Ignis cœlestis: or An interchange of diuine love betweene God and his saints. By Iohn Lewis, minister of Gods word at St. Peters in the tovvne of St. Albons

To the worshipfull M^r. ROBERT SHVTE ESQVIER.

SIr: so often as I consi∣der the breuity and frailty of this mortall life, that betweene the wombe and the tombe,* 1.1 the cra∣dle and the graue, there is but a spans breadth: and so often as I remember,* 1.2 That it is appointed for man once to dye, and then he must come to iudgement; I cannot but with griefe admire the wilfull madnesse of this age; wherein men set their wits vpon

the tenter-hookes of inuention and policie, and set their braines a worke to finde strange plots: One with Ahab to get Naboths vine∣yard;* 1.3 another with the rich Churle to enlarge his barnes by magnitude, and his bags by mul∣titude;* 1.4 a third with proud Ha∣man onely aimes at greatnesse, his aspiring minde is alwayes climbing, his desires cannot finde a Non vltra, for his preferment hath no period; a fourth with the rich Man how he may bathe him∣selfe in pleasure,* 1.5 and Sardana∣palus-like become effeminate by gi∣uing himselfe to all voluptuous∣nesse;* 1.6 But that which is vnum ne∣cessarium, especially necessary for our sound comfort here, and eter∣nall happinesse hereafter, is not re∣membred, not regarded.* 1.7 Things which are obtained with much

labour, retained with much care, and lost with much vexation, we hunt after with great eagernesse; but God who hath giuen vs, not onely our esse, but our bene esse, the fruition of whom is mans bea∣titude, is neither affected nor de∣sired.* 1.8 With the Gadarens we preferre a few swine before Christ our Redeemer:* 1.9 with prophane E∣sau we sell our birth right, yea and the blessing with it, for a messe of pottage: whereas if we could but be aduised by the Heathen;* 1.10 Ab Ioue principium, Let our loue begin at God, with him we should possesse peace, patience, comfort, content, helpe, happinesse, yea what∣soeuer were expe••ient for life tem∣porall and eternall:* 1.11 If wee did but seeke God and his righte∣ousnesse, all things necessary shall be added vnto vs There is

no cause why we should be so loue∣sicke for the world; it is variable, soone got, soone lost; deceiueable, being but a shadow of felicity, no substance; treacherous•• while it flattereth the body, it stayes the soule; perfidious, it complemen¦teth with her louers, as Dalilah with Sampson,* 1.12 but be••raies them vn••o Sathan their mor••all enemy. If wee could but looke on the world with the eye of faith and sound iudgement, and be so wise as to behold it in its proper complexion, we would not dote on so meane a creature, we would not make our seruant to be our Lord, when the Lord sues for the loue of vs his seruants: He that is vnchangeable,* 1.13 he that is amia∣ble, he that is infinitely holy, in∣finitely compassionate, hath a long time stood at the doore knock∣ing,

desiring to come in and ••up with vs,* 1.14 intending to bring his prouision with him, to furnish our hearts, and at length to bring saluation to our soules, and our soules vnto blessednesse; yet like men carelesse of his kindenesse, fearelesse of his displeasure, we suf∣fer him to knocke, and will not o∣pen, we are in bed with our darlings, and will not rise;* 1.15 Oh that in this our day we did but know the things which belong vnto our peace!

The motiue that induceth me to commit this small worke vnto the Presse, is rather the worthines of the subiect, then any excellency of the Authors wit, it being worthy of the most aduised meditations of the best men, of our best time; wherein we shall clearely behold what God hath beene to vs,

and what we ought to be toward him, the loue of the one, and the du∣ty of the other.

The great and meere volun∣tary kindenesse which I haue re∣ceiued from your Worship, with∣out any desert on my part, is a sufficient argument to perswade me to dedicate it vnto your wor∣thy selfe, beseeching you to ac∣cept it as a tes••imony expressing his thankefulnesse, who shall per∣petually acknowledge himselfe ob∣liged vnto you: The Wid∣dowes Mite, a token of a wil∣ling minde, was kindely accep∣ted. Although this worke be composed rudi ac crassa Mi∣nerua,* 1.16 yet herein the Authors desire may no lesse be conceiued, then in that which is more exqui∣site. I indeauour not indeede so much to please the eare, as to com∣fort

the conscience, labouring ra∣ther for soundnesse of matter, then plausiblenes of phrase, and ayming more at a generall then at a parti∣cular benefit. What once Peter said vnto the Creeple that lay at the gate of the Temple, the same will I say vnto your worship.* 1.17 Sil∣uer and Gold haue I none, but such as I haue giue I thee. And seeing I cannot expresse my thank∣fulnesse as I would, let me be bold to doe it as I may; and what I can∣not in action, I shal in praying God to giue you increase of grace and honour in this life•• and the eternall fruition of soule-contenting bles∣sednesse in the life to come.

Yours in all Christian dutie, IOHN LEVVIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 39. 5.
• * 1.2

  Heb. 9.27.
• * 1.3

  1 Kings 21.
• * 1.4

  Ester 3.5.
• * 1.5

  Luke 16. 19.
• * 1.6

  Luke 10.42.
• * 1.7

  Quae possessa o∣ne••an••, amata inquinant, omis∣sa crucian••.
• * 1.8

  Luke 8.37.
• * 1.9

  Gen. 25.32.
• * 1.10

  Virgill.
• * 1.11

  Matth. 6.33.
• * 1.12

  Iudg. 16.18.
• * 1.13

  Mal. 3.6. Cant 1. Leuit. 11.44. Ioel 2.18.
• * 1.14

  Reuel. 3.20.
• * 1.15

  Luke 19.42.
• * 1.16

  N••n quid v••••ui, sed quid potui.
• * 1.17

  Acts 3.6.