434 god-headprovedby the Creation. fon, and dye a thoufand deaths, then deny or leave Chrifl. Nowwhence is all this, were they borne fo, ? no they were once as others are. Is it of tbemflees ? no, the Leopard cannot change his fpots, it is indeed no other but the worke ofaholy, gracious, and mighty God, it is his worke which makes men to differ. Had not this generation ofmen a cleare underftanding, and a lively and fveet apprehenli.m of the ?v'ajcíly youer,beauty,and goodneffeof this God,they would never for his fake endure fuck reproach, hatred, and trouble from the world. Turne from the booke of theScripture to thebooke ofNa- ture,and here you (hall fee a Deity fhining as the Sun in the Starres, and puttingit felk forth as the root in the branches, and appearingas the Artificer in his workmaníhip: And thus looke, z . Vpon thewhole univerfe, the great houle of the world, the Earth as the fioore, and theHeavens as the roofe and co- vering, plainly demonflrating the eternal power, wifedome, and Godhead, as the Apofile faith. When we fee a great and {lately houfe builded, artificially c3mpofed, feverall peeces of {lone, timber, lime, earth, and other materials skilfully and ftrongly joyncd together, variety ofroomes framed for the entertainment of many guefls, and other offices belon- ging to thehoufe, and windowes made in fit and convenient places, to give light thereunto, we all know that fome skil- full workman bath been labouring there, the houfe having nopower nor wifedome to raife it fail: and thus when we Tookeupon this great and mighty houfeof the world, and fee it compofed of feverall creatures, Heavens, Aire , Waters, Earth, &c. variety of rootnes fitted for men, Bealls, Birds, Tithes, and ail other guers belonging to this houfe: The Sun, Moone,and Starres let onhigh, as great lamps and lanthornes to give light thereunto, we cannot but acknowledge that fome Almighty andAll-wife workman bath been the builder thereof, none of there being able tocreate and fet themfelves in this orderly manner ; this we mull needs acknowledge though we f e not the builder : When we fee thebody and branches ofa Tree fpringing,we know there is a root,though it
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=