Oracles, and communicate bleffings, therefore the Lord Jefus calls his body a Temple, and fays, Deftroy this Temple, and in three days I will build it up. For the Evangelift affures us, he spake of the Temple of his body, John ii. 21.

14. Well might St. John say, therefore, in the paffage quoted above, He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not: He came to his own, and his own received him not. For if the Apostles had a right view of him, and understood his true character, he was the immediate Creator of the world, and the perfon who appeared to Mofes in the Burning Bush, and ftiled himself the God of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob who led the people out of Egypt, and gave them the Law from mount Sinai; who took up his abode on that Mount, where his appearance was like that of devouring fire, till the Tabernacle was prepared for his reception, when he condefcended to remove his prefence thither, and fill the moft Holy Place, yea, and the whole Tabernacle, with fuch glory, that Mofes (though accustomed to the Divine prefence, having been twice forty days with the Lord on the Mount) was not able to enter even into the Tent of the congregation, Exod. xl. 34, 35. He it was who dwelt firft at Shiloh, and then at Jerufalem, and from between the Cherubim upon the Mercy-feat, gave anfwers to the High-Prieft, being the King, as well as God of Ifrael. He it was who manifested his glory to Ifaiah and the other Prophets; and having been their true King in all ages, and having been in the world from the beginning, appearing in various forms, and fuperintending his ancient Church from the calling of Abraham to the Babylonifh Captivity,-He it was (I fay) who, when he came in the flesh, came to HIS OWN, because he came without the enfigns of his former glory, having put off the divine Shekinah, the Form of God, in which he had been wont to appear, HIS OWN received him not: Nay, they rejected him, they crucified him: but not without his Title providentially put over his

head:

head: THIS IS JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS, a title which had been previously acknowledged by Nathaniel, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God: thou art the King of Ifrael. This the Jews did, not knowing who he was; for had they known it, doubtlefs they would not have crucified THE LORD OF GLORY.

was

15. As a further confirmation of this doctrine, I would obferve, 1ft, That it is the constant testi'mony of the Apostles, that the Father in his own proper perfon, by which we are to understand, perhaps, the fimple, divine Effence, never feen by man, No MAN hath SEEN GOD at any time, John i. 18. and 1 John iv. 12. The King eternal, immortal, and INVISIBLE, 1 Tim. i. 17. Who only hath immortality, dwelling in light, which no man can approach unto, wHOM NO MAN HATH SEEN, OR CAN SEE, 1 Tim. vi. 16. Thefe declarations of his Apostles are confirmed by our Lord. Not that ANY MAN HATH SEEN THE FATAER, fave he who is of God, He hath feen the Father. And yet it is manifeft, from divers paffages of the Old Teftament quoted already, and from a great many more that might be quoted, that a perfon did appear, at fundry times, to the Patriarchs and Prophets of old, who ftiled himself the God of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, the God of Ifracl, the

true God.

16. One very remarkable appearance of his has been already taken notice of, viz. that recorded in the 6th of Ifaiah-MINE EYES (fays the Prophet) HAVE SEEN THE KING JEHOVAH OF HOSTS.

Another is related, Exod. xxiv. 9-12. Then went up Mofes and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and feventy of the Elders of Ifrael; and they SAW THE GOD OF ISRAEL; and there was under his feet, as it were, a paved work of a fapphire ftone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Ifrael, he laid not his hand : Alfo they saw GOD, and did eat and drink. Now as certainly as St. John, St. Paul, and our Lord

H

himfelf

himfelf, (who all affirm that no one hath feen the Father) were not mistaken, fo certainly this perfon whom Mofes, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the Elders of Ifrael faw, and whom Ifaiah faw. was not the Father, in his own proper perfon. Who then could it be, fave the WORD, the IMAGE of the invifible GoD, the brightnefs of his glory, and exprefs image of his perfon? And that it was He, is certain, from St. John's declaration, Ch. xii. 41. above cited.

