in this respect; and it must lead him, who is intimately conversant with the scriptures, to recollect the several texts in which it is said, " God dwelleth "in you; " "Christ dwelleth in you;" "Ye are "the temple of God, and the Spirit of God " dwelleth in you." Especially the words of our Lord must occur to him, "The Spirit of truth " dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." "If a "man love me he will keep my words, and my "Father will love him; and we will come to him, "and make our abode with him."2

66

Again, we read in Malachi; "The Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even "the Messenger of the covenant whom ye delight "in; behold he shall come, saith the Lord of "hosts."3 Here again I ask, who is this Lord that shall come to his temple? Surely the temple was not consecrated to man, or angel, or any other except JEHOVAH. Had modern Antitrinitarians dictated the scriptures, we should no more have met with this phraseology in the Old Testament, than in the New, with the passage of John supposed to be interpolated; or another, which is not said to be so: "We know, that the Son of "God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true; " and we are in him that is true, even in his Son "Jesus Christ. This ('Ouros) is the true God, and "eternal life. Little children keep yourselves "from idols." 4 I say again, all Antitrinitarians had much rather these passages were not found in

1 Cor. iii. 16. 'Mal. iii. 1, 2.

2 John xiv. 16-23.

4 1 John v. 20, 21.

the scriptures; and would be glad to alter or expunge them.

The traditions of almost every nation contain something analagous to plurality in unity, however distorted, in respect of the Deity: and many passages have by learned men been adduced even from the Targums and Talmuds of the Jews, which concur in this opinion. I do not adduce these things as proofs; but to induce Jews, as well as others, to use more caution and reverence of God, in speaking on this sublime, mysterious, and awful subject; and in order to shew that Christians did not invent the doctrine of the Trinity. "Canst thou by searching find out God? "canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection!" We cannot comprehend ourselves, or how "body, "soul, and spirit," form one individual man: how then are we competent to decide, as ex cathedra, concerning the infinite God?

P. 132. 1. 13. What does Paul mean by this 'sentence, All in all?' He saith not that the 'FATHER, mentioned in the twenty-fourth verse, " but that " GOD may be all in all:" and so he 'seems to lead us to that interpretation of the Godhead, which comprehends Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; that the Godhead may govern all things by himself, without the intervention of a Mediator to exact our obedience in his name, ' and to convey to us favours and rewards. So ' as now Christ, God-man, is "all in all," (Col. iii. 11;) because the Father hath put all things into ' his hand, does all things, and governs all things

1.1 Cor. XV. 28.

by him; when this economy ceases, the Godhead 'will be "all in all."' (Whitby.)

"The distinction between the absolute, universal, and everlasting kingdom of God, the Governor of all; and the mediatorial kingdom of Christ, as 'instituted for the benefit of fallen man, which was intended to endure for a time, in order to accomplish certain important ends, to the glory ' of God in man's salvation; will, after the day of 'judgment, be terminated. Christ, having exe'cuted his commission, will cease to reign over

'all worlds, as Mediator, having publicly delivered

up the kingdom to God in the person of the Father: yet he will, in human nature, retain a peculiar authority over his redeemed people; and, as one with the Father, he will, with him and the Holy Spirit, reign one "God over all blessed for evermore." Nor will he any more cease to reign in this sense, when he hath given up the mediatorial kingdom, than the Father 'ceased to reign, when he appointed the Son to 'that kingdom.' (The Author's Commentary.)

P. 132. 1. 26. The last verse,' &c.-As God was pleased that his servant Moses should place the verse in question last, it seems not very reverential to say, 'Why is not this verse first in 'the song, as indeed it ought to be ?' I think few persons will be satisfied with the reason assigned for the transposition; however assured he may be "that the kingdoms of the earth" shall, in the last days, become the kingdoms of God and his Messiah.

P. 133. 1. 10. “My Father is greater than I.”— 'As Mediator, I receive my commission from the

6

Father: and, as I am his Ambassador, he is my Principal, and as such my superior.' An ambassador is equal in nature to his prince. "Nei

"ther the Son, but the Father."

P. 133. 1. 14. Of that day and that hour.'The Son, as Mediator, does not know that day; it being no part of that "revelation which was

given" him to make known to his church.-Let the reader compare this part, which consists of quotations from the New Testament, with the language of angels concerning the "Lamb that "was slain," in the Revelation of St. John. 1

66

P. 133. 1. 33. The difference is uncommonly 'great,' &c.-The Pharisees ascribed the miracles of Jesus to the power of Satan: thus they "blasphemed the Son of man," during the season of his humiliation. They also condemned him to death, as a blasphemer, for making " himself "God." But he arose from the dead. "This "Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are "witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand "of God exalted, and having received of the "Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath "shed forth this, which ye now see and hear." 2 Thus he was "justified by the Spirit :" and they who rejected this last demonstration of his being the divine Messiah, would never be forgiven: not because the Holy Ghost is greater than the Son, but because the guilt of those, who blasphemed this grand proof that Jesus was the Messiah, was more heinous than the guilt of those, who blasphemed him when living as Man on earth.-If a Jew will

'Rev. v. 12-14.

2 Acts ii. 32, 33.

Israel, Judah, Jacob, Zion, Jerusalem, are introduced. But Christian expositors by no means consider these prophecies as predicting the political subjugation of all other people to the one nation of Israel. Daniel says, "I saw in the night visions, " and behold one like the Son of man came with "the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient "of days, and they brought him near before him; " and there was given to him dominion, and glory, "and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and "languages should serve him."-And again, "Un"til the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the "time came that the saints possessed the king"dom." And again, " And the kingdom and do

minion, and the greatness of the kingdom, shall "be given to the people of the saints of the Most "High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, " and all dominions shall serve and obey him." 2 In this prophecy nothing is said of Israel as a nation: and "the little horn which made war on "the saints," 3 we consider as the principal enemy and persecutor of the Christian church. But, when the Messiah shall destroy this "the kingpower, "doms of the earth shall become his kingdom," and that of all true believers, whether of Jewish or gentile extraction; they being one with him. Thus all nations will become subject to these "saints of the Most High." Many of us consider this as the clew to all the other prophecies on this subject in the Old Testament: and, being fully

'Is. xlix. 13-26. lx. lxvi. 10-24. Mic. vii. 12-20. Zech. xiv. 2 Dan. vii. 13, 14, 22, 27. 3 Dan. vii. 21.