Contemplations. have fome things to.r~femble theirCreator. T?efe oth~:r creatur_es are all body; A Manlsbody and fptnt; rhe Angels are all fptntnot Wlthoutakmdeoffpirima\1 compofition; Thou an aloneafter thine ownmanner,fimple,glorious,infinite. no creamre can belike thee in thy proper being; becaufe it isacreoture; How fh~uld our finite, wcake compounded nature giv~ any perfeCt refemblance ofthine? Yet ofall vifiblecreatureSthou vouchfafdr Man the neerdl:correfpondence to thee: not fo much in rhe natural! faculries,as in thofedivine graces,where>Tith rbou beautifieft his foule. Our knowledge,bolinelfe,righteoufneiTe,was like the firfi copy from which they were dtawn. Behold,wc were not mor~ like thee in thefe, then nowwe are unlike out felves in their loffe.OGod we now praife our felves to our !hame, furthe beuer wewere,wc are the worfe, as the tOnne offome prodigal!, or tainted Ancefl:ors, tell B ofthe Lands,and Lordlbipswhichwere once theirs. Only do thou whet ourdefires anfwerably to the readineffe of thy mercies, that we may redeeme what we have loft; thatwemay recover in thee, what we have lofl: in our felves. Thefaultfballbe ours, ifour damage prove not beneficiall. I doe not find, that Man thus rramed,fuund thewant ofan helper. His fruitionof God gave him fulneffeofcontentment; the fweetneffe which he fOund in the contemplation ofthis newworkmanlbip, and the glory of the author, did fo c.ke him up,that he had neither leafure nor caufeofcomplaint. IfMan had craved an helper, he had grudged at the conditionof his Creation, and had quefl:ioned tharwhich he had; perfeCtion ofbeing. But he that gavehim his being, and knewhimbetter then himfelfe, thinkesofgivinghim comfutt in thecreature, whiles he IOught none but c in hisMaker: Hefees ourwants,and fore-cafl:s our reliefe , when we think our felves tOO happy to complain : How ready will he be to helpour necel!ities, that thus providesfor our perfeCtion ? God give~ the nature to his Creatures :Man mufl: give the name;he thatmight fee they were madefur him, they !ballbe to himwhot he will. In fl:eadoftheir firfi h<r mage, they arc prefented to theirnew Lord, and mufl: feeofwhom they hold. He that was fo carefull ofmans foveraignity inhis innocency, howcan hebecareleffeof his fafety in his renovation. IfGod had given them their names,ithad not been fo great apraifeof Atlanu memory to recall them, as it was nowofhis judgement(at firfl: fight)toimpofethem:he faw the infide of all the creatures at firfl: ; (his Pofterity fees buttheidkins evet D fince;) and byhis knowledge he fitted their names to theirdifpofitions. All that he faw were fit tobehis Cervants, none to be his companions. The fameGod that finds thewant, fuppliesit. Rather then mans innocency lhall want an outward comfOrt, God will beginanew creation. Not out ofthe Earth,which wasthematterofMan, not out ofthe infcriourcreatures,wbich werethe fervantsofMan, butoutofhimfdfe,fordeareneffe,forequality.Doubtleffe fuch was Mans power ofobedience,that ifGodhad bidden him yeeld up his rib, waking, for his ufe, he had done it cheerfully: butthebountyofGodwasfoabfolute, that he would notfomuchasconfult with mansWill,tomake him happy.Asman knew not while hewasmade,fo {ball he not know whMhis other fclfe ismade out ofhim: that thecomfOrtmight begreater, which was feen before it was expell:ed. E IftheWomanlbouldhave been made, not withoutthepalne, or will oftheMan, lbe might havebeen upbraidedwith her dependance, andobligation, Nowfhee owes nothing buttoher Creator : The rib of Ad•m lleepiag, can challenge no moreofher, then the earth canofhim.lt was an happy change to Adltm, ofarib, fur anhelpet; whathelpedid that bone give to his fide? God had not made it, ifit had been fuperfluous: and yet ifMan could not have been perfit without ir, it had not been tak:enout. Many things are ufefull andconvenient, which an: not neceffary : and if God had feeneMan might not wantit, bow eafie had it heene for him , whichmade the Woman of that bone , to rurne the Be!h into another bone ? But he faw man couldnor complaineofthewaotofthat bone, which he hadfo multiplied, fo' animated. 0 God,
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