The Beauty and Order of Creation, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Meditations on the first Days Work.
SECT. 1.
LEt us now consider what was the first days work, and that upon the first day, which now we call the Lords day, and therein first consider what was done in the Evening of that Day, and then what was done in the Morning.
1. What was done in the Evening: it seemeth that in the Evening or N…g…t, was ma…e the Heaven without Light, the Earth wi…hout form, darkness c…vering the face of the de…p. and the spirit of God moving upon the surface of the Waters. And here is plentiful ma…ter for thy thoughts to work upon, on this first day of the week.
1. Then admire and magnify the wonderful power and wisdome of the Lord, in stretching out the huge and far-spreading body of the Heavens, encompassing all the rest of the Creatures, after-mentioned. And let the wonderful circuit of this Creature make thee with much holy admiration to look upon that infinite Iehovah, by whom it was created: and if the Heavens be so great, that they exceed thine imagination; how great is He of whom it is truly said, that Neither the Heaven, nor the Heaven of Heavens can contain Him! if the Heavens be so glorious, how unspeakable is His glory and Majesty, who hath the whole Heaven for his Throne and treade…h upon the Ear…h as his Foot-stool? yea consider, that if Gods wisdome, power, greatness▪ &c. be so notably manifested in these Earthly Creatures which we see, it is much more gloriously apparent in the wonderful frame of the Heavens, which we can scarcely see by reason of their distance, not doubting, but that the Heaven doth as far excell these lower Creatures in the excellent perfections of its nature, as it is above them in height of scituation.
2. Again, let this make thee wonder at the goodness of God with a thankfull heart, who hath not only given Man a pleasant dwelling here on Earth, plentifully furnished, and a Lordship over other Creatures, b…ought out of the same common Mass with himself, but also offereth him a place in the highest Heaven, that he may dwell for ever in his glorious presence; yea, that he may sit down with him in his Throne, as it is said in the Revelations ▪ so that Man who is but dust and ashes, even a very piece of this lower Earth, shall be exalted above the rest of the Creatures, and made to dwell for ever before the face of God: seeing then the Lord hath made Heaven for Man to possess, let not the Earth then so steal away thy heart, O Christian, as if there were no better thing than the Earth for thee to enjoy: let the Heaven be of greater force to raise and lift up thy heart toward it, than the Earth to sink it down-ward: see thine own folly, and bewail it, that thou hast spent more precious hours, employed more serious thoughts upon some few spans of the Earth, or in gathering some few pieces of white and red Earth, than in seeking an ass…ed title of an inheritance in those glorious and spacious Heavens. Think with thy self, that no pains can be too much; no service too hard, no endeavours too constant, no affection too eager in seeking Gods Kingdome, and its righteousness. When God would comfort Abraham in hope of the promised inheritance, and so make it a motive to him, that he might be stirred unto obedience, and strengthened in the faith; Look (saith the Lord) East-ward and West-ward, North-ward and South-ward, for all the Land which thou se…t, to thee will I give it, and to thy Seed for ever, Genes. 13.14 15. So wouldest thou have encouragements for obedience, wouldest thou know why thou shouldest do these and these duties, and shun these and these sins; then look up to Heaven, ha…e an eye to the glorious inheritance, which God hath provided for thee. Wouldest thou fain be above the reach of malicious tongues, or other injuries, look up to Heaven; they shall not touch thee there. Wouldst thou learn contentedness with thy portion, look up to Heaven! Thou ar… apt to think thou hast not enough here, but when once thou shalt take hold of that Heavenly Kingdome, thou shalt say, I have enough. Look up to Heaven, and remember, that Christ is there, in the same nature of Man, wherein now thou walkest up and down, making intercession for thee, and that thou hast a sure friend, a Sure…y and Advocate, a Spokesman, one that is thine Head, and to whom thou art united as a Member, now in the highest part of the whole C…eation. Consider the dignity and priviledge of a Christian, whose happiness is as far above that of the Worldling, as the Heaven is above the Earth.
3. Consider the restless motions of the Heavens, never at a stop, never abating in any degree the swiftness of their motion; and learn both the perfection of God, whose providence is in a continual course, by which as well the Heavens, as the lowest Creatures, are carried about, all in him moving and having their Beeing: and on the other side take notice of thy duty, and learn to go on in a restless course of godliness, as one carryed about by the power of the spirit; as the first mover in all the ways and works of God; whereby the heart (as the first wheel) is stirred, and the whole outward Man carried about by that motion, from which proceedeth both to will and to do, according to his good pleasure.
