Natural Theology, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Evangelical Duties are promoted by a true belief of God's Being. How the Light of Nature may further the belief of the Scriptures, and Faith in Chriſt, and Repentance. Whence Repentance firſt ſprings? what is it to take up Chriſt's Croſs. How helped therein from the belief of God's Being. What influence the Light of Nature hath upon Obedience to Goſpel-Inſtitutions. Inference from the whole.
1. IT is an Evangelical Duty to believe the Scriptures; To receive them as a Divine and certain Rule of Faith and Obedience. Now we may fetch ſome help from the Light of Nature herein. Though I deny not but the Scripture is foreign, and hath ſuch Characters within it ſelf, as may perſwade the belief of it, and the Teſtimony of the Spirit in a Man's Conſcience is the ſureſt bottom of Divine Faith; yet ſome additional ſtrength may be borrowed from the Light of Nature. For that Light that declares to Man. There is a God that made the World, declares alſo a Providence, that he governs the World. If he governs the World he governs it in Wiſdom;Etenim ſi Deus eſt, utique providens eſt ut Deus. Nec aliter poteſt ei Divinitas attribui. &c. Lact. de ira Dei. Cap. 9. if in Wiſdom, then every Creature is governed according to the reſpective Principles of their ſeveral Natures. And therefore Man muſt be govern'd as a rational Creature. And he cannot be ſo governed but by a Law, and that Law enforced by Rewards on one hand, and Puniſhments on the other. Now either this Law thus enforced is found in the Scriptures, or no where,
There is no Book can pretend to ſtand in competition with the Scripture, exſtant in the World, fot the Turkiſh Alchoran, that is but of late years, and Man hath been under God's Government from the beginning. And moſt know by what Impoſtures it obtained any credit; and the ſeveral Abſurdities contained in it; and what a ſenſual happineſs it propoſeth to them that receive it. How it hath been from the beginning enforced upon people by the Sword. And never confirmed by thoſe many undoubted Miracles, which the Truths of the Scriptures have been.
But I need not enlarge on this Subject. There having been ſo many Learned Pens already engaged herein, eſpecially that Hononred Knight, whoſe worthy Book concerning the Reaſonableneſs of receiving the Scriptures for the Word of God, doth juſtly add new Honour to Himſelf, and a great Confirmation to the Truth.
2. The Goſpel calls upon Men to come to Chriſt, and to believe in him as the Saviour of the World: Now the powerful Sence of a Deity upon the Heart, will Excite and Influence Men thereunto. And the want of this I look upon as one great Reaſon why Chriſt is preached ſo much in vain. When Conſcience is awakened, then the Innate Notion of a Deity that was before, as it were aſleep, begins to awake. And then Men begin to fear, and the Sence of Sin, and Judgment to come, makes them enquire after a way of Reconciliation; and ſo Men are brought to Chriſt as the way, according to the notice they have of him in the Goſpel. So that as he that cometh to God, muſt firſt believe that God is, as we read, Heb. 11. So he that cometh to Chriſt, muſt be brought to him by an operative Belief of the Being of God.
When Paul came to Athens to preach Chriſt to them, he firſt inſtructed them concerning the true God, Act. 17. whom he declares to them to be the Maker of the World, ver. 24. God that made the World, and all things therein, &c. Here begins true Chriſtianity. Men are Chriſtians but in Name, till they come to Chriſt by true Faith, and they come not to him till the Practical Belief of God's Being doth excite them to it. As the dark Notions the Heathen had concerning God did lead them to offer Sacrifice to him, when they feared he was offended; So much more will the clearer knowledg of his Being, and the fear of his Wrath ſend thoſe that live under the Goſpel, to Jeſus Chriſt the true Sacrifice and Propitiation.
So that whiles I have been demonſtrating a Deity from the Works of Creation, I hope I have collaterally been ſerving the great Deſign of the Goſpel of bringing home ſinners to Jeſus Chriſt. As a Learned Man ſpeaks to this purpoſe; Dr. Jackſon, Vol. 1. p. 874.The ingrafted Notion is the Matter or Subject out of which God's Spirit raiſeth the entire and right frame of Faith, as it did the frame and faſhion of this viſible World out of that Maſs, which was firſt without Form, though created by him.
3. So Repentance is hereby promoted alſo. When men are throughly convinced that God is, they then begin to bethink themſelves of their wayes; how they have carried it towards him; how obſervant they have been of his Law; how they have anſwered his end in their Creation.
