An essay upon the works of creation and providence being an introductory discourse to the history of remarkable providences now preparing for the press : to which is added a further specimen of the said work : as also Meditations upon the beauty of holiness / by William Turner ...

CHAP. VII. Of the Extensiveness of the Heavens.

The Stars and Firmament, the expanded Sky and all the Hosts of the Etherial Orbs speak expresly unto all the Nations of the Earth, that there is a God to be worship∣ped, and with such a Worship as becomes his Infinite Excellency: Their words are so loud, they may be heard to all the Ends of the Word. Then let us consider,

• 1. WHether the most dark and distant Nations of the Earth have ta∣ken notice of this Rule; — heard this Voice.
• 2. What they have understood by it.
• 3. What they might understand.
• 4. What Inferences we may deduce from the whole, for our own use.

1. Whether the darkest — Nations — have heard this Voice!

Answ. Yes, Their sound hath gone out to all the ends of the World. And it is very easily made out. For,

1. They had no other Bible to read in, than that of Nature; and this of the Hea∣vens was the most legible Page in the whole Book. They were without the

written Law, but they were not with∣out this Natural Light. They had nei∣ther Moses nor the Prophets, nor Evan∣gelists, nor Apostles, and therefore whi∣ther else should they go, but to the word writ upon the Book of the Creation, the Di∣vine Handy-works in the Make of the World! Rom. 1.20. —

2. We find them confessing it, making use of this Book, reading studiously amongst the Stars, poring with an inqui∣sitive Eye upon the Heavens and Firma∣ment, to gather some scraps of a Religi∣ous Philosophy, and trace the Principles of a Spiritual Divinity. Seneca when he hath placed the Wise Man walking to and fro, by the contemplation of his mind, amongst the Stars — Illic demum discit — (saith he) quod diu quaesivit; illic incipit Deum nosse. And in the beginning of his Book of Natural Questions, having un∣dertaken some Philosophical Account of the Heavenly Bodies, we find him no where in such a Rapture of Divinity, as upon that Thesis, Nisi ad haec (the study of Divine Things, the Contempla∣tions of the Heavenly Bodies, &c.) ad∣mitterer, non fuerat operae — pretium nasci: — O quam contempta res est Homo, nisi su∣pra humana se erexerit!

Nay more than this, they had gene∣rally the original of all their Theology from the Firmament: Their Gods were amongst the Stars, nay — the Stars were their only Gods.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Homer.

Even the Egyptians themselves are ac∣counted to have lead the way to this Su∣perstition. And for this reason it was chiefly, that their several Priests, Pro∣phets and Magi amongst the Egyptians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Persians, &c. were so well-skilled commonly in the Curious Arts of Astrology and Divination; which have been since derived and diffused from them to us, and the rest of the World. Their Hermes Tresmegistus, Ptolomy and Haly, being Authors of great request still with our Astrologers and Prognosti∣cators.

2. What did they learn from hence? Truly a great deal more than some Chri∣stians learn from Nature and Revelation both. I speak not of all the poor dark Heathen World; but of some who were more serious and contemplative amongst them. Who took more pains than their

Fellows. And I dare safely say, that tho their Eyes were dim, and the Light they saw by but like the obscure Twi∣light, or the first Dawning of the Morn∣ing, that they might well School and Catechise some of our old Professors, Gray-hair'd Christians, for seven years to∣gether. It would be too large a task now to tell you what Lessons they learn'd from the Contemplation and Study of these Things. Their Books of Moral Philoso∣phy, writ by Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, Se∣neca, Isocrates, &c. were they preach'd in our Pulpits, were enough to fill some number of years with Sermons strong enough for our Auditors of the Lower Form: And convictive enough to shame the major part of Christians among us into blushing and confusion. Read over but the Roman Twelve Tables, Plato's Re∣public. the Laws of the several Heathen Nations about Religion, Sobriety, Justice, &c. And you'l find reason to fear left the Queen of the South, and the Inhabi∣tants of Tyre and Sidon, the Greek, Scy∣thian and Barbarian will escape better, some of them at the Day of Judgment, than many of Christendom that have both the Books wide open before them all the days of their life, Rom. 2.14, 15.

