590 •N2 ST PREFACE. THE great object of this work is, to consider, in a concise and plain manner, the various Names and Titles applied to Jesus, both in the Old and New Testaments. The author had, in the course of his professional studies, long seen the necessity of a work like this, and he believed that something of the kind was much needed in the christian world. In perfecting his plan, the author often found himself severely tasked, for he could meet with no writer who had embraced so wide a plan as he proposed to carry out. In the final preparation of the work for the press, however, he has been highly favored by the kindness of friends; and he has also had access to the most valuable libraries in this vicinity. And he feels that he owes a debt of gratitude to many for their kind assistance, but more especially to that Being who has enabled him, after having kept this work steadily in view over six years, to bring it to a final termination. As the plan of this work is somewhat new, the author has thought it necessary to present some of its peculiarities. Some may object to its title. In reply to this, the writer readily admits that he found many terms applied to the Saviour which could not, strictly speaking, be called Names or Titles; such as Vine, Bread, Rock, and many others; but still the plan of his work embraced them. And h found beneath these emblems some of the richest and mos glowing views of the great Redeemer. What themes ca be sweeter to the Christian than to view Jesus as Bread t sustain, a Vine to strengthen, a Physician to heal, a Hid ing-Place from the storm, a Star to guide, a Sun to enlight en, and a Rock throwing out its shade in a weary land? In presenting the various Names and Titles, the autho has endeavored to avoid those which he did not believe properly belonged to the Saviour; for he could hardly per suade himself, with Bellamy and others, that the Sacred Writers intended to distinguish the Saviour of the world by such appellatives as the following:- Apple Tree, Bundle of Myrrh,' Eagle,' Camphire,'' Gold,'' Honey Comb,' Lily of the Valley,' Polished Shaft,' Wall of Fire,' 'Fatted Calf,' 'Rose of Sharon,' &c. God forbid that we should take from the Saviour any honor due to his name. These terms may be well enough in their proper places, but seem not very well calculated to adorn and set forth the excellencies of Him whose labors are above all praise, and whose character cannot be too highly extolled. In the progress of this work, the author may have thought that he found the Saviour where no such personage was intended by the inspired writers. And he may not have been so fortunate in all instances as even to find him where he was clearly pointed out. But he has done what he could, and if others can excel him, no one will be more ready to rejoice. One thing is evident; no one can ever portray all the glories of the Saviour. There are excellencies in that character that no language can describe, no illustration can reach, and no pencil can paint. As well might man attempt to portray the glory of every star, or beautify the rainbow. And in endeavoring to bring out the excellencies of Jesus, the author has frequently been made sensible of the inadequacy of human language, and the weakness of the human mind. After all his labor, therefore, perhaps he has only sketched out a plan for some one to perfect in some future period of the christian church. Throughout the volume, the author has endeavored to give a distinctness to the object for which Jesus came into the world. He has also attempted to point out the intimate union and connection between the Son and the Father. And here, although he found a oneness and a unity such as never was exhibited before, yet he was compelled to depart from the ground usually occupied by Trinitarians. In doing this, however, he has been equally careful to avoid the Humanitarian scheme. Both he considered as extremes. He believes that in Jesus of Nazareth we see an image, a bright, unclouded, moral exhibition of the great Father, but not God himself! But the author has aimed especially to give a moral and practical turn to the whole work. He has not aimed so much to please the critic, as to warm and move the heart of the humble and devoted follower of Jesus. And he sincerely hopes that his work will promote that great object, and be the means of leading many to bow at the feet of the Saviour. In the arrangement of the work, the alphabetical order was preferred, on account of its simplicity and ease to the reader. At first, this seemed to preclude the necessity of a table of contents; but farther consideration led the author to prefix one, so that the reader could, at a single glance, see an entire list of all the Names and Titles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Boston: January, 1841. ADVERTISEMENT TO THE NINTH EDITION. As this work has, in a little more than a year, passed to the ninth edition, the author wishes to express his gratitude for the almost unprecedented patronage which he has received. During the six years in which the work was in preparation for the press, the author endeavored to do everything to make it worthy of the public. Having received such great encouragement, he now presents it in a more splendid style of binding, and with two beautiful engravings, furnished expressly for the work, by one of the most eminent artists in the United States. The author has seen no occasion to change the original plan of the work, nor his views respecting the nature, character, and object of the mission of Jesus. Two slight alterations have been made since the publication of the work, and in the present edition an entire new view is given of the title Covert. |