Chapter I: Part 1

A Body of Divinity

A BODY OF DIVINITY:

WHEREIN THE DOCTRINES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION ARE EXPLAINED AND
DEFENDED.

BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF SEVERAL LECTURES ON THE ASSEMBLY’S LARGER
CATECHISM.

BY THOMAS RIDGLEY, D. D.

WITH NOTES, ORIGINAL AND SELECTED,
BY JAMES P. WILSON, D. D.

IN FOUR VOLUMES.

_VOL. II._

FIRST AMERICAN, FROM THE THIRD EUROPEAN EDITION.

PHILADELPHIA:

PRINTED BY AND FOR WILLIAM. W. WOODWARD, CORNER OF CHESNUT AND SOUTH
SECOND STREETS.

1815.

THE CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

QUEST. XIV, XV. Of the work of Creation.

_CREATION, the word explained_ _Page_ 5

_It was not from eternity_ 7

_This proved from the invention of things_ 13

_By the power and for the glory of God_ 14

_Performed in six days_ 16

_Each day’s work_ 19

_Of instantaneous production_ 17

_The condition and season of the year in which things were created_ 24

_Antiquity of nations vainly boasted of_ 10

QUEST. XVI. Of Angels.

_Of their existence_ 26

_Nature and properties_ 28

_Work and employment_ 30

_Worship. Harmony therein, but no Hierarchy_ 31

_How they impart their_ Ideas _to one another_ 33

QUEST. XVII. Of the creation of Man.

_Man was created male and female_ 34

_Excellency of his make_ 40

_Origin of the soul_, in a note 41

_Of God’s image in man_ 44

_No men before_ Adam 37

QUEST. XVIII. Of Providence.

_Providence governs all creatures_ 47

_And all their actions_ _ibid_

_His concern for man_ 51

_How conversant about evil actions_ 52

_Sin over-ruled for God’s glory, and his people’s good_ 53

_Other things over-ruled by providence_ 59

_Objections against providence answered_ 60

_Unequal distributions of providence vindicated_ 61

QUEST. XIX. Of God’s providence towards the angels.

_How it was conversant about the fall of apostate angels_ 63

_These fell all at once_ 64

_Some angels confirmed in holiness and happiness_ 66

_Ministry of angels_ 68

QUEST. XX. Of God’s providence towards man in innocency.

_Of Paradise_ 70

_Man’s secular employment and food therein_ 72

_His dominion over the creatures_ 74

_His spiritual concerns were under the direction of providence_ 75

_Sabbath instituted and the covenant established_ 76

_Representation_, in a note 77

_Difference between a law and a covenant_ 78

Adam _was under a covenant_ 82

_Objections answered_ 83

_Conditions of that covenant_ 84

_Tree of life a seal of it_ 86

_Of the tree of knowledge_ 90

QUEST. XXI. Of the fall of man.

_Our first parents were endued with freedom of will_ 93

_Were left thereunto_ 94

_How they were tempted_ 96

_Satan’s subtilty in the temptation_ 99

_Eve represented by Adam_, in a note 103

_Aggravations of their sin_ 105

_Its immediate consequences_ 104

QUEST. XXII. All mankind fell in _Adam_.

Adam _a federal head_ 109

_All fell in him, except Christ_ 112

_His sin imputed to his posterity_ 113

_Penal evils which followed_ 111

_Appointment of his headship vindicated_ 114

QUEST. XXIII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI. Of Sin.

_Original sin_ 118

_Actual transgressions proceed from it_ 120

_Conveyed by natural generation_ 132

_Original righteousness lost_ 121

_Man’s nature inclined to sin_ 123

_Propensity to sin not put into our nature by God_ 124

_Not harmless even in childhood_ 125

_Origin of moral evil_ 127

_The notion of two first causes exploded_ _ibid_

_Pre-existence of souls a mere fancy_ 126

_Corruption of nature not by the soul’s traduction_ 128

_Not from imitation_ _ibid_

_Necessarily ensues on the privation of original righteousness_
131

QUEST. XXVII. Of man’s misery by the Fall.

_Various opinions about the salvation of infants_ 138

_Punishment of original sin increased by actual_ 141

_Sinners liable to God’s wrath and curse_ 143

_Slaves to Satan_ 144

_Sin exists in the intentions_, in a note 145

QUEST. XXVIII, XXIX. Of the punishment of sin in both worlds.

_Of judicial blindness of mind_ 146

_Hardness of heart_ 149

_Sins that lead to it_ 150

_Difference between the hardness found in believers and
judicial_ 152

_Of strong delusions_ 147

_A reprobate sense_ 152

_Vile affections_ 153

_Horror of conscience. When judicial_ 154

_Punishment of sin in outward things_ 155

_In the world to come_ 158

_This will be perpetual_, in a note 159, 160

QUEST. XXX. Of man’s Recovery.

_God’s love the only moving cause of it_ 162

_Covenant of grace. Its various periods_ 166

_Opposed to that of innocency_ 165

QUEST. XXXI. The covenant of grace made with Christ, and, in him, with the elect.

Covenant, _scriptural sense of the word_ 168

_Between the Father and Son, explained_ 171

_And proved_ 173

_Of redemption distinguished by some from the covenant of grace_
178

_God’s covenant differs from human_ 170

_How he covenants with man_ 181

_How man covenants with him_ 183

QUEST. XXXII. Of the grace manifested in the second covenant.

_Conditions of a covenant, how understood_ 190

_Faith is a duty_, in a note 193

_Meritorious performed by Christ_ 192

_Conditional promises uncertain_ 191

_Interest in Christ, what meant by it_ 189

_Grace glorified, in ordaining, promising, and working faith_ 197

_Other graces promised and connected with salvation_ 195

QUEST. XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV. Of the various dispensations of the covenant of grace.

_Christ revealed of old by promises and prophecies_ 199

_Ceremonial law typified Christ and the gospel_ 201

_Types. Cautions about them_ 203

_Rules how to judge of them_ 205

_How the_ Jews _knew their meaning_ 207

_Cocceius’s sentiments about the bondage and darkness of that dispensation_ 208

_Gospel-dispensation, when it began_ 212

_How it excels the Legal_ 213

QUEST. XXXVI, XXXVII. Of the Mediator of the covenant of Grace.

_Saints and angels no Mediators_ 218

_Christ the only Mediator_ 217

_Two distinct natures in Christ, but not two Persons_ 222

_His human nature was united to his Person_ 220

_It shall continue so for ever_ 234

_How formed like ours. How not_ 227

_It was formed of the Virgin_ 229

_His body was truly human_ 224

_His soul distinct from his deity_ 226

_He was expected by the_ Jews 231

_Born in the fulness of time_ 233

_What meant thereby_ 233

QUEST. XXXVIII, XXXIX, XL. Of the necessity of the Mediator’s having two natures.

_Why he should be God_ 235

_Why man_ 238

_Why both God and man_ 242

QUEST. XLI, XLII. Of the Mediator’s name and offices.

_Why he was called Jesus_ 244

_Why he was called Christ_ 245

_His offices distinguished, but not divided_ 252

_He was set apart and authorized to execute them_ 248

_He was fitly qualified for them_ 249

QUEST. XLIII. Of Christ’s prophetical office.

_He reveals the will of God_ 253

_He was qualified for it_ 254

_He does it in various ages_ 257

_To whom and how he does it_ 255

QUEST. XLIV. Of Christ’s priestly office.

_Priesthood of Christ and_ Aaron _compared_ 280

_Typified by_ Melchisedek 264

_Various opinions who_ Melchisedek _was_ 265

_Proved that he was Christ_ (quære tamen) 267

_Objections answered_ 270

_Satisfaction demanded for sin, of what value and kind_ 275

_Of Christ was necessary_ 273

_His active obedience a part of it_ 283

_Least degree of his sufferings not sufficient for it_ 281

_No redemption without price_ 286

_Death of Christ a ransom_ 290

_Confirmation of his doctrine not its principal end_ 293

_Christ died in our stead_ 290

_Objections answered_ _ibid_

_Modern opinions on the atonement_, in a note, 276 _to_ 280, _and_
292 _to_ 297.

_He offered himself_

_by the Spirit_ 297

_without spot to God_ 297

_Not for all men_ 301 & 276

_but for his sheep and friends_ 316

_and for his church_ 318 _Dr. Magee’s Discourses_, in a note
298-317

_This evidenced_

_by his love to it_ 318

_his propriety in it_ 322

_and saving it_ _ibid_

_Objections answered_ 319

_Christ purchased grace and glory_ 328

_Universal redemption_,

_its consequences_ 326

_Arguments for it considered_ 327

_Texts urged for it explained_ 343

_How the word_ All, &c. _is to be explained_ 341

_Special Redemption,_

_consistent with the covenant of grace_ 329

_and with preaching the gospel_ 331

_It advances grace more than general does_ 337

_It leads not to despair_ 331

_Whether it be contrary to scripture_ 338

_Christ intercedes not for all_ 324

_Divine expostulations explained_ 333

_How all should repent and believe, though Christ died not for all_ 335

_Sacrifice of Christ sufficient for all_, in a note 349

QUEST. XLV. Of Christ’s Kingly office.

_As respecting his subjects_

_What they were, before subdued_ 353

_How brought into subjection_ 354

_How their subjection expressed at first_ 357

_Their behaviour and conflicts_ 358

_How Christ deals with them_ 361

_As respecting his enemies_ 362

_He governed the church before and since his incarnation_ 364

_This office executed by him in glory_ 365

Of the MILLENNIUM.

_Various opinions about it_ 366

_Some have gross_ Ideas _of it_ 370

_What shall precede or attend it_ 368

_Gospel shall then be more spread_ 373

_How this doctrine to be treated_ 367

_In what respects it is to be allowed_ 368

_Some prophecies of the call of the_ Jews _not yet fulfilled_ 376

_Why Christ shall not reign visibly in his human nature_ 379

_Temple-service not to be revived_ 381

_Gospel-ordinances shall be continued_ 382

_First resurrection; how understood by some_ 383

_Its literal sense debated_ 384

_General conflagration_ 387

_New heavens and new earth_ 388

_Resurrection of the church sometimes taken mystically_ 389

_1000 years how understood by some_ 391

_These not yet begun_ _ibid_

_Mediatorial kingdom of Christ eternal_ 392

1 Cor. xv. ver. 24, 25, 28. _explained_ 393

QUEST. XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII. Of Christ’s Humiliation.

