Kingdom was of another World and so extreamly contrary to all the designs and interest of the present World Metonymy of the Matter Metonymia Materiae when the very name of the matter signifies the very thing made and fashioned out of it thus Psal 115. 4. Their Idols are Silver and Gold Dan. 5. 4. They praised the Gods of Iron and Brass that is made out of those metals Gen. 3. 19. Dust thou art that is thou art formed out of it Psal 105. 18 He was laid in Iron that is in Chains of Iron Metonymy of the Effect Metonymy of the effect when the thing caused is put for the efficient Cause of it Gen. 4. 13. My Punishment says Cain is greater than I can bear that is my iniquity is greater than can be forgiven There punishment signifies the very sin it self as the immediate Consequence of it 2 Kings 4. 40. there is Death in the Pot meaning some most destructive and poisonous thing which causeth Death John 17. 3. And this is life Eternal that they may know Thee the only true God that is the Knowledge of God and his Son Jesus Christ is the principal Cause of everlasting Salvation to all that live suitably to those notices Luke 2. 30. My eyes have seen thy Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is our Saviour himself the Author of it So Gen. 49. 18. I have waited for thy Salvation that is the promised Messiah So Isai 49. 6. All flesh shall See the Salvation of God that is a Saviour Gen. 25. 13. Two Nations are in thy womb that is the Fathers of two Nations Esau and Jacob. Rom. 7. 7. Is the law sin saith our Apostle that is Is the Law it self the proper cause of Sin or Is there any such malignity in the very nature of it as produceth any such Effect 1 Cor. 10. 13. Let every one Please his Neighbour for Good to Edification that is so behave himself in all things of indifferency that such a deportment may be the cause of their good will and pleasure and purchase their favour and kind opinion of us So Rom. 15. 2. Metonymy of the Subject A Metonymy of the Subject when the Subject is made use of to signifie the accident or quality inherent in it Prov. 6. 32. whoso committeth Adultery with a woman wanteth a Heart that is wisdom and understanding so he that trusteth in his own heart i. e. in his own discretion and prudence Psal 7. 9. the heart is put for the thoughts and inclinations of it Psalm 62. 8. 142. 2. Continens pro Re contenta The thing containing for the very thing it self contained Luke 22. 17. He took the Cup and gave thanks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the cup is put for the liquor contained in it as is more plain from v. 18 I will not drink of the Fruit of the Vine Thus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Lord's Supper this cup is the N. Test in my blood not the vessel it self but the liquor in it The Place signifies the Thing or Person in that place The place serves to denote any thing in that place Matt. 8. 34. The Whole city went out to meet him Locus pro Incolis So Mark 1. 33. Isai 38. 18. The Grave cannot Praise thee they that are dead and buried are incapable of it Gen. 7. 1. Come thou and All thy house into the ark thou and all thy family Psal 69. 22. Let their Table be made a Snare to them that is Let their meats and drink prove dangerous to their health and happiness Wo unto thee Corazim wo unto thee Bethsaida So Matt. 10. 15. 3. 5. where the places signifie the inhabitants of them and those heavy judgments denounced against their impenitency and disobedience Luke 15. 18. I have sinned against Heaven that is God himself for altho' he is Omnipresent and so in all places of the World at the very same time yet if we can say God dwells any where we may more properly say he is in heaven The name of the things represented is sometimes used to express the sign of it thus Ezek. 7. 27. The Prince shall be Cloathed with Sadness and desolation that is with such garments as are the proper expressions or signs of mourning and lamentation Mark 14. 22. Jesus took Bread and blessed it and Brake it and gave it to his disciples saying Take eat This is my body where the Verb substantive is must not be taken in the strictest sence but there it must be expounded thus this Bread is representative of or signifies my Body broken being to you all a sensible sign or resemblance of it Wine is sometimes called Christ's Blood Matt. 26. 27 28. Our Saviour took the Cup and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it for this is my Blood which is a figurative expression Nomenrei signatae pro Signo and how very absurd is the Consequence if you suppose there is no Figure and that the words must be taken in their literal strictest sence For then the Article this referrs to the cup and so this cup is my blood which is such an Absurdity that to avoid such a plain Contradiction we must confess that nothing else can with any tolerable sence be there signified by those words but that the wine contained in the Cup represents or is a manifest sign of my blood And that this is a true and proper explication of the words is still more plain from the next Verse v. 29. where our Saviour assures his Disciples that although he commands them all to drink of it but says he I will drink no more of the Fruit of the vine where he himself plainly calls it wine immediately after he gave it to his Disciples although in vers 28. he calls it his blood But I referr you to a Treatise upon this Subject written by his Grace the Arch Bishop of Cant. where this absurd Doctrine of Transubstantion is sufficiently exposed Gen. 17. 10. This is my Covenant Every Male-child shall be circumcised where Circumcision the Sign or Condition of it is yet called the Covenant it self 1 Sam. 18. 7. Saul hath slain his Thousands and David his Ten thousands Metonymia Subjecti Dux pro Exercitu the Armies of these two Generals had done so Metonymy of the Adjunct Metonymy of the Adjunct when that which belongs to any thing serves to represent the thing it self thus They shall bring down my Gray-hairs with sorrow to the Grave that is me that now am Gray and old in years Gen. 31. 53. Jacob sware by the Fear of his father Isaac that is by the God whom Isaac feared 2 Kings 20. 1. Set thine house in order meaning his houshold affairs The time is put for things that are done or are in time My Times are in thy Hands that is my life and continuation of it is in thy Power John 12. 27. Save me from this hour that is from that Agony and Passion I must undergo
