material from the ,google ,print project47 ,,the ,,messiah ,,in ,,moses ,,and ,,the ,,prophets4 ,,by ,,eleazar ,,lord4 ,,new-,,york3 ,,charles ,,scribner1 #ade ,,nassau ,,street4 #ahec4 ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahec1 by ,,eleazar ,,lord1 ,in the ,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court of the ,united ,states for the ,southern ,district of ,new-,york4 ,,to ,,the ,,descendants ,,of ,,israel4 ,from the earliest periods a belief has prevailed among ,jews and ,gentiles1 that in one mode or another the ,supreme ,being has appeared visibly on earth4 ,in the ,eastern ,world1 ,divine incarnations are taught in the ,brahminical and other systems4 ,for the origin of such a belief we must undoubtedly recur to the ,divine appearances recorded in ,moses and the prophets4 ,such visible appearances and the doctrine of the incarnation are taught in the ,hebrew as well as in the ,christian ,scriptures4 ,it is the object of the ensuing pages to show that ,he who truly became incarnate1 and is announced as ,jesus1 the ,christ1 and also as ,jehovah1 ,immanuel1 ,god with us1 is the same who in the ,hebrew oracles is often called ,jehovah and ,elohim1 and designated also by official titles1 as the ,messiah1 the ,messenger1 ,adonai1 the ,elohe of ,abraham2 and that1 under various designations1 he appeared visibly in a form like that of man to the ,patriarchs1 and to ,moses1 and others4 ,in ,him1 in accordance with their ,scriptures1 the descendants of ,israel will at length discern the ,true ,messiah1 who took man's nature1 and in his stead1 and as his substitute1 was slain a sacrifice for sin1 the ,just for the unjust2 who rose from the dead1 and ascended on high in his glorified body2 and who will come again1 visibly1 to sit and rule as ,king on the throne of ,david2 to destroy the great ,adversary and his works2 to vindicate his earlier administration2 to accomplish the ancient predictions concerning the ,,seed of ,abraham1 the land promised as an everlasting inheritance1 and his own sacerdotal1 prophetic1 and regal offices2 and to receive due homage of the universe as ,creator1 ,ruler1 and ,redeemer4 ,of him as ,jehovah and as the ,messenger1 it is affirmed that he led the children of ,israel out of ,egypt4 7,see ,exodus ii4 and ,judges i47 ,and1 after the lapse of nine hundred years1 ,he himself proclaimed to their dispersed and afflicted descendants3 ,behold the days come1 saith ,jehovah1 that it shall no more be said1 ,jehovah liveth that brought up the children of ,israel out of the land of ,egypt2 but1 ,jehovah liveth that brought up the children of ,israel from the land of the north1 and from all the lands whither he had driven them3 and ,i will bring them again into their land that ,i gave unto their fathers4 ,for mine eyes are upon all their ways3 they are not hid from my face3--and they shall know that my name is ,jehovah4 ,jer4 xvi4 #ad1 #ae1 #ag1 #ba4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,reasons for examining the ,hebrew ,records of the ,messiah4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,the ,messiah announced by ,malachi1 as ,adonai1 even ,melach1 the ,messenger of the ,covenant--,his appearance to ,jacob at ,bethel2 and to ,isaiah1 ,abraham1 ,moses1 ,gideon1 and others1 under various designations1 as ,adonai1 ,melach1 a ,man1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 the ,holy ,one1 ,el-,shadai1 c4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,reasons for rendering the formula ,melach ,jehovah1 the ,messenger 7who is7 ,jehovah2 and not the ,angel1 or an ,angel of the ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,visible ,appearance of the ,messenger ,jehovah to ,hagar4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,no visible ,divine ,appearances ever made except of the ,messiah1 the ,mediator in all the ,relations of ,god to the ,world4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,appearances of the ,messenger ,jehovah to ,abraham and to ,jacob4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,references to various ,appearances of ,jehovah and ,elohim to the ,patriarchs4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,of the ,doctrines1 ,worship1 and ,faith of those earliest mentioned in ,scripture--,reference to the ,history of ,moses1 ,noah1 ,joshua4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,narrative concerning ,job4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,further notice of ,divine ,manifestations to ,abraham and ,jacob--,mysteriousness attending the ,divine ,appearance--,the visible ,form always like that of ,man4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,of the official ,person and ,relations of the ,messiah4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,local and visible ,manifestations1 ,intercourse and ,instructions1 as characterizing the primeval and ,mosaic ,dispensations--,local ,presence of the ,messenger ,jehovah in the ,tabernacle4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,of the ,chaldee ,paraphrasts--,their method of designating the ,personal ,,word or ,revealer--,occasion and ,necessity of it4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,citations from the ,chaldee ,paraphrases4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,reasons of the ,failure of the modern ,versions of the ,scriptures to exhibit clearly the ,hebrew designations of the ,messiah--,the ,masoretic ,punctuation--,reference to the term ,melach and the formula ,melach ,jehovah4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,continuation of the subject of the preceding ,chapter--,combined influence of ,rabbinical and figurative ,interpretations--,german method of ,hebrew study--,preposterous notion of the inadequacy of ,language as a ,vehicle of ,thought4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,relation of the ,antagonism between the ,messiah and the great ,adversary to the local1 personal1 and visible ,manifestations of the former--,modes of ,visibility on the part of the latter1 through human agents and various instrumentalities4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,illustration of the subject of the last ,chapter1 exhibiting the ,antagonism as carried on by visible agencies1 instrumentalities1 and events1 in the plagues of ,egypt and at the ,red ,sea4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,further ,illustration of the ,antagonism--,idolatry a ,counterfeit ,rival ,system in opposition to the ,messiah and the ,true ,worship--,its ,origin and ,nature--,satan the ,god of it--,the ,tower of ,babel devoted to his ,worship--,that ,worship extended thence over the ,earth at the ,dispersion4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,the system of ,idolatry founded on a perversion of the ,doctrine of ,mediation--,references to the ,worshippers of ,baal1 ,israelite and ,pagan4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,idolatry an imposing and delusive ,counterfeit of the ,revealed ,system1 in respect to the leading features of its ,ritual1 and the prerogatives ascribed to the ,arch-deceiver--,reference to the ,symbols of the ,apocalypse4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,on the question1 ,how it has happened1 since the origin of the ,nicene ,creed1 that the ,old ,testament has been understood to ascribe the ,creation1 not to the ,christ1 but to the ,father8 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,continuation of the subject of the foregoing ,chapter--,reference to the ,heresies1 respecting the ,creator1 of the three first and ensuing centuries4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,subject of the last ,chapter continued--,results of the earliest and most prevalent ,heresies4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,the great ,antagonism--in what manner will it terminate8 ,,notes4 ,a--,relating to the ,exposition of the ,apocalypse1 by ,d4 ,n4 ,lord4 ,b--,the primary ground of ,mediation1 c4 ,,the ,,messiah ,,in ,,moses ,,and ,,the ,,prophets4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,reasons for examining the ,hebrew ,records of the ,messiah4 ,it is said of the ,messiah1 in a discourse with two of his disciples1 that ,beginning at ,moses1 and all the prophets1 he expounded unto them in all the ,scriptures1 the things concerning himself4 ,and subsequently3 ,these are the words which ,i spake unto you while ,i was yet with you1 that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of ,moses1 and in the prophets1 and in the ,psalms1 concerning me4 ,then opened he their understandings1 that they might understand the ,scriptures4 ,on another occasion he said3 ,search the ,scriptures2 for in them ye think ye have eternal life3 and they are they which testify of me4 ,and again3 ,had ye believed ,moses1 ye would have believed me2 for he wrote of me4 ,but if ye believe not his writings1 how shall ye believe my words8 ,at his advent he was1 pursuant to a prediction of ,isaiah1 called ,immanu-,el1 ,god with us4 ,in conformity with another prediction1 it was the office of his fore-runner to prepare the way of ,jehovah--the ,lord4 ,and an angel announced to the shepherds3 ,unto you is born a ,saviour1 which is ,christ the ,lord1 7,jehovah47 ,philip saith to ,nathaniel1 ,we have found him of whom ,moses in the law1 and the prophets1 did write1 ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,we should naturally infer from these passages that the delegated official ,person1 ,jesus1 the ,christ1 was the theme of the ,old ,testament ,scriptures2 that his official agency and relations were there continuously and amply treated of2 that his complex character1 his divine prerogatives1 his prophetical1 sacerdotal and regal offices1 his works as ,creator1 ,lawgiver1 and ,ruler1 and his relations as ,covenanter and ,redeemer1 were there conspicuously set forth1 and were the recognized and acknowledged objects of the faith and trust of patriarchs1 prophets1 and all true worshippers4 ,and such undoubtedly was the case4 ,he was the ,jehovah of the ,old ,testament2 the ,elohe of the patriarchs and of ,israel2 the ,angel or ,messenger ,jehovah1 the ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 the ,adonai1 the ,messiah of the ancient dispensations4 ,under these and other designations ,moses1 the psalmists1 and the prophets wrote of him2 saw1 acknowledged1 and believed in him2 worshipped and praised him in the tabernacle and temple2 recognized and obeyed him as their ,lawgiver1 and trusted in him as their ,saviour4 ,their faith rested on him as the present object of their homage and trust1 asserting his prerogatives1 dispensing his benefits1 and in all his relations exerting his official agency4 ,they regarded him not merely as he was typified1 but as he then manifested himself and executed his offices4 ,in some respects his future manifestations1 and especially his sufferings and death for the expiation of sin1 were vividly prefigured by typical rites1 and were objects of their faith2 but in other respects1 as their ,mediator1 ,prophet1 ,lawgiver1 ,priest1 and ,king1 he was the present object of their homage1 faith1 love1 and obedience4 ,the faith of ,abel1 ,enoch1 ,noah1 ,abraham1 and their successors1 embraced his person and his official prerogatives and works1 and was therefore effectual unto justification1 precisely as that of believers under the present dispensation1 who are therefore described as walking in the steps of that faith of ,abraham which was counted for righteousness4 ,the faith which was instrumental in his justification was the exemplar alike of that of all believers under the ancient1 and of those under the present dispensation4 ,to him the patriarchs erected altars and offered sacrifices and prayers1 and from him received gifts and promises4 ,to him the ministerial offices and typical services of the ,levitical priesthood had immediate reference4 ,in the tabernacle and temple1 as ,prophet1 ,priest1 and ,king1 he instructed them1 prescribed their worship and obedience2 and as their present ,lawgiver and ,ruler1 exercised over them his providential and moral government4 ,all this is implied1 indeed1 in the facts that the ,church of that and the present day is the same2 that the method of salvation through faith in him was the same then as now2 and that he was the ,saviour and ,mediator alike them and at present3 and otherwise it is not perceived how an intelligible or satisfactory answer can be given to the questions1 ,how did he exercise the office of ,mediator under the ancient economy8 ,what agency did he exercise towards his people8 ,how did he exemplify his offices of ,prophet1 ,priest1 and ,king8 ,a reference to the designations by which he was recognized1 and the acts ascribed to him in connection with those designations1 will supply the appropriate answer4 ,if it was ,he who appeared in a form like that of man to ,abraham1 in the plains of ,mamre1 walked and conversed with him as a man1 and heard the prayers addressed directly to him on behalf of the righteous dwelling in ,sodom2 and who1 under various designations1 appeared in the same form to ,jacob1 to ,moses1 to ,balaam1 to ,joshua1 to ,gideon1 to ,manoah1 to ,david1 and others2 then may we safely conclude that1 under the like designations1 he was familiarly known and worshipped throughout the patriarchal and ,levitical dispensations4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,the ,messiah announced by ,malachi1 as ,adonai1 even ,melach1 the ,messenger of the ,covenant--,his ,appearance to ,jacob at ,bethel2 and to ,isaiah1 ,abraham1 ,moses1 ,gideon1 and others1 under various designations1 as ,adonai1 ,melach1 a ,man1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 the ,holy ,one1 ,el-,shaddai1 c4 ,it will be seen that the designations referred to include all those which are applied to the ,divine ,being3 and that in numerous instances they are applied interchangeably in the same passages and connections1 in such manner as clearly to show that they identify the same ,person4 ,thus the words ,el1 ,elohe1 ,elohim1 translated ,god2 and ,jah1 ,jehovah1 ,adon1 and ,adonai1 translated ,lord1 are1 separately1 and also in conjunction with ,melach1 ,angel or ,messenger1 and with other names of office1 employed to designate and identify that delegated ,person who is both ,lord 7,jehovah7 and ,christ4 ,in demonstration of this1 we may first refer to some passages in which the appellative ,melach1 the primary signification of which is ,messenger1 occurs1 as a designation of him who was sent of the ,father2 as ,malachi iii4 #a3 ,behold1 ,i send my messenger1 ,john the ,baptist1 and he shall prepare the way before me2 and the ,adon whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple1 even ,melach1 the ,messenger1 of the ,covenant1 whom ye delight in3 behold1 he shall come1 saith ,jehovah ,zebaoth4 ,and ,isaiah xl4 #c1 #e3 ,the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness1 ,prepare ye the way of ,jehovah1 make straight in the desert a highway for our ,elohe4444 ,and the glory of ,jehovah shall be revealed1 and all flesh shall see it together1 for the mouth of ,jehovah hath spoken it4 ,these prophecies are quoted by the ,evangelists as identifying ,jesus the ,christ4 ,see ,matthew iii4 #a-f2 xi4 #aj2 ,mark i4 #b-d2 ,luke iii4 #c-f2 ,john i4 #f-h4 ,they point to ,john as he who was spoken of by these prophets1 and as proclaiming in the wilderness1 ,prepare ye the way of ,jehovah4 ,he whose way was prepared was therefore the ,messenger of the ,covenant1 the ,adon1 the ,elohim1 and the ,jehovah--the delegated official ,person to whom these several designations are applied in the predictions4 ,that official ,person was the ,revealer1 as well as the subject of the ancient revelations2 and1 as will hereafter be more particularly noticed1 manifested himself in different aspects and relations of his official work1 and in those diverse relations often spoke predictively 7as at the close of each of the above passages7 and otherwise1 to and of himself4 ,the same conclusions result from a passage in the narrative of ,jacob's journey from ,padan-aram to ,shechem1 ,gen4 xxxii41 taken in connection with the reference to it by the prophet ,hosea3 ,and ,jacob was left alone2 and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day4444 ,and he said1 ,thy name shall be called no more ,jacob1 but ,israel3 for as a prince hast thou power with ,elohim and with men1 and hast prevailed4444 ,and he blessed him there4 ,and ,jacob called the name of the place ,peniel3 for ,i have seen ,elohim face to face4 ,hosea1 referring to ,jacob1 chap4 xii41 says3 ,he had power with ,elohim2 yea1 he had power over the angel1 ,melach1 the ,messenger1 and prevailed2 he wept and made supplication unto him3 he found him in ,beth-,el1 and there he spake with us2 even ,jehovah ,elohe ,zebaoth--,jehovah is his memorial4 ,here the ,god-man1 the only ,divine ,person who1 under the ancient or present dispensation1 has ever manifested himself visibly in the likeness of man1 is seen face to face by ,jacob1 and is denominated ,elohim1 the ,messenger1 the ,jehovah ,elohe ,zebaoth1 whose peculiar designation is ,jehovah4 ,accordingly1 ,hosea says of ,melach1 the ,messenger1 that ,jacob made supplication unto him3 he found him in ,beth-,el1 indicating that it was in the place which he named ,beth-,el that he first recognized the official acting administrator of providence and grace1 the ,god-man1 in the relations in which he then appeared to him4 ,the passage specially referred to by the prophet in relation to ,beth-,el is in ,gen4 xxviii41 where ,jacob's flight to ,padan-aram1 to avoid the wrath of ,esau1 is narrated4 ,on his way he slept in the open field1 and beheld in a dream a ladder extending from earth to heaven4 ,and behold6 ,jehovah stood above it1 and said1 ,i am ,jehovah ,elohe of ,abraham1 and ,elohe of ,isaac1 c4 ,and ,jacob awoke and said1 ,surely ,jehovah is in this place3 444 this is the house of ,elohim4 ,the ,messenger therefore to whom ,jacob made supplication1 and whom he first saw at ,beth-,el1 was ,jehovah the ,elohe of ,abraham and ,isaac1 even ,jehovah ,elohe ,zebaoth4 ,to show by another instance that ,he who in the ancient oracles is called ,adon1 ,adonai1 and ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 is in the ,new ,testament referred to as the ,christ1 ,isaiah vi4 may be cited4 ,i saw1 says the prophet1 the ,adonai sitting upon a throne4 ,then said ,i1 ,woe is me6444 for mine eyes have seen the ,king1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth4 ,the apostle ,john1 chap4 xii41 ascribes what was announced at this scene to ,christ1 and adds3 ,these things said ,esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him4 ,with respect to the point now particularly in view1 the ,scriptures quoted above render it certain that the ,divine ,person who by ,malachi is called the ,messenger of the ,covenant1 and the ,adonai1 and by ,hosea1 the ,messenger1 ,elohim1 and ,jehovah1 is identical with ,jesus the ,christ4 ,sometimes the same ,divine appearance which at one time is called ,melach ,jehovah1 is afterwards called simply ,jehovah1 as in ,gen4 xvi4 #g2 ,col4 v4 #ac2 ,exod4 iii4 #b2 ,col4 iv41 c41 c4 ,this is to be so understood that the ,angel of ,god is here nothing else than the invisible ,deity itself1 which thus unveils itself to mortal eyes4 ,and after referring to ,michalis and ,tholuck1 ,hence ,oriental translators1 as ,saadias1 ,abusaides1 and the ,chaldeo-,samaritan1 wherever ,jehovah himself is said to appear on earth1 always put for the name of ,god1 the ,angel of ,god4 ,gesenius1 ,lex41 ,art4 ,melach4 ,illustrations might be adduced from the ,new ,testament to show that the apostles understood the ,messiah and the ,messenger ,jehovah to be the same ,person4 ,thus1 ,galatians iv4 #ad3 ,ye received me as an angel of ,god1 even as ,christ ,jesus2 where the rendering1 in our own and other versions1 an angel1 corresponds with the erroneous usage so common in the ,old ,testament4 ,the meaning is3 ,ye received me with respect and confidence1 as ye would have received the ,melach1 the ,messenger ,jehovah1 even ,jesus the ,messiah4 ,for undoubtedly1 had a created angel been referred to1 a comparison would not have been made placing the ,messiah on a level with him4 ,the instances in the ,new ,testament in which the ,angel ,jehovah is referred to1 though unhappily not discriminated in our translation1 are from the context easily distinguishable4 ,see ,acts vii4 #cj1 #ce1 #ch4 ,the word ,adonai occurs as a ,divine designation several hundred times in the ,old ,testament1 chiefly in the form indicated above1 but sometimes simply ,adon4 ,it is often employed in connections which clearly show it to be a personal designation of the ,messiah1 and which assert or imply his official prerogatives1 agency1 or relations4 ,it is employed interchangeably with ,jehovah1 ,elohim1 and other ,divine designations1 sometimes preceding and at others following them2 sometimes with1 but more commonly without the article4 ,in the second of the above forms1 this word is commonly1 like the secular ,english title lord1 applied to men in the relation of masters or rulers1 as ,melach is applied to men to distinguish them officially as messengers4 ,and as our own1 in common with other translators1 failed to mark the distinction between the use of the word ,melach1 as a designation of the ,messiah1 and the use of it with reference to created agents1 human or angelic1 so they seem to have regarded the words ,adonai and ,adon as importing something inferior to the ,divine designations of ,jehovah and ,elohim2 which difference they indicate by uniformly writing their translation of the former words in small letters1 and their translation of the latter in capitals4 ,whatever impression or inference may result from this usage to the ,english reader1 or to the ,israelite who reads the original under the same views which influenced the translation1 it is by no means probable that either of them would infer1 or be struck with the impression1 that ,adonai was a distinctive and familiar title of the delegated ,one1 the ,messiah1 of correlative and equivalent significance as a ,divine designation with those with which it is indifferently and interchangeably employed4 ,for the further illustration of this point1 therefore1 the following passages are cited3 ,in ,gen4 xviii41 we read that ,jehovah appeared visibly to ,abraham in the likeness of man1 i4 e41 in the delegated official ,person1 ,messiah4 ,in what is related in the narrative as having been said or done by him1 while visibly present1 he is called ,jehovah1 while ,abraham1 in speaking to him1 uniformly calls him ,adonai1 prays to him as having power to save the righteous in ,sodom1 and addresses him as ,judge of all the earth4 ,it is therefore manifest that the two designations1 ,jehovah and ,adonai1 identify the same ,person2 that ,abraham speaks to him as visibly present2 and that his visible presence in the likeness of man determines him to have been the delegated ,one4 ,at the close of their interview1 ,jehovah went his way1 and ,abraham returned to his place4 ,when the personal ,,word came to ,abram1 ,gen4 xv41 saying1 ,fear not1 ,i am thy shield1 c41 ,abram1 replying1 verse #b1 calls him ,adonai ,jehovah1 and also in verse #h2 while in verses #d1 #f1 #g1 and #ah1 he calls him ,jehovah4 ,instances like that in chap4 xviii41 and others1 would seem to indicate that in cases of local visible manifestation of the personal ,word1 designations specially appropriate to his official character and agency were suggested to the minds of the beholders4 ,thus ,moses1 ,exod1 iv4 #aj1 said unto ,jehovah1 ,o ,adonai4 ,the ,person whom he addressed was the ,messenger ,jehovah1 who had appeared to him4 ,again1 verse #ac1 he says3 ,o ,adonai4 ,in other parts of that chapter1 the same ,person is called ,jehovah1 ,elohim1 and ,elohe4 ,in ,moses' song1 chap4 xv4 #ag1 ,jehovah 7that is1 the ,messenger7 and the ,adonai are addressed as the same ,person3 ,thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance2 in the place1 ,o ,jehovah1 which thou hast made for thee to dwell in2 in the sanctuary1 ,o ,adonai1 which thy hands have established4 ,so1 chap4 xxxiv41 when ,jehovah 7the ,messenger7 descended and manifested the glory of his ,person to ,moses1 and proclaimed himself ,jehovah as he passed by1 ,moses bowed and worshipped2 and he said3 ,if now ,i have found grace in thy sight1 ,o ,adonai1 let ,adonai1 ,i pray thee1 go among us4 ,in like manner1 ,deut4 iii4 #bc1 #bd1 ,moses1 praying to ,jehovah1 addresses the ,adonai3 ,and ,i besought ,jehovah at that time1 saying1 ,o ,adonai ,jehovah4444 ,i pray thee let me go over and see the good land4 ,also1 chap4 ix4 #bf3 ,i prayed therefore unto ,jehovah1 and said1 ,o ,adonai ,jehovah1 destroy not thy people1 and thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed4 ,once more1 when1 after the trespass of ,achan1 the ,israelites were smitten1 ,joshua fell upon his face before the ark of ,jehovah1 and said3 ,alas6 ,o ,adonai ,jehovah4444 ,o ,adonai1 what shall ,i say1 c4 ,similar instances occur in the prayers of ,gideon1 ,manoah1 ,david1 and the prophets2 and throughout their writings1 as in the instances quoted1 doubtless this term designates the ,messenger of the ,covenant1 the ,holy ,one1 the ,christ1 and whether sometimes substituted by copyists for the word ,jehovah or not1 its import is the same1 as appears from the connections in which it occurs4 ,at the interview of the same ,divine ,person with ,gideon1 ,judges vi41 he is called ,melach ,jehovah1 ,jehovah1 ,adonai1 ,melach the ,elohim1 and ,adonai ,jehovah ,melach ,jehovah came and sat under an oak--appeared visibly--and said unto ,gideon1 ,jehovah is with thee4 ,gideon replied1 ,o ,adonai1 if ,jehovah be with us1 c4 ,jehovah looked upon him and said1 ,go in this thy might4 ,gideon answered1 ,o ,adonai1 wherewith shall ,i save ,israel8 ,jehovah said1 ,surely ,i will be with thee4 ,gideon prepared a sacrifice4 ,melach the ,elohim said1 ,take the flesh1 c4 ,melach ,jehovah touched the flesh with his staff4 ,fire rose out of the rock and consumed the flesh4 ,melach ,jehovah departed out of ,gideon's sight4 ,gideon exclaimed1 ,alas1 ,o ,adonai ,jehovah6 for ,i have seen ,melach ,jehovah face to face4 ,jehovah said unto him1 ,peace be unto thee4 ,the purport of the expressions in this narrative may be more fully represented as follows3 ,the ,melach1 7the ,messenger17 who is ,jehovah1 came in the form of a wayfaring man1 and sat down under an oak in a field where ,gideon was1 and said unto him1 ,jehovah is with thee4 ,and ,gideon said to him1 7,jehovah17 ,o ,adonai1 c4 ,jehovah looked upon him and said1 ,go in this thy might1 c4 ,gideon said to him1 ,o ,adonai1 wherewith shall ,i save ,israel8 ,jehovah said to him1 ,surely ,i will be with thee4 ,gideon presented a sacrifice to him4 ,the ,melach1 7or ,messenger17 who is the true ,elohim1 said to ,gideon1 ,take the flesh1 c41 and lay them upon this rock1 and he did so4 ,the the ,melach1 7or ,messenger17 who is ,jehovah1 put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand1 and touched the flesh1 c42 and there rose up fire out of the rock and consumed the flesh1 c4 ,gideon said1 ,alas1 ,o ,adonai ,jehovah6 for ,i have seen the ,melach1 who is ,jehovah1 face to face4 ,to which ,jehovah replied1 ,peace be unto thee2 fear not1 c4 ,then ,gideon built an altar there unto ,jehovah4 ,so in the narrative of the visible appearance of the same ,divine ,person to ,manoah and his wife1 ,judges xiii41 where1 as in the foregoing and other parallel instances1 the term ,melach distinguishes the ,divine ,person referred to as present and seen4 ,the ,melach 7who is7 ,jehovah appeared unto the woman1 c4 ,the woman came and told her husband1 saying1 ,a man1 the ,elohim1 came unto me1 and his countenance was like the countenance of the ,melach 7who is7 the ,elohim1 c4 ,then ,manoah entreated ,jehovah1 and said1 ,o ,adon1 let the man1 the ,elohim which thou didst send1 come again unto us4444 ,and the ,elohim hearkened to the voice of ,manoah1 and the ,melach1 the 7or who is the7 ,elohim1 came again unto the woman as she sat in the field4444 ,and she ran and said to her husband1 ,behold the man hath appeared unto me that came unto me the other day4444 ,and ,manoah came and said unto him1 ,art thou the man that spakest unto the woman8 ,and he said1 ,i am4444 ,and the ,melach 7who is7 ,jehovah said unto ,manoah1 ,of all that ,i said unto the woman let her beware4 ,and ,manoah said to the ,melach 7who is7 ,jehovah1 ,i pray thee1 let us detain thee1 until we shall have made ready a kid for thee4 ,and the ,melach 7who is7 ,jehovah said unto ,manoah1 ,though thou detain me1 ,i will not eat of thy bread3 and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering1 thou must offer it unto ,jehovah4 ,for ,manoah knew not that he was the ,melach 7who is7 ,jehovah4444 ,so ,manoah took a kid1 with a meat offering1 and offered it upon a rock unto ,jehovah4 ,and 444 it came to pass1 when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar1 that the ,melach 7who is7 ,jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar4 ,and ,manoah and his wife looked on1 and fell on their faces to the ground1 c4 ,then ,manoah knew that he was the ,melach 7who is7 ,jehovah4 ,and ,manoah said unto his wife1 ,we shall surely die1 because we have seen ,elohim4 ,but his wife said unto him1 ,if ,jehovah were pleased to kill us1 he would not have received a burnt offering at our hands1 c4 ,nothing surely can be more evident than that all these designations refer to the one delegated official ,person--,messiah1 the ,messenger of the ,covenant1 visible in the form of man4 ,behold1 the ,adon1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 doth take away from ,jerusalem and from ,judah the stay and the staff1 c4 ,isa4 iii4 #a4 ,therefore shall the ,adon1 ,adonai ,zebaoth1 send1 c4 ,isa4 x4 #af4 ,behold1 the ,adon1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 shall lop the bough1 c4 ,isa4 x4 #cc4 ,thou 7,abiathar7 bearest the ark of ,adonai ,jehovah4 #a ,kings ii4 #bf4 ,thou art my ,elohe and my ,adonai4 ,ps4 xxxv4 #bc4 ,to ,jehovah ,adonai belong the issues from death4 ,ps4 lxviii4 #bj4 ,let not them that wait on thee1 ,o ,adonai1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 be ashamed4 ,ps4 lxix4 #f4 ,thou art my hope1 ,o ,adonai ,jehovah4 ,ps4 lxxi4 #e4 ,but do thou for me1 ,o ,jehovah ,adonai1 for thy name's sake4 ,ps4 cix4 #ba4 ,o ,jehovah ,adonai1 the strength of my salvation4 ,ps4 cxl4 #g4 ,mine eyes are unto thee1 ,o ,jehovah ,adonai4 ,ps4 cxli4 #h4 ,the phrases ,thus saith ,adonai ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 ,adonai ,jehovah1 and ,adonai ,zebaoth1 occur in very numerous instances in the prophets4 ,probably in all such formulas the sense would be more perfectly expressed by interposing the words who is1 or who art3 as1 ,the ,adon who is ,jehovah of hosts2 ,the ,adon who is the ,adonai of hosts2 ,the ark of ,adonai1 who is ,jehovah4 ,it is evidently by way of explanation1 illustration1 and emphasis1 that two or more designations are so conjoined4 ,some critics1 probably from regarding the terms ,adonai and ,adon as of inferior significance to ,jehovah and ,elohim1 when employed as ,divine designations1 imagine that the ,jewish copyists substituted the former in place of the latter1 or in place of ,jehovah1 to avoid the enunciation of that sacred name4 ,no supposition could well be more improbable than this1 whether considered in relation to the subject-matter1 or to the reason assigned for it4 ,in relation to the subject1 it would imply a general consent among copyists1 ,jewish readers1 priests and rabbies1 and ,gentile proselytes1 as to the instances in which such a surreptitious change should be made1 received1 and sanctioned4 ,and as to the alleged reason1 if it was a real and sufficient reason in a single instance1 or in many instances1 why not in all8 ,why suppress the fearful name1 and substitute a term of inferior or doubtful import in some cases1 and allow it to retain its place in a far greater number of cases8 ,but the groundlessness of the supposition referred to is sufficiently shown by the fact that1 in the passages above cited1 and in many others1 the several designations1 ,adonai1 ,adon1 ,jehovah1 and ,elohim1 are employed conjointly in the same sentences1 with reference to the same ,person1 and as of equivalent import as ,divine designations4 ,the same ,divine ,person1 the ,messiah1 the ,administrator and ,revealer1 manifested himself to the inspired writers in various ways1 and in different aspects of his person and relations3 to their faith as the self-existent1 omnipresent ,jehovah2 to their senses in his complex1 official person1 and delegated1 covenant relations1 the ,messenger1 visible in the likeness of man1 ,adonai1 the ,adon4 ,thus ,daniel1 chap4 x4 #af1 #ag3 ,one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips2 then ,i opened my mouth and spake1 and said unto him that stood before me1 ,o ,adonai6444 how can the servant of this ,adonai talk with this ,adonai8 ,and ,amos1 chap4 vii41 relates that he saw the ,adonai standing on a wall1 with a plumb-line in his hand1 and that the ,adonai spoke to and was answered by him4 ,the context shows that1 though appearing visibly as a man1 he exercised ,divine prerogatives4 ,again1 chap4 ix4 #a3 ,i saw the ,adonai standing upon the altar4 ,afterwards he speaks as ,jehovah1 and1 verse #af1 utters the prediction1 quoted ,acts xv4 #af1 that1 after the ,gentile dispensation1 ,i will return and will build again the tabernacle of ,david which is fallen down1 444 and ,i will set it up4 ,in the first chapter of ,zechariah the following ,divine designations occur3 ,jehovah1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 ,adonai1 the ,melach1 and ,melach ,jehovah4 ,the ,person locally present and visible1 who in the #ith verse is called ,adonai and the ,melach1 in the #aath and #abth verses ,melach ,jehovah1 and in the #acth1 #adth1 and #aith verses the ,melach1 is in the #hth and #ajth verses called a man4 ,i saw by night and behold1 a man 444 among the myrtle trees1 v4 #h4 ,and the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered1 v4 #i4 ,and they answered the ,melach ,jehovah that stood among the myrtle trees1 v4 #aa4 ,but the prophet on seeing the man1 v4 #h1 addresses him as ,adonai4 ,then said ,i1 ,o ,adonai6 what are these8 ,and the ,melach answered1 c4 v4 #i4 ,in the progress of the ensuing colloquy1 the visible ,person1 in the form of man1 the ,melach1 the ,melach who is ,jehovah1 speaks to and of ,jehovah and ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 as the ,messiah did when visibly present incarnate in man's nature on earth2 and an audible response was in like manner given4 ,see v4 #aj1 #ab1 #ac4 ,illustrations of the same usage might be adduced from almost every part of the ,old ,testament1 where the ,messiah1 as announced by designations peculiar to his complex official ,person and character1 and as visibly present1 speaks to and of himself and also to and of the ,father1 under designations which refer only to the ,divine ,nature4 ,the same is customary likewise with the prophets4 ,thus ,david1 ,ps4 cx43 ,jehovah 7the ,father7 saith to ,adonai1 7the ,messiah1 as is declared in the ,new ,testament17 ,sit thou at my right hand1 c4 ,and ,ps4 ii43 ,why do the heathen rage8444 and the rulers take counsel against ,jehovah and against the ,anointed1 or ,messiah1 v4 #a1 #b4 ,the ,adonai shall have them in derision1 v4 #d4 ,i 7the ,messiah7 will declare the decree3 ,jehovah hath said onto me1 ,thou art my ,son1 c41 v4 #g4 ,the exceeding confusion which obscures our common version of ,zechariah1 and especially of the first chapter1 implies that the translators did not understand the designations above quoted1 a man1 the ,melach1 ,melach ,jehovah1 and ,adonai1 as referring to one and the same person1 nor all or any of them as referring to the official ,person1 ,messiah4 ,in chapter ii41 the ,melach is the ,divine speaker throughout3 ,and behold the ,melach that talked with me 7see i4 #i7 went forth1 and another angel 7a messenger7 went out to meet him2 and ,,he 7the ,melach7 said unto him1 7i4 e41 to the messenger17 ,run1 c4 v4 #c1 #d4 ,here1 according to our version1 the other angel is made to direct the ,melach who is ,jehovah 7see i4 #i1 #aa1 #ab7 to run1 c41 by the omission of the relative ,,he1 as printed in capitals above2 which1 it is obvious from the original1 and also from the ensuing context1 ought to be retained4 ,for after directing the approaching messenger to run1 c41 he proceeds3 ,for ,i1 saith ,jehovah1 will be unto her1 ,jerusalem1 a wall of fire round about1 and will be the glory in the midst of her3 the reference of which is further evidence that the speaker is the ,messiah1 here designated the ,melach and ,jehovah4 ,the same speaker1 continuing to the end of the chapter1 treats of the dispersion1 preservation1 and subsequent restoration of the ,israelites1 and restablishment of ,jerusalem as his dwelling-place4 ,throughout the remainder of the book1 the ,divine ,person speaking to the prophet is the same as the man1 the ,melach1 the ,adonai1 the ,melach ,jehovah1 of the first chapter4 ,he announces what is said by ,jehovah1 and ,jehovah ,zebaoth2 his rebuke of ,satan1 iii4 #b2 his promise of ,,the ,,branch1 referring to the ,messiah as he was to be manifested incarnate1 iii4 #h1 and vi4 #ab4 ,in various places the prophet designates the ,melach1 and ,jehovah as his ,adonai1 and as the ,adon of the whole earth1 iv4 #d1 #e1 #ac1 #ad2 vi4 #d1 #e2 ix4 #d4 ,adonai ,jehovah1 ix4 #ad1 and ,jehovah their ,elohe1 ix4 #af1 x4 #f1 declares that the man whose name is ,,the ,,branch shall build the temple of ,jehovah1 and shall sit and rule upon his throne1 and shall be a ,priest upon his throne1 c41 vi4 #ab1 #ac4 ,that it was ,jehovah who was prized at thirty pieces of silver1 i4 e41 ,jehovah says of himself1 as ,messiah1 that he was so prized1 xi4 #ac4 ,represents ,elohim and ,melach ,jehovah as equivalent1 identifies ,jehovah ,zebaoth with the ,,shepherd1 the man that is his fellow1 xiii4 #g4 ,jehovah whose feet shall stand upon the mount of ,olives which is before ,jerusalem1 xiv4 #d4 ,jehovah who shall be ,king over all the earth1 xiv4 #i4 ,the ,king ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 whom all nations shall worship4 ,the term ,zebaoth1 ,hosts1 coupled with the ,divine designations1 points to the official ,person1 the ,messiah1 evidently in many1 and probably in all instances4 ,thus ,he who1 in ,isaiah vi41 is called ,adonai1 the ,king1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 is by the apostle ,john referred to as the ,messiah4 ,he who wrestled with ,jacob as a man1 ,gen4 xxxii41 is called by ,hosea 7chap4 xii47 the ,messenger1 and ,jehovah ,elohe ,zebaoth4 ,it was the ,messiah who1 with ,moses1 was with the church in the wilderness4 7,acts vii4 #ch47 ,the ,melach1 or ,messenger1 who dwelt in the cloud and between the cherubim1 7,exod4 xiv4 #ai17 over the ark of ,adonai 7who is7 ,jehovah4 7,isa4 iii4 #ae47 ,the ark of the ,elohim 7who is7 ,jehovah that dwelleth between the cherubim4 7#a ,chron4 xiii4 #f47 ,the ark of the ,elohim1 whose name is ,jehovah ,zebaoth4 7#b ,samuel vi4 #b47 ,the ,adon 7who is7 ,jehovah ,zebaoth4 7,isa4 iii4 #a47 ,the ,adon 7who is7 ,adonai ,zebaoth4 7,isa4 x4 #af47 ,the ,adonai 7who is7 ,jehovah ,zebaoth4 7,isa4 x4 #bc1 #bd47 ,this term is coupled with these designations more than three hundred times1 chiefly in the prophets after the defection of the tribes to the worship of ,baal as the ,lord of the hosts of heaven1 in opposition to ,jehovah ,zebaoth4 ,a personal reference to the ,messiah is evidently intended in numerous instances by the term rendered in our version ,,holy ,,one2 as is often manifest from its connection with other designations1 and from the personal acts or relations mentioned4 ,thus ,isaiah xliii43 ,i am ,jehovah1 thy ,elohe1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel1 thy ,saviour3 ,i gave ,egypt for thy ransom4 ,fear not1 for ,i am with thee4 7v4 #c47 ,thus saith ,jehovah1 your ,redeemer1 ,goel1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel1 7v4 #ad17 ,i am ,jehovah1 your ,holy ,one1 the ,creator of ,israel1 your ,king1 7#ae47 ,chap4 xli4 #ad3 ,i will help thee1 saith ,jehovah1 thy ,redeemer1 ,goel1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel4 v4 #bj3 ,the hand of ,jehovah hath done this1 and the ,holy ,one of ,israel hath created it4 xlvii4 #d3 ,as for our ,redeemer1 ,goel1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth is his name1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel4 xlviii4 #ag3 ,thus saith ,jehovah1 thy ,redeemer1 ,goel1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel1 ,i am ,jehovah thy ,elohe1 which teacheth thee to profit1 which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go4 xlix4 #g3 ,thus saith ,jehovah1 the ,redeemer ,goel of ,israel1 his ,holy ,one4 liv4 #e3 ,thy ,maker is thy husband1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth is his name1 and thy ,redeemer1 ,goel1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel2 the ,elohe of the whole earth shall he be called4 lx4 #ad3 ,they shall call thee1 ,the city of ,jehovah1 ,the ,zion of the ,holy ,one of ,israel4 #b ,kings xix43 ,whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed8 and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice1 and lifted up thine eyes on high8 even against the ,holy ,one of ,israel4 ,by thy messengers thou hast reproached ,adonai4 ,ezek4 xxxix4 #g3 ,the heathen shall know that ,i am ,jehovah1 the ,holy ,one in ,israel4 ,ps4 lxxxix4 #ah1 #ai3 ,jehovah is our defence1 and the ,holy ,one of ,israel is our ,king4 ,then thou spakest in vision to thy ,holy ,one4 ,that ,the ,holy ,one1 ,jehovah1 and ,the ,messiah1 are the same1 is taught in various other passages4 ,thus in the first instance in which the title occurs1 ,deut4 xxxiii4 #h1 constituting in part the blessing on the sacerdotal tribe1 and containing a reference to other passages3 ,and of ,levi he said1 ,let thy ,thummim and thy ,urim be with thy ,,holy ,,one1 whom thou didst prove at ,massah1 and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of ,meribah4 ,but ,he whom they proved at ,massah1 and with whom they strove at ,meribah1 was ,jehovah4 ,and ,moses called the name of the place ,massah1 and ,meribah1 because of the chiding of the children of ,israel1 and because they tempted ,jehovah1 saying1 ,is ,jehovah among us or not8 ,exod4 xvii4 #g4 ,ye shall not tempt ,jehovah your ,elohe1 as ye tempted him in ,massah4 ,deut4 vi4 #af4 ,this is the water of ,meribah1 because the children of ,israel strove with ,jehovah4 ,numb4 xx4 #ac4 ,at 444 ,massah 444 ye provoked ,jehovah to wrath4 ,deut4 ix4 #bb4 ,now1 we learn from #a ,cor4 x4 and ,heb4 iii41 compared with ,ps4 lxxviii41 xcv41 and cvi41 that it was the ,messiah whom they tempted3 ,neither let us tempt ,christ as some of them also tempted4 444 ,harden not your hearts as in the provocation1 in the day of temptation in the wilderness1 where your fathers tempted me2 that is1 ,christ1 as the context shows4 ,thou wilt not suffer thine ,holy ,one to see corruption1 ,ps4 xvi4 #aj2 quoted with the context1 ,acts ii41 as designating ,christ3 ,for ,david speaketh concerning ,him1 ,jesus of ,nazareth1 ,i foresaw the ,lord always before my face4444 ,neither wilt thou suffer thine ,holy ,one to see corruption4 ,again1 ,acts xiii41 in proof of the resurrection of ,christ as predicted3 ,wherefore he saith also in another ,psalm1 ,thou shalt not suffer thine ,holy ,one to see corruption4 ,so the ,christ is recognized in various other passages as the ,holy ,one4 ,i know thee who thou art1 the ,holy ,one of ,god4 ,mark i4 #bd1 ,luke iv4 #cd4 ,but ye denied the ,holy ,one and the ,just1 444 and killed the ,prince of ,life4 ,acts iii4 #ad4 ,of the passages1 besides those above cited1 in which he is identified with ,jehovah1 the ,creator1 the ,redeemer1 ,saviour1 and ,king1 a few are subjoined4 ,the remnant of ,israel shall stay upon ,jehovah1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel4 ,isaiah x4 #bj4 ,at that day shall a man look to his ,maker1 and his eyes shall have respect to the ,holy ,one of ,israel4 ,ibid4 #ag4 ,thus saith the ,holy ,one of ,israel4444 ,thus saith ,jehovah ,elohim1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel4 ,ibid4 #cj4 ,the hand of ,jehovah hath done this1 and the ,holy ,one of ,israel hath created it4 ,ibid4 #da4 ,thus saith ,jehovah1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel1 and his ,maker4 ,ibid4 #de4 ,it is thus evident that the appellations1 ,jehovah1 ,elohim1 ,elohe1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 ,redeemer1 ,saviour1 ,king1 ,creator1 ,maker1 the ,holy ,one1 and the ,christ1 are indifferently applied to designate one and the same ,person4 ,the term ,messiah1 the ,anointed1 though familiar to the ,jews of ancient and modern times1 occurs but a few times in the ,hebrew ,scriptures as a designation of him4 ,the appropriation of the term seems to have arisen from the custom of anointing the ,levitical priests to a ministry typical of the sacerdotal ministry of ,christ1 and that of anointing their kings to their office as typical of his regal office4 ,with reference to those priests and kings it is therefore often used2 but as a designation of the ,christ not perhaps more than five or six times3 as in #a ,sam4 ii4 #aj1 #ce2 ,ps4 ii4 #b1 lxxxiv4 #i2 ,dan1 ix4 #be1 #bf4 ,the import of the phrase ,holy ,one is so nearly similar1 as very probably to have been employed in place of this4 ,this designation occurs in about thirty instances in the prophecies of ,isaiah1 and frequently elsewhere4 ,like several other appellations1 it is employed exclusively as a designation of the ,christ1 and is not1 like ,messiah1 applied to those who are anointed and consecrated to typify his offices4 ,el-,shadai1 ,almighty1 in like manner designates the ,messiah4 ,the ,messenger ,jehovah who appeared to ,moses in the bush1 and who speaking to him afterwards is called ,jehovah and ,elohim1 said1 ,exod4 vi4 #c3 ,i appeared unto ,abraham1 unto ,isaac1 and unto ,jacob1 by the name ,el-,shadai4 ,jacob said unto ,joseph1 ,el-,shadai appeared unto me at ,luz1 444 and blessed me4 ,gen4 xlviii4 #c4 ,but when he was first at ,luz1 ,jehovah visibly appeared to him in the vision of a ladder4 ,gen4 xxviii4 ,it was an appearance doubtless of the ,messenger ,jehovah4 ,and in a subsequent instance1 ,gen4 xxxv41 the ,elohim appeared to him1 blessed him1 and changed his name to ,israel4 ,and the ,elohim said unto him1 ,i am ,el-,shadai4444 ,and the ,elohim went up from him in the place where he talked with him4 ,this1 therefore1 was a local personal appearance of the ,messenger of the ,covenant4 ,shadai was a familiar designation in the patriarchal period4 ,it occurs frequently in ,job4 ,in the ,new ,testament it is applied to ,christ4 ,i am ,alpha and ,omega1 444 saith the ,lord1 which is1 and which was1 and which is to come1 the ,almighty4 ,rev4 i4 #h1 iv4 #h1 and xi4 #ag4 ,a similar illustration is furnished by the designations1 ,mighty ,god1 ,living ,god1 ,god of ,israel1 ,high ,god1 ,most ,high ,god1 ,god of heaven1 ,lord ,god1 and other formulas of frequent occurrence4 ,there are a considerable number of instances in which the ,personal ,word appears to be designated by the phrase ,dabar ,jehovah1 translated the ,word of the ,lord4 ,the ,dabar ,jehovah came unto ,abram in a vision1 saying1 ,fear not1 ,i am thy shield1 c4 ,and ,abram said1 ,adonai ,jehovah1 what will thou give me8444 ,and behold ,dabar ,jehovah 7came7 unto him1 saying4 7,the word ,,came in this clause is not in the original4 ,dabar ,jehovah said unto him1 would perhaps be more correct47 ,and he ,dabar ,jehovah brought1 him forth abroad and said1 ,look now towards heaven4444 ,and he believed in ,jehovah1 7in the ,word ,jehovah1 ,chaldee ,par47 ,gen4 xv4 ,here personal acts appear to be ascribed to ,dabar--the ,word4 ,it was a person who conversed with ,abram and brought him forth abroad2 as is observed on a subsequent occasion4 ,dabar ,jehovah came to ,jacob1 saying1 ,israel shall be thy name4 #a ,kings xviii4 #ca4 ,but in ,gen4 xxxii4 we read that there wrestled a man with ,jacob1 and he said1 ,thy name shall be called no more ,jacob1 but ,israel4 ,here1 then1 the visible person who1 in the form of man1 wrestled with ,jacob1 and who is1 by ,hosea1 chap4 xii41 denominated the ,messenger and the ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 is called ,dabar ,jehovah1 the ,personal ,word4 ,now ,dabar ,jehovah came unto ,jonah1 444 saying1 or1 and said1 ,arise1 go to ,nineveh1 that great city1 and cry against it1 for their wickedness is come up before me4 ,but ,jonah rose up to flee unto ,tarshish from the presence of ,jehovah1 and he found a ship and went down into it to go unto ,tarshish from the presence of ,jehovah4 ,chap4 i4 ,and ,dabar ,jehovah came unto ,jonah the second time1 saying1 ,arise1 go unto ,nineveh4 iii4 #a1 #b4 ,these passages indicate a personal and visible presence4 ,how else could ,jonah attempt to conceal himself by flight8 ,in the context the ,personal ,word who thus came is identified with ,jehovah1 who speaks and is addressed as one locally and visibly present4 ,now ,samuel did not yet know ,jehovah1 neither was ,dabar ,jehovah yet revealed unto him4 #a ,sam4 iii4 #g4 ,no manifestation of the ,personal ,word had been made to him4 ,and ,jehovah appeared again in ,shiloh3 for ,jehovah revealed himself to ,samuel in ,shiloh by ,dabar ,jehovah4 ,ibid4 v4 #ba4 ,then came ,dabar ,jehovah to ,samuel1 saying1 ,it repenteth me1 c4 ,ibid4 xv4 #aj4 ,it was charged me by ,dabar ,jehovah4444 ,it was said to me by ,dabar ,jehovah4 #a ,kings xiii4 #i1 #ag4 ,and ,elijah came to a cave and lodged there2 and behold1 ,dabar ,jehovah came to him1 and he said unto him1 ,what dost thou here1 ,elijah8444 ,and he said1 ,go forth and stand upon the mount before ,jehovah4 ,and behold1 ,jehovah passed by4 #a ,kings xix4 #i1 #aa4 ,dabar ,jehovah came to ,jeremiah1 saying1 ,before ,i formed thee1 ,i knew thee4444 ,then said ,i1 ,ah1 ,adonai ,jehovah6 behold ,i cannot speak4444 ,then ,jehovah put forth his hand and touched my mouth4444 ,moreover1 ,dabar ,jehovah came unto me1 saying1 or1 and said1 ,what seest thou8444 ,and ,dabar ,jehovah came unto me the second time1 c4 ,jer4 i4 ,such are some of the instances in which this term appears to be employed as a personal designation4 ,the meaning and reference of such use of it appear to have been familiar both to the earlier and later ,jews4 ,see the chapters relating to the ,chaldee ,paraphrases4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,reasons for rendering the formula1 ,melach ,jehovah1 the ,messenger 7who is7 ,jehovah2 and not the ,angel1 or an ,angel of the ,lord4 ,an examination of the numerous passages in which the denominative ,melach is coupled with the name ,jehovah1 or ,elohim1 or used interchangeably with those names1 renders it conclusively manifest that in each and every instance the reference is to one and the same official ,person4 ,this1 however1 is not entirely obvious from our common version1 owing to the circumstance that the translators rendered the formula1 ,melach ,jehovah1 the angel1 or sometimes an angel of the ,lord4 ,the word ,jehovah1 in the original1 never has the article2 nor the word ,melach1 when coupled with ,jehovah1 though when employed alone to designate the same official ,person1 the article is sometimes prefixed1 as in ,gen4 xlviii4 #af3 ,the ,melach1 which redeemed me4 ,the word ,elohim often has the article1 and retains it in most of the instances in which the formula ,melach ,elohim occurs1 requiring it to be read1 ,melach the1 or who is the1 ,elohim4 ,see some twelve instances in the book of ,ezra1 and more than twenty in ,nehemiah1 where there was a special occasion to distinguish the true from the false ,god4 ,in the formula1 ,melach ,jehovah1 there is nothing in the original to forbid the two words being considered as in apposition1 and the rendering consequently the ,messenger ,jehovah1 or the ,messenger who is ,jehovah4 ,and that such should be the rendering1 instead of the angel or messenger of ,jehovah1 is apparent from the following considerations3 #ast4 ,that the ,person identified by this name of office is ,jehovah1 as is shown by the use1 in numerous passages1 of the two names interchangeably4 ,the word ,melach1 it may be observed1 is1 when coupled with the name ,jehovah1 and when used separately or interchangeably1 with the same personal reference1 always in the singular number2 and1 when coupled with that name1 generally precedes it2 by which circumstances1 and the relations in which it occurs separately1 all confusion as to its reference is precluded4 #b;d4 ,from the consideration that this rendering corresponds with the official character of the ,person designated4 ,his office is that of a messenger1 sent of the ,father--the ,mediator1 the ,christ4 ,the designation in question is in no instance applied to any created angel1 and no doubt it was intended to distinguish the delegated ,person from the ,father who sent him4 ,but to render it1 the angel or messenger of ,jehovah1 especially in sentences in which the ,person designated is called ,melach ,jehovah1 and also called ,jehovah1 ,adonai1 or ,elohim1 is not to distinguish but to confuse4 #c;d4 ,this rendering comports with the official agency of the delegated ,person1 as the creator1 upholder1 lawgiver1 and ruler of all creatures4 ,the works ascribed to him are1 in the same sentences and connections1 ascribed to ,jehovah4 #dth4 ,it comports with the designation by which1 when he became incarnate1 he was familiarly known1 and which is translated ,lord1 as the equivalent of the name ,jehovah in ,hebrew4 ,thus1 ,luke ii4 #aa1 he is announced as the ,saviour1 which is ,christ the ,lord4 ,campbell renders it1 ,the ,lord ,messiah4 ,the sense is the same as that of ,jehovah who is the ,messiah1 or the ,messenger who is ,jehovah1 or the ,anointed who is ,jehovah4 ,again1 when ,thomas saw him after his resurrection1 he exclaimed1 ,my ,lord and my ,god--my ,jehovah and my ,elohe4 ,john xx4 #eth4 ,it comports with ,hebrew usage in other cases4 ,the instances are common in which particular persons are designated by two words in apposition1 indicating different characteristics4 ,thus1 #a ,kings iv4 #a3 ,so king ,solomon was king over all ,israel2 literally1 so was the king1 ,solomon 7or1 who is ,solomon7 king1 c4 ,ibid4 vii4 #ac1 #ad3 ,and the king1 ,solomon1 sent and fetched ,hiram1 son of a woman1 a widow--i4 e41 a woman who was a widow2 and xvii4 #i1 a woman 7who is7 a widow4 ,deut4 xxii4 #bc1 #bh3 ,a damsel1 a virgin--i4 e41 a damsel who is a virgin4 ,when the article is prefixed to the word ,elohim1 it often and perhaps always is meant expressly to distinguish the ,true ,god from the false2 as when the people1 seeing the triumph of ,elijah over the prophets of ,baal1 exclaimed1 ,jehovah1 he is the ,elohim3 he1 and not the pretended ,elohim of idolaters1 is the true ,god4 ,the import of the formula1 ,jehovah ,elohim1 is ,jehovah the true ,elohim1 and is not clearly or fully expressed by the translation ,lord ,god1 any more than it would be by a repetition of one or the other of those words4 ,the meaning is1 ,jehovah who is the true ,god4 ,so ,melach ,jehovah1 the respective terms referring indisputably to the same person1 means1 the ,messenger who is ,jehovah4 ,but our translators render ,melach ,jehovah1 the angel of the ,lord1 as though the angel was a created agent2 or1 as though ,jehovah in this connection was the ,father4 ,mc,caul1 in his observations on ,kimchi's translation of ,zechariah1 defends this rendering3 ,first1 on the ground1 that if the words ,melach ,jehovah are in apposition1 the translation should be1 not1 the ,angel ,jehovah1 but an angel1 or a ,messenger ,jehovah4 ,but1 since the word ,jehovah never admits the article1 and since in the formula in question the word ,melach never admits it1 no reason can be assigned why the rendering should not be the ,angel1 or the ,messenger ,jehovah2 it being admitted that one and the same ,person is uniformly designated by this formula4 ,on the contrary1 if this objection were well founded1 then in rendering the word ,jehovah1 where it occurs alone1 it should read in ,english1 a ,lord1 instead of the ,lord4 ,moreover1 if his criticisms were well founded1 such a passage as #b ,chron4 xxxii4 #ba1 where the order of the designations is ,jehovah ,melach1 would require to be rendered1 ,lord of the angel1 instead of ,jehovah the ,messenger1 or the ,jehovah ,messenger4 ,the statement in the text just quoted from #b ,chronicles is repeated in ,isaiah xxxvii4 #cf1 where the order of the words in question is ,melach ,jehovah4 ,again1 the formula1 7the7 ,elohim ,melach1 occurs in #a ,chron4 xxi4 #ae1 and also in that and the next verse1 ,melach ,jehovah1 referring to the same ,person4 #b;d4 ,he urges that if the words ,melach ,jehovah were to be rendered the ,angel ,jehovah1 then we should expect to find the article before the word ,melach2 because1 he says1 the word ,adon uniformly has it when employed to designate ,jehovah4 ,but this is a misstatement4 ,when so employed1 that word1 in its different forms1 is generally without the article2 as ,joshua iii4 #aa and #ac3 ,the ark of the covenant of ,adon1 translated the ,lord1 of all the earth4 ,the ark of ,adon ,jehovah1 ,adon of all the earth1 rendered in our version1 the ark of the ,lord1 the ,lord of all the earth4 ,here the translators suppress the word ,adon where it first occurs2 probably assuming1 as in the case of ,melach above referred to1 that it was not in apposition with the next word1 ,jehovah2 and seeing that if it was not1 the version must be1 the ,lord of the ,lord1 as they rendered ,melach ,jehovah1 the angel of the ,lord4 ,but the reference of the word ,adon being in every such connection identical with that of the word ,jehovah1 and the two words1 when conjoined1 being1 like ,melach ,jehovah1 in apposition1 the version should have been1 the ,lord 7who is7 ,jehovah1 the ,lord of all the earth4 ,again1 #a ,kings ii4 #bf3 ,the ark of ,adon ,jehovah1 rendered1 the ark of the ,lord ,god2 where the two words are taken to be in apposition3 and if the translator felt a difficulty1 he would seem to have sought to avoid it1 as in other like instances1 by an unusual version of the word ,jehovah4 ,again1 #b ,kings xxii4 #f3 ,go up1 for ,adon1 rendered the ,lord1 shall deliver it4 ,and to give but one other out of very numerous instances1 ,ps4 lxviii4 #bj3 ,unto ,jehovah ,adon1 rendered ,god the ,lord1 belong the issues from death4 ,in all the foregoing and similar instances the sense requires the words who is to be inserted or understood4 ,mc,caul further observes1 that the word ,jehovah must sometimes be taken as the genitive case1 and cites ,mal4 ii4 #g3 ,the priests' lips should keep knowledge1 and they should seek the law at his mouth1 referring to ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 vs4 #b and #d1 for he is ,melach ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 rendered1 the messenger of the ,lord of hosts4 ,but he gives no reason why ,melach ,jehovah in this passage should not be rendered1 the ,messenger ,jehovah1 as well as in any other passage4 ,again1 he observes1 that to translate the formula1 ,melach ,jehovah1 the angel ,jehovah1 is plainly against the ,masoretic punctuation4 ,but that is not conclusive2 for the points formed no part of the original text1 and no one pretends that they were inspired4 ,the authors of that system of punctuation were governed1 in their application of the points1 by their theological1 as well as by their grammatical theory2 and however grammatically correct they may have been in their appropriation of them in all ordinary cases1 in those passages of which they held an erroneous theological or exegetical theory1 they of course arranged the points conformably1 so as to make the text express their preconceived opinions4 ,in relation to the present instance1 for example1 ,kimchi1 as ,mc,caul observes1 considered the ,person designated the 'angel of the ,lord1' as nothing more than one of the many angels to whom he supposes the governance of this lower world is committed4 ,observations1 page #i4 ,doubtless the authors of the points held the same opinion4 ,mc,caul observes1 in his introduction1 that ,kimchi and other ,rabbies of his day endeavored to get rid of the ,christian interpretations1 and to root out the ,christian doctrines which had descended from the ancient ,jewish ,church4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,visible ,appearance of the ,messenger ,jehovah to ,hagar4 ,the first recorded instance of the visible appearance of the ,angel or ,messenger ,jehovah1 is that to ,hagar1 ,gen4 xvi41 where the designation ,melach ,jehovah is repeated several times4 ,the ,messenger ,jehovah found ,hagar by a fountain of water4 ,he called her by name2 directed her to return to her mistress2 promised to multiply her seed exceedingly2 and directed her to call her son ,ishmael1 because ,jehovah had heard her affliction4 ,and she called the name of ,jehovah that spake unto her1 ,thou ,el seest me3 for she said1 ,have ,i also here looked after him that seeth me8 ,the visible ,person whom she saw1 and who spoke to her1 and promised what none but a ,divine ,person could promise1 is called ,melach ,jehovah1 and also ,jehovah1 and ,el4 ,he was therefore not a messenger of ,jehovah1 or a distinct person from him1 but ,jehovah himself1 as recognized and worshipped under the several designations here applied to him4 ,considered as the administrator of ,providence1 the things said and done by him were in keeping with his delegated character1 and with the acts ascribed to him on other occasions4 ,there is a further notice of his dealings with ,ishmael1 ,gen4 xxii4 #ag1 after his expulsion1 with ,hagar1 from ,abraham's house1 and her abandonment of him in despair of his life4 ,and ,elohim heard the voice of the lad3 and ,melach ,elohim in our version1 the angel of ,god called to ,hagar out of heaven1 and said unto her1 ,what aileth thee1 ,hagar8 ,fear not2 for ,elohim hath heard the voice of the lad1 where he is4 ,arise1 lift up the lad1 and hold him in thy hand2 for ,i will make of him a great nation4 ,and ,elohim opened her eyes1 and she saw a well of water2 and ,elohim was with the lad1 c4 ,here the speaker is ,melach ,elohim1 which designation must refer to the same official ,person as that of ,melach ,jehovah in the former instance1 for he personally promised the same thing2 saying in the one case1 ,i will multiply thy seed exceedingly1 that it shall not be numbered for multitude2 and in the other1 ,i will make him a great nation4 ,that the import and reference of the two formulas is the same1 is also evident beyond a question from other passages1 where both are indifferently applied to the same person2 as ,judges vi4 #bj1 #ba3 ,and ,melach 7the7 ,elohim said unto him1 ,take the flesh and the unleavened cakes and lay them upon this rock1 and pour out the broth4 ,and he did so4 ,then ,melach ,jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand1 and touched the flesh1 c4 ,and again1 ,judges xiii4 #c-i3 ,and ,melach ,jehovah appeared unto the woman1 and 7the7 ,elohim hearkened to the voice of ,manoah1 and ,melach 7the7 ,elohim came again unto the woman4 ,the narratives in which these passages occur clearly restrict the reference to one and the same ,person4 ,in the original of these quotations1 the article is prefixed to the word ,elohim1 as it is also elsewhere1 7underscored1 or included above and hereafter in parenthesis17 which is by some supposed to require the rendering to be1 as in our common version1 the angel or messenger of ,elohim4 ,but this conclusion cannot be sustained3 #ast1 because it indicates something different in respect to the ,person referred to from the formula ,melach ,jehovah2 and #b;d1 because in other instances of similar formulas the article does not occur1 as in ,gen4 xxi4 #ag3 ,and ,melach ,elohim called to ,hagar4 ,the occurrence of the article does not determine the construction4 ,it is often redundant1 and is prefixed to the word ,elohim where it cannot be a sign of the genitive1 because not immediately preceded by a noun to govern it4 ,thus in the passage above quoted from ,judges xiii4 we read1 and the ,elohim hearkened1 c41 the article being prefixed in the original4 ,so ,gen4 vi4 #aa3 ,the earth also was corrupt before the ,elohim4 ,gen4 xvii4 #ah3 ,and ,abraham said unto the ,elohim4 ,gen4 xxii4 #c1 #i1 xxvii4 #bh1 and many other places4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,no visible ,divine ,appearances ever made except of the ,messiah1 the ,mediator in all the ,relations of ,god to the ,world4 ,having shown that the denominative ,melach1 when coupled with the name ,jehovah1 or the name ,elohim1 or used interchangeably with either of those or with other ,divine names1 is a designation of the ,messiah2 that when that denominative is employed interchangeably with the names ,jehovah1 ,elohim1 or ,adonai1 those names designate the same official ,person2 and that the formulas ,melach ,jehovah and ,melach ,elohim have one and the same personal import and reference1 the way is prepared for an examination of other ,scriptures in which occur the same designations of the delegated ,,one of whom ,moses and the prophets wrote1 the ,,word who was in the beginning1 and by whom all things were created and are upheld4 ,this wonderful ,person often1 in the course of the ancient dispensations1 manifested himself visibly in the likeness of that form which in due time he permanently assumed1 by taking human nature into union with his person4 ,in his delegated official character1 being the agent in all external and visible works and manifestations1 and the medium of all relations between creatures and the ,self-existent1 he was from the beginning the image and acting representative of the invisible ,deity2 delegated of the ,father to accomplish the works which1 pursuant to the counsels of eternity1 belong to his comprehensive administration4 ,to him1 in this character and in distinction from the ,father1 belonged all visible personal manifestations4 ,and hence1 to enforce the necessary discrimination1 and prevent erroneous impressions1 the ,evangelist ,john1 chap4 i41 on announcing the visible ,,word1 the ,,word incarnate1 as the visible expression of the glory of the ,father1 says3 ,no man hath seen ,god 7the ,father7 at any time2 it is see ,campbell's version the only-begotten ,son1 that is in the bosom of the ,father1 who hath made him known4 ,and again1 chap4 vi4 #de3 ,every man that hath heard and learned of the ,father cometh unto me2 not that any man hath seen the ,father2 7or1 as rendered by ,campbell17 not that any man1 except him who is from ,god1 hath seen the ,father4 ,he1 indeed1 hath seen the ,father1 ,again xiv4 #i3 ,he that hath seen me1 hath seen the ,father2 that is1 hath seen the image1 the only visible representative of the ,father4 ,and in his first epistle1 chap4 iv3 ,no man hath seen ,god at any time4 ,if we love one another1 ,god dwelleth in us4 ,and we have seen and do testify that the ,father sent the ,son to be the ,saviour of the world4 ,these statements preclude the supposition of any visible personal appearance during the preceding dispensations1 excepting of the delegated official ,person to whom the revelation of the ,invisible was assigned2 and who when referred to as ,creator is called ,elohim and ,jehovah1 and when referred to as the administrator of ,providence1 or in his relations to individuals and to the house of ,israel1 is called indiscriminately by all the ,divine names and titles1 whether significant especially of his ,divine nature1 or of his official person1 agency or character4 ,in these multiform relations he was the great theme1 as he was the lawgiver1 administrator and revealer of the ancient dispensations2 asserting the same prerogatives and performing the same acts when referred to by official titles1 as when specially denominated ,jehovah or ,elohim4 ,in both cases1 from the nature and historical connection of the acts ascribed to him1 it is evident that the actor was personally one and the same4 ,the word ,elohim is a general term1 employed1 it may be presumed1 originally1 with reference only to the ,supreme ,being1 but subsequently appropriated to imaginary deities4 ,in the ,hebrew ,scriptures it occurs in several forms1 as ,el1 ,elohe1 ,eloah1 ,elohim1 referring sometimes to the ,divine ,being absolutely1 sometimes definitely to the ,father1 sometimes to the ,holy ,spirit1 but commonly to the ,son2 as is the case with corresponding and equivalent designations in the ,new ,testament4 ,the radical idea of this word1 in its simplest form1 is1 according to some ,hebrew lexicographers1 that of interposer1 intervener1 mediator2 derived from the intervention of air and light between all bodies in space1 and indicating the universal agency of the ,divine ,person1 primarily designated as interposer or mediator4 ,and undoubtedly the scope of numerous passages implies this special reference1 though not always apparent1 without reference to other scriptures2 as in ,psalm xlv4 #f3 ,thy throne1 ,elohim1 is for ever and ever2 and cii4 #bd3 ,i said1 ,el1 with the suffix for my1 and rendered ,o my ,god1 take me not away in the midst of my days3 thy years are throughout all generations4 ,of old hast thou laid the foundations of the earth1 and the heavens are the work of thy hands4 ,they shall perish1 c4 ,these passages are quoted1 ,heb4 i41 as having referred expressly to ,christ4 ,hengstenberg1 in his ,christology1 p4 #afj1 vol ,i41 introduces his investigation respecting the character of the ,angel or ,messenger1 in which he designs to show that the alleged essential oneness of the ,messiah with the ,jehovah does not contradict the ,old ,testament doctrine of the unity1 by observing1 that the ,new ,testament makes us acquainted with ,god1 the ,father of ,jesus ,christ1 as a ,spirit1 who1 being every where equally present1 never manifests himself in a sensible form4 ,but besides this concealed ,god1 it makes known to us also a revealed ,god1 associated with him by the oneness of their nature2 the ,son or ,logos1 who has constantly filled up the infinite distance between the ,creator and the creation1 and been the ,mediator in all the relations of ,god to the world and the human race2 who1 even before he became man in the person of ,christ1 was in all ages the light of the world1 and to whom especially the whole direction of the visible ,theocracy belonged4 ,although this doctrine was first unfolded with perfect clearness in the ,new ,testament1 yet we find an essential distinction between the unrevealed and the revealed ,god1 even in the writings of the ,old ,testament4 ,after examining the principal passages which speak of the ,messenger or ,angel ,jehovah1 and showing that they really contain the doctrine of a distinction between the concealed and the revealed ,god1 pp4 #afe-ahb1 he thus concludes1 pp4 #ahc-ahg3 ,we believe then that we have satisfactorily shown that by the ,angel of ,jehovah is to be understood the ,revealer of ,god1 who being a partaker of his ,godhead1 and united with him in the same nature1 was the mediator in all his relations1 first with the patriarchs1 and afterwards with the visible ,theocracy4 ,this ,revealer of ,jehovah then was expected as a great ,restorer in future times4 ,this is evident from those places in the ,old ,testament which ascribe to the ,messiah ,divine names1 attributes1 and works2 for if the ,messiah were ,god1 he could stand1 according to the whole system of the religion of the ,old ,testament1 in no other relation to the ,most ,high ,god than that which the ,angel of ,jehovah was thought to sustain4 ,further1 the passage in ,malachi iii4 #a affords the most distinct testimony in favor of the identity of both4 ,there the ,messiah bears the name of the ,angel of the ,covenant1 either1 according to the general import of the term covenant1 the angel who is the mediator in every engagement between ,god and men1 or1 according to its special meaning1 the angel who established the covenant of ,sinai with the people of ,israel4 ,from this appellation1 therefore1 it appears that the ,messiah is the same as the ,angel ,jehovah1 whose agency in giving the law at ,sinai is not indeed expressly mentioned in the ,mosaic account1 but it is rendered sufficiently certain by analogy1 and by the positive testimony of the prophet4 ,as the ,angel ,jehovah1 in those passages where he is expressly named1 bears interchangeably the names ,jehovah and ,elohim1 so must we often suppose him to be intended1 where ,jehovah only is spoken of throughout4 ,comp4 ,gen4 xxxii4 #bd1 c41 with ,hosea xii4 #d-f1 and ,exod4 xx4 #c1 where the angel is not mentioned1 and ,jehovah says1 ',i am the ,lord thy ,god1 who brought thee up out of the land of ,egypt4' ,allowing it to have been the office of the ,angel ,jehovah in general to act as mediator in the transactions between the invisible ,god and men1 his mediation must be assumed1 in many instances1 where it is not expressly mentioned4 ,this identity of the ,angel of ,jehovah and the ,messiah was acknowledged also by the later ,jews4 ,but what renders this identity indubitably certain is the evidence of the ,new ,testament1 in which ,christ appears as the ,mediator of the ,old ,covenant1 and every thing is attributed to him which in the ,old ,testament is spoken of ,jehovah and his ,revealer4 ,according to ,john xii4 #da1 ,isaiah saw the glory of ,christ and spake of him2 on the other hand1 in the passage referred to1 chap4 vi41 ,isaiah saw the glory of ,jehovah4 #a ,cor4 x4 #i1 it is said1 ',neither let us tempt ,christ1 as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents4' ,according to this passage1 therefore1 ,christ was the leader of the ,israelites through the wilderness1 and was tempted by them4 ,on the other hand1 the ,pentateuch relates that they were led by the ,angel ,jehovah2 and in ,numb4 xxi4 #e-g1 that they tempted ,jehovah4 #a ,pet4 i4 #aj declares that the ,spirit of ,christ spake by the prophets3 but the prophets themselves always refer to ,jehovah as the source of their predictions4 ,according to ,heb4 xi4 #bf1 ,moses preferred reproach for the sake of ,christ1 to the treasures of ,egypt3 the narrative in ,exodus informs us that he sacrificed every thing to the service of ,jehovah4 ,according to ,heb4 xii4 #bf1 at the giving of the law1 the voice of ,christ shook the earth3 in ,exodus this was done by ,jehovah4 ,we must in a certain respect distinguish between the ,angel ,jehovah and the ,son of ,god1 and not1 with the ,fathers and most of the old theologians1 venture to say that they are perfectly identical4 ,that the ,mediator of the ,new ,testament was also1 as the ,angel ,jehovah1 the ,mediator in all the relations of ,god to the people of the ,old ,testament1 was1 with the exception of the above named ,fathers1 the unanimous opinion of the ancient ,church4 ,after quoting a list of authorities1 he concludes3 ,let us now briefly sum up the result of the preceding investigation4 ,in the prophetic ,scriptures1 a divine as well as human nature is attributed to the ,messiah2 and yet every polytheistic idea is excluded by the assumption of his essential unity with the ,most ,high ,god4 ,it was expected that the ,angel or ,revealer of ,jehovah1 who had often before made himself occasionally visible1 and acted as the ,mediator between ,god and the people1 in all their transactions1 would assume human nature in the person of the ,messiah1 and redeem and bless both ,jews and ,gentiles4 ,here the question yet arises3 ,if the distinction between the revealed and the unrevealed ,god was already made known under the ,old ,testament1 wherein is the ,new ,testament in this respect superior to the ,old8 ,the preference consists in this3 ,under the ,old ,testament the distinction was necessarily kept more out of view1 and hence might easily appear to be founded not so much on a relation in the ,godhead itself1 as on a relation to those to whom the revelation was made4 ,in the ,old ,testament1 the ,mediator commonly spoke and acted in the name of ,god1 whom he revealed4 ,nor could it be otherwise before the ,logos had become flesh4 ,hence the ,revealer and ,he who was revealed in a manner lost themselves in each other4 ,but under the ,new ,testament1 on the contrary1 they appeared distinguished from each other1 as ,father and ,son4 ,religion thus gained a two-fold advantage4 ,it became more spiritual1 and at the same time more an object of sense3 more spiritual1 by the exclusion of those limited conceptions of the spirituality1 the omniscience1 and the omnipresence of ,god which arose from confounding the ,revealer with him who was revealed2 more an object of sense1 because the ,son of ,god1 in his life1 sufferings1 and death1 brought the ,divine ,being nearer to man than was possible in the transient appearances of the ,angel under the ,old ,testament4 ,but such a condescension of the ,deity to fallen man is indispensable to his becoming like ,god4 ,on these passages it may be observed1 that in what the author says of the ,mediator having constantly filled up the infinite distance between the ,creator and the creation1 he proceeds on the common theory that the invisible1 the concealed ,god1 in distinction from the personal ,word1 is the ,creator4 ,this is inconsistent with the preceding statement1 that he never manifests himself in a sensible form3 for ,he who created1 upholds and governs1 appeared personally and visibly to ,abraham1 ,jacob1 ,moses and others1 as ,jehovah1 gave the law at ,sinai1 and was the leader of ,israel4 ,with respect to the distinction which he refers to as existing in a certain respect between the ,angel of ,jehovah and the ,son of ,god1 it is presumed that he considered the latter title as applicable to the second ,person of the ,trinity1 eternally1 and as designating that ,person anterior to his appointment as ,mediator1 and without reference to his incarnation or his official work in any respect4 ,the doctrine which he ascribes to the ,fathers is presumed to be1 that the official ,person who is called the ,angel ,jehovah1 and who took on him the seed of ,abraham1 was identically the same ,person before and after the accession and union of man's nature to the ,divine2 and that he was designated as the same person by the phrase1 the ,son of ,god4 ,in the passages above quoted1 where the preposition of is not inserted between the words ,angel and ,jehovah1 the author gives the ,hebrew words4 ,when he translates them1 he inserts the preposition4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,appearances of the ,messenger ,jehovah to ,abraham and to ,jacob4 ,in the narrative of ,abraham's offering of ,isaac1 ,gen4 xxii41 we read that ,melach ,jehovah called unto him out of heaven1 and said1 ,lay not thine hand upon the lad1 for ,i know that thou fearest ,elohim1 seeing thou hast not withheld thy son1 thine only son1 from me4 ,and ,melach ,jehovah called unto ,abraham out of heaven the second time1 and said1 ,by myself have ,i sworn1 saith ,jehovah1 for because thou hast done this thing1 and hast not withheld thy son1 thine only son1 ,that in blessing ,i will bless thee1 because thou hast obeyed my voice4 ,at the commencement of this narrative it is said that 7the7 ,elohim did tempt ,abraham1 i4 e41 try him in respect to his faith and obedience4 ,and he said1 ,take now thy son1 thine only son ,isaac1 whom thou lovest1 and get thee into the land of ,moriah1 and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which ,i will tell thee of4 ,and ,abraham went unto the place of which 7the7 ,elohim had told him4 ,there he built an altar1 and having bound ,isaac he laid him on the altar1 and took the knife to slay him2 when ,melach ,jehovah called to him1 forbade the intended sacrifice1 and said1 ,i know that thou fearest ,elohim1 seeing thou hast not withheld thy son from me4 ,from this it is evident that the offering was intended to be made1 and was virtually made1 to ,melach ,jehovah4 ,for ,by faith ,abraham when he was tried offered up ,isaac2 accounting that ,god was able to raise him up from the dead1 from whence also he received him in a figure4 ,heb4 xi4 ,his faith1 in this extraordinary act of worship1 had immediate respect to the delegated ,messenger ,jehovah1 then and ever the resurrection and the life4 ,he was the ,divine speaker on the occasion1 his voice it was that ,abraham obeyed1 and to him he rendered the highest acts of homage and obedience4 ,it was in his official name1 as well as in that of ,elohim1 that he spoke to ,abraham1 and to him in all respects the scene evidently refers4 ,after offering the animal provided in place of ,isaac1 he discerned an import and a reference in the transaction1 which were to be fulfilled on the same mount at a future day2 and he therefore named the place ,jehovah-,jireh1 importing that what was signified by his offering would be realized and witnessed there1 and giving rise to a saying expressive of that result1 and pointing no doubt1 so explicitly as not to be misunderstood1 to the sacrifice of ,christ3 namely1 ,in the mount of ,jehovah it shall be seen2 or1 according to ,warburton1 ,book vi4 sec4 #e1 ,in the mount ,jehovah shall be seen4 ,in the narrative of ,jacob's departure from ,laban1 ,gen4 xxi41 he says3 ,melach 7the7 ,elohim spake unto me in a dream1 and he said1 ,i have seen all that ,laban doeth unto thee4 ,i am the ,el of ,beth-,el1 where thou anointedst the pillar1 and where thou vowedst a vow unto me4 ,here the ,messenger ,jehovah declares himself to be the ,god of ,beth-,el1 and that the vow made there was made to him4 ,in chap4 xxviii41 where that transaction is related1 he is announced1 not by this special name of office1 but by other designations1 showing that in his official character he was familiarly recognized by the various ,divine names1 whether employed separately or conjointly4 ,and ,jacob awaked and said1 ,surely ,jehovah is in this place2 this is the house of ,elohim3 and ,jacob vowed a vow1 saying1 ,if ,elohim will be with me1 c41 then shall ,jehovah be my ,elohe4 ,there is in the history of ,jacob another striking illustration of this usage4 ,on his way from ,padan-aram1 after his interview with ,esau1 he came to ,shalem in the land of ,canaan and pitched his tent there1 and built an altar which he called ,el-,elohe-,israel4 ,subsequently ,elohim said unto ,jacob1 ,arise1 go up to ,beth-,el1 and dwell there2 and make there an altar unto ,el that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of ,esau thy brother4 ,then ,jacob said unto his household1 ,let us arise and go up to ,beth-,el1 and ,i will make there an altar unto ,el who answered me in the day of my distress1 and was with me in the way which ,i went4 ,so ,jacob come to ,beth-,el1 and he built there an altar1 and called the place ,el-,beth-,el1 because there 7the7 ,elohim appeared unto him1 when he fled from the face of his brother4 ,and ,elohim appeared unto ,jacob again2 and ,elohim said unto him1 ,thy name is ,jacob3 thy name shall not be called any more ,jacob1 but ,isra-,el shall be thy name4 ,and ,elohim said unto him1 ,i am ,el-,shadai1 7,god ,almighty47 ,and ,elohim went up from him in the place where he talked with him4 ,chap4 xxxv4 ,but ,he who visibly appeared to1 and wrestled with him on the occasion referred to1 ,gen4 xxxii41 and whom he saw face to face1 was ,elohim in the likeness of man1 and is called by ,hosea ,melach1 the ,messenger1 even ,jehovah ,elohe of ,zebaoth4 ,the above-mentioned appearance of ,elohim to ,jacob was doubtless a visible appearance1 for after talking with ,jacob1 ,elohim went up from him and from the place of meeting4 ,and it is clear that the same ,person who before was called a man is here called ,elohim4 ,probably in other instances1 where ,jehovah or ,elohim is said to appear1 as to ,isaac1 ,gen4 xxvi4 #b1 #bd1 and to ,abraham and others on various occasions1 were visible personal appearances4 ,another instance in the history of ,jacob1 in which the official designation ,melach occurs interchangeably with ,elohim1 is ,gen4 xlviii4 #ae3 ,and he blessed ,joseph and said1 7,the7 ,elohim1 before whom my fathers ,abraham and ,isaac did walk1 7the7 ,elohim which fed me all my life long unto this day1 the ,melach which redeemed me from all evil1 bless the lads4 ,the identity of ,person here is made emphatic by the article prefixed to each designation4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,references to various ,appearances of ,jehovah and ,elohim to the ,patriarchs4 ,it is evident from the preceding illustrations that during the patriarchal dispensation1 the personal ,word1 ,jehovah in the delegated character of ,messiah1 appeared visibly in the form of man1 and was recognized under official and other ,divine designations1 appropriated separately and interchangeably to the one manifested and acting interposer and agent in the works of creation1 providence and redemption4 ,there are in the records of that dispensation numerous collateral evidences and implications to the same effect1 which may be comprised under what relates to personal designations and appearances1 the import and reference of sacrificial offerings1 the places1 manner1 and immediate object of worship1 prayer1 faith and trust1 and the familiarity of intercourse on the part of the ,divine administrator of ,providence and guardian of his people during that economy4 ,as a further evidence that the instances in which it is said that ,elohim or ,jehovah appeared to ,abraham or others were local1 personal1 visible appearances1 it may be observed that on the occasion mentioned1 ,gen4 xvii41 it is said that ,jehovah appeared to him3 ,and he left off talking with him1 and ,elohim went up from ,abraham2 as in a passage before referred to1 chap4 xxxv41 that ,elohim appeared unto ,jacob2 and ,elohim went up from him in the place where he talked with him4 ,the word translated went up1 signifies to ascend1 to go up1 c41 and is of frequent occurrence4 ,thus1 ,ps4 lxviii4 #ah3 ,thou hast ascended up on high1 thou hast led captivity1 c42 quoted and applied to ,christ1 ,eph4 iv4 ,judges xiii4 #bj3 ,when the flame went up towards heaven from off the altar1 ,melach ,jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar4 ,ezekiel xi4 #bc3 ,and the glory of ,jehovah went up from the midst of the city1 and stood upon the mountain4 ,gen4 xix4 #bh3 ,the smoke of the country went up1 as the smoke of a furnace4 ,the like evidence as to the local1 personal presence of ,jehovah on such occasions1 results from the use of the word translated came down1 descended1 where his presence or the local exercise of his prerogatives is mentioned4 ,thus1 with reference to ,babel and the dispersion3 ,jehovah came down to see the city and the tower4444 ,so ,jehovah scattered them abroad1 c4 ,gen4 xi4 #e4 ,so on the occasion of his first visible appearance to ,moses3 ,melach ,jehovah appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush4 ,moses hid his face1 for he was afraid to look upon ,elohim4 ,and ,jehovah said1 ,i am come down to deliver them1 c4 ,exod4 iii4 ,again3 ,jehovah came down upon mount ,sinai1 on the top of the mount2 and ,jehovah called ,moses up to the top of the mount1 and ,moses went up4 ,exod4 xix4 #bj4 ,and when ,moses took the two tables of stone up to the top of ,sinai1 ,jehovah descended in the cloud and stood with him there1 and proclaimed the name of ,jehovah4 ,exod4 xxxv4 ,at the consecration of the seventy elders1 ,jehovah came down in a cloud1 and spake unto ,moses4 ,numbers xi4 #be4 ,at the sedition of ,miriam and ,aaron1 ,jehovah came down in the pillar of the cloud1 and stood in the door of the tabernacle1 and said1 ,hear now my words4 ,ibid4 xii4 #e4 ,these and various other passages clearly import a personal descent in a visible form2 and no less clearly indicate1 by the titles1 occasions and acts narrated1 that it was the delegated ,one1 the ,word1 to whom all such manifestations refer1 conformably to the allusion to the ascension of ,christ1 ,ephes4 iv43 ,he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens4 ,the word translated appeared1 in all the instances of local personal manifestation1 literally means appeared visibly1 was seen2 as ,gen4 i4 #i3 ,let the dry land appear2 ,gen4 viii4 #e3 ,the tops of the mountains were seen2 and vii4 #a3 ,thee have ,i seen righteous2 ix4 #ad3 ,the bow shall be seen2 xxxi4 #db3 ,elohim hath seen mine affliction2 xlviii4 #c3 ,el-,shadai appeared unto me at ,luz2 literally1 was seen by me4 ,judges xiii4 #bb3 ,we have seen ,elohim4 ,exod4 xxiv4 #aj3 ,and they saw the ,elohe of ,israel4 ,this will be further illustrated by reference to particular instances mentioned in the book of ,genesis4 ,and ,jehovah appeared unto ,abram1 and said1 ,unto thy seed will ,i give this land3 and there builded he an altar unto ,jehovah who appeared unto him4 ,chap4 lxii4 #g4 ,that this was a visible manifestation1 is indicated not only by the obvious import of the terms employed1 but by ,abram's building an altar1 and consecrating the locality as a place of worship1 and of typical offerings to ,jehovah4 ,again1 chap4 xvii4 #a3 ,jehovah appeared to ,abram1 and said unto him1 ,i am ,el-,shadai2 walk before me1 and be thou perfect4 ,and ,abram fell on his face2 and ,elohim talked with him1 saying1 c4 ,after changing his name to ,abraham1 and that of his wife to ,sarah1 announcing a covenant with him1 hearing his prayer for ,ishmael1 and giving sundry promises and directions1 ,elohim left off talking with him1 and went up from ,abraham4 ,the language1 and all the circumstances and details of this interview1 imply a local1 personal1 visible presence of ,jehovah4 ,the next instance1 chap4 xviii41 is that in which ,jehovah appeared to ,abraham in the plains of ,mamre1 in the likeness of man2 was entertained by him1 walked and conversed with1 and heard his requests in behalf of the righteous in ,sodom3 which undoubtedly was a local1 visible1 personal appearance of ,jehovah the ,word4 ,in the #bfth chapter we read that ,isaac went to ,gerar1 ,and ,jehovah appeared unto him1 and said1 ,go not down into ,egypt1 c4 ,afterwards he removed to ,beersheba1 ,and ,jehovah appeared unto him1 and said1 ,i am the ,elohe of ,abraham thy father3 fear not1 for ,i am with thee1 c4 ,and he builded an altar there1 and called upon the name of ,jehovah1 and pitched his tent there4 ,at these interviews the same promises substantially respecting his descendants were made to him1 that had been made to ,abraham1 with the same introductory formula concerning the appearance of the ,divine speaker2 and considering that ,isaac built an altar and fixed his residence at ,beersheba1 worshipped1 doubtless presenting typical offerings on the altar1 and consecrating that as the place of his future worship in the confidence of its being thereafter a place of ,divine manifestation1 there seems to be very ample ground to conclude that these were local1 personal1 and visible appearances1 similar in their form1 as they were in their object1 to those vouchsafed to ,abraham4 ,the first instance to be noticed in the history of ,jacob1 is referred to in chap4 xlviii4 #c3 ,and ,jacob said unto ,joseph1 ,el-,shadai appeared unto me at ,luz1 and blessed me1 c4 ,the occasion was that of his vision of a ladder3 ,and ,jehovah stood above it and said1 ,i am ,jehovah ,elohe of ,abraham2 see chap4 xxviii4 ,subsequently1 chap4 xxxv41 he was directed to return and reside at that place4 ,elohim said unto ,jacob1 ,arise1 go up to ,bethel1 and make there an altar unto ,el1 that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of ,esau4 ,and he built there an altar1 and called the place ,el-,beth-,el2 because there 7the7 ,elohim appeared unto him1 when he fled1 c4 ,the repetition of the word appeared in these passages1 its implied significance as a reason for building an altar1 the occasion referred to1 and the object of speaking of it to ,joseph1 indicate a memorable personal1 visible appearance at the place specified4 ,and ,elohim appeared unto ,jacob again1 and said unto him1 ,i am ,el-,shadai2 and ,elohim went up from him in the place where he talked with him1 chap4 #ce3 which can hardly be taken for any other than a local and visible presence4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,of the ,doctrines1 ,worship1 and ,faith of those earliest mentioned in ,scripture--,reference to the ,history of ,moses1 ,noah1 ,joshua4 ,waiving for the present a notice of many analogous instances in other parts of ,scripture1 it may be observed that there are1 in the history of the patriarchs1 a variety of statements and expressions which1 from the occasions to which they relate1 the connections in which they occur1 or the things specified1 naturally imply the local personal presence of the ,divine speaker1 especially when considered in connection with the instances in which it is clearly shown that he was visibly present4 ,in the course of that history there are numerous intimations that the worshippers of ,jehovah had places appropriated to their religious services1 where they offered prayers and sacrifices1 and where1 by an audible voice1 he held immediate and familiar converse with them4 ,thus in the first recorded instance of worship1 ,gen4 iv41 we read that ,cain1 and ,abel also1 brought an offering unto ,jehovah4 ,and ,jehovah had respect unto ,abel and to his offering3 but unto ,cain and his offering he had not respect2 and ,cain was very wroth1 and his countenance fell4 ,and ,jehovah said unto ,cain1 ,why art thou wroth8 and why is thy countenance fallen8 ,it is apparent from this narrative1 and from their dissimilar occupations1 that they prepared their offerings not in concert1 but separately from each other2 that they brought them to the same place at the same time2 that they respectively offered them to ,jehovah2 and that he was present in such a way as to be recognized by them1 for he immediately indicated to their apprehension and conviction his acceptance of one and rejection of the other1 and spoke directly and pointedly to ,cain4 ,after his slaughter of ,abel1 and probably on his resorting again to the place of worship and ,divine manifestation1 ,jehovah spoke again to him1 and pronounced a curse upon him for his crime2 to which ,cain replied1 as though not unaccustomed to speak to ,jehovah1 and said1 among other things1 as though conscious that he was excommunicated and banished from the consecrated place3 ,from thy face shall ,i be hid1 and ,i shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth4444 ,and ,cain went out from the presence of ,jehovah4 ,strongly implying that he had been accustomed to the visible presence1 and had seen ,jehovah1 and that banishment from that place forbade the hope of such vision of him again4 ,it is evident from the details and circumstances of this scene1 and from references to it in other parts of ,scripture1 that there was no want of intelligence in either of the parties1 as to the nature and import of their offerings1 the ritual and reference which they implied1 or the righteous discrimination and the moral bearing and significance of the verdicts and consequences in their respective cases4 ,cain was of the wicked one1 a disciple and servant of the great adversary1 and slew his brother because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous4 ,he knew1 as the questions which ,jehovah addressed to him imply1 that if he did well1 if with the like faith he made an offering like that of ,abel1 he would in like manner be accepted2 and that he had no just ground to be angry1 or even to be disappointed on being rejected for taking a contrary course4 ,but he brought--not like ,abel a sin offering1 implying a conviction and acknowledgment of his personal sinfulness1 and of his faith in that great expiatory sacrifice to which his typical offering owed all its significance--but an offering of fruits1 an expression of acknowledgment to the ,creator1 which implied no acknowledgment on his part of his being a sinner and needing a ,saviour1 or of his having any faith in the prefigured atonement1 or any disposition to conform to the ritual of worship4 ,the faith of ,abel exhibited on this occasion was1 like that of ,abraham1 effectual to his justification2 a faith in the person1 sacrifice1 and righteousness of the ,divine ,redeemer2 and is the first on the illustrious roll recorded1 ,heb4 xi4 ,and from the nature of the case1 as well as from the particulars of the narrative1 we must conclude that his offering was in all respects an example of conformity to the ritual of worship instituted by ,jehovah1 that it comprised not merely firstlings of his flock1 but such as had all the characteristics which are specified in subsequent records2 that it was made by fire on an altar1 at a place appropriated to that object2 that it was a medium of his faith and an expression of his homage and obedience1 solely by reason of its reference to the person and prefiguration of the atoning sacrifice of ,christ2 and that it was rendered to that ,person then locally present1 in the form which he was at length permanently to assume1 and in which his sacrifice of himself was to be made4 ,so far at least as these particulars are concerned1 the ritual and rationale of the worship prescribed does not appear to have been changed during the patriarchial dispensation1 nor in that which ensued1 though in the ,mosaic ritual many details were added on the basis of those originally prescribed4 ,the method of acceptable worship1 the immediate object of homage1 and the faith which was unto salvation1 continued the same2 and it is clear from the narratives in various instances1 that burnt offerings1 typical sacrifices1 were made to the delegated one1 personating the promised ,seed1 under the designation of ,jehovah1 or ,melach ,jehovah1 when he was locally and visibly present4 ,it is to be considered that ,moses wrote about #bejj years after the creation2 that the children of ,israel had retained the language and customs of their ancestors1 so as to render it superfluous to particularize either the religious or civil institutions of earlier times1 any farther than was necessary to the personal narratives or historical notices of individuals and families4 ,they understood and practised what had been handed down from the beginning through ,noah1 ,abraham1 ,jacob1 and others1 and though to some extent infected with the idolatrous spirit of the ,egyptians1 were familiar with the ritual1 the sacrifices and offerings1 and other institutions of the revealed system of religion4 ,moreover1 all that concerned their religious doctrines and rites was1 under his ministry1 renewed1 and with new revelations and ordinances set forth in writing for their instruction1 and that of their successors4 ,hence the scanty1 and for the most part merely incidental1 mention of things of that nature in his retrospective history4 ,it by no means follows from the brevity and infrequency of his notices1 that such men as ,abel1 ,enoch1 ,lamech1 ,noah1 ,shem1 ,job1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 whose united lives extended from the first institution of religious rites down to the settlement of ,israel in ,egypt1 had not a clear and comprehensive knowledge of all the leading truths and essential doctrines of revealed religion1 which were known to ,moses or any of his successors prior to the advent of ,christ4 ,on the contrary1 judging from the characters and relations which they sustained1 the personal converse with ,jehovah which most of them are recorded to have had1 and the references made to several of them in the prophets and in the ,new ,testament1 we must conclude that they had such knowledge4 ,they received instruction directly from the ,great ,revealer4 ,most of them were1 at times1 inspired1 and prophesied4 ,and one might as well conclude that ,solomon did not understand even the simplest forms of numerical computation1 because mathematics are not mentioned among the subjects upon which he spoke or wrote1 as to conclude1 because so little is recorded of them in detail by ,moses1 that these men of world-wide celebrity for their religious faith and practice1 and their eminence as princes and heads of nations1 did not understand the doctrines and the faith which they professed1 and for which they are set forth as examples to ,christian believers under the present dispensation4 ,the possession of such knowledge on their part1 and the reality of the local presence and often the visible appearance of the ,messiah1 the ,messenger ,jehovah1 may be illustrated by reference to the personal history of ,moses1 ,noah1 and ,joshua1 and to the use of terms by them and by other sacred writers4 ,after the children of ,israel had sojourned in ,egypt about four hundred years1 ,moses was called to conduct them to the land of promise4 ,by oppressive laws and rigorous exactions under a new dynasty of kings towards the close of the period of their bondage1 they were greatly depressed4 ,at the birth of ,moses1 however1 there were those who had faith1 and the knowledge of the true religion was by no means generally effaced4 ,in the exercise of faith his parents concealed him three months4 ,the children of ,israel sighed by reason of their bondage1 and they cried1 and their cry came up unto the ,elohim by reason of the bondage4 ,and ,elohim heard their groaning1 and ,elohim remembered his covenant with ,abraham1 with ,isaac1 and with ,jacob2 and ,elohim looked upon the children of ,israel1 and ,elohim had respect unto them4 ,exod4 ii4 ,the people generally1 it would seem1 cried to the ,elohe of their fathers for relief1 and were heard and regarded4 ,though from childhood to the age of forty ,moses was one of the family and court of ,pharaoh1 and probably1 therefore1 could have had no peculiar advantages of instruction in the true religion1 he nevertheless had such knowledge and experience of it1 that by faith1 when he was come to years1 he refused to be called the son of ,pharaoh's daughter2 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of ,god than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season2 esteeming the reproach of ,christ greater riches than the treasures of ,egypt3 for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward4 ,heb4 xi4 ,in this brief testimony concerning him1 we clearly recognize the faith of ,abraham1 and of the prophets and martyrs of later times4 ,he made no compromises with the honors1 riches1 or pleasures of the world1 but renounced them4 ,he sought not to serve two masters4 ,he clearly discerned what distinguished the people of ,god from idolaters and unbelievers1 and was well aware of the afflictions and trials which were consequent on their faith1 and their allegiance and obedience to the ,messiah1 the ,divine ,mediator1 the ,messenger ,jehovah1 the ,christ4 ,in the certain prospect of affliction1 reproaches1 and sufferings1 he chose publicly to manifest his faith and allegiance by his conduct4 ,he forsook the court of ,pharaoh1 renounced the pleasures of sin and the riches of ,egypt1 and welcomed the cross4 ,in the family of ,jethro1 the priest of ,midian1 he probably found true worshippers1 and met with nothing detrimental to his sentiments2 and by the scene in which the ,messenger ,jehovah visibly appeared to him1 doubtless his faith was so confirmed1 and his knowledge increased1 as to qualify him for the extraordinary services to which he was called4 ,hence we further read of him that1 after the miracles and plagues by which ,pharaoh was at length made to yield1 ,by faith he forsook ,egypt1 not fearing the wrath of the king4444 ,and by faith he kept the passover and the sprinkling of blood4 ,heb4 xi4 ,now it is in the light of his character as thus referred to--of his knowledge and experience of the true religion as held by the people of ,god then and in earlier times--of his faith in the person and mediatorial work of the ,messiah--that we are to regard him as the writer of the primeval and patriarchal history2 and if it is evident that he recognized the ,messiah in the person of the ,messenger ,jehovah1 and that in all his subsequent narratives he designated the same official person by the terms ,jehovah1 ,elohim1 and ,elohe1 as well as by the terms ,messenger1 ,adon1 and ,adonai1 then it is safe to conclude that he intended to designate the same ,person by the same terms in the earlier history4 ,at the period of the legation of ,moses1 the word ,elohim was in familiar use in ,egypt and among the ,israelites as the designation of the object of religious homage2 very probably it was the only name of ,god known to the people generally4 ,moses accordingly1 in the first two chapters of ,exodus1 which probably were written before the book of ,genesis1 employs that name only4 ,the third chapter opens with the announcement of the ,messenger ,jehovah appearing in the bush1 and in its progress applies to him indifferently the names ,elohim and ,jehovah2 and in the fourth and ensuing chapters1 the same1 and ,adonai and ,el-,shadai1 but most frequently ,jehovah4 ,if now we suppose the book of ,genesis to have been written by him after the events in ,egypt1 at the ,red ,sea1 and at mount ,sinai1 and the setting up of the tabernacle1 7which occurred about twelve months after the exodus17 where the people1 though generally familiar only with the name ,elohim1 must have become in some degree used to the name ,jehovah1 we may perhaps discern a fitness and beauty in the first announcements of the ,creator in ,genesis2 where1 in the first chapter and the first three verses of the second1 the name ,elohim only is used2 in the second1 from the fourth verse1 the name ,jehovah ,elohim1 and in the ensuing chapters these names separately and conjointly1 and various other designations1 as ,melach ,jehovah1 ,adonai1 and ,el-,shadai4 ,in numerous instances the article is prefixed to the name ,elohim1 as if emphatically to designate the ,god of ,israel1 the ,creator1 as the true ,elohim1 in distinction from the false god of idolaters4 ,by this method he recalled1 and restablished in the minds of the people1 all the ,divine designations known to the patriarchs of preceding ages1 and their reference and applicability as designations to the one mediatorial ,person2 rendering it plain that the ,elohim of the ,israelites in ,egypt1 and of the first chapter of ,genesis1 was identical with ,jehovah1 ,melach the ,messenger1 ,adonai1 c4 ,in this view the resemblance of the first verses of the ,gospel of ,john is noticeable1 considering that it was his object to identify the ,christ1 as he appeared visibly incarnate1 with ,elohim the ,creator announced in the first verses of ,genesis4 ,let it then be observed that in the narrative1 ,exod4 iii4 and iv41 it is evident that one ,divine personage only is referred to and designated by the several titles which are employed4 ,that ,divine personage appeared to ,moses in the established or visible glory1 the bright cloud-like envelope so familiar afterwards on mount ,sinai and in the tabernacle4 ,moses1 recording this appearance1 says1 ,the ,messenger ,jehovah appeared to him4 ,this was a person bearing an official title--one sent--the ,messenger of the ,covenant1 for whose appearance incarnate ,john ,baptist was to prepare the way1 ,mal4 iii4 ,moses turned to behold the sight4 ,and when ,jehovah1 he who appeared in the visible glory1 the ,messenger1 saw that he turned aside to see1 ,elohim1 that is1 the person in the visible ,shaking1 called unto him out of the midst of the bush1 444 and said1 ,i am the ,elohe of thy father1 the ,elohe of ,abraham1 the ,elohe of ,isaac1 and the ,elohe of ,jacob4 ,and ,moses hid his face2 for he was afraid to look upon ,elohim2 that is1 upon the ineffable glory of the ,person1 the ,messenger ,jehovah1 the ,elohim1 who thus visibly appeared to him4 ,and ,jehovah said1 ,i have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in ,egypt1 and have heard their cry1 444 and ,i am come down to deliver them3 come down as a ,person1 so as to be locally and visibly present4 ,the ,elohim to whom the children of ,israel cried1 7chap4 ii417 and who heard their cry1 is1 on his first appearing visibly1 called the ,messenger ,jehovah1 and here announces himself to be ,jehovah who had heard their cry and come down to deliver them4 ,so surely therefore as these acts of seeing the affliction of the people1 hearing their cry1 coming down1 and speaking to ,moses1 are the acts of a ,person1 this narrative and these several designations relate to one and the same ,person2 and this ,person is shown to be the ,messiah by his official title4 ,it being thus manifest that1 as a ,person locally and visibly appearing1 these several designations were equally applicable to him1 ,moses in the next ensuing verses calls him ,elohim1 and asks by what name he shall designate him to the children of ,israel4 ,it is to be observed that there is no record of any visible appearance of the ,messenger ,jehovah prior to this since the days of ,jacob2 and it is probable that the names ,jehovah and ,messenger ,jehovah1 though known to the true worshippers1 were not familiar to the people generally4 ,but these designations being peculiar1 and more distinguishing than that of ,elohim1 which was in common use among idolaters1 were now to be proclaimed and brought into familiar use4 ,and ,elohim said unto ,moses1 ,i am that ,i am2 and he said1 ,thus shalt thou say unto the children of ,israel1 ,i ,,am hath sent me unto you3 expressions equivalent to those of ,john1 ,in him was life1 ,i am he that liveth2 that is1 the self-existent4 ,and ,elohim said moreover unto ,moses1 ,thus shalt thou say unto the children of ,israel1 ,jehovah ,elohe of your fathers1 the ,elohe of ,abraham1 the ,elohe of ,isaac1 and the ,elohe of ,jacob1 hath sent me unto you4444 ,go and gather the elders of ,israel together1 and say unto them1 ,jehovah ,elohe of your fathers1 the ,elohe of ,abraham1 of ,isaac and of ,jacob1 appeared unto me1 saying1 ,i have surely visited you and seen that which is done to you in ,egypt4 ,but it was the ,messenger ,jehovah who appeared to him1 and speaking from the midst of the bush said1 ,i am the ,elohe of thy father1 the ,elohe of ,abraham1 the ,elohe of ,isaac1 and the ,elohe of ,jacob4444 ,i have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in ,egypt1 and have heard their cry4 ,again3 ,the elders of ,israel shall hearken to thy voice1 and thou shalt come1 thou and the elders of ,israel1 unto the king of ,egypt1 and ye shall say unto him1 ,jehovah ,elohe of the ,hebrews hath met with us4444 ,and now let us go that we may sacrifice to ,jehovah our ,elohe4 ,jehovah ,elohe of the ,hebrews1 and the ,angel ,jehovah who appeared to ,moses1 is therefore one and the same ,person4 ,the ,messenger ,jehovah1 the ,person who locally and visibly met with ,moses1 was the ,elohe of the patriarchial dispensation4 ,in what follows1 chap4 iv41 for the encouragement and confirmation of ,moses1 the power of working miracles is imparted to him by ,jehovah1 that the people might believe that ,jehovah ,elohe of their fathers1 the ,elohe of ,abraham1 and the ,elohe of ,isaac1 and the ,elohe of ,jacob1 hath appeared unto thee4 ,by thus demonstrating the reality of the appearance1 he would no less conclusively show that the appearance of the ,messenger ,jehovah was no other than the appearance locally and personally of the ,elohe of their fathers4 ,jehovah1 still conversing with ,moses1 said1 7verse #aa17 ,who hath made man's mouth1 or who maketh the dumb1 or deaf1 or the seeing1 or the blind8 ,have not ,i1 ,jehovah8 ,now therefore go1 and ,i will be with thy mouth1 and teach thee what thou shalt say4 ,here the same ,person1 the ,messenger1 asserts the prerogatives of ,creator1 and the office of prophet or teacher4 ,when ,moses and ,aaron had gathered the elders of ,israel1 ,aaron spake all the words which ,jehovah had spoken unto ,moses1 and did the signs in the sight of the people4 ,and the people believed2 and when they heard that ,jehovah1 that is1 the ,messenger1 had visited the children of ,israel1 and that he had looked upon their afflictions1 which the ,messenger asserted of himself1 then they bowed their heads and worshipped4 ,in the progress of the narrative1 and throughout the writings of ,moses1 the use of the same ,divine appellations as in chap4 iii4 and iv41 indifferently and interchangeably1 with reference to the same acts1 leaves no room to doubt but that the same ,divine personage is uniformly referred to4 ,generally1 that ,person is called ,jehovah when he speaks to ,moses4 ,when he appears visibly1 as in the cloudy pillar1 he is called the ,messenger ,jehovah4 ,when his attributes or relations1 as in covenant1 are referred to1 he is called the ,elohe4 ,in all cases alike he is the official ,person1 the ,messiah1 the ,messenger of the ,covenant4 ,hence ,stephen1 ,acts vii41 referring to the whole period of ,moses' intercourse with him1 says1 ,this ,moses is he that was in the church in the wilderness with the ,messenger which spake to him in the mount ,sinai1 and with our fathers1 who received the lively oracles to give unto us4 ,thus it was the ,messenger who spoke to ,moses and to the elders and people at mount ,sinai1 though he is there called ,jehovah and ,elohim4 ,and ,jehovah said unto ,moses1 ,lo1 ,i come unto thee in a thick cloud1 that the people may hear when ,i speak with thee1 and believe thee for ever4444 ,and ,jehovah came down upon mount ,sinai on the top of the mount4444 ,and ,elohim spake all these words1 saying1 ,i am ,jehovah thy ,elohe1 which have brought thee out of the land of ,egypt1 c4444 ,and the people at the close of the scene said unto ,moses1 ,speak thou with us1 and we will hear1 but let not ,elohim speak with us lest we die4 ,exod4 xix41 xx4 ,here the several ,divine appellations are by ,moses employed to designate the ,person whom ,stephen calls the ,messenger4 ,and ,moses1 ,deut4 v41 says1 ,jehovah talked with you face to face in the mount1 out of the midst of the fire4 ,once more1 ,exod4 xiv4 #ai1 ,moses1 speaking of the passage of the ,israelites through the sea1 says1 ,the ,messenger ,elohim1 which went before the camp of ,israel1 removed and went behind them2 and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face1 and stood behind them3 and it came between the camp of the ,egyptians and the camp of ,israel1 and it was a cloud and darkness to them1 but it gave light by night to these4 ,here the same ,person who is elsewhere called the ,messenger ,jehovah1 is called the ,messenger ,elohim4 ,this ,person1 and his change of position1 are distinguished from the cloudy pillar1 and its removal from the front to the rear of the camp4 ,the ,divine acts which ensued are ascribed to ,jehovah2 among which we are told that ,jehovah looked unto the host of the ,egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud1 and troubled the host of the ,egyptians4 ,but it was the ,messenger who was in the pillar of fire1 7the ,shekina17 and who therefore looked through the pillar of cloud which had been interposed between him and the ,egyptians4 ,suppose the ,israelites under ,moses to have had a knowledge1 by previous revelations1 of the truth concerning the person and work of ,christ1 and the way of salvation through him4 ,in that case1 such revelations not being committed to writing prior to ,moses1 but having been matter of oral instruction1 were significantly expressed in an outward and visible manner by typical sacrifices1 and other religious rites and prescriptions4 ,by complying with these rites1 the devout ,israelite expressed his faith in the revealed truths which they were employed to recall and commemorate4 ,the visible types were illustrative of revealed truths already known4 ,they were not the medium of a revelation1 but a medium through which faith in an existing revelation and obedience to it were expressed4 ,their office was not prophetic1 but illustrative4 ,thus1 when under the ,levitical economy the high priest1 duly prepared and arrayed1 entered the most holy place1 his official person and acts constituted a striking visible emblem of certain truths concerning the ,messiah's person and sacerdotal work4 ,beholding that visible token and illustration of these truths1 the believer's faith was called into exercise4 ,so when the priest offered a sacrifice of atonement and sprinkled the blood1 burnt incense1 or performed any other official act2 and when the worshipper laid his hand on the head of the animal to be sacrificed1 celebrated the paschal supper1 or complied in any other respect with the prescribed ritual4 ,this method of worship and obedience through significant tokens and visible emblems1 and types illustrative of known truths1 was instituted soon after the fall1 and suited in all respects the economy of outward and visible manifestation which prevailed down to the advent of ,christ4 ,thus ,abel1 the patriarchs and prophets1 worshipped1 and thus ,simeon and ,anna at the time of the incarnation4 ,of the patriarch ,noah we read1 ,genesis vi4-ix41 that he found grace in the eyes of ,jehovah2 that he was a righteous man2 that he walked with 7the7 ,elohim2 that ,elohim repeatedly spoke to him1 directed him to build an ark1 and prescribed the form of it1 forewarned him of the deluge and of its object1 directed him to enter the ark1 and shut him in2 that he did according to all that ,jehovah commanded him2 that ,elohim directed him to go forth from the ark2 that he built an altar unto ,jehovah1 took of animals denominated clean1 and offered burnt offerings on the altar1 and was accepted2 that ,elohim blessed ,noah and his sons1 prescribed certain laws to be observed thereafter1 and announced a covenant of which the rainbow was made a perpetual token4 ,in all these communications1 the form of address is like that of a person locally and visibly present3 ,i1 even ,i1 do bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh4444 ,but with thee will ,i establish my covenant4444 ,come thou and all thy house into the ark2 for thee have ,i seen righteous before me1 in this generation4444 ,elohim spake unto ,noah and to his sons with him1 saying1 ,i1 behold1 ,i establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you4 ,and when ,noah offered burnt offerings on the altar1 ,jehovah smelled a sweet savor4 ,from all which1 and the occasion and nature of the things said and done1 and a comparison of this with the occasions of local appearance to ,abraham and others1 which are declared to have been visible1 we may without presumption conclude that ,he who spake to ,noah was present in a visible form4 ,that he was one of the most eminent and most favored of those with whom ,jehovah conversed1 whose righteousness he attested1 and to whom he assigned the most important services1 and imparted the highest gifts1 is shown by his being named first of the three1 who1 by their preminent righteousness1 might1 if present1 be expected by the captive ,israelites to shield them from exterminating judgments4 ,though these three men1 ,noah1 ,daniel1 and ,job1 were in the land1 they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness1 saith ,jehovah ,elohim4 ,ezekiel xiv4 ,and if there was1 in the course of the patriarchial or ,levitical dispensations1 any occasion on which the nature and magnitude of the events were reasons for the local and visible presence of ,jehovah1 surely that of the judicial destruction of the whole race1 excepting ,noah and his family1 may be assumed to have been such4 ,the word translated altar is from a root which signifies to kill1 to slaughter animals for sacrifice1 to sacrifice2 also a sacrifice1 the victim1 or thing1 sacrificed2 and in the form translated altar it denotes the place or instrument of sacrifice1 on which the slaughtered victim 7wholly or in part7 was consumed by fire1 and the blood poured out or sprinkled4 ,see ,levit4 viii4 #ba1 #bd1 xvii4 #f1 and elsewhere4 ,accordingly1 to build an altar unto ,jehovah1 was to erect a structure on which to offer to him slaughtered animals1 to be consumed 7probably in all instances of acceptable worship7 by fire caused immediately by him4 ,such altars were1 in many instances1 and probably in all1 erected by his direction1 and at places specified by him1 and they were places of customary worship and of ,divine manifestation4 ,it would therefore be incongruous and preposterous to suppose that the worshippers did not understand the doctrines and typical references involved in the system1 as well as the ritual forms and observances4 ,the altar of burnt offerings1 above referred to as the instrument of sacrifice by the shedding of blood1 was typical of the cross as the instrument on which our ,lord offered himself a sacrifice2 and to this undoubtedly the true worshippers had reference1 which implies a right apprehension of his person and office1 as well as of the necessity and efficacy of his expiatory death1 and its relation to the justification and acceptance of believers4 ,his personal presence1 in a form adapted to suggest such apprehensions1 would seem to have been as necessary1 when typical offerings were made by ,abel1 ,noah1 and others1 during the patriarchial dispensation1 as when made in the tabernacle and temple1 where he was present in the visible ,shekina1 as is hereafter to be more particularly noticed4 ,at present it may suffice to observe1 that since he is declared to have been present in the likeness of man1 and as the ,melach ,jehovah1 on some occasions when burnt offerings were offered to him with his sanction and acceptance1 as in that relating to ,isaac in the history of ,abraham1 that of his appearance to ,manoah1 and that to ,gideon1 it may reasonably be inferred that his personal presence was equally requisite on all occasions of similar offerings4 ,the local personal presence of ,jehovah in the form in which he was often visible is implied and affirmed in passages like the following3 ,when the children of ,israel at ,rephidim murmured against ,moses because they had no water1 ,jehovah directed ,moses to advance with the people and the elders1 and said1 ,behold1 ,i will stand before thee upon the rock in ,horeb1 and thou shalt smite the rock1 c4 ,and ,moses called the name of the place ,massah1 c41 because of the chiding of the children of ,israel1 and because they tempted ,jehovah1 saying1 ,is ,jehovah among us or not8 ,exod4 xvii4 #g2 i4 e41 is he personally and locally present or not8 ,after the apostasy manifested in making a molten calf1 ,jehovah said to ,moses1 ,depart with the people1 c41 and ,i will send an angel before thee2 for ,i will not go up in the midst of thee1 lest ,i consume thee1 c4 ,moses having removed the tabernacle out of the camp1 the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle2 and ,jehovah talked with ,moses4 ,and ,jehovah spake unto ,moses face to face1 as a man speaketh unto his friend4 ,moses having expressed his great anxiety at the proposed substitution of an angel1 and prayed for further instruction1 ,jehovah said1 ,my presence shall go with thee2 and he said1 ,if thy presence i4 e41 thou1 thyself go not with me1 carry us not up hence4 ,for wherein shall it be known here that ,i and thy people have found grace in thy sight8 ,is it not in that thou goest with us8 ,so shall we be separated1 ,i and thy people1 from all the people that are upon the face of the earth4 ,moses1 for further assurance1 desired to see the splendor of ,jehovah's person1 and1 in a modified degree1 his request was granted4 ,jehovah descended--his glory passed by1 c4 ,exod4 xxxiii4 #cd4 ,this whole scene implies his local personal presence1 in distinction from his universal1 invisible presence4 ,the visible ,deity is intended in all such phrases as1 before the ,lord1 being seen1 going with1 among you1 in the midst of you1 c41 a local reference being manifest4 ,ye have despised ,jehovah which is among you4 ,numb4 xi4 #bj4 ,the ,egyptians have heard that thou1 ,jehovah1 art among this people2 that thou1 ,jehovah1 art seen face to face2 and that thy cloud standeth over them2 and that thou goest before them by day-time in a pillar of a cloud1 and in a pillar of fire by night4 ,numb4 xiv4 #ad4 ,thus ,moses argued to avert the destruction threatened on occasion of the murmuring at the report of the spies4 ,the passage clearly imports that it was ,jehovah himself who was seen face to face1 and who went in the cloud4 ,so when a portion of the people resolved presumptuously to proceed1 ,moses says1 ,go not up1 for ,jehovah is not among you4 ,numb4 xiv4 #db2 ,deut4 i4 #db4 ,the ,lord thy ,god walketh in the midst of thy camp4 ,deut4 xxiii4 #ad4 ,in the future misery and desolation of the people they will say1 ,are not these evils come upon us because our ,god is not among us8 ,deut4 xxxi4 #ag4 ,when the ,israelites were about to cross the ,jordan to ,jericho1 ,joshua1 referring to the miracle by which they were to pass over dry-shod1 says1 ,hereby ye shall know that the living ,god is among you4 ,moses is directed to exclude lepers1 that they defile not the camp in the midst of which ,i dwell4 ,numb4 v4 #c4 ,the sons of ,god came to present themselves before ,jehovah2 and ,satan came also amongst them4 ,job i4 #f4 ,the context shows that a local personal presence is intended4 ,god is in the midst of her1 she shall not be moved4 ,ps4 xlvi4 #e4 ,great is the ,holy ,one in the midst of thee4 ,isa4 xii4 #f4 ,i am ,god and not man1 the ,holy ,one in the midst of thee4 ,hosea xi4 #i4 ,thou1 ,o ,jehovah1 art in the midst of us2 leave us not4 ,jer4 xiv4 #i4 ,joel1 predicting the millennium1 says1 ii4 #bg1 ,ye shall know that ,i am in the midst of ,israel1 and that ,i am the ,lord your ,god1 and none else4 ,see ,zeph4 iii4 #ae-ag3 ,the ,king of ,israel1 even ,jehovah1 is in the midst of thee2 thou shalt not see evil any more4 ,the ,lord thy ,god in the midst of thee is mighty4 ,and ,zech4 ii4 #e1 x4 #aa1 and viii4 #c3 ,for ,i1 saith ,jehovah1 will be the glory in the midst of her4 ,lo1 ,i come1 and ,i will dwell in the midst of thee1 saith ,jehovah4 ,and many nations1 c4 ,thus saith ,jehovah1 ,i am returned unto ,zion1 and will dwell in the midst of ,jerusalem2 and ,jerusalem shall be called1 ,a city of truth2 and the mountain of the ,lord of ,hosts1 ,the holy mountain4 ,jesus himself stood in the midst1 c4 ,luke xxiv4 #cf1 ,john1 c4 ,in the midst of the seven candlesticks4 ,rev4 i4 #ac2 ii4 #a4 ,in the midst of the throne stood a ,lamb4 ,rev4 v4 #f4 ,the angel ,jehovah appeared in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush4 ,exod4 iii4 #b4 ,jehovah spake out of the midst of the fire4 ,deut4 iv4 #ab4 ,jehovah said unto ,moses1 ,lo1 ,i come to thee in a thick cloud1 that the people may hear when ,i speak with thee4 ,be ready1 444 for the third day ,jehovah will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount ,sinai4444 ,and on the third day1 in the morning1 there were thunders and lightnings1 and a thick cloud upon the mount4444 ,and ,moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with the ,elohim2 and they stood at the nether part of the mount4 ,and mount ,sinai was altogether on a smoke1 because ,jehovah descended upon it in fire4444 ,and 444 ,moses spake1 and 7the7 ,elohim answered him by a voice4 ,and ,jehovah came down upon mount ,sinai1 on the top of the mount2 and ,jehovah called ,moses up to the top of the mount2 and ,moses went up4444 ,and ,elohim spake1 saying1 ,i am ,jehovah1 thy ,elohe4444 ,thou shalt have no other ,elohim before me4 ,exod4 xix41 xx4 ,if the acts here attributed to ,moses are literally described1 so also are those of ,jehovah4 ,if ,moses literally went up to the top of the mount1 the narrative no less plainly avers that ,jehovah came down to the top of ,sinai4 ,he came down visibly--in the sight of the people2 was personally and locally present4 ,on another occasion1 chap4 xxiv41 he said unto ,moses1 ,come up unto ,jehovah1 thou and ,aaron1 ,nadab and ,abihu1 and seventy of the elders1 and worship ye afar off2 and ,moses alone shall come near ,jehovah1 but they shall not come nigh4444 ,then went up ,moses and ,aaron1 ,nadab and ,abihu1 and seventy of the elders of ,israel2 and they saw the ,elohe of ,israel1 and there was under his feet as it were a paved work4444 ,they saw 7the7 ,elohim1 and did eat and drink4 ,no terms could well express more distinctly a personal appearance1 in the form seen by ,abraham and others4 ,his person was manifest to their senses4 ,they ate and drank in his presence1 who in the same form partook of a repast with the patriarch1 and walked and conversed with him as one human person does with another4 ,jehovah called unto ,moses out of the midst of the cloud4444 ,and ,moses went into the midst of the cloud4 ,exod4 xxvi4 #af1 #ah4 ,the cloud then was such that ,moses could subsist in and be enveloped by it4 ,and ,jehovah said1 ,i will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat4 ,levit4 xvi4 #b4 ,in this and similar instances a local personal appearance is evidently intended4 ,no such phraseology would be suited to indicate the omnipresence1 or merely the spiritual presence of ,jehovah4 ,see ,deut4 xxxi4 #ae4 ,and the cloud of ,jehovah was upon them by day when they went out of the camp4 ,and it came to pass when the ark set forward that ,moses said1 ,rise up1 ,jehovah1 and let thine enemies be scattered1 and let them that hate thee flee before thee4 ,and when it rested1 he said1 ,return1 ,o ,jehovah1 unto the many thousands of ,israel4 ,numb4 x4 #ce1 #cf4 ,on these occasions the cloud visibly rose above the tabernacle1 and advanced before the children of ,israel2 and again descended and rested on the tabernacle4 ,the address of ,moses seems unintelligible1 unless ,jehovah was personally present4 ,and ,jehovah came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle4444 ,and he said1 ,with ,moses will ,i speak mouth to mouth1 even apparently2 444 and the similitude of ,jehovah shall he behold4 ,numb4 xii4 ,surely a local personal presence is here intended4 ,at the door of the tabernacle before ,jehovah1 ,i will meet you1 to speak there unto thee2 and there ,i will meet with the children of ,israel2 and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory2 and ,i will dwell among the children of ,israel1 and will be their ,elohim4 ,and they shall know that ,i am ,jehovah their ,elohe1 that brought them forth out of the land of ,egypt that ,i may dwell among them4 ,exod4 xxix4 #db-df4 ,defile not the land which ye shall inhabit1 wherein ,i dwell3 for ,i ,jehovah dwell among the children of ,israel4 ,numb4 xxxv4 #cd4 ,i have not dwelt in any house since the time that ,i brought up the children of ,israel out of ,egypt1 even to this day1 but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle4 ,in all the places wherein ,i have walked with the children of ,israel1 c4 #b ,sam4 vii41 and #a ,chron4 xvii4 ,so of the phrases1 dwelleth between the cherubim1 sitteth between the cherubim1 and the like1 which imply the local personal presence of ,jehovah4 ,the local presence and agency of the ,messenger ,jehovah1 as ,captain of his hosts1 and dictator to ,joshua of all the steps taken by him in the conquest and destruction of the ,canaanites1 is clearly indicated throughout the book of ,joshua4 ,joshua had1 for forty years in the wilderness1 as minister to ,moses1 been familiar with the personal presence1 the agency1 the miraculous power1 and the voice of the ,messenger1 in the tabernacle1 in the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night1 on mount ,sinai1 and on many peculiar and special occasions4 ,his name properly signifies ,saviour4 ,the ,hebrew word ,jehoshua is equivalent to the ,greek name ,jesus1 or ,saviour4 ,on the occurrence of the war with ,amalek1 shortly after the passage of the ,red ,sea1 ,joshua was appointed by ,moses to command the army of the ,israelites4 ,he led out the chosen men of war1 while ,moses1 ,aaron1 and ,hur took their station on a neighboring hill1 where ,moses held up the rod of ,god1 as a token that all the success under ,joshua1 in the destruction of the ,amalekites1 was owing to the superior power of ,jehovah exerted specially on the occasion4 ,when ,moses held up his hand1 ,israel prevailed2 and when he let down his hand1 ,amalek prevailed4 ,the battle being ended by the discomfiture of ,amalek and his people1 ,jehovah said unto ,moses1 ,write this for a memorial1 and rehearse it in the ears of ,joshua1 ,that ,i will utterly put out the remembrance of ,amalek from under heaven4 ,and ,moses built an altar1 and called the name of it ,jehovah ,nissi1 i4 e41 the ,lord my banner4 ,exod4 xvii4 ,thus the supremacy and leadership of ,jehovah was fully acknowledged4 ,it was his war1 executed under the lieutenancy of ,joshua1 in accordance with the specific directions given to ,moses1 and in the exercise of faith in the will of ,jehovah1 as indicated by tokens of his appointment4 ,on the occasion of the giving of the tables of stone1 ,joshua accompanied ,moses1 as his minister1 into the mount of ,god4 ,there they tarried forty days1 while the sight of the glory of ,jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mount1 in the eyes of the children of ,israel4 ,the directions concerning the construction of the tabernacle were given on that occasion4 ,exod4 xxiv4 ,when they descended from the mount1 ,joshua seems first to have heard the shouting of the people before the molten image they had made4 ,exod4 xxxii4 ,in the progress of the events which succeeded this defection1 the cloudy pillar--the ,shekina--descended from ,sinai1 and stood at the door of the tabernacle1 and ,jehovah talked with ,moses4 ,and ,jehovah spake unto ,moses face to face1 as a man speaketh unto his friend4 ,and ,moses turned again into the camp1 but his minister ,joshua departed not out of the tabernacle4 ,he1 therefore1 doubtless heard and saw the same as ,moses4 ,ibid4 xxxiii4 ,he was one of those sent to examine and report concerning the land of ,canaan1 ,numb4 xiii42 on which occasion1 ,moses changed his name from ,oshea to ,jehoshua4 ,ten of those sent were unfaithful4 ,the joint report of ,joshua and ,caleb was true and faithful4 ,the ten were destroyed by a plague2 the two were protected and preserved4 ,ibid4 xiv4 ,joshua was specially set apart as the successor of ,moses1 and consecrated by the laying on of ,moses' hands1 in the presence of the high priest and the congregation4 ,numb4 xxvii4 ,he1 with the high priest1 was appointed to divide the land4 ,ibid4 xxxiv4 ,when ,moses was forbidden to enter the good land1 he was notified that his minister ,joshua would lead the children of ,israel thither1 and commanded to encourage him4 ,deut4 i4 #ch4 ,this he did1 ,deut4 iii41 and more emphatically1 chap4 xxxi41 when in the presence of all ,israel he encouraged him1 and cited the predictions concerning his causing the people to inherit the land2 adding1 ,and ,jehovah1 he it is that doth go before thee2 he will be with thee2 he will not fail thee1 nor forsake thee2 fear not1 neither be dismayed4 ,on the death of ,moses1 we read that ,joshua1 the son of ,nun1 was full of the spirit of wisdom1 for ,moses had laid his hands upon him2 and the children of ,israel hearkened unto him1 and did as ,jehovah commanded ,moses4 ,deut4 xxxiv4 ,notwithstanding all this training1 discipline1 and intimate fellowship with ,moses for forty years1 and the premonitions1 designations and predictions of him1 as leader of ,israel in place of ,moses2 yet such was the sacredness and specialty of the relation in which he was to officiate1 that ,jehovah spake unto ,joshua1 charged him with the duties he was to perform1 and promised him victory and complete success1 in case of his fidelity4 ,as ,i was with ,moses1 so ,i will be with thee4 ,i will not fail nor forsake thee4 ,have not ,i commanded thee8 ,be strong and of a good courage2 be not afraid1 neither be thou dismayed3 for the ,lord thy ,god is with thee whithersoever thou goest4 ,josh4 i4 ,joshua was to act only upon the authority expressly delegated to him1 and in the strictest subordination to the directions previously given to ,moses1 and those which ,jehovah now and from time to time announced to him4 ,the circumstances1 like those which attended ,moses at the commencement and throughout his official life1 required an assured and unwavering faith in the declared purposes1 the promises1 the presence and power of ,jehovah the ,elohe of ,israel1 the king1 preserver1 teacher1 and guide of his people4 ,there was1 no doubt1 a degree of mysteriousness connected with the personal and local manifestations of ,jehovah1 which rendered an unwavering faith constantly requisite4 ,the minds of men1 no less at that than at other periods1 were most readily and strongly affected by visible and familiar objects4 ,the chief incitements to idolatry were visible1 and such as were supposed to be easily comprehended4 ,the fears of men1 founded in their consciousness of guilt and ignorance1 had reference naturally to things invisible and mysterious4 ,the conscious depravity1 corruption1 blindness and ill-desert of men1 in contrast with the perfect holiness1 righteousness1 impartiality1 and other perfections of ,jehovah1 could not but excite their natural inclination to exclude him from their thoughts1 instead of loving and confiding in him1 and realizing his presence by faith4 ,whether for these or other reasons1 a strong1 constant1 unwavering faith in the person and the perfections1 prerogatives and works of ,jehovah1 was not uniformly exhibited even by the patriarchs and prophets of the ancient dispensation4 ,that dispensation was specially characterized as one of outward and visible manifestations1 miraculous interpositions1 and audible revelations2 yet in the most signal instances of strong faith as occasioning it1 some special and overpowering manifestation of ,jehovah was vouchsafed4 ,thus ,abraham1 on the occasion of entering into and ratifying the covenant concerning the everlasting inheritance of the promised land by his posterity1 through ,christ as his ,seed2 the ,shekina visibly appeared1 passed between the pieces of the sacrifice1 and probably consumed them4 ,and again1 prior to the destruction of ,sodom1 when that event was revealed1 and the earlier promises were renewed to him1 ,jehovah appeared in the form of man1 and conversed and walked with him4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,narrative concerning ,job4 ,in the narrative concerning ,job1 who is supposed to have lived in the age preceding that of ,abraham1 we read1 chapter i41 that he from time to time offered burnt offerings continually2 and that there was a day when the sons of 7the7 ,elohim came to present themselves before ,jehovah1 and ,satan came also among them4 ,and ,jehovah said unto ,satan1 ,whence comest thou8--,and ,satan went forth from the presence of ,jehovah4 ,a statement in the same words is made in relation to another day1 chapter ii42 from which passages it appears that ,job1 as priest of his family1 offered typical sacrifices according to the custom of that age2 and that there was a place to which the true worshippers came to present themselves before ,jehovah--a place doubtless of customary resort for worship1 and1 from the analogy of the patriarchal history1 of visible manifestation4 ,they came there to present themselves before ,jehovah1 implying that he was personally and locally present2 which is also strongly implied in the statement1 on both occasions1 that ,satan went forth from the presence of ,jehovah4 ,that adversary and accuser of the sons of ,elohim was literally present1 and it is not perceived how he could be said to go forth from the spiritual presence of ,jehovah4 ,it is probable that he was not visible to the worshippers1 and that neither the words addressed to him1 nor his replies1 were audible to them4 ,but those words proceeded from ,him from whose presence he went forth4 ,however this may be1 it is evident from subsequent passages that ,job had clear apprehensions of the person and office of the ,redeemer1 and recognized him as ,jehovah in the administration of providence4 ,to that official person he doubtless refers under the designation ,shadai1 translated ,almighty1 which he employs more than thirty times2 which appears from ,exod4 vi4 to have been familiar to the patriarchs1 and which1 from a comparison of passages from the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 signified the same divine ,person as ,melach ,jehovah4 ,in one instance only he employs the term ,adonai as a ,divine designation--namely1 in the passage concerning ,wisdom1 chap4 xxviii43 ,elohim understandeth the way thereof4 ,when he made a decree for the rain1 then did he see it4 ,and unto man he said1 ,behold the fear of ,adonai1 that is wisdom4 ,in chapter xix4 he refers to the same ,person under an official designation of frequent occurrence4 ,i know that my ,redeemer liveth1 and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth2 and 444 in my flesh shall ,i see ,eloah4 ,the word ,goel1 translated ,redeemer1 is employed with the same reference in the following among other passages4 ,melach the ,messenger1 which redeemed me from all evil4 ,gen4 xlviii4 ,let the words of my mouth1 and the meditation of my heart1 be acceptable in thy sight1 ,o ,jehovah1 my strength and my ,redeemer4 ,ps4 xix4 ,and they remembered that ,elohim was their rock1 and ,el1 their ,redeemer4 ,ps4 lxxviii4 ,thus saith ,jehovah your ,redeemer1 and the ,holy ,one of ,israel4 ,isa4 xliii4 #ad4 ,thus saith ,jehovah1 the ,king of ,israel1 and his ,redeemer1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth4 ,ibid4 xliv4 #f4 ,thus saith ,jehovah thy ,redeemer1 and he that formed thee1 ,i am ,jehovah that maketh all things1 that stretcheth forth the heavens alone1 c4 ,isa4 xliv4 #bd4 ,all flesh shall know that ,i ,jehovah am thy ,saviour1 and thy ,redeemer1 the ,mighty ,one of ,jacob4 ,isa4 xlix4 #bf4 ,the original word1 as a verb1 signifies to redeem1 to ransom2 and as a noun1 a kinsman1 blood relation1 one having a right1 or to whom it pertained1 to redeem2 redeemer1 kinsman-redeemer4 ,hence1 when employed as in the passages above cited1 it includes a reference to the complex person of ,christ1 and to ,eloah in human nature1 as spoken of prospectively by ,job4 ,at the close of his appointed trial1 when the integrity of ,job had been vindicated1 and the imputations and predictions of the adversary confuted1 a different and more glorious manifestation of ,jehovah was made to him1 a manifestation adapted and designed--like that to ,ezekiel1 chap4 i41 in the likeness of a man on a throne in the midst of fire and cloud1 moving as in a whirlwind1 and like that to ,isaiah1 chap4 vi41 and that to the disciples on the holy mount--to impart to him new and more exalted apprehensions of the perfections1 prerogatives1 and works of ,jehovah2 to fit the humbled and penitent beholder for the gifts and honors he was to receive1 the duties he was to perform1 and the conspicuous station he was to occupy as one whose righteousness had been publicly tried and divinely attested4 ,jehovah answered ,job out of the whirlwind1 and said1 ,where wast thou when ,i laid the foundations of the earth8 c42 adding a prolonged detail of his works of creation and providence1 and contrasting the ignorance and nothingness of man with the operations of his wisdom and power4 ,job answered3 ,behold1 ,i am vile1 what shall ,i answer thee8 ,i will lay my hand upon my mouth4 ,he confesses his sinfulness1 the ignorance and errors which had marked his replies to his friends1 and adds3 ,i have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear1 but now mine eye seeth thee4 ,wherefore ,i abhor myself1 and repent in dust and ashes4 ,he saw him in that ineffable and1 to mortals1 all but insupportable splendor of glory1 which caused such an impression of his deity and his holiness1 as in contrast to make him conscious of his own vileness as a sinner1 and induce in him the utmost self-abasement2 as in the parallel instance of ,ezekiel1 it is said that he fell upon his face2 and in that of ,isaiah1 that he exclaimed1 on seeing ,adonai ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 ,woe is me6 for ,i am undone1 because ,i am a man of unclean lips2 and of ,daniel1 in an analogous instance of his vision of the same glorified ,person in the likeness of man1 chap4 x41 that he fell with his face to the ground1 that there remained no strength in him1 that his comeliness was turned into corruption4 ,so at the ,transfiguration on the mount1 the disciples fell on their faces and were sore afraid4 ,paul1 on witnessing a like personal manifestation1 fell to the earth2 and ,john1 in ,patmos1 seeing that glorified ,person1 fell at his feet as dead4 ,there was prevalent1 at a very early period1 a sentiment that to see ,god would occasion or be followed by the death of the beholder2 which probably arose1 not from simple appearances in the likeness of man1 on occasions which called for no exhibitions of ,divine majesty and glory1 but from manifestations of overpowering1 insupportable radiance1 comparable only to that of lightning1 or that of the unclouded sun4 ,such a manifestation we may well suppose to have been made on the expulsion of ,adam from ,eden1 in conjunction with the cherubic forms1 as in repeated instances afterwards4 ,it was demanded by the occasion and the end to be accomplished4 ,there were sword-like flames1 or lightnings1 as when ,moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with 7the7 ,elohim1 when he descended on mount ,sinai2 and they1 terrified by the lightnings1 said1 ,let not ,elohim speak with us1 lest we die2 and as in the vision of ,ezekiel1 out of the fire went forth lightning4 ,so when the seventy elders ascended mount ,sinai with ,moses1 and saw the ,elohe of ,israel1 the sight of the glory of ,jehovah was like devouring fire4 ,the sentiment or apprehension above referred to is indicated by ,jacob1 after wrestling with the ,messenger ,jehovah3 ,i have seen ,elohim face to face1 and my life is preserved4 ,also in the words addressed to ,gideon after he had exclaimed1 ,alas1 ,o ,adonai ,jehovah6 for because ,i have seen the ,messenger ,jehovah face to face4 ,and ,jehovah said unto him1 ,fear not1 thou shalt not die4 ,and1 ,manoah said unto his wife1 ,we shall surely die1 because we have seen ,elohim4 ,such an inference is very likely to have been drawn from the declaration of ,jehovah to ,moses1 ,exod4 xxxiii4 #bj3 ,thou canst not see my face3 for there shall no man see me and live2 that is1 see me unveiled by the human form1 or by a dark or luminous cloud-like envelope1 as in the burning bush1 on mount ,sinai1 and in the tabernacle2 for in these modes of appearance ,moses had repeatedly seen him1 and in the chapter above referred to1 vs4 #i1 we read that1 ,as ,moses entered into the tabernacle1 the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle2 and ,jehovah spake unto ,moses face to face1 as a man speaketh unto his friend4 ,but1 owing to the defection of ,aaron and the people in making and worshipping a molten image1 he had1 to the consternation of ,moses1 intimated a purpose to withdraw from among them2 and after he had1 upon the earnest entreaty of ,moses1 signified that his presence should continue with them1 ,moses1 in his anxiety and perturbation1 and perhaps fearing that he would not visibly manifest himself1 7see vs4 #af17 besought that he would show him his glory1 the unclouded glory of his person4 ,this was denied1 as certain to be fatal4 ,but as far as he could endure the sight and live1 the request was granted4 ,and ,jehovah descended in the cloud and stood with him there1 and proclaimed the name of ,jehovah4 ,and ,moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth1 and worshipped4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,further notice of ,divine ,manifestations to ,abraham and ,jacob--,mysteriousness attending the ,divine ,appearances--,the visible ,form always like that of ,man4 ,in resuming the notice of expressions and statements in the history of the patriarchs1 which imply the local and visible presence of ,jehovah1 the first to be referred to is in ,gen4 xii43 ,now ,jehovah had said unto ,abram1 ,get thee out of thy country1 and from thy kindred1 and from thy father's house1 unto a land that ,i will show thee2 and ,i will make of thee a great nation1 and ,i will bless thee1 and make thy name great1 and thou shalt be a blessing1 and in thee--thy ,,seed1 which is ,christ1 ,gal4 iii4 #af--shall all the families of the earth be blessed4 ,so ,abram departed1 as ,jehovah had spoken unto him4 ,and ,abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of ,haran 444 to go into the land of ,canaan4 ,he had1 some time before this1 migrated with ,terah his father from ,ur of the ,chaldees to ,haran1 as is related chap4 xi4 #ca4 ,that removal1 by which probably he was separated from idolatrous neighbors1 is thus referred to1 chap4 xv4 #g3 ,and ,jehovah said unto him1 ,i am ,jehovah that brought thee out of ,ur of the ,chaldees1 to give thee this land to inherit it4 ,and again1 ,nehemiah ix4 #g3 ,thou art ,jehovah 7the7 ,elohim1 who didst choose ,abram1 and broughtest him forth out of ,ur of the ,chaldees4 ,from those references it is apparent that he was chosen1 called1 and received immediate personal communications from ,jehovah1 whom he afterwards saw in the form of man1 and knew as ,el-,shadai1 ,jehovah1 ,adonai ,jehovah1 and ,melach ,jehovah4 ,having arrived at the plain of ,moreh1 in the land of ,canaan1 ,jehovah appeared unto ,abram and said1 ,unto thy ,,seed will ,i give this land3 and there builded he an altar unto ,jehovah who appeared unto him4 ,considering the reiterated statement in this brief passage that ,jehovah appeared to ,abram2 that the occasion was that of the first formal announcement of the great promise of that dispensation to which all subsequent revelations1 covenants and promises to ,abraham relate2 that on the most explicit renewal of this promise1 chap4 xxii4 #ah1 ,melach ,jehovah is the speaker2 and that ,abram signalized the occasion of this first announcement by erecting an altar to ,jehovah1 and doubtless offering burnt offerings thereon1 there seems sufficient ground to conclude that this was an instance of local visible presence4 ,abram next removed to a mount east of ,beth-,el1 and there he builded an altar unto ,jehovah1 and called upon the name of ,jehovah4 ,chap4 xii4 #h4 ,on the occurrence of a famine he went down to ,egypt1 whence he returned to ,beth-,el1 unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first1 and there ,abram called on the name of ,jehovah4 xiii4 #d4 ,these passages indicate his custom of offering typical sacrifices1 and calling on the name of ,jehovah at the place set apart1 for the time being1 to that purpose2 and from the nature of the case1 and its analogy to other recorded instances 7as ,gen4 xxxii4 #ac7 of such offerings to ,melach ,jehovah1 there is no ground to suppose that the same official ,person was not the immediate object of homage in the present instance4 ,so of the ensuing narrative1 ,gen4 xiii4 #ad-ah3 ,and ,jehovah said unto ,abram1 after that ,lot was separated from him1 ,lift up now thine eyes1 and look from the place where thou art1 northward and southward and eastward and westward2 for all the land which thou seest1 to thee will ,i give it1 and to thy seed for ever4 ,then ,abram removed his tent1 and came and dwelt in the plain of ,mamre1 and built there an altar unto ,jehovah4 ,in chapter xv4 we read that ,the ,word of 7rather who is7 ,jehovah came unto ,abram in a vision1 saying1 ,fear not1 ,abram2 ,i am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward4 ,and ,abram said1 ,adonai ,jehovah1 what wilt thou give me1 c4 ,and behold1 the ,word 7who is7 ,jehovah came unto him1 saying1 ,this shall not be thine heir2 444 and ,he brought him forth abroad and said1 ,look now toward heaven and tell the stars1 if thou be able to number them2 and ,he said unto him1 ,so shall thy seed be4 ,and he believed in ,jehovah1 and ,he counted it to him for righteousness4 ,and he said unto ,him1 ,adonai ,jehovah1 whereby shall ,i know that ,i shall inherit it8 ,in this narrative the ,personal ,word appears to be designated by a term equivalent to ,logos1 as applied in the first chapter of ,john1 namely1 ,dabar1 importing the same as the ,chaldee term ,memra1 frequently inserted with the same personal reference by the ,chaldee paraphrasts4 ,the ,dabar 7who is7 ,jehovah came unto ,abram1 saying1 444 ,he brought him forth abroad1 and said1 c4 ,these are personal acts1 not to be affirmed of an audible voice4 ,they imply the local presence of the speaker1 whom ,abram addresses as ,adonai ,jehovah4 ,throughout the chapter he is the speaker4 ,abram's faith in him as ,jehovah is unto righteousness4 ,in this1 as in some instances hereafter to be noticed1 the sense and construction of the passage seem to require that the term translated ,word should be considered a personal designation1 having the same relation to the term ,jehovah as ,adon1 ,adonai1 and ,melach4 ,on the occasion of changing the patriarch's name to ,abraham1 and that of his wife to ,sarah1 chap4 xvii41 ,jehovah appeared to ,abram1 and said unto him1 ,i am ,el-,shadai2 walk before me1 and be thou perfect4444 ,and ,abram fell on his face1 and ,elohim talked with him4 vs4 #a1 #c2 and vs4 #ai1 #bb3 ,elohim said1 ,sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed4444 ,and ,elohim went up from ,abraham4 ,here the phraseology in each of the clauses quoted implies a local personal presence of ,jehovah4 ,that it was a visible appearance is further implied in the next chapter1 where1 in the narrative of his appearance in the likeness of man1 he refers to this promise of a son as having been made by him1 vs4 #aj2 and to remove the doubts of both ,abraham and ,sarah1 he adds3 ,is any thing too hard for ,jehovah8 ,at the time appointed ,i will return unto thee1 according to the time of life1 and ,sarah shall have a son4 ,of the appearance last referred to1 chap4 xviii41 when1 in the form of a wayfaring man1 he partook of the repast prepared by ,abraham1 spoke concerning ,sarah1 walked towards ,sodom1 disclosed his purpose of destroying that place1 and heard ,abraham's request on behalf of the righteous1 there can be no question of its having been local and visible4 ,it is noticeable that the narrative of this manifestation is introduced by the same formula as others which include no express indications of his visibility4 ,thus1 vs4 #a3 ,and ,jehovah appeared unto ,abraham in the plains of ,mamre4 ,in the progress of the narrative1 the ,divine visitant is called a man1 ,jehovah1 and ,adonai1 and at its close it is said that ,jehovah went his way--literally1 walked away--as soon as he had left communing with ,abraham1 and ,abraham returned to his place4 ,in the next chapter1 which relates the destruction of ,sodom1 the same ,person is called ,jehovah and ,elohim4 ,abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before ,jehovah--that is1 before the visible ,person in the likeness of man1 to whom he addressed his prayers for the righteous4 ,and it came to pass when ,elohim destroyed the cities of the plain1 that ,elohim remembered ,abraham4 ,when the time had arrived for ,jacob to withdraw from ,laban1 ,jehovah said unto him1 ,return unto the land of thy fathers4 ,gen4 xxxi4 #c4 ,referring to this1 vs4 #g1 he says3 ,the ,elohe of my father hath been with me4 ,after relating to his family something of the treatment he had received from ,laban1 and of the special favor of ,elohim to him1 he recurs to the command above quoted1 vs4 #aa-ac3 ,and ,melach 7the7 ,elohim spake unto me in a dream and said1 ,i am the ,el of ,beth-,el1 where thou anointedst the pillar1 and where thou vowedst a vow unto me4 ,now arise1 get thee out from this land1 and return unto the land of thy kindred4444 ,and ,rachel and ,leah answered1 444 ,now1 whatsoever ,elohim hath said unto thee1 do4 ,the statements in the two clauses first above cited evidently refer to the same occasion as those which follow2 and therefore the ,elohe of his father1 who had been with him1 was ,melach1 the ,messenger ,elohim who spoke to him1 vs4 #aa1 and who doubtless appeared to him to be present1 in a form with which he was familiar4 ,this is further implied in the words at the close of his remonstrance with ,laban1 vs4 #db3 ,except the ,elohe of my father1 the ,elohe of ,abraham1 and the ,fear of ,isaac had been with me1 surely thou hadst sent me away now empty4 ,elohim hath seen my affliction1 and the labor of my hands1 and rebuked thee yesternight4 ,the familiarity of ,jacob with the visible presence of ,jehovah is indicated by his expression when1 to his surprise and joy1 ,esau met him with a kindness and cordiality which showed that he no longer harbored any ill-will towards him4 ,jacob urged him to receive his present1 and said3 ,i have seen thy face1 as though it had been the face of ,elohim1 and thou wast pleased with me1 chap4 xxxiii4 #aj2 implying that this personal interview and manifestation of favor produced an effect upon his feelings resembling that of visible ,divine manifestations1 to which he was accustomed2 a signal instance of which had just occurred1 chap4 xxxii41 when he saw ,elohim face to face4 ,doubtless there was a degree of mysteriousness inseparable from those appearances of the ,divine ,person1 arising1 however1 not from their infrequency1 for they seldom seem to have occasioned surprise1 but rather from the different forms of manifestation1 the different degrees of visibility2 a consciousness that ,he who was sometimes visibly present was1 when unseen1 not absent2 not less cognizant of their thoughts and actions1 nor less their preserver and defender4 ,they knew that he could1 at pleasure1 render himself visible in the simple form of man1 in a vision1 in a dense or a luminous cloud1 in the colors of the precious gems and minerals1 and in the insupportable splendors of the solar and electric fires4 ,they knew that he was of purer eyes than to behold iniquity with any allowance1 and were conscious of their defilement and ill-desert4 ,their faith reposed on him1 unseen as well as manifest2 and when he was locally present to their senses1 it was necessary to exclude or modify their accustomed discrimination between spiritual and physical1 invisible and visible conditions and modes of being4 ,there must have been1 besides a familiarity with the fact of his visible appearances1 a well-established association of authorized and intelligent convictions in their minds respecting his official person and character1 the nature of his ,agency1 his mediatorial relations1 which assumed a covenant or stipulated relationship of man with the ,deity in his ,person1 and harmonized the ,divine in his manifestations with the human in his visible form1 all which necessarily involved more or less of the mysterious and unknown4 ,yet they well understood the tokens which identified him1 and1 if not exhibited in the first moments of his appearance1 recognized them as soon as given1 and promptly rendered him the homage1 addressed him by the titles1 and ascribed to him the prerogatives and works of the ,creator1 ,proprietor1 ,ruler and ,redeemer of the world4 ,but he was not at all times visible4 ,the patriarchs lived by faith as well for the most part of their days and years1 perhaps1 with respect to him personally1 as with respect to the future issues of his interpositions and administration4 ,they could not see him at their pleasure1 even when his words or acts indicated that he was locally near them4 ,lo1 he goeth by me1 saith ,job1 and ,i see him not3 he passeth on1 also1 but ,i perceive him not4 ,behold1 ,i go forward1 but he is not there2 and backward1 but ,i cannot perceive him3 on the left hand1 where he doth work1 but ,i cannot behold him2 he hideth himself on the right hand1 that ,i cannot see him2 but he knoweth the way that ,i take3 when he hath tried me1 ,i shall come forth as gold4 ,it would seem to have been by an effect wrought in them1 both when awake and when asleep1 that he1 and also that created spiritual beings1 when locally present1 became visible or manifest to their consciousness4 ,in several instances the eyes of the beholders are said to be opened1 not to behold objects ordinarily visible1 but objects which1 though present1 it was not1 without that operation1 their privilege to see4 ,thus1 in the narrative of ,balaam1 the ,messenger ,jehovah stood in the way as an adversary against him1 and repeatedly checked his progress1 while to him invisible4 ,at length1 ,jehovah opened the eyes of ,balaam1 and he saw the ,messenger ,jehovah standing in the way1 and his sword drawn in his hand1 c4 ,so in the case of the servant of ,elisha3 ,jehovah opened the eyes of the young man1 and he saw1 and behold1 the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire1 round about ,elisha4 ,and of the disciples on the way to ,emmaus in company with the risen ,saviour1 it is said1 their eyes were holden that they should not know him2 and at length their eyes were opened1 and they knew him1 and he vanished out of their sight4 ,considering that in all ages and countries the minds of men have been startled and thrown off their balance by the supposed apparition of spirits1 real or imaginary1 angelic or human1 from the invisible world1 whether in material or in impalpable forms1 and have regarded them as inscrutably mysterious and appalling1 the fact that such impressions of surprise and dread were not commonly occasioned1 or are so slightly indicated1 when the ,messenger ,jehovah was unexpectedly and visibly recognized1 strongly implies that the beholders were familiar not only with the reality and the modes of his appearance1 but with his official ,person1 character and relations4 ,the statements and intimations contained in the ,holy ,scriptures concerning the celestial beings comprehensively called angels1 warrant the conclusion1 that the faculties by which they perceive external objects are analogous to those of man4 ,they see and hear1 and are seen and heard1 in a way similar to that of the bodied human race4 ,they have the faculty of becoming visible to men1 and when visible1 they have1 in all recorded instances1 the human form4 ,it is obvious that1 in order to be discernible by the human eye1 they must have a specific form2 and accordingly1 both with reference to the ,messenger who is ,jehovah1 and to the created angels1 such is the case in each and every instance of visibility4 ,thus in the case of the three who1 in the form of men1 appeared to ,abraham1 prior to the destruction of ,sodom4 ,in form1 the three appeared alike1 and the two were distinguished from the ,,one only by the circumstances which ensued4 ,to created angels appearing visibly in this manner1 it is clear that the same laws of optics and acoustics are available as to men1 only in a far higher degree4 ,that they saw objects which are naturally visible to men as clearly as men see them1 and heard sounds and voices audible to them as distinctly as they1 is evident from every narrative in which such things are mentioned or implied4 ,but their power of visual and auricular perception is not restricted as in the human race4 ,from the nature of the organism in which the spirit of man resides1 his natural power in these relations is very limited4 ,in the instance of vision1 however1 his natural power may1 in conformity with the ordinary laws of vision1 be1 by the appliances of art1 immeasurably increased4 ,telescopes and microscopes are but additions to the natural organ4 ,in angels that organ may naturally as far transcend the optical power of human skill and science1 as the latter exceeds the unaided power of vision in man4 ,moreover1 to spirits inhabiting angelic organisms1 things which circumscribe human vision probably constitute no obstructions4 ,material bodies which to the human eye are opaque1 may to them be as transparent as crystal or the atmosphere to man4 ,the degree of light necessary to their vision of objects may be as nothing compared with that required by the human eye2 and distance1 so wonderfully obviated by the effect of optical instruments1 may be1 and undoubtedly is1 proportionally1 as nothing to them4 ,now1 since those beings have a distinct1 personal1 visible form--visible to the unaided human eye on the occasion of their appearance in the earlier and at the opening of the present dispensation1 as at the annunciation and the resurrection--and since their visual perceptions correspond to our law of optics1 it is to be inferred that they see each other and all external objects in the same way as they saw men2 and doubtless the like1 both with respect to the mode and the degree or extent of perception1 may be safely inferred in relation to their hearing and feeling4 ,whatever else may be true of the organisms in which they dwell1 enough is revealed to justify the conclusion1 that1 being in their attributes as spirits like the spirits of men1 they exercise their faculties through the instrumentality of those organisms in the same way as men through theirs4 ,thus it is certain that by means of those visible forms they exercise physical power4 ,the two angels who came in the form of men to ,lot in ,sodom1 put forth their hands and pulled ,lot into the house to them1 and shut to the door4 ,and the men said unto ,lot1 ,hast thou here any besides8444 ,and while he lingered1 the men laid hold upon his hand1 444 and they brought him forth and set him without the city4 ,gen4 xix4 ,the established form1 then1 in which1 from the beginning1 spiritual beings have visibly appeared1 was conformable to that assigned to the human race2 insomuch that such beings were never otherwise discernible to the human eye4 ,that form was assumed1 with man's nature1 by the ,messiah when he became incarnate2 and there is therefore nothing incongruous or inherently improbable in the supposition of his having appeared visibly in the likeness of that form at earlier periods1 as the ,scriptures clearly teach4 ,it is not more unlikely that in those earlier appearances1 on occasions when no ,divine effulgence was exhibited1 his visible appearance should be like that of angelic messengers1 than that theirs should be like that of man1 or that his should be so when literally incarnate4 ,and if the ,deity has ever appeared visibly to man1 it was indubitably to the patriarchs and prophets as the ,messiah1 under the designations and on the occasions heretofore referred to1 and publicly in ,judea at the period of his literal incarnation4 ,consistently with these views1 the ,scriptures1 in speaking of him in the various aspects and relations in which he appeared1 employ terms which are appropriate to one with attributes and modes of visible action like those of man2 of his head1 face1 eyes1 hands1 feet2 of his sitting down1 rising up1 standing1 walking1 working1 resting1 hearing1 speaking1 and the like4 ,as leader and defender of his people1 ,jehovah is a man is like a man of war1 ,jehovah is his name4 ,exod4 xv4 #c4 ,and ,jehovah went walked his way1 as soon as he had left communing with ,abraham4 ,gen4 xviii4 #cc4 ,jehovah looked unto the host of the ,egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud4 ,exod4 xiv4 ,moses and the elders ascended mount ,sinai1 and they saw the ,elohe of ,israel2 and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire2 444 and upon the nobles 7,moses and the elders7 he laid not his hand3 444 they saw the ,elohim1 and did eat and drink4 ,exod4 xxiv4 ,and ,jehovah descended in the cloud and stood with ,moses1 and proclaimed the name of ,jehovah4 ,and ,jehovah passed by before him1 and proclaimed1 ,jehovah1 ,el1 merciful and gracious4 ,and ,moses said1 ,if now ,i have found grace in thy sight1 ,o ,adonai1 let ,adonai1 ,i pray thee1 go amongst us1 and pardon our iniquity and our sin4 ,exod4 xxxiv4 ,melach ,jehovah stood in the way for an adversary against ,balaam4444 ,jehovah opened the eyes of ,balaam1 and he saw ,melach ,jehovah standing in the way1 and his sword drawn in his hand4 ,numb4 xxiii4 ,and ,joshua looked1 and behold1 there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand4444 ,and he said1 ,as captain of the host of ,jehovah am ,i now come4444 ,and the captain of the host of ,jehovah said unto ,joshua1 ,loose thy shoe from off thy foot1 for the place whereon thou standest is holy4 ,josh4 v4 ,melach ,jehovah came up from ,gilgal the place where the ark1 the ark of the ,adon of all the earth1 then rested to ,bochim1 and said1 ,i made you to go up out of ,egypt1 and have brought you into the land which ,i gave unto your fathers1 and ,i said1 ,i will never break my covenant with you4 ,judges ii4 ,thus saith ,jehovah1 ,elohe of ,israel1 ,i brought you up from ,egypt1 and ,i said unto you1 ,i am ,jehovah your ,elohe4 ,and ,melach ,jehovah came and sat under an oak1 and said unto ,gideon1 ,jehovah is with thee4 ,and ,melach the ,elohim said unto him1 ,take the flesh and the unleavened cakes and lay them upon this rock4 ,and ,melach ,jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand1 and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes4 ,judges v4 ,the eye of ,jehovah is upon them that fear him4 ,ps4 xxxiii4 #ah4 ,the eyes of ,jehovah thy ,elohe are always upon it the land4 ,deut4 xi4 ,the eyes of ,jehovah are upon the righteous1 and his ears are open unto their cry4 ,the face of ,jehovah is against them that do evil4 ,melach ,jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him1 and delivereth them4 ,they cry1 and ,jehovah heareth them4 ,ps4 xxxiv4 ,melach ,jehovah touched ,elijah1 and said1 ,arise and eat4 #a ,kings xix4 ,the preceding observations concerning the faculties of angels suggest the relation to their acquisition of knowledge of the visible persons1 objects and events within their view on earth1 and the congruity of that relation with the visibility of the ,god-man1 ,messiah1 ,mediator1 ,ruler1 and ,revealer4 ,suppose the celestial hosts1 with the visual powers and the freedom from the conditions of distance above intimated1 from the moment of their creation in the full maturity of their faculties and of their endowments1 except in respect to the knowledge to be derived from the evolution and progress of events1 to have seen each other1 and the visible objects of their own and other spheres2 to have seen1 among the earliest of events1 the rebellion and dejection from their ranks of an archangel1 with numerous adherents1 followed by the apostasy and degradation of the progenitors of the human race2 and1 in connection therewith1 to have seen the ,personal ,word walking in ,eden1 to have heard his voice1 and thenceforth to have observed the acts and events connected with our race4 ,it is plain that if they see and hear in conformity with the same laws as men1 and acquire knowledge by so seeing and hearing1 then it was necessary to them1 as well as to man1 that all the agents in the scene should be visible1 and that their voices should be audible4 ,the object1 on the occasions referred to1 was to instruct and influence1 by visible and tangible realities presented to the senses4 ,to suppose some of the agents and acts to have been what they are declared to be1 and others to have been illusions1 unreal1 imaginary1 is to defeat the object of them1 divest them of all certainty1 and justify the same inference with respect to the human as to the celestial agents4 ,in numerous instances it is evident that the power of vision in men was so enlarged1 that they beheld objects not ordinarily visible to them4 ,had that augmented power continued1 those objects would have continued to be visible1 and so far from being less1 would have been more free from illusion and uncertainty2 and it is absurd1 and contrary to all analogy1 to suppose that it did not render their vision as certain1 and their inference from it as just1 in respect to every person and object apprehended by it1 as in respect to any one of them4 ,and if1 as in the case of the three who appeared to ,abraham1 and in other cases1 they did not see the persons in the likeness of men whom they are declared to have seen1 then we have no ground of certainty that they themselves were present1 or acted the parts ascribed to them4 ,it is observed above that in every instance of the personal manifestation of the ,messenger ,jehovah under the ancient dispensations1 he was distinctly recognized in the likeness of man4 ,on many occasions he is expressly called a man2 and in various instances acts peculiar to a man are ascribed to him4 ,thus1 at his appearance to ,abraham in the plain of ,mamre1 to ,jacob at ,peni-,el1 to ,joshua1 to ,manoah1 to ,ezekiel1 to ,daniel1 to ,amos1 and to ,zechariah1 he is expressly called a man2 in ,eden and in the plain of ,mamre he walked and spoke as a man2 to ,moses he spake face to face1 as a man speaketh with his friend1 and of him it was said1 the similitude of ,jehovah shall he behold2 to ,balaam1 ,joshua1 and ,david1 he appeared with a drawn sword in his hand2 when accepting the offering of ,gideon1 he put forth the staff that was in his hand1 and touched the sacrifice2 he touched ,elijah1 and said1 ,arise and eat4 ,again1 in the instances in which it is said that he appeared to ,abraham and others1 without specifying that his person was visible1 and in those in which it is said that he came1 or that the ,word of the ,lord came1 to ,abraham1 ,moses1 ,samuel1 ,david1 and the prophets1 the things said and done are1 as to matter and manner1 in respect to the persons addressed or spoken of1 reference to circumstances of time and place1 particularity of directions and details1 similar to those in which he visibly appeared as man4 ,in the minds of the patriarchs and prophets1 therefore1 the human likeness in which he visibly appeared was intimately and familiarly associated with his person4 ,when they thought of him1 they thought of him in that form1 and accordingly his visible appearance in that form occasioned little or no surprise4 ,they knew1 it may well be believed1 from and after the first appearance or announcement of the ,messiah in ,eden1 that human nature and the human form were appointed and essential conditions of his complex official person and his sacerdotal work4 ,every typical sacrifice1 the piacular shedding of blood1 the altar typifying the cross1 the burnt offering1 the paschal lamb1 every net of worship founded on the revealed doctrine of mediation1 implied this distinctive apprehension of his person as ,mediator4 ,to suppose that patriarchs and prophets to whom he appeared in this manner1 and whom he inspired to teach others1 did not know and recognize him in his true character1 is not less derogatory to him than to them2 and to suppose that those who earliest offered typical sacrifices did not as truly and adequately understand what belonged to his personal and official character as those who succeeded1 is to nullify their worship and their faith1 and to treat the system as a device of sinful and ignorant men1 rather than as divinely revealed and sanctioned4 ,but the ,divine ,mediator being thus clearly and familiarly known from the first beginning of the race1 as to the constitution of his complex official person1 his delegated character1 his sacerdotal and mediatory work2 this knowledge being common to all true worshippers1 and being illustrated and confirmed to others by local visible appearances of the ,personal ,word1 by oral instructions from inspired men1 and by the external institutions1 rites and forms of the true worship2 it is obvious how1 and with what facility1 the adverse party1 the worshippers of ,baal after the deluge1 obtained their antagonist counterfeit notions of the incarnation of their rival god1 and afterwards of other spiritual beings and disembodied intelligences2 of a shekina of visible glory as the residence or tabernacle of ,baal2 of mediation1 oracular responses1 altars1 sacrifices1 incense1 c4 ,to suppose that any one of these things was originally conceived and invented by the natural reason of man1 is at once to yield the question between revealed religion and the competency of fallen man to devise one which should obtain the undivided suffrage of nine tenths of the human race from age to age4 ,the utter absurdity of such a supposition is shown by the fact that all the different nations and tribes of idolaters have1 from the earliest records and traditions of their history1 held essentially the same ideas upon these and kindred subjects4 ,in the history of some countries1 indeed1 as in that of ,india1 ,thibet and ,china1 the notion of the incarnation1 and of repeated incarnations1 of their false god is more conspicuous than in that of others4 ,but the notion that the shedding of blood would procure the remission of sin1 that the piacular sacrifices must be offered on an altar and burnt with fire1 that the firstlings of the flock must be sacrificed1 and that incense must be burned by consecrated priests1 has prevailed among all pagan nations and tribes1 with or without letters1 in all climates1 and in all ages1 and if not derived from the descendants of ,noah at the dispersion1 we must1 by ascribing the invention to each distinct community for itself1 imagine a greater miracle than that of the inspiration of true prophets4 ,the revolt of the arch-apostate1 with his angels and the head of the human race1 was an open renunciation of allegiance to ,jehovah as ,creator1 ,lawgiver and ,ruler1 from which a total and ceaseless alienation and opposition ensued1 which1 but for his redemptive work1 would have subverted and defeated his design as ,creator4 ,to counteract and overcome that revolt required his humiliation unto death4 ,prior to that event1 his opposers denied his prerogatives and rights as ,creator1 ,lawgiver and ,ruler1 and arrogated them for creatures4 ,the antagonist system of rivalship and homage was exhibited in the face of the universe in the forms of political tyranny and idolatry4 ,to ressert and exhibit to the whole universe his claims1 after his humiliation1 he rose from the grave1 ascended on high1 was invested with all power in heaven and earth1 and in his glorified and visible person as ,god-man was recognized as swaying the sceptre of universal empire4 ,his claims and prerogatives as ,creator1 ,upholder and ,ruler being thus manifested and established1 and the efficacy of his vicarious death being at the same time demonstrated by the conversion and salvation of multitudes from age to age1 he will at length return to the earth to consummate his victory over all adversaries1 to remove the curse and restore the earth to its primeval state1 assume his visible regal sway1 and establish his everlasting kingdom4 ,the union1 as appointed and fixed in the order of events1 of the ,divine and human natures in the ,person of the ,god-man1 was a primary condition in the great scheme of ,divine works and manifestations4 ,that union is1 accordingly1 implied in all the designations1 whether prophetic or otherwise1 of the ,anointed1 or official ,person2 the ,logos1 who was in the beginning2 the ,christ1 who was before all things4 ,on the basis of this union of the second ,person of the ,godhead with human nature1 rendering him capable of subordinate relations and agencies1 the works of creation1 providence and grace were delegated to him by the ,father4 ,such a provision in the constitution of his official person1 in order to the subordinate relations1 delegated agencies1 and visible manifestations1 involved in his undertaking1 would seem manifestly necessary4 ,apart from that provision1 he was in all respects equal with the ,father2 and in respect to his person1 therefore1 some special ground of subordination1 in order to the delegation to him of such works in such relations with man1 and with material and visible things1 would seem to be necessary4 ,again1 the works delegated to him1 and for which he was sent of the ,father1 all of them in some relations1 and many of them absolutely1 implied and required this union of the human nature with his person4 ,accordingly1 in this delegated1 subordinate official ,person1 he was foreordained before the foundation of the world1 and had glory with the ,father before the world was4 ,by him and for him1 in his official person and delegated character1 are all things4 ,by him and for his pleasure they were created4 ,he upholds all things1 and by him all things consist4 ,his undertaking included the works of creation1 providence and redemption2 the physical and moral government of the world1 and the manifestation of the ,divine perfections to all intelligent creatures4 ,in the execution of his undertaking1 local and visible manifestations of his person and of his official prerogatives and acts were indispensable1 in the relations he was to sustain as ,lawgiver and ,ruler1 ,prophet and ,priest4 ,his undertaking comprised a succession of acts and dispensations1 and of corresponding changes in the manner of his agency1 the nature of his manifestations1 and the immediate objects of his administration4 ,in these respects the progress of his work is indicated in the revelation he has made in the ,holy ,scriptures1 in which his person and his acts appear1 from stage to stage1 in different aspects4 ,he speaks of himself1 and is spoken of by the inspired writers1 sometimes with reference only to his ,divine1 and at other times with reference only to his human nature4 ,on some occasions acts are ascribed to him which are proper to him only as ,divine2 and on other occasions such as could be affirmed of him only as human2 as in one case1 the act of creation1 and in the other1 the act of walking4 ,it is in this complex person that he is primarily the object of all our knowledge of the ,deity as revealed in the ,scriptures4 ,he is the image1 the visible manifestation of the invisible ,god1 whom no man hath seen or can see4 ,he in this person hath declared1 manifested the ,father2 no less under the earliest1 than under the present dispensation4 ,accordingly1 though distinguished by ,moses in the beginning of his narrative by designations which specially relate to the ,divine nature in his person1 acts are ascribed to him which denote his complex official person2 such as walking in the garden of ,eden1 and conversing face to face with ,adam4 ,as his official work is in ,scripture referred to as one comprehensive undertaking1 though involving a long succession of acts and events1 so his official person is ever referred to as the same1 though in the succession many events preceded that of his taking man's nature into union with that person4 ,by appointment and covenant1 virtually and officially he was the same from the beginning2 and on that ground1 and because his expiatory death in man's nature was essential to his undertaking as a whole1 and its effect as necessary to the earliest as to any succeeding portion of man's race1 he is spoken of as slain from the foundation of the world4 ,had no apostasy of man taken place1 we are warranted in believing that he would have continued that local1 visible presence and intercourse with ,adam and his descendants which characterized the earliest period of their existence4 ,for as ,creator of all things he was the ,heir and ,lord of all1 and would have been ,lawgiver and ,king of the race1 the medium of their relations to ,god and of their homage1 as he is to be hereafter at the restitution of all things to their primeval condition1 when all the evil consequences of the fall shall have been superseded1 death itself destroyed1 and the earth delivered from the curse and restored to its original perfection4 ,but no such course of things could have been possible had the earth1 at the epoch of man's creation1 been in its present imperfect condition1 the scene of disease and death4 ,nor can there1 if it was at the outset so imperfect and so fraught with physical evils1 be a restoration of it hereafter to its pristine state4 ,if it is to be renovated1 remodelled1 new-made1 it is because it has been degraded from its primeval condition4 ,if it is to be restored by the instrumentality of fire1 that is to happen as the counterpart of its destruction by water4 ,if its renovation is to be one of the consequences and concomitants of his perfect triumph over the evils of the apostasy1 its subjection to its present state is no less certainly a consequence of the apostasy4 ,in view of this scheme and course of administration1 we may perhaps discern some of the reasons why this earth and the human race were selected4 ,we may suppose that of all the orders of intelligent creatures1 man1 with his material body1 is the least exalted1 and for that reason1 in such a course of manifestation to all orders1 alliance with his nature would be selected4 ,the visibility required in such a scheme would require union with a visible body4 ,so far as we have reason to conclude1 no other race of intelligent creatures is multiplied by succession4 ,that peculiarity of the human race rendered it practicable for the ,creator to take the human nature into union with his person2 and it likewise allows of a perpetual increase of the subjects of his grace and of his kingdom1 after the ruins of the fall shall have been overcome1 and the sovereignty of the rest of the universe1 preserved and confirmed in holiness1 shall have been surrendered to the ,father4 ,probably the preservation of the rest of the universe from defection is among the results of his expiation of sin1 his ascension incarnate to heaven1 his reign there till his second advent1 and his victory over ,satan and all opposition4 ,that being accomplished1 he resumes and prosecutes his original purpose as visible ,head and ,king of the human race4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,of the official ,person and ,relations of the ,messiah4 ,the term ,jehovah1 though employed interchangeably with the other ,divine designations1 is in one respect peculiar4 ,it is never used with reference to any other than the ,divine ,being4 ,hence it is by many regarded as a proper name4 ,it is however replaced in the ,new ,testament by an appellative4 ,gesenius1 who regards this as a proper name1 and the word ,elohim as an appellative1 refers to the ,seventy as uniformly prefixing the definite article to the word which they substitute for ,jehovah2 making the version1 as in the ,english1 ,the ,lord4 ,he considers the formulas1 ,i shall be what ,i am1 and which is1 and which was1 and which is to come1 as expressing the meaning of this name1 by which the being designated was to be distinctively recognized1 remembered1 and acknowledged for ever1 according to the declarations3 ,this is my name for ever1 and this is my memorial unto all generations2 and this is my name for ever3 so shall ye name me throughout all generations4 ,but1 as has been shown1 this name is employed both separately and conjointly1 with strictly official designations1 to identify the second ,person of the ,trinity in his delegated character and work2 who in the ,new ,testament is announced as ,jehovah1 ,immanu-,el1 ,jesus1 the ,christ4 ,the subsistence of three distinct coqual ,persons in the ,godhead is eternal4 ,the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit are1 as persons1 coternal1 coqual1 and alike infinitely removed from all possibility of change4 ,whatever change has taken place with respect to them must therefore be merely relative1 and have reference to their respective agencies1 and to the works of creation1 providence1 and grace4 ,they are accordingly revealed to us in connection with those works1 and in the relations which they sustain to them1 and to each other in connection with them2 and pursuant to the economy or covenant in which those relations and works are founded1 the designations by which they are respectively made known are official designations1 or employed with a personal and official reference4 ,the ,father is first1 the fountain of authority1 and delegates the ,son4 ,the ,son is second1 and is subordinate to the ,father4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is third1 and is subordinate to the ,father and the ,son4 ,the ,father sends the ,son to accomplish the works assigned to him4 ,the ,son reveals the ,father1 and executes his will4 ,the ,holy ,spirit does the will of the ,father and the ,son4 ,it is in these relations that the respective ,persons are worshipped1 and not jointly or in unity4 ,the ,father is worshipped through the ,son as the medium of access and homage4 ,the ,father and ,son respectively are worshipped through the gracious indwelling influence of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,these relations of the respective ,persons are therefore official1 and must be referred to as originating in the covenant1 in which the whole scheme of agency and manifestation in the works of creation1 providence1 and redemption1 was founded4 ,no such relations are to be conceived of as existing eternally2 for in their nature the respective ,persons are coqual4 ,subordination must have been voluntarily assumed for special purposes and agencies which required it4 ,when creatures were to be brought into existence1 relations not previously existing were requisite2 and as those relations to creatures required various agencies of the respective ,persons1 new relations between them were requisite2 and these1 being founded in compact1 are properly termed official4 ,accordingly1 all ,divine acts towards creatures are personal acts of the ,father1 the ,son1 or the ,holy ,spirit4 ,they act not as a unity in respect to creatures4 ,hence all the acts of the ,son in the works of creation1 providence1 and redemption1 are ascribed to him in one and the same official ,person and delegated character1 by whatever designations he may1 in relation to those works1 be referred to2 and it was accordingly in that character that he appeared personally and visibly in the ancient dispensations2 assumed the human form1 walked1 conversed1 and performed various actions proper only to one in that form4 ,the nature of his delegated undertaking1 and the objects of those dispensations1 required such local manifestations of his person and visible agency1 and also that he should speak to and of himself in the different aspects in which he then appeared1 and in which he exercised his prophetic office1 in relation to his future coming and his sacerdotal work4 ,thus he speaks of himself as the ,seed of the ,woman1 the ,son of ,david1 the ,king1 the ,saviour1 the ,anointed1 the ,messenger1 the ,redeemer1 the ,holy ,one1 the ,branch1 the ,shepherd1 ,immanuel4 ,this may be illustrated by referring to the ,new ,testament1 and considering that the ,divine and human natures being united in the ,person of the incarnate ,word1 whatever is true of either of those natures in that union1 is affirmed of him as a ,person2 and for aught that appears1 whatever is affirmed of his ,divine nature in that ,person is affirmed of him in his official character1 whether with reference to his prexistent or to his incarnate state4 ,many things are said of him which are predicable of his human nature only1 but which nevertheless could not be said if he was not both ,god and man in one ,person4 ,thus it is said1 that he died for our sins--and that he rose for our justification4 ,other things are said of the same ,person1 which are predicable only of his ,divine ,nature2 as that he came down from heaven1 that he came forth from ,god1 and that he was in the beginning4 ,hence the propriety with which in both the ,old and ,new ,testaments the various ,divine names and titles are applied to him1 to designate the ,one ,anointed1 delegated--,person4 ,since writing this work1 the author has read the treatise of ,dr4 ,isaac ,watts1 entitled1 ,the ,glory of ,christ as ,god-,man1 in which he describes the visible appearances of ,christ before his incarnation1 inquires into the extensive powers of his human nature in its present glorified state1 and endeavors to explain and illustrate the ,scriptures which relate to those appearances1 and to the ,person who under various divine names and official designations visibly appeared1 by supposing that the human soul of ,christ was created prior to the creation of the world1 and thenceforth1 being united to the ,second ,person of the ,godhead1 appeared and acted1 visibly and otherwise1 in all that related to this world4 ,there being no question but that the mediatorial ,person created the world1 appeared visibly1 and conducted the administration of the ,old ,testament dispensations1 there is1 as might be anticipated1 a degree of plausibility in the reasonings and illustrations of this venerated author4 ,but many grave and unanswerable objections to his peculiar views present themselves4 ,it is not perceived that the supposition of the prexistence of the human soul of ,christ is either sustained by the ,scriptures1 or has in any respect1 as a means of explanation1 any advantage as compared with the view taken in this work1 viz3 that1 pursuant to a covenant between the ,persons of the ,godhead1 the ,second ,person assumed the official character and relations which are peculiar to him as ,mediator2 those1 viz3 in which he executed the works of creation and providence1 and manifested himself under various ,divine names and official designations1 as ,jehovah1 ,elohim1 the ,messenger1 the ,messiah2 the official personal actor and revealer4 ,to his ,person in this official character and agency the human nature was in due time united1 so as to include two natures in his one ,person4 ,but since the delegated official ,person1 into union with which the human nature was taken1 prexisted1 and as a ,person was the same before as after the incarnation1 the acts of that ,person in the delegated official character and relations above referred to1 were to the same effect1 and involved essentially the same conditions before as after the advent4 ,since he undoubtedly acted as ,mediator in the ancient dispensations1 we must1 in reference to his agency then1 ascribe to him what peculiarly constituted and ever preminently distinguishes that character1 viz3 its being the delegated official character of a ,divine ,person4 ,regarded in that light1 there seems no more difficulty in ascribing visible appearances and other acts suitable to his office in his relations to men1 prior to the assumption of human nature into union with his ,person1 than after that union4 ,the relations of his ,person1 in his delegated official character1 to creatures and material things1 were the result1 not of the incarnation1 nor of any occurrence after the commencement of his delegated1 subordinate1 mediatorial work1 but of his appointment to that work1 and must be regarded as coval with that appointment4 ,they were the relations of the official1 mediatorial ,person2 and for aught that appears or is conceivable1 rendered visible personal appearances in the likeness of man1 and the performance of acts1 utterance of words1 c41 like those of man1 as practicable before as after the addition of human nature to that ,person4 ,the views advanced by ,dr4 ,watts proceed upon the assumption that two distinct persons were united2 whereas it was two distinct natures that were united in one ,person4 ,that ,person existed before the human nature was added to it4 ,the nature added had no separate or distinct personality4 ,it became part of the prexisting ,person4 ,he took it to be his own nature1 444 causing it to subsist in his own ,person1 says ,owen4 ,the ,logos1 the personal ,word or ,revealer1 the delegated ,official ,person or ,mediator1 who was in the beginning and was ,god1 was made flesh and dwelt among us4 ,john i4 ,he took not on him the nature of angels1 but he took on him the seed of ,abraham4 ,heb4 ii4 #af4 ,he did not assume a nature from angels1 but he assumed a nature from the seed of ,abraham4 ,syriac ,text4 ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ is ,god and man in one person4 ,for there is supposed in these words 7,heb4 i4 #af7 his prexistence in another nature than that which he is said here to assume4 ,he subsisted before1 else he could not have taken on him what he had not before4 ,gal4 iv4 #d2 ,john i4 #ad2 ,tim4 iii4 #af2 ,phil4 ii4 #f1 #g4 ,that is1 444 the ,word of ,god 444 became incarnate4 ,he took to himself another nature1 of the seed of ,abraham according to the promise2 so1 continuing what he was1 he became what he was not2 for he took this to be his own nature 444 by taking that nature into personal subsistence with himself1 in the hypostasis substance or subsistence of the ,son of ,god2 seeing the nature he assumed could no otherwise become his4 ,for if he had by any ways or means taken the person of a man in the strictest union that two persons are capable of1 in that case the nature had still been the nature of that other person1 and not his own4 ,but he took it to be his own nature1 which1 therefore1 must be by a personal union1 causing it to subsist in his own person4444 ,this is done without a multiplication of persons in him2 for the human nature can have no personality of its own1 because it was taken to be the nature of another person who was prexistent to it1 and by assuming it1 prevented its proper personality4 7,owen on the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 chap4 ii4 #af47 ,christ is the ,jehovah whose dominion is proclaimed1 ,psalm xcvii41 who is declared to be the ,god whom men and angels are bound to serve and worship4 ,such is ,he who for our deliverance condescended to assume our nature4444 ,for thus it seems the matter stood in the counsels of ,eternal ,wisdom3 ,it behooved ,him to be made like unto his brethren1 that he might be a merciful and faithful ,high ,priest in things pertaining unto ,god1 to make reconciliation for the sins of the people4 7,horsley's ,sermon on the #igth ,psalm47 ,that is3 ,it behooved ,him1 the ,christ1 ,jehovah in the prexisting official ,person1 to assume our nature4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,local and visible ,manifestations1 ,intercourse and ,instructions as characterizing the primeval and ,mosaic ,dispensations--,local ,presence of the ,messenger ,jehovah in the ,tabernacle4 ,it being evident that the ,messiah appeared to the patriarchs in a visible form1 that they recognized him under various designations1 saw him face to face1 conversed with him1 offered to him burnt offerings and prayers1 believed in him with that faith which is unto righteousness1 received from him revelations1 promises1 and covenants1 and in all the aspects and relations in which he appeared1 regarded him as their ,god and the ,god of providence and grace1 their ,creator1 ,preserver1 ,lawgiver1 and ,ruler1 it is safe to conclude that this method of personal and visible manifestation and intercourse was a primary and essential characteristic of that dispensation4 ,if the instances of such personal appearance and intercourse in which minute details are recorded1 as in that to ,abraham in the plain of ,mamre1 and that to ,jacob at ,peni-,el1 are not greatly multiplied1 they are yet sufficiently numerous1 considered in connection with the occasions1 circumstances and expressions by which other instances are distinguished1 to warrant us in supposing the frequent occurrence of like manifestations to the same individuals1 and to many others of whose personal history no extended details are recorded1 and many others of whom nothing1 or nothing except their names1 is mentioned4 ,moreover1 when ,moses wrote1 such visible manifestations were familiar to the ,israelites1 and in his retrospective history no more required to be specially mentioned1 except as incidents interwoven with1 and inseparable from1 the personal narratives of the past1 than full details respecting sacrificial offerings1 their typical references1 the law of the ,sabbath1 and other matters1 which were in like manner familiar1 and constituted the essential elements of their religious system4 ,there is ground to conclude that this mode of manifestation was coval with the creation2 and that1 if there had been no apostasy of man1 ,he for whom are all things1 and by whom are all things1 would have continued visibly and constantly present with the race on earth1 as he will be after he shall have destroyed the last enemy1 and obviated the consequences of the fall4 ,at that predicted restitution1 a condition of things like that which preceded the defection is to be realized2 when he is to dwell with men--their ,god4 ,the ,new ,testament clearly ascertains to us that he was personally the ,creator4 ,the style and manner in which he spoke and acted1 as recorded by ,moses in his account of the creation1 and in his primeval intercourse with ,adam1 coincides in familiarity1 and may be described as homogeneous1 with that employed on occasions of his visible manifestations to ,abraham1 ,jacob1 and others4 ,when he said1 ,let us make man in our image1 after our likeness1 it may well be presumed that1 among other things1 he had reference to that visible form in which he was thenceforth frequently recognized1 and in which he at length became incarnate1 and will hereafter be seen by every eye4 ,as instances of the appropriateness of what he said to a person locally present1 and speaking and acting as a man would naturally do1 the following are referred to3 ,he saw every thing that he had made1 and behold1 it was very good4 ,and the evening and the morning were the sixth day4 ,and on the seventh day1 having ended his work1 he rested1 and blessed the seventh day1 and sanctified it2 because that in it he had rested from all his work which ,elohim created and made4 ,such references to time and place imply an actor having coincident relations4 ,again1 ,he planted a garden eastward in ,eden2 and there he put the man whom he had formed1 and commanded him1 saying1 ,of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat1 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil4 ,after the transgression1 the same local references1 and the like familiarity1 and implication of his personal presence1 are continued3 ,and they heard the voice--according to ,owen and others1 the ,,word--of ,jehovah ,elohim1 walking in the garden2 and ,adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence--literally1 the face--of ,jehovah ,elohim1 amongst the trees of the garden4 ,and ,jehovah ,elohim called unto ,adam1 and said unto him1 ,where art thou8 ,and he said1 ,i heard thy voice1 and ,i was afraid1 and ,i hid myself4 ,these passages seem to be demonstrative of the local personal presence of the ,divine speaker1 as clearly as of that of the guilty couple4 ,they heard him in the garden1 and to avoid meeting or being met by him1 they hid themselves among the trees4 ,this would have been to no purpose1 had he not been locally1 but only spiritually present4 ,they heard him walking1 and having retreated to a covert for concealment1 he called to ,adam2 acts which1 in a plain1 literal narrative1 imply a local personal presence4 ,if on this occasion1 when the delinquent parties were successively arraigned and questioned1 and the sentence of condemnation was pronounced in words addressed personally to each1 he was locally present1 the otherwise seeming paradox1 that the same style and manner of address to the subtle adversary should be employed as to ,adam1 disappears4 ,so the words addressed to ,cain can hardly be thought to have been literally spoken1 but upon the supposition that the ,divine speaker was locally present1 and that his presence was matter of previous and familiar recognition to ,cain4 ,a like inference may be made from the statement that ,elohim came to ,abimelech1 and spake to him in a dream1 and from his address to ,jehovah1 ,gen4 xx42 and also from the statement that ,elohim came to ,laban in a dream1 and his mention of the fact1 and of the caution he renewed to ,jacob1 ,gen4 xxxi4 ,nor is there in any respect any thing improbable in the supposition that he was locally and visibly present in the likeness of man at that period1 any more than at subsequent periods4 ,on the contrary1 the statement 7,john i4 #a7 that the ,,word--the delegated ,person who in due time assumed our nature and was visibly on earth--was in the beginning1 and created all things1 implies that he was then recognized in his official character1 which implies relations and acts of which place and visibility were indispensable conditions4 ,such must undoubtedly have been the case when he was seen1 if not uniformly when his voice was heard4 ,he may have been often locally present when1 though heard1 he was not seen4 ,such1 with respect to ,daniel's companions1 was the case in his vision1 chap4 x4 ,he saw one in the form of man1 whose face was as the appearance of lightning1 and heard his words2 but the men that were with him saw not the vision4 ,and when ,paul saw his person so unequivocally as to constitute him a witness of his resurrection1 the men accompanying him heard his voice1 but saw him not4 ,when it is simply said that he appeared to ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1 or others1 and the narrative proceeds to relate what he said1 and what answers were made1 the language plainly implies his local personal presence1 though no mention is made of his being seen4 ,the occasions and objects of his appearance in such instances were1 so far as we can judge1 as important and as appropriate to such local and visible manifestations1 as those in relation to which it is expressly recorded that he was seen in the likeness of man4 ,the primeval and ,levitical dispensations were specially characterized by visible manifestations1 acts1 rites and events1 embodying1 enforcing1 and illustrating the great truths which were revealed4 ,thus1 on the part of man1 the first prohibition enjoined upon ,adam1 besides its reference to his will1 had relation to an external and visible act1 and an external and visible object1 the fruit of a particular tree4 ,the ritual of worship prescribing1 among other offerings1 that of slaughtered animals on an altar1 the observance of the ,sabbath1 the long list of fasts1 feasts1 convocations1 ordinances1 rites and ceremonies1 and most of the injunctions and prohibitions of the moral law1 had respect to outward and visible acts4 ,and on the other hand1 the ,divine ,lawgiver and ,ruler manifested himself visibly1 announced his revelations and commands in audible words1 distinguished the righteous generally by outward prosperity1 long life1 and numerous descendants1 and the wicked by opposite evils1 or by special calamities and judgments manifest to public observation4 ,by this method1 the personality1 the attributes and perfections1 the prerogatives and rights1 the holiness1 faithfulness1 mercy and truth of ,jehovah1 were not only exhibited to the view of all intelligent creatures1 fallen and unfallen1 but were exhibited in such relations to accountable creatures1 in their various circumstances1 and in their connections with laws1 covenants1 promises1 and predictions1 as to lead unmistakably to a right apprehension of them1 and a right apprehension of the conduct of men in view of them2 results which1 so far as we can judge1 could have been produced in no other way1 unless by endowing creatures with omniscience1 or with plenary inspiration4 ,for1 from their nature as created1 finite and dependent agents1 their thoughts1 apprehensions and inferences are successive1 and all the knowledge of external things which they acquire otherwise than by inspiration1 they acquire by means of their external senses2 seeing visible objects1 hearing audible sounds1 c4 ,those to whom these divine manifestations1 personal1 visible1 and audible1 were first made1 had no prototypes1 precedents or analogies1 to assist them in gaining right apprehensions1 and deducing just conclusions1 had the method of instruction been that merely of announcements1 from an invisible source1 of abstract propositions4 ,but by the method actually adopted1 prototypes1 precedents and analogies were furnished1 which1 being recorded in the relations and historical connections in which they occurred and were observed1 serve effectually for the instruction of those to whom similar outward and visible manifestations are not vouchsafed4 ,on the other hand1 by the method taken1 the nature1 deserts1 and consequences of sin were unmistakably shown1 by its being embodied and publicly exhibited in visible acts and their consequences4 ,thus the transgression of ,adam1 regarded in its connection with the prohibition which had been emphatically enjoined1 with his arraignment1 and the sentence pronounced upon him1 and with his expulsion from ,eden1 and the curse and blight visibly produced upon the earth on which he was doomed to toil for a subsistence1 and at length to decline and die1 furnished illustrations of the indescribable turpitude of his apostasy1 and of the moral and physical evils that were among its just and legitimate consequences1 which neither then nor now could be conveyed in an abstract statement4 ,so the hypocrisy1 envy1 infidelity1 and malignity of ,cain1 regarded in connection with the knowledge he had of the consequences of ,adam's transgression1 and of the laws1 obligations1 and duties which were binding upon him2 and in connection with the remorse visibly depicted on his countenance1 his expulsion from the accustomed place of worship and of intercourse with ,jehovah1 and the spectacle he was to exhibit as a fugitive and a vagabond1 despised and shunned as an outcast1 for whom the earth1 in respect to his tillage of it1 was specially cursed and blighted2 furnished1 to the view of all intelligent observers1 lessons and illustrations which could in no other conceivable way have been exhibited4 ,the like may be observed concerning the spectacle of violence and corruption which all but universally prevailed before the deluge1 and on account of which that exterminating judgment upon the race1 with its visible accompaniments and its physical effects upon the earth itself and its irrational inhabitants1 was1 in the view of the whole universe of accountable creatures1 specially and judicially inflicted4 ,also1 concerning the notorious and awful wickedness of ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 and the exterminating retribution visited upon them1 making them a public and perpetual example4 ,and1 omitting to specify less conspicuous and individual instances to the like effect in the history of the patriarchs1 or that of the treatment of the ,israelites in ,egypt1 and its counterpart in the plagues which ensued1 or any of later date1 it is manifest that this method of manifestation1 instruction1 warning1 and reproof1 was characteristic of those early times4 ,if now1 in conformity with the unanimous opinion of the ancient ,church1 we consider that ,he who in his delegated character is1 in ,moses and the prophets1 designated by all the ,divine names and titles1 and specially1 among his peculiar official titles1 by that of the ,messenger ,jehovah1 was the mediator in all the relations of ,god to the people1 and1 as expressed by ,hengstenberg2 from the beginning constantly filled up the infinite distance between the ,creator and the creation1 and was in all ages the ,light of the world1 and ,mediator in all the relations of ,god to the human race1 then his early method of local1 personal1 and visible manifestations1 interpositions1 and instructions1 is obviously in keeping with that exhibited during his subsequent sojourn on earth1 and so accordant with the nature and ends of his official character and its relations and objects1 as to imply that the present dispensation is an exception1 to be succeeded by one of renewed and more glorious1 impressive1 and instructive visibility than that of ,paradise1 when all his prior administrations and agencies will be completely vindicated1 every eye will see him1 and every tongue confess that he is ,jehovah1 to the glory of ,god the ,father4 ,the foregoing observations may be further illustrated by reference to the tabernacle as the local residence of the ,messenger ,jehovah1 and as in some respects typical4 ,the pattern of the tabernacle which was shown to ,moses in the mount1 was a representation to him of the person and work of the ,mediator as ,priest and ,king in human nature1 which he was required to represent to the children of ,israel by the visible structure which he was to erect4 ,the true tabernacle1 of which this was the figure1 was his human nature1 in which his sacrifice1 intercession1 and regal glory were to be realized4 ,the tabernacle1 with its furniture and services1 signified to the worshippers the leading truths concerning the person1 offices1 mediation1 incarnation1 sacrifice1 intercession1 and final glory and reign of ,christ4 ,it taught these truths by means of visible signs--figures intended to serve that purpose till ,christ should come1 and in human nature1 the true tabernacle1 make atonement by shedding his own blood1 and openly manifesting the way of reconciliation and access to ,god through him4 ,this way into the holiest of all1 i4 e41 heaven itself was not to be openly and completely manifested1 but only as was practicable through these visible signs and teachings1 during the continuance of the tabernacle erected by ,moses1 and afterwards placed in the first temple1 as a figure of the true2 but the coming of ,christ in the true tabernacle1 his human nature1 to offer himself a sacrifice1 would fulfil and make manifest the things signified in the figure4 ,the tabernacle signified that he would become literally incarnate2 but by the actual exhibition of his person in human nature1 all obscurity and doubt would be removed4 ,the tabernacle1 as a figure of his incarnate person1 included1 in the sanctuary within the veil1 the golden altar of incense1 the ark of the covenant1 and the mercy-seat1 which was the throne2 and in the other apartment1 the altar of burnt offering1 the show-bread1 the candlestick1 c41 answering to the offices and benefits of ,him who was both priest and sacrifice1 altar and mercy-seat4 ,that they had an ark and tent answerable essentially to the tabernacle anterior to that erected in the wilderness1 is implied in several passages4 ,thus1 ,exod4 xxxiii41 before the gifts had been received for the new structure1 ,moses took the tabernacle and pitched it without the camp1 afar off from the camp2 444 and as ,moses entered into the tabernacle1 the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle1 and talked see ,heb4 with ,moses4 ,again1 ,exod4 xvi41 on the first dispensation of manna1 ,aaron is directed to ,take a pot and put an omer full of manna therein1 and lay it up before ,jehovah1 to be kept for your generations4 ,so ,aaron laid it up before the testimony1 to be kept3 that is1 probably1 in the tent or place where the ,shekina dwelt1 as afterwards in the tabernacle at ,shiloh and ,mizpeh1 prior to the erection of the temple4 ,the same thing may be implied in the words of the ,philistines when the ,israelites brought the ark of the covenant into their camp3 ,the ,philistines were afraid1 for they said1 ,elohim is come into the camp4 ,woe unto us6444 this is the ,elohim that smote the ,egyptians4 #a ,sam4 iv4 ,as if1 in the information they had received concerning the plagues of ,egypt1 the presence of the ,elohim was associated with a tent or tabernacle1 and the ark of the covenant4 ,that there was such a place of ,divine manifestation among the ,israelites during their sojourn in ,egypt and at the legation of ,moses1 is in the highest degree probable1 since the true faith and worship were preserved2 and probably it was to that place that ,moses1 in the progress of his controversy with ,pharaoh1 often repaired for direction and authority4 ,and ,moses returned unto ,jehovah1 and said1 ,adonai1 wherefore1 c4 ,exod4 v4 ,and ,moses spake before ,jehovah4444 ,and ,moses said before ,jehovah4 vi4 ,and ,moses went out from ,pharaoh1 and entreated ,jehovah4 viii4 ,and ,moses went out of the city from ,pharaoh1 perhaps from the district of the ,egyptians to that of the ,israelites1 and spread abroad his hands unto ,jehovah4 ix4 ,the same word 7,sheken or ,shekina7 which is employed to signify that ,jehovah dwelt in the pillar of cloud and of fire1 and in the tabernacle between the cherubim1 is employed also ,gen4 iii4 #bd1 which may read1 ,he caused the cherubim to dwell at the east of the garden of ,eden1 i4 e41 as in a tent or covering1 a tabernacle1 or column of cloud or fire4 ,doubtless ,moses previously understood the true doctrine concerning the person1 mediation1 and sacrifice of the ,divine ,mediator2 but to qualify him to teach this doctrine and to enforce the duties connected with it1 an exhibition was made to him of that ,person in the form in which he was to make atonement by the sacrifice of himself4 ,on the occasion of receiving instruction concerning the tabernacle1 being called up into the mount1 he1 with ,nadab1 ,abihu1 and seventy of the elders1 saw the ,elohe of ,israel1 in the likeness of the ,god-man1 as appears from the allusion to his person1 and what took place4 ,there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone4444 ,upon the nobles he laid not his hand4444 ,they saw 7the7 ,elohim1 and did eat and drink4 ,they evidently saw his person in the form in which he was to execute the priestly office1 and which was to be foreshown by the tabernacle4 ,no man hath seen the ,father4 ,but ,moses saw 7the7 ,elohim1 the ,elohe of ,israel1 ,jehovah1 the ,messenger1 the ,god-man4 ,on another occasion ,jehovah came down and stood in the door of the tabernacle1 and said1 ,with ,moses will ,i speak mouth to mouth1 even apparently1 and not in dark speeches1 and the similitude of ,jehovah shall he behold4 ,numb4 i4 ,he appeared in the form of man to ,abraham1 ,jacob1 and others1 with no accompaniment of visible glory4 ,isaiah saw him1 the ,king1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 seated on a throne2 ,ezekiel1 in the likeness of a man on a throne1 ,john1 as the ,son of man1 clothed with a garment down to his feet4 ,after this manifestation to the leaders and elders of ,israel1 ,moses went alone into the midst of the cloud on the mount1 and remained there forty days1 receiving instructions for himself and the people concerning the tabernacle4 ,and ,jehovah spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,speak unto the children of ,israel1 that they bring me an offering1 c42 444 and let them make me a sanctuary1 that ,i may dwell among them4 ,according to all that ,i show thee1 after the pattern of the tabernacle1 and the pattern of all the instruments thereof1 even so shall ye make it4 ,this perfect model1 by an imitation of which he was to represent the incarnate person and sacerdotal work of ,christ1 was shown to him in the mount4 ,no doubt a visible pattern of the tabernacle and its instruments was shown to him4 ,that it was not a mental vision1 or a verbal description merely1 by which he was instructed1 is clearly indicated by the phraseology above quoted from ,exod4 xxv4 #i3 ,according to all that ,i show thee2 more strictly1 ,according to all that ,i make thee to see4 ,again1 after a variety of directions concerning the table for the show-bread1 the candlestick1 and other articles of furniture1 ,jehovah said to ,moses1 ,look that thou make them after their pattern which was showed thee in the mount4 ,exod4 xxv4 #dj1 and xxvi4 #cj4 ,thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount4 ,and relating to the altar of burnt offerings3 ,hollow with boards shalt thou make it3 as it was showed thee in the mount1 so shalt thou make it4 xxvii4 #h4 ,again1 at the dedication of the tabernacle it is said1 ,according unto the pattern which ,jehovah had showed ,moses1 so he made the candlestick4 ,numb4 viii4 #d4 ,this phraseology1 accompanied as it is by minute verbal descriptions of the several objects1 still refers to something more definite2 a form1 model1 pattern1 which he was strictly to imitate4 ,the purposes to be answered required perfect accuracy in the copy4 ,and hence the apostle1 ,heb4 viii4 #e1 alluding to this scene1 says3 ,moses was admonished of ,god1 when he was about to make the tabernacle3 for1 ,see1 saith he1 that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount4 ,this construction is confirmed by a portion of subsequent history4 ,when ,solomon was about to build an house for the sanctuary1 ,david1 instructed by ,divine inspiration in respect to the forms of different parts of the edifice1 caused patterns or models thereof to be constructed for the guidance of his son4 ,then ,david gave to ,solomon the pattern of the porch1 and of the houses thereof1 and of the treasuries thereof1 and of the upper chambers thereof1 and of the place of the mercy-seat2 and the pattern of all that he had by the ,spirit1 of the courts of the house of ,jehovah1 and of all the chambers round about1 of the treasuries of the house of ,elohim1 and of the treasuries of the dedicated things4 #a ,chron4 xxviii4 ,in these services no discretion was left either to ,moses or to ,solomon4 ,the things to be made were to be made in exact imitation of the patterns furnished4 ,if we suppose that ,moses beheld the person of the ,mediator in the likeness of man1 and at the same time beheld the model of the tabernacle and its furniture1 by a copy of which he was visibly to prefigure and represent the human nature and the official works of ,christ1 then the structure erected by him1 with the throne1 the altar1 and all the instruments and rites of the ,levitical service1 will appear in the highest degree fitted to instruct the people in the great truths concerning his kingly and priestly offices4 ,his consecration of the most holy apartment as his dwelling-place1 answerable1 as the place of his intercession and of his mediatorial throne to that in which he was to appear after his incarnation and ascension1 will be intelligible2 and the fact that there he reigned as ,king1 dictated laws1 and administered the ,theocracy1 and that he was on subsequent occasions soon in connection with the visible form and accompaniments of the tabernacle1 by ,isaiah1 ,ezekiel1 and others1 and lastly by ,john after his ascension1 will appear consistent with all that is made known to us of his mediatorial agency and visible manifestations under the primeval1 patriarchal1 and ,mosaic dispensations4 ,during those dispensations he as truly officiated as ,mediator as after the full realization of what the tabernacle prefigured2 exercised the offices of ,prophet1 ,priest1 and ,king1 and dwelt personally in the holy place of the tabernacle after that was prepared1 till he formally forsook and withdrew from it1 prior to the destruction of the first temple4 ,his office and relations1 as civil head and ruler of the nation1 implied his personal presence4 ,that1 as their civil ruler1 he was ,king in the same sense as other kingly rulers1 appears from what is said when1 through unbelief and desire of a leader and judge who should be always visible1 they sinfully demanded a king from among themselves1 like the kings of other nations3 ,ye said1 ,a king shall reign over us1 when ,jehovah your ,elohe was your king4 #a ,sam4 xii4 #ac4 ,from the oracle1 the cover of the mercy-seat in the holy place within the veil1 as one ever present1 he spoke to ,moses1 dictated the laws which are recorded after the erection of the tabernacle1 and gave responses to the high priest on special occasions1 whenever appealed to1 not only during the ministry of ,moses1 but afterwards4 ,and it is to be noticed that1 as there were during the earlier dispensations certain localities appropriated to ,divine worship1 where altars were erected to ,jehovah and typical sacrifices offered1 and ,divine manifestations and revelations were vouchsafed2 so1 after the tabernacle was set up1 and also after it was transferred to the temple1 it was the place resorted to for oracular responses as well as for sacrifices of burnt offering4 ,on the occasion of the war with ,benjamin1 the children of ,israel1 and all the people1 went up and came unto the house of ,elohim1 and wept1 and sat there before ,jehovah1 and fasted that day until even1 and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before ,jehovah4 ,and the children of ,israel inquired of ,jehovah1 7for the ark of the covenant of the ,elohim was there in those days1 and ,phinehas the son of ,aaron stood before it in those days17 saying1 ,shall ,i yet again go out to battle8 c4444 ,and ,jehovah said1 ,go up1 c4 ,judges xx4 ,thence1 in the days of ,eli1 ,jehovah spoke to ,samuel #a ,sam4 iii4 ,see also ,joshua vii4 #f2 #a ,chron4 xxi4 #cj2 #b ,sam4 xxii4 #g2 ,psalm xviii4 #f2 xxvii4 #d2 ,isaiah lxvi4 #f4 ,now1 the tabernacle was erected expressly to be the dwelling-place of ,jehovah as ,mediator1 ,let them make me a sanctuary1 that ,i may dwell among them4 ,exod4 xxv4 #bh1 ,thou shalt put the mercy-seat above upon the ark2 and in the ark thou shall put the testimony that ,i shall give thee4 ,and there ,i will meet with thee1 and ,i will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat1 from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony1 of all things which ,i will give thee in commandment unto the children of ,israel4 xxv4 #ba1 #bb4 ,there ,i will meet with the children of ,israel1 and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory4444 ,and ,i will dwell among the children of ,israel1 and will be their ,god1 and they shall know that ,i am ,jehovah their ,elohe1 that brought them forth out of the land of ,egypt1 that ,i may dwell among them4 xxix4 #dc1 #de1 #df4 ,the tabernacle in the wilderness had its station in the midst of the camps2 from the precincts of which all lepers were to be excluded1 that they defile not their camps in the midst whereof ,i dwell4 ,numb4 v4 #c4 ,so no satisfaction might be taken for the life of a murderer in the land of ,canaan2 for blood defiled the land1 and it could not be cleansed but by the blood of him that shed it4 ,defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit1 wherein ,i dwell3 for ,i ,jehovah dwell among the children of ,israel4 ,numb4 xxxv4 #cd4 ,accordingly we read that the glory of ,jehovah filled the tabernacle4444 ,the cloud of ,jehovah was upon the tabernacle by day1 and fire was on it by night1 in the sight of all the house of ,israel throughout all their journeys4 ,exod4 xl4 #cd1 #ch4 ,all this phraseology plainly indicates the local presence of the ,personal ,word2 as plainly as the records of his visible presence on any occasions4 ,various other scriptures confirm this4 ,when king ,david said to ,nathan1 ,see now1 ,i dwell in an house of cedar1 but the ark of ,god dwelleth within curtains1 ,nathan was directed to ,go and tell ,david1 ,thus saith ,jehovah1 ,shalt thou build me an house to dwell in8 ,whereas ,i have not dwelt in any house since the time that ,i brought up the children of ,israel out of ,egypt1 even to this day2 but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle4 ,to this follow allusions to his dealings with ,david1 and promises concerning the future4 ,then went king ,david in i4 e4 into the tabernacle and sat before ,jehovah1 444 and made acknowledgments1 thanksgivings1 and prayers to ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 the ,elohe of ,israel4 #b ,sam1 vii4 ,it is thus manifest that the tabernacle was intended as the residence of the official ,person1 and with reference to his official works2 and being a figure of his human nature1 he dwelt in it1 and exercised his prophetic1 regal1 and priestly offices in it1 as he was to do afterwards when literally incarnate4 ,if it represented his human nature1 then doubtless he dwelt in it and if he dwelt in it in any sense answerable to his subsequent dwelling in the human nature1 then he dwelt in it locally and personally4 ,the services performed there accordingly imply and confirm this view4 ,there was a shedding of blood1 the blood of the covenant1 which has flowed in every age1 through which remission of sin was granted4 ,see ,levit4 xvii4 #b2 ,heb4 ix4 #bb4 ,no atonement could be made but by sacrificial blood-shedding2 and if the shedding and sprinkling of blood in the tabernacle service prefigured the true atonement1 then it referred to the incarnate ,word2 and if he was in any manner in the holy place1 he must have dwelt there in the person and likeness in which he appeared when visible4 ,if any ,divine ,person was present in the tabernacle1 it must have been the ,mediator in his official capacity4 ,for to suppose it to have been the ,father1 is to suppose that in the ,levitical services there was in the minds of the worshippers no recognition of the ,mediator4 ,accordingly1 when he visibly appeared incarnate among men1 he spoke of the temple as representing his body4 ,destroy this temple1 and in three days ,i will raise it up4444 ,but he spake of the temple of his body4 ,john ii4 #ai1 #ba4 ,and ,john1 describing the ,messiah as he appeared visibly incarnate1 says the ,,word was ,god--was in the beginning--created all things4 ,the ,,word became flesh and dwelt literally1 tabernacled among us1 and we beheld his glory4 ,john i4 ,see also the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 especially chap4 viii-x41 where the ,mosaic tabernacle of witness1 as it is called in ,numbers and ,acts vii41 is in all its essential characteristics and objects contrasted with the person and office-work of ,christ as he appeared incarnate1--a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle1 his human nature1 which the ,lord pitched and not man1--in fulfilment of the things signified and prefigured in the tabernacle of witness1 which was a figure for the time then present4 ,but ,christ being come1 444 by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands1 444 by his own blood entered once into the holy place1 heaven as prefigured by the holy of holies within the veil1 having obtained eternal redemption for us2 i4 e41 by the offering of his own blood as an atoning sacrifice for sin1 as prefigured by the sacrificial shedding of blood in the ,levitical service and the patriarchal worship4 ,he entered not1 when he offered himself a sacrifice1 into the holy places made with hands1 which are the figures of the true1 but into heaven itself4 ,nor yet did he offer himself often1 as the high priest entered into the holy place every year with blood of others1 but now once at the end of the ,levitical economy1 he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself4 ,after he had once offered himself a sacrifice for sin1 he ascended1 and sat down on the right hand of ,god1 thenceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool4 ,for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified4 ,whereof the ,holy ,ghost also is a witness to us3 for after that he had said1 ,this is the covenant that ,i will make with them after those days1 saith the ,lord1 ,i will put my laws into their hearts1 and in their minds will ,i write them2 and their sins and iniquities will ,i remember no more4 ,now where remission of these is1 there is no more offering for sin4 ,having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of ,jesus1 by a new and living life-giving way1 which he hath consecrated for us1 through the veil1 that is to say1 his flesh2 and having an ,high ,priest over the house of ,god1 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith4 ,the foregoing observations and references show1 in some degree1 how ,moses and his inspired successors wrote of the ,messiah4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,of the ,chaldee ,paraphrasts--,their method of designating the ,personal ,,word or ,revealer--,occasion and ,necessity of it4 ,he who1 in the primeval dispensation1 was1 in his official character1 distinctively announced as the ,messenger ,jehovah1 and the ,messenger ,elohim1 is1 in the same character1 no less distinctively announced1 on his visible appearance incarnate1 as the ,word4 ,and1 taking the words1 ,john i4 #a1 last clause1 in the order in which they occur in the original1 ,god 7,elohim7 was the ,word1 ,he1 in that character1 is declared to be the ,creator4 ,all things were made by him4 ,by him--referred to as the ,son1 and as the image of the invisible ,god1 in whom we have redemption through his blood--were all things created1 that are in heaven and that are in earth1 visible and invisible4 ,col4 i4 ,these designations and ascriptions undoubtedly identify him in respect to his person1 and his official character1 with ,elohim1 who 7,gen4 i47 in the beginning created the heavens and the earth4 ,but the designation translated ,word--a term employed in the abstract for the concrete1 as light for the enlightener1 life for life-giver1 ,logos1 or ,word1 for revealer--has a counterpart1 of like personal and official significance1 in the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 which was recognized by the ancient ,jewish church1 and by the ,chaldee paraphrasts2 and which1 in a ,chaldee form1 the latter in their paraphrases inserted in numerous instances before the ,divine names1 where they understood them to indicate the official delegated ,person1 and where the context did not necessarily convey that meaning4 ,the ,chaldee paraphrases1 says ,prideaux1 are translations of the ,scriptures of the ,old ,testament made directly from the ,hebrew text into the language of the ,chaldeans2 which language was anciently used through all ,assyria1 ,babylonia1 ,mesopotamia1 ,syria1 and ,palestine4 ,these paraphrases are called ,targums1 because they were versions or translations of the ,hebrew text into this language4 ,these ,targums were made for the use and instruction of the vulgar ,jews1 after their return from the ,babylonish captivity4 ,for although many of the better sort still retained the knowledge of the ,hebrew language during that captivity1 and taught it their children2 and the ,holy ,scriptures that were delivered after that time1 excepting only some parts of ,daniel and ,ezra1 and one verse in ,jeremiah1 were all written therein2 yet the common people1 by having so long conversed with the ,babylonians1 learned their language and forgot their own4 ,it happened indeed otherwise to the children of ,israel in ,egypt4 ,for although they lived there above three times as long as the ,babylonish captivity lasted1 yet they still preserved the ,hebrew language among them1 and brought it back entire with them into ,canaan4 ,the reason of this was1 in ,egypt they all lived together in the land of ,goshen2 but on their being carried captive by the ,babylonians1 they were dispersed all over ,chaldea and ,assyria1 and being there intermixed with the people of the land1 had their main converse with them1 and therefore were forced to learn their language1 and this soon induced a disuse of their own among them2 by which means it came to pass1 that after their return1 the common people1 especially those of them who had been bred up in that captivity1 understood not the ,holy ,scriptures in the ,hebrew language1 nor their posterity after them4 ,and therefore when ,ezra read the law to the people1 7,neh4 viii417 he had several persons standing by him well skilled in both the ,chaldee and the ,hebrew languages1 who interpreted to the people in ,chaldee what he first read to them in ,hebrew4 ,and afterwards1 when the method was established of dividing the law into fifty-four sections1 and of reading one of them every week in their synagogues1 7as hath been already described17 the same course of reading to the people the ,hebrew text first1 and then interpreting it to them in ,chaldee1 was still continued4 ,for when the reader had read one verse in ,hebrew1 an interpreter standing by did render it in ,chaldee2 and then the next verse being read in ,hebrew1 it was in like manner interpreted in the same language as before2 and so on from verse to verse1 was every verse alternatively read1 first in ,hebrew and then interpreted in ,chaldee1 to the end of the section2 and this first gave occasion for the making of ,chaldee versions for the help of these interpreters4 ,and they thenceforth became necessary not only for their help in the public synagogues1 but also for the help of the people at home in their families1 that they might there have the ,scriptures for their private reading in a language which they understood4 ,after further showing how this practice was perpetuated in the public services of the synagogues1 first in respect to the law1 and afterwards in respect to the prophetic and other ,scriptures2 and that as copies of the ,scriptures both for public and private use were multiplied1 and the number of synagogues increased1 the ,chaldee version was reduced to writing1 and read alternately with the ,hebrew1 and finally1 as he supposes was done in the time of our ,saviour1 read without and in place of the ,hebrew1 he proceeds to describe the several ,targums which have come down to the present time4 ,of these1 the two which are most esteemed are those of ,onkelos on the ,pentateuch1 and ,jonathan on the ,prophets1 which are supposed to have been copied or essentially derived by them from the earlier and well-accredited versions1 and to have been written or edited about the same time1 and not long before the commencement of the ,christian era4 ,the ,targum of ,onkelos1 he observes1 is rather a version than a paraphrase1 for it renders the ,hebrew text word for word4 ,but ,jonathan1 he adds1 takes on him the liberty of a paraphrast4 ,of these ,targums1 and others of a later date1 it is known that they exhibit or construe the predictions concerning the ,messiah in the same way as is done by ,christians4 ,that of ,onkelos in particular1 which is held to be the most ancient and the purest1 and from which ,prideaux supposes our ,saviour to have quoted in several instances1 which he specifies1 is remarkable in this respect4 ,and if1 as is supposed1 it represents literally or substantially the version which originated under the superintendence of ,ezra1 when1 from the long disuse of the ,hebrew ,scriptures and the ignorance of the people generally of their meaning1 it was of the first necessity to their instruction and reformation to explain the import and reference of the ,divine names and titles in the books of ,moses1 where the prophets and church of preceding ages understood them to designate the ,personal ,,word2 then the frequent insertion1 before the names ,jehovah and ,elohim1 of the term ,memra as equivalent to ,logos1 is a reliable exposition and attestation of the faith of ,ezra and his predecessors4 ,and1 apparently1 every consideration is in favor of this view of the case4 ,the word in question is inserted before the words ,jehovah and ,elohim where the creation is asserted1 so that the act is affirmed of the ,,word1 or the ,word ,elohim1 or the ,word ,jehovah ,elohim2 for which no reason can be assigned or justification offered1 unless the personal reference was the same as that of ,john in ascribing the creation to the ,logos4 ,by a like insertion the giving of the law to ,moses at mount ,sinai is ascribed to the ,,word ,elohim2 speaking to him face to face1 to the ,,word ,jehovah2 and in numerous other instances1 where personal acts are affirmed1 and where the personal reference necessarily includes the added as well as the original designation4 ,if this was done by ,ezra1 then he did but add what the circumstances of his time required to the example of ,moses1 who sometimes referred to the delegated ,,one1 the personal ,,word1 by the single terms1 ,jehovah and ,elohim1 and at others by the compound designations1 ,melach ,jehovah and ,melach ,elohim4 ,in his case1 uniformity in this respect was rendered unnecessary1 and diversity intelligible1 by the prevalent sentiment1 knowledge1 and usage of the people4 ,on the contrary1 in the other case1 the ignorance and disuse of the original ,hebrew1 on the part of the people1 rendered it necessary1 first in the oral translation and exposition1 and afterwards in the written versions of the sacred books1 to insert1 at appropriate places1 a term adapted1 like ,logos in the ,greek1 to suggest1 or by definition and use to receive and fix the requisite meaning as a designation4 ,there is in the nature of the case a very strong probability that the practice of inserting this expository term in the ,chaldee versions was originally sanctioned by higher authority than any that we have notice of1 after the time of ,ezra1 or that of ,malachi1 who is by some supposed to have been the same person as ,ezra1 and by others to have been contemporary4 ,of all people1 the ,jews were the least likely to receive and adopt such an exposition in relation to the ,divine names1 without the prescription and sanction of a prophet4 ,the supposition of its having originated and been brought into use and favor at a later period is wholly improbable1 whether considered in relation to the nature and tendency of the practice1 or to the condition of the ,jews down to the time of our ,saviour4 ,it is1 in itself1 far more probable that the devout ,jews during the captivity in ,babylon1 with ,ezekiel1 who had visions of the ,personal ,word in the likeness of man1 and who appears sometimes1 if not often1 to refer to ,him by the ,hebrew term ,dabar1 answering to the ,chaldee ,memra1 ,word1 or ,revealer2 with ,daniel1 who had visions of the same delegated one1 in the same form2 and with ,ezra and other of their disciples of the sacerdotal and prophetic order1 held the same faith as the prophets and patriarchs of earlier times1 concerning the person1 agency1 and manifestations of the ,messiah2 recognized him under the same designations1 and1 on their return to ,jerusalem1 adopted1 under the guidance of ,ezra1 an additional title1 rendered necessary to the common people by their disuse of ,hebrew1 and their use of another language1 which was thenceforth to be their vulgar tongue4 ,and if not1 from the circumstances of the case1 to be assumed as needing no confirmation1 it is at least probable in the highest degree that the ,great ,revealer would in such a way provide for the maintenance and perpetuity of a church of true worshippers1 holding the doctrines and the faith of the patriarchs and prophets concerning his person1 and the manifestations and titles by which he was known to them2 a succession of devout1 instructed1 and faithful worshippers1 who1 at whatever time his advent might take place1 would1 on his appearance in a form answering to that in which ,abraham and others saw him1 be ready and waiting1 like ,simeon and ,anna1 to see and to proclaim their recognition of him4 ,the weight of this probability is greatly enhanced by the consideration1 that the earlier and principal agencies and instrumentalities by which those doctrines and that faith had been maintained were discontinued prior to the deportation of the ,jews and the destruction of their temple1 and were never afterwards renewed4 ,for1 previous to these events1 ,jehovah in the similitude of man1 radiant in appearance as the brightness of amber and of fire1 appeared to ,ezekiel at his place of exile1 and in vision transported him to ,jerusalem4 ,and having exhibited to his astonished gaze the utter desecration of every part of the temple by the most impious and loathsome abominations of idolatry2 and having notified him of the tokens by which the remnant of true worshippers was to be discriminated1 and how they were to be preserved2 and predicted that restoration which is yet future2 and shown for his own conviction and that of the captives on his report to them1 the grounds and reasons of his righteous judgments upon the rest2 and finally having passed from the interior of the temple to the threshold1 and assumed the glorious form1 with the cherubic accompaniments1 in which he had appeared by the river of ,chebar1 7chap4 i417 he departed from off the threshold of the house1 and1 in the sight of the prophet1 mounted up from1 the earth1 and afterwards went up from the midst of the city1 7rather1 from over the city17 and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city4 ,so1 adds ,ezekiel1 the vision that ,i had seen went up from me4 ,ezekiel1 chap4 viii4--xi4 ,ezekiel was one of the captives carried to ,babylon with ,jehoiachin1 ,b4 ,c4 #fjj4 ,jehoiachin was the last who in due succession sat on the throne of ,david4 ,he was deposed by ,nebuchadnezzar1 who placed ,zedekiah on the throne as his own viceroy and vassal4 ,no one of the family of ,david ever afterwards reigned over ,judah4 ,the theocratic viceroyalty ceased2 the temporal kingdom of the house of ,david was dissolved4 ,jehovah1 being rejected by his covenant people1 and idolatry substituted for his worship1 forsook his temple1 discontinued his former theocratic relation1 ceased to manifest himself in the ,shekina1 and turned to execute wrath upon ,judah and ,israel for their idolatrous abominations1 and upon the surrounding nations whose idols they worshipped1 and by whom they had been seduced and oppressed4 ,this signal procedure was the sequel of many clear and emphatic predictions1 and a long course of discipline tending to restrain the whole house of ,israel1 and more especially the house of ,judah1 from total apostasy and alienation2 and its occurrence is distinctly noted by the prophets4 ,the reformation and reign of ,hezekiah were succeeded by unprecedented abominations of idolatry during the reign of ,manasseh his son4 ,he built up again the high places which ,hezekiah his father had destroyed2 and he reared up altars for ,baal2 and worshipped all the host of heaven1 and served them4 ,and he built altars in the house of the ,lord1 of which the ,lord said1 ,in ,jerusalem will ,i put my name4 ,and he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the ,lord4 ,and he made his son pass through the fire1 and observed times1 and used enchantments1 and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards3 he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the ,lord1 his presence in the ,shekina1 to provoke him to anger4 ,and he set a graven image of the grove i4 e41 the pillar or statue that he had made1 in the house of the ,lord1 probably within the veil confronting the ,shekina4 ,he seduced the people to do more evil than did the nations whom the ,lord destroyed before the children of ,israel4 ,and the ,lord spake by his servants the prophets1 saying3 ,because ,manasseh ,king of ,judah hath done these abominations1 and hath done wickedly above all that the ,amorites did which were before him1 and hath made ,judah also to sin with his idols1 therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god of ,israel3 ,behold1 ,i am bringing such evil upon ,jerusalem and ,judah1 that whosoever heareth of it1 both his ears shall tingle4 ,and ,i will stretch over ,jerusalem the line of ,samaria1 and the plummet of the house of ,ahab2 and ,i will wipe ,jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish1 wiping it1 and turning it upside down4 ,and ,i will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance1 and deliver them into the hand of their enemies2 and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies4 #b ,kings xxi4 and #b ,chron4 xxxiii4 ,manasseh was succeeded by ,amon his son1 who did that which was evil in the sight of the ,lord1 and walked in all the ways that his father walked in1 and served the idols that his father served1 and worshipped them4 #b ,kings xxi4 ,in the next reign1 that of ,josiah1 a general reformation was wrought1 and idolatry and its monuments were temporarily put away4 ,notwithstanding1 the ,lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath1 wherewith his anger was kindled against ,judah1 because of all the provocations that ,manasseh had provoked him withal4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,i will remove ,judah also out of my sight1 as ,i have removed ,israel1 and will cast off this city ,jerusalem which ,i have chosen1 and the house of which ,i said1 ,my name shall be there4 #b ,kings xxiii4 ,on the death of ,josiah1 the people set up his son ,jehoahaz to be king1 who did evil in the sight of the ,lord1 according to all that his fathers had done4 ,and at the end of three months he was deposed by the ,king of ,egypt1 who placed in his stead as his vassal1 another son of ,josiah1 whose name he changed from ,eliakim to ,jehoiakim1 probably in derision1 substituting the initial of the name ,jehovah for that of the name ,elohim1 to indicate his assumed triumph over the peculiar ,god of the ,jewish people4 ,jehoiakim did that which was evil in the sight of the ,lord1 according to all that his fathers had done4 ,from him the kingdom passed to his son ,jehoiachin1 who at the end of three months was vanquished by the ,king of ,babylon and carried captive with the princes1 officers1 and most of the people1 and the treasures of the temple4 ,the kingdom was thus broken up4 ,nebuchadnezzar1 however1 left ,zedekiah as his vassal in charge of ,jerusalem4 ,under him1 notwithstanding the impending destruction of the city and temple1 the chief of the priests and the remaining people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen1 and polluted the house of the ,lord which he had hallowed in ,jerusalem4 ,they mocked the messengers of ,god1 and despised his words1 and misused his prophets1 until the wrath of the ,lord rose against his people till there was no remedy2 and they were subdued1 the temple and city burnt1 and the wall of ,jerusalem broken down4 #b ,chron4 xxxvi4 ,the formal abdication and abandonment of the throne of ,david was consummated by the seizure and captivity of ,jehoiachin4 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord1 though ,coniah ,jehoiachin the son of ,jehoiakim ,king of ,judah were the signet upon my right hand1 yet would ,i pluck thee thence4 ,o earth1 earth1 earth1 hear the word of the ,lord4 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,write ye this man childless1 a man that shall not prosper in his days3 for no man of his seed shall prosper1 sitting upon the throne of ,david1 and ruling any more in ,judah4 ,behold1 the days come1 saith the ,lord1 that ,i will raise unto ,david a righteous ,,branch1 and a king shall reign and prosper1 and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth4 ,in his days ,judah shall be saved1 and ,israel shall dwell safely2 and this is his name whereby he shall be called1 ,,the ,,lord ,,our ,,righteousness4 ,jer4 xxiii4 ,so1 before the capture and exile of ,jehoiachin1 it was announced of ,jehoiakim his father1 ,he shall have none to sit upon the throne of ,david2 and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat1 and in the night to the frost4 ,and ,i will punish him and his seed1 and the inhabitants of ,jerusalem and the men of ,judah4 ,jer4 xxxvi4 ,thus ,jehovah in the most public and formal manner forsook and withdrew from the temple1 and terminated the theocracy2 the procedure being attended by visible exhibitions1 and verbal explanations and announcements intelligible to ,ezekiel1 and adapted to qualify him to vindicate it to the captives1 and to forewarn them of the inflictions and desolations which were to follow4 ,accordingly1 neither the ,shekina nor any tokens of the ,divine presence there afterwards appeared4 ,when the structure was demolished by the ,chaldeans1 the altar and all the interior furniture was destroyed or removed1 and never again recovered4 ,in the new erection under ,cyrus1 when dedicated1 and ever after1 the ark of the covenant and the mercy-seat upon it1 the ,shekina1 the ,urim and ,thummim1 the holy fire upon the altar1 and the spirit of prophecy1 were irrecoverably wanting4 ,the construction which was substituted for the original ark had neither the tables of the law nor any of its other contents1 nor any visible glory over it1 nor oracles proceeding from it4 ,the ,divine presence1 always before visible in a cloud over the mercy-seat1 returned no more4 ,an imitation altar was erected1 but the fire which came down from heaven upon the altar in the tabernacle1 and again at the dedication of the first temple1 had been extinguished1 and was not again restored4 ,jehovah1 officially1 as prophet1 priest1 and king1 had withdrawn1 not to reppear till he should come1 the ,messenger of the ,covenant1 in fulfilment of ,malachi's prediction4 ,the new structure therefore was1 at least to all but those whose worship was purely and eminently spiritual1 a cold1 cheerless1 and dark arena of formal and wearisome rites and ceremonies2 a lifeless round of irksome forms1 without any visible tokens of the ,divine presence1 or of ,divine recognition or acceptance2 any oracular responses1 any fire from heaven1 or other vindications1 confirmations1 or sanctions of the doctrines or faith professed or signified by the services and offerings of the worshippers4 ,hence the degeneracy1 formalism1 and hypocrisy which subsequently characterized the temple worship1 as recorded by ,malachi and his contemporaries1 and in the later history of the ,jews down to our ,saviour's time2 their separation into discordant sects2 the renunciation by the mass of them of the divine ,mediator and the doctrine of ,mediation1 and their adoption exclusively of the doctrine of the ,,unity1 as held by them to this day2 and the necessity1 in order to the maintenance among the true worshippers of the doctrines and faith of the patriarchs and prophets1 of providing and perpetuating in their vulgar tongue such expositions as were furnished by the ,chaldee paraphrasts4 ,a further confirmation to the same effect might be deduced from a consideration of the results of the scheme of reformation ascribed to ,zoroaster towards the close of the ,babylonish exile1 whereby he hoped to unite the ,jews with the ,chaldeans1 ,persians1 c41 in one sect1 by purging the ,magian system of worship from idolatry1 restoring it to what he held to be its primitive purity1 and combining with it the doctrine of one supreme creative intelligence1 the doctrine of a resurrection1 and other tenets of the ,jews which might be incorporated in a system that neither taught nor admitted a ,mediator1 or any doctrine of ,divine or creature mediation4 ,this artful scheme1 which was more or less successful at the time1 and which1 among those ,jews of ,babylon and the provinces who did not return to ,palestine1 may be traced down for centuries in the history of ,oriental ,gnosticism1 obviously furnished a further reason for guarding the true worshippers1 after the period of exile and the cessation of prophetic gifts1 by such means as the ,chaldee versions furnish4 ,let it be further observed1 as not unworthy of particular notice1 that the ,samaritans1 from the very commencement of their history1 and of their rivalship and hostility to the ,jews1 and the erection of their temple on ,mount ,gerizim1 simultaneously with that of the restored ,jews at ,jerusalem1 received and used no portion of the sacred writings then extant1 except the books of ,moses2 and that they perseveringly rejected all traditions1 and all glosses and comments on the original text4 ,and yet from the saying of the ,samaritan woman1 ,i know that ,messiah cometh2 7that is1 the ,christ1 the ,anointed27 when he is come1 he will teach us all things1 it would seem that1 down to our ,saviour's time1 they understood the true doctrine concerning his person1 his incarnation1 and the titles by which he would be distinguished4 ,when told that he who was then present in the form of man1 and who spoke to her1 was the ,messiah1 she manifested no surprise or doubt4 ,many of the ,samaritans believed in him on her testimony4 ,and many more believed because of what they heard from himself1 and said1 ,we know that this is truly the ,saviour of the ,world1 the ,messiah4 7,campbell47 ,now1 since they held no intercourse with the ,jews1 and1 from prejudice and hostility1 would learn nothing from them2 and since they received only the ,pentateuch and rejected all traditions1 it would seem that they must from the beginning of their history have understood the ,mosaic writings to teach those doctrines1 and from continual study of them as the only source of their religious knowledge1 hopes and expectations1 must have perpetuated the sentiments with which they originally received them4 ,that the sentiments of the woman who conversed at the well with ,christ were the same with those of the ,samaritans in general1 will not admit of a doubt2 for from whence could a common person like her have obtained the information she discovers on several points relating to the ,messiah1 unless from popular traditions current amongst those of her own nation8 ,these sentiments then furnish us with a strong argument in answer to those who contend that the more ancient ,hebrews entertained no expectation of a ,messiah1 but that this hope first1 sprang up amongst the ,jews some short time before the coming of our ,saviour4 ,so deep and inveterate was the enmity which subsisted between the ,jews and the ,samaritans1 that it is utterly incredible that a hope of this kind should have been communicated from either of them to the other4 ,it necessarily follows1 therefore1 that as both of them were1 at the time of our ,saviour's birth1 looking for the appearance of a ,messiah from above1 they must have derived the expectation from one common source1 doubtless the books of ,moses and the discipline of their ancestors2 and consequently that this hope was entertained long before the ,babylonish captivity1 and the rise of the ,samaritans4 ,i mention only the books of ,moses1 because it is well known that the ,samaritans did not consider any of the other writings of the ,old ,testament as sacred or of ,divine original2 and it is therefore not at all likely that any information which they might possess respecting the ,messiah that was to come should have been drawn from any other source4 ,in the discourse of the ,samaritan woman1 we likewise discover what were the sentiments of the ancient ,hebrews respecting the ,messiah4 ,the expectation of the ,jews at the time of our ,saviour's coming was1 as we have seen1 directed towards a war-like leader1 a hero1 an emperor1 who should recover for the oppressed posterity of ,abraham their liberty and rights2 but the ,samaritans1 as appears from the conversation of this woman1 looked forward to the ,messiah in the light of a spiritual teacher and guide1 who should instruct them in a more perfect and acceptable way of serving ,god than that which they then followed4 ,now the ,samaritans had always kept themselves entirely distinct from the ,jews1 and would never consent to adopt any point of doctrine or discipline from them2 and the consequence was1 that the ancient opinion respecting the ,messiah had been retained in much greater purity by the former than by the ,jews1 whose arrogance and impatience under the calamities to which they were exposed1 had brought them by degrees to turn their backs on the opinions entertained by their forefathers on this subject1 and to cherish the expectation that1 in the ,messiah promised to them by ,god1 they should have to hail an earthly prince and deliverer4 ,lastly1 ,i think it particularly deserving of attention1 that it is clear from what is said by this woman1 that the ,samaritans did not consider the ,mosaic ,law in the light of a permanent establishment1 but expected that it would pass away1 and its place be supplied by a more perfect system of discipline on the coming of the ,messiah4 ,for when she hears our ,saviour predict the downfall of the ,samaritan as well as the ,jewish religion1 instead of taking fire at his words1 and taxing him1 after the ,jewish manner1 with blasphemy against ,god and against ,moses1 7,acts vi4 #ac-ae17 she answers with mildness and composure that she knew the ,messiah would come1 and was not unapprised that the religion of her ancestors would then undergo a change4 7,mosheim1 ,int4 ,com4 chap4 #b47 ,the ,jews1 on the contrary1 as is hereafter more particularly observed1 had renounced the ,divine ,mediator and the entire doctrine of mediation between ,god and man4 ,they did not expect the promised ,messiah in the character of ,mediator1 but1 holding no distinction of persons in the ,godhead1 they gloried in the doctrine of the ,unity2 believed the ,mosaic ,law and institutions would be perpetual1 and trusted to their observance of them for salvation4 ,it were easy to multiply citations to show that they still entertain those views4 ,a single instance may suffice4 ,in the ,london ,jewish ,chronicle for ,may1 #aheb1 the chief ,rabbi of the great synagogue1 in a sermon on the first day of the ,feast of ,weeks1 is quoted as saying3 ,a man who has a royal patron1 when in distress applies first to the ,minister1 to know if an audience will be granted2 but with respect to ,god1 if man is in trouble he wants no ,mediator1 or angels1 but calls to ,god alone1 and he shall be heard4 ,and this cheering belief in the unity of ,god is quieting to the mind4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,citations from the ,chaldee ,paraphrases4 ,the earliest ,chaldee paraphrases which have been handed down are supposed to have been compiled or written about the time of the first advent1 when the true worshippers may be supposed to have been anxious to revive and spread abroad the knowledge of them in such manner as to induce the ,jews of that period to recognize the ,messiah in the incarnate ,word4 ,the following testimonies from those writings of the sentiments of the ,jewish ,church concerning the ,messiah as understood by them to be revealed in the ancient ,scriptures1 and his identity with the ,messenger ,jehovah1 are1 for the sake of his comments1 taken from ,faber's ,hor ,mosaic3 ,when the text reads1 ,they heard the voice of the ,lord ,god walking in the garden1 the ,targums explain the passage to mean3 ,they heard the ,,word of the ,lord ,god walking2 or1 somewhat more fully1 they heard the voice of the ,,word of the ,lord ,god walking4 ,in point of grammatical construction1 even the modern ,jews allow that the participle walking agrees with the voice1 and not with the ,lord ,god4 ,but walking is the attribute of a person4 ,therefore the ,targums rightly gave the sense of the original when they introduced the ,,word as the judge of our first parents4 ,the exclamation of ,eve1 ,i have gotten a man from the ,lord1 they render1 ,i have obtained the man1 the angel of ,jehovah6 ,now1 since ,jehovah is the word used in the original1 it is difficult to account for this paraphrastic exposition1 unless we conclude that1 at the time when it was written1 the ,jews believed the angel of ,jehovah to be himself ,jehovah1 and expected him to be born incarnate4 ,to this opinion we shall the rather incline1 if we attend to another paraphrastic interpretation4 ,the sacred text reads3 ,in that day shall ,jehovah of hosts be for a crown of glory1 and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people4 ,but the ,targum of ,jonathan reads3 ,in that day shall the ,messiah of ,jehovah of hosts be for a crown of glory4 ,jonathan1 however1 could never have thus explained the passage1 unless he had believed that the future ,messiah would be ,jehovah incarnate2 nor would he have hazarded so extraordinary an interpretation1 unless he had been fully conscious of speaking the general sentiments of his contemporaries4 ,it is well known that the ,jews so highly venerate the ,targum of this writer1 as to deem it something divine2 yet we see that ,jonathan identifies the ,messiah with ,jehovah himself4 ,the doctrine in question still prevailed among the ,jews at the time when ,justin ,martyr flourished1 as is manifest from his direct appeal to ,trypho4 ,if we produce to them1 says he1 those scriptures formerly rehearsed to you1 which expressly show that the ,messiah is both subject to suffering1 and yet is the adorable ,god1 they are under a necessity of acknowledging that these respect the ,christ4 ,so that while they assert that ,jesus is not the ,christ1 they still confess that the ,christ ,himself shall come1 and suffer1 and reign1 and be the adorable ,god3 which conduct of theirs is truly most absurd and contradictory4 ,i need scarcely remark1 that ,justin could never have hazarded such language to a ,hebrew antagonist1 unless he knew that he had very good ground for what he said4 ,but to return to the ,targums1 where the text reads3 ,let not ,god speak with us1 lest we die1 the interpretation of ,onkelos runs1 ,let not the ,word from before the ,lord speak with us4 ,so likewise where the text reads1 ,she called the name of ,jehovah that spake unto her1 ,thou ,god seest me1 the ,targum of ,jonathan runs1 ,she confessed before the ,lord ,jehovah1 whose ,word had spoken unto her4 ,and the ,targum of ,jerusalem1 ,she confessed and prayed to the ,word of the ,lord who had appeared to her4 ,now the person who appeared to ,hagar was the angel of ,jehovah4 ,the paraphrasts therefore identify the ,word and the ,angel4 ,hence it is plain that by the ,word of ,god they do not mean a speech uttered by ,god1 but that they use the term to express a real person4 ,by this personal ,word they understood the ,messiah2 as is evident from ,jonathan's interpretation of the text1 ,jehovah said unto my ,lord1 ,sit thou at my right hand4 ,he explains its purport to be1 ,jehovah said unto his ,word4 ,but it is manifest from our ,saviour's conversation with the ,pharisees relative to the nature and parentage of the ,messiah1 that they acknowledge this text to relate to him2 and it appears from the ,midrash ,tillim that such an application is fully recognized by the ,jewish ,rabbins4 ,hence the inference is inevitable1 that the ,hebrew doctors confess the ,messiah to be the ,word of ,god or the angel of ,jehovah4 ,and hence we shall at once perceive why ,st4 ,john so pointedly bestows the title upon his divine ,master4 ,he did but employ the usual phraseology of his countrymen respecting the promised ,messiah2 yet1 by applying the name of ,jesus of ,nazareth1 he at once declared him to be the ,messiah1 and that angel of ,jehovah who was confessedly the ,god both of the ,patriarchal and of the ,levitical ,church4 ,agreeably to this obvious conclusion1 the ,targums exhibit the ,word with all the characteristics of the expected ,messiah4 ,they describe him as the ,mediator between ,god and man4 ,thus1 in paraphrasing a text from ,deuteronomy iv4 #g1 ,jonathan writes3 ,god is near in the name of the ,word of ,jehovah2 in paraphrasing a text of ,hosea iv4 #i1 ,god will receive the prayer of ,israel by his ,word1 and have mercy upon them1 and will make them by his ,word like a beautiful fig tree4 ,and in paraphrasing a text of ,jeremiah xxix4 #ad3 ,i will be sought by you in my ,word1 and ,i will be inquired of by you through my ,word4 ,thus likewise where ,abraham is said by ,moses to have called on the name of ,jehovah the everlasting ,god1 he is described by the ,targum of ,jerusalem as praying in the name of the ,word of ,jehovah1 the ,god of the world4 ,they speak of him as making atonement for sin4 ,thus1 in paraphrasing a text of ,deuteronomy1 7xxxii4 #dc17 ,jonathan writes3 ,god will atone by his ,word for his land and for his people1 even a people saved by the ,word of ,jehovah4 ,they exhibit him as a ,redeemer4 ,thus the text from ,genesis xlix4 #ah1 ,i have waited for thy salvation1 ,o ,jehovah1 is paraphrased as follows in the ,jerusalem ,targum3 ,our father ,jacob said thus3 ,my soul expects not the redemption of ,gideon the son of ,joash1 which is a temporal salvation2 nor the redemption of ,samson1 which is a transitory salvation2 but the redemption which thou didst promise should come through thy ,word to thy people4 ,this salvation my soul waits for4 ,thus the same text is paraphrased by ,jonathan with a direct application to the ,messiah2 whence again we find it to be the established doctrine of the ancient ,hebrew ,church1 that the ,messiah and the ,word were the same person4 ,our father ,jacob said3 ,i do not expect the deliverance of ,gideon the son of ,joash1 which is a temporal salvation2 nor that of ,samson the son of ,manoah1 which is a transient salvation2 but ,i expect the redemption of ,messiah the son of ,david1 who shall come to gather to himself the children of ,israel4 ,the ,targums of ,onkelos and ,jonathan were written immediately before the time of ,christ1 and among the ,jews they are in such high esteem1 that they hold them to be of the same authority with the original text4 ,of this extravagant honor the ground is1 that those two interpreters committed to writing the ancient oral traditions1 which they supposed had come down in regular descent from their first communication to ,moses on the top of ,mount ,sinai4 ,such an opinion proves at least the high antiquity of the sentiments contained in those ,targums2 and1 as the ,targums themselves were composed before the ,christian era1 they must clearly be viewed as exhibiting the doctrine of the ,levitical ,church ere an inveterate hatred of the gospel led to a suppression or concealment of the ancient faith4 ,the later ,targums were written subsequent to the time of our ,lord2 but so far as regards the present argument1 their importance is not the less on that account4 ,those of ,onkelos and ,jonathan show the tenets of the ,hebrew ,church before ,christ2 those which are later prove1 by their accordance with their predecessors1 that the same doctrine continued in full force during the first centuries after the ,christian era4 ,thus1 notwithstanding ,jesus of ,nazareth was denied to be the ,messiah1 the ,jews1 meaning of course the old school1 orthodox party1 it is plain from the written evidence of the later ,targums1 did not immediately depart from the sentiments of their forefathers relative to the character of the ,messiah4 ,after quoting testimonies from different ,jewish ,rabbins1 he observes3 ,the reason why the ,rabbins pronounced the ,messiah to be ,jehovah1 was this3 ,following the ancient ,targums1 which spoke the universally received doctrines of the ,hebrew ,church1 they perceived1 like the authors of those ,targums1 that the ,messiah was the same person as the anthropomorphic ,word1 or ,angel of ,jehovah4 ,but they knew that the ,angel of ,jehovah was the ,god of ,abraham and of ,isaac and of ,jacob4 ,and they were assured that their pious forefathers did not idolatrously worship a creature1 but that they venerated the self-existent ,god1 ,jehovah4 ,hence they rightly determined that ,jehovah was the name of the ,messiah4 ,this will appear very distinctly1 if we attend to their doctrine respecting the great angel whom they cabalistically denominated ,metraton4 7,vol4 #b1 sec4 #a1 chap4 iii47 ,the reader will observe that this author construes the formulas ,melach ,jehovah1 ,memra ,jehovah1 c41 in the same way as our translation1 ,angel of the ,lord1 ,word of the ,lord1 c42 and while correctly holding that the ,angel or ,messenger1 and the ,logos1 ,memra1 or ,word1 are personally identical with ,jehovah1 still indicates a distinction1 as though the former persons were sent by the latter4 ,this is undoubtedly inconsistent and unauthorized4 ,had he in his construction left out the preposition of1 as the original does1 all would have been clear4 ,the following extracts are corrected from ,dr4 ,j4 ,p4 ,smith's work1 ,the ,scripture ,testimony to the ,messiah4 ,onkelos renders ,jacob's prediction of ,shiloh1 ,gen4 xlix41 ,the ,messiah whose is the kingdom4 ,the ,jerusalem ,targum1 ,the ,king ,messiah whose is the kingdom4 ,jonathan on ,sam4 xxiii4 #a-g3 ,the ,god of ,israel spoke with respect to me2 the ,rock of ,israel1 the ,sovereign of the sons of men1 the true ,judge1 hath spoken to appoint me ,king2 for ,he is the ,messiah that shall be1 who shall arise and rule in the fear of the ,lord4 ,the ,chaldee and other ,targums generally refer the #b;d ,psalm to the ,messiah4 ,also the #deth ,psalm1 v4 #b3 ,thy beauty1 ,o ,king ,messiah1 is preminent above the sons of men4 ,jonathan renders ,isaiah xxiii4 #e3 ,behold1 the days are coming1 saith the ,lord1 when ,i will raise up to ,david the ,messiah of the ,righteous1 and he shall reign1 c4 ,and xxxiii4 #ae3 ,in those days and in that time1 ,i will raise up to ,david the ,messiah of righteousness1 c4 ,and ,micah v4 #a3 ,and thou1 ,bethlehem1 out of thee shall proceed in my presence the ,messiah to exercise sovereignty over ,israel1 whose name has been called from eternity1 from the days of the everlasting period4 ,zech4 iii4 #h3 ,behold1 ,i bring forth my servant the ,messiah1 and he shall be revealed4 ,and vi4 #ab3 ,behold a man1 ,messiah is his name1 ready that he may be revealed and may spring forth1 and may build the temple of ,jah4 ,the ,jerusalem ,targum1 referring to ,abraham when ,jehovah appeared to him as a man1 says3 ,the ,word of ,jehovah ,memra ,jehovah appeared to him in the ,valley of ,vision4 ,jonathan on ,isaiah xlviii4 #ab3 ,obey my ,word2 and #ac3 ,even by my ,word ,i have founded the earth2 xlix4 #af3 ,my ,word will not reject thee4 ,jer4 xxix4 #bc3 ,before me it is unveiled1 and my ,word is witness2 xxxi4 #d3 ,for my ,word is to ,israel as a ,father2 xxxii4 #dj3 ,my ,word shall not turn away from following them to do them good1 and my ,word shall rejoice over them to do them good4 ,ezek4 xx4 #ab3 ,i gave them my ,sabbath days1 to be for a sign between my ,word and them1 that they may know that ,i am ,jah who sanctify them4 ,the ,targumists generally substitute the word ,jah for ,jehovah4 ,jonathan on ,gen4 v4 #bf3 ,that was the generation in whose days they began to apostatize1 and made to themselves falsehoods1 or idols1 and named their falsehoods by the name of the ,word of ,jah4 ,jer4 ,tar4 on ,exodus vi4 #b3 ,and ,jah was revealed by his ,word to ,abraham1 to ,isaac1 and to ,jacob4 ,var4 ,tar4 ,isaiah xliii4 #b3 ,in ancient time1 when ye passed through the ,red ,sea1 my ,word was for your help2 xlv4 #ag3 ,israel shall be delivered by the ,word of ,jah1 with an everlasting deliverance2 v4 #be3 ,by the ,word of ,jah shall all the seed of ,israel be declared righteous1 and shall glory2 lxiii4 #h3 ,my people are they1 sons who will not deal falsely2 and his ,word was their ,redeemer2 v4 #ac3 ,he led them through the deep3 the ,word of ,jah led them4 ,jer4 vi4 #h3 ,be admonished1 ,o ,jerusalem1 lest my ,word cast thee off4 ,hosea xiv4 #i3 ,i by my ,word will accept the prayer of ,israel4 ,zach4 vi4 #g3 ,not by force1 nor by power1 but by my ,word1 saith ,jah of hosts4 ,and he will reveal the ,messiah whose name is spoken from eternity1 and he shall reign over all kingdoms4 ,the author quotes the following from ,dr4 ,ryland and the ,prolegomena to ,walton's ,polyglot3 ,there are many passages of the ,chaldee ,paraphrasts which could have been derived only from the remains of the expositions and doctrines delivered by the prophets4 ,they have many things concerning the ,word of ,god1 by whom the universe was created1 c41 and which admirably confirm the declarations of ,st4 ,john upon the ,logos1 and prove that in so designating the ,messiah or ,son of ,god1 the ,evangelist employed a name already in familiar use among the ,jews1 as received from their ancestors1 though not perfectly understood by all among them4 ,to this ,word the ,jerusalem ,targum on ,gen4 i4 #bg attributes creation3 ',the ,word of the ,lord created man4' ,and xxxii4 #bb3 ',and the ,word of the ,lord said1 ,behold ,adam whom ,i have created4' ,jonathan on ,deut4 xxxii4 #ci1 says3 ',when will the ,word of the ,lord be manifested to redeem his people8' ,the same ,targum on ,gen4 xix4 #bd1 ascribes to the ,word of the ,lord the sending down of sulphur and fire on ,sodom and ,gomorrah3 ',sulphur and fire were sent down upon it from the ,word of the ,lord out of heaven4' ,so likewise ,onkelos3 ',and the ,word of the ,lord returned4' ,and on ,gen4 v4 #bd3 ',enoch was taken away by the ,word before the ,lord4' ,so the ,jerusalem1 ,deut4 xviii4 #ai3 ',my ,word will take vengeance upon him4' ,so ,onkelos and ,jonathan4 ,the passages are innumerable in which actions and properties are attributed to the ,word of ,god1 as a distinct ,person4 ,again1 quoting ,owen as referred to by ,ryland3 ,the ,chaldee ,paraphrast1 observing that some especial presence of ,god is expressed in the words1 ,gen4 iii4 #h1 renders them1 ',and they heard the voice of the ,word of the ,lord ,god walking in the garden4' ,so all the ,targums4 ,and that of ,jerusalem begins the next verse accordingly3 ',and the ,word of the ,lord ,god called unto ,adam4' ,and this expression they afterwards make use of in places innumerable2 and that in such a way as plainly to denote a distinct ,person in the ,deity4 ,that this was their intention in it1 is hence manifest2 because about the time of the writing of the first of those ,targums which gave the rule of speaking unto them that followed1 it was usual amongst them to express their conceptions of the ,son of ,god by the name of the ,logos1 or ,word of ,god4 7,owen on ,epist4 ,heb4 ,vol4 #a47 ,at this time1 there was nothing more common among the ,hebrews than to denote the second subsistence of the ,deity by the name of the ,word of ,god4 ,they were now divided into two great parts3 first the inhabitants of ,canaan1 with the regions adjoining1 and many old remnants in the ,east1 who used the ,syro-,chaldean language1 being but one dialect of the ,hebrew2 and secondly1 the dispersions under the ,greek empire1 who are commonly called ,hellenists1 and also used the ,greek tongue4 ,and both these sorts did usually1 in their several languages1 describe the second ,person in the ,trinity by the name of the ,word of ,god4 ,for the former sort1 or those who used the ,syro-,chaldean dialect1 we have an eminent proof of it in the translation of the ,scripture which1 at least some part of it1 was made about this time amongst them1 commonly called the ,chaldee ,paraphrase2 in the whole whereof the second ,person is mentioned under the name of ,memra dejeja1 or the ,word of ,god4 ,hereunto are all personal properties and all divine works in that translation assigned2 with an illustrious testimony to the faith of the old ,church concerning the distinct subsistence of a plurality of ,persons in the ,divine nature4 ,and for the ,hellenists who wrote and expressed themselves in the ,greek tongue1 they used the name ,logos1 the ,word of ,god1 to the same purpose3 as ,i have elsewhere manifested out of the writings of ,philo1 who lived about this time1 between the death of our ,saviour and the destruction of ,jerusalem4 7,owen1 ,vol4 #b47 ,it will be observed that in all the translations of the ,targums1 and in the comments of ,ryland and ,owen1 the same usage is exhibited as in our translation1 of making the ,jehovah the genitive of the official appellative which precedes it4 ,hence the mystery and confusion which have so generally been thought to attend the official designations of the ,old ,testament4 ,but if it be considered that in the use of the terms ,logos1 ,dabar1 and ,memra1 where a personal reference is intended1 the abstract is put for the concrete1 as ,word for ,revealer1 so that where these words are coupled with ,jehovah the reading should be ,the ,revealer1 or ,the ,revealing ,jehovah1--as in the case of ,melach ,jehovah1 the reading should be1 ,the ,messenger1 or ,the ,sent or delegated ,jehovah1 or the ,messenger who is ,jehovah1--the use of those terms as personal designations will suggest no difficulty4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,reasons of the ,failure of the modern versions of the ,scriptures to exhibit clearly the ,hebrew designations of the ,messiah--,the ,masoretic ,punctuation--,reference to the term ,melach and the formula ,melach ,jehovah4 ,but if1 in the ancient dispensations1 the ,messenger ,jehovah1 the delegated official ,person1 ,messiah1 was1 in all relations1 the actor1 administrator1 and revealer2 if ,moses and the prophets wrote intelligibly of ,him2 if they recognized and acknowledged him under all the ,divine designations1 why1 it may naturally be asked1 did not the authors of the ,english and other modern versions so understand1 and in their translations construe and represent them8 ,an answer to this question1 in all its bearings1 probably no one now would be inclined to undertake4 ,but in certain1 and perhaps the most important respects1 it admits of a satisfactory answer4 ,the translators1 from the prescribed or customary and popular course of theological study and opinion1 which aimed to avoid1 with the arrogant assumptions and pretensions of ,romanism1 the gentile heresies of the whole ,papal history1 were led to entertain an overweening and ill-founded confidence in the modern ,jews as interpreters of their own ,scriptures2 that is1 of the ,jewish authors who flourished1 and whose works were published1 after the establishment of ,papal domination and intolerance1 and of ,mohammedan ravage and proscription4 ,that school of ,jewish authors was not only more modern1 but widely different in respect to their theological doctrines from the ,chaldee paraphrasts1 especially in regard to the ,messiah2 and may be comprehensively described as including the ,talmudists1 the ,masoretic doctors1 and their rabbinical disciples and followers of various names4 ,the productions of these ,jewish authors were numerous and readily accessible at the period of the revival of learning in ,europe1 and in the sixteenth century were brought into notice and favor especially by the elder ,buxtorf1 in connection with his edition of the ,hebrew ,bible1 and his lexicons1 grammar1 and various works relating to ,masoretic and rabbinical literature4 ,he seems to have entered with enthusiasm into the study of this school of ,jewish writers2 and1 with respect at least to the later and best known portion of them1 as the clue to their sentiments was furnished by their use of the ,masoretic points1 he embraced their system in that respect1 and inculcated and defended the application of it to the text of the ,hebrew ,scriptures with earnestness1 perseverance1 and success4 ,his example was followed4 ,the use of the points facilitated the study of the language2 and for that reason1 as well as because they were supposed to be safe guides in respect to the reference and meaning of words1 they became popular with the learned and with students4 ,instead of being regarded as having the effect of a translation and commentary1 and thereby fastening on the text the constructions and opinions of their authors1 whether erroneous or otherwise1 they were regarded primarily in a grammatical point of view1 and as indicating the vowels supposed to be proper to ,hebrew words1 in addition to the letters originally composing them4 ,but this system of punctuation has unavoidably the effect of a version or comment4 ,its office is essentially that of an exponent of the constructions and opinions of its authors1 and as such it can be no further correct and reliable than their theological1 exegetical1 and religious doctrines1 theories and sentiments were in accordance with the real meaning of the original text4 ,it may often1 and perhaps generally where no doctrine or doubtful construction is concerned1 have the effect to express that real meaning1 and to that extent it might be harmless1 and1 if not wholly useless1 might be of equal value with a paraphrase to the same effect4 ,but if the student adopts this system as a guide1 he naturally relies on it as equally applicable to every portion of the sacred oracles1 and1 with as much confidence in one case as in another1 adopts the construction which it indicates4 ,an attempt to reform the reigning fashion of ,hebrew study in relation to this subject would probably be as hopeful a task as an attempt to disabuse the minds of theologians and religious teachers of the empirical1 fanciful1 and puerile system of figurative exposition which was rendered popular by ,origen1 and has reigned triumphant from his to the present time2 being propagated from age to age by education1 and by the example and influence of the learned4 ,but1 regarded in a merely historical point of view1 there appears to be no room for doubt but that the ,hebrew vowel points--closely and even bigotedly adhered to1 as they are understood to have been1 by the translators of the ,scriptures into our own and other modern languages--had1 extensively1 a very ill effect upon the versions which they furnished4 ,and to whatever extent this was true1 it would naturally prevail1 especially in relation to those passages concerning which the authors held erroneous opinions1 and as to which1 under the more than hereditary ,jewish prejudices occasioned by the persecutions and proscriptions to which they were subjected1 they aimed to counteract the tendency of the ,chaldee versions1 as well as to root out1 in the language of ,mc,caul1 the ,christian interpretations of the ,hebrew text4 ,the violent persecutions of the ,crusaders1 says that writer1 the jealousy excited by the ,christian attempt upon the ,holy ,land1 and the influence of the doctrine of the ,mahometans1 amongst whom they lived1 produced a sensible change in ,jewish opinions and interpretations1 which is plainly marked in ,kimchi and other writers of the day1 and without a knowledge of which the phenomena of modern ,judaism cannot be fully understood4 ,rashi1 ,aben-,ezra1 and ,kimchi endeavored to get rid of the ,christian interpretations1 and ,maimonides to root out the ,christian doctrines which had descended from the ancient ,jewish ,church4 7,introduction to ,kimchi47 ,yet this laborious student of those authors and of the ,talmud adhered as pertinaciously as they to the ,masoretic points1 and apparently without over suspecting that their highest office and their necessary and principal effect was that of being the vehicle of a comment4 ,such is the force of education1 literary discipline1 example1 and habit in generating fixed opinions4 ,but let one deemed competent to judge and to speak upon this subject be referred to3 ,the ,masoretic punctuation1 says ,bishop ,lowth1 by which the pronunciation of the language is given1 the forms of the several parts of speech1 the construction of the words1 the distribution and limits of the sentences1 and the connection of the several members1 are fixed1 is in effect an interpretation of the ,hebrew text made by the ,jews of late ages1 probably not earlier than the eighth century1 and may be considered as their translation of the ,old ,testament4 ,where the words1 unpointed1 are capable of various meanings1 accordingly as they are variously pronounced and constructed1 the ,jews1 by their pointing1 have determined them to one meaning and construction1 and the sense which they thus give is their sense of the passage1 just as the rendering of a translator into another language is his sense2 that is1 the sense in which in his opinion the original words are to be taken2 and it has no other authority than what arises from its being agreeable to the rules of just interpretation4 ,but because in the languages of ,europe the vowels are essential parts of written words1 a notion was too hastily taken up by the learned at the revival of letters1 when the original ,scriptures began to be more carefully examined1 that the vowel points were necessary appendages of the ,hebrew letters1 and therefore coval with them2 at least that they became absolutely necessary when the ,hebrew was become a dead language1 and must have been added by ,ezra1 who collected and formed the canon of the ,old ,testament1 in regard to all the books of it in his time extant4 ,on this supposition the points have been considered as part of the ,hebrew text1 and as giving the meaning of it on no less than ,divine authority4 ,accordingly1 our public translations in the modern tongues for the use of the ,church among ,protestants1 and so likewise the modern ,latin translations1 are for the most part close copies of the ,hebrew pointed text1 and are in reality only versions at second-hand1 translations of the ,jews' interpretation of the ,old ,testament4 ,after conceding to this interpretation what he supposes it may justly claim1 he adds that the modern translators would have made a much better use of it1 and a greater progress in the explication of the ,scriptures of the ,old ,testament1 had they consulted it without absolutely submitting to its authority2 had they considered it as an assistant1 not as an infallible guide4 ,finally he compares the effect of this course to that of the ,act of the ,council of ,trent in pronouncing the ,vulgate to be of equal authority with the original ,scriptures4 7,dissertation preliminary to his ,version of ,isaiah47 ,now to apply these observations to the case in hand4 ,our translators having been educated in the ,jewish sense of the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 and having studied the original with the points under the received and general impression that they were of equal authority with the text1 of course proceeded with their translations under the influence of whatever erroneous constructions and opinions the ,massorites and their disciples entertained4 ,those errors1 therefore1 which were predominant in the ,jewish mind when the points were added to the text1 and when the causes of prejudice and hostility against the ,christian doctrines were universally and most violently in operation1 were perpetuated1 both among ,jews and ,christians1 by the use of those ingenious and plausible appendages2 and from that day to this1 translators and expositors have fallen back upon them1 and upon the awful petrifactions of ,talmudical and rabbinical jargon1 as guides to the meaning of the words of ,inspiration4 ,the ,jewish people1 after their total defection to idolatry1 their exile in ,babylon1 and the cessation of prophetic gifts1 having renounced idols and incurred the hatred and contempt of idolaters1 were1 from their restless state of mind1 their internal divisions1 feuds1 and rivalships1 and the exposures and vicissitudes of their external condition peculiarly exposed to cardinal and sectarian errors4 ,they had forsaken ,jehovah1 and no longer received any tokens of his presence and favor4 ,both priests and people1 a faithful remnant always excepted1 had rejected him as their mediatorial prophet1 priest1 and king1 and renounced their allegiance to him as their lawgiver and providential ruler and protector2 and holding no longer the belief of a ,divine mediator or of any mediation1 they relapsed into that notion of the ,unity which they still adhere to1 and looked only for a temporal political ,messiah4 ,the fitful efforts at reformation which1 under the influence of ,ezra1 ,nehemiah1 and the latest prophets1 appeared after the rebuilding of their temple1 gave place to extremes of formalism1 hypocrisy1 and impiety4 ,their notions of the person1 offices1 prerogatives1 incarnation and sacerdotal work of the ,anointed ,one1 were as unscriptural and baseless as those of more modern times4 ,justin ,martyr1 in his ,dialogue with ,trypho the ,jew1 7,brown's version17 about the middle of the second century1 thus refers to the ,rabbins of that day1 7sect4 #fh47 ,trypho1 in common1 no doubt1 with the ,jews generally1 held that there was no distinction of ,persons in the ,godhead1 and that1 there was no ,divine ,being1 or ,person1 but the ,father only2 and quoted1 not the original ,hebrew of ,scripture texts1 but the glosses and false constructions of the ,rabbins1 in support of his opinions4 ,justin replies3 ,if1 therefore1 ,i shall prove that this prophecy of ,esaias was spoken of our ,christ1 and not of ,hezekias1 as you say1 shall not ,i prevail upon you in this also to disbelieve your ,rabbies1 who assert that the translation which your seventy ,elders made when they were with ,ptolemy1 ,king of ,egypt1 is in some places not true8 for those places in the ,scriptures which expressly contradict any foolish notion which they are fond of1 they say are not so in the original2 and those places which they can twist and twine about so as to make them suit any human affairs1 they say were not spoken of this ,christ of ours1 but of him whom they endeavor to wrest them to speak of4 ,so they have taught you to wrest the passage now in dispute1 saying that it was spoken of ,hezekias2 upon which passage ,i will prove that they have fixed a wrong interpretation4 ,but when we propose those ,scriptures to them which ,i have already recited1 and do expressly prove that ,christ was to be exposed to sufferings1 to be worshipped1 and is ,god1 they do indeed1 being necessarily obliged thereto1 own that they relate to ,christ2 but they take upon them to assert that he was not ,,the ,christ1 and say that there is one still to come1 who is both to suffer1 and to reign1 and to be worshipped1 and to be ,god4 ,in sect4 #ga he observes that the ,rabbies have erased out several whole periods from the ,septuagint translation1 in which it is expressly foretold that he who was crucified was to be ,god and man1 and to be crucified and to die2 which erased passages he afterwards quotes4 ,in the course of his argument he alleges and quotes from the ,old ,testament to show that the ,christ is called ,god1 ,lord1 ,lord of ,hosts1 a ,king1 the ,king of ,israel1 the ,king of ,glory1 ,angel or ,messenger1 ,man1 ,captain of the ,host1 c4 ,the efforts to impart correct instruction and revive the ancient faith by means of the ,chaldee expositions1 doubtless had effect upon more or less of those who frequented the synagogues and the temple services2 but to the great mass1 so far as can be judged from history1 or from their sentiments and condition1 at the period of the advent1 they were of no avail4 ,how natural1 then1 that the successors of this party of ,sadducean and ,pharasaic infidelity1 with the stimulus added by the conversion or1 as they regarded it1 the apostasy of many to the ,christian faith1 and the further stimulus of ,mohammedan and pseudo-,christian intolerance and persecution1 should do their utmost to conceal or extirpate from the ,hebrew text all traces of the ,christian doctrine6 ,with reference to the subject now specially in hand1 it may suffice to refer to a single instance of concealment and perversion which1 though of earlier origin1 as appears from the ,septuagint and the ,vulgate1 for aught that is perceived1 was fastened upon the ,hebrew text by the ,masoretic punctuation1 and was derived thence by our translators2 namely1 that of the formula1 ,melach ,jehovah1 which1 by the examples formerly adduced1 the connections in which it occurs1 the use of the terms interchangeably1 and the testimony of the ,evangelists1 is shown to be a clear1 unequivocal1 and emphatic designation of the official ,person1 ,messiah1 the ,legate of the ,father4 ,but the school of ,jews above referred to1 of whom ,kimchi may be taken as a representative1 consider the person designated ,melach in this formula as nothing more than one of the many angels to whom he supposes that the governance and guidance of this lower world is committed4 ,they did not regard the term ,melach1 when employed in this formula1 as a name of office1 signifying ,messenger1 but as a personal designation1 signifying ,angel1 an angel1 one of the angels4 ,the points accordingly are so adjusted as to require the rendering to be1 an angel of the ,lord1 or the angel1 understood as one of the angels of the ,lord4 ,to gloss over the apparent identity1 in some passages1 of that angel with ,jehovah1 and the ascription of the same acts to each separately1 they represent the angel as personating1 and speaking in the name of1 ,jehovah2 and explain his calling himself the ,god of ,beth-,el as signifying no more than ,jacob's calling a place ,el-,beth-,el4 ,now it is apparent that our translators have in the instance under consideration given us1 not the clear and definite import of the original text1 but1 closely adhering to the points and following the steps of their ,rabbinical guides1 have given at second-hand a version of their sense1 a translation of their interpretation4 ,in every instance but one 7,malachi iii47 in their translation of the word ,melach1 7except when applied to men17 they employ the word ,angel1 a personal designation1 not a name of office2 and in most cases1 if not in all1 the ,english reader must naturally suppose that the reference was merely to one of the many created beings called angels4 ,accordingly1 though they sometimes say1 the angel of the ,lord1 in other instances1 where the original is the same1 they say1 an angel of the ,lord1 implying that they did not uniformly refer to the same ,person1 nor in any case to any other than a created angel4 ,the same thing is further illustrated and confirmed by their grammatical construction of the formula in accordance with the points1 rendering it uniformly1 the angel1 or an angel of the ,lord1 or of ,god4 ,for instance1 in ,judges1 chap4 ii4 #a1 in the original1 ,melach ,jehovah came up from ,gilgal to ,bochim1 is translated1 an angel of the ,lord came up1 c4 ,so in chap4 vi4 #aa of the same book1 ,melach ,jehovah is rendered1 an angel of the ,lord2 and in the next verse the same formula is rendered1 the angel of the ,lord2 and three times in the #bjth and #bast verses1 the angel2 and twice in the #bb;d verse1 an angel4 ,in all these cases1 and many others like them1 it is demonstrable from the context that one and the same person is referred to2 that the same acts are ascribed to him and to ,jehovah1 and that the formula by which he is designated is employed interchangeably with the names ,jehovah and ,elohim4 ,yet1 looking no farther than the sentences which announce the actor or speaker as an angel1 neither collating those sentences with others in the same or other chapters1 nor being able1 if he did1 to explain or reconcile the various and discordant renderings1 the reader is left in doubt and perplexity1 or else concludes that a created angel is referred to4 ,had the translators in this and other cases of the kind taken the unpointed ,hebrew text as their guide1 compared all its parallel passages1 and understood the word ,melach according to its original and primary meaning1 and its specific and necessary import where joined with the ,divine names1 as in the formulas above-mentioned1 to be a name of office1 signifying ,messenger1 ,legate1 one delegated1 sent2 who can doubt but that they would have discerned in the designation an unmistakable reference to the ,messiah2 that they would have retained the original ,hebrew formulas1 or translated them intelligibly and uniformly1 and left their readers in no perplexity as to their sentiments or the meaning of their version8 ,the word ,melach first occurs in the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 ,gen4 xvi41 where it is employed in its primary signification1 and occurs four times in the formula ,melach ,jehovah1 clearly designating the official ,person1 ,jehovah1 in his delegated character--the ,anointed and ,sent of the ,father1 ,the ,messenger ,jehovah4 ,in the original there is uniformity1 consistency1 and perfect freedom from ambiguity and uncertainty in the use of this term as an official designation1 here and wherever it occurs throughout the ,scriptures4 ,there is no mistaking it if regarded in its grammatical relation with the ,divine names1 and its connection with the context1 independently of the points and of the hereditary ,jewish construction2 and had the translators so regarded it1 and in their version employed the term ,messenger instead of ,angel1 it would have been as clearly understood to designate the official ,person as if they had substituted or added the term ,messiah4 ,subsequently1 this name of office was applied to created angels and to men employed1 and because they were employed1 as messengers2 and it finally came to be used as a personal appellative4 ,the first instance of this occurs ,gen4 xix4 #a3 ,there came two angels to ,sodom1 that is1 two messengers2 two who were sent by ,jehovah while he was present with ,abraham in the visible form of man4 ,and chap4 xxxii4 #c1 #f3 ,jacob sent messengers before him to ,esau4444 ,and the messengers returned to ,jacob2 that is1 he sent two of his servants with a message4 ,but in the original1 the word translated angels in chap4 xix41 and messengers in chap4 xxxii41 is the same1 and differs from that in chap4 xvi4 and all the parallel passages translated angel1 only by being in the plural form4 ,this term ,melach1 as an official designation of ,jehovah1 including the instances in which it is coupled with the name ,elohim1 occurs more than twenty times in the books of ,moses1 and more than twice that number of times in the later ,hebrew ,scriptures2 and considering that it is often employed interchangeably with the names ,jehovah and ,elohim2 that the same acts1 revelations1 promises1 covenants1 and predictions1 are in the same or in different passages ascribed indifferently to ,jehovah1 ,elohim1 and the ,messenger ,jehovah2 and that in the ,new ,testament1 both in references to the ,old and in original revelations and announcements1 the same acts1 promises1 c41 are ascribed to the ,logos or personal ,word under that and other designations2 it is manifest that1 had our translators rightly apprehended the import and reference of the designation1 and represented it in their version by a term as guarded1 unequivocal1 and distinctive as the original1 their readers would be at no loss as to how or in what relations ,moses wrote of ,christ4 ,but their misguided and erroneous apprehensions and renderings of this official designation are scarcely more remarkable than the like proceedings on their part in reference to several other peculiar or official ,hebrew designations of the ,messiah1 which occur both in ,moses and the prophets2 their inadequate and uncertain or erroneous versions of which are no doubt to be ascribed to their concurrence with the ,jewish expositions and with the requirements of the vowel points4 ,and without imputing any other than honest intentions1 or doing any injustice to the translators1 but only allowing for the effect of their theological education1 and for the arbitrary and controlling influence of the guides which they thought it safe to follow1 and which1 from their own convictions and the ascendant notions of the times1 they were in effect necessitated to adopt1 it may safely be alleged that1 with respect to the great ,actor and ,revealer1 the pervading theme of ,moses and the prophets1 they have in numerous instances wholly failed1 and in their version1 as a whole1 but partially succeeded1 in exhibiting the designations and references of the original4 ,that their version1 as a whole1 is superior to any of the other modern versions1 is generally admitted2 that it exhibits the historical narratives and those doctrinal statements which do not immediately relate to the official ,person1 with a fidelity and an intelligibleness scarcely indeed to be avoided by able and honest men1 but which such men at the present day would not be likely to excel1 is justly to be acknowledged2 but in regard to the personal designations1 ascriptions and references alluded to1 their guides subjected their intentions to an erroneous theory4 ,the ill consequences to the ,english reader1 so far as the doctrines essential to his salvation are concerned1 are counteracted by the record of the visible appearance of the official ,person incarnate1 the historical narratives of his acts1 his expiatory death1 his resurrection and ascension1 and the doctrinal revelations and apostolic testimonies of the ,new ,testament2 and he is far too easily led to regard the ,divine oracles as of little significance or importance1 except in so far as they specially teach those essential doctrines4 ,in this partial view of their import and design1 the ,old ,testament is lightly esteemed or disregarded with respect to the far greater part of its contents1 by those who most highly esteem the ,new1 and with respect to the whole of its contents1 by many4 ,it is not recognized as a continuous record of personal ,divine manifestations1 visible appearances1 supernatural acts1 audible enunciations2 a record of the creation1 of the apostasy and its consequences1 of the administration of providence and grace1 and of visible interpositions and retributions towards individuals1 families1 and nations2 a progressive disclosure of the attributes1 prerogatives1 and purposes of the ,self-existent1 of his acts as ,lawgiver and ,ruler1 and of his supremacy1 majesty and glory1 whereby ,he who personally appeared and acted under the ancient dispensations1 and at length became incarnate1 revealed himself in his delegated relations as truly to the universe of the unfallen as to man1 and as truly with reference to results yet future as to those incipient events in which were laid the foundations of his onward1 universal1 and never-ending system of manifestations and agencies1 and in the progress of which all the wonders of mercy and justice1 all the retributions of time and awards of eternity1 all the paradoxes and mysteries of the past1 and their relations to the future1 are to be disclosed1 vindicated1 and rendered luminous to the apprehension of intelligent creatures4 ,the eternal purposes which were purposed in him before the foundation of the world1 and the sequel of the covenants1 prescriptions1 promises1 comminations1 symbols1 and predictions which1 in connection with the first of their respective series of events1 were announced to the patriarchs and prophets1 await the future for their ever-widening range of illustration and accomplishment4 ,the scene is but begun4 ,the first steps only of an endless progress1 the first events only of a continuous1 inseparable1 and endless series1 the first disclosures only of a boundless range of development by the same divine ,actor and ,revealer1 have yet transpired4 ,the earth as his footstool is yet to be the scene of the restitution of all things4 ,his early footsteps on it are to be retraced in a renewed paradise1 and the visible manifestations of the past to be resumed1 when all that is recorded of ,him in his offices and his administration1 and his intercourse with the first ,adam1 and with the patriarchs and prophets1 will be understood and heeded as of the scheme and fabric of his glory4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,continuation of the subject of the preceding ,chapter--,combined influence of ,rabbinical and figurative ,interpretations--,german method of ,hebrew study--,preposterous notion of the inadequacy of ,language as a vehicle of ,thought4 ,there is a view of the ill effects of the combined influence of the education and ,rabbinical example and prescription under which our translation was produced1 which would confirm the foregoing observations1 were it competently traced in connection with the no less imposing and effective influence of the system of allegorical1 mystical1 and figurative interpretation which prevailed from and after the days of ,origen4 ,had our translators not been spell-bound by the influence first above-mentioned1 they would have been impelled by their ,protestantism1 their piety1 and their good sense1 to discard the latter4 ,had they discerned the real meaning1 official reference1 and literal import of the designations above considered1 and of the references1 manifestations1 and acts ascribed in connection with them to the ,messiah1 and recognized him as the ,one often visible and always acting ,administrator and ,revealer1 they could not have failed to give a translation with which allegorical1 mystical or tropical interpretations of the literal language of the historical1 and the literal announcements of the prophetic portions of the ,scriptures1 would have been palpably incongruous and inadmissible4 ,but the one influence1 by keeping the ,messiah personally1 and in respect to his offices and agency1 out of sight1 or as nearly so as possible1 was not repugnant to the other system1 which contemplated ,him only as foreshadowed by types and figures1 prophetic symbols and mystical allusions1 as though the first manifestation of his official agency was not intended to occur till his incarnation4 ,unlike the fixed and imperative rules which governed the use of the ,masoretic points1 this figurative system was subject to no conditions or restraints other than such as might exist in the imaginations of individuals4 ,it furnished no just discrimination or definition of the different figures of speech1 of their object1 or of their legitimate use1 nor pretended to give a reason why any word was in any given case said to be used figuratively1 or to have a figurative instead of a literal import4 ,it neither descended to such particulars1 nor was in any way dependent on them4 ,the fact that every word in a given sentence was employed by the writer in the most strictly literal sense1 was no sign that it must of course be construed literally1 nor hindrance of ,origen or his followers1 orthodox or ,swedenborgian1 down to the present day1 from giving the whole or any portion of it a figurative meaning1 and1 maugre its obvious literal import1 making it refer to something or any thing1 past1 present1 or future1 which the fancy of the expositor might suggest4 ,under this system1 it is easy to see how the literal designations and literal statements of the ,old ,testament relating to the ,messiah1 the visible appearances1 special interpositions1 and various acts ascribed to him2 and the literal announcements of the prophecies concerning his yet future manifestations1 the descendants of his ancient covenant people1 ,jerusalem1 the millennium1 c41 c41 may be obscured1 mystified1 misconstrued1 or wholly explained away4 ,under the hitherto unrestrained predominance of these two fountains of influence1 the current of ,hebrew learning has for the most part been restricted to the grammatical study of the text and its real or fancied difficulties and defects4 ,the ,germans1 who lead the way1 set out with the assumption that the student is to regard the ,bible as differing in no respect from other books4 ,he is to take it in hand just as he would if he had never heard of its claim of inspiration or of ,divine authority1 of the attributes and perfections of its ,author1 of his works of creation and providence1 or any thing of the religion which it teaches4 ,with no guiding theory of the great scheme of the ,creator and ,ruler of the world1 and of his method of carrying it into effect2 with no conviction that in a volume inspired by ,him1 that scheme and method must constitute the leading and pervading theme1 and be so prominent as to render the petty difficulties and obscurities he may meet with of no account2 they seem to enter upon the study as we may suppose one of the natives of our ancient forests1 with no other knowledge of art than was required in the construction of his cabin1 would enter upon the task of learning the architectural theory which governed the construction of an immense and complicated edifice1 with the objects and uses of the whole and of each constituent part1 by examining separately and in detail duplicates of each particular brick1 stone1 timber1 nail1 hinge1 clamp1 latch1 and every other material and element of the finished structure4 ,after wearying himself with this undertaking1 he would be apt either to abandon it1 content with what he had learned of the disconnected elementary materials1 or to form an erroneous theory of their relations and uses1 if united in conformity with the model2 or else to conclude1 despite the model before him1 that the separate pieces could not be combined in one harmonious whole2 that no theory would account for such a result1 and that all that could be done was to study them separately1 ascertain their separate uses1 and discover their defects2 that though1 to superficial observers1 apparently united in the stately edifice1 they were not really united1 but were of diverse natures and different ages1 fashioned and added by many different builders at widely distant periods2 and that the structure was but a mass of patchwork1 the result of what the successive builders added to the work of their predecessors1 each bringing his own peculiar materials1 and pursuing the style of architecture prevalent in his own day2 and therefore to comprehend it the student must take the portion of each builder separately1 and make it his object to investigate and criticize the materials and style employed by him1 compare each with all the others1 enumerate their defects1 and in the end show that1 viewed collectively1 the whole is but a mass of discordant materials1 clumsily arranged1 with innumerable defects1 inconsistencies1 superfluities1 erroneous combinations1 and objects as diverse and various as the capacities1 tastes1 and circumstances of the several builders4 ,if this1 as an illustration of the modern ,german method of studying the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 is in any degree exaggerated1 it is yet probably exact enough to account for the worse than ,rabbinical1 worse than ,popish1 worse than ,mohammedan results--neological infidelity1 both with respect to the ,old and the ,new ,testaments1 and atheism with respect to their ,author4 ,doubtless there are exceptions--here and there a ,lot escaping for his life from this critical ,sodom4 ,the reference is to the general and notorious results4 ,the system virtually begins with a denial of the ,divine origin and authority of the ,scriptures1 and a degradation of them to the level of the works of heathen authors1 and as a system1 pursued under the influences above referred to1 is no better calculated to lead the student to a right apprehension and knowledge of the great theme and connected chain of things revealed1 than the study of insects1 under the name of the science of entomology1 is calculated to enable the student to conceive1 understand1 and comprehend the doctrines of the ,newtonian philosophy4 ,among the results of this course of things1 it is obvious to notice the wide-spread1 notorious1 and effective sentiment of doubt and uncertainty as to the claims of the ,scriptures in respect to the most important facts and doctrines1 among the learned1 scientific and professional men extensively on both sides of the ,atlantic4 ,hence the origin1 popularity1 and influence of the geological doctrines concerning the antiquity of the earth1 successive creations or developments1 diversity of origin of different families of the human race1 and various kindred matters4 ,the excited minds of scientific men1 unsatisfied1 unestablished1 and misled by the results of ,rabbinical and neological study and criticism1 have appealed from the ,scripture records to the fossil relics of what they fancy to have been a world of immeasurably higher antiquity than that of whose creation ,moses is the historian4 ,they seek there1 and imagine that they discover1 engraven on the rocks1 an earlier revelation1 a more correct chronology1 a higher and more intelligible theory of the origin1 progress1 uses1 and ends of the earth1 its changes1 and its families of rational and irrational inhabitants4 ,and finally the better portion of this great school1 as the only means left of guarding the rising generation from blank atheism1 recommend the institution of professorships of ,natural ,theology1 that1 by a due exhibition to them of the evidences of geological and other natural sciences1 they may1 if possible1 be convinced that there is a ,god6 ,another result is obvious in the still more extended influence among all classes1 learned1 religious1 ignorant and skeptical1 of the discovery--made1 probably1 or adopted1 alike by the ,talmudists and ,origen though not openly professed as a clue to their productions--that language is a very inadequate1 imperfect1 indeterminate vehicle of thought2 an uncertain1 incompetent1 unreliable means of expressing men's ideas4 ,the incautious1 half demented inheritors of this discovery1 however1 apprehending1 in the present condition of things1 no danger of injury to their intellectual1 professional1 literary or religious reputation1 proclaim it as boldly and unreservedly as if it were universally admitted and confirmed by universal experience4 ,out of charity or out of hypocrisy towards their readers1 indeed1 or because they consider themselves exceptions to a general rule1 applicable1 in their view1 even to the penmen of the sacred writings1 they directly profess and apply this fancied discovery only in relation to the language of ,scripture and to that of orthodox creeds and confessions4 ,in this they feel secure of the acquiescence of the great majority of all descriptions1 and1 but for their heresies in other relations1 and having other bearings1 would feel in other respects1 as well as in this1 secure of the learned among the orthodox4 ,it is obvious how1 by this device1 the ,arch-enemy wins and secures his prey among those who have the oracles of ,god2 as of old among the heathen by his own oracles1 the responses from which were ever capable of several meanings1 from among which the consulting party might adopt the one most agreeable to his wishes1 feelings1 and emotions4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,relation of the antagonism between the ,messiah and the great ,adversary to the local1 personal1 and visible ,manifestations of the former--,modes of ,visibility on the part of the latter1 through human agents and various instrumentalities4 ,the antagonism between the ,messiah and the great ,adversary1 which1 in the ,scriptures1 is conspicuous in all that relates to idolatry and other principal forms of impiety1 and the means employed to counteract and punish them1 strongly implies and confirms the reality and visibility of the local personal appearances and acts recorded of the delegated ,person4 ,the scene of that antagonism was on the earth4 ,it involved an abiding enmity and active hostility between the followers of the respective leaders1 separated the descendants of ,adam into two hostile parties1 and was carried on by means of their visible agency in all the forms in which they could express their inward sentiments1 and in all the relations they sustained to the ,divine ,lawgiver1 to the ,arch-apostate1 and to one another4 ,in so far1 then1 as their acts and doings were visible in carrying on this warfare1 it was requisite that the means of opposing1 counteracting and condemning them should be visibly exhibited1 that they might be observed1 rightly judged of1 and productive of appropriate moral effects4 ,but granting this to be apparent from the nature of the case1 so far as concerns the agency of righteous men on one side1 and that of wicked men on the other2 it may at first be thought not to require any visible manifestations or acts of the ,divine leader of the righteous1 any more than of the apostate leader of the wicked4 ,the sequel may show that such visibility in respect to both was exhibited2 by the one1 to whom it occasioned no difficulty in any respect1 in whatever mode1 and to whatever extent he pleased2 by the other1 in whatever ways it was possible for him to render himself visible1 by subjecting the bodies of men or of inferior animals to his possession and control1 and through their physical organs acting and speaking1 and thereby giving visibility to his acts and audible utterance to his words2 or by counterfeit apparitions1 and by such arts and jugglery as his followers1 the magicians of ,egypt and elsewhere1 practised with such success as to render their apparent acts undistinguishable from real ones4 ,that he had the power of occupying and actuating the bodies of men and of inferior animals1 is shown by what is recorded of him and of the demons under him1 in the ,new ,testament2 and it is very evident from what was said by the ,jews on various occasions1 that such possessions were no matter of surprise or doubt2 and that they well understood that it was ,satan1 ,baal-,zebub1 the prince of the demons1 that was cast out by the power of ,christ1 is evident from his question when answering them on one occasion1 ,how can ,satan cast out ,satan8 ,in that which1 from the events in ,eden to the day of ,pentecost1 was remarkable as a dispensation of visible agencies and results1 visible teachings1 rites1 ordinances1 institutions1 mercies and judgments1 manifestations and events1 the ,adversary carried on his system of hostility and rivalry by visible agents and instruments1 as will be illustrated with reference to the all but universal system of idolatry of which he was the head under the name of ,baal1 and in which he was represented by visible images without number1 and had innumerable priests and counterfeits of all the visible accompaniments of the system prescribed for the worship of ,jehovah4 ,in the progress of that dispensation it is observable1 not only that the ,divine ,messenger appeared in the visible likeness1 and1 at its close1 in the nature of man1 but also that created spiritual beings1 angels1 appeared visibly from time to time1 and at the advent1 resurrection and ascension of ,christ4 ,the power of rendering themselves visible1 if it resided in the unfallen angels1 and was a condition of their nature1 is likely to have been retained and exercised by the fallen4 ,and if--as hypocrites1 by their outward and visible acts1 make themselves appear to be honest and true--,satan can deceive by assuming the appearance of an angel of light1 he is likely to have exercised that power in every way possible to him and conducive to his ends4 ,possessing capacities little conceived of or comprehended by mortals2 capacities indicated by the attitude of opposition and rivalship which he assumed towards his ,creator and rightful ,sovereign1 the omnipotent and omniscient ,one2 by the boldness and perseverance of his rebellion1 the vastness of the results which he accomplished in the seduction of his celestial followers1 and the ruin of this world1 the indescribable audacity of his personal encounter in the wilderness with the incarnate ,word1 and the still more amazing desperateness of the conflicts predicted in the ,apocalypse2 who can doubt but that he had at all times ways and means of rendering his agency visible1 directly and by instruments at his command8 ,it is plain1 from the narrative of the temptation in the wilderness1 that he was locally present1 and in a way implying relations to physical things analogous to those of men2 to the atmosphere1 as the medium of sound and of vision2 to the earth1 as a basis of locomotion2 that he uttered words and exerted physical power4 ,so in the narrative of ,job1 and that of the scene in ,paradise1 to specify no others1 such physical and visible acts are ascribed to him as plainly as acts visibly of a similar nature are affirmed of the two angels who1 with ,jehovah1 came to ,abraham in the form of men1 partook as men of his repast1 and at parting from ,jehovah and ,abraham1 turned their faces and went towards ,sodom4 ,his policy as a deceiver would have been defeated1 had he stood forth manifest in such form to mortal eyes as clearly to identify him1 and expose his malignity and betray his evil designs towards the human race1 while yet in a state of probation with reference to their repentance and salvation4 ,he succeeded with them1 for the most part1 by subtlety1 craft1 falsehood exhibiting counterfeit resemblances of goodness1 and working through visible agents actuated by him1 and instrumentalities which served as screens4 ,thus1 in the first temptation1 having no alternative prior to the fall1 he actuated an irrational creature1 erect1 perhaps1 originally1 in form1 and otherwise preminently adapted to his purpose1 but afterwards by the curse 7denounced on the visible agent as an intelligent person1 in whom the fallen spirit and the animal were united as by a mock incarnation7 degraded to crawl upon the ground1 and called the serpent2 while the actuating intelligent agent was forewarned of the enmity and prolonged hostility which would ensue between him and his followers and the race which he had seduced4 ,the narrative1 #a ,kings xxii4 #ai-bc1 shows that ,satan could inspire false prophets1 sorcerers and magicians2 and the exercise of that power is doubtless to be supposed in respect to all those who are called false prophets1 sorcerers1 diviners1 c42 those who inquired of ,baal-,zebub1 or consulted any of the oracles of the idolatrous party4 ,there are in the annals of sorcery and witchcraft innumerable illustrations of the agency1 pretensions and purposes of the ,evil ,one in securing the homage of men1 and employing them as instruments of his antagonism4 ,the following notices are taken from ,narratives of ,sorcery and ,magic1 from the most authentic sources4 ,by ,thomas ,wright1 ,m4 ,a41 ,f4 ,s4 ,a4 ,this work relates chiefly to the sentiments1 practices1 judicial trials1 confessions and executions of sorcerers and magicians1 in the thirteenth and four ensuing centuries1 in ,england1 ,scotland1 ,france1 ,spain1 ,germany1 and other countries of ,europe4 ,a belief in sorcery1 as a kind of supernatural agency1 was then universally prevalent1 and was manifested in two different forms1 sorcery and magic4 ,the magician differed from the witch in this3 that while the latter was an ignorant instrument in the hands of the demons1 the former had become their master by the powerful intermediation of a science which was only within the reach of a few1 and which these beings were unable to disobey4 ,of this science there were several schools in ,europe4 ,the professed object of those who studied it was to acquire the power of coercing the ,evil ,one4 ,in practice1 the magicians1 tempted by ambition1 avarice1 or some other passion1 generally made the final sacrifice1 that is1 formally sold their souls to ,satan4 ,thus1 in the tenth century1 ,gerbert is said to have sold himself1 on condition of being made a pope4 ,the witch held a lower degree in the scale of forbidden knowledge4 ,she was a slave without recompense2 she had sold herself without any apparent object1 unless it were the mere power of doing evil4 ,it has been an article of popular belief1 from the earliest period of the history of the nations of western ,europe1 that women were more easily brought into connection with the spiritual world than men2 priestesses were the favorite agents of the deities of the ages of paganism4 ,during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries1 the power of the witches to do mischief was derived from a direct compact with the ,demon1 ,devil1 whom they were bound to worship with certain rites and ceremonies1 the shadows of those which had1 in remoter ages1 been performed in honor of the pagan gods4 ,in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries1 the witches met together by night1 in solitary places1 to worship their master1 who appeared to them in the shape of a cat or a goat1 or sometimes in that of a man4 ,at these meetings they had feasts1 and some were appointed to serve at table1 while others received reward or punishment1 according to their zeal in the service of the ,evil ,one4 ,hither also they brought children which they had stolen from their cradles1 and which were sometimes torn to pieces and devoured4 ,we see here the first outlines of the witches' ',sabbath' of a later age4 ,in the progress of the narratives there are abundant testimonies to the following opinions and practices3 #a4 ,that it was ,satan1 the arch-apostate1 personally1 with whom they entered into compact2 selling to him their souls for a consideration1 and covenanting to worship and serve him1 and to renounce ,christ and blaspheme his name4 ,thus1 in the confession of a ,dr4 ,fian1 of ,scotland1 of the origin of his acquaintance with the ,devil1 while meditating how he should be revenged of his landlord1 ,the ,devil suddenly made his appearance1 clad in white raiment1 and said to him1 ',will ye be my servant1 and adore me1 and ye shall never want8' ,the ,doctor assented to the terms1 and1 at the suggestion of the ,evil ,one1 revenged himself4 ,and in that of ,ganfridi1 a ,french ,catholic priest3 ,the ,demon appeared to him in a human form1 and said to him1 ',what do you desire of me8' ,after stating what he wanted1 the ,demon promised to grant him his desires1 on condition that he would give up to him entirely his 'body1 soul1 and works2' to which he agreed1 excepting only to his performing the sacraments as a priest4 #b4 ,they had what they termed ,sabbaths1 when they met for the worship of ,satan2 and also periodical feasts1 appointed on days set apart for festivals of the ,romish ,church4 ,ganfridi1 the priest above mentioned1 gave an account of the ,sabbaths1 at which he was a regular attendant4 ,when he was ready to go--it was usually at night--he either went to the open window of his chamber1 or proceeded through the door into the open air4 ,there ,lucifer made his appearance1 and took him in an instant to their place of meeting1 where the orgies of the witches and sorcerers lasted usually from three to four hours4 ,ganfridi divided the victims of the ,evil ,one into three classes3 the novices1 the sorcerers1 and the magicians4 ,on arriving at the meeting1 they all worshipped the ,demon1 according to their several ranks2 the novices falling flat on their faces1 the sorcerers kneeling with their heads and bodies humbly bowed down1 and the magicians1 who stood highest in importance1 only kneeling4 ,after this they all went through the formality of denying ,god and the saints4 ,then they had a diabolical service in burlesque of that of the ,church1 at which the ,evil ,one served as priest in a violet chasuble2 the elevation of the demon host was announced by a wooden bell1 and the sacrament itself was made of unleavened bread4 ,the scenes of unutterable licentiousness which followed1 resembled those of other witch meetings4 ,in the early part of the seventeenth century1 in ,labourd1 at the south-west corner of ,france1 nearly all the families of a population of thirty thousand were subjects of sorcery4 ,at their ,sabbaths1 which were numerously attended every ,wednesday and ,friday night1 ,satan1 seated on a throne1 appeared in the shape of a large black man with horns1 and sometimes in other forms4 ,the ceremonies of worship1 the feasting1 the dance1 and the license which followed1 are described in all their particulars1 in a multitude of confessions4 ,in ,navarre1 the delusion was no less prevalent4 ,the ordinary ,sabbaths were held every ,monday1 ,wednesday1 and ,friday evening4 ,the form assumed by the ,demon was that of a man with a sad and choleric countenance1 very black and very ugly4 ,he was seated on a lofty throne1 black as ebony1 and sometimes gilt1 with all the accessories calculated to inspire reverence4 ,on his head was a crown of small horns1 with two larger ones behind1 and another larger one on the forehead4 ,it was the latter which gave a light somewhat greater than that of the moon1 but less than that of the sun1 which served to illumine the assembly4 ,his eyes were large and round1 and terrible to look at2 his beard like that of a goat1 and the lower part of his body had the form of that animal1 c4 ,his worship was conducted with the same forms and ceremonies as in ,labourd4 ,after the worship of the ,demon followed a travestie of the ,christian mass2 after the mass1 the usual licentiousness1 then the feast4 ,before they left1 the ,demon preached to them on the duties they had contracted towards him1 exhorted them to go and injure their fellow-creatures1 and to practise every kind of wickedness1 and gave them powders and liquors for poisoning and destroying4 ,he often accompanied them himself when some great evil was to be done4 #c4 ,in the confessions of those who were tried and executed1 it is related in numerous instances that they had1 on their first admission at the ,sabbath rites and orgies1 formally renounced ,christ1 and uttered blasphemous expressions4 ,it was an article of their compact that they should not1 at any of their assemblies1 mention the name of ,christ2 7an interdict similar to that of the ,yezzidis1 or worshippers of ,satan1 near ,mosul1 mentioned by ,m4 ,layard27 and it is affirmed that whenever his name was inadvertently articulated1 the assembly was instantly dispersed4 #d4 ,it was held that the initiated received from the ,evil ,one a particular mark on their persons1 to distinguish them as his2 that ,satan often appeared to them unexpectedly in the form of a goat1 a black dog1 a cat1 a horse1 or a toad2 and that each new witch received a toad1 cat1 or other animal1 as an imp or familiar to attend them constantly4 ,they pretended to raise storms1 destroy vessels and crops1 torment and kill animals and men by their sorcery2 and for such crimes many thousands of them were accused1 tried1 and put to death4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,illustration of the subject of the last ,chapter1 exhibiting the ,antagonism as carried on by visible agencies1 instrumentalities1 and events1 in the plagues of ,egypt and at the ,red ,sea4 ,there is a striking instance of this antagonism carried on by visible agencies1 instrumentalities1 and events1 in the narrative of the plagues of ,egypt1 under the immediate direction of the ,messenger ,jehovah1 after his appearance to ,moses in the burning bush2 of which plagues it was repeatedly declared to be the object on the one hand to convince the children of ,israel1 and by rehearsal to their descendants to convince them that he was indeed ,jehovah2 and on the other1 to cause ,pharaoh and the ,egyptians to know that he was the ,self-existent1 and to cause his name to be declared throughout all the earth4 ,pharaoh1 and the priests of ,baal1 and the wise men1 the sorcerers and magicians1 like ,ahab and the prophets and votaries of ,baal in his time2 and ,nebuchadnezzar and the magicians1 astrologers1 sorcerers and ,chaldeans of his1 were to witness miraculous and resistless proofs that ,jehovah1 the ,elohe of ,abraham and ,israel1 was the only living and true ,god1 the ,creator1 proprietor1 and ruler of the world1 and that their idolatry was an imposture and a cheat4 ,in this1 as in the other and all similar instances of a public formal conflict of the great antagonists and their agents1 to determine which should be acknowledged as supreme1 and be obeyed and worshipped1 the demonstrations on the part of ,jehovah were resisted1 step by step1 by the ,adversary and his party1 till they were overpowered1 shown to be false pretenders1 terrified1 exposed1 and confounded4 ,jehovah directed ,moses and ,aaron1 when they appeared before ,pharaoh1 and were required by him to show a miracle in support of their pretensions1 to cast down the rod they were to carry1 and it should become a serpent--the animal with which the name and personal history of ,satan were intimately associated1 and whose visible form was familiar among the material images1 representative of him under the name of ,baal1 from the earliest times2 the animal which he entered and actuated in ,eden1 and which1 doubtless1 he could enter and actuate again1 and by jugglery employ rods in his exhibition4 ,and ,aaron cast down his rod before ,pharaoh and before his servants1 and it became a serpent2 as much as to say1 ,here is a miracle1 producing before your eyes the god1 the visible image and representative of the god whom you worship4 ,but we may suppose ,pharaoh to have said1 ,this we can do3 this only shows the power of our god1 and is to no purpose as evidence on your side4 ,then ,pharaoh called the wise men and the sorcerers1 and the magicians of ,egypt did in like manner with their enchantments2 for they cast down every man his rod1 and they became serpents4 ,this satisfied him4 ,similar feats had probably often satisfied him before4 ,visible effects of power in the production1 apparently1 of living animals1 were manifest to his senses4 ,the sequel1 in the fact that ,aaron's rod swallowed up their rods1 belonged to another category4 ,if he regarded it as the moderns regard written language1 he would be satisfied by calling it figurative1 or saying it was equivocal1 and had no fixed or determinate meaning4 ,the nature of the conflict1 and the visibility of the instruments and results1 are thus sufficiently apparent4 ,to the view of the beholders1 the coincidence of the power of the unseen agent on the one side1 with the act of ,aaron and his rod as an instrument1 and on the other1 with the acts of the magicians and their rods1 appeared alike4 ,from aught that was apparent1 if ,moses and ,aaron wrought their miracle by the power and will of ,jehovah1 the magicians wrought theirs by the power and will of their god4 ,it was a miracle transcending the efforts of mortal power1 and superior to that by which the magicians acted1 that ,pharaoh required4 ,nothing else would meet the case4 ,but as he viewed it1 this experiment was not conclusive4 ,at the next trial1 ,aaron1 in the presence of ,pharaoh and his servants1 lifted up the rod and smote the waters that were in the river1 and they were turned into blood4 ,the fish died1 and there was blood throughout all the land of ,egypt4 ,and the magicians did so with their enchantments1 and ,pharaoh's heart was hardened4 ,the experiment of the magicians1 in this case1 must have been on a very limited scale1 for it appears from the narrative that there was no water to be had for seven days1 but such as was obtained by digging near the river4 ,still1 if they apparently produced the effect on ever so small a quantity1 those who trusted in them would be satisfied4 ,the ,nile was a leading object of ,egyptian idolatry1 as an instrument and emblem of the munificence of the god of that idolatry1 whose superiority and power were argued from the vast benefits occasioned by the river1 without the aid or inconvenience of clouds and rain4 ,the miracle was therefore a public and signal rebuke of their idolatry1 affecting directly every inhabitant of the land1 and a stupendous demonstration of the supremacy of ,jehovah4 ,but the arts and instrumentality of the magicians counteracted its effect4 ,the ensuing trial1 which constituted the second plague1 covered the land1 the houses1 furniture1 utensils1 and the people themselves1 with myriads of loathsome frogs1 one of the sacred animals of their idol system1 and of the progeny of their sacred river1 consecrated to the sun1 and1 by reason of its inflations1 deemed an emblem of inspiration4 ,they were thus confounded by the insupportable multitude and offensiveness of one of the objects of their idol worship1 sent forth by another1 as if purposely to punish them4 ,after the usual announcements and directions1 ,aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of ,egypt2 and the frogs came up and covered the land of ,egypt3 and the magicians did so with their enchantments1 and brought up frogs upon the land of ,egypt4 ,their enchantments in this case seem to have had no favorable effect4 ,the frogs brought up by them must have aggravated the already intolerable evil4 ,pharaoh begged ,moses to entreat ,jehovah to remove the plague1 and promised in that case to let the people go4 ,moses consented1 so that ,pharaoh1 by the counter miracle1 might know that there is none like unto ,jehovah1 the ,elohe of the ,hebrews4 ,the third plague1 more tormenting to the persons of the ,egyptians than the preceding1 baffled and silenced the magicians4 ,aaron stretched out his hand with his rod1 and smote the dust of the earth1 and it became lice in man and in beast2 and the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of ,egypt4 ,and the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice1 but they could not4 ,then the magicians said unto ,pharaoh1 ,this is the finger of ,elohim4 ,but his heart was hardened1 and he hearkened not unto them4 ,in the preceding instances1 ,pharaoh and the magicians had been forewarned as to what kind of evil was to be inflicted1 and had time to prepare their enchantments4 ,when 7the sun excepted7 the chief of all the natural objects of their idolatry was to be changed into blood1 so as to destroy the fish1 and put a stop to all the benefits for which they deified it1 the miracle was in itself calculated to be perfectly conclusive1 and ,moses was directed to say to ,pharaoh1 ,in this thou shalt know that ,i am ,jehovah4 ,and when the progeny of their sacred river were to be brought up in such masses as to cover the whole land and all the objects in it1 so that they could not move without destroying those deified creatures1 they were specially forewarned1 and had time to arrange and work their enchantments with as much success as in our own day attends the workers of ,popish miracles4 ,but in this last instance they had no previous notice4 ,it was an experiment1 doubtless1 that they had never tried1 they could do nothing without enchantments2 they had no jugglery prepared for such a case2 they were baffled1 disgraced1 and thrust aside3 and in what follows1 the utter and desperate malignity of sin is shown in such obstinacy1 hardihood1 and perseverance on the part of ,pharaoh and his people1 as has a parallel only in ,satan and his angels4 ,occasionally1 indeed1 under the most appalling terrors of mind and sufferings of body1 conscious that ,jehovah had absolute power over all creatures and all elements1 and that new and unknown horrors awaited them1 some momentary concessions were extorted from their physical fears and agonies4 ,on the infliction of the plague of flies1 7another of the deified or idolized representatives of ,baal17 ,pharaoh1 to convince him that ,jehovah was the same as the ,elohe of the ,hebrews1 and that his supremacy and power were universal over all the earth1 was told that while this plague should fall upon him1 and upon his servants and people1 and into their houses1 and upon the ground1 it should not touch the ,hebrews4 ,i will sever the land of ,goshen1 in which my people dwell1 that no swarms of flies shall be there2 to the end thou mayest know that ,i am ,jehovah in the midst of the earth4 ,in this1 as in the case of the frogs1 and equally1 it is presumed1 in the case of the lice1 they were necessitated to destroy multitudes of idolized creatures1 representative of ,baal1 and thus by their own acts1 as well as by their sufferings1 to show that he was not able to protect his representatives1 or those who worshipped him through them4 ,pharaoh hypocritically relented till1 on the entreaty of ,moses1 ,jehovah removed this plague4 ,in the inflictions which followed1 each was more appalling and terrific than those which preceded4 ,they were introduced by special announcements of their object1 their intensity1 and their effects2 a set time was specified for their occurrence1 and in each case the land of ,goshen was exempted4 ,they were such as most unequivocally to demonstrate the almighty power of ,jehovah1 the reason of their being visited upon the ,egyptians1 the nature and bearings of the controversy1 and the antagonist position and character of the parties4 ,jehovah1 displaying his prerogatives and his righteousness in the visible effects of his power1 executed judgment against all the gods of ,egypt4 ,by the fifth plague1 the idolized animals1 models of the molten calves1 with all the cattle of ,egypt1 were destroyed4 ,by the sixth1 the sacred persons1 the priests1 magicians1 sorcerers1 with all the people1 high and low1 were tormented with boils and blains1 so that the magicians could not stand before ,moses1 because of the boils4 ,this being ineffectual1 the grounds of the controversy were again particularized1 and more terrible inflictions threatened4 ,i will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart1 and upon thy servants1 and upon thy people2 that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth4 ,then ,jehovah sent thunder1 and hail1 and fire2 and the fire or lightning ran upon the ground2 and the hail smote man and beast1 and herbs and trees2 only in the land of ,goshen there was no hail4 ,the air1 which was the medium of the pestilential boils1 and was an element of this terrific storm1 unprecedented in ,egypt or elsewhere1 was1 equally with the other elements1 water and fire1 idolized as an instrument1 medium1 or vehicle of ,baal2 fire being arrogated as his attribute or element1 and the sun as his shekina3 and being so regarded by the ,egyptians1 it was shown in the most awful and appalling manner that ,jehovah exercised the most absolute control over them4 ,pharaoh1 under the impulse of amazement and terror1 sent for ,moses and ,aaron1 and said3 ,i have sinned this time3 ,jehovah is righteous1 and ,i and my people are wicked4 ,entreat ,jehovah 7for it is enough7 that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail1 and ,i will let you go4 ,moses replied1 promising to do this1 and that the storm should cease1 that ,pharaoh might know how that the earth is ,jehovah's2 that is1 that he might be convinced and know that the earth1 the elements1 and all creatures were ,jehovah's1 and not ,baal's1 and that he might renounce ,baal1 and acknowledge ,jehovah4 ,but when ,pharaoh saw that the rain1 and the hail1 and the thunders were ceased1 he sinned yet more1 and hardened his heart1 he and his servants4 ,no demonstration was or would be sufficient to end the controversy1 so long as the relentless ,adversary behind the scenes could1 through their base propensities and depraved wills1 delude and instigate his ,egyptian vassals4 ,the lesson to be taught to the ,israelites and others1 concerned not those hardened mortals only1 but their subtle deceiver1 and they1 as subjects and instruments of his4 ,when the plague of locusts was threatened1 ,pharaoh's servants remonstrated with him1 and urged him to let the people go2 and he sent for ,moses and ,aaron1 and proposed that the men should go1 and leave their families and flocks behind4 ,this being totally refused1 they were fearfully scourged by another of their idolized insects1 in the destruction of every herb and plant1 and all that the hail had left4 ,this extorted from ,pharaoh another confession3 ,i have sinned against ,jehovah your ,elohe1 and against you4 ,now therefore forgive1 ,i pray thee1 my sin only this once1 and entreat ,jehovah your ,elohe that he may take away from me this death only4 ,next the plague of dense total darkness for three days was sent upon all the ,egyptians1 so that they saw not one another1 neither rose any from his place4 ,thus the chief visible object of their idolatrous homage1 the imputed residence and shekina of ,baal1 was excluded from their view1 and all acts of idolatry and access to images precluded4 ,pharaoh now showed a degree of angry desperation2 and after offering to let the people go without their flocks1 and those terms being rejected1 he drove ,moses from his presence1 and threatened his life if he saw him again4 ,there remained yet one more plague1 the instant destruction of all the first-born of ,egypt at the dead of night1 which so terrified the whole population with dread of immediate and utter extermination1 that with one voice they urged the departure without delay of all the ,israelites1 with all their flocks and goods1 and with whatever gifts and supplies they wished4 ,and they took their journey2 and ,jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud1 to lead them the way2 and by night in a pillar of fire1 to give them light1 to go by day and night4 ,thus the ,messenger ,jehovah1 who introduced this train of visible wonders by appearing to ,moses in the burning bush1 signalized the triumphant rescue and march of his people out of ,egypt by reppearing1 and going before them in the cloud-like appendage1 visibly luminous as fire by night1 and as an irradiant form by day1 which continued as the constant signal of his presence during the whole period of their wanderings in the wilderness4 ,but their departure1 which took place in the night1 was no sooner made known to the ,egyptians than the heart of ,pharaoh and of his servants was turned against them4 ,they reproached themselves for having let them go1 and were infatuated to pursue and bring them back4 ,and all the horses and chariots of ,pharaoh1 and his horsemen and his army pursued and overtook them at the ,red ,sea4 ,still more stupendous exhibitions of power1 supremacy and triumph on the one side1 and of incurable and fatal delusion on the other1 were required for the instruction and conviction of that and succeeding ages4 ,and ,melach 7the7 ,elohim1 which went before the camp of ,israel1 removed and went behind them2 and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face1 and stood behind them1 and it came between the camp of the ,egyptians and the camp of ,israel2 and it was a cloud and darkness to them1 but it gave light by night to these1 so that the one came not near the other all the night4 ,thus the final trial was arranged and conducted under the visible direction of the ,messenger ,jehovah4 ,the sea was divided1 and the hosts of ,israel went over as on dry land4 ,pharaoh's chariots and army followed4 ,jehovah looked unto the host of the ,egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud1 and troubled them2 threw them into consternation by taking off their chariot wheels1 and by causing the waters to return1 overwhelmed and drowned them in the midst of the sea4 ,thus ,jehovah saved ,israel1 and ,israel saw that great work which ,jehovah did upon the ,egyptians2 and the people feared ,jehovah1 and believed ,jehovah and his servant ,moses4 ,the greatness and wonderfulness of this deliverance1 as referred to and celebrated in other parts of ,scripture1 if regarded1 not as a signal and never-to-be-forgotten triumph of the ,messenger ,jehovah over ,satan1 and the agents of his idolatry and imposture1 but simply in its relation to the numbers1 power1 or unassisted skill of the ,egyptians1 are out of all proportion to the result4 ,instead of such an array of preparations1 such threats and remonstrances1 such a succession and selection of miracles and plagues1 had the object been only to loosen their covetous hold on the labor and service of ,israel1 a single blow might as easily have destroyed them all in a moment as their first-born1 or whelmed them in the ,nile1 as in the ,red ,sea4 ,but their idolatry denied the supremacy1 prerogatives1 and rights of ,jehovah1 and ascribed them1 not to irrational animals and senseless elements1 except as vehicles and mediums of homage1 but to an intelligent and powerful rival1 competitor1 and pretender to the throne and government of the world1 who claimed1 prescribed1 and received their worship1 arrogated the credit of bestowing the blessings of providence1 sanctioned the indulgence of their passions1 instigated their magical delusions1 and had their confidence as to his power to protect them4 ,it was to vindicate himself1 and to confound that arrogant pretender1 that ,jehovah vouchsafed these demonstrations in the view of the ,hebrews1 who needed the lesson which they taught1 and in a way to be rehearsed and known among the ,canaanites and other nations of the earth4 ,it was a marked and memorable scene in the progress of that great antagonism which hitherto has constituted the basis1 and1 however obscured to the blinded view of the actors1 or concealed by their craft and policy1 has furnished the elements of history1 and is yet in the view of the whole universe1 with all the accompaniments of publicity and conclusiveness1 to have its issue4 ,it would require a chapter to refer to all the descriptions and allusions commemorative of this scene1 in the triumphant song of ,moses1 recalled and sung1 ,rev4 xv4 #c1 by the redeemed1 in celebration of their resembling deliverance1 to the praise of the ,lamb as their ,redeemer1 whom they address as the ,lord ,god ,almighty--,jehovah1 the ,elohim2 and in the ,psalms1 cxxxv41 cxxxvi41 and other ,scriptures1 where to ,jehovah are referred the wonders done in ,egypt and in the wilderness1 which by ,moses are ascribed to him as ,melach ,jehovah4 ,but1 waiving these references1 it may be noticed as an additional evidence that it was the ,delegated ,one1 the ,personal ,word1 who1 after appearing visibly to ,moses1 and investing him with his ministerial office1 executed those wondrous demonstrations in ,egypt1 that1 prior to the signal exercise of his power and justice by which he destroyed all the first-born of the opposing party1 he instituted for the benefit and as auxiliary to the faith of his people1 the ordinance of the passover2 of which1 the slaughter of the paschal lamb1 the sprinkling of the blood as the means of exemption from death1 and other details1 had a counterpart in the circumstances1 reference1 import1 and ,scripture narrative of his sacrifice of himself1 ,christ our ,passover sacrificed for us2 the ,lamb of ,god1 slain virtually and in effect1 as by covenant and oath1 from the foundation of the world4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,further ,illustration of the ,antagonism--,idolatry a ,counterfeit ,rival ,system in opposition to the ,messiah and the ,true ,worship--,its ,origin and ,nature--,satan the ,god of it--,the ,tower of ,babel devoted to his ,worship--,that ,worship extended thence over the ,earth at the ,dispersion4 ,the illustration of this mighty and ceaseless conflict requires particular reference to the system of idolatry by which1 in opposition and rivalship to the worship and service of ,jehovah1 ,satan organized his followers under ,nimrod2 and on their dispersion to different regions of the globe1 enslaved and held in bondage all the tribes and nations which they planted1 and to which he at length seduced the kings1 princes1 priests1 and all but a remnant of the chosen people4 ,it was one comprehensive antagonist rival system1 copied and counterfeited in all its leading features from the doctrines and ritual revealed to the race at first1 and renewedly taught and practised by ,noah1 on his egress from the ark4 ,in what forms the great ,adversary had instigated the corruption and wickedness1 and led on the masses of the race before the ,deluge to their total destruction by that instrument of ,jehovah's power1 is but faintly intimated4 ,the earth was filled with violence2 and it is not unlikely that ,cain's example in presenting1 contrary to the ,divine command and the ritual prescription1 an offering not of blood1 not typical of the expiatory sacrifice of ,messiah1 the promised ,son1 but an offering intended for the occasion1 by its nature1 and in contrast to that of ,abel1 to express his denial and rejection of the typical sacrifice and its antitype2 and his sullen and arrogant denial of his being in the wrong1 and needing an atonement and forgiveness2 and the example of his