vid. â—â—b de viden Deum Hom. 2. 2. q. 174. 175. and absent in the flesh Augustine and Aquinas are of opinion that Moses and Paul saw God in his essence but they were men and not without their errors for had they seen Gods essence their faith had ceased being swallowed up in vision The School-man would help it thus the light of glory in them had not a permanent being but was given them transitively Esse permanâ—ns per modum transeuntis But this answer will not bear up the opinion for faith and vision of glory cannot consist in a larger tract or in the least instant of times as in one man there cannot be a perfect and obscure light together the full light of the Sun and least degree of darknesse cannot at once be in the eye And farther if they saw the essence of God they had not the act of faith but evidence for if a man had seen Rome and after remembers it Non habet fidem sed evidentiam de eo quod vidit he saith not he believes there is such a City but hee hath seen it and so of Gods essence It must not be granted that ever any saw Gods essence you have incontrollable authority for it Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time Durand saith these words are to be understood exclusively 1. Of corporeall vision for with a bodily eye none ever did or shall see God 2. Of intellectuall naturall Vision because a naturall understanding cannot attain unto the cleer vision of God 3. Of the vision of comprehension from all created understandings though Angels and Saints in heaven see God yet not comprehensively and 1 Tim. 6.16 whom no man hath seen nor can see there 's a deniall both of the fact and the possibility Aust himself confesseth in l. 2. de Trin. C. 16 17 18. That the substance of God is not ullo modo corporaliter visibilem not to be seen at all with the eyes of flesh and the rule of School-men touching visions and apparitions is infallible that the nature of God is not seen with the eyes of the body but only some corporeall thing is exhibited which being visibly seen or sensibly perceived God is invisibly represented to the understanding Al. Halcus But Moses saw God face to face Exod. 33.11 So Jacob saw God face to face Gen. 32. Answ Those Patriarchs and Prophets that are said to see God saw him in divers resemblances and this is an unanswerable argument that they never saw Gods essence for that is pure immixt alwayes alike neither standing nor sitting having no parts no shape or likenesse to any thing therefore saith Athenasius those Fathers saw God in some creature Deum non fuiss ab antiquis pâ—râ—bus vâ—sum nost 〈◊〉 assumptioâ—e creatu ae secundum Deitatem vero esse 〈◊〉 v sioâ—â—em not in his own nature for it is invisible Again this phrase of seeing God face to face in the Hebrew dialect imports two things First Familiarity Secondly Perspicuity 1. Familiarity they had familiar converse with God Deut. 5.4 the Lord talketh with you face to face you asked him questions and he gave you answers and it 's evident that this is intended in the phrase Exo. 33.11 The Lord spake to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend Moses questioned it with God and God most friendly answered him So in Numb 12.8 Mouth to mouth will I speak with him it notes the presentiality and familiarity of God with Moses 2. Perspicuity cleernesse they saw God face to face that is comparatively others saw God in dreames and visions which were more obscure but these saw God more cleerly had more illustrious visions of God they saw Gods back-parts these saw Gods face and the phrase is used in the New Testament 1 Cor. 13.12 Then shall wee see face to face that is more fully and perfectly then here but whether wee shall see the divine essence in patria in heaven is questionable Chrysost Hom. 14. on John saith That before the incarnation the Son of God was Angelis invisibilis and if they in their glory saw not the divine nature of Christ it 's like wee shall not Whether Christ saw the Father or Holy Ghost with the eyes of his body is questionable if some doubt it others deny it Halens grants that the soul of Christ saw God perfectly from his conception but hee saith not the eye of his body saw him Aquinas saith that glorified eyes shall see God in that manner as now our eyes do see the life of man life not seen with a bodily eye as a thing visible by it self but by the intervention of something else and so accidentally becomes sensible it 's our understanding not the eye reacheth life and so in God But in 1 John 3. we shall see him as hee is Answ He speaks of a new and unutterable way of seeing God Wee shall see him as hee is to be seen mediante lumine gloriae the beams of the Sun so fill the eye that wee cannot behold the nature of it and whether it be so in heaven wee shall not know till wee come there let us get holinesse and then wee shall see him will resolve this doubt Observ 1. That all the glory is seen of God in this life any wayes is but the appearance and likenesse of the glory of God There was much and great glory in this vision there is more in the world in the creatures more in the Church and yet all this is only a shadow and a small appearance of the glory of God If we should see ten thousand Torches lighted up