given, and he shall have more abundance. But whosoever hath not from him
shall be taken away, even that he hath.’ Some will be ready to enquire,
how can that which he hath be said to be taken away, when he is supposed
to have nothing? or, how can a person be said to lose that which he
never had? But if compare this with a parallel scripture, in Luke viii.
18. there it is said, _Whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken, even
that which he seemeth to have_; or, as it is in the margin, _that which
he thinketh he hath_. Now, though a man cannot lose grace, that had it
not; yet an hypocrite, who seems to have it, may lose that which he
supposeth himself to have.
This method of comparing the four Evangelists together, is attempted by
several divines; and, among them, a late writer, who is deservedly
esteemed by all the reformed churches[42], thinks, that the inscription,
on the cross of Christ, can hardly be determined, without what is said
of it, by all the four Evangelists. Mark says these words were written,
_The king of the Jews_, Mark xv. 26. and Luke says, _This is the king of
the Jews_, Luke xxiii. 38. and Matthew adds another word, _This is
Jesus, the king of the Jews_, Matt. xxvii. 37. and John expresses it
thus, _Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews_, John xix. 19. So that,
by comparing them all together, and supplying those words from one,
which are left out by others of them, we must conclude, that the
inscription was, _This is Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews_.
Again, as the Acts of the Apostles contains a brief history of the first
planting the gospel-church, and of the travels and ministry of the
apostle Paul, in particular; this ought to be compared with some things,
occasionally mentioned in his epistles, which will give farther light to
them. Thus the apostle says, in 1 Cor. xv. 8. _Last of all, he was seen
of me also, as one born out of due time_; and speaks of himself in ver.
9. as the _least of the apostles, not meet to be called an apostle;
because he persecuted the church of God_. This ought to be compared with
Acts ix. 1-6. which gives an account of him as a persecutor before his
conversion, and shews how our Saviour was seen of him; which is not to
be taken in the same sense as he was seen by the rest of the apostles,
before his ascension into heaven; but of his being seen of him, after
his ascension, when, on this occasion, he appeared to him. And, if this
be compared with 1 Cor. ix. 1. he considers this sight of Jesus as a
necessary qualification for the apostleship; therefore, when he speaks
of himself as _born out of due time_, he means, called to, and qualified
for the apostleship, out of due time; that is, not at the same time in
which the other apostles were, but by this extraordinary dispensation of
providence.
Again, when the apostle, in 1 Thes. ii. 2. speaks of his having been
_shamefully entreated at Philippi_. This will be better understood if we
compare it with Acts xvi. 16, 21, 22, _& seq._ And when he tells the
Thessalonians, in the following words, _that we were bold in our God, to
speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention_; this should be
compared with Acts xvii. 1, _& seq._ Many instances of the like nature
might be given, by which, the usefulness of comparing one scripture with
another, would farther appear. But, I design this only as a specimen, to
assist us in the application of this direction; which a diligent
enquirer into the sense of scripture, will be able, in reading it, to
make farther improvements upon.
(5.) In order to our understanding the scriptures, we must take notice
of the several figurative modes of speaking that are used therein. As,
_1st_, The part is often put for the whole[43]. Thus the soul, which is
one constituent part of man, is sometimes put for the whole man; as in
Gen. xlvi. 26. we read of the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt;
and, in Rom. xii. 1. the body is put for the whole man; _I beseech you,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies_, that is,
yourselves, _a living sacrifice to God_. So the blood of Christ, which
is often spoken of, in scripture, as that by which we are redeemed,
justified, and saved, is to be taken for the whole of his obedience and
sufferings, both in life and death, to which our salvation is to be
ascribed, as well as to the effusion of his blood.
_2dly_, The thing containing, is put for that which is contained
therein[44]; so the cup in the Lord’s supper, is put for the wine, 1
Cor. xi. 25. And the thing signified is put for the sign thereof. Thus
when it is said, _This is my body_, ver. 24. the meaning is, this bread
is a sign of my body, to wit, of the sufferings endured therein.
