guard over every one David witnesseth He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes and Christ the most faithfull witnesse saith Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their Angels alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heaven Concerning protectors of Provinces and Kingdomes Daniel testifieth of Michael the Angel who is there called a Prince Lastly for protection of the Church take S. Iohn for a witnesse who mentioneth the Angell of the Church of Ephesus of Smyrna and so of the rest Consider then how carefull GOD who needeth none of our goods is over us his poore servants What could he have done to manifest his great love to us and hath not he hath loaden us with blessings that we might abide in him he hath compassed us with protectors that we might not flye from him he hath environed us with keepers that we should not be snatched from him what would he doe for us if we were his treasure as indeed he is ours Therefore at the last yeeld to his love and being overcome with the love of so great a lover give thy selfe wholly to his service and will let nothing trouble thee which thou seest but thinke upon invisible things and desire them earnestly For the things which aâ—e seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall 5. The last office of Angels is to be Souldiers or Captaines to execute Gods vengeance upon Nations and threats to people They were Angels that burnt the infamous Cities of Sodome and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone They were Angels that slew all the first borne of Aegypt It was an Angell that slew 185000. Assyrians and they shal be Angels that in the last day shall sever the bad from among the just and shall cast them into a furnace of fire Wherefore let every good Man love his fellow Citizens the holy Angels let wicked men tremble at the power of the Angels being Ministers of the wrath of Almighty GOD out of whose hands none can deliver them DEGREE X. By the Consideration of the Essence of GOD by the similitude of his Corporall greatnesse WE have ascended as high as we can by Created substances and yet cannot attaine to that knowledge of GOD to which by speculation we may come even in this valley of teares It remaines therefore that we see whether by such dimensions of corporall quantities as we know we may ascend to the latitude longitude height and depth of the invisible essence of GOD. For those things are accounted great among the creatures which have these foure great dimensions And GOD in the Psalmes and other places of Scripture is called great and that of his greatnesse there is no end Certainely St. Bernard a great contemplative man of these dimensions made himselfe degrees to know GOD in the Book which he wrote to Pope Eugenius about consideration Neither was he the first finder out or inventor of the degrees of this kind but learned this manner of ascending from the Apostle who searched into the third heaven and to Paradise For thus he saith That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height for if a man shall duely consider with himselfe he shall finde that there is nothing full and solid without GOD but all things are narrow streight short poore empty or superficiall but that in GOD is true latitude his immensity true longitude his eternity true height the sublimity of his nature true depth his incomprehensibility without bottome Againe true height his omnipotence true depth his infinite wisedome true latitude his bowels full of mercy true longitude his ful perfect justice But it will not be sufficient to touch these considerations lightly if a man would ascend and finde what he lookes for but to comprehend these dimensions as the Apostle hath set them downe in the verse before quoted And he it is that comprehends them which seriously thinking on them is fully perswaded that they are so in him indeed and being so perswaded sells all that he hath to buy this knowledge And the Apostle fitly addes with all Saints for onely the Saints comprehend it or there is none that comprehends it as he ought but it will make him a Saint St. Augustine is not repugnant to that which hath been said when in an Epistle to Honoratus he writes that when the Apostle describes these 4. dimensions he describes or depicts the Crosse of Christ The latitude in the transverse or crosse piece to which our Saviours hands were fastned the longitude in the upright piece to which his body adhered the sublimity in that piece above or on the upper part of the Crosse whereon the title was written and the depth in that piece which was fastned into the ground he doth not I say oppose our intention but rather helpes it For the Crosse of Christ is the true way to obtaine and comprehend these 4. dimensions for though the Crosse of Christ to mens eyes seeme streight short shallow and not high yet in truth Christ extended and stretched out his armes from East to West and from North to South that is he spread his glory farre and neere by the preaching of the Apostles and erected the crowne of his head to the highest heaven which like a key opened it to the Elect and lastly pierced downe to the depth of hell which he barred and closed from the Elect for ever We will begin from his Essence and then proceed to his Attributes The Essence of God may be truly called most broad and is of the greatest latitude in many respects 1. First it is most broad in it selfe and altogether immense because it comprehends and containes all the perfections of created things as also of those which may be created and so endlesse without number For whatsoever is or shal be or can be made without doubt are contained in God after a more excellent manner Therefore other things are good with an addition as a good man a good horse a good house good apparell and the like But GOD is all good When Moses desired GOD to shew him his glory GOD answered I will make all good goe before thee Suppose a man had some one thing which comprehended all the objects of the sences in full perfection so that he need not goe out of dores either to see heare smell tast or touch any thing having as great delight and pleasure at home in that one thing as any voluptuous man could wish were not this a very pretious thing but if this also contayned in it asmuch wealth as would satisfie a covetous man were it not more pretious or if this one thing besides pleasure and wealth brought with it asmuch honour and dignity as would content the most ambitious would it not seeme to exceed all
clearely as he is in himselfe and shalt enjoy him farre better and more intimately then thou now dost these created and transitorie things For hearken to Christ who saith Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see GOD. Heare what St. Paul saith Now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face And lastly heare what St. Iohn saith We shal be like unto him for we shall see him as he is Besides I aske thee how much of the world or of the things belonging to it dost thou enjoy Certainely but a small portion or part of it in comparison of the magnitude before spoken of and this also in short time thou knowest not how soone will'st thou nill'st thou thou must leave and forgoe But GOD in whom are all things thou shalt enjoy for ever for GOD shall be all in all He will be life meate apparell house honour riches delights and all things To which we may adde that GOD is so gracious and mercifull that in this time of thy pilgrimage he forbiddes thee not the comfort of his creatures from which he is so farre as that he created them all for thy service but this he commands that thou use them moderately soberly and temperately and that thou impart them to and communicate them with those which want and that chearefully and lastly that they rule not over thee but thou over them Lay these things together and bethinke thy selfe whether it wil be better for thee in this life to be contented with these created things asmuch as shall be necessary for thy sustentation and in the other life to enjoy GOD the Creator in whom are all things or in this life to so covet them as never to be satisfied and in the other life to be bereft of all these temporalls and those spirituall and eternall also Consider also that GOD is not so farre from those which love him as not to afford them great content and delights in this life and those greater then the lovers of the world find in these created things For it is not written in vaine Delight in the LORD and he shall give thee thy hearts desire and the meeke spirited shall possesse the earth and shal be refreshed c. and the Apostle I am filled with comfort c. And the Psalmist againe In the multitude of sorrowes that were in my heart thy comforts ô LORD have refreshed my soule Of which two last cited places the meaning is not that comfort ariseth out of tribulation joy out of griefe for thornes doe not bring forth grapes nor thistles figges but that GOD doth Minister to those which love him such pure and solid comforts to asswage their troubles as that temporall joyes are not to be compared with them Therefore let this be thy firme conclusion be thus ever perswaded in thy heart That he which findeth GOD findeth allthings and he which loseth him loseth allthings It followeth that by the vertue and power of things created and which GOD hath given to them we ascend to the knowledge of the infinite power and vertue of the Creator There is hardly any thing at all which hath not some extraordinary or admirable vertue power or efficacie in it The earth or stone if it fall from high with what force and violence doth it alight what doth it not crush in pieces what doth it not breake what can resist the force of it The holy Spirit in the Revelation when he would describe the fall of Babylon saith thus Then a mighty Angel tooke up a great stone like a Mill-stone and cast it into the Sea saying With such violence shall that great Citie be cast and shall be found no more The water which flowes gently and pleasingly upon the face of the earth if it be stirred in rivers or swift streames with what violence it overthrowes and destroyes all it meets with not onely Cottages but Gates and Walls and Bridges of stone and what not The winds which sometimes blow sweetly being enraged dash Ships against Rockes and turne up old and strong Oakes and other Trees by the roots What shall we say of fire a comfortable element with what speed a little sparkle of it increaseth into so great a flame as consumes and devoures whole Townes Cities and Forrests Behold saith Saint James how great a matter a little fire kindleth Againe how many vertues lye secret in herbs and stones In some beasts what strength appeares as in the Lyon Elephant Beare Horse and Bull. In others what wit and craft as in the little Ant Spider the Bee and the Foxe To say nothing of the power of Angels of the vertue of the Sun and Starres which are farre from us and looke upon and consider the wit of Man whereby so many Arts are invented as that sometime it is a disputable question whether art should give place to nature or nature to art Raise thy mind then againe to GOD and consider how great power efficacie and vertue is in the Creator the LORD GOD of whom the Scripture saith most truely Moses in his song Who is like unto thee O LORD among the Gods and King David Who onely doth great wonders and Saint Paul The