Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v10

590 Chap. 34. An Expofaion upon the Book of . j o_ B. Verf.14. he will gatherunto him hisfpirit and his breath : and then, as it followeth, 'll flefh fhall pertfh tegether. We repeat the fuppofirion according to the Hebrew Text ; if he fee his heart upon man ; Ifhe grather to bimfelfhis fpirit andhis breath, then &c. Take either reading, the general fene is the fame,and in brief 'cis this ; If Godhave. a madeto it,hecan quick,- ly thru.ff all menout of theworld. He that gave man his fpirit and his breath, canat pleafure recai both, and then altfie(h peritheth spK and turneth againunto (what it once was) dull. The Hebrew wordwhich we render togather, fgnifìeth to add one thing or perfon to another When Rachel had conceived and bare -a Pe, (Gen. 3o. 22,a3.) floe called (from this word) his name, fofeph, andfaid, the Lordfhall add to me another.fon. Thus here, If God add, orgather to himfeif his fpirit andhisbreath, thatis, the fpirit andbreathof man, cc. We. may diflinguilh between ,' iritras ani thefe two,s fpirit and breath ( Some infifl much and curioufiyup main, ? flatus on this diflinc`Iion) The fpirit denoting the foul or the internal vitam que ab rational power of man, and the breath that .effeSt of life which animaprovenit followeth or floweth from the union of foul andbody. The life ei confervatur of man isoften expreffed by breath ; Ceafe ye from man, whofe rat ; ego breath (or life) is in his noflrils ; (Ifa. a. a 2.) Ifonce man's breath opin®r ideme,¡fe bocloco.5anä. goeth our, his life cannot flaybentnde ; the fpirit of aman is in this fence;diftin& from his breath;for when the breath is vanished, and is nomore, the foul or fpirit liveth. The Apofile inhispray- er for the Theffalonians (I Theff. 5.23.) puts foulandfpirit toge- ther : The very Godof peacefanElifie you wholly, and I pray God, your wholefpirit, and foul, andbody, be preferved harmlefs unto the coming ofour Lordplus Chrift. There ('tis moll probable) by the foul, he intends the inferiour powers in man,orhis affeolions, and bythe fpirit, his higher powers of reafon andunderfluxling yet the fpiritis often put for that whole part of man which is con- tradiflin& to his body. Into thy hands ! commendmy fpirit : that is, my foul, not forgetting mybody: And I conceive, we may fafely expound it here in that Iatitude, as comprehending the whole inner man. Yet it is all one, as to the fence of this place, whether we take fpirit and breath diflin&ly or for the fame'; the fpirit being fo called from fpiration or breathing ; Ifhegather unto him his fpirit,andhis breath. Thegathering of the fpirit and breath of manunto God, is but a periphrafis or circumlocution of death,

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