in the fingular fit, luminaria in the plurall, let there be lights. The Moon and the Starres are but as glaffes, having no light in themfelves, but borrowing it from the Sunne.

The fecond point of confideration, is the place which is moft convenient, in three regards, The first is in regard of God and his Wifdome,who is the cause of them,and is above: Where is the way wherein light dwelleth Fob 38. 19. It is furfum, it is above.

Secondly, Their place is most convenient, in regard of their miniftring of light to fo large and fpacious an houfe, as to the whole world: they dos hang in the Heavens as on a beam.

Thirdly, By this means they are in fafery, from the tyrannic and malice of man, for if they were in mens reach, they would pull the ftarres from their place, and God from his throne. Adam did eato the fruit, though he were forbidden: Gilead is a City of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood: Priefts are murtherers in the high-way by confent: there is villany in the house of Ifrael: there is whoredome of Ephraim, Ofee 6. 8. But man cannot practise any of his envie against the starres which are placed on high in the Heavens. So that the placing of them above in the Heavens, doth fignific unto us, that the cause of them is above the Heavens, and the effect of their miniftrating, and the providence God had of their fafetie.

The third point to be confidered is their use, which is manifold: 3 Their use, The first is to separate the day and the night, which is orderly to divide the course of time; for there is no beauty without order. The day and the night were before divided, what needeth God now to make a second divifion here? You must understand that there are two dividings, the one is a divifion in duo, into day and night; the other is inter duo; the day is affigned to the Sunne, the night to the Moon: When the whole is parted, it is divided. The man in the 12. Luke 13. faid to Chrift, Bid my brother divide the inheritance with me: So that a thing is divided, tum feparatur, & cum separatum diverfis aßignatur. The Sunne is, as it were,the furveyor of mens worke, the Moon and Starres are our watch-men when we doe take our reft. The Lord giveth the Sunne for a light for the day, and the courses of the Moon and Starres for a light to the night, Fer. 31.35. By the ascen. ding and defcending of the Sunne, we have our hours, our dayes, our seasons hereby we have dayes fhorter and longer and for that the Sunne had fo many good qualities, and was so worthy a Creature, men of other Nations, and in times paft, gave glory and worship to the Sunne, to it they did ere& Altars, build Temples, and offered facrifice.

But non dominium fed minifterium dedit Dews Soli. The second use is for fignes: Homer did fay fo much, that they were as fignes to admonish us: It is good for Star-gazers, and out of this place they doe gather, that by the Starres they may foretell things to come. Ambrofe imputeth no farall deftiny, that cannot be fhunned, to these fignes, but rather that they are fignes for direction. The Chaldees and the Perfians, did foretell by the conjunction of Starres, that

there

there fhould be inundations, and that fuch things are inevitable; but for the most part, even then when they faid should be wet there was the greateft drought: Hereby they caft figures,and fhew mens Nativities, but the Lord faith, Feremy 10. 2. Learn not the way of the Heathen, be not afraid for the fignes of Heaven, though the Heathen be afraid of fuch. Moft excellently faith the Lord, in the 44. Efay 25. I destroy the tokens of the Soothsayers, and make them,that conjecture, fools, and I make their knowledge foolishneffe: Their knowledge is foolish va nity, it is inutilus querenti, and impoßibilis profitenti. No inevitable deftiny is to be ascribed to the Starres; for all that is, is in the hands of God. They are fignes to the Husbandman, by them God giveth him difcretion to fow and to reap in feafon, Efay 28.26. They are fignes to the Mariners, to them which failed with Paul toward Rome, nor Sunne nor Moon appeared for many dayes, Acts 27. 20. They are fignes to the Phyfition for his criticall dayes: The Sunne is a figne and as trumpet to the Beasts, which when it rifeth, they doe retire to their dens; and then goeth man forth unto his work, Pfal. 104. 22. They are alfo fpirituall fignes and holy fignes; they that dwell in the uttermoft parts of the Earth fhall be afraid of thy fignes, Pfal. 65. 8. The Sonne of man at the latter day fhall be as the light of the Heaven, Luke 17.24. God will then fhew wonders in Heaven, and tokens in the Earth, blood and fire and vapours of Smoake, Acts 2. 19. So that these lumina, when we behold them, and think of the later day, are figna pænitentia, they are buccina pænitentia; from whence are certain influences,the Moon to the waters, the Sunne to the Earth. If God be pleafed, fweet is the increase of the Sunne, and (weet is the increase of the Moon, Deuteronomy 33. 14. But if God be angry, then is it otherwise.

{e.

And they are for feasons, they are fignes for place, Deut. 4.47. Mo. fes bids the Ifraelites to remember the fignes and Acts that God did in Egypt, Deut. 11. 3. They are for times, to every purpose there is a time, Preach. 8. 6. for oportunity is the very bud of time: They were for seasons in rebus facris, in Gods feafts and holy-dayes: God hath appointed the Moon for certain feafons, the Sunne knoweth his going down, Pfal. 104. 19. By the Sunne the dayes are hotter and colder: The Moon is made to appear according to her feafon, the feafts are appointed by the Moon, the moneth is called after the name thereof, Ecclefiafticus 43. The Moon is a direction of the Passover, every venth day is the Sabbath, ftata tempora funt a Sole in things civill Faires, meeting and ordaining Magiftrates is by ordinata tempora. The Moon hath a fhort motion: the Sunne hath a great wheele for his whole courfe in a year, for his compaffe by dayes: There is the morning Starre fhining from the end of the night to the beginning of the day; the evening starre, the end of the day to the beginning of the night: The Sunne in the day, the Moon in the night, are for their feafons: the revolution of the Sunne is in a year, of the Moon in a moneth. The Sunne did rife to Facob, after he had wraftled with the Angell, chap. 32. 31. The Paffover was to be offered at Even, at the going down of the Sunne in the moneths of Abib,

Deut.

Deut. 16. begin. So that the Sunne and the Moon ate for featons,as it is in the 104. Pfal.God, faith Fob in his 26 chapter 13.Hath furnished the Heavens and framed the crooked ferpent, which is taken for the Zodiack. God faith to Fob, Canft thou bring forth Mazaroth in their time, Canft thou guide Ariturus with his fonnes? Fob. 38. 32. The Sunne runneth about in a day; and in a year it goeth to each Tropick: In acceffu begins the Spring; in deceffu the Winter.

;

They are for illumination, to be a light, that is to give light; to For themselves be a light even at midnight. The Sunne is a light perpetually when it is abfent from us, it giveth light elfewhere; to us it giveth light while we doe need it. It is for us, fo that we may fay to the lights fit vos non vobis, they are for the Earth and for the Heavens: they are for lights in the Firmament, and to give light upon the Earth. Sol eft propter terram,this is an honor to us,and humility in them. The Sunne commeth forth as a Bridegrome out of his chamber,and rejoyceth like amighty man to runne his race,Pfal. 19. 5.Sothat it is for the Earth; it was made to ferve and lighten the earth: take thou therefore heed, left thou lift up thy eyes unto Heaven, and when thou feeft the Sunne and the Moon, and the Starres, with all the hofte of Heaven, thou shouldst be driven to worship and to ferve them, Deut. 4.19. It cutteth off their adoration for creavit eos inminifterium cunctis Gentibus. Sol â Deus eft famulus, Luna eft ancilla tua, ambo funt in ministerium homini : Non funt confervi, fed fervi hominum: N funt cum terra, fed propter terram. Great then is their humilitie to us, which are fubject to corruption, whose brothers and fifters are the very worms. So that the Sunne, in his very name in Hebrew, doth import that it is not Deus, but fervus hominum: At Fofhua's commandement the Sunne ftayed in Gibeon, and the Moon in the valley of Aielon, Foshua 10. 12. Ifaiah fhewed this fign that Hezechiah fhould restore his health, he brought the Sunne back again ten degrees; God then fheweth great favour unto man, that can make the Sunne to stand still and retire back again, 2 Kings 20.9.Thefe Lights then were affigned to divide the day from the night,their Function is for the inferior Earth,and the fuperior Heaven: they were ordained for the decking of the Celestiall part, and for the use of man, and laftly, for the glory of God. They doe ferve for the Earth,and they doe fhew forth Gods praife, yea, the ftarres of the morning praife God together, fob. 38.7. The Sunne, and the Moon, and all the bright Starres fhall praife him, Pfal. 148.3.

17,18,19,

Gen. 1.15,16, Et fuit ita. Fecit enim Deus duo illa luminaria magna luminare majus ad præfecturam diei, & luminare minus ad præfecturam noctis, atque ftellas, Et collocavit ea Deus in expanfo cœ= li, ad afferendum lucem fuper terram, Et ad præfidendum diei ac nocti,& ad diftinctionem faciendum,& inter lucem banc tenebras viditque Deus id effe bonum. Sic fuit vefpera, fuit mane diei quarti.

It was fo.

B

EFORE we have spoken of the Decree; now of the execution and of the returns of the cenfure or approbation, and fo we will end the fourth day. Ofthem in order, and it was fo; fome fay fecit, others pofuit; all the fix dayes work stand upon these three joynts, creavit, fecit, and fint.

It was fo: This is the return and execution of Gods Decree; it is the ufuall eccho of Gods word, it is the Amen of that which proceedeth from his mouth herein is the verifying of his edict, the power of his word, and the expedition of that he commandeth: Herein is the conformity of the return, and the commandement, and the continnance of that is commanded. Let this fuffice for and it was fo. For the continuance, God promifeth to David, I will ftablish thy feed for ever, and thy throne from generation to generation, Ffal. 89. 4. Thefe lights are placed in the Heavens where is no error, by his power they were made, he bringeth forth the innumerable hofte of starres by his word, the Lord biddeth Abraham to look up unto Heaven, he biddeth him tell the starres if he be able to number them, and he said unto him, So fhall thy feed be, chap. 15. 5. For the expedition, The Suune rejoyceth like a mighty man to run his race, Pfal. 19.5. He runneth a long race in a fhort ipace: For the conformity in the Heavens, we doe daily pray ficut in Celo, in Terra, that Gods will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven. As for the conftancy of the Heavens, it is circular, regular, and certain. God did fwear by his holineffe, that he would not fail David, (aying, His feed fhall endure for ever, and his throne fhall be as the Sunne before me, Pfal.89. 36. Thus faith the Lord Fer. 33. 20. If you can break my covenant of the day and of the night, that there should not be day nor night in their feafons, then may my covenant be broken with David my fervant, that he should not have a fonne to fit upon his throne: But as the armie of Heaven cannot be numbred, neither the fand of the Sea be measured, so will I multiply the feed of David. And it was fo. Eclipfes and Conjunctions are by their certainty oh wonderfull is their immutability in their continuall mutability by them is the differences of all times, of all seasons. It was fo even by the hand of God, by his hand they were made,they were placed. Every good and perfect gift is from above, and commeth

from

from the father of lights, with whom is no variablenesse, Fames 1. 17. The Earth is immovable, yet fubject to alteration: the Starres are in their motion immutable: they were made to lighten the Earth, to rule the day and the night, they were not made to be adored. Austin maketh this dialogue between thefe lights and nian, Creator eft fupra me & te,qui fecit me & te,me prote,& te pro fe: this is spoken by the Sunne: God made thefe lights for man, he made man for himfelf: David, in the 8. Pfalme 3. faith, When I behold thine Heavens and the works of thy fingers, the Moon and the Starres which thou hast ordeyned; What is man, fay I then,that thou art mindfull of him? or the fonne of man, that thou regardest him? Thou hast made him little lower than God, and haft crowned him with glory and worship: thou hast given him dominion over the works of thine hands: yet is he, by Abrahams contefion, but duft; The worms are his kinsfolk, faith Fob; The words of his mouth are iniquitie and deceit, faith David, Pfal. 36. 3 Creata funt omnia per Deum Patrem, ordinata funt per Verbum, ornata per Spiritum. His Spirit hath garnished the Heavens, Fob 26. 13. Let all the Kings of the Earth fing the praises due unto the Lord, Pfal. 138. 5. Austin saith well, What greater obedience can there be, dixit, and facta funt? What greater love can there be then quod pro nobis facta funt: Oh therefore let all the Nations of the Earth be thankfull to the Lord, who hath made us and them, and them for us. Of what are they made? furely of fomthing: fut lux, that was of nothing; fecit ftellas, that was of fomthing: He created the form and formed the matter; fecit and fuit is not all one: the matter is the light, the Heavens is the form: God hath stretched out the Heavens, which are strong, as a moulien glaffe, Fob 37.18. They are made, by the beft opinion, of water and Light,

and the Moon.

Now what is made. Two great lights the Sunne and the Moon, The Sunne which are as a great fire, and the Starres are as little fparkles: as two great torches, and as many little wax candles: The Moon is leffer than many ftarres, according to Aftrologie, which Mofes doth not impugne though it be a leffer body, yet is a greater light in refpe&t of the ftarres, and a leffer in regard of the Sunne, and so faith Mofes, Mofes was very great in the land of Egypt,not great of personage, but great in favour, Exod. 11. 3. The greatest Apoftle is not taken in the quantity, but in the quality: the great men, are faid men of dignity, of account, that are in much favour. Paul counteth himself the leaft of the Apostles, not as one of loweft ftature, but of least defert: David was great with God, not in that he had a large and fpatious body, but for that God did love and favour him. So there is alia gloria Solis, alia Ľune, alia Stellarum ; for one starre differeth from another in glorie, 1 Cor. 15. 41. Here he fpeaketh of the lights, not of the celeft all bodies, wherein he fheweth himself skilfull in the Mathematicks: He was learned in all the wisdome of the Egyptians, Acts 7.22. fo that he could have difcourfed among the Aftrologers of the quantities of the celeftiall bodies, but here by naming the greater and leffer light, he doth inftruct the very imple. The light

muft

1