Mount Pisgah, or, A prospect of heaven being an exposition on the fourth chapter…Movnt Pisgah, or, A prospect of heaven being an exposition on the fourth chapter…

In a word, All the Arcana of Nature and all the Mysteries of Philosophy (properly so called) with all occult things under the Sun, and the highest speculations of this nether Orb, in the painful and knotty disquisition whereof the greatest Masters of secular learning have tired themselves almost to distraction, and upon the gaining of some little supposed satisfaction, wherein they have so much gloried, and insulted over other men, shall now be made easy and familiar to the Saints, the very A B C of Heaven, and only worth a cast of their eyes, either as such knowledge came from God, or as it leads them unto God again.

In a word, All the Arcana of Nature and all the Mysteries of Philosophy (properly so called) with all occult things under the Sun, and the highest speculations of this neather Orb, in the painful and knotty disquisition whereof the greatest Masters of secular learning have tired themselves almost to distraction, and upon the gaining of some little supposed satisfaction, wherein they have so much gloried, and insulted over other men, shall now be made easie and familiar to the Saints, the very A B C of Heaven, and only worth a cast of their eyes, either as such knowledge came from God, or as it leads them unto God again.

For the use of this last branch of the heavenly vision: Use. It may serve to moderate and restrain that inordinate curiosity in our natures, to be looking into dark and hidden mysteries. There is a concupiscence in the understanding, lusting after forbidden knowledge, as there is in the will after forbidden fruit; we inherit both from our first Father and Mother; they affected a knowledge above the capacity of their natures; they would know as God knoweth, universally, intuitively, and at once; but by such an ambition of knowing more than they ought, they forfeited what they had, which was sufficient to have made them happy; and while they aspired to be as God which made them, they became like the beasts that perish. It was the presumption of the Bethshemites, they would be prying into the Ark, though they died for it; and there is a pride and wantonness in our nature, ¹which sets us a prying into Arcana Coeli, the hidden and secret counsels of God. Adam's Children are yet sick of his disease, they would fain be as wise as God, and know all things: But, the secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children for ever, that we may do them. And in these revealed things there is matter enough to exercise our studies, had we Methusalem's lease of life sealed to us. In the revealed things of God, there is so much yet unrevealed, and therefore left unrevealed, that we might search and dig into them,