Ornaments of the Soul Nay whatever Apparel is light and vain and any ways administers to Lust or Pride or Wantonness is wholly to be laid aside as sinful and unlawful In the same Chapter of the forenamed Epistle to Timothy you read that Adam was not deceived but the Woman ver 14. We know that Adam was deceived but yet in a Comparative way of speaking he was not that is his Deception was not so gross and inexcusable as that of the Woman It is said of the faithful Patriarchs that they received not the Promise Heb. 11. 39. i. e. in comparison of what we have since received They received it not in the full extent else you cannot make sense of the following words God â—aving provided c. In the foresaid Chapter of St. Peter 't is said Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God ver 21. This not seems to be Exclusive and Negative and thence some have made use of this Text to null the sacred Ordinance of Baptism which in Contempt they call Water-Baptism But they err not knowing the Scriptures and particularly not attending to the sense of this place where not is no Absolute Negative but a Comparative Not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh i. e. not the Outward Baptism simply and only or not that in Comparison of the other viz. the Inward washing and purifying by the Spirit And many other places it is impossible to understand aright unless you make use of this Observation which I have here exemplified namely that a Comparison is commonly in Scripture express'd by an Antithesis or which is all one that a Negative is put for a Comparative In the next place I might observe to you that an Hendyadis is very usual in Scripture that is two things are put severally to signify but one as Let the Lights be in the Firmament for Signs and for Seasons Gen. 1. 14. i. e. as some Expositors think tho I am not satisfied about it Let them be for Signs of the Seasons And they who read Psal. 17. 13 14. thus Deliver my Soul from the Wicked by thy Sword from Men by thy Hand tell us here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sword and the Hand for a Sword handled or drawn as if the Psalmist called upon God here to be his Champion and to deliver him by fighting for him That in Mat. 3. 11. is of the nature of an Hendyadis for â—aptizing with the Holy Ghost and with Fire is the same with baptizing with the Holy Ghost who is as Fire and so here One thing is express'd as if it were Two Some think there is the same Figure in Iohn 3. 5. Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Water and the Spirit i. e. say they the Spirit that is like Water cleansing and purifying the Soul But I conceive it may be doubted whether this and the former way of speaking be the same for if Water in this place signifies Baptâ—sm as the Antients interpreted it then 't is not the same thing with the Spirit but distinct from it and consequently here are not two things put for one But doubtless there are in Mat. 24. 31. He shall send his Angels with a Trumpet and a great Sound i. e. with a Trumpet that hath a great Sound that makes a great Noise or as our Translators render it with a great Sound of a Trumpet To this way of speaking may be referr'd Iohn 11. 33. He groan'd in the Spirit and was troubled i. e. he groan'd in his troubled Spirit And of this kind is Acts 14. 13. The Priest of Jupiter brought Oxen and Garlands i. e. Oxen crown'd with Garlands as was usual when they sacrificed to Iupiter One thing is here intended tho 't is express'd by two To this Figure appertains Acts 15. 28. It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and to us that is to us directed moved and guided by the Holy Ghost I doubt not but an Hendyadis gives the best account of 1 Cor. 2. 4. My preaching was in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power i. e. of the Spirit who was Powerful and enabled me in an extraordinary manner to demonstrate the Truth of the Gospel and to convince Gainsayers and who also enabled me to work Miracles for the confirming of what I preached This is the same with Rom. 15. 19. the Power of the Spirit of God by which as he there tells us mighty Signs and Wonders were effected The like mode of Speech is observable in the Apostle's words in 1 Thess. 1. 5. Our Gospel came unto you in Power and in the Holy Ghost i. e. the Holy Ghost shew'd himself Powerful in the Apostles Preaching and Miracles Lastly under this Head may be rank'd Col. 2. 8. Philosophy and vain Deceit that is Philosophy which is both vain and deceitful To proceed a Prolepsis is another usual Figure in Scripture especially in the Old Testament Such is that in Gen. 4. 16. Cain went and dwelt in the Land of Nod where it seems to be implied that Nod was the Name of that place which he went to and that it was named so before he went to it whereas it is most probable that that Place was not call'd by that Name at that time for it had its Name of Nod given to it from Cain's going thither who was a Vagabond So there is a plain Prolepsis or Anticipation in Gen. 14. 7. They smote all the Country of the Amalekites tho at that time there were no Amalekites and therefore the Country could not be named from them In 1 Sam. 4. 1. it is said Israel pitched beside Eben-ezer but there was no place of that Name then for you will find it given afterwards Those words in Gen. 29. 20. Iacob served seven Years for Rachel are spoken Proleptically not as if he did not marry Rachel before the seven Years were expired We read in Gen. 35. 19. and ch 48. v. 7. that Rachel was buried in Bethlchem but it is well known that that was not the Name of the Place till after Moses So Hebron and some other Names of Cities are mention'd in the Pentateuch and yet the Names were not given till after Moses's Death In Ios. 4. 19. the Israelites are said to encamp in Gilgal but that place is called so by Anticipation for it had that Name afterwards ch 5. v. 9. And other Instances there are of this nature in the Book of Ioshuah the Names of several places mentioned in it are of a later Date than Ioshuah's time The Jews conjecture is very probable that Ezra after the Captivity when he collected the several parts of the Bible and set them in order left out some of the antient Names of Places and inserted some modern ones that is he added the Names of Places which were unknown and not used in the days of
