and as chaffe which the storme carrieth away This was Ieremies meditation Chap. 18. 17. 3. When I see or heare great windes doe great harmes to blow downe houses over mens heads unroote oakes and strong trees I must now looke to my foundation and rooting in grace be sure I bee founded on a rocke that when raines fall windes blow and stormes beate against my house it may stand Matth 7. 27. If wee builde our walls with untempered morter it shall fall a great shower shall come and hailestones shall cause it to fall and a stormie winde shall breake it Ezek. â—3 11 12. 4. When I see reedes and rushes tossed and shaken with every winde I must looke to my stablishing in the doctrine and profession of godlinesse that I bee not carried about with every winde of libertine doctrine every puffe of temptation every frivolous humane invention every frowne of superiours every threatning of the times every crosse occasion as a man unstable in the grounds of received truth Iohn Baptist was not as a reede shaken with the winde as many unsetled heads carried into all novelties conceits and opinions that no gid die conceit can bee broached but shall finde favourers and admirers of things in true judgement to be explored but labour for soundnesse within Wee have seene many faire Apples and Peares hanging on a tree lovely in sun-shine which in the next whistling winde quite fall off because they were rotten or unsound at the core Wee are yet in some calme but the storme riseth suddenly wee know not how soone wee shall bee shaken many prognosticks of foule and stormie weather are upon us Let us bee wise and settle our selves in sinceritie of heart and sounde love of the truth which shall hold us on our foundation when others shall bee overturned Thus the Prophet having sufficiently by the eyes of his minde drawne much matter of meditation from the heavens he casteth downe his eyes on the earth in the last verse of this Psalme and with admiration saith O Lord how wonderfull is thy name in all the earth Noting that not onely the heavens but also the earth being rightly considered may offer unto us abundant matter of divine meditation Seeing then the whole hosts of heaven and earth are before thee complaine not thou wantest matter whereon to meditate Come then and see what great works the Lord hath done in the earth and hearken what a loud voice it hath to leade us unto God and our selves See Iob 12. 7. Consider what barres or engines what mighty foundations uphold the massie substance of the whole earth and sea that the infinite weight should not fall through the soft thin and compassing ayre where no man can make a feather hang without some stay This was Iobs meditation which ledde him to the infinite power of GOD who hangeth the earth upon nothing Iob 26. 7. The whole frame of the heavens hath no other collumes than the ayre the ayre leaneth on the earth the earth hangeth on nothing but the mightie and powerfull Word of God From the unmoveable strength and stability of the earth whose foundation cannot be shaken we may fruitfully meditate of the stable and undoubted truth and certainty of the Word of the Lord both in his promises and menaces Isay 48. 13. My hand hath laid the foundation of the earth Therefore heare O Iacob he will doe his will in thee O Babel c. Psalme 125. 1 2. They that trust in the Lord shall bee as Mount Sion and stand for ever As the hils compasse Ierusalem so doth the Lord his people From the earth which is full of the goodnesse of the Lord Psalme 33. 1. Wee behold the riches of God whose footstoole it is 2 The bountifulnesse of God who hath given it to the sons of men Psalme 115. 16. and made it our table prepared and furnished with all dainty foode our house in which wee dwell and a kinde and liberall mother affording us all her riches and store at all times 3. The providence of God who cloatheth the grasse and decketh the earth and will hee not much more them that feare him Mat. 6. 4. The justice of God in the barrennesse of the earth A fruit of our fall and sin and a just curse of the barrennesse of our owne hearts A fruitfull land hee turneth to barrennesse for the sinnes of the inhabitants From the earth wee may raise sundry instructions concerning our selves 1. Matter of humility It being our common Mother whence we come and whether we must returne Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne The same in the fading of flowers withering of grasse and the mowing it downe put David in minde of the fading prosperity and unavoydable mortalitie of men Psal. 90. 6 7. Our matter is not iron steele c. but grasse All flesh is grasse This sense of our mortalitie should quicken the care of immortalitie 2. Heavenly-mindednes Seeing the earth is but a pricke or a point in comparison of heaven and so should it be unto us who would lose an infinite for a finite a thing of nothing See we not the earth hiding the wealth of it within the bowels all the rich mettals minerals and costly stones And why conceive not we hence their nature Her selfe would cover these from our eyes that we should not set our hearts on them nor they hinder us from better things 3. Love and labour after Gods Word I see what paines men will take to digge and fetch out metals as silver gold c. why should not I digge deepe for wisedome and esteeme Gods Word as gold tryed by the fire worth much paines and labour Prov. 2. 