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| The Sixth Rule of Tichonius.
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Chapter 36.—The Sixth Rule of
Tichonius.
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.”1924
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 food. 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 fact which had been already told, but which
in the strict order of events came after all this: “And the
Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden.”1925
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.”1926
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.”1927
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.”1928
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 that is in the field, let him likewise
not return back. Remember Lot’s wife.”1929
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.”1930
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.1931
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