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
of a King but David and him twice in one verse Matth. 1.6 and that for a literall and morall reason partly because he was the first king settling and establishing the kingdome of Israel but principally for that he was endowed with al princely qualities as justice wisdome clemencie courage and devotion A king as mighty in religion as valour who wrote more like an Evangelist then a Prophet And therefore the Fathers conclude him to be Homo in Veteri non de Veteri Testamento a man that lived in the time but not after the manner of the old law more like a Christian then a Jew As the fat was taken away from the peace-offering so was David chosen out from among the children of Israel Ecclus 47.2 That which was most excellent in every thing the Hebrews called the fat as adeps frumenti the fat of the corn medulla tritici the marrow of the wheat The witty imitatour of Solomon doth there make an allusion between the father of Solomon and the fat of the peace-offering All the peace-offering was the Lords yet all was not offered to him but part was given to the Priest and a part to the people but the fat was fully burnt up to the Lord So the zeal of Gods house burnt up David as the fat of the sacrifice In this fire of zeal did he oft ascend like the Angel in the flame of Manoah's altar to the throne of God and his tongue being touched by a coal from that altar many a dainty song did he tune upon his harp which harp was noâ— more sweet then his song was holy Though Moses the man of God was the first that by a speciall direction from God began and brought up this order to make musick the conveyer of mens duties into their minds yet David the darling of God hath sithence continued it as having a speciall grace and felicitie in this kind One touch of the sonne of Jesse one murmure of this heavenly turtle one Michtam of Davids jewel his golden song is farre above the buskind raptures the garish phantasmes the splendid vanities the pageants and landskips of profaner wits Et hîc rhetoricantur Patres The Fathers both Greek and Latine have robed his Psalter with many rich encomiums Athanasius and Basil and Augustine and Hierome and Chrysostome and almost all the new writers stand so deeply affected to this book that they hold it to be the Souls Anatomie the Lawes Epito me the Gospels Index Omnis latitudo Scripturarum The breadth of the whole Scripture as he sometimes spake of the Creed and the Lord prayer may hither be reduced And it is observeable out of Luke 24.24 that it is put for all the books of the old Testament as they are differenced from the Law of Moses and the Prophets Again it appeareth in the Gospel that Christ and his Disciples were very conversant in this book because in their sayings and writings not fewer then sixty authorities are produced from above fourty of these Psalmes This book was and still is more usually both sung and read not onely in the Jewish Synagogues but in Christian assemblies as well by the people as the Minister and that with more outward reverence then any parâ— of holy Writ The Jewâ— acknowledge the old Testament abhorre the new the Turks disclamâ— both yet swear as solemnly by the Psalmes oâ— David as by the Alcoraâ— of Mahomet In all ages this booâ— hath ever been esteemeâ— of the best most learned men Yea the greatest Potentates who with Joseph have had manuâ— ad clavum oculos ad calum have without blushing stooped unto a verse it being the usuall recreation of King David whâ— was as Euthymius speaks primi Regis lingua cor calamus the â—ongue the pen heart of the King of Heaven Thus as we reade our good king Alfred translated the Psalter himself into the Saxon tongue And our late most learned King James of happie memorie who as it is said of Scevola that he was Jurisperitorum eloquentissimus of all lawyers the most eloquent man so was he {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of our Nobles the most skilfull in Divinitie and as Sylverius said of Caesar he honoured learning with his own labours a Prince mighty both with his sceptre and his pen who besides his prose itâ— ad carmen noverat madâ— such a verse when hâ— pleased etiam sanissimâ— coloris of a most daint and elaborate compositâ—on as became Buchanan best Scholar among other things truly and exactly translated ouâ— Church-psalmes noâ— long before he was translated hence The Subject of thiâ— book is singular Foâ— whereas the other Prophesies were the Ambassies from God to the people or at least the abstracts thereof these are for the most part holy colloquies holy whisperings and secret conferences with God What a spirituall Library of all manner of prayers precepts exhortations do I here find The Psalter of this Kingly Prophet operateth that in the Church which the Sun doth in heaven it illumiâ—ateth heateth and maâ—eth fruitfull all the good desires of Christianitie Our Prophet once desired to be a doorekeeper in the house of the Lord and â—e was heard in that he â—rayed for for as Hilarie â—aith this whole book of â—salmes was but a bunch of eyes opening severall â—oores to let the soul enter into all the treasures of devotion This is the Spouses garden here be lily 〈◊〉 and roses here be appleâ— and pomegranates anâ— sweet fruits here be the myrrhe aloes Cassiâ— and sweet spices here bâ— the fountains and well of living water hîc suâ—preces vota here aâ— prayers and consolationâ— and amulets of comforâ— more pleasant then the pools of Heshbon moâ— glorious then the toweâ— of Libanon more redâ— lent then the oyl of Aâ—ron more fructifyiâ— then the dew of Hermoâ— Prophets Apostles hâ— Martyrs all the ancieâ— Fathers have made use of â—is book that begins â—th Blessednesse and â—ntains nothing but â—essednesse Blessednesse â—ing times repeated twenty â—en times in the conâ—ete in this one book â—hich like the tree that â—areth fruit every â—neth the Church hath â—pointed shall bring â—th fruit every moneth 〈◊〉 due season As the matter is exâ—llent so is it digested â—o an elegant form of â—ords Which fall not â—th the vulgar libertie 〈◊〉 speech but run in â—mbers upon ordered â—et of divine poesie composed and set to Mâ—sicall tunes in observâ—tion of which the Psaâ—mist is as criticall as the daintiest Lyrick or Hâ—roick yet with a vast dâ—paritie both for subsâ—mitie of matter and admirable expression Sâ— rightly did Hierome prâ—nounce of David to Paâ—linus that he is our Siâ—nides Pindarus Alceâ— Catullus and in stead all others Sundry reasons are â—ven why the Lord wouâ— have the chief points Religion included numbers by the swâ— Singer of Israel Tâ— first is That they migâ— be transmitted pure and without depravation to
â—osteritie for they run â—o evenly and so harmoâ—ously upon feet that if â—here want but a word or syllable the errour is deâ—rehended Secondly it is done â—or the help of memorie â—or concinnitie of numbers is sooner learned â—nd longer reteined then â—rose Thirdly it puts us in â—ind of the harmonie â—f our actions In which holy and heavenly use of the harp the royall Proâ—het by his tunes of Muâ—ck teacheth men how to â—et themselves in tune Psal. 15. and not oneâ— how to tune themselvâ— but to tune their hoâ— hold Psal. 101. Fourthly to leap ovâ— a large field at once aâ— to speak a little more that of which we can â—ver speak enough it sâ—veth for the comfort the godly who are moâ— often cheared by Psalmodie then by Prayeâ— In this last respect S. Aâ—gustine thus describeth Psalme Psalmus tranquâ—litas animarum est er sigâ— fer pacis A Psalme is tâ— tranquillitie of the soâ— and standard-bearer peace With which greeth that of S. Aâ—â—rose Psalmus est vox ecâ—esiae et clamor jucunditaâ—s And this hath truly been verified in the expeâ—ence of the Saints that â—evout singing of â—salmes causeth teares of â—y to stand in the eyes â—f yet we may call them â—ares or not rather the â—ew of heaven with S. â—ernard which adde a â—rment to the tormentâ— O how often saith â—ood S. Augustine have â—wept for joy when the â—weet hymâ—es of thy â—raise O Lord have â—unded in my eares Et â—liquebatur cor meum My heart melted and â—rops of heavenly passions distilled into my souâ—Suspirans tibi respiranâ— Sighing and longing afteâ— thee I was overjoyed iâ— spirit and wholy overcome with the fragoâ— of thy sweet ointmentâ— I will end this prefaâ— with a note already madâ— unto my hand Athanasius in an epistle ad Maâ— cellinam De optima inteâ— pretatione Psalmorum reports that coming to aâ— old man and falling iâ— talk with him about the Psalmes he receiveâ— from him a good directâ—on whereupon as himself saith he listened diligently The note waâ— this That there is greaâ— odds between the Psalms â—nd other Scriptures for â—f you set aside the mystiâ—all part of them the â—orall is so penned that â—very man may think it â—peaks de se in re sua it 〈◊〉 penned for him and â—tted for his case which â—f other parts of Scripâ—ure cannot be so affirmâ—d To this note of Aâ—anasius I will adde anoâ—er of S. Augustines â—et us so reade Psalmes â—ll our selves be turned â—to Psalmes till the â—nging of Psalmes and â—ymns unto the Lord â—vite the very Angels of â—eaven to bear us comâ—any so shall we learn with a near approch tâ— joyn our souls as cloâ— to the eares of God 〈◊〉 Philip joyned himself tâ— the chariot of the Eâ—nuch Then sing ye meâ—rily unto the Lord O 〈◊〉 Saints of his for it well bâ—cometh you to be thankfull for you are the timbre of the Holy Ghost But because conceptâ—ons like hairs may moâ— easily be filleted up the dissheveled I will tie 〈◊〉 my loose thoughts certain knots I wâ— single out one deer froâ— the herd and in particular fix my meditatioâ— on the eighth Psalme SECT. 2. BEfore I enter upon the parts of this Psalme must first clear the title and shew what is implyâ—d in the very bark and find thereof The Inâ—cription which S. Auâ—ustine calles the key of â—very Psalme is To him â—hat excelleth in Gittith â—o are the eighty first the eighty ninth inscriâ—ed Some derive the word â—ittith from a Musicall â—strument so called beâ—ause either invented or â—ost used in Gath and â—us the Chaldee Paraâ—hrast translateth it To sing upon the harp thaâ— came from Gath. So by Gittith here may bâ— meant either such instruments as were used by the posteritie of Obed 〈◊〉 Edom the Gittite or thaâ— these Psalmes were madâ— upon occasion of transporting Gods Ark from the house of Obed-Edom the historie whereof is in 2. Sam. 6. and 6 10 11 12 verses Others more probablâ— think it respecteth the time when this and thosâ— songs used to be sung namely at the time Hagâ—gittith at the vintage which feast was solemnly celebrated by the Iâ—raelites in which they especially praised the name of God for the great and manifold blessings conferred upon man Which â—s the whole bloud and â—uyce of this Psalme According to this the Greek â—ranslateth it the wine-presses Gath in Hebrew signifies a winepresse Torcular calcavâ— solus I have troden the winepresse aâ—one Isaiah 63.3 Where by the way I could take along with me this observation In those words the Prophet speaks not of himself for it is he that asketh the question vers. â— Who is he c. Proper indeed they are to Christ and so proper to him onely that we shall not reade them any-where applyed to any other It is he that was in torculari in a presse yea in a double Winepresse In the former he was himself troden and pressed he was the grapes and clusters himself in the latter he that was troden on gets up again and doth tread upon and tread down his enemies The presse he was troden in was his Crosse and Passion never cluster lay so quiet and still to be bruised as did Christ in that presse But that which he came out of where calcatus became calcator was his Descent and glorious Resurrection Upon this little piece of ground I could raise another fabrick inferre this collection from the title To him that excelleth As David entitleth these Psalmes so doth God for the most part bestow his graces to him that excelleth and with a liberall hand doth he deal his favours to him that improves his talent to the best advantage Gods familie admitteth of no dwarfes which are unthriving and stand at a stay but men of measure who still labour to find somewhat added to the stature of their souls The Eagles embleme is Sublimiùs To flie higher even to behold the Sun as Plinie noteth the Suns embleme is Celeriùs Swifter like a giant refreshed to run his course as David speaketh Psal. 19. the Wheat in the Gospel hath its embleme Perfectiùs Riper First the blade then the eare then full corn Mark 4.28 Ezekiels embleme Profundiùs Deeper first to the ankle then to the thigh Ezek. 47.4 Christs embleme was Superiùs Sit up higher Luke 14.10 Charles the fifth his embleme was Vlteriùs Go on farther The woman with childe hath here embleme Pleniùs Fuller untill she bring forth So ought every Christian to mount higher with the Eagle to runne swifter with the Sunne to sit up higher with the guest to passe on further with the Emperour to wax fuller with the Woman till they may bring forth good fruits of saving faith and so come to a full growth to be perfect men in Jesus Christ But it is not my intent to angle about the shore I will now let down my net and lanch into the deep
his mouth to the bridle the Ox his neck to the yoke the Cow her dugs to our hands the Sheep her wooll to the shearers He can now stoop the Hawk to his lure send the Dog on his errand teach one fowl to fetch him another one beast to purvey for his table in the spoil of others I am fallen upon a subject not more large then pleasant hÃc pinguescere potest oratio my lines could here more easily swell into a volume then be contracted into a manual For as Aeneas Sylvius noteth That there is no book so weakly written but it conteines one thing or other which is profitable and as the elder Plinie said to his nephew when he saw him walk out some howers without studying Poteras has horas non perdere You might have chosen whether you would have lost this time so if we would improve our most precious minutes to the best and contemplate on this great school of the world where men are the scholars and the creatures the characters by which we spell and put together that nomen majestativum as S. Bernard calls it that great and excellent name of God we should find that there is no creature so contemptible but may justly challenge our observation and teach a good soul one step towards the Creatour There is not any so little a Spider which coming into the world bringeth not with it its rule its book its light It is presently instructed in what it should do The Swallow is busie in her masonrie The Bee toyleth all day in her innocent theft The Pismires a people not strong prepare their meat in summer and labour like the Bees sed illae faciunt cibos hae condunt but these make the others hoard up meat As Vulcan is commended in the Poet for beating out chains and nets quae lumina fallere possunt non illud opus tenuissima vincunt Stamina so thin that the eye could not see them being smaller then the smallest thread So the smaller the creature is the more is the workmanship of God to be admired both in shaping using thereof Our God is as cunning and artificiall in the organicall body of the smallest creature of the world as of the greatest And what application we may make thereof I shall have fair occasion given me again to treat of when I come to consider the Fowls of the aire and the Fish of the sea In the mean time having selected this Psalme for my meditations on Mans Lordship and Sovereigntie over the creatures I proceed according to the Prophets method and from his Omnia subjecisti from some generalls come to handle some particulars and as he hath ranked them in order I will next declare how the Lord hath put under his feet all Sheep and Oxen and the beasts of the field SECT. 7. THere be beasts ad esum and ad usum Some of them are profitable alive not dead as the Dog Horse serviceable while they live once dead they are thrown out for carrion Some are profitable dead not alive as the Hog that doth mischief while he lives but is wholesome food dead Some are profitable both alive and dead as the Ox that draws the plough the Cow that gives milk while they live when they are killed nourish and feed us with their flesh Yet none of them is so profitable as that quiet innocent harmlesse creature the Sheep Whose every part is good for something the wooll for raiment the skin for parchment the flesh for meat the guts for musick In Sacrifices no creature so frequently offered in the Sinne-offering Peace-offering Burnt-offering Passeover Sabbath-offering and especially in the daily-offering they offered a Lambe at morning and a Lambe at evening Num. 28. Lorinus observeth out of the Fathers why a Lambe was so continually offered namely as a type of the offering of Christ who in eight and twenty severall places of the Revelation is called the Lambe of God For the name of Sheep notatissima est dicendi forma saith Bucer in the 34. of Ezekiel the Prophets are thirteen times called Shepherds and the people one and twentie times called Sheep In what honour the name function and person of Shepherds hath been is every-where apparent through the sacred Scriptures A Shepherd was the first tradesman though the second sonne of all the children of Adam And after Abel many Shepherds were in near attendance upon God A Shepherds life saith Philo est praeludium ad regnum ideò reges olim dicti sunt {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Of which phrase Homer and other Grecians have made use The old Testament hath none in more esteem then Shepherds Moses that kept Jethro's sheep Jacob that kept Labans sheep Amos a Prophet taken from the herd Moses a Priest and a Prophet from the sheep Elisha the Lords Seer and you know whose spirit Elisha had yet taken from the cattel David the Lords Souldier and who ever got such victories as David yet fetched from the fold and by the choyce of God destined to the Throne When he had lien long enough close among his flocks in the field of Bethlehem God sees a time to send him to the pitched field of Israel where at his first appearance in the list with that insolent uncircumcised Philistine whose heart was as high as his head he takes no other spear but his staff no other brigandine but his shepherds scrip no other sword but his sling no other artillerie but what the brook affords five smooth small peebles and yet by these guided by an invisible hand he overcame the Giant Afterwards when the diademe empaled his temples his thoughts still reflected on his hook and harp All the state and magnificence of a Kingdome could not put his mouth out of taste of a retired simplicitie As a Musician often toucheth upon the sweetest note in his song pavin or galliard so our Kingly Prophet in diverse Psalmes but especially in his three and twentieth which we may call his Bucolicon hath most daintily struck upon the same string through the whole hymn There have you Shepherd sheep green fields still waters wayes pathes valleyes shadows yea the rod and the crook But more then all this God the Father is called a Shepherd Psal. 80.1 God the Sonne doth name himself a Shepherd John 10.11 God the Holy Ghost is named a Shepherd and Bishop of our souls 1. Pet. 2.25 These very terms of Shepherd and Sheep have led me farther than I thought besides the waters of comfort The night hath now furled up her sails and a clear thin cloud laden onely with a light dew besprinkleth with drops the whole earth like pearls which sparkle as little eyes in the faces of the flowers and plants The glorious Sun is now unlocking the doore of the morning to run his race The winged Choristers of heaven do now begin to prune and pick themselves and in their circling
of the mountain saying Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians and bow I bare you on Eagles wings By the Eagles some there understand Moses and Aaron the two guides that led the children of Israel out of Egypt will have them compared thereunto propter acumen intelligentiae altitudinem vitae by reason of their piercing judgement and holy life They indeed were as Chrysostome saith mollissimae pennae misericordiae Divinae as it were the down-feathers of Gods mercie because they handled the people committed to their charge tenderly in imitation of Eagles Of whom some report that whereas other birds carry their young ones in their talons or claws which cannot be done without some griping they lay them upon their wings and so transport them without any grievance Which is a good embleme for Magistrates and teacheth them paternall affection towards their people Gorran in his Exposition of Saint Lukes Gospel cap. 17. v. 37. saith that the Saints resemble the Eagles in these five properties First Calvitie peccatorum For as the Eagles moult off their feathers and so become bald so the Saints pluck off their sick feathers from their soul they circumcise the old man with the lusts thereof and weed out sinne by the roots The Prophet Micah exhorting the people to repentance bids them to inlarge their baldnesse like the Eagle Micah 1.16 Mary Magdalene did more then cast her feathers when she converted her eyes her hairs her lips feathers of wantonnesse into pledges of repentance She had been parched with sinne and the heat of concupiscence as the wife of Othniel complained of an hot countrey when she begged of Caleb and Joshua the springs above and the springs beneath This holy Sinner at her conversion brought unto our Saviour irriguum superius springs of tears in her eyes above irriguum inferius springs of bloud if I may so speak in her heart beneath even a bleeding contrite and a wounded spirit As Plinie saith of the fleur de lis or flower-de-luce that it is begotten by its own tears in the same manner are the Saints produced to beatitude by their proper afflictions The second resemblance is in renovatione novi hominis in their new birth Who reneweth thy youth like unto the Eagle Psal. 103.5 The Eagle by casting her beak and breaking her bill upon a stone receives a new youthfulnesse in her age This rock is Christ upon which the Saints break their hearts by repentance Paul had cast his bill and his feathers when he said Now I live not but it is Christ that liveth in me Gal. 2.20 Extinctus fuit saevus persecutor vivere coepit pius praedicator saith Gregorie The third resemblance is in volatûs elevatione in their loftie flight Doth not the Eagle mount up and make her nest on high Job 39.27 So it is with the Saints As their conversation so their contemplation is as high as Heaven Such elevations had our Prophet David Psal. 25.1 Psal. 121.1 Such an Eagle was Saint Paul qui in terra positus à terra extraneus He lived here yet a stranger while he lived here Of all fowls saith Munster the Eagle onely moves herself straight upward and downward perpendicularly without any collaterall declination By her playing with thunderbolts and confronting that part of heaven where lightnings and storms and tempests most reigne she teacheth great and couragious spirits how to encounter all disasters And by beating her wings on high we are taught Sursum corda to ascend up in our thoughts where our Saviour is What the Poets feign of the Eagles laying her egs in Jupiters lap fabulously that doth the faithfull man by Davids counsel truly and with Isaiahs Eagle flying up to Heaven casteth his whole burden upon the Lord The fourth is in visionis claritate in the clearnesse of vision Saint Augustine writeth of the Eagle that being aloft in the clouds she can discern sub frutice leporem sub fluctibus piscem under the shrub an hare under the waves a fish So the faithfull being Eagle-eyed can with Moses in a bramble see the Majestie of God with the three children in the furnace see the presence of Christ with Elizeus in the straitest siege see an army of Angels to defend him with S. Paul in the heap of afflictions behold a weight of glory provided for him The last is in viae occultatione in the secrecy of their way One of those things which the Wise man admired at was the way of an Eagle in the aire Prov. 30.19 See them flie we may but their wayes and subtle passages we cannot discern So the Saints good works are seen of men but their intentions with what mind they do them are not discoverable I have the longer insisted on this princely bird the Eagle because among all other birds is ascribed to her maximus honos maxima vis and in the Scriptures are grounded many proverbs and similes upon the strength and length of her wing upon her lofty flight and sharp sight It were infinite to follow the Allegorists in moralizing her qualities and to trace Plinie or Aelian for the varietie of Eagles were a course easie but a discourse tedious It would likwise in my poor conceit something savour of his spice of pride that numbred his people to reckon and heap up all that I have read on this argument I have already shewed what excellent lessons the Bee the Swallow and diverse other birds do read unto us and I must not per eandem lineam serram reciprocare draw my saw the same way back again I discharge this point The next that attendeth our consideration is the other part of Gods work on the fifth day which I may call his Water-work And so I take into my thoughts the fish of the sea and whatsoever walketh through the paths thereof SECT. 9. WHen Argus in the Poet had the custodie of Io Constiterat quocunque loco spectabat ad Io Ante oculos Io quamvìs aversus habebat Which way soere he stands he Io spies Io behind him is before his eyes So may I say of them that go down into the sea in ships On every side which way soever they look they see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep Psal. 107.23 First the Element in it self is wonderfull First in regard of the depth situation and termination of it Secondly in regard of its motion its afflux and reflux its ebs and flowes its fulls and wanes its spring and neap-tides Thirdly in regard of Navigation or the art of sayling which now is so ordinarie and common that we almost cease to bestow wonder on it Again it is wonderfull in the numberlesse number of Creatures which it containeth This one word FIAT hath made such infinite numbers of fishes that their