Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

7. This Goodness in Redemption extends it self to the lower Creation. It takes in not only Man, but the whole Creation, except the Fallen Angels, and gives a participation of it to insensible Creatures; upon the account of this Redemption the Sun and all kind of Creatures were preserved, which otherwise had sunk into destruction upon the sin of Man, and ceased from their Being, as Man had utterly ceased from his Happiness.^* By him all things consist. The Fall of Man brought not only a misery upon himself, but a Vanity upon the Creature: The Earth groaned under a Curse for his sake. They ⟨p. 644⟩were all created for the Glory of God, and the support of Man in the performance of his duty, who was obliged to use them for the honour of him that created them both. Had Man been true to his obligations, and used the Creatures for that end, to which they were dedicated by the Creator; As God would have then rejoiced in his Works, so his Works would have rejoiced in the honour of answering so excellent an end. But when Man lost his integrity, the Creatures lost their Perfection; the honour of them was stained when they were debased to serve the Lusts of a Traitor, instead of supporting the Duty of a Subject, and employed in the defence of the Vices of Men against the Precepts and Authority of their common Sovereign. This was a vilifying the Creature, as it would be a vilifying the Sword of a Prince, which is for the maintenance of Justice, to be used for the Murder of an Innocent; and a dishonouring a Royal Mansion, to make it a Storehouse for a Dunghill. Had those things the benefit of sense, they would groan under this disgrace, and rise up in indignation against them, that offered them this affront; and turned them from their proper end. When sin entered, the Heavens that were made to shine upon Man, and the Earth that was made to bear and nourish an innocent Creature, were now subjected to serve a rebellious Creature. And as Man turned against God, so he made those instruments against God, to serve his Enmity, Luxury, Sensuality. Hence the Creatures are said to groan,^* The whole Creation groans and travels in pain together until now. They would really groan, had they understanding to be sensible of the Outrage done them.