God? and whence could he have his wifdom, unless from him alfo? They, of all people, fhould have been the readieft to believe in him, because knowing well that he had been deprived of the ordinary means of receiving inftruction, and of acquiring the knowledge which appeared in all that he spake, they had a clear evidence that it must have been a supernatural gift. They were offended at him, because in his difcourfes to them he fometimes gave them hints that he was a much greater perfon than they imagined, upon which they called him a blasphemer, who made himfelf God, and equal with God, that is, who affumed to himself divine honours and more respect than was due to a prophet; for the Jews had no notion that their Meffias fhould be any thing more than mere man. The Jews, as it appears from Justin's Dialogue with Trypho, objected to the Christians, that they worshipped more Gods than one, and afcribed divine perfections to Christ. k Whitb. on Rem. ix. 5. and Juftin M. p. 235. n To this Justin, and other Christians, answered, that frequent mention is made. in the Old Testament of a person, who is m called God, and is God, and yet is dif tinguished from the God and Father of all. Befides; Philo, and feveral of their own writers taught fomething fo like the Christian doctrine concerning the Son and the Spirit of God, that the Jews, if they condemned the Gospel upon that account, condemned themselves. We read in the Scriptures that God is no object of our senses, that he hath no body or form, that he is the invisible God, whom no man hath seen or can fee; and in many of the manifeftations which God made of himself, nothing appeared, except a glorious light, a cloud and fire, or elfe only a voice was heard; but in other places 1 See the Index to Thirlby's Justin, Christus. τη Θεὸς καλεῖται, καὶ Θεός ἐςι κὶ ἔςαι. Fufin, p. 261, Trypho fays again to Juftin, It is written, I am the Lord,my glory I will not give to another. This objection Juftin answers, by obferving, that God fpeaks in oppofition to falfe Gods and Idols, and not to his Word and his Son. "Grotius de Ver. R. C. v. 21. Vitringa on Ifai. vol. ii, p. 458. not. Le Clerc on Joh. i. Fabric, de Ver. R. C. p. 132. it it is faid that God himself appeared. To reconcile this, the ancient Christian writers generally agree, and their confent ought not to be flighted, that the person who appeared at different times to Adam, to Abraham, to Mofes, to the elders of Ifrael, to the Patriarchs and Prophets, and to other good men, who would not tell his name to Jacob and to Manoah, when they asked him who he was, who is called both God and the Angel of God, that this person was the Word of God, the Son of God, who was in the form of God, who was the vifible image of the invisible God, representing the majesty of his Father, and acting in his name. See Bull, Defenf. Fid. Nic. Clarke Repl. to Nelf. p. 161. and Serm. 5. vol. 1. Whitby on Job. i. 1 Cor. x. 9. Philipp. ii. 6. Col. i. 15. Vitringa on Ifai. Ixiii. 9, 10. p. 249. and on Zech. i, 11, 12. p. 131. concerning the Angel who intercedes with God for the Jews. Some think that where the Angel of the Lord is mentioned, no other is meant than one of those ministring spirits, who fometimes reprefented the perfon of God, acted in his ftead and spake in his name; and then, fay they, whatever honour and adoration might be feemingly paid to him, was really paid to God, to whom it was defigned, and whom the Angel perfonated. See Le Clerc in Indice ad Pentat, ANGELUS. and the Commentators on Heb. ii. 2.. and 5, and Clemens Alex. Strom. v. 1. p. 648. Edit. Ox. The Angel who appeared to Manoak, faid to him, Why afkeft thou after my name, feeing it is fecret, or wonderful? If we compare this with Ifaiah ix. 6. it is there faid of the Meffiah, his name shall be called, Wonderful. If we compare it with Rev. xix. 12. it is there faid of Chrift, He bad a name written which none knew but he himself. Concerning this Angel Ifaiah thus fpeaks, celebrating God's loving-kindness to the children of Ifrael in ancient times: The Angel of God's prefence faved them; in his love and in his pity be redeemed them, and he bare them and carried them all the days of old. These great things are here afcribed to the Angel of God's prefence, or, of his face; which if we compare with the history of those transactions, as related by Mofes, we find that God almighty manifested himfelf to Mofes by an Angel. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in the bush, and faid, I am the God of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob; and afterwards, I am that I am, I am the P Judg. xiii. 18. See Vitringa on Ifai. ix. 5, 6. Lord Lord Jehovah. We find that this Angel went before his people in a cloud: and afterwards, representing the person of almighty God, and speaking in his name, he fays, Behold, I fend my Angel before theebeware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not: for he will not pardon your transgreffions; for my name is in him. Concerning this Angel Jacob thus speaks, when he bleffes the children of Joseph: The God who fed me all my life long unto this day, the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, blefs the lads. And Mofes prays that the pofterity of Joseph may enjoy the favour of him, of the Angel, who dwelt in the bush. Concerning this Angel Zechariah thus speaks, xii. 8. In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerufalem, and he that is feeble among them at that day fhall be as David; and the house of David fhall be as God, as the Angel of the Lord before them. The fentence rifes in fuch a manner, that it cannot be fuppofed to, fink at last; whence it is reasonable to conclude that the fame person is here called God, and the Angel of the Lord. |