blessed and onely Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords for the Creatures have their power onely from him and that so long as he pleaseth Who kept Ionas in the Whales belly so that neither the teeth of the Whale nor the violence of the water could doe him any hurt but GOD Who shut the mouthes of the hungry lyons from touching Daniel but GOD Who preserved the three Children in the fiery hot furnace from the force of the fire but GOD Who rebuked the raging Sea and the furious winds but CHRIST who is true GOD GOD it is that hath no power nor vertue from any but his will is his power and a power that cannot be resisted and he hath infinite power alwaies hath it and hath it in all places all the power of Man being compared with his is not small and little but none at all for so speakes the Prophet Esay All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity Are not they then unwise who fearing the Creature feare not the Almighty GOD and that trust either in their owne or their friends strength and not in GOD Almighty If GOD be on our side who can be against us and if GOD be against us who can be on our side Therefore if thou be wise Humble thy selfe under the mighty hand of GOD cleave to him in true piety and thou shalt not need to feare what either Man the Devill or other creature can doe against thee If perhaps thou hast fallen from goodnesse and hast provoked thy GOD to anger give no rest to the temples of thy head untill thou hast made thy peace againe with him for it is
which enlightens the understanding David in his prospeâ—ity said he should never be â—emoved GOD did but turn â—way his face and his sightâ—egan â—egan to be cleared Lastly the Idle person canâ—ot shall not see GOD because â—e takes no paines labours not â—or this sight he is as a deadâ—an â—an David in his idlenesse â—â—st the sight of GOD. For the â—yes of the slothfull are also â—losed they cannot see him But â—f thou hast a desire to see GOD thou shalt finde him if thou seek him with all thine heart and with all thy soule that is fervently and diligently Thus have we a short survey of the blind for all which I will pray with Elisha LORD open their eyes and that the eyes of their understanding may be enlightned and advise them with the Prophet Looke yeâ— blind that ye may see that when with Balaam their eyes be opened they may see the vision of the Almighty And now that you have seen that to seeke and know GOD the Creator is every mans duty as being commanded perswaded and patterned and the it is the end for which man wâ—â— created as also having a shoâ—â— direction set before you foâ— preparation to this sight anâ— search together with some cautions to avoyd the hinderance and lets to it let us consider little how farre we may enter into this search by sufficient warrant that we stare not upon the Sun while we become blind For Noli altum saperâ— sed time was a good rule No man hath seene GOD at any time saith St Iohn and No man shall see GOD and live saith GOD himselfe For you must know saith St. Augustine that GOD cannot be expressed in words nor comprehended in any mans thought or knowledge and his reason follows how saith he could we proclaim him immense and in comprehensible if he could be included in the speech or thought of any man and it appeares how admirable he is by that that he is unutterable by all tongues and incomprehensible within any thoughts And againe Because GOD is above all it followes that he must needs exceed the capacity of men Men by the acutenesse of the mind may reach high but they behold what GOD is rather in opinion then definition His fullnesse none either with corporeall eyes or with the mind it selfe have at any time apprehended If then we can neither see nor know nor apprehend him to what purpose is it that we are so often commanded and advised to seeke him We must seeke see and know him iâ— this parallel As the Sun is onely to be looked on so that it may be seene and no more lest by beholding it too stedfastly we see lesse then we might so GOD is to be knowne so much as he permits thee to know and understand of him and no more And how farre or short are we limited how farre may we goe in the lawfull sight and knowledge of him for though we take never so much warrantable paines to know and see him yet wee shall but see him in this pilgrimage through a glasse darkly as the Apostle speakes It is true yet paines we must â—ake and wayes we must and may use to see him For GOD hath given man understanding above all creatures to the end that he should both see and know him in this vale of misery And â—o hold you no longer in suspence I conceive that the best and safest way to come to the sight and knowledge of him is by the consideration of his Creatures and Attributes For in the first place it was Davids practice to muse upon all his workes and the dayes of old that is as some Commentators have it the sixe dayes of the creation And therefore they are justly taxed with the name of vaine that are ignorant of GOD and that could not out of the good things that are seene know him that is neither considering the workes did they acknowledge the worke-master For by the greatnesse and beauty of the Creature proportionably the maker of them is seen And St. Paul affirmes that GODS eternall power and Godhead is understood by the things that are made and St. Augustine goes a little further when he saies That to see the Creator by the Creature the Maker by his worke and the Architector of the world by the World is asmuch as Man can see concerning GOD. And as he may be seene in his Creatures so in his Attributes he is no lesse visible no lesse admirable for if we well consider him besides