The Gales of Grace, Tract · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The firſt generall Concluſion from the nature and ſubſtance of the words.
Sect. 1.THis metaphoricall or rather comparatiue forme of ſpeech our Sauiour doth not vſe in vaine; but that his Church may learne ſomething, euen from the very maner of ſpeaking. For in that from the cōſideration of an earthly creature (ſuch as the Wind is) hee doeth take occaſion to diſcourſe with Nicodemus of an heauenly matter;Doctr. 1. hence we may obſerue thus much, that from the conſideration of natural things, wee ſhould be led to the contemplation and communication of heauenly. Saint Iohn from the noyſe of theeReu. 4.5. cap. 14.2. thunder which he heard in his Reuelations, is led to the meditation of the power of Chriſt his voice in the preaching of the Goſpell againſt Antichriſt and his hereticall kingdome.fIſa. 44.19 The Prophet Eſay from the conſideration of the vnmoueable ſtrength & ſtability of the earth, takes occaſion to ſpeake of the vndoubted certainty of Gods vnaltetable truth, both in his promiſes and threatnings. And how full of ſuch heauenly meditations, and diuine ſpeeches, the minde and mouth of Dauid the Father, and Solomon the Sonne were, vponupon the conſideration and ſight of the workes of God, he ſhal perceiue, that doth at his leiſure peruſe the firſt pſalme, the nineteenth, the hundred and nineteenth, and many other places in the Pſalmes, and the whole Booke of the Canticles.
Sect. 2. Vſe.And wherefore ſerueth this, but to prouoke and ſtirre vp eueryevery Chriſtian to reade to himſelf a profitable Lecture out of the Booke of the creatures? and not to content himſelfe with a meere gazing and looking vponupon the workes of God, in the heauens, the earth, the waters, fruitleſly, and vnprofitably, as the greateſt number doe; but to be led by the ſame, to ſet his heart on worke, by diuine meditation, and his tongue in ſpirituall conference, according to what hee ſeeth or conſidereth in thoſe workes.gMotiue 1. from gods glorie. Doth not the appearance of Gods glory, in theſe creaturs, call for this duty at our hands? Serue not the variety, the beauty, the proportion, the forme, and the ornament of theſe creatures, to ſet forth and declare the praiſe of his wiſedome, the glory of his power, the honour of his goodneſſe? and according to that of Paul hRom. 1.20.Are not the viſible things of God ſeene clearely, and his glorie ſhowne conſpicuouſly, in, and from the creation of the world? Are not we guiltie then of diſhonouring him, when wee ſhall but meerely looke vppon theſe things, as vponupon a peece of paper that hath no letters? and from them draw nothing to our meditations for the good of our ſoules, and the benefit of others?i2. Note: otherwiſe wee ſhew our ſelues fruitleſſe. See wee the Sunne ſo oft? bloweth the winde ſo oft? ſoundeth the thunder ſo oft? burſteth forth the lightning ſo oft? falleth downe the raine ſo oft? Behold wee the Canopie of the Cloudes, the luſtre of the heauens, the beauty of the earth, and yet learne wee nothing from hence? Oh how barren hearts hauehave we? How vnprofitable Scholers are we? It is much, that hauing beene ſet to Schoole ſo long, euen euer ſince our yeares of diſcretion, wee hauehave not yet taken forth one good leſſon out of this great booke, the vſe whereof, the looking whereon we doe ſo daily and continually enioy? What are they but Droans that flie about the fields, and gaze vponupon the floures, and gather no hony from them? And what ſhew we our ſelues but a ſluggiſh cattell, a fruitleſſe people, when wee can bring no hony to our Hiues, no holy thoughts to our harts from the great Vniuerſe, to profit our ſelues, and ſweeten others withall? Philoſophers, Phyſicians, Aſtrologians hauehave all learned ſome thing from hence, though but heathen: and ſhall we, that profeſſe our ſelues Chriſtians, onelyonly remaine vnprofitable?The duty vrged. Oh that wee could imitate the Bee which gathereth from the herbs of the fields, and floures of the gardens, foode for herſelfe, and honny for others: then ſhall we make vſe of eueryevery creature of God; and from the ſame, gather ſuch Spirituall inſtruction, that we ſhall lay vp ſtore of wiſedome for our ſelues, & ſtore of counſell for others. Still therefore from the workes of creation, from the workes of prouidence, let vsus meditate vponupon ſomething of an high and heauenly nature.