;6 eJlnExpofitlan of the C ILK P, I. all other gloriousProperties ofGod thine forth, being in him reprefented unto us; 2 Cor. 4.6. And both thefe (tern to be comprifed in this word, xafootIp; both that thewhole Nature ofGod is in him, as alto that by him God is declared and expreffed untous. Neither were the Jews ofold ignorant of this notion ofthe Son ofGod. So Philo expreffeth their fenfe,de confufione linguarum, Kcir pnd'Éaa minor Tvvxdvn eh eiE4:meas eh. *5a Wefadyogeti.úa , 06Y(1r6 nooltMV$a. 154741 741, open-Ace doi; Tóyov, TÓV 'tiyyexor atesßúnaTOV avf dpxdyysTOV svosuí,,.lop úWdgxor7a, dpxrl An %Vona ©stl fÿ Tä705, xa ó teem' .ixóra ápep.áot, ,ÿ ó5,4 'IapañT a416.ayogéve7m ; Ifany one be not )et wortlsy to be called the Son ofGod, yet endeavour thou to be conformedunto bis fart begotten Word, the mnft antient Angel, the archangel withmany names; for he is called the Beginning, the name ofGod, the man according to theImage OfGod, the Seer ofIliad. And again, Kai >5. mkt. 1-annì-`Osr mass eafaís.3at yiy'avaµsv, tend 70 âïd'ír shaven dvTÑ, Tóye Ox itp. eir.; esx !3 ebteh TB)OS o WpsaÇúraree. For ifire are not meet to be called the fansof God, let us befoofhiseternalImage, the mofifacredWord; for that meft antient Wordis the Image of dad. Thus he; expreing fomeof theirconceptions concerning this Eternal charaaer atticPerfon of the Father. We have feen what it is, that is intended in this Expreffion ; and (hall only adde thereuntoa confìderation ofthat, from whence the Expreflîon is taken. The ordinary ingraving ofRings, or Seals, or Stones, is generally thought to be alluded unto. It may bealfo, that the Apotle had refped unto force Reprefentationof the glory of God by Ingraving amongft the Inflitutions of Mofes. Now there was fcarcely any thing of old that more glorioufly reprefentedGod, than that of the Ingraving of his Name on a plate ofgold to be wornon the frontof the Mitre ofthe High priett ; at the fight whereof, the greatConqueror ofthe Eaft fell down beforehim. Mentionofit we have, Exed. 28.36. Thos(halt make a plate ofpure gold, andgrave upon it, like the ingraving of afignet, rro't wip, Ilolinefl ofJehovah, or to Jehovah. Here was that Name of God which denotes his Eifetue and Being charat(erixed, and ingraven to reprefent his Ho- lineßand glory to the people. AndAaron wasto wear this ingraven Name ofGod on' his (ore-head, that he might bear the iniquity ofthe holy things andgifts ofthe children ofIfrael; which could really be done only byhim who was Jehovahhimfelf. And thus alto when God promifeth tobring forth the Son, asthe corner(lone ofthe Church, he promifeth to ingraveuponbim the fiven eyes of the Lord, Zech. 3. 9. or the perfediott of his Wifdom and Power to beexpreffed unto the Church in him. There having been then this Reprefentation of the prefence ofGod, by the charairer or ingravingof his glorious Name upon theplate ofgold, whichthe High priefl was towear that he might bear iniquities ; theApoflle lets the Hebrews know, that inChrifl the Son is the real accomplifhment of what was typified thereby, the Father having aâually communi- cated unto himhis Nature denoted by that name, whereby he was able really to bear our iniquities, and molt gloriouflyreprefent the Perlin ofhis Father unto us. And this,. withfabmif:on to betterjudgments, do I conceive to be the deign of the Aponte; in this his defcription of the Perfon of Jefus Chrift. It pleated. the holy Ghoft herein, to ufethere terms and exprellions, tomind the Hebrews how they were ofold inftmâed, though obfcurely, in the things now actually exhibited unto them; and that nothingwas now preachedor declared, but what in their Typical InflituWns they had before given their alfent unto. Wehave been fomewhat long in our Explication ofthis defcription of the Perronof theSon ofGod ; yet, as we fuppofe. not any longer than the nature of the things treatedof; and the manner of theirexpreffion, neceffarily required us to be. We thalf therefore hereflay awhile, before we proceed to the enfuing wordsof this verf, and take tome obfervation from what bath been fpoken for ourdireétion and refrefhment in our pattage. Obferv. r. All theglorious Perfeeilions of the Nature of Ged,do belongunto, anddwellin theperfn of theSon. Were it not fo, he could not glorioufly reprefent unto us the Per- fon ofthe Father ; nor by theContemplationofhim, could we be led to an acquaintance with the PerfonoftheFather. This theApoille here teacheth us, as in the Explication ofthe words we havemanifefled. Now becaufe the .confirmation of this allufion de- pends on the proofs and tefti,bonies given of andunto the Divine Nature of Chita, Which I have elfe-where largely inffled on, and vindicated from Exceptions, I (hall not here reafftme that task ; efpecially confidering that the fameTruthwill again occur unto us. pbferv. 2.
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