THE DOVELIKE SOUL. A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE PRINCE'S HIGHNESS AT WHITEHALL, Febr. 19 1618. BY I. R. D. D. and one of his MAJESTY'S Chaplains in Ordinary. BERN. epist. 341. Nun & aviculas levat, non onerat pennarum, sive plumarum numerositas ipsa? Tolle eas, & reliquum corpus pondere suo fertur ad ima. THE TEXT. PSALM 55.6. Quis det, or, Quis dabit mihi pennas, sicut columbael tunc volabo, & requiescam. Oh that I had, (or, who will give me) wings like unto a dove! then would I fly away, and be at rest. KIng David, though for innocency not only a Dove, PREFACE. but the Phoenix of Doves, and so a notable Type of Christ, upon whom the Holy Ghost descended in the shape of a Dove; Matt: 3: 16. () yet was his whole life nothing else, but Bellum sine inducijs, a perpetual persecution without intermission. Such was also the portion of Christ the Lord of David: And such, to the world's end, will ever be the lot of those that are the heritage of Christ. My Text imports no less; which, taken Historically, is the voice of David pursüed by his enemies; Prophetically, the voice of Christ, at his passion; Mystically, the voice of that Mystical Dove, the innocent Soul, surrounded and environed with the snares of Death; Even Generalis quaedam querela, (saith Pelican) a general complaint of the malice of the wicked persecuting the righteous. Pelican: in loc: For (alas that so it should be! yet so it is) Non rete accipitri tenditur, Ter: Ph●●…. neque miluio, Qui malè faciunt nobis; illis qui nil faciunt, tenditur. The net is not pitched for ravenous birds, as are the hawk, and the kite, but for poor harmless birds, that never meditate mischief. And, Dat veniam corvis, juvenal: vexat censura columbas. The Dove shall surely be shot at, when the carrion Crow shall go shot-free. It will then be no news unto you, that here the faithful Soul, the Spouse, the Love, the Dove of Christ, when trouble and heaviness take hold upon her, and the floods of Belial compass her about, Tanquam avis è cave â liberari cupit, Austin: de opere Monach: (as St Austin speaks of the cloistered Monks in his time) Desireth like a Bird to be loosed out of her cage. Or, that, as jonas (by interpretation a Dove) after three days and three night's imprisonment in the whales belly, could not but long after his enlargement; Ion: 1: 17: () So the Dovelike Soul of man, when not three, but many days, and months, and years, she hath been imprisoned in the body, hath a longing desire to be enlarged, and to fly unto God that made her; And so mourning like a Dove in devoute supplication, and mounting like a Dove in divine speculation, breaks forth into these sad elegies; Oh that I had wings! and, Alas, that I have not wings! Woe is me, Psal: 120: 4. that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech, and to have mine habitation among the tents of Kedar. Psal: 42: 1. Like as the Hart desires the water-brook, so longeth my soul to be with thee, O God. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Phil: 1: 23. Who will give me wings, etc. Which is, as if the poor distressed Soul; PARAPHRASE pathetically bemoaning her forlorn estate of pilgrimage, should thus more plentifully enlarge herself. My Spouse is already ascended higher than the winds, than the clouds, than the highest heavens; and I (poor Soul!) as a husbandless widow, as a tutorles' Orphan, as a comfortless exile, am left desolate and disconsolate in this valley of tears; none to care for me, none to comfort me, till I have regained him whom I love, and in whom I live. Nay, (which worse is) this mine own familiar friend, this nearest and dearest companion of mine, my body, is even a burden unto me. The weight of it, and of the sins that hang so fast on it, doth so clog and shackle me, so glue and nail me to the earth, that I cannot raise, or rear up myself towards heaven. Or let him therefore descend to relieve me, being Filia, Sponsa, Scror, his Daughter, and Spouse, and Sister; Or let him give me wings, wherewith I may ascend to him, Psal. 91: 4. under the shadow of whose wings I shall surely rest in safety. I must confess, it was the very bitterness of extremity that first compelled me to love him, though of himself no less lovely than Love itself. It was the sharp sauce of afflictions that gave edge to mine affections, and sharpened mine appetite to that sweet meat that endureth to everlasting life. But now, having had some little fore-taste of him, I am even in an holy ecstasy, Plaut: so ravished, so transported with a fervent desire of him, and of his presence, that, Vbi sum, ibi non sum; ubi non sum, ibi animus est, Where I am, there I am not; and where I am not, there am I. For, Anima est ubi amat, non ubi animat, Erasm: The soul is where it loveth, not where it liveth. Now sigh I not so much for the present dangers I would decline, as because of my absent Love, whom I most desire. Who will give me wings! etc. In the scanning of which verse, ye will observe with me 1 The Efficient, PARTITION. or Author of these wings, God. Who will give me? Who? that is, who but God? 2 The Matter of the wish; Wings. Who will give me wings? 3 The Form of those wings; Dovelike. Who will give me wings like unto a Dove? 4 The End Mediate; Flying. Then would I fly away. 5 The End ultimate; Resting. And be at rest. 1 Who will give me? There's Christian Humility. 2 Who will give me wings? There's prudent Celerity. 3 Wings like unto a Done? There's innocent Simplicity. 4 Then would I fly away. There's devoute Sublimity. 5 And be at rest. There's permanent Security. 1 Who will give me?) Rogat potius, quam interrogat, 1 Quis det For, Quia dabit mihi▪ It's rather a Request, than a Quaestion; an Optative, than an Interrogative phrase of speech. A phrase very frequent in the Old Testament. But I will not load you with instances. I will quote you only two. The one, Exod: 16: 3. out of Exod. 16.3. Quis det mortui essemus! say the Israelites, murmuring against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. Where the Septuagint read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, utinam! 2 Sam: 18: 33. Oh that we had died by the hand of the Lord, in the land of Egypt! The other, out of 2 Sam. 18.33. where David lamenting the death of his son Absalon, cryeth out, Quis det mihi, ut pro te moriar! Oh that I had been so happy, as to die for thee! 1 First then for his phrase, (Quis det!) It's worth the observing, that he speaks of God with a Quis. Not with a Quis of curious inquisition after his Essence, which is unsearchable; but with a Quis of pious admiration, in regard of his Power, which is unspeakable. And because there is nothing that he cannot; but he can whatsoever he will, therefore my Prophet saith not, Who can? but who will give? God, whose Name is WONDERIUL, () Admiratione, Esa: 9: 6. non ratione excipiendus est: His Essence, and his Power would be admired, rather than inquired; adored, rather than discussed; lest soaring too-buisily into so high mysteries with the wings of presumption, it far with us, as with the fly about the cup, or the moth about the candle; the fate of the one being to be drowned; of the other, to be burned. 2ly, If any shall ask me, Quis est Quis? Who is this Who? job: 21: 15. which is all one with that Atheistical demand, Quis est Omnipotens? who is the Almighty? I will turn him to david's Psalm of Qui's for his answer. Qui facit mirabilia magna solus. Qui fecit caelos in intellectu. Qui firmavit terram super aquas; with a number of Qui's beside. Psal: 135. Chrysost: in Psal: 53. () That Qui is the Quis that is here meant. St chrysostom writing upon those words, Psalm: 53: Quis exurget mecum contra iniustos? saith, it is Quasi perlustrâsset omnes creaturas, as if my Prophet had taken a diligent survey of all the creatures of the world, and finding among them all, none to assist him, is thereupon fain to fly unto God under the name of Quis. And in like sort doth Ruffinus paraphrase my Text (though applying it to the resurrection of Christ) O father (saith he) raise me up again by thine almighty power; Ruffin: in l●c: Nam quis alius praeter te, etc. For who but thou alone is able to give me wings? 3ly. My Prophet, in this Option, or wish, (Quis det!) read's us an excellent Lecture of Humility; to learn us whence these wings are to be had; that they are not Nativae, but Donativae; we have them not of ourselves, but are to beg them of God by prayer, from whom every good giving, and every perfect gift cometh. Iac: 1: 17: Aust: l: de vit: innocent: () Semper enim petitur, quod semper optatur; For a Christian wish (saith Austin) doth ever include a prayer. And, Incassum laborat, qui aliunde virtutes acquirendas putet, quàm à domino virtutum, Gregor: He looseth his labour (saith Gregory) who thinks to have the wings of virtues, unless he have them from the Lord of hosts, the Lord of all virtues. He it was, that when the Dragon stood before the woman, ready to devour her child, so soon as she should be delivered, gave wings to the woman to fly from him into the wilderness. Apoc: 12: 14: () The fowls of the aër (I grant) are by an Hebraisme called Domini alarm, Masters of the wings; Ecclesiastes 10: vlt: () But Dominus alarm, dominus exercituum, the true Lord and Master of the wings, is the Lord of hosts; Psal: 60: 10. () Our winged hosts. For, armies also are said to have Alas, wings; because the side-parts thereof were so marshaled of old, similitudinem volantis tota acies haberet, that the whole army had the resemblance of a flying bird. Insomuch that the Prophet Esay, Esa: 8: 8: () speaking of the mighty army of the Kings of Assyria, describes it by this metaphor, Extensio alarm, the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, o Immanüel; that is, the breadth of the land of juda. He (I say) that is the Lord of hosts, & so of the wings of hosts, he it is, & none but he, that is the Lord of the wings, the Dovelike wings of the Soul. Nay more, Idem dator, & redditor, he is both the giver, & the restorer of them. St Austin will make it plain; () Quia, si desunt, dat: si ligatae sunt, soluit: because if the soul want wings, he give's her wings: Aust: in Psal: if her wings he tied, he looseth her wings. For, he that looseth the wings of a bird, that are tied; Aut dat, aut reddit illi pennas suas, He either give's, or restore's her wings. For, albeit she had wings, yet after a sort she had