Natural Theology, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
The Doctrine further improved by way of Exhortation. The beſt way of improving the Works of Creation. How all wickedneſs ſprings from want of a through Belief of God's Being.
I Shall proceed next to Exhort you to Improve the Works of Creation to the ſtrengthening this principle in you, that God is. Some arrive to no higher Improvement of them, than what is Natural and Senſual to pleaſe and delight their Senſe, or ſatisfie their Appetite in the Natural Goodneſs of the Creatures. As thoſe Jews whom Chriſt reproves in the 6th of John, who followed him becauſe of the Loaves which they had eaten, and were filled with, but regarded not the power of Chriſt which wrought the Miracles in the Loaves. So Senſual Men are pleaſed with that good they find in the Creatures to ſatisfie their Appetite, and gratifie their Senſe, but look not to that power of God that gave theſe Creatures their Being, nor to that goodneſs of God that put this good into them. The Philoſophers of Old went higher, when they delighted their minds in the diſquiſition of the ſecrets of Nature in the Works of Creation. But we ſhould aſcend yet a ſtep higher in a Theological uſe of the Creation, to aſcertain and diſcover thence the Godhead to us: So as to be led up from the Viſible to the Inviſible, from Finite to that which is Infinite, from Particular Beings to that which is Univerſal, and from Corruptible things, to that which is Eternal. Of all Fundamentals of Religion; this is the moſt Fundamental, and therefore ſhould be moſt deeply …ounded in us. It is as the Spring whence all our Motions in Religion ariſe, and ſo they will be ſtronger or weaker as our Belief of this great Principle is ſtrong or weak in us. For as God himſelf is Prima Veritas, the firſt Truth, ſo to believe his Being, is Primum Verum, The firſt Truth to be received of us. And as Moſes ſets it down for the firſt Commandment to be obeyed to have the true God for our God: So the Apoſtle doth deliver it as the prime Object of Faith, to believe that the Worlds were made by God, Heb. 11. 3. That is, to believe him not only to Be, but to be the firſt Being.
The Heathens beholding the Sun, Moon, and Hoſt of Heaven, imagined them to have ſome Deity in them, and Worſhipped them as Godds, inſtead of aſcending to God by them, from whence they were call'd Tſabit. Bradward. lib. 1. cap. 1. pag. 8.And ſo in the lower World, what-ever they found comfortable to Nature, they were ready to Deifie. As the Poet ſpeaks, Jupiter eſſe pium ſtatuit quodcunque juvatet. Hereupon the Caldeans worſhipped the Sun and Fire, becauſe they found them beneficial. The Egyptians Worſhipt the River Nilus, becauſe it was profitable to their Country. And others would Worſhip the very Leeks and Onions in their Gardens upon that account; which one of their own Poets derides them for,
O Sanctas,Juvenal. Gentes, quibus haec naſcuntnt in hortis,
Numina, &c.
An holy people ye I trow,
Who have your Godds in Gardens grow.
And verily a God is he to a Man, that helps a Man, Plin. Lib. 1. Cap. 7.ſaid Pliny. And ſo theſe viſible things of God that ſhould have led them to the Inviſible, did hide God out of their ſight. The acknowledgment of God to be the Creatour of the World, did continue with ſome Evidence and Power until Nimrod's time, who taught the Babylonians to contemn God's Power and Providence, as Joſephus tells us; and after that Idolatry began to ſpring up apace. And as our Apoſtle ſpeaks, They worſhipped and ſerved the Creature, more than the Creatour. And as Philo to the ſame purpoſe,Philo. Lib. de mundi opificio. foreign; more admiring the World, than the Maker of the World. For what was their Apollo, but the Sun? their Diana, but the Moon? their Venus, but a Star, &c. It's true, there are ſome Footſteps of a Deity in all the Works of Nature; but we ſhould aſcend by theſe Footſteps, as by a Footſtool to the God of the World, as Solomon by ſeveral ſteps aſcended to his Throne; and by the Scale of Nature aſcend to the God of Nature. But becauſe this Belief of God's Being, is not ſo throughly rooted, or at leaſt not excited as it ought, therefore ſo much wickedneſs is practiſed in the World, even at this day.
