pofition to this purpose, as implies the bigbeft "and strongest obligation; what, among men, "would be an oath.'

oath

As this interpofition, or mediation of the divine perfons, is, what, among men, is an -So the word n, in its fecondary fenfe, fignifies an oath, or curfe, which is the fanction of an oath. And this interpofition was, I think, expreffed in action, by the parties paffing, or interpofing between the divided parts of the facrifice, in making covenants, or, &c.

As the chief article of this interpofing difpenfation was, that the fecond perfon should take upon him human nature, and in that nature bear the vengeance due to man for his disobedience; he is, upon that account, called

ALUE,-" be, on whom the interpofition was, "unto the change of his own condition to "change ours," the interpofed one; as he really was between the wrath of God and men and thereby became the way, the interpofed medium, by which man must come to God: As Christ says, "I am the way, and the truth, and "the life, no man cometh unto the father but "by me." And fuch as reject this interpofed medium, will find a great gulpb fixed between them and heaven, which they cannot pafs. As

the syains Bains מלאך הברית Cbrift was the

ay, as the LXX ftile him, Isa. ix. 6. The chief actor in the glorious scheme of our redemption; he has, by way of eminence, the

name

name, the interpofer; to which the name mediator in the N. T. is analogous.

Having fettled the radical idea of N, as I hope, to the fatisfaction of the candid reader ; the objections of the Doctor will give but little trouble. For the Arch-deacon will not, I prefume, object that "this derivation [viz. of interpofing, &c.] conveys an idea, that does "not rightly agree with the notions we have "either from reafon or revelation of the divine.

nature, attributes, and perfections,fince, "whatever reafon may do, revelation affures us "that our falvation is entirely owing to the "mutual interpofition of the perfons of Jehovah " in our favour and behalf.

"As the fall of man was an event foreseen : "This mutual interpofition, or , whence "they took their name [which is the

"bafis and foundation of the plan of man's "redemption, and of the measures taken

them for his recovery] was made and con"certed, before man was fent into the world

upon his tryal; and, as confidered in differ"ent refpects, has different names in scripture. "Sometimes it is called the councel,-fome"times the will, purpose, promife, and fome"times the covenant of God, i. e. of those three "perfons who are the one, and the fame, the

only Jehovah, or felf-fubfiftent effence,-the "bidden wisdom which God ordained before the "world unto our glory,-grace given us in "Chrift

"Chrift Jefus, before the world began."What Jehovah fwore and would not repent,

and the like: Which are all expreffions that 66 are fuited to actions that pass between man " and man, and are thence carried upwards "and applied to those between the perfons of "the deity, to which they are analagous, and "which, as to us, are to have a fimilar effect, "but which could not otherwise be made intel"ligible to us.”

Luke i. 72-3. The oath which God fware to Abraham, is the fame with the mercy promised, and with the holy covenant. So that God's cove nant, mercy, and oath, imply one and the same thing. Whence it follows, that thofe texts, which mention, or refer to the covenant, &c. either in express terms, or in fynonymous words, as, the wisdom of God in a mystery, the bidden wisdom, the mystery, purpose, grace, or, &c. of God, imply then, which includes the whole plan of redemption.

St. Paul, in his epiftle to Titus, fays,-" that "God who cannot lie, promised (Gr. πnyy"λalo) eternal life through Chrift, before the "world began." May I afk, to whom was this promise made? To man it could not be ; be was not in being. To created angels it could not be; they had no concern it it ;-none, but the angels, or agents of the covenant, the perfons in Jehovah, could be parties concerned, or have any thing to do in it. From this text

L

alone,

alone, I apprehend, we have reason to conclude
that the perfons of the God-head interpofed
themselves, as agents of our redemption, to
perform, in due time, the promise made before
the world. So that for God to promife, is to
interpofe, in the manner the word ex-
preffes: Because if he fails, he must be other-
wife than he is. For in the exhibition of this
mercy to loft man, each perfon interpofes between
the other two, to the change of his own con-
dition, to change the condition of his creatures,
and fo fulfil his promife.

Now, what is a mutual compact or covenant,
[which the Doctor allows to have existed before
the creation of the world] but a mutual inter-
pofition, or ? So that a promise in God
fuppofes an, and is built upon it. And
when the S. S. fay exprefsly, in the text above,
that God promised before the world began; I am
quite at a lofs, how to account for what the
Doctor affirms, p. 42.
"that with regard to
"himself, when there were no creatures in be-
ing capable of receiving any fuch affurances
"by such actions, his promifes, or oaths, seem
to have no place; fince the divine perfons
"themselves could want no affurances from
"each other."-Yet the S. S. fay, pofitively,
that God promised before the world began, when
there were no creatures in being, &c. Tho' the
Doctor feems to boggle fo much at the unfitness
and repugnancy of the deity taking his name

from the act of fwearing;—yet, this is forgot, when he allows that he may be called Aleim, because he fware to Abraham, is not this making conceffions, contrary to the whole drift of his differtation ?

For, first, he grants that this name may be. taken from the act of fwearing; and this by the verb yawa, which was made an objection by the late Mr. Bedford, and is repeated by the Doctor here. And, fecondly, that may

may be אלהים Now, if .אלה come from

deduced from 8 to fwear, &c. and God be ftiled Aleim, because he ya fware unto Abrabam ;-where lies the objection to his being called Aleim from promifing to give eternal life before the world began? especially as the fatiffaction, or ya to Abraham, was only fixing in his line, the blessing promifed before the world began.-Befides, if, as the Doctor admits (p. 64) the expreflion-τω γαρ Αβρααμ επαγγειλάμενΘ, Heb. vi. 13. refers to God's oath, Gen. xxii. 16. then, by parity of reason, the ante mundane may be referred to by the fame verb επηγγειλαίο, Tit. i. 2. for it refers to a tranfaction done before the creation.

Tho' the primary image, or idea of be interpofition, &c. and the name expreffes perfons interpofed, as above;-in what manner foever the perfons of Jehovah interpofed among themselves in decreeing and exhibiting the plan of redemption; the idea of which, is, I appreL 2 hend,