CHAP. XII.

V. 15.-And JEHOVAH struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. 16. David therefore besought ELOHIM for the child.

JEHOVAH, as judge, punishes David for his crime, and David, conscious of his guilt, knows he has offended the majesty of the whole Godhead, and therefore he implores forgiveness of the ELOHIM.

FIRST BOOK OF KINGS.

CHAP. III.

V. 5.-In Gibeon, JEHOVAH appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and said, What shall I give thee? (he saith) 7. O JEHOVAH my GOD, 9. Give thy servant an understanding heart. 10. And the speech pleased ADONI. 11. And ELOHIM said unto him, 12. Behold I have done according to thy words.

Here the intimate union of the Godhead is evident, for JEHOVAH ADONI is distinctly identified with the ELOHIM who says, "I have done according to thy will."

CHAP. VIII.

At the dedication of the temple, V. 22. Solomon stood before the altar of JEHOVAH, in the presence of the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands towards heaven and said, 23. O, JEHOVAH, GOD of Israel, there is no ELOHIM like thee in heaven above, or in the earth beneath: 25. And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified which thou spakest unto thy servant David, my father. 27. But will ELOHIM, indeed, dwell on earth? Behold the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, how much less this house which I have built. 57. JEHOVAH Our GOD be with us, as he was with our fathers; let him not leave us nor forsake us. 59. And may the words wherewith I have made supplication before JEHOVAH be nigh to JEHOVAH our God day and night, 60. That all the people of the earth may know that JEHOVAH is ELOHIM, and that there is none else.

In this beautiful address of Solomon he prays most

devoutly to JEHOVAH, that he will fulfil his promise of dwelling on earth with him and his people, as he had done with their forefathers. This sublime petition may refer only to JEHOVAH's appearance in the temple, or the supernatural wisdom with which Solomon was endowed might enable him to foresee also the future abiding of Christ on earth. However this may be, the faithful Christian cannot fail to perceive how beautifully the feeling that dictates the prayer coincides with the Scriptures that undoubtedly refer to Christ. In an extasy of holy and devout astonishment Solomon exclaims, "But will ELOHIM indeed dwell on earth!!" and the sequel of the prayer proves his faith, that JEHOVAH, GOD of Israel, will, indeed, fulfil his promise. Let us Christians, then, with redoubled zeal read again and again the oracles of God and the histories contained in the Gospels, for there we shall learn that indeed and in truth JEHOVAH the LORD JESUS CHRIST has been on earth, reconciling the world to himself.

CHAP. XVIII.

V. 20. So Ahab gathered the people together unto Mount Carmel. 21. And Elijah came unto the people and said, How long will ye halt between two opinions? If JEHOVAH be ELOHIM, follow him, but if Baal, follow him; and the people answered not a word. 22. Then Elijah said unto the people, I, even I, only remain a prophet of JEHOVAH, but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty. 24. Call ye on the name of your Gods, and I will call on the name of JEHOVAH, and the ELOHIM that answereth by fire, let him be ELOHIM. And all the people said, It is well spoken. 36. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, JEHOVAH, GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou, ELOHIM, art in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37. Hear me, O JEHOVAH, hear me, that this people may know that thou art JEHOVAH ELOHIM. 38. Then the fire of JEHOVAH fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39. And when all the people saw it, they

FIRST KINGS.

RAR

THE

23

fell on their faces, and said, JEHOVAH he is ELOHIM, JEHOVAH he is ELOHIM.

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Let me call the reader's attention to the above, and then, I think, he will clearly perceive that the inspired writer meant to mark a distinction of person and office when he says, "If JEHOVAH be ELOHIM." And is it not evident that the term ELOHIM is used to convey a more extensive idea than that of JEHOVAH? And may not the infidels of this day learn an awful and useful lesson from the worshippers of Baal? for if they would read and study the Scriptures with sincerity and assiduity, they might, like them, be convinced of their guilt, and fall on their faces, and worship our GOD and SAVIOUR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

SECOND BOOK OF KINGS.

In the Second Book of Kings the name JEHOVAH is almost universally used, as the person against whom they offended, and who directs their succession to the throne, and their punishments; but not so exclusively, but that instances of the plurality of perThus in the prayer of sons may yet be traced. Hezekiah.

CHAP. XIX.

Hezekiah went up into the house of JEHOVAH. 15. And Hezekiah prayed before JEHOVAH, and said, O JEHOVAH, GOD of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubim: thou art ELOHIM, even thou alone of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. 16. JEHOVAH, bow down thine ear and hear: open, O JEHOVAH, thine eyes and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living ELOHIM.

The 15th verse may be thus paraphrased: O Thou self-existent protector of Israel, who art on earth and

dwellest between the cherubim, thou art ELOHIM, creator of the universe. In various parts of holy writ it is said, that JEHOVAH dwelleth between the cherubim, but no where is it said that ELOHIм does, unless it is connected with one of the distinctive terms of the Godhead, as in the above quotation, where it means JEHOVAH ELOHIM. This is another convincing proof that the inspired writers made a marked distinction between them.

FIRST BOOK OF CHRONICLES.

CHAP. XXI.

David numbereth the people. 7. And ELOHIM was displeased with this thing, and therefore he smote Israel. 8. And David said unto ELOHIM, I have greatly sinned. And JEHOVAH spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying, 10., Go, tell David: Thus saith JEHOVAH, I offer thee three things: 12. Famine, pestilence, and sword. 13. And David said, Let me fall now into the hands of JEHOVAH, for very great are his mercies. So JEHOVAH sent a pestilence upon Israel, and there fell of Israel 70,000 men. 15. And ELOHIM sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, JEHOVAH beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and he said to the angel that destroyed it, It is enough, stay now thine hand.

In this extract is exemplified the remark elsewhere quoted from the Rev. William Jones-JEHOVAH and ELOHIM are spoken of as identically the same divine beings, because here each one is represented as acting with full power of the whole Godhead.

SECOND BOOK OF CHRONICLES.

CHAP. XX.

V. 5.-And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of JEHOVAH, before the new court. 6. And said, O JEHOVAH, GOD of our fathers, art not thou ELOHIM in heaven,

and rulest thou not over all the kingdoms of the heathen, and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand Thee? 7. Art not thou our GOD? 29. And the fear of ELOHIM was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they heard that JEHOVAH fought against the enemies of Israel.

Here it appears to me that ELOHIM is used to imply the Deity governing the whole world. But GOD is, as it were, the peculiar providence of Abraham, Isaac, &c., and of any nation or individual which wants or prays for his help.

CHAP. XXIV.

And the spirit of ELOHIM came upon Zechariah, and he said unto them: 20. Thus saith ELOHIM: Why transgress ye the commands of JEHOVAH, that ye cannot prosper? Because ye have forsaken JEHOVAH, he hath forsaken you.

Here the spirit of ELOHIM comes upon Zechariah. Then in v. 20, ELOHIM speaks to him, and inquires why he has transgressed the commands of JEHOVAH —in this extract there is a distinct diversity of Divine agency or persons.

EZRA.

CHAP. I.

V. 2. Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, JEHOVAH, GOD of heaven, hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem. 3. Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem, and build the house of JEHOVAH, GOD of Israel. He is ELOHIM which is in Jerusalem.

The inspired Penman of the Old Testament, as it were, takes pains to enforce the doctrine that JEHOVAH is ELOHIM, as may be seen by the frequency with which the fact is asserted, and the writers of the New