great. Lights, Gen. i. 16. But this doth not imply that either of them is greater than the fixt Stars, which are not spoken of till the lat ter end of the Verfe, But the Sun is the great Light that rules the day; and the Moon the great Light that rules the Night, the Moon being in refpect of the Light which the gives us, bigger than any fixt Star; for She gives us more Light than they do, in fome fenfe, however, and with respect to us the Moon is the greater Light, tho' the Stars are the greater Luminous Bodies. Confider this Luminary as it concerns us, and it is in that conception greater than the biggeft Star.

Yet

the Sun and the Moon are not faid to be greater Lights than the fixt Stars, ror as great as they are: But are only called great Lights which they certainly are, tho' every Star fhould be bigger than either of them. The Stars are plainly spoken of by themselves, and apart from the Sun and Moon, without any compari fon or relation to them. And God made two great Lights, the greater Light to rule the Day, and the leffer Light to rule the Night: He made the Stars alfo: That is, befides the two great Lights which are the Sun and Moon, He made the Stars, which are diftinguifhed from thefe, and not reckoned with them, but are spoken of by way of Parenthefis. The Stars being of another Divifion of Celeftial Bodies, and belonging to other Orbs, are mentioned here diftin&tly, and ot with any comparison to the Sun and Moon:

But

But will any Man deny that the Sun and Moon are great Lights, because the Stars are great Lights too, and as big perhaps as the Sun, and bigger than the Moon? There are in Europe many great Cities, and there are great Cities likewife in other parts of the World: Doth therefore he that fays there are great Cities in Europe to Rule the Neighbouring Countries and Cities in other parts of the World, alfo, fay, That the Cities of Europe are greater than any Cities in the ref of the World? Or if any one fhould fay God made four great Rivers to Water Paradife, and Rivers in other places alfo, would he thereby affirm, that the Rivers of Paradife were larger than all the Rivers in the World befides?

(x) Co

V. 1 Sam. ii. 8. We read of the Pillars of the Earth; but this is fpoken Metaphorically, and by Pillars of the Earth may be meant the Power of the Princes of the World, mentioned but just before. In the like fenfe it is faid, Pfal. lxxv. 3. The Earth and all the Inhabi-lumnas tants thereof are diffolved: I bear up the Pil- hoc loco lars of it. We find mention made of the pro ftabiPillars of the Earth, Job. ix 6. which is to be la intelli understood of the Earth's unmoveable ftabili gamus, ty, (*) as St. Jerom obferves, and fo the other ufuper Texts may likewise be understood by the Pil- femet ip lars of the Heavens, Job xxvi. 11. we are to biliffima understand that Power which fupports and mole fanupholds them.

litate ter

quam De

fam immo

davit St. Hieron, ad

VI. Fab xxxvii. 18. The Sky is faid to be Fob ix. 6 Q3

Arong

ftrong, and as a Molten Looking-glaß, that is, to be durable, and resembling a Molten Looking-glafs. But however they be taken, these are the Words of Elihu And Job's Friends finned in what they charged him withal, and therefore he may be fuppofed to make fo innocent a mistake, as to think the Heavens fo lid, or at leaft, he as well as the reft might fpeak the Language of thofe that did think fo.

VII. Job fpeaks ftrictly according to Phi lofophy, when he faith, that God bangeth the Earth upon Nothing, Job. xxvi. 7. And we read, Pfal. xxiv. 2. That the Lord hath founded the Earth upon the Seas, and established it upon the Floods, and, Pfal. Civ. 4. that he hath laid the Foundations of the Earth, that it should not be removed for ever. All which is as exactly as any Philofopher can fpeak. For the Foundation of a pendulous Globe can be nothing but its Center, upon which all the parts lean and are fupported thereby. And the Waters continually flowing thro' the Bowels and Concavities of the Earth from the depths of the Sea, by a conftant Courfe and Circulation, cons ftitute an Abyss of Waters in the lowermoft parts of the Earth, So that with great Propriety of Speech, the Terraqueous Globe is faid to hang upon nothing, and the Earth to be founded upon the Seas and Established upon the Floods; and, Pfal. Cxxxvi. 6. to be Stretched out above the Waters.

Thefe

These are the places of Scripture, which as far as I have obferved, have been moft acce pted against in this particular; and yet there is nothing in them but what may be accounted for upon the Principles of Modern Philofophy.

CHAP. XII.

Of Man's being created capable of Sin and Damnation.

T is fufficient to prove the Reasonableness

IT

of God's Proceedings with Mankind, if none are punished, but thofe that deferve Pu nifhment, and none punished more than they deferve; and all are rewarded, who by a Faithful and Sincere, tho' but a very imperfect Obedience are become qualifyed for a Reward. God can do nothing but what is perfectly Juft, and Infinitely Merciful, and we must be very unreasonable, if we cavil at his Proceedings, which are confiftent not only with Juftice and Equity, but with Mercy it felf. For where neither his Juftice nor his Mercy and Goodness interpofe, we must furely acquiefce in the Divine Pleasure, unless we can think that God himself fhould be

more confined in his Actions than Men are; For within the Limits of Juftice and Mercy, it is certainly left at the Liberty of every Man in any Office or Authority, to do as he thinks fit. Yet as God is pleafed in his dealings with Men, to appeal to their own Reafon for the Equity of them; fo there is nothing in all his Proceedings with us, but it may be made appear to be more reasonable, even according to the Notion that we have of things, than the contrary would have been, It must be confidered, that no Crated Being can in its own Nature be uncapable of Sin or Default, Because it cannot be infinitely perfect; for it is infeparable from all Creatures to have but finite Perfections, and whatever has bounds fet to its Perefctions is in fome refpe&t imperfect, that is, it wants thofe Perfections which a Being of Infinite Perfections alone can have. So that imperfection is implied in the very Effence of Created Beings, and what is imperfect may make Default. All inanimate things may deviate from the Regular courfe of their Natures, as they would certainly do, if the Divine Wisdom and Power did not guide and maintain them in it. And every rational Being must naturally have a Liberty of Choice, that is, it must have a Will to chufe, as well as an Understanding to Reason: For we have no notion how there can be Reafon without Choice. A Faculty of Underftanding without a Will to

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