God doth visit us; by means whereof, hee bringeth us unto repentance;
for as lead burneth, and exterminateth all the imperfections of metall,
which _Boetius_ the _Arabian_, calleth water of Sulphur; so tribulation
divesteth us here below, from many spots, which wee thereby have
contracted, so that, St. _Ambrose_ calleth it, Heavens Key, following
that which is written, _Act._ 14. 22. _Through many temptations we
must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven._ The Apostle _Rom._ 5. 3. and
4. &c. useth a very fine gradation, _Tribulation begets patience,
patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed,
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy
spirit, that is given unto us_. Fire denotes tribulation, whereupon
the said Saint _Ambrose_ upon the first psalm, Fire saith he, burneth
waxe, which melts it self to bee purged, and wee are proved by fire,
for God desiring to convert a sinner chastiseth him, and burneth him,
to purge him: for fire is light to Beleevers, and punishment, to the
incredulous. Said Saint _Jerome_ very well upon _Ezechiel_. That fire
illuminates Beleevers, and blinds Infidels, serving for nothing but
smoak which makes them weep, and darknesse, as smoak which is noxious
to the eyes. With which fume the house of _Israel_ was all filled and
darkened. Let the just then rejoyce, when they shall find themselves
upon this text of the 50. _Psal._ 3. A fire shall burn in his sight,
for they shall be thereby illuminated, and obstinate sinners burnt by
the same, having the two properties to illuminate, and burn: for that
it illuminates, it must bee the holy Spirit, which is the true fire,
that is kindled in our hearts, and not foolish and perverse opinions,
vain and erroneous, which would quickly draw us to that which the
Prophet _Esay_ saith, Chap. 50. 11. _Behold all yee that kindle a
fire, and that compasse your selves about with sparks, walk in the
light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled, and you
shall sleep in sorrow._ From thence saith _Origen_, it seems that
sinners kindle themselves a fire, wherewith they must be crucified.
_O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self, Hos. 13._ And in the 28. of
_Ezek._ 18. _I will bring forth a fire, from the midst of thee, it
shall devoure thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon Earth._ The
matter then which entertains it, are our iniquities, and our offences,
_their iniquity shall burn as fire_. And in the 7. of _Eccles._ 17.
_The vengeance of the ungodly is fire, and wormes_, which toucheth upon
that in the 9. of St. _Mark._ 44. alledged out of the 66. of _Esaiah_
24. _Whose worm shall not dye, nor their fire bee quenched_: for the
one and the other are endlesse, namely the fire that burns them, and
the worm that gnawes their consciences in this world, and in the other,
torments them for ever. There where on the contrary, if God set it
on fire, wee may say with one of our ancient fathers, O happy flame,
but not burning, illuminating, but not consuming: Thou dost transform
whom thou dost touch, so that they, even merit to bee called Gods.
Thou hast warmed thy Apostles, who forsaking all things but thee,
have been made Gods children: Thou hast warmed the Martyrs, who have
spilt their bloud: Thou hast warmed the Virgins, who by the fire of
Divine Love, have quenched the heat of concupiscence. The Confessors
likewise, that have separated themselves from the world, to join and
to unite unto thee. So that every creature, by the beneficence of
this fire, repurgeth it self, from its coinquinations, and ordures,
and there is nothing exempted from its heat, if it would come to
injoy the fellowship of God; for it is this fire, that kindleth in us
by the illuminations of the holy Spirit, by means of our corporall
tribulations, which brings us sooner to God, then any other thing, of
which Lead is one of their symboles, working the same operations in
metals, as afflictions do in us. There is so gallant a passage in the
6. of _Jer._ under the figure of a Coupelle, which I think, that there
is not a Goldsmith, Refiner, or a Mettleman, which hath spoken more
properly: _They are all corrupters_, speaking of the _Jewish_ people,
then _iron or copper_. _The bellows are burnt, the Lead is consumed in
the fire, the Founder melteth in vain, for their wickednesses are not
plucked away, Reprobate silver shall men cal them, for the Lord hath
rejected them._ Whereupon _Rab. Sol._ is a little interveared for that
hee doth not well understand the _Coupelles_, being willing to adjoin
one of his own. The prophet speaketh here (saith hee) of God as of a
Goldsmith, who desirous to purge gold puts thereunto lead or tin, that
the fire should not consume the gold: for after the lead is consumed,
the fire hurts the gold by consuming it. Mark what it is to speak
unadvisedly of things wee doe not understand, for so doing we suffer
our selves to fall easily into grosse absurdities: There are here two
faults so apparent, that even apprentices would mock at them: the one
to mixe Tin at the _Coupelle_ or ashes in stead of lead: for it would
not bee fit: also the Prophet takes heed therein. See what _Geber_ sets
down, in the Chap. of _Ashes_, Metalls that participate least of the
substance of quick-silver, and more of Sulphur, separate themselves
sooner and more easily from their mixtions. So that lead, because it
hath more of the Sulphureall terrestreity, and lesse quick-silver, it
is of more tender and light fusion, then any other: hardens lesse in
the the coupple and separates soonest: therefore it is more proper to
this examination, for that it carries away with lesse time and pains,
the impurities of imperfect metals, mingled with gold and silver.
