[] Primùm esse Deos, quod in omnium animis, &c. And a little after, Cùm enim non instituto aliquo, aut more, aut lege sit opinio constituta, maneatque ad unum omnium firma consensio, intelligi necesse est, esse Deos, quoniam insitas eorum vel potiùs innatas cognitiones habemus. De quo autem omnium Natura consentit, id verum esse necesse est. Esse igitur Deos confitendum est. Cicer. de Nat. Deor. L. 1. c. 16. 17.
[c] The Atheist in denying a God, doth, as Plutarch saith, endeavour——immobilia movere, & bellum inferre non tantùm longo tempori, sed & multis hominibus, gentibus, & familiis, quas religiosus Deorum cultus, quasi divino furore correptas, tenuit. Plutar. de Iside.
[d] See before [Note (b).]
[e] Galen having substantially refuted the Epicurean Principles of Asclepiades, by shewing his Ignorance in Anatomy and Philosophy, and by Demonstrating all the Causes to be evidently in the Works of Nature, viz. Final, Efficient, Instrumental, Material and Formal Causes, concludes thus against his fortuitous Atoms, ex quibus intelligi potest: Conditorem nostrum in formandis particulis unum hunc sequi scopum, nempe ut quod melius est eligat. Galen. de Us. Part. L. 6. c. 13.
[f] De Gubern. Dei. L. 4. p. 124. meo Libro; also L. 7. c. 14.
CHAP. IV.
That God’s Works ought to excite us to Fear and Obedience to God.
Since the Works of the Creation are all of them so many Demonstrations of the infinite Wisdom and Power of God, they may serve to us as so many Arguments exciting us to the constant Fear of God, and to a steady, hearty Obedience to all his Laws. And thus we may make these Works as serviceable to our spiritual Interest, as they all are to our Life, and temporal Interest. For if whenever we see them, we would consider that these are the Works of our infinite Lord and Master, to whom we are to be accountable for all our Thoughts, Words and Works, and that in these we may see his infinite Power and Wisdom; this would check us in Sinning, and excite us to serve 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 saw not, and had Ears, and heard not, Jer. v. 21, 22. Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my Presence, 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 toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
This was an Argument that the most ignorant, stupid Wretches could not but apprehend; that a Being that had so vast and unruly an Element, as the Sea, absolutely at his Command, ought to be feared and obeyed; and that he ought to be considered as the Sovereign Lord of the World, on whom the World’s Prosperity and Happiness did wholly depend; v. 24. Neither say they in their Heart, let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth Rain, both the former and the latter in his Season: He reserveth unto us the appointed Weeks of the Harvest.