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النشر الإلكتروني

CHA P. II.

The argument continued.

HE Jews, who lived in the apoftolic times, ought not to be blamed for fpeaking as God and the prophets had taught them. They cannot be justly blamed for not being able to guefs, that the name GOD had a fignification which had not been heard of till that time; a fignification which fully acquitted a man who, without it, would have been convicted of blafphemy. Much lefs are the modern Jews to be cenfured for speaking, as their forefathers taught them. But let us confider the various ways, in which the members of the ancient fynagogue were inftructed by their prophets, in this refpect.

The prophets frequently reminded them of this precept; "Thou fhalt have no other gods be"fore me," without ever fubjoining the leaft qualification, or reftriction, by which they might learn, that this command was not general and obligatory in all ages and places. Were the Jews, then, obliged to believe, without any manner of notice, that a command fo inviolable till then, had loft its force in the time of Jefus Chrift?

They conftantly oppofe that God who made all things, to every created god. As they affert the unity of God, with great frequency and great folemnity; fo they diftinguifh him by this character, "He made the heavens and the earth.” Nay, they declare that "the gods who made not

the heavens and the earth, fhall perish from "under the heavens." The Jews could not but confider this affertion, as general; and as teaching them, that no one ought to be acknowledged as God, but him that created the world and is unchangeable.

The

The prophets taught, that God cannot be represented by any picture, or image; because there is nothing in the world fit to reprefent him. "To whom," or to what, fays God, "will ye

liken me?" By which the Jews were informed, that nothing which might be reprefented on canvafs, or in ftatuary, ought to be acknowledged as God. Confequently, they muft conclude, that a mere man was very far from deferving to be called GOD.

The name JEHOVAH, with all other Divine titles and characters which our Maker affumes in the Scripture, are names of diftin&tion; and were defigned to exalt him far above all creatures. " I

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am JEHOVAH, that is my name. There is no "GOD befides me. Ye fhall fwear by my name. "Whosoever fweareth upon the earth, fhall "fwear by the GOD of truth." Now thefe characters and claims were defigned to diftinguish God, either from all his creatures, or only from Some of them. If the latter, in vain does He fay; "There is no God befides me.' Because it might be answered, Though that be thy name, it does not diftinguifh thee from every creature: for there is, or there will be one, that fhall bear it with thee. If the former, then whoever calls himfelf God, difowns the condition of a creature; and, confequently, if Jefus Chrift affumed that name, or any other expreffive of the fame glory, the Jews could not but accufe him of blafphemy.

The prophets abundantly affert the unity of God. Nor can we confider their extraordinary care, in this respect, as owing to any thing, but the danger there was of men falling into idolatry; by acknowledging, as God, one that was not JEHOVAH. But were the days of the prophets the only time in which men were in any such danger?

Were

Were they not expofed to the fame evil, when the Sanhedrim judged Jefus Chrift? But why do I ask such questions? for, if we believe our adversaries, the event has proved, that it was poffible for men, with the writings of the prophets in their hands, to become idolaters; by placing a creature, honoured with the name of God, on the throne of the Deity.—The Jews, then, were obliged to be jealous for the glory of God, as the prophets had been in the times of their fathers. For they might easily foresee, that if a mere man were fuffered to call himself God, he would foon be put in the place of God; and the event has verified fuch an apprehenfion. As the prophets, therefore, had for fo many ages conftantly declared, that there is but one Object, to whom the name GOD belongs, in order to guard the people against idolatry; the fame reason required the Jews to withstand a man, who dared to affume the names and titles of God.

Jehovah, by the prophets, declares, “I will "not give my glory to another, nor my praise "to graven images." The Jews, therefore, had reason to conclude, that He had not given his glory to Jefus Chrift. For either this propofition is general; and fo fignifies, that God never gives his glory to any one: or it is particular, and imports, that at fome times, and on - certain occafions, he does give his glory to another. If the latter, the affertion is trifling and the reasoning vain. For the meaning must be, God gives not his glory to another, on fome occafions, though he does it on others. Therefore, he will not give his praise to graven images. If the former, as it must undoubtedly be, the Jews were obliged to conclude, that God had not given his glory to Jefus Chrift; and, confequently, he could not, without manifest impiety,

either inveft himself with the titles of God, or pretend to Divine honours.

The prophets have fo great a respect for the names of God, that they carefully avoid taking any metaphors from them; which is a very remarkable difference between human and Divine language. The former, being that of men who do not fufficiently reverence the Deity, abounds with metaphors taken from God. Almost every thing is represented, by one or another, as di vine, adorable, infinite. Incenfe and facrifice, dedication and devotion, with many other expreffions that are taken from the worship of God, coft us nothing, and are frequently used. But they are banished from the language of the Holy Spirit; who, fpeaking of God as God, and of a creature as a creature, avoids those metaphors which would seem to infringe on the rights, or the honours, of the Great Supreme; or as might feem to elevate the creature above a ftate of dependence. When the Holy Spirit perfonifies death, he does not call him the GOD, but the "KING of terrors." And though the pfalmift, speaking of the rulers of this world, fays, "Ye 66 are gods;" yet he immediately adds, "but 86 ye fhall die like men." The figurative application, therefore, of the adorable name, in this paffage, cannot poffibly injure the glory of God; because it is given to princes for no other reason, but to form an antithefis to humble them. "Ye are gods-but ye fhall die like men."—If, then, the reverence which the writers of the Old Teftament had for the proper names of God, be fo great; and if the fame reverential regard be found in the penmen of the New Teftament; who, when speaking of a creature, do not fetch their metaphors from the attributes of God, as the Heathen authors did, and as is common at this

day;

day; ought we to cenfure the Jews of an exceffive tenderness, who could not fuffer the name GOD to be given to a mere man, and given to him in fuch a fenfe as requires us to worship him? For, either the name GOD, expreffes the glory of the Creator, or that of the creature, or one that is common to both. It cannot be a glory common to both; for if it were, the prophets could not have so often declared, that there is but one God befides, every one of us might call himfelf by the adorable name, without any fcruple. Nor can it be the glory of the creature; for no man ever could fuppofe it. It muft, therefore, be the glory of the Creator; a glory peculiar to him. And if fo, the Jews could not but accuse Jefus of blafphemy; who, though a mere man, affumed a name which expreffes the Creator's glory.

Once more: The prophets have two principal ends in view, when they proclaim the characters, perfections, and honours of the Supreme Being. The one is, to glorify God, by exalting him far above all creatures; the other, to fave mankind, by preferving them from idolatry, and by inftructing them in the knowledge and worship of the true God. But thefe high defigns are oppofed, are deftroyed, as to multitudes, if the Jews permit a mere man to affume the names of God. For, as names are given to persons and things, with a defign to make them known, and to diftinguish one from another; if a mere man take upon him the names of God, he will, in fome degree at leaft, be confounded with him: and thus the defign of the prophets to glorify God, by exalting him far above all other beings, is oppofed. For as God glorifies himself, by laying a peculiar claim to fuch characters as do not, as cannot, agree to a mere creature; fo the crea

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