■104 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. VIII.
' For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of ser[)ents, and things iii the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind.' Man is able to tame all beasts, to bring- them to his own use and purpose ; but God made them. In the art of navigation consider the wonders of the Lord ; that such great vast burdens should dance upon the tops of the water, that ships t^hould as it were fly with sails as with wings, and run with oars aswiih feet. And then in painting and architecture much of the wisdom of God is seen. Oh, consider and use this as an argument to set out the glory of God. Man can build houses, but God built heaven and earth. The painter is able to paint with colours ; but admire him that could paint so fairly that had no other pencil but his hand, and no other paint but a little dirt.
5. You must not only consider what is made, but to what end. In the works themselves we may consider God's power and wisdom ; but in the end we may consider God's goodness, and our own duty. Now the ends of the creation were many, chiefly these three ; man's good, the creator's praise, the glory of Jesus Christ.
[1.] When thou art thinking of the creation, consider, all this was made for man's good. The whole world is but the great house and [)alace of little man. Oh, how great is the goodness of God to sorry •man ! whole nature is but his servant. The angels were made for man: Heb. i. 14, •' Ai'e they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?' Those courtiers of heaven, those masterpieces of the creation are man's servants. The stars were made to give us light and heat, to cherish man and to cherish the earth ; and the waters were made for man's good. The whole earth is but man's garden ; the plants of it for our use for meat and medicine ; the beasts for our food and clothing ; nay in the bowels of the earth there are laid up veins of treasure to maintain commerce between nation and nation ; though men be scattered in the several climates of the world, yet God will bring them together by traffic. Nay, all sublunary things were not only created for man's use, but most of them subjected to man's dominion. See the charter, all is made over to us : Gen. i. 28, 29, ' Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth on the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed ; to you it shall be for meat.' They all serve for the uses of man, and are made over to him. It is true, the heavens are for tlie use of man, but they are not under the dominion of man ; that is reserved to God alone ; therefore it is said: Ps. cxv. 16, ' The heaven even the heavens are the Lord's, but the earth he hath given to the children of men.' But though the heavens be the Lord's, that is, reserved in his power, yet they serve for the use of man. The air serves to give man breath ; the firmament serves to give man light and heat ; and the heaven of heavens serves for his eternal and blessed habitation. Oh, the goodness of God to man ! ' Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him ! ' How may we break out into such a holy wonder and admiration!
[2.] They were made for God's glory: Kom. xi. 36, 'All things,' saith the apostle, 'are of him, and tlu-ough him, and to him :' ' of him*
VeU. 3.J SERMONS UPON HEBUEWb XL 405
ia creation; 'through him* in the sustentation of his providence; ivud ' to him,' that is, for the uses and ])urposes of his glory ; all things return to the womb of their original, out of which they once came. The Lord deals with us just as Potifihar dealt witli Joseph, he gave him power over all things, but only his wife, that he kept to himself; Therefore by way of meditation we may reason as Joseph, Gen. xxxix. 8, 9, 'Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house: and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept any thing back from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great Avickeduess, and sin against God?' So do you reason with yourself; Oh, I have a bounteous creator, God hath given me all things, for my use and comfort, and all the articles of the lease and grant are only that I should serve his glory ! Oh, let me not rob him of that ; let me enjoy the creature, but give God tlie glory ; let me not pervert the end of my creation ; all should be to his praise. All the creatures do as it were proclaim to us, i\Ian ! glorify thy creator ; God hath given us to thee to serve thee, that thou mightest serve him ; we die for thy good and support, that thou mayest live ; we are I'eady to fall down and perish for thy food. Oh, therefore be thou contented to suiier any inconvenience, if it be the loss of life, that the glory of God may live. "\Ve W'ill give thee food, meat, nourishment, all that thou requirest, if thou wouldest love him, and praise him, and live to the glory of God. Saith the sun, I will give thee light and continued influences and rays every morning, if thou wilt but glorify tliy creator. It is said : Prov. xvi. 4, ' The Lord hath made all things for himself.' In a sort we may say, God made all things for man, and man for himself ; it follows, 'and the wicked for the day of evil.'