LIB. I. A Contemplations. T H E F I R s T B 0 0 K E. The Creatian. HAT can I fee, 0 God in thy creation,but miracles ofwonders? Thou madefl fomethiAg ofnothing, and of that tOmething, all things. Thouwhich waft without a begiRning, gavefl a beginning tO Time, and to the World in time. lt1s the praifeof us men, ifwhen we have Matter, we can givelalhion: thou gavefr a being to the Matter, without forme ; thou gavefr a forme to that Motter, and a glory to that Forme. Ifwee can but finilh C a flight and unperfe&Matteraccording to aformer patterne, it is theheightofour !kill: but to begin that which never wa., whereoftherewos noexample,1vhcre10 there was no inclination, wherein there was no poffibiliry ofthat which it lhould be, is proper only ro fl1ch power as thinej the infinite power ofan infinite Creator: with us,not fo much as a thought canarilewithout fome Matter;but herewith thee, allMatterarilesfromnorhing. Howealie is it for thee to repaire olloutoffomething, which cou!defl thu• fetch all ourofoothing? wherein canwee nowdiO:rufl thee, tbat hafl proved thy felfe rhus Omnipotent? Behold : to havemade the leall: Clod ofnOth;ng, ismore abovewonder, then tomultiply aWorld; but now the Matter doth nOt more praife thy power, then the forme thywifdome :what beauty D is here?wrat ordet?what order in working, what beauty in the worke. Thou mighte!l havemade all theWorld perfefrin an i~flant, but thou \Vouldefr tlor. TharWill which canled rhee tO create, is reafon enough why thoudtdefr thus create. How lhouldwe deliberate in our a/lions, which are fo fubjefr to imperftfrion? fince it pleofed thine infinite perfeltion(not out ofneed) tO take leafure. Neither did thy wifdome herein proceed in time only, but in degrees: At firfr thou madefl nothing abfolute; lirfl thou rmdefr things which fhould have be in~ without Life; then rhofewhich lbould h>ve life and being; laflly, thole which have Being Life,Reafon: Sowe om fe!ves in the ordinary courfeofgeneration, firfr Jive the life of V egetarion, then ofSenfe,ofii.ea!on afterwards. That intlant wherein theHeaven and the earthwere created in their rude Matter, there was neither Day nor E lighr,but pre!emly thou madefrboth Light and Day.Whiles we have thisexample ofthin~,how vainelydoe wehope to be perfelt at once? It iswell for us, ifthrough manydegreas we can rife to our confummation. But(alas)what wasrhevery Heaven it felfwirhour Light? how confufed? how formeldl'e? like toagoodlyBody without aSoul,likeaSoul without thee. Thou art Lighr,and in thee isno darkneffe. Oh how incomprehenfibly glorious is the light that is in thee, finceone glimpfe ofthiscreored light, gave fo li vlly aglory to all thy workmanfbip!This,even the brute Creatures can behold;Thar,not the very Angel:. Thot fhines forth only ro theother fupreme World ofimmorrality, this to thebafefr part ofthy creation. Thereisono cau!e ofour darkne(fe on earth, and of the Utter darkenetre inHell; thereftraint ofthy light. Shine thou, 0 God, into the vafr cornersofmySoule,and in thy light I !hall fee light. Vuu o But 771
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=