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God the great Creator of all things doth uphold, (Heb. 1:3) direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, (Dan. 4:34–35, Ps. 135:6, Acts 17:25–26,28) from the greatest even to the least, (Matt. 10:29–31) by His most wise and holy providence, (Prov. 15:3, Ps. 104:24, Ps. 145:17) according to His infallible foreknowledge, (Acts 15:18, Ps. 94:8–11) and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, (Eph. 1:11) 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, Ps. 145:7)

Remarks

There is no random chance, capricious and impartial mechanism, or cosmic, balancing force behind events. Rather, events are decreed to be by the Creator of the universe and then they occur just as He desires them to. By this point in the Confession, this shouldn’t be a surprise to any of us. We learned about the Eternal Decree of God in chapter three, the previous chapter talks about how God created the entire universe with His Words, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has been keeping up that God is intimately involved in the daily occurrences of His creation. He isn’t just doing the routine maintenance on His Creation either, He directly disposes and governs. That governance doesn’t just fall on the Josephs, Pharaohs, and Davids of this world, it falls on all, “from the greatest even to the least”.

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Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass immutably, and infallibly; (Acts 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, Exod. 21:13, Deut. 19:5, I Kings 22:28, 34, Isa. 10:6–7)

Remarks

God set systems into effect when He created the world and these systems are orderly and regulated by Him. He chose to allow most of our daily lives to be governed by these systems. Another word for these systems might be “the nature of second causes”. If I throw a ball up, it will come back down. If I only touch one terminal of a battery, I won’t get shocked. There are likewise patterns and systems that govern all assortments of events. While meteorologists do not have the understanding, and while computers do not have the power to calculate it, even the weather is not random, though we do like to ascribe “randomness” to things that are beyond our capabilities to understand.

These events that are ordered by the “nature of second causes” tend to fall into one of three categories:

1. necessary - Jeremiah 31:35 tells us that the sun and moon and stars are for our light.

2. free - Exodus 21 and Deuteronomy 19 tell us that the Israelite who accidentally kills another man can preserve his life by fleeing to a city of refuge

3. contingent - In I Kings 22 the prophet Micaiah told King Ahab that he would die in battle in order to establish his credentials as a prophet of God

The claim refuted is that God’s Providence denies second causes, and this leads to the nihilistic thought that, “If God is in control, then things will always turn out the same, what I do is irrelevant”. This claim is actually self-contradictory. This statement sets the stage by rightly stating that God is in control, but then brings in randomness to the equation, as if your moment of nihilism wasn’t known and accounted for by God.

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God, in His ordinary providence, maketh use of means, (Acts 27:31, 44, Isa. 55:10–11) yet is free to work without, (Hos. 1:7, Matt. 4:4, Job 34:10) above, (Rom. 9:19–21) and against them, (2 Kings 6:6, Dan. 3:27) at His pleasure.

Remarks

Generally, God works through the ordinary systems He has set forth. Ordinarily, the dead don’t rise. Ordinarily, the sea doesn’t part in two. Ordinarily, water doesn’t turn into wine. But God isn’t restricted to the ordinary, He created these systems, but they do not govern Him or His Will. When God chooses work outside of His ordinary providence He does so either without using these systems, by working above these systems, or by working against these systems.

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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, 2 Sam. 24:1, 1 Chron. 21:1, 1 Kings 22:22–23, 1 Chron. 10:4, 13–14, 2 Sam. 16:10, Acts 2:23) and that not by a bare permission, (Acts 14:16) but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, (Ps. 76:10, 2 Kings 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. (James 1:13–14, 17, 1 John 2:16, Ps. 50:21)

Remarks

This paragraph starts out by paraphrasing Paul in Romans 11:

For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
    “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
        or who has been his counselor?”