nothing in Scripture that looks like Inconsistent and Contradictory Upon a diligent Search we shall discern a mutual Correspondence in the Stile Matter and Design of these Writings we shall find a happy Concurrence of Circumstances and an admirable Consistency in the Doctrines and Discourses in so much that we shall be forced to acknowledg that upon this single Consideration it is reasonable to believe that these Writings were endited by the Holy Spirit This Harmony then of the Scriptures I may justly reckon among the Inward Notes of the Truth of Scripture because it is adjoined to the Matter of it which is of the very Intrinsick Nature of it What Iustinian professes and promises concerning his Digests in his Preface to them that there is nothing Clashing and Contradictory in them but that they are all of a piece is true only of the Sacred Laws of the Evangelical Pandects which contain in them nothing Dissonant and Repugnant The Old and New Testament the Prophets and Apostles are consonant to themselves and to one another which is a great Argument of the Truth of them There is nothing in one Place of Scripture opposite to the true Meaning which the Holy Ghost hath revealed and asserted in another The Contents of the whole Book whether you look into the Doctrinal or Historical Part of it have nothing contradictory in them All the Authors of it agree in their Testimonies and assert the same thing and consent among themselves It is the Nature of Lies and Forgeries that they hang not together as Lactantius on the like Occasion hath observed Especially if you search very inquisitively and narrowly into them you will perceive that they are thin and slight and may easily be seen through But the Contents of these Writings have been diligently inquired into and with great Care and Industry examined by all sorts of Persons and yet they are found to be every ways Consistent with themselves and the Testimony of the Writers is known to be Concurrent and Agreeing All wise and curious Observers must needs grant that there is no Book under Heaven that parallels the Scriptures as to this Which shews that they are more than Humane Writings yea that they were Divinely inspired and dictated And this I take to be the Sense of St. Peter who assures us that no Prophecy of the Scripture is of private Interpretation He speaks of the first Rise of those Prophecies which are in Scripture they are from God they are not of private Interpretation they are not from Man's Invention they are not of his own Brain and Fancy but they are to be esteem'd to be as they are Divine and Heavenly Oracles Thus the Word of God is Witness to it self and stands in need of no others The Scripture is sufficiently proved by what is in it and is to be believed for its own sake Which made an antient Writer say We have compleat Demonstrations out of the Scriptures themselves and accordingly we are demonstratively assured by Faith concerning the Truth of the things therein delivered Which cannot be said of any humane Writings in the World for they carry no such Native Marks with them But the very Inward Notes of the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures create in us a certain and unshaken Belief They may be known from all other Writings whatsoever by the Excellent Transcendent and Divine Matter contained in them and by the peculiar Manner of delivering and publishing it These I call Internal Proofs because they are taken from the Books themselves because they are something that we find there These assure us that they were written not by Man but by God There is yet another Internal Testimony I call it so because it is within Vs though not in the Scriptures As I have shewed you that the Holy Spirit speaks in the Scriptures and bears Testimony to the Truth of them so now I add that this Spirit speaks in Vs and works in our Hearts a Perswasion that the Scriptures are the Word of God By this Spirit we are enabled to discern the Voice of the same Spirit and of Christ in those Writings This witnessing Power of the Spirit in the Souls of Believers is asserted in Acts 5. 32. 15. 7 8. and in 1 Iohn 5. 6. From these Places it is clear that there is an Illumination of the Spirit joining with our Consciences and Perswasions and this Spirit powerfully convinces all Believers of the Truth of the Scriptures This Testimony follows immediately on our setting before us the Inward Excellencies of the Scripture as I have represented them for God makes use of those Evidences and Arguments to beget a Belief in us of the Divine Authority of Scripture The Spirit enlightens and convinces Mens Minds by those Means but more especially he urges these Evidences on the Hearts of the Religious and Faithful and thereby brings them to a firm Perswasion of the Scriptures being the Word of God This is no Enthusiasm because it is discovered to us by proper Means and Instruments whereas that is without any and is generally accompanied with the despising of them But the Evidences and Notes in the Scripture are the Reasons and Motives of our Belief only the Holy Spirit comes and prepares and sanctifies our Minds and illuminates our Consciences and causes those Arguments and Motives to make Impression upon us and effectually