78 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 2.
hath the Lord given us to help to bear burdens ? how many things for meat and medicine ? If man had not been created last, after the world was settled and furnished, we should have seen the want of many things which we now enjoy and do not value. First God pro- vided our house, and then furnished our table; and when all was ready, then man is brought in as the lord of all. We are not affected with these mercies. How can we sin against God, that can look no- where but we see arguments and reasons to love him ? As Christ said, ' Many good works have I done amongst you ; for which of these do you stone me ? ' so may the Lord plead, I have done many things for you ; you cannot open your eyes but you see love, you cannot walk abroad but you smell love and hear love, &c. ; for which of those do you grieve me, and deal so despitefully with me ?
Secondly, Let me now come to the effects of God's love. I shall only instance in those three great effects — creation, preservation, and redemption. Certainly that must needs be a great bonfire out of which there flies not only sparks but bi-ands ; and so that love which can produce such fruits and effects must needs be exceeding great.
1. Creation. This deserveth love from the creature. The fruit of the vineyard belongeth to him that planted it ; and whom should we love but him that gave us the power to love ? All that thou hast, all that thou canst see, that thou canst touch, is his gift, and the work of his hands. He gave thee the essence not of a tree, a bird, a beast, but of a man, capable of reason, fit for happiness. God made other crea- tures by a word of command, and man by counsel. It was not, Be tJiou, but, Let us make man, to show that the whole Trinity assisted and joined in consultation. He made other creatures for his glory, but not for his love and service. God is glorified in them passively, as they give us occasion to glorify God ; the creatures are the harp, but man maketh the music : ' All thy works praise thee, and thy saints bless thee,' Ps. cxlv. 10. How many steps may a Christian ascend in his praise and thanksgiving ! We might have been stones without sense ; beasts, and without reason ; born infidels, and without faith ; we might have continued sinners, and without grace : all these are so many steps of mercy. But creation is that we are now to speak of, and truly it deserveth a remembrance, especially in youth, Eccles. xii. 1, when the effects of God's creating bounty are most fresh in our sense and feeling : we are always to 'remember our Creator,' but then especially. The aches of old age serve to put us in mind of our ingrati- tude ; but the strength, and vigour, and freshness of youth should make us remember the bounty of our Creator. Look upon the body or the soul, and you will see that we have cause to love him. In the body we find as many mercies as there are limbs. If a man should be born blind or lame, or should lose an eye or an arm, or a leg, how much would he love him that should restore the use of these members again ! We are as much bound to love him that gave them to us at first, especially when we consider how often we have deserved to lose them. We would love him that should raise us from the dead : God is the author of life, and the continual preserver and defender of it. If we love our parents that begot us, we should much more love God that made them and us too out of nothing. Take notice of the curious
VeR. 2.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 79
frame of the body. David saith, Ps. cxxxix. 14, ' I am wonderfully made ; ' acu picius sum, so the Vulgar rendereth it, ' painted as with a needle,' like a garment of needlework, of divers colours, richly em- broidered with nerves and veins. What shall I speak of the eye, wherein there is such curious workmanship, that many upon the first sight of it have been driven to acknowledge God ? Of the hand made to open and shut, and to serve the labours and ministries of nature without wasting and decay for many years ? If they should be of marble or iron, with such constant use they would soon wear out ; and yet now they are of flesh they last as long as life lasteth. Of the head ? fitly placed to be the seat of the senses, to command and direct the rest of the members. Of the lungs ? a frail piece of flesh, yet, though in continual motion, of a long use. It were easy to enlarge upon this occasion ; but I am to preach a sermon, not to read an anatomy lecture. In short, therefore, every part is so placed and framed, as if God had employed his whole wisdom about it.