The Black Devil, Text 2
THE Spirituall Nauigator BOVND For the Holy Land.
Reuel. Chap. 4. ver. 6.
Before the Throne there was a Sea of Glasse like vntounto Chrystall.
IF I hauehave beene somewhat long on the Sea, you will excuse me. It is a great and vaste Element to trauell ouer in so short a time. Some Obseruations I hauehave giuen you; that I might not crosse the World without some fruite of my voyage. OnelyOnly what I hauehave spoken of the waters, let it not be drown'd in the waters, as the prouerbe saith; not perish in your memories, without some fruite in your liues.
The next circumstance giues the world, not only for a Sea, but Mare vitreum, a Sea of glasse. You see, I must carry you further on this Element, and yet at last leaue many coasts vnuisited, much smotherd in silence. Let not all be via nauis, as the Wise man speaketh, the way of a Ship on the sea, leauing no tracke or print in your meditations.
This glassy attribute shall giuegive vsus obseruable three properties in the world. 1. Colour. 2. Slipperinesse. 3. Brittlenesse. As certainely as you finde these qualities in Glasse, expect them in the world.
Colour.
There is a Glassy colour congruent to the Sea. So Virgil insinuates, describing the Nereades, certaine marine Nymphs.
Milesia vellera Nymphae Carpebant Hyali saturo fucata colore.Georg. 4.
And not farre remou'd.
Vitreis que sedilibus omnes
Obstupuere. VVhichWhich is spoken, not in respect of the matter, but of the Colour, and perspicuity. So Ouid in an Epistle.
Est nitidus, vitreo que magis perlucidus amne, Sappho. Phaoni.Fons sacer.
All the beauty of Glasse consists in the Colour: and what in the world, that is of the world, is commendable, praeter Colorem, besides the Colour? A Cottage would serue to sleepe in, as well as a sumptuous Pallace, but for the colour. Russets bee as warme as silkes, but for the glistering Colour. The Egyptian bondwoman giuegive as much content, as Queene Vashti, but for the colour. The beauty of the fairest woman is but skin-deep: which if nature denies, arte helpes them to lay on colours. And when they are most artificially complexion'd, they are but walking and speaking pictures. It is the colour of gold, that bewitcheth the auarous: the colours of lewels, that make the Ladies proud. If you say, these are precious and comfortable in themselues: then feed on them; and try, if those mettals can (without meate) keepe your life and soule together.
The truth is: mans corporall eye sees nothing but colour. It is the sole indefinite obiect of our sight, whither soeuer we direct it. We see but the lay-part of things with these opticke organs. It is the vnderstanding, the soules interiour eye, that conceiues and perceiues the latent vertues. All that we outwardly behold, is but the fashion of the world: and S. Paul saith, The fashion of the world perisheth. The colour fades, and the splendor of things is decayed. 1 Cor. 7, 31.That if the world, like aged and wrinckled Helen, should contemplate her own face in a glasse; she would wonder, that for her beauties sake Troy should be sack'd and burn'd: mans soule endanger'd to eternall fire.
Oh how is the splendor and glory of the world bated & empair'd since the originall creation! The skye lookes dusky: the Sunne puts forth a drowsie head: as if he were no longer, as Dauid once described him, like a Bride-groome comming out of his chā ber, or a strong man reioycing to runne his race. The Psal. 19, 5.Moone lookes pale, as if she were sicke with age: and the starres do but twinckle; as if they were dim, and look'd vponupon the earth with spectacles. The Colours of the Rain-bow are not so radiant: & the whole earth shewes but like a garment often dy'd, destitute of the natiue hew.
It is but colour, that delights you, ye worldlings: Esau lusts for the pottage, because they looke redde: and the drunkard loues the wine, because it lookes redde, and sparkles in the cup. Prou. 23. Looke not thou vponupon the wine when it is redde, when it giueth his Prou. 23, 31.colour in the cup, when it moueth it selfe aright. VVhat babes are we to bee taken with these colours, that onelyonly please the eye, or the sensuall part of man, & harme the soule? like children, that play with Glasse, till they cut their fingers.