them not, while she could not command the use of them. But wings (I am sure) the Soul hath none, nor none can have, either fast, or lose, unless they be first given her by this Quis, the Lord of the wings. And so, from the Author of the wings, (God) I come to the Matter of the wish, wings. Who will give me wings? The righteous man being in a wonderful straight, 2 PENNAS. not knowing how, or which way to turn himself, what doth he? Doth he grow so malcontent within himself, as in a desperate mood to say, Who will give me a knife, and I will stab myself? Or, so furiously enraged against his enemies, as in a bitter pang of impatience, to cry out, Who will give me the horn of an Unicorn, that I may gore them? Or, the teeth of a Tiger, that I may tear them? Or, the paws of a Lion, that I may rend them? Or, the Ey of a Basilisk, that I may slay them? Or, the Head of a Serpent, that I may maliciously plot against them? No such matter. But, who will give me wings like a Dove, wherewith I may rid and expedite myself from them? For, Laert: l: 6: in vit: Diogen: albeit Plato defined Man, to be Animal bipes, implume, () a two-footed creature, without feathers; yet may we truly affirm of the devout man, that he is Animal bipes, bipenne, a two-footed, and a two-winged creature: Two-footed, in respect of his body; two-winged, in respect of his soul. And in this sense doth Theodorite term him Animal alatum, Theodorie: a winged creature; Quia quum in terris ut animal versetur, ut avis tamen in sublime volat, because though his body sojourn here on earth, yet doth his soul, Pie: Mirandul: Orat: like a bird, soar up to heaven. So doth Zoroaster (in Picus Mirandula) instruct his Scholars, Animam esse alatam, that the Soul of man is winged; and that, when those wings fall off, Praeceps fertur in corpus, than she pitcheth down headlong into the body: but Illis succrescentibus, ad superos revolat: when they grow out again, than she flieth up again. And for the better growth of their wings, he wisheth them, to water them with the waters of life, which (he tell's them) must be drawn out of the four rivers in Paradise; Pishon, Gihen, Hiddekel, and Perath, Gen: 2: 11. by his interpretation, Rectum, Expiatio, Lumen, Pietas: Rectitude of will, Expiation of work, Light of knowledge, and Piety of devotion. Mons Dei, mons excelsus; Psalt 68: 15. () The mount of heaven is a high mount. Vel scalis, vel alis opus est, The soul must either mount up a Iacob's ladder, Gen: 28: 12. or else she must have wings to mount her up thither. Wings; whose extension must be in the longitude of hope; whose expansion in the latitude of love; whose elevation in the altitude of faith. Wings; ad erigendum, to raise her up to take her flight: and Ad dirigendum, to direct her flight to the mark: and lastly, Ad regendum, to steer and guide her course in the way to the mark. But I shall tell you a wonder. The soul hath not 1 of wings only, as have birds; nor 3 as have the Seraphins; but 6 , Esa: 6.2: if we will believe the learned. 1 One pair I find in Viegas, () to be Praeteritorum Dolour, & Cautio futurorum: Viegas in Apoc: 12. a godly sorrow for sins past, and a wise praevention of future sins; the two parts of Repentance, which cover the nakedness of the soul, as wings do the nakedness of a bird's body. 2 Another I find in Gerson () to be Spes, Gerson. ser. 58. & Timor; Hope, and Fear. The right wing, Hope; because of the mercy, and favour, and bounty of God: the left wing, Fear; because of the misery, and frailty, and necessity of man. And as a bird (saith he) by her wings is kept from falling to the ground: so the soul, while with these two wings she is lifted aloft in prayer, is kept from falling into sin. 3 A third pair I find in (that great Platonic, Marsil. Fici●. l. de Christian. Relig. praefat, sub i●●●t. ) Ficinus, to be Intellectus voluntatem illuminans, & voluntas intellectum accendens: Understanding, or Reason illightening the will; and will inflaming the understanding: Bernard. de verb. Esa. Proph. ser. 4. Which by devoute Bernard, (the Father of devotion,) are otherwise termed Agnitio, & Devotio, Knowledge, and Devotion: Neither of them can sublimate the soul without the other. Devotion, without Knowledge, being but blind zeal: and Knowledge, without Devotion, but learned impiety. Both therefore must Pari gressis in Deum tendere, be yoake-fellowes as it were in the way to God. For, where the light of intellect is quite put out, as in the Romish Liturgy, which (forsooth) must be read in an unknown tongue, there what warmth of zeal can be imparted to the cold affection of the ignorant Idiot? And on the other side, where there is knowledge without zeal, (which is not the least blemish of our English Professors) there may that old taunt be fitly taken up; Praevolat intellectus, & sequitur tardus, aut nullus affectus: The understanding flieth before, but the affection cometh limping a long way after, if at all. 4 A fourth pair I find in Parisiensis, Gul: Paris: ser: in Aseens: Dom: () to be Contemptus Mundi, & Amor Caelestis regni: a contempt of the world, and worldly things, and a desire of heaven, and heavenly things. For, neither can we be fully weaned from this world, unless we be truly enamoured with that other world, nor truly enamoured with that other world, unless we be fully weaned from this world. 5 A sift pair I find in Hugo de S to Victore, Hug: de S: Vict: justit: Monast: ser: 97: () to be Gemina Charitas, a twofold Love; In Deum: In Proximum, the one, towards God: the other, towards our Neighbour: because, as a bird is covered with her wings, so doth Love cover a multitude of sins. Iac: 5: 20: Aust: praefat: in Psal: 140: () But, Haec charitas non qualiscunque est, (saith Austin) It's not every sick feather of love, that is fit to be stuck in these wings. For first, our love to God must be such as is God's to us; Voluntary, not Mercenary: & then, our love to our Neighbours, such as we would wish our Neighbour's should be to us; sincere, without hypocrisy: Permanent, without uncertainty: and (which must be the ground of both) Religious, without impiety. For, even the wicked are leagued and linked together in the straightest bonds of a strained conscience: and they are said entirely to love one another, impatiently to bear the absence one of another, exceedingly to delight in the company and conference one of another. But, Amor iste Tartareus est, This love (saith Austin) is a hellish, devilish love. Aust: ibid. Viscum habet, quo deijciat in profundum, non pennas, quibus levet in caelum: It hath in it birdlime, to catch and cast us into hell, not wings, wherewith to elevate and lift us up to heaven. 6 The sixth and last I find in Petrus Blesensis, Petr: Blesens: ser. 51. () to be Actio, & Contemplatio, Action, and Contemplations. For, in both these must a Christian man interchangeably buisy himself. His whole life must be as a Iacob's Ladder: Gen: 28: 12. () The foot of it fixed on the earth by Action, but the top reaching up to heaven by Contemplation. One while he must be Angelus ascendens, an Angel ascending to the service of God by Contemplation: An other while, Angelus descendens, an Angel descending to the help of his Neighbour by Action. The two Maister-feathers, in the wing of Action, are; Obedience in the heart, to obey what God commandeth; Psal: 57: 8. () and Execution in the hand, to perform what he enjoineth. Psal: 40: 10. () The two Maister-feathers, in the wing of Contemplation, are; A Persuasion of God's Power, to make us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Luc: 20: 36. 1 Tim: 2: 4. equal with the Angels: and a Confidence in his Mercy, that he will have all men to be saved. () Lo; the soul of the righteous hath six of wings. The first , A godly sorrow for sins past, and a wise praevention of future sins. The second, Hope, and Fear. The third, Knowledge, & Devotion. The fourth, a Contempt of the world, and worldly things; and a Desire of heaven, and heavenly things. The fift, the Love of God, and the Love of our Neighbour. The sixth, and last, Action, and Contemplation. Do ye wonder at this? Aust: in Psal: St Austin makes this wonder yet more wonderful. For he saith plainly, that Pennae sunt virtutes, the wings of the soul, are the virtues of the Soul; and so consequently, the soul hath so many wings, as she hath virtues. For, it is not with the soul, as with other winged creatures; of which the Naturalists observe, that Volatilia imperfecta plures habent alas, quàm perfecta: Such as are imperfect have more wings than the perfect; as, we see, there are certain imperfect insect flies, that have four, or six wings, whereas birds which are perfect creatures, have but two. No; the multiplicity of the soul's wings is no argument of the imperfection, but rather of the perfection of the soul, which the more virtuous it is, the more perfect it is, and the more perfect it is, the more eager it is to attain to the highest pitch of perfection, But, because Properanti etiam celerit as mora est: He that hasteneth, think's quickness itself to be but slackness; therefore the devoute soul hying and hastening forward in the way to God, contents not herself with legs; hardly with wings. For, it's not every wing that will serve her turn: but she must have either Pennas aurorae, the wings of the morning; Psal: 139.8. () whose winged light flieth from East to West in an instant, and filleth the whole Hemisphere with her brightness: or else Fennas Columbae, the wings of a Dove; which are Pernicissimae, ut eam accipiter assequi non possit; () so admirably swift, Pellicaa: & Emman: Sa: that she infinitely out-flye's the hawk. So, she summe's not up her wish with wings; but (in the third place) she must have wings like unto a Dove. 3 SICUT COLUMBAE. ) As God, of all the fowls of Heaven, hath chosen to himself but one Dove; () so the faithful soul, 2 Esdr: 5: 26. of all the fowls wings, hath chosen only the Dove's wings. For, not birds of every feather can reach so high, as Heaven. The soul that will fly thither, must have not only Pennas, wings; but Pennas, Sicut Columbae, Dovelike wings: And Sicut, not only Similitudinis, but Aequiparantiae, like them not for show only, but for use too. There's a great family of Sicut's in the world. Many that are only Sicut collum Columbae, like the Dove in nothing, but in her neck. As that hath in it Colores Iridis, all the colours of the