and rejected by this Generation the springing Race in after-times will rejoyce when they shall reap and gather in use and injoy the good fruit of these honest labours Wordly advancement and a flattered name is the consulted project and the fore-casted contrivement of a low debased mind unbecoming that princely spirit in a Believer which has nobler designs and higher aims If this tractate be not exact yet the subject matter is excelling the scripture-Scripture-cause of word-learning is such that he who objecteth against it doth quarrel with the Author of it who wil have a time to make such to know whose word shall stand whether this of him or that of them when it will be manifest in the hearts of such that this design is not the product of a discontented mind or of humoursome censoriosness or of a grave affection or of a splenetick windiness Vulgar Prizers are no just valuers for Scripture-Truth though all be sold for it is never bought too dear and though all the World could be had for it yet would be sold too cheap it is well worth thy dealing for whatever it cost thee Scripture-Learning has an operative influence to correct and rectifie to change and renew to reform and refine hearts and lives to affect the Soul with a due sense of its own noble excellencies and widened capacities that it may be holy and happy wise and prudent for ever to make the conscience feel the weight of present Duty and of future felicity with the kindliest tyes and strongest obligations O how excellent are the Virtues how efficacious the Powers that do flow from hence The Patrons of this Book are Christ and his Word Truth and Good Reason and Religion Scripture and Nature Spreading untruths have gotten a name of Antiquity and Reputation and popular Opinion has kept up their credit and still it doth them reverence but they are all falling before the Scriptures of Truth for rather than fail the Christian verities and the rare knowledges contained in them shall be yet further confirmed by such Miracles as are beyond the Powers of Nature and the Arts of Man The seeming impossibility of all profitable Learning in one Book will in time be removed out of the way and off from the thoughts by a sound belief of the infinite wisdom of the Author of it The true uniform voice of holy Scripture and of created Nature is with me and for me though the common votes of the mistaking world cry me down although such ill habits have been acquired through the power and energie and effascination of Philosophy as no ability or skill of man can remove yet Almightiness and All-wisdom can work Students off from it If I publish my own imperfections and proclaim my own ignorances and bewray my own follies yet let not the Reader forget that I am a pleader for the most righteous cause in the judgement of the best Law the evidence is clear for it and the sentence of approbation is already pronounced that the holy Scriptures of Truth are the best the perfect Platform of all useful Scientificks Christ is the Head-Captain of created Hosts and he will triumphingly Conquer his Truth is strong and it shall prevailingly overcome Scripture-knowledge especially in the savingness of its Science and in the Sanctifyingness of its Art doth speak enough for it self within the breast of every spiritual discerner as having an incomparable excellency in it above and beyond all other Skills and Wisdoms in the World I need not urge many arguments to convince those Readers of this great useful Truth who have felt the living power of it upon their renewed hearts for when it came there it brought in its own self evidence and left a sensible demonstration and wrote a sealed Testimonial under its own hand there I have though this also much in my aim to praise it more unto such and to press them to make some higher advance in this best Learning as being a nearer approach unto intuitive perfection in visional Glory and that which raiseth the spiritual Reason and the inlightned Faith of the Saints here below in this Intellectual World into a resemblance of Angelical Wisdom yet I say I have somewhat further in my present design which is to win upon those who are under impetuous temptations and violent assaults to be Atheists and Infidels both speculative and practical by a prevailing insinuating of this astertion if the LORD will say so too that word-Science and Scripture-Art is the Science of Sciences and the Art of Arts every way most and best corresponding to the capacities suited to the cases fitted to the necessities and promoting the felicities of rational Beings so that this discovery has its great usefulness to all even the most knowing and the most holy as for others who may be far gon in this spiritual distemper of scorning of and of scoffing at the asserted sufficiencie and fulness of the Scriptures that which they so much slight and so storm against must be the means of their cure unless they be such as will neither hear their disease nor endure a remedy but are obstinate to all healing prescriptions I take the causes of Atheism amongst many others to be as an afraidness of the convincingness and of the condemningness of the holy Precepts and righteous Judgements declared in the Scriptures and an unbelief of its glorious rewards so also this in particular ignorance of the excellency of Scripture-knowledge and although those who do fall below Religion will also sink beneath Reason too yet I am not altogether without hope but that when Jehovah Aelohim shall make his Word-light to shine forth more in its beautious glory it will allure the eyes and draw the heart inform the judgements and incline the wills of men of intellect to see and to acknowledge to adore and to admire that only wise God who has put so much into so little and has given us a pocket-Book of such absolute fulness The Antichristian party by their paper plots would blow up all belief of the sufficiency and perfection of the Scriptures as hoping that if they can once prevail with a people to be of no Religion they will then be of their Religion and the Anti-scripturarians have but too many followers in this day who if they be so bold as to assert this imperfection of the Word in the necessary matters of Salvation no marvel if they deny its conprehensiveness as to the other knowable things Arise Jehovah plead thou thine own plea and magnifie thou above All thy Name thy Word all the Kings of the Earth shall confess Thee Jehovah when they hear the words of thy mouth and they shall sing in the ways of Jehovah for great is the Glory of Jehovah In Thee Aelohim thy Saints will praise thy Word and a second and a third time they will praise thy Word this they know that thou and thy word for them Thus have I given thee Reader some accompt of
in Shops he was to be skilled in the Military-art for the charge was given to Aaron the high Priest as well as unto Moses the Superiour Magistrate to number with careful inspection according to the Hosts of the several Tribes of Israel to muster the Army and to give orders for their Incamping and Marching according to their Ranks and Bodies who were to be in the Van and who in the Reer and so for the disposal of the Battel and the manner of fighting and the giving of the exhortation to encourage the Soldiers he was to be a spiritual Nightingal for modulation an expert Musician both for Voice and for Instruments a Singer a Trumpeter a Corneter an Harper a Violist a Lutenist an Organist a Cymbalist a Psalterist he was to approve himself an Artist in Architecture to see workmanships appointed to be framed exactly according to the platform'd Ideas and work-patterns of the Tabernacle and Temple were there need more might be added How learned an Artist in conference and in arguing should a Minister of Christ be by Scripture-arguments to stop the mouths of Philosophical gainsayers sometimes deceptory affectation of Humane Wisdom doth bewray it self in opponents by being carried beyond due limits when it would be judging of such cases and things according to the ordinary course of Nature and the power of a finite Agent which are to be determined and resolved by such Principles of Theologie and of Christianity as are far above and beyond those as if the question be Whether this World were from Eternity or Whether created in time Empty and fallacious Philosophy will affirm That this World was not created in time but that it was from Eternity deceiving and being deceived by this colour and shew of carnal Reason that out of nothing can nothing be made thus it doth mis-judge because the contrary affirmation is besides the common Agency and the usual efficacy of Natural Causes but the holy Scriptures do otherwise declare rightly informing us that all these things were spoken and made into a Being which had no existence before by the Omnipotency of Jehovah the Being of beings that All-glorious Self-being only by his own powerful Word So as the things we see were not made of things that do appear Faith acted aright doth take in this discovery By the word of Jehovah or in him who is the Word Jehovah the LORD Jesus Christ the heavens were made and by the breath of his mouth or in the Spirit of him who is the Fathers mouth to his people all the host of them he commanded and they were created Aelohim saith There shall be light and there was is and will be light who was it that did help the Spirit of Jehovah or the Spirit Jehovah or as a man of his Counsel gave him knowledge silly weak Creatures cannot work without some stuff and materials they must have their tools and other instruments to further what they are about to do and to form but the Almighty One doth not need any such foregoing matter or assisting help it is not impossible that that should be which before was not though the Believer only can rightly understand this here Humane Reason must stoop and Carnal Imagination must submit to Word wisdom and to Scripture-learning which has this mysterious secret treasured up in it the meanest proficient in Christ's School has more discerning in this than the learnedest Teachers and wisest Professors in such corrupt Philosophy If the question be Whether three Persons can be one in Essence who yet are each of them distinct Subsistences in themselves and Whether one in being can be three distinct several persons humane wisdom and the vain affecters of it will return this answer That a person is a living-understanding-nature subsisting by it self a prime or singular individual subsistence which is neither said of any subject neither is in any subject and therefore some of these Philosophets have affirmed that there are multitudes of Gods Whereas the Scriptures of Truth will inform us concerning this great Mystery that there is but one God for there can be but one only Being infinite eternal unchangeable perfection it self one only to exist of himself and by himself who gives existence unto all other things these undoubted Oracles of holy Scriptures will tell us that Jehovah the adored Almightiness of his people in Father Son and holy Spirit is one Jehovah he says of himself See now that I am be and there is no God with me Who saith the Psalmist is God besides Jehovah as long as it can be said as yet ever as yet so long Jehovah and he alone and no other but himself is such We know that there is no other God but one for albeit there be that are called Gods both in Heaven and upon Earth as there be in the vain wrong conceits of men who do seign such Idol gods and as some Creatures in some cases have somewhat of this honorary Title ascribed to them so far as by their Office and Call they do or shall represent the true God There is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we for him and one LORD Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him but in all in every one this knowledge is not it is specially revealed in the Word to and in such Believers and it is one of the greatest mysterious Truths of the Christian Doctrine There is one LORD one Faith one God and Father of all He that sets up many Gods doth withal set up many Faiths for every God would be calling for peculiar Faith to be given to him and every one would be severally believing in his several God In this most simple Essence and single Being there are three truly subsisting whereof every one is another from the other There are that do witness in heaven and they are three the Father the Word and the holy Spirit and these three are one If it be queried Whether one and the same person can be two distinct Natures of different kinds and Whether two such Natures can be in one Person Empty cheating Philosophy will wrongfully state this question and mis-resolve it thus That those things which are of disparate kinds cannot be predicated of one another nor united in the same suppositum whereas true pure Religion in the written Word doth give us to know that two distinct Natures as the Deity or Godhead and the Humanity or Mankind may be both of them united into one Christ In this wonderful one were both these inseparably knit together and yet they each one remain distinct from the other having several Natures Properties and Operations both making up one LORD Jesus Christ This word was made flesh this God hath been manifested in the flesh to the Godhead Christ took the seed of Abraham for so was he born according to the flesh as to his Humane Nature