If you look upon the wicked and ungodly, that give up themſelves to all kind of Exceſs and Senſuality, do they, think you, verily believe there is a God? Doth not the Pſalmiſt tell us that ſecret Atheiſm is the Root of that impiety that is ſo viſible in the World? Pſal. 41. 2. The fool hath ſaid in his Heart, there is no God; and what follows? They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, &c.
Or, if you look upon Men that are of a more ſober Conſtitution, and it may be under ſome outward Profeſſion, 1. Whence is it that they are more careful to pleaſe Men, than to pleaſe God; to have Man's favour, than God's? Or 2. Why can Men take liberty to ſin in ſecret, when they think no Eye of Man obſerveth them? 3. Why are Men more careful to ingage the help of a Creature with them in their undertakings, than God's aſſiſtance? 4. Why are Men ſo little Solicitous about a future State, and a World, and Judgment to come? 5. Why are Men ſo wholly bent upon a Finite Good, which is found in the Creature; and look ſo little after their chief Good? 6. Why are Men ſo ſelf-confident, and think themſelves to be ſelf-ſufficient to ſubſiſt, and act of themſelves? 7. Why is it Men make themſelves their ultimate End, and look not to an higher End in the ſeveral Deſigns and Actions of their Life? 8. Why are not Men thankful, and give God the praiſe of what good they enjoy? Why is it when Men come to worſhip, they worſhip as if they worſhip't not? care not with what Slightneſs, Dulneſs, Formality it is performed? care not to ingage their Hearts in what they do? Whence is all this miſcarriage, and much more that I might mention, but becauſe there is a Root of Atheiſm ſtill in the Hearts of Men? I ſay it again. Did Men truly, and throughly believe the Being of God, do ye think they would not prefer pleaſing him before the pleaſing of Men? Would they not be afraid of ſecret, as well as open ſins? Would they not principally endeavour to engage him with them in their Affairs? Would they not be more Solicitous about their Final Account, and Eternal Eſtate? Would they not ſeek after him who is the chief Good, more then the Inferiour Good of this world? Would they not put their truſt in him, and devote themſelves to him; & look better to the manner of their Worſhip, both as to Principle, Rule, and End, and ſhew themſelves thankful for Mercies they enjoy? As the Apoſtle ells the Epheſians, Cap. 2. 12. that before their Converſion by the Goſpel, they were not only without Chriſt, but foreign, Atheiſts in the World. And yet at Epheſus there was the Temple of the great Goddeſs Diana, whom they all worſhipt, and the Image which fell down from Jupiter, Act. 19. 35. They knew not the true God, and the true Worſhip of him, and ſo are ſaid to be without God. And I may apply this to our ſelves; whatever Men's Tongues may ſpeak of God, and pretend of Devotion to him, yet it is evident Men's Actions declare that they do not in their hearts believe his Being. In their words they profeſs him, and in their works they deny him, Tit. 1. ult. And there is no greater Monſter in the Creation, than the Speculative Atheiſt, unleſs it be the practical; that ſaith there is a God, and yet lives without him: and God's own People who fear him, truſt in him, ſeek after him, obey him, &c. yet they would do all theſe with greater ſtrength, integrity, and freedom of Soul, if they did more Practically believe his Being, and had the impreſſion of it more powerful upon their hearts. When Ahaziah ſent to enquire of Baalzebub, whether he ſhould recover or not, what ſaid Elijah? Is it not becauſe there is no God in Iſrael, that thou ſendeſt to ènquire of Baal-zebub? 2 King. 1. Yes, there was a God of Iſrael, but he was as if he was not unto Ahaziah. Men cannot nullifie God's Being in it ſelf, but they may nullifie it to themſelves. As the Heathen Idols they were foreign Nothings, as the Apoſtle ſaith of them, 1 Cor. 8. 4. yet when Men Worſhips them, truſted in them, and gave Divine Honour to them, they made them Godds. So on the other-hand, they not honouring, acknowledging, reverencing, and truſting in the true God, do make him as nothing. For it is only thoſe that glorifie him as God that do truly own and believe his Being. Yea, those Duties that are more properly Evangelical, and not ſo expreſly contained in the Law of Nature, yet the belief we gather to our ſelves, of the Being of God from the Creation of the World, may much influence us that live under the Goſpel to the performance of; and ſo Natural Divinity may be made ſubſervient to Chriſtianiry, whereof I ſhall give account in the next Chapter.