Patt 1. OF AN H y p E R B 0 L E. 1gt they belzeved as he did. The fame Comparifon of the Sand of the Sea, and the Dull: of the Earth is to be read, Gen. xxii. '7· and xxviii. I4. Judg. vii. I 2. I Sam. xiii. 5' I Kings iv. 20, 29. 2 Chron. i. 9· Job xxix. z8. Pfal. lxxviii. 26, 27. lfa. xxix. 5· Jer. xv. 8. Heb. xi. I2, &c. So other Comparifons, fwifter than Eagles, 2 Sam. i. 23. that is, Saul and Jonathan, ]er. iv. 13· Lam. iv. '9· Se!' I Kings x. 27. See Ver. 21. 2 Chron. i. 15. and ix. 20, &c. Job vi. 3· and xli. 9· Hab. ii. 5· Lam. iv. 7• 8, &c. 2. In certain Hypothefes, where for Emphajis Sake, the Things are amplified more than really they are or can be, Pfal. cxxxix. 8, 9• IO. If I afcend up into Heaven, thou art there; if I make my Bed in Hell, behold thou art there. If I take the Wings of the Morning, and dwell in the uttermoft Part of the Sea: Evm there jhall thy Hand lead me, and thy right Handjhall hold me. Now no Man living can afcend unto Heaven, nor de– fcend into Hell, nor take vVings, and fly as faft as the Morning. But thefe Things are mentioned by Way of hyperbolical Fi<'lion, ro illuftrate the Infinitenefs and Omnipre– fence of God which no Man can avoid or Ay from. There is an hyperbolical Expref– lion or Hypothejis, Prov. xxvii. 22. which denotes that no Endeavors will reclaim or bring Men obdurate in Folly to the right Way. That Hyperbole, Obad. Verfe 4· de– notes the certainty of Divine Judgment againft the Edomites. See Jer. xlix. I 6, &c. Matt. xvi. 26. But what is a Man profited, if he jhallgain the whole World and jhall loft his own Soul!' By the Word World, all the .Power, Riches, Pleafure, and precioLis Things there, are to be underftood in one Word. And by this hypothetical Hyperbole, the moft grievous State of the Wicked, that (by thtle Toys which are but rranGenc) forfeit eternal Life, is denoted. See Mark viii. 36. Luke ix. 25, &c. I Cor. iv. 15. and xiii. z, 2. Gal. i. 8, &c. 3· In fome others, I Kings xx. 10. as that thrafonical ot boafting Speech of Benhadad King of Syria to the King of lfrael is recorded, that the Duft of Samaria jhould not fujfice for Handful!s, for all the People that follow me. This is a high Piece of hyperbo– lical Boajling, ao if he had faid, all your L and can be brought by Handfulls, by my Army, yea, !hall not be enough for the Number of Bearers, (lo great is my Hoft) ; how ealily therefore !hall I overcome you? Hof ii. I 7· There is an Hyperbole which denotes the Contempt of Idolatr)', that will be, and that their Names Cnall not be ufed with any Reverence, which muft be the Meaning, for Paul names Baal, Rom. xi. 4· See Atls vii. 43r&c.; Matt. v. 29. If thy right Eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cajl it from thee, Verfe 30. If thy right Hand offend thee cut it off, mzd cajl it from thee, &c. Chrijl would not have a Man maim his Body, but by this hyperbolical Precept intimates, the great Heinouli1efs, and extreme Danger of Scandal or Offence, and that we are by any Means to avoid it, and ]Jarr from all OccaGons of giving it. That ~)'perbolical Exprellion, Matt. xxiv. 2. denotes extreme De.flruflion and razing of the Foundation. See Hag. ii. 16. Matt. i. 6. and Luke x. 4· Of which before, in the Metony;ny of a Sign. John xxi. 2 5· And there are alfo many other 'I"hings, which Jefus did, the which, ifthey /hould be written every one, I fuppofe that e·ven the whole World itfelf could not contain tht Books, thatjhould be written. Some expound this of the Capacity of the Underftand– ing, (hmce 'l"heophilafl expounds x,we"~"" by '"~a• to underjland, as the fame Wore! rendered here contained, is taken, Matt. xix. !I, I2.) that the Senfe may be, that there would never be fuel! an one in the World, that could comprehend all in his M ind be"– caule of the Variety and Multitude of Things done, and fpoken by Chrijl, the '¥orld be10g metouymically put for the Mm, and Books for their Contents. Otbers underftand it of local Capacity, properly fo called, that the whole World was not b1g enough to contain all the Books, if in every Circumftance all the Sayings and A<'lions of Chrijl were written, which Explication is favored by the Pronoun (av1o< itfe!J) added .'O the World : Take it which way you will, ic is an hyperbolical Exprellion, efpe– c~ally rn the latter Senfe. Some compare Amos vii, 1 o. with it, ']"be Land is not able lo bear all his Words, &c. By that hyperbolical Wifi1 of the Apoj/le, Rom. ix. 3· his great and exceeding Love to the Ifraelitis is noted. See Gal. iii. I3, I4. Jude Verfe 23, &c•. Examplrs
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