the text, what precedes, what follows, the general fcope of the difcourfe, the particular defign of the writer in the place, where your text is, the fubject : noble, majestic, and at the Jofeph Scaliger highly multum faveo Chryfoftomo De Chryfoftomo idem fentio quod tu; nullius veterum patrum lectione magis afficior tum propter inaffectatum dicendi characterem femper fibi fimilem; tum quia unicus eft omnium veterum, cui probe nota fuerit mens totius novi inftrumenti: in quo genere Nam folus regnum obtinet. in veteris inftrumenti fenfibus ut plurimum longe a recta veri regione vagari cogit Hebraifmi infcitia et 70 interpretum editio, quæ quum longe mendofiffima, eam omnes veteres, quæ illorum finiftra fuit xaxonia, non dubitant archetypis HeIdem ad braicis anteferre. eundem de eodem, initio epiftola 93. fit tamen Ego ftudiofiffimus illius patris (i. e. Chryfoftomi) fum, tum quia nullus melior novi teftamenti interpres, tum et propter fubject of which it treats, parallel paffages of fcripture, which treat of the fame fubject, or thofe, in which the fame expreffions are used, &c. and by these means it is almoft impoffible, that you fhould not content yourfelf. Above all, take care not to make of grammatical matters a principal part : propter miram dulcedinem et amoenitatem dictionis, quam poft illum nullus ecclefiafticus fcriptor confequipo uit. Idem ad Hoefchelium, epift. 398. To the fame pur pofe fpeaks the learned Boys Chryfoftomum tanquam concionatorum ducem ac Coryphæum, vel potius ut Chriftianum Ciceronem, aut Demofthenem intuerentur hortarer omnes, ut veftigiis ejus infifterent, ut pro abfolutiffimo chriftianæ eloquentiæ exemplari, ad imitandum fibi proponerent, &c. In præfatione ejus ad not. in tom. iii. Chryfoft. op. edit. Savil. There are three capital miftakes in regard to books. 1. Some through their own indolence, and others, from a fincere belief of the vanity of human fcience, read no book but the bible. But thefe good men do not confider, that, for the fame reafons, they ought not to preach fermons; for fermons are libri, ore, vivaque voce, pronunciati. The holy fcriptures are illuftrated by other writings. Litteras mifcco profanas, ut facras illuftrent, fays one, who well exemplified the rule. Selden in præf. ad tract. de diis Syris. 2. Others collect great quantities of books for few, and not for fervice. Of fuch as thefe Lewis XI. of France fmartly faid, They refemble bunch-backed people, who carry a great burden, which they never fee. This is a vain parade, even unworthy of reproof. If an illiterate man think by this art to cover his ignorance, he mistakes; he affects modefty, and dances naked in a net, to hide his fhame! 3. Others purchase large libraries, with a fincere defign of reading all the books. But a very large library is learned luxury, not elegance, much less utility. Quo mihi innumerabiles libros, et bibliothecas, quarum dominus vix, tota fua vita, indices perlegit? onerat difcentem, turba, non inftruit. Seneca de tranquil. anim.cap. x. A collection of felect books part but only treat of them as previously neceffary for understanding the text. (9) To proceed from terms to things. They muft, as I have faid, be explained, when they are either difficult or important. There are feveral ways of explication. You may begin by refuting er (9) Do not make a principal part of grammatical matters. Grammatical remarks, however, are abfolutely neceflary for the understanding of fcripture, for, to give only one fingle inftance, what grofs miitakes muft he make, who does not know the following diftin&tions? Cum verba fint duntaxat figna notionum, eaque ab hominibus inftituta, ut docent philofophi; fequitur ut ad totidem claffes vocabula poffint referri, quot funt notionum genera. Notiones vocamus quæcunque animo noftro obverfantur, cum de re quapiam cogitamus. Igitur ad feptem claffes poffe referri. 1. Sunt notiones fimplices, et compofitæ. 2. Sunt notiones fubftantiarum, et modorum. 3. Sunt notiones relationum. 4. Sunt notiones concretas, et abftractas. 5. Sunt notiones univerJales, aut fingulares. 6. Nulla notio eft, quæ non poffit clara, aut obfcura dici. 7. Sunt denique notiones quas adaquatas vocant vocant philofophi. Verum nonnulla funt quæ ad omnia fere ex æquo pertinent. Ut, 1. linguas fibi invicem non fatis refpondere. Exemp. gra. VOL. I. rors, Ο (μεν) υμεις (ω) ανδρες Αθηναίοι, Quid vos viri Athenienfes. 2. Multa videri in verfionibus emphatica, que in ipfis fentibus nullam emphafin habent. Hebræi dicunt moriendo morieris, &c. Le Clerc's Ars crit. de linguarum diffimilitu dine. If it be asked, whether the the words of holy fcripture be come down to us as originally delivered? or whether thefe writings have not undergone the fate of all other ancient books? Thefe queftions may receive an answer from Ken nicot's State of the Hebrew text; from Mill's and Wetfrein's editions of the new tef tament; and from the critical works of many other learned writers. Le Clerc, after much on the subject, adds - Eft interea cur Deum laudemus, quod noluerit fidem noftram pendere ex uno aut altero loco, aut ex aliquot vocalis, in quæ mutatio irrepere potuit, negligentia aut nequitia librariorum vel theologorum. In iis quæ neceffaria funt, fat magnus eft codicum confenfus ut omnem dubitationem nobis eximat. Clerici Ars crit. p. 3. f. 1. c. 8. P rors, into which people have fallen; or you may fall upon the subject immediately, and fo come to a fair and precife declaration of the truth, and, after this, you may dilate, (if I may venture to say fo.) by a deduction of the principles, on which the text depends, and on the effential relations, in which it ought to be confidered. Take the following example: Acts ix. 5. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. First, you must propofe the difficulty, that is found in the terms, which do not feem to give any juft fenfe; for, fpeaking of S. Paul's converfion, what do these words mean, It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks? We eafily perceive, it is a comparison taken from a vicious horfe, that will not obey his rider, when he fpurs him: but, on the contrary, refifts and kicks. We readily understand by the pricks the voice and grace of Jefus Chrift, who outwardly and inwardly urged Paul to his converfion. Moreover, we understand very well, that the mind and heart of Paul refifted the call of the Lord, and the inward motions of his holy Spirit, reprefented by the phrafe kick against the pricks. But what do these words then mean, It is hard for thee to refift my grace? Should any one fay, it was impoffible for him to refift the almighty power of the fpirit of Jefus Chrift; we fhould reply, it is certain, the original word can. not be taken in this fignification. It fignifies a thing hard, troublesome, disagreable, difficult to bear : but it never fignifies an impoffible thing. (1) But, (1) Exλngos, durus, is ufed only metaphorically in the new teftament. Thus Mat. xxv. 24.Σκληρος άνθρωπος, durus,i.e. feverus homo. John vi. 60. Exλngos hoyos, a hard faying, if abfurdus fermo. James iii. 4. Σκληρων ἀνέμων, vehementibus ventis, fierce winds. Jude 15. Παντων των σκληρών, virulentis verbis, hard fpeeches. As a fubftantive fee Rom. ii. 5. As if we take the word in its true meaning, what does Jefus Chrift intend by this language, it is troublefome, it is difagreeable to thee to refift my grace? On the contrary, in the moment of a finner's converfion, they are the motions of grace, which are difagreeable and troublesome, and the refiftances of corrupt nature are eafy and agreeable. In these conflicts we confider grace as an enemy, whom we are glad to drive away and conquer; it is then troublesome to feel the urgings of grace: but it is easy to refift them. The difficulty being thus propofed, and placed in its proper light, the words must be explained, by obferving, that, instead of tranflating them it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks, we must render them, it is thy hardness, that kicketh against the pricks, or that refifteth my grace; for exλngoy σoi, acσκληρον σοι, cording to the common ufage of the Greek tongue, is put for onλngwrns as it is thy hardness. Thus the fense of Jefus Chrift is clear. He meant, that the resistance, which Paul made to the motions of his grace, proceeded from the hardness of his beart, that is, from his natural blindness and corruption; from his prejudices in favour of the Jewish religion; from the pride wherewith pharifaifin had infpired him; and from the hatred, that he had conceived against christianity. (2) |