acquire And therefore we must in this sincere Truth Our selues examine How we spend our Youth Manhood and Age and then by searching finde How fraile weare how'vnstedfast and how blinde And next when we our miseries haue skan'd Sifting all actions that we take in hand How vaine they are Necessitie will leaue That Consequent behinde That we must cleaue Onely to that great Pow'r nor from it shrinke Without which we nor moue nor speake nor thinke And because we haue falne from Him by Sin To intimate There is no way to win Our peace and reconcilement or dispence With our transgression but true Penitence I thus proceed Great hath the Decertation Bin 'mongst the Learned men 'bout the Creation Of blessed Angels Some of them haue said They many Worlds before this World were made To'attend th' Almighty Others haue againe So curious a scrutinie held vaine And almost irreligious aiming still To penetrate into his secret Will Without his Warrant and conclude That they Had with the Light subsistence the first day Were with it made of Nothing had no Being At all till then The Fathers disagreeing About this point some haue opinion held But by the later Writers since refel'd As Hierome Ambrose Gregory Nazianzen Cassianus Damascenus Origen Hilary Basil These with others were Resolv'd That because nothing doth appeare From Moses in his Booke of things created Concerning them That they were fabricated Long time before Againe Because Saint Paul Writing to Titus saith God first of all Before the World th' Hope of Eternall life Promis'd to vs c. Hence they maintaine this strife Interpreting the Text Er'e the Creation Which words include If Before God did fashion All things that Being haue in earth or heauen There must be some to whom this power is giuen And those the Angels But on this Assertion Learned Saint Austin layes a great aspersion Affirming them with th' Heav'ns Emperiall made And that before they no existence had Saint Paul interpreting Th' Almighty gaue This Promise and blest Hope Mankinde to saue From all Eternitie to elevate Mans Fall in that pure Lambe Immaculate His Sonne and our deare Sauiour And thus Opinion'd were graue Athanasius Gregory Theodoret Epiphanius With diuers others Which no sooner mov'd Was in the Lateran Councell but approv'd Of all the Bishops as of both the best Which in the sacred Scripture is exprest For thus 't is writ God ended the seventh day The Worke He made for so doth Moses say And in the day whch He his Sabbath nam'd Rested from All the Worke which he had fram'd Which vniuersall word perforce doth carry Spirituall things as well as Elementary Such as before the World thinke them created In many doubts themselues haue intricated I would besides haue them resolue me How Vnlesse his Worke imperfect they allow It can with reason stand that if they were In Time before Time was and with sincere Faith and Obedience had so long aboad They onely then revolted from their God Should this be granted it must needs inferre Strong argument a second way to erre Namely That no Coelestiall Hierarchy Subiects of that eternall Monarchy Who haue remain'd as by the World appeares In blest estate so many thousand yeares But notwithstanding the great grace th' are in May slide like Lucifer and fall by Sin Which the Church holds erronious Be it then Granted That God did make the Angels when Th' Imperiall Heav'ns were fashion'd at first pure And without sin for euer to endure Had they not falne through Proud Imagination By which they then incur'd his Indignation For nothing Euill can from Him proceed So much the Text implyes where we may reade God said when he his rare Worke vnderstood All things that I haue made be greatly good And lest the Church might that way be deluded 'T is in the Lateran Councell thus concluded All Spirits were created pure at first But by their selfe-will after made accurst To make things cleare Although we must confesse That Moses doth not in plaine termes expresse When how and in what order Angels were At first created yet it will appeare How that their Essences and Natures bright Were signified by names of Heav'n and Light And though they seeme forgotten in that Text Obserue how other Scriptures are connext To giue them Name and Being In that Oad In which the three blest Children prais'd their God In the hot flames to giue to vnderstand That Angels were the Worke of his great Hand O all ye Workes of God the Lord say they Blesse praise and magnifie his Name for aye Praise him ye Heav'ns ye Angels praise the Lord. Let vs to Daniels adde the Psalmists word Praise Him all ye his Angels Some haue said That Angels were the last worke that God made But most absurdly He in Iob thus sayes When the Stars of the Morning gaue me praise Then all the Angels of my Sonnes the choice Extold my Name with an exalted voice Now when the Great and most Diuinely Wise Did the rare Fabricke of the World deuise And by the vertue of his Word create The Heav'n and Earth in their so goodly state He made the Angels in the first of Time Of Substances most noble and sublime Amongst which Lucifer was chiefe and hee As he might challenge a prioritie In his Creation so aboue the rest A supereminence as first and best For he was chiefe of all the Principalities And had in him the three stupendious qualities Of the most holy Trinitie which include First Greatnesse Wisedome next then Pulchritude The Greatnesse of the Sonne and holy Spirit The Father is which they from him inherit Now of the Father and the Holy-Ghost The Wisedome is the Sonne so stiled most The Father and Sonnes Pulchritude is he That 's the third Person in the Trinitie And though of Angels the great pow'r be such As hath in Scripture been extolled much For their nobilitie and excellence As first of Michael whose pre-eminence Daniel relates as naming him for one Of the prime Angels that attend the Throne As Raphael who told Tobit Of the seuen That still before th' Almighty stand in Heav'n Himselfe was one Or as the Seraphim Who as the holy Prophet speakes of him With a cole toucht his lips from th' Altar tooke Or as of Gabriel whom the holy Booke Mentions who to the earth made proclamation Of our most blessed-Sauiors Incarnation Yet aboue these was Lucifer instated Honor'd exalted and much celebrated And therefore many of the Learned striue His greatnesse from Ezechiel to deriue For thus he saith and what he doth infer 'Gainst Tyrus they conuert to Lucifer Thou sealst the Sum vp art in Wisedome cleare Thy beauty perfect doth to all appeare Thou hast in Eden Gods faire Garden been Each pretious stone about thy garment's seene The Ruby Topaz and the Diamond The Chrysolite and Onyx there were found The Iasper and the Saphyr dearely sold The
Emerald the Carbuncle with Gold The Timbrel and the Pipe were celebrated For thee in the first day thou wert created Thou art th' anointed Cherub made to couer Thee I haue set in honour aboue other Vpon Gods holy Mountaine placed higher Thou walked hast amidst the stones of fire At first of thy wayes perfect was the ground Vntill iniquitie in thee was found Thy heart was lifted vp by thy great beauty Therein tow'rds God forgetfull of thy duty By reason of thy Brightnesse being plac't ' Boue them thy Wisedome thou corrupted hast But to the ground I 'le cast thee flat and cold Lay thee where Kings thy ruin may behold In thy selfe-wisedome thou hast been beguild And by thy multitude of sinnes defil'd Thy Holinesse A Spirit still peruerse Stain'd by th' iniquitie of thy commerse Therefore from midst of thee a fire I 'le bring Which shall deuour thee into ashes fling Thee from thy height that all the earth may see thee This I haue spoke and who is he can free thee Their terror who did know thee heretofore Most Wretched thou shalt be yet be no more In this the Prophet as these would allude Striues in this first-borne Angell to include All Wisedome Pow'r Gifts Ornaments and Graces Which all the rest had in their seuerall Places God this precelling Creature hauing made With all the Host of Angels some haue said He then began the Vniuersall Frame The Heav'ns Sun Moon and Stars and gaue them name Then Earth and Sea his Diuine Will ordain'd With all the Creatures in them both contain'd His last great Workemanship in high respect Of Reason capable and Intellect But to the Angels natures much inferior Who with th' Almighty dwell in th' Heav'ns superior To all Eternity sounding his praise Man whom from Dust he did so lately raise Subsists of Soule and Body That which still Doth comprehend the Vnderstanding Will And Memorie namely the Soule Partaker Of those great Gifts is th' Image of the Maker The nature of the Body though it be Common with Beasts yet doth it disagree In shape and figure for with Eyes erected It beholds Heav'n whilest Brutes haue Looks deiected This compos'd Man is as a ligament And folding vp in a small continent Some part of all things which before were made For in this Microcosme are stor'd and layd Connexiuely as things made vp and bound Corporeall things with incorporeall Found There likewise are in his admired quality Things fraile and mortall mixt with Immortality Betweene those Creatures that haue Reason and Th' Irrationall who cannot vnderstand There is a Nature intermediate That 'twixt them doth of both participate For with the blessed Angels in a kinde Man doth partake of an intelligent Minde A Body with the Beasts with Appetite It to preserue feed cherish and delight And procreate it 's like in shapes and features Besides Man hath aboue all other Creatures That whereas they their Appetites pursue As solely sencible of what 's in view And gouern'd by instinct Mans eminence Hath pow'r to sway his Will from common Sence And besides Earthly things himselfe apply To contemplate things mysticall and hye And though his Excellence doth not extend To those miraculous Gifts which did commend Great Lucifer at