Chapter 4: The Grace and Will of God

I come now to treat of that, between which and the Pelagian idol, there is bellum [in non-Latin alphabet] implacable war and immortal hatred, absolutely destructive to the one side; to wit, the providence of God. For this, in that notion Christianity has hitherto embraced it: and that, in such a sense as the Arminians maintain it can no more consist together, than fire and water, light and darkness, Christ and Belial: and he that shall go to conjoin them, ploughs with an ox, and an ass, they must be tied together with the same ligament quo ille mortua iungebat corpora vivis, wherewith the tyrant tied dead bodies to living men. This strange advancement of the clay against the potter, not by the way of repining and to say why have you made me thus; but by the way of emulation, I will not be so I will advance myself, to the sky, to the sides of your throne, was heretofore unknown to the more refined Paganism: as these of contingency, so they with a better error made a goddess of providence; because as they feigned, she helped Latona to bring forth in the Isle of Delos: intimating that Latona or nature though big and great with sundry sorts of effects, could yet produce nothing, without the interceding help of divine providence: which mythology of theirs, seems to contain a sweeter taste of divine truth, than any we can expect from their towering fancies, who are inclinable to believe that God for no other reason, is said to sustain all things but because he does not destroy them. Now that their proud God-opposing errors may the better appear, according to my former method, I will plainly show what the Scripture teaches us concerning this providence, with what is agreeable to right, and Christian reason, not, what is dictated by tumultuous affections.

Providence, is a word which in its proper signification may seem to comprehend all the actions of God, that outwardly are of him: that have any respect to his creatures, all his works that are not ad intra essentially belonging to the Deity: now because God works all things according to his decree or the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11), for, whatever he does now, it pleased him from the beginning (Psalms 115), seeing also that known to God are all his works from eternity, therefore three things concerning his providence are considerable. 1. His decree or purpose, whereby he has disposed of all things in order, and appointed them for certain ends, which he has foreordained. 2. His prescience, whereby, he certainly foreknows all things that shall come to pass. 3. His temporal operation, or working in time — My Father works hitherto (John 5:17) — whereby he actually executes all his good pleasure: the first and second of these have been the subject of the former chapters, the latter only now requires our consideration.

This then we may conceive, as an ineffable act or work of Almighty God: whereby he cherishes, sustains, and governs the world, or all things by him created, moving them agreeably to those natures, which he endowed them withal in the beginning, to those ends, which he has proposed. To confirm this, I will first prove this position, that the whole world is cared for by God, and by him governed, and therein all men, good, or bad, all things, in particular, be they never so small and in our eyes inconsiderable. Secondly, show the manner, how God works all, in all things, and according to the diversity of secondary causes which he has created: whereof, some are necessary, some free, others contingent, which produce their effects, nec [in non-Latin alphabet] nec [in non-Latin alphabet], merely by accident.

The providence of God in governing the world, is plentifully made known to us, both by his works, and by his word. I will give a few instances of either sort. 1. In general, that the Almighty [in non-Latin alphabet] and framer of this whole universe, should propose to himself no end in the creation of all things: that he should want either power, goodness, will, or wisdom, to order, and dispose the works of his own hands is altogether impossible. 2. Take a particular instance, in one concerning accident, the knowledge whereof by some means or other, in some degree or other has spread itself throughout the world: and that is that almost universal destruction of all by the flood, whereby the whole world was well-nigh reduced to its primitive confusion, is there nothing but chance to be seen in this? Was there any circumstance about it that did not show a God, and his providence? Not to speak of those revelations, whereby God foretold that he would bring such a deluge: what chance fortune could collect, such a small number of individuals of all sorts, wherein the whole kind might be preserved? What hand guided that poor vessel from the rocks, and gave it a resting place on the mountains? Certainly, the very reading of that story (Genesis 7), having for confirmation, the catholic tradition of all mankind, were enough to startle the stubborn heart of an Atheist.