persecuting malevolence1 in killing his brother1 may furnish a clue to the theory and practice of his party afterwards4 ,but while ,noah1 conformably to the earlier practice1 erected an altar to ,jehovah1 offered typical offerings1 and otherwise complied with the ritual1 professed the doctrines1 and exercised the faith of the revealed system of religion1 and was a preacher of righteousness2 his early descendants1 like those of ,adam1 were soon separated into opposite parties of true and false worshippers4 ,the false or idolatrous party1 originally characterized as the seed of the serpent1 the followers and servants of ,satan1 having1 under ,nimrod--a name signifying rebel--united in their antagonist scheme1 commenced the erection of the tower of ,babel--otherwise ,bel1 ,belus1 or ,baal--in ,babylon4 ,from a comparison of the terms employed with reference to this structure1 and the object and nature of the idolatry to which it was devoted2 its history and that of the structures and idolatry of other countries which were copied from the model here furnished2 the descriptions in the ,scriptures of that idolatry1 both as practised by the heathen and by the ,israelites1 and the references to it by ,herodotus1 ,thucydides1 and other secular historians1 the following summary statement in the present and two succeeding chapters is believed to be well founded4 ,this tower or temple was originally destined1 as it was afterwards devoted1 to the worship of the great ,adversary1 who palmed himself upon his followers as god of this world1 god of providence1 bestower of benefits and blessings2 the good principle or intelligence of the ,babylonians1 ,persians1 and other heathen nations1 by whom he was regarded as a creature intermediate between the supreme1 self-existent1 invisible ,being1 and the human race1 and in that character as creator and ruler of the world2 having his residence in the sun as his tabernacle and shekina1 and manifesting himself locally and at pleasure to his votaries in fire1 as his element1 and as the medium of their worship1 sacrifices1 incense1 c41 and in light1 and in the effects of the solar heat upon vegetation1 and otherwise as causing the chief blessings and comforts of life4 ,these visible objects and benefits appealed directly to the senses and the unrestrained passions of his followers1 who1 being at enmity with the righteous party1 and irreconcilably opposed to the doctrines1 duties1 and restraints of their religion2 and yet1 as well from social considerations as from their natures as dependent creatures1 requiring a substitute1 a rival antagonist system1 and a head and leader consistent with it1 may well be supposed to have entered into this system with a zeal1 a pertinacity and desperateness1 not exceeded by their successors in ,babylon or elsewhere1 nor even by that of the apostate ,jews1 who1 in direct opposition to the doctrines and worship of ,jehovah1 established in his temple this idol system1 with its emblems and rites1 and the public and formal worship of its god in the sun1 most boldly and impiously turning their faces to the ,east1 and their backs to the visible ,shekina in the holy place4 ,the system of corruption1 delusion1 and bondage1 by which the great ,adversary commenced his second experiment of lordship over his party1 and of renewed and perpetual hostility towards the righteous1 and treason1 rebellion1 impiety1 and insult towards ,jehovah their ,elohe1 required not only to be such as would gratify their depraved hearts and grovelling passions1 so as to insure success to his craft and subtlety1 but to be contrived1 adopted1 and put in practice so as to unite1 combine1 and govern them1 as soon as possible after the repeopling of the earth commenced4 ,that it was in fact contrived1 adopted1 and practised prior to the dispersion1 is proved by the resumption and practice of it by the dispersed tribes and nations both in the ,eastern and ,western hemispheres3 and that the nature1 object1 doctrines1 rites1 bearings1 and ends of it1 were originally well understood1 and matter of common intelligence and notoriety1 is proved by the close resemblance of the system1 as established in other quarters of the world1 to the model metropolitan establishment in ,babylon4 ,this original tower or temple--which there is no reasonable ground to doubt continued near two thousand years1 till ,xerxes pillaged and destroyed it1 together with the structures around it which had been added by ,nebuchadnezzar--was six hundred feet square at the base1 and six hundred feet in height1 its cubic contents far exceeding those of the largest of the pyramids4 ,it was devoted to the worship of the god of their idolatry1 the intelligence to whom they ascribed the works of creation and providence1 under the names ,bel1 ,baal1 ,beelzebub1 and other designations of ,satan2 and also to astronomical observations1 which appear to have led to the appropriation1 subsequently1 of the moon to ,astarte1 consort of ,baal and ,queen of heaven1 the prototype--not in respect to her moral character1 which was wholly opposite1 but to her mediating office--of the deified ,mary of the ,papists2 and of the planets and stars1 to subordinate auxiliary mediating demons of different species4 ,the projectors and architects of this great paragon and wonder of the world were not a horde of ignorant1 wandering nomades4 ,they had knowledge and arts adequate to an undertaking1 whether considered merely as a physical undertaking1 or in connection with the stupendous and enduring system of imposture1 impiety1 and misery it was devoted to1 which has not been equalled since3 and which may well be conceived of as sufficient to occasion the local and special interposition of the ,messenger ,jehovah to confound their language and scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth4 ,their astronomy1 and probably their geometry and other abstruse branches of knowledge1 were1 at least in respect to their leading principles1 not inferior to those of the present day4 ,prideaux1 speaking of this tower1 which he holds to be the same with that destroyed ,xerxes1 observes1 that when ,alexander took ,babylon1 ,callisthenes the philosopher1 who accompanied him thither1 found they had astronomical observations for nineteen hundred and three years backward from that time1 which carrieth the account as high as the one hundred and fifteenth year after the flood1 which was within fifteen years after the ,tower of ,babel was built4 ,for the confusion of tongues1 which followed immediately after the building of that tower1 happened in the year wherein ,peleg was born1 which was an hundred and one years after the flood1 and fourteen years after that1 those observations began4 ,this account ,callisthenes sent from ,babylon into ,greece1 to his master ,aristotle1 c4 7,book ,,ii41 part #a47 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,the system of ,idolatry founded on a perversion of the ,doctrine of ,mediation--,references to the ,worshippers of ,baal1 ,israelite and ,pagan4 ,this system of idolatry was founded on the doctrine of mediation1 which was the basis of the revealed system of true religion4 ,but in the application of that doctrine1 idolatry exhibited an entire perversion1 ascribing the mediatorial office and relations1 not to ,messiah1 the ,messenger ,jehovah1 the one only ,mediator between ,god and man1 but to his adversary1 antagonist1 and competitor1 who emphatically in this respect1 and as creator and administrator of providence1 arrogated the office1 prerogatives1 relations and works of ,jehovah1 the delegated ,personal ,word4 ,this consideration alone affords a clue to any intelligent understanding of the system in its details1 or of the succeeding history of the antagonism2 of the enormity and turpitude of idolatry as a crime2 and of the amazing retributions and judgments which it called down upon the ,canaanites and other nations devoted to the worship of ,baal1 and upon the ,israelites on their apostatizing to that worship4 ,the doctrine of mediation and of one ,divine ,mediator1 as it involved the relations of men to the ,creator1 moral and providential ,ruler and ,redeemer1 was the basis and prime element in the patriarchal and ,levitical economies1 which prescribed a religion not merely for dependent1 but for fallen1 guilty creatures1 no acts of whom1 whether of obedience in performing ordinary duties1 or of religious homage1 sacrifices1 prayers or offerings1 could be accepted unless rendered in the exercise of faith in the appointed ,mediator1 and a consciousness of entire dependence on his merits1 and the efficacy of his mediation1 as the only ground of acceptance1 and of the bestowment of blessings on them4 ,hence the typical sacrifices1 and all the rites1 ordinances1 and prescriptions of that system4 ,but from the nature of the case1 and the consciousness of dependence1 helplessness and misery in those who turned away from the true worship1 a sense of the necessity of mediation and a mediator must naturally have been felt by them1 as well as by those of the other party4 ,without a sense of that necessity they would neither have projected nor adopted any religion whatever4 ,it is the sole basis of all false religions4 ,those who have it not1 must be classed with atheists or deists4 ,the ,jews who nominally reject the doctrine1 and really reject the true ,mediator1 palpably contradict and pervert the religion which they profess1 and virtually assign to their rites and forms the office of mediation4 ,nothing can be more unlikely or more absurd than the supposition that nations1 tribes1 or individuals should contrive or adopt or persevere in the practice of a false religion1 without a notion more or less correct1 and a conviction more or less strong and effective1 of the existence of a ,supreme ,being1 to whose will the striking events of providence1 the vicissitudes in their own experience1 their acts1 their prayers1 their fears and hopes1 had a real1 though it might be a mysterious and incomprehensible1 reference4 ,but with such conviction1 their false religion1 naturally in theory1 and necessarily in order to such effect upon their hopes and fears as to induce their perseverance in it1 refers ultimately to that mysterious1 unseen1 and1 without intermediate agencies and instruments of mediation1 inaccessible ,being4 ,such fears and such conviction1 coupled with the uncertainties of the future1 and with impending or foreboded evils1 are1 like instincts1 deep seated1 in the very nature of man4 ,and hence1 with reference to the false system under consideration1 the facility1 on the one hand1 with which imposture1 delusion1 and desperate infatuation might take effect2 and the absurdity1 on the other hand1 of supposing that ,baal1 whose tabernacle in the sun1 and whose manifestations in fire1 light1 air or water were ever visibly or sensibly present and familiar2 or that any of the animals consecrated to him1 or of the representative material images of animate or inanimate1 rational or irrational forms1 called idols1 were ever mistaken by any of his worshippers for that ,being whom they regarded as supreme1 ever invisible1 and far removed from immediate intercourse and familiarity with mortals4 ,such a mistake would argue that the ,egyptians1 ,greeks1 ,romans1 ,asiatics1 ,polynesians1 ,mexicans1 and all other pagans1 as well as the devotees of ,popery1 were more senseless than the animals1 or even the material forms and figures1 before which they bowed themselves down1 and presented their gifts and offerings4 ,but not to waste words on so plain a matter1 let it be illustrated by reference to ,scripture4 ,the ,israelites were so terrified by the thunders and lightnings at the giving of the ,law1 when ,jehovah spoke to them directly1 that they removed and stood afar off2 and they said unto ,moses3 ,speak thou with us1 and we will hear1 but let not ,elohim speak with us1 lest we die4 ,and ,moses said unto the people1 ,fear not1 for 7the7 ,elohim has come to prove you1 and that his fear may be before your faces1 that ye sin not4 ,ex4 xx4 ,moses1 referring to this1 ,deut4 v41 says3 ,jehovah1 that is1 the ,messenger ,jehovah1 talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire1 7,i stood between ,jehovah and you at that time1 to show you the word of ,jehovah3 for ye were afraid by reason of the fire1 and went not up into the mount27 saying1 ,i am ,jehovah thy ,elohe1 which brought thee out of the land of ,egypt1 from the house of bondage4 ,thou shalt have none other ,elohim before me4 ,thou shalt not make thee any graven image1 nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above1 or that is in the earth beneath1 or that is in the waters under the earth2 thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them1 nor serve them3 ,for ,i1 ,jehovah thy ,elohe1 am a jealous ,el1 c4 ,shortly after this1 ,moses1 ,aaron1 ,nadab and ,abihu1 and seventy of the elders of ,israel were called up into the mount1 and they saw the ,elohe of ,israel4 ,then ,aaron and the others returned to the people1 except ,moses1 who was called up into the cloud on the mount1 and remained there forty days and forty nights4 ,in the meantime1 the sight of the glory of ,jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mount1 in the eyes of the children of ,israel4 ,the appalling terrors of this sight1 from which they were1 at the announcement of the ,law1 so anxious to be relieved1 being thus prolonged from week to week1 and despairing of the return of their chosen interlocutor between ,jehovah and them1 the minds of the people reverted to the image representative of ,baal1 and with other images and idolized objects familiarly called ,elohim1 with which their sojourn in ,egypt had made them acquainted3 and they said to ,aaron1 ,up1 make us ,elohim which shall go before us2 for as for this ,moses1 the man that brought us up out of the land of ,egypt1 we wot not what is become of him4 ,aaron accordingly made a molten calf1 and they said1 ,this is thy ,elohe1 ,o ,israel1 which brought thee up out of the land of ,egypt3 plainly meaning1 ,this image represents1 is a visible representative of thy ,elohe1 and stands between him and us1 as ,moses1 the man that brought us out of ,egypt1 stood between ,jehovah and us at the giving of the ,law4 ,they wanted and deemed that they had in this molten image a visible representative of the ,elohe of ,israel4 ,but no one can suppose that ,aaron1 after having witnessed the wonders in ,egypt1 and assisted ,moses as an instrument of them1 and1 with the elders1 seen the ,elohe of ,israel in the mount1 could mistake and ascribe to the brute image the power and prerogatives of that ,being2 neither did the people imagine any thing to that effect4 ,the crime of which they were guilty1 and for which they were punished1 was that of breaking a positive command2 doing what was expressly forbidden2 making a graven image2 worshipping it as a representative emblem of ,jehovah1 and medium of their homage of him2 placing it before him1 between them and him1 in imitation of the ,egyptians1 who made and worshipped similar images as the immediate1 local1 visible1 familiar objects or media through which they offered their sacrifices and prayers to ,baal4 ,there is no intimation that they intended on this occasion to ascribe their deliverance from ,egypt to ,baal4 ,on the contrary1 they had witnessed the most amazing demonstrations in the plagues and at the ,red ,sea1 that their deliverance was effected by the high hand and outstretched arm of ,jehovah1 in opposition to that adversary4 ,they were required by sacrifices and prayers to worship the ,elohe of ,israel directly in spirit and in truth1 conformably to the letter of their ritual1 the divine doctrine of mediation1 and his relations as the only ,mediator between the invisible ,god and men4 ,the introduction of a representative image or deified object between him and them1 and offering burnt offerings in that relation1 as ,aaron did1 was not only wholly inconsistent with the nature1 theory1 and ritual of their religion1 and a flagrant act of disobedience2 but was calculated to lead them1 as it afterwards did1 to renounce ,jehovah1 and turn away to the exclusive worship of ,baal through the medium of idols4 ,against this tendency they were often cautioned and warned2 and were commanded to destroy the images and altars of ,baal wherever they encountered them4 ,they were forbidden to inquire after the idol gods1 or how the idolatrous nations served them1 and were commanded to put to death members of their families1 false prophets and others who should endeavor to entice them to idolatry1 and utterly to destroy those who were enticed1 with their families and all their effects4 ,deut4 xii41 xiii41 c4 ,the first public defection of any of the ,israelites1 or any considerable number of them1 took place nearly forty years after the ,exodus1 when1 in their forty-second journey1 they entered the plain of ,moab1 and were seduced by the ,moabites to attend the sacrifices of their gods2 and the people did eat1 and bowed down to their gods1 and ,israel joined himself unto ,baal-peor--that is1 ,baal1 as worshipped on the eminence called ,peor1 where the vilest abominations were practised4 ,twenty-four thousand of the people were slain in rebuke of this apostasy4 ,under the ,judges1 after the death of ,joshua1 the children of ,israel forsook ,jehovah1 and served ,baal and ,ashtaroth1 ,judges ii4 #c1 #f2 and again in the reign of ,ahab1 who1 having married ,jezebel1 a heathen woman and zealous devotee of that idolatry1 built a house or temple of ,baal in ,samaria1 erected an altar for him1 and served and worshipped him4 ,in the meantime1 however1 there continued generally among the ,israelites a restless propensity for such visible and familiar images as were common in ,egypt and other nations1 and which1 notwithstanding the prohibition in the ,decalogue1 and the wrath incurred for the violation under ,aaron1 and in the plain of ,moab1 they seem to have deemed consistent with their religion1 provided the worship offered through them was directed to ,jehovah and not to ,baal4 ,thus1 in the narrative of ,micah1 ,judges xvii41 it appears that silver which had been dedicated to ,jehovah was wrought into a graven image1 not for any purpose of secret or heathenish idolatry1 but as an instrument to be employed in his daily domestic worship of ,jehovah4 ,he accordingly engaged a ,levite to officiate as priest1 who1 on the arrival of a company of ,danites in search of a place to dwell in1 made no secret of his occupation4 ,micah1 on engaging him1 said1 ,now know ,i that ,jehovah will do me good1 seeing ,i have a ,levite to my priest2 which plainly implies that he professed to worship ,jehovah1 and to expect benefits only from him4 ,an illustration to the like effect is furnished in the history of ,gideon1 a true worshipper of ,jehovah1 to whom the ,messenger ,jehovah appeared1 and who1 in obedience to his command1 destroyed the altar of ,baal2 and yet1 after having been the instrument1 with three hundred men1 of the destruction of the kings of ,midian1 and of an army of one hundred and twenty thousand1 took of the spoils of gold1 and made an ephod and put it in his city2 an imitation no doubt of that prescribed to ,moses1 but intended1 at a distance from the tabernacle1 as an instrument of worshipping and consulting ,jehovah2 but which1 as naturally as if it had been a graven image1 became a snare to him and to the people4 ,another illustration occurs in the history of ,jeroboam1 late a refugee and perhaps idolater in ,egypt1 who1 fearing that if the people of the ten tribes1 and the ,levites who dwelt among them1 should continue to go up to ,jerusalem to worship ,jehovah in the temple1 their hearts would be turned from him to ,rehoboam as their rightful king1 made two calves of gold1 and said unto the people1 ,it is too much for you to go up to ,jerusalem2 behold thy ,elohe1 ,o ,israel1 which brought thee up out of the land of ,egypt4 ,and he set the one in ,bethel1 and the other put he in ,dan4 ,and this thing became a sin4 ,doubtless the people regarded these graven images in the same light as that made under the direction of ,aaron2 for1 with the exception of the priests and ,levites1 they acquiesced in the change1 though a week before they were ready1 as subjects of the legitimate successor of ,solomon1 to continue in the established worship of ,jehovah in the temple4 ,the priests and ,levites were expelled as too closely connected with the service in ,jerusalem2 new priests were appointed1 and the same rites were observed before the images as before ,jehovah in the temple4 ,and when ,jehu1 in his zeal for ,jehovah1 slew all the partisans of ,baal1 he still adhered to the golden calves in ,dan and ,bethel1 as not in his view inconsistent with the true worship4 #b ,kings x4 ,in the same class of acts1 in point of turpitude1 and in respect to the apparent intention of the actors and the tendency of their acts1 may be included that of ,nadab and ,abihu1 in offering strange fire before ,jehovah1 which he commanded them not4 ,and there went out fire from ,jehovah and devoured them1 and they died before ,jehovah2 and that of ,korah and his company1 who usurped the priests' office and burned incense1 and were destroyed with their families and fourteen thousand of their adherents4 ,these illustrations show that the worship rendered to images did not terminate in them as its object1 but referred to an unseen ,intelligence beyond them1 who was supposed to be cognizant of their circumstances and their acts1 and to be able to protect them and grant their requests4 ,it proceeded on the assumption that the visible emblem1 the graven image1 or whatever was selected by individuals or canonized by the priests1 and worshipped as an idol--the proper signification of which is1 a figure1 likeness1 or representation--was a medium of intercourse with the ,being worshipped4 ,this was the case1 not merely with the ,israelites in their use of images in the real or pretended worship of ,jehovah1 but equally of the devoted worshippers of ,baal4 ,a few references out of many which might be made1 will show that their prayers and offerings were directed to the unseen object of their homage4 ,thus1 in the formal controversy between ,elijah1 as prophet of ,jehovah1 and the four hundred and fifty prophets of ,baal1 to demonstrate by fire1 to ,ahab and the people1 which was supreme1 whether ,jehovah or the ,baal was the ,elohim to be worshipped and obeyed2 ,elijah proposed that each party should offer a sacrifice of animals1 and let it be seen which would be miraculously consumed1 and said3 ,call ye on the name of your ,elohe1--rendered here and elsewhere erroneously gods in the plural1 as if there were more than one ,baal1--and ,i will call on the name of ,jehovah2 and the ,elohim that answereth by fire1 let him be the ,elohim4 ,and all the people answered and said1 ,it is well spoken4 ,and ,elijah said unto the prophets of the ,baal1 ,choose you one bullock for yourselves1 and dress it first1 for ye are many1 and call on your ,elohe2 but put no fire under4 ,and they took the bullock which was given them1 and they dressed it1 and called on the name of the ,baal from morning even until noon1 saying1 ,o the ,baal1 hear us6 ,but there was no voice1 nor any that answered4 ,and they leaped upon the altar that was made4 ,and it came to pass at noon1 that ,elijah mocked them1 and said1 ,cry aloud1 for he is an ,elohim2 either he is talking1 or he is pursuing1 or he is in a journey1 or peradventure he sleepeth1 and must be awaked4 ,and they cried aloud1 and cut themselves1 after their manner1 with knives and lancets1 till the blood gushed out upon them4 ,and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice1 and there was neither voice1 nor any to answer1 nor any that regarded4 #a ,kings xviii4 ,in this case there does not appear to have been any intervening image or idol4 ,the priests called on the name of the absent1 invisible ,baal1 but he answered not4 ,he could not assist them by working a real miracle1 and under the circumstances they could not counterfeit one2 and with the approbation of the people1 who saw that they were impostors1 they were all slain4 ,that the real object of their worship was distinct from their images1 is implied in their selecting high places for their religious rites1 and erecting lofty towers for that purpose1 where the sun could be earliest seen at rising1 and where the stars or host of heaven could be most advantageously observed2 and in burning their children as sacrifices1 making them pass through the fire to ,baal or ,moloch4 ,thus1 in the reign of ,ahaz1 #b ,kings xvii41 ,they made them molten images1 even two calves1 and made a grove1 and worshipped all the host of heaven1 and served ,baal4 ,and they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire4 ,manasseh made his son pass through the fire2 and in ,josiah's reformation he put down the idolatrous priests that burned incense unto ,baal1 to the sun literally1 to ,baal1 the sun and to the moon1 and to the planets1 and to all the host of heaven4 #b ,kings xxiii4 ,jeremiah says3 ,they have built also the high places of ,baal1 to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto ,baal4 ,chap4 xix4 #e4 ,again3 ,and they built the high places of ,baal1 to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto ,moloch4 ,jer4 xxxii4 #ce4 ,and of ,josiah it is said1 that he defiled ,tophet--that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to ,moloch4 #b ,kings xxiii4 #aj4 ,their idea evidently was1 that by sacrificing in this way the most valued offering they could make1 that of their children1 they would pass in and through that element to ,baal1 whose residence was conceived to be in the solar orb4 ,the term ,moloch--variously written ,melech1 ,moloch1 ,malcom1 ,milcom--as a designation1 refers to the same being as ,baal2 the literal import of the latter being the same as that of the ,lord1 as the sun is lord of the day2 and that of the former1 the same as the king1 as the sun is king of the day4 ,the molten images1 representative of ,moloch1 in the heated chest or arms of which1 children offered in sacrifice were burnt1 are somewhat variously described1 but generally as having the head of a calf and the body of a man1 with an opening in the chest1 into which1 when heated from below1 the victims were cast alive2 and to drown their cries1 as in the burning of widows in ,india1 under the same general notion1 drums were beaten4 ,it appears evident from the passages in which they occur in the ,scriptures1 that the terms ,bel1 ,baal1 and ,baalim1 are personal designations of the intelligence worshipped by the ,chaldeans1 and other idolaters1 as their god1 and by the ,israelites in opposition to ,jehovah4 ,thus1 ,jer4 l4 #b3 ,declare ye among the nations1 444 ,babylon is taken1 ,bel is confounded1 ,merodach is broken in pieces2 and li4 #dd3 ,i will punish ,bel in ,babylon4444 ,the nations shall not flow together any more to him4 ,that is1 by the destruction of ,babylon1 ,bel1 the god of their idolatry1 is confounded1 punishment is inflicted on him2 ,merodach1 the chief idol representative of ,bel1 is broken in pieces4 ,in most of the instances in which the same designation is rendered ,baal1 it has the article1 making the personal reference emphatic4 ,throw down the altar of the ,baal that thy father hath1 and out down the grove statue of wood1 or pillar carved statue or image-like that is by it3 and build an altar unto ,jehovah thy ,elohe4444 ,and when the men of the city arose in the morning1 behold1 the altar of the ,baal was east down1 c4444 ,if he be an ,elohim1 let him plead for himself4444 ,let the ,baal plead against ,gideon1 because he hath thrown down his altar4 ,judges vi4 #be1 #bf1 c4 ,ahab went and served the ,baal1 and worshipped him4 ,and he reared up an altar for ,baal in the house of the ,baal which he had built in ,samaria4 #a ,kings xiv4 #ca1 #cb4 ,and ,elijah said1 ,if ,jehovah be the ,elohim1 follow him3 but if the ,baal1 then follow him4 #a ,kings xviii4 #ba4 ,so in the narrative of the destruction of the house1 and the prophets1 priests1 and worshippers of the ,baal1 by ,jehu1 #b ,kings x4 #ah-bh1 the article occurs with the name in the successive verses4 ,and chap4 xi4 #ah3 ,all the people of the land went into the house of the ,baal and brake it down2 his altars and his images brake they in pieces4 ,it is manifest from these and other like passages1 that while the statues and images of ,baal were many and various1 in all countries and places1 the ,baal1 the real object of worship1 represented by them1 was one4 ,to him1 under another of his designations1 that of ,moloch1 human victims offered in sacrifice were supposed to pass through the element of fire4 ,nor does this conclusion appear to be invalidated by the occurrence of the designation in a plural form1 rendered ,baalim4 ,the usage in this respect seems analogous to that of the word ,elohim4 ,in both cases the article is often prefixed2 and the reference is to one agent only4 ,thus1 ,judges viii4 #cc3 ,the children of ,israel turned again 444 after the ,baalim1 and made ,baal-berith their ,elohim4 ,again1 chap4 x4 #aj-af1 the children of ,israel said3 ,we have forsaken our ,elohe1 and also served the ,baalim4 ,and ,jehovah said1 444 ,ye have forsaken me1 and served other ,elohim4444 ,go and cry unto the ,elohim which ye have chosen4444 ,and they put away the strange ,elohe from among them1 and served ,jehovah4 ,the terms1 ,baal-berith1 signify the god of the covenant1 i4 e41 of the covenant between ,baal and his worshippers2 as ,melach ,berith1 ,mal4 iii4 #b1 signifies the ,messenger of the ,covenant of grace4 ,it is thus presumed to be evident beyond a doubt1 that the whole system was based upon a theory and a sense of the necessity of mediation2 and whether the earlier or later idolaters1 the instructed or the ignorant1 referred in their worship to a being beyond or superior to ,baal1 regarding him as created by that superior being1 and yet himself as creator of the world1 or whether their homage terminated in him1 does not affect the question under consideration4 ,mosheim1 in his ,commentaries on the three first centuries of the ,christian era1 observes1 with respect to the costly and sumptuous buildings of the pagans1 called temples1 fanes1 c41 and dedicated to the worship of their gods1 that internally they were ornamented with images of the gods1 and furnished with altars1 c4 ,the statues were supposed to be animated by the deities whom they represented2 for though the worshippers of gods like those above described must1 in a great measure1 have turned their backs upon every dictate of reason1 they were yet by no means willing to appear so wholly destitute of common sense as to pay their adoration to a mere idol of metal1 wood1 or stone2 but always maintained that the statues1 when properly consecrated1 were filled with the presence of those divinities whose forms they bore4 ,vol4 i4 #af4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,idolatry an imposing and delusive ,counterfeit of the ,revealed ,system1 in respect to the leading features of its ,ritual1 and the prerogatives ascribed to the ,arch-deceiver--,reference to the ,symbols of the ,apocalypse4 ,this antagonist system was1 in respect to the attributes and prerogatives impiously arrogated by the great ,adversary1 and in respect to the leading features of its ritual1 a bold1 seductive1 and imposing counterfeit of the revealed system taught and practised by ,noah and his descendants in the line of ,shem4 ,to substitute a false appearance1 a deceitful imitation1 a resembling counterfeit1 a cheat1 a lie1 was as obviously expedient1 and even necessary1 in such a case1 as it is in keeping with the craft and subtlety of ,satan to deceive and beguile4 ,he had to entice1 allure1 and impose on those who knew what the true system was1 and by what miracles and wonders it had been sanctioned2 who witnessed its effects in the lives of those who practised it1 were familiar with its institutions and public observances2 and whose understandings must have been more or less influenced by its inherent and its hereditary claims1 and by its voice of encouragement and hope to the righteous1 and of alarm and terror to the wicked4 ,under such circumstances1 to resist and counteract the system divinely prescribed and established1 it was necessary to impose on the understandings of men1 as well as to enlist their feelings1 give scope to their propensities1 and gratify their passions4 ,to have called on them to worship him directly in his true character1 without disguise1 or to worship him as a being of inferior claims to those of ,jehovah1 or by rites and ceremonials less significant and imposing1 would not have been likely to secure their homage and allegiance4 ,his own undisguised character would have been revolting2 an inferior could not protect them against the superior ,being2 to dispense with public and visible rites and ceremonies would have been to disappoint and resist their propensities and passions2 and no others but such as were already in use could be made to maintain a competition with them4 ,accordingly1 he arrogated the name1 power1 prerogatives1 works1 relations and government of ,jehovah4 ,he claimed to be god of this world3 its creator1 providential ruler1 dispenser of benefits1 protector of his followers1 and rightful object of their homage and obedience1 in opposition to ,jehovah4 ,he took the then current name in ,babylon of the sun1 ,bel--or1 as pointed and commonly rendered1 ,baal--,lord of ,heaven1 ,supreme ,ruler1 like the sun in the visible heaven2 afterwards1 with the same import1 the ,egyptian name of the same object1 ,on1 7often rendered ,aven47 ,also1 ,moloch1 7,melek17 ,king2 ,baal-,zebub1 ,lord of ,hosts--,zebub being a corruption of ,zebaoth1 hosts1 as in the formula1 ,jehovah ,zebaoth1 ,lord of ,hosts2 and among the ,phoenicians1 ,baal ,samen1 ,lord of ,heaven4 ,he arrogated the sun as his tabernacle or shekina1 and the solar fire and light as his element3 imitating1 we may well believe1 in respect to the first of these particulars1 what had been exhibited in ,eden1 and from time to time prior to the age of ,abraham1 as it was afterwards1 and especially to ,moses in ,midian1 in the pillar of cloud1 at the ,red ,sea1 on ,mount ,sinai1 and in the tabernacle4 ,and in imitation of the tabernacle erected by ,moses in the wilderness1 the partisans of ,baal created the tabernacle of ,moloch1 i4 e41 ,baal under that name4 ,amos v42 ,acts vii4 ,prideaux1 ,part ,i41 ,book #c1 treating of the origin of idolatry1 and yet describing it at an advanced stage1 when1 in addition to the sun1 the planets and stars had been brought into its service1 observes3 ,that they took upon themselves to address the being whom they worshipped1 and whom he supposes they regarded as the true ,god1 by mediators of their own choosing4 ,and their notion of the sun1 moon1 and stars being1 that they were the tabernacles or habitations of intelligences which animated those orbs1 in the same manner as the soul of man animates his body1 and were the causes of all their motions2 and that those intelligence were of a middle nature between ,god and them2 they thought these the properest beings to become the mediators between ,god and them2 and1 therefore1 the planets being the nearest to them of all these heavenly bodies1 and generally looked on to have the greatest influence on this world1 they made choice of them in the first place for their ,god's-mediators1 who were to mediate for them with the ,supreme ,god1 and procure from him the mercies and favors which they prayed for2 and accordingly they directed divine worship unto them as such4 ,and here began all the idolatry that hath been practised in the world4 ,they first worshipped them per sacella1 that is1 by their tabernacles1 and afterwards by images also4 ,by these sacella or tabernacles they meant the orbs themselves1 which they looked on only as the sacella or sacred tabernacles in which the intelligences had their habitations4 ,and therefore1 when they paid their devotions to any one of them1 they directed their worship towards the planet in which they supposed he dwelt4 ,but these orbs1 by their rising and setting1 being as much under the horizon as above1 they were at a loss how to address to them in their absence4 ,to remedy this1 they had recourse to the invention of images1 in which1 after their consecration1 they thought these intelligences1 or inferior deities1 to be as much present by their influence as in the planets themselves1 and that all addresses to them were made as effectually before the one as before the other4 ,and this was the beginning of image worship among them4 ,to these images were given the names of the planets they represented4444 ,after this1 a notion obtaining that good men departed had a power with ,god also to mediate and intercede for them1 they deified many of those whom they thought to be such2 and hence the number of their gods increased1 in the idolatrous times of the world4 ,this religion first began among the ,chaldeans1 which their knowledge of astronomy helped them to4 ,and from this it was that ,abraham separated himself when he came out of ,chaldea4 ,from the ,chaldeans it spread itself over all the ,east1 where the professors of it had the name of ,sabians4 ,from thence it passed into ,egypt1 and from thence to the ,grecians1 who propagated it to all the western nations of the world2 and therefore those who mislike the notion advanced by ,maimonides1 that many of the ,jewish laws were made in opposition to the idolatrous rites of the ,sabians1 are much mistaken when they object against it that the ,sabians were an inconsiderable sect1 and therefore not likely to be so far regarded in that matter4444 ,anciently1 they were all the nations of the world that worshipped ,god by images4 ,and that ,maimonides understood the name in this latitude is plain from hence1 that he tells us the ,sabians whom he spoke of were a sect whose heresy had overspread almost all mankind4444 ,that which hath given them the greatest credit among the people of the ,east is1 that the best of their astronomers have been of this sect1 as ,thebat ,ebn ,korrah1 ,albatani1 and others2 for the stars being the gods they worshipped1 they made them the chief subject of their studies4 ,these ,sabians1 in the consecrating of their images1 used many incantations to draw down into them1 from the stars1 those intelligences for whom they erected them1 whose power and influence they held did afterwards dwell in them4 ,directly opposite to these were the ,magians1 another sect1 who had their original in the same ,eastern countries4 ,for they1 abominating all images1 worshipped ,god only by fire4 ,these1 instead of branching off from the ,sabians1 doubtless preceded them4 ,their chief doctrine was1 that there were two principles3 one which was the cause of all good1 and the other the cause of all evil3 that is to say1 ,god and the ,devil4 ,that the former is represented by light and the other by darkness1 as their truest symbols1 and that of the composition of these two all things in the world are made4444 ,and concerning these two gods there was this difference of opinion among them--that whereas some held both of them to have been from eternity1 there were others that contended that the good ,god only was eternal1 and that the other was created4 ,but they both agreed in this1 that there will be a continual opposition between these two till the end of the world4 ,that then the good ,god shall overcome the evil god1 and that from thenceforward each of them shall have his world to himself3 that is1 the good ,god his world1 with all good men with him1 and the evil god his world1 with all evil men with him4 ,that darkness is the truest symbol of the evil god1 and light the truest symbol of the good ,god3 and therefore they always worshipped him before fire1 as being the cause of light1 and especially before the sun1 as being1 in their opinion1 the perfectest fire1 and causing the perfectest light4 ,and for this reason1 in all their temples1 they had fire continually burning on altars created in them for that purpose4 ,and before these sacred fires they offered up all their public devotions1 as likewise they did all their private devotions before their private fires in their own houses4 ,thus did they pay the highest honor to light1 as being in their opinion the truest representative of the good ,god1 but always hated darkness1 as being what they thought the truest representative of the evil god1 whom they ever had in the utmost detestation1 as we now have the ,devil4 ,the author's account of the origin and nature of idolatry is in most particulars undoubtedly correct4 ,the exceptions1 however1 are of great significance4 ,he seems to suppose that the system was contrived and adopted by men1 without the instigation of ,satan1 and that their object was the worship of the true ,god1 in opposition to that evil being4 ,but the intelligence whom they called the good ,god was ,satan himself1 supposed to be in the sun as his tabernacle1 and in fire and light as his element4 ,and as to what they termed the evil god1 it was obviously necessary to the success of his system1 as a counterfeit of the true1 that it should pretend to have a devil and a perpetual antagonism4 ,it was probably as well known then1 and perhaps more generally believed than it is now1 that there was such an evil being2 and that he was and would continue to be utterly opposed to the true ,god4 ,and a false or counterfeit system1 in which the false god was to arrogate the name and pass himself off for the true ,god1 must provide also an antagonist1 a competitor1 a devil2 and to carry out the cheat1 assign to him darkness as his tabernacle1 in opposition to light as his own4 ,it were superfluous to dwell on the imposing and plausible aspect of the scheme in the particulars above referred to1 considered as addressed to the depraved hearts1 corrupt imaginations1 and evil passions of men2 opposed to the purity1 the requirements1 and the restraints of the true religion1 and willingly the followers and servants of the ,evil ,one4 ,while it imposed no restraint upon their corruptions1 every point in the contrast must have had its effect4 ,it excluded mystery1 and appealed directly to their senses2 presenting in the sun an object of homage1 not only familiar to their view without causing fear1 but apparently the beneficent and constant source of their daily comforts and greatest blessings2 and by means of fire and light1 artificially produced1 enabling every individual to avail himself of the immediate presence and the beneficial influence and effects of that object1 brought thus within their control1 in their dwellings and on their hearths4 ,the ritual of worship prescribed the erection of altars1 a priesthood1 various offerings besides the sacrifice of animals1 prayers1 the burning of incense1 feasts1 celebrations1 and other counterfeits of the revealed system4 ,as a counterpart to the sacred oracle and the gift of prophecy1 the worshippers of ,baal had auguries1 divinations1 and pretended oracles in every country4 ,their prophets prophesied in the name of ,baal4 ,jer4 ii4 #h2 xxiii4 #ac4 ,ahaziah being sick1 sent messengers1 and said unto them1 ,go and inquire of ,baal-,zebub1 the god of ,ekron1 whether ,i shall recover of this disease4 #b ,kings i4 ,the responses of their oracles1 which continued till after the destruction of the first temple and the cessation of true prophets1 and more or less down to the ,advent1 when they appear to have ceased1 were studiously contrived so as to admit equally well of different interpretations1 and so as not to be interpreted with any confidence till after the event2 and in this respect they were just what the great mass of learned interpreters and expositors of the ,scripture prophecies have for ages taken them to be2 imputing to them a double sense3 to their literal language a figurative meaning1 to their definite local references a symbolical import1 capable only of being guessed at1 and in general regarding them as enigmas--inspired indeed by ,him who is head over all things for the information and preservation of his ,church1 but not intended to be understood1 unless by those who survive the events predicted4 ,it would be easy to show1 by tracing the parallel in numberless other and more minute details1 that the false system was throughout a parody of the true2 and to illustrate the ceaseless antagonism and rivalship which was carried on1 in the face of the universe1 by the conflict of the two systems1 with their visible agencies1 institutions1 instrumentalities1 and effects2 occupying1 directing and stimulating the attention and the energies1 the thoughts and feelings1 the hopes and fears1 and involving the temporal well-being and the immortal destiny of the whole race3 presenting a scene which1 whether considered in relation to one period or another1 the past or the present1 ,paganism or ,romanism1 superstition or rationalism1 can be accounted for1 with or without the ,bible1 upon no assumption or theory but that of the enmity and opposition announced and commenced in ,eden1 which is still in progress and still has a future4 ,in the progress of this war1 the ,devil and his angels1 the ,prince of the power of the air1 with the principalities1 powers1 and rulers of the darkness of this world under him1 has1 from policy if not from necessity1 kept concealed behind his instruments4 ,but the heads and leaders of his visible partisans among men1 whether in the abominations of heathenism1 the enormities of idolatry1 the wars and butcheries of nations1 the tyrannies of government1 the horrors of anarchy1 the immolation of human victims1 the persecution and slaughter of prophets and martyrs1 or in the no less fatal systems of heresy1 false theology1 and false philosophy1 have never scrupled or been backward to do the utmost he could wish in furtherance of his object4 ,many of them1 like the ,cerinthians1 ,marcionites1 ,valentinians1 and other prevalent sects in the first ages of ,christianity1 ascribed to him the works of creation and providence2 and there were not wanting such as worshipped him by name1 and others under the designation of the ,serpent2 and still others who paid the highest honors to ,cain1 ,judas1 and similar characters1 as his most conspicuous representatives4 ,the popular notion of idolatry1 under the name of polytheism1 as if it involved the supposition of a plurality of supreme deities1 owes its influence1 at least among those who read the ,english version of the ,scriptures1 to the fact that the translators rendered the designations of the god of the idolatrous system as plural1 though in the ,hebrew they are written in the singular number4 ,knowing that there was but one true ,god1 they uniformly rendered ,elohim as well as ,elohe1 when employed with reference to that ,being1 in the singular number2 but when employed with reference to the rival usurper1 the false god1 their rendering is plural1 gods2 as if the molten images and numberless idols in other forms1 instead of being all representative of one supposed deity1 or being regarded as mediators1 or representatives of mediators between them and him1 were themselves so many independent deities4 ,thus1 in ,laban's remonstrance with ,jacob3 ,wherefore hast thou stolen my ,elohe8 rendered gods1 and in ,jacob's answer3 ,with whomsoever thou findest thy ,elohe1 rendered gods1 the meaning plainly is1 7though there seems to have been more than one image1 teraphim-images1 v4 #cd17 that which represents my ,elohe4 ,gen4 xxxi4 #cj-cb4 ,again1 ,exod4 xx4 #a-bc3 ,and ,elohim spake all these words3 ,i am ,jehovah thy ,elohe2 thou shall have no other ,elohim before me4 ,thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image4 ,ye shall not make with me ,elohe of silver2 an ,elohe1 a god1 rendered gods4 ,neither shall ye make unto you ,elohe of gold2 an ,elohe1 a molten image representative of me1 rendered gods4 ,against the ,elohe of ,egypt ,i will execute judgment4 ,exod4 xii4 #ab1 rendered1 against all the gods of ,egypt1 c4 ,thou shalt not bow down to their ,elohe1 7,eng4 gods47 ,ye shall serve ,jehovah your ,elohe1 7,eng4 ,god47 ,exod4 xxiii4 #bd1 #be4 ,aaron made it a molten calf3 and they said1 ,this is thy ,elohe1 ,o ,israel1 which brought thee up out of the land of ,egypt4 ,exod4 xxxii4 #d1 rendered1 ,these be thy gods1 ,o ,israel4 ,undoubtedly the meaning is3 ,this molten image is a visible token or representative of ,jehovah thy ,elohe--a visible mediator or medium of intercourse with thy ,elohe1 in place of ,moses4 ,so ,jeroboam1 having made two such images1 two calves of gold1 said3 ,behold thy ,elohe1 ,o ,israel1 which brought thee up out of the land of ,egypt4 #b ,kings xii4 #bh3 rendered1 ,behold thy gods1 ,o ,israel4 ,this usage characterizes the translation4 ,besides the absurdity of supposing that the ,israelites1 with the revelation of the one ,supreme ,being by which they were distinguished1 or that the heathen should admit the notion of a plurality of such beings1 it is apparent from the nature of the case that the counterfeit of the true system must originally1 in order to its success1 have been a counterfeit in this1 the first and most essential of all its particulars4 ,the very nature of the antagonism1 and the false system of mediation by which idolatry was sustained and rendered practically successful1 required this4 ,even when ,astarte1 as ,queen of heaven1 was associated with ,baal1 it was only in a subordinate relation1 as mediatrix1 the moon being her shekina1 and her office being the prototype of that of the ,popish ,mary2 while ,baal arrogated the prerogatives of ,jehovah1 and the sun as his shekina4 ,to this evil being1 among others1 the following designations are applied in the ,hebrew ,scriptures3 ,serpent1 as in ,gen4 iii43 ,jehovah ,elohim said unto the serpent1 ,i will put enmity between thee and the woman1 and between thy seed and her seed4 ,thee1 the tempter1 the dragon1 that old serpent which is the ,devil and ,satan4 ,rev4 xx4 ,the great dragon1 that old serpent1 called the ,devil and ,satan1 which deceiveth the whole world4 ,rev4 xii4 ,the apostle expresses his fear lest by any means the false teachers should corrupt his converts1 as the serpent beguiled ,eve through his subtlety4 #b ,cor4 xi4 ,the original word1 when not employed as a personal designation1 is often rendered enchantment1 divination1 c4 ,satan is commonly rendered adversary2 but frequently ,satan1 as a personal designation of the ,evil ,one1 where his local agency is particularly mentioned1 as ,job i1 and ii42 #a ,chron4 xxi4 #a2 ,zech4 iii4 #a1 #b4 ,by collecting all the passages where ,satan or the ,devil is mentioned1 it may be observed that he fell from heaven1 with all his company2 that ,god cast him down from thence for the punishment of his pride2 that by his envy and malice1 sin1 death1 and all other evils came into the world2 that by the permission of ,god he exercises a sort of government in the world over his subordinates1 over apostate angels like himself2 that ,god makes use of him to prove good men and chastise bad ones2 that he is a lying spirit in the mouth of false prophets1 seducers1 and heretics2 that it is he or some of his that torment or possess men2 that inspire them with evil designs1 as he did ,david1 when he suggested to him to number his people2 to ,judas1 to betray his ,lord and ,master1 and to ,ananias and ,sapphira1 to conceal the price of their field4 ,that he roves full of rage1 like a roaring lion1 to tempt1 to betray1 to destroy us1 and to involve us in guilt and wickedness4 ,that his power and malice are restrained within certain limits1 and controlled by the will of ,god4 ,in a word1 that he is an enemy to ,god and man1 and uses his utmost endeavors to rob ,god of his glory and men of their souls4 ,devil--a most wicked angel1 the implacable enemy and tempter of the human race4 ,he is called ,abaddon in ,hebrew1 ,apollyon in ,greek2 that is1 destroyer1 ,rev4 ix4 #aa4 ,angel of the bottomless pit1 ,prince of the world1 ,john xii4 #ca4 ,prince of darkness1 ,ephes4 vi4 #ab4 ,a roaring lion and an adversary1 #a ,pet4 v4 #h4 ,a sinner from the beginning1 #a ,john iii4 #h4 ,beelzebub1 ,matt4 xii4 #bd4 ,accuser1 ,rev4 xii4 #aj4 ,belial1 #b ,cor4 vi4 #ae4 ,deceiver1 ,rev4 xx4 #aj4 ,dragon1 ,rev4 xii4 #c4 ,liar1 ,john viii4 #dd4 ,leviathan1 ,isa4 xxvii4 #g4 ,lucifer1 ,isa4 xiv4 #ab4 ,murderer1 ,john viii4 #dd4 ,serpent1 ,isa4 xxvii4 #a4 ,satan1 ,job ii4 #f4 ,tormentor1 ,matt4 xviii4 #cd4 ,the god of this world1 #b ,cor4 iv4 #d4 ,he is compared to a dog1 ,ps4 xxii4 #af4 ,fowls1 ,matt4 xiii4 #d4 ,a fowler1 ,ps4 xci1 #c4 ,lightning1 ,luke x4 #ah4 ,locusts1 ,rev4 v4 #c4 ,a wolf1 ,john x4 #ab4 ,an adder1 ,ps4 xci4 #ac4 ,these names are given to the ,prince of devils4 ,devil is put for1 #a ,idols1 ,ps4 cvi4 #cg2 #b ,chron4 xi4 #ae4 #b ,a wicked man1 ,john vi4 #gj4 #c ,persecutor1 ,rev4 ii4 #aj4 ,cruden's ,concordance1 ,art4 ,satan and ,devil4 ,this fallen being was expressly worshipped in or through the form of the serpent1 by the ancient ,persians1 under the name ,ahriman2 by the ,egyptians1 under that of ,typhon2 by the ,greeks1 under that of ,python2 and by the ,syrians1 ,hindoos1 ,mexicans1 and other nations1 under different designations4 ,in ,leviticus xvii4 #g1 ,satan and his angels appear to be referred to under the word devils1 where the children of ,israel are commanded to sprinkle the blood of animals slain by them on the altar of ,jehovah1 at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation1 and to burn the fat for a sweet savor unto ,jehovah4 ,and1 it is added as a reason of the command1 they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils1 after whom they have gone a whoring4 ,probably the images before which they thus offered sacrifices were those of goats1 as the same word is often rendered goats4 ,again1 #b ,chron4 ii4 #ae1 it is said of ,jeroboam that ,he ordained him priests for the high places1 and for the devils1 and for the calves which he had made4 ,this may with propriety be rendered1 and for the devils1 even for the calves1 the representatives of ,satan which he had made4 ,a different original word is rendered devils1 ,deut4 xxxii4 #ag1 where it is said that ,israel forsook ,god which made him1 and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation4 ,they provoked him to jealousy1 c4 ,they sacrificed unto devils1 not to ,god2 to ,elohim whom they knew not4 ,the word here translated devils is often rendered spoiler1 destroyer1 destruction1 c4 ,doubtless the reference is to an intelligence beyond any visible image4 ,the same word occurs1 ,ps4 cvi4 #cf1 #cg3 ,they served their idols1 which were a snare unto them2 yea1 they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils4 ,since the existence of the fallen angels and of their prince and leader was known from the beginning2 and that he was prince and leader also of the party of the human race which was at enmity with the true worshippers of ,jehovah2 and since they manifested their hostility chiefly in their false system of religion1 it seems reasonable and even necessary to conclude that they followed and supported their leader in his rivalship1 and regarded him1 however represented by images1 as the object of their worship1 in opposition to ,jehovah1 the object1 through sacrifices1 of the homage of his worshippers4 ,in this view of their conduct1 it is easy to conceive that their serving and worshipping idols should provoke ,jehovah to jealousy4 ,they served and worshipped an antagonist1 a rival4 ,let the reader suppose himself to have been present as a disinterested spectator of the condition of the ,hebrew ,church in ,egypt prior to the legation of ,moses2 to have witnessed their practice of the rites and forms of the patriarchal worship1 in contrast with the idol worship of the ,egyptians2 to have witnessed instances1 like that of ,moses1 of individuals choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of ,god than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season2 esteeming the reproach of ,,christ greater riches than the treasures of ,egypt2 to have heard their sighs and cries to ,god by reason of their bondage1 and known that ,god heard their groaning1 and remembered his covenant with ,abraham1 with ,isaac1 and with ,jacob1 and looked upon the children of ,israel1 and had respect unto them2 and that the ,messenger ,jehovah said1 ,i have surely seen the affliction of my people1 and have heard their cry by reason of their task-masters2 for ,i know their sorrows1 and ,i am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the ,egyptians2 and further1 to have known that they were familiar with the historical facts of the patriarchal history1 and of the appearances of ,jehovah in the form and under the designation of man to ,abraham and to ,jacob1 and often visibly as the ,messenger ,jehovah2 and that altars were erected1 and sacrifices and prayers were offered to him in that form2 and that he was customarily recognized and worshipped in that form1 at places specially appropriated by him for that purpose1 where he was to be invoked and acknowledged as ,jehovah the ,elohe of ,abraham2 and he will the more easily conceive1 in some degree1 of the enormity of the insult and provocation offered by the partisans of the rival counterfeit system1 in erecting altars1 offering sacrifices1 and bowing themselves down before molten images as representatives of the great antagonist intelligence2 or1 as in the case of ,aaron1 ,micah1 ,jeroboam and others1 as representatives of ,jehovah4 ,if the reader suppose himself to have witnessed the appalling demonstrations against the false system1 in the plagues of ,egypt1 at the ,red ,sea1 at ,mount ,sinai1 and in the wilderness1 in connection with the visible presence1 agency1 and glory of the ,messiah2 or under a vivid impression of the reality and import of these scenes and wonders2 to have been present at those periods and on those occasions when the defection of the ,israelites to image and ,baal worship was specially marked and signally punished1 his impression of the nature of the antagonism1 and the enormity of the provocation and insult1 cannot fail to be heightened4 ,the apostle ,paul1 treating 7,rom4 i47 of the defection of men to idolatry1 says1 they changed the glory of the incorruptible ,god into an image made like to corruptible man1 and to birds1 and four-footed beasts1 and creeping things3 meaning1 it is presumed1 that they ascribed to the images of those creatures--which they made and served as representatives of the created intelligence whom they worshipped--the attributes1 perfections1 and prerogatives which he had conspicuously and gloriously manifested in his works of creation and providence4 ,whether the formation of such images was coval with the earliest practice of idolatrous rites or not1 may be a question4 ,but in the selection of men1 birds1 and four-footed beasts as models of the forms of the images earliest employed in their idolatry1 there is ground to presume that they copied or simulated the cherubic figures so familiar to the ,israelites under the ,levitical economy1 and probably to the ,church at all previous times1 as a constituent of the instituted system of manifestation and instruction1 from the appearance of the cherubim at the gate of ,eden4 ,that primeval appearance demonstrates that they were not borrowed from any institution or example of the idolaters2 and in so capital a point as that of instituting representative images in their antagonist system1 they would be sure to counterfeit1 and to pervert from its office and meaning in the true system1 whatever would serve the purpose of craft and deception4 ,in respect to creeping things1 they had in the serpent a prototype altogether their own1 which1 when the images previously mentioned had been adopted1 and impiously consecrated to idolatry1 might easily be brought into use4 ,pankhurst1 under the word ,cherubim1 in his ,hebrew ,lexicon1 describes no less than sixty examples in which heads or other parts resembling the cherubic figures are incorporated in the objects of idolatrous homage of different heathen nations4 ,maimonides1 as quoted by ,parkhurst1 says that the first idolaters regarded the heavenly bodies as messengers or mediators of a supreme1 infinite1 invisible ,being4 ,in the worship of those bodies1 or rather of the mediating intelligence supposed to reside in them1 either because they were often out of sight1 or for other reasons1 they selected representative creatures1 chiefly of the species comprised in the four-faced cherubim1 but sometimes of other species1 and among them of the serpent1 and at length of mineral and metallic images of such creatures4 ,in a number of the examples cited by ,parkhurst1 the serpent1 or the serpent's head1 appears conspicuous2 and particularly in idol forms representative of the sun or ,baal4 ,in most of the images1 the human form predominates2 around which the serpent often appears entwined4 ,the cherubic wings are indifferently attached to the human and the leading animal forms1 and to the serpent4 ,the combinations1 especially of heads1 in these representative images1 strikingly suggest that the example of the cherubic faces was perverted to be the basis of the system1 and that the serpent1 when not exhibited as a distinct and sole object of homage1 was foisted in and superadded to the figures which were familiar in the original system of revealed religion4 ,in most of the complex forms in which different animals are combined1 reference appears to have been had to the sun or ,baal1 i4 e4 to ,satan1 the supposed mediating intelligence resident in the sun4 ,in a published account of two sculptured images disinterred by ,mr4 ,layard from the ruins of ancient ,nineveh1 and forwarded by him to ,williams ,college1 ,mass41 being supposed to have been buried in the ruins of that city not less than twenty-five hundred years1 and to be samples of the earliest idols instituted in that capital1 the date of which is supposed to be about one hundred and thirty years after the deluge1 the figure of one is described as that of a man with wings and an eagle's head and beak1 well proportioned4 ,the two wings1 springing from the back of the shoulders1 are gracefully spread4 ,the other is a figure simply of a man1 seven and a half feet in height4 ,they are pronounced perfect of their kind4 ,the slabs on which they are sculptured are dark gypsum1 such as are described as lining the walls of the rooms and passages of the ruin1 which ,layard regards as having constituted at once the temple and palace of the king4 ,one of the slabs is seven feet1 and the other seven and a half feet high1 and they are each three feet and two inches wide4 ,the figures are the whole length of the slabs4 ,here is a manifest1 and in all likelihood a surreptitious combination of two of the figures in the cherubic emblem1 which1 without some prototype1 and a prototype already associated with the religion which was to be renounced1 perverted1 and counterfeited1 would not be likely to occur1 or to be easily brought into use and favor4 ,an existing and familiar prototype might be copied exactly--as altars1 sacrifices1 incense1 and various rites appear to have been--or with some modifications1 and yet be readily adopted4 ,in this view it would be obvious to argue1 that as ,jehovah often appeared on earth in the similitude of man1 and thereby taught and virtually anticipated his future predicted incarnation2 and as that form was associated with others in the cherubic emblem1 therefore that emblem might be taken as representative of the ,intelligence to be worshipped1 and as teaching the doctrine of his incarnation not merely in the form and nature of man1 but also in birds1 four-footed beasts1 and all other creatures brought into existence by him4 ,such pantheism undoubtedly resulted4 ,but had the first forms of images been wholly an original device of the idolaters1 they would naturally have selected not complex1 but simple ones4 ,they would have copied nature4 ,they would in all probability have selected first the human form2 but they would have taken that as it visibly appears1 without a mysterious and inexplicable combination of inferior natures with it4 ,next1 they would very likely select the bird--the eagle--whose flight transcends the clouds1 and whose eye endures the blaze of solar light2 and next1 the most docile and most useful1 and then the most powerful and sagacious quadrupeds2 in all instances1 as is held by ,warburton and others1 and is highly probable in itself employing images and pictures long before they idolized the animals themselves4 ,a progress and an analogy of this kind--notwithstanding that the whole subject of idolatry1 its origin1 its nature1 its rationale1 its import as an antagonism to the revealed religion1 and as involving the reason and an intelligible and ample justification of the jealousy1 wrath1 indignation1 judgments1 retributions1 and finally of exterminating vengeance against it1 has been mystified and misrepresented1 under the rabbinical and figurative systems formerly adverted to--might be traced1 and indefinitely illustrated1 by reference to the ,sphinxes1 ,centaurs1 ,pans1 c41 of the ,egyptians1 ,greeks1 and ,romans2 the ,brahmas1 the ,vishnus1 the ,sivas1 and the incarnations and transmigrations of ,india1 and the ,boodism and ,lamaism of the whole ,eastern world4 ,the notion of local deities1 national gods1 c41 implied the doctrine of incarnation1 and was no doubt suggested by the ,theophanies of the patriarchal history and the ,theocracy of the ,mosaic1 administered by the ,messenger ,jehovah1 locally present in the tabernacle in a cloud-like form1 where he was inquired of in respect to things future1 and held converse with ,moses1 ,joshua1 and their successors4 ,in imitation1 the devotees of ,baal conceived of him as present in their temples1 inhabiting the forms of their idols1 and hearing their statements and requests4 ,thus ,moses returned to ,jehovah as present in the burning bush1 and said1 ,o ,adonai6 wherefore1 c4 ,exod4 v4 #bb4 ,and ,david the king came and sat before ,jehovah1 i4 e41 in the tabernacle1 and said1 c4 #a ,chron4 xvii4 #af4 ,so1 on the other hand1 ,the ,philistines took ,saul's head and his armor1 and sent into the land of the ,philistines round about1 to carry tidings unto their idols and to the people4 ,and they put his armor in the house of their gods1 and fastened his head in the temple of ,dagon4 #a ,chron4 x4 #i1 #aj4 ,mr4 ,layard1 in his recent account of ,nineveh and its ,remains1 observes1 that the sculptured walls which he explored continually exhibited forms corresponding to the description of the living creatures seen in vision by ,ezekiel1 7chap4 i427 and also what he supposes may have represented the wheel spoken of in that description--the former showing the face of a man1 a lion1 an ox1 and an eagle2 and the latter1 a winged circle or globe1 hovering above the head of the king1 as an emblem of the supreme deity of the ,assyrian nation2 with a winged figure in the middle1 representing the sun4 ,the king1 he adds1 may1 as in ,egypt1 have been regarded as the representative on earth of the deity1 of whom the emblem is exhibited as above his head in battle1 during his triumphs1 and when he celebrates the sacred ceremonies4 ,the author1 who supposes the station of ,ezekiel by the river of ,chebar to have been in the immediate vicinity of ,nineveh1 absurdly indicates that1 ,as the prophet had beheld the ,assyrian palaces1 with their mysterious images and gorgeous decorations1 it is highly probable that1 when seeking to typify certain ,divine attributes and to describe the ,divine glory1 he chose forms that were not only familiar to him1 but to the people whom he addressed1 captives like himself in the land of ,assyria4 ,he chose the four living creatures1 with four faces1 four wings1 c4 ,the forms which the prophet saw in vision assuredly did not depend upon his choice2 and if they had1 he would not have represented the true ,god by forms borrowed from idolatry4 ,nor is it likely that the captives were admitted to the palaces of their ,assyrian conquerors4 ,these forms1 on the contrary1 having been familiar in the patriarchal system of revealed religion1 had been simulated by the earliest idolaters4 ,but the most comprehensive and striking illustrations of idolatry1 as a studied1 rival1 antagonistic counterfeit of the revealed system and true worship1 are to be derived from those symbols of the ,apocalypse which relate to ,antichrist2 to the two-horned wild beast and the image--the great ,antagonist1 and his ,papal agents under that character2 to his arrogation of the attributes1 prerogatives1 rights1 throne1 dominion and homage of ,god the ,mediator1 assumption of his titles and office1 and exercise of authority as lawgiver over his people2 and from those symbols which relate to the fall and destruction of ,great ,babylon1 and the imprisonment of the ancient ,serpent1 who is the ,devil and ,satan2 as those symbols are explained and rendered intelligible in ,an ,exposition of the ,apocalypse1 by ,david ,n4 ,lord2 a work distinguished by its discovery of and adherence to scriptural interpretations of symbols1 and by its originality in every respect4 7,see note ,a at the end47 ,the great fabric of pagan idolatry1 as a rival system to the true religion1 and a counterfeit ,theocracy1 combining the civil with the religious administration1 was the organism through which the ,arch-usurper carried on his rivalship in all the heathen nations down to the age of ,constantine4 ,then1 to meet the exigences of his case1 in opposition to ,christianity in the ,roman ,empire1 he made the ecclesiastical hierarchies in union with the civil government the medium of his rule4 ,when the empire was divided1 the eastern from the western portion1 leaving the eastern under the dragon sway of preceding ages1 he assumed for the western that of the wild beast and false prophet--the civil rulers of the ten kingdoms and the ,papal hierarchy4 ,under these organizations he has1 in both divisions of that empire1 continued to exhibit more boldly and arrogantly even than in the regions of ancient paganism1 his usurpations of the ,divine prerogatives2 warring against the ,lamb1 corrupting and opposing the propagation of the gospel1 persecuting and slaughtering the saints2 and will continue that career till finally vanquished and imprisoned4 ,the issue at the advent of the incarnate ,word with the armies of heaven1 the incarceration of the great ,usurper1 and the dejection of his followers into the lake of fire1 strikingly indicate the nature and purpose of his previous antagonism and rivalship4 ,prolonged and desperate as his rebellion and usurpation had been1 extended and arrogant as were his pretensions and sway as