could give Names to all the Beasts of the Field and to all the Fowls of the Aire Gen. 2. 16. But not a word do we read of his giving Names to the Stars of Heaven God saith expresly the Host of Heaven cannot be Numbred Jer. 33. 32. Hereupon Man is forced to call a whole House of Stars all by one Name such a Constellation containing each a Bundle of Stars The 3d. Remark is as the Stars are to be admired for their being above Name and Number so likewise no less admirable is both their Station and Motion The Great God hath set a Tabernacle in the Heavens for all those Nameless and Numberless Stars as well as for the Sun Psal 19. 4. 5. Each individual Star hath its distinct and particular Station as every great Cart-nail hath its proper place round about the Ring or Rimm of the Cart-wheel where it remains unmoveable every Star hath kept its Station ever since the Creation to this Day not one particular Star hath left its peculiar Place for almost 6000 Years Though some Angels left their first Habitation Jude v. 6. Yet never did any one Star forsake its own Tabernacle wherein its Creator at first placed it Indeed Metaphorical Lucifer did fall from Heaven Isa 14. 12. But the Literal and Real one to witt that call'd Venus the Morning and Evening star never yet did so The Stars are call'd the Host of Heaven Jer. 33. 22. They are Gods Army that have their Stands and Stations they all Stand in Battalia by the Appointment of their Maker and Master Jehovah is their Chief Lord General who hath set them in Rank and File by an Ordinance of Heaven Jer. 31. 35. c. No Star ever yet brake its Rank from the Foundation of the World Yet this Coelestial Host or Army hath not only its Stand and Station but also its March and Motion yea which is the more marvellous they both Keep their Station and hold their Motion at one and the same point of Time Their Station is certain and peculiar though their Motion be constant and perpetual This may be exemplyfied by a familiar Instance every Cart-nail in the Tire of the Wheel keeps its place where it is fixed while the Wheel runneth its Round and makes a progress T is not the Nail but the Wheel that makes the Circular Motion no more is it the Star that moves but the Orb or Sphere wherein it is fixed which carrys about the Star as the Wheel the Nail in its continual Circulation Thus likewise 't is further demonstrated by a well-disciplin'd Army every Soldier not only keeps to his own Colours but also marches orderly in his place whether a left Hand or a right Hand Man to his Rendezvouz he duly observing his Generals Order both for his Station where and his Motion whether at one and the same Time And no doubt but Gods Host of Heaven is a well disciplin'd Army every Star in Heaven is under a Law and Ordinance made by the God of Heaven God asks Job knowest thou the Ordinances of Heaven Job 38 33. Canst thou tell how to order the whole Host of Heaven as Master and Governor over them or canst thou guide or direct the Motion of that single Constellation Arcturus and his Sons ver 32. which ever whirleth Round about the Northern pole but never goes down the Horizon 't is the work of God alone to order every Star in its Course Yea to make the matter still more admired this motion of the Stars is made either without wandring or weariness 1st without wandring All the fixed Stars do constantly keep their way and their time as well as Place and Station in both their Nocturnal and Diurnal Motion 1 they do hold their way wherein their Maker hath confined them with so much exactnéss that they have no Epicycles as the Planets have nor any Eccentrick Motions but fulfil their Circles and Revolutions without the least Deviation Hence it is observed that those Inhabitants directly under the aequinoctial have a prospect of all and every Star equally for 12. Hours above the Horizon for there the Sphere is Direct but where it is oblique some Stars rise together yet do not set together yet none vary an Hairs-breadth from their appointed Lines of Circumference Neither 2 do they vary the time appointed them but do precisely observe it even to a Minute hereupon the Psalmist celebrates Gods Praise For the outgoings of the Morning and Evening Psal 65. 8. for the exact Vicissitude of Day and Night and the admirable Equipage the Host of Heaven marcheth in according to the Ordinances of Heaven from the Lord of Hosts Jer. 31. 35. The Sun Moon and Stars know and observe precisely their time both of going down and of rising up Psal 104. 19. 20. which all the Powers of Hell and Potentates on Earth can neither Hinder nor Hasten Job 38. 12. Psal 74. 16. 17. Yea so exact and regular is their Motion that Men who knows not where themselves shall be or what shall befall them to Morrow Prov. 27. 1. can write Ephemerides what Eclipses will be for many Years to come in what point of Heaven and what Hour of Day or Night such and such Positions Conjunctions Oppositions c. will happen yea not only when the Sun will rise and set all the Round Year but also that the Tail Star of the Great Bear will early and late point directly to Arcturus that Arcturus shall rise exactly when the Sun sets upon the 10th of March and that the great Star of the Lyon and of the Great-Dog though they rise together yet the Dog Star will set some Hours before Cor Leonis because their Sphere is oblique as to us this latter being neerer to the Tropick of Cancer as the former is to that of Capricorn these and many more Instances not mentioned may demonstrate how they all exactly observe their time and way without wandring Yea and 2dly All this the Stars do Without weariness also In an Host of men on Earth some Soldiers will be found both wandring and weary But in this Host of Heaven so called As none are found wandring in sano sensu So nor can we find one Star that may be reputed weary The Prophet compares God to a Chief Commander calling forth his Companies the Host of Heaven all in his Muster-Roll and laying his Commands upon them though some Soldiers may fail in their March either through Fear or Feebleness as that Aegyptian did 1. Sam. 30. 11. 12. 13. but not so much as one Star ever failed Isa 40. 26. though their March be many Millions of Miles round the Circumference and that without Rest and Respit Night or Day Yea and now for almost 6000 Years But one Instance for brevity to wit that afore mentioned 'T is a Matter of of great Admiration that Canis Major and Cor Leonis among the fixed Stars should Run a Race Round about the Globe of the Earth which the
Hebrews say is distant from Heaven a 500. Years Journey rise together at their first Creation in one point of time yet though they have been Running their restless Course for neer 6000 Years now neither of them hath fainted or failed in the way so as at any time to outrun each other but still both of those Great Stars observe a precise point of time for their Rising together now as they did at their first setting forth yea and of setting together to those under the Aequinoctial though not so to us through the obliquity of their Circle and Circumference in our Horrizon The same may be said of the other Stars The 4th Remark is that the Great God hath created not only Innumerable and Unnameable Stars that are fixed in the 8th Sphere call'd the Starry Heaven but also seven Planets or wandring Stars as the word Planet signifies so called not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simply but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum quid or Comparatively If those Planets be Simply and by themselves considered they have made their several Revolutions in their own distinct Orbs at the most fixed and most unchangeable certain Periods from the Beginning of the World to this present day but to speak comparatively in Respect of the fixed Stars all these Planets are placed under them have a differing Motion from them and hold an unequal distance to them yea and one to another in Respect of their seeming Vagabond and Eccentrick Motion they have various Longitudes Latitudes Conjunctions Oppositions extile Square and Trine Aspects Sometimes they move more swiftly sometimes more slowly as they are higher or lower in their Epicycles sometimes Retrograde Direct or Stationary never keeping the same distance among themselves or to any of the fixed Stars nor holding one and the same Situation in the Firmament as the fixed do Notwithstanding all this no Stars wander less than they do but have a most certain constant stated and regular Motion Duely performing the precise points and periods of their compass in their appointed Times As the Sun knows his going down Psal 104. 19. So do all the other six Planets comprehended in one Verse Post Sum Sum Sequitur proxima Luna subest Wherein S is Saturn J Jupiter M Mars The next S is Sol the Sun V Venus and M Mercury with Luna the Moon All these 7 are call'd wandring Stars for the Reasons above named and this Denomination hath a Divine warrant from the Apostle Jude v. 13. where wandring Stars are mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sense only of the common Judgment of Sense which beholds them carryed about in a differing Course to the whole Circuit of Heaven beside Two of those 7. Planets are these 2. Great Luminaries or Lights of the World the Sun and Moon both which be a whole Bundle of Wonders The Sun is the Prince of Planets yet as his Hebrew Name Shemesh Signifies is a Servant to Gods Servants He cometh out of his Chamber as a Bridegroom with marvellous Splendor Pomp and Bravery when he first sheweth himself above our Horizon and Rejoyceth as a Champion to Run his Race Psal 19. 4. 5. This he Runs with such a wonderful Swiftness as exceedeth the Eagles Flight more than the Eagle exceeds the slow Motion of the Snail Bellarmine saith the Sun runneth seven Thousand Miles in the Eight part of an Hour Bell. de Ascens Mentis in Deum grad 7. and with such Incomparable Sweetness Eccles 11. 7. that Eudoxus the Philosopher profess'd his Willingness to be burnt up presently by the Sun so he might be but admitted to come so near it as to learn the admirable Nature of it and Chrysostom cannot but wonder at the Suns darting down its Rayes towards the Earth whereas all Fire shooteth and hasteth up toward Heaven I might mention many more Marvels in the Sun were it not besides my present Design As likewise in the other Great Light the Moon cal'd Hebr. Jareach of Rauach to Refresh or Refrigerate because she cools the Earth with her Influences and Moses mentioneth that as the Sun by warmth so the Moon by Moysture make the Earth fruitful Deut. 33. 14. as some will needs place Hell in the Hollow of the Sun so others conceit a World in the Moon the Thinner part to be the Sea and the Thicker which is easy to discern not all alike lightsom to be the Earth However no Planet hath such Changeable Aspects yet Astronomers Affirm she hath as much light in her Wane as in her Full only her bright side is turned toward Heaven Hence Dr Hackwel hath an Excellent Note that therefore God seem'd to set Her lowest in the Heavens and neerest to the Earth of all the 7. Planets to put us daily in mind of the Constancy in Heavenly and Inconstancy of Earthly things Herself in some sort partaking of both though in a Different manner of the one in her Substance and of the other in her Visage to say nothing of the Ecclipses which are the wonders of the World and which Metamorphose even the very Haters of Astrology to become stark-staring Star Gazers to say but little of the two Planets next above the Moon yet under the Sun to wit Venus and Mercury both which do attend alway upon the Sun as Courtiers do upon the King never going far from Him Venus never more than 48 degrees and Mercury but 30 which is the Reason why it is so seldom seen and why both have no other Aspect to the Sun but Conjunction whereas the other Planets have oppositions c. The Morning Star commonly call'd Venus for its Beauty and Bravery is the constant Companion of the Sun and next in bigness as to Appearance to the two Great Lights casting a shadow as the Moon 't is seen long upon the Day and is not darken'd by the Moon in the Night Sed ipsius Contactu fit luc dior Aureo colore in Candorem diffuso The neer Approach of the Moon Changes only its golden Complexion into a more splendid brightness These two in a word Venus and Mercury are call'd Homodromi that is Fellow-Runners because They Run almost in the same course together and fulfills their periods not far asunder never much Remote from the Pallace Royal or Presence Chamber of the Sun their King which is also the Reason why these two never have Ortum Occasum Cosmicum they do not Rise and set with the Sun in that part or point of Heaven c. which is opposite Both keep nigh the Sun sometimes going before it and sometimes following After But omitting the Inferior my main concern at present is the Superior Planets under which the Sun is eated as the Center of all the Stars and the Eye of the World God hath placed it in the midst of the Orbs that it might the more commodiously give light It self being the fountain thereof to both the Superiour and Inferiour Stars and that neither by its propinquity If in the Moons
the other Planets and one towards another as Sextil Trine Square Opposit on and Conjunction waving all the other four I shall insist upon the Last named Their Conjunction must needs of all their other Aspects be most Remarkable seeing then and therein only those two mightyest Planets as it were twist together their most powerful Beams this they do when they come near each as do the Sun and the great Dog-star from the 20th of July to the 27th of August all which are call'd Dog days from the Hot season produced by the twisted Rays both of Sol and Sirius Indeed in true Propriety of Speech a Close Conjunction cannot be call'd an Aspect for when they have no distance wherein to look one upon another but are in the same Degree and Minute of a Sign together Thus may it sometime come to pass that Jupiter may totally Ecclips Saturn as being both in a lower Orb coming 'twixt us and it and of a larger Body seeing Saturn is but as a Star of the 2d Magnitude whereas Jupiter as one of the first Mr. Wing in his Astron Britannica pag. 1280. writeth that in the Year 1661. May the 3d. at 11. in the Night he saw Saturn totally Ecclips'd by the Moon which is a far lesser Body than it though it seem greater through its nearness to us and the others great Distance from us That these two Superior Planets as also Mars should be sometimes Direct going strait forward sometimes Retrograd stepping backward in their Motions and sometimes Stationary standing as we say-stock-still while all the other Stars call'd fixed never do so must needs be very marvellous yet their strange Conjunctions one with another is far more a greater marvel their Conjunction is Threefold 1. Minima 2. Media 3. Maxima or as Artists phrase them 1. Specialis 2. Trigonalis 3. Climacterica These 3. several sorts of Conjunctions in the two Superior Planets are caused thus 1. Saturn is of slowest Motion as he is the highest Planet and hath the largest Circle to run seldom above 3. or 4. Minutes in a day his mean Motion is as some say 2. Minutes and 11. Seconds his swiftest Motion is but 6. Minutes And if his Diurnal Motion be so slow his Annual must be accordingly which according to Keplers Tables improved by Maginus is computed not above 12. Degrees in 12. Months The slowness of Saturns Motion is further illustrated by his several Postures Retrograde Direct and Stationary He stands still neither moving backward nor forward for 3 or 4. some say five Days before he move backward or contrary to the Order and Succession of the 12. Signs and as many days before he go direct forward that is from one Degree of the sign to two and so on to the rest in which direct Posture the Sun and Moon are always found marching Endways and never are Stationary as the other Five Planets be or Retrograde but by a Miracle as they both stood still in Joshuahs time and the Sun went back 10 Degrees in that of Ahaz Beside Saturns Retrogradation conâ—â—â—â—eth customarily as some compute it an 140. Dayes all which considered must constitute his Motion Annually to be very slow 2. Jupiter hath a smarter Motion finishing his Revolution in about 12. Years whereas Saturn doth require about 30. Years wherein to finish his Cycle Yet Jupiters Motion compar'd with that of all the other Planets is very slow also whose swiftest Diurnal Motion is but about 14. Minutes as Saturns at the most is but 7. and Mars but 31. beside his being as well as Saturn Stationary five Days before he be Retrograde four Days before he go Direct and his Retrogradation lasteth 120. Days So that he likewise is of a slow Motion Hence it comes to pass that these 2. Planets do seldom make Application each to other in their distinct Spherical Motions they seldom meet together in Conjunction and they may meet together sometimes with their Beams when they do not exactly with their Bodies The first sort of those three Conjunctions the 2. Superior Planets make is call'd the Least Meanest or Special which falls out only once in about 20. Years reckoning in the round Number all along and not troubling either my self or the Reader with the Fractions or broken Numbers This may be thus explained Suppose Saturn and Jupiter do start and begin their Course in the Sign Aries the first chief and cardinal Sign of all the 12 in the Zodiack Jupiter must run through all the 12. Signs before Saturn can run through 4. of them therefore through this Inequality and Disproportion of these 2. Planets distinct Motion before Jupiter can overtake Saturn the Space of about 20. Years is required that is the Time whereat these 2. Planets do concur always in some one of the 12 Signs and in some one Degree and Minute thereof This is call'd Conjunctio Minima Their 2d sort of Conjunctions is the Mean or Middle for understanding this we must suppose the 12. Signs are divided into 4. Trigons Triplicities or Triangularitiys the Fiery Earthy Aery and watery Trigon Aries Leo and Sagittary make the first Taurus Virgo and Capricorn the second Gemini Libra and Aquarius the third Cancer Scorpio and Pisces make the fourth now Saturn and Jupiter having made 10 Conjunctions as Modern Astronomers reckon them though the Antient say 12. but of that after in some one of those four Trigons they then go off from that Triplicity to make so many Meetings or Conjunctions be it 10. or 12. in the next Trigon as out of the fiery Triangularity into the Earthy c. These many Meetings in each Trigon before they can go through all the 3. Signs thereof require the Space of 198. Years and 265. or according to Alsted 236. days c. by the Modern computation of making only 10. Meetings but if 12. after the Antients 〈◊〉 â—aken then the measure of time will be not only almost 200. aâ—â—… the former but altogether 240. Years before the planetary Conjunctions have accomplish'd all their Revolutions in any one single Trigon for which it is call'd the Trigonal or Mean Conjunction Lastly the 3d. Sort is the Great Greatest most signal and climacterical Conjunction which happeneth very rarely in the World for as the first falleth out once and but once in every Twenty Years successively as above and as the second succeeds only in every two Hundred Years which is the round Number within little more than one Year above the Fractions according to the Modern computation So this third cannot fall out till Saturn and Jupiter have run out all their 10 or 12. Conjunctions in the First the fiery Trigon all the same Number in the second the Earthy all likewise in the Aery the third and lastly all in the last which is the watery by an orderly Progress When these two superior Planets have run through all these four Trigons in successive Order and at last comes to have another Conjunction after
13. but Moses Intimates that they are the Treasurys of God having Treasure laid up in them the Stars are Gods Store-houses out of which He scatters his precious things from his Heaven upon the Earth saying The Lord shall open to thee his good Treasure Deut. 28 12. Every Star saith one is as a purse of Gold out of which God casts down Riches that Good Men gather up by Honest means but the Evil scramble for by fraud or by Force that the Stars be Signs all do grant and in some sense Causes That they be Signs is grounded upon Gen. 1 14. Let them be for Signs yet some do narrow that word saying they are only Signs of Night and Day if so then the Sun and Moon had been enough to signify both these so all the Rest of the Thousands and of the Millions be altogether superfluous Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora what need many where two will do 't is against Common sense as well as express Scripture to deny that those Celestial Bodies are not Signs of Times and Seasons also as of Summer and Winter Gen. 8 22. of Weather c. yea Learned and solid Pareus on Gen 1 14. Excellently Argues that the Stars could not be call'd Signs unless They did signify something and that something He saith is to warn mortals of may Matters such as be 1 Natural 2 Civil 3 Spiritual and He Approves of that 〈…〉 Verse of Aratus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Stars signify to men what matters are forged or framed for them As 1 Natural Signs they be of Heat Cold Dryness and Moisture c. 2 Civil the Sailor must Hoise up his Sails as the Word pleiades signifies when those 7 Sisters bring in the Spring with their sweet Influences So for setting sowing c. 3 Spiritual their Aspects and Passions saith he are Signs of spiritual Events as both Scripture and Experience teach such as Ecclipses Comets c. For though these things have their Causes in Nature yet do oft portend horrible Changes of publick Affairs Seditions Wars Droughts Inundations c. for so much as He saith they either do naturally excite those sore Judgments Through divine Pleasure or do certainly assist the Causes thereof therefore they do foreshew and are Signs of Gods Displeasure whereby Men are alarum'd to Repentance Though the Rainbow have a Natural cause as the Reflection of the Sun-beams in an opposit watery Cloud yet is it nevertheless a Sign of Divine Clemency Gen. 9. 8. for preserving the World How much more must those preternatural Passions of the Planets be Signs of either Gods Anger or Favor Pareus on Gen. pag. 54. Col. 12. All this He saith though in pag. 55. He shews himself no Friend to Judiciary Astrology which Dr. Willet likewise declares to be repugnant to Reason as well as Scripture and its practice in telling Fortunes and finding things lost c. to be Vain and Impious in his 20th Question Gen. 1. 14. My opinion is Astrology in the General is lawful provided it keep within its due Bounds and pry not too far into Gods Secrets Deut. 29. 29. 'T is only the allknowing God who can foretel future Events Isa 41. 21. 22. 27. 1. Eccles 8. 7. and 10. 14. c. Man knows not what shall be no nor the Devil not withstanding the Subtlety and Sagacity of his Angelical nature together with his long Experience to help Man therefore all his Oracles He deliver'd in ambiguous Terms that he might save his Credit when deceiv'd All Apollo's Oracles were made by Astrology saith Eusebius Depraeparat Evang. l b. 6. cap. 1. with lib. 5. cap 10. And they were not only directed by the Aspect of Stars but also ministred by Familiar spirits Yet the starry Heaven is a sacred Alphabet wherein the Wisdom Power Justice and Mercy of God are Lined out to us these all be written legibly yea Palpably as the word Act 17. 27. signifies in the Brows of the Firmament hence Clemens Alex Calls it the first Bible God made for Mans instruction 't is one of the 3 leaves of the Book of Nature which every mortal should read and consider Thus David did He read it because it declared the Glory of God Ps 19. 1. yea every line of that leaf he knew how far reached the length of those lines what David calls a line Faul calls a Voice Rom. 10. 18. quoted from Ps 19. 4 Reading Divinity-Lectures to all the Inhabitants of the Earth that they may make a serious contemplation of them and David considered as well as Read it Ps 8 3. All men as well as He should be much in this Consideration this Appears because 1 herein lays the Difference betwixt Men and Beasts which cannot consider any thing 2 The bolt upright figure of mans Body doth admonish him hereof The Heathen Poet Ovid could say thus Os Homini sublime dedit coelumque videre Jussit erectos ad sydera tollere vultus God with a lofty look did man Indue Commanding him the Heavens and Stars to View 3 We are taught this duty by the fift Muscle which God hath given to mans Eye whereas other Creatures have but four for drawing it upward ut ejus Auxilio Coelum Intueremur saith the Anatomist that by the help thereof we might Contemplate and Consider the Heavens some Heathens to the Shame of some Christians have said they were therefore Born that they might Contemplate the Heavens Alas many make more Delightful Contemplations upon Lumps of Farth than upon the Lamps of Heaven as Duke de Alva have so much business on Earth that they have no Time to Look up to Heaven let us consider them cry with David Lord what is man c Ps 8 3 4. in looking up we behold every Star Twinkling at us and as it were Beckoning to us to Remember our Creator Eccles 12 1. 'T is not presumption but Duty to Read the Face of the Firmament Matth. 16 2. Luke 12 56. 1 Kings 18 43 44. Read this Leaf while it is Expansum an open Leaf for it must be Rolled up and Folded together as a Scroll Isa 34. 4. and Rev. 6 14. yet rest not in Reading this Book of nature that only Declares Creation-Love 'T is the Book of Scripture in which Redemption love is Discover'd we are no where bid to search in the former as in the latter John 5 39. for Eternal life 'T is said Ubi definit Phtlosophus ibi incipit Theologus So where Nature Ends and can go no further there the Scripture begins and giveth more grace Jam 4 6. Isalm 19 1 2 7 8. 2 But the grand Question is though Stars be Signs whether they be also Causes seeing Mases calls them Signs Gen. 1 14 but never causes A. Baldwin saith Stars do incline irritate but do not necessitate p. 780 Cas Consc Amesius calls them common causes Cas Consc p. 191 Alsted stiles them Causae adiuvantes ibid