A Christian Library, Text 1 – Imprimatur 1
A handfull of Nuts.
MEn no more differ from Beasts, Plants, Stones; in speech, reason, shape: then some differ from others, in heart, in brain, in life. Nor is the Epicure more like a swine, the Lustfull person a Goat, the Fraudulent man a Fox, the Backbiter a barking Dog, the Slanderer an Asp, the Oppressor a Wolf, the Persecutor a Tyg…r, the Church-robber a wild Bore, the Seducer a Serpent, yea a Devil, the Traytor a Viper, &c. 2 Tim. 4.17. Luk. 13.32. Phil. 3.2. Psal. 22.12, 13, 16, 20, 21. & 74.13, 14, 19. & 80.13. Matth. 23.33. Dan. 7.4, 5, 6, &c. Zeph. 3.3, 4, &c. Cant. 2.15, 17, &c. then every of them is unlike another; as the holy Ghost intimates, in comparing severall men, to almost every severall Creature in the Vniverse.
Neither does sin and grace only make this difference, or occasion the very Heathen Poets (usually and most fitly) to compare some men to Stones for their hardness and insensiblenesse; (which may be understood of the Adamant stone, as Zech. Chap. 7.12. hath it) others to Plants, that only fill their Veins; a third sort to Beasts that please their senses too; a fourth to evil Angels, that only sin, and cause others to sin: a fifth to Good Angels that are still in motion, alwaies serving God, and doing good, yet ever rest. But as Menander speaks, there is no lesse difference between the wise and simple, the learned, and unlearned, then there is between men and beasts, or between the living and the dead, as another hath it.
And yet the rational does not so much excell the sensuall, as the spirituall excels the rationall. For as the soul is the lamp of the body, and the reason of the soul, and Religion of reason, and Faith of Religion; so Christ is the light and life of Faith, Joh 1.9. & 8.12, Act. 26.18. Ephes. 5.14. Christ is the Sun of the soul, and the day we know with one eye doth far more things descry; then night can do with more then Argus eyes. Whence it is, that all men in their natural condition are said to be blinde and in darknesse, Mat. 4.16. & 15.14. Eph. 4.18, 19. & 5.8. 1 Pet. 2.9. whereas Beleevers are called Children of light, and of the day, 1 Thess. 5.5. 1 Pet. 2.9. And as no man can see the light of the Sun but by the benefit of the Sun, so no man can know the secrets of God but by the revelation of God, 1 Cor, 2.11, 12, 13. Mat. 16.16, 17. To know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven, we must have hearts, eyes, and ears sanctified from above, Deut. 29.2, 3, 4. Psa. 111.10. Luk. 24.45. Ioh. 15.15. Rom. 8.14, 15.
No learning nor experience will serve, to know the riches of the glory of Gods inheritance in the Saints; to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, Eph. 1.17, 18. & 3.19.
Reason and Faith are the two Eyes of the soul; Reason discerns natural objects, Faith spirituall, and supernaturall. But as meer sense is uncapable of the rules of Reason, so Reason is no lesse uncapable of the things that are divine and supernaturall, Jer. 10.14. 1 Cor. 2.14, 15, 16. Eph. 5.8. And as to speak is only proper to men, so to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven is only proper to Believers, Psa. 25.14. Pro. 3.32. Amos 3.7.
Faith and illumination of the Spirit, addes to the fight of our mindes; as a prospective glasse addes to the corporall fight, Mat. 16.17. 1 Cor. 2.7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16. Joh. 12.46.
Sense is a meer Beasts, Reason a meer Mans, Divine knowledge is only the Christians. Some men are like the Moon at full; have all their light towards Earth, none towards Heaven: Others like the Moon at wain, or change, have all their light to Heaven-wards, none to the Earth: A third sort are like the Moon in Eclipse, having no light in it self, neither towards Earth nor towards Heaven.
Now according as men are wise, they prise and value wisedom; and endeavour to obtain it, Pro. 18.15. like Solomon who prayed for wisedom, and Moses who studied for wisedom, and the Queen of Sheba who travelled for wisedom, and David who to get wisedom made the word his Counsellour, hated every false way, and was a man after Gods own heart. As O the pleasure that rational men take in it, Prov. 2.3, 10, 11. & 10.14. Phil. 3.8.
Whereas on the contrary, brutish and blockish men, as little regard it, Prov. 1.5, 7, 13. A man desires not, what he knoweth not, saith Chrysostome, neither are unknown evils feared: wherefore the work of regeneration begins at illumination, Act. 26.18. Col. 1.13. 1 Pet. 2.9.
Knowledge is so fair a Virgin, that every clear eye is in love with her: it is a pearl despised of none but Swine. It is more true of divine wisdome, then it was of that Grecian beauty: no man ever loved her, that never saw her; no man ever saw her, but he loved her.
Lucian tells of an Egyptian King, who had Apes taught (when they were young) to dance, and keep their postures with much art: these he would put into rich Coates, and have them in some great presence to exercise their skill; which was to the admiration of such as knew them not; what little sort of active, nimble men the King had got: And such as knew them, thought it no lesse strange; that they should be trained up to so man-like, and handsome a deportment. But a sub…ile Fellow that was one admitted to see them; brought and threw amongst them, a handfull of Nuts: which they no sooner spied; but they presently left off their dance, fell a scrambling, tore one anothers rich Coats; and to the derision of the beholders (who before admired them,) they discovered themselves to be meer Apes.
These ensuing Notions (which I have purposely taken; as a handfull out of the whole sack, to squander away amongst my acquaintance) are such Nuts, as will discover not a few (who are men in appearance, their own opinion) to be as wise, and well affected as Aesops Cock; that preferred a barley Corn, before a Pearls or Plinies Moal, that would dig under ground with great dexterity: but was blind, if brought into the Sun. Or Diaphontus, that refused his mothers blessing, to hear a song: Or the Israelites ▪ who preferred Garlick and Onions, before Quails and Manna.
And so much for overplus to this division.
A SOVEREIGN ANTIDOTE against all Grief.
Extracted out of the choisest Authors, Ancient and Modern, both Holy and Humane. Necessary to be read of all that any way suffer Tribulation. The Fourth Impression.
By R. YOUNGE, Florilegus.
Imprimatur
Thomas Gataker.