A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, Book 1 · Chapter 9 – Chapter 10
CHAP. IX. Of Metaphors whereby Things are proposed as Persons, which are not Persons, which kind they call Prosopopeia.
PROSOPOPEIA is, when any thing (which is not a person) is metaphorically introduced or proposed as a person: Or when the properties of a man are attributed to other things, for things, for likeness and agreements sake— Prophane Authors use very elegant metaphors of this kind, as that of Cicero— VVhat did that drawn Sword of your do in the Pharsalian Field? Whose side did that point seek? What was the sence of your Arms. Aristotle defines this metaphor— that which is in act, bringing in inanimate things doing something, as if they had life and sence— But we will follow the distinct Classes of Scripture Examples.
Some things are said of the Members of a Humane Body, which is properly the act of the mind,foreign as Gen. 48. He made his hands to understand, (so the Hebrew) that is, (as Vatablus and our Translation notes) he guided or laid his hands knowingly, skilfully and wittingly, when his eyes were dim with age, that he could not discern by seeing, which was the Eldest Son, therefore of set purpose did he lay his hands crosswise; and therefore Moses says, that he made his hands to understand, as if they (viz. his hands) could tell things to come, because he did not hastily nor gropingly put them forth, but as one well knowing directs his right to Ephraim the youngest and his left to the first-born, &c. See Tract. cap. 2. following towards the end.
Ear. Eye.Job 29, 11. When the Ear heard, then it blessed me, and when the Eye saw, it gave witness to me— Here to the Ear and Eye is attributed, what belongs to man, Job. 28.4. The Flood breaketh out from the Inhabitant, forgotten of the Foot, where forgetfulness is attributed to the Foot, that is, (as Junius and Tremellius note) such Floods as no foot ever experienced, because so deep as not to be waded or gone through.
Psal. 35.10. All my [Bones] shall say, O Lord, who is like unto thee? Psal. 51.8.Bones. The Bones which thou hast broken shall rejoyce (so the Hebrew) here Glorying and Rejoycing in God is ascribed to the Bones which is the property of man; as if he had said, I will inwardly and heartily glorifie thee and rejoyce in thee. By the same Reason it is said, Psal. 103.1. Bless the Lord O my Soul, and all that is within (or my Bowels) bless his holy Name. Bowels.Psal. 68.31. Ethiopia shall make her hands to run to God. (so the Hebrew) that is, shall with speed stretch them out in prayer; as the Chald. expounds it:Hands. Or shall quickly extend her hands to give gifts of Gold to the Lord as R. Aben Ezra and R. Salomo expounds it. See Psal. 72.15. Some take this Metonymically, where extending the Hands is put for a gift, as before.
Psal. 73.9. They set their mouth against the Heavens, (that is, the foolish and wicked,Tongue. as ver. 3.) and their [Tongue] walketh through the Earth, that is, they do rashly and licentiously throw reproaches upon God and Man, neither sparing heavenly or earthly things, Psal. 137.5. If I forget thee O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget, (that is as Junius and Tremellius say, it self,) viz. Let it be rather dead or withered then I should give over singing, or as Illyricus says, let my right hand forget its musical dexterity, as in the next verse let my Tongue cleave to the roof of my Mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above the head of my Joy— that is, let the Lord vouchsafe, that I may never play upon Musick, or sing more, then I should admit so great a wickedness, as to desert Jerusalem, and its Religion and Ministry, and give over to celebrate with Hymns, Musick and Voice; yea, I will prefer thee to the chief esteem before all other things, Joys, Comforts, &c.
Prov. 10.32. The Lips of the Righteous, know what is acceptable, that is, they speak so prudently, as if knowledge resided in them, which Job 34.35. Is in the negative expressed, Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom. — Matth. 6.3. But when thou givest Alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth — this is spoken to prohibit the vain glory of Almsgiving, when done for praise, &c. Theophilact expounds it— if it be possible you are even to forget all your own good deeds, or at least by no means to glory in them or rest upon them, lest you be vainly lifted up. To this may be referred, where Anger is attributed to the Eyes, Gen. 31.35. and 45.5. Esa. 3.8. And Concupiscence, Pleasure or Desire, 1 Kings 20.6. Ezek. 24.16.21. 1 John 2.16. (hence the phrase of the hearts walking after the Eyes, Job 31.7. that is, the desires and lusts follow, which the Eyes moved by outward objects, endeavour to stir up in the heart. The Abominations of the Eyes, Ezek. 20.7. that is, which were the object and scope of desire) And Adultery, 2 Pet. 2.14. and Compassion, as when the Eye is said to pity, Deut. 13.8. Esa. 13.18. &c. And Hope or Expectation, Psal. 119.82, 123. and 145.14.15. vid. Gram. Sacr. p. 282.
