Jeremiah puts them both together, He hath made the earth by his power, and established the World by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. And as in the creation, so the same glory of God doth send forth 'its beams in the preservation and governance of all things. In the meanest creatures we behold the glory of God; neither are we able to comprehend the wisdom of God therein; every thing therein, as in a Bee or silk-worm, coming to pass by course of nature; yet who is able to give a reason of it? I think, if Solomon had continued to this day, and his wisdom with him, yet had he not been able to find it out; for although the spirit of man be as the lamp of God, 1which searcheth all inwardness, and God hath set the world in mans heart, yet is he not able to find out the work that he hath 2wrought from the beginning to the end. I behold the flowers of my garden, in great variety of colours; yet wonder at their uniformity; each single one hath five leaves, each most uniform in the colour, in the shape, rising, and spreading, and indented alike in their edges; all together make a most comely proportion of the whole round in form, only indented in the edges, which is as bone lace to set it forth, some of one colour throughout the pageant, speckled, having streaks like lines, so direct and proportionable in all, that it represents unto me some curious Mathematical circle cut thorough with lines, the matter of many curious demonstrations. And what a curious speculation would it appear to represent the causes of all this variety? In the mean time, our contemplation is broken off, and loseth it self, and turns into admiration at the wisdom of God, which confounds us in the contemplation of a flower, which is worn in the breast at morning, and trodden under foot at night. But to return, you will say, Another kind of glory is seen in the advancement of Christ; but then you should have specified it: which had you done, I doubt not but it would have afforded good matter to have wrought upon in the investigation of truth. 2. As the glorifying of God the Father was the very first, even from the creation, before either Christ man was, or we; so I say, it is not so last, as if it should be after Christs glory, and our glory shall cease to be;
Jeremiah puts them both together, He hath made the earth by his power, and established the World by his wisdome, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. And as in the creation, so the same glory of God doth send forth 'its beames in the preservation and governance of all things. In the meanest creatures we behold the glory of God; neither are we able to comprehend the wisdome of God therein; every thing therein, as in a Bee or silke-worme, coming to passe by course of nature; yet who is able to give a reason of it? I thinke, if Solomon had continued to this day, and his wisdome with him, yet had he not beene able to finde it out; for although the spirit of man be as the lampe of God, 1which searcheth all inwardnesse, and God hath set the world in mans heart, yet is he not able to finde out the worke that he hath 2wrought from the beginning to the end. I behold the flowers of my garden, in great varietie of colours; yet wonder at their uniformitie; each single one hath five leaves, each most uniforme in the colour, in the shape, rising, and spreading, and indented alike in their edges; all together make a most comely proportion of the whole round in forme, only indented in the edges, which is as bonelace to set it forth, some of one colour throughout the pageant, speckled, having strakes like lines, so direct and proportionable in all, that it represents unto me some curious Mathematicall circle cut thorough with lines, the matter of many curious demonstrations. And what a curious speculation would it appeare to represent the causes of all this varietie? In the meane time, our contemplation is broken off, and loseth it selfe, and turnes into admiration at the wisdome of God, which confounds us in the contemplation of a flower, which is worn in the breast at morning, and troden under foot at night. But to returne, you will say, Another kind of glory is seene in the advancement of Christ; but then you should have specified it: which had you done, I doubt not but it would have afforded good matter to have wrought upon in the investigation of truth. 2. As the glorifying of God the Father was the very first, even from the creation, before either Christ man was, or we; so I say, it is not so last, as if it should be after Christs glory, and our glory shall cease to be;
- 1Vers. 10, 27.
- 2Eccles. 3. 11.
