The vvonders of the load-stone. Or, The load-stone newly reduc't into a divine and morall vse. By Samuel Ward, of Ipswich. B.D.

Chap. 18. That the Loadstone and our Saviour Christ, effect more by an Instrument, than by their owne immediate vertue.

THe Loadstone, as it is an exceeding marvellous, so is it in a speciall manner, a mysticall Stone, no lesse fa∣mous for secret wayes of working, than for mighty workes; that though it bee the fountaine and principall seat of at∣tractive and elevating vertue, yet doth it, as it were, on set purpose, transferre all the honour of it upon the Iron; for this very Stone being destitute of com∣pany, and by it selfe, drawes little or no∣thing; but armed with Iron, will lift up a huge weight of Iron. I my selfe have seene a Loadstone, which being unar∣med, would scarce take up s••aven Oun∣ces, but cover'd or capt with Iron (as the rud•• of speech use to say) it lif••••d up strongly and easily, two and twenty pounds, r••sembling God in this, who is natures principall workman, and the first mover of all things, who although

he be the Father of light, yet he illumi∣nates this visible world by the Sun, him∣selfe being invisible in the heavens, and (which is our blindnesse and madnesse) not worshipped and praised of many. He doth also redeeme, save and judge men, by the Son of man; he doth dele∣gate or commit unto him a power to supply his roome, both in heaven and earth, whose God-head and Majesty lay hid in the vaile of his flesh, as a light in a darke Lanthorne; insomuch that he was not made manifest, but to his owne peo∣ple, and but to few of them, and that by miracles; who now also hiding him∣selfe in the Heavens, using the Mi∣nist••ry of men, as the Loadstone the help of Iron, cals, drawes, and converts men unto him by a fit Instrument of the same kind, taking his Ministers into fel∣lowship of honour with him; He that re∣ceiveth you, saith he, receiveth me; nay, he passe•• hover, and commits a more am∣ple power to th••m: He that believes in me, shall doe greater workes than I have done. We doe not reade of Christ, that

he converted so many as a hundred at one Sermon; But it is expressed of Peter, Act. 2. That he converted three thou∣sand; which love of his towards man, doth, in a manner, surpasse all his mira∣cles. As it is the greatest Art of Arts, and Artists to conceale their Art and skill, so it is the principall praise and vertue of a good man, to derive praise unto others, himselfe being concealed; Neither is there any thing, wherein men may come neerer to God, than this. Let men admire and praise in Ioah, some one thing, some another, among all his honourable Arts: I never thought that heroicall or noble demonstration or proof of his vertue to be the principall, that he both would and could transfer upon the head of David the glory and Crowne of a Victory, purchast by his owne valour; for the rest of his deeds, he overcame others, in this, himselfe; which was farre more honourable, than if he had triumphed a hundred ••imes o∣ver Rabba and the Ammonites.