his infinite Essence in his Power Wisedome Mercy and Justice his principall Attributes we may see and understand so much of him as may conduce to the knowledge of him in this life And yet I must confesse that what sight we have of him here is but as St. Paul speaketh in the place formerly quoted per speculum in aenigmate through a glasse darkely to that which in the beatificall vision we shall see of him to our comfort most clearly if by our lives here he shall hereafter thinke us worthy of that most blessed sight And thus having briefly shewed the necessity of this duty and how farre and by what meanes we may wade to the attayning of the knowledge of the Creator give me leave to tender to your view a more ample devout and pious Treatise tending to that purpose which I have turned into true Orthodoxe English though in a plaine Dialect which at the first I sâ—lely intended for my owne private use but now not doubting of your favourable acceptance for the publique good as I hope Commending it and you therefore to the blessing of that Creator who so instruct us all in his knowledge here that hereafter we may with comfort see him face to face and know him as we are knowne I rest Yours in CHRIST IESUS H. I. THE PREFACE to the ensuing TREATISE WE are oft times admonished in holy Scripture carefully to seek GOD for though he be not farre from every one of us seeing we live move and have our being in him as the Apostle speakes yet are wee farre from him and unlesse we daily frame ascents in our hearts and raise steps and greeces towards Heaven and seeke him with much labour we doe but take our journey with the Prodigall into a Countrey farre from our owne and from our Father where wee but feede swine Now briefly to unfold and resolve how these agree that GOD iâ— not farre from us and yet wee very farre from him We say that GOD is not farre from us because he daily seeth us all things being in his sight He also thinkes daily of us because he careth for us and he also daily toucheth us as bearing all things by his mighty Word And againe we are farre from GOD because we neither doe nor can see him dwelling in inaccessible light and we are not able to thinke any thing of GOD of our selves as of our selves much lesse
which are stronger in many beasts then in Man but by the mind indued with reason and will that is not by that which he hath common and alike with them but by that by which he is distinguished from them and made like unto GOD. Rowse thy selfe then and frame thy selfe after thy patterne and consider that all the good thou receivest by this Image consists in the likenesse and resemblance thou hast to it Thy patterne is GOD whose beauty is infinite Light in whom there is no darknes whose beauty the Sun and Moone admire And that thou mayst the more easilie imitate thy patterne on which thy whole perfection profit honour joy rest and indeed thy whole good depends conceive the beauty of GOD thy patterne to consist in wisdome and holinesse For as the beauty of the body ariseth from the just proportion of the members and sweetnesse of the colour so in the spirituall substance the pleasantnesse of the colour is the light of wisedome the proportion of the members is sanctitie and righteousnesse not any particular justice but universall which conteyneth all other vertues and therfore that may be said to be the most beautifull spirit whose mind shineth with the light of wisedome and whose will hath the greatest measure of perfect righteousnesse GOD then thy patterne is that Wisdome and that Righteousnes and in respect thereof is beauty it selfe And because both these Attributes of GOD are specified in Scripture under the name of sanctity it is that the Angels in Esay cry unto him Holy Holy Holy is the LORD GOD of Hosts and GOD himselfe cryeth to his Images Be holy for I am holy and our Saviour in the Gospell Bee perfect as your Father which in Heaven is perfect Wherefore if thou desirest to be like thy patterne thou must love Wisedome and Righteousnesse above all things True Wisedome which is one part of spirituall beauty is to judge of all things according to the supreme cause and the most high cause is the divine will of GOD or his Law which manifests his will to Man If therefore thou love Wisedome thou must not lend thine eare to what the Law of the flesh shall dictate what thy sences shall judge to be good what the World shall approve of what any Man shall insinuate to thee but stop thine eares to them and marke onely what the will of GOD thy LORD is and account that most profitable and above all things to be desired which shal be most conformable to his will and Law This is the wisedome of the Saints of which the wiseman wrote I loved her above health and beauty and purposed to take her for my light for her light cannot be quenched All good things therefore came to me with her The other part of this spirituall beauty is Righteousnesse and this containes all vertues which adorne and beauâ—ifie the will the chiefe whereof is love the mother of all graces which not onely comprehends all the rest as St. Augustine speaketh but indeed as St. Paul affirmeth is the fulfilling of the Law and on the other side He which keepeth his word that is his Law in him is the love of GOD perfect indeed as St. John They therefore which would be made like to the Divine patterne must hearken to and obey this counsaile Be ye followers of GOD as deare children and walke in love The Son is the image of his Father and all the good which ariseth from this image as is before said is to become like to the patterne Oh if thou wouldst fully understand these things and that being made like unto GOD by the beauty of true Wisedome and