METAPHORS FROM EARTH. Book I. other Part of the Army, who together with their chief Captains and Champions we,e to be cut off. HILL if added to Mountailts is fometimes taken metaphorically in the Senfe ~iven before. Some by everlafling Hills, Gen. xlix. 26. uuderlbnd Patriarchs, ProPllets and illuftrious Saints1 who exceed others as Hills do Vallies, but it is thought tha; the Phrafe unto tbe utmoflBound of the everlafling Hills, is better expounded unto the End of the World, that is until the Hills be moved, which are always immoveable. And by this Reafon nlfo, lfa.liv. 10. the Uivenant of Divine Grace is compared to Hills and Mountains immovt:able. A ROCK (which is a great Stone in H eight refembling a Mountain) by a Metaphor denotes a firm, ftable, or fecure Place from Dangers, and confequently Refuge and ProteCtion, Pfal. xl. 2. xxvii. 5· and lxi. 2, !fa. xxxi. 9· and xxxiii. 16. Jer.li. 25. &c. A DEN is a Cavity or hollow Place of Stones or great Rocks in which Thieves and Robbers hide themfelves, hence Chrift calls the Temple of Jerufalem a Den of Thiwes, Matt. xxi. 13. Mark xi. 17. Luke xix. 46. which is taken from Jer. vii. 11. becaufe of their falfe DoCtrine, perverfe Lives, Oppreffions, Unrighteoufnefs, &c. each of which is (piritual Robbery. Neither is the Allufion of a Den to that fpacious and vaft Temple infio-nificant; for we find recorded by Jojephu.;, Lib. xiv. c. 27. and by Strabo Lib. r.vi. tha~therc were Dens in that Country fa great and fpacious that 4000 Men may a: once hide themfelves in one of them. A VALLEY hecaufe of its Lownefs and the Obfcurity of its Shade which broken and hangmg Hills and Trees caufe, metapborically denotes Humiliation, Griefs, and Opprefiiuns, If'· xl. 4· Luke iii. 5· Jerufa/em is called the Valley of Vifions, !fa. xxii. t. becaufe it was the Seminary of the Prophets, &c. Pfal. xxiii. 4· Yea, though I walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, [will fear no Evil, that is, although I 01ould fall into the utmolt Perils of Death-The Metaphor is taken from Sheep, who when they fhay in tho(c ob(cure and defolate Vallies are in Danger of being deltroyed by rave' nous Beafts. See 11al. cix. 176. I have gone -Jfray like a loft Sheep, &c. Pfal. lxxxiv. 6. Who pa.Jiing through the Valley of Baca make it aWe!/ : '!'he Raiil alfa fi!leth the Pools-This Text in the Hebrew is thus: Pa.Jiing through the Valley of Mul– berry•-trees they make him afVell, and the Rain with Ble.Jiings (or moft lib~rally) covereth them, that is, although the Godly (whom Verfc 4, 5· he calls Bldfed, becau(e they dwell in the Houfe of the Lord, ftill praifing him, and with a ihong Faith clt'aving; to him, &c.) fhould be involved in divers Calamities (whichis metaphorically exprdfttl by palling throc1gh the Valley of Mulberry-trees, that bemg a barren and dry Place, Mulberry-trees ufually growing in fuch Ground, 2 Sam. v. 22, 23, 24.) yet they trult in God and make him their Well, by whom as from the living Stream of Health and Comfort they arc abundantly refrellied, raifed up and comforted, and as it were wid1 a wholefome Rain made fruitful. It follows Verfe 7. '!'hat theygo from Strength to Strength; that is, by the Power of God they !hall fubdue and overcome all Enemies and Evils that annoy them. It follows in the Hebrew thus: '!'he God of Gods fhall be Jeen of them in Sion, that is, (in the Church of Believers) he will graciouOy manifdt himfelf to them, both by the Word of Life, and by hise xcellent Help, compare Pfal.l. 23' with this Text. There are other Vallies metaphorically made ufe of as, Hof ii. 15. I will give tbe Valley of Acbor for a Door of Hope-:-This is a Promife of Jehovah tO the Church; by which Phrafe the Confolauon of hiS Sprnr m Adverfity, and the Comfort of Hope IS underftood. Achor fignifies Perturbation or '!'rouble, and received that Name from the ooreat P erturbation of the People of Ifrael, ]ofh. vii. 24, 25, 26. It was in that Valley ~hich borders upon Jericho, that they had the firlt Hope of poffeffing the Land of Canaan. So they believing in the Valley of Achor, that is being full of Trouble and Di!turbance, they are raifed up by a gracious Confolation out of God's Word, and are comforted by the Hope of eternal Life. · The Valley of ]ebofapbat is put for the Church, Joel iii. 2. The Valley ofGehinnon or Hinnon, from whence Gehenna (pur for Hell) comes, affords no other Metaphors. ADESER,"!
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