The word of God does not less fully relate it, than his works do declare it (Psalms 19). My Father works hitherto says our Savior (John 5:17), but did not God end his work on the seventh day, and did he not then rest from all his works (Genesis 2:2)? True; from his work of creation by his omnipotence: but his work of governance by his providence; as yet knows no end. Yes, and divers particular things he does, besides the ordinary course, only to make known that he thus works (John 9:3). As he has framed all things by his wisdom, so he continues them, by his providence in excellent order; as is at large declared in that golden Psalms 104. And this is not bounded to any particular places, or things, but his eyes are in every place beholding the evil, and the good (Proverbs 15:3), so that none can hide himself, in secret places, that he shall not see him (Jeremiah 23:24; Acts 17:24; Job 5:10, 11; Exodus 4:11). And all this he says, that men may know from the rising of the Sun, and from the West, that there is none besides him, he is the Lord, and there is none else, he forms the light, and creates darkness, he makes peace, and creates evil, he does all these things (Isaiah 45:7). In these and innumerable like places, does the Lord declare that there is nothing which he has made, that with the good hand of his providence he does not govern and sustain.

Now, this general extent of his common providence to all, does no way hinder, but that he may exercise certain special acts thereof, towards some in particular: even by how much nearer than other things they approach to him, and are more assimilated to his goodness. I mean his Church here on earth, and those whereof it does consist: for what nation is there so great that has God so nigh to them (Deuteronomy 4:7). In the government hereof he most eminently shows his glory, and exercises his power; join here his works, with his word, what he has done, with what he has promised to do for the conservation of his Church, and people, and you will find admirable issues of a more special providence: against this he promises, the gates of hell shall not prevail (Matthew 16:18). Amidst of those he has promised to remain (Matthew 18:20), supplying them with an addition of all things necessary (Matthew 6:33), desiring, that all their care might be cast upon him, who cares for them (1 Peter 5:7), forbidding any to touch his anointed ones (Psalm 105:15), and that because they are to him as the apple of his eye (Zechariah 2:8). Now this special providence has respect to a supernatural end, to which that, and that alone is to be conveyed.

For wicked men, as they are excepted from this special care and government, so they are not exempted from the dominion of his Almighty hand: he who has created them for the day of evil (Proverbs 16:4), and provided a place of their own (Acts 1:25), for them to go to: does not in this world, suffer them to live without the verge of his all-ruling providence: but by suffering and enduring their iniquities with great patience, and long-suffering (Romans 9:20), defending them oftentimes, from the injuries of one another (Genesis 4:15), by granting to them many temporal blessings (Matthew 5:45), disposing of all their works, to the glory of his great name (Proverbs 21:1, 2), he declares, that they also live, and move, and have their being in him, and are under the government of his providence. No, there is not the least thing in this world to which his care and knowledge does not descend: ill would it become his wisdom not to sustain, order and dispose of all things by him created, but leave them to the ruin of uncertain chance. Jerome then was injurious to his providence, and cast a blemish on his absolute perfection, while he thought to have cleared his Majesty, from being defiled with the knowledge and care of the smallest reptiles and vermin every moment; and Saint Augustine is express to the contrary, who says he has disposed the several members of the flea, and gnat, that has given to them order, life, and motion, &c. even most agreeable to holy Scriptures, so Psalm 104:20, 21 and 145:15, Matthew 6:26. He feeds the fowls and clothes the grass of the field (Job 39:1, and Jonah 4:6, 7). Sure it is not troublesome to God to take notice of all that he has created: did he use that great power in the production of the least of his creatures, so far beyond the united activity of men and Angels, for no end at all? Doubtless even they also must have a well disposed order, for the manifestation of his glory, not a sparrow falls to the ground, without our Father (Matthew 10:29, 30). Even the hairs of our head are numbered, he clothes the lilies and grass of the field which is to be cast into the oven (Luke 12:27, 28). Behold his knowledge, and care of them, again he used frogs, and lice, for the punishment of the Egyptians (Exodus 8), with a gourd, and a worm he exercised his servant Jonah (Chap. 3). Yes, he calls the locusts his terrible Army, and shall not God know and take care of the number of his soldiers, the ordering of his dreadful Host.

That God by his providence governs and disposes of all things by him created, is sufficiently proved; the manner how he works all in all, how he orders the works of his own hands, in what this governing and disposing of his creatures does chiefly consist, comes now to be considered. And here four things are principally to be observed. First, the sustaining, preserving and upholding of all things by his power. For he upholds all things by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3). Secondly, his working together with all things, by an influence of causality, into the agents themselves, for he also has wrought all our works in us (Isaiah 26:12). Thirdly, his powerful over-ruling of all events, both necessary, free, and contingent, and disposing of them to certain ends for the manifestation of his glory: so Joseph tells his brethren, as for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it to good, to bring to pass, as it is at this day, to save much people alive (Genesis 50:20). Fourthly, his determining and restraining second causes to such and such effects: even the King's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water, he turns it wherever he will (Proverbs 21:1).