rainbow: so have they colores veritatis, all the colours of truth & honesty that may be. But, veritas sine fuco est, true honesty, as it feareth, so it loveth no colours; because the more colours, the less honesty. Said I, in nothing like her, but in her neek? Yes, in her voice too. For, so is the Church of Rome; having vocem columbinam, but vitam corvinam; Numfred: confut: Campian: rat: 3. () the voice of a Dove, praetending nothing but simplicity but the life of a crow, vivens cadaveribus, living by the death, and downfall of Princes. Again, There are many that have Pennas, and Pennas Sicut, wings, and wings like: hut like to what? Not Sicut columbae, like unto a Dove: but 1 Sicut Cicadae, like unto a Grasshopper: Pennas, quibus à terrâ elevari non possunt, Gerson: medit: 70: circa Ascens: Dam: () Wings that cannot lift them up from the earth. Or, if they do, it is but Per saltum, not Per volatum; they only serve them to hop, not to fly with. No sooner up from the earth, but by and by down again. Such are they, whose devotion is soon hit, soon cold again. They could like it well, to go to heaven Per saltum, as it were at one jump, without more ado: but Per volatum, by flying, (by a constant course of well-doing), that's too-laborious for them: they cannot, they will not endure it. 2 Or, Sicut Milui, like unto a Kite, Quisursum volat, ut praedam in terrâ commodiùs despiciat; Which mounts high, that he may the better espy a prey below; upon which he praesently dismounts again, and lives upon spoil and rapine, either of live pullen, or of dead carrion. Such are they that make a goodly show of mortification, of holiness, of retiredness from the world, even as if they were rapt up into St Paul's third heaven; Yet none, whose Ay, and whose heart is more firmly fixed upon the world, than theirs. 3 Or, Sicut Falconis, like unto a Falcon; which can find no rest for his wings, because he is ever buisy in pursuit of a prey. Such are they that greedily rise by others ruin; of whom the Lord complaineth, Ier: 2: 34: by a metaphor taken from birds that stain their wings with prey; Ier: 2: 34: In alis tuis inventus est sanguis: In thy wings is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents. Or, Sicut Struthionis, like unto an Ostrich, which is a bird-beast; () half a bird of the aër, Calvin: in job: 39: 16: & Aquin 12a: q. 102: art: 6. and half a beast of the earth: and he hath such a weighty body, that he cannot mount up to fly aloft; but flickereth in such-wise, as he cannot be out gone. Such are those holy-unholy worldlings, that will needs mingle heaven and earth together; that will seem to have their conversation in heaven, when yet their affection's weigh them down to the earth; that (contrary to the Apostle's rule, 2 Tim: 2: 4: 2 Tim: 2:) will Deo militare, & saeculo se implicare: be God's soldiers, and the world's solicitours. Nay, Matt: 6: 24. (contrary to our saviour's rule, Mat. 6: will Deo & Mammonae servire, divide their service betwint God and Mammon. 5 Or, Sicut Pavonis, like unto a Peacock, whose pleasant wings, job: 39: 16. (as the holy man job calls them) more pleasant to others, than profitable to himself, are more for ostentation, than for use. Et dumpluma● ostentat, Fulgent: Mythol: posteriora turpitèr nudaet, saith Fulgentius; and whiles he spreade's out his gaudy plumes, he displaye's the ugliness of his hinder-parts. Such are our Angelical Gospelers at this day; who yet differ from the Peacock in this, that whereas the Peacock is said to hove Argus his Eyes in his tail, they (it should seem) have them in their heads. Else, how could they espy so many superstitious obliquities in our Church, where our Eagle-eyed Praelates can see none? These men, while they spread out their gay plumes, (jactantiam in verbis, arrogantiam in factis) while they simper it devoutly, and yet rail jesuitically against Church, and State; while they hear Sermons, pray, give alms, make a sour Lenten-face (all, to be seen of men, Matt: 6: 5. Matt: 6: only, they love not to be seen to fast, but with full bellies) what do they but show the ugliness of their hinder-parts? bewray the fearfulness of their later end? 6 Or, Sicut Sturni, like unto a Stare; which first suck's up the pigeon's eggs, and then flieth away. Such were the thievish Monks in St Austin's time, whom he thus derideth; () O si illis Dominus pennas daret, Austin: de opere Monach: c: 23. ut tanquam sturni fugarentur! O that they had wings, that they might be chased away like stairs! And such are the thievish jesuites and Seminaries at this day, who creep into widow's houses, and lead captive simple women laden with sin, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Tim: 3: 6. 