to prevail with us and to silence all Objections to the contrary Thus the Truth of Scripture is attested by the Holy Spirit witnessing in us But when I say the Testimony of the Spirit is a Proof of the Truth of the Scripture I must adjoin this that this Proof serves only for those that have this Spirit it may establish them but it cannot convince others No other Man can be brought to be perswaded of the Truth of those Sacred Writings by the Spirit 's convincing me of the Truth of them Besides this Proof is not in all that really believe the Truth of these Books some may be convinced of the Truth of them without this but where this is it is most Powerful and Convictive and surpasses all other degreâ— of Perswasion whatsoever There is no such câ—tain knowledg of the Truth of these Holy Wâ— tings as by the Testimony of the Sacred Spirit 〈◊〉 the Hearts of Men produced there in a ration â— way and in such a manner as is most sutable 〈◊〉 our Faculties CHAP. II. External Proofs of the Truth of the Holy Scriptureâ— Viz. the wonderful Preservation of them and Vniversal Tradition Which latter is defended against the Objections of those that talk of a New Character wherein the Old Testament is written Thâ— Iewish Masoreth attests the Authority of these Writings The Hebrew Text is not corrupted The Points or Vowels were coexistent with the Letters F. Simon 's Notion of Abbreviating the Historicâ—â— Books of the Old Testament rejected The New Tement vouched by the unanimous Suffrage of the Primitive Church The
to King Ptolomee by the foresaid Demetrius a very serious Man and it was assigned as a Reason why the Contents of these Sacred Writings which were so Divine and Admirable were but rarely mention'd by the Historians and Poets These Examples had struck a terrour into some of them having heard how some Prophaners of these Holy Things were Animadverted upon by a Divine Hand they were afraid to Record any passages in the Old Testament Therefore some of them chose rather to disguise the Sacred Stories and to stuff them with Fabulous Narrations that they might scarcely be known to have been borrowed from that Holy Book Lastly the Devil hath a design in all this Tertâ—lian's Words are remarkable when he had said that the Things which are contrary to Truth i. e. the Heathen Fables Rites and Usages are made out of the Truth i. e. the Holy Scriptures he further adds that this Imitating of the Truth is wrought by the Spirits of Error that is the Devils who affect sometimes to Ape God and what he doth This is most apparent that they are a Mimical fort of Creatures and shew themselves sometimes diligent Emulators of the most Holy Pâ—rsons and Things Their great Subtilty and Craft are to be discern'd here for when they brought the Hebreâ— Rites and Ceremonies of Gods own appointment into the 〈◊〉 Worship and Service they did this to Prophane them and â—o make them contemptible and ridiculous They did it that those Divine and Sacred Things might be despised and that they might be turn'd into Superstition and Idolatry So likewise they cunningly mixed something of sacred Truth with Fables that thereby they might make the things that are True to be suspected Satban is desirous to pervert and even erase the whole Sacred Scripture and Antient Truth but because he sees he cannot effect this he therefore contrives how he may disguise the Scripture-Stories he sets the Poets to work to make them into Fables and thinks by that means to take off our Esteem of those Inspired Writings and to diminish that Credit which we ought to give to those Sacred Truths He pushed on those Grecian Wits to obscure and deface the Old Names in Scripture that the Original of them might not be known He out of direct malice moved those fanciful Men to invent Fables to defame the Primitive Stories to blemish the Sacred History to obscure and pervert the Truth The Poets turning the Scriptures into Fabulous Narrations was the way to invalidate the Testimony of them and to make them seem a meer Poetick Fiction a Dream a Fansie that hath no real bottom It is no wonder then that the Devil imped their Fancies and assisted their Inventions and help'd them to change the Truth into a Lie that thereby he might rob God and the Scripture of their Honour This I say might be a device of that Evil Spirit as he hath Devices and Wiles of all sorts to elude the Authority of Sacred History and to take away the Credit of Divine Truth Again as that Crasty Spirit designs by this means to disparage yea to null the Truth so he thinks hereby to gain assent to Falshood and to promote the greatest Impiety imaginable for when Truth is mixed with Falshood he hopes that this latter will be entertain'd for the sake of the former And when Lewd and Vitious Practices are founded in those that are Innocent and Religious he expects that these should justifie those Perhaps when he added the Sacred Ceremonies of the Iews to the prophane Worship of the Gentiles he thought thereby to take away the difference between them and to render them alike so that Men should not be able to distinguish between a True and False way of Worship Thirdly the Devil's Design in introducing several Sacred rites and Customs into the practice of the Heathens was to conciliate to himself a greater Authority and Esteem a greater Glory and Repute among them He commends those things to the Pagans which were Religiously used and even by God's own People and prescrib'd by God himself this he doth to inveigle the Pagan World and to bring them to Admire and Worship him Wherefore an Answer may easily be return'd to that Objection of a late Learned Writer What advantage can the Devil have by his imitating the Divine Worship He ever Acts for some end that may be prositable to himself but how can this prove so seeing it would