Election before faith-Vessels of Wrath-Means and Ends.

255. Election previous to faith.

Ep. 1: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

Rev. 17:8 The beast that thou sawest, was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, (whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,) when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

256. Purposes respecting the "vessels of wrath” —reprobation.

Ex. 9: 16 In very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

Pr. 16: 4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Mk. 4: 11 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: 12 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.

Rom. 9: 17 The Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction : 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.

2 Cor. 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

2 Pet. 2: 12 These, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption. [See 252, 260, 267, 435, 436, 560.]

257. God's purposes include means and ends.

Ac. 27: 22 Now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God,

Nature and efficacy of.

whose I am, and whom I serve, 24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cesar: and lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 31 Paul said to the centurion, and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

2 Th. 2: 13 We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth.

1 Pet. 1: 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. [See 17, (3).]

258. God's purposes encourage the use of means.

Dan. 9: 2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord GOD, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.

Ac. 18: 9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee, to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. [See 431.]

PROVIDENCE OR AGENCY OF GOD.

259. Nature and efficacy of God's providence.

Gen. 1: 3 God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Ps. 29: 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. 7 The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. 8 The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve.—33: 6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 8 Let all the earth

Particularity and extent of.

fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. 66: 7 He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves.

Heb. 11: 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. [See 218.]

260. Particularity and extent of God's providence.

1 Ch. 29: 12 Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

Ps. 135: 6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. 7 He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.- 147: 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. 9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. 15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth his word runneth very swiftly. 16 He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. 17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? 18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

Pr. 16: 33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

Is. 26: 12 Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. -45: 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Jer. 10: 13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

Am. 3: 6 Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?

Mat. 10: 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30_But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Rom. 11: 36 For of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory for ever.

Provision for all-Dependance of creatures.

1 Cor. 12: 6 There are diversities of operations, but it is the same God, which worketh all in all.

Ep. 1: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

Ph. 2: 13 It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Heb. 13: 20 The God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. [See 3, 264–7.]

261. Providence supplies temporal wants.

Ps. 104: 14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth. 21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. 27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. 28 That thou givest them, they gather: thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good.

Mat. 5: 45 He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. -6: 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

262. All creatures dependant upon God's providence.

Job. 12: 10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. [Dan. 5: 23.]

Ps. 22: 29 None can keep alive his own soul. -87:7 All my springs are in thee.

Jer. 10: 23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.18: 6 Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye ir my hand, O house of Israel.

Jn. 15: 5 Without me ye can do nothing.

Ac. 17: 26 Hath made of one blood all nations of men

Preserves creatures-Controls the Heart.

for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

2 Cor. 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.

263. All creatures preserved by God's providence.

Neh. 9: 6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all.

Job. 7: 20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou Preserver of men?-10: 12 Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.-34: 14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; 15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

Ps. 36: 6 O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. 63: 8 Thy right hand upholdeth me.-66: 8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: 9 Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. -121:7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

Pr. 24: 12 He that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? Heb. 1: 3 Upholding all things by the word of his power. 264. God forms, turns and governs the heart.

1 Ch. 5: 26 The God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

2 Ch. 18: 31 They compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

Ezra 6: 22 And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. 7: 27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

Pr. 16: 1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the