A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 34 (Question 9)
SERMON XXXIV.
QUESTION, IX.
WHAT is the Work of Creation?
ANSWER.
THE Work of Creation is, God's making all things of nothing, by the Word of his Power, in the ſpace of Six Days, and all very good.
CREATION is the Firſt part of God's Efficiency. The thing muſt Firſt have a Being, in order to it's being Provided for. In the Deſcription here given, we may obſerve ſeveral things; 1. The thing deſcribed, Creation 2. The thing aſſerted, Creation is, there ſuch a Work. 3. The Author or F…ent of it, God wadert. 4. The Subject of it, All things. 5. The Negative Principle. (if I may ſo call it,) of Nothing. 6. The Active Principle, from which this Efficiency proceeded, the Word of his Power. 7. The Time taken up in it, in the ſpace of Six Days. 8. The Quality in which it was made, all very Good. The opening of theſe, will help us in the Contemplation of this great Work of God.
Firſt, THE thing deſcribed is Creation. This Word is ſometimes uſed in a more large ſenſe, to expreſs any Origination that is given to the thing, and is applied to any Efficient of things Natural or Artificial. But in the ſtrict and Scriptural ſenſe of the Word, it is reſtrained to a peculiar ſenſe, and fignifies, the giving to a thing it's whole and …re Being; end ſo it is differened from all other Works, whether Natural or Artificial: In thoſe there are New Forms introduced, into Matter that is fitted and diſpoſed to receive them; but in Creation it is otherwiſe; for here the Matter is Made in order to the producing the Form: They do but bring a Form into an old Matter; but in this the thing is altogether New; the thing was Nothing before Creation gave it a Being. It is true there is a different manner of Creating ſome things and others; ſome had their whole Exiſtence at firſt, others ſucceſſively; but in both it was Creation Work that ſet the firſt ſtroke to them, before which they were nothing at all, as will afterwards appear.
Secondly, THE thing aſſerted Creation is, there is ſuch a Work. If there be a Creature, then a Creation. Either the World muſt be Eternal, or it muſt have a Beginning; Eternal it cannot be, for then we make it God, to whom Eternal belongs as an Attribute Incommunicable: If it had a Beginning it muſt needs be Created; a thing that once was not, and now is, had an Efficient; and if it receive from him it's whole Eſſence, it was then Created.
NOW, that the World had a Beginning may be proved evidently to us, not only by clear Scripture-Teſtimony, which aſſures as of it, Gen. 1.1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And tells of things which were before the World was, Joh. 17.5. Prov. 8.23. &c. But alſo by convincing Arguments. For,
1. ETERNITY is aſcribed unto God, as His alone Prerogative, See, Pſal. 90.2. Before the mountains were brought ſorth, or ever thou hadſt formed the earth and the world: even from everlaſting to everlaſting, thou art God. Col. 1.17. He is before all things—. 1. Tim. 1.17. Now unto the King Eternal, &c. Now that which is not Eternal, muſt needs be Temporary, for theſe two are oppoſites; that which is not Eternal is a Subject of Time. Now Time is nothing elſe but a Meaſure of the Creature's Duration; and being a Meaſure, it muſt have its Limits. A thing which hath it's Meaſures, muſt be followed up to its Beginning, where the Meaſure is at an end; if it have none, it is Immenſe. But,
2. THE Original of Nations and ſtem that the World had a Beginning, and is m… Eternal If are look into the Antiquity of the World, we ſhall find where, and when it was firſt Peopled; and the pearer we come the Place from whe… the Nations ſpread themſelves abroad the greater Monuments of Antiquity are to be found: Yea, by the help of the Scriptures we may count up how many Years it is, ſince the Firſt Man was made; and it is unreaſonable to think the World ſhould ſtand ſo many Thouſands of Ages before it had a Man in it.
3. THE Original of Hiſtories gives further light to this. Conſult all Chronologies, and they will confute the Notion of the World's Eternity, The Scripture Hiſtory runs us up the higheſt of any; and indeed it begins with the Begining, and that comes conſiderably ſhort of Six Thouſand Years. The moſt Ancient Hiſtory of the Gexties begins with the Monarchy of the Aſſyrians, and the Reign of Ni…s which is ſuppoſed to be Contemporary with the Life of Abreb…: all that they ſpeak of before, is meedy Mythological; and indeed thoſe very Reconds are confuſed Fragments, and very Fab…l…m: And if there were no Original of the World, why did not the Poets ſing of other things before the Funerals of Troy. If there have been in…menrable Ages, why have we no Relation of their Action?