Auicen saith, that glasse among stones, is as a foole amongst men. For it takes all paint, and followes precious stones in colour, not in vertue. So does this world giuegive colours to her riches, as if there were some worth and vertue in them: till wee are cosen'd of heauenly and substantiall treasures by ouer prizing them. No matter (saith Isiodore) is more apt to make mirrors, or to receiue painting then Glasse. So men de…ke the world, as the Israelites did their Calfe: and then superstiously dote vponupon it, as Pigmalion on his carued Stone.
But can colour satisfie? Is mans imaginatiue power so dull and thicke, as to be thus pleased? Shall a man toyle to dig a pit, and laboriously draw vp the water; and then must he sitte by, and not drink? or drinke, and not hauehave his thirst quenched? Yes. Thus do we long after earthly things, which obtained giuegive vsus no full content: thus disregard spirituall and heauenly; whereof but once rafting, we go away highly satisfied. Say then with Bernard.
Oh bone Iesu, fons indeficiens,
Humana corda reficiens:
Ad te curro, te solum sitiens:
Tu mihi salus sufficiens.
Oh Iesus, fountaine euer flowing,
Thy graces on mans soule bestowing:
To thee I runne with thirsty heart,
And none shall want, though I hauehave part.
For others it shall be said. Loe, this is the man that made not God his strength: but trusted in the abundances Psal 52, 7.of his riches, and strengthen'd himselfe in his wickednesse. But the faithfull shalbe like a green Oliue-tree in the house of God; and of a fresher blee then Daniel; whom the mercy of God, wherein hee verse 8.trusts, waters for euer and euer. The Colour of this glassy Sea vanisheth, like the beauty of a flower; and when it is wither'd, who shall reuiue it? Rub your eyes, and looke on this world better: it hath but a surphul'd cheeke, a colour'd beauty; which God shal one day scowre off with a flood of fire. Trust not this Glasse for reflection; as if it could present you truely to your owne iudgements. It is but a false Glasse, and will make you enamor'd both of your selues and it: till at last, the Glasse being broken, the Sea swallowes you. Thus for the Colour.
2. Glasse is a slippery met…all: a man, that walkes on it, had need be shod as the Germanes, that slide vponupon Ioe. But go we neuer so steddy on this glassy sea; euen the iust man falls seauen times a day. How soone are we tripping in our most considerate pace! Dauid said, he would take heed to his wayes; but how soone did his foote slide vponupon this glasse! Psal. 94. Psal 94, 18When I said, My foote slippeth, thy mercy, oh Lord, held me vp. Let vsus all pray with him. Hold vp my goings Psalme 17, ….in thy paths, that my foot steps slippe not. And if we hauehave stood, let vsus magnifie him in the next Psalme. Thou hast enlarged my steps vnderunder me; that Psal. 18, 35,my feete did not slippe. For the wicked, how surely soeuer they thinke themselues fixed in the world: yet Psal. 73. they are are set in slippery places. They Psal 73, 18.talke of strong and subtle VVrastlers: but the cunningst wrastler of all is the world: for whose heeles hath not it tripp'd vp! The wisest Solomon, the strō gest Sampson, hauehave beene fetchd vp by this wrastler and measur'd their lengths on the ground. How dangerous then is it to runne fast on this Sea, wheron men are scarse able to stand! No maruell, if you see them fall in troopes, and lye in heapes: til with their waight they cracke the Glasse, and topple into the depth.
There you shall see a knot of Gallants layde along on this glasse, that hauehave runne headlong at Pride. There a Corporation of Citizens, that hauehave runne at Riches. Here a rabble of Drunkards that ranne apace to the Tauerne: there a crew of cheaters, that posted as fast to Tyburne. Thus the Deuill laughes to see men so wildely running after vanity; and this glassy s… so easily hurling vp their heeles. It is reported of the Irish, that they digge deepe trenches in the ground, and paue the surface ouer with greene turues: that their suspectlesse enemies may thinke it firme ground. This World is the deuils vaulty Sea, full of trenches and swallows: duplicate page duplicate page which hee paues ouer with glasse: the way seemes smooth, but it is slippery: his intention is mischieuous, vt lapsu grauiore ruamus, that wee may hauehave the surer and sorer fall. He that walks on this slippery glasse had need of three helps. Circumspect eyes, sober feet, & a good staffe in his hand.
1 Hee must keepe his eyes in his head. Ephe. 5. See that ye walke circumspectly, not as fooles, but as Ephe 5, 15.wise. Plinie writes of the Eagle, that when she wold make the Stagge her prey, shee lights downe betweene his hornes, whence hee cannot shake her: and with dust ready layde vp in her feathers, shee so filleth his eies, that hee blinded, breakes his owne necke from some high cliffe or mountaine. If the deuill can blinde a mans eies with the dusts of vanities, he will easily fling him downe on this slippery glasse, and drowne him in this dangerous Sea. Neither must our eyes onelyonly bee carefull to descry our way; but of sound and faithfull descretion, not to be deluded with the spectacles, which this glassy sea presents vsus; so retarding our iourney to heauen. Plinie reports, that when the Hunter hath stolne away the Tygresse whelpes, hee scatters in the way great mirrours of glasse: wherein when the sauage creature lookes, she seeing her selfe presented, imagines there to be her young-ones: and whiles shee is much troubled to deliuer them, the Hunter scapes. If we stand gazing on the glassy mirrours of this world; fame, honour, beauty, wealth, wantonnesse: thinking we see therein presented those deare ioyes, wee should seeke for: beholde, Satan in the meane time doth insensibly rob vsus of them. Let vsus looke well about vsus: we walke vponupon Glasse.
2. He must hauehave sober feet: he had not need be drunken, that walkes vponupon glasse. If he be drunken with the vanities of this world, he may mistake himselfe, as that drunkard did; who seeing the resultant light of the starres shining in the water about him, thought he had bene translated into heauen: and rapp'd in a great ioy fell a wauing, as he imagin'd, in the ayre, till he fell into the water, not without perill of his life. He that is spiritually drunke, may in like sort imagine the starres to bee fixed in this glassy Sea, which are indeed in heauen: and that the world can affoord those true ioyes, which are onelyonly to be found aboue. I hauehave heard of some comming out of a Tauerne well lin'd with lycour, that seeing the shadowes of the chimnies in the streete, made by the Moone; hauehave tooke them for great blockes, and downe on their knees to climbe and scramble ouer them. So worldlings, that are drunke but not with wine; enchanted with earthly vanities, thinke eueryevery shadow which is put in their way to heauen, a great blocke, and they dare not venture. Sober feete are necessarily required to our trauell on this glassy Sea.
3 Lastly, and mostly: he that would walke stedfastly on this glassy Sea, had need of a good Staffe to stay him. The best and surest, and that which wil not let him fal; or if he do fal, wil soone raise him, is that Dauid speaketh of. …. 23. Gods Staffe. Though I walk Psalme 23, 4through the valley of the shadow of death, I will feare no euil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy Staffe, they comfort me: confortant; make me strong, beare and hold me vp.
Egypt is but a broken reed; he that leanes on it shall finde the splinters running into his hand: and cursed is he that makes fl…sh his arme: but who leanes faithfully on this Staffe, shal neuer perish. Thus you hauehave heard this glassy worlds Slipperinesse.
3. This Glasse denotes brittlenesse. Prouerbe and experience iustifie this: As brittle as glasse. A fit attribute to expresse the nature of worldly things: for glasse is not more fragile. The world passeth away, 1 Ioh. 2, 17.and the lust thereof, saith S. Iohn. Man himselfe is but brittle stuffe, and hee is the noblest part of the world. Man that is borne of a woman is of few dayes, and full of trouble. Hee commeth forth like a flower, Iob. 14, 1.and is cut downe, he flyeth as a shadow, and continueth not.
Sic in non hominem vertitur omnis homo.
Let him hauehave an ample portion in this life, and his Psal. 17, 14.belly be filled with Gods hidden treasures. Let him be full of children, and leaue the rest of his substance to his babes. Let him be happy in his Lands, in his children: in his successe, and succession. Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: thou shalt diligently consider his place, and shalt not finde it.Psal. 37, 10.
Glasse, whiles it is melting hote and soft, is plyable to any forme; but cold and hard, it is brittle. When God first made the world, it was malleable to his working hand; to his commanding word: for he spake the word, & things were created. The next time he toucheth it, it shall br…ke to peeces, like a pot-sheard. The heauens shall passe away with a great 2 Pet. 3, 10.noise, the Elements shall melt with feruent heate, and the earth also, and the workes that are therein, shall be burnt vp. Isiodore mentions one, that came to Tyberius the Emperor with a viall of glasse in his hand: and throwing it downe to the ground, it brake not; but onelyonly was bent, which he straiten'd againe with his hammer. But, saith the same Author, the Emperor hang'd him for his skill. How pleasing an inuention should that false Prophet make; that shold come, and tell the couetous worldling, or luxurious Epicure, that this glassy world is not brittle; but shal abide euer! But serue him, as the Emperor did; hang him vp for an Atheisticall lyar, that so speaks.
The decay of the parts argues the dotage of the whole. Aetna, Pernassus, Olympus are not so visible, as they were. The sea now rageth where the ground was dry: and fishes swimme, where men walked. Hilles are sunke, flouds dryed vp, rockes broken, townes swallowed vp of earth-quakes: plants lose their force, and planets their vertue. The Sunne stoopes like an aged man; as weary of his course, and willing to fall asleepe. All things are subiect to violence and contrariety; as if both the Poles were ready to ruinate their climates. The end of all 1 Pet. 4, 7.things is at hand: when
Compage soluta, Secula tot mundi suprema coaggeret hara.
God hath giuen vsus many signes of this. Portenta, quasi porrò tendentia. Signa habent, si intelligantur, linguam suam. Signes hauehave their language, if they could be rightly vnderstood. Vltima tribulatio multis tribulationibus praeuenitur. There are many calamities preceding the last, and vniuersall calamity of the world. No Comet, but threatens; no strange exhalations, alterations, seeming combustion in the heauens, but demonstrate the generall deluge of fire, that shall destroy all.
Nunquam futilibus percanduit ignibus aether.
As Gods tokens in the plague pronounce the infallibility of instant death: so these signes of the worlds sicknesse, are vant-currers of the destruction.
Men are desirous to buy the Calender; that in the beginning of the yeare they may know what will betide in the end; what dearth, or what death will ensue. Behold; Christ and his Apostles giuegive vsus a Prognostication in the Scripture: fore-telling by signes in the Sunne, Moone, Starres, in the vniuersall decay of nature, and sicknes of the world; what wil happen in this old yeare, what in the new-year, which is the world to come. The Mathematicians and Astronomers of the Earth neuer dream't of an vniuersall Eclipse of the Sunne: onelyonly Christs Almanacke reports this.Math. 24.
All beings are of one of these 4. sorts. 1. Some are from euerlasting, not to euerlasting. 2. Some to euerlasting, not from euerlasting. 3. One only thing is both from, and to euerlasting. 4. The rest are neither to, nor from euerlasting.
1 Some are from euerlasting, not to euerlasting: as Gods eternal decrees; which hauehave an end in their determined time, but had no beginning. So God before all worlds determined the sending of his Son to dye for vsus: but hee came in the fulnesse of time, saith the Apostle. This decree had no beginning; Acts 2, 23. Galath. 4, 4.it had an ending.
2. Some are to euerlasting, not from euerlasting: as Angels, and mens Soules; which had a beginning in time, but shall neuer end; because they are created of an immortall nature.
3. One onelyonly thing, which is indeed Ens Entium, God himselfe, is both from euerlasting and to euerlasting. For he is an vncreated, and eternal subsistence: Alpha, and Omega; that first, and last; that had neither beginning, nor shal hauehave ending. VVhō Plato call'd foreign; and he calls himselfe to Moses, foreign. That was, that is, and that is to come; the same for euer.
4. Other things are neyther from euerlasting, nor to euerlasting: for they had a beginning, and shall hauehave an end. Of this sort are all worldly things. God will giuegive them their end as he is Omega, that gaue them their creation as he is Alpha. All these things do decay, and shall perish.
Mors etiam saxis, nominibusq que venit.
Death shall extend the force euen vponupon stones and names.
VVho can then deny this world to be brittle? we see how slowly the tired earth returnes vsus the fruits, which wee trusted her bowels with. Her vsury growes weake, like a decayed debter, vnable to pay vsus the interest, she was wont.
Ni vis humana quotannis Maxima quaeque manu legeret.
