INTRODUCTION.

INTRODUCTION.

InPsal.cxi. 2. The Psalmist asserts, Thatthe[a]Works of the Lord are great; sought out of all them that have Pleasure therein. This is true of allGod’s Works, particularly of hisWorks of Creation: Which, whensought out, or, as theHebrewWord[b]signifieth, whenheedfullyanddeeply pried into, solicitously observ’d and enquir’d out, especially when clearly discoveredto us; in this Case, I say, we find those Works ofGodabundantly to deserve the Psalmist’s Character of beingGreatand Noble; inasmuch as they are made with the most exquisite Art,[c]contrived with the utmost Sagacity, and ordered with plain wise Design, and ministring to admirable Ends. For which reason St.Paulmight well affirm of those Ποιήματα of God,[d]That theinvisible Things of God, even his eternal Power and Godhead, are understood by them. And indeed they are the most easy, and intelligible Demonstrations of theBeingandAttributesof God;[e]especially to such as are unacquainted with theSubtilties of Reasoning and Argumentation; as the greatest part of Mankind are.

It may not therefore be unsuitable to the Nature and Design of Lectures[f]founded by one of the greatest Vertuoso’s of the last Age, and instituted too on purpose for the Proof of the Christian Religion against Atheists and other Infidels, to improve this occasion in the Demonstration of theBeingandAttributesof an infinitely wise and powerful Creator, from a Cursory Survey of the Works ofCreation, or (as often called) ofNature.

Which Works belong either to ourTerraqueous Globe, or theHeavens.

I shall begin with ourown Globe, being nearest, and falling most under our Senses. Which being a Subject very various and copious, for the more methodical and orderly proceeding upon it, I shall distribute the Works therein:

I. Into such as are not properly Parts, butAppendagesorOut-worksof the Globe.

II. TheGlobeit self.

FOOTNOTES:[a]It is not unlikely that the Psalmist might mean, at least have an Eye to,the Works of the Creationin this Text, the Word ‎‏מעשה‏‎ being the same that inPsal.19. 1. is translatedGod’s Handy-work, which is manifestly applied to the Works ofCreation, and properly signifiethFactum,Opus,Opisicium, from ‎‏עשה‏‎Fecit,Paravit,Aptavit. And saithKircher,significat talem affectionem, quâ aliquid existit vel realiter, vel ornatè, velut non sit in pristino statu quo fuit.Concord, p. 2. col. 931.[b]‎‏דרש‏‎Quasivit,perquisivit,sciscitatus est, Buxtor. in verb.Et simul importat curam, & solicitudinem.Conrad. Kirch. ib. p. 1. col. 1174.[c]Quod si omnes mundi partes ita constitute sunt, ut neque ad usum meliores potuerint esse, neque ad speciem pulchriores; videamus utrùm ea fortuita sint, an eo statu, quo cohærere nullo modo potuerint, nisi sensu moderante divinâque providentia. Si ergo meliora sunt ea quæ Naturâ, quàm illa, quæ Arte perfecta sunt, nec Ars efficit quid sine ratione; ne Natura quidem rationis expers est habenda. Qui igitur convenit, signum, aut tabulam pictam cùm adspexeris, scire adhibitam esse artem; cumque procul cursum navigii videris, non dubitare, quin id ratione atque arte moveatur: aut cùm Solarium, &c. Mundum autem, qui & has ipsas artes, & earum artifices, & cuncta complectatur, consilii & rationis esse expertem putare? Quod si in Scythiam, aut in Britanniam, Sphæram aliquis tulerit hanc, quam nuper familiaris noster effecit Posidonius, cujus singulæ conversiones idem efficiunt in Sole, &c.——quod efficitur in cœlo singulis diebus & noctibus; quis in illâ barbarie dubitet, quin ea Sphæra sit perfecta Ratione? Hi autem dubitant de Mundo, ex quo & oriuntur, & fiunt omnia, casune ipse sit effectus,—an Ratione, an Mente divinâ? Et Archimedem arbitrantur plus valuisse in imitandis Sphæræ conversionibus, quàm Naturam in efficiendis, præsertim cùm multis partibus sint illa perfecta, quam hæc simulata, solertius,&c.Cic. de Nat. l. 2. c. 34, 35.[d]And a little before he saith ofNatureit self,Omnem ergo regit Naturam ipse[Deus]&c.[e]Mundus codex est Dei, in quo jugiter legere debemus, Bernard. Serm.Arbitror nullam gentem, neque Hominum societatem, apud quos ulla Deorum est religio, quidquam habere sacris Eleusiniis aut Samothraciis simile: Ea tamen obscurè docent quæ profitentur: Natura verò opera in omnibus animantibus sunt perspicua.Galen. de Us. Part. l. 17. c. 1.[f]Philosophia est Catechismus ad Fidem.Cyril. 1. contr. Jul.

[a]It is not unlikely that the Psalmist might mean, at least have an Eye to,the Works of the Creationin this Text, the Word ‎‏מעשה‏‎ being the same that inPsal.19. 1. is translatedGod’s Handy-work, which is manifestly applied to the Works ofCreation, and properly signifiethFactum,Opus,Opisicium, from ‎‏עשה‏‎Fecit,Paravit,Aptavit. And saithKircher,significat talem affectionem, quâ aliquid existit vel realiter, vel ornatè, velut non sit in pristino statu quo fuit.Concord, p. 2. col. 931.