the

Thus

17. Let it be observed, 2dly, That in most of appearances of God recorded in the Old Teftament, though the perfon appearing fpeaks as God, the true God, yet he is called an Angel, or Meffenger of God, and often appears as a man. Exod. iii. 2-The ANGEL of the Lord appeared unto him (Mofes) in a flame of fire out of the midst of the Bufh. And when JEHOVAH faw that he turned afide to fee, GoD called unto him out of the midst of the Bufh, and faid-I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THA GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB: And Mofes hid his face, for he was afhamed to look upon GOD. And JEHOVAH faid, I have feen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt: and I am come down to deliver them, v. 14. And God faid unto Mofes, I AM THAT I AM. Now this fame perfon, who here ftiles himself the God of Abraham, appeared to that Father of the faithful as a man, and converfed familiarly with him. See Gen. xviii. And yet the hiftorian affures us, v. 1. that it was Jehovah that appeared unto him: and in the course of the narration he is frequently ftiled Jehovah-as ver. 13. JEHOVAH faid unto Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh-Is any thing too hard for Jehovah? At the time appointed I will return unto thee: And Sarah fhall have a fon, v. 17. And JEHOVAH faid, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do? v. 22. They then, (two of the three) turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham flood yet before JEHOVAH.-From hence, to the end of the Chapter, follows a long converfation between this perfon, (Jehovah under the form of a man)

and

and Abraham,—in which he is repeatedly tiled Jehovah by the hiftorian, and is acknowledged by Abraham (v. 25.) as Judge of all the earth.

18. After this, this fame perfon appeared to Jacob at Bethel, Gen. xxviii. 12. Jacob dreamed, and behold a ladder fet upon the earth, and the top reached to heaven; and behold, the Angels of God afcending and defcending on it: And Jehovah food above it, and faid, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Ifaac, &c. And yet, Ch. xxxi. ver. 11. we find this perfon, who is here ftiled Jehovah, called an Angel of God. The Angel of God, (fays Jacob to Rachel and Leah) fpake unto me faying-I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointed the pillar, and vowedft a vow unto me.

19. Concerning another remarkable appearance of this fame person, we are informed, Gen. xxxii. and 24. Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day: And he faid, let me go, for the day breaketh; and he faid, I will not let thee go, except thou blefs me :- And he faid, Thy name fhall no more be called Jacob, but Ifrael, for as a Prince haft thou power with God and men, and haft prevailed: And Facob asked him, and faid, Tell me I pray thee, thy name? And he faid, Wherefore is it that thou doft afk after my name? And he bleffed him, and Facob called the name of the place Peniel: For I HAVE SEEN GOD (faid he) FACE TO FACE, and my life is preferved. Hofea manifeftly alludes to this, Ch. xii. 3. of his Prophecy. He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his ftrength he had power with God: Yea, he had power over the Angel, and prevailed: He wept, and made fupplication unto him: He found him in Bethel, and there he fpake with us: even JEHOVAH GOD OF HOSTS, JEHOVAH IS HIS MEMORIAL.

20. I fhall only mention two more appearances of this perfon. When Joshua was by Jericho, he lift up his eyes, and looked, and behold, there ftood a man over against him with a fword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went unto him, and faid unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adverfaries? And he faid,

H 2

Nay:

Nay: but as Captain of the Hoft of the Lord, am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and faid unto him, What faith my Lord unto his fervant? And the Captain of the Lord's Hoft faid unto Jofhua, Loofe thy fhoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou flandeft is holy. And Jofhua did fe, Josh. v. 13. And there came an Angel of the Lord, and fat under an Oak that was in Ophrah-and faid unto Gideon, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon faid unto him, Oh! my Lord, if Jehovah be with us, why, then, is this befallen us?—And JEHOVAH looked upon him, and faid, Go in this thy might, and thou fhalt fave Ifrael from the hand of the Midianites: Have not I fent thee? And he faid, Oh! my Lord, wherewith fhall fave Ifrael? And JEHOVAH faid unto me, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt fmite the Midianites as one man, Judges vi. 11, &c.

21. Now as in thefe, and many more appearances of God, the fame perfon is both ftiled Je hovah and an Angel of Jehovah, (or as

is, with equal propriety, rendered The Angel, Meffenger, or Envoy Jehovah) furely it was not the Father, in his own proper perfon, not only becaufe, as the Apostles teftify, No man hath feen him, or can fee him,-but because, if ever he had appeared, furely it would not have been in the character of a Meffenger or Envoy. For by whom fhould he be fent? Whofe Meffenger or Envoy fhould he be ? And there is no trace in the whole Bible, of his ever sustaining any fuch character as that of Angel, Meffenger, or Envoy. But the SON, the WORD of the Father, as he may properly be fent by his Father on errands worthy of redeeming power and love, fo it is certain he has often-fuftained this character. Malachi calls him the Angel or Meffenger of the Covenant; and yet to prevent our thinking him a Created Angel, ftiles him, in the fame place, The LORD that should come to HIS TEMPLE, Mal. iii. 1. Ifaiah terms him the Angel of the Divine Prefence, Ch. lxiii. 9. The Angel of his Prefence faved them.-And doubtlefs

of