Golden Sands, Approbation – Dedication
Decemb. 22. 1646.
HAving with great content viewed theſe Golden Sands gathered upon the ſhores of that Chryſtal ſtream, the Holy Scripture: I cannot but more then approve, much deſire, they ſhould be coyned into currant money, for the enriching of the Saints with a further knowledge of the Free grace of God, and of their own happineſſe in the enjoyment of ſuch a Treaſure.
Ioſeph Caryl.
foreign Golden Sands: OR, A few ſhort HINTS about the Riches of Grace.
Begun to be opened from the words of the Apoſtle, in Epheſ. 2.7.
That in the Ages to come, He might ſhew the exceeding Riches of his Grace, in his kindneſſe towards us through Chriſt Ieſus.
PART. I.
Dedicated to the Royal Bud of our Engliſh hopes, Princeſſe ELIZABETH.
By JOHN BACHILER, M. A. ſometime of Emmanuel colledge in Cambridge.
Job. 22.23, 24.
If thou return to the Almighty—Then ſhalt thou lay up gold as duſt, and the gold of Ophir as the ſtones of the brooks.
In minimo eſt magnum. Lemn. de gemmis.
LONDON, Printed by R. W. for Giles Calvert, and Henry Overton. 1647.
TO THE Royal Bud Of our Engliſh hopes, PRINCESSE ELIZABETH.
May it pleaſe your Highneſſe,
WHen Providence gave me a call, (ſo ſtrong and urgent, Abcut Septemb. 1645.that I could not withſtand it) for a few dayes to exerciſe my mean Abilities at Court; ſuch was the acceptation which then I found both from your Highneſſe, and your Honourable Attendants, that altogether unexpectedly, through your undeſerved goodneſſe, I was received into your Preſence with an eye of favour.
Since which time, (I muſt needs confeſſe) I have endeavoured ſo to carry it, that I might not in the leaſt, draw a juſt ſuſpition upon my ſelf, of being troubleſome or intruſive through an uncomely inſinuation: but finding, on the other hand, that this my modeſt forbearance hath not a little hazarded the interpretation of neglect (a crime towards ſuch a Princeſſe almoſt unpardonable) I have reſolved for time to come to deliver my ſelf from this danger alſo. Where Eſtrangedneſſe from Perſons both greatly eminent, and eminently vertuous, (a rare conjunction) is rather diſtaſtefull than pleaſing: He cannot be faithfull either to God's intereſt, or his own, that is not carefull to avoid his being charged with it. And therefore having ſo good an argument to plead for me, I ſhall be the better able to bear cenſures, eſpecially in this preſent ſervice, wherein I do but anſwer ſome intimations given me, by which I find that this way, rather then by written Papers, I ſhall moſt conveniently become officious, both to your commands and your good deſires; the forward piety whereof in ſuch tender yeares, I cannot but with joy declare. Indeed the Apoſtle tels us,1 Cor. 1.26. Not many mighty, not many Noble are called. i. Few Great ones prove good; but me thinks your Highnes ſhould be one of thoſe Few: What mean elſe thoſe golden ſpeeches, which in my own hearing you have ſometimes uttered, That you prefer Grace to Greatnes, becauſe you know 'tis the only way to Glory. That beggery in this world is much rather to be choſen, on condition to be a Queen in Heaven, then here to be a Queen, and not come thither at laſt. Which brings to my remembrance that paſſage alſo, which I obſerved at another time to fall from your Highneſs, when your favour admitted me to ſtand by, whileſt you read the 24. of Matthew. Beſides the ſtreines of pure wit which ever and anon came ſparkling from you, in your pretty critical doubts & queries; coming to theſe words, Two women ſhall be grinding at the mill, the one ſhall be taken, & the other left: verſ. 41. Your Highneſſe here made a pauſe, uttering theſe words, I think ſhe that was left, was the worſt; and then preſently added, I wiſh I might be the woman taken! If theſe things be in you, and abide, how ſweet a mirth will it be to Angels! yea, and how welcome newes to all truehearted Proteſtants, in whatſoever Kingdom!
The reports that are abroad already in the juſt commendations of your Highneſſe, have ſet thouſands on work to pray for you, and engaged as many thouſand hearts to love you.
