 18. And our holding that this revelation is truth, is believing in God the Father, Almighty Maker in the sense of the Creed; for thus we "receive the testimony of God, and set to our seal that he is true," John iii. 33. But do not the devils also believe this and tremble? yes, according to the divine declaration, James iii. 9. For this reason the Christian's faith proceedeth further; yea, he believes that God the Father, Almighty Maker is also his God and Father for Christ his Son's sake. It is true, it is no where said to this and that person in particular, that God is his Father in Christ: nevertheless God testifieth in his word, that "to as many as receive his Son, he gives power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name," John i. 12. When a believer examines his actions, and the Holy Ghost enables him to "know the things that are freely given him of God," according to 1 Cor. ii. 12, he then perceives that he hath truly received the Son of God by faith, from which he safely concludes that he is a child of God, and the Spirit of God also beareth witness to this with his spirit," Rom. viii. 16. And his faith depends thus upon the witness of God, he admires and rejoices in "the great love of the Father," manifested to him, that he is called "a child of God," 1 John iii. 1. 2. To believe, denotes here to commit and confide our whole condition in every circumstance to God our Father, Almighty Maker, as David exhorteth, Psalm xxxvii. 5. Commit thy way unto the Ff

Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass," See i Peter iv. 19. v. 7. Is the believer in want of any thing with respect to soul, or body, he is not anxiously careful, and he doth not say, "What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithall shall we be clothed:" Matt. vi. 31, for he doubts not but that his Father will provide him with all that he needs: "at destruction and famine he laughs," Job v. 22. This confidence causes him sometimes to say, "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation," Hab. iii. 17, 18. Yea, he 'confides and doubts not but that his Father will cause all the evils, which he sends upon him in this valley of tears, to turn out to his advantage: for "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God," Rom. viii. 28. "The Lord chastens them who are his for their profit, that they may be partakers of his holiness," Heb. xii. 10. And therefore "they glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience experience; and experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed," &c. Rom. v. 3, 4, 5. This confidence is not a sinful indifference, nor a secure imagination, but an active reposing on the Lord úpon certain grounds, which are, in the first place, that the Lord "can" do this, being almighty God." However unlikely it may appear to him, that he should be delivered, nevertheless he will not be afraid of evil tidings, because he hath a lively apprehension of God's almighty power, by which he created all things, and "for whom nothing is too hard," as God's almighty creating power supported Jeremiah, Jer. xxxii. 17. See this also in Abraham, Rom. iv. 17, 21. But inasmuch as we cannot infer from God's almighty power that he will do any thing, so long as we are not assured that he is willing, therefore the true Christian assumes, as his second ground of confidence, that "God is willing, being a faithful Father." He knows that God is his Father, that he hath taken upon him to provide for his children, and hath promised them all things; the Christian having a clear conviction of these things, cannot doubt but that his Father will keep truth for ever, and provide for, and protect him sufficiently. Our Lord Jesus recommends this ground to the children of God, when he saith, Matt. vii. 11. "If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father, which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him 7" Matt. vii. 11.

APPLICATION.

May not the believer now speak of his happiness, and glory in it, that he may thus believe in God the Father, Almighty Maker? Had not the holy Psalmist sufficient reason to say, "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: which made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is which keepeth truth for ever." Psalm cxlvi. 5, 6. Such an Almighty Maker is his God: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance," Psalm xxxiii. 12. Because the Lord had nothing more precious than himself, therefore he hath given himself to him, saying in his covenant, “ I will be a God to thee;" on this account he hath made him a vessel of honour, and an object of all his kindness, hath given his Son to be his surety, bath established a covenant of grace with him, and bestowed on him from that covenant all the sure mercies of David. And as if this were yet too little, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is his God and Father, "of whose nature he is become a partaker: his Maker is his husband, whose name is the I ord of hosts; he is of the household of God, and an heir of God: behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God," 1 John iii. 1. Yea, believers, what ever belongs to your father belongs also to you; for "all is yours.; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's," 1 Cor. iii. 21, 22, 23. Will ye now still be concerned about what ye shall eat or drink?" He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things?" Rom viii. 32. Will ye now yet let your heads hang down on account of the evils that befall you? no; they are your Father's gracious chastisements for your good, and he will deliver you out of them: "He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea, in seven there shall no evi) touch thee," Job.v. 19. How safely may ye rely on your Father's power, will and faithfulness, and indulge a sweet and quiet confidence, like David! Psalm xxiii. 4. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

But dost thou and thou believe that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Maker of heaven and earth is also thy God and Father? or do thy thoughts not ascend so high as this? or dost