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BOWED myself in the house of Rimmon; in that I HAVE WORSHIPPED in the house of Rimmon; the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. And he said, go in peace: that is, God will accept thy repentance. Do as you have resolved: declare publicly that you will worship no God but the Lord; and the Lord will pardon you. No mention is made of Naaman after this: so that he probably was dismissed, because he would not worship the Idol any longer.

1 Chron. iii. 17. Jeremiah xxiii. 30. Matthew i. 12.

In two of these texts, Jeconiah is said to be childless: yet in the other he is said to have children. The meaning is: he had no child to succeed him; his children dying before him.

1 Chron. ix. 2.

Nethenims; that is, people given to God. These were the Gibeonites, who were given to God, to bring necessaries for the service of the altar; not slaves, but a kind of sacred servants; being the first fruits of the Gentiles.

Isaiah xx. 2, S.

This account of the prophet Isaiah's walking naked for three years cannot be understood literally, because of the indecency of it. The particular dress of a prophet was an outer garment of hair. Such was John the Baptist cloathed with, Matt. iii. 4. By walking nak ed, then, is only meant, going without the upper gar ment, or prophetical robe.

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St. Matthew says, Judas hanged himself. St. Peter,

that he burst asunder in the midst.

Judas first hanged

himself; and then, the rope breaking, he fell down; and bursting asunder, his bowels gushed out.

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Three nights and three days are the same as three days; and these expressions are often used one for the other. But the words after three days are very full and expressive: yet the chief priests will inform us how we are to understand them. Sir, said they to Pilate, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, after three days I will rise again. Yet their demand is, that the sepulchre be made sure only till the third day, Matt. xxvii. 63, 64. Here is the authority of the chief priests and Pharisees, that after three days, and, till the third day, were equal expressions; and were so understood in the common language of that country. Just so, when Rehoboam had said to the people, come again to me after three days; it follows; so all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, come again to me on the third day, 2 Chron. x. 5, 12. The Jews used to reckon part of a day, and even one hour, for a whole day; particularly when they explained the law that orders children to be circumcised the eighth day.

Matt. xx. 23.

Words are sometimes added by the translators, to make up the sense, as they suppose; but very improperly: as Lore; the words, it shall be given, take away

from Christ a power, which the original text allows him. It is truly this: to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but to them, or unless to them, for whom it is prepared of my Father. He elsewhere promises to bestow this reward in his own right. To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne, Revel. iii. 21.

Mark xiv. 58.

The witnesses affirmed that Jesus Christ said, I will destroy this temple MADE WITH HANDS. The addition of these last words shews their false testimony: for it restrains Christ's words to the temple of Jerusalem, which might otherwise be understood of his body, which indeed he meant. Besides, Christ said not, I will destroy; but destroy, or do you destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Luke i. 69.

Among the Jews, a horn signified power. A horn of salvation, therefore, means, a powerful Savior.

Luke xiii. 33.

Not a prophet; but the Prophet; that is, the Christ: for it is not true that no prophet ever perished out of Jerusalem.

John ii. 4.

Woman, what have I to do with thee? This seems a very rough and disrespectful answer. But these words are very falsely translated. The literal translation is, what to me and thee? As if Christ had said; let them take

care of it to whom it properly belongs; we are only guests and strangers.

John vii. 52.

It should be, ariseth not the prophet; and not, ariseth no prophet, as our translation expresses it: for the prophet Jonah was of Gath Hepher in this very country, 2 Kings xiv. 25. Nahum also was of Galilee. But that the Messiah was not to come out of Galilee, the Jews all knew very well.

John xiv. 28.

A man must be wilfully blind not to see the two natures of God and man in the person of Jesus Christ. In respect of his human nature only, it is that he says, my Father is greater than I. His divine nature, wherein he is equal with God the Father, is asserted in these words of St. John, chap. i. 1. In the beginning was the Word, (or Christ,) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. These two texts, put together, plainly prove that Jesus Christ is perfect God, and perfect man.

Acts vi. 9.

By libertines are not meant wicked and disorderly persons; such as take the liberty of living as they please, but only the sons of such slaves as had obtained the freedom of the city of Rome.

I am as ye are.

Gal. iv. 12.

This certainly ought to be, I was as ye are; that is, I was once as zealous for the law of

Moses, as ye are now.

Philip. ii. 6, 7.

From those Scriptures which speak of Christ as a man, some are so unreasonable as to conclude that he was nothing more than a mere man; and so deny his divinity. Others, on the contrary, from those texts which speak of him as God, do as foolishly deny his humanity. These verses prove that Christ was God in human nature: for, as his being in the form of a servant signified that he was such in reality; so, his being in the form of God must signify, that he is really and truly God.

Coloss. i. 15.

Our Savior is here called the first born of every creature. The word signifies the first producer, as well as the first produced. This seems to be the real meaning from the words immediately following: for by him were all things created.

1 Thess. v. 21.

Prove all things, hold fast that which is good, has been misunderstood to encourage running after various teachers, and ways of religious worship, under pretence of trying all religions first, before they settle: whereas this relates to inquiries into spiritual gifts given in those times, as prophesying, &c. &c.

2 Tim. iv. 14.

St. Paul, speaking of the evil done by Alexander, adds; the Lord reward him according to his works. This seems to imply an evil wish toward him: but several versions, and many of the fathers, read, will reward him. This affords a sufficient answer to the difficulty. VOL. III.

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