The Spiritual Chemist, Meditations · Meditation 39
Meditation XXXIX. VponUpon the Bucket and the Wheel.
THe ſaying of Democritus, which he ſpake concerning Philoſophical truth, that it did latitare in jute…, hide it ſelf, and take up its abode in a dark and deep Well, may much more be affirmed of Theological truth when the whole Doctrine of the Goſpel is called the Myſtery of Chriſt, and the great Myſtery of Godlineſs, that there ſhould be three diſtinct Perſons in one Eſſence, and two diſtinct Natures in one Perſon. That Virgi…ity ſhould conceive, Eternity be born; Immortality dye, and Mortality riſe from death to life. Are not theſe, and many more of the like intricacy, unparalelled myſteries? May we not then juſtly ſay, as the Samarita… woman did to our Saviour when he asked water of her, Puteus profundus eſt, the Well is deep, and who can deſcend into it, or fathom it? And yet ſuch is the pride and arrogancy of many men, as that, not contenting themſelves with the ſimplicity of believing, many make Reaſon the ſole ſtandard whereby to meaſure both the Principles and Concluſions of Faith, for which it is as unapt as the weak Eye of a Bat to behold the Sun when it ſhineth in its full ſtrength; or the Bill of a ſmall Bird to receive into it the Ocean. Theſe high myſteries are not to be ſcanned, but to be believed; the knowledge and certainty of which doth not ariſe from the evidence of reaſon, but from the revelation made of them in holy Scriptures; the mouth of God, who is truth it ſelf, and cannot lye, hath ſpoken them, and therefore it cannot be otherwiſe. But muſt then reaſon be wholly ſhut out as a uſeleſs thing in the Chriſtian Religion, or muſt it be confined to the agenda matters of duty and morality, in which it cannot be denied to be both of neceſſary and conſtant uſe? Surely even the Credenda, alſo the Doctrines and points which are properly of Faith, do not refuſe the ſober uſe of Reaſon, ſo it be imployed as an Handmaid, and not as a Mistreſs. I have therefore thought that Faith is as the Bucket, which can beſt deſcend this deep Well of myſtery, and that Reaſon is as the Wheel, which ſtands over the mou…h of it, and keeps alwaies its certain and fixed diſtance: But yet by its motion is inſtrumental both to let down the bucket, and alſo to draw it up again. Faith diſcovers the deep things of God, and then reaſon teacheth us to ſubmit our ſelves and it to the obedience of Faith, that ſo it is. But it never becomes more fooliſh and dangerous then when it buſies its ſelf in inquiries, and makes Nicodemus his queſtion, How can theſe things be? then it turnes giddy, and loſeth its ſelf in diſtracted rounds and motions. Alaſs … how unlike would the wayes and Counſels of God be unto himſelf, if they were no other but ſuch as the Wiſeſt of Men could trace out? How little glory would Faith alſo give to God, if it did not put forth its ſtrength in aſſerting his Power to effect greater things then can fall within the compaſs of Natural diſquiſition? Yea, how ſhould the Goſpel, in its Inſtitutions, Doctrines, and Worſhip, be acquitted of the Jewes ſtumbling at it, as diſhonourable to their Law; and the Gentiles deriding of it, as abſurd, in their Philoſophy, if that Reaſon muſt be the meaſure of its Myſteries? Nature is ſo far from finding out what the Goſpel diſcovers, as that it cannot y…eld un…o it, when it is revealed, without a ſpirit of Faith to aſſiſt i…. Be wiſe therefore, O Chriſtians, and ſet bounds to your Reaſon, beyond which it may not paſs, as Moſes did to the Iſraelites, whileſt Faith deſcendeth into the deeps of Goſpel Myſteries, which Angells with ſtrerched out necks have more deſire to pry into, then ability perfectly to underſtand. Now the boundary of Reaſon is, Conf…rre & inferre; to confer one Scripture with another; and to infer Concluſions, and to deduce Inſtructions thence, by a clear L…gi…il Diſcourſe. But if it go further to g…z…, it may juſtly fear to be ſmit…en of God: and like a Pyoneer, or bold Miner, which digs in too far for his rich Veine of Ore, …eet with a damp which choakes him. My Prayer therefore ſhall be that of the Apoſtles to Chriſt, Adde nobis fidem: Lord increaſe our faith. For if my faith do not exceed, my reaſon, though advanced to as high a pitch as ever Solomon had, yet might I well be numbered among thoſe, whom St. Peter ſaith are blinde, and cannot ſee afar off.