PRECIOUS. The Life of Saul was precious in the Eyes of David, when having 1 Sam. xxvi. 21.found him alone, and at a Distance from his Company, he did not think fit to lay his Hands upon him; that is to say, he look’d upon it with Reverence, and as a Thing of great Value, which it was not allow’d him to Psal. cxvi. 15. Psal. lxxii. 14. 1 Sam. iii. 1take away. Precious in the Sight of the Lord is the Death of his Saints, says the Psalmist: God has too great an Esteem for it, to give it up to the Wicked. And elsewhere; Precious shall their Blood be in his Sight. The Septuagint and Vulgate read, Honorabile nomen eorum coram illo. And Isai. xiii. 12.Isaiah; Pretiosior erit vir auro; The Enemy shall be more desirous of killing the Men, than of obtaining the Booty.
Precious is also us’d for rare, or scarce: Thus in the Days of Eli the High-Priest; The Word of the Lord was precious in those Days; and God did not frequently communicate himself, or there were but few Prophets. And Job, speaking of Men, says, Job xxviii. 10.Omne pretiosum vidit oculus ejus; There is nothing so rare or precious, but he desires to see, and to enjoy it. And Solomon; He that Prov. xviii. 17.moderates his Words, is wise and prudent; and he that opens not his Mouth, often has Understanding. Pretiosi spiritus, vir eruditus. The Hebrew has; Pretiosus spiritus, or qui rarò spiritum emittit est vir intelligentiæ.
Si separaveris pretiosum à vili, quasi os Jer. xv. 19.meum eris; If you know how to distinguish that which is precious or valuable, from that which is vile, you shall be as the Mouth of God. ‘Tis God that thus speaks to Jeremiah; If you know how to value the Gift of Prophecy as you ought, and that Function to which I appoint you, you shall be my Mouth, my Ambassador, the Interpreter of my Will and Pleasure.