2. Words are used of [Brutes] which properly belong to man, as Job 12.7.Gram. Sacr. But ask now the Beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the Fowls of the Air, and they shall tell thee, or speak to the Earth, and it shall teach thee, and the Fishes of the Sea shall declare unto thee. To ask and speak in this place signifies to meditate, search into, or contemplate; for the teaching, telling or narration, of Beasts, Fowls, the Earth and Fishes intimates that they are a real Testimony and Evidence of the wisdom of the Creator. What he said ver. 2. that he had understanding and skill in what his Friends discoursed of, he prosecutes here, as if he had said, ye have talkt much of the Wisdom and Power of God, and that he creates and preserves all things, as if they were unknown to me, but the very Creatures tacitely inform me of that. See Job 9.10. Rom. 1.20.
Job 41.29. He (the Leviathan or Whale) laugheth at the shaking of a spear, that is, he cares not for it, Prov. 30.25. The Ants are a people not strong, &c. ver. 26. The Conies are but a feeble people, &c. Joel. 1.6. For a Nation is come up upon my Land, strong and without Number, &c. The speech here is of Canker Worms, Locusts or Caterpillars mentioned ver. 4. and which by the same Metaphor are called the great Army of God, chap. 2.11.25. By the same reason the multitude of Locusts are represented as an Army, Prov. 30.27. Neh. 3.17. Hieron. upon Joel 2. thus writes— This we saw lately in this Province (viz. Palestine) For when whole Troops of Locusts came, and filled the Air between Heaven and Earth, they flew with so great an order by the disposal of God who commanded them, so that like square stones placed by the hand of an Artificer in a pavement, they kept their places, that not one was observed to incline to the other by any transverse or irregular motion— This was a great punishment upon enormous sinners, which Moses in Gods stead threatens. Deut. 28.38, 39. and Salomon prays against 1 Kings 8.37. And Pliny himself a Heathen Writer, lib. 11. cap. 29. acknowledges the Anger of the Gods by the multitude of these Insects. Some with these words of Scripture, parallel Virgils words, of Bees, Lib. 4. Georg.
Magnanimosque Duces, totiusque ex ordine gentis
Mores & studia, et Populos, et praelia dicam.
And of Ants.
It Nigris Campis Agmen, praedamque per herbas
Convectant calle Angusto, pars grandia trudunt
Obnixe frumenta Humeris, pars agmina Cogunt,
Castigantque Moras, &c.
lib. 4. Aeneid.
To this Classe may be referred when the word Son is ascribed to Beasts, as Exod. 29.1. Take a young Bullock the Son of a Cow, (so the Hebrew) that is, a sucking Calf or one not yet weaned, Gen. 49.11. The * Son of an Ass is put for its Colt or Foal, Zach. 9.9. A Colt the * Son of Asses, that is, one of the she Asses, according to the Idiotism of which see the Book cited in the Margent.
By another Reason Rams are called the *Note that in the places markt with the Asterisc it is not so in our English but 'tis so in the Original Hebrew.Sons of Bashan, Deut. 32.14. that is, fat Rams of the breed of Bashan, because that was a good place for Fatning. *Note that in the places markt with the Asterisc it is not so in our English but 'tis so in the Original Hebrew.A hand is attributed to a Dog, Psal. 22.20. *Note that in the places markt with the Asterisc it is not so in our English but 'tis so in the Original Hebrew.To a Lion and a Bear, 1 Sam. 17.37. In general a Hand is ascribed to every Beast, Gen. 9, 5. In which places power and strength is to be understood, especially and more eminently in the last. †Gram. Sacr. p. 138.See Gram. Sacr. p. 138. It is said Prov. 30.28. The spider taketh hold with her hands, that is, with her feet which are on either side so pliable as a mans hand to spin their web, and seize upon their prey— Junius.
3. Some things are spoken of [things growing out of the Earth,] which properly belong to man, as Levit. 19.23. And when ye shall come into the Land, and shall have planted all manner of Trees for food; then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised, three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you; it shall not be eaten of. —The meaning is, that the fruit of the three first years shall be accounted unclean and rejected, as an uncircumcised man was accounted unclean before God, and was not to be received among the People. And in the fourth year that fruit was to be offered to God as a sign of Thanksgiving ver. 24. but the fifth year the common use of it was allowed, ver. 25.
