The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved

That the eye, and the hand are excellent, and useful parts of the body of man.

You see here our Saviour singles out these, from all other parts, as being very precious, if thy right eye offend thee, &c. if thy right hand offend thee, &c.

1. As for the eye our Saviour tells us, that it is the light of the body: Mat. 6.22. the light of the body is the eye: what is the world without the Sun, but a dark melancholy dungeon? what is a man without eyes? but monstrous and deformed, monstrum horrendum, inform, cui lumen ad emptum: the two eyes are two luminaries, that God hath set up in the Microcosm, mans little world:¹ when God would express his tender love unto his people, he calls them the apple of his eye; he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye: and the like phrase St. Paul makes use of, when he speaks of the love of the Galatians unto himself, I bear you record, that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and have given them to me. I have read of the Emperor Adrian, that with an arrow, by accident, put out one of his servants eyes; he commands him to be brought to him, and bids him ask what he would, that he might make him amends: the poor man was silent: he pressed him again: he told the Emperor, he would ask nothing but he wished that he had the eye which he had lost; intimating that an Emperor was not able to make satisfaction for the loss of an eye.

1. As for the eye our Saviour tels us, that it is the light of the body: Mat. 6.22. the light of the body is the eye: what is the world without the Sun, but a dark melancholy dungeon? what is a man without eyes? but monstrous and deformed, monstrum horrendum, informe, cui lumen ad emptum: the two eyes are two luminaries, that God hath set up in the Microcosme, mans little world: