The Spiritual Chemist, Meditations · Meditation 26
Meditation XXVI. Ʋpon the Royal Oak.
THe Perfections of God, his Soveraignty, Power, Wiſdom and goodneſs are ſeen as in a bright mirror, not onelyonly in the ſtanding workes of Creation, but in the tranſient workes of Providence, who doth, as Job acknowledgeth great things paſt finding out, and wonders without number. But among the many ſignal Birth…s of Providence this which my thoughts are now upon may juſtly challenge the right of the Firſt-born in a double portion, both of Meditation and Admiration: As then Zacheus to ſee Jeſus climbed up into a Sycamore-Tree, and thereby gained not onelyonly a ſight of Chriſt, but a gracious look, and comfortable words from him: let us alſo climbe this Royal Oake, that we may have an awfull …ight of God, ſuch, as may not onelyonly fill us with wonder, but further us in holineſs, which is the great end of Gods Providences as well as of his Ordinances. And the firſt ſtep or motion that I ſhall make to aſcend this Oak by, is the conſideration of Gods Power, in uſing the ſame Creatures, not onelyonly in differing, but in contrary Services, as he is pleaſed ſeverally to apply them. The Fire at the ſame time preſerves the three Children in the Furnace, and devours the Inſtruments of their Perſecution: The Red-Sea is Iſraels Path to Canaan, and the Waters a Wall on each hand, but both are made the Aegyptians grave: The Earth opens her Mouth to ſwallow up Corah and his Company, but it helpes the Woman in her flight by opening its mouth to drink in the Flood, which the Dragon ſent forth from his Mouth to deſtroy Her. The Trees of the Field fight for David, and contribute to his Victory more than his Army; for it is ſaid that the Wood deſtroyed more than the Sword: An Oak Arreſts Abſolom in his flight, who is caught and hanged in it, as if it would point out what was the juſt reward of his Treaſon and Rebellion againſt his King and Father; But an Oak ſuccours our Prince in his retreat from the ſtrength and power of a prevailing Enemy; and though it can …ender no Wreaths or Crownes to him, yet it ſpreads forth its Armes to receive him, and keeps him in ſo much ſafety as to deliver good Men of their Feares who were afflicted for his Jeopardy, and to diſappoint others of their hopes who were Vainly Confident that he would be found either among the number of the Slain, or of the Priſoners; But God was ſeen in the Mount, making his Eſcape to be far more wonderful in every Mans eyes than their Victory. Who then would not Adore and Fear ſuch a God, at whoſe Beck, Fire, Water, Trees of the Field, yea and all Creatures become Enemies, or Friends, as he pleaſeth to make them.
A ſecond ſtep is the conſideration of Gods abſolute Soveraignty over all Potentates, and Kings of the Earth; who, as Elihu expreſſeth it, Breaketh in pieces the Mighty without number, and ſets others in their ſtead. How full are the Sacred Chronicles of ſtrange Viciſſitudes and Changes which God hath made in the Crownes and Scepters of Princes? Sauls Kingdom is taken from him and given to David: Rehoboams is rent in twain, and of twelve parts two onelyonly poſſeſſed by him: Athalia ſhe uſurpes the Throne, and deſtroyes the Seed Royal: Joaſh is ſlain by a Conſpiracy: Manaſſeh is bound in Fetters: Zedekiah hath Judgment given againſt him to take his farewell of the light, in beholding the ſlaying of his Sons, and then to have both his eyes put out. How eaſie were it to fill a Volume in this kind? but what need we ſearch further into Hiſtory, have we not ſeen as ſad Spectacles as we can any where read? h…th not Royal Blood been ſhed upon a Scaffold, to the ſhame and reproach of Religion? have we not ſeen Perſons of mean extractions, leaving their Cottages, and dwelling in Kings Pallaces, when Soveraignty hath been forced to take up the lodging of a Crow? have we not ſeen that diſquieting Prodigie, of Servants upon Horſes, and Princes walking like Servants on foot? Now, to what end doth God thus ſhake the Mountaines, and make the greateſt in Power to be as the Chaff of the Summer floores? is it not to ſtain the Pride of the Arm of Fleſh, and to let every one know that Power belongeth unto the Lord, and that it is better to truſt in the Lord, then to put confidence in Princes?