Righteousnesse thou much pleasest him what peace wouldst thou enjoy how joyfull wouldst thou be how easily wouldst thou despise all the blandishments of this deceitfull world Againe if thou wouldst consider how highly GOD wil be displeased when he shall see his image wanting the light of wisedome and the robe of Righteousnesse to be polluted defiled and darkned and that Man being placed in such honour as to be like to GOD to be now compared to the beasts that perish certainely thou wouldst be amazed and tremble neither wouldst thou be at rest untill by floods of teares springing from bitter contrition thou shouldst wash away all thy spots and steynes and returne to the likenes of thy most beautifull patterne But because in the meane time while thou walkest away and wandrest from GOD and that thou walkest by Faith and not by sight thou continually wantest his aid and assistance aswell that thou mayst abide in that likenes which thou hast as that daily thou mayst become more like that is more beautifull and clearer mourne heartily and pray to him and say O holy Lord and most mercifull whom it hath pleased to make this my soule thine Image make perfect I beseech thee thy worke increase my Wisedome increase my Righteousnesse hide my soule in the secret place of thy Tabernacle that it be not defiled with the mud of carnall concupiscence nor with the smoke of secular honour nor the dust of earthly thoughts The last quaere remaines to be resolv'd which is Whereto or for what Man was brought into the World The end of his Creation This end was no other then GOD himselfe But because there is a double end Internall or Inward and Externall or Outward We will consider them apart briefly The Internall or Inward end is the perfect state or condition of any thing to which the same may attaine as for example a Palace or any other structure is then and not till then accounted perfect and finished when nothing is wanting which is requisite to the building of it So the inward end of a tree is the perfect state thereof and then it is said to have attayned his end when after the full growth it beareth fruit A Man therefore who is created to a most high end may then be said to have obtayned his end when his mind shall see God as he is and by seeing him shall know all things his will shall most ardently love and enjoy that chief good and happinesse and his body being becom immortall and impassible shall live in perpetuall peace and joy And because the essence of this finall beatitude is the vision of GOD by which we the Images of GOD shall come to a perfect state and perfect similitude with our divine patterne therefore it is that St John saith Now are we the Sons of GOD but yet it is not made manifest what we shall be and we know that when he shall be made manifest we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Oh! if thou couldst imagine what this is that we shal be like him for we shall see him as he is how quickly would all the clouds of earthly desires be dispersed GOD is most blessed and therefore most blessed because he alwaies sees himselfe as he is and enjoyes
in making or changing ' dissolving or preserving them I will consider the heavens saith the Psasmist even the worke of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordayned For those transcendent workes hath the moâ—â— highest reserved to himselfe he began to lay the foundation and he hath brought the fabrique to perfection As also spirituall things Angels and the soules of men which are the most noble and sublime workes of all other the most high GOD by his power onely hath crâ—ated prâ—serveth and so will for ever neither hath any creature hand or part in making of them nor though all the creatures should joyne together could they â—ither make or destroy one Angell or one soule 2. Secondly the altitude of the divine power is most perspicuously seene in Gods miracles which as St. Augustine saith are workes beyond the ordinary course and order of nature and doe amaze men and Angels to behold as when at the command of Josue the Sun and Moone which are carried by most swift motion stood still And least we should conceive that this hapned by any chance or that so unusuall a thing should be done by any mortall the holy Ghost saith That the LORD heard the voyce of a man Neither indeed did Iosue properly speake to the Sun and Moone who he knew could not heare his command but he spake to the LORD as if he should say by the commandement of the LORD Sun stay thou in Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Ajalon And the LORD heard the voyce of a man that is he brought to passe that these great lights obeyed the voyce of a man for GOD oftimes in Scripture is said to doe those things for whose sake they are done as in Genesis GOD said to Abraham Now I know that thou fearest the Lord the meaning of these words being Now I have brought it to passe that it may be knowne that thou truly fearest the Lord. Such another worke declaring the height of the divine power was at the passion of our Saviour when the Moone being in a great distance from the Sun with a most swift course came to be in conjunction with it and for three houres space made darknesse on the earth and after those three houres returned as swiftly to the place from whence it came all which St. Dionysius the Areopagite testified that he observed in an Epistle to St. Polycarpus This though it were a miracle contrary to the former yet no lâ—sse wonderfull seeing it is alike new and unusuall for the Moon to stand still as to exceed its bounds beyond custome To omit the restoring sight to the blind and life to the dead and many other acts and miracles of the like nature which GOD