登陆注册
5214200000307

第307章

But since God knew it would not do this, He used His temporal punishments also for training His few faithful ones in it, and for giving needful warning to those who should afterwards be in all nations, in whom the other promise, revealed in the New Testament, was about to be fulfilled through the incarnation of Christ.

CHAP.3.--OF THE THREE-FOLD MEANING OF THEPROPHECIES, WHICH ARE TO BE REFERRED NOW TO THE EARTHLY, NOW TO THE HEAVENLYJERUSALEM, AND NOW AGAIN TO BOTH.

Wherefore just as that divine oracle to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the other prophetic signs or sayings which are given in the earlier sacred writings, so also the other prophecies from this time of the kings pertain partly to the nation of Abraham's flesh, and partly to that seed of his in which all nations are blessed as fellow-heirs of Christ by the New Testament, to the possessing of eternal life and the kingdom of the heavens.Therefore they pertain partly to the bond maid who gendereth to bondage, that is, the earthly Jerusalem, which is in bondage with her children;but partly to the free city of God, that is, the true Jerusalem eternal in the heavens, whose children are all those that live according to God in the earth: but there are some things among them which are understood to pertain to both,--to the bond maid properly, to the free woman figuratively.

(3)

Therefore prophetic utterances of three kinds are to be found; forasmuch as there are some relating to the earthly Jerusalem, some to the heavenly, and some to both.I think it proper to prove what I say by examples.The prophet Nathan was sent to convict king David of heinous sin, and predict to him what future evils should be consequent on it.Who can question that this and the like pertain to the terrestrial city, whether publicly, that is, for the safety or help of the people, or privately, when there are given forth for each one's private good divine utterances whereby something of the future may be known for the use of temporal life? But where we read, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make for the house of Israel, and for the house of Judah, a new testament: not according to the testament that I settled for their fathers in the day when I laid hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my testament, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.For this is the testament that I will make for the house of Israel: after those days, saith the Lord, I will give my laws in their mind, and will write them upon their hearts, and I will see to them; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people;" (4)--without doubt this is prophesied to the Jerusalem above, whose reward is God Himself, and whose chief and entire good it is to have Him, and to be His.But this pertains to both, that the city of God is called Jerusalem, and that it is prophesied the house of God shall be in it; and this prophecy seems to be fulfilled when king Solomon builds that most noble temple.For these things both happened in the earthly Jerusalem, as history shows, and were types of the heavenly Jerusalem.And this kind of prophecy, as it were compacted and commingled of both the others in the ancient canonical books, containing historical narratives, is of very great significance, and has exercised and exercises greatly the wits of those who search holy writ.For example, what we read of historically as predicted and fulfilled in the seed of Abraham according to, the flesh, we must also inquire the allegorical meaning of, as it is to be fulfilled in the seed of Abraham according to faith.And so much is this the case, that some have thought there is nothing in these books either foretold and effected, or effected although not foretold, that does not insinuate something else which is to be referred by figurative signification to the city of God on high, and to her children who are pilgrims in this life.But if this be so, then the utterances of the prophets, or rather the whole of those Scriptures that are reckoned under the title of the Old Testament, will be not of three, but of two different kinds.For there will be nothing there which pertains to the terrestrial Jerusalem only, if whatever is there said and fulfilled of or concerning her signifies something which also refers by allegorical prefiguration to the celestial Jerusalem; but there will be only two kinds one that pertains to the free Jerusalem, the other to both.But just as, I think, they err greatly who are of opinion that none of the records of affairs in that kind of writings mean anything more than that they so happened, so I think those very daring who contend that the whole gist of their contents lies in allegorical significations.

Therefore I have said they are threefold, not two-fold.Yet, in holding this opinion, I do not blame those who may be able to draw out of everything there a spiritual meaning, only saving, first of all, the historical truth.

For the rest, what believer can doubt that those things are spoken vainly which are such that, whether said to have been done or to be yet to come, they do not be-seem either human or divine affairs? Who would not recall these to spiritual understanding if he could, or confess that they should be recalled by him who is able?

CHAP.4.--ABOUT THE PREFIGURED CHANGE OF

THE ISRAELITIC KINGDOM AND PRIESTHOOD, AND ABOUT THE THINGS HANNAH THEMOTHER OF SAMUEL PROPHESIED, PERSONATING THE CHURCH.

同类推荐
  • 四字经

    四字经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宣城雪后还望郡中寄

    宣城雪后还望郡中寄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上清北极天心正法

    上清北极天心正法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 绛雪园古方选注

    绛雪园古方选注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 读史抄

    读史抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 葬穹记
  • 皇后,再嫁朕一次

    皇后,再嫁朕一次

    他把匕首扔在她面前,轻佻的勾住她的下巴,用一种极其温柔的语气说道:“如果皇后敢用自己的性命证明自己,那朕就相信你!”她黯然抬首,最后看了他一眼,捡起了匕首。……“把这个贱妇打入冷宫!!”少了一丝暴怒的语气中,冰冷绝情却愈加的明显。她捞过垂在身后的长发,匕首一扬,及膝的长发,就这样被她无情的割断。之后,她张开手掌,任由被她割下的长发滑落到地面上,最后,绝然的转身离去。……一场大火,吞噬了整个冷宫。侥幸逃脱的她,决定放下心中的仇恨,重新活一次,只是,她却终究无法逃脱那个男人的致命纠缠。再相见,恍若隔世,他一脸悔恨的看着她,欲言又止,如鲠在喉。当她与他擦肩而过时,他终究还是抓住了她的手,“即使你永远都不原谅我,我也绝不会离开你半步。”她冷冷的笑了,挣脱了他的手,再次抬腿离去……
  • 积极心态引领成功

    积极心态引领成功

    本书教导读者要以积极的心态去面对学习工作,这样对获取成功更有帮助。
  • 凤倾天下之王爷要造反

    凤倾天下之王爷要造反

    唐华瑶重生了,彼时未来权倾天下的摄政王正被她推到水里差点淹死!为了未来的美好生活,长华郡主只得捏着鼻子哒哒的跑过去抱大腿。可是谁来告诉她,这金大腿风格突变整天想着造反是为哪般?这大腿是抱还是不抱啊?陆大腿离性格变得好奇怪啊!小眼神也是可怕的很!真是怪哉怪哉!陆离:我以江山为聘,许汝一世安好!卿嫁我可好?某侄儿:我家姑姑不外嫁,王爷请上门……
  • 不婚总裁,求放养

    不婚总裁,求放养

    就跳了次水,风染兮丧失了四年的记忆,刚睁眼,某人生气的坐在她面前“你是我的情人,想逃?”风染兮忍了,一恢复记忆她就跑!,一次,两次……好不容易逃脱了他的魔爪,还是带球跑?几年后她回来,大Boss终于有了机会。 无奈风染兮抬起手指露出戒指,道:“帝少,我已婚!”帝北夜咬牙切齿的提起一只小包子,说:“那这是哪来的?”“别人的” 帝北夜再提起另一只小包子:“那这个呢?” 风染兮:“还是别人的” 在不久之后,风染兮就体会了一下动弹不得的感觉,大BOSS一脸傲娇的问:“这个别人是谁”风染兮忍着扇他的冲动,说:“是你,行了吧!” 大BOSS点点头:“鉴于你这么乖,我们继续?!” 风染兮:“!”
  • 识人用人管人

    识人用人管人

    如何察知人才的真才实学,如何让员工的知识能量得到最大的发挥,如何做到知人善任、各尽其才,如何用较简单的管理取得较大的绩效,如何驾驭员工、建立优秀的团队……这些问题都是错综复杂的,答案也不一丽足。关键是领导者要不断揣摩和总结。最终寻找到一条行之有效的办法。《识人·用人·管人(经典给力版)》借鉴了许多管理学方面的理论和实践,力图从实际出发,用通俗易懂的语言、简洁明了的道理,阐述三大领导艺术的一般规律和知识,既有传统管理经验,也有与时俱进的领导技巧。从而为读者献上了一份实用性强、操作方便的大众读物,并期待大家在自己的实践中掌握要领、融会贯通,把书本知识转化为自己的能力,促进自己的事业走向成功和辉煌。
  • 南明副榜举人

    南明副榜举人

    明末四川,人类历史最黑暗最残暴的时代,中国人口第一大省在经历张献忠之乱,蛮清大杀戮之后,死伤殆尽,千百不存一二。风云突变,斗转星移,杨轩深陷其中。面对惨绝人寰的大屠杀,他奋发图强,以只手之力阻挡鞑子强盗强加在民众身上的枷锁,改变崖山之后再无中国,煤山之后再无华夏的历史,开创中华第三次复兴之大门。这就是《南明副榜举人》,正本清源,带你回到明末四川大杀戮的现场,演绎那场在这个世界已经被遗忘的历史。欢迎加入书友群:207902080
  • 暗宠娱乐圈女王

    暗宠娱乐圈女王

    沈谨媛是个n线乐队的主唱,运气爆棚签了个大公司,却惨遭雪藏,还好傍上了季大佬,本以为有了后台可以一路开挂往上爬,走上人生巅峰,没想到却没能逃出大佬的手掌心。
  • 聊斋大圣人

    聊斋大圣人

    良田万亩,奴仆数百,豪门大宅......李修远穿越成为了地主家的大少爷,毫无志气的他本打算做一回败家子,当一个纨绔弟子,调戏美俾,鲜衣怒马。直到有天他突然发现自己家在郭北县,县外有个兰若寺......
  • 简先生暖如初阳

    简先生暖如初阳

    “简先生,你需要一个女朋友吗?我需要一个像简先生这样的男朋友。”她依偎在他的身边,说得一本正经。为了成为万众瞩目的亮眼明星,她用所有的积蓄换得特殊门票,认准猎物目标下手。只是,这个男人怎么不照她的剧本走?他是神秘组织继承者,送上门的美女从不拒绝,原以为她也会跟别的女人一样,只是没有想到,事情竟然失控了……