Gen. xxxii. 24. There wrestled a man with Jacob. Now Jacob knew that man was a meffenger from God; and therefore, ver. 30. he called the name of the place Peniel; for I have feen God face to face, i. e. I have feen an evident manifestation from God. The common token, that fuch were Divine Manifeftations, was the glory which attended the meffenger, who pronounced the words of the meffage. And whenever that glory appeared, the Jews knew the meffage came from God, whoever it was that brought it. Thus Luke ii. 9. The Angel of the Lord came upon the fhepherds, and the glory of the Lord fhone round about them. They knew the glory they saw was not the glory of the Angel, but a token of the Divine Presence and authority, fignifying that the message came from the Lord. Therefore they fay, ver. 15. Let us now go and fee this thing, which the LORD hath made known unto us. And fo Saul knew the light fhining from heaven, was the glory of the Lord, and an infallible proof of a Divine Manifestation. And, 2 Pet. i. 17. He, our Lord Jefus Chrift, received from God the Father, honor and glory, when there came fuch a voice unto him from the excellent Glory, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleafed. Whoever the meffenger was that uttered these words, the Difciples, that faw the transfiguration on the mount, knew that the thing came from God the Father; because the voice, or words, came from the excellent Glory, or the Shechinah.

It is very remarkable, that when our Lord was exalted to univerfal dominion, at the right-hand of God, as head of the church, he also had his ANGEL, Nuncius, or meffenger, whom he dispatched upon the af fairs of his government. Rev. i. 1. The revelation of Jefus Chrift, which GOD gave unto him, to fhew unto his fervants things which must shortly come to pass; and he, Jefus, fent and fignified it by his ANGEL unto his fervant John. And therefore, though the glorious appearance, Rev. i. 13-17. is rightly understood of our Lord, yet it was not he in perfon, but his ANGEL, Nuncius, or meffenger, who represented him, and appeared and fpake in his name. And fo in other places of the Revelation; where, nevertheless, our Lord may justly be fuppofed to appear and speak.

We may here observe, that it hath been commonly fuppofed, that our Lord, before his incarnation, was the ANGEL that appeared in the Shechinah, and fpake to Adam and the Patriarchs, to Mofes and the prophets, and is called the Angel of his prefence, Ifai. Ixiii. 9. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the Angel of his 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. To this purpose they understand, John xii. 41. These things faid Efaias, when he faw his glory and fpake of him, i. e. "faw, at that time, "the glory of Christ, who was then the medium of divine manifeftations, " and fpake of him, and of his times, or what would happen with refpect "to the reception of the Gofpel, when he should preach it to the Jews." [Dr. Doddridge.] But, when he faw his glory, may be well interpreted, when he [Efaias] forefaw his glory, or the glorious manifeftations, "which God intended to make of himself to the Jews by his Son." [Dr. Clarke.] So John viii. 56. Abraham faw, forefaw, my day, and was glad. Thus alfo, as he tabernacled among the Jews in the cloud of glory, they judge he was in the form of God, Phil. ii. 9; which form, or

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likenefs

likeness he was not greedy of retaining, but emptied himself of it, and took upon him the form of a fervant. But this form, or likenefs of God, may refer to the glory which he had with the father before the world was, John xvii. 5. With regard to which he may also be faid to be the image of God, 2 Cor. iv. 4. the image of the invifible God, Col. i. 15. the brightness of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, Heb. i. 3. However, I fhould willingly admit that fuch Expreffions refer to the glorious appearances of the Shechinah under the Old Teftament, were it not for this objection, that our Lord muft then be fuppofed to publish the law, and to prefide over the Jewish difpenfation, as well as over the Gospel; which feems to be quite inconfiftent with John i. 17. The law was given by Mofes, but grace and truth came by Jefus Chrift. See alfo Heb. i. 1, 2. ii. 2. [Here the Apostle's argument proceeds wholly upon the difference of the perfons, the Angels, who published the law, and the Lord Jefus Christ, who published the Gofpel; but his argument hath no ftrength at all, if those persons are the fame*. See Mr. Pierce upon the text.]

Heb.

But may we not diftinguish between the Aoyos as a Proxy of Deity, or as perfonating the glorious Majefty of God in the Shechinah, and in that capacity, by the Holy Spirit, infpiring the Prophets, and prefiding over the Angels at the giving of the law; and the fame Aoyos acting and fpeaking to us, in his incarnate ftate, in the capacity of a Prophet? In the former capacity he may be confidered in relation to God, as perfonating God, or as in the form of God, whofe agent he was under every difpenfation which God erected; and therefore as doing nothing in his own perfon. For thus, his perfon would coincide with that of the fupreme God, and is not to be confidered as different from him, but as acting in his name and authority. In the latter capacity he may be confidered in relation to us, and to our falvation by the Gofpel; for the accomplishment of which, he stooped fo far as to take upon him our nature, and, not as perfonating God, but in quality of a Prophet fent from God, to publish among us in his own person, and name, the promise of eternal life.

