A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 38 (Question 9 cont.)
SERMON XXXVIII.
II. HAVING conſidered of the Creation of ſuch Living Creatures as have a Simple Life; it follows to take a view of them that Live a Comp…nd Life: And here.
[1.] IN G…. Things with a Comp… Life are things which, beſide the ſ…rementioned Vegetative and Motive Life, do alſo Live a Life of S…j…a Here Two things,
1. THEY Live …th the former Lives: They meet together in them, whereas they areal…e in the other; and this is o… Reaſon why they are ſaid to have a Compound Life. 1. THEY have the Life of Vegetation. Stars do not grow, but …e…tive Creatures do: They …reaſe in a way of Life: They receive Nouriſhment by Organs fitted in them for Vegetation, and animated by Vital Spirits: Hence they are the Subjects of Nutrition. Afteration, Augmentation; by Vertue whereof they arrive at their deſigned Stature. 2. THEY have the Life of M…n: Plants move not out o… their own Place to ſeek for Nouriſhment, being fixed, and have it where they ſtand; But theſe move up and down and ſeek for their Nutrition: They go from Place to Place to get their Food where they can find it.
2. THEY have a Third ſort of Life ſuperadded, viz. a Life of Senſe: Whether they have ſo many diſtinct Souls in them, as they have Kinds of Life, or whether they perform all theſe Functions, by one and the ſame Soul; let Philoſophers diſpute. The Soul conſidered as Senſitive is nothing elſe but a Senſible Spirit, by which our Nature perceives ſenſible Objects, by it's Bodily Organs, which other Creatures do not. In the Senſation of the Creature, there are Two things, which will come under conſideration, viz. 1. The Object. 2. The Faculty, together with its acting on the Object.
1. THE Object. There muſt be an Object for them; for the Act of the Senſes terminates on ſomething without them: It is ſomething which is preſented before them, for them to Act upon, which Object meets with the Senſitive Spirit in the Organ, by which the Object is repreſented unto, and made preſent with it.
2. THE Pa…lties or Senſes are according into their Internal or External Operation, of Two ſorts, viz. Inward or Outward Senſes.
(1.) THE Inward Senſes are made by the Internal Operation of the ſenſible Spirits: whether on the Brain or on the Heart: Theſe are, 1. THE Imag… … o… the …: which table in the Images of Things and receives the Impre… of them, as they are brought in by the Oc…rd Senſes: It is as it were the …, which takes in the … of things, as they are offered unto it. 2. THE … which lays together and compoſe… the Things which are preſented unto the Fancy, whereby the Senſitive Creature as it were, doth conc…e …; and accordingly either embraceth, or avoids the Object: And by this the Creature is capable of forming other Objects; from whence Senſitive Creatures are capable of Dreaming, which is nothing but the working of the Cogi…i…. 3. THE Memory▪ whereby the Creature is able to lay up, what Cogitation hath laid together: and to bring them together again unto the Fancy, when there is occaſion: And by this the Senſible Creature, having formerly ſeen … Object and obſerved it, knows it upon Sight a great while after. 4. THE Affections; which are nothing elſe but the Reflection of Cogitati… upon the Heart by which it is moved according to the Impreſſion it had there made: And by Vertue hereof are Senſitive Beings variouſly affected with Love. Hatred, Fe…r, Deſire, &c. And theſe appear in ſome of them unto Admiration.
(2.) THE Outward Senſes are recko…ed to be Five, in which there in an External Operation of the Senſitive Spir…s: And theſe are. 1. TOUCHING; and this is the moſt neceſſary Senſe of all, not only for the well Being, but alſo for the Abſolute Being of the Creature: This Senſe is defuſed through the whole Body, and helps it to diſcern or perceive the things in thoſe Qualities that may be felt: The l…ſs of this is the Death of the Subject. 2. TASTING; which the Philoſophers call a Kind of Seeing: The Tongue is the Organ, its Object is Savour, its Uſe is to diſtinguiſh of Meats, and Drinks, and is very Serviceable, both for Safety and Delight. 3. SMELLING; whoſe Organ is the Noſe, its Object Odours, and is Servicable unto the Preſerving of the Creature from Infections, and to refreſh the Brain. 4. HEARING; It hath the Ears for its Organ, Sounds for its Object, the Air the Medium; a noble Senſe, and is therefore called a Senſe of Diſcipline. 5. SEEING; which is ſcit…te in the Eyes; having Colours for its Object, Sight for the Medium; and a Senſe of great Utility, and Comfort to the Creature; The want of it makes a perpetual Night.
