xxviii. 29.-"The Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working."

5. That God's works of providence are most powerful. Psal. lxvi. 7.—"He ruleth by his power for ever." ~ Dan. iv. 35.-"None can stay his hand."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 49.-There is a Providence.

By Providence, we are to understand that almighty power, by which, in holiness and wisdom, for his own praise and glory, God preserves, or upholds and governs, the heavens and the earth, and all things in them, from the least to the greatest.

That there is a Providence, which superintends all things, may be proved from the following things :

1. From reason; which informs us, that, if all things were left to themselves, they would fail of their intended end.

2. From conscience; which, by accusing or excusing, stands forth as a notable testimony of providence.

3. From Scripture; in almost every page of which we have proofs of this. See Col. i. 17; Neh. ix. 6; Heb. i. 3; Psal. cxix. 91; Gen. viii. 21, 22; Acts xvii. 28; Psal. cxxxvi. 25; Job xii. 10; Matt. x. 29, 30; Acts xiv. 17, &c.

4. The same arguments that prove the existence of God, prove that there is a Providence; for the one cannot exist without the other.

Obs. 50.-The agency of God in providence consists in preserving and governing his creatures and their actions.

1. In preserving his creatures. This he does, both by continuing or upholding them in being, and by providing things necessary for their preservation.-Psal. cxix. 89-91; Psal. cxlv. 15, 16. See also Heb. i. 3; Col. i. 17.

2. In governing his creatures and their actions. This he does when he rules over them, and disposes and directs them to the end for which he designed them.-Psal. lxvi. 7; Prov. xvi. 9. See also Acts xvii. 28; Psal. lix. 13; Job xxxiv. 13, and xxxvi. 22, 23; Eph. i. 11; Job xxxiii. 13.

Obs. 51.-The objects of God's providence are, all his creatures and all their actions.

1. It extends to all the creatures, rational and irrational, ani

mate and inanimate, great and small.-Heb. i. 3; Psal. ciii. 19; Matt. x. 29, 31, and vi. 26, 28, 30.

2. It extends to all their actions:-All natural actions.-Acts xvii. 28. All casual actions.-Exod. xxi. 12, 13. All morally good actions.-John xv. 5. All morally evil actions or sins. God permits sinful actions. But it must be remembered, that God's permission of sin is not a bare permission, as if he could not prevent the sin from taking place, or as if he regarded it not; but that it is connected with his government of the world, and with the ends which he proposes to himself, and which issue in his own glory. An action may be good, which is thus under the providence of God; while, at the same time, it may be a very sinful action, as it proceeds from man; such was the selling of Joseph into Egypt, and such was the crucifixion of the Lord of glory.-See Gen. 1. 15-20; Acts ii. 23, 28; Rom. viii. 32.

Obs. 52.-God's providence is most holy, wise, and powerful.
The properties of God's providence are the following :-

1. It is most holy.-Psal. cxlv. 17. Infinite holiness and purity are visible in all his administrations. This appears in bringing glory to his mercy and justice out of sin; in making the worst of sinners become the greatest saints,-1 Tim. i. 12, 13; and in executing judgments on sinners, even in this world.-Psal. ix. 16.

2. It is most wise. God makes all things subservient to the ends for which he designed them.-Rom. viii. 28; Psal. civ. 24; Isa. 28, 29.

3. It is most powerful. None can resist the will of God.Dan. iv. 35; Psal. cxxxv. 6, lxvi. 7, and lxii. 11.

Obs. 53. The providence of God is commonly distinguished into ordinary and extraordinary, common and special.

1. God's ordinary providence is, his observing the order of things appointed by him from the beginning.-Hos. ii. 21, 22.

2. His extraordinary providence is, his going beyond or acting contrary to the natural order of things; and such events are called miraculous.

3. His common or general providence is, that care which he exercises over all the creatures which he hath made, without exception.-Neh. ix. 6; Acts xvii. 28. This is called God's natural government.

