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The best Notion of Courts proposed.
IN the Law of Moses, all the Rites and Ceremonies were not only declaratory formes of the present Religion, but significative figures of a future state; and howsoever, most of the vulgar looked no farther then the glosse and lustre of the exterior vaile, which was the beauty and decency of the forme, and order that affected them; yet the nobler sort passed their sight through that vaile, and fixed it upon the significati∣on,
and mysterie it selfe, and thereby, had not only their eye of sense delighted, but that of their understanding enlightned by these objects.
In reference whereunto I may hope not improperly to ap∣ply these considerations to the Courts of Princes, since all the exteriour state of Ceremony and Reverence (being truly con∣ceived) is significative as referr'd to the images of God, and thus all the distinguished ranks of honour, which compose the formall order of Courts, are figures of those different degrees of Ministers, which attend their Originall, the King of Kings: and in this order, the Glory and Majesty which exteriorly in all sorts, resideth about the persons of Princes, may be fitly understood to represent (in such shaddowes as these materi∣alities can make) the celestiall magnificence of the King of Heaven: so that one who will interpret religiously the Cere∣monies of Princes Courts, may say, all things befall them in * 1.1 figures.
But certaine it is, there are many in Courts, who determine and center their thoughts upon the fronts and out-sides of these mansions, which are honour, riches, & pleasure, and raise all their Devotions to the place upon those objects, (and such are truly the meaner sort of Courtiers, though they be grea∣test in the measure of the world) and there are some of the other party, who penetrate into the religious sense of these ex∣teriour figures, and derive from them, spirituall conceptions and appetities; concluding by these glories, (which are but the shaddowes of those they signifie that the substance it self must needs be above what eye hath seene, or eare heard, or hath entred into the heart of Man; and so by this view are quick∣ned in their ambition, towards those originall honours; and these are the nobility of Courts, though they be never so infe∣riour in office.
Of these two kindes of Courtiers is verified, The first shall be * 1.2 last, and the last first. And likewise of the first sort we may say, as the Apostle saith of the Law, the Letter kils. If the litte∣rall sense of the faire text of this worlds glories take up and
fix their mindes; and of the latter sort the spirit quickens, when out of these specious objects they extract a spirituall sense, which excites in them a celestiall aspiring and emulati∣on.
Such a figurative conception Saint Fulgentius framed out of these images, when he was asked, whether the beauty and Majesty of Rome did not worke upon his affections? he answe∣red, If terrestriall Rome be so beautifull, how glorious must be celestiall Jerusalem? His minde was so little taken or retarded on her way, as she stayd not at all in the outward Court of the Gentiles, but passed on, as in her way through it, to the Holy of Holies; and by this method, who attend the offices of their mindes upon earth, and waite not upon the places of their bodies, concluding that they are but strangers, and passengers through these courts, and Fellow-citizens of the Saints, and * 1.3 Domestikes of God; make excellent use of all the lustrous, and polished glories of the place: for instead of looking on them as flattering glasses, and mirrours which reflect only the materiall beauty of the earth, they make opticke glasses of them, through which, they do the easilier take the height of the celestiall glo∣ries: and surely, the sight of our minde is much helped by such materiall instruments, in the speculation of spiritualities, by reason that in this her prison, all the intelligence of our minde with immaterialities, passeth as I may say, through her keepers hands, which are her senses, that can carry nothing but corporeall images to her; and therefore we see the Apostle Saint John drawes the image of the court of heaven, in such * 1.4 colours as are most visible and most affecting in the Courts of the earth; whereby to raise our imaginations upon these steps, which they can tread upon to some proportionate concep∣tion of such fruitions, as are truly all spirituall, and Intelle∣ctuall.
And under this notion, all the lusters and splendors of Courts, (being understood as figures of the sublimer, and pu∣rer state of the Kingdome of heaven) are convenient ascents for our weak apprehensions to rise up to the love and estima∣tion
of these spirituall objects; for the same affections which move us so strongly in the valuation of the state of Princes, may work upon us towards the pursuite of that condition, which is proposed to us, of sitting on the throne with the King of kings, and enjoying more Majesty and pleasure then we can wish in this life, by such little paterns presented to our appe∣tites. Nay by this order, even the vanities and excesses of this world (which were stumbling blocks to our minds as long as they looked but upon them, and not through them) are by this perspection and through light laid under our feet, and made steps or gradations for our minds to ascend the easilyer even to the contempt of them, and the contemplating the sin∣cere and secure glories of our Spirituall Coronation.
And since, as the Apostle saith, We see now but through a * 1.5 glasse, and darkly through the brightest creatures, some faint beames or glances of the Creator; Surely the Majesty and splendor of Princes is the most clear and best polished glasse we can look through, in order to the speculation; and so Courtiours who studie the Spirituall opticks in these glasses, may make instruments of protracting their sight, of the same glaring temporalities, which others make the dazling and dissipation of it; whereby of such students at Court, I may say with the wisest of Kings, In vain the net is spread in the sight of such birds, for they can easily flie over all the snares of va∣nity, * 1.6 which catch those who want these wings of contem∣plation.
Heb. 1.
Matth. 19.
Ephe. 2. 9.
Revel. 21.
1 Cor. 13.
Prov. 1. 17.