Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A20786
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The divine lanthorne, or, A sermon preached in S. Pauls Church appointed for the crosse the 17. of July M.DC.XXXCI. by Thomas Drant of Shaston in Com. Dorset.
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Drant, Thomas, b. 1601 or 2.
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1637
(1637)
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STC 7164.3; ESTC S4093
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30,788
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62
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know with Augustine that GOD is unitas divinitatis personarum pluralitate multiplex that there is a glorious Trinity in Unity in which the Father is to be adored as being altogether of Himselfe the Sonne to be glorified as that Consubstantiall Word and the HOLY GHOST ever to be blessed and magnified as that Coessentiall Spirit eternally proceeding from both I know not 't is a depth I dare not dive it how there is one Essence of three persons or three persons of one Essence and yet not one GOD of three persons or three persons of one GOD that GOD hath a Sonne equall with Him out of the wombe of everlastingnesse GOD essentially as He I believe this but how He who made the world was borne how a Sonne and yet one eternall with the Father or not after Him in time here I say with Ambrose in Lombard mens deficit vox silet non mea tantum sed Angelorum how can I but be dumbe where the tongues of Angels stutter how not entranc'd when the glorious Cherubims clap their wings for who shall declare His generation that the HOLY GHOST is not the Fathers alone nor the Sonnes alone but proceeds equally from both I subscribe here how this Spirit of Truth comes from the Father and is of one substance with Him yet may not be said to be borne nor cal'd the Sonne of GOD or how the Son of GOD comes from the Father yet may not be said to proceed nor be cal'd the HOLY GHOST Augustine here makes a proud knowledge strike saile to a devout ignorance distinguish betwixt that generation there and this procession here nescio non valeo non sufficio I know not J cannot it is not within the kenn of my skill And what Vaticans have we read what Antiquity have we traded with or had commerce with what Histories what fasts have pin'd us what prayers have we breath'd out that we should stand and not shake when the grand pillars of the Church shrink or unlock those misteries the Seraphins have no key for canst thouby searching finde out GOD or know the Almighty unto perfection let it be the pride of others to tread this maze I shall as soone measure Heaven with my span or weigh the smoake or catch the winde in a seive or shadow the Sun with my palme as soone I will plow the waters and sow my hopes there for as thy judgements O LORD so thy nature is a great depth Most men cracke of their knowledge of GOD and whereas Saint Paul rapt up into Heaven saw things he could not speake these will speake things they never saw 't is indeed the Epidemicall disease of the Age we had rather be Rabbies than Saints rather eate of the tree of knowledge than the tree of life nor care many to loose GOD in the practike exercise of piety whilest they seeke Him in the speculative niceties of the Schooles GOD lookes for I dare say more conscience than most men have askes lesse science than most men brag of knowledge 't is true is the soules eye the mistresse to guide the life to vertue a Mercury to point the roade to goodnesse when it doth so I prize it above Rubies and say the merchandize of it is better than the merchandize of silver and the gaine-thereof than fine gold but that which fires the braine warmes not the heart which disjoin'd from grace doth floate in some frothy notions and seeke the applause onely of a dexterous wit and voluble tongue who would fraught his ship with such drossie oare or stay for that gayle which cannot waft him to Heaven in that day when all knowledge shall vanish away where will be the scribe where the disputer where the wise a dramme of devotion will then outweigh a pound of discourse one worke of mercy turne the scale to the whole library of Aristotle Some talke over the series and descents of all times as if they had beene made with the first Adam and with such perfum'd breaths in such richnesse of language as if myrh and pearles dropt from their lips but at that Assize the laurell and crowne will be charities Come yee blessed I was naked and yee clothed me I was hungry and yee fed me I was sicke and yee visited me What ever tympany of knowledge swels others grant me O LORD to know thee savingly So inspire us all as to obey thee in thy Word not curiously prie into thy nature what ever Art wee would be graduats in thou stand'st in the forefront of the Schoole and bidst us learne thee first ere we turne over a new leafe but how learne thee learne to awe thee for thy power to trust thee for thy truth to dread thee for thy justice to depend on thee for thy providence love thee for thy mercies feare thee for thy love reverence thee for thy goodnesse and for thy tender compassions take the cup of salvation and sing praise unto thee we beg not to see thy face nor view thee as thou art Moses that standard of examples could not thy back-parts are enough the least twilight or ray of thee enough to seale up our happines unto us and enhaunce it thy Name is so appareld with Majesty such mistery is shrin'd in it that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with some ineffable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with others indicible with many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ineloquible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all obscure and unknowne what it is what brightnesse than is in thy selfe O GOD what mists too about thee I say no more thou art Light and because so great a Light not to be seene of any and thus much of the first propertie betwixt GOD and Light the imperceptibility of them both The second property betwixt GOD and Light is the delight somenesse and comfort of either Light is a most lovely and amiable qualitie haud scio an rerū coelestium ulla sit excellentior luce So Scaliger it beautifies Heaven it selfe the Sun would be but a blind heape but for the light of the Sun GOD from this treasury would enrich the whole world and therefore made it the store-house of Light in the Creation the day which is the child of Light Plato will have it so cal'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to long after let the Preacher interpret the Etymon Light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun the worth of this benefit they can truly prize who live in disconsolate dungeons fast bound in fetters and irons what were the world without it how confus'd how formelesse what more comfort in it than in the grave what joy can I have asks blind Tobit when I sit in darknesse and do not see the Light of Heaven GOD is in this respect Light the Light and serenity of His countenance is the onely happinesse of man in His favour is life