2 Tim: 3: and when they have so done, they are gone; like that old Seminary (even the Father of Seminaries) the Devil, Qui super seminavit, & abijt: () who, Matt: 13: 25. when he had sowed tares among the good corn, went his way. Of them I will not say, as St Austin of the Monks, O si illis Dominus pennas daret! but, * Praised be the Lord: for he hath heard the voice of my humble petitions, Psa: 28: 7. junij 14: 1624. O si illi Domino Regi paenas darent, ut tanquam sturni fugarentur! O that my Lord the King would give yet (if it may be) some stricter order, for the banishing of these egg-sucking stairs out of the Dove-coate of our Church! otherwise likely, within a while, to become a Cage of unclean birds; a place for Zijm and Ohim, Apoc: 18.2. Esa: 34: 11. the Satyrs, and the Scritche-owles of Rome to lodge in. 7 Or, Sicut Anseris, like unto a Goose; whose wings are but of little use, save only to make pens with. Such are that rabulous rabble of Romish Rabsakehs: (Stapleton, Parsons, Becanus, Tortus, and other birds of the same feather) set to keep the Capitol of the Church of Rome, and with the gaggling noise of their scribbling Goose-quills, to give warning of whatsoever hostile impressions. With them they daily make flying books; like zachary's Volumen volans; his flying book of curses, Zach: 5.) Flying? Zach: 5: 1. I might have said, Lying books, that spare neither King, nor Kaesar, that is against them. 8 Or, Sicut Vespertilionis, like unto a Bat; which (with the adulterous eye, Prou: 7: 9: Prou: 7:) watcheth for the twilight. Such are our Aequivocal Protestants, who love the twilight of truth, better than the noone-light; whose Religion may well enough be declined with the article (Hoc) for it is of the Neuter gender; Pli: l: 35: 6: 9 Not much unlike him (in Pliny) whose picture was so ambiguously drawn by Polygnotus Thasius a c●nning Painter, that it was doubted, Ascendentemnè cumclypeo depinxisset, an descendentem: whither he had painted him climbing upward, or going downward with his shield. For, so cunningly do these Vtrinquet aries carry their shield of faith, (as the Apostle calls it, Eph: 6.16: Ephes: 6:) that it justly may be doubted, whither it be to defend Us, or our Adversaries. They have one foot within thy gates, O jerusalem! another within the gates of Babylon: One, within thy Church, O England! another within the Church of Rome: One wing to fly to us: and another, to fly from us. 9 Or, lastly, Sicut Icari, like unto Icarus in the Fable; who for want of better, got him Alas cereas, wexen wings, which so soon as they were melted with the heat of the Sun, Icarus Icareis nomina fecit aquis; Ovid. Downe comes Icarus into the Icarean Sea, and becomes (if I may so speak) a Godfather to the Sea that Christened him. Such are those Mountebank- Divines, who sometimes fly aloft to high place, not Alis scientiarum, with the wings of knowledge; but, Alis divitiarum, with the wexen wings of their riches: For, as riches make themselves wings, and fly away, ●rou: 23: 5. () so do they also make wings for those that have them (Icarean, wexen wings; even of the wax of the King's Broad Seal) wherewith they mount them aloft to praeferment. But, (beloved) it's none of these SICVT'S will serve the turn; Nor Sicut Cicadae, wings like a Grass-hopper; or like a Kite; or like a Falcon; or like an Ostrich; or like a Peacock; or like a Stare; or like a Goose; or like Icarus; (these are Ala malae, sorry wings to soar with;) but Sicut Columbae, wings like an innocent Dove, wherewith to fly from such wings as these. They, they be the wings, which the righteous soul somuch desireth. For, wisdom (with her retinue of graces and virtues) will not enter In malevolam animam; into any but an innocent soul. () It's therefore our saviour's advice to his Disciples, Sap: 1: 4: Matt: 10: 16. () Be ye wise as Serpents, and innocent as Doves: Wise as Serpents, antiquo Serpenti resistatis; that ye may be able to resist that old Serpent, the Devil, and innocent as Doves, Columbae, spiritui Sancto, placeatis; that ye may please the holy Ghost, who came down in the form of a Dove. He would have them to be Columbae sine fell, Matt: 3: 16: as Doves without gall or bitterness; but not like Ephraim, Ruffin: in loc: Ose: 7: 11. Ose: 7: Columba sine cord: as a Dove deceived, without heart. The Devil is a winged Serpent, swift to make after you. It is then but needful, that ye be winged Doves, swift to fly from him. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: The wings of the Dove (saith Suidas) are the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost; the wings, Suidas. that make the godly (yea, though they have lain among the pots, as being black with afflictions) to be Sicut pennae Columbae deargentatae, Psal. 68.13: Psal: 68: as the wings of a Dove that is covered with silver, and whose feathers are like yellow gold; that is, right dear and precious in the sight of God. These wings till we have obtained of God by prayer, fly we cannot: but when once we have obtained them, than we may, & must fly; which is my fourth point. 4 TUNC VOLABO. TUNC VOLABO, then would I fly away. No sooner were the creples legs restored unto him by Peter, Act: 3: 8. but he walked; () So; no sooner must we have wings given us by God, but we must fly. For, what are we the better to have wings, if we use them not? Or, how do we use them, if we fly not with them? For, a wing, (say the Greeks') is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to fly. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Plato. saith Plato, the use and office of a wing, is to heave up that which is heavy towards heaven. The Soul than that willbe Avis Paradisi a bird of that heavenly Paradise, must be not only Pennata, but Volatilis too, she must not only have wings, but she must fly. So shall she be sure to have the comfortable gale of God's Spirit to further her, as birds fly best, when they have the wind with them. I say, she must have wings, not only Ad velandum, to cover her nakedness, but Ad volandum too, to lift up her sin-bred weightiness; Wings, Quibus levet se supra se (as Bernard speaks) wherewith she may lift up herself above herself; Bern: Austin: de verb: Apost: ser. 24. Wings, Quas dum portat, portatur: which while she carrieth here on earth, herself is by them carried up to heaven; Wings; that she may Volare, not Conniti; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, fly, not flicker, and flutter to no purpose; like young calow chickens, whose wings are not yet grown. And again; She must Volare, not Humi reptare: fly, not creep upon the ground, by setting her heart upon earthly things; like worms, and serpents, which go upon their breast and belly. Gen: 3: 14. () But, as our wings are not material wings: so neither must our flight be a bodily flight; lest it far with us, as with King Bladud the builder of Bath, who (as our English Chronicler report's) after many years study at Athens, St●nw Chronic: and 20 year's reign here in England, broke his neck, Egesup: l: 3: destr: Hieros: c: 2. while (Simon Magus-like) he attempted to fly in the aër. No; our flight must be a spiritual, not a bodily flight. But, whence? and whither must we fly? Whence? but à solicitudine saeculi? from the turbulent cares of this world? Whither? but Ad solitudinem cali? to the sweet repose of a better world? Whence? but Ab hominibus abhominabilibus? Psal: 57: 5. Psal: 18: 2. from men that are abominable in their doings? Whither? but unto God, who is fugientibus refugium? a refuge for all them that fly unto him? And wisdom it shallbe for us to fly unto him, sith from him fly we cannot, Psal: 139: 8: whithersoever we fly. This (beloved) should teach us sublimity in our flight; not to fly low & close to the ground, like swallows against a storm; but to raise our flight to a high pitch, even as high, as the most High; as did Moses when he saw him who is invisible. For, Heb: 11: 17. Mens quavis ave levior, cùm Deus pennas aptârit, praetervolat montes, Chrisest. saith Chrysost: The soul, when God hath once furnished her with wings, flies, lighter than any bird, over the highest mountains. Idem hom: 16: in ep: add Heb: And so (as the same Father sweetly elsewhere) Deus in caelo dicitur, & tamen est in terris; ita nos in terrâ, & tamen in caelo sumus: As God is said to be in heaven, and yet is also here on earth; so we that are here on earth, are yet also in heaven. But, as the Fowler hath many wiles, wherewith he beguiles the silly bird: so the Devil, who is Aueeps, & proditor animae; a cunning fowler, and a pestilent traitor to the soul, hath many means to hinder her flight to heaven. 1 Now he raiseth up a tempest of tribulation against her, which so clott's, and cloggs, and praegravates her wings, that she becomes (as Gerson speaks) Similis passerculo compluto; Gerson. like a weatherbeaten sparrow, whose wings are so wet, he cannot fly. 2 Now he lure's her unto him, with the sweet baits of the flesh. 3 Now he seeke's to catch her in the pitfall of concupiscence. 4 Now to entangle her with the curious network of pride. 5 Now to inviscate her with the birdlime of covetousness. For, Amor rerum terrenarum, viscum est spiritualium pennarum: The love of earthly things (saith Austin) is as birdlime to our spiritual wings. Aust: de verb: Dom: ser: 33. Behold, no sooner canst thou covet, but thou art caught. Ibid: Quando volabis, ubi verè requiescas, quando hìc, ubi malè haesisti, requiescere voluisti? O when wilt thou fly thither, where thou may'st rest indeed, seeing thou desirest to rest here, where thy feathers are thy fetters? For, Ligatae pennae onus faciunt, as the same Austin elsewhere; Aust: in Psal: Though as good no wings, as lame wings, yet as good lame wings, as limed wings; because the wings of a bird, when they are bird-limed, are even a burden unto her; which yet, otherwise, serve Ad elevandum, ad alleviandum; not only: to lift her up, but to lighten her. 6 Now he let's fly at her with his feathered bird-bolts of vanity; and with them indeed, most commonly, he kill's the bird in the Ey. Ier: 9: 21. 7 Now he privily shootes at her with the hand-gun of: Atheism; and so, Tit: 1: 16. Psal: 14: 1. plott's as it were a powder-treason against her, and against her Maker, to blow them up (if it might be) at one blow. 8 Now he compasseth her about with the snares of death; and laye's them so thick, Psal; 18: 3. she can hardly escape them. snares of prosperity, and snares of adversity; snares by foes, and snares by friends; snares in bed, and snares at board; snares at home, and snares abroad; as if the whole world were nothing but snares. Pighius in Themide. 