And hence now Repentance doth take its firſt riſe; What, ſaith the Sinner, if there be a God, as I now clearly find there is, wo is me that I have thus ſinned againſt him, and have taken no more notice of him! Alas, I have lived without him in the World; I have been concerning my ſelf about the Creatures; and have little thought of God my Creator, and had as little belief of his Being. Alas! what ſhall I do? How ſhall I poſſibly eſcape? I cannot flee from him for he is God. I will now judge and condemn my ſelf; I will mourn bitterly; I will lament my Folly and Ignorance; I will go to him, and ſay, Lord, I have ſinned againſt Heaven, and before thee: I am thy Creature, and the Work of thine Hands, yet have rebelled againſt thee. As Balaam went on confidently, tlll his eyes were opened, and he ſaw the Angel with the drawn Sword; but then ſaith the Text, He bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face; Then he confeſſeth, I have ſinned and if it diſpleaſe thee, I will go back again, Numb. 22. 31, 34. When ſinners eyes are ſo far opened that they can behold, and do powerfully believe the Being of God, it is the firſt ſtep towards their return and repentance. And the Works of Creation may be ſerviceable to this end. Though they cannot lead men of themſelves either to that knowledg of God, or knowledg of Sin, as might effect evangelical Repentance; yet the belief, and ſenſe of a Deity that may reſult from thence, may be the firſt ſtep towards it. And we know how God brought Job to abhor himſelf, and repent in duſt and aſhes, by ſetting before him the glory and greatneſs of his Being in the ſeveral works of Creation, and giving him a ſpiritual ſight of himſelf therein; as we read in the five laſt Chapters of that Book. So that Repentance may not only be helpt thereby, as to its firſt beginning in the hearts of the Impenitent, but furthered alſo in the Hearts of true Saints.
4. Taking up the Croſs of Chriſt; which we read of in the Scriptures, but not in the Works of Nature. However the knowledge we have of God's Being from thoſe Works, will further this Chriſtian Duty. For it is certain, what-ever it is that ſtrengthens this grand Principle in us, that God is, will enable us the better to ſuffer Perſecution. And upon the full belief of this did ſo many thouſand Martyrs offer up their lives, as I ſaid before, as knowing that it was for God's ſake, and from him they ſhould have a reward.
Was there no God, it was madneſs and folly in them to have ſo ſuffered; and had they not well believed it, they would not have been able to ſuffer. To you it is given, ſaith the Apoſtle, firſt to believe, and then to ſuffer, Phil. 1. 29. It is ſaid of Moſes, Heb. 11. 27. He endured as ſeeing him that is inviſible. And my Text ſaith, The inviſible Things of God, and his God-head are ſeen in the Works of Creation; ſo that the ſeeing of the Inviſible God, even in the Works of God, as well as his Word, may enable us the better to endure ſuffering. And however Atheiſtical Men may account it folly to ſuffer, yet from this Principle believed, That God is, a Chriſtian can demonſtrate his ſufferings for God to be moſt rational, upon the grounds of trueſt Reaſon.
And if you underſtand taking up Chriſt's Croſs as ſome do, for the crucifixion of the Fleſh; though this be alſo an Evangelical Duty, yet it is furthered and promoted by a practical believing the Being of God; to which the Works of Creation do contribute much. As Atheiſm, and not believing God's Being, doth open a wide Door of Liberty to the Fleſh; ſo the true believing it will engage Man to reſtrain and crucifie it. As when there was no King in Iſrael, Every Man did that which was right in his own eyes; much more if men believe not there is a God in Heaven. But now the ſetting of an Almighty Infinite God, the Creator of the World, in the view of the Soul, How doth this daſh ſin out of countenance, as it did in Joſeph? How can I commit this wickedneſs and ſin againſt God? What ſhall I ſin againſt and before that God which made Heaven and Earth? that God that hath ſtampt the Characters of his Being round about me, upon me, and within me? If there be a God, as I ſee the undeniable evidence of it in his Works; Shall I maintain an Idol-Luſt as a falſe god in mine own heart? And ſhall he, who is the ſupream Being, find any thing ſet up in my mind above him? and he that is the chief Good, find any Good ſtanding as Competitor with him in my Affections? And that God that made all things for himſelf, ſhall I not live unto him as my ultimate End, and live no more to my ſelf in the ſerving of the Luſts of mine own Heart and Mind?
