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peared again unto Jacob, see Genesis, chapter 35; "And God said unto Jacob, arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; and make there an altar unto` God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau, thy brother." A third time, verse 9, "God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him." And, verse 10, "And God said unto him, thy name is Jacob, thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name;" &c. And verse 11; "And God said unto him, I am God Almighty," &c.

Again, in Genesis, 32d chapter, when Jacob was in his greatest trouble, being about to meet his brother Esau, having sent his wives and all he possessed over the ford Jabbok, we find, verse 24," And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day." And verse 29; "And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? and he blessed him there." And in verse 30; "And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."

And again, Genesis, chapter 48, verses 15 & 16, "And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, the angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads ;" &c. Having examined this testimony of Jacob, on this important point, we will remark that Jacob understood this character to be the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God that had fed him all his life long. He informs us that the same being, declared himself to be

"God Almighty." He calls him an Angel, and asks this angel to bless the lads, or the sons of Joseph. And styles him a man, when speaking of him as wrestling "until the breaking of the day." It is considered, the conclusion we are under the necessity of drawing from Jacob's testimony, is, that the person which made these divine appearances at sundry times to this patriarch, and fed him all his life long, and redeemed him from all evil, was a character no way inferior to God the Father in point of dignity of nature; and that the same character, possessed the fullness of the attributes of God, notwithstanding he appeared at one time as an angel, and at another time as a man. It must be blasphemy in the highest degree, for any being in heaven, or on earth, to assume to himself the names, titles, character, or attributes of the Almighty God, which he hath exclusively claimed to himself alone. Or for any being in heaven or on earth to prefix and ascribe these to any other being. We therefore arrive at the conclusion from the information so far gained, and the character of the evidences, and the divers and miraculous manner of its verification, that the son intended to reveal, and that the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, were authorized to testify of it, and to write down, that "the Word was God," in an absolute sense; and that we cannot be justified in dishonouring them by saying they opened their "mouths in blasphemy," and declared those things which were not true. No doubt it will be asked by opponents of the doctrine, why this character if so dignified in nature, should make his appearance in a station so low as an Angel, or in the character of a man? It may in answer, be said, there is no impropriety in his thus making his ap

pearance to the ancient patriarchs, when we see him esteemed as a "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," for man's redemption. Indeed, from what is revealed, it appears perfectly consistent that the Redeemer of mankind, should sometimes make his appearance to man in the glory of his godhead, so far as it was possible for that to be revealed to man in their present state. And that at other times for him to appear as an angel, or messenger, or even as man, is consistent and illustrative, since he was to be united to the seed of Abraham for our redemption; that we might on the one hand, have some view of the dignity of his nature, and on the other, of his great and surpassing love, meekness and condescention in the glorious work of man's redemption,

CHAPTER VII.

Of the testimony of Moses, and concurrent evidences.

HAVING gained a little information, from Stephen's and Jacob's testimony, and concurrent passages cited, upon the subject under consideration, and especially upon two points, viz. that Jacob considered the character who made his appearance to him, to be the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, as well as the God of Israel. And Jacob's affirmance, that he declared himself to be God Almighty. Leaving therefore, the testimony of Jacob, we will attend to the testimony of Moses, and see if he does not affirm these same facts, and learn what further information he gives.

From Moses, the great prophet, and mediator of the Jewish covenant, we learn, as recorded in Exodus, chapter 3-that as Moses kept the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, "the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, off thy shoes

Draw not nigh hither: put

from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Moreover he said,

I am the God of thy father, the God of Abrahanı, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." Verses 13, 14 and 15-" And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, what is his name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.""

Moses, in order to enter upon his mission and obey the command of God, took his leave of Jethro his father-in-law; finds his brother Aaron coming to meet him; and they proceed together and visit the children of Israel. And being joyfully received by them, they repair to Pharaoh and do their important errand, viz. That the God of the Hebrews had appeared unto them, and commanded them, to go into the wilderness and offer sacrifice. Pharaoh professes to know nothing about the God of the Hebrews; charges them with idleness, and lays heavier tasks upon them, by not allowing the people straw, and yet demanding of them former tale of brick, which made their bondage and servitude exceeding grievous. And their officers were beaten by their task-masters, and the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh for

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