doth and hath done by his Prophets Apostles and faithfull servants all which cry Who is like unto thee ô LORD among the Gods But I cannot let passe the most supreme and highest miracle which GOD will shew in the last day when all the dead shall rise againe together of which many of their bodies have been reduced to ashes and scattered or consumed and devoured by beasts and changed into other bodies 〈◊〉 buried in fields and gardens and transformed into diverse herbs Which of the Angels will not be amazed when in the twinkling of an eye at the command of the Almighty so many myriads of men shall resume their bodies although they have bin buried scattered or devoured many ages before This is therefore the altitude or height of Gods omnipotence in regard of which we may likewise say Quis similis tibi in fortibus Domine Who is like unto thee ô Lord among the Gods It remaines that we speake of the depth of Gods power which as I conceive consists in the meanes or manner he useth in making things for who can dive or wade into the meanes of making something of nothing they could never pierce into the depth of it who resolved it for a certaine and true principle that of nothing comes nothing And we our selveâ— beleeve what we see not in this point but we securely beleeve GOD who caennot lye We beleeve I say that the heaven and earth and all things in them were created by GOD himselfe when there was nothing before to make them of neither could it be truely said that GOD made all things if there had bin any thing before of which they had bin made but how they could be so made there being nothing before to make them of is a most deepe abysse which we can neither search into nor finde out 2. Againe as GOD made all things of nothing so he made them also in nothing that is without a space preceding or a place where to bestow what he made which especially in corporall things can hardly be understood Take away distances spaces of places saith St. Augustine from bodies and they wil be no where and if they will be no where they will not be at all Well then if there were nothing no place before GOD created heaven and earth where did GOD place heaven and earth certainly in nothing they could not be placed and yet they were created and were themselves a place to themselves because he so would and could which can doe all things although we cannot understand how they could bee done And to this GOD had an eye when holy Job desirous to declare his omnipotence said in the person of GOD Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth declare if thou hast understanding Who hath layd out the measures thereof if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line over it Whereupon are the foundations thereof set or who layd the corner stone thereof And that we might understand that these workes of the Lord were most worthy of all praise he addeth in the next verse When the Starres of the morning praised me together and all the children of GOD rejoyced that is the holy Angels who were created at the same time with heaven and earth and are as it were spirituâ—ll Starres and most bright and may be called the children of GOD as soone as they perceived the heavens and earth to proceed from nothing and placed in nothing yet most surely founded upon their owne stability they I say with wonderfull astonishment and joy magnified the omnipotence of the Creator 3. Nor is it lesse deep to be understood that GOD by the onely command of His will should erect such immense heapeâ— or piles for we know by expâ—rience that in buildings without all comparison farre lesse what instruments what engines what laborâ—rs workemen need who can then apprehend how it came to passe that by his onely internall will which went not out of the willer so many immense and severall workes were performed GOD said that is with himselfe for the word of GOD is in GOD and is GOD himselfe by commanding and expressing the command of his will Let the
what they were to doe themselves or else they related by the swiftnesse of their nature what was done afarre off and that with such speed that it seemed as yet or then not done to those which were afarre off from the place in which it came to passe or else what they conjectured by their long experience would happen or be as many times marriners doe of the winds husbandmen of rayne and physitians of diseases but concerning those things wherin the Devils were questioned and were ignorant they would answer with such circuits and equivocations that when they were false they retorted the error upon the wrong interpreters of them It is GOD therefore onely of whose wisedome there is no end and it is he that delivers true Oracles and foretells truly of all future things contingent and free The next point to be considered is the altitude of the divine wisedome which is so high that it exceeds all sublimity of humane or Angelicall wisedome The height of this wisedome is known by the excellencie 1 Of the object 2 Of the power 3 Of the species or forme 4 Of the Act. 1. The object of Gods wisedome is not onely naturall but proportionate with the divine essence which is so sublime that it is not proportionate to the understanding either of men or Angels and therfore the highest Angels themselves cannot come to the fight of GOD unlesse they be lifted up by the light of glory and this is the cause why GOD in holy Scriptures is called invisible To the King everlasting saith St. Paul immortall invisible GOD and the same Apostle that he dwelleth in light which none can attaine to 2. The power which is an accident in us is a divine substance in GOD and in this respect far more sublime and higher then in us 3. The species is so