4. THE Newneſs of the Invention of Arts, …u… further evince this. It is certain that the Arts are all of them imprinted in the Book of the Creature; and from thence it is that Men's Reaſoning Power Collects them, by Obſervation and Experience, the Foundation of them is laid in the Nature of things, and is gathered from thence by curious inquiry: And ſuch is the neceſſary uſe of them in the Management of Human Affairs, that Mankind could not have lived without them for an Infinite ſpace of Time. Now it is manifeſt in Hiſtory, who were the Inventors of theſe Arts. The Scripture gives us an Account of the Fathers of many of them: And it is apparent that many of them were but of Yeſterday, in compariſon, and have not at this Day arrived at Perfection, but have new Expriments added to them continually.
5. THE Succeſſion of things will alſo pr… it. We read, Eccl 1.4. One Generation pa… away, and another cometh—. And our conſtant Obſervation confirms it to us. Now, not only doth one Generation follow another, but one proceeds from another ſucceſſively, and it is our poſſible that the total Collection of Generations ſhould proceed from another by Generation, but it muſt needs he by Creation. There is a Succeſſion of Hours, Days, Years, Ages; and where there is a Succeſſion, there is no Eternity, but a Beginning: In the ſame Horizon, either the Day muſt be before the Night, or the Night before the Day, both could not coexiſt in the ſame Place; and if one be before the other then it is a Succeſſion, and not an Eternity which is an abiding Now, without any Succeſſion at all. If there hath been Infinite Time, then a Day muſt be as long as a Year; yea that this Day is not: If Infinite Days had gone before, they could never have come to an end, to make room for the Introduction of This Day; yea Yeſterday, this Day, and to Morrow would be the ſame; which things are meerO…tradictions.
6. THE Corruption alſo of things in the World. d…th … that it had a Beginning. For of things had not a Beginning, how could they End: Now in this World we ſee things are daily Corrupted; Men and other Creatures are going to their Diſſolution: Time and Change are Com…itants, Eternal things are Immutable … …t which hath a Death, had a Earth, the… which goes did come; fleeing things are Tem…, diſſoluble things were ſet together; and we are told of the very Earth and …en…, what they we like to come in tho' for the preſent they ſeem to abide through all theſe Changes, 2. Pet 3.10. but the day of the Lord will come as a chief on the night; in the which the be…e…n ſhed poſs …ry with a great …ſe, and the … ſhall me… ſerve… bear, the earth alſe, and the works th… are therein ſhall be … up. If then the World had a Beginning it was Created; and this will …ſe further appear in the ſequel of this Diſcourſe.
Thirdly, THE Author or Efficient of this Creation, and that in God: God Created the Heaven, and the Earth, Gen. 1.1. The Works of Creation are therefore aſcribed to him, Iſa 40.28.42.5. & 44.24. The Attribute of Crea…, belongs to Him, and …me elſe. Now on ſuppoſition that the World was Created, it a…o…rily follows that God Created it; and this will appear, both.
I. FROM the Conſideration of the things pro…eed by Creature. And here conſider,
1. THAT the Creature could not make is ſelf. Thus …ſe is ſomething Antecedent to the Effect, and therefore cannot be the ſome with it; what … a thing do towards its own Reing, when it in …? The Efficient is Active, the Effect is Paſſive: If the Creature were its own Maker, it ſhould be before it is.
2. THERE is no Being either before or beſide the Creature, but God. The firſt and higheſt diſtribution that we can find of Being, is into God and the Creature; and there is nothing but what belongs to one of theſe. If then the Creature could not make it ſelf, God muſt; if it muſt have a Maker that was before it, it muſt be He. The Creature began with Time, what is before that is Eternal, and that is no other had God.