First, his sustentation or upholding of all things, is his powerful continuing of their being, natural strength and faculties bestowed on them at their creation; In him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17). So that he does neither work all himself in them, without any cooperation of theirs, which would not only turn all things into stocks, yes and take from stocks, their own proper nature, but also is contrary to that general blessing he spread over the face of the whole world, in the beginning, increase, and multiply (Genesis 1:22); nor yet, leave them to a self-subsistence, he in the mean time only not destroying them, which would make him an idle spectator of most things in the world, not to work hitherto as our Savior speaks: and grant to divers things here below, an absolute being, not derivative from him; the first whereof is blasphemous, the latter impossible.

Secondly, for God's working in, and together with all second causes, for the producing of their effects: what part or portion in the work, punctually to assign to him, what to the power of the inferior causes, seems beyond the reach of mortals, neither is an exact comprehension thereof, any way necessary, so that we make every thing beholding to his power for its being, and to his assistance for its operation.

Thirdly, his supreme dominion exerciseth itself in disposing of all things, to certain and determinate ends for his own glory: and is chiefly discerned, advancing itself over those things which are most contingent: and making them in some sort necessary, inasmuch as they are certainly disposed of to some proposed ends. Between the birth and death of a man, how many things merely contingent do occur? How many chances; how many diseases, in their own nature all evitable; and in regard of the event not one of them but to some prove mortal: yet certain it is, that a man's days are determined, the number of his months are with the Lord, he has appointed his bounds which he cannot pass (Job 14:5). And oftentimes by things purely contingent and accidental, he executes his purposes, bestows rewards, inflicts punishments, and accomplishes his judgements; as when he delivers a man to be slain by the head of an axe, flying from the helve in the hand of a man cutting a tree by the way. But in nothing is this more evident, than in the ancient casting of lots, a thing as casual and accidental as can be imagined, huddled in the cap at a venture; yet God overrules them to the declaring of his purpose, freeing truth from doubts, and manifestation of his power (Proverbs 16:33). The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing of it is from the Lord: as you may see in the examples of Achan (Joshua 7:16, 17), Saul (1 Samuel 10:21), Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:41), Jonah (Jonah 1:8), Matthias (Acts 1:26). And yet this overruling act of God's providence, (as no other decree or act of his) does not rob things contingent of their proper nature: for cannot he who effectually causes that they shall come to pass, cause also that they shall come to pass contingently.

Fourthly, God's predetermination of second causes, (which I name not last as though it were the last act of God's providence about his creatures, for indeed it is the first that concerns their operation:) is that effectual working of his, according to his eternal purpose, whereby though some agents, as the wills of men, are causes most free and indefinite, or unlimited lords of their own actions, in respect of their internal principle of operation, that is their own nature, are yet all in respect of his decree, and by his powerful working determined to this or that effect, in particular. Not that they are compelled to do this, or hindered from doing that; but are inclined and disposed to do this or that, according to their proper manner of working, that is most freely. For truly such testimonies are everywhere obvious in Scripture, of the stirring up of men's wills and minds, of bending and inclining them to divers things: of the governing of the secret thoughts and motions of the heart; as cannot by any means be referred to a naked permission, with a government of external actions, or to a general influence, whereby they should have power to do this or that, or any thing else, wherein as some suppose his whole providence consists.

