ecclesiastical historian Eusebius, quoting the Tyrian Sanchoniathon, as translated by Philo Biblius, who that the μμxx, confederates of the God Ko

says,

, were called ELOEIM.' Although, not now having the book in my possession, I cannot refer to the immediate passage, yet I well remember that the Dutch writer, Witsius, treating of our Saviour's exclamation on the cross, renders the words of St. Matthew thus: Eli Eli-Deum meum fortem my strong God;' but the words of St Mark, he renders Eloi Eloi-Deum meum CONFEDUSTUMmy confederate God.' Accordingly Wit ius entitles one of his productions Oiconomia Fœderis,' the Economy of the Covenant.'

These remarks may serve at least to shew, that there have previously been some distant allusions to the truths now inculcated; and that the idea of God (in the proper sense of the term) COVENANTING, is neither such a novelty, nor such a singularity, as certain theologians, for reasons of their own, would have the christian world believe; but is indeed an idea originally excited in the mind, from the radical import of the title ALEIM,' once so well understood by mankind. By such, then, as believe a Trinity of ALEIM, that is, of confederates in One JEHOVAH, the extension of this covenant, or confederation, to all the Three, will not be objected against; provided that the terms are found completely consistent with that absolute, unrestricted, indiscriminate, ESSENTIAL equality, which subsists, and

must

must subsist in JEHOVAH. Of these Three, thus to be looked up to and believed in, there are Two, whose undertaken share of office, in this Econonomia Fœderis,' or covenanting economy, is clearly perceived, being distinctly declared to us: The One covenanted to become Son,' Adoni,'' Alue,' and in that assumed capacity to DO, and to SUFFER all that was necessary for the redemption of fallen man; constituting, as it does constitute, the great end of the whole economy. The other covenanted to become the Holy, that is, the sanctifying, or holy-making Spirit, in order to strengthen the assumed humanity-the Son of Man, for what he had agreed to suffer; as thus described by the Psalmist : Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand,

upon the Son of Man, whom thou madest strong for 'thyself';'-' for God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost, and with power." And in order also to sanctify, to fit, and prepare the church, not as a partner in this covenant, (according to fanatical presumption), but as the happy object of it, for walking worthy of the christian vocation, and for its members being, in due time, made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. There remains One other of the ever blessed Three, regarding whom I feel no small difficulty how to express myself, so as neither to mistake, nor be misunderstood in a point, to which some have attached such superior consequence, and where, at the same time,

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time, there exists not such precision of character, as does exist in the case of the Two already noticed. Yet may we humbly hope to discover sufficient evidence of the share, which this Great One has covenanted to take to himself in the Divine Economy: And that, ⚫ sub debita tanto nomini reve'rentia,' it is no less than to sustain what, I hope, may be permitted to call PONDUS DEITATIS," the whole weight, (in the Hebrew language), the 1 of Deity to be the PROPITIANDUS, the demander, and the accepter of Propitiation, Satisfaction, Intercession, Merits, &c. and, in that capacity of SuPREME REPRESENTATIVE, to be vested with the august title of FATHER, when about to be distinguished from the other Two, and to be dignified with the epithet of FIRST;' not, as in our conception of rank, because he is before, or above SECOND,' and THIRD,' but because he is Primus inter pares,' President (with the utmost reverence be it spoken) of the Divine Council; and this, during the continuance of the mysterious (Economy, and until the consummation of all things, when ŒECONOMY shall cease, and JEHOVAH be ALL in ALL'.'

On this plan, how easily and satisfactorily are those passages of Scripture understood, which speak of God sending his Son,' of God sending his Spirit,' and such like. These the advocates of subordination, and its concomitant inferiority, do,

II Cor. xv. 28.

at

at present, appropriate to their own hypothesis; upon the hasty supposition, that submitting to be sent does of necessity imply subordination. If I mistake not, however, this inference is set aside, on no less authority than that of our Lord himself. The servant,' says he, is not greater than his lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. He does not say what some, it seems, would have him to have meant, that he who is sent is not equal to, or so great as the sender, but only * THAT HE IS NOT GREATER;' language surely, which admits of the most perfect equality of greatness, between the party sent, and the party sending; and which countenances, in no respect, the inference of the slightest inferiority.

Besides, we have the matter established, beyond all controversy, in the following attested fact. In the book of the Acts, we are distinctly informed, that the apostles, who were at Jerusalem, SENT 'Peter and John to Samaria. Will it be contended, that Peter and John were subordinate' and ' in'ferior' to the other members of the apostolic college? I believe not; nay, this very passage is of itself sufficient to destroy not merely the inference of subordination' in the party sent, but the silly belief of the Romanist, who boasts of St Peter's supremacy over the twelve. In short, experience amply justifies me in maintaining, that this

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St John xiii. 16.

2 Acts viii. 14.

'œconomical mode of explication of the terms, God,'' Father,' &c. when restricted to One of the Three in Jehovah, and not extended to Jehovah 'Aleim' in general, that is, to the ALL IN ALL,' of whom St Paul speaks, is admirably adapted for removing many of the difficulties, with which, it is asserted, that the doctrine of a Trinity in Unity is beset, and for dispelling that gloom of prejudice which has, in all ages of the church, more or less over-clouded one of the most essential articles of the christian faith.

Let any man of common honesty and candour make but trial of the plan of explication, which the 'Divine Economy" affords, (making choice of the scriptures of the New Testament, where it is alleged that the doctrine of a Trinity is most clearly revealed, as the field of trial), and, if he will only conduct the experiment, without paying any regard to the words inserted by our translators, and printed generally in the Italic character', I pledge myself, that he shall experience the justice of my observation, and rise from the task with a conviction, that no method of explication, equally satisfactory, has ever yet been discovered.

One or two instances only I shall now adduce,

to

1 In proof of the necessity of this caution, see Col. i. 19. where the translators have inserted the word Father. "It pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell.' In ch. ii. v. 9. this is rectified, In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.'