CHAP. II.

Concerning GOD: His NATURE, AT

TRIBUTES, and WORKS.

* THAT CHAT which may be known of God is

manifeft: For the Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the Firmament fheweth his Handy-work. So that we are without Excuse, f by the Things that are made, we do not clearly perceive and understand his eternal Power and Godhead.

The Lord is also known by the Judgment which he executeth.

But the Scriptures having given us a plainer and fullér Account of the Divine Being, than the Reason of Man can discover of itself, the best and easieh Way of coming to the right Knowledge of God is by his Wird.

From whence we learn, That he is the Maker, Preferver, and Governor of all Things: That he is a Bring.every Way perfect; obe only God; who hath none other like him; and who is greater and more excellent than all other Beings: That he is a Spirit, Eternal and Unchangeable; and fills all Places by his Presence: That his Happiness Knowledge, Wisdom and Power, are infinite : That be is perfectly Good and Gracious, Righteous and Juft, True and Faithful, Pure and Holy: And that after all we can do or know of him, he is Incomprehensibler

* Rom. 3, 19. Pfal. 19. l. Rom. 1. 20.

D. Pfal.

9.

16..! GOD

GOD is the CREATOR, MAKER, and FORMER

of all Things. e By him were all Things created that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, visible and invisible, whether they be Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers: All Things were created by him and for hiin.

He made Heaven, the Heaven of Heavens, with all their Hoft; the Earth, and all Things that are therein; the Seas, and all that is therein. As for the World, and the Fulness thereof, and all Things that come forth of it, he hath founded them.

• He formed the Light, and created Darkness, the Day is his, and the Night also is his: He hath prepared the Light and the Sun ; and by bis Spin rit he hath garnished the Heavens.

*. He gave the Sun for a Light by Day, and or. dained the Moon and the Stars for a Light. by. Night.

& He hath made Summer and Winter ; the North and the South, he hath created them. A

The Lord hath founded the Earth, and hung it upon nothing,

i He created it not in vain; he formed it to be inhabited. i He shut up the Sca with Doors, and said, Hitherto fhalt thou coute, but no: farther; and here shall thy proud Waves be staid,

f

a

4

He formeth the Mountains, and createth the Wind.

m God made every living Creature, Beast, and Cattle, and creeping Thing of the Earth ; every winged Fowl and moving Creature which the Waters bring forth; and every Plant of the Field before it was in the Earth, and every Herb of the Field before it grew.

* God created Man ; Male and Female created he them. Thou, O Lord, art our Father, and we are all the work of thy Hand. We are the Clay, and thou our Potter." Thy Hands have made us and fashioned us.' Thou haft cloathed us with Skin and Flesh, and halt fenced us with Bones and Sinews. Thine Eyes did fee our Subftance, yet being unperfect, and in thy Book were all our Members written, which in Continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

. • The Lord hath formed the Spirit of Man within him, he hath made us this Soul.

P He inade of one Blood all Nations of Men, for to dwell on all the Face of the Earth.

9 The Lord he is God, it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his People and the Sheep of his Pasture.

He hąth created us for his Glory; he' hath formed us for himself, that we should thew forth his Praise.

Gen. 2 5. I Amos 4. 13. m' Gen. 1. 21, 24, 25, 20.

Pfal. 139. 16. Gen. 1. 27

Ifa. 64. 8. "Job io. 8, 13. Zech. 12. I. 140. 3• * Isa. 43. 7. 22

By

Jer. 38.16.

P Acts 17: 26. Pfal.

3

* By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made, and all the Host of them by the Breath of his Mouth. .:

Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that Things which are seen were not made of Things

which do appear.

" He spake, and they were made ; he commanded, and they were created. He said, Let them be, and it was so.

w The Lord hath made all Things for himself; and for his Pleasure they are and were created. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all Things.

* Why then hath the Fool faidin his Heart, There is no God? Understand, ye Brutish among the People, and ye Fools, when will ye bc wife? Shall the Work fay of him that made it, lie made me not?

y Every Houfe is builded by fome Man, bit he that built all Things is God.

GOD is the PRESERVER of all Things.

? By him all Things confift.

• He preserveth and upholdeth all Things by the Word of his Power, and they continue this Day according to his Ordinances.

s Psal. 33. 6.
t Heb. ll. 3.

u Pfal. 148. 5:
Trant)
Gen. T.

w Prov. 16. A. Rev. 4. u.
II. 36.
x Pral, 14.1.

Pral. 94.8. Isa. 29. 16.
3:40
z Cobi J. 17.

a Neh, 9:6,
319. 91.

(Old Rom. y Heb.

Place

Heb. 1. 3.

T

The Lord hath establifhed the Heavens and the Earth, and they abide.

• He hath compassed the Waters with Bounds until the Day and Night come to an End: He bindeth the Floods from overflowing.

* And because he hath said it; Therefore while the Earth remaineth, Seed-time, and Harvest, and Cold and Heat, and Summer and Winter, and Day and Night, shall not cease.

e The Earth which drinketh in the Rain that conieth oft upon it, and bringeth forth Herbs inect for them by whom it is dreiled, receiveth Bleffing from God,

f With thee, O Lord, is the Fountain of Life. Thou preserveft Man and Beast. Thou givest Food to all Fleth: In whofę Hand is the Soul of

every living Thing, and the Breath of all Mankind.

& And God blessed every living Creature, and said unto them, Be fruitful and inultiply. He Taid also to every Beast of the Earth, and to every Fowl of the Air, and to every Thing that creepeth upon the Earth, wherein there is Life, I have given' every green Herb for Meat, and it was fo.

The Lord, He is the Preferver of Men.. In him we live and move, and have our Being, ķ He holdeth our Soul in Life ; and he will be our Guide, even unto Death,

136. 25.

b. Prov. 3. 19. Plal. 119.900: 1 Job 26.10. Job 23. 11. Gen. 8. 21, 22., ¢ Heb. 6., 7*

F. Plal. 36.90 6. Pral. Jub 12. 10.

8 Gen. 1,,21,22, 25, 28, 30. Job 7, 202 i Acts 17, 28. k Psal. 66... Plal. 48. 14.

My