![]() Moses Barcepha endeavours to prove it a Fig-Tree, because the Offenders had its Leaves so ready at hand to cover their Nakedness, Gen. It imports not much to know, nor can it be de∣termined, what kind this Interdicted Tree was of, the Prohibition having no regard to, or influence on, its Fruit, more than that it was made the Trial of Man's entire Obedience to his Maker. The Forfeiture of this Innocent and Blissful Seat, by the Disobedience of our first Pa∣rents, and their deserved Expulsion out of this Paradise, is the sad Subject of this un∣parallell'd Poem. This day thou shalt be with me in Pa∣radise. abounding with all things, the choicest and most excellent the Earth ever bore, God seated our great Progenitors, in a Condi∣tion so superlatively happy, that our blessed Saviour was pleased by it to Typifie the high and happy State of Everlasting Life, Luk. In this Garden of God, as it is called Gen. Curtius gives this Testimony, Resudat toto ferè solo humor, qui ex utroque amne (Eu∣phrate & Tigri) manat per aquarum vends, & solo Babylonico foelicitatem affert maximam. Ambrose and others) is not only confirmed by the general Consent of the Greek and Latin Fathers nor Fantastical, according to the Jewish Cabbala: But a part of Asia, where Babylon was af∣terwards built, and known by the Name of Mesopotamia, as lying between the Euphrates and the Tygris both the Description of Moses, the Nature of the Soil, and the Compari∣son of many places of Scripture most evidently make out. That Paradise was not Allegorical or Figurative, (according to Origen, St. Est autem Paradisus, omnis locus amaenissimus, & voluptatis ple∣nissimus, quem etiam vivaria dici à Latinis, l. mentions Many, in which not only the choicest Trees and Fruits, the most sweet and beautiful Flowers, the most fragrant and lasting Greens, but Multitudes of living Creatures of the selectest sorts were enclosed whence Aul. Xenophon tells us of divers Paradises, (like Fortu∣nate Islands) encompassed by Euphrates and Phil. where it is styled a Paradise of Pomegranates expressive every where of a Place of the greatest Perfection, Pleasure, Plenty and Delight imaginable. This adopted Hebrew word is found but in three places in the Old Testament, Eccles. from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to water round about because it was a Place, according to the Description of Moses, watered by some of the most famous Ri∣vers of the World. PARADISE, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is a word of Persian Extraction, whence the Jews bor∣rowed it, and of them the Grecians: Though they who affect such Gingles, de∣rive 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |