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52. The sixth rule Tichonius calls the recapitulation, which,
with sufficient watchfulness, is discovered in difficult parts of
Scripture. For certain occurrences are so related, that the
narrative appears to be following the order of time, or the continuity
of events, when it really goes back without mentioning it to previous
occurrences, which had been passed over in their proper place. And we
make mistakes if we do not understand this, from applying the rule here
spoken of. For example, in the book of Genesis we read, "And the
Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the
man whom He had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to
grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food."
Now here it seems to be indicated that the events last mentioned took
place after God had formed man and put him in the garden; whereas the
fact is, that the two events having been briefly mentioned, viz.,
that God planted a garden, and there put the man whom He had formed,
the narrative goes back, by way of recapitulation, to tell what had
before been omitted, the way in which the garden was planted: that out
of the ground God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the
sight, and good for fond. Here there follows "The tree of life also
was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and
evil." Next the river is mentioned which watered the garden, and
which was parted into four heads, the sources of four streams; and all
this has reference to the arrangements of the garden. And when this is
finished, there is a repetition of the this: "And the Lord God
took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden." For it was
after all these other things were done that man was put in the garden,
as now appears from the order of the narrative itself: it was not after
man was put there that the other things were done, as the previous
statement might be thought to imply, did we not accurately mark and
understand the recapitulation by which the narrative reverts to what had
previously been passed over.
53. In the same book, again, when the generations of the sons of
Noah are recounted, it is said: "These are the sons of Ham, after
their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their
nations." And, again, when the sons of Shem are enumerated:
"These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations." And it is added in
reference to them all: "These are the families of the sons of Noah,
after their generations in their nations; and by these were the nations
divided in the earth after the flood. And the whole earth was of one
language and of one speech." Now the addition of this sentence,
"And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech," seems
to indicate that at the time when the nations were scattered over the
earth they had all one language in common; but this is evidently
inconsistent with the previous words, in their families, after their
tongues." For each family or nation could not be said to have its own
language if all had one language in common. And so it is by way of
recapitulation it is added, "And the whole earth was of one language
and of one speech," the narrative here going back, without indicating
the change, to tell how it was, that from having one language in
common, the nations were divided into a multitude of tongues. And,
accordingly, we are forthwith told of the building of the tower, and
of this punishment being there laid upon them as the judgment of God
upon their arrogance; and it was after this that they were scattered
over the earth according to their tongues.
54. This recapitulation is found in a still more obscure form; as,
for example, our Lord says in the gospel: "The same day that Lot
went out of Sodom it rained fire from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In
that day, he which shall be upon the house-top, and his stuff in the
house, let him not come down to take it away; and he back. Remember
Lot's wife." Is it when our Lord shall have been revealed that men
are to give heed to these sayings, and not to look behind them, that
is, not to long after the past life which they have renounced? Is not
the present rather the time to give heed to them, that when the Lord
shall have been revealed every man may receive his reward according to
the things he has given heed to or despised? And yet because
Scripture says, "In that day," the time of the revelation of the
Lord will be thought the time for giving heed to these sayings, unless
the reader be watchful and intelligent so as to understand the
recapitulation, in which he will be assisted by that other passage of
Scripture which even in the time of the apostles proclaimed: "Little
children, it is the last time." The very time then when the gospel
is preached, up to the time that the Lord shall be revealed, is the
day in which men ought to give heed to these sayings: for to the same
day, which shall be brought to a close by a day of judgment, belongs
that very revelation of the Lord here spoken of.
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