world." 1 John iv. 2, 3.
dertaking,' John xviii. 37.
guished from " was born.
x. 45. Luke xvii. 20.
25. vii. 27, 28, 31, 41,
1 Tim.
i. 15.-Hence, particularly, his entering on his ministry.

2 John 7.- Executing his uncame into the world, diftinMat. xviii. 11. xx. 28. Márk xix. 10. John i. 9. 11. iii. 2. iv. 42. x. 10. Eph. ii. 17.

man came,

Mat. iii. 11. Mark i. 7. Luke

Also, Mat. xi. 19. "Son of

So, "came after John,'
iii. 16. John i. 15, 27, 30.
"" &c. John v. 43.
come in my Father's
name. Ch. ix. 39.
"For judgment am I come." Any
great, though invifible interpofition,' Rev. ii. 5. "come
and remove candlestick." v. 16. "come and fight." Ch.
iii. 3. "come quickly. "-Specially, the effufion of the Ho-
ly Spirit, John xiv. 18, 28. "come unto you. "And the
propagation of his religion,' Mat. xvi. 28. "coming in his
kingdom," for Mark ix. 1. " kingdom come with power."
The deftruction of Jerufalem,' Mat. xxvi. 64. "coming in
the clouds," &c. prophetic ftyle, for judgment. Vifible
appearance for general judgment, Mat. xvi. 27. " shall
come in glory," for it is added, "reward every man,~' &c.
this fenfe is frequent. It is fometimes difficult to determine
between thefe fenfes. Mat. x. 23. "till the Son of Man be
come."-Till his refurrection,' Munster. Lightf.; but the
phrase never has this fenfe. Till he followed them preach-
ing, Vatab. Till he come to deftroy Jerufalem,' Zeger.
Knatchb. Till giving of the Holy Ghoft,' Grot. Till
the gospel be received,' Macknight. It is doubtful in what
fenfe it fhould be taken in this place.

846. As the fame word is, fometimes, taken in a good, a bad, or indifferent meaning, it is by the fenfe and connexion that it must be determined, in which of these ways it should be understood, in a particular

text.

A&

:

Acts xvii. 22. Aucida povisigns, "too fuperftitious. " Eng. Erafm. & alii. But, "more religious;" this is a common fenfe of the word: the Athenians were fond of this character; it fuits the apoftle's defign, and gives occafion for his doctrine he shows great addrefs, commends where he can, yet foftly hints a rebuke. Gret. Benfon. Lardner.-Acts xxv. 19. “ of their own (davidaiyonas) fuperftition," Eng.Religion:" this fenfe fuits the connexion: the word is ufed by Jofephus in fpeaking of the Jewish religion; it is here ufed of Agrippa's religion, and Feftus was defirous of howing him refpect. Benfon.

66

847. The fame word may be used, either in its proper and literal, or in a figurative and tranflatitious fenfe; in moft cafes, it is not difficult to determine, particularly by the nature of the thing, or by the connexion, in which way it should be understood; but, in fome cafes, it is doubtful; and yet, the determination will confiderably affect the fenfe.

There are many texts which ascribe bodily parts to God; but, the nature of the thing, and other texts, how that the terms are ufed metaphorically.

Gen. iii. 1, &c. "Serpent," is generally understood literally ; others, however, think, that it fhould be taken wholly metaphorically. Chandler's Sermons. Gerard, vol. 1. ferm. 4, 5.

"Holy Ghoft," often fignifies the divine Spirit,' John xiv. 16, 26. xv. 26. xvi. 23. Mat. xxviii. 19. 2 Cor. xiii. 4.often, his operation, or the effect of it;' Acts ii. 4, 33. viii. 15-19. X. 44.-Acts xix. 1, 2. "We have not heard whether there be any Holy Ghoft, " any giving of miraculous powers, v. 6.

848. In the New Teftament, a word's being under ftood according to the ufage of Greek, or that of Hellenistical, writers, will confiderably affect the fenfe; and the determination may be attended with fome ambiguity; which, howeyer, may generally be removed, at least with fufficient probability. [161. 162. 164. 165.]

849. Many words have several distinct fignifications, not reducible to any of thefe heads, one of which they bear in fome texts, and another in others; and, which of them they bear in each, must be ascertained by the connexion, the conftruction, the ufage of Scripture, and fimilar paffages.

