Part I. METAPHORS FROM FIRE. are dmnken are drunken in the Night, is tmdedlood by fome of natural Sleep and Night, but others interpret it of fpiritual Sleep, that is, carnal Security in Wickednefs (Rom. xiii. 11. Eph. v. 14.) and the Night of infernal Power. Erafmus in his Paraphr3[e de– gantly joins both, alid thus unfolds this apoftolical Text. 'fhe Day of the lnft Jtzdg– ment is to be dreaded by thofe who are blmded by Vzce, and lead a Life lzke Nzght. E11t you that are Brethren are not to fear it, becaufe itjh~/1 not find you unprovided ; for allyou that followChrill do not belong to the Kingdom of Darknefs, but to the Kingdom of i-ight and God, efpecially if in Piety and Reality )'e walk clofe to the Rule ofyour Profej]ion, and fo Jive as that it may t!ppear, that ye watch ilz the Light and notfnort in Darknefs. 'Therefore if we would not be oppreffed, let us not jleep as others do who have not known the Ligbt df thrift: But let zis be watcbful and fober, baving always a circuntfpefl Mini/, that we admit not anj 'I'hing through Incogiiancy, which may prove offenjive to the Eyes of God or Men. For as fuch as jleep a natural jleep, do it by Night, and fuch as be drunk witb Wine, are ufually fo in the Night; fo they that j/eep in Sin, are involved in Darknejs of Mind, andjizchasare drunkwithcamal Dijires and Delights (fo called), a;-e e;ztanglfd in the Mifts of a dark Mind. But it becomes us to 'li!bom the Light of tbe Gojpel-day bath jhined, to befober and watchful, &c. Metaphors taken ft"om Fite. go much for Heai!Cii and what belongs to it. 'vVe fl1all now treat of the Elements which are four, viz. Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, and produce what Metaphors are taken from them. The Metaphors taken from Fire fl10ll be confidered with Relpect to its F/,r;aliiy. anJ Effects, viz. · 1. Its Clearnefs, Purity, Splendor, and other Attributes, and in that RefpeCI: it is tranflated to Angels, Pfal. civ. + Heb. i. 7· Fire in its Efficacy of aCting and penetrat– ing, in Agility and Celerity,, is eminent before other Creatures of God, which G.!:'ali– ties may be fitly applied to thofe holy Minifters of God. The Fire aiways moves up– \vards : So all the ACtions of Angels tend to the Glory of God. By a Flame of Fire, Charity or Love is fignified, Eccl. viii. 6. Angels are wholly inflamed with a Divine Love. From Fire Angels are called, 0'!l1l!l Seraphim, that is, flaming or fiery from ')1\:1 Saraph, in L atin, incendit, cremavit, in Englifi1, he burnt. Arias Montanus * fays, that Seraphim fignifies Purity from any Spot, Filth, or Hcavinefs, for fo Fire is, and there– fore thofe Minifters of God, which Ifaias faw have a purging and purifying Efficacy, in their divine Minilhations for the Profit of Men, Ifa. vi. 3, 6, 7· In that Vifion one of the Seraphims, exerciied his purifying Virtue by applying the external Symbol of a live Coal to the Prophet's Lips. Mufculus in his Comment fays, '!'hat this Vijio11 of Angels jlanding about the Lordfitting in his 'I'hrone, was in Fire, that they may be called Burning (Scraphims) which is very fuitable to the 'I'hing in Agitation. '!'he Lord was angry with his wicked and rebellious People. 'l'o judge whom he fate in his judicatory 'I'hrom. And therefore as that great Sdfion and'I'ribunal is an Argument of his Wrath, fo the fiery Appearance of his minijtering Angels betokens bis dreadful A11ger, for that Con– flagration wbicb was to confume the Wicked, was then and there burning. 2. FIRE alfo denotes the Word of the Gofpel ofChrift publifhed among the Gentiles, Lukexii. 49· In treating of this we mull: have Refpect to the Virtue and Efficacy of Fire, as well to its jhiniizg and enlightening Quality, (wherein it agrees with what we faid about Light, which betokens Converlion and the Myftery of Salvation) as alfo its kindling ~ality, for the Word of Chrijt kindles the Love of God, Holinefs, and hea– venly Defires in the Hearts of Men, to which is referred, Jer. xx. 9· Lukexxiv. 32. And the Appearance of the Holy Spirit in the Likenefs of Fire, Afls ii. 3· Matt. iii. I 1. And laftly, its confuming and deftroying ~ality. For the Word of Chrift fl1all confume all its Adverfaries, judge, condemn and deftroy them, John xii. 48. To whiel< may b~ reduced, Jer. v. I4. and xxiii. 29. To this Divine Fire, there feems to be another ftrange Fire oppofed (as in the 'I'ype, Lev. x. 1.) viz. of falfe Doctrine and hu– man 1'raditions, !fa. l. 1 I. Behold all ye that kindle. a Fire, that compafs yourfelvcs about with Sparks ; walk in the Light of your Fire, and in the Sparks that ye have' R.indled, &c. Junius and 'Tremellius upon the Place fay, That Chrift in this Place con· • In lih. Jofeph, Seu de arcano Sermont, pag. 13. F f vinces
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