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第7章

theologico-political treatise p1(神学与政治专题研究1)-第7章


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Thus   a  storm   was   termed   the   chiding of   God;   thunder  and lightning   the 

arrows   of   God;   for   it   was   thought   that   God   kept   the   winds   confined   in 

caves; His treasuries; thus differing merely in name from the Greek wind… 

god   Eolus。   (73)   In   like   manner   miracles   were   called   works   of   God;   as 

being especially marvellous; though in reality; of course; all natural events 

are   the   works   of   God;   and   take   place   solely   by   His   power。   (74)   The 

Psalmist      calls  the   miracles     in  Egypt    the   works     of  God;    because     the 

Hebrews found in them a way of safety which they had not looked for; and 

therefore especially marvelled at。 

     (75) As;   then;   unusual   natural   phenomena   are   called   works   of   God; 

and trees of unusual size are called trees of God; we cannot wonder that 

very strong and tall men; though impious robbers and whoremongers; are 

in Genesis called sons of God。 

     (76) This reference of things wonderful to God was not peculiar to the 

Jews。 (77) Pharaoh; on hearing the interpretation of his dream; exclaimed 

that the mind of the gods was in Joseph。 (78) Nebuchadnezzar told Daniel 

that he possessed the mind of the holy gods; so also in Latin anything well 

made is often said to be wrought with Divine hands; which is equivalent to 

the Hebrew phrase; wrought with the hand of God。 

     (80) We can now very easily understand and explain those passages of 

Scripture      which    speak    of  the   Spirit   of  God。    (81)   In  some    places    the 

expression merely means a very strong; dry; and deadly wind; as in Isaiah 

xl:7;   〃The   grass   withereth;   the   flower   fadeth;   because   the   Spirit   of   the 

Lord bloweth upon it。〃 (82) Similarly in Gen。 i:2: 〃The Spirit of the Lord 

moved   over   the   face   of   the   waters。〃   (83)   At   other   times   it   is   used   as 

equivalent to a high courage; thus the spirit of Gideon and of Samson is 

called   the   Spirit   of   the   Lord;   as   being   very   bold;   and   prepared   for   any 

emergency。 (84) Any unusual virtue or power is called the Spirit or Virtue 

of the Lord; Ex。 xxxi:3: 〃I will fill him (Bezaleel) with the Spirit of the 

Lord;〃   i。e。;   as   the   Bible   itself   explains;   with   talent   above   man's   usual 

endowment。 (85) So Isa。 xi:2: 〃And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon 

him;〃 is explained afterwards in the text to mean the spirit of wisdom and 



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understanding; of counsel and might。 

     (86) The melancholy of Saul is called the melancholy of the Lord; or a 

very deep melancholy; the persons who applied the term showing that they 

understood by it nothing supernatural; in that they sent for a musician to 

assuage it by harp…playing。 (87) Again; the 〃Spirit of the Lord〃 is used as 

equivalent to the mind of man; for instance; Job xxvii:3: 〃And the Spirit of 

the    Lord   in  my    nostrils;〃   the  allusion    being   to  Gen。    ii:7:  〃And    God 

breathed      into   man's    nostrils   the   breath    of   life。〃  (88)   Ezekiel     also; 

prophesying to the dead; says (xxvii:14); 〃And I will give to you My Spirit; 

and ye shall live;〃 i。e。 I will restore you to life。 (89) In Job xxxiv:14; we 

read: 〃If He gather unto Himself His Spirit and breath;〃 in Gen。 vi:3: 〃My 

Spirit shall not always strive with man; for that he also is flesh;〃 i。e。 since 

man acts on the dictates of his body; and not the spirit which I gave him to 

discern the good; I will let him alone。 (90) So; too; Ps。 li:12: 〃Create in me 

a clean heart; 0 God; and renew a right spirit within me; cast me not away 

from Thy presence; and take not Thy  Holy Spirit from  me。〃 (91) It   was 

supposed that sin originated only from the body; and that good impulses 

come from the mind; therefore the Psalmist invokes the aid of God against 

the bodily appetites; but prays that the spirit which the Lord; the Holy One; 

had given him  might   be renewed。 (92) Again;  inasmuch as the Bible; in 

concession to popular ignorance; describes God as having a mind; a heart; 

emotions … nay; even a body and breath … the expression Spirit of the Lord 

is used for God's mind; disposition; emotion; strength; or breath。 (93) Thus; 

