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. 8] Eightly, Resolves concerning the Cloudes.

[Quest 1] WHat meditations be usefull when we looke on the Clouds?

[Answ.] 1. To praise God for his goodnesse in giving us raine by them.

2. To remember Christs ascention, he ascended in a Cloud.

3. His comming to judgement, which shall be in the Cloudes.

4. To hate sinne which hinders our apprehension of Gods favour, as the Cloudes hinder the light of the Sunne.

[Quest 2] How are seducers and heriticall teachers compared to Clouds without raine?

[Answ.] Because they have seemings, not substance.

1. They pretend immediate revellations, when it prooves phantasticall delusions.

2. They often pretend great reading and learning, but being tryed, prove very shallow and ignorant.

3. They seeme lowly and can carry themselves with a smooth modest like behaviour; but are conceited, and of Luciferian spirits, (provocations like the steele smiting the flint) makes them to sparkle.

4. They pretend great love, and draw novices to their lodgings: but their intent is to gull them and make a gain of them.

5. They pretend it is truth they doe deliver, and that others doe not or dare not speake truth, but it proves er∣roneous; and then they say they were mistaken, or they alter and mince their former sayings.

6. They pretend private conventicles, because they say truth is not taught publikely, when the cause is they can∣not get applause with the learned: (they discover them) so they get the unlearned and unstable in private, whom they hoodwinke; so all goes currant, their lies, and er∣rours, and falshoods; thus they are Clouds without rain, shewes without substance.

[Quest 3] Why doe Divines compare the examples of the god∣ly to the pillar of fire and cloud, betweene the Isralites and Egyptians.

[Answ.] Because they that followed the darke side were drow∣ned, but they that followed the bright side were saved: so those looke to the errors of the Saints, to follow them are like to perish; but those which looke to their ver∣tues to imitate them, these have good evidence of their salvation.

[Quest 4] Why is the embleme of charity a naked boy in a cloud, with a smiling countenance, feeding a Bee without wings.

[Answ.] 1. The nakednesse signifies, almes must be in simplici∣ty: 2. The cloud signifies sincerity: 3. The smiling coun∣tenance doth signifie chearefulnesse: 4. The feeding of a Bee without wings signifies discretion, to relieve one that would worke, but wants ability.

[Quest 5] How did the Cloud in the wildernesse (that gui∣ded the children of Israell) differ from all other Cloudes?

[Answ.] 1. In the production, other clouds arise from naturall causes, as vapor or exhalations, or both; but this cloud ex∣traordinary by a divine power, not the ordinary way.

2. In the forme and fashion there is difference; this cloud was like to a pillar, the lower end descended to∣ward

the Tabernacle, the upper end ascended up toward heaven: other clouds spread abroad and scatter.

3. In the motion, this cloud moved gently, and stood when the Israelites rested, and their cattell bai∣ted; and this cloud went forward, and came backward; other clouds are carryed swiftly with windes, and once gone, they never returne againe.

4. In the Scituation, this cloud was neare to direct them: other clouds are more aloft, and give no dire∣ction.

5. In the continuance; other clouds doe divide and scatter, and alter their figure and shape: but this cloud kept his figure and shape for forty yeares together.

[Quest 6] What is the difference betweene mists and clouds?

[Answ.] The cloud hath his rising from the water or earth, or both, and ascending into the middle Region of the aire, the cold makes them more thicke and grosse, which were drawne up thinne and invisible: the mists are drawn up in like manner, but not so high, nor with equall strength: so the mist fils the aire with grosse vapours, and so descend, as the clouds ascend.

[Quest 7] How high are the clouds from us?

[Answ.] Those exercised in Geometricall demonstrations doe vary in their opinions: some say fifty miles, some nine miles, some three miles; but it is a question whether they account the distance from the vallies, or the moun∣taines: we may conclude, they are not farre, wee see them so plainely: the most likely are, they are some nine or tenne miles from us.

[Quest 6] What is the naturall cause of the thunder in the cloud?

[Answ.] When a hot and dry exhalation meetes with a cold and moyst vapour in the middle region of the Aire, and being pend up in a cloud, there they fight, so the heate breakes out, sometimes with more violence, sometimes with lesse, according to the quantity of the matter, or strength of the cloud, called the voyce of God. Psal. 29.

Notes

• Jude 12.