The Wonders of the Lodestone, Chapter 7 – Chapter 8
CHAP. VII. Of the Loadstones attractive Vertue, and of Christ his dra…ing of the Wisemen, Math. 2.
ADmirable truly is the Nature of some created things,Vide Boskhierum. conc. 6. but the power of the creator is allwaies greater, especially in that Stone.
quem nomine Graii
Dixerunt Magneta,Aonius Palearius. Lib. 3. Lapis mi…o attrahit usu,
Quocunque objicitur ferum, tactumque quod illo est▪
Ducit, et hoc itidem veluti Magnesia Causes.
The Stone which Magnes Greeks doe call,
A Stone most wondrous above all;
Which Iron drawes, and that is much,
This Iron drawes other with a touch,
As Loadstones doe—
But is not Christ more to be admired then any Loadstone whatsoever? who can deny it? for the Loadstone onelyonly drawes unto it, one thing, and that plac't over against it: Now Christ drawes all things, aswell those that are farre distant, as those which are neere at hand; things that have life, and things without life; things endued with reason, and things voyd of reason; the Lo…dstone onelyonly drawes Iron; Amber draweth strawes onelyonly unto it What doth not Christ draw, whom doth he not draw unto himselfe? All things were made by him, all things moving in a circle, or comp…sse, as streames to their fountaines, returne unto him▪: He is the Alpha, or the beginning producing: He is the Omega, or the end, reducing all things to himselfe.
When I shall be lifted up from the Earth,I…. 12. I will draw all things unto me; So said he long agoe, speaking p…rtly of his reproachfull exaltation upon the Crosse: p…rtly of his triumphant ascending to heaven: when he was lifted up, and layd on the Crosse: He drew the Thiefe that was next unto …i…, and hanging as it were in a Ballance hard by him, a…though he was heavy laden with a Talent and huge burthen of sinne.
Acts. 9.He drew the Centurion at the same time, and some others who having scene so many demonstrative Miracles at his death, did give Testimony of an admired r…pentance, when they returned into the City, He drew to himselfe the Apostles, that forsooke him, and especial Peter, When h… was exalted by his ascent into the Heavens: what thing, or whom, that were capable, did he not draw to himselfe? Hee drew Saul when he was cast downe from his horse, speaking to him from Heaven: presently after the Pentecost, He drew o…e while foure thousand, another while six thousand, At another time he drew some others that ioyn'd themselves to the Apostles; And lastly having left Ierusalem he drew the whole Western part of the World: Oh the wonderfull power of the Crosse: Oh unspeakable glory of the Passion, in which there is, both the Tribunall of the Lord, and the Iudgment of the World, and the power of him that was Crucified most evidently to be seene.
Thou Oh Lord, hast drawne all things unto thee; and when thou did'st stretch out thy hands all the day to a people not beleeving, but contradicting thee, then the whole World besides, was sensible of thy praise-worthy Maiesty.
Thou didst, Oh Lord, draw all things unto thee; when in abomination of the Iewish wickednesse, the Elements unanimously pronounct one, and the same sentence against them: when the lights of Heaven were darkned, when the day was turn'd into night, when the Earth also was shaken with unusuall quakings, and when every Creature denied the use of it selfe, to the ungodly: Oh Lord thou diddest draw all things unto thee, that what was covered in the Temple of Iudea, in shadowed significations, the devotion of all Nations in every place might celebrate in a plenary, and plaine Sacrament, for now the order of the Levites is more glorious, and Sacred. The annoynting of Priests makes up one Kingdom of every Nation.
As the winde Caecias, drawes to it the Clouds; S… Christ drew the people unto him, Somtimes one Nation, somtimes another: For as this winde alone, which is called Caeci…s, whereof Plinie writes, that it blo…es betweene the South, and the East, contrary to the Nature of other Northerne winds, drives not away, but rather drawes the Clouds unto it: So Christ from every quarter, and every way doeth call, leade and draw all unto him, I will draw all things unto my selfe, saith he, and not onelyonly so, but every thing that comes unto m…e I will not cast forth.
Our Saviour was glorious indeed, by the conversion of so many, and by drawing such a multitude of people unto him: but at this time, by his drawing of the Wisemen, and their adoring of him, He is become more glorious then himselfe at other times: Oh my good Iesu, draw me also unto thy selfe; Convert me, and I shall be Converted, otherwise no man comes unto thee, unles thou, and the Father draw him.
The drawing of the Wisemen is more excellent, then the rest, in regard of the Scituation, or place where Christ was, and of his age, when he drew them unto him, and in respect of the Maiesty, Dignity, and multitude of those that were drawne. First this drawing of the Wisemen is more excellent in regard of the Scituation, or place where Christ was, for indeed upon the Crosse he drew but one, one that was neere him, one that hang'd by him, one almost fastened to his side, sixt together with him: But now in his very Cradle, He drew the Wisemen, and in them whole Nations, dwelling almost in the extreame parts of the East; He drew them by one Starre, as it were with some trifle, to play withall, as if they had beene inticed to come, as Children are, by those things wherein they delight.
After his ascention into heaven, what wonder, that from the Throne of his glory, and the Right-hand of his Father, he drew so many, and draweth to this day: But now, that he should draw from the Stable; how full of astonishment is it?
Secondly this drawing of the Wisemen, is more excellent in respect of his Age: At another time, when he was come to Maturity, and convenient age; He drew to him Fishermen: But now being but an Infant, and as it were, but of one day upon the Earth: He drew unto him Priests, Philosophers, and Kings: This was foretold long agoe;Esay 8, 4. that before the Child should know his Father, or Mother, the riches of Damascus, and the spoyle of Samaria, should be taken away before the King of Assyria.