In the second place, to the first Nights work belongeth the Creation of that first confused lump and mass of things, here called Earth; but having in it (as it were) the stuff and materials of all these lower Bodies,
1. Consider what a rude mishapen lump this was at the first, and in thy thoughts strip the Earth of all its glory; consider it bare and naked, without Grass, Trees, Herbs, Men, Beasts, Light, or any thing that belongeth to its comeliness▪ furniture, or perfection: and then remember▪ that as it had Beeing, so all its excellency and beauty was from the Lord; and therefore suffer not any thing belonging to the Earth▪ not any thing that partaketh of it, or is of kin unto it to draw away thy heart from him▪ who gave it all that it hath: let not that which is wholly God's, d…aw thee from God, but rather lead thee to him. Take the Earth as it was of it self, and it was nothing: take it as it was in the beginning of its Beeing, and it was as good as nothing: it had not any excellency of Beeing to draw thine heart after it, if then thou hadst been Created: and then conclude it were a madness to conceive it thus to be decked and dressed up by the Lord himself for this purpose, that it might draw thy heart from him, and move thee to prefer it above him.
2. Learn here to see a Picture of thy state of unregeneration: thy body of sin, what is it b…t a very Chaos, a rude confused lump of disordered lusts, Earthly affections, and muddy distempered passions? Is it not without its proper form? Doubtless the Soul hath lost that beautiful shape and Image of its Maker, consisting in wisdome, righteousness and true holiness; darkness is upon the face of it. What a misty Night shadoweth the understanding of every natural Man, so that h… can…ot di… cern the things of God? Alas! he hath no Light, the Day is not dawned, neither is the Day-star ris…n upon his Soul: he speaketh, readeth, heareth of God of his love in Christ, b…t hath no cleer sanctified a…re…ension of any Heavenly mystery: he looketh blindly upon his sins, upon his afflicti…ns, upon his crosses, upon his comfor…s, upon all or many of these, that which the faithful Soul sees, whose eyes have been enlightened …y the Father of Lights: learn hence …o see what thy condition is▪ and so loath thy … in poverty of Spirit. And as this senseless lump of things …, until the Spiri… of God moved upon … …aters: so c…nsid…r what a pi…ce of dead … w…st thy …elf, and how …hou didst … block, without all …, life, un…il the blessed quickning Spiri… o… G…d began to … thine heart; and learn to … all proud c…nceits of thine own from …n hu…ble heart acknowledging, that by the Grace of God, and through the work of his Spi…it, Thou art what thou art.
3 By this Evening of utter darkness which was before the first Day, learn to consider that dark and dismal Night, wherein the Church of God was, after the death, and before the Resurrection of our Saviour, who rose to life upon this first day of the Week. What sad thoughts possessed the Souls of those faithful Wo…en, who this Night were coming with their Odours, to do honour to his dead Body, whose life was so precious to them? When the forme… hopes of his Disciples were clouded with such dark distrustful conceits as this. We had hoped that it had been He, who should have saved Israel. Surely, heaviness endured with them this Night, but joy came in the Mo…ning: the Sun of righteousness arose out of the Grave, as here the Light … commanded to shine out of da…kness: and … it was verified, which our Saviour spake unto them: Yee shall have sorrow, but the World shall rejoyce, and your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
SECT. 2.
LEt us now consider what was done on the Morning of the first Day: here turn thy thoughts to consider of …hat excellent Creature [the Ligh…] which the Lord called for in the midst of Da…kness, …nd which immediately came at his Call; when Darkness was upon the face of the deep▪ God said, let there be Light, and there was Light: Admire this wonderful change which the Lord made upon this Day, when suddenly the Light brake forth there, where was nothing but Da…kness: the glory of God is notably seen by this Light, inasmuch as without the help of Sun, Moon, or other Stars, he created a bright shining Light to drive away that Darknes…, whe…ewith those beginnings of the Creation were enwrapped. We should think it strange to see at mid-night a perfect Light suddenly breaking fo…th without any dawning, or such other degrees of preparation; the Ayr in one instant becoming as light at mid-night, as at Noon in the cleer…st Day: yet this was more, inasmuch as it was the first appearance of the Light that ever was in the World, there being no beginnings, no glimpse or degrees of it before. And here consider:
1. As the Light was created upon this day▪ so Christ (the Light of the World) did this day arise out of the Grave of Death and Darkness; and by his Resurrection the Light of his God-head did shine abroad into the World, which before was over-shadowed with miserable blindness and darkness; so the Apostle saith, He was declared to be the Son of God with Power, according to the S…irit of Holiness by the Resurrection from the Dead, Rom. 1.…. His time of suffering was the hour of Darkness, and a kind of N…ght: his ignominious death, burial, and ab…de in the Grave, was so da…k a Night, that in it the quickest eyes, even the faith of his own Disciples could hardly disce…n him to be the Son of God, and Saviour of the World. But being risen, he made it manifest that he was the Son of God, as the Sun doth shew it self by the brightness of his own beames; and now he cast abroad the light of his heavenly truth in the Ministery of his Apostles by whom was Preached Christ Jesus dead for our sins, and risen again to make us righteous.
2. Consider, that as on this Day the Light was created, and this day Christ the Light of the World did arise, so the Lord hath ordained, that on this day the light of the holy Gospel should shine brigh…ly and plentifully in his Church, through the preaching of the Word; and therefore consider seriously with thy self, that on this day thou must set thy self with an open and fixed eye of thy Soul to receive the Light; that is, wi…h a willing teachable and a…tentive mind to recei…e the Word of God, which is a beam of light issuing from him, who is the Father and Fountain of Lights. Sad is the practice of many, who like Owles and Bats, and such other Night-bi…d, shun the Light, and come not abroad in such times when the Sun shineth; namely such as purposely keep home on this day, and are off…nded at the Light▪ causelesly ab…nting themselves from it, or wilfully refusing to entertain it; such as would like the World better, if it were over-shadowed with a Night of ignorance; and like those Churches best, that have but dark Lanthorns; or such Candles, as after a little time of blazing, go out with an unsavoury snuff. Oh think it a special mercy of God, that he holdeth forth the Light unto thee on this day, and do thou with all readiness both look toward it, and walk by it.
3. Again. Consider, that as Light was the first thing which was made, when the Earth was without form and void; so when any Souls in the state of natural corruption, are without Christ formed in them, void of grace, full of pollutions; the first thing wrought in us is a light of sanctified knowledge, sound illumination, before we can bring forth any duty pleasing to God. And therefore be not deceived, like those, who think that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion: Ignorance is as great an Enemy to the Soul, and its salvation, as utter darkness was to the World, and to the Creatures in it: and that spiritual light is as needful for the former, as this other light was for the latter. They therefore that are in their natural blindness, are as far from the new Creation, as the Earth was from its natural perfection, while darkness was upon the face of the deep.
4. As God alone by his Call did bring forth Light; so think you, that all the knowledge which thou hast (especially in Heavenly things) is wholly from God, without which nothing was in thee but utter darkness; and therefore thou hast no more cause to be proud of thy knowledge, than that muddy heap of Earth in the beginning had to brag of the Light which shined upon it by the command of God; whereas of it self it was altogether dark and covered with darkness.
5. Consider the benefits which thou receivest by this Creature; it giveth thee the use of thine eyes, it delighteth that sense: it freeth thee from many fears, which darkness doth naturally suggest unto thee: it sheweth thee things in their right colours; it helpeth thee in avoiding many dangers, in ob…aining many comforts: it is a guide unto thee in thy travel: it is comfort in thy labours; it is a means, whereby thou maist conve…se with others: it is not to be imagined how many wants and inconveniencies the loss of this Creature would bring upon thee: for among other things, it hath a cherishing warmth and lively heat accompanying it, whereby it giveth life, and preserveth life, motion, and natural heat in Men, and other Creatures; and therefore conclude, Oh Lord, our God! how wonderfull are thy works; and especially this first-born Creature, the Light which upon this first day thou diddest cause to shine out of utter darkness! and when thy heart is covered wi…h a dark night of sad uncomfortable thoughts, then look up to him who can cause the light to shine out of darkness, and joy and comfort to arise out of sorrow and heaviness.