166 METAPHORS FROM VARIOUS DIFFERENCES OF MANKIND. Book I. (2) Such as arc ignorant in the Faith, Ro;i/, ii. 20. I Cor. iii. I, 2. Heb. v. 12, '3· 14· Gal. iv. 3· (3) Fools anc wicked Men de(linlte of the Knowledge of Truth, !fa. xxviii. 9· and lxv. 20. Eph. iv. I4· Sucking is attributed to the Church, !Ja. xlix. 23. and lx. I6. 2 Cor. viii. t, 2, 3, 4· The Confolation of the Gofpel which the Faithful enjoy in the Church, is compared tofucR.ing, lfa.lxvi. t t, t2. vVhen the Term Boy, or little one is attributed to Princes or Magi!hates, it denotes Folly and Lack of Prudence, Eccl. v. I6, I7· !fa. iii. 4- 12. CHILDHOOD Ggnifies the Time of lfrael's Departure our of Egypt, ]er. iii. 4· 'Thou art !he Guide of my Childhood. See Hof ii. '5· and xi. I· Ezek. xxiii. ' 9· lt denotes fpiritual Strength, Pfal. ciii. 4, 5· j'vfANllOOD, Eph. iv. I 3· denotes the PerfeC\ion of Wifdom and Knowledge in Be– lievers, viz. fo much as is attainable in this World, towhichCbildhood isoppofed, Ver. 14OLD AGE fometimcs has the Notion of Wifdom. Hence the Term Elders is applied to Senators, in whom ·not always Age, but Prudence is refpeC\ed, 2 Kings x. t, &c. Hence alfo the Term is ufed of the chief Officers of the Church, 1'Tim. v. t, t7, I9· 'Tit. i. 5· Heb. xi. 2. ]ames v. '4· 1 Pet. v. 1. and v. 5· ~· The Relations which afford any Metaphors are, A Spoufe, llujband, Wife; Widow; Father, Jl..fother, Son; Brother, Sifler; Lord, Servant; Ma)ler, Scholar. By the Metaphor of Efpoufa!s, (which is the mofl: plea!,tnt Metaphor of all) the [pi– ritual Union between Chriit and the Church is expreffcd, liof ii. 19, 20. jVfatt. xxii. 20. and the fcllowing Verfes, Job iii. 29. 2Cor. xi. 3· Rev. xx. 2, 9, 10. &c. See the Metaphor of a Bridegroom in the fecond Book, where the Parallel is run. From theNames of Hufoand andWife a few Metaphors are taken, as !fa. liv. 5· where God calls himfelf the ?)1:1 Hujband of the C/,urcb. The Text is Word for Word from the Hebrew, thy Makers are thy Hujbands, which plural Phrafe denotes the Myfl:ery of the 'Trinity-. Hence the Land of Sion, (that is, the Church) is faid to be n)1)1:l Beulah, that is, married, !fa. lxii. 4, &c. Widowhooddenotes Defolation, !fa. xlvii. 8, g. Hence it is faid, ]er. li. 5· Ifrael bath uotbeen ]I)';>~ widowed(orleft a Widow) nor Judah of his God. A Father :l~ with RefpeC\ to diverfe Attributes, yields diverfe Metaphors. 1. With Refpect to Begetting and ProduC\ion, he is put for the Author of any Thing, Gen. iv. 20, 21. ]ob xxxviii. 28. John viii. 44· 2. With RefpeC\ to the Education of his Children, he is put for a Doctor, 'leacher, or Mafler, ]udg. xvii. 10. 2 Kings ii. 12. (Hence comes the Appellation of the Children of the P1·ophets, >Kings vi. 1. and elfewhere, by which their Difciples are undedtood) Matt. xxiii. 9· 1Cor. i. '5· Acts xviii. 8, 9· 10, 11. 3· Becaufe he governs his Children, he is put for a Prince or Superior, 1Sam. xxiv. "I. 2 Kings v. I 3· lfa. xxii. 2 r. Hence Deborah is called a Mother, ]udg. v. 7· + Becaufe of his Converfation with his Children, he is put for any Thing mofl: con– junct, Job xvii. 14. 5· Becaufe of his Love, he is put for any Thing loving or benevolent, Gw. xlv. 8. Job xxix. 16. 6. lie is put for an Example (or Exemplar rather) propofed for Imitation, Rom. iv. IJ, 12, 16, t8. Of the Wo1d (Mother) fee Chap. ix. SeC\. 5· §. 4BabJioll or the Antichriflian Church is called the Mother of FornicalionsandAbominationsof theEartb; that is, that invented, confirmed, propagated, and defended the Idolatries, damnable DoC\rines, Errors, nefarious Vv'ickednelfes of all Sorts of Men, which are myjlical \'Vhoredom, and the greate!l: Abomination in the Sight of God. By AlluGon to the Man's Words that faid to Chrifl, Matt. xii. 47· 'Thy Mother aiid thy Brethren )land witbout, dfjiring to JPeak with thee; Chrifl: calls his Difciples and all Believers his Mother, Brothers, and Sijlers, that is, they were as de:1r to him as fuch, and denotes that fpirill!a! Relation is of higher Value, than earthly. The Porting of two \'lays is called a ll.fotb<r, Ezek. xxi. 21, becaufe two Ways, as if they were two Daughters, proceed from it. A SONp, [Ben,] what Signification this is of, may be read, Chap. vii. All Believers ~re called tbe SoJJS of God, John i. 12, 13. Rom. viii. I4, 16, 17, '9• 21. Gal. iii. 26. and
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