Job 14.7, 8, 9. Hope, Old Age, Death, the scent of Waters, are applyed to the Bough of a Tree, which is cut off, and buds again, and compared to a man once dead cannot return or revive again, viz. into this Life, which was the scope of Job, as chap. 7.7, 9, 10. and 13.15, 16. and 19.25, 26, 27. Where he evidently declares the Resurrection of the dead to the enjoyment of Everlasting Life.
Psal. 78.4. [Killing and Death] is attributed to Plants as he killed (so the Hebrew) their Vines with Hail, and their Sycomores with great Hail Stones. Contrary to this is that foreign, (zoopoiesis) quickning or living of the seed cast into the Earth, by which its budding or growth is noted, as in the following verses— Ezek. 31.9. Envy or Emulation; ver. 14. Exalting or Elevation of heart and drinking of Water, ver. 15. mourning or grief of mind; ver. 16. Consolation or Comfort are attributed to Trees, by a certain Prosopopeia and in a way of comparison of a goodly Tree with the King of Assyria. See Hos. 9.6. —Joel 1.10. The New Wine is ashamed or blushed, that is, there is so bad a Vintage or Wine Harvest, that it is ashamed, because it did not answer the peoples expectation. In the same verse languishing or a disease is attributed to Oyl, which properly belongs to man, Psal. 6.2.3. But metaphorically denotes a spoil and devastation of the fruit of the Earth, as Esa. 16.8. &c. It is said Habak. 3.17. That the labour of the Olive shall lie (so the Hebrew) when it answers not the desires of men, but fails their expectation of much fruit, which is also ascribed to New Wine, Hos. 9.2. —It is said, Psal. 58.9. Before your pots can feel the Thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, that is, before your pots grow hot with a fire of Thorns (which were wont to be used) for that fire lasts but a little while, and will not boyl the Flesh, so shall they quickly perish, &c.
4. Some things are spoken of Inanimate Creatures, which properly belong to a living man (or more generally to living Creatures.) As,
Gen. 4.10. The Voice of Blood.(1.) Of Dead men Gen. 4.10. The Voice of thy Brothers bloods cryeth unto me from the ground. Here a voice and crying is attributed to the blood of slain Abel by a very weighty Emphasis— As to the phrase of a voice and crying directed to God, it manifestly intimates these two things— First, that he is a just Judge, and the avenger of wickedness, and therefore the violent murther of Abel, could not but come to him for Justice on the assassinate, as it is said in the like case, 2 Chron. 24.22. The Lord look upon it, and require it, viz. the blood of Zechariah. The Second is, that he is a gracious loving Father and defender of such as are his, and minds them as well in Life as in Death; for he had not only a respect for Abel when alive, but hearkens also to the cry of his blood when Dead according to Rom. 14.8. Whether we live or die, we are the Lords.
Some put an Emphasis in (bloods) being in the plural number, intimating as it were, that there were many slain in Abel, that is, such off-spring as he might have had, which tacitely call for Justice, hence the Chald. translates it— The Voice of the seeds of thy blood which were to come, and issue from thy Brother, but seems to be far fetcht. By the plural word (of bloods) are noted slaughters, because the blood gushing from the veins scatters into diverse parts, Psal. 5.6. The Lord will abhor the man of bloods and deceit, (so the Hebrew) Psal. 51.14. Deliver me from bloods, (we translate it blood-guiltiness, Hos. 4.2. They break out and bloods toucheth blood. But here blood violently shed is understood by a Synecdoche, and Matth. 23.35. The blood of Abel is expressed in the singular number, foreign, (haima.) As to the sence and connexion, because Cain did not only, not confess his sin, but also impudently deny that he was concern'd in the care or keeping of his Brother, God deals more openly, saying: The voice of thy Brothers blood cryes to me from the Earth, that is, thy Brother is slain; I do not vainly inquire where he is, his blood demands vengeance of me, and I am concerned to call his Murtherer to account, therefore speak plainly what hast thou done? that is, Why didst thou dare or presume to lay violent hands on him? Thou sayest, thou art not his keeper, as if the question were whether thou hast kept him? Tell rather what thou hast designed against him; this is the paraphrase of Musculus upon the place.
To this place Heb. 12.24. refers, where the crying blood of dead Abel is fairly compared to the living blood of Christ our Mediator and Intercessor.Gram. Sacr. p. 261.
Esa. 14.9, 10. The [Dead] are feigned to come from Hell or the Graves, to deride the Pride and Haughtiness of that inhumane King of Babylon, speaking to him when fallen from his greatness, and upbraiding him for his monstrous pride, and shameful downfal.
Jer. 31.15. Rachel the Mother of Joseph and Benjamin, long before dead is brought in as bitterly weeping for the Captivity of the people; which prophesie is alleaged to express the cruelty of Herods Massacre of the Infants, Matth. 2.18. for the agreement of that tyrannical fact with that place. Rachels Sepulchre was near Bethlem, in which and the adjacent places, that most cruel villany was committed, &c. See also Ezek. 32.21. &c.
2. Of other things void of Life and Soul, Gen. 4.11. And now art thou cursed from the Earth, which hath opened her Mouth to receive thy Brothers blood from thy hand; by this Prosopopeia the wickedness of Cain is aggravated, as if he had said, the very Earth though destitute of sense and reason, yet was more humane and kind to thy Brother then thou wert, because it received and laid up, that blood which thou hast spilt, from the sight of men lest it should cause horror in them. Others say that this speech denotes the extream grievousness of his wickedness, and the horror of his guilty Conscience, rendring the very senseless Creatures his Enemies, as if he had said, the very Earth which (as it were) with open mouth received the blood of thy Brother from thy hand, will account thee as execrable, which agrees fairly with the following words.
Gen. 47.19. Death is attributed to the Land, which denotes desolation. Exod. 9.18. It is said of Mount Sinai, that Jehovah appearing it quaked, that is, it had such commotions as if, like a man, it had trembled for fear— Levit. 18.18. Spuing out its inhabitants, is attributed to the Land which signifies their expulsion for their wickedness, Deut. 32.42. God is said to make his Arrows drunk with blood— that is, that out of his just wrath he would send the Enemies of the Land, to kill the wicked and rebellious people. See Esa. 34.5. Jer. 46.10.
Josh. 24.27. And Joshua said unto all the People, behold this stone shall be a Witness unto us: For it hath heard all the words of the Lord, which he spake unto us, &c. The stone erected there is by a Prosopopeia, said to hear, because it was present (as it were a Witness,) and was appointed, as a memorial and Testimonial sign of the Covenant God then made with his people.
Judg. 5.20. They fought from Heaven, Judg. 5.20. The Stars Fight. &c.the Stars in their courses (or degrees) fought against Sisera. —The Stars are said to fight, because they were instruments of exciting those Hails and Storms which God probably used against his Enemies— Josephus says, that when the Canaanites encountred with the Israelites a violent shower fell, and much Rain and Hail by the force of the Wind was fiercely driven into the Canaanites faces, so that their bows and slings became unprofitable and useless, neither could they being so benummed with cold handle their Swords; which tempest nevertheless did no way prejudice the Israelites. Brentius thus expounds it' we simply expound it that God was no way favourable, but an Enemy to the enterprize of Sisera, because he dwells in Heaven and terrifi'd the Host and Chariots of Sisera, &c. chap. 4.15. And whereas the Stars are said to Fight, it carries the shew of a Proverb, signifying that no prosperous Fortune was on Sisera's side, for when any ill luck betides men, they are wont to say, that no Star shines upon them, or that the Stars resist them, by which is meant, that all Creatures both Earthly and Heavenly threaten their destruction— Junius and Tremellius Translate that the Stars (e suis aggeribus) from their sconces or Bulwarks, fought against Sisera, that is, from the superior Regions of the Air, a speech translated from Souldiers fighting from higher places.
Job 3.8. [Eye-lids] (in the Hebrew text) are attributed to the morning, by which its early beams are understood, or the first shining of its rays arising from the approaching Sun; a metaphor taken from one newly awake that lifts up his Eye-lids, or as others say from the swift motion and vibration of the Eye-lids, because the Sun-beams move swiftly, till they are diffused to the ends of the Hemisphere.
Job 31.38. If my Land cry against me, or that the furrows thereof weep—. The good man declares that he is ready to bear judgment, censure or curses if any person can justly complain, that he has done them injury; which by an elegant Prosopopeia he expresses; the explication follows, ver. 39. If I have eaten the fruits thereof without Money, or have caused the Souls of the owners thereof to expire, (breath out, or grieve) so the Hebrew. Illyricus says, that the Land and Furrows are put Metonymically for the Husbandmen, but the former explication is the best. See Job 38.7. with Psal. 148.2, 3, &c.
A [Nativity] or Birth is attributed to Rain, Dew, Ice, and Frost, Job 38.28, 29. for their production from God, where there is also an Anthropopathy.
Psal. 19.1 The Heavens declare, &c.Psal. 19.1. The Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy work that is, they exhibit, shew, and demonstrate to the Eyes of all things, a real testimony and instruction of the glorious power of God) ver. 2. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge, that is, by that succession and vicissitude of days and nights, which is so certain, so constant, and so profitable for men and other Creatures, the Glory of God the workman is most evidently celebrated. See Psal. 104.20.21, 22, 23, 24.
