But the Thunder of his power, (or his powerful Thunder) who can underſtand?
IN this Chapter holy Job gives in his Anſwer to a third Diſputation of his ſecond friend, Bildad; which Reſponſe of Job hath two hinges to move on;
1 An utter diſlike of Bildads dealing with him; as if what was urged by his Friend, were not onely ſhort, but wide of the Mark: And this he doth in the four firſt Verſes of the Chapter.
2 A Declaration of the Majeſty, Power, and matchleſs Excellencies of Jehovah, in himſelf and his wonderful works, which Bildad only glanced at; And this he performs in the remaining part of the Chapter.
2In this 14 verſe, holy Job concludes his Meditations; and after he had given an Enumeration or Induction of divers particulars, he preſents unto his friend the whole Fabrick at once, confeſſing it to be very defective. Behold theſe are part of his wayes, how little a portion is heard of him? But the Thunder of his Power who can underſtand?
Obſerve two things from the Text;
1 In generall; The Lords higheſt operations and moſt excellent Works cannot be reached by Mans underſtanding.
2 In ſpeciall; The terrible Meteor of Thunder is a loud Manifeſtation of the Lords Greatneſſe and power; And the Trumpet of his glorious Excellency, Majeſty, and Perfection.
Obſer. 1Firſt, The higheſt Operations, and moſt Excellent Works of our God cannot be reached or graſped by mans underſtanding. As the ebbing, flowing, ſaltneſſe, and roaring of the Sea: How Gold, Silver, Braſſe are produced in the Earth. The cauſes of Sympathy and Antipathy; The nature of Angels and Soules; What he hath wrought in the Earth, in the Seas; What under the Heavens, what in the3 Heavens, and what above them: What he did before the World was created, and what he will doe after its diſſolution. I grant that men have attained to much knowledge of Gods viſible works. 'Tis ſaid of Kingaa1 Reg. 4.33. Solomon (the wiſeſt of men Chriſt excepted) that he knew all Plants from the Cedar, to the Hyſop growing on the wall. And ofbbActs 7.22. Moſes, that he was learned in all the wiſdome of the Aegyptians: Of Daniel, Shadrach, Meſhach, and Abednego,ccDan. 1.17. that the Lord gave them knowledg, with all learning and wiſdom. Job alſo had great knowledge of Gods works, and ſo had David and Paul.
Pliny is called by Eraſmus Theſaurus, imo mundus, rerum cognitu digniſſimarū: A ſtore-houſe, Nay, a world of Things, moſt worthy to be known. Auſtin ſaith concerning Jerome, Quae Hieronimus neſcivit nullus hominum unquam ſcivit: No man ever knew that thing of which Jerom was ignorant. Ariſtotle is ſtiled by one, Ʋltimus conatus Naturae; The very Maſter-piece of Nature for knowledg and underſtanding in all things.
Yet notwithſtanding, that the higheſt Works of God cannot be graſped by mans4 underſtanding, will evidently appeare by theſe ſeven Mediums: As,
Medium. 1Firſt, Mans darkneſſe and ſloth ſince the Fall, joyned with the brevity of his Life, will demonſtrate this Truth. Darke we are ſince the cloud of ſin overſhadowed our minde; our brighteſt Notions are ſtained, our light ecclipſed, our Intellectuals darkned, I ſay all this ſince the unhappy Fall of Man: For who queſtions, but Adam in his ſtate of Perfection had vaſt knowledge of the Creatures; They were all brought to himddGen 2.19, 20. to ſee what he would call them: So, he gave names to all the Creatures, and whatſoever Adam called every living creature, that was the (ſtanding) name thereof. This plainly ſhews us Adams great knowledg, and wiſdom in Naturall things. For names were given at the firſt according to the ſeverall Natures and Properties of the creatures. Plato in Cratillo ſhews us that the Man who would give the right Name to a thing, muſt firſt know the Nature of it very well; And ſo queſtionleſſe Adam did, when he gave a Name to every creature.
But this knowledge of Gods works was much ſtained and darkned by the Fall and5 Apoſtacy of Man: As we now ſee but the Back-parts of God, Chriſt thoroweeCant. 2.9. the Latteſſe only; ſo ſaith Job, we ſee but part of his wayes. As well may an Hive of Bees fathom the Actions of Princes, as we the Works of Creation and Providence. Saint Paul ſaith,ff1 Cor. 13.9, 10. We know but in part. ggAuſtine.Maxima pars eorum quae ſcimus eſt minima eorum quae ignoramus. All that we know is little, if compared with that which we know not. He that hath read and conſidered the ſtory ofhhPlato de Re-publ. l. 7. Plato's Cave, will not wonder that ignorant folk, nurſt up in darkneſſe, ſhould pleaſe themſelves with poor ſhallow conceipts, as having never heard, or ſeen better: He will alſo collect, how abſurd their former conceptions will appeare to them, when afterwards they ſhall have imbib'd a little knowledge. iiCamerarius his Hiſtorical meditat. l. 3. &c. 3.By nature we are chained up in a Cave of Darkneſſe, taking meere ſhadows to be things ſubſtantiall, and ſubſtances to be ſhadows. Imperita Ruſticitas credit ſe omnia ſcire; Ignorant confidence hath the wings of an Eagle, the eyes of an Owle. One that hath little knowledge may be admired by the Ignorant, Inter ſaecos luſcus regnare poteſt: A6 purblinde man is King among the blinde. From the Darkneſſe and Pride of men came thoſe many odd opinions concerning the works of God; For Critias the Philoſopher held the ſoule to be Blood. Porphiry did attribute Reaſon to bruit creatures,kkSir Walt Ral. Hiſt. of the world, l. 2. cap. 13. and Melampus Language. Nay, Empedocles held, that not onely Beaſts but Plants had Intellectum. The Stoicks (on the other ſide) would not grant, Vitam ſtirpibus, that Plants have life. Olympiodorus Platonicus, held thellNieremberg. Nat. Hiſt l. 2. c. 3 P. 18. Elements were animated and diſtinguiſhed by Sexes. mmIdem. li. 2. c. 11.Seneca will needs have it that Comets are ingendred not in the Aire, but above the Moon. Thoſe two great Lights, Auſtin and Lactantius denied there were Antipodes; which Hackwell may have leave to wonder at; Many School-boys now being able to reſute that Errour. Ariſtotle (Natures Secretary) held the world to be Eeternall, that there are but 8 Spheares, and that thennAriſtot. Meteor l. 2 c 11. Torrid and Frigid Zones are inhabitable (which experience contradicts.) The Baſilidians held there were as many Heavens as days in the year. TheooNierem. Hiſt. Nat l. 2. c. 8. Chaldeans believe, that ſtrong luſty men help7 move the Heavenly Orbs. ppSir Walt. Ral. Hiſt. of the world, l. 1. Chap. 3.Euſebius (miſled by Joſephus) ſuppoſed that before the Floud, Angels, taken with the beauty of women, begat thoſe Gyants. Philip Melancthon ſaith, the Sun is nearer the Eearth, almoſt by ten thouſand Germane miles, then it was in Ptolomies dayes, yet this Melancthon a very learned man. Copernicus held that the Earth moves, and the Heavens ſtand ſtill: Which ſtrange opinion (ſo contradictory not onely to Reaſon, butqqPſal. 104.5. & 19.5. Joſh. 10.13. Ergo fol movet. Scripture) hath found too many favourers in our Schools of Learning. To all which let me add a witty conceipt in Ludovicus Vives, upon Auſtin; He tells of a Barbarous Nation, that condemned, executed, and ript up an Aſſe, to recover the Moon out of his belly, which they ſuppoſed he had ſwallowed, becauſe they ſaw him drink at the water, where the Moon appeared by reflexion; And immediately thereupon (ſhee being muffled up with Clouds) they miſſed her.
Thus you have abundant proof of that darkneſſe which hath been on the Intellectuals of Man ſince the Fall, in relation to Gods wonderfull Works: And as our8 Eyes are dim, and cannot ſee much, ſo our ſloth is great, and our inadvertency and heedleſneſſe inexcuſable, in that we ſeldome look into the volumn of Creation, or at beſt but with careleſſe and tranſient eyes.
Few there be that will give themſelves, or bend all the Faculties of their ſoules to ſtudy and conſider God in his Workes. TherrPierij Hieroglyph. lib. 24. cap. 22. Sybaritae would not ſuffer a Cock to crow in their City, nor any Smith to work till Noon, leſt their ſleep ſhould be diſturbed.
How many live without the ſweat of their Brow in labour, or of the Brain in ſtudy and meditation? The Cat would faine have water, but is loth to wet her foot. Idleneſſe is a Step-mother to the Muſes. The Cyclopes thought mans happineſſe did conſiſt in Nihil agendo, in doing nothing. But no excellent thing can be the child of Sloth. Who can expect if a multitude of leaden letters be caſt off the hand, to finde amongſt them an exact poem? GodssExod. 13.13. ordained the neck of the conſecrated Aſſe ſhould be broken, in ſtead of ſacrificing him; peradventure becauſe that Creature hath ever been the6 Heroglyphick of ſloth and lazineſſe.
Here may juſtly deſerve blame, the want of Reading, Travelling, and Meditation.
1 The want of reading and ſtudying ſuch Authors, as write of the Works of God. Vita hominis ſine literis mors eſt; The unlearned is a dying life.
The Scholer, like a Bee, gathers honey from every flower, knowledg from every Book he touches. Yet Lewis the 11. King of France, charged his Son to learn no more Latine but this, Qui neſcit diſſimulare, neſcit vivere; He that cannot diſſemble and flatter (ſaid he) knows not how to live. When the PeoplettAelian. of Mytilene became maſters of the Sea, they inflicted this puniſhment on thoſe that were revolted from them, that they ſhould not teach their children to read. He that is minded to apply himſelf to Reading, ſaith Seneca, may have private conference with Zeno, Pythagoras, Ariſtotle, Theophraſtus, and other Authors of good Arts; and he ſhall ever finde them at lieſure to commune with him. The want of reading, and learned education, makes people as a barren ſoile, unmanured, unplanted: No10 marvail ſuch are groſly ignorant of Gods works.
2 Next, The want of Travelling in ſuch as have Time and Meanes for it. Alexander ſpeaking of his Travels, would often ſay, that he had diſcovered more with his eye, then other Kings had comprehended in their thoughts. Men do but gueſſe at the works of God abroad, that go meerly by the relations of others. One journey to the Alpes will ſhew thee more then many Hiſtories do record. Let Claudian mention it as a point of happineſſe for ones Birth, Life, and Burial to be all in a Pariſh: But how great advantages have thoſe that Travell into divers Nations? How many Rarities of Nature do they ſee? What ſtrange creatures which be not in our Countrey? what craggy Rocks, Mountains aſpiring towards the Sky, magnificent Buildings, goodly Vine-yards, choice and delicate Fruits of the Earth, which our cold Climate affords not; Divers Antiquities and Monuments of great note; Rare men; the Courts of Princes; the cuſtomes of Nations, &c. Such as go voyages by Sea, muſt needs ſeeuuPſal. 107.24. many wonders of God in the Deep. He hath11 lived (ſaith one) but in a large cheſt, that hath ſeen but one Land. Italy,Feltham Reſolves. Cap. 10. France and Spain are the Court of the World: Germany, Denmark and China are as the Citie of the World; The reſt are moſt of them Country and Barbariſme. It were an excellent thing in a State to have a ſelect number of judicious Perſons,Note. thus employed into ſeveral parts of the world, and be bound once in ſeven years to give the Nation ſome account of their Travels in writing, for the benefit of ſuch as ſtay at home; and that Penſions might be allotted for that end. This would be a better employment for the youth of our Nobility and Gentry, then to ruſt at home; Bowl, Dice, and Drink away their golden Time.
Again, our ignorance of God and his Volumn of Creation, may be charged on the want of Meditation in all men. We ſee divers of Gods works in the pooreſt Village; but we doe not weigh and ponder them in the Ballance of Meditation. Chriſt thereforexxMat. 6.26.26. calls upon us to Behold the Fowls of the aire, and to conſider the Lillies of the field. Wee ſee theſe things, but doe not bend and buckle our12 minde to the Object, that we conſider the workmanſhip of God in them. The generality of menyyJob 37.14. Iſa. 5.12. regard not the works of the Lord, neither conſider the operations of his hands. They heare it Thunder, but it ſtrikes no awe upon their hearts, becauſe they never conſider it is the voice of God. They heare the whiſtling of the Winde, the ratling of the Hail; Behold the Snow (that feather'd raine) come down, reap benefit by the former and latter rain, but they never conſider of theſe works and wonders of God. When do they, with Iſaak, walk into the Fields for meditation, or with Daniel by the River ſide, or with Peter on the houſe top, to ſurvey & admire God and his works? The love of contemplation madezzHieron. Epiſt. 4. ad Ruſticum. Jerome ſay that Solitude was a Paradiſe, &aaCogitare eſt vivere M. T. Cicero Acad. Quaeſt. l. 1. Cicero that to think was to live. Baſil wept when he handled a Roſe, to conſider the prickles thereof were the fruit of mans Fall. The ſame did Perſius, when he ſaw a Toad, to think of his owne ingratitude, in that God had made him a Man, and not a filthy Toad. When Eſtius heard the little Birds ſing, O the Muſick, ſaid he, that is in Heaven! So when David (not onely ſaw, but) well13 conſidered the Sun, Moon, and Stars, he cryed out, Lord what is man that thou art mindefull of him? q. d. That thou ſetteſt up ſuch huge burning Tapors for him that doth ſo little work for thee? Surely, the want of conſidering the choice and admirable things which God hath made, is one main reaſon of our knowing them ſo little, and our being affected with them no more.
To all which conſiderations, let me add the brevity of our Life; Ars longa, vita brevis: It requires much time, obſervation, and experience to know the works of God, and our life is fraile and ſhort; as a Span, as a Vapour, as a Bubble: And many times ſaith Seneca,bbSeneca Epiſt. 23. we begin not to live till our life is ending. Sickneſſe alſo, and old Age ſteal upon us; Then we grow oblivious, unteachable, overcaſt with clouds, full of pain and infirmities.
Now our Life is very ſhort,
1 If compared with other creatures: Some ſay of the Eagle, Nec annis debilitatur, nec morbis obnoxia eſt. Pliny ſaith, It is neither Age nor Sickneſſe killeth the Eagle, but theccPſal. 103.5. upper Bill groweth over the under, ſo at laſt ſhee is ſtarved. 14Some Elephants live three hundred years, as Aelian, Solinus, and Strabo tell us.
2 Our life is ſhort, if compared with the long life of men in former times: Enochs years were of the ſame number with the dayes of the year. Adam lived 930 years, andddGen. 5.7.2•. Methuſelah a thouſand, wanting one and thirty. But in Davids time, old age and 70. ſhook hands. The climatericall yeare hath extinguiſhed many Lights; As Aristotle, Plato, Diogeges, and Zenocrates; ſo fatall hath beene the year 63. Parre aged about 160 was brought from Shropſhire to London, as the longeſt liver of this Age and Nation,eeAnn. Dom. 1634. Sep. 29. to be ſeen as a wonder. So then deduce from our ſhort life, the time of firſt and ſecond child-hood, (I meane of infancy & extreame old age) next all the time beſtowed on Sleep, Food, Apparel, Viſits, Recreations and Luſts, then ſcarce any man of 70 would be 12 years old. Hence (in part) comes our great ignorance of God and his works, viz. The brevity of our life.
Secondly, The moſt excellent works of God cannot be fathom'd by mans underſtanding, by reaſon of the variey of ſpecies,15 (mans weakneſſe conſidered) and the multitude of things which GOD hath made. The Rabbins are very curious in numbers, and divers of their obſervations are founded in Arithmetick. They glory in this conceipt, that a man hath ſo many bones as there be letters in the Decalogue, and juſt ſo many joynts and members as there be dayes in the yeare; To ſhew, that all our ſtrength and time ſhould be expended in Gods ſervice. 'Tis ſaid, that atffExod. 15.27. Elim there were 12 wells of Water, and 70 Palm-trees: in which 12 ſprings of water, Saint Jerome conceived he ſaw the faces of the 12 Apoſtles, and that the 70 Palm-trees did praefigure the 70 Diſciples.
But (to return to our buſineſſe) who can number all the works of God, from the Eagle to the Gnat, from the Elephant to the Piſmire, from the Whale to the Lamprey, from the Oake to the Violet, from the huge Sun to the leaſt Star in the milky way, from the largeſt Continent to the ſmalleſt Iſland, from the main Ocean to the leaſt Brook? And if the diſtinct ſpecies or kinds of things cannot be found out, who will undertake (be he man16 or Angell) to number the Individuals, which every Species contains? every one of thoſe Individuals having ſome private marke or note of diſtinction from his fellow.
'Tis a proverbial ſpeech, that no man can number ſtellas Caeli, ſtill as Roris, the drops of Dew, or Stars of Heaven. WellggPſal. 72.15. might David ſay of Gods wonders, I know not the number thereof. Andhh& 139.17, 18. how great is the ſum of them? If I ſhould count them, they are more in number then the ſand. 'Twas no Hyperbole in Eliphaz to ſay,iiJob 5.9. The Lord doth things great and unſearchable; marvellous things without number. Nor in PaulkkRom. 11.33. when he cryeth, his wayes are paſt finding out.
Thirdly,3 Medium. Gods wiſdome is great, and every thing he doth hath ſome impreſſions and characters of that wiſdome ſtamped on it. ThellPſal. 104.24. Lords wiſdome is infinite. No man knows all that God hath done: God hath ſome rare pieces in the Sea and Earth, which he doth not ſhew unto men, but keeps lockt as in a ſecret Cabinet. mmAs Drake, Candiſh, & Sebaſtran Deleano, who are ſaid to put a girdle about the world.Such as have travel'd round the world (as the people ſuppoſe) yet may not have ſeene the fifth part of it. 17nnSir Walt. Ral. Hiſt. of the world. l. 1. cap. 3.Metrodorus thought that to deny infinite worlds is all one as to affirme that in ſo large a field as the Univerſal, there ſhould grow but one Thiſtle. Alſo Anaxagoras and Democritus held a plurality of worlds. Some are of opinion that every Starre hath a world ready peopled in it. Nay, they offerHeb. 1.2. but compared with Mat. 12.32. Scripture to maintaine a multitude of worlds: But let the Reader excuſe me, if I divert him with a ſtory of two Fryers; who diſcourſing how many worlds were created, one of them affirmed there were ten worlds, quoting that Text in Luke; Annon decem facti ſunt mundi? The other looking into the Text replyed, Sed ubi ſunt novem? Yet this is certain, though there be but one world, that much of it is yet unknown to us, and 'tis not long ſince a conſiderable part of the world hath been found out; Witneſſe thoſe New Diſcoveries by Chriſtopher Colono of the Weſt Indies by Hernando Magellano of the Meluccaes, & by Sir Hugh Willoughby of thoſe Northern Diſcoveries; And yet ſtill great part of the Map and Globe is filled up with18 Terra Incognita, The unknown Earth, lying either under the Artick, or Antartick Circle; The formerppDr. Heilins Geogr. is rather ſuppoſed then known. The latter is ſomething knowne, and hath the Names of Terra del Fuega, Nova Guinea, Pſittacorum Regio, and ſuch like.
Next, to come unto the known World; how many Rarities in it, that have been imperfectly deſcribed? Travellers differing much in their relations, which may be imputed either to a prond heart, a careleſſe eye, a credulous pen, or aqqPoets and Travellers abound with Fictions. wide mouth. Scaliger ſaith of Baronius, He did not write Annals, but frame them. Palaephatus was wont to write incredible, if not impoſſible things. Bellonius, (a modern eye-witneſſe) reports that the doors of that famous Church in Conſtantinople, Sancta Sophia, are in number equall to the dayes of the year, yet Mr. Sands ſearched narrowly,rrMr. Sands in Travels. and could find but 4 only. (ſ) Nicephorus writes of a new Star ſeen, to which a nultitude of other Stars did flock, as Bees about their King. (t) Aelian19 ſaith, hee ſaw an Elephant writing plainly in the Roman Character with his Trunk. Pompeius Mela writes of Chronicles which went over thirteen thouſand yeares. uuPlin. Hiſt. l. 7. c 2.Pliny writes of ſome Indians that have no mouths, but live by the ſmell of Herbs and Flowers. 'Tis feared the beſt of Hiſtorians (Canonical Scripture excepted) are ſprinkled with untruchs, elſe Tertullian would not have called Tacitus, Mendaciorum loquaciſſimum, the greateſt Lyar; who is commonly voted, the trueſt Hiſtorian. This may be one cauſe why ſo many of Gods works are not rightly known to us, being miſrepreſented by Travellers and Hiſtorians.
To proceed. Such as havewwAriſtotle. Pliny. Pierius. Aelian. Nieremberg. Bacon. Dubartas. Sir Walt. Ral. cum multis aliis. written of Gods wonderful works, and treated of the Elements, Meteors, and Stars; of Beaſts, Birds, and Fiſhes; of Plants, and Minerals; of People & their ſhape and manners, have yet touched onely the border of Gods works: For if all thoſe Perſons who have made it their ſtudy and buſineſſe to know and deſcribe theſe things, were now alive and aſſembled into one grand Committee,20 they would not be able to give us a ſufficient reaſon of Gods wonderfull works: As for Example; why a man that hath the Jaundis, looking on the Bird Ictarus or Galgulus, the man is cured, ſaith Pliny, the poore Bird inſtantly dyeth? Why Fowl that flye over the River Aurina in Italy, fall dead into itxxPietii Hieregl. l. 2. cap. 17. ſaith Pierius? Why Goats breath at the eare, as Alomaeon is confident they do? Why honey in Heraclea is poyſonous, which is ſo reſtorative in other places of the world? Why the Crocadile (only) moves the upper jaw; and why heyyNieremb. Nat. Hiſt. lib. 32 cap. 1. lives all night in the water, all day on the Land, and not rather the contrary, or ſtill in one Element? Why the Remora, (a Fiſh but halfe a foot long) ſhould be able to ſtay a ſhip under ſaile,**Pliny Nat. Hiſt. lib. 32. cap. 1. ſaith Pliny? Why the members of an Hen, being put into a pan of melted Gold, the Gold ſhould be all waſted & conſumed on her fleſh,zzPierii Hierogl. l. 24. cap. 12. ſaith Pierius? Why the heate of the ſand ſhould hatch the Eggs of the Oſtrich, and not of other Birds? What moves the Adder to ſtop his ears againſt theaaPſal. 58.45. Charmers voice? 21In ſum, whence that furious antipathy between the Eagle and the Swan, the Panther and the Hinde, Dolphin and Whale; The Siskin and Muskin, who (ſaith Plutarch) fight eagerly alive, and being dead their blood will not mingle, but diſſociate? On the other ſide, why ſo firme a league and ſympathy between the Peacock & the Dove, the Thruſh and Crane, Sparrow and Crocadile?
So again among Plants; why the Herb, Molio, ſhould carry a Flower white as ſnow, the root being black as Inke? Why the Trees of Silon in India never looſe their leaves? Why the famousbbSee Henry Moors Antidote againſt Atheiſm, l. 2. cap. 7. p. 110, 111. Indian Nut-tree ſhould yield ſo many things of a different nature, as Bread, Drinke, Cups, Houſes, and Boats, with ſailes and cables, not wanting even Bodkins to fit thoſe ſailes being made.
Yet theſe things are generally agreed on by the beſt writers of Natural Hiſtory; and are not wont to be thruſt into the Catalogue of Fables.
In all which reſpects you ſee the Wiſdome of God in his Works is ſo22 great and myſterious, that no marvaile it is paſt finding out by the wiſeſt of the Sons of Men. But in particular,
Medium. 4Fourthly, His power and wiſdome are unſearchable in great and ſmall creatures.
1 In ſuch creatures as carry with them an extraordinary bulk, incredible to ſuch as never ſaw any creature exceeding an overgrown Oxe driving to the Shambles. ccAelian, l. 15. cap. 21.Aelian writes that Alexander found in a cave (in India) a Dragon ſuppoſed to be 70 cubits long; They conceived his eyes to be about the bigneſſe of a Macedonian Shield: Alexander with his valiant Hoſt durſt not approach too near this horrible creature. ddPlin. lib. 9. cap. 30.Pliny writes of Eeles in the River Ganges that were 300 feet in length. Moſt wonderfull things are written of the Whale;eeAmbroſe Hexemer l. 5. cap 10. Ambroſe ſaith, Aequalia montibus corpora habere praedicātur; that whales are held to have bodies equal with mountains. Muſculus ſaith that ſome have appeared in the water of the bigneſſe of Iſlands. Pliny mentioneth Juba, K. of Mauritania, writing unto Cajus Caeſar (Sonne of Auguſtus) of great23 Whales in the coaſts of Arabia, that were ſix hundred foot long, and three hundred foote broad. The truth of which Reports I wholly leave to the credit of the Authors, and judgement of them that read what I have written; contenting my ſelf with that which the Scriptures have ſaid of this huge creature. In generall, that he is the greateſt of all living creatures;ffJob 41.24. for in the earth there is none like him. And then in**Iob 41.5, 6.22. Ionah 1. and 2 Chap. particular, that his jawes are like unto doores, his ſcales to ſhields; That he makes the ſea to boyl like a pot: So big was the Whale, that he ſwallowed downe Jonas whole, without bruiſing or hurting him, and ſo caſt him up again.
I read in our Chronicles of a monſtrous huge Fiſh, taken in the Iſle of Thanet, 1573. July 6. the length of this Fiſh was 22 yards, 12 foot between the eyes, ſome of his Ribs were 16 foot long: Alſo his Tongue was in length 15 foot, ſaith Mr. Stow. ggStowes Chronicle, pag. 14. in the 16 yeare of Queen Eliz.
The ſame AuthorhhIdem p. 347. writes of another great Fiſh, taken within two miles of Yarmouth, in Norfolke, 1583. 24Octob. 10. having Teeth 3 quarters of a yard in compaſſe; Great eyes and holes over them to ſpout out water; The taile of it was 14 foote in thickneſſe.
Next, for the Elephant (called Behemoth) and at large deſcribed in theiiJob 40.15.18, 19, 23. 40 Chapter of Job: His bones are ſtrong as braſſe; he drinks up a River; He is the chiefe of the wayes of God, ſaith the Creator to Job: That is, The Lords Maſter piece among the Beaſts of the Earth. Some of their Teeth have been 8 foot long; Aelian ſpeaks of ſome Elephants nine cubits high; with his Trunk orkkAriſtot. De N•t. Animal. l. 2. cap. 5. 6. Snout he overthrows trees and feedeth thereon. The Elephant is of that bulk and ſtrength, that 'tisl Trap, on Job 40. reported he can beare a wooden tower upon his back, and on that 32 men to fight there from.
Next for Trees; In Braſile there be ſome ſo big thatmmAbbots Geography p. 271. ('tis ſaid) ſeveral Families have lived in ſeveral Arms of one Tree to ſuch a number as are in a Village amongſt us. Thus Abbot relates it.
How much is the power of God25 ſeen in Creatures of ſuch a bulk as I have mentioned.
2 It is ſo alſo in ſmall and little creatures, as the Bee, the Fly, the Ant, the ſweet Violet: Any work of God narrowly eyed will beget Admiration. But how do we ſlight the wiſdome of God in theſe things. Yet we admire him that conveyed Homers Iliads into a Nut; and the Rhodes who did carve out a ſhip in every point compleat, yet ſo little that the expanded wings of a Fly might cover it. InnCauſſins Diary in Epiſt. read alſo of a great Prince, who had a ſtriking clock in the knob of a Ring: And I have ſeen a Lady that hath a Watch made to hang at her ear. But ſuch is our blindneſs, that although God ſhew a world of wiſdome drawn in a very ſmall map, and preſents to us divers excellent Epitomes of his power in your Inſecta, or very ſmall creatures, (that cannot be anatomiſed) yet we heed, we regard them not. Ariſtotle was otherwiſe minded; for he held the meaneſt creature having life, exceeded the beſt void of life; In which Axiome he prefers a Fly before an Oak, and a Worm before26 the Sun: Such an admirer was he of life in generall, and eſpecially in little creatures; That in purſuance thereof, he ran into this abſurdity, which peradventure he was not aware of.
Pliny wonders, how the Gnat being ſo ſmall a creature, ſhould be able to make ſo great a buzzing. Gallen much extolls the wiſdome of God in making a Gnat,ooGallen de uſu partium, c 7. yea the thigh of that poor creature, confeſſeth the hand of God, and magnifies that Name, which many Chriſtians blaſpheme. ppMat. 10.29, 30.Providence reaches little Sparrows, nay the ſmalleſt and meaneſt things, even one hair of our head. Which Doctrine 'tis ſaid that Pompey could by no meanes digeſt.
I might here add what Pliny, Ariſtotle, Ambroſe, and Baſil have written of the Bee, Ant, & ſuch like poor little Animals; and how they magnifie the wiſdome of God in the ſtructure and properties of theſe creatures.
But to ſpeak ſomething of Pearls, Diamonds, and other precious Stones, which are not ſmaller in quantity, then great in worth and eſtimation. Charls27 Duke of BurgundyqqAlſted chronol. loſt a Diamond in Battle, which is ſaid to be of ſo much worth, that therewith a man might buy an whole Countrey: And much is written of Cleopatra's Pearl. Yet,rrDr Reynolds. behold, that which is ſuch an ornament to the Lady that wears it, is ſaid to be a diſeaſe in the Fiſh that breeds it. Strange things are written of the rare vertues of Precious ſtones, containing in worth what they have not in bulk; The little Pearl being more admirable then a Rock. Borrheus ſaith the Emrauid preſerves chaſtity. Rueus, that the Chryſolite helps breathing: Toſtatus of the Saphir, that it frees from wrath and envy; alſo of the Jaſper that is full of veines, Quot venae tot virtutes. The Diamond ſaith Pliny, is an admirable remedy againſt poyſon. Dioſcorides ſaith, the Agat will keep him moiſt that wears it. The Beril, ſaith Abulenſis, cureth watriſh, and running eyes, nay, ſharpneth the wit, ſaith Yſtella: And Albertus affirms, that theſſDr Featlies. Sermons, p. 498, &c. Onix ſtrengthens the whole Body. There is not any Precious ſtone, or Herb of the Field,28 but hath rarer properties and more virtues in it, then men can diſcover or obſerve.
Medium. 5Fifthly, we admire ſuch men as have (any thing) wel imitated Gods works, yet we have more reaſon to marke and admire the works themſelves: We are apt to wonder at Appelles, who drew the picture of an Horſe ſo like inttEraſmi Apoph. lib. 8. Epheſus, that horſes ſeeing it, neighed, as ſurprized by the fortunate imitation: ſo the Birds came and pecked the Grapes which were painted by Zeuxis. Albertus Magnus made the Statue of a Man, which could walke and pronounce certain words; it was 30 year about. Phidias is much praiſed by Julian, for a Graſhopper and Bee, which he made in braſſe. The wooden Dove of Architas could flye by curioſity of Art. Wonderfull was that Globe of Silver, ſent by Ferdinand, King of Romans, to Solyman the Turk; for it expreſſed the time of the day, the motions of the Planets, change of the Moon, and the wonderful revolutions of the Heavens.
If we ſee a glaſſe Eye, an ivory29 Tooth, we praiſe the skill of the Artiſt, but we do not obſerve a ſpecial power and providence in the frame and compoſure of the members themſelves; All the united power and wiſdome of men and Angels, are not able to make a Primroſe or Fly, if they might have more worlds for their paines, then the aire hath flies, or the Sea-ſhore pibbles: They muſt let that alone for ever.
Medium. 6Sixthly, A multitude of wonders attend the viſible Heavens. The Moon is the Queen of Planets, a very great and goodly Creature to look upon, when ſhe is in the full of her glory; Yet the Sun is ſaid to be ſix thouſand, ſixe hundred, forty and five times bigger. Heidfeldius tells us that the Sun moves two hundred & ſeven thouſand Dutch miles an hour. He moves ſo faſtuuDay on Cor. p. 260. ſaith another, as if a Bird ſhould flye fifty times the ſpace of the world in halfe a quarter of an hour, (You have my Author in the margent.) Jupiter is as many yeares in going his circuit as the SUN is moneths. The ninth, or Chriſtallin Sphear is ſaidwwPlato. to accompliſh30 his Revolution in thirty ſixe thouſand years. Who can number the Stars? none but GodxxPſal. 147.4. who calleth them all by their names. Some have pretended to tell them diſtinctly, and could make but a thouſand three hundred and odd; Yet they had not names for all theſe, and they were faine to reckon them by Conſtellations, as we number Grapes by the cluſter; ſo they give one name to an huge Family of Stars. yyDay on 1•Cor. 15. p. 271.Some Mathematicians have adventured to ſay, That there are no more but a thouſand thouſand and two and twenty Stars; according to the 48 Images, which they chalke out in the Firmament, and thoſe they ſort into ſixe Magnitudes (the ſixth Magnitude being the leaſt) and yet the leaſt Star is ſaid to exceed the Earth in bigneſſe 18 times. AndzzAriſtot. De Caelo, lib. 2. c. 15. ſuch as pretend to know the bigneſs of the Earth, ſay it is four hundred thouſand miles about. 'Tis generally heldaaOrigen. Auſtin. Euſebius. and Clem. Alexandrinus. by Learned men, that the Earth after the Flood, was divided into 70 Languages. Cant. 4.8. How much is thy love better then wine? The Chaldee paraphraſe reads31 it, Thy loves are better then the ſeventy Nations. If the Earth be ſo big as to hold 70 Nations, and that the girdle of the Earth is four hundred thouſand miles long; judg then how big and ſpacious the circumference of the heavens is, to which the whole Earth is by all acknowledged a Punctum in the midſt of that Circle. Who can underſtand or ſpeak exactly of the Heavenly bodies? who can fully declare the Names, Motions, Magnitude, and ſeveral Influences of the Stars? Not a Star riſeth to morrow in the ſame manner as he doth to day.
Thus hath God adorned the goodly Canopie of Heaven with a multitude of golden ſpangles, and ſhining Diamonds, for the uſe and comfort of man. bbPſal. 19.1.The Heavens declare his glory, and the Firmament, ſo embroidered, his handy-worke. Unſearchable is the wiſdome of God in theſe glorious works, which he hath created.
Medium. 7Laſtly, Providence is a kind of continuall creation: By this the blinde Whelp ſeeks for the Nipple till he find it; The Swallow ſo curiouſly builds32 his clay houſe, or neſt, and every Bee of the Hive goeth readily to his owne little Cell, and waxen Cloſet. By this all men are given diſtinct faces, voices, and geſtures, to prevent confuſion, and that one Relation may perfecty know another. By this the wiſe little Ant nibbles each end of her corne, that it may not grow in the Earth: TheccNieremb. Hiſt. Nat. lib. cap. 11. Caſſian Birds are never ſeen of the Inhabitants, but when they need them to eate up their Locuſts; And the youngddPſal. 104.24. Ravens are fed, when the old ones forſake them. By this all States and Kingdoms riſe to their vertical points, and then decline. By this the whole Creation in generall, and the Church in ſpeciall is wiſely and excellently governed. If, ſaitheeRutherford. one, a creature, yea the moſt excellent of created Angeſs ſhould ſit at the helm of this great World, to rule and govern all things 48 hours, the Sun would not riſe in due time, the walls and covering of this great building would fall, the Globe of the World would reele too andddPſal. 104.24. fro, and ſtagger like a drunken man: All would ravell into meet confuſion.
33But now; who is able throughly to diſcerne and underſtand this government of the world by Chriſt and Angels? Many things do ſeemingly come by chance; As the cure of an Ulcer on the Lungs, an enemies ſword, Opening a wound in that place by which the corruption did evacuate to the ſaving of life. 'Twas not by chance the Ram, ready for ſacrifice, was intangled in the briars;ffGen. 22.8, 3•. For there was a Deus providebit. Nor was it byggExod 2.5. chance that King Pharaoh's Daughter found Moſes in the Flags. She went out to waſh,hhJun. & Tremel. Alio quidem conſilio, ſed Deo impulſore; ut expoſitum infantulum reciperet. But Gods deſigne was, that ſhe ſhould take up the little Infant. When we cannot underſtand, we muſt learn to admire the wiſe providence of God, and ſay, How ever it be, yet God is juſt. Nihil inter Deum hominemque diſtaret, ſi conſtlia, & diſpoſitiones illius Majeſtatis Aeternae cogitatio aſſequeretur humana, ſaithiiLactantius in praefat. Lactantius. There would, ſaith he, be no diſtance between God and man, if our Reaſon and Muſing could fathom all his Counſels and Works.
34Thus you ſee our firſt Obſervation illuſtrated and confirmed, that the Lords higheſt and moſt excellent works cannot be reached by mans underſtanſtanding: For theſe are part of his ways, but how little a portion is heard of him?
The Inferences follow.
Inference 1Firſt, See the pride, folly, preſumption and madneſſe of ſuch as affirm the contrary. Alphonſus thought himſelf able (not onely to know, but) to correct the Heavenly Orbs. When Eunomius boaſted that he knew God, his Divinity and Works;kkBaſil Epiſt. 1.68. quae eſt ad Eunomium. Baſil, to tame the Heretick, propounded 21 Queries concerning the little Ant; As whether it hath Bones, Liver, Kidney, Heart, &c. O Lord our governour, how ſuper-excellent is thy glory above the Heavens, if thy name be thus excellent in one of thy meaneſt creatures?
Auſtin ſaith,llNieremb. Nat. Hiſt. l. 4. cap. 33. p. 69. The Manichees uſe to aske, what need there was that God ſhould make ſuch a multitude of Creatures; ſome no way neceſſary for Man, and others exceeding hurtful unto him? But they did not conſider, Omnia pulchra eſſe conditori, & artifici35 ſuo; qui omnibus utitur ad Gubernationem Ʋniverſitatis; That all things are beautiful in the eye of our Creator, who alſo uſeth them all for the good of the Univerſe. Note. If an ignorant perſon judge many Tooles in the Artificers ſhop to be needleſſe or dangerous, yet the skilfull Artiſt hath a deſigned and appointed uſe for them all at one time or other; No Tool is ſuperfluous. mmGen 1.10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31.God pronounced concerning ALL the works of his hands, that they were exceeding good. Do not pick quarrels with ſuch works of God as you doe not underſtand: For Nature and the God of Nature do nothing in vain. Multo facilius inveniet Syderum conditorem humilis pietas, quam ſyderum ordinem ſuperba curioſitas, ſaith the moſt learnednnAuguſtin, de Eclypſ. ſol•s Serm. Father. A proud curioſity cannot ſo eaſily finde out the order and motion of the Starres and heavenly Orbs, as an humble Piety their Wiſe Creator.
Inference 2Secondly, ſee the neceſſity of Univerſities and Learning; in that with the beſt helps men doe but ſtammer when they talke of Gods wonderfull36 works, Zeno thanked God for that ſhipwrack which drove him to the ſtudy of Philoſophy; and Crates caſt his goods into the Sea, that he might the more quietly attend it. Much Time and Induſtry are required for any competent knowledge of Gods works. Demoſthenes travelled in Learning and good Studies 107 years; Plato 80. and Socrates 98. Philoſophia eſt rerum humanarum & Divinarum ſcientia; non ab hominibus inventa, ſed ſplendidiſſimum Dei Immortalis Donum. Philoſophy is the knowledge of Divine and Humane things, not invented by men, but imparted from God. Diligence in the ſtudy of ſacred Scriptures and Naturall Philoſophy, may bring us to know much of God in his works. Peter Ramus from his Youth to his dying day, never uſed, by his good will, any other Bedding then of ſtraw; blaming himſelfe if the Artizans were at work before he was at his book.
Julius Caeſar having ſpent the whole day in the Field about his Military concernments, divided the night alſo after this manner; One part for his37 ſleep, a ſecond for the Commōwealth, and a third for his Studies.
It is ſaid of Demoſthenes, that he ſpent more Oyle then Wine, becauſe he ſtudied ſo hard not onely by Sun, but Lamp-light.
The ſtudy of Philoſophy is very uſefull for our better underſtanding many parts of holy Writ, which treat of Gods works: Julian the better to deſtroyooSozomen, 1.5. cap. 17. Chriſtianity, pulled downe all Schools and Nurſeries of good Learning; Nam propriis pennis configimur, ſaid he: They wound and overcome us with our own weapons. As the ſame earth is ſweet in the Grape, and bitter in the Wormwood: and the ſame odour a refreſhment to the Dove, and poyſon to the Scarabaeus: So Philoſophy and other humane Learning, being qualified with Humility, Piety, and Charity may be very uſefull to edifie the Church, which through pride and contempt, may alſo be employed to harmful purpoſes.
Inference. 3Thirdly, Read what you can of God in the Volumn of Creation and Providence. ppSee Divine Opticks, p. 74. ad 79.For though you cannot38 not comprehend all his works, yet ſo much of God is legible by all men in his creatures, as will ſerve to ſilence and confound the reprobate Indian, who hath not the Goſpel. 'Tis a certain Truth that the Light of Nature without the light of Scripture ſhall ſuffice to leave men without excuſe: For, The inviſible things of God, ſaith the Apoſtle, are clearly ſeene from the creation ef the world, being underſtood by the things that are made, even his eternall power and God-head, ſo that they are unexcuſable, who neglect God in his creatures. For the works of God,qqCalvin in Rom. 1.20. Artificem ſuum perſpicue declarant, ſaith Calvin: Thay plainly in large golden Letters declare their wiſe and all-powerful Creator. An Apelles need not put his Name to his Pictures; Every judicious eye may read the Author in the worke: Protogines well knew Apelles had been at his houſe, when he found a certain line drawn on his Table, which he knew no other hand could perform. Every ſpire of Graſſe ſtands up to proclaim a Deity.
39Inference 4Fourthly, Let this revive and comfort the Saints that in Heaven they ſhall attain to more knowledg of God and his works. You that know ſomething of God here, it is nothing to that which you ſhall know in Heaven rightly. ssJohn 17.3.To know God is eternall life. Here Providence may write in very ſtrange and uncouth Characters; Though nowttWatſon in Chriſtian Charter, p. 150. our Candle be in a dark Lanthorn, and the Saints know not what GOD is a doing, yet in Heaven wee ſhall ſee the reaſon of all Tranſactions, and perceive their tendency to fulfill the Promiſe, thatuuRom. 8.28. All things ſhall worke together for good, to the Church and people of God. In Heaven we ſhall ſee divine Promiſes and Providences kiſſing each other. We Pilgrims ſee little in this valley of Tears; but our Proſpect wil be glorious on the mountain of Spices. Then you40 ſhall ſee the chiefe of Gods works, the moſt glorious perſon CHRIST JESUS, whom yet your Eyes cannot reach; and whom having not ſeene, you love. To whoſe beauty, the SUN is but a Globe of darkneſſe, or ſpot of dirt: And in compariſon of him, all the glory of Men and Angels is but obſcurity. The name of CHRIST is uſed by S. Paul five hundred times; and no wonder, for there be in it a thouſand treaſures, ſaith Chryſoſtome. Note. As many pieces of ſilver are contained in one piece of gold, ſo all thoſe petty excellencies diſperſed among the creatures, are more eminently united in CHRIST: Yea, all the whole volumn of Perfections which is ſpread through Heaven and Earth, is epitomized in CHRIST. There alſo ſhall you ſee that goodly City, which (with reverence ſpoken) God hath been**Mat. 25.34. John 14.2. 1 Cor. 2.9. adorning and preparing for his choſen from the foundation of the world. Now ſuppoſe there were a certain City, or Palace on earth, as all the men of the world (famous for Art) had beene rearing from the Creation to this day;Note. 41having all the Marble, Chryſtal, Agat, Pearl, Rubies, Diamonds and Emralds in the world to make & adorn it with, all the Silver and Gold which the creation affords to build it with, and all the united ſtrength and wiſdome of Men and Angels to erect and furniſh it; Yet no Believer dare queſtion but this Palace, would be a Shepheards Cottage, it compared with the New Jeruſalem: It would be in truth a meere Dungeon to Heaven. Nineveh (ſaith Diodorus Siculus) had ten thouſand Work-men at a time about it, yet was 8 yeares in building. Pliny ſaith, that three hundred thouſand Workmen were employed allong time about the building of Babylon; And that the Aegyptian Pyramides had three hundred and ſixty thouſand men about the raiſing of them, yet could not be finiſhed in 20 yeares. The Temple was a goodly ſtructure, and (ſaid the Jewes) wasxxIohn 2.20. 46 yeares in building. In a word, The famous Temple of Diana was two hundred & twenty years about. Now if the World which GOD made in ſix dayes be ſo beautifull, how glorious42 then is thatyyRevel. 21. Mat. 25.34. Iohn 14.2. New Jeruſalem, which God hath been preparing from the foundation of the world? And I goe, ſaid Chriſt, to prepare a place for you. If then you conſider this worke of God, you may well ſay with Job concerning ALL his works below here on Earth, Theſe are part of his wayes, but how little a portion is heard of him? Ad to this; we ſhall not only ſee, but enjoy Chriſt, and theſe glorious things in Heaven:Note. For enjoying God you poſſeſſe all. In him is all thine eye ever ſaw, thine heart ever deſired, thy tongue ever asked, thy minde ever conceived, that was good. Here is all Light in this Sun, all Water in this Fountain; Thou ſhalt drink down the refined ſweetneſs of all creatures in Heaven; Chriſt will keep for us the beſt Wine till laſt. There you ſhall ſee and enjoy that New Heaven, and new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteouſneſſe. So glorious and tranſcendently beautifull (even to aſtoniſhment) is that work of God; that (ſaith theaaIſa. 65.17. Prophet) in compariſon thereof the former work of God on earth ſhall not be remembred, nor come into minde. 43Europe is the Garden of the world, Italy of Europe, and Naples of Italy: You may over-praiſe that or Rome, or the Iſles where there be two Summers yearely: But you cannot over-praiſe, over-thinke; or in your ranging thoughts reach Heaven. Yet you can fancy Cities made of Gold, Rocks of Pearl, Mountaines of Diamond, and Rivers of Chriſtal;Note. but all this cometh ſhort of Heaven: Aſſuredly no ſuch traſh is found there; onely the Lord ſeeth we are taken with theſe toyes, and he would draw our Mind and Faces thitherward. This is certain, the viſible Heavens are but the ragged Suburbs of that City: And all theſe created things (though beautifull and goodly in themſelves) ſhall make one Bon-fire, when the day of our Coronation comes.
And ſo much of the firſt Point, that the Lords higheſt and moſt excellent Works cannot be reached by mans underſtanding.
Obſer. 2The ſecond and main thing (intended in the Text and Treatiſe) now comes to be handled, which is this; that,
44The terrible Meteor of THUNDER (accompanied with Lightning) is a manifeſtation of the LORDS Greatneſſe and Power; the loud Trumpet of his glorious Excellency, Majeſty, and matchleſſe perfection.
In the opening and unfolding of which Truth our Method ſhall be this, viz.