The World is lame, Georg. 1.and eueryevery member, as it were out of ioynt. It caught a fall in the Cradle, as Mephibosheth by falling from his Nurse; and the older it waxeth, the more maimedly it halteth. Sinne entred presently after the worlds birth, and gaue it a mortall wound. It hath labour'd euer since of an incurable consump tion; The noblest part of it, Man, first felt the smart, and in his curse both beasts and plants receiued theirs. It fell sicke early in the morning; and hath now languished in a lingring lethargy, till the euening of dissolution is at hand.
Now, since the world is a Sea, and so brittle, a Sea of glasse, let vsus seeke to passe ouer well, but especially to land well. A Ship vnderunder sayle is a good sight: but it is better to see her well moor'd in the hauen. Be desirous of good life, not of long life: the shortest cut to our hauen is the happiest voiage. VVho would bee long on the Sea? If a storme or wracke do come, let vsus saue the best good: whatsoeuer becomes of the vessell, thy body; make sure to saue the Passenger, thy soule, in the day of the Lord Iesus. I hauehave now done with the Sea; and for this point, here cast anchor.
Thus farre we hauehave suruay'd this glassy Sea the world, in regard of it selfe. The other two attributes concerne Almighty Gods Holding and Beholding, Guarding and Regarding, his Seeing and Ouer-seeing it. Et videt, et prouidet: he contemplates, he gouernes it. His Inquisition, and his disposition is here insinuated. Some-what (and not much) of eyther.
1 That God may most clearely view all things being and done in this world; it is saide to be in his sight, as cleare as Chrystall. As in Chrystall there is nothing so little, but it may be seene: so there is nothing on earth, saide or done, so slight or small, that it may escape his all-seeing prouidence. Heb. 4. Omnia Heb. 4, 13.sunt nuda et patentia oculis eius. There is no creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and open'd vntounto the eyes of him, with whom wee hauehave to do. In vaine men hope to be hid from God. He that planted the eare, shall he not heare? He that Psal 94, 9.formed the eye, shall he not see? All the earth is ful of his glory. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither Psal. 139, 7.shall Iflye from thy presence? It is there amply prooued, that neyther heauen nor hell, nor vttermost part of the Sea, nor day nor night, light nor darknesse, can hide vsus from his face. For thou hast possessed my reines, thou hast couer'd mee in in my mothers wombe. Our sitting, walking, lying downe, or rising vp, the thoughts of our hearts, workes of our hands, words of our lips, wayes of our feet, our reynes, bones, bosomes, and our mothers wombes, wherin we lay in our first informity, are well known vntounto him.
Qualis, mihi dicite, Deus censendus est;
Qui cunct a cernit, ipse autem non cernitur!
Said an old Poet. Zach. 4. The Lord hath seauen Zach. …, 10.eyes, which runne to and fro through the whole earth. He is totus oculus. Let vsus not flatter our selues, with those, Psal. 10. that say in their heart; God hath forgotten; he hideth his face, he will neuer see it: and so Psalme 10, 11endeuour to pluck out the eye of knowledge it selfe. But there is neither couch in chamber, nor vault in the ground, clouds of day, darknesse of night; bottomes of Mountaines, nor holes of Rockes, nor depth of Seas; secret friend, nor more secret conscience, heauen nor hell, that can obscure or shadow vsus from the eye of the Lord. Wheresoeuer we are, let vsus say with Iacob. The Lord is in this place, Gen. 28, 17.though we be not aware of it.
Oh the infinite things and actions, that the eie of God sees at once, in this Chrystal glasse of the world! Some caring to come out of debt, others to get into debt. Some deluing for gold in the bowelles of the earth, others in the bowels of the poore. Some buying and bargaining, others cheating in the market. Some praying in their Closets, others quafflug in Tauernes. Heere some raising their Houses, there others ruining them. Alterum consummantem matrimonium, alterum consumentem patrimonium. One marrying, and going to the world; another miscarrying, the world going from him. There run honour and pride aequis ceruicibus. There walkes fraud cheeke by iowle with a Trades-man. There stalkes pride, with the pace of a Souldiour, but habit of a Courtier; striuing to adde to her owne stature: fetherd on the crown, cork'd at the heeles, light all ouer: stretching her legges, and spreading her winges like the Ostrich, with ostentation of great flight: but nil penna, sed vsus; not an inche higher or bettet. There slugs Idlenesse: both hands are in the bosome, whiles one foote should bee in the stirrop. Hollow in his eare, preach to him: if he will not waken, prick him with goads; let the correctiue Law discple him. He cries not Fodere nescio, but Fodere nolo. Not, I know not how to digge, but I will not digge.