4. 4. I see the earth receiving seede returne abundant fruit according to the cost and paines of him that manureth it Oh where is the thankefull returne of fruits of grace which I should bring unto God for his cost and manuring of mee Every good heart and good ground must doe so Matth. 13. 8. Every faithfull soule as a fat soyle must bee in some proportion answerable to the meanes lest beeing often watered and remaining fruitlesse we be neere a curse c. Heb. 6. 7. We come now to particulars Looke upon the Plants and Trees 1. And put thy selfe in mind to become a tree of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord. 2. Thou seest the Tree stand firme upon his rootes against windes and tempests see thou be firmely rooted on Christ lest the blast of persecution shake thee 3. Thou seest the Tree well planted not onely greene but fruitfull Art not thou as a tree planted by the rivers of waters in Gods garden and orchard of grace Hath not hee warmed thy heart with his Sunne of grace and watered thy soyle with fruitfull showers Doest thou now not onely become truely regenerate moystened with the Spirit of grace to make thee flourish and looke greene but also bringest pleasant fruits unto the Lord else looke for
the axe to hew thee downe and cast thee into the fire 4. I see a good Tree bringeth not fruits onely but good fruits and an evill Tree bringeth forth no good fruit No man gathereth grapes on thistles By my fruits must I bee knowne A good and a bad Tree may bring forth leaves and armes and greenesse alike so good and bad have many externall things alike in common as wealth name beauty yea hearing speaking profession But good fruits from good juyce and sap are proper to good and living rootes I must examine the goodnesse of my fruites 5. I see fruitfull Trees the more laden the more they encline and bow themselves downe neare the ground offering their fruite to every gatherer So must I the more fruitfull in grace bee the more humble and free and beneficiall to every one that can gather any thing from me 6. What particular can I behold and not gather some spirituall fruit See I a Palme Tree It is an image of a just man thriving by afflictions The more weight the more growing Psalme 92. 13. Looke I upon a Vine Christ compareth himselfe to a Vine Iohn 15. and the faithfull to the Branches set into him How many Meditations may one draw hence Nay the very Thornes and Briars teach us to beware of earthly and choaking cares Luke 8. 14. and pleasures which choake the Word that the seede of God cannot thrive in their hearts besides the sight of our sinne in the abundance of them Aske the beasts and every one of them will teach thee something Iob 12. 7. All the beasts on a thousand hils are the Lords Psal 50. In the Lyon behold the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah who foyled the roaring Lyon In a Lambe see the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world In a Sheepe note the wandring disposition Isay 53. 6. And the duty to heare the voyce of Christ the Shepheard and follow him Ioh. 10. In a Goate a stinking creature see the image of a reprobate who shall bee set on the left hand Mat. 25. 33. In the Oxe and Asse to know our Master that feedeth us Isay. 1. In the Horse and Mule indocible creatures who cannot bee taught by rules but by over-ruling and bridling see our untaught and refractarie nature therefore let us not bee like them Psal. 32. 9. In the little Emmet see what providence and diligence thou art to use while time lasteth to lay up for time to come Avoide lazinesse and idlenesse and know thy season Prov. 6. 6. In the contemptible Worme trodden under foote Consider the humility of Christ who was as a worme and no man Psal. 22. Let the same minde bee in you Thus shall wee use them as their Lords when wee see the Lord in them And while we cannot bee beyond them in strength of body quicknesse of senses and swiftnesse of foote wee shall be beyond them in discourse of minde and in divine and spirituall contemplation Looke on the Birds upon and about the earth and consider from them all 1. The providence of GOD they reape not nor spin and yet are fed a Sparrow falleth not to the ground without his will Matth. 6. 26. Are not we better than they 2. In the Dove wee have a lesson of patience meekenesse innocency simplicity without wrath or revenge Matth. 10. 16. David mourned for sinne like a Dove 3. The Turtle Crane and Swallow teach us wisedome to know our seasons Ier. 8. 7. Let us learne to know the day of our visitation 4. The Eagle to flye unto Christ where ever he be in earth or heaven Mat. 24. 28. 5. The Henne brooding her chickings puts us in minde of Gods mercy in gathering us and stretching the wing of his mercy over us Matthew 23. 27. Wee have no safety but under him wee lye open to prey and spoyle without him 6. The Raven of the valley must put children in minde of their dutie towards their Parents least they picke out their eyes Prov. 30. 17. 7. The nests of birds must put us in minde of our Saviours poverty Matth 8. 