Son and Holy Ghost be Jehovah yet the Jehovah or Lord who spoke to him was the Son who is the Word of the Father by whom the Father speaks As we read the People of Lystra Act. 14.12 could in their Heathenish way make a difference between Paul and Barnabas calling this last Jupiter and the first Mercury which with them were Father and Son because Paul was the chief Speaker I shall here omit what elsewhere I asserted how the Name the Word is the Son of God's proper Name to say that the Lord God the Son doth testifie of himself that 't is he who spoke in the first beginning of all Isa 52.6 Therefore my People shall know my Name therefore they shall know in that Day that I am he that doth speak behold it is I. And he further having said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 17.5 Heb. 1.6 addeth Hear ye him And Paul When he bringeth in the first begotten into the World which can be no better understood than of the sending of the Son upon Earth to preach Grace to our first Parents Gen. 3.8 John 14.9 Isa 63.9 and the Presence or Face of the Lord from which Adam and his Wife hid themselves is none but God's Son in whom the Father is seen So that 't is more than probable that here according to the Jerusalem Interpreter the Son of God the Lord commanded Adam to appear to be try'd as indeed presently after passed a Sentence upon him his Wife and the Serpent and hereunto agree some of the Rabbies for by the words the Lord walking in the Garden * Nachmanides one understands the appearing of Schechina in that place and R. Abba explains it of the withdrawing of the Schechina out of the Garden because of Adam's Sin the Son of God who at the beginning of the World in the Garden pronounced Judgment and therein acted the part of a Judge did so afterwards upon Cain for his Brother's Death of whom 't is said Gen. 4.16 that he went out from the Presence of the Lord and Bechai saith it must be from no other than from Schechina Also Enoch the seventh Man from Adam Prophesied saying Jude 14.15 Behold the Lord cometh with ten Thousands of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all which was effected when by the Flood the whole Posterity of Cain and that of Seth only eight Persons excepted Noah with his Family in the Ark were destroyed So afterwards against the Egyptians Cananeans and other wicked People and so it shall continue to the latter end of the World till the last and Universal Judgment be over After the Flood there was wickedness and cause of Judgment found in Noah's Family as appears by the Curse thundered against Canaan Ham's Son As to this Curse before I proceed farther I must take notice how it seems strange that Ham should commit the Sin yet the Curse be pronounced not against him but against his Son which to clear some think and 't is very probable that the young Man first saw his Grandfather's Nakedness and went and told his Father of it for we must believe upon that occasion Noah to have been moved by the Spirit of God for being Drunken and Asleep when he was uncovered he could not of himself know what had happened before he awoke A Curse was pronounced against Canaan and a Blessing upon Japhet and Ham where Noah said The Lord God shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. Gen. 9.26 27. This Lord God is the same who in the Garden judged our first Parents Now these words of Noah * Onkelos Jarchius Nachman Bechai several Rabbies do unanimously interpret of Schechina's dwelling in the Family and Posterity of Shem And Bechai saith something more for he adds That the Schechina dwelt not in the second Temple built by Cyrus of the Posterity of Japhet but only in the first built by Solomon who descended from Shem. Upon God's Words to Abraham Thou shalt be a Blessing Gen. 12.2 chap. 15.1 v. 5. Rakenatensis saith they relate to Schechina and after the Victory over the four Kings this same Son of God promised him his Protection and to be his exceeding great Reward a numerous Posterity the Possession of the Land of Canaan with Old Age to end in a quiet Death v. 7. And the Covenant then made with him v. 15. was a Declaration of his eternal good Pleasure that contained Promises of his future coming into the World to be a Blessing to all Nations namely Christ the Messiah which in due time were performed Luke 1.72 73. Gal. 3.16 17. v. 29. as by Zacharias 't was taken notice of so by Paul to the Heirs according to the Promise which shews that God's Covenant with Abraham contained Spiritual as well as Earthly Eternal as well as Temporal Promises and that the Law neither derogated from the Eternal Will and Testament nor disannull'd of the Promise the other Apparitions of the Schechina unto Abraham Isaac and Jacoh which make a part of what I now am upon I elsewhere