Heere halts Opinion, lame not with the shortnesse, but length of his legges: one foote too long, that marres the verse. There runnes Policie, and moues more with an Engine, then many men can do with their hands: leading the life after this rule. Si occultè, bene. If close enough, wel enough. There hurries the Papist to the Masse, and his wife the Catholique: aequiuocate before a competent Iudge, though Christ would not before a Caiaphas: climbing to saluation by an Atturney, and likely to speed by a Proxey.
There slides by the meager ghost of malice, her blood drunke vp, the marrow of her bones wasted, her whole body like a meere Anatomy. There flye a crew of Oaths, like a flight of dismall Rauens; croking the Plague to the House, where the Swearer is. Zach. 5. Nay, ruine to the whole Land. Ier. 23. For Oathes the Land mourneth. Here reeles drunkennesse, with swolne eyes, stammering feete: befriended of that poore remnant of all his wealth, (the richlie stock'd grounds, richly furnish'd house, richly fild purse, are all wasted; and nothing is left rich but) the nose. There goes murther from Aceldama, the field of blood, to Golgotha the place of dead sculs, and from thence to Hinnon the valley of fire and torments. There see Atheisme proiecting to displant the Paradise of God, and turne it to a wildernes of Serpents. Heauen is held but a Poets fable: and the terrors of hell, like Hercules club in the Tragedy, of huge bulke, but ragges and straw are the stuffing. Creatures that hauehave a little time on earth, & then vanish. Tu qui dicis, Transit Christianus, ipse transis sine Christianis. Thou that sayest, the Christians perish, doest perish thy selfe, and leaue the Christians behinde thee. Whither goe these Atheists? I beleeue not to heauen; for they beleeue there is no heauen. They shall neuer hauehave those ioyes, they would nor beleeue. They are not in hell neither: there is no Atheist. Where then? In hell they are indeede, but not as Atheists. They no sooner put their heads within those gates, but Atheisme drops off: they beleeue and feele now, there is a God.
There you shall heare Hypocrites, a pipient broode, cackling their owne ripenesse, when they are scarce out of their shelles. Whose wordes and workes differ, as it is seene in some Tappe-houses: when the painted walles hauehave sober sentences on them, as Feare God, honour the King, watch and pray, be sober, &c. and there is nothing but drunkennes and swearing in the house. There is Ignorance, like a strucken Sodomite, groping for the way: nay indeede, neither discerning nor desiring it. He sees neither Numen, nor Lumen; neither Diem the daylight of the Gospell, nor Deum, the God of day and Gospell.
There goes slouenly Faction, like a mal content, that with incendiary scruples labours to deuide Iudah from Israel. It was a strange doome, that Valens the Emperour gaue against Procopius; causing him to bee ty'd to two great trees bowed forcibly togither, and so his body to be pulled asunder, that would hauehave pulled asunder the body of the Empire. The Humourists thrust themselues into this throng, or else I would hauehave spared them, and that for loues sake: but truth of louelove must not preiudice louelove of Trueth. If they had as Imperatiue toungs, and Potential hands as they hauehave Optatiue minds, they would keepe an Infinitiue stirre in the lacerated Church. God sees the malicious Iesuite calling vp a Parliament of Deuils, to plot treasons. He heares their damnable consultations: and obserues them, whiles they apparrell bloud-red murther, and blacke conspiracie, in the white robes of Religion. He saw Garnet plotting in his study; and Faulx digging in the vault; and meant to make the pit, which they digged for others, swallow themselues.