To make diligent Enquiry,
1 How this Expreſſion of holy Job's may be taken and underſtood; The Thunder of his Power who can underſtand?
2 What THUNDER is? What its Name, Nature, and effects are? ſtill keeping this of Job in our eye, that no man can fully underſtand, (much leſſe expreſſe) what it is.
3. Whether the Author be any other then God?
4 In what caſes eſpecially GOD hath manifeſted, or will diſcover to the Sons of men, his Power and Glory by ſupernatural THUNDER?
Enquiry. 1Firſt, Let us enquire, how this Expreſſion of Jobs may be rendred and expounded, The thunder of his power who can underſtand?
45To which I anſwer, from the beſtbbMr. Caryl on Iob 26.14. volumn 7. p. 823. Expoſitor of this Book.
1 Literally and ſtrictly for the Meteor of Thunder; which is indeed a thing Naturall, but wherein the glory of God much appears; his glory ſhines in the Lightning, The God of glory thundreth, Pſal. 29.3. Thunder is one of the moſt wonderfull and aſtoniſhing works of God: Though many Philoſophers write ſomething of it, yet no Mortall fully underſtands it.
2 It may be taken of any extraordinary & terrible work of Providence: So thoſe places may import;ccPſal. 68.33. God doth ſend out his voice, yea and that a mighty voice. Again,ddIſa. 30.30. The Lord ſhall cauſe his mighty voics to be heard, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with ſcattering, and tempeſts, and hailſtones. So again,eeRev. 10.4. Seale up the things which the ſeven thunders uttered, and write them not. So Job, expreſſing theffIob 39.19, 25. fury of the horſe in Battel (who pawes destruction in the valley) he ſaith, God hath cloathed the necke of that creature with thunder. q. d. God hath made46 him ſtrong, couragious, and terrible; The horſe is fearleſſe and furious in Battel: He rejoyceth, ſaith Job, at the ſound of the Trumpets, he ſmelleth the Battel afar off, the thunder of the Captains, and the ſhouting of the people.
3 It may alſo be taken for the higheſt and cleareſt publication of Gods power: As if holy Job ſhould ſay;I have whispered a few things to you of the power of God, but if God ſhould thunder out himſelfe; or if his workes were ſpoken out, (as they deſerve) in Thundercracks; Mortals would ſtand amazed, their ſoules would be inveloped with horror. And for this reaſon, (as you ſhall ſee) two of Chriſts Diſciples were called the ſons of Thunder: That is; They ſet out God and Jeſus Chriſt to the people. They delivered Meſſages from Heaven with a bold heart, and a powerful utterance: They ſet out God in his power, as if it thundred from Heaven, when they preached. ggQuintil. l. 2. cap. 16.Quintilian requires in a good Orator, Ʋt fulgurare & tonare videatur, that his eyes ſeem to lighten, and his tongue to thunder before the Hearers.
47Enquiry. 2Secondly, Enquire we what Thunder is? and how we may conceive of that wonderfull work of God? Still remembring this of humble Job, that wee cannot fully know, or underſtand it.
1 Look upon the Name,1 The name. which may help to know the thing. Iſidore derives Tonitru, a Terrendo, Thunder from Terrour: Becauſe all creatures almoſt, are ſo terrified and amazed with it.
Others derive Tonitru from its Tone, it being the voice of God: At the voyce of thy thunder they are afraid, Pſal. 104.
2 Nature2 Let us conſider its Nature. hhAriſtot. Meteor l. 2. cap. 2 & 9. & exam. van. Doct. Gent. l. 1. cap. 12. Conimb. de Meteor, Trac. 22. Zanchius Tom. 3. lib. 3. De meteor. cap. 4. Theſ. 5.Thunder is a fiery Meteor, in the uppermoſt Region of the aire, begotten of ſuch hot and dry exhalations as the SUN hath drawn up from the Earth; the which being gathered and ſhut up in the bowels of a thick cloud, conſiſting of cold and moiſt vapours, doe at length rent and break with huge violence, the ſaid cloud encloſing them; which occaſions that loud and fearfull crack: Then the Exhalations being come to maturity and perfection, and48 yet further incenſed in the ſtrife, become all on a flame, while they croud and ſtruggle to get through the rent of the cloud: and this makes the flaſh of Lightning. Tonitru in Nubibus eſt ſonitus propter illud quod extinguitur in ipſis.
Ariſtotle ſaith, that Thunder is a noiſe in the clouds, by reaſon of that which isiiAriſtot. in Poſt. li. 2 cap: 2. extinguiſhed in the ſame. So red hot iron thruſt into water, will make a very great noiſe. The craſhing and roaring noiſe of Thunder, to what ſhall I compare it? 'Tis like the noiſe of Cheſnuts flying out of the fire; like many Charets and Coaches rumbling and jumping in paved Cities; like many hunger-bitten Lions roaring for their prey; like many roaring Canons diſcharged one after another; or a mighty ſtone tumbling downe a Rock into the Sea. Yet I confeſſe all theſe are low ſimilitudes to deſcribe the Thunder cracks by. It makes our Glaſſewindows, nay, our houſes and hearts to ſhake.
Though the Lightning is firſt ſeene, yet all agree it is not before the Thunder;49 but FirekkAriſtot. Meteor. li. 2. c. 9. moving more ſwiftly then Aire, and the eye of man being ſo much quicker then the eare it therefore comes to paſſe, that the flaſh of Lightning is ſeen firſt, and ſome time afterwards we heare the Thunder. So the Axe of him that cleaveth wood, at ſome diſtance from us, is lifted up for a ſecond blow ere we hear the firſt: And the powder is firſt ſeen to flame at the touch-hole of a Gun, but the Report is heard a pretty while after, from the Caſtle ſomething diſtant from us. When the ſound of the Cannon diſcharged reacheth our care, we conclude the danger of the Bullet is paſt. llJob 37.3, 4, 5.He ſends out his lightning to the end of the earth, and after it a voyce roareth, ſaith Elibu: Great things doth he which we cannot comprehend: The thunder of his power who can fully underſtand? Therefore,
3 Let us conſider the effects:3 The effects. The firſt and moſt immediate effect of Thunder and Lightning is Brontia, or the Thunder bolt hurled to the Earth; whichmmPlinius in Nat. Hiſt. lib. 37. cap 10. Pliny ſaith is like the head of a Tortois,nnMagirus p. 265. Others ſay it is in50 ſhape like unto a Pyramide. 'Tis generally held that it never goes but five foot into the earth; That there are Thunder-ſtones you read in the Book of Pſalms: He gave up their cattel to the Haile, and their flocks to kotooPſal. 78.48. Thunder-bolts. Your Margent reads it. or great Hail-ſtones. But the wordppAinſworth in Locum, p. 120. ſignifies fiery coals, or hot Thunderſtones: But Hail-ſtones are Ice, or water that is bound up with extreamity of cold: So that marginal Note is ſuch as may be ſpared.
Certain ſteep Hills in the borders of Epirus are called Ceraunia, becauſe oft ſmitten with Thunder-bolts. As we read of Ombria, or Pluvialis lapis (a ſtone ſo called) which falls down in ſhowers of Rain; ſo alſo it is generally held, that (beſides theſe) there are Thunder-ſtones, caſt down in the time of violent Thunder, breaking and battering all that oppoſe them.
ThisqqZanch. Tom. 3. lib. 3 cap. 3. p. 357. Avicenna proveth at large, and imputeth the wonderfull noiſe or ratling in Thunder to theſe ſtones: often times, ſaith he, after Thunder ſuch ſtones have beene found, with51 whoſe violent blow ſome tree or houſe hath been rent or battered; and it is often ſeen that certain holes have been made in ſtrong Buildings in time of Thunder, which is done, ſaith he, by the ſtrength of Thunder-bolts, called by the Poets, Sagittae, & jacula Jovis.
The Thunderſtone, ſaithrrIdem ibid. p. 358. Zanchy, is thus begotten in the clouds; with the exhalation which is hot, and dry a more groſſe matter may be drawn up by the Sun from the Earth and Minerals; which with the encloſed Exhalations, and the violent heat of the Sun, is at lengh formed into a Thunder-ſtone. Some have held it is done after the manner that ſtones are produced in the Kidneys and Bladders of living Creatures.
AnaxagorasſſPlin Nat. Hiſt. li. 2. c. 58. foretold, that within certain days a ſtone ſhould fall from the Heavens, which alſo came to paſſe in Thraſia in the day time; the ſtone is reported to be as great as a Cart, or Wain-load; a Comet alſo appeared that night. Pliny tells us the ſtone was ſeen of many, and was ſhewed as a Wonder in his time: It was of a parched52 or burned colour. It puzledttAriſtot. Meteor l. 1. cap. de cometâ. Ariſtotle and the beſt Philoſophers to give a reaſon of this Stones production and growth to ſuch a bulky maſſe. Zanchy writing of it,uuZanchius Tom 3. lib. 3. cap. 3. p. 360. ſaith, we may ſee the great power of God, and his wonderfull works. Which is the beſt account he is able to give of this buſineſſe. Reaſon can produce little more for the Thunderbolt.
Again, Thunder is commonly attended with Raine and ſhowers that violently fall to the Earth; The moiſt Cloud being rent by the Thunder, diſſolves in Raine. Thunder blaſts Vines, and other Fruit; burns trees and houſes; deſtroys Men and Beaſts; beats down the lofty Turrets; turns up oaks and other mighty trees by the Roots. FirewwJob 1.16. fell from Heaven, (viz. terrible Lightning) and burnt Jobs ſheep, and his ſervants, ſo that one onely eſcaped. Beer, Wine, and other Liquors are ſpoiled with much Thunder and Lightning; which may proceed not onely from noiſe, and concuſſion of the Aire, but alſo impure and noxious ſpirits, or Influences mingle therewith,53 and draw them to corruption; whereby they do not onely become Dead themſelves, but alſo ſometimes deadly to others: As that, mentioned by Seneca, whereof all that drank loſt their life or wits. ThunderxxPſal. 29.9. makes the Hinds to calve, and other Cattell to caſt their young. Thunder is many times followed with violent ſtorms, and terrible Earth-quakes, eſpecially in other Countreys where Earth-quakes are uſuall. TheyyNahum 1.5, 6. mountains quake, the hills melt, the earth is burnt at his preſence: Who can ſtand before his indignation? who can abide the fierceneſſe of his anger? His fury is poured out like water, and the Rocks are thrown downe by him. The Prophet Nahum alludes to Thunder, Lightnings, and Earthquakes, crowding together.
But the Prophet Iſaiah doth more plainly expreſſe it;zzIſa. 29.6. Thou ſhalt be viſited of the Lord of Hoſts with thunder and with Eareh quakes, and a great noiſe, with ſtorm and tempeſt, and the flame of devouring fire. aaSeneca Qu. Nat. l. 2. c. 27.Seneca writes of one kinde of Thunder, which murmurs, but cracks not; and ſaith,54 Terrae metum antecedit, if fore-goeth an Earth-quake. Ariſtotle ſaith, anbbAriſtot. Meteor, li. 2. c. 7. Earth-quake proceeds from vapors impriſoned in the bowels of the Earth, which finding no paſſage to eſcape, are inforced to recoil, to ſearch every nook and corner: And while they thus ſtruggle and labour to get out, a trembling agitation, and tumultuous motion of the Earth is occaſioned (as of a woman in travail) which is called an Earthquake that So look what Thunder is in the hollow part of a cloud, the very ſame is an Earth-quake in the belly of the earth, which hath then a fit of the Wind collick.
Alſteed tells of a great Earth-quake at Plures in Rhetiae, Anno Dom: 1618. Aug. 17. where the whole Towne was on a ſudden covered with an huge mountain, that with it's ſwift and violent motion, ſlew 1500 people. The greateſt Earth-quake I have read of is deſcribed byccEvagrii hiſt. Ecc•eſ. lib. 1. cap. 17. Evagrius, to fall out in the time of Theodoſius; which is ſaid to move and ſhake well nigh the whole Earthly Globe. And for our owne Country, CambdenddCambden Britan. writes of a55 ſtrange Earth quake in Herefordſhire, Anno Dom: 1571. March 12. about ſix of the clock in the evening (being Saturday) a great Hill lifted up it ſelf with a huge noiſe, jumped into an higher place, carried along with it trees and Cattell, and continued walking about till Monday noon, over-turning a Chappel that ſtood in its way.
You have ſeen what the uſual effects of Thunder and Lightning are.
Now, for the benefit of my own Countrymen, it will not be amiſſe here diſtinctly to ſet downe the moſt remarkable Thunders which have happened in England, with their effects; As I finde them recorded in our Engliſh Chronicles, which will help to ſhew us the dreadful conſequents of Thunder and Lightning, that we may learn to feare before the great and terrible GOD: Knowing that whatſoever hath been, may be again (theeeGen. 9.11.15. univerſal deluge excepted) Yea, that our God is unlimited in his power and working, and can do more then yet he hath done: Nor is it known what he will do.
56In the ReignffMr. Stowes abridgement of Engliſh Chronicle•, printed 1618 p. 55. of Henery the firſt, Anno Chriſti, 1116. in the moneth of March, was exceeding Lightning, and in December Thunder and Haile. The Moon at both times ſeemed as if ſhee were turned into blood. Not long before there was a blazing Star.
In the 15 yeare ofggIdem p. 88. Henry the 3d. Anno Domini, 1230. on Pauls day, when Roger Niger, Biſhop of London, was at Maſſe in Pauls Church, ſuddenly it waxed darke, and an horrible Thunder-clap lighted on the Church, the ſame was ſhaken as though it would have fallen; All the Church ſeemed to be on fire with Lightnings: The people thought of preſent death: Thouſands of men and women ran out of the Church, & fell on the ground through aſtoniſhment: None tarried in the Church, ſave the Biſhop and a Deacon.
In QueenhhIdem p. 279. Maries Reign, Anno Domini, 1558. July 7. within a mile of Nottingham, a tempeſt of Thunder as it came through two Townes, beat down all the Houſes and Churches: The Bells were caſt to the outſide of57 the Church-yards, and ſome webs of Lead four hundred foot in the Field, writhen like a pair of Gloves: The River of Trent running between the two Townes, the water and mud were carried a quarter of a mile and caſt againſt Trees. Trees were pulled up by the Roots, and caſt 12 ſcore off. A child was taken forth of a mans hands, and carried an hundred foot, and then let fall, and ſo dyed: Five men were ſlain; there fell ſome Hailſtones that were fifteen inches about: After this came Quartan Agues, of which many died.
In the fifth year ofiiIdem page 286. Queen Eliz. Anno Dom: 1563. July 8. there happened a great tempeſt of Lightning and Thunder, which ſlew a woman and three children neer Charing croſſe in London. Alſo in Eſſex a man was torn in pieces, his Barn was born down and Hay burnt. Within few moneths there was an Earth-quake.
In the yearekkIdem p. 288. 1565. July 16. about nine at night, began a tempeſt of Thunder and Lightning, with ſhowers of Hail, which held on till three of the clock the next morning ſo terrible, that58 at Chelsford in Eſſex, 500 Acres of Corn were deſtroyed; the Glaſſe-windows on the Eaſt ſide of the Towne, and on the Weſt and South-ſides of the Church were beaten down, with all the tyles off their houſes; beſide divers Barns, Chimneys, and the Battlements of the Church, which were overthrown. Much harm alſo was done at Dover, and other places. A violent ſtorm of Wind hapned the 24th of December following.
Anno DominillIem. page 318. 1575. July 30. in the Afternoon, aroſe a great tempeſt of Lightning and Thunder, which ſlew Men and Beaſts in divers places, alſo at that time fell Hailſtones ſeven inches about.
In the yearemmIdem p. 324. 1577. August 4. between nine and ten in the forenoon, while the Miniſter was reading the ſecond Leſſon in the Church of Bliborough in Suffolke, a ſtrange and fearfull tempeſt of Thunder and Lightning ſtrook through the wall of the Church into the ground almoſt a yard deep; drave down all the people on that ſide, cleft the door, went to the Steeple, rent59 the Timber, brake the Chaines, and fled towards Bongey ſixe miles off. The people were found groveling on the ground halfe an hour after; whereof a man and boy lay dead, the reſt were ſcorched. At Bongey there was the like, for it wrung in ſunder the Wyres & wheels of the Clock, ſlew two men which ſate in the Belfrey, and ſcorched another, who hardly eſcaped with his life.
In the yearnnIdem p. 332. 1580. April 6. was a generall Earth-quake in England; and on June 13. about 6 in the morning at Shipwaſh in Northumberland, there hapned a ſtorm of Lightning and Thunder; After which (on a ſudden) there fell ſtones of divers ſhapes: On the 8 of October following, there was a blazing Star.
Anno Dom. 1598. ooIdem p. 413.Septemb. the firſt, in the Afternoon, it lightned and thundred at London two great cracks, as it had been the ſhooting of great Ordnance: Some men were ſmitten by it at the Tower of London: and one man ſlain in Southwark, over againſt the Tower.
60ppIdem p. 433.In the yeare of our Lord, 1601. June the laſt, there fell great Thunder and Lightning, with Hailſtones in many places, nine inches compaſſe, which at Sandwich in Kent lay a foot deep on the ground.
Well may we ſay with holy David, Lord how terrible art thou in thy works? All the earth ſhall worſhip thee! Who would not feare thee, O thou King of Saints?
Note. Thus you have ſeene ſome-what of the Name, Nature, and effects of Thunder: Yet take heed of aſcribing too much unto it; the Americans at this day worſhip and adore the Thunder. Let it rather draw up our hearts to worſhip the Thunderer, that the feare of God may continually poſſeſſeour hearts.
Enquiry. 3Thirdly, we come next to enquire if any other then God be the Author or Inſtrument of Thunder?
I Anſwer,
1 God is the efficient Cauſe, Author, and Orderer of Thunder and Lightning: Theſe expreſſions are uſual in the Scripture. TheqqExod. 9.23. LORD ſent61 Thunder and Haile. rr2 Sam. 2•.14.The LORD thundred from heaven. Theſſ1 Sam. 7.10. LORD thundred with a great thunder. And ſuch like places there be many, which declare GOD to be the Thunderer. Thunder is nine or ten times in Scripture called thettPſal. 29.3, 4, 7, 8, 9. Pſalm 77.18. Pſalm 104.7. Iob 37.4, 5. VOICE of God; and no leſſe then ſeven times in one Pſalm is Thunder ſtiled his VOICE. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters, the God of glory thundreth; The voice of the Lord is powerfull, the voice of the Lord is full of majeſtie; The voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedars, ſhaketh the wilderneſſe; The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of Fire, &c. So David goeth on to magnifie this VOICE of GOD.
Thunder then is Gods voice or ſpeech. Imago animi ſermo eſt,Thunder, Gods Voice. ſaith Seneca: ſpeech is the lively Image and Repreſentation of the Minde. Loquere ut te videam, ſaith the Proverb; ſpeak that I may ſee and know you. This excellent Faculty the Lord hath communicated to rationall creatures; And diversuuOf the nature & cauſes of ſpeech, ſee Caſaubon of Enthuſiaſm, cap. 4. myſteries are wrapped up in this great Mercy, called by thewwPſal. 57.8.62 Pſalmiſt, the GLORY of Mankinde; and therefore he bids it awake unto the praiſes of God that beſtowed it. Euripides calls the Tongue the meſſenger of Reaſon. The Voice is the Minds Ambaſſadour, the Soules interpreter, the Thoughts Image, and the Hearts Scribe. Note. Trhee Sciences are employed about our ſpeech: Grammar relates to the congruity, Rhetorick to the Elegancy, and Logick to the Verity or Probability of ſpeech. Without ſpeech our Life would be a burden to us: Any imperfection in ſpeech is no ſmall impediment to our Affairs: Let us bleſſe God for any perfection therein; Moſes though ſo dear to the Lord had it not. I read that Demoſthenes having a great impediment in his ſpeech, attained a moſt handſome form of ſpeaking by putting ſmall ſtones into his mouth: And Jerome living at Bethlem, to learn Hebrew, was fain to have his teeth filed, ere he could pronounce it, as he ſhould.
Now concerning the Voice of God, (That we return to our Theame) Let us ſee how many wayes God may be63 ſaid to ſpeak to us; becauſe Thunder is called his voice?
I Anſwer,
1 Immediately by himſelfe, So no doubt, thexxGen. 3.9, 10. Voice which Adam heard in the Garden was the Voice of God himſelf, and not the voice of an Angell, as Gregory would have it. And I heard thy voice in the Garden. So it is ſaid, that God anſwered Moſes by ayyExod. 19.19. Voice, and thatzzDeut. 4.12. The people heard the voice of his words. Thus (a) alſo God the Father ſpake articulately unto Chriſt,bbJohn 12.28. 2 Pet. 1.17. I have glorified my Name and will glorifie it again.
2 God ſpeaks to us by his SON, who by his incomparable Sermons spake as never man spake: In theſe laſt dayes he hath ſpoken unto us by his Son. ccHeb. 1.2.His ſheep heard his voice.
3 God ſpeaks to us by his ſpirit: who ſaidddActs 8.29. to Philip, Goe neare and joyne thy ſelfe to this Charet. So ſtill by his Spirit he ſpeakes unto our hearts.
4 By his elect Angels: So an Angel ſpake to Cornelius, ſaying,eeActs 10.4. Thy Prayers and Almes are come up64 for a memoriall before God.
5 By his Miniſters and Prophets:ffLuke 1.70. He ſpake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been ſince the world began. ggLuke 10.16.He that heareth them heareth Chriſt. I have ſent my ſervants thehhIer. 7.26, 27 Prophets, but they hearkned not to me, ſaith the Lord. We ſhould receive their doctrine,ii1 Theſ. 2.13 Not as the word of men, but as it in truth the word of God, ſaith St. Paul.
6 God ſpeaks to us by his Works: We are bid, To hear the Rod, and him that hath appointed it. kkMie•6.9.The Lords voice cryeth to the City thereby. All the creatures of God are as ſo many Organ pipes to convey his voice & minde to us. He ſpeaks to us by all operations, but eſpecially by Thunder. That is more immediately and eminently his VOICE. Efficacior lingua quam litera, ſaith Bernard. The voice, ſaith Auſtin, hath an occult and hidden influence on the Hearers. IfllSir Walter Raleigh Hiſt. of the world, l. 2. cap. 13. MelampusmmNieremb. Hiſt fl. 3. c. 12. and Thales are ſaid to underſtand the voices of Birds and Beaſts; which the Hebrew Doctors thought Solomon could do: Then much more65 may we in Thunder (Gods voice) hear him chiding & threatning all obſtinate ſinners, and proclaiming his owne Greatneſſe, Majeſty, and Power: How ſhould this Voice of God warn and alarm us out of our ſins? Loud, Terrible, and Perſwading hath beene the voice of men.
Loud; ſo was the voice of Stentor the Grecian, concerning whom it it reported, that with his voice onely he could make as great a noiſe as 50 men.
Terrible; Solomon ſaith,nnProv. 16.14. & 19.12. The wrath of a King is as Meſſengers of Death, and as the roaring of a Lion.
Cornelius Gallus was threatned to Death by Auguſtus, and the**Cambden, Eliz. 406. Lord Chancellour Hatton by Queen Elizabeth. The Frown or Voice of a great Man is terrible: His eyes ſeem to caſt out live ſparkles of Fire, and his voyce to thunder.
The voice of man hath been veryooDr. Reynolds of Paſſions, c. 39. p. 5•7. Charming and Perſwading. Caeſar with one word quiets the commotion of an Army. Menenius Agrippa with one Apologue the ſedition of a people: Flavianus with one Oration the fury66 of an Emperour; And Abigail with one Supplication the revenge of David.
