I.
The Lord our God is but one God, whose
subsistence is in Himself; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself, who
only hath immortality, dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto; who is in
Himself most holy, every way infinite, in greatness, wisdom, power, love, merciful and
gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; who giveth being, moving,
and preservation to all creatures.
1 Cor. 8:6, Isa. 44:6, 46:9, Exod. 3:14, 1
Tim 6:16, Isa. 43:15; Ps. 147:5, Deut. 32:3; Job 36:5; Jer. 10:12, Exod. 34:6,7, Acts
17:28; Rom. 11:36.
II.
In this divine and infinite Being there is
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; each having the whole divine Essence, yet the
Essence undivided; all infinite without any beginning, therefore but one God; who is not
to be divided in nature, and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative
properties.
1 Cor. 1:3; John 1:1, 15:26, Exod. 3:14; 1
Cor. 8:6
III.
God had decreed in Himself, before the
world was, concerning all things, whether necessary, accidental or voluntary, with all the
circumstances of them, to work, dispose, and bring about all things according to the
counsel of His own will, to His glory: (Yet without being the [chargeable] author of sin,
or having fellowship with any therein) in which appears His wisdom in disposing all
things, unchangeableness, power, and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree: And God
hath before the foundation of the world, foreordained some men to eternal life, through
Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of His grace; [having foreordained and] leaving the
rest in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His justice.
Isa. 46:10; Eph. 1:11, Rom. 11:33, Ps.
115:3; 135:6, 33:15; 1 Sam. 10:9, 26, Prov. 21:6; Exod. 21:13; Prov. 16:33, Ps. 144, Isa.
45:7, Jer. 14:22, Matt. 6:28, 30; Col. 1:16, 17; Num. 23:19, 20; Rom. 3:4; Jer. 10:10;
Eph. 1:4,5; Jude 4, 6; Prov. 16:4.
IV.
In the beginning God made all things very
good; created man after His own image, filled with all meet perfection of nature, and free
from all sin; but long he abode not in this honor; Satan using the subtlety of the serpent
to seduce first Eve, then by her seducing Adam; who without any compulsion, in eating the
forbidden fruit, transgressed the command of God, and fell, whereby death came upon all
his posterity; who now are conceived in sin, and by nature the children of wrath, the
servants of sin, the subject of death, and other miseries in this world, and for ever,
unless the Lord Jesus Christ set them free.
Gen. 1:1, Col. 1:16, Isa. 45:12, 1 Cor.
15:45, 46; Eccles. 7:29; Gen. 3:1,4,5; 2 Cor. 11:3, 1 Tim. 2:14; Gal. 3:22; Rom. 5:12, 18,
19, 6:22; Eph. 2:3.
V.
God in His infinite power and wisdom, doth
dispose all things to the end for which they were created; that neither good nor evil
befalls any by chance, or without His providence; and that whatsoever befalls the elect,
is by His appointment, for His glory, and their good.
Job 38:11; Isa. 46:10,11, Eccles. 3:14,
Mark 10:29,30; Exod. 21:13; Prov. 16:33, Rom. 8:28.