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We have now Chapter 3 of God's 
Decree, and for those who may be listening to this and who 
aren't here this morning, we just read Chapter 3, the seven 
paragraphs in the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith. 
So we've now come to the doctrine of God's Decree, and this is 
still under those two primary foundational sections in the 
Confession of Faith. Remember, we had Chapter 1, the 
principle of knowing, and then Chapter 2 through Chapter 6, 
the principle of being. And so this is intimately connected 
to chapter two of God and of the Holy Trinity. And we see 
that if you turn to your confession with the stuff of paragraphs 
one to seven in chapter three that we just read in the four 
of your minds. If you turn back to chapter two just for a moment, 
we see connectivity, the connection between the doctrine of God and 
the doctrine of God's decree. Notice in paragraph one, near 
the end, in chapter two, with respect to God, we read, working 
all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most 
righteous will for his own glory. So under the doctrine of God, 
we have an introduction to the foundation for or the foundation 
of God's decree that God with respect to his essence and being 
in operation works all things according to the counsel of his 
own immutable and most righteous will for his own glory. And then 
in paragraph two we have that statement that we've had cause 
to reiterate as we were studying the doctrine of God And it is, 
of course, in view with respect to God's decree, where we read 
in paragraph two of chapter two, not standing that God, with respect 
to God, that he does not stand in need of any creature which 
he hath made, nor does he derive any glory from them, but only 
manifests his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them. And then 
finally, he hath, in paragraph two, most sovereign dominion 
over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them 
whatsoever himself pleaseth. So with that stuff of chapter 
2 in view, we get to chapter 3. And we most certainly understand 
that when the confession is setting forth these things with respect 
to God's sovereignty and his purposive design and all events 
that unfold in human history, we see this intimate connection 
between God and his decree. And this chapter 3 of God's decree 
is foundational to chapters 4 through 6. I believe in the outline, 
which you may not have with you, that was provided to you a number 
of Lord's days ago, you'll see chapter 2 and you'll see chapter 
3 and then 4, 5, and 6 sort of subsumed, if you will, or as, 
you know, if we have chapter 3 of God's decree as a main heading, 
we then have chapters 4, 5, and 6 as subheadings, if you will, 
under of God's decree. We have the questions and answers 
in the shorter catechism that read this way, two of them. First 
off, what are the decrees of God? The decrees of God are his 
eternal purpose according to the counsel of his will, whereby 
for his own glory he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. And 
that's sort of a single sentence summary of chapter three. And 
then we have a summary of chapters 4, 5, and 6 given in the next 
question, how doth God execute his decrees? God executeth his 
decrees in the works of creation and providence. And we have that 
opened up as if we read chapter 3 and then we move on to chapter 
4, we see, for example, in creation, In the beginning, it pleased 
God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the manifestation 
of His glory, or of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, 
and goodness to create or make the world and all things therein, 
whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and 
all very good. So we have this general statement 
with respect to creation. And then we have sort of the 
redemptive focus of creation, the reality that creation serves 
God's redemptive purpose, because in paragraphs 2 and 3, we have 
the creation of man, the creation 
of Adam and Eve, and the law given to them written upon their 
hearts. We move to, this is sort of just 
some introductory stuff, just to see the connection of the 
decree in paragraphs 1 to 7 of chapter 3, and then the connection 
between it and 4, 5, and 6. Notice, if you can turn to chapter 
5, specifically paragraph 4, seeing the connection between 
the decree and divine providence. Remember, how does God execute 
his decree? He executes his decrees in creation, 
the works of creation and providence. Notice paragraph four. The almighty 
power, unsearchable wisdom, this is chapter five, paragraph four. The almighty power, unsearchable 
wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves 
in his providence that his determinate counsel extendeth itself even 
to the first fall and all other sinful actions, both of angels 
and men. And then in the fall of man of 
sin and of the punishment thereof, notice what we read in paragraphs 
one and three. Although God created, this is 
again, sorry if I didn't communicate that, this is chapter six, paragraph 
one. Although God created man upright 
and perfect and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto life 
had he kept it and threatened death upon the breach thereof, 
Yet he did not long abide in this honor, Satan using the subtlety 
of the serpent to subdue Eve, then by her seducing Adam, who 
without any compulsion did willfully transgress the law of their creation 
and the command given unto them in eating the forbidden fruit." 
Now notice, "...which God was pleased, according to His wise 
and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to 
His own glory." You see the connection between creation and providence 
and the decree of God, this event, this Edenic event in the Garden 
of Edom with Adam and Eve was not something beyond God's control 
that just happened to take place, some haphazard event or something 
like that. And it wasn't simply that God 
just permitted it to occur, but rather that God purposed to order 
it to his own glory. So when we have, when we come 
to creation and we come to providence, we see the unfolding of God's 
eternal purposive will, the unfolding of his decree. And then notice 
again, paragraph three, just some of the same. They being 
the root, and by God's appointment, standing in the room instead 
of all mankind. By God's appointment, Adam served 
as a federal head of all his posterity. And that appointment 
served ultimately the second Adam, who would come in the fullness 
of the times to serve as the federal head of all of the elect. So getting back then to the chapter 
of God's decree, hopefully in just a short matter of minutes 
there we see the connection between the doctrine of God and those 
chapters that follow creation, providence, and the fall of man. 
And some of this will come up as we look at now five things 
with regards to of God's decree. The first thing we want to see 
is something of a foundation, if you will, of God's decree. 
I think we've already seen it in the doctrine of God, but specifically 
the sovereignty of God is the first point, the foundation of 
the decree of God, the fact that he decrees all things whatsoever 
come to pass. Maybe just very briefly, a general 
structure to Chapter 3, we have in paragraphs 1 and 2, the confession 
dealing with the general decree of all things. So it's this general 
approach to the doctrine whereby we read that God has decreed 
in himself from all eternity, freely and unchangeably, all 
things whatsoever come to pass. And then in paragraphs 3 to 7, 
we see the confession dealing specifically with the decree 
of predestination to life, the distinguishing and unchanging 
aspects of the decree the outworking of the decree and the Christian 
handling of the doctrine. So first off, the sovereignty 
of God, and there we see the foundation of the 
doctrine of God's decree. Psalm 115 and verse 3. We'll work through some Bible 
here, and if someone could actually help me out, and this is kind 
of embarrassing because I thought I brought my Bible in with me, 
But if one of the deacons would like to go to my car to grab 
my Bible for me, I brought Waldron in and perhaps I confused that 
with my. with my Bible. It's right in the back on the 
passenger side there. Sorry about that. But the sovereignty 
of God foundational to the decree of God. Of course this is the 
case because if God decrees all things whatsoever come to pass, 
that no doubt must require a God who has sovereign ownership of 
all things. And in Psalm 115 in verse 3 we 
have a statement with respect to God's sovereignty, don't we? 
And this is one of those texts that comes up a lot of times 
when we as Calvinists, when we as reformed Christians seek to 
communicate, to proclaim the reality that God is sovereign 
over all things. Our God is in the heavens, the 
text reads. He does whatever he pleases. 
This is a text that is, thank you very much, this is a text 
that comes up, or that came up when we were talking about God's, 
about God's omnipotence. Very often we come to this text, 
and we do rightly to defend God's sovereignty, but it also pertains 
to his omnipotence. Our God is in heaven. He does 
whatever he pleases. A very simple text, and it's 
a text that is used here contrasting the living and true God with 
the gods of the Gentiles and the gods of the heathens. You 
can turn a little bit to the right to Psalm 135 and verse 
6. A very similar passage, very similar verse, Psalm 135 and 
verse 6, whatever the Lord pleases, he does in heaven and in earth, 
in the seas and in all deep place, excuse me, in all deep places. 
You see, it is not the case that the province of, or that heaven 
is the province of God and, you know, the earth is the province 
of men and they create and actualize their own reality in that realm, 
God leaving it, if you will, to the governance of men and 
their libertarian free will. But rather that God is in sovereign 
ownership and control of all things whatsoever the Lord pleases 
he does in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places. 
Notice even verse 7, he causes the vapors to ascend from the 
ends of the earth, he makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind 
out of his treasuries. You see, when the lightning strikes, 
we very often as men in our human and finite minds think that, 
you know, that's a chance occurrence, the lightning just randomly happening 
by the confluence of certain you know, climatological circumstances, 
whatever that might be. But we have the reality that 
God is sovereign, even over the lightning. He makes lightning 
for the rain. He brings the wind out of his 
treasuries. Of course, Daniel 4, which we're 
all hopefully familiar with, King Nebuchadnezzar learned all 
too well the sovereignty of God when he thought himself to be 
the originator and the master of his particular reality. We 
have this confession of Nebuchadnezzar after he was given a season of 
humility by the living and true God. And in verse 34 of Daniel 
4, we read this declaration of the sovereignty of God. And at 
the end of the time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and 
my understanding returned to me. And I blessed the Most High 
and praised and honored him who lives forever. For his dominion 
is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation 
to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth 
are reputed as nothing. He does according to his will 
in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. 