And must not this bring us under greater obligations to attend to him ; and be fufficient to diftinguish him as acting in delivering the law, and preaching the Gofpel? He that was in the form of God, and reprefented God, when the law was delivered, and who delivered it by the miniftry of Angels and of Mofes; that tranfcendently glorious perfon afterwards became a man, and in his own perfon, and by his own miniftry, delivered to us the Gospel. Doth not this, in a very peculiar manner, recommend to us the Gospel, and oblige us to attend to its doctrines? Heb. i. 1, 2. God who at fundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers BY THE PROPHETS, bath in thefe last days Spoken unto us BY HIS SON, &c. God always fpake by Proxy. And the Apofile might fpeak as he doth, although it be true, that our Lord was the Proxy of Deity under the Old Teftament difpenfation. For the Apoftle here confiders, not who was the Proxy of Deity, but by whom he immmediately fpake to the fathers in the Jewish church, and to us in the Christian church. And the oppofition lieth between, not the Proxies or Reprefentatives of Deity, but between THE PROPHETS in the former difpenfation, and THE SON OF GOD in the latter. By his Son, as his Proxy, he fpake to the Prophets, and by the Prophets he fpake to the Old Testament fathers. But under the New Teftament his well beloved Son, who before was indeed in the form of God, as his Proxy, himself became a Prophet, and in the form of a man fpake to us immediately as a Prophet.

Heb. iii. 13. [Here Mofes's house, and Christ's house, or dispensation, are clearly distinguished.]

But fuppofing our Lord was the Angel, who appeared and spake under the Old Testament, yet it must be remembered, that he appeared and fpake only as an Angel, or Nuncius from God. Which character he expressly sustains, Mal. iii. 1.—and the Lord, whom ye feek, shall fuddenly come to his temple; even

the mefinger, Angel, of הברית מלאך

the covenant, [not the Sinai, but the Gospel covenant,] whom ye delight

in.

Of the GLORY OF THE LORD, as it hath relation to the SHECHINAH, or Divine APPEARANCES.

****T is deferving of our further obfervation, that the Shechinah, I or divine appearances, as a token of God's prefence, and of **** his guidance, encouragement, and protection of his people, is often mentioned in the Old Teftament under the character of THE GLORY OF JEHOVAH. As in Exodus xvi. 7, 10. xxiv. 16. Lev. ix. 6, 23. Num. xiv. 10, 21. 22. xvi. 19. xx. 6. Hebrew ix. 5.- the Cherubim of the glory, i. e. the glory of Jehovah, dwelling between the Cherubim, over the Mercy-feat. St. Peter alludes to this, 2 Epift. i. 17 there came a Voice from the excellent Glory. This token of God's prefence is otherwife called his Prefence, Exodus xxxiii. 14. and his Name, as that fignifieth a mark of distinction or eminence. Deut. xii. 5. 2 Chron. vii. 16.

Certainly it was the peculiar honor and advantage of the Ifraelites, that they had fuch a public visible manifeftation of the prefence and favor of God; [Rom. ix. 4. Who are Ifraelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the Glory, or the glorious manifeftations of God.] And was well adapted to that difpenfation of the church; efpecially in the early times of its inftitution under Mofes, when they could not, by abstract reafoning, be fo well acquainted with the nature and perfections of God; and therefore stood in need of fome extraordinary vifible token, to strike and affect their minds with a sense of his prefence, power, authority, favor and protection.

Is

And as the glory of the Lord appeared publicly in favor of the Ifraelites, to guard and guide them, when they left the land of Egypt; fo the glory. of the Lord is ufed figuratively to denote, in general, his fpecial bleffing, favor, presence, and protection, upon any occafion. Ifaiah lviii. 8. it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, &c. Then fhall thy light, profperity, break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring forth fpeedily: and thy righteousness, [falvation, Saviour] fhall go before thee, THE GLORY OF JE

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HOVAH

A

HOVAH fhall be thy rereward, fhall advance in thy rear, or behind thee, to guard thee; alluding to the Shechinah as it guarded and guided the children of Ifrael. Ifa, lx. 1. Arife, fhine; for thy light, happinefs, is come, and THE GLORY OF JEHOVAH is rifen upon thee. Thus it is figuratively to denote the divine favor and guardianhip.