_This shewn in his birth and infancy_ 398

_In his parentage_ 399

_In the place of his birth and abode_ 400

_In the sinless infirmities of his life_ 422

_In his being made under the law_ 401

_In his being exposed to indignities_ 402

_Temptations endured by him_ 404

_General remarks on them_ 406

_The time and place thereof_ 405

_His first temptation_ 410

_His second temptation_ 412

_Its matter explained_ 416

_His third temptation_ 417

_What to be observed therein_ 419

_Temptations were mental_, in a note 420

Quest. XLIX, L. Of Christ’s humiliation before and after his death.

_Christ betrayed by_ Judas 424

_Forsaken by his disciples_ 425

_Denied by_ Peter 426

_Scorned by the world_ _ibid_

_Reviled by many_ 428

_Inferences_ _ibid_

_Prosecuted by the_ Jews 429

_Condemned by_ Pilate _ibid_

_Tormented by his persecutors_ 431

_Bore the wrath of God_ _ibid_

_Death of the cross cruel and painful_ 433

_Shameful, servile, and cursed_ 434

_Christ buried with respect by his friends_ 437

_Was under the power of death till the third day_ 438

_Of his descent into hell_ 440

_How the Papists understand it_ 441

1 Pet. iii. 18. _explained_, in a note 442

QUEST. LI, LII. Of Christ’s Resurrection and Exaltation.

_Resurrection of Christ proved_ 444

_By credible witnesses_ 448

_They were men of integrity_ 449

_By the conduct of his enemies_ 450

_By miracles_ 451

_Properties of his risen body_ 452

_Christ raised the third day_ 453

_Reasons of it_ 454

_Was not three whole days and nights in the grave_ 455

Socinians’ _account of Christ’s resurrection_ 457

_Christ’s own and his peoples’ concern in his resurrection_ 458

QUEST. LIII, LIV. Of Christ’s Ascension.

_It was real and visible_ 464

_Its necessity and design_ 468

_Its distance from the time of his resurrection_ 461

_How this interval was employed_ 463

_Matter of his conversation with his disciples_ 464

_Remarks on what preceded it_ 460

_He ascended from mount_ Olivet 467

_Christ’s sitting at the right hand of God_ 471

QUEST. LV. Of Christ’s Intercession.

_Necessity of it_ 473

_His fitness for it_ 474

_Manner of it_ 477

_How it differs from our prayers_ 476

_What procured by it_ 479

_How to be improved_ _ibid_

QUEST. LVI. Of Christ’s coming to judge the world.

_The time of his appearance_ 481

_The glory that shall attend it_ 482

QUEST. LVII, LVIII, LIX. Of the benefits of redemption, and the application thereof.

_Benefits procured by Christ_ 486

_These applied by the Holy Ghost_ 487

_To all for whom they were purchased_ (_vide_ 349) 488

QUEST. LX. Of the disadvantages of those who never hear the gospel.

_State of the Heathen considered_ 491

_No salvation without the gospel_—tamen quære 492

_Nor without faith in Christ_—tamen quære _ibid_

_Deists; falseness of their hope set forth_ 494

_False grounds of hope in others_ 496

_Salvation in none but Christ_ 498

_This proved_ 499

_Objections answered_ 502

_Christ the Saviour only of his Body the church_ 508

QUEST. LXI, LXII, LXIII, LXIV. Of the Church, visible and invisible.

Church, _the word how used_, (515 in a note) 510

_Places of worship so termed_ 511

_Their first erection_ 512

_Its distinction into visible and invisible_ 516

_Invisible church described_ 519

_This farther explained and defended_ 520

_Visible church described_ 521

_In what respects it is one_ 522

_In what respects it is not one_ _ibid_

_Its concern for the children of its members_ 526

Jewish _church, its establishment_ ibid

_Its government_ 527

_How they promoted religion in their synagogues_ 529

_Their_ Proseuchæ, _or places appointed for prayer_ 530

_A particular_ gospel-church _described_ 536

_Its matter_ 539

_Its form or bond of union_ 540

_Its subjection to Christ to be professed_ 542

_How this to be made visible_ 543

_Its power of admission_ 541

_The reformed churches differ about this_ _ibid_

_Terms of communion fixed by Christ_ _ibid_

_Its power of exclusion_ 544

_Causes of exclusion_ 545

_The way of proceeding therein_ 547

_With what temper this should be done_ 549

_What meant by being delivered to Satan_ 550

_and for what end_ 551

_The first preaching and success of the gospel_ 532

_Conduct of the Apostles in planting gospel-churches_ 534 _Church-communion proved_

_from the law of nature_ 538

_from scripture_ _ibid_

_Government of churches by their officers_ 552

Αποστολος, Επισκοπος, Διακονος, in a note, _ibid_

_The office of a Pastor, Bishop, or Elder_ 555

_Bishops and Elders the same_ 556

_Jerom’s account of the increase of the power of Bishops_, in a note
558

_Pastors chosen by the church_ 561

Χειροτονεω, in a note 563

_How to be set apart_ _ibid_

_How their office to be discharged_ 565

_Whether a Teacher be a distinct officer_ 566

_Synods, the abuse and advantage of them_ 566

_Parishes, why churches were so called by ancient writers_ 567

_The office of a Deacon_ 570

_Officers of the church_, in a note 571

_Privileges of the visible church_ 572

_It is under Christ’s special care_ 574

_Wherein this consists_ 575

_It is under Christ’s special government_ 576

_In what respects_ 577

_It enjoys communion of saints_ _ibid_

_It has the ordinary means of grace_ 578

THE WORK OF CREATION.

Quest. XIV., XV.

QUEST. XIV. _How doth God execute his decrees?_

ANSW. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and
providence, according to his infallible fore-knowledge, and the free
and immutable counsel of his own will.

QUEST. XV. _What is the work of creation?_

ANSW. The work of creation is that, wherein God did, in the
beginning, by the word of his power, make, of nothing, the world,
and all things therein, for himself, within the space of six days,
and all very good.

Having considered God’s eternal purpose, as respecting whatever shall come to pass, which is generally called an internal, or immanent act of the divine will, we are now to consider those works which are produced by him, in pursuance thereof. It is inconsistent with the idea of an infinitely perfect Being, to suppose, that any of his decrees shall not take effect, _Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?_ Num. xxiii. 19. _His counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure_, Isa. xlvi. 10. This is a necessary consequence, from the immutability of his will, as well as from the end which he has designed to attain, to wit, the advancement of his own glory; and therefore, if he should not execute his decrees, he would lose that revenue of glory, which he designed to bring to himself thereby, which it cannot be supposed that he would do; and accordingly we are to consider his power as exerted, in order to the accomplishment of his purpose. This is said to have been done either in the first production of all things, which is called, _The work of creation_, or in his upholding and governing all things, which is his _providence_; both which are to be particularly considered. And,

I. We are to speak concerning the work of creation, and so to enquire what we are to understand by _creation_, and to consider it as a work peculiar to God.

II. That this work was not performed from eternity, but in the beginning of time.

III. How he is said to create all things by the word of his power.

IV. The end for which he made them, namely, for himself, or for his own glory.

V. The time in which he made them. And,

VI. The quality or condition thereof, as all things are said to have been made very good.

I. As to the meaning of the word _creation_; it is the application thereof to the things made, or some circumstances attending this action, that determine the sense of it. The Hebrew and Greek words[1], by which it is expressed, are sometimes used to signify the natural production of things: Thus it is said, in Psal. cii. 18. _The people that shall be created_, speaking of the generation to come, _shall praise the Lord_; and elsewhere, in Ezek. xxi. 30. says God, _I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created_, that is, where thou wast born, in the land of thy nativity. And sometimes it is applied to signify the dispensations of providence, which, though they are the wonderful effects of divine power, yet are taken in a sense different from the first production of all things: thus it is said, in Isa. xlv. 7. _I form the light, and create darkness_; which metaphorical expressions are explained in the following words, _I make peace, and create evil_.

And, on the other hand, sometimes God’s creating is expressed by his _making all things_; which word, in its common acceptation, is taken for the natural production of things; though, in this instance, it is used for the production of things which are supernatural: thus it is said, in John i. 3. _All things were made by him_; and elsewhere, in Psal. xxxiii. 6. _By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all by the host of them by the breath of his mouth._ Therefore it is by the application of these words, to the things produced, that we are more especially to judge of the sense of them. Accordingly, when God is said to create, or make the heavens and earth, or to bring things into being, which before did not exist, this is the most proper sense of the word creation; and in this sense we take it, in the head we are entering upon. It is the production of all things out of nothing, by his almighty word; and this is generally called immediate creation, which was the first display of divine power, a work with which time began; so we are to understand those words, _In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth_, Gen. i. 1. that is, that first matter out of which all things were formed, which has been neither increased nor diminished ever since, nor can be, whatever alterations there may be made in things, without supposing an act of the divine will to annihilate any part thereof, which we have no ground to do.

Again, it is sometimes taken for God’s bringing things into that form, in which they are, which is generally called a mediate creation, as in the account we have of it in the first chapter of Genesis; in which God is said, out of that matter which he created at first, to create the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all living creatures that move therein, after their respective kinds, which no finite wisdom, or power, could have done. The work was supernatural, and so differs from the natural production of things by creatures, inasmuch as they can produce nothing, but out of other things, that have in themselves a tendency, according to the fixed laws of nature, to be made, that which is designed to be produced out of them; as when a plant, or a tree, is produced out of a seed, or when the form, or shape of things is altered by the skill of men, where there is a tendency in the things themselves, in a natural way, to answer the end designed by them that made them, in which respect they are said to make, but not create those things; so that creation is a work peculiar to God, from which all creatures are excluded. Accordingly, it is a glory which God often appropriates to himself in scripture: thus he is called, by way of eminence, _The Creator of the ends of the earth_, Isa. xl. 28. and he speaks, concerning himself, with an unparalleled magnificence of expression, _I have made the earth, and created man upon it; I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded_, Isa. xlv. 12. and he is said to have done this, exclusively of all others: thus he says, _I am the Lord, that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself_, Isa. xliv. 24. And, indeed, it cannot be otherwise, since it is a work of infinite power, and therefore too great for any finite being, who can act no otherwise, but in proportion to the circumscribed limits of its own power; and being, at best, but a natural agent, it cannot produce any thing supernatural. From whence it may be inferred, that no creature was an instrument made use of, by God, in the production of all things; or that infinite power could not be exerted by a finite medium: but this has been already considered, under a foregoing answer.