9 Nay, what will ye say, if as the Romans painted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, victory without wings; () so the Devil would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the soul to be without wings? If, as they clipped the wings of victory, that she might never fly from them to their enemies; so he clip the wings of the soul, that she may never fly from him to God, his greatest enemy? All these (ye will grant me) are strong impediments to our flying. Yet from all these shall we easily fly, if we pray, Quis det! who will give me wings, that I may fly! Or, if, being ensnared, we pray again, Quis det! that is, Quis reddat! Who will lose me! who will render me my wings, that I may fly! Fly, & exercise myself in flying! because (as the Proverb is) Avis volans non timet retia: The flying bird fear's not the net. It's neither gin, nor gun, nor bird-bolt can reach us, if we fly so high as heaven: Which, what is it, but to fly from danger to safety? from dolour to joy? from labour to rest? To REST; which is my fift, and last point; being the end of the former end of our wings, which was flying; and shallbe the end and upshot of my present discourse. 5 ET REQVIESCAM. And that both you, and I may the sooner be at rest, ye shall seem make such haste to fly over it, as if I were Alipes, wing-footed, with Mercury; nay, as if I had Mercury, or quicksyluer in my wings. Et requiescam, and be at rest. 1 The Method (ye see) is; first VOLABO, and then REQVIESCAM; Flying, first; and then Resting; the labour of flying being the highway to rest; and rest the undoubted reward of that labour. For, as in Natural Philosophy; Motûs meta, quies; Rest is the end of motion; And, in Civil affairs; Motion, the way to promotion: So, in Divinity, St Paul must Sequi, before he can Assequi; follow, before he can comprehend, Phil. 3. And here, Phil: 3: 12. we must Volare, before Requiescere; fly, Austin. before we can rest. For, (as St Austin saith well) Cùm audis Deum requievisse post opera, frustrà speras requiem, nisi post labores: Seeing ye hear, that God rested not, till after his six days works, in vain shall ye hope for rest, but after labour. Here then must we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poenitentiae, our six-dayes work of Repentance, which is our flying to God, if hereafter we will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Sabbath of rest. () Nay, here must we have our Quadragesima, Hebr: 4: 9, our Lent of Sorrow for our sins, if hereafter we will have a Quinquagesima, a Pentecost, a jubilee of joy, and rest. To be short; here must we have, as hath the Dove, and as had Dovelike Ezechias, Esa: 38: 14. () Gemitum pro cantu, mourning in stead of singing, if hereafter we will have, as have the Seraphins, () Cantum pro gemitu, Esa: 6: 3. singing in stead of mourning. 2 Again; In that the afflicted soul here prayeth unto God, for wings, wherewith she may fly unto him, and rest; we are taught, that there is no true rest, but in God. It's a lesson, which our Saviour himself teacheth; Io. 16.33. In me pacem, in mundo pressuram; Io: 16: 33. In me ye shall have peace, in the world ye shall have affliction: There is Tempestas in imo, tranquillitas in summo; All storm here beneath, all calm there above. Whither then (think yell) is better, or more optable, to live in perpetual storms here beneaths or in a perpetual calm there above? To rest in continual fear of manifold dangers and distresses? or, to rest secure under the wings of God's protection, under which there is health? Malach: 4: 2. In a word, Malach: 4: 2. with Noah's crow, to glut ourselves with the carrion-delightes of the flesh, floating in the deluge of this world, even till we drown ourselves in perdition, never caring to return again to the Ark? Or, with Noah's Dove, Gen: 8: 8. tired with fluttering abroad ou● of the Ark, and finding no rest for the sole of h●● foot elsewhere, to retire back into the Ark of heaven? Fly we then to the windows of heaven, as did Noah's Dove to the window of the Ark; the God, the true Noah (which signifieth Rest) may put forth his hand to take us in: And, with the Dove 〈◊〉 Cant: 2: frequent we Poramina petrae, Cant: 2: 14. the holes 〈◊〉 the rock, by the frequent meditation of the bleeding wounds of our blessed Saviour, the Rock of our sal●●tion. Then may we sweetly sing with our Princely Prophet, Psal: 124: 6. Psal: 124: Our soul is escaped, even as a bi●● out of the snare of the fouler; the snare is broken as we are delivered. Yea, then, and never till then 〈◊〉 we merrily sing a Requiem to our soul, Psal: 116: 7. Psal: 116: 〈◊〉 vertere in requiem tuam, anima mea; Turn again t● thy rest, o my soul, for the Lord hath rewarded the● He hath already in part rewarded thee with a spiritual rest, by giving thee wings to fly from sorrow 〈◊〉 heaviness, and shall hereafter reward thee to the 〈◊〉 with an aeternal Rest, Matt: 8: 11. when thou shalt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and jacob in the ●●…dome of God; where sorrow and heaviness shall fly fro● thee; and where thou shalt for ever celebrate a Sabbath of rest; Esa: 66: 23. even Sabbathum ex Sabbatho () Sabbath after Sabbath, Sabbath upon Sabbath, to the Lord 〈◊〉 that Sabbath, Even to God the Father, God the Son and God the holy Ghost, one thrice holy, blesse● and undivided Trinity, To whom in persons 〈◊〉 in essence one, be a scribed all Might, Majesty; and Dominion both now and for evermore, AMEN FINIS.