Text

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; (2 Chron. 32:25–26, 31, 2 Sam. 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. (2 Cor. 12:7–9, Ps. 73, Ps. 77:1, 10, 12, Mark 14:66–72, John 21:15–17)

Remarks

God uses sin and suffering for Good. Rather than being a stumbling block or a issue of contention, there is a great amount of assurance and joy that can be found in section four. We all sin and fall short of the Glory and Standard of God. I think it’s safe to say we do this on a daily basis. Sometimes that daily sin goes beyond the “normative” or “mundane” (if you can say as much about sin) and becomes more like a rut in the road or a thorn in the flesh. But for those who love God, He uses even these ruts and thorns to glorify Himself and to temper the believer. We all have that sin, or those sins (whichever the case may be), that seem to always before us. We hate and despise these sins more so than we hate and despise others, because they dog us all the time.

I’m sure we’ve all echoed the cry of Paul before, asking God why the thorn hasn’t been removed from our flesh. And like Paul, our answer must be that the thorn remains, “lest [we] be exalted beyond all measure.” I would additionally contend that, whatever that thorn of Paul’s was, it tempered him into the man of God that he was, and provided him with a means of attaining the willpower and strength He had to persevere through some very difficult times and remain faithful and true to the Lord through those moments.

Sometimes our thorns or more like ruts though, deep things we keep falling back into. David had his sins as a constant companion and they dogged him his whole life. Sometimes they helped David to become a better man, and other times they served to humble David or chastise David. With Hezekiah, God exposed him to suffering and sin in order that he might “test him and know everything that was in his heart.” We see a similar tale with Job, God allowed Satan to test Job so that God could show Satan what was in Job’s heart.

Ultimately, we do not know the reason for God’s ways, they are beyond us and above us. But there is a level of assurance in knowing that God’s hand is on us at all times, steering us towards greater glory for His own name. Paul warns against seeking out sin in Romans, and we should not seek out sin in some effort to magnify God’s mercy, but when sin tempts us or snares us, there is some assurance in knowing that the children of God who have come before us were tempted and snared, and if we lean upon Him, we can come through the otherside humbler, and with greater strength and reliance upon Him.

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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; (Deut. 29:4) but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had, (Matt. 13:12, Matt. 25:29) and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption make occasion of sin; (Deut. 2:30, 2 Kings 8:12–13) and, withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan, (Ps. 81:11–12, 2 Thess. 2:10–12) whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God useth for the softening of others. (Exod. 7:3, Exod. 8:15, 32, 2 Cor. 2:15–16, Isa. 8:14, 1 Pet. 2:7–8, Isa. 6:9–10, Acts 28:26–27)

Remarks

For the believer, evil is worked for good, but for the unbeliever, God withholds goodness from them at times, and even works good for evil.

The idea of hardening the heart of an unbeliever and of removing His hand from them is clear in Scripture. The heart of Pharaoh was hardened. Deuteronomy 2:30 and Romans 11:7,8 both use the exact phrase in the text here “blind and harden”. The latter half of Romans 1 is all about the hardening of hearts and the revocation God’s hand. In these cases, it isn’t that God is doing evil, but rather He is removing the restraints from the man, allowing them be fully given over to their own mind. In Deuteronomy 29:4 Moses says God did not give the Israelites minds to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear, but sometimes, as in some of the parables, God revokes a previously given gift (Matthew 13:12; For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him., Matthew 25:29; “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.).

This can go even further. Without the staying hand of God, man is not only going to sin far more, but he shall be exposed to more sin as well. In this way, God allows some men to be exposed to further temptation and sin. The end result is that their own hearts and the sin that they love, further hardens them towards God, and interestingly the same cause that harden’s their hearts is used in the others to soften the heart and bring them closer to God.

^{13} It is Yahweh of hosts whom you should regard as holy.
    And He shall be your fear,
    And He shall be your cause of trembling.
^{14} Then He shall become a sanctuary;
    But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over,
    And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
^{15} And many will stumble over them;
    Then they will fall and be broken;
    They will even be snared and caught.”

Text

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. (1 Tim. 4:10, Amos 9:8–9, Rom. 8:28, Isa. 43:3–5, 14)

Remarks

God’s providential hand is over all creatures. Sometimes that hand works evil for good, bringing His people closer to him, with humble and grateful hearts. Other times that providential hand blesses the most undeserving of creatures. And yet still other times that providential hand it seems almost to pull away, allowing for the flood gates of sin to be opened.

