wee may but the Original is And thou shalt lie down with thy Fathers 2 Sam. 7.12 So Asa the King's Coffin is called a Bed 2 Chron 16.14 and our forefathers in their Saxon tongue style a Burying place legerstoƿ or place to lie down in as in the Laws of King Canute Numb 3. In the Case of Natural Rest 't is not the whole man onely the Earthlie part falleth asleep the Soul is then most awake The Bodie 's Night is the Soul's Daie our Better part saith Cardan is never it 's own man till now when exalted unto a State of Separation as it were in the bodie it spendeth the time in Contemplations free and congeniall to its own Extraction So in the sleep of Death 't is not the totus Homo the Bodie indeed is dead becaus of sin the Soul is then most Alive Here as a Servant it is still required to the Exigencies of the Bodie having no time of it's own to spend but what it can get by stealth when the Master is gon to bed But there like it's Redeemer free among the Dead and delivered from the Incumbrances of the Bodie it begineth to bee a Soul to it self minding that which is above and looking with a more piercing eie upon the Invisible things of God It is noted by the Naturalists and wee finde it true in observation that no nois awaketh Natural Sleep more suddenly then an Humane voice Nay though it bee that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that dead and dangerous sleep as the Aphorism noteth it in Hippocrates But especially the Experiment holdeth if the voice calleth upon him in his own name But that wee shall all bee awaked out of this other Sleep by the sound of our Proper Names is more then I can pretend to though S. Peter's call was Tabitha surge and our Saviour's to his Friend Lazare veni foras Lazarus com forth To saie nothing to Epiphanius his Tradition that when our Lord went down into Hell and there found our Father Adam fast hee took him by the hand and called him by his own Name in the words of S. Paul Surge Adam qui dormis so indeed som Antient Copies read it Arise Adam thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead Christ taketh thee by the hand But this I am sure of that wee shall all bee awaked by a voice the voice of an Archangel and the word shall bee as som think Surgite mortui c. Nor shall it bee the voice of a God and not of a Man it shall bee an Humane voice for by the Archangel wee are to mean the Son of Man For the hour cometh in which all they that are in the Graves shall hear his voice and shall com forth Job 5.28 Which why it should bee strange of us I know not since it is true of the Swallows by a certain and confest Experience that when the Winter cometh they lie down in the hollow of a Tree and there falling asleep quietly resolv into their first Principles But at the Spring 's approach they are not so though throughly dead but that they hear the stil nois of Returning Nature and awaking out of their Mass rise up everie one to their life again Ego novi hominem c. I know a man saith the Learned Prince of Concordia who in his soundest Sleep could walk talk write and dispatch anie business of the most required Vigilance They seem to have had som such conceit of Death who hold it no absurditie to write Letters to their dead Friends as the Emperor Theodosius to S. Chrysostom more then thirtie Years after his deceas as if Death were a kinde of live Sleep Such an one as that which Jupiter sent of an Errand to awake Agamemnon And may wee not as properly saie that to bee Dead is to bee Alive as to saie to Die is to bee Born And yet the Antients as if Corruption had been their Father and the Worms their Mother were wont to call the daies of their Death Natalia not Dying but Birth-daies Mos inolevit in sancta Ecclesia it hath been the custom in the holie Church saith Haymo when a Saint of God departed this life to call it not the daie of his Death but the daie of his Nativitie That which wee call Death's they call Life's door Seneca himself said as much Dies iste quem Tutanquam Supremum reformidas Aeterni Natalis est As if all this were so indeed the Jews to this daie stick not to call their Golgotha's Batte Caiim the Houses or places of the Living At the least they have an Effectual life in them for the Mummies are known to bee most soveraign and Magistral in Medicine and the Principal Ingredient of the weapon-Salv is the Moss of a dead Man's-skul as the Recipe delivered by Paracelsus to Maximilian the Emperor Once more and I leav the Parallel Sleep wee know is most natural to Animal-Creatures and for Men so Necessarie that Aristotle saith that the end of it in us is Bene Ratiocinari And yet hee himself is cited by Olympiodorus to have known a Man who never slept in all his Life And the strangeness hath been quitted by an