thus fpread before the Understanding, Will, and Affections, are apt to work upon thefe Faculties, and they being prevailed upon, the Eyes, the Ears, the Hands, the Feet, will quickly do their part, and fhew their readiness to obey the Command of their Superior Officers. II. It helps Men to improve external Objects, into very comfortable Contemplations. When I take a view of the Sun, and Moon, and Stars, or reflect on the Air, Fire, Earth, and Water, Confideration may furnish me with very excellent Truths, and the nobleft Leffons of Religion. Confideration can Metamorphofe Objects, and Spiritualize them, and find out the fecret Designs of the Almighty, in those Creatures, which the sensual Man looks upon, and like a Beaft paffes by, without any admiration ; This Eye can pierce through folid Bodies, and read the wholfom Leffons which lie hid under those groffer Mantles. For after this manner it may argue, Take Wings, Omy Soul, fly up to yonder Heaven, where the Almighty hath fet a Tabernacle for the Sun, which is as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber; and rejoyces as a Giant to run his Race; Behold, how this glorious Planet, the great Almoner of Heaven, when he rifes, revives every living thing with his kindly Beams, and will not the increated Sun, from whom this bright Star borrows his fhining Rays, when he fhall rife unto the Spirits of Men made perfect in the last Day, fill them all with unspeakable Joy and Gladness? and as a difmal uncomfortable Darkness fucceeds, when this created Sun doth doth leave our Hemisphere, fo think, how dreadful, how full of horror, and difconfolatenefs that darkness must be, which must unavoidably fall on wretched impenitent Sinners, that would take no warning, when the increated Sun fhall withdraw from them his beatifical Presence for ever; behold this created Sun, how many thousand kindneffes it beftows upon Mankind, and doth not this put thee in mind of the Father of Lights, from whom every good and perfect Gift defcends? How much bigger is this fhining Body than the whole Earth; and doft not thou remember, how, before thy God, all Mankind are as Grafhoppers, or rather, as the duft of the Balance, nay, lighter than nothing, and vanity? The Sun, that he may enlighten the whole World, is forced to go from one place to another; but thy God, at one and the fame time, without moving his Station, can fill Heaven and Earth with his Glory. Behold, O my Soul, the next great Light, the Moon, which, the nearer it approaches the Sun, the brighter it grows in that part, which looks towards Heaven, tho' it becomes darker in that part which looks towards the Earth, and when it is oppofite to the Sun, lofes all that brightness it had in its conjunction with the Sun, and is only bright in that part which refpects this lower World; and doft not thou see a very lively Emblem of a converted, and unconverted Sinner in this Luminary? Behold, the nearer thou approachest the Sun of Righteousness in Purity and Holiness, the greater luftre, and the greater happinefs thou receiveft; the Inhabitants of Heaven behold yon behold thy Brightness and Innocence, and applaud it, tho' fenfual Men, may be, think thee all darkness, all obfcurity, because thou dost not wallow in works of Darkness with them; they, may be, look upon thee as mad and distracted, because thou art fo bufie, fo earneft, fo zealous, to please thy God, and spendeft fo much time in praifing, and magnifying, and glorifying of him; but thofe that dwell in der region of Light and Blifs, know that then, and not till then, thou art Master of thy Reafon, and doft act like a perfon that's capable of being made partaker of the Divine Nature. In a word, thou art a Light to them above, and Night to Men beneath. On the other fide, when thou turneft thy back upon God, walkest oppofite, and contrary to him, whatever refpect and credit thou mayeft have from the World, God and his holy Angels look upon thee as Darkness; thy Understanding, which is that part which properly looks towards Heaven, lofes all its brightnefs; and no marvel, 'for God alone can fatisfie it; and he being gone, that part muft needs be perfect Night; and no wonder if, upon this darkness, thy love inclines vigorously to the World, and thy affections are altogether carried out after the drofs and dung of this tranfitory Earth, if thy thoughts are all engaged about the World, all thy Speeches employed about the World, and thou becomeft wife for the World, and losest all thy Wisdom for God, and for Salvation, and thou art Night to the Spirits above, and Day to Men below. O my Soul, Canft thou look upon the Sun and Moon, and not remember how differently God deals with triumphing Saints in Heaven, and his Militant Church here on Earth? They enjoy a perpetual Sunshine, we are allowed no more but Moon-light; we fee, as it were, thro' a Glafs, darkly; they face to face: Their Light, like that of the Sun, never leffens; ours, like that of the Moon, is fometimes greater, fometimes lefs, and fometimes we have none at all. How often doth the afflicted Believer walk in darknefs? God hides the light of his Countenance from him, and he is troubled : Sometimes he is all Joy, by and by all Darkness again; fometimes he is like St. Paul wrapt up into the third Heaven; fometime like Men that fee God's Wonders in the deep, he goes down again to the depths, and his Soul melts because of trouble; how clear are the apprehenfions fometimes he hath of the love and mercy of God! and feems to be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the depth and breadth of the Love of God. How often, on the other fide, is a Veil drawn over all these bright Conceptions, and he groveling in the Duft? What Floods of Confolation doth God fometimes pour upon his Soul? Whereas at other times thofe comforts come down in drops, which used to come in fhowers; How great fometimes is his ftrength against temptations? How weak is his Courage at another? How, like the great Jefus, can he fometimes rebuke the Winds and Waves, and make the Sea calm? and at another time how ready he is to faint with the the Disciples, and to look upon himself as loft! How chearfully fometimes can he cry out, I can do all things,through Christ who ftrengthens me? How mournfully is he forced to exprefs himself at another, 1 fee a Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the Law of Sin! Behold, O my Soul, the vait number of the Stars and Lamps of Heaven, how wife, how powerful is that God who made them? Who can look upon those curious Lights, without admiring their Creator? Behold, they rife and go down at his command, and do not fail one minute of their appointed time; How should this teach thee Obedience? How chearfully fhould't thou run at the Command of thy God? Thefe glorious Stars, though their number be vaftly great, yet they never clash or disagree one with another; How fhould this engage thee to unfeigned Charity, and Peaceablenefs? How fhould this put thee upon promoting Peace, and Concord, and Agreement among thy Neighbours? And do not these Stars put thee in mind, how e'er long thou fhalt hine as the Stars in the Firmament for ever? Happy Hour! Bleffed Day! when thou shalt be cloathed with Splendor, and immortality, when thou fhalt fee Night no more, and fhalt need no Candle, neither light of the Sun, but the Lord fhall give thee light, and thou shalt reign with him for ever. Come down lower, O my Soul, I have not done yet with God's wonderful Works; reflect upon the Air, in which all fenfitive CreaZ tures |