“Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” (Psa. 33:8).
Admiration and wonder is the Christian’s delight! O how full of riddles and mystery are the providences of God! How few of the designs of his dispensations are fathomable by the longest line of human understanding. Therefore, Job cries out, “Lo, these are parts of his ways, but how little a portion is heard of him?” (Job 26:14). And that of the Hebrew Siph is to the same purpose, “Your way is in the sea, your path in the great waters. Your footsteps are not known,” (Psa. 77:19). It is as easy to trace a ship in the waters, as God in his works. And therefore Solomon says, “A man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. Yes further, though a wise man thinks to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it,” (Eccl. 8:17). When God “changes the times and the seasons, when he removes kings and sets up kings,” (Dan. 2:21). He takes the crown from one, and sets it upon another, who can give a reason of his doings? If “the clouds are his chariot,” his ways must be in the dark, and if “he walks upon the wings of the wind,” (Psa. 104:3), they must be a secret. Who can see through a cloud? Or trace out the motion of the wind, when he knows no more “from where it comes,” than he does “where it goes?” (Job 3:8).
Matthew Mead said, “Where we cannot trace him, let us adore him.”
When our line is too short to reach the bottom of his designs, then it becomes us to cry out, “O the depth!” (Rom. 11:33). When his ways are such as cannot be understood, then the wisdom of them ought to be admired. Matthew Mead, The Vision of the Wheels.
Are you able to trace out the character of God? Are you humbled as Job was when God said, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” (Job. 38:4-5).
Contemplation:
Who would not fear You, O Lord, our God, glorious in majesty, dreadful in holiness, wonderful in power! Your holy angels excel in strength, are clothed with glory, that man cannot behold, but all their might and goodness is derived from You, a drop of Your ocean, a beam of Your sun, if the glory of the creature is so great, the glory of the Creator must infinitely surpass all comprehension. O! how stupid I can be, that in the view and contemplation of the work, have not enlarged my heart to laud and magnify the work!
Arise my soul, and gird yourself to the cheerful, sincere, faithful obedience to God’s commandment. To do the will of God is angelical preferment, a divine and heavenly exercise, the greatest freedom and perfection. Make haste, do not delay to exercise His good pleasure. Behold, the angels in heaven are your examples, whom you ought to follow. Do not let that seem irksome to you, that is delightsome to them. Do not esteem it a burden, which is to them a heavenly solace, and refreshing. Ah, wretched man! Why should I grudge to, yield obedience to my heavenly Father or do His will negligently by the halves, when those noble spirits and heavenly soldiers do always stand in readiness to receive His commands, and execute their commission? Does the world despise the poor saints of God for their outward baseness? Yet I will honor them as the only excellent ones, for God is their Father, the angels their attendants. We salute and bow to them that are nobly attended, gorgeously arrayed, honorably served, but in this the saints excel, if the matter is well considered. They are esteemed the scum of the world, but respected of God in such manner that he has given His angels charge over them; the guard that attends upon His throne is assigned to watch over them. Walk on courageously in the ways of piety. Do not fear the assaults of Satan, the fury of any adverse power that shall oppose itself; for more are with you, than can be against you. If Satan with his bands endeavors your destruction, the troops of heavenly angels do watch for your defense, yes, the Lord Himself is your keeper, and stands at your right hand to save you from all those that rise up against you. How great is the clemency, and tender care of the Lord over His poor people? What tongue can express, what heart comprehend His infinite goodness? He sends from on high His mighty soldiers to encamp about us, watch over us, preserve and save us, from them that lie in wait to vex and annoy. O! my Father, what can I render to You for this Your great kindness, and unspeakable mercy? I have nothing to give but my heart, which here I offer to You; and because I am weak, exposed to the temptations of Satan, and allurements of this wicked world, I pray that You give me Your grace, confirm and strengthen me, that I may imitate those pure spirits everyday more and more, that I may praise Your name, execute Your commandments, love Your children, rejoice in the conversion of them that go astray, and fight Your battles against sin and Satan.
