Octob. 3. 1639. Imprimatur Cantabrigiae per Rogerum Daniel Ra. Brownrigg Procan Samuel Ward Tho. Bainbrigg Jo. Cosin The Mind of the Frontispice How firmely hangs this Earths rich cabinet Twix't fleeting Air on floting waters set By this one argument fond Atheist see The Earth thou tread'st on shew's a Deitie On such a liquid basis could it stand If not supported by a Pow'rfull hand But what 's the Earth or Sea or Heav'n to mee Without Thee Three-in-One and one-in-Three Nec caelum sine Tâ—terra noâ— unda placet THE DIVINE COSMOGRAPHER by 〈…〉 Quum te pendenti reputaâ—… insiâ—tere terrae nonne vel hinc clarâ— conspiciâ—… 〈◊〉 â—â—um Printed for Andrew Crooke 1640. Wâ—… sulpâ—it To my much honoured friend WILLIAM HODGSON Esquire on his elegant and learned descant on the Eighth Psalme WHen I peruse with a delighted eye Thy learned descant on a text so high The choice of such a subject first I praise And then thy skill and Genius that could raise A style in prose so high as to expresse This holy Panegyrick and no lesse The Use to view through this varietie Of creatures the Creatours majestie And must condemn those vain Cosmographers Who whilest they strive to search and to rehearse All creatures frame and beauty while they toyl To find the various nature of each soil The Oceans depth through whose vast bosome move 〈◊〉 many wonders nay to skies above And higher spheres their contemplations raise They loose the pith of all the Makers praise Thomas May {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} HOdsonus ille Lector ut vides novâ Illustrat arte flammei poli plagas MundÃque tractus ceu Syracosius Senex Ingentis olim Iuserat coeli vias Suúmque magno reddidit mundum Jovi Humana Divi dum stupent ars quid queat Sic sic aperti tramitem aeris secans Stagnantis olim transiit terrae vias Columba justi missa de manu Senis Miro volatu remigans liquidum aethera Qualisve docti quae Tarentini manu Efficta veras arte lusit alites Hodsonus ille Lector ut spatio brevi Se continere non queat ampliùs vides En ille mensor aeris liquidi poli Percurrit orbem tranat quod aethera Pinnisque quicquid turbidum findit mare Accessus illi haud invius Diespiter Quà promit orbi syderis radios novi Vesperéque sero condit ubi lumen suum Ali isque tentat coeli inaccessas domus Humero efficaci sic priùs coelumtulit Laturum erat quod se vice Atlantis pueâ— Tonantis olim pondere haud pressus gravâ— Linguâque doctâ sic Hodsonus potens Stylóque docto jam viam adfectat polo Terrásque notas linquit coelum petit Radiavit ipse quod priùs lumine suo Scrib V. Optimo amiâ— Guilielmus Burtonus Kingstoniae ad Thamesin apud Regnâ— To my worthy learned frienâ—W H. Esquire upon his divine meditation and elegant explanation of the Eighth Psalme MOngst all the reverend rites the Church dains None melts the mind so much so mildly reignâ— O're mans affections warming our desire And ycie frozen zeal with heavenly fire As th' Hebrew Siren's musick Jordans swan Gods darling David that Prophetick man Whose manna-dewing layes with charming strains And anthemes chanted from inspiring veins Do mount our winged souls aloft which flie Ravish't to Heaven in blessed theorie This sacred Hymn the subject of thy quill Limn'd in such orient colours by thy skill As a rich tablet shewes in lively features Gods love to man mans rule o're the creatures Fowls of the air and beasts on earth residing The scaly frie in the vast Ocean gliding With all the numerous host of heaven past counting In spangled order and bright beauty mounting These all by thee are taught to speak the story Of the worlds fabrick and their Founders glory Nor hast thou marr'd the majestie of those Mysteries sublim'd dress'd statelier in thy prose But rather clear'd those rubs and doubts which did â—n obscure knottie arguments lie hid And in this * wine-pâ—esse trode the grapes whose jnvce â—hall to weak fainting souls such heat infuse â—s will not only cheat their hearts but be Thy glories Truchman to posteritie Reuben Bourn To his ever honoured friend William Hodgson Esquire on his contemplations on the Eighth Psalme Sir GOd hath blessed you with a lovely vine And you have blessed your God in so divine Soul-ravishing fansies wherewith you are fill'd From the pure * wine-presse of this Psalme distill'd I do conceive what pangs were in thee when Thou formd'st and brought'st forth with thy skiâ—full penne This perfect feature whose alluring face Smiles on the world with an attractive grace When thou beholdest with a single eye The spangled heavens the embroidered skie That looks upon the earth with thousands we Confesse and know that thy divinitie Doth much irradiate the celestiall tapers Bright in themselves but brighter by thy papers Curious contriver how dost thou enrobe The great and small ones of each