sufficiently enlarged Israel upon his Death-Bed mentions him under the Name of Shiloh in that Solemn Prophecy Gen. 49.10 chap. 28.12 13. that he should be of the Tribe of Judah The Vision of Jacob's Ladder reaching both Heaven and Earth and the Angels of God ascending and descending on it is by * Rakenat in h. l. one of the famous Jewish Doctors explained of God Holy and Blessed and of his Schechina whereby indeed Heaven and Earth God and Man were joined together and as I love not to follow nice only solid Notions I shall not take notice of the Opinion of those who say there were six Steps in the Ladder whereof the three lowest signified the three degrees of his Humiliation and the three uppermost those of his Exaltation In the other Vision of Jacob Gen. 31.11 12 13. when he saw the speckled Rams 't is not said he saw rather heard for the Angel spake unto him I am the God of Bethel which †Commen in Thorah p. 41. col 1 2. Bechai doth truly interpret El the Mighty God and also Bethel the House of God that is the Son in whom the Father dwells or Schechina as * Rakenat f. 63. col 3. another hath it Scripture speaks of three Houses of God first of Solomon's Temple secondly Christ's Humane Nature thirdly the Church The same Rabbi saith That the Word Righteousness which is in the Name of Melchisedec doth relate to the Schechina whose Type we know him to have been 1 Kings 8.10.13 Zachar. 6.14 Isa 8.14 1 Tim. 3.15 p. 45. col 2 for I cannot be of the Opinion of two Eminent Modern Divines Cunaeus and Altingius who affirm Melchisedec to be the Son of God himself who at that time after the Victory appeared to Abraham in Man's Shape and blessed him For seeing by David and Paul the Office and
this is the same who in the Chap. before had appeared unto him made a Covenant with him appointed Circumcision for the Seal of it and also had at that time promised Sarah should have a Son and there he called himself the Almighty God without question chap. 17.1 this was the true God by Nature for none is Almighty but he who if such for the words are convertible Almighty and True naturally eternal God he who is the one is the other too Now 't is very observable how he who in the first Book of the Old Testament proclaim'd himself the Almighty doth in the last of the New declare himself to be the Almighty and as there is but one Almighty Rev. 1.8 so in these two several places 't is but one and the same that speaks Now John saith it plainly enough that the Lord Jesus is the Almighty as in another place I heretofore sufficiently evidenced which to strengthen this I shall add that as Christ our Lord in the 1 Chap. of that Book calls himself Simply and absolutely the Almighty so towards the latter end of the same chap. 16.14 he is called God Almighty and that this is spoken of him the beginning of the verse clears it when it saith They are the spirits of devils which go forth unto the kings of the earth to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty For a greater Confirmation let this be compared with another Chapter chap. 19. from ver 11 to the end wherein mention is made of that Battle and its Success there is as true a Description of Christ in the Person of the General of the Army as can be he is called faithful and true and in righteousness he doth judge and make war his eyes were as a flame of fire c. and his name is called the word of God and lower King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the great God If after these positive plain and full Evidences the Lord Jesus be not the true essential Almighty God then there is no truth in Scripture whose main design is to declare him to be the Son of the living God who from Heaven and out of the Father's Bosom came into the World to save us from Sin Death and Hell Of this the Deliverance out of Aegypt was a Type and both Deliverances have one and the same Author I find much to our purpose contained in that place where the Prophet speaking of the People of Israel saith of God He was their Saviour in all their affliction he was afflicted Isai 63.8 9. and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them Which place seems to relate to what the Lord said to Moses out of the midst of the Bush Exod. 3.7 I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt which is as if in the manner of speaking of men he had said I have seen and considered of my Peoples Affliction and for it have pity and compassion on them It is observable how he who in that place appeared unto Moses is there called by several Names first The angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire ver 2. and in the fourth he is called both Lord and God When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see God called unto him And ver 6. he is again called