that he is under the Power of the Devil, under the Government of Prejudice, Luft, and Paffion, not right Reafon, that will not difcern what every one can fee, what every Man may behold afar off, even the Existence and Attributes of the CREATOR from his Works. For as there is no Speech or Language where their Voice is not heard, their Line is gone out through all the Earth, and their Words to the End of the World: So all, even the barbarous Nations, that never heard of GOD, have from these his Works inferred the Existence of a Deity, and paid their Homages to fome Deity, although they have been under great Mistakes in their Notions and Conclufions about him. however, this fhews how naturally and univerfally all Mankind agree, in deducing their Belief of a God from the Contemplation of his Works, or as even Epicurus himself, in Tully (b) faith, from a Notion that Nature it felf bath imprinted upon the Minds of Men. For, faith he, what Nation is there, or what kind of Men, that without any Teaching or Inftructions, have not a kind of Anticipation, or preconceived Notion of a Deity?

But

An Atheist therefore (if ever there was any fuch) may justly be efteemed a Monfter among rational Beings; a Thing hard to be met with in

Fluvii

funt contraria; fietque jam quod in proverbiis: furfum fluent; fi opera que nullum habent neque ornamentum neque rationem, neque modum Artis effe; contraria verò Fortuna duxerimus, &c. Galen. ubi fupra. L. 11. C. 7.

(b) Primùm effe Deos, quod in omnium animis, &c. And a little after, Cum enim non inftituto aliquo, aut more, aut lege fit opinio conftituta, maneatque ad unum omnium firma confenfio, intelligi neceffe eft, effe Deos, quoniam infitas eorum vel potiùs innatas cognitiones habemus. De quo autem cmnium Natura confentit, id verum effe neceffe eft. Effe igitur Deos confitendum eft. Cicer. de Nat. Deor. L. 1. c. 16, 17.

the

the whole Tribe of Mankind; an Oppofer of all the World (c); a Rebel against human Nature and Reason, as well as againft his GOD.

But above all, monftrous is this, or would be, in such as have heard of GOD, who have had the Benefit of the clear Gofpel-Revelation. And ftill more monftrous this would be, in one born and baptized in the Chriftian Church, that hath studied Nature, and pried farther than others into God's Works. For fuch an one (if it be poffible for fuch to be) to deny the Existence, or any of the Attributes of GOD, would be a great Argument of the infinite Inconvenience of thofe Sins of Intemperance, Luft, and Riot, that have made the Man abandon his Reafon, his Senfes, yea, I had almost said his very human Nature (d), to engage him thus to deny the Being of GOD.

So alfo it is much the fame monstrous Infidelity, at least betrays the fame atheistical Mind, to deny GOD's Providence, Care and Government of the World, or (which is a Spawn of the fame Epicurean Principles) to deny Final Caufes (e) in God's Works of Creation; or with the Profane in Pfal. lxxiii. 11. to fay, How doth God know?

(c) The Atheist in denying a God, doth, as Plutarch faith, endeavour -immobilia movere, & bellum inferre non tantùm longo tempori, fed & multis hominibus, gentibus, familiis, quas religiofus Deorum cultus, quafi divino furore correptas, tenuit. Plutar. de lfide.

(d) See before Note (b).

(e) Galen having fubftantially refuted the Epicurean Princi ples of Afclepiades, by fhewing his Ignorance in Anatomy and Philofophy, and by Demonftrating all the Caufes to be evidently in the Works of Nature, viz. Final, Efficient, Inftrumental, Material and Formal Caufes, concludes thus against his fortuitous Atoms, ex quibus intelligi poteft: Conditorem noftrum in formandis particulis unum hunc fequi fcopum,, nempe ut quod melius eft eligat. Galen. de Uf. Part. L. 6. c. 13.

And

And is there Knowledge in the moft High? For as the witty and eloquent Salvian faith (ƒ), They that affirm nothing is feen by GOD, will, in all Probability, take away the Subftance, as well as Sight of God: But what fo great Madness, faith he, as that when a Man doth not deny GOD to be the Greator of all Things, he should deny him to be the Governour of them? Or when he confeffeth him to be the Maker, he should fay, GOD negletteth what he bath fo made?

(f) De Gubern. Dei. L. 4. p. 124. meo Libro; also L. 7. c. 14,

CHA P. IV.

That God's Works ought to excite us to Fear and Obedience to GOD.