sound knowledge This design that I am now promoting doth not interdict School education nor forbid Scientifick Exercises but it doth set both Teacher and Learner in a right way VVhither can we go to fetch a perfect Supplement for deficiencie in Arts but from the VVord no where else is there an unerring rectification of the crooked variations of Sciences but here VVere Students once well perswaded that this Scripture-method and way of attaining knowledges were passable and plain and the walk there experienced to be safe and easie how could it then be any other than pleasant travelling which doth so directly lead to so great a profit where all is best suited not only to the future eternal happiness of Believers but also to the present wising of the VVorld gratifying at once both the speculative Inquirer and the mechanick Artificer where both an augmentation of many useful particularities and a melioration of the whole of gainful Learning would be met with Expected occasions are flying away from me now as many of them have already taken wing and are gone and therefore ere a stop be put to my breathing here below I would by a Scripture-hand conduct a little that the more wise and skilful may come on and lead others further forward I should gladly have sat down as a teachable Disciple at the feet of some well-grown Instructer and would delightfully do so still if others better furnished and more accomplished and who have more opportunities and advantages would more throughly inform both themselves and others in the true state of this scientifical project Here may be at once both the true increase of useful Learning and the real promoting of an Holy Life This sound Scripture-knowledge is the only cure of arted Phantasms and the proper means of being awakened out of scientifick Dreams Here the regenerate intellect of the New Creature gets quick acquaintance with the true reasons of things and his inlightned mind is familiar in its converse with real existencies here are set before his view clear Aspects from invisible Objects and his inner man can commune with unseen talkers which do give him ready access into the better Country of the other VVorld The Scriptures are composed not only for contemplative felicity but also for practical business being exactly suited to all weightiness of affairs and to all the powers of an operative life The orderly working and the real usefulness of created Beings is to be directed unto her all the Philosophers in the world with all their Books have noâ— that profitable Learning in them which the four and thirty first Verses of the Bible have treasured up in them Here the meditating inquirer may get the knowledge of those distinct works of the Creator in their six proper days foregoing which works are the visible Signets and the lively Impressions of the comely Excellencies of the glorious Maker till the believing Soul cometh and passeth into its rest and to sweet satisfaction sensibly enjoyeth its holy Sabbath in Him on the seventh which is the last the closing day of the week this being much of my present purport and design drift and scope in this Treatise from the several days of the first week of the Created VVorld and the established unchangeable Laws thereof to propound some profitable inquiries from each days productions such as may have a direct tendency to the real advancement of useful Learning and then opening somewhat of my own apprehensions from the collating of other Scriptures concerning the matters queried such of them as are profitably handled for several others will be little if any thing more than barely propounded and so left to further disquisition In this undertaking there is no just cause for any to be either an humorous Envyer or a quarrelsome Contender or a troublesome Backbiter or a treacherous Enemy or a false Friend let him but love Christ and believe the VVord and approve the Enterprise and promote the Design and better the Plot I have much of my desire so far where any will meliorate it he shall have my Prayers and Testimony for him In this age of such diffused rovings of mind and of such wandring expatiations of imaginations my walking Soul has then the more quiet resting place when it gets and keeps within Scripture-doors and there freely converseth with Christ In this word each Artist may find out his Mystery and get skill with a little cost by plainly reading the imprinted Characters of the useful nature of his lawful Profession Here real Learning wears the Honour of its Crown and true wisdom is beautified with the dignity of its advancement in the several Sciences here the King may be skilled in the Art of Empire and the Magistrate may be wised in the Science of Government here the Counseller may know how to advise and the Warriour may be taught how to fight here the Astronomer may best understand the Heavens and the Luminaries there here the Geometrician may learn how to measure and the Arithmetician how to number the Physician how to cure the Surgeon how to heal the Anatomist how to dissect the Apothecary how to compound the Sea-man how to sail the Architect how to build the Musician how to modulate the Logician how to argue the Geographer how to situate the Chronologer how to compute the Rhetorician how to perswade the Historian how to Record the Carpenter how to rule the Joyner how to frame the Advocate how to plead the Minister how to preach the Cosmographer how to systeme the Husbandman how to manure These and other Artists in other honest Trades would find their God instructing and teaching them concerning the rightest way and the fittest manner to manage and to carry on their several Functions with success through his blessing upon their labours all their affairs would then be ordered with more discretion and prudence even the Hedger the Mason and the Carpenter would experience Scripture-wisdom to have an excellency of rectification in it to direct them how to do their work aright What shall I say more consider well what those Arts and Sciences are which are lawful useful and necessary and then let inquiry be made whether their Conduct and Augment may not be found in the Word incomparably beyond what any or all Philosophick Books of mere Humane Wisdom can skill in here is the Spring and Fountain of all true good Learning Scripture-knowledge has the clearest light and gives the most certain information affording the most pure and satisfying delights This doth hold the refined Intellect and the discerning Mind close unto it and doth fill it with high holy heavenly pleasures still feeding a spiritual appetite as it is taken in and yet exciting it with new desires of injoyiug more there being yet a further discovery of abounding knowledge in these later days Here is a separation of Truth from Errour here the true real causes of Errour are assigned and manifested It is not said that men do
a vain daring boldness for a worm-man to assert that the Seventh-day is not the Sabbath of Jehovah thy God and thou mayst do work therein when this great Lawgiving King of kings and LORD of Lords doth so expresly affirm and command the Seventh-day is the Sabbath of Jehovah thy God thou shalt not do any work When men will use more faithfulness and diligence to be better skilled in the literal significancy of the Original Language they will see cause to admire the Wisdom of Aelohim who has so self-evidencingly put things into words especially in these two parts of Scripture the History of the Creation and the Law of the ten words The vain affectation of Humane Wisdom which doth thrust upon the credulity of so many a Doctrine of probabilities concerning the works of Creation and Natural Things from Anti-Christian and unscriptural Philosophy but is not according to Christ and to his Word is such a deceitful way of false reasoning as makes a prey of Souls and is carefully to be avoided and is but falsly named Science THose who take the Holy Spirit to be their Leader and Conducter and the Holy Scriptures to be their Rule and their way may upon due search discover this The smooth-tongued Orators the deceitful Sophisters the vain Philosophers of this World they their Sayings and Writings are not a firm ground for a believing Disciple of Christ to bottom his Faith upon for as much as they are but slightly superficial and scarce likely's the ground-work of their Learning being but Humane Fiction and self-conceited imagination such a Doctrine of Probabilities as we are cautioned against That Philosophy and Wisdom which is derived from the Invention and Tradition of fallible men and is according to the Elements of this World and not according to Christ is a spurious wisdom not to be owned by the followers of Christ what a many of the Questions and Disputations in Ethnick Philosophy is there about Elements which the Scripture doth speak expresly at and against That Wisdom which is a worldly humanely-invented wisdom is judged by the Scriptures of Truth to be a terrene wisdom suited to the earthly designs of covetous worldlings to be animal fitted to the voluptuous Arts of sensual Souls and to be devilish framed to the proud Models of ambitious Climbers This corrupt wisdom is mischievous in the bad Fruits and the evil effects thereof how prone to quarrelsome litigiousness how contradictingly opposing of the Truth how impudently immodest how headstrongly inswasible how devoid of good Fruit how full of emulating disputes of fallacious brables of over-reaching controvertings observe in experience and see and say whether it doth not puff men up making them sick about Questions about strifes of words about verbal distinctions when every word almost in a debate is wrested and wryed to a multiplicity of meanings and a variety of senses about which they would endlesly cavil and craftily equivocate from whence have started up so many Sects in Philosophy and thereby in Theology too teaching another Doctrine and they who teach this do not come up to the wholesome words of our LORD Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to right Worship from such are Christ's Disciples to withdraw their unscripturally-curious concertations and their empty unprofitable disputations do shew a corrupt mind and do bewray a devoidness of Truth Heathenish Philosophy would turn men aside from Christ who is the true full essential Wisdom and from his instituted Worship unto carnal reasonings and a corrupt service Paul's manner of arguing in these Cases was from the true sound knowledge of Created Beings and of Natural Things Thus he convinced the Athenian Philosophers who generally counted Word-learning to be but verbal-babling and a proclaiming of new Demons or Devils and he expresly declareth against Greekish-Ethnick-Philosophers The Epicurean and Stoick Philosophers were some of the most violent opposers of and subtil adversaries against the Christian Doctrine and what shall rising Graduates in Christian Academies as they grow new and further proficients in Learning be still sworn unto the words of these Pagan Magistralists What can we expect from mere Animal or Physical men but a worldly Wisdom and humane Learning that which is foolishness whilst themselves are foolish the foolishness as these men do miscount it of God is wiser it is their animality and want of spirituality that doth put them upon mis-judging of this to be foolishness The Grecanical wise men are much in searching after that wisdom which doth chiefly consist in speculation or contemplation the wisdom of the incredulous Jews is more conversant about visible signs and ocular demonstrations for without such sensible confirmations as these they will not believe though multitudes of them in the days of Christ and of his Apostles did still continue infidels in the very face of miraculous attests Both these Wisdoms are distinguished and divided from that Wisdom which is of God whose Foundations is Jesus Christ and his Word the Disciples of Christ especially those of them who are in the office of the Ministery are to keep the depositum of sound Scripture-doctrine they are actually to be averse from profane clamours about empty vanities which do affix unto words such a sense as is wholly alien from their true proper significancy and which by sophistical School-distinctions do keep wrangling about Phrases to pervert their plain right meaning and do wrest some Scriptures they understand not wrongfully accommodating them to maintain some Error or to defend some Vice There have been such as have boasted much of their profound knowledge this way who have both themselves erred from the scope concerning the Faith and have misled others also It is a false assertion to affirm this or that is true in Philosophy though in Scripture it be found otherwise For if Scripture-truth do contradict it then that which is so contradicted is not a truth but an error however Philosophy miscal it true introduced by the Father of lies Where any Philosopher did assert any thing about the Creation according to the Truth there they had it either from the Word or by their outward Observation and experience from Senses agreable to the Word some of them either had the knowledge of God's Word and did read the first Books of Scripture or at least had some traditionary Records of them and did read them If that be indeed so which some whom I have met with have affirmed that those Books at least some of them which those Believers and Converts did burn in that part of the History of the Arts of the Apostles were the Books of Ethnick Philosophy such as the Heathens Logick Dialectick Grammar Rhetorick c. so that the like execution were to be done still against the same Treatises that to this day do persist in their Treasons against the Crown of Christ and the Dignity of his Word the Libraries and Shops in Philosophick Universities would
leave much of their Shelves empty though he who writes this is like to be judged and condemned for an Heretick in the Commonwealth of Learning and to have his Name and Reputation killed whilst he himself is alive and buried before he himself be dead But these must be let go for the sake and in the cause of Christ and of his Word who will have a day of Resurrection of Names as there will be at the last of bodies One of the most learned and most experienced of natural Philosophers in the present age who has been at great cost and pains to make the most watchful Observations after all his curiosity in seeking and searching has consented to the publishing of a Treatise to let the World of Vain Affecters of Humane Wisdom and of Philosophick Learning to know that after all his inquiries and researches into hidden secrets of mysterious Nature he can come at no certainty especially about the Heavenly Bodies and what doth belong to them and generally about what is at a great distance from our eye or quite out of our sight Cosmical suspicions are found in the Title and in the Pages so that his Philosophy as to the most of the eminent Works of the Creation particularly as to the Celestial Phaenomena and subterraneous hiddenesses is if not come to plain nothing yet quite passed into doubt suspicion and scepticism so that his acknowledgements are much the same in this with mine It would be the Wisdom and Honour of such generous spirited Virtuoso's now at length to come wholly over to the Scripture-way for the proficiency of Arts and for the augment of Sciences where and where only such men of deep understanding can sit down sweetly satisfied Scripture-Learning is gone forth conquering and Word-knowledges will ere long be triumphing All other Science is but falsly so called both about the Works of Creation and the Doctrines of Faith however the deluded world have given it the name yet it is devoid of the Essence it doth start a many thorny and argute Questions and it ingageth in a multitude of frivolous concertations of Sophisters and of Philosophasters such as School-Divinity or Scholastick-Theology doth abound in and is almost quite through all over run with Dialectick Nicities and Metaphorical Formalities to raise dust and to make a mist that mens eyes can see but little of their way as if all knowledge were placed in this whereas it neither doth deserve nor can make good such a name That is worth the name of Wisdom that is Wisdom to Salvation that is the commendable Learning that is sanctified Learning and that is the praise-worthy experience that is holy experience It is Scripture-Science that is the great the only deposited Treasury of all Writings that is to be kept for the confutation of all Opponents who object against the Truth The rest are but prophane Clamors about empty Vanities such as are of a different kind and nature from the Analogie of Faith frivolous concertations of Sophists Logical impertinencies Metaphysical puzlings that do not deserve the Name because they have not the Reality of useful Knowledge where they have any thing of profitable Learning as a few grains of good Corn in a great heap of Chaff there they Originally received it from the Word and from the LORD's people who held forth their knowledge according to the Word before others Thus the Chaldeans from the Hebrews so also the Egyptians the Phenicians the Grecians though they all mingle it with their several Errors Superstitions and Idolatries Never yet could the Disciples of any Unscriptural Antiscriptural of any Unchristian Antichristian Philosopher meet with such a complete Model of the Created World from any of their Masters as might give them any through satisfaction thereabout though according to their several Sects they have been great Admirers of themselves There are of them who have pretended to more skill than those who went before them in the Philosophick Way and have undertaken to be Correctors of other mens Opinions and Writings about a System of the World and yet they have not believed themselves that their own Hypotheses were true and sound as particularly the vertiginous Asserters of the Diurnal Motion of the Earth One great cause of his Eâ—â—ring who was the famous misleader of others into this gross mistake was his slighting and rejecting of the Scriptures about these matters as if it were a subject altogether alien from VVord revelation The several Earnest Contenders both for the old and new Philosophy of later years after all their new VVorlds which they have set up and trumpeted before as if all must bow before their Systematical Calf and worship their modular Moloc yet what have they done after all their studies and endeavours but proclaim openly in Print that they are both of them out of the right way the one and the other wandring out of the path of Truth and that they have taken up with such fallacious shews as are discovered by Scripture-light to be apparent falshoods And therefore the adaptest shortest and every-way best Method will be to lay aside all the rest and to take up things purely from the VVord of Christ All besides this are but the fanciful framings and imaginary VVorlds of self-pleasing Dreamers though they applaud their own cunning in excepting against the Scriptures as no fit Judges in these Cases yet I cannot commend their Conscience in such a wrongful dishonourable charge as they hereby bring in against Christ and against his VVord There are some parts of the Created VVorld which right Reason and enlightned Nature cannot but acknowledge that they must be As a place of reward for the Good and of punishment for the Bad And yet because they are not to those who are on this Earth exposed to their senses they cannot be understood what and where they are but only by VVord-revelation The great mistakes of some both Translators of and Commentators upon the VVord History of the Creation have been occasioned mostly from hence that they have followed Philosophers and their VVritings more than Christ and his Scriptures which is the great error and the blemishing spot in those expositions upon Job which many otherwise singular Annotators have completed and published For almost throughout that whole Book much thereof doth treat of Created Beings as the Heavens the Luminaries there the Rain the Dew the Snow the Hail the Wind the Earth the Water the Abyss the Gulph Hell Light Darkness the four Quarters of the World with many others and with many particulars about each of these they do much Philosophize which I now write not to revile the Name or bespatter the Memory of the departed Authors nor to undervalue the many choice Observations and profitable Collatings of Scripture every where almost to be found in several of those Treatises but to warn the Reader that when he comes to such passages about this kind of Learning which I am now upon he would
over confident this way as if they could give a particular punctual account of all and of every one of them One of them reckons one thousand two hundred forty and one visible to us Another of late has added one hundred thirty six Stars more which make up one thousand three hundred seventy and seven A third has observed some few more Johovah Aelohim Adonai has the peculiar honour of numbring and of naming the Stars which to Man is impossible Abraham was esteemed no mean Astronomer yet he could not number them There is not one day of the week for the Sun a second for the Moon a third for Mercury a fourth for Mars a fifth for Jupiter a sixth for Venus a seventh for Saturn as the Ethnick Philosophers do un-scripturally anti-scripturally name them and assign them their several days in the week For Sun Moon and Stars were all created on the Fourth day of the one Week of the created World There was not a several distinct Planet made on each several day of the Week Neither is the fourth day of the week unlucky or unfortunate as they call it It is not a curse as if Infants were more taken with the squincy on that day than on any other day of the week whence the superstitious custom of fasting upon that day And now O my Soul what was Adam and what is the Son of Adam that Jehovah Aelohim has created such a spangled Tent for Man to have it so spread over his Head If the out side pavement that leads the way to the new City and to the Holy of Holies be so shining O then how glorious is Christ's Father's House within and the many Mansions there If the purer Churches in the latter-day Glory will be fair as the Moon and clear as the Sun how beauteous then will the Church of the first-born be in Heaven If Pastors shall shine as Stars and the new created people luster forth as the Firmament if what is yet more all and every of the Righteous shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of Christ's Father O what a perfect day will it be when all these Suns shall shine together and what is yet more than all this when the Lamb shall be the Light of the new City and all those other lights almost dis-appear at the presence of the out-shining over-coming brightness of the LORD Jesus Christ himself there O blessed be Jehovah who giveth unto any in this Light to see to walk in and to enjoy any of this Light whilst they are here O for that day when the day-Star may more arise in the hearts of Saints as the Fore-runner of the arising of the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings The Fifth Days Work doth afford us this Inquiry Q. Whether that part of Natural History which doth concern Fowls Fishes Beasts and Worms can ever be completed into a Natural Art in the way of Ethnick Philosophy or must we search after it only in the Word of Truth where alone it can be advanced and perfected by a due and diligent comparing of their Created beings in their proper Natures Answ THis Natural History and Natural Art above these living Creatures can never attain to any considerable growing Augment much less to a through full discovery in the way of Ethnick Philosophy The restoring and finishing of this is no where else to be found but only in the Holy Scriptures by a due and diligent comparing of their created beings in their proper Natures An art when it is discovered aright is but Nature opened This art must be natural made up of Existencies and of Realities according to the truth of things in the Being of these Creatures That which is proper Art is not a Supplementary addition of somewhat to Nature which was not Nature before by the Law of the first Creation For that were to make a created man to be a creating Artificer of what was never made before which we all explode But it is a revealing and a drawing forth of that secret which did lye hid in Nature The art of man may call out the wonderful productions of many great effects but still these are wrought in the orderly course by Natural Causalities and by Created Efficiencies The rarest Artist can but co-operate with Natures Powers which doth their own work only man puts them together or severs them asunder according as he would have some products by Motions to be However yet the mysteries and wonders of Art must first be sought where they may be found in the mysteries and wonders of Scripture declaring those mysteries and wonders to be in Nature Practice of Arts is a disclosing of secrets of Nature in creation of Causes Art doth sometimes give a provocation to Nature whereby she doth bewray her self ere she is aware and doth expose her self to view in the light in some of her agenâ—ies which kept close in the dark before and therefore Nature and Art in Scripture Language do set this out That word which doth signifie Art exercising it self industriously about any thing or substance comes from a word which doth import a delegated Officer one imployed in such a Function as is put upon him by creating Aelohim and that Function must always be sought for in the Word as revealed there and another word which doth denote one excelling in Art nourishing of it and being nourished by it doth spring from a word which doth include Faith and Truth And where can those firmly bottom but upon the Word of Truth and the Word of Faith And the same Word which doth signifie Essence Existence created Being by which I understand Nature in this Discourse doth also import Virtue Law Doctrine They are the only true Vertuosi in Learning who receive Doctrine about all Entities from Aelohim's Law in his Word This doth teach substantial knowledge and doth give essential Science and doth skill in the Art of Realities There are several Writers who have undertaken to give us an accouut of these Creatures in their Elaborate Histories of them one of the largest and learnedest upon Animals has this great errour running through much of his Book that though he refers much of this discovery to the Scripture yet he would have Original Hebrew which is the Mother Tongue to go to School and to learn to speak of Daughter-Languages such as the Samaritan the Syriack and the other Oriental Tongues As if the proper significancy of her words could not be rightly understood but by their Sense and Etymologies and Phrasiologies whereby he carries the Reader off from the Word of God which yet he doth undertake to translate interpret and apply unto the Authorities and Histories of Philosophizing men and the Opinions and Customs of Nations that from these and not so much from that we might fetch our knowledge of these Creatures A cognation of other Languages to and a collating of them with the
all a mans diligence any other way be solidly known Wise men amongst themselves do now begin to wonder that they suffered themselves to be so abused by those Dictators in Sciences they complain that there are secrets in Nature hiddennesses in Truths implications in Causes that there is much darkness upon their Mind blindness upon their Intellect weakness in their Understanding that their Knowledge is but Folly their Powers are impotent their abilities insufficient and their researches shallow thus they fall into suspicion and grow into dislike of themselves concluding an utter impossibility in Humane Arts seeing there are so many unknown subtilties in Nature which do escape their senses and so many mistakings by senses which do not come under their cognisance They acknowledge at last that to consummate the Arts and to perfect the Sciences inquired after is above their strength and beyond their hopes and they professingly declared that they will affirm nothing subtilty is their Science and fallacy is their Faculty How many questions might be asked of the most Learned of them concerning the most plain and familiar things such as are most obvious and exposed to the outer senses about Seeing Hearing Smelling Tasting Feeling which would puzzle them and amaze their Understanding were all the witty Ingenioso's and generous Virtuoso's of the World colledged and incoporated into one Philosophick Society all their extra-Scriptural disquisitions would never reach or hit what they say they aim at because they use not improve not the adapted mediums to come at it It would have been more wisdom in such bold undertakers to be Instancers of Learning if they had either laid aside their attempt or pointed to a directer course and to a righter way for by an ill unadvised managing of the inquiry the inner Rooms of Learning are still locked up and her Treasures are not disclosed If the Reader marvel why one of so little Philosophical Learning and of so much worldly despisedness will adventure in such a day to be so open a redarguer of the whole Philosophick World let him know that the scripture-Scripture-cause will conqueringly plead it self and its advocate has sufficient security that the Glory will be his who is the Author of so full a word Let the Writer and his Treatise decrease into a nothing as to this and let Jehovah and his word increase into an All whilst the Traditionary Learning of these men which is but the credulous receiving of a false report and their sensitive learning which is often the wrong information of equivocating witnesses and their experimental Learning which is usually the hasty observation of indagators and of casual inventers these shall blush and vanish be gone and ashamed to shew their faces which so long have been set out to sale under the gaudy Titles of Natural History restored Sciences and instaured Philosophy but leaving the buyer sick of his bargain and crying out That he has all this while been over-reached and defrauded imposed upon and insulted over by those who themselves at length do judge this to be a case plainly desperate as not knowing how to extract the real truth of things or which way so to separate all mistakes that they may at last be brought to somewhat which is wholly free from errour and so natural Beings may open themselves and disclose their inside in their primordial Virtues and concealed excellencies The whole of the doctrine of the unseen World is altogether undiscoverable by any lawful means but only the word Revelation and therefore it is that Paul doth condemn that Philosophy as a vain deception which would obtrude upon its Disciples a belief of those things it hath not seen making its own excogitates to be Oracles when it s own phantastick opinions are built upon no other foundation than the feigned Placents of humane imagination It would take away the Prize that belongs to the profiting Disciples in Christ's School and give it unto those that run in the by-race of paganish Studies thus arrogating unto its self an usurped power of judging and of defining who are the most learned and skilful it doth thrust it self into a pretended knowledge of such secret hidden things whereof it is altogether ignorant as if it were its own proper possession my task is to direct the Spiritual man unto that perfect Word where he may get deep into the profoundest Mysteries of Religion and of Reason of Grace and of Nature where a clear-eyed-Faith may satisfie it self with self-evidencing verities I am no investigator of new fictitious humane knowledges but would ingage others to be educers of old sound Scripture-Learning which has been so long veiled with Philosophical darkness and neglected by Sophistical prejudice Shall we any longer walk on in the circular tract of feigned Arts and of corrupted Sciences by Humane Authors who write one after and of another according to the-bad Copy set before them saying over and over the same falsified things putting only a new name to an old Stuff whilst they make little or no progress because they do not follow on in a straight line of edifying knowledge How far are they from having already said all that can be said though one of them has grosly flattered himself by applying of that expression to his own Writings Truth and Goodness have mutual influence upon and friendly fellowship with each other and how then can Humane Arts and Philosophical Sciences approve themselves good unto the Will till they prove themselves true to the Understanding of rational Creatures let no man seduce himself we are at least we should be so far true and kind unto our selves as not to deceive our selves What shall we deal with our selves as a false Thief doth deal with a silly Traveller offering himself readily to be a guide to direct him a better and righter way to his journies end till he mislead him into some dark and dismal place that there he may rob and spoil him of his Treasure such are wrong guides in the way of our Study It any man thinketh that he is wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise for the wisdom of this World is foolishness with God the LORD knoweth the reasonings of the wise that they are vain therefore let no man glory in men No Tutor is like unto that Spirit who is the LORD informing humble Disciples of the Book of his Word and of his Works Useful Arts and profitable Sciences have their legitimation in his Word and their naturalization in his Works Here the mind of man is at once both inlightned and sanctified informed and satisfied whereas Academick Scepticisms do make their apprehensions to be but appearances and their propositions to be but probabilities till he that is of an inquiring spirit sees he has fed but upon empty notions and so is discouraged into a desponding fullenness and doth yield to over-coming difficulties Whilst our own unsteddy unskilful hands will be drawing out Lines of Arts
