t the
providence of God reaches to all the creatures and their actions, but I
believe there is no point of religion so superficially and slightly
considered by the most part of men. The most part ponder none of these
divine truths. There is nothing above their senses which is the subject of
their meditations. And for the children of God, I fear many do give such
truths of God too common and coarse entertainment in their minds. I know
not what we are taken up with in this age,--with some particular truths
more remote from the knowledge of others in former times, or some
particular cases concerning ourselves? You will find the most part of
Christians stretch not their thoughts beyond their own conditions or
interests, or some particular questions about faith and repentance, &c.
And in the mean time the most weighty points of religion, which have been
the subject of the meditation and admiration of saints in all ages, are
wholly laid aside through a misapprehension of their commonness as if a
man would despise the sun and the air, and prefer some rare piece of stone
or timber to them. Certainly, as in the disposal of the world, the Lord
hath in great wisdom and goodness made the most needful and useful things
most common--those without which man cannot live are always obvious to us,
so that if any thing be more rare, it is not necessary--so in this universe
of religion, he in mercy and wisdom hath so framed all, that those points
of truth and belief which are most near the substance of salvation and
necessary to it, and most fit to exercise us in true godliness,-- these are
everywhere to be found, partly engraven on men's hearts, partly set down
most clearly and often in scripture, that a believing soul can look
nowhere but it must breathe in that air of the gospel, and look upon that
common Sun of righteousness, God the Creator, and the healing Sun, Christ
the Redeemer, shining everywhere in scripture. The general providence of
God and the special administration of Christ the Saviour, these are
common, and these are essential to our happiness. Therefore the meditation
of Christians should run most upon them, and not always about some
particular questions or debates of the time. It is a strange thing how
people should be more affected with a discourse on the affairs of the
time, or on some inward thoughts of their own hearts, than if one should
speak of God's universal kingdom over all men and nations. That is
accounted a ge