AN ANTHROPOPATHY. Book I. 9· He is faid to conclude Men in Sin and Unbe!ief, when as a mofl: jufl: J udae he declares them obnoxious to Sin, and therefore liable to eternal Damnation, Rom. xi. 3 2 • Gal. 111. 22. 10. He is f.1id to try and prove, as Silver is tried, (after the Manner of Goldjiniths, or others concerned in Metals,) when he purifies and tries the Godly with Croffes and AffliCtions, Pfal. xvii. 3· and lxvi. 10. Zech. xiii. 9· So when he purifies and reforms DoCtrines, Mal. iii. 2, 3· or deftroys fuch as arc obftinately wicked, Ezek. xxii. 18, &c. 1 I. He is faid to break with a Rod of Iron, when he chafl:ifes and deftroys, Pfal. ii. 9· and iii. 7· Ifa. xxxviii. 13. and Lam. iii. 4, &c. 12. He is faid to jift in a Sieve, when he tries his People by Calamities, and yet preferves them, Amos ix. 9· And when he fcatters or difperfes his Enemies like Chaff, lfa. xxx. 28. 'l'o fift the Nations with the Siew of Vanity- that is, they lhall be caft on the Earth, as through a Sieve, that fo difperfed they lhall no longer appear- He com. pares the Multitude of t'he Gentiles, by whom Jerufalen• was to be diftreffed to D11jJ.or Chuff which is eafily blown away, fo that little will remain of a great Heap. . 13. He is faid to make bald the Head, when he defpoils Men of their Ornaments, Ifa. iii. 17, 24. for the chief adorning of Women was in their Hair, as I Pet. iii. 3· q .. He is faid to blot out of the Book of Life, when Men are not accounted in the Number of the faved, Exod. xxxii. 32, 33· Pfal. lxix. 28, 29. He is faid to blot out Sins, when he remits or forgives them, Pfal. xxxvii. 2, 3· For the Scripture fpeaks as if there were an Account kept of them in a certain written Book, which becaufe th~ lvfe/fias bas made SatisfaCtion, are blotted or croffed out. See Col. ii. 13, I4. 15. He is faid lo devour or fwallow, when he totally deftroys, as Exod. xv. 7· Ifa. xxv. 8. 1 Cor. xv. 54- He is faid to make room or enlarge, when he vouchfafes Deliver– ance from Difficulties and Troubles, Gen. xxvi. 22. Pfal. iv. I, 2. and cxix. 31, 32. He is faid to direfl or make plain the Way, when he gives a happy Iffue and Conclu– fion to the Endeavors of Men, as Pfa!. v. 8, 9· !fa. xlv. 2, 13. 'To loft or ungird the Loins, when he makes Men feeble and unarmed, and fo incapable of Defence or Ofience, !fa. xlv. I. 'l'o pour out his Anger, when he p1mifl1es, Pfal: lxxix. 5, 6. Ezek. ix. 8. and xx. I3, 21, 33· 'l'o pour out his Spirit, when ·he lar-gely difl:ributes his Gifts, Joel iii. 1, 2. Zech. xii. 10. Afls ii. I7, 18, 33· Rom. v. 5· 'fit. iii. 5, 6. '.To make void Counfel, when he difappoints and blafts the Purpofes of Men, Jer. xix. 7· '.To pour aut a Blef!ing, when he plentifully diftributes his Benefits, Mal. iii. 10. He is faid to hew by the Prophets, when he terrifies Men by fearful Admonitions, and legal Threatnings, as Hof. vi. 5· and when he fpiritually kills them as in the fol– lowing Verfes. He is faid to jlretch out the Li11e of Confujion, and the Stones of Emptinefs, when he leaves Kingdoms and Nations to the Defolarions of the Enemy, lfa. xxxiv. 11. This Nietaphor is taken from ArchiteCts, who ufe Lines, Perpendiculars, and little Ropes, &c. . . He is faid to bear or carry, when he preferves, fuftams, fupports and governs his People, as Deut. i. 3 t. Exod. xix. 4· !fa. xlvi. 3, 4· Heb. i. 3· He is faid to break the Head, when his Wrath falls heavy · and deftroys Men, Pfal. ex. 5, 6.. Heb. iii. 13. He is faid to fling out the Souls of David's Enemies, as out of a Sling, 1 Sam. xxv. 29. that is, he will violently take it away, (as a Stone out of a Sling flies with greater Force a greater vVay, without further Regard of him ·that.throws it.) The Metaphor is taken from rhe Weapons of David, which was a Sling, &.c. On the contrary, the Soul of David is faid to be bound up in the Bundle of Life, denoting God's fatherly Care,of him in fecuring him from Death, which his .Enemies deligne'd, and preferving him fo fafe, that nothing could be forced away from him. He is faid to make Way to his An;;er, when with jufl: Judgments he recompences the unjufl: Smbbornnefs and Contumacy of the Wicked, Pfal.lxxix. 50. He made Way for
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