81tí THE GLORY OF CHRIST As GOD -SIAN. Iit There are several instances of the appearance of an- gels who do not assume to themselves any of the names or cha- racters of God ; so that it is evident that it was not the custom of"common angels when sent by the great God to carry mes- sages to tuen to assume divine titles, or speak with an air of di- vine authority in themselves, without the preface ofThus saith theLord but there was one angel peculiarly distinguished from the rest in whom the name of God was ; as Exod. xxiii. and who is properly called the angel of God's presence : Isa. and the presence of God; Exod. xxiii. and the angel empha- tically ; as in Ec. v. O. and who is veryprobably the same with the messenger or angel of the covenant ; Mal. iii. 1. And This else, was the common opinion of the ancient Jews, as is . shewn in a dissertation on the Logos. It may be further observed also under this head, that since our blessed Saviour, who is the angel of the covenant, c. me in the flesh, there have been many appearances of other angels, viz. to the shepherds, to Joseph, to Christ himself : to the disciples, viz. to women at the resurrection of Christ, and men at his ascension, to St. Peter, to St. Paul, to St. John, to Cornelius, and perhaps to others; but not one of them .ever assumed the names, titles, characters, or worship belonging to God. Thence we may confirm this inference, that the angel who under the Old Testament assumed divine titles, and ac- cepted religious worship, was that peculiar angel of God's presence in whom God resided, or who was united to the god- head in ,a peculiar manner, even the pre-existent soul of Christ, who afterward took flesh and blood upon him, and was called. Jesus Christ on earth. And therefore since his incarnation no angel has ever appeared that durst call himself God and assume divine titles, or accept of worship ; but has rather expressly forbid the worship of him; as Rev. xix. 10. and xxii. 10. '1V. It is very plain and obvious to every reader, that one of the most glorious and illustrious apparitions of thegreat God, even that wherein the seraphs adore him as the Lord of the whole earths and who filled the earth with his glory, and .wherein Isaiah calls- him, the King, the Lord of hosts, is ex- pressly applied to our .Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testa- ment ; John xii, These things said Isaias, when he saw his glory and spake of him. Now this may be a key to explain the rest, and makes it very probable that Christ was the personwho thus oftenappeared. V. It is generally agreed by all christian writers, even from the most primitive times, that God considered under the idea and characterof paternity, and in.the person of the Father, is
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