The same natures benignity, exacting punishment from very iron by rust, from whence humane bloud revengeth it selfe; for being touched therewith it more speedily draweth rust therefrom. And indeed there is nothing which sooner rusteth iron then mans bloud. But this rust because we are purposely falne upon it, it is not altogether unprofitable, though most wholsome to many good effects, as well within as without the body, beyond that which it doth in tinctures. Wherefore it will do no hurt to touch some thing therein in this place, and therein to reveal that which experience hath manifested unto us to be most rare, and most important, but this is handled divers wayes. Take then filings of iron very clean, and besprinkle them with a little distilled vineger, leaving it so in a cave for two or three dayes or other fresh and moist place; and that will all convert into rust, which you shall bruise very subtilly in an iron or a stone morter. Put it in a little pot, and put thereon boiling distilled vineger, stirring it lustily with a staffe or rod of iron, and the vineger will charge it selfe with the dissolution of the rust: turne it by inclination, and put therein other vineger, reiterating that so long, that all the aluminosity and tincture of the iron be dissolved, and that nothing remaines but blacke and dead earths which you must cast away: cause the vineger to evaporate very sweetly, and there will remain a powder of Canneale colour, which the chymists call saffron of iron; which is made also by putting of small pieces of iron to calcine in Glasse makers Ovens for the space of three weeks or a month; and they will reduce themselves to a small and impalpable powder, as dough, red as blood, but it doth not dissolve it selfe in strong waters. There is neither Bole-armonaic, or Terra Sigillata, which can compare to them, who know well to practise their proprieties and consemblable effects.
In regard of the former, take of the phlegme of Aqua vitæ, and do upon all the same just that which you did with the distilled vineger upon the rust, it will dissolve more then the halfe: withdraw your phlegm by a light distillation, and upon the gum that shall rest congealed, cast fine Aqua vitæ, stirring it strongly with a baston upon warme ashes, but you must not warme it so much as the vineger and the phlegme, and when the aqua vitæ shall be well charged of its dissolution, retire it by a slow distillation in Balneo Marie, in a limbeck; for it will serve you againe as before: and if that be very proper for the dysenteries, and fluxes of the belly, with exulcerations and gangrens with small shot; as also is the second Crocum drawne by the phlegme, of very great efficacy: and the third yet of more, drawne by Aqua vitæ, which will remain in yellow powder the true essence of iron, which we have searched even to the Center. But in all dissolutions take heed to leave them well in repose, and not to receive but the clear, pure, and neat, without any feces or residences; rather put them for an hour in a warm bath to clarifie them. The vineger that remains, and the phlegm, you may filter, but not the aqua vitæ, because of its unctuosity: which makes it difficult to separate it, from its residences; we must therefore attend till it be cleare.
Behold these three earths, and the three dissolvants proceeding one and the other from the vegetable, that is to say, wine, the most excellent substance of all the vegetables which the Philosopher Calisthenes called the blood of the earth. Now for the affinity that is betwixt iron and copper, we will here pursue in one traine some experiments proceeding from the said copper. Take (to shorten as much as may be) of the stone of Azur, which is a minerall of copper, which will render you more then twelve ounces neat and liquid for a pound.
