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ced the promise to be fulfilled by his | Judges xiii. and was fo converfant

own independent felf-fufficiency and power. 2. Hagar received this promifein full confidence,that it was made by the true God, afcribing to him omniprefence, a property originally divine and incommunicable. And the called the name of the Lord who fpake to her, Thou God feeft me. Similar to this is chap. xxi. 17-20. And the angel of the Lord called to her out of heaven and faid, Arife lift up the lad for I will make of him a great nation. Chap. xxii. 1, 2. After these things God did tempt Abraham, and faid, Take now thy Jon-Ijaac and offer him for a bernt offering. ver. 13. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven and faid, lay not thine hand upon the lad-now I know that thou fearest God feeing thou hafl not withbeld thine only fon from me. ver. 15-17. And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham the second time and faid-By myself have I fworn, faith the Lord that in bleffing I will bless thee. This is quoted by the apostle, Heb. vi. as the oath of him, who, bedaufe he could fwear by no greater, fware by himfelf-as the oath of the eternal immutable God. Exod. iii. 1, 2. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, Mofes, in a flame of fire, out of the midst of the bush and faid, I am the God of thy father the God of Abraham, the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob. This is quoted by Christ in Mark xii. 26. and Luke xx. 37. and applied to the true God. There is good reafon to conclude, that it was the fame angel of the Lord who accompanied the Ifrealites in their journey from Egypt, Exod. xiii.

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with the Ifraelites in the days of their kings and prophets. By thefe paffages it is most manifeft, that this angel of the Lord was that Almighty God, who was the fhield and exceeding great reward of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob. But as the ever blessed God, fince the apoftacy, has had no intercourfe with mankind but thro' a mediator, can we confiftently apply this to any other than the fecond perfon in the adorable trinity? Befides, as he is called the angel, or meffenger, of the Lord, to underftand or apply this to the divine nature in the first perfon of the trinity would be a moft decided impropriety and abfurdity.

Let us now confider fome other reprefentations of him. Gen.xviii. 2. And the LORD appeared to him, Abraham, in the plains of Mamre, and he lifted up his eyes and looked and lo three men flood by him-One of thefe he addreffed, My Lord if now I have found favor in thy fight-And he faid lo, Sarah thy wife fhall have a fon-Is any thing too hard for the Lord-Joshua v. 13. When Jofbua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked and there ftood a man over againft him with his fword drawn in his hand-And he faid as captain of the host of the Lord* am I now come. And the captain of the Lord's hoft faid, loofe thy fhoe from off thy foot for the ground whereon thou ftandeft is holy. The fame form of fpeech was addreffed to Mofes by the angel of the Lord in the bufh, and manifefted this to be the fame perfon. And from the preceding obfervations have we not conclufive evidence, that

* Was not this the origin of the title addreffed his people, THE LORD OF by which the moft high fo frequently HOSTS?

this angel of the Lord, was the ETERNAL WORD the fecond perfon in the blessed trinity, appearing in a vifible form-the fame majeftic perfonage who, in a future period, would be made flesh and dwell among men and became our glorious IMMANUEL ? We may now enquire,

Secondly, For what purposes he made these appearances? And may we not fuppofe the following? 1. For the inftruction, encouragement and comfort, of thofe to whom he appeared.-In times of darkness and diftrefs how opportune and effential were the inftructions and fupport which they received from the angel of the Lord? Hagar in the wilderness, Abraham at mount Moriah, Jacob at Bethel, and under fearful apprehenfions from his brother Efau, and Mofes with the Ifraelites at the Red fea and in their journey thro' the wilderness to the land of promise.

