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THe Greekes deriue the houre from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ter∣minare, because it measured the times of the yeare; or from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 custodire, because they fai∣ned
that the houres kept Apolloes gates; but it seemeth rather to bee derived from the Hebrew word [Or] lux, and hence the Egyptians call the Sunne 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Apollo.
The Greekes at the first had no other division of the yeare but into foure seasons, which they called quatuor horae anni: and the Latines called them quatuor tempesta∣tes anni. The like division they made of the day, and they said, solis occasus suprema tempestas esto.
Afterward they divided these tempestates into so ma∣ny houres in the day, those houres were either called horae minores, and they were measured by the Zodiack, and planetarie or unequall houres, because of the obli∣quitie of the Zodiacke; or else they were called horae equinoctiales equall houres, because of the streightnesse of the Equinoctiall.
The Iewes at first learned the division of the day into whole houres from the Romanes, for before this the houres were either halfe-houres, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 occasionall houres, as to dine and to suppe; So the houres of din∣ner and supper were described of old by drawing of water, as Rebecca came out to draw water, Gen. 24. 11. This was the evening time when women came out to draw water. So they noted the dinner time by drawing of water, Ioh. 5. 31. when the woman of Samaria came out to draw water, then the Disciples brought meat to Christ and desired him to eate; This was dinner time.
THe houres set upon Ahaz Diall were unequall, or planetarie houres, because this diall was made up∣on a polar ground.
There are fiue grounds upon which a diall must be made; First upon the elevation of the Equinoctiall, whose houres are alwayes equall. Secondly verticall, and it sheweth onely from sixe to sixe equinoctially. Thirdly meridionall, which sheweth the houres from the rising of the Sunne unto the mid-day, upon the East side, and from the mid-day till the Sunne set upon the West side. Fourthly horizontall, which hath no sha∣dow under the Equinoctiall, or neere the Equinoctiall. And the last is the polar diall, which followeth the Zo∣diacke, and the houres are contracted upon the South side of the Equinoctiall in the Winter, and enlarged upon the North side in the Summer.
This Diall of Ahaz could not be made upon an equi∣noctial ground, because the houres of the Equinoctiall diall are equal. Secōdly, it could not be made verticall, because the verticall sheweth onely from sixe to sixe, and not the rising and setting of the Sunne. Thirdly, it could not be made meridionall, because the East side & the West side are divided by the meridionall, and it wanteth the twelfth houre. Fourthly, it could not be made horizontall, because they lay so neere the Equi∣noctiall that the style could cast no shadow. Therefore it behoved to be polar, and the houres behoved to be unequally divided for Summer and Winter, or else they behoved to haue two Dialls, one for Summer, and another for Winter.
The forme of this Diall was Hemispheriall, or an halfe Circle.
In this Diall we haue to consider these points; First, that the lines were but halfe houres upon the diall, and not full houres. Secondly, that this miracle hath been wrought when the Sunne was in the height, for if it had beene in the declination, or in the after-noone, then it could not haue gone forward ten degrees; or if
it had beene soone in the morning, it could not haue gone backe ten degrees. Thirdly, this miracle was wrought in the Summer time, the day being at the lon∣gest; it could not be brought backe ten degrees in the winter day, for when the day is shortest, the Sunne ari∣seth to them at seven of the clocke: neither could this miracle be wrought at the Equinoctiall, for then they could not haue discerned the Sunne to cast a shadow upon the diall, because then the shadow is so long; but the Text saith, that the Sunne went backe so many de∣grees upon Ahaz diall, 2 King. 20. Therefore it seemes to haue beene wrought in the Summer time, at the lon∣gest day, when it was drawne backe from the eleventh houre to the sixt, which is one houre after the Sunne rising; for in the longest day it ariseth to them at fiue of the clocke in the morning.
Whether went the Sunne backe ten degrees, or did the Sunne stand still, and the shadow goe backe up∣on [Quest.] the lines, [as Abulensis upon 2 King. 20. holdeth, the shadow went backe ten degrees;] or did the Sunne go back and the shadow also?
If the shadow had gone backe, and not the Sunne, the miracle had not beene so great, for when the Sunne [Answ.] goes forward naturally, the shadow goeth backward, now if the shadow had gone backe in an instant, and the Sunne stood still, it had beene a miracle quoad modum, sed non quoad substantiam, and it had beene but a miracle in the third degree; A miracle in the highest degree is, when nature had never a hand in a thing, as to make the Sunne goe backe so many degrees, or to stand still. A miracle in the second degree is this, when nature had once a hand in producing of a thing, but when nature fayleth once, it cannot restore it to the former ••ase a∣gaine. Example. Nature bringeth forth a man seeing, now when he becommeth blind, nature cannot restore
him to his sight, and when he is restored to his sight a∣gaine, it is a miracle in the second degree. A miracle in the third degree is this, when nature in time could doe such a thing, but cannot doe it upon a suddaine. Exam∣ple. Peters Mother in law was sicke of a Fever; Nature in time could cure one of a Fever, but Christ curing her upon a suddaine, this is a miracle in the third de∣gree. Example 2. When a lumpe of figges was layd to Hezekias boyle, the figges in time would haue matured this boyle, and broken it, but when the Lord doth it upon a suddaine, this is a miracle in the third degree. So for the shadow to goe backe when the Sunne goeth forward, this is naturall to it, but for the shadow to goe backe upon a suddaine, this was a miracle in the third degree, but when the Sunne and the shadow both went backe, this was a miracle in the first degree, & quoad mo∣dum & quoad substantiam.
What confirmation of his faith had this beene, if the [Quest.] Sunne had gone forward ten degrees, that had beene but the ordinary course of it?
If it had gone forward ten degrees in an instant, that [Answ.] had beene a miracle; but when it went backe ten de∣grees peice by peice, this was a greater miracle; there∣fore he chose rather that it should goe backe ten de∣grees.
If the Sunne went backe onely, and not the shadow, [Object.] then it should haue beene knowne through the whole world, and some of the Heathen would haue made mention of it in their writings; as Dionysius Areopagita maketh mention of the Eclipse of the Sunne in Christs Passion.
The heathen in their writings might haue made men∣tion [Answ.] of it which are not now extant: In the Booke of Iason there is mentiō made of the standing of the Sunne and Moone in Ioshua's dayes, and that Booke is peri∣shed
now; shall we say then, that nothing is written in this Booke, because this Booke is not extant?
Whether was this a greater miracle when the Sunne [Quest.] went backe in Hezekias dayes, or when the Sunne stood still in Ioshua's dayes?
If ye will respect them to whom this miracle was [Answ.] wrought in Ioshua's dayes, it was a greater miracle; it was wrought for the confirmation of all Israel, and this was wrought but for the confirmation of Hezekias; Secondly, Ioshua's day was longer than Hezekias day; Hezekias day was but twentie two houres, and Ioshua's day was twentie and foure: Ecclus 46. 4. Stetit Sol & ••na dies facta est in duas, Did not the Sunne goe backe by his meanes? And was not one day as long as two.
This miracle was wrought at three of the clocke in the afternoone, for the Moone was a quadrant of the Heaven distant from the Sunne, and quarter Moone; for Gibea was Southwest from Megiddo where they did fight, and there the Sunne stood, and Ajalon where the Moone stood was Southeast.
How stood the Sunne here at three afternoone South∣west [Quest.] from the Moone, seeing it is said to stand in the midst of Heaven.
There is a twofold midst, the first medium aequidistan∣tiae, [Answ.] and the second is interpositionis; the Sunne is in me∣dio aequidistantiae, when it is in the middle point, betwixt the Sunne-rising and the Sunne-setting, this is in the midst of the day; but it is in medio interpositionis, when it is any part of the Heaven betwixt the two ex∣treames, it was now but in medio interpositionis.
Againe, this miracle was wrought twentie dayes af∣ter the Equinoxe; for Ioshua instituted the Passeover Cap. 5. the fourteenth day of Nisan, which was at the Equinoxe, and that Moone had but fourteene dayes to runne to the change, and now the Moone was before
the Sunne; but when the miracle fell out, the Moone was behinde the Sunne, and it was quarter-Moone; so that the fourteene dayes of the old Moone, and the eight dayes of the other Moone, made up twenty dayes after the Equinoxe.
Thirdly, Ioshua's day was twenty-foure houres, nine houres alreadie past, and three houres to the Sunne∣setting; then the Sunne stood a whole Equinoctiall day, which all being joyned together, maketh twenty-foure houres, then it is said Iosh. 10. 14. That there was no day like to it before or after, which must be understood, that there was no day before or after like unto it for length.
Hezekias day was but twenty-two houres in length, which is proved thus; the Sunne had runne twelue de∣grees already forward upon Ahaz Diall, which maketh sixe planetary houres; then it goeth backe againe tenne degrees, which maketh fiue planetary houres, and this made eleven houres.
Might not the Sunne haue gone backe to the Sunne∣rising, [Quest.] and so haue made sixe planetary houres?
Not; because the Sunne casteth no shadow upon the [Answ.] Diall of Ahaz an houre after it riseth, and an houre be∣fore it set; neither upon any other Diall, for then the shadowes are so long, that they shew not the houre, it went backe then but to the houre after that it arose, which was the second planetary houre, then it had fiue planetary houres to the midst of the day, which made up sixteene houres; and six houres to the Sunne-setting, which maketh in all twenty-two houres.
Now to make some application and spirituall use of these Dials.
Christ before his Incarnation was like to the Sunne shining upon the Equinoctiall Diall, where the shadow is very low; secondly, before Christ came in the flesh, there were many Ceremonies, and a long shadow, but
since Christ came in the flesh, this is like the Sunne shi∣ning upon the Polar Diall, the shadow is short and the Sunne is neerer.
Thirdly, our estate in this life compared with the life to come, is like to the meridionall Diall; for the meri∣dionall Diall sheweth not the twelfth houre; so in this life, we see not the sonne of righteousnesse in his bright∣nesse.
Fourthly, our estate in this life, is like the verticall Diall, which sheweth neither the rising nor setting of the Sunne; so in this life we know neither our com∣ming into the world, nor the time when we are to goe out of it.
Fiftly, our estate in the life to come is like the Hori∣zontall Diall, for as the Sunne shineth alwaies upon the Horizontall Diall; so shall the Sunne of righteousnesse shine alwayes upon us in the life to come.
Of their times.
Septuaginta dix••r••nt 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Din••er and Supper de••c••ibed by drawing of water.
Fiue sorts of Dials.
Vpon what ground A∣haz Diall was made.
What things are to be considered in this diall.
Three sorts of mira∣cles.
Whether this miracle or that in I••sh••a's dayes was greatest?
This miracle was w••ough•• tw〈…〉〈…〉 dayes after the Equinoxe.
Ioshua's day was 24. houres.
Hezekias day was 22. houres.
The spirituall use of these Dials.