THERE are, beſides theſe, other things which belong unto the Senſitive Soul in theſe Beings: Sleep, which binds up the External Senſes from Acting: And Hunger and Thirſt, being an Impreſſion on the Senſes through want of Nutriment: But I paſs them over. Theſe are ſome of the Wonders of Creation in this Sort of Beings:
But▪
[2.] IN Particular, Senſitive Creatures are of Two Sorts, Brides, or Man, which doth withal live a m…re noble Life, as we may hear,
THESE are called by the General Name of … but herein they … higher a Life then what is … hath higher …: … were f…ſt …, being for the Uſe of Man, and it is ſit the Tenement ſhould be ſtock'd, before the Landlord come into it. Of …, … were … Imper…; and theſe were made on the Fifth day, G…. 1.10, &c. Theſe were of Two Sorts, F…es & …, the former were made to live in the Water, when there are innumerable, and the Le…ia th…n is the Glory of them all: the latter to f…y in the Air, of which alſo there are … Sorts, and all theſe for the Benefit of Man: Others were more … and were created … the Fifth day; they … ca…ed by the General Name of … them are … …ging in the Woods, and Intractable: others Tractable and …, and … to be ruled.
THESE are Preparatory Works of Creation, made ready for the Entertainment of Man, who is next to be treated of.
USE, 1. SEE here a World of Divine Wiſdom ſhining through thoſe Senſitive Creations; appearing in.
1. THE Cr…ly … & Proportion of … their Organs for the beſt Advantage for their Operations.
2. THE Wondrous … between the Senſes and their Objects.
3. THE Cap…i…ting the Spirits of …, in living Creatures, to put …th ſuch … Operations
4. THE Placing of all theſe ſo …ſely in ſ… B…es, ſo Small, and of ſo little Dimenſions.
USE, 2. SEE here and acknowledge the Goodneſs of God.
1. IN Pr…ding ſuch Creatures for … Uſe and Service: All of them proc…im his Be… and call for our Thankfulneſs.
2. IN the … of our Bodies, there… Goodneſs in every Member & Faculty, in Planing of them, and fitting of them for their Uſe, Pſal 139.14. I will praiſe thee, for I am fearfuly and wonderfully made.
USE, 3. SEE the Vanity of theſe that …y … out upon their Bodies: This is to be a Slave … Senſe, and to live a Life of Brutes: which is beneath a Man.
USE, 4. HERE is a … againſt Cruelty … Senſitive Creatures: They are our fellow O… tures, and as to bodily Compoſure and Senſitive Life, they ſtand in the ſame Order with us: … is God's Goodneſs hath given us the Uſe of them … it is our Sin, to be Cruel unto them; that is not an Uſe but Abuſe of them.
THUS have we ſeen the Creator putting of this lower World, of Inconſtant Natures into a Mee… to be an Habitation for ſome Nobler Being than … yet made; There ſtill wanted One Sort, which ſhould rent it of God, & pay Him the Tribute of Glory for it: Who therefore, (together with a Life of Senſe, by which he might Converſe among Men, and uſe theſe things.) muſt have a more Noble Life, for the enabling of him for the Improvement of all in the Actual Service of God: And tho' his Creation belongs unto the … …
… O… Thing … this … all. Into the ….
… W… have the … in what all … were … All … Go…. … in …. And that … it the lord of … Days work, … after all … Where we have God … it in taking a … of the … in every Part, and altogether and giving the … upon it. …. And …n … every thing that … ma…e, and … very go….