*From the workes of creation meditate thus. Let the Sunne in the aire put vsus in minde of the Sunne of Righteouſnes, that came downe from heauen: when we behold the light of it, let vsus thinke vponupon the light of grace in the worke of illumination: when wee feele the heate of it, let vsus thinke of the warmth of louelove, zeale, and other graces in the worke of Sanctification: when a cloud couereth it, & dimmeth the light of it, let vsus thinke how the cloudes of ſinne doe cauſe the Lord to withdraw the light of his amiable countenance ſomtimes away from vsus. Looke wee vp to the heauens? let the thought of the beautifull out-ſide of them leade vsus to contemplate vppon the glorious beauty of the in-ſide of that third Heauen, the ſeate of the bleſſed. Looke we vponupon the earth? let the growth of the Plants that be vponupon it, the faireneſſe of the fading floures that doe adorne it, the withering of the graſſe, that in time is cut away from it, occaſion vsus to meditate of the growth of grace in the harts of Gods children, of the fading proſperity of the men of this world, and of the vnauoydable mortality of all mankind. Behold we the lightning to breake forth with violence out of the cloud? meditate wee vponupon the falling of Sathan out of the hearts of the choſen, by the power of the Spirit, and the preaching of the word. Is it the winde that we thinke vponupon? let the conſideratiō of the lightneſſe of it bring to our thoughts the windy vanity of humane things, which waskIob 7.7. Iobs meditation: let the boyſterous violence of it, bring to our mindes, the ſodaine calamitie of Gods enemies, which waslIer. 18.17 Ieremies meditation: let the ſwift paſſage of it draw vsus to thinke vppon the ſwift celerity of Gods Angels, which wasmZac. 6.5 Zacharies meditation; and let the conſideration of other circumſtances obſeruable in the winde moue vsus to meditate vponupon ſome of thoſe things concerning the breathings of grace handled in this Treatiſe, or the like.nFrom the works of prouidence mediate in ſome ſuch wiſe. Againe, let the Mariner vponupon the Sea in his calmes thinke of the peace & tranquillitie in his tempeſts vponupon the troubles and aduerſity of the ſhip of the Church on the Sea of this world. Let the citizen in the enioyment of his freedome, thinke how happy a thing it is to bee made a free-denizen of the new Ieruſalem. Let the husbandman, from the tillage of his ground, take occaſion to meditate vponupon the ſpirituall manuring of his heart; from reaping his crop in the appoynted ſeaſon, vponupon the great harueſt at the day of Iudgement, when eueryevery one ſhall reape the fruit of his doings, whether good or ill. Let the rich man, vponupon the thought of his full bags, vponupon the ſight of his faire buildings, be led to contemplate vponupon the durable treaſures of ſpirituall graces, vponupon the vnſpeakable pleaſures in heauenly places, in the poſſeſſion whereof is ioy, and life for euermore. Let the poore man, when he conſidereth the courſeneſſe of his diet, the meaneneſſe of his cloathing, the hardneſſe of his lodging, the penury that he ſuffers in in his ſtate, the contempt that he meeteth with in the world, diuert his mind from diſcouraging thoughts, which from thence may eaſily ariſe; and ponder with himſelfe, how happy a thing it is (if he be a Saint) to ſhare with his Sauiour, in the pouerty of outward condition, and how much hee doth excell (if he be poore in ſpirit) a great number of great ones in the world, in that whereas they hauehave but their portion in this life, he hath an incorruptible crowne, an immortall weight of glory, layd vp for him in the heauens, &c. If in this wiſe our mindes be well buſied, our meditations well inured to an holy comparing of heauenly things with earthly, wee ſhall make a religious vſe of the naturall created and wiſe diſpoſed workes of God, to the edification of our owne ſoules; and our tongues will be the fitter to ſpeake of heauenly matters, to the capacity and commodity of our brethren, when we hauehave occaſion offered vntounto vsus to conferre with them (as Chriſt did with Nicodemus) about things of that nature.