Miscellanea philo-theologica, or, God, & man A treatise compendiously describing the nature of God in his attributes, with a lively pourtraiture of his wisedome in ordering, and disposing of the celestiall, and terrestriall bodies. Containing much variety of matter ... and apt applications singular for brevity, and perspicuity. By Henry Church.

[Sect. 1] First, of the brightnesse of the Moone.

FOr brightnesse, shee is called light; Gen. 1.16. and is said to be faire, Cant. 6.9. and is often mentioned

with the Sunne, Gen. 37.19. Deut. 4.19. 2. King. 23.5. and is said to walk•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 her brightnesse. Iob 31.26.

This brightnesse may be considered foure waies.

• 1. It is an inferior brightnesse.
• 2. It is a brightnesse usefull and seasonable.
• 3. It discovers onely grosse things.
• 4. The nearer the Sunne, the darker to the earth.

First, it is an inferiour brightnesse.

The Sunne is the greater, the Moone is the lesser light. Gen. 1.16. Cant. 6.9.

Five considerations from this inferiority.

[ 1] First, there are degrees of light, so there are degrees of Grace: at first conversion we are as the morning-light, partly darke, and partly light: Prov. 4. thus we are light as the morning: then we proceed to bee faire, as the moone. Cant. 6.9. Thus wee goe from strength to strength, Psal. 84.8. by degrees we are strengthened in faith, Rom. 4.20. and doe grow in grace, 2. Pet. 3.18. daily encreasing more and more. 2. Pet. 3.18. At last wee come from grace to glory, to the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb. 12.24. then shall wee shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of our father. Matth. 13.43.

[ 2] Secondly, inferiority is not an annihilation; the Moone is a light, though inferiour to the Sunne: I must not censure my selfe to be no Christian, because I am of an inferiour ranke; a man may be a free-man, yet not an Alderman; a Souldier, yet no Captaine; the foote is of the body, though not so honourable as the hand. I de∣sire to be thankfull for the gifts bestowed on me, and to be contented with my owne condition, and with mode∣sty to looke on them; excell me in striving against en∣vy and discouragement.

Thirdly, inferiors doe make their superiors to appeare more honourable the light of the Sun is the more glori∣ous being compared with the moone: The people com∣pared with Saul, made his tallenesse and height to ap∣peare

more obvious, The spies were as grashoppers be∣fore the sonnes of Anaak: my littlenesse doth honour my superiours greatnesse, my government of my family honors the Kings government of whole Realmes: my teaching of my family honors my preacher, that tea∣ches a whole congregation: Thus honoring my superi∣ours in judgement and practice, they will shine on me with protection and doctrine, and my littlenesse makes their greatnesse appeare, and I give them honour for con∣science sake.

[ 4] Fourthly, Inferiour things are not to be despised, the Moone though an inferiour light is not despised: but of men desired, some are little ones, but must not be despi∣sed, Matth. 18. men may have inferiour gifts yet honest hearts; I must love them for their sincerity, and not de∣spise them for their inferiority. Benaiah was honorable though he attained not to the first three, 2. Sam. 23.23. I desire to honour all Christians, and not to despise the least of them, and so to reverence great ones which doe beare Gods Image, that I may not despise little ones as though they had none of his Image.

[ 5] Fifthly, there is variety in Gods workes, inferiour and superiour argues variety, and variety argues wise∣dome. There is variety of parts in my selfe, there is vari∣ety of faculties and members in me: In heaven, earth, and seas, there is variety, to fill me with delight, to raise me to meditation, to teach me to admire and say, O Lord how wonderfull are thy workes, in wisedome haste thou made them all.

2. The brightnesse of the Moone is usefull and seaso∣nable.

Things are beautifull in their season, water to the thir∣sty, and the Moone in the night, I may learne from the Moone to be usefull, seasonably, and to take the opportu∣nities offered me to doe good in them: to give and for∣give, to beare and forbeare, to speake and to bee si∣lent,

seasonably, makes me like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringes forth his fruit in due sea∣son.

Thirdly, the Moone discovers onely grosse things.

The estate of nature is as the Moone-light, the estate of grace is as the Sunne-light: of wicked men it may be said: Nescierunt neque intellexerunt, they know not, nor understand, but of the godly we may say, Blessed are your eyes, for you see, Mat. 13.16. The Moone light dis∣covers houses, trees, and beasts. The light of the Sun dis∣covers in his beames the smallest moates.

3. Considerations from hence.

1. I must labour to get out of a naturall condition, and I must pray for that blessed spirit of God which doth convince; that seeing my misery, I may rellish the mercy of God, O how sweet is mercy to a selfe condemning broken hearted sinner.

2. By this I know God hath given me a better light then my owne, which I have by nature; I once thought that if I abstained from grosse sinnes; (made knowne to me) as blasphemy, murther, adultery, theft, &c. it was a great matter, but being farther convinced, I see idle thoughts and idle words to be offensive evills, I see that omissions of good duties is dangerous, and am troubled not onely for my ill disposition, but for my indispositi∣on, want of zeale for God, want of sorrow for other mens sinnes, not shunning the occasions of sinne, it dis∣quiets me since the Sunne of righteousnesse hath appea∣red on my horizon.

3. Those which cannot see trees, nor houses, nor mountaines, have not so much as Moone light, some∣times it is so darke in the aire, that men cannot see their hand held up before them. Some men want the light of grace, and of nature, and reason, these men are darknesse Ephes. 5.8. and walke in darknesse, Ioh. 8.12. and their wages is (in Tenebras exteriores) it utter darkenesse,

from the estate of darknesse, the worke of darknesse, and the wages of darknesse, O Lord deliver my soule.

Fourthly, the nearer the Moone is to the Sunne, it is darker to the earth.

The Moone being nearer, the Sunne is the brighter above, but darker beneath: So the nearer my soule is to God, the more it is bright upward, and of a heavenly disposition: God shining on mee my glory is reall, though invisible to others: my light and life being with God, men may looke on me, as one not to bee desi∣red without forme or beauty: so they looked on my Sa∣viour; Isai. 53.2. to some he was vailed, yet to some hee was revealed: So it is with Christians, the world sees their infirmities and afflictions, but there is a bright side they see not; there is a curious Arke, though co∣vered with Badgers skinnes: the world sees the blacke side, but not the best side; they cannot see invisible things, till they have obtained faith. Let me bee light to God, though darke to the world: when God shines on me, then am I bright upward, and then I re∣semble his light as the drop doth the Ocean.

The Moone more remote from the Sunne, is bright downeward; so the lesse portion of grace, and the more remote from God, the more welcome to the world: It is my Lord Esau, though prophane; and Agrippa, and Bernice are seene with great Pompe, Absolom and his foote-men, Belshazzar and his Captaines, and Concu∣bines, Herod and his royall aparrell have terrene glory; yet these are remote from the Sunne of righteousnesse: Oh that I could neglect that splendor is had, with a neglect of communion with God: Let mee never bee so shining toward the earth, that I may bee darke to∣wards heaven: Let me not flatter for favour, nor feare contempt; but let me draw neare to God, that he draw∣ing neare to me, the raies of his light shining on me, shal make me both honourable and satisfied.

Notes

• Psalme 82.5.
• Exod. 25.5.