much the higher by how many the more things it represents and in this regard the Angels are reputed to have higher knowledge by having the more universall and fewer species How great then is the height of Gods wisedome that hath no other species or forme then his essence which is but one and onely enough and sufficient to GOD to represent and make knowne himselfe and all things created or to be created or which may be created 4. Lastly that wisedome or knowledge is accounted the more noble and higher which knowes most things by fewest acts But GOD at one onely sight which is ever most strong in him and remaineth unchangeable in him perfectly knoweth himselfe and all other things and therefore the wisedome of GOD is to be accounted the most noble and sublime Lift up thine eyes then and consider how much thy knowledge differs from that of thy Creators for thou although by many acts and by running this and that way canst not attaine to the knowledge of any one thing perfectly but thy Creator beholds and sees all things and himselfe most clearly and distinctly by one act alone And yet thou thy selfe now lying in darkenesse by the wings of Faith and Love mayst if thou wilt ascend so high that after the laying aside of this mortall body being translated from glory to glory thou mayst see GOD the light in Gods light and being made like to GOD mayst at one view see GOD in eternity in himselfe and thy selfe and all created things together in GOD for saith St. Gregory What shall not he see which shall see him that seeth all things and what pleasure glory and plenty will there be then when being admitted to that inaccessible light thou shalt be partaker of all thy Masters joyes The Queene of Saba when she had heard Salomons wisedome and had seene the wise and orderly disposing of the servants of his house was astonished and cryed out Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand ever before thee and heare thy wisedome and what comparison was there between Solomons wisedome and the wisedome of GOD who is onely wise and is wisedome it selfe and what was the order of the servants of Solomon compared with the orders of Gods Angels of which thousands of thousands minister to him certainely if thou wouldst but apprehend and tast these things but a little thou wouldst relish nothing thou wouldst weigh nothing and there is nothing that thou wouldst not willingly suffer to deserve well of him In the meane time therefore humble thy selfe under the mighty hand of GOD that he may exalt thee in the day of visitation humble thy understanding to faith that thou mayst be exalted to the vision of GOD humble thy will to the obedience of his Commandements that thou mayst be exalted to the glorious liberty of the Sons of GOD and humble thy flesh with patience labours and fasting that GOD may exalt it glorified to everlasting rest It remaineth that we consider the depth of Gods wisedome which seemes chiefly to consist in searching the reynes and hearts that is in knowing the thoughts and concupiscences of men especially in things to come Man looketh upon the outward appearance saith GOD himselfe but the LORD beholdeth the heart and David saith Thou Lord understandest my thoughts long before thou art about my pathes and spiest out all my wayes and the LORD saw that all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onely evill continually and I the LORD search the hearts and reynes and When JESVS saw their thoughts and But he knew their thoughts and Why reason you thus in your hearts saith our Saviour And therefore all the thoughts and desires of men although present are so deepe that neither Angels Devils or Men can enter into them but farre deeper are their future desires and thoughts and into these Men nor Angels as they cannot search into so neither can they finde out the way whereby GOD onely knowes them And this David seemes to intimate when he saith Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me that is thy knowledge is so wonderfull that I know not how thou attainest to it and this he meaneth concerning Gods knowledge of thoughts and desires to come as may easily be gathered by that which he said in the first verse of this Psalme It may be objected that God foresees these thoughts in his eternity to whom all things are present or in the predetermination of his will and if it be so then this knowledge is not so admirable for wee also may easily know what we intend to doe or what is present to us But the Scripture plainly saith that GOD searcheth the hearts and reynes and sees there what a man either desires or thinks or what he shall hereafter desire or thinke And this is admirable to understand how GOD by searching the reynes and hearts should see what as yet is not there and which depends upon the liberty of mans will whether it shal be there or no. Therefore as it is proper to the height of Gods power to make something
