the fountaine or the wheele broken at the Cisterne BY siluer coard is meant the marrow in the backe which is inclosed in a bright smoothe skinne like to siluer it is more properly called of the Arabians the Nuche of the backe whereof this word Eunuch is compounded For marrow is but the superfluity of nutriment arising from the bloud for the moistening and nourishment of the bones But the Nuche is of the nature of the braine engendred of seede created for sence and motion to wit to procreate the sinewes For from the braine and the Nuche proceed diuers combinations or couples of sinewes seruing for the sences as hearing seeing feeling and motion of the members For many sinewes are deriued thirty couples as the Anitomists write are sprung of this cord and deriued from the knuckles or turning-joynts of the chine or backe bone into all the body seruing for bodily motion from which againe small haires or threeds like those of the rootes of trees and leaues are dispersed When this cord is loosed the backe bendeth motion is slowe and feeling faileth Or the golden bowle be broken This golden bowle is the thinne membrane or sinewie skinne of yellow colour called Pia mater compassing the braine like a swathing cloth or inner thinde of a tree and entring within the diuers infoldings of the braine and as it were cloathing the sides of the three ventricles or hollowes wherein the imagination reason memory are formed It serues not only to inuolue and keep the braine whole and solide in his place as the shel or skin next the shell doth the egges but also to containe to gather together and sustaine the veins and arteries which are deriued from thence like small ramified channells or pipes or like a net All the braine within and without is enwrapped and incompassed with this veiny and arteriall or sinewy net The veines feede and nourish the braine with bloud the arteries bring heate and spirit to it from the heart to giue the sence of feeling vnto it For though it impart sence to all other parts yet it hath none of it selfe namely the narrowie white substance but conuerteth or digesteth the vitall spirits of the heart attracted by this sinewie pia mater or golden bowle into animall or sensible spirits In like case the sperme hath foture and sustenance in the matriâ—e by and from the chorion or secundine Or the pitcher be broken at the fountaine By the pitcher he meaneth the veines by the fountaine the liuer For the liuer is the shop of bloud conuerting the white chile which commeth of the meate digested in the stomacke into bloud The substance thereof is red and like clottered or curded bloud assimulating the chile to the qualitie of it selfe In the neather hollow part thereof is the portall veine called the great carrying veine which hath many branches venae mesaraicae like the small and threddie rootes of a tree by which the chile or iuyce of meaâ— concocted in the stomach is transported froÌ„ the stomach to the liuer And the portal vein hath issuing from it many small veines like a net throughout the whole body of the liuer that the chile being distributed into small parcels might be more perfectly concocted and conuerted into bloud And the bloud is ingendered and purified in the middle of the liuer which containeth the masse of the foure humours Now it being here purified and boyled the more heauie superfluitie which is seculent or dreggie settleth to the bottome and is carried by a veine into the spleene It is the earthly sowre or tart part of the chile and is called blacke choler or melancholy Againe the lighter superfluitie boyleth vpward which is the fiery bitter or sharpe part of the chile called yellow choler which is caried by a veine into the gall Vnderstand by melancholy and yellow choler not the purest thereof which is mixed with the bloud but the separate superfluitie or impuritie thereof Thirdly the waterish superfluitie is caried to the kidneys and passages of the vrine In the convexitie or vpper bowing part of the liuer is the hollow veine or bloudgate whose branches receiue the bloud purified in the middle of the liuer from the branches of the portall-veine From the bloudgate are innumerable veines ramified throughout all the body For as the bulke of a tree receiuing sap from the roote as that againe doth from the small spires is ramified into all the branches so doth the hollow veine being the greatest in all the body vehiculum alimenti distribute the bloud throughout the body by his other veines and first into the right ventricle of the heart to receiue his vital heate for the nutrition of the whole body Or the wheele be broken at the cisterre By wheele is meant the head by cisterne the heart from whence the vitall spirits are conueyed to the braine and there conuerted into animall to giue sence and motion to the body When the braine is weake the sinewes loosed and the head hanging downe the wheele beginneth to breake Verse 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to God who gaue it AS before he hath shewed the vnaptnesse and disabilitie of old age to performe such seruice as the Lord requireh to be performed of man hauing liuelily depainted it sorth before his eyes to the end that euery one may be stirred vp in youth and middle age to doe good workes euen with all diligence to practise the duties of pietie and charitie so here he putteth them in minde also of death and their account that they must make before their Iudge And the dust returne to the earth as it was By dust he meaneth the corpse made of the dust by a metonymie of the matter By earth he meaneth the elements whereof the body is compounded As the body was created of the earth so shall it returne thither againe euen into the first and simplest matter And the spirit shall returne to God that gaue it By spirit he meaneth the soule which is compared to winde or aire as the body is to dust or earth Because winde or aire being an inuisible substance is the fittest thing in nature to vnderstand the nature of the soule by For whiles we are in the flesh we vnderstand and conceiue of inuisible spiritual eternall things humano more by the phantasie per similitudines locos as Tully saith and that either affirmatiuely or negatilely To God that gaue it Hee doth not here define whither the spirit shall go but to whom namely to his Iudge who shall require a iust account of all the workes done in the flesh good or euill and shall accordingly giue sentence vpon it 2. Cor. 5. 10. Verse 8. Vanitie of vanities saith the Preacher all is vanitie A Conclusion which is twofold particular of this treatise of mortification to the 13. verse Generall of all Christian doctrine from thence to the end Vanitie of vanities He concludeth
dreame and as but a dreame And so doth olde age wonder at the change of the world hee longeth after the former generation and desires to be dead All is vanity vexation and wearinesse But the yong generation thinketh not so Their endeuors expectations and hopes are strong and possible but the aged despaireth and sorroweth and is vexed to see vanities and foolish presumptions To conclude that which to his youth was a pleasure is to his age a paine that which was a delight is a wearinesse and anger and the Pallace is but a prison house Verse 2. While the Sunne or the Light or the Moone or the Starres be not darkened nor the Cloudes returne after the raine HEere hee beginneth the particular description of olde age drawing it out in liuely shape and colours to represent it to the eyes of the young men that being now young hee may see himselfe olde before his eyes And this he doth allegorically by manifold similitudes drawne from common and vsuall things continually obuious to the eies and eares the more firmely to fixe it in the memorie to the end that considering the shortnesse of time and weakenesse of age and certainty of death hee might the more diligently and carefully bâ—stirre him to his worke and in his worke euen doing good while time serueth to finish his worke before Sune-set to inne his fruits before winter While the Sunne or the Light c. quasi dicat before the sight of thine eyes be dimme through the weaknesse of the spirites drinesse of the sinewes and humour of the eyes and through vapours which arising out of the body into the head through coldnesse of the braine are clouded into rheume which trickleth downe the nose and eyes and being done away quickely returneth agayne as cloudes after raine in a moist season and waters into an emptyed fountaine which causeth olde age to weare his napkin at his girdle to keepe his head and feete warme that colde strike not vp into his head and being there may not congeale but euaporate forth through the poares and seames of the head and for the same purpose to weare a cloth about his necke to keepe the poares open that the vapours may there breake forth quâ— data porta ruant to preuent head-ach tooth-ach joynt-ach rheume in the eyes nose c. The ayre to aged eyes seemeth duskie and mistie and the Sunne wadeth as the Moone in a foggie euening and the Starres are out of sight Let the ouer-shadowing cloudes drisling miâ—â—es thicke fogges watrish ayre dewing moisture dropping of trees in a mist the dullnesse of the darke day the sluggishnesse of the rainie day the dropping of the eaues the siping through of waters into the house put vs in minde of the irkesomnesse and annoyances of olde age and to doe our dueties while wee haue the vse of our sight which once failing wee are disabled from innumerable things wherein we might be profitable to man gainfull to God and furtherers of our saluation Verse 3. In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shall bow themselues and the grinders cease because they are few and those that looke out of the windowes be darkened By the Keepers of the house are meant the hands The hand sayth Aristotle is the organ of organes or instrument of instruments For whereas other members haue their seuerall offices the office of the hand is manifold and