The Beauty and Order of Creation, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Use 5. THis should keep us from abusing the least of the Creatures, as we fear to become guilty▪ of defacing the Lords own Workmanship; and in this regard, we should not dare to shew our selves cruel to our very Beasts, which we use in our service, either to carry our Bodies, or to do our work. The Righteous is merciful to his Beast, but their mercies are cruel, who carry merciless hearts towar… the poor Creatures. We must always remember, that the Lord who made them, hath more right unto them than we can have; our right being wholly derived from him; and therefore we must usurp no farther upon them than he alloweth us; which is moderately and mercifully to use them, not cruelly without mercy to abuse them. And therefore the withholding of due and necessary food from the Beast, or over-burdening it beyond measure, is a dishonour offered to its Creator. And as these Beasts of service must not be abused, b… cause they are the Creatures of God; so neither may we in sport torment the poor Creature that crawleth upon the Earth. If I should name some practices among us of this nature, perhaps some would think them too mean to be mentioned here. But Christians must walk exactly, and keep Gods commandments diligently, or exceedingly, as the Hebrew word,foreign in …sal. 119▪ 4. noteth unto us: and the poorest Creature that is, is a part of G…ds Workmanship, and God may be dishonoured in it: yea, to abuse in sport (…hough it be as mean a Creature as a Fl… &c.) is to take the Name of God in vain; sith these works of His, are such things, by which, as by a name, he hath made himself known unto us; the least Flie being an evidence of his Almighty Power.
So for those Creatures which we use for cloathing, nourishment, or other use, we must take heed of all excessive abuse, and so of taking the name of the Lord in vain. Still remember, that this is created of God, and I must use it as a Creature of His. The Apostle against the sin of Fornication, useth this speech, S…all I take the Members of Christ, and make them the Members of an Harlot? God forbid. 1 Cor. 6.15. So may I say of the Creatures, shall I take Meat and Drink, the very Creatures and Workmanship of Gods own hand, and make them Instruments of Satan and sin, of Gluttony, of Drunkenness, means whereby to dishonour God, and fight against Him that made them? Shall I take Money and Cloaths (Gods Creatures) to shew forth my pride, and my heart lifted up against God, that made these, and made me a poor naked Creature, allowing me a …ob…r use of them to cover my shame, not an excessive or fantastical abuse of them to satisfy, and shew forth my pride and vanity? God forbid. So for Time, which God made at the first in the beginning of the Creation, we should especially take …eed of abusing it, and account it as a precious thing fl…wing o…t of Gods Eternity, too precious to be was…fully mispent and abused. If the ancient of Days hath ou… of his Eternity bro…ght forth time, and giv…n us time, continuing it to us out of his long-suffering and patience, even from the beginning of the World hitherto, let us not by idleness, immoderate eating and drinking, unprofitable or unseemly wanton exercises, immoderate sports, excessive …ar…i…g, &c. (taking up more of ou… t…me tha… Re…igious duties) Let us not by these and the like exercises embezle away those … hours, which when we have once lost, we shall never see them more.