as the SER M.

the Divine Attributes, and not,
English word founds, all Power only.
The former part of this Description,
viz. the words, I am Alpha and Omega,
the Beginning and the End, are alfo ap-
plied to Chrift, ver. 11, of This chap-
ter, and ver. 13, of the xxiid chapter;
In which places they fignify, that our
Saviour, by the good pleasure of the
Father, (all things being delivered unto
bim of the Father, Matt. xi. 27.) is the
Beginner and Compleater of our Salvation;
the Alpha and the Omega, the Author
and the Finifher of our Faith, as St Paul
paraphrases the words, Heb. xii. 2. But
in the Text, 'tis evident these words are
fpoken of the Father; both from their
being joined immediately with the fol-
lowing words, which is, and which was,
and which is to come, which in the
4th verfe are used exprefly as a peri-
phrafis, or distinguishing Description of
the Perfon of the Father; And the
fame thing appears alfo from the whole
Thread and Connexion of the Difcourfe.
For the Three Divine Perfons, as bear-
ing fo many Diftinct parts in the de-
F 4
livering

IV.

SER M.livering of This prophecy, are Thrice
IV. diftinctly mentioned in This chapter.

First, in the Preface or Title, ver. I.
The Revelation of Jefus Chrift; which
God gave unto him;
and be sent

and fignified it by his Angel, [his Meffenger,] unto his Servant John. Then again in the Salutation, ver. 4, Grace be unto you, and Peace from him which is, and which was, and which is to come, (that is, from the Father;) and from the feven Spirits which are before his Throne, (that is from the Holy Ghost, whofe Ministers all the prophetick Spirits are;) and from Jefus Chrift, who is the Faithful Witnefs. The Salutation is the fame, (only in fublime words according to the prophetick Style,) with That of St. Paul; The Grace of our Lord Jefus Christ, and the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Ghost. Then the third time, in the Body of the Difcourfe, or in the entrance of the defcription of the Vision it felf, he refumes his mention of the Father, ver. 8, I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, faith the Lord;

Lord; which is, and which was, and SERM. which is to come, the Almighty; And IV. his mention of the Holy Ghost, ver. n IO. I was in the Spirit; Son, ver. 13, 18. I faw one Son of Man,faying,

And of the

like unto the

I am be that

liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore.

THE Occafion and Connexion of the words being thus explained; the Doctrine from thence arifing to be difcourfed upon at this time, is That primary Attribute of the Divine Nature, his abfolute and independent Eternity. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, faith the Lord; which is, and which was, and which is to

come.

IN difcourfing upon which Subject, I fhall 1st, briefly set forth in general the feveral Significations we find in Scripture of the words eternal, immortal, and everlafting. 2dly, I fhall offer fome Obfervations, concerning the Eternity of God in particular. And 3dly, (which is the moft material,) I fhall confider of what Use this Meditation may be to Practice.

us in

IN

SERM. IN the First place, 'tis very necefIV. fary in general, for preventing Confufon in our Notions, and for the more diftinct explication of feveral Paffages in Scripture, to obferve the different Senfes in which the words eternal, immortal and everlasting, are used by the facred Writers.

SOMETIMES, (which is the lowest Senfe they are ever taken in, and yet a very frequent one,) they fignify nothing more but only a long duration. Thus Gen. xvii. 8. I will give unto thee the land wherein thou art a stranger, for an everlasting poffeffion; the meaning is, to him and his Heirs for a long, unlimited fucceffion. Num. x. 8. The Sons of Aaron fhall blow with the Trumpets, and they shall be to you for an Ordinance for ever; for ever, that is, as long as your government and establishment fhall laft. Gen. xlix. 26. The Hills are called Everlasting; And Hab. iii. 6. the Everlasting Mountains; By which words all that is intended to be exprefs'd, is, their being ftrong and permanent as the frame and conftitution of

the

I have told SER M.

the Earth. 1 Sam. ii. 13. Eli, that I will judge his houfe for IV. ever: It fignifies only, for many fucceffive generations. And Exod. xxi. 6. He fhall ferve his Mafter for ever. The meaning is, He fhall not go free at the end of the ufual Term of feven years, but fhall continue with him till his Mafter's Death, or till the year of Jubilee. This is the firft and loweft Senfe of the words eternal and for ever; to fignify only, after a figurative manner of speaking, a certain long Period.

THE next Senfe they are ufed in, is to denote a Duration continuing as long as the Subject exifts, and then putting it in a State out of which it fhall never be restored. Thus Num. xxiv. 20. Amalek was the first of the Nations, but his latter End fhall be, that he perish for ever; The meaning is, He shall never recover to be again a mighty Nation. Deut. xiii. 16. That City shall be an Heap for ever; the Senfe is, as it follows in the very next words, it shall not be built again. But the most remarkable Paffage of all, to our prefent purpose, is

that