massie globe In fine-weav'd ornaments Such is thy skill The Persian needle comes not near thy quill Richly hast thou adorn'd the Earth our mother Sea the Earths sister and the Air their brother And which is most praise-worthy each I see And all that 's in them laud the Deitie William Moffet Mr. of Arts Sydn Coll. Camb. Vic. of Edmonton The DIVINE COSMOGRAPHER or A brief Survey of the whole world delineated in a tractate on the VIII Psalme By W. H. sometime of S. Peters Colledge in Cambridge Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie of CAMBRIDGE 1640. PSAL. VIII To the chief musician upon Gittith A psalme of David O LORD our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth who hast set thy glory above the heavens 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger 3 When I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the starres which thou hast ordained 4 What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him 5 For thou hast made him a little lower then the angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet 7 All sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the field 8 The fowl of the aire and the fish of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas 9 O LORD our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth The Divine Cosmographer or A brief survey of the whole world delineated in a tractate on the eighth Psalme SECT. 1. A preface on the book of Psalmes in generall THe Holy Ghost describing the genealogie of our Saviour from how many kings he was descended vouchsafeth none of them the style and title
and Sympathies which are as it were hidden in the bowels of nature The hand thereof is this goodly and beautifull embowed frettizing of the heavenly orbs which we behold with our eyes The twelve Signes are as it were the distinctions of the twelve howers of the day The Sunne exerciseth the office of the steel and Gnomon to point out time and in his absence the Moon The Starres contribute thereto their lustrous brightnesse The flowrie carpet of the earth beneath us the spangled canopie of the heavens above us the wavie curtains of the aire about us are so many Emblemes to exercise the wisest in the knowledge of this great Workman The living creatures are the small chimes and Man is the great clock which is to strike the howers and rende◠thanks to the Creatou◠S. Chrysostome saith that the Angels are the Morning-starres whereo◠mention is made in Job who incessantly praise God and Men are the Evening-Starres fashioned by the hand of God to do the same office Briefly God hath made man the Charge of Angels the sole Surveyour of heaven the Commander of the earth the Lord of the Creatures And thus am I led by the hand to consider his Regencie and Dominion over them SECT. 6. WHen God had formed of the earth every beast of the field and every fowl of the aire of their own fit matter he brought them unto Man who was their Lord to acknowledge his sovereigntie and to receive from him their names Gen. 2.19 Some have conceited Adam sitting in some high and eminent place his face shining farre brighter then ever the face of Moses did and every beast coming as he was called and bowing the head as he passed by being not able to behold his countenance Most probable it is that either by the help of Angels or by that which the Greeks call {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a naturall and secret instinct from God by which every creature perceiveth what is good bad for them they were gathered to Adam God brought them to man for diverse reasons First To let him see how much he did excell them and how much the more he should be thankfull God made other creatures in severall shapes like to none but themselves Man after his own image others with qualities fit for service Man for dominion Secondly That he should give them their names in token of his power over them Thirdly That posteritie might see what admirable knowledge Adam had in giving names to the creatures according to their kinds All the Arts were ingraven upon the Creatures yet none but Man could see them for he receives them both actively and passively and therefore by Logick he understood their natures and by Grammar their names If God had given their names it had not been so great a praise of Adams memorie to recall them as it was then of his judgement at first sight to impose them By his knowledge he fitted their names to their disposition and even in this he shewed his dominion over them in that he knew how to govern them and order them also To witnesse their subjection they present themselves before him as their awfull king to do their first homage and to acknowledge their tenure Such was the wonderfull beautie of mans body such a majestie resulting from his face that it struck a reverence into them all The image of God as it were the Lords coat of Arms which he had put upon Man made the creatures afraid of him Though God made Man paulò inferiorem Angelis little lower then the Angels yet he made him multò superiorem reliquis farre above all the creatures He that made Man and all the rest praeposuit set Man above all the rest Thus while man served his Creatour he was feared of every creature But did he not lose this patent of Dominion by his fall Are not the beasts now become his enemies May we not now take up the complaint of Job chap. 39.7 The wilde asse derideth the multitude of the citie and heareth not the crie of the driver The vnicorn will not serve nor tarrie by the crib 9. The hawk will not flie by our wisdome neither doth the Eagle mount up at our command v. 26 27. We cannot draw out Leviathan with an hook neither pierce his jaws with an angle Job 41.1 2. How then is the fear of Man upon the creatures Though Adam in the state of innocencie had this rule over them in a more excellent manner for then they were subject by nature of their own accord without compulsion yet by his transgression Man did not altogether lose this power and dominion For it was one of the prerogatives which God gave to Noah and his sonnes Gen. 9.2 The fear of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every fowl of heaven upon all that moveth on the earth and upon all the fish of the sea into your hands are they delivered That is saith the Paraphrast The outward priviledges of your first creation I do now though imperfectly renew unto you Let the fear and dread of you be planted naturally in every beast of the earth whether tame or wild and in every fowl of the aire and generally in all that treadeth on the earth and in all the fishes of the sea All these my will is shall be subject to your will and command that as by you and for you they were preserved so they accordingly serve to your use When Christ was in the wildernesse with the beasts fourty dayes and fourty nights they hurt him not Mark 1.13 So when the image of God is restored to man in holinesse all the creatures begin willingly to serve him but they are enemies to the unregenerate The dogs did eat the flesh of Jezebel 2. Kings 9.36 yet they licked the sores of Lazarus Luke 16.21 The ravens pick out the eyes of those that are disobedient to their parents Prov. 30.17 yet they fed Elias in the wildernesse 1. Kings 17.6 The serpents stung the people of Israel Num. 21.6 yet the viper that leaped on Pauls hand hurt him not Acts 28.6 The lions that devoured Daniels accusers touched not him Dan. 6.23 24. And still there are some reliques of God left in man which make the beasts to stand in aw of him For first they cannot do that harm to man which they would because God restrains their power Secondly they do not offend man but when he offends God Thirdly the nature of every wild beast hath been tamed by the nature of man James 3.7 Fourthly the most salvage beasts stand in fear of him they flie his company they shunne his arts and snares they fear his voice and shadow When man goeth to rest the beasts come forth to hunt their prey Psal. 104.20 Fifthly they serve man and submit themselves to his will The Lion will crouch to his keeper the Elephant will be ruled and led about by a little dwarf the Horse yeelds
part it be true that wit distilled in one language cannot be transfused into another without losse of spirits yet who so is able judiciously to compare the Translation with the Originall will confesse to the immortall glory of our Countrey-man that from the French more weak He Bartas taught his Six-dayes-work to speak In naturall English and so hath lighted from a flame devout As great a flame that never shall go out SECT. 10. THus have I made a brief circuit over the whole earth and a short cut over the vast Sea And now before I put my ship into the creek before I conclude I must draw these scattered branches home to their root again The generall substance of them all together is this As it is a most pleasant kind of Geographie in this large mappe of the World in the celestiall and terrestriall Globe to contemplate the Creatour so there is nothing that obteineth more of God then a thankfull agnition of the favours and benefits we daily receive at his bountifull hands If we be not behind with him in this tribute of our lips he will see that all creatures in heaven and earth shall pay their severall tributes unto us the Sun his heat the Moon her light the Starres their influence the Clouds their moisture the Sea and Rivers their fish the Land her fruits the Mine their treasures and alâ— things living their homage and service Oâ— the contrary If the familiaritie of Gods blessings draw them into neglect he will have aâ— just quarrel against us for our unthankfulnesse and our ingratitude which is a monster in nature a soloecisme in maners a paradox in Divinitie will prove a parching wind to damme up the fountain of his favours toward us I will seal up all with a pretty note that Hugo hath There is no book of nature unwritten on and that which may not â—e a teacher to inform â—s will be a witnesse to â—ondemn us It is the â—oice of all the creatures â—nto Man Accipe Redde â—ave Accipe Take us to thy â—se and service I Heaven â—m bid to give thee rain I Sunne to give thee light â— Bread to strengthen thy â—ody I Wine to chear thy heart We Oxen leave our pastures we Lambes our mothers to do thee service Redde Remember to be thankfull He that giveth all commandeth thee to return him somewhat It is hard if thou canst not thank the great Housekeeper of the world for thy good chear This is the easiâ— task and impositioâ— which the supreme Lord of all layeth upon all the goods thou possessest on all the blessings of this life Minimo capitur thuriâ— honore Deus Cave Beware of abusing us The Beasts of the field do crie Do not kill us for wantonnesse the Fowls of the aire Do not riot with us the Wine Devoure not me to disable thy self The Howers which ever had wings will flie up to heaven to the Authour of Time and carrie news of thy usage toward us And now Manum è â—abula I have finished my meditations on this Psalme wishing I could have had S. Ambrose his facultie qui in Psalmis Davidis explicandis ejus lyram plectrum mutuatus who in the expression of Davids psalms is said to have borrowed Davids own harp so rightly did he expresse his meaning But my fear is that I have muddled and made this Topaz but so much the darker by going about to polish it To end as I began with the commendation of the book of Psalmes Est certè non magnus verùm aureolus ad verbum ediscendus libellus The Psalter is not a great but a golden book and throughly to be learned This method our Prophet observeth in this excellent hymn The Proposition and Conclusion thereof are both the same carceres meta the head and the foot as iâ— were the voice and the echo The whole psalm being circular annular serpentine winding into iâ— self again as it beginneth so it endeth O LORD our Governour how excellent is thy name in all the world FINIS * Tit Psal. Pro Torcularibus * Titulus Psalmi Pro Torcularibus Judg. 13.20 Hier. B. King Lect. 26. on Jonas Dr Hakewell in his Davids Vow pag. 2. K. James Psal 84.11 Cant. 4.12.13 Revel. 21. Prolog in Psalm Lib. De scalâ claustrali Aug. lib. confess cap. 6â— The title of the Eighth Psalme explained Emblemes of Perseverance Mans abasement Mans dignitie Virgil Beza Matth. 19.14 The tender care of Pharaohs daughter to the infant Moses The Howers compared to young maidens The Sun The Moon The Starres The Empyreall heaven Psal. 139 14. The world compared to a large clock Job 38. Adam the first Nomenclâ—tor and why he gave the creatures their names Observ. Answ. Lib. De mundo universo Plin. lib 3. cap. 5. Nascitur aranea cum lege libro lucerâ—â Prov. 30.25 Mactabant agnum jugis nostri sacrificii typum Lorin. in Act. Apost. c. 8. Shepherds in high esteem with God B. Hall Num. 11. Job 39.16 Cant. 1.14 Cant. 4 1. Cant. 5.12 The Dove Matth. 10.16 The Pelican The Eagle Exod. 19.3 4. Homil. 46. in Matth. The Saints resembled to Eagles Judg. 1.15 Lilium lacrymâ suâ seritur Ambr. in Job 39.30 Exod. 3.2 Dan. 3. 2. Kings 6.17 Rom. 8.18 Tertull. De corona militis cap. 3. Ovid Met. lib. 1. Thus elegantly translated by Mr George Sandys The Sea wonderfull in many respects Whether the Waters be higher then the Earth Psal. 104.16 Reciprocatio aestus maris The ebbing and flowing of the sea Aristotle Navigation The benefit thereof Quò vaâ—ts Nec laborat Deus in maximis nec fastidit in minimis Ambros. Aquarum est quod in regibu adoratur Mountaign in his Essayes Lib. 1. Cap. 49. Eccleâ— 5.12 Judg. 5. Boiâ— Apoc. 12.15 Plin. lib. 9. cap. 2. The Tench the Physician of fishes B. Hall Levit. 11.9 Deut. 14.9 â—ern Serm. 1. in die S. Andreae The Dolphine Aelian lib. 8. c. 3. Optick glasse of humour cap. 4. p. 5 Sylvester Mich. Drayton Sam. Daniel Hugo de S. Vict.
SECT. 3. THe ground upon which the Psalmist sweetly runneth through the whole Psalme is a twofold rapture expressed in a sacred rapsodie in an exstaticall question of suddain wonder a wonder at God and a wonder at Man In his wonder at Man the parts be Antitheta first of his Vilenesse Debasement Secondly of his Dignitie and Exaltation In the first each word hath its energie What is man and then What is the sonne of man paraphrastically thus according to the Chaldee What is man Not man that rare creature endowed with wisdome understanding not man as he is cura Divini ingenii the Almighties master-piece the Epitome of the greater world But What is Enosh or Enosch miserable dolefull wretched man or What is the sonne of Adam whose originall is Adamah earthie What is the sonne of calamitie or earth What is he Nay what is he not what not of calamity and earth And because the life of opposites is in comparing them the Prophet in a deep speculation looking over that great nightpiece and turning over the vast volume of the world seeth in that large Folio among those huge capitall letters what a little insensible dagesh-point Man is and suddenly breaks forth into this amazed exclamation Lord what is man Having considered in his thoughts the beauty of the celestiall host the Moon and the Starres he brings up man unto them not to rivall their perfection but to question his and after some stand and pause in stead of comparison makes this enquirie What is man or the sonne of man Secondly we are here to take notice of Mans dignitie Though the Prophet abaseth himself with a What is man yet withall he addes having an eye at Gods favour and mercie towards man Thou takest knowledge of him Thou makest account of him making him onely lower then the Angels but Lord over the rest of the creatures And this knowledge this account oâ— God doth more exaâ— man then his own vilenesse can depresse him In his wonder towards God as if Gods glory were the circle of Davidâ— thoughts he both beginâ— and ends the Psalme with an elegant Epanalepsis Priùs incipit Propheta mirari quà m loqui O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy name in all the world vers. 1. And desinit loqui non mirari Oâ— Lord our Governour how excellent is thy name c. vers. 9. Sicut incipit itâ— terminat geminatio reâ— ejusdem intentionem habeâ— animi ardorem saith Musculus on Psal. 117. To which agreeth that of S. Augustine upon this hymne Incipiendum cum Deo desinendum cum â—o To praise God is the first thing we must begin with and the last we must conclude with And it is easie to observe how that the universall underlong of most of these Ditties is Praised be the Lord Davids gracious heart in a sweet sense of the great goodnesse of his God every-where breathes out this doxologie or divine Epiphoâ—ema Praised be the Lord This is the resolution and Logicall Analysis oâ— the whole Psalme Bâ— should I fold up so riâ— a work in so small a compasse I did but shew yoâ— the knotty outside of a Arras-hanging I wiâ— now open and draw oâ— at length and present tâ— your eyes the pleasanâ— mixture of colours iâ— each piece thereof Anâ— least I should lose my seâ— in this Zoan in this fielâ— of wonders my meditations shall keep pace witâ— the Princely Prophetâ— method and among those magnalia Jehovae mirifica Domini the wonderfull works of the Lord I will first consideâ— how that out of the â—outhes of babes and suckâ—ngs he ordaineth strength 〈◊〉 still the enemie and the â—venger SECT. 4. SAint Hierome writeth of Paula that noâ—le matrone that she joyâ—d in nothing more then â—uòd Paulam neptim audieâ—t in cunis balbutiente linâ—uâ Halleluja cantare that â—e heard her niece Paula â—ven in the cradle with a â—retty stammering tongue 〈◊〉 sing Haleluiah unto â—e Lord O God thou â—eedest no skilfull Rhetorician to set forth the praise Ipsa tibi blandos fundent cunabula flores even new-born babeâ— and sucklings do sufficiently declare thy power wisdome and goodnesse Qui matrum ex uberâ— pendent Elingues pueri dictâ— mirabile vires Immensas numénque tuuâ— muto ore fatentur Thus did the blessed Innocents those primitiâ— Martyrum witnesse ouâ— Saviours glory non lâ— quendo sed moriendo noâ— by speaking but by suâ—fering for him so the God out of their moutâ— made perfect his praise Christ assuredly got praise â—n that hymn which the Angels sung Glory be to God on high he got great praise by S. Stephen his Protomartyr and by S. â—ohn whom he loved but â—s praise was made perâ—ect by the mouth of those â—abes and Innocents Marvel not that children â—ake up that train for â—nto them and unto us â—en was born a Child as â—e Prophet speaks and â—ch an one as ever deâ—ghted in little ones like â—s Father To him was â—ver sacrifice more acâ—ptable of beasts then â—mbes of birds then pigeons and that Lambâ— of God carried the samâ— mind Suffer little children to come unto me and foâ—bid them not for unto such belongeth the kingdome â— heaven And if the kingdome of heaven belong to them good reasoâ— they should belong unâ— the king As great Princes will have their seâ—vants to attend on hiâ— whom they honour 〈◊〉 God commands the glorious Angels in heaveâ— to take charge of his litâ— ones here on earth aâ— they are ever reaâ— pitching their teâ— round about them aâ— do ever attend either 〈◊〉 their safegard or revenge Nay they are no longer Angels as S. Gregorie well observes then they are so employed for acâ—ording to S. Augustine Angel is a name of office â—ot of nature They are alwayes Spirits but not alwayes Angels For no â—onger messengers from God to man no longer Angels since to be an Angel implyes onely to be a messenger It was a witty Essay of â—im who styled Woman the second edition of the eâ—itome of the whole world â—eing framed next unto â—an who was the abâ—ridgement of the whole creation and though aâ— Infant be but man in 〈◊〉 small letter yet saith another Characterist he 〈◊〉 the best copie of Adam bâ—fore he tasted of Eve or the apple Felix sine fraudibâ— aetas Thrice happie Infancie in which no guile 〈◊〉 gall is to be found Câ—jus innocentia ignosceâ—tia saith Culman Whosâ— humblenesse and harmlesnesse abundantly coâ—founds the enemie and the avenger For a littlâ— child being injured takes not any revenge but onely makes complaint to its parents Iâ— this respect we should â—mitate little children and when any wrong us not suddenly break into Gods office who saith Vengeance is mine whose prerogative royall it is to â—epay it but onely make complaint to God our Father in heaven or to the Church our Mother on earth He that upon an ambiâ—uous word to which he â—rames
names may make a Dictionarie and yet we shall not know them all First for the profunditie of the sea which is the distance between the bottom and superficies of the waters it is of that immensitie that in many places no line can touch it The common received opinion that the depth of it being measured by a plummet seldome exceeds two or three miles is not to be understood saith Breerwood a worthy writer of the sea in generall but onely of the depth of the Straits or narrow seas which were perhaps searched by the Ancients who dwelt far from the main Ocean For the site and bounds of it it is excellent The naturall place of the waters by the confession of all is above the earth This at the first they enjoyed and after repeated and recovered again in the overwhelming of the old world when the Lord for a time delivered them as it were from their bands and gave them their voluntarie and naturall passage And at this day there is no doubt but the sea which is the collection of waters is higher then the land as sea-faring men gather by sensible experiments Thou coverest it with the deep as with a garment saith the Psalme As a vesture in the proper use of it is above the body that is clothed therewith so is the sea above the land And such a garment saith one would it have been unto the earth but for the providence of God towards us as the shirt that was made for the murdering of Agamemnon where he had no issue out Therefore the Psalmist addeth immediatly At thy rebuke they fled at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away They go up by the mountains they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them Thou hast set a bound that they may not passe over that they turn not again to cover the earth Though that fluid Element is alwayes running and often roring as if it would swallow up the earth though this untamed beast be unresistable by the power of man yet is it ruled like a child by the power of God The sea is his and he made it Psal. 95.5 He stilleth the raging of the sea and the noise of the waves Psal. 65.7 He hath shut up the sea with doores Job 38.8 He hath established his commandment upon the sea and said Hitherto shalt thou come and no further here will I stay thy proud waves vers. 11. By many texts of Scripture the earth is said to have the sea for its foundation Psal. 24.2 and Psal. 116.16 yea to be made out of the matter and to consist in it 2. Pet. 3.5 God would have his servant Job admire hereat when he asked him Whereupon are the foundations set and who laid the corner-stone thereof Job 38.6 Elsewhere it is said to have no foundation Job 26.7 onely to hang in the midst of the world by the power of God immoveable Psal. 93.2 Psal. 104.5 Isaiah 40.12 and 42.5 c And these which haply may seem most inept and weak pillars are firm bases Psal. 104.5 and mighty foundations Mich. 6.2 All which is an argument demonstrative of Gods power and providence who as he brought light out of darknesse so hath he set the solid earth upon the liquid waters and that for the convenience of mans habitation Secondly it is wonderfull for its motion Why it moveth forward why it retireth is to us above all reason wonderfull That such a motion there is experience sheweth but the searching out of the cause of it is one of the greatest difficulties in all naturall Philosophie Aristotle was so much admired for his Logicall wit that by some he hath been charactered by three speciall Epithets first that he was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a lover of universalities secondly that he was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a lover of method lastly and chiefly that he was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a subtile searcher out of causes Yet this Genius and Secretarie of Nature this acute Philosopher this prince of Philosophers is reported to have stood amazed at the flowing and ebbing of Euripus and despairing of finding out the cause thereof cast himself into the river and was comprised of that he could not comprehend What Aristotles opinion was concerning this matter is an uncertain conjecture for as much as little or nothing can be gathered touching this out of any booâ— which is certainly known to be Aristotles for the tractate of the propriety of Elements is judged to be none of his but of some later Authour This is more at large most judiciously discussed by Mr Nathanael Carpenter in his Geographie Lib. 2. cap. 6. Thirdly it is wonderfull in the art of Navigation on it Is it not strange that there should be a plough to delve a passage through the unwieldy Ocean that the Water should be of such fidelitie as firmly to bear up all vessels from the shallop to the ship from the smallest carvel to the mightiest and greatest carack and by the help of favourable and propitious winds convey them on their woven wings from climate to climate to the benefit and commoditie of their farre-distant owners Concerning the originall of shipping I find it to be Gods own invention If God had not said to Noah Fac tibi arcam and when he had said so if he had not given him a designe a module a platform of the Ark we may doubt whether ever man would have thought of a means to passe from nation to nation of a ship or any such way of trade and commerce This Ark resting afterwards on the mountain of Ararat gave a precedent to other nations neare-bordering how ships were to be framed Thus Navigation first taught by Almighty God was afterwards seconded by the industrie of famous men in all ages For the use and commodity of Navigation may be produced many arguments The first and principall is the promotion of religion How should the Gospel have been divulged through the whole world had not the Apostles dispersed themselves and passed the sea in ships to convey their Sacred message to divers nations and kingdomes Again Sea-traffick and Merchandizing is of that excellent use that the state of the world cannot subsist without it Not the Lyon and the Unicorn but the Plough and the Ship under God are the supporters of a Crown Non omnis fert omnia tellus No countrey yeeldeth all kind of commodities There must be a path from Egypt to Asshur and from Asshur to Egypt again to make a supply of their mutuall wants Mesha the king of Moab was a king of sheep Hiram king of Tyre had store of timber and workmen Ophir was famous for gold Chittim for ivorie Basan for oaks Lebanon for cedars Saba for frankincense We have our gold from India our spices from Arabia our silks from Spain our wines from France And thus by the goodnesse and
wisdome of God is one Countrey the helper and mutuall supporter of anothers welfare He maketh one the Granarie to furnish her neighbours with corn another the Armourie to furnish the rest with weapons another the Piscarie to furnish the rest with fish another the Treasurie to furnish the rest with gold By this is the Merchant the key of the land the treasurer of the kingdome the venter of his soils surplussage the combiner of nations and the adamantine chain of Countreys The sea and the earth saith a learned Prelate are the great coffers of God the discoveries of navigation are the keys which whosoever hath received may know that he is freely allowed to unlock these chests of Nature without any need to pick the wards Here could I spread my meditations and train on my Reader with delight but my principall aim is to shew how wonderfull the Sea is in the great varietie and abundance of Creatures that live and move within this wombe of moisture Almighty God hath so richly sown the great and boisterous element of waters with the spawn of all sorts of fish which so innumerably multiply and hath crowned the deeps with such abundance that the Sea contendeth with the Earth for plentie variety and delicacy The Breed of it is yeelded to be full of wonder As there is miraculum in nodo a wonder in the knitting of those two elements of Water and Earth in one sphericall and round bodie so is there miraculum in modo a miracle in the manner of the operation For eodem modo producitur balaena quo rana totidémque syllabae ad creandum pisciculos quot ad creandum cete Small fishes are not the superfluitie of Nature There is as much admirablenesse in the little Shrimp as in the great Leviathan both are miraculous There are miracula magna miracula parva saepe parva sunt magnis majora saith Saint Augustine The basest fish even that shelfish called Murex giveth our Purples the most sumptuous and delightfull colours And Margarites the most precious pearls that beautifie Princes robes come from the sea And this is first the Bonum jucundum the pleasure good which we find in them The tast of many fishes in all manner of magnificence is more delicate and exquisite then that of flesh And Fish hath ever had the priviledge which at this day it hath That chief Gentlemen are pleased and have skill to dresse it Nor is Fishing it self lesse delightfull to them that use it then Hunting and Hawking are to others They are indeed Princely disports studium Nobilium the study the exercise the ordinary businesse of many great Ones yet much riding many dangers accompany them hilares venandi labores c. whereas fishing which is a kind of hunting by water be it with nets weels bait angling or otherwise is still and quiet And if so be the Angler catch no fish yet hath he a wholesome walk Among the curled woods and painted meads Through which a silver-serpent river leads To some cool courteous shade He whiffes the dainties of the fragrant fields he sucketh in the breath of fine fresh meadow-flowers which like the warbling of musick is sweetest in the open aire where it cometh and goeth he heareth the melodious harmony of birds a quire whereof each tree enterteineth at Natures charge he sees the Swans Herons Ducks Water-hens Coots and many other fowl with their brood which he thinketh better then the noise of Hounds or blast of Horns or all the sport that they can make This is true of those that use fishing for recreation But what shall we say of the poore stipendiarie fishermen qui cruribus ocreati who booted up to the very groins toil and take much pains for a little pay Certainly God crowneth their labour with a sweet repose and their diet is more wholesom nourishing whereas surfets light frequently on the rich and the gentle bloud groweth quickly foul The bread of him that laboureth as Solomon saith of his sleep is sweet and relishable whether he eat little or much This hath he prettily expressed in his Sicelides Happie happie fisher-swains If that you knew your happines Your sports taste sweeter by your pains Sure hope your labour relishes Your net your living whe◠you eat Labour finds appetite and meat When the seas and tempests rore You either sleep or pipe or play And dance along the golden shore Thus you spend the night day Shrill wind 's a pipe hoarse sea 's a taber To fit your sports or ease your labour Moreover by fishing and using themselves thereto men are enabled to do service for their countrey When Reuben abode among the sheep-folds to heare the bleating of the flocks when Gilead did stay beyond Jordan and Issachar took his rest in his tents then the people of Zebulun did jeopard their lives unto death in the field against Sisera Zebulun is a tribe of account as well as Judah Benjamin and Nepthali Psal. 68.27 Moses by a spirit of prophesie as likewise remembring what old Israel had prophesied of this sonne and his posteritie Zebulun shall dwell by the sea-side he shall be an haven for ships Gen. 49.13 breathed but this propheticall patheticall dying farewell They shall suck of the abundance of the seas and of the treasures hid in the sands Deut. 33.19 And here doth fall into our contemplation the Bonum utile the great benefit commoditie and profit that we reap from the Sea Which according to our English proverb is a good neighbour in that it yeelds such store of fish whereby the inhabitants may be nourished and other creatures the better preserved For Abrahams servant to fetch a calf from the stalls Jacob to bring a kid from the fold Esau◠to bring venison from the field doth not so much expresse how God filleth us with plenteousnesse as the unseen prey which the fisherman bringeth from the sea Who can number the sand of the sea saith the sonne of Sirach Ecclus 1.2 nay what man is able to number the fish of the sea which are so many that the Patriarch Jacob prayed that Josephs children might encrease like the fish Gen. 48.16 Beasts of the field and birds of the air bring forth but one or two young ones if they be big or if they be little some three or foure others five or six few above ten none usually above twenty but fish as experience teacheth every day bring forth hundreds at one time In the great and wide sea saith our Prophet are things creeping innumerable both small and great Psal. 104.25 In the creation God said Let the waters bring forth in abundance every creeping thing that hath the soul of life Gen. 1.20 Howbeit in all that abundance as it is observed there is nothing specified but the Whale as being the Prince of the rest and to use the phrase of Job king of all the children of pride Wherein the workmanship of