in a dark night they make a glorious light yet are they nothing to the light of the Sun when that comes torch-light star-light seem appearances of light rather then light it self So when the glory of God shall be revealed it will darken all other glory and there was not so great a difference between the light in Goshen and darknesse in Egypt as there will be between the glory of God and that glory now appeares in the world The glory of God is neither expressible or comprehensible by any or all the creatures The glory that Isaiah saw on the earth and that Ezekiel saw in the heavens did not expresse the thousand part of this glory and neither heaven not earth are able to comprehend the same 2. See the infinite goodnesse of the Lord that will expose that to the eyes of his servants which is so deare unto him his own glory Precious things of Princes and great ones are not common for the view of all but choyce friends favorites shall see them God hath nothing more precious then his glory yet this shall his choyce friends and favourites see and because they cannot see it in the perfection of it God will draw a picture of it with his own hand and hold forth to the eyes of his here Ezekiel had an appearance of
unpreaching Doctors and Prelates 4. That the gift of Prophecie is from Christ hee reached out a Hand and gave the roul of a Book hee is the great Prophet and hath all Prophecie and propheticall power in himself and whom he pleaseth hee can make a Prophet and inspire with propheticall vertue and where hee pleases even in Babylon as well as in Canaan VERS 10. And hee spread it before mee IN this Verse yee have the opening of the Roul the fulnesse and contents of it Hee spread it before me that is unrouled it and laid it open before me The word in the originall signifies to expound and interpret and wee may conceive that Christ did not only spread the roul before his eyes Expanditur quando hoc quod obscure prolatum fucrat per latitudinem intellectus aperitur Greg. but caused him to understand it by this spreading he saw it was written within and without but by Christs interpretation of it hee knew that there were written in it lamentations mourning and woes It was written within and without The Hebrew is in the face and in the back that is on both sides such writings the Greeks call Opisthographa that is writings writ on the backside fill'd within and without Lavater thinks that on one side were writ their sins and on the other Gods judgements this fulnesse of the Roul intimates either the length of the prophecie as Vatablus conceives or a multitude of evils hanging over the heads of the Jewes as Maldonate thinks or the abundance of revelations committed to the Prophet as Jun. not what Jerome and Bellarmine conceit that the writing within and without should note the literall and mysticall sense of the Scripture Lamentations mourning and woe Here is the contents of the Roul bitter and sad things Amara moesta the burning of the Temple the overthrow of Jerusalem the captivity of the Jewish nation and all the evill should befall them the word Kinim Lamentation noteth a plain complaint a sad speech testifying the sorrowes of mind as David in the case of Absalom O Absalom Absalom c. this was a naturall complaint and simple lamentation suddenly breaking forth without all premeditation Mourning is more it 's deeper and upon consideration the word in the Hebrewis from Hagah to meditate and noteth suspirium ab imo pectore tractum when one hath mused much and seriously upon the cause and matter of grief and then fetcheth deep sighs such as are inditiall of intense and bitter sorrowes that is the mourning here Isa 38.14 I did mourn like a Dove the Hebrew is I will meditate noting mourning that comes from meditation the Doves mourning is inward Cranes chatter and lament Doves mourne Woe This word vehi noteth not only the voyce in lamentations and grones in mourning but knocking of the breast and clapping of the hands together as is used in greater afflictions thus some Interpreters understand it but I conceive by Woe here is meant the threatnings of Judgement or Judgements threatned according to those woes in Matth. 23. and the fruit of them as it 's Lam. 5.16 Observ 1. That divine mysteries are unknown to men though very easie and familiar till they be unfolded this Roul could the Prophet never have comprehended the meaning of if Christ had not opened it take all the types and ceremonies of the Law there were mysteries wrapped up in them which neither Aaron nor Moses had known if they had been left to their own abilities those elements used in Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord we should never have known the mysteries of them if heaven had not helped us would we think the Rain-bow an Embleme of mercy if Scripture had not held it out to us Indians Heathens do not cannot so apprehend it take any divine mysteries they are too transcendent for our capacities there be depths in them that wee cannot fathome 2 Cor. 2.14 the naturall man cannot know the things of God they are spiritually discerned there must be a great mysterie wrought in him before he can discern mysteries 2. It 's the Lord Christ that opens and interprets mysticall things efficaciously unto the faithfull hee spread the Roul before Ezekiel and made him to understand the mysteries of it what is the Scriptures but a roul folded up a book sealed till Christ open it we may all say as the Eunuch being demanded if he understood what he read said How can I except some man guide mee Act. 8.30 31. so unlesse Christ guide us and lead us into the mysteries of the Word wee cannot understand Rev. 5.5 When none could open the booke sealed up the Lion of the tribe of Judah could do it He hath strength to untie all knots and a spirit to search all deeps Christ himself is the greatest mysterie and he is the great opener of mysteries Matth. 