time of life, to exercise a grave discretion, and maintain a cautious suspense. In religion, as

well as other branches of knowledge, we should neither hold all things equally certain, nor equally uncertain; but receive them with a measure of assurance, proportioned to the evidence, with which we have been favoured, and the information, we have been able to acquire. We should always make a distinction between the scheme of redemption on the part of God and Christ, and the Covenant of Grace between God and Man; and remember, that mysteries can make no part of a Covenant. I, therefore, dismiss the subject, with an humble prayer, that God may give us all a true discernment of his will, and understanding of his word, through his infinite grace and mercy in Christ Jesus, our Lord.-Amen.

NOTES.

1. P. 128. (1) ELOHIM, though it be of the plural number, is employed to signify a single angel, in case it should be thought, (rather, lest it should be thought,) that the use of the plural implies a plurality of persons in the Godhead: [ne plurali plures personas in Deo significari putemus] Judges xiii. 21, 22. It is applied to a single false god, Exod. xx. 3: to Dagon, Judges xvi. 23: to single gods, 1 Kings, xi. 33: to Moses, Exod. iv. 16. vii. 1: to God the Father alone, Ps. ii. 7. xlv. 7: and in many other places. Similar to this is the use of Adonaim, the Lord, in the plural number with a singular meaning, and with the plural affix according to the Hebrew mode; and Baal used appellatively. For even among the Greeks, the word doorns, Lord, is also used in the plural number, in the sense of the singular, when extraordinary respect and

honour are intended to be paid. Thus in the Iphigenia in Aulis of Euripides, λίαν δεσπόταισι πιςὸς εἶ, for δεςπότη, and again εὔκλεές τοι δεσποτῶν θνήσκειν ὑπὲρ for δεσ

TOTOV. It is also used in the Rhesus and the Baccho in the same manner.- -Milton's Christian Doctrine: Translation, p. 108. Though Elohim be plural, it is used for the one God, Gen. i. 1. Ps. vii. 10, and lxxxvi. 10, and elsewhere: but it is also used in the singular, as synonymous with Jehovah, Ps. xviii. 31; which verse is sufficient to shew, that the singular and plural of this word both mean the same thing.-Milton's C. D. p. 26.

Elohim, according to the usage of the Hebrew tongue, is almost always put in the plural number, to indicate supreme majesty and glory: and is applied not only to the true God, but also to angels and great men, who have authority over others, and do them good.-Bythner's Lyra Prophet. Ps. iii. 3.)

Rammohun Roy, the learned Brahmin, is surprised that scholars could rely on Gen. i. 26, in support of the Trinity. Beside the idiom of the Hebrew, Arabic, and almost all the Asiatic languages, in which the plural is often used for the singular, to express respect, these words would not determine whether three or three hundred were intended; or whether they implied the duality entertained by Zirdusht, or the multitude, which compose the Hindoo system. Besides, it is said "So God created man in his own image." in the next verse: Of this phraseology he gives instances from the Koran of Mahomet, who certainly was far from favouring this mystery.See Precepts of Jesus, &c. p. 240. [Gen. i. 26, implies no more, than that he made the world by Jesus Christ.]

See Psalm lxxxii, in the Hebrew: "Elohim stands in the congregation of God (x): he judgeth among the Elohim.” P. 136-(2) "Throughout the Old Testament, Angels are. accustomed to assume the name and person and the very words of God and Jehovah, as their own; and occasionally an Angel represents the person and the very words of God, without taking the name either of Jehovah or God, but only in the character of an Angel, or even of a man. Thus Judges

ii. 1: "An Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgat to Bochem, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt." &c.—Milton's Christian Doctrine p. 127.

This appears to have been a man; because the place, whence he came is mentioned, and he is not said to have disappeared, as is said of other Angels.—Junins in loc.

P. 141-(9) Compare Isaiah vi. throughout with John xii. 39,40, 41. "St. John has decided this question beyond all dispute, by declaring the glory, which Isaiah saw, and which was undeniably the glory of the visible Jehovah, to be the glory of Christ." "The whole description is descriptive of the Shechinah, or the mercy seat between the two Cherubim, where the Angel Jehovah used to appear: and accordingly the prophet says: 'Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord (Jehovah) of hosts.'"-Ben. Mordecai. p. 291.

"It was not God himself, that he saw, but perhaps one of the Angels, clothed in some modification of the Divine glory, or the Son of God himself, the image of the glory of the Father, as John understands the vision. xii. 41."-Milton's Christian Doctrine, p. 110.

Heb. xii. 24. 62.-"This favours the supposition, that our Lord was the Angel of the covenant, who presided at giving the law."-Primate Newcome.

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1 Pet. i. 11. The spirit of Christ" is Christ himself: as, "the spirit of man, that is in him;" man himself: the spirit of God:" God himself: "my soul hateth," "my soul delighteth," &c. I hate: I delight.-See Ben. Mordecai, p. 103.

Acts vii. 30.-" An Angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush." This angel is Christ, not only according to the unanimous consent of the fathers of Christian antiquity; but according to the testimony of the Apostles themselves.-Dr. R. Perceval's Essay. Dublin, 1821.

Acts vii. 2.-"God appeared to Abraham by Christ; or Christ appeared to him in the name and person, in the authority and representation of the Father."-Clarke's Scripture Trinity, No. 359.

SERMON VII.

OUR SAVIOUR'S DOCTRINE CONCERNING HIM. SELF, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.

JOHN viii.-28.

"I do nothing of myself: but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things."

THESE are the words of our Lord; and to mé it appears undeniable, that his words are the highest authority, to which we can appeal for his doctrine; and, therefore, that every other portion of Scripture should be interpreted, in conformity with them. He delivered to his disciples, all "things that he had heard of the Father:" he had heard from his Father every thing essential to salvation; and, therefore, no doctrine is essential to salvation, which he did not deliver to his disciples.

Proceeding on these self-evident principles, I lately endeavoured to explain the nature of God. I shall now inquire, on the same plan, into the

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Nature of Christ; and if, in any case, his testimony is to be received without exception or reserve; and to be relied on implicitly, and without looking for further corroboration, or explanation, it is surely when he speaks of himself, and declares his own origin, character and office.

The Nature of Christ is connected with so wide a range of controversy, that it would be vain for me to attempt even a specification of its various branches: the discussion of any one would far exceed the limits of the longest discourse; and to exhaust any one of its minutest topics, would be much beyond my compass. I must, therefore, confine myself to very narrow bounds.

I shall, first, lay before you the account, which our Lord gives of himself, in the three periods of his existence; the time antecedent to his appearing in the world; his abode here; and his state after his departure. I shall then make such remarks on this statement, as may be necessary for explanation or doctrine.

Our Lord assumes the title of "the Son of God;" and the "only begotten Son of God;" and also styles himself the Son of man, and, on one occasion, a Man. He asserts, that God loved him before the foundation of the world; that he had glory with the Father before the world was; and, in particular, that he existed before Abraham; that he was in heaven, in the bosom of the Father; that he spake what he had seen