is the place thereof that thou shouldst take it to the bounds and that thou shouldst know the paths to the house of it GOD is in this respect Light His Incomprehensiblenesse is above the pitch of all determinate capacities What is immense how can the fleete dimensions of the minde containe it GOD He is so First for time all successions of Ages are but an instant to Him time it selfe but a drop of His Eternity Secondly for place to Him the vast circumference of Heaven and Earth is but a point He is no where excluded included no where every where and yet without expansion We may admire and adore this infinitude our thoughts are of too narrow a size and bore to comprehend it and indeed GOD is for man to stand amaz'd and wonder at the clog'd and drossie soule can never sound Him who is the invisible fountaine of Spirits nor is it within the reach of Art to define quidditativè what He is de Deo scire non possumus quidest what the divine Essence is the full knowledge thereof descends not to any finite apprehension Let others fathom this bottomelesse Abysse and scorch their wings whilst they venture them about this flame I shall not desire to see what the Cherubims saw not who covered their faces with their wings as not able to behold this glory May I bee shewen the least dawning or glimpse of it it is as much as I am capable of more than I can looke on without extasie and ravishment GOD is Light but such that non nisi purissimis oculis videri potest in Aug. wee must have pure eyes cleare above the Eagles to gaze on this Sun GOD dwels in Light in the Apostle but such as no man can approach unto brightnesse is before my GOD in the Psalmist bright enough would I ourface that lustre to dazle mine eyes if not blind them darke waters too and thicke cloudes of the skie are His pavilion round about Him ver 11. darke and thicke enough to keepe of my dimme sight that it pierce not through them I am doubly tutor'd not to pry too farre into this mistery both by the gloominesse that is about GOD and the Light that is in Him Empedocles did well define GOD who said GOD is a Sphere whose center is every where and circumference no where nor blame I Simom des who askt by King Hieron as Tullie tells it me what GOD is if after much pause and travell he gave his reason non plust and at a bay with a quanto diutius considero tanto mihi res videtur obscarior the more I sift here the more I am giddied 't is a riddle I cannot unfold a knot I am not able to untie no marveile for Iob peremptorily Touching the Almighty we cannot finde Him out pardon the Schoolemen their dalliance with words they bias aright for the maine three things they say are without the verge of a definition One the Philosophers materia prima the first wombe of all things this they define not ob summam informitatem for it is informity and rudenesse the second is sinne the first spoile of all things this they define not ob summam deformitatem for it is mishapen deformitie the third is GOD the first well-spring of life in all things Him they define not ob summam formositatem because of that beauty the least beame of which puts out all inferior and borrowed lights Something we may and ought to know of GOD Heaven and life depend upon it as death and hell on a muffled ignorance This is eternall life to know thee the onely true GOD and whom thou hast sent JESVS CHRIST but O GOD quis cognovit te nisi tu te as Saint Augustine sweetely we may reade over all the volumes of thy workes and turne over every leafe of thy Word we may search after thee as with Cressent light in every angle of Heaven and Earth after all our queries of thy Majesty 't is well if we know this that Sola trinitas tua soli tibi integrè nota est Something we learne of GOD in the Schoole of nature every creature hath a trumpet in his mouth to proclaime Him In these we see Him as in a glasse saith Saint Paul we reade Him too as in a booke not a page whereof is unwritten on not a line but dictates us a divinity Lecture wee heare Him as in a harpe not a string of it can be toucht in so sweete an harmony without an infinite GOD and saith Saint Athanasius we view Him as in a picture even the beasts in Iob weare His stampe and image Aske the beasts and they shall tell thee that the hand of the LORD hath wrought them Anaxogoras being asked wherefore man was made made answer to behold the Heavens and did he what miracle and power might he behold in them not a Starre spangles there but is a Preacher and Herauld to the Majesty of its Maker When I consider the Heavens saith David the workes of thy fingers the Moone and Stars that thou hast ordained What is man Hee so speakes of their excellency as if no streames or rivers of Eloquence could expresse them pictures some say are the books of Ideots which leade the grosse conceit to GOD not without delight and pleasure such an image is the world not an ignorance so dull but by the pedagogie of it may be brought to know GOD so much of him as to strip even Heathens of excuse Something we may know of GOD from the standing Oracle of His-Word enough to perfect us to every good worke this is Iacobs well in Origen whence all draw the waters of life not onely Iacob and his Sonnes the high-built apprehensions but also the cattell and sheepe the low-rooft capacities 't is a river of cleare waters in Gregory fluvius est in quo agnus peditat Elephas natat where be shallowes for Lambes and depths for Elephants what the large Manuscript of the universe could not the Tomes of holy writ have discovered of the Deity the Co-eternity of the Sonne of GOD with the Father the procession of the HOLY GHOST from both the unity of the three in one uncreated Essence who ever saw through the darke spectacles of nature all essentiall truths so farre as salvation is linkt to the knowledge of them we see clearely by the light of the Scriptures which as saith David are a light to our feet and a light shining in a darke place saith Peter they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 candles that never goe out in Clemens now and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an universall light to all anon This Light shewes to every man the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our holy faith that the misteries of it are divine and true but fully to no man the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reason or manner how they be so I