5. The Sea is his and he made it and his hands formed the dry Land And then addeth vers 7 8. To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your hearts Which words the Apostle quotes in Heb. 3. as referring to Christ Moses verily was faithful in all his House as a Servant c. But Christ as a Son over his House c. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if you will hear his Voice harden not your hearts That is the Voice of Christ vers 5 6 7. to whom the Psalmist had ascribed the Creation of the World And in Heb. 1. 10. the laying the Foundation of the Earth and the making of the Heavens is expresly attributed to Jesus Christ But I must not divert to that Controversie only to shew how the Creation of the World hath respect to Christ as its Creator not excluding the Father and the Holy Ghost for in all Works ad extrà they work as we say indivisim yet according to the order of their subsisting is the order of their working so all things are of the Father through the Son by the Spirit And the Creation of all things seems most properly to appertain to the second Person For he being the First and Immediate Off-spring of his Father it belongs to him to propagate and communicate of his Being in the things that are made which are therefore called the Off-spring of God As the Apostle quotes the Heathen Poet saying Acts 17. We are also his Off-spring And saith it also himself in the next words Forasmuch as we are the Off-spring of God And not onely Men but all created Beings may be stiled his Off-spring as they are the Finite Emanations of his Infinite Being Magne parens mundi As the Poet speaks of God And the Heathens therefore did stile God the great Father of the World Col. 1. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Jesus Christ is called by the Apostle the first-Born of every Creature or of all Creation So called as some conceive with respect to his Eternal Generation and the Creation that in time sprung from him He was brought forth by an Eternal Generation and then by him was the Generation of all the things of Time God communicated his Being Eternally and Infinitely to his Son and then by him communicates of his Being Finitely and in time to the Creatures His communication of himself to his Son is by an immanent Act wherein God did not go out of himself and so by him gave Being to the Creation in those Transient Acts wherein God doth work ad extra and goes out of himself Now what may Christians observe from hence 1. In general That the Creator of the World is also the Redeemer of it He that made all things is also the Restorer of all things The collapsed ruined World is put into his hand to raise and renew it that first made it As we read Heb. 1. 2. He is appointed Heir of all things by whom God made the Worlds He had an original Title to be Heir as Creator but hath a new Title given him as Redeemer and this he executes in the Government of the World 2. More particularly We may observe that it is the Infinite Creator of the World who hath cloathed himself with the flesh of Man and made it to subsist personally in himself Here we may behold this great Mystery Finiteness and Inâ—inity Mortal and Immortality Divinity and Humanity the Creator and the Creature united in one Person As the Evangelist first speaks of Christ as the Creator of all things John 1. 3. and then as assuming our flesh vers 14. The Word that made all things afterwards spake and dwelt personally in humane flesh And Man's Nature being a System of the whole Creation he did in a manner cloath himself with it in his assuming our flesh As one of the Ancients to this purpose speaks Incarnatio est elevatio totius Universi in Divinam Personam Incarnation is the lifting up the whole Universe into Divine Person Which taken in a qualified sense is true And in assuming our flesh How many wonders do here meet together To see the Divine Nature stooping so low is one wonder to see the Humane Nature raised so high is another to see Man's sinful Nature assumed without sin is a third to see the Angelical Nature past by that stood nearest to God and Man's Nature assumed that stood farther off is a fourth to see the Creator assuming the Properties of a Creature which is to be finite passive dependent c. and the Creature assumed into the Properties of the Creator which is to be Infinite Almighty Omnipotent is a fifth c. So that God is hereby Humanified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas and Man as it were Deified as one speaks 3. We may further observe and that with great delight how it is the Creator of all things that is become the Head of the Church Which the Apostle suggests in Col. 1. 16. and vers 18. compared By him were all things created whether Visible or Invisible c. and he is the Head of the Body of the Church an Head not only by way of Government to rule over it but by way of Spiritual Union to influence it and dwell in it as the Head in the Body To see the Infinite Creator humble himself to look down upon his Creatures is taken notice of by the Psalmist as a great condescent Psal 113. 5 6. But to take any of them into a nearness into an oneness with himself is yet far greater He first came into a natural Union with us in assuming our Nature and into a legal Union with us by becoming our Surety and then comes into a mystical Union by making us Members of his Body through the Spirit And this Mystical Union is also set forth by a Marriage Union Ephes 5. 32. And is not this wonderful to see the Creator to match himself with a Creature and that not of the highest Order but with Man and not with him neither when at his best but when degenerated and corrupted Should we see a great King take a poor Maid from the Dunghil and match himself to her it could scarce be a shadow of this For our Maker to become our Husband as it is said Isa 54. 5. our Reasons cannot comprehend it Ambition it self can hardly aspire to such a thing And now what an honour is this to the Church to have such an Head and Husband and what security also to be under the Headship and Protection of the Creator of the World He that created all things can create Salvation for it when there is no visible matter or means out of which to bring it And he that gave Being to the first Creation can and will raise up and perfect his New Creation in his Church which he will effect by this Union it hath with himself as the Head thereof And the assurance hereof the Saints have
