Observations Natural and Moral, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. That the waters come from the ſea, and returne to the ſea againe.
Eccleſ. 1.7. All the rivers run to the Sea, yet the Sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers came, thence they returne againe.
THe ſea is like the Liver in the body, which by the veines ſendeth blood to the whole paits of the body, ſo doth the ſea to all the parts of the earth.
That the waters come from the ſea, Reaſons ſhewing that the waters come from the ſea.firſt it is cleare, for although much water commeth into the Sea, yet it increaſeth nothing, and the reaſon of this is, becauſe as much goeth from the Sea as commeth to it; and that of Eccleſiaſtes may be applyed here, As riches increaſe ſo doe they that eate them; if the Sea receive much, it giveth out as much againe.
Secondly, Gods teſtimonie is the greateſt proofe to proove that they come from the ſea, foreign fletus maris.Iob. 38.16. An veniſti uſque ad fletus maris [nibhki jam] which may bee tranſlated the teares of the ſea: why are they called the teares of the ſea? becauſe the fountaines come from the depth of the ſea, Gods owne teſtimonie ſheweth that the waters come from the ſea.through the earth as teares trickle from the eyes. Pſal. 104.13. He watereth the hils from his chambers, that is, from the cloudes above, and verſ. 10. He ſendeht the ſprings into the vallies which run among the hils, not onelyonly the waters which fall from the hils, but alſo theſe which he ſendeth from the veines of the earth. And here moſt plainely it appeareth, Edcleſ. 1.7. That all the waters come from the ſea, and he who knoweth full well the ſecrets of the heart, and the many turnings and windings which are in it, knoweth full well the many wayes how theſe waters turne and winde from the Sea; and he that knoweth the way of a ſerpent upon a ſtone, and the wayes of a man with a maid, and the way of an Eagle in the ayre, and the way of a ſhip in the Sea, Prov. 30.19. Knoweth full well theſe turnings of the waters from the Sea, The waters come and …oe to the ſea by ſecret paſſages.and how the waters come through the ſecret paſſages of the earth, to the Caſpian ſea, although there be no paſſages ſeene betwixt them; and as Iordan when it runneth into the dead ſea runneth by ſecret paſſages under the earth to the ſea, ſo doth the waters come by ſecret paſſages from the Mediterran ſea to the Caſpian ſea, and backe againe.
In the deepth of the earth there are hollow places which breed winds, theſe winds carry up the waters, How the waters are carried to the fountaines.the waters againe preſſe downe the winds, and the winds being borne downe by the waters ſeeke a paſſage through the earth, and make a way for the ſea to run through the veines of the earth, and ſeeke to higheſt places, and of theſe came the fountaines; and becauſe of the continuall ſtrife betwixt the ſea and the winds, the water never faileth in the fountaines; and comming once to the fountaines, then they run backe againe to the ſea. The waters of the floodes come alſo from the Sea, Iere. 10.13. When he uttereth his voyce there is a noyſe of waters in the heavens, The waters of the floods come from the ſea.and hee cauſeth the vapors to aſcend from the ends of the earth, that is, out of the ſea, and theſe waters returne againe to the ſea. Theſe then who hold that the waters are bred of congealed ayre in the cavernes of the earth, are deceived.
If all thewaters come from the ſea, Queſt. how commeth it that the waters are ſweet in the rivers, and ſalt in the ſea?
Salt water by Art may be made ſweete, Anſw. much more may nature make it; Why the waters loſe the ſaltneſſe.by running through the veines of the earth it loſeth the ſaltneſſe of it. And as children when they are carried to a ſtrange country forget their mother tongue, Simile. ſo the rivers, being farre diſtant from the ſea, it is no marvaile that they loſe their originall ſaltneſſe, and forget as it were their mother tongue; and this running through the earth maketh them alſo of a different colour and of diverſe effects; Why the waters are of different colours and divers effects.Nilus maketh the Land fat, when it overfloweth, and Euphrates maketh it leane that the cornes ſhould not bee too ranke, but this is onelyonly accidentall by reaſon of the ground, out of which they ſpring. For as, All men were created of one blood, Act. 17. but accidentally they differ in their colour, for theſe who dwell neareſt the firie zone are blacke, and theſe who dwell fartheſt from it, ſome of them are tawnie, and ſome of them are of the Olive colour, Simile. their colour varieth in reſpect of the climate under which they dwell; ſo theſe who dwell under the equinoctiall, their ſhadowes goe round about them, we who dwel on this ſide of the line, our bodies caſt their ſhadowes to the North, but thoſe who dwell upon the South of the line, their bodies caſt their ſhadowes to the South, according to the diverſitie of the climats mens ſhadowes varie. So according to the diverſe natures of the earth, the rivers produce diverſe effects which are not found in the Sea.
The Sea is ſalt for many neceſſary uſes, Why theſe a is ſalt and not the floods.which are no wayes neceſſary in the floods, firſt he hath made the ſea ſalt to keepe it from putrefaction, which is not neceſſary in the floods becauſe of their ſwift motion and running ſtill. Secondly, he hath made the ſea ſalt, for the breeding and nouriſhing of great fiſhes being both hotter and thicker; which uſe is not neceſſary to the rivers, becauſe they breed but ſmall fiſhes.
The ſea is ſalt, the dead ſea is called the ſalt ſea, Gen. 14.3. But the whole ſea is ſalt alſo, as experience teacheth and the Scripture teſtifieth, Ionas 1.5. foreignthe marriners feared, in the originall it is [hammelachim] the ſalt men feared: why are they called the ſalt men? becauſe they rowed in the ſalt ſea, and the ſea wherein they were now, was not the dead ſea but the Mediterran ſea.
There are diverſe motions found in the ſea which are not found in the rivers, Object. therefore it may ſeeme that they proceed not from the ſea: firſt, Divers motions of the ſea.the ſea hath fluxum adaequationis; ſecondly, it hath motum agitationis; thirdly, it hath motum fluxus & refluxus; Fourthly, it hath motum fluxus onelyonly: the rivers have but onelyonly motum fluxus common with the ſea, but none of the other three ſorts of motions.
The ſea is that element which followeth the motion of the heavens, Anſw. and the heavens worke upon it by heate and motion, The ſea follovveth the motion of the heavens.and this motion is made by the Sunne and ruled by the Moone, and herein it followeth the Sunne and floweth from the Eaſt to the Weſt: the rives Tanais runneth into Meotis, Meotis into Helleſpont, Helleſpont into the Mediterran ſea, the Mediterran ſea into the Ocean ſea, the Ocean ſea into the Tartarian ſea, and the Tartarian ſea into Meotis againe.
The ſecond motion of the ſea is motus agitationis, when the waves of the ſea ſwell up and beate one againſt another; of this motion David ſpeaketh Pſal. 107. The waves aſcended up unto the heavens.
The third motion of the ſea is motus fluxus & refluxus, whereby it ſendeth forth waters from the deepes and they returne backe thither againe: The motion of the Riveis.the rivers have none of theſe three motions, theſe three are all proper to their mother the ſea, but they have motum fluxus common with their mother.
The concluſion of this is, Concluſion. as all the waters goe from the ſea, and returne to the ſea againe; ſo as we receive all graces from God, wee muſt returne all thankes to him againe, nam ſi gratiarum recurſus ceſſat, gratiarum decurſus ceſſat.