Imatges de pàgina
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common names, and refpect them all, as Lord, Christ, and Foundation. The end of the whole is, to reveal Christ as being the head of all worlds.

As the worlds of nature, grace, and glory, are diftinct; and, in their divers frames and conftitutions, they exhibit the distinct parts of the divine will;-and as Chrift, in relation to each one, bears a name expreffive of its peculiar ftate, the work before us is naturally divided into three parts, which we shall pro

fecute under the names and diftinct characters of the Beginning, Archangel, and Son of God, as expreffing, naturally, the distinct heads of the Divine Theory.

GENERAL ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE
THEORY.

BEFORE we proceed to an illustration of the glory of Chrift, as being the head of all worlds, in the actual exhibitions, it will be proper to premise fome things which may lead us to contemplate more clearly the foundation or principle of this Theory; for, the more clearly we view the principle, the more fenfibly we shall feel its demonftration.

The divine eternal fact, in which is founded the truth of Chrift, and which is the principle of the divine theory, is illuftrated in the fcriptures, by the nature of fix things, with which men are converfant, viz. A covenant, the bestowment of a gift, generati

on, fellowship, inauguration, and a record; and they, feverally, require particular notice. 1. Of this divine tranfaction, confidered as a covenant, fo much has already been faid, refpecting the illuftration it gives of the truth of the trinity and unity of the divine will, and the nature of the theory refulting from this principle, that it is presumed little more need be added. It is in view, however, in the prefent illuftrations, to pay more particular attention than has yet been given, to the party and engagement of the Holy Ghoft, in this adorable compact.

The Divine Spirit, as has been observed, is the interest mutually regarded in this covenant-engagement; for, as the Holy Spirit, or Spirit of Holiness, is one and the fame with that of the parental authority and love, and the filial duty and joy, it is the glory of both the Father and the Son, and can be no other than the fole intereft of both parties; and it is evident, that this was not only the concern of the engagement, but also, that it was the authority and power in which it exifted, and fo was the third party in the agreement.

A covenant receives its virtue and ftrength from the confideration of fome witnefs and authority, to prove it and give it effect. It is always understood of parties contracting with each other, and making folemn promifes, that in cafe of a failure, they become liable to fome forfeiture; and that fome authority, which is able to enforce the obligation, is appealed to, which, therefore, becomes a

party in the tranfaction, and is itself bound to fee it fulfilled by all the weight of its fanction. And it is this circumftance in the nature of a covenant, which gives it its folemn and reverential ftamp.

In matters of a civil nature, the magistrate is appealed to in all lawful contracts, to fee that they are performed according to promife, or to punish the delinquent; and in the nature of the cafe, he is fo bound to do this, that guilt is incurred on his part, if the duty be not faithfully discharged. And in all matters, between party and party, taken in a religious view, the fearcher of hearts is appealed to, who, as the final and righteous judge, will not fuffer the guilty to go unpunifhed; fo, alfo, in the matter of the divine will, the Holy Ghoft was the witnefs and power engaged to enforce the fulfilment of the ftipulations, by a fanction every way equal to the weight of the high obligations. Hence, in that first name of God, which imports the Covenanters by oath, the idea of a curfe is clearly intimated; and this eternal covenant is ever prefented in a manner to give us affurance that it was made, and was accompanied with every poffible circum; ftance of folemnity.

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"ALEIM: a Noun mafc. plur. The denouncers of a con<ditional curfe. A name ufually given in the Hebrew fcrip*tures to the ever blefed Trinity, by which they represent themselves as under the obligation of an oath to perform " certain conditions, and as having denounced a curfe on all men and devils, who do not conform to them.

"What thote terms or conditions were to which the Aleim "Swart, feems evident from Pf. cx. namely, that the Maş

To this it may be objected, that God could not fail in his engagement; and, therefore, in this matter, it was not neceffary that the

Chrift Jefus, in confequence of his bumiliation and juffer*ings, (ver. 7, comp. Phil. ii. 6-10,) fhould be exalted to "the right hand of God till all his enemies were made his footfoel, (comp. 1 Cor. xv. 25.) that the rod of bis ftrength (his gofpel,) bould be fent out of Sion; and that by this be fhould rule even in the midst of his enemies; that his people (true "Chrißians,) bould offer themselves willingly in the ornaments "of holiness; and that thofe which fhould be begotten by hine "to a refurrection from fin here, and from death hereafter, "should be more numerous than the drops of morning dew. (comp. Ifai. xxvi. 19.) All this I take to be briefly comprehended or fummed up in that oath of Jehovah to Chrift, "ver. 4. Thou art a Prieft for ever after the order of Melchi"fedec, which, by interpretation, is King of Righteousness, "Heb. vii. 2. As a Prieft, Chrift, through the eternal Spirit, "offered himself without spot to God, Heb. viii. 3.—xi. 143 "as a Priest for ever, he is able to fave them to the uttermoft, "(Marg. evermore,) that come unto God by him, seeing he ever "liveth to make interceffion for them; as being after the order "of Melchifedec, be is King as well as Prieft, King of Righ*teoufnefs, and King of Peace. Heb. vii. 2. Hence, then, we

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learn, that Jehovah fware to Adoni or Chrift. (See Matth. " xxii. 43.) and that this oath had reference to the redemption " of man by him.-The Pfalm itself does not indeed determine

the time when this oath was pronounced, but other fcrip*tures do. For St. Paul fays, that Chrift was made a Priest, i. e. " after the order of Melchifedec by this very oath, Heb. vii.

21. But his inauguration to the Priesthood and Kingdom was "prior to the creation of the world, Prov. viii. 23, and feq.— "Therefore this very oath, recorded in Pf. cx. was prior to "the creation. Accordingly Jehovah is at the beginning of *creation called Aleim, Gen. i. 1, which implies, that the "divine perfons had fworn when they created. It is evident "alfo from Gen. iii. 4, 5, that both the ferpent and the woman knew Jehovah by this name, Aleim, before the fall; "and, to cite but two paffages out of many that might be produced from the New Testament to this purpofe, St. Peter is exprefs, Eph. i. 18-20, that Chrift was fore-ordained to "redeem us, before the foundation of the world; and St. Paul affirms, Eph. i. 4, that God, even the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, beth chofen us in him, before the foundation of the ** world.

party of an authority fhould be concerned; but why then covenant? Why fwear at all? Why any of this formality? What meaning could there be in the whole business, unless there were a third party engaged thereby, as in the nature of things fuch a tranfaction implies, to enforce the folemn obligation? Were there no magistrate, no God, no party

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By virtue of this antemundane oath, the Man Chrift Jefus "was enabled to overcome the Devil and all the enemies of "man, and perfect his redemption, and from this oath it was "that the ever-bleffed THREE were pleafed to take that glo"rious and fearful name, (Deut. xxviii. 58.) Jehovah Aleim; glorious, in as much as the tranfaction, to which it refers, "displays, in the most glorious manner, the attributes of God "to men and angels; and fearful, in as much as, by one part of the oath, eternal and infinite power, Jehovah himself, is engaged to make the enemies of Chrift his foot-ftool, Pf. cx. 1. "Let those who, in thefe days of Arian, Socinian and Rab"binical blafphemy, have any doubt whether Aleim, when meaning the true God, Jehovah, is plural or not, confult the following paffages, where they will find it joined with ad"jectives, pronouns and verbs plural. Gen. i. 26.—iii. 22.— "xi. 7-xx. 13.—xxxi. 53.—xxxv. 7. Deut. iv. 7.—v. 23. "or 26. Josh. xxiv. 19. 1 Sam. iv. 8. 2 Sam. vii. 23. Pf. "lviii. 12. Ifa. vi. 8. Jer. x. 10. Dan. iv. 5, 6, 15, or " 8, 9, 18. See alfo Prov. ix. 10.-xxx. 3. Pfal. cxlix. 2. "Ecclef. v. 7.-xii. 1. Job v. 1. Ifa. vi. 3.-liv. 5. Hof. ❝ xi. 12. or xii. 1. Mal. i. 6. Dan. vii. 18, 22, 25.

"O that the children of Abraham, according to the flesh, "would attentively confider and compare the texts above cit "ed from their own fcriptures! Could they then help owning "a plurality of Aleim in Jehovah?-When they read, for inftance, Gen. i. 26, that the Aleim faid, Let us, or we will, "make man in our image, according to our likeness—and ver. 27. So the Aleim created man, &c. and compared these "words with Ecclef. xii. 1. And remember thy Creators, could they doubt whether Aleim, as applied by Mofes, in the hif "" tory of the creation, denoted a plurality of agents? And yet furely, as faith the prophet Ifaiah. chap. xliv. 24, Jehovah fretched forth the heavens alone, and Spread abroad the earth by himself, without the aid or concurrence of any creature, "how exalted foever. Comp. chap. xlii. 5.-xlv. 12.”

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Parkhur's Hebrew Lexicon.

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