1. Evil in regard of natural infirmities; for the the Clouds return after the rain. In the time of youth if a man be sick and that cloud hath emptied it self by some great sickness, he is well again, & a fair day of health is upon him. But if a man be stricken with years, and a cloud of sickness doth arise upon him, ⟨p. 2⟩though that cloud hath discharged it self by some great distemper, yet he hath still infirmitatis post […] ••atem: still it rains in upon him and he can hardly sit dry in his old Cottage and therefore Solomon saith of this evil day, that then the Clouds return after the rain. Then also the Sun & Moon & Stars are darkened, that is the reason, memory, fancy, & all those faculties which do receive and give out our reason, v. 2. Then the keepers of the house do tremble, that is the hands and the arms, & the strong men bow themselves, that is, the thighs and legs, and the grinders cease because they are few; that is, the teeth, & those that look out of the windows be darkened, that is, the eyes, v. 3. and the doors are shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low, that is, the lips are shut & kept close lest the meat should fall out of the mouth through want of teeth, and all the daughters of my sick are brought low, that is, both the speech & hearing, v. 4. then the Almond-tree flourisheth, that is, the head grows grey and hoary, a Grasshopper is a burden, for an old man cannot bear the lightest burden, and desire faileth, that is, the appetite unto meat, drink, and the Marriage bed, v.5. then the silver Cora is loosed, that is, the marrow of the back bone which runneth from the brain through the neck to the bottom of the back, & the golden bowl is broken, that is, the Soul which is round, yellow, & doth contain and preserve the brain, and the Pitcher is broken at the Fountain, that is the bladder which did hold the urine, which in old age doth insensibly pass away, and the Wheel is broken at the ⟨p. 3⟩Cistern, that is, the Lungs are broken off from their motion of respiration or inspiration by Phlegm from the Stomach, or the circulation of the blood interrupted and hindered, V. 6. Thus the natural infirmities of an old Man, are very many, & the day of old age is an evil day in that respect: yea, upon this account an old man is but half a man, for eyes hath he and seeth not, ears hath he and heareth not.
1. Evil in regard of natural infirmities; for the the Clouds return after the rain. In the time of youth if a man be sick and that cloud hath emptied it self by some great sickness, he is well again, & a fair day of health is upon him. But if a man be stricken with years, and a cloud of sickness doth arise upon him, ⟨p. 2⟩though that cloud hath discharged it self by some great distemper, yet he hath still infirmitatis post 〈…〉 ••atem: still it rains in upon him and he can hardly sit dry in his old Cottage and therefore Solomon saith of this evil day, that then the Clouds return after the rain. Then also the Sun & Moon & Stars are darkned, that is the reason, memory, fancy, & all those faculties which do receive and give out our reason, v. 2. Then the keepers of the house do tremblt, that is the hands and the arms, & the strong men bow themselves, that is, the thighs and legs, and the grinders cease because they are few; that is, the teeth, & those that look out of the windows be darkned, that is, the eyes, v. 3. and the doors are shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low, that is, the lips are shut & kept close lest the meat should fall out of the mouth through want of teeth, and all the daughters of my sick are brought low, that is, both the speech & hearing, v. 4. then the Almena-tree flourisheth, that is, the head grows gray and hoary, a Grashopper is a burthen, for an old man cannot bear the lightest burden, and desire faileth, that is, the appetite unto meat, drink, and the Marriage bed, v.5. then the silver Cora is loosed, that is, the marrow of the back bone which runneth from the brain through the neck to the bottom of the back, & the golden bowl is broken, that is, the Soul which is round, yellow, & doth contain and preserve the brain, and the Pitcher is broken at the Fountain, that is the bladder which did hold the urine, which in old age doth insensibly pass away, and the Wheel is broken at the ⟨p. 3⟩Cistern, that is, the Lungs are broken off from their motion of respiration or inspiration by Phlegm from the Stomack, or the circulation of the blood interrupted and hindred, V. 6. Thus the natural infirmities of an old Man, are very many, & the day of old age is an evil day in that respect: yea, upon this account an old man is but half a man, for eyes hath he and seeth not, ears hath he and heareth not.
