obliged to veil his face, because the Israelites could not bear its effulgence;' so the Deity was pleased to conceal many both spiritual and physical truths under a veil of figures and allegory, because the prejudices, ignorance, and grossness of the bulk of the people could not bear them, but they were written for the instruction and admonition of those in every age whose minds are liberated from the misrule of prejudice, and less darkened by the clouds of ignorance: but still it requires, and always will require, much study and comparison of one part of Scripture with another, to discover the meaning of many of those passages of Scripture which relate to physical objects. 2 The Apostle to the Hebrews observes that the manner in which God revealed himself to the ancient world and the Jewish nation, was by dividing his communications into many parcels, delivered at different times; and by clothing them in a variety of figures, and imparting them under different circumstances, so that in order to get a correct notion of them it is necessary to compare 3 1 Exod. xxxiv. 29, &c. 3 Πολυτρόπως. one part of scripture with another, and to weigh well the various figures under which they are concealed, and the use of them on other occasions; and also to consider the modes in which they were communicated to the mind of the prophet, whether in a vision exhibited to him when entranced; in a dream when asleep; or under certain acts, which he was commanded, or by immediate inspiration excited, to perform. So that if we wish to ascertain the meaning of any particular symbol, or of the terms in which any communication is made from God in Holy Scripture; we must not be satisfied by studying merely the passage under our eye, but, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, hunt out the meaning, as it were, by considering all those passages where the same thing is alluded to. It is to be observed, that in all the communications which it has pleased the Deity to make of his will to mankind, respect is had to the then state of society, and the progress of knowledge, arts, and civilization -light was imparted to them as they were able to bear it; they were fed with milk when they could not digest strong meat. Prejudices take usually so firm a hold upon the bulk of any people, that to attack them directly, instead of opening, closes all the avenues to the heart. Even the most enlightened in some respects, in others are often under their dominion; and, therefore, it is only by imparting truth Here a little and there a little, as circumstances admit, and embroidering the veil, under which we are obliged to soften the effulgence of her light, with varied imagery, darkly shadowing out her mysteries, that a way is prepared for her final triumph and universal reception. She is often A light shining in a dark place, gradually expelling prejudice and error, and shining more and more unto the perfect day. It was not so much necessary for the conversion and reformation of mankind to make them philosophers as to make them believers. The great bulk of mankind were ignorant and uninstructed persons, whence in order to win their attention, it was necessary to address them in a language which they understood, and in a phraseology, with respect to physical objects, to which they were accustomed, and as those objects appear to the senses. Thus the moon is called a great light, because she appears so and is so to us, though really less than the planets and fixed stars; the sun is said to rise, and other parallel expressions, which are true with respect to us, and to the appearance of the thing, though not with respect to the fact physically considered. When the sacred writers speak of the Deity in terms borrowed from the human figure, as if he had hands, eyes, feet, and the like, and as if he was agitated by human passions, it is for the sake of illustrating the Divine attributes and proceedings by those passions, faculties, senses, and organs in man, by which alone we can gain any idea of what may analogous to them in the Divine Nature. be But though such condescension is shown by the Holy Spirit to the ignorance and imperfections of his people, by adopting, as it were, a phraseology founded upon their innocent errors, and those misapprehensions of things into which they were led by their senses it is not thence to be concluded that this popular language pervades the whole of the Holy Word; or that it is impossible, or even difficult, to distinguish things spoken ad captum, from statements relating to the physical constitution of nature which are to be received as spoken ex cathedra, and as dictated by the Holy Spirit. It should not be lost sight of, that the great object of Revelation was to reclaim mankind from the debasing worship of those that were not gods by nature; of those powers in nature, or their symbols, selected from natural objects, which God employed and directed as his agents in the formation and government of the globe we inhabit, and of the whole universe. "But we," says Bacon, "dedicate or erect no capitol or pyramid to the pride of men; but, in the human intellect, lay the foundations of a holy temple, an exemplar of the world.”1 This passage is capable of an application that may lead us into an avenue terminating in such a temple, which, though not erected in the human intellect, may enlighten it in several points relating to physical truths concerning which it is now in darkness. The Mosaical tabernacle and the Solomonian temple were both erected not after the imaginings of the spirit of man; but the former after a pattern which was shown to Moses in the mount; and the latter after 2 1 Nov. Org. aphorism. 120. |