OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE

1.  God the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom, upholds, directs, disposes, and governs all creatures and things, from the greatest to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, to the end for the which they were created, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will; to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy.[1]

2.  Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, who is the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly; so that nothing happens to anyone by chance, or without His providence; yet by His providence, He orders events to occur according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.[2]

3.  God, in His ordinary providence makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at His pleasure.[3]

4.  The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so far manifest themselves in His providence, that His determinate counsel extends itself even to the first fall, and all other sinful actions both of angels and men.  This is not merely a bare permission, but by form of permission in which He included the most wise and powerful limitations, and other means of restricting and controlling sin.  These various limitations have been designed by God to bring about His most holy purposes; yet, in all these affairs, the sinfulness of both angels and men comes only from them and not from God, who is altogether holy and righteous, and can never be the author or approver of sin.[4]

5.  The most wise, righteous, and gracious God often leaves, for a season, His own children to various temptations, and to the corruptions of their own hearts, in order to chastise them for the sins which they have committed, or to show them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness still within their hearts, so that they may be humbled and to arouse them to a closer and constant dependence upon God for their support; and that they may be made more watchful against future occasions of sin, as well as for other just and holy ends.  So that whatever happens to any of His elect is by His appointment, for His glory, and their good.[5]

6.  As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as the righteous judge, blinds and hardens for former sin, from them He not only withholds His grace, by which they might have been enlightened in their understanding, and affected in their hearts, but sometimes He also withdraws the gifts which they had, and exposes them to certain objects which their corrupt state will make occasion of sin.  God gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan, so that eventually they harden themselves under the influence that God uses for the softening of others.[6]

7.  As the providence of God in general reaches to all creatures, so in a more special manner it takes care of His church, and governs all things to the good thereof.[7]