Some by a Metonymie understand day and night of those things which are done or happen by day and night, that the sence may be, that every day and every night some new thing is discovered by which to right observers, the glory of God may be illustrated) ver. 3. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard, that is, there are no people, though of different languages, whom that speech of the Heavens, and their real publication of praise may not instruct in the glory and power of God. See Rom. 1.19.20. Because that which may be known of God, is manifest in them (or to them) for the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse) ver. 4. Their line is gone out through all the Earth, and their words to the end of the World, that is, in the extreamest parts of the Earth, that stately fabrick of celestial bodies is seen, as if it were exactly done by line and square, which seems instead of words, &c. Rom. 10.18. For their line- we read their sound, because what is said in the Psalm of the motion of the celestial bodies, the Apostle elegantly accommodates to the course of Evangelical Preaching. Genebrard says, that the Hebrew word signifies indeed alive, but the Septuagint respect the sence, whom the Apostle followed, [that being the most used and received Version]) ver. 5. The going forth of a Bridegroom out of his Chamber, and his rejoycing, is by the same metaphor ascribed to the rising Sun, to his never ceasing and most swift course.
Psal. 65.12. The little Hills are *Exultatione colles accingunturgirded with Joy on every side, ver. 13. The Pastures are clothed with Flocks, the Vallies are also covered over with Corn, they shout for Joy, they also sing. The Ornaments of the Earth, which by the blessing of God it every where enjoys, are expressed by this Metaphor. Mathesius says, that the Metaphor of girding, ver. 12. is to be expounded of the various and winding veins of Mettals in the Bosom of the Earth.
Psal. 77.16. The waters saw thee O God, the waters saw thee, they were afraid; the Depths also were troubled— he speaks of the Red Seas being divided, and the people of Israels marching through the middle of it, which is described, Exod. 14. But the sence of seeing and the passion of fear is attributed to the waters by a Prosopopeia, for to see here signifies to experience— as if he had said, they have experienced thee, and felt thy power, when by a strong Wind they were cut, and the bottom of the Sea became naked, to make a way, or passage for thy people— They are said to fear, when at the beck of God, like trembling persons, they fled from their place, against their nature, and by the tremendous omnipotency of God stood as a Wall on either side, as it is said of the same Miracle, Psal. 114.3. The Sea saw it and fled, &c. ver. 5. What ailed thee, O thou Sea, that thou fleddest? &c,
Psal. 98.8. Let the Flouds clap their Hands, let the Hills sing, (so the Hebrew) These things are ascribed to inanimate Creatures, to stir up men to a desire after the coming of the Lord. So Psal. 96.11, 12. &c. More examples you may see, Psal. 103.16. with Job 7.10. and 8.18. Psal. 104.19. Cant. 1.6. Esa. 3.26. with Job 1.20. and 2.13.
Esa. 5.14. Hell (others translate it Sepulcher) hath enlarged her Soul (so the Hebrew) and opened her mouth without measure— By a Prosopopeia he compares the insatiable condition of Hell (or the Grave) with the unsatisfied Gluttony, and Luxury of the Jews, and foretells the punishment that God in his Wrath will therefore inflict upon them. Jerome in his Commentary upon this place says— Hell is said to have a soul, not that it is a Living Creature, as some erroneously conceit, but because by words of humane custom we may express the affections of things insensible: It is insatiable because it can never be filled with the multitude of the Dead. See more examples, Esa. 24.4. and 33.9. Jer. 4.28. and 12.4. Lam. 2.8. Hosea 4.3. Joel 1.10. Amos 1.2. &c.
Esa. 24.23. Then shall the Moon blush (so the Hebrew) and the Sun shall be ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall Reign in Mount Sion, &c. This Prosopopeia intimates the light of Divine Grace in the Church, as if he had said, the glory of the Sun or Moon will be nothing, if compared with the Glory of him that rules in the Church of God, Esa. 55.12. The Mountains and the Hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the Trees of the Field shall clap their hands. By this most elegant Prosopopeia likewise spiritual Joy in the Kingdom of Christ is figured, as chap. 49.13. where the Heavens and Mountains are excited to singing, by the same Prophetical voice. And Jer. 51.48. Then the Heaven and the Earth, and all thats therein, shall sing for Babylon, &c. By which Hyperbolical Prosopopeia, an immensity of Joy for the destruction of Babylon and the Deliverance of all true Israelites is set forth, Lam. 1.4. The ways of Sion do Mourn, because none come to the solemn Feast— This intimates a forsaking of the solemn Worship of God.
