Fourthly, That they affirmed the immortality of the foul, and eternal rewards of felicity, or mifery, according to man's obedience to, or rebellion against, the eternal God his Creator: which excellent principles, true and clear, being the refult of their difcourfe on thofe fubjects, do worthily deferve, in my esteem, the ftile of divinity; which is the denomination, I hope I may, without offence, beftow upon them in this difcourfe.

That the Gentiles did acknowledge and believe there was but One Supreme Being, that made all things, who is infinite, almighty, omniprefent, holy and good for ever, I fhall produce fome of those many authorities that affert the fame, and by divers fcriptures underneath, of the like tendency, though of higher authority, fhew their agreeableness to divine revelation, in which I have the practice of very ancient fathers of the church to justify me,

I. Orpheus, one thousand two hundred years before Chrift, thus expreffeth his belief of God: His hand <reaches to the end of the fea, his right hand is every where, and the earth is under his feet. He is Only ONE, begot of himself, and of him alone are all things begot; and God is the FIRST and the • LAST."' (a)

Hereby not only telling us, there was a God, but attributing to him almighty power and omniprefence; which fhews he meant no ftatuary-deity, but God that made the heavens and the earth.

II. Hefiod, Of all which do not die, thou art King and Lord: none can contend with thee concerning thy power."' (b)

This

• Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 5.

P Ib. 1. 5.

(a)" He ftretcheth out his hand over the fea." Ifa. xxiii. 11."For the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in the "earth beneath." Jofh. ii. 11. "I am alpha and omega, the "beginning and the end, the first and the last." Rev. xxii. 13.

(b) "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." Mat. xxii. 32.—“ The Lord is King for ever." Pfal. x. 16. "A Great

King

This emphatically proves God to have been but One, and Omnipotent, in their belief.

III. Thales, a very ancient Greek philofopher, tells us, That there is but One God; that he is glorious for ever and ever.' And he openly confeffeth, That he is called Kasdoyvásпs, HE WHO Καρδιογνώσης,

HEARTS.' (c)

KNOWS

Thales being demanded what God was, • That,' faith he, which has NEITHER BEGINNING NOR END.' Another asking, If a man might Do ill, and conceal it from God? How,' faith he, when a man

that THINKS it cannot?"

{Men ought to believe,' faith Cicero, in his name, that God fees all things.'

IV. Sibylla, There is One God, who alone is infinite, and without beginning."(d)

Again, Who can fee with fleshly eyes the heavenly, true, and immortal God, whofe feat is in the higheft heavens?' (e)

This Sibyl is aged above two thousand years. The queftion implies her faith that God was a Spirit, as Christ himself alfo teftifies.

V. Pythagoras, a modeft, but diligent and retired man, in his fearch after heavenly things, faith, That

"King above all gods." xcv. 3. "King of kings, and Lord of "lords.' 1 Tim. vi. 15. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and

* ever."

Pfal. xlv. 6.

66

(c) Glorious in holinefs." Exod. xv. 4.-" God had glory "before the world began.' See John xvii. 5.-" I the Lord fearch "the heart, I try the reins." Jer. xvii. 10" He declareth unto "man his thoughts." Amos iv. 13. God is from everlasting to "everlasting God." Pfal. xc. 2.

(d) "Thou art God alone." Pfal. lxxxvi. 10.-" Befides me there is no God." Ifa. xliv. 6.-" There is but One God." 1 Cor. viii. 5, 6.

(e) "No man has feen God at any time." 1 John iv. 12."Heaven is my throne." Acts vii. 49." The Lord's throne is "in heaven." Pfal. xi. 4.-" And hear thou in heaven thy dwel ling-place." Kings viii. 30.

it

⚫ it is man's duty to believe of the Divinity that it is; ' and that it is in fuch a manner, as to mankind, thar

it overlooks them, and neglects them not: for we < have need of fuch a government, as we ought no

in any thing to contradict; fuch as that which pro<ceeds from the Divinity: for the Divinity is fuch, < that to it doth of right belong the dominion of all.* Again, God resembleth light and truth.' In another place, God himself inhabits the lowest, and highest, and the middlemoft; There is no being nor place ⚫ without God." (f)

God is One: he is not, as fome conceive, out of the world; but entire within himself, as in a complete circle, furveying all generations. He is the falt of all ages, the agent of his own powers and works; the principle of all things: One heavenly luminary or light, and Father of all things; only wife, invisible, yet intelligible." (g)

Which very pathetical account of the Divine Being, fo correfpondent with fcripture, yet he a stranger to it, (I mean the words only, for the matter, in this point, he weightily hits) deferves very ferious confideration and acknowledgment from all, efpecially those who would not narrow God's mercies to their own time or party.