_3dly_, Places are, by way of anticipation, called by those names, which
in reality, were not given them, or, which they were not commonly known
by, till some time after. Thus it is said, that, as soon as Israel had
passed over Jordan, they _encamped in Gilgal_, Josh. iv. 19. that is, in
the place which was afterwards so called; for it is said, that it was
called Gilgal because there they were circumcised; and so the _reproach
of Egypt_, occasioned by the neglect of that ordinance, _was rolled
away_, chap. v. 9. Again, it is said, _The kings that came up against
Sodom_, when Lot was taken prisoner, _had smitten all the country of the
Amalekites_, Gen. xiv. 7. whereas, the country that was afterwards known
by that name, could not be so called at that time; since Amalek, from
whom it took its name, was not born till some ages after, he being of
the posterity of Esau, chap. xxxvi. 11.
_4thly_, The time past, or present, is often, especially in the
prophetic writings, put for the time to come; which denotes the certain
performance of the prediction, as much as though it were actually
accomplished. Thus it is said, _He_, that is, our Saviour, _is despised
and rejected of men; he hath born our griefs, he was wounded for our
transgressions_, Isa. liii. 4, 5. And elsewhere, _The people that walked
in darkness have seen a great light_, chap. ix. 2. and _unto us a child
is born_, chap. v. 9. _&c._
_5thly_, One of the senses is sometimes put for another. Thus it is
said, _I turned to see the voice that spake to me_, Rev. i. 12. where
seeing is put for hearing, or, understanding the meaning of the voice
that spake.
_6thly_, Positive assertions are sometimes taken in a comparitive sense.
Thus God says to Samuel, the people in asking a king, _have not rejected
thee, but me_, 1 Sam. viii. 7. that is, they have cast more contempt on
me than they have on thee, _q. d._ they have offered a greater affront
to my government, who condescended to be their king; though they have
been uneasy under thine administration, as appointed to be their judge.
And, in Psal. li. 4. David says, _Against thee, thee only, have I
sinned_. Whereas he had sinned against Uriah and Bathsheba, as having
murdered the one, and tempted the other to commit adultery with him; he
had sinned against the army, whom he occasioned to fall in battle,
pursuant to the orders he gave Joab, with a design to destroy Uriah; yet
says he, _against thee, thee only, have I sinned_; that is, the greatest
aggravation of my sin is, that it contains rebellion against thee. And
elsewhere, God says, _I desired mercy, and not sacrifice_, Hos. vi. 6.
that is, more than sacrifice.
_7thly_, There are several hyperbolical ways of speaking in scripture,
whereby more is expressed than what is generally understood. Thus the
vessel in the temple, in which things were washed, which was ten cubits
from one brim to the other, is called _a molten Sea_, 1 Kings vii. 23.
because it contained a great quantity of water; though, indeed, it was
very small, if compared with the dimensions of the sea: And in 1 Kings
x. 27, it is said, that Solomon _made silver to be in Jerusalem, as
stones; and cedars as the sycamore-trees, which are in the vale for
abundance_. Silver was not, strictly speaking, as plentiful as stones;
but it implies, that there were vast treasures thereof, heaped up by the
king, and many of his subjects, and no lack of it in any one. And, in
Judges xx. 16. it is said, there were _some of the Benjamites
left-handed, every one_ of whom _could sling stones at an hair-breadth,
and not miss_; which only signifies that they had an uncommon expertness
in this matter; and when we read of some of the cities in the land of
Canaan, that were _great, and walled up to heaven_, Deut. i. 28. it only
denotes that their walls were very high: And, in Kings i. 43. it is said
upon the occasion of Solomon’s being anointed king, that _the people
rejoiced with great joy; so that the earth rent with the sound of them_;
the meaning of which is only this, that the shouts of the people were so
great, that if the concussion of the air, that was made thereby, could
have rent the earth, this would have done it.
_8thly_, We sometimes find ironical expressions, and sarcasms used in
scripture, with a design to expose the wickedness and folly of men.