2. To reconcile their minds to that myfterious doctrine and event, the incarnation of the fon of God.-The mystery of godlinefs, God manifeft in the flesh, hath ever perplexed and confounded the wisdom of the world. The incarnation and crucifixion of the fon of God hath never been digefted nor relished by the unbelieving heart of man. In this age of mental improvement, how many are offended at the doctrine of the cross? Even among the chofen, how many, like Thomas, are faithlefs and unbelieving? If, in the full blaze of evangelical truth, and when the certainty of the fact is fupported by the most demonftrative evidence, the human heart is fo fceptical, and the faith of the pious fo apt to be misled, how dark and unbelieving muft have been the fate of the world, and

how feeble the faith even of those who were waiting for the confolation of Ifrael, when the doctrine was exhibited only by figurative promises, or obfcure prophecies, and as a very distant event?—And did not the compaffionate Redeemer from pity to the bewilder, ed ftate and the unftable faith of his people illuftrate the poffibility of the event by affuming a visible form and cultivating a familiar converfe with them? If, when meditating on the important and glorious event, their unbelieving hearts fhould fay, how can thefe things be? how directly might their faith reply, but even now the Son of God favors us with occafional and friendly vifits, and why may he not accomplish that, in reality which he now does in appearance? And if we derive fuch relief and comfort from thefe tranfient vifitations from him in our trials on earth, how defirable, how glorious will eternal redemption from all evil be, in his prefence, in heaven? How natural and eafy, in the mind's view, the tranfition from the appearance to the reality ?-How peculiarly adapted were thefe appearances to convince and fatisfy their minds, of the poffibility of the event and perfuade their hearts to the belief of it ?-May we not confider these appearances,

3. As fo many earnests of his future incarnation, and defigned to confirm the faith of his people in it? After it was moft graciously promifed that the word fhould be made flesh and dwell among men, were not thofe appearances fo many practical affurances, that faithful was he who had promifed who also would do it? And how mightily did they tend to confirm their faith in the fure accomplishment of the promife? In the con

it !-How admirable his benevolence, his condefcenfion his hu

elufion of every interview, how naturally would they reflect and fay, God will affuredly taberna-mility and his grace! How must

cle with men ? Already he anticipates the event: We rejoice in confidence of it.

4. To excite earneft expectations and defires of his incarnation in their minds. If an explanation of the prophecies refpecting the appearance and fufferings of the Meffiah, conftrained the difciples to fay, How did our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us in the way, and opened to us the fcriptures? how must these personal interviews of the redeemer to the patriarchs, have infpired those who were looking for redemption by him with glowing affection and ardent defires for his coming and kingdom, conftraining them to pray ardently come Lord Jefus, come quickly?

In meditating on this fubject, we naturally reflect, How intent was the Son of God on the arduous work of redemption! Before the heavens were prepared, or the foundations of the earth were appointed, he rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth and his deLights were with the fons of men. As foon as there was occafion and opportunity for his merciful interpofition, he commenced the glorious work and antecedent to the actual accomplishment of it, afforded gracious aid to his chofen people, appearing to them and converfing with them, and in his love and pity he bore them, and carried them all the days of old. How muft this angel of the Lord have been abforbed in this wonderful work, arduous as it was, that he fhould have fo contemplated it, anticipated the actual performance by fo many previous appearances, and fo inceffantly profecuted, until he had completed

he have endeared himself to angels and to men by such astonish. ing and affecting difplays of them! And muft not, will not the redeemed, most affectionately and thankfully, afcribe bleffing and praife, for ever and ever, to him who has loved them, and washed them from their fins in his own blood!

PEREGRINUS.

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ceived the defign of employing the fmall portion of time, in which I am able to fit at my table and handle my pen, in refcuing from oblivion fome of my former compofitions, by making from them extracts and tranfcripts into a legible hand, that my children, at leaft, might be able to read them. I found I could do a little in this way, when too weak, in mind as well as body, to do any thing to purpofe in the way of new compofitions. And whilft I am incapable of addreffing my fellowcreatures on the great things of religion in the ufual way of my calling, if I could furnish any thing adapted for their inftruction, improvement or quickening, thro' the medium of the prefs, I hoped I fhould not live altogether in wain. I therefore put my extracts in a form adapted to a magazine! publication. Some of thefe I now communicate; and if thefe fhould prove acceptable, and my life fhould be continued, I may probably make further communications."

FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN

GELICAL MAGAZINE.

Serious discourse between two neighbors, Friendly and Thoughtful.

R. THOUGHT.

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very folemn and awakening truth, that all who fall entirely fhort of the character of the righteous as drawn in the 'feriptures, muft of courfe be ranked among the wicked, who are in the way to deftruction.

F. May I then use the freedom to ask, whether you have made the application to yourself, fo as to come to a fatisfactory conclufion in your own mind, to which of thefe great divifions of mankind you belong?

T. Alas! fir, I must readily acknowledge, that, according to the plain tenor of the feriptures, I am conftrained to view myself as ranking among the wicked.

F. Do you then entertain any expectation of efcaping the deftruction to which the wicked are condemned in the word of God? Have you any hope that you shall be faved?

T. I confefs that, notwithftanding my prefent awful fituation, I have fome hope that I fhall be faved.

F. Have you any reafon for this hope?

T. I think I have.

F. What reafon can you protional, or well founded, and not duce to fhow that your hope is raa mere fond prefumption?

T. I find many things revealed

Friend. M FUL, as you ap and declared in the feriptures,

which encourage me to hope that I fhall be faved-fome of which I will mention, viz. "Look unto me, and be ye faved, all the ends of the earth.-Ho, every one that thirfteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no mon

pear to pay confiderable attention to the fcriptures, I prefume you muft have remarked, that, according to thofe facred writings, all mankind are comprised within two general divifions, defignated by the general terms, the righteous and the wicked-faints and finnersey, &c.-Seek ye the Lord while -believers and unbelievers-children of God and children of the devil.

Thought. I have indeed often noticed this, and viewed it as a VOL. III. No. 3.

he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forfake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, M

mouth of Chrift himself, and faw many of his mighty works will, in the day of judgment, be condemned to a more intolerable punifhment than the people of Sodom. F. Who of all the numerous hearers of the gospel will be faved?

T. They only who repentwho believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift-who receive the love of the truth, and obey the gospel according to the plain and delanguage of infpiration, "Without holinefs no man fhall fee the Lord."

and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. As I live faith the Lord God, I have no pleafure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.-As Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wildernefs, even fo muft the fon of man be lifted up; that whofoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten fon, that who-cifive foever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have everlafting life. For God fent not his fon into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be faved. God was in Chrift, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them. As tho' God did befeech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be fin for us who knew no fin; that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him. This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came into the world to fave finners of whom I am chief. -God our faviour, who will have all men to be faved, and to come Junto the knowledge of the truth."

F. It appears then, that you have no reason to think you fhall be faved, unless you become a true penitent, a fincere believer, a cordial friend to Jefus Chrift, a fubject of real holiness.

T. True; I have not the leaft reafon to expect falvation upon any other fuppofition.

F. But do you expect, that you fhall ever, of your own accord, or by your own exertions, repent and believe, to the faving of your foul?

T. Some appear to think they can and will repent and turn to God, when they find it indifpenfibly neceffary, to escape impending destruction. And I once faw no reafon why I might not expect, by my earneft endeavors and more vigorous and pefevering exertions, to accomplish fuch a reformation and change, as would iffue in falvation; but alas, I have hitherto failed, totally failed, and am conftrained to confels, that from all past and prefent experience of my own heart, I fee no reafon to think I fhall ever of myself come to re

F. Thefe and fuch like paffages of facred writ fhow, that finners may be faved, and indifputably imply, that fome will be faved. But do you, fir, confider thefe and fimilar declarations as implying or amounting to a promife of falvation to finners as fuch? Or do you infer from them, that all mankind will be faved, or even all under the light of the gospel?pentance, or exercise the least deT. By no means. The fcriptures moft clearly and decidedly teach the contrary. Even fome ho heard the gofpel from the

gree of true love to God, or gofpel-holinefs, but abundant reafon to conclude that I fhall not, without being firit moved to it and

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