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the example of which (for Pythagoras SUP. was a Syrian) he bids us θνησιμαίων απέχεθαι, to abstain from all fuch as die of themselves. He orders, not to flop upon a journey to cut wood; that is, not to turn afide. after things impertinent to the end and purpose of our life. Alfo, never to make any libation to the Gods from a vine which has not been pruned: meaning, that no offering would be acceptable but from the fruits of a fevere and well-ordered life. He pronounced it a base action to wipe away fweat with a fword; that is, to take away by force and violence what another hath earned by his labour. The literal fense of which symbol will not be underftood, but by thofe who know, that the ancients used a flat inftrument like the blade of a knife, with the edge of which they wiped away fweat from the fkin, and cleared it of the water, &c. after the use of the bath. It was another of his sayings, that it is a foolish action to read a poem to a beaft, to communicate what is excellent to a ftupid ignorant perfon: which is the same for sense with that figurative prohi

SUP. bition in the gospel, not to give a boly thing to a dog, nor to caft pearls before fwine. To these fymbols of Pythagoras the hieroglyphic philofophy of Egypt was nearly related, which Pierius hath taken great pains to interpret; and also the fables of Æsop, which teach prudence and widom, and shew the colours of vice and virtue, from the instincts of animals.

Sacraments and ceremonies in religion are fignificant actions which all nations and all ages have obferved in their worship; and the church still retains them: though these latter times (and this unhappy country in particular) have produced a spurious race of Chriftians, who have thrown off sacraments and ceremonies all together; as if they had confulted with fome evil spirit of a beggarly taste. Priefts and fingers in our church wear a white linen garment as a fign of purity, and to give them a nearer alliance to the company of heaven. Chanting by refponfes, which is of the first ages, was intended to imitate the choir of angels, which cry one to another with alternate adoration. The primitive Christians turn

ed

ed towards the east, in their worship, to
fignify their respect to the true light of
the world. They fet up candles in their
churches as a fign of their illumination by
the gospel and evergreens are still placed
there at Christmas, to remind us that a
new and perpetual fpring of immortality
is restored to us, even in the middle of
winter, by the coming of Jefus Chrift.
The Cross, as a fign of the Christian pro-
feffion, hath been in use from the first
of the gospel.

ages

This affection to fymbols in religious worship may be carried too far, and degenerate into theatrical scenery or even into idolatry, (for idols are no other than fymbols:) but to caft them all off, and ftrip religious worship naked, is an act of fanatical ignorance, which understands neither the fense of ceremonies, nor the nature of man; whose mind in its present state must either raise itself by the help of sensible objects and bodily geftures, or be in danger of finking into fullenness and ftupidity.

Thus

SUP.

SUP.

Thus have the ufe of fymbols extended to all times, and wifdom hath been communicated in this form by the teachers of every science and profeffion. We might wonder if it were not fo; when God, from the beginning of the world, taught man after this form; setting life and death before him under the fymbols of two trees; and it is both an ingenious and a fublime fentiment in a certain author, that the whole scenery of paradise was disposed into an hieroglyphical school for the infstruction of the first man; and that the fame plan, fo far as it could be, was afterwards tranfferred to the tabernacle and temple.

END OF THE LECTURES

On the Figurative Language of the
Holy Scriptures.

FOUR LECTURES

ON THE

EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL

то THE

HEBREW S;

SHEWING, THE HARMONY BETWEEN THE

MYSTERIES, DOCTRINES, AND MORALITY

O F THE

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT.

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