generall seruing all the rest The body is an house or city or kingdome in it selfe the king or chiefe ruler is the head the hands are the keepers or guard Euery creature hath his weapons for defence man hath his hands his hands are all weapons euen as he is a little world What all particular creatures can doe with their weapons that can hee doe with his hands yea what suttleties or meanes of getting foode is in them all is in him humano more When the keepers of the house shall tremble that is with the palsie caused of cold binding or of heate consuming or of humors stopping the sinewes And the strong men shall bow themselues When the thighs shal be weake standing loose in the bases or sockets of the knees the spirit languishing the sinews withring the bloud setling and thickning in the veines as riuers in the drought of summer For strength is attributed to the bones thighs or legges Psal 147. 10. He delighteth not in the strength of an horse he taketh not pleasure in the legges of a man Old mens knees buckle or bend forward like an elbowe through the weakenesse of their joynts and sinewes as drunkards goe staggeringly when they are top-heauy nimio solutus Iaccho and their sinewes dissolued and heat euaporated with loud talking vehement contending and much drinke And the grinders cease that is when the tâ—eth are worme-eaten or moskered or mildered away or stand wedshodde in slimie humour standing like weather-beate stakes and mosâ—e begrowne rootes hollow and stumpie falling out one after another as the cogges of a mill worne thinne and narrow at the toppe or else rotten in the roote which partly are troublesome to the aged and partly they are afraid to break those odde straglers remayning And those that looke out at the windowes be darkened That is the eyes which are as ones head looking out at an hole or window the body is an house or tower the eye-holes are windowes through which the soule looketh out into the Cittie of the world The eyes of the aged are like an olde dustie window Verse 4. And the doores shall be shut in the streetes when the sound of the grinding is low and hee shall rise vp at the voice of the bird and all the daughters of musicke shall be brought low BY doores is meant the lips The wind-pipe is the entry the mouth is the doore-gate the lips are the two-leafed doore of the heart or soule as our Sauiour saith Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Euill thoughts come out of the heart passing by the entry of the throate through the doore The lips of old people are often pendulons and tremulous they keep them shut to stay the daily distillation of rheume neither haue they what to speake among strong men because their vnderstanding and memory faileth them they are testie morose cholericke and passionate their voice is weake and breath short and the state of all things is so altered since they were yong that they cannot tell what to thinke or say Children and olde men are neither Counsellours nor Actors the one committeth both these to the elder 1. King 3. 7. 9. the other to the yonger 2. Sam. 19. 35. 37. The strength of the one is to come the other is gone When the sound of the grinding is low because the teeth stand thin or loose or moskerd at the roote or that they are fallen out and he cheweth with his gummes and the grinding cannot be heard And he shall rise vp at the noise of
vanitie though the blind world seek for felicitie and meanes of blisse in any thing and in euery thing besides this Verse 14. For God shall bring euery worke into iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or whether it be euill AN argument of confirmation drawn from the last iudgment whether the generall or the particular tending to terrifie the wicked and comfort the godly For God shal bring into iudgement The Iudge is God most mightie not to be resisted by strength most iust not to be corrupted with bribes most wise not to be blinded with cauils Euery worke with euery secret thing A declaration of the iudgement by the obiects viz. things knowne whether words or workes publicke or priuate and things vnknowne not onely done and spoken in secret but the thoughts and imaginations of the heart with the affections and dispositions thereof All which are amplified by a diuision in respect of their qualities good or euill As euery person since the creation till the last consummation shall be summoned and not one escape so shall euery deed word thought be iudged not one shal escape For the bookes shall be opened and euery secret thing shall be reuealed the booke of Gods omniscience and the booke of mans conscience That which is now forgotten as a thing in sleepe shall then be brought to remembrance as a thing to a man awaked which is as fresh in memory and more fresh then it was before As the roote lying buried in the earth in Winter sheweth forth it selfe in the Spring so shall all things now buried in forgetfulnesse be then made manifest vnto vs as if they were layd before our eyes All hearts shall be layd open to the discouery and terror of the wicked and to the manifestation of the godly whose faith and truth shall now appeare and these shall enter into euerlasting rest and ioy but the other shall go into euerlasting fire FINIS A TABLE The number sheweth the Page the Letters b begining m middle e end or thereabouts A. ADam what it signifieth 90. e. Administration diuine vnserchable 220. 222. Admonition what 333. m. Adultry with a mans owne wife how 232. e. Aire food of liuing creatures 15. e. Alexander 43. b. Ambition and curiositie how punished 81b 82. Anger Effects thereof 168. e. 169. b. Appetites of the Creatures 139. Appetite of man vniuersall 139. The vniuerse and obiect therof 139 Appetite of man infinite 141. 142. e. Alexanders personall appetite 141. Heliogabalus his bodily appetite 141. Appetites 4. sorts as of men 143. m. Assurance search for the same 218. e. Aprarrell vse and abuse thereof 231. b. B. BEhold what it signifieth 41. b. 197. e. Beast spirit of beast what 91. m. Behauiour before great men 203. 204. Beleeue 3 sorts of men to be beleeued 4. b. Blood ingendred how 325. m. Bloodgate or hollow veine 325. e. Body or vessell what 139. b. Braine without sence 324. b. Books opened what 344. m. Bribe and Briber 166. Bribe how the wicked wold bribe God 285. m. C. CArdplay and Diceplay what 20. e Circle al things Circular 24. b. Chance 240. m. Charity excellencie thereof 282. m. Charitable heart the signes 283. Charity of churles 284. m. Charity of thieues 213. e. 285. Charitable workes not to be deferred 292. m. Charity Churles excuses 295. 296. e. 5 old mens answeres to a motion of godly charity 290. m. Community of life 104. the benifite thereof 103. Coheleth what it signifieth 2. b. Common people inconstant 107. m. 108. e. Christian profession what 60. b. Cheeke turning of the cheeke what it meaneth 78. b. Conscience submonitious thereof 29 e. Coueteous rich a martyr 130 m. Creatures a booke sealed 40. b. Craesus his demand of Selon 145. e. Crookednes of all things 42 Curse or corruptioÌ„ what 10. b. D. DAuid why so called 2 m. Democritus allwayes laughed 50. b. Death the benefite thereof 154. b. Deuotion in things indifferent 229. m. Diceplay and Cardplay what 20. e. Diligence fruites thereof 235. e. Drunckard who 275. b. Dust of the earth what 90. e. 91. b. E. EArth of magnetical nature 14. m. Earths breath 15. m. Earth an hell to deuills an heauen to the daÌ„ned 130. m. 131. b. Enuy the obiect thereof 95. Eunuch why so called 324. b. Exhortation what 333. m. Eye a wise and foolish eye 62. e. 63. F. FEast vses thereof 274. e. 275. b. Feare what it meaneth 338. b. 5 sorts of feare 338. Sonlike feare described 339. e. 340. 4. degrees thereof 340. Feare of God two fould 216. e. Felicities of the world many 5. m. Satan a perswader maintainer of such opinions 6. It is a false shew 7. who only seeke it 8. e Felicity to be obtained of the poorest 222. e. Felicity where to be knowne 109. m Fishes their wisdome 241. b. Sea-fish why not salt 14. e. Flora. 43. b. Folly what it meaneth 57. e. 61. e. Flesh and spirit partly what 59. e. Foole who is a foole 275. m. Foole described 264. m. Foole 's ' their conuersation 162. m. 163 Foole who his companion 9 Fooles 2 sorts 58. b Fooles naturall 2 sorts 58 Foolishnes spirituall 58 e Foolish rulers a iudgmeÌ„t 269. m Foote what it signifieth 110. m. Forget what it meaneth 310. b. G. GIft In gifts works what God respecteth â—89 m Good chiefe good what 3. m Good name commendation thereof 1â—2 153 God needeth not our gifts and workes 289. m Good world of common papists confuted 170 171 Gospell a burthen to whoÌ„ 32. m Greedy getters how punnished e 2 9. b H. HHarlot described 196 Hands the office thereof 319. b Heauens the basis or firmaÌ„ent 12. m HeaueÌ„s an vniuersal vessel 140 Heart a sphere 24. e Heraeclitus allwayes wept 50. b Hypocrites sacrifice described 3. m Hypocrites their maners 335 I. IDlenes euills thereof 96 m Idlenes effects thereof 97. e Idle persons described 96. e there excuses 98. m Impatience what 1â—5 b Indifferent things 263. e 277. e 278. b. Instruction what 313. m Influence of starres in the aire 322. b. Iust men perishing 18. m. 218. Iust too Iust who 182 K. KIng termed a child when 269. e L. LAbouringmans happines 123. e. 124. b Law of God the extent 2â—2 m Lawes of Princes alterable 202 Law of God the Kings law how 203 b Lawes iron-chaynes 22 b Laughter the obiect 49 e. 50. m Christ neuer laughed 50. b It procedeth of corruptioÌ„ 50. m Democritus allwayes laughed 50 b Learning twofould 39. e Lending for increase not alwayes vsurie 287. b Light why first created 140. b Liuer described 325. b Libertines described 332. m Loue coniugall loue 233. m how it is maintained 233. Epicurish loue 234. b M. MAn vegetable man 99. e described 100 Man most sociable 101 e MaÌ„ the sperne of the world 140 The centre of the world 140. 16 Man How Gods image 140. e Men more miserable thaÌ„ beasts how 135 Mankind a double motion of it