4. If we ſpeak of thoſe Inſtitutions of the Goſpel, which are the Ordinances of Divine Worſhip, and not made known by the Light of Nature, yet we may derive ſtrength from Nature's Light, to enforce their Authority upon our obedience. Though we cannot do it ex antecedenti, becauſe the Light of Nature doth not reveal them; yet we may do it a conſequenti, ſeeing they are acknowledged from the Scripture to be the Ordinances of God. For the Light of Nature tells men there is a God, it then tells men this God ought to be worſhipped; now the Scriptures, that Chriſtians receive as the Word of God, tell men that theſe Inſtitutions are his Commands and Rule for Worſhip; and therefore the very Light of Nature that declares a God to us, doth alſo thereby urge us to give obedience, that therein we may give worſhip to him. I deny not but God is to be obeyed and worſhipped upon a newer and more Evangelical account, as our Redeemer in Jeſus Chriſt, and as we are purchaſed by his Blood; yet a Chriſtian may and ought to ſtrengthen his Obligation to Obedience herein, from the evidence he finds of God's Being, and ſo of his Sovereignty over his Creatures from the Works of his Creation. For as when we find an Inſtitution upon a moral Duty evidenced by the Law of Nature, that Law is ſtrengthned thereby; ſo we may derive Strength from the Law of Nature, to make thoſe Inſtitutions that are not contained therein, more obligatory to us. As God himſelf doth confirm this Truth when he ſpeaks to Iſrael, Levit. 19. 30. Ye ſhall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my Sanctuary, I am the Lord. The true owning God's Being, that he is Jehovah, the Lord, will ſtrongly oblige us to give obedience to Worſhip, that is, of pure Inſtitution. The firſt Commandment of the Law, well received, gives life and vigour to the Second, that ſpeaks of this Inſtituted Worſhip.
5. Or Laſtly; The believing the fulfilling what God hath ſpoken in his Word; and that the Counſels of his Mind revealed therein ſhall take place, is another Goſpel-Duty. Now when we believe his Being from the Creation of the World, and there ſee how his Word was fulfilled, when he ſaid, Let there be Light, and let there be a Firmament, &c. and it was ſo: We may hence ſtrengthen our Faith concerning the accompliſhment of his Word that is written; whether the Word of Promiſe to his Children, or Threatning to his Adverſaries. When Sarah doubted the fulfilling God's Promiſe to her; What, ſaid the Angel, Is any thing too hard for Jehovah? Which Name of God we do not read of until his Creation was finiſhed, and he had given being to all his Works; as appears by Gen. 2. 4. being before that called Elohim. Now Jehovah, that gave being to the Works of Creation, can he not alſo give being to his Word? Can there be greater difficulty in the fulfilling of his Word, than in creating all Things out of Nothing? After God had ſet before Job the Works of Creation, Job thence concludes, I know thou canſt do every thing, Job 42. 2. And the Pſalmiſt having ſaid, Pſal. 33. 6. By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made, &c. And Verſ. 9. For be ſpake, and it was done; he commanded, and it ſtood faſt: He hence makes this Inference; That his Counſel ſhall ſtand for ever, and the thoughts of his Heart to all Generations. His ſecret Counſel ſhall take place; but that is not the Object of our Faith, but his Counſel revealed in his Word; And we may ſtrengthen our Faith concerning it, by looking upon him as the Creator of the World. For when and whereſoever God ſpeaks, his Word never returns in vain; when he ſpake in the Creation of the World, his Word took place; and ſo ſhall his Word in the Scripture, where he is ſpeaking in every Age of the World.
Inference.
Now from all this I have ſaid, we may conſider how much it doth concern us to revive and ſtrengthen upon our Souls the impreſſions of God's Being. For though theſe Impreſſions be fundamentally in every Man's Nature, yet in ſome they are more lively and operative than in others. And it is no eaſie thing to preſerve the powerful Senſe of a Deity upon our hearts; I mean, ſuch a Senſe as may be prevalent to reſiſt temptations, and overpower the corruption of Nature. For we ſee, for the moſt part, how this Seed of Nature is choaked in the hearts of men. For this end let God be much in your ſight; behold him in the Works of his Creation and Providence, and in all your wayes acknowledg him; Concern him in all your Affairs; converſe much with him in Prayer; endeavour to bring your Reaſons under more powerful Convictions of the neceſſity of his Being. And eſpecially let Chriſtians ſtrengthen their Faith in it from the Word of God, and the Evidence of the Spirit in their Hearts. For it is an Act of Faith truly to believe God's Being, as Heb. 11. 3. And it is one work that the Spirit is converſant about in the Hearts of Saints to ſtrengthen this belief, and to make it more efficacious upon their Hearts. For this Faith hath its degrees, as well as that which hath Chriſt, the Promiſe, or Heaven for its Object. And by feeling the Divine Influences of the Spirit upon our Souls, we may be more confirmed in this belief, than by any Arguments from Reaſon. He that would have the Boughs and Branches thrive, doth ſeek to cheriſh the Root; So all Religion growing originally out of this Root, viz. the effectual belief of God's Being, we ſhould be daily ſtrengthening it in our ſelves. And as the withering of the Branches ariſeth from the decay and rotting of the Root; ſo, if it be well examined, mens decay in Religion, their neglect of Duty, and falling into immoralities and vicious practices, doth radically ſpring from the decay of the belief, and lively ſenſe of God's Being in their Souls.