praepositions The hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Calvins Praeter Nothing with nothing besides thee that I desire this is the true Ela the highest streine in the Song Canticordium a song for no other instrument but the heart that 's the Psaltery King David sings to and as Basill observes of the materiall Basill in Psal 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they use to play upon it above not below as in the Harpe and Violl so in this spirituall Psaltery the Heart we shall strike the upper strings the understanding will and affections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so our soules may ascend and in every note of the song seeme to rise a degree nearer heaven That 's the first which presents it selfe to your attention Quem in caelis Whom have I in heaven whilst others lay up their treasures on earth In heaven my exchequer in heaven my treasury Christianity is but a kind of religious Astronomy 1. Quem in Cales the contemplation and study of heaven No Geometry or measuring the earth in a Christians Mathematicks unlesse it be that his soule may the more easily take footing into heaven When the Rabbins take Shamajim the word for heaven in peices they find it composed of esch and maijm fire and water not a jot of earth in it The very creation of the Heavens instructing our thoughts should be advanced above the earth Menass Ben Isr 9.30 in gen that hath the lowest place in nature made but to be trampled on Some Principles there be that lay a foundation to every Science Let your conversation be in heaven is the cheifest in Christianity Philip. 3. v. 20 As the Stars move in their severall orbes and the planets in their cycles and epicycles observe a kind of orderly wandring so a Christians sphaere is above in Heaven there he performes all his regular motions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the originall word is let your civill commerce be in heaven For are we not all Merchant adventurers for happinesse Doth not every man desire to deale in that rich commodity and where shall we find it but in the new Hierusalem The Artist hath made it a very long voyage I. h. de sae Bos de Sphaera who curiously calculating the distance from earth to heaven findes it to be five hundred yeares journey but the Christian hath a nearer way to it he can step to heaven in a pious glaunce finish this five hundred yeares journey in a meditation of but an houre long venture almes and prayers and have a returne in a day nay whilst we are but furnishing the Ship for Heaven our faith and affections but on the Shoare not yet launch't into the deepe God many times prevents our desires and sends us in a rich prize of blessings No such gaine as by trading to heaven But not to move the note off its rule when we say our Pater noster though it be almost out of use now adayes our extemporary mouthes prizing more their whining non-sense yet when we say it we tune this note to our selves Our father which art in heaven and why not as well which art on earth but that he would confine our thoughts to that place where all happinesse is confined Earth Why it is the mother of corruption fit for nothing but to make graves of if you dote upon it yea quite change our Liturgy and commit your soules to the ground earth to earth ashes to ashes dust to dust but with no sure and certaine hope of a resurrection to eternall life In the 6 Chapter of Isaiah the Cherubims cover their feet with a paire of wings Ne terram contingerent Calvin in 6. cap. Isai lest they should once touch the earth and contract any pollution from it Quo admonentur saies Calvin to give us notice that we shall never have any commerce with Angels till we forsake our acquaintance with the world 'T is S. Ambrose upon those words of Mathew Matt. 7.16 do men gather grapes of thornes that the soule and the grape do so correspond in their nature that as the bunches next the earth corrupt whilst those above ripen so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzens phrase is the soule that creepes upon the ground doth rot and putrifie when that which springs upwards is immortall Indeed our primitive soyle is the earth the soule was first planted in a body of clay as a diamond some times may be set in lead yet as Pliny said of Roses that they loose not their virtue by transplantation Lib. 2. nat hist â—â—â—â— but increase it Oderatiores they are more odoriferous and pleasant so did we transplant our soules into heaven they would be more sweet and fragrant whilst now they stinke and smell of the earth But let me not here play the Jesuite with you perswading you to abjure worldly happinesse that our owne tribe might ingrosse it though some deale worse with us whowould reforme the Church into a religious beggar condemning us all to a laborious penury onely to bring her revenues to their owne coffers we equally detest a voluntary mendicant and a golden Idolater Wilfull poverty is a Stoicall dulnesse and the adoration of mammon a most stupid Idolatry MunduÌ„ mundè use we may but not adore the creature command the world as a servant not serve it as a Commander We may looke upon this faire picture as the worke of God not worship it for a God like the foolish Egyptians that were so enamoured with the picture of Bucephalus that they esteemed