The Beauty and Order of Creation, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Meditations on the sixth Days Work.
I Proceed to the sixth and last Day of the Creation, with us usually called Fryday, wherein the Lord made those Creatures that furnish the earth, namely the Beasts and creeping things, and then Man in the last place, as the Lord of the rest. First of the former, those unreasonable creatures; for of Man I purpose to speak afterwards more at large▪ And in these creatures brought forth out of the earth, the admirable power, wisdom and goodness of God is manifested.
1. Consider with astonishment, how in a moment, at the word of the Lord, out of the dead womb of the earth issued multitudes of beasts, great and small, and creeping things: Lions, Bears, Tygers, Unicornes, Horses, all sorts of Cattle, &c. And that of a just size, every way in their several kinds for strength, stature, and other properties. And here consider, that the least creature that crawleth upon the earth, is a part of Gods own work; even every creeping thing, as the Text saith. And in these the Lords omnipotency appeareth, the least worm being a work of an Al-mighty power; yea doubt not, but as the least are the works of his hands, so the least are within the compass of his Al-guiding providence. And if the least creeping thing be within the Lords care, and receive its maintenance from him, Wherefore are ye doubtful O ye of little Faith? Will God feed the worms, and let his children starve?
2. Wonderful is the strength, wonderfull is the swiftness of many beasts; wonderful is their variety in kind, bigness▪ quality, voice, &c. Consider the wonderful strength and courage of the Lion; and then consider the excellency of that glorious Lion of the Tribe of Iudah, Christ Jesus, who (as the Prophet saith) travelleth in the greatness of his strengtb, and is mighty to save, Isa. 63.1. He is as a Lion unto his enemies to destroy them; Therefore kiss the son, left he be angry; submit to Christ, lest he tear you in pieces as a Lion, and there be none to deliver: He is as a Lion to defend his people against their enemies; this Lion is too strong for that old Red-Dragon, and will crush his head, and tread him under his feet. And as Sampson, having killed the Lion, found sweet refreshment in the dead Carkass of the same, which occasioned his riddle wherewith he posed the Philistines: Sweetness came out of the strong one, and meat out of the E…ter▪ Iudg. 14.14. So our Saviour, this Lion of the tribe of Iudah, being slain for the sins of the world, yeilded sweet nourishment and refreshment to those who feed on him by faith; so that out of this strong one cometh sweetest meat for hungry souls: yea, as the Lion yeilded pleasant nourishment to him that slew him; so doth Christ to the faithful, who slew him by their sins: yea, many of those, who in a more special manner did join in sheding his blood, did feed on him by faith, as appeareth by the fruit of St. Peters Sermon, Act. 2. Again, the Lords voice in the ministry of the word, is compared to the roaring of a Lion. When the Lion roareth, who doth not tremble? When the Lord speaketh, who will not prophesie? Amos 3.8. This voice of the Lord should rouze up sleepy sinners from their pillows of deep security, and make them tremble at the word of the Lord with an holy fear, and not trample it under foot, nor cast it behind their backs with an hellish scorn. Miserable is their folly, who are more afraid of the barking of Dogs, than of the roaring of This Lion; more afraid to do those duties, which the wicked scoffe and rail at, than to do those sins which the Lord in his word forbiddeth and condemneth upon pain of everlasting destruction.
Read at large, how the Lord in the book of Iob, setteth forth the excellency of the Elephant, or Behemoth of the Unicorn, of the warlike Horse, and that of purpose to over-awe Iob with an apprehension of his infinite Majesty, by a due consideration of the excellency of these Creatures. These things were not spoken to him alone, but to us also.
3. Consider what multitudes there be of cruel savage beasts in the world, which the Lord so restraineth, that they do not over-run man-kind; which should make us admire his infinite power in curbing them, his infinite-goodness in preserving us.
4. Consider of what use many of these creatures are to us; especially those which are most common among us. What supply of Milk do the Kine afford us? what Fleeces of Wool do the Sheep yeild us? what store of strong, wholesome, and pleasant nourishment do their bodies yeild us? and what labour is bestowed about these? when we have eaten of these and are full; when we are cloathed by these and are warm, then should we take heed lest we forget God, of whom we have received all.
5. Among other things, we should observe the Lords goodness in giving us divers of these creatures to do our work, to carry our burthens, to bear our selves. What benefits do we daily receive by the labour of the Oxe, plowing our ground, and doing us necessary services many ways? How serviceable is the Horse unto us, both for speed and ease; carrying us from place to place? wonderful is the goodness of God in making these creatures, far stronger than our selves, to yeild to us; not using their strength to resist us, but to do us service. Therefore we should not at any time use any of these creatures▪ but that we should be moved to lift up thankful hearts to God for this mercy, which we would think worthy of much admiration, if they were not so common among us; but on the other side, we should think, the more we have of them, the more thankfulness we owe to God for them.
6. Consider, that as a man hath in him the senses of a Beast, and somthing more excellent, as Reason and Understanding; so a Christian hath Nature in him, and somthing above Nature, even the Spirit of Regeneration. And as some Beasts have some things in them wherein they excel man, as the Lion in strength, the Horse in swiftness, &c. yet the meanest man is naturally more excellent than the most excellent among the Beasts: so, though the children of this world do in some thi…gs outstrip the children of light; as many times in beauty, strength, wit, outward carriage, policy, civil deportment, &c. yet the meanest true Christian is more excellent than his best carnal neighbour, in regard of the Image of God restored to him.
7. Again, seeing the Beasts have those pleasures whereof the senses are capable, this should perswade us, that these are not the most excellent delights, but that there are purer, higher, more heavenly delights, which suit better with an intellectual immortal soul: and this should teach us to bewail our brutish affections, which carry us so strongly after sensual delights of the eye, the ear, the taste, &c. as if we had no better souls than the Beasts. Solomon saith, The spirit of a beast goeth downward, and the spirit of a man goeth …pward, Eccles. 3.21. So it should be in our affections, our souls should go upward, reaching toward the things above, and not go down-ward, enthralling themselves to these sensual things here below, like the spirits of the Beasts.
8. As the Beasts do bear our burthens, so should we willingly bear those burthens, and do those services which God requireth. How wouldest thou rage, if thy Beast should continually fling and cast thee, and those things which thou layest upon it! and are not we herein worse than Beasts that perish, when with froward spirits we fling and kick at the Lords commandements, and do not willingly and obediently submit unto them?