BS Chap. tr. .1in Bxpoftion upon the Book of, jPS AVed. t3. I my willingne% to receive and entertain them , to pardon tik,° 4ae' and do them good. Openbandsare the emblem ofan open beárt,and armsflretchedoist, of readinef to irnbrace. Whén we tiretch otít our hands to God it (peaks our willingneffe to receive his com- mands, and when God.ftretcheth out his hands to us, it fpeaks his readine(s to pardon our fins, and fupply our wants. 3. Stretching out thehands is aprayer gefiure. As he that helps Eré /"a &#f=s firetcheth forth hishand, fo doth he that would be holpen.When opem irap1oran- tis U oratio sis Mofes went out from the prefence of Pharaoh, he frith Asloon&num.,Nierc. as Iamgone out ofthe city, lwillfpreadabroad my hands unto the Lord, and thethunder(ball ceafe, &c. Exod. 9.29. That is, I will pray unto the Lord, that the thunder my ceafe, and I am áffured it !hall. So t King 8. zz. at the dedication of,the Temple, Solomon flood before thealtar andfpreadforth his hands towards heaven. Let us liftup our heart with (our) hands untoGod in the heavens (Lam.3.0.) or according to the letter of the Hebrew, Let us liftup our hearts to our hands, toGod izs the heavens ; that is, let our hearts be lifted up, as well as our hands. Some lift up&ix. genibus their hands while their hearts hang down in prayer.The Apofilesftae; pdeos orantef rea tine, charge I Tim. z. 8, clears it further , I willthat menpray every t q where liftingup holyhands without wrath anddoubting. Heathens &c. Liv.1.39. u have obferved and defcribed this pofiure of fuppliants to their Ae fupplexge- Idol:gods, bowing their knees, holding 'up their hands and minas tenders praying. ad fidera pal- So that putting both together, Prepare thine heart, andfiretch mas. Syl. ital. out thine hands towards him, are plainly this , Prepare thine heart and pray or prepare thine heart topray. The fign is put for the thing fignified, or the geflure ufed in that duty for the duty it fell in which it is ufed. There arefour uignifications which /!retch- forth the hands may have in prayer. I will touch upon that (only to thew the vanity of it) which thefuperflitious `Papias do much infifi upon; we pray (fay they) firetching forth the hands or arms,to expreffe the croffe ofGhrifi'. , becaufe when a man flretch- eth out his arms, his body makes the figure of a croffe. This they make one reafon why firetching out the hands is appointed or accufiomed in prayer. But how they who lived where Inch a kinde ofdeath as crucifyingwas never heardof, as Zophar and lob did ; and fomany hundred years before thrift died upon thé Groff; hoW they (I fay) could in prayer form their bodies inten- tionally , to that which was never formed in their minds, the P croffe
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