11.27 All things are delivered to mee and my Father and no man knowes the Father save the Son and hee to whom the Son will reveal him if ever God be made known savingly to the soul it must be by the Lord Christ and hee doth not reveal unto all but to whomsoever hee will to his Elect ones from others hee conceals him they have the Letter the Roul but not the mysterie thereof their light is darknesse But there be some in the world that Christ doth interpret the riddles and dark things of the Scripture unto see that place in Joh. 15.15 Hence first saith Christ I call yee not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have call'd you friends for all things that I have heard of my father I make known unto you these were Christs friends Christ revealed all to them but from other all was kept it was Christ revealed unto the Prophets what they had and to the Apostles what they had the Scripture may well be call'd the Revelation of Christ you have one Book call'd so Rev. 1.1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants that is his faithfull ones if we would therefore understand the Roul of the Book the mysteries in the Scripture wee must look up to Christ and intreat him to spread them before our eyes and to interpret them to our hearts 3. That the servants of God must not refuse to receive and propound large and sad messages to the people Here is a Roul writ within and without and fill'd with lamentations mourning and woe Here was liber mortis a book of death and deadly things this the Prophet must receive and declare to the people how ever they take it people would gladly heare from the men of God good tidings they would have a law of kindnesse in our lips our mouths to drop honey they would have us sons of consolation but wee must speak what our great Lord and Master puts into the â—oul if hee bid us preach lamentations mournings and woes we must do it 4 That the Lord gives
if justice be not done one act of justice executed upon delinquents makes them more honourable then all the scarlet robes in the world How glorious and dreadfull was the Parliament Strafford when that great man fell in Israel And if justice were executed upon delinquents and they had their due we should be glorious in power dreadfull to nations terrible to our enemies they would say Who is able to stand before the God of this Parliament before the God of this kingdome Out of the middest thereof as of the colour of amber That is out of the middest of the fire not out of the middest of the wind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or out of the middest of the cloud The Hebrew word for Amber is a word that is found no where else in all the Scripture but in this Prophet and but twice more viz. at the 27th verse of this Chapter and at the second verse of the 8th Chapter Rabbi Iarchi confesseth hee knoweth not what the meaning of this word is another Rabbi saith it was the name of an Angel who instructed Ezekiel The Septuagint Jerome and divers others translate it Electrum amber and because here is mention of the colour of Amber we must inquire what Amber this was There be divers kindes of Amber one sort of Amber is called Succinum Succinum quarundas arborum sâ— cus which is the juice of certain trees the gum of Pine trees which being hardened by the aire is yellow and bright that is white and duskish is bastard Amber A second sort of Amber is a liquid substance which flowes from the Sea rock and about the Sea shoares and being hardened by the aire winds and water floats up and down upon the Sea especially about Florida and other Indian shoars and it is of a honyish and waxie colour The third kinde of Amber is metallicall made of metalls and those more precious then gold as Jerome inferiour to it as Zanchius saith This Amber is compounded of gold and shining silver is very precious and of great use But besides this there is yet another metallicall Amber called Aurickâ—lcum the choisest and purest Brasse and this is thought to be tâ—â— Chasmal or Amber here mentioned according to that Rev. 1.15 His feet were like to fine brasse as if it had burned in a fiery furnace Brasse doth most needy resemble fire The colour of Amber here is a fiery colour and surely this is neer the truth but yet it cometh not up fully to the nature of the word here for I do not finde amongst those that search into the nature of words that this word Chasmal is interpreted Amber as the learned observe Prunam ardentissimam or summe ignitam it signifies a coal that is fired most intensively