Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A42045
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E[p]i[ph]ania, or, A discourse upon the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles by the appearance of a star by Francis Gregory, D.D. and rector of Hambleton in the county of Bucks.
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Gregory, Francis.
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1678
(1678)
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Wing G1891; ESTC R43221
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29,752
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52
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Evangelist and that from their own Mouths We have seen his Star in the East and are come to worship him The Text contains Three things considerable 1. The Persons to whom God was now pleased to reveal the birth of his Son Wee 2. The Occasion Means or Instrument of this Revelation We have seen his Star The same God who thought fit to declare the Nativity of his Son to certain Jews by the message of an Angel was pleased to reveal it to certain Gentiles by the Information of a Star which Star St. Austine doth therefore call Linguam Coeli The Tongue of Heaven 3. The Design and end of this Revelation the Intention which God had therein together with the use which these men made thereof We are come to Worship him an act wherein they did wisely comply with the purpose of God 1. The First thing in the Text is the Consideration of the Persons to whom God was now pleased to reveal the Birth of his Son We Which Persons may be considered First As to their Nation Secondly As to their Title and Character Thirdly As to their Quality and Fourthly As to their Number 1. These Persons in the Text may be considered as to the Nation in which they dwell and from which they came The Evangelist saith only in General They came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the East but from what part of the East he doth not tell us That they came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Persians country is the Assertion of St. Chrysostom and accordingly great St. Basil stiles them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of a Persian Extraction The same Gregory Nazianzen seems to intimate when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Magick Art is a Persian thing There are some who think that they came from Mesopotamia St. Cyprian saith expresly a fluminibus Aethiopiae they came from the Rivers of Ethiopia but notwithstanding these opinions it is more probable that they came from Arabia For as Grotius well observes Munera quae attulerunt Arabica sunt and so Maldonate Ipsa munera Patriam produnt whence they came we may guess by what they brought Gold Frankincense and Myrrh which were the great Commodities of Arabia the happy This last opinion seems to be countenanced by that expression of the Psalmist which litterally belongs to Solomon but is thought to have had a second completion in Christ The Kings of Tâ—rshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Arabia and Sheba shall offer Gifts which latter clause St. Hierom and our old Translation reads thus Reges Arabum the Kings of Arabia shall offer gifts and withal St. Hierom tels us Hoc in Magorum muneribus inchoatum the first accomplishment of this Prophecy as it relates to ourblessed Saviour was by the gifts of These very men in the Text. But whether these men were Persians or Arabians or of some other Nation 't is not much material as to any concern of ours That wherein our Interest lieth is sure enough namely that they were none of the Jcwish nation but as St. Cyprian stiles them Alienigenae Aliens and Strangers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith great St. Basil They were men of the Pagan world and as Zegerus calls them Exordium ac Typus Gentium crediturarum They were the Beginning the Pattern and Representatives of all the Gentiles that should afterwards believe in Christ And upon this consideration do we upon this day solemnly bless our God for their access to Christ as being the first instance and Type of Ours 2 These Persons in the Text may be considered as to that Title and Character that is given them The Evangelist tells us in the Verse immediately before the Text. There came Wise men from the East so we but the Greek thus There came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magicians a word of promiscuous use which somtime signifieth that which is Good and laudable and sometimes that which is Bad and detestable for 1 To be a Magician doth sometimes imply no more than to be a very Learned and knowing man and more particularly in that part of learning which relates to the Sun Moon and Stars That these Magicians in the Text were such only in this first and commendable sense is the opinion of several Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These Magicians were Astrogolers so Theophilact Munster calls them Praecipui siderum contemplatores Men very Eminent for their contemplation of the Stars Which is in it self a thing so laudable that Maldonate supposeth the Evangelist to give them the Name of Magicians honoris causa as an Elogy and high Commendation as being a Title of the same nature with that of Caldeans amongst the Assyrians that of Gymnosophists or Brachmanes amongst the Indians that of Hierophantae amongst the Egyptians and that of Druids amongst the Gaules all which are Terms of Honour and Veneration And sutable to this opinion doth our Translation give them this favourable and friendly Character There came Wise men from the East such as the old Greeks stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sages of their times as if God being willing to give the whole worid an early notice that he sent his son to Redeem persons of all sorts men of all capacities was pleased to reveal his birth as to some illiterate and silly Sheepheard among the Jews so to some Learned men amongst the Gentiles 2. To be a Magitian doth sometimes signifie to be a Conjurer one that deals with a Familiar Spirit one that receives Informations and Assistances from Hell Such were Janâ—es and Jambres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Numenius Sacred Scribes or Priests of Memphis but withall Principes Magorum the very cheif of those Egyptian Conjurers who through the permission of God and help of the Devil counterfeited the Miracles of Moses and thereby contributed a great deal towards the hardning of Pharaoh's heart Such an one was that infamous Simon Sirnamed Magus who was as Eusebius stiles him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a a Notorious Impostor one that through the Devils assistance proved so lucky in his cheats that as the Evangelist saith he was thought to be the great power of God So strongly had he bewitched the Citizens of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Eusebius that in honour of him they erected a Statue to him with this Inscription Simoni Sancto Deo To Simon the holy God From this Black-art doth Erasmus acquit the men in the Text. Nemo maleficas artes somniet c. Let do man dream that they used this devilish Art and so Munster Non quod Magiam exercuerunt sed eam tenebant ut confutare possent They are called Magicians not that they themselves did exercise that hellish Art but that they learnt and understood it in order to confute it But although these Interpreters have such charitable thoughts of these Magicians in the Text yet others there