But here we shall be constrained to make a little digression to serve for advertisement. In metallick dissolutions, (and let this be a maxim) we must rather take raw minerals, coming from the earth, and not the accomplished metals, and that for three reasons. The first, for that excuseth you of labour, and length of time, to calcine them, and make them dissoluble. The second, that in the dissolution of the minerall you shall find more of the salt, and shall extract it more easily, then in six of one of their chalx. And the third, for that the spirits of metall, are not yet at first so imprisoned in their corporall masse, as in the superficies within this minerall and in much greater aboundance: there when it hath passed the asperity and rigour of the fire, to separate the metal, most part of the spirits disperse themselves and the rest are drowned and barred fast in the bottome of the body: whence it is a difficulty to draw them; so that afterwards the oil is worse easie to extract from salt, in the dissolution of chalks, then of that which shall be drawn from the minerals. Take then of this Azure stone for the shorter, or if you have it not of es asium burned Brasse, which we make conpellans of brasse, in three parts of lead, (verdigrease is too gummy and unfit) or making meal of the filings of copper, even as we said heretofore of iron, putting thereunto a little aqua fortis, make it clear, which will be green, as an Emeraud, and pursue it, in and through all as you did iron: till the salt or gum remain in the bottome congealed, proper for hollow ulcers, and many other effects of chirurgery; you may yet governe this gum with phlegme and aqua vitæ, as you did iron. And of the first very gumme extracted by the vineger, may thence draw an oil, as it was said of lead. In regard of the earths that remain of the dissolutions of the aqua vitæ, without any further dissolving of it, nor leaving any tincture therein, nor to disjoin them which is hard to do, nor to clarifie the aqua vitæ, but will remain impasted together as milk with dough, for they will be white, after you have dryed them well in the Sunne, or before a gentle fire. Put them upon a plate of iron, or of warmed copper: and if they fume not, it is a signe they are all deprived of their spirits. Yet put them in a cornue, with a naked bottome among coals, and perfect the drying of them; then at last give a fire of calcination. Cast aqua vitæ thereon to dissolve that which you can; and evacuating the dissolution, perfect to dry the moisture which may thereof remain giving againe fire of calcination in the end: and againe putting aqua vitæ thereon to perfect the extraction of all the salt therein remaining, which will be perfected in the third or fourth reiteration. I have put you to an addresse of great effects, where I do not pretend to lead you by the hand any further, not to injure good and curious spirits, that by long labours and perquisitions have travelled to obtaine that which others had better cheap, and also to that which we reserve for our discourse of Gold and Glasse, where we will declare that which shall here be left imperfect, not having attained, but by the end of the lip: wherefore we will take but that which is necessary to clear what the Prophets have thereupon touched in their parables and similitudes. In the first place of the two perfect gold & silver, on which they have most insisted on the good part, for the imperfect tinne, copper, and iron, they have ordinarily applyed to the worst part for vices and depravations, contumacies and durities; and lead for vexations and molestations. Gold for true beliefe, faith, piety, and religion, and in sum, all that which concernes the honour and service of God; Silver, for good and charitable works of mercy; due in respect of our neighbour. So that these two metals represent the two tables of the Decalogue. And it would not be farre from the purpose to make a trimming of the Altar. The first of gold, containing four precepts, in four azure letters, which signifieth heaven, and the other of silver in green letters, signifying the earth. Origen in the 2. Homil. upon this text of the first of Canticles (We will make thee borders of gold, with studs of silver,) triumpheth to allegorize the shape of gold, this (saith he) holds the figure of the invisible and incorporeall nature, (and this for that it is of a substance so homogeneall and subtill, that nothing can extend it selfe more fine) and silver, represents the vertue of the Verb, following that which the Lord said in the 2. of Hosea, I have given you gold and silver, and you have therewith made Idols to Baal. But we make the Holy Scripture Idols of gold and silver, when we turne the sense thereof to some perverted interpretation: or that we would Pindarize it by elegances, as if vertue consisted on the vaine flowers of Rhetoricke, for in doing this we open our mouth, as if we would swallow and suck in heaven, whilst our tongue licketh the earth, like as if the Prophet should say, I have given you sense and reason, whereby you ought to acknowledge me for your God, and reverence me; but you have turned them aside, and therewith have made Idols: By sense are understood the internall cogitations which represents them; and by Reason, which is λόγος the word, for it signifies the one and the other, as silver denotes, Psal. 12. 6. the words of the Lord are pure words, as silver proved in the fire, when they say, or hold, that silver tryed in the fire, is the tongue of the just, are not my words as fire? But Cherubins are said to be gold, because they interpret them for the plenitude of divine Science. And the Tabernacle of the alliance is of Gold also, because it carries the type and image of the law of nature, where consisted the gold of science; so that Gold is referred to the conception and thought, and silver to the word, according to which the wise man alludeth in the 25. of the Proverbs, As Golden apples with silver nets, so is he that speaks words in a fit season. Hitherto Origen. But will we hear what Zohar sets down, from whence Origen hath fished out the greatest part of his rare and profound meditations and allegories, and to the purpose of those apples of gold, enchased within the nets of silver. The gold from above is the gold sagur, inclosed or folded up; that from below is more exposed to our senses, (nothing should better agree to the Messihe which is the true pure gold of Evihah, mentioned Gen. 2. hee which is reinclosed within silver,) namely his divinity, and reshut up with the humanity. Zohar pursues it; In the Tabernacle there were mingled gold, and silver, to assemble the divine mystery above in one subject, where soveraigne perfection was found. But the Cherubims were all of gold, shewing their Angelicall nature which doth not participate of any corporeity, without any silver or copper mingled therewith. Gold within silver expresseth mercy, by which the whole universe was built, (the world was built in mercy,) upon which Gods Throne is established, His Royall seat shall be prepared in mercy. But the rigour of judgement is designed by copper, which approacheth to the colour of bloud, without the effusion whereof, also there is no remission.
