Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	wonderful_a	world_n	write_v	114	3	5.0114	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75459	Gods presence mans comfort: or, Gods invisibilitie manifested unto mans capacitie. The heads of which tractate were delivered in a sermon at the Abbey of Westminster, and since enlarged for the benefit of the Church of God. / By the Lords unprofitable servant, Ch. Anthony. Imprimatur: Ja. Cranford.	Anthony, Charles, 1600-1685.	1646 (1646)	Wing A3477; Thomason E328_1; ESTC R8561	58,663	111

coeli gloria stellarum mundum autem illuminat Deus The beauty of heaven is the glory of the Starres but God is the glory of the world for whatsoever beauty is either in the Sun the Moon or the Starres is borrowed from God who is the Father of lights and they in their being set forth unto man that excellencie and power of God for in their order they manifest the Wisdome of God and in their obedience to his command they shew the power of his Will they taking a delight to obey their Creatour Again The Starres set forth the workmanship of their Creator both in their swiftnesse of their motions in their proper courses for in their severall spheres they are alwayes moving as also in their sweet harmony and musick observed by Job Job 38. 31. c. which harmony is not to be heard by the eare of the body but of the soul and understanding Thus from the beauty and vertue of the Sunne Moon and Starres as wee may gather not a little of the knowledge of God so wee may conceive more of that eternall blessednesse which all they shall enjoy who shall be citizens of the new Jerusalem in that they shall exceed even the * Matt. 13. 43. Sun in his lustre and glory I could long insist in this book of the creatures having a large subject to discourse on but I will shun tediousnesse and briefely discourse of them generally Man at his first creation was a perfect creature yet mutable at first hee was endowed with a fulnesse of knowledge yet subject to fall and so to come short of that first perfection Not long after mans creation through the subtill temptations of Satan Eve was beguiled and Gen. 3. shee perswading her husband to eat both sinned and fell short of that their former happinesse Since which time much of that knowledge in which hee was created is impaired for whereas before hee was able readily to discern the vertue and nature of all things yea and to give names to every creature agreeable to that their nature and vertue hee now falls short and hardly can with much labour and studie finde out the vertue of any vegetable Whereas before hee was Lord over all creatures and might both command and teach hee may now from them learn lessons worthy observation All his senses are now so depraved and weakned even in things naturall that it is no marvell if hee faile in things spirituall The oxe knoweth Isa 1. 3. his owner and the asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know c. So that now the brute creature must read a lecture to man whereby he may come to the knowledge of his Creator And if man diligently observe the varietie and nature of the creatures together with the wonderfull fabrick of the world he shall finde them as a shop or store-house full of various wonders and wonderfull variety of secret mysteries and mysticall secrets or as a Schoole wherein hee may reade large lectures of deep Divinity the world being as a book in folio every page whereof is written full of his excellent works and those in capitall letters insomuch that hee that runneth may reade Excellently doth the son of Syrach set for the wisdom Ecclus 43. and power of God in the variety of the creatures and yet saith he Who can magnifie him as he is Ver. 31. Yet neverthelesse by these his works in the world and governance thereof man may in part discern the Justice the Knowledge the Wisdom the Power and the Providence of God for God hath imparted certain sparks of his beauty unto his creatures thereby to draw us to the consideration of the love of him who is Pulchritudo ipsa Beauty it selfe and whereof all other is but as a shadow Even as a man finding a small current of water may thereby be moved to seek out the head of the spring or as happening on some small veine of gold may be thereby animated to search out the mine it selfe But wee alas like silly children delight our selves onely with the faire cover of the book not minding what is contained within Whereas in all fair creatures which daily wee behold wee should rather consider thus within our selves that if God could make one clod of earth so amiable by imparting unto it some small sparkle of his excellency how infinitely faire must hee then be in himselfe yea how worthy all-love and admiration who is sole perfection yea and how happy wee then shall be when wee shall enjoy his beautifull presence from whence all creatures doe borrow theirs But as I said commonly wee onely rest in the externall appearance of visible objects and carry not our contemplations from the creature to the Creator In the old Law God commanded that whatsoever Lev. 11. 41 42. did goe upon its breast should be abomination unto man Oh! how abominable then is reasonable man who hath his soule as it were glewed to the creatures even to this white and yellow clay yea and how vaine are they that pride themselves in their apparell borrowing from all creatures to make themselves seem lovely from one they borrow wooll from another his skin from another his furre from others even their excrements as silk from the worm and perfume from the cat and not content herewith but they borrow pearls from fishes silver and gold from the earth and precious stones from the stands and these they hang about their bodies to draw the eyes of others to stare on them as if this beauty were their own for when the stone glitters upon their finger they in their own conceit glitter also and when the silk shines on their backs Lord how proud are they in their own fancies never considering that God who infused that beauty even into those creatures from whom they borrowed it So that although the creatures of the world doe wonderfully set forth this great God yet every man seeth not God in them onely the true Christian the Spouse of Christ can discern him thorow these grates can perceive him from behinde this wall and that onely by the cleer eye of unblemished faith Not that the manifestation of the Deity is debarred any man for Saint Paul saith The invisible things of God from the creation of Rom. 1. 20. the world are cleerly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and Godhead So that it is plain that God is made manifest unto all even by the works of the creation although all do not observe it Obj. But God is insensible that is invisible and therefore not cognoscible quod enim non cadit in sensum non subit intellectum that which comes not within the compasse of our sense comes not within the verge of our understanding Resol God considered in himself that is in his Essence is indeed invisible according to S. John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man hath seen God at any 1 John

it is because there is no light in them In the word onely is that true light to be found that can best direct us to see the face of God comfortably shining upon our souls When ever therefore wee take the sacred Bible into our hands to reade in which as I have shewed God most brightly looketh upon us let it be with holy devotion with reverend intention and attention supposing the title of every page to be Holinesse to the Lord. Exod. 28. 36. And although there be extant many excellent books lively discovering Almighty God unto us yet let us know that they all borrow their light from the Bible branches they are of this Vine slips from this Root sweet flowers but gathered out of this Eden of God streams of wholesome water clear as crystall but yet all flowing from this Spring-head So that I may say that the Bible is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the book of books because written by men inspired by the holy Ghost who is 2 Pet. 1. 21. the Spirit of truth and therefore ought not this book to be denied to the people that they should not see God in it much lesse be undervalued slighted or corrupted by any And let us know that the more our souls are affected towards God the more will hee graciously manifest himself unto us even as David whose meditation being daily in the law of God found the light of Gods countenance shining more and more upon him in-so-much that hee earnestly requested God not to turne his face away from him this also was that that made him wiser then his teachers Psal 119. 99. Saint Peter commending the majestie of Christ at his transfiguration of which himself was an eye-witnesse 2 Pet. 1. 16. commends also the sure word of prophecie that is of preaching the word and saith that it is a light shining in a dark place till the day dawne and Ver. 19. the day-starre appeare in mens hearts Sith then the ministery of the word is a chiefe means to bring this light to our soules let us both heedfully attend it and highly prize it What although to the worldly-wise it be accounted foolishnesse yet to 1 Cor. 1. 23. the heavenly-minded it is the joy of their hearts and the savour of life to salvation by it God is 2 Cor. 2. 16. pleased to save them that beleeve Listen therefore 1 Cor. 1. 21. unto it attentively practise it faithfully and despise not the message respecting the meannesse of the messenger though it be the idle humour of too many to distaste the word preached because they dis-esteeme the preacher but know that God is pleased by earthen vessels to magnifie his mercy 2 Cor. 4. 7. Luk. 10. 16. and let the other also know that whosoever despiseth us despiseth him that sent us If a malefactour adjudged by the law to die should refuse a gracious pardon because his enemy brought it all would condemne him of impudency and so dying censure him guilty of his own perishing But this by the way Return wee to the observation of the benefit which wee receive by the Scriptures The Lord telleth the Jewes and in them us that hee had taught them statutes and judgements Deut. 4. 5 6. Keep them therefore and doe them saith hee for this is your wisdome and understanding in the sight of the nations who shall say Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people And as daily meditation in the Scriptures brings you neerer unto God so by its illuminating vertue it renders you more heavenly-minded towards God Pray then as Saint Paul adviseth you That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Col. 3. 16. word of Christ may dwell richly in you in all wisdome and spirituall understanding and not be onely at your fingers ends nor in your mouthes onely for discourse sake nor yet in your hearts only like a guest or tenant which stayeth for a time and then is gone but that it may be like a king dwelling ruling and reigning there as in its proper seat by the power of his Spirit even that word which so lively setteth forth to you him whom Abraham fore-saw whom Jacob prophesied John 8. 56. Gen. 49. Isa 7. 14. Jer. 33. 15. Mal. 4. 2. of whom Isaiah calleth Immanuel Jeremiah The branch of righteousnesse and Malachie The Sun of righteousnesse that comes with healing in his wings that that morning-starre may shine in your heart which was typified in the old law but exhibited in the new so that what was foretold in the one is manifested in the other him I say that you may see in the light of the Scriptures by the eye of faith search them then for they testifie of him hee through them as through windowes looketh upon you With Timothy know them from your youth practise them in your riper yeers and let them be your studie in your old age so shall you discerne so much of him even in this life through these grates as shall even ravish your soules with desire of a fuller fruition of him hereafter And as God manifesteth himselfe to you in his word so also in the blessed Sacraments And first in the Sacrament of Baptisme when beleevers are regenerate and born anew of water and the holy Ghost when they are received into the Ark of Christs Church and made lively members of his mysticall body by remission of their sinnes and bestowing on them his holy Spirit by means whereof they receive such blessings from God as make them to live in him by grace in this life and assure them that they shall reigne with him in glory eternally hereafter Secondly but most cleerly of all in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper wherein hee giveth them his flesh Qui fidei ore panem hunc manducant ei tanquam membra uniantur Tilen de Coen Dom. Thes 21. to be their meat and his bloud to be their drink imparting to them that heavenly hidden Manna which they take by the hand and eat by the mouth of faith Every true spouse of Christ in this seeth his super-abundant love in that hee was pleased to vaile his glorious Divinitie with the mantle of our infirme mortalitie that so he might more easily make himselfe known unto us For as hee is God co-equall with his Father hee is invisible but as hee in great humility assumed our nature per operationem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by making himself in forme of a servant who was Lord of all for hee did onely majestatem seponere non deponere for a while lay aside his majesty not quite disrobe himselfe of it hee was visible amongst men hee was conversant with men hee did eate drink sleep talk and at last suffered death by men every way hee did communicate himselfe unto men making the faithfull one with him by spirituall union and conjunction Hence is that saying Paries est verbi Cornel. à Lap. incarnati humanitas per quam stans