An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

God hath made man and beast, and he preserves man and beast. A godly man sees peculiar mercy to him in both, though they be common mercies. General mercies should have, they highly deserve, special remembrances. All the works of God are to be looked to as personal engagements. God hath made others as well as thee, yet so remember him to be thy Maker, as if he had made none but thee; and indeed every one that is made, is as much beholding to God, as if he alone had been made. As some things which are made in common for all men (the Sun, the Air, &c.) are so made, that no man could have more of them than he hath, if they had been made for him only: So though it be common to all men, that God is their Maker, yet no man could have more in his making, if none had been made but he. One of the Ancients represents all the Creatures offering themselves to man, in general, and speaking these three words:¹ First, Receive us cheerfully, for we were made for thee; Secondly, Render thanks for us daily, for we are all made useful unto thee; Thirdly, Take heed you do not abuse us, for you must give an account to our Maker and yours, how you have used us. And surely, as we should strive to honour God for all things which he hath made, so mostly for our own making. The Lord is often (in the Old Testament especially) spoken of under this Relation (Psal. 121.2.) Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth. (So Psal. 124.8. Psal. 95.6. Psal. 146.6.) Still God is remembered as the Maker of all things; and he is thus remembered, not only in opposition to Idols, or false gods, who are gods made by man, not the makers of man, but God is thus remembered and recorded in Scripture, to preserve a grateful memory of God in man, as he is the Maker of man. He that forgets God as his Maker, will never remember, much less ⟨p. 151⟩answer and accomplish the ends for which he was made.

God hath made man and beast, and he preserves man and beast. A godly man sees peculiar mercy to him in both, though they be common mercies. General mercies should have, they highly deserve, special remembrances. All the works of God are to be lookt to as personal engagements. God hath made others as well as thee, yet so remember him to be thy Maker, as if he had made none but thee; and indeed every one that is made, is as much beholding to God, as if he alone had been made. As some things which are made in common for all men (the Sun, the Air, &c.) are so made, that no man could have more of them than he hath, if they had been made for him only: So though it be common to all men, that God is their Maker, yet no man could have more in his making, if none had been made but he. One of the Ancients represents all the Creatures offering themselves to man, in general, and speaking these three words: