The Pattern of Wholesome Words, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the Creation.
Reuel. 4.11.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receiue glory, and honour, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy wils sake they are, and hauehave been created.
THere are fiue principles concerning the Creation:5Principles concerning the Creation.
That the World had a beginning, & was not eternall, Gen. 1.1. In the beginning God created the heauen, and the earth, &c. Prou. 8.24. &c. When there were no depths was I begotten; when there were no fountaines abounding with water, &c.
Ephes. 1.4. As hee hath chosen duplicate page duplicate page vsus in him before the foundation of the world, &c.
That this world and al things therein was made by God, Acts 17.24. God that made the world, and all things that are therein, &c.
Iohn 1.3. All things were made by it, and without it was made nothing, that was made.
Gens. 1.1. Psalm. 33.6. By the word of the Lord were the heauens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
Isaiah 40.28. Knowest thou not, or hast thou not heard, that the euerlasting God, the Lord hath created the ends of the earth? &c.
Colos. 1.16. For by him were all things created, which are in heauen, and which are in earth: things visible, and inuisible, &c.
That all was made of nothing.
Rom. 4.17. Before God, whom he beleeued: who quickneth the dead, and calleth those things which bee not, as though they were.
Heb. 11.3. Through faith wee vnderstand, that the world was ordained by the word of God, so that the things which we see, are not made of things which did appeare.
That God made all things by his word onelyonly: He spake, and it was created: He said, let it bee, and it was so, Genes. 1. Heb. 11.3. Psal. 33.6.9. all recited before.
That all things in their Creation were made good, Gen. 1.31. and 2.1. And God saw all that hee had made, and loe it was very good, &c.
The vse may be:Vses.
For Information: The glorie of the Lord shall endure for euer:1For information. He shall reioyce in his workes, Psalm. 104.31.
For Instruction, and so the Scripture teacheth vsus by the creation:6Vses for instruction.
1. To feare him, and stand in awe of him, euen all the inhabitants of the earth, who are the work of his hands, Psal. 33.6.7.8.
2. To study the knowledge of these workes of his; to remember them, contemplate of them, and praise his workmanship, and admire his glory, that doth great things, and vnsearchable, yea maruelous things without number, &c, Iob 9.10.11. shall we not sing vntounto the Lord all our life, and praise our God while we liue, &c, Psal. 104 33. seeing The heauens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth the worke of his hands, Psal. 19.1. and the inuisible things of him, that is, his eternall power and God-head are seene by the creation of the World, being considered in his workes, &c, Rom. 1.20. Let vsus remember, that God gaue a Sabbath, of purpose to remember the glory of God in the creation.
3. To obserue the distinct glory of eueryevery person, admire that Sonne, by whom God made the worlds, Heb. 1.3. Col. 1.16. and that Spirit, that sitting vponupon that Chaos, first hatched it, Genes. 1.2.
4. To acknowledge Gods soueraigntie, let him take whom he will away, who can say, what doest thou, Iob 9.13. God will not withdraw his anger, and the most mighty helpes stoope vnderunder him.
5. VponUpon all occasions, and in all distresses to seeke vntounto him for helpe, assistance and succour: Psalm. 124.8. Psalm. 134.3. yea beleeuing in him, though we see no hope in respect of outward meanes, Rom 4.17. Heb. 11.3. Isaiah 37.16.
And as this is true of affliction, and outward distresses; so is it true of all spirituall distresses about the meanes or matter of holinesse: for God himselfe vseth the word (create) in both, to shew vsus, that it is lawfull for that reason to rest vponupon him, Isaiah 57.19, I create the fruit of the lips to be peace, &c. Psalm. 51.10. Create in me a cleane heart, &c. so it is applied to good works, Ephes. 1.10. and to our protection in generall, Esay 4.4. and 5. To shew, that if it were as difficult, as to make heauen and earth at the first, yet God will doe it.
6. To teach vsus compassion to the creatures, we should louelove the worke of his hands, and not bee cruell to them, or voide of pitie.
Vses for reproofe.These principles also may serue for reproofe of wicked men:
For not fearing God, and not trembling before him, as Ierem. 5.22.23. Feare ye not me, saith the Lord? will ye not be afraid at my presence, which hauehave placed the sand for the bounds of the sea, by the spirituall decree▪ a perpetuall, that it cannot passe it, &c.
For not regarding his works, Isaiah 1.12. And the harpe, and viol, and timbrel, and pipe, and wine are in their feasts: but they regard not the worke of the Lord, neither consider the worke of his hands.
For hardning themselues in their sinnes, notwithstanding Gods threatnings, Iob 4.13. with vers. 15.16.21.
And lastly, for consolation to all, that put their trust in him, Psal. 116.5.6.
He can dispose of all, since the earth is the Lords, and all that is therein. Oh, what is man? that God should bee mindefull of him, and giuegive him such pre-eminence ouer the workes of his hands, Psalme 8.4.5.6.7.8. Prouerbs 8.31.
Thus of the Creation.