The Beauty and Order of Creation, Chapter 7 – Chapter 8
CHAP. VII.
Use 9. THis should also move us highly to …steem, and lo…e the Lord, who is the Maker of Heaven and Earth, above Heaven and Earth, and all things in the same. He…e is a c…se …hich doth wonde…f…lly discover the naughti…ess and pervers…ess of our hearts, tha… m…ny of us esteem and a…ct s…e one poo… silly Creature above the Creator of all …hings. Alas! before the World was, He was as pe…f…ct, as b…ss…d …s excellent as now he is, sith hence the creat…on of all things, but the World was nothing before he made it. These things of the World, which now seem such Pea…ls in thine eye, were nothing, had no excellency in them, but what he gave them: and therefore if there be any goodness in them, that should not withd…aw thy heart f…om God to th…m, but cause thee t…e mor… to admire and love the Lord, who out of his infinite goodness gave them all, that which seemeth so good in them, unto thee, when of themselves they had neither goodness nor beeing. The pleasantness that is in Meat and Drink, did it not wholly come from Gods infinite sweetness and goodness? Do not then l…ssen thine aff… ction to God out of a bru…sh appetite toward them, but rather use them in Ch…istian sobriety, wi…h an heart lif…ed up unto God, and admire his infinite goodness and sweetn…ss, whereof thou …astest some drop, in these creatures. Are worldly riches things to be desir…d in thine opinion? All the …iches in the Wo…ld came out of the infinite … and sto …house of his All-…fficie…cy or S…lf-s…fficiency. Therefore if thou wilt be rich, covet him and long and labour to p…ss…ss and enjoy Him for thy po…tion, and so thy Riches shall be more than all the golden Mines in the World can pu…chase. Kn…w this, that as these riches are nothing without Him, so they are as good as nothing if you have them without Him; and that how rich so ever you seem to be in these …utwa…d things, yet you are poor and miserable, except you be rich in God: if thou hast not Him, thou hast nothing, for all things are nothing without Him; learn to esteem of God above all Riches, Children, F…i…nds, and to account all things as nothing in comparison of Him, as the Psalmist did. Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and there is none upon Earth that I desire in comparison of thee. Psal. 73.25. It is good for me to d…aw neer to God, he is my portion for ever. Let thy love to other things be cold, in comparison of thine affection unto Him; let thy Soul be carried with winged d…sires after Him: oh that I might enjoy Him more fully, who brought all things out of nothing▪ who is the fulness of all sweetn…ss and happiness! Oh that I could enjoy Him, and that he would be mine, and I might be His, that I might live in His bosome, and walk in the Light of his count…nance. For as God did bring all things out of nothing immediately, & the things so brought forth were most pure and good, and excellent, according to their kinds; but those that were brought forth since by the Creatures, as His Instruments, have degenerated, and lost much of their first excellency: So the swee…ness and comfort that is to be had immediately from God, in a spiritual communion with Him, and in beholding by faith his loving countenance th…ough Jesus Christ▪ is incomparably beyond all the sweetness, which is instrumentally conveyed to us by the Creatures. Therefore let our Souls long and labour to drink immediatly out of the Fountain, to tast and see rather how good the Creator is, than to glut our selves with a sensual sweetness of the Creature. Oh the pure Waters of the Sanctuary, which flow immediately from the presence of God into the souls of the faithful! The Spouse in the Canti…les saith, The Name of Christ is like a precious oyntment poured forth, full of fragrant swee…ness, and therefore she begins her Song of love thus: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth. She desireth immediate communion with him. A Love-Letter wi…l not satisfy Her▪ but his Mouth to her Mouth, Himself by his blessed Spirit imparted and communicated to Her: So tell a faithfull Soul longing after immediate communion with God, here is weal…h, honours, pleasures, &c. His Answer will be▪ What talk yee of this dross and dung, of these shadows? Away with these muddy trifles, give me God himself, and take from me all the World: it is the Creator whom I love; it is this All-sufficient God, with whom the whole World is not worthy once to be compared: Give me Him, and take from me what you will.
CHAP. VIII.
Use 10. SEeing God made all things of nothing, when being nothing, they could deserve nothing at his hands; and being made, they could not help or profit him in any kind, this should move us in imi…ation of his free goodness, to do for those that cannot deserve any thing from us, who are not likely to be able either to help or hurt us, or to make us any requital. The Lo…d did this, when no Law bound Him to his Creature: but we are bound to do for our fellow Creatures, by the L…w and will of our Soveraign Creator. It is great shame for us to grudge at this, and hang back saying, it is but cast away, I shall have nothing for it. God gave Beeing to that which was nothing, and which could add nothing unto him: but the most unable Man may possibly do us some good in some case or other; and though he should be unable yet God is able and …eady abundantly to r…wa…d u…; whereas none could …ecompense his wo…k which he did, in giving Beeing to the Creatu…es which were nothing: yea all Men a…e of one and the s…me blood with our selves; our bone and flesh; of our Kinred, issuing out of o…e stock, as branches of one Ro…t: all the blood that runneth in the V…ins of all Fl…sh, it st…e… med down from one Fountain▪ even Adam …ur common Father, and therefore there is … reason that we should one do for ano…he… ▪ But what kin was the infinite Iehovah unto meer nothing to emptiness it self? what neerness was there between him and it, that he should bestow so much upon it, even the whole World? none at all; but rather an infinite distance between an infinite Beeing and meer nothing: yet thus did the Lord give Beeing to nothing, and made that to be which was nothing. How then should we blush at our unnatural churlishness in this behalf! and learn of God to do for them, that cannot do for us, …or recompense that which we do for them, that we may be like our great Creator, and our Father which is in Heaven.