No one can restrain his hand or say to him, what have you 
done? See, again, this text comes up in It came up a number of 
times as we were studying the doctrine of God, because when 
studying the doctrine of God, we noted that God's power is 
not... His knowledge, His power, His 
wisdom is, you know, everything about God. Nothing is contingent 
upon His creation or His creatures, but rather it is the case that 
He does, according to His will in the army of heaven and among 
the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand 
or say to Him, what have you done? He does not in any way 
submit himself to the will of men and he is not constrained 
by some reality outside of himself that he is not in control of 
and that he has not decreed. He hath decreed, the Confession 
says, from all eternity whatsoever comes to pass. And of course 
Ephesians 111, if we were to have a New Testament verse, and 
there are many other than Ephesians 111, but in Ephesians 111 we 
have a clear statement with respect to God's sovereignty. Notice, 
and you're familiar with the passage to be sure, but in Ephesians 
1 and verse 11, in him also we have obtained an inheritance 
being predestined according to the purpose of him who works 
all things according to the counsel of his will. God works all things 
according to the counsel of his own will." And there is much 
in that passage that could be opened up with the sovereignty 
of God with respect to the salvation of sinners and the purposive 
mind of God. We don't have a world and a reality 
and a universe that just unfolds in some sort of haphazard manner, 
God being an impotent observer to the affairs of men and that 
sort of thing, but rather we have God who, according to the 
purpose of him, works all things according to the counsel of his 
own will. So the sovereignty of God, no 
doubt, a foundation to the doctrine of the decree of God. Secondly, 
God's decree cannot be frustrated. God is unfrustratable, and his 
decrees are unfrustratable. We can turn, for example, to 
Proverbs 19.21, We're going to work through, 
I believe I said that already, a number of Bible verses because 
the Bible is clear with respect to the doctrine of the sovereignty 
of God and of the immutability of his decree. In Proverbs 19 
and verse 21, Notice with respect to the unfrustratable nature 
of God and His decree we read, there are many plans in a man's 
heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel that will stand. Over and against the and notwithstanding 
the multitudinous plans of men, the Lord's plan stands. Isaiah 14 24 to 27, there we 
have another example of this very thing that the The doctrine, 
or that God's decrees are unfrustratable. They are fixed. They are immutable. Isaiah 14. In Isaiah 14, 24 to 27, notice 
what we read, the Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, Surely as 
I have thought, so it shall come to pass, and as I have purposed, 
so it shall stand, that I will break the Assyrian in my land, 
and on my mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall 
be removed from them, and his burden removed from their shoulders. 
This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth, and 
this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. For 
the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand 
is stretched out, and who will turn it back? You see the unfrustratable 
nature of the decree of God. God raises up Assyria to judge 
his covenantally apostate people. They have disobeyed his covenant. 
And then, of course, he will judge Assyria for their transgressions 
against his people. The idea here, though, using 
this particular verse in a wholesome manner is to show the fact that 
God's decrees are unfrustratable. For the Lord of hosts has purposed, 
and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and 
who will turn it back? So we have the sovereignty of 
God. We had, secondly, God's decree cannot be frustrated. 
And thirdly, Comprehensiveness of the decree of God, there is 
nothing outside of the decree of God. We don't have those things 
that God decrees and then those things that God somehow backs 
off from and lets unfold according to the will of men or to the 
chaotic haphazard unfolding of human history. But rather, there 
is nothing outside of the decree of God. Again, as the Confession 
says simply in the first statement, hath decreed in himself from 
all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, 
freely and unchangeable, all things whatsoever come to pass." 
