The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

Ob. God is said to depart from men, and to return to men, ¹Psal. 10. 1. & 6. 5. thus God departed from Saul: Ergo he is not every where.

Ob. God is said to depart from men, and to returne to men, ¹Psal. 10. 1. & 6. 5. thus God departed from Saul: Ergo hee is not euery where.

1. 1Object.Obiect.

Sol. God doth depart from or return to men, not by stirring his essence, or changing his place, but in respect of the ¹declaration of his mercy or Justice, and so he departs either ⟨p. 99⟩from wicked men or godly men: from wicked men he departs, when he hath not mercy on them, or when he takes away the means of grace and lets them fall into hardness of heart and so into perdition, or when he takes away the blessings he had given them. He departs from godly men either when he withdraws the sense of his grace and favour from their sins or seems to deny them help or deliverance in their distresses. He returns to the godly both inwardly and outwardly: Inwardly when he restores the sense of his favour and the joy of his Salvation, and when he goeth on to work Faith and Repentance in them. Outwardly when he declares his presence by outward effects, as by deliverance, or unexpected blessings.