124 M .E T A p H 0 R s F R 0 M EARTH. Book I. Sins through the Mediator Chri!l:, P[al. li. 8, 9· !fa. iv. 4· Ezek. xvi. 4, 9· and xxxvi. 25. Afls xxii. 16. 1 Cor. vi. 11. Heb. x. 22. R l!"o. i. 5, 7, 14. or that which is always joined with the antecedent Benefit of God, to abfl:ain f:·om Sin and praEtife Ho. !inefs and Purity of Life,_'Job ix. jo. Pfal. xxvi. 6. and lxxiii. 13. Prov. xxx. 12. lfa. 1. 16. Jer. IV. 14. James IV. 8, &c. Of Metaphors taken from the Earth. JN the Globe of the Earth two Things are to be confidered, whith afford as many metaphorical Acceptations, ( t.) That it is oppojite to Heaven with RefpeCI: to O!!antity and O!!alities. Hence as Heaven denotes the fpiritual Kingdom of God, and the State of eternal Felicity; fo on the contrary the Earth denotes the State of Corruption and Sin in which Man after the Fall was involved, John iii. 3 1. owv Ex -r11q yr,~, Ex n;; 'Y11l £;~;, xa1 Ex ng· j''lS' A~>:.Au, he that is of the Earth, is of the Earth, andfpeaketh ofthe Earth. A very fair Antanaclajis! The firfl: Phrafe of the E/JR'l'H is properly taken and denotes an earthly Original, that is, to be begotten by a natural Man in a natural Way (to which is oppofed that Chrifl: is "'"9" !~XO!J-!11@-' xcu £)( 'T8 ae~ll8, come from above and from Heaven. . See I Cor. XV. 47·) The fecond Phra!e, of the Earth, metaphorically taken, IS to be carnally wife, ig– norant of Divine Things, loll: in Sin, and an abfolute Stranger to Heaven and the fpi– rirual Kingdom of God, which elfewhere is phraftd, ,.~ £71"l'}'Hct ((Jpo·m", to mind (that is, to only take care for) earthly Things, Phi!. iii. 19. T" T"' ""P"'' ~P"'"' to take care for thofe 'I'hings which are of the Flefh, Rom. viii. 5· See John iii. 6. I Cor. ii. '4· To which in this Place of John, VIZ. iii. 31. is oppofed that Chrill:, f1t"a~w 71'"et~1w\l cp\1, is above all, that is, the heavenly Lord and moO: Holy God void of all Imperfection and worldly Spot. The lafl: Phrafe, to fpeak of the Earth, is conformable to the firft, and is to fpeak thofe Things which are contrary to the Kingdom of God, erroneous and lying. See 1 John iv. 3, 5· (To which is oppofed that Chrift ttfiifies that which he faw and heard, and fpeaks the \"'ords of God, which whofoever receives, he fcals or witndfes that God is true) the like Oppoution Chrift ufcs, fpeaking to the carnal Jews, John viii. 23. (2.) Becaufe the Earth affords Men Houfes and convenient Habitations, in thatRefpeCl: eternal Life, and the Heaven of the Bleffed is called a new Earth or Land, !fa. lxv. 17, 22. 2 Pet. iii. 13. Rev. xxi. I, becaufe in it are thoft: many Manfions which are provided by Chrift for Believers, John xiv. 2. In this Senfe fome of the F:nhers ex– pound, Matt. v. 5· Blejfed are the Meek for they (ball inherit the Earth. But this may be fitly interpreted of the Earth on which we dwell: For this Sentence leems to be borrowed from Pfal.. xxxvii. 11. '!'he Meekjha/1 inherit the Earth, and jhall delight themfelves in the Abundance of Peace. The Meaning may be, they who do Violence to none, and when injured eauly forgive, who choo(c rather to lofe their Right than vex– atiouily to wrangle or contend, who value Concord and Tranquillity of Mind before great EO:ates, to whom a quiet Poverty is more welcome, than brawling Riches, thefe I fay, will truly and with a Mind full of Tranquillity inhabit and poffefs this Earth, and in it will enjoy the Grace and Bleffing of God to them and their Pofl:erity, whil!t the Goods of the Wicketl are by Divine Vengeance lcattered as it were ioto the light Winds, fo that thefe (viz. the Meek) are the true Po!fe!fors of the L and, and as it were the Props or Pillars that preferve ir, whereas the Wicked, together with the Devils, are but Po!feffors of a bad Faith, and unjufr Ravi!hers, for whofe Malice every Crea– ture groans, and does, as it were, tacitly implore Deliverance of the great Creator, Rom. viii. 20, 21, 22, &c. So much in general, now we !hall brieAy !hew what Metaphors are taken from the feveral Parts of the Earth. As, 1. A MOUNTAIN or HILL, being a more high and elevated Part of the Earth metaphorically denotes, ( 1.) Heaven the Habitation of God, fo called by an Anthropopathy, as he is elfewhere faid, to d-well "in the Highefl, Pfal. iii. 5· I cried unto the Lord with my Voice, and ht heard me out of his holy Hill, that is, from Heaven: As if he had faid, I am cafr out from the Place of the terre!l:rial SanCtuary appointed in Jemfa!em, but there is yec an
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