a coal that hath the utmost heat it 's capable of so hot that presently it burneth any thing it toucheth such coals are more red and lively then others and it comes neerest to the nature of the word to render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 festâ—nantâ—r excidens consumens Color insignis Calv. as the colour of a burning coal Hence Junius and Tremelius render the word Color vividissimus the most lively colour for nothing hath a more lively colour then hot coals or fine Brasse burning in the fire either of which you may take but I rather cleave to that of burning coals which being in the midst of the fire might so sparkle and shine as to dazle the eyes and whether Chasmal in this place were not more fitly rendred as the colour of burning brass or of a burning coal then as the colour of Amber I leave to consideration Now what is meant by this Amber or coal there is great dispute some understand by it Christ because he is more precious then Amber more lively then any burning coal whatsoever But we must lay this sense aside because there is a Vision of Christ in the latter end of the Chapter The soundest Expositors by Chasmal leade us to some inferiour to Christ viz. the Angels who are called Seraphims Animalia ignea as Kimchi hath it of Saraph to burne and Seraphims are fiery burning creatures Isa 6.2 About it stood the Seraphims that is the fiery burning Angels answerable to the Chasmal or burning coales here So in Iudges 13.20 an Angel went up to heaven in a flame of fire that element was most sutable to Seraphicall and Angelicall nature 2 King 6.17 There were horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha and Angels were in those chariots They are likened to fire because of their ardent and burning zeale to doe the will of God Psal 103.20 For the word Colour the colour of amber in the Hebrew it is the eye of amber the organ is put for the object so you have it used Numb 11.7 The colour of it was as the colour of Bdelium the Hebrew is the eye of it was as the eye of Bdelium Now having given you the meaning of Chasmal viz. that he saw Angels of fiery colour like to hot burning coales so intense and zealous that they were ready to doe and execute whatsoever God would have done Note hence 1. That heavenly things are so transcendent and we so weake that we can comprehend or receive very little of them They must be presented in things beneath their excellency to make us capable of a little of them Per corporales ostensiones incorporearum percipimus notitiam Prad God must manifest his minde here by winds clouds by brightnesse of a cloud by a fire infolding by burning coales that so we may take up a little of the minde of God Joh. 3.12 saith Christ to Nicodemus If I have spoken to thee of earthly things and thou doest not understand them how wilt thou understand if I speake unto thee of heavenly things Nicodemus a Doctor in Israel did not apprehend the doctrine of regeneration when expressed in his owne Dialect had Christ spoken of the great things of the kingdome of heaven in their own nature how could he or any of us have understood Here wee see darkly and as in a glasse God is pleased to goe in the way of man with us to condescend to our capacities and to present heavenly things in Hieroglyphicks winds clouds fire and coales that so we may have a little apprehension of the nature of those things 2. That heavenly Spirits are most pure and lively So much the word Chasmal leads us unto it noteth coales that have no darknesse no smoake in them that are altogether fiery and so lively as that they cannot be more lively Such is God he is light and no darknesse he is more lively then all the world beside He is Actus purissimus all his actions exceed our apprehensions Such are Angels they are pure and lively creatures Heb. 1.7 Angels are Spirits for their puritie and flames of fire for their activitie and zeale Rev. 15.6 Sunt luminaria
will not heare God himself They will not hearken unto me though there be infinite equity in it that they should give me their eares hearts all their strength and intentions for I have created them of nothing redeemed them being worse then nothing I have prepared eternall mansions in the heavens for them that do heare me I speak the words of Wisdome and Life I aim at their good and comfort in all that I speak yet they will not heare mee Here is the strength and perfection of stubbornnesse a childe not to heare its parents a people not to heare their Minister subjects not to heare their Prince is thought bad enough but children people subjects not to heare their God is the height of iniquity And because they will not heare Christ therefore they will not heare his Messengers but despise persecute and murther them and that because he sends them Joh. 15.21 All these things will they do unto you for my name sake 3. Corruption lies not only hid in the heart of sinners but breaks out in an impudent manner they are impudent and hard-hearted there is stoninesse within and impudency without 4. Sin is of a spreading infectious nature the whole house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted the one corrupted another as it 's in a bunch of grapes if one be corrupt