Part I. METAPHORS FROM AIR. Exhortation to follow that which was good, Verfe r5· and to pray without cea!ing, Verfe , 7 . was premifed; and defpi!ing ProphefYings, that is, the Interpretation of the Word of God is immediately prohibited, Verfe 20. The word '11~ Zaraph, which properly lignifies to melt Metals in order to . purify them from Drofs; bm is tranfiated by an elegant Metaphor to lignify the Purification and Trial of the Godly, wh,ich is done by Crolfes and Sufferings. Whence the Simi– litude of melted or burnt Metal is fometimes exprefsly added, Pfal. lxvi. 10. and cv. I9• Jja. i. 25. Jer. _ix. 7· Dan. xi: 35· Zech. xiii. 9·. Hence the Furnace where Metals are melted and punfied, 1s put for Affi1cbons fent by God, Deut. IV. 20. I Kmgs VIII. 5' · Jer. xi. 4 . in which Place the Epithet of Iron is added to denote the Tribulation, Se– verity or cruel Nature of Servitude. A Palfage more notable than the reft we read, Ifa. xlviii. 10. Behold I have refined thee, but 11ot with Silver; I have chofen thee in the Furnace of Ajjlitlion; Jehovah inti– mates that he purges his People moderately and gently, not as Silver or Gold are purged, becaufe fuch are wont to be moft exaCtly and wholly melted in order to their purifyina, as if he had faid, I do fo temper and qualify CorreCtions, that I fuit them rather t(; your Weaknefs, than proportion them to your Wickednefs, I do not deal with you with the urmoft Severity, for if you lhould be purged as Silver and Gold from all Drofs, you lhould totally perifi1. See 1 Cor. x. I 3· . In general, it is put for the inward Proof or Trial of the Heart, which God alone can do, Pfal. xxvi. 2. and xvii. 3· See Prov. xvii. 3· It is put for outward Choice of fame from others, which is done by an outward Trial, Judg. vii. 4· The Word of God is faid to be reji11ed or as it were tried in the Hre, 2 Sam. xxii. 31· Pfal. xviii. 30. Prov. xxx. 5· Pfal. cxix. I4o. that is, moft: pure, moft true, and moft certain. \\'hidt is emphatically declared, Pfal. xii. 6. 'I'he Words of the Lord are pure Words, as Silver tried in a Furnace of Earth, purified feven 'I'imes; Which Pa{fage without doubt refpeEts the quick and lively Experience of the Saints, in whofe HeartS the Truth of God's Word is experimentally felt and approved to be of undoubted Efficacy, by the Fire of Tribulation. Whence fome by (Furnace of Earth) underftand godly Men, in whom the Words of God are tried. The Furnace burns in the Fire: The Godly are feafoned by the Fire of Affiietions. By the fame Metaphor the Office of Chrift is de– fcribed, Mal. iii. 2, 3· - Metaphors takm from Air; THE Hebrew Word n1, Ruach a Spirit Ggnifies Air or Wind. And whereas the Motion of the Air is uncertain, inconftant and vanilhing, and that there is no– thing folid or fubftantial in the Wind, therefore they are metaphorically put to lignify Things that are vain and vanilhing, Job vi. 26. Do ye imagine to reprove my Words and (turn) the Speeches of one that is dejj;erate into Wind? that is, do ye think that I utter vain Words, and defpife them as Things of no Weight or Senfe, Job xv. 2. Should a wife Man utter Knowledge of Wind? that is, vain as the Wind, which has nothina bm an empty Sound refolving into Wind; he adds, or fill his Belly with the Eaft-wind? 0 that is, admit vain and fluCtuating Thoughts in his Mind inwardly. Eccl. v. I6. What Pro– fit bath he that hath labored for the Wind? that is, who hath heaped together much Riches, wilh great Labor which is in vain, when he can have no Benefit or Profit by them. Jer. v. I 3· 'I'he Prophets jhall become Wind, that is, as the Chaldee renders it, vain and of no vVorrh. Jer. xxii. 22. 'I'he Windjhall eat up all thy Paftors, that is, they !hall vanilh and perifh. So on the other Side, it is faid, Hofea xii. I. Ephraim feedetb on Wind, and followeth after the Eaft-wind; the Meaning is, that the People of Ifrael lhall feed upon a Thing of nothing, viz. they !hall commit Idolatry, with areac Earne!lnefs, which has no foul-feeding Virtue in it (but the contrary) for it prov~s as pernicious as it is to follow the Eaft-wind; which is immediately expounded of their making Covenants with the .d.f!jrians, a wicked and idolatrous People. Micah ii. 11. A Man walking in the Wind and Falfhood, is put for a vain and lying Perfon. See Ifa. xli. 29. and lvii. '3 · Hof. viii. 7· To this belong the \Vords of the Apo!lle, 1 Cor. xiv. 9· Foryejhall;peak into the Air, that is, in vain and to no Purpofe. G g He
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