God and ver 7. the Lord. Under these several Names of Angel of the Lord God and the Lord in the different things by him spoken is designed the true God of Israel which I here take notice of because it being compared with this Text of Isaiah we now are upon it helps toward a better undestanding thereof Here 't is said of the true God he was their Saviour then 't is added the Angel of his presence saved them both these are absolutely expressed and absolutely there can be but one Saviour who is God so the Angel who saved them must needs be God and 't is to be taken notice of how he who here is called the Angel of his presence Exod. 33.14 is elsewhere called God's presence my presence shall go with thee to shew how God's Presence and the Angel of his Presence is one and the same God and he who led the People through the Wilderness is in another place also called Angel ch 23.20 21. I send an Angel before thee but such a one as his name was in him that is All I have revealed of my self is in him and this very same who saved them is in the same Verse said to have redeemed them .. Can any one deny the Names Saviour and Redeemer properly and personally to belong to Jesus Christ the Son of God who from the very first verse of the Chapter is pointed at and in ver 7. the Prophet saith of him I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord and the praises of the Lord who bare them and carried them his people all the days of old in the Wilderness surely he who had done all these great things for them was their God so didst thou lead thy people to make thy self a glorious and everlasting name v. 12 14. God's people is Christ's people All the Father hath is mine saith he so he must needs be God such to the Jews he at several times asserted himself to be which truth is not at all prejudiced by his not suffering the Devils to publish who he was namely the holy one of God the Son of God the Son of the most high God which they never said to Paul or any other Apostle when they cast them out in the name of Jesus Christ Now our Saviour's reason to forbid them is this the Devil is known to be a Lyar and a truth out of a Lyar's mouth is suspected therefore to hinder its being questioned he suffered them not to speak it for he knew how ready his Enemies would be to take all advantage against him for they said He casteth out Devils by Beelzebub the prince of the Devils which he did as God and by his own Divine Power but the LXX said the Devils are subject to us through thy name Luke 10.17 This truth can be found out no better than with comparing Scripture with Scripture in order to 't without repeating what I said before of the Angel promised to go before the People in the Wilderness whom God called his presence I shall proceed to new matter Exod. 23. and take notice how that very same who went before the People and was called Angel if we may believe David was God the God of Israel chap. 33.14 at whose presenceâ— the earth shook the heavens also dropped even Sinai it self was moved and this is remarkable that the same word which God used my presence shall go is also twice made use of by David Psal 68.7.8 Psal 136.2 3 26. the Heavens dropped at the presonce of God Sinai was moved
at the presence of God the God of Israel and the very same God called Angel we have farther described by the Psalmist whom he nameth God of Gods and in the next verse Lord of Lords and in the last the God of Heaven This certainly is the true God by Nature which as expressed ver 16. Led his people thorough the wilderness and did all the great things mention'd in the other verses of that Psalm all by Stephen comprehended in one verse Acts 7.36 He brought them out after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Aegypt and in the red sea and in the wilderness fourty years This is the same Angel which appeared to Moses in the bush ver 35 38. and which spake to him in mount Sinai Now 't is unquestionably true how that first Martyr's drift was to preach Christ and not Moses to the Jews and upbraid them for murthering at his appearing in the Flesh him who had done so great and many things and wrought all those great Deliverances for their Fathers before his Incarnation who appearing unto Moses in the Bush ver 32. called himself the God of his Fathers of Abraham Isaac and Jacob this is certainly the true God of Israel whom Paul calls the Lord of glory crucified 1 Cor. 2.8 and of whom Stephen call'd the Jews Murtherers this was their God and according to Pilate's Inscription their King which to confirm more and more because Socinians obstinately deny him to be such though elsewhere I have taken notice of I shall here make use of a Prophet's Evidence by whom Christ the Messiah is call'd the King of Sion Zech. 9.9 which when