THe fight of some Fishes playing to and fro upon the top of the VVater, diverted us from prosecuting our Conference, and drew us to apply our selves attentively to the catching of them, in which accordingly we spent some part of the Morning; yet whilst we continu’d Angling, not far from one another, we often cast our Eyes (as is usual in such cases) upon each others fishing Corks, to learn as well the successes of our Friends, as in what places the Fish were forwardest to bite: As I chanc’d to look towards that Cork at which Eusebius’s Hook was hanging, I perceiv’d that it was divers times drawn under VVater, without his endeavouring thereupon to strike that Fish that made thus bold with his Bait; wherefore laying down my Angle a while, I went softly towards Eusebius, to see what it was that made him so regardless of his Sport, whilst yet, by the posture be continu’d in, he seem’d to be intent upon it: But approaching near enough, I quickly perceiv’d, That instead of minding his Hook, his Eyes were fixt sometimes upon his own Picture, reflected from the smooth Surface of the gliding stream, and sometimes upon the Shadow projected by his Body, a little beside the Picture upon the same River.
The unwilling noise I made in coming so near, having oblig’d Eusebius to take notice of me, I thought fit, since I found I was discover’d, to ask him smilingly, whether he were Narcissus-like, making Love to his own Shadow.
Eusebius ghessing by these words, that I had conjectur’d what he was doing, answer’d me with a look somewhat more serious than that I had spoken to him with; I was indeed, Philaretus, attentively enough considering, sometimes my Picture, which the VVater presents me with, and sometimes the Shadow, which the Sun and I together cast upon the Water; But (says he, with a half Smile) I look’d upon both these, not with the Eyes of a Narcissuss, (for that would make me much Madder than he was) but with those of a Christian: For I was considering, that one of the Differences betwixt the Law, and the Gospel, might not be ill represented by the Difference betwixt a common Looking-glass, and that afforded me by this Crystal stream: For though both being specular Bodies, I can see my Face in either; yet if my Face be spotted with Dirt, or grown Pale by reason of the Faintness usual in such hot VVeather, a common Looking-glass will indeed discover those things to me, but will not otherwise assist me to remedy them; whereas, when I consult this Stream, if it shew me any spots in my Face, it supplies me with water to wash them off, and by its cooling, and refreshing VVaters, can relieve me from that Faintness that reduces me to look Pale.
Thus the Law, which is commonly, and which seems ev’n by an Apostle to be compared to a Looking-glass, shews us indeed the pollutions of our Souls, and discovers to us the effects of our spiritual I anguidness, and Faintness; but the Gospel does not only do so, but tells the Embracers of it, by Saint John’s mouth, If any Man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ, the Righteous, who is the Propitiation for our sins, and whose Blood cleanses us from all sin. And the Author of the same Gospel invites all those, that find themselves tired and thirsty, to come unto him, and to be refreshed.
By this time, Lindamor, who was Angling not very far off, perceiving us stand together, as if we were engaged in some Discourse, laid by his Rod a while, and came to listen to what he expected he might learn from Eusebius; who pausing here, I put him in mind, that he had also mentioned to me the sight of his Shadow upon the face of the River, as another object of his Contemplations, and that therefore my curiosity (wherein I knew Lindamor, as soon as I should acquaint him with the occasion, would share) made me very desirous to know what thoughts had been suggested to him, by a Subject that seem’d so slight and barren.
Since you will needs know, (replies Eusebius) I will confess to you, that my Thoughts were Theologically enough employ’d, and therefore, least you should think, I affect to Preach out of the Pulpit, I will but succinctly mention some of these Various things, that this Shadow, as despicable as you think it, suggested to me: But since I was only entertaining and exciting my self, not discoursing with Naturalists, or disputing with Atheists, I presume you will not wonder, that I take the Doctrine of the Creation for granted, as it is acknowledged by Christians in general, and particularly by You.
I was then considering, that this Shadow, related to me, might in some particulars be no unfit one of the Universe in reference to God: And indeed, perhaps the VVorld may without much extravagance be tearmed the Shadow of him, of whose Attributes, or Perfections, it exhibites to an attentive considerer divers excellent Impresses, and the resemblance may thus far be advanc’d, that as though it represents the Shape and Out-lines of my Body, which projects it, yet it represents but them, and consequently this Shadow in reference to it is but a superficial and worthless thing; so the VVorld, though it be not destitute of several Impresses, and as it were Lineaments or Features of the Divine Wisdome and Power, yet for all this, its representations of the Divine Author of it, are but very Imperfect, Superficial, and Dark, and the Excellency of the Adorable Author of things, keeps him infinitely above all the works that he has made.
But to mention some of the Comparisons I took notice of: In the first place we may consider, that I make this Shadow here without taking the least pains to do so, (Psal. 33. 9) and with as little toyl God made the VVorld: He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast, (says the Psalmist, speaking of the Creation) and elsewhere the Scripture says, (Isaiah 40. 28) That the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the Earth fainteth not, neither is weary, and therefore that Rest ascrib’d him on the seventh Day, is to be understood but a Cessation from Creating, not a Repose from Labour, for all disproportions to the power of created Agents, are so equally inconsiderable, in reference to one that is Infinite, that Omnipotence may make even the World without Toyl.
Secondly, To make this Shadow, I neither use nor need Colours, nor Pencil; I digg no Quarries, nor fell no Trees to perfect this work, and employ no Materials about it; As little had God any Pre-existent matter to contrive into this vast Fabrick: Our Creed proclaims him the Creator of Heaven and Earth; (Revel. 10. 6) the Angel, that holds the Book, in the Revelations, describes him resemblingly; and the Apostle tells us, That through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the word of God; (Hebr. 11. 8) so that things which are seen, were not made of things that do appear: And indeed it became an Omnipotent Architect, not to be beholden but to himself for his Materials. He that calleth things that are not, as though they were, makes them by calling them; He brought forth Light out of Darkness, by calling for Light, and there was Light; he spake it, and it was done, says the Psalmist; and the VVorld was, if I may so express it, but the real Eccho of that productive, FIAT.
The next thing, I was considering, was, that, to destroy this Shadow, I needed neither Sword, nor Pistol, the withdrawing of my self under the Neighbouring Trees being sufficient to make the Shadow disappear, and leave behind as little shape of it, as if there never had been any. And thus, as the VVorld could not have had a beginning, without having been provided by God, so for the continuance of the Being it enjoys, it depends altogether, and every moment, upon the will and pleasure of its first Author, of whom Saint Paul tells us, That in Him, we not only live, and move, but have our being; and to the same purpose I think one may allege that place, where the Scripture says of God, not only,1 That he has made Heaven, the Heaven of Heavens with all their Hoast, the Earth and all things that are thereon, the Seas and all that is therein; but adds, That he preserveth them all, as our Translatours English it; for in the Hebrew I remember it is, Vivifies them all, that is, sustains them in that improper Kind of Life, or that Existence, which, whilst their Nature lasts, belongs unto it; so that if God should at any time withdraw his preserving Influence, the World would presently Relapse, or Vanish into its first Nothing, as there are many Notions of the Mind such, as that of Genus, and Species, which are so the Creatures of Reason, that they have no longer an Existence in the nature of things, than they are actually upheld therein, by being actually thought upon by some Intellectual Being; And God is so the preserver of all his Creatures, that one may say of the rest, as the Psalmist speaks of many of them, where addressing himself to God, he says, Thou hidest thy Face, (Psal. 104. 29, 30) they are troubled; Thou takest away their Breath, they Dye, and return to their Dust; Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are Created, &c.
I was also taking notice, (pursues Eusebius) that to produce what changes I pleas’d, in all, or any part of this Shadow; I needed not employ either Emissaries, or Instruments, nor so much as rowse up my self to any difficult Exertion of my own strength, since, by only moving this or that part of my own Body, I could change at pleasure in the twinkling of an Eye, the figure and posture of what part of the Shadow I thought fit: And thus, when God had a mind to work those Miracles, we most admire, as when at Josuah’s prayer he stop’d the course of the Sun, and at Hezekiah’s, made him go back, we Men are apt to imagine that these prodigious Effects must needs cost their Author much, and that he must strain his Power, and be necessitated to a troublesome Exertion of his Omnipotence, to be able to produce them, whereas to that Divine Agent, those things that would be to all others impossible, are so far from being difficult, and the Creatures have so absolute and continual a dependance on him, that ‘tis as easie for him to effect the greatest Alterations in them, as to resolve to do so, And even those Miraculous changes of the course of Nature, that do the most astonish us, do so naturally and necessarily flow from the Motions of his own Will, that to decree, and to execute, (whether or no they require powers otherwise than Notionally differing) are alike easie to him: And that irresistible Agent finds as little more difficulty to produce the greatest changes among the Creatures, than to produce the least; as I find it harder to move the whole Arm of my Shadow, than to move its little Finger. And this consideration (subjoyns Eusebius) might be, methought, consolatory enough to his Church, who by reposing an entire trust in her God, entitles her self to the protection of him, that can as easily produce changes in the VVorld, as resolve on them, and can with the same facility destroy her and his greatest Enemies, as decree their Destruction.
I was also further considering, (says Eusebius) That though the little wat’ry Bodies, that make up this River, and consequently those that glided along by me, were in a restless Motion, the hindmost always urging on, and chasing those that were before them, yet my Shadow was as compleat and stable upon the fugitive Stream, as if it had been projected on the water of a Pond, or rather as if all the parts of VVater, whereon ‘twas Visible, had been fixt and moveless; of which I made this Application, that though we may say with Solomon, in a larger sence than his, That one Generation goes, and another comes, the VVorld being maintained by perpetual Vicissitudes of Generation and Corruption, yet the Wisdome and Providence of God does so far confine the Creatures to the establish’d Laws of Nature, that though vast Multitudes of Individualls are always giving place to others, yet the particular Creatures, which do at any time make up the VVorld, do always exhibit the like Picture of its divine Original.
But yet lastly, (says Eusebius) I was considering too, that though this Shadow have some kind of resemblance to that, whose Shadow it is, yet the Picture is but very superficial and obscure; And if we should suppose, the Fishes that inhabit this Stream, to be endued with reason, they could even from Lindamors shadow but collect, that the Original is a Man, and not a Brute; but they could not hence make any discovery of what manner of Man he is, nor know any thing of his Virtues, or his Thoughts, or his Intention, nor consequently have that Notion of him, that I (pursues Eusebius, turning to him, and a little Smiling on him) do harbour and cherish, who having the happiness to converse with him, have the opportunity and the justice to admire him. Thus, where I formerly ventured to call the VVorld Gods Shadow, I did not forget, how imperfect a Picture a Shadow is wont to be: And though this dark Representation, that God has vouchsaf’d Men of himself in the Universe, be sufficient to convince us, that it was not made by chance, but produced by a Powerfull and Intelligent Being; the eternal Power and God-head of the Great Author of Nature, as the Scripture seems to teach us, being manifested to attentive and rational Considerers, in the visible productions of his Power and VVisdome; yet how short and dim a Knowledge must they have of him, that have no other than these Corporal Instructors. How many of his glorious Attributes are there, for whose Knowledge we must be beholden, rather to his VVritten, than his Created Word? and how little will humane Intellects, without Revelation, discover of that manifold VVisdome of God, which the Scripture teaches us, (Ephes. 3. 10) That even to the Angels it must be made known by the Church. And if those Illuminated persons, such as Moses and Saint Paul himself, who had both extraordinary Revelations from God, and intimate Communion with him, confessed, that in this Life they saw him but Darkly, and, as it were, in a Glass; sure the Dim light of meer Nature will give us but extremely imperfect, and detracting Idea’s of him, whom the like Limitedness of our Nature will allow us to know but very imperfectly, in Heaven it self, though as we shall there see him Face to Face, our apprehensive Faculties will as well be inlarged, as the dazling and ravishing Object be disclosed.
But, (says Eusebius) though I forget, that I am not in the Pulpit, I hope you remember, that I told you at first, how little I pretended these kind of Reflections would endure a rigorous Philosophical Examen, and that I am not so Indiscreet, as to expect that they should work Conviction in an Infidel, though I hope they may excite good Thoughts in a Believer.
These last words of our Friend being not followed by any other; Lindamor, having waited a while to ascertain himself, that Eusebius had ended his Discourse, began another, by saying:
I perceive, Eusebius, with much more satisfaction than surprise, that the same Subject, and at the same time, did, as ‘twas fit, suggest very differing considerations to you and me; for whilst your Shadow afforded you the rise of sublime Speculations, I was making but a moral Reflection upon mine: For taking notice, (continues he) that the Shade my Body projected, near Noon, was almost as much shorter than it, as in the Morning it was longer, prompted me to think, how foolish it were for me, who know by sure ways of measuring my own Statute, that it is moderate enough, not to be either proud of, or complain’d of, should imagine that I am either as Tall as a Gyant, or as Low as a Dwarf, because I see my Shadow either exceeding long, or extreamly short; and I was further considering, pursues Lindamor, that if Philosophers, as well as the Vulgar, have rightly called Fame or Glory the Shadow of Virtue, it would be as irrational to estimate ones self not by the testimonies of ones Conscience, which is the Authentick standard of Intrinsick worth, but by the sickle Opinions of others, (which oftentimes flatter, and oftner detract) but very seldome give a just and impartial estimate of merit: The Fame may have its encrease, and decrements, whilst the Person continues the same, and loses nothing of substance with the Shadow. And for a Man that should examine himself, and judge of himself by his own designs, and actions, not other Mens words, to suffer himself to be puff’d up by vulgar applause, or dejected by unmerited censures, were to mistake a Shadow for a Standard.
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Footnotes
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Nehemiah the 9. and the 6. ↩