Part I. METAPHORS FROM THE KINDS OF LIY!NG CREATURES. rsr A YOKE that In!hument whereby Oxen are tied, to draw a Flougb, Cart or Coach, &c. Luke xiv. 1 9· is ufed metaphorically; as, 1. It denotesDollrine and lnjlitutio11, for as Oxen are thereby tied up and appointed to fame certain Kind ofLabor, to which in Time they become accuftomed, fa Chriftians are oblio-ed to the Practice of Divine Precepts. Jer. v. 5· but thefe have altogether broken the Yoke, and burft the Bonds (wherewith the Yoke was tied) the Chaldee renders it, But theft have altogether rebelled againjl the Law, theft have departed from the Doarine. See Pjal. ii. 3· J11att. xi. ~9· 'fake my Ycke upon you, Verfe 30. For my Yoke is eajy and my Burden is ligbt. That the evangelical Doctrine of Chri{t our Savior is to be under– ftood, is evident by the ]:; xplication added, Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart, and ;•ejhallfind Reft for _your Souls. Now becaufe the Gofpel is the Doctrine or Word of the Crofs, r.Cor. i. 18. therefore is this metaphorical Phrafe ufed by Chrift. That there are three Things comprehended here, is plain from the Words. (r.) Faith in Chrilt, begot by the Word of the Gofpel. (2.) A pious Life, conformable to the Life of Chri!t in Humility, Meeknefs and other Fruits of the Spirit. (3.) Patience and Conj/ancy in bearing his Crofs. And where thefe are exercifed the Party Jhall find Re!l: for his Soul. Hence the Devil is called*Belial, which fignifies without Yoke, becaufe that apoftate Spirit ca{t of his Allegiance to the Laws of God. 2. It denotes Trouble, Anguijh and A.!fliClion, but efpecially the Opprejjion of cruel Malrers, Magi!hates, or Tyunts, as Oxen yoked are heavy loaden, and compelled by n,,(hing and pricking to draw through the moft difficult Ways by their hard-hearted Owners, Lev. xxvi. 13. I Kings xii. 4· !fa. x. 4· x. 27. xiv. 25. and xlvii. 6. Jer. ii. 20. xxv·iii. 2, 4, 1 r, 14. and xxx. 8. Lam. i. 14. and iii. 27. I 'l'im. vi. 1, &c. It is put fm· a heavy and troublefome Burden in Spirituals, Actsxv. IO. Gal. y. I, &c. 3. It denotes Conjuullion and Conformity with others, as the Oxen joined together by the Yoke, draw the Burden wirh the greater Eafe, becaufe of their mutual Aid to each other, 2 Cor. vi. '4· Be ye not unequally yoked with Unbelievers, by which, Idolatry, or any Kind of Impie~y is underftood. The vVord •ne•~"'l'""" is emphatica! and figni– fies to bear a ftrange Yoke, which Believers are, of all Men, moft obliged to keep the remoteft Di!hnce from. · · The Term uu~u7®- tPhi!. iv. 3· which is well tranOated Yoke-fellow, is diverOy in– terpreted by the L"arned; Clemens Alexandriuus tmderftood it of Paul's Wife, anq ma 0 y follow him, as Erajinus, Mufculus, Il!)·ricus, and others: Bur Cajetan, Calvin, Beza, and . Pifcator turn it focie, that is, Companion, &c. the Phrafe is certainly metaphorical, whe– ther it be underitood of Paul's Wife, or any aili!l:ant Preacher. The SJ•riac ufes a mafculine vVord '~'! 1::1 fili jugi mei, Son of my Yoke; by which it appears that they un– derttood it of fame Man that was Paul's Colleague. A DOG becaufe he is ravenous and given to Biting, metaphorically denotes a violent and bitter fpiteful Enemy, Pfal. xxii. I 6, 20. and becau{e reputed a bafe Creature among Men, it is ufed as a Term of Difgrace, or vilifying, 2 Kings viii. I 3· fa a t/ead Dog, I Sam. xxiv. 15. 2 Sam. ix. 8. and xvi. 9· and the Head of a Dog, 2 Sam. iii. 8. impu- . dent Whoremongers or Sodomites, are called fa, Deut. xxiii. 17, 18. Though fame un– derftood this Phra{e properly, yet by the 17th Verfe it feems to be meant of Sodomi!es. It denotes wicked Men who are fiubbornly ungrateful and obftinate, Matt. vii. 6. where Dogs and Swi11e are joined (as likewife in the Proverb, 2 Pet. ii. 22.) which Meta– phors emphatically fer forth the Q,ralities, and Acts of the Sons of this World, who are Strangers to the Kingdom of God. t. L1ke ravenous Curs, they bark at the heavenly Doctrine, and its faithful Minif– ters, whom they reproach with impudent Scandals, and whofe )Jtter Extirpation they ftudy. 2. Like Swine * (3oef3oew1n {3rov •x••• vitam impurmn agunt, they lead a filthy Life, wallowmg m bea!lly l:'leafmes, as Hogs do in Mire. Chrijl therefore gives warning to h1s People, that they fl10uld take fpecial Care that the Myfteries of his ble!fed Sacra– ments Jhould not be communicated to, or pollmed by, fuch Blafphemers, Perfecutots, . ·• .Belial ab/qu~jugo. Hie.r. ?r·~:l ex beli, id eft 11011, & hol id eft.jugum. The Septuagint commonly trantlate 1~ tr«-e~~oyo;, altogtthtr irrtgular. ' t Ma.fiulim· & ftminini g.uuris eft, Jigniliwt Conjugatum, Zan. t Thtopilall. and
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