The Marrow of Sacred Divinity - William Ames (1642)

1. THe Providence of God is that Efficiency whereby he provides for his Creatures now made, in all things, according to the counsell of his owne Will.

2. This Providence is extended to all things, not only common, but proper. Psal. 145. 15. 16. Prov. 16. 9. 33. Exod. 21. 13. Being properly determined of no cause, but determining all causes: and hence in their manner it is the universall and particular cause of all things.

3. The Providence of God is either immediate, whereby God by himselfe, as the absolute sole cause provides for things, or mediate, whereby he provides by the use of meanes.

4. God doth all things that come to passe immediatly, both by reason of his power, in respect of all being, which is found in the effect, (for the power of God attaines to every effect. Deut. 8. 3. Esay 28. 26.) and also by reason of the subject in respect of that being it hath as it is a being: for God himselfe who is alwayes and every where present immediatly and inwardly, doth worke that in all things also.

5. Yet in respect of those things upon which second causes have their influence by force of their own proper forme, God is not said to worke, immediatly, but mediatly, because he worketh by the meanes of subjects and virtues of second causes:

6. God therefore useth meanes, not for want of power, but through the abundance of his goodnesse: that namely he might communicate a certaine dignity of working to his Creatures also, & in them might make his efficiency more perceiveable. 1 Sam. 14. 7. Tis all one to Iehova to save with many, or with few. Hence God doth often use those meanes, to produce the most noble effects, which of themselves, have no aptnesse to bring forth such effects. 1 Cor. 1. 27. 28. Amos 5. 9. 2. Chr. 24. 24. Also he doth often make the most fit means, ineffectuall. Psal. 33. 16. & 127. 1. 2. Hos. 4. 10.

7. Hence our Faith doth not properly respect those means which God useth, neither depends on them, but on God only, who can relieve all our necessities either with means, or without meanes, as it seemes good to him. Dan.3. 17. Our God whom we worship is able to deliver us out of the hot fiery Fornace, and out of thy hand, O King.

8. The Providence of God is either Ordinary and usuall, or Extraordinary and unusuall.

9. The ordinary providence is whereby God observeth that order in things which was appointed from the beginning. The reason of which order requires, that some certain thing goe before, and from that being put, some certaine thing follow after. Hos. 2. 22. I will heare the Heavens, and they shall heare the Earth, and the Earth shall heare the Corne, and the Wine, and the Oyle, and they shal heare Israel.⁴⁵

10. That order in naturall things is the Law of nature, common to all things or the very nature of things, as it is stablished in a certaine order, arising from the force and efficacy of that never to bee revoked Word of God given in the beginning: Let it be made, let it be, be it so, which expressing the respect of a thing to come doth signifie perpetuity and constancy, and by its virtue doth effectall things which doe usually come to passe of the samthings. Ier. 31. 35. 36. The statutes of the Moon, and ofthe Starres, &c. and 33. 20. My Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night.

11. Extraordinary providence is that whereby God provideth for things beyond the usuall, and appointed order of them, in which manner whatsoever is effected, is by a metonymy of the effect called a Miracle.

12. A Miracle is an operation above the order appointed whence true Miracles doe alwayes give evidence of the omnipotency of the doer. Hence God only is the Author of true Miracles.

13. Men may-be morall causes of Miracles, as they obtaine this of God that he would doe them, or as God useth their help as a signe, or token of a Miracle to be done by him, yet they cannot be causes really efficient, nor indeed, instrumentall, much lesse principall.

14. The Providence of God is either conservation⁴⁶ or gubernation.⁴⁷

15. Conservation is that whereby God maketh all things, both universall, and singular, both in their Essence and existence, and in their strength, to persist, and continue. Psal. 104. 19. 20. Acts 17. 28. Heb. 1. 3. Which is of Schoolemen, not unfitly called Manutenentia Dei, Gods holding in his hand, because by it God doth sustaine all things as with his Hand.

16. This conservation doth necessarily come between Creation, and government of things created: because whatsoever is created, is created to some end, and use, to which also it ought to be directed and governed: but it cannot attaine that end, nor be directed to it, unlesse it be continued and conserved in its being.