god of this world1 the mystery of his iniquity is at length terminated by the exercise1 through visible agencies1 of ,divine power over his person4 7,see note ,b47 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,on the question1 ,how it has happened1 since the origin of the ,nicene ,creed1 that the ,old ,testament has been understood to ascribe the ,creation1 not to the ,christ1 but to the ,father4 ,since the ,new ,testament distinctly ascribes the work of creation to the official ,person called the ,logos and the ,christ1 and1 in harmony with the ,old1 demonstrates his identity with ,jehovah1 ,elohim1 and the ,messenger ,jehovah1 it may justly occasion surprise and deserve inquiry1 how it has happened that the ,old ,testament has1 both by ,jews and ,christians1 so long and so generally been construed1 as in our own and other modern translations1 to ascribe those works1 not to ,him1 personally or officially1 but to the ,father1 or to the ,deity irrespective of any personal distinctions or official relations4 ,as preliminary to this inquiry1 it may be observed1 that the office which belonged to him in his delegated character was constituted before the creation of the world4 ,that office included the redemption of his people1 who were chosen in him before the creation4 ,his relation to them1 therefore1 did not commence after the fall1 nor after the creation4 ,for his official work includes the work of redemption2 and since those to be redeemed were before the creation chosen in him1 whatever in his mediatorial person1 office and character belongs to him as their ,redeemer1 must have been constituted prior to the work of creation4 ,and since the works of creation and providence had1 and continue to have1 an intimate connection with the work of redemption1 and are in some things identical with that work1 we must conclude that whatever belongs officially to his person and character was constituted prior to the creation2 and that the covenant transaction1 in which the second person of the ,trinity was appointed and undertook to be the ,redeemer1 comprised all that appertains to the constitution of his person and office as ,mediator2 so that thenceforth he was in a capacity to act officially in his delegated character as ,mediator1 as truly and perfectly as at any subsequent period4 ,the connection and consistency of the entire plan of creation1 providence1 and redemption1 in its relations to him in the progress of its execution1 require this conclusion2 and hence the particularity and emphasis with which the apostles1 in setting forth his prerogatives as ,mediator and ,redeemer1 for the conviction of those who saw him only as man1 assert that he was in the beginning--i4 e41 in the delegated official character which they then ascribed to him2 that he was before all things2 that by him all things consist2 that in the beginning he laid the foundation of the earth1 created the heavens and the earth1 brought into existence all creatures visible and invisible2 that he was in respect to the entire system the ,alpha and ,omega1 ,first and ,last4 ,their object required that all this should be believed of him in the official person and character in which for the suffering of death he appeared incarnate4 ,it was in no respect to their purpose to assert of him that as ,divine1 or in his ,divine nature1 he existed prior to the creation1 and exercised creative power4 ,the whole question was as to the complex1 delegated official person and character of him who visibly appeared1 wrought miracles1 and was called ,jesus1 the ,christ4 ,it is with reference to this that they assert his prexistence1 ascribe to him the works of creation and providence1 and declare him to be the only ,mediator between ,god and man--the only medium of relations and intercourse between the invisible ,deity and creatures4 ,this is what the apostate1 idolatrous and infidel world1 in subserviency to the great ,adversary and his followers1 have over opposed4 ,this is the question to be decided to the full and final conviction of the whole universe1 in the battles described in ,rev4 xix4 and xx42 in the first of which the ,mediator1 in the person of ,jesus1 clothed with a vesture dipped in blood1 and called ,the ,word of ,god1 appears in his glory1 and vanquishes the ,arch-enemy and all his adherents2 and in the second1 fire from heaven devours his enemies of the human race1 and the ,devil that deceived them is cast into the lake of fire1 to be tormented for ever and ever4 ,then1 every tongue will acknowledge the true character of this ,personage4 ,then will be solved the mystery concerning the creation of all things by ,jesus ,christ1 to the intent that unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the ,church--i4 e41 by the redemption of the ,church1 as comprising substantially all the works of providence--the manifold wisdom of ,god1 according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 ,ephes4 iii4 ,the great purpose of the works of creation1 providence and redemption is1 to manifest the ,divine perfections to intelligent creatures2 so to instruct them in the knowledge of ,god1 and so to display his righteousness and the nature and evil of sin1 that they might discern the glorious excellency1 holiness1 loveliness1 amiableness and beauty of the character revealed1 and cordially love1 obey and enjoy him for ever4 ,this purpose is from the beginning executed by the ,mediator1 in the delegated character in which he appears at its consummation4 ,his office1 accordingly1 placed him as the medium of all relations and communications between the invisible ,deity and creatures2 and his official undertaking comprised the works of creation1 providence1 and redemption2 the manifestation of the ,divine perfections2 the vindication of the ,divine prerogatives1 laws1 and government2 the redemption of lost men2 the union1 confirmation and blessedness of all holy creatures under him as ,king1 and the subjection and punishment of ,satan1 the fallen angels and wicked men4 ,from the nature of intelligent creatures1 and their relations to one another and to material objects1 the execution of this undertaking required a course of external and visible facts connected both with his and their agency4 ,they were to be instructed both in respect to themselves and to him2 and as the visibility of their persons and acts was necessary to their instruction concerning one another1 the visibility of his person and acts was necessary on the same account4 ,it is evident that the ,mediator has1 officially1 relations to the holy angels1 not only as their ,creator1 but in other respects4 ,they are required to worship him in that character1 i4 e41 in the character in which he came into the world4 ,heb4 i4 #f4 ,they are employed in executing the measures of his mediatorial administration4 ,heb4 i4 #ad4 ,they attended his person on the occasion of his advent1 his temptation1 his sufferings and resurrection1 and join his people in their songs and praises1 in view of his final triumph and exaltation4 ,as ,mediator1 he is invested with all power in heaven and earth4 ,all judgment is committed to him in that capacity1 because he is the ,son of man1 the official ,person2 and we must conclude that his official work comprises all ,divine operations relating to creatures4 ,in the phraseology both of the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 where ,god is represented as acting or speaking1 the expression in most cases is such as would occur were there no distinction of persons in the ,godhead1 unless we understand1 wherever the text does not in terms or in the nature of the subject indicate another reference1 that the appellations1 ,elohim1 ,jehovah1 ,messenger ,jehovah1 c41 are employed to designate the ,mediator1 personally and officially4 ,but so understood1 he stands forth the external representative1 the visible image1 the outward manifestation1 the official agent1 the messenger of the ,father1 and as such reveals ,him2 and by the mission and coperation of the ,holy ,spirit in the work of redemption1 that ,divine ,person is made known4 ,the entire scheme respecting the creation and government of creatures being in the counsels of eternity assigned to the second ,person1 as the official agent and messenger delegated and sent of the ,father1 it appertained to him to make known to creatures all that they are to know of the being and perfections of the ,one ,god and the distinction of persons in the ,godhead4 ,accordingly the ,deity1 without any special indication of personal or official relations1 is often referred to under the terms ,jehovah and ,elohim1 where the object required only a distinction of divine from creature attributes or agency4 ,in this way1 in one class of passages1 ,god is said to do the same things which in another class are expressly ascribed to the ,messenger ,jehovah1 the ,christ1 the ,word4 ,but where a reference is made to any thing in the economy of redemption1 or any thing involving official acts or relations1 official titles are introduced1 or a phraseology is employed1 by which the intended meaning is expressed4 ,the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit are clearly distinguished1 or their personality1 relations and agency are indicated by the nature of the things recorded1 or by the connections in which they occur4 ,it is in this view that we understand all those passages in which the divine names and the official titles of the ,mediator are interchangeably applied to the same ,person4 ,in all such cases the things affirmed are in other passages affirmed of the ,messiah1 under titles which exclusively belong to him4 ,he is in this manner announced in the ,old ,testament as ,jehovah1 the ,elohe of ,abraham1 the ,creator1 c4 ,the patriarchs and prophets knew ,god1 as manifested in him in his delegated1 official1 personal character4 ,that they were enlightened in respect to the invisible ,deity absolutely considered1 and in respect to the distinction of ,persons1 is no more to be doubted than that they were enlightened as to the great ,revealer4 ,the sublime conceptions proper to this subject were undoubtedly so imparted1 received1 and cherished as to render the doctrine of mediation and of the delegated personal character of the ,mediator an intelligible and practical doctrine4 ,this may be inferred1 not only from all that is recorded concerning the religion of the patriarchs1 the sacrifices1 prayers1 types and symbols connected with their worship1 but also from the theory of the earliest idolatry1 which was a rival system1 and was based upon the idea of mediation between a supreme invisible ,deity and creatures1 and consisted in regarding as mediators created intelligences1 supposed to reside in the planetary orbs1 and in images or idols as their representatives4 ,it is obvious1 indeed1 from the nature of the case1 that where any notion of mediation and a ,mediator prevailed1 and was indicated in the rites and institutions of worship1 there1 and1 above all1 under a system of revealed religion and acceptable worship1 an apprehension more or less distinct1 enlarged and just of the invisible ,deity1 of the concealed as well as of the revealed ,god1 must have been entertained4 ,nevertheless1 concerning this subject much was reserved to be taught by the ,mediator in his incarnate state1 when the distinction of ,persons in the ,godhead and their official designations could be rendered plain by his visible personal acts1 his verbal explanations1 and the agency and gifts ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this was in accordance with the progress and analogy of revelation in other respects4 ,besides1 we may well believe that there was originally1 and during the ,mosaic period1 extreme difficulty in instructing men on those high themes concerning the invisible and spiritual1 as may be inferred from the rooted and lasting propensity of the ,israelites to visible symbols and material images1 and from the limited prevalence of the clearer inculcations of the gospel down to the present day4 ,men did not and do not like to retain ,god in their knowledge4 ,hence the language of our ,saviour in teaching the ,divine unity and spirituality1 and the distinction1 offices and relations of the ,persons of the ,godhead4 ,he taught that ,god is a ,spirit1 invisible1 infinite1 eternal1 unchangeable2 of himself1 that he came out from ,god2 came forth from the invisible to the visible world2 that he should withdraw from the visible to the invisible1 so as not to be seen2 that he should afterwards visibly reppear2 that ,god the ,father sent him2 that the power which he exercised in his miracles was a divine attribute1 and proved his divinity2 that those who witnessed his miracles1 witnessed the exercise of the power of the invisible ,deity1 which was the power of the ,father who had sent him1 as well as his own2 and therefore they saw the ,father in the same works in which they saw him2 for in respect to their nature as divine1 ,he and the ,father were one4 ,but even his disciples did not at first understand his meaning4 ,philip saith unto him1 ,lord1 show us the ,father1 and it sufficeth us4 ,jesus saith unto him1 ,have ,i been so long time with you1 and yet hast thou not known me1 ,philip8 ,he that hath seen me hath seen the ,father4 ,that is1 ,i act officially1 exercising the power of the ,deity1 which is delegated to me by the ,father4 ,he who sees in my works a demonstration of my personality and divinity1 sees at the same time in those works the only outward and visible demonstration that can be made to men of the personality and divinity of the ,father4 ,the power which ,i exercise is possessed by me in common with the ,father1 though personally and officially exercised by me4 ,that power is a divine attribute1 and in respect to it as an attribute1 ,i and the ,father are one4 ,to confirm this instruction1 he promises to do for his disciples what they should ask of the ,father in his name2 and informs them that he should leave them1 as to his visible presence1 and go the ,father1 and that he would manifest himself to them by the official personal agency of the ,holy ,spirit1 whom the ,father would send in his name1 to dwell with them1 be in them1 show them the things which respected himself1 teach them all things1 and bring all things to their remembrance4 ,john xiv4 ,continuing to instruct them on this subject1 in the two next chapters1 he says1 ,when ,he1 the ,spirit of truth1 is come1 he will guide you into all truth4 ,he shall glorify me1 for he shall receive of mine1 and shall show it unto you4 ,at that day ye shall ask in my name3 and ,i say not that ,i will pray the ,father for you2 for the ,father himself loveth you1 because ye have loved me1 and have believed that ,i came out from ,god4 ,i came forth from the ,father1 and am come into the world3 again1 ,i leave the world and go to the ,father4 ,a little while1 and ye shall not see me2 and again a little while1 and ye shall see me4 ,such was his mode of teaching the distinction of ,persons in the ,godhead--the doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,the apostles were slow to learn these truths concerning the divine ,persons respectively1 and their offices and relations4 ,they expected in the ,messiah a temporal deliverer1 who should assume the government of their nation1 and continue personally and visibly among them4 ,in certain respects they appear not to have understood his character till after his ascension1 nor till after the ,spirit had enlightened and convinced them that the ,christ who had been crucified was indeed the ,lord of glory1 ,jehovah1 the ,elohe of ,abraham1 in whom ,abraham and ,david believed unto justification4 ,being at length fully satisfied of this1 they testified it to the ,jews on the day of ,pentecost1 and subsequently1 with overwhelming effect2 for the people being also convinced and cut to the heart1 cried1 ,men and brethren1 what shall we do8 ,in their testimony to this end they declared to the ,jews that ,jesus whom they had crucified was both the ,lord 7,jehovah7 and the ,christ2 and quoted ,david as saying concerning him1 ,i foresaw ,jehovah always before me4 ,subsequently the apostles1 more fully instructed in the mystery of ,god1 and of the ,father1 and of the ,christ1 ,col4 ii41 more clearly distinguished the ,persons of the ,trinity in all that concerned their relations to the work of redemption2 though1 conformably to the ,hebrew usage1 they often1 as the context shows1 designated the ,mediator under the name of ,god1 while they also by that name referred to the ,father and to the one invisible ,deity4 ,thus1 speaking of the ,christ1 ,paul says1 ,who is over all1 ,god blessed for ever4 ,rom4 ix4 #e4 ,again3 ,there is one ,god1 and one ,mediator between ,god and men1 the man ,christ ,jesus4 #a ,tim4 ii4 #e4 ,and1 treating of the economy of grace1 and the gifts bestowed on the ,church by the ,redeemer1 he says3 ,there is one ,spirit1 one ,lord1 one ,god and ,father of all4 ,eph4 iv4 #d-f4 ,see also the doxologies1 and the formulas of grace and peace introductory to the ,epistles4 ,these observations and references may1 perhaps1 sufficiently show the occasion there was for the reiterated statements1 at the opening of the ,new ,dispensation1 that no man had seen the ,father1 and that he was declared and made known only by the ,son4 ,the ,jews1 to whom these things were said1 were familiar with the ,scriptures which record the visible appearances of ,jehovah1 the ,elohe of ,abraham4 ,the first thing1 as has been observed1 that was necessary1 on his appearance in human nature1 was to convince those who had seen and heard him that he was the same personally and officially as ,he who appeared to and conversed and covenanted with the patriarchs1 and dwelt with the ,church in the wilderness and in the first temple4 ,he was accordingly from the first1 by inspired direction1 designated by names of the same import as the ,jehovah and ,immanuel of the earlier dispensation2 and he himself appealed to the ancient ,scriptures1 as testifying of him4 ,the apostles referred to him as the ,jehovah of the ,old ,testament2 and ,stephen says1 that ,moses was in the ,church in the wilderness1 with ,the ,messenger who spoke to him in mount ,sinai4 ,acts vii4 ,the ,shekina1 and all visible ,divine appearances1 having long been discontinued1 the ,jews seem not to have expected any recurrence of the like1 or of analogous interpositions4 ,their religion consisted in a formal observance of rites and traditions1 and a blind reliance on their being descendants of ,abraham2 and in the ,messiah1 whom they desired and expected1 they looked only for a human chieftain1 a temporal deliverer from the ,roman yoke4 ,their notions of the ,divine ,being1 the invisible ,deity1 do not appear to have differed essentially from those common to their descendants ever since4 ,they appear1 indeed1 to have degenerated so far from the ancients1 as to have retained no ideas of a distinction of ,persons in the ,godhead4 ,when they spoke of ,god as their ,father1 they had reference only to the invisible ,deity as their ,creator4 ,they were alike destitute of the faith of ,abraham and of all correct knowledge of ,jehovah1 the promised ,seed1 the ,messenger1 the personal ,word4 ,the common people were as sheep without a shepherd1 and their teachers as blind leaders of the blind4 ,we all1 says ,trypho1 expect a ,messiah to be born1 that will be man of man4 ,brown's ,justin ,martyr1 section #di4 ,evidences to almost any extent might be easily adduced to show that the ,jews of our ,saviour's time had generally1 as a people1 lost or perverted by their traditions the knowledge which their ancient predecessors possessed1 were blind to the meaning of their own ,scriptures1 and were plunged in gross and inveterate errors4 ,their errors soon began to be widely propagated by ,judaizing teachers of ,christianity1 and by ,gentile heretics2 and with respect to the teachings of the ,old ,testament concerning the ,creator1 the ,messiah1 mediation1 the ,unity1 ,trinity1 and other subjects1 became at an early period extensively prevalent4 ,the ,gnosticism which1 under ,cerinthus and others1 assailed the ,jewish converts in the apostles' days1 and was propagated during that and several succeeding ages1 under many leaders1 and with various modifications1 was a compound of ,oriental philosophy and ,judaizing infidelity4 ,to that1 in its original form1 succeeded1 in the second century1 the modifications of the ,asiatic and ,egyptian sects1 and the heresies of the ,monarchins1 or ,patripassians2 the sects of ,theodotus1 ,artemon1 ,hermogenes and others2 in the third1 the ,manichans1 the ,sabellians1 and the followers of ,paul of ,samosata2 and in the fourth1 the ,arians1 ,semiarians1 ,pelagians1 and others1 which1 with an occasional change of name1 have come down to the present day1 and constitute1 in relation to the leading doctrines and object of the ,holy ,scriptures1 one comprehensive heresy1 of which the cardinal feature is a denial or derogation of what belongs to the official ,person1 character1 and works of the ,mediator4 ,in the controversies to which those heresies gave occasion1 owing to the nature of the questions which were discussed1 the character and objects of the parties brought into conflict1 the want of familiarity with the theology of the ,hebrew ,scriptures on the part of the orthodox1 ,gentile controvertists2 owing to these and the like causes1 the ascription1 common in the patriarchal1 ,mosaic1 and prophetic history1 and in the first period of ,christianity1 of all the works of creation and providence to the official mediatorial ,person1 was gradually discontinued1 and at length wholly dropped1 even by those who believed in his divinity4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,continuation of the subject of the foregoing ,chapter--,reference to the ,heresies1 respecting the ,creator1 of the three first and ensuing centuries4 ,the heresy of the ,gnostic philosophers1 like that of the geologists of the present day1 had to do with the question of a creator and creation as its starting theme4 ,they boasted1 says ,mosheim1 of being able to restore mankind to the knowledge of the true and supreme ,being1 i4 e41 the ,deity1 as superior to the evil being1 regarded by them as creator1 which had been lost in the world1 and foretold the approaching defeat of the evil principle1 i4 e41 the ,devil1 to whom they attributed the creation of this globe4 ,their ,unitarianism1 like that of later times1 could tolerate the notion of divine creatures1 a created creator2 but they could not allow that such a world as this was or could have been created by the true ,supreme ,being4 ,the ,gnostic doctrine1 adds the author above quoted1 concerning the creation of the world by one or more inferior beings of an evil1 or at least an imperfect nature1 led that sect to deny the divine authority of the books of the ,old ,testament1 whose accounts of the origin of things so palpably contradicted this idle fiction4 ,through a frantic aversion to those books1 they lavished their encomiums upon the ,serpent1 the first author of sin1 and held in veneration some of the most impious and profligate persons of whom mention is made in sacred history4 ,those boasters furnished a notable example for all pretenders to philosophy and rationalism in religion1 who take reason for their guide1 and deem it competent to determine what it is proper for the ,supreme ,being to do2 who or what kind of being it is most proper should be the creator of such a world as this2 at what time1 in what manner1 of what materials1 and for what ends the world should be created2 and whether the ,mosaic record should be wholly rejected1 or only so far as this subject1 that of miracles1 inspiration1 the universality of the ,deluge1 the doctrine of vicarious atonement1 and a few others1 are concerned4 ,the controlling influence to which the heretics and theorists of the first centuries were manifestly subject1 was that of their philosophy4 ,assuming that their philosophical dogmas were true and founded in the nature of things1 they argued1 as do our modern geologists1 from their assumptions1 that the ,scriptures must be consistent with them2 and since they were not taught in ,scripture1 nor consistent with the apparent import of the language of ,scripture1 they found it necessary to imagine an occult1 allegorical1 tropical1 or spiritual meaning1 couched under the forms of the natural language4 ,thus ,origen held that1 under cover of the words1 phrases1 images1 and narratives of the ,scriptures1 the ,holy ,spirit had concealed the internal reasons and grounds of things2 that in the body of ,holy ,writ so he denominates the proper sense of the words there was a soul1 a recondite sense1 and that this soul exhibits1 to careful contemplators of it1 as it were in a mirror1 the causes1 connections1 and dependences of both human and ,divine wisdom4 ,murdock's ,commentaries of ,mosheim1 ,,ii4 #aef1 #afe4 ,he took up the ancient doctrine of the ,pharisees and ,essenees1 that of a double sense in ,holy ,scripture2 and to confirm his philosophical notions by the authority of the sacred oracles1 by bending the sense of ,scripture to suit his purpose1 eliminated from the ,bible whatever was repugnant to his favorite opinions4 ,ibid4 #afe4 ,it is very certain that the ,jews1 and among them the ,pharisees especially1 and ,essenees1 before the birth of our ,saviour1 believed that in the language of the ,bible1 besides the sense which is obvious to the reader1 there is another more remote and recondite1 concealed under the words of ,scripture4 ,murdock's ,commentaries of ,mosheim1 ,,ii4 #aff4 ,essene es account of the doctrines of ,cerinthus1 a ,gnostic ,jew1 who1 about the close of the first century1 appeared as the leader of those who sought to merge ,christianity in ,judaism1 indicates the confusion and uncertainty which then1 probably to a great extent1 perplexed the minds of the ,jewish and ,gentile proselytes to the ,christian faith4 ,he taught that the ,creator of this world1 whom he considered also as the sovereign and lawgiver of the ,jewish people1 was a being endowed with the greatest virtues1 and derived his birth from the ,supreme ,god2 thus conceding that the ,jehovah of the ,old ,testament was the same as the ,christ2 that this being fell1 by degrees1 from his native virtue1 and his primitive dignity2 referring1 no doubt1 to the withdrawment of the ,messenger ,jehovah1 the ,creator1 with the visible ,shekina1 from the temple1 and his apparent abandonment of the ,jewish people1 as they themselves considered2 that the ,supreme ,god1 in consequence of this1 determined to destroy his empire1 meaning1 probably1 that as he no longer appeared as the protector of the ,jews1 but rather as their enemy1 he was to be superseded1 and sent upon earth for this purpose one of the ever-happy and glorious ons1 whose name was ,christ2 that this ,christ chose for his habitation alluding to the doctrine1 then extensively prevalent1 of the metempsychosis1 or transmigration of one being into another the person of ,jesus1 a man of the most illustrious sanctity and justice1 the son of ,joseph and ,mary1 and descending in the form of a dove1 entered into him while he was receiving the baptism of ,john in the waters of ,jordan2 that ,jesus1 after his union with ,christ1 opposed himself with vigor to the ,god of the ,jews1 i4 e41 ,he whom the ,jews originally worshipped as their ,creator and ,lawgiver1 the ,angel ,jehovah1 now fallen1 and was1 by his instigation1 seized and crucified by the ,hebrew chiefs2 that when ,jesus was taken captive1 i4 e41 by the instigation of ,jehovah the ,creator1 ,christ ascended upon high1 so that the man ,jesus alone was subjected to the pains of an ignominious death4 ,cerinthus required of his followers that they should worship the ,father of ,christ1 even the ,supreme ,god1 in conjunction with the ,son2 i4 e41 the on whom he calls ,christ2 that they should abandon the ,lawgiver of the ,jews1 whom he from his knowledge of the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 or of the ,chaldee paraphrases looked upon as the ,creator of the world2 that they should retain a part of the law given by ,moses1 but should1 nevertheless1 employ their principal attention and care to regulate their lives by the precepts of ,christ1 i4 e41 the glorious on4 ,to encourage them to this1 he promised the resurrection of the body2 i4 e41 though he denied the death1 and therefore the resurrection of ,christ1 he held to that of man at the second coming2 and held that ,christ will one day return upon earth1 and1 renewing his former union with the man ,jesus1 i4 e41 by then raising him from the dead1 will reign with his people in the land of ,palestine during a thousand years4 ,cent4 ,i4 part #b1 chap4 #e1 sec4 #af4 ,there can be no mistake as to the source of what is correct in this creed1 nor as to the state of mind in which its stupendous errors were conceived and propagated4 ,marcion1 ,basilides1 and others among the ,gnostic leaders of the ,asiatic and ,egyptian sects in the second century1 held1 in respect to a creator and creation1 sentiments very similar to those of ,cerinthus4 ,the ,valentinians1 a very numerous sect1 were taught by ,valentine their chief1 as is recorded in ,mosheim1 ,that the ,creator of this world1 whom1 in common with most of the heretics of that period1 he took to be a creature1 came by degrees to imagine himself to be ,god alone1 or1 at least1 to desire that mankind should consider him as such4 ,he therefore sent forth prophets to the ,jewish nation1 to declare his claim to the honor that is due to the ,supreme ,being4 ,the ,patripassians asserted the unity of ,god in such a manner as to exclude all distinction of ,persons2 and in this respect they were imitated by the ,sabellians of the ensuing century4 ,the leading features of nearly all the heresies of the first three centuries1 especially those which were widely diffused and long perpetuated1 whether invented by minds imbued by the ,oriental philosophy or with hereditary ,jewish opinions and prejudices related to the ,creator and the works of creation4 ,the best of them were in that particular1 for substance1 like the heresy of ,arius in the fourth century1 who taught that the ,son was the first and noblest of these beings1 whom ,god the ,father had created out of nothing1 and was the instrument by whose subordinate operation the universe was made4 ,the ,council of ,nice1 convened in #cbe to suppress this heresy1 appears scarcely to have checked its progress2 and during the protracted discussions and contests which ensued1 and which agitated both the eastern and western divisions of the ,church1 there is probably no single instance of a simple scriptural statement respecting the ,trinity1 and the ,person and work of the ,mediator1 except in the case of such as dissented and seceded from the ,established ,church1 and were persecuted by all parties in that ,church4 ,the attention of those whom the ,councils called orthodox1 in distinction from heretics1 was absorbed by attempts to explain the inexplicable questions in controversy4 ,they sought in this way to answer and confound their opponents4 ,the heretics nowhere in these controversies bring into view anything scriptural1 anything better than ,paganism1 with respect to a ,mediator2 nor could they1 consistently with the nature of the dogmas and opinions which they contended for4 ,the disciples of the reformed ,magianism of ,zoroaster ascribed the creation to the one supreme1 invisible ,deity1 who was to be worshipped directly1 not through images1 nor through a ,mediator1 nor any intermediate agencies4 ,the ,gentile ,gnostics1 in distinction from ,cerinthus and other ,judaizers1 in their attempts to subordinate ,christianity to their system--which taught that all evil resided in and proceeded from matter1 and therefore that the world could not have been created by a good being--ascribed the creation to a created evil being1 the evil principle1 ,satan4 ,they therefore rejected the ,old ,testament as irreconcilable with this system4 ,prior to the ,advent1 they worshipped ,satan as creator1 and as having chief control in the whole course of things in the world1 and being an over-match for the antagonist1 good principle3 and honoring him in this way1 they held ,cain1 and his other most conspicuous followers and supporters1 in the highest veneration4 ,yearning for some relief from the unmitigated and intolerable miseries which they suffered in their warfare with their bodies1 which1 as matter1 they deemed the seat of corruption1 they hailed the appearance of the good principle in ,christianity1 supported as it was by demonstrations of resistless power1 as likely to defeat the antagonist evil principle1 the ,devil1 to whom they still ascribed the creation of the world4 ,instead of longer worshipping him1 therefore1 they now taught that the ,supreme ,deity1 the ,creator of the ,devil1 was to be worshipped4 ,this was the doctrine which undoubtedly had been lost to all idolaters1 and which they now promised to restore4 ,cerinthus1 in his attempts to combine ,gnosticism and ,christianity with ,judaism and the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 as he understood them1 maintains1 not that the world was created by the supreme1 invisible ,deity1 for he did not so understand those writings1 but that the ,being to whom ,moses ascribes the creation and government of the world 7and whom he calls ,jehovah7 was a derived1 begotten1 created being1 and therefore liable to degenerate2 that though originally endowed with the greatest virtues1 he fell2 7he had forsaken the ,jews1 and they had renounced him27 that his ,creator1 the ,supreme ,deity1 had therefore determined to destroy his empire1 7the dominion and rule which he exercised1 prior to his quitting the temple1 and also after becoming1 in their opinion1 the enemy of the ,jews27 that the ,christ1 so far from being the same person1 ,son of the ,supreme ,deity1 and ,creator1 was a wholly different being in all respects1 a created being1 sent expressly to supersede and destroy the ,creator and ,jewish lawgiver2 that1 taking possession of the person of ,jesus1 he set himself vigorously to oppose ,jehovah the ,creator1 who1 in self-defense1 contrived to induce the ,jews to crucify the man ,jesus1 the ,christ in the mean time having forsaken him4 ,accordingly1 he taught his followers that they should abandon the ,lawgiver of the ,jews1 whom he looked upon as the ,creator of the world1 i4 e41 the ,jehovah of the ,old ,testament2 and that they should worship the ,supreme ,deity as the ,father of the on whom he called ,christ1 in conjunction with that ,christ1 or on1 assuming him to be the same with him whom the ,christians called the ,christ and the ,son2 conformably to his notion that ,christ1 having entered the man ,jesus at his baptism1 withdrew from him before his death4 ,he denied his resurrection1 and was1 very probably1 a disciple of the false teacher referred to and refuted in ,paul's argument1 #a ,cor4 xv4 ,to show that the ,oriental philosophy1 which comprehended the leading principles of the false1 in opposition to the revealed system of religion1 and that the early heresies1 which1 being founded on the ,oriental philosophy1 passed under the imposing title of ,gnosticism1 ascribed the creation and government of the world to ,satan1 the following quotations are made from ,mosheim's ,commentaries1 ,cent4 ,i41 sec4 #fj1 #fa3 ,by none of its adversaries or corrupters was ,christianity1 from its first rise1 more seriously injured2 by none was the ,church more grievously lacerated1 and rendered less attractive to the people1 than by those who were for making the religion of ,christ accommodate itself to the principles of the ,oriental philosophy respecting the ,deity1 the origin of the world1 the nature of matter and the human soul4 ,we allude to those who1 from their pretending that they were able to communicate to mankind1 at present held in bondage by the ,architect of the world1 a correct knowledge 7gnosis7 of the true and ever-living ,god1 were commonly styled ,gnostics4 ,intoxicated with a fondness for these opinions1 not a few of the ,christians were induced to secede from all association with the advocates for the sound doctrine1 and to form themselves into various sects1 which1 as time advanced1 became daily more extensive and numerous1 and were for several ages productive of very serious inconveniences and evils to the ,christian commonwealth4444 ,it is by no means difficult to point out the way in which these people contrived to make the religion of ,christ appear to be altogether in unison with their favorite system of discipline4 ,all the philosophers of the ,east1 whose tenets1 as we have seen1 were1 that the ,deity had nothing at all to do with matter1 the nature and qualities of which they considered to be malignant and poisonous2 that the body was held in subjection by a being entirely distinct from ,him to whom the dominion over the rational soul belonged2 that the world1 and all terrestrial bodies1 were not the work of the ,supreme ,being1 the ,author of all good1 but were formed out of matter by a nature either evil in its origin1 or that had fallen into a state of depravity2 and lastly1 that the knowledge of the true ,deity had become extinct1 and that the whole race of mankind1 instead of worshipping the ,father of ,light and ,life1 and source of every thing good1 universally paid their homage to the ,founder and ,prince of this nether world1 or to his substitutes and agents3 ,i say all these looked forward with earnest expectation for the arrival of an extraordinary and eminently powerful ,messenger of the ,most ,high1 who1 they imagined1 would deliver the captive souls of men from the bondage of the flesh1 and rescue them from the dominion of those genii by whom they supposed the world and all matter to be governed2 at the same time communicating to them a correct knowledge of their everlasting ,parent1 so as to enable them1 upon the dissolution of the body1 once more to regain their long-lost liberty and happiness4 ,an expectation of this kind even continues to be cherished by their descendants of the present day4 ,some of these philosophers1 then1 being struck with astonishment at the magnitude and splendor of the miracles wrought by ,christ and his apostles1 and perceiving that it was the object of our ,lord's ministry both to abrogate the ,jewish law--a law which they conceived to have been promulgated by the ,architect or ,founder of the world himself1 or by the chief of his agents--and also to overthrow those gods of the nations whom they regarded as genii1 placed over mankind by the same evil spirit2 hearing him1 moreover1 invite the whole world to join in the worship of the one ,omnipotent and only true ,god1 and profess that he came down from heaven for the purpose of redeeming the souls of men1 and restoring them to liberty1 were induced to believe that he was that very ,messenger for whom they looked1 the ,person ordained by the ,everlasting ,father1 to destroy the dominion of the founder of this world as well as of the genii who presided over it2 to separate light from darkness1 and to deliver the souls of men from that bondage to which they were subjected1 in consequence of their connection with material bodies4 ,to various articles propounded in the ,christian code as essential points of belief1 they utterly refused their assent3 such1 for instance1 as that which attributes the creation of the world to the ,supreme ,being1 and those respecting the divine origin of the ,mosaic law1 the authority of the ,old ,testament1 the character of human nature1 and the like3 for it would have amounted to nothing short of an absolute surrender of the leading maxims of the system to which they were devoted1 had they not persisted in maintaining that the creator of this world was a being of a nature vastly inferior to the ,supreme ,deity1 the ,father of our ,lord1 and that the law of ,moses was not dictated by the ,almighty1 but by this same inferior being1 by whom also the bodies of men were formed and united to souls of ethereal mould1 and under whose influence the various penmen of the ,old ,testament composed whatever they have left us on record4 ,again1 according to the ,gnostic scheme1 an absolute and entire dominion over the human race1 and the globe we inhabit1 is exercised by the founder of the material world1 a being of unbounded pride and ambition1 who makes use of every means in his power to prevent mankind from attaining to any knowledge of the true ,god4 ,it is too plain to require a comment1 that the fallen creature to whom1 in this religious system1 the creation of the world is ascribed1 and to whom the nations universally paid their homage1 was ,satan2 and that the genii1 his subordinates1 were the angels who fell with him4 ,on the other hand1 the ,divine ,messenger expected as the antagonist and conqueror of ,satan1 could be no other than the ,messenger ,jehovah1 appointed and sent by the ,everlasting ,father4 ,mosheim1 in his ,commentaries1 ,introduction1 chap4 #b1 observes1 that the ,jewish religion1 at the time of our ,saviour's appearance1 was contaminated by errors of the most flagrant kind2 even in the service of the temple itself1 numerous ceremonies and observances1 drawn from the religious worship of heathen nations1 had been introduced and blended with those of ,divine institution2 and in addition to superstitions like these of a public nature1 many erroneous principles1 probably either brought from ,babylon and ,chaldea by the ancestors of the people at their return from captivity1 or adopted by the thoughtless multitude in conformity to the example of their neighbors the ,greeks1 the ,syrians1 and the ,egyptians1 were cherished and acted upon in private4 ,again1 ,to the prince of darkness1 with his associates and agents1 they attributed an influence over the world and mankind of the most extensive nature2 so predominant1 indeed1 as scarcely to leave a superior degree of power even with the ,deity himself4 ,at the time of ,christ's appearance1 many of the ,jews had imbibed the principles of the ,oriental philosophy respecting the origin of the world1 and were much addicted to the study of a recondite sort of learning derived from thence1 to which they gave the name of ,cabbala4 ,the founders of several of the ,gnostic sects1 all of whom1 we know1 were studious to make the ,christian religion accommodate itself to the principles of the ancient ,oriental philosophy1 had been originally ,jews1 and exhibited in their tenets a strange mixture of the doctrines of ,moses1 ,christ1 and ,zoroaster4 ,this is of itself sufficient to prove that many of the ,jews were in no small degree attached to the opinions of the ancient ,persians and ,chaldeans4 ,such of them as had adopted these irrational principles would not admit that the world was created by ,god1 but substituted1 in the place of the ,deity1 a celestial genius endowed with vast powers2 from whom1 also1 they maintained that ,moses had his commission1 and the ,jewish law its origin4 ,to the coming of the ,messiah1 or deliverer1 promised by ,god to their fathers1 they looked forward with hope1 expecting that he would put an end to the dominion of the being whom they thus regarded as the maker and ruler of the world4 ,mosheim1 ,int41 ,com41 chap4 #b4 ,it would be alike tedious and useless much further to multiply citations from the history of ,gnostic and other ,oriental writers1 to show that the nations represented by those writers regarded ,satan as the creator of the world and god of their idolatry4 ,beyond that vast expanse1 refulgent with everlasting light1 which was considered as the immediate habitation of the ,deity and those natures which had been generated from him1 these philosophers placed the seat of matter1 where1 according to them1 it had lain from all eternity1 a rude1 undigested1 opaque mass1 agitated by turbulent1 irregular motions of its own provoking1 and nurturing1 as in a seed-bed1 the rudiments of vice and every species of evil4 ,in this state it was found by a genius or celestial spirit of the higher order1 who had been either driven from the abode of the ,deity for some offense1 or commissioned by him for the purpose1 and who reduced it into order1 and gave it that arrangement and fashion which the universe now wears4 ,those who spoke the ,greek tongue were accustomed to refer to this creator of the world by the name of ,demiurgus4 ,matter received its inhabitants1 both men and other animals1 from the same hand that had given to it disposition and symmetry4444 ,when all things were thus completed1 ,demiurgus1 revolting against the great ,first ,cause of every thing1 the all-wise and omnipotent ,god1 assumed to himself the exclusive government of this new state1 which he apportioned out into provinces or districts2 bestowing the administration and command over them on a number of genii or spirits of inferior degree1 who had been his associates and assistants4 ,mosheim1 ,intro41 sec4 #cd4 ,in the following respects1 they the ,gnostic sects appear to have been all of one mind2 namely1 that in addition to the ,deity1 matter1 the root and cause of every thing evil and depraved1 had existed from all eternity1 that this corrupt matter had not been reduced into order by the ,supreme and all-benevolent ,deity1 but by a nature of a far inferior rank2 that the founder of the world1 therefore1 and the ,deity1 were beings between whom no sort of relationship whatever existed4 ,ibid41 #a41 sec4 #fe4 ,these representations of the sentiments of the ,orientals may suffice to show that the ,arch-apostate claimed to be the creator and prince of this world1 and led his followers to adopt that usurped and impious claim as a primary article of their faith1 and to worship and serve him accordingly4 ,nor does it otherwise seem possible to account for the origin and adoption1 at a very early period1 of the doctrine of two antagonist principles or powers1 one as the creator of the world and author of all evil1 the other as an ineffectually counteracting agent of good4 ,divested of ,eastern figure1 and of bias from ,western notions of mythology and polytheism1 the ,oriental doctrine plainly exhibits ,satan as the creator and ruler of this world1 and1 on that ground1 as exacting the homage of its population4 ,this primary arrogation on his part is the ground of all idolatry1 and of the great heresies of ,gnostic and ,popish origin4 ,accordingly1 the great antagonism which1 since the fall1 has been in progress in the view of the whole universe1 and of which the termination is to fill the hosts of heaven with adoring and rapturous ecstacy1 and the ransomed ,church with ceaseless exultation and praise1 exhibits the great ,adversary as chief of a rebel faction of his own species1 instigating the original revolt1 and ruling as his vassals the race of man1 arrogating the titles and prerogatives of the ,creator and ,sovereign of the world1 and persisting in his rebellion1 usurpation1 and rivalship1 till finally vanquished and imprisoned1 his purposes defeated1 and his works destroyed2 and at length displays1 on the other hand1 the majesty and power1 the titles1 prerogatives1 and rights1 the supremacy1 rectitude and glory of the self-existent ,creator1 ,proprietor and rightful ,sovereign1 effectually resserted1 vindicated1 and universally acknowledged4 ,in these earliest and most prevalent systems of heresy are contained the perversions and false doctrines against which the contemporaries and the immediate and later orthodox successors of the apostles were called to contend2 and they present in bold relief the points brought into controversy1 as they are indicated in the creeds and decrees of ,councils specially convened to condemn and suppress them4 ,to meet the doctrine advanced by the earliest and adopted by the later heretics1 that the creation and government of the world was the work of a creature1 supposed by some to be the ,evil ,one2 by others1 a being originally good1 but afterwards degenerate2 by some1 to be one of two rival creatures2 by others1 to have derived his birth from the ,supreme ,god2 they1 rejecting with abhorrence such ideas of the ,creator1 and all the notions associated with them1 and impelled by their philosophy1 as well as by their knowledge and regard for the ,scriptures1 to assert in the plainest manner that the ,creator of all things is himself uncreated--,god1 in distinction from creatures--planted themselves upon that as an impregnable position4 ,but they had at the same time to maintain the doctrines of the ,trinity and the ,divinity of ,christ4 ,they were to assert the ,deity of ,christ1 whom the heretics held to be a creature1 and yet ascribed to him the works of creation4 ,it is at least natural to suppose that1 to avoid giving the heretics any advantage in popular argument1 and to use expressions importing the broadest contrast to theirs1 they at first ascribed the creation to ,god1 without any reference to the distinction of ,persons in the ,godhead2 or1 to maintain that doctrine at the same time1 and to meet the point in question as to the ,deity of the ,creator1 they ascribed the works of creation and providence to ,god the ,father4 ,whatever may have been the process1 this was the result4 ,it is not unlikely that1 at the date of the ,apostles' and the ,nicene ,creeds1 there were many who at length joined in adopting them1 who from ignorance1 or from the sway of heretical influences1 were greatly confused upon these subjects2 many1 more or less perverted by ,gnostic and ,judaizing dogmas2 many who saw no possibility of maintaining the doctrines which they held concerning the ,father1 as the ,father of ,christ the ,son by eternal generation1 and as the fountain of all authority and power1 without specifically ascribing to him the works of creation and providence2 many who1 relying on the doctrine of the eternal generation of the ,son1 as the most conclusive and unanswerable proof of his ,divinity1 confined their attention to that1 and saw no possibility of meeting and counteracting the dogmas of ,cerinthus1 or of other heretics1 if they ascribed the creation to the ,son4 ,it must be considered that the terms which they employed were adopted expressly to meet the growing and fatal errors which infested the ,church2 and that they had1 at the date of the ,nicene ,creed1 a most powerful motive to concession and accommodation for the sake of unity1 in the notion already prevalent concerning schism--defection from the faith of the dominant or ,catholic ,church1 or separation from that body on that account--as a mortal sin4 ,it was pointedly to their purpose to maintain1 in opposition to ,cerinthus1 that the ,christ was the ,son of ,god1 and the only being designated by that title2 and equally to their purpose1 in opposition to ,arius1 to maintain that he was not created4 ,they were to meet these points somehow1 or accomplish nothing against the most formidable heresies4 ,they hit upon a phraseology which1 if it be not wholly unintelligible to mortals1 was probably then deemed to be unanswerable1 in the assertion that he was the ,son by eternal generation2 begotten1 not made1 c4 ,the language of the creeds1 hereafter more particularly referred to1 is presumed to have become gradually familiar to the opposers of heresy before it was embodied in those formularies4 ,they express in a condensed form the sentiments and terms by which the leading controvertists repelled the dominant heresies of the time4 ,it is worthy of a passing notice1 that from the origin of the ,assyrian empire down to the ,christian era1 the sway1 over the whole ,pagan world1 of the ,oriental doctrines1 embodied in the ,sabian1 ,magian1 ,brahminical1 ,lamaist1 ,boodhist1 and other systems1 laid the foundation and prepared the way for the rise and spread of the ,mohammedan imposture1 after those doctrines had1 by the propagation of ,christianity1 been in some degree intercepted and modified within1 and in some directions beyond1 the limits of the ,roman empire4 ,the theory of the system of ,mohammed1 like that ascribed to ,zoroaster1 which aimed to unite the ,sabians1 who worshipped images1 and the ,magians1 who refused them1 with the ,jews of ,babylon and its provinces after they had renounced idolatry and the doctrine of mediation1 involved a union of the same school of ,jews in the seventh century1 with the nominal but already apostate churches 7churches characterized by ,gnostic heresies and ,pagan corruptions7 of ,babylonia1 ,syria1 ,asia ,minor1 ,egypt1 ,northern ,africa1 ,spain1 c4 ,hence the first and1 with respect to the ,divine ,being1 the only article of the ,mohammedan faith is that of ,,the ,,unity4 ,for this1 the ,jews1 the judaizing professors of ,christianity1 the ,cerinthians1 ,arians1 c41 were prepared2 and in like manner for the exclusion of the doctrine of mediation and the consequent proscription of images and sacrificial offerings4 ,who that considers the character and mission of ,mohammed1 as depicted ,rev4 ix4 #a-ab1 and illustrated by the histories of his time1 can fail to regard him as1 in the hands of the great ,adversary1 one of the most extraordinary visible agents of his antagonism4 ,with no preliminary indications1 like a meteor fallen to the earth1 he suddenly appears on the scene4 ,he receives the key and opens the abyss of darkness4 ,the blinding smoke of the pit ascends1 and generates a locust army with the power of scorpions1 led on by ,satan as their king1 whose name in ,hebrew is ,abaddon1 and in ,greek1 the ,destroyer4 ,as visible head of the apostate faction1 he subdues1 and with enduring chains of mental darkness manacles and holds fast the ,eastern empire3 while1 in the ,western1 essentially the like results1 under the same leadership1 are accomplished by the head of the ,papal hierarchy4 ,these great systems of influence and control1 by which1 in the ,eastern world1 the ,arch-deceiver held the human mind in bondage1 required and depended on implicit1 unquestioning faith4 ,thus1 throughout the ,roman empire prior to the ,advent1 and subsequently in the eastern division1 under the ,mohammedan1 and in the western1 under the ,popish faith4 ,the shock of the ,reformation awaked and roused up the mind of western ,europe1 and brought new antagonist influences into operation1 which1 by recalling attention to the ,scriptures as the only rule of faith1 by giving prominence to the cardinal doctrines of redemption1 and by a revival of learning1 threatened wholly to subvert the dominion of ,popish superstition and imposture4 ,this aspect of his affairs required a new course of tactics on the part of the great ,adversary1 by which the tendencies1 intellectual1 speculative1 philosophical1 scientific1 which were rising and spreading1 might be so perverted as to counteract the objects of the ,reformation1 and1 in place of the former outward and vulgar superstition1 to give sway to infidelity2 a course of tactics adapted to the intellects of men1 stimulated to inquiry and earnest in the pursuit of knowledge2 a course by which the peculiar doctrines of the ,scriptures and of the ,reformation1 and the reality of inspiration and of miracles1 might be explained away1 and by which1 in effect1 the arrogations of the ,arch-deceiver and the ,pope1 of lordship over men's minds1 and over the province of theological dogma1 together with an ascendency of influence in the seats of intellectual and physical science1 might be imputed and transferred to ,,human ,,reason4 ,,reason1 thus deified and installed as in a pontifical chair1 progressively developed its hierarchs and suffragans in the seats of learning1 secular and sacred1 in every part of the ,protestant world4 ,witness the rise1 progress and results of this course of tactics in ,germany itself4 ,witness the infidel and atheistic fruits of this homage of reason1 in the departments of ,german metaphysics1 theology1 criticism1 physical science1 c4 ,witness the stealthy1 insidious1 infectious inculcation and progress of this infidelity1 in the same departments1 on this side of the ,atlantic1--in some universities and colleges under cover of the principles and discoveries of natural science2 in some theological schools1 in the name of the science of criticism1 interpretation1 c4 in lyceums and halls of popular resort1 by scientific lectures2 and at the doors and in the face of all1 by the ceaseless issues of the press4 ,can any observer within the precincts of ,protestantism account1 upon any other view of the subject1 for the progress and effects of this infection1 with its intuitional1 conceptional1 subjective and transcendental cant2 for its fascinating and transforming power over men previously trained in schools of an opposite character2 for its leavenous working in scientific and ecclesiastical fraternities1 or its popular effects as administered orally and by the press8 ,must we not suppose a subtle and powerful agency behind the scenes1 as truly as in the case of ,gnosticism1 ,mohammedanism1 ,romanism1 ,mormonism8 ,has not experience shown that a teacher from the pulpit or from a theological or literary chair1 who1 notwithstanding his knowledge of the ,scriptures and of their peculiar doctrines1 begins to exhibit signs of his conversion to ,german rationalism in any respect2 to pantheism1 idealism1 neology1 infidelity under any of its designations2 soon becomes confident1 pertinacious1 progressive1 and at length is recognized as having ceased to be restrained either by his former principles and professions1 or by the authority of the sacred oracles8 ,in short1 if the ,evil ,one is still abroad1 seeking whom he may devour2 if he is what the ,scriptures represent him to be2 and if1 through the great organisms and mediums of domination above referred to1 he still carries on his warfare1 we must needs conclude1 from its nature and results1 that he is equally the prime mover and the actuating power of this rationalistic system1 deceiver of the educated through their idolatry of reason2 as of the ignorant through the imposing forms of superstition and the arts of priestcraft4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,subject of the last ,chapter continued--,results of the earliest and most prevalent ,heresies4 ,during the first age after the apostles1 the ,scripture doctrines respecting the ,trinity1 and the ,person and work of the ,mediator1 appear to have prevailed in the ,church generally2 afterwards a change of phraseology among the leaders and teachers of the ,church took place1 and the work of creation came to be ascribed1 not to the ,son1 but to the ,father4 ,tertullian1 about the close of the second century1 in his answer to ,praxeas1 who founded the sect of ,monarchians1 expressed himself in scriptural terms respecting the ,trinity and the ,person of ,christ2 and describes the faith which he held in that respect1 as that which had obtained from the beginning of the gospel2 i4 e41 among those admitted to be orthodox4 ,he soon after separated from the ,catholic ,church4 ,about fifty years later1 the ,bishop of ,carthage procured the excommunication of the ,reformer ,novatian1 founder of the ,cathari1 or ,puritans of that day1 who1 following his example1 formed numerous seceding churches all over the empire1 which flourished during the two succeeding centuries1 and a succession of them down to the ,reformation4 ,he was1 says ,mosheim1 a man of uncommon learning and eloquence4 ,he wrote a work upon the subject of the ,trinity1 of which the first eight sections relate to the ,father2 the next twenty to ,christ3 the ,old ,testament prophecies concerning him--their actual accomplishment--his nature--how the ,scriptures prove his divinity--confutes the ,sabellians--shows that it was ,christ who appeared to the patriarchs1 ,abraham1 ,jacob1 ,moses1 c4 ,from the character ascribed to ,novatian by ecclesiastical historians2 from the censures cast upon him by the ,popish writers1 who represent him as the first antipope1 author of the heresy of ,puritanism1 and parent of an innumerable multitude of seceding ,puritan congregations all over the empire2 from his work above alluded to1 written in #beg1 six years after his separation from the dominant ,church2 and from the known character of the ,cathari1 he is doubtless to be regarded as an eminent example of primitive scriptural faith1 and a distinguished leader of those who1 driven into the wilderness by persecution1 perpetuated that faith essentially and in most particulars down to the era of ,luther4 ,the ,paulicians1 whose rise is dated in the seventh century1 appear to have been of similar character4 ,to these succeeded the ,waldenses1 ,albigenses1 and other true worshippers in the valleys of ,piedmont4 ,the ,waldenses1 in their creed of #aabj1 adopt all the articles of the so-called ,apostles' ,creed4 ,they distinctly express their faith in the ,trinity and in the canonical books of ,scripture1 which1 they say1 teach us that there is one ,god1 almighty1 unbounded in wisdom and infinite in goodness1 and who in his goodness has made all things4 ,in another ,confession1 dated #aedd1 they say3 ,we believe that there is but one ,god1 who is a spirit--the ,creator of all things--the ,father of all1 who is above all1 c4 ,the ,confessions of the ,waldenses were approved by ,luther and the other ,reformers4 ,luther published them in #aecc1 with a preface4 ,but the ,creed called the ,apostles'1 which the ,waldenses in their first article adopt1 expressly ascribes the work of creation to the ,father3 ,i believe in ,god the ,father ,almighty1 maker of heaven and earth1 and in ,jesus ,christ his only ,son our ,lord4 ,probably this formula should not be dated so early as the first1 or even the second century4 ,the ,creed called the ,nicene1 which was in #cbe adopted by the ,council of ,nice in opposition to the ,gnostics1 the ,judaizers1 and the heresy of ,arius1 comprises various terms explanatory of the views then held concerning the ,son1 while it speaks of the ,father as the maker of all things4 ,we believe in one ,god1 the ,father ,almighty1 maker of all things visible and invisible4 ,and in one ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 the only begotten3 begotten of the ,father1 that is1 of the substance of the ,father4 ,god of ,god2 ,light of ,light2 true ,god of true ,god2 begotten1 not made2 consubstantial with the ,father1 c4 ,the ,second ,general ,council1 which was held at ,constantinople in #chc1 determined that the ,nicene ,creed should be the standard of orthodoxy4 ,this creed continued to be held by the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 and was adopted and still continues in use by the ,protestant ,episcopal ,churches both of ,great ,britain and this country4 ,probably the phraseology both of the ,nicene and the ,apostles' ,creed1 in respect to the ascription of the works of creation to ,god the ,father1 having been adopted and followed by all succeeding writers of authority1 was received and acquiesced in by all the ,reformers and the different ,protestant denominations1 and thus1 coinciding essentially with the ,talmudists and ,rabbinical ,doctors1 was in every way sanctioned and commended as an example to our translators4 ,in the ,confession of ,faith and ,catechism of the ,presbyterian ,church of ,scotland and that of this country1 there is indeed1 in respect to the subject under consideration1 a less exact copy than in earlier ,confessions of the phraseology of the ,nicene formula4 ,the work of creation is1 however1 in no respect ascribed to the ,mediator personally4 ,the doctrine of the eternal generation of the ,son is very distinctly avowed2 and the works of creation are ascribed to ,god1 though not with any restricted reference to the ,father1 as distinguished from the other ,persons4 ,these brief references may serve to show that the ascription of the work of creation by some to the ,father1 in such a manner as to indicate that it is his personally1 and by others to the ,deity1 in distinction from the delegated official ,person and work of the ,mediator1 owed its origin primarily to the nature of the heresies and controversies by which the ,church was agitated1 and the methods of the orthodox in defending the doctrines of the ,trinity and the ,divinity of ,christ1 against the ,judaizers1 the ,gnostics1 the ,arians1 and others2 and was handed down in their treatises and creeds from one age to another4 ,in the same way the doctrine of eternal generation1 and all the phraseology in the ,nicene ,creed1 for example1 respecting the ,son1 which is not to be found in like terms in the ,holy ,scriptures1 appears to have arisen4 ,and it is to be observed that1 in close connection with these opinions as adopted by ,protestants1 is the doctrine that the personal and official work of the ,mediator had respect only to the redemption of man1 and commenced in personal acts not till his appearance incarnate4 ,in view of the origin1 nature1 and tendency of the heresies above referred to1 their extended influence1 and the manner in which they were controverted1 one can hardly avoid the conclusion1 that the order of ,divine instruction in the most essential particulars was inverted1 by the assumption of some and the acquiescence therein of others1 that the ,old ,testament revealed only the one invisible ,deity absolutely considered1 as the ,creator and ,governor of the world1 whose oneness or unity was so regarded by one class as to preclude the idea of any personal distinction in the ,godhead2 and so regarded by many others1 who held both the unity and the distinction of ,persons1 as to lead them1 irrespective of that distinction1 to ascribe the works of creation and providence to the one ,supreme ,deity1 or to the ,father4 ,of the class first above mentioned were the ,jews at the period of the ,incarnation4 ,they therefore opposed and rejected the ,messiah1 on account of his ,divine pretensions1 making himself a distinct ,person of the ,godhead1 equal with ,god4 ,they looked not for a ,messiah of such a character1 nor for deliverance from sin through faith in his vicarious sufferings1 nor for a salvation which was to be extended to the ,gentiles4 ,they held to justification by their ritual services and obedience to the law of ,moses1 and desired only a ,messiah or leader who should deliver them from temporal evils4 ,there were1 at that period1 considerable numbers of ,jews resident in the several provinces of the ,roman empire1 who1 following the early examples of their kindred in ,judea1 opposed and persecuted those who believed in the ,divinity of ,jesus the crucified1 as the true ,messiah4 ,at the same time they professed the utmost zeal for the doctrine of the ,unity1 and for the exclusive worship of the one ,supreme ,deity1 and associated their rejection of the gospel and its ,author with their vehement opposition to idolatry4 ,as the preaching of the gospel was extended from ,jerusalem to the provinces1 many ,jews professed to receive it1 who1 retaining their former religious opinions and prejudices1 and setting up to be preachers1 endeavored to subvert the peculiar doctrines of ,christianity1 and to subject the converts1 real and nominal1 to their notions of ,judaism and of the ritual of ,moses4 ,these ,judaizing teachers still insisted on justification by the works of the law1 held firmly to their national prejudices1 exclusive privileges1 and hatred of the ,gentiles1 and to fortify themselves1 joined with those ,gentile heretics whose errors were consistent with their own4 ,the ,jews themselves far exceeded all others in opposing the doctrines of the gospel1 and persecuting those who embraced them4 ,other nations1 says ,justin ,martyr to ,trypho1 ,a4 ,d4 #aae or #abj1 are not so culpable for the injury that is done to us and to ,christ himself1 as you1 who first caused them to entertain so great a prejudice against that ,just ,one1 and us his disciples and followers4 ,for after you had crucified him who alone was unblamable and just1 by whose stripes they are healed who come unto the ,father by him2 after ye knew that he was risen from the dead and ascended up into heaven1 as the ancient prophecies foretold concerning him2 ye were so far from repenting of those evil deeds which ye have committed1 that even then ye dispatched from ,jerusalem1 into all countries1 select missionaries1 to inform them that the impious sect of ,christians1 lately sprung up1 worshipped no ,god2 and to spread abroad those false and scandalous reproaches which all that are unacquainted with us and our religion do even to this day lay to our charge4 ,brown's ,version1 sec4 #ag4 ,the ,jews denounced the ,christians as atheists1 because they worshipped the ,christ as ,god1 instead of restricting their homage to ,him whom they regarded as the one ,supreme1 invisible ,creator4 ,under the influence so widely diffused from this source1 and that of the heresies above referred to1 the ,church passed into the dark cloud of ,popish superstition1 ignorance1 and imposture4 ,the era of inspiration and miracles had passed4 ,the idolatrous forms of paganism were transferred from the heathen to the so-called ,christian temples4 ,the theory of religion then1 combining elements from ,judaism1 ,oriental philosophy1 ,paganism1 and ,christianity1 was practically accommodated to the heart of man in his natural state4 ,modes of interpretation were introduced1 by which truth1 so far as it was admitted1 was made to serve all the ends and purposes of error4 ,the ,popish system1 for example1 while it retains1 in terms1 the doctrine of the ,trinity1 denies all those collateral and dependent truths which render that doctrine of any value in the affair of man's salvation4 ,it allows the ,divinity of ,jesus ,christ1 but supersedes him in respect to his sacerdotal and regal offices1 and in effect denies his personality4 ,in place of his atonement1 it substitutes the ,mass4 ,to supersede or obviate his personal mediation1 it offers1 like ,paganism1 a thousand creature mediators4 ,to nullify his personality1 and the admission of his ,divinity1 it professes even to create him4 ,the subjects of controversy to which these heresies gave rise were such as1 under the influence of certain controlling circumstances1 unavoidably to change or modify the faith1 in respect to some doctrines1 of those who continued to be in the main evangelical4 ,the circumstances referred to resulted from the nationalization of the ,church1 the assumption by the civil power of legislative authority over its doctrines and all its concerns1 and the consequent prescription1 under the severest penalties1 of entire uniformity of faith and worship4 ,hence1 when heresies arose and spread1 ,councils were called to suppress them1 and to prescribe the rule of faith which was to be enforced4 ,their determinations1 of course1 must be in conformity not only with the opinions of a majority of those convened1 but with the sentiments