inchantment to many a precious Soul and a prodigal wasting of that time which should be redeemed but somewhat to revive the Scripture-way of hymnifying now in these times of the approach of the later-day glory and to raise Spiritual Singing to its due Purity whereby that Ordinance may be restored and made edifying which has been for several years either too coldly and formally and carnally performed or else too much omitted and neglected what through mistakes in some mens judgements and through fears in other mens hearts who have laid aside this duty in times of persecution lest their own vocal Psalming should bewray their assembling to the listning-enemy Let my design and aim in what I express about this be well remembred that none may prevert to any ill use what I am about to write for it is too commonly a corrupt practice by two sorts of Extremists where cautionary bounds are set to any Science or Art that both of them do causelesly take offence and do occasion their own sin and trouble one by a superstitious conceit thinks the cautionary bounds too large and so will not go so far as to come unto what is lawful and a duty the other by a profane licenciousness condemns them as too narrow and so steps too far by passing over into what is unlawful and a sin the one will not allow the grant of the Commissioned Science the other will not observe the terms of it However I have given due warning at the Readers peril be it if he transgress though I shall withal from out of the Scriptures open much of other parts of Musick besides that of the voice under the Old Testament-dispensations If the sound of my words do not bring so sweet a modulamen to some critical Ears yet the generous-spirited will soon joyn in with me in this melodious part that I am a friend to an admirer of I mean the sacred Bibliotheke the Scripture-Library and it has been admitted as one Rule in Musical Airs that then is the Air the more to be commended when there is a pleasant passing by a sudden fall from a Discord upon a Concord I have the well-consonanted voice both of Scripture and Nature which do cry this up though the harsh-throated opposers would noise it down When the Judicious Reader has put all this together to which his own industry and observation might add more collections from the Scriptures and has consideringly well digested this matter let him then ponderingly bethink himself whether a Musician if he will speak according to the Truth can justly say that the holy Scriptures do afford him no particular Rules and Directions in the Musical Art Or whether the things of this Art be not to be found in the Scripture at all There is a Scripture-harmony wherein the Rules of Philosophick Musicians do fail for in this word here Maxims are made Minims and Minims are made Maxims here the short is long and the long is made short here a Song is heard the Text whereof is given but no Musical Art can fully express its Melody neither can it be represented by Musical Notes So it was when the Saviour of his people from their sins was born of a Virgin and a multitude of the heavenly Host with the Angel of the LORD did sweetly sing the Hymn in harmonious Concord when professing believing Christians will be better at leasure to study the Scripture more throughly and when they shall more experience their hearts to be kindly affected therewith they will find more reason to admire its fulness and to plead its Cause I Have held the Eye and the Ear of the Reader long enough to the Musical Art of Scripture-melody I am now to pass if he will go along with me from the Musical Metrical Measure of Words into the Geometrical Measure of Timber in the Fabril-Art for the Carpenter-Rules are also to be found in the Word of Truth the holy Scriptures do not pass by in silence these manual Artificers but do take cognizance of them neither do they make mention of them only in some general terms and expressions but they also do give many particular Directions about their Art To let go some other things relating unto this such as the Metaphorical expressions about it which yet do open somewhat of the skill of it the Scriptures have several names by which they are described in the Word sometimes they are simply called Carpenters elsewhere they are described to be Artificers in Wood to be Workers in Wood or about Wood or Timber the Idolaters did sinfully abuse and pervert this Art unto an ill use and a bad end who were curious in their sinful way to frame their abominable vanities and lies Nebuchadnezzer carried the Carpenters out of the Land of Judah into Babylon to use them there The LORD himself gave skilfulness in this Fabril-Art unto Betzaleel and Aholiab about fitting the Tabernacle and the Ark which was a great honour put upon these Artificers Hiram King of Tyre sent such to David to build him an house Solomon a wise King used their skill and a remark is sometimes set upon such as excelled herein When the first Temple was instaured under Joas as also under Jasiah these Princes saw the usefulness of such Workmen who also were imployed by the Religious Governours when the Temple was set up Joseph the Putative Father of Christ was of the Trade and the Nazaren's gave this name of Carpenter to the LORD Jesus Christ himself who is supposed to have handled somewhat of the Fabril-Art in Joseph's Family before he exercised his publick Ministerial Office As for the Architectonical part of the Fabril Science which is the particular instance given by that learned opponent who has argued that there are no particular Rules given to Carpenters in the Scriptures for the exstructing of an house let any diligent Inquirer into the Word about this but put together the exact measures of the Ark in Noah's time of the Tabernacle and Ark in Moses's days of the first Temple in Solomon's Reign of the second Temple under Nehemiah's Government of the Prophetical Temple in Ezekiels Visions of the new four-squared City in the Revelation not now to mention many other stately edifices recorded in the Scriptures and then say whether there be so little or nothing of particular Rules in the Word as a Directory for uniform building especially if to all this there were added besides for the perfecting of this Art all the original Words and Phrases relating to this Manual Science in their proper apt full significancy This discovery alone about those Structures and these Words and Phrases though no more were added if pursued by men of judgement and of skill of faithfulness and of industry would quickly bring in matter enough for a large Treatise on this subject which I have neither call nor leisure to do Here in this Book of God you may meet with the Carpenters measuring-Instruments and with their
day of the week unalterably confirmed by an unchangeable Law this doth put holy Meditation upon the working and the resting of the Creator and Redeemer into a methodical profitable Spiritual way it would furnish an experienced Saint with proper matter every day for the feeding of his thoughts to the nourishing of his Soul the satisfaction of his Spirit the strengthing of his Heart and the inlightning of his Mind That Humane Invention of transferring the weekly Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week has wholly inverted this established order The Psalmists frame was then usually most raised and most refined most humble and most heavenly most serious and most savoury when he saw and imployed much of Christ in the Creatures which kept him up in the better and more continued preparedness to meet the LORD in his Sanctuary-goings in other solemn instituted Ordinances he will make but little of the Word of God who makes nothing of the Works of God one great end of the Creators giving a being to Creatures was to supply a man with continued matter of admiring and of adoring the wonderful Former of all this O how much and with what kindliness think ye was Adam's heart affected with the sight and contemplation of this goodly beautious Structure whilst he stood in uprightness with how great delight was his Tongue his Glory in trumpeting of that perfection that shined forth in all and in every of the works of the Creator much of Adam's wisdom appeared in his giving of apt and fit names to all the Beasts of the Field and to all the Fowls of the Air according as the Natures and the Powers of their created condition were In Authority many who have gotten a name as if they had been the first inventers of some profitable knowledges yet themselves went to School to some lower Creatures to learn skill of them which was one of the first abused occasions of the heathens making and setting up of the Forms of some Bruits of Beasts of Fowls of Fishes of Serpents of Herbs as their Idols which they worshipped The great Admirers Illustrators and Promoters of Humane Learning have acknowledged the Originals of the discoveries of many witty Inventions to proceed first from the observations which Learned men have made from those experiments that meaner beings than themselves have providentially set before them thus do they speak as to men for the true reasons and the proper causes and the real originals of the Virtues and Powers of created Existences have their first foundation and discovery in the Word and in Nature These Philosophick men give us some particular instances of rational knowledges directed to by natural perception and instinct in irrational beings owning these for being some of the prime Masters of Arts and Doctors of Sciences Who instructed the Surgeon how to cure wounds but the wild Goat by applying some Sanative Grasses and Herbs and Flowers which led him to the use of some things in Chirurgery Hence also have some been taught the cure of Impostumes such as are between the skin and the flesh for when there is a putrified matter which impostumiseth before it ripen of it self and come to break the wild Goat oppressed with the noxious pungency of the itching humour rubs himself against Stones and Shrubs until his Imposthume break and the whole filth from the bag do pour out it self and so the beast easeth himself Whence learn'd the Chyrurgeon the profirable use of the Herb Dittany for the extracting of Arrows or Splinters or whatsoever it is that gives a wound and leaveth some poyson behind if the hurt be not mortal but when Harts who when they were struck with a Dart or were otherways shot with an invenomed Arrow presently resorted to this Herb which has a specifick Virtue latent in it whereby this Plant when eaten by them both ejects the Weapon and expels the Poyson The cure of wounds with Dragon Briony and Comfrey some have learn'd from the Serpent as also the curing of Eyes when evil affected with Fennel Cats have found Valerian to comfort the sight and Swallows use Celendine as an Herb friendly to the sight with which they heal the eyes of the young Phlebotomy the cutting of a Vein to let out blood and the stopping of it again some were informed in by the Sea-horse which is skilful at Scarification and at cutting of a Vein for when he feels himself under a great and dangerous distemper by overmuch eating he rubs himself against Reeds or somewhat else that is hard until a Vein breaking he let out a sufficient quantity of his blood and then he hastneth to stop the aperture and to heal and close it up by applying of mud and of dirt to the orifice of the wound The Art of Building was somewhat taught by the industry and skill of Swallows and of Bees some Physicians were instructed in forming of Pills from Scarabes that do gather things round on an heap and then make Balls The Art of Spinning some have learned from Silk-worms of Weaving from Spiders of Vomiting from Dogs of Clysters from the Bird Ibis purging himself by putting up part of his crooked Bill into that part by which the Excrement is discharged also the Hern who with his Bill doth infuse Sea-water instead of a Clyster thus practising of it upon himself by his own beak Whence came the knowledge of Powder-Artillery for the Warriour but by a Potlids occasional flying open From these and such like have Philosophick Professors fetched their principles of knowledge which doth shew that the God of Nature hath put much into the Nature of created Beings which if improved by Scripturalized reason in a word-way would raise Arts to a wonderful height The LORD himself in his Word doth send his own people to be better informed in their Duties and Priviledges by other Creatures so blockish and stupid is fallen man who since he acted below Religion is fallen beneath Reason He preached unto them the Doctrine of observing Seasons of Grace and of improving of opportunities of Salvation from the wisdom of the Stork and the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow who do exactly keep to the due fit times of their going and coming they might learn from the Ox and from the Ass which are some of the dullest and stupidest of bruit Creatures to make other manner of acknowledgements of the LORD's kindness to care for them would they more seriously ponder and duly consider of this Has man some discerning in these lower things and should he not use his Religion and Reason about higher matters who has by his noble make a wisdom beyond so many other Creatures by his concreated endowments doth not Christ himself check and convince rebuke and confute the unbelief and distrust of such who are over carking and too sollicitous about Food and Rayment by putting them upon considering of his providential care for Fowls and for Lillies The LORD Jesus
himself fore-seen and acknowledged whether now the only prevention and remedy in this case which is otherwise so full of just fears of real doubts of endless dissatisfaction and of perplexing difficulties be not to bring all sorts of necessary knowledges to the Pan-sophie the Alness of Wisdom in the Scriptures of Truth where none of the forementioned Scriptures have any ground to set their foot on in regard that Word-Revelations about Natures Secrets are the unerring products of infinite Wisdom and of universal fore seeingness which are always uniform and the same in their well-established order and stated ordinary course without any variation by an unchangeable Law of the All-knowing Truthful Creator and Governour and Redeemer Wise Solomon himself was much in the dark and altogether at a loss whilst he studied the Nature of many things only in the way of Pagan Philosophy he experimented it to be a vain attempt of his foolish imagination to get in that way the perfect knowledge of the Essence of Creatures and of Causes and of Effects the Created Works of the Six Days in their first Origine and continued Being it was far from him he evidently discovered when he had made some proof of that kind of study and scrutiny Many Creatures were aâ—â—a far distance from him some above him as the North-heavens and their Lights which mere Humane Astronomies could not sufficiently inform him in others were below him deep deep such were the hid Treasures of the Earth the Abyss the Gulph and Hell he went round these subject matters in his thoughts but could not get through them into the exact knowledge of them by all his industry and search no private studying nor open converse could fully inform his understanding what the proper Existence the true Reason and the solid Art of the Mysteries of Nature as well as of Grace were till he was entred a Disciple in Christ's School where he was better taught by the Spirit of the LORD in those two great Books of Scripture and of Nature The vain Affectation of Creature-Knowlede in the Apostate Angels and of Humane Wisdom in fallen Man has all along been endeavouring to corrupt and to pervert both the pure Word of Aelohim and his Created Works whereby they are misrepresented to the Rational-intellect in wrong shapes WE may pass some judgement upon one of the first great Sins of Apostate Angels by that Method of Temptation which the old Serpent did use in assaulting Eve and Adam by Eve which was a vain Affectation of Creature Knowledge and of self-invented Wisdom They would find out a new Philosophy suited to their own proud concepts of things setting up of self and of Creatures as the great Idol seeking out some other way of Science and of Worship than what was formed in them by Created Principles and was put into Natural Existences and both these discovered in some Word They sought out many Inventions to see if they could find a chief Good in the Creature they would make and try Experiments what might come out of them The Tempter had high conceits of his own abilities and he would have Man to excogitate other Reasons and Causes of things than were in Created Nature and in Word-Revelation Hence it is that this caution is given us Let no one deceive you with sublime discourse touching the worship of Angels pressing into that he knows not It is the design of those evil Spirits to raise up in the mind of man such high opinions of them as to extol them to be for knowledge far above the degree of a mere Creature and to raise a mans knowledge much farther than he hath any good warrant for and for the prosecuting this hellish design they would engage man in converse with them to draw man into a discipleship under them that man might go to School to these revolted Spirits as if these could and would teach man higher and better than the LORD or his Word and VVorks have done By these stratagems and illusions to beguile man into a Veneration of them for their Scientifick Excellencies And thus did these degenerate Angels and impure Spirits prevail over Mankind at the first And this is the cause of all the prohibited black Arts of Judiciary Astrology Diabolick Magick Hellish VVitchcraft and such like forbidden Sciences and Satanical depths under the gaudy Title of profound Mysteries whereby many do lose the prize that is ready and prepared at the Goal while they yield themselves to be drawn aside with such Sophistick Seductions These hellish imposters under a specious shew of colourable Religion would bring in dangerous and damnable Errors and Heresies against the pure simplicity of the Evangelical Doctrine and they imployed under them such seducers as did much corrupt and deceive many of the ignorant and credulous fetching their Doctrines not from Scripture Revelation but from Humane Reason adulterated holding forth some curious speculations taught in the Philosophick Schools namely the worshiping of Angels as middle intercessors between God and men arrogating unto themselves without any just right a power of judging and assigning the reward of Eternal Life unto none but such only as would subscribe unto their new and false doctrines defining and determining the causes of Faith and of Religion at their own will and pleasures and not according to Christ in his Word and all this under a pretext of Humility and of demission of mind which is the Romish usurpation and Anti-christian Tyranny at this day And this is a sort of Wisdom which is therefore called Demoniacal because it has the Devil for its Author By which Satan would be reputed the learned Master of Arts and the Reverend Doctor of Sciences And would have men to enter themselves as Pupils under his Tutorship in his College And therefore in that forementioned place to the Colossians cited in the Margin Paul warn'd them not to suffer any one not the Devil himself to lord it over them to abuse his power and subtilty upon them by pretending that he will give a great Prize of Honour and of Reputation to them if they would deliver themselves over to his will in instructing them For thus he fallaciously argues in his Philosophy that men should so walk in humility as not to go directly unto God or unto Christ but should first resort unto Angels for their Instruction and should make Angels such glorious Creatures to be as Mediators between God and them for the negotiating of all their Affairs which is a piece of Platonick Anti-Theology and Anti-Christianism still maintained and practised in Ethnick and Papistick Philosophy Satan would have them to climb up and to thrust themselves into sublime points of hidden Wisdom as if they were profound Mysteries of refined Speculation above the vulgar capacity which yet are but phantastick devices and groundless imaginatious in the disquisition where of he would have them to pride and to please themselves as if they had learn â— some rare
Cherubins and of the living Creatures of the Angels in their subserviency The fourth is the later part of Ezekiel's Book from the fortieth Chapter to the end where the New City is described Though these two later places also being Visions may the more evidently as to the external part of them be plainly shewn to growing young ones who might in fewer Months be skilled in Geometry the Doctrine of Measures and some other Arts as the Truth Reality and Usefulness in those Knowledges is than others will attain unto in so many years by Philosophical Studies And what a shame is it to the Learned Artists of the Times that VVomen and Children would quickly be made more profiting Graduates than themselves If any Traders in Humane VVisdom are angry at this discovery for a while yet let them observe the workings of convictions by this Scripture Light upon their minds and they will when more considerate bring in a Testimony for Christ and for his VVord if they will be so ingenuous as freely to communicate their Experiences For my hopes do promise to my self that I shall have most mens Consciences with me in this Cause though my fears do threaten that most mens corruptions will be against me for this Cause Having led the Reader thus far along in his Way I suppose that now his Expectations are raised to meet with somewhat of weighty Inquiry about the Works of Creation on the several Days the clear distinct knowledge whereof may have a direct tendency and an apparent profitableness for the Restauration and Instauration of Arts and the Advancement and Augment of Sciences such of both these as are useful and so far as they are thus useful and all in a clean way of Pure Religion The first Great Inquiry at my Entrance shall be this Q. Whether was the LORD Jesus Christ Jehovah as his Father is Jehovah and as the Spirit of his Holiness is Jehovah they one Jehovah Whether he were appointed by his Father and Anointed by his Spirit to be One Mediator the only LORD and Lawgiver And whether he were the Creator of all things as the Father is Creator and as the Holy Spirit is Creator they the Creators And whether is not this included in the first words of the Holy Scriptures Bereashith baraa Aelohim and in that word Jehovah who presently in the very next Verse after the short History of the Creation is said to be the Creator and Maker THe renewing of the wonderful Works of Creation in the rare secrets thereof will be found in holy experience to be no derogation to the admirable Works of Redemption in the great Mysteries thereof when once it shall be made to appear that he who was the Creator is the Redeemer too and that one great Cause why the Redeemer is no more believed and adored is for that this Creator is no more credited and exalted It is mainly with a design of Honour to that Christ whom my Soul loves that I am ingaged in this Printing-war against such an Host and so many Armies of Philosophick Giants and of Hellish Forces In his Name and Authority with the Sword of his Spirit which is the Word of God shielded by Faith I am called to go forth against them all I therefore begin with this because Jehovah Christ himself is the Captain of created Hosts whose cause is the justest and whose side will be the strongest It is he who doth Banner it above ten thousand To him I resort as to an Almighty Warrier Whoever thou be that wilt give this Treatise the reading and considering do not look upon it as a low mean enterprise â—s if it were a subject-matter too beneath a Minister of Christ in his first printed Essay in such an Age of growing Light of abounding Knowledge of fruitful experience of prophetical discoveries of raised expectâ—tions of 〈◊〉 Christianity of many Scholastick Tractates published by the generous minded and learned Virtuosoâ—s of the Times For this design understood and improved according to its true worth and real usefulness will be found to be a great improvement in the Commonwealth both of Learning and of Religion by reviving the glorious Creation by restoring of Primitive Christianity by directing 〈◊〉 Studies aright into the only way of sound proficiency to Honour of Christ and the Reputation of his Word in the both Temporal and Spiritual the present and eternal good of the Sons and Daughters of Adam Christ hath magnified upon all his Name his Word The Portion of his Friends shall be to observe his Words such will he teach goodness of reason a savoury sense for they have believed in his Commandments O how sweet are his saying to their Palate more than Honey to their Mouth Their steps shall be firmly directed in his saying for his Servants love it and him will they hear Rise up O Aelohim Plead thou thy Plea That the passage here may be the more cleared I shall publish somewhat about the lawfulness of mentioning that great and glorious Name Jehovah and not only so but further also about the profitable use of it and further yet that it is a duty at fit seasons in its place actually to give it a vocal expression especially now in these later days though not only the superstitious Jews but many Philosophick Christians do declaim against the use and naming of this Word There are in the Hebrew Tongue several Names by which the great LORD over all doth call himself Some are Names of Essence Others are Names of Power Some others are Names of Preheminence and LORDship and Superiority Another of his Highness Amongst them all this proper Name Jehovah has its excellingness It doth set him out as that All glorious he who alone ever was now is and ever will be He alone who so is that he cannot Not-be all created Existences have their Being from him and were not only made by him but have also their continued conversation by him so that their subsistency is in him In him they are they live they are moved This is the confession of rational Nature All things are for him for this end has he given them their Being that they might be to his Glory It is he who puts a Being into his Words turning them into Works All the Promises in him are Yea and Amen he himself being the Interpreter It is he the same who gives a Being to the New Creature and doth uphold it in its Existence Of him and by him and unto him are all things To him be Glory for ever The Creator who in the beginning of the History of the Creation is called Aelohim or the Judging-adored-Almighties who spake particular Existences into their Essences he is named Jehovah joyned with Aelohim in the close of that History he that made the Heavens and the Earth was Jehovah Aelohim q Some parts of this Word are often put either
fire out of the midst of a Bramble-bush which Angel of Jehovah was Jehovah God the same who spake the living Words at Sinai which he writ by the Finger of God and delivered them unto Moses to give unto the people as Stephen doth apply it in that defence which he made for himself against the Council The same Angel of Jehovah's Presence spoken of in Isaiah which Angel was Christ sent to be a Mediator between God and Man of whom Moses wrote long before who was Jehovah who led the Israelites by day in a cloudy Pillar and in the night by a fiery Pillar to light them in the way wherein they should walk who came down upon Mount Sinai and spake with them from Heaven and gave them Righteous Judgements and Laws of Truth good Statutes and Commandments and who made known unto them his holy Sabbath and he commanded them Precepts and Statutes and a Law by the hand of his Servant Moses as Nehemiah had declared This also is held forth by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews who shews that it was the Voice of Christ which moved the Earth when he gave the Law at Sinai he who came down from Heaven as Christ himself speaks of himself in what John writes of him relating to some passages in the Wilderness He who is the LORD from Heaven He who is the Hammedabber in Daniel the speaking one which Speaker the Hebrews were exhorted to take heed they did not reject That which the Author of that Epistle doth refer unto in the Prophet Haggai about moving not only the Earth but also Heaven is further note-worthy in what goes immediately before and doth bring it in yet now be strong thou Zerubbabel saith Jehovah thus doth the Father incourage to the building again of the Temple and be strong thou Jehoshuah Son of Josadak high Priest and be strong all the people in the Land saith Jehovah and work for I am with you saith Jehovah of Hosts with my Word this is one of Christ names in whom I made a Covenant with you when you came out of Egypt and my Spirit that abideth among you For thus saith Jehovah of Hosts once again a little it shall be and I shall cause the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and dry Land to shake The Father made a Covenant with that people in Christ the Angel of the Covenant Christ was there when they covenanted with him in the Wilderness and his holy Spirit was there It was for his words sake for his Christs sake that this favour was shewn him as also other Scriptures compared do manifest Moses wrote of Christ who had Testimony from the Law Moses and the Law did bear witness of Christ and brought in Articles of charge which accused those Jews that did refuse the Messias when Christ was transfigured Moses appeared together with Christ in Glory CHrist is the only Law-giver the Apostle James doth manifest this fully saying There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy he is the only One. To speak according to the Scripture his Law is a Kingly Law This is one of the chief blessings and one of the chief priviledges of his Covenant people This Jehovah is their Statute-maker as saith the Prophet Isaiah This Jehovah is their King he their Saviour he will deliver and preserve them He is made unto all those who obey him the efficient cause of eternal Salvation It is he who prescribes Laws and who constitutes the Rule of Life The Greatest and the Highest of earthly Princes is a Subject to this King of kings and LORD of Lords When this Supreme Governour had proclaimed his ten Words or Commandments he gave them unto Moses who was King in Joshurun that he might bring them to the people and might see the Judicial Laws duly executed when any were fount to be transgressors of the ten Words The Magistrate is to take care that both the Tables of this Law be well kept The King who was set over the people of Jehovah Christ was the write for himself the Copy of this Law in a Book and it was to be with him and he was to read therein all the days of his life that he might learn to fear Jehovah his God to keep all the Words of this Law and these Statutes to do them that his heart be not lifted above his brethren and that he turn not aside from the Commandment to the right hand or to the left to the end he may prolong his days in his Kingdom he and his Sons This was the charge which Jehovah Aelohim gave to Joshuah the Commander and Leader of his people The Book of this Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayst observe to do all that is written in it for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou deal understandingly Have not I commanded it thee be strong and couragious Moses as holy as he was as highly favoured as he was and as wise a Governour as he was yet had nothing left to his prudential determining but as he was told and shewn in the Mountain so must he declare what those Laws and Judgements were which to observe He must keep exactly to the prescribed Pattern And it is recorded to his commendation that he did so causing all things to be done as Jehovah commanded him Thus King David received Commandments by the Spirit by the hand of Jehovah in a written Word and to this Rule must King Solomon keep And so should the Superiour Powers to all Generations We are not to attend to advert or to give our minds to such commandments of men as do turn away Truth or as do turn away from the Truth Thus wrote Paul to Titus O what Laws Statutes and Judgements are so holy just and good as those which Jehovah Christ hath given would it not be the wisdom and the understanding of Nations to walk according to these How daring is the attempt for any man or men to think to change these Laws why do the Heathens tumultuously rage and the peoples meditate vanity The Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Princes do plot together against Jehovah and against his Christ Let us break the bands of the Father and of the Son and cast their cords from us This is the rebellious Language of such a would cast off all sign of subjection O who will give that Kings were prudent that the Judges of the Earth were nurtured To serve this Jehovah with fear and to be glad with trembling To kiss the Son lest he be angry and they perish in the way when his anger shall burn suddenly O the happy straight progress of all that hope for safety in him To all and to every of this that has been forementioned Christ was appointed by his Father and anointed by his Spirit The Father
Spirit When a gracious heart is exercised aright about this object of the upper Waters it may be raised to the Heavenliest frame and may mind the best things When the word doth assert the locality of the upper waters to be above the Heavens by those Heavens and Waters are not meant the Air and the Clouds For there is Air above these Clouds Did we more and better consider the place whence the Rain doth come and the efficient cause of it who it is that doth make it and send it we should find the matter profitable for our serious thoughts to be working upon The coming down of Rain from above this visible Expanse to us would be a call an help and means to fetch us up thither whence this did descend hither and fall down towards us So that it is not by the position of Luminaries that this Rain is drawn up They are the LORD 's hidden Treasuries which have this blessing issuing forth from them when they are sent in a gracious Covenant way then are they a blessing Those Treasuries are above this Expanse in some inner place and hidden Repository Such as cannot be come at by Men Neither does their eye here reach and see them there Whereas all is open between us and the Expanse and the eye can reach as far as the extended Firmament It is the Almighty who shakes out a Rain of liberalities He sheds and sprinkles it abroad as with the waving of the hand He divideth the spouts for it He doth appoint it its bounds that it shall not cover the Earth He hath these Waters in his hand they obey him He that is delighted with this kind of study may quickly be directed how to fill up a large Tractat upon this Subject-matter of the upper Waters out of the Scriptures concerning Rain the Rainbow Dew Hail Snow and what else that is watry which cometh down from above and how much is there of hidden secrets in these created beings in their natural essences causalities and productions which are practically useful One distinct work of the third Day with its peculiar blessing was that of Herbs The Inquiry therefore here shall be this Q. Whether the exact est fullest Herbal of Herbs Grass Trees and Plants be not treasured up in the Scriptures of Truth opening this great Secret of Created Nature best setting out the doctrine and use of them both for Feeding and for Healing Answ It is FRom the Herbal fruitfulness of this Earth may be drawn many a sweet Argument of Jehovahs praise Aelohim is the prime efficient Cause producing of Herbs They were not until he spake them into a Being he made them by his Word by his own immediate Power without second and ordinary Causes The Sun Moon and Stars were not created till the next Day after and therefore no influence of the Heavenly Luminaries could be the parent of their first Production To assert created Authors of Herbs is an Heathenish Fable The green Herbs had their Virtues in perfection at their first Creation and were not Astrologically distributed according to that pretended Dominion which some do over credulously fancy that the Heavenly Luminaries do exercise over them whereby much of the Ethnick Idolatry and superstition has slily crept in and is still infinuating of it self into the minds of many After the first Creation-Herbs the LORD did put a Virtue into second and ordinary Causes under him to forward those choice Virtues which he put into Herbs which Herbs do still retain This Earth from the blessing of God is said to bring forth Herb accommodate to them by whom it is dressed The Sun by its light and heat doth communicate some vital warmth in the Virtue whereof the Seed of Herbs is cherished and prepared for Generation till the Herb be thence brought forth The Moon also has its usefulness this way by its cooling moistening to protrude thrust forth or eject them The Waters Rainy and dewy have also some refreshing nourishing efficacy this way These fellow Creatures are pleasant and healthful unto Herbs so that sometimes the Dew is put for the Herb which with the Dew from Heaven is moistened and cherished and made to vegetate and grow The want whereof doth leave the Earth to be barren But the Earth when thus well watered is friendly to the Herb by its native heat cherishing the Seed until the Herb be born and brought forth and when it is brought forth the Earth by its moisture doth nourish and nurse chear and conserve it The labour of man by Culture and and dressing has also a special serviceableness for this end The place in which the Herbs do come forth and grow is the superfice of this Earth and of the Field and hence it is that an Herb is called an Herb of the Earth the Herb of the Field of the Fieids the Herb of the Mountains Were all the Scriptures in the Margin with divers others that might help to bring in an answer to this inquiry well studied in the large significancy of the Original Words and Phrases relating to the knowledge of Herbs O how much light would it bring in for the advance and augment of the Alimental and Medicinal Arts Herbs are the Fruit and the Revenue of the Earth It is called our Revenue or Fruit speaking of those who are in Covenant with Jehovah Aelohim But how little of this is as yet injoyed in a Scripture way because this wonderful secret in created Nature is so little digged after in the Word-Mine which alone doth fully discover it Whilst it makes for the gainful purpose of some to hold vulgar capacities in ignorance that themselves might be admired and resorted to whereas were we well skilled in that Scriptural Herbal which the LORD Christ hath given us the poorest only for a little pains in gathering by a discrete choice and meet application might have that wholesome food and that recovering Medicine which the richer sort with all their large fees and discharged long Bills are never likely to attain unto Those Scriptures would teach us much of the Natural Virtue and efficacy of Herbs some whereof are of a Marshy kind such as do grow in miry wet and softned places The Herbage doth spring up and sprout that is near the Waters a well moystened soyâ— doth make it green and flourishing He that hath made all other things for himself had also glorious ends in his eye in his third Days Work For the LORD did create and bring forth the Herb for his own Honour and for the service use and good of man It is serviceable to man for many purposes for the Oven or Furnace to heat it wherein to make corn ready It is helpful for mens eye-sight by the greenness of it which is refreshing and strengthening to the Eye and cheering to his Spirit by its virid freshness How useful is the green Grass to
Delights of Aelohim an high Honour put upon this low Creature There is a Plant to renown or celebrity Some Plants are not planted of Christ's Heavenly Father which with the Plantation it self shall be rooted up There is a time a fit Season of Planting and there is a time of plucking up what is planted Plants do prosper much near the Rivers of Waters Every one of these little hints have useful Directions given unto those who would make a complete knowledge of the Herbal Science It is Aelohim who doth plant them even when they are set by the Art of Man or without the industry of Man and it is he who doth bless them Though Earthly-mindedness must be watched against yet earthly Plants mâ—st be carefully look'd after It is Aelohim who did plant the Ear and it is he who planted the Heavens He is the great Planter There are many Scriptures that do speak of this wonderful Secret in Nature even when they have a further meaning in them to set out other things by these plain similitudes from such common Creatures It being one great part of the Mystery of Christs Wisdom in his Word to instruct people in divers profitable knowledges at once Some are planted in a pleasant place Those that are planted by the Waters do prosper most some other Plants are in a dry thirsty ground There are some whom God doth plant and establish and there are others whom he will pluck up by the roots There is a co-planting a growing up of two into one Tree Here comes the Art of Ingrafting and of Inoculating It is planting that doth lay the first foundation There is a Faith that can plant in the Sea Aelohim maketh the Hay to germinate he causeth the Mountains to bring it forth It doth grow near the Waters near Fountains or Torrents on the Mountains Some on House tops The very place of their springing doth give some light to Science of Herbs Here is growing matter of further discovery to be made by those who are discerning Inquirer into Natures Virtues and Operations and faithful observers of experiences productions and successes It would be a great undertaking and a glorious performance to perfect this Work The use of Hay is to be Aliment to bruit Animals to Horses to Oxen which feed sometimes on the Herb sometimes on Straw and for want of these they perish The Herdsmen should be wised in this what is proper food when where and in what measures How little skill is there herein Hay is a small light thing It is that which doth quickly wither and is soon cut down There is a season for its Mowing There is a second growth after the first cutting down There is a time for the gathering of Herbs and a way of drying them for use I was entring upon the Doctrine of Trees and of their Fruit as described in the Word But it is so large that a distinct Treatise might profitably be published to the World from the Scripture about it I point out the Word-way for others to travel further on in whose profession doth lead them more on in this path Only let me add somewhat more about Herbs The Scriptures do mention a time of gathering Herbs especially the Herbs of the Mountains when the Herb is revealed and the Grass-plant appeareth they are fittest food for man those of them that were appointed for food When they first spring forth and are well and full sprung up to be fit for that end And it should be inquired whether then also they are not in their prime for medicinal use when the Herbs thrust forth in their verdure strength fulness and choiceness of Juyce I pretend not to any deep insight into this part of the Medicinal Art but do put upon the inquisition whether that part of the Spring time when Sheep use to be shorn which is mentioned in the Verse immediately following that which you have in the Margin-above Then when men use to sell off their Goats when Bread is put into Goats Milk and is eaten the young Kids of the Goats being weaned when there are blastings by Lightnings or by East wind whether this be a good time to gather Herbs The green Herb has its name from a Root that signifies to spit It is a kind of spittle of the Earth its radical moisture shewing it self upon it It comprehends all green moist Herbs for Food Smell or Medicine A Word comes from the same Boot which doth signifie mildew or paleness a disease of Corn and of Men. This may be improved by a skilful Physician Many Herbs are not eaten but whilst they are green and moist then are they proper and good for Food When Herbs wax palâ— wan and withered much of their Virtue is lost as to some purposes their greenness and moistness being gone There is a word in Chaldet from the same 〈◊〉 which doth-signifie paleness arising from sudden fear or terror as doth make the face pale and livid the blood going off from that part and leaving a yellow colour behind Thus herbs are sometimes yellow either through overmuch moisture and so losing their verdure do degenerate into paleness and cannot so ripen or when they are struck with over drought or with rust From the same Root there is a word in Arabick and it is used by some Hebrew Rabbins which doth signifie the yellow Jaundies and the Dropsie when the Gall doth diffuse it self into the body Of what use and vertue such pale yellowed parched herbs may be for the curing of these Distempers I leave Physicians further to enquire These green herbs are good Food every day though they be thinning-leaner dyet especially in a Journey when this is more proper There is another word in that Verse which is victual for the way a Viaticum the Food of wayfairing-men of Travellers This with Love that holy affection would much sweeten such a meal and is one cure of distempered affections and of some bodily diseases which over-much eating of fat beeves doth cause Some leafs are for healthfulness and curing for bruises and fores Proper leafs and herbs stamped and beaten are of specifick vertue in Physick drinks and Chyrurgical Plaisters I could speak somewhat of my own experience in this but let the Learned search it further out by studying the Scriptures Here may we find many particular Herbs mentioned with their special use The Paschal Lamb was to be eaten with bitter Herbs such as wild Lettice Cichory and the like Here may you read of the Bramble or Bryer Here we may be instructed how to correct the wild gourd by Meal Brushes or Shrubs among the rest Lavender Spike is judged by a skilful Herbalist to be here spoken of The Natural abstersiveness and the efficacious cleansingness of that Fullers herb which taketh away spots in Cloth Borith
Original Hebrew hath its great use and may be put to a more growing and profitable improvement only special heed must be taken that they be all drawn to side with the Hebrew but not to put the Hebrew violently by force to be of their party against its own natural meaning In whatsoever Author you meet this disconsonancy to the Scriptures that would bring an alien sense to the Scriptures and doth not receive a genuine meaning from the Scriptures look upon it as one great cause of error these appositions and additaments from men are detractions and substractions from the Word Let the Learned in all their studious artificial Expatiations and liberal scientifick walks in these Fields of Nature gather and bring in as much of choice created Excellencies as they can whereby to contribute to the augment of this Art and the perfecting of this Science only let this be learn'd by reading in Scriptures Book and in Natures School For the rectifying of some common Philosophical mistakes let us by an inquiring Spirit make a deeper research into the Scriptures about this question The creeping living Creatures were not formed out of the Waters as their Pre-existent matter for they were and are distinct Creatures from the Waters of a different make and kind This doth but set out the manner of after productions in the watery places They have been some of the generally received mistakes that â—here was a common pre-existent Matter of the whole Creation That Matter and Motion are the Essences of things That the four Elements are the Original causes of things which have a mixtion of Elements in them That beaten axiom of Ethnick Philosophy that of nothing it is impossible any thing should come as if therefore there were a necessity of fore-existent matter to work upon because the ordinary course of Nature is now so doth discover in the assertors thereof their ignorance of the Scriptures For although out of absolute Nothing Nothing can be extracted converted or made to be yet that doth not necessarily infer that therefore there must be a first Matter and a Potency thereof to be the common Principle of all material things for Almighty Power can create that unto a Being which had no Being before That Ethnick Rationalist who maintained and defended this corrupt Tenet did reject all matters of Faith not only Humane but Divine also and examined all things only by his own Reason whose Writings therefore can afford no true good Commentary upon Scripture which doth not at all speak of any such pre-existent Matter The Scriptures of Truth do not assert any such prime confused Chaos out of which afterwards all Created Beings should come forth distinct neither can any man's Reason evince this to him who doth stand in awe under the Authority of God's Word was it not altogether as easie to Omnipotency and more glorious to all Wisdom at the first to create the several kinds of all Created Beings distinct and perfect than to frame and to form them afterward of matter made before hand is it not against the dictates of Natural Reason and Light that such a pretended first Matter should subsist separate by it self and there rest a while under some common and general Form yet so as withal to have in it such a multitude of specifical Forms of Natural Beings and after-created Essences of all future Bodies not distinct but in a confused lump and mingled heap all jumbled together one with another God is not the author of confusion and how can a rational Intellect understand that any one common Form could make specifically distinct Forms out of such a fancied first matter of corporal things The internal Forms of created Beings is that primitive force and original Nature which Aelohim did speak into and fasten in the several kinds of created Beings on the several days of the first Weak according to the particular Essence and specifick Being and different condition of every thing whereby they are some ways disposed and fitted strengthned and enabled to put forth their proper vertues and their special operations by the exercise of which natural powers they were orderly to move towards the right end in subserviency under and conformity to the will of their Maker which was their goodness and their perfection The Creatures could not cause themselves to be from Not-being neither was natural Generation the first Original of these Creatures but Creation or creating Causality or primitive and proper Creation Neither were their created Potentialities latent in a first Chaos produced into their Actualities on the six days but all and every of the Creatures were immediate distinct Works of Aelohim's Power He created in every one of the six days Any created Original or primary Womb out of which other Creatures were extracted or the material stuff whereof all things were framed which one Ethnick Philosopher calleth the first Matter as the Potential Principle of all Another names it Hyle a darkness somewhat invisible and without Form A third intitles it a fearful Shadow A fourth makes it a symbolical Unity A fifth doth stile it a deformed Chaos or universal troubled Mass without form or shape These and such like fancied Images of Humane Invention have no firm footing in Scripture All and every of the Works of the foregoing six days of the Week are proper Creatures each of them were new Creatures of distinct Essence or Entities There were no former Phaenomena or appearance of them Had there been any such one universal Body of Matter or Corps of the World and an universal created spirit as the soul of the World then all had been perfected in one day both the whole Body and the whole Spirit of the Universal World of Creatures and all this had been one Individuum Physically Really Naturally Not only was the first Creation in one day by the supernatural Power of Aelohim as if the after productions were by the Power of instituted Nature or application of Art But also all the Created Beings on the second third fourth fifth and sixth days which were then Essences when they were Existences and not Essences in Potentiality on the one day and Existences in Actuality on the other days as if only productions out of a former Essence If the Reader do observe any Phrases or Lines in this Treatise word for word in other Authors let him know that these Collections were made some years go when the Author made use of some Books as he could then be suffered to come at them which Books he had not then by him when he first framed this Treatise neither doth he readily know whither to go for the finding out of those citations or transcribings now that he hath most of these Books by him Sometimes he useth their own words where he apprehendeth the writers mind and expressions to be according to the Word and in several places he confutes their mistakes by the Original Text. Let the grand design be promoted of advancing of useful
by any contrary examples to those Laws we must inquire for our pattern and rule not what either this or that Saint hath done but what the LORD hath revealed and enjoyned in this word and hath either commanded or forbidden Christ calls us to the first Institution in Paradise not to what the Patriarchs did who by being conversant with the Pagans were in divers matters corrupted with their errours and vices whereby they also corrupted this holy Ordinance of lawful marriage in particular by their illegal copulations in several instances besides what there might be further in that of extraordinary either Typical or other dispensation under the administration of Grace neither doth Christ refer the determination of this case to the toleration granted in Moses's time because of the hardness of the heart of the Israelites Malachi being one of the last Prophets under the Old Testament administration let it now be considered what Testimony he doth bring in towards the true stating of this case as to the matter of right He doth put together several Arguments all which do witness against Polygamy or Divorce Jehovah Aelohim in the first Institution of holy marriage did make one he brought and joyned together but one Adam and one Eve into and in this honourable state of conjugal conjunction when yet all other spirits were his also when there was an abundance of the spirit in him the Prophet doth refer to the Primitive Creation of man and woman and to the Original Ordaining of lawful Matrimony between two one man and one woman when yet there was no want of Spirit in the Creator which he could have breathed into many but he afformed but one Eve into a Wife for Adam Hence comes the excelling Seed a Seed of Aelohim other Seed is not issue generation or off-spring worthy of so glorious a Maker when it is begotten and brought forth of promiscuous and of wandring lust by nefarious copulation so that by instinct of Nature such so born of Polygamy or of divorce have a mark of contempt put upon them the LORD seeks an holy Seed a Seed of Aelohim a Seed of Acceptation with him a Seed whom he will bless which in those other ways would not neither could be so expected for this cause therefore made he one not ten or twenty or an hundred or a thousand for one man at once no more but one Adam and one Eve were to be Matrimonized into one flesh thus was the primitive Law of lawful coupling had Jehovah's will been such he could have brought more women to one Adam yet one Eve must be the Mother of all living of all mankind descending from her Loyns he could have inspired more women Power was not wanting but his holy righteous Will and Pleasure was not to have many Wives joyned at one and the same time to one and the same man Further Jehovah is a witness of the Matrimonial Promise made in his presence with invocation of his Name Lawful Matrimony rightfully contracted is the Covenant of Aelohim he is Surety on both sides undertaker for both recording the contract and testifying against the violation of it ranking Ploygamists amongst the Adulterers he is ready to bring in evidence against and to execute judgements upon Marriage-breakers Covenant-violaters of the conjugal Promise such are treacherous and unfaithful who do divorce and put away one and take another or who take one to another and do multiply Wives Jehovah's Name was interposed in the first Marriage the very companionship and confederateship of the first Wife doth confirm this Truth The weightiness of the forementioned Reason the Holiness of the intent the greatness of the end why but one woman for one man doth inforce this even that he might seek a Seed of Aelohim such a Seed would he find an holy Posterity born in lawful Wedlock in chaste conjunction according to his Ordination and Institution all other Seed is illegitimate Seed perverting of the Order and Ordinance of holy Marriage and therefore he doth brand such Seed with disgrace Observe further what a solemn strict charge the LORD here doth give unto his people bidding them to take good heed unto their Spirit in this Matter once and a second time to look well to it as they would answer it at that last day of Judgement It is as much as your Souls and your Salvation is worth now that you are brought under the conviction of your guilt though the word be in the Passive Voice be thou kept yet the force and use of it hath somewhat in it reciprocal and reflex It will be a vanity here in any to pretend a law for Divorce for the putting away of a lawful Wife For AElohim doth hate such putting away the very word and phrase of it relating to the present matter is odious to him and the words of that permission by Moses which are a consequent disgrace following upon a foregoing Transgression do imply and intimate it and Christ doth plead against it It is violence and injuriousness done to the Wife and to the Marriage-covenant and unto Jehovah's Law do not think to cloak and to cover it with such palliation by Moses's sufferance of it in your hard hearted Forefathers it is an heinous crime the place doth speak of the matter of Fact what was done not of the matter of Right what ought to be done For Pollution is said to follow upon it Jehovah doth threaten not to accept of the persons or services of such Polygamists and Divorcers The Bond of Mattimony is perpetual and indissolvable till death sancited and established by the infallible authority of the unchangeable Jehovah The Wife is the one half part of the man and he cannot lawfully have any more half parts at one and the same time it is against both Scripture and Nature The Prophet Malachi doth prosecute his argumentation from the nearness of Christ's coming in the flesh in that day though Aelohim have hitherto tolerated your evil manners yet now the nearer you are come to the New Testament glorious ministration of Grace it behoves you to conform the more to the commands of the LORD Jesus Christ and so it doth under the present providence much concern the people of this age to abstain from the like provocations now that Christ is about to appear the second time without sin unto Salvation Otherwise the LORD will avenge himself on those who do abuse his long-suffering God doth not therefore approve though he did a while forbear the execution of vengeance upon every Polygamist and Divorcer their murmuring contradicting words did even tire and weary Jehovah Let the Reader now collate and compare the New Testament and observe the well concordant harmony and agreeing oneness of this with the old Those right words of Christ are very forcible Whosoever putteth away his wife except it be for fornication in which case it was to be death and marrieth
of Church-members of regular exercise of Church Discipline And now if we further consider Adam or Man as to his own singular individual person how many advantageous Arts and Sciences might here pass under further inquiry The whole Adam and intire compositum of Man as to spirituals doth in its comprehension call for much skill in several Mysterious Sciences as of the excelling Prerogative of man's Primitive created Holy Happy Healthful State Of man's miserable condition under his fallen sinful state Of man's restaured Felicity in the New Created Converted State Of man's unexpressible summity of Happiness in his glorified Estate And as for Adam for Man in his Naturals the body of Man takes in the Art of Cookery for nourishment the Art of Medicine for Curing the Art of Chirurgery for Healing the Art of Anatomy for Dissection the Art Cosmetick for Clothing for comliness for cleanness for due-bounded Decoration The Art of Activity for all bodily lawful Exercises The Art of patient suffering And if I would crumble this into a multitude of particulars respecting the inward and out parts of the body how many under Arts do these contain Ear-art Eyeâ—art Tongueâ—art Heart-art besides many that I could mention about the Humours the Blood the proper Offices and Functions of every part with a multitude of more Get we into the soul or into the spirit of Adam or of Man Very profitable disquisitions might here be made what the specifick Natures and Differences of these are what their several Offices Functions Facuities Motions and such like What the several Objects of them are And how that these would take in many Arts and Sciences the Intellect of Man doth lead to the Art of Scripture-Logick His will and affections to the Art of Scripture Ethicks His invention and Judgement when it steps into Elocution to the Art of Scriptureâ—Rhetorick What shall I more say If the particular Arts and Sciences do so muitiply and there be so much in the holy Scriptures about every one of these as I could had I time and a call thereunto evidently demonstrate to any Spiritual Discerner and Judicious Inquirer is it not then clear that he who has a Purse and a mind proportionable to so great an undertaking might imploy scores of the most Learned men in the World about much of the most useful work in the World And now I could pity the great princely noble wealthy ones of this World who have so much and yet do so little who are intrusted with many Talents and yet do Trade so little with them for the promoting of so choice good in the Common-wealth of Learning How many thousands and Millions of pounds are there sinfully wasted and vainly expended about sensual Arts and voluptuary Sciences to the corrupting and undoings of hundreds of Souls One whereof is of more true solid-worth than an whole World Which if it were laid out and improved for the advancement of Scripture-Learning would pass both comfortably upon account at the last Judgement-day and in the mean time forward and spread some of the rarest Excellencies and choicest Fellcities that rational Creatures and Humine Intellects are capable of on this side of the heavenly glory But though I should even break my loyns with sighing and blind my eyes with Writing yet when once will it be otherwise till the LORD himself do open the Eyes and irradiate the minds and change the hearts and incline the wills and ingage the Spirits of some of the great ones of the Earth to appear more in so righteous a Cause At the present because it is a prosecuting of that subject matter which I am upon let me present somewhat to the view of men conversant in the Art and Practice of Medicine with respect to man which may if the LORD will bless it to that end ingage them to be more in the studious research into the Scriptures for the promoting and advancing of the Medicinal-Science which Ethnick Philosophy can never perfect In the general let it be pondered upon whether those who have a name to be great advancers of Learning particularly of this part of Learning the Medicinal Art â—have ever laid this Science upon a sound bottom who affirm that Medicine not grounded upon Philosophy is a weak thing and that the knowledge of Medicine has this wanting a true and active Natural Philosophy upon which the Medicine should be built That there is a defectiveness in this Art as commonly studied professed and practised is confessed by the Discerning and Ingenious So that some further Maturation and perfecting of it is much desired But that ever either old Ethnick Philosophy in Principles or new Experimental Philosophy in practice by Christians can attain this compleating augment without fetching of it out of the Scriptures of Truth that I deny For these being Philosophizings or vain affected Humane Reasonings according to outward senses which are very fallible in two great cases especially when either Objects are at too great a distance or when Objects are very secret and hidden at least in their inward Springs and Causes and Combinations shewing themselves outwardly only by some darker symptoms and deceitful signs These I say cannot give so right a judgement in many cases There are divers diseases of the Soul and of the Spirit in man which do also influence to the diseasing of the body which mere natural Philosophy cannot discover or remedy without the Word And there are several Diseases of the body which for the new kinds the unseen causes the complexâ—combinations of them the undiscerned Seat and Root of them in some of the inward bodily parts with more that might be added are neither knowable nor curable by mere Humane Wisdom It is only a Scriptural-thread that can lead into the cause and cure of these by a quick and piercing judgement given by the holy Spirit Are there not some Diseases which the most learned Philosophers in the Medicinal Art do count and call incurable which yet may find a remedy in the Word Here is an Al-Heal where the Patient has Faith in Christ and in his Word Let this also be considered whether those Philosophizers can or will ever restaur and consummate the Medicinal Art who make the body of man to be the subject of Medicine Whereas there is a multiplicity of Maladies in the Soul of Man and deep wounds in the Spirit of Man both which by natural causality do distemper the body and how can Ethnick Philosophers or other vain affecters of Humane Wisdom reach these or understand the right Methods of apt Remedies when without the Word they neither know what the Soul of Man is nor what his Spirit is nor what the specifick difference is between the Soul and the Spirit in man nor by what Medium of contract the Spirit and Soul in man do operate upon each other and both upon the body nor which way by what applications to come at them or what specifick Remedies are adapted to them Give me
and discouraging sorrow with terrible fear of God's giving over of such to the obduration and obstinacy of their heart and of their being shut up under all this when such an Heart like a Buckler or Shield doth keep off any blow or stroke from the LORD's Word or hand shutting it self up as within a Fence so that no counsels or comforts from Men can come at it Whither can the diseased send to any so skilful in the Medicinal Art as to open the Nature Causes and Remedies of this one disease of the Heart What shall I more say if I can fill up so many Lines with such a long Induction and large enumeration of particular Heart maladies which are so common in experience and which no counsels and prescriptions but what are Scriptural wisely applyed and duly received and well improved and followed can either prevent or remedy Is is not high time for such as are serious in the Art Medicinal and are tender of the health and lives of their Patients and would lift up their Faces before a righteous Judge at the last when they must stand or fall for their Eternal Estate according as they have walked by the Rule of the Word or not I say is it not high time for them to study their Art and to practice it in a Word-way The Heart sick ones might be referred to apt pertinent proper Scriptures speaking directly to a multitude of such cases Shall I open a little of the maladies of the Soul in Man The Scriptures can inform us of the discouragement of the Soul the grief of the Soul its bitterness its outcryes through wounding it s pouring out its Anguish its sore vexings it s drawing nigh to the Gulphy empty space its afflictedness its weariness it s being torn its Consumptiveness it s being spoiled its need of healing it s being cast down it s making a tumultuous stir within a Man its sinking it s being bowed down it s having of overwhelming Waters to come into it it s refusing to be comforted it s being filled with troubles its being cast off its breaking it s cleaving to the Dust its melting for heaviness its faintings its Imprisonments It s being bereft of good its being removed far off from peace its exceeding sorrowfulness its troubledness and drying away its bowing down its being destroyed its being pierced thorow its being utterly cut off its being dispossest or turned out of possession its being devoured its being perverted with such like evil effects of the Soul this breathing part in Man And what can Philosophick Recipes do in these cases Whither can we go for a proper cure but to Christ in the Scriptures of Truth Shall we consider the spirit of Man a little That Candle or Lamp of Jehovah in Man searching all the Inner Chambers of the Belly Oh how many are its distempers In the Word we may read of the trouble or shortnedness of the Spirit the hardning of the Spirit its sadness its being drunk up by poison its unsteadfastness its hastiness its having a breach in it 〈◊〉 or its brokenness its haughtiness its unrulyness its sleepy distemper its grievedness its failing or fainting its deep sighingness its pressures its being bound its weaknesses its restless disquieting raging its jealousies its anguish its overwhelmedness its perversness its Pride its erringness its vexing and more such Whither now to what Apothecaries Shop to what Philosophical Doctor will you send for a cure of these you must come to the word and to him in and through the Word one of whose Names is the Healingâ—one of his people In his Word there are not only spiritual directions given about these inner distempers of Heart of Soul and of Spirit holy prescriptions and Heavenly counsels but also divers apt remedies are pointed to from the con-created vertues which the LORD hath put into several of his creatures when those who are reputed to be very learned in this Art are so far honoured and used by the LORD as to be made humble enough to be willing to be better taught and believers enough to judge God to be wiser then Man and Word-wisdom and Truth to excel Philosophick Follies and falsities the Medicinal Art will then advance and flourish There are many original words and phrases which do in a more general way direct unto health and to the recovery of it out of sicknesss besides a distinct particular enumeration of several diseases with their causes and curses and several proper useful directions about the choice of Meats and of Drinks relating to the Regiment of health That distinction and division of Animals of Fowls of Beasts of Fishes into clean and unclean although it had a further Typical shadowy figuring meaning under the Old Testament administration of grace leading them into an holy seperation from unclean peoples from Communion with such they were many ways to abstain yet withal a skilful Artist in the History of Animals may find out natural natural reasons and causes for such a discrimination When spiritual reason doth wisely exercise it self about this discovery by Scripture Nature and Experience it may discern clean Animals to have a proper nutritive vertue more wholesome and continuing and increasing of healthâ—ness whereas the unclean do more breed diseases at least they are not so healthful whereby the All-wise Physician the faithful Creator hath instructed his rational Creatures and graciously at once provided both for the health of Mens bodies and for the salvation of their Souls for Meats do dispositively operate upon the mind who may not see that hath any thing of a piercing eye that some Animals are more ravenous and rapacious others are more luxurious and wanton or more cruel and bloody or more gluttonous or more fearful or more filthy or more muddy or more cholerick and adust or more excessively moist with much more that might be added and do not these malignly influence upon those who make them their usual food How few are there of mankind who do study their own complexions constitutions temperaments or what that is which is suitable food for them Insomuch as that the most are even going into the other World before they know how to make one good meal but every thing is counted good with some that will fill their belly and any thing with others that will gratifie their distempered ungoverned appetite whereas he who hath not due regard to his dyet for kind measure and season will in time overturn his strength overthrow his health and disease himself and then the sick do feel the need of a Physician or Surgeon in which cases the Scriptures are not silent but would make them Medicinal Artists and teach them practical skill I have not abilities and accomplishments for it neither is it my profession to undertake to set before the Reader an exact Treatise of the Medicinal Art though I question not but that it may be found out in the Holy Scriptures and in created Works