A sermon pressing to, and directing in, that great duty of praising God. Preached…

But some may say, If the works of the Lord are so great, what need they be sought: great things are obvious and easily seen; we need not seek out the Sun?

I answer, There is a twofold seeking: First to find the work; Secondly to find out the work, that is, to find the rarities and beauties, the perfections, and wonders of the work. Thus, though the Sun be a great work of God, creating; yet, I may say, there are very few that to this day have sought out the Sun; that is, who have seen the excellency, perfection, and glory of that Candle of Heaven; we have not found the Sun as we ought, though it shines every day to us. Much less have we found out the providential works of God; some of which shine as the Sun in the Heavens, and yet we have not found them out. The present work of God is so great that every one hears of it, and tis every mans talk and discourse, yet how few have studied to find out the perfections of it? David describes the persons who do so, They are (saith he) sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. Then, all they that are troubled at them, who look sour upon them or envy them, who think a loss would serve their turns and ends better then this great gain, and to whom (as the Prophet speaks in another case Isa: 28. 19) It is a vexation only to understand the report, that is, to understand that such a thing is reported. Surely these ⟨p. 30⟩and such as these have no pleasure in this work of God, and therefore will never seek it out. Nor is it every kind of pleasure which we take in the works of God, that makes us seek them out, and so praise him spiritually and understandingly for them: They who (as many do) take only a carnal or fleshly pleasure in them, will seek no further then the flesh or outside of them, and all their praises must needs symbolize with their spirits, and be merely carnal.

I answer, There is a twofold seeking: First to find the work; Secondly to find out the work, that is, to find the rarities and beauties, the perfections, and wonders of the work. Thus, though the Sun be a great work of God, creating; yet, I may say, there are very few that to this day have sought out the Sun; that is, who have seen the excellency, perfection, and glory of that Candle of Heaven; we have not found the Sun as we ought, though it shines every day to us. Much lesse have we found out the providentiall works of God; some of which shine as the Sun in the Heavens, and yet we have not found them out. The present work of God is so great that every one heares of it, and tis every mans talke and discourse, yet how few have studied to find out the perfections of it? David describes the persons who do so, They are (saith he) sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. Then, all they that are troubled at them, who look sowre upon them or envy them, who think a losse would serve their turns and ends better then this great gaine, and to whom (as the Prophet speaks in another case Isa: 28. 19) It is a vexation only to understand the report, that is, to understand that such a thing is reported. Surely these