Experience of later daies The Comparison holdeth in the Sleep of Death 't is Omnibus communis common to all men as wee use to saie And yet som Jews believ that the last age of Men shall bee so long liv'd as to prevent the Resurrection But S. Paul himself hath promised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wee shall not all die som shall bee changed And therefore 't is no vain Article which wee so daily profess that our Saviour shall com to judg both the Quick and the Dead Wee are to saie then of all those that are departed this life as the Jews of their Father Jacob Non est Mortuus or as our Saviour of Lazarus and the Maid Why trouble you your selvs they are not Dead but Sleep And when a Friend leaveth this world wee are to bid him but Good Night in sure and certain Hope to meet again in the great Morning of the World But now How long how long Lord Holie and True will som saie or as those in S. Peter Where is the promise of his Coming For since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue to bee as they were from the begining to the Creätion But these Men have not the knowledg and this is to bee spoken to their shame The Lord is not slack as concerning his Promise for Behold hee cometh quickly and his Reward is with him When wee awake out of our natural sleep bee the Night never so long to us it seemeth but a Moment And the Night is no longer in the Prophet David's account Psal 30.5 For his Anger endureth but a Moment that is weeping may endure for a Night but joie cometh in the Morning 'T is no otherwise in Death for when first wee awake out of this sleep wee shall think that wee did but
mentioneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 39 p. 62. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little Temple of Juno set upon a Table and turning towards the East This indeed is enough to declare the use of these Little Shrines in the Heathen Devotions but supplyeth not the main want of a like acception of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passing as in the Text here in the diminitive sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the addition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the like 'T will be very hard to finde it so elsewhere And therefore make the more of this lucky passage in an old Scholiast upon Aristotle's Rhetorick Arist Rhet. Lib. 1. C. 15. Aristotle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Callistratus accused Melanippus for cheating the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of three Holy halfe-penny farthing The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are rendred by the Latine Interpreters fabri aediles or templorum constructores As if the Architecture of a Church were any one mans artifice The old Scholiast expounds the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Temple makers But that is saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certain small wooden Temples enshrined with Images they made to sell A like sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See in Codin De Officiis Aulae Constantinopol And such Temples as these abating the Materiall were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Silver shrines not for but of Diana made by Demetrius and the Craftsmen to bee sold And the respect of this was that which moved the quarrell The great Goddesse indeed was pretended but at this time there was a solemne confluence of all the Lesser Asians to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Holy Games celebrated at Ephesus to the honour of other Gods but to Diana in chief And it must needs have been very much out of the Craftsmens way if it could have beene perswaded as Paul endeavoured to doe that these enshrined Idolillos of Diana so much bought up by the devout people were no Gods because they were made with hands And such a shrine as these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 7. vers 43. as the Lxx rightly translate that of Amos the Prophet c. 5.23 The Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Siccuth or Succoth Malcecem that is not an Idoll so called as the vulgar and others but the Tabernacles of your King or Moloch Their King was Saturne whom the Persians and Arabians called Civan or Cavian as Aben Ezra truly observed and the Persian Glossaries make to appeare Predrom Copt C. 5. p. 147. The Aegyptians called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as may be seen in the Coptick Table of the Planets The Idolatrous Jewes were to call a Heathen God by the Natives name Ciun or Civan The Natives were the Arabians in whose wildernesse they then were Therefore the Prophet retained this word But the Lxx as translating to Ptolomy rendred Rephan which St. Steven followed In these little Tabernacles they enshrined as the Ephesians those of Diana in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Figures which they made to worship it was the figure of a Planet The Figures of Saturne or the Starres of their God Rephan CHAP. XII Job 26.6 7. Hell if naked before him and destruction hath no covering He stretcheth out the North over the empty place and hangeth the Earth upon nothing THough Hell bee naked before Him that made it and yet hee made not death as to us destruction hath a Covering I have wondered much at the Curiosity how learned soever of some who undertake to set downe the subteraneous Geography of this place and describing it so confidently as if they had beene there already not the Gates and Chambers of death onely but the very points of the Compasse in that Region and shadow Rusca de infern c. and how many Soules may sit upon the point of a Needle I will onely put these men in remembrance of the Syriack Reading in the last verse where instead of those words but how little a portion 〈◊〉 heard of him that Translation rendreth Et qualis serme malus auditus est de eo which seemeth to confesse as if our best expressions of the workes of God were but in a manner to give the Maker ill language And if it be so then for men to speake of Hell as if it were Naked before us too is to give him the Lye But my businesse is to tell the meaning of Job in the next words He stretcheth out the North c. The North here is not to bee taken for the Terrestriall Globe as the Jewes would have it for they are deceived who thinke the latter clause to be a Repitetion of the former The North is meant of the Heavenly Expansum as the word extending sufficiently intimates And though the North onely be nam'd yet the whole spheare is meant And yet not onely for this reason as all thinke yet because the Northerne Hemispheare was principall as to Job's Respect and the Position of Arabia but because this Hemispheare is absolutely so indeed 't is principall to the whole for as the Heavens and the Earth are divided by the middle line the Northerne Halfe hath a strange share of Excellency Wee have more Earth more men more Starres more day And which is more then all this Ridley of Magneticall bodies and Motions C. 9. the North Pole is more Magneticall then the South For I have alwayes observed saith a learned man in this experience that the Pole of the Magnet which seateth it selfe North is alwayes the most vigorous an strong Pole to all intents and purposes This North that is the whole Firmament Hee stretched over the the Empty Place that is not the Aire as it useth to be said The word in the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tohu This word signifies Nothing So the molten Images Esai 41.29 are said to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wind and Tohu that is Confusion as we Or Wind and Nothing For therefore it is that Saint Paul said that an Idoll is Nothing in the world But especially it signifies that Nothing in the Chaos before the Aire or Earth was made as Genes 1. The Earth was Tohu that is Nothing or as the Lxx translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 invisible or as the Saxon turneth it the Earth was yâ—ael idle Over this Tohu or Nothing it was that He stretched the North or Firmament and then hang'd the Earth upon the same Nothing But of this manner of appension somewhat more is to be said God in the beginning as Mercator deviseth strucke a Center in the Tohue or Inane indued with that quality as might call unto the congeniall parts of the Chaos which immediately applying themselves gathered into this Globe Which pretendeth as if the Frame consisted by an Equilibration of parts to the Center of Gravity as it continues
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Majim Or if it were found that these Orgia were first or most celebrated at Maiuma the sea side of Gaza 't is possible that the place might give name to the celebration Which hath the more colour Metaphrast Ms in Archiv Baroc Feb. 25. for that in the Tetrampodus or Quatrefois of that City upon an Altar of stone there stood a marble statue of Venus representing the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a naked woman c. as Marcus Diaconus in vita Porphyrii Gazcorum Episcopi otherwise the Authors owne derivation must be taken If the Prophet may at all be understood in the sense of the Midbar it foundeth not much unlike to that which the Emperour Julian told the Antiocheans in his Misopogon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There 's none of you all saith he but can willingly spend upon your private banquetings and feasts and I well know how much many of you can throw away upon the Maiuma but for your owne or the Cities safety no man offereth up any thing either in private or in publike The word of Amos is Wo to them that are at ease in Zion c. The stretch themselves upon their Couches and eate the Lambes out of the flocke and that chaunt to the sound of the Violl c. That drinke wine in bowles c. But they are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph CHAP. XXII The meaning and Considerations of Light in Scripture GOD is Light and in him there is no darkenesse at All John 1. The Reflexion of this Originall Glory shining upon the dust the dust became Light that is man for so the Ancients termed him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Phavoâ—inus we call a man light but the opacous body of sinne interposing it selfe betwixt this borrowed Light and the Fountaine cast a shadow the shadow of death The darknesse being so thicke and so exceeding that if we regard what the Master of the Sentences hath said the Sunne it selfe shined 7 times brighter before the fall then ever it did since To bring the world out of that darkenesse into this Marvellous Light the day spring from on high was to visit us To prepare for this day there first appeared a Burning and a shining Light John 1. but he was not that Light but came before to beare witnesse of the Light Soone after Jesus Iulii Schiller praefat in Vranograph Christian p. 6. Col. 2. that is as in the China Tongue it signifieth the rising Sunne that Sunne of Righteousnesse himselfe arose with healing in his wings Malac. 3. It was then the longest Night in all the yeare and it was the midst of that and yet there was day where he was for a glorious betokening Light shined round about this Holy Child So the Tradition and so the Masters describe the Night-peice of this Nativity At his Transfiguration a greater Light shined about him His face was brighter then the Sun and his very Clothes whiter then the Light Till now the Father of Lights himselfe dwelt in the thicke darkenesse never shewing himselfe but in a Cloud but in these last dayes he is God manifest 1 Tim. 3.16 and in the Brightnesse of his glory Heb. 1. I doe not finde saith Venerable Bede among so many Angels that were sent before the Law that ever any were seene with a Light shining about them Now a Light shineth about S. Peter in the prison and about Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very great Light Nay a Light shined about the Shepheards too And though it were then the dead of the Night yet the word was brought by the Angell bodie Natus est c. This day is borne to you c. Therefore also at the setting of this Sunne which was the Reverse part of the Mystery darkenesse fell upon the Earth the Naturall Sunne eclipsed in the midst of Heaven and therefore the Moone making it more then Midnight in the subterraneous position all of the colour of Saturne the signifier of blacknesse who rising from the Horoscope beheld these two Eclipses in a square Malignant aspect Not so onely for in the selfe same day which is more perhaps then you have heard of there happened a naturall defection of the Moone in the 11 of Libra beginning at Hierusalem about 6 in the Evening in so much that the Sun was no sooner gone downe but the Moone appeared in the East Eclipsed of more then halfe her Light So that as the Light was taken from that day so darkenesse was added to that Night and within the space of 6 houres the Sunne was once unnaturally and the Moone twice Eclipsed The Calculation and Figure of this Lunar Eclipse you may see if you will in Chronologia Catholica Henrici Buntingii fol. 237. b. 238. a. See also Sethus Calvisius in Tiberius Caesar ad An. post Ch. n. 33. to the 3 day of April As our Lord himselfe so his Gospell also is called Light and was therefore anciently never read without a burning Taper etiam sole rutilante 't is Saint Hieromes Testimony though it were Lighted in the Sunne Supposing therefore out of Albumazar that every Religion is governed by some Planet as the Mahumetan by Venus the Jewish by Saturne c. Some Astrologers did not inconveniently to attribute the Christian to the Sunne Not the Gospell but the Preachers of it also are called Lights Vos estis Lux Mundi ye are the Light of the World and the first Preacher of Repentance was said to be Lucerna ardens c. a burning and a shining Light The carefull Church perceiving that God was so much taken with this outward symbole of the Light could do no lesse then goe on with the Ceremony Therefore the day of our Lords Nativity was to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Epiphany or appearing of the Light and so many Tapers were to be set up the Night before as might give Name to the Vigil Vigilia Luminum And the Ancients did well to send Lights one to another whatsoever some thinke of the Christmas Candle The receiving of this Light in Baptisme they call'd not usually so but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illumination which further to betoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eucholog fol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A. the rites were to celebrate this Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. with all the Tapers lighted c. as the Order in the Euchologue The Neophytus also or new convert received a Taper lighted and delivered by the Mystagogus which for the space of seven dayes after he was to hold in his hand at Divine Service sitting in the Baptistery Who perceiveth not that by this right way the Tapers came into the Church mysteriously placed with the Gospell upon the Altar as an embleme of the truer Light It was imitated againe by the white garment received at the same time in Baptisme as the Emperours expound it in Theodesian's Code Coelestis Lumen Lavacri
Son to his Distressed Mother the Church of England for whose Sufferings hee forrowed unto Death a more painful and exquisite Martyrdom then that by Fire or Sword By these the Soul break 's prison in a minute to an Eternitie of Libertie and Felicitie that keep 's us on the Rack of Death not only to the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15.31 wee die hourly This Account would have run into a Volume should I have given you a Particular of his Virtues as his Courtesie Humilitie c. not disdaining the meanest Scholar nor proud of his victorious Discourses with the best Learned And how free and liberal hee was of his Treasurie to the full satisfaction of all Inquisitors I may confidently appeal to all that knew him But I must not so remember my lost Friend as to forget my self in my Promise of Brevitie nay I will rather chuse to bee somwhat indebted in this kinde to the Dead well knowing the Mourners following will compleatly discharge those Arrears To whom I now therefore hastily refer you Upon the DEATH of my dearest Friend the AUTOR WOuld you the Caus why this my Son did die 'T was to prevent my Immortalitie As Twins inform'd by one soul part being dead The sad surviver live's half-murthered So I in my Retirements being fixt On Him in Mee both Life and Death are mixt Nor crave's our * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Motto less though God denie's To match our Wishes with our Destinies What then remain's but that I often look Upon thee and enjoie thee in thy Book Whose Learned Matchless Lines shall still bring forth Thy Lovers as Eternal as thy Worth Who when wee are in Bliss will sigh complain And curs the Age suffer'd thee to bee slain Slain by an Ichabod and manie more 1 Sam. 4.24 Masters Oxonienses Cartwright Oxonienses Diggâ—s c. Oxonienses Whom though this hate the next Age will adore Whose Ashes shall revive if anie bee Fit Subjects for Celestial Chymistrie Thus Shine yee Glories of your Age whil'st Wee Wait to fill up your Martyrologie And envie not this our Ambition though You wounded were to Death Wee have scars too And from those darts but with this diff'rence You Let them stick fast which wee with scorn with-drew Thus different Glories in one Sphere may bee Equal in Height though not in Dignitie Whil'st like that Manna past or that in store The Least was fill'd nor is the Greatest more J. G. B. D. An ELEGIE On the Learned AUTOR THough yon' close Anchorite's contracted Shrowd Made his innarrowed Carcass seem a Crowd Yet the cag'd Votarie did wider dwell Then Thou in thy large Roof and spreading Cell Both liv'd alike immur'd but Mansion's space To Him was Emptiness to Thee was Place Which the Retirement's different Ends decide Thine was to Toil and Sweat but His to Hide Who though sat down contented with the Store Thou brought'st from Nature coveting no more Yet like a Wealthie Heir by that Advance Thou hadst liv'd high on thy Inheritance Who ere is born to an Estate to 's hand Is full as Rich as Hee that buie's his Land And such wert Thou but least free Nature's Gift Seem mis-bestow'd unless improv'd by Thrift 'T was thy strong care to melt down Native Parts And shape up great Endowments into Arts. Hence sprung Thy vigorous Pains unwearied Sweats Whil'st each past Toil edg to fresh Toil beget's Till thy torn Nervs stretch't in their Search before Grow suppler by 't and so put on for more And thy Bent Thought or'e his deep Object crack's Nor Torture bring 's but Patience from thy Racks Oft did the Sun ow Thee his Morning Streams And at thy Earlier Taper light his Beams When now declining in his West and gon Thou bad'st him sleep for Thou would'st Journie on When Midnight Silence did thy Motions see As Night were made for all the World but Thee Nor did thy watchful Temples harbour Rest Till thy great Monster-Scruples fell supprest Alcides scorn'd to deem his Labor sped Whil'st Hydra wore or threat'ning Tail or Head No emptie Surface-Learning could suffice No Light no Floating Notions bound thy Eies But down thy Plummet dive's to th' deepest sound Still mining through till it had prest the Ground Art hath her Quick-sands which no Hold endure Hee strike's the Bottom that will Anchor sure While dull wee finde the Found the same Mark hit The shackled Circumscription of Our Wit Thy unconfin'd Enquirie bid's at more Launches in deeps ner'e fathomed before Plough's the rough Desarts up scorn 's old Abode Or Prostitute Directions of a Rode Yet thy Nice Pilgrimage doth never straie But turn's the crooked Maze to Beaten-Waie So through wilde Seas the adventurous Keel is hurl'd Not to Loos this but Finde the other World Thy vigorous Brain releiv's from lazie Rust Disguis'd in Characters but more in Dust Graie Customs which our dead dismettled Sloth Gave up to surfet the undaring Moth. Craz'd Giants thus distressed Damsels hold Not by their strength but ' caus their Champion's cold Euclide and Ptolomie were so thine Own As the fair Building 's is the Corner-stone Whose beauteous Pile doth by the Basis clime Yet This preceed's in Worth though That in Time Astrologie so obei'd Thy Learned Eie As all the Wheels and Clock-work of the Skie By Curious Nature were asunder ta'ne To guid Thy Art and then set up again And when her Motions jar her staggering Team May fix afresh by Thy King Henrie 's Scheme The Sacred Hebrew thy Judicious Rage Pursu'd to finde it's Mystick Parentage With Keen and Eager yet with sated Flight Not to Ride-over but Ore-take the Light Rude Rabbines like rude Herbarists go to 't They mar the Plant by digging for the Root Thy Numerous Language could have circuit run T' Interpret Countries to the Travelling Sun Discours ' a his Rising to the Western Seas And phras'd his business with th' Antipodes Yet this bright Stock thy Bountie did afford As thy Disbursment still but not thy Hoard Not to amuse the Needie but supplie 'T was thy Dominion not thy Tyrannie Hence when I askt thy Torch to light my Waie And gain'd som Twilights from Thy Glistering Daie Thy Liberal Art the Labyrinth did undo With the same Cheer as I had been thy Clew Thy Candid Guidance back the Compass brought And call'd Mee Tutor still for beeing Taught Now these Loud Parts like a Shril-thundering Peal Which is the Belfree's Pride but not it's Weal Rent thy frail Tenement and made us see Thy Musick 's Excellence and Crueltie An Envious Gout the Leiger of thy Feet To aw thine Industrie laie arm'd to meet Thy wakeful Midnight-Watch and brought Thee back For each Raw Learned-Night a Fortnight's Rack And when the single Threats of one Diseas Bark at thy Vigilant Moons but not displeas When Customarie Anguish now sat by Like thy Companion not thy Maladie The Enraged Mischief made her Partie
was the Son c. And hee was waved too as som compare it by an Earthquake at the Resurrection But instead of Waving the Text translateth it The Sheaf was Separated So were these first Fruits and the Desertion was so great that hee cried out His God His God had forsaken him Lastly there was an Extraordinarie Lamb to bee offered up as due to the Sheaf And if one should ask us as once the Son did the Father Behold the fire and the wood but where is the Lamb for a burnt Offering Hee would bee answered that God would provide himself a Lamb. Ecce Agnus Dei Behold the Lamb of God But that which most of all concern's is the Condition of the First Fruits That was till These were offered up no Man of the Land of Israel might eat of his New Corn 't was yet Profane and Cursed as the Ground that bare it But the Sheaf once offered up the whole Crop is intituled to the Consecration For if the First Fruits bee holie saith S. Paul then so is also the whole lump This also is the case of the Resurrection for if Christ the first Fruits bee risen then They also that are His the whole Lump at his Coming The Harvest is the end of the World and the end of our Life is in the seed time Church-yards are the Plots which therefore the high Dutch most properly term God's Aeres or Glebe Land wherein the Dead are sown a Natural bodie but the Crop shall not bee such as wherewith the Mower filleth not his hand or hee that bindeth up the Sheafs his bosom It shall bee with the Fat of the Kidnies of Wheat as Moses in the Song Deut. 32.14 'T is sown in Dishonor it riseth again in Glorie And the Reapers are the Angels who shall gather and binde us up again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Betsror hachaiim into the Bundle of Life as in the 1 Sam. 25.29 which words therefore the Jews use to repete in their Diriges and inscribe upon their Tombs The First Fruits beeing risen take anie one of us anie grain of Corn in the whole Lump and cast it into the ground if it die not it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much Fruit. For the Life of the Lump like Corn in the Earth is laied in the First Fruits in God The instance of the Corn is so pregnant that the Greek Churches in their Commemorations of the Dead use to boil Wheat in water and set it before them as a convincing Symbol of the Resurrection And my Autor is bold to saie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that This is the Greater wonder of the two that the Resurrection of the Corn is more Prodigious then that of the Bodie Strange indeed it is that a grain of Corn should not quicken except it die But much more strange that out of one grain and one as good as Dead should spring forth such a Numerous Increas As for our Bodies which are sown in Corruption the Earth when shee shall give up her Dead will render but as the Talent hid in the Napkin the same again or one for another But the Husbandman receiveth his own with Interest shall I saie that this Grain hath gained him Ten Grains Nay in som parts under the Line they reap the profit of a Thousand for One. In Relation to the First Fruits wee are called by Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Complantati such as are planted together with him in Likeness of his Resurrection Correspondently the Prophet Isaiah saith Our bones shall flourish like an Herb. Now the Herbs and Plants wee know however cut down yet reinforcing from the Root spring up and rise again Wee use Vulgarly but Improperly to call the uppermost of the Branches the Top of a Tree but wee are corrected by Aristotle in the Books De Anima where wee are taught to call the Root the Head and the Top the Feet In the Revers of this Comparison the first Fruits are the Root and the Head wee the Branches or Members And in the 36. of Isaiah the Head acknowledgeth the whole departed Race of Mankinde to bee his Trunk or Dead Bodie Wee read it Thy Dead Men shall arise With my dead Bodie shall they arise But the rest is put in by the Translators The Original is Thy dead Men shall arise they shall arise my dead Bodie Seeing therefore that the Ax is not laid to the Root of the Tree what though the Branches bee lopt off by Death there is still Hope in the Tree saith Holie Job For though the Stock thereof die in the ground yet through the sent of water 't will bud and bring forth boughs like a Plant which withereth over night but beeing watered with the dew of Heaven springeth up afresh in the Morning And therefore in the same Prophecie of Isaiah the Dew of dead men is likened to the Dew of Herbs Ros tuus Ros Olerum To this saie the Jews in the Book Zohar That at the last Daie a kinde of Plastical Dew shall fall down upon the Dead and ingender with Lu◠the little Bone spoken of before and so out of this all the rest of our Bones and the whole Man shall spring forth But wee are not to give heed unto Jewish Fables and therefore it shall not bee here enquired who shall bee the Father of this Rain or Who should beget these drops of Dew Sure wee are that though touch'd by Death wee shrink up like that sensitive Plant yet wee shall soon quicken by his Influence whose Head in the Canticles is fill'd with Dew and his Looks as with the drops of the night In Exprobration therefore unto Death and Mortalitie wee know whose use it was to burie their dead in their Gardens sowing their Bodies with as much faith as their Fruits and equally exspecting the spring of Both. 'T is for no other reason that wee ourselvs stick our Hearses with Flowers and go forth to the grave with Rosemarie Our Precedents were the Jews whose antient Custom it was by the waie as they went with their Corpses to pluck everie one up the Grass as who should saie they were not sorrie as men without Hope for their brother was but so crop't off and should spring up again in his due season But the Prophet Isaiah's Comparison of the Flourishing of our Bones like an Herb is yet further made good by as I think one of the greatest Secrets that are yet known in Nature A Learned Chymist who spent much time in the Contemplation of Tinctures and Impressions of Vegetals to prove the Great Principle of Salt made this experiment Hee took several Herbs and Plants and calcined them to Ashes hee put up the Ashes into several Glasses sealed Hermetically and written upon with the several names of the Calcined Herbs When hee would shew the Experiment hee applied a soft flame to the Glasses whereforthwith hee might perceiv the self same Herbs rising up by little and little out of