20. If we want such conveniences wee must bee content as he was 8. The taking of silly birds in a net or snare must put us in minde to beware of hasting to sinne which is as if a bird should hasten unto the snare Prov. 7. 23. Looke upon the sea and fishes and behold the wonders of God in the deepes 1. Who is it who calmeth the sea by his power and by his understanding smiteth the pride of it who measureth the face of the waters with a compasse Iob 26. 10 11. and keepeth it from flowing over the earth 2. The sea is like unto God an inexhaust fountaine for when so many flouds and rivers are run out as so many thousand millions of creatures enjoy it is not diminished but remaineth in the same fulnesse for this is the river of God that is full of waters Psal. 65. So the Lord is a sea of grace the more he giveth himselfe hath never the lesse 3. I see all rivers runne into the sea and pay a tribute to that whence they doe receive So as all is from God all must returne to him by way of thankfulnes 4. I see the sea obey his maker keepe his bounds and banks I must feare God shew my obedience stand in my vocation Ier. 5. 22. 5 I see in the sea a mappe of the misery of mans life it floweth and ebbeth seldome is the sea quiet but after a little calme a tempest riseth suddenly So I must looke for stormes upon this sea of so troublesome a world 6. In the Sea are innumerable creatures small and great there walke the shipps there play the Leviathans some of which have beene found sixe hundred foote long and three hundred and sixtie foote broade all which sheweth the power wisedome and providence of God for all these doe waite on thee O Lord Psal. 104. 25. 7. In the Fishes it will not bee fruitlesse to consider what miracles God hath wrought by them Ionah saved by a fish two fishes multiplyed by Christ to feede five thousand men besides women and children how Christ made himselfe known by a great draught of fishes Mat. 17. 27. 8. When I see fishes caught in a net or hooke unawares Consider the folly of men taken by baites of pleasure and thinke no more of their time but are taken as fishes in an evill net Eccles. 9 12. 9. When I see a Fisher cast in his nets to catch fish I may enter into a large field of the net of the Gospel cast into the sea Matth. 13. 47. and of Ministers the fishers of men Matth 4. 19. and of the pulling men out of the sea of the world by the power and preaching of the Gospel as is shewed in that Propheticall vision of Ezekiel 17. 9 10. Thus have wee shewed how all earthly things may minister heavenly meditations to heavenly mindes How a
it is as the life of a Serpent whose head is crushed in peeces Secondly life in all living men is not alike but in some stronger in some weaker in some more healthfull in some more conflicted with diseases in some more aged and tall in some weaker and younger and so it is in the life of God But canst thou find it in any measure or degree happy art thou If naturall life be so precious and desireable what is spirituall and eternall Object Oh that I could finde this life in any measure Answ. First where life is in man there is a breathing Hast thou holy affections petitions Secondly where life is there it is maintained by food Dost thou desire the sincere milke the Mannah dost thou thrive and grow by it canst thou digest strong meate Thirdly where life is there is growth to the full vigour Dost thou grow in stature and strength outgrowing the weakenesse and infancy of grace passing the severall ages of Christianity Fourthly where life is there is motion Dost thou move in the manly actions of grace walkest thou diligently in the calling of a Christian abroad and at home Fifthly canst thou beare burthens afflictions from God without murmuring wrong from men without revenge Here is the life of God Thirdly for the third whereas in the first Adam wee are all cast out of Paradise of the third heaven as persons in disgrace with their Soveraigne are banished from the Court as Absalom after his slaying his brother was commanded out of the Kings presence and might not see the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. 24. The new creature restored to favour hath a tenure and certainty of the inheritance of Saints and not onely so but present possession though not full possession both in Christ who tooke possession as a head not for himselfe but for his members both in their name and to their use As also in beginnings of heavenly life and conversation already what comfort can a Saint in heaven want But of every new creature the Apostle saith expresly Hee is raised to heavenly places already ◠Pet. 1. 6. The second ground of comfort hence is from Gods gracious acceptation who calleth them new Creatures that are very imperfectly new Wee have cleaving to us a great deale of old rubbish and corruption from the old man but if wee have the least beginnings of new Creation and the least seeds of sound grace but as a graine of mustard-seede he pleaseth to stile us thereby as if no old thing were left in us So in Canticles the fourth Thou art all faire my love and there is no spot in thee and in the context All old things are past Reas. 1. He nameth the end from the beginning and those new that onely tend to newnesse and speaketh of us as wee are in his account not our constitution Secondly for our incouragement our God telleth us wee have crucified the flesh and lusts Gal. 5. 