Christ and the thiefe confessed him This is true but could not Christ have looked upon Iudas as he did upon Peter and could he not infused that effectuall grace into Iudas which can be rejected by no hard heart and could not Christ have given faith and repentance to both the theeves as to one or have suffered both of them to have died in their sinnes as he did one of them and who can give a reason why GOD translated some least wickednesse should alter their understanding as is said of Henoch and not others but suffers them to become evill of good men and to finish their dayes in wickednes What shall we say of whole Countries whereof some are sooner some later called to that faith without which none can be saved He that hath not beleeved is already judged saith the Apostle and againe Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shal be saved But how shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeeved c These are Gods highest secrets and most deepe which he hath placed in the abysse of his wisedome which the Apostle admires but opens not when he cryes out O the depth both of the wisedome and knowledge of GOD how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayespast finding out Who knew the minde of the LORD or who was his counsailor This onely we may knâ—w that there is no iniquity with GOD and that in the last day there will be none but must confesse and say Just art thou ô LORD and just are thy judgements and this use we may make of this secret that no wicked man despaire nor any good man presume of his salvation and that good men distrust not of any mans conversion let them pray for all and be sollicitous of their salvation and on the other side let none though good and holy grow insolent considering no man knowes what to morrow may produce but let every man workâ— his owne salvation infeare and trembling Now all these things considered strive by good workes to make thy vocation and election sure saith St. Peter and what these workes are the Apostle St. Iohn tells us Little children let us not love in word neither in tongue onely but in deed and truth It is love without which no man is saved and with which no man is condemned and love is shewed by workes when any man neither out of hope of temporall retribution or out of extraordinary and inordinate affection to the creature but in hearty and pure love to GOD and his neighbour either gives almes liberally to the poore or forgives injuries to his enemies and that not onely for a time but he which endureth to the end shal be saved Therefore the Apostle saith Give diligence that is be earnest anxious and sollicitous in the businesse or worke of eternallsalvation And truly if there be any probable argument of Gods election this is it when a man being more sollicitâ—â—s of his salvation then of any other thing ceaseth not to pray to GOD for the guifts of true repentance true humility perfect love and charity and perseverance to the end and not onely satisfied with prayer but strives to seeke the Kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and to findâ— it with all his force and strength DEGREE XIIII By the Consideration of the Mercy of GOD. THe spirit of GOD in holy Scripture doth wonderfully excell this mercy of His insomuch as he preferres it before all the rest of His workes for so saith the Psalmist The LORD is loving unto every man and his Mercy is over all his works We shall easily see the magnitude of this divine attribute if we diligently consider it according to the 4. former dimensions The latitude of Gods mercy consists in this that GOD and GOD alone can deliver us out of all our miseries and this he doth not for any benefit to himselfe but out of the love which he hath and beareth to all things created It is true that created things can take away some miseries as bread hunger drinke thirst clothes nakednes and knowledge ignorance and so of the rest but no creature can take away all miseries besides there are some miseries which are so much the more grievous by how much the more hidden and inward and none can give ease or remedy to these but GOD onely such are the snares of the Devils who are many most subtill powerfull and ill affected to us such also are the errors and blindnesse of the minde and of an erroneous conscience which we see not in our selves so that oftimes we seeme to be very well touching the inward man when as indeed we are in a miserable plight and dangerous and who can deliver us from these maladies but onely the Almighty Physician And therfore when GOD heales us of these infirmities and we have no feeling of the cure we never returne him thanks and so it may truly be said of us that GOD is good to the unthankfull and evill for we scarce know the least part of Gods benefits neither give him thankes for them with that devotion and humility we ought Againe created things not onely take not away all miseries but some few and those they take not away from all men but from a few It is GOD onely that can deliver all men from all miseries and although he doe not take all from all men yet there is no man who participates not of some mercy of God for as King David saith The earth is full of the goodnesse of the LORD and as our Church in the Liturgy saith O GOD whose nature and property is ever to have mercy because it belongs to him to take away misery who wanteth misery and to him onely it appertaines to free all men from all misery that onely is free himselfe from all misery and who is he but onely GOD who is pure act and the chiefe good and from whose essence proceeds all blessednesse O that thou couldst but attaine by thy thoughts what a life is that of GOD thy Father which is elevated above all misery and is pure and altogether happinesse it selfe how wouldst thou desire to be lodged in his brest that it might be said of thee There shall no evill happen unto thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling But thou wilt say If GOD can take away all miseries from all men why doth he not so being a Father of mercies that is a most mercifull Father whence comes it that so many miseries abound in mankinde under the goverment of a Father of mercies why is it rather said The earth is full of the mercy of the LORD then the earth is full of misery It is true that GOD can take away these and all miseries but he onely removeth those which his wisdome thinketh fit to be taken away And the wisedome of GOD thinketh it not expedient for men themselves to take them