686 The Goodnefs ofGod. Vol, I, earth, yet in regard, of his Soul, he is allied to Leaven, of a Divine Original, and defended from above. Of all the Creatures in this vifible World, Man is the chief ; and what is faid of Behemoth, or the Elephant, lob 42. in refpeét of his great frength, and the vaft bignefs of his Body, is only true abfolutely of Mans that he is, divini opifrcii caput, the chief of the ways of God, and upon earth there is none like him. The Pfalmift takes particular notice of the Goodnefs of God to Man, in this refped of the Excellency and Dignity ofhis Being, Pfal. 8. 5. Thou haft made him little lower than the Angels, andhalt crowned him withglory andhonour. And this advantage óf our nature above other Creatures, we ought thankfully to acknow- ledge ; tho' moll Men are fo flupid, as to overlook it, as Elihu complains, yob 35. ro, r C. None faith, where.is God my Maker ? who teacheth us more than the beafls of the earth, and maketh us wafer than the fowls of heaven. z. The Goodnefs of God to Man appears, in that he bath made and ordained fo many things chiefly for our ufe. The beauty and ufefulnefs of the Creatures below us, their plain fubferviency to our neceffity, and benefit, and delight, are fo many clear Evidences of theDivine Goodnefs tous, not only difcernable toour Reafon, but even palpable to our Senfes, fo that we mayfee andtafle that the Lord is gracious. This David particularly inffts upon as a fpecial ground of Praife and Thankf- giving to God, that he hath fubjelted fo great a part of theCreation to our do- minion and ufe ; Pfal. 8. 6, 7, 8. fpeaking of Man, Thou haft made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands ; thou haft put all things under his feet ; all deep and oxen, yea, and the leafls of the field ; the fowl of the air, and the fah of the fea, and wbatfoever paffeth through the paths of the feas. What an innumerable variety of Creatures are there in this inferior World, whichwere either folely or principally made for the ufe and fervice, pleafure and delight of Man ! How ma- ny things are there, which ferve for the neceffìty and fupport, for the content- ment and comfort of our lives! Howmany things for the refrefhment and de- light of our Senfes, and the exercife and employment of our underffandings ! That God hath not made Man for the fervice of etherCreatures, but other Crea- tures, for the fervice of Man, Epilletus doch very ingenioufly argue from tttis obfervation ; that the Creatures belowMan, the brute Beafls, have all things in a readinefs, Nature having provided for them meat, and drink, and lodging, fo that they have no abfolute need that any fhould build.Houfes, or make Cloaths, or flore up Provifions, or prepare and drefs Meat for them ; for, fays he, being made for the fervice of another, they ought to be fur'nifhed with thefe things, that they may be always in a readinefs to ferve their Lord and Mafler; a plain evidence that they were' made to ferveMan, andnot Man to ferve them. And to raife our Thoughts ofGod's Goodnefs to us the Sons of Men yet higher, as he bath given us the Creatures below us for our ufe and convenience ; fo hath he appointed the Creatures above us for our Guard and Proteétion, not to fayfor our fervice, Pfal. 34. 7. The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, andhe delivereth them ; and then it follows, 0 tafle and fee that the Lord is good. And Pfal. 91. xi, r z. He fhall give hisAngels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They (hall bear thee up in their hands. Nay the Apoftle fpeaks, as if their whole bufinefs and employment were to attend upon and be ferviceable to good Men, Heb. r. 14. Are they not allminiflringSpirits, fent forth to menifler for them, who (ball be heirs of Salvation 3. The Goodnefs of God to Men appears, in his tender Love and peculiar Care of us, above the refl of the Creatures, being ready to impart and difpenfe to us the good that is fuitable to our capacity and condition ; and concerned to exempt is from thofe manifold Evils of Want and Pain, to which we are obnoxious: I donot mean an abfolute exemption from all forts and all degrees of Evil, and a perpetual tenor of temporal happinefs, and 'enjoyment of all good things ; this is not fuitable toour prefent ftate, and therank and order which we are in among theCreatures ; nor would it bebeft for us, all things confidered. But theGood- nefs of God to us above other Creatures,is proportionable to the Dignityand Ex- cellency
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