the thing mention'd was actually done to the Lord Jesus the Evangelist applies it as spoken of him by the Prophet Now he who is the King of Sion is the King of Israel and he who absolutely is the King of Israel is the God of Israel so the Lord Jesus whom this is spoken of is the true God of Israel The Psalmist saith Arise O God judge the earth for thou shalt inherite all Nations This is the true God whose two Attributes to Judge the Earth and to Inherit all Nations herein expressed do belong and are proper to the Son of God the Lord Jesus So do many things more variously and abundantly written by the Prophets Isai 8.13.14 as among others is this Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself let him be your fear and let him be your dread And to move them to 't he gives this reason c. He shall be for a sanctuary to those that sanctifie him and whose fear he is but to Transgressours and Disobedient to both houses of Israel he shall be for a stone of stumbling and rock of offence for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem This Prophecy is of Christ in both parts first a Sanctuary to those who fear him and present help and Relief suitable to their wants Joh. 7.37 chap. 6.35 therefore he crieth and saith If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink for he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst Matth. 11.28 therefore he made gracious Invitations Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest but if Men will not answer this Call he tells them but ye will not come to me that ye might have life so to those who sanctifie love and fear him he is a Rock of Defence a Sanctuary and a present help in time of trouble as for the other part he is a stumbling-stone Luk. 2.34 Rom. 9.32 33. 1 Pet. 2.5 6 7. and a Rock of Offence to those who do not fear nor believe in him Now this Prochecy is explained to be of him by Simeon to him apply'd by Paul and more at large by Peter this by the Apostles is spoken of him whom the Prophet calls the Lord of Hosts himself mark the Word himself in Person not by a Deputy or any one else that the same is the Stone of stumbling to the Jews hitherto experience hath and doth still shew it to be so The Lord of Hosts himself is certainly the true eternal God but Christ if we may believe an Evangelist and two Apostles is that Lord of Hosts himself Isa 43.10 of whom those things were foretold This one thing more I shall add how Socinians with making Christ a Metaphorical God give God himself the Lye who by the same Prophet saith Before me there was no God formed neither shall there be after me for according to them Christ was a formed and made God several Hundreds of Years after God had said so But to convince them of their abominable Errour I shall bring in the Evidence of some of their good Friends the Jews I mean The Jews specially the Masters of the first and true Cabbala do very often mention Schechina whereby they mean the Messiah Shiloh the Son of God who from the beginning of the Creation to the destruction of the first Temple in a clear and illustrious manner dwelt with those that were pious Hence it is that they made Light created on the first day Rom. 5.14 Heb. 9.9.23 1 Cor. 10.6.11 Col. 2.17 Heb. 10.1 to be the first Type of the Messiah now Types are Figures according to Scripture or Examples or Shadows now a Shadow is a dark Figure which goes before the Body when the Light is behind * Bechai p. 4. col 3. And God said Let there be Light to point at the Days of the Messiah of whom Scripture saith Arise shine for thy Light is come and the Glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee And †p. 9. col 2 Isa 10.17 John 1.9 Colos 1.12 13. Mal. 4.2 the Day wherein Light was made is called one or the first Day because Light represents one only and thou knowest that he is the King of Glory And our Saviour the Messiah is in Scripture called Light and lighteth every Man that cometh into the World And as out of the first Light the Sun that great Luminary was made and placed in the Firmament by his continual course to give the World light So is the Messiah called the Sun of Righteousness Rev. 1.13 gloriously shining in the midst of his Church And as 't is by †Aben Ezra in Psal 19. one well observed that the Light of the Sun is very wholsome so doth the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his Wings cure the Distempers of the Soul To proceed further into this Matter which I hope to make a good use of in this Cause I say how the Son of God immediately after Adam's Fall as being the Judge of the whole Earth to exert his judicial Power called him to an account for his Sin when to him he said Where art thou As if he had said What hast thou done Answer for thy self Now I say that tho' Father