bare permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering and governing of them, in a manifold dispensation, to his own holy ends; yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God; who being most holy and righteous, neither is, nor can be the author or approver of sin.r

V. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a season his own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption 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

gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

P Psa. lxxvi. 10. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. 2 Kings xix. 28. Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. Acts xiv. 16. Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

Gen. 1. 20. But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Isa. x. 12. Wherefore it shall come to pass, that, when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. See vv. 13-15.

1 John ii. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. Psa. 1. 21. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. James i. 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variable ness, neither shadow of turning.

V. 2 Chron. xxxii. 25, 26, 31. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.-Howbeit, in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. 2 Sam. xxiv. 1, 25. And again the anger of the LORD was kindled

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 sundry other just and holy ends.

VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men, whom God as a righteous judge, for former sins, doth blind and harden,u u from them he not only withholdeth his grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon in their hearts; w but

against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.-And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel. Luke xxii. 31, 22. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

t 2 Cor. xii. 7-9. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice,

that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. See Psa. lxxiii.; Psa. lxxvii. 1-12; Mark xiv. 66-72; John xxi. 15-19.

VI. Rom. i. 24, 25, 28. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.-And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. Rom. xi. 7, 8. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

Deut. xxix. 4. Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. Mark iv. 11, 12. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had, and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin; and withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan: whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God useth for the softening of others.a

VII. As the providence of God doth, in general, reach to all creatures; so, after a most special manner, it taketh

* Matt. xiii. 12. But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Matt. xxv. 29. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. See Acts xiii. 10, 11; 2 Cor. xi. 13, 15.

2 Kings viii. 12, 13. And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

Psa. lxxxi. 11, 12. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust and they walked in their own counsels. 2 Thess. ii. 1012. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Cor. ii. 11. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Cor. xi. 3. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

a Ex. viii. 5, 32. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go. 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life. Isa. viii. 14. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. See Ex. vii. 3: 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8; Isa. vi. 9, 10; Acts xxviii.

care of his Church, and disposeth all things to the good thereof.b

CHAPTER VI.

OF THE FALL OF MAN, OF SIN, AND OF THE PUNISHMENT THEREOF.

I. OUR first parents, being seduced by the subtilty and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit.a This their sin God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory.b

II. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness, and communion with God, c and so became dead in

VII. Amos ix. 8, 9. Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth, saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. Matt. xvi. 18. And sav also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will buiia my cnurch; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Rom. viii. 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 1 Tim. iv. 10. For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

I. a Gen. iii. 13. And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 2 Cor. xi. 3. But I fear lest by any means, as the se pent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Rom. xi. 32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that ne might have mercy upon all. Rom. v. 20, 21. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

II. Gen. iii. 6-8. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her: and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And

sin,d and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.e

III. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, and the same death in sin and cor

they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. Rom. iii. 23. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

d Gen. ii. 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Eph. ii. 1-3. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Rom. v. 12. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

e Gen. vi. 5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Jer. xvii. 9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Tit. i. 15. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. See Rom. iii. 10-18.

III. Acts xvii. 26. And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. Gen. ii. 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Rom. v. 12, 15-19. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.-But not as the offence, so also is the free gift: for if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which recc've abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's lisobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shali many be made righteous. 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22, 45, 49 For since by