8. If there were no profit, j'et it is a matter of much spiritual delight to reflect upon the creature. Man is a creature taken with variety and beauty. Now what prospect is more various and beautiful tlian the works of God ? when we are weary of one object we may go to another. Unclasp the book of nature, turn over a few leaves of that large volume, see what delight and contentment reason will find ; when we walk abroad, these meditations will be best com})any for us. Look upon the spangled firmament, bestudded everywhere with stars, like so many golden nails fixed and struck into it, or like so many little holes in a thick covering, disclosing the beauty and glory that is within. There you may see the sun like a giant i-ejoicing to run his c(nu'se, or like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber. There are the influences of the Pleiades, and the bands of Orion ; there is Mazzaroth in his season, and Arcturus with Ids sons. There the moon like a rich diamond shines out with a foil of darkness and blackness, to set forth the lustre of it ; and the constellations are as so many several families of stars ; all which may ravish us with delight and wonder. If you come lower, consider the fire that burns not, the treasures of snow and hail, meteors as much feared as wondered at. There are the clouds, which Job calls the bottles of God, which, like so many tankard-bearers, convey their influences to all the houses of the earth, or like water-pots, refresh the garden of the world. Come we lower, and there is the earth interlaid with water, enamelled and decked with flowers and grass, variety of beasts in the field, and plentiful fruits of the land. And in the sea, as the papists say of Aquinas, qaot articuIo<^\ tot miracp.la ; so ninny fishes, .so many
VjLK. 3 j SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 397
wonders ! the iinmljer, vastiiess, motion, perfection of all these do loudly proclaim the praise of God. Look upon yourselves, what delight is it to contemplate our own nature ! Our generation is wonderful ; we are poured out as milk into the womb, curdletl like cheese, fenced with skin and bones. In the body there is an admirable structure, all the mem- bers conspiring to the beauty, decency, and use of the whole : Ps. cxxxix. 14, ' I am fearfully and wonderfully made.' Then if we look upon the soul, there is a sparkle of the divinity, and beam of God. Who can trace the flights and workings of reason, and the several traverses of the spirit of a man ? Look on the lesser, the most inconsiderable creatures. Pauses in music serve to make harmony, as well as the more perfect notes. Austin in some respects preferred a gnat before the sun, to see a little animated dust move up and down in such regular motions, with such handsomeness of body, eyes, feet, and wings ; it mightily delights and sets out the glorv of God.
SERMON VI IL
Througli faith ive understand iliat the luorlds were framed hy ilie icord of God, so that tJiinr/s 7vhich are seen were not made of things which do appear. — Heb. xi. 3.
Secondly, I come to give you some directions how to reflect upon the creatures with comfort and profit.
1. Be much in occasional meditation. There is nothing within the whole circumference of nature but will give matter to you. The creatures that are all round about you, are as the phylacteiies that were worn under the law ; the Jews were to have ' fringes on the borders of their garments, that they may look upon them, and remember all the commandments of the Lord to do them,' Numb. xv. 38, 39. The creatures are as it were those fringes and borders, that wherever we turn our eyes, we may read God in the creature. Therefore when you are walking in the fields, or going to your country-houses, consider the works of the Lord ; look round about upon the beautiful frame before your eyes ; do but consider what a rich canopy God hath stretched out over your heads ; you should be full of good highway thoughts, Luke xxiv. 17; Christ inquires after their highway speeches ; 'What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walk?' So the Lord looks after your highway thoughts. When you see the sun glittering and shining forth in his beams like a bridegroom newly dressed, you should be then forming of some thoughts of the excellency and glory of God, who is the maker of it. When you pass by the sea, consider the immensity and dreadf idness of God by the horror of the waves and his wonderful works : Ps. cvii. 23, 24, ' They that go down into the sea, see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.' When you are cast upon storms and tempests, remember by whose •b-reath all these are blown. When you bear the thunder, this is the
398 sek:.ions upon Hebrews xi. [Ser. VIII.
voice of the Lord ; look upon it as a trumpet the Lord hath sounded to call the world together to a dread and reverence of his majesty. There are day thoughts, and there are night thoughts ; David had his day meditation, and his night meditation; the 19th psalm seems to be penned in the day, for there he sjjeaks only of the sun ; when David in the morning saw the sun breaking out, and enlightening the world, then he tliinks of the glory of God. And the 8Lh psalm was a night meditation : ' Lord, when I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars that thou hast ordained, what is man ! ' It is probable that meditation was in the night, because he doth not mention the sun, but the moon and stars.