c See wer. 19, d Sometimes this word is taken in a good ſenſe; many then, as now, taking Superſtition to be Religion. Butit is often taken ir: a bad ſenſe. Thus Theophraſtus ſays, that a truly pious man isa friend of God ; &S% Saumduiuwy xoAaut ©58 ; butthe ſuperſtitious man is a flatterer of God. Now this word being then of a kind of middle ſignification, the Apoſtle would ſeem not to bear coo hard upon the Arhemans, who were devout and religious, according to the meaſure of their knowledge, and whom he delied to win by love and gentlenels,
23 Foras I paſſed by, ande beheld your [| devotions, | 0: I found an alcar with this inſcription , TO THE: UNKNOWN GOD. Whomtherefore ye g igncrant- #7! ly worſhip, him declare I unto you. ”
e Any thing unto which Divine Worſhip and Honour is given.
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'f Ir is ſtoried , That in a Plague-time, when the Athenian had
cher Countrey, they were adviſed by Epaminondas ( a devout man amongſt them,) to ereC&t an Altar unto that god who had the power over that Diſeaſe, whoſoever he was ; which becauſe they did not know, and would be fſurenot to omitin their devorions, they erelt-
! ed an Altar unto him under the Name of the Unknown God. Some
there was a more general Inſcription, To the Gods of Aſis, Eur! to the unknown and ſtrange Goas ; though the Inſcription the Apoſtle mentions 1n the fingu/ar Number, might be uſualtoo : for the 4thenians, who entertain'd all manner of Gods, fearing leſt there ſhould be any which they had not heard of, for their greater ſecurity, as they imagined, would have an Altar for ſuch alſo. Now this Unknown God, St. Paul ſays, which was worſhipped by them, was the true God : For, 1. They had an apprehenſion, chatChrilt was the true God, whilſt that wonderful Eclipſe ar his Death Was effeQually conſidered amongſtthem. - Hence it is ſaid, chat Dimyſ cried out, Deus ignotus in carne patitur. Now the unknown &9 ſuffers in the Fleſh. 2. The Gol of the Fews, whoſe Name the cog took to be ſo ineffable that they would not undertake to ſpeak 1t ; and who was not wholly unknown to Plaro and Pythagorns 3 3 who is truly inviſible and, incomprehenſible, mighe upon that aC- count be thus ſtiled amongſt them, .
24 God that 4 made the world,and all things therein, ſeeing that he is Lord of heaven and eatth, - dwelleth not in temples made with hands:
h This ſeems to be direQed againſt the Epicurean”, who _ that the World was without beginning. 7 As if he could ng to them, or circumſcribed by them : Yer God did in ſome relp*
dwell in his Temple, where he did manifeſt himſelf more —_
ſay, and Africa,
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ur is given. henians had the gods of Jevout man 1 rhe power 1£y did not ;, they erelt- God. Some Aſus, Eur0y? » Inſcription > nſual too : fearing [el heir greater 1 alſo. 06 ed by (he ; be Chriſt Fr Death Was that Dimyſ known 9 ame the Jews ro ſpeak It 5 hagoras 3 a zpon that at
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| p and that all men, P4C%, are under this command of Repenrancez and curſed indeed
XVIL
of God.
iife, and breath, and all things ;
þ God 1s not worſhipped or ſerved by holy men, becauſe he «ancs their ſervice, or any thing thar can be offered unto him ly | them 3 bur becauſe ir is their dury and advantage to be imployed in his ſervice and worſhip, P/al. 50. 10, 11, / The breath of lite, | G:3. 2. 7. Andinthis reſpet God 15s called che God of che Spirits ! ot all fleſh, Numb. 16. 22. as the cauſe of life and breath in al! creacures, bureſpecially in man 3 which made that charge ſo great 23. lt, that his breath was in Gods
againſt Belſhazzar, Dan. 5+ 2: hand ; and yer he had nor glorified him,
26 And hath made of #: one blood, all nations of
The 4
han in other places: But that was a type of Heaven, the Thionc
23 Neither is worihipped with mens hands, * as þ though he needed any thing, ſceing he giveth to / all
men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and
hath determined # the times before appointed, and
mei.c2g the * bounds of their habitation. > m1.Jo teach all charity and compaſſion towards one another, 2, As alſo to admire God more in that variety that appears in mens ſhapes and voices, bur eſpecially in the diſpoſitions of their minds 3 whenas they all come from one ſtock and ftem. # The Apoſtle afſerts the providence of God againſt theſe Athenian Philoſophers, rhat nothing comes by chance, or a fortuitous concourſe of Atrromsz but that God is in every thing, though men know it nor, or rather will nor conſider ir, Job 7. 1. and 14. 5, 14+ This Dofrine was preached by Moſes, who tells the people, thar God 1s their lite, and the lengrh of their days; thar they might love him, and obey his voice, and cleave
being ſo nearly allied to one anorher.
unto him, Dexut. 30, 20,
27 0 That they ſhould ſeek the Lord, if haply they p might feel after him, and find him, though he be 4
not far from every one of us.
o The Apoſtle tells theſe Philoſophers, ro whom he ſpake, the
true uſe of their Philoſophy, to improve their knowledge of naru- ralchings; ro beger in them by ir an admiration of the God of Na- ture: for as from him, ſo for his ave all things, Rom. 11. 26, p And although God himſelf is incorporeal, yer the things which he made are pa!pablez and did they ſeek as they ought, they might find a great deal of God our by the creatures, in, which his Wiſdom, Power and Goodnels is manifeſted, Rom. 1. 20. 4 God filleth all things, eſpecially he is near in che effects of his Wiſdom, Goodneſs and Faithtulueſs, by which he orders and diſpoſes of all things the fal.ing off of a hair from our Heads,
» O | verſion might have a greac influence upon many
"SiH: 6
4 Js Chap. HI. 31 Becaulz he hath 2 appointed a day in the which li. 411 } . p
* ne will judge the world 6 in ri:hteonſnefs, c by that *Ch.10.42 man whom he bath ordained 3 whereof he hath 4 :iven {| alſurance unto all men, in that he * hath raiſed him from the dead.