Infinite from Visible to that which is Invisible from Corporeal to that which is Incorporeal from Temporal to that which is Eternal And by the next words the things that are made in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may understand the Works of Creation as they were formed out of the first Chaos which was the proper Object of Creation So that we may distinguish in the Text between the Creation of the World and the Things which are made taking the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Creation as expressing the first Matter of all Things and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things made the several Creatures both Animate and Inanimate that were educed out of that first Matter Or A work curiously wrought is either properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some do or else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so words and syllables set together in meeter are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a Poem or the producing of any work secundum praecepta artis according either to the Precepts of Rhetorick Musick Architecture c. as Criticks tell us as the former word doth properly express the producing of all things out of nothing so the latter word the curious frame and order wherein all things were made As when the Apostle speaketh of the New Creation which Believers have in Christ he maketh use of both these words of the Text Eph. 2. 10. We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works To shew the excellent frame of this spiritual Work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Workmanship of God And to shew the Power of God manifested therein it is said to be Created Quest But why doth the Apostle only mention God's Eternal Power Are not other Attributes of his Being to be seen in the Works of Creation as his Wisdom and Goodness as well as his Eternity and Power Answ The Apostle mentioneth the Power of God because of all God's Attributes that seemeth to be most eminent and conspicuous in the Work of Creation For it was properly an Act of Power to make all things out of Nothing though his Wisdom was seen in the guiding of his Power and his Goodness in making all things good And the Apostle mentions God's Eternity in the Text which is another Attribute when he calls his Power Eternal And by this he shews that as the World had its being in Time so that God who made it was before it or else he could not have made it as the Cause must needs be before the Effect And what is before the Creation of the World and every thing that is made must needs be before all Time which came in with the Creature as the measure of its duration and so be Eternal But yet though only God's Power and Eternity be here mentioned yet as a Learned Expositor Observes Estius in Loc. his other Attributes are included in the Word God-head As if the Apostle should have said In the Creation of the World are seen God's Power and God's Eternity But what need I particularly mention any more Attributes of his Being when his Godhead it self which comprehends them all is manifested therein The last particular to be explained is How the Gentiles are hereupon said to be without excuse A man may be said to be without excuse when he hath no Apology to make for himself as the word in the Text signifies and that either with respect to malum culpae the fault committed by him Or malum poenae the punishment inflicted upon him In both the Gentiles were without excuse 1. As to the malum culpae or the evil of sin they were guilty of For they had such means of knowledg ministred to them by the Light and Law of Nature that might have led them to more venerable thoughts of God and a more honourable worship of him than was practised by them And also to a more righteous and blameless conversation amongst men So that thereupon they were without excuse 2. And then as to the evil of Punishment inflicted for their sin God would be justified therein and they left without excuse when he should proceed to Judgment For God doth and will manage his Judgments in such Righteousness towards all men with respect to their several capacities and conditions in this World that every man may be found without excuse that falls under them How far the Light and Law of Nature may lead a man towards his Salvation I shall not here dispute All that the Apostle asserteth here concerning the Gentiles is That they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or without excuse thereby And the Apostle Paul deals with the Gentiles thus particularly because the Ministry of the Uncircumcision was more peculiarly committed to him than the other Apostles And he doth it rather in this Epistle to the Romans than in any other because Rome was the chief Seat of the Gentiles Empire in the Apostles time and where Idolatry and moral Wickedness also did most abound as it usually doth in such great Cities and as their own Historians do abundantly declare concerning it CHAP. II. The two Doctrines that result from the Text. The two wayes of Demonstration The Being of God three wayes made known Several Arguments to prove God's Being from the Works of Creation THus having explained the parts of the Text I shall raise out of them these two general Doctrines DOCT. I. 1. That the Being of God and several Attributes of his Being may be seen and understood from the Creation of the World and the things that are made DOCT. II. 2. That to fall short in knowledg or practice of what the Light and Law of Nature may lead men up to will render them inexcusable though they have not the written Word I shall first speak of the former and first shew how the Being of God and then the Attributes of his Being may be demonstrated therefrom Now there are two sorts of Demonstrations one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Priori when Effects are demonstrated from their Cause Now the Being of God cannot be thus demonstrated no man can demonstrate the necessity of such a Being from any Antecedent Cause And the other is a posteriori 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where Causes are demonstrated from their Effects And so the Works of Creation do demonstrate God's Being When a Man shall seriously consider this great Fabrick of Heaven and Earth his mind may thence gather the Being of God There is enough written in the Book of God's Creation to declare his Being to us though there was nothing written of it in the Book of the Scriptures The Being of God is three wayes made known to men 1. By the Light of Natural Conscience There are some Characters and Impressions of his Being within all men for Man being made for God he hath put a peculiar impression of his Being upon his
