Ecclesiastes The worthy church-man, or the faithfull minister of Iesvs Christ. Described by polishing the twelve stones in the high-priests pectorall, as they were first glossed and scholyed on in a Synod-sermon; and after enlarged by way of discourse, to his two brethren. By Iohn Iackson parson of Marske in Richmond-shire.

THE POLISHING OF THE Twelve stones in the High-Priests Pectorall.

IT is usuall (my good brothers) to earne the favour of great Ones by writing bookes for their use, and entitu∣ling them to their names for their honor. I will essay against no man, but suffer every one to enjoy his owne wisdome. I chose rather to give my thoughts issue upon a few sheetes of paper to you: both be∣cause I deeme it more honest to pay debts, then to offer Presents, and to serve vertue before fame: and also because I remēber what I lately read in* 1.1 Ma∣chiavel, that wise childe in his generation, that af∣fected things doe procure more envy, then those which without oftentation are honestly covered.

The theam that I choose being a Church-man, & writing unto Church-men, is to make a draught of A WORTHIE ECCLESIASTES, and a deserving Church-man indeed.

I will not at all preface in generall termes, which like lightning breaketh in the ayre, but seazeth on no particular subject; it is better to cull out some text of holy Scripture to be the burthen of my dis∣course, and I know none fitter then to polish those twelve precious stones in the High Priests Pecto∣rall, as they are twise set downe by Moses in these words,

The Text. Exod. Ch. 28. v. 17, 18, 19, 20. and also Chap. 39. ver. 10, 11, 12, 13.

And they filled the breast-plate with foure rowes of stones. The order was thus: A Sardius, a Topaze, and a Carbuncle, in the first row. And in the second row, an Emeraud, a Saphire, and a Diamond. And in the third row, a Ligure, an Achate, and an Amethyst. And in the fourth row, a Tarshish, an Onyx, and a Iasper. And they shall be set in ouches of Gold.

Which place is notoriously concentrique, with that Apocalyp. Chap. 21. vers. 19, 20. The foundations of the wall of the City were garnished with all manner of pretious stones, the first foundation was Iasper, the second of Saphire, &c. Yet I perceive some termes of difference; those are fundamen∣tals, these superstructives; those to adorne a City, the new Ierusalem, these the watchmen of that city; those signified the 12. Apostles, these the twelve Tribes; those have neither all of them the same or∣der, nor the same names with these: for the Iasper which is the first there, is last here; and foure of those names, the Calcedony which is the third, the Chrysolite the seventh, the Chrysoprase the tenth, the Hyacinth, the eleventh; though (as S. Hierome, and our English Rabbin) they be the same stones, yet are they otherwise called.

In both of which places we must not be sod 1.2 su∣perstitiously religious of the barke and shell of the letter, as to neglect the kernel of the spiritual sense; We may not thinke these or those stones were on∣ly

for ornament and shew, nothing for use and sig∣nificancy. It is as easie to imagine a shadow with∣out a body, a ceremony without a substance, a type without an antitype, a prophecy without an ac∣complishment, a promise without a performance, as that nothing is hid under these stones. Vnder the leaves of metaphors are often the sweetest truths. Vnloose Benjamins sacke, and the piece of plate will be found; unvaile Moses his face and it will shine. Yet know I not any text of holy Scripture more burthened with descant of mans wit, which useth to churne the sin∣cere milke of the word till it bring forth butter, and wring the nose (prophanely called a nose of wax) till blood comee 1.3. What vexed questions are here about the names, colours, properties of these stones? What paralleling of every stone with a se∣verall Patriarch? what citing of the authorities of Pliny, Dioscorides, Albertus, Aristotle, as if God and nature had taken these into their cabinet-coun∣sells in producing their works? but be these things left to those who can trifle with a great deale of in∣dustryf 1.4; they are rightly censured already to bee Magorum vanitasg 1.5, learned triflesh 1.6, and we cannot better either confute their tenets, or pu∣nish the authors, then by a forgetfull neglect, and writing that in sand which they thought to have cut in marble. I will not offer you that losse, as to obtrude on you any thing which my selfe hath beene more curious to know, then credulous to believe.

Thus much is emergent hence by good conclu∣sion,

that the legall Priesthood then, and the Euange∣licall Ministery now, should bee as jewels and precious stones. If Aaron and his sonnes were so under the Law, surely Christ and his Apostles, and those who succeed them, are no lesse under the Gospell; it is well therefore that they are mentioned by St. Iohn, as well as Moses; in the New Testament, as well as the Old; in the New Ierusalem, as well as the old Tabernacle. We should all be Gems and Iewels in∣deed, as that worthy Antistas of Salisbury B. Iewell, was both in name and nature, according to the Greeke Lyricks of Io. Brosserius a French man in his Epitaphl 1.7.

