perfons, having fometimes a neceffity to fpeak of the things of nature, convey their ideas in the most inoffenfive language by this means. And indeed, the mere poverty of all languages makes it neceffary to ufe equivocal words upon many occafions, as the common writings of men, and even the holy book of God sufficiently manifeft.

2dly, Equivocal words are ufually diftinguished, according to their original, into fuch, whofe various fenfes arife from mere chance or accident, and fuch as are made equivocal by defign; as the word bear fignifies a fhaggy beaft, and it fignifies alfo to bear or carry a burden; this feems to be the mere effect of chance; but if I call my dog, bear, because he is fhaggy, or call one of the northern conftellations by that name, from a fancied fituation of the ftars in the fhape of that animal, then it is by defign that the word is made yet farther equi vocal.

But because I think this common account of the fpring or origin of equivocal words is too flight and imperfect, I thall referve this fubject to be treated of by itself, and proceed to the third divifion.

3dly, Ambiguous, or equivocal words, are fuch as. are fometimes taken in a large and general fense, and fometimes in a sense more ftrict and limited, and have different ideas affixed to them accordingly. Religion, or virtue, taken in a large sense, includes both our duty to God and our neighbour; but in a moft ftrict, limited, and proper fenfe, virtue fignifies our duty towards men, and religion our duty to God. Virtue may yet be taken in the ftricteft fenfe, and then it fignifies power or courage, which is the sense of it in fome places in the new Teftament. So grace, taken in a large fenfe means the favour of God, and all the fpiritual blellings that proceed from it, (which is a frequent fenfe of it in the bible) but in a limited fenfe it fignifies the habit of holiness wrought in us by divine favour, or a complex idea of the chriftian virtues. It may be alfo taken in the ftricteft fenfe; and thus it fignifies. any fingle chriftian virtue, as in 2 Cor. viii. 6, 7. where it is ufed for liberality. So a city, in a ftrict and pro

per fenfe, means the houses inclosed within the walls; in a larger fenfe it reaches to all the suburbs.

This larger and stricter sense of a word is used in almost all the sciences, as well as in theology, and in common life. The word geography, taken in a strict fenfe, fignifies the knowledge of the circles of the earthly globe, and the fituation of the various parts of the earth; when it is taken in a little larger fenfe, it includes the knowledge of the feas alfo ; and in the largeft fenfe of all, it extends to the various customs, habits and governments of nations. When an aftronomer ufes the word ftar in its proper and strict sense, it is applied only to the fixed stars, but in a large fenfe, it includes the planets also.

This equivocal fenfe of words belongs alfo to many proper names: fo Afia taken in the largest sense, is one quarter of the world; in a more limited fenfe it fignifies Natolia, or the leffer Afia; but in the stricteft fenfe it means no more than one little province of Natolia, where ftood the cities of Ephefus, Smyrna, Sardis, &c. And this is the most frequent fenfe of it in the New Teftament. Flanders and Holland, in a ftrict sense, are but two fingle provinces among the feventeen, but in a large fenfe Holland includes feven of them, and Flanders ten.

There are alfo fome very common and little words in all languages, that are used in a more extenfive or more limited fenfe; fuch as all, every, whatsoever, &c. When the apoftle fays, all men have finned, and all men must die, all is taken in its most universal and extenfive fenfe, including all mankind, Rom. v. 12. When he appoints prayer to be made for all men, it appears by the following verfes, that he reftrains the word all to fignify chiefly all ranks and degrees of men, I Tim. ii. 1. But when St Paul fays, I pleafe all men in all things, 1 Cor. x. 33. the word all is exceedingly limited, for it reaches no farther than that he pleafed all those men whom he conversed with, ia all things that were lawful.

