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A14678
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Alæ seraphicæ The seraphins vvings to raise us unto heauen. Deliuered in six sermons, partly at Saint Peters in Westminster, partly at S. Aldates in Oxford. 1623. By Iohn Wall Doctor in Diuinity, of Christ-Church in Oxford.
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Wall, John, 1588-1666.
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1627
(1627)
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STC 24985; ESTC S119339
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77,171
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152
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ALAE SERAPHICAE The SERAPHINS WINGS to raise us unto heauen Deliuered in six Sermons partly at Saint Peters in Westminster partly at S. Aldates in Oxford 1623. By IOHN WALL Doctor in Diuinity of Christ-Church in Oxford BERNARD Ser. 4. de verbis Esaiae Qui vnâ tantùm alâ volare contendit quò magis attollitur eò peiùs colliditur LONDON Printed by G. M. for ROBERT ALLOT and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Blacke Beare 1627. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God IOHN Lord Bishop of Lincolne the Worthie Deane of Westminster one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuie Councell my very Honourable good Lord and Noble Patron be multiplyed daily fauour with GOD and Men. RIGHT HONOVRABLE IN the vision of Ezechiel there was rota in rotâ One wheele within another my desire is there may be here ala in alâ One wing within another or rather indeed one wing vpon another the wings of these Seraphins within the wings of your protection and the wings of your protection vpon the wings of these Seraphins For as in the Tabernacle the faces of the Cherubins looked towards the seate of Mercie So do the faces of these Seraphins looke towards the Seate and Sea of your Honourable fauour and gracious pietie Stories write of FORTVNE and VICTORIE that when they came from MACEDONIA and coasted towards ROME they put off their wings and layd them downe as if they would go no further What are these winged tracts and feathered writings but in the Prophets phrase liber volans In the Poets language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If once they come into your Honours presence they will leaue their wings and seeke no other Patronage When they first sounded in the aire for the most part you gaue them audience Now they first come to the light vouchsafe them countenance and let them euer glorie in his name that sits like an Angell in the Church of God and doth most truly verifie the character of Athanasius who was said to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of an heauenly and Angelicall presence of a more heauenly and Angelicall vnderstanding God forbid I should dip my pen in oyle or mingle honie with my sacrifice as one that would enchant your eares with the Syrens language of demulcent vanities Church and State Altars and Tribunals haue witnessed the Nobilitie of your Soule and quit me of that suspicion whose diffusiue goodnesse many haue found and do iustly honour Augustine writes of that good Father Ambrose that his breast was Sanctū Dei Oraculum an heauenly Oracle from whence God spake There is none almost so ignorant of your diuine Excellence but is readie to make the Parallel and we reade of the same Father in his life by Costerius that he was neuer aduanced to any gouernment in the Church though neuer so powerfull and sublime quin ampliore dignus haberetur but that he seemed worthie of a greater Such is the worlds opinion of your rare VVorth and Senatorian Eminencie though you begin with Hilarion in Saint Hierome Calcare mundi gloriam To contemne and trample vpon the outward Pompe of humane glorie I haue not least reason though I am least able to do your Lordship seruice and therefore as your fauours towards mee haue bene like the Graces in Seneca Virgines pure and chaste Virgines not violated or depraued with the least touch or thought of corruption So must they be euer Iuvenes greene and flourishing lest at any time they die and perish through vnthankfulnesse or obliuion It is my wish that I had some lasting monument of Art and Wit more durable then brasse or marble to engraue the memorie of your Sacred and Diuine merits that you might not onely be chartaceus or parietarius but Cedrinus and Marmorarius or that which comes nearest to eternitie Well may you challenge the learnedst pen since your Diamond-pointed quill taken from some Angels wing hath giuen a kind of immortalitie to the learnedst and best of Kings our late SOVERAIGNE of most pretious and blessed memorie But what can you expect of him that is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Basil writes of himselfe one of those ancient fisher-mens disciples All that my Tree beares is but fruite of this kind wherein your Lordship most abounds Yet am I encouraged by that of the Epigrammatist Iupiter Ambrosiâ satur est Nectare viuit Nos tamen exta Ioui thura merumque damus to waite behind at your Honours feete with the poore Oblation of this worthlesse mite and to draw you a while as Bernard did Eugenius ab amplexibus Rahelis from the care and exercise of publike administrations If there be small good in the Tree there is much in the Bush and therefore lest I should be ouer-troublesome to Moses talking with God in the mount I end with Iacobs beneplacitum The good will of him that dwelt in the bush rest vpon the top and flower of your sacred and diuine Excellence Your Lordships most humble deuoted Chaplaine and Seruant in all duty and thankfull obseruance IOHN WALL CVLTVS ANIMAE THE Soules Ornament TERTVL de cultu foem Vestite vos serico probitatis byssino sanctitatis taliter pigmentatae Deum habebitis amatorem THE FIRST SERMON CANTICLES 8. ver 6. Set me as a Seale vpon thy heart and as a Signet vpon thine arme THough all Scripture be giuen by inspiration and is profitable to instruct and to reprooue that so the man of God may be perfect in euery good worke yet is there none more sutable with the rest of Gods Arke and the peaceable condition of his Church then what is now before me It is written by Solomon a King of peace it is framed into a song the voice of peace it begins with a Kisse the signe of peace it is spent in Loue the bond of peace it runs vpon him that is our peace and hath not onely made peace our borders but set at peace through the bloud of his Crosse the things in earth and the things in heauen This peace is most comfortably shadowed forth vnto vs in the mysticall Dialogue of this Sacred Epithalamie where vnder the rine and the barke of things visible and corporall we draw neare vnto the flower and the pith of that which is inuisible spirituall for what the Apostle writes of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law is spirituall that Nyssen extends to this song 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This song is spirituall and will not abide we should continue in the outward court and naked letter of springs riuers gardens vineyards breasts towers spices ointments or whatsoeuer may delight the organs of our sence but drawes vs to a higher meaning agreeable to the Maiestie of God and the diuine sublimitie of his vndefiled goodnesse till hauing pluckt the vayle from off the face of Moses we behold with pure eyes the tender bowels of his vnspeakable loue to that Aethiopian Queene the
Oliuet where he was exalted from mount Oliuet where he was exalted to mount Sion where he liues and raignes for euer till he descend and come downe to the vayle of Iosaphat with the voyce of an Archangell and trumpe of God there to purge his floore and to burne vp the chaffe with fire vnquenchable But how doth Christ ride on if we be at a stand are not we his seed are not we his members the Magistrate his hand armed with the sword of Iustice the Minister his foote shod with the Gospell of peace yea and his eye enlightened with the beames of knowledge and his tongue purged with coales from the altar Nay we are all members of that bodie whereof Christ Iesus is the head and may not say with Iohn Oportet illum crescere he must encrease we must decrease He must increase that we may encrease his encrease our increase his righteousnesse our righteousnesse and therefore let vs ride on and neuer stay till we come before the Lord in the hill of Sion standing waters gathere filth and stench running brookes are sweet and pleasant Abhorre the one resemble the other till wee all meete and ioyne with that Chrystall riuer whose liuing waters issue from the throne of God Apocalyps the last and the first In the Law there was Cauda sacrificij and the Lord will not be pleased vnlesse hee haue the rumpe as well as the fat of the burnt offering which is a continuall proceeding in the works of holinesse When the kine bare the Arke towards Bethshemesh which signifies the habitation of the Sunne they lowed as they went and yet they went on we all beare the Arke of truth in our breasts and our way lyeth toward heauen the sanctuary of God and the blessed habitation of the Sonne of righteousnesse well may wee low and groane vnder the burden of our crosse and the crosse of our afflictions for these are the Symptomes of humane frailtie and naturall infirmities but if we go not on weare inferiour to these kine and not to be compared with the vnreasonable creature There is a threefold proficiencie which Saint Bernard commends vnto vs vnder the similitude of a kisse The first is Osculum pedis the kisse of the foote when the soule of man doth kisse the foote of Christ and lyeth prostrate before him in humilitie and deuotion the second is Osculum manus a kisse of the hand when the soule of man doth kisse the hand of Christ and is taken vp by him that he may exercise the works of charitie and the deeds of mercie the third is Osculum oris a kisse of the lippes when the soule of man doth kisse the lippes of Christ and enioy the sweetnesse of his presence by the inspiration of his loue and the contemplation of his glorie running daily forward in the sauour of his ointments I lle in plenitudine nos in odore as Saint Bernard he in his fulnesse of grace and mercie we in the odor of life and safetie Beloued I could wish that nothing could stay the course of this proceeding whether it bee actus diuturnitas or obiecti difficultas as the Schooles distinguish the hardnesse and toughnesse of the thing we are to doe the irkesomenesse and tediousnesse of the space we are to endure But that we hasten and ride on with chearefulnesse and alacritie to that which is set before vs Per saxa per ignes or rather as the Apostle notes Through a good report and an euill report looking towards Christ the Author and finisher of our redemption I know not whether I may vse the words of Hierome Per calcatum patrem ad vexillum crucis euola Let thy children hang about thy necke and thy wife entreat thee with disheauilled haire let thy father lie sprawling in the way and thy mother shew the breasts that gaue thee sucke tread vpon the wombe that bare thee bee not mooued with the teares of her that lyeth in thy bosome flie amayne to the standard of the crosse and let nothing hold thee from the kisses of thy Sauiour the spitituall embracings of thy sweetest loue Christ Iesus Perhaps yee will cry with the Disciples Durus est hic sermo this is a hard saying and comes neare the apathie of Stoicks Yet God knowes and my conscience beares me witnesse how I long for your perfection that yee proceed in all vertue and godlinesse of liuing that yee ride on hauing your loynes girt like the Sonne of man whose paps were girt with a girdle of gold that ye prooue as it is said of Iob Magni inter orientales Great amongst the inhabitants of the East not the inhabitants of the West but the inhabitants of the East what is that but as the moralizing Father doth interpret interchoros superorum among those that shine and rise as the starres of the morning in the light of truth and the beautie of holines There is a fierie chariot where Elias sate the chariot of loue and mercie ride on there There is a stately chariot where the Eunuch sate the chariot of contemplation and studie ride on there As for the chariots of Pharaoh drawne with pride and vanitie and those wilde horses of vnbridled passions and vntemperate furie they are very dangerous not to be kept with vs if any sit there it is worse then if they were bound to Ixions wheele O my brethren haue wee not the Church as an arke or a throne haue we not Christ as a guide or a ruler haue we not the word of truth and of meeknesse and of righteousnesse as a teame to leade and draw vs to euerlasting blessednesse Haue wee not the raignes of loue the bridle of peace the scourge and the whip of gouernment and discipline Cuius flagello exterminatur mundi istius princeps At whose lash the Prince of this world doth scud and the vanities thereof are driuen quite away Why do not wee ascend and ride on here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon the word of truth and of meekenesse and of righteousnesse for so many reade the text or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the word of truth and of meeknesse and of righteousnesse which is most genuine and agreeable to the originall so I passe to the ground of all that hath bene spoken and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of truth and of meeknesse and of righteousnesse It is not the aduenture but the motiue not the danger but the reason that dignifies our actions If we labour for the word of deceit and iniquitie it will neither prooue honourable nor fortunate the expedition of Christians is like that of Gideons souldiers for the Lord and for Gideon for the word and for Iesus for the maintenance of truth and the preseruation of righteous dealing What though we breake the pitchers of our bodies in the painfull conflict of this our spirituall warfare There is no losse so we keepe our lamps burning and make the light thereof shine as it were a