17. Gods conservation is necessary for the Creature because the Creature doth every way depend upon the Creator, not only as touching its Fieri. i. being to be made, but also touching its Esse, existere, permanere, & operari. i. Being, Existence, Continuance, and operation: so that every Creature should returne into that nothing whereof it was made, if God should not uphold it, and the very cessation of Divine conservation, would without any other operation presently reduce every Creature into nothing. Psalme 104. 29. If thou hidest thy Face, they are troubled, if thou takest away their breath they die, and returne to their dust.

18. Some things are conserved immediatly, namely such as are subjected unto God only. This conservation is in very deed the same with Creation, differing only in reason, in that Creation includes a certaine newnes which conservation excludes, & Creation excludes a precedent existence which conservation includes, so that that conservation is nothing else then as it were a continued Creation, and therefore it is joyned with Creation. Neh. 9: 6. Thou hast made, and thou preservest all these things.

19. Gubernation is that whereby God directeth and leadeth all his Creatures to their proper ends. Psal. 29. 10. Iehova sits King for ever.

20. The government of all things ought to be of God. For they would never certainly attaine the end to which they were created, unlesse they were governed by the same power, by which they were created: and it proceeds from imperfection, when he leaves the work that he hath made, to be directed by another afterward.

21. This Gubernation includes intrinsecally, not only meanes convenient and fitting to the end, but also their certaine efficacy, or the attainment it selfe. The order therefore of this government is certaine, immoveable, and indissoluble, so that the Creature cannot wholly withdraw it selfe from all order of government, although it may decline from its particular order. Gen. 50. 20.

22. This government is common or speciall.

23. Common is that whereby God doth govern all things in a like manner, unto this government belongeth, First, The Law of nature common to all things, which is a certaine participation of the Law, and Will of God, put into all things from the beginning. Iob 38. 12. Hast thou commanded the morning, and made known to the day-spring his place, &c. Secondly, a naturall inclination, which is a principle of working according to that law, Iob 5. 7. The sparkes fly upward. Thirdly, a naturall instinct: which is a peculiar stirring up of the living Creatures, to some more noble acts, with a certaine shew and print of reason. Pro. 6. 6. Goe to the Pismire, O sluggard, behold her wayes and be wise. And 30. 24. These foure are small upon the Earth, but they are exceeding wise, the Ants, the Mise, the Locusts, the Spiders, Ierem. 8. 7. The storke, the Turtle, the Crane, and Swallow observe the times of their comming. Fourthly, A certaine obedientiall power, whereby all Creatures are apt to obey the command of God. Psa. 103. 21. & 148. 8. Doing his pleasure, fulfilling his Word.

24. This government shines forth in the operation of all things, first in that they alwayes looke to some certaine end, and so it is necessary that they be acted and governed by an intelligence every where present, and omnipotent, that is, of God himselfe. Iob 38. 27. In sending down raine to satisfie the wast place, and bringing forth the bud of the tender Herbe, Isay 55. 10. The raine causeth that the Earth bring forth feed to the sower, and bread for him that eateth. Secondly, In that the works of nature are ordained so accurately, and agreeable to reason, that they cannot but proceed from highest reason. Prov. 30. 25, 26, 27. 28. Thirdly, in that besides a proper ordination whereby every thing seekes his own perfection, they doe keepe as it were a common society and all doe more desire the conservation of the whole then of themselves, as it is to be seen in heavy things which are caried upward to avoyd an emptinesse.

25. By force of this Gubernation all second causes, are in a certaine manner determined afore, that is, First, they are stirred up, to worke, by an influence, or previous motion, in regard that (beside the communicating of strength, and sustentation of the same) there is some such thing required necessarily to bring forth that into act which before was in the power of the Creature. Secondly, they are applied to a certaine object, about which they are exercised in working. Ezech. 21, 21, 22: &c. 2. Sam. 16. 10. Also by force of the same government they are ordered, that is, 1. Limits, and bounds are set to their actions: Iob 1. 12. & 2, 6. & 38, 10, 2. Some good is drawn out of their action, Gen. 50. 20.

26. Because the exercise of that strength which is in the Creatures depends upon the Will of God; hence it is that we trust in God alone, & not in those Creatures, by which the kindnesse of God is derived to us.