"There is no reason why we should not suppose an allusion to the Trinity, in that divinely prescribed formulary, The Lord bless thee and keep thee,' &c. though there is little here except what we may call the predicates, to intimate the distinction between the three Divine Persons and their offices. The more therefore do I value every plainer intimation of this distinction, which is found in Scripture.

"His glory is in Israel, and his strength in the clouds,' (Ps. lxviii. 34.) What a gloriously rapid transition of thought is here! Let it be observed by, and become familiar to, those, who, on account of the immensity of the creation, feel it difficult to believe, that our own comparatively minute globe can be so dear an object of God's providential care.

"The word Person, corresponds to the Hebrew (Paním,) and to the Greek проσwлоv. Even the Jews called the Messiah (Malách Paním, the Angel of the Presence.) In speaking of the Trinity, we are obliged to use some such expression, to convey our meaning. Defective as it is in some respects, yet, as we have none more suitable, we have no reason to think that God is displeased with our using it. We know in what condescending language he addresses himself to our capacities; and may therefore believe that he will bear with our weakness, though it fall far short of the true representation of himself. We shall soon know, in the heavenly world, even as also we are known; and then the very Scriptures themselves will appear to have been worded to our comprehension after the manner of a little child's first book.

"The expression, The Son of Man,' always denotes the visible condition of Christ; whether in his humiliation, or exaltation. Thus St. Stephen exclaimed, 'Behold, I see the Son of Man,' &c., and the Day of Judgment is called the Day of the Son of Man. We also read of 'speaking a word against the Son of Man.'

"The notion which our present Herrnhut brethren entertain, that Jehovah, in the Old Testament, means God the Son, the Messiah, is surely contradicted by Heb. i. 1, where God's speaking to us in these last days, by his Son, is contrasted with his having spoken in time past unto the fathers by the prophets.*

* But does not the preceding paragraph from the writings of Bengel help to explain this notion of the Brethren? For there he had said, that the expression, “The Son of Man," denotes the visible condition of the Messiah. But was he visible as the Messiah, till he became incarnate? Now that by Jehovah of the Old Testament, might often be meant the Messiah, appears confirmed by 1 Cor. x. 9.-TR.

"There is a faith which apprehends the eternal power of the Godhead and a faith which apprehends the grace of God in Christ. The latter is the faith which saves and makes us happy ; the former does not. Yet even the former is something very different from that prevalent vague notion which deifies mere nature. It is also very different from that abstracted and jejune idea of omnipotence, in which deistical infidels settle down with all the positiveness of certainty.

“It appears to me that the reason why our brethren, who are denominated the Reformed,' stumble so violently at what the Lutherans teach, respecting the omnipresence of Christ's human nature, is, because the former give it such a gross meaning. The Lutheran church quite believes with them, that Christ's human nature has as certainly a distinct locality in the heavenly places' at present, as it had formerly upon this earth. Brentius is one of those who have spoken the most lucidly upon the subject. See the reply which he wrote soon after Luther's death, to the magistrate of Wesel.

“Luke xi. 13, 'If ye then, being evil,' &c., is one of the best proofs of the doctrine of original sin.

"The greatest number of the Scripture types, prefigure Messiah's priesthood and kingdom. Such types were not for human use alone. God himself did, as it were, 'rest in' the gracious purpose, that his Son should come and restore (or make good) all things. Hence, in the very midst of awful predictions of destruction, we abruptly meet with some promise concerning the Messiah. Adam is the most distinguished shadow of Christ; but rather in the manner of contrast than counterpart. Aaron and David may next be mentioned, as Christ's most strikingly typical prefigurations.

"The manner of prophetic foreshowing in the Old Testament, resembles a landscape picture with its foreground occupied by fields, trees, cattle, busy persons, &c., all distinctly delineated on a large scale; but in its background, you descry long ridges of distant hills, and beyond them chains of mountains all diminutive; so that many objects appear grouped very narrowly together, which in the reality of nature are at a wide distance from one another. By the prophets, in like manner, are things which immediately or soon should come to pass, described clearly and definitely: but those which were seen far distant in futurity, are only adumbrated briefly, and in perspective masses. A foreshortened view may serve to express my meaning.

"Even the types were a kind of prophecies. These, as well as the prophecies, had Christ for their chief object (either the grace and the truth which were to come by Him; or else his judgments on the ungodly). The tenet that the prophetic visions and predictions have each more than a single fulfilment, needs explanation. A prophecy may admit of several accommodations; but its specific fulfilment can take place but once. The prophecies and the types mutually compose a perfect system of promise; a system in which the predictions, from the beginning of Genesis to the close of Malachi, swell along in number and particularity; and in which the body of the types apart may be regarded as a chamber of imagery.-I also compare the types collectively, to an adumbration on the canvas, which the artist by and by fills up with appropriate projections of light, shade, and colouring.

"Even the implied or declared INSUFFICIENCY of ritual sacrifice, was to believers, under the Old Testament, a figured intimation of better things to come; and a little light of this kind threw more brightness into the obscurity of their times, than we, who are of the day, can well imagine. They had also the oral instructions of their prophets, to assist their understanding of such things. The divine promises grew more definite and full, as time advanced; like the transverse circular streaks in the heart of a tree; where we see that the farther downwards any segment of it is inspected, the more definite and broad in the grain of the wood are such streaks as they approach the root: so the divine promises had a reality in them from their commencement; but as they descend through ages nearer to their consummation and fulfilment, we find them gradually increasing in perspicuity, definiteness and particularity.

"The whole comprehensive structure of prophecy and type, as mutually illustrating each other, has, to my view, many a cloud hiding it here and there. I only see parts of it. Therefore, in attempting to delineate it, I must do as those who would draw a map of some imperfectly discovered region. They plan down upon their scale a few places whose latitude and longitude they have ascertained, and leave blank spaces for other parts which perhaps are of more importance. Inquirers hereafter may be able to fill up the vacant spaces.

"Much has been said about the word satisfaction not occurring in Scripture, (relative to Christ's atonement.) But in the fortieth Psalm, Messiah testifies what surely can mean nothing less: In sacrifice and offering for sin, thou hast had no pleasure; then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.'

"The circumcision of the holy child Jesus, has its essential significance, not in the shedding of his blood on this occasion, but in the parting with a portion of his flesh. As both the performance and the undergoing of this ceremony were not confined to the priesthood, but allowed to and enjoined upon all classes, so our Saviour's undergoing it, constituted one part of his ‘fulfilment of all righteousness,' (as ‘made under the law;') but was no special part of his great sacrificial blood-shedding atonement. “The efficacy of the death of Christ is not fully enough enlarged upon by doctrinal expositors in general. Many of them run off immediately to a trope or figure; that is, they understand by the blood of Christ, either all his merits collectively, or else the single act of his pouring out his soul unto death. Even in the most impressive treatises upon this subject, more is urged respecting the holy and beatific fruits of his precious blood, than about those distinct operations which bring such fruits into being. Whereas, we derive from the death of Christ, not only deliverance from the guilt of sin, but also a communication of new vital powers; which evince their efficacy by good works. The former is called justification by his blood; the latter is obtained by those who eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood,' (John vi.) Hereby all his true disciples become most intimately one with him; partakers with himself of everlasting life. The life-blood which was shed at his death, as a satisfaction for sin, was spiritually carried by him into the Holy of holies, at his ascension; that it might warrant and impart cleansing and perfection to every true believer's conscience; and that such might be enabled to enjoy the application of those inestimable benefits; especially in the holy eucharist. Here then we may observe, how sadly these sacred truths are abused by the Romish inventions of transubstantiation and communion in one kind.

6

"As purification from sin is sometimes attributed, in Scripture, to the blood of Christ, we are to understand it, according to the context, either as operating by moral influence upon us, or else as achieving, in the natural order of God, our spiritual cleansing. Occasionally both are implied. Our faith likewise actuates us by a moral influence; but in the order of God, it is the primary means whereby we apprehend Christ as our divine Justifier and Saviour.*

On the above representation of the efficacy of Christ's blood, Bengel observes, “If any thing in the Gnomon will provoke objections, it is what I have expressed in this way upon Heb. xii."

"Three distinct offices are commonly attributed to Christ; namely, of prophet, priest, and king. Trogillus Arnkiell was correct in subordinating the first to the two last. But I go still further; for I consider Messiah's priesthood itself as subordinate to his regal office. Christ' abideth a king for ever;' but a \ priest as well as prophet, only to the end of time. His priesthood is for the recovery of fallen man to God; but a period will arrive, when this will have been entirely accomplished; yet his regal administration will still abide in full vigour. These are not mere academical thoughts: I find them in Scripture. It is fearful to observe how men in our universities 'spoil' themselves through philosophy and vain deceit,' upon the most sacred subjects; how they make shipwreck of their faith, either by their own inventions in theology, or by the definitions and systems of others; and how such things lead them away from the Scripture standard of thought. Surely in this respect I far prefer my own humble retirement to any academical eminence.

6

"It has been asked, ought the Lord's Supper to be administered to children? I think a middle course in this case, as in many others, the best. Custom is here against us; otherwise there would be no need to wait till our youth have attained to just a certain age; but we might administer to them as soon as they have a competent acquaintance with their Saviour, in faith, and love, and hope.

"It is true that the moment of our departure from this world decides our condition for ever: but many, I believe, abide in uncertainty till the day of judgment, as to what that condition will be. Thus the souls of hypocrites may be entertaining false hopes and imaginations, up to the very hour of Christ's appearing. This is an awful thought; and therefore it is well to make, in good time, our entrance into the everlasting kingdom sure; for as the decidedly flagitious, who in this life are full of infidelity and iniquity, probably depart to hell at once, so we cannot doubt that the decided servants of God become, at the moment of their death, entirely happy; for they are no sooner absent from the body, than they are present with their Lord. But between these two decided classes there is an indefinite variety of gradations. And though there is no third fixed condition after death, any more than there is a third term between yea and nay, the places of abode, in the separate state, are not only three, but thousand-fold.

"It is a fundamental error to think that mere death will of