at the parts of any man if borne lame or deformed this is to despise the Workman to murmure at the Potter 3. It shewes that God hath first chiefe absolute and perpetuall soveraignty over all his creatures so that hee can use command and doe with them as in equity seems good to his heavenly wisedome 4. When we behold the Heavens the Earth Aire and Sea how they are filled what use and commodities they have we should contemplate God in these things we see with our eyes 2. We should learne what a one God is 1. Eternall Hee that made heaven and earth is ancienter than both 2. Almighty Great works cannot be brought to passe without great strength he must needs be Infinite in power which made heaven and earth and hangs the earth as a Ball without any pillar to support it 3. Most wise strength separated from wisedome is little worth God knowes all things the nature of the Heavens Earth Water perfectly because he put such a nature into them tell your selves that God is a wise understanding Essence can order all to the best 4. Exceeding good hee hath infused goodnesse into the Heavens Waters Earth they are helpfull and and serviceable to man how much more goodnes is there in God he is good and doth good 5. See his love in making man best of the Creatures here below we should honour God in our mindes account him the chiefest and onely good and his favour the chiefest felicity bring our wills to long after him to desire him above all other things chusing him as our happinesse loving him and desiring to enjoy himfully Learne to feare him above all not daring to offend him and obey and please him what more agreeable to reason then that the Maker of all should be Ruler of all we are more his than a childe his Parents a servant his Masters Wee should also acknowledge that he made us Psalme 100. and praise him Gods great workes call for great praise commend him with our tongues and speak good of his Name Psalme 19. 2. The heavens declare the glory of God i.e. give occasion to man of declaring it 5. This is a comfort to those who acknowledge God to be such a one as hee is is not he rich enough to maintaine them wise enough to direct them strong enough to protect them If thou want goodnesse he can create in thee a new heart it may comfort the godly in regard of the resurrectionâ— God can raise them up at the last day 6. It is a great terrour to the wicked which doe not feare but despise him God will hate despise and destroy them God can doe it he made heaven and earth and he will doe it because he is true he hath threatned it oh the misery of that man which hath him for his enemy 7. We may learne from all the Creatures in generall 1. to bewaile our Rebellion against God which all of them reprove for they all stand in their kinde and station in which God set them at first The Sun rejoyceth to runne his course the Sea keepeth her bounds the earth stands upon her foundation the heavens keep their motion and declare Gods glorie the very windes and seas obey him 2. All of them teach the invisible things of God Rom. 1. 20. as was before shewed 8. We should make a right use of the creatures use them first devoutly 1 Tim. 4. 5. in faith Rom. 14. 14. and ult with Prayer and Thanksgiving Matth. 15. 36. Acts 27. 35. Secondly soberly 1 Cor. 10. 31. 3. thankfully 1 Tim. 4. 4. Having handled the works of Creation in generall I now proceed according to Moses his Method to a more particular enarration of each dayes worke The whole first Chapter of Genesis may be thus divided 1. The Author of the worlds Creation God 2. The Worke. 3. The approbation of it 1. verse In the beginning of time or being therefore the World was not eternall John begins so and took it hence but beginning there may meane from Eternity or as here Christ did not begin then but was then Prov. 8. 22. Bara Elohim Gods Created That difference between the Noune Plurall and Verbe Singular saith Rivet signifieth not the mysterie of the Trinity but is an idâ—otisme of the Hebrew tongue in which such enallages are frequent as Numb 32. 25. How ever there is no difference in the thing it selfe for the name of Gods being taken here essentially not personally is common to the 3. Persons Gods created is as much as the Father the Son and Holy Ghost created for elsewhere it is manifest from Scripture that not onely the Father but the Sonne and Holy Ghost also created the world Created signifieth an act of infinite power and is not communicable to any creature 1. Ex nihilo fecit quidem potentissime ac magnificentissimè Junius Heaven and Earth In the first day were created Heaven and Earth as it were the foundation and roofe of the building Psalme 104. 5. Esay 40. 21 22. The worke of the first day was 1 Heaven under which name are comprehended partly the Empyrâ—an first and immoveable Heaven which is called in Scripture the third Heaven and Heaven of Heavens Ephes. 4 10. 2 Chron. 6. 18. Acts 1. 11. partly the Celestiall Spheres which it is probable were made the first day but without those lights of the Starres with which at length in the fourth day they were adorned the Hebrew word for Heaven being of the Duall number may imply both The heavenly Intelligences or Angels the Inhabitants of the Invisible Heaven were then made as is probable saith Chemnitius Coelum id est extimum illum hujus universitatis ambitum cum super Caelestibus incolis illius spiritualibus formis atque intelligentiis Gen 2. 1. Job 38. 7. Junius in loc 2. The foure first simple things or elements as some think Earth Water Aire Fire and the fitting of them for use by making day and night Though other hold that the aire and fire are comprehended under Firmament the worke of the second day For the earth there is he emphaticall this earth which we dwell in though then unpolished The earth is described in the second verse it was without forme and void informitie and vacuity in the originall without inhabitants and without ornament the earth and waters were joyned together among themselves the waters at first did encompasse and cover the earth round about as it were a cloathing and garment Psalme 104. 6. Darknesse was on the face of the deep that is the waters which inclosed the earth in themselves 3. v. There is an extraordinary light mentioned the ordinary fountaine of light is the Sunne which in what subject it did inhere is not certaine some say water in the thinner parts of the superficies some the Heavenly Spheres others say the Element of fire for that say they is either included under light or we know
Pastor in the Old Testament had such authority much more the chiefe Priest in the New Sol. This one pastor signifieth neither the High Priest in the old Law nor the Pope in the New but Jesus Christ the High Shepheard for our soules Ob. Matth. 16. 19. Christ saith to Peter to theâ— will I give the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven therefore the Pope hath authority to expound Scripture Sol. First by the Keyes here is meant Commission to preach the Gospell not authority of interpreting the Scriptures When the Gospell is preached the Kingdome of heaven is opened to the beleevers and shut to the unbeleevers 2. That authority of the Keyes was not committed to Peter onely but to the other Apostles also Matth. 28. 18. 19. There is a twofold judgement 1. Of discretion 1 Cor. 10. 15. 2. Of authority as the Parllament judgeth Capitall crimes If the Papists understand the word Judge to â—ignifie Discerning as when we judge of meates by the taste every faithfull person ought to pray unto God for grace to judge to discerne and to know the true sense of the Scripture But if by judging they understand to pronounce decrees definitive and infallible judgements touching the sence of the Scriptures thereby to bind other mens consciences there is no man in the world that hath that power See Moulinâ— Buckler of Faith We have a more compendious way to come to the understanding of the Scripture It were too long when we doubt of any place to stay till we have the generall consent of the Pastors of the Church or to expect a generall counsell or to goe up to Rome But the word of God is amongst us the Scriptures themselves and the Spirit of God opening our hearts doe teach us how to understand them And yet we say not as the Papists falsely charge us that we allow every private mans interpretation of Scripture refusing the judgement of the Pastors of the Church Panoruitan saith the opinion of one godly man ought to be preferred before the Popes if it be grounded upon better authority of the Old and New Testament 2 Pet. 1. 20. No prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation Stapleton saith interpretation is private either ratione personae when the man is private or ratione medij when it is not taken out of the context and circumstances or ratione finis when it is for a false end Now private interpretation in regard of the person if it be publike in regard of the meanes is not forbidden for it is lawfull for one man with Scripture toti resistere mundo saith the Glosse of the Canon-Law the meaning of this place is that the Prophets were no Interpreters or Messengers of their own minds but Gods The Catholickes hold saith Chamier meaning still by that Title the Protestants that the Scripture is to be interpreted by private labour and industry viz. of Augustine Jerome Chrysostome but not in a private sense that is in a sense arising from the braine of the Interpreter It is true saith Cartwright against the Rhemists that the Scriptures cannot be expounded of every private Spirit nor which is more of any private spirit nor yet of all private spirits together but onely of those which are inspired of God viz. the Prophets and Apostles which are here opposed unto private Interpretation And therefore it is evident that the exposition of the Scripture ought not to be fetched from Ecclesiasticall either Fathers or Councels which speake not by inspiration but from the Scriptures themselves what he meaneth he declareth in the next verse where he sheweth the reason of his saying namely that it must be interpreted as it was written and by as high authority Seeing therefore it was first spoken by holy men which spake as they were led by the holy Spirit and were inspired of God it followeth that it must be interpreted by the same authority The interpretation therefore that is brought but of the Apostles and Prophets is not private although it be avowed by one man onely On the other side that interpretation which is not brought from thence although it have the allowance of whole Generall Counsels is but private This is a principall meaning of our Saviour Christ when he willeth that we should call no man father or Master in the earth that is in matter of doctrine we should depend upon the authority of no man nor of all men in the earth but onely upon Christ and upon God Our reasons by which we prove that the chiefest judgement and authority of interpreting Scriptures is to be given not to the Church but to the Scriptures themselves and the Holy Ghost 1. That which onely hath power to beget faith that onely hath the chiefest authority of interpreting Scripture and of determining all controversies concerning faith and religion but the Scriptures onely and the Holy Ghost have this force Rom. 10. 17. the Holy Ghost onely can infuse saving faith into our hearts which is called by the Schoolemen infusa fides The faith which we have from the Church is acquired and sufficeth not to a certaine perswasion 2. The Scriptures cannot be interpreted but by the same Spirit wherewith they were written that spirit is found no where but in the Scripture whosoever have promises from God to understand the Scripture may interpret it but so have all the faithfull 3. Christ himselfe makes the Scripture a Judge John 12. 48. and still appealed to it 4. Although the Fathers were men indued of God with excellent gifts and brought no small light to understanding of the Scriptures yet learned men in our dayes may give a right sense of sundry places thereof which the Fathers saw not yea against the which perhaps they consent Hath any man living read all the Fathers nay have all the men living read them nay can they shew them can they get them I had almost said can they name them In the exposition of those words Tu es Petrus supra hanc petram almost every one of the Fathers at least the most part of them and the best expound it of Peters faith yet the Papists understand it non de fide sed de persona Petri. Here they dis-agree themselves from the Fathers John 10. 16. by the title of one Shepheard Augustine Chrysostome Jerome Cyrill Theodoret Theophylact Euthimius Rupertus Cyprian and other Fathers agree that Christ is there designed but Stapleton saith the Pope is there meant In the division of the Law they goe cleane contrary to the greatest part of the Fathers For they divide the Commandements as we doe but the Papists make the two first one and the tenth two 2. They have no Father to countenance them in this but Augustine There were no writings of the Fathers for a time many of them wrote 400 yeares after Christ but some 500 and 600 yeares after Christ what rule had they before that time of interpreting
supreme dominion and power over all creatures to order them as he pleaseth Job 9. 12. Jer. 16. 6. Isay 45. 9. Dan. 6. 26. Dominion in the generall is two fold 1. Of jurisdiction whereby he ruleth all subject to him as he pleaseth 2. Of propriety whereby he having a right to every creature may order it as he pleaseth The first is implyed in that of JAmes there is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy The second in that he is called the Lord of the Earth and all the beasts of the field are said to be his Gods dominion is that absolute right and power whereby he possesseth all things as his own and disposeth of them as he pleaseth Reason The supreame excellencie of his nature whereby he is infinitely above not onely those things which are actuall but likewise possible Gods first dominion of jurisdiction hath these parts 1. To Command 2. To forbid as Adam the eating of the Tree 3 To permit thus he suffers sinne to be being Supreame Lord. 4. To punish or reward Secondly his dominion of propriety consists in these particulars 1. That he can order every thing as he pleaseth for his honour and glory Psal. 8. 1. the strange punishments laid on Pharaoh were for this God raised him up to shew his glory 2. He is bound to give none account of what he doth that is true of God which the Papists attribute falsely to the Pope none may say to him cur ita facis 3. He can change and alter things as he pleaseth Dan. 2. 21. as when he bid Ahraham kill his Sonne and the Israelites take the Egyptians goods 4. Can distribute his goods unequally to whom and when he pleaseth to one health sicknesse to another The adjuncts of this dominion 1. It is Independent he hath this dominion of himselfe as he is God of himselfe 2. Universall it comprehends all places times this kingdome is everlasting God rules in heaven earth hell 3. Full and Perfect 1 Chron. 29. 11. 12. His dominion is infinitely greater then all others 4. It extends to the soule and heart God is called the Father of Spirits the hearts of Kings are in his hand he can terrifie the conscience We should first preferre God abâ—ve all things the Greatest person in any society is set before the rest The Sunne is respected above other Starres the King above other persons we should highly esteem his favour 40. Isay 12. there is a lofty description of Gods Greatnesse Secondly We should performe all duties to him with the greatest care diligence and reverence and in the highest degree love him greatly feare him greatly praise him with all our might yeeld unto him a service proportionable to his incomprehensible greatnesse Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in one Psalme and to be feared in another Thirdly It is a terrour to all those to whom this Great God is an enemy the wrath of a Great King is terrible he must needs inflict great punishments on such as rebell against him Fourthly Here is great consolation to those to whom he is a friend and Father he will do great things for their good they shall have great happinesse We should choose the Lord to be our Portion for in him alone is true happinesse and contendednesse to be found in our wants we should confidently goe to him for help he being Perfect can supply them We should place all our confidence in God alone expect all good things from him since he is an inexhausted fountain of all good things we should imitate him be Perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect Let Patience have her perfect worke let us perfect holinesse in his feare Those which would be excellent Orators propound to themselves Cicero and Demonsthenes to follow Paul pressed on forward labour first to be perfect in heart Psal. 119. 80. then in your ways This may serve also to comfort the godly against their weaknesses God will make his workes perfect He that hath begun a good work in them will perfect it they should be comforted therefore against all their imperfections to which they are subject in this life and seek perfection from him He will supply all their wants beare with them here and make them perfect in the other life 1 Cor. 15. 28. the understanding shall have perfect sight the will perfect goodnesse the heart perfect joy We should not mutter under any affliction for he himself cannot doe better then he doth he makes all things perfect Eccles. every thing beautifull in its season this is the most perfect State and Condition for thee and so account it God hath perfect wisedom power love Let us not be puffed up with any thing we do to him the Papists abound in this when they maintaine merit for that supposeth some eminency as if God needed their graces obedience and service but let us walk more humbly say rather if I had no corruption in me if I could do every duty required with as much purity as Angels yet this would adde nothing to thee thou art a perfect God perfectly happy though I were not at all Gods works are wonderfull great farre exceeding the power of all creatures either to do the lik to them or to stop hinder them Let all the men on earth lay their hands heads together let all Kings unite their counsells and their forces can they make an Earth-quake a Whirle-wind can they make the thunder to roare can they cause the flashes of lightening to flame out It is not a mortall worm to whom the course of nature will submit it self And if God will that these effects be wrought what can any man all men do for the hindring thereof 2. Gods works are unsearchable and past finding out Job 5. 9. who can dive into the secrets of nature and tell us the true reason of the winde the Earth-quake the Thunder the raine the Snow We cannot dive into the bottom of Gods works nor find them out by any Study or Wisedome 3. We should so much the more honour dread and wonder at God by how much we can lesse comprehend his works 4. Let us learn often to contemplate God in his works see his goodnesse greatnesse wisdome power in them and so we shall profit much in the knowledge of him The exaltation of God is a terrour to those who will needs be his Enemies and slight and dis-esteem him as the greatest part of men do O how unhappy are they that have so high and so great a person to be their Enemie seeing they have nothing to save themselves from his wrath 2. We should labour to exalt him now by striving to form and fix in our selves a most reverent esteem of him and by exercising in our selves this vertue of honouring God often reviving in our minds these thoughts how high is God and making them familiar with him O how
he is truth it selfe nor be tempted of evill Jam 1. 13. There is a difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potentia and pâ—tâ—stas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or potestas is prâ—perly authority right to do a thing as a King hath over his Subjects a father over his chilâ—dren a husband over his wife a master over his servants of which Chriâ—t speaks John 17. â— Matth. 28. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or potentia is properly strength to doe something as some great King may have power to overcome his enemies over which he hath no authority A lay-man hath power to give Bread and Wine but he hath not potestatem a calling or right to doe it It serves both for a spurâ—e to doe well since God is able to save Gen. 17. 1. and a bridle to restraine from evill seeing he hath power to destroy we should therefore humble our selves under his mighty hand 1 Pet. 5. 6. Luke 12. 5. It reproves the wicked which care not for Gods power but provoke the Almighty God Matth. 10. 28. and so contend with power it selfe none shall deliver them out of his hand 1 Cor. 10. 22. and it condemnes the godly which distrust the power of God Num. 11. 21. John 21. 32. Remembring not that he hath unlimited power The Lords Prayer ends thus For thine is the power This ministers comfort to those which have God on their side they need not fear what man or devil can do against them He can strengthen them in spirituall weaknesses against sin and unto duty all the divels in hell are not able to plucke them out of his hands Matth. 16. 18. John 10. 28 29. If a people fall from him he is able to graffe them in againe Esay 44. 22. Rom. 11. 23. they are kept by his power through faith to salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. He can protect them against their enemies though they be never so many Dan. 3. 17. Psalm 3. 6. He can and will make you strong in his power to beare patiently all afflictions God is able to raise them up againe when they are rotten in the grave at the generall resurrection Heb. 11. 19. We should not despise a weake Christian God is able to make him strong we should by this strengthen our faith in Gods promises as Abraham Rom. 4. 22. it is prefixed in the Creed as the prop of our beliefe in the Articles of our Christian faith That Commandement be strong in Christ and in his power includes a promise that he will give us his power if we seeke to him and rest on him for it were a very mocking to bid us be strong in him if he would not communicate his strong power to us if we have any strength either of body or mind to doe any thing we must returne to him the glory of it and be ruled by him in the use of it because we have it from him and hold it at his meere pleasure Oh saith God to Job can you doe this and that and then who made the clouds by which question he would cause Job to see his own impotency and Gods omnipotent power CHAP. XV. FRom all these before-mentioned Attributes ariseth the Glory or Majesty of God which is the infinite excellency of the Divine essence Heb. 1. 3. Exod. 33. 18. Psalm 29. 9. This is called the face of God Exod. 33. 20. and light inaccessible 1 Tim. 6. 16. which to acknowledge perfectly belongs to God alone yet the revelation and obscurer vision thereof is granted to us in this life by the ministery of those things which are seen and heard the clearer in the life to come where we shall see God face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. Matth. 18. 10. God is and ever shall be exceeding Glorious Exod. 15. 11. Deut. 28. 58. Glory is sometime taken for outward lustre and shining as one glory of the Sunne sometimes for outward decking and adorning as long haire is a glory to a woman but the proper signification of it is excellent estimation by which one is preferred before others Glory is used metonymically for that which is the ground and matter of glory as Prov. 19. 11. 20. 29. Sometimes the glory of God signifieth the very essence and nature of God as Exod. 33. 18. Sometimes it is used to signifie some of Gods Attributes Ephes. 1. 12. that is his grace and good will by shewing forth of which he makes himselfe glorious Sometimes it is put for some worke of God which is great and marvellous John 11. 40. that is the grace and powerfull worke of God in raising up thy brother Lazarus unto life againe Exod. 25. 16. 40. 35. that is some extraordinary splendor as R. Moses expounds it which God created thereby to shew forth his magnificence and glory Glory is taken essentially as it signifieth the nature and attributes of of God or else respectively as it signifieth the acknowledgement and celebration of his Majesty and this is called properly glorification this may have more or lesse Or secondly much to the same purpose the glory of God may be taken two waies 1 For the inward excellency and worth whereby he deserves to be esteemed and praised 2 For the actuall acknowleding of it for glory is defined a cleare and manifest knowledge of anothers excelcellency therefore the glory of God is two-fold First Internall which is againe twofold 1 Objective that glory of God is the excellency of his Divine nature for such is his Majesty and excellency that he is infinitely worthy to be praised admired and loved of all 2 Formall is his owne knowledge love and delight in himselfe for this is infinitely more the glory of God that he is knowne and beloved of himselfe then that he is loved and praised by all creatures Men or Angels becâ—use this argueth an infinite worth in Gods own nature that an infinite love and delight is satisfied with it God hath this kind of glory objectiv and formall most fully even from all eternity therefore when he is said to make all things for himselfe or his glory it is not meant of this inward glory as if he could have more of that Secondly Externall and that againe 1 By way of object viz. when he made the Heavens and Earth and all these glorious creatures here below which are said to shew forth his glory Psalm 19. that is objectively they are the effects of his glorious wisdomâ— and power and so become objects of mens and Angels praises of him and as the glory of men consists in outward ornaments so Gods glory consists in having such creatures men and Angels to be his followers 2 Formall when men and Angels doe know love and obey him and praise him to all eternity The Scriptures every where extoll the Majesty and glory of God 1 Essentially when it cals God Great Most high Glorious Acts 7. 2. The God of glory
