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The third point is, That it is fet down in the plurall number; for though we call all the gathering together of the waters but one body, fingular, yet it hath two fhores, which are the Seas lips through which he thrusteth forth, as it were, his tongue by rivers into the land, fo in his parts it is plurall, as in arms and fingers, but all this plurality joyneth together in one falt Sea, Gen. 14. 3. and we doe call that the main Ocean Sea, which is the greateft place whereto is the gathering together of all waters, Jofbuah 15.7.and 47.Job calleth the Seas,the bottom of waters 38. 16. and the other Rivers and streams to be, as it were, falt tears dropping and diftilling from the eyes of the deep Seas, which running through the veins of the Earth is cleansed and purified from his brackish and barren nature, and so it is made profitable and plea. fant and good.

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Now to the fecond part of this work, which is Gods approbation, touching which, first of Gods view, and then of the goodneffe of them.

This fpeech is taken from Artificers; for as they having made a thing, will return to behold and view it, either to amend it if it be amiffe,or to commend it if be well. So it is faid, That God,having perfected all waters above and below and the Earth, he took a view and confideration of them, not to amend or correct them, for he needed not, because he is fo perfect a workman that all his works are most perfect and cannot be amended or made better; for though foolish men think this or that evill, or imagine how it may be better, yet God knoweth all to be moft abfolutely and perfectly good; and therefore it is faid that his looking on it was only to approve and allow it as good in it felf for us, and herein God differeth from men; for men are careleffe in their work, fo they dee it, they care not how it be done but God will not doe a thing, but he will fee it well done, and confirm. and avouch it to be perfectly good.

This example teacheth us to have a double use of Gods Creatures: The one a naturall use of them, as the Earth to tread on, the light to fee by: The other is a fpirituall ufe, which is ufus reflexus, which is the confideration of Gods mercie and goodneffe in making these things, and our gratefull acknowledgement thereof, for as God would not make them materially, but regard and confider them in their qualities fpiritually; fo we in ufing them naturally, muft make this fpirituall ufe ofthem admirari Artem, adorare Artificem.

We will first speak of the Waters, and then of the goodneffe of them: We have before fpoken of the upper waters; now this is to be understood of these below, which are gathered together in the Seas; for these alfo God faith are good, in fpeaking of which, we must divide the waters, as the old Hebrews, for all waters are good, both those which they call the waters of Bethlem, that is, good and fweet waters, for which David longed, 1 Reg. 23. 1 5. and alfo the waters of Jericho, 2 Reg. 2. 19. which were falt and unfruitfull.

Touching the waters of Bethlem, Firft, they were good; for they have a double use, profit, and goodneffe which we finde; the one is by

reafon

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reafon of a filchineffe and foul foil and corruption which the Earth and Earthly things bring to us, and which our own sweat and excrements will caufe about us, and it is a neceffarie virtue to wash, cleanfe, and purifie or fcoure those things about us which are foul and unclean, as by pouring water into our hands to wash them, 2 Reg. 5. 10.14. or to wash our cloaths and apparrel,2 Sam. 19. 24. if we should want and lack water but for these uses, it would be ill with us, fo good and neceffary they are for our life. This good and neceffary ufe of water is fpiritually fignified in the Lavor of the Temple in the old Law, and in the Sacrament of Baptifm in the new Teftament.

The fecond goodneffe and benefit in it, is in regard of drought and heat, for when we or the Earth is dry and thirsty, the water is drink with his moisture to satisfie it, and when we are hot, the water, naturally cold, hath a cooling face to refresh us, as the heart being in a chafe and fet in a heat by chafing is faint, and longeth and brayeth for the waters, Pfal. 42. 1. fo doth mans heart thirst and cannot endure the drought and heat within,except it be cooled with the drink of the waters; and therefore it is faid, Pfal. 104. 10. pros pinquavit Dem, that is (as the word importeth) when God made the waters, he began, and did, as it were, drink to all the Creatures, fhewing them that there was the place where they should fetch drink, and fo to pledge him for ever thereat: And in refpe&t of this goodneffe which we finde in the nature of the waters, we see that thofe things which are very good, and fo neceffary that we cannot be without them, they are compared and faid to be as cold as water to a faint and thirsty foul, Prov. 25. 25. Befides this, it hath a good ufe to dreffe our meats as well as to be drinke.

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Now for the waters of Fericho. Those are bitter and brackish wa- Salt Waters. ters of the Seas, they were made alfo very good, and to a most commodious ufe, for they are made promptuarius, a storehouse or treafury from whence cometh all waters in the world, both above in the Clouds and below in the Earth: For the Clouds, it is faid. that God calleth and ralfeth waters out of the Sea, and causeth it to afcend onder into the Clouds, and fo by drops to defcend down into the Earth, Amos 5.8. So the Cloud waters are from the Seas.

from the Sea.

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So are all the fresh waters in the fountains and springs, for as Fob So fresh Wafaith 38.8.they are tanquam lachryma trickling and diftilling from the ters. eyes and head of the Seas; for they make the world as a body like a man, as they compare man to the World; for the head and highet parts is the waters, the bones of the bodie is the Quarries and Rocks, the Muscles and Flesh is the earthly part of hills, &c. the Conduit pipes and Fountains of Water ftreaming and running in the Earth,are called the veins of the Earth, that the Springs and Foun tains iffuing and springing out, are as the blood letting and opening of a vein, and as in a mans body when the veins are broken in divers places, the whole body muft needs be overwhelmed and all imbrued in his own blood, and perifh; fo it is faid of the World,

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Gen

Gen. 7. 11. in the great deluge, in which the World perished by water, rupti funt fontes Abyßi, which breaking up of the fountains was the caufe that the waters played above the Earth, fo that all the blood and veins come and go to one head and originall of the lifo the Rivers have their waters from the Sea, and doe return them thither again, Preach. 1.7.

ver;

And this is the third miracle which we fee in this work of the Waters: First, We faw them at Gods word afcending up into the Clouds, and defcending. Secondly, The lower waters ftanding up on a heap and continuing fo. Thirdly, That the Rivers ever running into the Sea, and yet are never empty and dry; and again the Sea ever receiving all waters that come, and thereby being ever full, is not fatisfied as never full, and yet never overmatcheth the bancks, which wonderfull miracle in this work of God we see every day, and yet regard it not.

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2. The fecond goodnefle and benefit of these waters is in Pfal. 104. 26. that men may fay, there goe the Ships, that is, God made it a fit and good place for Navigation, non ad habitandum fed ad navigandum &natandum, by which paffage of Merchandise and Sea-faring men, we disburden our felves of thofe fuperfluous commodities which our Land affords, and get thereby, by exchange, the commodities of other Countries, which we want: So that as God hath Wa gons and Chariots in the Clouds, and we Wagons and Chariots on the Earth and Land, fo God hath by this taught us to make Ships as our Wagons by Sea to transport and carry and have paffage from one Nation to another. But though we can have our horses and Wagons on the Land when we lift, yet cannot Mariners and Merchants have their Sea Wagoners to drive their Wagons there, at their pleasures, but muft wait and tarry Gods leifure for profperous gales, and merry windes are fent them at the good pleasure and commandement of God, and by reason of this goodneffe and benefit of waters God hath caused it, that the Harvest of the Seas, and the Treasure of the Sands fhall be as great and greater then the Harvest of the Land, and that the wealth of Merchants shall goe beyond the wealth and treasure of the Husbandmen, Efay 23.3. yea we see that Salomons wordly wealth and aboundance of all things, both for neceffary fervice, as timber, gold, &c. and for pleasure and variety as Apes and Peacocks, &c. 1 Reg. 10. 22. all that came by means of Merchandife and dealing by Ships, and having traffique to Ophir, which made him fo rich, that gold was as stones in the fireets, and this goodneffe of the Seas efpecially concerneth us which are Iflanders, we best know it and feel here this fingular and fpeciall goodneffe of the waters, and fay as God doth, that we fee that they are good, for were it not for this, we should be imprifoned in this little land, and be without the knowledge of other Countries, alfo we should be cloyed with our commodities and be An excellent deftitute of many other which we want, but that which is most, we should have been ever without the knowledge of Gods holy

benefit of the Sca.

Word;

Word; For how could that have come hither, Or how could we have gone beyond the Seas for it,had it not been for the Sea, wherein goe the Ships? Pauls Shipwrack was most bieffed and happy to that Ifland, Act. 27. 41. for by that means the Gospell of Chrift came to them, the greatest commodity that could be; But unwor thy are we of this Pearl which Merchants have found and brought from beyond the Sea, feeing we fo lightly regard, that we will fcarce ftep out of doores for to hear it, this is the good that we by it have Merchants, Nahum. 3. 16. Another benefit of good we receive by them, Nahum. 3. 14. in that they are made to us as a Dich, Fortreffe, Wall, or Bulwark of strength and defence to the Land. For in Iflands we are intrenched, as it were, round about, with Sands, with Rocks, with Ships, and Seas. These things more properly pertain to us Iflanders; for Iflands are called the branches of the Sea

For main Lands have other carriage and defence, though with more trouble and coft. Laftly, It is good for Peter with his Nets and Gins to take Fish.

Now for the Earth, God also saw and faid that it was good like. The difcourfe wife, which is fo well known, that I need not tell you that the use of the Earth. of it a top is not only good to goe and runne upon, and inhabite, but alfo to bear Corn, Wine, Oyle, Herbs, and Roots, and other Fruit, for Man and Beaft, that dwell thereon, Fob. 28. 5. And under the good mould for fruit, we fee it good and profitable, in that it hath mines of Coale, and under it veins of Gold, and other moft profitable metals, and under it precious ftones, and every where within Quarries and Rocks offtone, and without Trees of timber to build us houfes withall. This were fufficient to make us fee and confeffe, to Gods glory, how good it is to us.

But let us come to the very fubftance of the Earth, in respect of the whole, and (not to fearch his riches and parts and fruits) we see that it is the matter of which we are made, and to which we must return, Fob 10. 9. 10. which there is fet down after two manners, both as we refpe& Adam in creation, or our felves in generation, being poured out as milk, &c. For touching creation, we are of the Earth, and therefore called houfes of Clay, as Feremy fpeaketh to his King, o Earth, O Earth, &c. 22. 29. Wherefore, if we think our felves good, we cannot deny, but the matter of which we were made is alfo good.

Secondly, It is a good and a convenient place fuper quem, as the Aire is a fit Element in que; for God hath made it good to goe upon, and therefore he hath made it locum lucidum, folidum, ficcum, fixum,

2.

firmum, that being light and fteddy, it might have all the com mendations and goodneffe of a place to dwell in; and as it is a place to move in, fo it is to take rest and ease; as it is gjastekov, a Work. house and Shop, in which we muft imploy our travail and labour, fo is it our refectorium, to refresh and ease our felves,and to recover Refection. our ftrength.

The

3.

The Waters and Land

joyntly confidered, four things noted therein.

1.

2.

The Earth is the Lords and all in it, Pfal. 24. 1. but he hath given the Earth to the fonnes of men, Pfal. 115.16. but only to this end,that they fhould ferve him in the works of their Callings, in the service of God and the Country, that they might keep hu Statutes and observe his Laws, Pfal. 105. 45.

The third goodneffe is the benefit of our grave, for this is our Mothers lap and armes into which we yeeld our bodies,being dead, it is our Cemeterium, our fleeping place in the night time of our death, Fob 17. 13. as it was our easier in the day time of our life.

Now as we have confidered the goodneffe of it wholly; fo now let us fee the parts by themselves, the hills, mountains, and rocks are good for fhaddows in time of heat, and for fhelter in time of Winter against cold and tempefts, Efay 32. 2. the stoney rocks also serve for Conies, Pfal. 104. 18. the valleys and dales are good and commodious for Corn, Pfal. 104. 10. Efay 30. 23. and also for pasture, Pfal. 65.13. fo it is good for to give all things to feed man and beaft.

The other dryer part of the Earth, which is fand and gravel!, is good for treafure, Deut. 33. 19. and the wet or moifter part of it which is clay and marle, is good to dung and mend the land, alfo to make veffels of earth, Fer. 18.3, 4. and to make brick and houses, and morter, Ezech. 13. 10. So that the high and low parts, the dry and moift parts of the Earth, are very good.

Yet let us further confider these things, that is, the Waters and Land joynt together, as they are framed in one globe, touching which we have four things to note.

The first, is in regard of Heaven and Celestiall bodies, where we shall obferve a threefold good, for a thing that is good only in it felf, and doth not impart it to other, is good in vain,and to no end; and that which is good to it felf, and hath a nature to be good to other, but hath noe good means to conceive it, is to no purpose: Wherefore, as the Heavens have vertue and goodneffe, as light; heat, dews, &c. So the Aire is the good means by which it is fent and conveyed, and the Earth is that receptacle which receives all thofe good things imparted to it: So all the good of Heaven is con veyed to the Earth by the Aire, and so it is made known and proved to be good. The Earth is the pond of all waters, and the lap and open hand, yea, and the wide open mouth which God hath ordained to receive all the bleifings of Heaven, untill Heaven have recei ved us.

Secondly, The Waters and Earth are good in regard of one another, the waters are good to the land, and the land to the waters; the Earth would be without water to glue it together, even as dust, which would fly in our eyes to hinder our fight and choake us, and hinder our breathing in the Aire, Fob 38. 38. and being all dry clods it would be unprofitable for tillage; therefore God giveth the waters to mollific and foften it, Pfal. So the Earth is good to the Sea waters, for it is a clenfer and strainer, through which the faltneffe and unfruitfulneffe of the Waters are amended, and made

profitable,

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