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but commended to their readers, some habits and actions, some virtues and duties, which in Scripture are represented as vices and sins. For example, Aristotle, one of nature's high priests, in his ethics, one of the choicest pieces of morality extant, maketh a virtue of eutrapelia, which Paul under that very term prohibits as a thing inconvenient for Christians, "neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor Eutrapelia jesting, which are not convenient.'* So also Nemesis, that is, grief and indignation at the prosperity of unworthy men, is by him reckoned among such affections as are near of kin to virtues, but condemned at large by David in the 37th Psalm, and by Solomon in the Proverbs, saying, “Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou en vious at the wicked." Another of his virtues is μevaraux, magnanimity, which he describeth to be the judging of a man's self worthy of great things when he is so. Whereas our Saviour directeth us even " when we have done all things that are commanded us," ‡ yet to say we are unprofitable servants. He would have such a person a despiser and contemner of others, which is plainly pharisaical; § thinks all that favoureth of humility unworthy of his magnanimous man, whereas Solomon telleth us, "It is better to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide

*

Ephes. v. 4.

Luke xvii. 10.

+ Prov. xxiv. 19.
§ ὑπερέπλην καὶ καταφρονηπικόν.

the spoil with the proud."* Yea, he alloweth him in case of contumely to speak evil of his adversaries, whereas our Saviour's rule is, "Bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you."+

EXERCITATION III.

Books of

Oracles of God vocal, or written. Scripture so called in five respects, viz. In regard of their declaring and foretelling, their being consulted, prized and preserved.

1. In the epistle to the Hebrews, these two phrases," The first principles of the oracles of God," and "the principles of the doctrine of Christ," import one and the same thing, implying also that Scripture records are the only store house and conservatory of Christian Religion. I shall therefore from hence take occasion to shew, that books of Scripture are oracles of God, why they are so called, and wherein they excel other oracles. For the first, there were two sorts of oracles belonging to God, vocal and written. The vocal were those answers he gave from between the Cherubim on the top of the Mercy-seat which covered the Ark, § by reason whereof, the Holy of Holies, where that Ark

Prov. xvi. 19 + Matth. v. 44. Heb. v. 12. and vi. 1. § 1 Kings vi. often andChap. viii. 6.

stood, was styled the Oracle.* The written are the two tables of the law, called by Stephen the lively oracles, and the canonical books of Scripture, as well those of the Old Testament, of which Paul speaketh, when he declareth it as the great privilege of the Jews, that "to them were committed the oracles of God; t as those of the New, to which Peter is like to have had a peculiar respect in that saying of his, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God," sλòyiα to. Especially if his meaning be to admonish such as speak in congregations, public teachers, or as another apostle styleth them "ministers of the New Testament,"|| that they be careful to deliver Scripture truths in Scripture words, New Testament matter in New Testament language, taking the particles in that text for a note, not of similitude, but of identity; as when it is said, "We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,", it is not meant of a glory like his, but the very same; so let him speak as the oracles of God,, that is, the self-same things which God hath spoken in his word. ¶

$ 2. The word Moya, whereby heathen writers had been wont to express their oracles, (chiefly such as were uttered in prose, went under the name of xxμí) was enfranchised by the Holy

Acts vii. 38.
||2 Cor. iii. 6.

+ Rom. iii. 2.

1 Pet, iv. 11.

§ John i. 14.

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¶ Vide Gerhard Comment. in 1 Pet. iv. page 631, 634.

Ghost, and applied to the books of Scripture, to intimate (as I conceive,) that these books were to be of like use to Christians, as those oracles had been to infidels; whereof take a five-fold account.

I. Those declared to heathen men the will of their idols, whence also they had their names of xoyi from xeyer, and " oracula from orare, quod inerat illis Deorum oratio," as Tully giveth the etymology, because they contained what the gods spake, and delivered to be their mind. The scriptures in like manner contain the mind of Jehovah. Somewhat of his nature we may learn from the creatures, but should have known little or nothing of his will, had no canonical scripture revealed it. We use to call a man's testament his last will, because in it he makes a final declaration of what he would have his executors do. He that would exactly know the will of God, must look into his two testaments: there he shall find it fully expressed, and nowhere else.

§ 3. II. Those foretold future events, which made them be so much frequented by such as thirsted after knowledge of things to come. These read every one's destiny, and acquaint him afore-hand with what he may or may not infallibly expect, according to his present and future qualifications. Not to mention prophesies in the New Testament, whereof the principal

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magazine is the apocalypse, the old contains very many predictions beyond the activity of human foresight. For although such effects as depend upon natural causes (which are uniform in their workings) may be foretold by a skilful naturalist and a wise statesman, observing the present constitution of a government, may prognosticate what events are like to ensue upon those counsels and courses which he sees taken: yet the quickest eye upon earth cannot foresee such future contingents as have their dependance upon the mere free-will of persons yet unborn; and whereunto, when they are born, not common principles, but heroic impulses must incline them. Whereas in the scriptures we meet with the name of Josiah and Cyrus, and with their performances long before they had a being. We find old Jacob foretelling the respective fates of all his children, and of their posterity; Isaiah speaking of Jesus Christ, as if he had written a history rather than a prophecy; and Daniel, who lived under the first monarchy, describing the several revolutions under all the others, as if he had seen them with his eyes.

Sect. 4. III. Those gave advice in doubtful cases, and were in all undertakings of moment consulted with by devout heathens, who, as Strabo testifies, in their chief affairs of state relied more upon the answers of their oracles than upon human policies. These were David's de* Lib. 16. in descript. Judææ.

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