29. when we are not yet halfe way in the worke that we are sanctified and saved when wee are but in the beginning of both both to hold us on in those beginnings For what account will hee make of us when wee are all new creatures that thus esteemeth of us now as also to assure us of perfection as the harvest was in the first fruits The new creature shall be as surely perfect as if he were already Thirdly that wee should admire this grace and imitate it in espying the grace of God in others and esteeme them from that and not from their corruptions Whereas cleane contrary we can fixe both our eyes upon the least frailties to disgrace them and the whole profession for their sakes but passe over many excellent graces Is this to be like God would we have God doe so by us or if he should should we ever carry the name of new creatures The third ground of comfort is in respect of the Lord his gracious preservation and perfecting this worke Now the Lord upholdeth this new creature 1. Partly by conquering oppositions and enmities against it 2. Partly by confirming it against all encounters and impediments To the former Sathan and our owne corruption could cast us off the happinesse of our first creation but not of the second Reas. 1. When God once bēginneth true grace it is followed with grace till all be new Deut. Chap. 31. ver 4 Perfect is the worke of God In the creation he never gave over till he had perfected all the Creatures so will he never give over the worke till there be a perfect new creature Secondly true grace though never so small is Gods earnest of glory and the Lord never tepenteth him of his earnest Thirdly sound grace is as the light that shineth more and more till perfect day Prov. 4. 18. The golden chaine cleareth it Rom. 8. 30. Once justified ever glorified Fourthly to destroy the new Creature requireth a stronger power than that which set it up Therefore all the gates of hell nor any created power can demolish this frame Which made the Apostle triumph as in a victory gotten Rom. 8. 37. Here is the comfort of Perseverance Secondly the Lord upholdeth his owne workemanship by confirming it against all encounters First of worldly basenesse Art thou in a meane condition a poore creature despised and cast off of men yet being a new creature thou art the Son of God an heire of grace thou hast a new name a new stone of absolution a new title to a new heaven and those new mansions which Christ is gone to trim up for thee Secondly of worldly wants Art thou poore and in want of necessaries and hast scarce from hand to mouth to provide foode and rayment yet being a new creature thou wantest not a full treasurie and store-house The same full and liberall hand that feedeth and sustaineth all the baser and inferiour creatures will much more sustaine thee a new Creature The Lord that looketh on thee not as a Creator but as a Father will looke to thee and will supply all wants with a new tree of life in the middest of the Paradise of God and with that new garment of immortality which never waxeth old Thirdly of worldly persecutions Because himselfe hath noted the true reason why the new creature is so hated in the world The reason is because it is new and called out of the old estate of the world For First every new thing is a wonderment for a time therefore men gaze at grace as if it were a Comet or new Starre Whence the Apostle saith of himselfe and the rest that they were as gazing stocks to men and Angels Secondly contrariety betweene the godly and wicked In one all is new a new judgement will affections actions in the other all is old still and a new patch will never agree with an old cloath Hence an old ungracious man will better agree with a
without any pillar to support it that can bound the sea with his word onely that can sustaine such a masse of creatures 4. His bountifulnesse and goodnesse In his endowments of every creature in this kinde In his large provision for them in their severall necessities In making them all so good in themselves and for our good and benefit All of them call on us to taste and see how good God is in himselfe who is so good in these how good unto us hee will bee in his Pallace who is so good to us in our prison Here bee millions of Ministers and Apostles sent by GOD into the world to preach unto men the inexhaust treasures of their Lords goodnesse wisedome and power All of them teach us to depend upon him as they doe for their being and well-being for their motion or station Psal. 145. 15. The eyes of all things waite on thee and thou givest them food in due season and Psal. 147. â— The young Ravens cry to him for food and hee feedeth them So should wee much more not onely cast our care on him and expect all our good from him which is to knocke at the right doore and to goe to the fountaine but also receive all as from his hand not shifting for our selves by unlawfull meanes and taking our estate at the hand of the Devill in lying deceiving usury c. and to returne all in a sober moderate and sanctified use unto him againe for how unkindly did the Lord take it at Israels hands that they should take his wooll and flaxe and oyle and bestow it on Baals service Hos. 2. 