O(the ··-· ofthe'.[teede. Creation. andconfHtution.ohhe matter. JI. In the ex- !1. cellencie of rho vertuc which God hath giuen I haue named begarr; there was- nothing be fide God, the world it felfc;and all things dfe were vncrcated. Some men vfe to'obilel and fay, whatdidGodall that whil<:,b.dor.e t1Je! world was? how did hdmpl.oy himfc)f?whar, was hf idle? A•f>'t, T1te lewes,t,Ot~.b.ls badde to it: for as he harh.app<>lntedeuerrcreattlre for fomc ctpeciall endr fcrhe_c harh firrea~nd furnifhedit with fufF.ctenq•o.wer &.ver.tuefor the accompli!l]ingof rbefame.end._JII.· Jn theexceeding benefit and profitablenes that came by them m man; B'!JtJiricecthe·£illdf · man, thisgo0dne(fe ofthe·creatitre·-is pa;rtly corrupted, and partly diminifhe;d.6fherefme when we.fee any :vanr,defet):;>or deformitpin any ofthemtp~cmuft haq"·rc£ourfe backea" gaine tO the apoftacic ofqnifirJl: parents 1 ana rememberdur f.U in the·,&ficy,with aforr@w– ful heart,this.comcs topa.(fehyreafon ofmans moft wretclied fin,whicH hathdefi!ed'heanen &earrh,a: dtawne.acurfenbtonly vponhim– felfe,but v'p01rthc reft of tl!<>cr-<!otures for ltis fake,wherebytheirgoodnes is much defaced. Fifthly, ·the•endofcreation, isthe glory of Ptou,tS. q~d, asS.tlomm faith,· CJodmade~!tthingsfor .,.. hMo'W!_Itfok...~ ,,e_ tumthell'ickdfor tbe.dtfJ-Ofe; oil/. And Godtpropounds this priucipall end to himfelfe , 11or.as though[.~wanted glor.y,– and would purchafe it vnto hlmfdfe by the creation; for.he.is moll: glorious.in himidfey i at)d his·honour ana [1raife bee.ing infinite' /Can n~ither be,ctict.cafed nor idccreafed: buth-. ther thathe might commahitate, imd.ljlake manifeft his glory to his creatures, andgiuc thenl occaGon to magnifie the fame. For the reafonable crc:uures of God, beholding his glory inthecreation,a!C m0ue.d totcltifie.and declare the.fame among men• _ The !ixth.fh:Ul be touching thetimeof the beginning oftheworld, wbic!li,sbo-tween.fiue thoufand and!ixethoufand yeare.-a goe. For U11•fes hathfet downe exaCtly the comp~tarion of time from the makingefthe.world-to his p\Vne daies : .and the Prophets after-him haue with diligence fer down thecontinuan~e ofthe flme to the very birth of Chrill. Bitt for the exact: account ofyca~es-Chronologers arc not allof onemindc. Some fay there bee 3929, fronfthe creation to Chrifts birth, as BeroaldNS: fome 3952. as H;erom~ and Be-dt': fome396o. as Lutberand [,. Lucid1u : fome J96j.as<.)l1el<ntlmin his Chr6nicle,andF•n– {fitu: fome 3970. as Bulling"and Tremelim: fJmetowardes 4ooo.as Bunti11gus. Now from the birthofChrifttothisday,are 1 59>· yeres, and addmg th~fc together, rhnvhole timea. mounteth. And God- would haue t.he vcrie timeofthe beginning of the wbtlcl to bee re– uealed: Firft, that it might be knowne to,the C:hurch, wh~.:n the couenant ofgrace was fir.fi gmen to God to man,&whe itWas afcerward renued, and how Chrift cuncinthc fulnes of time, Ga/.4-4- Sccondly,thlt we might know th1! the world W'5 not madefor the eternal! and ct&er·l!uing God, but for !llan. Thirdly, that we n11gh; l~arn<:: not to fcl our beans on the world, a)ld on the thinos therein which ' hau: beginningand end, b~t ft:ckc fdr rhinos ~J~ternall in heauen.And before the time wl.i~h ·qudli0.1l,mol<e asbadde an ;tnf>l.l4r• •Iirr rhey fay hee..was conri.mt'l}!y .occupirn ill making 1 many littk w.orlds ~· wpich he c.Pntio~~lly de<, !lroyedashemade.thero: b~at)ft.;hQ.tl.e pkaJ fed hirrt till he qu~e.this.