The Portraiture of the Image of God in Man, Part 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of Mans Body.
THe body of man was created of the earth.
The Philoſophers ſay, Prop. in reſpect of the ſubſtance of the bodie, it conſiſts moſt of earth and water, Illuſt. 1 but in reſpect of vertue and efficacie, it conſiſts more of moyſt and heate, than of cold and dry, that is, it conſiſts more of fire and ayre, than of earth and water, and ſo the body is kept in equall temperature, in the operation of the elementarie qualities.
God made all things in weight, number, Illuſt. 2 and meaſure Wiſ. 11.17. In weight, that the earth and water ſhould bee heavieſt in ſubſtance, Omnia operatus eſt Dominus in pondere, numer… et menſura.and that the ayre and fire ſhould be lighteſt. In number that a little fire ſhould have a great efficacie and power, as a great quantitie of earth. In meaſure that they might keepe a proportion amongſt themſelves, if this harmonie bee broken, it bringeth deſtruction of the body, as if the heat prevaile then it bringeth fevers, if the cold prevaile then it bringeth lethargies: if the moyſt prevaile then it bringeth Hydropſies: ſo that the extreame qualities (according to the ſituation of the Elements) heat and cold, muſt bee temperate by the middle qualities of the middle Elements, moyſt and dry.
It is to bee marked, how God hath ſhowen his wiſedome in creation: Firſt in placing man here below upon earth who had an earthly body. Secondly his power, when he ſhall place the ſame body, (when it ſhall bee made a ſpirituall Body, 1. Cor. 14.in the heavens to dwell there. Thirdly, his juſtice in thruſting the bad angels, who are ſpirits, downe to the lower hells, who were created to enjoy the Heavens if they had ſtood in innocencie.
God created the Body of man of the duſt of the earth, that it might be matter to humble him. Prop.
When Herod gave not glory to God, Illuſt. Act. 12.23. The Text ſaith, that he was eaten with vermine; in the Syriack it is, He was made a ſtable for wormes. Since the fall, the body is nothing but a ſtable for wormes, and food for them: Abenezra. R. Salomon.and the Hebrewes marke, that the fleſh of man is called, Lecham, Bread, Ioh. 20.23, Becauſe now it is indeed bread and food for the wormes.
Out of a baſe matter God made an excellent ſhape of man. Prop. Illuſt. 1
Pſal. Rukkamte, metaphera ab acupictoribus.139.15. How wonderfully haſt thou made me below in my mothers womb: a ſpeech borrowed from thoſe who worke, Opus Phrygionicum, Phrygian or Arras work. The body of man is a peece of curious Tapeſtry or Arras worke, conſiſting of skin, bones, muſcles, and ſinewes.
The excellency of the body of man when he was firſt created, may bee ſhewen by the excellent gifts which have been found in the bodies of men ſince the fal; as one finding the length of Hercules foote, gathered by it, the proportion of his whole body; So may wee by the reliques found in ſinfull man, gather what a goodly thing the body of man had beene before the fall. As the complexion of David, 1. Sam. 16.12. The ſwiftneſſe of Hazael who was ſwift as a roe, 2. Sam. 2. The beauty of Abſalon, in whom there was not a blemiſh from top to toe, 2. Sam. 14. All which being joyned together would make a moſt rare man: and if the miraculous wine changed by Chriſt, Ioh. 2. at the marriage in Cana of Galile exceeded farre the naturall Wine; how much more did the body of man in the firſt creation exceede our bodies now.
The members of the body of man, are applyed to other creatures, as the Head of ſpices, Can. 4. Renes tritici, the Kidneys of the wheate, Devt. 32. the Heart of the earth, Matth. 12.40. the Lippe of the ſea, Heb. 11.12. the mouth of the ſword, 11.34. and ſuch like; all which ſhew the excellencie of mans body.
The meaſures of every thing are taken from the body of man; as the Inch, the Foot, the Palme and the Cubit.
There are ſundry members in the body of man which God aſcribes to himſelfe: as the Head, the Heart, the Eares, the Feete, to expreſſe his attributes to us.
God hath made the body of man a Temple for himſelfe to dwell in, and the Sonne of God hath aſſumed the body of man in one perſon to his God-head; a dignitie which the Angels are not called unto, and after the making of man he left nothing, but to make himſelfe man. Prop.