So a number of things with the help of Waldron, with one addition, 
but with the help of Waldron, the number of things that we 
see with respect to God's decree, and the first thing is we see 
the free acts of men. The free acts of men are decreed 
by God. You can go back to the Book of 
Proverbs in Proverbs 21.1. We have something similar to 
the text that we read in Proverbs 19.21, but here in Proverbs 21.1, 
we see that the free acts of men are decreed by God. The king's heart is in the hand 
of the Lord. Like the rivers of water, he 
turns it wherever he wishes. We see the language in this paragraph, 
paragraph 1, and as we'll see it later in chapter 5, we have 
this reality. Yet so as thereby is God neither 
the author of sin nor have fellowship with any therein, nor is violence 
offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency 
of second causes taken away, but rather established in which 
appears his wisdom in disposing all things and power and faithfulness 
in accomplishing his decree." The free acts of men are decreed 
by God. God is not there by immediate 
causation but has decreed those things and the order of second 
causes comes in to play with regards to the free acts of men 
and we'll probably open up that up more when we get to the the 
doctrine of God's providence but suffice it to say there is 
nothing outside of the decree of God and the first thing that 
that pertains to in our list here is the free acts of man. Secondly, both comfort and calamity, 
both good and bad, are decreed by God, Isaiah 45. And these 
are important texts. As we turn to them, there's a 
reason. Well, more than one reason. One, 
it's always good to read from the Bible. Secondly, it's always 
good to rehearse these doctrines, the texts that pertain to these 
doctrines, but also for your own apologetic endeavors as you 
speak perhaps to other Christians or whomever you speak to. These 
texts are good to know as we go about the enterprise of Christian 
apologetics. Isaiah 45 and verse 7, Isaiah 
45 and verse 7, both comfort and calamity are under the the 
the decretive comprehensiveness of God. Notice what we read there, 
I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I, the Lord, do all these things." 
That verse could even say, I make peace and create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things. Both comfort and calamity, the 
good and the bad, are decreed by God. Now, with respect to 
I make peace and create calamity, that may have the calamity there 
or the evil there may have more specific intention or meaning 
at the point of war as opposed to peace. For example, in the 
unfolding of God's decrees providentially in time and in history, We have 
times of peace where perhaps in the Old Testament, the covenant 
people are in a season of obedience and that sort of a thing. And 
then we get to a season because of pagan influence and the wickedness 
of their hearts, where they are entertaining the gods of the 
heathens and violating the covenant of God, whereby calamity then 
is brought sovereignly by God upon the people. I create peace, 
I make peace, and create evil. Some of the same stuff is brought 
out in Amos. You don't have to turn there, 
but in Amos 3.6, a very similar text is repeated. If a trumpet 
is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there 
is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it? You see, 
when calamity comes to a city, God isn't up in the heavens, 
you know, just hoping everything will pan out well, you know, 
and just sort of wholly detached and wholly out of control with 
respect to the things that are going on. But rather, before 
the foundation of the world, God had purposed that for his 
own glory and for the good of his people. And in time and in 
history, that event unfolds. And it is God who is behind the 
eternal scenes with his sovereign decree. Also Job 121, this is 
a text that you no doubt know very well. In Job 1 and verse 
21, right near the outset of the entire book, we read, naked 
I came from my mother's womb and naked shall I return there. 
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away Blessed be the name 
of the Lord. Job understood that the calamitous 
events that unfolded in his life and before his very face, it 
was not, these weren't just chaotic haphazard events that occurred 
in the loose unfolding of human history, but rather God had purposed 
it for his own glory and for the good of his people. The Lord 
gave and the Lord has taken away. Both of these things come from 
the mighty and purposive hand of the living and true God. So 
we have the free acts of man, we have both comfort and calamity, 
and then we have sinful acts. We have sinful acts fall under 
the province of the decree of God, the sovereign decree of 
God. And one of them, two of them that we often go to, The 
first is in Genesis 50. In Genesis 50, remember what 
we have going on there in the background, we have the sinful 
acts of the brothers of Joseph in the background in the statement 
that we find in verse 20. Joseph's reply to the fears and 
the anxiety of the brothers in assuming that they will be the 
recipients of some measure of condemnation by Joseph, but we 
read in Genesis 50 and verse 2, but as for you, you meant 
evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring 
it about as it is this day to save many people alive. See, 
and it is not the case, and we had occasion to note this a number 
of Sundays ago, it's not the case that God just overruled 
in some sort of permission the acts of the brothers of Joseph. But the same word is used, meant 
and meant, or intended and intended. Notice, but as for you, you meant 
or intended evil against me, but God meant or intended it 
for good, even purposed it for good, in order to bring it about 
as it is this day to save many people alive. God foreordained 
and decreed the events that unfolded upon Joseph. But you see, it 
was not with immediate causation that he performed or was the 
author of the sin that Joseph's brothers perpetrated upon him, 
that unfolded by the second causes that we read about in our confession. 