• lltll Wf.llliifl:rat:her, fay,that fome thio!}•Jlrereh~o!e<l Wlji~h.GJJd did tben·,as that h~ ~_,g_e_ql wh~\JJ'o~il ~olllC to paifc whenrhewo~ld w~s: ~!id that :then thc:bldfed pcrfons in Xrinity did#k~ ~t~rnull B delighteach in other. Ifany man w~luc.e.d~ knowmol:e,let hill! beace;vhatMgft(faith,Se, cret thi?tgs btlQng IBt/?~.Lordour qo_tt ,..,.~~t thipgs Y~HMie.d ;'l~~,J 4/ldfimf.)Udrtn for: --ejJ~r:- andJ~ them marke what..Qne eluding th;:,queftion; anfiv,ercd : n.'lmt)Y- , ,;hat God· was makir.g hdl fire to bctrnc all fuch curions pe,fon~a. will n<ed~ktiow mor~. of God then b:ic bath · reuca:led to them : for where God hath not a mounli toJpeake, tbor.o ;ve m~ft not hane an eare.tti•heare:rherefere"pu' ~uty ~s,rq let Inch curious queftionspa(f~. c , L, f· ,. . : Seaile·othly, fome.mri)K16ke in 'YUaltfpa~e ot timedi'dGodmaketh~wptld? la~fll'tr,God could hauemacle the world, aud\tlltbings in it one moment : but hee began -atld lir:i01ed C t)J; wholewqrke h;Jl,.e'diftirt<'l: daies. ,<n the ftrl): day he mad~ the m~iter ofall~hi.ng~ and the llgh~: in the fccoJl<l.Jheheaueqs•: in the !hird<l~y. hee brougbt the fea into :l;is;~ompa(fg,at.l9 made rhe dry ~~~d app~a;e,'and.caufed it oo.briug forth hcarp_s, plants,,apckrces : in the (<iprth day he~ made rhe ~unn>, the b-ioqne.,andtheStarr~S inhea'ut:n: j;nhefifrh · day he made the fiOtes pfthe fea,rhe fow l~s of theheaue.n; and cue_ry ~reeping thjng : in the fixth day he maderhe beafts'ofrhejidd, and all cartell , and in t!>~ ond ofthe!ixth day heo mademan.Thusin Gxediftin<'J fpaccs ofrime.· the L.or<l did make '!.11 thipgs:.and.thatefpeci– ally for-three cauk:s.;l, 'l'.o teach men that they ought to ha~tea diftintl and fcrious confidera· D tionof'Cncry creature: for ifGod had 111adc theworld in amoment,fome might haua fa!tl, this 11/ork is fo myfticaLthat no man ran fpeak ofir.But for thepreuhing ofthisco,ujl,it was hisplea!i1re to make the.world and all things thereinin fixe daies: and the ieauenth day i:e" commanded ittobcefanCtificdbymen, thl~ rhey might diftinetly& bionlly meditate vp– on euery daies worke ofthe Crearion.II.God made theworld~& (uery thing fhetcin i1-1 fixe dillintl daies,to teach vs,what wOj:lerfuJl po– wer &.liberty 1e had ouer a! his creatures:for he made the light when therewas ncitl:erSu1 nor Moonc,nor St.us;.to 01~~' th.~~ in giuing light to the wmld,he is,not bound ro;h" Sun, to at1y crc.lture,?r to any means: for rhe light was made the hrfi day: but the Sum)C, the Moone,and the Stars were not created ~cforc N 3 tl·c Pro.8.3o Dcut 1q. '9· Augufl.l I,Cor:fdJ. l·ll· Grn 1. ·.,.
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