Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n
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A13542
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A man in Christ, or A new creature To which is added a treatise, containing meditations from the creatures. By Thomas Taylor, Dr. in Diuinity.
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Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.
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1629
(1629)
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STC 23833; ESTC S101983
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68,841
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266
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preacheth the purity and divinity of the workeman 2 This may remember us how pure that heart and mansion must be wherein the Lord will dwell our hearts are Gods heaven upon earth 3 By this wee may remember Revel 21. 27. No impure thing shall enter therein nothing that worketh abominations or lyes How ought we to study for purity and holinesse to fit our selves for what God hath prepared for us 3 The forme of the heavens being round and circular this may minde us of 1 The infinitenesse of the Maker a circle is an infinite figure 2 The perfection of God a circle being the most perfect and capacious figure Hence is said In my Fathers house are many mansions John 14. 2. 3 As the circle of the heavens is equally distant from the point and center of the earth it may minde us that heaven is equally distant to all beleevers and in every Nation hee that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse shall be accepted 4 The firmenesse and constancie of it preach the truth and unchangeablenesse of him whose onely word is the pillars on which this great frame leaneth and though the mountaines are called the pillars of heaven Iob 26. 11. and 2. Sam. 21. 8. because they so appeare to be yet indeed his word power and truth are the pillars This may undershore the faith of the Saints Doth his truth uphold the great frame of the heavens and will hee not uphold thee 2 This assureth us heaven is a safe place to treasure in no thiefe nor robber can spoile or deprive us of what we lay there therefore the Latins hence call it firmamentum Christ exhorteth us to treasure up in heaven Mat. 6. 5. The admirable rapt and swift motion and revolution in 24. houres which our conceits cannot follow leadeth us to the mighty power of the first mover who is far more swift and ready to helpe us in our needes It guideth us also to that hand that ordereth the falling and moving of the sparrowes of our haires and in whom we live and move 2. It teacheth us to be as ready and constant in our motions and duties as they who never stand still but are in perpetuall swift motion and execution of his will 6. What a number of gracious meditations doe the heavens affoord a heart that doth desire to be fruitfull I see every where the heavens Oh that is the place whither Christ ascended and where he is which must containe him till his second comming And shall not my desires bee there 2. It is a place from whence I expect a Saviour and shall not my conversation be there where Christ is Col. 3. 3. It is my owne countrey there is my fathers house my kindred my home and inheritance my brothers and sisters my elder brother shall not I then esteeme my selfe a stranger here and hasten thither 4. It is the most goodly creature and yet reserved for the fire of the great day for mans sinne should not I herein behold Gods infinite hatred of sin who will set his owne house on fire for it should not I hate and tremble at sinne And seeing all this goodly frame shall be dissolved What manner of men ought we to be in all manner of conversation 2 Pet. 3. 11. How richly might wee furnish our mindes with matter of fruitfull meditations should wee thus looke on the heavens Thus cannot the Heavens nor never did In the Heavens behold the light the first creature that God made his first word was fiat lux that is let there be light As a man that builds a house hee first considereth how hee may let light into it without which it were but a dungeon and cave of darkenesse and so had the whole world bin a Chaos and confused heape without the light from heaven As no quality of bodies doth more resemble Divinity than the light so nothing in the world of naturall things more aptly preacheth unto us the nature of God who pleaseth to call himselfe light dwelling in light in accessable yea being himselfe that essentiall infinite uncreated light wherein is no darkenesse at all 1 Doe I see the light the nature of which no man can perfectly attaine Iob 38. 19. Tell me saith God if thou knowest this Where is the way where light dwelleth Doth not this carry my mind to God himselfe that eternall and infinite light whose infinite nature none could ever comprehend 2 Doe I see that God made not the light for himselfe for he being light it selfe needed it not but for me amongst others how can I but admire his care and goodnesse how can I choose but gather what light and comfort is in himselfe who hath put so much in the creature and rise by it to his Divinity who as light so communicateth himselfe that no man the lesse because another more 3 Doe I see the light made so pure faire cleare and perfect as nothing can pollute it if it looketh into all filthinesse it contracts none How can I but herein see an excellent resemblance of Gods infinite purity and perfection of his essence in his eternall love in whom is no darkenesse to whom nothing is more contrary then darkenesse and though he behold all darkenesse and order all confusion yet in his divine understanding is not any obscurity or dimnesse 4. Doe I see the light freely and perpetually communicating it selfe and diffusing it selfe to all men I cannot but see GOD himselfe alwayes abundantly communicating himselfe with all men either by the light of nature which is the chiefe ornament of a man or by the light of grace which is the chiefe beauty of a Christian or by the light of glory which is the chiefe and highest pitch of an happy and glorified man Iohn 1. 9. 5. Doe I see the light alway like it selfe never communicating with darkenesse but fighting against darkenesse and irreconcilably resisting it Even so may I conceive God to be one and alwayes the same and ever like himselfe in his nature words and actions never favouring but fighting against darkenesse and works of darkenesse sins and corruptions which are as clouds sometime getting betweene the light and us and hindering the comforts of his beames from us 6. Doe I see light driving away darkenesse distinguishing things that were involued in darknesse producing things out of darkenesse and secrecy How can I but contemplate that God that eternall light will one day discover all things that are in darkenesse and bring all secret workes words or thoughts and set them in a cleare light Nothing is so secret which shall not be revealed and God and his truth shall at last prevaile against all errour powers and wicked opposites set against it Besides light leadeth mee to Christ the light of the world But of that more conveniently in handling the great light the Sun 7 How can I behold so noble a creature without some use concerning my selfe 1 Doe I see a man cannot see