Thus, when our first parents sinned by adhering to the suggestions of
Satan, who told them, that they _should be as gods, knowing good and
evil_, Gen. iii. 5. God says in an ironical way, _Behold the man is
become as one of us, to know good and evil, &c._ ver. 22. And the
prophet Elijah exposes Baal’s worshippers; and Micaiah, Ahab’s false
prophets, by using a sarcastic way of speaking, 1 Kings xviii. 27. and
chap. xxii. 15. And Job uses the same figurative way of speaking, when
he reproves the bitter invectives, and false reasonings of his friends;
_No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you_, Job
xii. 2. And Solomon uses the same way of address, when he says,
_Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the
days of youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of
thine eyes: But know thou, that for all these things God bring thee into
Judgment_, Eccl. xi. 9. And, the man that trusts in his own
righteousness for justification, is also exposed in the same way,
‘Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with
sparks; walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have
kindled: This shall ye have of mine hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow,’
Isa. l. 11. And when our Saviour says to his disciples, having found
them asleep, in Matt. xxvi. 45, 46. ‘Sleep on now, and take your rest;
behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the
hands of sinners,’ it is plain from the following words, that he uses
this figurative way of speaking; for he immediately adds, without an
irony, _Rise, let us be going_.
This, some think to be the method of speaking which our Saviour makes
use of, when he reproves his disciples for that fond conceit that they
had, that his kingdom was of this world; and contending sometimes among
themselves, who should be greatest therein: Upon which occasion he bids
them make provision for war; and take care to secure those two things
that are necessary thereunto, money and arms: Thus he says, in Luke
xxii. 36. ‘He that hath a purse, let him take it; and he that hath no
sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one;’ they did not, indeed,
immediately perceive that he spake in an ironical way; and therefore
replied, in ver. 38. _Lord, behold here are two swords_: Upon which he
says, still carrying on the irony, _It is enough_. So that, whether they
understood his meaning or no, it seems to be this; if you are disposed
to contend who shall be greatest, as though my kingdom were of a
temporal nature, and to be erected and maintained by force of arms, do
you think you have sufficient treasure to hire forces to join with you,
or buy arms for that purpose? or, do you imagine that you have courage
enough to attack the Roman empire, and gain it by force? You say, you
have two swords, can you suppose that these are enough? what a
ludicrious and indifferent figure would you make, if you expected to
come off conquerors by this means? No, they that take the sword shall
perish with the sword; for my kingdom is not of this world: So that all
the advantages and honours that you are to expect therein, are of a
spiritual nature. This seems rather to be the meaning of this scripture,
than that which the Papists generally acquiesce in, namely, that by the
_two_ swords, are meant the civil and ecclesiastical; both which, as
they pretend, are put into the Pope’s hands.
9thly, The scripture often makes use of a figurative way of speaking,
generally called an _hendyadis_, whereby one complex idea, is expressed
by two words, which is very common in the Hebrew language. Thus in Jer.
xxix. 11. when God promises his people, that he would _give_ them _an
expected end_, intending hereby their deliverance from the Babylonish
captivity; the words, if literally translated, ought to be rendered, as
it is observed in the margin, _an end and expectation_; whereas, our
translators were apprized that there is such a figurative way of
speaking contained in them, and therefore they render them, _an expected
end_: And this figure is sometimes used in the New Testament; as when
our Saviour tells his disciples, in Luke xxi. 15. _I will give you a
mouth and wisdom_; that is, I will give you ability to express
yourselves with so much wisdom, _that all your adversaries shall not be
able to gain-say_ it. And some think, that there is the same way of
speaking used in John iii. 5. ‘Except a man be born of water, and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God;’ that is, except a man
be born of the Holy Spirit, or regenerated, which is signified by being
born of water, he cannot, &c.
_10thly_, Nothing is more common than for the Holy Ghost, in scripture
to make use of metaphors, which are a very elegant way of representing
things, by comparing them with, and illustrating them by others, and
borrowing such modes of speaking from them, as may add a very
considerable beauty to them. Thus repentance and godly sorrow, together
with the blessed privileges which shall hereafter attend them, are
compared to sowing and reaping, in Psal. cxxvi. 5, 6. ‘They that sow in
tears, shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing
precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his
sheaves with him.’ And the prophet sets forth the labour and pains which
Israel had taken in sin; and exhorts them, by a metaphor taken from
husbandry, to be as industrious in pursuing what would turn to a better
account, in Hos. x. 12, 13. where he speaks of their having _plowed
wickedness, and reaped iniquity_; and advises them to _sow to themselves
in righteousness, and reap in mercy_; which, as he farther adds, they
should do by _seeking the Lord_; and _it is time_, says he, _to seek_
him, _till he come and rain righteousness upon you_; which is necessary
to a plenteous harvest of blessings, which you may hope for in so doing.
And, in chap. vii. 4. he reproves their adulteries by a metaphor, taken
from _an oven heated by the baker_; and their hypocrisy by another,
taken from _a cake not turned_, ver. 8. and their being weakened, and
almost ruined hereby, he compares to the _gray hairs_ of those who are
bowed down under the infirmities of age, ver. 9. and for their cowardice
and seeking help from other nations, and not from God, he calls them _a
silly dove without an heart_, ver. 11.
And we may observe, that there is oftentimes a chain of metaphors in the
same paragraph. Of this kind is that elegant description of old age,
sickness, and death, which Solomon gives, in exhorting persons to
_remember their Creator in the days of their youth_, Eccl. xii. 1-6.
_while the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars be not
darkened_; by which, it is probable, he intends the impairing the
intellect, the loss of those sprightly parts which once they had, or, of
the memory and judgment; upon which account men are sometimes said to,
out-live themselves. And he speaks of _the keepers of the house
trembling_; that is, the hands and arms, designed for the defence of the
body, being seized with paralytic disorders; _the strong men bowing
themselves_; that is, those parts which are designed to support the body
being weakened, and needing a staff to bear up themselves; _the grinders
ceasing because they are few_, signifies the loss of teeth; _and they
that look out of the windows being darkened_, a decay of sight; their
_rising up at the voice of the bird_, implies their loss of one of the
main props of nature, to wit, sleep; so that they may rise early in the
morning, when the birds begin to sing, because their beds will not
afford them rest: _And the daughters of music being brought low_,
denotes a decay of the voice and hearing, and being not affected with
those sounds which were once most delightful to them. _The almond-tree
flourishing_, plainly signifies the hoary head; _the grashopper_ being
_a burden_, is either a proverbial speech, importing a want of courage,
strength, and resolution to bear the smallest pressures; or, as others
understand it, their stooping, when bowed down with old age. _The silver
cord loosed_, or, _the golden bowl broken at the fountain, or the wheel
broken at the cistern_, signifies a decay of the animal spirits, a
laxation of the nerves, the irregular circulation of the blood, or the
universal stoppage thereof; and then the frame of nature is broken, and
man _returns to the dust_[45].
In the New Testament there are several metaphors used; some of which are
taken from the Isthmian and Olympic games, practised by the Greeks and
Romans. Thus the apostle Paul compares the Christian life to _a race_ in
which _many run_; but they do not all _receive the prize_, 1 Cor. ix.
24. And, in ver. 25. he alludes to another exercise, to wit, wrestling;
and recommends temperance as what was practised by them, as a means for
their obtaining the crown. And, ver. 26. he uses a metaphor, taken from
another of the games, to wit, fighting, in hope of victory; by which he
illustrates his zeal in the discharge of his ministry. And in Heb. xii.
1. he speaks of the Christian _race_, and the necessity of _laying aside
every weight_, to wit, allowed sins, which would retard our course, or
hinder us in the way to heaven. And in Phil. iii. 13, 14. he speaks of
himself both as a minister and a Christian, as ‘forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are
before,’ and, ‘pressing towards the mark, for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus;’ where he plainly alludes to the
purpose, industry, and earnestness of those who run in a race. And, in
Eph. vi. 11-16. he speaks of the difficulties, temptations, and
opposition that believers are exposed to, in the Christian life; and
advises them, to _put on the whole armour of God_; and so carries on the
metaphor or allegory, by alluding to the various pieces of armour, which
soldiers make use of when engaged in battle, to illustrate the methods
we ought to take, that we may come off conquerors at last.
(6.) It will be very useful, in order to our understanding scripture,
for us to know some things, relating to the different forms of civil
government, and the various changes made therein, among the Jews, and
other nations, with whom they were conversant. At first we find, that
distinct families had the administration of civil affairs committed unto
them, and the heads thereof were, as it were, the chief magistrates, who
had the exercise of civil power, in some instances; especially if it did
not interfere with that of the country wherein they lived. Some think,
indeed, that it extended to the punishing capital crimes with death; and
that Judah, who was the head of a branch of Jacob’s family, when he
passes this sentence concerning Tamar, in Gen. xxxviii. 24. _Bring her
forth, and let her be burnt_, does it as a civil magistrate: But, if it
be not deemed a rash and unjustifiable expression in him, when he says,
_Let her be brought forth, and burnt_, we must suppose the meaning to
be, let her first be confined till she is delivered of her child, and
then tried by the civil magistrate, the consequence whereof will be, her
being burnt, when found guilty of the adultery that was charged upon
her. So that it does not appear that the heads of families, when
sojourning in other countries, had a power distinct from that of the
government under which they lived, to punish offenders with death;
though, I think, it is beyond dispute, that they had a government in
their own families, that extended, in many respects, to civil affairs,
as well as obliged them to observe those religious duties which God
required of them.
It may be farther observed, that this government extended so far, as
that the Patriarchs, or heads of families, had, sometimes, a power of
making war, or entering into confederacies with neighbouring princes,
for their own safety, or recovering their rights when invaded. Thus when
Lot and the Sodomites, were taken prisoners by the four kings that came
up against them, we read, in Gen. xiv. 13, 14. that Abraham called in
the assistance of some of his neighbours, with whom he was in
confederacy, and _armed his trained servants, three hundred and
eighteen, born in his house_, and rescued him, and the men of Sodom from
the hands of those that had taken them prisoners.
We have little more light as to this matter, so long as the government
continued domestic, and the church in the condition of sojourners: But,
when they were increased to a great nation, their civil, as well as
religious government, was settled, by divine direction, under the hand
of Moses, in the wilderness. The first form thereof, was a theocracy, in
which God gave them laws in an immediate way; condescended to satisfy
them, as to some things, which they enquired of him about; gave them
particular intimations how they should manage their affairs of war and
peace; and appeared for them in giving them victory over their enemies,
in a very extraordinary, and sometimes, miraculous way. But, besides
this great honour that God put on them, he established a form of
government among them, in which they were divided into _thousands_,
_hundreds_, _fifties_, and _tens_, Exod. xviii. 31. Deut. i. 15. each of
which divisions had their respective captain or governor; who are,
sometimes, styled the _nobles of the children of Israel_, Exod. xxiv.
11. And these governors were generally heads of considerable families
among them; which were also divided in the same way, into thousands,
fifties, and tens, in proportion to the largeness thereof; thus Gideon,
speaking of his family, in Judges vi. 25. calls it, as the Hebrew word
signifies, his _thousand_. And, in the same manner, their armies were
divided, when engaged in war; thus when Jesse sent David with a present,
into the army, to his brethren, he bade him deliver it to the _captain
over their thousand_, 1 Sam. xvii. 18. and chap. xviii. 13. And we read,
that Saul made David his _captain over a thousand_; which is the same
with what we, in our modern way of speaking, call a commanding officer
over a regiment of soldiers. Again, when David’s soldiers went out to
war against Absalom, it is said, _They came out by hundreds and by
thousands_, 2 Sam. xviii. 4. each distinct company, or regiment, having
their commanding officer.
Thus the government was settled as to civil and military affairs, in
such a way, that the head of the respective division, had a power of
judging in lesser matters. But since there were some affairs of the
greatest importance to be transacted in the form of their government, by
divine direction, God appointed seventy men of the children of Israel,
to assist Moses in those matters, in which they had more immediately to
do with him; and accordingly he _gave them the Spirit_, Numb. xi. 16,
17. that is, the extraordinary inspiration of the Spirit; whereby he
communicated his mind and will to them. This was the first rise of the
Sanhedrim; and these had a power of judging in civil matters, throughout
all the ages of the church till the Jews were made tributary to the
Romans; and after that, this body of men were as vile and contemptible
as they had before been honourable in the eyes of just and good men, as
appears by their tumultuous and unprecedented behaviour in the trial of
our Saviour, and the malicious prosecutions, set on foot by them,
against the apostles, without any pretence or form of law.