Hosea 1.21, 22. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear saith the Lord, Hos. 2.21.I will hear the Heavens, and they shall hear the Earth. —And the Earth shall hear the Corn, and the Wine and the Oyl, and they shall hear Jezreel. Besides the gracious blessing of God, the connexion of first and second causes is fairly intimated by this speech. Jezreel, that is, the Congregation of the faithful (which according to this Name, is the seed of God) does as it were cry, that is, expects Corn and Wine and Oyl; and these (as it were) cry to the Earth, that they may receive juice and nourishment from it, for their nourishment and increase— And the Earth (as it were) invokes Heaven for Heat, Rain, Showers, Dew, Snow, Winds and celestial influences: And the heavens (as it were) invokes God the chief cause of all things, without whom no second causes can effect or produce any thing, and who when he hath a mind to punish can make the Heavens as Brass, and the Earth as Iron, Deut. 28.2…. and detain the fructifying Rain, Jer. 14.22. But here being gracious and propitious to men he is pleased to hear, giving power to Heaven, that by Clouds made of collected vapours, and by various fructifying ways it should influence the Earth; and the Heaven shall hear the Earth, by giving Rain and other things needful to make it fruitful— And the Earth shall hear the Corn, and the Wine, and the Oyl, and other things growing upon the Earth, whilst moistned from Heaven it gives them juice and vigor: And these shall hear Jezreel, that is, they shall answer the prayers or desires of the Godly, and so shall Divine blessing be conveyed to them, &c.
Jonah. 1.4. But the Lord cast forth a great Wind into the Sea and there was a mighty tempest in the Sea, so that the Ship thought to be broken, so the Hebrew, that is, it was like to be broken, as if the Ship had a mind— Some explain this by a metonymie of the thing containing; that is, they that were in the Ship thought that they must speedily suffer shipwrack.
John 3.8. The Wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, John 3.8. The Wind bloweth &c.nor whither it goeth, &c. A Will and Walking is attributed to the Wind and Ayr, to signifie its various, wonderful vicissitudes unknown to man; upon which Erasmus in his paraphrase excellently says— This Ayr by which we are vegetated, and whose power, and utility we only feel, is very subtile, and is called a spirit (or Wind;) and this spirit is not restrained at the pleasure of men, but is carryed by its own force, by which it is known to diffuse it self through all things, having a wonderful power over all corporeal things: Sometimes giving Life, sometimes Death. Now calm and silent, then more violent, sometimes blowing from the East, sometimes from the West, and sometimes from other different quarters of the World. And discovers it self by the effect: You hear its voice, when you see no Body, neither can it be graspt by the hands; you feel it present, but you see it not coming, neither can you tell whither it goes at its departure— The New-birth is like it— The minds of men by the Spirit of God are carried away and transformed by secret breathings. The ineffable power and effect of it is felt, but what is done is not discern'd by the Eyes. And so they that are born again, are not now acted by a humane and carnal Spirit, but by the Spirit of God who quickens, and moderates all things. See Rom. 8.22.
To this Classe belong some Nouns, and some Verbs.
1. NOƲNS, as when Arrows are called the Sons of the quiver, Lam. 3.13. because they lye hid there, as a Child in the Womb, Psal. 127.3, 4. So Sparkles are called sons of burning Coals, Job 5.7. (for in both places the Hebrew is so.) A Tongue is ascribed to Fire (Esa. 5.24. and Flame, because of some similitude betwixt a Tongue and the tapering Flame. See Act. 2.3. A Tongue is also attributed to the Sea, Josh. 15.2, 5. which is to be understood of a Bay in form like a Tongue. So the Tongue of the Egyptian Sea, Esa. 11.15. is a certain Bay or River, &c. The (oblong) wedge which Achan took, is called, in the Hebrew, a Tongue of Gold, Josh. 7.21. A Hand is attributed to a Sword, Job 5.20. To a Flame of Fire, Esa. 47.14. To Hell, Hos. 13.14. By which (as in our Translation) their power is understood. The beginning of a parting way is called the Mother, and Head of the Way, Ezek. 21.21.
