vab) revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD (or of Jehovah.)

1 Sam. iii. 21.

pure

It pities one to fee fuch inattention to the proper meaning of fcripture-language. Our author here again builds the doctrine of Chrift being the word, and confequently, in his idea, the most high God, upon a idiom of the hebrew language; which, you may truly fay, just as much proves Dr. Horne as Chrift to be the most high God; i. e. it is applicable to neither. For the repetition of the noun itfelf in the fame fentence, instead of using the pronoun, is very frequent in the facred writings. Gen. xix. 24. Thus the LORD rained upon Sodom brimJtone and fire, from the LORD out of heaven. See Exod. xvi. 7. xvii. 16, &c. &c. And fo the LORD revealed himself to Samuel by the word of the LORD, i. e. by himself, in a more particular extraordinary manner than to others fince the time of Mofes: which is bishop Patrick's explanation, without any fuch myfterious meaning as Dr. Horne would make out of it.

Another

Another great mistake of Dr. Horne's, refpecting the Old Teftament, is, where he says, p. 198. that our Saviour is stiled Jehovah, a name appropriated to the deity.' Such an affirmation ought not furely to have been made without fome proof of it given or referred to. But left you should imagine there is fomething in it, as coming from a person of so great reputation as a divine, I shall produce and examine the pasfages of the Old Teftament, ufually brought to prove Chrift to be Jehovah, the felfexiftent, eternal God.

Jeremiah xxiii. 6. In his days Judah fhall be faved, and Ifrael shall dwell Jafely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The LORD (or Jehovah) our righteoufness.

But the words of the prophet are falfely tranflated in our english verfion, as a learned man hath obferved, whofe remarks will be recited at length, in the last part of this work; and we fhould read them thus: and this is the name by which fehovah shall call him, our righteoufness.

The late bishop Lowth's father, who adopts this opinion, has this note upon the paffage. • He

He (Chrift) fhall really be what the title imports; he fhall be JEHOVAH, or the true God. The title of Jehovah, adds Mr. Lowth, is elfewhere given to the

Meffias by the prophets.

xlviii. 17. Hof. i. 7.

See Ifaiah xl. 10.

Zech. ii. 10, 11.

• Malachi iii. 1.' Of these we fhall take

a brief view to fee what they yield.

Ifa. xl. 10. Behold the LORD (or Jehovah) God will come with a strong hand. It is an ufual expreffion, that the Almighty is faid to come to men, when he fends his prophets. And at the first preaching of the gofpel, to which Ifaiah here refers, Jehovah did come by Jefus the prophet of Nazareth, his chofen meffenger to men. So that the paffage affords no proof that Chrift was Jehovah, but only his prophet.

xlviii. 17. Thus faith the LORD, (Jehovah) thy redeemer, the holy one of Ifrael; I am the LORD, (Jehovah) thy God. There is nothing here that belongs to Chrift. The titles of faviour, and redeemer, at all times belong primarily to God; and to Chrift only in a fubordinate sense.

Hofea

Hofea i. 7. But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will fave them by the LORD their God. i. e. will fave them by myfelf: the noun repeated, as above, instead of the pronoun. Chrift is not at all concerned here.

Sing and rejoice, O

Zechariah ii. 10, 11. daughter of Zion: for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, faith the LORD, (Jehovah) and many nations fhall be joined to the LORD in that day, and fhall be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of them, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath fent me unto thee.

The former part of this paffage, if it be spoken of the times of the gofpel, relates to the extraordinary divine powers given to Christ and his apoftles: but the last seem to be the words of the angel, mentioned in the begining of the chapter, declaring, that they should be fully convinced, that the extraordinary hand of divine providence was concerned in bringing about those events. Mr. Lowth, I fuppofe, would have them to fignify, that one Jehovah, one eternal God had fent another eternal God.

Malachi

Malachi iii. 1. Behold I will fend my mef fenger, and he fall prepare the way before me; (and the Lord, whom ye feek, fhall fuddenly come to his temple) even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in behold, he shall come, faith LORD of hosts.

Here is a defcription of Chrift's coming, but no proof of his being Jehovah. The Lord here fpoken of, Adon, is almighty God himfelf, whofe alone the temple was; and which Chrift calls (Matth. xii. 4.) the houfe of God, and John ii. 16.) my Father's boufe.

You hence learn, how little you can depend upon the best commentators, and most learned men. That accomplished scholar, and fon of this worthy commentator, bishop Lowth, lately deceased, has given into an almost incredible weaknefs, in his valuable new version of, and commentary on Isaiah, as I have pointed out in (c) another place; in making the threefold repetition of the word boly, in the hymn of the angelic beings, Ifa. vi. 3. to be a demonftration of the myfiery of

(c) Examination of Mr. Robinfon of Cambridge's pica for the divinity of our Lord Jefus Chrift. p. 98.