SELECT THOUGHTS; OR, CHOICE HELPS FOR A PIOUS SPIRIT: A CENTURY OF DIVINE BREATHINGS FOR A RAVISHED SOUL, BEHOLDING THE EXCELLENCIES OF HER LORD JESUS. 165 TO THE CHRISTIAN READER GRACE AND PEACE. IT pleased the all-wise and Holy God, who orders all events to his own glory, to make use of my late secession for the production of divers, not I hope unprofitable, tractates; wherein I much rejoice that my declined age, even in that retiredness, might be in any measure serviceable to his church. Now I send these select notions after their fellows; of which I wish you may find cause to say, with the wedding-guests at Cana, 'Thou hast reserved the best wine till now.' The intent of this labour is, to put some good thoughts, reader, into thy mind, which would not otherwise, perhaps, have tendered themselves to thee; such, as I hope, may not a little further thee on thy journey to heaven. And if, in my labouring thitherward, I shall, through God's mercy, be a means of forwarding any soul but some steps up that steep way, how happy am I ! To which purpose, I know no means more effectual than those meditations which conduce to the animation and vigour of Christian practice: such I have propounded to myself as most behoveful and necessary, especially for this age into which we are fallen; an age of more brain than heart, and that hath almost lost piety in the chase of some litigious truths. And surely, had I known how better to have placed my hours, I should gladly have changed my task; but, I must needs say, I have found this employment so useful and proper, as that I have looked upon those Polemical Discourses which have been forced from me, as no better than mere excursions. I wis, it will be long enough ere we wrangle ourselves into heaven: it must be 166 true contrition, pure consciences, holy affections, heavenly dispositions, hearty devotions, sound regeneration, faith working by love, an humble walking with God, that shall help us thither; and, whatsoever may tend to the advancing of any of these gracious works in us, is worthy to be dear and precious. Such passages, reader, if thou shalt, according to my hopes, meet with here, bless God with me, and improve them to the best advantage of thy soul. Thus shall our gain be mutual, and our account happy in the day of the Lord Jesus: in whom farewell. From Higham, near Norwich, SELECT THOUGHTS. I. If miracles be ceased, yet marvels will never cease. There is no creature in the world wherein we may not see enough to wonder at; for there is no worm of the earth, no spire of grass, no leaf, no twig, wherein we may not see the footsteps of a Deity. The best visible creature is man: now, what man is he, that can make but a hair or a straw, much less any sensitive creature? So as no less than an infinite power is seen in every object that presents itself to our eyes. If, therefore, we look only upon the outsides of these bodily substances, and do not see God in every thing, we are no better than brutish; making use merely of our sense, without the least improvement of our faith or our reason. Contrary, then, to the opinion of those men who hold that a wise man should admire nothing, I say, that a man truly wise and good should admire every thing; or, rather, that infiniteness of wisdom and omnipotence, which shows itself in every visible object. Lord, what a beast am I, that I have suffered mine eyes to be taken up with shapes, and colours, and |
