the sweet and all friends shall destroy one another then shall wit hide it self and understanding withdraw it self into his secret Chamber 10. And shall be sought of many and yet not be found then shall unrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied on earth 11. One Land also shall ask another and say Is Righteousness that maketh a man righteous gone through thee And it shall say No. 12. At the same time men shall hope but nothing obtain they shall labour but their waies shall not prosper And these are partly general signes and partly particular which God foretels shall come to pass afore he shall again gather together Israel and render to the Inhabitants of the earth according to their waies All which signes without doubt have been abundantly enough fulfilled The Inhabitants of the earth have heaped up to themselves much Revenue great Treasures of Silver and Gold mean while no Faith no Truth can be found among men That Countrey in which Esdras then lived when this Vision happened unto him to wit the Land of Babylon from that time it became desolate in divers places now upon a sudden the light hath shone forth by night as if it had been day and by day such clowâ—ings of the Light of the Sun hath suddenly risen that the Moon hath thrice in the day presented it self conspicuous and with its brightness hath supplied the defect of the Sun In divers places now a few Weekes since in Poland Bloud was seen to drop from wood and to rain from Heaven Yea also a Stone seemed to utter a voyce as often as certain voices divinely articulated to strike a terrour into men were heard as proceeding out of the stones of a Wall the credit of which thing is asserted among Historians As for the Commotions and Insurrections of peoples whereby new Lord-Rulers have come unexpected upon the Inhabitants of the Earth how frequently hath that happened and to this day happeneth Who shall declare how often the Fowles of Heaven have transported themselves to other haunts because of warlike commotions That which is said of the Sodomitish Sea without doubt hath long since been fulfilled Especially this our most fruitful Age is most frequently famed for horrid Earthquakes sudden Conflagrations as afore mentioned the flight of wild Beasts from place to place abortive Births both corporal and spiritual and horrid Monsters As for Waters and Friends how often canst thou find sweet waters in Salt Friends contending against Friends post-poning the League of amity behind the present Interest Which being so the Prophet justly subjoyneth that then Wit shall hide it self and understanding withdraw it self into its secret Chamber and shâ—â—â— be sought of many and yet not be found then shall unrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied on earth And that he that will seek righteousness though he run from Land to Land from the River to the Sea from one quarter of Heaven to the other yet shall he find none For where now can be found the true knowledge of God and the genuine understanding of the Sâ—cred Scriptures How many have sought it with all their strength and yet have not found it When ever was iniquity more abounding so that it possesseth and fils all Courts Temples and Cloysters So that as concerning the Righteousness which justifies i. e. truly renders men just before God there is no more of it perceived at this day than as if it had never been in the world Finally when ever was seen on earth more vain hope in men and frustraneous labour Behold then seeing all these signes are fulfilled what else may be inferred but that the receiving and restauration of the Jews and the visitation of the Inhabitants of the earth conjoyned to it whereby God will render to them according to their works are at hand If thou defirest yet nearer signes whereby thou maiest be instructed more fully concerning that precious time wherein the Omnipotent God will begin to draw near to visit the Inhabitants of the earth and put an end to the dispersion of the Jews and the humiliation of Sion see in the same Book chap. 6. Where thou wilt find the God of Esdras thus speaking v. 20. And when the world that shall begin to vanish away shall be finished or sealed then will I shew these takens The books shall be opened before the Firmament and they shall see altogether 21. And the children of an year old shall speak with their voyces and the women with child shall bring forth unâ—imely children of thret or four moneths old and they shall live and be raised up 22. And suddenly shall the sown places appear unsown the full storehouses shall suddenly be found empty 23. And the TRUMPET shall give a sound which when every man heareth they shall be suddenly afraid 24. At that time friends shall fight one against another like enemies and the earth shall stand in fear with those that dwell therein the springs of the Fountaines shall stand still and in three houres they shall not run 25. Whosoever remaineth from all these I have told thee shall escape and see my salvation and the end of the world Behold concerning these signes I cannot â—ay they are all aâ—ready fulfilled Albeit of some of them I am confident their beginnings â—e now conspicuous as 1. That of the Books opened before the face of all peoples under the Firmament viz. in the Bookes of mans Conscience which hither to have been as it were locked up and sealed by Superstitions and Traditions of men and Worships imposed with violent force although by them notwithstanding all men at length are to be judged These Books I say are begun to be opened before the face of the Firmament so that all men universally shall look into them and read them and upon their insight and reading of them they shall be astonished and humbled Even as that good King Josias when the Book of the Law sometime lost was found again and read before him 2 King 22. For the time cometh wherein the work of the Law as written by the hand of God in the hearts of men shall be clearly laid open and that by that saving Grace which now begins to shine forth to all men As to the Second concerning children of a year old speaking if that be understood of simple speaking we have often seen it in our Age Even as thirdly That also that sown places are suddenly unsowâ— and full sterehouses are suddenly found empty But as to that that the women with child shall bring forth abortives of 3 or 4 moneths old which shall remain alive and be educated and that â— TRUMPET shall sound to be heard over the universal world to the terrifying of all the Inhanitants of the earth and that last earthquake whereby the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 shall for 3 hour as be stoâ—â—â—ed hath come to pass this I cannot affirm But these signes I judge shall be as the last labour and travel of this present world to produce and bring
arise and might manifest himself Which thing is intimated by Moses when he saith V. 15. That they may be in the Expansion of Heaven to enlighten the earth i. e. To give a discerning of things to be done on earth For as for what concernes the external Light of the day that the Sun solely supplies to us and for what concernes the Light of the night the Moon alone would be sufficient if nothing else were to be desired But there ought to be more light present with us than that whereby one man by sight discernes another one Animal another and body from body may be distinguished To the end it may be well with man on earth and the whole Orb of the world below may subsist it behoves that there be a certain other sort of Light which descendeth also from on high and is nourished from above to wit a Rational Light of discerning and clearness of understanding from whence divers Arts Sciences Negotiations and Governments as well Ecclesiastical as secular are invented and polished to perfection And that Light is called in the School of Wise men Sideral or Astrary because it depends upon those Stars of which Moses affirms that they were therefore constituted in the Expansion of Heaven that they may enlighten the world And forasâ—uch as this light exists first in the Heâ—vens viz. in the stars and Pranets before it shines on earth and is there manifested what wonder if any man discernes the tokens and preludes of those things which are imminent to come to pass on earth by the constitution of the Heavens so as he be endued with sufficient understanding even as we see in a prudent and skilful Physiognomist how be is able oft-times to deâ—ermine and foresee what a man carries in his breast or will befâ—ll him by his Eyes Counâ—enance and Lineaments But some man may say Obj. If the stars are constituted so to illuminate the world how is it that Moses so vehemently dehorteâ—h the people from them when he saith * Deut. 4.19 20. Take heed lest thou lift up thine eyes to Heaven and when thou seest the Sun and the Moon and the Stars even all the Host of Heaven shouldest be driven to worship them and serve them Which the Lord thy God hath IMPARTED unto ALL NATIONS under the whole Heaven But the Lord hath taken you and brought you forth out of the Iron Furnace even out of Egypt to be unto him a people of Inheritance Answ c. We answer that by this very Text it is clearly evinced that this observation of the Stars is good in it self and the gift of God For unless it were in it self good and laudable how could it be said as it is expresly here said by Moses That the Lord thy God hath IMPARTED these to ALL THE NATIONS under the whole Heaven Can it be said indeed that God imparts any evil And that to all Peoples under the whole Heaven But I will declare as the very thing is whoever he be that is obliged to a better and higher matter he presently slips and prevaricates as oft as he lets down himself to that which is lower Forasmuch therefore as the most bountiful God hath revealed himself more clearly and nearly to this people than to any other speaking to them out of the midst of the fire and singularly given them holy Laws and Institutions as he had not done to any other people it became them likewise to order their lives not according to the manner of other peoples who had not received these Lawes but according to the mode which God of his special grace had taken care should be declared to them whereby an Access for them unto God himself was in all cases prepared so as they might be perfectly instructed by him Otherwise they would have held it necessary to consult the Sun Moon or Stars for events counsels and direction Besides the thing from which Moses so vehemently dehorteth the Israelitish people is not that they attended to the course of the Sun Moon and Stars and contemplated the work of Divine Providence in the Heaven But only they should not suffer themselves to be driven by them in bowing before them to worship them for Gods as was wont to be done among the Gentiles who attributing to the Stars and Planets names of Gods they erected to them Statues and Temples and gave them the worship of Gods And this they did with so great fervency of zeal that when after a time by the light of the Gospel the fraud of Satan begâ—n to be detected these peoples by the Faith of Chrut being accused of Idolatry were soon set on fire into a huge madness From whence also those cruel persecutions derived their occasion But if the Gentiles had not abused these cesestial Creatures unto evil If they had suffered themselves to be led as by the hand unto God by these works of God as we may see it in Job and his Friends and as is still on record to memory in the Jews Historicals the like thing of the sons of Seth in the former world and of Noah Abraham and Melchisedech in the â—â—â—er and present world before the Law was given And of Moses Daniel Shadrach Meshech and Abednego under the Law of whom it is written * Act. 7.22 〈◊〉 1.4 that Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians c. As also of the Magi living out of the Law and without the Law * 〈◊〉 legem sine lâ—â—â— de gentious If I say they had not bowed themselves before the Host of Heaven but by this thing they had learned to bow the knee before God the Creator of all things worshipping not the Signes of future things which he hath set before us but the hand it self that put them viz. the Counsel and wisdom of the Oâ—nipotent God verily they had not sinned and it would have been far from them to persecute any man who should attempt to bring them nearer unto God I conclude therefore that from this dehortation of Moses Deut. 4.19 20. it cannot be concluded that these celestial Signes ought not to be observed and attended unto but only that we ought not too much to adhere to them either to bow down to them or to worship them or because of them to neglect that which is better and nearer as it happened oft in Israel through the seducements of the world and of the Prince of the world Consult Jer. 7.18 and thou shalt see how the Lord shewed to his Prophet what was prepared in the Cities of Judah and streets of Jerusalem viz. The Children gather wood and the Fathers kindle the fire and the women knead the dough to make Cakes to the QUEEN of Heaven Melechet that is to the Host of Heaven and to poure out Drink-Offerings unto other Gods Yea see in Jer. 44.17 18. How as well the men as the women of Judah did backslide to that degree of Idolatry that they brake forth
into these words But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouth to burn Incense to the QUEEN of Heaven and to pour out drink offerings unto HER as we have done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem for then had we plenty of victuals and were well and saw no evil So that by MELECHET or the Queen of Heaven they understood no other thing but the Host of the Stars And therefore that the thing which the Lord blames in Israel is not that they gave heed to the Host of Heaven but that they drew them into abuse and Idolatry doth manifestly appear by those things we read in Jer. 8.1 2. Behold that which in the former Chapter he had expressed by the Name of the Queen of Heaven that very same here he calleth the Host of Heaven and that which he threatens severely to punish in them is not that they did heedfully consider the Signes of Heaven but that they worshipped them and bowed themselves unto them as unto their Gods There is furthermore another thing wherein the Israelites here greatly sinned That to wit in imitation of the Heathen they were too much afraid of those Signes of Heaven as if there was not in being a superior power on which both they and all the Host of Heaven did depend and as if those things which were there prefigured ought alwaies necessarily to attain their affect ☞ In which resâ—ect the Lord in that manner speakes to them by his Prophet Jer. 10.2 Learn not the way of the Heathen and be not dismayed at the Signes of Heaven for the Heathen are dismayed at them As if he should say I have set before the Heathen which hâ—ve not known me signes in He ven as meanes leading unto me because they have not known any other way and have not received any other Law But THOU my people ISRAEL who hast learned to know me more nearly and from me hast received the Law out of the midst of the fire which excels all other Laws return not thou unto the way of the Heathen but learn thou well the way shewn unto thee in my Law and there shall be no cause that thou shouldest be afraid of the signes of Heaven Isa 44.24 25. For as it is written I am he which have created the heavens and have bound my self to thee in an everlasting and indissolvable Covenant I am JEHOVAH making all things extending the heavens alone spreading abroad the earth by my power that frustrateth the tokens of the Lyars and maketh the Diviners mad that turneth the wise men backward and maketh their knowledge foolish Be ye only obedient unto me walk faithfully in my Wayes and nothing of those things is to be feared by you of which the Heathen are afraid But that we may come nearer to the MATTER If this were true that nothing of truth and certainty could be gathered from the celestial Signes and therefore it were prohibited to attend unto them tell me I pray thee For whom or what ends are those Signes in the Sun Moon and Stars made To what purpose To what use Why are not only the Jewes in the Old Testament * Joel 2.30 3.15 but Christians also in the New * Mat. 24.29 Mar. 13.24 Luk. 21.25 precisely sent to them as we shall hear more largely afterwards Therefore from the S. Scriptures I conclude that those signes conspicuous in the Heavens especially in these last timeâ— do necessarily portend something and therefore of right they are ceseâ—veâ—ly and diligently to be observed But some may object Suppose that Signes are given in Heaven Obj. of those things which shall come to pass on earth or ought to come to pass what doth this heâ—p me if I want a requisite wisdom to understand them as having no true and undoubted rules by which I may be able to judge of those Signes Doth not the Almighâ—y and most exceâ—ent God accuse Job of his Ignorance even in this very business of the predominion of the stars on us inhabitants of the earth asking him by way of opprobry Hast thou known the order of Heaven wilt thou set the dominion thereof on the earth As if he had said Thou knowest that thou hast no knowleâ—ge of this thing and that thou canst do nothing in this matter Job 38.33 And doth not Solomon Prov. 25.3 speâ—k concerning the heavens above us and the earth beneath us and the hearts of Kings that those three are unsearchable How then shall any man dare to attempt wiâ—hout the Note of the greatest presumption so to search out those things which are in the Heavens as thence to pick out what shall come to pas in the world And do we not see many yea of the excellentest Mâ—sters of Astrology greatly to be deceived as for example That most famous Albumazar of whom we read in his Writings he foresaw by the stars that Christian Religion should not continue beyond 1400 â—ears from after its first beâ—innings whereas to now since Christs Birth we accompt 1662 years Which term exceeds Albumazars Calculation more than 200 years *** And there have been afore 142 years since certain Astrologers which from that great Conjunction of ♄ Saturn ♃ Jupiter and ♂ Mars in Aquarius which happened in the year of Christ 1524 struck a great terrour into men concerning some imminent great Deluge though not universal so that many provided themselves of ships by which after the manner in Noahs Floud they might save themselves from the Waters whereas no such thing at all followed thereupon Many more of the like Errours might be produced Orig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ but let these suffice We answer If this be granted that those things which are seen in the Heavens are truly Signes and Preludes of those things which shall come to pass on earth and for the understanding of them there is need of certain and undoubted Rules and Precepts to discern all things aright Yet that remaineth firm and irtefragable that we are bound to attend to those signes and to apply our minds as much as in us is to those premonitions set forth in the Heavens instantly to pray for and expect in faith greater wisdom and understanding as they have done who ever at tained to any certainty in this Science And moreover to set before our eyes those general Rules which have been delivered to us by the more skilful in this Art For albeit those precepts partly by the multiplicity and subtilty of them and partly by the prevalency of a certain superiour cause which can invert and make void all these things are not alwaies found firm and undoubted yet if we seek of God our certainty he can equally in these as in other businesses and Sciences of the world which considered in themselves are also full of uncertainty establish our hearts and lead us into all certainty of truth and give to