And in the fame manner it is applied to the Chriftian church, as denoting all the light and bleffings, grace, and glory of the Gofpel. Num. xiv. 21. But as truly as I live, all the earth fhall be filled with MY GLORY; fpeaking of the Gospel, in contradiction to the Jewish peculiarity. Isa. XXXV. 1, 2. The wilderness of the folitary place fhall be glad for them; and the defert fhall rejoice and bloom as the rofe, &c. They fhall fee THE GLORY OF JEHOVAH, and the excellency of our God. Ifai. xl. 3, 4, 5. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord; make fraight in the defert a high way for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, &c. And THE GLORY OF JEHOVAH fhall be revealed, and all flesh shall fee it together, [17 compleatly, or in it's perfection.] for the mouth of

T:

the Lord hath spoken it. Hab. ii, 14. For the earth fhall be filled with the knowledge of the GLORY OF GOD, as the waters cover the fea.

All thefe paffages are to be understood of the Gospel manifestations of God's grace, which is his glory. Exodus xxxiii. 18, 19. And Mofes faid, I beseech thee, fhew me thy Glory. And he faid, I will make all my Goodnefs pafs before thee, and I will proclaim the name of Jehovah before thee; namely, as in Chap. xxxiv. 6, 7. The Lord-proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God merciful, and gracious, &c. The goodness and mercy of the Lord is the glory of the Lord.

And obferve, how the Apostle, 2 Cor. iii. 13-18. alludes to the glory of the Shechinah, with which Mofes converfed in the mount; and which impreffed fuch a fplendor upon his countenance, as obliged him to cover it with a veil, when he returned to the people; who otherwife could not bear to look upon the exceffive brightnefs of the glory of God, reflected from his, Mofes's face. In allufion to this veil, obfcuring the brightness of Mofes his countenance, the Apostle informs us, ver. 14, 15. that there was an obfcurity, a veil over his writings; which veil, after Chrift was come, and had taken it away, from the Old Teftament, the Jews, through unbelief, transferred to their own hearts, and fo remained ignorant of the true meaning of Mofes and the prophets. But, ver. 18. we all, [all we Chriftians, in oppofition to the blinded Jews, yer, 13, 14.] we all with open, unveiled, face, having the GLORY of the LORD, refected upon us [from the face of Jefus, Chap. 4, 6.] as from a mirror, are, in the difpofitions of our minds, changed into the fame image of moral excellency, from glory to glory, or in order to the most compleat glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord. John i. 14. The word was made Fesh, and saunwo dwelt, tabernacled, among us; and we, as well as his firft difciples, beheld the glory of Jefus Chrift, as of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth. The Son of God became a man fubject to like frailties with us, and lived and converfd freely amongst men; teaching them fully and plainly the great truths relating to God's gracious purpofes concerning the redemption and eternal falvation of man

kind. And thus God, and his merciful regards to men, his prefence in his church, and his power, ingaged to keep his fervants, and to bring them to the poffeffion of eternal life, is more clearly and illuftrioufly manifefted in the Gospel, than his favorable prefence and protection were by the Shechinah in the temple, or in any other place, among the Ifraelites.

We, who under the Gospel difpenfation, are fo well acquainted with the nature and perfections of God, do not stand in need of any extraordinary vifible token of the divine prefence. The glorious truths of the Gofpel, revealed by Jefus Chrift, are our Shechinah, fhining from him upon our minds, and filling them with comfort and joy, in the affured hope of his prefent care and bleffing, and of the poffeffion of glory, honor and immortality in the future world. And this is to us us a Shechinah, infinitely preferable to the vifible appearances in the church of old.

The SCRIPTURE-CHRONOLOGY from the CREATION to the DELUGE.

Gen. 5th Chapter.

E are now got as far as the Deluge. And here, according W to Mofes, who here begins his genealogies, is the proper Cxx place for confidering how far we are advanced in the age, or chronology, of the world. For in this chapter he gives the names and ages of the Patriarchs from Adam to Noah, together with the age of every father, at the time when every fon was born. And if we add together the ages of the fathers, when their feveral fons were born, and the years of Noah's life at the time of the Deluge, we fhall form chronological ta bles of the best authority, from the Creation to the Deluge, after this

According to table I. if you add together the years from the creation of Adam to the birth of Methuselah you will find that Adam was 687 years old when Methuselah was born. And, as Adam lived in all 930 years, as in table III. if you fubtract 687 from 930, there will remain 243, which is the year of Methuselah's life when Adam died. Therefore Methuselah

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