be more advantageous to him to institute a Worship and Ceremonies that are Diametnically contrary to those in the Divine Law that by those as by so many proper and peculiar Characters his Herd might be distinguished from the Flock of the Shepherd of Israel The Answer I say to this is very easie and obvious for there can be nothing more Advantageous to that Evil Spirit than his emulating of Divine Worship and appointing Ceremonies suitable to it for by this means his Kingdom is most sensibly advanced and that with the greatest Artifice and Craft imaginable because this Vile Fiend is Adored even whilst the Divine Worship of the True God seems to be earried on It was the Subtilty of this Great Mimick to approach as near to God and True Religion as he could to make use of those things which by God's own express Command were used in his Worship This is a cunning way of gaining Proselytes and increasing the number of his Worshippers Thus he Acts for some End and that a very Profitable one too certainly much more Profitable to him than if he had Instituted Proper and Peculiar Ceremonies of Worship for these would too palpably have distinguish'd his Herd from the True Flock whereas those bring them into a kind of Rivalty with it Besides this fond Emulation in the Devil is a gratifying of his first Proud Inclination and aspiring to be like God He is still Ambitious of Divine Honour otherwise certainly he would not have desired to be Worship'd by the Son of God himself And he would be Worshipp'd in the same way that God is with the same Signs and Badges of Adoration Hence most of those Sacred Rites enjoyned by God himself and made use of in his Worship by the Iewish Church were transferred by Sathan to his Idolatrous and Impious Worship This is the effect of his Haughty Spirit which thirsteth after Divine Honour even such as is given to the only True God Thus I have amply shew'd you how it came to pass that the Rites and Practices and the greatest Truths contained in the Holy Scripture were corrupted disguised misapplied and abused by the Pagans I have given you the Reasons and Arguments which may convince you of this and render you an account of the manner of it CHAP. IX The Author's Assertions Confirmed by the ample Suffrage of the Ancients and Moderns Consectaries drawn from the whole viz. That we cannot with any shew of Reason admit of the Opinion of those who hold that the Jews borrow'd all or most of
in the next Clause by the Inspiration of the Almighty So David in Spirit Mat. 22. 43. is David Inspired I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Flesh Acts 2. 17. taken from Ioel 2. 28. i. e. I will bestow the Gift of Prophecy and Revealing of Mysteries upon them for of This it is principally understood as you may learn from the following words Your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesy and ver 18. On my Servants and on my Hand-maids I will pour out of my Spirit and they shall prophesy So in Rev. 1. 10. I was in the Spirit is as much as if he had said I had great Revelations imparted to me Thirdly The Dispensation and Preaching of the Gospel especially as it is opposed to the Law and as it contains the more hidden Mysteries of Christianity in it is stiled the Spirit Thus the Evangelical Preachers are call'd Ministers not of the Letter but Spirit 2 Cor. 3 6. i. e. not of the Law but of the Gospel not of mere Externals of Religion but of the Inward and Hidden Secrets of it Fourthly The Spiritual meaning of what Christ speaketh is call'd by this Name as in Iohn 6. 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing the Words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life As if he had said you must not understand me in a gross and carnal sense when I tell you that you must eat my Flesh and drink my Blood ver 53 54. My meaning is not that you should turn Canibals and feed upon Man's Flesh. No this Eating and Drinking which I have spoken of to you are to be interpreted in a Spiritual Sense and in no other My Words have an Abstruse and Mystical meaning I am Spiritually to be Eaten and Drunk that is by a Lively Faith only It is the Spirit that quickeneth that enliveneth that which is comprehended in the Spiritual import of my Words is the thing that is most Active and Powerful in Religion and in the Lives of Men. Fifthly By Spirit is meant the Person that is Inspired 1 Iohn 4. 2. Every Spirit that confesseth that Iesus is come in the Flesh is of God Nay Sixthly He that pretends to the Spirit but really is not inspired by the Holy Ghost is thus called as in the next Verse Every Spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh is not of God and in the first Verse of that Chapter Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits i. e. Teachers that pretend to the Spirit and Inspiration who are call'd False Prophets in the same place and Seducing Spirits 1 Tim. 4. 1. Therefore discerning of Spirits 1 Cor. 12. 10. was that Gift in the Church whereby they knew who were truly Inspired and who not who were True and who False Prophets And as the Persons pretending to immediate Discoveries from the Spirit are thus stiled so the â—eigned Discoveries or Revelations themselves which they boast of are called Spirit 2 Thess. 2. 2. Seventhly The word Spirit in Scripture is meant of the Soul of Man and its different Functions Operations Dispositions Inclinations and in short the whole Frame and State of it 1. I say that Distinct Part of Man which is call'd his Soul hath the Denomination of Spirit and that very justly because it is a Spiritual or Immaterial Being Into thy Hands I commit my Spirit saith the Psalmist Psal. 31. 5. i. e. I trust thee with my Soul It is call'd the Spirit of a Man Prov. 18. 14. ch 20. 27. Eccles. 3. 21. This is the Spirit that shall return to God Eccles. 