I 98 SERMONS upon Serra. 5CX V I I congealed Ice,it will do fo, and afford paffage for his people , and return again to its wonted courfe, fluidnefs, and drown the Egyptians sit will do it; Exod. i 6, 26. The waters returned, and covered the chariots. So for other things, Job 37. 6. He faith to the fnow, Be thou upon the earth; and likewife to the great rain, Be than upon the earth. Not a drop of Rain falleth from the Cloudy, but by Gods permiffion ; fo verve the 12. The clouds are turned about by his counsels, to do whatever he commandeth them upon theface of the earth. Nothing feemeth to be more cafual than the motion of the Clouds, or at leaft to arife from meer natural sautes ; yet fill are at the direûion of God. For it fol- loweth, v. 13. He caufeth it to rain fir the correction of a land, or for mercy. Sometimes 'tis fent in mercy, and fometimes in judgment ; this bridle God keepeth upon the world; to check their licentioufnefs, and awe them into obedience to himfelf. 3. His mercy, during the day of his patience. In the midi of judgment he remem breth mercy: though there be much vanity in the creature, yet there is fill an ureful- nefs in them to mankind : tho the air might poifon us, and the earth fwallow us up, and the mouth of the great deep vomit forth an inundation of waters, and the fire fcorch up the earth, yet 'tis great mercy that God bath fo boundup the creatures by a law, and decree, that the earth is fill a commodious habitation to man ; that many of the changes and commotions in the Elementary and lower world, conduce to our bene- fit, bat efpecially the fated courre of' nature ; that the earth doth bring forth its fruits in due feafon, and the Sunrejoycethto run its courfe 5 all this is goodnefs to poorcrea- tures, while God offereth pardon of fm and reftitution by Chrif ; we fí11 injoy the bleffings we have forfeited; tho with fome diminution and abatement, we are refaced to the ufe of the creatures, but there are fubjesf to vanity. We have our lives, but not that perfe& confitution of body which Adam injoyed before his fall. Creatures are not fo ufeful and ferviceable to us as they were in their firIt creation. In the inward Righteoufnefs and Holinefs reiored to man , there is a mixture of corruption. 'Twas needful there Ihould be fome continual remembrance of fin, that we might be the more abafed in our felves,and more (-edible of Gods Mercy. And yet for the honour of God fome monument faould be 'left of his benignity and bounty to his crea- ture. 3.- The reafons why the innocent creature is panifhed for mans fin. 1. To defiroy the image of jealonj or the great idol that was fet up again( God ; mans great fin was his forfaking the Creator, and reeking his happinefs in the creature, Jer. 2. 13. For my people have committed two evils, they have forfai¿en me, the fountain of living water, and hewed them out ciflern4 broken cift`erns, that will hold no water ; and 1 John 3: 12. He forfook God by difru(ft, and betook himfelf to the creature out of neceffity; for man cannot fubfift of himfelf, but muff have fomewhat to lean unto. The fir( temptationdid intice man from God, to Come inferior good, more pleating to his flefhly mind ç man was made for God, to ferve him, love him, and delight in him, and to ufe all the creatures in order to God, for his Service and Glory. He was to are no. thing but with this intention. But by fin, all that man was capable of ufing, was abafed to pleafe his flefh. Now as Satan, the tempter, aimed at this, that by depending on the creature, we might have no caufe to look back upon, God any more, as when they break off a treaty of Marriage, fet another match a foot ;or rather, as thofe that endea- vour to draw away a mans heart from his own wife, intangle him in the love of a (range woman ; fo God to counterwork Satan, blais the creature, and much of the beauty and vertue of it is loft, that we may think of returnirg to him, Ho[ 2. 7. 1 will return to my ffrfl husband; for then it was better with me than now. Difappointment in the creature fendeth many to God, who otherwife would never think of him; for they are made the more fenfible of their difadvantage in forfaking him. 2. The creature is fiill made an infirament offin. And therefore is involved in Gods curie, as to the diforder, ruin and deftru &ion of many of the parts of it. For if we ufe there creatures contrary to their nature and end, and to the wrong of their proper Lord and Owner, no wonder if he blafled what is fo abufed. The creatures are fume. times abufed as obje&s-ofworfhip, and truf, to the alienating mens hearts from God, as in grofs idolatry : They worlhipped the queen ofHeaven,meaning the Sun, whom they made a female, Ifa. 44. 18. And the Lord complaineth, Ezek. 16. ad, t7, 18, 19. That they decked their high places with gold and flyer, and did fit oyl and incenfe before them. So (fill we fet up the creature for our end and happinefs, as if it were more attractive and amiable than God, and fitter to content and delight the foul. Life fo much of the world as 9
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