It is reported of Cynias, that he overcame more by his Tongue, then Pyrrhus by the Sword; And of Damonides, that through Rhetorick he perſwaded any one to what he would.
Now remember that in JobppJob 40.9. Canſt thou thunder with a voice like God? Hath the voice of filly man (a contemptible worm, a humming flye) beene ſo loud, terrible, and charming (as you have heard) how then ſhould THUNDER, the VOICE of God work upon us? How ſhould it ſcare us from the love of ſin, and draw us to love, feare, and obey the great GOD? All creatures (Man excepted) obey Gods VOICE. The Sun is ſtopped in his courſe; The hunger-bitten Lions touch not Daniel; And if CHRIST ſtand up, and utter his voice, the rough winds and foaming waves are charmed into a calm:Note. Nay, Thunder, ſaith one, which ſeems to be all Voice, is all Eare when God ſpeaks. So then, when it Thunders, conceive the great Jehovah67 is now ſpeaking to thee, and addreſſe thy ſelfe to all diligent attention, when it Lightneth, imagine his flaming Eyes doe now ſparkle and flaſh indignation againſt ſin and ſinners. So terrible is the Voice of God, that it doth not only ſhake the Earth, but theqqHeb. 12 26. Heaven.
By the way,
If THUNDER be Gods voice, bold and ſawcy is their practice, that ſtop their eares when it thunders: For if a King ſpeak to one, and he turn away his face, or ſtop his eares, it is held a point not onely of neglect, but ſcorn and diſdain: How dareſt thou ſlight and neglect God, when his Voice is ſounded, and hee ſpeaks to thee by Thunder? Is not this to berrPſal. 58.4. like a Deafe Adder that ſtoppeth her eares? If it be a ſin to ſtop our eares at the cry of theſſProv. 21.13. poore, orttActs 7.57. voice of Steven; Much more is it Rebellion to ſtop our eares at this voice of God. Is it not in the words of Zechary, touuZach. 7.11, 12. refuſe to hearken, to pull away the ſhoulder; ſtop our eares that we ſhould not heare his voice, and make our hearts like an adamant ſtone?
68What a childiſh weakneſſe is this, to think the not hearing of Thunder can ſhield you from it? Nay, what a ſin is this, to ſtop your ears, when God hath commandedwwIob 37.2, 3, 4, 5. you to heare it? Job 37.2. Heare attentively the noiſe of his voice, and the ſound that goeth out of his mouth. Mark,
1 You muſt heare it when it Thunders.
2 Not onely ſo, but hearken, and liſten attentively thereunto. xxTrap in Locum, p. 320.Mercer doth thus paraphraſe it out of Kimchi: Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye again and again, and then ye alſo will tremble.
3 He doth not onely require us to heare Gods voice in generall, (for ſo we might thinke hee meant the voice of his Word or Spirit) but the Noiſe of his Voice, and the Sound of his mouth, when God thundreth from Heaven; As you may ſee in the following verſes. How can theſe things be done, if you ſtop your eares when it thundreth? as though you would be too hard for God. How oft are we bidyyDeut. 26.17. & 28.1, 2, 15, 45. & 30.10. Hearken to the voice of God? If Thunder then be his Voice, you muſt hearken to that69 and other Voices of God: Never feare it will make you deafe, as the fall of Nile doth the Catadupe. zzBernard.Aura prima mortis janua, Prima aperiatur ſaluti: The eare was the firſt doore of ſin; now let it be opened for thy ſpiritual good.
Thus you have ſeene, God is the Thunderer; becauſe Thunder is ſtiled his VOICE ſo often in the Bible.
The ancient Romans would ſay, Heark! God thundreth! The meer heathens ſtill aſcribed Thunder to God: They ſtiled Jove, Altitonantem, thundring from on High. The Romans had a multitude of gods; yet the power of ſending Thunder, they reſtrained toaaL. Vives in Aug. de civ. Dei, lib 4. cap. 23. Jupiter and Pluto: Day-thunder to the former, and Night-thunder to the latter. Fulmen ſupremi Jovis Geſtamen eſt, ſaithbbPierii Hierogl. Pierius. ButddTertull. Adverſ. Gent. p. 33. Tertullian ſhews the Pagans that Thunder was before Jupiter, and ſo he concludes it is not from Jupiter, but the great and eternall God.
Therefore, although we may conjecture at the naturall cauſes of Thunder, yet 'tis ſafeſt to aſcribe Thunder unto70 God, as the prime Agent, and Cauſe Efficient.
2 Though God be the chief Author and Orderer of Thunder: There may notwithſtanding be other Inſtrumentall cauſes thereof, all commiſſionated, bounded and limited by the Lord.
1 Good Angels have ſome Influence on Thunder: It is certaineeLawrence of Angels, p. 34. (ſaith one) they can do any thing which Nature can doe; They can move the Heavens; They can move all corporall things, almost in an inſtant; They can ſtir Tempeſts, move Waters and Windes. They ſlew the powerful Army of Senacherib; They brought Peter and the Apoſtles out of priſon. Bleſſe the Lord all yeeffPſal. 10.10. Angels which are mighty in ſtrength, which do his will! They could make agga Reg. 7.6: ſound of many horſes to be heard by the King of Aſſyria, to his great amazement: And by the ſame delegated power, they can raiſe ſtorms and tempeſts, and make Thunder-claps in the aire.
You read in the Epiſtle to thehhHeb. 2.2. Hebrews, of the word ſpoken by Angels:iiSimler. One thus expounds it; That the71 Thunder, and Lightning, and ſound of the Trumpet, were cauſed by the Miniſtry of good Angels, when the Law was given. Concerning the great power of Elect Angels, I havekkIn the Deputation of Angels, p. 91, 92. treated elſe-where.
If thell1 Theſ. 4.16. voice of an Arch-angel will be ſo loud and terrible as to awaken all that are in their Graves; Then much more have Angels power to move Thunder, wch is a whiſper to that. Have the Angels power to raiſe an Earthquake? (which themmMat. 28.2. Goſpel affirms) then what ſhould hinder but they have power (if commiſſionated by the Lord) to ſhake all the clouds, break them aſunder, and ſo raiſe Thunder and Lightnings? Nay,
2 The fallen Angels (if permitted) can do it: Satan, we know, hath a Principality in thennEpheſ. 2 2. Aire, the place where theſe Meteors are ingendred. ooMr. Medes Diatribae, p. 99. ad 107.Learned Mede thinks it probable, that all the Devils have their ſeat and Manſion there, and not in Hell, till the day of Judgement. NayppHieronimus in Eph. 6. Jerome ſaith it is the Opinion of all the Learned, that the Devils have their Manſion and72 Reſidence in the ſpace between Heaven and Earth. If ſo, then their habitation and abode is in the place, where Thunders and Lightnings are hatched, and where Thunder-bolts are coyned; As alſo where thoſe Bullets the Haile-ſtones are moulded. Devils have power to ſhake the Aire, and raiſe mighty guſts of Winde by Land or Sea, elſe the windes could not ſo commonly be ſold by the Laplanders, to the Merchants that deſire them for Navigation. Note. Satan could not be Prince of the Aire, unleſſe he had ſome power and train in that Element, above the other 3 Elements beſides. qqMr Jenkins on Jude 9. Vol. 2. p. 61.One ſaith, he is hurtfull to men, by Tempeſts, Winds, and Fires.
rrZan hius in Epheſ. 2. Tom. 6. p. 51Zanchy obſerves, the Devils hover in the aire, Inde nos obſervare, tentare, invadere animalia & homines, excitare tempeſtates, Multaque denique mala hominibus dare; To watch, tempt, invade us, and other creatures, and ſend many evils on mankinde. Neither is the word ſilent in this particular: HeſſPſalm 78.48, 49. gave up their cattel alſo to the haile, & their flocks to hot Thunder-bolts: he cast73 upon them, the fierceneſſe of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, by ſending evill Angels among them. Theſe evill Angels were inſtrumentall cauſes of Blood, Locuſts, Hail, Froſt, Frogs croaking on earth, and Thunder ratling in the aire. ttIob 1.11.16, 18, 19.So when Satans Commiſſion againſt Job was once ſigned, he ſoon brought a Whirl-winde upon his Children, and Fire (in all likelihooduuFulgur Maximum. Iun. flaſhes of Lightning) on his Cattel and People, to their ruine and deſtruction. A Writer on thatwwMr. Caryl on Iob, Vol. 1. p. 162.176. place tels us, Satan the Prince of the Air can do mighty things, command much in that Magazine of Heaven; where that dreadfull Artillery, thoſe fiery Meteors, Thunder and Lightning are lodged and ſtored up: Satan (let looſe by God) can do wonders in the Aire; Hee can raiſe ſtorms; He can diſcharge the great Ordnance of Heaven, Thunder and Lightning: And by his Art he can make them more terrible and dreadfull then they are by Nature: He can ſo inrage them, that no man is able to withſtand their violence.
All this they do,xxApoc. 7.1. ad 3. not by any abſolute74 power of their own, but meerly as Tyrants; By the Lords commiſſion, ſaith Bullinger; And utyyZanchius Tom. 2. p. 51. Divinorum judiciorum executores, ſaith Zanchy; Barely as the Executioners of Divine Judgements.
Enquiry. 4Fourthly, We proceed to enquire, in what Caſes eſpecially, and on what occaſions, the Lord Hath manifeſted, or Will diſcover his own power and glory by Thunder, in an extraordinary and ſupernatural manner?
I anſwer chiefly,
1 At the Caſtigation of his and the Churches Enemies in Battell or otherwiſe.
2 At the Delivery of the Morall Law on Mount Sinai.
3 At the Promulgation of the Goſpell.
4 At the grand Aſſizes, and diſſolution of all things.
Firſt,1 At the caſtigation of the Churches enemies. at the Caſtigation of Gods and the Churches Enemies, the bloody Perſecutors of the Saints. God hath had divers wayes of deſtroying his Enemies; beſides, potent, numerous, valiant and well diſciplin'd Armies; As by75 Gideous 300 men. The ſound of Rams horns before Jericho, Moſes Rod, Shamgers Goad, Sampſons Jaw-bone, and little Davids Sling. He can deſtroy whole hoſts of enemies by azzIſa. 41.16. Whirlwind, nay aaa2 Reg. 19.7. Blaſt: He ſmiteth thebbPſalm 46.9. horſe and rider with madneſſe, breaks the Bow, cutteth the ſpeare in ſunder, and burneth their Charets in the fire, ſaith the Pſalmiſt.
TheeeJudg. 5.20. Stars in their courſe fight againſt Siſera; by theirddAnnotations in locum. Influences raiſing up ſtorms and Tempeſts againſt him and his Hoſt, ſay Commentators.
TheeeIoſh. 10.11. Lord diſcomfited the Enemies of Joſhuah by Hail-ſtones from Heaven. The like he hath done by THUNDER and LIGHTNING: See Exod. 9. The Lord fought againſt Pharaoh byffExod, 9.23, 28. Thunder and Haile, & the fire ran along upon the ground; ſo there were mighty thundrings, and fire mingled with haile very grievous, which ſmote all that was in the field, man, beaſt, herb, and trees. WhereuponggOrigen in loc. Hom. 4. Origen writes thus; Vide temperamentum Divinae correptionis; Non cum ſilentio76 verberat, ſed dat voces & Doctrinam caelitus mittit, perquam poſſit culpam ſuam mundus agnoſcere: He did not only ſmite, but inſtruct them, by Thunder his Voice from Heaven, and alſo by Moſes his Admonitions.
In this Judgement the four Elements did meet and conſpire to vex Pharaoh, who had vexed Iſrael:Aire in the Thunder, Water in the Haile, Fire in the Lightning, and Earth in the Thunder-bolt, if any there was.
Thus alſo the Lord deſtroyed thehh1 Sam. 7.10. Enemies of Samuel by Thunder; The ſtory ſaith, that Samuel cryed unto the Lord, and the Lord heard him, and thundred with a great thunder that day upon the Philiſtims, and diſcomfited them, and they were ſmitten before Iſrael.
In the ſame manner did the Lord of Hoſts treat the enemies ofii2 Sam. 22.14, 15. Pſal. 18.13, 14. David, For he thundred from Heaven, and the moſt High uttered his voyce; he ſent out Arrows, and ſcattered them, Lightning and diſcomfited them, &c.
Here are three clear examples of the Lords chaſtiſing and fighting againſt77 his Enemies with Lightnings, as ſhining Launces, glittering Swords and Spears: And with Thunder-claps, as ſo many roaring and murdering Canon. We need not therefore ſtay here to enquire, whether that Fire that came downkkGen. 19. on Sodome, or that on Nadab and Abihu, or that on thellNumb. 16.35. 250 that offered incenſe, were any other then violent Lightning from Heaven.
I will onely adde two famous inſtances recorded in Eccleſiaſticall ſtory: We read of Anaſtatius the Emperour, a bitter enemy and perſecutor of the Church, that God deſtroyed him by a Thunder-bolt from Heaven. AlſommMornaus de Verit. Relig. Chriſt. ca. 32 p. 350. under Marcus Aurelius, there was a gallant Regiment wholly formed of Chriſtians; who when they were exceedingly ſtraightned by their Enemies in Germany, obtained by their fervent unanimous prayers, hot Thunderſtones from Heaven to rout their Enemies, accompanied with bleſſed ſhowers to refreſh themſelves, then ready to periſh with extream heat and thirſt; whereupon they were ever after called the THUNDRING LEGION.
78Secondly,2 At the delivery of the Law. we read of extraordinary and ſupernatural Thunder, when the Morall Law was delivered on Mount-Sinai,nnExod. 19.16, 18. Exod. 19. And it came to paſſe on the third day in the morning, that there were Thunders and Lightnings, and a thick Cloud upon the Mount, and the voice of the Trumpet exceeding loud, ſo that all the people that was in the Camp trembled. After this God ſpake, and delivered his Will in the ten Precepts, which alſo he wrote with his own finger onooExod. 32.15. Tables of Stone; which were all made of Saphir, ſay the Rabbins: Inpp1 Reg. 19.17, 18. ſuch a terrible way did the Lord appeare to Elias; For there came a ſtrong winde, which rent the Mountaines and Rocks; after this an Earth-quake, then a Fire (moſt likely a flaſh of Lightning) after all this a ſtill ſmall voice was heard.
Queſt. Let us modeſtly enquire, why the Lord being now about to reveale his Will to his People, made divers Thunders to found as Trumpets, before he gave his Decrees.
Of this eight Reaſons may be given; As,
79Anſwer 1Firſt, hereby was declared the Power, Greatneſſs, and Majeſty of the Lawgiver; Ʋt diſceret populus eum magni aeſtimare; that the people might learn to eſteem him. God did thisqqDr. Willet on Exod. 19. Tanquam Imperatore praeſente, As if a great Emperour were coming, before whom they uſe to blow Trumpets, ſaith Chryſoſtom. Commovit omnia Elementa, ſaith another; He ſhook all the four Elements, that they might know he had power over all things; Aire in the Thunder and Trumpet, Water in the thicke and darkrrCongruit Nubes in functionem legalem, quae tenebrarum eſt, non Lucis. Cloud, Fire in the Lightning, and the Earth in the ſhaking and ſmoaking of the Mountains. It is thus elegantly ſet forth by aſſBiſhop Halls Contemplations, lib. 5. of the Law. p. 827. Learned Writer of our Church, in theſe words;
But alaſſe! the fooliſh Gods of the Heathens & Aegyptians could do none of theſe things.
Anſwer. 22 This was done to declare the imbecility, infirmity, and weakneſſe of the Law-receivers, and ſo beat down the Peacock Plumes, that no fleſh might glory in his preſence. EventtExod. 26.19. Heb. 12.21. Moſes81 quaked and trembled with the reſt of the people.
As the eye of an Owle, ſaith Lyranus, twinkles at the Sun-light, ſo the minde and underſtanding of man is ſtunn'd and dazled in Divine things.
Before, the people thought they were holy, but now they ſaw all their cleanſing and holineſſe was nothing worth: For they were not able to abide in Gods preſence, nor hear his voice. The Light on Mount-Sinai did help to ſee themſelves miſerable; The Law would humble and fit us for mercy: Let us ſee our ſelves loſt creatures, that the Law may be a Schoolmaſter to bring us to Chriſt. Such a Schoolmaſter as thatuuLightfoots Miſcelanys, cap. 60. Livy ſpeaks of in Italy, who brought forth his children intruſted with him to Hannibal; ſo that if Hannibal had not been more merciful then ordinary, they had all periſhed.
The Law doth not bring us to Chriſt to ſhew how well we can ſay our Leſſon, but to lay us proſtrate at his foot, for our neglect and inability: We cannot keep the commands eitherwwAnthony Burges Refin. collectively, ALL, without failing in82 ſome; or diſtributively, there being not ONE command that any (meere) Man at any time can keep exactly. The beſt may attain to do it,xxAuſtine. Sine crimine, non ſine vitio; without enormities perhaps, but not without failings.
Anſwer. 33 The Law was given with Thunder, Lightning, Trumpet and Earthquake, to ſhew the Laws terrour to an awakened conſcience allowing it ſelfe in ſin.
'Tis ſaid the Lawes of Drace, the Athenian Legiſlator, were writ in blood: The Law of God was not ſo; Yet accompanied with great ſolemnities, and matter of aſtoniſhment to ſhew hee will not endure it ſhall be broken or ſlighted;yyOſiander. For, Tales terrores in conſcientiâ peccatoris lex Dei operatur, The Law can terrifie and thunderſtrike the hearts of offenders. zzStrigelius in Exodum, Fol. 80.Eadem efficit Lex in ſingulorum animis, quae in promulgatione terribili effecit; ſaith Strigelius very well: The Law works the ſame things in the conſcience which it did in Mount Sinai, at the terrible Promulgation. The words of the Law are written in Exodus, but83 the Copie; or Counterpain is in every mans heart; The Law is there alſo written,aaRom. 2.15. ſaith St. Paul. Biſhop Andrews ſhews how people had this written in their Conſcience, before the Law was given or received on the Mount; Giving us abbGen. 35.2. & 31.34. & 25.3. Exod. 16 23. Gen. 27.41 & 49. & 38.24. & 44.7. & 38.20. & 12.17. particular Scripture for each Commandement: (to which the Reader is referred in the Margent.) Alſo we can eaſily produce the ten Commandements out of Pagan Writers. Look then with how much terrour the Law was delivered on Sinai, and in the like manner doth the Lord ſet it home upon the conſciences of ſinners, rebelling againſt this Law in their hearts: There be flaſhes of divine conviction, Thunder-claps of terrour in the ſoul, when once ſin is ſet home upon it. This drove Cain, Saul, Achitophel, and Judas on deſperate Reſolutions. 'Twas this made all the delights and privacy of Campania unable to quiet Tiberias after Bloodſhed and Sodomy. Spira was ſo afflicted,ccGribald Epiſt. p. 34, &c. that he wiſhed himſelfe in the room of Cain or Judas, to be rid of thoſe Terrours and Thunder claps in his ſoul for breaking84 this Law. An ill conſcience, while quiet, is like a ſleeping Lion; when it wakes it roars; God thundreth in the Conſcience;Note. certain flaſhes of Hell-fire do aſtoniſh it. Sin in the conſcience is like winde crept into the caverns of the Earth, it roves, it ſwells, it ſtruggles and ſhakes the whole Maſſe and Bulk till it have vent through a broken heart by repentant groans, mournful ſighes, and humble confeſſions. Sinne in the conſcience, is like exhalations ſhut together in a Cloud, it brings thundring terrours to the bad, and a ſhower of penitent Tears to the good.
Note. This hath made ſo many gloomy dayes, and dark ſorrowfull nights, even for the People of God after breaking any branch of this Law: Davids bones were broken by ſuch Thunder-bolts as theſe, of which I now ſpeak. This made Heman, Job, Jonah, and Peter, the Rocke, ſo exceedingly to ſhake and feare and be ſo diſconſolate: This madeddPſal. 77.3. Aſaph ſay, When he remembred God, he was troubled.
Miſtris Honywood of Kent ſaid, ſhe was as ſure to be damn'd, as that the85 Venice-glaſſe would break, which ſhee then caſt to the ground; but the glaſſe rebounded without harm; ſo the Lord by Miracle cured her afflicted, affrighted ſpirit. Tertullian may well ſtile the conſcience, Praejudicium judicii, A fore-taſt of the day of Judgment: And Auſtin ſay, Sentio quem non intelligo; I know not whether Conſcience be an Habite or Act, or both; in the underſtanding or will, peradventure it is in both; but I feel thee, ſaid he, though I do not underſtand thee.
Anſwer. 44 The Law was uſhered in with Thunder and Lightnings, that the people might know it was of God, and ſo receive it with leſſe heſcitancy and doubting, but the more awfulneſſe and obedience. I ſay, without Jealouſie or Miſtruſt, that the Revelation might prove a Deluſion: For the Law was not privately delivered in ſome obſcure corner of the world, or to ſome ONE man, or in the Night-time, or by a private Whiſper: But it was given openly on a Mount, in the Morning, beforeeeExod. 20.18 ALL the People, in Thunder and Lightnings.
86Now as all this ſhould baniſh our Doubts concerning the Divinity and Morality of this Law; ſo alſo lead us to receive it, as a Rule of life, with the more awfulneſſe and ſubmiſſion. Though Seneca do not approve that any Law ſhould have a Prologue; Yet God, infinitely wiſer, had two Prologues to his Law; The one of Miracles, the other of Arguments; I am the Lord, which brought you out of the houſe of bondage, &c.
Such Prologues are no diminution or weakning to a Law; but add more Vigour, Authority, and goodneſſe to it. Timere leges maxima ſecuritas: But this Thunder made all the people to feare before the Lord: Let him not ſpeake in Thunder, leſt we dye! ffLeigh's Tr. o•Divin. lib 3 cap. 4.Thunder-claps then were (ſaith one) the Lords Harbingers to tell of his coming, to prepare the hearts of the people with exceeding great awfulneſs and compliance to receive Directions from God. Note. The World was at THAT time very remiſſe and over-grown with ſecurity and prophaneſſe; it was meet therefore (ſaith Chryſoſtome) the People87 ſhould be rouzed up by this means, and brought to attention.
Here obſerve,
The Law was not given until the world had ſtood, 2513 yearesggSir Walter Raleigh Hiſt. lib. 2. cap. 4. ſay ſome: 2454 yeareshhLanguet Chron. fol. 34. ſay others: Now becauſe the Law of Nature did not ſtrike at every ſin ſo in particular, nor ſufficiently terrifie the conſciences of offenders, nor ſo expound Divine worſhip as for thoſe after Ages was required, (who gave every day leſſe authority then other to the Naturall Law) Therefore it was but needfull the LAW ſhould be revived, explained at large, and delivered with Thunder-claps, to rouze and awaken thoſe ſottiſh and drouzy Times: And that the Law ſhould be written and expoſed to the eyes of all men; which before they might, but would not read in their own conſciences.
Anſwer. 55 This way of delivering the Law by Thunder, Lightning, Tempeſt, and Earth-quake, was needfull in regard of the common People; The ruder ſort eſteeming of perſons and things, according to their outward ſhew, pomp,88 ſplendor, and magnificence; and therefore did the Lord appear in this glorious manner before the People. Why doth our Law provide that Judges Riding in their Circuit, ſhall have Trumpets ſounded before them, when they enter Towns or Cities? Why are their Perſons adorned with Scarlet, and encompaſſed with glittering arms? All this to ſtrike an awe into the minds of common People: The vulgar ſort are byiiWaterhouſe Apology for Learning. p. 242. one compared to Rivers, which ſinke all that is ſollid, and beare up that which is light. But theſe ſolemnities were not onely gawdy and glorious to ſenſe, but they were great and miraculous in themſelves, ſo did not onely affect the Rabble, but thekkExo. 20.18. Heb. 12.21. moſt ſollid, knowing, and judicious; All the people obſerved and were afraid, Moſes not excepted.
