savour of any thing that is its own, and upon the earth, but the things which are God's and in the heavens.

But the word of men is the mere scum and froth of this silver: it imitates silver under a certain outside form and appearance, but it is vain; and not only so, but is vanity itself; for it is the mere scum and dregs from which the silver is purified. That is, the wicked pretend that they teach the words (eloquia) of God: whereas, they omit its pure, true, and genuine sense, and teach a certain froth, scum, and dregs of it: which, as it is impurity itself, so it can cleanse nothing, nor does it leave any thing proved by faith: as it is written Isaiah i. 22, "Thy silver is become dross; thy wine is mixed with

water."

For example sake. If you should so teach, 'Thou shalt not kill,' ' Thou shalt not steal,' and the like eloquia of God; as to say, that a man would not kill or commit adultery unless he should kill by the very act, or should not commit adultery unless he fell into the very act; you would thereby teach an impure, vain, and vague scum, instead of the real, sure, and tried silver of the Word: for such an one may commit adultery and murder in the will and in spirit, and may not grieve at them when committed by others, but may let them pass by unrebuked, and may even laugh at them, or perhaps, sing of them. Such is the manner, (mos) or rather, such is the death (mors) of men, whereby they are all men

of blood.

:

On the other hand, if you teach, that he who prays, or fasts, or does any good word, (according to the substance of the act; as we are wont to speak,) is a true worshipper of God, or a true keeper of the sabbath,here again with a deceitful lip you teach scum and dross, for silver; because, the person may either do all these things with an unwilling heart, or with a view to his own advantage: that is, he may do them without the spirit: and thus, he has not truly done them, but is found to be a deceitful man. Hence, this is also the manner (mos) or rather the death (mors) of men; whereby they are rendered deceitful men; for they not only do not reprove these things, but boast of them as virtues, sing of them, and glory in them. And by these things the saint has now ceased, and truth is perished in men. For the law is spiritual: and it is not taught by these vain and deceitful lips, but is rather extinguished. And we say the same of all the other eloquia or words of God throughout the whole scripture.

And it is with a particular design that David made this verse to follow the other that precedes, where he had said, "And he speaks to him:" for he thereby would shew, who it is that speaks, and what it is that is spoken :-namely, that it is God speaking, and speaking his pure words (eloquia.)-And, that we may come to grammatical niceties, it is not "pure" that we find in the Hebrew, but "clean;" though "pure" is often metaphorically used for "clean." Nor is the Psalmist to be considered as speaking of mere grammatical cleanness; though even this is not wanting to the divine words (eloquia;) no, nor of sensual or mortal cleanness; for this may be applied to things impure and shameful. But this cleanness is to be received as signifying that theological and effectual cleanness which alone makes the man like unto itself, and purifies him from all his own impure affections: with which impure affections, none more foully pollute a man than those human and deceitful teachers, who teach their own righteousness, and increase all unclean affections, and moreover, inflame men and cause them to be puffed up with, and glory in their own filth, and never to be cleansed from it. For the heart, no man is ever cleansed in any other way than by the Word received by faith. According to Acts xv. purifying your hearts by faith." And Psalm xix. "Thelaw of the Lord is an undefiled law, converting the soul." And again, Psalm li. "Sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be clean."

66

"Tried with fire." Our translator has added "fire:" in the Hebrew it is only sublimated silver, or melted or proved silver: but because this is done by fire, our translator has added fire for the sake of giving it clearness.

This "proved of the earth," all consider to be a Greek expression, who say 'proved or clear of earth, or from earth,' as we say 'clear of blood.' And Hieronymus translates it ' separate from earth.'

And this "earth," they understand figuratively, in many different ways. But here I am quite blind. It is certain that "earth" (terra) is in the Hebrew, in the dative case: which might be translated to earth,' (ad terram) rather than 'from earth,' (a terrá.) And Reuchlin says, that ÆLIL, which our translators render "proved" or "tried," is the name of a vessel in which metals are melted. And to this there is added the preposition in : as if one should render the passage thus, 'Silver melted in a vessel of earth;' or, 'to earth;' which has reference both to the earth itself, and to the use of the earth: that is, that use which those may make of the earth who live in the earth; that is, men. If therefore we receive these things as true, we may here suppose that the prophet borrowed an allegory from the custom and practice of silver refiners (which is in frequent use with all the prophets) and applied it mystically to the words of God. For silver is of no use whatever in the earth, unless it be melted and proved, that you may separate the silver from the lamina, or strata or vein. And it cannot be melted in this way but by fire, nor by fire without a vessel.

But now let us open up the allegory herein contained. The words of God in the bare letter, and in the understanding of the flesh, when either written or spoken without the experience of the cross, is silver in the vein only. As Job has the allusion, chap. xxviii. 1, where he saith, "Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they find it." And David also prefigured the same, when he prepared all the materials and expenses for Solomon to build the temple. But this treasure while hidden is of no utility to earthly man. As Ecclesiasticus xx. 30 saith, "Wisdom that is hid and treasure that is hoarded up, what profit is in them both?" that is, until they be brought forth and proved by the oppositions and fightings against them by the wicked, by heretics, and by devils.

And believers are this earthen vessel for melting, in which this treasure is carried and proved: for it produces a powerful contest in the person that carries it, that he might conquer, and might know that wisdom is stronger than all things, Wisdom xvi. And thus the Word of God being proved by the fire and found faithful, profits many men by the preaching of those who are proved. And upon this the Apostle touches, 1 Cor. xi. 19, where he says, "For there must also be heresies among you, (that is fires and melters,) that they which are approved (that is, vessels in which the silver of the words of God is exercised,) may be made manifest," being become the salt of the earth and the light of the world: that is, they shine unto those men of the earth who are called to the glory of God; and thus helped and enriched by the use of the same silver. This is certainly the meaning of the Hebrew, where it says ' of the earth,' or, 'to the matter of the earth.'

And because the ungodly hate this melting or proving of the words of God in themselves, and do not endure the offence of the cross, they seek to please men, having become vain talkers, deceitful, deceivers, and unstable. As the Apostle disputes in his Epistle to the Galatians, and as this Psalm saith. The words (eloquia) of God therefore, are neither understood nor profitable, but in those who are mortified and exercised in tribulation: that is, unless we be powerfully opposed, and tried, and tempted for the Word's sake: for it is not so much we that suffer, as the Word in us.

And to this sense and meaning our translation may be brought, omitting all other glosses. In this way, "proved of the earth;" that is, found by the men on the earth to be faithful, delightful, and well pleasing; that is, unto those who have known its faithfulness, its power, and its purity by experience, and who trust in it, (having lost all their filthy confidence in all other things which those ungodly teachers hold forth,) and are purified by the all-pure faith of the all-pure Word. And thus earth (terra) remains most properly in the dative case, as it is both in the Greek and in the Hebrew.

"Purified seven times." Here some understand the expression very deeply, as referring to the seven-fold gifts of the Spirit; and more deeply than my humble thoughts and understanding of the literal meaning will bear. I should understand seven-fold as signifying simply most perfectly:' for seven is the number of universality. Nor am I fully assured, that such an acceptation of this number would fully touch upon this purification of the silver, which is not purified to the full and to perfection in the melting vessel, but in the ashes of bones, by the application of lead. And how does the wisdom of God work thus wonderfully throughout the world that the lead should be the means of purifying the silver? Why thus, the words of hypocrites, as they are the lead of the silver, so they are very much like the divine words: but yet, in the fire of persecution, they so exercise themselves and are exercised also, that as lead vanishes and disappears while the silver is purified; so, in the end of the world, true wisdom shall shine forth in all its splendour, and the foolishness of the wicked shall become nought, (as the Apostle saith in his Epistle to Timothy.) Thus does the all-specious doctrine of the ungodly work for the glory of the true doctrine, and to its own shame and ignominy, while it resists true godliness. And therefore, it would not be at all improper to apply the former purifying of the earthen vessel to tyrannical persecutors, and the latter of lead to heretics and false brethren; who, as lead is mixed with the silver in the same ashes and vessel, are mingled with us within the same church, and are exercised in the footsteps of the fathers that are dead, and of the martyrs; but, without the church, they act like tyrants, and like the bellows do that blow up the fire under the refining pot.

Hence we see how the prophet takes all away from works and gives it to faith, while he asserts, that the words of God are clean. And he at the same time most sharply reproves those who seek and desire to be cleansed by works. For of what avail is it to do many works, if after all you are not cleansed? There is no