the North is the highest part of the created World 89 That this Earth is above the Water And that the middle part of this Earth is not the common Centre to which all heavy bodies do naturally descend 89 90 91 Q. Whether that darkness which doth distinguish and separate between the Night and the Day in a large Day be but the want or privation of Light and so mere nothing And which was first the Darkness or the Light 91 to 103 The discoveries here are that Darkness has a Created Being and doth truly subsist 91 92 That Created Light is a mere accident without but that it has an essentiated substance and has a good perfect subsistence of its own distinct from the Sun 92 134 That Darkness and Light do make a natural large Day which doth begin at the Evening Wherein are divers other useful things opened about Evening Darkness Night and Morning Light Day Weeks Months Winter Summer and Years Time Minutes and Hours 92 to 103 Concerning the Created Work of the Second Day Q. Whether all those upper Waters Such as Rain Dew Hail Snow and the like between which and the lower Waters comprehended under the name of Seas such as Springs Fountains Rivers Lakes and the like the out-spread or expanded doth separately divide do come down from above this Expanse Or are they caused in the Air by some influencing operativeness of the Heavenly Luminaries upon the moistness and watriness here below drawing up such vapours from hence as do condeuse in the cold middle Region of the Air and are there turned into those distilling drops which come down here below VVhether the Air be the proper place where the upper VVaters are generated 103 to 106 Here it is evidenced from the Word that the Rain and such other upper Waters is not generated by the Heavenly Luminaries But that it doth come down from above this blew visible Expanse 103 104 105 Concerning the Created Work of the Third Day Q. Whether the exactest fullest Herbal of Herbs Grasâ— Trees and Plants be not treasured up in the Scriptures of Truth opening this great secret of Created Nature best setting out the Doctrine and use of them both for Feeding and for Healing 106 The answer to this doth open much of the Nature Vertues Vses Kinds Places Cherishers Hurters of Herbs with much more of their usefulness for man both for Food and for Medicine It doth stir up Physicians and Cooks to study the Herbal-Art more in a Scripture-way in order to the promoting of bodily health 106 to 113 Of the Fourth Days VVork Q. Whether the Coelestial Phaenomena Of the glorious Luminaries can ever be reduced to any certain satisfactory Art or improved into an advanced restaâ—red Science by vain Philosophy Or must this be attained only by Scripture-discovery in its pursued Light and followed Directions 113 It is here made manifest that vain Philosophy can never teach this it is only learn'd in the Scriptural-School 113 114 115 That the Scriptures do condemn Judiciary Astrology as it is commonly understood and practised to be Groundless Scriptureless Natureless Superstitious Vain and Sinful 115 to 124 That the Sun is not the Centre of the World 124 125 That the Moon is really in its Created Being a great Light 125 That Eclipses of the Sun and Moon have not the proper true causes of them assigned by Philosophers 125 126 That Earth and Seas are not in the Moon Page 126 Of the Fifth Days VVork Q. Whether that part of Natural History which doth concern Fowls Fishes Beasts and Worms can ever be completed into a Natural Art in the way of Ethnick Philosophy Or must we search after it only in the Word of Truth where only it can be advanced and perfected by a due and diligent comparing of their Created Beings in their proper Natures 127 Here is demonstrated that this natural Art is not found in tâ—e way of Ethnick Philosophy and that the Word of Truth alone can advance and perfect this Natural History 127 to 135 That Art rightly discovered is but Nature truly opened 127 That the Mother-tongued-Hebrew should not be sent to Daughter-Languages to learn to speak 128 That there was not a first prae-existent Matter out of which all other Creatures were made 128 129 130 131 That Matter and Motion are not the Essences of things 130 That all and every of the Creatures were immediate distinct Works of Aelohim's Power 128 to 131 That the Creator hath assigned his Creatures to their proper Localities 131 That the World was not from Eternity but had a beginning 131 132 That Time Place and Number are not of the Nature of different things particularly as applyed to worship 131 132 That the LORD in Scripture and Nature has determined the circumstances of worship 132 133 That some Scripture History is also Prophetical and Promissory 134 135 That it is worthy of further inquiry whether Vau be conversive of the Praeterit into the Future or of the Future into the Praeterit 134 135 That Jehovah Aelohim is still putting forth continued acts of preferring and of blessing his Creatures 134 135 That the first Created Light is a Substance truly subsisting in it self and in its Created Nature 134 see also 92 That Beasts and Worms do belong to the Creatien work of the Sixth day And that the gathering in of the lower Waters into the Seas was a part of the Creators Work on the Second Day 134 135 Concerning the Created Work of the Sixth Day Q. Whether Anthropology or the Doctrine of Created Adam or the knowledge of Man or the Science of the Humane Nature be sufficiently taught in the Schools and Lectures of Ethnick Philosophers Or is it only contained in and augmentable and reâ—staurable by the Word of Truth and the holy Spirits teaching of serious inquiries this Art according to those holy Scriptures 136 The discovery here is that Anthropology or the Doctrine of Created Adam or the knowledge of Man or the Science of the Humane Nature is not sufficiently taught by Ethnick Philosophy and the Readers or Writers of it but by the Scriptures of Truth and the holy Spirits instructing in and hy the Scriptures 136 to 158 That man's make is admirable 136 137 That no mere Creature made man but he had his Being distinct from other Creatures immediately by and from Aelohim 136 137 That Man was Created with the Image and Likeness of Aelohim upon him 136 137 That the Female was Created distinct from the Male and but one Female was appointed for one Male in Marriage at the Beginning where is also discovered the sinfulness of Polygamy and of Divorce 138 to 148 That it deserves a further inquiry whether where-ever this Word Adam is found in the Original it should not be rendred Adam when translated into other Languages 148 149 Also whether the fruitful propagating of Mankind by conjugal Generation be not still a Fruit and effect of Aelohim's first Blessing upon Adam and Eve 149
inventions and against themselves for those merely humane excogitates in the Judicatory Courts of their own Intellect and Conscience and have thereby openly renounced and quitted their former usurped Authority by which they too long and too much imposed upon the over-credulity of blinded minds But what shall such a traditionary receiving of corrupt notions never have an end put unto it shall the opinionative conceits and the conjectural ratiocinations of deceived deceiving men be still handed down from one to another Such Methods of Arts and Systems of Sciences and forms of Learning and Schemes of Knowledges as are besides and against the word of Aelobim are either not according to Truth and so they teach that falshood which would be unlearn'd or do not direct to usefulness and so they cause loss by mis-spent time which is not so soon redeemed Their Science is but falsly so called it doth not answer to its name it doth belie its own usurped title by their professourships such would give themselves out to be some of the most knowing of men and diligent seekers after the Truth yet they they miss the mark they pretend to aim at they rove and err like unskilful shooters they go aside from sound Doctrine and from a right belief of that which is the Truth though they would loudly cry boastingly clamour a profoundness of Learning by puzling wordings and painted sayings where neither is the Matter useful nor the inquiry worth while nor the Controversie weighty nor speculation improveable to any spiritual gain so that it neither well informs nor nourishingly feeds the serious Student it is an artificial desire of mens own brains having no foundation in the Word of God and tending to profaneness making a great noise but leaving an emptiness after the manner of Sophisters Let not the ingenious Reader be offended if I open the significancy of some Scripture words and phrases to take him off from giving an idolizing reverence unto such humane fallible Authors as would insinuate a crediting of their cheating Arts and draw on a belief of their deceitful Sciences by a cogging device and cunning trick in a ready dexterity of wicked wittiness handling every subject matter they do discourse or treat of with crafty conveyances and circumventing windings up and down in and out turning every way by over-reaching methods and hidden wiles to seduce unwary travellers into errour and to insnaâ—e them into some misapprehension to divert their minds from truthing it in love Whoever do pursue them will find them at the last to be erring in Theory failing in practice fruitless in experience after much expence of difficult labour and of chargeable travel The wild little fancy of vain foolish man would be setting up a new imaginary world of Artals and of Scientificks which are his own formed Ideas and speculated conceits and modelled opinionativeness and then would not only make an Idol of self to fall down before its own mis-shapen Image and to fail in love with its own empty shadow but would also set it up before others that they may worship it too which has been for so many ages of the world the grand design and the too far prevailing attempt of Enthusiastick Phantasms of Humane Magistralities of self-weaved Ratiocinations of forced Extractions of indulged Sensations and of unsetling Scepticisms which six have laid some of the most claim to the highest advance of Humane Learning though their Arts and Sciences have been hitherto so far from being really in their nature or use liberal that they have been some of the most tyrannous enslavers of mens judgements and imprisoning fetters of their understanding How many thousands have by their wandring after such misguiders left and lost their way in the dark where their Souls have been filled with troublesome doubts and with tormenting fears exposing them to violent temptations of Atheism and Unbelief and what wonder that it is thus with the Scholar when some of the learnedest of the Masters themselves have resolved upon this as the conclusion of all their knowledge that All things are matter of doubtful questionings and are intricated with knotty difficulties and do pass into amazing uncertainties and resolve into cosmical suspicions And this not only is the deliberate Judgement of particular Virtuoso's in our day but has been the publick determination of an whole University if there be truth in those Historical Records that do report them to us even with those has it thus been so who made proficiencie in Arts and progress in Sciences to be the subject of their profession the matter of their inquiry and the design of their studiousness How manifold the inconveniences how mischievous the effects of this have been if the Readers Spirit would not be exasperated thereby might be soon inlarged upon for the Writer would not provoke or inrage mens passions but would come in words of truth and of soundness to hold forth a Scripture Light before such as are of a temperate and sober understanding and of a serious considering spirit The hurt that has been done to my own soul and the scars that are visibly upon me by my ill-chosen-studies and misemployed hours heretofore though in a way of some diligence do stir up some compassions in me towards others to indeavour the preventing or curing of the like spreading distemper in their understandings the infectiousness of which disease in mens intellects has been hitherto little suspected and its dangerousness less felt And therefore if in faithful plainness I do oppose paganish or Ethnick Philosophy let it be once more remembred that where-ever this expression is found or such other words relating to the same matter in this Treatise I mean thereby that vainly affected humane wisdom which was invented by Pagans by Heathens or by Satan who taught it unto such by such as had not the sound saving knowledge of Jehovah Aelohim or of His word but did write besides it and contradictorily to it and so far as this kind of Philosophy is still retained and defended by any Christians For this is that which has so anticipated mens minds with such corrupt principles as are complying with prophane practices with such mis-shapen notions as are suited to carnal reason with such wrong opinions as do plead for depraved Customs with such flattering perswasions as are humouring to sensual affections it doth so infect and sicken their intellect so weaken and make it Consumptive that who can cure it if the LORD Christ himself be not actually the one and the only All-skilful Physician and if Scripture-Learning be not seasonably well applyed as the one and the only universal remedy of this of the mind whilst some do write and others do read so many expositions upon paganish Philosophy and do so little study the Scriptures of Truth the Press may bring forth many curiously arted Books but there will be in the intellectual World a famme of Progressive Literature The frequent Divertisements by
to constitute and establish an universal conclusion by these steps and degrees may we ascend into sound knowledge and with more speed ease and satisfaction learn the best part of profitable Arts and Sciences This doth set out the true real Nature of created Beings as they are in the things themselves whereas mere humane attemps this way have no certainty of demonstration nor infallibity of evidence no further convincingness than as they agree with this there is answeringness in this to the Nature of Existences which are printed in this Word and sealed in the Creation here the laws of words are one with the laws of things here the conducture of the word doth lead the way and the architecture of the Creation doth follow after whatsoever doth contradict the grounds of God-inspired Scripture and the reasons of created Nature must be rejected by us here Scripture revealeth Nature and Nature declareth Scripture the LORD's Mouth in his Word doth not gainsay his hand in his Works there are such inner secrets in created Beings as are separate from outward Senses and exempt from experimental discovery and withdrawn from mere humane inquisition which works of Nature are best contemplated in the word of Grace so sweetly doth this insinuate into and incorporate with those How is the Intellect of man likely to be receptive of useful Truths till it be first purified by Scripture-knowledge all the impresses of Wisdom of Truth and of Goodness that are in created things they are but the transcribed Characters of the Word and the visible representations of those shining perfections that are in the All-glorious Author of this Word who doth direct their Nature and govern their operations to bring about his own holy just ends for the good and benefit of particular Beings and of the whole Universe Scripture descriptions are most significative of created Natures and best expressive of their real Virtues let therefore these Philosophical Imperialists no longer exercise Lordship over the Faith of Christians however they have thus far usurped dominion over the Reason of Pagans let not our Understandings be commanded by their Laws of Arts nor ruled by their Decrees of Sciences who would have all Intellects to bow before them whilst they sit in the Throne and King it over mens Souls It is the Scripture Revelation that doth best preserve the due order of Christ's Supreme Soveraignty and of its own pre-eminent authority and of our regular subjection under both him and it by its winning commendations of Truths and of Realities in the demonstrativeness of their evidence and in the choiceness of their excellencies operations of Nature and efficiencies of Arts co-operating with Nature and drawing forth its working powers are as so many instances and interpretations of such Scripture as do speak of them Wisdom is justified of her Sons though the common cry of the mis-judging World be against her Knowledges in this Word have their universal conprehensiveness and if mens Studies in them were fitted to their particular inclinations and framed to their constitution-desires more able instruments better furnished for publick employments both in State and in Church both for Peace and for VVar would then be found the skilfullest Scripturians would prove the wisest Artists and the prudentest Counsellors VVere Lecturers in all Countries encouraged and appointed in fit places to read in the Mother Tongue on such Scripture-subjects it would make popular Judgements and common Auditors great proficients in Arts and progressors in Sciences which spreadingness of knowledge of Christians should not make it contemptible whereas now the Philosophers would keep Learning in a few hands amongst Scholars in the Universities and Readers of Colleges and Professors in the Schools who would be monopolizing of Original Languages and of Scientifick Skills and be driving on of their rich Trade of over-reaching sophistry I judge it to be an Affirmation according to Truth and an undertaking according to Reality that a plain Believer of discerning capacity may be righter taught many useful things about the History of the Creation in natural Beings in their proper Causations productive Workings and genuine Effects in one year than several years and yet more times seven in the common way of Philosophical Studies will or can attain unto In this Scripture path Believers may expect the teachings of the Holy Spirit and inlightnings from the Father of illuminations much of the written Word would then receive more evident and full interpretations when Christ's Works are made a paraphrase upon his Words Here particular Sciences are true fruitful and complete not as in Philosophical VVritings in false barren and empty If little Children were commonly taught the Original Language and if there were in the Mother-Tongues of the several Nations such an exact Scripture Lexicon composed as might shew the true meaning of all the Original VVords Roots and Branches and of all the Original Phrases relating to the several Arts and Sciences and if the whole of these VVords and Phrases were orderly and distinctly with their cited Scriptures put into a common place of these special knowledges in various professions and if the most accomplished the best gifted the most excellingly graced the most diligently and faithfully industrious and the most practically and skilfully experienced for every particular Art and Science did make it much of the work of their day and business of their life to studie the Scriptures for that peculiar end and special purpose putting not only general Rules but particular Directions all methodically together it would be a complete Summary and an exact Directory in that Art and Science Shall my growing waiting hopes be only of the next Generation that they may listen to this counsel who will give that I may reap some good fruit of my labours in the present age if the LORD by his secret inworking with wonderful efficacy will renew and irradiate mens minds if he will bend and bow their wills change and awe their hearts then self-conceit pride and prejudice will quickly vanish away and a teachable Frame will so imbrace and improve this advice as that the ingenuous and studious will not be so injurious to themselves or unkind towards Christ as to kick Him and His VVord out of their Schools for it will be made manifest in a little time that created Beings in their natural efficiencies have such an hidden way of secret operation as is beyond the most significant expressions of any Philosophical VVorders and therefore only the words of God can fully so accommodate them to inlightned Understandings as withal to make them properly declarative of real workings All true both definitions and descriptions of things by words must be rectified by Scripture Language VVhatever be the issue I have through Mercy and Grace obtained from the LORD done this part of my Generation work and in this I do rejoyce and give glory to Him VVhere doth the whole Scripture that speaks of this matter send us to any other way of getting
an Edifice the Doors Ports Gates of an House are often treated of in Scripture and are applyed to many other things affording matter of profitable Meditation the Thresholds are here spoken of so are the Posts what shall I more say concerning the Carpentes Compass and the use of it concerning his Platforms with more that might be added upon this subject-matter if it were worth mine and the Readers while to heap up together all the proper materials relating unto this manual Art which those who would be curious therein and are more at leisure to search deeper and further into this inquiry in a Scripture-way may with study and diligence more furnish themselves withal in order to the Artificial Symmetrical joyning of Timber-pieces together into an exact Frame so that a raised heavenly mind would admire to see so much of this Fabril-Art so scattered up and down in the Word for it doth much commend the excellingness of Scripture-knowledge that in so great a part of it it doth teach divers things and several Truths at once O that I could prevail so far with the generous Minds and with the ingenuous Spirits of this age as that they would first of all after the prayer of Faith put up unto the LORD for being taught of him study the Scriptures upon the particular subject-matters which their inquiries are exercised about in any lawful Arts and Sciences and let Scripture-knowledge lead them as far as it will go if it were so that all were not there yet do not reject what is there and then improve it by drawing forth from thence what Jehovah hath put of it into Nature Seeing we are upon the advancement of useful Learning and somewhat is now to be written about the Augment and Restauration of the Geographick Chorographick and Topographick Science and Art I haue these few Queries to propound to the Studious in this kind of Learning Queries WHether it would not much promote Scripture-knowledge which is the best knowledge to have such Maps drawn of the Earth of Countries of Places of Distances and such like as do exactly agree with the Scriptures with those particular Scriptures that do relate thereunto and to have those Maps more common amongst the people to give them further insight and truer information in such passages of the World somewhat of this has been done already but we incourage perfecting work Q. Whether all the Books of Ethnick Philosophick Geography should not be corrected and reformed by Scripture-Geography in its description of the Earth of Countries of Cities and of other places which doth give us as the most ancient so also the only infallible and perfect Narration how the several parts of the Earth were inhabited and properly by the Sons of Noah and their Posterity Q. Whether the true Origination of the right Names of the several inhabited Nations were not derived from the proper Names of those of Noah's Posterity who were the first Possessors and Founders of Cities in those places and gave Names to those Countries and whether the Hebrew signification of those proper Names both of Persons and of Places would not bring more light to the true description of those Countries and of their situation than as yet any humane Geographies have discerned by Q. Whether the Original Names by which the several parts and Countries of the inhabited Earth are called in the Scriptures should not be revived and restored and used in the several Mother-Tongues and this not only in the Translation of the holy Scriptures into other Languages but also in all other Treatises that shall speak of those Countries Q. Whether seeing Noah's Ark did rest upon the Mountains of Ararat in the Eastern part of the dry Land where he and his Family did settle themselves for a while and from whence afterwards they and their Generations did spread themselves Whether Shem who removed Eastward being said to go East East did not possess and people America where divers Names of places are still retained much according to the Scripture-Hebrew and if so whether then the late Globes and Maps be drawn according to the Original Truth which do place America in such a quarter and coast of the Earth that yet received her first inhabitants from the East-borders of Asia as they now call it and which do leave such a vast Ocean of so many Leagues between Sinear and Anjan between the North-East parts of Asia and the North-West side of America as they commonly describe them and whether these be not continent at most but dis-joyned by some great River or narrow Channel of the Ocean As for Grammar-Learning relating to the Original Language in the Scriptures I have at present these considerations to propound unto the Ingenious and Ingenuous the Studious and the learned Linguists by way of further inquiry Queries WHether the design of this Treatise being the perfecting of the knowledge of all useful Arts and Sciences and the Restauration and advancement of Learning in a Scripture-way as the true the right the excelling the only way thereof whether therefore it were not a necessary and profitable work to compose a Grammar of the Original Language or Languages wholly according to Scripture and the Rules found there and no longer to make Scripture speak according to Philosophick Grammars and their Rules invented by men which Rules are often contradicted by particular Scripture-instances seeing that these Arts and Sciences are to be fetched out of the Original Language and not from Humane Authorities that so in these later days we may have a proper remedy against the confusion of Tongues Q. Whether in such a Scripture-Grammar great wisdom and diligence should not be used that the Orthoepick and Orthographick part of it be so accommodated to the Original Languages as that the Scripture-Tongues may be more purely spoken more correctedly written more speedily learned more exactly measured more sweetly sounded more rightly accented and more profitably improved Q. Whether the Etymological part of such a Grammar should not be so fitted to the real origination and the natural significancy of Scripture-words as that there may be a well-agreeing Analogy of all those words from the Root to the Branches throughout in one and the same common notion of meaning and with each other all the Scriptures through and with the persons or things which they do represent that words may be but the notes of true Essences and the interpretations of created Natures and that a complete Lexicon be framed to this purpose setting out the significant meaning and the proper intendment of the original Words themselves to be derived and deduced from created Existences having an innate Reason thereof in them and whether all other Languages are not Hebrew Dialects having cognation with this Original Tongue Q. Whether the Syntactical constructive part in the regimen of Original words when put together in Sentences should not be kept close unto in the very same order of the Words and Phrases in
forth the more in growing measures of glorious Holiness O what a day will that be when the New Heavens and the New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness shall be created for Christ's followers to see and to enjoy him in when the chosen among mankind shall be fully perfect in Vision and in Knowledge in Grace and in Glory in Holiness and in Happiness By this discovery I would remove that occasion of stumbling which some do lay as a stone of offence before them to stop and to hinder themselves in this further grand inquiry about the proficiency of Learning as if this would degenerate Christians into Pagans and Believers into Naturalists and send them from Christ to Creatures to the debasing of the true pure Religion whereas it would call off men from ignorant Paganism to a knowing Christianity and advance all profitable Learning into a spiritualized usefulness and work up the Scholars in Christ's School to a more refined heavenly raisedness both in Principle and in practice The Holy Scriptures in speaking of the Works of Creation and of Natural Things do speak of them as they really are and not as they seemingly only appear according to exactness of Truth as the Nature and Essence of them are and not according to the wrong conceits and ignorant mistakes of vulgar Minds and common Opinionists IEhovah Aelohim has put the Essence and the real Nature of created Beings into the aptest and most expressive words in their full and proper significancy and Adam gave the fittest names to the Beasts of the Field and to all the Fowls of the Air according to their quality and condition which was an evident discovery of his great Wisdom and what is a Word but such a Note whereby every thing is distinctly known both in it self and also wherein it doth differ from other things The Holy Scriptures do often from the Works of Creation and from Natural Things prove what they do affirm unto the outward senses confirming the Faith and incouraging the hope of Saints in Christ and in his Word and in his Covenant of Grace in this Word by these senses and confuting their incredulity and distrust from hence now what confirmation of the one or confutation of the other could this be if those means of probation were not real and sensible and self-evidencing in those Brings themselves which every man that has the right Exercise of his Reason and the due use of his Senses must acknowledge to be so as is said the Faith of the LORD's Covenant people grows confident concerning revealed Truths in what they do not see by those things which they do see and discern with their Senses Many a choice discovery about several of the Works of Creation have been revealed to some Spiritual Discerners in their private Studies under an imprisoned state by the holy Spirit from Christ's true Word before they ever made search after them by the use of their outer Senses into the nature of those Created Beings before they had any ocular Demonstration of them or made any visible Observations upon them which afterwards by comparing of these Creatures with those Scriptures they have found in experience exactly to agree so as no mere Humane Author no Pagan Philosopher either has discovered or can discern Of what Nature soever those things are which God hath revealed in his Word unto reasonable Creatures the same are they bound to believe them to be as he has there made them known unto such For they are thereby become a part of the complete Object of Faith so that we are not only to believe the Declarations of the Doctrines of the Christian Religion in those great Mysteries of Three in One of God manifested in the Flesh with such like and also the Prophesies to come in after-ages with a great deal more concerning Duties Graces Priviledges c. but also that grand History of matters of Fact past and gone such as the written Journal of Created Beings in the beginning of the Bible and all the after-discourses of Natural Things as they are contained in the Scriptures of Truth Created Nature is the copyed Transcript of Holy Scriptures What a bold daring attempt then is it for vain man to be such an Interpreter of the words of his Creator concerning the great Works which he has done and the Beings which he has formed as not to admit of the plain sense of those Scripture-words and expressions the original Letter and the proper significancy whereof he will not deny or contradict For there is great verity in and real answerableness between these words and those things The literal sense of the Word of Christ where it speaks positively of the Works of Creation of Natural things is not to be gone off from if an Allegorical or Mysterial sense be any where as to this pleaded for it must be proved that there is an evident necessity thereof in the same place either by the words and meaning of themselves or by the Context or else by comparing of it with other Scriptures where it can be evidenced by such expressions significations contexts or collations that any passages in or relating to the History of the Creation are symbolical signifying some other Mystery yet even there if that were admitted first of all must the sense of the Letter simply and the truth of the History in the plain meaning of the Narrative-Record be firmly established Translators should keep close to the proper meaning of the Original words otherwise they do expound the sense as they apprehend in Syntax and are not regular Etymologists to explain the significancy and to maintain the property of every word Scripture-words are to be turned into other Languages not as men suppose they mean in trope but as they naturally signifie in Truth The usefulness of a literal version in order to the advancement of Learning is very well worthy to be treated of in its place The Scriptures are not accomdated to vulgar received Errours or mere imaginary conceits or vain false appearances but they speak of things as the things themselves really are Is not the LORD Christ Truth it self how tremblingly afraid then should sorry man be of making him a lyar by speaking one thing and meaning a quite contrary There is no transmutation in him nor obumbration of turning no variation nor casting of shadows by his turning it is Blasphemy to charge him as a Teacher of Error He has given this testimony by his own Words to his own Works when he had taken a diligent survey of them that what he had made was every part and the whole of it when set in its beauteous frame Good so as he had expressed it to be Can infinite Wisdom and truthfulness mistake in his expressions would he who is so abundant in Goodness and in Truth tell his people otherwise than the real History is Christ's Words do all along speak of these matters affirmingly assertingly they speak of his Works
not as they seem unto common capacaties upon mistaken grounds from erroneous principles but as the verity of their existence is Nomenclature doth shew how that Things and Beings are put into the Names of those Things and Beings and this by institution of Original significancy as the expressions do declare The Word and the Works of God are here held out to be Truth Mens errings do proceed from their not understanding of the Scriptures and of the Power of God not from the taking of Christ upon his bare word Holy Ones in the Word do disswade from Error and can we imagine then that the Word should shew men how to err would this have men still to continue in their being deceived to have them read and think that for true and certain which is false and misconceived Christ witnesseth of his words that there is nothing wreathed or perverse in them they are words of Truth and there is certainty in them being fitted to resolve questions to the satisfaction of inquiring Spirits The LORD 's wording of the History of the Creation is his first revealed Idea of all things manifest to rational Creatures The real Natures of Created Beings do directly answer to Scripture-speakings concerning them the things seen were things made and the Maker of them would have his own real perfections to be read in them How unavoidable would the many dangerous ill consequences be that will necessarily follow upon the contrary opinion how would all Foundations of credibility and of veracity be shaken and over-turned There is a clear and a constant evidence and demonstration of the senses well exercised and rightly judging amongst all reasonable Creatures all the inhabited Earth over in all the Ages of the World who have brought in one and the same Testimony concerning the reality of things as this word doth express them to be which is a full proof It is a Theological Truth of resolving the probation by senses into Scripture-expressions and of rectifying all deceits and mistakes of the Senses by the word-Rule It was and is the Scripture-way to prove things by Senses and to call upon Senses to bring in their Verdict according to Scripture Thus were all the proceedings in Jehovah's judicial Laws in all Cases wherein any matter of fact is to be witnessed and accordingly any matter of right to be determined as Justice Truth and Equity required Inward and outward senses regulated by the Word are great resolvers of weighty questions these Senses being every one of them differenced both in Nature and in Grace by their distinct proper and singular operation Scripture-words do not set out Created Beings as directly opposite to right-judging rational Senses Should we resort to humane reasonings and to carnal imaginations in these inquiries we could acquiesce here for these in several men at the same time and sometimes in one and the same man take him at several times are varying one from another and contrary to each other and often they are but shews and colours not the real things themselves whereas the Creator will have his Creatures to be a sensible Testimony to the Truth of His Word Those that do tremble at God's Word and who do stand in awe of its Authority do find sensible Demonstrations within them and evident arguments in the things themselves against such bold assertions as do call those expressions to be absurdities which are literal affirmations and down-right positions in this word and that do mis-name it to be servile superstitious fear to oppose the meaning of Scripture-phrases Remember that I write not now about Types Shadows and Figures contained in the word where the signs are sometimes put for the things signified thereby though here also there be some outward and visible thing truly represented to our senses neither about communication of properties whereby that is sometimes attributed to aâ— whole Person or Subsistence which agreeth to him but in respect of one of his Natures as when God is said to purchase this Church by his Blood which Blood properly doth appertain to Christ's Manhood and not to his Godhead but of Created Beings in their real Existences which are the same in Nature that the Scriptures do call them in name Scripture and Nature are uniformly concordant one with another and all the whole Scripture as well as all the whole Nature doth well agree with it self and therefore let it be further considered whether it were a sound and sober a solid and savoury answer in him who being urged with the plain express significant Letter of the fourth word or command for the Seventh-day-Sabbath doth lay down this for one of his premised propositions that though the Letter of the Text ought alway to be carefully heeded yet alway to stick to it and never compare Scripture with Scripture for the better understanding of the sense thereof may prove a dangerous snare which he applies in part unto a sticking to the Letter of the fourth Commandment without minding the scope sense and meaning of it bethinking that thereby a man shall cast a mist before his eyes which will exceedingly hinder him from the right understanding of the Mind of God therein If I should do so saith he of himself I shall find it so to be Thus he That Word of Christ unto one who inquired by what doing he should inherit eternal Life is here now with me What is written in the Law How readest thou that answer must we receive in and from this Law which is written in this Law and which we do read so written in it for this is still a right answer To compare Scripture with Scripture for the right understanding of that fourth Word has been already done and will be further performed when I come to treat professedly on that subject-matter when it will be made evident from the Word that the whole Scripture doth speak in its true proper literal significancy for the Seventh-day-Sabbath the scope sense and meaning of the fourth Command being altogether expresly for it If the Law of the Ten Words particularly of the Fourth be not literally expressive of their true right meaning I know not what of the Scripture is where every discerner at the first reading and hearing may presently know its meaning as will be further shewn Here as it is written so we read neither is it to be otherwise understood nor in any other sense to be taken than in that which doth first present it self to the intelligent Reader or hearer So far as we are under the Commandingness of this Law we are under all whatsoever it speaks this way and it speaks of the Seventh-day in express Letters and Words as the Sabbath exclusive of all the other six foregoing days of the same week which it nameth and calleth to be days for working in our particular Functions every Iota and Tittle thereof being ratified by Christ and therefore its Letter doth bind It appears to me to be
first Promise of his and believers should enjoy it as a Covenant Mercy when ever our eyes do behold the Light we may see there are more substances and fewer accidents as they name them than Ethnick Philosophers do own What was the first created Light according to their own descriptions Was it not an Entity of Nature Did it not truly subsist Doth not the Scripture affirm this Did it not subsist in it self VVhat substance did this Light naturally flow from or originally subsist in Did it spring from Heaven or from Earth or from VVaters Or from the gulphy space or doleful place The Expanse was not created till the Seventh-day As for the Air neither was that extended expanded or made so diaphanous or created on the one day And as for the Heavenly Luminaries they had not a Being till the fourth day If you imagine it to be inherent in the highest Heavens and transmitted thence why then is not the Light always sent forth to make it continual day What substance was the Light adventitious to in its first being created Was not the specificial Essence thereof in it self What other substance did the Light affect or perfect Was not the Light an actual Entity specifically differing from all other created Beings in the Time and Nature of it This Light is a stated solid substantial Entity always actual since its first Creation without continual sensible variations The Light has corporeal quantity of extension and corporeal Motion in coming and in going What was that pretended lucid Body in which this Light is supposed to be inherent to which to adhere and in which as in a Subject to be It is an essential and substantial Creature in its own Nature and Being which Aelohim gave unto it The Light was not gathered into the Sun not placed in the body of the Sun not affixed unto the Sun not sent into and inserted in it after its Being diffused and shed abroad not bound to any certain body the Light doth cast no shadow because it doth surround Bodies whereas the Sun doth cast shadows because its shining is in direct Beams It is a real thing and not only a notion all and every of the created Beings are truly subsisting Entities This created Light was not Christ though in another sense Christ is called Light For somewhat was created before the Light as the Heavens the Earth the Waters the empty space the doleful place and darkness whereas Christ is the beginning of the Works of Aelohim he was before all created Beings For a close of this fifth days VVork I apprehend the creating of the Beasts and VVorms to appertain to the fifth day for several weighty Reasons agreeing with the VVord All those Creature are here put together Such as have a sensitive Soul and Life So nobly formed a Creatures as Man who was to have the Royal Dominion over these sensitive Creatures and was endued with a Religious Rational Soul and Life he had the honour of a distinct day the sixth day for his Creation apart from other Creatures The cause why it is said twice that Aelohim will foreseeingly look on because good what he created on the fifth day may be this there doth appear some need of such a subdivision because there were two such divers kinds of Creatures made on that day Some in the place of the Waters the other in the place of the red Earth the goodness of both and of each of which doth the more clearly shine forth and is the better understood by this Spiritual Narration of doubling the Testimony There is a special Blessing given to Religious Rational Adam distinct from Bruit Animals Observe well also this further Reason here is a distinct Creature from tame Animals and wild Beasts particularly mentioned the creeping one the Reptil a word which was mentioned before in the Participle concerning the Fishes and therefore this kind of Creature must be created on the same day of the week on which the Fishes its Fellow-creepers were and so also the other mentioned here as the tame Animal and the wild Beast Thus also I judge that the gathering together of the lower Waters from other places with expecting desire into the Seas as its appointed place did belong to the Creation-work of the second day because to every one of the six days of this one week of the Creation this is expresly ascribed that Aelohim will foreseeingly look on because good whereas if this be carried on to the third day then the second day will be