130 MET A PH 0 R S FROM INANIMATE BonrEs. Book r. pie of Ifrael, which People they were to lead forth, and teach, and to fupport them as a Rock or a Foundation-Stone fupports a Building. . It is faid Zccb. xii. 3· That Jerufalem will be made a Stont of Burden for all People, upon which Words Jerome notes, Formerly in little Villages, little 'Towns, and little Cajlles, they were wont to place round Stones ofgreat Weight, ·which the Youth for Exer– cife fake, were wont to jlrive who could lift them highejl, fame could lift only to their Knees, fame to their Navels, fome to their Shoulders and Head, fome (that made an Ojlentation of their Strength) with eret7ed Hands, threw them over their Heads, &c. Hence the Prophet alludes (fay they) that if any Nations will adventure to aifault the Church to remove it from its Place, and tofs it at their Pltafure, they }hallfznk under their Burden, and be e·ven crujhed to Piem; even by the Power and Strength of the chief Corner-flone of the Church, Lukexx. 17, 18. FromQ.U.IfRRIES of Stone an elegant Metaphor is taken, Ifa.li. 1. Look into the Rock whence ye are hewn, and to the Hole of the Pit whence ye are digged. He fpeaks of the godly I(raelites fprung from .lfbraham and Sarah, as Verfe 2. The Reafon of this metaphorical Phrafe, Junius and 'Tremel/ius fairly deduce from the Argument of this Chapter-Thus Chrijt argues, I promife that I will comfort and rejlore the Church, al– though it be wafted and almoft nothing, Verfe iii. and that you may the eafzer believe this, remember that you are come of Parents, that had ne·ver begot Children, if God by his powerful Word (as a Hammer breaks Stones out of a Rock) had not d-.e ii: And therefore )'Oil who are in the fame Covenant, are to experience the fame Virtue and Power of God. See Ezek. iv. 1. Exod. xxiv. 10. Prov. xvii. H, 23. More efpecially there is a metaphorical Mention of Gems in the Defcription of the Glory and the inward Splendor of the Church of Chrifl:, Ifa.liv. I I. B<ho!d I will lay thy Stones with fair Colors, and lay thy Fou11dations with Sappbires- And Verfe I2. I will make thy Windows of Cryjlal, and thy Gates of Carbuncles, and all thy Borders of pleafant Stoms- that this relates to the New Teltament Times, appears by the following Words, Verfe 13. And all thy Children }hall be taught of the Lord, which Words, John vi. 44, 45· are cited by Chrift, Application being made to his Church. Its Founda– tion is faid to be laid in Sapphires and Carbuncles, that is, in the true Knowledge ofJefus Chrijt, who is the only Foundation of the Church, Matt. xvi. 16, 18. 1 Cor. iii. 12. !fa. liii. t 1. and withal the mofl: precious and refpltndent Gem. It is expounded Ifa. liv. I 4· In Righteoufnefs }halt thou be ejlablijhed, which is the Righteoufnefs of Chrifl: applied by true Faith in order to Salvation. Its Windows are faid to be of Cryjlal, by which the .lfpojlles, Evangelijts, and other faithful Preathers of the Word of God, and their facred Preaching of Jefus Chrifl: are to be underfl:ood, through which, as by cryfl:alline and mofl: tranfparent Windows, heavenly Light gets into the Church. Its Gates are faid to be of Carbuncles (a Gem of a Aaming Color which derives its Name from mp kindling) by which the continual Preaching of the Woll~ is under– Hood, that Door of Utterance, Col. iv. 3· 1 Cor. xvi. 9· 'l'be Gates that }hat/ be opm continually, !fa. lx. 1 1. by which fuch as enter are enlightened as by a fparkling Gem, and kindled by a Divine Fire, Luke xxiv. 32. Did not our Heart burn within us? &c. Lafl:ly, All its Borders are faid to be of pleafant Stones, that is, mofl: lovely and de– firable- By which the Amplitude or Largenefs of the Church of Chrifl: gathered by the Preaching of the Gofpel in the whole World, built upon Chrifl: himldf, and his faving Knowledge is undcrfl:ood. But we mufl: obferve, that thefe Things are to be mofl: compleatl)' fulfilled in the heavenly ]erufalem and Life eternal, as in its Defcrip– tion, Rev. xxi. 10, 11, 18, &c. appears. By the Metaphor of a Pearl the faving Word of God is exprelfcd, Matt. vii. 6. fo the Kingdom of Heaven, th•t is, the Church gathered by the Word, is compared to a Pearl, Mall. xiii. 45• 46. An Adamant or Diamond ,,Oil!.lfdamas (a precious and mofl: hard Stone) is brought to denote the l'ravity and di~bolical Hardnefs of Man's Heart, Zech. vii. 12. S.lfL'l' that good Creature of God, fo called by the Evangelifl:, Lukexiv. 34· becaufe of iti Virtue to preferve from PutrefaCtion, and feafon, or give a Relifu unto Meat, is by
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=