appropriate characters with God, who is represented 'as sitting upon a throne:' all which considered together represent Almighty God highly distinguished from Jesus Christ, who in the same passages is represented as an innocent human person, under the character of a Lamb slain standing in the midst of the throne.' Rev. vii. 15, 17.

Some of the characters St. John gives of Almighty God are in these texts.

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The Divine represents those who had gotten the victory over the beast,' as having in their hands the harps of God, and singing this song, Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, O thou King of saints. Who shall not fear before thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy.' Rev xv. 3, 4.

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Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.' Rev. iv. 8.

St. John introduces a great multitude, saying, 'Allelujah; the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth, xix. 6.

See also xxi. 22..

Now it is observable, that the characters of the Lamb, given us by St. John, are these that follow:

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Rev. v. 6, And I beheld, and lo! a Lamb, as it had been slain, standing in the midst of the throne.' Ver. 9, The four living creatures and the twentyfour elders sang, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals, because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.' See ver. 12. But it must be carefully observed, that though there be an address of praise to the Lamb that was slain, in the verses just cited; and an ascription of honour to him who sits upon the throne,' and to the Lamb conjointly, ver. 13, yet the whole account is closed up, or concluded, by a solemn worship paid to him who liveth for ever and ever,' which is one of the appropriate characters of God. See chap. xiii. The 'living' God. In a passage parallel to this, vii. 10, 11, 12, we have a representation of a great multitude standing before the throne, and crying, Salvation to

our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood round the throne, &c. and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever.'

Rev. xiv. 1, 3, A Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with him one hundred and forty and four thousand; and they sang as it were a new song before the throne.'

From the foregoing passages all readers ought to observe, that St. John has taken a strict care to express the message delivered to him by the angel, in all the parts of his vision, in the justest style: and then it must follow, that he has taken a particular care always to preserve the highest distinction between the supreme God, and Jesus Christ represented under the character of a 'Lamb,' and 'a Lamb slain.' And it must be always observed, that this necessary distinction comes from the highest authority, i. e. from God, and from the Christ of God.' For the whole book of Revelations is expressly entitled, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him.'

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CHAP. XXIII.

A short view of the senses in which God and Christ are called Saviours.

SAVIOUR is a title applied to, and used of God, in the holy scriptures, in the highest sense; and of Jesus Christ, in an inferior sense. *Also other persons have 'been called Saviours, whom God raised up to save his people Israel. Judges iii. 9, 2 Kings xiii, 5, Nehemiah ix. 27.

*That God the Father is a Saviour in the highest sense, and Christ a Saviour only in an inferior sense of the word: or, in other words, that salvation is to be ascribed to the Father, in the highest sense, as to the original source and fountain thereof; and to Jesus Christ only

as the instrument, by whose agency God has chosen to convey his favours to mankind, will appear from many passages of scripture, which might be mentioned, and particularly from the following:

• Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God' Ephes i. 1. Note 1. Christ was the instrumental cause of St. Paul's apostleship, but the will of God was the prime and original cause.

Note 2. That God, called exegetically the Father,' in the second verse, is here distinguished from Jesus Christ, and this distinction is very observable in many other places of the New Testament; where God is expressly appropriated to the Father of Jesus Christ, which would be a highly improper phrase, if the term ' God' equally belonged to the Son as well as to the Father.

Ver. 2, Grace and peace.' Note, these blessings are wished, or desired, for the Ephesians first, and originally from God, who is the Father of us, and of our Lord Jesus Christ,' who was God's mediator or instrument in conveying them.

Ver. 3, Blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us.' By these words St. Paul devoutly acknowledgeth and adoreth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,' the only author from whom all grace, mercy, and peace, come originally; but he doth not name Jesus Christ with the Father in this act of worship; on the contrary, he offers to the Father alone the sole praise, as the enly author of all spiritual blessings.

God

Note 1 St. Paul, not content to denote, in the second verse, #o be the Father, or the Father to be God, expressly repeats the same notion in stronger terms.

2. St Paul expressly, and by name, blesseth God the Father solely, &c. and not Jesus Christ, &c. This should ever be our rule, and no modern or unscriptural rule, or corrupt custom and usage, in any Christian church, ought to be regarded.

3. That Christ is here expressly, as in very many other places, the instrument or minister of God in conveying to the Ephesians every spiritual blessing, but God the Father only is expressly said to have blessed the Ephesians, for he alone is the original author of all blessings, one of which blessings is expressly named in the next

verse.

'He,' i. e. God the Father, 'has chosen us,' out of the rest of the world, by his gospel, and designed us to be his adopted children by Jesus Christ, the first preacher of the gospel, ver 4; for it is expressly said in the close of ver. 5, that the forementioned blessings were acserding, or pursuant to, the good pleasure of his, i, e. God's will.

To the praise and glory of his own grace or favour,' ver. 6. That is, of God's grace; for it follows, by which, i.e. by which 'grace' or favour,' he, i. e. God, hath dealt graciously' or 'favourably with as in, or by his beloved Son'

N. B. All the acts of grace and favour of God to men, conveyed by Christ, are to be ascribed to the praise of God's glorious grace or favour