Ver. 6, 7. The Lord God reproved Cain for the difguft and indignation he had conceived against his brother, inftructing him in terms of divine acceptance. If thou doft well, fhalt thou not be accepted? Moft certainly For I have an impartial regard to true piety, wherefoever I find it. But if thou doft not well, fin (i. e. the punishment of fin, as ver. 13, and chap. xix. 15, and feveral other places,) lieth couching at the door, ready to fall upon thee; and unto thee fhall be his defire, and thou fhalt rule over him. Three things are here fuggefted to appeafe his refentment. 1. That the reason of his not being refpected was not in his brother, but in himfelf; for if he had done well, he would have been as much refpected. 2. That if he did ill, he had no reason to expect the Divine favor, but the reverfe. 3. That this fhould not alter his civil right, nor give Abel any authority over him, but he should still retain the privilege of his birth-right. Note This fhews, that the privileges of the birth-right had been previously settled, either by divine appointment, or approbation.

But the rancor of Cain's mind could not thus be cured. Being of the Wicked One, the murtherer, who had lately attempted to deftroy all mankind, he took an opportunity, and flew his brother. Poffibly the next fabbath, Abel's place being empty in the affembly of Adam's family, the Lord addreffed himself to Cain, charged him with his crime, and, in punishment of it, banished him from the country, where Adam and his family refided; by rendering the ground barren to him, infomuch that, notwithstanding all his endeavonrs, it should not yield him any increase. This would neceffarily oblige him to go seek a subsistence in fome other place. To this fentence Cain remonftrates as too fevere, [and by the bye, his familiar, indeed too familiar, manner of anfwering the Shechinah, fhews, that fuch appearances of the Divine Prefence were common and cuftomary] apprehending he should thereby be hid from the face of the Lord, (ver. 14.) or deprived of his care and inspection, and confidered by all mankind as a strolling brute, expofed to their hatred, and in continual danger of being deftroyed. But God, who for wife and holy ends often protects and prolongs the lives even of very wicked men, intended that Cain fhould live; either that he might have space to repent, or, being impenitent, might remain a monument of Divine Juftice. And therefore, before the whole aflembly, threatened a worse punishment than Cain's to the man, who should, by killing him, defeat the divine fentence, or fruftrate his grace.

And the Lord fet a mark upon Cain, &c. In the Hebrew it is, And the Lord fet, or exhibited, a true token to Cain, that no one, who met him, should kill him; i. e. gave him fome pledge or affurance, declared either in words, as by an oath, or by fome outward token, that his life fhould be preferved. So the fpies gave Rahab a token, N DIN, that her life, and the lives of all her relations, fhould be preferved. Joshua ii. 12-14. This token to Rahab seems to have been a folemn cath; for the fcarlet cord was not a token to Rahab, but to the fpies, to diftinguifh her house. N. B. I do not find in Scripture, that is ever fignifies a mark, or brand, impreffed upon a man's body, but always fome external affurance, or pledge given by God. Gen. ix. 13. xvii. 11.

I Sam. ii. 34. xiv. 10. 2 King. xix. 28. Ifai. xxxviii. 7, 8. Jer. xliv. 29, &c. &c.

Ver. 16. And Cain, by force of the divine curfe, went out from the prefence of the Lord, i. e. out of the affembly, where the Lord appeared, and was worshipped, and never enjoyed the bleffings and advantages, which attended the affembly, any more.

Of the SHECHINAH, and Divine APPEARANCES.

AVING had occafion, in the foregoing chapter, to mention Hthe Shechinah, (a rabinical word from 1 to dwell,) which is

ufed to fignify a glorious Appearance, covered, or attended with a cloud, denoting the extraordinary prefence of God, who is neceffarily every where prefent; this may be a proper place to examine the Scripture upon the point of Divine Appearances. They are mentioned in both parts of the holy Scripture; fometimes without taking any notice of a visible glory, and often exprefly mentioning it; as in the following places. Gen. xv. 17. The fmoking furnace and lamp of fire,

are justly supposed to correfpond to the cloud and pillar of fire, afterwards mentioned, as representing the Divine Prefence. Probably, in a visible glory the Lord appeared to Abraham, Gen. xvii. I; and to Ifaac, chap. xxvi. 2; and certainly to Mofes in the bufh. Exod. iii. 2. The Shechinah was alfo in the cloud and pillar of fire. Exod. xiii. 21. For it was the fame cloud that afterward refted upon the tabernacle, when it was fet up, and is called the Cloud of the Lord. Exod. xl. 38. Numb. x. 34. For the glory of the Lord was within the tabernacle upon the mercy-feat, as the cloud was on the outfide of it. Exod. xl. 34, 35. And it is there defcribed, as in Exod. xiii. 21. that it appeared as a cloud upon the tabernacle by day, and as a fire by night. Exod. xl. 38. Numb. ix. 15, 16.

