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النشر الإلكتروني

OBSERVATIONS

UPON PARTICULAR PASSAGES OF

SCRIPTURE.

GENESIS ii, 1.

"THUS the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them." This argues that the angels belong to the Mosaic creation, who are so often spoken of as God's host, and as the hosts of heaven.

GENESIS iv. 23, 24...." And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, I have slain a man to my wounding," &c. The probable design of the Holy Ghost in relating this, is to shew the great increase of the depravity and corruption of the world, or of Cain's posterity and those that adhered to them. This is shewn in the particular instance of Lamech, the chief man of Cain's posterity, in his day. Lamech had been guilty of murdering some man that he had a quarrel with. And he justifies himself in it, and endeavors to satisfy his wives that he shall escape with impunity, from the instance of Cain, whose life God spared, and even took special care that no man should kill him, making the declaration, that if any man killed him, vengeance should be taken of him seven fold, though the man he slew was his brother, and a righteous man, and had done him no injury. But the man he had slain

in or for his wounding (as the words are interpreted by some learned men, See Pool's Synopsis in Loc.) i, e. the man he had slain had injured or wounded him. Therefore, if Cain should be avenged sevenfold, doubtless he seventy and sevenfold. By this speech to his wives, he shews his impenitence and presumption, and great insensibility. When Cain had slain his brother his conscience greatly troubled him. But Lamech with great obduracy shakes off all remorse, and as it were bids defiance to all fear and trouble about the matter.

GENESIS iv. 26...." And to Seth, to him also was born a son, and he called his name Enos. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord." The right translation probably is, Then began men to call by the name of the Lord, or in the name of the Lord. i. e. Then they began to call themselves, and their children by, or in his name: Signifying that then the people of God, of whom Seth was the principal man, and as it were their head, leader and chief priest, being with his posterity appointed another seed (seed or generation of God) instead of Abel; I say, then the people of God began openly to separate themselves from the wicked apostate world of the posterity of Cain, and those that joined with them; and began to appear. in a visibly distinct society, being called the children of God, when the other were called the children of men.

The children and posterity were looked upon as being in the name of the Father, and upholding his name. See Numb. xxvii. 4....Deut. ix. 14, and xxv. 7....1 Sam. xxiv. 21....2 Sam. xviii. 18....Ruth iv. 5....Job xviii, 17....Isai. xiv. 22....Gen. xlviii. 16, compared with Numb. vi. 27, On the birth of Enos it probably first began to be a custom for parents openly to dedicate their children to God, and call them by his name, and as it were insert them into his name, by bringing them to the place of public worship; the transaction being personal, by the parents' solemn declaration and covenant, attended with prayer and sacrifice.

GENESIS ix, 26...." Blessed be the Lord God of Shem." By Jehovah, the God of Shem seems especially meant Jesus Christ, who was of his posterity, and eminently his seed. The

blessing here pronounced on Japhet, is on his posterity.... And the curse of Canaan respects his posterity. Therefore it is reasonable to understand the blessing of Shem to be also on his posterity.

GENESIS xxix, 20...." And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her." Jacob was a type of Christ, in his obtaining his wife by a servitude, and in his servitude's seeming so light to him, and his going so cheerfully through it, for the love wherewith he loved her. That Jacob might enjoy his beloved Rachel, was the joy set before him; for which he despised the difficulty of his servitude. So, that Christ might redeem his church and present it to himself a glorious and blessed church, to dwell with him in glory forever, was the joy that was set before him, for which he endured the cross and despised the shame.

GENESIS xlv....Joseph's making himself known to his brethren. It is without all doubt that one thing signified by Joseph's being hated of his brethren, with a mortal hatred, their intending to kill him, and selling him to the Gentiles, was the rejection of Christ by the Jews his brethren, his being hated, and envied and slain by them, and delivered up to the Gentiles. See Psal. Ixix. 8....Matth. xx. 19. So Joseph's brethren being brought to repentance, and Joseph's being made known to them, their being reconciled and received with great joy, represents the future conversion of the Jews, their being brought to repentance after having rejected and crucified Christ, and the great joy and gladness there shall be on that occasion. This affair was much taken notice of by Pharaoh and his servants, and was very pleasing to them. So the coming in of the Jews will be life from the dead to the Gentiles.

old upon thee, This was prob

DEUT. viii. 4...." Thy raiment waxed not neither did thy foot swell these forty years." ably a type of the desirableness of the clothing of the spiritual Israel, in their journey through the wilderness of this world towards the heavenly Canaan. The saints' grace or righteousness is often represented as this clothing. [Neither did

thy foot swell.] If their feét had swoln they would not have been able to proceed any farther. But the righteous shall be enabled to hold on his way; and God will keep the feet of his saints, and establish their goings. This seems to be the chief reason why this is remarked, viz. because it was a type. For in itself it seeins no very extraordinary thing, that their foot did not swell. For they lay still most of the time; and when they travelled it is probable it was not by long journies, but as the women and children could bear.

DEUT. xxxii. 2...." My doctrine shall drop as the rain; my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small r in upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass." God here speaks to the people quite în a different manner from what he did at Mount Sinai, when he spake to them out of the midst of the fire. God's word them was like thunder and lightning and devouring fire, threatening to overbear and consume so frail and tender a creature as man, who is like the grass and flower of the field. God's voice now is gentle. It is heard in pleasant song. Instead of being like lightning to destroy and consume, it is like the gentle showers, and refreshing dew on the tender grass, revealing, not his wrath, but his great mercy, in a manner adapted to men's tender frame. In this song is much of the glorious gospel. Even the warnings and threatenings that are in it, are delivered in an evangelical manner, much in the same way that they were delivered in the mild language of the glorious Messiah. All the songs of the scripture are the voice of the gospel. The glorious things of the gospel are their foundation and subject matter; and therefore in them God's word drops as the rain.

one.

DEUT. xxxiii. 8...." And of Levi he said, Let thy urim and thy thummim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah." Here Christ is evidently called Levi's holy Aaron, the high priest of that tribe, was Levi's holy one in some sense. But it was not Aaron, but Christ, that was tempted at Massah and Meribah (1 Col. x. 9.) Moses also was of that tribe, and might be called their holy one; but neither was he the person there tempted. Both Moses and

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