2. VERBS, Bread is said to be gone away, when it is spent, 1 Sam. 9.7. See Rev. 18.14. A City is said to Cry, Esa. 14.31. So is a Stone, Habak 2.11. The Hire of Laboarers defrauded, Jam. 5.4. which denotes the grievousness of the sin or punishment. See Luke 19.40. To Eat, is ascribed to consuming Fire, Levit. 10.2. Job 1.16. Nah. 3.15. To the destroying Sword, 2 Sam. 2.26. Esa. 1.20. Jer. 2.30. And to a Land or Region, Numb. 13.33. Either because being hard it wasted mens strength in tilling, or because of the unwholesomeness of the Air. To Heal, Cure, or Revive is put for repairing decay'd buildings, 1 Chron. 11.8. 2 Chron. 24.13. Neh. 4.2. 1 King. 18.30 Healing is put for blessing the Land, 2 Chron. 7.14. Psal. 60.3, 4. For making the Waters wholsome 2 Kings 2.21, 22. Ezek. 47.8. See more examples, Gen. 18.10, 14. Gen. 23.16. Cant. 5.5. Jer. 23.9. Jer. 5.28. &c.
5. Sometimes Kingdoms, Provinces and Cities (which are, as it were, incorporate bodies) are spoken of, as if they were a single person, as
(1. The People in general, as Esa. 1.5, 6. expounded ver. 7, 8, 9. Deut. 33.12. Esa. 7.20. and 8.8. and 30.28. Hab. 3.13.
(2.) Of the whole People more specially, but less frequently, Lam. 3.1. Esa. 7.20.
(3.) Of a whole City the Scripture speaks as of a Woman, Esa. 32.9. An evident example of this Prosopopeia you will find, Esa. 1. and Lam. 2. See also Esa. 32.11. with ver. 9. Hence the people of the Jews are proposed as a faithless and Adulterous Woman, Jer. 3.1, 3, 4. and 4.30. Ezek. chap. 1…. and 23. By which the conjunction of the Church with God is compared to humane Wedlock. God himself is proposed in this Allegory as the Husband, the Commonwealth of Israel as the Mother, out of which sprung the two Kingdoms of Israel and Juda, which are compared with Daughters, (Ezek. 23.2. There were two women the Daughters of one Mother, ver. 3. and they committed Whoredoms in Egypt) And when they were espoused in a Covenant way to God, they most wickedly forsook him, and committed frequent Adulteries, &c. For they are spiritual Adulteries and Whoredoms which Jehovah so often reprehends and detests by his Prophets, when joyned with impenitence, Exod. 34.15, 16. Deut. 31.16. Judg. 2.17. Esa. 1.21. and 57.3. Nah. 3.4. &c. Esa. 23.15, 16, 17.
(4.) The Name of Mother is attributed to a City, 2 Sam. 20.19. By which the Chief or Metropolitan City is understood, from whence the rest derive their original, and owe subjection to, Josh. 17.16. Numb. 21.25. Judg. 11.26. 2 Sam. 8.1. The whole people of God are called Mother, Esa. 50.1. Hos. 2.2. Because it begets or ought to beget spiritual Sons to God. Hence 'tis translated to the heavenly Jerusalem, the New Testament Church, Gal. 4.26.
(5.) The Name of Daughter and Virgin, is often attributed to a People or City, either distinctly or conjunctly, Psal. 45.12. and 137.8. Daughter of Babylon, is put for the Kingdom of Babylon, so Lam. 1.6. and 2.1. &c. Daughter of Sion, for the people of the Jews, and hence Lam. 2.2. She is called the Daughter of Juda. So Zach. 9.9. Esa. 1.8.—10.32.—16.1.—37.22. Jer. 4.31. —6.2. Micah 4.10.13. Zeph. 3.10, 14. &c. So the Virgin of Israel, Jer. 31.4, 21. Amos 5.2. Sometimes Virgin and Daughter are joyned, as Esa. 23.12. —37.22. —47. 1. Jer. 46.11.