God hath placed wiſely the members in the body. Illuſt. 1
There are ſome members that are called Radicall members, as the liver, the heart, and the braine; & in theſe, Membra radicalia.the Lord hath placed the Naturall, vitall, and animall ſpirits; theſe ſpirits are carried by the Veines, Arteries, & Nerves: the Veines carry the vitall ſpirits from the Liver; the Arteries carry the naturall ſpirits from the Heart: Officialia.and the Nerves carry the animall ſpirits from the Braine. There are other members, which are ſerving members; as the hands, feete, and ſuch.
The members of the body helpe one another, the ſuperiour rule the inferiour; as the eyes, the whole body: againe, the inferiour ſupport and uphold the ſuperiour; as the feete, the legges, and thighes ſupport the whole body.
The middle members of the body defend the body, and provide things neceſſary for it; as wee ſee in the hands and armes.
The Sympathie amongſt the members; if one bee in paine, the whole are grieved: againe, when one member is deficient, another ſupplyeth the defect of it; as when a man wants feete, hee walkes upon his hands; ſo when the head is in danger, the hand caſts it ſelfe up to ſave it. Laſtly, great griefe in one member, makes the paine of the other member ſeeme the leſſe; which all ſhew the ſympathy amongſt the members.
The variety of the members of the body ſheweth alſo this wiſedome of God: If all were an eye, where were the ſeeing, 1 Cor. 12.15.
Of the ſeverall outward members of the Body.
Of the Head.
THe Head is the moſt excellent part of the body. Firſt, we uncover the Head when we doe homage to a man; to ſignifie, that our moſt excellent part, (wherein our reaſon and underſtanding dwells) reverenceth and acknowledgeth him. Secondly, becauſe the Head is the moſt excellent thing; therefore the chiefeſt part of any thing is called the head, Deut. 28.24. Thou ſhalt be the head and not the tayle. So Chriſt is called the Head of the Church, Epheſ. 5.23. and the husband is called, the head of the wife, 1 Cor. 11.23. So the excellenteſt ſpices are called, the head of ſpices, Exod. 30.25.
All the ſenſes are placed in the Head, except the touch, which is ſpread thorow the whole body. Secondly, the Head is ſupereminent above the reſt of the body. Thirdly, the Head giveth influence to the reſt of body. Fourthly, there is a conformitie betwixt the Head and the reſt of the body. Chriſt, the Head of his Church, he hath graces above the reſt of his members; he giveth influence and grace to them, and hee is like to them. So the man is the womans Head, hee hath more gifts than the woman, he ſhould inſtruct and teach her, ſhe is of the ſame nature that he is, Bone of his bone, and fleſh of his fleſh, Gen. 2.23.
Of the Eye.
FIrſt, the Eye is ſpeculum artis, Ʋiſu & eculo videmus, ſed viſu effective & formaliter, oculo inſtrumentaliter.for men have learned by the Eye to make Looking glaſſes: if the Chriſtaline humour were not backt with a blacke humour, the Eye would give no reflex: ſo if glaſſes were not backt with ſteele, the glaſſe would give no reflex. Secondly, although a man have two eyes in his head, yet hee receiveth but one ſight at once, becauſe his optick nerves meet in one. So although hee have two eares, yet hee heares but one ſound at once; becauſe his acouſticke nerves both meete in one. So although there bee many members in the myſticall body; yet all ſhould bee of one minde, becauſe there is but one ſpirit, 1 Cor. 12.4. Thirdly, the eye in it ſelfe hath no colour; for if it had any proper colour in it ſelfe, then the object ſhould ever appeare in that colour which the Eye hath; as it is evident in Icteriacis, in thoſe whoſe eyes are ſo vitiate, that all colours ſeeme alike to them, and in thoſe who have the yellow Iaundiſe, becauſe the eye is vitiate with yellowneſſe, all things appeare yellow unto them. So when the minde of man is preoccupied with dangerous error. When Chriſt told his Diſciples that hee muſt be whipt, crucified, and riſe the third day; the Text ſaith, They underſtood none of theſe things, beeing hid from them, Luk. 18.33, 34. Becauſe they had drunke in a falſe principle before; that Chriſt behoved to be a worldly King, Act. 1.6. and this is the reaſon why the Iewes interpreted the places concerning Chriſts Kingdome, literally, and not ſpiritually; of an earthly Kingdome, and not of a ſpirituall. Fourthly, there are five tunicles in the Eye to keepe it from any hurt; the firſt is called araneae tunica, like a ſpiders webbe; the ſecond, retiformis, woven like a net: the third, uvea, like a berry: the fourth, Cornea, like horne: the fift, adnata tunica, the cover of the eye, or the eyelids. David to expreſſe the ſpeciall care that God hath over his Saints, ſaith, Thou keepest me as the apple of thine eye, Pſal. 17.8. That is, thou haſt a ſpeciall care over me, thou guardeſt me many wayes, as the apple of the Eye is guarded with theſe five tunicles.A Collation betwixt the Innocent and old Adam.