4. His special providence, or his moral government, is that care which he exercises over the rational creation alone; and this, again, may be limited to that particular care which he exercises over his own people in this world.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,—1. That seeing there is an overruling Providence, all things shall work together for the good of the people of God. 2. That we ought to submit to the providence of God. 3. That we ought not to account it strange, although the wicked flourish, and the righteous be persecuted. 4. That they are a happy people whose God is the Lord. 5. The duty of observing the providences of God. See Psal. cvii. 43.

OF THE SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OF GOD TOWARDS MAN IN HIS CREATION AND FALL :-UNDER WHICH ARE CONSIDERED, THE COVENANT OF WORKS, THE FALL OF MAN, THE EXTENT OF THE FALL, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.

Covenant of Works-Its Parties and Terms. 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 the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,―

1. That God entered into a covenant with Adam. Hos. vi. 7 (margin).-"They, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant."

2. That it was a covenant of life. Rom. vii. 10.-" The commandment was ordained to life."

3. That the condition of this covenant was perfect obedience. Rom. x. 5.-"The man who doeth those things shall live by them." See also Gen. iii. 3.

4. That man was forbidden to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Gen. ii. 17.-"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it."

5. That the penalty of this covenant was death. Gen. ii, 17. "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 54.-A covenant of works was made with Adam.

The word covenant denotes any thing fixed or established. See Jer. xxxiii. 25, where we read of the Lord's "covenant with day and night.” But it has generally a reference to an agreement made and entered into between parties.

That a covenant of works was really made with Adam, as the representative of mankind, while he was in a state of innocence, or when he was created, will be evident from the following things -

1. The transaction into which God entered with man, contains every thing necessary and requisite in a covenant: such as parties, a condition, a promise, and a penalty.

2. It is expressly called a covenant.-Gal. iv. 24; Hos. vi. 7, margin.

3. It had certain signs and seals appended, which gave force to it, and which confirmed it as a covenant. These were, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life.

4. In Scripture we read of a twofold law, the one opposed to the other; namely, the law of works and the law of faith. See Rom. iii. 27, where, by the law of faith, we must understand the covenant of grace; and by the law of works, the covenant of works; for what is said of the one, is also said of the other. But,

5. Nothing proves more effectually, that a real and proper covenant was made with Adam, than the imputation of his first sin to all his natural posterity. See Rom. v. 12, 17, 18.,

Obs. 55.—The parties of the covenant of works were God and

man.

1. On the one side was God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, man's Creator and Sovereign Lord, who is the great Lawgiver, and the author of all good to his creatures.

2. On the other side was man, God's creature,-Adam, representing all mankind, and covenanting with God, not only for himself, but also for all his posterity, as the natural father of all, and the appointed federal head.

In this covenant there was no Mediator; nor was there

D

need of one for man was yet the friend of God; and his service, while he continued in innocence, was acceptable to him, being fully conformable to his law.

Obs. 56.-The condition of the covenant of works was perfect obedience.

By the condition of this covenant, we are to understand that which God required of Adam, in order that he might have a right, both for himself and for all his posterity, to eternal life, which was the reward promised.

The obedience required, was a regard to the whole law of God-that law which was written on man's heart at his creation; and also to the positive precept that he gave him, which was, "Not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil;" and all this from a due regard to the Divine authority. This tree was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because, on his eating of it, Adam knew by experience what good he had lost, and what evil he had brought upon himself and his posterity.

With respect to the nature of this obedience, it was necessary that it should be,—

1. Perfect in respect of its principle. It was to proceed from love to God, who requires not only external, but internal obedience, or the obedience of the heart.

2. Perfect in parts. It was to extend to all the commands of God, with respect to thoughts, words, and actions.

3. Perfect in degrees. Every act of obedience was to be perfect in degree, wanting nothing of that perfection which the law required. He was to love the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his strength, and with all his mind.

4. Perfect in duration,-without interruption, while God should continue him in the state of trial.-Gal. iii. 10.

This was the condition of the covenant of works. On no other terms could Adam have attained to eternal happiness by it, or be justified in respect of his state before God. Hence it appears that sincere obedience could not have been accepted, and that there was no place for repentance under this covenant. The threatening was, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Such a positive denunciation cut off all hope, and rendered repentance unavailable.