Acts 20. 32. Gods word is called verbum gratia, which doth contain heavenly grace as the clouds doe water, which by the influence of Gods fpirit is made aqua vita & vivificans, John 6. 35. for the word is as feed, but the spirit giveth life, and fo that is made effectuall in us, and we made fruitfull unto God, and as a fweet ground whom God hath bleffed, Gen. 26.12.

Now as God, in the name of Heaven, holdeth up the finger, as it were, and faith here is waters to be bad and looked for,fo the fame word of God which made the Heavens, muft give these waters from thence; and therefore they which want wisdome, and knowledge; let them ask and feck them of God, Fam. 1.5. 17. The bucket by which we must draw this water is a true faith,Efay 12.2, 3. Prov. 12 17. 19. and then our fouls become like a well watred garden, Fer. 31. 12. water it yeeldeth for meditation.

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There is alfo profitable matter to learn for imitation; For as we see God doth here,we muft expreffe the like in our actions, that we may be like unto God: Firft, When we have received our light of knowledge, we are taught by the order of Creation; that the next courfe in regeneration is to extenuate our earthly affe&tions, and to fublime and elevate and to lift up our mindes to Heaven, Phil. 3. 20. So St. Paul willeth us, Col. 3.2. this is the laying up of treasures in Heaven, Matth. 6. 20. we must think on Ferufalem which is above, if we will be free Citizens in it, Gal, 4. 26. Secondly, for the divifion, As there is a Heaven and Earth, the two parts of the world, fo is there in man two parts correfpondent, the earthly Adam made of the duft, and the fpirit and foul which God gave, Preach. 12.7. which is called the Heavenly Adam, 1 Cor. 15.47.48. God will first say, let be a feparation, our fouls must be separated from earth, earthly and carnall things, as we faid before, and afcend, And as all earthly things which make for the flesh, are brought into a narrow compaffe of the Earth, which is but a prick in a circle, whereas God hath referved the large fpatious roome of the Heavens for our fouls, so muft we bring our carking cares of this life into a narrow room of our hearts, and let the whole compaffe of our fouls and thoughts be filled with the ftudy and care of the Kingdome of God. Thirdly, As the part of waters which afcended, became a Firmament, and are most fure and immutable unto the end of the World; fo muft our fouls, having begun in the fpirit, afcend to Heaven, be conftant, firm and immutable to the end of our lives, and never end in the flesh, Gal. 3. 3. nor fall to the Earth as those ftarres did, Rev. 6. 13. for it it is the part of a foolish and wicked man that is mutable and wavering, Prov. we must not be Rubenites, Gen. 49. weak and inconftant as water; for a just mans heart is firm and fhall not fhrink nor be moved, but putteth his truft in God, Pfal. And this is the part of Martyrs, for though they are by nature weak and fearfull and as waters, yet by Gods grace are made, as the Firmament, more fure against all Gods enimties than a wall of braffe.

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thankfullneffe.

The laft ufe is for matter of thankfullneffe and gratefullneffe, Matter of with which we will close up all. For we fee that when the Earth fendeth up but a thin and a small myft, the Clouds requite it by powring down fhowers; So Curfus Dei gratia dependet in recurfu noftrarum gra tiarum actionis; for as the Clouds will fend no more rain,if the Earth will fend up no vapours, nor breathe up any mists, so only Gods Graces will difcend into our Souls, when our gratefullneffe doth from thence afcend up to God, for then they ceafe diftilling down on us, when we leave off to be thankfull. Wherefore let us be thankfull for Calo aereo, for without the benefit and pureneffe of it, we cannot breathe and live, Pfal. 65. and let us be thankfull pro Calo athereo, for the comfortable and tweet influence of the starres, because the Earth hath no power to bring fruit, without the virtue of the Heavens.

And lastly, Let us be thankfull pro Cælo Cælorum, or Calo Cælefti, that is, for the third Heavens; for as we must praise God for these fenfible and visible Heavens, so muft we for these invisible and incomprehenfible Heavens, which we enjoy only by hope and faith, for feeing we know that he created them to be a dwelling place for his Saints, John 14. 2. we must not only praife God with thankfull hearts for it, but also prepare our fouls that we may be meet to be received into them, with the wife Virgins evermore praifing him, for that although he hath not made us Haredes regalis manfionis here on Earth, yet he hath called us to have manfionem in regno Calorum which he fend us, which hath purchased it for us cui bonos & gloria in feculum.

Gen. 1.9.

