TO THE READER.

...proclaims. Through this, man is also created so excellently and gloriously by God that he can, as it were, feel and touch his Maker through the workings and powers of his intellect intellect Dutch: vernuft. In Swammerdam’s view, human reason and scientific ingenuity are not purely secular but are divine tools given to humanity to perceive the invisible God through visible nature.. For this reason, his reason—the wisdom of God—constantly cries out. His handiwork makes known the unfathomability of His Understanding. His preservation of all things speaks of His Omnipotence. His beauty praises His Glory. His strength tells of the greatness of His Power. His health, and so forth, proclaims God's Goodness; from which all the good that man possesses, and all the virtues that are admired in him, originally descend.

From this, one can easily see that it is only incidental that man is subject to evil and miseries, which consist of nothing but the deprivation of good. This ought to constantly urge him to abandon the love of this life; to withdraw his affections from earthly things Dutch: aartsche dingen. Swammerdam often emphasizes that the study of nature should lead one away from worldly vanity and toward spiritual devotion.; and to lift his heart once more toward God, from whom he has so painfully fallen away.

Since our corruption original: verdurventheydt. A theological term referring to the fallen state of humanity in Christian doctrine. is so great, and our inclination toward the things...