Chap.28. an expo¡ition upon the Rock of Jos. Verf. 6. ?41 appearanceof a Saphireflame, &e. Solomon had a throne of Ivory overlaid with Gold, (2 Cbron. g. 17.) But there was never any Prince had a throne ofSaphires to fit upon, much lefs, as it were a paved work of aSaphire hone under his feet to tread upon. This is peculiar to the King of Kings alone,The Saphire is apply- cd by the Spoufe to fet forth the gracious,fweec, pure and tender affections and compaflions of Chris toward her íclf, the Church. (Cent. S. r4.) Hie bands are as gold-rings fat with berrill ; his bellyte at bright Ivory overlaid with Saphire:. When the Prophet Jeremy would defcribe the exceeding beauty and comelinefs of the Nazarites in ferufalem, before the famine had withered and Rained them, he faith (Lam. 4, 7,)as force read it, Their Faces were Saphirine,or as we,Theywere more ruddy in body then Rubyes, their polliThing was of Saphire. The Saphire is a hone fo full of a heaven-like beauty, that it doth not only*aft, but delight and recreate the beholder. Nor doth any thing as NaturaliRs affirm, fo much refrefb the eye as the Smaradge and Saphire. There is a tradition among the Jewifh Rabbins, towhich forceChritii- an writers confent, that when the Lord wrote the Law, he wrote it in Saphire/tone,or that the two tables were two great Saphires. Lapida.ias fay, the Saphire is a tranfparent hone of a cerulian or Cardasi. de is- sky colour, preciousand pleafant ro theeye ; and theyplace it in Pict. tie.7 the filth order and degree,among the moll noble gemms.Neither dpúecem is it pleafant only but medicinal, force report it, a great teliiler Gemm,r. ofpoyfon ; yea that is hath a great influence upon the mind, and removeth fadnefs and melancholly, that it is a prefervative of chaflity, betides many other verities, by force fuperfiitioufly, by others fomewhathyperbolically afcribed to it, which I willingly omit and pats by ; Ir may futfice for my purpofe to have (hewed what the Saphire is, of which fob fpeaks in this text, TheIlene: of it are the place of Saphires ; that is, theplace of Saphires, chafe moli precious hones, is among common and ordinary hones. And it bath the duff of Gold. That is, Gold is found among the duff and mould of the earth. saphirue non The Saphire is congenial to the gold, and is only found 'in chofe nif:interraguce Countryes where gold is tobe foued.And therefore when deb had fit Auriferas named the Saphire, he adds, the defy ofgold, orthat, there is gold invenitur, in that duft.Hence tome allegorizing this t xt to a myflical fence, I i have
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