But the first cause was a wholesome and a pure and divine intention 
to save many people alive. The brothers of Joseph had a 
wicked and a depraved intention in that. in their providential 
and free function as those who were bringing about the second 
causes. In Acts chapter 2, we have another 
one, of course, and no doubt you'll recognize this. We'll leave Acts 4 out of it 
for a moment, just for time's sake and that sort of thing, 
but Acts 4 would be another portion of scripture there that speaks 
to God's purposes in sinful acts. Acts 2.23, we read, backing up 
to 22, men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man 
attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did 
through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, him 
being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of 
God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put 
to death. So, of course, we have the cross 
of our Lord Jesus Christ beforehand decreed and determined by God 
for a wholesome end. praise of the glory of God's 
grace in the redemption, the salvation of sinners. We see 
that the men, though, who are the providential, you know, the 
providential agents of second cause, if you will, in the crucifixion 
of Christ, they have taken and they did take Christ by lawless 
hands, have crucified him and put him to death. They are complicit. 
They are guilty with respect to the sin of putting to death 
the Lord of glory for his supposed insurrectionism and his blasphemies. But we know that, of course, 
Christ was holy, harmless, and undefiled, the perfect sacrifice 
for guilty sinners. And that was the divine intention 
by God in this. Similar to Genesis 50-20, we 
have the divine intention which is the salvation of sinners to 
the praise of God's glorious grace. We have the wicked human 
intention in that, which was to silence the Lord of glory 
unjustly, and of course, by lawless hands. So we have the sinful 
acts of men as well. We have chance occurrences, and 
I'll just read, you can make a note of these two ones, chance 
occurrences. Job 36, 32, he covers his hands 
with lightning. and commends it to strike. Proverbs 
16.33, the lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision 
is from the Lord. You see, when they cast lots 
in the early church for the replacement of Judas among the discipleship 
there, the apostles, they didn't have this idea that it was just 
going to be a chance unfolding that whatever You know, happens 
is just, you know, chance and the haphazard unfolding of human 
history. They knew Proverbs 16, 33, that 
the lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from 
the Lord. We have the details of our lives 
falling under the comprehensive nature of God's decree, the fact 
that he has decreed all things whatsoever come to pass, Psalm 
139 verse 16, your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed 
and in your book they all were written the days fashioned for 
me when as yet there were none of them. Remember when we were 
studying the doctrine of God, we noted that God's knowledge 
is not contingent upon the creature. God doesn't know by arriving 
at a point in history and, you know, discursively taking in 
knowledge. He doesn't go through a cognitive 
process, but rather his knowledge is before the foundation of the 
earth and is seen in not just that he knows everything, but 
the manner by which he knows everything and here we see the 
details of our lives fall under the knowledge in the decree of 
God Matthew 10 29 to 30 are not two sparrows sold for a copper 
coin and not one of them falls to the ground apart from your 
father's will but the very hairs of your head are all numbered 
God in his sovereignty and in his comprehensive decree we see 
the details of our lives falling under that divine and perfect 
umbrella. The Affairs of Nations as well, 
Psalm 75, 1 to 7, you need not turn there. You can make a note 
of that, Psalm 75, 1 to 7, the Affairs of Nations. And remember 
in that amazing confession by Job and in Job 12. He raises up kings and he causes 
princes to stumble like drunken men. The deceived and the deceiver 
are his. God has sovereignly decreed the 
affairs of the nations and in time and in history we see the 
rising and the falling of empires and those are by the decreed 
of will of God and Daniel 2 21 and he changes the times and 
the seasons he removes Kings and raises up Kings he gives 
wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding 
you see that comes before that text comes before we read of 
Nebuchadnezzar's sending by God into the wilderness to eat like 
wild beasts, that season of humility that God sovereignly decreed 
for him. We get to Daniel 4 and we have 
Daniel 2.21 in the background. The wise are not wise in virtue 
of themselves. The wise are wise in virtue of 
wisdom, but in so far as they get that by derivation from the 
one who alone is wise. And so here we read that the 
wise he gives, God gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to 
those who have understanding. The wisdom of the wise is given 
by the decree of God. The knowledge of those who have 
understanding is given by the decree and the sovereignty of 
God. The destruction, the final destruction of the wicked falls 
under the decree of God. The final destruction of the 
wicked, Proverbs 16 and verse 4. In Proverbs 16 in verse 4, 
we read, the Lord has made all for himself. Yes, even the wicked 
for the day of doom. In 1 Peter 2, 28, in fact, you 
can turn there at 1 Peter 2, not 28, 1 Peter 2 in verse 8. Again, the decree of God, under 
that we find the final destruction of the wicked. We might recall the word reprobation. We have the fact that God has 
foreordained not only the elect unto salvation, but also the 
non-elect. unto damnation in first peter 
two uh... we maybe beginning in verse seven 
notice what we find here therefore to you who believe he is precious 
but to those who are disobedient the stone which the builders 
rejected has become the chief cornerstone a stone of stumbling 
and a rock of offense they stumble being disobedient to the word 
to which they also were appointed So we see the fact that those 
who are disobedient to the word, those who see in Christ a stumbling 
block and a rock of offense, those Jews who could not endure 
a crucified Messiah, but rather heap to themselves the so-called 
glory of the washings and the ceremonies and all of those articles 
of Old Covenant religion rejecting the Christ to whom they all pointed, 
they were foreordained unto that destruction, condemnation, and 
judgment. Peter uses the language to which 
they also were appointed. The final destruction of the 
wicked falls under the sovereign province of God and his decree. 
