The City of Peace, Section 6 – Section 7
The Riuer that serues this Citie of Peace
Is Prosperitie. The Riuer of this Citie.It is one principall happinesse of a Citie, to bee scituated by a Riuers side: that as it hath fortified it selfe by land, so it may hauehave commaund of the Sea. Prosperitie is the Riuer to this Citie, that like a louing Meander, winds it selfe about, throwing his siluer Armes vponupon her sides; ebbing slowly, but flowing merrily, as if he longed to embrace his louelove. Peace is the mother of Prosperitie, but Prosperitie is too often the murtherer of Peace. For peace breeds wealth, wealth breedes pride, pride breeds contention, and contention kils peace. Thus shee is often destroyed by her owne issue, as Senacherib was by his owne bowels.
Take this Citie wee liue in for an Instance. Peace hath brought Gods plentie: the Inhabitants neither plowe, nor sowe, nor reape; yet are fed like the fowles of heauen. They fare well with lesse trouble, then if come grewe at their doores, and cattell grased in their streets. But as Nylus may rise too high, and water Egypt too much; so the inundation of opulency may doe thē hurt. Thus may the influence of heauen, and the plentie of earth, be a Snare vntounto vsus; and our abundance, an occasion of our falling. Prosperitie is heartie meat, but not digestible by a weake stomack, strong wine, but naught for a weake braine. The prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them. Pro. 1, 32It is not simply prosperitie, but the prosperitie of fooles that destroyeth them. The swelling Riuer by the surfet of a Tyde, doth not sooner bring in our encrease; but our encrease doth breed in our minds another swelling, in our bodies another surfeting: we swell in pride, and surfet in wantonnesse. The Israelites neuer fared so well, as when they liued at Gods immediate finding; and at night expected their morrowes breakfast frō the clouds. When they did daily aske, and daily receiue their daily bread.
There be (as I heard a worthy Diuine obserue) three maine Riuers in the land, whereof this is held the best: and this Citie is placed in the best Seate of the Riuer, vponupon the gentle rising of a hill, in the best ayre, and richest soyle. When a Courtier gaue it out, That Queene Mary being displeased with the Citie, threatned to diuert both Tearme and Parliament to Oxford: an Alderman asked whether shee meant to turne the chanell of the Thames thither, or no▪ if not, saith hee, by Gods grace we shall doe well enough. The lines are fallen to vsus in pleasant places, Psal. 16. 6wee hauehave a goodly Heritage. Both the Elements are our friends; the Earth sends vsus in her fruites, the Sea her merchandise. Wee are neere enough the benefits, and farre enough from the dangers of the Ocean. Nothing is wanting to the consummation of our happinesse: to keepe vsus in our owne Countrey, in our owne Citie, in our owne Houses, but that which keepes men in their wits, Temperance, and Thankfulnesse.
But doe wee not requite this Riuer of Prosperitie, with vngrateful impietie? and vse the Ocean of Gods bountie, as wee doe the Thames? It brings vsus in all manner of prouision; Clothes to couer vsus, Fuell to warme vsus, Food to nourish vsus, Wine to cheare vsus, Gold to enrich vsus: and we in recompense, foile it with our rubbish, filth, common sewers, & such excretions. It yeeldes vsus all manner of good things, and we requite it with all plentie of bad things. It comes flowing in with our commodities, & we send it loaden backe with our iniuries.
Such toward God is the impious ingratitude of this famous Citie, which else had no Paralell vnderunder the Sunne. Shee may not vnfitly bee compared to certaine Pictures, that represent to diuers beholders, at diuers stations, diuers formes. Looking one way, you see a beautifull Virgine: another way, some deformed monster. Cast an eye vponupon her Profession, shee is a well grac'd creature: turne it vponupon her conuersation, shee is a mishapen stigmaticke. View her Peace, shee is fayrer then the daughters of men: viewe her Pride, the children of the Hittites and Amorites are beautious to her. Think of her good works, then Blessed art thou of the Lord: number her sinnes, then How is that faithfull Citie become an harlot … Esa. 1. 21.To tell of her Charitie, and how many hundreds she feedes in a yeare, you will say with Paul, In this I praise her. To tell of her oppressions, and how many thousands shee vndoes in a yeare, you will say with him againe, In this I praise her not. Behold her like a Nourse drawing her Brests, and giuing milke to Orphans, you wish her Cup to runne ouer with fulnesse. Behold her like a Horse leech, sucking the blood of the Church, to feede her owne sacrilegious auarice; you will say her Cup is too full. When wee thinke of her prosperitie, wee wonder at her impietie: when we thinke of her impietie, wee wonder at her prosperitie. O that her Citizens would learne to mannage their liberall fortunes, and to entertaine the Riuer of Peace that makes glad the Citie of God, with Humilitie and Sobrietie. That when Death shall disfranchise them heere, they may be made free aboue, in that tryumphant Citie, whose glory hath neither measure, nor end.
The Life of the Citizens
Is LoueLove: The life of Peace.for without the louelove of men there can be no peace of God, and there is no louelove of God in them that desire not peace with men. He that loues not the members, was neuer a friend to the Head. To say we louelove Christ, and hate a Christian; is as if a man, while hee was saluting or protesting louelove to his freind, should tread on his toes. I know indeed, that eueryevery creature is to bee loued, but in ordine ad Deum: Religion doth not forbid, but rectifie our affections. Our Parents, spouses, children, allies, countrymen, neighbors, friends; hauehave all their due places in our louelove: and it were a brutifh doctrine to dispossesse vsus of these humane relations. OnelyOnly they must know their orders and stations, and by no meanes vsurpe vponupon God: they must not be mistresses, but handmaides to the louelove of Christ.
But let vsus louelove them, because they louelove God: as reflections of our sight, which glaunce from the Lord vponupon his Image: if God hauehave their hearts, let them hauehave our hearts. It is poore to louelove a man for that is about him: hee must bee loued for that is within him. If wee should account of men as we doe of bagges; prize them best that weigh heauiest, and measure out our louelove by the Subsidie-booke; honouring a man because he is well cloathed: I see then no reason, but wee should doe greater reuerence to the Bason and Euer on the stall, then to the Goldsmith in the Shop; and most humbly salute Sattin & Veluet in whole pieces, because their virgin-glory was neuer yet rauished and abused into fashion.
No, but especially let vsus louelove others, because they feare God, and serue Iesus Christ. For as the braine is to the sinewes, the liuer to the veines, and the heart to the arteries; so is Gods louelove to humane societies: as the very soule by which they liue, and the forme that giues them being. Otherwise our companies are conspiracies; when we fall in one with another, to fall out with God. Let vsus beginne our loues aboue, deriuing this holy fire from the Altar of Heauen; let our faith inkindle it at the heart of Christ, and then like the Cherubins, wee shall looke graciously one vponupon another, while all faithfully looke vp to the Mercy-seate of God.