1. When the Name of Virgin is attributed to the People of God, some say,Why the name of Virgin is attributed to the People of God. In Comment Esa. 37. it is with respect to the true Worship of God, observed by them without corruption, because such as depart from its purity, are called whorish and adulterous, upon which Jerome says, Sion and Jerusalem is therefore called a Virgin and Daughter, because when all other Nations adored Images or Idols, this alone preserved the chastity of Religion, and the adoration of one Divinity, But Drusius denies this (lib. 16. obser. cap. 5.) from two reasons, First, because with respect to Israel she is rather called the Wife of God, and when she Worships other Gods, a whore. Secondly, because the Scripture calls Israel a Virgin even when she adores false Gods, Amos 5.2. and Jer. 18.13. The Virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing, others add a third reason, because Babylon and Egypt, are also called Virgins as before, which yet were full of Idolatry and impiety. But Drusius thinks she was called a Virgin before the Captivity; and was so no more when she was subjected to a strange yoke.In Esa. 37.22. Brentius says, That Jerusalem was called a Virgin, either because its Kingdom was a free Monarchy, and did not serve any forreign King, but had a King of its own Nation, as a Virgin is not subject to the yoke of any strange man: Or because, as a Virgin yet untouched or uncorrupted by man, the City Jerusalem was not yet spoiled by any Enemy, nor her Citizens translated elsewhere. But Drusius objects that place, Jer. 18.13. To himself, for Jeremy Prophesied after the ten Tribes were carryed away, and yet he calls Israel a Virgin, which doubt (says he) may be resolved by understanding by Virgin the People of the Jews, so called in specie, as not yet exhausted by a total carrying away, as ver. 11. But although this may satisfie that doubt, yet Lam. 2.13. strongly confutes this interpretation of Drusius, where Jerusalem is called the Virgin, and Daughter of Sion after its total devastation by the Babylonians. So that Virgin is put for the Congregation of the people, under what circumstance soever they were by a Prosopopeia— And hence the Chald. translates it a Congregation, People or Kingdom.
2. By Israel we are to understand the Land, and by Virgin or Daughter the Inhabitants, for the Ancients were wont to call their Countrey, their Mother.
6. The Scripture speaks of certain [Accidents] as if they were men, and had a Body, which kind they call Somatopeia, as Gen. 4.7. And if thou dost not well, sin lyeth at the door— Sin is here proposed as lying at the door like a Night watchman; whereby is noted that a sure punishment will follow ill doing, as a Watchman sleeps not, but observes all things and discovers what is evil or hurtful, in order to punishment
There are other places where a body (as it were a person) and his actions are attributed to Sin, as Esa. 59.12. Jer. 14.7. Acts 7.60. Rom. 6.6. It is Emphatically called the body of sin, because it struggles with so great force, soliciting us strongly to do evil, as if it were a living body, or something existing by it self.
Rom. 7. Sin revived and I died— By the knowledge of the Law, sin is known, then Conscience makes a man tremble,Rom. 7.9. and a fearful consternation follows, by which man sees nothing before his Eyes, but eternal Death as the reward of his sin, for the consideration of the Commandment broken by it, makes it exceeding sinful, ver. 13. And in the following verses it is brought in as a cruel Tyrant detaining the miserable sinner Captive, dwelling in him, and warring against the spirit (not that it will be a perpetual Conqueror in the regenerate, for that will not be, Rom. 6.6, 12, 14. &c. but for that unavoidable repugnancy which naturally remains in the flesh against the Spirit, whilst the regenerate man lives in this life, ver. 24. See Col. 2.11. and 3.5. Where the members of this body of sin, are recited as Fornication, Ʋncleanness, Inordinate affections, Evil Concupiscence, Covetousness, &c. By which the Will and Reason are depraved, as the body by its members. Compare the following texts together, James 1.14, 15.18. 1 Pet. 2.11. Jam. 4.1. Rev. 18.5.
To this Classe also belong, Gen. 30.33. So shall my Righteousness answer (or witness) for me when it shall come for my hire before thy face, that is, the future event shall declare that God has an account of my Righteousness, which you shall then evidently see, &c. here witnessing which is the proper action of a Person is attributed to Righteousness. Punishments are called Witnesses, Job. 10.17. with 16.8.
Psal. 85.10. Mercy and Truth will meet together, Righteousness and Peace shall kiss each other;Ps. 85.10 &c. the affinity and conjunction of those vertues or graces is set before our eyes by the similitude of persons, who after the manner of their Countrey, do at meeting embrace and kiss each other, in Testimony of Friendship. He speaks of the Kingdom of Christ, expressing its blessings and manner of Administration by this Prosopopeia, ver. 12. It is said that Righteousness shall look down from Heaven, that is the Righteousness of Christ, through whose merits we become justified before God, Rom. 1.17. —3.22. It is said ver. 13. That Righteousness shall walk before him, that is, to testifie his gracious coming and presence, Esa. 59.14. Judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: For Truth is fallen in the street, and Equity cannot enter. Here is an elegant Prosopopeia of vertue and piety, intimating how scarce they are and how rarely found amongst men.
CHAP. X. Of Metaphors taken from God, Angels, Heaven, and the Elements.
IT was said Chap. VI. That there should be a general division of this Trope into the distinct Fountains and Classes of Metaphors, which with Divine help shall be essayed in the following Chapters. The chief Division of universal beings is into the Creator, and the Creatures— From the Creator we shall produce some— But from the Creatures there are abundance of Metaphors taken in Scripture, which we shall endeavour to make plain.