We also see that in Jude 4. And that's not Jude chapter 4 
because there is only one chapter. Jude verse 4. For certain men 
have crept in unnoticed who long ago were marked out for this 
condemnation, ungodly men who turn the grace of our God into 
lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Where do we see there the final 
destruction of the wicked falling under the sovereign decree of 
God? Well, we read that these ungodly men were long ago marked 
out for this condemnation. We have the fact that these ungodly 
men in the midst of the congregation who were seeking to steal away their faith, the confidence in 
the true and living God and of his Christ, that they were beforehand 
marked out for this condemnation, beforehand written out for their 
judgment as the reprobate. The final destruction of the 
wicked, the reprobation, the damnation of the non-elect falls 
under the sovereign providence decree and providence of God. 
This is a text, just to see something though, lest we have an incorrect 
understanding of what this means and what this entails with respect 
to damnation and these sorts of things. We have John Gill, 
and this is John Gill on Proverbs 16, 4, the Lord has made all 
for himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. This is 
added, the statement, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. 
This is added to illustrate the general proposition in the preceding 
clause and to obviate an objection. that might be taken from the 
destruction of the wicked, against all things being for the glory 
of God. For even the destruction of the wicked, which is under 
a divine appointment, is for his glory. It is not the sense 
of this text, nor of any other passage of scripture, that God 
made man to damn him. Nor is this to be inferred from 
the doctrine of predestination. God made man neither to damn 
him nor to save him, but for his own glory. And that is secured 
whether in his salvation or damnation. Nor did or does God make men 
wicked. He made man upright and he has 
made himself wicked. And being so, God must justly 
appoint him to damnation for his wickedness, in doing which 
he glorifies his justice. The day of evil, or evil day, 
is the day of wrath and ruin, unto which wicked men are reserved 
by the appointment of God, agreeably to the Targum, Septuagint, Syriac, 
and Arabic versions. This is true of wicked angels, 
wicked men, and particularly of that wicked one, the man of 
sin and son of perdition, Antichrist. The word here used is in the 
singular number. So the idea is that God, in this 
idea of the final destruction of the wicked, that God has made 
all for himself, even the wicked for the day of doom, is not this 
idea that God appoints men unto damnation for the purpose of 
the end of their damnation. But rather, the Lord God reprobates 
man unto damnation for the praise of his glorious justice. And 
he appoints men unto salvation for the praise of his glorious 
grace. And so men are appointed unto either of those ends for 
the glory of God. The purpose, if you will, of 
God's appointment unto election does not terminate upon that 
election itself, but rather upon the glory of God and the salvation 
of sinners. Same with reprobation. It does 
not terminate upon or find its be-all and end-all in damnation 
and reprobation, but rather in the praise of God's glorious 
justice. And I believe we see that brought 
out in Romans 9, 22 and 23. And then, of course, the salvation 
of sinners. We have the salvation of sinners, 
to be sure, falling under the sovereign decree of God. And of course, we could go to 
many passages, but one that we no doubt must go to is Ephesians 
1. Ephesians 1. And it's probably one that we 
don't even have to turn to, do we? Because everyone has Ephesians 
1, 3 to 14 memorized and can recite it upon me asking. So let's see, who should we know? 
Ephesians 1, beginning in verse 3, and we don't have to read 
the entire section, but in verses 3 to 6, we have this idea repeated more 
than once, God's sovereign over the salvation of sinners. Blessed 
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed 
us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 
just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. 
See there we have the first one, just as he chose us in him before 
the foundation of the world, before the creation and providence, 
before time and history, God chose a fixed and innumerable, 
well they probably can be numbered, but a fixed multitude of sinners 
to the praise of his grace, just as he chose us in him before 
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without 
blame before him. And then notice we have the second 
one, in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus 
Christ to himself. So we have the second instance 
of this reality that God is sovereign in the decree of salvation. And 
then we have the stuff of God's sovereignty and what is actually 
operational. The true and sovereign agent 
in salvation is God the sovereign. According to the good pleasure 
of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace by which 
he made us accepted in the beloved. You see what we just spoke about 
with regards to the end of God's decrees in election and in reprobation. They serve either A, the praise 
of his glorious grace in the salvation of sinners or the praise 
of his glorious justice in the reprobation and damnation of 
sinners to the praise of his glorious grace. You can make 
a note, of course, as well. 2nd Thessalonians 2.13. In 2nd 
Thessalonians 2.13, we read Paul writing to the Thessalonians 
talking about the better things that are with the saints over 
and against those horrible things that are with those who follow 
the son of perdition. But we have the fact that he 
says that you were chosen for salvation through sanctification 
by the spirit and belief in the truth. So Christians are chosen 
for salvation from before the foundation of the world. Sinners 
are chosen for salvation before the foundation of the world. 
And in God's appointed and accepted time, he brings that to bear. The fruits of election are brought 
forth in regeneration, conversion, justification, all of those blessed 
things that we see in the ordo salutis, or order of salvation. 
So those are the things that the comprehensive nature of God's 
decree. All of those things, all things, 
fall under the decree of the Lord God Almighty. And just notice, 
fourthly, the unconditional nature of God's decree. We probably 
have got this from what we've discussed already, but the unconditional 
nature of God's decree. And in paragraph two, we have 
something of that. Although God knoweth whatsoever 
may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet 
hath he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future 
or as that which would come to pass upon. upon such conditions. That doesn't cover entirely the 
whole idea of unconditional nature of God's decree, but it does 
bring to view the reality that God's decree was not conditioned 
upon his foreknowledge of events that exist somehow outside of 
his own decreed of will. In other words, it wasn't the 
case that God, that there were somehow events that God had a 
knowledge of that he did not decree, that he foresaw and then 
made certain authoritative declarations based upon those foreseen events 
that exist outside of himself. For example, you know, sort of 
the Armenian scheme usually with regards to foreknowledge is that 
God looked through the tunnels of time and saw who would choose 
him, who would, you know, perform the works of obedience and then 
decreed or elected them based upon that foreseen knowledge. 
Well, that, of course, makes God's decree of election contingent 
upon man and his supposed free will. That is not how God decrees. Although God knoweth whatsoever 
may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet 
hath he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future. 
The prophets of God do not come as so many heralds declaring 
what God foresaw as future, but rather the prophets of God come 
as so many heralds declaring what God has decreed to occur. Waldron says this, scripture 
prophecy is therefore viewed as, so to speak, the transcript 
not of what God foresees, but of what God decrees. You see, 
so God decrees all things. Wholly removed and unconditioned 
by anything outside of himself, God decrees whatsoever comes 
to pass. And the prophets come in time 
and in history, declaring and proclaiming what God has decreed 
to occur to the praise of his grace and to the praise of his 
justice. And so we have this certain understanding 
that God does not decree because he foresaw something in his future. 
but rather God knows because God has decreed. The one does 
not precede the other. Also in view might be something 
with regards to Molinism, maybe. We have Molinism alive and operable 
a generation before, actually a couple generations before the 
framing of this confession. Molinism is a is a view that 
seeks to reconcile God's sovereignty with man's free will and responsibility. And it sort of centers around 
this idea of middle knowledge and what some of these philosophers 
would call counterfactuals, the idea that if such and such occurs, 
then such and such. So if P occurs, then Q. So it's like this idea that God 
stood deliberatively before a range of options and realities, seeing 
what could occur in a multiplicity of possible worlds, and then 
chose one and decreed based upon what he foresaw in that possible 
world. These people will try to sort 
of get God off the hook, if you will, for the sovereign predestination 
unto life and damnation unto condemnation and these sorts 
of things by having this idea where Possible worlds exist if 
you will outside of God and God chooses one based upon certain 
conditions Which might come to pass upon certain conditions 
and just very briefly one of the texts that they would go 
to is Matthew 11 verse 23 in Matthew 11 verse 23 we have Christ speaking with regards 
to sort of this idea of what would come to pass upon such 
conditions. And so the Molinists, that comes 
from the name of a Jesuit priest in the 16th century who came 
up with this sort of idea. Matthew 11 and verse verse 23 
notice what we read and you Capernaum who are exalted to heaven will 
be brought down to Hades For if the mighty works which were 
done in you had been done in Sodom it would have remained 
until this day You see we have something of a counterfactual 
there In other words, the fact is that the mighty works which 
were done in Capernaum were not done in Sodom. We have that as 
a fact because Christ didn't come until after the events that 
took place in Sodom. So the Molinist will come and 
say, you see, if it were the case that God had decreed it 
such or that God had chosen the world, if you will, where Christ 
had preached to Sodom and Gomorrah, then it would have been the case 
that Sodom would remain to this day. So they'll sort of say, 
okay, you know, God and this idea then they conceive of a 
God who stood before a range of options and chose one and 
brought that reality to bear in time and in history. But we 
have the unconditional nature of God's decree. God's decree 
determines things. It is not determined by the things 
that it determines. In other words, God is not determined 
by anything outside of himself, an event, an individual, a creature, 
but rather his decree is unconditional, it is free, and it is immutable. 
