THE ANALOGY OF DIVINE WISDOM, BETWEEN MEN, ANGELS and GOD. PART V. DUBLIN: Printed in the Year MDCCL. [89] THE ANALOGY OF Divine Wisdom, &c. LUKE vi. 38. Give and it fhall be given unto you; good measure, pref fed down, and fhaken together, and running over, fball men give into your bofom: For with the fame measure that you mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. HE particular occafion of thefe words is, the precept against rash judgment; upon which our Saviour commands us to be compaffionate and forgiving in our judging of others; for in proportion to that, we fhall receive mercy from GOD; meafure for meafure; that is, if we give to others good measure of Charity, preffed down, and fhaken together, and running over, GOD will give to us good measure of mercy, preffed down, and fhaken together, and running over. The words must certainly be understood fo: For with the fame measure that ye mete withal, it shall be mea fured to you again. Now Now though these words are, in the Bible, connected with a particular precept, yet they are a general rule of Analogy between the divine conduct towards man, and the conduct of men towards one another. For the terms, being metaphorical, and meaning, in their natural sense, the known practice of dealing men, in measuring corn, and other like commodities, are, in their analogical meaning, equally applicable to all human offices, of a moral nature, between man and man. In proportion to a man's difpofition to give to all men, their due of the good things of the world, GOD will be difpofed to give to him fpiritual goods: In proportion as a man is difpofed to give to others, more than their due of the good things of life (which includes under it both generofity and charity), GOD will be dif pofed to give to him, more than the ordinary proportion of fpiritual goods. Since there are many particular analogies, illuftrated in the New Testament, that can have but one application, it seems reasonable that this rule, being capable of a general fenfe, fhould have a general meaning. The parable of the unjuft judge, Luke xviii. of the Tares, Matth. xiii. of the king who took an account of his fervants, Matth. xviii. of the vineyard, and the husbandmen killing the fon, Matth. xxi. with fome more, are of the kind of particular analogies, and fhew the Divine conduct, in particular cafes, illuftrated by human conduct. But this text, though occafioned by a particular precept, implies a general Analogy, and means, or may be understood, without any fort of violence, either to the form of expreffion or context, to denote the rule of the Divine conduct, in all cafes, to free and accountable agents. We have other inftances in the fcripture, of particular precepts giving occafion to general rules, Matth. vii. 12. as when our Saviour fays, Therefore all things, whatsoever ye would, that men fhould do unto you you, do ye even fo to them. This univerfal rule of moral behaviour follows a particular precept, to afk importunately of GOD the things we want; encouragement to which is given from human conduct. For men do not perverfely give a stone to the hungry man who begs a loaf of bread, nor a ferpent to him who afks a fifh: The inference is therefore ftronger, that infinite goodness, and infinite wisdom, will not give evils to men that pray for goods. Then follows the general and noble rule of human conduct: Therefore all things, whatsoever ye would, that men should do to you, do ye even fo to them. Not that the connecting particle therefore is illative from the former in a logical fenfe; for a general conclufion cannot follow from particular premises; but it means an ending or determination of that kind of reasoning, to fave the trouble of mentioning many other inftances, all which are fupplied by that one general rule. Or if this rule be fuppofed to come at the conclufion of the whole Sermon on the mount, not as an inference from a particular precept, it ftill amounts to the fame; for it is a general rule, fubftituted in the place of many particular precepts, that might be given. And thus, in the fame chapter of St. Matth. 1, 2. after the precept, Judge not, that ye be not judged, comes the reafon : For with what judgment ye judge, ye fhall be judged. And what follows is not to be thought merely a repetition of the reason, but a general rule of behaviour, as properly connected to the precept and reafon given, as if it had [therefore] prefixed, as in the former inftance; for it has what is equivalent to it, the connecting particle and: And, that is, not only in the cafe of judging others, but as a general rule in all other cafes of human behaviour, with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. But it is ftill more to the purpose to obferve, that this rule is connected with another rule of a gene ral |