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fhould ever make any thing, not like Himflf, in fome degree or other. 
Thefe Things, and the very Notions which we have of them, are 
ceptions iffuing from the Womb ofthe Divine Nature, 
3. §. By the fame means, we have a greater aflurance of the Excel- 
lency of his Sacred Word. That He, who hath Done all things fo tranf- 
cendently well; muft needs Speak as well, as he hath Done. That He, 
who in fo admirable a manner, hath wade Man cannot but know beft, 
What his true Prizczples and Faculties are 3 and what AGons are moft 
agreeable thereunto: and, that having adorned him with fuch Beaute. 
ons and Lovely ones 5 it is impofflible, He fhould ever put him upon the 
Exercife of thofe Faculties, in any way Deformed and Onlovely. That 
He fhould do all things, fo well Hizeif; and yet require his Creatures, 
to do otherwife, is unconceivable, 
4. §. And as we may come, hereby, to rectifie our Apprehenfion of 
His Laws; {0 alfo, of His Mifferies. For there are many Things, of the 
Manner of whofe Exiftence, we have no certain Knowledge. Yet, of 
their Exiflence, weare as fare, as our Sen/éscan make us. But, we may 
as well deny, what God hath Made, To be 5 as, what he hath Spoken, 
To betrue, becaufe we underftand not how. And the knowledge of 
Things being gradually attained, we have occafion to reflect, That fome 
Things, we can now well conceive, which we once thought unintelli- 
gible. I know, therefore, what I underfiand not 5 but, | know not, 
what is wmintelligible: what I know not now, I may hereafter or if 
not!, anothers or if we Maz, or other Creature, it is fufficient, Thas 
God fully underfiandeth Himfélf Icis not, therefore, the Kuowledge 
of Nature, but they are the wanton phanftes of Mens minds, that difpofe 
them, either to Forget God, or to Think unduly of Him. 
5- §. Nor have we reafon to fear going too far, in the Study of Na- 
tures more, than the extring into it: Becaufe, the higher we rife in 
the true Knowledg and due Contemplation of This; the nearer we 
come to the Divine Author hereof. Orto think, that there is any 
Contradiétion, when Philofophy teaches that to be done by Nature s 
which Religion, and the Sacred Scriptures, teach us to be done by God : 
no more, than to fay, That the Ballance of a Watch ig moved by the 
next Wheel; isto deny that Wheel, and the ret, to be moved by the 
Spring 5 and that both the spring, and all the other Parts, are cauted to 
move together by the Azzker ofthem. So God may be truly the Caz/é of 
This Effect, although a Thoufand other Canfes fhould be fuppofed to 
intervene: For all Nature is as one Great Engine, made by, and held 
in His Hand. And as it is the Watch-makers Art, that the Hand moves 
regularly, fromhour to hour, although he put not his Finger {till to 
it : Sois it the Demonftration of Divine Wifdome, that the Parts of 
Nature are fo harmonioufly contrived and fet together 5 as to confpire 
to all kind of Natural Motions and Effects, without the Extraordi- 
nary and Immediate Influence of the Author of it. 
6. §. Therefore, as the Original Being of all Things, is the moft 
proper Demonftration of Gods Power: So the fuccelfive Generations: and 
Operations of Thingsare the moft proper Demonftration of his Wi/dow, 
For if we thould fuppofe,that God did now make,or do any Thisg,by 
any Thing; then, no Egéét would be produced by a Natural Canfe: 
and confequently, He would ftill be upon the Work of Creation: which 
yet Sacred Scripture affureth us, He refteth from. And we might exf{pect 
the 


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