II. We are now to consider that this work of creation was not performed from eternity, but in the beginning of time. This we assert against some of the heathen philosophers, who have, in their writings, defended the eternity of the world[2], being induced hereunto by those low conceptions, which they had of the power of God, as supposing, that because all creatures, or natural agents, must have some materials to work upon, so that as this proposition is true, with respect to them, that nothing can be made out of nothing, they conclude, that it is also applicable to God. And this absurd opinion has been imbibed by some, who have pretended to the Christian name; it was maintained by Hermogenes, about the middle of the second century, and, with a great deal of spirit and argument, opposed by Tertullian; and, among other things, that father observes, that philosophy, in some respects, had paved the way to heresy[3]; and probably the apostle Paul was apprehensive that it would do so; or that they, who were bred up in the schools of the philosophers, would, as it is plain they often did, adapt their notions in divinity, to those which they had before learned therein, of which this is a flagrant instance; and therefore he says, _Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy, and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ_, Col. ii. 8. and they, who have defended this notion, have been divided in their sentiments about it. Some suppose, in general, that matter was eternal, but not brought into that form, in which it now is, till God, by his almighty power, produced that change in it, and so altered the form of things. Others suppose, that the world was in a form, not much unlike to what it now is, from eternity, and that there were eternal successive ages, and generations of men, and a constant alteration of things. Some parts of the world, at one time, destroyed by deluges, or fire, or earthquakes, and other parts at another time; and so there was a kind of succession of generation and corruption; former worlds lost and buried in ruins, and all the monuments of their antiquity perished with them, and new ones arising in their stead. This they assert, as a blind to their ungrounded opinion, and as an answer to that reasonable demand which might be made; If the world was eternal, how comes it to pass that we know nothing of what was done in it, in those ages, which went before that which we reckon the first beginning of time?

As for the school-men, though they have not any of them given directly into this notion, which is so notoriously contrary to scripture, yet some of them have very much confounded and puzzled the minds of men with their metaphysical subtilties about this matter; as some of them have pretended to maintain, that, though God did not actually create any thing before that beginning of time, which is mentioned in scripture, yet he might, had he pleased, have produced things from eternity[4], because he had, from eternity, infinite power, and a sovereign will; therefore this power might have been deduced into act, and so there might have been an eternal production of things; for to suppose, that infinite power cannot exert itself, is contrary to the idea of its being infinite. And to suppose that God was infinitely good, from eternity, implies, that he might have communicated being to creatures from eternity, in which his goodness would have exerted itself. And they farther argue, that it is certain, that God might have created the world sooner than he did; so that, instead of its having continued in being, that number of years, which it has done, it might have existed any other unlimited number of years; or since, by an act of his will, it has existed so many thousand years, as it appears to have done, from scripture, it might, had he pleased, have existed any other number of years, though we suppose it never so large, and consequently that it might have existed from eternity. But what is this, but to darken truth, by words without knowledge? or to measure the perfections of God, by the line or standard of finite things? it is to conceive of the eternity of God, as though it were successive. Therefore, though we do not deny but that God could have created the world any number of years that a finite mind can describe, sooner than he did; yet this would not be to create it from eternity, since that exceeds all bounds. We do not deny but that the divine power might have been deduced into an act, or created the world before he did; yet to say that he could create it from eternity, is contrary to the nature of things; for it is to suppose, that an infinite duration might be communicated to a finite being, or that God might make a creature equal, in duration, with himself; which, as it contains the greatest absurdity, so the impossibility of the thing does not, in the least, argue any defect of power in him.

From whence we may infer, the vanity, and bold presumption, of measuring the power of God by the line of the creature; and the great advantage which we receive from divine revelation, which sets this matter in a clear light, by which it appears, that nothing existed before time but God; this is agreeable to the highest reason, and the divine perfections. To suppose, that a creature existed from eternity, implies a contradiction; for to be a creature, is to be produced by the power of a creator, who is God, and this is inconsistent with its existing from eternity; for that is to suppose that it had a being before it was brought into being.

Moreover, since to exist from eternity, is to have an infinite, or unlimited duration, it will follow from thence, that if the first matter, out of which all things were formed, was infinite in its duration, it must have all other perfections; particularly, it must be self-existent, and have in it nothing that is finite, for infinite and finite perfections are inconsistent with each other; and, if so, then it must not consist of any parts, or be devisible, as all material things are: besides, if the world was eternal, it could not be measured by successive duration, inasmuch as there is no term, or point, from whence this succession may be computed, for that is inconsistent with eternity; and if its duration was once unmeasured, or not computed by succession, how came it afterwards to be successive, as the duration of all material beings is?

Again, to suppose matter to be co-eternal with God, is to suppose it to be equal with him, for whatever has one divine perfection, must have all; so that this is contrary to those natural ideas, which we have of the divine perfections, and contains such absurdities, as have not the least colour of reason to support them.

But it more evidently appears, from scripture, that the world was made in the beginning of time, and therefore did not exist from eternity; since therein we read, that _in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth_, Gen. i. 1. and elsewhere, _Thou, Lord, in the beginning, hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thine hands_, Heb. i. 10. Now since we are not to confound time and eternity together, or to say, that that which was created in the beginning, was without beginning, that is, from eternity, it is evident that no creature was eternal.

