LJB.l. The Creatirm oftbeWorld. A height. We thinkone lland great, buctheEarth unrneafurable. Ifwe werein that Heaven with thefeeyes, thewhole earth (were it equallycnlighrned) would feern as linle 10 us, as now the leafr fiar in the firmament feems to u; upon Earth: And indeed,howfewStarsarefolittleasit? And yet how many void and ample fpaces are there befide all theStarres? The hugendfe ofthy workc, 0 God, is little inferior foradmiration to the Majefryofit. Bur oh what aglorious heaven isth~ which thouhaft fpred over ourheads? With how precious aVault haft thou walled inthis our inferiour World ? What worlds of light haft thou fet above us? Thoferhings which we fee, arewondrous: but thofewhich we beleeveand fee not, are yetmore. Thoudolt bucfet out thcfe unto view,co fuew uswhat there is within.How proportionable are thy works to thy felfe? Kings ereCl: not cottages,but fet forth theirmagB nificence in fumptuous buildings: fo halt thou done, 0 Kingofglory. Ifthe lowefi pavementofthat Heaven ofthine be fo glorious, what ilioll we thinkeof the better pans yet unfeene? And ifthisSunne ofthinebeoffuch brightneffe and majefiy,oh what is the glory ofthe Makerofit ? And yet iffomeother of thyStarres were let downe as low as it, thofe otherStarreswould be Suns to us; which now thouhadfr rather haveadmired in their di!hncc. And if fuch alkie be prep31ed for the ufe and benefit even ofthine Enemies alfo uponEarrh,how happy (hall thofe eternai!Tabernaclesbe which thou haft fequeftered fur thineowne? Behold then in this highand ftately buildingofthine,lfee three (!ages;This lowefi Heaven fur Fowles,for Vapour,forMeteors:The fecond,for theStarres: The third, for thineAngel! & Saints.The firft is thine outw>rd Court,open for aii:Thefecond is the body ofthy covered Temple, wherein arethofe Candles ofheav~n pepetually C burning: The third is thine holyofholies. In the fitfr is Tunmltand Vanity: In the fecond immutabilityandReft: In the third glory and bleffedndl'e.The firfi we feel; the fecondwe fee; the third we be!eeve. In thefetwo lower is no fecility ; for neither the Fowles,norStarres are happy. It isin the third heaven alone, where thou & bleffedTrinity,enjoyefi thy felf,and thyglorified fpiritsenjoy thee.It isthemanife1\ationofthy glor10us prefence thatmakesHeaven to be it felf.This is the privileclge ofthy C.ildren: that they herefeeing thee(which art inviGble)by the eye ofFaith, have already begunno that heaven which the per£i,Cl: fight ofthee iliall make perfect above. Let my foul then !etthefe heavens alone,ti!l it may fee, ss it is feen. That we may defcend to thislowefr andmeaneft Regionofhcaven,whercwith our fenCes are D more acquainted. What marvelsdoeeven here meet with us ?Thereare thy Clouds thybottles ofRaine, Veffelsao thin as the liquorwhich is contained in them: there they hang,and move,though weighty with their burden:How they ore upheld,and why they fall, here & now,we know not,and wonder. Thefe thou makefroncwhile asfome Aery Seas to hold water: anorher while, as fome Aery Furnaces whence thoufcattcreftthefudden fires unto all parts of the Earth, aftonilhingthe World with the fearfull noife ofrhat eruption: out ofthe midfiofwater thou fetchrtl fire, and hard ftones outofthe mid(! ofthin vapours;another while as fome fleel-glaffes, wherein theSunne looks and fuewshis face in the varietyofthofe colourswhich he hathnot; Thereare thy ftreamesoflight,blazing and falling Srarres,firesdarred up and down in many forms,hollowopenings, (and as it were)Gulfes in thelky,bright E circles about theMoon, andother planets,-Snowes,H>ile: In all which it is enough to admire thy hand, though we cannot fearch our thine aaion.There are thy fubtill Winds,which we heare and feel, yet neirher can fee their fubflance;-nor know their caufes:whence andwhitherrhey paffe,and what they are thou knowfl.There are thy Fowlsofall fuapes,colours note• and natures:whilefi I comparo thefewith the inhabitantsofthat other heaven, I find thofe Stars, and fpiritslike one anorhcr; Thofe Meteors and fowles, in ••manyvarieries,asthereare feverall creatures. Whyis this? IcisbecaufeMan(rot whofe fake thefearemade)delights in change;thou in confrancy? Or is it, that in thefe thou maiefi fuew thineowoe lkill, and their imperfeCtion? Thcreis no varietyin thatwhich is perfeCl:, becaufe there isbutone perfeCtion; & fo much!hallwe growneerer to perfeth!elfe, byhowmuch we drawnecrer to unity, and \lniformiry. From thence, ifwegoedowne to the great Deepe,theWombeof Vuu 3 moifture, 773
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