That diligent attention which you are wont to yeeld unto the preaching of the Goſpel; that encouragement which you give unto the Preachers of it; yea, and that which is a great deal more, that careful induſtry which you ſeem not a little to take delight in, whilſt you not only write down every Sermon as it is preſently delivered, Oh may they be written alſo with indelible characters in your Royal heart!but at ſpecial times are wont to pick out the choiſeſt ſentences, and tranſcribe them into a Book on purpoſe, with your own Royal hand; how great a comfort muſt it neceſſarily be, both to your godly and learned Chaplain,Mr. Torſhel The Lady Southcot. and your Religious Tutreſſe! Verily, if ſtill you proceed on farther, if you continue ſo faire a progreſſe in this ſo bleſſed path which you have begun to walk in; Will it not turn all eyes upon you with veneration? wil it not fill all mouths with pleaſant diſcourſes of you? and after a peculiar manner render thoſe who ſhal have the priviledge of being neer unto you, not only willingly, but ambitiouſly obſequious?
Yet (ſweeteſt Princeſſe) you will not be offended with me, if by way of caution I reminde you of that excellent Advice,The Counteſſe of Northumberland. which your prudent and Noble Governeſſe ſometimes inſtructs you with, viz. That in all this, you take heed of affectation, and vanity; ſtriving rather to be like unto the Kings daughter; Pſal. 45.13.who was wife to Solomon, a type of Chriſt, All glorious within; and to put on the ornament of an humble minde, which is in the ſight of God, 1 Pet. 3.4.of very great value. Pride and hypocriſie have ever proved, as fatal, as they have been incident to great perſons: which I heartily wiſh, may frequently be the ſerious meditation of your Highneſſe, eſpecially in after-times, as you ſhall increaſe in the years of diſcretion: Fore-warned, fore-armed. Flatterers will not be wanting, (you may expect) to do you wrong; and your own heart, in all likelihood, will be as all hearts are, apt enough to hearken to them: ſo pleaſing a thing is it naturally, to be deceived in this kind. For the preventing whereof, Faithfull & plain-dealing Servants, eſpecially ſuch as are as well wiſe, as godly, will be your Highneſſe beſt friends; Such, of all others, you ſhall do well not only to make choiſe of, but to put the marks of your favour on, and oblige them to you with more then ordinary reſpects. You are now a goodly fragrant Roſe, and but newly blowne; What pitty would it be that for want of ſuch about you, any Canker of vice ſhould be ſuffered to eat up your bloſſoms, or any Worme thereof lie gnawing at your root! That Divine ſpark, or little Ray of GOD, Prov. 23.26.I mean the Immortal ſoul within your Royal breaſts;Give me thine heart. me thinks I ſee how the very Heavens court it, yea, and how God himſelfe is in a manner enamoured on it! Why therefore ſhould any thing below the Heavens or leſſe than God himſelf, be thought worthy of it? The riches, glory, and greatneſſe of the other World, participations and fruitions of Bliſſes there, are the only proper objects of an intellectual Being. And this, were there no other Arguments to prove it, yet is moſt invincibly demonſtrated by thoſe inbread vehement deſires, and motions, with which the Noble Mind (like an Empreſſe, ſcorning the unworthy meanneſſe of ſublunary things) in a perpetuall reſtleſneſſe … naturally aſcend's to that original & higheſt good, from whence it once deſcended. The conſideration whereof, moſt of all prevailed with me, to take the humble boldneſſe of preſenting this little offering of Heavenly Treaſure to your Highneſſe, Graced (as it is) and protected with your Highneſſe own ſacred Name.
Sacred, 1. in Scripture ſtory: For it was Elizabeth, Luk. 1.6.that was righteous before God, walking in all the commandements and Ordinances of the Lord, blameleſs; it was Elizabeth, ver. 41, 42that was filled with the Holy Ghoſt, when ſhee bleſſed the Mother of our Lord, ver. 44. foreign.& had a Babe leaping in her wombe for joy at the firſt newes of Him.
And verily,foreign, de iis dici tur qui prae nimia laetitia non poſſunt ſe continere, quin varios geſtue edunt, hinc & illinc ſubfilientes. Beza. ſhould tydings from Jeſus Chriſt at any time occaſion Heavenly dancings in your Highneſſe heart would not the Motions be ſuitable to the Melodies?
Sacred,foreign So both the Latine and Engliſh pronounce it, with th. Elizabeth. and Elizabetha. ſecondly, is the Heavenly ſenſe and ſignification of it. Elizabeth, The Reſt of my God. So the Church is, Zeph. 3.17. He will rejoyce over thee with joy, he will reſt in his love, he wil joy over thee with ſinging. The very place of repoſe, and ſweeteſt reſt of the heart of God himſelf (we here ſee) was the boſome of his Church: So may he boſome of your Highneſſe be!
