' Gen. iii. 15. iv. 26. " Gen. vi. 5. " Gen. v. 24. vi. 18.
f Gen. xii. 1. xviii, 1, 2. Psal. Ixxvi. 1, 2. John iv. 22. Gal. iv, 4. John xii. 32. Acts xvii. 30. Mark xvi. 15. Mai. iii. 4. Prov. viii. 31.
P See Tertuljian, lib. ad. Jud. Reckoning i almost all the known nations of the world, and affirming that they all, that is, some in them, in his days, submitted to the sceptre of Christ. He lived in the end of the second century.
14 A VISION OF
displayed his beanis upon the habitable parts of the earth. But yet once more this light, by Satan and his agents, per- secutors, and seducers, is almost extinguished, as was fore- told, 2 Thes. ii. remaining but in few places, and burning dim where it was, the kingdom of the beast being full of darkness; Rev. xvi. 10. Yet God again raiseth up re- formers, and by them kindles a light, we hope, never to be put out. But alas, what a spot of ground doth this shine on, in comparison of the former vast extents and bounds of the Christian world ! Now is all this variety, think you, to be ascribed unto chance, as the philosopher thought the world was made by a casual concurrence of atoms ? Or hath the idol free-will, with the new goddess contingency, ruled in these dispensations ? Truly neither the one nor the other, no more than the fly raised the dust by sitting on the chariot wheel; but all these things have come to pass, according to a certain unerring rule, given them by God's determinate purpose and counsel.
2. Presupposing this variety in the outward means, how is it that thereupon one is taken, another left? The pro- mise is made known to Cain and Abel ; one the first mur- derer, the other the first martyr. Jacob and Esau had the same outward advantages, but the one becomes Israel, the other Edom, the one inherits the pronjises, the other sells his right for a m-ess of pottage. At the preaching of our Saviour, some believed, some blasphemed ; some said he was ' a good man, others said, nay, but he deceived the people.' Have we not the word in its power this day, and do we not see the like various effects, some continuing in impeni- tency, others in sincerity closing with Jesus Christ? Now what shall we say to these things? What guides these wheels? Who thus steers his word for the good of souls? Why this also, as I said before, is from some peculiarly distinguishing purpose of the will of God.
3. To open the third thing proposed, I shall shew, (1.) That all this variety is according to God's determinate pur- pose, and answereth thereunto. (2.) The particular pur- poses from whence this variety proceedeth.
(1.) Ephes. i. 11. ' He worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will.' As a man may be said to
LNCHANGtABLE, VHEE MtRCY. 15
erect a fabric'^ according to the counsel of his will, when he frameth it before in his mind, and maketh all things in event answer his preconceived platform. All things (espe- cially TO, TTavra, all those things of which the apostle there treateth, gospel-things) have their futurition, and manner of being, from his eternal purpose r"^ whence also is the idea in the mind of God, of all things with their circum- stances,^ that shall be : that is the first mover, continuing itself immoveable, giving to every thing a regular motion, according to the impression which from that it doth receive : ' For known unto him are all his works from the beginning of the world ;' Acts xv. 18.
If any attendants of actions might free and exempt them from the regular dependance we insist upon, they must be either contingency, or sin; but yet for both these we have, besides general rules, clear, particular instances. What seems more contingent and casual, than the unadvised slaying of a man, with the fall of the head of an axe from the helve, as a man v^as cutting wood by the way side ? Deut. xix. 5. Yet God assumes this as his own work, Exod. xxiii. 13. The same may be said of free agents, and their actions. And for the other, see Acts iv. 27, 28. in the crucifying of the Son of God's love, all things cam.e to pass according as his counsel had before determined that it should be done. Now how in the one of these liberty is not abridged, the nature of things not changed in the other, sin is not countenanced,^ belongs not to this discourse. ' The counsel of the Lord then standeth for ever, and the thoughts of his heart are unto all generations;' Psal. xxxiii. 12. ' His counsel standeth, and he will do all his pleasure ;' Isa. xlvi. 10. ' For he is the Lord, and he changeth not;' Mai. iii. 6. 'With him is neither variableness nor shadow of turning;' James i. 17. All things that are, come to pass in
"i Piscat. in loc.
' riavTtt Se XEy», Ta oun l(p' hfMV, ra yap l<f>* hfMV, ov Tri Trgovoi*;, aWa rou hfxireeou aln^ovT-iov. Damasciii. satis irapie.
• Malt. X. 29. Job xiv. 5. Prov. xvi. 33. Prov. sxi. 1. 30. xix. 21. Nihil fit nisi oranipotens fieri velit, vel ipse faciendo, vel sinendo ut fiat. Aug.