We ace now come to the noblest of all the planets, the ; we will begin with the metal attributed to that planet, which is gold, the most perfect body under the Sun, for there is no superfluity in it, nor any inequality of elements, for it consists of most pure elements, equally proportioned by nature, and by a long concoction of many years; it is most perfectly fixed, and digested into the best temperature that can be, in which respect it is incorruptible for neither fire nor water can destroy it, nor cap length of days waste or alter it, nor can the earth ever rust it; but amidst all these inferior elements, which corrupt all other bodies, gold remains invincible for ever; a wonderful thing indeed, that a body born in a corruptible place in the earth, should be incorruptible, contrary to the nature of the parents. This made the wise men conclude, that there was in the centre of the elements, a certain incorruptible hidden substance or seed, out pf which gold was made; and in the search or inquisition after this, they labored much, hut they chiefly sought it in gold, because in gold it was most perfectly digested.

It has been asked, why and wherefore all .the world have unanimously admired gold, and made it the price of all other commodities; how came they to agree in this point, when they disagree in all others, more or less ? for my part, the scriptures have given me the amplest satisfaction on this head; and since I have already entered into this discourse, I shall, in as few words as I can, lay down my judgment concerning it. We read, in Genesis, that the use of metals were known to man, even in the days of Adam, long- before the flood; and though the scriptures mention no metals but brass and iron, yet may we from thence conclude, that gold and silver were not then known, bat rather infer the contrary, for gold and silver are easily melted out of their ore, but iron and brass not without difficulty and labor; wherefore, if they knew that which was most difficult, consequently they were no strangers to ,that of easy access. Now in the days of Adam and Tubal Cain, there were but few men in the world, so that there was more riches than they could possess; nor need they to have Looked for metals to exchange with, for all was in common without purchase.

It is plain then, that the first use {that man made of gold was not to traffic with; let us then enquire, what it was that made gold so precious, and so mucb admired. Certainly the world is in moat gross ignorance, inasmuch as there is not one who can tell what gold is good for; did nature make it only to look at, and to pass from one hand to another ? Can it only be seen and felt, and is there no other use for it ? Moses took more than ordinary notice of it, and knew its nature, and what it was good for; otherwise he had not been so curious, as so particularly to mention and praise it, ,as he has in Genesis, where speaking of the four rivers that came out of Eden, says " the name of the first is Bison, and is that which encompasses the land of Havilah, where there is gold, and the gold of that land is good". I ask now those ignorant enemies of divine and natural magic, if Moses was skilled in metals or not; if he was, and being so great and pious a man, how dare they condemn .that which teaches the knowledge of metals: if they say he was not skilled, his own writings will condemn them, for in this text, he not only says that gold is there, but that likewise the gold of that land is good; for my own part, I could wish he had said what it was good for, and where in the goodness consisted; but surely as to the skill of Moses, the scriptures bear him witness, that be was skilled in all the learning of the Egyptians; but if we will prove the skill of Moses out of his own practice, we need go no further than the golden calf, which by his skill he calcined and burnt to powder, and sprinkling it with water, gave it the Israelites to drink and so made an aurum portabile.

Surely gold is good for health, and was first used for that purpose, which made it so precious, though that use is not known in our days, yet we have been so fortunate as to see gold dissolved in certain water, and that water, together with the gold in a long decoction, congealed into little red stones like rubies, which when re-dissolved, and exalted by several multiplications, will show us what gold is good for, and why the first fathers of the world did so much esteem it, which continues to be highly valued to this day, though the principle cause why it was so esteemed originally, is not now known to the usurers. Gold by Ante-Diluvians was used for physic, and not for traffic; and its use as a medicine made it much desired and sought after, inasmuch, as it was not only necessary for the prolongation, but also preservation of life; for many learned and religious persons are of opinion, that Adam and the other patriarchs who lived before the flood, did excel in this kind of knowledge, and prolonged their lives many hundred years, with the use of this medicine, whose virtues all men admire, and place more esteem on it than on any other thing; and though the knowledge of the use and virtues of gold was lost in process of time, yet the custom of admiring and valuing it has remained, so that gold came to be accounted the most precious of all substances, and at last was appointed to be the price of all commodities, and to pass in exchange for all necessaries whatsoever.

I shall not now forbear to lay down the reasons which made Adam seek for a medicine in gold; though we have no books written by Adam out of which we may take these reasons, yet we have still the book of created nature, which was the only book Adam had to use, and therein is as much to be seen now as in the days of Adam, and those reasons which Adam therein saw, the same do we now see. Before the fall of Adam the elements of earth and water were much purer than they are now, and the influences that descended from Heaven were more abundant and more vigorous than they have been since; thus the fruits that were in paradise, and on which Adam fed, were without doubt of an heavenly complexion, there being in them such an abundance of light and brightness that they shone like the Sun and Moon, by whose influence they were produced; yea, even the ancient poets in their allegories tell as of the golden age, etc, by which pictures they mean nothing else but the great fertility before the fall, and without doubt the waters and dews then were considerably more luxurious and bright than they are now, from having much more of the heavenly influence and light in them, so that the fruits of paradise being nourished,with those bright, luxurious, and shining dews, did glisten and sparkle like the stars of heaven; for at that time man was not at variance with his God, wherefore God did most lovingly pour down his blessings in a much greater degree than the earth now does or would receive.