Pro iffer de Ford th, سنا ۴ vidence governs finful Actions, permitting them, evils bounding them, and over-ruling them to Good: Alls xiv. 16. Who in times past suffered all na'tions to walk in their own ways.' Pfal. lxxvi. 19. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thees the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." 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.' The Properties of the Works of Providence are these: They are most holy, wife, and powerful: Pfal. cxlv. 17. The Lord is righteous in all 'his ways, and holy in all his works.' Pfal. civ. 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in ' wisdom haft thou made them all. Dan. iv. 35. He doth according to his own will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: * and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doft thou? Wherefore, God is not the Author of Sin; no more than he who rides a crooked Horse, is the Cause of his halting: James 1. 13. 'Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. All Difpenfations of Providence are wisely ordered : Deut. xxxii. 4. He is the Rock, his work is per'fect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth, and without iniquity; just and right is he. And Providence cannot miss of its Designs and If. xlvi. 10. 'My counsel shall stand, 'I will do all my pleasure.' The Rule of the Works of Providence, is the Decree of God; whereof they, and the Works of 11. In whom alfo we have obtained an inheri Creation, are an exact Accomplishment: Eph. i Ends: and tance, tance, being predeftinated according to the pur pose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.' Quest. 12. What special Act of Providence did God exercise towards Man in the Estate wherein he was created? Ans. When God had created Man, he entered into a Covenant of Life with him, upon Condition of perfect Obedience; forbidding him to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, upon the Pain of Death. EXPLICATION. The Special Act of Providence towards Man newly created, was, God's making a Covenant of Life and Happiness with him. There are two Covenants for Life and Happiness to Man: And they are, the Covenant of Works, and the Cove, nant of Grace: Gal. iv. 24. For these are the * two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, ' which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.' The first Covenant was the Covenant of Works. It was made in Paradise, and before the Fall. The Parties contracting in it, were God and Adam: 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.' But Adam represented all Mankind, as the Parties contracted for: Gen. ii. 17. forecited. Compared he with Rom. v. 12. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by fin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have finned. There was no Mediator of this Covenant; for as yet there was no Breach, by Sin, betwixt God and Man. The Condition of the Covenant of Works, was perfect Obedience: Gat. iii. 12. And the law is 'not of faith: but, The man that doth them, shall live in them. And it was to be perfect, in reIpect of Parts, Degrees, and Continuance: Gal. ii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse: for it is written, Cur fed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them? Matth. xxii. 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy 'Jesus said unto him, heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy 'mind. So the leaft failing in any Part or Degree of Obedience, or for never so small a Time, would have broken this Covenant. The Law that was the Rule of this Obedience, was the Law of the ten Commands, and the Law forbidding to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: Gal. iii. 10. and Gen. ii. 17. forecited. That Tree grew in Paradise, Gen. ii. 9. There was no Virtue in it to improve Men in Knowledge, as the Devil falsely suggested, Gen. iii. 5. God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened: and ye 'shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Compared with John viii. 44. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lufts of your father ye will do. he and therderer from the beginning, and abod not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a For lye, he fpeaketh of of his own: for he is a lyar, and the father of it.' But that Name was put upon this Tree, to intimate, that by eating of it, Man would know to his sad Experience, the vast Difference between Good and Ill: Wherefore that Tree with that Name, was of Use, to be a Warning-piece to Man to beware of evil. Now, Adam knew the Law of the ten Commands, as they were impressed on his Heart in his Creation: Rom. ii. 15. Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience also bearing witness, and their thoughts 'the mean while accufing, or else excufing one an'other.' He knew the Law of the forbidden Tree, by Revelation, Gen. ii. 17. forecited. And he had fufficient Ability for the perfect Obedience required, Eccl. vii. 29. 'God made man upright.' The Promise of the Covenant of Works, was a Promise of Life: Gen. ii. 17. forecited. The Life promised was twofold; namely, one to be afforded him, during the Course of his probationary Obedience, another to be afforded him at the perfecting of it. The Life to have been afforded to Man during the Course of his probationary Obedience, was natural Life continued in Vigour and Comfort, and spiritual Life continued in Favour and Fellowship with God, Gen. ii. 17. forecited. This was the Reward of Obedience in Hand. The Life to have been afforded him at the perfecting of his Course, was eternal Life in confummate Happiness: Matth. xix. 16. 17. ' And behold, one came and faid unto him, Good master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him. If thou wilt enter into life, keep the com nandments.' And this was the Reward of Wedience in Hope. Adam, if he had continued obedient, could ree that 1 int could have claimed that Life upon his Obedience; yet not in the Way of proper Merit; because his perfect Obedience was no more than what was due from him by the Law of his Creation, before he entered into that Covenant: Luke xvii. 9-10. 'Doth he thank that servant, because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewife ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable 'servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. The only Way he could have claimed it, was by Compact, namely, in virtue of the Cohevenant-promise made to his Work. an Gen. iii. : The Penalty of the Covenant of Works was Death, Gen. ii. 17. forecited. The Death threatened was also twofold; namely, one accompanying Sin at its first Entrance, another following after as its full Reward. The Death accompanying Sin at its first Entrance, was temporal Death, in the Lofs of the Vigour and Comfort of natural Life; and spiritual Death, in the Loss of the Image of God with his Favour and Fellowship. And Adam died this Death, according to the Threatening, that very Day he finned: 7.8.9.10. 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 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 prefence of the Lord God, amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and faid unto him, Where art thou? And he faid, I heard thy 'voice in the garden: and I was afraid, because ( |