Poftea dixit Deus, confluant aquæ ifta, quæ fub hoc Calo funt in locum unum, confpicua fit arida: & fuit ita.

HE action of the second day was fufpended, as I told you the last time, and in fome fort left undone and unperfect, by reason that the Prophet delayed and deferred the approbation of the Heavens, untill he fhould fhew us what fhould become of the nether waters then feparated; wherefore having declared how the upper waters, being lift up, were ftretched and fpread abroad, and made a Firmament; now he fheweth how the nether waters below were gathered together to make the Seas, and withall he fheweth us the Earth (which, as St. Ambrose faith, lay as a wrack in the middeft and bottom of the waters) was by Gods word drawn up and brought to light, and made profitable for man and beaft. For after the fwadling bands of darkneffe were removed and the difordered courfe of waters, well ordered and difpofed, then

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the eye of Gods providence, from which nothing is hid, beholdeth the Earth which was covered and fwallowed up in the deep, Pfal. 104 6. and fo he delivereth it of his goodneffe both from the outward impediments of the waters, which kept it from the fight of the light, and alfo from the inward and naturall inconvenience of emptinefle, by which it was unmeet for any living thing to dwell on it, which mercy of God,because it fheweth it felt to Earth, & we are earth, duft and afhes, therefore it doth fo much the more neerly teach and concern us, though light was made, and the firmament framed, yet both thefe parts of the world, and the world it felf was unperfect, untill the Earth was discovered. Therefore Mofes telleth us, that God did, as it were, make hafte and speedily paffe over the firft and second day, that he might the fooner come to the Earth, which in the next place he frameth, partly to fhew that he is not bound to any courfe or frame in building his house, as to descend orderly from the cealing of Heaven down to the foundation of the Earth, and partly to manifeft his fpiritual care and providence that he hath for the Earth and earthly things, indeed, as the Propher telleth us, Efay 45. 18. God made not the Earth in vain, but to this end, that it might be habitable, but it paffeth our capacities to think that God would put it to fo honourable a ufe, as to be the place on which he would fet his chief delight; But whereas we would think that God, being in Heaven, would not abafe himself to vouchsafe to look down on the Earth in this miferable and defolate cafe; yet now this third day being come, in which the Earth fhould be made and perfected, we fee God adorneth this work with a double Precept, with two actions, and a double approbation, to fhew his fpeciall care and delight he had in this work, for here is twice dixit Deus, and twice fecit, and twice vidit Deus bonum effe, which repetition of redoubling we only fee when there is another revolution and another third day, in which God made man of the Earth, to be the perfection of the Earth, as it was the perfection of the world. There. fore we fee, that though the Heavens were his own habitation, and the Earth he meant to give and beftow on men, fal. 115. 16. yet he feemeth to have leffe care and regard of Heaven than of Earth, and to bestow, as it were, double pains and cost on our habitation, over he did upon his own, which is our great comfort, that God rewardeth and esteemeth or refpe&teth fo much this Earth.

In this dayes work we are to confider four parts, each doubled, 4 Parts. First, two Decrees; then two Actions performed: Thirdly, by two accomplishments: Fourthly, by two approbations.

On the Earth we fee two actions neceffarily performed, Firft, the emptying and removing of that it fhould not have, which was the outward impediment of a huge number of waters, which hindred the fight of it and ability to be inhabited.

The fecond the delivering and removing from it his nether and inward inconvenience of emptineffe, being void of all things meet for habitation,and replenishing it with store and variety of Plants and

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Herbs,

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Herbs, &c. And fo having removed the outward and inward impediment, Tohu, Tobobu, which it had within and withour, he finished the work of God, getteth out a feverall warrant to remove both inconveniences, to this end, that it be habitable and stored with neceffaries for them that dwell therein.

The parts are the Decree and the Action; the giving out of the Decree is to be confidered in this word Dixit, the tenor of the Decree is durable: Firft,for the removing of the waters: Secondly, for the appearing of the Earth: The third and laft place fetteth down the accomplishment of it. Touching the giving out of the Decree, to omit the things before rehearsed, I will deliver thele three points, First, the giving out of it in regard of God: Secondly, touching the word: Thirdly, of the number.

For the firft,Seeing Abraham maketh it a great matter,Gen.18.27. that Earth fhould feem to fpeak to God, we may think it a wonder and a strange thing that God fhould fo abafe himself, as it were, to behold, much more to vouchfafe to speak to this rude and poor Creature, which lay in worfe and baser case than any other; for whereas other Creatures in their imperfection had but one inconvenience, we see this had two, without and within: Wherefore, if we make this a matter of inquiry, the Scriptures fhew us this reason, that it is Gods ufuall custome and nature and delight, to fhew his goodneffe, efpecially in exalting things humble and most base, and to lift the poor out of the mire, Fob 5. 11. It is a known thing, that God Humilibus dat gratiam, Pro. 3. 34. which all the Apostles also teach; wherefore the Earth, being the loweft and bafeft,and most poor and humble, doth God of his grace and goodneffe choose to give it this grace, and to exalt it thus.

The Prophet telleth us, that God had made choife to dwell in two places, Habitat aut in æternitate, or else habitat in humilitate, that is, he will no where dwell, but either in the high Heavens, or elfe in the low and humble Earth. Therefore of his goodneffe he vouchfated to lecka treasure houfe in the Earth wherein to keep his chosen, and fo hath made the Earth, as it were, the ornament of the Hea

vens.

Thus we fee the Decree in refpe&t of God.

Secondly for the Word. As we faw the word of God to be the piller of the Heavens, fo here we fee it ferveth to build and uphold the Earth, and as the Spirit then moving, by dilatation made and fpead abroad the Heavens, fo here the work and power of the Spirit is seen in contraction, for fo the Earth was made, and the Seas, gathering in the waters; and as the Heavens were by divifion, fo now the Earth and Waters are made by union, being joyned together. So that as a mans hand is called inftrumentum inftrumentorum, So Gods word is Gods hand, by which the Heavens and Earth were made, Pfal. 33. 6. By the word of the Lord the Heavens were made, that is, Pfal. 102. 25.they are the work of his hands, the Word and Spirit, and as there he fpeaketh of them as of a body, fo here he callech it Syna

goga aquarum, a concourfe or gathering of waters, thereby comparing The Sea to a great Cathedrall Church, and the Arms, Streams, and Rivers to be as it were Parish Churches to that Sea or Dioceffe; so that as all inferiour Parishes are ordered and depend on their Mother Church fo doth this teach us to think of the Seas and gathering of

waters.

Touching the name and title given to them, there are divers judge ments and opinions, but they may be reduced to thefe four: The firft hath a denotation and pointing at the properties and qualities of the water and Seas: And firft from the plenty and aboundance of them, in which fenfe we call any great quantity a Sea,as a Sea of People, of troubles, &c.

Secondly, For the inftability, in which refpect, the wicked are compared to the Sea, as toffed in trouble and wavering in inconftancie, Efay 57. 20.

Thirdly, In refpe&t of the raging and unrulineffe of the Seas, Pfal. 65.7. therefore, for thefe ill qualities of the wa ers, they think that God gave the Sea this name:Other think that God gave not that name to fignifie any evill, but rather the good properties and nature of it, and therefore they say that it hath its name because the Seas were, as it were, the mother, out of whofe wombe the earth was taken, as Eve out of Adams fide, and it was not only taken e vifceribus aquarum, as having a wombe, as Job faith 38. 8. but also the Earth taketh his nou rifhment ex vifceribus aquarum, for of it felf it is dry & witherly with all, Prov. 30. 16. and is as a Child thirfting, gaping, and opening his mouth for the moisture of the waters to drink and be fatisfied with it, Pfal. 143.6. fo they think that it hath his name hereof, and from and out of it iffueth the Earth, and is nourished alfo thereby.

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The third fort think that it is nominated from the fcituation and 3. place which it hath, for if we look in a Map of the World and let our face to the Eaft, we shall fee that the Seas are placed on the right hand and the Earth fcituated on the left, as giving it the right hand offellowship.

The fourth and laft fort are the beft, who confidering the two words which fignifie the Earth and the Sea, Majim & Jamin, for the firft letter put to the latter end of the other word maketh them all one, and the last letter of the fecond word put before the first, maketh the two words to be all one without difference, which is done only by a tranfpofition of letters, which fhew that Waters naturally are above the Earth, and yet by Gods tranfpofition the Earth is fet above the Waters, and fo they are without difference joyned as in one Globe.

This tranfpofition of the things they gather out of the tranfpofition of words; for at the firft naturally the Seas eat up and devoure the Earth, but now being tranfpofed and fet aloft, it feedeth and nourisheth it; at the first it was the grave of the Earth, but now it is as a garment to it, Pfal. 104. 6. and fo by Gods fpirit it is tranfpofed, and God did as it were change and tranfpofe his Decree to have it so, Fob 38.10.

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