2. There must be also set and solemn meditation upon special occasions. Set meditation brings in profit to the soul. Passant and transient thoughts are more pleasant, but not so profitable. Meditation that is deliberate, is of most use. Usually sudden thoughts pass away from UP, and do not return with such advantage ; as children shoot away their arrows at rovers, and do not look after them ; or as a ball stricken in the open field goes out from us but a ball stricken against a wall doth return to our hand again ; so those passant thoughts go away from us ; but when there is a fixed mark, some bound set, those thoughts return to our hand again with much comfort and spiritual advantage ; when we aim at some particular thing and fix our mark, our thoughts return with advantage. Scattered rays heat, but burn not. When the beams of the sun are contracted in a burning-glass, a narrow place, then they fire ; so when our thoughts are more particular and set, then they warm the heart, and return to us with advantage. There are several special occasions when we should pro]K)se to ourselves the thoughts of the creation.
[1.] When we are not affected with the niajesty and glory of God. Usually we are moved more with God's benefits than with his glorious essence. This is our infirmity ; we should rise up to such a height as this, to love God as he is, diligihilis naturd, lovely in himself, all self- respects secluded and laid aside. This is pure love without self-love, Avhen we can love God, and respect God for the greatness and glory of his essence, though there were no influences and comfort going out from him to the creature ; for then he is honoured as the chiefest good, and the utmost end. But how should we get our hearts affected with God's glorious essence ? Study the perfections of God in the creation, that you may not only love him for his influences of mercy, but reverence him for his majesty and glory : Ps. civ. 1, ' Bless the Lord, Omy soul: 0 Lord my God, thou art very great.' David would ])raise and bless God for liis greatness ; how doth he do it ? he spends his thoughts upon the creation throughout the psalm.
[2.] When you are haunted with thoughts of atheism. The best of God's children are sometimes tried and exercised in the sorest way, and we are apt to doubt sometimes of the supreme truth, whether there be a God or no ? Now if your hearts make any question of it, go ask of the creature, as Job saith, ' Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee : or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee ; ' nay he sends them to the fishes, that are mute and make no noise, — ' And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto
VeU. 3.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 399
thee. Who knoweih not in all tliese, tliat the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?' Job xii. 7-9. The world could not make itself; that which is supported by another must needs be framed by another. Now the creatures hanging upon God as a garment upon a nail ; take away the nail, the garment falls down ; they all proclaim they have an excel- lent, powerful, aud a wise creator. If you see a great house, and nothing in it but mice and vermin, you conclude, surely the mice could not frame such a glorious palace, neither could the pieces come together by chance. As the letters of Homer's poem could not come together by chance ; so survey the creation, all these things could not come together by chance, they must be made l)y something ; the very heathens could argue thus.
[3.] When you doubt of the promises of Grod, because there are appearances to the contrary. When you look for trouble think of the creation, that you may trust in the power of God when you see no means. Tully brings an Epicurean disputing thus against the creation : If the world were created, where are the tools and instruments? where are the workmen employed in so great a work as this is ? and because these could not be assigned, he concludes such a thing could never be, but all things came together by chance. So we say, If the Lord means to bless us and do us good, where are the instruments? and where is the appeanince of any probability in the course of second causes ? 'Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath,' saith the prophet, Isa. li. 6 ; from whence came all this excellent harmony that is in the parts of the creation? So Isa. xl. 1, 2, 'Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God ; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem.' God sends his prophet with glad tidings to afflicted Israel ; ay, but where is the comforter ? we are under sorrows and bondage. Consider who made the heavens, ver. 12, ' Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with a span, and com{)rehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance ?' See h^ produceth the works of the creation for their encouragement. So David, Ps. cxxiv. 8, ' Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth ;' that is, as long as I see such a glorious fabric before mine eyes, heaven and eailh made out of nothing, I will never doubt and distrust God.