first in his Majoritie Yet in one honour he hath iust prioritie Before all Angels to aduance his Seed Since God from all eternitie decreed That his owne Sonne the euerlasting Word Who to all Creatures Being doth afford By which they first were made should Heav'n forsake And in his Mercy humane Nature take Not that he by so doing should depresse The Diuine Majestie and make it lesse But Humane frailtie to exalt and raise From corrupt earth his glorious Name to praise Therefore he did insep'rably vnite His Goodhood to our Nature vs t' excite To magnifie his Goodnesse This Grace showne Vnto Mankinde was to the Angels knowne That such a thing should be they all expected Not knowing how or when 't would be effected Thus Paul th' Apostle testates 'Mongst the rest Without all opposition be 't confest Of Godlinesse the mysterie is high Namely That God himselfe apparantly Is manifest in Flesh is iustify'd In Spirit by the Angels clearely ' espy'd Preacht to the Gentiles by the World beleev'd Into eternall Glory last receiv'd With Pride and Enuy Lucifer now swelling Against Mankinde whom from his heav'nly Dwelling He seemes in supernaturall Gifts t' out-shine Man being but Terrene and himselfe Diuine Ambitiously his Hate encreasing still Dares to oppose the great Creators Will As holding it against his Iustice done That th' Almighties sole begotten Sonne Mans nature to assume purpos'd and meant And not the Angels much more excellent Therefore he to that height of madnesse came A stratagem within himselfe to frame To hinder this irrevocable Deed Which God from all eternitie decreed And that which most seem'd to inflame his spleene And arrogance was That he had foreseene That many Men by God should be created And in an higher eminence instated Of place and Glory than himselfe or those His Angels that this great Worke ' gant t' oppose Disdaining and repining that of Men One should be God Omnipotent and then That others his Inferiors in degree Should out-shine him in his sublimitie In this puft Insolence and timp'anous Pride He many Angels drew vnto his side Swell'd with the like thoughts Ioyntly these prepare To raise in Heav'n a most seditious Warre He will be the Trines Equall and maintaine Ouer the Hierarchies at least to raigne 'T is thus in Esay read I will ascend Into the Heav'ns and there my Pow'r extend Exalt my Throne aboue and my aboad Shall be made equall with the Stars of God Aboue the Clouds I will my selfe apply Because I will be like to the Most-Hye To this great Pride doth the Arch-Angell rise In boldest opposition and replies Whose name is Michael Why what is he That like the Lord our God aspires to be In vaine ô Lucifer thou striv'st t' assay That we thine innovations should obey Who know As God doth purpose be it must He cannot will but what is good and iust Therefore with vs That God and Man adore Or in this place thou shalt be found no more This strooke the Prince of Pride into an heate In which a Conflict terrible and great Began in Heav'n the Rebell Spirits giue way And the victorious Michael winnes the day Thus Iohn writes of the Battell Michael Fought and his Angels with the Dragon fel The Dragon and his Angels likewise fought But in the Conflict they preuailed nought Nor was their Place in Heav'n thence-forward found But the great Dragon that old Serpent bound They Diuell call'd and Sathan was cast out He that deceiueth the whole World about Ev'n to the lowest earth being tumbled downe And with him all his Angels headlong throwne This victorie thus got and he subverted Th' Arch-Angell with his holy Troupes directed
Potencie Protection Power to guide With all such things as are to these ally'de His Nosthrils by which he is said to smell Doth vnto vs his Acceptation tell Of Sacrifice and Prayer His Incenst Ire Againe it notes when thence fly sparks of fire His Eyes emblem to vs that choice Respect And Fauor which he beares to his Elect. Sometimes they'import his Prouidence Diuine Sometimes they wrathfully are said to shine Against the Wicked By his Feet are meant Stabilitie and Power Omnipotent By th' Apple of his Eye he would haue knowne Th'Indulgence that he beares vnto his Owne The Diuine Wisedome knowing how dull and weake Mans heart and braine is taught the Text to speake To our capacities The Prophets they Did not of this great Deity display The absolute perfection but so leaue it That by a glimpse we far off might conceiue it His Eyes being nam'd it must impresse in me That God doth euery thing at all times see Or if his Eare then must I presuppose That hearing all that 's spoke he all things knowes That hauing wings to mount himselfe on high In vaine can Man his incenst vengeance fly O whither from thy Sprite shall I depart Thou that in euery place at all times art Fly thee none can but vnto thee repaire All may in their humilitie and prayer Appealing to thy Goodnsse For What place Can shadow me when I shall fly thy face If soare to Heauen thy Presence doth appeare Or if to Hell diue Thou art likewise there There is no way an angry God to shun But to a God well pleas'd for refuge run Now to proceed The Scripture Phrase doth reach No farther than our stupid sence to teach That by corporeall things we may prepare Our hearts to know what things spirituall are And by Inuisible make demonstration Of what 's vnseene beyond mans weake narration And for this cause our passions and affects Are in the Scriptures for some knowne respects Confer'd on the Almighty when 't is said God did repent him that he man had made Or when hee 's wrathfull herein is not meant That He is angry or He can repent But 't is a Figure from th' effect arose And that the Greeks call Metanumikos The Names the Scriptures attribute to Him Sometimes Iehouah sometimes Elohim And when the glorious Trinitie's proclaim'd The Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost are nam'd More appellations the Text affords As The Great God of Heauen The Lord of Lords The Lord of Armies and of Hosts the God That in the Highest Heauen hath his aboad The God of Abraham Isaac Iacob and He that brought Israel from th' Egyptians land God of the Spirits of all Flesh and he Lord God of Israel is knowne to be Him by the name of th' Hebrewes God we praise God of our Fathers Th' Antient of all dayes And Dauids God Yet further denomination The God of gods of Iustice Ioy Saluation These titles it ascribes to Him alone Israels Redeemer Israels Holy one Protector Father Shepheard then we sing To Israels God to Iacobs the great King So to the Euerlasting King and than King of all Worlds before the World began Whose Power whose Goodnesse shewn to euery Nation c. Extracts from me this serious Contemplation Soueraigne and holy God Fountaine and Spring Of all true Vertue the Omnipotent King Of whom by subtill search in things to'acquire Is not in Mans conception a thing higher Than his weake faculties can comprehend Yet not to know this God he should offend For how can it with reason consonant be One Godhood should remaine in persons three And they in such a firme connexure linkt To be although in separat yet distinct Thou art without beginning and againe Thou shalt to all Eternitie remaine Knowing no end The Onely and the Same Whom Time cannot impaire nor Age reclaime The space of things Thou do'st in space exceed And art contain'd in none How shouldst thou need That which thy Selfe hast made Or how should Sence Allot thee place who only art Immense Nor is it in Mans frailtie to deuise How Thee in the least kinde to ' annatomise Or tell what thou art like thy Image being A thing excluded from all mortall seeing Vnlesse thou of thy most especiall Grace Wilt shew some shadow of thy glorious Face No part of thee thou hast presented here Saue what doth in thy maruellous Works appeare No Strength can moue Thee of the Land or Ocean By whom we are and in whom haue our motion Thou art the Mind and Substance of all pure And holy minds Thou art the Reason sure And stedfast whence all other Reasons flow That are from perfect Wisedome said to grow Thou art that Vertue of all Vertues head Thou art the Life it selfe and thou art read Father of Life as being knowne to giue Breath with their Being to all things that liue The Light it selfe and yeelding Light to all The Cause and Strength of things in generall Beginning it 's beginning had from thee And whatsoeuer first began to be Vpon the sudden out of Nothing shin'd Which fil'd with thy great Power were so refin'd That either strength of knowledge they retaine Or excellent shape such as doth still remaine The sacred Scriptures are sufficient warrant By many Texts to make the Trine apparant As from the first Creation we may proue God did Create God Said the Spirit did Moue Create imports the Father Said the Sonne The Spirit that Mov'd the Holy-Ghost This done Come to the Gospell to Saint Paul repaire Of him Through him and For him all things are To whom be euerlasting praise Amen In which it is observ'd by Origen Throughâ— and For three Persons to imply And the word Him the Godheads Vnitie Let Vs in Our owne Image Man create Saith God which Salomon doth thus explicate Remember the Creators in the dayes c. Which word those well verst in the Hebrew Phrase Reade in the plurall So when God did frowne On Babels Tower he said Let Vs go downe When Sodom was consum'd 't is said againe The Lord that fire did from the Lord downe raine So when Christs Glory Isay would declare To'expresse Three Persons in on Godhead are He Holy Holy Holy nam'd To show We might a Ternion in an Vnion know Come to Christs Baptisme you againe shall see In the same Trine the perfect Vnitie The Father the first Person is compris'd By sending downe a Voice The Son 's baptis'd By Iohn in Iorden and then from aboue The Third descends in figure of a Doue So likewise when Duke Moses went about To comment on the Law lest they should doubt Of this great Mysterie Hearke to my word O Israel
hornes shew lowring or cloudy towards the earth it portendeth tempest Aratus saith also If the Boreall horne of the Moone seeme any thing streightned it promiseth a North winde or if the Australl horne be any thing erected it signifieth a South winde forthwith to ensue But the quartile of the Moone is the most certain Index of wind and weather According to that of Virgil Sin ortu quarto namque is â—ertissimus author An Emblem IT presenteth an Ideot who hauing a straw sticking out of either shooe is persuaded by some waggish boyes That they are no other than gyues and fetters which hee conceiuing to be such casteth himselfe vpon the ground in great griefe and vexation as one by reason of these bonds not able to remoue out of the place The Motto Stultitia ligamur non compedibus which seemeth to be borrowed from Ecclesiastes 10.2 The heart of the Wiseman is in his right hand but the heart of the Foole is in his left hand And also When the Foole goeth by the way his heart faileth and he telleth to all that he is a Foole. Hâ—rac lib. 1. Epistol ad Mecen writeth thus Virtus est vitium fugere sapientia prima Stultitia carnisse It is a vertue to fly vice and we Count him most wise that is from folly free There are diuers sorts of folly Saint Augustine saith There is none greater in the world than to esteem the World which esteemeth no man and to make so little account of God who so greatly regardeth all men And Saint Gregory tells vs That there can be no greater folly than for a man by much trauell to increase riches and by vaine pleasure to lose his soule It is folly to attempt any wicked beginning in hope of a good and prosperous ending Or for a man to shorten his life by ryot and disorder which by temperance and abstinence might be better prolonged Folly is a meere pouerty of the minde The heart of a Foole saith Syrach is in his mouth but the mouth of a Wise man is in his heart Gregorie saith Sicut nec auris escas nec guttur verba cognoscit ita nec stultus sapientiam sapientis intelligit i. As the eare relisheth not meat nor the throat can distinguish the sound of words so neither can the Foole vnderstand the wisedome of the Wiâ—e And Seneca the Philosopher telleth vs Inter câ—tera mala hoc quaque habet stultitia quod semper incipit vivere i. Amongst many other euills this also hath Folly That it alwaies beginneth to liue But saith S. Augustine Amongst all Fooles he is the most Foole that knoweth little and would seeme to vnderstand much But I come now to the Emblemaâ—ist who thus declares himselfe Spiritus excelso se tollit in Astra volatu At Caro compedibus deprimor inquit humi Tu quid vincla voces age nunc videamus inepta Morio vel stramen compedis instar habet Vile Lucrum popularis Honos fugitiva voluptas Haeccine sint pedibus pondera iusta tuis Prô viles Animas devotaque Crura Catenis Vincîmur nervus nec tamen villus adest ¶ Thus paraphrased The Soule with swift wings to the Stars would fly The Flesh saith Fetter'd on the ground I lye What call'st thou bands looke on that Foole hee 'l say The straw that 's in my shooe hinders my way Base Gaine Vulgar Applause each fading Sweet Are those the Shackles that should gyue thy feet O wretched Soules ô Legs to Fetters deare We thinke our selues bound when no bonds are neare The morall Allusion gathered from hence beareth this Motto O demens ita servus homo est Grounded from that of Seneca Epistol 51. Non ego ambitiosus sum sed nemo aliter Romae potest vinere non ego sumptuosus sed vrbs ipsa magnas impensas exigit c. I am not ambitious but no man otherwise can liue in Rome I am not prodigall but without great expences in the city there is no liuing It is not my fault that I am angry or luxurious for I haue not yet setled the course of my life These things are to be attributed vnto my Youth not me But why doe wee so deceiue our selues Likewise the same Philosopher Epist. 58. in the conclusion thereof Inter causas malorum nostrorum est quod vivimus ad exempla nec ratione componimur sed consuetudine abducimur c. Amongst the causes of those euills which happen vnto vs one is That wee liue by Example not gouerned by Reason but carried away by Custome That which we see few doe wee will not imitate but that which many practise as if that were most honest which is most frequent According with that of the Poet Iuvenal Satyr 14. Dociles imitandis Turpibus pravis omnes sumus But to leaue further enforcing the Argument and come to the Author whom we reade thus Multa quidem totam putrantur inepta per vrbum Cumque petis causam Mos jubet ista ferunt Anne igitur stolidi nos string at opinio vulgi Regulanum vita factio plebis erit Stamine sic fragili vel stramine Morio vinctus Vah sibi compedibus crura sonare putat Serviles vilesque sumus prô vincômur immo Vincîmur miseri causaque nulla subest ¶ Thus paraphrased Follies through all the City frequent be If aske the cause Custome 't is layd on thee Shall the vaine humors of the vulgar Sect Prescribe vs rules our liues how to direct The Ideot with a straw or weake thread bound Thinkes weighty fetters at his heeles to sound Seruile we are so made by our owne Lawes To thinke our selues gyv'd when indeed 's no cause A Meditation vpon the former Tractate TRue God true Life From By In whom all things That truly liue haue Life from Thee it springs God Good and Fayre From By In whom what breeds Goodnesse or Beautie all from Thee proceeds From whom to Turne is to fall Miserably In whom to Trust is to stand Constantly By whom to Hold is to rise Instantly Whose Faith vnto good Actions vs accites Whose Hope to Prayer and Thanksgiuing inuites Whose Charity Vs vnto Him vnites Who to all wretched sinners hath thus spoken Aske haue Seeke finde but Knocke and I will open Whom none can Lose that to the Right doth leane None Seeke but Cal'd none Find but he that 's Cleane To Know whom is to Liue Serue whom to Raigne Praise whom the Soules eternall Blisse to gaine Thou art the God all potent Keeper alone Of all that hope in Thee without whom none Can safety find or be from danger free O! Thou art God and there is none saue Thee In Heauen aboue or in the Earth below Inscrutable things and wonders great wee know Thou work'st of which no number can be made Praise Honour Glorie More than can be said Belong to thee Thou in thy Counsels darke First mad'st the World and after Moses Arke To patterne it
mature in a true conformation And with a â—ollid industrie desire Things that are hidden and abstruse to enquire And as the Thrones each in his office knowes How of all sacred Wisedome to dispose As Dei formes call'd so Saturne he Ianus Bifrons from all antiquitie Is styl'd and Wisedomes Father held to be The Golden World beneath his Scepter was Before the Silver or the third of Brasse Or this Iron Age in which th'vnlabor'd ground Not forc'd by man with plenty did abound The Earth of her free-will gaue all encrease Springs flow'd with milke the Wolfe and Lambe had peace And therefore we by congruent reason finde That the seuenth day to Saturne was assign'd As the seuenth Planet and agreeing best With the Coelestiall Thrones which imply Rest. Besides in Saturne there is one thing rare As sole vnto him peculiar Which he may iustly aboue others claime For none of all the Planets we can name But are in mixture and conjunction Hee Ioyns nor is joyn'd with any but still free And as a Prince vnrival'd keepes his state In which none can with him participate So Moses Law since it was first recited Was with no other coupled or vnited But doth immediatly on God depend Yet many other Lawes from that descend As borrow'd thence And in like mysterie The Chorases of the whole Hierarchie Reflect with all the seruice on the Throne But He his Power communicates to none The Seraph's Loue to Iudgement doth adhere The Cherubs Wisedome placeth it selfe neere The Dominations which some haue defin'd To be Th'vnyoked libertie of minde Assist the Iudgement Seat They Vertues they Vpon the high Tribunall wait and stay And so the rest with all their seuerall Graces But them the Thrones assist not in their places The Dominations we must next confer And fashion to the Star of Iupiter And by comparing them together see How in their semblant Vertues they agree First at Coelestiall things they solely aime Them no tyrannicke seruitude can tame A free Lord they must serue and beare a minde Vncheckt to nothing base or vile enclin'd All difficulties ready to disclose That shall their faithfull seruice interpose On none saue their Creator they rely To his sole pleasure they themselues apply Others to their obedience they persuade Their contemplations being fixt and stayd On the Diuine Light which rare pulchritude To'enioy in a more ample plenitude They stil conforme themselues vnto the Throne If possibly to be with it all one All these if Astrologians we may trust Fall on Ioves Star in number ev'n and iust In Noble bloud this Planet takes delight To'illustrous thoughts it doth the minde accite Prudence to gouerne science how to know His libe'rall influence doth on man bestow Plac'd in his Horoscope he doth inspire Our eleuated soules with a desire To attaine to Fame to Empire and High things Th'vncurbed and irregular minde it brings Not onely to deuise but keepe good Lawes And Iupiter is for that onely cause In Hebrew Zedek call'd which imports Iust. In Goodnesse and in Iustice such as trust Them he spurres on to spend their houres and time To aime at things superior and sublime By the reflex of Iustice and true Piety It drawes to contemplation of a Diety It doth not onely Man himselfe impell To charitable acts and do things well But to stirre others to good workes And styl'd Iove for his Faith and Trust hauing exyl'd All Incredulitie Last by the hand He leadeth others with him till they stand In the like state of Goodnesse Knowledge Faith Pythagoras more of this Planet saith That he is the Mindes Vertue Temperament Health and Disposer of all Ornament That doth belong to Man Now let vs find How those call'd Vertues are to Mars inclin'd And that too may be done with much facilitie If we consider but what true Virilitie And Fortitude in this Star doth consist In one place we thus reade th' Evangelist The Vertues of the Heav'ns are mov'd or ar ' Arm'd on their side who in Gods cause shall war These their Coelestiall operations take Immediatly from Him and for His sake Disperse them to His Glory and great Praise Note what the Psalmist of the Planets sayes Praise Him you Sun and Moone praise Him the Light Praise him yee Stars c. The Vertues by foresight As Captaines ouer the Church Militant Know which amongst them is best Combattant Guide and direct him to the Place aboue To receiue there the Crowne for which he stroue Ev'n so this Mars by th' influence of his Star Styl'd by th' antient Poets God of War Makes men of generous Spirits elate and hye Ambitious after Palme and Victorie The Vertues in their Pow'r finde no defect Nor is this Planet any way deiect Weary'd or faint Those of authentique skill Write His Fires force is indeficient still The Diuine Vertues study to enlarge Their courage who are giv'n to them in charge To make them like spirituall Souldiers stand 'Gainst Lucifer and his reuolted Band Then bring them off to safety and securitie Making them like themselues in God-like puritie So this Stars Fire to shew their true proximitie Burnes vpward as still aiming at sublimitie And in his feruour catching at things neere To turne each Substance to a Nature cleere As it selfe is in lustre like to shine Yet to this Planet many learn'd assigne Malevolent aspects Wars prouocations Home-bred Seditions Discord amongst Nations Broiles Garboiles Tumults and combustious Rage Depopulation Murthers Slaughter Strage Call it The worst of Planets whose reflect Contaminates and poysons with th' aspect But Tresmegistus was not of that minde Saith he The seuerall Planets in their kinde Their vertues being truly vnderstood Are vnto men beneficent and good This great Philosopher would haue vs know Of bad Effects the Cause is here below Stars influences in themselues are pure No putrid stuffe their natures can endure And if from their aspects ought chance amisse They are not to be blam'd for the fault is In our fraile weakenesse for who but hath read That nothing bad aboue the Moon is bred Now as the Potestates to worke are said Both by the Vertues strength and the co-aid of the Dominions Iustice so the Sunne When he his beames transfusiuely shall run Through Mars his Sphere or Ioves benigner Star All his effects Power Strength and Honour ar ' Legions of Fiends the Potestates expell And with them all blinde errors driue to hell So when the Sunne doth his bright beames display The tenebrous Night flies and giues place to day And as those Mindes and Essences Diuine By nature with miraculous fulgor shine So the bright Sunne instated all alone Amidst the Planets in his Regall Throne Casts an incredible lustre and to all Doth honour in his seat Majesticall Distributing abroad in large extent Vnto the Stars both Light and Ornament By whom th' are gouern'd and their motions sway'd Their splendor at his will dark't or
than the greatest punishment that can be inflicted in this world Indicis in lite brevis est vox Ite Venite Dicetur Reprobis Ite Venite Probis Aspera vox Ite vox est benedicta Venite Quod sibi quisque sâ—rit praesentis tempore vitae Hoc sibi messio crit cum dicitur Ite Venite There were some comfort to the damned Souls if their torment might haue end but that shall neuer be and no torment greater than that of perpetuitie The reason of this perpetuity is threefold the first drawn from the state and condition of the Majesty offended The second from the state and condition of the Reprobates for as long as they remaine sinnefull so long shall they remaine tormented for sinne But in Hell they euer remaine sinnefull and sinne is like oile and the wrath of God like fire as long as the oile lasteth the fire burneth and so long as sinfull so long tormented and therefore damned for euer For most sure it is That in Hell there is neither grace nor deuotion The Wicked shall be cast in exteriores tenebras extra limitem Divinae misericordiae i. Into vtter darknesse without the limits of Gods mercie For though their weeping in Hell may seeme penitentiall yet they do but Lugere poenas non peccata lament their punishment but not their sinne The third reason is drawne from Gods justice for when life was offered them they refused it and therefore justly when in Hell they beg it they go without it I shut vp the premisses in the succeeding Emblem The Emblem IT is reported by the Poets and some antient Historiographers That in Dodonia a Forrest in Greece famous for the Okes there growing and therefore dedicate to Iupiter there is a Fountaine or Well into which whoso putteth a Torch lighted or flaming it is presently extinguished but take one vnlighted which neuer came neere the fire and it is instantly kindled The Motto which the Author of this Emblem groundeth hereon is Sie rerum inverâ—â—tur ordo Hauing some consimilitude with that of Gregory 14 Moral Hostis noster quanto magis nos sibi rebellare conspicit quanto amplius expugnare contendit Eos autem pulsare negligit quos quieto iure se possidere sentit i. Our spirituall Enemy the Diuell the more he perceiueth we rebell against him the greater his opposition is against vs but spareth to trouble or molest such as he knoweth to be already in his quiet possession The two maine Engins by which the Diuell seeketh to vndermine Mankinde are Desperation and Presumption Concerning the first S. Bernard saith Let no man despaire of grace though he begin to repent in his later age for God iudgeth of a mans end not of his past life for there is nothing so desperate which Time cannot cure nor any offence so great which Mercy cannot pardon Livy telleth vs That of all the perturbations of the minde Despaire is the most pernicious And Lactantius informes vs That if he be a wicked and wilfull homicide that killeth any man wittingly needs must he be the same or worse who layeth violent hands vpon himselfe dispairingly For what is Dispaire but the feare of punishment and distrust in Gods mercy by reason of which man making himselfe his owne judge becomes his owne Executioner For as Stobaeus saith The dread and terror of inevitable punishment is the sole cause of desperation Against which irremittable sin Seneca in Medaea thus counsels vs Qui nihil potest sperare nihil desperet He that hath nothing to hope for let him nothing feare And Ovid lib. 2. de Ponto Confugit interdum Templi violator ad Aram Nec petera offensi numinis horret opem Sometimes Church-robbers to the Altars fly And to the injur'd gods for mercy cry Concerning Presumption Saint Augustine saith Nulla praesumptio est perniciostor quam de propria justitia scientia superbire ô superba praesumptio ô praesumptuosa superbia i. No presumption is more dangerous than to be proud of our owne righteousnesse or knowledge ô proud presumption ô most presumptuous pride Philo telleth vs That one prime occasion why leuen was forbidden the Iewes at the solemne Feast of Easter was to teach them to haue a great care to keepe themselues from pride and presumption into which they were apt to fall who held any extraordinarie conceit or opinion of themselues their hearts being suddenly swelled therewith as the dough is puft vp with the leuen Claud. de 4 Honor. Cons. saith Inquinat Egregios adiuncta superbia mores i. Where Pride sets in it's foot it corrupteth the best manners It is said to deuour gold and to drink bloud and to climbe so high by other mens heads til at length it fall and breake it 's own neck Plutarch calls it a vapour which striuing to ascend high presently turneth into smoke and vanisheth Therefore commendable was that modestie in the sonne of King Agesilaus who hearing that Philip the father of Alexander the Great much gloried in a victorie not long before gained sent him word That if hee pleased to measure his shadow he should finde it no greater after his Conquest than it was before I conclude with Seneca in Hercul fuerent Sequitnr superbos victor à tergo Deus And now come to the Author vpon the former Emblem most pertinent to this purpose Fax limphis Dodona tuis immersa necatur Quae micat igne nitet quae sine luce fuit Fons sacer iste deo sic pristina credidit aetas At Deus hic stigij rex Acheontis erat Patrat idem cum fonte suo regnator Averni Ordinis inversi gaudet ille dolis Nempe pios rigidae percellit Acumine legis Blanditurque malis sanguine Christe tuo ¶ Thus paraphrased A Taper without fire in Dodon drencht Is kindled But if lighted as soone quencht Which Well the men of Old in their blinde piety Made sacred to a god but no true Diety The Diuell keepes this Fountaine nor doth leaue By inverst order Mankinde to deceiue Good men with the Lawes rigor still pursuing Flattring the Bad with Mercy to their ruin A Meditation vpon the former Tractate I. THou Great God now and euer blessed Thy Seruants wretched and distressed Assist with thy Diuinest aid Lest We like Those that did rebell And head-long were throwne downe to Hell Be Reprobates and Out-casts made II. O Thou who Heav'n and Earth dost guide And aboue all sinnes hatest Pride Because soone after the Creation The first bright Angell led the way And then our two first Parents They Trod the same path to our Damnation III. There is no Sinne that can be nam'd But with a strange selfe-loue inflam'd Originall'tis and In-nate And since that time it is wee finde Dispersed into all Mankinde To ouerthrow our blest estate IV. He that is with this Sinne infected Hath both Thy Loue and Feare reiected Although Thou bee'st the onely Holy And that