A Beam of Divine Glory, Frontispiece – To the reader
Vera Effigies Rdi Edwardi Pearse. Aetatis Suae 40. 1673.
R: White ſculp.
A BEAM OF Divine Glory: OR THE Unchangeableneſs of God: Opened, Vindicated, and Improved. Whereunto is added, The Soul's Reſt in God.
By EDWARD PEARSE.
To which is prefixed the Author's laſt Letter, written in the time of his Sickneſs, to ſome peculiar Friends
Bleſſed are the dead that die in the Lord, &c.
LONDON, Printed by J. D. for Jonathan Robinſon, at the Golden Lion in St. Pauls Church-yard; and Brabazon Aylmer at the three Pigeons in Cornhil, 1674.
TO THE READER.
THE Ʋnchangeableneſs of God is one of thoſe Perfections of his, whereby he is, in a peculiar manner, diſtinguiſhed from the Creatures. The Creatures are made up of Changes. Their Beings, Life, Conditions, are ſubject to many Changes. But God knows none of theſe Changes, his Being is moſt immutable, his Life the moſt even, conſtant, Uniform, ſerene Life; his Happineſs at all times alike and the Same. God doth alwayes abide in the ſame likeneſs, foreign. Philo Judaeus.ſayes one of the Ancients, with him there is no Variableneſs nor ſhaddow of Change. Now there is an inſtinct in us, whereby we are carryed out to deſire unchangeableneſs. Every thing doth naturally deſire its Perfection; Man therefore being a reaſonable Creature, finding himſelf ſubject to many Changes, longs after a perfect State, which is to be Unchangeable, he would fain come to an Ʋnchangeable Life, to an Ʋnchangeable Happineſs. Now what we cannot find, or attain unto in our ſelves, we ſhould aſpire after, by attaining Ʋnion and Conjunction with our Maker. Every thing is made perfect by reaching or attaining its Firſt Cauſe or Principle. God is the Fountain of Life, the Fountain of Ʋnchangeableneſs, ſo far as unchangeableneſs is communicable to the Creatures. Indeed, in a ſtrict and proper ſenſe Ʋnchangeableneſs is one of the Incommunicable Attributes of God, none but God is ſimply and abſolutely Ʋnchangeable, or can be ſo. It implies a Contradiction to ſuppoſe a Creature, and that Creature intrinſecally and in its own Nature, not to be under a poſſibility of Change; but yet after a ſort, the Creatures may be made Ʋnchangeable, in having an Ʋnchangeable Life, an Unchangeable Happineſs given to them by ſome kind of participation of God, who is the chief Good, and who hath all Life and Happineſs in himſelf. Thus the holy Angels, who are not ſimply and abſolutely unchangeable in themſelves, do yet enjoy an unchangeable Life and Happineſs, in way of donation and Communication, by the ſight of God, and Communion with God. We ſhould therefore aſpire after the ſight of God, and preſs after the moſt perfect adherence to him. God only is the Centre of Unchangeableneſs, and by fixing our hearts in him, we ſhall, after a ſort, become unchangeable. Joyn thy heart to Eternity, (ſayes Auſtin) and thou thy ſelf ſhalt be eternal.Junge Cor tuum aeternitati, & aeternus eris.
The Author of the following Diſcourſes hath now bleſſed experience what that participated Ʋnchangeableneſs is, (if we may ſo Call it) which glorified Souls have in the Divine preſence, by having Communion with God, the firſt unchangeable Being. Whilſt he lived here on Earth, he ſaw many Changes paſſing over himſelf, both as to his Perſon and Condition; this put him upon the Contemplation of the Ʋnchangeableneſs of God, and cauſed him to ſeek for that Reſt in God which he could not find in himſelf, nor in any thing here below. And as thoſe that obſerved his Spirit did clearly perceive that he was much quickned and helped, as to his Spiritual Eſtate, by meditating much of an Holy Reſt in God; So it is not to be doubted, if we take the ſame Courſe, and keep the eye of our minds fixed on God, labouring to take up all our Reſt and Satisfaction in him; there ſhall we find that true quiet to our Souls, which we vainly ſeek after in the Variety of Objects here below. And the ſerious peruſing of theſe Diſcourſes, which carry much of the Impreſs of the Authors Spirit upon them, may be of good uſe to us to help us to attain ſuch an end.
The Author had no thoughts at firſt of bringing forth theſe Sermons unto publick view, but being much perſwaded hereunto by his Neareſt Relation; at laſt he yielded unto that Importunity, and perfected them with his own hand. The reſt of his Notes being left in Characters, it is much to be feared, theſe are the laſt Sermons of his that are like to ſee the Light.
For a cloſe, I may only add this, That it is matter of ſad Lamentation to us, to conſider how many of the Faithful Servants of God, who have been eminent in their Generations, have been taken away in a few years. Certainly it becomes us to bewail greatly the deaths of ſo many Godly Miniſters, and ſince the Harveſt is great, and the faithful Labourers are but few, we ſhould pray the Lord of the Harveſt that he would thruſt forth Labourers into the Vineyard;
Thine in the Lord Chriſt, JOHN ROWE.