PROPOSITION VIII. tt3} Oar anél slake to him. Zechariah, in the first six chapters of his prophecy, conversed with the angel of the Lord in the form of a man ; as chap. i. 9. and ii. 1, 3. and iii. 1, &c. Yet this angel sómetioles seems to be the same with the Lord or Jeho- vah ; as i. 19, 20. and ii. i. 3, 5. and iii. 1, 2. Now that most or all of these appearances was Jesus Christ, is generally owned by christians of all ages, and all parties; there are scarce any that havedenied it. And it is evident, that in these and other places this angel assumes the peculiar and distinguishing titles of the great God to himself: In his appearance to the more ancient fathers he called himself God Almighty; as in Exod. vi. 4. But when he ap- peared toMoses, he made himself known by name Jehovah; 'verses 2, 3. " And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord,' or Jehovah : And I appeared toAbraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but by my name .Irnovnn was I not known to them." Now it was not possible for those to whom he appeared to distinguish him from the true and eternal God, when he used those express words, " I am God almighty, or all-sufficient, I am Jehovah, the Lord ; Iam that I am ; I am the God of Abraham, &c." ana consequently they were necessarily exposed to the danger of idolatry, and in 'a manner, I may say, they were unavoidably led into it, if the person speaking to them were not really the true and eternal God, the proper object of divine worship. It seems to me buta poor and feeble evasion to say, that all these magnificent and distinguishing names and titles of the great and blessed God might be assumed by the angel, or Christ, though he were but a creature, because he came in the name, and with the authority of the true God. I. It is by no means agreeable to the majesty and high jealousy of God to give his._ . name and glory thus to another, without any sufficient and most evident token of distinction. 2. It was too assuming and ,pre- sumptuous in a creature thus to personate God, hisMaker, with- out some present and apparent distinguishing marks ofhis own inferiority. And, 3. It was too hard and invincible a temptation to Abraham, and Jacob, and Moses themselves, to practise idol- worship, and give divine honours to that which was not God. It is therefore made clear to me with abundant evidence, that in all these appearances the true and eternal God himself waspresent ; and, as it is expressed concerning Christ; Col. ii. 9. so in those figures and appearances, whether of light or fire, of a man or an angel, there dwelt all the fulness of the godhead bodily. 2. " The Lord of hosts" is another glorious and distin- guishing title of God :, Ile that is supreme over all the hosts or armies of heaven and earth. 2 Sam. vi. 2. " God, whose Dame ° z2
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