A Divine Theater, Title page – Dedication 2
A DIVINE THEATER, OR, A Stage for CHRISTIANS: Delivered In a Sermon at CHRIST-CHURCH in OXFORD.
By JOHN WALL, Doctor in Divinity, and Praebendary of Chriſt-Church.
Vid…te quàm ſuavis ſit Dominus. Pſal. 34. 8.
OXFORD, Printed by H. HALL, for RI: DAVIS. 1662.
TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD, GEORGE Lord Biſhop of WORCESTER; My very much Honour'd LORD: Increaſe of Grace here, and Glory hereafter.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
RIGHT REVEREND,
THough it be true which SENECA writes, ipſi nobis magnum Theatrum ſumus: that every good man is a Theater to himſelfe; and hath ſomewhat within whereon he may reflect with comfort and delight: uſing that of Perſius in a ſenſe, —Nec te quaeſiveris extra: yet give me leave amongst diverſe glorious ſights of publicke rejoycings, to exhibit one text of holy Scripture to your view, the faireſt ſpectacle that ever was preſented upon the Great Amphitheater of the round world: The Salvation of God, the Salvation of Chriſt; moſt worthy to be had in oculis and in oſculis (as my Authour ſpeakes) by all ſuch as kiſſe the Son, and deſire to embrace the ſweetneſſe of divine mercies.
Non hic Centauros, non Gorgonias, Harpyáſve Invenies, hominem pagina noſtra ſapit. vel potiùs Deum: the man that is brought forth with an Ecce in the Goſpell [Behold the man] the Mediatour of God and man, the man Chriſt Ieſus. O let him be ever in your ſight, that hath made you ſo great a Light, and ſet the luſtre of Your Wiſdome and Piety, as a Lanthorne in a Watch-tower, or a candle on the houſe top for direction unto many. My ſong is with the Prophet DAVID, [Good lucke have you with Your Honour] that runnes after you, though you runne from it: Since it is a good ſaying, which Aenaeas Sylvius left as an Axiome, Quòd Viri Dignitatibus, non Dignitates Viris, ſunt quaerendi; that men are to be ſought out for praeferments, more then praeferments by men.
The Patriark Ioſeph beareth encreaſe in his name, and is likened to a flouriſhing bough, whoſe branches runne over the wall: may it be ſo with your Lordſhip, while the ſheaves of others bow to yours; and men delight (as it were) to behold the Salvation of God in the purity of your Doctrine, and the bleſsed example of a good life, and holy Converſation. For that (as Saint Baſil writes in a Letter to his brother Nyſſen) is both foreign and foreign an honourable poſſeſsion to thoſe which have it, and a delectable Viſion to all that looke on it.
For my part, I muſt needs rejoyce, and claime a priviledge therein, when I conſider the bleſſed increaſe of ſo choyce a plant, whereof I had the firſt watering in this Vniverſity, when it was but in the budde; though now it beare much fruit, and may be compared to the Rod of Aaron which ſent forth ripe Almonds.
We read of Plato, quòd Socrati, illo diſcipulo, nihil contigit foelicius: quòd Athenis, illo cive, nihil glorioſius: That nothing befell Socrates more fortunate then ſuch a Scholar, nothing befell Athens more glorious then ſuch a member: Let others make what Parallel they pleaſe, I thinke my ſelfe happy in your Proſperity, and do wiſh you ſtrength anſwerable to your burthen, for the Honour of God, and Comfort of your Brethren; that your Graces may be multiplyed with your Honours; and the Spirit of God doubled upon you, as heretofore upon Elizaeus: that you may be as Napthali ſatiſfyed with favours; and with Aſher yeelding royall dainties, or pleaſures for a KING; that you may be as the beloved Diſciple, on whoſe breaſt JESƲS leaned when he inſpired him with his Oracles; or the bleſsed Apoſtle, who was a Veſsell of Election ad portandum nomen coram Regibus: at leaſt in the words of Homer, —foreign. Deare unto Princes, and ſuch as are ſtiled God's upon earth: ſtudying allwayes prodeſſe quibus datur praeeſſe, if St Bernard be worth the hearing.
More deſires I have of this kind, which I had rather poure forth in ſecret, then expoſe openly.
Tu, quamcunque Deus tibi fortunaverit horam
Gratâ ſume manu.
And be pleaſed to receive the humble tender of the fruit wee gather de ligno vitae (as Saint Bernard ſpeakes) from the tree of Life in the mid'ſt of Paradiſe; though herein I may ſeeme to bring Apples to Pomona, or as wee have it in the Epigrammatiſt Hyblaeis apibus Corfica mella dare.
For I am not aſham'd to profeſse that I wept for joy when I firſt read your Coronation Sermon, to ſee how divinely it was perform'd, to the Honour of GOD, the delight of His M A. JESTY, and the Gracious ſettlement of Church and State in their Ancient, and Fundamentall Government and Splendour, the continuance whereof I do heartily pray for, and reſt
Moſt humbly devoted to Your Lordſhip in true Service and Affection IOHN WALL.