And therefore it was ordained, that Moses should erect a Serpent in the Wildernesse to heale those who were bitten by the vermine and cast their eyes upon it. Then gold, silver, and copper, are the three metals that go together, the Chasma’l, or the electrum of Ezechiel. And there is a faire meditation upon the 3 colours, which are these, white, of silver, that represents water, is mercy, manifested by the particle Jah, assigned to the Father, which the Apostle cals the father of mercies, 1 Cor. 1. 3. Copper that in rednesse imitates fire, is the rigour and the severity of justice, which the Ægyptians call Din, attributed to the Holy Spirit, against which if any blaspheme, hee shall neither be pardoned in this world here, nor in the other. The third, in the middle of two, is the citrinity of the gold, composed of white and red, as we may see in saffron, bloud, vermillion, and other the like, tempered with water, which is white, for from thence is procreated a golden yellow; for Citrinity, saith Geber, is nothing else, but a determinate proportion of white and red. And this guilded citrinity is attributed to the Sonne, who participates of Mercy and Justice: in pursuance of that spoken in the 16. of Eccl. 11. because mercy and wrath are with him. But latten or copper, which in its exteriour hath some resemblance with gold, but within all impure and corrupt, denoting hypocrisie, which under a masque of pious zeale, and religion hatcheth its wicked desires, and detestable ambitions, impieties, erroneous opinions, lusts, animosities, revenges, and other unjust and perverse intentions. The whitenesse of the silver, on the one side, of which this letton participates, for it is but at 16 Carats being pallied by the rednesse of copper, that causeth it citrinity. But this rednesse is but cruelty, and malice, which corrupteth gentle sincerity. If your sinnes were as red as scarlet, or vermillion, they shall bee as white as snow, Esay 1. 16.
In regard of lead, it is put for vexations and molestations, wherewith God doth visit us; by means whereof, hee bringeth us unto repentance; for as lead burneth, and exterminateth all the imperfections of metall, which Boetius the Arabian, calleth water of Sulphur; so tribulation divesteth us here below, from many spots, which wee thereby have contracted, so that, St. Ambrose calleth it, Heavens Key, following that which is written, Act. 14. 22. Through many temptations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Apostle Rom. 5. 3. and 4. &c. useth a very fine gradation, Tribulation begets patience, patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirit, that is given unto us. Fire denotes tribulation, whereupon the said Saint Ambrose upon the first psalm, Fire saith he, burneth waxe, which melts it self to bee purged, and wee are proved by fire, for God desiring to convert a sinner chastiseth him, and burneth him, to purge him: for fire is light to Beleevers, and punishment, to the incredulous. Said Saint Jerome very well upon Ezechiel. That fire illuminates Beleevers, and blinds Infidels, serving for nothing but smoak which makes them weep, and darknesse, as smoak which is noxious to the eyes. With which fume the house of Israel was all filled and darkened. Prov. 10.26. Esa. 6.4. Let the just then rejoyce, when they shall find themselves upon this text of the 50. Psal. 3. A fire shall burn in his sight, for they shall be thereby illuminated, and obstinate sinners burnt by the same, having the two properties to illuminate, and burn: for that it illuminates, it must bee the holy Spirit, which is the true fire, that is kindled in our hearts, and not foolish and perverse opinions, vain and erroneous, which would quickly draw us to that which the Prophet Esay saith, Chap. 50. 11. Behold all yee that kindle a fire, and that compasse your selves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled, and you shall sleep in sorrow. From thence saith Origen, it seems that sinners kindle themselves a fire, wherewith they must be crucified. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self, Hos. 13. And in the 28. of Ezek. 18. I will bring forth a fire, from the midst of thee, it shall devoure thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon Earth. The matter then which entertains it, are our iniquities, and our offences, their iniquity shall burn as fire. And in the 7. of Eccles. 17. The vengeance of the ungodly is fire, and wormes, which toucheth upon that in the 9. of St. Mark. 44. alledged out of the 66. of Esaiah 24. Whose worm shall not dye, nor their fire bee quenched: for the one and the other are endlesse, namely the fire that burns them, and the worm that gnawes their consciences in this world, and in the other, torments them for ever. There where on the contrary, if God set it on fire, wee may say with one of our ancient fathers, O happy flame, but not burning, illuminating, but not consuming: Thou dost transform whom thou dost touch, so that they, even merit to bee called Gods. Thou hast warmed thy Apostles, who forsaking all things but thee, have been made Gods children: Thou hast warmed the Martyrs, who have spilt their bloud: Thou hast warmed the Virgins, who by the fire of Divine Love, have quenched the heat of concupiscence. The Confessors likewise, that have separated themselves from the world, to join and to unite unto thee. So that every creature, by the beneficence of this fire, repurgeth it self, from its coinquinations, and ordures, and there is nothing exempted from its heat, if it would come to injoy the fellowship of God; for it is this fire, that kindleth in us by the illuminations of the holy Spirit, by means of our corporall tribulations, which brings us sooner to God, then any other thing, of which Lead is one of their symboles, working the same operations in metals, as afflictions do in us. There is so gallant a passage in the 6. of Jer. under the figure of a Coupelle, which I think, that there is not a Goldsmith, Refiner, or a Mettleman, which hath spoken more properly: They are all corrupters, speaking of the Jewish people, then iron or copper. The bellows are burnt, the Lead is consumed in the fire, the Founder melteth in vain, for their wickednesses are not plucked away, Reprobate silver shall men cal them, for the Lord hath rejected them. Whereupon Rab. Sol. is a little interveared for that hee doth not well understand the Coupelles, being willing to adjoin one of his own. The prophet speaketh here (saith hee) of God as of a Goldsmith, who desirous to purge gold puts thereunto lead or tin, that the fire should not consume the gold: for after the lead is consumed, the fire hurts the gold by consuming it. Mark what it is to speak unadvisedly of things wee doe not understand, for so doing we suffer our selves to fall easily into grosse absurdities: There are here two faults so apparent, that even apprentices would mock at them: the one to mixe Tin at the Coupelle or ashes in stead of lead: for it would not bee fit: also the Prophet takes heed therein. See what Geber sets down, in the Chap. of Ashes, Metalls that participate least of the substance of quick-silver, and more of Sulphur, separate themselves sooner and more easily from their mixtions. So that lead, because it hath more of the Sulphureall terrestreity, and lesse quick-silver, it is of more tender and light fusion, then any other: hardens lesse in the the coupple and separates soonest: therefore it is more proper to this examination, for that it carries away with lesse time and pains, the impurities of imperfect metals, mingled with gold and silver. Upon which there is no action, and by consequent brings lesse domage thereunto: there where because the substance of tin participates of much quick-silver, and of little sulphurous earthinesse, so that being more pure and subtil, the more profoundly it mingles it self, and adheres more strongly to gold and silver, from which it is separated more slowly and more unwillingly, with so much of their losse and falling off: the other error is to think, that when the lead in the Coupelle hath exterminated the imperfect metals, and it self is partly gone away in smoak, partly burned, and partly inglued, within the Coupelle as in vitrified litarge, fire cannot in any thing hurt gold, for being fine and pure, it would remain there a thousand years without the losse of one grain: to which nothing of things is wanting, it is even safe in burnings, and great fires; the matter remaining said Pliny well, speaking of gold in his 33. Book, chap. 3. as wee may see by experience. The prophet said then, and that so properly as nothing more, that even as when there are more impurities mingled with gold and silver, to repurge them we must put thereunto more lead at once. So the Jews iniquities were so great that it was needfull to visit them with more afflictions one upon another to make them know their offences and to forsake them: as Physitians who redouble oftentimes their purgations and medicaments in those bodies, where the malady is contumacious and rebellious: for tribulations and adversities, are in us as fire, and as lead, in impure metalls: As gold and silver are tryed by the fire, so the Lord tries our hearts, Prov. 2. and in the 2. of Eccles. 