'126 S H A D D AI: And Joel, before Ifaiah, preaching Repentance to Jfrael, bewails the aweful Day of GOD's Judgements, and tells them that it is at hand, as a Deftruítionfrom Sbaddai,* from whom they had received the Blef ings of Time, and from whom alone they could expe6t the Joy andGladnefs ofEternity.* All thefe Declarations of the Shaddai's Power exa Uy correfpond with the Office of the Me /ah, who was to break his Enemies with a Rod of Iron, as well as to chear his People by the Scepter of his Grace. The Apoftle excellently defines this Name Sbaddai to the idolatrous, though learned, Athenians ; and points him out as that UNKNOWN Gon, who had de- livered them from the Horrors of a raging Peftilence, and whom they had fuccefsfully, yet ignorantly, worfhip- ed. GOD (fays he) that made the World, and all things ;herein, feeing that he is LORD [the omnipotent Sup- porter] of Heaven and Earth, dwelleth not in temples made with Hands; neither is worfhipped with Mens Hands, as though HE NEEDED ANY THING, feeing HE GIVETH TO ALL, Life, and Breath, and all things for in Him we live, and move, and have our Being.t To this beautiful and incomparable Definition, we may add, what he tells the Colojans ; that He [i. e. Chrift] is be- fore all things, and that by him all things confift ; that He is the Head of the Church, by whom it is fitly joined, * Joel i. 15. t It feems worth obferving, that the antient Jews gave Names to their Children, either expreffive of force particular Bleffing they had received, or of their foie Dependence upon GOD for any Be- nefit or Mercy they wanted. Thus the Names of the Children were frequently living Memorials of their Parents' Piety, and gave con- tinual Admonitions to follow them, who throuth Faith and Patience had inherited the Promifes, With this View, it is probable, the Names Shadeur fit'+ n, Zuri fhaddai, and dezmi- Shaddai (Numb. i. 5, 6, 12.) were given, and might exhibit to thofe who bore them, and to thofe who underflood them, that the divine Sbaddai thould be their Light, and their Rock, and that they ought to confefs them- felves, in a fuitable Manner, to be his People. $ Ads xvii. 23, &c. and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=