left without this approving Testimony from its Creator Further they are much a part of the same subject-matter spoken of in the second days Work which was that these Waters below might have a distinct place from those Waters above by an out-spread partition between them They were both of them Waters This Work about the severing of the Waters was begun upon the second day and there finished on the second day For as a wise good Worker Aelohim reserves the approbation till he had perfected that Work and put it in its proper place so discharged as it were his hands of it as to what concerned the Creation of it though as to its continued preservation it be still in his manutenancy How large and complete an History of the Fishes of Fowls of Beasts and of VVorms might there be composed and compiled for the perfecting of this Art and the polishing of the Science of Sensitive Souliness if all those VVords and Phrases were orderly put together that do treat of this subject matter in the Scriptures of Truth The Sixth Day towards the true Advance of useful Learning doth give us the hint of this profitable Inquiry Q. Whether Anthropology or the Doctrine of Created Adam or knowledge of Man or the Science of the Humane Nature be sufficiently taught in the Schools and Lectures of Ethnick Philosophers Or is it only contained in and augmentable and restaurable by the Word of Truth and the holy Spirits teaching of serious Inquirers this Art according to these Holy Scriptures Answ IT is not by Ethnick Philosophy and the Readers or VVriters of it but by the Scriptures of Truth and the holy Spirits instructing in and by these Man what is this man that the Creator has so crowned him with so signal an Honour Man how noble is his make Man is the Articulate Trumpeter of the Creators Praises the lingual Glory of the VVorld sounding forth the shining excellencies of Jehovah Aelohim in his glorious self in his good VVord and in his great VVorks How useful a Knowledge is this the true Knowledge of our selves VVhat profit would it be to me and to the Reader though we understood all other Mysteries and all other Knowledges if thou and I were ignorant of our selves How Royal Prerogatives hath the LORD dignified Man withal Unto how high a pitch hath he raised the ultim summities of the Humane Nature in all its created Perfections of Spirit of
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ΠΑΓΓÎΩΣΊΑ ΠΑÎΤΕΧÎΊΑ ΠΑÎΣΟΦΊΑ All in One. ALL USEFUL SCIENCES AND PROFITABLE ARTS In one BOOK of Iehovah Aelohim COPIED out and COMMENTED upon IN Created Beings Comprehended and discovered In the FULNESS and PERFECTION OF SCRâ—PTURE-KNOWLEDGES The FIRST PART By Francis Bampfield A lover and admirer of Christ and of His Word and Works Colossians 2. 3 4 8. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge And this I say lest any man should beguile you with inticing words Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit and after the traditions of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ Printed in the Year 1677. THE SUMMARY CONTENTS OF THE First Part OF THIS TREATISE THe Design of this Treatise Page 1 to pag. 18 Where the Emptiness Insufficiency and vain affectation of Humane Wisdom and Philosophick Science is discovered 1 to 8 And the shining Emanations of the Fulness and Perfections of Scripture-knowledges are held forth 8 to 18 The LORD Jesus Christ hath hiddenly laid up all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge in his Word Wherein are many choice Mysteries above the reach and besides the Rules of Philosophy 19 to 23 Here is shown how a complete Minister of Christ should be somewhat of an universal Artist 19 20 And how that there are many truths in the Word necessary to be believed which are contrary to the Principles of Philosophy 20 21 22 There is in the Word of Christ a full comprehensiveness at of all other useful Learning and so particularly of the knowledge of Natural things of which it doth treat and speak purposely and professedly Page 23 to pag. 45 Wherein is declared that there are not only general but also the particular Rules in the Scripture for the musical Science 24 to 37 And for the Fabril Art 37 to 41 As two instances out of many called forth to be a specimen of this Truth With some further directions also about Geograpâ—y and Geographers Grammarians 42 43 44 There is much of spiritual use to be made of the improved knowledge of Natural Things For the discerning and injoying of fellowship with the Creator and Redeemer 45 to 49 Here is shewn how some of the most learned Philosopâ—ers have learn'd many Arts and Sciences of irrational Creatures 46 47 And how many errors in Philosopâ—y have corrupted much of Theology and of Christianity 47 48 The holy Scriptures in speaking of the Works of the Creation and of Natural Things do speak of them as they really are and not as they seemingly only appear according to exactness of Truth as the Nature and Essence of them are and not according to the wrong conceits and ignorant mistakes of vulgar minds and common opinionists Pag. 49 to p. 52 Where also this is cleared that Scripture-words are best expressive of created Works 49 to 52 The vain affectation of Humane Wisdom which doth thrust upon the credulity of so many a Doctrine of Probabilities concerning the Works of Creation and Natural Things from Antichristian and unscriptural Philosphy but is not according to Christ and to his Word is such a deceitful way of false reasoning as makes a prey of Souls and is carefully to be avoided Philosophical Science is but falsely so named 52 to 57 The Vain-affectation of Creature knowledge in the Apostateâ—Angels and of flumane Wisdâ—m in fallen man has all along been endeavouring to corrupt and to pervert both the pure Word of Aelohim and his Created Works whereby they are misrepresented to the Rational Intellect in wrong shapes 57 to 62 Those Books which are commonly called Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy or the Books of Moses and his Writings there have the approving testimony of those true faithful Prophets that did follow after him as also of the LORD Jesus Christ himself and of his Apostles And the History of the Creation and of the Works thereof in the beginning of the Bible is true in the literal sense and was intended and recorded so to be understood And all those Philosophical Allegorical and Mystical senses which any do give thereof that are contrary unto this are to be avoided and rejected 62 to 66 An Inquiry about the Creator of the Works of Creation on the severalâ—Days of the first Week of the World 66 Q. Whether was the LORD Jesus Christ Jehovah as his Father is Jehovah and as the Spirit of his Holiness is Jehovah Whether he were appointed by his Father and anointed by his Spirit to be one Mediator the only LORD and Lawgiver And whether he were the Creator of all things as the Father is Creator and as the holy Spirit is Creator they the Creators And whether is not this included in the first Words of the holy Scriptures Bereashith baraa Aelohim and in that word Jehovah who presently in the very next verse after the short History of the Creation is said to be the Creator and Maker Page 66 Here is held forth the use of the name Jehovah 67 68 69 That the Father of Christ is Jehovah 69 That the Spirit of Christ's Holiness is Jehovah 69 70 That the LORD Jesus Christ is Jehovah 70 That this Jehovah is one Jehovah 70 71 That Christ is the Mediator 71 72 73 That Christ is the One Mediator 73 74 That Christ is the LORD 74 75 That Christ is the Only LORD 75 That Christ is the Lawgiver 75 76 77 That Christ is the Only Lawgiver 77 That Christ was appointed by his Father and Anointed by his Spirit to these Offices 77 78 79 That Jehovah Aelohim was the Creator 79 That the Father was the Creator 79 That the holy Spirit was the Creator 80 That the LORD Jesus Christ was Creator 80 81 That the Father Son and Holy Spirit were the Creators these three the Creating One 81 That much of these Mysteries concerning Christ are included in the first words of the holy Scriptures Bereashith barraa Aelohim and in that word Jehovah mentioned a little after the short History of the Creation as the Creator and Maker 81 82 83 That there is an excellency in Scripture-knowledge which is proved by opening of some passages in the nine first Chapters of the Proverbs of Solomon relating unto this 83 to 87 Of the one which when another Day was Created was the First Day of the Created World Page 87 Q. Whether this Earth at its first Creation were without form and void So that Tohu and Bohu he truly and rightly praedicated of Aeretz Or whether Tohu and Bohu be not distinct Creatures from the Earth locally distant or two created Places the one setting out the gulphy empty space and the other the doleful place of Hell Page 87 Here is shewn that this Earth was not Created a formless empty misâ—shâ—â—pen Lump 87 88 That Tohu and Bohu or the gulphy empty Space and the doleful place of Hell are distinct Creatures from the Earth created places locally distinct from it 88 89 That
and to p. 132. l. 57. r. and not to f. to aspire p. 137. l. a 3. r. to assure f. do fall p. 137. l. 40. r. did fall f. in the p. 137 l. 41. r. in their f. who was the p. 138. l. 11. r. who was the The f. of beautyous p. 139. l. 11. r. of a beautyous f. was a p. 139. l. 12. r. was such a. f. one true Eve p. 139. l. 31. r. one onely Eve f. take false an p. 139. l. 50. r. take an f. these p. 140. l. 38. r. those f. by p. 140. l. 44. r. is by f. same though p. 141. l. 40. r. same man though f. these breach p. 142. l. 24. r. the breaches f. the p. 142. lo. 5. r. that f. material p. 144. l. 47. r. matrimonial f. his marriage offices p. 145. l. 16. r. his peoples marriage offices f. by the way p. 145. l. 38. r. by the law f. out freely a p. 146. l. z. r. out 2. f. as is p. 146. l. 3. r. as they call it which is f. appointed not p. 150. l. 51. r. not appointed f. need p. 150. l. 52. r. used f. would not have p. 150. l. 58. r. would have f. considerable p. 152. l. 2. r. considerate f. fulfilling p. 152. l. 36. r. filling f. Fellâ—oship p. 152. l. 45. r. Fellowship f. a Patient p. 152. l. 55. r. a Parent f. of p. 153. l. 9. r. with f. out p. 153. l. 28. r. outward f. contract p. 154. l. 43. r. contract f. effects p. 155. l. 6. r. Affects f. effects p. 156. l. 49. r. Affects f. curses p. 157. l. 15. r. cures f. natural natural reasons p. 157. l. 22. r. natural reason f. thereunto p. 158. l. 8. r thereupon f. exempar p. 158 l. 39 40. r. exemplar f. and the old p. 160. l. 22. r. in the old f. are p. 160. l. 35. r. is f. Authograph p. 16â— l. 3. r. Autograph f. is p. 162. l. 4. r are f. Scripture p. 162. l. 14. r. Scriptures f. easier p. 162. l. 26. r. easie f. audibles p. 163. l. 6. r. audible f. with it a secret p. 163. l. 9. r. with it in the Text and Context a secret f. here p. 163. l. 16. r. there f. access p. 163. l. 18. r. attests f. into p. 168. l. 42. r. in f. a Sabbath p. 169. l. 18. r. a Seventh-day-Sabbath f. whether LORD p. 169. l. 24. r. whether the LORD f. late days p. 170. l. 23. r. later days f. al the p. 171. l 8. r. al sense the. THE DESIGN OF THIS TREATISE IEhovah Christ is Wisdom all Wisdom in One Wisdom it self the Wisdom of all Wisdom his Father is the free giver he himself the rich Purchaser his Holy Spirit the infusing Teacher of all useful Wisdom unto his Covenant people All the treasures of Wisdom and of Knowledge are hidden in him and in his Word which the wise in heart should seek and search after that they may understand and find it and it may enter into their heart and be pleasant unto their soul The Scriptures of Truth are a perfect Library of all saving Knowledge and profitable Science copied out and commented upon in created Nature else the Title of this Treatise would be too high and great a design for so low and mean an undertaker but Truth is the Victory Christ is the Truth and as he is such is his Word the Truth too and he is going forth conquering and to conquer he doth and he will prosper riding upon this Word of Truth whilst Philosophy which is the vain affectation of humane wisdom under which description and notion I do declare against it throughout this Tractat this is falling and shall fall low and utterly fail and quite vanish before him and before that Word of his growing Believers will have such Spiritual discerning as no longer to be despoiled or to be carried away as captives for a prey by it the seducing Artifices of it shall be discovered and avoided for they are not according to Christ the seeming wisdom of its swelling words is but the excrescent part of a swelling ulcer though it carry a garnished shew of excellency of Speech it is but humane wisdom the enticing wisdom of men the wisdom of the corrupt age though much admired by the great ones of the times what is this to the Wisdom of God to that Wisdom which the Holy Spirit teacheth The restauration of Arts and the advancement of Sciences has been the studious research and the unwearied endeavour of some both Ancient and Modern Writers men of name for Learning but whilst they dig for it in some grounds of their own and under notions from within themselves and so would proceed Masters of Arts and commence Doctors of Sciences by the natural Abilities and acquired Endowments of their own Intellect and Reason improving of it self only either from it self or from humane Authors or from new invented experiments the most souly of them after all their laborious productions have not yet attained nor ever will or can by that Method attain the true good end because they have not as yet prosecuted the right and the proper means of it Philosophers come in their own name and the most of Students have received them though they bring but a Doctrine of probabilities a colour and shadow of conjectural reasoning such as would perswadingly mislead souls by deceitful disputings and falacious concludings and subdolous circumventings imposing of mistakes upon the ignorant and undiscerning thrusting of errours upon them by captious arguings and shiftingly evading the evident force of the most convincing demonstrations by misapplyed distinctions which do endlesly ingage contentious Wits in a scholastick warring and vain jangling the Press still keeps fighting by sending forth one Book of controverted matter against another yet are there no Trophies of any considerable proficiency and progress all this while either by victoriousness over Error or by triumphingness of Truth whereas there would soon be a more amicable league a more pacifick confederacy amongst the sound and sober of men of depth of Learning and of inquiringness of Spirit if all their Books were either apt significant Commentaries upon the holy Scriptures or due right interpretations of created Beings according to those Scriptures That Light which the unscriptural antiscriptural writings of Philosophizing men have afforded us has been to manifest this unto us what erring wandring by-ways we would turn aside from not what even straight paths we should walk in much of that knowledge which such have themselves attained unto and which they would have others to be wrong led into by following of them is this that there is no certainty of knowledge nor satisfactoriness of understanding throughly compassable by any or all mere humane disquisitions and discoveries so that many of the most eminent of them are self-condemned and have pronounced the sentence against their own
inchantment to many a precious Soul and a prodigal wasting of that time which should be redeemed but somewhat to revive the Scripture-way of hymnifying now in these times of the approach of the later-day glory and to raise Spiritual Singing to its due Purity whereby that Ordinance may be restored and made edifying which has been for several years either too coldly and formally and carnally performed or else too much omitted and neglected what through mistakes in some mens judgements and through fears in other mens hearts who have laid aside this duty in times of persecution lest their own vocal Psalming should bewray their assembling to the listning-enemy Let my design and aim in what I express about this be well remembred that none may prevert to any ill use what I am about to write for it is too commonly a corrupt practice by two sorts of Extremists where cautionary bounds are set to any Science or Art that both of them do causelesly take offence and do occasion their own sin and trouble one by a superstitious conceit thinks the cautionary bounds too large and so will not go so far as to come unto what is lawful and a duty the other by a profane licenciousness condemns them as too narrow and so steps too far by passing over into what is unlawful and a sin the one will not allow the grant of the Commissioned Science the other will not observe the terms of it However I have given due warning at the Readers peril be it if he transgress though I shall withal from out of the Scriptures open much of other parts of Musick besides that of the voice under the Old Testament-dispensations If the sound of my words do not bring so sweet a modulamen to some critical Ears yet the generous-spirited will soon joyn in with me in this melodious part that I am a friend to an admirer of I mean the sacred Bibliotheke the Scripture-Library and it has been admitted as one Rule in Musical Airs that then is the Air the more to be commended when there is a pleasant passing by a sudden fall from a Discord upon a Concord I have the well-consonanted voice both of Scripture and Nature which do cry this up though the harsh-throated opposers would noise it down When the Judicious Reader has put all this together to which his own industry and observation might add more collections from the Scriptures and has consideringly well digested this matter let him then ponderingly bethink himself whether a Musician if he will speak according to the Truth can justly say that the holy Scriptures do afford him no particular Rules and Directions in the Musical Art Or whether the things of this Art be not to be found in the Scripture at all There is a Scripture-harmony wherein the Rules of Philosophick Musicians do fail for in this word here Maxims are made Minims and Minims are made Maxims here the short is long and the long is made short here a Song is heard the Text whereof is given but no Musical Art can fully express its Melody neither can it be represented by Musical Notes So it was when the Saviour of his people from their sins was born of a Virgin and a multitude of the heavenly Host with the Angel of the LORD did sweetly sing the Hymn in harmonious Concord when professing believing Christians will be better at leasure to study the Scripture more throughly and when they shall more experience their hearts to be kindly affected therewith they will find more reason to admire its fulness and to plead its Cause I Have held the Eye and the Ear of the Reader long enough to the Musical Art of Scripture-melody I am now to pass if he will go along with me from the Musical Metrical Measure of Words into the Geometrical Measure of Timber in the Fabril-Art for the Carpenter-Rules are also to be found in the Word of Truth the holy Scriptures do not pass by in silence these manual Artificers but do take cognizance of them neither do they make mention of them only in some general terms and expressions but they also do give many particular Directions about their Art To let go some other things relating unto this such as the Metaphorical expressions about it which yet do open somewhat of the skill of it the Scriptures have several names by which they are described in the Word sometimes they are simply called Carpenters elsewhere they are described to be Artificers in Wood to be Workers in Wood or about Wood or Timber the Idolaters did sinfully abuse and pervert this Art unto an ill use and a bad end who were curious in their sinful way to frame their abominable vanities and lies Nebuchadnezzer carried the Carpenters out of the Land of Judah into Babylon to use them there The LORD himself gave skilfulness in this Fabril-Art unto Betzaleel and Aholiab about fitting the Tabernacle and the Ark which was a great honour put upon these Artificers Hiram King of Tyre sent such to David to build him an house Solomon a wise King used their skill and a remark is sometimes set upon such as excelled herein When the first Temple was instaured under Joas as also under Jasiah these Princes saw the usefulness of such Workmen who also were imployed by the Religious Governours when the Temple was set up Joseph the Putative Father of Christ was of the Trade and the Nazaren's gave this name of Carpenter to the LORD Jesus Christ himself who is supposed to have handled somewhat of the Fabril-Art in Joseph's Family before he exercised his publick Ministerial Office As for the Architectonical part of the Fabril Science which is the particular instance given by that learned opponent who has argued that there are no particular Rules given to Carpenters in the Scriptures for the exstructing of an house let any diligent Inquirer into the Word about this but put together the exact measures of the Ark in Noah's time of the Tabernacle and Ark in Moses's days of the first Temple in Solomon's Reign of the second Temple under Nehemiah's Government of the Prophetical Temple in Ezekiels Visions of the new four-squared City in the Revelation not now to mention many other stately edifices recorded in the Scriptures and then say whether there be so little or nothing of particular Rules in the Word as a Directory for uniform building especially if to all this there were added besides for the perfecting of this Art all the original Words and Phrases relating to this Manual Science in their proper apt full significancy This discovery alone about those Structures and these Words and Phrases though no more were added if pursued by men of judgement and of skill of faithfulness and of industry would quickly bring in matter enough for a large Treatise on this subject which I have neither call nor leisure to do Here in this Book of God you may meet with the Carpenters measuring-Instruments and with their
a vain daring boldness for a worm-man to assert that the Seventh-day is not the Sabbath of Jehovah thy God and thou mayst do work therein when this great Lawgiving King of kings and LORD of Lords doth so expresly affirm and command the Seventh-day is the Sabbath of Jehovah thy God thou shalt not do any work When men will use more faithfulness and diligence to be better skilled in the literal significancy of the Original Language they will see cause to admire the Wisdom of Aelohim who has so self-evidencingly put things into words especially in these two parts of Scripture the History of the Creation and the Law of the ten words The vain affectation of Humane Wisdom which doth thrust upon the credulity of so many a Doctrine of probabilities concerning the works of Creation and Natural Things from Anti-Christian and unscriptural Philosophy but is not according to Christ and to his Word is such a deceitful way of false reasoning as makes a prey of Souls and is carefully to be avoided and is but falsly named Science THose who take the Holy Spirit to be their Leader and Conducter and the Holy Scriptures to be their Rule and their way may upon due search discover this The smooth-tongued Orators the deceitful Sophisters the vain Philosophers of this World they their Sayings and Writings are not a firm ground for a believing Disciple of Christ to bottom his Faith upon for as much as they are but slightly superficial and scarce likely's the ground-work of their Learning being but Humane Fiction and self-conceited imagination such a Doctrine of Probabilities as we are cautioned against That Philosophy and Wisdom which is derived from the Invention and Tradition of fallible men and is according to the Elements of this World and not according to Christ is a spurious wisdom not to be owned by the followers of Christ what a many of the Questions and Disputations in Ethnick Philosophy is there about Elements which the Scripture doth speak expresly at and against That Wisdom which is a worldly humanely-invented wisdom is judged by the Scriptures of Truth to be a terrene wisdom suited to the earthly designs of covetous worldlings to be animal fitted to the voluptuous Arts of sensual Souls and to be devilish framed to the proud Models of ambitious Climbers This corrupt wisdom is mischievous in the bad Fruits and the evil effects thereof how prone to quarrelsome litigiousness how contradictingly opposing of the Truth how impudently immodest how headstrongly inswasible how devoid of good Fruit how full of emulating disputes of fallacious brables of over-reaching controvertings observe in experience and see and say whether it doth not puff men up making them sick about Questions about strifes of words about verbal distinctions when every word almost in a debate is wrested and wryed to a multiplicity of meanings and a variety of senses about which they would endlesly cavil and craftily equivocate from whence have started up so many Sects in Philosophy and thereby in Theology too teaching another Doctrine and they who teach this do not come up to the wholesome words of our LORD Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to right Worship from such are Christ's Disciples to withdraw their unscripturally-curious concertations and their empty unprofitable disputations do shew a corrupt mind and do bewray a devoidness of Truth Heathenish Philosophy would turn men aside from Christ who is the true full essential Wisdom and from his instituted Worship unto carnal reasonings and a corrupt service Paul's manner of arguing in these Cases was from the true sound knowledge of Created Beings and of Natural Things Thus he convinced the Athenian Philosophers who generally counted Word-learning to be but verbal-babling and a proclaiming of new Demons or Devils and he expresly declareth against Greekish-Ethnick-Philosophers The Epicurean and Stoick Philosophers were some of the most violent opposers of and subtil adversaries against the Christian Doctrine and what shall rising Graduates in Christian Academies as they grow new and further proficients in Learning be still sworn unto the words of these Pagan Magistralists What can we expect from mere Animal or Physical men but a worldly Wisdom and humane Learning that which is foolishness whilst themselves are foolish the foolishness as these men do miscount it of God is wiser it is their animality and want of spirituality that doth put them upon mis-judging of this to be foolishness The Grecanical wise men are much in searching after that wisdom which doth chiefly consist in speculation or contemplation the wisdom of the incredulous Jews is more conversant about visible signs and ocular demonstrations for without such sensible confirmations as these they will not believe though multitudes of them in the days of Christ and of his Apostles did still continue infidels in the very face of miraculous attests Both these Wisdoms are distinguished and divided from that Wisdom which is of God whose Foundations is Jesus Christ and his Word the Disciples of Christ especially those of them who are in the office of the Ministery are to keep the depositum of sound Scripture-doctrine they are actually to be averse from profane clamours about empty vanities which do affix unto words such a sense as is wholly alien from their true proper significancy and which by sophistical School-distinctions do keep wrangling about Phrases to pervert their plain right meaning and do wrest some Scriptures they understand not wrongfully accommodating them to maintain some Error or to defend some Vice There have been such as have boasted much of their profound knowledge this way who have both themselves erred from the scope concerning the Faith and have misled others also It is a false assertion to affirm this or that is true in Philosophy though in Scripture it be found otherwise For if scripture-Scripture-truth do contradict it then that which is so contradicted is not a truth but an error however Philosophy miscal it true introduced by the Father of lies Where any Philosopher did assert any thing about the Creation according to the Truth there they had it either from the Word or by their outward Observation and experience from Senses agreable to the Word some of them either had the knowledge of God's Word and did read the first Books of Scripture or at least had some traditionary Records of them and did read them If that be indeed so which some whom I have met with have affirmed that those Books at least some of them which those Believers and Converts did burn in that part of the History of the Arts of the Apostles were the Books of Ethnick Philosophy such as the Heathens Logick Dialectick Grammar Rhetorick c. so that the like execution were to be done still against the same Treatises that to this day do persist in their Treasons against the Crown of Christ and the Dignity of his Word the Libraries and Shops in Philosophick Universities would