5. Whatsoever is brought upon thee take patiently, for gold and silver, are tried by fire, and men by the furnace of tribulation, and anguish; Saint Gregorie in his Pastoralls upon this passage of the 11. of Ezekiel, who dilateth and insisteth hard upon this metaphor and similitude. The house of Israel is to me become drosse, all they are brasse and tin, and iron in the midst of the furnace, and they are the drosse of silver, and therefore saith the Lord, I wil gather you in the midst of Ierusalem, as a masse of silver, brasse, tin, and iron, and of lead, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon them to melt them. So I will gather them in mine anger, and in my fury, yea I will gather them and blow upon them, in the fire of my wrath, and they shall be melted, in the midst thereof. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall they be melted in the midst thereof, and they shall know, that I the Lord have poured my fury upon them. Saint Gregory, interprets this for the Jews, who in their strong adversities would not leave to go out of the way of their vices, and depravations, and would receive no correction but made themselves worse: Malachy 3. 3. useth the same form of speech. The Lord shall sit to melt and purge silver, hee shall purifie the Sonnes of Levi, and purge them as gold, and silver, and they shall offer to the Lord an offering of righteousnesse. See how hee there resembleth very well, Gold to Faith, and Religion and Silver to works, for if the one and not the other be not very clean, in vain would we present them unto God. And all this must bee perfected by fire: according to which the Psalmist speaketh, Thou hast proved my heart, and hast visited me in the night, thou hast examined mee by fire, and there is no iniquity found in mee, Psal. 17. 3. for (as St. Chrysostome saith) fire according to the will of God, doth divers operations. It did not burn the three children in the furnace, yet burned those that were without: and as the Sea gave way to the Israelites, to passe on dry foot, and drowned Pharaoh, and all his that pursued them. There is a fire, saith St. Ambrose, upon the 39. Psal. vers. 3. which with its Ardor devoureth the transgression, and blotteth out the sin: But wee most not understand it materiall fire here below, for there is nothing common here, with spirituality, but by way of analogy, and correspondence; there being a very great disproportion betwixt intelligible and sensible things, as in Jer. 20. 9. And there was a burning fire in my bones. In sum that the holy Scripture is stuffed with these manner of speeches drawn from fire and metals. As in Hag. 2. 8. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. Gold, silver, and all metals, yea generally, all things whatsoever, although they may bee said to bee of God; as St. Jerome said very well, forasmuch as he created them, and gave them being, subsistance, and maintenance. The earth is the Lord and the fulnesse thereof: notwithstanding this gold and silver, which God alleadgeth here more particularly to bee his, must bee understood mystically. By silver, interpret the law of the mouth, The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. And by Gold (saith Zohar) the written Law, where there are many brave meditations to be considered; for there is not a form of a letter, point nor accent, but importeth some mystery, as it is particularly specified in Ghinah Egoz, in the garden of drowning of Rabbi Joseph Castiglian. On the other side silver is applyed to the old Testament, gold to the New. Origen confronts Faith to Gold, and the confession and preaching thereof to silver. That there, to the conceptions of the thought, and this here, to the word and enuntiation made by mouth which expresseth it, and puts it out. The tongue of the just is chosen silver. Of which two metals, namely of right Faith and purity of conscience, and of verball confession, the Temple, and Church of God in Christianism, and the glory of him was greater then the Jewish Law, which was but a dark shadow thereof. So that gold, designs the heart, that corresponds to the Sun, and to fire: and silver words, with Salt wherewith they must be seasoned; The word is near unto thee even in thy mouth, and in thy heart that thou maist doe it: which the Apostle appropriating, If thou confesse the Lord Iesus with thy mouth, and dost beleeve in thy heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: for wee beleeve with the heart to Iustification, and confesse with the mouth to have Salvation. It is gold and silver which hee would that wee should build on his foundation: the gold of Havilah, that groweth within the terrestriall Paradise, with the Carbuncle and the Emrauld which the Psalmist in the 67. Psalm calleth the Greens of Gold.
