Having considered God’s eternal purpose, as respecting whatever shall come to pass, which is generally called an internal, or immanent act of the divine will, we are now to consider those works which are produced by him, in pursuance thereof. It is inconsistent with the idea of an infinitely perfect Being, to suppose, that any of his decrees shall not take effect, _Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?_ Num. xxiii. 19. _His counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure_, Isa. xlvi. 10. This is a necessary consequence, from the immutability of his will, as well as from the end which he has designed to attain, to wit, the advancement of his own glory; and therefore, if he should not execute his decrees, he would lose that revenue of glory, which he designed to bring to himself thereby, which it cannot be supposed that he would do; and accordingly we are to consider his power as exerted, in order to the accomplishment of his purpose. This is said to have been done either in the first production of all things, which is called, _The work of creation_, or in his upholding and governing all things, which is his _providence_; both which are to be particularly considered. And, I. We are to speak concerning the work of creation, and so to enquire what we are to understand by _creation_, and to consider it as a work peculiar to God. II. That this work was not performed from eternity, but in the beginning of time. III. How he is said to create all things by the word of his power. IV. The end for which he made them, namely, for himself, or for his own glory. V. The time in which he made them. And, VI. The quality or condition thereof, as all things are said to have been made very good. I. As to the meaning of the word _creation_; it is the application thereof to the things made, or some circumstances attending this action, that determine the sense of it. The Hebrew and Greek words[1], by which it is expressed, are sometimes used to signify the natural production of things: Thus it is said, in Psal. cii. 18. _The people that shall be created_, speaking of the generation to come, _shall praise the Lord_; and elsewhere, in Ezek. xxi. 30. says God, _I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created_, that is, where thou wast born, in the land of thy nativity. And sometimes it is applied to signify the dispensations of providence, which, though they are the wonderful effects of divine power, yet are taken in a sense different from the first production of all things: thus it is said, in Isa. xlv. 7. _I form the light, and create darkness_; which metaphorical expressions are explained in the following words, _I make peace, and create evil_.