Keach - Houston-Packer Collection BS537 .K4 1779

Part I; METAPHORS FRoM CoRN, &c. 139 Judg. xiv. 18. 'J'o plow with one's Heifer, is to ufe another's Help (where the Rea– fan of the continued Metaphor is very congruous.) The Speech is of the Marriage of Sampjim, whofe Bride was fitly compared to an Heifer, as being now under the fame Yoke with her Hulband, from whence the Name Conjugium or Yoke-fellow comes. Hence Horace Lib. ii. Carm. Od. 5· comf1ares a proud and lafcivious Maid to an un– tamed Heifer, &c: 'J'o.PLOWis properly to turn the divided Earth, fo as that the inner or under Part may be heaved up to the Superficies, or Top; and metaphorically (f'o•l"~'e'"w') denotes a Search or thorough lnquifition into fecret or inward Things. The Senfe therefore of Sampfon's ~hrafe is, that it would be impolfible for them to have found out the Meaning of hts Riddle, unlefs they had drawn out (by forne Subtlety) the Original and Senfe of it from his Spoufe. · Luke ix. 62. No Man ha·ving put his Hand to the Plow, and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God: As if he had faid (according to Erafinus's Paraphrafe) '!'his is the moft arduous and chief Bujinefs (viz. of my difcipling and GoJPel-preaching) that he who once enters into a Profef/ion, is concerned by continual Care and Study to proceed to more Perfec– tion,and not to fiiffer his Heart orMind to decline or draw back to the fordid Cares orD'!fires of 'rhings pafl. This Metaphor is taken from Hulbandmen, who are obliged to a con– tinual and uninterrupted Care and Study, in tilling and plowing their Fields which agrees well with, 1 Cor. iii. 9· as before. CORNand WHEA'I' metaphorically denote whatfoever is good and profitable, Pfal. lxxii. 16. There /hall be an Handful of Corn in the Earth upon the Top of the Moun– tains, the Fruit thereof !ball/hake like Lebanon, &c~ The Senfe or Meaning is, that in the Time of the Mdfiah (of whom the whole Pfalm treats) all Things will be hap– pily and divinely bleft, which by the lncreafe (or Multiplication of little Corn,) in unfruitful Fields, fuch as by Mountains-tops increafing with great Plenty, is expre!fed. See Jer. xxiii. 28. What is the Chaff to the Wheat? faith the Lord, that is, wherein do the falfe Prophets and their DoCl:rine agree with the Prophets and the Word of the Lord? The Chaldee expounds it of the Righteous or Believers: Behold as Chaff dif– fers from the lVheat; fo the Righteous differ from the Wicked, faith the Lord. With which Expo!ition, Matt. iii. 12. and xiii. 29, 30. agree. By Wheat, the Righteous and Believers are underftood, to whom in the firft Place Chaff, in the latter 'I'm-es, that is, impious, unbelieving and condemned Perfons are oppo!ed. In the fornJer Meta– phor, Manna rained from Heaven is called the Corn of Heaven, Pfal. lxxviii. 24. be– caufe it was like Corn or Wheat, and was equally ufeful in Point of Nourilhment. HARVES'l' is the feafonable Time of gathering in Corn or any other Fruit; from which fame Metaphors are deduced and that in a two-fold Manner. 1. Men are propofed as the efficient Caufe or Harveft-men. Or, 2. As the ObjeCl:, that is, Handfuls or Fruits meafured. In the Jirft Senfe, Harve.ft anfwering the Expectation or Hope of the Hulband– man, denotes the Reward of Piety, or the Punilhment of the Ungodly: For as evt~y one fows fo he jhall reap, Gal. vi. 8. as the Apollle fpeaks in general Terms. And more efpecially fubjoins the Harvdl: and Reward of good and bad Works, Verfes 8, 9· The Harve.ft is taken for the Reward <:>f Piety, Pfal. cxxvi. 5, 6. where the State of the Godly fowing in this World, and the Enjoyment of Glory in the heavenly Life by Har·ve.ft or Reaping, is by a metaphorical Phrafe expre!fed. See Hof x. 12. 2.Cor. ix. 6, &c. Job iv. 8. Prov. xxii. 8. Hof viii. 7· 'Fo Jet an Harve.ft for any, Hof VI,.' I. is to feduce to Idolatry, &c. and fo give caufe for being divinely punilhecl, upon whtch Place fee 'l'arnovius in his Comment. Junius, 'l'remellius, and Pifcator. 2. Becaufe two Things are mofl: remarkable in Harvefl:, viz. ( 1.) That Corn or Fruits are cut or plucked down, and fo wither. _(z.) That they are repo!ited or placed in Barns, &c. to be preferved for Ufe, there anfes a two-fold metaphorical Notion from the TermHarve.ft. I. To denote the Judgments of God, Jer. Ii. 33· Joel iii. 18. Rev. xiv. 15, t6, '7· where it is evident froni Verfe 19. ,that the Wrath of God is noted. 2. The Gathering of the Church, JV!att. ix. 37, 38. Luke x. 2. John iv. 35· 38. In the former Places the Wicked are (as it .were) mowed or reaped down, and like Tares, calt

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