(f) "He that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that "he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him." Heb. xi. 6. "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole "earth." 2 Chron. xvi. 9.-" God is Lord of heaven and earth.” Acts xvii. 24.-" And the government fhall be upon his shoulder." Ifa, ix. 6-Again, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at " all." 1 John i. 5.-" I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,”

John xiv. 6.

(8) "A God nigh at hand." See Acts xvii. 27. Jer. xxiii. 23." One God, who is above all, through all, and in you all." Ephef. iv. 6.-"God is light; and upon whom doth not his light "arife ?" 1 John i. 5. Job xxv. 3.-" One God and Father of "all." Ephef. iv. 6. Now to the King Eternal, Immortal, "Invifible, the only Wife God, be glory," &c. 1 Tim. i. 17.

VI. To the fame purpose speaks Heraclitus, that fenfibly-afflicted philofopher for the world's impieties and idolatries; whofe very forrowful, yet found and finart expreffions, fhew they came from a mind deeply touched. In one of his epiftles to Hermodorus, his friend, he thus feemeth, after a while, to address himfelf to Euticles, and the rest of his enemies, that impeached him for being an enemy to their ftony gods: Thus I fhall be condemned of impiety by the impious. What thinkeft thou? Shall I feem impious to them for diffenting from their gods? If blind men were to judge of fight, they would fay blindness were fight but O ye ignorant men, teach, us first, < what God is; that when ye declare us to be impious, you may be believed. Where is God? Shut

up in temples? O pious men! who place God in the dark! You ignorant people! Know you not that God is not made with hands?' (b)

This is a moft clear and ample teftimony against their idols; mixed with a religious derifion; yet qualified by a kind of lamentation. Surely Heraclitus believed in God, yea, and that he was LIGHT too, and fuch an one as fhould never fet; by whom he elfewhere fays, He had overcome the enemies of his

foul."'

VII. Anaxagoras, efteemed noble by birth, but more noble for his knowledge and virtue, who was mafter to Socrates, taught thus concerning God; That God is an infinite felf-moving Mind: that this Divine Infinite Mind is the efficient caufe of all things; every thing being made according to its species by the Divine Mind; who, when all things

" Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 2.

(b) The heaven of heavens cannot contain thee." 1 Kings viii. 27. 2 Chron. vi. 18.-" What houfe will ye build me?" A&ts vii. 49.-"God dwells in the light."

i Tim. vi. 16.—" To

"whom will ye liken God? What likenefs will ye compare unto "him." Ifa. xl. 18.-" God is a Spirit." John iv. 24.

< were

were confusedly mingled together, came and reduced them to ORDER. (i)

Which doubtlefs is fo true, that Anaxagoras had no fmall share of true light, to give this account of both God and the creation. And indeed, his memory was celebrated by the Greeks, for having very much improved their understanding concerning God and immortality.

VIII. Socrates, That good heathen, if, without offence to the profeffors of Chriftianity, I may fay fo, not only confeffeth to ONE GOD, but, I am of opinion, they will think he gives good reason why he doth fo. He lays down, That the Mind,' a name which they frequently called God by, is the disposer and caufe of all things.' Or, in other words of his, thus, God is ONE, Τὸ ἂν αὐτῷ ἕκαςον, ἕκασιν αὐτῷ, τό καλόν • αυτῶ, τό ζώης ἔιδος, Perfect in himfelf, giving the being and well-being of every creature.' (k)

And

Lact. Falf. Rel. 1. 5. Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1. Aug. de Civ. Dei. lib. 8. * Plat. Phæd.

(i) "But to us there is but One God, the Father, of whom are "all things." 1 Cor. viii. 6.-"Where waft thou when I laid the "foundation of the earth?" Job xxxviii. 4.-" And the earth "was without form." Read the chapter, in which is declared, God's making and beautifying heaven and earth, and all living creatures therein. Gen. i. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and fo to the end." Thou, Lord, madeft the heavens, and the earth, " and all that in them is." Acts iv. 24.

(k) These notable arguments, urged for the proof of a Divine fuper-intelligent Being, and his creation and providence, may well agree with those pathetical expreffions of Job, the Pfalmift, and feveral prophets, evangelifts, and apoftles, concerning God's creating the world, and upholding it to this day; his laying the foundations thereof; his providence over the lilies and the fparrows; his bringing forth fruits in due season; his lights by day and by night; that the difciples should take no thought what they should eat and drink, or put on; that there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty gives underftanding and laftly, "Can any hide himself "in fecret places that I fhall not fee him, faith the Lord ?" Jer. xxiii. 24.-No; "If I take the wings of the morning, and flee to "the uttermoft part of the earth, thou art there." Pfal. cxxxix. 9. "And by me kings reign, and princes decree justice," faith God.