[3.] Therefore doth he create the world to make a fliir way for Je.'^us Christ, Col. i. 15. The a])0stle proves the godhead of Christ by this argument : ' He is the firstborn of every creature ; for by him all things were created, that are in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers ; all things were created by him and for him.' Creation is but one step to the execution and advancement of God's decrees. We were first made that we might afterwards be redeemed. Christ gave us oiu' lives at first, and afterwards he saved our lives. First he created us, and then prevented our execution. The world was but one step to heaven. First he gives thee thyself, then all tilings in the world, then he w^ould give thee himself. The angels were made mi-nistering spirits, and the Son of God was made a servant for thy sake. Oh, the wonder- ful love of God ! When he founded the world, then he prepared heaven for thee that art a member of Christ. All was in a subordination to his wise decrees.
G. We should specially meditate upon the goodness and beneficence of God. When we taste the sweetness of the creatures, then is a special time of devising arguments of praise and studying thanks. It is said, Acts xiv. 17, 'Nevertheless he left not himself without a witness, in that he did good, and gave ns rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.' iVJark, this was God's testi- mony to the gentiles ; this preached God to them. Oh, therefore lift
406 KEUMOXS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. IX.
lip a solemn thon<2,lit on these occasions. In the spring-time, when natm'e is in its pride, think who it is that milketh out the fruits of the earth, that ripenelh the apples on the tree, that seasons the grass, and makes it fit for food for the beasts. Or else when you have had any liberal or comfortable use of the creature, then the lieart should be raised up to God. Usually when God remembers us most, and we abound in creature comforts, we forget God and slight the creator. Oh ! remember this is to despise God in the day of his magnificence. Look, as when Vashti refused to come, when the king was minded to show himself to his nobles, it is said, Esther i. 12, ' The king was very vvToth, and his anger burned in him ;' so here, the lord sends to invite thy soul to come to him in the spring-time, in the time of gladness of heart ; when you abound in comforts, he sends these messengers that thou mightest come and solace thyself with him. Should we not come then, his anger would be raised ; especially when we abuse the creatures to riot, and our abundance to vanity and excess ; consider what an injury this is to God, to abuse that which he hath made. If we liave made any thing, and another come and scorn and abuse it, it enrageth us : consider what it is to abuse the workmanship of God.
SEEMON IX.
TJii'Ough faith we understand that the ivorlds were framed hy the ivord of God, so that things which are seen were not made of tilings ivhich do appear — Heb. xi. 3.
7. Come not off from any meditation, till you have found some sensible profit. I will show you what are the usual fruits of solemn and serious thoughts of the creation. If your thoughts be serious, thus it will be:—
[1.] There will be a greater disposition and aptness to praise the Lord. If you have meditated aright the heart will be more affected with the lustre of his glory shining forth in the creature : Rev. iv. 11, ' Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power ; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.' Cold and dead thoughts vanish without use and profit. When you think of the creation aright, there will be found in you dis- positions to praise God that he should devise all this for man. Who can touch the harp of the creatures without being ravished with the music ? who can read that book that is framed with such excellent art, and not commend the author ? who can hear the creatures preach a sermon, and not say, Blessed be the God that made them ?
[2.] The soul will be raised into some wonder and admiration at the goodness and wisdom of God. Pythagoras boasted he had gotten this advantage by philosophy, Nihil admiruri, to wonder at nothing ; but certainly when we survey the works of God, we cannot choose but won- der at all things. This is the least respect you owe God to wonder at
VeR. 3.1 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 407
his works ; and till your hearts be thus lieightened, your thoughts have not been ponderous and serious, nor sufficiently exercised. It is A'ery observable the children of God never come off from the meditation of his works without admiration : Ps. viii. 3, 4, ' When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon, and the stars which thou hast ordained ; what is man, that thou art mindful of him ! and the son of man that thou visitest him ! ' So Ps. civ. 24, there is another meditation of the creation, and see how he concludes: 'O Lord, how manifold are thy works ! in wisdom hast tiiou made them all : the earth is full of thy riches.' We are apt to wonder at the workmanship of man ; at a curious picture, or at a building fairly contrived, we wonder at the skill and art of the workman. Certainly you set God much below a painter and a carver, when you can look upon this goodly frame of the world, and never wonder at it. Consider, you never rightly glorify and praise him till there be admiration. Admiration is that operation of the understanding by which it is carried out to objects above its reach and perception. Wonder seizeth upon you either by new things, or by miraculous things. You cannot tell how to compre- liend strange things, they do for a while suspend the act ; but things that are wonderful indeed, and which after contemplation and search we cannot apprehend and find out to their perfection, they wholly as- tonish and overwhelm the faculty. Now such are the works of the Lord ; upon an intimate contemplation of them we shall find them above the reach of our understanding, and we can only say, ' 0 Lord how wonderful are thy works ! ' Till there be this admiration, the affections are not proportionably lifted up to the object. There is no object within the whole circumference of nature but, so far as we dis- cern God in it, will raise our wonder.