Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A89495
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Ashrea: or, The grove of beatitudes represented in emblemes: and, by the art of memory, to be read on our blessed Saviour crucifi'd: with considerations & meditations suitable to every beatitude.
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Manning, Edward.
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1665
(1665)
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Wing M483; ESTC R225638
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48,223
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156
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Heaven is as it were opened to such as truly repent VII Sometimes I reflect mine Eye on the Wood-Bind which wheresoever it grows is alwayes binding and uniting branch with branch or winding round about a Tree to teach me that Peace Unity Union and Concord are the special Objects at which I must aim both in respect of God and my Neighbour Love must be like a pair of Wood-Bind shoots issuing from the same stock which lay hold of two neighbouring boughs or branches If by Love I unite my Heart and Soul to God by Love I must likewise be united with my Neighbour And in like manner if I have made my Peace with God I must do the like with my Neighbour offended For as I forgive so I desire to be forgiven And consequently as I have Peace with my Neighbour so I desire God would be pacified So shall I have inward Peace accompanied with outward Charity and Love like a Honey-Suckle odoriferous that breath snothing but sweetness Then I reflect on the Wood-Bind Christ Jesus on the Cross the grand Peace-maker stretching forth his Arms and pacifying his Father justly incens'd against Sinners O what an amorous far-spreading Wood-Bind was our Lord Stretching from end to end strongly by fastning the Hands of Justice and disposing all things sweetly like a Honey-Suckle breathing nothing but sweetness of Peace even for his greatest Enemies crying out Father forgive them for they know not what they do And to the penitent Thief This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise As if he had said I have made thy Peace and prepared for thee a place of Repose Thy remove shall be from a turbulent world and stormy Sea to a quiet and secure Haven O my Soul Canst thou yet be so unsetled in thy Resolves So wavering and inconstant in good purposes Christ is thy Wood-Bind to fasten thee and hath as many bands to tie thee as pains he endured and drops of Blood which he powred out for thy Redemption Consider seriously how infinitely thou art oblig'd How innumerable the ties of his transcendent Love like so many Tendrels or Wood-Bind wreathes circling and clasping round about thee to attract and draw thee unto Himself who exalted from the Earth promised he would draw all things But how In the bands of Adam and links of Charity VIII When I walk into the garden where every Plant invites the Eye to behold and the Heart to consider I oftner cast a glance on the Vine which when I view prun'd and despoyl'd of her branches this think I would move an ignorant Man to Compassion to see a flourishing Vine so cut and mangled and fast nayl'd to a wall that knows not that this kind of Cruelty is Courtesie and favour for thereby it becomes more fruitful The like happeneth to Christians persecuted who in the sight of the unwise seem to be wretched and dye and their departure destruction yet they a little chastised shall be greatly rewarded for God prunes and proves them and finds them worthy for himself saith the Wiseman Then let the true Vine Christ Jesus occurr prun'd and despoyl'd humbled unto death for which God gave him a Name above all names who invites us to suffer with him that we may reign with him in a Kingdom acquired by them who suffer persecution for righteousness sake In a Kingdom which is conquered as it were by force and shatch'd by violence O my Soul thou likewise art a Vine and must be prun'd Nay more if thy Hand offend thee if like a Vine-branch it spread too far by coveting earthly things it must be cut off If thine Eye offend thee by presenting thee with objects of vain delight it must be pulled out and cast from thee That is what ever Creature or whatever delight as dear unto thee as thy Hand or Eye must be deserted and cast off if they with-draw thee from the Service of God or go about to betray thee to everlasting destruction O my Soul there is but one thing necessary the grand concernment Salvation which relates to Jesus that is a Saviour O that thou couldst tru'y say Now I begin to be the Disciple of Christ desiring nothing visible to the Eye that I may find Christ Jesus Seek him then in these ensuing Ejaculatories Vpon Christ's Nakedness O Good Jesu I read in thy nakedness that thou wert poor in Spirit poor in Will and desire of having any thing in this world So poor in Spirit that as thou cam'st naked into the World so as naked thou wouldst depart hence So poor in this World that living and dying thou hadst not whereon to rest thy Head What is then in Heaven for me or what do I desire on Earth but thee O the God of my Heart my portion my God for ever On his Head inclining Against Pride and Impatience O Good Jesu I behold thy Head meekly bowing down while the ungrateful Jews blaspheme and revile thee All which thou enduredst with infinite Patience and Meekness to possess the Land for us Sinners who transported by Pride and Impatience are tost by the waves of violent perturbations Ah! who can behold thee on the Cross humbly inclining thy dying Head Who can be impatient that beholds thee so meekly suffering O my Soul that thou mayst possess thy self and the Land of the Living learn of thy Saviour to be humble meek and patient On Christ's Eyes Against Excessive Mirth O Good Jesu I behold thy sacred Eyes distilling bloody tears and I hear thee say Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted If thou O Lord wert comforted by mourning because by thy tears thou wert to redeem me a Sinner Great cause have I to mourn with thee since my sins were the cause of thy weeping and sorrow Great cause have I to weep and bewail my sins that I may be comforted yea and rejoyce seeing by thy dolorous Passions I obtain a full redemption to my Soul On his Mouth Against Fear and Pusillanimity O Good Jesu I behold thy sacred Mouth and hear thee say I Thirst Whereby I learn that thou didst hunger and thirst after righteousness that my poor sinful Soul might be justified What then should my hunger and thirst be but a desire to suffer with thee that I may reign with thee Why then should I fear Why should I be so much dejected Thou art my Captain I must follow thee Thou art the Way I must not leave thee Thou art Life and therefore I cannot live without thee O my God and all things As the Hart thirsteth after the fountain of waters so doth my Soul unto thee On his Side Against Unmercifulness O Good Jesu I behold Blood and Water issuing from thy wounded Side and seem to hear thee say Blessed are the merciful for they shall find mercy Thou O Lord wert so merciful so bountiful that thou gavest the last dropps of thy precious Blood which streamed from thy wounded Heart for my redemption O hard Heart of mine
The Rain-bow shall be in the clouds saith the Text as spoken by God himself And I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting covenant Here we may say the place consign'd was the Rain-bow on which the Covenant to be remembred was placed and by that Rain-bow was prefigured Christ on the Cross whom his Father beholding is moved to mercy and compassion towards sinners And why should not we wretched sinners whenever we behold or represent to our selves this Rain-bow to wit Christ crucifi'd and fasten'd to the Cross diversifi'd with the several colours of red and white and black and blew c. immediately call to mind what he suffred and for whom he suffred And why may we not upon that representation according to the foresaid Art assign eight several places at certain distances for our better remembrance and practice of the Eight Beatitudes And whereas the Lord said that the Rain-bow should be seen in the Clouds why may not the representation of our Saviours bitter Passion be our Remembrancer how that he was encompassed not only with a cloud but with a total eclipse of heaviness and grief In fine if God said that he would look upon the Rain-bow that he might remember his Covenant ought not we frequently to imagine to selves a sight of him who is the Angel of the Covenant the Prince of Peace and the Mirrour and great Exemplar of patience and meekness When we reflect on his nakedness on the Cross shall we not thence derive a certain memento how poor he was in spirit and so of the rest with a reason why each Beatitude is consign'd to its proper place It will not be impertinent in this place to bring in what S. Augustine says in his Boook of Confessions lib. 10. as having reference both to our subject Beatitude and what we have deliver'd concerning our Art of Memory All of us saith he would fain be happy which if we did not apprehend with a certain kind of notice we could not all desire it with so resolute a will which certain kind of notice may be understood of the Memory wherein the knowledge of Beatitude is renewed AN INVITATION To the Grove of BEATITUDES Emblematically represented by Eight Trees HEre no Sylvanus haunts our Grove Here no prophane wild Satyrs rove Nor in our glades And blissful shades Diana and her Nymphs resort To chase the nimble Deer and sport A fairer wight More pure and bright Than rosie morn that sweetly breathes Appears crown'd with immortal wreathes The Starrie skies With radiant Eyes Are not so beauteous clear and fair Nor for the night and day a pair That glorious shine Shee 's so divine I Beatitude whom you may see Or 〈◊〉 with a Cornel Treâ— Which forward Springs And blossoms brings Ere levie erests to shrowd appear To wanton with the winds for here Vnknown before In spirit poor Beatitude in her retreat Poor in desire hath sixt her feat In Heaven whose store Lasts evermore II. Hence pass along that you may be Blest by your sight when you shall see This fair one sit Whom never yet Blind mortals found Then for her seek A Lady humble gentle meek Whose powerful Hand Doth seize the Land Like is this Arched Tree which sends A thousand shoots for so she bends Down to the Earth Blest by the birth Of humble thoughts which deeply take Firm root in Heaven and happy make For ever blest When shee 's possess'd III. The weeping Myrrh-Tree next in fight Is shading this sad mourning wight for as this Tree Distills so she Drops Orient Pearls which shining are Then Indian Gems more precious far Which never soil Sad Grief 's the foil IV. Move farther yet into our Grove And view the Tree which bears the Clove Bloom'd like a nail You shall not fail To find her where upon the ground She thirsting sits encompass'd round Midst such a plot As yet could not Admit a nanghty weed to grow The sap of Grace shee 's thirsting so Which doth impart Life to the Heart V. Shee 's gone from thence fly fly make bastes To follow her and find her plac'd Vnder the shade A Tree hath made Bears Adam's Apples No time 's lost To split them and behold how crost Is every fruit Which well doth suit With her who wounded deep with Grief Feeles others wants and gives relief And when you see Vpon this Tree Large spreading leaves know she is blest Findes Mercy cause she joyes to vest The naked poore Tangment her store VI. Yet fâ—â—ther chase this glorious wight Be sure to keep her still in sight Whom if you lose Your Hearts repose In bliss is gone See where retir'd Shee 〈◊〉 fits by Heaven inspird With Silver Breast To take her resh Where Figgs upon the Tree were green And hard until a Gnat was seen To be so kind As wound the rind Whose 〈◊〉 drop descends 〈◊〉 were In Aemulation of a Tear Fallne from her Eyes Which you may prize By blessings which each doth impart To wash and cleanse an ordur'd Heart And purifie Th' affected Eye VII Shee 's risen thence pursue her still You shall you must yâ—◠〈◊〉 nill Nor covet less Than happiness Behold this active Virgin sits Where the sweet amorous Wood-Bind knits With clasping Arms And powerful Charmes A neighbouring pair of Stands which fought Blown by the winds till round about It guirdes and bindes And clings and windes Like her who never doth surcease Beatitude to link make peace Vnite with bands Both Hearts and Hands VIII In fine This Lady yet removes Vnto a streading Vine which loves That it may bear In time of year To have her branches prun'd and gyves To bind her Arms for so she thrives Fixt to a wall But seeming thrall Is Persecution which who takes And patient hears be muck forsakes And leaves his hold Of dross for Gold What then is he so gross and rude That covets not Beatitude 1. In Spirit poor T' abound with store 2. Meek to possess True happiness 3. Mourn midst annoy To reap with joy 4. Thirst Hunger still To have his fill 5. Pittiful-kind Mercy to find 6. Pure-hearted see And Blesled be 7. Peaceful in Life Composing strife 8. Suffer and take Affliction make A Crown on Earth in Heaven of Light When fair Beatitude more bright Shall be compleat in God th' Abyss Of joy and everlasting Bliss ASHREA OR The Grove OF BEATITUDES Represented in EMBLEMES THE Eight BEATITUDES Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the