Or, Elizabeth,foreign Quietavit unde Sabbatum, i. ſancta quies. My God (is) reſt. David found He was ſo to his ſoule, when after all his troubleſom and weary wanderings, he turned in unto him, Pſal. 116.7. Return unto thy reſt, Oh my ſoul. How brave a flight would this be for your Highneſſe alſo!
Or, Elizabeth, the Branch of God. foreign The Greek pronounceth it, foreign with foreign.May it not be ſaid ſo of your Highneſſe? Yes verily, you are (not only as all mankinde) his offſpring, foreign Germen ex arbore naſcens.but hitherto a pregnant and thriving Branch, which we may ſhortly ſee ſpreading out into a fruitful & pleaſant Vine, that ſhall yield forth both the ſmell, and the wine of Lebanon, Hoſ. 14.7.
Or, foreign Saepe ſceptrum ſignificat, vel inſigne regiū, quod priſci Reges majeſtatis gratia manu tenebant. Mr. Leigh in his Crit. Sacr.Elizabeth, God's ſcepter; A peece of Princely Majeſtie in the hand of GOD. This alſo is no improper interpretation of your Highneſſe Name, in which reſpect it hath alſo a fair poſſibility of being no leſſe really and truly ſacred, then in any of the former.
Thirdly, (which yet adds unto the ſplendor of it) 'tis ſacred alſo by that Soveraignty, and greatneſſe with which it hath been inveſted, both heretofore in that orient Peece of Majesty & Vertue, (ſo powerfully endearing all hearts unto it) our learned Q. Elizabeth of famous memory; & now alſo in perſons of ſo great Extraction, as your Highneſſe Royal Aunt, the Queen of Bohemia, and your Royal Couzen, Princeſſe Elizabetha. Which laſt, upon the very naming, we cannot but admire, as well for her depth of Judgement in the whole Theory of Divinity; as her eager progreſſe which ſhe hath already made through the Flowry Elyſians of all humane Learning; An Equal unto whom, among very many thouſands of a Lower rank, perhaps might be rarely found; but within the Line of Royalty, ſcarce ſuch another, unleſſe it be the Supervival of that moſt Renowned Guſtavus Adolphus, Chriſtina by name, now Queen of Sweden, who it ſeems hath derived from Heaven, tam magnum & grandeſcentem Animum, a Minde ſo big, and outgrowing the Body in which it is ſeated, that at little more then 17 years of age, ſhe knowes how familiarly to converſe with all the Arts and Sciences, in no leſſe then ſeven Languages. Theſe Princely patterns of ſingular ingenuity, & unparallel'd advance in Learning, doth not your Highnes ſeem with delight to imitate? witnes the viſible proofs thereof, both in Greek & Hebrew Characters under your own hand; and witneſſe alſo the promptneſſe of your intentive minde, while that learned Miſtreſſe of Tongues,Mrs. Bathſhua Machin. one of the Ornaments of our Nation, gladly attend's you about Studies of that nature. Sure ere long, it will be a kinde of Golden Age, ſince ſuch tender Female—Glories encircle themſelves with brighter beams of knowledge, than many Scarlet robes have been inveſted with in our Vniverſities. Where Literature, and Religion, not only meet each other, but are both imbraced into the very boſom of greateſt Ladies, how happy a preſage is this? And verily, we are fairly promiſed ſuch a bleſſing from your Highneſſe. Go on therefore, Great example of a Princely minde; Go on and proſper: Become the learned Grandchilde of a learned Grandfather; K. James.& thereby alſo become the wonder of many Ages, the myrrour of your Sex, which all that behold or hear of, may either imitate, or admire. Send forth diffuſions of vertual and magnetick Powers; Be like the Sun in the Heavens to the Flowers on earth, every way attractive and influential, to the utmoſt Circumference of that Royal ſphere wherein you move. Let all the little Ladies, & young Gentlewomen, (I might ſay the greateſt & eldeſt too) take Lively patterns of Ingenuity, Piety, Sweetnes, and Goodnes, from your Highnes, though as yet not full 11 years of age, and let it be reckoned among the glorious ſucceſſes of the Parliament of England, Not much above two years and an halfe.that in ſo ſhort a time ſince they undertook the care of your Highneſſe education, you have made ſo pleaſant & quick a progreſs. And why ſhould not ſo ſweet a Bud of braveſt hopes be ſtill accomodated with all poſſible Advantages, whereby it may bloſſome out and flouriſh to the faireſt growth of beauty and maturity? So contend's,
Your HIGHNESSE Moſt humbly Devoted Servant, John Bachiler.