will your heart be also 2 Cor. 10. 18. St. Paul endeavouring to discourage the vanity of self-commendation leaves this sensible impression upon them as the best dissuasive from the practice of it for not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth Prov. 9. 17 18. Stolen waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant This is the insinuation of the adulterous woman concerning the high relish of her unlawfull pleasures but then see the conclusion of such unhappy satisfactions but he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depths of hell Eccles 7. 31. Lo only this have I found that God hath made man upright but they have sought out many inventions The only thing I fully apprehend after all my enquiries is this That God at first endowed man with a principle of right reason for his certain guide and direction to happiness but he lost this noble talent through sin which is the cause of all his vain thoughts and imaginations When our Blessed Saviour had performed many wonderfull Cures how do the People with one voice conspire in this Acclamation He hath done all things well he maketh both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak Mark 7. 37. EPANORTHOSIS Epanorthosis from a Greek word signifying to correct or amend When we are in a passion we are seldom satisfied with what we say or doe insomuch that we are apt to fansie our expressions are no ways equal to our thoughts and so we still add fresh and more words to correct as we think the insufficiency of the former Acts 26. 27. King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets I know that thou believest Does not our Apostle seem as it were to question the faith of King Agrippa as if he were not yet sufficiently convinced concerning the divine authority of the holy Scriptures but then St. Paul as if he was afraid of the incivility of the question does not scruple to say that there was the least reason to suspect the belief of King Agrippa and the insinuation of Saint Paul was very powerfull even almost to his very conversion Verse 28. then Agrippa said Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian And St. Paul said I would to God that not only thou but all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am except these bonds And what expression can be more Courtly more Genteel what more effectual to prevail upon their affections than thus to wish them in all respects like himself but not so miserable not so unhappy as to be under any confinement of Chains or imprisonment as he himself was at that time 1. Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me Observe here with what care and caution St. Paul distrusts his own natural strength and abilities as very unsufficient to his conversion and so presently corrects himself and ascribes it more especially to the influence and the conduct of divine Grace As if he had said Though I was not wanting to the best of my power to become a true Disciple of Christ yet must I freely say that my conversion is principally to be ascribed to another Cause for the Incitations of the will and the power and the occasions and the means to make use of it is derived from the inspirations of the holy Spirit which animates and gives life and vigour to all our thoughts and so disposeth us to repentance and amendment of life See 2 Cor. 3. 5. and Phil. 2. 13. Mark 9. 24 Lord I believe help thou my unbelief How does he reprehend himself as if it was almost a presumption in him to speak with so much confidence of his strength of faith even to our Saviour himself and therefore as if he were now diffident again and that his belief was imperfect and had some degree of weakness and infirmity he at last humbly implores the divine assistance to encrease and fill up the measure of his faith Lord help thou my unbelief 1 Cor. 7. 10. And unto the married I command yet not I but the Lord. He presently recolleâ—ts himself and assures his Corinthians that he gave them not these directions as a mere man but as an Apostle and a person of divine Inspiration and so not I but the Lord commandeth and this he said to give the more force and efficacy to their obedience of the Precept Luke 11. 27 28. A certain woman said unto him Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps that gave thee suck But he said Yea rather blessed are all they that hear the word of God and keep it As if our Saviour was sensible some might through a mistaken principle ascribe too much honour and respect to the blessed Virgin being the mother of our dear Lord and Saviour and therefore how does Christ himself most industriously give the preference to those who live and obey the precepts of the Gospel Yea rather blessed are they so that the moral birth of Jesus Christ in the soul is a greater blessedness than the natural birth of him was to the Virgin Mary to believe and obey him than to be the natural Mother of our Saviour So that Christ himself lays no great matter of stress or privilege upon such a relation but assures them in another place to anticipate all mistake upon such an opinion That he that lives in obedience to his Commands is equally dear and related to him without any distinction the same is my sister and father and mother Matt. 12. 49 50. APOSIOPESIS Aposiopesis a Greek word and I have more manners than to pretend to give you the derivation of it This Figure through some violent passion either of sorrow fear shame or anger obligeth us to break off our discourse and though we seem to conceal some part of it yet through the excess of passion we do but the more sensibly discover our resentments 1 Kings 217. And Jezebel his wife said unto him Dost thou now govern the Kingdom of Israel The words are spoken with a mighty emphasis and signify much more than is there expressed dost thou or art thou worthy of the name of a King thou that art so mean spirited as to grieve thy self upon this refusal of Naboth's Vineyard and where is thy princely power and authority Dost thou now govern the Kingdom of Israel is this any mark of thy regal Office is this a sign of thy indispensible power thus tamely to sit down thus to submit to such a denial Dost thou now govern Gen. 3. 22. And now lest be put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live for ever These words are spoken in a way of commination and punishment to Adam for his high disobedience to God's command and they imply thus much since thou hast been so rebellious against me I will now presently drive thee out of my
to us we might fansie there was some kind of truth in those impious and pernicious doctrines which tell us God design'd to make man to make him miserable even from all eternity but how unworthy are such notions of God who is infinite in goodness and mercy how contradictory to his loving-kindness to us Not willing that any should perish but that all should come and be saved Eph. 4. 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God where the Passion of sorrow is applied to the Holy Ghost as a personal act and cannot with any propriety be ascribed to a mere power or faculty as some fansie the Holy Spirit and not to be a real Person Grieve not then the Holy Ghost the third Person in the Blessed Trinity lest he withdraw his comfort his joy and consolation from your heart lest the blessed influence of his grace departeth from you as from an unpleasant conversation Gen. 6. 6. God is said to repent See also 1 Sam. 15. 11 29. Not that there is the least change or alteration in God but only in the object in the works of his hand which were once good but now are evil for God himself is unchangeable and always the same but 't is his eternal will and pleasure that wicked men should be miserable and good men happy either here in this world or at least in the world to come which always is accomplished in some respect or other though we are sometimes unable to make the discovery of it we cannot look into the hearts of men and there see their joys or their sorrows growing up in their minds and therefore how often do we make a false estimate of the condition of the ungodly man and fansie him to be at ease and quiet in his thoughts and to live with pleasure and satisfaction who upon reflection upon his past actions and upon expectation of death and judgment is often a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief full of trouble and anxiety and thinks himself unhappy and miserable even beyond all expression Thus when God is said to descend which implies a local motion a motion from one place into another yet the phrase by interpretation signifies that God did there reveal and manifest himself Gen. 11. 5. Gen. 18. 21. I will go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come to me and if not I will know here God himself discourseth as a man to his neighbour as if he was not a Being of infinite knowledge but did receive his notice and information of worldly affairs by a gradual course of thinking and observation and by farther enquiries into second causes Thus God suffers himself to be discribed like a Judge who repairs to the place where the matter in question was transacted that by his personal appearance he may more fully and easily assure himself of the innocence or the guilt of the accused person and one reason why God makes use of such a form of speaking is to certifie us that there is not always one event to the righteous and to the wicked but that he rewards or punisheth man according to the rules and equity of Justice and not with unadviseable rashness and indeliberation And the Lord called unto Adam and said Where art thou Not that this kind of question in the least signifies that God possibly could be ignorant where Adam was but this way of speaking is rather a formal citation or a summons to Adam who seems unwilling to come and appear before his offended God being extreamly conscious of his sin and guiltiness and of his fall from the happy state of innocence and now beholding a mighty train of miseries which were to follow him as a just retribution for his disobedience One of the Fathers is of opinion this expression Where art thou is rather a severe kind of reprehension to Adam as if God said to terrifie him more exceedingly From what grace and innocence art thou fallen Come then and appear before me Where art thou and behold Adam was afraid And God blessed them saying Be fruitfull and multiply and fill the waters in the seas and let the fowl multiply in the earth which kind of phrases denote nothing else but his divine appointment of the encrease of his Creatures in their kind for certainly you can never be so unkind to your own sence and reason as to fansie God speaks to his irrational Creatures as if they were capable to hear and obey his pleasure but God rather dictates to their proper natures and by natural instinct and inclinations he has given them power and virtue and efficacy to propagate and preserve their kind Isai 5. 6. I will command the clouds that they rain no more upon it and now who supposes that God himself presently sent strict orders to the Clouds to keep back their fall of waters for the expressian imports no more but this that God by the course of natural causes so disposeth things in heaven and earth that at such a time the Clouds of heaven should be void of water so that he orders second causes and the operations of them not according to the present exigency but by his infinite prospect into futurity he does antecedently so manage every thing that nothing falls out unexpectedly but according to his will and pleasure Psalm 18. 10. He rode upon a Cherub and did fly yea God did fly upon the wings of the wind which expression conveys to our mind a more sensible notion of speed God did not ride but fly even upon the very wings of the wind which is the highest degree of speedy motion that possibly can be describ'd to frame in us an Idea of his incredible swiftness And now because God is so indulgent to submit himself to our Capacities must we presently pretend to describe him according to the narrow proportions of man How does God baffle us how does he put us to silence when he is pleas'd to ask us questions beyond the compass of our knowledge Hath the rain a Father or who hath begotten the drops of dew Job 38. 28. that is Am not I the Lord and the Author of these and is there any one besides Job 38. 19. Where is the way where the light dwelleth and as for darkness where is the place thereof that is No man knows the particular points of the Sun 's rising or setting and now that God may make us still more sensible of our ignorance Hast thou says God entered into the springs of the seas or hast thou walked in the search of the depth that is Thou art perfectly a stranger to the whole course of nature Vers 22 23. Hast thou entred into the treasures of snow or hast thou seen the treasures of hail which I reserved against the time of trouble against the day of war and battle All which assure us that we are unacquainted with the secret cause and origin use and production of these things and