8o AN ANT HR 0 P 0 PATH Y. Book I. He is alfo called a CLUS'I'ER of CAMPHIRE, Ca11t. i. 14. This Tree ls faid to be odoriferous, bearing Clu!lers of an exceeding Greatnefs, Pliu. lib. 12. cap. 24. Some interpret it Cyprefs, for ics Sweetnefs, Fragrancy, and Plenty of glorious Fruit, which Things alfo may be attributed by Way of Improvement to Chri!t. Some pataphroft it thus, J efus is l'vfyrrh to me in his bitter Paflion, and -a Clufter of Camphire, in his glorious Refurrection. He is called the ROSE, (or Flower) of SHARON, and the Lilly of the Vallies, by which his true Humanity, his Purity and Sanctity, as alfo the Amability of his Office, and Bleflings he beftows are intimated, as fhall be treated of elfewhere more at large. See Dn. D. Gerhard. Jvleditat. in Pofli!la Salomonea Dominic. quinquages. feft. purijic. '7· pofltr.feft. What Metaphors are deduced from inanimate Things in Nature, and transferred to God, do belong either univerfally, or feverally to thofe Things. To the former Claft belongs, When there is a certain DIMENSION afcribed to the infinite and unmeafurable God, and a Comparifon with this whole Univerfe, whereas betwixt finite and infinite, there is properly no Proportion, Job xi. 8. It is (viz. Jehovah) the Heights of Heavm, 'Ihe Deeps (which is the Perfection of God, as Verfe 7·) beyond Hell, what cmtjlthou know? Verfe 9· 'Ihe Meajitre thereof (is) longer than the Earth, and broader than the Sea: By which the Infinitenefs and Immenfity, of God, and his Wifdom,' is intimated, of which Verfe 7. Cmtjl thou by fearching find out God? (others render it, Canflthou find out the Deptb, viz. of the Wifdom of God ?) Canfl tbou find out to the Perfellion "of tbe Al– migbty? (others fay, can!t thou find out the End of Almighty Wifdotn) To this be– longs that facred mathematical Expreffion of Paul, fpeaking of the Love of God, and our Savior Chri!l, Epb. iii. 18. 'Ihat _ve may be able to comprebend witb all Saints, what is the Breadth, the L ength, and Deptb, and Height, viz. of the Love of Chri!t, as Verfe '9· Which pajjetb Knowledge, !hewing by an Anthropopathy, the Unmeafur– ablenefs, and lmmenfity of that Love, as if he had faid, it is higher than the H ea– vens, deeper than the Sea, larger than the Earth, longer than any Time, en– durin" even to all Ete;nity. Upon which Place Ofiander fays, the Senfe is, I pray God that ye may be able with other fincere Chri11ians, after a certain Manner to com– prehend the unmeafurable Love of Chrijl towards you, which, that I may ufe a Mtta– phor, extends itfelf to all Dimenfions. And Hyperius in his Comment very excellently. 'Ihe Senfe is, fays he, Jvly Prayer is that ;•ou may bave afull, certain, and abfolute Know– ledge of the Love of Chrijl in all its Parts. Geometricians are wont to obferve thefe Dif– ferences of Dimenfions, when they inquire into the Magnitude of folid Bodies. Such therefore as belong to corporeal Things, the Apoftle artificially compares with Things, incorporeal and fpiritu al; and fignifies that he earnef\ly defires that they f\10uld arrive to an equal Certainty and Perftc'tion in the !\nowledge of fpiritual Things, chiefly of the Love of Chrijl, as the Matbematicians do in the Mcafure of folid Bodies, &c. Here we are to note, that when Magnitude is attribued to God, not the Qtantity of a corporeal or bodily Size and Bignefs, but the very lnfinitenef'i_ of his Effence, and ef– fenrial Proprieties is to be underftood, Exod, xv. 16. and xviii, 11. Numb. xiv. 19. D eut. iii. 24. Exod. v. 8. Pfal. xlviii. 1,2. and cxlvii. 4, 5· Jf"r. xxxii. 17, 18, 19. Dan. ii. 45· Mal. i. 14, &c. Job xxxiii. 12. There is a (:omparifon of God witb Man with RefpeCl: to Greatnefs, whereby the unfearchable lmmenfity of God is intimated, (as if he had faid) God, not only in Maje!ty and Power, but alfo in Truth, J uftice, Wifdom and Mercy, infinitdy excells all Mortali, therefore thy Prefumption is unjull: to contend with him. r John iii. 20. It is faid that God is greater than our Hearts, when the Speech is of a guilty Confcience, as if he had faid, if Confcience, which in many is blind, conxinces us of Hypocrify, how much more will God, who is the greateft of all Things, and infi– nite in Knowledge, charge us in his Judgment. 1 J ohn iv. 4· God is faid to be greater than him that is in the World, that is, A ntichrijl, as Verfe 3· whom Believers by the Power of the infinite and invincible God, welling by Grace in them, do overcome. Jobn x. 29. God is laid to be greater tban all, that is, that he (beyond Comparifon) excels the whole Univerfe in Power and Maje!ty. By
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