For the Church, there is great assurance, because God takes care of His Church in a most special manner, working all things for the good of His Church.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for
those who are called according to His purpose.

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The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of him, as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God’s part, which he hath been pleased to express by way of covenant.

Remarks

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The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam, and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience.

Remarks

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Man by his fall having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace: wherein he freely offered unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe.

Remarks

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This covenant of grace is frequently set forth in the Scripture by the name of a testament, in reference to the death of Jesus Christ, the testator, and to the everlasting inheritance, with all things belonging to it, therein bequeathed.

Remarks

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This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel: under the law it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all fore-signifying Christ to come, which were for that time sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah, by whom they had full remission of sins, and eternal salvation, and is called the Old Testament.

Remarks

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Under the gospel, when Christ the substance was exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed, are the preaching of the Word, and the administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; which, though fewer in number, and administered with more simplicity and less outward glory, yet in them it is held forth in more fullness, evidence, and spiritual efficacy, to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles; and is called the New Testament. There are not, therefore, two covenants of grace differing in substance, but one and the same under various dispensations.

Remarks

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God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced, nor by any absolute necessity of nature determined to good or evil.(a)

(a) Matt. 17:12; James 1:14; Deut. 30:19.

Remarks

In understanding paragraph one it’s important to know the time-aspect of this passage. This first paragraph of chapter nine is not tied to some historic point only, or some future point alone. Rather this paragraph is applicable to all time. As long as man has existed and for as long as man shall exist, this paragraph will continue to ring true.

It’s also good to bear in mind that difficulty of this first paragraph. This one sentence took much longer to craft than you might think. It was initially rejected by the assembly and had to be redrafted. After the redrafting it was commented how difficult this truth is to nail down and one of the Divines quoted Augustine who said, “when grace is defended, we are thought to destroy free-will, and when a free-will is acknowledged we are thought to deny free-grace.” All that to say, this is both a simple and difficult doctrine all at once, and perhaps its perceived simplicity lends to it being all the more difficult to nail down.

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II. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good, and well pleasing to God;(b) but yet, mutably, so that he might fall from it.(c)

(b) Eccles. 7:29; Gen. 1:26. (c) Gen. 2:16, 17; Gen. 3:6.

Remarks

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III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation:(d) so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good,(e) and dead in sin,(f) is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.(g)

(d) Rom. 5:6; Rom 8:7; John 15:5. (e) Rom. 3:10, 12. (f) Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:13. (g) John 6:44, 65; Eph. 2:2, 3, 4, 5; I Cor. 2:14; Titus 3:3, 4, 5.

Remarks

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When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He freeth him from his natural bondage under sin;(h) and, by His grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good;(i) yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not perfectly, nor only, will that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil.(k)

(h) Col. 1:13; John 8:34, 36. (i) Phil. 2:13; Rom. 6:18, 22. (k) Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7:15, 18, 19, 21, 23.

Remarks

The first three paragraphs discuss the will within a few contexts. We have the ever existent nature of the will, the will prior to the Fall, and the will after the Fall. We now add a new context which is will after God’s salvation. And just as in paragraph three the will didn’t lose freedom, but rather abilility, when God grants salvation He doesn’t grant freedom to the will so much as He grants ability, or perhaps better put He restores the abilities of the agent to act according to the will.

Just as that inability to do Good in Fallen Man comes from bondage to sin, the restored ability to do Good comes from bondage to God, as Paul says in Romans 6:22, “now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God.”

Nonetheless, we are still capable of Evil. God’s restoration of our abilities did not remove that ability to Evil. The world still calls to us and the devil can successfully tempt up still. We our restored in our agency but we are still tainted by the corruption of sin and the results of the Fall. Paul describes this dual-nature in Romans 7 well, “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”

Text

The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to do good alone, in the state of glory only.(l)

(l) Eph. 4:13; Heb. 12:23; I John 3:2; Jude ver. 24.

Remarks

The final state of Man shall be in glorification, when we are togehter with God and our corruption has been scrubbed clean. It is at this point that we will no longer even have the ability to commit Evil. Our wills will become immutable — unchangeable — and they will be perfected. All that we do will be Good and pleasing to God.