Christian Religion and of the Nature and Uses of Created Beings I charge not darkness and obscurity doubtfulness or doubleness upon other Scriptures But these two parts I have now more particularly in my eye and all the rest of the whole Word of God is more or less one way or other a Commentary and Annotations an Interpretation and Explication of these which have a common and familiar understanding such as those who have the due exercise of their right Reason and of spiritual Senses may as soon as they hear conceive what it meaneth The Scripture-History of Created Beings hath its Intrinsecal-self truthfulness in it self and its Extrinsâ—â—â—l-self evidence unto others which is best manifest by the holy Spirits clear shining upon the naked simplicity of the Original Text in a savingly inlightned-heart The Wisdom of Adam was and the Wisdom of Adam's sons would be that which made his would still make their faces to shine to know well the interpretation of a Word the Exposition the Phrase of a Word the Solution the Declaration the Explication of it The Original Text of Holy Writ in its literal significancy must under the Holy Spirit who indited it and under Christ and his Father he speaking it from the Father be the judging Rule of approving or condemning of mens Explications of it and Paraphrases upon it and Illustrations concerning it and of their several Systems and Models of the Created World answerable to those Explications Paraphrases and Illustrations as they are found either agreeing with or disagreeing from that Created Beings must be so conceived expressed and modelled as to be an exact counterpart in all things measured exactly to this Scripture-History of them Scriptural Words and Names by which the several Created Beings are rightly called in Jehovah's Word are the most perfect and proper Definitions of any particular thing in its most specifical difference from any other Creature The only true Essence and specifical Being and particular entity of any Creature is the only true specifical and particular difference of that Creature and doth give a perfect Definition and when the Word is opened a proper description of it Though it were the speaking of the same thing as the same thing identically Thus if it be asked what is the Earth The answer were pertinent and full to say it is Aeretz in its real Being in the same sense that the Scripture doth call it so and for which it hath given it that Name The like may be affirmed of other Creatures for every Created Being had a distinct make and a different Existence When we would describe a Creature by some its properties as to say The Earth is dry Jabeshah this relates to another Matter the best Definitions and the most significant of Essences are those peculiar Words and proper Names which are given to particular Created Beings in the Scriptures of Truth Till we are more brought off from Philosophical darknings and obscurings of things into Scripture Light and into its way of knowing the true Nature of Created Beings there will still be captiousness and contentioâ—sness about such puzling Terms of Humane Inventing as would hold mens understandings in continued ignorance Every converted Being is best convertible into it self and is rightest known by its own Identicalness Where Creatures do differ their Names do differ also It would much forward the sound knowledge of the real Truths in those Matters if extra-Scriptural Philosophical Terms were altogether laid aside and the Expressions were such as we find in the Word of Christ For the words of mens coyning are mistaken Terms of Humane Art and do mislead into Error and will still keep up endless contendings Whereas the Words and Names by which Scriptures do call things do make us to apprehend Created Beings rightly in our Minds according as the things themselves are in their own Nature This Journal this Diary of the first Week of the Created World is a plain Narrative containing a clear History of the matter of Fact which things done are identically declared and described by the most apt significant expressions It is a most faithful punctual Record So that it is no other no less than to give Aelohim the adored Almighties the lye to his faces to deny either the plain Truth of the Fact or the proper significancies of the expressions The God of Infallible Veracity doth not in any part of this Narration intend any thing by any expression either of falsity concerning things or of deception to persons Private Opinionists can never evade or elude the unerring Authority of the Exact Expressiveness of the Original Language in this Scripture He that would be satisfied concerning the foundation of credibility about the Creation must resort to the plain and simple sense of this Text according to teh Subject-matter thereof and the Context of this and the Collation of other Scriptures They very explication of Scriture Terms doth present the Truth of Created Beings in their own naked simplicity carrying by the Aspect and Eradiation thereof a clear evidence of the Nature of the things themselves This History is the Scripture Naturals and the Christian Physicks Even young Children that are of quick apprehensions are capable of taking in of this kind of Learning with great delight so far at least as it is demonstrate to their senses and as for the rest their senses may be directed towards the several places of the invisible World As to point out to them the several Works of the Creation on the several distinct days and with the finger to shew them which is the Expanse What are the Heavenly Luminaries the Fowls of the Air the Earth the Waters the Seas the Light the Darkness the Beasts the Fishes the Worms Man and so of the rest And what is the positure of the Creation Those Hebrews therefore are under a great mistake and do hinder much of the knowledge of Jehovah Aelohim in this Word and Works in forbidding any to read four parts of Scripture till they are thirty years of age the age of the Sacerdotal Ministry The beginning of Genesis is one of those places where the Creation of the World is described Whereas the eye of young ones would tell them the Creators Works are a visible legible Commentary upon his Word The second place is the Song of Songs Whereas this also doth set out spiritual things by sensible similitudes and doth describe much of Created Beings in an affectionate way between the dearest Lovers Christ and his Churches Christ and the Believers Fellow-believers and Sister Churches with each other And this Scripture is therefore adapted to the understanding of young ones who may the better be taught what to believe by what they see and their own eyes and other senses may instruct their Souls and their Understandings and Affections may be mutua Helps and Guides to each other The third place is the beginning of Ezekiels Prophecy where the Majesty of the LORD is described the beauty of
over confident this way as if they could give a particular punctual account of all and of every one of them One of them reckons one thousand two hundred forty and one visible to us Another of late has added one hundred thirty six Stars more which make up one thousand three hundred seventy and seven A third has observed some few more Johovah Aelohim Adonai has the peculiar honour of numbring and of naming the Stars which to Man is impossible Abraham was esteemed no mean Astronomer yet he could not number them There is not one day of the week for the Sun a second for the Moon a third for Mercury a fourth for Mars a fifth for Jupiter a sixth for Venus a seventh for Saturn as the Ethnick Philosophers do un-scripturally anti-scripturally name them and assign them their several days in the week For Sun Moon and Stars were all created on the Fourth day of the one Week of the created World There was not a several distinct Planet made on each several day of the Week Neither is the fourth day of the week unlucky or unfortunate as they call it It is not a curse as if Infants were more taken with the squincy on that day than on any other day of the week whence the superstitious custom of fasting upon that day And now O my Soul what was Adam and what is the Son of Adam that Jehovah Aelohim has created such a spangled Tent for Man to have it so spread over his Head If the out side pavement that leads the way to the new City and to the Holy of Holies be so shining O then how glorious is Christ's Father's House within and the many Mansions there If the purer Churches in the latter-day Glory will be fair as the Moon and clear as the Sun how beauteous then will the Church of the first-born be in Heaven If Pastors shall shine as Stars and the new created people luster forth as the Firmament if what is yet more all and every of the Righteous shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of Christ's Father O what a perfect day will it be when all these Suns shall shine together and what is yet more than all this when the Lamb shall be the Light of the new City and all those other lights almost dis-appear at the presence of the out-shining over-coming brightness of the LORD Jesus Christ himself there O blessed be Jehovah who giveth unto any in this Light to see to walk in and to enjoy any of this Light whilst they are here O for that day when the day-Star may more arise in the hearts of Saints as the Fore-runner of the arising of the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings The Fifth Days Work doth afford us this Inquiry Q. Whether that part of Natural History which doth concern Fowls Fishes Beasts and Worms can ever be completed into a Natural Art in the way of Ethnick Philosophy or must we search after it only in the Word of Truth where alone it can be advanced and perfected by a due and diligent comparing of their Created beings in their proper Natures Answ THis Natural History and Natural Art above these living Creatures can never attain to any considerable growing Augment much less to a through full discovery in the way of Ethnick Philosophy The restoring and finishing of this is no where else to be found but only in the Holy Scriptures by a due and diligent comparing of their created beings in their proper Natures An art when it is discovered aright is but Nature opened This art must be natural made up of Existencies and of Realities according to the truth of things in the Being of these Creatures That which is proper Art is not a Supplementary addition of somewhat to Nature which was not Nature before by the Law of the first Creation For that were to make a created man to be a creating Artificer of what was never made before which we all explode But it is a revealing and a drawing forth of that secret which did lye hid in Nature The art of man may call out the wonderful productions of many great effects but still these are wrought in the orderly course by Natural Causalities and by Created Efficiencies The rarest Artist can but co-operate with Natures Powers which doth their own work only man puts them together or severs them asunder according as he would have some products by Motions to be However yet the mysteries and wonders of Art must first be sought where they may be found in the mysteries and wonders of Scripture declaring those mysteries and wonders to be in Nature Practice of Arts is a disclosing of secrets of Nature in creation of Causes Art doth sometimes give a provocation to Nature whereby she doth bewray her self ere she is aware and doth expose her self to view in the light in some of her agenâ—ies which kept close in the dark before and therefore Nature and Art in Scripture Language do set this out That word which doth signifie Art exercising it self industriously about any thing or substance comes from a word which doth import a delegated Officer one imployed in such a Function as is put upon him by creating Aelohim and that Function must always be sought for in the Word as revealed there and another word which doth denote one excelling in Art nourishing of it and being nourished by it doth spring from a word which doth include Faith and Truth And where can those firmly bottom but upon the Word of Truth and the Word of Faith And the same Word which doth signifie Essence Existence created Being by which I understand Nature in this Discourse doth also import Virtue Law Doctrine They are the only true Vertuosi in Learning who receive Doctrine about all Entities from Aelohim's Law in his Word This doth teach substantial knowledge and doth give essential Science and doth skill in the Art of Realities There are several Writers who have undertaken to give us an accouut of these Creatures in their Elaborate Histories of them one of the largest and learnedest upon Animals has this great errour running through much of his Book that though he refers much of this discovery to the Scripture yet he would have Original Hebrew which is the Mother Tongue to go to School and to learn to speak of Daughter-Languages such as the Samaritan the Syriack and the other Oriental Tongues As if the proper significancy of her words could not be rightly understood but by their Sense and Etymologies and Phrasiologies whereby he carries the Reader off from the Word of God which yet he doth undertake to translate interpret and apply unto the Authorities and Histories of Philosophizing men and the Opinions and Customs of Nations that from these and not so much from that we might fetch our knowledge of these Creatures A cognation of other Languages to and a collating of them with the
over Q. Whether would not an exact literal version of the holy Scripture word for word as they are in their order into the several Mother-tongues without any the least adding to or substracting from it open much of many useful Truths and necessary Duties and of experimental Christianity as well as many other ways be very profitable for the promoting of peace and purity in the Churches of Christ Q. Whether is it not a Duty for the people especially such of them as have more opportunities and advantages for this to be able to read and to understand the Word in its Original-tongue And whether it would not be of singular use to have the young capable Children in all places to be taught this Q. How may such an Hebrew Lexicon be so composed for words and for phrases as to make Scripture knowledge to be much more easier and familiar to out common people in which they may find out all sorts of little Bibles well fitted to all particular cases where they may quickly see over what the whole scripture doth speak to any subject matter carrying Truth through all the Word Q. In what order of time in exact Chronology are the several Books of Scripture and the several passages in every such Book And how may such Geographical Tables of all the places of the inhabited Earth mentioned in the Scriptures be so suited as that time and place and inhabitants may be made obvious to every plain understanding Q. What is the New Testament spiritual signified part of all and every of the shadowy Figures Ceremonial signs and Typical patterns through the Old Testament Q. What is the Urim and Thummim And whether is there any Prophesie or Promise of either restoring of that or of setting up any thing else in the room of that How may we have such an Oracle revived as to have a certain visible audibles sensible answer from the LORD in weighty cases Q. Whether it be not one evidence of the fulness and perfection of the Word of Truth that even there where its speeches seem to be somewhat broken and abrupt it carries with it a secret supplement in experience directed to all practical cases concerned therein which nothing else of man's word can fill up And whether would it not be very profitable and acceptable to put together some of the more eminent remarkable Scriptures for the better evidencing of the Truth and usefulness of this discovery Q. How may a Believer get and keep life and power in the Word continued upon his heart Q. What Scripture grounds are here upon which to bottom Faith and Prayer that if there were a spirit of believing the LORD would still give miraculous access from Heaven whereby to give sensible demonstrations of the Truth and Goodness of his Word And how may the Doctrine and Practice of Miracles be revived Q. What is the method whereby to evidence the oneness and sameness the well agreeing consentingness and uniform harmoniousness of the Christian Religion throughout the whole Scripture for Truth for Laws and for Priviledges For Doctrines for Duties and for Graces Q. How may the plainest Scripture-Truths be raised to a greater height of spiritual advancement Q. Whether now that Scripture-knowledge is so abounding any one be so competently well gifted for and called to the Ministerial Office who doth not understand the Scriptures in their Original Language And how may hopeful growing young men be so bred up in the Scripture Arts and Sciences as thereby to be fitted for the Ministerial Office And what Scripture grounds are there to expect a more able faithful successful Ministery than is yet at this day Q. VVhether it be not one great Truth of this age that the holy Scriptures are the one and the only Rule to judge by in all cases And whether there be any other boundary to be set to mens pretended liberty of conscience Q. VVhat is there of the Doctrine-part as well as of the Duty-part contained in the Law of the ten VVords Q. In what Method and Order may the Holy Scriptures be best read to most spiritual profit Concerning present Providences and Works of Jehovah Aelohim Q. WHat may the Reasons and Ends be why the LORD in the present day doth seem so much to with hold his Spirit and the gifts and graces of that Spirit now that the longings and petitionings of his Churches and people are so much heightned and drawn out with expectations of his larger pourings out of his Spirit and Blessing upon his new Covenant people Q. What is more especially that Work which the LORD hath been and is still carrying on upon the Wheels of his providence in this Age Q. What is there of Prophetical Scripture fulfilled in the present day which doth make way for the further accomplishment of what Propheties are yet behind And what are those after Prophesies And in what order of Time are all these Prophesies Q. Whether though there have been some partial fulfillings of the Revelation in all Ages of the Church since John's time yet will not the whole of that Book of the Revelation be gone over in the latter days visibly and sensibly fulfilled what John had in Vision and by Voice And whether are there any beginnings of this in our Day and Time At least whether Christ's Calls and Counsels from his Father by his Spirit in that Word of the three first Chapters of that Book be not more especially and particularly to those gathered separate Churches who have someways withdrawn from the corruptions of the Romish Way more thorowly to Reform and to Refine and to be at perfecting Work As that which must lead the way to the bringing about of all the rest which doth follow after Q. What and how doth the LORD Christ in the way of his present Providential Acting reveal of the pattern and platform of his new spiritual House of the latter day-glory and of the Laws and Orders of that House And how is he now with his golden measuring reed and rod and line in his hand to try whether particular Churches and Disciples of his do square well and exactly to his Word-rule And how would he have such societies to be rightly constituted gathered admitted disciplin'd and orderly walking in all things that such Churches may be able to evidence to all the World that they are the true owned and approved Churches of Christ Q. How is Christ at work under this Providence to bring every Institution and Ordinance of his unto its Scripture purity and perfection that they may be felt and enjoyed more in the lively efficacy and saving power of them Q. How is Christ at work in this day to frame his Churches and people to be more of one heart and mind and lip and way in the Truths and things of God and to set them righter in the way of Sisterly association of such purer Churches And how may a Believer see full home to this thorow so much as is quite
heavens and the earth said Huram Thou Jehovah alone said Nehemiah thou hast made the Heavens the Heaven of Heavens the Earth and all that is therein the Seas and all that is therein and thou makest them all alive and the Host of the Heavens worshippeth thee Jehovah God of Hosts who like thee mighty Jah thine the Heavens thine also the Earth the World and the plenty thereof Thou hast founded them And again Confess ye to Jehovah to him that made the Heavens with prudencie to him that spread out the Earth above the Waters Thus saith Jehovah himself who taught his people by his Prophet Jeremiah what to say The gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth shall perish from the Earth and from under this Heaven Who but Jehovah God hath made the Earth by his Power Who but he hath prepared the World by his Wisdom and hath stretched the Heavens out by his Understanding Thus Zachariah brings in Jehovah speaking He who spreadeth forth the Heavens and foundeth the Earth and formeth the Spirit of Man in the inmost of him Thus in the Gospel of Jesus Christ God is said to create the Creature Thus did Paul reason with the men at Lystra The living God hath made the Heaven and the Earth and the Sea and all that which is in the same The like did he at Athens God who made the World and all that therein is he is LORD of Heaven and Earth And elsewhere Of God and by him and to him are all things to him Glory for ever Amen The Father was the Creator of all things So Isaiah brings him in speaking Thus saith God Jehovah he that created the Heavens and spread them abroad he that stretched forth the Earth and that which issueth out of it he that giveth breath unto the people upon it and spirit to them that walk upon it I the LORD have called thee in Righteousness speaking of his Son Christ This did Peter acknowledge in his prayer LORD thou art the God who hast made the Heaven and the Earth and the Sea and all things which are in the same Who by the Moâ—th of thy servant David hast said Why do the Heathen rage and the people have thought vain things The Kings of the Earth are risen up and the Rulers are gathered together against the LORD and against his Christ for in truth they were gathered together against thy holy Child Jesus This doth Paul witness to in his former Epistle to the Corinthians We have but one God the Father of whom are all things and we for him The holy Spirit also is Creator How many are thy Works O Jehovah So sings the Psalmist all of them hast thou done in Wisdom the Earth is full of thy Riches Thou wilt send forth thy Spirit they shall be created And thou wilt renew the Faces of the Earth And in another Psalm By the Word of Jehovah the Heavens were made and all the Host of Heaven by the Spirit of his mouth The Spirit of Aelohim was the Maker and Cherisher of them Thus doth Job set it out he through his Spirit adorned the Heavens And Elibu elsewhere applys it in his own case The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath quickened me THe LORD Jesus Christ he also was Creator of all things It was in and by this Head Captain that the Heavens and the Earth were accomplished and all their Host This did Hezekiah acknowledge when he prayed to him that sat between the Cherubins Thou thy self thou alone art the God of all the Kingdoms of the Earth thou hast made Heaven and Earth He that is the first and he also who is the last Which the LORD Christ doth apply unto himself in the Revelation He speaks of himself in the Prophet Isaia Mine hand hath founded the Earth and my right hand hath measured the Heavens with the Palm And again The Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is the Footstool of my feet mine hand hath made all these things It is the Voice of the Redeemer in the same Prophet I Jehovah do all things spreading out the Heaven I alone and who stretching out the Earth by it self God by his Son made the Angels Thou LORD in the beginning hast founded the Earth and the Heavens are the Works of thy hand To this Christ the Son in the Epistle to the Hebrews is that passage in the one hundred and second Psalm rightly applyed it was by the Word of God that the World was prepared In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God all things were made by the same and without the same no not one thing was made that was made The World was made by him Thus doth John bring in his Testimony for him Whereunto that of Paul doth well agree God created all things by Jesus Christ and elsewhere he saith We have one LORD Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him That to the Colossians is full to this purpose where the Apostle having described the Redeemer the LORD Jesus Christ by his inward relation to his Father he being the Image of the invisible God he then sets him out by his outward Relation to the Creature he is the first born of every Creature begotten before all Creation or before any thing was created This he doth convincingly prove and clearly illustrate by evident demonstration the Reason is strong which he draws from Christ's being the efficient cause of the Creatures being the continued preserver of them and his Glory being the great end of their Being For in him by or through him were all things Created which are in Heaven and which are upon Earth which are visible and which are invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Governments or Powers all things were created by him and to him and he is before all things and all things do consist together by him He is the Aleph and the Thou the Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End who was and who is and who is to come Before Abraham was made I am said Christ of himself It was his Prayer Glorifie me O Father with the Glory which I had before the world was with thee It was this Christ who Created the first seven days and established their order to continue in their successive courses to the Worlds end It was he who when he had perfected his Work that he had made in the six foregoing days of the first Created Week rested in the seventh day It was he who blessed the Seventh day It was he who sanctified the Seventh-day because in it he had rested from all his Work Thus it was from the beginning unchangeably so to remain and go on to the end This he expresly revives in his after proclaiming of this Law of the Sabbath that it might be remembred Six days Jehovah made
Captain General or Head-Captain how quickly can he arm his creatures against any that presumptuously dare to rebel against him and his holy Wills and Laws All the creatures are this Host The Angels the Stars particularly are some of Christian Hosts The Scriptures do acknowledge him to be the Head-Captain and Leader though he be chiefly and in a more peculiar and especial manner This with respect to his own Covenant-people This Prince of Jehovah's Hosts was he who was the valiant Warriour with his under-officer Joshuâ— in that great martial expedition against the enemies of his Church and people This is the Prince of Princes who can easily break the strongest opposers The Head is the anointed part And thus was Christ anointed to this high and honourable Office of being Head-Captain or King and Commander in chief How often in Scripture is Christ called Jehovah of Hosts The Head is crowned So was Christ's head as the victorious triumphing conquerour over all his Enemies The 〈◊〉 useth a word which doth somewhat open this mystery It being used in military affairs for the contracting or putting to gether of scattered Soildiers into one Troop under one Head-Captain As in Arithmetic many several Numbers are gathered or put together into and under one heâ—d-sum And as in Rhetorick all the particulars of a discourse or Oration are repeated and gathered under one general head If Itb at the end of Reaâ—â—b be the Chaldet and Syriack 〈…〉 being turned into the Hebrew Thou frotht Jesh he is then the word signifies in him who is the Head-Captain Let the ingenious and studious 〈◊〉 further into this mystery How great a promoter of Learning as well as of Religion this would be all found Believers of Christian Doctrine will soon admit For there is no knowledge comparable to this of the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and of him crucified Though Paul abounded in other sorts of Learning yet it was a case determinedly judged aright by him that all their knowledge was as no knowledge at all without this and in competition with this this being the ground-work of all I shall to this end cull some useful passages out of the nine first Chapters of the Proverbs of Solomon relating to this matter In which one Book so small a part of the Scriptures there is more of sound learning in profitable Arts and Sciences than in all the Pagan Philosophical Books that are Extant O how much then is there in the whole Scriptures Here you may find a Directory and Rules for Theology for Physicks Logicks Rhetoricks Medicine Politicks Ethicks Oeconomicks what not that is useful Learning How many several significant words are there whereby to set out the excellency and preheminence of Scripture-knowledge and of the Science of useful Arts in a Scripture-way Such as sapience or savoury wisdom Science Understanding Intellect Erudition Knowledge Prudence Skill Subtilness and the like with many choice commendations of it both in words and phrases as that this doth deliver Authoritative sayings that it teacheth Rectitudes gives apt Counsels speaks essences according as the truth of things is with much more Here the Wise will find and addition of Doctrine the more he doth learn still the more he may Thus making continued proficiency Here are the best principles of Sciences This doth best deliver the beginnings and progress of Arts The true holy Fear and the Right Worship of the adored Almighties is the Head the Crown-Top the Captain-ship of knowledge the summity of Wisdom This is the chief Science and it hath the principality of Arts. The first in time the honourablest in Dignity and this is the leadingâ— sentence Axiom or Apophthegm that carries the Inquirer into profitable Learning of any kind This puts a gracious ornament a golden chain upon and about other knowledges Christ is Wisdoms all Wisdoms in one the Pluralnâ—ss of the Number is an Indication of his comprehensiveness and full-treasuredness of all true good Wisdom He is the chief Wisdom the Wisdom of Wisdoms the Wisdom of God He is made of God wisdom to Believers This is one of the prime of all Good that he is made to such All treasures of Wisdom and of knowledge are in him and in his Word He is the Authour of all sound Wisdom And that is a Man's Wisdom to learn Christ's words to learn the Truth as it is in Jesus to have the mind of Christ and to have such conceptions and apprehensions of Truths and of things as are in the mind of Christ We should make our ear to attend to these eloquent speeches these pleasant oracles of Wisdom These must be hid as a treasure in our inmost recesses Our Hearts shall be enclined to this intelligibleness of understanding We should cry giving our voice to it to call in this Heavenly Instructer to teach us it And we should call it to us to be familiarly conversant with it We should with diligent Intenseness seek it as Silver and enquiringly search after it as for hid Treasures The knowledge of the fear of Jehovah and the finding of this knowledge is the great Promise This Wisdom is a gift from him knowledge and understanding comes from his mouth from Christ and his Word His Blessing must be upon Man's endeavour It â—s he that lays up to right ones Essence Essential knowledge sound and true real knowledge of things substantial understanding Philosophical notions are but a shew and shaddow All the humane invented unscriptural Arts and Sciences are but colours and appearances This Word-knowledge doth influence upon practice Who was ever thoroughly converted and made Holy by Ethnick Philosophizings In the Scriptures are rightnesses or straitnesses conform to the Rule of the Law of Christ and it hath a preserving efficacy upon the heart that receives it How pleasantly delightful is this knowledge and Wisdom when once it enters into the heart Otherwise if 〈◊〉 be only without in the Book it has not such a pleasingly holy operation and sweet sanctifying effect That is the praise worthy knowledge that gives one to find Grace and good understanding in the eyes of Jehovah and of Adam such as Adam was in his Primitive Uprightness and first Integrity of concreated Knowledge If we know Jehovah in all our ways he will direct our paths As for others who lean to their own understanding and who are wise in their own eyes their confidence is vain Adam had happy goings on with a straight foot whilst he found and held and acted this Wisdom and drew forth this Intelligence And the wisest among the sons of Adam should still be making out after this precious Treasure and then fetch from thence to make it their own and other mens How good is its Traffick and Income How good is the Fruit that is to be gathered from this Tree of saving Knowledge
and discouraging sorrow with terrible fear of God's giving over of such to the obduration and obstinacy of their heart and of their being shut up under all this when such an Heart like a Buckler or Shield doth keep off any blow or stroke from the LORD's Word or hand shutting it self up as within a Fence so that no counsels or comforts from Men can come at it Whither can the diseased send to any so skilful in the Medicinal Art as to open the Nature Causes and Remedies of this one disease of the Heart What shall I more say if I can fill up so many Lines with such a long Induction and large enumeration of particular Heart maladies which are so common in experience and which no counsels and prescriptions but what are Scriptural wisely applyed and duly received and well improved and followed can either prevent or remedy Is is not high time for such as are serious in the Art Medicinal and are tender of the health and lives of their Patients and would lift up their Faces before a righteous Judge at the last when they must stand or fall for their Eternal Estate according as they have walked by the Rule of the Word or not I say is it not high time for them to study their Art and to practice it in a Word-way The Heart sick ones might be referred to apt pertinent proper Scriptures speaking directly to a multitude of such cases Shall I open a little of the maladies of the Soul in Man The Scriptures can inform us of the discouragement of the Soul the grief of the Soul its bitterness its outcryes through wounding it s pouring out its Anguish its sore vexings it s drawing nigh to the Gulphy empty space its afflictedness its weariness it s being torn its Consumptiveness it s being spoiled its need of healing it s being cast down it s making a tumultuous stir within a Man its sinking it s being bowed down it s having of overwhelming Waters to come into it it s refusing to be comforted it s being filled with troubles its being cast off its breaking it s cleaving to the Dust its melting for heaviness its faintings its Imprisonments It s being bereft of good its being removed far off from peace its exceeding sorrowfulness its troubledness and drying away its bowing down its being destroyed its being pierced thorow its being utterly cut off its being dispossest or turned out of possession its being devoured its being perverted with such like evil effects of the Soul this breathing part in Man And what can Philosophick Recipes do in these cases Whither can we go for a proper cure but to Christ in the Scriptures of Truth Shall we consider the spirit of Man a little That Candle or Lamp of Jehovah in Man searching all the Inner Chambers of the Belly Oh how many are its distempers In the Word we may read of the trouble or shortnedness of the Spirit the hardning of the Spirit its sadness its being drunk up by poison its unsteadfastness its hastiness its having a breach in it 〈◊〉 or its brokenness its haughtiness its unrulyness its sleepy distemper its grievedness its failing or fainting its deep sighingness its pressures its being bound its weaknesses its restless disquieting raging its jealousies its anguish its overwhelmedness its perversness its Pride its erringness its vexing and more such Whither now to what Apothecaries Shop to what Philosophical Doctor will you send for a cure of these you must come to the word and to him in and through the Word one of whose Names is the Healingâ—one of his people In his Word there are not only spiritual directions given about these inner distempers of Heart of Soul and of Spirit holy prescriptions and Heavenly counsels but also divers apt remedies are pointed to from the con-created vertues which the LORD hath put into several of his creatures when those who are reputed to be very learned in this Art are so far honoured and used by the LORD as to be made humble enough to be willing to be better taught and believers enough to judge God to be wiser then Man and Word-wisdom and Truth to excel Philosophick Follies and falsities the Medicinal Art will then advance and flourish There are many original words and phrases which do in a more general way direct unto health and to the recovery of it out of sicknesss besides a distinct particular enumeration of several diseases with their causes and curses and several proper useful directions about the choice of Meats and of Drinks relating to the Regiment of health That distinction and division of Animals of Fowls of Beasts of Fishes into clean and unclean although it had a further Typical shadowy figuring meaning under the Old Testament administration of grace leading them into an holy seperation from unclean peoples from Communion with such they were many ways to abstain yet withal a skilful Artist in the History of Animals may find out natural natural reasons and causes for such a discrimination When spiritual reason doth wisely exercise it self about this discovery by Scripture Nature and Experience it may discern clean Animals to have a proper nutritive vertue more wholesome and continuing and increasing of healthâ—ness whereas the unclean do more breed diseases at least they are not so healthful whereby the All-wise Physician the faithful Creator hath instructed his rational Creatures and graciously at once provided both for the health of Mens bodies and for the salvation of their Souls for Meats do dispositively operate upon the mind who may not see that hath any thing of a piercing eye that some Animals are more ravenous and rapacious others are more luxurious and wanton or more cruel and bloody or more gluttonous or more fearful or more filthy or more muddy or more cholerick and adust or more excessively moist with much more that might be added and do not these malignly influence upon those who make them their usual food How few are there of mankind who do study their own complexions constitutions temperaments or what that is which is suitable food for them Insomuch as that the most are even going into the other World before they know how to make one good meal but every thing is counted good with some that will fill their belly and any thing with others that will gratifie their distempered ungoverned appetite whereas he who hath not due regard to his dyet for kind measure and season will in time overturn his strength overthrow his health and disease himself and then the sick do feel the need of a Physician or Surgeon in which cases the Scriptures are not silent but would make them Medicinal Artists and teach them practical skill I have not abilities and accomplishments for it neither is it my profession to undertake to set before the Reader an exact Treatise of the Medicinal Art though I question not but that it may be found out in the Holy Scriptures and in created Works
at once and in a moment but there were distinct several days of their being created which Order should not be confounded but well observed as one good help to profitable Meditation on Aelohim's Works Particularly the sixth day must not be forgoten as the day of Man's creation and as preparatory to his remembring and sanctifying of the seventh day as the weekly Sabbath-day There was a separate Creation of things on several days that man might with more stayedness of Spirit and prosperingness of Soul consider of them distinctly And now Jehovah Aelohim declares that this shall be the absolute perfecting in the whole and in every part of them of those Heavens and of this Earth and of all the congregated Military Host of them in their Order Place and Function Thus do all the Creatures both in the Heavens and in the Earth stand as an Army in Order or an Host in Battle array ready to serve their Makers their Creators who is their Commander in chief he is the LORD of Hosts and the Empire over them is his They go forth or come in at the word of their Head-Captain Jehovah Christ as he will arm and commission them for his Friends or against his Enemies In the order of my pursuit after the refining and raising of useful Arts and profitable Knowledges I am now led to that day the seventh which is the last Day in the first created Week which first Week is the just standing measure of all after Weeks in their successive courses by the established Law of the Creation on which seventh Day Aelohim the Creator himself did Sabbatize on this Day he rested to contemplate his own Works For having now framed and disposed the glorious Fabrick and the goodly Structure of the whole Universe and having put it into its beautious oeconomy and regular Government he closeth the whole of his Work with a Day Blessed above all the other foregoing Days of the Week The Great Design of this Treatise being the Advancement and Augment of useful Arts and of profitable Sciences in a Scripture-way I shall propound some serious Inquiries to ingenious studious Believers to ingenuous diligent Saints Especially to such faithful humble Ones as have through Mercy and Grace attained to larger growing measures of holy Skill in the Original Languages and of excelling eminence in Inner Religion about the improvement of Experimental Christianity Inquiries concerning Jehovah Aelohim in Father Son and Holy Spirt Q. WHat is the true proper significancy of this great and glorious Name Jehovah And whether ought it not to be used And what is there in those Prophesies and Promises that do speak of the freer acknowledgement of this Name in the later days And how may a discerning Believer improve this Name as for many other holy uses and ends so particularly to make his presence more real and sensible for continuedness to the Believer Q. What is the true import of all the other Names of God in the Scriptures particularly of Aelohim And how may those be particularly improved Q. What are some of the most clear Testimonies and convincing proofs of the Doctrine of Father Son and holy Spirit and the Old Testament which is so fully and frequently taught in the New Q. What are the visional appearances and manifestations of Jehovah Aelohim in Father Son and holy Spirit in Heaven And how may these be improved by a Believer Q. Whether may the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit be distinctly prayed unto And if so how should a Believer suitably make his application to each of them distinctly and to all of them joyntly Q. What are the several Offices of the Father as Father of the Son as Son of the holy Spirit as holy Spirit with relation to the Covenant-people of Jehovah Aelohim and whether is a Believers Union and Communion to and with the Father and the holy Spirit as well as to and with the Son and how is this and which way may it be better improved Q. VVhat is the holy Spirits indwelling in a Believer and what are the Believers Dwelling in God and how are these more improveable Concerning the LORD Jesus Christ Jehovah-man the Mediator Q. WHen was it that Christ did first pass into his Mediatoral Office and after what manner was it and of what good use is it to find out and improve this Q. How may a Believer so injoy Christ's Jehovah-presence here on Earth as withal at the same time to injoy his Man-presence above in Heaven Q. Whether may a Believer actually resort in his spirit unto Christ's humane glorified Nature in any certain definite circumscribed local Place in the highest Heavens Q. How is the humane glorified Nature of Christ a fitted Instrument when quickned by the Power and Life of the Eternal Spirit for the actual conveyance of all suitable good to Believers according as their cases and capacities are And how may Believers apply what is in Christ's Spirit Soul and Body to their own spirit soul and body for proper supplies Q. How may a Believer so walk with God in Christ here as if Christ were visibly corporally present on Earth with the Believer and how may a Believer clear up and improve a mutual in-being in-living in-dwelling and in-abiding between Christ and him Q. How is a Believers Life hid with Christ in God and how may the Believer injoy and improve this for his natural spiritual and eternal Life Q. What are all Christ's Names as Mediator in the Old Testament as well as in the New And how may this be improved Q. How was Christ the first born of every Creature or of the whole Creation and the beginning of the Creation of God Q. What is there improveable by a Believer in the order and connexion of those four things when Christ is of God made to a Believer Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Q. Whether this be not one great truth of the present Age that Jesus Christ is the one and the only LORD and Lawgiver over and to the Spirits Souls and Bodies of his people Q. Whether are not these amongst others some of Christ's Royal Prerogatives by his Mediatoral Authority to grant and to pass acts of Grace to seal and to deliver particular Pardons to speak Peace and to give Comfort and how may this be practically improved Concerning the Word of God the Word of Christ. Q. VVHere is the true Authograph or the Divine own first Writings of the Original Scriptures and where is the exact Apographs or transcribed Copies of this And what Scriptures are there that do foretel and promise the restoring of this wholly uncorrupted And whether were not this a noble Work well becoming the greatest holiest Prince to search out this that he may write him out a complete Copy of its Law Q. In what Language was the New Testament originally spoken and written Q. How may the Original Scripture-Language be made the Universal Character all the inhabited Earth