The Heavenly Academy, Chapter 1
THE HEAVENLY ACADEMIE.
CHAP. I.
The great use and benefit of the lower Academies.
OUR Saviour Christ having made use of many old things of the Creation, to represent and insinuate many new things of the Regeneration, he infers a position from his practice; therefore everie Scribe which is instructed to the Kingdome of Heaven,Matth. 13. is like unto a man that is an Housholder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things both new and old.
Whosoever then would expresse the best character of an heavenly Scribe, from whence should hee rather take it, than from the best patterne, lively set forth by the best and highest Teacher, who was that which hee described, and described that which hee was? And whereas our actions must be guided by rules, he doth justly draw rules from his owne actions.
Having then so absolute, both a Patterne and a Teacher, let us boldly frame the character of our heavenly Scribe, to the shape both of this chiefe Doctor, and of his Doctrine. Accordingly wee will commend to our Scribe things both new and old (but the old first, because they are first) and after him who is Truth, will lay downe this true position; That toward the making of a learned Scribe, there is a great advantage to be gained by the gathering of old things into his treasurie. The Scribe that wil be learned, may be a gatherer of old things; and so let him be. Let him gather into his treasurie the things of Nature, yea gather a stock of them, and lay them up for his use, when he comes to the new. Let him know in a competent measure what is to be found abroad in the old Creation; yea, let him learne what is copied out of it by art and industrie, to serve him in the things of Regeneration: and if in this search he meet with the learning of the Aegyptians, he may carrie their jewels into his treasurie. Let an Heathen Logician or Philosopher, be his Gibeonite to cleave wood, and to draw water for his service in the Sanctuarie. Let the one divide, define, and order; and the other draw secrets from the depths of Nature, to serve the Lords servants in the Tabernacle. Let the precept and patternes of vertues, gathered from their doctrines and stories, serve for spurs and incentives to grace, to goe beyond the effects of Nature; and for exprobrations when shee doth it not. And let the languages both of the Unbeleever, and Mis-beleever, serve for keyes to open to new men, those mysteries which the old men see not, neither doe open to themselves, though the keies be in their hands.
Such old things as these are earthly needles, that may draw in heavenly truths: They are earthly glasses, that may help our eyes to a clearer discerning of heavenly images: they may help to illustrate, to insinuate, to convince, and to gaine. By them the new man may be a Grecian to the Grecians, to gaine and convince the Grecians; and a Jew to the Jewes; to gaine or convince the Jewes; and all things to all men, to win some. And accordingly the most laborious Scholler of the greatest Master, though sometime rapt up into the heavenly Schoole, yet when hee is among the Jewes, he convinceth them by the ProphetsActs 26. 22. received of the Jewes; and when he is at Athens among the Grecians, hee convinceth them also by their owne Prophets; even learned Heathens,Acts 17. 28. by their Heathen Poet.
Lastly, this Scribe in the lower Academie, may improve the abilities of Nature, given him by the first and old creation. For these old things will grow by use and exercise, and likewise become excellent instruments in the new estate; there being no little use of understanding, memorie, & elocution, when they shall become new, and new things shall be added to them.
And thus the Scribe having gained in the lower Academie a large provision of these old things, hee commends the use of that Academy, which furnished him and his treasurie with this provision: and himselfe is to be commended for one part of a perfect, and well instructed Scribe. And though there remaine yet a more excellent part, yet even to this part there wants not an excellencie, and consequently a great degree of praise and commendation.