Let us now jointly apply these several acts to free agents, working according to choice, or relation, such as are the wills of men: and that will open the way to take a view of Arminian heterodoxies, concerning this article of Christian belief. And here two things must be premised: First, that they be not deprived of their own radical, or original internal liberty: Secondly, that they be not exempt from the moving influence and gubernation of God's providence; the first whereof, would leave no just room for rewards and punishments; the other, as I said before, is injurious to the majesty and power of God. Saint Augustine judged Cicero worthy of special blame even among the heathens, for so attempting to make men free, that he made them sacrilegious: by denying them to be subject to an over-ruling providence. Which gross error was directly maintained by Damascen, a learned Christian, teaching, things whereof we have any power not to depend on providence, but on our own free-will: an opinion fitter for a hog of the Epicures' herd, than for a scholar in the school of Christ. And yet, this proud prodigious error is now, though in other terms, stiffly maintained. For what do they else, who ascribe such an absolute independent liberty to the will of man; that it should have in its own power every circumstance, every condition whatever, that belongs to operation; so that all things required on the part of God, or otherwise to the performance of an action being accomplished: it remains solely, in the power of a man's own will, whether he will do it, or no. Which supreme and plainly divine liberty, joined with such an absolute uncontrollable power and dominion over all his actions, would exempt and free the will of man, not only from all fore-determining, to the production of such and such effects; but also, from any effectual working or influence of the providence of God into the will itself, that should sustain, help or co-operate with it, in doing or willing any thing. And therefore the authors of this imaginary liberty, have wisely framed an imaginary concurrence of God's providence, answerable to it: namely, a general and indifferent influence, always waiting, and expecting the will of man to determine itself to this, or that effect, good or bad: God being as it were always ready at hand, to do that small part which he has in our actions, whenever we please to use him: or, if we please to let him alone, he no way moves us to the performance of any thing. Now God forbid that we should give our consent to the choice of such a captain, under whose conduct we might go down again to Paganism; to the erecting of such an idol, into the throne of the Almighty. No, doubtless; let us be most indulgent to our wills, and assign them all the liberty that is competent to a created nature, to do all things freely according to election and foregoing counsel, being free from all natural necessity, and outward compulsion. But for all this, let us not presume to deny God's effectual assistance, his particular powerful influence, into the wills and actions of his creatures, directing of them to a voluntary performance of what he has determined: which the Arminians opposing in the behalf of their darling free-will, do work in the hearts of men, an overweening of their own power, and an absolute independence of the providence of God.

First, they deny that God (in whom we live and move and have our being) does any thing by his providence, whereby the creature should be stirred up, or helped in any of his actions: that is, God wholly leaves a man in the hand of his own counsel, to the disposal of his own absolute independent power, without any respect to his providence at all. From where, as they do, they may well conclude: that those things, which God would have to be done of us freely, (such as are all humane actions,) he cannot himself, will or work, more powerful and effectually, then by the way of wishing or desiring, as Vorstius speaks: which is no more, then one man can do concerning another, perhaps far less then an Angel. I can wish or desire that another man would do, what I have a mind, he should: but truly to describe the providence of God by such expressions, seems to me intolerable blasphemy. But thus it must be, without such helps as these, Dagon cannot keep on his head, nor the Idol of uncontrollable Free-will enjoy his dominion.

Hence Corvinus will grant, that the killing of a man by the slipping of an axes head from the helve, although contingent, may be said to happen according to God's counsel, and determinate will; but on no terms will he yield, that this may be applied to actions wherein the counsel and freedom of man's will, do take place: as though, that they also, should have dependance, on any such overruling power. Whereby, he absolutely excludes the providence of God, from having any sovereignty within the territory of humane actions, which is plainly to shake off the yoke of his dominion, and to make men Lords paramount within themselves: so that they may well ascribe to God, (as they do) only a deceivable expectation, of those contingent things, that are yet for to come: there being no act of his own, in the producing of such effects, on which he can ground any certainty: only, he may take a conjecture, according to his guess at men's inclinations. And indeed this is the Helena for whose enjoyment, these three times ten years they have maintained warfare with the hosts of the living God: their whole endeavour being to prove, that notwithstanding the performance of all things on the part of God required for the production of any action, yet the will of man remains absolutely free, yes in respect of the event, as well as its manner of operation, to do it, or not to do it: that is, notwithstanding God's decree that such an action shall be performed, and his fore-knowledge that it will so come to pass, notwithstanding his co-operating with the will of man (as far as they will allow him) for the doing of it, and though he has determined, by that act of man to execute some of his own judgements: yet there is no kind of necessity, but that he may as well omit, as do it. Which is all one as if they should say, our tongues are our own, we ought to speak, who is Lord over us? We will vindicate ourselves into a liberty, of doing what, and how, we will: though for it we cast God out of his throne. And indeed if we mark it, we shall find them undermining, and pulling down, the actual providence of God, at the root and several branches thereof. For:

First, for his conservation or sustaining of all things, they affirm it to be very likely, that this is nothing but a negative act of his will, whereby he wills or determines, not to destroy the things by him created: and when we produce places of Scripture which affirm that it is an act of his power, they say, they are foolishly cited. So that truly let the Scripture say what it will, (in their conceit) God does no more sustain and uphold all his creatures, then I do a house, when I do not set it on fire, or a worm, when I do not tread upon it.

