logy beginning fome Myriads of Years before the Annals of Mofes. But this was all ridiculous and incredible Forgery; as when the Egyptians tell us that some of their Kings reigned 1200 Years a-piece, and the Affyrians fome of theirs 40000: unless we take the Years of the former for Months, and those of the latter for Days. When Alexander entred Egypt in triumph, the Priests undertook to fhew him an account of the Perfian and Macedonian Empires, each for 8000 Years: Whereasnothing can be more certain than that the Perfian Monarchy was not then 300 years old, nor the Macedonian 500. And if they were so kind in advancing the Antiquity of other Nations, we are not to wonder if they were still more favourable to their own. The Tables of Eclipfes describ'd in their Temples for fo many Ages paft, are a moft fenfelefs Argument; because these Calculations, proceeding only upon fuppofition, may be made for Millions of Ages, paft, or to come. The poor evafion of Ocellus, and other Atheists, afferting a number of utter Devastations to have happen'd to the World, in which it loft the Monuments of its firft Antiquity, tho' contradictory in it felf, yet adds an advantage to our Faith, by confirming the general Tradition of Noah's Flood, and the no lefs general Expectation of St. Peter's Fire. (i) This feems to be the furest and most sensible Method of forming an Idea concerning the World's Duration. For if, according to common Judgment and Experience, three Generations usually take up a hundred Years; if, as all agree, we cannot reckon above 3700 Years fince the Birth of Abraham; if all Men are defcended from Noah, as undoubtedly they are; if Abrabam were but the tenth from Noah, as Noah from Adam, which Mofes has affur'd us; then, very probably, no Person now alive is remov'd from 4dam above the number of Generations here mention'd. (k) It is a known Extravagance, that of the Marcionites, Manichees, and other antienf Hereticks, afferting two Principles, or Gods, one the Author and Creator of Good Things, the other of Evil Things. Whereas there is no Being, or Subftance, in it felf, effentially and originally Evil, and therefore nothing but what might proceed from the fame Fountain of Goodness. I form the Light, Light, and create Darkness; Imake Peace, and create Evil: I the Lord do all these things *. It was in refpect of * Ifai. xlv. 7. these Herefies, partly, that the Church thus affign'd the Creation of the World peculiarly to the Father, in the Creed; while in the Scriptures it is attributed indifferently to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. But the chief reafon was the Paternal Priority in the Deity, which befpeaketh likewise some Priority of Action. In which regard, the Apostle has made a distinction: To us there is but one GOD the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him, and one Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom are all things, and we by Him. † (1) The neceffity of this part of our Confeffion appears, in that it conduceth, † Cor. viii. 6. 1. To the Glory of GOD manifefted in the Work of Creation. The invifible things of Him from the Creation of the World are clearly feen, being understood by the things that are made, even his Eternal Power and Godhead*. * Rom. i. 20. For He hath made the Earth by his Power, He hatheftablifbed the World by his Wifdom, and hath stretched out the Heavens by his Difcretion t. Thus the Levites taught the tfer. x. 12.. 15. Children of Ifrael to glorify GOD: Stand up andbless the Lord your God for ever; and bleffed be thy glorious Name, which is exalted above all Bleffing and Praife. Thou even thou art Lord alone; thou haft made Heaven, the Heaven of Heavens with all their Hofts, the Earth and all things that are therein. And the Twenty four Elders, in the Re- *Neh, ix. 5. 6. velation of St. John, fall down before him that fitteth on the Throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and caft their Crowns, (the Emblems of their borrowed and derived Glories,) before the Throne, (the Seat of infinite and eternal Majefty,) faying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive Glory, and Hononr, and Power; for thou baft created all things, and for thy Pleafure they are and were created t. + Rev.iv. 10,11. 