Thus having considered the impossibility of the existence of finite things, from eternity, we may here take occasion to vindicate the account we have in scripture, concerning the world’s having been created between five and six thousand years since, from the objections of those who suppose, that the antiquity thereof exceeds the scripture-account by many ages. Those that follow the LXX translation of the Old Testament, in their chronological account of time, suppose the world to be between fourteen and fifteen hundred years older than we have ground to conclude it is, according to the account we have thereof in the Hebrew text. This we cannot but think to be a mistake, and has led many of the fathers into the same error[5], who, through their unacquaintedness with the Hebrew language, excepting Jerom and Origen, hardly used any but this translation[6].

But this we shall pass over, and proceed to consider the account that some give of the antiquity of the world, which is a great deal remote, from what we have in scripture, though this is principally to be found in the writings of those who were altogether unacquainted with it. Thus the Egyptians, according to the report of some ancient historians, pretended, that they had chronicles of the reigns of their kings for many thousand years longer than we have ground to conclude the world has stood[7]. And the Chaldeans exceed them in the accounts they give of some things contained in their history; and the Chinese pretend to exceed them by many thousand years, but these accounts are fabulous and ungrounded[8][9]. And inasmuch as they are confuted, and exposed by many of the heathen themselves, as ridiculous and absurd boasts, rather than authentic accounts, no one who has the least degree of modesty, can oppose them to the account we have, in scripture, of the time that the world has continued, which is no more than between five or six thousand years.

And that the world cannot be of greater antiquity than this may be proved, from the account which we have of the first original of nations, and the inventors of things in scripture, and other writings. It is not reasonable to suppose, that men lived in the world many thousand years, without the knowledge of those things, that were necessary for the improvement of their minds, and others that were conducive to the good of human society, as well as subservient to the conveniencies of life; but this they must have done, who are supposed to have lived before these things were known in the world.

As to what concerns the original of nations, which spread themselves over the earth after the universal deluge, we have an account of it in Gen. x. and, in particular, of the first rise of the Assyrian monarchy, which was erected by Nimrod, who is supposed to be the same that other writers call Belus. This monarchy was continued, either under the name of the Assyrian, or Babylonian, till Cyrus’s time, and no writers pretend that there was any before it: and, according to the scripture account hereof, it was erected above seventeen hundred years after the creation of the world; whereas, if the world had been so old, as some pretend it is, or had exceeded the scripture account of the age and duration thereof, we should certainly have had some relation of the civil affairs of kingdoms and nations, in those foregoing ages, to be depended on, but of this, history is altogether silent; for we suppose the account that the Egyptians give of their Dynasties, and the reigns of their gods and kings, in those foregoing ages, are, as was before observed, ungrounded and fabulous.

As to what respects the inventors of things, which are necessary in human life, we have some hints of this in scripture. As we have an account in scripture, Gen. iv. 20-22. of the first that made any considerable improvement in the art of husbandry, and in the management of cattle, and of the first _instructor of every artificer in brass and iron_, by which means those tools were framed, which are necessary for the making those things that are useful in life; and also of the first inventor of music, who is called, _The father of all such as handle the harp and organ_, which was in that space of time, which intervened between the creation and the deluge; and, after this we read of the first plantation of vineyards, and the farther improvement thereof by making wine, by Noah, Gen. ix. 20, 21. which the world seems to have known nothing of before. And it is more than probable, that the art of navigation was not known, till Noah, by divine direction, framed the ark, which gave the first hint to this useful invention; and this art was not, for many ages, so much improved, as it is in our day. The mariner’s needle, and the variation of the compass, or the method of sailing by observation of the heavenly bodies, seem to have been altogether unknown by those mariners, in whose ship the apostle Paul sailed, Acts xxvii. for want of which, they exposed themselves to suffer shipwreck, hoping, thereby, to save their lives.

And, as to what concerns those inventions, that are necessary for the improvement of knowledge; it does not appear that writing was known till Moses’ time; and, after this, the use of letters was brought into Greece by Cadmus. And therefore it is no wonder, when historians give some dark hints of things done before this, being unacquainted with scripture-history, that they are at a loss, and pretend not to give an account of things done before the deluge[10]. Shall we suppose, that there were so many ages, as some pretend in which men lived, and yet no account given of things done therein, transmitted to posterity, by those who assert it? Therefore there can be no ground to conclude, that the world has stood longer than the scripture account thereof[11]. We pass by the invention of the art of printing, which has not been known in the world above three hundred years; and the many improvements that have been made in philosophy, mathematicks, medicine, anatomy, chymistry, and mechanicks, in the last age; and can we suppose that there are so many thousand ages passed without any of these improvements? And to this we may add the origin of idolatry, in them who worshipped men, whom they called gods, namely, such as had been useful while they lived among those that worshipped them, or had been of great note, or power, in the world, or who were the first inventors of things: this being known, and the time in which they lived, mentioned, by some writers among the heathen, which is much later than the first age of the world, is a farther evidence of this truth, that it has not stood so many years as some pretend.