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Iewels and stones of price wee are or should be: first in the esteeme of God, of whose mysteries wee are disposers; let men thinke of us as meanely as they will, we are a chosen generation, and a royall Priesthood to him, amat gentē nostrā, he loves the Tribe of Levi, as they in the Centurions behalfe, Luke 7. Secondly, at the rate of good men, if the Galathians will give their eies for Paul, the Milanois will give animam pro Ambrosio, their lives for their Ambrose. Thirdly, in regard of those rich endow∣ments, and vertuous habits of grace, which by co∣working with God we should labour by frequent and iterated acts, to introduce both into our owne and others soules. Brightman a man of a right heart and bright braine (his particular conceits reserved) I warrant him, expresseth himselfe in these words,

which may serve for a good glosse on my Text, m 1.8 It is certaine (saith he) that the excellency of gifts wherewith teachers excell above other men, are noted unto us in this place by those things which are most precious of all other upon the earth: and withall wee are hereby taught, both what precious accompt God makes of such teachers, as also how greatly they ought to be esteemed amongst men; and it is no lesse certaine that every one of these excellēt vertues did shine forth most cleerly long agoe in the old Apostles. So he.

I need not trespasse against mine owne ease to labour for either words or method; not for words, for rare beauties are most lovely plaine dres∣sed, and stones rich in themselves shew best set in a foyle: not for method, it is already ordo quincunx, one breast-plate into foure rowes, and those foure rowes into twelve stones, three in each row; as the yeere into foure quarters, and those foure quarters into twelve moneths, three in each quarter: or me∣thodo analytica, twelve stones contracted into foure rankes, and those foure into one pectorall.

So then according to the number of the stones, there are to be 12. severall rhapsodies or divisions in this discourse, as there are twelve chapters in the booke of the Preacher; or as Ahijah taking hold on * 1.9 Ieroboams garment rent it into 12. peices; in eve∣ry one of which shall bee touched first the hidden vertue of the stone, for I verily thinke there is no pre∣tious stone without some egregious vertue, as Cardan l 1.10 who made Millaine as famous for a Philosopher, and a Physitian, as St. Ambrose did it for a Bishop▪ Secondly, the apparent colour or visible quality, which is limited and bounded in the surface and

extremity thereof, which is so notable as many Ar∣morists blazon by the colours of precious stones. You cannot expect from me any digression at all, or long commoration upon any thing in prose∣cuting these things. I may truly say as she prevari∣cated with our Saviour Iohn 4. The well is deepe, and I have little to draw with. I will therefore doe no more but lap of these waters tanquam canis Nilum, or as Gideons souldiers Iudg. 7. & not so much nei∣ther, till I have darted forth one ejaculation.

The Prayer.

BLessed Saviour, who in thine incarnation was a stonea 1.11 cut out of the quarry without hands, in thy Passionb 1.12 a stone cut full of eyes, in thy Resurrection and Ascensionc 1.13 a chiefe corner stone. Thou art the Sonne of God command these stones to be made bread, even such heavenly Manna & spiritu∣all food as may feed our soules to life eternall, to this end give me thy booke and thy roule to eate, that I may speake truly, and judge wisely, and so worship thee the first truth & chiefest wis∣dome. Take away the stoninesse of our harts, that the seed of the word fall not into stony ground, and prove fruitlesse. Lord, there is nothing will hinder but our sinnes, which are ever interposing betwixt thy goodnesse and our needs: make us therefore as truly sorry that ever they were committed by us, as desirous that they may be remitted by thee, and as endeavouring that wee may not sin, as we are hopefull thou wilt not impute sin. O Iesu Christ, whom wilt thou heare if not us who have no portion but in thee, having forsaken all to bee thine Altar servants? or who will heare us, if not thou, who art a Priest aswell as a Prophet or King? or where wilt thou heare us, if not in this place which is the house of Prayer? or when wilt thou heare us if not in the houre of Prayer, when so many of us are gathered together in thy name? and in what words wilt thou heare us, if thou wilt not acknowledge the phrase and stile which thy selfe hath taught us, saying, Our Father, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Florentin•• Hist. lib. 7.
• d 1.2

  Religentem o∣portet esse religi∣osum nefas. Agel. lib. 4. cap. 9.
• e 1.3

  Prov. 30. vlt. Naseus cereus, Albertus Pighi∣us, hierar. l. 3. c. 3
• f 1.4

  Magno conatu nugari, Ter. in Heauton.
• g 1.5

  Plin. lib. 37.
• h 1.6

  Doctae nugae.
• l 1.7

  Vita & mers luelli per D. Humphredum.
• m 1.8

  in Apoc. c. 21.
• * 1.9

  1 King. 11. 30.
• l 1.10

  Nullum lapi∣dem pretiosum alicujus egregiae virtutis expectē. Car. Su••til. lib. 7
• a 1.11

  Dan. 2. 34.
• b 1.12

  Zach. 3. 9.
• c 1.13

  1 Pet. 2. 6.