of thunder which made proud Pharaoh confesse his owne wickednesse and begge prayers as Exodus 9. 21. but also a silent voice every of them being as that pillar of the cloud which was a signe of Gods presence amongst his people as Exod. 13. 21. yea every cloud herein like the cloud of the Tabernacle whereof is said the glory of God appeared in the cloud Exodus 16. 10. I may say as Iob 37. 14. Hearken and give heede to these wondrous workes of God Who is the Father of rame Iob 38. 28. that is besides the Lord what power is there that bindes the waters in the thicke clouds so that the cloud breaketh not Iob 26. 29. And if thou dost know who it is that maketh the clouds to labour to water the earth and who it is that turneth them about by his government to doe whatsoever hee commands them on the world for punishment or mercie yet dost thou know how God disposeth them The varietie of them the wondrous workes of him that is perfect in knowledge Iob 37. from verse 11. to 17. Canst thou tell how the bottles of heaven are filled how they being of infinite weight and magnitude are hung as in a ballance in the soft aire without any other stay than his Word How the windowes of Heaven be open to raine downe fatnesse and plenty Psal. 65. 12. Surely in these things the Lord left not himselfe without witnesse amongst the Gentiles in giving them raine and fruitfull seasons Act. 14. 17. and much lesse among us in the Church to whom by the teaching of grace they proelaime his wisedome power justice mercy as also his glory and majesty who rideth on the clouds as on a horse and turneth them what way soever he pleaseth As they leade us to God so they serve to afford us many excellent meditations 1 Doe I see the raine fall from the clouds to water the earth and returneth not in vaine Isa. 55. 10. I must see the worke of the word preached upon my earthly heart for the moystening softening and changing of my heart for preparing it to fruitfulnesse and preserving it in fruitfulnesse for it shall never be in vaine but doth the worke for which it is sent Never was a greater plague in Israel than when for three yeares and a halfe it rained not on the earth in Ababs time a greater plague cannot be in this life than when the raine falleth not to the moystening the furrowes of our hearts 2. Doe I see the clouds to be as a shadow and cover against the heate parching and burning of the Sun I must herein behold the Lords protection as a covering cloud or shadow saving his Saints from the sunne of affliction and persecution which will burne up those that are not defended Psal. 91. 1. They shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty Here is another manner of shadow than Iona'hs gourd I will run under this shadow saith David Psal. 121. 6. and the sunne shall not smite me by day 3. Doe I see the raine-bow in the clouds I must meditate of Gods faithfulnesse who hath set it as a signe of mercy and patience yea I may carry my mind beyond the temporall and conceive of Gods everlasting mercy in Christ in whom I come to the throne of grace which is described to have a raine-bow round about it Rev. 4. 3. 4. When I see the cloud disperse it selfe upon all grounds and raines fall on good and bad I must learne to distill my goodnesse to all in generall good and bad friends and enemies And so show my selfe a childe of my heavenly Father who letteth his raine fall on the just and unjust Mat. 5. 45. 5. When I see the dewes of small raines which is the joy and life of flowers I must in them beheld Iesus Christ who compareth himselfe unto dew Hosea 14. 5. I will be a dew to Israel the dew presenteth it selfe in faire weather so Christ is neare when Gods face and favour is calme and pacified The dew refresheth and reviveth withering medowes so Christ by his grace refresheth and quickneth drie and dead hearts remitting sinnes and infusing moysture of grace and holinesse to make them fruitfull in all good workes The dewes temper and allay great heate and parching of the sunne so doth Christ coole the burning heate of his Fathers wrath and quencheth the fiery darts of the devill cooleth the heate of persecution and all that wee may become and continue fruitfull Without these dewes from heaven is no expectation of fruits in earth and without Christ and his grace we can doe nothing at all 6. I see a morning dew and suddaine raine soone dryed up I must looke to the soundnesse of my grace faith and comfort that it bee not as an hasty raine or an heritage hastily gotten that it bee not as the righteousnesse of Ephraim Hos. 6. 4. as a morning dew by sun-rising suddenly vanished and gone when is most neede of it Hence learne to strive against hypocrisie 7. In beholding the clouds what a profitable meditation were it to consider them as the glorious charriot of Christ wherin hee ascended to heaven and was taken up in the cloude from the sight of his Disciples Acts 1. 9. And wherein hee shall descend in great glory and majesty to judge the quicke and dead Matth. 26. 64. As also how serviceable the cloudes shall be unto us as unto our head when in the last day we shall be taken up into the clouds to meete the Lord in the ayre and so shall bee ever with him 1 Thes. 4. 17. Now come wee to the ayre which is not in vaine but may also leade us to God for it hath expresse impressions of his fingers For It truely and really subsisteth though it bee not seene so hath also the Lord the maker thereof a reall but invisible existence It leadeth us by the hand to the ubiquitie of GOD for it is every where and in every open place and secret in townes and fields and widest deserts it is in the bowels of the earth in the bottome of the Sea within us without us Euen so must I conceive God present at and in all places immediately compassing me every where as the ayre Nay hath place in my heart and minde that as surely as I continually draw the ayre into my body heart and braines so is the Lord much more present within mee This will not let me shut him up in heaven whose essence is not more there than in this inferiour world though his glory and Majesty shine clearer there Neither to thinke him far absent nor by walls doores windowes closets or chambers kept from seeing or knowing my waies no more than ayre but I shall continually stand in awe and feare to offend him I see the ayre the preserver of my life that without it I cannot continue any whit but presently perish so as wee may say of it truly as