r 3 6 Chap. 38. an Fxpofstion upon the Bookof J o8. Verf. 3 t Carfi thou retard, or keepback the Spring? c enfl thou hinder the riling and appearance of the Pleiades or Joven Stars,fo called?caxfi thou flop the deftillation of their influences, proper to the intrndntZion of thatfeafon ? Or, Secondly, Cant thou keep offthe t34nter, that it come not, or batten it away when it is come, by diffolving the colds and frofts with which the conftellations of that feafon bind up the earth, and fojhorten that unkind and comfortlefs quarter of the year ? This is the plain meaning of the Text, and of chofe hard or ftrange words, Pleiades, Orion, Mazzaroth, erbilarris, ufed in it ; all which Conflellatìons are conceived to have their fpe- cial operations upon the four quarters of the year refpectively içitquidem For, though the accefs of the Sun bath the chief hand inmaking sot accefu efr Spring andSummer, and the recefs of the Sun in makingAutumn recejrufuo iillas and Ig'inter ; yet the Sun loth it not alone, but bath the aid of anni tempefls other adjuvant caufes in nature, by which thofegreat changes are tos,fed habet in part effeted and produced. reteres adjtot- Has dq adju- Further, the Reader may take potice, that three of thefe four vantescaufas. Stars orConlellationr, as expreffed in our Tranflation, Pleiades, Merl.. Orion, 4rlluroes, are not literally in the Hebrew Text ; nor were they known by thofe names, when either fob or the Pen-man of this book lived, but were long after brought into ufe by the learn- edGrecians, and from them derivedunto us ; and we make ufe of thefe names, according to the received opinion, expounding the Hebrew namesby them. I (hall not flayhere in opening their derivationsor flgmficati- ons ineither language, having done it already at the ninth verfe of the ninth Chapter of this book, where yob himfeif fpake of thefe conflellattons, attributing this glory to Cod, that he it isr, who makes e4rc`turus, Orion, Pleiades, and theChambers of the South, which laft are fuppofed to be the fame with Mazzarotb' here in this verfe. Verf. 3:I, Can'? thou bind theTweet influences of Pleiades? That is, can(} thou flop their riling, or the giving forth of their influences,which open the earthby a kindly warrnth,&t caufc grata and corn, herbs and flowers, plants and trees of all forts, to fpring and put forth ?canfl thou bind them up fromexerting their natural effe6ts and proper operations? certainly thou coltnot. He that is bound,,cannot dowhat he would,, nor what he could, nor
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