Upon which there is no action, and by consequent brings lesse domage
thereunto: there where because the substance of tin participates of
much quick-silver, and of little sulphurous earthinesse, so that being
more pure and subtil, the more profoundly it mingles it self, and
adheres more strongly to gold and silver, from which it is separated
more slowly and more unwillingly, with so much of their losse and
falling off: the other error is to think, that when the lead in the
_Coupelle_ hath exterminated the imperfect metals, and it self is
partly gone away in smoak, partly burned, and partly inglued, within
the _Coupelle_ as in vitrified litarge, fire cannot in any thing hurt
gold, for being fine and pure, it would remain there a thousand years
without the losse of one grain: to which nothing of things is wanting,
it is even safe in burnings, and great fires; the matter remaining said
_Pliny_ well, speaking of gold in his 33. Book, chap. 3. as wee may see
by experience. The prophet said then, and that so properly as nothing
more, that even as when there are more impurities mingled with gold and
silver, to repurge them we must put thereunto more lead at once. So the
Jews iniquities were so great that it was needfull to visit them with
more afflictions one upon another to make them know their offences and
to forsake them: as Physitians who redouble oftentimes their purgations
and medicaments in those bodies, where the malady is contumacious and
rebellious: for tribulations and adversities, are in us as fire, and
as lead, in impure metalls: As gold and silver are tryed by the fire,
so the Lord tries our hearts, _Prov._ 2. and in the 2. of _Eccles._
5. _Whatsoever is brought upon thee take patiently, for gold and
silver, are tried by fire, and men by the furnace of tribulation, and
anguish_; Saint _Gregorie_ in his Pastoralls upon this passage of the
11. of _Ezekiel_, who dilateth and insisteth hard upon this metaphor
and similitude. _The house of Israel is to me become drosse, all they
are brasse and tin, and iron in the midst of the furnace, and they
are the drosse of silver, and therefore saith the Lord, I wil gather
you in the midst of Ierusalem, as a masse of silver, brasse, tin, and
iron, and of lead, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire
upon them to melt them. So I will gather them in mine anger, and in
my fury, yea I will gather them and blow upon them, in the fire of my
wrath, and they shall be melted, in the midst thereof. As silver is
melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall they be melted in the
midst thereof, and they shall know, that I the Lord have poured my
fury upon them._ Saint _Gregory_, interprets this for the _Jews_, who
in their strong adversities would not leave to go out of the way of
their vices, and depravations, and would receive no correction but made
themselves worse: _Malachy_ 3. 3. useth the same form of speech. _The
Lord shall sit to melt and purge silver, hee shall purifie the Sonnes
of_ Levi, _and purge them as gold, and silver, and they shall offer to
the Lord an offering of righteousnesse_. See how hee there resembleth
very well, Gold to Faith, and Religion and Silver to works, for if
the one and not the other be not very clean, in vain would we present
them unto God. And all this must bee perfected by fire: according to
which the Psalmist speaketh, _Thou hast proved my heart, and hast
visited me in the night, thou hast examined mee by fire, and there is
no iniquity found in mee_, _Psal._ 17. 3. for (as St. _Chrysostome_
saith) fire according to the will of God, doth divers operations. It
did not burn the three children in the furnace, yet burned those that
were without: and as the Sea gave way to the _Israelites_, to passe
on dry foot, and drowned _Pharaoh_, and all his that pursued them.
There is a fire, saith St. _Ambrose_, upon the 39. _Psal._ _vers._ 3.
_which with its Ardor devoureth the transgression, and blotteth out
the sin_: But wee most not understand it materiall fire here below,
for there is nothing common here, with spirituality, but by way of
analogy, and correspondence; there being a very great disproportion
betwixt intelligible and sensible things, as in _Jer._ 20. 9. _And
there was a burning fire in my bones._ In sum that the holy Scripture
is stuffed with these manner of speeches drawn from fire and metals. As
in _Hag._ 2. 8. _The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the
Lord of Hosts._ Gold, silver, and all metals, yea generally, all things
whatsoever, although they may bee said to bee of God; as St. _Jerome_
said very well, forasmuch as he created them, and gave them being,
subsistance, and maintenance. _The earth is the Lord and the fulnesse
thereof_: notwithstanding this gold and silver, which God alleadgeth
here more particularly to bee his, must bee understood mystically. By
silver, interpret the law of the mouth, _The words of the Lord are pure
words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times_.
And by Gold (saith _Zohar_) the written Law, where there are many brave
meditations to be considered; for there is not a form of a letter,
point nor accent, but importeth some mystery, as it is particularly
specified in _Ghinah Egoz_, in the garden of drowning of _Rabbi Joseph
Castiglian_. On the other side silver is applyed to the old Testament,
gold to the New. _Origen_ confronts Faith to Gold, and the confession
and preaching thereof to silver. That there, to the conceptions of
the thought, and this here, to the word and enuntiation made by mouth
which expresseth it, and puts it out. The tongue of the just is chosen
silver. Of which two metals, namely of right Faith and purity of
conscience, and of verball confession, the Temple, and Church of God in
Christianism, and the glory of him was greater then the _Jewish_ Law,
which was but a dark shadow thereof. So that gold, designs the heart,
that corresponds to the Sun, and to fire: and silver words, with Salt
wherewith they must be seasoned; _The word is near unto thee even in
thy mouth, and in thy heart that thou maist doe it_: which the Apostle
appropriating, _If thou confesse the Lord Iesus with thy mouth, and
dost beleeve in thy heart, that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved: for wee beleeve with the heart to Iustification,
and confesse with the mouth to have Salvation_. It is gold and silver
which hee would that wee should build on his foundation: the gold of
_Havilah_, that groweth within the terrestriall Paradise, with the
Carbuncle and the Emrauld which the Psalmist in the 67. _Psalm_ calleth
the Greens of Gold.
Behold here the depurements that fire operates where it passeth:
and chiefly upon metals, which are of a most strong and persisting
composition, as any other Elementary substance, therefore wee have
therein a little insisted, because that the Prophets have therein
founded the greatest part of their Allegories: where wee must note,
that they have commonly put the imperfect, lead, tin, iron, and
copper, in the bad part, and sometimes gold also: as in _Jer._ 51.
7. Babylon is a golden Cup: and in the 2. of _Dan._ 32. speaking of
_Nebuchadnezar_, Thou art the Golden head, more in the 31. of _Eccles._
there are many chances in gold: _Zohar_ calls it Satans dung, following
the Text of the 37. of _Job_: Gold comes from the North: for the North
is alwayes taken by the _Cabalists_ in the evill part, because Sun
never passeth thereby, and it relates to midnight, where the hurtfull
powers are in their great reputation and vigour: as on the contrary,
Noon in good part; Wee must not then understand, that _Job_ would say
that gold came from the Northern parts, for it grows not there by
reason of their continuall colds: but in some certain place, where it
procreates; this is more ordinarily towards the North: against which
the Sun, as against a But, darts its beams, being to the Meridion all
part, as likewise all good wines. And to this purpose _Franciscus
Oviedus_ in his 16. Book, Chap. 1. of his generall historie of the
_Indies_, speaking of the Isle of _Borichen_, puts this, _Borichen_,
otherwise called St. _Johns_ Island, is very rich in gold, and men draw
it, in great quantity, even on the Northern side, as in the opposite
part towards the South, it is very fruitfull of victualls: the same
also is found even in _Spain_ it self. Gold then is sometimes taken in
the worser part, as in the golden Calf which the _Israelites_ melted
in _Moses_ his absence, from whence one of their _Rabbins_ said, there
had never befallen them any calamity and misery, but there was an ounce
of that Idol mingled therewith: Silver because of its whitenesse,
denotes Mercy, is alwayes in the good part, and first in esteem before
gold, as it is _Hag._ the 2. _Mine is the silver, and mine is the
gold._ The _Onorocrites_ also hold, that to dream of gold presageth
some near affliction, because it agreeth in colour with gall, and the
pain in the ears, two subsistences extreamly bitter: and bitternesse
signifies, trouble, anguish, and grief; as Pearls doe tears for their
resemblance: But silver expresseth joy and merriment. And therefore
saith the same _Zohar_, Gold is attributed to _Gabriel_, and Silver to
_Michael_, which in order is his superior, Brasse to _Uriel_, because
it represents him in colour of fire, faith to _Ur_ of the _Caldees_,
Gold, saith he, and fire march together, and copper with them, where
was built the little Altar without, where the bloud of the Sacrifices
was spilt, and that within was of gold, _Exod._ 38. and 39. Silver
is the primary light of the day, and _Jacob_. And gold, that of the
night, and _Esau_ or _Edom_ red: Silver represents milk; and gold wine,
alluding to craft and subtilty, where it is said, in the 2. _Eccles._
_I thought to draw my flesh with Wine, to give myself unto Wisedome._
But to return to our principall purpose, fire amongst other its
properties and effects, is very purging, and also in flesh, and other
corruptible substances, Salt consumes the greatest part of their
corrupting humors: fire also doth the same, and analogically spiritual
fire, which is nothing but the charitable ardor of the Holy Spirit,
that inflames us with Faith, Charity, Hope. Shakes off the impurities
of our souls, as it is _Esa._ 1. 25. _I will purely purge away thy
drosse, and take away all thy tin_, for this place here in the 10. of
the same Prophet, vers. 17. _And the light of Israel, shall be for a
fire, and his holy one for a flame_, sheweth sufficiently that the
Holy Spirit is not only light, but fire and flame, which salteth and
repurgeth our consciences from corruption, vices, and iniquities.
The Sun also, which is a visible Image of the invisible Divinity, as
for light, so for its vivifying heat, wherewith all sensible things
are maintained, as the intelligible by the supercelestial Sun, works
the same effect in case of purification, as fire. As we may see by
experience, as the places where the Sun-beams come not, are ever musty
and mouldy, and to purifie them wee open windowes to admit light into
them: and there make great fires, which is very proper in the time
of the Plague, for it chaseth away ill air, as light doth darknesse.
Also evill spirits, who have more reputation in the dark, from plague
walking in darknesse, the _Hebrews_ call this Divell ravaging by night
_Deber_, and from his violence and Meridian Divell, that of the day
_Keteb_; the Greeks Ἐμπουσα. There is in the fire, saith _Pliny_, a
certain faculty and medicinall vertue against the Plague. Who for
the absence and hiding of the Sun, comes to form it self: wherein
wee find by lightning it here and there may bring great comfort and
succour in many kinds. As _Empedocles_ and _Hippocrates_ doe elsewhere
sufficiently demonstrate. There was also a Physitian at _Athens_ that
got much reputation, by causing them to kindle many fires during the
Plague time. So that, the true Plague of the soul being iniquities
and offences, which poison it, its _theriac_ or counter-poyson,
cannot bee better found then in the fire of contrition that the Holy
Spirit kindles therein: _My heart was hot within mee, while I was
musing, the fire burned_, _Psal._ 39. 3. There is also a fire of
Tribulation which was spoken of before, that consumes our vanities,
and unruly concupiscences; and makes us return to God, whereupon one
of the ancient Fathers said, it was a happy tribulation that forceth
to repentance. And St. _Gregory_, the evils that presse us here, doe
compell us the sooner to come to God. And that for our greater good,
that God doth thus burn us by the fire of tribulation: that which
was said by the _Psalmist_ 26. 3. _Prove me O Lord, and examine mee,
try my reins, and my heart_: And in the 13. of _Zach._ _vers._ 9. _I
will bring the third part through the fire, and I will refine them as
silver is refined, and I will try them as Gold is tried_: For fire
hath a double property, as hath been said; the one to separate the
pure from the impure, and the other to perfect that which remains of
the pure. Take away rust from silver, and it will go forth a most pure
vessell: But the propriety of these significations is better kept in
the Hebrew, then in any other tongue. Where the verb _Szaraph_ is
joined and attributed unto silver, which signifies, to melt, and to
refine, and to Gold _Bahan_ to prove. The one denotes Gods in Elect an
holy purity of conscience by silver, the other by gold a perfection of
constancy, which wee cannot know better then by proof: and from thence
comes dignity and eternall glory, the one and the other acquired by the
fire of Examination and of probation; for, as saith St. _Chrysostome_,
that which fire is towards gold and silver, the same is tribulation in
our soules from which fire cleanseth the impurities and uncleannesse,
and makes them neat shining: following that which is said in the 17.
of _Prov._ _As silver is tried by fire, in the furnace, so God proveth
the hearts of his Creatures_, and in the 27. of _Eccles._ _ver._ 5.
_The furnace tryeth the Potters vessell, and tentation of tribulation,
trieth good men._ There are many, saith one of the Fathers, who whilest
they are red in the fire of adversity, make themselves flexible, and
malleable, but departing therefrom, they harden themselves again as
before, making themselves unfit for conversion or amendment; _Origen_
in his 5. _Homilie_ upon the 3. Chap. of _Jesiu Nave_, they that draw
near unto me, draw near unto fire: If you bee (saith hee there) Gold
or silver, the nearer you come to the fire, the more you will become
resplendant: but if you build with wood, straw, or chaffe, upon the
foundation of Faith, and come near the fire, you shall be consumed:
very happy then are those that drawing near the fire, are therewith
lightned and not burnt. According as it is written in the 3. of _Mal._
_The Lord will sanctifie thee in burning fire._ St. _Augustine_, upon
a verse of the 45. _Psalm_. _Wee have passed through water, and fire_:
Fire burneth (saith hee) and water corrupteth: When adversity comes
upon us, it is as it were fire unto us: and worldly prosperities on
the contrary are as water. The earthen vessell that is well hardened
in the fire, fears neither water nor fire. Let us then study to amend
our selves by the fire of tribulation, by bearing it patiently; for if
the pottery be not firmly strengthened by fire, the water of temporall
vanity will soften it and mingle it as durt. And therefore wee must
passe through the fire, to come to the water of Mercy, and Grace,
whereof St. _John_ speaketh in the 3. of S. _Mat._ _I Baptize you with
water unto repentance, but hee that comes after mee is stronger then I,
and he will Baptize you with the holy Spirit, and with fire._ Of which
fire we may see in the 16. of _Wisdome_, 17. for it is wonderfull, that
in the water that quencheth all things, fire should be most powerfull.
That which made St. _Augustine_ himself say, that in the Sacrament
of Baptism, which they exercise and Catechise, they first came to
fire, and after to the Baptism of water: where the same comes to the
temptations of this age, where in the anguish which oppresseth us,
the fire first presents it self, but when the fear therein is out, it
is to bee feared that a wind of vain glory proceeding from temporall
felicity, dissolve it not into rain, which will come to quench the fire
of heat and Charity, which affliction hath taken within our Souls. To
this purpose, from fire to baptismall water, designed by the aforesaid
passage, wee have passed through water and fire, this beats upon the
31. of _Numb._ of clensing by fire, and by water, according as the
thinge may suffer: for visible baptism, is made by visible water,
and wherein the water consists in parts which is nothing else but
congealed water, by the acuity of fire thrust thereinto: with which
salt every Sacrifice must bee salted, that is to say, the externall
man, and the invisible baptism of the internall spirituall man is
wrought by the Grace of the holy Spirit represented by fire which of
it self is invisible, and unperceivable, except it bee attached to
some matter, as the soul is in the body: This fire there burneth in us
mortall sins, and the water washeth away Veniall and Originall.
But some wil demand, What is that fire, from whence comes it, that so
purifies our souls, and warms them in the Love of God, and illightens
them with his knowledge? for wee love nothing but what wee know: and
wee cannot know God, nor see his light, but by his light (_In thy
light wee shall see light_:) that is to say, by his word and parol
who hath vouchsafed to revest us with our flesh. Thy word is a fiery
word, and thy servant loveth it. It _this fire_ then which our Saviour
saith, _hee was come to send into the earth: and what will I, if it bee
already kindled_? For as _Prometheus_ brought fire here below, which
hee had lighted, in one of the wheels of the Suns Chariot: The word
hath rendred, lightened in the _Mercavah_ Chariot or throne of God,
which is all of fire; as also in the 17. of _Dan._ vers. 9. _Origen_
in his 13. _Homil._ upon the 25. of _Exodus_. Jacinth, Purple, double
Scarlet, and Silk: sets down, that these four represented the four
Elements, Silk or Linnen, the Earth from whence it came; Purple, Water,
because extracted from bloud with the shell or cockle of the sea;
Jacinth in Hebrew _Techeleh_, the Air, for it is without heavenly blew;
and Scarlet, fire, by reason of its red enflamed colour. But wherefore
is it there said, that _Moses_ redoubled the fire; and not one of the
rest? Because that fire hath a double propriety, the one to shine, and
to bee bright, and the other to burn: wee must understand corruptible
things, for upon the incorruptible, wee must look upon for this regard,
to refine them and amend more and more. _Did not our hearts burn within
us, while he talked with us by the way, and while hee opened to us the
Scriptures?_ _Luke_ 24. 32. said the Pilgrims of _Emaus_. And this is
it wherefore it is commanded in the Law to offer double Scarlet, to
adorn the Tabernacle. But how can this bee? Aske _Origen_, a Doctor
instructing people in the Church of God, designed by the Tabernacle,
if hee did but cry after the vices, blasphem, and reprove them; without
bringing instruction and consolation to the people, explaining to
them the Scriptures, and the obscure sense therein concealed, wherein
consisteth the internall Doctrin, and the mysticall understanding: hee
well offers Scarlet, but simple and not double, because that this fire
doth not but burn and not lighten. But on the other side, if they doe
but clear and interpret Scripture without reprehension of vice and
sin, and to shew requisite severity to a declarer of the Word of God,
wee offer as it were simple Scarlet: for this fire there, doth not but
illuminate & doth not enflame persons to repentance of their misdoings,
correction and amendment of life: whereunto cooperates the Grace of
the Holy Spirit, which is domestique fire, with which wee must salt
our souls to preserve them from corruption: for there is nothing that
doth more symbolize to the nature of the soul then fire: because it is
that of al things sensible, which approacheth more to spirituality, as
well for its continuall and light motion which soars alwayes upwards,
as for its light, which _Plotin_ saith must properly be attributed to
the intelligible world, heat to the Celestiall, and burning, to the
Elementary. And for as much as it participates more of light then any
of the other Elements: that likewise acquires unto it a precellency
above the rest: for the Earth being a body wholly without motion, dark
and duskish; is by consequent lesse in dignity, as the settlement and
lees of all others. Water because it is clearer, is more worthy, and
the Air yet more: But fire is that which surpasseth all, therefore it
is lodged in a higher place, and nearer to the Region of the air: It is
that, which _Vincent_ no despicable Author, was pleased to say in his
Philosophicall Mirror, 2. Book, 33. chap. Every thing for as much as
it participates more of light, so much the more it approacheth nearer
to the Divine Essence, which is perfect light, by which God began the
Creation of the Universe, or the first thing that hee ordained to bee
made, was light: and to shew us, that wee must alwayes walk in light
and not in darknesse. And on the contrary, how much more the Elements
are distant from light, by so much they approach to their dissemblance
and deformity, which is a token of corruption. For as much as the
parties of the composed Elements are homogeneall and homomaternall, or
like one to another, so much lesse are they corruptible and separable,
as wee may see in gold, the most proportionate substance of all, and
which approacheth nearest to fire: that which moved _Pindarus_ from the
beginning of his first Olympian, to join these three, water, fire and
gold together, water is best, gold, and shining fire, &c.