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
out of the company of the faithfull and so from all the good things that are appropriated unto that condition and therefore to the destruction of the flesh they expound to be meant of his corruption for so flesh is taken in Scripture 6. Whether the Devills may appear 1 Sam. 28. He which appeared was 1. subject to the witches power therefore it was not the true Samuel 2. If Samuel had been sent of God hee would not have complained of trouble no more then Moses did Matth. 17. 3. The true Samuel would not have given countenance to so wicked a practise to the Magicke art 4. True Samuel would not have suffered himselfe to be worshipped as this did 5. Saul never came to bee with the soule of Samuel in blisse yet he saith to morrow shalt thou be with me 6. God refused to answer Saul by Prophet vision Vrim or Thummim therefore hee would not answer him by Samuel raised from the dead 7. True Samuel after his death could not lye nor sin Heb. 12. 23. He said Saul caused him to ascend and troubled him if hee had beene the true Samuel Saul could not have caused him to ascend if not hee lied in saying he was Samuel and that he troubled him If God had sent up Samuel the dead to instruct the living why is this reason given of the denyall of the rich mans request to have one sent from the dead because if they would not beleeve Moses the Prophets they would not beleeve though one rose from the dead In so doing the Lord should seem to go against his owne order The soules of Saints which are at rest with the Lord are not subject to the power or inchantment of a witch but Samuel was an holy Prophet now at rest with the Lord. Bellarmine answereth that Samuel came not by the command of the witch but by the command of God and that rather impeached then approved Art magicke which he proveth because the witch was troubled But the Scriptsre expresly sheweth that her trouble was because it was the King who having lately suppressed Witches had now in disguised aparrell set her on worke and so deceived her Bellarmine objecteth the Scripture still calleth him that appeared Samuel as if it were not an ordinary thing in Scripture to call things by the names of that which they represent or whose person they beare the representations of the Cherubims are called the Cherubims And things are often called in Scripture not according to the truth of the thing or Scriptures judgement thereof but according to the conceite and opinion of others The Angels which appeared to the Patriarks are called men the Idols of the Heathen are called Gods 1. Wee must walke warily and watchfully against Satans temptations We should be sober 1 Thes. 5. 6. 8. strong 1 Cor. 16. 13. 1 Pet. 5. 8 9. Watchfull 2 Tim. 4. 5. Matth. 26. 41. Prov. 4. 23. Wise Heb. 5. 14. Prov. 2. 9 10. and of good courage Josh. 1. 9. 1 Chron. 28. 10. Taking unto our selves the whole armour of God Ephes. 6. 12 13 14. that wee may be able to stand in the evill day 2. Beleeve not Satan though he flatter 2 Cor. 11. 3. 1 Tim. 2. 14. feare him not though be rage 1 Pet. 5. 8 9. hearken not to him though he tell the truth 2 Cor. 11. 14. Acts 16. 17. for if he transforme himselfe into an Angel of light it is to seduce 3. See Gods great goodnesse who offers us repentance and Christ when he absolutely refused the Devills 4. See the exact justice of God no greatnesse can priviledg one from punishment none can be greater nearer holier then Angels yet if they sin they shall be tumbled out of heaven Therefore we must leave all sinne if wee desire to goe to heaven it would not hold the Devils when they had sinned no uncleane thing shall come thither 5. Be not like the Devils then thou art one of his children wicked men are called sons of Belial Certaine particular sinnes make us like the Devill a lyer or murderer is like him John 8. 44. 2. A slanderer or an accuser of another 3. Envious and malicious persons as witches 4. He that tempts others or perswades them to sinne the Devil is called the tempter Eve spoke for the Devill therefore she hath two punishments more then man sorrow in childe-bed and subjection to her Husband 5. He that goes about to hinder others from godlinesse as Elimas Acts 13. Thou child of the Devil 6. A drunkard 1 Sam. 1. 15 16. 7. A proud person especially take heed of pride in spirituall illuminations and gifts 6. See the folly of those who doe the Devill service how ill will he repay them Never did any trust in the Devill but he deceived him even for the base things of this life Witnesse all witches his most devoted and professed servants if ever he made any one of them wealthy all ages are not able to shew one 7. Satans great businesse in the world is to studie men hast thou considered my servant Job when he comes neare to us in his temptations there is something in us to take part with him 1 John 5. 6. there is abundance of selfe-love selfe-flattery and naturall blindnesse 2 Cor. 2. 11. He hath a strange power to make all his suggestions take with us they are called fiery darts fire will quickly take we are led captive to do his will He comes to us sometimes in the name of God and can transform himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11. 14. he can raise up in mens Spirits strange ravishments and can swallow them up with joy as well as sorrow CHAP. VIII 2. Of Man WHen God had created heaven earth he rested not in heaven nor any heavenly thing neither in earth nor any earthly thing but only in man because he is a heavenly thing for his soule and earthly in regard of his bodie Man is a living creature made after the image of God Gen. 1. 26. The efficient cause of man was the Holy trinity God the Father Son and holy Ghost In the Creation of man 3. things are considerable 1. The consultation of the Trinity let us make man Gen. 1. 26. quia rationalis creatura quasi cum consilio facta videretur 2. The worke made not an Hermophradite as some would have it though Adam comprehended both sexes but hee is distinguished into both sexes thus it followes after male and female 3. The pattern of it the image of God 1 Cor. 11. 7. Col. 3. 10. Bellarmine distinguisheth between an age and similitude the first saith he consists in naturall endowments the other in supernaturall graces rather image and similitude represent an exact likenesse These two words are in an inverted order joyned together 5 ch ver 3 JAmes 3. ch 9. v. mentions only likenesse leaving out image which is a certaine
Symbolically Isay 66. 1. Act. 7. 49. 2. From Reasons 1. From the Simplicity of the Divine essence God is a pure act therefore altogether indivisible and therefore he is in every thing and in every part of every thing whole and undivided 2. Whatsoever is in its essence infinite that also is every where present else it should be terminated in place God is infinite in his essence and being therefore also of an infinite presence Each creature is limited by place though spirits doe not fill up a place by commensuration of parts yet they have a certaine compasse as I may call it beyond which their essence extendeth not they are so here that they are not there so in heaven that they are not the same time on earth But God is altogether above place he is omnipresent not by any materiall extension but after an incomprehensible and unexpressible manner He is quite above all place wholy without and within all and every place and that without all locall motion or mutation of place He is everywhere totally and equally he was as well in the Jewish Synagogues as in the Temple of Jerusalem or Holy of Holies as well in earth or hell as in the heavens in respect of his essence Gods being in every place is not first by multiplication there is not a multiplication of his being as loaves were multiplyed so that they held out to doe that which otherwise they could not for then there should be many divine essences nor secondly by division as if part of his nature were in one part of the world and part in another but he is wholy wheresoever he is Nor thirdly by commixtion as if he came into composition with any creature He is not the aire or fire but he is every where effectively with his essence and being repletively he fils all places heaven and earth Yet he fils not up a place as a body doth but is present everywhere by being without limitation of place so that he coexists with every creature Where any creature is there is he more then the creature and where no creature is there is he too all the sinnes that we commit are done in his presence and before his face Isay 65. 3. Psal. 51. 4. as if a thiefe shold steale the Judge looking on We should set the Lord therefore alwayes before us as David Psal. 16. 8. We should be comforted in troubles and patient Phil. 4. 5. a Child will not care so long as he is in his Fathers presence Psal. 23. 4. Ob. God is said to descend and ascend Sol. This hinders not his being every where 1. He is said to descend as often as by any visible shape objected he testifyeth his presence as Gen. 18. 21. Exod. 3. 8. when God withdrawes that presence he is said to ascend as Gen. 35. 13. 2. When God by the destruction of his Enemies and deliverance of his owne testifyeth of his Church that he is with it on earth Isay 64. and the contrary Psal. 68. 19. Ob. If God be everywhere how is he then said to dwell in heaven Psal 2. 4. Sol. In respect of his essence God is every where and in every thing as well as in heaven but he doth more manifest his glory wisedome power and goodnesse and bestowes his grace more liberally on his Angels and Elect in heaven then he doth here below Ob. How can God be said to depart from man if he be every where Sol. He departs not in respect of his essence but in respect of the manifestation of his presence The Schoolemen say God is five wayes in the creatures 1. In the humanity of Christ by hypostaticall union 2. In the Saints by knowledge and love 3. In the Church by his essence and direction 4. In heaven by his Majesty and glory 5. In Hell by his vindicative justice 1. This may teach the godly to be sincere and upright because they walke before God Gen. 17. 1. he is present with them understands their secret thoughts and imaginations Psal. 139. 7. 8. Jer. 23. 23. 24 This should curbe them from committing secret sinnes and incourage them to perform private duties Matth. 6. 6. approving themselves to their Father who seeth in secret Solitarinesse should not imbolden us to sinne nor hinder us from well-doing It was Josephs reason to his Mistresse how can I doe this great evill though they were alone God was present Two religious men took two contrary courses with two lewd women whom they were desirous to reclaime from their ill course of life the one came to one of the women as desirous of her company so it might be with all secrecy and when she had brought him to a close roome that none could prie into then he told her that all the bolts and barres which were could not keepe God out The other desired to accompany with the other woman openly in the street which when shee rejected as a mad request He told her it was better to doe it in the eyes of a multitude then of God 2. This serves to confute the Lutherans who hold Ubiquity to be communicated to Christs body and therefore they say his body is in the Sacrament and every where else because it is assumed by God but this is false for the reason of Gods omni-presence is the infinitenesse of his nature and therefore it can be no more communicated to the body of Christ then the Godhead can for his humane nature might as well be eternall as everywhere Christs body is a finite creature and though it be glorified yet is not deified It is an incommunicable attribute of the Deity to be in many places at one and the same time 3. Let us esteeme God a greater good then any creature friends are distant one from another God is with us in our journies and families He onely is the object of Prayer for he is everywhere to heare thee and so are not Angels God himselfe comforts his people by promising his gracious presence Gen. 46. 4. Exod. 3. 12. Josh. 1. 9. Isay 43. 1. 4. No man by wit or policy flight or hiding himselfe can escape the hand of God for he is everywhere present Amos 9. 1. 2. 5. This is a terrour to the secret devisers of wickednesse their Plots are discovered God is Eternall Eternity is a being without limitation of time Time is the continuance of things past present and to come all time hath a beginning a vicissitude and an end or may have but Gods essence is bounded by none of these hedges First he is without beginning he is before time beyond time behind time as it were and above all circumscription of time From everlasting to everlasting thou art God He is what he is in one infinite moment of being as I may speak I am Alpha and Omega Rev 1. 8. In the beginning God made all things and he that made all things could not have a beginning himselfe What
mystery of the Trinity is necessary to be known and believed of all that shal be saved it was not so plainly revealed to the Jewes of old as it is to us in the new Testament a perfect and full knowledge of this mystery is not attainable in this life Although Trinity in its native signification signifie the number of any three things yet by Ecclesiasticall custome it is limited to signifie the three Persons in the Trinity This is not meant as if the Essence did consist of three Persons as so many parts and therefore there is a great difference between Trinity and Triplicity Trinity is when the same Essence hath divers waies of subsisting and Triplicity is when one thing is compounded of three as parts they are three not in respect of Essence or Divine attributes three Eternals but three in respect of personall properties as the Father is of none the Sonne of the Father and the holy Ghost of both three Persons but one God as to be to be true to be good are all one because Transcendents Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa the outward workes which concerne the creature belong to one person as wel as the other as to create govern but opera ad intra sunt divisa the personall properties or internall workes are distinguished as the Father begets the Sonne is begotten of the Father and the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Sonne There is in the Trinity alius alius another and another but not aliud aliud another thing and another thing as there is in Christ the Father is another person from the Sonne but yet there is the same nature and Essence of them all They differ not in their natures as three men or three Angels differ for they differ so as one may be without the other but now the Father is not without the Sonne nor the Sonne without the Father so that there is the same numericall Essence The Father in some sence is said to be the onely God John 17. 3. that is besides the Divine nature which is common to the three persons there is not another God to be found the word alone is opposed to all faigned Gods to every thing which is not of this Divine nature so when it is said None knoweth the Father but the Sonne and the Sonne but the Father that excludes not the Holy Ghost which searcheth the hidden things of God but all which are not of that Essence Though there be no inequality in the persons yet there is an order not of dignity but of beginning The Father in the Sonne by the holy Ghost made the world not as if there were so many partiall causes much lesse as if God the Father were the Principall and these Instrumentall but onely meere order Persona divina est essentiae divinae subsistentia incommunicablis Wendelinus The Essence considered with the manner of subsisting is called a Person A Person is such a subsistence in the Divine nature as is distinguished from every other thing by some speciall or personall property or else it is the God-head restrained with his personall property Or it is a different manner of subsisting in the Godhead as the nature of man doth diversly subsist in Peter JAmes John but these are not all one It differs from the essence as the manner of the thing from the thing it selfe and not as one thing from another one person is distinguisht from another by its personall property and by its manner of working The personall property of the Father is to beget that is not to multiply his substance by production but to communicate his substance to the same The Sonne is said to be begotten that is to have the whole substance from the Father by communication The Holy ghost is said to proceed or to be breathed forth to receive his substance by proceeding from the Father and the Sonne joyntly in regard of which he is called the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Sonne both Gal. 4. 6. The Father onely begetteth the Sonne onely is begotten and the holy Ghost onely proceedeth both procession and generation are ineffable In the manner of working they differ for the Father worketh of himselfe by the Sonne and through the holy Ghost the Sonne worketh from the Father by the Holy Ghost the holy Ghost worketh from the Father and the Sonne by himselfe There is so one God as that there are three persons or divers manners of being in that one Godhead the Father Sonne and the holy Ghost 1 Whatsoever absolutely agrees to the Divine nature that doth agree likewise to every person of the Trinity 2 Every person hath not a part but the whole Deity in it selfe A person is one entire distinct subsistence having life understanding will and power by which he is in continuall operation These things are required to a person 1 That it be a substance for accidents are not persons they inhere in another thing a person must subsist 2 A lively and intelligent substance endued with reason and will an house is not a person nor a stone or beast 3 Determinate and singular for mankind is not a person but John and Peter 4 Incommunicable it can not be given to another hence the nature of man is not a person because it is communicable to every particular man but every particular man is a person because that nature which he hath in particular can not be communirated to another 5 Not sustained by another therefore the humane nature of Christ is not a person because it is sustained by his Deity 6 It must not be the part of another therefore the reasonable soule which is a part of man is not a person That there are three persons in the Deity viz. Father Sonne and holy Ghost is manifest by expresse testimonies of Scripture Genes 1. 1. Gods created and v. 26. Psalm 33. 6. there three are named the Word the Lord and the Spirit Esay 6.3 Holy Holy Holy But this truth is most clearly taught in the new Testament Matth. 3. 16. Luke 3. 22. The first person in the Trinity utters his voice from Heaven This is my beloved Sonne the Sonne is baptized in Jordan the holy Ghost descends in the shape of a Dove upon Christ. Pater auditur in voce Filius manifestatur in homine Spiritus Sanctus dignoscitur in columba Aug. tract 6. in Joh. Adde to this the History of Christs transfiguration described Matth. 17. 5. Marke 9. 7. Luke 9. 35. In which likewise the voice of the Father was heard from Heaven This is my beloved Sonne the Sonne is transfigured the Holy Ghost manifests himselfe in a bright cloud Matth. 28. 19. The Apostles are commanded to baptize in the Name of Father Sonne and holy Ghost Cameron thinks that is the most evident place to prove the Trinity But that is as â—pposite a place as any for this purpose 1 John 5.
made and adorned so it is probable that the Angels were made together in a great multitude After the Heavens their habitation was finished Chemnit in loc commun Gen. 2. 1. The Heavens and all the host of them It is plain from Job 38. 7. that they were made before the Earth When God laid the foundations of the earth and laid the Corner-stone thereof then the Sons of God that is the Angels Job 1. 7. Snouted for joy An Element is that whereof any thing is compounded and it selfe uncompounâ—ed Each element is superiour to other not more in place then dignitie The dry land is called earth which is a firme cold dry Element round and heavie hanging unmoveably in the midst of the world fit for habitation The Psalmist describes the creation of the earth Psal. 104. vers 5 Who hath laid the foundation of the earth or founded the earth upon his Basis that it should not be removed for ever The earth is the heaviest and lowest element It is so made that it doth stand firme in its place so that neither the whole earth is moved out of its place nor yet the great parts of it This is an exceeding wonderfull worke of God to settle the earth so upon certaine foundations that it is not shaken out of its place Take a little piece of earth not bigger then ones fist nay then ones eye or the apple of it hold it up in the aire let it fall it will never cease moving till come to lye upon some solid bodie that it may hold it up stay the motioÌ„ of it Now how is it that this whole lump of earth the whole body I say of the earth hangeth fast in the wide and open aire and doth not sway and move now hither and now thither what is it that holdeth it up so stedfast in the very midst of the aire It is Gods worke who hath founded it on his Basis that it cannot be moved This worke is often mentioned in the Scripture Joh 26. 7. There is nothing which might hold it up yet behold it hangeth still and quiet as if it had some pillar or base upon which to rest it selfe The Lord doth in larger words commend it to the consideration of Job when himselfe comes to speake with him Job 38. 4. 6. God there compareth himselfe to a builder that layes the foundation and then sets up the building by line and measure and convinceth Job of his weaknes that knoweth not how this earth should be set up or founded whereas the Lord himself effected this building long before Job was David telleth of it Psal. 24. 2. as a ground of Gods right unto it and to all things that are in it for saith he He hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the flouds And Solomon mentions it Prov. 8. 29. and 30. 4. Eccl. 1. 4. This is a great work because it is both necessary and unsearcheable It is necessary for it is the cause of the order of things in all the world and of their not being jumbled and confounded together If the lowest part of any building be not firme all that is built upon it will totter and tumble and come downe quickly so if the earth this lowest part of the world should shake or reele and be apt to move hither and thither the things that be upon it by nature or that are built upon it by the workmanship of man could not possibly subsist or endure Rivers and Channels would be daily altered dry ground would ever and anon become Sea and Sea dry ground trees would often totter and fall or else be changed from place to place building and houses would still bee falling and tumbling down off the earth did it not keepe its own room nay heaven earth would come together utter confusion would overturne the face of the earth and men beasts and all things below would come to nothing So needfull it was for this great Architect to set the Corner-stone of the earth fast firm and immoveable But the cause of it is unsearcheable who can find out to the full the reason of this so necessary a work Every heavy thing we see must have something to keepe it up something on which to rest it selfe that it may goe no further but abide where it is but what doth this earth rest on How is it held so even in the very midst and sweyed neither one way nor another who can tell me a full just satisfactory reason in nature We must not thinke that God doth hold it up by an immediate violent supernaturall or miraculous working but in a naturall way by ordering the principles of nature so that they shall necessarily concurre to effect this setlednesse Philosophers give this reason of it they say the simple bodies were made some of a light subtill thin and spirituall nature and their propertie is to ascend to goe upward still so as the light still flies higher and some of a more grosse thicke and heavie nature and the property of these is to move downward and still the heavier to make it selfe a way through the lighter and to presse toward the Center that is the middle point of the whole round of the world for it must bee confessed that the world is round Wherefore seeing every part and portion of the earth presseth toward the very middle point of all it cannot be but that all must stand fast in the midst seeing each part thronging the other and leaning upon the other toward the very middle all will bee quiet if the parts be even poised But now how heavie things should be made so to move toward the Center and how each part should so evenly move and a number of other questions more let them answer that are able especially seeing the earth doth not carry in it selfe to sense a perfect even and smooth roundnesse it is hard then to answer to the question which God propounded to Job upon what bee the sockets of it fastned It is a worke of God exceeding our capacitie and must therefore quicken and call up our admiration We should blame our selves for so seldom putting our selves in mind of this great work to stir up our selves to magnifie the Author of it and make it an argument of our blessing his name for which David speaketh of it Psal. 104. or of humbling our selves before him in acknowledgment of his power and wisdome and of our weaknesse and follie to which end it is mentioned in other places or indeed to any good purpose of informing our selves the better either of his nature or our dutie Oh how brutish and blockish are we So strange so mightie a worke is done and continued in our sight here it was done before I was here and here it will remaine and bee continually done after I am gone hence I enjoy the benefit of it as well as any other and with all others and yet
our election sure by our calling Rom. 8. 29 30. and our effectuall calling by two things 1. by a new light 2. a new life 2 Cor. 4. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 9. John 12. 36. Ephes. 5. 8. We have a new knowledge wrought in us of our selves we see our miserie by sin and our inability to help our selves Rom. 2. 23. 2 of God God in Jesus Christ is discovered to us 2 Pet. 1. 3. We see our need of Christ and know him to be a mediatour who must reconcile God and us 2. a new life is wrought in us Ephes. 2. 1. We now die to sin and live to God 1. By faith Rev. 17. 14. These three are put together faithfull chosen and called 2. By new obedience CHAP. II. 2. The Execution of Gods Decree GOD executes his Decree by Actions Creation and Providence Gods workes are in time 1. Past Creation of all things 2. Present Governement and preservation Creation is taken 1. Strictly when God makes any Creature of nothing meerly of nothing not as if nothing were the matter but the terme so the souls of men and Angels are created of nothing 2. Largely when of some prejasent matter but very unfit and indisposed a creature is made as Adam of the earth Creation is the action of God whereby out of nothing he brought forth nature it selfe and all things in nature both substances and accidents in and with the substances and finished them in the space of sixe dayes both to his owne glory and the salvation of the Elect. Or it is an action whereby God the Father by his word and holy Spirit made all things exceeding good for the glory of his name Or thus Creation is a transient or externall action of God whereby in the beginning He made the world by a meere command out of his owne free will in sixe dayes space to the glory of his name 1. An action not a motion or change motion argueth some succession but in the things created the fieri factum esse is all one nor is it a change because that supposeth some alteration in the Agent 2. Transient it passeth from the Agent to the thing created whereas in immanent actions as Gods will decrees and personall actions they abide in himselfe 3. Of God The efficient cause of Creation is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Creation is the proper worke of God alone so that He is God which created the world and he created the world who is God Jer. 10. 11. It is without controversie that the worke of creation agrees to God the Father the same is expressely given to the Sonne John 1 3. Col. 1. 16. and to the Holy Ghost also Psal. 33. 6. 4. In the beginning By the Scripture it is a matter of faith to hold that the world was not from all eternity in the beginning that notes not that there was time first and then God created the world for time is a creature and concreated but it denotes orde that is at first 5. The world that is the Heaven and Earth and all things contained in them Acts 4. 4. and 17. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that well ordered decent beautifull and comely frame of heaven and earth 6. By his meere command as appeares Gen. 1. Let there be light let there be heavens wâ—ich argues his omnipotencie 7. Out of his owne free will for God did not need the world and therefore he created it no sooner 8. The finall cause to the glorie of his name Rom. 2. 20. Three Attrbiutes especially manifest themselves in this work of Creation Gods power wisedome goodnesse his power in that he made all thingâ— by a word and of nothing his wisedome is seene in the order and exceeding wonderfull and particular uses all creatures have his goodnesse in that he would communicate being to the creatures He needed not the world but was happie enough in himselfe without men or Angels The worke of Creation say some set out generally in a generall proposition In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth Which proposition He after explains by its parts That the world was not from eternity but was made by God these arguments may perswade First and principally Faith Heb. 11. 3. which is grounded upon divers places of Scripture as the first and second chapters of Genesis 38 and 39 chapters of Job and some Psalmes almost whole as 104. and 136. this also is the first Article of our Creede that the world was created in time by God The Apostle Paul Acts 14. 15. and 17. 24. doth point out God to the Heathen by this worke above others Secondly and probably the light of nature shining in these reasons 1. The originall of Nations laid downe by Moses Gen. 10. and else where which could not be fained by him since some memorie of them was then extant among many which yet in progresse of time was extinguished 2. The beginning of Arts the first inventers whereof are known and in what time they flourished for it is not probable that so many ages before mankind lived without arts and that in these last times they were all both invented perfected 3. The newnesse of all Heathenish histories the ancientest of which tell of nothing before Noah's flood or the beginning of the Assyrian Empire under Ninus The holy history it selfe is only of 4000. yeares or thereabout which neverthelesse iâ— the greatest monument of antiquity Now it would be a most unworthy reproach and contumelie cast upon all those men who had lived so many infinite ages agoe to say that they were so ignorant that they could not or so sloathfull that they would not deliver in writing what was done in their times 4. The decay of mans bodie and age which from a great strength quantity bignesse and time of life is now come down to a narrow scantling which if had decreased so alwais in infinite ages it would by this time have been brought almost to nothing The certaine series and order of causes and impossibility of their proceeding in infinitum for it must needs be that there should be one first which is the universall cause but first it is not unlesse it be one nor one except it be God 6. As a thing is so it workes but God doth not depend upon another in his being therefore neither in working doth he require a pre-existent matter 7. Art presupposeth nature and nature matter but God in working is a more excellent cause then art or nature therefore presupposeth nothing in working 8. The first cause viz. God is infinite therefore he can do whatsoever implyeth not a contradiction but the Creation of things in time implyeth it not 9. Whatsoever perisheth hath a beginning the world doth perish because all its parts decay and are subject to corruption therefore the whole The Angels and soules of men are changeable by nature as appears by the
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
it will fly 180 miles an hour according to its motion The Sun moves swifter 1160000 miles in one houre the fixed stars some of them 42 millions of miles each houre 6. The use of it is admirable the motion of the heavenly bodies is the cause of generation and corruption here below if they should cease moving the being of sublunary bodies would cease The inferior heavens are fitted for the generation of Meteors Raine Snow Thunder Lightning by its fit distance as it were from the Earth and Starres Here is room for the making and shewing of them all The lower part of it also by reason of its thinnesse and subtilty is fit for the flying of Birds and for the breathing and the living of man and beast and it is fitted to be enlightned by the Sun-beames and to receive that illumination and heat without which the Creatures here below could not subsist and the starres câ—iefly the Sunne are placed at a convenient distance and it is fitted for the swift motion of the heavenly bodies in regard of its raritie and subtilnesse which if it were thick grosse could not have so speedy a passage through or about the same especially the highest heavens are fitted for the inhabitation of those immortall persons some of which doe and others shall inhabite a being so spacious bright and every way glorious that the multitude of those happy persons may have space enough to see the beauty of GOD. The Philosophers divide the Regions of the world into two Regions the Celestiall and Elementary Region The Celestiall they divide into divers Orbes or Globes for the Heaven of heavens sedes Beatorum the feat of the blessed Saints and Angels they had little knowledge of if any at all The first moveable as they termed it the highest Orbe by the unspeakable swift circumrotation of which they thought all the other Orbes were carried from East to West in the space of 24. houres This is the tenth Globe or Orbe the next they call the Chrystalline or watry Orbe because it is cleare bright and apt to to shine through as water The next is the Starrie heaven which hath eight Spheares one for the fixed Stars and seven other for the Planets each Planet having as they say his distinct Orbe Saturne is the uppermost next Jupiter then Mars in the middest the Sunne then Venus next Mercurie the laâ—t and lowest of all is the Moon So is the division of the heavenly Region the Elementary they divide into the region of fire next to the Moone and of aire next to that and that they distinguish into three Regions the highest middle and lowest then that of the Water and Earth compounded together so they But now the Scriptures divide the World into two parts Heaven and Earth as you read in the first words of the Bible In the beginning God made heaven and earth By Earth it meaneth this Globe of Earth and Water where men Beasts and Fishes are By Heaven all the space from the Earth upward and of this heaven it maketh three parts 1. The highest Heaven the heaven of Heavens 1 Kings 8. 27. the habitation of God himself and all his Saints Angels Job 14. where God reveals his glorious presence to them for ever This is called by Paul the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12. 4. for its scituation above the Aire and skie both which have the name of Heaven and Paradise 2 Câ—r 12. 4. because the earthly Paradise was a figure of it and because it is a place of endlesse joy pleasure 2. The Starry Skie where the Starres are it is described in Job to be firme as a molten Looking-glasse 3. The lower Heavens all that place above our heads to the Starrie Heaven Hence the Clouds are called the clouds of Heaven and the Fowles of Heaven and Birds are said to flie in the face of the Heavens Every one is to fall out with himselfe and blame himselfe for slighting and neglecting the consideration of this work that offers it selfe so constantly to our eyes even this so curiously wrought Curtaine which God hath spread forth especially let us blame our selves for not seeing God in the workman-ship of heaven that wee take not notice of him as the Author of it and raise our hearts higher than the heavens to him that measures them forth as with a Span we should beleeve that he is so Great Good and Wise as this Heaven proclaimeth him the Maker thereof to bee Let us see and bewaile this blindnesse there is no place in the earth which hath not the Heavens spread over it Oh that we could put our selves in minde of him that did spread out the Heavens and remember that he sees us every where for where any worke of his is to be seen surely theâ—e is himselfe to be seen and there he sees all things that are there especially let us learne to presse this knowledge upon our will and affections that it may beget in us obedience love feare joy confidence and other holy vertues without which all talking yea and thinking of God is idle and fruitlesse Let us presse our selves to become subject to him who hath the heavens at command because he made them to love him that hath formed for our use so excellent an house so richly vaulted above see the invisible things of him that made all in these things which you behold thy conversation should bee there where Christ is Col. 3 There is thy Fathers house thine owne Countrey thy inheritance It is a great deale of comfort to Gods people that have such a Father who can so easily stretch out Heaven trust in him for house-roome that can build a world with so much ease For the Angels because I intend to speak more largely of them afterwards I shall here only answer one question athem Why are they not spoken of in the Creation where man and beasts are mentioned and why is not the speciall day named wherein they were made Answ. Not so much for feare the Jewes a people prone to Idolatrie should have worshipped them for then by the same reason Moses should have forborne to have mentioned them in the whole story of Genesis which was publisht at the same time and to the same people that the first part of it but it may be to give us to understand that God did not use any of their help in the Creation and had no need of them at all but made the whole world without them or because hee relates the making of sensible things only but that they were created appears Coloss. 1. 16. The Scripture hath not so clearly expressed the precise time and day of their Creation therefore Ambrose and Danaeus confesse that they know not when they were created But it is probable they were made with the Heavens which some say were made the first others the second day As man was then first made after his habitation the earth was
when did I take it into consideration When did I once offer it to the serious meditation of my minde When did I say to my selfe how doth this great ball of earth remaine unmoveable in the midst of this wide and spacious Heaven Why doth it not reele or totter toward the North or South the East or West or now upward now downward What hand doth hold it up and that so stedfastly that for thousands of yeares it hath not moved surely some potent and intelligent workman hath in such a wonderfull manner reared up and founded this building That is he whom we call God why do I not fasten in my selfe a more sure and firme notion of his being and a more lively firme and effectuall acknowledgement of his excellencie We are worthy of great blame that have scarce ever directed our minds to the contemplation and fruitfull meditation of this great act of God among the rest for any good spirituall and holy intent Schollers sometimes in their Philosophicall studies stumble upon these questions and set their witts on worke to find out the natural reason of them but alas in how unsanctified a manner so as not at all to inforce the thing upon their soules for making of them more thankfull and obedient But for the plaine man that is no Scholler though he have wit enough for all things else yet hee hath no wit to enter upon these cogitations and when he findeth the matter so farre above his reach yet to tell himselfe that this is one of Gods workes and so to call on himselfe to feare know and obey him this this is that we must every man lament in himselfe as a just and due cause why the Scripture should ascribe brutishnesse unto us and we unto our selves and why wee should present our selves before the divine Majesty with bashfull and lowly confessions of our wrong done to God in robbing him of the honour due unto him for his workes which our selves have the fruit of Secondly to our selves in depriving our selves of the best and most excellent fruit of them which is to be led by them above themselves unto him This may exhort every one of us to take this work of God from David and to make it as it were our theame or the object of our meditations Whosoever applyeth himselfe to raise up such thoughts shall finde a great unaptnesse in himselfe and a kinde of wearinesse to them with a vehement inclination to entertaine other fancies and the Devill will take occasion hence to disswade him from doing the duty at all as if it were as good omit it as performe it so weakly it is a false tale which Satan tells for God hath promised acceptance to the weakest endeavours in calling himselfe a Father but to accept of the non-performance he hath never promised for even a Father cannot do that Lastly we must learn to seeke unto God and trust in him for spirituall stability of grace in our soules and must thus importune him Lord when there was never an earth thou mad'st one and didst lay the foundation of it so sure that no force nor skill can move it O thou canst also create a frame of holinesse in my heart and soule and so stablish settle and confirm it that it shall never be moved I beseech thee and trust that thou wilt do this as thou hast done the former One prime use to which we must improve these naturall benefits is to quicken our prayers and confirme our faith in begging and expecting such as are spirituall When God will confirme the faith of his people and winne them to call upon him for good things he puts them in minde of these wonders in nature they must make use of them therefore for this purpose â—The second Element is water so necessary a creature as nothing can be more dangerously or uncomfortably wanting to the life of man It is an Element moyst in some degree and cold in the highest therefore it cooles the body and tempers the heate that it grow not excessive It hath manifold uses constantly 1. We and our Cattel drinke of it and neither can continue without water or something made of it our bread must be kneaded with it and our meate boyled with it 2. It serves to wash our bodies and the apparell wee weare if our hands and feete were never washt what an evill smell should we carrie about 3. It makes the earth fruitfull The Husband-man looseth his labour if after sowing there come no raine it is 1. Of large and common use no Countrey can want it neither rich nor poore man nor beast 2. Of constant use we must have it daily or something made of it and our beasts also 3. Very profitable we drinke it and wash with it and our meate is prepared by it and beasts drinke it It reprehends us that so ungratefully enjoy and devoure this benefit without lifting our hearts up to God and praising him for it A secret Atheisme prevailes in our hearts which is the cause of this great blockishnesse and ingratitude and corrupts all things to us and forfeits them provokes Gods justice against us Say Lord thou mightst justly choak me for the time to come for want of water that have not been particularly thankfull to thee for this mercie Wee should bring in the parcels of Gods goodnesse for bread water fire when thou washest thy hands let thy heart be lifted up to God that made the Element Say O that I could praise love and obey him that hath done this for me The usefulnesse abundance and easinesse to come by doth highly commend this benefit and the giver of it shewing water to be very good and our selves much beholding to him that giveth it Aunciently in those warmer Countreys especially water was the usuall drinke of men therefore in the description of the cost of famillies in house-keeping when we read of so many Oxen and Sheep slaine and so much meale and fine flower we reade not of any wine which would have been mentioned if it had been usually drunke 3. The Aire or all the void place betweene the clouds and the earth giving breath of life to all things that breath this is the third Element light and subtill moving upward not downeward because it hath no heavinesse in it It is divided into three regions or stages The highest is said to be exceeding hot and also dry because it is neare the fiery Element and starres by the force of whose beames it receiveth the heate which also is much encreased by following the motions of the Heavens The lowest region is they say hot and moist hot by the reflection of the Sun-beames meeting with the earth and moyst from its own proper nature and by reason of the vapours exhaled out of the earth and water or rather it is variable now bot now cold sometime temperate differing according to times and seasons of the yeare and places also or severall climates The middle
the waters in a garment Prov. 30. 4. that is makes the Clouds How as it were by an even poysing of one part with the other God makes these Clouds to hover a great while over the earth before they bee dissolved is a thing worthy admiration and greatly surpasseth our knowledge Job 38. 34. Psal. 14. 78. and Prov. 8. 28. Psal. 104. 3. The cloud is water rarified drawn upward till it come to a cold place and then it is thicke and drops downe They are but nine miles say some from the earth but they are of unequall height and are lower in Winter then in Summer when the Sun hath the greater force then they ascend higher and in his smaller force they hang the lower Let us consider the causes of these clouds and the uses of them The efficient causes are thought to be the heate influence of the Sun and the Stars which doth rarifie the water draw thence the matter of the clouds as you shall perceive if you hold a wet cloath before the fire that a thicke steame will come out of it because the fire makes thin the thickness of the water and turns it into a kind of moist vapour and the earth hath some heate mixed with it through a certain quantity of fire that is dispersed in the bowels of it which causeth such like steames to ascend out of it and the coldnsse of the middle region doth condensate and thicken these steames or breaths and turne them againe into water at length and at last to thicke clouds 2. The matter is the steams that the waters and earth doe yeeld forth by this heate The uses of it are to make rain and snow snow is nothing but rain condensated whiâ—ened by the excessive cold in the winter time as it is in descending for the watering of the earth and making it fruitfull or else for the excessive moistning of the earth to hinder the fruitfulnesse of it if God see fit to punish The earth without moysture cannot bring forth the fruitâ— that it should and some parts of the earth have so little water neare them below that they could not else be sufficiently moystened to the making of them fruitfull God hath therefore commanded the Sunne among other offices to make the vapours ascend from the Sea and Earth that he may powre it down again upon the forsaken wildernesse or other places whether for punishment or otherwise Ob. How can it be conceived that the clouds above being heavy with water should not fall to the Earth seeing every heavy thing naturally descendeth and tendeth down-ward Sol. No man by wit or reason can resolve this doubt but only from the word of God which teacheth that it is by vertue of Gods Commandement given in the Creation that the Cloudes fall not Gen. 1. 6. Let the Firmament separate the waters from the waters by force of which commanding word the water hangeth in the clouds and the clouds in the aire and need no other supporters Job 26. 7 8. setting out the Majestie and greatnesse of God in his workes here beginneth that He hangeth the Earth upon nothing be bindeth the waters in the Clouds and the Cloud is not rent under them Philosophie is too defective to yeeld the true reason of this great work of God which commonly attributeth too much to natura naturata nature and too little to natura naturans the God of nature Now we must here also blame our own carelesnesse and folly which forbeare to consider of this worke that hangs over our heads The clouds are carried from place to place in our sight and cover the Sun from us They hinder the over-vehement heate of the Sunne from scorching the earth and yet wee never thinke what strange things they be and what a mercifull Creator is he that prepared them Not seeing God in the workes of nature shewes great stupidity and should make us lament Let us endeavour to revive the thoughts of God in our mindes by his workes When wee see the clouds carried up and downe as wee doe sometimes one way sometimes another swiftly then let us set our heart a worke to thinke there goes Gods Coach as it were here he rides above our heads to marke our way and to reward or punish our good or bad courses with seasonable raine for our comfort or excessive showers for our terrour O seeke to him and labour to please him that hee may not finde matter of anger provocation against us When the Clouds either favour or chastise us let us take notice of Gods hand in these either comfortable or discomfortable effects and not impute it all to the course of nature By meanes of the Clouds God waters the earth yea the drye wildernesse without moysture there can be no fruitfulnesse without Clouds no raine without that no corne or grasse and so no man or beast Raine is as it were the melting of a Cloude turned into water Psal. 104. 13. It is a great work of God to make raine and cause it fitly and seasonably to descend upon the earth It is a work often named in Scripture Deut 11. 14. and 28. 12. Levit. 26. 4. Jer. 5. 24. It is noted in Job divers times 36. 27. He maketh small the drops of water God propounds this worke to Job as a demonstration of his greatnesse Job 38. 25. 34. See Jer 30. 13. Psalm 137. 8. Now this work is the more to be observed in these respects 1. The necessity of it in regard of the good it bringeth if it be seasonable and moderate and the evill which followes the want excesse or untimelinesse of it 2. In regard of mans utter inability to procure or hinder it as in the dayes of Noah all the world could not hinder it and in the dayes of Ahab none could procure it 3. In regard of the greatnesse of the worke in the course of nature for the effecting of which so many wonders concurre First without this drinke afforded to the fields we should soone finde the world pined and sterved and man and beast consumed out of it for want of foode to eate It is the cause of fruitfulnesse and the want of it causeth barrennesse and so destruction of all living creatures that are maintained by the encrease of the earth As mischievous and terrible a thing as a famine is so good and beneficiall a thing is raine which keepeth off famine Secondly It procureth plenty of all necessaries when the Heavens give their drops in fit time and measure the earth also sends forth her off-spring in great store and fit season so both men and beasts enjoy all things according to their naturall desire this so comfortable a thing as plenty is so worthy a work of God is the effect of raine I meane raine in due season and proportion Lastly The greatnesse of the workes which must meet together for making and distributing of
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
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
description of a horse Job 39. 19. to 26. If Bankes had lived in elder times he would have shamed all the Inchanters of the world for whosoever was most famous among them could never master or instruct any beast as hee did his Horse That story of Androdus the Lion is commonly known Vide Auli Gellii noctes Atticas l. 5. c. 14. There is in some kind as much of the Creator in the Ant as in the Lion in the former excellent skilfulesse in the other power and majestie CHAP. VII AMong the works of Creation the principall are the reasonable Creatures Angels and Men. The name Angell comes of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a Messenger sent forth from some superiour person or State to deliver a message and to declare the mind of him or them that sent him The Hebrew name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the name of an Angell in the Old Testament signifies also a Messenger but yet in a more full and large sense For it siguifies such a Messenger as doth not onely deliver and declare a Message by word of mouth but also doth act and execute indeed the will of him that sent him and doth performe his worke enjoyned as a faithfull Minister and servant First of all it signifieth that chiefe and principall Messenger and Ambassadour of God his Sonne Jesus Christ who is called Mal. 3. 1. The Angell of the Covenant 2. Pastors are called Angels Revel 2d. and 3d. Chapters being Gods messenger sent to the Church Thirdly this word is most frequently used to signifie the heavenly Spirits who are so called because they are both ready to be sent on Gods message and often are sent out to doe the will of God Gen. 19. 1. Psal. 103. 20. 21. Matth. 18. 10. That there are Angels is proved out of Scripture where they are often mentioned Psal. 68. 17. Dan. 7. 10. Col. 1. 16. and 2. 10. Hebrews 12. 12. and by the manifold apparitions of them Genesis 3. 24. Cherubims that is Angels appearing in the forme of flying men to keepe the entrance into the Garden Abraham entertained Angels unawares They were sent to destroy the filthy Sodomites and the Cities about them that ranne into the like exorbitancies An Angel stopped Abrahams hand which he lifted up according to Gods Commandement to slay his only sonne Isaac Abraham told Eleazar that God would send his Angel with him to prosper him in the businesse of taking a wife for his son Isaac An Angel of the Lord met Hagar and sent her backe to her Mistresse when through discontent shee had plaid the Fugitive An Angel appeared to Zacharie and foretold the conception and birth of John the Baptist. An Angel acquainted the blessed Virgin that she should conceive our Saviour in her wombe by the over-shadowing of the Holy Ghost A multitude of Angels celebrated the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour with an hymne of joy Angels Ministred to Christ after his temptation in the wildernesse and in his bloody agony in the Garden An Angel acquainted the women with his resurrection after he had terrified the men that were set to keepe the Sepulchre and rolled the stone from the doores thereof An Angel also set Peter at liberty when he was imprisoned betweene two souldiers An Angel shooke the foundation of the Prison wherin St. Paul and Silas were laid fast in the stockes An Angel shewed unto John the vision of the Revelation at the appointment of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now besides these and many more apparitions of the heavenly Spirits we read that the Angels of God are many thousands yea millions and of the company of innumerable Angels and of Angels pitching their tents about the righteous and holding them up in their hands and chasing the wicked and destroying them And besides the testimonie of Scriptures the Heathens also had some notions of them as appeares in their writings but indeed it was in some respect a false notion for they conceived them to bee a certaine kinde of pettie Gods and did performe worship unto them the evill Angels beguiling them and if there bee evill Angels there must needes bee likewise good The Angels are diversly called in Scripture Psalme 104. 4. to expresse their nature and Angels to their office as Messengers sent from God they are called Sonnes of God Job 1. 6. 38. 7. Yea Elohim Gods Psal. 8. Cherubims Gen. 3 24. Ezek. 10. 1. from the form they appeared in viz. like youths Seraphims Esa 6. 2. for their ardour and fiercenesse in the execution of Gods anger Watchmen or the watchfull ones Dan. 4. 10. 13. being in heaven as a watch tower and keeping the world Starres of the morning Job 38. 7. from their brightnesse of nature a flaming fire Psal. 104. 4. because God useth their helpe to destroy the wicked In the New Testament they are called Principalities for their excellencie of nature and estate and powers for their wonderfull force Reasons why God made Angels The will power of God therefore they are because God saw it fit to make them yet two reasons may be rendred of this worke 1. God saw it fit to raise up our thoughts from meaner to more excellent creatures till we came to him first things say some were made which had no life then living things without sense as plants and trees then sensible then reasonable 2. It was convenient that every part and place of the world should be fill'd with Inhabitants fit for the same as the aire with birds the earth with beasts and men the Sea with fishes and the heavens which we behold with Stars the highest Heavens with Angels God is the maker of Angels These glorious Creatures which shall have no end had a beginning as well as the silliest beast bird or fish and they are equally beholding nay more because they have received more excellent endowments unto God for their being with the silliest worme And though Moses mentions not in particular either the act of creating them or the time yet St. Paul saith that by him were all things made visible and invisible and it is evident by discourse of reason that the Angels were made by God For either they must be made by God or some other maker or else they must be eternall for whatsoever is not made by some maker cannot be made at all and whatsoever is not at all made is eternall Now if the Angels were eternall then were they equall with God in selfe-being they might bee called selfe-subsisting essences and so should be equall with God standing in no more neede of him then hee of them owing no more service homage and praise to him then hee oweth to them and so they were Gods as well as he and then wee should have multitude of Gods not onely one God and so should not God bee the first and best Essence there being so many others beside him as
Angels did appeare a little before or after mens death Calvin thinks that it was an Angel peculiarly destinated to Peter for that time of his imprisonment If it were a peculiar Angel then it would follow that he spake and had the same gestures that men have to whom they belong Therefore it may well bee rendred it is his messenger as the word is elsewhere translated But you will say then they thought the messenger spake like him No but it might fall out that they thought Rhode did mistake and when he said I am Peter they might thinke he said I am come from Peter and so it may bee answered If every man have one Angel why did more then one carrie Lazarus his soule to heaven and he hath given his Angels charge over thee that is many over one particular man Cameron tomo 2 do Praelect vide Rainold de lib. Apoc. tomo 10. cap. 61. The third question what is the meaning of that let her be covered because of the Angels Where the Apostle commands a woman in publike duties to have power that is covering in signe of her subjection to God and that because of the Angels Some understand this properly of the Angels the heavenly Spirits but differently some because they are present at our Assemblies and if you aske what need that seeing God and Christ are there they answer that hee mentioned God and Christ before and now addeth these as inseparable servants which are sent for the salvation of beleevers others as probably make it a new argument from the Angels Esay 6. as they covered their feet before God to shew their subjection so should these Others understand it of the Ministers who are called Angels because they are the Messengers of God and so they compare this place with that Eccles. 5. 6. before the Angell there is He notificative by which is signified the high Priest before whom vowes were made Levit. 27. 8. Some interpret it generally of all good men for we all ought to be as so many Angels The fourth is what is the meaning of those places Acts 7. 53. and Gal. 3. 19. Learned Junius renders the words Acts 7. 53. You have received the law in the midst of the rankes of Angels viz. who accompanied God to be their Soveraign Lord when himselfe came to deliver the Law The same answer may be made as it is by the same learned writer among Angels they attending God when he ordained and delivered it It seemes improper that Angels in the plurall number should have beene imployed in speaking of the Law For without extraordinary guidance of God many speakers at once would have bred confusion of sounds and by an extraordinary guidance one would haue sufficed There is no necessitie to ascribe the delivery of the law of the Decalogue to Angels Exod. 20. their is not so much as a word of the Angels in the whole matter The earthquake thunder lightening on mount Sina were raised by the Angels saith Cameron who can easily change the state of the elementary Region The fifth What is the meaning of that storie Jude 9 v. Michael striving with the Devill the Apostle aggravates the sines of those who speake evill of dignities by an argument from the greater to the lesse the Archangell durst not doe soe where you have the cheife cause Michael which is as much as who is like God and then you have the adjunct he is the Archangell that is a cheife among the Angels therefore it cannot be meant say some of Christ because Christ is expresly distinguished from him 1. Thes. 4 6. Now what this dispute is where the Apostle had it it is hard to say but that there was such a thing done is plaine The matter of the strife was Moses dead on mount Nebo Deut. 34 6. which is added either by Samuel Joshua or Esdras Some make this to be the bodie of Christ and therefore called Moses his because he prophesied of it very likely the dispute was that it should not be buried to occasion idolatry the Archangel rails not on him but leaves him to God Now Deut. 3 44. where it is said the Lord buried him that is to be understood by the meanes of the Archangell and no man knew his buriall that divine honour might not be given him and the Devill might say how fit it was such a man should be solemnly buried The sixt What is meant by the voyce of an Angell 1. Thes. 4. 15. where the Apostle discribes the great and glorious coming of Christ to judgement from some circumstancies which commend his power and majestie the Lord himselfe shall come downe in his onwne person with a shout 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that voyce which marriners and souldiers use when they call one another to put to their strength so that it is no more then a great command of God that all be ready Math. 25. like that there was a voyce behold the bridegroom comes or like that Joh. 5. all that are in their graves shall hear his voice Soe it shall be the instrument to raise them up as it was Lazarus for this may be compared with Matth. 24. the voyce and the trump of God are all one that is a great noise expressed by this metaphor so that it should go to all in their graves The 7th Whether they have any efficacie in our conversion Though they be sent 1. Heb. for ihe salvation of those that beleeve yet they have no efficacious power on the heart of man for it is God onely that can turne the heart and therefore it is a wicked opinion of some who give God no more efficacie in moving the heart to conversion then good Angels have which can be but by perswasion it is true in the Scriptures you may read of their admonishing and comforting so an Angell comforteth Elias and Christ himselfe as he was man Joseph was admonished in a dreame but then you must know this was a sensible appearance or like it viz. in dreames But now you may read of the Deuill tempting in Scripture Judas and David without such a way the change of our hearts is to be ascribed to God The eight whether the Angels neede Christ as a mediator Some say no they never sinned and therefore need not a mediator to reconcile them to God 1. Tim. 2 5. Heb. 2 16. A mediatour is where two parties doe disagree As for that place say they Ephes. 1 22. He hath reconciled all things in heaven and earth some doe meane by those things in heaven the soules of those departed the Greeke word signifieth briefly to recollect the things which were more largely spoken and so a sweete consent of all things together as by sinne God was angrie with us so were the Angels for they hated whom God hated but by his death it is otherwise But though Angels needed not such a reconciliation as supposeth a breach
of peace yet they needed such a one as consists in the continuance of that peace which they had before The Lord hath now so fully reaveled himselfe and his excellencies vnto them and his love and favour the necessitie of their being obedient that they cannot but continue to obey and serve him they were not so farre inlightened and sanctified at the first creation but that thē in respect of themselves there was a possibilitie of sinning as well as of theirs that did sinne but now they are so confirmed by the cleare sight they have of God that they cannot be willing to sinne against him The Angels which abode in the truth are called good Angels not onely in respect of the righteousnesse which God bestowed upon them at their creation but also in respect of the obedience which they performed and their confirmation in that good estate The causes why they abode still in the truth are the firme and unchangeable decree of God 1. Tim. 5 21. his free grace Phil. 2 13. wherewith they were holpen and their owne free choise of will cleaving firmely unto God The ninth and last question concerning Angels is How can they be happy in enjoying Gods face and yet be on the earth Matth. 18 10. By heaven there is not meant the place but their heavenly estate and condition now though thy goe up and downe doing service yet this hinders not their happinesse for they doe not this with distraction and these things are appointed as meanes for the end viz. enjoying of God and as the soule is not hindred in its happinesse by desiring the bodie againe so it is here 1. Wee should imitate the Angels 2. It shewes us how much wee are beholding to Christ no Angels could love us if it were not for him How much are we to love God who hath provided helps for man especially Christ who tooke our nature upon him not that of Angels Gods Angels are our Angels to defend and keep us God hath committed the care of us to these ministring Spirits 3. It shewes the wofull condition of the impenitent when Christ shall come with all these Angels when those great shoutes shall bee come thou swearer drunkard how terrible will this be The more potent God is in himselfe and in his ministers the more wretched are they and the surer is their destruction 4. This confutes the Papists in three errours 1. In that they hold nine orders of Angels They are distinguished ratione objectorum et officiorum in respect of the object and massage they goe about 2. They would have them worshiped but the Angell forbad John 3. They say every one hath his good Angell to keep him so Bucan thinkes in his common places 2. The Saduces who said there was neither Angell nor Spirit Acts. 24 8. but held good Angels onely to bee good thoughts and evill Angels to be evill lusts and affections There names offices actions apparitions shew plainely that they are not bare qualities but true substances It serves for instruction 1. To see the blindnesse erroneousnes of mankind in that a great number of men of learning and wit and parts good enough and that such as lived in the Church and acnowledged the five bookes of Moses to be divine should yet make a shift to winke so hard as to mainaine that there were no Angels What falsehood may not the Devill make a man entertaine and defend and yet seeme not to denie the Authoritie of Scripture If a man confessing Moses writings to be true will yet denie that there be either Spirits or Angels which are things so plainely revealed by Moses that a man would account it impossible to receive his writings and not confesse them But if God leave man to the Deuill his owne witte he wil make him the verier foole because of his wit he will erre so much the more palpably by how much he seems better armed against errour euen as a mans owne weapon beaten to his head by a farr stronger arme will make a deepe wound in him Se wee our aptnesse to run into and maintaine false opinions and let us not trust in our owne wittes but suspect our selves and seeke to God for direction Secondly Let us learne humilitie from this and by comparing our selves with these excellent Spirits learne to know how meane we be that we may be also meane in our owne esteeme So long as a man compares himselfe with those things and persons which are baser then himselfe he is prone to lift up himselfe in his owne conceit and to thinke highly of himselfe but when he doth weigh himselfe in the ballance with his betters he begins to know his owne lightnesse The Lord hath set us men in the midst as it were betwixt the bruite beasts and the celestiall Spirits we doe so farr exceed them as the Angels exceede us as for bodily gifts the beasts in many things goe beyond us some are more strong swift have more excellent sight smell then wee but in few things doe we equall the Angels They are swifter and stronger then we and their excellēt reason goes beyond ours in a manner as the understanding which is in us excelleth the fancie of the beasts they know a thousand things more then we doe or can know One Angell can doe more then all men can speake more languages repeate more histories in a word can performe all acts of invention and judgement and memorie farre beyond us Thirdly Since God hath made Angels to serve and attend him should not we that are farre Inferiour to them be content also to serve him yea exceeding glad and thankfull that he will vouchsafe to admit us into his service Doth he need our service that is served with such ministers and messengers Let us frame our selves to obedience and doe Gods will on earth with all readinesse and cherefulnesse seeing there is soe great store of more worthy persons in heaven that doe it An Angell will not esteeme any worke too difficult or base why should wee Fourthly The Angels which waite about the throne of God are glorious therefore the Lord himselfe must needs excell in glorie Esa. 6 1 2. Ezek. 1 28. Of the Devils or evill Angells The Angels which persisted in the truth are called good Angels Luke 9 26. but those which revolted and kept not the law were called evill Angels or evill Spirits Angels of darknesse Luke 8 20. and 19 42. and Angels absolutely 1 Cor. 6. because they were so created of the Lord. In respect of their nature they are called Spirits 1. King 22 21. Matth. 18 16. Luke 10 20. In respect of their fall they are called evill Spirits 1. Sam. 18 10. Luke 8 2. uncleane Spirits Matth. 10 1. Zach. 13 2. not so much because of their instigation to lust as because their natures are defiled with sinne lying Spirits 1. King 22 22. John 8 44. Devils Levit. 17
signe that there is no difference betweene them but that the second is added to insinuate the perfection of the image There is a four-fold image or likenesse 1. Where there is a likenesse with an absolute agreement in the same nature and so the Son of God is called the expresse image of the Father 2. By participation of some universall common nature so a man and beast are like in the common nature of animality 3. By proportion onely as when we say the Governor of a Common-wealth and the Pilot of a ship are like 4. By agreement of order when one thing is a patterne or exemplar and the other thing is made after it now when man is said to be like God it is meant in those two last waies Christ was the essential image of God Mans was imago repraesentantis aliter imago imperatoris in nummo aliter in filio Augustine The Image of God in which man was cteated is the conformity of man unto God 1. In his soule 2. In his body for his soule 3. In the whole person for the union of both The soule of a man is conformable to God in respect of its nature faculties and habits 1. In respect of its nature essence or being as it is a spirituall and immortall substance The Scripture witnesseth 1. that the soule of man is a spirit Matth. 27. 20. Acts 7. 59 2. That it is immortall 1. Because it cannot bee destroyed by any second cause Matth. 10. 28. 2. Being served from the bodie it subsists by it selfe and goes to God Eccles. 12. 7. Luke 16. 22. 3. Because it is a simple and immateriall substance not depending on matter the minde workes the better the more it is abstracted from the body when it is asleep or dying 4. Because it transcends all terrene and mortall things and with a wonderful quicknesse searcheth after heavenly divine and eternall things There is an invincible argument for the thing secretly imprinted in the instinct and conscience of the soule it selfe Because it is every good mans hope that it shall be so and wicked mans feare 5. The foode of the soule is immortall 1 Pet. 1. 23. the evident promises of eternall life prove the soule to be immortall He that beleeveth in me hath eternall life and to day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise Nothing can satisfie the soule but God 6. Man is capable of vertue and vice of immortall desires and affections 7. The soules of Adam and Eve were not made of any matter but came by immediate creation in whom God gave a specimen what he would perpetually doe with other men That is but a Cavill that Solomon Eccles. 12. 7. speakes only of our first Parents Children are called the fruit of their Parents body to note that that they are only fathers of their flesh they have another namely God which is Father of their Spirits Saint Paul teacheth it Heb. 12. 9. and the use of it And this checks their opinion who will have soules propagated no lesse then bodies Many collect the immortality of the soule and salvation of Jobs children because they were not doubled as the rest of his estate was 2. The soule of man is conformable to God in respect of its faculties in its understanding will and memory is like the Trinity 3. In the qualities graces and admirable endowments of it In the understanding there was 1. An exact knowledg of God and all Divine things Coloss. 3. 10. knowledg is a principall part of Gods image by reason hee was enabled to conceive of things spirituall and universall 2. A perfect knowledge of all inferiour things Adam knew Eve and imposed names on the creatures sutable to their natures He had most exquisite prudence in the practicall part of his understanding in all doubtfull cases Hee knew what was to be done 2. In the will there was holinesse Ephes. 4. 24. 3. His affections were under the power of grace From this image did necessarily follow peace with God fellowship and union He knew God to be his Creator and to love him in all good things he enjoyed God and tasted his sweetness Mans body also after a sort is an image of Divine perfection Observe 1. The Majesticall forme of it of which the Heathens tooke notice but the structure of the bodie a man should be taught to contemn the earth which his feete tread upon and to set his heart upon heaven whether his eyes naturally tend 2. Gods artifice in it Psal. 139. 15. Thou hast curiously wrougâ—â— me and I was wonderfully made Materiam superabat opus Of the basest matter dust God made the noblest creature 3. The serviceablenesse of every part for its end and use 4. There is matter of humiliation because it was made of the dust Gen. 3 19. Job 14. 18 10. and 5 15. The Greek name makes man proud cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bids him aspire looke up but the Hebrew and Latine humble him bids him stoop looke downe Adams bodie was mortall conditionally if he had not eaten of the tree there could be noe outward cause of his death for Gods protection kept that off nor noe in ward cause because originall righteousnesse was in his soule and for old age and weaknesse the tree of life would have preserved him from that 3. The whole person consisting both of soule and bodie was conformable to God in respect of his felicitie and dominion over the creatures Gen. 1. 26 28. The image of God doth not principally consist in this but secondarily therefore though the man and woman were created perfectly after Gods image in other respects yet in this respect the woman had not the image of God as the Apostle sheweth The power which Adam had over the creatures was not absolute and direct that God reserved to himselfe but it was for Adams use then the stoutest and fiercest beasts would be ruled by Adam this dominion since the fal is lost for a great part of our rebellion against God the creatures rebellion should mind us of ours we may see somtimes a little child driving before him 100. oxen or kine this or that way as he pleaseth for the infusing of the soul the time when it was infused it is most probable that the body was first made as the organe or instrument and then the soule put into it as God did make heaven and earth before man was made God did not create all the soules of men at once but he creates them daily as they are infused into the bodie There are these two Questions to be resolved 1. Whether immortalitie was naturall to Adam 2. Whether originall righteousnesse was naturall to Adam For the first A thing is immortall foure wayes 1. Absolutly soe that their is no inward or outward cause of mortalitie 1. Tim. 6. soe God onely 2. when it is not soe by nature but immortalitie is a perfection voluntarily put into the
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
region of the aire is cold in respect of the two other because it cannot follow the motions of the Heavens as the upper region doth being hindered by the tops of mountains 2. being free from the reflex beames of the Sun by which the lower region of the aire is made hot The Aire is most thin without light or colour but apt to receive heate light and cold heavier then the fire lighter then the earth or water placed in the midst of them fit for breathing seeing smelling and moving This Element also leades us to God For 1. It tâ—uly and really subsisteth though it be not seene So also the Lord the maker of it hath a reall but invisible existence 2. It is every where within and without us so is God every where present 3. It is the preserver of my life and we may say of it truly as the Apostle of God himselfe in it under God we live move and have our being 4. Fire which is some say to be understood in light an adjunct and quality of it Scaliger would prove a fiery Element because fire tends thither First God made the Elements of the earth and water which in Geography make one globe Others say light neither is that Element nor proceedes from it but the Sun however I shall handle it here among the workes of the first day Without light Gods other works could not have been discovered by men Light is an excellent worke of God tending to manifest his excellency to men it is a comfortable thing to behold the light Psalm 104. 2. Who coverest thy selfe with light as with a garment that is createdst the light thereby shewing his excellencie as a man doth by making and wearing a rich and glorious suite of cloths hee made and doth maintaine the light in its perfection God expresseth his greatnesse above Job in that hee could not make light nor knew not what it was q. d. Job thou art a meane Creature thou dost not create nor order the light neither dost thou know the nature and working of it The greatnesse of this worke appeares principally by two considerations 1. The hidden abstruse and difficult nature of it Philosophers cannot tell what to say of it whether it be a substance or accident and if a substance whether corporeall or incorporeall and spirituall it is a quality say they which makes other things visible that is the effect of it This word light in English signifieth both that which the Latines call lux and that which they call lumen which yet are two distinct things The first being in the Sunnâ— or Moone properly the second in the Aire and an effect of the other Some thinke that it is a substance one of the simple substances which they call Elements of which compounded substances are made by mixing them together and is nothing but the Element of fire which Philosophers speake of being more subtill then the Aire And as the water compassed the earth and the aire the water so did light the aire and was far greater then the aire as that was then the water and earth so as this is the highest of all the Elements 2. It is very usefull needfull and beneficiall For first it carrieth heate in it and conveigheth heate and the coâ—lestiall influences unto all other things 2. It distinguisheth day and night each from other without it what were the world but a dungeon 3. It is exceeding necessary for the dispatch of all businesse 4. To make the beautifull workes of God visible Heaven and Earth and dissipate those sad thoughts and sorrowes which the darknesse both begetteth and maintaineth 1. We cannot see light without light nor know God without his teaching 2. This serves to condemne our selves which cannot see God in this light though we see it with content and lament this blindnesse When the day begins to peepe in at your windowes let God come into your thoughts hee comes clothed thus attired tell your selves how beautiful excellent he is 3. It may exhort us to labour to raise up our hearts to God in hearty thankfulnesse for the light how mercifull and gracious art thou who givest me light and the sight of it take heed of abusing it to sinne and thy eyes whereby thou discernest it especially magnifie God that giveth you spirituall light and sight Christ is the light of the world naturall darknesse is terrible light comfortable what is spirituall Light is so pure faire and cleare that nothing can pollute it a resemblance of Gods infinite purity The creation of day and night and the distinction and vicissitude of both is the last thing in the first dayes work Day is the presence of light in one halfe of the world and night the absence of it in the other So that the dispute whether day or night were first seems superfluous seeing they must needes be both together for at what time the light is in one halfe of the world it must needes bee absent from the other and contrarily for all darknesse is not night nor all light day but darkness distinguished from light that is night light distinguished from darknesse that is day unlesse we wil take day for the naturall not the artificiall day that is the space of 24. houres in which the Sun accomplisheth hiâ— diurnall motion about the Earth Darknesse is nothing but the absence of light Night is the space of time in every place when the light is absent from them Day is the space of time in every place when the light is present with them it is not simply the presence of light but presence of light in one halfe of the world when the other is destitute of it and Night is not simply the absence of light but the absence of it from one halfe of the world when the other halfe enjoyeth it God made the Sun the chiefe instrument of continuing the course of day and night forever by its diurnall and constant motion This is a wonderfull worke of God and to be admired The Scripture notes it the day is thine and the night also is thine saith the Psalmist the ordinances of day and night cannot be changed The greatnesse of this worke appeareth in the cause of it the beneficiall effects First for the cause it is the incredibly swift motion of the Sunne which goeth round about the world in the space of 24. houres that is the space of 60. miles every houre in the earth but how many thousand 60. miles in its own circle or circumference for the Earth is a very small thing compared to the Sun The bodie of the Sunne is 166. times as it is thought greater then the Earth therefore the circumference that it goes must needs be at least so much larger then the compasse of the Earth therefore its course must needs be at least so much larger then the compasse of the Earth therefore its course
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