Anſwer. 66 The Lord ſhewed himſelfe in Thunder, Lightning, and ſmoak, quia talis apparitio in Nube & igne non habet Figuram, ſay Lyranus andllToſtatus Qu. 11. Toſtatus; ſuch an apparition in a Cloud & Lightning having no Repreſentation: That by this meanes the People might89 have no occaſion to commit Idolatry: As God himſelfe ſaith, Deut. 4.15. Take heed to your ſelves, for yee ſaw no Image in the day that the Lord ſpake unto you in Horeb. For which ReaſonmmDeut. 24.6. alſo the Lord did not let them know where Moſes was buried, leſt the ſuperſtitious people ſhould have worſhipped his Duſt, and gone in tedious pilgrimages to his Grave.
Anſw. 77ly, Gods delivering the Law with Thunder, foreſhewed the ſeverity of the laſt day, when all muſt be accountable how that Royall Law hath beene kept, or wilfully broken: For if the Law was ſo terrible when it was given, then itnnBiſhop Babington on Exod. 19. p. 278. ſhews, there will be a blacke and tempeſtuous day, when all the breaches of that Law ſhall be judged. But of this we ſhall ſay more hereafter.
Anſw. 8Laſtly, It might have this myſticall ſignification or application: Thunder might ſet forth God the Father; the Cloud God the Son, who by aſſuming our humane nature, ſhadowed the glory of the Deity, drawing as it were, a cloud or curtain before it; The Lightning might ſet forth the Holy Ghoſt,90 mighty in his operation, ſhooting his Influences into the ſoule: And the Trumpet might fignifie Angels that publiſh and make known his Will, and delight to celebrate his Praiſe.
Thus you ſee why the Law was uſhered in with Thunder, Lightnings, the ſound of a Trumpet, with the ſhaking and ſmoaking of the Mount, in a ſupernaturall and miraculous way.
Thirdly,3 At the promulgation of the Goſpel. We read of extraordinary Thunder at the Promulgation, and for the confirmation, of the Goſpel (a circumſtance it may be not commonly known nor conſidered.) Here I will ſhew the Reader in generall, that the Goſpel was ratified and confirmed by divers Miracles; and then, in particular, by ſupernatural Thunder, and voices from Heaven.
1 The Goſpel was confirmed by great and wonderfullooHugh Grotius de verit. Relig. Chr. miracles; In its infancy it was crowned, and ſupported by diversppHilderſham on John, p. 332. & 396. Baxters Reſt, part 2. p. 223. Miracles, as giving Food to the hungry, health to the ſick, and ſight to one that was borne blinde. Marvellous was his conception in the wombe of a Virgin: The miraculous91 Star appearing at his Birth, was obſerved by the Chaldean Aſtronomers, who came and offered rich Preſents to Chriſt. Now the wonderfull Miracles wrought by Chriſt, Proved the Goſpel to be of God: As his turning water into Wine; His diſpoſſeſſing of Devils; his raiſingqqActs 17.31. Rom. 1.4. others that were dead, and himſelfe, the Third day according to the Scriptures. Note. Moreover the Sun was ecclipſed at his Paſſion, in the 14 day of the Moon, when ſhe was fully oppoſed to the Sun; ſo by Nature it was impoſſible: To which we may add his Aſcention, and the ceaſing of the Oracles. All theſe gave in irrefragable Teſtimonies to the Goſpel. Divers of which Miracles, as done by Chriſt, the Hebrew Talmud doth grant,rrIoſephus Antiq. Iud. lib. 18. cap. 4. Joſephus confeſſeth them:ſſHuart his Trial of Wits. cap. 14. p. 258. Publius Lentulus wrote of them from Jeruſalem to the Roman Senate; Nay, Colſus and Julian deny them not.
If it ſhould be here objected, that many Prophets wrought Miracles before Chriſt; How then did Miracles proclaim Chriſt to be the Saviour? The judiciousttDeſpagnes new obſervations on the Creed, p. 79. ad 87. Despagnes hath very well untied this Knot.
921 Before Chriſt, Miracles were rare; Few Men had power to work them; and no ONE perſon did worke many.
2 No Miracle was wrought for well neare 800 yeares before Chriſt: So no Perſon working any Miracles came any thing near the time in which the Meſſiah was expected:Note. Therefore John the Baptiſt, ſo noted a Prophet, had yet no power of working Miracles.
Note. 3 None of thoſe of whom Chriſt is Deſcended according to the fleſh, had ability to work Miracles; And none of the Tribe of Judah had ever that power or priviledge, till our Saviours appearance, becauſe he was to come of that Tribe.
2 And more particularly, the Goſpel was confirmed with a Voice from Heaven, and ſupernaturall Thunder to uſher it in.
This I ſhall prove, or at leaſt render probable, by three ſorts of Teſtimonies, and then proceed to the Reaſons why it was ſo.
The 3 Teſtimonies are theſe (and a Triple cord is not eaſily broken)
93The firſt and beſt from Gods word:1 Teſtimonies from the word. Iohn 12.28, 29. Father glorifie thy Name: Then came there a voice from heaven, ſaying, I have both glorified it, and will glorifie it again. The people therefore that ſtood by and heard it, ſaid that it Thundered. Now that really it did Thunder, ſeems very probable, becauſe of the number, nearneſſe, and confidence of them that heard and atteſted it.
1 Their number; Not one man, but the People.
2 Their nearneſſe; Not the People who ſtood afar off, and heard a confuſed noiſe, but the People that ſtood cloſe by knew it to be Thunder.
3 Their confidence; They ſaid it thundred; without a peradventure, or we ſuppoſe it Thunders.
Obſer. Some tell us others were not of their minde; for it followeth in the ſameuuJobn 12.29. place, Some ſaid an Angell spake to him.
Solution. Yet this might not be oppoſed to the former aſſertion of the People, that ſaid, It thundred; but rather be directed to that Voice, which immediately94 followed the Thunder-clap, ſaying, I have glorifled it, and will glorifie it againe. Some of the People conceived theſe words were uttered to Chriſt by an Angell; when indeed they were ſpoken by the Father of Chriſt, to whom our Saviour had ſpoken juſt before.
When God revealed the things of Chriſts Kingdom to St. John, Thunder was oftentimes the Prologue to make room for their better reception, and that all others, (and not John onely) might give the more heed to thoſeaaRev. 4.1, 5. Rev. 6.1. Revel. 8.5. Revelations.
Rev. 4. The firſt voice which I heard was as it were a Trumpet talking to me, which ſaid, come up hither, and I will ſhew thee things which ſhall be hereafter: And out of the Throne proceeded Thundrings, Lightnings, and Voyces.
So again, Rev. 6. And I ſaw when the Lamb opened one of the Seales, and I heard as it were the noiſe of Thunder, one of the four Beaſts, ſaying, come and ſee.
So again, Rev. 8. And there were Voices, & Thunarings, and Lightnings,95 and an Earth-quake: and the 7 Angels which had the ſeven Trumpets prepared themſelves to ſound. The like Thundrings St. John heard at other times of hisbbRevel. 14.2. Revel. 19.6. Propheſie.
Mat. 17.5. You read there was a voice ſpake unto Chriſt; in the Syriack, it is, Filia vocis, The Daughter of a voice. By which the Hebrews mean, a Voice or Diſcourſe following ſome Thunder-clap.
Secondly,2 Teſtimonies from learned Authors. there be ſome Teſtimonies from Learned Writers, that the Goſpell was ſealed and confirmed by Thunder.
PignetusccPignetus in Apoc. writing of that Thunder mentioned, Rev. 8.5. ſaith thus; Habet quiddam ſimile exordium Evangelicae praedicationis, cum initio Promulgationis legis, Exod. 19. The beginning of the Goſpell is ſomething like to that of the Law in the 19th of Exodus.
Rupertus ſaith, God did proclaim the fulneſſe of Chriſt, and excellency of the Goſpell, with claps of Thunder.
Cornelius a Lapide ſaith, that voice96 of Chriſt was voted Thunder by the People, John 12.
Quia vox haec maxima, Craſſiſima & Reſonantiſſima erat, inſtar tonitrui; becauſe it was a great and roaring voice like unto Thunder. But if ſo loud as to be like it, then ſurely it was all one (as to the Peoples ſatisfaction) as if it had been Thunder indeed.
OurddAnnotatiōs on John 12.29. Annotations ſay, it was no obſcure whiſper, but loud as Thunder. My reverend Unkle, the Learned Dr. Hammond is very particular on this occaſion: HeeeDr Hammond of the Reaſonableneſſe of Chriſtian Religion. Sect. 7. ad 11. p. 14. ad 22. affirmes this teſtimony of Thunder was three times given to the Goſpel.
1 At the Baptiſme of Chriſt, when the Heavens were opened, (or miraculouſly parted by Thunder) the Dove deſcended, and the voice followed, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleaſed; heare ye him.
2 In the preſence of three ſober Men, Peter, James, and John; Behold there came a lightſome cloud to overſhadow them, and a voice out of the cloud followed.
3 Not long before his death, when97 he was praying to his Father, a Voice came to him, and the People ſaid, it thundred.
Thirdly, to this add,3 Teſtimonies from the Goſpels enemies. that there have been Teſtimonies from the Goſpels enemies: Pulchrum eſt Teſtimonium quo noſtra probantur ab hoſtibus, ſaith Ariſtotle. Ad probandam veritatem nihil efficatius teſtimonio adverſariorū, ſaith Gregory: Nothing confirms our Opinion, like the teſtimony of an Enemy. So theffActs 23.9. Scribes (bitter foes to the Goſpel) ſaid to the Sadduces concerning Paul, (earneſtly preaching Chriſt) that they found not any evill in him: But if an Angell hath ſpoken to him, let us not fight againſt God. So Gamaliel, aggActs 5.39. Phariſee and grave Doctor of the Law, adviſed the People, Not to perſecute the followers of Chriſt, leſt they be found to fight againſt God. q. d. who hath confirmed Chriſtianity by ſo many Miracles, and Voices from Heaven. When Chriſt was at Jeruſalem, in the midſt of his bitter enemies, aſſembled at the Feaſt of the Paſſeover, and crowding after him, out of novelty to ſee his Miracles;98 YethhIohn 12, 12, 29, 37, 38. when God ſpake to Chriſt from Heaven, this People confeſſed there was THUNDER joyned with the Voice; John 12. But mark what followeth; Though he had done ſo many miracles before them, yet they believed not in him; that the words of Eſaias might be fulfilled, who hath believed our report? Now obſerve it well, theſe incredulous ſtiff-necked Jewes, though their eyes were blinded, their hearts hardned, that they would not receive CHRIST in the Goſpel; yet they confeſſed, that a Voice bare witneſſe to him from Heaven, accompanied by Thunder, and that themſelves heard both the one and the other.
Next,iiActs 22.1. ad 12. that of Saul is conſiderable, Acts 22. He was an eminent Jew, by Sect a Phariſee, and through zeale a perſecutor of the Goſpel and its profeſſors; HekkActs 7.58. & 9.1. received the Garments of thoſe that ſtoned Steven; got Commiſſions alſo from the High Prieſts to perſecute the Chriſtians that were in Damaſcus. Now heare his confeſſion and relation of that which hapned to him by the way.
99When I was come nigh to Damaſcus, about noon, ſuddenly there ſhone from Heaven a great light, round about me, and I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice ſaying unto me; Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me, &c.
Theſe things were not done privately, but were known to the Sanhedrin; and there was company with him on the way. There is a ſeeming difference in the Relations, but the preſent reconciling thereof will ſtrengthen our preſent obſervation. llActs 9.7. & 22.9. reconciled.One place ſaith, they stood ſpeechleſſe, heard a voice, but ſaw no man. Another place ſaith, They ſaw indeed the light, and were afraid, but they heard not the voice of him that ſpake to me.
NowmmDr Hamm. Reaſ. Chriſtian Religion, p. 21. obſerve the ſame word in the Hebrew, which ſignifieth a Voice, ſignifieth Thunder alſo; So where it is ſaid, They heard the voice, the ſenſe is this, They heard the THUNDER attending the Flaſh of Lightning, which encompaſſed St. Paul. And when it is ſaid, They heard not the Voice; It is explained in the words following, They heard not the Voice of him that ſpake to100 him. It ſhould ſeeme St. Paul onely heard that; But by St. Pauls anſwers, and the conſequent change of his principles and life, the reſt alſo came to know it very well.
The truth of this ſtory St. Paul did boldly avow before the Jewes and Romans, that queſtioned him about his change; He became out of hand, a Preacher, an Apoſtle of the Goſpel, and at length ſealed it with his Blood; For he was beheaded, ſaithnnEuſeb. Hiſt. Eccleſ. lib. 8. cap. 18. Euſebius, under Diocleſian, praying for the Jewes and Gentiles; For the Multitude aſſembled; For the Judge alſo and Executioner, that his Death might not one day be laid unto their charge:
Thus you ſee the confirmation of the Goſpel, by Thunder and Voices from Heaven, atteſted by the Word of God, judgement of Learned Men, and confeſſion of the Goſpels Adverſaries.
Queſt. But why was it thus?
Anſwer. I anſwer, for ſuch Reaſons as theſe.
1 This was the higheſt Teſtimony that could well be given: For it is not eaſily imaginable, that there ſhould be any greater aſſurance of the Goſpels101 verity, then that which may be reaped out of Gods ſpeaking to us from Heaven in its behalf; The violent cleaving, or opening the Heavens; and from thence the holy Spirit deſcending in a viſible ſhape, and lighting on Chriſt; And out of the clouds a voice delivered to mortal men with Thunder & Lightning: Surely if this will not convince and ſatisfie us, nothing will.
Anſwer 2Again, this was ordinary among the Jewes; and under the ſecond Temple, the onely way of Gods revealing himſelfe to the people: Quod ſolum firme Oraculi genus temporibus Templi ſecundi, reſtabat, ſaith LearnedooHugh Grorius in Ioan. 12. p. 965. Grotius, writing of the Voice from Heaven.
Note. Moreover, it is a thing expected of the Jewes, that when the Meſſiah comes, he ſhall be uſhered with Thunder; Therefore, when it thundreth, the Jewes light up Candles,ppWeems, Vol. 2. lib. 1. cap. 2. p. 12. ſaith Weems, hoping to ſee the Meſſiah, ſo long expected, or to hear his comfortable voice.
Anſw. 3Next, our Saviour knew the obſtinacy of the Jewes, that except they ſaw ſignes and wonders, they would not believe in him.
102Anſwer 4Laſtly, This was done, that there might he ſome harmony between the Law and Goſpel. Mr. Calvin writing of the terrible Promulgatiō of the Law, ſaith thus, Hic timor Evangelio quoque fuit communis; This fear was alſo common with the Law to the Goſpel. Applying moreover that of the Apoſtle thereunto, Heb. 12.26. Whoſe voice then ſhook the earth, and now hath declared, ſaying; Yet once more will I ſhake not the Earth onely, but Heaven. The very day,qqBiſhop Halls Contemplations, lib. 5. of the Law. p. 825. ſaith Doctor Hall, wherin God came down in Fire and Thunder, to deliver the Law, even the ſame day came alſo the Holy Ghoſt downe upon the Diſciples in fiery Tongues, for the propagation of the Goſpel: No man receives the Holy Ghoſt, but he that hath felt the terrours of Sinai.
VenerablerrBede Hom. vigil. Pentecoſt. Bede alſo, ſhewes the harmony between the Law and Goſpel in this reſpect: There was Thunder, Here the noiſe of aſſActs 2.2. mighty Winde: There fiery flaſhes; Here fiery cloven Tongues: There the Mountain trembled, and here the place where they103 aſſembled was moved: There the ſound of a Trumpet, here they ſpake with divers Tongues.
Another thus deſcribes it:ttMarlorat in Acts 2.2. p. 48. Sicuti lex Moſis eſt data in monte Sinai,uuExod. 19.16. cum tempeſtate caeca, nubibus caliginoſis, fumo ignifero, vapore denſo, Tonitru diro & Fulgore, clangore divinae tubae terribili; ita quoque datus eſt ſpiritus ſanctus Jeroſolimis, inſolito & ingenti ſtrepitu, & impetu venti; quo Deus amborum, & Legis ſimul & Evangelii, virtutem expreſſit. As the Law was given with a dark Cloud, Thunder, Lightning, and ſhrill Trumpet: So the Goſpel, ſaith he, was confirmed by that violent ruſhing wind, Acts 2. If thoſe then that ſlighted Moſes his Law were puniſhed with death; what ſhall become of them that diſ-believe, and diſobey the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt?
For,
Fourthly, and laſtly,4 At the day of judgment. There will be ſupernatural, miraculous, and moſt violent, aſtoniſhing, and prodigious Thunder and Lightnings, at the day of Judgement.
104That this is very probable, will appeare,
1 By divers Scriptures looking that way,1 Proved by divers Scriptures. if not ſpeaking fully to the point.
2 By the conſent of many learned Authors.
3 By divers Arguments and Reaſons, ſhewing That and Why it will be ſo.
Firſt, ſee it proved by divers Scriptures, looking that way: For the time of Judgement will be,wwZeph. 1.15. A day of trouble and diſtreſſe, a day of darkneſſe and gloomineſſe; a day of clouds and thicke darkneſſe. Then,xx2 Pet. 3.12. The heavens being on fire ſhall be diſſolved;yyIſa. 34.4. And rolled together in a ſcroll. There ſhall bezzLuke 21.25. Signs in the Sun & Moon, viz. Stupendious Ecclipſes, flaming Comets, Earth quakes, and divers Apparitions: The Earth ſhall have the Palſie, and the Heavens Convulſion fits. aa2 Theſ. 1.8.Chriſt ſhall come in flaming fire to be revenged on ſinners. Then ſaith Peter,bb2 Pet. 3.12. The elements ſhall melt with fervent heat. q. d. Like ſcalding lead upon the wicked. Chriſt ſaith,ccMat. 24.29 The105 powers of heaven ſhall be ſhaken. Which I ſuppoſe will be by Thunder and ſupernatural ſtorms. The Sun ſhall be darkned, and the Moon ſhall not give her light. So men ſhall ſtumble at noon day, as if it were midnight; You know it grows very dark before a ſtorm. The Stars ſhall be ſhaken, and miſplaced; Thoſe goodly Lamps of Heaven ſhall tremble: CHRIST will looſen with one ſhake of his Arme all the Stars of Heaven; A fearfull confuſion wil then appear; All the Elements ſhall beddIſaac Ambroſe of Doomſday, p. 94. diſordered; Fire ſhall fall from heaven, whereas naturally it aſcends; the Aire ſhall be full of tempeſts & thundrings; the waves of the Sea ſwelling, roaring, foaming and mounting above the Clouds: the Earth full of yawning clifts and violent tremblings: Sea monſters will appeare on the Land, and all Dumb creatures run about enraged, ſo that none can tame them. eeLuke 21.26.Mens hearts failing them for feare:ffRevel. 6.16. The great ones (that were not good) ſhall call to the rocks and mountains to cover them, and yield ſome ſhelter from this terrible ſtorm. ggMat. 24.31.Angels with a106 great ſound of a Trumpet ſhall gather the Elect from the 4 Winds. hhMark 13.8.There ſhall be fearfull Earth-quakes which wil aſtoniſh the world. iiMat. 24.27.As the lightning cometh out of the Eaſt, and ſhineth to the Weſt, ſo ſhall the coming of the ſon of man be.
In a word,kk2 Pet. 3.7, 10. The world and all in it ſhall be burnt with fire: Which fire in all likelihoodllPareus in Rev. 16.18. ſaith Pareus, will be kindled and cheriſhed by Lightning from Heaven.
Aquinas hath many ſubtle diſcourſes about that fire, yet he ſtill maintains that it will be,mmAquin. ſum. in ſuppl. 3. Part. Quaeſt. 74. Artic. 9 p. 130. Ex concurſu mundanorum ignium, from a meeting together of all mundane Fires: Therefore Lightning will be amongſt them.
Yet all theſe may be thought generall Scriptures: There are four places of holy Writ, which ſpeak more particularly to the point in hand, viz. that moſt terrible Thunder ſhall precede Chriſts Appearance.
1 Sam. 2.10. The adverſaries of the Lord ſhall be broken to pieces, out of heaven ſhall he thunder upon them; The Lord ſhall judge the ends of the Earth.
107The beſtnnAnnotations ſuper, 1 Sam. 2.10. Commentators underſtand this place of the day of Judgement. On that day the hearts of Gods enemies ſhall be frighted with loud Thunder-claps, and their bones broken with hot THUNDER-bolts. What enemy of Jeſus Chriſt can then lift up his head?
Next conſult we, Pſal. 50.3.4. Our God ſhall come, and ſhall not keep ſilence, a fire ſhall devour before him, & it ſhall be very tempeſtuous round about him: He ſhall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Saint Peter ſaith, The heavens ſhall paſſe away with a great noiſe. A fearfull noiſe indeed; As a Whirl-wind or tempeſtuous roaring,ooJun. & Tremel. and our Annotations on 2 Pet. 3.10. ſay Expoſitors.
To theſe let me add that place in Rev. 16.18. And there were voices, & thunders and lightnings & there was a great Earth-quake, ſuch as was not ſince men were upon earth. This is St. Johns prophetical deſcription of the Day of Judgement, as appears by theppRevel. 16.15, 16, 18, 20. compared together. context; and ſoqqPareus Seb: Meyer, Hez. Holland, on Rev. 16. Pareus and others underſtand it.
108Secondly,2 Proved by divers Authors. this may alſo be confirmed by the conſent of divers Learned and godly Writers; So that wee are not ſingular in this opinion, that Thunder will be one ſolemnity at the day of Judgement.
Gerhard writing of the day of Judgment,Gerhard. tells us, Then Thunder and Lightning ſhall amaze men and Angels, the Sea and the waves thereof roaring.
Mendoza ſaith,Mendeza. Chriſt will thunder marvellouſly that day.
Gregory ſaith,Gregory. The Saints with loud ſhouts will thunder againſt the damned. This grants that the many millions of Saints ſhouting, will frame a noiſe more terrible to the wicked then they can imagine. It will make their very hearts ſink and faile within them.
Thunder and Lightning, ſaithrrSeb: Meyer apud Mnrlora, in Rev. 16.18. p. 34, p. 1173. Meyer, do now terrifie thoſe that confeſſe not a GOD; It makes paleneſſe and trembling to ſeize on them. Quid igitur facturi ſunt omnes impii, ubi haec ſuper humanam aeſtimationem, qualia nunquam antea à condito mundo, horrenda apparebunt; Ʋbi tota Orbis concutitur machina, jam jam una109 cum impiis collapſura? What then ſhal wicked men do, when ſuch horrible Thunders and Lightnings will appear, as are beyond humane imagination or any thing hath hapned from the Creation; when the whole frame of Nature ſhall be ſo ſhaken, and broken therewith; that with ſinners it ſhall be demoliſht, and deſtroyed.
Pareus alſo is full to this Point more then once. ſſPareus in Apoc. 11.19.There ſhall be Lightniugs, Thundrnigs, and Voices. Now, ſaith he, John is in the deſcription of the laſt judgement, and ſhewes how Lightnings, Thundrings, Earth-quakes, and great Hail-ſtones will oppreſſe the wicked.
Toſſanus alſo writes to the ſame purpoſe,Toſſanus. and applieth it to the melting of the Elements, and the ſhaking of the whole earthly Globe at the laſt day.
