Part I. METAPHORS FROM THE PARTS OF LIViNG CREATURES. they fay is to be of the Tribe of Dan, and is the Serpent her~ meam; but that Conceit is grounded upon fome obfolete F1gments of jew1fh Tradmons, and upon no Scnpture Foundation, &c. By the Root of the Serpeut, !fa. xi V. Z9· the Progeny of King Uzziah is underftood who grievoufiy affliCted the Phtliftines, 2 Chron. xxvi. 6. and by the Viper King Heze~ kiah, who yet affliCted them more, and almoft involved them in incurable Mifchicfs; 2 Kings xviii. 8. Betwixt thefe two Ahaz reigned, by Reafon of whofe Sloth(God pumfh– ing his Impiety) the Philiflines became infolent, harraffing and wafting Judea without Controul, 2 Chron. xxviii. 28. But the Prophet here denounces that they fhall be no longer fuffered to rage at that Rare, but that they !hall be deftroyed, &c. SCORPIONS denote moft malignant and perverfe Men, Ezek. ii. 6. Alfo mofl grievous and intolerable Strokes, I Kings xii. I 1, I4· 2 Chron. xi. 11, I4· SPJDERS WEBS denote the Vanity of wicked Defigns, Job viii. 14. !fa. lix. 5, 6. iVfOLES to which Bats are joined, !fa. ii. zo. denote fuch as are fpirirually blind and ign~rant of God; becaufe Moles live obfcurely under Ground; and Bats in dark Nights Ay about, as if he had faid, when they are converted to Chrifl, they will leave their Idols which they worlhipped, to fuch as are obftinately blind and unbelieving; but they themfelves !hall ferve God being divinely illuminated. A WORM denotes a Thing vile and contemptible, Pfal. xxii. 6. !fa. xli. I4· fame– times perpet11al Affliction, !fa. lxvi. 24. M ark ix. 44, 46, 4~. becaufe it is alway~ gnawing and confuming the Wood, or living Creature wherein it is. A FLEAdenotes ~xtraordinary vilifying, l:.xtenuation of Worth, 1 Sam. xxiv. 14. and xxvi. 20. Hitherto we have treated of terrej/rial Creatures: Now of volatile or Aying Creatures, and aquatile, that is, fuch as live in Waters, we will give what Metaphors are met with, which are but few. Of the Wings and Flight of Birds we have fpoke before. Eccl. x. 20. Fame or R~ort (becaufe of its Swifmels) is exprelfed by the Metaphor of a Bird, Curfe not the King, 110 not in thy Confcimce, and curfe not the Rich in thy Bed– Chan•ber: For a Bird of the Air jha/1 carry the Voice, and that wbich bath Wings jha/1 tell the Matter: That IS, hecaufe Fame is an Evil,· than which nothing is more fwifr, and !hall with great Speed, like a flying Bird convey thy 'vVords to the hearing of fuch as will create thee Danger. Some refer this to a Hyperbole, that the Senfe may be, that Princes and great Men are full of Ears, fo that there is fcarce any Thing. done or faid, but they have Notice of ir by their Spies and Obfervers. Hence came the Greek Proverb 1roAAo' (3rx.rnAiw' o~9x.Ap.o,, Xet:l 1ro'A.Arx. wrce: 'fbe King has many Eyes and many Ears. Of the warlike Haft of the King of Ajfyria, ir is faid, !fa. viii. 8. 'l"hat the flretching out of his Wings Jhall be the Br,eadth of thy Land, 0 lmmanuel: Upon which Mufculus in his Comment. h. I. fays, 'l"hat by tbis Metaphor of a great Bird, the Multitude of bis Hofl is denoted, which is offo vafl a Body, and of fuch large and fpreading Wings, that nothing in the whole Land can efcape its Depredations, &c. The Lord fays, !fa. xlvi. 1 r. 'I"hat he will call a* ravenous Bird from the Eafl, that is, Cyrus, a Leader of a notable Expedition, who fubdues all Difficulties, as if he had Wings to Ay over them. The Epithet (ravenous) denotes his Cruelty which he exercifed in the DeftruCtion of Baby/on,. as Wings fignify the Swifmefs of the Execution. ]er. xii. 9· My Pojfeifion is to me as a taloned Bird, (or a Bird with Claws or 'l"alons). In the former Verfe, he compared that ltubborn People to a Lion ; and here to a rapa– cious Fowl, which invades his Prey with 'I"alons, as if they were Fingers"t.-He proceeds in the Metaphor, the Birds round about her, are againfl her; come ye, ajjemble all the Beafls of the Field, come to devour; this is a Summons to the Cbaldcans and other Gentiles, to come againft the Jews, &c. . 'J'he Chattering of Birds is put for the Groans of Men in Sicknefs, !fa xxxviii. I4. where fome Species of Birds as a Crane, a Swallow, and a Dove are mentioned. Alfo • t!l'll Rnpax volucris. t See Pliny's Nat. Hift. lib. It. c. 47· R r in
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