November 2

Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and all the host of heaven worshipeth thee.—Nehemiah 9:6.

Dost thou not perceive how this body wastes away, withers, and perishes on the flight of the soul, and each of the elements thereof returns to its own proper abode? This very same thing, indeed, would also happen to the world, if the Power which always governs it had left it devoid of its own providence. For if a ship does not hold on its way without a pilot, but soon founders, how could the world have subsisted so long a time with no one to govern its course? And that I may not enlarge, suppose the world to be a ship; the earth to be placed below as the keel; the sky to be the sail; men to be the passengers; the subjacent abyss the sea. How is then that during so long a time, no shipwreck has taken place? Now let a ship go one day without a pilot and seamen, and thou wilt see it straightway overwhelmed! But the world, though subsisting now five thousand years, and many more, hath suffered nothing of the kind. But why do I talk of a ship? Suppose one hath pitched a small hut in the vineyards; and when the fruit is gathered, leaves it vacant; it stands, however, scarce two or three days, but comes to pieces, and quickly falls down destroyed! Could not a hut, forsooth, stand without superintendence? How then could the

28 workmanship of a world, so fair and marvellous; the laws of the night and day; the interchanging dances of the seasons; the course of nature checkered and varied as it is in every day throughout the earth, the sea, the sky; in plants, and in animals that fly, swim, walk, creep; and in the race of men, far more dignified than any of these, continue yet unbroken, during so long a period, without some kind of providence?

But in addition to what has been said, follow me whilst I enumerate the meadows, the gardens, the flowery tribes; all sorts of herbs, and their uses; their odors, forms, disposition, yea, but their very names; the trees which are fruitful, and the barren; the nature of metals,—that of animals,—in the sea or on the land; of those that swim, and those that traverse the air; the mountains, the forests, the groves; the meadow below and the meadow above; for there is a meadow on the earth and a meadow too in the sky; the various flowers of the stars; the rose below and the rainbow above! Would you have me point out also the meadow of the birds? Consider the variegated body of the peacock, surpassing every dye, and the fowls of purple plumage. Contemplate with me the beauty of the sky; how it has been preserved so long without being dimmed; and remains as bright and clear as if it had been only fabricated today; moreover, the power of the earth, how its womb has not become effete by bringing forth during so long a time! Contemplate with me the fountains; how they burst forth and fail not, since the time they were begotten, to flow forth continually throughout the day and night! Contemplate with me the sea receiving so many rivers, yet never exceeding its measure! But how long might we continue to pursue things incomprehensible! It is fit indeed that over every one of these which has been spoken of we should say, O Lord, how hast thou magnified thy works; in wisdom hast thou made them all.

But what is the sapient answer of the unbelievers when we go over all these particulars with them; the magnitude, the beauty of the creation, the richness, the munificence everywhere displayed? This very thing, say they, is the worst fault, that God hath made the world so beautiful and so vast. For if he had not made it beautiful and vast, we should not have made a god of it; but now being struck with its grandeur, and marvelling at its beauty, we have thought it to be a deity. But such an argument is good for nothing. For that neither the magnitude, nor the beauty of the world is the cause of this impiety, but their own absurdity, is what we are prepared to show, proved by the case of ourselves, who have never been so affected. Why then have we not made a deity of it? Do we not see it with the same eyes as themselves? Do we not enjoy the same advantage from the creation with themselves? Do we not possess the same soul? Have we not the same body? Do we not tread the same earth? How comes it that this beauty and magnitude hath not persuaded us to think the same as they do? But this will be evident not from this proof only, but from another besides. For as a proof that it is not for its beauty they have made a deity of it, but by reason of their own folly, why do they adore the ape, the crocodile, the dog, and the vilest animals? Truly, they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

"Our souls the book of nature draws T' adore the First Eternal Cause: The heavens articulately shine, And speak their Architect Divine; And all their orbs proclaim aloud The wisdom and the power of God.

"See in yon glorious azure height, The Sovereign, Uncreated Light! That vast expanse of liquid air Doth his immensity declare; And every influence from above, His bounteous, universal love.

"The sure-succeeding night and day His providential care display, Who bade them to their bounds retire, And stand, as choir to answer choir, His knowledge infinite to tell, And show the great Invisible."