2. To Man's Humiliation. When I confider the Heavens, the work of thy Fingers, the Moon and the Stars which thou haft ordained; when I view thofe glorious Pfal. viii. 3. Bodies with my Eye, and, by the advantage of a Glafs, C 3 find Gen, vis 6, Pfal.cxix. 73: Ifai. xl. 26. Ifai. i. 3. find great numbers, before beyond the Power of my Sight, and from thence judge there may be many Millions more, which neither Eye nor Inftrument can reach; when I contemplate thofe far more glorious Spirits, the Inhabitants of the Heavens, and the Attendants on thy Throne, I cannot but break forth into that Admiration of the Prophet, What is Man that thou art mindful of him? What is the Offspring of the Earth, that Duft and Afhes, what is that Son of Man, that thou vifiteft him? What is there in the Progeny of an ejected and condemned Father, that thou thouldeft look down from Heaven, the Place of thy Dwelling, and take care, or notice of him? Other Creatures are under an happy impoffibility of finning; thofe which are inferior to us, as not endued with Understanding and Election; thofe which are fuperior, as preferv'd by the Grace of GOD, in a state incapable of falling. Men are the only Companions of thofe Angels which left their own Habitations: How can we without confufion of Face look upon that Monument of our Infamy recorded by Mofes, who first penn'd the Original of Humanity, It repented the Lord, that he had made Man on the Earth, and it griev'd him at the beart t? * 3. To the production of a chearful and univerfal Obedience. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me; give me Understanding, that I may learn thy Commandments Of all the Creatures deriv'd from the fame Fountain of Goodness, none ever difobey'd their Maker's Voice but the Devil and Man. Mine hand bath laid the Foundation of the Earth, and my Right-hand hath Spann'd the Heavens, when I call unto them, they stand up together: Lift up your Eyes on high, and behold, who hath created these things, that bringeth out their Hofts by number: be calleth them al by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power: not one faileth +.- If the univerfal Obedience of the Creatures to the Will of GOD cannot move us to the fame Affection and Defire of ferving and pleafing him, they will all confpire to teftify against us, and condemn us, when he fhall call unto them, Hear, 0 Heavens, and give ear, O Earth, for the Lord hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up Children, and they have rebelled against me*. 4 To 5.6. To our Confolation in all the variety of our Con. ditions. Happy is he whofe Hope is in the Lord his G O D, who made Heaven and Earth, the Sea and all that therein ist This Happine confifteth partly in a full affurance + Palm cxlvi. of his Power to fer us, and his Ability to fatisfy us: Haft thou not known but thou not heard, that the everlafting GO D the Lord, the Creator of the Ends of the Earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? And partly in®Ifai. xl 28. an humble Confidence of his Will to protect and fuccour us, his Defite to preferve and blefs us. My Help cometh from the Lord who hath made Heaven and Earth †. GOD +Pfal.cxxi. 2. will not defpife the Work of his hands, nor fuffer the rest of his Creatures to do the leaft Injury to his own Image. Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the Coak in the Fire, and that bringeth forth an Inftrument for his Work. No Weapon that is formed against thee fhall profper. This is the Heritage of the Servants of the Lord*. † Ifai. liv. 17. I ARTICLE II. . And in Jefus Chrift his only Son And in Jesus Believe not only that there is a GOD (a), who made the World; but I acknowledge and profefs that I am fully perfwaded of this as a certain Truth, that there was and is a Man, whose Name by the Miniftry of an Angel was called Jefus (b), of whom particularly Joshua (c), the firft of that Name, and all the reft of the Judges and Saviours (d) of Ifrael were Types. I believe that Jefus, in the highest and utmost importance of that Name (e), to be the Saviour of the World; in as much as He hath revealed to the Sons of Men the only way for the Salvation of their Souls (f), and wrought the fame way out for them, by the virtue of his Blood (g), obtaining Remiffion for Sinners, making Reconciliation for Enemies, paying the Price of Redemption for Captives; and fhall at last Himself confer the fame Salvation (h), which He hath promulged and procured, upon all those which unfeignedly and fted faftly |