The first time that the word God was ufed with a relative, was in the covenant of promife to Abraham, which included the eternal intereft; and it was then ufed in the future tenfe, I will be their God; but when Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob were gone to heaven, the name was used relatively in the prefent tenfe, as at the burning bufh, I am the God of Abraham, &c.-The first time that the name of God is used with a relative, in the present tense, is in his word to Jacob, Gen, xxxi. 14. I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedt the pillar: but, this was none other but the boufe of God, and the gate of heaven. And very frequently he is called the God of heaven, in order to exprefs his covenant relation to his people. And the first time this great name was used, in this manner, in relation to the people of Ifrael, was, when the Lord appeared to deliver them from their bondage in Egypt, and to fet their faces towards the land of promise; and after they had paffed the Red Sea, it is obferved, that Mofes, in this respect, much changed his ftyle, and seldom wrote the glorious name, but with fome appropriating word; and as they drew nearer and nearer to this type of the heavenly world, his manner of writing the name of the Lord our God, and of adding its relatives, became ftill more and more remarkable.

In like manner, our Lord Jefus Christ, as foon as he had called his difciples, and feparated them from the world, began to teach them to fay, Our Father, &c. but it is obferved, that this peculiar style, became more fa

miliar and impreffive toward the clofing scene; elpecially in his last discourse to them at the fupper.

It is not recorded that our Lord used the word my God, but twice; once whilft hanging upon the cross; and again, addreffing Mary, when about to afcend into heaven, he faid, Go to my brethren, and fay unto them, I afcend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God And wherever, in the New Teftament, we have nearer views of the heavenly glory, the appropriate use of this name becomes more familiar, and its relatives more frequent; as in Rev. iii. 21. Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerufalem, which cometh down out of beaven from my God: and I will write upon him

my new name.

Claude, remarking upon the preface of the Lord's Prayer, Our Father which art in heaven, faid, that God is elevated above all things, by being made our Father. (Trite de la juftification.) 1 his was a bold expreffion, but it agrees with the truth,

Section 2. THE FORM OF GOD.

That Chrift was fet up from everlafting, and poffeffed a realm of Glory: wherein le exercised a fovereignty and dominion over things which are eternal; fhews that he had,

agreeable to the nature of the divine will, i real form; one, the moft glorious, and as diftinct and capable of being defined, as that of the fun, or of any object within the fphere of our contemplation. This has the support of the fcriptures.

Chrift, who is the image of God, 2 Cor. iv. 4. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himfelf of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, Philip, ii. 6, 7. Who is the image of the invifible God, Col. i. 15. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his perfon, Heb. i. 3. Man is faid to be made in the image, and after the likenefs of God, which implies that there is an image and form of God. Nebuchadnezzar faid, Lo, I fee four men loofe, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

In the inftallation of Chrift in heaven, which divine action is included effentially in the divine principle, the whole matter of the divine will exifted in fact: in this eternal transaction, the Lord Chrift prefented himself before the Father, with his full confent to the parental authority; faying, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God: and alfo he was received in the full expreffion of the parental love, and was fet up as a Son, in all the power and high authority of that kingdom; and being thus in the form of God; which is that form of eternal glory contemplated in the divine will: and thus bearing the ftate of the everlafting Father; he thought it not robbery to

be equal with God: Hence he is called the mighty God, and the everlafting Father, Ifai. ix. 6. As according to the Divine Theory, the Son from everlasting was put into the poffeffion of the eternal throne and kingdom of God the Father; we may fee the grounds of its being faid of him, Heb, i. 8. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a fceptre of righteoufness is the fceptre of thy kingdom.

For the fame reason, alfo, both the Father and the Son appear to be called Ancient of Days, Dan. vii. The Ancient of Days did fit, ver, 9. And behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they (the clouds of heaven,) brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, and nations, and languages fhould ferve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be defroyed, verfes 13, 14. Hiere we have in view the eternal truth of the inftallation of Chrift, declaratively, or in the exhibition, But this one like the Son of Man, having re ceived the kingdom and appearing in the glory of the Father, is alfo called the Ancient of Days, ver. 22. from wh om, immediately, judgment fhall be given to the faints of the Molt High, and they fhall poffefs the kingdom.

Ancient, was the common name or title of a ruler among the Jews, is now fome tribes. of Indians call their chief, white hairs; and as foon as one of whatever age, became a

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member of the council, he was thus diftinguifhed: See Ifai. iii. Behold the Lord of Hofts, doth take away from Jerufalem the pr dent, and the ancient-and the child fhall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the bafe against the honourable, Chap. ix. The ancient and honorable, he is the head and . the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail, a nd Chap. xxiv. Then the moon shall be confo n ded, and the fun afhamed, when the Lord' of Hofts fhall reign in mount Zion, and in Fer: falem, and before his ancients gloriously. See a lfo, Ezek. viii. Son of Man haft thou feen u bat the ancients of the house of Ifrael do in the dark? and Chap. ix.. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

The Father is Ancient of Days-King e.ternal, immortal, and irvifible. And the Son, be ing from the beginning a member of co uncil, and in the form of God; is alfo Anc ient of Days, The bleffed and only Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who only bath immortali y, dwelling in the light w bich no man can approach unto, whom no man bath Jeen, nor can fee to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen

Some, in attempting to prove the divinity of Chrift, have confounded the diftinction of Father and Son : but this is unneceffary and injurious: the divinity of the Son will be fupported, not by confounding this, diftinction, but by clearing it: Let the truth that. Jefus Chrift is the Son of God be established, and his divinity cannot be doub' ed.

The view which we every where have in