12. 7. Wherefore this was the Language of our dying Saviour Into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Luke 23. 46. and of that expiring Martyr Acts 7. 59. Lord Iesus receive my Spirit The Souls of the Saints are stiled the Spirits of just Men made perfect Heb. 12. 23. and those of the Wicked the Spirits in Prison 1 Pet. 3. 19. And hither is to be referr'd that of St. Iames ch 2. 26. the Body without the Spirit i. e. without the Soul is dead 2. The Vital Principle which is the immediate Operation of the Soul is termed the Spirit the Spirit of Life Gen. 7. 22. especially the more Active and Vigorous Operation of the Soul and Body is so called Iosh. 5. 1. Nor was there Spirit in them Whence you read of the reviving and coming again of the Spirit Gen. 45. 27. Judg. 15. 19. and of the Spirits being refreshed 2 Cor. 7. 13. and giving Spirit i. e. Life to the Image of the Beast Rev. 13. 15. 3. The Vnderstanding is often call'd the Spirit and the Spirit of the Mind and when you read of Soul and Spirit this latter generally denoteth the Intellectual and Rational Part of Man and the more exalted and refined Operations of it as it respects Religion Luke 1. 47. 1 Thess. 5. 23. Heb. 4. 12. 4. That Function of the Rational Soul which is called Conscience hath this Name A wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18. 14. The Spirit i. e. the Third Person in the Sacred Trinity beareth witness with our Spirit that is with our Consciences Rom. 8. 16. 5. The Will and Affections are commonly set forth by this Expression Thus you read of ruling the Spirit Prov. 16. 32. that is subduing and well-ordering Those Faculties of the Mind especially You read of a New Spirit Ezek. 11. 19. ch 18. 31. of a contrite and broken Spirit Psal. 34. 18. Psal. 51. 17. a right Spirit Psal. 51. 10. which are principally meant of the Will the Passions and Desires of the Soul And another Spirit Numb 14. 24. may be understood in this Sense as well as in that above-mention'd In the New Testament our Saviour pronounceth those Blessed that are poor in Spirit Matth. 5. 3. He tells us that we must worship the Father in Spirit John 4. 23. St. Paul professeth that he served God with his Spirit Rom. 1. 9. and exhorts us all to be servent in Spirit Rom. 12. 11. In all which Places the word Spirit signifies either the Will or the Hearty Affections of the Soul or both of them 6. In a more general way it signifies the Nature and Temper of a Man Ye know not of what Spirit ye are Luke 9. 55. And this Large and General Acception of the Word is very usual in the Holy Stile 7. More particularly and especially it denotes an Effectual and Operative Inclination Power and Ability to some particular Good or Evil Whence you read of the Spirit of Knowledg Vnderstanding Wisdom of Meekness of Fear and on the contrary of the Spirit of Slumber of Whoredoms of Antichrist and of a perverse Spirit 8. The Rational and Regenerate Part of Man is emphatically stiled the Spirit and is opposed to the Flesh which is the Sensual and Unregenerate Part of Man The Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak Matth. 26.
41. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit John 3. 6. The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh Gal. 5. 7. This is the frequent Acception of the Word in the New Testament Yea 9. Not only the Holy and Godly Nature the Renewed Disposition and Temper but even that which is Unholy and Ungodly the Old and Unregenerate Principle of Man is also known by this Name The Spirit saith St. Iames that dwelleth in us lusteth to Envy ch 4. 5. where by Spirit is meant the Sensual and Carnal Part of Man And so before we took notice of the Spirit of Slumber of Whoredoms and the like Thus much of the word Spirit as it hath reference to the Soul of Man and its Faculties Only I will add this that this Word applied either to the good or evil Operations of the Mind signifies to us the Reality and Efficacy of them and represents their great Vehemency for they proceed from the Spirit of Man which is vigorous and active Though this Word likewise may refer to the Original and Source of these Actions for there is in Men a Double Spirit a Good and an Evil one the Spirit of the World and the Spirit which is of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. Hence in the Stile of Scripture good and evil Actions are frequently attributed to some Spirit for they are Results either of the Good or Evil one that inhabits in them Eighthly Angels both good and bad are signified by this Word First the Good ones Heb. 1. 7. He maketh his Angels Spirits which is taken from Psal. 104. 4. Are they not all ministring Spirits Heb. 1. 14. Secondly the Evil ones who in the Old Testament are call'd Evil Spirits and Lying Spirits and in the New Testament Vnclean Foul Familiar Spirits Spirits of Divination Rejoice not saith our Saviour that the Spirits i. e. the Devils as appears from ver 17. are subject unto you Luke 10. 20. The Spirit that worketh in the Children of Disobedience Eph. 2. 2. is no other than Satan I question not but that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Eph. 6. 12. are no other than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirits of Wickedness which are said to be in high or Heavenly Places because these Wicked Spirits are so hardy as to encounter often with the Good Angels they labour to wrest the Souls of the Faithful out of their Hands whilst they are conducting them through the Ethereal Regions to the Mansions of Glory in the highest Heavens And if they have the Confidence to grapple with those Blessed Spirits certainly they will not fail to assault Us weak and sinful Creatures Wherefore as the Apostle adjoins in this Place we must take unto us the whole Armour of God that we may be able to wrestle against these spiritual Wickednesses or rather wicked Spirits So in Rev. 16. 