Heavenly pastime, or, Pleasant observations on all the most remarkable passages throughout the Holy Bible of the Old and New Testament newly allegoriz'd in several delightful dialogues, poems, similitudes, and divine fancies / by John Dunton, author of The sickmans passing-bell.

Heavenly Pastime, Or, Pleasant Observations throughout the Old TESTAMENT. (Book 1)

CHAPTER I. Giving an Acco••nt of the Birth of the Vni∣verse. (Book 1)

Gen. 1. In the beginning God makes Heaven, and Earth, To Sea, to Light, to Stars he gives a Birth, Fishes, Fowles, Beasts, and Worms he doth Cre••••••, All which Gods pow'r and might do intimate.

THough God was what he is, and in th•• perfect fruition of his Grandeurs, befor•• his omnipotent hand had drawn th•• Creatures out of their Nothing▪ yet ••i•• Nature required Hommages, his Majesty Servi∣tudes, his Glory Admirations, his Goodness Acknow∣ledgments, and his Beauty Hearts and Affection••. It was needfull, though he were independent of all beings, immense in his extent, Eternal in his dura∣tion, and infinite in all his perfections, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 should cause himself to be seen and felt by E••an••••∣ons out of himself.

And here I represent unto my self how that Nature sigh'd ••ven without Tongue or voice,* 1.1 before she had a being: Methinks I•• hear her silence, and that she speaketh th••s to God before h••r Creaton;

Sp••ak th••n, O sp••ak (Great God) stretch forth thy arm and c••st thy looks out ••f thy self; issue forth of thy Luminous Dark••••ss, which forms thee a day wi••hout Night, an•• a Night more resplendent then the day. Give so••e little passage to those Ejaculations and Flames which fro•• ••ll Eternity are i••cl••s••d within thy Bosom, a••d which frame th••r••in a Circle ••f Light and Love. The least of thy ••rradiations will dissipate the shadows, and open that abys••, in which they are burie••. In fine thou art a Go•• of Love, and this love would be Cap••ive, if it had no•• S••lli••s, and Eja∣culations. It was not sa••isfied to r••main in thee by emi∣nence, and as it were in the source of beauty and good∣n••ss; but having made its sol••s wi••••in its s••••f by num∣berl••ss revolutions, it must d scend up•••• external ob∣jects, to attain that effect and property, which is natu∣ral to Love.

Well th••n, Creatures, come sorth of the Mass in whi••h you lye co••fused, ••e••ven, Earth, Sea, Stars, Tree••, Fi••hes, Furnaces of Fire, and Flames,* 1.2 vast ••xtents of Air, Clouds, Aby••es, Pr••cipices, listen to the voice and Command of Go••: But in fine, this glorious and happy moment, which saw the birth of times and seasons being arrived. From that instant the World was chosen as the blanck Tabl••, wh••r••on God resolved to draw the first stroaks of his goo••ness.

First Heaven, Earth, Water, and Darkness ap∣peared in an instant as the Field on which all the ef∣fects of a most Amorous and sage Wisdom and Pro∣digality were to be displayed. It was before any other thing that this tenebrous Compound, this

confused Medley and this heap of Water and Earth, was the object of him who alone was able to chase away its shadows, and convert its dust into Gold and Cristall. This is the Throne on which the Ti∣tle of Soveraign Monarch and Lawgiver shall be seen ingraved; But what! This Theater is too ob∣s••ure to behold therein the Birth of the World; we must expect the Aurora and the rayes of the day.

But by the way Kind Reader let me tell thee that:

The World is a Book in Folio Printed all, With Gods great Works in Letters Capital, Each Creature i•• a Page, and each effect A Fair Character, voi•• of all defect: But as young Trewants trying in the Schools, Instead of Learning, learn to play the Fools, We g••ze but on the Babyes and the Cover, The gaudy Flowers, and Edges Gilded over; And never further for our Lesson lo••k; Within this Volumn of the Various Book: Where learned nature modest ones instructs, That by his Wisdom God the World conducts▪

Notes

• * 1.1

  The sighs of Nature.
• * 1.2

  The first All••rum of Nature.