43 eiinÈxpoftáon of the CH A P. I. Thirdly, God would hereby in(trua us, both in the We' that'we are to make of his creatures, and the improvement that we are to make of the work of the Creation untohis glory. For the firft, it is his Will that we fhould not ufe any thing as meetly made andcreated. by him, though originallyfor thatpurpofe; feeing as they are fo left, they areunder thecurfe, and fo impure and unclean unto them that ufe theta, Tit.1. 15. But he would have us to lookupon them, and receive them as they aregiven over unto Chrift. For the Apoltle in his Application ofthe eighth Pfalm unto. theLord, Chrift, chap: z. 6, 7, 8. manitelts, that even the beaffs of thefield, on which we live, arepaffed over in a peculiar manner,unto his Dominion. And he lays our intereft in their ufe as to a clear, profitable, and fàisi tified way ofit, in thenew (late of things brought in by Chrift r Tim. 4. q, 5. Every creature ofGod is good, andnothing to be re- fared, ifit be receivedwith thanksgiving; for it it fantiified by the wordof God and prayer. The word ofpromfe confirmed in Chrift, called onby the Spirit, given by Chrift in prayer, gives apanel-0dufe of thecreatures. This God inftruéts us in, namely to look forá profitable fanétified Vfi ofthe creatures in Chrift, in that himfelf ordered them in the veryfirlt Creation, to fall at length naturallyunder his Rule and Dominion, mak- ingthem all by him. And hereby alfo we are ìnftruáedhow to learn the glory of God from them. The whole myftery of theworks-ofthe old Creation in a fublèrviency unto the New, beinghidden from many Ages and Generations, from the foundation oftheworld men did by the Effects andworks which they law, conclude, that there was an EternalPower and InfiniteWifdem, whereby they were produced. But whereas there is but a twofold holy ufe ofthe works of the Creation, the one fuited unto the flare ofInnocency, and the moral natural WorfhipofGod thentin, which they had loll s the other, to the (fate efGrace, and the Worfhip ofGod in that, which they had not attained, the world and theinhabitants thereof being otherwife involved in theCurt and Darkneß wherewith it was attended, exercifed themfelves infruideßkecutations about them, (foolifh imaginations, as the Apoftle calls them) and glorified not God in anydue manner, Rom. r. zT. Neither do,nor can men unto this day make any hater improvement oftheir contemplation on the WorkJofCreation, who are unac- quainted with the Recapitulation ofall things in Chrift, and the Beauty of it ; in that all things at fin{ were made by him. But when men (hall by, faith perceive and con- fider, that theProducoionofall things owes it fclf, in its fielt original, unto theSonof God, in that by him the world was made, and that unto this End and Purpofe, that he being afterwards Incarnate for our Redemptnon, they might all beput intofub- jodion unto him, they cannotbut be ravithed with the Admiration ofthe Power, Wÿf- dom, Goodnefs, and Love of God, in this holy, wife, beautiful diJßofition of all his works and ways. And this is the very fubjet`t -of the EighthPfalm. The Pp/miff confiders the Excellency andGlory ofGod in the Creation ofall things, instancing in . themolt glorious and eminent parts of it. But dothhe do this abflutey, asi they are fuch ?. d'öth he rat there ? No, but proceeds tomanifett the caufe ofhis.eldmiration, in that Goddid ofold delign, and would at length acstually put, all there things into Jitb- jiflion unto the ManChi.; ({ Jefùs; asthe Apoftle expounds his meaning, éhap.z. which cacifeda him to renew his Admiràtion and praife, v., g.. that is, to glorifie God, as God, and to be thankful ; whichyet Paul declared that they were nor, who confidered the works ofGod only abfoCutely, with referenceto their firlt Original from infinite Power and Wifdom. Butagainft what We'have been difcourfing, it may be objeEted, that Girl in the Creation ofall things fuited them perfeâly and abpblute ly unto-a (tate ofInnocency and Holinefs, without any refpet`t unto the entranceoffin, and the curfe that enfued, which gave Occafion to that infinitely wife and holy work ofthe Mediation ofChrift, and the Reftoration of all thingsby. him ; fo that they could not be laid in facha fubferviency andOrder, oneto the other, as is pretended : though theformer might be afterwards traduced, and tranflated into the ufe of the other. But, r.-What is cleanly teflifiedunto in the Scripture, as that truth is, which we have in- filled on, is nqt tobe called into queftion, becaufe we cannot understand the Order and method ofthings in the hidden Counfels ofGod. Suchknowledge it too wonderful fin tor. Neither do webenefit our felves much by inquiring into thatwhich we cannot comprehend. It is enough for us, that we hold fall revealed things, that we may know and do the will ofGod ; but Jecret things belong to him ; and to him are they to lie left. z.The Si tipture teftifieth, that Known unto God are all his worksfrom thefoundation of
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