The Eye before the fall, was the window to let in good inſtructions to the ſoule; but ſince the fall, it is proxenets peccati, the broaker that goeth betwixt the heart and the object, to make up a ſinfull bargaine, it is now pronubus ejus, cujus tactus eſt miniſter, the ſpokeſman of the wedding with ſinne, and touch is his ſervant, and becauſe it is now the moſt ſinfull ſence, God hath placed teares in it, which are the tokens of repentance.
The eye now is an adulterous eye, 2. Pet. 2.14. the eye now is oculus nequam, an evill eye, Matth. 20.15. it is now a covetous eye, Eccleſ. 37.7. Give the Lord his honour with a good eye, and diminiſh not his firſt fruites. Here heealludes to the cuſtome of the Iewes: for hee who had a good eye, paid one of forty, when he payd his firſt fruits; he who was of a mydle ſort of eye paid one of fiftie; but he who had a coveteous eye, paid one of ſixtie; and they uſed to ſay, There goeth the man with a good eye, meaning the liberall; and, There goeth the man with the evill eye, meaning the covetous.
There was a contention upon a time, betwixt the heart and the eye, which of theſe two were the cauſe of ſinne; which was decided by reaſon after this ſort:
Cordi cauſam imputans,
occaſionem Oculo:
The cauſe of ſinne is in the heart, but the eye is the occaſion.
Of the Eare.
The Eare is firſt and honourable part of the body; therefore of old they did hang Eare-rings and Iewels in their Eares, as a ſigne of honour, Gen. 24. ſo when men were diſcharged, their Eare was bored in token of infamie. Exod. 22.
Secondly, the Eare is an honorable part for inſtruction: the Philoſophers call it ſenſum diſciplinae, the ſenſe for inſtruction.
Thirdly for delight, the Eare, is the moſt excellent ſenſe; therefore Salomon calles the Eares, the daughters of Muſicke, Eccleſ. 12.
Fourthly, the Eare is the moſt excellent member for grace; for faith commeth by hearing, Rom. 10.17. The Apoſtle when he cited that verſe of the 40. Pſalme in the 9. of the Hebrewes he citeth it thus, Thou haſt fitted a body for me; but David hath it thus, Thou haſt bored mine eare; why? becauſe his eare was one of the principall members whereby hee gave obedience to God his Father.
Fiftly, there is not a member in the body that God takes ſuch paines about, as hee doth upon the eare; for firſt, revelat aurem, he uncovers the eare, or takes a veile off it. 2 Sam. 20. Secondly, perforat, aurem, hee bores the eare, Pſal. 40. as maſters of old bored their ſervants eare, that they might dwel with them for ever, Exo. 22. The firſt was ad intelligentiam, for underſtanding; the ſecond was ad obedientiam, for obedience. Thirdly, he circumciſes thē eare, Rom. 2.29. which includes both the former.
Sixtly, there is not a member the Divell envieth more than the eare, becauſe it is Ianua vita, the gate of life, as we ſee in the man poſſeſſed with a deafe Devill, Marke 9.25. he poſſeſſed that ſence as the moſt excellent, to hinder him from hearing.
Before the fall, A collation betwixt the innocent & old Adam.the eare was the gate of life; but ſince the fall, in the corrupt man, it is the gate of deſtruction, Evill ſpeeches corrupt good manners. 2 Cor. 15. and now hee is like vntounto the deafe adder, hee ſtoppes his eare and will not be enchanted, Pſal. 58.