And that brings to view something, too. When we speak with respect 
to God's freedom, we can't construe it as that Molinist may construe 
God's freedom. God in eternity past, to use 
sort of a contradictory statement, but you know what it means. God 
in eternity past didn't stand before a range of possible realities, 
you know, deliberatively and then just choose one. That would rub against God's 
simplicity and his immutability. God decrees according to his 
own sovereign will. Remember that definition of omnipotence. God has the power to do whatever 
he wills or can will, those things that are not repugnant to his 
own nature or imply a contradiction. He does not stand in his freedom 
before a range of options and choose one. But rather, his freedom 
is seen in the fact that he is not conditioned by anything outside 
of himself. He is not a contingent being. 
He is not necessarily subservient. to his creatures or creation 
or to possible worlds that exist outside of himself, but rather 
he is a most simple being existing in and of himself who acts and 
decrees according to his good pleasure. If you want to make 
a note, we have the unconditional nature of God's decree seen in 
Isaiah 40, 13 to 14. Language and text that is repeated 
in Romans 11, 34 and 1 Corinthians 2, 16. And then lastly, as we close 
here, we have the redemption and God's decree. We already 
talked about that with respect to the salvation of sinners, 
that God's decree is seen in its comprehensiveness in all 
of those things we listed, including to the glory of his grace, the 
salvation of sinners. But this is a statement with 
respect to redemption and God's decree. And we'll get to this 
more when we get to the providence of God in chapter 5. But this 
is Raymond with respect to redemption, the fall, the elect, the reprobate, 
etc. He says, for the praise of the 
glory of His grace, God elected some sinful men, note, in order 
to reveal the glory of his grace, he views these men as transgressors 
of his law from the outset, to salvation in Christ and for the 
praise of his glorious justice, reprobated the rest of sinful 
mankind. The decree of reprobation is 
not an end to itself, rather it serves the decree of election. 
See Paul's teaching in Romans 9, 22 to 23 that the decree of 
reprobation serves the end of making known the riches of God's 
glory That is his merciful grace to the elect whom he prepared 
in advance for glory so when we think about the decree of 
God its comprehensiveness, but specifically at the point of 
election and reprobation we do not have the fact that God just 
Permitted permits the sin of the reprobate and allows them 
to bring themselves to their own damnation but rather beforehand 
in eternity past foreordained their eternal destruction. It 
was not unto the end of that destruction and damnation, but 
rather unto the end of the praise of his glorious justice in their 
condemnation and the praise of his glorious grace to those elected 
beforehand unto glory. So we have in that 45 minutes 
the decree of God. Much more no doubt could be discussed. 
with respect to the decrees of God, the order of the decrees, 
and that sort of a thing, the free offer of the gospel, but 
those for another time. Why don't we close in prayer, 
and then if there are any questions and that sort of a thing, feel 
free to ask away. Let's pray. God, we rejoice in 
your truth. We rejoice in doctrine. We thank 
you that you have revealed yourself in the holy scriptures. We thank 
you that we do serve a sovereign God, the living and true God, 
who is in the heavens and who does whatever he pleases. And 
truly we confess, Lord God, that we are dependent upon you. You are not dependent or dependent 
upon us, but rather we depend upon you, our sovereign, living 
and true God. We come to you now and we would 
ask that you would give that measure of your spirit in the 
upcoming hour of worship, that your saints might glorify your 
name and that sinners might be saved. We pray for Pastor Butler 
as he brings the truth, that you would strengthen him, encourage 
him in the pulpit, and give him that aid from on high to preach 
well the things of our blessed God. And it's in Christ's name 
that we pray. Amen.