3. What might they learn? Answ. All the Articles of our Christian Creed, and all the Precepts of our Christian Religion, except those which refer to the Cause and Cure of our Misery; viz. The fall of Adam, and the Intercession of the Second Adam: That there was a God, one only Supreme Maker of Heaven and Earth, Infi∣nite in the Attributes of Wisdom, Power, Truth, Justice, Mercy, worthy to be wor∣shipped with a Holy Life, Prayer, Praise, Obedience, and a pure Heart and Affection; one that had a Good Will to save us, one that would reward us with excellent Re∣wards or Punishments, according to our Acti∣ons, in the other World: All this, and more than this they might have discern∣ed by their Glimmering Light of Nature in only the Frontispiece of Heaven, if they had but used their Eyes. And so much many of them did not only learn, but teach, and make a publick and stout pro∣fession of it to the World. The Existence of one Supreme God, the Divine Gover∣nance of the World, the Immortality of the Soul, a Mediation between God and us, and almost all the Moral Duties of the Law in Substance; the distribution of Rewards and Punishments after this Life, distinct Places

and times of Worship, Priests and Priestly maintenance, and Attonements, and Purifi∣cations, and something like the Dedicating of their Infants to God by Baptism, with se∣cret Devotions, and Family Worship, as well as that which was publick in the Tem∣ples; All these, and much more, were a∣dopted into the Body of the Heathen Re∣ligion: And excepting only some few Ar∣ticles of our Creed, referring to the Tri∣nity, and especially the business of our Redemption, and the True Notion of our two Sacraments, and it may be the Resurrection of our Bodies, it were not very hard, to make out all the rest of our Religion demonstrable by the meer Light of Reason. The invisible things of God from the Creation of the World are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.

4. What Practical Deductions may be made from hence?

How great is God? A Contemplation of the Heavenly Fabrick will directly lead us to this point, viz. an admiration of the Divine Eternal Power of the God∣head. For Rom. 1.19. that which may be known of God is manifest to all the World, for God hath shewed it to them. He hath shewed his Face in the Glass of his Works,

and his Features there appear so glori∣ous, that 'tis a wonder it doth not fill our apprehensions with a pregnant and awful conceit of his Infinite Majesty and Power. The Splendor of the Divine At∣tributes gives shine to all the World, so that now all the Inhabitants of the Round World have scope enough for Spiritual Contemplation, and the exercise of their Rational Faculties; and the Turk and Pa∣gan both have a book large and volu∣minous enough, lying wide open before them, enough to employ all their studies in, all the days of their Life. Who that considers a while the Nature of that God that made the Heavens, how he must stretch his Compass over the whole Ʋni∣verse, how he must mete out the Heavens with a Span, and comprehend the Dust of the Earth in a Measure, and weigh the Mountains in Scales, and the Hills in a Ballance, and take up the Isles as a very little thing, and measure the Waters in the hollow of his Hand, and make the Clouds his Chariot, and ride upon the Wings of the Wind; and climb up to the highest Orbs, and extend every Globe with the present thought; and hang not only the Earth, but the Heavens upon nothing; and this in the exactest order and perfection, that

no remarkable default shall appear in 6000 years in any part of all this Magnificent Building. — Who that considers a little the Nature of the Supream Architect, shall not be ready to cry out with the Psalmist, Psal. 8.1, 9. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth! who hast set thy Glory above the Heavens. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth!

2. What little low worthless Creatures are we? That God who is the Author of such excellent Handy-work, that dwells in that inaccessible Light, in such a glorious Palace, who can make Hea∣vens at his pleasure, and garnish them in a moment, and fill the whole World with the Beams of his Glory, should yet place his Affections so much on such little silly things as we are! Psal. 8.3, &c. Shall I speak my Opinion freely in this matter? I do conceive, that one great Reason why God hath laid out so much of his Excellency, and bestowed so much of his Infinite Wisdom and Power up∣on the creation of the Things that are above us, especially the Heavens over our Heads, — was on purpose, to astonish proud man into a Religious Admiration of

his, God, and an humble detestation of himself; for that's the very frame and temper which disposeth man for the impressions of Religion, and the exercise of a devout affection. Isa. 66.1, 2. Thus saith the Lord, the Heaven is my Throne.

3. A due consideration of the Creation of the World, and especially of the Hea∣vens, belongs unto us all. Os Homini sublime — &c. if God doth preach to us by these things that are seen, and thereby reveal to the World the invisi∣ble properties of the Divinity, then — we ought to hearken to this Voice, and make some good use of their Language.

The Curious Spectator looks up to the Heavens, and examines every particular there, Quidni quaerat? Scit ill ad se pertinere. Tunc contemnit domicilii prio∣ris angustias. Seneca. And (as he goes on) what is all the distance from the utmost Coasts of Spain to the Indies? But a Voyage of a very few days, if thou fail with a good Wind: But that Heavenly Country above, for ma∣ny hundreds of years affords space for the swiftest Stars to travel in, with∣out lett or molestation.