If it be objected, that there has been a kind of circulation, or revolution of things with respect to men’s knowing, and afterwards losing and then regaining the knowledge of some of those arts, which we suppose to have been first discovered in in later ages, so that they might have been known in the world many ages before:

This is to assert, without pretending to give any proof thereof; and nothing can be inferred from a mere possibility of things, which no one, who has the least degree of judgment, will ever acquiesce in; especially the memory of some things could never have been universally erased out of the minds of men, by any devastations that might be supposed to have been made in the world. Therefore, to conclude this argument, nothing can be reasonably objected against the account we have in scripture, of the creation of the world at first, and of its having continued that number of years, and no longer, which we believe it to have done, from those sacred writings, which contain the only authentic records thereof, and have sufficient authority to put to silence all those fabulous conjectures, or vain and groundless boasts, that pretend to contradict it.

III. God is said to have created all things by the word of his power; thus the Psalmist says, _By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth_, Psal. xxxiii. 6. Some, indeed, understand this, and several other scriptures, in which God is said to create all things by his word, as implying, that God the Father made all things by the Son, his personal Word: but, though this be a great truth, and it be expressly said, _All things were made by him_, John i. 3. as has been considered under a foregoing answer[12], whereby the divinity of Christ was proved; yet here we speak of creation, as an effect of that power, which is a perfection of the divine nature. And whereas it is called _the word_ of his power, it signifies, that God produced all things by an act of his power and sovereign will; so that how difficult soever the work was in itself, as infinitely superior to finite power, yet it argues, that it was performed by God without any manner of difficulty, and therefore it was as easy to him as a thought, or an act of willing is to any creature; accordingly it is said, _He spake and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast_, Psal. xxxiii. 9. As nothing could resist his will, or hinder his purpose from taking effect, so all things were equally possible to him. In this respect, creation differs from the natural production of things, which, though they be the effects of power, yet nothing is produced by a powerful word, or, as it were, commanded into being, but that which is the effect of almighty power, as the creation of all things is said to be.

IV. The end for which God made all things, was his own glory; or, as it is said, _He made all things for himself_, Prov. xvi. 4. that is, that he might demonstrate his eternal power and Godhead, and all those divine perfections, which shine forth in this illustrious work, and so might receive a revenue of glory, as the result thereof. Not that he was under any natural necessity to do this, or would have been less happy and glorious in himself, than he was from all eternity, if he had not given being to any thing. We are far from supposing, that there is any addition made hereby to his essential glory; this appears from the independence of his divine perfections: As they are not derived from the creature, so they cannot receive any additional improvement from him, no more than the lustre of the sun is increased by its being beheld by our eyes; nor does it sustain any real diminution thereof, when its brightness is obscured by the interposure of any thing that hides it from us. God did not make the world that his power or wisdom might be improved hereby; but that he might be admired and adored, or that his relative glory might be advanced by us, which would be the highest advantage to us. This was the great end for which he made all things; and it is very agreeable to the scope and design of scripture in general, which puts us upon giving him the glory due to his name, as being induced hereunto by all the displays thereof in his works.

Therefore it is a very unbecoming way of speaking, and tends very much to detract from the divine perfections, to say as a judicious writer[13] represents some objecting, “As though God were not so selfish, and desirous of glory, as to make the world, and all creatures therein, only for his own honour, and to be praised by men.” And another writer[14] speaks his own sense of this matter, in words no less shocking. He says, indeed, “That God cannot really suffer any diminution of his own by our dislike, or is advanced in honour by our approbation of his dispensations;” which, as it respects his essential glory, is an undoubted truth; but yet he speaks, in other respects, of the glory of God, by which, it is plain, he means that which is generally called his relative, or manifestative glory, in a very unbecoming manner, when he says; “That God, being infinitely perfect, must be infinitely happy within himself, and so can design no self-end without himself; therefore what other end can he be supposed to aim at in these things, but our good? It is therefore a vain imagination, that the great design of any of God’s actions, his glorious works and dispensations, should be thus to be admired, or applauded, by his worthless creatures, that he may gain esteem, or a good word, from such vile creatures as we are. We take too much upon us, if we imagine that the all-wise God can be concerned, whether such blind creatures, as we are, approve or disapprove of his proceedings; and we think too meanly of, and detract from his great Majesty, if we conceive he can be delighted with our applause, or aim at reputation from us in his glorious design, that therefore such as we should think well of him, or have due apprehensions of those attributes, by the acknowledgment of which we are said to glorify him.” This is, at once, to divest him of all that glory, which he designed from his works; but far be it from us to approve of any such modes of speaking. Therefore we must conclude, that though God did not make any thing with a design to render himself more glorious than he was, from all eternity, yet it was, that his creatures should behold and improve the displays of his divine perfections, and so render himself the object of desire and delight, that religious worship might be excited hereby, and that we might ascribe to him the glory that is due to his name.

We might also observe, that God created all things by his power, that he might take occasion to set forth the glory of all his other perfections, in his works of providence and grace, and particularly in the work of our redemption, all which suppose the creature brought into being; and so his first work made way for all others, which are, or shall be performed by him in time, or throughout the ages of eternity.