3. THE Nature of the Creation ſaith, that it could have to other Maker but God. If we look into the things themſelves, and view the Frame of the Woold, and take notice of the curious and exquiſite manner of the Make of it; the exact Harmony and Symetry of the whole, and the curious Contrivances in each part; (in which the leaſt Fly is full of wonders;) it will diſcover Infinite Wiſdom, and Eternal Power to have been at Work about it: which are plain Demonſtrations that God's Hand alone formed and brought it forth; all the Beings that are in the Would carry in them the witneſſes who it was that made them; Rom. 1.20. The Inviſible things of Him, from the Creation of the world, are …early ſe…, &c. Pſal. 10. beg. The bea…, …re the glory of God, and the … i… …dy work.
II. FROM the Me…er of their Production; which was in a way of Creature. It is true ſome Creatures are con…ted in a way of Grea…. but all had their Beginning by Creation; and this is a Work th… …oe b…t God could do; there is no other … can work in ſuch a way: … away Ma…als which they may work upon, and the whole world of Created Agents, Matu…al and Artificial, muſt ſit Idle, and do nothing … Art can work, if Nature a…ord it ſome compl… matter. Let a Corp… have ſ…itable Stand, and be can build an Houſe, otherwiſe not. Nature can work if … be a Principle to work upon, though incomple…t: Let there be Seed, and it one produce a Pant; Spa…, and it can make a Fi…: But to Work without pre… Manner, ſo as to bring forth the Firſt Pſalm without a Seel, the F… Fi… without a Spe…; you the Firſt Primeri…e, of theſe, and all things, … of Nothing, by his bare if and of Command, is proper to God, and belongs to no other; but ſuch is the Work of … It is ſuch a Work as requires O…i…y to E…fect, and therefore none … He w…o is O…rpe…e…, could ever being it about.
Fearthly, THE …, and that is, Al th…. There is nothing beſides Himſelf, but what is made; and whatſoever is made, He made it: All Being is either Firſt or Second, … the Sa… … the Firſt; there is no Second Being one …e its Original Primarily to any but Him. Hence, We read in, Rev. 4.11. — Thou buſt created all things.— Every Rank and Species of Being come out of His hand immediately in Creation: the Contio…o… and Succeſſion of any of theſe Kinds is by His Providence; in the former he uſed none, in the latter he uſeth the Inſtrumentality of ſecond Cauſes; ſo that there is no Creature but founds related to Him as its Creator; and there is … Being beſides Him, but what bears the … mination of Creators.
Fifthly, THE Negative Pri… … gation of any Principle Materi…, … of Nothing. He had, as no T…l… to … ſo … work upon; and this is that … it take a Creatures indeed. This … to the Doctrines of Faith; and … comprehend it; … was here p…ied and nonpluſt; many of them tangut the works of Creation ſo far, as to acknowledge there was a Time when there were as particular Creatures, not Forms of things, neither Elementaries, nor any Elements; nothing but a Rule and indigeſted Heap or Ch…es of formleſs Matter. on which they confeſs the Eternal Agent did work, and out of which he educed all the Species of Beings, giving them their ſeveral Forms and Qualities, and appointed them their ſeveral Ends and Uſes; but ſtill this Material Principle of the World, they thought to be Co-eternal with God. The ground of which Opinion was, a Maxim taken up in Heathen … from whe… they co…ed … it to be an u…ter I… in the …, th…t ever any Being ſhould be pr…ced from a bare …. But t…is Principle is n…t … true. If we confider the …i…ary …ſe of Nature, or look open Nature as … co…tated: now things are not ordi…rily Made, but are of ſome Pre…e…ient Matter. But if we ſpeak of Nature in its Conſtitution, or ſeek it to the Firſt Order or Condition of Being, t…ere was a Supernatural Work in that; and though Nature cannot, yet the God of Nature can and …th produce Something out of Nothing; and out of that Something. All th…ng…. New that this World was made of Nothing, is evident,