Isa。   xl:13:   〃Who   hath   disposed   the   Spirit   of   the   Lord?〃   i。e。   who;   save 

Himself;   hath   caused   the   mind   of   the   Lord   to   will   anything;?   and   Isa。 

lxiii:10: 〃But they rebelled; and vexed the Holy Spirit。〃 

     (94)   The   phrase   comes   to   be   used   of   the   law   of   Moses;   which   in   a 

sense expounds God's will; Is。 lxiii。 11; 〃Where is He that put His Holy 

Spirit   within   him?〃   meaning;   as   we   clearly  gather   from  the   context;   the 

law of Moses。 (95) Nehemiah; speaking of the giving of the law; says; i:20; 

〃Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them。〃 (96) This is referred to 

in   Deut。    iv:6;  〃This    is  your   wisdom      and   understanding;〃      and    in  Ps。 

cxliii:10; 〃Thy good Spirit will lead me into the land of uprightness。〃 (97) 

The Spirit of the Lord may mean the breath of the Lord; for breath; no less 



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than a mind; a heart; and a body are attributed to God in Scripture; as in Ps。 

xxxiii:6。 (98) Hence it gets to mean the power; strength; or faculty of God; 

as in Job xxxiii:4; 〃The Spirit of the Lord made me;〃 i。e。 the power; or; if 

you prefer; the decree of the Lord。 (99) So the Psalmist in poetic language 

declares; xxxiii:6; 〃By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and 

all the host of them by the breath of His mouth;〃 i。e。 by a mandate issued; 

as it were; in one breath。 (100) Also Ps。 cxxxix:7; 〃Wither shall I go from 

Thy Spirit; or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?〃 i。e。 whither shall I 

go so as to be beyond Thy power and Thy presence? 

     (101) Lastly; the Spirit of the Lord is used in Scripture to express the 

emotions of God; e。g。 His kindness and mercy; Micah ii:7; 〃Is the Spirit 

'i。e。   the  mercy'   of    the  Lord   straitened?     (102)   Are   these   cruelties    His 

doings?〃 (103) Zech。 iv:6; 〃Not by might or by power; but My Spirit 'i。e。 

mercy';  saith   the   Lord of   hosts。〃   (104) The   twelfth verse   of the   seventh 

chapter of the same prophet must; I think; be interpreted in like manner: 

〃Yea; they made their hearts as an adamant stone; lest they should hear the 

law; and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in His Spirit 'i。e。 in 

His   mercy'  by  the  former  prophets。〃   (105)  So   also   Haggai   ii:5:   〃So   My 

Spirit remaineth among you: fear not。〃 

     (106)   The   passage   in   Isaiah   xlviii:16;   〃And   now   the   Lord   and   His 

Spirit hath sent me;〃 may be taken to refer to God's mercy or His revealed 

law; for the prophet says; 〃From the beginning〃 (i。e。 from the time when I 

first   came   to   you;   to   preach   God's   anger   and   His   sentence   forth   against 

you) 〃I spoke not in secret; from the time that it was; there am I;〃 and now 

I   am   sent   by   the   mercy   of   God   as   a   joyful   messenger   to   preach   your 

restoration。 (107) Or we may understand him to mean by the revealed law 

that he had before come to warn them by the command of the law (Levit。 

xix:17)   in    the   same   manner   under   the   same   conditions   as   Moses   had 

warned them; that now; like Moses; he ends by preaching their restoration。 

(108) But the first explanation seems to me the best。 

     (109)   Returning;  then;   to   the   main   object   of   our   discussion;   we   find 

that the Scriptural phrases; 〃The Spirit of the Lord was upon a prophet;〃 


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