Not the author of confusion.

and the heart of his servants; that I might shew these my signs before him: 2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.

Ps. 76: 10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

Mat. 18: 7 Wo unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but wo to that man by whom the offence cometh!

Rom. 3: 5 If our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man,) 6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 8 And not rather (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. 5: 20 Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

6: 17 God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin; but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.-8: 28 We know that all things work together for good, to them that love God.

1 Cor. 11: 19 There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. [See 277.]

269. God, not the actor, or instigator of sin.

Jer. 7: 9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

1 Cor. 14: 33 God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Jam. 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: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.—3: 14 If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie

Different motives.

not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

1 Jn. 2: 16 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.

270. God and mankind often have different motives in effecting the same

events.

Gen. 45: 4 Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you: and they came near: and he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.-50: 19 Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 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.

Is. 10: 5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6 I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. 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.

Mk. 15: 9 Pilate answered them saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 10 (For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.)

Jn. 3: 16 God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Ac. 2: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.

189

Freedom and activity under.

271. Freedom and activity, under the providence of God.

Ex. 8: 32 Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time. also, neither would he let the people go.-9: 27 And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.-10: 16 Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat the LORD your God that he may take away from me this death only.

Dt. 30: 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

Jos. 24: 15 If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve.

2 S. 24: 1 Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

Pr. 1: 29 They hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.16: 9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.-23: 26 My son, give me thy heart.

Song 1: 4 Draw me, we will run after thee.

Is. 66: 3 Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

Hos. 13: 9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself.

Mat. 13: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed. 18: 7 Wo unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but wo to that man by whom the offence cometh!

Lk. 22: 22 Truly the Son of man goeth as it was determined: but wo unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

Jn. 5: 40 Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. Ac. 4: 27 Of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

Objections Objectors reproved.

28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

Rom. 2: 15 (Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else excusing one another.)

Ph. 2: 12 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. [See 128, 329, 573, 556, 600-1.] 272. Objections against God's providential government.

Ezk. 33: 20 Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his

ways.

Mat. 25: 24 Then he which had received the one talent came, and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

Rom. 3: 7 If the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 8 And not rather (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.-9: 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay, but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? [See 373, 695, 706.]

273. Objectors against Providence reproved.

Job 40: 2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Let

Is. 45: 9 Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker! the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? 10 Wo unto him that saith to his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?

Mat. 20: 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil because I am good?

Lk. 19: 27 Those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. Rom. 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why

Wonderful; and incomprehensible.

hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?

274. The works and ways of Providence wonderful.

Ex. 15: 11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Dt. 4:32 Ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? 33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? 34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched-out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

Job 5: 8 I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: 9 Which doeth great things and unsearchable, marvellous things without number.

Ps. 77: 11. I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. 13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God! 14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

Dan. 4: 3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

275. The Providence of God incomprehensible.

Ps. 36: 6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.—77: 19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. 97: 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

Pr. 25: 2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.

Ec. 3: 11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. Rom. 11: 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom