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A49980 The temple of vvisdom for the little world in two parts. The first philosophically divine, treating of the being of all beeings, and whence everything hath its origins as heaven, hell, angels, men and devils, earth, stars and elements. And particularly of all mysteries concerning the soul, and of Adam before and after the fall. Also, a treatise of the four complexions, and the causes of spiritual sadness, &c. To which is added, a postscript to all students in arts and sciences. Second part, morally divine, containing abuses stript and whipt, by Geo. Wither, with his description of fair virtue. Secondly. A collection of divine poems from ... Essayes and religious meditations of Sir Francis Bacon, Knight. Collected, published and intended for a general good. By D.L. Leeds, Daniel, 1652-1720.; Wither, George, 1588-1667. Abuses stript, and whipt.; Bacon, Francis, 1561-1626. 1688 (1688) Wing L915; ESTC R224149 138,032 220

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and Jupiter as also Mars by reason of their great Orb cir●…umference cannot do it because they stand so high above and far distant from the Sun. The other Planets are peculiar Bodies of their own which have a Corporeal Propriety of themselves and are not bound to any fixed place but only to their Circles Orb or Sphere wherein they run their Course but the Sun is not such a Body but is only a place or Locality kindled by the Light of God. Understand the place where the Sun is is such a place as you may chuse or suppose any where above the Earth And if God should kindle the Light by the Heat then the whole World would be such a meer Sun for the same Power where the Sun standeth is every where all over and before the time of Wrath it was every where all over the place of this World as light as the Sun is now bu●… not so intolerable For that Heat was not so great as in the Sun and therefore the Light also was very meek So that man should not dare to say that the Sun is an open Gate of the L●…ght of God but is as the light in a man's Eye whereas also the place of the Eye belongs to the Body but the Light is distinct from the Body The Stars are 〈◊〉 Powers of the seven Spirits of God for when the 〈◊〉 of God was kindled by the Devil in this world then the ●…ole House of this world in Nature or the outermost Birth or Geniture was as it were benumed or chilled in Death from whence the Earth and Stones came to be The Stars are arisen or proceeded out of the kindled House of God's wrath for the whole House is ●…enumed in Death as the Earth is whence the Stars also subsist in Wrath and Love. Before the times of the created Heavens ●…he Stars and Elements and 〈◊〉 the creation of Angels there was no such Wra●…h of God no Death no Devil no Earth nor Stones neither any Stars but the Dei●…y generated it self very meekly and lovingly and formed ●…gured and framed it self in Ideas Shapes and Images which were incorporated 〈◊〉 to the qualifying or fountain Spirits in the generating Of the Earth c. THe Earth is come from the corrupt Saliter of the outermost Birth or Geniture For on the first Day God drove together or compacted the corrupt Saliter which came to be so in the kindling of ●…he Wrath. In this driving 〈◊〉 or compaction of the corrupt wrath S●…liter was King Luc●…r also as an impotent Prin●…e together with ●…is A●…ls driven into the hole of the WrathSaliter into that place where the outward half dead Comprehensibility is generated which is the place or space in upon above the Earth up to the nature Goddess the Moon So far reacheth their extent now ●…ill the last Day and then they will get a House in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Earth now is and 〈◊〉 that is in the 〈◊〉 Birth in the Darkness and this will be called the ●…urning H●…ll For Nature w●… very 〈◊〉 and thin or transparent and all stood meerly in Power and was in a very pleasant ho●… temper But as soon as 〈◊〉 Fight began in Nature with 〈◊〉 proud Devil Nature got a two-fold Source and the outer most Birth or Geniture in Nature was kindled in the wra●… Fire which is called the Wrath of God or the Burning Hel●… But Now when this was done the Deep became clear an●… with the hidd●…n or concealed Heaven th●… Light was seperate from the Darkness and the Globe of the Earth in the grea●… Wheel of Nature was roled or turned once about and th●… p●…ssed the time of one Revolution or of one Day In the duration of the second Day began the sharp 〈◊〉 tion and the incomprehensible 〈◊〉 between the Wra●…h an●… the Love or Light was made And so King Lucifer sirmly strongly or fast bolted up into the House of Darkness and wa●… reserved to the final Judgment And so also the Water of Life was separated from the Water of Death yet in that manner as that they hang to gether in this time of the World as Body and Soul and 〈◊〉 neither of them comprehend the other the Firmament is th●…●…liff or gulf between Time and Eternity But that God calleth it Heaven and maketh a division of the Waters gives us to understand that Heaven is in the world and the world is not in Heaven the VVater above the Firmament is in Heaven and the VVater under the Firmament is the external material Water the palpable water is Death and the impalpable is the Life Moses saith God created Heaven and Earth and all Creatures in six days and rested on the seventh yet God needed no Rest for he hath wrought from Eternit●… and he is a meer working Power and Virtue the understanding li●…th ●…idden in those Words could not 〈◊〉 ●…ve made all his Works in one day Neither can we properly say there was any Day before the Sun was for in the Deep there is but one day in all Therefore the meaning lieth hidden 〈◊〉 understandeth by each days workings the manifestation of the seven Properites for 〈◊〉 saith In the beginning God created H●… and ●…arth This visible World is sprung from the spiritual World and is only an Effluence of the seven Properties for it proceedeth out of the six working Properties but in the seventh that is in Paradise it is in rest and that ●…s the eternal Sabboth of Rest wherein the divine ●…ower and Virtue resteth for the seventh day was the ●…rue Paradise understand it spiritually That is the Tincture of the divine Power and Virtue ●…hich is a temperament this pi●…rced through Properties and wrought in the seventh that is in the substance of all the other Now it may be asked Why did not God bolt up the Devil instantly and then he had not done so much Mischief Answer This was Gods purpose and that must stand which is he would re-edifie out the corrupted Nature of the Earth or build again to himself an ange●…ical Host or Army viz. a true Body which should subsist eternally in God It was not God's intention at all to let the Devil have the whole ●…arth for an eternal dwelling-House but only the death and fierceness of the Earth which the Devil had brought into it Now if he should have instantly left it to the Devil for an eternal dwelling House then out of that place a new Body could not have been built Now what Sin had that space place or room committed against God that it should stand in eternal shame Sure none and therefore that was unequal to be so Also the purpose of God was to make a curious excellent Host or Army out of the Earth and all manner of Images Ideas and ●…orms for in and upon that all should spring and generate themselves a new as we see in Minerals Oars Stones Trees Herbs and Grass and all manner of Beasts after a heavenly
In Popery much iugling ●…ath been invented about this in saying Mass for a Soul and that for Money only but 〈◊〉 hath been a great Cheat of the Pope of Babel for ther●… is earnestness required to wresile with the anger of God and overcome it Yet we confess and acknowledge readily that the Churc●… of Christ hath great power to ransom such a Soul if 〈◊〉 fervency and earnestness it do it as it was done in the Primitive Church when they had holy People and holy Priests who performed their Ministry in real earnestness They indeed effected somewhat but not in such a way as the Pope boasteth of saying That he hath the Key and that he can let out a Soul with 〈◊〉 Blessing when he will if a man will give him Money This is a Lye. VVhether separated Souls take care of human matters FIrst those Souls which yet have not attained Heaven and so stick in the Source in the Principle in the Birth those have yet the human Essence wi●…h the Works in them they diligently search out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore many of them come again with the 〈◊〉 ●…irit and wander up and down in their ●…ouses and places 〈◊〉 abode and ●…ar in a human Shape desire this and that ●…nd often times take care about their Wills or Tesiaments ●…nd also think to procure the blessing of the Saints that they 〈◊〉 rest and if their earthly A●…airs do still stick in them 〈◊〉 take care many times also about thei●… Children Friends This condition of theirs con●…ueth so long till they fall into their Rest and till their 〈◊〉 Spirits be consumed then all such doings cares and 〈◊〉 are at an end and they also have no more knowledge thereof but that they see them in the wonders in the Magick After this sort are once received into Grace they take no care purposely about human earthly M●…rs but 〈◊〉 the ●…eavenly Matters which are brought to it by the Spirit of 〈◊〉 and rejoyceth in them But there is somewhat still behind which is this A living man hath such power that his is able with his Spirit to go in●…o Heaven to the seperated Souls and stir them up about some Question by a 〈◊〉 desire but it must be earnest it must be Faith that must break open a Principle And this we see in Samuel the Pr●… whom the King of ●…ael raised up that he might make his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him though it seem otherwise to some of whom we may well say 〈◊〉 they are blind and void of Knowledge 〈◊〉 they speak but their own scholastick Fables and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about that they have no knowledge of in the Spirit And these are Babel Now secondly the other sort which sink into Death without a Body they are wholly in one and the same place of the Principle in which the first sort are which afterwards did sink down in themselves All these take no evil Affairs upon them wherein the Turba sticketh But when the honest Souls which are alive send them their Works with their Spirit and Will they rejoyce in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are so a●…able that they appear to men a●…lly in 〈◊〉 and shew them good wayes and many times reveal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lie in secret viz. in the Ab●… of the Soul. Thus know that no Soul separated from the Body 〈◊〉 into any wicked matter except it be a damned Soul which indeed entreth in magically and hath its joy therein 〈◊〉 teacheth most notorious vile Pranks in Dreams for it is 〈◊〉 servant of the Devil and whatsover a wicked man desireth that the devil readily helpeth him to for he can do it better by the Soul of a man then of himself for he is too crude and terrifieth the Magia so that the elementary Spirit 〈◊〉 astonished and awakneth the Body Also this you must know that all is done magically in th●… Will without awakning of the Source No Soul 〈◊〉 with its Ess●…nces of its own accord to please man unless man raise and disturb it himself There are many Villanies in Negromancy which ca●… many times vex and torment the Spirits of men but it 〈◊〉 do so to no Soul that is cloathed with Christ's essentiality for that Soul is free The third sort of seperated Souls which are in Abraham's bosom in Christ having the heavenly essentiality none 〈◊〉 stir except they will themselves as when they have a favour to a Soul that is like themselves also they take no earthly thing upon them except it make for the Glory of God and then they are restless to reveal something in a Magical way But then they let no Turba into them neither do they intercede with God for us but whatsoever cometh to them they rejoyce in it with the Angels for the Angels rejoyce at a Sinner that repenteth then much more the Souls Why should they pray to God for us it lieth not in their Prayer but in 〈◊〉 entring into God when he strongly turneth his Will to God then God's Spirit h●…lpeth him without Prayers Of the Resurrection and also of the end of Time. WHen the last Day shall begin to dawn then the Deity manifesteth it self once more and that is the third time in all Forms in Love and Anger and then all things together at once shall be plainly laid open in the sight of all Creatures Now here is the End of Time for then the beginning 〈◊〉 found the end and the end is then the beginning and 〈◊〉 again into that which it was from Eternity If we knew certainly the 〈◊〉 of the sixth Day wherein 〈◊〉 Creation was finished we could then set you down the ●…ear and Day we mean the last Day for it goeth not a Minuit further it hath its limit hid in the inward Circle Therefore know for certain that the Time is near for 〈◊〉 the sixth day Afternoon the Rest of the eternal Day began ●…nd therefore God instituted the Sabboth of the seventh Day for a Rest and an everlasting Remembrance And as the Rest began on the 〈◊〉 Day towards the Evening and the entrance to the manifestation of the Works of the Creation the end then taketh in the beginning again and the six Days stood thus in the Circle as a wonder so know that ye were created in Paradise and yet are gone out from it into the spirit of wrathfulness into Death which hath now wrought its Wonders in you these 5500 Years and upwards And now the End hath found the Beginning again and yo shall see also feel and find what Paradis●… hath been even every one of them that shall be born in God. But the middle with the Wonders which were manifested in the time continueth forever more in the beginning and in the end as an eternal middle with its Wonders viz. with the Angels and Men and their Essences as also the figures of all Creatures all that hath been essential at any time the Earth with its Metals also Stones and all material Substances 〈◊〉 Trees
Essences which it wro●…ght here it beholdeth the Majesty of God and the Angels face to face The heavenly Body of the Soul is from the pure Element whence th●… four Ele●…ts are brought forth and that giveth ●…lesh and the tincture giveth Blood But all in this world have not Christ's flesh in them hidden in the old Adam yea among very many not one but the regenerate who are departed from their own w●…ll into God's will in whom the noble Gram of Mustard-Seed is sown out of which a ●…ree is gro●…n Most Souls depart from the Body ●…ithout Christ's body yet they hang as by a Thred and are at last in their ●…aith gotten into the will these Souls indeed are in the Image in the Spirit but not in the Flesh such as these wait for the last Day when the Image viz. the Body shall come forth out of the Grave out of the first Image for God will raise it up by the Voice of Christ. even that Image which Adam had in his Innocency But the earthly Body shall not touch it that must come before the Judgment in the Turba but after the 〈◊〉 of the Judgment the Turba shall swallow it up and the wonder of it shall only remain Understand these Souls that must wait till the last Day for their Bodies they remain with their Bod es in the still Rest till the last day without f●…ling any pain but in another Principle they have neither Darkn●… nor Majesty in the Earth but are at Rest without pain in the eternal still liberty without touching the Body Yet they see their wonders but they effect nothing in them for they exp●…ct ●…od and are 〈◊〉 humility ●…or they are sunk down through Death and are in another VVorld yet there is a great space between them and the holy Souls that are in Christs Flesh and Blood but not a Principle they are in one and the same Principle But a Spirit without a Body hath not that might which the Spirit i●… the Body hath there●…ore they rest and are under the Al●… of God when the last Day shall come forth and eat of the Bread of God and put on the divine Body as is mentioned in the Revelations of John. But the Souls of the Wicked have another place viz. in the most innermost which is ●…lso the most uttermost of all Darkness they dare not go up and down they remain meerly with the Body in their Substance yet not in this world neither do they touch the Earth It hath indeed power enough over the Earth it can open it without Substance and Preceptibility But it hath not the outward Principle it hath not power enough over the outward Spirit yet it can for a time make Apparitions in the Syderial spirit as many appear again in the Austral spirit and seek Abstinence make many afraid with keeping a racket in Houses all which they do b●… the Austral spirit till that it be consumed and then their Tricks lie in the Darkness and they expect the last Judgment Thus there is a difference of places where Souls are according to that wherein the Soul is entred if it be holy and degenerate then it hath a Body which expecteth only the wonders of the Body at the last Day for at the Day of Judgment all Souls good and bad shall every one receive their Sentence and Reward And you must know that the Souls of the Wicked have no ease before the Day of Judgment their best ease and joy is when they climb up in the Will in their Works which they did here and continually desire to do them more still it grieveth them that they did not afflict the Honest more then they did their Will is just so as it was here they are Spirits of Pride like the Devil a covetous devouring Spirit when but the least thought of the last Day entreth them then fear and horror stirreth in them they rather 〈◊〉 that thought alone and recreate themselves in Haughtiness This is a great Wonder that an Angel should become such a furious Devil And so the power of God's anger cometh to be manifest in God for God hath manifested himself according to both Eyes in Love and Anger and it is left free to man he may go into which of them he will God throweth none into Wrath the Soul casteth it self into it But you must know that the Wrath hath set its Throat ●…ide open and draweth mightily and desireth to devour all for it the Cov●…sness and the Pride insulting over Humili●…y A●…d so also Love and Humility have opened 〈◊〉 Mou●… and draw with all their Powers and would draw man into Love. into Heaven Now into which of these the Soul entreth in that it remaineth whether in Love or in Anger in that Tree it standeth and there is no deliv●…nce in Eter●…y from thence VVhether men●… VVishes do profit them any thing or no THe Prayer and Wish of the Righteous pierceth into He●…ven and not into Hell. No good wish entreth into Hell but if the wicked leave behind him much Falshood and Deceit so that the hellish Torment is wished to him in 〈◊〉 Grave such wishes come to the wicked Soul those wishes come to pass with them for that Soul must swallow down 〈◊〉 Abomin●…ions which it committed here and that is its Food which the Living send after it But it is altogether unfit and doth not beco●…e the Children of God at all for thereby they sow into Hell into the Anger of God they had need beware lest they also reap that which they sow if they do not recall themselves and repent it will fall out no otherwise Furthermore we give you to understand according to our Gift that those Souls which as it were 〈◊〉 by a 〈◊〉 and but at last enter into Repentance and so compre●… the Kingdom of Heaven as it were by a Thred so that 〈◊〉 and faith are mixt are in such a condition that a hearty Prayer and Wish redoundeth to their profit and 〈◊〉 into the poor captive Soul into its Source if it be 〈◊〉 with all earnestness For it is neither in Hell nor in Heaven but in the Gate in the middle Source of the Principle where Fire and Light sever themselves and is held by its Turba that alw●… seeketh the Fire But then this small Twig which it hath conceived viz. the weak Faith deeply demerseth it self an●…●…rnestly reacheth after the Mercy of God and yieldeth 〈◊〉 self patiently into the death of that sinking down and 〈◊〉 getteth out from the anguish and sinketh down from the pa●… into the meekness of Heaven And although many a Soul ●…is held a sufficient while 〈◊〉 the Anger cannot devour that small Faith but must at 〈◊〉 let it go But I leave it to him to try what this is who 〈◊〉 fully per ●…ereth in Sin till his end and then first desireth 〈◊〉 be saved and then the Pope forsooth must save him 〈◊〉 shall find it by ●…oful experience
and he cometh for he hath the won●…rs of God. For he passed through death and brought 〈◊〉 Body through death when the Turba desired to consume it and the Devil contended for it and would have the Turba which was in Moses because he had ben an angry man and carried the Turba in him But it was told the Devil that the Turba in the 〈◊〉 did not belong to him for it belonged to the Majesty of God and contained the wonders and the Turba in the Darkness in the wrath only belonged to him who is without the City he must not dwell in the City in 〈◊〉 Principle but without it Also Moses his Body is passe●… through Death ●…is un●…able Body which had the VVonders hath swallowed up that which was earthly in the Turba and yet not consumed it to 〈◊〉 but it also is in the 〈◊〉 and his Turba which killed the first-born in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the water slew them that 〈◊〉 the Calf and swallowed up Corah Datha●… and 〈◊〉 into the Earth continued in death For when he dy●… his Spirit and Soul departed from the Turba and he 〈◊〉 mained in the VVonders in the Mistery and now he 〈◊〉 become a Lamb. But though the Body of Moses be d livered from 〈◊〉 Turba it must be tryed in the Fire at the end of Day●… At the last Day we shall not ascend above the pla●… of this world but make our abode here in our 〈◊〉 native Country and go into our home in another worl●… in another Principle of another Property VVhen this outward dominion shall pass away 〈◊〉 the very place where the world now stands there 〈◊〉 be meer Paradise for the Earth will be of an heavenl●… Essentiality so that we shall be able to dwell any where●… and be able to pass through and through it There will be no Cold or Heat any more also 〈◊〉 Night there is no Death any ●…ore also no ●…ear 〈◊〉 Sorrow no Sickness the Earth will be like a Christaline Sea and all the VVonders of the VVorld will be 〈◊〉 wholly perspicously and the Brightness of God shall 〈◊〉 the Light thereof and the holy Jerusalem the great City of God shall be therein The whole world would have been a meer Paradise if Lucifer had not corrupted it who was in the beginning of his Creation an Hierarch in the place of this world But seeing God knew well that A●…am would fall therefore Paradise sprung forth and budded only in one certain place to introduce and confirm Man therein whom albeit ●…od saw that he would again depart thence he would again introduce him thereinto by Christ and establish him a new in Christ to Eternity in Par●… For Lucifer poysoned the first Paradise with his false and wicked Desire therefore God promised to regenerate it anew in Christ For the seventh Day which God appointed for Rest is nothing else but 〈◊〉 regenérate anew in the Spirit of Christ in the human Property wherein the poor Soul shall rest eternally from the source of the six dayes Works viz. of the six Properties of the Life A short summary Appendix of the Soul and of the Turba which is the destroyer of the Image and of Virgin Sophia THe Soul is an Eye in the eternal Abiss a similitude of Eternity a perfect Figure and Image of the first Principle and resembleth God the ●…ather 〈◊〉 his Person as to the eternal Nature The Essence and Substance of it meerly and purely as it is in it self is first the wheel of Nature as to the first four ●…orms viz. 1. Astringent 2. Bitter 3. Fire 4. Anguish ●…ire is a similitude of the Soul. The Soul is an essential ●…ire and the flash of Fire i●… the life of it it resembleth a Globe or an Eye of Fire●… The burning ●…ire in the Source signifieth the first Principle and the Life yet the Fire is not the Life but the Spirit of the Source which ariseth from the ●…ire and goeth forth from the ●…ire like Air. That is the true Spirit of the Source of the life of the Fire which continually bloweth the Fire up again and maketh it burn Now the Fire shineth and giveth light out of the Source where it shineth and the source comprehendeth not the light and this signifieth the second Principle wherein God dwelleth 〈◊〉 we know that the Power is in the Light and not 〈◊〉 the ●…ire the fire only giveth 〈◊〉 to the light and the life or the light produceth meekness and substantiality viz. Water Now we understand that there is a meek life in the light without Source and yet it self is an insensible Source it is nothing but a longing or desire of Love. VVhich Source we account a Tincture in which the ●…dding and blossomings hath its original yet the fire 〈◊〉 the cause of it and the meekness is a cause of the Substantiality for the desire of Love in the Light ●…eth it and keepeth it so that it becometh a Substance but the desire of fire consumeth the Substantiality Indeed the Image dwelleth in the fire of the Soul as Light ●…elleth in the fire but it hath another Principle as the Light is such a Source as is different from the fire And so the true Image of God dwelleth in the Light of the fire of the Soul which Light the fiery Soul must create in the ●…tain of the Love of God in the Majesty by pu●…ting and yielding its Imagination into it But if the Soul do not so but putteth its Imaginatio into it self into its wrathful form of the Source of th●… fire and not into the fountain of Love into the Ligh●… of God then its own Source of forceness astringenc●… and bitterness riseth up and the Image of God becometh a Turba and swalloweth up the similitude of Go●… in the wrath And then the astringent Fiat in the fiery Essence 〈◊〉 the Soul figureth for the Soul an Image of the imagination that is in its Will VVhatsoever the essenti●… fire of the Soul desireth that will be the figure in th●… Soul. viz. earthlv Figures that which the will of th●… Heart casteth it self into that image the Fiat of th●… Soul will make that is as far as the third Principl●… an●… the spirit of the Stars and Elements hath power So that if the w●…ll of the Soul do cast it self into the Kingdom of this world then the outward Kingdom ha●… power to bring its imagination into the inward Principle and if the inward Fiat perceive that in the fire of 〈◊〉 Soul then it becometh pregnant with it and keepeth it And then the Soul hath the image of a Beast in 〈◊〉 third Principle and that cannot be destroyed forever●… except the will of the soul return again out of the 〈◊〉 Lust and pierce into the Love of God agai●… and th●… it getteth the image of God again which may be do●… onl●… in this Life while the Soul is essentially in its 〈◊〉 in the growing of its Tree but after this Life
and Corruption For certainly Grapes as the Scripture saith will not be gathered of Thorns or Thistles neither can Justice yield her Fruit with swe●…ss among the Bryars and Brambles of catching and pulling Clerks and Ministers On the other side an antient Clerk ●…ilful in Presidents wary in proceeding and understanding in the business of the Court is an excellent Finger of a Court and doth many times point out the way of the Judge himself Lastly Judges ought above all 10 remember the Conclusion of the Roman twelve Tables Salus populi Supreama lex and to know that Laws exc●… they be in order to that end are but things Captious and Oracles not well inspired A●…d let no man weakly conceive that just Laws and true Pollicy have any antipathy I 〈◊〉 they are like the Spirits and Sinnews that one moves within the other Neither ought Judges to be so ignorant of their own Right as to think there is not left to them as a princip●…l 〈◊〉 o●… their O●…ice a wis use and application of Laws for 〈◊〉 m●…y remember what the Apostle saith of a greater L●… then theirs Nos Scimus Quia lex bona est Jude-Quia ●…a utatur legitime XXV Of Honour and Reputation THe winning of Honour is but the revealing of a man's Virtue and Word without disadvantage for some in their Actions do a●…ct Honour and 〈◊〉 which sort of men are commonly much talk●… of but inwardly little admired and some darken their Virtue in the shew of it so as they be undervalued in Opinion If a man perform that which hath not been attempted before or attempted and given over or hath been atchieved but not with so good Circumstance he shall purchase more Honour than by affecting a matter of greater difficulty or virtue wherein he is but a follower A man is an ill Husband of his Honour that entreth into any action the failing wherein will disgrace him more then the carrying of it through can honor him Honour hath three things in it the vantage ground to do good the approach to Kings and principal Persons and the raising of a man 's own Fortunes He that hath the best of these Intentions when he aspireth is an honest man and that Prince that can descern of Intentions in one that aspireth is a wise Prince Meditationes Sacra XXVI Of the Works of God and Man. GOd beheld all things which his Hands had made and lo they were all passing good But when man turned him about and took a view of the Works which his Hands had made he found all to be Vanity and vexation of Spirit wherefore if thou shalt work in the Works of God thy Sweat shall be as an Oyntment of Oders and thy Rest as the Sabboth of God. Thou shalt travel in the sweat of a good Conscience and shalt keep holy-day in the quietness and liberty of the sweetest Contemplations But if thou shalt aspire after the glorious Acts of men thy Works shall be accompanied with Compunction and Strife and thy remembrance followed with distaste and upbraidings and justly doth it come to thee O man that since thou which art God's work dost him no reason in yielding him well-pleasing Service even thine own Works should also reward thee with the like Fruit of Bitterness XXVII Of the Miracles of our Saviour He hath done all things well A true Confession and applause God the Word in the Mircacles which he wrought Now every Miracle is a new Creation and not according to the first Creation would do nothing which breathed not towards men Favour and Bounty Moses wrought Miracles and scourged the Egyptians with many Plague●… Elias wrought Miracles and shut up Heaven that no Rain should fall upon th●… Earth and again brought down ●…rom Heaven the ●…ire of God upon the Captains and their Bands Elisha wrought also and 〈◊〉 Bears out of the Desert to devour young Children Peter struck Ananias the sacrilidgious Hypocrite with present Death And Paul Elimas the Sorcerer with blindness But no such thing did Jesus the Spirit of God descended down upon him in the form of a Dove of whom he said You know not what Spirit you are of The Spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of a Dove those Servants of God were as the Oxen of God treading out the Corn and trampling the Straw down under their ●…eet but Jesus is the Lam●… of God without Wrath or Judgment All his Miracles were consumate about man's Body as his Doctrine respected the Soul of man The body of man needed these things Sustenance Defence from outward Wrongs and Medicine it was he that drew a multitude of Fishes into the N●…ts that he might give unto man mo●…e liberal Provision He turned Water a less 〈◊〉 ●…ishment of man●… Body into Wine a more worthy that glads the H●…art of man. He sentenced the ●…igg-Tree to wither for not doing its duty whereunto it was ordained which is to bear Fruit for mens Food he multiplyed the scarcity of a few Loaves and Fishes to a sufficiency to Victual an Host of People He rebuked the Winds that threatned destruction to the Sea-faring men ●…he restored motion to the Lame light to the 〈◊〉 speech to the Dumb health to the Sick cleannes●… to the Leprous a right Mind to those that are possessed and Life to the Dead No Miracle of his is to be found to have been of Judgment or Revenge but all of Goodness and Mercy and respecting man's Body for as touching Riches he did not vouchsafe to do any Miracle save only one that Tribute might be given to C●…r XXVIII Of the Innocency of the Dove and the Wisdom of the Serpent The Fool re●…iveth not the Word of Wisdom except thou discover to him what he hath in his Heart THerefore it behoveth him which aspireth to a goodness not retired or particular to himself b●… a fructifying and begetting Goodness which sho●… draw on others to know those Points which be cal●… the deeps of Satan that he may speak with Autho●… and true Insinuation Hence is the Precept Try●… things and hold fast that which is good which endur●… a discerning Election out of an Examination whence 〈◊〉 thing at all is excluded out of the same Fountain ariseth that direction Be you wise as Serpents and 〈◊〉 as Doves There are neither teeth nor stings nor venom nor wreathes and folds of Serpents which ought not to be all known and as far as Examination doth lead tryed neither let any man here fear Infection or Polution for the Sun entreth into Sinks and is not defiled Neither let any man think that herein he tempteth God for his diligence and generality of examination is commanded and God is sufficient to preserve you immaculate and pure XXIX Of the Exaltation of Charity I have rejoyced at the overthrow of him that hated me Or took Pleasure when Adversity did befall him THe detestation or renouncing of Job for a man to love again where he is loved it is the Charity