[a]It is not unlikely that the Psalmist might mean, at least have an Eye to,the Works of the Creationin this Text, the Word ‎‏מעשה‏‎ being the same that inPsal.19. 1. is translatedGod’s Handy-work, which is manifestly applied to the Works ofCreation, and properly signifiethFactum,Opus,Opisicium, from ‎‏עשה‏‎Fecit,Paravit,Aptavit. And saithKircher,significat talem affectionem, quâ aliquid existit vel realiter, vel ornatè, velut non sit in pristino statu quo fuit.Concord, p. 2. col. 931.

[b]‎‏דרש‏‎Quasivit,perquisivit,sciscitatus est, Buxtor. in verb.Et simul importat curam, & solicitudinem.Conrad. Kirch. ib. p. 1. col. 1174.

[b]‎‏דרש‏‎Quasivit,perquisivit,sciscitatus est, Buxtor. in verb.Et simul importat curam, & solicitudinem.Conrad. Kirch. ib. p. 1. col. 1174.

[c]Quod si omnes mundi partes ita constitute sunt, ut neque ad usum meliores potuerint esse, neque ad speciem pulchriores; videamus utrùm ea fortuita sint, an eo statu, quo cohærere nullo modo potuerint, nisi sensu moderante divinâque providentia. Si ergo meliora sunt ea quæ Naturâ, quàm illa, quæ Arte perfecta sunt, nec Ars efficit quid sine ratione; ne Natura quidem rationis expers est habenda. Qui igitur convenit, signum, aut tabulam pictam cùm adspexeris, scire adhibitam esse artem; cumque procul cursum navigii videris, non dubitare, quin id ratione atque arte moveatur: aut cùm Solarium, &c. Mundum autem, qui & has ipsas artes, & earum artifices, & cuncta complectatur, consilii & rationis esse expertem putare? Quod si in Scythiam, aut in Britanniam, Sphæram aliquis tulerit hanc, quam nuper familiaris noster effecit Posidonius, cujus singulæ conversiones idem efficiunt in Sole, &c.——quod efficitur in cœlo singulis diebus & noctibus; quis in illâ barbarie dubitet, quin ea Sphæra sit perfecta Ratione? Hi autem dubitant de Mundo, ex quo & oriuntur, & fiunt omnia, casune ipse sit effectus,—an Ratione, an Mente divinâ? Et Archimedem arbitrantur plus valuisse in imitandis Sphæræ conversionibus, quàm Naturam in efficiendis, præsertim cùm multis partibus sint illa perfecta, quam hæc simulata, solertius,&c.Cic. de Nat. l. 2. c. 34, 35.

[c]Quod si omnes mundi partes ita constitute sunt, ut neque ad usum meliores potuerint esse, neque ad speciem pulchriores; videamus utrùm ea fortuita sint, an eo statu, quo cohærere nullo modo potuerint, nisi sensu moderante divinâque providentia. Si ergo meliora sunt ea quæ Naturâ, quàm illa, quæ Arte perfecta sunt, nec Ars efficit quid sine ratione; ne Natura quidem rationis expers est habenda. Qui igitur convenit, signum, aut tabulam pictam cùm adspexeris, scire adhibitam esse artem; cumque procul cursum navigii videris, non dubitare, quin id ratione atque arte moveatur: aut cùm Solarium, &c. Mundum autem, qui & has ipsas artes, & earum artifices, & cuncta complectatur, consilii & rationis esse expertem putare? Quod si in Scythiam, aut in Britanniam, Sphæram aliquis tulerit hanc, quam nuper familiaris noster effecit Posidonius, cujus singulæ conversiones idem efficiunt in Sole, &c.——quod efficitur in cœlo singulis diebus & noctibus; quis in illâ barbarie dubitet, quin ea Sphæra sit perfecta Ratione? Hi autem dubitant de Mundo, ex quo & oriuntur, & fiunt omnia, casune ipse sit effectus,—an Ratione, an Mente divinâ? Et Archimedem arbitrantur plus valuisse in imitandis Sphæræ conversionibus, quàm Naturam in efficiendis, præsertim cùm multis partibus sint illa perfecta, quam hæc simulata, solertius,&c.Cic. de Nat. l. 2. c. 34, 35.

[d]And a little before he saith ofNatureit self,Omnem ergo regit Naturam ipse[Deus]&c.

[d]And a little before he saith ofNatureit self,Omnem ergo regit Naturam ipse[Deus]&c.

[e]Mundus codex est Dei, in quo jugiter legere debemus, Bernard. Serm.Arbitror nullam gentem, neque Hominum societatem, apud quos ulla Deorum est religio, quidquam habere sacris Eleusiniis aut Samothraciis simile: Ea tamen obscurè docent quæ profitentur: Natura verò opera in omnibus animantibus sunt perspicua.Galen. de Us. Part. l. 17. c. 1.

[e]Mundus codex est Dei, in quo jugiter legere debemus, Bernard. Serm.

Arbitror nullam gentem, neque Hominum societatem, apud quos ulla Deorum est religio, quidquam habere sacris Eleusiniis aut Samothraciis simile: Ea tamen obscurè docent quæ profitentur: Natura verò opera in omnibus animantibus sunt perspicua.Galen. de Us. Part. l. 17. c. 1.

[f]Philosophia est Catechismus ad Fidem.Cyril. 1. contr. Jul.

[f]Philosophia est Catechismus ad Fidem.Cyril. 1. contr. Jul.

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