Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

Dirr[/.ro. 1>ireElions for exciting tl1e Lo'JJe of God. we·JJ underflood would teach him: Such a man may b: calkd au E.ngraver a Scriven~r, a Printer bur not a Scholar: And .no better can the ~rhcifi be call. d a ~hilofopher or a learned man, rhat derryctil the n1oil wife Allmlt,hty author, wluk he beholderh h1s works: When rhe NJturc and N.une of God is fo pl.liu!y engraven upon them all. It is a great part of a Chriftians daily bufyn~fs, to fee and admire God .in his works, .:;md to ufe them as fi('ps ro afccnd by to himfclf .Pf.d I I J, 2, 3, 4 . Tl 1 e worl{f r{ tbc Lord .1re gre zt, fo~tf!.ht rttl of aU them that bave plcafore thcrfin: Hif w1rk_ i1 haH:Jttt.Jb!e and ?,loriozu; aHd biJ rigbtcou[ncji endttr('th j vr tver: He bath made: hi.I wDiidt:rful rrJork.J to bercmembrc:d– P!J.l. 143· 5· I meditate 1111 all tll)' work.f: I mufe 011 the workJ oftb)' ba11d1. [ PfJl. i7· 12. I rvili mi-dt-: we aljo of •Y tiJy wori([, awd tall( of tby rking;. Pfal. 92· 4, 5, 6. For tbw Lord bajl mJde me~Id through th)• rvorlt; I JviU tri~tmph in the worlzi of thy har.dJ: A bruitijh m:m lz.noweth JtOt, neither dub a fool u1tderjfand tbii: As the pr.Jijing of Gods works, fo the obfcrving of God in his w_orks, is much of the work of a holy foul. Pl3.1. 145· 3, 4, ), 6, 7, 9, 10, r 1, 12, 1 -j. Gre:Jt i1 tbe Lord, am! grc.2tly 10 be pr.;ifcd; And bi1 gpatmjf i1 unj(archabt~ : One gpuration jhaU praifi' thy workJ to amtber, a;zd jh:zU dcc!Jre th)' mighty alii : I will jpeak_. of the gloriolt! honour nf hi1 Magijly, and of tl:ry n·on.irom WrJr~1• And mcu.fhaUfpc.lk eftbe might nfthy terrible af11; and I wili declare tby greatncfi: 1b2J'fhaUab~antly utter tbe memory of tiJ)' great Goodnljl, and fo.dl fing ofthy rigbtcozifirefs: --- AU thy work.f:fbaU prafe thee () L 'rd, and thy S.JiHtJ jhall blcfi thtt ---The Lord ir rigbteolt! in aU hM ll'.tyr, ·a\..1. hP6• in all hU rvorkJ. Ram. I. 19, 20· Th.1t n'hicb may be IQtown of God i.r manifift to them: For God b.1th jhcwtd i.t to tbtm: For the invifible thingr nf him from tbt creation nf tbe world art ckarly [cM, bci 11 g mtdn·[food by the tUngs tbat are made: Evc1t hU eternal power and Godhe.Jd; fo that they are withattt ex· cufe. J If '"'t: converfein the world as belitvers or rational creat.ures ougl-:t, we fhould as ofr as D.1vid n peat thofe words. PfJ]. 107· 0 tbat men would pr;ifo the Lord for hif Goodnrfi! awl for hM woJt– droru workJ to tiJe Cbildrm of mw! And let tbem jdcrifice the {acrifico of thank,fgi11ing and dccl:zrehir rl'ork_J nitb rcjo_yci11g: Theyth.Jt f!.O down to the [ta injhip1, that dv bufyncfs in great watcrr: thift [te the n·ork.f nf the Lor4 a;;J hi1 wonders iJt the deep. verfe 2 1, 22, 2 3, 24· Bur this is a fubjeC[ Jirter for :1 ;roJume ( of Phyficks Theologically handled ) , than for {0 Chore a touch. \Vhat an excellent Book is the vifible world for the daily fiudies of a holy foul? Light is not more viGble to the eye in the Sun, than the Goodnefs of God is in it and all the creatures to the mind. If I Love not God, when-::111 the word revealeth his LoveJ-inefs, and every creature telh.th me thlt he is Good, what a blind and wicked heart have I? 0 wonderful Wifdom, and Goodnefs, and Power which appcareth in every thing we fee? In every Tree, and Plant, and Flower: In every Bird, and Bcart, and Fin1 ; In every Worm, and Fly, and creeping thing: In every put of the Body of MJ.n or Beafl ;. Much mort in the admirable compofure of the whole; In the Sun, and Moon, and S[arrs, and Meteors: In the Lightning and Thunder; the Air and Wind~; the Rain and Waters; the H~·ar and Cold:, the Fire and the Earth; Efpecially in the compofcd frame of all, fo far as we can fee them fer together: 1~ the admirable order and cooperation of all things : In their times and fc:afons; and the wonder(ulufe. futlnefs of all for man; 0 howGlorious is the Power, and Wifdom, and Goodnefs of God in 3 /J che frame of nature ! Every creature filently fpcaks his Praifc, declaring Him to Man whofC office is, as the worlds High·Prieft, to fiand between them and rhe Gn·at Creator, ar:.d cxprefly offer him the praifc of all. Pfal. 8. 3, 4, 5'. 6,9· TYhm .I confider the Heavem !he 1-l'_ork.,ffj_ tby fingers, the Moon, and the Starrsrvbicb thoH haft ordamed: TfTbat u man that thmeart mlltdful of h,m, andthefon nf ma 1 t th.zt thou vifitcft bim l For thou kafi made him~ l.ittlt /owe~ than the Angel!; and haftcrawn(d him T¥Jitb glory a 11 d honour. Tbote madc(f IJJm to have domuu~n over tm w~rk.f of thy handr: thou ba{l put all thingr tm– der bis feet: 0 Lord our Lord, how excrl/ent tJ tby Name m all the earth l 0 tbat men would pr.1ifo tbt L ord for hUGolldmfi,and declare IJU wondroUf worltJ tothe children of men ! The earth if fuUofthe Gnod– mfs of the Lord: Pfal. 33· 5,6, 7, 8, 9· Read Pjatm 65. Thus Love G,d as appearing in the workf of Nature. ~· 27· DireCt. 10. Study to lz.nvw God, M he t~pprareth more clearly to fimrcrs in !JiJ Goodne[s in tht work.! of G R ACE; efPecial!y in IJis Son, hiJ Covenant, and bis Saint! , and tbcTt to Love him, ;n the admiration of his Love. Here Love hath made it felf an advantage of our !in, and unworrhin.;£5, of our neceJfities and miferies, of the Law and jufiice, and the flames of Hell; The abounding of lilt and mifery hath gloritied abounding Grace : That Grace which fetcheth fons for God from among rhe voluntary vaffals of the Devil: Which fetcheth Children uf Light out of darknefs; and Living foul< from among the dead; and heirsfor Heaven from the gates of Hell; and "bring~ us as from the G11lows to the Throne. 1. Abelieving view ofthe Nature~ Undertaking, Love, Obedience, Dodrine, Ex– ample, Sulferings, lnterccllion and Kingdom of J E SUS CH RI S T, mufi needs inflame the be– lievers hearts with an anfwerablc degree of the Love of God. To look on a Chrijf and not Lm·c God, is to have eyes and not to fee, and to overlook him white we feem to look on him. He is rhe livelicfi lmage of Infinite Goodnefs, and the meffenger of the mofi unfearchable afionifhing Love, and the purchafer of the moll unvaluabte benefits, that ever were revealed to the CJns of men. Otlr gre4teft Love mull: be kindled by the Greatcfi revelations and communications of the Love €If God. And Greattr Love bath no ma;t than this, tbat a man lay dvwn hirlife for hir friends, }1hn 1 5· I 3· thar is, Men have no dearer and clearer a way to exprefs their Love to their friends : But that Love is aggravated indeed which will exprefs it felf as far for enemie1. But God commeudeth hir Love towal'dJ m, in that while we were yet jii1ncrs Cbrijf died f or JU. And if wben we rrerc enemies we Mri rcconci· led to God by the death of his S01r, much more being reconciltd we jhall be fa•'ed by hiJ lift: Rom. 5· 8, ~, 10· Steep then that Hiffand heardned heart in t.he bloodof Chrifi , and it will mdr: Come near with 1hom<lf, and by the paffa~e of his wounds, get near unro his hem , and it will change thy k';;:d

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