Works, Preface · Part 5
V. The Fifth and Last Means whereby the Author arrived at such an Eminency of Knowledge was, His faithful endeavour after such a Purity of Soul as is requisite to fit it for the fuller and clearer discerning of Divine Mysteries.
The necessity of such a Purity of Heart and Life in order to this End appears by several express places of Scripture: as where it is said, The Secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, Psalm 25. The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom, and foreign the knowledge of the holy ones is Understanding, Prov. 9. (their way of knowing is Knowledge and Understanding indeed) and again, The pure in heart shall see God, (Matth. 5.) But none of the wicked shall understand, (says the Angel to Daniel concerning the Mysteries mentioned in Chap. 12.) And agreeable to these and many such passages of H. Scripture is that in the Book of Wisdom, chap. 1. Into a malicious Soul Wisdom shall not enter, nor dwell in the Body that is subject unto sin.
The same Truth is plainly acknowledged by the Best and more Divine Philosophers; and accordingly they frequently discourse of their foreign Purgative Vertues as necessary to prepare the Soul for the knowledge of the most Excellent and Highest Truths, (as the Mystical or Contemplative Divines speaking of the way to Divine knowledge place the Via Purgativa before the Via Illuminativa:) and it is a known Maxime of Plato in his Phaed…, foreign, implying that Impure Souls are not admitted to any inward converse with God most Pure and Holy. That Wickedness is destructive of Principles, is also Aristotle's observation, foreign. Immorality or a Vicious life unfits men for the noblest Speculations, so that they can neither know Divine nor Moral Truths*1 Cor. 8. foreign as they ought to know, and as they might have known, had they had a true resentment of Morality, and an inward esteem of the*Phil. 4. foreign, the things that are just, pure, and lovely, and of good report. And though such men may sometimes hit upon some Philosophical Notions; yet even in the discovering the Mysteries of Nature they had done far better, and had excell'd themselves, had they been more purged from brutish Sensuality and all filthiness of flesh and spirit. I will only add this, That for a most clear and undeniable proof of this Assertion, [That Morality and a Good life affords the greatest advantages to a more excellent knowledge of not only Divine, but Philosophical Truths] we have in this Age the unparallel'd Works of some eminently-learned and nobly-accomplish'd Writers, who really are Virtuosi according to the ancient Latine importance of the word, and not merely in the Italian sense, which applies only to the Wits and such as are any way Ingenious, be they or be they not morally Vertuous.
But that which I chiefly intended under this last Particular was, to acquaint the Reader how deeply sensible Mr. Mede was of the indispensable necessity of a Purified Mind and Holy Life in order to the fuller and clearer discerning of Divine Mysteries. This was his firm belief, and it obliged him to endeavours worthy of it. To which purpose I shall here produce a very observable passage out of a Letter of his to an ancient Friend in Lincolnshire, who having received, and with great satisfaction read, some Papers from Mr. Mede containing his first Essays upon part of the Apocalyps, and thereupon writing to him with all serious importunity, That he would earnestly pray for and endeavour after a great measure of Holiness, to the mortification of Sin more and more, that thereby he might be prepared to receive a greater measure of Divine Illumination, and be as a Vessel of honour chosen by God to bear and convey his Truth to others, with much more of the like import, concluding with this request, You see how bold I am with you, but let love bury that Exorbitancy, &c. To this his Christian advice Mr. Mede return'd this excellent Answer.
