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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	world_n	write_v	year_n	1,737	5	4.5984	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62084	The book of nature translated and epitomiz'd. By George Sikes.	Sikes, George.	1667 (1667)	Wing S6322B; ESTC R220778	50,008	113

THE BOOK OF NATURE Translated and Epitomiz'd Psal. 19. 1 6. Rom. 1. 19 20. By GEORGE SIKES Printed in the yeer 1667. CHAP. I. Four degrees of created beings THere are four generall degrees of creatures by which as four distinct rounds in the ladder of created nature man may ascend to the right knowledg of himself and of God There was no other generall and visible book for mankind to read the mind of God in and their duty towards him for the first 2513. yeers of the world Then began the book of the holy Scriptures to be written by Moses which was finished by John about the yeer 4100. The former volume of it was peculiarly committed to the jews To them perteined the giving of the law the service of God and the promises Other nations took little notice of it till the promised Messiah came in the flesh and brake down the middle wall of partition between them and the jews on which the holy Oracles became common to all the world But this book though it do more perfectly excellently and fully declare the mind of God as to the duty and concerns of man then the book of nature yet doth it no wayes rescind obliterate or invalidate it That book is yet in being and doth by the various voices and lines thereof administer the same significant instruction unto man as from the beginning And hereof is he obliged to take notice even by the Scriptures of truth as may appear by the two places thereof quoted in the title-page with others which for brevity I refer to the reader's enquiry 1. The first generall degree or lowest rank of creatures comprehend's all those things that have being only not life sense or understanding 2. The 2 d comprehend's all such things as have being and life only not sense nor understanding 3. The third comprehend's all those creatures that have being life and sense but not reason or understanding 4. The fourth comprehend's only those creatures that have being life sense and understanding with free-will which are rationall and intellectuall powers In the lowest round of this ladder the first degree of created beings we find more various species or kinds as also more individualls then in the second in the second more then in the third in the third more then in the fourth There is but one species or nature at all in the fourth to wit humane and not so many individuals as in any of the former trhee 1. In the first degree we find abundance of distinct species or natures of things one above another in dignity the four elements all inanimate compounds the visible heavens with the furniture thereof Sun Moon and Stars Water excells the earth and is scituated above it Air excells water in dignity and scituation Fire excells air The celestial orbes with their furniture excell them all The glory of the celestial bodies it one the glory of the terrestrial another There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon another of the Stars And one Star differeth from or excelleth another Star in glory There are also many kinds or species of metalls and mineralls generated under the earth very different in worth and excellency as Gold Silver copper tinn ledd brimstone alume c. There are also divers sorts of precious stones different in worth as Diamonds Rubies Saphirs and the rest amongst which the Diamond has the pre-eminence Many other kinds of things there are in the first degree of different natures from each other together with all sorts of artificiall things which agree in this that they have being only not life sense nor understanding 2. In the second degree are all trees and plants or herbs Of both sorts there are many species distinguish'd from and surmounting one another in their different properties qualities and usefulness They draw nourishment from the earth whereby they do grow bring forth fruit and seed for the use of man as also for the multiplying of themselvs 3. In the third degree are conteined all variety of creatures that have being life and sense but not reason Sense here is comprehensive of whatsoever is found in meer animals birds beasts fishes and creeping things over and beyond what is to be found in any things of the second rank to wit plants and trees 4. In the fourth round of nature's ladder we find but one species or nature only man 's In man is summ'd up and put together whatever is found in the other three degrees to wit being life and sense advanc'd into a union with reason or understanding and free-will This nature is lord of the other three and ought to own no other lord over it but God himself These four degrees of things well considered of which there can be no doubt as being evident unto the common reason and experience of mankind we may by duly comparing and observing of them as to their agreements with or differences from each other gain great instruction as to our duty towards God and advantages therein both temporall and eternall Chap. 2. Section I. The generall agreement that is found in the constitution of man with other creatures THe agreement or similitude man hath with the three inferiour sorts of creatures is twofold general and special So also is his difference from them or excellency above them generall and special His general agrement is this 1. He has being with elements Sun Moon Stars and all inanimate compounds His body is compounded of nourished and mainteined by the elements and products thereof as other things are He dwells and lives in and by them every moment 2. He has life with trees and plants They live are nourish'd grow encrease and multiply by propagation of their like The herb yeeldeth seed and the fruit-tree yeeldeth fruit after his kind whose seed is in itself Gen. 1. 11. 3. In harmony or agrement with things of the third degree birds beasts fishes and every thing that creepeth upon the earth he has outward senses seing hearing c. He has also all the inward senses powers or faculties of animalish life He has the attractive retentive digestive and expulsive powers in order to growth nourishment and generation He sees hear's smell 's tast's sleep's wake 's eates drink 's c. as they do No degree then of created being is wanting in the composition of every individual man He ha's being with all inanimate parts of the creation life with herbs and trees sense with beasts reason with angels He is the only true microcosm or little world in whose nature and constitution is put together al the variety of nature that 's to be found in the whole creation SECT II. The fruit or profit that 's to be reaped from this general agrement of man with all inferiour creatures FRom this general view and comparison of himself with all inferiour creatures may man argue and certainly conclude that there is some invisible lord over him who gave to all inferiour things what they have and

thereof was a satisfaction to divine justice for the sins of men infinitely beyond what the voluntary surrender of life by al creatures in their full purity would have amounted unto Such a man as was also God could and did by the death of his manhood overcome him that had the power of death the devil Heb. 2. 14. And having spoiled those principalities and powers of darkness the devil and his angels he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it Col. 2. 15. He will also cause his followers from among men to triumph over them also to trample them under their feet as Josua or Iesus Act. 7. 45. Heb. 4. 8. the type of Christ caused the captains of the men of war to put their feet upon the necks of the five Kings Jos. 10 23. 24. He does by regeneration put a spirit into them greater then he that 's in the world the devil 1 Jo. 4. 4. a spirit which that wicked one cannot touch deprave corrupt or assimilate unto himself a spirit that cannot touch or put forth its hand unto sin He or that which is born of God sinneth not nor can sin 1 Jo. 3. 9. SECT IV. THus have we seen the original evils of humane and angelical nature the roots of all other evils in or to angels and men All the evil of sin or punishment incident unto both from first to last is wholly imputable to their own wilful deviations apostasies and rebellions Fallen man who was seduced by a superiour order of creatur's more subtle then himself is through the tender mercies of God declared to be in a recoverable condition and accordingly are there means afforded him by the personal suffrings and performances of Christ whereby he may be saved But being fallen and corrupted into a state quite contrary to his own nature he is usually so far from any due considering of the vileness and misery of his condition or of the dreadful vengeance of eternal fire which will certainly follow that he laugh's and rejoyces in his chains his prison-state under Satan who is a chained captive himself He glories in his shame put 's far from him the evil day laugh's at the sad stories of hel and damnation as old wives fables The heart of the Sons of men is full of evil madness is in their heart while they live and after that they go to the dead Man also knoweth not his time as fishes are taken in an evil net and birds caught in the snare so are the Sons of men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them Ecc. 9. 3. 12. By the laughing jovial frolick practice and senseless security too generally observable amongst men may it appear that man is a most foolish frantick dreamish inchanted thing not considering what he is whither he goes or what 's like to become of him for ever The folly misery and delusion wherein man securely and pleasantly walk's under the rulers of the darkness of this world who can utter For farther ●●formation herein I refer the reader to the Scriptures o● truth as beyond the reach of the book of the creatures though their line be gone out thorow all the earth and their words to the end of the world so that there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard Psal. 19. 3. 4. FINIS Page 4. line 30. trhee r. three p. 5. l. 5. it r. is p. 15. chap. 3. r. 4. So are there 20. chapters in the whole book p. 52. l. 26. slowing r. flowing