X OF THE DIVIN.E AUTHORITY and has peculiar Properties, not elfewhcre to be found; its Simplicity is joined with Majefty, co:nmanding the Veneration of all ferious Men. ./lug,ifline lays ·•, That the holy Scriptures feemed rude ond unpolifhed to him, in Comparifon of Cicero's adorned Stile, becaule he did not then underfland its interiora, or inward Beauty: But when he. was converted to Chriflianiaty, declared t , That when he under{lood them, no W rit– ing appeared more wife and eloquent. Greg. Nazimzzen :t:, a Man of prodigious Wit, Learning, and Eloquence, when he came to fludy the facred Scriptures, villifies all Ornaments of Literature amongfl the Greek l'hilofophers, as infinitely below thofe di– vine Oracles. Ilf:yricus lays, That although we find not in the holy Scripture that idle or delicate Itch of Words, that external Sweernefs or Allurement, that Numerolity of Sounds, or thole pleafing TriBes, which vain-glorious Orators of Greece and Rome beau– tified their fo much famed Harangues with; yet we find there a grave and mafculine Eloquence, exceeding all others. And fhall we indeed think, that the great God would ufe Inductions, as Plato; Syllogifms, as ./lrijfotle ; Elenchs, as the Carmeades ; Epiphonemas, as Cicero; Subtilties, as Seneca ; or Words far fetched , joined together with an artificial Syntax, with refpect to Weight, Number and Sound? If a royal Edict were publifhed in that Kind of ·Speech, confifling of School-follies, every wife Man would laugh at it. The more plain therefore the Word and Law of the great God is, it is, we fay, the more becoming the Author thereof, and an Evidence of his divine Stamp and Authority. Yet in that Humility of Stile in Scripture, there is far more Height and Loftinefs, and more Profoundnels in its Simplicity, more Beauty in its Nakednefs, and more Vigor and Acutenefs in its Jmning Ruclenefs, than in thofe other Things Men fo much praifc and admire, &c. E:afinefs and Plainnefs cloth befl: become the Truth. A Pearl needs no painting; it becomes not the Majefly of a l'rince to play the Orator. In the holy Scripture is a peculiar and admirable Eloquence. What are all the elaborate Blandifhments of human Writers, to that grave, lively, and venerable Majefly of the Prophet Ifaiah's Stile, as the Exordium of his Prophecy fhews, alfo in Chap. xxv. xxvi. &c. That which Critics admire in Homer, Pindar, &c. lingly, are univerfally found here, though not that Elegancy that tickles the Ear and Fancy, and relifhes with the Flefh , but the noble and immortal Part, viz. an illuminated Soul. Commandments are here given forth, and Subjection peremptorily required, with great Severity, and with no flronger Arguments than the Will of the Law-maker. Promiles . above likelihood are made ; to affure of Performance, no R eafon is alledged, but I the L ord have fpokm, !fa. li. 2.2 . and lii. 4· Atid to encourage againfl: Difficulties, &c. ·divine Afliftance is promifed, both as necelt1ry and fullicient, in the Manner of its Threats, Gen. xvii. 1. Exod. xii. Jojh. i..9· Alfo the Divinity of the Stile may be ob– ferved, that without refpect of Perfons, all Degrees of Men are concerned, High and Low, Rich, and Poor, Noble and Ignoble, Kings and Peafants, commanding what is Jiflafleful to their Natures, and forbiding what they approve; promifing not terrene Honor, but Life everlnfting; thr.eatening not with Rack and Gibbet, but eternal Pain, and T orment in Hell-fire. Of all Writings in theWorld, the facred Scriptures atTume mofl: unto themfelves; they tell us, that they are the Words of eternal Life, John vi. 68. that they are by the Infpira– tion of the Holy Ghofl, the 'l'eflimony of Jefus Chrijf, the faithful Witnejs; that they fhall · judge the World; that :hey are able to make wife unto Salvation, 2 'I'im. iii. 16. Rev. iii. 14. that. they are the llmilortal Seed, of whtch the Sons and Daughters of God mufl: be begotten, 1 Pet. i. 23. Their Terror is, Thus faith the L ord; and no Conclufion, but, '!'he Lord bath Jpokm ; Hear the Word of the Lord; He that hatb Ears to hear, let him hear, &c. Exod. xx. i. 2 . The Nature, ~ality, or Compofure of the Stile or Phrafe, we fay, is emphatically and fignally difl'erent from that of all human ·writin"'s whatfoever. Here are no Apologies, beggin~ Pardon of the Reader, or infinuatin"' in~o hij good Opinion by Devices of Rhetoric,_but aflately P/ailmefs, and mJ'fierious Simplicity. We alfo Jpeak, fatth th~ Apoflle, 1 Cor". 11. .13. not in the fVords which Man's Wif– .dom teacheth, but :which the Holy Ghofl, comparing, (or rather jiziting or fitting, ff''Y"~""'") JPirituals wzth JP:rttua!s, . (for fo o~ly. the Ongmal rons, 'Z<l"V~up.~Tmet 1 'l'JY!UfJ.CtTiY..Oi~) that is, Matter or 'fhzngs, wh1ch for theJr Nature and Subflance are JPiritual, with Words or Phrafts which are fpiritual alfo, and fo fuitable to them. Heuce, lays ./lugufline, '!'he • Lib. 3· Co~fefr. Cap. 5· . . t Lib. 4• de Doilrin, Chrift. Cap. 6. l Budceus, L1b. 5· de Aifc:, & parobus CJUS. p. 754· Scripture
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