772 Contemplationr. L n. I. But whence,OGod was that firfr light? theSun was not made till rhe founh dar· A light rhe firfr. Ifman had been, he might have feen alllighrfome; bur whence it had comnehecould not have feen; as in fomegreartfond, wefeerhebankesfull we fee not the fprings from whence char warerrifeth. Thou madefi rheSonne,mad~firhe Light without rheSun, before rheSunne, char fo light might dep<nd upon rbee and not upon thy Creature.Thy power will not belimitted to means.lt waseafieto ;hee tomake anHeavenwithout aSunne,Lightwithout an Heaven, Day without aSun Timewirhonraday: Jrisgood reafon thou fhouldefrherhcLordofrhineown~ workes: All means ferve thee: why do we weak wretche~ dilhufi thee in rhe w•nr ofrhofe means,which thou canfi eirher command,or !Orbeare?How plai~ly wouldtt rhou reach us, rhar we Creatures need nor one anorher,fo l\lng as wehaverhee? One day we !ball have l.ighr ag~ine ~irhour rhe Snn. Thou !halt be onr Sunne; rhypre- B fence fhall heour hghr: L1ghr IS fawn for the nghreous. The Sunne and Light is bur forrhe World below it felfe; chine only for above. Thougivefr rhis light eo rhe Sun which the Sunne gives to the world: That light which thou {halt on:egive us,lhal't make us lhine like rheSnn in glory. Now rhis light which for rhree daies was rhus difperfed through rhewhol heavens, irpleafed thee at b!l: rogarherand unireinroonebodyofrheSun.ThewholeHeaven was ourSun,before the Sun was ere•red : bur now one Star mufr be rheTr..fury ofLight ro the heaven •nd earth. How thou lovefi the union and reduction ofall rhiugs ofone kind to rheir own head and centre! fo rhe waters muft by rhycomand be gathered into one place, the Sea; fo the upperWarersmufr be fevered by rhefe Aery limits from the lower: fo heavy fubfrances hafrendownward, and light mount C up; fo rhe generalllightofthe fir!l: daies mufr be called intothe compaffeofone Sun, fo rhou wilt once gather thineElect, from all coafis oflieaven, ro rhe participarion ofone glory.Whydowe abide our thoughts& affections fcartered from thee, from thy Sainrs,from thine anoinred?Oh let this light which thouhafi now fpread abroad in rhe beamofall thine, once meet in thee :We aro as rhy Heovens in this their fitfi imperfefrion,be thou our Sun,unto whichour light may be gathered. Yet this light wasby thee interchanged wirb darknes,which thoumightfr as eafily have commanded robe perperuall. The continuance,evenof!hebefr rhings,cloieth &wcarierh: rhere is nothingburrhy felf;wherein rhere is nor fariery.So pleafingis the vicirude ofrhinr;s, that the inrer-courfe evenofthofeoccurremswhich in rheir owne narure are lefie worthy, gives more contentment, rhen rhe unaltered efrareof D berter. The day dyeo into night, and rifes into rhe morning againe,rhar wemight not expectany frability here below, bur in perperuallliJCc<llions: ltisalwayesday with rhee above : the night favorerh onlyofmortality : Why are wenot here (piritually aswe !hall be hereafter? Sincerhon hall madeus children ofrhe light,and of rheday,reach us towalkeever in rhe lightofrhy prefence, not in rhedarknefleoferror and unbeleefe. Now in rhis thine inlighmedframe,how fitly,how wifdy are all the parrs difpofed rharrheMethodofthe Creation might anfwerrheMatter, and rhe formcborh. Behold all purity above;below,r~c dmgsand lees ofall·The higher I go,the moreperfecrion·e>ch Element fuperior to orher,not more in place then dignity; rhar by rhefe fraires ~fafcendin~ perfection, our rhoughrs migh climbe unto the top ofall glory, and might know thine imperialHeaven no lcffe glorious above thevifible,rhen chafe E above rhe earth. Oh bowmiferable isrhe place ofour pilgrimage, in refpecrofour home! Let my foule tread a while in the freps ofthine owne proceedings; and fo rhinke., thouwroughtefr:Wben wewould dofcribe aman,we begin nor at the fe<t bur the head:The headofrhy Creation is the Heaven;how high?howfpatious?how glorious? Jr isa won~er thatwecan!ooke u~ to f~>adm1rable an heigh~, andtharrhe very eye is not tiredmthe way.Ifthts afcendtnJ! hnecould be drawn nghr fOrwards, fame that have calculated curiouOy,have fOund it five hundred yeeres journey unto the frarry He•ven. I doe nor examine their Art; 0 Lord I wonderrarherat thine, which halt drawn fo large a lineaboutthis little point ofearth: for in the plainefi rulesofArt and experience theCompaffemufrneeds be fix times as much as halfthe hei~ -----------------------------------------
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