not whether to referre it and God created not accidents without subjects The worke of the second day were two-fold 1. That most vast firmament viz. that space between the earth and skie the Hebrew word signifieth the extending of any thing or the thing it selfe 2. The division of the waters above from the Waters below that is of the clouds which are in the middle Region of the Aire from the Fountaines Rivers and Sea which remain under the lowest Region But by the name of Clouds and Waters above the firmament we may understand all the Meteors both waterie and fiery which were created then in their causes Jer. 10. 13. The approbâ—tion given of other dayes is here omitted in the Hebrew not because Hell was created on this day as the Hebrews say but because this work of distguishing the waters was yet imperfect and finished on the third day The worke of the third day was three-fold 1. The conflux or gathering of the waters below into one place in regard of the greater part of them called Sea that so they might not over-flow the earth and by this command of Gods they still continve so Luther said well that all a mans life upon the earth is as great a miracle as the Israelites passing through the red sea 2. The drying of the earth to make it habitable and fit for nourishing plants and living creatures 3. The producing of Herbes and Trees of all kinds The works of the fourth day were the Lights both greater as Sun and Moon and lesser as the other starres placed in the Heavens as certaine receptacles or vessells wherein the Lord did gather light which before was scattered in the whole body of the heavens 2. The use of them they were to give light to the world to distinguish the night from the day the day from the week as also to distinguish seasons Summer and Winter Spring Autumne Seed-time and Harvest They are Signes 1. Naturall by them we may guesse of the Weather Matth. 16. 2 3. from the colour and figure of the Moon some will conjecture what weather is like to be 2. Civill Husbandmen Gardners Fishermen Mariners gather observations from them 3. Ecclesiasticall to know the New Moons and spirituall stâ—ange apparitions in them are signes of Gods anger as extraordinary Eclipses Blazing-starres The works of the fifth day were The Fishes of the Sea and Fowles of the Aire divers iâ— nature shape qualities vertues and manners of living the fishes were appointed to increase multiply and fill the waters and the fowles to increase multiply and flie in the aire The worke of the sixt day is two-fold 1. All terrestriall bruite creatures Beasts Cattle and every thing which creepeth upon the earth in their kinde having vertue and power from God to increase and multiply 2. Man male and Female Adams body of the dust of the earth viz. that hee might have in his owne bosome an argument and incentive of humility left for his excellency he should waxe proud against God Eves body out of a rib of Adam for a signe of most neare conjunction and love betwixt man and wife The Creation ceased in man as in the Master-piece of Gods skil and as in the end to which all other things were destinate For all other Creatures by the bountie of the Creator were to serve Adam as their Lord and Prince CHAP. III. I Shall now insist more largely on the particular Creatures and draw some Consectaries from them saying little of the reasonable Creatures Angels and Men because I intend more fully to treat of them by themselves The Creation of the Heavens is a great and wonderfull worke of God the Heavens were not alwayes neither came they by chance or any other way but by the wonderfull power of God creating them So the Scripture telleth us often Psal. 102. 15. Esay 40. 12. and 22. and 42. 5. and 45. 2. and 48. 13. God frequently challengeth to himselfe the glory of this exceeding great worke alleadging it as an effect of his wonderfull power and greatnesse The excellency and greatnesse of this worke appeares in divers things 1. The abstrusenesse of the matter 2. The perfection of the forme 3. The exceeding hugenesse of its quantity 4. The height of it 5. It s swift motion Lastly the excellent usefulnesse of if for the Creatures here below and all other things contained in it First the matter of the Heavens is darke and hidden and goes beyond the power of mortall creatures certainly to determine of it Philosophers know not what to say here some of them doe thinke that the upper heavens are made of the same matter with these inseriour bodies and some againe do deny it and thinke it consists of another which they call the fifth Eâ—sence because they perceive it to bee of such different working and qualities front the things below 2. The perfection of the Figure of the heavens and all the Starres of heaven doth marvellously grace it for it is of an Orbicular or round forme a Circle encompassing the earth and waters round which is of it selfe also for the maine Orbicular and this concerning the Starres our senses do declare and concerning the whole Heavens the motions of the Starres which our eye doth tell us for the Sunne riseth every morning over against the place it did set the evening before and so evinceth that its course is round The round figure is the most beautifull strong perfect and capacions figure and this may minde us of Gods Infâ—â—itenesse Perfection and unchangeablenesse 3. Consider the hugenesse of its quantity for who can measure the back-side of heaven or tell how many miles space that mighty Circle doth containe the Globe of Earth and water is very great but all that is as it were an undiscernable Point compared to the whole Globe of heaven how incomprehenâ—â—bly great is he which hath made a building so great The whole circuit of the heavens wherein are the fixed Staus is reckoned by Astronomers to be a thousand and 17. millions of miles at least 4. It is a high and stately building Job 22. 1â— 160. millions of miles high from earth to heaven it is so farre by the Astronomers rules It is a wonder saith one that we can look up to so admirable a height and that the very eye is not tired in the way If this ascending line could be drawne right forward some that have calculated curiously have found it five hundred yeares journey unto the starrie heaven This putteth us in minde of the infinite mercy and goodnesse of God Psalme 103. 3. and of his Majestie the highest heavens are a fit Palace for the most High Psal. 104. 3. 5. It s admirable swift motion and revolution in 24. hours which our conceits cannot follow teacheth us that God is farre more swift and ready to helpe us in our need A Bullet out of a Musquet flies swiftly
must needs be at least 160. times 60. miles every houre that is almost 16000. miles every houre that is 166. miles every minute The celerity of this motion b is incredible it goes beyond the thoughts of a man to conceive distinctly of the passage through every place if a man should divide the circumference of the circle of the Sunne into certaine parts he could not so soone have thought of them as the Sun runs through them God doth this great work it is thought to be caused by the turning round of the highest Sphere or the Firmament which pulling along with it selfe the inferiour Orbes makes them to move according to its course but who can give a reasoâ— why that Spheare it selfe should goe so swiftly even much more swiftly then the Sun because it is far higher then the Sun as much as that is higher then the earth but the immediate power of God who doth move all in moving this one But that God should make the Sun fulfill such a daily race to make day and night it highly commends the work Againe the usefulnesse of it is great for if it should be in any place alwayes night what could they doe how should they live How would any thing grow seeing the nights are cold light and heate being companions and cold and darknesse being companions If no light had beene in the world the world would not have beene a place fit for living things But if one halfe only of the world should have had light with it alwayes it would have caused excessive heate and so would have burnt up and consumed all things beene no lesse harmfull then the defect of heat but now the succession of one of these to the other viz. light and heate to darknesse and cold doth so temper them by a kind of mixture that it is in such proportion in every place as is necessary to bring forth all sorts of living things especially the fruites of the earth So God hath assigned such a way and race to the Sunne which by his presence makes day and by his absence night as was fit only fit for the quickning enlivening and comfort of every kind of living creature so that upon this course the wel-being yea the very being almost of all things doth depend Wee should lament and bewaile our exceeding great blindnesse that live day after day and night after night and yet busie not our selves about this worke not see God in it though it be so constant as it was never stopped but twice since the beginning of the Creation viz. in Hezekiah's time by going backe of the Sunne and in Joshuah's time by stopping of the Sun for a certaine time by the immediate power of God We have the profit of the day and of the night but neither in one nor other do we mark the wisedome goodnesse and power of God In the night men rest and refresh their bodies with sleepe wilde beasts then wake and hunt for their prey In the day men and tame creatures make and dispatch their businesse and eate and drinke and wilde beasts then rest in their dens God is still working for us our thoughts are still idle towards him this is a proofe of our Atheisme and estrangement from him this is the blindenesse of our mindes a not being able to discern of things by discourse of reason the power of understanding for the conceiving of which just and plain reasons are offered unto us There is a natural blindnesse of the eye when it is unable to discerne things by the light of the Sun this is felt and complained of but spirituall blindnesse of mind is when it is unable to discerne supernaturall truths which concerne the soule and another and better life by the use of reason and helpe of those principles which are as light unto it this is not felt nor lamented but it is therefore not felt because it is so naturall to us and because we brought it into the world The beginning of the cure of spirituall blindnesse is to see it let us see it therefore and be troubled at it why do not I see Gods great worke in making night and day to succeed each other Let us looke up to God in this worke and meditate on it at fit times in the morning so soone as we are awake and begin to see the darknesse vanquished and the light conquering and that the Sun is raised above our Horizon and is come to visite our parts againe it were a fruitfull thing to think thus How great a journey hath the Sunne gone in this little time wherein I have been asleep and could observe nothing and now returned againe as it were to call me up say Lord thou hast made night I have the benefit of it and now light visits me Oh that I could honour thee and magnifie thy power and the greatnesse of thy hand and use the light of the day to do the services that are required at my hand in my place Againe in the evening a little before we sleepe we should think of the great work of making day for these many houres the Sun hath beene within our sight and shewed its beames and light unto us and hath run a long race for our good bringing with it lightsome cheerfulnesse the companion of the day Now it is gone to the other part of the world to visite them that God might shew his goodnesse to one place as well as to another Where a multitude of things concur to one effect with which none of them in particular is acquainted there we cannot but know that one common wisedome ruleth them all and so it is in the working of the Sun Moone and Stars to make the Seasons of the day and night and of Summer and Winter therefore some common wisedome must over-rule all of them There is a spirituall light in our Horizon whereas Judaisme and Turcisme is darknesse and Popery a glimering light We should pray to God to give us spirituall light and be thankfull for it He makes day and night also in respect of prosperity and adversity weeping may continue for a night this viciâ—litude keepes the soule in growth in good temper as the other is profitable for the body pray to God to send Christ to them which sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and vouchsafe to make it day with them as well as with us Hee hath said in his word that hee will discover the glory of his Sonne and all the earth shall see it together CHAP. IIII. BY the name of Clouds and Waters above the Firmament Gen. 1. We may understand all meteores both watery and fiery which were then created in their causes and so by clouds and windes Psal. 104. 3. must be understood all the meteors the great works of God by which he sheweth himselfe worketh in this lower Heaven They are called Meteors because they are most of them generated
aloft in the aire Zanchius saith there are foure sorts of Meteors others make but 3. sorts 1. Fiery which in the Supreame Region of the aire are so enflamed by the fire that they are of a fiery nature as Comets Thunder 2. Airy which being begotten of dry vapours of the earth come neare the nature of aire as winds 3. Waterie which retaine the nature of the water as snow and raine 4. Earthly which being begot of earthly vapours are also digged out of the Earth as metals stones The efficient cause is God according to that of the Psalmist haile snow ice winde and storme doe his will The remote matter of the Meteors are Elements the next matter are exhalations which are two-fold fumus et vapor smoake is of a middle nature between earth and fire vapour betweene water and aire If it come from the earth or some sandy place it is fumus a fume or kind of smoak if it come from the water or some watery place it is a vapour Vapours or exhallations are fumes raised from the water earth by the heavenly bodies into one of the 3. Regions of the aire whence divers impressions are formed according to the quality and quantity of the exhalations Thunder is a sound heard out of a thick or close compacted Cloud which sound is procured by reason of hot and dry exhalations shut within the cloud which seeking to get out with great violence rend the cloud from whence proceedes the tumbling noise which we call Thunder The Earth sends out partly by its owne innate heate and partly by the externall heate and attraction of the Sun certain hot and dry steames which the Philosopher calls exhalations and these going up in some abundance are at last enclosed within some thicke cloud consisting of cold and moist vapours which finding themselves straightned do with violence seeke a vent and breake through the sides or low part of the cloude There is first a great conflict and combate there of the contrary qualities a great rumbling and tumbling and striving of the exhalations within the cloud untill it breake forth into a loud and fearfull cracke Then the exhalation by its heate incensed in the strife proves all on a flame as it comes in the aire and that is Lightning Lastly the exhalation falling downe upon the earth is so violent that sometimes it breakes trees sometimes it singeth and burneth what it meetes mith it kills men and living creatures and in the most abundance of it there is a Thunder bolt begotten through exceeding great heate hardning the earthy parts of it God hath power over the Thunder He commands it rules it orders it for time place manner of working and all circumstances the Thunder in Egypt at the delivering of the Law proves this Therefore in the Scripture it is called the voyce of God and the fearefulnesse and terriblenesse thereof is made an argument of the exceeding greatnesse of God that can at his pleasure destroy his enemies even by the chiding of his voyce in Egypt he smote them with haile lightning thunder and with stormy tempest At the delivering of the Law mighty thunder-claps made way to the Lords appearance and were his harbingers to tell of his comming and prepare the hearts of the people with exceeding great awfulnesse and obedience to receive directions from him The Lord puts down Job 40. 9. with this question Canst thou thunder with a voyce like God speake terribly and with as big and loud a voice as thou canst and if thy voyce be answerable to loud thunder either in terriblenesse or loudnesse then will I confesse my selfe to be thy equall and Elihu reasoned for God by consideration of this great worke David Psal. 29. sheweth the greatnesse of God in the greatnesse of this mighty sound But it pleaseth God to effect this worke not immediately but mediately using naturall and ordinary causes according to his owne good will and pleasure for the effâ—cting thereof There doe arise from the ends of the earth as the Scripture speaks that is from all quarters of this inferiour part of the world consisting of earth and water certain steams or fumes partly drawn up thence by the heate and influence of the Sun and other Planets or constellations partly breathed out of the earth by the naturall heate thereof Whereof some are hot and moist being as it were of a middle nature betwixt water and aire some hot and dry being of a middle nature betwixt fire and aire as some Philosophers thinke of which two as of the matter are brought forth these strange things which wee see in the aire and among the rest Thunder Though thunder bee first in nature being by the violent eruption it makes out of the cloud the cause of fulgurations yet we see first the lightning before wee heare the Thunder because of the swiftnesse of the fire above the aire and because the eye is quicker in perceiving its object then the eare This is done for the benefit of the world that by shaking of the aire it might bee purged and made fit for the use of man and beast being cleansed from those ill and pestilent vapours which otherwise would make it too thicke grosse and unwholsome for our bodies for this is one speciall end of winds thunders and the like vehement works that are in the aire besides the particular work for which God assigneth them and therefore with thunder likely is joyned much raine because the cloud is dissolved at the same time and sometimes violent winds and tempests because the exhalation inflamed snatcheth with it selfe such windy fumes as it meetes withall in the aire and so by violent stirring the aire purgeth it and openeth the parts of the earth by shaking and moving it 1. We must turne all this to a spirituall use viz. to instruct us in the feare of him that is Lord of Hoasis who shews his greatnesse in these mighty deedes of his hand to which purpose alwayes the Scripture speakes of it exhorting the mighty to give unto the Lord glory and strength in regard of this 2. We must observe God so in this and all his great works as to cause our mindes to encrease in the knowledge of his excellencie and our hearts in the love and feare of him All his works are therefore exhorted to praise him because wee by all should learn his praise and greatnesse How able is God to destroy sinners how quickely and in a moment can hee bring them to ruine let him but speake to the thunder haile tempest and they will beate downe and consume his adversaries before his face ô then tremble before him 3. We must learn to put our confidence in God and boldly to promise our selves deliverance when he promiseth it God is wonderfull in making and ruling the clouds This is a work which God doth often alleadge in Scripture to prove his greatnesse Job 37. 26. Hee bindes
raine doth magnifie the worke The Sunne by his heate drawes up moist steams breath from the earth and water these ascending to the middle region of the aire which is some-what colder then the lower are again thickned and turne into water and so drop downe by their owne heavinesse by drops not altogether as it were by cowles full partly from the height of place from which they fall which causeth the water to disperse it selfe into drops and partly because it is by little and little not all at once thickned and turned into water so descends by little portions as it is thickned So the Sunne and other starres the earth the water windes and all the frame of nature are put to great toile and paines as it were to make ready these Clouds for from the end◠of the earth are the waters drawn which make our showers God is the first efficient cause of raine Gen. 2. 5. It is said there God had not caused it to raine Job 5. 10. Jer. 14. 22. Zach. 10. 1. The materiall cause of it is a vapour ascending out of the earth 3. the formall by the force of the cold the vapours are condensed into Clouds in the middle region of the aire 4. The end of raine to water the earth Genes 2. 6. which generation and use of raine David hath elegantly explained Psal. 147. 8. The cause of the Raine-bow is the light or beames of the Sun in a hollow and dewie cloud of a different proportion right opposite to the Sun beames by the reflection of which beames and the divers mixture of the light and the shade there is expressed as it were in a glasse the admirable Raine-bow We should be humbled for our unthankfulness and want of making due use of this mercie the want of it would make us mutter yet we praise not God nor serve him the better when we have it Jer. 14. 22. intimating without Gods omnipotencie working in and by them they cannot doe it If God actuate not the course of nature nothing is done by it let us have therefore our hearts and eyes fixed on him when wee behold raine sometime it mizleth gently descending sometimes falls with greater drops sometime with violence this ariseth from the greater or lesse quantity of the vapour and more or less heate or cold of the aire that thickneth or melteth or from the greater or smaller distance of the cloud from the earth or from the greater purity or grossenesse of the aire by reason of other concurring accidents either we feele the benefit or the want of raine likely once every moneth· Let not a thing so admirable passe by us without heeding to bee made better by it Want of moisture from above must produce praying confessing turning 1 Kings 8. 35. 36. The colours that appear in the Rainbow are principally 3. 1. The Cerulean or watery colour which notes the destroying of the world by water 2. The grassie or greene colour which shewes that God doth preserve the world for the present 3. The yellow or fiery colour shewing the world shal be destroyed with fire Dew consists of a cold moist vapour which the Sun draweth into the aire from whence when it is somewhat thickned through cold of the night and also of the place whether the Sun exhaled it it falleth down in very small and indiscernable drops to the great refreshment of the earth It falleth only morning aud evening Hath the raine a Father or who hath begotten the drops of dew Out of whose wombe came the raine and the hoary frost of heaven who hath gendred it saith God to Job Ch. 38. 28 29. A frost is dew congealed by overmuch cold It differs from the dew because the frost is made in a cold time and place the dew in a temperate time both of them are made when the weather is calme and not windy and generated in the lowest region of the aire Haile and ice is the same thing viz. water bound with cold they differ onely in figure viz. that the hailestones are or bicular begotten of the little drops of raine falling but ice is made of water continued whether it be congealed in rivers or sea or fountaines or pooles or any vessels whatsoever and retaines the figure of the water congealed Though ice be not Chrystall yet some say Chrystall is from ice when ice is hardened into the nature of a stone it becomes Chrystall more degrees of coldnesse hardnesse and clearenesse give ice the denomination of Chrystall and the name Chrystall imports so much that is water by cold contracted into ice Plinie in his naturall Historie saith the birth of it is from ice vehemently frozen But Doctor Browne in his enquiries into vulgar errours doubts of it The windes are also a great worke of God he made and he ruleth the winds They come not by chance but by a particular power of God causing them to be and to be thus hee brings them out of his treasures He caused the winds to serve him in Egypt to bring Froggs and after Locusts and then to remove the Locusts againe He caused the winds to divide the red Sea that Israell might passe Hee made the winds to bring quailes and the winds are said to have wings for their swiftnesse the nature of them is very abstruse The efficient causes of them are the Sunne and starres by their heate drawing up the thinnest and dryest fumes or exhalations which by the cold of the middle region being beaten back againe doe slide obliquely with great violence through the ayre this way or that way The effects of it are wonderfull they sometimes carrie raine hither and thither they make frost and they thaw they are sometimes exceeding violent and a man that sees their working can hardly satisfie himselfe in that which Philosophers speakes about their causes the wind bloweth where it listeth wee heare its sound but know not whence it commeth nor whether it goeth It is a thing which farre surpasseth our understanding to conceive fully the causes of it They blow most ordinarily at the Spring and fall for there is not so much wind in winter because the earth is bound with cold and so the vapour the matter of the wind cannot ascend nor in summer because vapours are then raised up by the Sun and it consumes them with his great heate These Winds alter the weather some of them bringing raine some drinesse some frost and snow which are all necessary there is also an universall commodity which riseth by the onely moving of the ayre which ayre if not continually stirred would soone putrifie and infect all that breath upon the earth It serves to condemne our owne blindnesse that cannot see God in this great worke the wind commeth downe unto us it is neere us we feele the blasts of it and yet we feele not the power and greatnesse of God in it When
God doth so plainly and so many waies discover himselfe to us yet blind wretches we perceive him not We are now to stirre up our mindes to the consideration of God in this his mighty worke See him walking through the earth and visiting it in the swift wings of this creature It hath also an apt resemblance and image of God in it 1. In the subtilnesse and invisible nature of it the swiftnesse of the winde may note his omnipresence who is said to ride on the wings of the winde 2. In its powerfull motion efficacie which no man can hinder or resist 3. In the freedome of its motion John 3. 7. 4. In the secresie of his working of mighty workes the windes are invisible The consideration of the windes leades us into our selves and that 1. For humiliation for who knoweth the nature of the winde the place of the winde the way of the winde to see in it our owne vanity Job 7. 7. Psal. 78. 39. 2. Instruction shall so fierce a creature be at a becke and shall not I 2. See the miserable estate of wicked men on whom destruction and feare shall come as a whirle-wind Prov. 27. 18. They shall be as stubble or chaffe before the winde Psal. 1. Metalls are minerall substances susible and malleable They are commonly distinguished into perfect and imperfect perfect because they have lesse impurity or heterogenâ—ity in them as gold and silver imperfect because they are full of impurities as iron copper tin and lead Gold of all metalls is the most solid and therefore the most heavie It will loose none of his substance neither by fire nor water therefore it will not make broth more cordiall being boyled in it Silver is next in purity to gold but it is inferiour unto it Precious stones in Latine Gemmae are esteemed for their rarity or for some vertue fancied to be in them or for their purenesse and transparentnesse The Psalmist declares the great worke of God in distinguishing the waters from the earth and making Sea and dry land The waters at the first did encompasse and cover the earth round about as it were a garment and overflow the highest parts of it altogether so that no dry ground was seene or could be seene in the world this was the first constitution of them as Moses relateth Gen. 1. 2. The deepe was the whole Orbe of waters which inclosed the earth in themselves But then God pleased to divide the waters from the earth so as to make dry land appeare and for that end 1. He drave the waters into one place spreading the earth over them and founding it upon them Psal. 104. v. 6. 7. God by his mighty power compared there to a thundering voyce did make the waters to gather together into the place that hee had appointed for them under the earth and that by raising up hills and mountaines and causing dales and valleyes then God appointed the waters their bounds that they should still continue in these hollowes under the earth and not returne to cover the earth as else of their owne nature they would have done There are divers profitable questions about these things 1. Whether the Sea would not naturally overflow the land as it did at the first creation were it not with-held within his bankes by divine power The answer is affirmative and the reason is evident the water is lighter then the earth and heavier things are apt to pierce through the light and the light will take to themselves an higher place and give way to the heavier things to descend through them mixe a great deale of dirt and water and let it stand a while and take its owne proper course and the dirt will sinke to the bottome leaving the water above it selfe Aristotle and others say that the Sea is higher then the earth and they can render no reason why it being apt to runne abroad should be kept from over-flowing the land whence he proves Gods providence 2. Whether there be more Sea or Land The multitude of waters made by God at first did cover the earth and inclose it round the Sea therefore must needs be farre greater then the Earth The Mapps shew it to be greater in quantity then the Earth 3. Whether the deepnesse of the Sea doth exceed the height of the mountaines It was a great worke of God to make mountaine vallies hils dales The Scripture often mentions it Pro. 8. 25. Psal. 65. 6. and 95. 4. and 90. 2. Psalm 104. 8. Amos 4. 13. Therfore are the mountaines exhorted to praise God Psal. 146. 9. Esay 40. 12. Hee is said to have weighed the mountaines in scales and the hils in ballances that is to have poised them even so that the earth might remain unmoveably in the parts of it as well as in the whole The greatnesse of this worke appeares 1. In the strangenesse and hiddennesse of it How should so heavy a thing as the earth thus heave up it selfe into so great ascents to give place unto the waters under it the immediate power of God is the cause of it Ps. 24. 2. 136. Psalm It may bee some hills were made by the furie and violent motion of the waves of the waters of Noah's flood but the most and greatest were created on the third day 2. In the usefulnesse of it 1. For beauty and ornament it gives a more delightfull prospect to see hills and dales then to looke upon all one even and flat piece of ground without any such risings 2. It conduceth to the fruitfulnsse of the earth The vales are much more fruitfull then if they were flats without hills because of the dew and moysture that descendeth upon them from the hills and some things grow better upon the higher places on the sides or tops of the mountaines 3. Without these hills and mountaines there could not have been roome for the waters which before did swallow up the earth in its bowels neither could the dry land have appeared 4. Without such hills and dales there could not have beene rivers and springs running with so constant a course 5. Hills and mountaines are the receptacles of the principall mines for metalls and quarries for all kinde of usefull stones Deut. 8. 9. and 33. 15. They are for boundaries betwixt Countrey and countrey Kingdome and Kingdome We should tell our selves how admirable and usefull this kind of frame and scituation the earth is 4. Whether Islands came since the flood 5. What is the cause of the saltnesse of the Sea The water of the Sea is salt not by nature but by accident Aristotle refers the saltish quality of the Sea-water to the Sun as the chiefe cause for it drawes up the thinner and fresher parts of the water leaving the thicker and lower water to suffer adustion of the Sun-beames and so consequently to become salt two things chiefely concurre to the generation of
saltishnesse drowth adustion Our Uurine and excrements for the same reason are also salt the purest part of our nourishment being employed in and upon the body Lydiat attributes it to under-earth or rather under-sea fires of a bituminous nature causing both the motion and saltnesse of the Sea Aristotle affirmeth that the Sea in Summer toward the South is more salt then else-where and is fresher toward the bottome then top The Sea is salt 1. to keepe it from putrifaction which is not necessary in the floods because of their swift motion 2. for the breeding and nourishing of great Fishes being both hotter and thicker 7. What is the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea There have been many opinions of the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea De quo plura pro ingeniis differentium quam pro veritatis fide expressa Some say it is the breathing or blowing of the world as Strabo Albertus Magn. One said it was because the waters getting into certaine holes of the earth were forced out again by Spirits remaining within the earth Macrobius said it was by meeting the East West Ocean Cicero seems to ascribe it only to the power of God others for the most part ascribe it to the various light or influences of the moone which rules over all moist bodies Some attribute it to certaine subterranean or under-Sea fires The final cause of the Seas motion is the preserving and purging of the waters as the aire is purged by windes Coelius Rhodiginus Antiq. lect l. 29. c. 8. writeth of Aristotle that when he had studied long about it at the last being weary he dyed through tediousnesse of such an intricate doubt Some say he drowned himselfe in Euripus because hee could finde no reason why it had so various a fluxion and refluxion seven times a day at least adding before that his praecipitation quoniam Aristoteles non cepit Euripum Euripus capiat Aristotelem Since Aristotle could not comprehend Euripus it should comprehend him But Doctor Brown in his Enquiries seemes to doubt of the truth of this story Other questions there are concerning râ—vers What is the originall of springs and Rivers what manner of motion the running of the rivers is whether straight or circular As one part of the waters and the farre greater part is gathered into one place and much of it hidden in the bowels of the earth and there as it were imprisoned or treasured up by making the Sea and dry land so another part of them was appointed to runne up down within the earth and upon it in springs rivers which rivers are nothing but the assembling of the waters into divers great channells from the fountains and springs which the Psalmist describeth by its matter and use or effect He sendeth the springs into the valleyes which run along the hills that is He made the springs and fountaines to conveigh waters from place to place the use of this is to give drinke unto the beasts even to the wilde asses who quench their thirst there There be many other uses of springs and rivers but this is noted as the most manifest and evident Another use is for the fowles which have their habitation in the trees which grow neere and by meanes of these springs there they sit and sing These spring bring up so much moisture to the upper parts of the earth as causeth trees to grow also for fowles to build and sing in Some of the waters also were drawn up into the middle region of the world changed into Clouds that so they may be dissolved and powred downe againe from thence upon the hills also and other places which cannot be watered by the Springs that so the whole earth may be satisfied with the fruit of Gods works The Poets faigned that Jupiter Neptune and Pluto divided the Universe and that Neptune had the Sea for his part which is called Neptunus either à nando from navigation or a nubendo from covering because the Sea covers the earth and Pontus the nations about Pontus thought no Sea in the world like unto their owne and doubted whether there were any other Sea but that whence Pontus was used for the Sea in generall The Sea is a wide and spacious place Psal. 104. 25. The great deepe the wombe of moisture the well of fountains the great Pond of the world The reason of the greatnesse and widenesse of it is the multitude of waters which were made by God at the first which because they did cover the earth and inclose it round it must needs be farre greater then the earth and therefore when God saw fit to distinguish the dry land from the earth must needs have very great ditches cut for it in the earth and caverns made to hold it therefore the earth in Scripture is said to be spread out upon the Sea because a great part of it is so in respect of the waters that are under it Again the use the principall use of the Sea waters therof was that it might supply vapours for making of the clouds by the attraction of the Sunne and native heate of the Sea in respect of some fire which God hath mixed with the earth and waters that they may be more fit to give life to living things Now if the superficies of the Sea were not very large and wide the Sunne could not have power enough by its attractive heate and warmth by which it doth attenuate make thin the waters into vapours which after the cold of the aire when they come into the middle region of it doth againe thicken and turne it into waters I say the Sunne could not else have power to draw out of the Sea sufficient store of these vapours for watering of the earth with showers So the multitude of the waters and the necessity of having much of them drawn up for raine required that they should not have little receptacles but one so great and spacious a receptacle which we call the Sea Oceanus the Ocean is that generall collection of all waters which environeth the world on every side Mare the Sea is a part of the Ocean to which we cannot come but by some streight In the Sea are innumerable creatures small and great there walke the Shipps there play the Leviathans What living mountaines such are the Whales some of which have beene found 600. foote long and 360. foote broad rowle up and downe in those fearfull billowes for greatnesse of number hugenesse of quantity strangenesse of shapes variety of fashions neither aire nor earth can compare with the waters Another use of the Sea is that there goe the Ships as the Prophet speakes in a kind of wonderment The whole art of Navigation is a strange art the Lord sitted the Sea for this purpose that it might be usefull to transport men from place to place and other things
from countrey to countrey Men build moveable houses and so goe through the waters on dry ground they flye through the Sea by the helpe of windes gathered in fitly with sails as birds do through the aire and having learnt of birds to steere themselves in the Sea they have an helme at the which the Master sitting doth turne about the whole bodie of his ship at his pleasure The swiftnesse of the motion of a ship is strange some say that with a strong winde they will goe as fast and faster then an arrow out of a bow The Lord hath given understanding to man to frame a huge vessell of wood cut into sâ—t pieces and to joyne it so close with pitch and rozin and other things mixt together that it shall let in none or but a little water and it shall carry a very great burden within yet will not sinke under water and hath given wisedome also to man to make sailes to receive the strength of the winde and cords to move them up and down at pleasure and to make masts to hang on those sails hath given men a dexteterity to run up to the tops of these masts by means of a cord framed in fashion of a ladder that can but even amuze an ordinary beholder and all this for a most excellent use viz. of maintaining commerce betwixt Nation and Nation and of conveighing things needfull from one place to another that all places might enjoy the commodities one of another To this art of Navigation do Kingdoms owe most of their riches delights and choise curiosities a great part of Solomons riches came in this way it is the easiest safest and quickest way of transportation of goods How obnoxious are we to God therefore we should not be bold to offend him how much danger do we stand in if he should let the waters take their own naturall course and exalt themselves above the mountaines At the flood he gave leave to the great Deeps to break their bounds and permitted the waters to take their own place the waters were some 7. yards higher then the tops of highest mountaines He can doe as much now for the demonstration of his just wrath for though He hath promised that the waters shall never overflow the whole earth yet not that they shall never overflow England which stands also in the Sea 2. Let us praise the goodnesse of God which preserveth the whole world alive by a kind of miracle even by keeping the water from overflowing the earth God would convince us that we live of his meere favour and that his speciall power and goodnesse keeps us the waters if they were left to their own naturall propensity would soone overwhelm the earth againe but that God locked them up in the places provided for them This worke is mentioned in divers places Job 38. 8. and 26. 10. Psalme 37. 7. Prov. 8. 29. Jer. 5. 22. First it is absolutely needfull for the preservation of the lives of all things that live and breath out of the Sea 2. It is a strange and hidden work God effecteth it by some setled reason in the course of nature but we cannot by searching find it out Perhaps this may be it the naturall motion of every heavy thing is toward the Center and then it will rest when it hath attained to its own proper place Now the earth is stretched over the flouds and it may seeme that a great part of them doth fill the very bowells concavity of the earth in the very place where the Center or middle point of it is seated Hence it is that they will not be drawne up againe nor follow the upper parts which tosse themselves up and downe but rather pull down those rising graves againe especially seeing it is most evident in nature by many experiments every day that it is utterly impossible there should be any vacuum as they call it any meere empty place in which nothing at all is contained because that would divide the contiguity of things and so cause that the world should bee no longer an orderly frame of divers things together for the parts would not be contiguous and united together if such a vacuum should fall out therefore water will ascend aire will descend and all things wil even loose their own nature and doe quite contrary to their nature rather then such a thing should be Now it may seeme the Lord hath hidden the water in the earth with such turnings and windings some places in which it is being larger some lesse large that the larger places having no open vent for aire to succeed the water cannot be so soone filled from below as they would emptie themselves upward and so there must needs be vacuity if they should not returne back againe and stop their course and therefore they must needs stop as it were in the midst of their carriere And this also may seeme to be a great and principall cause of the fluxe and refluxe of the Sea which if it were not the waters having their course alwayes one way must needs by little and little returne againe to cover the earth If this be the cause as is probable it is wonderfull that God should set such an inclination into all parts of the world that they will suffer any crossing of their own particular natures rather then not maintain the generall course of nature in the close joyning together of things for if they might bee sundred one from another at length the whole must needs be quite out of frame and a generall confusion would follow We must even chide and reprove our selves for our extream stupidity that are so little if ever a whit affected with this worke so great in it selfe and so behoofefull for our very life and being How are we daily and hourly preserved from the swelling waves how comes it that in all this length of time the Sea hath not broken in upon us and overtopped the earth We doe not tell our selves of our debt to God for commanding the waves not to be so bold as to drowne us It may exhort us to feare him that hath appointed the Sands for a bound of the Sea and will not let the waves prevaile over us for all their tossing and tumbling He is of great power and can over-rule so furious an Element and feare not though the waters roare and though the mountains were cast into the midst of the Sea This commends unto us Gods greatnesse who doth so infinitely surpasse the Seas greatnesse and who hath made so much water for it and it a place for so much water Let us thinke of it in particular and dwell a little upon it that we may also know our nothingnesse What a great thing is the Sea in it selfe considerd What is this Island in comparison of the Sea and yet we call it Great Brittaine It must needs bee greater then the earth for the waters did round about involve and
encompasse the earth what then is the whole globe of Earth and water and yet that whole globe is a thing of nothing in comparison of heaven and yet all that is nothing in comparison of God O how great is hee and how much to be admired Great not in quantity and extension of dimensions but in perfection of Essence How great is hee that is beyond Earth Sea and world and all more then these are beyond Nothing And let us a little compare our selves with this great and wide Sea The Sea is but part of this Globe yet hath in it water enough to drowne all the men that are in the world if either it were suffered to overflow as once at Noah's flood or else they were cast into it so that all men are but a small trifling thing in comparison of this Sea and then what am I must every one say to himselfe and what compared to God the maker of the wide Sea and this wide world Oh how nothing is man am I my selfe among other men and why am not I humble before God why do I not cast downe and abase my selfe in his presence and carry my selfe to him as becommeth so poore meane and small a creature to so Infinite and great a Creator Let us morally use the things wee see else the naturall knowledge will doe us no good at all We may see in the Sea a map of the misery of mans life it ebbeth and floweth seldome is quiet but after a little calm a tempest ariseth sodainly So must I looke for stormes upon the sea of so troublesome a world For the great worke of Navigation and so of transportation of things by Sea and for the fitnesse of the Sea to that use wee must praise God every man hath the benefit of it By vertue of it wee have Pepper Cloves and Mace Figs and Raisms Sacke and Wines of all sorts Silkes and Velvets and all the commodities of other Kingdomes distant a thousand of miles from us and by this they have from us such commodities as our Land affords above theirs There is no art which helps more to inrich a Nation and to furnish it with things for State pompe and delight And yet how is it abused by Marriners who behold Gods wonders in the Deepe being the worst of men and never good but in astorme and when that is gone as bad or worse then ever The materialls of a ship are wonderfull First it is made of the strongest and durablest wood the Oake and Cedar Now it is a strange worke of God to make such a great tree out of the earth 2. The nailes in it are made of iron that the pieces may be closely compacted 3. Tarre and pitch to stop every crevise that no water or ayre might enter this they learned of God himselfe who bid Noah to plaister the Arke within and without with pitch 4. Cords made of flaxe a multitude of strange things concur to this worke What pitty is it that Souldiers Marriners as was said who are sosubject to dangers have such frequent experience of Gods goodnesse and mercy to them in their preservation should generally be so prophane and forgetfull of God For the Souldier it is an olde saying Nulla fides pietasque viris qui castra sequuntur And for the Marriuer nautarum vota is grown into a proverb In the third dayes worke were likewise created grass herbs plants and trees The first is grasse or greene herbe which is that which of it selfe springs up without setting or sowing 2. Herbe bearing seed that is all herbs which are set or sowne and encrease by mans industry The third trees and plants which are of a woody substance which beare fruit and have their feede which turnes to fruit in themselves God by his powerfull word without any help of mans tillage raine or Sun did make them immediately out of the earth and every one perfect in their kinde grasse and herbs with flowers and seedes and trees with large bodies branches leaves and fruites growing up suddenly as it were in a moment by Gods word and power The great power of God appeares in this Hee is able to worke above nature without meanes the fruitfulnesse of the earth stands not in the labour of the Husband-man but in the blessing of God He also caused the earth to yeeld nourishment for such divers herbs and plants yea herbs of contrary qualitie will grow and thrive close one by another when those which are of a nearer nature will not do so The herbe was given at first for mans use as well as beasts Gen. 1. 9. Psalm 104. 14. Herbs are one wonderfull worke of God The greatnesse of the worke appeareâ—h in these particulars 1. The variety of the kinds of herbs 2. The variety of their uses of their shapes and colours and manner of production and of their working growth Some come forth without seede some have seede some grow in one place some in another some are for foode some for medicine and some for both That out of the earth by the heate of one Sunne with the moysture of one and the same water there should proceede such infinite variety of things so differing one from another is a wonder some are hot in operation some cold some in one degree some in another some will draw some heal some are sweete some sowre some bitter some of middle tasts In the bowells of the earth the Lord created gold silver precious stones and the face of the earth above was beautified with grasse herbs and trees differing in nature qualities and operations Plants grow till they dye whence they are called vegetables At the first herbs were the ordinary meate of men Gen. 1. 20. and they have continued ever since of necessary use both for meat to maintain life and for medicines to recover health Solomons wisedome and knowledge was such that hee was able to set out the nature of all plants from the highest Cedar to the lowest Mosse 1 Kings 4. 33. We must here condemne our stupidity and blindnesse of minde that are not provoked many times by this particular to magnifie the name of God When a man hath occaslon to travell through a Close or ground how great store of herbs seeth hee whose nature yea names he is ignorant of yet admireth not God in them nor confesseth his power and goodnesse Secondly we are to lament the fruite of our sin which hath made us blinde there is nothing hurtfull to mans bodie but some herb or other rightly applyed would cure it It is a great and worthy worke of God to make grasse on the earth Psal. 104. 14 15. and 147. 8. He maketh grasse to grow upon the mountaines The omnipotent power of God was exercised to make this creature else it could not have beene and at his appointment it came forth This is one of the benefits which God promiseth to his people upon their
obedience Deut. 11. 5. Zach. 10. 16. There are many things considerable in this work of making grasse 1. The plenty store and commonnesse of it It groweth every where and in abundance covering the face of the earth and hiding the dry and naked face thereof 2. The colour of it It is of a greene and some-what of a durke greene colour which is neither over-light nor over-darke but of an indifferent and middle nature and so most fit to content and delight the eye refresh preserve the sight 3. The usefulnesse of this creature for the Cattell it is a soft covering to make the lodging of the poore beasts more easeful for them even as it were a mattresse for them to lie upon It hath a sweet iuyce and verdure in it by which it is pleasant to the tasts of the beasts as any dainty meate can be to us and is fit to nourish them to be turned to bloud and flesh so to make them fat and well liking 4. The wayes meanes and manner for bringing it forth for this use the whole course of the Heauens Sun Moone and Starres which runne a large race daily with great swiftnesse and the great workes done in the aire for producing divers Meteors do tend in great part for the bringiug forth of this grasse The grasse it selfe hath a life and vigour in the roote of it by which it drawes from the earth that moisture which is agreeable to it and disperseth it likewise 1. Wee are dull and blinde and behold not God in this great worke when wee goe into the fields and can scarce tread beside it We do not consider Gods greatnesse and goodnesse in making so beneficiall a thing so common Wee let this worke of God perish in respect of any spirituall use wee make of it to make our soules the better 2. Let us stirre up our selves to observe Gods hand in this worke with others and confesse our debt to him that gives us Commons and Pasture for all our Cattell Trees are certaine plants springing from a roote with a single Trunke or Stemme for the most part shooting up in height and delineated with lims sprigs or branches Leaves are ornamenta arboris munimentà fructus they serve to grace the tree make it pleasant to behold and defend the fruit from the injury of the weather The Philosopher saith homo est arbor inversa a man is a tree turned upside downe for a tree hath his roote in the ground his branches spread above grouÌ„d but a mans root is in his head therein is the fountain of sense and motion and there doth hee take in nou-rishment but the arms and legs are branches of this tree they spread downe-ward The Psalmist compares a good man to a tree Psal. 1. 3. The Palme-tree growes in Egypt all along the shores of the red Sea It is said to yeeld whatsoever is necessary to the life of man The pith of it is an excellent sallet better then an Artichoake which in tast it much resembleth Of the branches they make Bedsteds and Lattices of the leaves Baskets Matts Fannes of the outward halfe of the Codde cordage of the inward brushes It is the nature of this tree though never so huge or ponderous a weight be put upon it never to yeeld to the burden but still to resist the heavinesse thereof to endeavour to lift raise it selfe the more upward for which cause it was given to Conquerours in token of Victory Hence figuratively it is used for the victory it selfe plurimarum palmarum homo and for the signe of it Palmaque nobilis Terrarum dominos evehit ad Deos. Rev. 7. 9. With white robes in token of their innocencie palmes in their hands in token of their victory It is reported that the Armes of the Duke of Rhoan in France which are lozenges are to bee seene in the wood or stones throughout all his Countrey so that break a stone in the middle or lop a bough of a tree and one shall behold the graine thereof by some secret cause in nature diamonded or streaked in the fashion of a lozenge Fullers prophane State l. 5. c. 6. It was a great worke of God in making all sorts of trees to proceed out of the earth Psal. 104. 16 17. The nature of the trees is wonderful in these respects principally First the way and manner of their growing and being An Oake comes from an acorne an Apple-tree from a kernell What a kinde of power and vertue is that which God hath put into a kernell being so small a thing that it should pull to it selfe by an unknown vvay the juice of the earth and should send some of it down-ward into little small strings as it were to fasten it selfe in the earth and send some upward to spread it selfe above the ground and yet it should distribute the moysture so fitly as to grow in due proportion within the earth and without that it should frame to it selfe a bodie and divers branches in such fashion that it should bâ—d and put forth leaves that it should cause a fruite to grow upon it or seede and that in great numbers every one of which is able to make another tree and that tree to yeeld as much more 2. The great variety of kinds of trees we in our Countrey have divers Oakes Elmes Ashes Beech-trees Chesnut-trees Sally Willow Maple Syccamore besides Apple and Peare-trees of divers kindes Cherry-trees Hazell Walnut-trees Some trees are of huge growth as Oakes Cedars Elmes some low as the Thorn the nut Some of one fashion colour making and manner of growth some of another this sheweth an exceeding great measure of wisedome in him that made them all The use of trees in the next place is manifold 1. They serve for fruit what great variety of fruit do they yeeld what pleasant and wholsome fruit what store and plenty of fruit Some Summer fruit that will be gone quickly some Winter fruit that will last most part of the year and some all the yeare 2. For building both by Land and Sea to make us houses both strong and stately warme dry and coole under which we may rest our selves in Summer free from scorching heate in Winter and stormie times free from pinching cold the injury of the weather With wood also wee make floating and fleeting houses with which wee may dwell upon the face of the waters and passe through the deep Sea as upon dry ground 3. It yeeldeth fuell too by which wee doe both prepare our food and keepe our selves warme in the winter and in the time of weaknesse and sicknesse Had wee not something to burn we could neither bake our bread nor brew our beer nor seeth our meate nor rost it nor at all make use of flesh to eate it as now we doe 4. For delight How comfortable a shade doth a spreading Ash or Oake yeild in the hot Summer how refreshing is it to man and beast How
did not make themselves They could not possibly be without any beginning at all for they are but parts of the whole world and no part of any whole can be eternall because there must be something before that did unite those parts together wherfore they were made by some superiour essence and more excellent then themselves and that is God How great how wise how good how infinitely excellent is He whose hand framed and ordered these things The Sunne ariseth to us constantly the Moone also keepes her course with like constancie Doth not that mighty armie of stars which in a cleare night shew themselves even speake to us as it were to consider of his incomprehensible excellencie which made and rules them Let us accustome our selves hereafter to these meditations if God had not beautified heaven with these excellent bodies light and heate could not have been equally and in due quantity conveyed into all the quarters of the world We must observe this worke so as to praise God for it to informe our selves of his nature and strive to worke more love feare obedience and confidence in our selves towards him The Apostle saith that in the times before the Gospell the Gentiles might have found God as it were by groping Acts 17. 27. Now we that have the Scripture to direct us as in the day-light shall not wee finde God out by these illustrious works of his CHAP. VI. THe fift dayes worke was the Creation of all living creatures which live and move in the two moist Elements the water and the aire viz. Fishes and moving creatures which live and move in the waters and all kinde of Fowles which flye in the open Region of the aire divers in nature shape qualities and manner of living The Hebrew verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here translated the moving creature is derived is used as here so in other Scriptures frequently first to signifie creeping or moving forward without feete as Genes 7. 21. and Levit. 11. 19. and secondly also to bring forth abundantly as here and also Exod. 1. 7. Fishes breed and bring forth young in great abundance more then any other creatures do by the multitude of spawn they would encrease beyond all measure and number if by one meanes or other the spawne were not devoured and consumed Who can render a reason of their ability to swim so in the waters to support themselves in the midst of the waters convey themselves up and down in it Fishes are in Scripture termed Reptilia Psal. 104. 25. In the great and wide Sea there are things creeping innumerable both small and great so called because things when they swim seeme to creep along in the water As birds have their wings and traines by meanes whereof they cut their way and make smooth passage through the aire so fishes are furnished with finnes wherewith they guide themselves in their swimming and cut the current of the streames aud waves for their more easie passage wherein their course is directed by their taile as shtps are conducted by their Helm The Sea gives more and greater dainties then the earth those that did most affect to please their pallate of olde set great store by fishes and paid dearer for them then flesh God hath furnished them with a strong power of encreasing Birds bring forth some foure or five in a nest some three and some but two the most but twenty as the little Wren for being so little the kinde would bee consumed by the things which devoure such weake creatures if those that be did not bring forth very many but every fish brings forth a great multitude many hundreds as we may see in their spawne That God should give unto these things a power to multiply so very fast is wonderfull and it is agreeable to reason too for the fishes doe more devoure one another then the beasts doe the greater being much more ravenous then any beast as being bigger and their stomacks by an antiperistasis of the cold water more vehement in digesting They are said to bee without number Psal. 104. 25. not simply but to us for wee cannot tell the number of them though God which made them doe know the particular number of them Hee can tell how many fishes there bee in the Sea though to us they exceed the power of counting yet he hath the precise and exact number of them We know not the kinds of fishes how much lesse the particulars There be saith Plinie of fishes and other creatures living in the Sea one hundred seventy and sixe severall and distinct kindes What Philosopher can tel how many Dolphins Herrings Whales sword-fishes there be in the Sea The Echeneis Remora or stop-ship but halfe a foot long is able to stay the greatest ship under saile Keckermannus humori frigido à Remora fuso adscribere videtur qui aquam circa gubernaculum conglaciet in Disput. Phisic The Cramp-fish Torpedo is able to benum and mortifie the armes of the lustiest and strongest Fishers that be by touching onely the end of any part of an angle-rod which they hold in their hands although they stand aloft and a great way from her hence it hath its name quod torpore manus afficiat because it benummeth the hands The Naturalists tell us of one fish which they call the Uranoscope which hath but one eye and that in a verticall point on the top of the head directly upward by which it avoids all rocks and dangers There have been known Whales sixe hundred foot long and three hundred 60. foot broad some like mountains some like Islands God himselfe speaking of his owne power of all the creatures rehearseth onely two the Behemoth Job 40. 15. to the end that is the Elephant and the Leviathan Job 41. per totum that is the Whale this being the greatest among the Fishes as that among the beasts The Sword-fish hath a beake or bill sharp pointed wherewith hee will drive through the sides and planks of a shippe and bore them so that they shall sink withall The Dolphin is said to bee a fish of such exceeding great swiftnesse as that oftentimes he outstrippeth a ship under sail in the greatest ruffe and merriest wind in swiftness of course In this fish is propounded to us an example of charity and kind affection toward our Children as Plinie in his description of the nature of this fish sheweth and Aelianus l. 5. c. 18 As also of his singular love toward man whereof Aelianus produceth strange examples It may seeme strange that it should please the Pope to forbid flesh to men rather then fish i. the lesse dainty and luxurious before the more for what is of some alleadged that the curse fell upon the earth and not the Seas is fondly affirmed seeing when it is said cursed bee the earth By earth is meant the whole globe of the earth consisting
Lord hath stored the world with divers kindes of foure-footed beasts which move and walk upon the face of the earth Psal. 104. 11 12. these were created on the sixth day These beasts are creatures endued not with life alone but with sense also They consist of a body and of a sensible soule besides the life of vegetation which is to be found in plants by which they grow and are nourished They have also a soul whereby they discerne divers bodily objects and can both discerne and follow that which is good for them and shunne what is evill and so preserve themselves alive by using things helpfull for them and avoiding the contrary All these beasts were made to walk upon the ground with four feete having their heads bowing down to the gronnd to seeke their diet without which they could not live and which is provided for them upon the face of the ground They were made on the sixt day before man was created Gen. 1. 24. This worke is wonderfull in respect of the divers sorts of these beasts some great and some small some of one shape nature some of another We see great variety of them in our owne Countrey and there is farre greater variety abroad in the world which wee have never seene That out of the same earth and water all these kinds should grow by a word spoken with the mouth of God let it be so is a strange and wonderfull thing By vertue of these words there were Sheep Goates Kine Horses Camels and Dromodaries Elephants Lions Beares Dogges Tygers Wolves Foxes Deere What are all these but a most artificiall mixture of earth and water put into a certaine shape or forme of members having head feete backe breast bellie braine liver heart guts and other intrailes and having power to see hear to touch smel tast to eate drinke goe generate to remember to have a kinde of thought of things within to imagine and discerne having also affections and passions They carry us feede us cloath us till the ground for us How full of tedious and toilsome paines would our lives be if we had not a horse to beare us up and downe from place to place and horses or oxen to convey all manner of things for us Wee must magnifie the name of God and frame our selves to sincere thankefulnesse unto him who hath made such a multitude of creatures inferiour to our selves and given to us the use of them O what a wonderfull skilfull workeman is hee that out of the earth could produce such a number of such creatures And how good was he to us that hee did not give reason unto them as well as sense for if they had reason to know their own strength and our weaknesse wee should never keep them under as we do Let us not abuse these creatures of God to bad purpose or use them in a cruell and inhumane manner they are our fellow creatures made of a little courser earth and since they obey us with all cheerfulnesse let us be likewise obedient to God There is no creature among all the beasts of the world which so amply demonstrates the power and wisedome of Almighty God as the Elephant both in respect of his proportion of body and disposition of spirit Hee is by the Hebrews called Behemoth by way of excellency as the Latines for the same cause call him Bellua and by Job chap. 40. vers 15. he is likewise called Behemoth in the plurall number He is wittily called by Julius Scaliger Bestiarum Heros and by Job in the same Chapter vers 19. the chiefe of the wayes of God that is the greatest strongest and most understanding of all earthly irrationall creatures as Deodate interprets it Vide Fulleri miscel Sac. l. 4. c. 10. Elephas peregrinum est apud nos animal Indis aliis notissimum obvium Johnstoni Thaumatographia certè turres olim armatorum in proelia ferebant Id ib. The Elephants were usefull in the wars they caryed Castles and armed men Aristotle lib. 9. de hist. animal cap. 47. makes mention of a memorable thing to make men flye incest The King of Scythia had a Mare of a most excellent race which brought forth most excellent colts among the rest she had one which excelled them all the King was desirous that this colt might horse his damme that so he might have an excellent race of them but the colt when he was brought to his damme would not horse her the King seeing this he caused them to cover the damme that he might not know her But he perceiving afterwards that it was his damme ran away and cast himselfe over a steep rock and brake his neck There are many things wonderfull in the Dog his sagacity docility fidelity A dog in Epyrus in a great assembly of people knowing the man that had murdered his Master flew upon him with open mouth barking and snapping at him so furiously that he was ready to take him by the throate untill he at length confessed the fact that caused the dog thus to rage and foame against him The dogs which be neare unto Nilus lap of the River running still and never stay while they are drinking for feare of the greedy Crocodiles Aegyptio canes è Nilo nunquam nisi currentes lambitant dum Crocodilis insidias cavent It happened that upon a narow thin planke that lay for a bridge one goate met another both comming from divers parts now by reason that the place was so narrow that they could not passe by nor turne about nor yet retire backwards blindly considering how long the planke was and so slender withall moreover the water that ran underneath ranne with a swift streame and threatned present death if they failed and went besides Mutianus affirmeth that hee saw one of them to lye flat downe and the other to goe over his backe In Sibaris there was a young man named Crathis which being not able to retaine lust but forsaken of God and given over to a reprobate sense committed buggery with a female Goate the which thing the Master Goate beheld and looked upon and dissembled concealing his mind and jealousie for the pollution of his female Afterward finding the said young man asleepe for he was a Shepheard he made all his force npon him and with his hornes dashed out the buggerers braiues Alexander the Great had a very strange and rare horse called Bucephalus either for his crabbed and grim looke or else of the mark or brand of a bulls head which was imprinted upon his shoulder He would suffer no man to sit him nor come upon his backe but Alexander when he had the Kings saddle on was also trapped with royall furniture for otherwise he would suffer any whomsoever When he was dead the King solemnized his funerals most sumptuously erected a Tombe for him and about it built a Citie that bare his name Bucephalia That is a lofty
f The Beasts of the earth are here distinguished into three ranks 1. Catell that is all tame domestical Beasts 2. Creeping things whereby are understood those which have no feet as Serpents those which have but very short as Wormes Ants. 3. Beasts whereby are understood all wilde Beasts which have their name from life in the Hebrew All Philosophy is in the firstâ—Chapter of Genâ—sis Baâ—sil Ambrose Zanchie Polanus have drawn discourses of Philosophy hence Of the Heavens the Angels Elements and Light the Creation of days nights 1. Of the Heavens g Among all Geometricall Figures the sphaericall or the round is the most perfect and amongst all naturall bodies the heaven is the most excellent It was therefore good reason the most beautifull body should have the most perfect and exquisite shape Mr. Pemble h The earth is round but not precisely There are Hills like Warts and Vallies like Wrinkles in a mans body Exact roundnesse is not found in any body but the Heavens i How else could it containe the Sun Moon and Starres in convenient distance from the earth one from another k Mr. Greenhil on Ezek. p. 104. l Bishop Hall in his Contemplations on the Creation The Heavens for height Prov. Vide Fullers Miscellanea l. 1. c. 15. Insita à Deo vis quae in scripturis saepe appellatur praeceptum Domini est causa motus * Mr. Greenhil ubi supra Philosophers say the Heavens worke upon Inferiour bodies by three instruments viz. Light Motion Influence a Some say the Orbes are contiguous each â—o other cloâ—ely infold each other as the skinnes of an onâ—on containe one another and others thinke there is no such varâ—ety or maltitude of Orbes but alone one first moveabâ—e in which they conceive the fixed starres to be placed and they think the planets move not in Orbes but of themselves as birds flie in the ayre b It is called the Paradise of God Rev. 2. 7 c It is called by the Greeks â—ast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is altogether shining because of the great number of Starres in it a Psal. 104. 2. There he alludes to Gen. 1. 6. â—et there be a Firmament or stretching forth God made the heavens with as great ease as one can stretch out a curtaine when it is folded up How beautifull art thou that hast adorned the heavens saith Job Consectaries from the Angels * Quia Moses ruditatise nostrae accommodare voluit ideo quae aâ—tiora nostro captu erant praetermissis ea tantùm commemoravit quae sub oculis sunt Zanchius de Sâ—mb Apost Ego Mosen puto voluisse populo creationem rerum aspectabilium proponere nihil de invisibilibus dicere unde in toto sex dierum opere ne unius quidem invisibilis Creaturae mentionem fecit Mercerus in Gen. 1. 1. idem habet in caput secundum versum primum idem habet Pareus Of the four Elements 1. â—f the earth A Base is the lowest part of a pillar The dry land appearing firm above the waters God called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 erets of which our English name Earth is derived and hath the sound of it Nec circumfuso pendebat in aere tellus ponderibus librata suis Ovid met Carpenter in his first booke of Geog. ch 4. saith the earths circular motion is probable Copernicus said that the earth moved the heavens â—ood still See more of this after about day and night Aristotle would have Earth-quakes to proceede from a spirit or vapour included in the bowels of the earth 2d. of his mereors 7. ch which finding no way to passe out is enforced to tutne backe barred any passage outseeks every corner and while it labours to breake open some place for going forth it makes a tumultuous motion which is the Earthquak It is 1. universall which shakes the whole earth in every part at least in the upper face the cause whereof is not naturall but the immediate and miraculous power of God such a one hapned at our Saviours passion 2. particular that which is limited to some one or more particular places What Thunder is in the clouds the Earthquake is in the Earth Exod. 17. 6. Numb 20. 2. 2 King 3. 16. 20. The qualities and use of the Aire Acts 17. 28. Fire is a most subtill Element most light most hot most simple immiâ—t Therfore the Persians worshipped fire as a God the Chaldeans adored Ur and the Romans worshipped holy fire Job 38. 19. 24. See Sir Walter Ralegihs history of the world l. 1. c. 1. Sect. 7. If this light be not spirituall it approacheth nearest unto spirituality and if it have any corporality then of all other the most subtil pure for as it is of all things seen the most beautifull and of swiftest motion so it is most necessary and beneficial Sir Walter Raleigh It is a great paradoxe to think light to bee a bodie which yet is maintained by Sir Kenelm Digbie in a Booke lately set forth But that light should be a spirituall substance is much more absurd for how then should it be visible Consectaries The eye cannot see any thing without a double light Lumine innato an inward light in the Christalline humour of the eye 2. Lumine illato an outward light in the aire and on the object Gen. 1. 4. 5. * The daâ— is in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gentle or tame because it is appointed for tame creatures or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I desire because it is to be desired In Latine it is dies à Deo of God as a divine thing The night is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to strike as in latine nox à nocen do of hurting Dies Diem docet Alpham Beta Corrigit * It runs say Astronomers aâ—ove a 1000. miles within the compaâ—e of every minute this incredible swiftness gave occasâ—oâ— to Copernicus and others to conceive the globe of the earth did rather move the Sun stand still See Dr. Hackwels Apologie and Carpenters Geography Some thinke there is a greater probability the earth should move round once a day then that the heavens should move with such an incredible swiftness scarce compatible to anâ— naturall bodie Others deny it grounding their opinion upon Scripture which affirmes the earth to stand fast so as it cannot be moved and upon sense because we perceive it not to move and lastly upon reasons drawn from things hurled up and let fall upon the Earth Masteâ— Pemble in his briefe introduction to Geography page 12. * The night easeth the burthen of the day the day driveth away the terrour of the night Consectaries from day and night Night is the time of rest Sleepe is the paranthesis of our troubles Psal. 104. 20. 21 22 23. Spiritual blindness Sol exprobrat dormientem Erasm. Esay 40. 5. * Meteora à loco quia