Secondly, for God's concurring with inferior causes in all their acts, and working, they affirm it to be only a general influence alike upon all, and every one, which they may use, or not use at their pleasure; and in the use, determine it to this or that effect, be it good or bad, so Corvinus, as it seems best to them. In a word, to the will of man it is nothing but what suffers it to play its own part freely according to its inclination, as they jointly speak in their confession. Observe also, that they account this influence of his providence, not to be into the agent, the will of man, whereby that should be helped or enabled to do any thing, (no that would seem to grant a self-insufficiency,) but only into the act itself for its production, as if I should help a man to lift a log, it becomes perhaps to him so much the lighter, but he is not made one jot the stronger: which takes off the proper work of providence, consisting in an internal assistance.

Thirdly, for God's determining, or circumscribing the will of man to do this or that in particular: they absolutely explode it as a thing destructive to their adored liberty. It is no way consistent with it, say they in their Apologie. So also Arminius, The providence of God does not determine the will of man to one part of the contradiction: that is, God has not determined that you shall, nor does by any means over-rule your wills, to do this thing, rather than that; to do this, or to omit it. So that the sum of their endeavour is to prove that the will of man, is so absolutely free, independent, and uncontrollable, that God does not, no with all his power cannot determine it, certainly and infallibly to the performance of this or that particular action, thereby to accomplish his own purposes, to attain his own ends. Truly it seems to me the most unfortunate attempt that ever Christians lighted on, which if it should get success answerable to the greatness of the undertaking, the providence of God in men's essence, would be almost thrust quite out of the world: tantae molis erat. The new goddess contingency, could not be erected, until the God of heaven was utterly despoiled of his dominion over the sons of men, and in the room thereof a home-bred Idol of self-sufficiency set up, and the world persuaded to worship it. But that the building climb no higher, let all men observe how the word of God overthrows this Babylonian tower.

First, in innumerable places it is punctual, that his providence does not only bear rule in the counsels of men, and their most secret resolutions, from where the Prophet infers that he knows that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man that walks to direct his ways (Jeremiah 10:23). And Solomon, that a man's heart devises his way, but the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). David also having laid this ground, That the Lord brings the counsel of the heathen to nothing, and makes the devices of the people to be of none effect, but his own counsel abides forever, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations (Psalm 33:10, 11), proceeds accordingly in his own distress to pray, that the Lord would infatuate, and make foolish the counsel of Achitophel (2 Samuel 15:33), which also the Lord did, by working in the heart of Absolom, to hearken to the cross counsel of Hushai.

But also secondly, that the working of his providence is effectual even in the hearts and wills of men, to turn them which way he will, and to determine them to this, or that in particular according as he pleases: The preparations of the heart, in man, and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord, says Solomon (Proverbs 16:1), which Jacob trusted and relied on, when he prayed, That the Lord would grant his sons to find favor and mercy, before that man (Genesis 43:14), whom then he supposed to be some atheistical Egyptian; from where we must grant, if either the good old man believed that it was in the hand of God, to incline and unalterably turn and settle the heart of Joseph, to favor his brethren, or else his prayer must have had such a senseless sense as this: Grant O Lord, such a general influence of your providence, that the heart of that man, may be turned to good towards my sons, or else that it may not, being left to its own freedom; a strange request; yet how it may be bettered, by one believing the Arminian doctrine I cannot conceive. Thus Solomon affirms, that the heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water he turns it which way he will (Proverbs 21:1). If the heart of a King who has an inward natural liberty equal with others, and an outward liberty belonging to his state and condition above them, be yet so in the hand of the Lord, as that he always turns it, to what he pleases in particular, then certainly other men, are not excepted from the rule of the same providence: which is the plain sense of these words, and the direct thesis, which we maintain, in opposition to the Arminian idol of absolute independent free-will. So Daniel also reproving the Babylonian tyrant, affirms that he glorified not God in whose hand was his breath, and whose were all his ways (Daniel 5:23), not only his breath and life, but also all his ways, his actions, thoughts and words, were in the hand of God.