14. Spirits of Devils are as much as Devilish Spirits or Evil Angels Ninthly The same Word is used to express an Apparition or Seeming Shape of a Body without real Corporeity as in Luke 24. 37. They supposed they had seen a Spirit They had a Notion of a Spirit 's appearing though as a Spiâ—it it was impossible to be seen of it self for being void of Matter and Quantity it could not be the Object of the Bodily Senses which true Account of a Real Spirit our Saviour gives them in these Words A Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones ver 39. i. e. it hath nothing Corporeal belonging to its Nature and Essence Which brings me to the next the Tenth Acception of the Word and that is this it signifies a Spiritual Immaterial Substance wholly devoid of all Matter John 4. 24. God is a Spirit i. e. he is a Substance in which there is nothing of Body or Quantity he is an Intelligent and Thinking Being which high Privilege and Excellency no Material thing is capable of Lastly A Breath a Wind a Blast are synonimous with Spirit in the Holy Stile as in Eccles. 11. 5. Thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit i. e. of the Wind as is evident from the former Verse where the word Ruach is so â—endred And in Ezek. 37. 9. the four Spirits or Winds are the same and so the word is used twice more in that Verse Thus 't is in the New Testament in Iohn 3. 8. The Wind bloweth where it listeth The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is generally translated Spirit in the New Testament is here translated Wind and that very rightly according to the Interpretation of several of the Antient Fathers Particularly the Air the Wind or Breath which is drawn in and sent forth by the Lungs hath this Denomination Thus in Iob 34. 14. Spirit and Breath are the same And those Words in Iohn 19. 30. He gave up the Ghost or Spirit are expressed thus in another Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he expired he yielded up his Breath Luke 23. 46. To this refers 2. Thess. 2. 8. Whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit i. e. the Breath of his Mouth which is the same with Isa. 11. 4. With the Breath of his Mouth shall he stay the Wicked To conclude the three Words in the three Learned Languages for Spirit signify Wind or Breath and that in the first and original Sense of them This alone is the Proper Signification of the Word but as for all the other Acceptions of it before-mentioned they are secondary and improrper The word Spirit is improperly applied to the Person and to the Gifts or Graces of the Holy Ghost it is improperly attributed to the Souls of Men and their Faculties and Operations it is improperly spoken of Angels or Devils or of any of those other things â—fore-named except the last But these are the Different Acceptions of the Word in the Sacred Writings according to that Observation which I have made of it at several times and perhaps there are some Other Denotations of this Word which I have not taken notice of I instanced in This whereas I might have instanced in many more to let you see how Large and Extensive the Meaning of some Words in Scripture is and thereby to give you some Account of the Difficulty and Perplexity of the Holy Stile in some Places which yet you see we may render very intelligible and plain by a diligent Enquiry into and Comparing those Places where these dubious Words occur But still to give you a farther Account of the Different Acceptions of Terms I could sufficiently prosecute this tho I confin'd my self to the Hebrew Words of the Old Testament It would most fully appear that the same words in this Holy Volume signify Different things I shall only propound the several Particulars and leave them to be distinctly applied upon occasion by those that have leisure to do it It is well known that Vau is a Conjunction Copulative but it is of other Use in several Places which indeed is common to it
and went after Strange Gods and Strange Women And we never read in Scripture that he repented either of his Idolatry or his Whoredoms Is it likely that this Gross Apostate was inspired by the Holy Ghost Is it probahle that he had the Honour of being one of the Penmen of Sacred Writ Answ. It is true Solomon was as great a Reproach to the True Religion as ever any Person was if we consider all his Circumstances His Sins were of a very High Nature his Faults were most Heinous and Scandalous and that Man is half guilty of them that endeavours to excuse them A most provoking Crime it was in him that had been so highly favour'd of God to give himself up to his Lusts a most horrid Offence it was even in his old Age in the close of his Life as if now his Years had made him Decrepid and Idolatrous too to bow down to Idols But shall we think that Solomon bowed so low that he could not rise again that he fell and never recovered himself I confess no meaner a Man than St. Augustin seems to be of this Opinion This Hard Father of Infants was as harsh against Solomon pronouncing him a Person wholly cast out of God's Favour and never received to Mercy again and some Other Fathers as St Cyprian and Prosper question his Salvation Bellarmin and Pererius positively conclude he was damned but then we find three others of that Communion and of the same Order peremptorily asserting the contrary Maldonate declares he doth not know what to determine Of which Mind it seems was that Archbishop of Toledo who â—aus'd King Solomon to be painted on the Walls of his Chappel half in Hell and half in Heaven But to wave the Opinions and Censures of Particular Persons at present it is generally the Judgment of the Christian Church that Solomon repented and was saved And there are such Reasons as these to induce us to believe it 1. There is no absolute concluding from the Greatness of his Sins that he repented not and that he was damned for we are assured that King Manasseâ— was a Greater Sinner than ever he was for unto all manner of Idolatry he added the Diabolical Practices of Witchcraft and Inchantment 2 Chron. 33. 3 c. and yet his hearty Repentance and Turning unto God are recorded v. 12 13 19. Yea David Solomon's own Parent was a very Heinous Criminal if the Sins of Studied Murder which we do not find his Son guilty of and Adultery could make him such and yet such was the Divine Goodness that upon his humble Acknowledgment of these Crimes and reforming his Ways he was acquitted of these Offences And why may not the same Mercy be shew'd to the Son and what ground have we to exclude him from partaking of it upon his unfeigned Repentance 2. That he did repent and was saved may be gather'd from 2 Chron. 11. 17. where the walking in the Way of David and Solomon is mention'd as walking Holily and so as is Acceptable to God Upon which Passage a Judicious Writer hath these Words This very Place and Passage saith he may resolve that Solomon was no more finally cast away for his Idolatry than David was for his Adultery and Murder We see that David and Solomon are here joined together their way of Walking is represented as the same as much as to tell us that as David was a Man after God's own Heart excepting the Murder of Vriah and Debauching his Wife so was his Son Solomon excepting the latter Part of his Life 3. Solomon's Book of Ecclesiastes as hath been suggested already is a plain Testimony of his Repentance Here he bewails his former Follies here he makes a Publick Retractation of them and doth as it were Penance for them before all the World We may therefore sâ—fely vote him a True Penitent a Real Convert at last and now a Saint in Heaven 4. In express Words according to the Septuagint his Repentance is recorded Prov. 24. 32. Afterwards or at last I repented Or if this Version be not admitted and although we cannot produce an Express Text though that is not necessary for it is not any where recorded that Lot repented of his Incest or that some Others whose Salvation we question not were heartily sorry for their Miscarriages yet there is ground to believe his Conversion not only from what hath been said but from what we are able further to alledg 5. Therefore we must consider that this Inspired Secretary of the Holy Spirit was of the Number of the Prophets concerning whom our Infallible Teacher saith that they are all in the Kingdom of God Luke 13. 28. It is not to be question'd but that those Prophets who were made use of by God in so Extraordinary a manner as to be Sacred Writers of the Bible were all admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven and are placed in the Mansions of Glory Besides such Persons as these who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost are pronounced Holy Men of God by St. Peter 2 Ep ch 1. v. 21. None had that Honour but those who were of Real Saâ—ctity i. e. the Prophecy of Scripture which he speaks of in that place was vouchsafed to none but such And therefore though Solomon's Repentance be not expresly recorded yet when we know that he was one of the most Eminent Penmen of the Sacred Scripture we have Reason to think that notwithstanding God suffer'd him for a time to fall into those scandalous Sins yet he return'd afterwards to him by unfeigned Repentance and was Renewed and Reformed and died a Holy and Righteous Person 6. This is evident from that Promise which God made to Solomon 2 Sam. 7. 15. My Mercy shall not depart away from him Which is commented upon by the wise Son of Sirach speaking of this King's Follies and Extravagancies and the sad Events of them The Lord saith he will never leave off his Mercy neither shall any of his Works perish neither will he abolish the Posterity of his Elect and the Seed of him that loveth him he will not take away Ecclesiastic 47. 22. Whence we may rationally gather that Solomon was not cast off by God but still continued in his Favour Some argue from his Name Agur which they say implies his former Failings and his being Reclaimed Others think his Name Iedidiah Beloved of the Lord is a good Intimation that he became a True Penitent and was saved And some conceive that because he was a Type of the Blessed Iesus he could not miscarry But whether these have any Weight or no I am confident no considerate Person can deny the Force of the Reasons before alledged We may from them alone conclude that Solomon was not finally rejected by God yea that he was upon his hearty Repentance received into Favour and is now in the Number of the Blessed And this was the Judgment of those Antient and Learned Writers of the Church
are to understand their Stomachs and whole Bodies and by nourishing them is meant feeding and pampering of them The Apostle rebukes the Gluttony and Intemperance of the Voluptuous Men of that Age who made every Day a Day of Slaughter a Day of Feasting and Revelling I could parallel this with a Passage in the Old Testament where leb hath the same ambiguous Signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comfort ye your Hearts Gen. 18. 5. which is spoken of Abraham's entertaining the Angels and refers to the Morsel of Bread there mention'd for so he was pleas'd to call his Generous Provision which he made for his Guests Stay saith he support sustain for so the word sagnad signifies your Stomachs and thereby refresh and comfort your Hearts with this Entertainment So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in an equivocal Sense by Homer on the like occasion for speaking of Mercury's being entertain'd by Calypso he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He supp'd and stay'd his Heart or his Stomach with Meat Thence Bread is call'd Mishgnan fulcrum sustentaculum Iâ—a 3. 1. a Stay a Staff And among the Old Hebrews Segnudah i. e. fulcimentum was a Dinner and so Food among us is known by the vulgar Name of Sustenance I hope that from all these things which I have alledged the Critical Notion which I offer'd is made very plain and obvious And in several other Instances I could make it good that there are those Peculiar Graces of Speech in the Sacred Writings which the most Exquisite Translations cannot fully reach I will particularly instance in one sort which are usually call'd Paranomasia's i. e. Elegant Allusions and Cadences of Words Thus there is a clear Allusion to Iapheth's Name in Gen. 9. 27. Iapht lejepheth There are no less than three of these in one Verse Gen. 11. 3. Nilbenah lebenim nisrephah lisrephah hachemar lachomer In Gen. 49. there are several of these Verbal Allusions as Iehudah joduka v. 8. Dan jadin v. 16. Gad gedud jegudennu v. 19. which are plain References to the Names of Iudah Dan and Gad. There is a Paranomasia in the word Chamor Judg. 15. 16. which signifies both an Ass and a Heap but this is quite lost in our Translation Heaps upon Heaps with the Iaw-bone of an Ass. The Mount of Olives is in way of Contempt call'd the Mount of Corruption Mashchith 2 Kings 23. 13. alluding to Mishchah anointing for which the Oil of Olives was serviceable In Psal. 39. 11. the Pâ—almist alludes to the Names of Adam and Abel when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Adam is Abel or every Man is Vanity And Selah is here added to denote the Emphatick Elegancy of this Passage And again Psal. 144. 4. Adam is like Abel We render the Hebrew right enough Man is like Vanity but then the Nominal Allusion is not express'd There is a great Number of Paranomasia's in Isaiah as in ch 1. v. 23. Sare sorerim the Princes are rebellious Ch. 5. v. 7. he looked for Mishphat Iudgment but behold Mishpah Oppression for Tzedekah Righteousness but behold Tzegnakah a Cry Four of these pleasant Cadences you meet with together in ch 24. v. 3 4. Hibbok tibbok hibboz tibboz dibber dabar oblab noblah Ch. 32. v. 7. Chelai chelav the Instruments of the Churl Some observe the Likeness of Sound in the Hebrew Words for Bridegroom and decketh himself and for Bride and Iewels ch 61. v. 10. We may observe in Ier. 6. 1. a plain Allusion to the word Tekoah in the Word preceding it A remarkable Cadence is to be taken notice of in Mic. 1. 14. the Houses of Aczib the Name of a Place shall be Aczab a Lie and the Learned Dr. Pocock observes that the Prophet in the next Verses hath Allusions to the Names of those other Cities Mareshah and Adullam in what he there saith of them The like you find in Zeph. 2. 4. where the Destruction of Gaza and Ekron is foretold but there are no Footsteps of it in the Translation The last Place I will mention in the Old Testament is Zech. 9. 3. Tyre built her self a strong-hold Tzor built her self Matzor This way of speaking is used also in the New Testament by our Saviour and his Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Wind bloweth where it listeth so is every one that is born 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Spirit John 3. 8. The same Word signifying Wind and Spirit Christ takes occasion thence to speak after this Allusive Manner which no Translation can express So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 16. 18. cannot be discern'd in the English Translation St. Paul hath several Verbal Likenesses in his Epistles as 1 Cor. 0. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philein v. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess. 3. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Henry Stephens hath express'd by the like Paranomasy in Latin â—iâ—il agentes sed curiosè satagentes And several others of this kind there are in this Apostle's Writings which are more commonly taken notice of and therefore I omit them Grotius and some others think there are Allusions to the Names of the Seven Asiatick Churches in the things that are said of them in the Epistles to them Rev. 2d and 3d Chapters but perhaps that is too fanciful This we are certain of that this Mode of Speech was not unusual among the Oriental Writers and so 't is no wonder that it occurs sometimes in the Holy Scripture Even among some of the best Roman Authors this is no unfrequent thing thus Verres the Avaritious and Extorting Pretor of Sicily is by Tully call'd Verrens Sweep-all And many such Verbal Iests this Grave Pleader hath in his Orations and other Parts of his Writings which shews it was thought to be a Pulchritude in their Stile So Martial plaid upon the idle Mariners Non nautas puto sed vos Argonautas Horace begins his Epistle to one Albius a Patron of his thus Albi nostrorum sermonum candide judex Alluding in that Epithet to his Name and he hath several other of these Charientisms Which we cannot but sometimes observe likewise in other Antient Writers of good Account But that which I remark at present is that even the Sacred and Inspired Stile disdains not this manner of speaking which none are capable of taking notice of but those that have some Knowledg of the Original Languages in which the Sacred Text is writ And in several other Particulars it were easy to shew the Gracefulness of the Holy Stile and that singular Turn and Peculiar Air in the Original which cannot be express'd in the Translation There are many Words Phrases and Sentences which must lose a great deal of their native Weight and Spirit by being done into another Language Therefore on this as well as on the other Accounts before-named we must be very Considerate and Attentive when we read this Divine Book Thirdly There must