Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_000.lzh/D_007.TXT

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CHAP. I.                                        OF THE BEING OF GOD.                                                                  7

may devour; were they not chained by almighty power,
and limited by the providence of God, the whole race of
men would be destroyed-by them, at least the godly
among them.
The fifth argument may be taken from the uncom-
mon heroic actions, prodigies, wonders, and miraculous
things done in the world; which cannot be thought .to
be done without a superior and divine influence. Heroic
actions, such as that of Abraham, who, with three hun-
dred household-servants, pursued after, and engaged with
four kings who had beaten five before, and recovered
the goods they had taken away: of Shamgar, who
fought with and killed six hundred Philistines with an
ox-goad: and of Samson, who slew a thousand of them
with the jaw-bone of an ass: of Jonathan, and his
armour-bearer, who attacked and took a garrison of the
same people, and threw a whole army of theirs into a
panic and confusion; who had been for some time a
terror to the whole land of Israel: and of David, a strip-
ling, fighting with and conquering Goliath, a monstrous
giant. These are scripture-instances; and if scripture
is only regarded as a common history; these merit our
notice and credit, as any of the relations in profane his-
tory; in which are recorded the magnanimous actions
of heroes, kings, and generals of armies; their wonderful
successes, and amazing conquests; as of the Babylonians,
Persians, Grecians, and Romans; which made such
Strange revolutions and changes in kingdoms and states;
all which can never be supposed to be done without
superior power, and the overruling, influencing provi-
iience of the diyine Being; who inspired men to do
things beyond their natural skill and courage; prodigies,
strange and wonderful events; for which no natural cause
can be assigned; such as the strange sights seen in the
air, and voices heard in the temple, before the destruction
of Jerusalem; with other things, related by josephuss3,
and confirmed by Tacitus {31}, an heathen historian; to
which might be added many others, which histories
abound with: but besides these, things, really miraculous
have been wrought, such as are not only out of, and be-'
yond the course of nature, but contrary to it, and to the
settled laws of it; such as .the miracles of Moses and the
prophets, and of Christ and his apostles; which are re-
corded in the scriptures; and others in human writings;
which are so well attested as oblige us to give credit to
them: now, though these were not done to prove a divine
Being; which needs them not; yet they necessarily sup-
pose one, by whose power alone they are performed.
The sixth argument may be formed from the prophesies
of contingent future events,, and the exact fulfilment of
them. This is what is challenged and required from
heathen deities, to prove their right to such a character;
as being what none but God can do: Let them bring'
forth and shew us what shall happen: or declare us things
for to come: shew the things that are to come hereafter;
that we may know that ye are gods {35}: which is what
none but the true God can do, and has done; and which
bem.g done, proves there is a God, and one that is truly
so; instances of which there are many in the sacred

De Bello Jud. !. 6. c. 5. s. 3.
Hist. !. 5. c. 13.
Isaiah xli. 21,

writings; prophesies which relate both to particular per-
sons and to whole kingdoms'and states; which have had
their exact accomplishment: but not to insist on these,
since those who are atheistically inclined, disbelieve the
divine revelation; let it be observed, that the heathens
have had their auguries, soothsayings, divinations, and
oracles; by which pretensions have been made to foretel
future events. That there is such a thing as divination,
is said to be confirmed by the consent of all nations; and
is explained of a presension and knowledge of future
things {36}: now this being granted, it may be reasoned upon,
that if there is a foretelling of future things, which cer-
tainly come to pass, there must be a God; since none
but an omniscient Being can, with certainty, foretel what
shall come to pass, which does not depend on necessary
causes;and cannot be foreseen by the quickest sight, and
sharpest wit, and sagacity of a creature.
The seventh argument may be urged from the fears of
men, and the tortures. of a guilty conscience, and the
dread of a future 'state. Some are terribly aftrighted at
thunder and lightning, as Caligula, the Roman Emperor,
used to be; who, at such times, would hide himself in,
or under, his bed; and yet this man set himself up 'for a
god. Now these fears and frights are not merely on ac-
count of the awful sound of the thunder, and the dreadful
flashes of lightning; but because of the divine and
tremendous Being who is supposed to send them: the
H eathens were sensible that thunder is the voice of God,
as the scriptures represent it, and therefore called their
Jove, Jupiter tonans; "the thundering Jupiter." Many
have been so terrified in their consciences on account of
sin, that they could get no rest, nor enjoy peace any
where, or by any means: as Cain, under the terrors of an
evil conscience, fancied that "every one that found him
would slay him :" and those.wicked traitors, CatiFme and
Jugurtha: and those wicked emperors, those monsters
in impiety, Tiberius and Nero {37}, and especially the latter,
who was so tortured in his conscience, as if he was con-
tinually haunted by his mother's ghost, and by funes with,..
burning torches: and Hobbes, our English atheist, as he
was reckoned, was wont to be very uneasy when alone
in the dark: and Epicurus, the philosopher, though he
taught men to despise death, and out-brave it; yet, when
he perceived that he himself was about to die, was most
terribly frighted; and this has been the case of many
others: bold and strong spirits, as atheistical persons
love to be called, have been sometimes found to be very
timorous and fearful. And, indeed, this is natural to all
men, and which is proof of a superior Be, lug. Thus a
wild Greenlander {38} argued, before he had knowledge of
the true God: "Man has an intelligent soul, is subject
to no creature in the world ; and yet man is afraid of the
future state: who is it that he is afraid of there? That
must be a great Spirit that has dominion over us, O did
we but know him! O had we but him'for our friend !"
Now what do all these fears and tortures Of conscience
arise from, but from the guilt of sin, and a sense of a
divine Being; who is above men, and will call them to
an account for their sins, and take vengeance on them ?

36 Cicero de Divinatione, 1. 1. c. 1. et de Legibus, 1.
a~ Sueton. Vita Tiberii, c. 67. et Nero. c. 34. Tacit. Annal..L
as Crantz's History of Greenland, ut supra.