To these we must join meditation, either about the means of our salvation, or about the works of God: upon the means, as in accounting1 with ourselves, what things being read & preached, chiefly did touch and concern us, what special feelings, & comforts the Lord gave us in our prayers, what increase of faith in God his promises, and of repentance in purposing a new life we had in the Sacraments, that thus we may make a private and peculiar use of the public and general means. About the works of God, partly concerning those properties which are in himself,2 as his mercy, justice, wisdom, trueth, power & providence, partly concerning his creatures, and works of his hands, wherein he hath left certain impressions and qualities necessary for our use, & profitable for our instruction. For the former, the practise of the Prophet and duty of all good professors, Psal. 92. doth sufficiently show, that it is one special work of the Sabbath to commend & declare the kindness of the Lord, to rejoice in the works of his hands, to praise his truth and to show forth his righteousness. In which Psalm the man of God protesteth that the works of God are only glorious to the godly, and how the unwise and wicked men cannot consider of God his works, nor discern his judgements, because they measure the condition of men by their present estate, not looking either how God hath dealt before, nor considering how that though the faithful seem to wither, and to be cut down by the wicked, yet they shall grow again and flourish in the Church of God, as the cedars do in mount Lebanon. Now as with the exercise of the word we have the Sacraments to strengthen our faith: so with the meditating of the works of God we are to strengthen our selves with the beholding of God his creatures, as the heavens and the scope, beauty, and continual course thereof, and the earth, which should have been all as pleasant as the garden of Eden, if Adam had continued in his innocency, whose work as it was by the light of nature to view the creatures of God, so also is it our work by the light of Gods grace and holy spirit to do the same. To this end the Prophetical king, Psal. 19. setteth down the exquisite workmanship, proportion, and ornaments of the heavens, saying, The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth the works of his hands. 2.
To these we must ioyne meditation, either about the means of our saluation, or about the works of God: vpon the meanes, as in accounting1 with ourselues, what things being read & preached, chiefly did touch and concerne vs, what speciall feelings, & comforts the Lord gaue vs in our prayers, what increase of faith in God his promises, and of repentance in purposing a new life we had in the Sacraments, that thus we may make a priuate and peculiar vse of the publike and generall means. About the workes of God, partly concerning those properties which are in himselfe,2 as his mercy, iustice, wisedome, trueth, power & prouidence, partly concerning his creatures, and workes of his hands, wherein he hath left certaine impressions and qualities necessarie for our vse, & profitable for our instruction. For the former, the practise of the Prophet and dutie of all good professors, Psal. 92. doth sufficiently shew, that it is one speciall worke of the Sabbath to commend & declare the kindnes of the Lord, to reioyce in the works of his hands, to praise his truth and to shew forth his righteousnes. In which Psalme the man of God protesteth that the works of God are only glorious to the godly, and how the vnwise and wicked men cannot consider of God his workes, nor discerne his iudgements, because they measure the condition of men by their present estate, not looking either how God hath dealt before, nor considering how that though the faithfull seeme to wither, and to be cut downe by the wicked, yet they shall grow againe and flourish in the Church of God, as the cedars doe in mount Lebanon. Now as with the exercise of the word we haue the Sacraments to strengthen our faith: so with the meditating of the workes of God we are to strengthen our selues with the beholding of God his creatures, as the heauens and the scope, beautie, and continuall course thereof, and the earth, which should haue been all as pleasant as the garden of Eden, if Adam had continued in his innocencie, whose worke as it was by the light of nature to view the creatures of God, so also is it our worke by the light of Gods grace and holy spirit to doe the same. To this ende the Propheticall king, Psal. 19. setteth downe the exquisite workemanship, proportion, and ornaments of the heauens, saying, The heauens declare the glory of God, and the firmamènt sheweth the works of his hands. 2.
- 1Meditation.
- 2Meditation concerning Gods worksMeditation concerning Gods workes
