Part I. METAPHORS FROM WATER; (1.) In this World, as Pfal. ex. 3· '!'he Dew ofChrifl's Youth is mentioned, that is, the Church of Believers ac'opted by the Spirit of Chrilt, which like Dew is born again by t·he Word and Gofpel Miniltrations, and may be fitly compared to Der.JJ, becaufe a faithful Conferrion and pious Converfatibn are edifying to others and win them for Chrif\, rendering the Church fruitful as the Dew does the Earth; as alfo with Rcfpect to rhe mmual CommiferJtion, Love, and Benefils, wirh which Chriltians comfort each other, as Dew fweetly refre01es, and as it were cheers the Earth when fcorched and dried up by the Sun's intemperate Heat. See Micah v. 7· Hof xiv. 5· Pfal. xxxiii. 3· (l.) in the ff/orld to come, and RefurreCl:ion from the Dead, !fa. xxvi. '9· 'l'hy Dew is as the Dew of Herbs. This is an Acclamation to God, whofe gracious Power and molt powerful Grace which he exercifes in the Refurrection of Believers is called Dew, and comp1red to the Dew that falls upon Herbs: As if he had faid, as the Dew of Heaven refrefi1es and raifes up thofe Herbs which were as it were dead and withered becaufe of the Sun's Heat: So thy Power, 0 God, /hall raife up and make thy Dead to live, &c. For theConnexion of the whole Verfe and Propriety of the Words /hew that the Refurrecrion of the Dead is here treated of. The Chaldee interprets it, the De:v of Light, which gives the Light of eternal Blelfednefs. The Paraphrafe upon the whvle Ver le is rhus- 'J'hou art he which quickens the Dead, thou raifefl the Bones of their Carcajes ; they fhalllive a;Jd praife thee before all, who were before converted into Dtljl; becauje the Dew of Light is thy Dew to fuch as obferve thy Law ; but the Wicked to whoi/J thou gavefl Power, and yet tranfgrejjed thy Law, thou wilt cafl into Hell. Metaphors taken from Water. THESEMetaphors may be thus dillinguilbed, (r.) Such Things as concern the N ame or Appellation ofWaterJ, (2.) The Sub;etls or Things containing Water. (3.) llS AdJI!nc1s or Qlalities. (4.) lts Operations or Actions. r. As to what concerns the firlt, in Waters two Things are efpecially remarkable, 'Viz. Firlt, Their Plenty, Multitude, and Depth, in which Refpe<'l: they are oftenrimes prejudicial and hul[;-c;]. Secondly, Their Profit .and Ufefulnefs. So that the Metaphors deduced from Wa– ter fignifies lametimes Good, and lomctimes Burr or Evil. In the latter Senfe, (1. ) It fignifies a flrong and numerous People, efpecially fuch a5 invade a Country in an holtile Manner, ravaging and fpoiling it, !fa. viii. 7· Behold the Lord bringeth up upon them the Waters of the River flrong and many. The Chaldee, An Hofl of many People like a rapid and flrong River-The Interpretation follows, even the King ofAj}jria and all his Power-The Allegory is continued,_And he fhall come up. over all his Channels, and go over all his Banks, Verfe 8. And he fhall pafs through all 'Judah, he/hall overflow and go over, he/hall reach even to the Neck, that is, the King of Ajjjria with his numerous Armies, like fwelling and ltrong Waters, /hall over-run and dellroy all : Firfi the L and of Ifrael, and afterwards the Land of Judah, in which thofe Waters are faid to overflow into the Neck; that is, even to Jerufalem, wherein was the H ead of the Kingdom, by a Profopopeia, whereby a Kingdom is compared to a human Body, &c. Jer. xlvii. 2. 'Thus faith the Lord, BeholdWaters fhal! arife up out of the North, and/hall be an overflowing F'lood, andfhall owrflow the Land and the Ful– nefs thereof Chaldee: Behold a People /hall come from the North, and /hall be as a firong Flood, and !hall prey upon the Earth. The Hofls of the Bab)•lonians are meant. See !fa. xvii. 12, 13. Ezek. xxvi. 3, 19. where an hoflile People are exprefsly com– pared wirh Water. Alfo, Rev. xvii. r, 15. the Vilion of a Multitude of Waters fig– mfies many People. (?..) It denotes any great Calamities and Tribulations, 2 Sam. xxii. '7· Pfal. xxvii, .r6. XXXII. 6. lxvi. 12. cxxiv. + 5· and cxliv. 7· !fa. xxviii. '7· and xliii. 2. Lam. JII. 54· We are alfo to Note, that the mofl bitter and exqtlilite Paffions of our Savior are me– taphorically compared to deep and overflowing Waters, Pfal.lxix. 2, 3, 14>'5· See H h Pfal.
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