of the reigning emperor4 ,whenever he and the majority of those summoned to a ,council were inclined to ,arianism1 image worship1 and the like1 those who held the primitive faith had to choose between a surrender of their principles and deposition1 banishment1 or death4 ,the tendency of this course of things to drive the true confessors of ,christ into the wilderness1 and to induce the best of those who remained in the so-called ,catholic ,church to dissemble1 and to adopt the sentiments and phraseology of those whom they deemed to be in error1 is too apparent to require any illustration4 ,now those controversies from the first with the ,gnostics1 the ,cerinthians1 ,valentinians1 ,monarchians1 ,sabellians1 ,manichans1 ,arians1 and various others1 related to the character of the ,supreme ,being1 the ,creator2 the mode of ,divine existence2 the ,trinity2 the ,person of ,christ2 and topics intimately connected with these4 ,the changes and modifications of phraseology and sentiment which1 for the sake of unity1 or for other reasons1 the more evangelical adopted1 as in the ,nicene ,creed and in their theological writings1 were regularly handed down to the period of the ,reformation4 ,these writings were studied1 and had their influence with the ,reformers1 on their receding from the corruptions of ,popery4 ,in this way1 a departure in some things from the patriarchal1 the early ,jewish and the primitive ,christian faith1 is believed to have taken place2 particularly in the omission to ascribe the works of creation and providence to the ,christ1 in his delegated personal character as ,mediator1 and ascribing those works to the ,father2 and in adopting the sentiments that the mediatorial work commenced after the fall1 and had for its sole object the salvation of men1 and that his second coming and reign would not be personal and visible1 but only spiritual1 at least not until the final judgment and consummation of all things4 ,the first of these errors--that of ascribing the creation to the ,father personally1 or to the invisible ,deity1 irrespective of any distinction of ,persons in the ,godhead--is to be traced back in the line of the ,jews to the period of the ,babylonish exile1 and to the influences and state of mind under which they renounced idolatry1 and with it the entire doctrine of mediation1 and all belief in a divine1 atoning1 and interceding ,messiah2 and1 obscuring by their traditions and glosses1 or wholly rejecting1 those prophecies which relate to the first advent and sufferings of the ,saviour1 looked for a human deliverer and temporal chief1 a king to resume the throne of ,david1 in those predictions of the second advent which indicate a period of universal peace and happiness4 ,the ,jews1 previously to their exile1 had both in respect to their knowledge of divine things and their practice1 greatly degenerated4 ,they had long been addicted to idolatry4 ,they had rejected their ,divine ,protector and ,king1 and yielded themselves to the false notions and corrupt practices of the heathen4 ,the ,divine presence and favor were withdrawn4 ,they were afflicted and driven out of their country4 ,prophets were sent to instruct1 admonish1 and encourage them2 but they refused to hear1 being hardened and blinded in unbelief4 ,they regarded the ,god of ,abraham1 the ,jehovah who led them out of ,egypt1 and1 in the ,shekina1 presided over their nation1 either as having become their enemy1 or as having withdrawn from them for ever4 ,under these circumstances1 there is ground to conclude that they willingly settled down in the notion of a ,supreme ,creator1 invisible1 far removed from the concerns of mortals1 and indifferent or inattentive to them4 ,on abandoning the forms of idolatry1 and rejecting the pretended mediators of idolatrous worship1 while yet continuing impenitent1 and maintaining a proud and haughty spirit as ,jews1 though now depressed1 and apparently abandoned of ,god2 they are believed to have banished from their minds all near apprehensions of the ,divine ,being1 and all ideas of a ,divine ,mediator1 and to have taken refuge in the abstract notion of a ,supreme ,creator1 who1 though no longer regarded as their covenant ,god and present protector1 had promised a leader1 a ,messiah1 who should deliver them from their temporal calamities4 ,such is believed to have been their state of mind at the close of their exile2 such the change attending their renunciation of idolatry2 and that the error and defect in question1 respecting the teachings of the ,old ,testament1 had its source with them4 ,their sentiments and state of mind having been perpetuated down to the period of the ,advent1 were propagated afterwards in the manner above referred to4 ,there was1 indeed1 a partial1 outward reformation under ,nehemiah1 after the return from ,babylon1 and the temple service was resumed2 but the ,shekina did not reppear1 and there was no general or lasting change amongst the people4 ,the ,chaldee expositors1 and afterwards the paraphrasts1 labored to revive and perpetuate the lost meaning of the ,hebrew ,scriptures2 but though a few1 a remnant1 of such as rightly apprehended and truly feared ,jehovah were preserved and perpetuated1 the theology and religion of the nation generally underwent no important change for the better4 ,the foregoing considerations may suffice to show how it has happened that the ,old ,testament has1 both by ,jews and ,christians1 so long and so generally been understood to ascribe the works of creation and providence1 not to the ,mediator1 but to the ,father1 or to the ,deity1 irrespective of any personal or official distinctions4 ,that this error1 and others intimately associated with it1 respecting the person and work of ,christ1 should have arisen and been perpetuated in the manner specified1 cannot reasonably be regarded with surprise4 ,the nature of the case1 and the lights of the intervening history1 are at war with the supposition that the true doctrines upon these subjects1 concerning which the governments1 hierarchies1 and people of the whole heathen world were in utter darkness and error1 were preserved by the ,jews after their return from ,babylon1 and after their rejection of ,christ1 and by the apostate hierarchy of the ,romish system imbued with the spirit and degenerated to the level of ,paganism1 in all but the name4 ,if1 as is notorious1 they did not truly teach the doctrines of ,scripture upon other subjects1 least of all can it be believed that they taught the truth concerning these4 ,,note4 ,concerning the ,work of ,creation and its completion at one ,epoch4 ,it is clear from ,colossians1 chap4 i41 that the work of creation1 there and elsewhere ascribed to the ,christ1 included the invisible as well as the visible worlds and all creatures2 that they were called into existence by him and for him1 for the purposes he was to execute and the ends which were to be accomplished by him4 ,he is accordingly referred to as upholding and governing all things1 as having all power in heaven and earth1 as heir and ,lord of all4 ,angels1 principalities and powers are subject to him2 and to him in his official character 7as visibly manifested the ,son of ,man7 all judgment is committed4 ,now these comprehensive ascriptions to him in his delegated character1 and in express connection with his work as ,mediator and ,redeemer1 as in the passage above referred to1 and in ,heb4 i41 render it preposterous to suppose that worlds and creatures invisible to us1 or any portion of the works of creation1 were brought into existence prior to that creation which is described in the ,mosaic narrative4 ,for if they were1 what conceivable connection or relation could they have had with his person or character as ,redeemer1 ,messiah1 ,god-man8 ,did he sustain that official character or exercise any of its offices ages prior to the creation of man8 ,in the beginning ,he created the heavens and the earth4 ,gen4 i4 ,he was in the beginning2 all things were made by him4 ,john i4 ,in the beginning he laid the foundation of the earth1 and the heavens are the work of his hands4 ,heb4 i4 ,in six days he made the heavens and the earth4 ,exodus xx4 ,but if the phrase in the beginning1 so frequently employed in this connection1 marks the epoch of the creation of the heavens1 it refers that of the earth to the same epoch4 ,the all things doubtless include the invisible as well as the visible worlds1 and the foundations of the earth were laid in the beginning4 ,thou hast made heaven1 the heaven of heavens1 with all their host1 the earth and all things that are therein1 the sea and all that is therein1 and thou preservest them all2 and the host of heaven worshippeth thee4 ,neh4 ix4 #g4 ,the heaven and the heaven of heavens is ,jehovah's1 the earth also with all that therein is4 ,deut4 x4 #ad4 ,in these and all similar connections1 as ,gen4 i4 #a3 ,exod4 xx4 #aa1 where the ,hebrew word is in the plural form1 heavens1 the universe of worlds visible and invisible is meant4 ,to preclude all doubt of this comprehensive reference1 ,moses and ,nehemiah1 both having occasion to guard against the pretensions of idolatry1 employ the phrase1 heaven of heavens4 ,accordingly1 wherever the work of creation is mentioned1 whether distinctively as the work of ,jehovah1 or historically1 as including all worlds1 the plural word1 the heavens1 is employed1 and put in contrast with the earth4 ,thus1 at the close of the six days1 the heavens and the earth were finished1 and all the host of them4 ,gen4 ii4 #a4 ,these are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created1 in the day that the ,lord ,god made the earth and the heavens4 ,gen4 ii4 #d4 ,thus saith ,god the ,lord1 he that created the heavens and stretched them out1 he that spread forth the earth1 and that which cometh out of it4 ,isaiah xlii4 #e4 ,thus saith the ,lord thy ,redeemer1 and he that formed thee3 ,i am the ,lord that maketh all things1 that stretcheth forth the heavens alone1 that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself4 ,isaiah xliv4 #bd4 ,thus saith the ,lord1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel1 and his maker1 444 ,i have made the earth and created man upon it3 ,i1 even my hands1 have stretched forth the heavens1 and all their hosts have ,i commanded4 ,ibid4 xlv4 #ab4 ,thus saith the ,lord that created the heavens2 ,god himself that formed the earth and made it2 he created it not in vain1 he formed it to be inhabited3 ,i am the ,lord1 and there is none else4 ,ibid4 xlv4 #ah4 ,the ,lord thy maker1 that hath stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth4 ,ibid4 li4 #ac4 ,the ,lord is the true ,god1 he is the living ,god1 and an everlasting ,king4444 ,the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth1 even they shall perish from the earth1 and from under these heavens4444 ,he hath made the earth by his power1 he hath established the world by his wisdom1 and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion4 ,jer4 x4 #aj1 c41 also ,psalm xcvi4 #e2 cii4 #be1 c41 c4 ,in these and similar passages1 where1 in the most comprehensive and unequivocal manner1 the creation of all things is asserted1 the simultaneous creation of all is clearly indicated in the collocation of the words the heavens and the earth1 the latter being sometimes placed before and sometimes after the former4 ,the same plural word is employed in other connections3 ,blessed be ,abram of the ,most ,high ,god1 possessor of the heavens and the earth4444 ,i have lifted up my hand unto the ,lord1 the ,most ,high ,god1 possessor of the heavens and the earth4 ,gen4 xiv4 ,is not ,god in the height of the heavens8 ,job xxii4 ,look down from thy holy habitation1 from the heavens1 and bless thy people4 ,deut4 xxvi4 ,o ,god1 look down from the heavens and behold4 ,psalm lxxx4 ,the ,lord he is ,god in the heavens above and upon the earth4 ,deut4 iv4 ,praise ye the ,lord from the heavens4444 ,praise ye him1 all his angels2 praise ye him1 all his hosts4 ,praise ye him1 sun and moon3 praise him1 all ye stars of light4 ,praise him1 ye heavens of heavens4444 ,let them praise the name of ,jehovah3 for he commanded1 and they were created4 ,he hath also established them for ever and ever1 he hath made a decree which shall not pass4 ,psalm cxlviii4 ,the ,scriptures speak of one creation only2 and of that1 directly and incidentally1 in such terms as to leave no room for the supposition that any portion of the material universe was called into existence prior to the ,mosaic epoch4 ,they exhibit nothing from which an inference can be derived that all were not created at one epoch4 ,the contrary supposition is not founded on any authority of inspiration1 but upon conjecture or assumption4 ,it is by some assumed that by the heavens ,moses meant the orbs of our solar system only1 or at most1 the stars visible in the firmament to the unassisted eye4 ,they think it unreasonable to suppose that in all past eternity nothing was created more than about six thousand years ago4 ,they cannot imagine what the ,creator was doing1 if he did not exercise his power in creating worlds4 ,but the same supposition might with equal reason be made with respect to any earlier conceivable epoch4 ,for at any such earlier epoch there had been a past eternity1 a duration without beginning4 ,the terms of the supposition are solecistical and absurd1 so far as relates to the ,creator1 and with respect to the little mind of man1 they are of no significance1 unless the invisible worlds are eternal4 ,it is more obvious than necessary to suggest an astronomical argument against the supposition of successive creations of suns and systems4 ,it is a doctrine of astronomy that our sun with its dependent system revolves round a central orb1 as our planets revolve around the sun2 but in an orbit of such immense extent as to require near two millions of years1 at the rate of thirty millions of miles a year1 to accomplish one revolution4 ,from the observations and facts which verify this doctrine1 it is legitimate to infer that there is a like revolution of all other suns and systems1 and that the laws which govern those vast and complicated movements were established at the creation4 ,with these considerations in view1 we may confidently infer that the infinite ,creator did not call into existence and establish the relations1 motions1 and revolutions of a portion of the celestial orbs at one epoch1 and another portion at a later epoch1 so as to derange all that had been perfected1 and require new adjustments1 new relations1 new movements1 new velocities1 and peradventure enlarged forces of attraction and gravitation throughout the realms of space4 ,to judge of the force of this argument1 one must1 in view of the harmony of the existing material system under the well-known laws which govern it1 consider what would be the necessary and inevitable effects of adding to that system new stars equal in number and dimensions to those visible from the earth1 or even one other solar system1 equal to that to which the earth belongs4 ,undoubtedly1 if our mathematics1 our inductive philosophy1 and our astronomy are to be relied on1 the addition to the existing orbs of one globe like the earth would more or less disturb and derange the whole1 or require an infinite miracle to prevent disturbance4 ,closely connected with the supposition of worlds created longer ago than the earth1 is that of successive creations of plants and animals to supply the defect of new or remote continents and islands4 ,many who1 conformably to the ,scriptures1 hold to the identity of the human race as descended from one primitive pair1 though distributed over all the continents and islands1 and exhibiting in many respects extreme diversity1 profess nevertheless to believe that there have been many successive creations of brute animals since1 if not prior to the deluge4 ,though pairs of the inferior races as well as of the human race were preserved in the ark1 and for the same reason--to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth1 and though no greater obstacles existed1 so far as we know1 to the dispersion of the inferior animals to all quarters of the globe than to that of man1 they indulge the notion1 without any authority from ,scripture1 or any demonstrable necessity1 or any better reason than the exigency of a geological theory1 that the ,creator of the universe1 in the course of his providence over this apostate and blighted world1 has1 from time to time1 exercised his power in creating races of brutes to be subject to the conditions of those who shared in the consequences of the apostasy of man4 ,such a notion seems in every view incongruous and preposterous1 without reason or necessity1 inconsistent with the law of creation in respect to man1 and unworthy of the perfections and of the moral purposes and administration of the ,creator4 ,it seems to imply the further notion1 that the same providence which dispersed and preserved the human race in all quarters and climates of the world1 was inadequate to the same results in the case of the lower animals1 and that it was of such moment to keep every locality stocked with savage and carnivorous beasts as to call1 from time to time1 for the interposition of creative power4 ,the object of the works of creation1 as the scene of the moral and providential administration of the ,creator1 would1 in harmony with the announcements of ,scripture1 seem to imply that they were brought into existence at one epoch4 ,that administration had a beginning3 at the beginning he created the scene and subjects of it4 ,it extends to all worlds4 ,it is one comprehensive1 universal1 perfect system1 involving the rights and prerogatives of the ,supreme ,ruler1 which are founded on the fact of his being the ,creator of all2 and the obligations and duties of intelligent creatures1 which arise from the fact of their owing their existence to him4 ,now1 since there could be no conceivable obstruction to his bringing all the worlds and creatures throughout the realms of space into being at one epoch2 and since the administration of which they were to be the scene was to comprehend them all1 it would seem better to comport with the admitted object of them and with his infinite perfections1 to believe that he created them all at once1 than to suppose that he laid the foundation of his empire in part at one and in part at a later epoch4 ,on the latter supposition1 it would be easy1 at least1 to suggest very plausible objections and difficulties1 for which1 on the former1 there is no room4 ,the passage in ,job xxviii41 ,whereupon are the foundations of the earth fastened8 or who laid the corner-stone thereof1 when the morning stars sang together1 and all the sons of ,god shouted for joy8 is by some supposed to imply1 that when the earth was created1 there were prexisting worlds and intelligent creatures to witness and celebrate the event4 ,but if such were the meaning of this poetical description1 those morning stars must have been such as were visible from the earth1 or else the earth could not be supposed to be visible from them4 ,the ,scriptures1 however1 refer to the visible stars as being created at the same time with the earth4 ,in the narrative of the fourth day it is said1 ,and ,god made two great lights2 444 he made the stars also2 and set them in the firmament of heaven1 to give light upon the earth1 and to rule over the day and over the night1 c4 ,gen4 i4 ,it is not conceivable that the reference in ,job should have been meant to exclude the visible stars2 and if it included them1 then it included celestial worlds which were created simultaneously with the earth4 ,the phrase1 morning stars1 doubtless signifies stars visible in the morning4 ,the terms employed in ,job may1 perhaps1 be better rendered1 ,the stars burst forth together as light1 or as the morning4 ,from the narrative of the temptation in ,eden1 some imagine that ,satan had existed and fallen before the creation of ,adam4 ,but there is no reference to that evil being till after ,adam and ,eve were placed in the garden4 ,how long they were there before the temptation1 we know not4 ,it was long enough1 however1 for them to receive instruction as to the prohibited tree1 and for ,adam to give names to all cattle1 and to the fowl of the air1 and to every beast of the field2 long enough for them to become familiar with the place1 and with the voice and other tokens of the ,creator's presence4 ,now1 on the supposition that all the angelic hosts were created simultaneously with the heavens and the earth1 what was there to hinder the apostasy of ,satan between the date of that creation and his assault upon ,adam1 which would not equally have hindered the apostasy of man so soon after his creation8 ,is it not1 from the nature of the case1 more probable that ,satan revolted very soon after his creation1 than at a remote period8 ,as in the case of ,adam1 who1 had he continued holy for scores or thousands of years1 would1 we may well presume1 have been less likely to fall than at the outset of his career1 before he had formed habits of obedience1 or had the benefit of experience4 ,it is remarkable with what facility the most preposterous assumptions have been adopted and perpetuated respecting the ,creator1 the works of creation1 providence1 moral government1 c41 to aid in support of preconceived religious1 philosophical1 physical1 and social theories4 ,the principal religious heresies1 whether propounded under the garb of theology or that of philosophy and science1 falsely so called1 have rested upon false assumptions respecting the character and condition of man as a fallen creature1 and the one only ,deliverer and way of deliverance1 and respecting the character1 prerogatives1 and rights of the ,creator and ,ruler of the world1 and the nature1 epoch1 and object of the work of creation4 ,witness the ,gnostic1 ,arian1 ,pelagian1 ,socinian1 and other ancient religious heresies1 on the one hand2 and on the other1 the theory of our modern geologists1 in its relation to the inspiration1 authority1 and meaning of the ,scriptures1 the nature1 date and purpose of the creation of the world1 and the causes and reasons of the physical changes it has undergone4 ,the fact that all the great heresies and false systems by which the post-diluvian world has been deceived and held in the bondage of corruption1 have risen from false assumptions and erroneous theories concerning the ,creator and the work of creation2 and from those assumptions and theories1 as starting-points1 have diverged from the truth as revealed in ,scripture2 this fact1 and the consideration that the rights and prerogatives of ,jehovah1 in relation to his creatures and their obligations and duties towards him1 are founded in the fact of his being the ,creator1 demonstrate that the account which he has given of his works is of equal authority with the other contents of his ,word4 ,it lies at the foundation of his moral law and government1 and of his providential administration over all worlds1 and is essential to his claim of supreme allegiance and homage from all intelligent creatures4 ,it lies at the foundation of all scriptural faith in ,god and in the doctrines of his ,word1 and is the basis of the true1 in contradistinction to all false religion4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,the great ,antagonism--in what manner will it terminate8 ,the great peculiarity in the history of the human race took its rise in the apostasy of man1 and is exhibited in the antagonism between the rightful ,sovereign of the world and the instigator of that apostasy1 and in the agency1 relations and destiny of their respective followers4 ,in the progress of the conflict between the righteous and the wicked1 holiness and sin1 happiness and misery1 light and darkness1 truth and falsehood1 the desperate malevolence of the ,evil ,one1 and the guilt and ruin of his followers1 are made manifest to all observers2 and on the other hand1 the infinite riches of the wisdom1 goodness1 righteousness and mercy of the great ,deliverer towards his followers1 in their renewed allegiance and recovery to holiness and happiness1 are equally made public4 ,in the announcements of his ,word1 and in the administration of his moral and providential government over them1 the wrath of ,god is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man4 ,the angels who kept not their first estate were reserved to an inevitable doom4 ,the early descendants of the first human pair wholly corrupted their way and filled the earth with violence1 and the world that then was1 being overflowed with water1 perished4 ,the immediate successors of those who were preserved in the ark1 when1 from the works of creation1 the teachings of ,noah1 and the institutions of revealed religion1 they knew ,god1 glorified him not as ,god1 neither were thankful1 but became vain in their imaginations1 and their foolish heart was darkened4 ,professing themselves to be wise1 they became fools1 and changed the glory of the incorruptible ,god--misrepresented his invisible attributes1 eternal power and ,godhead1 and the glory of his perfections1 visibly displayed in his works of creation and providence--by an image made like to corruptible men1 and to birds1 and four-footed beasts and creeping things2 and changed the truth concerning ,god into a lie1 and worshipped and served the creature rather than the ,creator1 who is blessed for ever4 ,therefore1 even as they did not like to retain the true ,god in their knowledge1 he gave them over1 in his righteous judgment1 to a reprobate mind1 to the indulgence of their evil propensities under the instigation of their chosen leader1 the ,devil1 who deceiveth the whole world2 assuming to be1 and usurping the place of1 ,god2 leading his deluded followers captive at his will1 and foreshowing1 by their condition and conduct on earth1 their ultimate doom1 as the final destiny of the angels who kept not their first estate is manifested by their conduct while under sentence of condemnation prior to the final judgment4 ,throughout the history of this antagonism as recorded in the ,old ,testament1 the great question was1 ,who is the true ,god1 the ,creator1 ,ruler1 ,benefactor1 to whom all creatures owe allegiance--,jehovah or the ,baal8 ,this question was specially and publicly tried on various occasions1 as in the plagues of ,egypt1 in the controversy conducted by ,elijah1 in that relating to the image erected by ,nebuchadnezzar1 and many others of less notoriety4 ,in several scores of instances it is the declared purpose of particular dispensations and events that those to whom they referred might be made to know that ,he1 the true ,god1 in opposition to the ,baal1 was ,jehovah4 ,and such1 at the final termination of the conflict1 will be the resistless and universal conviction3 every knee shall bow1 and every tongue confess that ,jesus ,christ is ,lord to the glory of ,god the ,father4 ,having1 in his official character and complex ,person1 maintained the conflict throughout all the periods and in all the forms of its exhibition1 vanquished the great ,adversary1 redressed the consequences of the fall1 and destroyed even death itself1 his triumph is complete and final2 vindicating all his offices and agency1 establishing the facts and doctrines1 prerogatives and rights upon which his government is founded1 securing for ever the loyalty and bliss of the unfallen and ransomed portions of his empire1 and filling the universe with the glory of his person and his name1 and with the boundless riches of his wisdom1 grace and love4 ,then will be displayed the vastness and grandeur of the scheme purposed in ,christ ,jesus before the foundation of the world1 and involving this conflict between the ,divine ,mediator and the ,arch-rebel and his party1 that through the redemption1 resurrection1 and final exaltation and glory of the ,church1 the ,divine perfections might be made known to the unfallen1 the principalities and powers in heavenly places4 ,the chief question which remains concerning this antagonism1 relates to the manner of its termination--the means and agencies by which it is to be ended4 ,that it is to end1 there is no doubt4 ,that it is to terminate in such a manner as to fill the universe with new and previously inconceivable demonstrations of the majesty1 power1 and glory of the ,messiah1 and his people with unprecedented exultation1 joy1 and praise1 the ,scriptures abundantly testify4 ,but from a period shortly subsequent to that of his ascension1 there has been a difference of opinion in the ,church--more or less conspicuous at all times1 but never1 perhaps1 more marked than at present--concerning this great question4 ,that difference of opinion1 on the part of the great majority even in the ,protestant churches1 is believed to be founded in the ,rabbinical and figurative interpretations of the ,old ,testament1 formerly referred to2 and to include among its principal elements a very defective estimate of those sacred oracles1 and an inadequate and erroneous view of their teachings concerning the ,person1 titles1 prerogatives1 manifestations1 works and purposes of ,christ4 ,on a point of this nature and importance1 one might safely infer from the analogy of the past1 whether arguing from the history of the ,jewish or that of the nominally ,christian ,church1 that the party composing the great majority were not in the right4 ,it is presumed to be quite safe to say1 that at every period of any considerable extent of the ,jewish ,church1 after its establishment in ,canaan1 and more especially after the reign of ,solomon1 the majority1 notwithstanding the writings of ,moses and the instructions of the prophets1 were under great delusion and error respecting the ,messiah and his kingdom2 and at the ,advent1 those who were in the right were few in number compared with the busy scribes1 the ostentatious ,pharisees1 and those doctors of the law who1 sitting in ,moses' seat1 taught the traditions and commandments of men4 ,and of what considerable division of the nominally ,christian ,church1 from the second century to the ,reformation1 will any one affirm that a great majority were not under deep delusion and error in respect to important points of doctrine and practice8 ,or of the ,romish ,church before or since the ,reformation1 will any one1 not a ,papist1 say that it has not held flagrant and astounding errors concerning the offices and prerogatives of ,christ1 as ,prophet1 ,priest1 and ,king1 the one only ,mediator1 ,lawgiver1 and ,head of his people8 ,can it be presumptuous1 then1 to suppose that the great majority in the ,protestant churches are in error in holding that this antagonism is to terminate without any further visible personal manifestations of ,jehovah1 the ,messenger incarnate2 that the usurping ,adversary1 whose domination over the race prior to the deluge was checked by that catastrophe only till fitting subjects of his delusions reppeared1 and whose sway over the ,pagan1 ,mohammedan and ,roman world has1 with occasional change of forms and names1 continued substantially intact1 is to be vanquished and driven from the scene solely by moral and spiritual influence2 that the system of idolatry which has1 from the call of ,abraham to the present hour1 subjected most of the race to all the evils and miseries of sin which are possible to human beings in the present life2 which has been the organized medium and embodiment of rebellion against their rightful ,sovereign1 of denial of his claims1 and of studied provocation and affront2 and which has withstood so many public and visible shocks and terrors of his wrath and power1 is at length to yield and quietly disappear without any further visible demonstrations of his supremacy1 or public vindications of his righteousness8 ,is there any thing more unlikely in the supposition that a misconstruction of the prophecies relating to the period and objects of the second advent should prevail and be pertinaciously adhered to by many1 than in the historical fact that the ,jews and ,jewish doctors misconstrued those prophecies relating to the period and objects of the first advent1 which1 to the faithful in the ,gentile ,church1 have ever appeared unmistakably plain and definitive8 ,if such misconstruction and error do not prevail with the generality of ,protestants1 it is the first time in the history of the world that the multitude1 in opposition to the few on such a question1 have held the true meaning of the ,scriptures4 ,if they do prevail1 they will assuredly be renounced at least by the true worshippers4 ,their teachers and guides will cease to be of those who regard the ,old ,testament as a shadowy myth1 all figurative with reference to the future1 all obsolete in relation to the past--creation resolved into primordial elements and physical laws1 or superseded by the chronology of sediment and fossil bones--and miracles explained away as inconsistent with rationalism and with the course of nature4 ,on the other hand1 the descendants of ,israel will recognize the ,messiah in ,jesus of ,nazareth2 the veil which1 on their reading of ,moses1 is on their hearts1 will be taken away1 and the tabernacle of ,david1 which is fallen down1 will be rerected2 and ,jesus the ,messiah1 ,adonai1 ,jehovah the ,messenger1 will come and reign as ,priest and ,king upon his throne for ever and ever4 ,in their defection to idolatry1 the ,messiah1 the ,messenger ,jehovah1 became an offense to ,israel4 ,they ceased to seek salvation1 righteousness1 justification by faith in him1 and trusted to the works of the law4 ,they stumbled at him as a stumbling-stone and rock of offense4 ,but have they so stumbled and fallen as to be utterly cut off8 ,far be it6 ,rather1 through their fall salvation came to the ,gentiles4 ,and if their ,fall was followed and counteracted by such benefits1 what shall their recovery be but life from the dead8 ,if on their stock1 decayed and rejected through unbelief1 the ,gentiles as a wild olive were engrafted1 ,god is able to engraft them again into their own olive tree4 ,if blindness of heart hath befallen ,israel1 it is only till the fulness of the ,gentiles be come in2 and then all ,israel will be saved4 ,as it is written1 ,there shall come out of ,zion the ,deliverer1 and shall turn away ungodliness from ,jacob3 ,for this is my covenant unto them when ,i shall take away their sins4 ,as concerning the gospel1 they are enemies for the ,gentiles' sake2 but as touching the election1 they are beloved for the fathers' sakes4 ,for the gifts and calling of ,god are without repentance4 ,for as in times past before the ,messiah came the ,gentiles believed not1 but on his coming obtained mercy because of the unbelief of ,israel2 so ,israel now continues disobedient to the mercy shown to the ,gentiles1 that through their mercy ,israel also may obtain mercy2 that ,god may have mercy upon all4 ,o the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of ,god6 how unsearchable are his judgments1 and his ways past finding out6 ,for who hath known the mind of the ,lord8 or who hath been his counsellor8 or who hath first given to him1 and it shall be recompensed unto him again8 ,for of him1 and through him1 and to him are all things2 to whom be glory for ever4 ,amen4 ,romans xi4 ,behold then1 descendants of ,israel1 the ,lamb of ,god who taketh away the sin of the world6 ,behold in ,jesus the ,christ1 the ,messiah whom your fathers crucified and pierced6 ,look to the ,messenger ,jehovah1 who1 when the race in their primeval representative fell from the estate wherein they were created1 yielding to the will of the great ,adversary1 renouncing their allegiance to ,god1 and becoming heirs of his wrath and condemnation1 took their place as their representative and substitute1 entered the lists as their champion1 assumed the responsibility of encountering1 counteracting1 and finally subduing1 vanquishing1 and triumphing over their destroyer1 and by suffering in their stead1 of rescuing1 sanctifying1 and raising from the dead all who by faith receive1 trust1 love1 and obey him2 the ,god-man1 the only ,mediator1 to whom1 as ,prophet1 ,priest1 and ,king of ,zion1 ,king of ,kings and ,lord of ,lords1 every knee must bow1 and every tongue confess that ,he is ,jehovah4 ,,note ,a--,relating to the ,exposition of the ,apocalypse1 by ,d4 ,n4 ,lord4 ,instead of tracing the illustrations thus furnished1 or making the requisite citations1 the writer can barely refer to them1 and express1 as far as may be fitting1 his opinion of that work as an exposition1 upon clear and indubitable principles1 of a portion of the sacred oracles previously sealed and unintelligible1 to the opening of which no clew had been discovered1 and towards a reliable or satisfactory explanation of which1 no progress had been made4 ,and he cannot forbear to speak of it1 even at the hazard of being supposed to have a motive inferior to that of impartial admiration of the work1 as opening to the view a clear vision of the inner sanctuary1 and vividly portraying the scenes1 the agencies1 and the events of the last great act of the drama begun in ,eden2 and as surpassing all other efforts towards an exposition of any portion of the prophetic oracles1 in the scriptural authority of its principles1 the loftiness and grandeur of its conceptions1 the adequacy of its representations of the ,person1 titles1 offices1 prerogatives1 agency1 purposes1 dominion and glory of ,jehovah the ,incarnate ,word2 the luminousness of its descriptions1 the relevancy of its proofs and illustrations1 the clearness and brevity of its style1 the absence of every thing not pertinent1 and the exhibition of every thing requisite to an exposition of ,the ,revelation of ,jesus ,christ which ,god gave unto him to show unto his servants4 ,such being the character of the work1 it can occasion no surprise to those who consider the reigning notions and prejudices of the times concerning the import of some of the symbols1 that it should be neglected by the many4 ,it overturns prevailing theories and fixed opinions4 ,had it1 with no settled rules of interpretation1 followed the beaten track1 in conformity with those theories and opinions2 its accurate scholarship1 its thorough acquaintance with preceding authors1 with the records1 institutions1 import1 and bearings of the earlier dispensations1 with ancient and modern history1 with the ,greek and ,latin ,fathers1 and with collateral branches of literature and sources of illustration1 would have insured it the ready suffrage of the learned and the public4 ,but it is from beginning to end an innovation4 ,instead of being an echo of prior expositions1 it is wholly original4 ,instead of being a version of the conjectures and fancies of others1 without settled and uniform principles of exposition1 it differs from them very much as astronomy differs from astrology4 ,it is based upon axioms and rules which are well defined1 and of certain and universal application to the subjects to which they relate4 ,it lays down what no prior exposition ever attempted1 ,the ,laws of ,symbolic ,representation2 and by a rigid and consistent adherence to those laws1 as by a process of inductive demonstration1 brings out intelligibly to the reader the meaning of the successive symbols3 in each instance illustrating and confirming the exposition by references to history1 and contrasting it with the views advanced by preceding writers4 ,these laws of symbolic representation are neither less evidently founded in the nature of that mode of revelation1 nor less essential as a clew to its meaning1 than are the common rules of grammar in relation to ordinary literal language2 and they are accordingly sanctioned1 and their reality and truthfulness are demonstrated by numerous references to inspired expositions of prophetic symbols4 ,a revelation by symbol is not a statement or description in words of what is foreshown1 but a representative exhibition in a visible form2 as for example of a living agent1 with certain known natural characteristics1 and certain official insignia or other accompaniments1 between which agent1 so depicted in its appropriate attitude and sphere of action1 and the agent or class of agents of a different nature and sphere of action which is represented and foreshown1 there are such resemblances and analogies as to render the first an expressive and fitting representative of the other4 ,thus the beast described ,rev4 xiii4 as emerging from the sea1 having seven heads and ten horns1 and upon his horns ten crowns1 and upon his heads the names of blasphemy2 his body being like a leopard1 his feet like those of a bear1 and his mouth as that of a lion2 is described chap4 xvii4 as representing by its seven heads1 seven kings1 dynasties1 or forms of executive power in the ,roman ,empire prior to its division2 and by its ten horns ten kings which as yet had received no kingdom2 the ten kings1 namely1 between whom the western empire was to be divided1 and who1 with the relentless ferocity of lions1 bears and leopards1 were by persecution and otherwise to make war with the ,lamb4 ,so in the vision of ,daniel1 chap4 viii41 the ram with two horns is declared to represent the ,kings of ,media and ,persia2 and the goat with one horn1 the ,king of ,grecia4 ,these examples illustrate the laws of symbolic representation with reference to one class of symbols2 and with respect to those symbols of which there is no inspired explanation1 the expositor1 under the control and guidance of those laws1 is liable to no mistake1 unless it be in his inadequate discernment of analogies and erroneous selection of agents1 events1 or other phenomena1 instead of those intended to be foreshown1 and in which congruity with the characteristics and adjuncts of the symbol1 harmony with other ,scriptures and predictions1 and correspondence with historical events and testimonies are confidently to be expected4 ,if the reader can imagine any thing of the awe and wonder which overwhelmed the apostle in his visions1 when1 in his station on the apocalyptic earth or in the heavenly sanctuary1 he beheld the glorified ,person of his ,lord in the effulgence of his ,deity1 seated on a throne1 from which1 as at ,sinai1 proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices1 and around which were exhibited the representative and triumphant witnesses and trophies of his redemptive work2 and beheld that ,person symbolizing himself in his aspect and relations as incarnate1 a ,lamb1 standing as slain2 and saw1 as on the revolving canvas of a panorama1 when the seals were opened1 the symbolic forms emerging into view one after another1 each by its representative character revealing1 as in cipher1 the agents and events of its future appropriate and peculiar department2 and witnessed the phenomena of revolutions1 tempests1 earthquakes1 darkness1 fire and blood1 foreshown under the sounding of the trumpets2 and successively the slaughter and resurrection of the witnesses1 the war of ,michael and the ,dragon1 the emergence of the ten-horned wild beast1 the rise and career of the two-horned wild beast and false prophet1 the harvest and vintage of the earth1 the pouring out upon the earth of the plagues of the seven vials of the wrath of ,god1 the fall and destruction of great ,babylon1 and the ensuing scenes of wonder and glory1 retribution and judgment1 thanksgiving and triumph1 he may in some degree conceive the effect of converting the enigmatical portraitures of this panorama into intelligible literal language1 assigning each to its relative and historical position1 and reflecting on the version the light of earlier revelations1 that of ecclesiastical and secular history1 and in a large degree1 in respect to the past1 that of unmistakable events4 ,it is in respect to the result1 as compared with that of preceding efforts1 like ,daniel's interpretation of ,nebuchadnezzar's dream1 compared with the fruitless endeavors of the magicians1 astrologers1 and ,chaldeans of ,babylon2 or like the finally successful effort to read the hieroglyphics of ,egypt1 compared with the fruitless attempts1 bewildering theories1 and abortive labors of preceding ages4 ,had this work been published at some transition-period1 when the human mind was freeing itself from erroneous and long-cherished opinions2 at the revival of learning in ,europe1 when there were ,luthers and ,calvins to welcome it2 or in ,england1 when there were ,latimers and ,ridleys1 ,boyles and ,newtons1 or ,owens and ,howes2 or in this country at the period of ,edwards1 it would have superseded and prevented the expositions to which it is opposed1 or else it would have been answered in the same way as were the doctrines of ,galileo4 ,such men under their circumstances would not have been content to say1 as many at present seem to be3 ,though we consider the ,apocalypse a part of the inspired ,word of ,god1 and though it evidently relates to the future of the ,church1 the conduct of the redeemed and the destruction of their enemies1 and above all to the crowning1 ultimate and eternal manifestation of the ,person1 prerogatives1 supremacy1 prophetical and sacerdotal works1 and regal majesty1 glory1 triumph and reign of ,jesus ,christ2 yet we neither understand it1 nor believe it will be understood in advance of its issues2 and therefore are not disposed to examine anything new upon the subject4 ,but the transition now going on is not against1 but in favor of ancient and erroneous opinions4 ,it is retrograde towards ,pelagianism1 ,pantheism1 ,neology1 ,romanism1 and among the best1 to the omnivorous infection of infidel ,germanism4 ,the partisans of these errors desire no lights but such as are reflected from the satellites of their respective systems4 ,in those exclusive and dubious lights1 each is secure alike against the arguments and examples of every other4 ,they can controvert the doctrines of ,scripture and those of each other upon all disputed points1 without the slightest danger of extorting concessions or producing conviction2 for no two of them see the same thing by the same light4 ,all hope and expectation of defeating or silencing any party by the arguments or ,scripture citations or interpretations of another1 or of dislodging cherished and fixed opinions by any means short of a universal deluge1 or an annihilation like that of the ,egyptians by the ,red ,sea1 or that of ,sodom and ,gomorrha by fire1 is given up4 ,and so long as they nominally agree in respect to certain future issues1 towards which they think the onward course of things in the physical1 intellectual1 scientific1 mechanical1 social and religious world is wafting them1 their theories and their relative positions will allow them fearlessly to float down with the current1 without having in advance even the light of a moon4 ,there is a ,millennium in prospect2 a vast1 undefinable ,mediterranean of something better than the present1 into which all the turbid streams of humanity are tending1 and towards which the preaching of the gospel to all nations is but a tributary4 ,the aspect of things1 accordingly1 is much like that in the days of ,noah1 while the ark was preparing2 as if ,satan were already bound1 and no deluge of wrath or terrors of retribution were impending2 and as if with science and art1 ancient relics and now inventions1 gold mines and traffic1 steam and electricity1 as pioneers1 the ,ethiopian were about to change his skin1 and the leopard his spots1 the wolf to lie down with the lamb1 and the lion to eat straw like the ox4 ,the more startling the events of ,providence1 the shattering of political fabrics1 the excision and restoration of dynasties1 the revival of ,popish arrogations and intolerance1 the pitched battle of despotism against liberty1 the more sure they are to be construed as immediate signals of the universal prevalence and triumph of human hopes4 ,the purple and scarlet robes of the ,babylonish ,sorceress are seemingly changed to vestal whiteness1 as gazed at through the spectrum of discolored glass1 or seen in the sepulchral1 bewildering1 superstitious twilight of ,baalistic tapers2 while the murmurings of unearthly music1 the chantings and mutterings of unintelligible words1 and the spell of imputed and pretended mysteries1 subdue the victim to whatever the spiritual operator may prescribe or denounce4 ,the nations in the four quarters of the globe seem to many to be about to renounce their idolatries1 and to be released without a struggle on the part of ,satan1 who has held them in bondage hitherto1 and to be arranging to assume white robes and take their stations on the glass-like expanse before the throne4 ,the partisans of such views neither realize nor believe that there is any thing to the contrary revealed in ,scripture2 or if there is1 it is so concealed in symbol and figure as to preclude its being understood till all is over4 ,and accordingly1 like the ,pharisees of old1 who scrupulously paid tithes of mint and all manner of herbs1 and omitted the weightier matters of practical righteousness1 faith1 and the love of ,god1 they resolve religion into outward action1 the love of ,god into eclectic sympathy with his creatures1 and faith into their theory of particular duties4 ,formerly1 in religious controversy1 there was something positive on one side1 against which an opposing negative was asserted4 ,in the great controversy recorded in the ,bible1 the supremacy of ,jehovah and the authority of his ,word were explicitly and constantly affirmed by one party1 and as directly and perseveringly denied by the other2 and the two parties were therefore broadly and unmistakably distinguished4 ,but at present the case is widely different4 ,no active partisan1 theological or scientific1 now denies the existence of a ,supreme ,being1 or professes to disbelieve the ,scriptures4 ,all claim to be believers in ,god and in the ,bible4 ,what they differ about is as to what kind of ,being that is whom they call ,god2 whether personality is one of his attributes1 and what works and purposes are to be ascribed to him3 and as to what the ,scriptures teach1 how they are to be understood2 whether they are inspired or not2 whether they are all typical1 or what portion or whether the whole of them is in some way figurative2 whether miracles were ever wrought2 whether the ,mosaic account of the creation is to be understood literally1 and the like4 ,and if there is at this moment1 in the compass of the world1 or in the ,protestant portion of it1 one comprehensive error1 conspicuous above all others1 it is that of inadequate1 partial1 defective apprehensions1 recognitions1 and acknowledgments of what the ,scriptures reveal concerning the ,person1 prerogatives1 offices1 works1 dominion1 triumph and glory of the ,messiah1 and concerning his yet unended conflict with the ,arch-apostate4 ,,note ,b--,the primary ground of ,mediation1 c4 ,the primary ground or reason of that mediation1 in the economy of the universe1 which is affirmed of the one ,mediator in all the relations of ,god to the ,world1 is the infinite difference between the ,deity and creatures in nature1 attributes1 and mode of existence and action4 ,the relations implied in the existence and agency of creatures are such as cannot be conceived to subsist between beings so diverse in all respects as the infinite and finite1 except through an intermediate agent1 in the constitution of whose person and office the opposite extremes are united4 ,for in creating1 upholding1 and governing finite beings1 the agency of the ,creator and ,ruler connects itself with the conditions and relations of time and space2 the conditions and relations of matter2 of succession of thought1 feeling1 and action2 of that which is external1 visible1 limited2 that which begins and ends4 ,it may therefore be said1 that in the nature of things such mediation1 the interposition of such an official ,person1 is necessary2 and accordingly the agency of the ,mediator in those relations is presupposed1 assumed1 or expressly recognized1 throughout the ,scriptures4 ,in this system1 the moral government which is administered by the ,mediator is founded on the perfections1 prerogatives and rights of the ,deity as manifested by him in the works of creation1 providence and grace1 and applies to creatures in the relations which they sustain to him4 ,the whole is therefore a system of manifestation2 on his part of the perfections and rights of the ,deity1 and on theirs of holiness and happiness1 or of sin and misery1 in the relations in which they exist4 ,in the progress of this system1 all intelligent creatures will be instructed in all that is knowable by them concerning the ,deity1 and all that respects themselves1 and the nature1 tendency1 and consequences of holiness on the one hand1 and of apostasy and wickedness on the other4 ,the ,deity thus made known will1 by the holy1 the unfallen and redeemed1 be eternally reverenced1 supremely loved1 and exclusively worshipped and obeyed2 his rights and prerogatives will be acknowledged1 and his perfections and the boundless emanations of his goodness be regarded with ceaseless1 adoring1 grateful rapture and delight4 ,in the administration of his moral government over apostate creatures1 and in their future punishment1 the ,mediator's sceptre is a sceptre of perfect righteousness4 ,the course of things eventually to be realized on earth will be such as would have taken place from the beginning1 had no apostasy occurred4 ,the apostasy and the curse on man and the earth will be overcome4 ,the antagonism between the ,mediator and the ,adversary will cease4 ,the earth1 freed from the curse and from all enemies1 renovated1 restored to its original beauty1 will be the perpetual scene of holiness and happiness4 ,under the past and present dispensations1 the object has been to do away the consequences of the fall of the first ,adam as head of the race4 ,when the second ,adam1 7the ,lord from heaven17 as head of his elect people1 shall have accomplished this at his second advent1 and destroyed all enemies1 he will be thenceforth the head of the race for ever4 ,the apostasy was a violation of prexisting relations between the ,creator and creatures4 ,the victory gained by ,satan over the first ,adam as head of his race made him as much master of that ,adam and his descendants as he was of the angels who joined him in apostasy4 ,by that victory he had the power of death4 ,doubtless it was his object to destroy1 as to the purposes and mode of existence for which they were created1 the race with which1 by the constitution of his official ,person1 the ,mediator was connected2 and thereby to defeat him4 ,the victory of the second ,adam over ,satan1 utterly despoils him of all he had taken from the first ,adam1 destroys all his works1 and ends in the destruction of himself and all enemies4 ,as yet the results are but partially manifested4 ,his victory as man--the victory of that nature in his official ,person which had been overthrown in ,adam--was achieved by his triumph over the direct personal temptation in the wilderness1 and by his death1 resurrection and ascension4 ,the consummation of his triumph by the final overthrow and banishment of all enemies1 in which his ,divine attributes and prerogatives will be displayed1 is yet future4 ,the administration of the ,mediator in the government of this world1 proceeds upon a definite and intelligible plan4 ,it is one scheme1 with which all agencies and events are connected1 and of which the consummation is distinctly foretold4 ,the ,mediator is1 from the beginning to the end1 the ,divine ,actor and ,revealer1 the ,alpha and ,omega1 first and last4 ,from the date of the apostasy this government relates to mankind as separated into two classes or parties1 the loyal and the rebellious4 ,the result of the first prolonged trial was the destruction of the whole race as rebellious and incorrigible1 ,noah and his family excepted4 ,on the apostasy of the renewed race1 shortly after the deluge1 to the impious rival system of idolatry1 ,abraham was called to be the head of a separated race1 who1 by a system of external and visible rites1 institutions1 teachings1 services1 benefits and discipline1 were to be visibly--and as peculiarly dealt with1 in contrast with the rest of the world--the loyal party4 ,as such1 the ,mediator was personally to dwell with them and to exercise his offices1 and rule them as ,priest and ,king4 ,he accordingly1 having brought the children of ,israel into the wilderness of ,sinai1 entered1 prior to the giving of the ,law1 into a formal covenant with them1 as recorded in ,exodus xix3 ,jehovah called unto ,moses out of the mountain1 saying1 ,thus shalt thou say to the house of ,jacob1 and tell the children of ,israel2 ,ye have seen what ,i did unto the ,egyptians1 and how ,i bare you on eagles' wings1 and brought you unto myself4 ,now therefore1 if ye will obey my voice indeed1 and keep my covenant1 then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people1 7for all the earth is mine27 and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests1 and a holy nation4 ,moses rehearsed these terms to the people3 ,and all the people answered together1 and said1 ,all that ,jehovah hath spoken we will do4 ,and ,moses returned the words of the people unto ,jehovah4 ,during the trial under this covenant1 the other nations were governed and dealt with as in a state of total and avowed rebellion1 under condemnation1 and obnoxious to the demands of justice4 ,pursuant to this system1 the nations of ,canaan were first destroyed4 ,after ,egypt1 ,assyria was for a long time the head of the rebellious party2 then ,babylon1 and subsequently the four empires predicted in ,daniel4 ,all the nations and governments of that party were idolatrous4 ,this was the leading feature in their character as apostates and rebels4 ,and to this1 by their relations to them1 the ,israelites4 ,the ,messenger ,jehovah1 having executed judgment upon ,egypt1 and brought the children of ,israel into the wilderness of ,sinai1 appeared on the top of the mount in the brightness of lightnings1 and with the voice of a trumpet which shook the mountain4 ,the people1 who1 after witnessing the wonders of ,egypt and of the ,red ,sea1 had exhibited a murmuring and rebellious spirit1 were impressed and awed by this manifestation1 while the ,law of the ,ten ,commandments was announced4 ,they removed and stood afar off4 ,and they said unto ,moses1 ,speak thou with us1 and we will hear1 but let not ,elohim speak with us1 lest we die4 ,and ,moses said unto the people1 ,fear not2 for the ,elohim is come to prove you1 and that his fear may be before your faces1 that ye sin not4 ,and the people stood afar off1 and ,moses drew near unto the thick darkness where the ,elohim was4 ,and ,jehovah said unto ,moses1 ,thus thou shalt say unto the children of ,israel1 ,ye have seen that ,i have talked with you from heaven4 ,ye shall not make with me ,elohe of silver1 neither shall ye make unto you ,elohe of gold4 ,an altar of earth thou shalt make unto me1 and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings and thy peace offerings 444 in all places where ,i record my name ,i will come unto thee1 and ,i will bless thee4 ,exod4 xx4 ,thus1 at the outset of this trial1 under the most appalling tokens of his presence1 ,jehovah reiterates the prohibition expressed in the first two commandments against idolatry4 ,among the judicial laws prescribed at the same time with the moral1 there is one making idolatry a civil offense1 to be punished with death4 ,he that sacrificeth unto any ,elohim1 save unto ,jehovah only1 he shall be utterly destroyed4 ,exodus xxii4 #bj4 ,again 7xxiii4 #ac7 they are enjoined to make no mention of the name of any other ,elohim2 and subsequently in the same chapter they are commanded not to bow down to the ,elohim of the nations of ,canaan1 but to overthrow them and break down their images4 ,moses having written out the moral and judicial laws thus far prescribed1 the people consented to them and promised obedience2 and having built an altar1 and twelve pillars1 according to the twelve tribes of ,israel1 he offered sacrifices1 read the book of the covenant1 and ratified it by sprinkling blood on the people4 ,exod4 xxiv4 ,after this proceeding1 ,moses with the elders ascended the mount1 where1 after an extraordinary personal manifestation of ,jehovah1 the ,elohe of ,israel1 the ceremonial law was prescribed4 ,nearly forty days having elapsed1 the people1 impatient at ,moses' absence1 instigated ,aaron to make them a molten image--a golden calf4 ,this being done under pretense that the image represented ,jehovah1 they said1 ,this is thy ,elohe1 ,o ,israel1 which brought thee up out of the land of ,egypt4 ,aaron built an altar before it1 and appointed a feast to ,jehovah2 and upon the altar they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings4 ,exod4 xxxii4 ,for this audacious treason and unbelief1 about three thousand men were slain3 soon after which1 ,jehovah made a covenant with the people1 promising to drive out the ,canaanites before them1 and renewedly enjoining them to break their images and destroy their altars and groves4 ,chap4 xxxiv4 ,the tabernacle having been erected and offerings made according to the ritual1 ,there came a fire out from before ,jehovah1 and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering1 444 which when all the people saw1 they shouted and fell on their faces4 ,leviticus ix4 ,on this occasion two of the priests1 ,nadab and ,abihu1 sons of ,aaron1 in the spirit of the ,egyptian idolatry1 burnt incense with strange fire1 i4 e41 such as idolaters used3 ,and there went out fire from ,jehovah and devoured them1 and they died before ,jehovah4 ,levit4 x4 ,the constant recurrence of reproof1 instruction and prediction1 in the historical and ,prophetic writings of the ,old ,testament1 proceeds from the nature of that dispensation1 the conduct of the people under it1 and the manner of its final consummation4 ,the dispensation was one of outward and visible manifestation1 discipline1 trial1 prefiguration and hope2 disobedience under it was acted out visibly in idolatry and all practical abominations4 ,reproofs were uttered according to actual circumstances1 having respect to present actual wickedness4 ,a leading feature of that dispensation was that of the personal1 local1 visible appearances and interpositions of the ,mediator4 ,the tendencies and results of the dispensation were thwarted and delayed by the idolatry and wickedness of the people4 ,the predictions1 founded in the nature and design of that visible economy1 looked forward to the circumstances1 agencies and results which were to fulfil1 complete and vindicate the nature and original design of the economy4 ,hence the humiliation and vicarious sufferings of the ,mediator1 and the glory of his ultimate manifestations1 judgments and triumph1 are the prominent topics of prophetic announcement2 and the latter chiefly1 as more in keeping with the analogy of the past1 and as being ultimate and perfect4 ,by the things thus predicted1 the thwarted and delayed purposes and tendencies of the dispensation were to be adequately provided for1 and rendered effective by the foreseen intervention of the agency and power of the ,mediator in his incarnate state4 ,the prophets accordingly pass from the circumstances which gave rise to their predictions to the circumstances and events of their fulfilment by the ,mediator in his future visible manifestations4 ,it was1 for example1 provided in the ,mosaic economy that the loyalty and obedience of the ,israelites should have a trial under the government of the ,mediator as ,king2 as ,priest and ,king on his throne in the tabernacle4 ,being thus perfectly protected and provided for1 they had every facility and every inducement to be loyal and obedient4 ,but they rebelled and rejected him as ,king4 ,at length they desired and solicited a human chieftain as king1 after the manner of the surrounding nations4 ,this was granted1 and a trial made under vicegerents in the persons of ,david and ,solomon1 sitting on the throne of ,jehovah1 as rulers in his place1 and as types of his kingly office1 when he shall at the latter day visibly resume it4 ,the rejection of the ,mediator as ,king1 and the consequent interruption and final discontinuance of the theocratic administration1 gave occasion to the mission of the prophets2 the earliest of whom1 ,hosea1 prophesied in the reigns of ,uzziah1 ,jotham1 ,ahaz and ,hezekiah1 about #hjj years before ,christ1 and the latest1 ,malachi1 about #ddj ,b4 ,c4 ,hosea flourished about #ahj years after the death of ,solomon4 ,the apostasy of all the tribes to idol worship was then nearly total4 ,the restoration from the ,babylonish exile having resulted in no reformation1 both ,jews and ,samaritans1 at the close of ,malachi's mission1 were1 like the heathen nations1 left to themselves4 ,the prophets and true worshippers all regarded the separation of the ten tribes as an apostasy from the theocratic government1 the seat of which was in the temple1 and the representative vicegerent on the throne was to be in the line of ,david4 ,elijah's taking twelve stones1 according to the number of the tribes of ,israel1 when he repaired the altar of ,jehovah and offered acceptable sacrifices1 showed that he considered the defection of the ten tribes as a rejection of ,jehovah as ,mediator4 #a ,kings xviii4 #ca4 ,true worship was to be offered1 in conformity with the system connected with the temple4 ,the reformation under ,hezekiah and that under ,josiah also virtually included1 in respect to religion1 a reunion of all the tribes4 ,there could be no return to ,jehovah1 but by returning to the temple worship1 where ,he as ,mediator presided4 ,the separation of the ten tribes was equally a religious and a civil apostasy2 for ,jehovah1 as ,priest and ,king on his throne1 was at once the head of the religious and civil system4 ,hence the political revolt and the institution of a rival and hostile civil government1 was necessarily connected with the institution of a rival and hostile religious system4 ,a political revolt necessarily involved a religious one2 and to maintain their political power in opposition to that of the line of ,david1 ,jeroboam and his successors found it necessary to render the separation in respect to religion as wide as possible4 ,the prophets accordingly1 while they speak of the chiefs of the revolted tribes as kings1 in conformity with popular usage1 never recognize them as such of right4 ,to effect an entire religious apostasy as a means of sustaining the political revolt1 7#a ,kings xii47 ,jeroboam instituted the golden calves1 under pretense of their being symbols1 representative of the ,jehovah1 and in place of the ,shekina4 ,the ,levites appear to have refused to concur in the imposture thus attempted1 and being exiled as likely to hinder its success4 ,priests to officiate in this apostate worship were selected from the lowest of the people4 ,so offensive and intolerable indeed to the true worshippers was this apostasy1 that the priests1 and the ,levites that were in all ,israel 444 came to ,judah and ,jerusalem4444 ,and after them out of all the tribes of ,israel such as set their hearts to seek ,jehovah1 the ,elohe of ,israel1 came to ,jerusalem to sacrifice to ,jehovah1 the ,elohe of their fathers4 #b ,chron4 xi4 #ac-af4 ,jeroboam1 having cast off the ,levites1 ordained him priests for the high places1 and for the devils1 and for the calves which he had made4 ,ibid4 ,the government of the ten tribes being founded in a total apostasy1 and including a rival and hostile system of religion1 is treated accordingly by the prophets as a rebellion4 ,as a rebellion1 it could not dissolve the relation previously established1 by solemn covenants1 between ,jehovah1 as ,priest and ,king on his throne in the tabernacle1 and the people of ,israel4 ,that relation could be dissolved or discontinued on his part1 only by such events as afterwards took place in their rejection and exile4 ,in the meantime1 prophets were sent to them1 and various dispensations of judgment and mercy were employed to reclaim them from their idolatry and wickedness4 ,such is the point of view in which the ,israelites and their kings are to be regarded in considering the language and predictions of the prophets4 ,viewed in this light1 the statements respecting their apostate condition1 the aggravations of their wickedness1 the judgments inflicted on them1 their dispersion1 and the predictions concerning their future restoration under one head1 are for the most part rendered plain2 while the fact that they revolted from the ,theocracy1 the system of local1 personal1 visible manifestation of the ,mediator as ,priest and ,king1 is the manifest ground of the predictions that1 in due time1 what had been thwarted and delayed by their wickedness will be resumed and carried into effect by a regathering of them under the ,mediator as ,king1 in his incarnate state and visible reign4 ,epoch4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,all obvious punctuation errors have been corrected4 ,pg #ai1 the reference ',isaiah l4 #c1 #e' has been changed to ',isaiah xl4 #c1 #e' ,pg #bf1 'burnt-offering' was changed to 'burnt offering4' ,pg #db1 'covenent' was changed to 'covenant4' ,pg #ef1 ',padanaram' was changed to ',padan-aram4' ,pg #fg1 ',pharoah' was changed to ',pharaoh4' ,pg #hg1 'ill desert' was changed to 'ill-desert4' ,pg #ig1 ',el ,shadai' was changed to ',el-,shadai4' ,pg #aai1 'meditorial' was changed to 'mediatorial4' ,pg #aba1 'no' was changed to 'not4' ,pg #acb1 missing quotation mark was placed before the word ',adonai4' ,pg #acb1 missing quotation mark was placed at the end of this sentence3 ,and ,moses spake before ,jehovah4444 ,pg #add1 'preceeding' was changed to 'preceding4' ,pg #aff1 removed final closing single quote4 ,pg #agb1 'coeval' was changed to 'coval4' pg #aij1 'difficult' was changed to 'difficulty4' ,pg #bdd1 'coeval' was changed to 'coval4' ,pg #bfg1 'up on' was changed to 'upon4' ,pg #big1 missing opening quotation mark was added before1 ,these are the generations444 ,pg #cbj1 'exscision' was changed to 'excision4' ,pg #cbg1 ',israelities' was changed to ',israelites4' ,the variant spellings1 ',el-,shadai' and ',el-,shaddai1' have been retained4 ,all instances of 'i4 e4' have been italicised to conform to the majority of instances4 ,the original book omitted a paragraph on page #ba and was added back to the book as an appendix4 ,this paragraph has been added back to the text in the place that it was originally intended to be placed4 ,the paragraph starts as follows1 ',sometimes the same ,divine appearance which at one time is called ,melach ,jehovah4444' ,this change has also been reflected in the table of contents4 ,the titles of the end notes have been changed to match the table of contents and because the original titles referenced page numbers from the book that did not appear to be accurate4 ,the oe ligature has been rendered as oe4