it a Deity Yet how many Shrines and Altars are erected in mens hearts to this great Idoll the world Most men scarce acknowledge any other God but this golden Calfe to which they performe their servile devotions Herodot lib. 5. Terpsie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As Herodotus said of Onefilus his head that it was empty of braine filled only with hony combes so our hearts are void of the thoughts of Heaven replenished only with the vanities of the world Should I mispend time to represent unto you the actions of men I should find them so opposite to heaven Plutarch as if they had consulted with Brutus his Oracle which required him Osculari terram even to kisse and embrace the earth But Heaven is a fairer object for our meditations Did we but cast up an eye to our future hopes how meanly should we esteeme our present fortunes All our happinesse here stands on a rowling stone but if we fixe it in Heaven 't is everlasting and permanent Plutarch Empedocles being asked Câ—r viveret why he desired to live in this miserable world replyed ut coelum aspicerem only to contemplate Heaven When I behold but the Pavement of Heaven stuck with Stars as so many sparkeling Diamonds how despicableis the statelyest palace of the greatest Monarch if the very pavement be so glorious what shall we thinke of those better parts yet unseene Bernard
penetrating unto all things or else restrained to Gods pleasure as he shall open or shut the vaile to them If unlimited then the knowledge of a Saint must be as infinite as the divine not a mystery of State not a record written in that great diary of the world the Mind of God from the beginning but must be published to the creatures view All there must be of Gods Cabinet counsell and nothing kept secret in that Kingdome Things past present and future the very thoughts of our hearts the knowledge wherof hath ever yet been Gods peculiar Yea that Arcanum Dei the day of indgement which our Saviour protests no man knowes not the Angells in heaven no not the Sonne of man Every Saint would behold in this Chrystall If their knowledge be confined to his will as he shall please to draw the curteine aside more or lesse to them since the Scripture assures mee not that God hath or will discover my necessities how absurdly must I fall upon my knees to beseech God to reveale that to my Saint which I first prayed my Saint to reveale to God This were to mediate for my Mediatour as Saint Augustine once scoffed at Aplló Libâ—â— decir Dei Interpres Deorum eget interprete the interpreter of the Gods must speake by an interpreter himselfe May we not then be so unwise as to goe from the living fountaine to the broken cisternes for the water of life from the bright sunne to the languid beames for the light of knowledge from our powerfull King to the impotent Subjects for the Crowne of glory We acknowledge no Mediatour but our Redeemer He is not worthy the name of an Intercessour that hath not his garments dyed in bloud Christ alone is the Center where God and man must if ever meere friends and why should we range about the circumference Chemnit exam concil Tâ—id de invoc Sanctor Sarcerius relates how that George Duke of Saxony lying upon his death-bed and the Monks striving who should commend the most propitious Saint to his devotion one of his Nobles told him In publicis negotiis In matters of State your highnesse alwayes used this Proverbe Rect a sine ambagibus progredi Viam esse maximé compendiariam to proceed without deviations was the most compendious method And in a businesse of so high concernement as your eternall felicity will you fetch a compasse to it and not rather goe directly to Christ in whose power are the keyes of life and death can you thinke that he who breathed out his soule on the crosse for us will spare any breath to plead our cause in heaven that he who poured out his precious heart bloud for our redemption will not also poure out hearty prayers for salvation Never doubt of your cause so long as you have such an Advocate a Iesus in heaven With what boldnes may we addresse our selves to the throne of grace when he that is sued unto is easy to be intreated Pater non Judex a Father not a Judge he that petitions for us is gracious to prevaile Filius non peregrinus an onely Sonne not a Stranger Et quando pater a filio Deus avertetur a Christo how can a father deny his sonne Prosper God his Christ when he shall supplicate with strong cryes and teares Heb. 5 7. When all the Saints in heaven shall sit with cheerefull and dry eyes and he alone shew the frailty of a man to move compassion for us Nay when he shall come before him Heb. 12. v. 24 with that Rhetoricall bloud of sprinkling that speakes better things then the bloud of Abell when the wounds he received on earth shall becoÌ„e oratours for us in heaven Quot vulnera tot ora each wound being a mouth to beg mercy for us Saint Ambrose can hold no longer but cryes out O Domine Jesu Amb l. de interpell 4. c. 12. tu portio mea c. O Lord Jesus thou art my portion a bounding to mee in all things whom because I have in heaven I desire nothing else on earth which brings mee from the Expostulation to the pious Resolution the second part of the song There is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Lo chaphasti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 None that I desire love trust or delight in All in tha word and because Vnisons all I shall tune them together The procession of the creatures from the Creatour is like a ray shot from the body of the Sun 3. The Resolution which is weakned and spent by extension and hath no way to recover it strength or vigour but by reflexion on the point that first sent it forth even God himselfe In Plato our desires are styled Vela animi the sayles of the minde because in this life the soule is tossed in an unconstant motion she hath no security till she hoist sayle for heaven no haven of peace but in the Deity 'T is a Rabbinicall observation that all the letters in Gods name Ichovah are quiescent preaching unto us that Quies animae Drus. q. heb the soules rest is in God alone For in God there is such a confluence of goodnesse such a quintessence of perfection that the soule of man cannot desire with what it may not be satisfied from the bountie of his fulnesse As Origen said of the Israelites Manna that it answered every mans tast even the most curious courtlike palate so there are such infinite delicacies in the deitie that there cannot rise án appetite in the longing soule that may not be satiated with his plenty Philosophie rankes our desires into those of the Vnderstanding after truth of the Will after virtue and of the Affections after felicitie Now to all these God is a full satisfaction to the intellectuall with his infinite wisdome to the voluntarie with his transcendent goodnesse to the affective with his eternall glory and if the senses can desire Origen saith he is singul a Canâ— â—â— 30 singulis a most pleasing object to every sense Beauty for the eye musick for the eare b Joh. 6.48.53 bread for life for the tast c Cant 1. v. 2 a perfume to delight the smell and d Joh. 20.24 Hom 1. in cant flesh for the incredulous touch but why doe we looke on these objects at the wrong end of the glasse what we call beauty is indeed deity musick felicitie life eternitie sweetnesse perfection perfection essence essence what shall I say Honours riches peace I am too short yet All things how should this enflame our love to God who like another Proteus as I may say converts himselfe into all formes and natures to please the covetous heart of man He that seeks contentment in any created good layes a foundation in the moving ayre for when the figure of the great Empires were represented to Zachary in a vision Zechar. 6. V. 5 the Angel told him isti sunt quatuor venti those are but
patronage of it Heaven you see layes clay me to your first thoughts and at this time 't were the highest sacriledge to bestow them on your private interests What we intend is first not what we pretend but if we make it a pious glosse for our worldly designes wee seeke not heaven but our selves God hath placed it in nature beyond all things that we might place nothing beyond it in our affections Make it we the prologue of our actions and God will make it the Epilogue of our lives the end of this life is life without end here we have it only in expectation but in heaven the full fruition Which presents unto you the next particular the Different sense of the Verbes Habeo and Desideravi Have in heaven only Desire on earth This life is a Christians minority 2. The sense of theverbes He is truely possessed of nothing himselfe but is a ward to the Almighty he never enters upon his Inheritance till he comes to heaven there he hath livery and seisin given him from the hand of God himselfe Come ye blessed of my father Mat. 25. v. 34 Alex. in Strom. receive the Kingdome c. Clemens Alexandrinus calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that lives in the confines of heaven whilst he is in this world he wants but the courteous hand of Death to put him into possession Here the law flatters us with firme conveihances and perpesuities but there is no freehold of any thing here below our surest tenure is in Heaven We contend for the Property of the Subject when nothing on earth can be the Subject of true Property For the Lawyer is mistaken that saith the Clergy man onely is borne to no inheritance when the noblest birth brings forth but a great heire of nothing For how can I truly call him possessour of that which in it selfe hath not the truth of a possession or if it hath the longest here is but the short lease of a mans life when death comes he cuts off the entayle of the fairest hopes your Crownes and Soveraignes you must lay down at the pits brinke your Lordships and manours must be contracted within the narrow compasse of a Grave that 's all the Land you can carry with you As we reade of Abraham All the Heritage he purchased for his posterity was but the Cave of Machpelah a burying place Never let the Dreame of any lasting possession here enter into your breasts If you would be freeholders indeed you must lay up your treasure in heaven there an Inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fades not away is reserved for us 1. Pet. 1 v. 4. An inheritance so large that foure pradicaments can scarce hold it For Substance Incorruptible for Quality Undefiled Immarciscible for Duration and Coelestiall for Site yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is All reserved for us in surer hands