A third ſtep, or motion, diſcovers to us how eaſily God can hide Perſons and things from Man, when Man can neither hide Counſells from God, nor yet himſelf. Adam runs from God, and ſeeks ſhelter among the Trees of the Garden; but God findes him out: he ſowes Fig-leaves together to cover his Nakedneſs, but God eſpies it. The Wings of the Morning can carry no Man to ſuch a diſtance as that God ſhall not behold him; nor the pitchy darkneſs of the Night make ſuch a Covering, as he cannot look through, to whom the darkneſs and the light are both alike. The onelyonly way for a ſinner to hide himſelf from God, is to hide himſelf in God. But with what facility and variety of wayes can God ſecure and keep thoſe whom Men deſign to deſtruction? David and …ix hundered Men are in the ſides of the ſame Cave into which Saul enters, and he perceives it not. Joaſh is hid …ix years in the Temple miraculouſly from the bloody Sword of Athaliah: and our Sovereign is no leſs wonderfully for ſome dayes preſerved in an Oak, as in a Sanctuary, though his Enemies make a moſt ſtrict ſearch for him, there being no Nation, or Kingdom, under their Power, whether they did not ſend to ſeek him; and though they took not an Oath of them that they found him nor, yet they proclaimed ample Rewards to any that would diſcover him. We read in Judges of an Angel that ſate under an Oak, and may we not well preſume, that this Oak, which had a Prince in the top of it, had alſo an Angel at the bottom of it, if we well weigh the Eminency of the deliverance.
A fourth ſtep gives us to behold the rich Mercy, and the great Faithfulneſs of God, who though he doth afflict, yet doth not forſake; who as he caſts down, ſo he raiſeth up: as he taketh away, ſo alſo he graciouſly reſtored. Was ever Prince reduced to ſorer ſtraits? Did he not at once conflict with dangers of Life, Poverty, Baniſhment, diſappointment of Counſells, and a daily ſetting back of his hopes by new difficulties and emergences that did ariſe? and yet how wonderfully did God make theſe Mountaines to become a Plain; the confuſed noiſe of Warriours in Battel, was not heard, Garments rolled in Blood were not ſeen; neither were the Firr-trees terribly ſhaken in the Field; all was effected not by might nor power, but by the Spirit of God. The Temple, in which there was neither Hammer nor Axe, nor any Tool of Iron heard, was not built in a more calme and ſtill manner than his Throne was Erected. And he who was as a Stone rejected for a long time, by certain Builders, at length became the Head-Stone of the Corner. May we not then well ſay this is the Lords doing, it is marvellous in our eyes? Let me therefore make here a pauſe, and in ſtead of a further progreſs, ſay as Moſes did, I will ſtand and ſee this great ſight, a Prince once diſguiſed in a poor and mean habit, and now clothed with Robes of Majeſty; once an Exile from three Kingdomes, and now poſſeſſing the juſt Royalties of them all. Once neceſſitated to climbe an Oak to preſerve his own life, and now daily aſcending the Throne to give out the Lawes of life and of death unto others. O what a web of wonders are here, of which God hath made garments of Praiſe and Salvation for him, whom many judged to be not onelyonly ſmitten but forſaken of God? Admiration methinks now is better then words; and ſilence, in an awfull beholding of theſe things, is more expreſſive then a free ſpeaking of them. I ſhall therefore break off this Meditation, which I cannot happily end, adding onelyonly this ſhort Prayer, That the good will of him that dwelt in the Oak, as well as in the buſh, may ſtill be ſeen in the bleſſings that come from him, upon the Head of our Joſeph, and on the Crown of the Head of Him that was ſeparated from His Subjects, but is now wonderfully reſtored to them.