1be) reconciled with it: And ſince that by it not only the Phœ
nomena of all the Cœleſtial Bodies are moſt readily ſalved, but
alſo many Natural Reaſons are diſcovered, which could not o
therwiſe, (but with extream difficulty) have been found out:
And ſince it, laſt of all, doth open a more eaſy way into Aſtro
nomy and Phyloſophy, and rejecteth all thoſe ſuperfluous and
imaginary inventions produced by Aſtronomers to the end only,
that they might be able by them to render a reaſon of the ſo ma
ny and ſo various Motions of the Cœleſtial Orbs.
nomena of all the Cœleſtial Bodies are moſt readily ſalved, but
alſo many Natural Reaſons are diſcovered, which could not o
therwiſe, (but with extream difficulty) have been found out:
And ſince it, laſt of all, doth open a more eaſy way into Aſtro
nomy and Phyloſophy, and rejecteth all thoſe ſuperfluous and
imaginary inventions produced by Aſtronomers to the end only,
that they might be able by them to render a reaſon of the ſo ma
ny and ſo various Motions of the Cœleſtial Orbs.
And who knows, but that in that admirable compoſure of the
Candleſtick which was to be placed in the Tabernacle of God, he
might out of his extraordinary love to us have been pleaſed to
ſhaddow forth unto us the Syſteme of the Univerſe, and more
eſpecially of the Planets? (a) Thou ſhalt make a Candleſtick of
pure Gold, (ſaith the Text;) of beaten work ſhall it be made:
his Shaft, and his Branches, his Bowls, his Knops, and his
Flowers (b) ſhall be of the ſame. Here are five things deſcribed, the
Shaft of the Candleſtick in the midle, the Branches on the ſides,
the Bowls, the Knops and the Flowers. And ſince there can be no
more Shafts but one, the Branches are immediatly deſcribed in
theſe (c) words: Six Branches ſhall come out of the ſides of it:
three Branches out of the one ſide, and three Branches out of the
other ſide: Happly theſe fix Branches may point out to us ſix
(d) Heavens, which are moved about the Sun in this order; Saturn,
the ſloweſt and moſt remote of all, finiſheth his courſe about the
Sun thorrow all the twelve Signes of the Zodiack in thirty Years:
Jupiter, being nearer than he, in twelve Years: Mars, being yet
nearer than him, in two Years: The Earth, which is ſtill nearer
than he, doth perform the ſame Revolution, together with
the Orbe of the Moon, in the ſpace of a Year, that is in Twelve
Months: Venus, which is yet nearer than all theſe, in (e) 9 Months:
And laſt of all Mercury, whoſe vicinity to the Sun is the greateſt
of all, accompliſheth its whole converſion about the Sun in eighty
Dayes. After the deſcription of the ſix Branches, the ſacred
Text proceeds to the deſcription of the Bowls, the Knops, and
the Flowers, ſaying, (f) Three Bowls made like unto Almonds,
with a Knop and a Flower in one Branch; and three Bowls made
like Almonds in the other Branch, with a Knop and a Flower: this
ſhall be the work of the ſix Branches that come out of the Shaft.
And in the Candleſtick ſhall be four Bowls made like unto Al
monds, with their Knops and their Flowers: there ſhall be a knop
under two branches of the ſame, and a Knop under two Branches
of the ſame, and a Knop under two Branches of the ſame; which
together are ſix Branches, proceeding from one Shaft. The truth
is, the ſhallowneſſe of my underſtanding cannot fathome the
Candleſtick which was to be placed in the Tabernacle of God, he
might out of his extraordinary love to us have been pleaſed to
ſhaddow forth unto us the Syſteme of the Univerſe, and more
eſpecially of the Planets? (a) Thou ſhalt make a Candleſtick of
pure Gold, (ſaith the Text;) of beaten work ſhall it be made:
his Shaft, and his Branches, his Bowls, his Knops, and his
Flowers (b) ſhall be of the ſame. Here are five things deſcribed, the
Shaft of the Candleſtick in the midle, the Branches on the ſides,
the Bowls, the Knops and the Flowers. And ſince there can be no
more Shafts but one, the Branches are immediatly deſcribed in
theſe (c) words: Six Branches ſhall come out of the ſides of it:
three Branches out of the one ſide, and three Branches out of the
other ſide: Happly theſe fix Branches may point out to us ſix
(d) Heavens, which are moved about the Sun in this order; Saturn,
the ſloweſt and moſt remote of all, finiſheth his courſe about the
Sun thorrow all the twelve Signes of the Zodiack in thirty Years:
Jupiter, being nearer than he, in twelve Years: Mars, being yet
nearer than him, in two Years: The Earth, which is ſtill nearer
than he, doth perform the ſame Revolution, together with
the Orbe of the Moon, in the ſpace of a Year, that is in Twelve
Months: Venus, which is yet nearer than all theſe, in (e) 9 Months:
And laſt of all Mercury, whoſe vicinity to the Sun is the greateſt
of all, accompliſheth its whole converſion about the Sun in eighty
Dayes. After the deſcription of the ſix Branches, the ſacred
Text proceeds to the deſcription of the Bowls, the Knops, and
the Flowers, ſaying, (f) Three Bowls made like unto Almonds,
with a Knop and a Flower in one Branch; and three Bowls made
like Almonds in the other Branch, with a Knop and a Flower: this
ſhall be the work of the ſix Branches that come out of the Shaft.
And in the Candleſtick ſhall be four Bowls made like unto Al
monds, with their Knops and their Flowers: there ſhall be a knop
under two branches of the ſame, and a Knop under two Branches
of the ſame, and a Knop under two Branches of the ſame; which
together are ſix Branches, proceeding from one Shaft. The truth
is, the ſhallowneſſe of my underſtanding cannot fathome the