Iron (II)

II. IRON. Moses forbids using any stones about the Altar of the Lord, which had been touched with iron; as if iron Deut. xxvii. 5. Deut. viii. 9.communicated some pollution to them. He says, that the stones of Palestine are of iron, cujus lapides ferrum sunt; that is to say, are of an hardness equal to iron, or that being melted, they form iron. The bondage of the Hebrews in Egypt, is in Deut. iv. 20. 1 Kings viii. 51. Deut. xxvii. 48. Prov. xxvii. 17. Ps. cv. 18. Lev. xxvi. 19. Josh. xvii. 16, 18. 1 Kings xxii. 11. & 2 Chr. xviii. 10. If. xlviii. 4. Ps. ii. 9. Rev. ii. 27, xii. 5. Jerem. i. 18.several places called Fornax ferrea, a furnace of iron, or rather a furnace or smith’s forge. An iron yoke, denotes a hard and insupportable yoke or dominion. Iron pierced the soul of Joseph, when he was unjustly put in prison. Iron sharpneth iron, says the wise man, So a man sharpneth the countenance of his friend. The presence of a man, of a friend, gives us more confidence and assurance. God threatens his ungrateful and perfidious people with making Heaven with respect to them iron, and the Earth brass, to make the earth barren, and the air to produce no rain. Chariots of iron, are chariots arm’d with iron, with spikes and scythes. See Chariots. The false Prophet Zedekiah made himself iron hornes, to persuade Ahab, that he would overcome Syria. To govern with an iron rod or scepter, signifies to govern with an absolute authority; and this is not spoken of an harsh or cruel reign, but of the reign of the Messiah. Thy neck is an iron sinew, thou art as hard and inflexible as iron. God said that he would make Jeremiah as stiff as a pillar of iron. Ego dedi te hodie in columnam ferream.

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