II6 METAPHORS FROM AIR. Book I. LIGH'I'NING, P•:l by a Metaphor fignifies the bright or furbifhed Blade of a Lance or Sword, which l11ines and terrifies like Lightning, Ezek. xxi. '3· Nahum iii. 3· to denote th~. Anger of <?ad, aglittering Sword is a~~:ibuted to hi;n by an Anthropopathy, Deut. XXXII. 41. So IS a glzttmng Spear, Hab. 111. '" So lt IS fatd, Job xx. 25. the [Lightning cometh] fa the Hebrew, that is, as our Tranllation gives it, a glitter– ing Sword, or, as Pagninu.s renders ir, [Iron J or a Sword like Lightning. HAIL likewife, (as Thunder and Storms do) carries the Notion of Anger, Ven– geance, and moO: heavy Punifhrhents, and hence in ·that D<fcription of God in his great Maje!l:y and Manifc!l:ation of his Power and Wrath, Pfal. xviii. 12, 13, 14. Hail is joined with Lightnings and 'l'hunder. !fa. xxviii. 1 7· And the Hail jha/1 fweep away the Refuge of Lies, and the Waters jhall overflow the Hiding-place-that is, the Ven– geance to come fhall overthrow the Refuge in which you vainly hope, jufr as if a Storm of Hail and overflowing of Waters fhould overthrow and overwhelm the Tents you in– habit in, in the Fields, !fa. xxxii. I 9· And it jha/1 hail in the Defcent (or !l:eep Part) of the Wood, and the City jhall be utter~ abofed. This has a Coherence wirh the fore– going Defcription of the cele!l:ial Happine!£ of the Godly by an Antithejis: As if he had faid, although the whole World (which the Prophet expreffes Jjnccdochically by a Wood and Cirv, that is, ttnmanured and habitable Places) fhould be terrified for their Wickednefs, or l11ould threaten, yet the Godly fhall be preferved fafely from all the imp~nding or menacing Mifchiefs. See Pfal. xlvi. 2, 3· and the following Verfes. . RAIN, becaufe it brings great Profit to the Earth, and yet if it be immoderate or un– feafonable, becomes hurtful, is therefore metaphorically ufed in a two-fold Manner, viz. in agood and bad Senfe. Examples of the former are to be feen, Ezek. xxii. 24. 'I'hou art the Land, which is not cleanfed, nor rained upon in the Day of Indignation, that is, thou fhalt not feel any Eafe or Relaxation of the Pains or Punifhments which ll~all be inAiel– eel on thee from on high. Ezek. xxxiv. 26. The fpiritual Bleffing in the Kingdom of Chri£1: is· fet down in the Similitude of a Shower (or Rain) in Seafon, as the Fruirfulnefs of the Earth is, Verfe 2 7. Hofea x. 12. It is 'l'ime to feek the Lord, till be come and rain Righteoufnefs uponyou: or, as the Hebrew is, [wet you with the Rain ofRighteouf– nefs,J viz. of Chri£1: the Redeemer and Savior, the Senfe and Application of whom in the Hearts of Men, refrefhes, rejoices, and makes them fruitful in good Works, as Rain refre!hes the Earth and renders it fruitful. The Word is empbatical, and lignifies both Raining and Teaching, (and therefore fame tranllate it, that he may teach you Righteoujizefs) to intimate that true faving Righteoufnefs cannot be obtained but through the \'lord of God, which is a Shower of Rain in Seafon to refrefh contrite Sinners, and ·hence it is compared to Rain becaufe of the Rain's Ufefulnefs, !fa. lv. 10, 11. but that it lignifies Rain in the Place cited, the foregoing Allegory of Raining derived from fertilizing the Earth is very clear. See Ho/ vi. 3· Zech. xtv. 7· · 2 • Examples of the latter are to be read, Job xx. 23. Whm he is about to fill his Be/0•, God jhall caft the Fury of his Wrath upon him, and jhall rain it upon him while he is eating. lly this and the following Metaphors the Plenty of Punifhments infliCted on the Wicked, as the EffeCts of God's Anger, are denoted, Pjal. xi. 6. Upon the fVicked he jhall rain Snares, Fire and Brimjlone, that is, he fhall copioully exercife dreadful Judgments upon them. See Eccl. xii. 2. Pfal. xlii. 7· Deep ea/let!; unto Deep at the Noife of thy Waterfpouts. By the Conduits or Water-conveyances, for fa the Word fianifies, are under!l:ood Clouds which pour down much Rain; the Meaning is, that o~e Trouble brings on another; and whilfr the former is fcarce over, another !l:ands at the Door, as if invited or called by the fir£1:. And as the Clouds fend down great Showers upon the Earth with much Fiercene~s and Noife, caufing hurrful Floods and fomerimes danaerous Deluges : So one Calamtty ufhers another upon me, fa that I am affiiCled and~errified with great Perils. SNOW is put for Glory, Profperity, and Pleafantnefs of Canaan when delivered from Enemies, Pfal. lxviii. '+· and li. 7· For clem!fing from Sin. !fa. i. 18. And the eternal Felicity of Believers. DEWwhich falls from the Air, moiftening and fertilizing the Earth, in two Places denotes the State of Believers. .1. In
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