The third point worthy our consideration, is, _The Pitcher broken at the Fountain_. This must refer to something belonging to the vital faculty; it appears in sacred Scriptures, that the life of man consists in his blood; _For the life of all Flesh is in the Blood thereof_; and this most noble liquor of Life, hath a primary Seat or Fountain, where it is principally made, and from whence it is dispensed through the whole Body, and this Fountain is the Heart, _for out of it are the issues of life_. This part continually issueth out abundance of Blood, wherein is the life, to all the parts of the body.—This is a deep Fountain, it is the Fountain of Life, the first living, and last dying Part of Man. Within the Body of the Heart there are two firmly-divided Cavities, a right and left, called Ventricles; from these are certain vessels. Out of the right Ventricle, of the Heart, proceeds the great Vein, which sends forth Branches throughout the whole, and hath, at its entrance into the Heart, certain Portals, and also an Artery. Out of the left Ventricle proceeds a Vein, inserted into the Lungs, and also the great Artery, which disperseth its Branches throughout the whole Body, both whose Cavities are defended with the like Portals. How the blood passeth in and through these passages I have not time to describe, I wish I had. By the Pitcher, therefore, we must understand the true and proper concepticle of the Blood, namely, the Veins, which throughout the whole body, serve only as vessels to contain that noble liquor, and carry it back again to the Fountain. This is the Pitcher here intended. The Fountain is the right Ventricle of the Heart. But neither the Fountain nor Pitcher continues for ever; the Pitcher does not go so often to the Fountain but at last it comes home broken. The breaking of it in old age, is the failing of the Veins, their ceasing from their natural action and use; when they can no longer carry back, nor conveniently pass into the Heart that liquor, the blood they contain, it stops, it is stagnated, it dies in the Veins. This is _breaking the Pitcher at the Fountain_.