John Trapp on Psalms 8:3

Verſ. 3. When I conſider thy Heavens] And that men ſhould be much in this conſideration, both the bolt-upright figure of their bodies may moniſh them, and alſo that fifth Muſcle which God hath ſet in Mans eye (whereas other Creatures have but four) to draw it upward, Ut ejus auxilio coelum intueremur, ſaith the Anatomiſt, that by the help thereof we might conſider the Heavens. This,Columb. de re Anatom. l. 5. c. 9. thoſe Chriſtians that do not, ſhall have thoſe Heathens riſing up in Judgement againſt them. Anaxagoras Clazomenius, who uſed to ſay, that he was therefore born that he might contemplate the Heavens. And Ennius, who blameth Epicurus for that Dum palato quid ſit optimum judicaret, coeli palatium non ſuſpexerit, he did ſo purvey for his Palate, that he looked not up to Heavens Palace. Certain it is, that many men have ſo much to do upon Earth, that they cannot have while to caſt an eye towards Heaven, as the Duke of Alva told a great Prince, who asked him if he had taken notice of the laſt Eclips. That wonderful Globe of Silver ſent by King Ferdinand to Solyman the great Turk, lively expreſſing the wonderful motions,Turk. Hiſt. 71 and converſions of the Caeleſtial frame, the hourly paſſing of the Time, the Change and Full of the Moon, &c. was much more beheld and admired, than Heaven it ſelf is by moſt people. True it is, that that Globe was a moſt curious and ſtrange Piece of Work, deviſed and perfected by the moſt cunning Aſtronomers, for Maximilian the Emperour, whoſe noble minde never ſpared for any coſt to obtain things of rare and ſtrange deviſe. But what was all this to the Heavens? That

Work of Gods finger] That is, moſt elaborate and accurate; a Metaphor from Embroyderers, or from them that make Tapeſtry. Aben-Ezra's Note here is, Digiti ſunt decem, & ſphaera ſunt decem, As there are ten Fingers, ſo there are ten Spheres, &c.

The Moon and the Stars] No mention of the Sun, becauſe included in this word Heaven; wherein by Day the Sun is moſt conſpicuous, as by Night, the Moon and Stars.

VVhich thou haſt ordained] That was a witty ſpeech of Cyril, They were [non-Latin text not transcribed] Athieſts by Night, who worſhipped the Sun, and Atheiſts by Day, who worſhipped the Moon and Stars.