Vol 01 - Chapter 05 - Of the sect, and the waters; the work of the fifth day.

Chapter 05 - Of the sect, and the waters; the work of the fifth day
I. THE water is greater than the earth, or dry land. In treating of this, we shall first, speak of its place. or situation.
2, Of its productions.
3, How it extends its branches and fruits, like a great tree of water, spreading itself through the whole globe of the earth.
2. First then as for its place. It possesses the, cavities of the earth, and is so formed that man may live upon it., and travel over it as well as upon dry land. It so encompasses the globe of the earth, as never to slip out of its place. And that part of it which is under the earth, sticks as close as that which is above. Yea, the very cavity, which is the true centre and place of the watery element, has no bottom, neither is supported by the earth; but, like an egg, holds itself fast together, without falling out of its shell. Which is none of the smallest miracles of nature.
3. That is unquestionably the best philosophy, which gives the fairest and best account of the works of God. And this knowledge, every true lover of God ought to endeavor after, that he may thereby know how many glorious creatures God has created for our use and benefit. And let the trifling pretenders to philosophy look to it, t hat they spend not their time in impertinent inquiries; which, instead of teaching them the true knowledge, lead them into ignorance, and forgetfulness of God.
4. The first thing to be observed, is the mutual relation and harmony that is between the different elements; so that one does as it were breed in the other's bosom, and bring forth their fruits for the use of man. Thus the firmament breeds its rains, dews, winds, and cooling breezes in the air, and then sends them down to us. So the earth produces its fruits in the air, where they bud, blossom, and ripen, are nourished and cherished by the virtue of the air, without which they would quickly languish and die.
5. And as the air receives into its bosom the fruits of the earth, and kindly cherishes them as foster-children; so likewise the earth and water entertain the fruits of the air, viz. its generative and vegative virtue with which it is endued. For the air penetrates all the other elements, and supplies them with life and vigor. This is plain by the fire, which burns no longer than it is cherished and refreshed with the air. So also the water, without this universal spirit, petrifies and dies, like the vegetables upon the ground. Thus the water breeds in the bosom of the earth; and there with great and wonderful variety produces its fruits in greater or lesser plenty, according to the difference of climates.
6. Among these productions of the watery element, the first are the rivers which are as it were great branches of that wonderful, living tree. From hence also sprout forth little rivulets, which are, as it were, shoots from the same tree. So that as from one bough of a great and fruitful tree, spring many little branches, and a great deal of fruit; so one great branch of the element of water, as the Rhine or Danube, produce great varieties of fruit; such as rivulets, lakes, and fountains, which all depend immediately upon the great branch, as that does upon the tree.
7. Now the same that we have said of the rivers, as the fruits of the seas, may be also said of metals and minerals, of gems, of salts, of rocks and quarries of stone, &e. Because in whatsoever part of the world they are found, they proceed from the element of the water, and have their seed, first matter, and root thence. For as many different trees spring out of the earth, and every tree has its proper fruits, so the element of water shoots forth her metallic trees and branches into the cavities of the earth; and when they are there, they are quickly coagulated into a metallic or a mineral, tree; which sometimes extends its branches 50 or 60 miles i compass; and when the fruits are plucked off, and thebranches lopt, the tree withers and dies of itself; that is, when the mines are exhausted, the vegetative spirit that impregnated them ceases to act, and they produce no more. At the same time another mine is discovered elsewhere, at tinges and places appointed by the wise Maker and Governor of the world.
8. How stupendous then is the wisdom and goodness of GOD, who has so wonderfully created the fruits of the water; so wisely distinguished them;. and so plentifully bestowed them on the sons of men Who has given them so great beauty, and so many virtues; not only gold and silver, but also corals, pearls, amber, and gems (Ezekiel 28:13.) All which are given us by GOD, not to feed our vanity, but for the supply of our necessities, and the setting forth his own glory.
9. And here it is observeable, that the sea and all its productions have,, as the other elements, their proper order, time and motion, implanted in them by God. So. in the heavens, the stars have their stated times, regular order, motion, rising, and setting. So the earth at certain seasons produces different fruits, and in that sense is in perpetual motion. So likewise the sea has its innate laws of motion, and produces all its fruits, at such appointed seasons-as may best serve the use and benefit of mall.
10. Let us now take a, survey of the wonderful power and wisdom of God in the sea, and see what inferences may be drawn from thence. "Who has shut up the sea, with doors, (says God to Job,) when it brake forth,. as if it had issued out of the womb When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it, and brake up for it my decreed place,. and set bars and doors, and said, hitherto shall you come, and no further And here shall thy proud waves be stayed. Have you entered into the springs of the sea Or halt you walked in the. Search of the depth"
11: 38: 8, &c. In which words, God seems to point out the great and dreadful ocean as an obscure image of his unsearchable power. For it is a surprising miracle, that God should by his word alone, as with bars and’doors, enclose the sea so strongly, that it should not be.able to overflow its bounds. No less wonderful is its ebbing and flowing.; so that the sea being as it were conscious of the Divine command, so soon as it touches the earth, seems to fly back and retire in -a fright, as at the presence of GOD, as Jordan and the Red Sea. " He gathereth the waters of the sea together, as it were upon;n heap, and layeth up the deep as in a treasure-house," Psal. exiv. 3.-xxxiii. 7. It is also wonderful that the sea. should be higher than the earth. For when the Egyptians were attempting a passage out of the Nile into the Red Sea, it was found, that the sea was 12 feet higher, than the level of the river and land of Egypt. And whereas God tells Job., c' That he has made the clouds to be the garment thereof, and thick darkness a.swaddling band for it.;" that plainly appears when its waves roll and toss themselves up to the clouds; which do as it were receive them into their embraces, and cover -them with darkness and horror.; so that they seem to be blended with each other, then do appear the mighty wonders of GOD, which a man cannot behold without fear and astonishment.
12. To this work of the fifth day, belongs also that of the holy Psalmist, " In the great and wide -sea are things creeping innnmerable, both small and great beasts. "There go the ships, and there is that Leviathan whom you have made to take his pastime therein," Psal. 104: 25, 26. In which words are pointed out, 1, Its vast.extent. 2, The innumerable multitude of its fishes and monsters. 3, Its navigation.. 4, the great whales; of all which we shall speak particularly.
13. And first, as for the greatness and wideness of the.sea, who can but admire the power of GOD, which, notwithstanding that so much water flows into the-sea everyday, and has done so from the beginning; yet suffers net; its waters to exceed their appointed quantity And though its waves sometimes rage and swell, and lift themselves above the mountains, yet they are quickly at rest, and settled within their proper bounds.
14. Under this head, we may not improperly speak of the islands. Who can behold, without wonder, several large and populous countries, and entire kingdoms, lying in the midst of the sea Who can tell on what foundations they are built, and what that is that keeps them fixt and immovable Though some of them indeed being encompassed with vast rocks, are supposed to be built and founded on them. Upon the whole, the fruitfulness, tillage, fruits, and the occasion and manner of their being peopled, is what we may rather admire than understand. So that (which is very strange to say,) the sea is as populous as the earth. As the earth is inch less than the sea, God would not suffer the greatest part of the globe to be uninhabited, and therefore he planted it up and down with islands; that none of the miracles and blessings which he works in the sea, might escape the observation of mankind. Therefore also to these islanders did he send the gospel of truth, by his holy apostles, " shaking both the sea and the dry land, after the desire of all nations was come," Haggai 2:6-7.
15. No less wonderful, 2, is the vast multitude of creatures that inhabit the sea; for some affirm, that there is as great a variety of them in the sea as in the land. Who can behold, without astonishment, prodigious shoals of fish rising from the depths of the sea, like a flock of sheep, and offering themselves to the use and necessities of mankind So that the sea is a great storehouse of GOD, out of which he feeds a great part of mankind.
16. 1 come, 3, to navigation; an art taught us by God; as we learn from the story of Noah's ark, which was built, and pitched within and without, by the special command of GOD, Genesis 6:14.
17. 1 might mention the many stupendous voyage, that have been performed within the memory of its and our fathers, to the most distant parts; and chiefly by the assistance of the magnet, a stone that seems to have nothing in it either of beauty or use, and yet by it the greatest things are performed. By this the pilot steers his ship, and keeps his way in the pathless waters; and by constantly pointing to the pole, it guides the mariner to the intended port.
18. Lastly, 4, " the huge whales," mentioned by holy David, give us a great idea of the mighty power of God. Of this, God himself takes notice, when he talks with Job; " His bones are as strong pieces of brass, his bones are like bars of iron.' He is the chief of the ways of God. He drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. By his neesings a light does shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out: out of his nostrils goes smoke, and a flame goes out of his mouth. He maketh the deep to boil like a pot. He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment," ch. 40: 13, 24, 41: 9, 11, 16, 22.
19. Thus much for the greatness of the sea; which is a great illustration of the power of God. "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand" says Isaiah, ch. 40: 12. To which the Psalmist answers, "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, in the earth, in the sea, and in all deep places," Psal. 135: 6. All then that remains is, to praise, honor, and glorify the wisdom of GOD, which is so wonderfully manifested in the deep; the riches of his goodness in -that vast variety of fishes, and other productions of the sea, for the use of man.