V. We are now to consider the space of time, in which God created all things, namely, in six days. This could not have been determined by the light of nature, and therefore must be concluded to be a doctrine of pure revelation; as also the account we have, in Gen. i. of the order in which things were brought to perfection, or the work of each day. Here we cannot but take notice of the opinion of some, who suppose, that the world was created in an instant, as thinking, that this is more agreeable to the idea of creation, and more plainly distinguishes it from the natural production of things, which are brought to perfection by degrees, and not in a moment, as they suppose this work was. This opinion has been advanced by some ancient writers; and whereas it seems directly to contradict that account which is given thereof by Moses, they suppose that the distribution of the work of creation, into that of six days, is only designed to lead us into the knowledge of the distinct parts thereof, whereby they may be better conceived of, as though they had been made in such an order, one after another; but this is to make the scripture speak what men please to have it, without any regard had to the genuine sense and import of the words thereof. Had it only been asserted, that the first matter, out of which all things were formed, had been created in an instant; that is not only agreeable to the work of creation, but to the literal sense of the text; for it is said to be created _in the beginning_, that is, in the first point of time; or if it had only been said, that God could have brought all things to perfection in an instant, we would not have denied it; but to assert that he did so, we cannot but think an ill-grounded sense of a plain part of scripture. That which induces them to give into this opinion is, because they think that this redounds to the glory of God, and seems most agreeable to a supernatural production of things, and to those expressions, by which the work of creation is represented; as in the scripture before-mentioned in which it is said, _God spake, and it was done_; that which was produced by a word’s speaking, is performed in an instant. And they suppose, that this is agreeable to the account which we have of that change which shall pass on the bodies of those who shall be found alive at the last day, that it shall be _in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye_, 1 Cor. xv. 52. and to some other miracles and supernatural productions, which have been instantaneous. But all this is not sufficient to support an opinion, which cannot be defended any otherwise, than by supposing that the express words of scripture must be understood in an allegorical sense.

There is therefore another account given of this matter, by some divines, of very considerable worth and judgment,[15] which, as they apprehend, contains a concession of as much as need be demanded in favour of the instantaneous production of things, as most agreeable to the idea of creation, and yet does not militate against the sense of the account given thereof, in Gen. i. and that is, that the distinct parts of the creation were each of them produced in a moment. As for instance, in the work of the first day, there was the first matter of all things produced in one moment; and, after that, in the same day, light was produced, in another moment, agreeable to those words, _Let there be light, and there was light_; and, in another moment, there was a division of the light from the darkness, and so the work of the first day was finished. And, in the other days, where the works were various, there were distinct acts of the divine will, or words of command given concerning their production, which immediately ensued hereupon; and there was, in several instances, an interval between the production of one thing and another, which belonged to the same day’s work; particularly, in the sixth day, there was first a word of command given, by which beasts and creeping things were formed, and then another word given forth, by which man was created, when, indeed, there was an approbation of the former part of this day’s work, in ver. 26. God says, _That it was good_, before the general approbation, expressed in ver. 31. in the end of the day, was given, when _God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good_.

There is nothing, in this opinion, (the main reason and foundation whereof has been before observed) that can be much disliked, neither is it very material whether it be defended or opposed; and therefore, I think, they speak with the greatest prudence, as well as temper who reckon this among the number of those questions, which are generally called problematical, that is, such as may be either affirmed or denied, without any great danger of departing from the faith;[16] and, indeed, I cannot see that the reasons assigned, which induce persons to adhere to either side of the question, with so much warmth, as to be impatient of contradiction, are sufficiently conclusive.

The main objection brought against their opinion, who plead for an instantaneous production of things in each day, is, that for God to bring the work of each day to perfection in a moment, and, after that, not to begin the work of the next day, till the respective day began, infers God’s resting each day from his work; whereas, he is not said to rest till the whole creation was brought to perfection. But I cannot see this to be a just consequence, or sufficient to overthrow this opinion; since God’s resting from his work, when the whole was finished, principally intends his not producing any new species of creatures, and not barely his ceasing to produce what he had made; for such a rest as this might as well be applied to his finishing the work of each day, though he took up the whole space of a day therein, as if he had finished it in a moment.

And, on the other hand, when it is objected against the common opinion relating to God’s bringing the work of each day to perfection by degrees, so as to take up the space of a day in doing it, that it is not agreeable to the idea of creation. This is no just way of reasoning, nor sufficient to overthrow it; since we generally conclude, that God’s upholding providence, which some call, as it were, a continued creation, is no less an instance of divine and supernatural power, than his producing them at first: but this is not performed in an instant; nevertheless; it is said to be done, as the apostle speaks, in Heb. i. 3. _By the word of his power._ Besides, there are some parts of the creation, which, from the nature of the thing, could hardly be produced in an instant, particularly those works which were performed by motion, which cannot be instantaneous; as the dividing the light from the darkness, the gathering the waters together into one place, so that the dry land should appear; and if this took up more than a moment, why may it not be supposed to take up the space of a day? So that, upon the whole, we may conclude, that though it is certain that spirits, such as angels, or the souls of our first parents, could not be otherwise created, than in an instant, inasmuch as they are immaterial, and so do not consist of parts successively formed; yet none ought to determine, with too great peremptoriness, that other works, performed in the six days, must each of them be performed in an instant, or else the work could not properly be called a creation; and therefore the commonly received opinion seems as probable as any other, that has hitherto been advanced, as it is equally, if not more agreeable, to the express words of scripture.