it will corrupt its neighbour and that another till they be all alike so was it here one infected another till the whole house was so it 's like the leprosie in a garment or house that spreads through all Gen. 6.12 All flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth From the 8th and 9th Verses observe 1. That the Ministers of God must look for opposition in their way their face and foreheads were against the Prophet they would be like beasts that use to push with their horns and heads 1 Cor. 16.4 There is an effectuall dore opened unto me and there are many adversaries when God opens to his Ministers a dore of hope to do good there presently appeares many adversaries to shut that dore again and so to take away the hope and opportunity of doing good it was at Ephesus and there hee met and fought with beasts in the race of his Ministery he met with Hymeneus Alexander and Demetrius that opposed him John met with a Diâ—trâ—phes and wee must looke for many such 2. Divine vertue and and assistance doth accompany a Divine Call I have made thy face strong against their faces I call'd thee and strengthened thee the Hebrew is I give thee a face strong I do and will inable thee with spirit and audacity to out-face them In Matth. 28. ult Go preach and lo I am with you to the end of the world he sends them and seconds them hee calls them and incourages them I am with you peculiari assistentia by my grace strength comfort direction spirit those that are call'd of Christ and sent of him therefore may with comfort expect the help of Christ to go through the work he hath put them in Paul when sent to the Corinthians he came in demonstration of the Spirit and power 1 Cor. 2.4 And in Col. 2.29 he saith The working of grace was mighty in him in power and efficacy wee are lost discouraged at the greatnesse and difficulty of the work Who is sufficient for these things said Paul but when he look'd at Christ he said I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth mee and if we would look more at him and lean upon him wee should do more Non militat propriis viribus sed armatur coelesti virtute and do better if thoughts of our weaknesse of the work of our oppositions and enemies sink us Christ gives balm spirit and a face to out-face all a Minister doth not warfare in his own strength but is arm'd from above 3. What ever Ministers have it 's given if they be indued with the Spirit wisdome liberty of speech courage or any other excellency it 's that the Lord Christ bestowes upon them I have made thee so and so Let not us be lift up our Master Christ had in him all the treasures of Wisdome the Spirit above measure he was full of grace and truth did more then all his fame was great and yet he was humble and bade us learn of him he did not sleight or despise men of mean talents and infinitly beneath himself but acknowledged the least good was in any and incouraged it his steps should wee follow and not swell with a conceit of worth nor with reality of parts and excellencies it 's the practice of too many to sleight others and build up themselves by their ruines but this is a worldly and wicked practice never taught by Christ his Doctrine is Let each esteem others better then themselves Look not every man on his own things but on the things of others Phil. 2.3 4. it's injury and indignity to Christ not to reverence and esteem his graces and gifts in others Bernard tells of one who beweiling his own condition said he saw thirty vertues in another whereof he had not one in himself and perhaps saith Bernard of all his thirty he had not one like this mans humility this grace is the glory of a Christian and especially of a Minister pride is for Prelates and humility for Prophets God brooks not pride in any least of all in his Messengers Christs Disciples had a tincture of it their thoughts were aspiring who should be greatest but he sets a child before them and tells them who is greatest not he that hath the strongest head the best notions doth the most service but he is the most humble he is the most high humility is so valued of God that he likes it in malefactis rather then pride in recte factis a man that is innocent and proud is lesse in Gods eye then he that is guilty and humble let us rather minde the good in others to honour them and maintain love then that is in our selves to lift us up and make us sleight others 4. Christ puts insuperable vertue and strength into his servants such as the powers of darknesse and the world cannot prevail against I have made thy face strong against their faces as an Adamant as a rock let the winds waters flouds blow wash beat they prevail not against the Adamant the Rock they are res indomabiles so is the power vertue and grace of Christ in the heart and head of a faithfull Minister reproach and derision put Jeremiah to it had almost silenc'd him I will preach no more Jer. 20.9 but his Word was as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay there was vertue within which would out and act God had told them that they should fight against him but not prevail Jer. 15.20 Luke 21.15 Christ tells his Disciples hee will give them a mouth and wisdome which all their adversaries should not