Behold here the depurements that fire operates where it passeth: and chiefly upon metals, which are of a most strong and persisting composition, as any other Elementary substance, therefore wee have therein a little insisted, because that the Prophets have therein founded the greatest part of their Allegories: where wee must note, that they have commonly put the imperfect, lead, tin, iron, and copper, in the bad part, and sometimes gold also: as in Jer. 51. 7. Babylon is a golden Cup: and in the 2. of Dan. 32. speaking of Nebuchadnezar, Thou art the Golden head, more in the 31. of Eccles. there are many chances in gold: Zohar calls it Satans dung, following the Text of the 37. of Job: Gold comes from the North: for the North is alwayes taken by the Cabalists in the evill part, because Sun never passeth thereby, and it relates to midnight, where the hurtfull powers are in their great reputation and vigour: as on the contrary, Noon in good part; Wee must not then understand, that Job would say that gold came from the Northern parts, for it grows not there by reason of their continuall colds: but in some certain place, where it procreates; this is more ordinarily towards the North: against which the Sun, as against a But, darts its beams, being to the Meridion all part, as likewise all good wines. And to this purpose Franciscus Oviedus in his 16. Book, Chap. 1. of his generall historie of the Indies, speaking of the Isle of Borichen, puts this, Borichen, otherwise called St. Johns Island, is very rich in gold, and men draw it, in great quantity, even on the Northern side, as in the opposite part towards the South, it is very fruitfull of victualls: the same also is found even in Spain it self. Gold then is sometimes taken in the worser part, as in the golden Calf which the Israelites melted in Moses his absence, from whence one of their Rabbins said, there had never befallen them any calamity and misery, but there was an ounce of that Idol mingled therewith: Silver because of its whitenesse, denotes Mercy, is alwayes in the good part, and first in esteem before gold, as it is Hag. the 2. Mine is the silver, and mine is the gold. The Onorocrites also hold, that to dream of gold presageth some near affliction, because it agreeth in colour with gall, and the pain in the ears, two subsistences extreamly bitter: and bitternesse signifies, trouble, anguish, and grief; as Pearls doe tears for their resemblance: But silver expresseth joy and merriment. And therefore saith the same Zohar, Gold is attributed to Gabriel, and Silver to Michael, which in order is his superior, Brasse to Uriel, because it represents him in colour of fire, faith to Ur of the Caldees, Gold, saith he, and fire march together, and copper with them, where was built the little Altar without, where the bloud of the Sacrifices was spilt, and that within was of gold, Exod. 38. and 39. Silver is the primary light of the day, and Jacob. And gold, that of the night, and Esau or Edom red: Silver represents milk; and gold wine, alluding to craft and subtilty, where it is said, in the 2. Eccles. I thought to draw my flesh with Wine, to give myself unto Wisedome.
But to return to our principall purpose, fire amongst other its properties and effects, is very purging, and also in flesh, and other corruptible substances, Salt consumes the greatest part of their corrupting humors: fire also doth the same, and analogically spiritual fire, which is nothing but the charitable ardor of the Holy Spirit, that inflames us with Faith, Charity, Hope. Shakes off the impurities of our souls, as it is Esa. 1. 25. I will purely purge away thy drosse, and take away all thy tin, for this place here in the 10. of the same Prophet, vers. 17. And the light of Israel, shall be for a fire, and his holy one for a flame, sheweth sufficiently that the Holy Spirit is not only light, but fire and flame, which salteth and repurgeth our consciences from corruption, vices, and iniquities.
The Sun also, which is a visible Image of the invisible Divinity, as for light, so for its vivifying heat, wherewith all sensible things are maintained, as the intelligible by the supercelestial Sun, works the same effect in case of purification, as fire. As we may see by experience, as the places where the Sun-beams come not, are ever musty and mouldy, and to purifie them wee open windowes to admit light into them: and there make great fires, which is very proper in the time of the Plague, for it chaseth away ill air, as light doth darknesse. Also evill spirits, who have more reputation in the dark, from plague walking in darknesse, the Hebrews call this Divell ravaging by night Deber, and from his violence and Meridian Divell, that of the day Keteb; the Greeks Ἐμπουσα. There is in the fire, saith Pliny, a certain faculty and medicinall vertue against the Plague. Who for the absence and hiding of the Sun, comes to form it self: wherein wee find by lightning it here and there may bring great comfort and succour in many kinds. As Empedocles and Hippocrates doe elsewhere sufficiently demonstrate. There was also a Physitian at Athens that got much reputation, by causing them to kindle many fires during the Plague time. So that, the true Plague of the soul being iniquities and offences, which poison it, its theriac or counter-poyson, cannot bee better found then in the fire of contrition that the Holy Spirit kindles therein: My heart was hot within mee, while I was musing, the fire burned, Psal. 39. 3. There is also a fire of Tribulation which was spoken of before, that consumes our vanities, and unruly concupiscences; and makes us return to God, whereupon one of the ancient Fathers said, it was a happy tribulation that forceth to repentance. And St. Gregory, the evils that presse us here, doe compell us the sooner to come to God. And that for our greater good, that God doth thus burn us by the fire of tribulation: that which was said by the Psalmist 26. 3. Prove me O Lord, and examine mee, try my reins, and my heart: And in the 13. of Zach. vers. 9. I will bring the third part through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and I will try them as Gold is tried: For fire hath a double property, as hath been said; the one to separate the pure from the impure, and the other to perfect that which remains of the pure. Take away rust from silver, and it will go forth a most pure vessell: But the propriety of these significations is better kept in the Hebrew, then in any other tongue. Where the verb Szaraph is joined and attributed unto silver, which signifies, to melt, and to refine, and to Gold Bahan to prove. The one denotes Gods in Elect an holy purity of conscience by silver, the other by gold a perfection of constancy, which wee cannot know better then by proof: and from thence comes dignity and eternall glory, the one and the other acquired by the fire of Examination and of probation; for, as saith St. Chrysostome, that which fire is towards gold and silver, the same is tribulation in our soules from which fire cleanseth the impurities and uncleannesse, and makes them neat shining: following that which is said in the 17. of Prov. As silver is tried by fire, in the furnace, so God proveth the hearts of his Creatures, and in the 27. of Eccles. ver. 5. The furnace tryeth the Potters vessell, and tentation of tribulation, trieth good men. There are many, saith one of the Fathers, who whilest they are red in the fire of adversity, make themselves flexible, and malleable, but departing therefrom, they harden themselves again as before, making themselves unfit for conversion or amendment; Origen in his 5. Homilie upon the 3. Chap. of Jesiu Nave, they that draw near unto me, draw near unto fire: If you bee (saith hee there) Gold or silver, the nearer you come to the fire, the more you will become resplendant: but if you build with wood, straw, or chaffe, upon the foundation of Faith, and come near the fire, you shall be consumed: very happy then are those that drawing near the fire, are therewith lightned and not burnt. According as it is written in the 3. of Mal. The Lord will sanctifie thee in burning fire. St. Augustine, upon a verse of the 45. Psalm. Wee have passed through water, and fire: Fire burneth (saith hee) and water corrupteth: When adversity comes upon us, it is as it were fire unto us: and worldly prosperities on the contrary are as water. The earthen vessell that is well hardened in the fire, fears neither water nor fire. Let us then study to amend our selves by the fire of tribulation, by bearing it patiently; for if the pottery be not firmly strengthened by fire, the water of temporall vanity will soften it and mingle it as durt. And therefore wee must passe through the fire, to come to the water of Mercy, and Grace, whereof St. John speaketh in the 3. of S. Mat. I Baptize you with water unto repentance, but hee that comes after mee is stronger then I, and he will Baptize you with the holy Spirit, and with fire. Of which fire we may see in the 16. of Wisdome, 17. for it is wonderfull, that in the water that quencheth all things, fire should be most powerfull. That which made St. Augustine himself say, that in the Sacrament of Baptism, which they exercise and Catechise, they first came to fire, and after to the Baptism of water: where the same comes to the temptations of this age, where in the anguish which oppresseth us, the fire first presents it self, but when the fear therein is out, it is to bee feared that a wind of vain glory proceeding from temporall felicity, dissolve it not into rain, which will come to quench the fire of heat and Charity, which affliction hath taken within our Souls. To this purpose, from fire to baptismall water, designed by the aforesaid passage, wee have passed through water and fire, this beats upon the 31. of Numb. of clensing by fire, and by water, according as the thinge may suffer: for visible baptism, is made by visible water, and wherein the water consists in parts which is nothing else but congealed water, by the acuity of fire thrust thereinto: with which salt every Sacrifice must bee salted, that is to say, the externall man, and the invisible baptism of the internall spirituall man is wrought by the Grace of the holy Spirit represented by fire which of it self is invisible, and unperceivable, except it bee attached to some matter, as the soul is in the body: This fire there burneth in us mortall sins, and the water washeth away Veniall and Originall.