1. BECAUSE it was Cr…med; and we have heard that the Nature of Creation, is to give the whole of its Being to the thing: The Apoſtle tells us … the Article of our Faith, about the Creation, Heh 11.3. Th… faith we under …a…d that the world: were fr…med by the word of God, ſo that things … are ſoon, were … made of things wh… … appear. And ſee, Rom. 4.17 God … the …eal, end cali…h theſe things …
2. THIS Pre-exiſtent Matter muſt be either Creature, or the Creater. This is the higheſt Duſtribution of Be…gs that we can riſe unto: And what Ab…rdities are there, which neceſſarily follow upon either of theſe Suppoſitions? For, 1. IF we ſuppoſe it to be the Cre…, then we confeſs it to be God Himſelf; then we make the … and the Matter to be the ſame: … God moſt communicate of His …n …ubſtance to the Creature: then there is in the Divine Eſſence a Material Principle, and that Diviſible and capable of Generation & Corruption; & then the Creature proceeds from God Naturally and not Voluntarily, Etermily and not in Time: All which are …ſphe…s Cencl…ſi…s, and altogether rep…gnant to the Nature of God. 2. IF we ſuppoſe it to be a Creature, then it muſt have an Original, and thence it muſt have 2 Time when it began to be before which it was not; and therefore that matter muſt ultimately be made of Nothing; for to ſuppoſe a pre-exiſtent Matter of that Matter, is not to evade the Intri…ary, but to make it more entangled: So that of neceſſity, our Con…emplation of theſe things muſt ultimately reſolve it ſelf here, viz. That all things came firſtly …ut of Nothing: And why ſhould it be thought Impoſſible with God, (with whom all things are Poſſible,) to give a Being to the things that were Not, becauſe we imp…t… Creatures cannot comprehend it, ſince he is able to do more than we can think?
Sixthly, THE Adive Principle from which this Efficiency proceeded, viz. The Word of His Power. His …n…p…tent Will gave the Being of all Things and this is called His Powerful Word; and we read. Pſal. 33.6. …. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made.—He ſpike and it was done—. And how often in Gen. Chap. 1. And God …eid, &c. and it was. Here is to be obſerved, 1. God's O…nip…ten…. 2. His Decree. (of both which, hath been already ſpoken.) 3. His Word, which is the employing His Om…p…ency, to accompliſh His Purpoſe, and ſo t…e Creature …e…ived its Being.
USE. FROM what hath been already ſaid, we may Learn.
1. GOD's … S…y-Per… in that be c…uld Li…e E…nally without the Creature: He is therefore His … Happineſs; He was … ſ…ever, before the World was; and that was Infinite A….
2. THAT God p…du…ed the Creature … by any Neceſſity of Nature, but by his …pan… It … Rev. 1.11. — For thy …, they are, … were cre…e…. Pſal. 115.3 … God …pan… whatſoever be …heaſed. God's neceſſary and natural Acts: E…erral, but the Creature was made in T…m… and therefore it was meerly a Product of his Good Will.
3. THAT it is … for M…n to … …pes for Eterz…ty upon the World or any thing in it: How can the Offspring of Time Crown him with Eternal Felicity? needs muſt it f… … who hath no where elſe to go for it.
4. If is good … Original Let us every one c…ntem… the Creat…, and there we ſhall ſee that a while ag…, we came cut of the Wemb of o…t Mother Nothing … is may allay the Pride … Man, when be begins to be …own up … Self-Al…ir…i…. Wh… th… or what it thy Father's Houſe? whence come… thou, th… th… diſdaineſt all about thee? Tell me, Art thou not the Son of Ad… and was not he the S… of D…ct, and was not that the Child of Nothing? Here is thy Parentage.
5. THAT we are to aſcribe … God the Glory of our Creatu…. All his Works …ere to praiſe hi…. We are to acknowledge that be … made as: The Confeſſion of this Truth, … by … diſtinguiſh the True God … idols is neceſſary; Jer. 1….11, 12. Thus ſtell ye ſ…y … them. The gods that have … made … and the …, even they ſhall peri… … … car…, and from under …teſe …. He … made the earth by his power, …e …ath eſtabi…ed the world by his wiſdom, end …ebed …t the heavens by his diſcretie…. Heathen Py…h… could ſay, He that will challenge a D…ty to himſelf, muſt be able to ma…e ſuch a World a… this; and ſay in Truth. I made i….
6. THAT we are to truſt in God againſt hope; Rom. 4.17, 18.
[SEPTEMSER 9. 1690.]