seen that certain holes have been made in strong Buildings in time of Thunder which is done saith he by the strength of Thunder-bolts called by the Poets Sagittae jacula Jovis The Thunderstone saith r Idem ibid. p. 358. Zanchy is thus begotten in the clouds with the exhalation which is hot and dry a more grosse matter may be drawn up by the Sun from the Earth and Minerals which with the enclosed Exhalations and the violent heat of the Sun is at lengh formed into a Thunder-stone Some have held it is done after the manner that stones are produced in the Kidneys and Bladders of living Creatures Anaxagoras Å¿ Plin Nat. Hist li. 2. c. 58. foretold that within certain days a stone should fall from the Heavens which also came to passe in Thrasia in the day time the stone is reported to be as great as a Cart or Wain-load a Comet also appeared that night Pliny tells us the stone was seen of many and was shewed as a Wonder in his time It was of a parched or burned colour It puzled t Aristot Meteor l. 1. cap. de cometâ Aristotle and the best Philosophers to give a reason of this Stones production and growth to such a bulky masse Zanchy writing of it u Zanchius Tom 3. lib. 3. cap. 3. p. 360. saith we may see the great power of God and his wonderfull works Which is the best account he is able to give of this businesse Reason can produce little more for the Thunderbolt Again Thunder is commonly attended with Raine and showers that violently fall to the Earth The moist Cloud being rent by the Thunder dissolves in Raine Thunder blasts Vines and other Fruit burns trees and houses destroys Men and Beasts beats down the lofty Turrets turns up oaks and other mighty trees by the Roots Fire w Job 1.16 fell from Heaven viz. terrible Lightning and burnt Jobs sheep and his servants so that one onely escaped Beer Wine and other Liquors are spoiled with much Thunder and Lightning which may proceed not onely from noise and concussion of the Aire but also impure and noxious spirits or Influences mingle therewith and draw them to corruption whereby they do not onely become Dead themselves but also sometimes deadly to others As that mentioned by Seneca whereof all that drank lost their life or wits Thunder x Psal 29.9 makes the Hinds to calve and other Cattell to cast their young Thunder is many times followed with violent storms and terrible Earth-quakes especially in other Countreys where Earth-quakes are usuall The y Nahum 1.5 6. mountains quake the hills melt the earth is burnt at his presence Who can stand before his indignation who can abide the fiercenesse of his anger His fury is poured out like water and the Rocks are thrown downe by him The Prophet Nahum alludes to Thunder Lightnings and Earthquakes crowding together But the Prophet Isaiah doth more plainly expresse it z Isa 29.6 Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of Hosts with thunder and with Eareh quakes and a great noise with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire a Seneca Qu. Nat. l. 2. c. 27. Seneca writes of one kinde of Thunder which murmurs but cracks not and saith Terrae metum antecedit if fore-goeth an Earth-quake Aristotle saith an b Aristot Meteor li. 2. c. 7. Earth-quake proceeds from vapors imprisoned in the bowels of the Earth which finding no passage to escape are inforced to recoil to search every nook and corner And while they thus struggle and labour to get out a trembling agitation and tumultuous motion of the Earth is occasioned as of a woman in travail which is called an Earthquake that So look what Thunder is in the hollow part of a cloud the very same is an Earth-quake in the belly of the earth which hath then a fit of the Wind collick Alsteed tells of a great Earth-quake at Plures in Rhetiae Anno Dom 1618. Aug. 17. where the whole Towne was on a sudden covered with an huge mountain that with it's swift and violent motion slew 1500 people The greatest Earth-quake I have read of is described by c Evagrii hist Eccâ—es lib. 1. cap. 17. Evagrius to fall out in the time of Theodosius which is said to move and shake well nigh the whole Earthly Globe And for our owne Country Cambden d Cambden Britan. writes of a strange Earth quake in Herefordshire Anno Dom 1571. March 12. about six of the clock in the evening being Saturday a great Hill lifted up it self with a huge noise jumped into an higher place carried along with it trees and Cattell and continued walking about till Monday noon over-turning a Chappel that stood in its way You have seen what the usual effects of Thunder and Lightning are Now for the benefit of my own Countrymen it will not be amisse here distinctly to set downe the most remarkable Thunders which have happened in England with their effects As I finde them recorded in our English Chronicles which will help to shew us the dreadful consequents of Thunder and Lightning that we may learn to feare before the great and terrible GOD Knowing that whatsoever hath been may be again the e Gen. 9.11.15 universal deluge excepted Yea that our God is unlimited in his power and working and can do more then yet he hath done Nor is it known what he will do In the Reign f Mr. Stowes abridgement of English Chronicleâ— printed 1618 p. 55. of Henery the first Anno Christi 1116. in the moneth of March was exceeding Lightning and in December Thunder and Haile The Moon at both times seemed as if shee were turned into blood Not long before there was a blazing Star In the 15 yeare of g Idem p. 88. Henry the 3d. Anno Domini 1230. on Pauls day when Roger Niger Bishop of London was at Masse in Pauls Church suddenly it waxed darke and an horrible Thunder-clap lighted on the Church the same was shaken as though it would have fallen All the Church seemed to be on fire with Lightnings The people thought of present death Thousands of men and women ran out of the Church fell on the ground through astonishment None tarried in the Church save the Bishop and a Deacon In Queen h Idem p. 279. Maries Reign Anno Domini 1558. July 7. within a mile of Nottingham a tempest of Thunder as it came through two Townes beat down all the Houses and Churches The Bells were cast to the outside of the Church-yards and some webs of Lead four hundred foot in the Field writhen like a pair of Gloves The River of Trent running between the two Townes the water and mud were carried a quarter of a mile and cast against Trees Trees were pulled up by the Roots and cast 12 score off A child was taken forth of a mans hands and carried an hundred foot and then let fall
knowledge enough to see their ignorance of it Of all those things that are extant concerning the principles Essence and Natures of the Creature how many of them are such Quae docti fingunt magis quam norunt which you must either believe gratis or may easily be forgiven if you believe not at all When a confused multitude of Contradictions are competitors for your Assent it is meerely at your courtesie which or whether any of them shall have it The Schoolmen thinke that some Objects are not intelligible by reason of their perfection Such are those Natures that are abstracted from matter as Angels and Soules Others by reason of their imperfection as the first matter privations and all things else Quae debilem habent entitatem Idest we are ignorant of many things by reason of our want of knowledge There being nothing in the whole Creation that is not knowable objective in it selfe And that there be so many thousand things that are not so subjective unto the wisest of us must needs be from some defect at home which I hope may prevaile with us to a penitent consideration of that which is lost and a wise and holy improvement of what we have left In order whereunto we shall have no great need of any mans Rhetorick to perswade us that such a Volumne as that of the Creature is was not written to be neglected A piece made up of innumerable varieties where there is nothing superfluous nothing defective nothing out of order no Errata's at all where the Matter the Method the Stile are all unimitable whence if the Author should strike out but one sillable all the Angels in Heaven could not supply it again This Epistle was not written to the sons of men to be laid aside No Reader we should study the works of God Psal 111.2 3 4. They are such as ought to command our meditations Not to please our phancies but to further our duty In every creature we may read God and we look upon it to little purpose if we doe not in the least Creature much of God Deus ita artifex magnus in magnis ut minor non sit in parvis He is so great a Work-man in his greatest works that he is not a jot lesse in the smallest His omnipotency wisdome and goodnesse in ALL. No power below Almighty no wisdome that is not infinite can make a Sparrow a Gnat a Straw No goodnesse lesse then Gods could give the great benefit of Being to so many usefull necessary pleasant excellent Creatures for the comfort of one And our Duty will be altogether as legible as our God that we ought to feare love obey praise admire adore such a workman and not to censure despise abuse any part of such a work If we take this course even in those Operations of that Almighty hand which have most of mysterie wrapping them about though we may misse of finding out the worke of God we shall yet light upon the God of the worke and though we may not satisfie our Curiosity which would be but the payment of contribution to a vanity we shall discharge our duty and if not in knowledge yet which is a more desirable proficiency we shall grow in grace It will never Reader I assure you repent either you or me upon our death-bed that the creature which hath retarded the motion of so many towards heaven hath facilitated ours or that we could never looke upon Heaven Earth Sea Beast Fish Fowle Plant Worme but wee saw our God For our help in this my much Honoured Friend and Neighbour the Reverend and Industrious Author hath taken a great deale of learned pains in reference especially to those works of God which lie much out of sight If you will Reader search the worke of this good man that is before you 't will the better enable you to profit by the unsearchable works of that great God which are beyond you and this he hath done in the former part of this Treatise And for your better direction in the view of such a prospect as the works of God will afford you And to teach you how to use your naturall eye-sight to a spiritual advantage you have already from the same hand DIVINE OPTICKS Divine Opticks by R.D. 1655. and a Tast of God besides what it gathered from his works in his DIVINE RELISHES Divine Relishes by R. D. 1648. that first and last he might furnish you a Table wanting nothing of what shall feast you to all Eternity the cheere being now and hereafter the same Only we shall then be called nearer and have better Stomachs Whilst you are in the way thitherward you are in Gods The Angel Guardian by R. D. 1654. and the Author will assure you of a Particular Angell to be your Guardian And how high a favour from God is such an Attendant for such Creatures For you and I Reader are inconsiderable pieces of Dust and Ashes The latter part of Thunder was occasioned by hose claps that sounded so often in our eares the last Winter I hope the Proverb is cross'd Winters Thunder never did English man good If this do not having brought forth these leaves laden with so much rich fruit 't will be English mens fault Men are naturally apt to entertain low thoughts of God Psal 42.3 Iob 21.15 Exod. 5.2 Iob 22.13 Psal 73.9 Deut. 32.15 and out of the abundāce of their hearts have wicked mouths accordingly spoken where is your God what is the Almighty I know not the Lord Can he judge through the dark clouds Thus They set their mouth against Heaven and lightly esteem the rock of their salvation I have read of a King that reigned in no very remote part of the world who having received a blow from the hand of God tooke a solemn Oath to be revenged on him and ordained that for ten yeares space no man should pray to him or speake of him Nor so so long as he was in Authority believe in him And of a Pope that would have his Pork forbidden him by the Physitian Al despetto de Dio Pope Julius the third in despight of God To root these undervaluations out and in their stead to fill our hearts with holy awfull reverentiall apprehensions of the infinite power greatnesse glory and majesty of the Almighty God beside what we have in his holy Word we have such a full demonstration of him in his Works that wee must either deny them to be his or confesse him to be a God greatly to be feared Psal 89.7 Deut. 7.21 Pal. 33.8 humanas motura tonitrua mentes A mighty God and a terrible whom all the earth should stand in awe of And what worke of God hath he qualified into more advantages of leaving upon our spirits awfull apprehenhensions of the Author then this of Thunder when the Scriptures mention it seldome if at all is it without the addition of some Declaration either of the Majesty
of the Author or the awe and terrour it doth or should beget in the Auditors When the Lord Thundreth in the Heavens Psal 18.3 29.3 Job 37.4 5. 't is the HIGHEST that gives his voice The God of GLORY Thundreth He thundreth with the voice of his EXCELLENCY God Thundreth MARVELLOVSLY with his voice The clouds poured out water the Skies sent out a sound thine arrowes also went abroad the voice of thy Thunder was in the heavens the Lightnings lightned the world What then The earth trembled and shook Psal 77.17 18. Virgil. lib. 1. Georg. Ipse pater media nimborum in nocte corusca Fulmina molitur dextra Quo maxima motu Terra trêmit fugere ferae mortalia corda Per gentes humilis stravit pavor Many dreadfull effects of Thunder you are remembred of in this Treatise If it fill our hearts with high holy reverential thoughts of the Thunderer that you constantly feare before him it is one I am sure that the Almighty Author doth designe and the very best that the work can produce Bede gives us the Relation of a holy man who never heard a great gust of winde but he would presently call upon God for mercy beseech him to be gracious to the sons of men If the winde increased he would lay all other businesse aside and attend alone to that one of Prayer If Thunder and Lightning followed he would then make hast to the Church and spend his time in Religious exercises till the storm was over And being asked by his friends why he did so His answer was have you not read Psal 18.13 14. The Lord thundred in the Heavens and the Highest gave his voice He sent out his Arrows scattered them Lightnings and discomfited them And it is recorded of Aquinas that when it Thundered he was wont to fall down and with much devotion to pray Lord help and succour thy servants whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood Job Iob 38. 39. cap. 40. ver 4. Cap. 41. 42. vers 6. if we be not mistaken in those definitions which we have received of that vertue had not many equals for Magnanimity and Fortitude and yet after an account of the greatnesse of God discovered in his mighty works how full is his heart of awfulnesse and feare And his friend Elihu being to mention the excellent marvellous roaring voice of Thunder they are his owne expressions knows not how to do it without a preface cloathed in feare and reverence At this also my heart trembleth and is moved out of his place Job 37.1 c. Neither should it be any abatement of our respects to the great God that Thunder is known to have its naturall causes For those causes are knoâ—n to have their cause too and are but the effects of an higher Nature hath nothing to boast of but what God endoweth her with who acteth without it beside it above it Contracteth or enlargeth it even as he pleaseth And when he doth not either of these yet doth he not leave any thing at any time meerly to the hand of its Causes but hath himselfe an Agency in the Production of it and that an immediate one Immediatione virtutis suppositi say some At least virtutis is confessed by all Nature hath nothing that she hath not received neither is she Independent in any one in the smallest operation For that would argue an Independency of power and that of being which none can challenge but God alone Do not say Then every thing that comes to passe in the world and even the daily imployments of Nature must call out our hearts to I know not how many duties For can you tell why they should not Is there any possibility of supererogation Can you love fear praise admire adore our God too much But yet Reader the greatest manifestation of the power majesty of God should work most Thunder is one of these and a voice of the Almighty loud enough to awaken our hearts to all these sorts of acknowledgments The reverend Author hath made it his present businesse in the ensuing Treatise to perswade our attention to it The discourse is pious and hath cost him some pains Your Prayers are desired that it may be useful and afford the people of God much profit which I am the more perswaded to hope of it when I finde it to be though in more words not a jot more then that pathetical exhortation of the Apostle Heb. 12.28 29. Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly feare for our God is a consuming fire Which will abundantly praeponderate the prejudice it might otherwise receive from its Conduct into the world by the unable hand of so obscure and inconsiderable a Person as Reader Your servant in the work of the Gospel of Christ Jesus Edw Buckler THE CONTENTS TWo Observations raised from Job 26.14 Obser 1 That the highest operations most excelent works of GOD cannot be reached by Mans understanding The Reasons 7. Reason 1 Mans darknesse and sloath since the Fall Ubi of the grosse errors of Philosophers Of our want of Reading Travelling Meditation Of the Brevity of Life Reason 2 The variety of Species and Individuals Reason 3 The infinite wisdome of God which is stamped upon all his works Ubi of imperfect false Descriptions of Gods works Of some Rarities in Nature for which no reason can be given Reason 4 Gods Power and Wisdome is displayed in GREAT and SMALL creatures Ubi of the Whale Elephant and Precious Stones Reason 5 Men are admired who have any thing well IMITATED Gods Works Reason 6 A Mass and multitude of wonders do attend the visible Heavens Reason 7 PROVIDENCE is very mysterious and is a kinde of continuall Creation The Inferences follow which are four Inference 1 See their presumptuous folly and madnesse who pretend to know GOD and all his works Inference 2 See the necessity of Vniversities Learning Ubi of unwearied diligence in study Philosophy a faire Hand-maid to Theology Inference 3 Read what you can of GOD in the Volumn of Creation and Providence Inference 4 Comfort for Saints In heaven we shall know more of GOD and his works Heaven the rarest of Gods Works It hath been long preparing for us Obser 2 The terrible Meteor of THVNDER is a most lively manifestation of the LORDS greatnesse and power The trumpet of his glorious Majestie and matchlesse Perfections Four enquiries in the opening of this Truth Enquiry 1 How this expression in holy Job may be taken and understood Answ 3 wayes Enquiry 2 What Thunder is Ubi of it's Name Nature Effects Also of the Thunder-bolt Tempests Lightnings Earth quakes Haile great and fearefull Of violent Thunders and Lightnings mentioned in our Chronicles with dreadful effects Enquiry 3 If any other then GOD be the Author Instruments of these things Answ 1. GOD the efficient cause of Thunder which is his
only smite but instruct them by Thunder his Voice from Heaven and also by Moses his Admonitions In this Judgement the four Elements did meet and conspire to vex Pharaoh who had vexed Israel Aire in the Thunder Water in the Haile Fire in the Lightning and Earth in the Thunder-bolt if any there was Thus also the Lord destroyed the h 1 Sam. 7.10 Enemies of Samuel by Thunder The story saith that Samuel cryed unto the Lord and the Lord heard him and thundred with a great thunder that day upon the Philistims and discomfited them and they were smitten before Israel In the same manner did the Lord of Hosts treat the enemies of i 2 Sam. 22.14 15. Psal 18.13 14. David For he thundred from Heaven and the most High uttered his voyce he sent out Arrows and scattered them Lightning and discomfited them c. Here are three clear examples of the Lords chastising and fighting against his Enemies with Lightnings as shining Launces glittering Swords and Spears And with Thunder-claps as so many roaring and murdering Canon We need not therefore stay here to enquire whether that Fire that came down k Gen. 19. on Sodome or that on Nadab and Abihu or that on the l Numb 16.35 250 that offered incense were any other then violent Lightning from Heaven I will onely adde two famous instances recorded in Ecclesiasticall story We read of Anastatius the Emperour a bitter enemy and persecutor of the Church that God destroyed him by a Thunder-bolt from Heaven Also m Mornaus de Verit. Relig. Christ ca. 32 p. 350. under Marcus Aurelius there was a gallant Regiment wholly formed of Christians who when they were exceedingly straightned by their Enemies in Germany obtained by their fervent unanimous prayers hot Thunder-stones from Heaven to rout their Enemies accompanied with blessed showers to refresh themselves then ready to perish with extream heat and thirst whereupon they were ever after called the THUNDRING LEGION Secondly 2 At the delivery of the Law we read of extraordinary and supernatural Thunder when the Morall Law was delivered on Mount-Sinai n Exod. 19.16 18. Exod. 19. And it came to passe on the third day in the morning that there were Thunders and Lightnings and a thick Cloud upon the Mount and the voice of the Trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the Camp trembled After this God spake and delivered his Will in the ten Precepts which also he wrote with his own finger on o Exod. 32.15 Tables of Stone which were all made of Saphir say the Rabbins In p 1 Reg. 19.17 18. such a terrible way did the Lord appeare to Elias For there came a strong winde which rent the Mountaines and Rocks after this an Earth-quake then a Fire most likely a flash of Lightning after all this a still small voice was heard Quest Let us modestly enquire why the Lord being now about to reveale his Will to his People made divers Thunders to found as Trumpets before he gave his Decrees Of this eight Reasons may be given As Answer 1 First hereby was declared the Power Greatnesss and Majesty of the Law-giver Vt disceret populus eum magni aestimare that the people might learn to esteem him God did this q Dr. Willet on Exod. 19. Tanquam Imperatore praesente As if a great Emperour were coming before whom they use to blow Trumpets saith Chrysostom Commovit omnia Elementa saith another He shook all the four Elements that they might know he had power over all things Aire in the Thunder and Trumpet Water in the thicke and dark r Congruit Nubes in functionem legalem quae tenebrarum est non Lucis Cloud Fire in the Lightning and the Earth in the shaking and smoaking of the Mountains It is thus elegantly set forth by a Å¿ Bishop Halls Contemplations lib. 5. of the Law p. 827. Learned Writer of our Church in these words God was ever wonderfull in his Works and fearful in his judgments But he was never so terrible in the execution of his Will as now in the Promulgation of it Here was nothing but a Majesticall terrour in the Eyes in the Eares of the Israelites As if God meant to shew them by this how fearfull he could be Here was the Lightning darted in their eyes the Thunders roaring in their eares the Trumpet of God drowning the Thunder-claps the Voice of God out-speaking the Trumpet of the Angell The cloud enwrapping the smoake ascending the Fire flaming the Mount trembling Moses climbing and quaking Paleness and Death in the face of Israel uproar in the Elements and all the glory of Heaven turned into terrour In the destruction of the first World there were clouds without fire in the destruction of Sodome there was fire raining without clouds But here was fire smoak clouds thunder Earthquakes and whatsoever might work more astonishment then ever was in any vengeance inflicted But alasse the foolish Gods of the Heathens Aegyptians could do none of these things Answer 2 2 This was done to declare the imbecility infirmity and weaknesse of the Law-receivers and so beat down the Peacock Plumes that no flesh might glory in his presence Even t Exod. 26.19 Heb. 12.21 Moses quaked and trembled with the rest of the people As the eye of an Owle saith Lyranus twinkles at the Sun-light so the minde and understanding of man is stunn'd and dazled in Divine things Before the people thought they were holy but now they saw all their cleansing and holinesse was nothing worth For they were not able to abide in Gods presence nor hear his voice The Light on Mount-Sinai did help to see themselves miserable The Law would humble and fit us for mercy Let us see our selves lost creatures that the Law may be a Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ Such a Schoolmaster as that u Lightfoots Miscelanys cap. 60. Livy speaks of in Italy who brought forth his children intrusted with him to Hannibal so that if Hannibal had not been more merciful then ordinary they had all perished The Law doth not bring us to Christ to shew how well we can say our Lesson but to lay us prostrate at his foot for our neglect and inability We cannot keep the commands either w Anthony Burges Refin collectively ALL without failing in some or distributively there being not ONE command that any meere Man at any time can keep exactly The best may attain to do it x Austine Sine crimine non sine vitio without enormities perhaps but not without failings Answer 3 3 The Law was given with Thunder Lightning Trumpet and Earthquake to shew the Laws terrour to an awakened conscience allowing it selfe in sin 'T is said the Lawes of Drace the Athenian Legislator were writ in blood The Law of God was not so Yet accompanied with great solemnities and matter of astonishment to shew hee will not endure it shall
the Messiah so long expected or to hear his comfortable voice Answ 3 Next our Saviour knew the obstinacy of the Jewes that except they saw signes and wonders they would not believe in him Answer 4 Lastly This was done that there might he some harmony between the Law and Gospel Mr. Calvin writing of the terrible Promulgatiō of the Law saith thus Hic timor Evangelio quoque fuit communis This fear was also common with the Law to the Gospel Applying moreover that of the Apostle thereunto Heb. 12.26 Whose voice then shook the earth and now hath declared saying Yet once more will I shake not the Earth onely but Heaven The very day q Bishop Halls Contemplations lib. 5. of the Law p. 825. saith Doctor Hall wherin God came down in Fire and Thunder to deliver the Law even the same day came also the Holy Ghost downe upon the Disciples in fiery Tongues for the propagation of the Gospel No man receives the Holy Ghost but he that hath felt the terrours of Sinai Venerable r Bede Hom. vigil Pentecost Bede also shewes the harmony between the Law and Gospel in this respect There was Thunder Here the noise of a ſ Acts 2.2 mighty Winde There fiery flashes Here fiery cloven Tongues There the Mountain trembled and here the place where they assembled was moved There the sound of a Trumpet here they spake with divers Tongues Another thus describes it t Marlorat in Acts 2.2 p. 48. Sicuti lex Mosis est data in monte Sinai u Exod. 19.16 cum tempestate caeca nubibus caliginosis fumo ignifero vapore denso Tonitru diro Fulgore clangore divinae tubae terribili ita quoque datus est spiritus sanctus Jerosolimis insolito ingenti strepitu impetu venti quo Deus amborum Legis simul Evangelii virtutem expressit As the Law was given with a dark Cloud Thunder Lightning and shrill Trumpet So the Gospel saith he was confirmed by that violent rushing wind Acts 2. If those then that slighted Moses his Law were punished with death what shall become of them that dis-believe and disobey the Gospel of Jesus Christ For Fourthly and lastly 4 At the day of judgment There will be supernatural miraculous and most violent astonishing and prodigious Thunder and Lightnings at the day of Judgement That this is very probable will appeare 1 By divers Scriptures looking that way 1 Proved by divers Scriptures if not speaking fully to the point 2 By the consent of many learned Authors 3 By divers Arguments and Reasons shewing That and Why it will be so First see it proved by divers Scriptures looking that way For the time of Judgement will be w Zeph. 1.15 A day of trouble and distresse a day of darknesse and gloominesse a day of clouds and thicke darknesse Then x 2 Pet. 3.12 The heavens being on fire shall be dissolved y Isa 34.4 And rolled together in a scroll There shall be z Luke 21.25 Signs in the Sun Moon viz. Stupendious Ecclipses flaming Comets Earth quakes and divers Apparitions The Earth shall have the Palsie and the Heavens Convulsion fits a 2 Thes 1.8 Christ shall come in flaming fire to be revenged on sinners Then saith Peter b 2 Pet. 3.12 The elements shall melt with fervent heat q. d. Like scalding lead upon the wicked Christ saith c Mat. 24.29 The powers of heaven shall be shaken Which I suppose will be by Thunder and supernatural storms The Sun shall be darkned and the Moon shall not give her light So men shall stumble at noon day as if it were midnight You know it grows very dark before a storm The Stars shall be shaken and misplaced Those goodly Lamps of Heaven shall tremble CHRIST will loosen with one shake of his Arme all the Stars of Heaven A fearfull confusion wil then appear All the Elements shall be d Isaac Ambrose of Doomsday p. 94. disordered Fire shall fall from heaven whereas naturally it ascends the Aire shall be full of tempests thundrings the waves of the Sea swelling roaring foaming and mounting above the Clouds the Earth full of yawning clifts and violent tremblings Sea monsters will appeare on the Land and all Dumb creatures run about enraged so that none can tame them e Luke 21.26 Mens hearts failing them for feare f Revel 6.16 The great ones that were not good shall call to the rocks and mountains to cover them and yield some shelter from this terrible storm g Mat. 24.31 Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet shall gather the Elect from the 4 Winds h Mark 13.8 There shall be fearfull Earth-quakes which wil astonish the world i Mat. 24.27 As the lightning cometh out of the East and shineth to the West so shall the coming of the son of man be In a word k 2 Pet. 3.7 10. The world and all in it shall be burnt with fire Which fire in all likelihood l Pareus in Rev. 16.18 saith Pareus will be kindled and cherished by Lightning from Heaven Aquinas hath many subtle discourses about that fire yet he still maintains that it will be m Aquin. sum in suppl 3. Part. Quaest 74. Artic. 9 p. 130. Ex concursu mundanorum ignium from a meeting together of all mundane Fires Therefore Lightning will be amongst them Yet all these may be thought generall Scriptures There are four places of holy Writ which speak more particularly to the point in hand viz. that most terrible Thunder shall precede Christs Appearance 1 Sam. 2.10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces out of heaven shall he thunder upon them The Lord shall judge the ends of the Earth The best n Annotations super 1 Sam. 2.10 Commentators understand this place of the day of Judgement On that day the hearts of Gods enemies shall be frighted with loud Thunder-claps and their bones broken with hot THUNDER-bolts What enemy of Jesus Christ can then lift up his head Next consult we Psal 50.3.4 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him it shall be very tempestuous round about him He shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people Saint Peter saith The heavens shall passe away with a great noise A fearfull noise indeed As a Whirl-wind or tempestuous roaring o Jun. Tremel and our Annotations on 2 Pet. 3.10 say Expositors To these let me add that place in Rev. 16.18 And there were voices thunders and lightnings there was a great Earth-quake such as was not since men were upon earth This is St. Johns prophetical description of the Day of Judgement as appears by the p Revel 16.15 16 18 20. compared together context and so q Pareus Seb Meyer Hez Holland on Rev. 16. Pareus and others understand it
Christ saith the Apostle 'T is Treason to undertake an Embassy without commission I sent them not yet they ran saith the Lord RAN not knowing Why nor Whither like Ahimaaz in Samuel and like him too they can tell no tidings as one very well observes Note For climbing on high with the Ape they do but shew their own deformities Many now alive shall see the blasting of these Men either with Lightning or in their gifts I pray God give them repentance to life that they no longer play the young Vipers in gnawing out the bowels of their mother the Church 2 As Thunder or Lightning or both have appeared for the Church against the enemies of her Truth so also of her Peace You have seene how the Lord hath fought for Israel against f Exod 9.23 38. 1 Sam. 7.10 Psalm 18.13 14. Pharaoh with Thunder Lightning and against the enemies of Samuel and David with the same Artilery Never count your estate low and desperate so long as Heaven hath Hail-shot Lightnings and Thunder-bolts to relieve his people and crush their enemies Comfort 4 4 No storm no Thunder in Heaven but that of Halelujahs Though the glory of Jesus Christ be much brighter then Lightning yet it shall neither terrifie nor scortch us in Heaven Note Who shall endure everlasting burninge saith the Prophet g Isa 33.14 15. Isaiah He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly Saints triumphant shall be able to abide and endure the flame of Gods glory For gold and Jewels such are believers will not suffer by fire Above the Moon there is nothing but serenity peace and tranquility There will be an everlasting calm in Heaven Nothing but rest and joy nothing to molest or affright us On Earth stormes and Tempests Thunder and Lightning Hail and showrs Wars and commotions terrours and troubles The Sea is restlesse and all that sail therein All the creatures on the earth in the Aire and great Deep are in continual agitation in perpetual labour and motion Then looke a little lower not one moment of rest or ease in Hell But oh the blessed Tranquility that is in Heaven What a glorious change will there be When Peter was on the Mount encompassed with glory by and by a cloud overshadowed him But no cloud in Heaven to darken us No cloud in Heaven big with storms and Thunder to break over us and to terrifie and annoy us There will be Summer without Winter Day without night Sun-shine without shade Calm without any interposing storm for all motion ends at the Center There is no Earthquake in Heaven Heb. 12.28 opened That is a City that hath Foundations 'T is a kingdome that cannot be shaken Consider that place with the coherence Heb. 12.28 Just before he spake of Gods shaking the earth with his voice For at the delivery of the Law there was dreadful thunder by whose cracks the Mount quaked and trembled And yet once more the Lord will shake by most violent Thunders Not onely the Earth but the Heavens Not only Men but Angels who shall quake and stand amazed at the dreadfull appearance of Christ in judgment This will be such a shaking of Heaven and Earth as will loosen and dissolve the whole Frame so that the things shaken viz. Earth Heaven shall be removed and abolished But Heaven which is above all visible heavens the seat of blessed Souls is saith the Author a kingdome that cannot be shaken That is to say by Thunder or any thing else Then h Iob 37.2 Caution for Saints Elihu shall say no more Heark it Thundreth There shall be no more sorrow nor crying no paine nor feare all former things being passed away Our Thunder is no more heard by glorified Saints then their Halelujahs are by us And now having spread before Saints these Consolations Let me adjoyne thereto a necessary caution which concerns all Believers but especially those of the weaker Sex The Caution is this Not to be scared Caution for Saints affrighted or transpored in the time of Thunder and Lightning storms and Tempests by Land or Sea as to speak or act things unbeseeming their most holy profession And that there may be no mistake i Weems portraicture of Gods image in man p. 218 volumn 4. Divines tell us of six sorts of Feare 1. Naturall whereby every creature shuns its destruction 2. Humane which ariseth from a too vehement desire of this life with the continuance and comforts thereof Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life 3. Mundane when a man feares the losse of Transitories more then the losse of Gods favour Many that thought well of Christ did not confesse him for fear of the Pharisees Excommunication Note 4. There is a Servile fear whereby men long to avoid the punishment of sin yet k Isay 35.4 Luke 12.32 still entertain a love and liking to sin Some call it Esau's feare Others the Adulterous feare because the Adulteress is afraid of her husband lest he should surprize and punish her She feareth the l Qui recte timet Deum nihil timer praeter eum Origen in Levit. 16. Law and shame more then her husbands displeasure 5. Initiall Fear is when we are deterred from sin partly out of feare to displease and grieve the Lord and partly because of the consequence and wofull wages of sinne 6. There is a Filiall feare in Saints m Mat. 10.28 Acts 10.2 Heb. 11.26 Mal. 1.6 Luke 2.25 as a good Wife fears her Husband lest he should be grieved and a loving Child feares the frown of his Father more then the Rod. Now observe it well Note 1 Some sorts of Feare are From and With the spirit of Grace as Initial and Filial fear 2 Some Fear is From but not With the Spirit as Servile fear 3 Again some feare is With the Spirit but not From him As Natural and Humane fear 4 Lastly some Fear is neither From nor With the Spirit and such is Mundane Base Feare If then your fear of Thunder be only naturall it is neither good nor evill If it proceed from a n Res est imperiosa Timer Martial lib. 2. Epist 59. passionate and inordinate desire of life we must strive against it and begin to suspect things are not with us as they should be If you fear Thunder more then the Thunderer and his displeasure Then it is sinfull If you fear when it Thundreth least God should then smite you in and for your sin This is a slavish Fear and wicked men have it Note But if you fear Thunder and Lightning only as signes of Gods Power and Majesty desirous to honour worship him and hoping you shall not grieve or displease so good and gracious a Father though ten thousand worlds were folded up in a Temptation THIS certainly is a Filial Holy and Blessed Fear You then that have a share in Christ give not way to a servile and slavish
feare of Thunder and Lightning which makes People hide themselves and be almost at their o In metu consilia prudentium vulgi rumor juxta audiuntur Tacit in Hist lib. 3. cap. 11. wits end speaking rashly and unadvisedly with their Lips and doing those things which are far from suiting with their holy profession That we should rather take them to be Children or Mad-men to be Pagans or Robbers of Churches In a word to have some notable guilt upon them as Parricide Incest Adultery Murder or Perjury then to be serious intelligent and blamelesse Christians But that we are commanded to judge no man before the time O let the fear of God dispossesse your hearts of all servile inordinate and slavish p Mar. 18.28 Timorem Timere pellit us clavum clavo Fears If the feare of any thing unhinge you and render you unfit for Gods service or the employments of your Calling sit down and sadly conclude That feare is not of God Object But may some objest when it Thundred on Mount Sinai Moses quaked feared exceedingly Heb. 12.21 Solution To this I answer 1. q Exo. 19.16 All the people feared so Moses might be drawn by their example it might be his infirmity 2 Moses well knew this Thunder was supernaturall and miraculous so had reason to quake 3 Austin saith Brevis differentia legis Evangelii timor amor The Law produced feare but the Gospel love 4 Moses was afraid when it thundered but not as the people were Timuit Moses sed non Timore servili ut populus saith Ferus Moses indeed feared but his feare was not like the peoples servile but Filial which was r Timere Deum est nulla quae facienda sunt Bona praeterire faith Gregor in Mor. nothing else but a religious reverence and holy observance and Å¿ Nemo melius diligit quam qui maxime veretur offendere Salvian Ep. 4. awe of Gods Majesty and Power Feare should be the childe of goodnesse not cruelty the one is joyned with love the other with hatred Let wicked men feare Thunder with a slavish and hellish feare Omnes conscius strepitus timet saith Seneca A guilty conscience feareth every noise t Philip. in Job Aliud est timere quia peccaveris aliud ne pecees 'T is one thing to be affrighted after villany another thing to fear lest you offend God u Juvenal 13. Juvenal writing of guilty persons calling to minde their wickednesse when it thundreth saith thus Hi sunt qui trepidant ad omnia fulgura paellent Cum tonat Exanimes primo quoque murmure Caeli Let it passe for the true character of a wicked wretch to be still intrepidus ad culpam timidus ad paenam fearlesse in sinning and fearfull of vengeance 'T is a vile heart that fears Thunder more then sin which saith Chrysostme w Chrysostome Hom. 5. in Ep. ad Rom. is to be feared more then Hell We are worthy saith he of Hell if for no other cause yet for fearig Hell and the evills of punishment more then Christ Manifest you have the spirit of Love Adoption by crushing all unworthy and uncomely feares in the time of Thunder A greater Thunder must come wherein the Saints shall not fear but shout for joy For when the waves of the Sea shal mount up their foaming Billows when the Earth under us shall tremble with most terrible Earthquakes and have throws like a woman in travell When Lightnings shall be our chief Light and the Heavens over us roar with dreadful Thunder In a word When this goodly frame of Nature shall be on fire Then all true Believers shall lift up their heads because their Redemption draws nigh LAVS DEO Sylvester his Translation of Du Bartas his second day of the first week p. 44. BUt hark what hear I in the Heavens methinks The Worlds wall shakes and his Foundation shrinks It seems even now that horrible Persephone Loosing Meges Alecto and Tysiphone Weary of reigning in black Erebus Transports her Hell between the Heaven and us 'T is held I know that when a Vapour moist As well from fresh as from salt water hoist In the same instant with hot Exhalations In the airy Regions secondary Stations The fiery Fume besieged with the crowd And keen cold thicknesse of that dampish Cloud Strengthens her strength and with redoubled vollies Of joyned heate on the cold Leagher fallies Like as a Lion very late exil'd From 's native Forrests spit at and revilld Mockt mov'd and troubled with a thousand toyes By wanton children idle Girles and Boyes With hideous roaring doth his Prison fill In 's narrow Cloister ramping wildly still Runs too and fro and furious lesse doth long For liberty then to revenge his wrong This Fire desirous to break forth again From 's cloudy Ward cannot it selfe refrain But without resting loud it groans and grumbles It roules and roars and round round round it tumbles Till having rent the lower side in sunder With sulphry flash it have shot down its Thunder Though willing to unite in these Alarms To 's brothers forces his owne fainting Arms And th' hottest Circle of the world to gain To issue upwards oft is strives in vaine For 't is there fronted with a Trench so large And such an Host that though it often charge On this and that side the cold Camp about With his hot skirmish Yet still still the stout Victorious For repelleth every push So that despairing with a furious rush Forgetting Honour which the valiant prize Not as it would but as it may it flies Then the Ocean boyls for feare the Fish do deem The Sea too shallow to safe shelter them The Earth doth shake The shepheard in the Field In hollow Rocks himselfe can hardly shield Th' affrighted Heav'ns ope and in the Vale Of Acheron grim Pluto's selfe looks pale Th' aire flames with fire for the loud roaring Thunder Renting the Cloud that it includes asunder Sends forth those flashes which so blear our sight As wakefull Students in the winters Night Against the steel glauncing with stony knocks Strike sudden sparks into their Tinder-box Moreover Lightning of a Fume is fram'd Through't selfs hot drinesse evermore inflam'd Whose power past credit without razing skin Can bruise to powder all our bones within Can melt the Gold that greedy Mizers hoord In barred cophers and not burn the boord Can break the blade and never singe the sheath Can scorch an Infant in the womb to Death And never blemish in one sort or other Flesh bone or sinew of the amazed Mother Consume the shooes and never hurt the feet Empty a Cask and yet not perish it c. Methinks I heare when it begins to Thunder The voice that brings Swains up and Caesars under By that Tow'r tearing stroak I understand Th' undaunted strength of the divine right hand When I behold the Lightning in the Skies Methinks I see th' Almighties glorious Eyes When I perceive it rain down timely showers Methinks the Lord his Horn of Plenty pours When from the Cloud excessive water spins Methinks Heaven weeps for our unwept-for sins THE END