then Orphans estates here on earth which are too often a prey to anothers avarice this is safe in Gods owne keeping till we shall lay downe our non age and lives together And what doe we meane to spend our precious soules on these perishing treasures A Kingdome prepared for Us and we not yet prepared for the Kingdome doe you not heare the world call upon you upbraiding as it were your mistaken confidence in it For what are all these Warres and Tumults but the worlds out-cry to us what are those Defects and Imperfections in the creature but their Broken Language whereby they doe beseech us to depart from them and seeke after our Aeternall patrimony in the Creator For we love not God at all if he hath not All our love Neither Cum nor Praeter must devide it that 's the particular the Diversity of the Praepositions Nothing with nothing besides thee that I desire The originall admits of no variety 3. The Diversity of the praepositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but once in the verse but the accent Revia as Chimki observes distinguishing both parts makes it tuneable in both Yet behold the modesty of Scripture which rather understands the same word then suffers a Tautology much unlike some audacious devotion that hath many petitions in it but not diverse Not to stay though at the grammar of the text To love the creature for the creature is Epicurisme To love the Creator for the creature is Mercenary To love the Creator with the creature is spitituall adultery but to love the Creator for the creator is true charity Uno oculorum said Christ of his Church Thou hast wounded my heart with One of thine eyes True love hath but a single eye Cant. 4.9 or if more the Naturalist sayes there is such a motion of consent betweene them that one will not suffer the other to be disloyall but are both fixed upon one object Cypr. A lascivious glaunce upon the creature had made the Spouse Adulter a Christo In the Schooles Aquinas Daven in ◠col Principale obiectum God is the principall object of humane charity the creatures deserve not our love but in ordine ad illum as we espy some darke lineaments of the Diety in them Indeed we may use the creatures as so many rounds in Iacobs ladder whereby we climbe up to God himselfe and therefore Richardus Victorinus Integer amator Dei L. De gradibus charit quocunque se vertit a perfect lover of God cannot turne about his eye but he sees every creature ready to catechize his love in the meanest created object he calls to minde that increated charity so farre we love the creatures that we may love the Creator the more Fruimur Deo utimur aliis we doe but make use of them to enjoy God Qui diligunt Deum propter aliud Simoniacè diligunt sayes Gerson wittily he that loves God for any thing but himselfe commits Simony in his love Gerson centilogio dec 4. 'T is not the Clergy mans sinne onely though our Country Patrons force us too often to aske the price of our owne patrimony but there is a Lay Simony too when you love God no longer then you can get by him like those people that worshipped Nilus only so long as his rich inundations filled their barnes with corne 'T was Saint Austines argument to such men and may it prevaile with us Ser. 46. de tempore Si dulcis est mundus dulcior est Christus If there be such sweetnesse in the creature which is but a drop as to allure thy desires shall not the transcendent delight in the Creator who is the fountaine command thy affection Could I present the King in the Text with all the delights and treasures in the world nay could I fetch you backe that Beloved peace that is fled from us Nibil dulcescit nisi hoc uno condiatur We should finde no sweetnesse in it unlesse it were seasoned with the Deity Had we kept our God with our former peace we had not beene to seeke it now Were every souldier in our armies multiplyed into a thousand Chrys in Psal 7. v. 3 every Garrison environed with a wall of brasse and Castle of Diamond Nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were the whole world on the march for us against the enemy it were an inconsiderable force unlesse God himselfe lead up the Van◠And why should we neglect him any longer without whom are conquered even when we are conquerours Whilest we thinke of recruiting our Armies let us not forget to reruite our affiance in God The Eclipses we have suffered are but the Interpositions of our own carnall confidence The losses we have undergone are but the corrections of our mistrust Take it from the mouth of a King though in a more desperate condition then We God be blessed have ever yet seene yet Jehosaphat in as great a streight as ever Prince was stood up and said O Judah and ye inhabitants of Hierusalem beleeve in the Lord your God so shall ye be established beleeve his Prophets 2. Chron. 20. v. 20. so shall ye yet prosper O our God though we know not what to doe yet our eyes looke up unto thee Let not this Kingdome we beseech thee be made an Aceldama We have beene thy Eden O make us not now a desolate wildernesse but be favourable to Sion build up the walls of Hierusalem For whom have we in Heaven but thee O Lord and there is none upon earth that we desire but thee To whom be ascribed of Us Men on earth and Angells above All glory honour power and thanksgiving world without end Amen FINIS