yet must correct Saturns Malignity Halys comment on Ptolomy 63. Aphorism beside both Jupiter and Saturn are oriental and so is Mars which is a Situation judg'd the least obnoxious Saturn say Artists makes Plots but Jupiter above him spoils them both the Two and Mars are occidental to the Sun and therefore saith Almansor propos 30. They must give good at the latter End though the way to that End may be rough and rugged enough esp to the Northern Regions they being all so nigh to the Tropick of Cancer their Diurnal Ark or March in our Horizon pouring down their Influences for about 15 Hours and both Saturn and Mars being what Star soever they are joined with so mischievous to Mankind What their 2d Conjunction on January 30 in the Y. 83 and their 3d Conjunction again upon May the 2d in the same next Year 83. all Three in Leo though in 2 distinct Years immediatly succeeding each other and all 3 in theCompass of 8 Months which is far short of the distance of 20. years for this great Conjunction consists of all these 3 Meetings that a 3 fold Cord may not easily be broken Whereas as is abovesaid their least Conjunction hath the Interspace of 20 years may conduce hereunto time will best declare for Truth is the Daughter of Time Considering also that the Sun will lose its light so soon after this first Conjunction October the 9 82 so little before their second in January 30. in 83 for in the same Year and Month upon the 17th Day of January in the Y. 83. that great Luminary will be Ecclipsed and 9 Digits darkened in Aquarius about 3 a clock in the Afternoon much more might be added here but sat verbum sapienti c. I have duly and daily observ'd the Motion of these 2 great Planets every clear Morning since they came nigh each other and do wonder that they should be so swift in their Motion Saturn running 2 Millions 376 Thousand 261 Miles in an Hour and 3964 Miles in one Minute and Jupiter running 898 Thousand 700 Miles in one Hour and 14 Thousand 9 Hundred 78 Miles in one Minute yet are so slow in their Meeting For I find Saturn requires 12 Days in his Diurnal motion to go this one single Degree in Leo and Jupiter requires 7 days for the same before they can come through the 18th Degree of Leo to conjoin in the 19th distant only 2 Minutes whereof there be 60 in every Degree on the 9th of 8ber 82 then on the 10th Day Saturn marches off 6 Minutes and Jupiter 8 from their so near Application It must be considered also that the proper Motion of these 2 Planets as of all the other 5. is from West to East upon the Pole of the Zodiack though the primum mobile or upper Heaven hurry them upon the Northern Southern Poles from East to West as plainly appeareth in the Motion of the Moon one of the Planets which at her Change is setting West every Night falls backward and backward towards the East till at her Full she Riseth in the East in about 15. Days 2ly Theological that it may 1 appear This Discourse is not Chaldaization or the folly of the Chaldees so much condemned in Scripture for Astronomy and Astrology must not be confounded as too generally they are That the Stars have a 3 fold Excellency light Motion and Influence is granted by all that are Judiciously Learned All the Controversy is about the last Concerning their Influence there be 3 Opinions 1 in excess 2 in Defect and the 3 in the middle between both The 2 former extremes are offensive but the 3d is inoffensive 1 Those in the Excess were the Chaldeans Arabians Egyptians Stoicks and many Jews yea and Gentiles too both Heathen and Christian who Account the Heavens to be a Book wherein the Fates of All are written and who make their Schemes and Horoscopes from thence as Creditable as the Gospel 2 Those in the Defect are such as Censure all sorts of Astronomical prognosticks for Tables and Fooleries To say Heavenly bodies do produce no effects by their powerful Influence is to Deny both Scripture and Experience They both offend in Contrary Extremes in saying that the Stars either do all things or that they do nothing therefore 3 The middle way betwixt these two Extremes must be most Approved In Medio tutissimus Ibis Ecclipses may certainly and changes of Times may probably be prognosticated Job was Undoubtedly a great Astronomer yet a good man and Holy in his Astronomy knowing Arcturus Orion the Pleiades and the Chambers of the South Job 9. 9. Yea and the Dragon whose nodes have all the Ecclipses and Seated betwixt the 2 Bears not far from the North-pole Job 26 13. and God himself Discourseth with Job as with one Conversant in that study Job 38 31 32 33. Where the Lord Asserts an Influence in the Stars and that Irresistible as to Man Job cannot bind it up or loose it out and let it go the power of Binding and loosing pertaineth to the all powerful God who is the sole Guide and Governor of them and who hath placed a Dominion in them over all Elementary bodies which is expresly mentioned in these words canst thou set the Dominion of them on the Earth Job 38 33. God hath put a Power into the Stars to Rule the 4 Seasons of the year c. This is call'd The Powers of Heaven 3 Times Recorded by Christ himself Matth. 24 29. Mark 13 25. and Luke 21 26. and surely those powers cannot be Insignificant Deus Natura nil faciunt frustra God and Nature make nothing in Vain They have then a Power Dominion or Influence which no mortal men though never so many or mighty can either binder or hasten Thus Amos also that Heardsman and Summer-fruit-gatherer neither a Prophet nor the Son of a Prophet Amos 7. 14 yet was a most notable Astronomer discoursing notably upon the Stars Chimah and Chesil 2 years before the Noted Earthquake Amos 1 1. and 5 8. as likewise upon the Spheres those 3 Stories of Heaven one above another before the Famine of the Word Amos 9 6. and 8. 11. yea and Hosea brings in God Reckoning the Heavens to be next in power the next Vessel of Mercy to Himself Hos 2 21. where the Prophet sets down a Concatenation of Causes concerning Divine providence which the Wizzards of this World either denye or deride Lastly Moses when He blesseth Israel as their Civil Father as Jacob their natural Father had done before Him Gen. 49. Declares therein How the precious things of the Heavens do bring forth the precious Things of the Earth Deut. 33 13 14 15. So that Stars are not set and seated in the Heavens ornatus gratiâ merely for Ornaments sake as Baldwin in Cases of Conscience p. 780. excellently Demonstrates They are not only for Garnishing the Under-Ceiling and stately Vault above our Heads as Job says Job 26
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
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
Number of God our Creator who is one in Three and Three in one the Quaternary or Four is the Number of Man the Creature who is made up of the four Elements as are also all Sublunary things call'd Elementary compound Bodies hence it is that all things have a wonderful Harmony of Cohaerency and Rest in the Septenary Number hereupon Philosophy calls io Numerus primus Virgineus Sacer Quietarius 1 The first Number because it made up the first Week 2 The Virgin Number because great is its force and efficacy as a Virgin is in the Flower and Strength of Age so every Seventh Year is computed Climacterical and Seven Nines or 63. is accounted the great one as 7. Years in Law is the Term of a Mans life and 3 Sevens are aequivalent to 3 Lives 3 'T is call'd a Sacred Number because it flows from the Ternary which is the Number of God and the Quaternary the Number of the World as is abovesaid this Note savors not so much of Superstition as it Respects the Nature of Harmony hence the Poets Phrase Perfection of Prosperity by torque quaterque Beati a 3 sold and a 4 fold Happiness 4 'T is the Resting number because the Seventh Day and the Seventh Year in sacred Writ were Sabbatical Every week is call'd Septimana consisting of 7. Days and every Seventh Year produceth some material Alteration Beside the Seventh Number is call'd the Limit and Measure of all inferior numbers and any great number proposed whose Measure is Seven and may be divided by 7. exactly can by no other Means be more certainly sound out than by Division with 7. But above all the Holy Scriptures number all by Sevens accounting the 7th Hour Day Month and Year to be all Sabbatical and the Seven Seventh Year to be a Jubilee a Restitution of all c. And this Harmony between Hours Days Months and Years seems to be intimated Revel 9. 15. Thus also the Law required 7. washings or sprinklings of blood or water and the 7. Lamps in the Inner Court or Holy Place representing the 7. Planets in the Visible Heavens as the greatest Lamp stood in the middle of the other six having 3. on either side so the Sun is seated in the midst as Prince of the Planets having 3. above Him and 3. below Him all attending him as above All the walks of this glorious Sun are shadows of something within the Vail The Eve or Evening was as Eve was to Adam the Wife of the Morning the Jews and other Nations reckon the Beginning of Time as of the Sabbath at Evening and to them that are about the Aequator and to all ar either Aequinox the first 6 Hours brings the Sun to the Mid-night Nadir or Mid-Heaven of the Antipodes and six more to the Morning Horizon six more to the Zenith or noon of the upper Hemisphere six more to its setting again when the Sun hath taken all these Turns of Sixes 6. times over theh comes the 7th or Sabbath Day whereon the Cakes of the Shew-bread were changed 1. Sam. 21. 6. Every 7th Hour as well as every 7th Day made a Pauze or Rest the Sabbath of the Evening Ps 104. 23. of the Midnight or the Morning and of the Noon or Mid-day All Vsherd in by six Hours as the Sabbath is by six days and that 7th is the first Number wherein Heaven and Earth met together God and Man in the first Sabbath worship Numero Deus Impare Gaudet 7. is an odd Number and the 7th Day was not only a Resting but a Refreshing day to God Exod. 31. 17. would to God it were so to us above all the other 6. Days And I know not why this 7th Grand Revolution of those Planets may not bring in a blessed Sabbatism or some Extraordinary Rest and Refreshment seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Time of Refreshing or as the Gr. signifies or Cooling the Heat is promised Act. 3. 19. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Time of the Restitution of all things v. 21. wherein all Ruines by Sin shall be Repaired by our Saviour and Blessed Jesus shall take off the Curse and Corruption under which the Creature groaneth Rom. 8 19 20. 21. 22. This great Scripture Truth Divine Plato Hammerd at in his Great Revolution when after many Thousands of Years He saith all things shall be again in statu quo prius as they were at the Worlds beginning in a state of perfection The World waxeth worse and worse and the last being but Dregs are the worst of Times yea not only the Earth but Heaven also grows faint and feeble through old Age. Insomuch that the Sun as Ptolomy saith Runs much nearer the Earth many Thousand Miles now than at the Creation If so then by the same Rule the Planets must do the same and then neither of them have kept their first perfection from whence some Salvo's to arising Doubts may be deducted if this Hypothesis should be taken for Granted But whatever may be said to Ptolomys Assertion I shall endeavor to illustrate that of Noble Tycho Brahe saying that all the 6. Great Conjunctions which only have happened since the Foundation of the World Exclusive to this 16. Century have been Auspicious to the World and Vsherd in some signal Mercies to Man-kind So this 7th in our Century will certainly exceed them all c. as the 6. Days Creation had each of them their Tob Good but the 7th Days Rest was attended with Tob Meod very good So the 6. former Revolutions all brought Tob good to the Church but this 7th suppos'd to be the last will undoubtedly bring Tob Meod very good things with it The Bridegroom at the Marriage feast reserves his Best Wine for the Last Time John 2. 9. 10. Take a short Land-skip of all the former 6. The first under Enoch 800. Years of the World his Name signifies Catechised as Gen. 14. 14. Chanikau Catechised or Trained up in Religion as well as Warfare He was taught of God to walk with God Gen. 5. 24. Hebr. 11. 5. Ecclesiasticus 44. 16. and 49. 14 A great Type of Christ in his Ascension living 365 Years before his Translation after a God pleasing Life and just so long did Christ live in the Purity of the Primitive Church to Julian the Apostate in the Year 365 after Christ He was as all the Patriarks were the Chief Bishop of his Time by whose Labours the Church of God was preserved in that prophane Age He prophecyed of the Destruction of Sinners before Noah did of the Deluge foretelling the Day of Judgment and the Coming of our Lord. Syr. Maran-Atha hence the Jews make him the Author of the great Excommunication Jude v. 14. 15. As Enoch is call'd the 7th from Adam the Church had some Sabbath or 7th Time of Refreshing by him a Rest and Respit from that Vniversal Destruction which came upon the World afterwards Thus Elijah Enochs Brother candidate of Immortality is
year of Christ 1694 which is now about 12 y. hence for the first Year of that Triumphant State or Happy Jubilee And I cannot but wonder to find Trithemius Spineus Cardan and Tycho Brahe all speaking of a new erected Kingdom about the Year 1700. which is about 5 or 6 years beyond Alsteds Account In quo omnia Nutu Unius Regentur c. And betwixt this great Conjunction renew'd again Jan. 30 and May 2d of the next year and in that 17 Century I find not any other of these 2 Superior Planets nor will be till their 20 y. Return from this Meeting only as great an Ecclipse of the Sun I find March 29 in the y. 1693 about Alsteds year aforementioned as was that in the y. 1652. which than gave the Denomination of Black Munday accompanyed with most Black Effects 4 As to those that have put so much stress upon the y. 1666 a year fatal to London not to Rome that mystical Babylon Time it self the best Interpreter of dark Mysteries hath confuted That was before this Great Conjunction though not before a Great Comet in the y. 64 vnless we reckon from Christs not Birth but Ascension for then was made Christs Visible Conquest which will be a fit Salvo for the aforesaid as adding 34 y. more to 1666 betwixt Christs Ascension and Descension to Restore all things which is not yet elaps'd but falls upon the 17. Century 5 there be others who judge the Time uncertain and certainly their Judgment in my Judgment is most certain However this is a sovereign Cordial against all our interveing Cordoliums that our Redemption draweth nigh Luke 21 28. therefore are we bid to look up and to lift up our Eyes on high upon those Heavenly Wonders the Conjunctions and the Comets Isa 40 26. And lift up your Heads c. as before or exhilarate corda cheer up your Hearts as that Luke 21 28. is interpreted or stretch forth your Necks as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 19. signifies which is either a Metaphor from Birds that thrust forth a long Neck out of a Cage or else from Men that earnestly look and long for some special Friend a coming as Siseras Mother did looking out at a Window and crying why is his Charet so long in coming Judg. 5 28. when ye see those things come to pass saith Christ that is when ye behold these Signs Prodigies Ecclipses c. Then know your full and final Deliverance is not far off see Rom. 8 19 to 22. 6 Whereas this Intimation cutts the Worlds continuance in statu quo short of 6000 years 't is true it seemeth to do so The Hebrew Cabbalists do indeed observe that in the first Verse of the Holy Bible there are six Alephs who from thence conclude that the World shall last six Thousand Years reckoning each Aleph as it stands in Gen. 1. 1. for a Thousand Suitable to this in point of Time is that other Rabbinical Notion that as Solomons Temple was finished in the 3000 y. of the World so the spiritual Temple shall be consummated in three Thousand more According to this Tenure likewise doth the known Prophecy of Elias not the Tisbite but a later Learned Rabbi run in his Reckoning that as there weree 2000 y. plus minus before the Law and 2000 y. more or less under the Law So there are to be 2000 y. also vnder the Gospel Agreable also to these 3 former Computations is the Notion of comparing the six Thousand years of the Worlds Redemption whereof the first four Thousand belong'd to the prophetical Office of Christ and the last two Thousand to his Sacerdotal or Priestly unto the six first Days of the Worlds Creation Because both the Old and New Testament do testify that a Thousand Years with God are as one Day Psal 90 4. and 2. Pet. 3 8. As likewise because God promiseth to shew Mercy to a 1000 Generations that is as some interpret it for 7000. y. For as after the 6 Days came the Sabbath so after the six Thousand comes the 7th or Sabbatical Millennium And after the prophetical and priestly Offices be accomplished in the four and two Thousand as aforesaid then begins his Regal Office wherein he takes to himself his great power and Reigns Revel 11 15 17. for which He hath been in long Expectation Hebr. 10 13. with 1 13. and Ps 110 1. and 1. Cor. 15 24. 25. this is his Kingly Office 7 These aforesaid Divisions of Times are Indeed Fair and plausible but as they are not Divine and Scriptural wanting a Warrant from the Spirits Inspiration so there is 1 a plus and a minus a more and a less Attending them and if the two former periods why not the latter 2 Christ hath said that this latter period shall be shortened for the Elects sake Matth. 24 22. which words may have a special Relation to the world in general as well as to Jerusalem in particular 3 There is a German Doctor who tells us we have lost more in the Chronology of Time than Two Hundred years 4 Consider that Tycho Brahe calls the Former Epoches of great Revolutions Uneven ones and why may not this last be so 5 Remember how the Antients make 960. y. betwixt one Climacterical Conjunction and another this will Advance c. 6 so will a Reckoning from Christs Ascension and not from his Birth 7 This Planetary Revolution being the 7th we may expect the sooner a Restitution of all things All Sabbatick Circulations are Reputed as Rings of Gold and the 7th is the Diamond and Sparkling Jewel of Daily Monthly and Annual Revolutions I shall therefore Conclude with this precious double 7th both in the paragraph and in the Subdivision and with that old Hebrew prayer Bimerah Bejamenu let this 7th Millennium or Blessed Jubilee come quickly and in our Day Before we be lodged in the silent Grave even so Come Lord Jesus come quickly So prayeth C. N. Christopher Nesse FINIS POST-SCRIPT 'T is true when this Sabbatick Jubilee shall begin no mortal man can determin the Hour Day Mouth or Year Tacente Scriptura Taceamus nos where the Scripture hath not a Mouth to speak we should not have a Tongue to ask no man nor Angel knows when the Son of man will come to Restore all things Matth 24 36. Acts 3 21. The Truth is Certain that it shall be but the Time is Vncertain when it will be for the Scripture is silent upon a 2 fold account 1 to suppress our Curiosity eorum quae scire nec datur nec fas est Docta est Ignorantia saith Austin An Itch of knowing secrets is a sort of madness saith Calvin Arcana Dei sunt Arca Dei a prying into Gods Secrets which belong not to us Deut. 29 29. may have the same measure with presumptuous prying into Gods Ark. 1. Sam. 6 19. and Peter gives the same charge against Curiosity as against Theft or Murder 1. Pet. 4 15.