And as to Man, we have so excellent a Piece of Workmanship, such a Microcosm, such an Abridgment of the Creator’s Art in him, as is alone sufficient to demonstrate the Being and Attributes of GOD. Which will appear by considering the Soul and the Body of Man.
CHAP. I.
Of the Soul of Man.
My Survey of Man, I shall begin with the Soul of Man, by Reason it is his most noble Part[a], the Copy of the Divine Image in us[], in which we have enough to fill us with Admiration of the Munisence, Power, and Wisdom of the Infinite Creator[c], when we contemplate the noble Faculties of this our superiour Part, the vast Reach and Compass of its Understanding, the prodigious Quickness and Piercingness of its Thought, the admirable Subtilty of its Invention, the commanding Power of its Wisdom, the great Depth of its Memory[d], and in a word, its Divine Nature and Operations.
But I shall not dwell on this, tho’ the superiour Part of Man, because it is the least known. Only there are two Things I can’t easily pass by, because they manifest the especial Concurrence and Design of the infinitely Wise Creator, as having a particular and necessary Tendency to the Management and good Order of the World’s Affairs. The
I. Of which is the various Genii, or Inclinations of Men’s Minds to this, and that, and the other Business[e]. We see how naturally Men betake themselves to this and that Employment: Some delight most in Learning and Books, some in Divinity, some in Physick, Anatomy and Botany, some in Critical Learning and Philology, some in Mathematicks, some in Metaphysicks, and deep Researches; and some have their Delight chiefly in Mechanicks, Architecture, War, Navigation, Commerce, Agriculture; and some have their Inclinations lie even to the servile Offices of the World, and an hundred Things besides.
Now all this is an admirably wise, as well as most necessary Provision, for the easy and sure transacting the World’s Affairs; to answer every End and Occasion of Man, yea, to make Man Helpful to the poor, helpless Beasts, as far as his Help is needful to them; and all, without any great Trouble, Fatigue, or great Inconvenience to Man; rather as a Pleasure, and Diversion to him. For so far it is from being a Toil, that the greatest Labours[f], Cares, yea, and Dangers too, become pleasant to him who is pursuing his Genius; and whose Ardour of Inclination eggs him forward, and buoys him up under all Opposition, and carrieth him through every Obstacle, to the End of his Designs and Desires.
II. The next is, The inventive Power of the Soul[g]. Under which I might speak of many Things; but I shall take Notice only of two, because they manifest the particular Concern and Agency of the infinitely wise Creator. The
1. Is, That Man’s Invention should reach to such a great Variety of Matters; that it should hit upon every Thing, that may be of any Use, either to himself, or to human Society; or that may any Ways promote, (what in him lies,) the Benefit of this lower Part of the Creation.
For the Illustration of this, I might take a View of all the Arts and Sciences, the Trades, yea, the very Tools they perform their Labours, and Contrivances with, as numerous as their Occasions and Contrivances are various. Indeed, What is there that falleth under the Reach of Man’s Senses, that he doth not employ to some Use and Purpose, for the World’s Good? The celestial Bodies, the Sun, the Moon, with the other Planets, and the fix’d Stars, he employs to the noble Uses of Astronomy, Navigation and Geography. And, What a noble Acumen, what a vast Reach must the Soul be endow’d with, to invent those curious Sciences of Geometry and Arithmetick, both Specious, and in Numbers; and those nice and various Instruments, made use of by the Geometrician, Astronomer, Geographer and Sailor? And lastly, What a wonderful Sagacity is shewn in the Business of Optics, and particularly in the late Invention of the Telescope; wherewith new Wonders are discover’d among God’s Works, in the Heavens, as there are here on Earth, with the Microscope, and other Glasses.