The Body of Divinity

p. 1CHAP. I. CONCERNING GOD.

1. THat God is, or that there [1 That God is, or that there is a God.] is a God, i. e. an infinite self-Being, that hath given Being to all things, &c. is necessary to be believed of all▪ and is the first step of Faith in order to Salvation, Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God, must believe that He is▪ and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Now, though it be a common received Principle that God is, yet in as much as it's evident▪ according to the Scripture, That the Fool hath said in his heart, that there is no God, Psal. 14. 1. And that the transgression of the Wicked saith, within my heart, that there is no fear of God before p. 2his eyes, Psal. 36. 1. And oft-times gracious Souls, through their own weakness, and Satans wiles, meet with temptations on this account; I shall therefore speak something to this so necessary a truth; the grounds I shall present for evidencing this so great and sacred a principle of truth▪ are as followeth.

1. The Word of God, the Scriptures of Truth, [Proof.] [1. The Scripture The word of God.] in the substance of them, is▪ to hold forth this one God, or Invisible, Creating, Upholding, and Preserving Power, Gen. 1. 1. In the Beginning, God Created the Heaven and the Earth, v. 6. God said, let there be a Firmament, &c. and so throughout the Chapter, and indeed throughout the Bible. I shall mention but a few instances in the name of the whole, Gen. 6. 5. God saw the Wickedness of man, &c. v. 6. I◊ R◊pented the Lord, that he had made man, &c. v. 11. The Earth was corrupt before God, see ver. 12. 13. Exod. 20. 1, 2. And God spake all these words saying, I am the Lord thy God, &c. Psal. 29. 1, 2. Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty▪ give unto the Lord Glory and Strength; give unto the Lord the Glory of his Name, Psal. 82. 1. God standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty, &c. Joh. 1. 1. In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, &c: Let this serve among the multitude of Scripture-Testimonies to prove that God is.

p. 2A second Testimony, is the Works of [2. The works of God.] God, which do abundantly declare and Preach forth the Divine Being, and Omnipotent p. 3Power and Wisdom of this Divine, though Invisible Creator of all things; for Reason will tell us, that none of these things could give Being to, or Create themselves. Man, who is the most Intelligible and Rational Creature here below, was so far from creating himself, that let all the Wisdom of all the men in the World be conjunct in unity, they are not able to Create, or give Being to the basest of Creatures, no, not a Fly, or Worm; Its true, the Image, or likeness [Man mad • not himself.] of Creatures they can make, of matter that was made before, by the Creator, but nothing can they Create, nor put life into their Image which they have formed; it is the work of a God, and not of man, to Create and give life.

If it be Objected (as by some it is) that all [Things come not by Nature •] things came by Nature, I Answer, that although there is a natural and secondary cause of things, ordinarily producing such effects, almost in all cases; yet there is the God of Nature, which is the cause of all secondary causes, & gave the fi◊st Being thereunto; he was the immediate cause of the Creation, and the only foundation▪ cause of the continuation and promulgation of the World, by Divine Ordina〈…〉, and Divine Power; for Nature of it self (distinct, or, separated from Divine Ordinance and Power) is nothing, but must fall into nihilation and the first nothing, if not supported by the God of Nature; so that, as at first, God made all things by his Word immediatly, so p. 4by his Divine Ordinance and Word of Power, he continueth all things in that way of natural meanes by himself appointed, as Procreation, Food, Cloathing, &c. So the Earth to bring forth Food both for Man and Beast; the Sun, Moon, and Stars, with their influences, &c. As God was the former of all (the contrary is Atheistical and Brutish to imagine) they did not, could not make themselves, nor influence themselves with power to effect any thing as of themselves, no more than Create themselves; but what is effected in this way, must be by Divine Ordinance and Power, according to the Scripture, Gen. 1. 14. to 18. v. 28. Job. 38, 39. chap.

p. 4So that indeed the works of God do wonderfully declare that God is, and not only that he is, but that he is an infinite, Omnipotent one. See what the Scripture speaks to this purpose, Psal. 19 1. The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work, v. 3. There is no speech nor language, where their voyce is not heard, Rom. 1. 19, 20. That which may be known of God, is manifest in them (i. e. in the Gentiles) for God hath shewed it to them, for, the invisible things of him, from the Creation of the World, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal Power and God-head, so that they are without excuse, i. e. The works of Creation that are visible, do convincingly and undenyably shew to men the invisible God in his Being, Power, and Wisdom, and on this account p. 5all men will be left without excuse in the great day of account, Rom. 2. 12. For as many as have sinned without Law, shall perish without Law; that is, as many as have sinned without the written Word of God, Law, or Gospel, having the Law of the Creation, shall be Judged, and perish by that, for that shall leave them without excuse: So that the very Works of God in Creatio◊, are sufficient in themselves to convince the World of his Divine Power and God-head, and will sink the hearts of all Atheists in the day of Judgment.