by St Paul, in the passages just cited, viz. from the Son, by whom God spake to the world in the last days; and by St John', viz. from the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father.'

I have dwelt the longer on this prefatory description given by St John, because it not only serves to explain and apply the several ancient prophecies, which I have before quoted, about the world's seeing God's glory, but because it is likewise a key for opening up and illustrating many : passages of the New Testament, which will otherwise appear difficult, if not unintelligible. If the account left us of our Saviour's life upon earth be found to contain any further testimonies of the divine glory appearing in or upon Christ, we shall have still more and more demonstrations of the divinity of the gospel, and that the religion of christians did not want a Shechinah, or glory, any more than that of the Jews.

Upon reading the histories of the evangelists, (St John's Gospel in particular) I think there are no less than four passages, where the existence of a Shechinah or glory is at least insinuated, if not directly affirmed. One is, after the transaction at Cana, in Galilee, (of which I may perhaps take some further notice before I have done), where it is said, he manifested forth his glory,' as it is said

in

* St Johni. 18.

à St John ii. II.

in the Old Testament, the glory of the Lord ap'peared. To manifest a thing is to make it visible, as God is said to be manifest, or made visible in the flesh. Accordingly it would seem his disciples at this time saw some remarkable appearance of a divine manifestation: for it is said, that on manifesting forth his glory, they believed on him, 'TUTOY AS AUTOD;' thereby acknowledging Him (as critics have observed from the terms s') to be πιςεύω εις') God.

6

επιςευσον

The next passage I have in my view, is the history of the transfiguration', which undeniably proves a visible exhibition of glory on that occasion. St Luke says expressly, the disciples SAW HIS GLORY;' and St Peter, to the same purpose, tells us, that they were eye-witnesses of his majesty? And there is one thing particularly to be remarked, that on seeing the GLORY, St Peter proposed making TABERNACLES, a circumstance recorded by all the three evangelists. Did not St Peter, as being a Jew, well know that tabernacle, σunn, and glory, doğa, were mutually related; and that, as the glory had been the ornament of the Mosaic tabernacle, so it was proper, wherever this GLORY made its appearance, to erect a TABERNACLE for its reception? Nay, is not this in strict conformity with the pious devotion of the old patriarchs, spo

St Matth. xvii. 1. St Mark ix. 2. St Luke ix. 28.

ken

ken of before, in pitching a tent, or, in St Peter's language, making a tabernacle,' in the place where Jehovah the glory manifested himself to them? This was the cherubic glory, or the glory of the Old Testament which the disciples at this time saw, and which, by St Peter's proposal, it would seem they then believed, was to be restored and re-settled among them. them. They were, it is true, somewhat mistaken; and this mistake was corrected by the voice from heaven, which informed them, that they were no longer to look for, or expect tabernacle glory, as in the times of the law, that is, mere figures and types; that the beloved Son was now both tabernacle and glory, by means of the union of the word and flesh in one person; that there was no further necessity for rearing tabernacles; but that the one thing needful now was, to hear and receive Christ, in whom all these adumbrations of the Mosaic œconomy were now really and substantially verified_ This is my beloved Son, in whom 'I am well pleased; hear ye him.'

A third occasion, on which it is probable some glorious exhibition was manifested in the person of Christ, was when he addressed the Father in that remarkable prayer', Father, glorify thy name; then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified and will glorify it (or thee, ' as there is no accusative added) again.' The peo

ple

1 St John xii. 28.

ple that stood by and heard it, said, 'It thundered; others said, An angel spake to him.' Here certainly was a great solemnity; the voice from heaven being no doubt attended, as was usual on such striking occasions', with some visible manifestation of his glory. Let the 17th chapter of St John's gospel be carefully read, and I do not doubt, but that good reasons will occur for the explanations given of this glorifying voice, at present under consideration.

But to proceed. There is a fourth passage in St John's Gospel, the meaning and beauty of which we shall not sufficiently discern, without taking along with us what I have been advancing. The passage, to which I allude, is where the evangelist is describing our Saviour's apprehension. 'Jesus, knowing all things that should come upon him, said unto them, Whom seek ye? They an'swered him, Jesus of Nazareth. them, I am he.' Upon which 'ward, and fell to the ground.'

26

6

Jesus saith unto

they went back

The stunning ef

fect of the observation lies in our Saviour's answer, 'I am he'-in the original, I AM, 'y' without the pronoun he. he. It is well known, that I AM is an incommunicable name of the true God-that name, by which he ordered Moses to make him known to the Jews. 3 Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel, I am hath sent me unto you.' From the Hebrew root, here used, comes the word

VOL. II.

L

1 St Matth. iii. 16. xvii. 5. Acts ix. 3, 4. x. 3.

Jehovah,

2 St John xviii. 4.

3 Exod. iii. 14.

Jehovah, the proper name, as we would say, of God-that name so sacred among the Jews, as to be distinguished by a peculiar title, viz. the TETRAGRAMMATON, the word of four letters; and so scrupulously circumspect were they with regard to this word Jehovah, that, as their Rabbins tell us, if they found on the way any bit of paper with Hebrew characters, they laid it carefully up, and put it to no common use, lest, if perhaps the word Jehovah should have been written upon it, they would run the risk of profaning that ineffable name. The Septuagint, in this place of Exodus, translate the Hebrew, by the Greek 'o wv, which very Greek appellation is twice used in the first chapter of St John's Revelation, once where it is applied to God directly, Grace unto you and peace, anо T8 from him who is, or literally from the I am, &c. and again applied to Jesus Christ- I am Alpha and Omega, saith the Lord, 'o wv, the I am,' &c. I AM, then, is the name of GOD, the incommunicable name Jehovah, importing that existence or being is only God's property, and that he alone is the essence, who has essence from himself.

ων,

I make no doubt, but to those who study the Hebrew language, it will appear well worth observation, that in those several passages of the Old Testament, where a person is said to answer to a call, the verb of existence, which grammarians call the verb substantive, is never made use of.Thus