The Beauty and Order of Creation, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Use 6. FOr as much as God made all things of nothing: this should make us to trust in God in all straits and necessities: Great is the sin of distrust and infidelity, when we distrust God for want of means; it is in effect to deny him to be God, and to make no difference between the Creator and the Creature. Do we doubt of Gods All-sufficiency, because we see no outward means? What difference do we then put between Him and man? Man can help and supply us, if he h…th means; but God the Creator is infinitely above the Creature, and can help wi…hout all means. If thou hadst Meat, Drink, & Money eno…gh, thou wouldest fear no want, but the l…ck …f these maketh thee di…trustfull: Alas! whe…c… c…me all th…se? Did not the Lord bring them all out …f nothing? and can he not now as …asily help thee many ways u…known, and not thought of by thee, if thou trust in Hi… ▪ as then he could bring the whole World out of nothing. It is Atheism, and a denyal of the God-head, to doubt whether God could make the World of nothing; and all infidelity in these cases s…v…u…eth of Athiesm, and a …ni…l of the God-head▪ when we doubt whether God can help us, when we see nothing but wants. I… it not easier to h…lp …s than to make a World? So in any dangers, when we are s…rai…ly be…t, and … to, and s…e no means of deliverance and escape: Let u… th…n lea…n to depend upon the Lords All-suf…iciency; if we had a strong gua…d of S…uld…ers at … ▪ we wo…ld …ot … b…t that we should break through our Enemies. Alas! Did not God m…ke those Souldiers and all the World out of nothing? and doth He need their help to deliver …s? I… he please to del… ver us, the want …f …h…ir aid shall not …i…d…r it: if not twelve Legions should not be able to pr…cure our safety.
Use 7. If God, that needeth no …eans to do us good wi…hall, but could h…ve sup…lied all o…r wan…s c…n…inu…lly …ut …f no…hi…g▪ were y…t pleased …o … of Creatures to be means of g…od unto us; thi… sho…ld … us not to … neglect of the … w…ich … cre…ed for our goo…, … not God can …, therefore I ca…e not … …ay▪ God by giving … pleasur… …o help … …y …h…m, therefore I will take them as h…lps with thankfuln…ss f…om the h…nd of God.
Us… 8 This should make us fear the great God, who had made all things of nothing, and not …ar any Crea…ure of His mo…e than the C…ator. See our …olly and vanity of mind he…ein; we …ar Man so much, t…t for f…ar of him, we sin a…ainst he Lo…d without fear …r c…e. Vain Man! … that the Creat…e w…ich w…s n…hing … and which God made o… nothing c…n … …hee … th…n the Creator▪ who by his Almighty Power made this Crea… of nothing; and gave it all the Power which it …, eith… to h…lp …r hur…? Thi… … …f o…r f…olish minds is no be…e… th…n …, …f it be …ghtly consider…d: Th… Lo…d g…ve …s wi…e and unde…standing h…a…t…. Fear him that c…n raise …erro…s and troubles unto the… …ut o… nothing, th…t can set thine own ass…gh…ed … against thee, a…d make t…ee a… …ntoll…r…ble b…rd…n to thy s…lf, that c…n bri…g mo…e misery to thee out of thy own boso…e, than …ll the Wo…ld can wo…k ag…i…st th…e. It is more dangerous beyond c…parison to … God against th…e, th…n all the M…n and … C…eatures in the World, which were ma… of nothing by him,