A Treatise of Paradise, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of the tree of life, to wit, why it was ſo called, and whether it was corporall as other trees be, or rather ſpirituall and food of the ſoule, not of the body, or rather appertaining vntounto both.
SVch was the bounty of God towards man in the happy eſtate of Paradiſe, that he did not only giuegive vntounto him what was neceſſary or conuenient for his naturall eſtate there, but alſo added other moſt extraordinarie meanes and helpes both naturall and ſupernaturall, conuenient and neceſſarie for both his eſtates of nature and grace; ſuch was this of the tree of life, which (as ſome well note) according to the originall text, was called the tree or wood, not of life onelyonly, in the ſingular, but in the plurall, of liues, becauſe it was ſo to lengthen the life of eueryevery man, that eueryevery ſingular and particular mans life, might well ſeame the life, not of one onelyonly man, but of many.
Whereby we may firſt admire the power of Almighty God, ſecondly his goodneſſe towards man: his power in the creating of ſuch a fruite: his goodneſſe, in beſtowing it vponupon him, whom he knew was in ſo ſhort a time after, to be ſo vngratefull for that, and many other moſt excellent, as well naturall, as ſupernaturall gifts.
The ſecond reaſon, why it is tearmed the tree of liues, is, becauſe as a man hath three liues, virtually: if not really diſtinct, the ſenſitiue, vegetatiue, and rationall; ſo this fruite of the tree of liues ſhould hauehave had vertue to fortified all three, in which alſo we may note the wiſedome of God, but more againe his mercy: his wiſedome in that hee knew to produce incorruption, at leaſt way for many yeares if not eternall (as many hold) by a continuall repairing of nature by the eating of the ſaid apple; but more againe (I ſay) may we admire his mercy, and bountie, by which he ſought meanes to eternize him, whom he knew by his fall was to bee his owne death, yea the death of his moſt deare and eternall ſonne which was the true tree of life, prefigured by this tree of life or liues, ſo alſo called becauſe it was not to giuegive, or prolong the life of Adam only, but alſo the liues of his poſteritie; vntill ſuch time, as it ſhould pleaſe their Maker to tranſlate them from that earthly beatitude, vntounto a more perfect and ſupernaturall eſtate;Man. 17. where (as Saint Auſtine ſaith) they were to poſſeſſe in a more perfect meaſure, and that through all eternity ioy without ſorrow, reſt without labour, honour without feare, wealth without damage; health without ſickneſſe; aboundance without care; life with all ſecurity; immortalitie without corruption; all happineſſe with no miſerie at all. Where all perfection is in the higheſt degree, and all imperfections remote; where ſight is face vntounto face, where perfect knowledge, and nothing vnreuealed of which humane nature can be capable; where Gods ſoueraigne goodneſſe raigneth ſuper omnia aboue al things, and the light enlightening is glorified of the Saints; where the preſent maieſtie of the Almightie is perpetually beholden, and the minde of the beholders eternally filled with this fruit of life.
Fourthly, it was called the tree of life, or liues; becauſe it did after a double manner ſuſtaine and renew the life of man: firſt in reſtoring our naturall moiſture, by which wee liue, which conſumeth eueryevery day more and more by our naturall heat, which was a proprietie common alſo to all other fruits of Paradiſe.
Secondly, in that which was proper to this tree only, and for which it was particularly tearmed the tree of life, becauſe it was of ſuch qualities and excellent proprieties, that being eaten, it did renew our humidum radicale, our naturall humiditie and moiſture, whereby wee ſhould hauehave liued with the like or equall puritie and perfection, which had beene in man at his firſt creation; yea it ſhould hauehave ſo fortified our naturall heat, that although it did naturally ſuffer ſome detriment and loſſe by continuall action, yet ſhould it hauehave beene ſo ſtrengthned by that fruit of life, that it could neuer hauehave decaied or periſhed, and conſequently man could neuer die corporally in that happy eſtate, vnleſſe hee had firſt killed himſelfe ſpiritually by being partaker of the forbidden fruit, inſomuch that the diſobedience of one brought in by concupiſcence was the cauſe of all our miſery and mortalitie, that ſo God of his meere goodneſſe through his infinite wiſedome might thereby take occaſion of ſhewing his mercy vponupon thoſe who after Adams fall were nothing but miſerie, and by the obedience of his deareſt Sonne might repaire and redeeme the diſobedience of vsus moſt accurſed caitifes: ſo that wee participating of the fruit of the tree of life communicated vntounto vsus in the ſacred communion by vertue of that tree of life prefigured in this Paradiſe, might thereby be reuiued from a temporall death to an eternitie of bleſſedneſſe, and perpetuitie of a moſt bleſſed life; yea ſo by occaſion of our firſt ſinne, gaine more then euer we had obtained if we had not ſinned: ſeeing hereby we obtained that fruit of life to be prepared for vsus vponupon the tree of the croſſe, yea and thence communicated vntounto vsus in the ſacred communion, and bread of life, which doubtleſſe wee ſhould not hauehave obtained, at leaſtway after that manner and meaſure, if wee had not tranſgreſſed. Or at leaſtway Chriſt prefigured in this tree of life, ſhould not hauehave appeared paſſible as one of vsus, if wee by our ſinne had not needed his paſſion. Wherefore we being aſtoniſhed at ſo great mercy ſhewne vntounto vsus in ſo infinite miſerie, and that ſo lamentable a loſſe ſhould be an occaſion of ſo ioyfull and infinite gaine, we may well exclaime with Gregory the great, O foelix culpa, quae talem & tantum habere meruit Redemptorem, O happy fall, and happy vnhappineſſe, which was occaſion of ſo great happineſſe.
Laſtly, the aforeſaid tree was worthily called the tree of life, or liues; becauſe it did not only preſerue our naturall being, by the repairing of our naturall forces, but alſo did ſo renew them by a ſupernaturall vertue proceeding thence, that thereby we might hauehave liued a life free from all kinde of feares of death, or of any griefes, vexations, or torments, now neceſſarily annexed to both deaths, corporall and ſpirituall, temporall and eternall: now I ſay annexed to both deaths, vnleſſe wee hauehave applied vntounto vsus the vertue of another tree of life, by whole life all things being hauehave their being, and by whoſe influence all things liuing hauehave their life.
Hence it is that the former was a moſt perfect patterne or repreſentation of the latter, but the latter a more perfect forme then could bee fully repreſented by the former, or by any other poſſible. Neuertheleſſe the tree of life was created in the terreſtriall Paradiſe, to the end that it might be a type, and in ſome ſort repreſent that which ſhould be fully repreſented or ſeene in the celeſtiall kingdome by the eternall light of glory, according to the diuine oracle, In lumine tuo videbimus lumen, in thy light wee ſhall ſee light; that is, by and through thy light of glory (which is a ſupernaturall habit infuſed into our vnderſtandings) wee ſhall ſee the glorious light of thy eſſence, not comprehenſiuely, which is impoſſible, but moſt perfectly and eſſentially, which is common to all the bleſſed Spirits and Saints of heauen, to eueryevery one according to their degree of glory, correſpondent vntounto the meaſure of their faith heard here in earth, or while they were in the way to this ſupernaturall bleſſedneſſe.