8. Thinke now with our selves how disdainefully wee should heare The Oxe and Asse know their feeder but wee doe not ours All of them teach us to love him and returne all fruits of love to him because 1. They are all fruits of his love his love-tokens to us 2. God loveth us better than all them whom hee made their Lords and should not wee love him better than all creatures 3. All threaten us failing in our love for that turneth them against us and they become revengers of his quarrell the sun will burne up our fruites or deny his comfort and shine the clouds will drowne our fruits the aire pinch them and punish us 4. Shall every creature of which I am Lord yeeld me fruit my cattell my trees my ground and shall my love bee fruitlesse unto my Lord All of them teach us unitie love and peace one with another all of them doe conspire in unity and harmony among themselves for the good of the whole they preferre the good of the universall before the particular good of themselves Fire will descend water will ascend and all to hinder a rupture and vacuum or emptinesse in nature They all have their severall contrary qualities and motions but trouble not one another The fire doth warme the aire the aire preserveth the water the water moysteneth and maketh the earth fruitfull one element is a good neighbour to another though never so contrary in qualities They have all their severall degrees and differences some high some low some light some darke The sunne excelleth all the starres in splendour the starres one differ from another in glory Gold excels amongst mettals In the sensible creatures the heart and vitals are most noble yet nature hath so sowdred them together as there is no disdaine no contention but superiour creatures are bound to the inferiours and communicate themselves in governing the inferiour communicate in obeying Nay they all conspire to set forward mans happinesse and welfare So ought we to preferre the publike before the private good of our selves and bee helpefull to one another in our severall wayes Also in our severall degrees of superiority and inferiority bee beneficiall and communicative of our gifts and services All must conspite and consent to set forward the good of every man and helpe up his happinesse heavenly and earthly All of them teach us to grow weary of our present fervitude of sinne and waite for our promised deliverance Rom. 8. 22. For if they shall sigh under our burthens shall not we our selves shall wee bee more senselesse of our misery than they bee of it shall we goe on in sinne which is so burthensome and dangerous Aske the beasts and they will tell thee sinne is an intolerable burthen and takest thou pleasure in sinne Seest thou not the beasts wanting reason saving themselves from danger as they may Balaams Asse will shun and not goe forward against a drawn sword and shall we against the sword of the Lords hand drawne out against sinne Thus the creation of the world is a Scripture of God and the voyce of God in all the Creatures and by them all speaketh unto us alwaies and every where The whole world is his booke so many pages as there are severall creatures no page is empty but full of lines every qualitie of the creature is a severall letter of these lines and no letter without a part of Gods wisedom in it Thus of the creatures voice in generall Now come we to shew the voce of God in the particular creatures which are so infinite in number so divers in qualities as this discourse would swell to an exceeding great volume Therefore I will onely instance in some few particular creatures which our Prophet here specifies in this Psalme as the heavens the sun the moone and starres c. Holding these instances sufficient samplers whereby wee may patterne out our meditations and as occasion shall serve sucke out the sweet even out of every creature as shall be obvious dealing as Geographers who being to contract the great world in a little sheete for great rivers they draw small lines and for great citties onely a period The first particular creature that the Prophet mentioneth as the subject of his meditation is the heavens and firmament In which consider How the heavens and firmament have a voyce to declare the glory of God is plaine Neither is there any speech or language where this voyce is not heard Psal. 19 3. Let us see what lessons the Spirit will speake to us in them 1. The height of the heavens above the earth sheweth the infinite height and honour of him whose standing house is above all aspectable heavens How great is himselfe that thus stretcheth the heavens with his span Isay 40 5. 2. This may put us in minde of the infinite mercy and goodnesse of God So David in Psal. 103. 3. How much higher the heavens are above the earth so great is his goodnes to them that feare him 3. This mindeth us of the majesty of God Kings have their Palaces to shew their majesty and glory in now heaven above is the pavillion of the Lord Psal. 104. His throne and seate is in heaven 2. The matter of them is so pure subtile and excellent as mans wit cannot reach all this