gratifie our weaknefs. Thofe two Hebrew words, Chap. 1. , which imports flesh or weakness, and 10, which is to annunciate and declare good tidings, are of a neer affinity. In the mysterie of the Incarnation God came down into our flesh; and in every other manifeftation of himself, he comes down, as it were, into the weaknefs of creatures or notions, that we, who cannot hear or understand the eternal Word in it felf, or enter the Light inacceffible, might fee him in reflexes and finite glaffes, fuch as we are able to bear. Every manifeftation imports condefcenfion. The World, as fair and goodly a ftructure as it is, is but inftar puncti ant nihili, like a little drop or fmall duft to him. Creature-reason, though a divine particle, and more glorious than the Sun it felf, is but a little fpark for the Infinite Light to fhew himfelf in. No words, no not thofe in the pureft Laws and richeft Promifes, are able to reach him; who, as an Ancient hath it, is, wedyados, wśpropos", Effence, Goodness, Wifdom, all in hyperbole,in a tranfcendent excefs above words or notions. His Name is above every name; nevertheless, he humbles himfelf to appear to our minds in a Scripture-image; nay, to our very fenfes in the body of Nature, that we might clafp the arms of Faith and Love about the holy beams, and in their light and warmth afcend up to their great Original, the Father of Lights and Mercies. God hath manifested himself many ways. He fet up the material World, that he, though an invifible Spirit, might render himself vifible therein all the hofts of Creatures wear his colours. Senfible things (fay the Platonists) are but the types and resemblances of fpiritual, which are the primitive and arche B 2 typal Chap. 1. typal Beings. Every thing here below (fay the Jewish Cabalifts) hath fome root above, and all· Worlds have the print and feal of God upon them.Eternity fhadows forth it felf in time; infinite Power, Wisdom, and Goodness, pourtray out themselves upon finite things in fuch legible characters, that, as foon as we open our eyes upon them, we fee innumerable creatures pointing to the Creator, and teaching that Wif dom, which Archytas the Philofopher placed in the reduction of all things to one great Original. Almighty Power hath printed it felf upon the World, nay, upon every little particle of it: all the crea tures came out of nothing, and between that and Being is a very vaft gulf. It was an infinite Power, which filled it up and fetched over the creatures into Being; it was an Almighty Word, which made the creatures at an infinite diftance hear and rife up out of nothing. The old Axiom, Ex nihilo nihil fit, is Natures limit and a true measure of finite powers but when, as in the Creation, Nature overflows the banks, when Nullity it felf fprings up and runs over into a World, we are fure, that the moving Power was an Infinite one. And as, infinite Power appears in the being of the creatures, fo doth infinite Wifdom in their orders and harmonies. The curious Idea's and Congruities, which before were latent in the divine breast, are limned out upon outward and fenfible things, standing in delicate order and proportion before our eyes. The World is a Syftem of contraries made up into one body, in which disagreeing natures confpire together for the common good: each creature keeps its station, and all the parts of Nature hang one upon another in a sweet confederacy. Meer natural, Agents operate towards their ends, ends, as if they were Masters of Reason, and hit their Chap. 1. proper mark, as if they had a providence within them. Such things as thefe teach us to conclude with Zeno, that a, Reason, is the Great Artist which made all; and to break out with the Pfalmift, O Lord! how manifold are thy works? in wisdom haft thou made them all. And as the two former Attributes fhew forth themselves in the creatures, fo alfo doth infinite Goodness: all the drops and measures of goodnefs in the creature lead us to that infinite Goodnefs, which is the Fountain and Spring of all. Phe recydes the Philofopher faid, That Jupiter firft tranfformed himself into Love, and then made the World; he, who is effential Love, fo framed it, that Goodnefs appears every-where it fhines in the Sur; breathes in the Air, flows in the Sea, and fprings in the Earth; it is Reafon in Men, fenfe in Brutes,' life in Plants, and