Of the Mouth.
Eccl. A collation betwixt the innocent & old Adam.6.7. All that a man laboureth, is for his mouth; the mouth, a little and a ſtrait hole, is ſoone filled.
Man before his fall was content with little, but fince hee laboureth not to fill a mouth, but a gulfe, as it were the mouth of the Leviathan.
Of the Tongue.
The Tongue of man is a moſt honorable member, wherefore it is called mans honour and his glory, Gen. 49.6. Pſal. 16.9. My glory rejoyceth, becauſe it is the inſtrument for to glorifie God.
Secondly, a man hath two earēs, and but one Tongue, to teach him to bee ſwift to heare and ſlow to ſpeake, Iam. 1.19.
Thirdly, there is but one Tongue in man, to teach him not to be bilinguis, of a double Tongue. God will not have a heart and a heart in a man, Pſal. 12. ſo hee will not have a Tongue and a Tongue in him, Pro. 8.13, that is, a double Tongue.
Before the fall, A collation betwixt the innocent and old Adamthe Tongue of man was like the pen of a ſwift writer, Pſal. 45.1. and uttered thoſe things which his heart indited: but ſince the fall, it is a world of iniquity, and defileth the whole bodie, and ſetteth on fire the courſe of nature, and is ſet on fire of hell. Iam. 3.6. now it is an unruly evill, and filled with deadly poyſon, Iam. 3.8. Coll. 2
Before the fall, he ſpake but with one Tongue; but ſince the fall, he is bilinguis, hee ſpeakes with a double tongue, Prov. 8.13. and ſometimes trilinguis, Eccleſ. 33. Lingua tertia commovit multos, a third tongue hath troubled many. The Chalde paraphraſe calleth a backbiter, a man with a three fold Tongue, or a Tongue which hath three ſtings. The Iewes give an example of it in Doeg, who killed three at once with his evill report; Saul, to whom hee made the evill report; the Prieſts, of whom he made the evill report: and Himſelfe, who made the evill report.
The Heathen in the dedication of the ſeverall parts of mans body, gave the eares to Minerva, the tongue to Mercurie, the armes to Neptune, and the eye to Cupid, &c.
Of the Womans Dugges.
God hath placed the Womans Dugge in her breſt, Duplex eſt cauſa phyſica & moralis.and not in her belly, as in beaſts; and that for two cauſes: the firſt is a Phyſicall cauſe, the ſecond is a Morall cauſe. The Phyſicall cauſe, God hath placed them ſo neere the liver, that the milke might be the better concocted, and the more wholſome for the child: The Morall cauſe, that the woman might impart her affection and love more to her child, by giving it ſucke with her Dugge, which is ſo neere the heart. The giving of Sucke was one of the greateſt bonds of obligation of old, betwixt the mother and the children: when they intreated any thing of their children, they would ſay, By theſe Dugges which gave thee ſucke, I requeſt thee doe this. Virgil.
Of the Hand.
By the Hand we promiſe, and threaten: it is the right hand of fellowſhip, Gal. 2.9. We reckon by it, Wiſedome commeth with length of dayes upon her right hand, Prov. 3.16. The ancients reckoned upon their left hand, untill they came to an hundred yeeres, and then they began to reckon upon their right hand. So the meaning of Salomon is, that wiſedome ſhould make them to live a long age, even to a hundred yeeres. As wee reckon with the hand, ſo wee worſhip with the hand: Iob proteſts, that hee bleſſed not his hand when hee ſaw the new Moone, Iob 31.27. The Idolaters they uſed to kiſſe their Idols, Oſe 13.2. But becauſe they could not reach to the Moone to kiſſe her, they kiſſed their hand in homage before the Moone: and Iob purged himſelfe of this kinde of Idolatry. And the ſpeciall providence of God is to bee marked in the hand of man, that hee hath made him to take his meate with his hand, and hath not left him to gather his meate with his lipps, as the beaſts doe, for if man did ſo, his lippes, ſhould become ſo thick, that he ſhould not ſpeake diſtinctly; wee ſee by experience, that thoſe who have thicke lippes, ſpeake not diſtinctly.
Of the internall members of Mans Bodie.
Of the Heart.
All the paſſions are ſeated in the heart, we ſee in Feare, ſuch as are tranſported therewith, call backe the blood to the heart, as to the place where feare exerciſeth her tyrannie, therewith to defend themſelves; and therefore it is that thoſe creatures, that have the greateſt and largeſt hearts, are moſt fearefull, becauſe the heat is more largely diſperſed within their Heart: and conſequently, they are leſſe able to reſiſt the aſſaults of feare.
Object. But it might ſeeme, that our anger is ſeated in the Gall, love in the Liver, and melancholy in the Splene, and ſo the reſt; therefore the affections have not their ſeat in the Heart.
Anſw. Theſe foure humors, ſeated in the Gall, Liver, and Splene, are not the ſeate of the paſſions; but they are the occaſion, whereby the paſſions are ſtirred up; as the abundance of blood in the Liver, ſtirreth up the paſſion of our love which is ſeated in the heart.
The heart is the firſt mover of all the actions of man; for as the firſt mover carryeth all the ſpheres of the Heaven with it, ſo doth the heart of man carry all the members of the body with it. In naturall generation, the heart is firſt framed; and in ſpirituall regeneration, it is firſt reformed.
The heart liveth firſt, and dyeth laſt. So in the ſpirituall life, the life of Grace begins in the heart firſt, and is laſt left there: hence it is, that Michael the Archangell and the Devill, Iud. 9. ſtrove no faſter about the body of Moſes, than they doe about the heart of man: therefore the Lord ſaith, Sonne give me thy heart, Prov. 23.
The Iewes compared the heart of Man for the excellency of it, to three things. Firſt, to the holieſt of all, where the Lord gave his anſwers. So the Lord gives his anſwers, Firſt out of the heart: Secondly, they compare it to Salomons throne, as the ſtatelieſt place where the King ſits; So the Lord dwels in the heart of man, as in the throne. Thirdly, to Moſes Tables, in which he wrote his Law. Prov. 3.3. Write Wiſedome upon the Tables of the heart.
God dwelt in the heart of Man before the fall; A collation betwixt the innocent and old Adambut ſince the fall there is a great change in the heart; for out of the heart, proceed Murther, Adultery, evill ſpeakings, and ſuch, Math. 15. It was a great curſe which the Prophet denounced againſt the houſe of Ahab, 2. King. 10.27. That it ſhould bee turned into a Iakes; but a farre greater change now unto the heart of a man, being now a receptacle of all uncleanneſſe.
The heart of man before the fall was a wiſe heart, Coll. 2 and placed in his right ſide, Eccleſ. 10.2. But the heart of a foole is now in the left ſide, Eccleſ. 10.2. The Anatomiſts marke when the heart inclineth more to the right ſide; the ſpirits of theſe men are more lively, and are more apt for contemplation; the right hand is the ſtronger hand, becauſe more heate proceeds from the heart to the right hand, then to the left: But when the heate equally diſperſeth it ſelfe to both the hands, then a man is Ambidexter, hee hath the uſe of both the hands equally alike. By the right hand wee doe things more eaſily, becauſe motion proceeds firſt from the heart to it The meaning then of Salomon is, that the heart of the wiſe man, is a ſtrong heart, a couragious heart, apt to doe good, and a moſt honorable part, wherein the Lord hath ſet his reſidence; but the heart of man ſince the fall, is a weake heart, a faint heart, ſlow to doe any good, as a baſe and ignorant heart.
Of the Liver.
The Liver in incloſed by a net called Reticulum, the ſeventy tranſlate it foreign as yee would ſay an huske; for even as the huske incloſeth the Corne, ſo doth this net compaſſe the Liver; and it is to be marked, that God hath fenced his nobleſt parts, as the braine, with Piamater, and Duramater; the Heart with Pericardia, and the Liver with Reticulum.
Of the Lungs.
The Lungs, the bellowes of the voyce, Ʋeritas eſt in re ut in cauſa, in enunciations ut ſymbolo: in mente ut in ſubiecto; haec dicitur complexa veritat.are ſeated ſo neere the heart, to teach us that ſpeech is but the interpreter of the heart, againſt thoſe who thinke one thing and ſpeake another. To make a man ſpeake truth, three things are neceſſary; firſt, there muſt bee veritie in the matter; ſecondly, in the conception of him who ſpeaketh: thirdly in his ſpeech. The firſt muſt be in ſignato, the ſecond in conceptu, the third in ſigno. If the matter be not true, then the conception is falſe; if the conception bee falſe, then the ſpeech is falſe. If a man ſhould ſet the kings armes aright; firſt, there muſt bee ſuch a thing as a Lyon: ſecondly, the Lyon muſt bee ſet right upon the ſeale: thirdly, the ſeale muſt be ſet right in the waxe: if any of theſe three be wanting, the Kings armes are not rightly ſet. So the matter which we ſpeake of, Ʋeritas, theologica, logica.muſt firſt be true in it ſelfe: ſecondly, we muſt conceive it rightly, & thirdly, we muſt utter it rightly. But in Logicall verity it is otherwaies: for if there be an agreement betwixt the matter onelyonly and the Tongue, it ſufficeth, although it bee not rightly taken up by the minde. As when I ſay there are Antipodes; whether I beleeve this to bee true, or not, it makes not much; it is a Logicall truth, becauſe there is an agreement betwixt the matter it ſelfe and the Tongue. But a theologicall truth will have an agreement in all the three.
Auguſtines notation then of a lie is not perſit: Conſequence. mentiri eſt contra mentem ire; to lie, is to ſpeake contrary to the minde; for it expreſſeth not fully the nature of a lye; for a man may lye, ſpeaking an untruth, taking it to bee truth; therefore Iohn maketh an untruth a lye, 1 Iohn 2.4. He that ſaith I know him, and keepeth not his Commandements, is a lyer, and the truth is not in him; For if the matter be not true in it ſelfe, although hee take it to bee truth, and do utter it; yet it is a lye: it is a materiall lie, and an untruth, Mendacium materiale, formale.although it be not a formall lie. So Heretickes broaching their errors, which they take to bee truth, teach lyes.
Before the fall, A collation betwixt the Innocent & old Adam.man ſpake as he thought; but ſince the fall, he hath found out equivocations, and mentall reſervations, and ſpeaketh oftentimes contrary to that which he meanes.
Of the Ribbes.
There are two ſorts of Ribbes in the body of man: the firſt, called by the Anatomiſts, Coſtae legitimae; whereof there are ſeven, theſe defend the vitall parts: the ſecond Coſtae ſpuriae, whereof there are five lying to the belly.
Queſt. When Abner ſtroke Hazael at the fift Ribbe, and Ioab, Amaza; which of the Ribbes is it meant of here?
Anſw. It is meant of the inferiour Ribbes, which wee call the ſhort Ribbes; and any of theſe five Ribbes is called the fift Ribbe. When Abner ſtrucke Hazael at the fift Rib, he ſtrucke him on the right ſide, becauſe he was behinde him; but when Ioab ſtrucke Amaza, hee ſtrucke him on the left ſide, becauſe hee was embracing him. The ſtroke of Abner was deadly, becauſe he ſtrucke him through the liver; and the ſtroke of Ioab was deadly, becauſe he ſtrucke him in at the Pericardia, that compaſſeth the heart round with water to refrigerate it; for the nether part of the heart reacheth down to the fift Ribbe. When the Souldier pierced Chriſts ſide, Iohn 19.34. it is ſaid, Hee pierced his ſide, and there came forth water and blood: the Syriacke Paraphraſt ſaith, Hee pierced his Ribbe: that is, the fift Ribbe, where the Pericardia lay.
Of the Intrailes.
The Intrailes are called by the Hebrewes, Rechamim, and by the Greekes foreign, the bowels of compaſſion, Luke 1.78. When a woman ſeeth her child in any danger, her bowels earne within her; which is attributed to Chriſt himſelfe, when he ſaw the people ſcattered in the Wilderneſſe, Marke 6.34. foreign. He had compasſion upon them: in the Greeke it is, His bowels did earne within him; he is a pitifull high Prieſt, who is touched with our infirmities, Heb. 4.15.
Of the Intrailes called Iejunum inteſtinum.
When the meate is out of the ſtomacke, and the Hungry gut, called Iejunum inteſtinum, emprie; then man begins to be hungry; this gut by the Greekes is called foreign, and from it comes the Greeke word foreign, to faſt.