wherein he will be glorified for ever we may be assured that it shall be carried on in the World The Gospel shall be preached Sinners shall be converted the Church shall be preserved and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it And those Enemies that stand in the way of this Salvation whether the World Satan Sin Death or Grave shall be at last surely overcome CHAP. VIII The deficiency of Natural Theology compared with the Scriptures evidenced in sundry Particulars The Work of Redemption not known by it It reveals not the way of coming to God by Christ It gives not a perfect account of sin It shews not the way of Reconciliation nor of Satisfaction in Man's chief Good nor of the right Worship of God Conformity to God not attained by it Nor the true Tranquillity under Humane Calamities One Inference from the Whole THus having considered the Creation of the World in the great Efficient of it and also shewed what use may be made of the Knowledg of God resulting thence I next proceed to shew wherein this Knowledg is deficient and falls short of that which we have by Divine Revelation in the Word of God 1. In General The Mystery of Man's Redemption by Christ is not made known by the Works of Creation All that the Apostle saith in my Text was known concerning God by it is his Eternal Power and Godhead It would not have been a Mystery hid in God for so many Ages if the Works of Nature had declared it to men Adam might see God as a Creator but not as a Redeemer in these Works of Nature He might see an infinite Power Wisdom Goodness shining forth herein But that Second and better Edition of these Attributes to be set forth in the work of Redemption he could not see For though God made the World in order to the Work of Redemption as I shewed before yet he did not make it as a Redeemer And therefore it hath nothing directly written concerning Christ upon it The Tree of Life Paradise the making of Eve out of Adam's side and then joyning them together in Marriage yea the making Adam himself and the dominion God gave him over the Creatures and constituting him a common Person are applicable to Christ and the Church and are figuratively so applyed but yet it cannot well be imagined that Adam could read any thing of Christ or the Work of our Redemption herein There was no need of God's revealing any thing concerning the Worlds Redemption until Man's sin and fall Therefore after the Fall God revealed it to Adam And the first intimation of it was of the Seed of the Woman breaking the head of the Serpent and there was nothing in Nature could have declared so much as this And the farther discovery of it to the World was by Inspiration or Visions or by an audible Voice c. God needed not have sent forth Prophets and Christ Apostles to have preached this Mystery to the World if the Works of Creation could have declared it It 's true it 's said Psal 19. 1. of the Heavens and the Firmament the course of Night and Day that they preach to the World Their Line is gone forth into all the Earth and their Words to the end of the World Which words are applyed to the Apostles Ministry Rom. 10. But yet they are not such Preachers as the Apostles for they tell the World of a Knowledg which the greatest Searchers of Nature were ignorant of A Mystery that was hid in God and in former Ages not made known to Men no nor to Angels neither that can read what is written in Nature better than Man And Athens was a stranger to it when the Apostle Paul came thither as you read Acts 17. There was the Seminary of Humane Literature there he met with Learned Epicureans and Stoicks c. but he found nothing of the Knowledg of Christ there Well then where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this World As the Apostle speaks in a way of holy derision or of triumph rather 1 Cor. 1. 20. Where is Socrates and Plato Where is Xenophon and Aristotle Where is Seneca and Cato Where is Demosthenes and Cicero How is all their Wisdom bafled and non-plust by the foolishness of Preaching wherein the way to Man 's true Felicity which they so anxiously sought after is declared to be by a Crucified Christ 2. But more particularly If you speak of Maâ—â—s coming to God though Natural Light may dictate this to be his Duty yet coming to God by the Mediator the Man Christ Jesus is above the reach of this Light Here we must have recourse to Scripture-Revelation that tells us that Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life and no Man cometh to the Father but by Him John 14. And there is one Mediatour between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. As a Ladder standing up betwixt Heaven and Earth as it was presented to Jacob. And the Name Immanuel is not found written any where in the Book of Nature who is the way whereby God is with Men and they with Him For want of the knowledg whereof the Gentiles addrest themselves to their chief God by their Daemons or inferiour Deities by their Heroes Men of renown whom at their death they deified and adopted into the number of their gods many of whom they stiled secundi Ordinis Deos Gods of the second Order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Yea they had many Orders of them distinguished either by the places of abode they assigned to them or the Offices performed by them Now as these inferiour Deities did themselves address to the Supream so by them as Mediatours did the Pagans address themselves to him To both of which the Apostle seems to â—llude in 1 Cor. 8. 5. when he saith There be gods many and lords many And in opposition to which he adds But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and one Lord Jesus through whom are all things But this Mediation of Jesus Christ they were wholly ignorant of God hath written nothing of this in the Works of Nature Though the Light of Nature could instruct them in the necessity or at least the expediency of going to God by some Mediator or other and therefore they invented such to themselves yet that the Son of God in the Nature of Man should be the Person by whom to go to God they knew nothing of 3. If we speak of Man's Reconciliation to God Though the Light of Nature declares to Man it is his great happiness to have the favour of God and to have that sin pardoned to him which his natural Conscience doth condemn him for yet how to obtain this Pardon and Reconciliation is only made known to us by the direction of the Scriptures It 's true the Heathens made use of Sacrifices of several sorts as