I 10 METAPHORS FROM FIRE. Book I. vinces the proud Spirit of the Pharifees, and almoft the whole Jewiih Church of Impiety becaufe in their fpiritual Darknefs they went about to kindle Lights for themftlve,' negkCI:ing the Light of God's 'Wcrd, and that Gofpel Illumination which Chrift of: fered them, &c. They efteemed that a profitable Fire and Light, which really brouoht the Fire of Divine \~7rJth and eternal Damnation upon them. 0 3· llecaufe of its burning Quality, Fire is attributed to them whn bring Perdition Hurt, Lofs, or utter DcftruCI:ion; her.ee Fire is foid to be before God the beft Judo; and Avenger of his lonemies, Pfal. I. 3· and xcvii. 3· !fa. xxvi. I 1. xxix. 6. xxx. 33· a';,J lxvi. I5, I6, 24. 2 'l'hejf. i. 7, 8. But there is no doubt but in thefe and other Places RefpeCI: is had to Hell-fire, of .which Il6•ricus * fays, in the Defcription of Hell and ~ternal Punifhments, the Scripwre frequently inculcares that there is an eternal and unquenchable Fire of Brimftone, whether there be really any material Fire, or thJt fomething bitter and direful is metaphorically Ggnified is left to Inquiry, becaufe in this Life there is nothing more violent, more tormenring, or more terrible than a raaina and prevailing Fire. But it is far better to endeavor the avoiding of that hellifu Fire, than in a Spirit of Contention to be too curiouOy inquiririve inro its Nature. Hither muft be referred thofe Places where by the Term (Fire) we are to undtrftand invading Enemies and defolating Wars, Pfai.Jxxviii. 63. !fa. xlii. 25. ]er. xlviii. 45· and I. 32. Ezek. xxi. 32· and xxx. S. (in which Place the Chaldee for Fire, puts a Pea– pie Jlrang like Fire) .1mas i. 4, 7, IO, I2, I4. and ii. 2, 5· Some think there may be a Synecdoche, becaufe \Vars for the moft Part are managed by Fire and Flame. It is ol!o attributed to other Things, by Means of which Terror, Hurt, and Death, arc brought upon any, as ]udg. ix. IS, 20. !fa. xxxiii. I I, 12. Obad. Vcrfe 18. ]anus iii. 5, 6. ]rtde Verfe 23. See Prav. xxvi. 23. and compare 'jer.Ji. sS. Heb. ii. '3· ]ael i. 20. together. 4· It agrees to this, that Fire generally denotes any Adverfnies which are the Eff'eC\s of Divine Wrath, as alfo Calamities and AffiifLans, as Pfal. lxvi. 12. and ex!. IO. !fa. ix. I g, 19. x. r6. xxiv. 6, 15. and xli:i. 2. Lam. i. '3· and iv. I 1. by which Significa– tion fometimes RefpeCI: is had to thepurifying QuJiity of Fire, for God tries and cleanfes Believers by Croffes and Calamities, as Gold is tried in the Fire, Zcch. xiii. g. 1Pet. iv. I2. See a\fo Pfal. xvii. 3· and lxvi. 10. I Pet. i. 6, 7· To this alfo are rhe two follow– ing Texts referred, Mark ix. 49· Far every one jha/1 befalted with Fire, and every Sacri– jicefhall befalted with Sail. The Particle ••• (kai) and is frequently put for as, or, evm as. lt is therefore an inverfecl Similitude which is to be refolved in this Senfe. As every Sacrifice in the O!cl Te!tament was wont to be falted with Salt by the Appoint– ment of God, Lev. ii. '3· fo every Man that would avoid Sin, or Offences, and Hell– fire, the Confequence of it (as appears by the foregoing Verfes, which have a Co– herence wirh this,) mu!t be falted with a certain wholefome Fire, that is, feafoned bv Croffes and Afflictions : Or, this Fire will have the lame Efficacy on him, as Salt has on Fldh, viz. to preferve hi111 from the PutrefaCI:ion of Security in Sin. Elegantly there– fore is falting attributed to Fire, and both are joined to denote the Myflery of the Crofs: Becaufc there is an Agreement betwixt thofe two, both cauGng Pain, and both ab!trafting Jnd confuming that which is corrupt or putrefied; as alfo becaufe they were joined together in Sacrifices. Scaliger in his Notes thinks that this fhould be read"""~ wveux tZAIJ11]G't'Tct.J, .that is, every Sacrifice jhaJl be fatted, that ic may be the fame with what follows, 7rM~ ~"~'" ~''~"'""'' every Oblation jhall be Jalted with Salt, bec.aufe Lev. ii. 13. there is a Repetition of the fame. The other Place is, I Car. iii. 13, I4, 15. Upon which Chemnitius thus expreffes him– felf-'l'here is a Fire of Probation, or 'l'rial, fe~t by Gad, either by outward '!'roubles, or inward 'l'emptatians, or by a clearer jVJanifeftatian of 'l'ruth by the Ward, that they Jhould not remain in the Darknefs of Error and lg;tarance, who hold the ftmdamental Articles of 'l'ruth, but that fuch Opinions a.< are difagreeable to the Foundation jha/1 be purged away, either in Life, or at the Hour of Death. Some by the Terms Day and Fire, under– ftand Trmh fhining from the Word of God by the Holy Spirit, and enlightening the Mind, Mal. iii. 3· but others, the Day and Fire, of the bt:l Judgmenr, 2 'The.fl i. 8. Of which obfcure Place, we are not concerned here to treat much. But the Reader may perufe, '!'am. 8. lacarum. 'l'beolog. Dn. D. Cerbardi, de morte SeC!:. 254· feqq. To the Element of Fire belong other T:1ings,, which bear Analogy or Relation to ir, as well Nouns, as Verbs. To
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