A New Years Gift, Section 7
SECT. VII.
Of the Ordinances of Heaven, Day and Night, Summer and Winter, Seed-time and Harveſt; their order and ſucceſſion, eſtabliſht by God, is the effect of Infinite Wiſdom and Goodneſs. What they may teach us.
WHen I conſider the beginning of another Year, I can hardly avoid reflecting on its ſeveral parts, Summer and Winter, Spring and Fall, Day and Night, and their alternate Turns. This calls me to obſerve, and admire his Eternal Power and Godhead, Wiſdom and Truth, who is the Great Author of this admirable variety; Who hath fixed the Earth with his Foot, and hanged it on nothing, and ſetled the Luminaries of Heaven for Excellent Ends: The Sun to Ruleby Day, and the Moon by Night, thereby to diſtinguiſh Times and Seaſons, to ſeparate Day and Night, Winter and Summer, and conſult the convenience of Man and Beaſt, by their due Succeſſion. The Day is thine, the Night alſo is thine, thou makeſt Summer and Winter: How wonderful is their Order, Beauty, and conſtant Courſe; that when the Sun withdraws, and the ſhadows of the Evening cover the Earth with darkneſs, to conclude the Day; the Moon and Stars ſupply the place of the abſent Sun, during the Night: And that tho' they differ in length, yet gradually leſſen, till they are both equal at the years end, and have made the ſame Circuit. How excellent a work of God, is that quick ſucceſſion to one another? The ſuppoſition of a perpetual Night, is a diſmal gloomy thought. O what will the Everlaſting Darkneſs of the Infernal Priſon be! The Sun by day enlightens the Earth, directs our Motion, guides our Way, governs our Travail, aſſiſts Converſation, awakens Induſtry, warms the Earth, and Air, gives Life, and Vigor, and fruitfulneſs to all things under the Sun, and makes the whole Inferiour Creation to rejoyce. An Emblem of God's univerſal Goodneſs, who is kind to all his Creatures. How admirable is its Luſtre! how glorious is its Light! how loudly doth it proclaim his Power and Wiſdom! who made this, and the other Lights of Heaven, by his powerful Word, and preſerves them hitherto by his daily Providence.
If God be now ſo glorious, contemplated in his Works, conſidered in the luſtre of the created Sun, viewed only through the Windows of Senſe; how much more glorious will he appear hereafter, when we ſhall ſee him face to face, and nothing interpoſe betwixt us and his incomparable Light! If mine Eyes dazle to look upon the meridian Sun, in what inacceſſible Light muſt he dwell, who is the Father of Lights? If this lower World the common receptacle of his Friends and Enemies, have ſo much of his Glory vouchſafed them by the Heavenly Bodies; O what a place will Heaven be, where ſhall be no Sun or Moon, nor need of any, but the glory of God ſhall lighten it, and the Lamb be the Light thereof?
While I thus conſider the Sun, and the Day, I muſt not think the Night is uſeleſs, which diſcovers another part of the Heavens, not diſcernable by the Day, viz. the Stars and Planets, refreſhing the Earth, cooling the Air, giving neceſſary Reſt to the Creatures, &c. Their order, motions, aſpects, oppoſitions, influences, are all uſeful, and inſtructive. The agreeable mixtures of Light and Darkneſs, the regular ſucceſſion of Day and Night within a few hours, are exceeding wonderful, and advantageous. In other parts of the World, where the Sunbeams are more direct, and its heat exceſſive, God hath made amends by the length of the Night, (under the Equinoctial Line it is always Twelve hours) and in the more Northen parts, where the Influence of the Sun is weaker, the days are proportionably longer. So good is God to all his Creatures, in all parts of the world. As the Morning and Evening anſwer to the day of Twenty four hours; ſo doth Spring and Autumn to the Twelve months of the Year, that we may not paſs immediately from one extream to another, but gradually be diſpoſed for ſo great a change, as is between Summer and Winter, and Winter and Summer. So merciful and gracious, and infinitely wiſe is God, in all his Works! ſo that we cannot ſay, one part of the Year is more neceſſary than another. The Winter is as uſeful for the good of the Univerſe, as the Summer: In this we are ſupplied with what is neceſſary to maintain us in that. And the admirable Situation of the Sun (moſt probably) in the Center of the World, ſeems much to contribute to it. If it had been at a farther diſtance from us, our Earth would have been in a manner deſolate; becauſe the Influence of the Sun could not have been conſiderable: And if it had been nearer: the Stars above would have wanted Light, and this Earth under been burnt up. The Excellent Order which it hath now obeyed for above ſix Thouſand Years, is alſo wonderful. The Sun never ſtood ſtill but once, and that by a Miracle; tho' much inferiour to that of it's daily Progreſs. What a Subject is here to admire the Power, Goodneſs, Wiſdom, and Faithfulneſs of God? Lord! what is Man! For whom thou doſt all this? And becauſe I find every Year that the Day dies into Night, the Summer into Winter, and Herbs and Plants loſe their Beauty and Verdure, and ſhed their Bloſſoms; may I not hence learn to conſider, and prepare for my own Approaching Change? In Proſperity, Health, and Eaſe, and Life, to expect, and make Proviſion for Trouble, Sickneſs, Pain and Death? as every Wiſe Man in Summer would do for Winter; and work with all my Might, while it is called to day; while the Light continues, becauſe the Night of Darkneſs is at hand, when none can work.