§. 3. The Contemplation of the serenity of the divine spirit is the Mistresse of meeknesse.
LEt us to this disorder, oppose the serenity of God, which we may contemplate when we are far remo∣ved * 1.1 from the surprisalls of this passion. If this place would permit me to delineate the picture of the Tran∣quillity of God, as the sublime Tertullian hath done, that of patience; I would give it a visage wholly ange∣licall. What is more divine and celesticall, then this vir∣tue? I would set it in a fortunate Iland (all tapistred with verdure, and enamelled with flowers) where the sun should smile out of all its mansions. For, what is more delicious? I would place it on a Rock such as was that of Egypt, which was never touched by profane feet: What is more stable, and more religious? There∣on I would raise a Temple to it, such as was that of A∣donis, in Greece, wherein lions were tractable: what is more lovely? I would give it a sceptre of diamond; what is more solid, or powerfull over the passions of mans heart? I would set upon the head thereof a Crown of starres: What is more sublime? what more majesti∣call? At its feet I would hang harps and lutes; for it is the Mistresse of holy Harmonies. About it should be little nightingales, Halcyons, and holy Fishes which cause a calm every where: what is more peacefull? A good distance from it, should be sea-dogs, storms, and waves which should roar, without troubling its repose; since it is immoveable. It should have eyes lifted up to heaven, and should live by influences flowing to it from the union it hath with God; as it is said the bird of Paradise liveth on the thinnest vapours of the air.
But let us in a word tell you, that Tranquillity is the Essence of God himself, and that all which is peacefull draweth near towards God. I am not ignorant of what the Scripture speaketh in many places of Gods anger, and among others, David, in his Psalms, with a certain admiration; Who is it knoweth the force of thy anger? * 1.2 and can weigh thy indignation in the terrour of thy countenance? But this must be understood by an An∣thropopathia, as Theologians do explicate it; which is done when God is represented by sensible figures, like unto men. For to speak truely, God hath no anger, nor can any wise have it, being incapeable either of the form or matter of it. The form is an appetite of revenge, and the matter, a boyling of bloud; as appeareth by that we have said before. Now, we understand, that in God there is neither bloud, nor appetite. If he in all times hath produced Examples of Justice, (as he did in the deluge, in the burning of Sodome and Gomorrha, in the plagues of Egypt, in the defeat of Sennacherib) It was with the same tranquillity which he had when he made Paradise, and the blessed by his aspects. God punisheth not the wicked out of anger; but the wicked punish themselves by the remorse of their own conscien∣ces; and if the divine Justice put a hand thereto, the world marcheth in battel-array against them, and is all on fire under the feet of its judge, the Judge being thereby nothing at all enflamed. The punishments which fall from heaven, come not from a headlong pre∣cipitation, since they are resolved on from all Eternity.
It was a judicious invention of the ancient sages, to tell us, there were three sorts of thunderbolts in Hea∣ven; and that, the first was onely to advertise, without * 1.3 doing hurt; the second did good, but not without cau∣sing hurt; the third ruined, and defaced all it met. And thereupon to shew us the mildnesse of God, they said, the Monarch of heaven and earth of his own motion sent the innocent Thunderbolts; but if there were cause to throw that which doth but little hurt; (al∣though it were to derive profit from it) he called twelve Gods to counsell: but when those great artille∣ries of heaven were to be shot off, which aimed at the ruine of the most guilty; it was never done without a generall councel of all the Gods: we say more then all this; for we affirm that God stayeth not a certain time to resolve on the punishment of men, but hath decided it from all eternity, and hath ordained Hell for crimes, with the same Countenance he decreed Heaven for the blessed. All is peacefull, and alwayes peacefull in God: from whence it cometh that men most like unto him, as are good Kings, have borrowed the Title of Serenity. Can it then well become a Christian, who makes pro∣fession to render himself like unto his heavenly Father, to suffer himself to be transported with the furies of an∣ger, which in man extinguish all that is divine, and leave nothing humane?