Hee beholds as in a cleare mirrour of Chrystall all our impurities, impieties; our contempt of Sermons, neglect of Sacraments, dishallowing his Saboths. Well▪ as God sees all things so clearely; so I would to God, wee would behold somewhat. Let vsus open our eyes, & view in this Chrystall glasse our owne workes. Consider we a little our owne wicked courses, our peruerse wayes on this Sea. Looke vppon this Angle of the worlde; for so wee thinke, Anglia signifies: how many vipers doth she nurse and nourish in her indulgent bosome, that wound and sting her! The Landlords oppression, Vsurers extortion, Patrons Simonie, Commons couetousnesse: our vnmercifulnes to the poore, ouer-mercifulnes to the rich; malice, ebriety, pride, prophanation. These, these are the works, that God sees among vsus: & shall we not see them our selues? shall we be vtter strangers to our owne doings? Be not deceiued. Neither fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor adulterers, 1 Cor. 6. 9.nor theeues, nor couetous, nor drunkards, nor reuilers, nor extortioners shall inherite the kingdome of God. Let not vsus then be such. Let vsus not be desirous of vaine-glory, prouoking one another, enuying Gal. 5, 26.one another. Me thinks here, vain-glory stalkes in like a Mountebank-Gallant: Prouocation, like a swaggering Rorer: & Malice, like a meager and melancholy Iesuite. All these things we do, and God sees in the light: and in the light we must repent them, or God will punish them with euerlasting darknes. You see, how the world is cleare to Gods eye, as Chrystall.
Lastly, this glassy sea is not onelyonly as Chrystall for the transparent brightnesse; that the Almighties eye may see all things done in it. But it lyes for situation before his Throne; generally for the whole, and particularly for eueryevery member, subiect to his iudgment and gouernance.
His Throne signifies that imperiall gouernment, which he exerciseth ouer the world. Psal. 9. The Lord shall endure for euer: hee hath prepared his Throne for Psal. 9, …, 8.iudgement. And he shall iudge the world in righteousnesse; he shall minister iudgement to the people in vprightnesse. Neither is it all for Iudgement: there is not onelyonly a terrible thunder and lightning flashing from this Throne; but out of it proceed comfortable voyces: speaking the solaces of the Gospell, and binding vp the broken-hearted. Therefore it is said verse 3. there is a Raine-bow about the Throne; which is a signe of Gods couenant, a seale of his eternall mercy towards vsus. This is round about the Seat; that God can looke no way, but he must needs see it. So that to the faithfull this Throne is not terrible. Heb. 4. Let vsus therefore come boldly vntounto the Throne of grace, that we may obtaine mercy, and finde grace to Heb. 4, 16.helpe in time of need. If there be the fire of Iudgement, there is also the raine of Mercy to quench it.
Neither is this a transitory Throne, subiect to changes and chances, as all earthly thrones are: but Heb. 1. Thy throne, oh God, is for euer and euer: a scepter Heb. 1, 8.of righteousnesse is the scepter of thy kingdome. Lu. Luke 1, 33.1. He shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer; and of his kingdome there shall be no end.
He that sittes on the Throne is not idle; to let all things in the world runne at sixe and seauens: but Omnia non solum permissa a Deo, sed etiam immissa. So disposing all things, that not onelyonly the good are Lips.ordained by him, but euen the euill ordered. The sinne is of man, the disposition of God. But let God alone with Oportet necessitatis: let vsus looke to Oportet offi…ij. Senacherib cannot do what hee lists. God can put a bridle in his lips, a hooke in his nosethrils. Esay 10. O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger: & Esay 10, 6.the staffe in their hand is mine indignation. Ieremy 51. Thou art my battell-axe and weapons of war: for with Ier. 51, 20.thee will I breake in peeces the Nations, and with thee will I destroy Kingdomes. Vlterius ne tende odijs. Go no further vponupon Gods wrath thou desperate wicked man. Greg. Nazian. speakes of the Emperor Valentine, infected with the Arrian heresie: that beeing about to write with his own hand, the proscription and banishment of Basil; the pen thrice refused to let fall any inke. But when he would needs write, such a trembling inuaded his hand, that his heart being touched, he rent presently, and recanted what he had written. But I presse this point no further, hauing in other places liberally handled it.
The foure beasts in the 8. ver. rest not day & night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. The Fathers from these words obserue the mystery of Trinity in Vnity; and of Vnity in Trinity: That God is thrice called Holy, signifies the Tinity: that once Lord God Almighty, the Vnity. Fulgent. Quid est, quod ter Sanctus dicitur, si non est vna in Diuinitate substantia? Let vsus then with the foure and twenty Elders, fall downe before him that sits on the Throne, ascribing worship to to him that liueth for euer: and casting our Crownes to the ground, renouncing our owne merits, say to the ternall and eternall Vnity, Thou art worthy, O Lord, Verse 11to receiue glory, and honour, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.
Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Adams, The Black Devil (1615)