4thly, Equivocal words are in the fourth place diftinguithed by their literal or figurative fenfe. Words are used in a proper or literal fense when they are de

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figned to fignify thofe ideas for which they were ori ginally made, or to which they are primarily and ge nerally annexed; but they are used in a figurative or tropical fenfe, when they are made to fignify fome things, which only bear either a reference or a refemblance to the primary ideas of them. So when two princes contend by their armies, we fay they are at war in a proper fense; but when we fay there is a war betwixt the winds and the waves in a ftorm, this is called figurative, and the peculiar figure is a metaphor. So when the fcriptures fay, riches make themselves. wings, and fly away as an eagle toward heaven, the wings and the flight of the eagle are proper expreffions; but when flight and wings are applied to riches, it is only by way of figure and metaphor. So when man is faid to repent, or laugh, or grieve, it is literally taken; but when God is faid to be grieved, to repent, or laugh, &c. thefe are all figurative expreffions, borrowed from a resemblance to mankind. And when: the words Job or Efther are used to fignify thofe very perfons, it is the literal fenfe of them; but when they fignify thofe two books of fcripture, this is a figura tive fenfe. The names of Horace, Juvenal, and Milton, are used in the fame manner, either for books or

men.

When a word, which originally fignifies any parti cular idea or object, is attributed to feveral other ob jects, not fo much by way of refemblance, but rather or the account of fome evident reference or relation to the original idea, this is fometimes peculiarly called. an analogical word; fo a found or healthy pulfe; a found digeftion; found fleep; are fo called, with reference to a found and healthy conftitution; but if you speak of found doctrine, or found fpeech, this is by way of refemblance to health, and the words are metaphorical: yet many times analogy and metaphor are used promifquoufly in the fame fenfe and not diftinguished.

Here note, that the defign of metaphorical language and figures of speech is not merely to reprefent our ideas, but reprefent them with vivacity, fpirit, affec tion, and power; and though they often make a deep

er impreffion on the mind of the hearer, yet they do as often lead him into a mistake, if they are used at improper times and places. Therefore, where the defign of the fpeaker or writer is merely to explain, to inftruct, and to lead into the knowledge of naked truth, he ought, for the most part, to use plain and proper words, if the language affords them, and not to deal much in figurative fpeech. But this fort of terms is ufed very profitably by poets and orators, whose business is to move, and perfuade, and work on the paffions as well as on the understanding. Figures are alfo happily employed in proverbial moral fayings by the wifeft and the beft of men, to imprefs them deeper on the memory by fenfible images; and they are often used for other valuable purposes in the facred writings.

5thly, I might adjoin another fort of equivocal words; as there are fome which have a different meaning in common language, from what they have in the fciences; the word paffion fignifies the receiving any action in a large philofophical fenfe; in a more limited philofophical fenfe, it fignifies any of the affections of human nature, as love, fear, joy, forrow, &c. But the common people confine it only to anger. So the word fimple philofophically fignifies fingle, but vulgarly it is used for foolish.

6thly, Other equivocal words are used sometimes in an abfolute fenfe, as when God is called perfect, which allows of no defect and fometimes in a comparative fenfe, as good men are oftentimes called perfect in fcripture, in comparison of those who are much inferior to them in knowledge or holiness; but I have dwelt rather too long upon this fubject already, therefore L -add no more.

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SECT. VIII.

The Origin or Caufes of equivocal Words.

OW, that we may become more fkilful in guarding ourfelves and others against the dangers of miftake which may arife from equivocal words, it may not be amifs to conclude this chapter with a fhort account of the various ways or means whereby a word changes its fignification, or acquires any new fenfe, and thus becomes equivocal, especially if it keeps its old fenfe alfo.

1. MERE chance fometimes gives the fame word different fenfes; as the word light fignifies a body that is not heavy; and it alfo fignifies the effect of fun-beams, or the medium whereby we fee objects: this is merely accidental, for there feems to be no connection between thefe two fenfes, nor any reason for them.

2. Error and mistake is another occafion of giving various fenfes to the fame word; as when different perfons read the names of priest, bishop, church, eafter, &c. in the New Teftament, they affix different ideas to them, for want of acquaintance with the true meaning of the facred writer; though it must be confeffed, thefe various fenfes, which might arife at firft from honeft mistake, may be culpably fupported and propagated by intereft, ambition, prejudice, and a party-fpirit on any fide.

3. Time and cuffom alters the meaning of words. Knave heretofore fignified a diligent fervant (Gnavus ;) and a villain was a nearer tenant to the lord of the manor (Villicus;) but now both thefe words carry an idea of wickednefs and reproach to them. A ballad once signified a folemn and facred fong, as well as one that is trivial, when Solomon's Song was called the ballad of ballads; but now it is applied to nothing but trifling verfe, or comical fubjects.

4. Words change their fenfe by figures and meta