Of the Kidneyes.
The Kidneyes lie in a hid and ſecret part of the body; therefore David when hee would declare how God knoweth hid and ſecret things, he ſaith, Thou trieſt my Reynes, Pſal. 139. that is, my ſecreteſt cogitations; for although the affections be ſeated in the heart, as the cauſe; yet they are aſcribed to the Reines, as the occaſion: the cauſe of ſinne is in the heart, the occaſion in the Eye, Ier. 12.2. Thou art neere in their mouth, and farre from their Reines.
Before the fall, A collation betwixt the innocent and old Adamall the members of mans body, were the weapons of righteouſneſſe; but ſince the fall, they are the weapons of ſinne, Rom. 6.13. His throat is an open ſepulchre, Pſal. 5.9. His feete ſwift to ſhed blood, Eſay 59.7. His right hand, a hand of falſehood, Pſal. 26.10. In a Sheepe every thing is good; his wooll and his skinne to cloath us, his fleſh to feede us, his dung to dung the land, his ſmall guts to be Lute ſtrings; but in a man ſince the fall, every member is hurtfull. In the ſacrifices under the Law, the caule and the fat about it, was commanded to bee taken from the heart, the liver, and the kidneyes, Exod. 29.13. Levit. 3.3, 4. Eſay 6.10. It was to be taken from the heart, to ſignifie that the ſeate of our underſtanding (which is the heart) is corrupted; from the Liver, to ſignifie that our anger is corrupted; from the Kidneyes, to ſignifie that the ſeate of our concupiſcence is corrupted.
Man before the fall had a beautifull body anſwerable to the holineſſe of his ſoule, Coll. 2 but ſince the fall, Beauty in a woman without grace, is like a ring in a ſwines ſnowt, Prov. 11.22. The Philoſopher gave this counſell to his ſchollers, every morning to looke in a glaſſe, and finding their faces beautifull, they ſhould labour to beautifie their minde accordingly. The ancients ſaid, that beauty was the flower of goodneſſe: that is, bodily beauty was the image of the ſoules goodneſſe. But the Proverbe now go'th, The propereſt man at the Gallowes and the fareſt woman in the Stewes; thoſe who belie their owne Phyſiognomy, are rather to bee puniſhed than others; becauſe they belie that good promiſe which God hath placed in the face. Antiochus Epiphanes by Daniel is called Antiochus Hardface, Dan. 8.23. The impudent countenance of him, ſhewed his perverſe minde. Socrates confeſſed, that the deformity of his body, did juſtly accauſe the naturall deformitie of his ſoule; but that by induſtry and learning hee had corrected that perverſitie of his minde. One looking upon his deformed body: ſayd unto him, O excellens anima, quam deforme hoſpitium nacta es; O excellent ſoule, how baſely art thou lodged in ſuch a body. The Schollers of Hippocrates carried upon a time, the picture of their maſter to one Philomenes, who was exquiſite in Phyſiognomie, deſiring his judgement what he thought of their maſter? who ſaid, that hee was one much given to lechery. But the Schollers found fault with Philomenes, that he ſhould ſo have judged of their maſter Hippocrates, and this they told their maſter; who confeſſed, that Philomenes had judged aright: but hee ſaid, the love of Philoſophie, and honeſty, had overcome the corruption of his heart, and hee had gotten that by ſtudy which nature had denied him.
Of the five ſenſes.
The ſpring and originall of the five ſenſes, is in the common ſenſe ſeated in the fore-part of the head: this ſenſe differeth from the reſt of the ſenſes, as the roote from the branches, and as a line drawne from the point; the objects of the ſenſes are laid up here as in a ſtorehouſe, it judgeth of all the objects, but the particular ſenſe conſidereth onelyonly of the object, as it is preſent; this ſenſe conſidereth the object, as abſent. As all the ſenſes have their beginning from this ſenſe; ſo all the Senſes, Terminantur in hoc ſenſu; they end in this ſenſe.
