SeTises Historical, Allegorical, and Mural. 7 chance to find at hand any occasion of seasonable edification, Leand. he should, as it were, force the streams of discourse towards the adjacent valley, and, when he has poured forth enough upon its level of instruction, fall back into the channel of discourse which he had proposed to himself. III. But be it known that there are some parts, which we See note A at the go through in a historical exposition, some we trace out m ^^^ ^f allegory upon an investigation of the typical meaning, some ^^^ we open in the lessons of moral teaching alone, allegorically conveyed, while there are some few which, with more parti- cular care, we search out in all these ways together, exploring them in a threefold method. For first, we lay the historical foundations ; next, by pursuing the typical sense, we erect a fabric of the mind to be a strong hold of faith ; and moreover as the last step, by the grace of moral instruction, we, as it were, clothe the edifice with an overcast of colouring. Or at least how are the declarations of tnith to be accounted of, but as food'' for the refreshment of the mind? These being handled with the alternate application of various methods, we serve up the viands of discourse ' in such sort as to prevent all disgust in the reader, thus invited as our guest, who, upon consideration of the various things presented to him, is to take that which he determines to be the choicest Yet it sometimes happens that we neglect to inteqn-et the plain words of the historical account, that we may not be too long in coming to the hidden senses, and sometimes they cannot be understood according to'" the letter, because when taken superficially, they convey no sort of instruction to the reader, but only engender error ; for here, for instance, it is said, Under Whom they are bent who bear the world"". Now Job 9, . 13 in the case of one so great, who can be ignorant that he never so follows the vain fictions of the poets, as to fancy the Weight of the world to be sup])orted by the labour of the giants. Again, under the jM'essure of calamities he exclaims, 8o that )ny soul cliooaeth strawjlintj, and death rather than Job r, H/e. Now who that is in his right senses could believe that ' See S. Chrys. Horn. iv. on St. of speech used mrtaphorirally vide John, init. Tracts for the I imes, No. 89. On ' ' Ferculum oris.' A. reads ' ori," the Mysticism, &c. pp. 'ob. Sec. * viands for the palate.' " E. V. T/ic prouti hrlpcrs do sloop " The instances given are only forms under Him.