86 AN ANT HR 0 P 0 PATH Y; Book I. cleanfes, refrelhes, quenches Thirft, foftens, or mollifies, &c. which with other good Qualities, may b': moft fit!y afcribed to the bleifcd Savior in a fpiritl1al Senfe. See !fa. lv. 1. Ezek. xxxv1. 25. Zech. XIV. 8. Pfal. XXIII. 1, 2, &c. The Heavens or Clouds are called the River ofGod full ofWater, Pj1l. Jxv. 9· becaufe he fends Plenty of Rain from thence to make the Earth fruitful. To the EdR'fH, we will refer whatfoever (beudes what was produced before in their . proper Places) have a 13ting in it, that are metaphorically transferred to God, whether they be natural Produftions, or made by human Art. Chrifl is fometimes called a S'fONE and ROCK, as Pfa!. cxviii. 22. 'fhe Stone which the BuilderJ refufed, is become the Head of the Corner, which exprefsly referred to Chrifl, Matt. xxi. 42. Afts iv. I 1. 1 Pet. ii. 7· By the Builders we are to undcrftand the Priefls and great Men, and others among the !Jraelites, whofe Office it was tO build, not de– ftroy the Church of God. How thefe refufed Chrift, the evangelic Hiflory plentifully informs ul; yet notwithflanding he is made the Head of the Corner, or the firm and chief Corner.ftone of the whole Church fitly framed together, and growing in him, Epb. ii. 20, 21. to wit, both of Jews and Gentiles, having broken down tbe Partition– wall, Veries 14, 15, t6, &c. Other Places are, !fa. viii. '4· and xxviii. 16. Zech. iii. 9· Luke ii. 34· Rom. ix. 3 2, 33· 1 Pet. ii. 4, 6, 7, 8. where he is called a Rock of Offence, and a flumbling Stone, with Refpect to Unbelievers and wicked Men, &c. who are apt to defpife his mean worldly Eftate, and be offended at his Severity againft their fin~ ful Ways. God is called a Rock to fuch as trufl in him, Deut. xxxii. 31. Pfal. xviii. 2. xxxi. 2, 3· xlii. 9· and lxxiii.•6. !fa. xxvi. 4that is, a moft certain and invincible Giver of Help, for there were Rocks ih thofe Countries which for their Height, Strength, Steepnefs, and Difficulty of Accefs, were reputed impregnable, &c. Matt. xvi. 18 . Chrift alluding to the Name of Peter calls himfelf that Rock upon which he was to build his Church, that the Gates of Hell jhould not prwail againfl it– Upon which Breutius very well paraphrafes. 1 have called thee Cephas before, that is, a Rock, (John i. 43·) and I do not yet repent of giving thee that Title; for now in yonr own and Brethrens Name, you acknowledge the true Rock and Foundation, in confeifmg, that I am Chrift the Son of the living God-This Confejjimt, is the true Rock, and upon it, as l\POn a Rock and Foundation, will! build my Church. D. Calixtus fays, that the Words, the Church is built upon a Ruck, are faid by a Metaphor, which is taken from the Firmnefs, Strength, or Solidity of the Rock, not from any Rule or Government it has, for there is no fuch Thing in it, and denotes a folid, ftedfaft and immoveable Foundation; but what needs any further Explication, when Paul, an undoubted Interpreter, fays, 1 Cor. iii. I 1. For other Foundation ran no Man lay, thrm tbat is laid, which is Jejits Cbrifl, but upon this Rock, are laid otber Rocks, or Stoms, (for "'Te:1i», being an Appellative, lignifies a Stone, not a Rock) cut out of the living Rock, which being fingle are not Foundations, bur many being joined, ce– mented, or united, conftiwte or make a fecondary Foundation, Rev. xxi. '4· And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations, and in them the Names of tbe twelve Apoflles of the Lamb. Eph. ii. 20. And are built upon the Foundation of the Apoflles and Pro– phets, &c. 1 Cor. x. 4· Chrifl: is ·called the Jpiritual Rock, of which the Ifraelites did drink in the Defart, that Rock being a'I)pe of him, Exod. xvii. See Gram. Sacr.p. 504, 55'· God is called a Secret or HIDING-PLACE, PJal. xci. r. and cxix. "4· alfo a Co– vert, Refuge, or Hiding, !fa. iv. 6. by which his gracious Defence again(\ all hoftile Violence is intimated. ,For the fame Reafon he is called a MUNI'fiON, which lignifies a Fortification, or Strong-hold, Pfal.xxxi. 2, 3, 4· lxxi. 3· xci. 2, 9· and cxliv. 2. He is called a WALL of FIRE, Zech. ii. 5· where the Epithet of Fire is added, to !hew, that he is not only the Defender of his Church, bur alfo a moft terrible Aven– ger, chat will confume its Enemies, as Fire does ~~mbufl:ible Matter. He
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