Thus it conducted and guarded them in their journeys, [and then alone was ordinarily feen by the whole congregation] Exod. xl. 36. Numb. ix. 17, 18, &c. [Ifaiah alludes to this chap. iv. 5, 6.] And, as thus the token of the Divine Prefence went before them, the Lord is faid to go before them, and to lead them by this cloud. And out of this cloud, or rather from the glory of the Lord, within the tabernacle, the Lord fpake unto Mofes what he fpake and delivered in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. Numb. vii. 89. And when Mofes went into the tabernacle of the congregation, to speak with him, [God,] then he heard the voice of one fpeaking unto him from off the mercy-feat, that was upon the ark of the testimony, between the two Cherubims, and he spake unto him; agree

ably

ably to what God had faid, Exod. xxv. 22. I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-feat, from hetween the two Cherubims, which are upon the ark of the teftimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Ifrael. And there, as upon a throne, between the Cherubims, the glory of the Lord had its refidence in the holy place in Solomon's temple, after it had taken poffeffion of the houfe, at the confecration of it. 1 King. viii. 10, 11. [and there it continued till the Babylonish captivity.] Hence God is faid to dwell between the Cherubims. 1 Sam. iv. 4. 2 Sam. vi. 2. 2 King. xix. 15. Pfalm. lxxx. 1, &c. The glory of the Lord appeared to Isaiah in the temple. Ifai. vi. 1. and to Ezekiel, with many awful circumftances. Ezek. i. 28. iii. 23. x. 4. xi. 23, xliii. 2, 4, 5. xliv. 4. The glory of the Lord fhone round about the shepherds, and the angel of the Lord came upon them, Luke ii. 8, 9. and to the three Difciples at the transfiguration, Mat. xvii. 5. While he yet fpake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud, which faid, this is my beloved Son, &c. The Shechinah appeared to Saul, Acts ix. 3. Suddenly there fhined round about him a light from heaven; and to Peter in the prifon. Acts xii. 7.

Thefe are the moft remarkable Divine Appearances mentioned inScripture. Now the question is, who, in fuch inftances, was the perfon that appeared and spake? For example, Exod. iii. 14, it is written, And God faid unto Mofes, I AM THAT I AM: and he faid, thus fhalt thou fay unto the children of Ifrael, I AM hath fent me unto you. Who was it that spake to Mofes? Or what notion are we to form of that being, who pronounced those words, I AM THAT I AM? What makes the enquiry neceffary is this, that in the second verse it is faid, The ANGEL OF THE LORD appeared in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. And yet it is faid, concerning the fame perfon, ver. 4. When THE LORD faw that he turned afide to fee, GOD called to him out of the midst of the bush. ver. 6. Moreover he faid, I am the GOD of thy father, the GOD of Abraham, the GOD of Ifaac, &c. And, ver. 14. GOD faid unto Mofes, I AM THAT I AM. Ver. 15. GOD faid unto Mofes, Thus fhalt thou fay unto the children of Ifrael, the LORD GOD of your fathers hath fent me unto you. Now, moft certain it is, that it was the ANGEL of the LORD that appeared to Mofes. And certain it is, that the Angel of the Lord, that appeared to Mofes in the bufh, did, out of the bufh, pronounce the several sentences I have quoted. It was the Angel of the Lord, who faid, I am the God of thy father: I AM THAT I AM. But the Angel of the Lord God, is not the Lord God, whofe Angel he is. How then can it be faid, that the Lord God appeared and fpake to Mofes? This is the difficulty; and the folution is ready, and very clear.

The folid and inconteftible foundation of the solution is laid by our Lord himself, who perfectly understood the whole affair of Divine Appearances, in John v. 37. And the Father himself, who bath fent me, hath born witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor feen his Shape. John i. 18. No man hath feen God at any time. He is the invifible God, whom no man hath feen, or can fee. It is often faid, that the Lord, the most high God, appeared to the Patriarchs, to Mofes, and to the Prophets, the ancestors of the Jews; but, according to our Lord's rule, the Appearance, form, or shape, which they faw, was not the

Appearance

Appearance of the Lord God himself, for never, at any time, did they fee his fhape. Again, it is often faid, that the moft High God fpake to the Patriarchs, to Mofes, and the Prophets; but our Lord-affirms, that they never heard his voice at any time. How fhall we reconcile this feeming inconfiftency?

The true folution, according to the Scriptures, is this. That the Lord God never fpake or appeared in perfon, but always by a proxy, Nuncius, or meffenger, who reprefented him, and therefore fpake in his name and authority, faying, I am God all-fufficient; I am the God of Abraham; I AM THAT I AM. Which words were pronounced by an Angel; but are true, not of the Angel, but of God, whom he reprefented, and upon whofe errand he came. So a herald reads a proclamation in the king's name and words, as if the king himself were speaking. Or, to ufe a more common inftante, fo a brief is publifhed in the king's name and language, as if the king himself were addreffing the congre gation where it is read. Thus, GEORGE by the grace of God, &c. where as it hath been reprefented to US, &c. therefore they have humbly befought US to grant unto them OUR Letters Patent, &c. unto which their request WE have graciously condefcended, &c. But much, furely, would he be miftaken, who fhould imagine, that the perfon who reads the procla mation, or the brief, was his Majesty KING GEORGE, because he useth his words, and speaks as if the king himself were speaking.

That this is a true reprefentation of the cafe, will appear, I. From the fignification of the word ANGEL, [areños which is a Greek word, and both in that language, and in the Hebrew, fignifies a messenger, or nuncius, an ambassador; one who acts and speaks, not in his own name, or behalf, but in the name, perfon; and behalf of him that fends him. And thus the word is frequently rendered in our tranflation. And had it always been rendered the messenger of the Lord, inftead of the Angel of the Lord, the cafe would have been very plain. But Angel, being a Greek word, which the English reader doth not un→ derftand, it throws fome obfcurity upon fuch paffages:

II. It is in Scripture exprefly faid, that it was an Angel, a nuncius, or meffenger of the Lord, who fpake, even when the Lord himself is faid, or supposed to speak. As Gen. xvi. 7. The Angel found Hagar; and, ver. 10, faid unto her, I will multiply thy feed exceedingly. Gen: xviii. 1. The Lord appeared unto Abraham, ver. 2. And he lifted up his eyes, and lo, three men, three Angels in the fhape of men, ftood by him. Now one of those men, or Angels, was à nuncius fent particularly to Abraham ; for ver. 10, he faid, as he was fiting at meat, I will certainly return unto thee; and lo, Sarah fhall have a fon. And Sarah heard it, ver. 12. and. laughed. ver. 13. And the Lord, i. e. the Angel who fpake in the Lord, faid, wherefore did Sarah laugh? Ver. 14. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return unto thee, and Sarah Shall have a fon. Again, Gen. xxii. 15. And the Angel, or meffenger, of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven, ver. 16, and faid, by myfelf have I fworn, faith the Lord, that in bleffing I will bless thee, &c. Upon which place St. AUSTIN, quoted by Bp. PATRICK in his Commentary upon the place, argues in this manner.

VOL. I.

"In the begining of this chapter, ver. 1, 2, we read, that GOD tempted [tried] Abraham, and bad him go, and offer up his fon Isaac ; "but, ver. 11, 12, The Angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven,

(6

and faid, Lay not thy hands upon the lad. What is the meaning of this? "Will they fay, that God commanded Ifaac to be flain, and that his ἐσ Angel forbad it? And that Abraham obeyed the Angel, who bid him "fpare his fon, against God, who ordered him to flay him? This is "ridiculous, and not to be endured. The plain meaning is, that God fpake both times, in the one cafe, and the other; but he fpake by an Angel, who was his minifter. That is the reafon, Angels fome"times fpeak as if they were the Lord, because they spake in the Lord's name. Juft as when a public crier in a court pronounces the fen"tence of the judge, it is not entered in the public records, that the "crier pronounced that fentence, but the judge, in whose name and "authority the crier pronounced it." Thus St. AUSTIN. In Exod. iii. 2. the Angel, nuncius, or meffenger of the Lord appeared unto Mofes; and faid, I am the God of Abraham; I AM THAT I AM; speaking not of himself, but of the Lord whofe meffenger he was.-Joshua vi. 2. The Lord faid unto Joshua. It appears from chap. v. 13, 14. that it was not the Lord who fpake, but an Angel, under the title of the Captain of the Lord's Hoft.

Further, it is evident from every part of the law of Mofes, that it was given and ordained by God, the LORD, the most high God; and in his name it is every where worded and enjoined, Exod. xx. I, 2. And God fpake all these words, faying, I am the Lord thy God. And the Lord faid unto Mofes. And Mofes faid unto the Lord. And yet it appears from repeated teftimonies in the New Testament, that it was not the Lord, who immediately himself spake, either to Mofes, or to all the people. Thus Stephen, a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghoft. Acts vii. 35. This Mofes, whom they refufed,did God fend to be a ruler, and a deliverer by the hands of the Angel, or meffenger, who appeared to him in the bush; and who is called the Angel of his, God's, prefence. Ifai. Ixiii. 9. ver. 28. This [Mofes} is he that was in the church in the wilderness, with the Angel who fpake to him in Mount Sinai. [Note it was an Angel, a meflenger, that fpake to Mofes in Mount Sinai.] ver. 53. who have received the law by the difpofition, in the Conftitutions published by the miniftry, of Angels. Gal. iii. 19. Wherefore then ferveth the law of Mofes? It was added because of tranfgreffions, till the feed fhould come, to whom the promife was made, and it, the law, was ordained by the miniftry of Angels. Heb. ii. 2. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfaft, meaning the law given by Mafes. That law was spoken to him, and to all the people, by angels, who fpake, not of themselves, but what was communicated to them from God.

III. The fews very well understood the nature of those manifeftations. They knew when a miraculous voice came to them, fpeaking as God himself would fpeak, that it was a meffenger from God, who spake in his name and ftead, Gen. xvi. 7, 9. The Angel of the Lord appeared and fpake to Hagar; yet fhe knew it was a Divine Appearance, and that the Angel perfonated the moft High God. Therefore, ver. 13. She called the name of the LORD, that spake unto her, thou GOD feeft me.

Gen. xxxii. 24.