The Beauty and Order of Creation, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Use 1. THis condemneth the Atheism of all those, who deny, or doubt of this truth, and imagine that the World was not created of God; but that it was without beginning: which senseless conceit, the World it self con…u…eth; for, who but a fool cannot see, that no Creature could make it self? for then it should be before it self; then it should be and no… be at the same time: neither can the m…st excellent Creature make the least or vilest out of nothing, it being a work of him alone, who is the Fountain of Be…ing; yea the change… and alterations of the World, and the things thereof; the fadings, decays and imperf…ctions of it, do all prove it had a beginning, and that it enclineth to an end; for that which is witho…t beginning is also without alteration. Now sith the World must have a beginning, it must needs have it from one of infinite excellency and perfection, which is God alone; none else could frame so great, so glorious a Building.
2. If God made the World, and all things in it; then let every part of the World, and every Creature in the World, put thee in mind of God that made it: Let every thing that hath Beeing, serve as a Stream to lead back thy thoughts to God, who is the Spring and Fountain of all Beeing: When thou seest the Sun to shine, the Moon and Stars to give some light, borrowed from the Sun, look thou to the Father of lights; and let that created light and brightness which is in these Creatures, enable thee to see him that is invisible, from whom the Creature receiveth all its excellency. Every Creature which thou seest, is a part of his Workmanship, and putteth thee in mind of its Maker; but these, viz. the Sun, Moon, and Stars, Heaven and Earth, are the same immediate works, which the Lord made at the fi…st: Thou seest that Sun, that Moon, those Stars, that Earth, which God did immediately bring forth by his All-mighty Word· The T…ees, the Beasts, the Bird…, a…e all his Creatur…s; all b…o…ght out of the Mass and common … wh…ch … …he first was without fo…m and …: and all th…s… in pa…ticular, are brought …rth f…om time to …me by his Mighty P…wer▪ who … Day worketh all …ings acc…di…g …o the c…ns…l o… his own will▪ … yet th…e are many In…tr…nt… used to bring f…rth these: the old to b…i…g …o…th the young, &c. and t…ough …he kinds of Creatures rema…n▪ which God him…lf made; yet the p…ticular Males and Females …de▪ … beginning are l…ng since ex…ing … an… … thers by many succ…ssions are … many Ages in their st…ad. But th…se … are the very same wit…ou… succ…ssi…n & t…efore the Heav…ns in sp…cial man … do s…t … the glory of God: the Sun and the Moon which God hath ordained, are in a special manner to be h…ded, that we may s…riously c…nsider of the Lord, whose immediate workm…nship they are. If you c…n once learn to see God in his Creatures, as …he Apostle direc…eth us, Rom, 1.20. (where he saith, The invisible things of God, from the C…ation of the World, are cleerly seen, &c.) Thou maist then see him Dayly round about thee: Thou canst not set thy Foot upon the ground, but thou maist remember that thou treadest upon the Lords workmanship, and that thou couldest not stir a Foot, but that he hath made this ground to bear thee, and given thee leave to walk upon it. When thou seest the beautiful face of the Earth, and the Fruits and Plants which it yieldeth▪ thou seest abundant variety of the Lords Creatures, and art taught (if thou wilt learn) to remember him by whom all of them were created. Thou must think thou hearest Him in the noise of strong and mighty winds, in hideous claps of thunder; that thou discernest Him in the Clouds, in the showers …f Rain, in the Hail, Snow▪ Ice▪ and Hoar-frost; in the Spring, Summer, Harvest, Winter; in all th… seasons of the Yea…; yea in t…e very Day and Night; for Day unto Day, and Night unto Night, teach knowl…dge; Time it self, and the continuance of it, are his wo…k.
Look upon thy self; every part, …very memb…r of thee; thy Br…ath in thy Nostrils▪ the spiritual substance of thy Soul, with all its excellent faculti…s; thy reason when thou usest it; thy Memory which preserveth unto thee the knowledge of things gone and past; thine Eyes, thine Eares &c. which let in things like Windows, into …hy mind: These and multitudes of o…her things which thou bea…est every Day about thee, should make thee th…nk with much admiration of thy God that made thee, and all that is within thee. How canst thou look away from God? How canst thou turn off the eyes of thy mind f…om b…holding Him, if thou dost indeed discern Him in his works? Canst thou see any thing that is, and not see (as it we…e) the pri…t of his H…nd upon it? We should not be so fo…getfull of God, if we did make use of this point, that he is the Creator of all things. Ye look upon the Creature, and no farth…r, as if it had m…de it self, and had no C…ea…or to frame it: nay so strange is our earthliness and s…ns…ality, that we fo…get God, by looking so much upon the Creatures; our plenty of the Creatures maketh us to forget him: our dealings about the Creatu…es, do put the Creator out of our thoughts, whereas there is never a Creature in the World, but it doth in its kind effectually call upon us, to remember it and our Creator: Yea the minding of our selves so much; inordinate self-love, and too much carnal respect had to our selves, maketh us to forget our Maker; whereas our selves, (as I have said) should in special manner make us mindfull of Him that made us: Consider th…s▪ ye that fo…get God, and either remember him …ff…ctually by his works; or else be sure, his Creatures shall bear witness against thee, and condemn thee for thy forgetfulness.