Westminster Confession of 1646: Of Providence

Chapter V. Of Providence

I. God the great Creator of all things doth uphold, (Hbr 1:3); direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, (Dan 4:34-35; Psa 135:6; Act 17:25-28; Job 38-41); from the greatest even to the least, (Mat 10:29-31); by His most wise and holy providence, (Pro 15:3; Psa 104:24; Psa 145:17); according to His infallible fore-knowledge, (Act 15:8; Psa 94:8-11); and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, (Eph 1:11; Psa 33:10-11); to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy, (Isa 63:14; Eph 3:10; Rom 9:17; Gen 45:7; Psa 145:7).

II. Although, in relation to the fore-knowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass immutably, and infallibly, (Act 2:23); yet, by the same providence, He ordereth them to fall out, according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently, (Gen 8:22; Jer 31:35; Exd 21:13; Deu 19:5; 1Ki 22:28, 34 Isa 10:6-7).

III. God, in His ordinary providence, maketh use of means, (Act 27:31, 44; Isa 55:10-11; Hos 2:21-22); yet is free to work without, (Hos 1:7; Mat 4:4; Job 34:10); above, (Rom 4:19-21); and against, them, (2Ki 6:6; Dan 3:27); at His pleasure.

IV. The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in His providence, that it extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men, (Rom 11:32-34; 2Sa 24:1; 1Ch 21:1; 1Ki 22:22-23; 1Ch 10:4, 13-14; 2Sa 16:10; Act 2:23; Act 4:27-28); and that not by a bare permission, (Act 14:16); but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, (Psa 76:10; 2Ki 19:28); and otherwise ordering, and governing of them, in a manifold dispensation, to His own holy ends, (Gen 50:20; Isa 10:6-7, 12); yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin, (Jam 1:13-14, 17; 1Jo 2:16; Psa 50:21).

V. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave, for a season, His own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled, (2Ch 32:25-26, 31; 2Sa 24:1); and, to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends, (2Co 12:7-9; Psa 73; Psa 77:1-12; Mar 14:66-72; Jhn 21:15-17).

VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as a righteous Judge, for former sins, doth blind and harden, (Rom 1:24, 26, 28; Rom 11:7-8); from them He not only withholdeth His grace whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon in their hearts, (Deu 29:4); but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had, (Mat 13:12; Mat 25:29); and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasions of sin, (Deu 2:30; 2Ki 8:12-13); and, withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan, (Psa 81:11-12; 2Th 2:10-11); whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God useth for the softening of others, (Exd 7:3; Exd 8:15, 32; 2Co 2:15-16; Isa 8:14; 1Pe 2:7-8; Isa 6:9-10; Act 28:26-27).

VII. As the providence of God doth, in general, reach to all creatures; so, after a most special manner, it taketh care of His Church, and disposeth all things to the good thereof, (1Ti 4:10; Amo 9:8-9; Rom 8:28; Isa 43:3-5, 14).