Sir, I thank you heartily for your good Admonitions, and am so far from interpreting your Love Exorbitancy, that I confess my self to have much need of this and more; and therefore desire you to second this your Love with Prayer to God for me, that he would vouchsafe me that his Sanctifying Spirit, and that measure of Grace which may make me capable of such things as he shall be pleased to reveal, and hath in some sort (praised be his Name) already revealed unto me; in the contemplation whereof I find more true Contentment than the greatest Dignities, which Ambition so hunteth after, could ever have afforded me. I have considered what S. Paul saith*1 Cor. 2., The Natural and Carnal man is altogether uncapable of the things of God's Spirit, neither can he know them, &c. and what our Saviour saith*Io. 7., If any man will do his Father's will, he shall (then) know of the doctrine whether it be of God: and I give thanks to Almighty God, who hath made the Light of these his wonderful Mysteries to kindle that Warmth in my Heart, which I felt not till I began to see them, and which have made me that which they found me not—
This passage out of Mr. Mede's*The r…st of the Letter did not need to be published, it treating either of private business, or of what he has in other Letters of Tracts more fully spoken of. original Letter I thought very worthy to be made publick and inserted here upon so fit an occasion, both for that excelcellent and genuine relish of an humble and serious Piety in every line thereof, as also because it is an illustrious Attestation to the forementioned Truth, That an Holy Heart and Life is a necessary Qualification to the right discerning of Divine Mysteries; agreeable whereunto is that in the Greek Version of Prov. 1. 7. (which yet is rather a Paraphrase than a bare Translation, there being more in the Greek than in the Original Hebrew) foreign.
AND now I have passed over the Three long Stages of this Preface. In the last Head of Advertisements I have acquainted the Reader by what Methods and Helps the Author arrived at so great a measure of skill in the Scripture, particularly in the more abstruse and mysterious parts thereof. And thus may others also attain to a considerable Knowledge, and purchase this goodly Pearl, this Treasure hid in the field of Prophetical Scriptures, if they are willing to be at the same cost and bid to the worth of it, and not ignorantly nor sordidly undervalue it: For Wisdom, and particularly this kind of Wisdom and Knowledge, is not to be had at a cheaper rate; it is*Matth. 13. foreign; a Pearl of great price, and worthy of all that we have to bestow, to purchase it. They that look as little into the Apocalyps as some do into the Apocrypha, and mind the Book of Daniel no more than they do the Apocryphal Story of Bell and the Dragon, and therefore exercise not their good parts nor bestow that serious diligence about the foreign in Scripture as they use to do about other kind of difficulties, whether in Philosophy or other parts of Learning, it's no wonder they complain the Iewel is too dear, when they have no mind to give the full price for it; and that all Labour after such knowledge is either excessively hard or useless, whenas yet through their delicateness and love of their own ease, or for some other reason, they never made any due trial. But in other things Difficulty is no argument, it rather whets and animates men of brave spirits: and that all*foreign. Excellent things are hard, is so confess'd a Truth, that it has pass'd into a vulgar Proverb. The first and least therefore that is to be done by such as are of another spirit, and are minded to search these as well as the other Scriptures, is by a frequent attentive reading of the Prophetical Visions to fix the main passages thereof in their minds: (otherwise both the style and matter, the great things of the Prophets (as Hosea speaks of the foreign *Hos. 8. 12.the great things of the Law) will be always counted as a strange thing.) This being done, they must (if they would succeed in their search) apply themselves to those Five Means and Instruments of Knowledge, as Mr. Mede did, and prosper'd, and by his Writings hath lessen'd the difficulty of these Studies, and made the way plainer for others than he found it for himself. And as the study of the Prophetick Scriptures would by an heedful attending to those Five Directions and Helps prove a succesful labour, and therefore far from being excessively hard or incumbred with invincible difficulties; so would it likewise be far from vain and useless: for these Scriptures, as well as the other, being written for our learning and use, (as I have briefly and (I think) clearly proved in this Preface under the Second Head of Advertisements,) there would accrue to us this peculiar Advantage, (besides many others) That by a right understanding of the genuine meaning of these Prophetick Visions, we should be the better enabled to vindicate the Prophecies from those corrupt Glosses which unlearned and unstable Souls (ill-willers also to the stability and peace of Christian States and Kingdoms) would force upon them, perverting these Scriptures for their own Self-ends to the favouring of their unquiet humors and unpeaceable practices, which being rightly understood are the grand Interest and Concernment of Christendome, and certainly make for the Support and Encouragement of the Reformed part thereof, of which through God's mercy we are Members.