Here PareusttPareus in Apoc. 16.18. again: There are Lightnings, and Thunders in the aire: Such as the ſhaking of the heavenly Powers, melting of the Elements, and horrible Tempeſts ſpoken of by Chriſt and Peter; wherewith the Lord will at110 laſt come to judgement: The Earthquake will be unſual, and ſupernatural; And no wonder, for the earth being ſmitten with Lightning from Heaven, ſhall be ſhaken and torne into a thouſand pieces, and by fire utterly conſumed.
Oats on Jude ſaith thus:uuSamuel Oats on Jude 6. p. 166. If other Seſſions and Aſſizes be feared by Malefactors, what will this be? Then, Fulminabit Dominus in coelo; The Lord will thunder from Heaven, and the higheſt will give his voice: And if Thunder, or the ratling of a cloud be ſo terrible, what terrour will there be, when he ſhall thunder that ſits above the clouds? ThenwwJerome. Terra tremet, mare mugit; The earth ſhall quake, the ſea roar, the Aire ring, and the world burn. If the Angels ſtand then amazed, how agaſt ſhall wicked men be, whoſe portion is with the Devil and his Angels?
AndxxOates on Iude 14. p. 315. again: Thunder, ſaith Oates, doth but demoliſh Mountains, root up Trees; but when God ſhall thunder out his Judgements, he will cruſh and caſt down Kings, Princes and People, that have not made him their111 Tower. Thunder doth but ſhake the clouds, and make them flye up and down as Birds in the Aire; but when God ſhall thunder out his judgements, he will ſhake and aſtoniſh the heart and conſcience: O miſerable ſinner, how wilt thou tremble at that time?
Another thus ſpeaks:yyIohn Trap Com. on Rev. 16.18. p. 561. And there were Voices, and Thundrings, and Lightnings. This is a deſcription of the laſt Judgement; when Heaven and Earth ſhall conſpire together for the puniſhment of the wicked.
Another thus:zzIſaac Ambroſe of Doomſday. p. 95. What ſhall we then ſee but Lightnings, Whirl-winds, Coruſcations, blazing Stars, flaſhing Thunders? Here a Comet runs round in a circuit; there a Crown compaſſeth that Comet; Neare them a fiery Dragon ſumes in flames: Every where appeares a ſhooting fire, as if all above us were nothing but inflamed aire:aaJoel 1.10. All the earth ſhall tremble before the Lord.
AnotherbbHez: Holland Expoſ. of Rev. 16.18. p. 124. writes thus: Theſe things ſhew the horrible effects of the laſt Viol; when Chriſt ſhall come to take vengeance at the laſt day; Lightnings112 burning the earth, and Thunder from Heaven; All the Elements conſpiring againſt the wicked.
Thus out of the mouths of ten Witneſſes you have it confirmed, that most dreadful and fatal Thunders will attend the laſt Judgement.
Let us now,3 'Proved by Arguments or Reaſons. in the third Place, ſee it further eſtabliſht by Arguments or Reaſons, ſhewing That and Why it will be ſo; which are chiefely theſe four.
Reaſon 1Firſt, becauſe Chriſts ſecond coming muſt be far more terrible then the firſt: Chriſt at his firſt Appearance was attended by a general Peace in the world, and with Carols of Angels; He came asccPſalm 71.6. Rain upon the mown graſſe ſilently, ſweetly into the world: Then a babe cryed in the Manger, but now Judah's Lion will roar and thunder in the Heavens; Then he came riding on an Aſſes colt, but now on the clouds; Not attended with 12 poor Apoſtles, but 12 thouſand millions of Angels. At his firſt coming he offered grace and mercy, but now he will come in flames of Fire to execute Wrath and Vengeance:113ddAug. de ſym. bolo. lib. 3. Jam locus miſericordiae, ibi juſtitiae. Then he was judged and condemned of men, but now he will judge the world.
Yet his firſt being on earth was not without glory interwoven with ſhame and ſufferings. Note. There came to him, Thunder and Voices from Heaven, (as I have ſhewn:) When he ſpake, ſtorms were huſht; when he called, the dead aroſe; when he commanded, the Devils were caſt out; when he died, the Sun put on ſable weeds; when he aroſe, the Earth trembled, and when he aſcended, the Heavens opened.
But his latter coming ſhall be far more glorious and terrible; St. Auſtin brings in our Saviour ſpeaking thus at the laſt day; Behold the Carpenters ſon whom ye have diſregarded! Chriſt will then come in all his glory, and the glory of his holy Angels.
Reaſon 2Secondly, this he will do, to perplex and aſtoniſh all reprobate men and evil Angels. eeMendoza in Reg. Vol. 1. p. 359.Quanto igitur terrore ac tremore improbi formidabunt, quando his è Chriſt, Domino, Tonitruis ac Fulminibus quatientur? ſaith Mendoſa. 114How great will the feare, terrour, and trembling of wicked men be, when they ſhall be ſhaken with theſe Thunders and Lightnings from Jeſus Chriſt? If Belſhazzar quaked when he ſaw the hand-writing on the wall, how will he tremble and quiver, when he ſhall ſee Chriſt in the Clouds, Mille fulmina jaculantem, hurling a thouſand Lightnings and Thunder ſtones at him? What care can endure thoſe Ratlings? What eye can beare thoſe Flaſhes? Yet who can flye from the one or the other?
The Areopagita of Athens, heard all their cauſes in the night; But Chriſt will heare his in ſuch a light as will aſtoniſh and confound the wicked.
Lactantius ſaith, the day of Judgement ſhall be at Midnight; not confidering when it is mid night with ſome, it is broad day with others in the world.
If it finde us in the natural midnight of darkneſſe, orffMat. 25.6. Morall of ſecurity; The light of that day will be ſo much the more terrible. If Jerom ſaid, Quoties diem illum conſidero, toto corpore contremiſco: Semper videtur illa115 Tuba terribilis ſonare in Auribus meis, &c. When ever I conſider that day my whole body trembleth; And me-thinks the ſound of the laſt Trump is ever in my eares, &c.
Then what will all prophane men think of that day, when it comes like a Whirl-winde upon them? Then the wicked ſhall crawl out of their graves, like filthy Toads, againſt this terrible ſtorme. Then Jezabel ſhall ring her painted hands; Then the oppreſſor ſhall wiſh himſelfe in the room of the man he hath injured; And the ſimple may have more boldneſſe then the learned. In illa Dic ultiouis,ggHugo de S. Vict. nihil habebit, quod respoudere poſſit homo peccator; Ʋbi coelum & Terra, Sol & Luna, & totus mundus ſtabunt adverſus nos in Teſtimonium peccatorum noſtrorum, ſaith Hugo. What ſhall a poor ſinner anſwer at that day, when all the Creatures ſhall be up in Armes; when the Heaven, the Earth, the Sun and Moon, and whole creation ſhall come to give Teſtimony againſt our ſins?
116Thirdly,Reaſon. 3Chriſt will come in Thunder and flames of Fire, to advance the glory and ſuper-excellent Majeſty of our great Judge: It is for the honour of Chriſt Perſonal and Myſtical; of Chriſt and his Members, that it ſhould be ſo carried, to the great ſatisfaction and ineffable Triumph of holy Men and Angels. Nam Judex in tribunali, terrore & horrore pleno ſedit,hhChryſoſtom in Gen. Hom. 17. ſaith Chryſoſtome; The Judge ſits in a Throne full of Terrour and horrour.
One obſerves, that in ſtead of Lamps and Candles, there ſhall be continuall Lightnings: And that in the Generall Aſſizes, cracks of Thunder will ſupply the room of the Trumpets. Note. All this will terrifie the bad, but revive the good; Zion loves that quarter of the Skie, which being rent and cloven with Thunder, ſhall yield unto her Husband; When he ſhall put through his glorious Head crowned with Stars, riding on the Rainbow, to receive and embrace her, and ſo carry her to his Fathers houſe.
The Trumpet is very terrible in Battel;Note. But a conſort of Trumpets is117 pleaſing at Nuptiall Solemnities: So Thunder though terrible to Saints now, ſhall be pleaſing and welcome to us then; the time of our Eſpouſals and Coronation being come. Bleſſed be our Lord, who hath armed and provided us to approach the horrible terrour of that day, with unutterable triumph and comfort, as being fully aſſured it ſhall do us no harm; Not a Thunder-bolt ſhall touch us, and in all that Fire and Lightning, not a haire of our head ſhall be ſinged: All SaintsiiLuks 21.28. will lift up their heads, as knowing their Redemption draws nigh.
Reaſon 4Laſtly, Chriſt will come thus gloriouſly in Thunder, Lightning, Tempeſt, and Earth-quakes, for the full vindication of his Law ſo ſolemnly given, (as you have ſeen already) God delivered the Law in Thunder and Lightning,kkFerus in Exod. ſaith Ferus, Ʋt oſtenderet ſe vindicem Legis; To ſhew himſelfe a Judge and Revenger of the Law, and in what an hideous and aſtoniſhing manner he will come in judgement, to make the world accountable for the breaches of that Law.
118Si Promulgatio tantum pavorem hominibus incuſſit, quid putamus futurū eſſe in poſtremâ mundi die,llVict. Strigel. Com. in Exo. 19. Fol. 80. ſaith Strigelius? If the Promulgation of the Law was terrible, then what may ſinners look for on the laſt day? For a Law without execution may fitly be compared to a Bell having no clapper, or a glittering Sword having no edge. In the Promulgation a Flame was onely on Mount Sinai. All the world ſhall become a Bonfire at the Execution. In the one there was Fire, Smoak, Thunder and Earth quake; In the other, The Heavens ſhall be diſſolved, and the Elements melt. The Fire wherein the Law was delivered did but terrifie at moſt; The Fire wherein it ſhall be required, is conſuming.
O God! how abundantly able art thou to inflict vengeance upon ſinners, who didſt thus in Flames forbid ſin? What will become of the breakers of ſo fiery a Law, and themm2 Theſ. 1.8. Deſpiſers of ſo glorious a Goſpel? nnBiſhop Hals Contempl lib. 5. p. 827.Happy are thoſe that are from under the terrours of that Law, which was given in Fire, and in Fire ſhall be required, ſaith119 Doctor Hall, in his Contemplations.
O Let us ever prepare and expect, and wait for this great day; That this dreadful Thunder do not finde and ſtrike us in our ſins. Who would willingly be found at his cups or his cards; with his Dalilah, or telling his mony got by extortion? The Day is therefore unknown to us, that we might ever be preparing for it.
Note. Great hath been their preſumption, who have ſet the time of Chriſts thundering appearance; As Joachimus Abbas, the Year, 1258. Arnoldus, 1345. Stiphelius, 1533. on St. Lukes day. Regiomontanus, 1588. Thermopedius, 1599. Aprill 3. ooAlſted. Chr.Others the laſt yeare, 1657. for that the Deluge fell out in the ſame yeare of the Worlds Creation. And for the time yet to come,ppTrap on Mat. 24. Cuſanus ſets the year, 1700. Cordanus 1800. And Picus Mirandula, 1905.
So great hath been the folly and ſin of many Learned men: Though Chriſt hath told us, no man knows theqqMat. 24.36. time of his ſecond coming;rrMr. W. S. One of late120 alſo, preſumed to ſet the Time, about the yeare, 1646. with the particular day of the year; and when his ſet time was come, it Thundred and Lightned very much in the Afternoon, which helpt to affright divers ignorant people, who ſtood gazing upward, to ſee when Chriſt would appear.
I end with that of Jerom,Mieron. in Mat. 23. Sic quotidie vivamus, quaſi Die illâ judicandi ſimus; Let us live every day, as if it were to be the laſt day of the world, that when our Lord comes, he may find us in a wel-doing poſture.
And thus much of the four times wherein the Lord hath manifeſted his glory, or will do it, by ſupernatural & miraculous Thunder, viz. At the ſubverſion of his potent enemies, when his People are in ſtreights: At the delivery of the Law; at the Promulgation of the Gospel, and at the day of Judgement.
We come now to ſee how all this Diſcourſe of Thunder may be rendred more Practical, and ſo more Profitable to us, by ſuch Inferences, as will naturally flow from this Theam.
121Inference. 1Firſt, This ſubject is brim full of terrour for the enemies of God; ſuch as have open or ſecret enmity to him, his Son, his Spirit, his Truth, his Ordinances or his People: O let ſuch reflect upon their dangerous eſtate, with ſerious and retired Muſings. EveryttNon aliter de Tonitru loquuntur Scripturae, quam de Dei, voce mognifica atque terribili; plenâque minarum. time you heare it Thunder, the Lord threatneth Ruine and Deſtruction to you. Let the ſecure Atheiſt conſider, that if we had no other Argument to prove a God, this would be ſufficient. Imagine thatuuThe Perſiās worſhipped the Sun; The Aegyptians an Ox; The Grecians Feavors. Some alſo in Cyprian, Crocadiles and Snakes. The Romans helliſh Furies. I never read of any but Diagoras and Diodorus that denyed a God. Vide Cyprian cont. Demetrian, Tract. 1. all Nations did not confes a God, & that we could not read a God in the volumnes of Creation, Scripture, and Conſcience; Yet one clap of Thunder is enough to convince us of a Deity, & make us lye groveling in the Duſt before him. How dare you ſin againſt this holy God, that cannot eudure ſin; and this all-powerful God that is able to puniſh it? He can eaſily diſcharge the great Guns of Heaven, and cut you off in your ſins; ONE flaſh of Lightning is ſufficient to ſend you into the lake of Fire; One Thunder bolt is enough to tear and diſpatch you into a ſad Eternity. What will ye122 do when God is angry? His wrath and revenging Juſtice are deſcribed by the roaring of Lions, by Thunder, Earth-quakes, Tempeſts, and devouring Fire: ButwwPſalm 90.1. who knows (or can expreſſe) the power of his anger? When he is wroth, the Angels ſeeke to hide themſelves; The Heavens melt away like waxe; Jordan is driven back; The Mountains ſmoak; The Devils tremble, and the pillars of the Earth are ſhaken. Is the Graſhopper able to fight with a Lion? Can ſtubble reſiſt a Fire, or chaffe a Whirl-winde? Then may you oppoſe God and proſper. O conſider this yee that forget God, leſt he teare you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you. Kiſſe the Son, leſt his anger kindle, and his jealouſie ſmoake againſt you, and there be no remedy.
Inference. 2Secondly, (in particular) it ſpeaks reproof to thoſe that gaze purpoſely on the Lightning, and out-brave the Thunder, ſaying, they feare it not; Accuſing ſuch as are more ſerious, of ignorance, childiſhneſſe, and effeminate weakneſſe. Mr. Perkins writes of one who blaſphemouſly ſcoffed at this work123 of God, and the Author (inxxTr•p on Job 39. p. 244. words which I am fearful to repat) and thereupon a Thunder-bolt ſlew him.
Some bold, impious, and impudent wretches, ſlight and laugh at theſe great and wonderful works of Almighty God; But 'tis dangerous playing with Edge-tools, or jeſting with things of ſerious importance: Some feare trivial matters, who yet regard not Thunder; as your Divedappers, ſaith one, duck not at this rattle in the Air, which they doe on very ſmall occaſions: So ſome are not moved by Thunder, who would cry out, if a Sword were drawn, or Piſtoll ſhot off.
The old Italians were wont to drown Thunder by ringing their greateſt Bells; a bold madneſſe.
It is recorded of Clearchus, that, ex liberis unum, Tonitrum, appellavit; He preſumed to call one of his Children by the name of Thunder, ſaithyyPierius Hierogl. 〈◊〉. 43. cap. 27. p. 552. Pierius. zzPlin. Nat. Hiſt. lib. 35. cap. 10.Apelles was ſo conceited of his skill, that he attempted to picture Thunder and Lightning; which was at once impious and impoſſible: For the Poets when they would expreſſe the124 celerity of any thing,aaPier. Hierogl. lib. 43. cap. 27. ſay Fulminis ocyor alis, ſwifter then Lightning; It cannot be therfore painted, much leſſe Thunder.
We read alſo of great Men, that have preſumed by artificiall founds to imitate Thunder:Note. Caligula attempted by certain Engines of Art to counterfeit Thunder and Lightning, that the People might fear and worſhip him for a God: But on a time, when there hapned greater claps of reall Thunder, then ordinary, he ran under his bed to hide himſelfe, and at laſt came to a miſerable end; dying of thirty wounds in his ſecret Gallery, going to bathe himſelf.
So Alladius, (who reigned before Romulus) was a notable contemner of God, and his works; for he aſtoniſht his People with Aartificiall Thunder and Lightning, but at length was deſtroyed in his houſe ſet on fire by True Lightning from Heaven. SobbDiod. lib. 4. alſo the K. of Elide plaid the ſame pranks, and was deſtroyed by a Thunder-bolt for his pains.
Heare what the Lord ſpake to Job;125ccJob 4.9. Haſt thou an arm like God? or canſt thou thunder like him? 'Tis a bold madneſſe to goe about to imitate God in his unimitable works. The counterfeiting of Thunder was common in our Play-houſes; which for that and many other cauſes, were deſervedly ſuppreſſed by Authority.
I have given you divers inſtances of contempt caſt upon this voice of God: To prevent and endure which, reflect upon the dreadful Operations of Thunder and Lightning, which are recorded for our admonition: Thunder hath been often accompanied with fearfull Judgements, as deſtructive Hail, burning flaſhes, ſweeping Rains, and terrible Earth quakes.
In theddStows Chr. p. 102. third year of Edward the firſt, 1275. on Nicholas day, there were great Earth-quakes, Thunders and Lightnings, with an huge Dragon and blazing Star, which made many men ſore afraid. Obſerve, that ſome Lightnings do fill the Aire with impure and hurtful ſmels.
Fulmina & Fulgura ſulphuris Odorem habent,eePlin. Nat. Hiſt. lib. 35. e. 15. ſaith Pliny: Thunder126 and Lightning do oft leave a ſulphurious, Brimſtony, Unſavoury ſmell behind them. So when you read that Sodome was deſtroyed with fire and brimſtone, it may be ſpoken of brimſtony Lightnig from Heaven: For Sodome was deſtroyedffDr. Willet on Gen. 19. p. 184. very ſuddenlyggTertullian Opera. p. 556. in Sodomam. Tertullian ſeemes to be of this minde:
How many have been blaſted with Lightning? How many have ſuffered in their bodies, in their houſes, in their friends, in their Cattel and ſubſtance by Thunder and Lightning?
All which conſidered, we have little reaſon to out-brave Thunder, or jeſt with Lightning.
Inference. 3Thirdly, take hence matter of Admonition to ſix ſeveral Duties; As,
Duty. 1Firſt, when you ſee it Lighten, or heare it Thunder, fear before the great and mighty Jehovah.
1271 Let great ones thinke of it, and know there is one greater then themſelves: Pſal. 29. GivehhPſal. 29.1, 3, 5. unto the Lord O ye mighty, glory and ſtrength: The God of glory thundreth: His voice breaketh the Cedars. He would have the great and mighty Potentates on Earth give glory to the Higheſt, when he thundreth: And leſt they ſhould be puffed up with their owne borrowed and momentary greatneſſe, which is nothing to his; the Kingly Prophet doubleth his charge, Give unto the Lord O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and ſtrength. Yet he is not contented with this, but reinforceth his charge in the ſecond verſe; Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name. Hereby he would give us to underſtand that Kings, Magiſtrates, and great men, called by what title ſoever, ſhould reflect upon themſelves when it Thundreth; and know there is one in Heaven, to whom they muſt give account, who is infinitely greater then themſelves: Therefore as it is their Priviledge to Rule under him, ſo it will be their wiſdome and Honour to Rule for128 him: Elſe God is able to cruſh and break the Cedars, yea the Cedars of Lebanon. None are ſo great, but he is able by Thunder (or otherwayes) to humble them if they claſh againſt the intereſt of Chriſt.
ZanchyiiZanchius Tom. 3. lib. 3. cap. 3. p. 360. writing of the Thunderbolt, ſaith, Quae Regum potentia apponi poſſet? What power of Kings, or ſtrength of Palaces, (though built of Marble) is able to reſiſt it? Claudius thought himſelfe a God, till the loud Thunder affrighted him, then he hid himſelfe, and cried, Claudius non eſt Deus; Claudius is not a God.
Methinks I heare God ſpeaking to every great Potentate, as once to Job;kkIob 40.6, 9, 10. when the Lord anſwered him out of a Whirl-wind: Canſt thou thunder with a voice like him? Decke thy ſelfe now with Majeſty, and excellency, and array thy ſelfe with glory and beauty; caſt abroad the rage of thy wrath, and abaſe the proud. q. d. Do all theſe things if thou canſt, which are done by the Lord; and no creature can tread in his ſteps. There is none like unto thee, O Lord: Thou art great, and thy Name is129 great in might! O who would not feare thee, O King of Nations,llIer. 10.6, 7. ſaith the Prophet Jeremy.
2 Let all perſons feare before the Lord, and humble themſelves in the time of Thunder. Job 37. At this alſo my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place: Heare attentively the noiſe of his voice,mmIob 37.1, 2. the ſound that goeth out of his mouth. He ſpeaks this of Thunder. The Lord (ſaithnnZanch. Tom. 3. lib. 3 cap. 3. p. 360. Zanchy) is able to ſend as many Thunderbolts as you have ſeen Hailſtones in a ſtorm, if he pleaſeth. Then, Quo ſe miſeri mortales verterent? Which way would poor Mortals turn themſelves? Feare therefore and tremble when you muſe of the unlimited power and Majeſty of God. ooPetron.Primus in Orbe Deos, fecit timor: The feare that is in men did firſt bringthem to acknowledg a Deity. Propterea tonitrua, propterea fulminum terrores, ne bonitas Dei contemnatur, ſaithppBaſil: Proaen: ad Reg. fuſius diſputatas. Baſil very well: For this very end, ſaith he, are Thunders and the terrours of Lightning, leſt the patience and goodneſſe of GOD ſhould be deſpiſed by us. Let us feare130 before the greatneſſe of God, whoſe voice it is. qqIob 37.1. 2d 6.Elihu reaſoned for God by the conſideration of his power in this wonderfull work; as you may ſee in Job 37. God thundreth marvellouſly with his voice; Great things doth he which we cannot comprehend. David hath penn'd a Pſalm**Pſal. 29.9. purpoſely to adore God in this Meteor: and hopes that in his Temple every man doth ſpeak of his glory. q. d. Whoſoever obſerves God in Thunder and Lightning, will adore his terrible Out-goings, and magnifie him in the Temple, and ſay, Glory be to God on high.
When it thundreth, ſit downe and reaſon thus with thy ſelfe:What if God ſhould now ſtrike me in my ſin? Could I welcome that Angell that ſhould ſwear, Thy hourglaſſe is run, Time ſhall be no more? Can I clearely evidence my intereſt in Chriſt? Am I now buſied in the Work of God? Do I now employ my ſelfe in that which is lawfull? will my reſt be ſafe, and may I ſafely and comfortably ſleep till this THUNDER is over?(The night being come, appointed for reſt and ſleep.)
131Note. 'Tis to me a marvell how an unpardoned ſinner dare goe to ſleep when it thundreth; who, for ought he knows, may feel the hand of God, and awake in Hell-fire; A Thunder-bolt having parted his ſoule and body.
'Tis better with Evagrius, to lye ſecure on a bed of Straw, then haverrSin will Turpare & Turbare: It brings a ſtaine & ſting. a foul and turbulent conſcience on a bed of Down, having Curtains emboſs'd with Gold and Pearl. We eate, drink, and ſleep, ſaithſſHugo de Animâ lib. 3. Hugo, as if the day of Judgement were paſt & over! Well might Auguſtus ſend to buy that Bed on which a man indebted could ſleep: Till God hath croſſed our Debt book in Heaven, I cannot believe any ſleep to be ſound or ſafe.