Yes, secondly, sometimes the saints of God, as I touched before, do pray that God would be pleased thus to determine their hearts, and bend their wills, and wholly incline them to some one certain thing, and that without any prejudice to their true and proper liberty: So David (Psalm 119:36), Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to covetousness. This prayer being his, may also be ours, and we may ask it in faith, relying on the power, and promise of God in Christ, that he will perform our petitions (John 14:14). Now I desire any Christian to resolve, whether by these and the like requests, he intends to desire at the hand of God, nothing but such an indifferent motion to any good, as may leave him to his own choice whether he will do it or no; which is all the Arminians will grant him: or rather that he would powerfully bind his heart and soul to his testimonies, and work in him an actual embracing of all the ways of God, not desiring more liberty, but only enough to do it willingly. No, surely the prayers of God's servants requesting with Solomon, that the Lord would be with them, and incline their heart to him to keep his statutes, and walk in his Commandments (1 Kings 8:5, 7), and with David, to create in them a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within them (Psalm 51), when according to God's promises, they entreat him to put his fear into their hearts (Jeremiah 31:32), to unite their hearts to fear his Name (Psalm 86:11), to work in them, both the will and the deed, an actual obedience to his law cannot possibly aim at any thing but a general influence, enabling them alike, either to do, or not to do, what they so earnestly long after.

Thirdly, the certainty of divers promises and threatenings of Almighty God, depends upon his powerful determining, and turning the wills and heart of men which way he pleases: thus to them that fear him, he promises that they shall find favor in the sight of man (Proverbs 3:4). Now if notwithstanding, all God's powerful operation in their hearts, it remains absolutely in the hands of men, whether they will favor them that fear him or no: it is wholly in their power whether God shall be true in his promises or no. Surely when Jacob wrestled with God on the strength of some such promise (Genesis 32:12), he little thought of any question, whether it were in the power of God to perform it; yes, and the event showed that there ought to be no such question (Genesis 33), for the Lord turned the heart of his brother Esau, as he does of others, when he makes them pity his servants when at any time they have carried away captives (Psalm 106:46). See also the same powerful operation, required to the execution of his judgments: Job 12:17 and chapter 20:21, etc. In brief, there is no prophecy nor prediction in the whole Scripture, no promise to the Church or faithful, to whose accomplishment, the free actions and concurrence of men is required, but evidently declares, that God disposes of the hearts of men, rules their wills, inclines their affections, and determines them freely to choose, and do, what he in his good pleasure has decreed shall be performed; such as were the prophecies of deliverance from the Babylonish captivity by Cyrus (Isaiah 42), of the conversion of the Gentiles, of the stability of the Church (Matthew 16), of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans (Matthew 24), with innumerable others. I will add only some few reasons for the close of this long discourse.

This opinion that God has nothing but a general influence into the actions of men, not effectually moving their wills, to this, or that, in particular.

First, it grants a goodness of entity or being to diverse things, whereof God is not the author: as those special actions which men perform without his special concurrence; which is blasphemous: the Apostle affirms that of him are all things.

Secondly, it denies God to be the author of all moral goodness: for an action is good in as much as it is such an action in particular: which that any is so, according to this opinion is to be attributed merely to the will of man: the general influence of God moves him no more to prayer, than to evil communications tending to the corruption of good manners.

Thirdly, it makes all the decrees of God, whose execution depends on human actions, to be altogether uncertain, and his foreknowledge of such things to be fallible, and easily to be deceived: so that there is no reconciliation possible to be hoped for, between these following and the like assertions.

S. S. In him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). He upholds all things by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3). You have wrought all our works in us (Isaiah 26:12). My Father works hitherto (John 5:17). The preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord (Proverbs 16:1). The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water he turns it which way he will (Proverbs 21:1). Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to covetousness (Psalm 119:36). Unite my heart to fear your name (Psalm 86:11). You have not glorified God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways (Daniel 5:23). See Matthew 27:1 compared with Acts 2:23 and chap. 4:27, 28; Luke 24:26; John 19:34, 36. For the necessity of other events, see Exodus 21:17; Job 14:5; Matthew 19:7, &c. | Lib. Arbit. God's sustaining of all things is not an affirmative act of his power but a negative act of his will: Rem. apol. whereby he will not destroy them. God by his influence bestows nothing on the creature whereby it may be incited or helped in its actions: Corvinus. Those things God would have us freely do ourselves: he can no more effectually work or will than by the way of wishing: Vorstius. The providence of God does not determine the free-will of man to this or that particular, or to one part of the contradiction: Arminius. The will of man ought to be free from all kind of internal and external necessity in its actions: Rem. that is, God cannot lay such a necessity upon any thing as that it shall infallibly come to pass as he intends: see the contrary in the places cited. |