Παις

a

to

Пas primarily fignifies a child,' abfolutely. Mat. ii. 16. ανειλε τις παιδής, " the children. Luke ii. 43. παις, "the child Jefus. " Mat. xvii. 18. Luke viii. 51, 54. ix. 42. by extenfion beyond the age of childhood, a young perfon, Acts xx. 12. aid of Eutychus, for Mævias, v. 9.—or even, perhaps, persons of any age,' Mat. xxi. 15. T8s waidas, the difciples.-Relatively to a master, fervant. Mat. xiv. 2. Herod faid Tos aIV AUTY his fervants. " Luke vii. 7. παις με, Τέλος, ν. 2, 8, 10. Luke i. 54. of Ifrael, 8, 9. and Acts iv. 25. The word is alfo fupposed to fignify, relatively to parent, a fon. John iv. 51. ò mais ap (x, "thy fon liveth;" but is is found in many MSS.-It is ufed relatively, or with a genitive, five times concerning Christ. Mat. xii. 18. Ide o as μ8, "behold my fervant, " Eng. which is right; for it is a quotation from Isa. xlii. 1. Alts iii. 13. εδόξασε τον παίδα αυτό, "fon," Eng. Grot. The apoftle is fuppofed to allude to the teftimony at his baptifm: but, there feems no reafon for

my fervant, for Luke xii 45. xv. 26. So, probably,

where there is an allufion to Ifa. xli.

.עבר where the word is

the

the fuppofition; the allufion is rather to his refurrection and
giving miraculous powers, v. 15, 16.; it may, therefore, mean
"fervant. " ν. 26. ανατήσας τον παιδα αυτό, "his fon,"
Eng. but rather "fervant:" it alludes to Mofes, who is
often called "fervant,
never "fon. " Acts iv. 27. 8781
τον άγιον παιδα
For aysor waida os, "thy holy child; " Eng. called "Son, "
Pfal. ii. part of which is quoted, v. 25, 26.; but it is used
of David in the fenfe of " fervant, v. 25. and here, in the
fame sense, in allufion to him as a type of Christ.
δια τα ονόματος τε άγιο παιδος,
connexion, v. 27. it fhould be
Christ's dignity. Vall. Erafm.
derogatory to him; he is often fo called.

v. 30.

child," Eng. but from the "fervant. " "Son" fuits But, 1. "Servant" is not 2. This is the con

ftant fignification of the word in the New Teftament, when
ufed relatively. 3. In every other place, os is ufed of
Chrift as Son. These reasons preponderate.

Mat. vi. 27. xia "flature,"
cubit to his flature?" Eng.

"Which of you can add one cubit belongs to space. But x equally fignifies age; it is fo rendered John ix. 21, 23. Heb. xi. 1. Measures of space are often applied to time; ❝a span, or handbreadth, Pfal. xxxix. 5.; fo may πηχυς, cubit; and this fenfe fuits the connexion.

v. 25. forbids anxiety for life; to fpeak here of prolonging it, is, therefore, fuitable; but adding to one's ftature is not; and adult perfons could not think of it; a cubit would not be "leaft," Luke xii. 26. where it is preceded by the parable of the rich man. "Who can add length to his age?" or, "prolong his life one hour?"

Heylin. Theol. Lect. Campb. in loc.

850. Different fignifications of the fame word are fometimes very remote, and, in appearance, totally unconnected; but, the most remote are generally united, by means of the feveral intermediate fignifica

tions; and, by tracing thefe, a word may be properly interpreted in texts, where its primary fignification, or any of its most common fignifications, would be totally unfuitable.

Pfal. xlix. 4. bps" to a parable," " a dark faying;" neither, however, applicable to the subject. Parables were originally used for familiar illustration; afterwards, for concealing the meaning; and thus proceeded to enigma or riddle. The interpretation of fuch was reckoned great wif dom, Judg. xiv. 12, &c. Prov. i. 5, 6. Hence, wife fayings came to fignify any important inftruction. Such is here given, and called "wifdom, understanding," v. 3.

851. Similar words have sometimes totally different fignifications, which may very readily be, and often are, confounded; but, must be carefully distinguished, elfe the fenfe will be perverted, or obfcured.

SECT. IV.

The Usage of Nouns.

852. THE peculiar usage of nouns regards their feveral accidents, gender, cafe, number; or their varieties, as fubftantives or adjectives, abftract or concrete; and, the difficulties attending it arife from ir regularities in relation to any of these.

Macknight on Epiftles, Effay 4.