more than meer Being in the least particles of matter. The Manichees, who would have had their Name from pouring out of Manna, did brook their true name from Mania, that is, Madnefs, in denying so excellent a World to be from the good God. The lightin their Eyes, breath in their Noftrils, bread in their Mouths, and all the good creatures round about them, were pregnant refutations of their fenflefs Herefy: the prints of goodness everywhere extant.in Nature,shew the good hand which framed all. In the making of Man in his original integrity, there was yet a greater manifeftation. In other creatures there were the footsteps of God, but in Man there was his Image; a natural Image in the very make of his Soul, in the effential faculties of Reafon and Will, upon which were derived more noble and divine prints of a Deity than upon all the World befides. Chap. 1. befides. And in that natural Image there was seated a moral one, standing in that perfect knowledg and righteousness, in which more of the beauty and glory of God did fhine forth, than in the very ef fence of the Soul it felf. His Mind was a pure Lamp of Knowledg without any mifts or dark fhades about it, his Will a mirrour of Sanctity and rectitude without any fpot in it; and, as an acceffion to the two former images, there was an image of Gods Soveraignty in him, he was made Lord over the brutal World; without, the beafts were in perfect fubjection to him: and within, the affections. Now to fuch an excellent creature, in his primitive glory, with a Reason in its juft axun or full ftature, the World was a very rare Spectacle; the ftamps and fignatures upon the creatures looked very fresh to his pure Paradifical eyes: from within, and from without, he was filled with illuftrious rays of a Deity: he faw God everywhere; within, in the frame and divine furniture of his Soul, and without, in the creatures and the impreffes of goodness on them: he heard God every-where, in his own breaft in the voice of a clear unvailed Reason, and abroad in the high language and dialect of Nature. All was in fplendor, the World fhone as an outward Temple, and his heart was in luftre like an Oracle or inward San ctuary; every thing in both spake to Gods honour. Such an excellent appearance as this, was worthy of a Sabbath to celebrate the praises of the Creator in. But alas! Sin foon entred and caft a vail upon this Manifestation; on the World there fell a curfe which preffed it into groans and travelling pains of vanity; the Earth had its Thistles, the Heavens their fpots and malignant influences, all was out of tune, * and and jarring into confufion. In Man all the Images of Chap. 1. God more or lefs fuffered, the orient Reason was miferably clouded, the holy Rectitude utterly loft: without, the beasts turned rebels; and within, the affections. Nevertheless God, who is unwearied in Goodnefs, would further manifest himself. Promises of the Meffiah, and of grace in him, brake forth unto lapfed man; and as appendants thereof there came forth Sacrifices and other types to be figures of heavenly things, and a kind of Astrolabe to the pious Jews, that by earthly things they might afcend unto Celestial. Alfo the Moral Law was given forth by God, the spiritual Tables being broken, material ones were made; Holiness and Righteoufnels being by the fall driven out of their proper place, the heart of man, were fet forth in letters and words in the De-calogue. This was fo glorious a manifeftation, that the Rabbins fay, that Mountains of fenfe hang upon. every Iota of it. The Pfalmift in the 19th Pfalm, having fet forth how the Sun and Heavens fhew forth Gods glory, raifes up his difcourfe to the perfect Law, which, as it enlightens the inward man, is a brighter luminary than the Sun which shines to fenfe; and, as it comprizes all duties within it felf, is a nobler circle in Morality, than the Heavens which inviron all other bodies are in Nature. The Commandment, faith the Pfalmift, is exceeding broad, Pfalm 119. 96: it is an Ocean of Sanctity and Equity, fuch as humane Reason, the foul and measure of civil Laws,cannot fearch to the bottom. Love to God and our Neighbour is the center of it; and as many right lines as may be drawn thither, fo many are the duties of it. Whatsoever it be,that makes up the just posture of man towards his Maker or fellow-creatures, is re |