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THE FIRST FRUITS
OF
THE
SFIiti'
; OR
DISC.
\.
and
purposes through
all ages
of
the world, and
all
nations
on
earth
!
What
inconceivable
wisdom
is
that
.
which
hath
effectually
appointed
them
all to
centre
in
the
accomplishment
of
his own
eternal counsels
!
And with
what
overwhelming amazement
will
this scene
appear,
when
he shall
shut up the theatre
of
this
earth,
and
fold
up
the heavens
as
a curtain, and
this
visible
structure
of
things shall
be
laid
in ashes
?
What
an
astonishing
view
must
this
be
of
the
all
-
surveying
knowledge,, all-
compre-
hending
wisdom
of
a
God, and
with what holy
and hum-
ble pleasure must
the pious
soul be filled,
who takes
in
and
enjoys this scene
of
infinite
varieties and wonders?
How near
doth
such
an
hour approach
to
the
bliss
of
heaven,
and
the
raptures
of
contemplation,
which,
be-
long
to the
blessed
inhabitants of
it
?
3.
I
might add something
of
the almighty power
of God
in
his
creation and government
of
the world,
in
-his
king-
doms
of nature
-and
providence.
" Did not
the angels
re-
joice at
the birth
-day
of
this universe, and those
"
morn-
ing stars shout
for
joy"
at
the
first,
appearance'
of
this
crea-
tion
?
Job
xxxviii. 7.
And what
the
inhabitants
of
heaven
make their
song, may
not a
holy soul be
entertained
with
it,
even to
extacy and
rapture?
"
I
behold,
says
he,
in divine
meditation,
I
behold
this huge
structure of
the
universe,
rising
out of
nothing,
at
the
voice
of
his
command
;
I
behold the several planets
in
their
various
orders, set
a moving
by
the
same word
of
power.
With
what
delightful surprise
do
I
hear
them
pronouncing
the
words, "
Let
there
be
light,"
and,
lo,
the light appears,
Gen.
i.
3,
Let
there
be
earth and
seas
;
let there
be
clouds and heavens
let there
be
sun, moon,
and stars,
and,
lo,
the
heavens,
and the dry
land, and the waters
appear, the
clouds and the stars
in
their various order
and situation, and
all
the
parts of
the creation
'arise, all
replenished
with
proper ornaments
and
animals
accord=
ing to
his word."
At
his
command
nature
exists
in all its
regions
with all its
furniture
the
beasts,
and
birds,
and
fishes,
in all
their
forms arise,
and
at
once they
obey
the
several almighty orders
he
gave, and
by
the
unknown
and
inconceivable farce
of
such
a
word,
they leap
out
into existence
in
ten
thousand
forms.
"Again
what divine
pleasure
is
it
to
hear
a
God
be=
ginning the work
pf
his
providence, and speaking
those