In the Second sort of Advertisements I have observed some few things of the Author and his Writings, and shall not need here to superadd any thing to court the Reader to a due esteem of them; His own works will praise him (I say not, in the Gates, as the phrase is Prov. 31. ult. but) in the private Closets and quiet Retirements of the studious enquirers after Truth, if read there with serious attention (which is most necessary in the perusing of his Labours upon the Prophetical Scriptures) and with a mind as free from prejudice as from distractions. It is not to be doubted but that some parts of these Writings may generally please and (as the Author of the Book of*Chap. 16. Wisdom observes of Manna) agree to every tast; nor is it unlikely but that some other parts, though highly pleasing to some, may be less grateful to others of a different perswasion, as Manna itself was lothsome to some murmuring Israelites. But for the better disposing of them to what is fair and ingenuous, this may be fit to be added, That the Author in his life-time did not affect any*2 Cor. 1. dominion over the faith of others, (as if he were Infallible) nor was he ambitious after his death to be Idoliz'd; but this was clearly his disposition, (as he expresseth himself in a*See Epist. 51. Letter to Dr. T.) not to be affected how much or how little others differ'd from him; and this disposition (he said) did so much the more increase in him as he took the liberty to examine either his own or other mens perswasions: so desirous he was that the Apostle's Rule should in this case prevail, Try all things, hold fast that which is good. And therefore such men would shew themselves very ill-natur'd and ill-bred as well as indiscreet, and unmindful of the Fallibility of Humane nature, as also unacquainted with ingenuous Learning, (of which the old Verse is most true,
Emollit mores, nec sinit esse feros)
if they should unwisely disvalue and peevishly reject the whole for some passages not agreeing to their particular Sentiments; or prove so rigid and tenacious, as not to afford that Candor and Charity which is but a just respect, as well easie, as fit to be paid to the Labours of Worthy men highly meriting de Republica literaria. And their Rudeness and Incivility would be the greater, because Mr. Mede doth propound his sense not with any either magisterial or provoking language, but with such modesty, calmness and sobriety, as may deserve rather a fair reception than any churlish and unkind usage in the world.
In the First Head of Advertisements I have given the Reader (for his fuller satisfaction) some account of those long and toilsome labours which I could not think too hard and grievous to undergo both for the honour of the Author's memory and the Reader's greater benefit; chusing (though at an humble distance) to follow that great Labourer in God's Vineyard, Blessed S. Paul, who was*2 Cor. 11. 27. foreign, rather than*Ier. 48. to do this work of the Lord negligently. May the Reader with ease and delight, with profit and advantage peruse these Writings thus prepared for him with a diligence and industry not very ordinary nor over-easie, and therefore not over-hasty, and yet not more leisurely or slow than the labour and weightiness of the undertaking (together with the urgency of other intercurrent cares) did exact.
HE who is the Father of mercies and the God of all grace, that*Isa. 40. giveth power to the faint, and reneweth their strength who wait upon him, who worketh both to will and to do, and to continue patiently in so doing unto the end; to his Name alone (not unto me, not unto me) be the Glory and Praise for his Mercy and for his Power sake—The same Father of lights, who*2 Cor. 4. commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shine into our Hearts, *Psal. 119.unveil our Eyes, that we may behold wondrous things out of his Law; purifie our Souls from Prejudice and Passion, from every false Principle and corrupt Affection, that we may*2 Thess. 2. receive the love of the Truth, and know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God; that being*Col. 1. filled with all wisdom and spiritual understanding, we may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing: To whom be *Apocal. 7.Blessing and Glory, and Wisdom, and Thanksgiving, and Honour and Power, for ever and ever.
Amen.
I. W.