HERE … in General,
1. THE … is, its … us … Uſe, which …y … T…at which is Uſeleſs or … for the g…d…eſs of a … unto is End, … we muſt be a…e to ſay for a … we ſay nothing at all. God, … is mak… all things, … ſomething in the ſeveral Beings … be made. He were not a wiſe Agent that ſhould … and Time, in …ing a Tri…
2. GOD … For this F…tneſs is the very Fo…m … the Goodneſs … Creature: He gave ther… a Name … to there Work: He doth not … of them & …: He …itted them, … Impreſſion … …heir Natures … to the Laws of Nature, which be …id upon them, to be guided by; ſo that the Law which was their Rule, and their Natural … one the other exactly: He … their Qualities for their Operations; ſo that we may … in the Nature of their Being, what is the Law at Rule of their Being & Operation; and therefore … do Nature …, ſo far is their Blea…-Eyes can …ern them in the things.
3. THIS … of the …reature come under a double Conſideration.
1. GENERAL or Univerſal; and that … in the … of one thing with another, … that all … unto the Perfection of the whole and the … Glory of God, Pſal. 148. For … Second Being is …, ſo … the Firſt: and all things …, as they were made, were … to keep Tune in the Praiſing of God.
2. PARTICULAR; which is the ſpecial Operation whereby every Kind of Being, & every Individual in every Kind, were fitted to Serve to the great and laſt End, according unto its ſing… … Nature & Place it is ſet in, in the Creation: Which Service … is double; Active & Paſ….
(1.) ACTIVE; The Service of Angels and Men who were … for being Active it … in Serving of God, their Maker, and in their Natures capacitated for the Diſcharge of this High and Glorious Service.
(2.) PASSIVE; whereby other Creatures was fitted by way of Pa…ſive … to exhibit and declare His Praiſe, Pſal 1….1. The Heave… … glory of God; and the … work. Which we may call, …
1.… God, which … up…n it: It … upon it the …. It hath … but … it. Pſal. 1….1. T…s is the Declaration which it makes: It is as it were a … of the great Archi…t.
2. IN that whence of …: The Heathen … acknowledge, that he … diſcern ſ…rg of God in every …, and …le of G…ſs, that grew in the Field the Nature of Things, … Eth…s to acknowledge and … a Deity.
3. IN that they Services … in the active Serving & Glorifying of God; being for the Suſtentation and Comfort of our Lives, that we …y live unto his Praiſe, 1. Cor. 10.31. … or Dr…k, a … ye d…, … all is the Glory of God. 1 Tim. ….….…. Every Creature of God … good.—created by …, to be …. So that when Man ſerves God with …, then do the Creatures c…arfully ſerve him and ſo attain their End, and Advance the Glory of God.
USE, 1. SEE here, the Vanity under which the Creatures greats, was not from the Creation; it was then very Good. Goodneſs & Vanity are Direct Contraries: and this tells what an horrible Deformity the Sin of Man hath brought upon the World: When therefore we ſee all things out of frame, remember it is not from the Unskilfulneſs of the Workman, but the Confuſion which Sin hath burled upon the Works, that the curious Inſtrument is ſo diſordered: which hath broken ſome, and diſplaced other of the Wheels of it, whereby it is now full of Confuſion: And let it help to make Sin vile. & odious unto us.
USE, 2. SEE here, how … that will be another day, to ſay, I would have Served God, and I …. It is true fallen Man is become an Impotent Thing to Good; he is fallen ſhort of his End, the Glory of God: But the fault is not to be charged upon God. All the Creatures, and ſo Man was at firſt made very good: ſo they came out of their Makers hand by vertue whereof they were fitted for his Service. If Man be now Impotent, it is becauſe be hath … away his Stock, and made himſelf a Bankrupt: which is ſo far from excuſing him of not doing the Duty be was appointed to, as that it … unto his Guilt, and he muſt be called to an Account for it at the laſt
[DECEMBER …, 1….]