So then, at all Times, by Day and Night, when you hear a confuſed noiſe of Thunder afar off, begin to call in thy ſtragling thoughts to God; But eſpecially in its neareſt approaches, let thy heart be ſmitten with an awe of God; and thinke with thy ſelfe;Note. One clap was ſo near, that ſure it was directed to the houſe where thou liveſt, to the heart which thou lodgeſt.
132Duty. 2Secondly, Get into the cleft of the Rock, and under the wing of Chriſt, by Faith and Supplications; and then thou art ſafe in the time of Thunder and Lightning. ttJer. 26.20.Enter into thy chamber and ſhut the doore; hide thy ſelfe as it were for a little while, untill the Lords indignation be over-paſt: Fly to GOD, in JESUS CHRIST, alone, for protection; that you may receive no injury by Thunder and Lightning. Think not that any thing elſe will ſecure you beſides this; For,
1 Some repair unto the ſtrongeſt places for defence and ſhelter; either in their owne houſes, or ſome where elſe; changing their ſeats, and ſhifting from place to place for their preſervation. So Auguſtus when it thundred, fled under ſtrong Arches, and hollow dark Vaults for his protection. But, Dura reſiſtunt; Poroſa autem fulmini tranſitum praebent; Strong places doe chiefly feele the power and fury of a Thunder-bolt, when it may be, weake, porous, and yielding things, give way, and eſcape unhumbled.
Your white and cleare Lightning is133 ſaid to have wonderfull Operations; As touuAriſtot. Meteor. lib. 3. & cap. 1. melt the Blade, ſpare the ſcabbard; Dry up the Wine, leave the Pipe entire; Kill the Embrio, not hurting the Mother. So IwwPlin. Nat. Hiſt. lib. 2. cap. 51. read that Marcia, a Roman Princeſſe, being great with Child, had the Babe in her killed by this meanes, ſhe her ſelfe eſcaping. 'Tis ſurely no ſhelter againſt Thunder and Lightning, to lodge in a Rock of Stone, or be immured with Brazen walls; No ſecurity to be dipped in Styx, or clad in the Armour of Ceneus. We may obſerve, that the ſtrongeſt Towers and Buildings are moſt battered with Thunder.
2 Others, not leſſe fooliſhly, but more ſuperſtitiouſly, aſcribe rare, occult qualities to many vaine and pittiful Remedies, which they believe will protect them in the time of Thunder or Lightning: As to an Eagle, to the skin of a Seale; to the Fig-tree and Bay-tree; to the ringing of Bells, croſſing themſelves, and many other vanities and ſuperſtitions.
Tiberius Caeſar, fulminibus praeterritus, tonante coelo, Lauro coronabatur;134 Tiberius Caeſar in the time of Thunder did put on a Crown of Lawrell for his defence, being very much afraid of THUNDER. Auguſtus Caeſar alwayes wore about him the skin of a Sea-calf, as a preſervative in caſe of Thunder. Porta conceives, becauſe Bay-leaves in a ſtreperous manner doe riſe and rebell againſt the Fire, if you put them into it, that therefore they are good to reſiſt the Lightning; Our Countrey people do generally plant the Bay-tree in their Gardens, as thinking it may preſerve their Houſes, Fruit, and Flowers, from being injured by Lightning.
But in a word, to confute this groſſe ſuperſtition,xxDr. Brown of vulgar errors, lib. 1. cap. 6. p. 100. Vicomercatus produceth experiment of a Bay-tree in Italy, that was it ſelfe blaſted with Lightning. The tree called Haliphleus, is reported to be moſt commonly ſmitten with Thunder and Lightning;yyPlinius Nat. Hiſt lib. 16. cap 6. Wherefore the Pagans for bad the wood of that Tree ſhould be uſed in Sacrifice. Formerly the blinde Papiſts would baptize their Bells in Churches, and thenzzRivius Epiſt. Ded. ante Libros de Relig. p. 245. aſcribe to the found of them (being135 rung) a ſpirituall power againſt evill ſpirits, THUNDER and Lightning.
But nowaaBellarmin de Roman: Pontific. li. 4. cap. 12. Bellarmine (I confeſſe) diſclaims theſe doings. I need not fay much concerning the ſuperſtition of People in former times, about matters of like eſtimation. When the ſhadows of ſuperſtition were ſo over-long, it argued the Sun of our Knowledge, or Zeale was not very high.
3 Laſtly, Some few in the time of Thunder, goe into their Cloſets, and (if it may be done with convenience) betake themſelves, with their Families to Prayer; that they maybbPſal. 29.2, 4. give unto the Lord the glory of all his Attributes and Works; and deſire him to pardon, ſpare, and protect them. The Chriſtians did uſe to meet together, and pray, ingruentibus Tempeſtatibus, ſaithccMuſculus in Pſalm. 29. p. 288. Muſculus; in a violent ſtorm, which is undoubtedly the beſt ſhelter. David ſpeaking of Thunder, bids us, Worſhip the Lord in the beauty of holineſſe, Pſal. 29.
In order thereunto, it is very fit that in the time of dreadfull Thunder, we ſhould lay by all our Recreations, and136 other unneceſſary employments, which may be deferred:Note. The very light of Nature hath taught this: The Romans, ſaithddTul. Cicero. de Divin. li. 2. Tully, held it unfit to keep Court in the time of Thunder and Lightning: Much more unfit is it then to attend any idle recreation: Some have ſo much froth & vanity upon their ſpirits, are ſo eager in play, and ſo paſſionately taken with their ſports and paſtimes, as Cleopatra with her Viper, and the Emperours, Caligula with his Horſe, Honorius with his Hen, and Domitian with Flies; ſo theſe with Bowles, Cheſſe, Muſick, Hunting and Shooting; (not to mention unmanly Recreations) that they will not ſtop nor forbear theſe things in the moſt hideous thunder; they will not lay by the thundring Baſe Viol at ſuch a time; which argues much levity of mind, and little regard of God or his Works: And how much better would Prayer, Meditation, and Religious conference become us at ſuch a time? Keep off, ſaitheeZanch. Tom. 3. lib. 3. cap. 3. p. 363. Zanchy, the evills of Thunder; Fide, paenitentia & precibus; by Faith in CHRIST, Repentance, and Prayer: For prayer in137 Faith is very prevalent with God: That which hindred the roaring Lions from hurting Daniel, or the fiery Furnace from ſcorching the three Children, is the beſt means to ſecure thee alſo from roaring Thunder, and ſcorching Lightning.
Near the City Bern, in the year of our Lord, 1584. a certain Hill is ſaid to be carried violently over other hills, by anffNos terrae motum, & in Nubibus Tonitru, eandem eſſe Naturam dicimus. Ariſtor. Meteor, lib. 2. cap. 9. Earth-quake, and at laſt covered an whole Village that had 90 Families in it, one half houſe only excepted; wherein the Maſter of his Family, with his Wife and Children were earneſtly calling upon God: This is recorded byggPolan Syntag. 841. Trap on Amos 1. Polanus that lived in thoſe parts. O the terrour of the LORD! O the power of Prayer! ſaith one, relating this ſtory.
Duty. 3Thirdly, when the Thunder is over, be not afterwards ſecure, but cheriſh ſtill an awe of God upon your hearts: If it Thunder once, how ſoon is it forgotten? Could we heare it Thunder by Charenton Bridg in France, wch is ſaidhhHowels famil. Letters. to quaver and render the Voice ten times in faire weather; We would not138 ſo ſuddenly forget the crack. 'Tis mentioned as a great Aggravation of King Pharaoh's ſtubbornneſſe,iiExod. 9.34. that after the terrible Thunder and Lightning were over, he ſinned yet more againſt the Lord, and refuſed to let the Iſraelites goe.
Swans Eggs (they ſay) are not hatcht without Thunder: 'Twere well if the purpoſes of many to reforme might at length be hatch'd with the noiſe and feare of Thunder.
Pliny writes of certain preciouskkPlin. Nat. Hiſt. lib. 39. cap. 9. ſtones that cannot be found but in places ſmitten with Thunder: O that Thunder might perfect the divine Jems of Gods graces in us, by cauſing us to feare, truſt and obey him more then we have done. Think not when the Thunder is over, that the great ſhot of Heaven is ſpent or diminiſht.
This was true of their Jupiter, not of God: He hath ſtill a Magazine of Thunder-bolts for daring ſinners. The hot Thunder-bolt ſtrikes but a few, ſaith Seneca, but the Thunder-clap ſhould affright all: No man knowing139 whoſe turne is next. The Lord had rather warn, then ſtrike the children of men.
The Devill being asked which was the beſt Verſe in Virgil, anſwered very well;Diſcite juſtitiam moniti, nee temnite Divos.
Zanchy tells us, that Comets and much Thunder dommZanch. Tom. 3.1.3. cap 3. p. 363. preſage many evills to come: If ſo, then we have not onely cauſe to feare in the time of Thunder, but after it is gone, waiting and preparing for the conſequences of it: Eſpecially, this being the ReaſonnnMendoza in 1 Reg. 2. p. 358. Vol. 1. ſaith Mendoza, why Thunders are ſent, ut incantos ad paenitentiam praemoneat; to warne the unadviſed not to ſin againſt God.
An obſtinate ſinner, when he looks up, ſhould thinke every cloud lined140 with Thunder; Yea, that all the clouds and Planets are in travell with a Thunder-bolt to ruine him; That ſo the heart ſtanding in awe of God, may not preſume to ſin againſt him.
Duty. 4Fourthly, Be not unſenſible of this laſt Winters praeternaturall Thunder: It thundred four or five ſeverall dayes with us in the South, in November, 1657. It is mentioned in ourooStow's Abridgment of Chron. p. 286. Chronicles (as a thing very remarkable) that in the yeare of our Lord, 1563, from the firſt of December, to the 12. there were ſuch continual thundrings and Lightnings; that the like had not been ſeen or heard, by any man living.
Theſe are Proverbial Obſervations among us; Winters Thunder is Summers wonder.
So alſo that,
When the frame of Nature ſeems to be diſordered, and out of courſe, 'tis that which challengeth our obſervation141 and fear, leſt God ſhould be diſpleaſed with the Nation.
Now, that Winters Thunder is beſides the courſe of Nature, will appear by the teſtimonies of Learned men. Tonitru non fit niſi ex vapore adusto; Ideo praecipue fit in Aeſtate, & Tempore magni aeſtus, ſaith Albertus Magnus: Thunder proceeds from hot Vapours, ſo is chiefly in Summer and the time of much heat. The ſameppAlbertus Magnus Paſſ: Aeris. Author ſaith, Winters Thunder preſageth a ſtormy, unſeaſonable, and tempeſtuous yeare following. qqMagirus Nat. Phil. l. 4. c. 4.Another ſaith, Materiae fulminum non poſſunt in altum attrahi, percoqui, & inflammari, niſi a validiſſimo calore, qui eſt in aeſtate. The matter of Thunder and Lightning cannot be drawn up from the Earth, brought to maturity, and kindled in the Aire, without the ſtrongeſt heat, which is in Summer time.
Thunder, ſaithrrZanch. Tom. 3. lib. 3. cap. 3. p. 359. Zanchy. is very rare and marvellous in the depth of Winter; For then, Frigus non ſinit elevari vapores calidos: The cold forbids hot vapours elevation into the Aire. I do not finde any conſiderable Reaſon140 aſſigned by Philoſophers of Winters Thunder: They are all puzled more then a little, and cannot finde from whence it ſhould proceed, unleſſe by Exhalations drawn from the Earth, and collected in the Ayre by Summers heat; which do there abide and remain till diſſolved by Winters Thunder.
Some Prognoſticators have gueſſed at the time of Thunder, oftner miſſing, then hitting the marke. But Winters Thunder makes the Aſtrologer to bluſh, becauſe he could not fore-know or fore ſhew it. Ecclipſes and things of like nature they may fore-ſee, but not Raine, Snow, Thunder, or blazing Comets: Here their skill often failes them: Much more when they wil forejudge of HumaneſſOf the vanity of judicial Aſtrology, conſult Aul: Gellius, lib. 14. cap. 1. Weems, vol. 1. lib. 2. K. Iames of Daemonology. Dr. Reynolds of Paſſions, p. 544. Alſo Geering and Rowland of this Subject. Actions and Events. Cicero hath well obſerved the impoſture of theſe men in the famous caſes of Pompey the Great, Creſſus, and Julius Caeſar; to all whom the Chaldeans & Wizards promiſed a long and proſperous Life, with a quiet and peaceable Death; the contrary of which is ſufficiently atteſted by all Hiſtories.
Thraſeus a Sooth-ſaier having told141 Buſiris, that the way to take the drought from Aegypt was to ſacrifice a ſtranger to Jupiter; Himſelfe being a ſtranger, was preſently ſacrificed. By thettExo. 22.18. Law ſuch are not to live, Exod. 22. And theuuActs 19.19. Magicians being converted to Chriſt, burnt all their Books, which would have yielded 600 pound ſterling. Auguſtus put theſe out of Rome, Claudius out of Italy, and Vitellius out of the World. Sad, if ſuch men ſhall be tollerated in a Chriſtian, in a Reformed Church.
Theſe are lying Vanities, that will hold no water, but ſadly with draw us from the fountain of life.
Let this be one reaſon then of Winters Thunder, to ſhew Aſtrologers how little they know of Gods works, andwwIſa. 44.25. (in the language of the Prophet) to fruſtrate the tokens of the Lyars, to make Diviners mad, and their knowledge fooliſhneſſe. xxMica 3.7.That the Seers may be aſhamed, and the Diviners confounded.
Another reaſon may be, to warn a People of approaching evils: Winters Thunder preſageth no good to the following144 Summer. All theſe diſorders in Nature are for our ſins; Let us humble our ſelves under the mighty hand of God, on all ſuch occaſions.
Duty. 5Fifthly, Learn to truſt this great, and All-powerful God: Put confidence in Jehovah, all yee that feare and ſerve him, for he is able to help and deliver you.
Note. The five wounds of Chriſt are our five Cites of Refuge in the time of trouble. It is not eaſie, ſaith one, to put all the powers of Faith afloat; it requires Chriſts full tide: Say with the Apoſtles, Lord encreaſe our faith.
Faith (ſaithyyAug. contra Julian. lib. 6. cap. 5. Auſtin) ſanat vitiatum à reatu ſtatim, ab infirmitate paulatim: It preſently removes guilt, but infirmity by degrees. Truſt not in any thing elſe beſides God: Externis Praeſidiis utendum, non nitendum.
Rely upon his Power, his Promiſe, and his Providence. When youzzEx eo quod potens eſt, poteſt & ſuos corroborare, ſaith Muſculus of Thunder. Muſc. in Pſalm 29. p. 288. heare him thunder, and with his Voice ſhake the Earthly Globe; Thinke what is there which this God cannot doe for me? Cui voluiſſe, feciſſe eſt, ſaithaaAmbroſe de Bon. mor. cap. 12. Ambroſe; With whom to will and act are the ſame thing.
143Multum intereſt inter loqui & facere, ſed hoc apud homines non Deum, ſaithbbBernard, de Temp. 11. Bernard, to the ſame effect. Every Creature, and Meteor is under the awe of Omnipotency: Say therefore with the three Children, The God whom we ſerve is able to deliver us. King David in Pſalm 29. (which is a Pſal of Thunder) ſpeaks of the power of God manifeſted in that Meteor, and how that power will aſſiſt and protect his People:ccPſalm. 29.1, 4.11. Give unto the Lord glory and ſtrength. The voice of the Lord is powerfull; The Lord will give ſtrength unto his people. So in JobddJob 40.9. Haſt thou an arme like God? Or canſt thou thunder with a voice like him? q. d. Though you have not ſeen his Arme, & though you do not know his power, and what he can do for his People, or againſt his Enemies; yet judge of his Arme, by his Voice. With the Lord nothing is impoſſible, but to do contradiction, to lye, and to deceive. Surely,eePſalm 9.10. Prov. 30.5. Pſalm. 125.1. They that know his Name will truſt in him: He is a ſhield unto his People, and they ſhall be as Mount Sion that cannot be removed.
144Duty. 6Sixthly and laſtly, Let Gods ſpirituall and myſticall Thunder, by his Word, and warnings of his Meſſengers, prevails with you to draw off your hearts from ſin.
Here I will ſhew you two things.
Firſt, how Miniſters are to thunder in their Preaching. ffPlin. Jun. lib. 3. Epiſt. 1. ad Tacitum. Oratio magnifica & excelſa, tonat, fulgurat. ggHieron. Libr. contra Jovin.Jerome faith, Demoſthenes uſed to thunder againſt King Philip. The ſamehhIdem in Apolog. ad Pammac. Ep. 50. Father writes thus, Paulum quotiescunque lego, videor mihi, non verba audire ſed Tonitrua: When I read St. Paul, methinks I do not hear words, but Thunder.
Pericles is ſaid to Thunder and Lighten all over Greece by his Eloquence.
Baſil was ſaid, to Thunder in his doctrine, and Lighten in his converſation. So James the ſon of Zebede, and John the brother of James, were ſirnamed by Chriſt,iiMark 3.17. Boanerges, which is, The ſons of Thunder. Gregory Nazianzen ſaith of thoſe brothers,kkGregory Nazianzen, Orat. 44.1. that by Preaching and Writing for Chriſt, and againſt ſin, they thundred all the world over.
145As Thunder awakens the drowzy, ſo good Preaching the ſecure: It ſpares yielding, but breaks ſtubborn and obſtinate ſinners. Saint PaulllActs 13.9. ſet his eyes upon Elymas: After the Lightning flew from his eyes, the Thunder-clap followed in his reproof.
Ezekiel was bid to ſtamp with his feet; clama & ulula,Ezek. 21. cry and howle aagainſt the Peoples ſins.
How did our SaviourmmSee Mat. 11 and 23 chap. thunder out woes to the People, when he preached on earth? 'Tis then the duty of Miniſters to ſpeak boldly, plainly, powerfully to the conſciences of their People; To cry aloud, to lift up their voice as a Trumpet, and tell Judah of her ſins. We ſhouldnnQuintil. be full of Affections our ſelves, if we deſire to work upon our hearers: andooNazianzen. our authority in preaching is marred by unholy living.
Sad, one day, will be the account of blinde ſeers, ſleepy watchmen, and dumb Dogs, that bark not to fright the Wolf, or warn the Sheep. Many Congregations ſtill continue waſt:No compaſſionate to tell them of fire and brimſtone from Heaven for their ſins: And how146 many ſhoot off a few Potguns againſt groſſe ſins, and then lick them whole with ill applied promiſes. But the blood of the People ſhall be required at their hands.
Nay, the moſt faithful Meſſengers of Chriſt, will acknowledge they come ſhort of their duty: conſidering the invaluable worth of ſoules they have to do with. The beſt of us have ſtammering Tongues in this great Work, and oftentimes wee doe it coldly and by halves: Like Polipheme we ſee but with one eye, like Malchus heare but with one eare, like the Unicorn puſh againſt ſin, but with one horne; like the Benjamites, caſting ſtones with one hand, and like the Amazons giving ſuck but with one Breaſt, as one complaineth. We do not thunder in the Pulpit as we ſhould, nor lighten in our converſation as we might. Many times we pray, as if we prayed not, and preach as if we preached not: The good Lord lay not this coldneſſe to our charge!
Caution. Let me here lay in a Caution;
Place not good Preaching in loud ſpeaking; Judge of a Miniſter by his147 Brains, not Lungs, by his Heart, not Throat; and rather by his Matter, then Voice or Tone.
Demoſthenes when he heard an Orator bellow with a loud and roaring voice, ſaid,ppEraſmus. Non quod magnum eſt bene eſt, ſed quod bene eſt magnum eſt, I mark rather the goodneſſe then loudneſſe of an Oration. Had the Miniſter a voice like Stentor, or Farellus; Yet if his Matter were not grave, ſollid, and judicious; his Preaching would amount to Magno conatu nihil diſcere, an expence of much paines in beating the air, without ſaying any thing for Edification: SoqqStob. Serm. 43. Theocritus ſaith of Anaximenes, that he powred out a flood of words, and a drop of Reaſon. 'Tis good ut ſoni magnitudinem pro loci moderemur amplitudine; that our voice be no louder then for all the People to heare us,rrVoſſius Inſt. Orat. lib 6. cap. 10. p 508 ſaith Voſſius. Therefore let not the voice be the main thing you eſteem in a Miniſter; for as a good Moſes may be defective therein, ſo the meaneſt voice hath ſome hidden grace and power to attend it.
148Secondly, as Miniſters ſhould Thunder in their Preaching, ſo people ſhould gladly receive their admonitions, be warned and awakened by the Thunder of their reproofs; ſaying as the People once to Moſes, Speake thou with us and we will heare, but let not God ſpeake with us (any more by Thunder) leſt we dye. In vooe hominis Tuba Dei; The Goſpell is Gods Trumpet at mans mouth. When St. Paul thundred, reaſoning of righteouſneſſe, temperance, and judgement, unhappyſſAſts 24.25. Foelix trembled. How ſhall God hear the Miniſter praying for you, (ſaid Gregory to King Ethelbert) if you will not heare him ſpeaking from God? The Lord (ſaith one) might have preacht to you in the flames, as once in the Mount Sinai; or by the Miniſtry of Angels, and you would not have been able to heare it; But now God is not in the Fire, nor in the Earth quake, but in the voice of a man like your ſelves; he ſpeaks to you by his Ambaſſadors; Will not Love conquer? Will you not heare, obey, and live? If you refuſe to heare Moſes and the Prophets, neither would you be149 convinced, if the Dead ſhould ariſe to warne you, if Angels ſhould preach in your Pulpits, or the Lord give you vocall and articulate Sermons in Thunder from Heaven.
Object. But what if ſome what in the lives of Miniſters ſhould contradict the word which they preach?
I anſwer,
Solution. 1 Bleſſed be God, diſorderly Teachers are pretty well purged out.
2 If any continue, it is the fault of them that do not bring their wickedneſſe to light; that ſuch may be rooted out, who make the offering to be abhord; The ſins of Teachers being teachers of ſins.
3 Such as feare God ſhould endeavour to reap all the benefit they can, from ſuch as preach the Truth, but live not accordingly in all things: God ſpake to Moſes out of a Buſh; We muſt attend to the words of a Miniſter, though himſelfe be fruitleſſe: In which ſenſe we may be ſaid to gather Grapes of Thorns, and Figs of Thiſtles.
Note. Though there be no fire nor heat in the Bellows, yet blowing with them150 may awaken and kindle fire on the hearth: Unſanctified Miniſters may poſſibly convert and comfort ſinners. Admit the Miniſter be ſinfull, ſhall the People deſpiſe his Doctrine? Our SaviourttMat. 23.3. forbids it. Was the glory of the Arke any thing diminiſhed, when it came from the Philiſtins? Scripture is Scripture, though uttered by Satan. Non ergo merita perſonarum, ſed officia ſacerdotum conſiderentur, ſaithuuAmbroſe cap. 5. De iis qui myſteriis initiantur. Ambroſe: Look not ſo much on the worthineſſe of their perſons, as the weight of their office and employment.
I have ſtayed here the longer, becauſe ſome Expoſitors do underſtand this of Job, to be meant rather of moral, then natural Thunder, viz. The higheſt Publications of Gods power and greatneſſe.
