AN ANT HR 0 P 0 PATBY. Book I. C H A P. VII. Of META PI-tORS tranjlatedfrom MAN to Goo, which Kind is called Av9pw,-or.~9""'· .AN'l'HROPOPA'l'I-lEIA is a Metaphor by which 'l'hings proper6• belonging to Crea– tures, ejpecially Man, are by a certain Similitude attributed to God and divine 'l'hings. It is likewife called ""'Y""1~~~••<, Condefcenjion, becaufe God in his Holy Word defcends as it were, fo low as our Capacities, expreffing his heavenly Myfieries after the Manner of Men, which the Hebrews elegantly call '!'he Way of the Sons of Men. In this Metaphor it is very necefTary to take great Heed that no mean, bafe, or lnde– unt 'l'bing be attributed to the mol[ High and Holy Majejly, but that the Reafon of the Similitude be always improved with this Caution or Canon of Divinity, viz. Whatfoever is tranjlated from Creatures to God, muft jirft be feparated front all Imper– feCiions, and then that which is perfeE/maY_fafely be afcribed to God;• To undetfiand thefe Similitudes, as the Lord defcends gracwuOy to us, fo let us with a devout Mmd (by Faith and Prayer) afcend unto him, comparing JPiritual 'l'hings with jpiritual, 1 Cor. ii. '3· that we may have. honorable Apprehenlions of him and his divine Myfteries, which cannot be done Without the Aid of the Holy Spmt, who only knows the Thmgs of God, and the Depths of his Wifdom, revealing them to Men by the Word, 1 Cor. ii. I o, 1 1. To this may our Savior's Sp·eech be referred, Jobn vl. 53· 'vhcri by a: Similitude of human Things he fpeaks of the Participation of heavenly Things. Some of the Difciples being of grofs and carnal Underfiandings, faid, '!'his is an hard Speech, who ctm hear if? t abhorring fuch Flefh-eating, and Blood-drinking, to whom Chrift fays, Verfe 63. It is the Spirit that quickeneth, tlie Flefh profiteth nothing: 'Ihe Words that I jpeak unto you, they are Spirit and they are Life. That is, my Words are not to be received in the Mode and Meafure of vulgar or earthly Things, but waving fuch Thoughts by the Aid and Guidance of t_he Spirit, as Things fpiritually fpoken they are to be fpiritually underftood, and by Faith to be beheved, for fo they are Life and give Life, &c. In proceedin~ we fhall n.~t only fhew thofe Metaphors. that. refpec'l God, confidered fingly m hiS Euence and d!Vlne MaJdry, but alfo as mamfeft m the Flefh. . Some Metaphors are taken from Man, and fome from other Creatures. From Man-as '' His Par:ts and Mcmbert. 2. His AffeE/ions, 3. His /lE/ions. 4· His AdjunEis. Of which in Order. "!'he Parts and Members of a Man attributed to God. A SOUL is attributed to God, by which his Life, Effence, and Will, and therefore God himfelf, is underftood: For as Man lives and operotes by the Soul, fo Gocfin himfelf is efTential Life, and a mofi pure ACl:- A1j Soul jhall not abhor you, Lev. xxvi. 1 r. 'l'he Wicked his Soul hateth, Pfalm xi. 5· See Ifa. i. 14. and xlii. t. 'Jer. v. 9, 29. Matth. xii. 8. Heb. x. 38. Hence the Lord is faid to f<»ear by his Soul, Jer. Ji·. ·14. ·lbizos vl. !>. that is, by bimfeif, as our TranOation renders it, and ao-reeable to !fa. xlv. 23. Jer. xxii. 5· Hcb. vi. '3· where it is expounded. 0 • !i!.!Jcecunque a creaturit tramfiruntur ad Deunr, re; urga>uia prius font ab omnibus impeifc!lionibus, et tum Jemum id, quodperftElum tjJ, Deo attribumdum. t fi<.!fis eequo animo aruliat, et non potiru abhorrtat ab ijliufmodi 1!f141~""1"' Y.ai a'fA1o7foa"ICC 1 'J.URm iJJculcat 1 D,.-f:tJixtiJarRfhr. pag. 255• Harmon. E'i.!angd. ' · .. · ' ABODr
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