ty", most Wise", moft Holy", most FreeP, most Abfolute, working all things according to the Counfel of his own immutable and most righteous Will', for his own Glory', moft Loving, Gracious, Merciful, Long-fuffering, abundant in Goodness and Truth, forgiving Iniquity, Tranfgreffion and Sin "; the Rewarder of them that diligently feek him "; and withal most Juft and Terrible in his Judgments", hating

even the wicked for the day of evil. Rom. 11. 36. For of him,and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Gen. 17. 1. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and faid unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou 1 John 4. 8. He that loveth not, perfect. Rev. 4. 8. And the four knoweth not God; for God is love. beafts had each of them fix wings v. 16. And we have known and beabout him, and they were full of lieved the love that God hath to eyes within; and they reft not day us. God is love; and he that dweland night, faying, Holy, holy, holy, leth in love, dwelleth in God, and Lord God Almighty, which was, God in him. and is, and is to come.

Rom. 16. 27. To God only wife, be glory through Jefus Chrift for

ever. Amen.

• Ifa. 6. 3. And one cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hofts, the whole earth is full of his glory. Rev. 4. 8. [See letter m immediately foregoing. ]

P Pfalm 115. 3. But our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatfoever he pleaseth.

9 Exod. 3. 14. And God faid unto Mofes, I AM THAT I AM: And he faid, Thus fhalt thou fay unto the children of Ifrael, I AM hath fent me unto you.

Eph. 1. 11. In whom alfo we have obtained an inheritance,being predeftinated according to the purpofe of him, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himfelf: yea,

▾ Exod. 34. 6. And the Lord paffed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-fuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, v.7. Keeping mercy forthousands, forgiving iniquity and tranfgreffion and fin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; vifiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the childrens children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

W Heb. II. 6. But without faith it is impoffible for to please him: for he that cometh to God muft believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him.

* Nehem. 9. 32. Now therefore our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy; let not all the trouble feem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings,

on

hating all Sin, and who will by no means clear the Guilty.

II. God hath all Life, Glory, Goodness, Bleffedness, in, and of himself; and is alone in,and unto himself All-fufficient, not standing in need of any Creatures which he hath made e, nor deriving any Glory from them, but only manifefting his own Glory, in, by, unto, and upon them: He is the alone on our princes, and on our priefts, ven to the Son to have life in himand on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, fince the time of the kings of Affyria, unto this day. v. 33. Howbeit,thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou haft done right, but we have done wickedly.

Y Pfalm 5. s. The foolish shall not ftand in thy fight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. v. 6. Thou fhalt destroy them that peak leafing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

z Nahum 1. 2. God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth, the Lord revengeth and is furious, the Lord will take vengeance on his adverfaries; and he referveth wrath for his enemies. v. 3. The Lord is flow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind, and in the ftorm, and the clouds are the duft of his feet. Exod. 34. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and tranfgreffion and fin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the childrens children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

II. a John 5.26. For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he gi

felf.

b Acts 7..2. And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers hearken, The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mefopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran.

Pfalm 119.68. Thou art good, and dost good; teach me thy statutes.

d 1 Tim. 6. 15. Which in his times he fhall fhew, who is the bleffed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Rom. 9. 5. Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Chrift came, who is over all, God bleffed for ever. Amen.

e Acts 17. 24. God that made the world, and all things therein, feeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands: v. 25. Neither is worfhipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.

f

Job 22. 2. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wife may be profitable unto himself? v. 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous ? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

alone Fountain of all Being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, and hath most fovereign Dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself pleafeth ". In his Sight all things are open and manifeft, his Knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the Creature, fo as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain. He is moft holy in all his Counfels, in all his Works, and in all his Commands. To him is due from Angels and Men, and every other Creature, whatfoever Worship, Service, or Obedience he is pleafed to require of

them ".

8 Rom. 11.36. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

b Revel. 4. 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: for thou haft created all things, and for thy pleafure they are, and were created. 1 Tim. 6. 15. [See letter & immediately foregoing.] Daniel 4. 25. That they fhall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling fhall be with the beafts of the field, and they fhall make thee to eat grafs as oxen, and they fhall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times fhall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomfoever he will. v. 35. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or fay unto him, What doft thou?

i Heb. 4. 13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifeft in his

III. In

fight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

k

Rom. 11.33. O the depth of the riches, both of the wifdom and knowledge of God! how unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways paft finding out! v. 34. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counfeller: Pfalm 147. 5. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

Acts 15. 18. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Ezek. 11. 5. And the spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and faid unto me, Speak,Thus faith the Lord, Thus have ye faid, O houfe of Ifrael: for I know the things that come into your mind every one of them.

m Pfalm 145. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. Rom. 7. 12. Wherefore the law is holy; and the commandment holy, and juft, and good. n Rev. s. 12. Saying with a loud

voice,

III. In the Unity of the Godhead there be Three Perfons, of one Substance, Power and Eternity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding: The Son is eternally begotten of the Father P: The Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son 9.

CHA P. III.

Of God's Eternal Decree.

OD from all Eternity, did, by the most Wife and Holy Counfel of his own Will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to

pass: yet fo,as thereby neither is God the Author of Sin, nor is Violence offered to the Will of the Creatures, nor is the Liberty or Contingency of Second Caufes taken away, but rather eftablifhed.

II. Although God knows whatfoever may, or can come to pass upon all fuppofed Conditions d yet hath he not decreed any thing because he forefaw it

1. Eph. I. II. In whom also we foreknowledge of God, ye have have obtained an inheritance, being predeftinated according to the purpofe of him who worketh all things after the counfel of his own will. Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the riches both of the wildom and knowledge of God! how unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways paft finding out! Heb. 6. 17. Wherein God willing more abundantly to fhew unto the heirs of promife, the immutability of his counfel, confirmed it by an oath. Rom. 9. 15. For he faith to Mofes, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compaffion on whom I will have compaffion. v. 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardneth.

taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and flain. Matth. 17. 12, But I fay unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatfoever they lifted; likewife fhall alfo the Son of man suffer of them. Acts 4. 27. For of a truth, against thy holy child Jefus, whom thou haft anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Ifrael were gathered together, v. 28. For to do whatso ever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. John 19.11. Jefus answered, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater fin. Prov. 16.33. The lot is caft into the lap: but the whole difpofing thereof is of the Lord.

II. d Acts 15.18. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 1 Sam. 23. ir. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come

b James 1. 13. Let no man fay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. v. 17. Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. down as thy servant hath heard? 1 John 1. 5. This then is the meffage which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Alts 2. 23. Him, being delivered by the determinate counfel and

O Lord God of Ifrael, I beseech thee,tell thy fervant. And the Lord faid, He will come down. v. 12. Then faid David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord