Necessity of Human Learning for a Gospel Preacher, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of the Ʋſefulneſs of Aſtronomy.
AStronomy is uſeful for a Miniſter of the Goſpel upon a double account:
Firſt, To know the Nature, Light, Motions, Magnitudes, Influences, and Operations of the Celestial Bodies, the Sun, Moon, and Stars; and of their Conſtellations. —And how they ſerve (according to God's appointment) for ſigns and ſeaſons, for days and years, Gen. 1.14. —To know the Ordinances of Heaven, Job 38.33.the various Motions, and the marvellous and unſpeakable Order of the Heavenly Bodies, which they keep as conſtantly, as if they walked by a Rule, Jer. 31.35. —As alſo to underſtand Eclipſes. It is onelyonly an Astronomer that can demonſtrate that famous Eclipſe of the Sun at Christ's paſsion to be miraculous, Luke 23.45.ſince it happened about the full Moon, for then was the Paſſover celebrated: but Solar Eclipſes in the Courſe of Nature muſt be at the new Moon.
Secondly, To underſtand the Jewiſh Years, Moneths, Days, and their ſeveral Accounts hereof, and the dependences thereupon, as the Jewiſh Feaſts:—and the Prophecies, Hiſtories, Chronologies, that are in the Scripture:—and the clearing and reconciling of diverſe Places, or Paſſages in Scripture; as the difference between the Jews and the Romans in fixing the beginning of their Hours, the Jews reckoning them from Sun-riſe, the Romans from midnight, the clearing whereof will make thoſe Places agree, which ſpeak of the time of Chriſt ſuffering, and the circumſtances of it.
In the night Chriſt was in the High Prieſts Hall, denied by Peter at the Cock-crowing, at the break of the day he was delivered to Pilate, foreign, Mark 15.1. then accuſed before him till the ſixth hour, Joh. 19.14. to wit, of the Romans, which was the firſt hour of the Jews. After that he was condemned and delivered to the Soldiers, and all things prepared for his crucifixion, which by Mark is ſaid to be at the third hour, to wit, of the Jews, cha. 15, 25. but the ninth hour of the Romans, and the darkneſs from the ſixth to the ninth hour is to be underſtood of the Jewiſh hours, that is from noon to three of the clock. See De Dieu on Mark 15.25.
And as John uſeth the Roman hours, cha. 19.14. ſo the Roman day, cha. 20.19. The ſame day at evening being the firſt day of the week, Jeſus, &c. that could not be the evening before Sun-ſet: for when the two Diſciples went with Chriſt to Emmaus, it was towards evening, and the day far ſpent. Now they ſupt there, and returned to Jeruſalem, which was ſixty furlongs diſtant from Emmaus, and (Luk. 24.13, &c.) told the Diſciples what had happened to them, then Chriſt appeared in the midſt of them, which muſt be at the evening after Sun-ſet, and that not taken after the cuſtom of the Hebrews (for then he ſhould not have appeared on the firſt day of the week, but on the ſecond, becauſe they begin their natural day at evening) but of the Romans, who reckon their natural day from midnight.
Hence alſo may that difficulty be cleared of the Evangeliſts, calling that day, De Dien in Matth. 26.17.which was the preparation to the Paſsover the firſt day of unleavened bread, Mat. 26.17. Mark 14.12. for the evening after they are the Paſchal Lamb with unleavened bread was, after the Jewiſh account, the beginning of the fifteenth day of the MonethMonth Niſan, which was the firſt day of unleavened bread, Numb. 28.16, 17. but, according to the Roman account, that evening was the end of the fourteenth day, which was the day of Preparation.
The Jews divide their night into four watches, each three hours long. Their day had in it twelve hours Common, and three Temple hours, or hours of Sacrifice and Prayer, (which on their Feaſts-days were ſignified by ſound of Trumpet, Numb. 10.10. Grotius on Matth. 27.45.) which were moſt famous and notable diſtinctions of the time of the day. We read of them, Acts 2.15. and 3.1. and 10.3, 9. Matth. 20.3, 5. ſo that after this account whatſoever was done after the third, and before the ſixth hour, might be ſaid to have been done the third hour, and ſo ſome reconcile Mark 15.25. with Joh. 19.14. Chriſt was crucified the latter end of the third hour, a little before the ſixth, for theſe was no Temple-hour between the third and the ſixth.
I may give four Reaſons of the uſe of Aſtronomy to a Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe the heavens declare the glory of God. &c. Pſal. 19.1, 2. his Majeſty, Power, Wiſdom, Goodneſs, which ſhine brightly in them, and demonſtrate his Deity, and the knowledge of them, is a means to come to the knowledge of God, and to the acknowledgement of a Deity. See how the ſite and courſe of the Sun evinceth the wiſdom of God, made out in Doctor Browns Vulgar Errors, lib. 6. cap. 5.
Reaſ. 2. Scriptures have much of Aſtronomy in them: as Gen. 1.15, to 19. Job 38.31, 32, 33. In two reſpects eſpecially.
1. Of their natural motions and revolution in themſelves; of the Sun and Moon eſpecially, Pſal. 104.19. Pſal. 19.5, 6, 7, and of the effects, and concomitants thereof, as the viciſſitude, or continual ſucceſſion of night and day, of Summer and Winter, Gen. 8.22. and of the influences of the Sun, and of the Moon, and of the Stars, Deut. 33.14.
2. Of ſpiritual alluſions to the Heavens, the Stars, their Light, Motion, and many other things, of which the Holy Scriptures are very full.
I might multiply Inſtances hereof. Pſal. 84.11. Cant. 6.10. Dan. 12.3. Phil. 2.15. Jude 13. foreign. Without the knowledge of Aſtronomy we cannot explain theſe things to others, nor make uſe of them for our ſelves, or draw forth the ſenſe of many Scriptures, or the meaning of the Holy Ghoſt in them fully, and clearly; nor teach thoſe ſpiritual things by them, which are hinted to us in them.
Ignorance in Aſtronomy buries many ſweet and excellent points in Divinity, that may be learned from the Heavens, the Stars, &c.
Reaſ. 3. From Examples. Moſes, & Daniel imbuti fuerunt Aſtrologia, ſaith Calvin on Dan. 1.4. they were both indued with skill in Aſtrology, becauſe Moſes was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians, and Daniel in all the learning of the Chaldeans, both which were skilful in true and genuine Aſtrology. Some think they of the Eaſt Country (as the Chaldeans) were the firſt that found out the courſes of the Stars, and the rules of Aſtronomy; and give this reaſon, quod null a regio in mundo eſſet tam plana ad patefaciendum quaqua verſus Horizontem, therefore they were more propenſe to learn that Science, to which alſo the Egyptians were diſpoſed, having the advantage of open fields, and ſerene nights, fit for ſuch contemplation. Coelius Rhodig. lib. 16. cap. 4. But ſure this Science had a more early Original, it was known to thoſe before the Flood; being requiſite for the ordering of their Moneths and Years, and the computation of Time, which receives its meaſures from the motion of heavenly Bodies.
Hence we have the years of the Patriarchs before the Flood ſummed up; and we read of the ſeventeenth day of the ſecond MonethMonth, when Noah entred into the Ark, and of the ſeventh, tenth, and firſt MonethMonth, Gen. 7. and 8 chap.
Beſides, that the length of their Lives in that firſt Age of the World made them more capable of obſerving and determining the various Motions, and Periods of the heavenly Bodies.
Reaſ. 4. Aſtronomy is a ſublime part of natural Philoſophy, loſt by our fall in Adam, recoverable by obſervation, reading and ſtudy; and as light is ſweet, and a pleaſant thing is it for the eyes to behold the Sun, Eccleſ. 11.7. ſo the knowledge of Light, of the Sun, Moon, and Stars is very pleaſant and delightful to the Minde, and makes us more uſeful and profitable unto others.