In short, the very

Natural Propensity of Mankind to en∣quire into those upper Regions, and peer amongst the Stars, is some argu∣ment of our concernment that way.

4. Let us beware of Idolatry, the fault of the Old Pagan World: Who when they saw those Lights hung out at the Windows of Heaven, which should have been but ministerial to help them in the search of him that made them, sell down and worshipped the Servants in∣stead of their Master, the Candles at the Door instead of the Lord of the House. Deut. 4.19. yet the Jews themselves were so for∣getful of this Precept, that we find them often taxed for burning Incense to the Queen of Heaven; and worshipping the Star Rem∣phan. And 'tis too well known, that the Heathens generally worshipped the Sun, Moon and Stars; becoming vain in their imaginations; and tho they professed themselves Wise, they became Fools, chang∣ing the Glory of the Incorruptible God in∣to the Image of his Corruptible Creatures.

5. By this Law, they who want a spe∣cial Revelation, shall be judged, Rom. 2.12, 13, 14, 15. Let no man then (whe∣ther within or without the Pale of the

Church) think to shroud his guilt un∣der the Cloak of Ignorance. There's no Corner of the World so remote, no People so dark, where this Voice hath not been heard; the Musick of the Spheres is soft and still, but such as shortly will make even both the Ears of the guilty sinner tingle! The Language wherein these Sermons are preach'd to the World, is temperate and equal, it makes no great noise at present to them, who are busie digging low in the Bowels of the Earth, but it hath a sharp and heavy accent at the End. Let no man then upbraid the Almighty, as if he were a Severe Judge for calling all men to the same Judgment; for damning men that never had the knowledge of his Laws. Fear not, God will be just; he'll vindicate his Righteousness from the foul aspersi∣ons and abuses of a Scandalous World. Hast thou sinned without Law? without Law then thou shalt be tried, and a hun∣dred to one but condemned too; and yet God clear from thy Blood, and just in all this! What a black List of sins doth the Apostle present thee with (Rom. 1.29, &c.) all chargeable upon all Na∣tions of the World, Jew and Christian, and Turk and Heathen, and damnable by

the very Law of Nature! unrighteousness, fornication, &c. but that which affects us most in all this, is, that not only the poor Infidel is guilty in this Case, but a great part of Christendom also! Not only they that have no other Law to read in, no other Rule to go by, but the Book of the Creation; but they also who have the Bibles in their hands, and the Creed upon their tongues end, and have all the advantages of Nature and Revelation both! When these very sins (and as bad, or worse) walk bare∣fac'd within the Confines of the Church, and men of the best Creed and Pro∣fession in the World are not ashamed to commit the foulest sins, and some∣times account it their glory to boast of such vices which ought not so much as to be named amongst Christians.

There are several live amongst us, (it may be in this place now) whose ordinary con∣versations are stain'd with such blots, as both the lights (both that of Positive Religion, and that of mere Natural Reason too) do abhor and condemn. And yet, which is mighty strange, these very men do please them∣selves with the hopes of escaping safely the Sentence of the Judge at the last day! And upon their Repentance they

may; but else I cannot think of any plau∣sible Argument that will stand their Friend at the day of Judgment. And to drive the Nail farther yet; — it will not be enough for men to plead their Interest in a Church or Party in such cases: Let the Church be never so pure, nor the Profession never so good, nor the advan∣tages of Knowledge and Information ne∣ver so great; if under all these pretensi∣ons thou shouldst play the Hypocrite, and live ill, thy own Mouth would condemn thee, and a whole Cloud of Wit∣nesses depose evidence against thee! And yet notwithstanding all this, we may take up the complaint of the Prophet, Jer 18.13. Ask now among the Heathen, who hath heard such things? the Virgins of Israel have done very horrible things. Thy poor men are tenacious of their Superstitious Vanities; 'tis hard to make a Proselyte to Christianity amongst them; they will Dispute, Fight, die for their meer shadow of Faith: But Christians will barter away their Conscience, their Creed, their Heaven, their God for meer Vanities! Vers. 14, 15. In short, if it be true, what some of the poor igno∣rant Gentiles fancied, that the Sun, Moon and Stars do all look upon us, and are

daily Spectators and witnesses of all we do, it were well for many — if the Sun were indeed turned into Darkness, and the Moon into Blood, and the Stars would leave off their Shining, and the whole Face of the Heavens were reversed, than thus to stand over our Heads and remark our Actions, in order to a So∣lemn Convictive Testimony against us, Jer. 2.9, 10, 11.