As when Hercules being in his Cradle kil'd (as they say) two Serpents, he was paradventure, a more glorious Conqueror then he was, when being come to riper yeares, he vanquisht in the Nemaean Forrest, a Lyon of huge bignesse: Or when in Erimanthus a Mountaine of Arcadia, he tooke a live, a terrible Boare, that wasted that Border: So Christ was more illustrious, when he drew to him Kings to adore him at his Cradle, where he was yet a little Child, Then when raining in Heaven, He drew first such as Paul, and afterward such as Constantine was.
Thirdly this drawing of the Wisemen is more excellent in respect of his Maiesty; He drew other persons when he had shewed many Miracles, and was still adding to the number of them, as the Earthquake, the Rending of Rocks, Darknesse throughout the whole World &c. Now He hath done a most wondrous work, being but an Infant, very tender, and not able to indure any hardinesse, crying as yet in his Cradle, and should not have been known, unlesse the Angells had made him manifest to the Sheepheards; the Starr to the Gentiles, and his crying to Strangers behold here those Peeres, and great Kings of Persia, which otherwise would not confesse themselves to be men, are constrained to stand before him in a Stable, as it were in a Court: They are forc'd to appeare as upon a day appointed, by the Summons of a Star as it were an Apparitor, that they should as it were pleade their cause, and become Suppliants in a black mourning habit: He drawes, he constraines them, whether they will or no: O Loadstone, O thou that drawest, I confesse thou art at this day truly to be admired.
Fourthly, The drawing of the Wisemen was more excellent in respect of their dignity that were drawne, at another time he drew but one Thiefe, or a murderer, the Centurion and some few others: Then after that, the common people promiscuously, But now he drawes persons of the highest quality, Philosophers and Kings of the East, they were none of the lowest ranke, they were at least the Embassadors of Kings, or Kings in their Embassadors, if so be we believe not that they were Kings in their owne persons.
Fiftly, the drawing of the Wisemen was more excellent in respect of the multitude that was drawne together with them; at other times he drew but a few, one, or two this day, tomorow a thousand. But now out of his very Cradle he drew three Kingdoms together of the Chaldaeans, Arabians, and Sabaeans.
Nam totus componitur Orbis.
Regis ad exemplum—
For the whole world is ordered,
As by the Ruler it is led.
The common people with equall paces for the most part follow their Kings, Whether they be converted, averted, or perverted: what manner of Child think yee, shall this be? Assuredly, Assuredly, there is more then Solomon here. They came indeed from Sheba to Solomon, and brought him gifts, but when he was something aged, and such a one as was well spoken of, for the Fame of his Wisedome. But it was a woman, that came, although a Queene (and one of the Sibills in the opinion of some) yet a woman. But now when Christ was but a Little Child; lying hid in a Stable, and compassed about with Straw, in the midst of two beasts, very Famous men Kings and Chiefe Rulers of sacred things, and Philosophers came with hast, from the furthest parts of the East; as it is probable, that they might know him.
This Child is not onelyonly greater then Solomo…, but now he is greater then himselfe: That is, greater in Glory being but a Child, then when he was come to mans estate, a Child he was and tooke our infirmities upon him, not through any weaknesse in him or necessity, but onelyonly according to his owne pleasure and voluntarie dispensation; For he did all things both in Heaven and Earth whatsoever he would,Psalme, and whensoever he pleased.
So then, O Lord thou haste drawne all things unto thee; The whole East with the Kings thereof. Yea all Nations …in these three men,Hom. 7 in Math. whom Saint Chrysostome calls the Progenitous of the Church, whom wee also (not amisse as I suppose) doe terme the first fruits of the Gentiles, or the seed, or the first branches and flowers of the Church among the heathen.
CHAP. VIII. Of the Load-stones attractive Vertue, compared with the power of Ministers and Preachers in converting Soules unto Christ.
IF a free choise in asking whatsoever he pleased were granted to any Christian, especially, to a Minister of Gods word; as it was granted heretofore unto Solomon when he had offered a Thousand burnt offerings in Gibeon. What thinke you, ought to be principall and chiefest of his desires, but that he should receive from God a large portion of that attractive and Load-stone-like Vertue: which in times past he imparted to Peter and Paul, and to the rest of the Apostles, whom he made Fishers of men, by whose helpe he drew to him the world, & converted it. For what can be more acceptable to an Emperour then that he should save many Citizens, and bring many enemies into Captivity? What is more acceptable to a Fisher-man, then that he should draw from the Sea to the shoare, and include in his Net, a great Multitude of Fishes. There is a common report and opinion, which is strongly maintained amonst the Vulgar, concerning the Fatt of an Osprey, that there is such vertue in it, that all the Fishes in a Poole will Swimme to it, and turne their bellies upwards: And, as it were halfe a sleepe, will suffer themselves to be easily taken and handled: which if it were true, how diligently would Fishers inquire for it, and at how, great a price would they purchase it? But Christ is not onelyonly able, but also useth to furnish his Ministers with that power, & to endue them with that drawing vertue, whereby they may bring backe to him his wandring Sheepe, that they may gaine straying Soules, and save themselves and those that hear them. That they may keepe the Flock committed unto them in the Faith and Sheep-fould of Christ. Which gift, to whomsoever it is granted, what greater thing should they desire for themselves,Or, what may they better emulate in others. or what may they better envy others?