ord may lead us through all, from God, as the
beginning, the alpha and original of their being, through God, as the only
supporter, confirmer and upholder of their being, and unto God, as the
very end for which they have their being. Now, to travel within this
compass,--to walk continually within this circle, and to go along this
blessed round--to begin at God, and to go along all our way with him, till
we arrive and end at God,--and thus to do continually in the journey of
meditation, when it surveys any of his works--this were, indeed, the very
proper work, and the special happiness man was created for, and, I may
say, a great part of that which a Christian is created for. Again, there
would be nothing more powerful to the conforming of a soul to God, and to
his obedience and fear than this, to have that persuasion firmly rooted in
the heart--that of God "are all things," that whatever it be, good or evil
that befalls us or others,--whatever we observe in the world, that is the
subject of the thoughts and discourses of men, and turns men's eyes after
them--that all that is of God, that is, it is in the world, it started out
of nothing at his command, it is, because his power gave it a being, and
in this consideration to overlook, and in a manner forget, all second
causes, to have such affecting and uptaking thoughts of the first
principle of all these motions, as to regard the lower wheels, that are
next us, no more than the hand or the sword that a man strikes us with as
if these second causes had no influence of their own but were merely acted
and moved by this supreme power, as if God did nothing by them, but only
at their presence. We should so labour to look on those things he doth by
creatures, as if he did them alone without the creatures, as if he were
this day creating a world. Certainly, the solid faith of God's providence
will draw off the covering of the creature, and espy the secret almighty
power which acts in every thing to bring forth his good pleasure
concerning them. And then to consider, with that same seriousness of
meditation that the same everlasting arm which made them, is under them to
support them, that the most noble and excellent creatures are but streams,
rays, images and shadows of God's majesty, which, as they have their being
by derivation, so they have then continuance by that same continued
influence, so that if he would interpose between himself and them, or
withdraw his countenance, or