AN ANT HR 0 P 0 PATH Y: Book I. in their Books fuch Perfons, Things, and memorable Actions, which they would re– member. '!'he BOOK of God's Providence, generally conudered, concerns every Creature, as Pfal. cxxxix. 16. To thiS belongs the Book of Life, out of which Death is to be blotted, which we find mentioned, Exod. xxxii. 32, 33· compared with Verfe IO. Numb. xi. 5· And fometimes more fpecially it concerns the Cht1rch and Believers, Pfa/. lvi. 8, 9 . Mal. iii. 16. '!'he Book of Life, fa often mentioned in Scripture, as Ifa. iv. 3· Dan. xii. 1. Pfc.l. lxix. 28, 29. Phi/. iv. 3· Luke x. 20. Rev. iii. 5· xiii. 8. xvii, S. xx. I 2, IS· and 21. ult. is nothmg elle but the fingular Knowledge God has of fuch as fhall be faved, of which fee 2 'I'im. ii. •9· The Lord knoweth them that are his, &c. Or as it were, a Catalogue which God keeps of thofe who by Faith in Chrifl: are elected to everlafl:inD' Life. In the V1fion of Daniel, Chap. vii. IO. and John, Rev. xx. I 2. we find Book~ of Judgmenr mentioned, by which that Divine and mofl: exact Knowledge of Men's Deeds and Words are fymbolicaily denoted. And•whereas the Scripture ufes a plural Expreflion. Jerome and others do underfl:and that there are two Books of Judgment, one for Be/ievtrs, the other for U11be/iewrs, for the World is wont to be difl:inO'uilhed into thefe two Sons, John iii. I 8, 36, &c. To this relates thlt Saying, Ifa. lxvi. Jude iv. viz. Behold it is written before me, 1will not keep Silence, &c. OIL or Anointing is attributed to God, Pfal. xlv. 7· Thy God hath anointed thee with the Oil of Gladnef<, above thy Fellows. Heb. i. 9· Cant. i. 3· Where the Holy Spirit with his Gifrs is underfl:ood which appears by comparing the Place with Ifa. !xi. 1. Afis x. 38. John iii. 34· Where the Unction of Chrift as a King and Prielt is treated of, hence comes the Derivation of the Name of our Savior, who is called n'ttlr.l, Xp•r•r. Unflus, Anointed, John i. 42, and iv. 25. x"'1 •E•X"'• by Way of Eminency. Believ– ers in a Mcafure are made Partakers of this Unction, who by true Faith adhere to Chrifl: the chief Head, as !fa. Ixi. 3· 2 Cor. i. 2 I. 1 John ii. 20, 2 7· Whence rhey alfo are rightly denominated, Xp•n"'"'' Chrifl:ians, (with refpect to their primitive Vocation or Original) from the anointed Savior Chrift ,See R.om. v. 5· '!'it. iii. 5, 6. Ze<h. xii. 10, &c,. BREAD is attributed to God, and Sacrifices with which it is faid he is pleafec.f as :i Man with Meat and Drink, Numb. xxviii. 2. Upon which Place, Vatablus fays, by~the Term Bread, Flefn is underfl:ood, as Verfe 24. and the Senfe is, keep up the Rights of offeringFien1 and ViCtims which are facrificed that they may be a Pleafure to me, therefore let me be refrelhed with the ~Savor of it as I appointed. God calls Sacrifices his Meat, after the Mann,er of Men, who are chiefly f-ed· with Flelh, \Vine, Oil, Meal, Bread, &c. So God would have thofe Things in his Sacrifices, not that he feeds on them, or (in proper Speaking) is delighted with them, but that they are gratefu> to him upo~ another Account, viz. For their Faith in his beloved Son, who was typified and fhadowed by all the Sacrifices. Cbrift is called the Bread of Life frequently, John vi. 35, 48. and other Places for his quickening, fl:rengthening, and falutiferous Energy, and Power, which is exerted or communicated to Believers, who by true Faith do fpi· ritually eat Chrifl:, that is, receive him, and apply his Benefits to their own Souls. . Bv this '!'rope God in an hypothetical Speech, attributes a Signet or SE/1L to him~ felf, ']er. xxii. 24. '!'hough Coniah-were the Signet upon my Right Hand, )'Cl would I plucfi thee thence, that is, although he were malt dear to me, and always in my Sight, &c. For a·fealing Ring or Signet is a Symbol of Love and fingular Care, as Cant. viii. 6. Hag. \i. 24. The Charafler of* tbe Subjfa11te of God, Heb. i. 3· is an Appellation given to Chri{]:. The Term CHARAC'I'ER is a Metaphor taken from the Image, Figure or lmpref. fion of a Seal, reprefenting the Prototype or firfl: Pattern itfelf in every Thing: Bul/in· ger in his Comment fays, as the Seal is moll properly expreffed in the vVax, fo the Sub– fi!lency of the Father mofl: properly fhines forth in Chri!l. X•p~xT"e (which comes from x,xp•r1m infculpere, to irrgrave) in this Place does not fo much relpect the Image or Impreflion taken, as the Seal itfelf. The Father has, as it were, mofr indelibly in- • Heb. i. 3· The Character of his Subft:mce, X«f«l!T"!e Tl!~ vr.cr«C'ta.·; «L'Ttr, tharllfltrfob;;1tlntit:e ejtu. graven,
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