Beginning with a careful consideration of Ecclesiastes 9:11, Oakes explains how the successes and events of undertakings and affairs are not determined infallibly by the greatest sufficiency in men, or even in second causes; but by the counsel and providence of God ordering and governing time and chance according to his own good pleasure. God’s counsel and sovereign will appoints what they shall be, and his providence (which is not determined by any second cause, but is the determiner of them all) executes all things accordingly. And it must necessarily be so, if you consider that God is the absolute first cause, and supreme Lord of all.
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Urian Oakes (1631–1681) was a New England divine, and president of Harvard College. Edmund Calamy states that Oakes was noted for the uncommon sweetness of his temper as a minister of the Gospel, greatly beloved by his congregation and popular with all who came in contact with him.
C. Matthew McMahon, Ph.D., Th.D., is a Reformed theologian, and pastor of Grace Chapel in Crossville, TN. He is the founder and chairman of A Puritan's Mind, the largest Reformed website on the internet for students of the Bible concerning Reformed Theology, the Puritans and Covenant Theology. He is the founder of Puritan Publications which publishes rare Reformed and Puritan works from the 17th century, specializing in the Westminster Assembly. He is also a managing partner at Reformed.org, and the Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics.