qualis sermo 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 Iob in the next words He stretcheth out the North c. The North here is not to be taken for the Terrestriall Globe as the Iewes would have it for they are deceived who thinke the latter clause to be a Repetition 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 We have more Earth more men more Starres more day And which is more then all this 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 and strong Pole to all intents and purposes This North that is the whole Firmament He stretched over 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 be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 Gen 1. The Earth was Tohu that is Nothing or as the Lxx translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 invisible or as the Saxon turneth it the Earth was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 Tohu or Inane indued with that quality as might call unto it 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 to be mistaken by common Philosophy But it is time to know that the Earth doth not hang ponderibus librata suis but by magneticall vigour impressed by the Maker upon the whole Frame but especially communicated from the Center to both the Poles by Meridionall projection by which engagement and conjuncture of parts the whole so firmely and obstinately consisteth that if by Staticall impulsion as Archimedes undertooke or by a higher distresse it should be forced from this situation it would eagerly and instantly returne to it's owne place againe The thing is certaine from the conformity of the Needle to the Axis of the Earth in all parts of the world From the Reasons of variation and the variation of that too caused by an unequall proportion of this Magneticall force in severall parts of the Globe from the Experiences made upon the Terrella or little Earth of Loadstone the Poles whereof being found out by the filings of steele or otherwise If a Needle or small wire be applyed to the Equinoctiall parts it will place it selfe upon a Meridian moved from thence it maketh an acute Angle to the Axis About 34 degrees from the Aequator it makes a right Angle from thence it continueth to be recto major till it come to the Pole it selfe where it standeth perpendicularly Therefore the Globe of the Earth consisteth by a Magneticall dependency from which the parts cannot possibly start aside but which howsoever thus strongly seated upon it's Center and Poles is yet said to hang upon Nothing because the Creatour in the beginning thus placed it within the Tohu as it now also hangeth in the Aire which it selfe also is Nothing as to any regard of Base or Sustentation CHAP. XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 13. 19. It is like a graine of mustard seed which a man tooke and cast into his garden and it grew and waxed a great tree and the foules of the Aire lodged in the branches of it PYthagoras said Sinapi principatum habet ex his quorum in sublime vis feratur That Mustard seed hath the preeminence among those things whose power is to ascend upwards which might seeme to pretend to the growing spirit of this graine had not Pliny preengag'd us to the sense of operation quoniam non aliud magis in nares cerebrum penetret The graine especially of the second sort quae rapiciam froudem exprimit is not unapt to shoot forth in a garden soyle under what clime soever not intemperately cold and to a proportion of height more then ordinary and 't is one of those which a great Naturalist of our owne bids us make experience of whether it would not grow up out of a Staggs Horne Cent. 6. 550. But of so prodigious a stature as the Gospell describeth I could not finde any observation made by those who have most of all noted upon the exotick simples It is to be imputed to the strange pregnancy of the Hebrew earth concerning which as of their City very great things have beene spoken In the Babylonish Talmud R. Joseph saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A certaine man of Siehem had bequeathed by his Father three bowes of Chardell or Mustard one of which was broken off from the rest and it yeilded nine Kabs of seed and the wood thereof was sufficient to cover over the Potters House The same Tradition is remembred in the Hierusalem Talmud cited by Tremelius out of the second it should have been the seaventh Chapter of Peah or de angulo agri the Corner of the field to be left for the poore c. and here the bow yeilded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not nine but three Kabs of Chardell or Mustard seed In the same place of the Hierusalem Talmud quoted also by Tremelius Simon the sonne of Calaphta saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had a stemme of Chardell in my garden into which I could climbe up as into a fig tree Though I doubt not but the Doctors over-reach yet it argueth so far the extraordinary growth of this Herbe in that good Land that our Saviour is quit of the strangenesse and wonder of his words So when he saith that the Mustard-seed is the least of
in Scripture Iosh 24. 32. which repeateth over that of Gen. 33. 19. where Jacob is said to have bought a parcell of Land for a hundred peices of money So wee The Margin is or Lambes But that is as the Talmudists expound it money enstamped upon with the Figure of a Lambe R. Akiva said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When I travailed into Aphrica I heard them call money Kesita or by the name of tae Lambe but to what use will this be why to the expounding of that which is said in the Law a hundred Lambes that is peices of money Gen. 33. 19. c. It cannot well be otherwise for if we take the price of the feild in Lambes not doubting neither but that the old manner of exchange by wares was then most possible what shall be said to Saint Steven's Tradition that the feild was bought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a price of Silver the same feild though Abraham be put there instead of Iacob corruptly enough notwithstanding what Master Broughton hath said yet there it stands still and upon irreconcileable tearmes in Reverence to the Booke Use that reverence still The Booke will be the bigger and the Scripture the lesse The Heathens say too that the impresse of a Sheepe was marked upon their first Coyne and from thence their money was called Pecunia and Varro saith that the hint of this was given à pastoribuâ— The Roman Shepheards might have it from the Hebrewes to whom this trade of life was more famously peculiar But the truest understanding is that of Erasmus that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were little silver Chappels representing the forme of the Ephesian Temple with the image of Diana enshrin'd And to this agree the Heathen Rites For Asclepiades the Philosopher Deae coelestis argenteum breve figmentum quocunque ibat solitus est secum afferre was ever wont whithersoever he went to carry about him a small silver Image of Vrania And Dion saith of the Roman Ensigne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it was a little Temple and in that the figure of an Eagle set in gold But this to Lipsius is but Iâ—tricatum aliquid ubi enim in Nummis usquam talis effigigies quin nudae eae conspiciuntur centenae aliquot extant sine tegmine ullo Sacelli In columna tanâ—ùm Trajani nescio quid in alis Aquilarum impoâ—tur quod Sacelli figuram referâ— c. 'T is true that in the Coynes this is very rarely exprest though it be certainly found in a Reverse of Maxentius Silver The Eagle and Temple in Trajan's Pillar though this use be made of it by some cannot so justly be wrought over to this meaning However 't is a thing that will hardly goe downe with any body that Dion should not know what belonged to the Roman Eagle But the matter is not great 'T is more to this purpose which the same Author mentioneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little Temple of Iuno 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 maine want of a like acception of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passing as in the Text here in the diminitive sence 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 Rhetoricke Aristotle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Callistratus accused Melanippus for cheating the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of three Holy halfe-penny farthings 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 he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certaine small woodden Temples enshrined with Images which they made to sell A like sence of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See in Codin De Officiâ—â— Aula 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 be 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 cheife And it must needs have beene 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. v. 43. as the Lxx rightly translate that of Amos the Prophet c. 5. 23. The Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Siccuth or Succoth Malcecâ—m 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 Caivan as Aben Ezra truly observed and the Persian Glossaries make to appeare The Aegyptians called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as may be seene in the Copticke Table of the Planets The Idolatrous Iewes 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 Saint 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 Iob. 26. 6. 7. Hell is 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 be naked before Him that made it and yet he made not death as to us destruction hath a Covering I have wondred much at the Curiosity how learned soever of some who undertake to set downe the subterraneous Geography of this place and describing so confidently as if they had beene there allready not the Gates and Chambers of death onely but the very points of the Compasse in that Region and shadow and how many Soules may sit upon the point of a Needle I will onely put these men in remembrance of the Syriacke Reading in the last verse where instead of those words but how little ae portion is heard of him that Translation rendreth Et
Planets in ♓ Pisces And yet the same Astrologers foretold of a particular deluge to be at such a time in the Deserts of Arabia which if the Story mock not proved true for the Pilgrimes to Mecca so that saith were drowned upon those Sands where others before time had perished for want of waters And to give up that account which the Common People in Philosophy use to doe that these mighty waters could be emptyed out of the bottles of Heaven the Cloudes whatsoever or Condensations of Aire runneth us a ground upon a ridiculous course in Nature or indecent in Miracle whereas if we betake our selves to this other way one onely entercourse of Omnipotency will serve the turne to force downe the motion of these waters by a high Hand which otherwise according to Received Nature must have beene more then 100 yeares in falling What if it rained 40 Dayes and 40 Nights had it rained 40 yeares what could this have done towards such a heape of flouds as prevailed above the highest mountaines 15 Cubits upwards be their perpendicular height taken after the most moderate estimation So that in justice of reason we may conclude that these Decumani fluctus could not be raised without a supply from this great Abysse and unlesse one depth had called another And the Scripture it selfe confesseth as much that the fountaines of the Tehom Rabba or this great Deepe or as the Angel calleth them in Esdras the Springs above the Firmament were broken up Gen. 7. 11. the same Deepe upon the Face whereof the Darkenesse was Gen 1. 2. for the Spirit of God moved upon the waters And at the abatement of these waters when God remembred Noah the same Fountaines of this Deepe are said to have beene stopped Gen 38. 2 which can admit of no other but a miraculous se nse for we cannot understand it of any subterraneous Abysse without an open defiance to the Principles of Nature Therefore betwixt the Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens there must be a Tehom Rabbah or great Deepe and for this it is that he is said to have layed the Beames of his Chambers in the waters Psalm 104. 3. His upper Chambers it should be as the Saxon rightly and it maketh very much for the matter for it will follow from this that these Chambers were the Heaven of Heavens Where the Lord is upon many or great waters Psal 29. 3. And Wisedome saw him set this compasse upon the Face of the Depth Prov. 8. 27. And he is said to have watered the Hills from these Chambers Psal 104. 13. Not from the middle Region of the Aire for the Tops of some Hills whose heights are his Psal 95. 4. are lifted up above all the Clouds But he watered the Hils from this great Abysse when at the floud those Cataracts of Heaven were opened But let the Hills be taken for such as flow with milke and drop downe with new Wine even thus also it may be said that he watereth them from these Chambers that is from Above The Reconcilers on the contrary part are forced to make use of more unmannerly Constructions But let the Chambers be taken as before v. 3. by result at least it was that from these he watered the Hils whatsoever and satisfied the Earth with the fruit of his workes v. 13. I am allmost perswaded to thinke that untill Noahs time The Lord God had not caused it to raine upon the Earth but a mist went up and watered the whole face of the ground Gen. 2. 5 6. And a River went forth of Eden to water the Garden c. v. 10. But in the 600 yeare of Noah's life in the second month c. Gen 7. 11. He caused it to raine upon the Earth c. v. 4. It is no stranger a thing then to finde the whole Earth in such a case for that time as the Land of Aegypt hath beene ever since or those everlasting Hills which the dayes of Noah set out were never yet wetted with the dew of Heaven If it be otherwise how could he then first set his Bow in the Cloud for as Porphyrie said it must have beene there before I say then that proportioning the perpendicular height of the Mountaines to the Semidiameter of the Earth there is nothing to hinder but that this Aboundance of Waters supplyed from the Springs above the Firmament might be sunke into the Cavernes of the Earth from whence it hath beene upon occasion called forth by the heate and influence of the Host of Heaven And so ever since as Heate and Cold Summer and Winter Day and Night so the Former and the Latter Raine hath not ceased Our Saviour may seeme to have pointed to those Springs above the Firmament where he bringeth in Father Abraham saying to the Rich man And besides all this betwixt us and you there is a Great Gulfe fixed c. Luk. 16. 26. All this is intimated in the Name of Heaven Shammajim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Waters there as R. Jose in Chagiga fol. 12. a. If it sound ill that any corruptible Nature should be lodged above the Heavens it will be answered that the Heavens themselves are in no better condition whose Matter howsoever trusted by some ill husbands in Philosophy to an Inamissible Forme yet hath beene found subject to the like Passions with that here below as the well knowne Tycho hath demonstrated in the case of the New Starre To doubt the passage of the Blessed through this great Abysse is an effeminacy of Beleife for not to say that the Children of Israel passed through the Red Sea upon dry Land These waters are themselves to passe through that fire unto which the Heavens and the Earth which are now are reserved and kept in store 2 Pet. 3. 7. The suspension of these waters in a violent situation if such it be I no more marvaile at then that the thicke Clouds bound up with so many Waters should hang in the Aire unrended under them lesse then at the Stretching of the North over the empty place or the hanging of this Earth upon Nothing Job 26. 7. In all this I must acknowledge that there is something of the Paradox which yet hath beene done over by others too and more elaborately and so I would be taken for the present but that is till I can see how otherwise the Text it selfe can be likely to come off cleare CHAP. XXIV Deut. 22. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lapis errantium And with all lost things which he hath lost and thou hast found shalt thou doe likewise TO this purpose The Great Stone in Jerusalem remembred of by the Gemara in Baba Metzia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. In Hierusalem there was a Stone of the Strayes He that had lost or found any thing was to repaire thither He that had found was to stand there to produce it He that had lost to tell the Signes and Markes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