All the ſenſes agree in this; firſt, that their power is paſſive, by receiving in, and not by giving out; Recipiunt ſenſilia per immiſsionem, ſed diſcernunt ſenſilia per emisſionem; They receive the objects by immisſion, but they diſcerne them by emiſsion, and looking on them; As the ſight which wee have is not by emiſſion, but by immiſſion, receiving in the light. Secondly, all the ſenſes agree in this; that all receive ſingular things, and not univerſall. Thirdly, unto every ſenſe there is required a double nerve; the firſt to take up the object without; the ſecond workes according as the minde workes, and directs the intention of the minde to the outward organ: as in ſeeing there are two Nerves, one whereof makes the eye looke from without, to the object: the ſecond Nerve is ruled according to the minde, and directs the intention of the minde to the organ. Fourthly, in every ſenſe there muſt be a proportion betwixt the object and the ſenſe, Quia in medijt delectantur, & in extremis corrumpuntur, They are delighted in objects proportionable, but extremities corrupt them; as if the object bee too little, wee cannot behold it, or if the ſound bee too vehement, it ſpoyles us of hearing. Fiftly, to perceive a thing by ſenſe, theſe things are requiſite, the object muſt bee preſent, but neither too farre, nor too neere. Secondly, there muſt bee a middle to carry the object to the ſenſe. Thirdly, the organ muſt bee ſound and whole. Fourthly, the mind muſt be actually intended to the object.
As the ſenſes agree in many things, Differuntſenſus, obiect is & medijs.ſo they differ in many things. Firſt, in their objects, for every one hath a ſeverall object. Secondly, in their Media, middles, becauſe the taſte and the touch have no inward mids; but ſeeing and hearing have an outward mids; as the light, and the ayre. Thirdly, in their utilitie, for the taſte is moſt profitable, Ad conſervationem individui, Ʋtilitate.for the preſervation of our perſons; the touch againe diſcerneth heate and cold, and other elementarie qualities: that the creature may eſchew things hurtfull; and ſo it ſerveth alſo, Ad conſervationem ſpeciei, For the continuance of our kind; but ſeeing and hearing ſerve for our inſtructions. Fourthly, they differ in generality, Generalitate.becauſe the touch is not determinate to one organ, Retentione.(but is ſeated in all the members of the body) as the reſt of the ſenſes are. Fiftly, they differ in retaining of their impreſſions, for the groſſeſt ſenſes retaine moſt ſtrongly.
If wee conſider ſimply our Being, the touch is the moſt excellent ſenſe, it includeth all the reſt in it, and the privation of it, muſt bee moſt hurtfull to us; but if we conſider our Well-being, and comfortable life, then other ſenſes are more deare to us, as our ſeeing and hearing.
The touch in the beaſt, is the moſt excellent ſenſe; for when a Dog ſenteth after a Hart, it is onelyonly for the Touch, hee delights not in the ſmell for it ſelfe, as we do; to a naturall man, Seeing is a more excellent ſenſe than the Hearing, it ſerveth more to invention than Hearing, it taketh up the object farther off, than the reſt of the ſenſes doe; it takes up the object preſently, which hearing doth not ſo ſoone. The Midales whereby the eye ſeeth, are farre purer than the mids, by which wee heare; the eye more reſembleth the underſtanding than the hearing doth, Math. 6.23. If the eye be darke, how great is the darkeneſſe of the body? Here is meant the blindneſſe of the minde, as well as the darkeneſſe of the body: the eye mooves the imagination more than the hearing doth, therefore to the naturall man it muſt be the moſt excellent ſenſe; but to the child of God, hearing is the moſt excellent ſenſe; For Faith commeth by hearing, Rome. 10.17.
The ſenſes of man before the fall were ſervants to reaſon, A collation betwixt the innocent and old Adamand to the affections. But ſince the fall they labour to pervert the affections, and to draw them from God: there is a fit allegorie, wherein reaſon is compared to a prudent mother; the affections to a young daughter, fit for marriage; and the five ſenſes to five Sutors, the ſight is compared to a Painter; the hearing to a Muſitian; the ſmell to an Apothecary; the taſte to a Cooke; and the touch to a Bawde: and every one of thoſe five Sutors come by courſe to this young maide (the affections,) who gave her conſent, and ſo did her wiſer mother reaſon alſo: till a King (who was God the Father) ſent Embaſſadors (his Miniſters) to ſpeake for his Sonne Chriſt, with whom at laſt the marriage is perfitted.