Ince the Works of the Creation are all of them

and Power of God, they may ferve to us as fo many Arguments exciting us to the conftant Fear of God, and to a fteady, hearty Obedience to all his Laws. And thus we may make thefe Works as serviceable to our fpiritual Intereft, as they all are to our Life, and temporal Intereft. For if whenever we fee them, we would confider that these are the Works of our infinite Lord and Mafter, to whom we are to be accountable for all our Thoughts, Words and Works, and that in thefe we may fee his infinite Power and Wildom; this would check us in Sinning, and excite us to ferve and please him who is above all Controul, and who hath our Life and whole Happiness in his Power. After this manner GOD himself argues with his own foolish People, and without Understanding, who had Eyes, and

faw

faw not, and had Ears, and beard not, Jer. v. 21, 22. Fear ye not me? faith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my Prefence, which have placed the Sand for the Bound of the Sea, by a perpetual Decree, that it cannot pass it; and though the Waves thereof tofs themfelves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

This was an Argument that the most ignorant, ftupid Wretches could not but apprehend; that a Being that had fo vaft and unruly an Element, as the Sea, abfolutely at his Command, ought to be feared and obeyed; and that he ought to be confidered as the Sovereign Lord of the World, on whom the World's Profperity and Happiness did wholly depend; v. 24. Neither fay they in their Heart, let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth Rain, both the former and the latter in his Seafon: He reServeth unto us the appointed Weeks of the Harvest.

CHA P. V.

That God's Works ought to excite us to Thankfulness.

A

S the Demonftrations which GOD hath given of his infinite Power and Wisdom fhould excite us to Fear and Obedience; fo I fhall fhew in this Chapter, that the Demonftrations which he hath given of his infinite Goodness in his Works, may excite us to due Thankfulness and Praife. It appears throughout the foregoing Survey, what Kindness GOD hath fhewn to his Creatures in providing every Thing conducing to their Life, Profperity, and Happiness (a); how they are all

contrived

(a) Si pauca quis tibi donâffet jugera, accepiffe te diceres beneficium immenfa terrarum late patentium fpatia negas

Effe

contrived and made in the best Manner, placed in the fittest Places of the World for their Habitation and Comfort; accoutered in the best Manner, and accommodated with every, even all the minuteft Things that may minifter to their Health, Happiness, Office, Occafions, and Bufinefs in the World.

Upon which Account, Thankfulness and Praise is fo reasonable, fo just a Debt to the Creator, that the Pfalmift calleth upon all the Creatures to praise God, in Pfalm cxlviii. Praife him all his Angels, Praife him all his Hofts; Sun, Moon, Stars of Light, Heavens of Heavens, and Waters above the Heavens. The Reafon given for which is, 5,6. For be commanded, and they were created; he hath alfo eftablished them for ever and ever; he bath made a Decree which they fhall not pass. And not thefe Celestials alone, but the Creatures of the Earth and Waters too, even the Meteors, Fire and Hail, Snow and Vapours, formy Winds fulfilling his Word. Yea, the very Mountains and Hills, Trees, Beafts, and all Cattle, creeping Things, and flying Fowl. But in a particular manner, all the Ranks and Orders, all the Ages and Sexes of Mankind are charged with this Duty; Let them praise the Name of the Lord, for his Name alone is excellent; his Glory is above the Earth and Heavens, V. 13.

effe beneficium? Si pecuniam tibi aliquis donaverit, benefi cium vocabis: tot metallá defodit, tot flumina emifit in ara, fuper qua decurrunt fola aurum vehen:ia: argenti, aris, ferri immane pondus omnibus locis obrutum, cujus inveftigandi tili facultatem dedit, negas te accepiffe beneficium? Si domus tibi donetur, in quâ marmoris aliquid refplendeat, &c. Nummediocre munus vocabis? Ingens tibi domicilium, fine ullo incendii, aut ruina metu ftruxit, in quo vides non tenues cruftas

fed integras lapidis pretiofiffimi moles, &c. negas te ullum munus accepiffe? Et cùm ifta qua habes magno eftimes, quod eft ingrati hominis, nulli debere te judicas? Unde tibi iflum quem trabis fpiritum? Unde iftam, per quam ductus vita tua difponis atque ordinas, lucem ? &c. Senec. de Benef. L. 4. c. 6.

Ff

And