Inference. 4Fourthly and laſtly, This diſcourſe of Thunder brings an Olive-branch of Peace and Comfort for the Saints. There is no Point ſo terrible, but it brings ſweetneſſe to Gods people, as the Lion did Honicombs to Sampſon. Tully ſaith of Syracuſe in Sicily, that151 no one day paſſeth in which the Sun ſhineth not clear upon them. Note. This I dare affirme, there is not any day ſo black, ſtormy, and tempeſtuous; ſo full of pain, ſorrow, or diſtraction, but a childe of God hath ſome inviſible cordiall to ſtay and ſuport him; ſome divine Ray of conſolation darted on his ſoule to prevent deſpair. That Thunder hath in its mouth an Olive-branch of Peace for the intereſſed in Chriſt, you may gather from the 29 PſalmwwPſalm 29.9, 11. The voice of the Lord makes the hindes to calve, and in his Temple doth every man speake of his glory, Or, (as it is in your Margent) In his Temple every whit of it uttereth his glory. q. d. A Saint may take occaſion from Thunder to magnifie and praiſe God, for his power in the Thunder-claps, and for his goodneſſe in their preſervation, who attend his Temple. A Believer can with the PſalmiſtxxPſalm 148.4. alarm the heavenly Meteors to glorifie God: Praiſe him Fire and Haile, ſnow and vapours, ſtormy windes fulfilling his will. The Lord, ſaith David, will give ſtrength unto his people, the Lord will bleſſe his152 people with peace. This uſe he makes of the Doctrine of Thunder, as the Reader will finde it, Pſalm. 29.11. The Lord will give ſtrength unto his people, and bleſſe them, in tempore tonitru, ſaith Aben Ezra; this he will do in the time of Thunder. So in the 18 Pſalm:yyPſal. 18.6, 16. In my diſtreſſe I cryed to my God; he heard my voice, he ſent from above, he took, he drew me out of many waters. Now look juſt before, and you will finde in nine or ten Verſes a lively and terrible deſcription of Thunder and Lightning.
So again, by the Prophet Nahum;zzNahum 1.6, 7. Who can ſtand before his indignation? who can abide the fierceneſſe of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him: The Lord is good, a ſtrong hold in the day of trouble, & he knoweth them that truſt in him. Thus you ſee it proved by Scripture, that in Thunder and tempeſts, in all dangers, theaaProv. 18.10. Name of the Lord is a ſtrong tower, and the righteous run into it, and are ſafe. bbPſal. 91.11.He will give his holy Angels charge over them to keep them in all their wayes.
153Now let us ſee, from what coaſt the People of God ſhall fetch comfort in the time of Thunder and Tempeſt?
I anſwer,
From naturall and ſpirituall confiderations:
1 Naturall, ſuch as theſe.
1 THUNDER is from naturall cauſes; ſo is not alwayes an Argument of Gods diſpleaſure; no more then Haile, Snow, Raine, or any other Meteor. Though Thunder ever proclaims the power of God, yet it doth not always trumpet forth his Anger.
2 Oftentimes it hath good effects on the Aire and Earth. ccSen. lib. 2. Nat. q cap. 31.Seneca the Philoſopher ſaith, that ſome Thunders deſtroy the poyſon that is in Serpents, Ipſir ſerpentibus illaeſis. And divers tell us of Thunders that help to purge and purifie the Aire,Leigh's Treatiſe of Divinity, li. 3. c. 4. doing much good in times of ſickneſſe and infection. Derat aerem conſumptis venenoſis halitibus.
2 But the Saints may chiefly draw comfort from ſpirituall conſiderations, ſuch as theſe.
154Comfort. 11 Of old God was wont to reveale himſelfe by Thunder; but now ſee his goodneſſe, he ſpeaks to you in a ſoft and ſtill voice. Of old it was,eePſalm 18.8. I heard thee in the ſecret of the Thunder! But, in theſe laſt dayes he hath spoken to us by his Son, and Ambaſſadors ſent by him.
Comfort. 22 Thunder is ordered by the Almighty: Though Angels may be Inſtruments; though the Earth, Air, and Stars may contribute help in a naturall way of production; Yet God is the efficient and principal Agent, & Thunder is ſtillffExod. 9.23. 2 Sam. 22.14. 1 Sam. 7.10. aſcribed to God. As the voice of a Man is governed and ordered by him that ſpeaks; ſo is Thunder by the Lord, it being his Voice,ggPſalm 29.1. ad 9. as you have heard. Though Thunder be a terrible weapon, yet remember 'tis in the hand of your gracious Father.
Note. How carefull is the loving Father about Piſtols ready charged, if his little children be near them? This affection of Parents to Children is ruggedneſſe and cruelty, if compared with the mercies and compaſſions of our God. The very Rebukes of God are all dipped in155 mercy:hhJer. 31.20. Since I ſpake againſt Ephraim, I do earneſtly remember him; I will ſurely have mercy on him, ſaith the Lord.
Are not Bullets from the roaring Cannon in time of Battell ordered by the Lord? (which is clear in holyiiJer. 39.17, 18. Iob 5.20. Pſalm 140.7. Eccleſ. 9.11. Pſalm 91.7. writ) And do Thunder-bolts, from Gods owne Fort-Royal, come by chance? do his ſwift Lightnings flye without commiſſion? When David had ſet forth this worke of God, he adds; The Lord ſitteth King for ever, Pſalm 29.10. God is King over Angels, over men; over all Meteors, and creatures; He commands, rules, and orders them for time, place, perſon,Iob 37.4. opened. and manner of operation. See Job 37: 4. He thundreth with the voice of his excellency, & he will not ſtay them when his voice is heard. Not ſtay THEM; that is, New flaſhes of Lightning; or ſhowrs of Hail or Rain; which uſually break out, either when it thundreth, or by and by after in a violent and impetuous manner. (Marke) He will not STAY them. Note. Intimating, he can when he ſeeth good: Thunder-bolts and angry156 Hail-ſtones muſt have leave and commiſſion from God, or they cannot ſtir.
Object If it be ſo; then may ſome object, ſurely none of Gods children ſhall receive any prejudice by theſe things!
To which I anſwer,
Solution. 1 If any ſhould ſuffer by Thunder, and Lightnings, you may not (for that) conclude them enemies of God: No man knowing DivinekkEccleſ. 9.1. Love or Hatred by any outward Diſpenſations. Thinke notllLuke 13.4. ſaith Chriſt, that thoſe 18 men on whom the Tower in Siloe fell, and ſlew them, were ſinners above all that dwelt in Jeruſalem; I tell you nay. If we ſhould judge thus, We might condemn the generation of Gods children, who have ſuffered as much (if notmmLam. 4 6. Dan. 9.12. more) then any others in the world, one way or other.
2 ſometimes they are in bad places, or employments with the wicked; and then no marvell if the good be ſwept away with the bad: Thus the Carkaſes of Moſes and Aaron fell in the Wilderneſſe, they proving incredulous157 with the reſt of the people.
3 It may be, the Lord foreſeeth greater evills and tryals would befall them, in caſe they eſcaped. Thus Joſiah was ſlain in Battel; yet becauſe he lived not to ſee the miſeries of ſucceeding times,nnDr. Gouge his 3 Arrows, p. 18. he is ſaid to Goe unto the grave in peace.
4 Hereby the Lord doth allarm and warn all wicked men and Hereticks what tooo1 Pet. 4.17. expect at his hands, ſeeing he deales thus ruggedly and ſeverely with his own children many times.
5 Though ſome of Gods children ſhould ſuffer by the Peſtilence, Thunder or War, yet uſually, he doth preſerve his People in ſuch perillous times: So Lotpp2 Pet. 2.9. Ezek. 9.4, 6. Rev. 18.4. was pulled out of Sodome, that he might not be deſtroyed with Lightnings and Fire from Heaven; The three Children eſcaped the Fire, and Noah the Deluge, the Lord often marking out his People, that Temporal calamities do not lay hands upon them.
6 If Saints periſh by Thunder-bolts, or any other untimely, ſudden, & fearfull death, they yet receive no injury in theſe Diſpenſations;Note. For hereby they158 are but haſtned into Heaven, though with Eliah in a fiery (or bloody) charet. The Lord doth them no wrong to hurry them out of ſin, temptation, miſery and mortality, into an eſtate of glory and bliſſe eternall; ſo turning them over from Faith to Viſion, from Expectation to Fruition. Mala quae ſancti patiuntur ad Deum ire compellūt, ſaith Gregory. All fearfull Diſaſters which rob the SAINTS of Life, do but ſerve as a rough winde to blow them ſuddenly into their deſired Haven, I mean Heaven. Quid intereſt utrum Febris, an ferrum de corpore ſolverit? Non quâ occaſione, ſed quales ad ſe exeant, Dominus attendit in ſervis ſuis, ſaithqqAug Epiſt. 122. ad vict: Auſtin very well. It matters not, ſay I, whether a burning Feaver, or flaſh of Lightning, whether a ſtone in thy Bladder, or Thunderſtone in thy Head, ſend thee out of this miſerable world. God minds not, ſaith Auſtin, the immediate occaſion of thy coming to him, but the condition and poſture thy ſoul is in, when it cometh. The thing which God looks at is, whether thou art growing on the Crabſtock159 of the Firſt Adam, or art ingrafted into Jeſus Chriſt. Sancti qui mala temporalia patiuntur, habent ſuas conſolationes, & ſpem futuri ſeculi, ſaith therrAug. Ibid. ſame Father. In all their ſufferings they have this Cordial, the hope of a bleſſed Eternity with God.
Thus you ſee what to think of good men dying by Lightning, Tempeſts, and Thunder-bolts.
Comfort. 33 Thunder and Lightning have bin ſerviceable to the Saints, and may be again. Note. Lightning came from heaven to kindle their Sacrifice, and manifeſt that God was with them. So probably for Abel, as Jerome and others think; for the Lord by ſome outward and viſibleſſGen. 4.4. Teſtimony did approve of the Sacrifice of Abel, not of Cain; And moſt likely, by ſending a Fire from Heaven to kindle the wood for Sacrifice. But 'tis certain he dealt thus with thett1 Reg. 18.38. Levit. 9.24. 2 Par. 7.1. Sacrifices of Elijah, and of Moſes and Aaron, and King Solomon. When the People ſaw it they marvelled, and cried out, The Lord he is God. So it may be a flaſh of Lightning rendred that Charet fiery that haduu2 Reg. 2.11. Elijah to Heaven160 in the Whirl-wind, through the help of flaming Seraphims, and bleſſed Angels, that encompaſſed, and drew the Charet to Heaven.
Again, Thunder and Lightning have appeared in behalfe of the Church, againſt ſuch as were enemies to her truth or peace.
1 To her Truth; So FirewwLevit. 10.2. came and deſtroyed Nadab and Abihu for offering ſtrange fire before the Lord to ſhew us Humana non ad miſcenda divinis, ſaith Procopius; that humane fancies muſt not intermingle with divine things. We muſt take heed, ſaith Calvin, that we do not alay his worſhip with mans inventions.
Note. Now, that the fire by which Nadab and Abihu were ſlaine, was no other then Lightning is to me very probable; in that, neither their Bodies nor Garments were touched or burned by the flame, as you may gather from thexxLevit. 10.4, 5. following diſcourſe; for they were carried forth in their Coates to be buried. Lightning is of a ſubtle nature, and might pierce their inward parts, not hurting the outward: Some Lightnings161 kill, Penetrando, non comburendo; This Fire being coeleſtiall, rather then purely Elementary, conſumes not the things which have pores and paſſages, but rather where it finds reſiſtance; as it melts the ſilver, not hurting the purſe: So their Fleſh and Garments, being full of pores, might give way to the flaſh, andyyAnnotat. in Locum. & Toſtatus. yet it might ſuffocate the ſpirits, and by drinking up the radicall moiſture, cauſe Death.
Olympus, the Arrian Heritick, bathing himſelf, uttered words againſt the bleſſed Trinity,zzTheatre of Gods judgements, lib. 1. cap. 9. p. 64. but a three-fold Thunder-bolt ſtrook him dead in the ſame place.
The complices of Corah, Datha•, and Abiram,aaNumb. 16.35. who uſurped the Prieſts Office, were deſtroyed with Fire from the Lord. A warning-piece for ſuch as now uſurp the Miniſterial Function, uncur'd, uncal'd, un-ordained. Let them take heed leſt Thunder and Lightning be their ruine, when they preſume to vent their illiterate, crude, incoherent, and blaſphemous ſtuffe: Theſe are not Paſtors, but Impoſtors, St. Paul ſaith, How ſhall they preach except they be162 ſent? What have they to do with his honour, unleſſebbHeb. 5.4. Called of God as was Aaron? Let the Reader conſult that notable place, Zech. 13. from the third verſe to the fifth: And oh that ſuch men would make the like acknowledgment in theſe dayes, and humbly acquieſce in their former courſe andcc•Cor. 7.24. 1 Theſ. 4.11. Trade of life.
Let Magiſtrates take heed ofdd1 Reg. 12.31. Jeroboams ſin, who ſuffered the loweſt of the people to invade the Prieſt-hood; Nayee1 Reg. 13.33. any that had an itch towards it. This became ſin to the houſe of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and deſtroy it from the face of the earth. We are Ambaſſadors for Chriſt, ſaith the Apoſtle: 'Tis Treaſon to undertake an Embaſſy, without commiſſion. I ſent them not, yet they ran, ſaith the Lord: RAN, not knowing Why nor Whither; like Ahimaaz in Samuel; and like him too they can tell no tidings, as one very well obſerves:Note. For climbing on high with the Ape, they do but ſhew their own deformities. Many now alive ſhall ſee the blaſting of theſe Men, either with Lightning, or in their gifts. I pray163 God give them repentance to life, that they no longer play the young Vipers in gnawing out the bowels of their mother, the Church.
2 As Thunder or Lightning or both have appeared for the Church againſt the enemies of her Truth, ſo alſo of her Peace: You have ſeene how the Lord hath fought for Iſrael againſtffExod 9.23, 38. 1 Sam. 7.10. Pſalm 18.13, 14. Pharaoh, with Thunder & Lightning; and againſt the enemies of Samuel and David with the ſame Artilery. Never count your eſtate low and deſperate, ſo long as Heaven hath Hail-ſhot, Lightnings, and Thunder-bolts, to relieve his people, and cruſh their enemies.
Comfort. 44 No ſtorm, no Thunder in Heaven but that of Halelujahs: Though the glory of Jeſus Chriſt be much brighter then Lightning, yet it ſhall neither terrifie nor ſcortch us in Heaven. Note. Who ſhall endure everlaſting burninge? ſaith the ProphetggIſa. 33.14, 15. Iſaiah: He that walketh righteouſly, and ſpeaketh uprightly.
Saints triumphant ſhall be able to abide and endure the flame of Gods glory; For gold and Jewels, (ſuch are believers) will not ſuffer by fire. Above164 the Moon there is nothing but ſerenity, peace and tranquility: There will be an everlaſting calm in Heaven; Nothing but reſt and joy; nothing to moleſt or affright us. On Earth ſtormes and Tempeſts, Thunder and Lightning, Hail and ſhowrs, Wars and commotions, terrours and troubles; The Sea is reſtleſſe, and all that ſail therein: All the creatures on the earth, in the Aire, and great Deep, are in continual agitation, in perpetual labour and motion: Then looke a little lower, not one moment of reſt or eaſe in Hell. But oh the bleſſed Tranquility that is in Heaven! What a glorious change will there be? When Peter was on the Mount, encompaſſed with glory, by and by a cloud overſhadowed him: But no cloud in Heaven to darken us; No cloud in Heaven, big with ſtorms and Thunder, to break over us, and to terrifie and annoy us: There will be Summer without Winter; Day without night; Sun-ſhine without ſhade; Calm without any interpoſing ſtorm; for all motion ends at the Center. There is no Earthquake in Heaven;Heb. 12.28. opened. That is a City that165 hath Foundations; 'Tis a kingdome that cannot be ſhaken. Conſider that place, with the coherence; Heb. 12.28. Juſt before he ſpake of Gods ſhaking the earth with his voice; For at the delivery of the Law there was dreadful thunder, by whoſe cracks the Mount quaked and trembled. And yet once more the Lord will ſhake by moſt violent Thunders, Not onely the Earth, but the Heavens: Not only Men, but Angels; who ſhall quake and ſtand amazed at the dreadfull appearance of Chriſt in judgment. This will be ſuch a ſhaking of Heaven and Earth, as will looſen and diſſolve the whole Frame; ſo that the things ſhaken (viz. Earth & Heaven) ſhall be removed and aboliſhed; But Heaven (which is above all viſible heavens) the ſeat of bleſſed Souls, is (ſaith the Author) a kingdome that cannot be ſhaken: That is to ſay, by Thunder or any thing elſe. ThenhhIob 37.2. Caution for Saints. Elihu ſhall ſay no more, Heark it Thundreth! There ſhall be no more ſorrow nor crying, no paine nor feare; all former things being paſſed away. Our Thunder is no more heard by glorified Saints,166 then their Halelujahs are by us.
And now having ſpread before Saints theſe Conſolations; Let me adjoyne thereto a neceſſary caution, which concerns all Believers, but eſpecially thoſe of the weaker Sex. The Caution is this;
Not to be ſcared,Caution for Saints. affrighted, or tranſpored in the time of Thunder and Lightning, ſtorms and Tempeſts by Land or Sea; as to ſpeak or act things unbeſeeming their moſt holy profeſſion.
And that there may be no miſtake,iiWeems portraicture of Gods image in man. p. 218 volumn 4. Divines tell us of ſix ſorts of Feare. 1. Naturall, whereby every creature ſhuns its deſtruction. 2. Humane, which ariſeth from a too vehement deſire of this life, with the continuance and comforts thereof; Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life. 3. Mundane, when a man feares the loſſe of Tranſitories more then the loſſe of Gods favour: Many that thought well of Chriſt, did not confeſſe him for fear of the Phariſees & Excommunication. Note. 4. There is a Servile fear, whereby men long to avoid the puniſhment of ſin, yetkkIſay 35.4. Luke 12.32. ſtill entertain a love and167 liking to ſin: Some call it Eſau's feare. Others, the Adulterous feare: becauſe the Adultereſs is afraid of her husband, leſt he ſhould ſurprize and puniſh her; She feareth thellQui recte timet Deum nihil timer praeter eum. Origen in Levit. 16. Law and ſhame, more then her husbands diſpleaſure. 5. Initiall Fear, is when we are deterred from ſin, partly out of feare to diſpleaſe and grieve the Lord, and partly becauſe of the conſequence and wofull wages of ſinne. 6. There is a Filiall feare in Saints,mmMat. 10.28. Acts 10.2. Heb. 11.26. Mal. 1.6. Luke 2.25. as a good Wife fears her Husband, leſt he ſhould be grieved, and a loving Child feares the frown of his Father, more then the Rod.
Now obſerve it well,
Note. 1 Some ſorts of Feare are From and With the ſpirit of Grace; as Initial and Filial fear.
2 Some Fear is From, but not With the Spirit; as Servile fear.
3 Again, ſome feare is With the Spirit, but not From him; As Natural and Humane fear.
4 Laſtly, ſome Fear is neither From nor With the Spirit; and ſuch is Mundane, Baſe Feare.
168If then, your fear of Thunder be only naturall, it is neither good nor evill: If it proceed from annRes eſt imperioſa Timer. Martial. lib. 2. Epiſt. 59. paſſionate and inordinate deſire of life, we muſt ſtrive againſt it, and begin to ſuſpect things are not with us as they ſhould be: If you fear Thunder, more then the Thunderer and his diſpleaſure; Then it is ſinfull: If you fear, when it Thundreth, leaſt God ſhould then ſmite you in and for your ſin; This is a ſlaviſh Fear, and wicked men have it:Note. But, if you fear Thunder and Lightning only as ſignes of Gods Power and Majeſty, deſirous to honour & worſhip him, and hoping you ſhall not grieve or diſpleaſe ſo good and gracious a Father, though ten thouſand worlds were folded up in a Temptation; THIS certainly is a Filial, Holy, and Bleſſed Fear.
You then that have a ſhare in Chriſt, give not way to a ſervile and ſlaviſh feare of Thunder and Lightning; which makes People hide themſelves, and be almoſt at theirooIn metu conſilia prudentium, & vulgi rumor juxta audiuntur. Tacit. in Hiſt. lib. 3. cap. 11. wits end; ſpeaking raſhly and unadviſedly with their Lips, and doing thoſe things, which are far from ſuiting with their holy profeſſion;169 That we ſhould rather take them to be Children or Mad-men, to be Pagans or Robbers of Churches; (In a word) to have ſome notable guilt upon them, as Parricide, Inceſt, Adultery, Murder or Perjury; then to be ſerious, intelligent, and blameleſſe Chriſtians; But that we are commanded to judge no man before the time. O let the fear of God diſpoſſeſſe your hearts of all ſervile, inordinate and ſlaviſhppMar. 18.28. Timorem Timere pellit, us clavum clavo. Fears: If the feare of any thing unhinge you, and render you unfit for Gods ſervice, or the employments of your Calling, ſit down and ſadly conclude; That feare is not of God.
Object. But (may ſome objest) when it Thundred on Mount Sinai, Moſes quaked & feared exceedingly, Heb. 12.21.
Solution. To this I anſwer. 1. qqExo. 19.16.All the people feared; ſo Moſes might be drawn by their example; it might be his infirmity.
2 Moſes well knew this Thunder was ſupernaturall and miraculous, ſo had reaſon to quake.
3 Auſtin ſaith, Brevis differentia legis & Evangelii, timor & amor. The170 Law produced feare, but the Goſpel love.
4 Moſes was afraid when it thundered, but not as the people were; Timuit Moſes, ſed non Timore ſervili, ut populus, ſaith Ferus. Moſes indeed feared, but his feare was not (like the peoples) ſervile, but Filial; which wasrrTimere Deum eſt nulla quae facienda ſunt Bona praeterire, faith Gregor. in Mor. nothing elſe but a religious reverence, and holy obſervance andſſNemo melius diligit, quam qui maxime veretur offendere. Salvian. Ep. 4. awe of Gods Majeſty and Power. Feare ſhould be the childe of goodneſſe, not cruelty; the one is joyned with love, the other with hatred.
Let wicked men feare Thunder with a ſlaviſh and helliſh feare: Omnes conſcius ſtrepitus timet, ſaith Seneca; A guilty conſcience feareth every noiſe. ttPhilip. in Job.Aliud eſt timere quia peccaveris aliud ne pecees: 'Tis one thing to be affrighted after villany; another thing to fear, leſt you offend God. uuJuvenal. 13.Juvenal writing of guilty perſons, calling to minde their wickedneſſe when it thundreth, ſaith thus,
Let it paſſe for the true character of a wicked wretch, to be ſtill, intrepidus ad culpam, timidus ad paenam; fearleſſe in ſinning, and fearfull of vengeance. 'Tis a vile heart that fears Thunder more then ſin; which ſaith Chryſoſtme,wwChryſoſtome, Hom. 5. in Ep. ad Rom. is to be feared more then Hell. We are worthy, ſaith he, of Hell, if for no other cauſe, yet for fearig Hell, and the evills of puniſhment, more then Chriſt. Manifeſt you have the ſpirit of Love & Adoption, by cruſhing all unworthy and uncomely feares, in the time of Thunder. A greater Thunder muſt come, wherein the Saints ſhall not fear, but ſhout for joy; For when the waves of the Sea ſhal mount up their foaming Billows; when the Earth under us ſhall tremble with moſt terrible Earthquakes, and have throws like a woman in travell; When Lightnings ſhall be our chief Light, and the Heavens over us roar with dreadful Thunder.
In a word; When this goodly frame of Nature ſhall be on fire; Then all true Believers ſhall lift up their heads, becauſe their Redemption draws nigh.