the dignity and divinity, therefore, of our blessed SAVIOUR, I refer you to page 39, where you will learn that ADONI is the Great GOD, &c. V. 39.-When the scribes and pharisees asked a sign of Jesus, he replied, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the prophet Jonas. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. JONAH, Ch. i. V. 17.-Now JEHOVAH had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah ; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. CHAP. XV. V. 30. And great numbers came to him (JESUs), the lame, the dumb, and the blind, and he healed them. When they saw the dumb speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see, 31. They glorified the God of Israel. ISA. Ch. xxxv. V. 4.-Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not, behold your God will come with vengeance, even ELOHIM with a recompense, he will come and save you. 5. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. The plain inference to be drawn from this quotation from Isaiah is, that when GOD, even ELOHIM, shall be come, the above miracles were to be performed by him. When John, (Matt. chap. xi. v. 2.) therefore, sent his disciples to JESUS CHRIST to inquire whether he were HE that should come, our Saviour replies, Go and show John that the blind receive their sight, &c.; and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. Does not this confirm the divinity of CHRIST? for he performed those very deeds which were peculiarly assigned to ELOHIM. CHAP. XVI. V. 27. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Ps. lxii. V. 12.—Unto thee, O ADONI, belongeth mercy, for thou renderest to every man according to his work. The phrases Son of GOD and Son of man are indiscriminately applied to our blessed Saviour. In the above he calls himself the Son of man, and appropriates to himself the office of the ADONI of the Psalm, whom Daniel addresses as ELOHIM, and Zechariah (chap. vi.) represents as the Judge of all the earth. At the trial of JESUS CHRIST, the appropriating to himself the term Son of GOD is said to be blasphemy by the Jews, because, they say, that, by assuming that title, he made himself equal with GOD. V. 26. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Ps. xlix. V. 7.-None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to ELOHIM a ransom for him; for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever. Or, as better conveys the meaning of the original Man cannot possibly redeem his own species, nor make an atonement for them to ELOHIM. The redemption of the soul is set at a great price, but he (man) himself is merely transitory. These texts show the absolute inadequacy of any mere human atonement; for when the best mortal man that ever existed shall have done his utmost to fulfil all the commands of GOD, he will feel conscious he has nevertheless fallen very short indeed of perfect obedience. The atoning and typical sacrifice required of the Jews was a Lamb without blemish; and the writers of the New Testament repeatedly assert that JESUS CHRIST was the Lamb of GOD that taketh way the sins of the world. These two facts must help to fix our faith steadfastly on the atoning sacrifice of our blessed LORD and SAVIOUR. CHAP. XXI. JESUS saith, 5. Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass. ZECHARIAH, Ch. ix. V. 9.-Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass; a colt, the foal of an ass. JESUS, in this quotation, identifies himself with the salvation and the king mentioned in Zechariah. In this instance we are not left to select the corresponding text from the Old Testament, which, we think, is applicable, for this he appropriates to himself. V. 9. And the multitudes that went before and that followed after cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD. Hosanna in the highest. 11. And the multitude said, this is JESUS, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. These devotional salutations are not suited for a mere mortal man, however great or holy; and yet our blessed Saviour not only did not check them, but said, "I tell you, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." V. 42.-JESUS said, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? This is the LORD's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. 43. Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Ps. 118. V. 22.-The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. CHAP. XVI. V. 27. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Ps. lxii. V. 12.—Unto thee, O ADONI, belongeth mercy, for thou renderest to every man according to his work. The phrases Son of GOD and Son of man are indiscriminately applied to our blessed Saviour. In the above he calls himself the Son of man, and appropriates to himself the office of the ADONI of the Psalm, whom Daniel addresses as ELOHIM, and Zechariah (chap. vi.) represents as the Judge of all the earth. At the trial of JESUS CHRIST, the appropriating to himself the term Son of GOD is said to be blasphemy by the Jews, because, they say, that, by assuming that title, he made himself equal with GOD. V. 26. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Ps. xlix. V. 7.-None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to ELOHIM a ransom for him; for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever. Or, as better conveys the meaning of the original Man cannot possibly redeem his own species, nor make an atonement for them to ELOHIM. The redemption of the soul is set at a great price, but he (man) himself is merely transitory. These texts show the absolute inadequacy of any mere human atonement; for when the best mortal man that ever existed shall have done his utmost to fulfil all the commands of GOD, he will feel conscious he has nevertheless fallen very short indeed of perfect obedience. The atoning and typical sacrifice required of the Jews was a Lamb without blemish; and the writers of the New Testament repeatedly assert that JESUS CHRIST was the Lamb of GOD that taketh away the sins of the world. These two facts must help to fix our faith steadfastly on the atoning sacrifice of our blessed LORD and SAVIOUR. CHAP. XXI. JESUS saith, 5. Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass. ZECHARIAH, Ch. ix. V. 9.-Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass; a colt, the foal of an ass. JESUS, in this quotation, identifies himself with the salvation and the king mentioned in Zechariah. In this instance we are not left to select the corresponding text from the Old Testament, which, we think, is applicable, for this he appropriates to himself. V. 9.-And the multitudes that went before and that followed after cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD. Hosanna in the highest. 11. And the multitude said, this is JESUS, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. These devotional salutations are not suited for a mere mortal man, however great or holy; and yet our blessed Saviour not only did not check them, but said, "I tell you, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." V. 42.—JESUS said, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? This is the LORD's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. 43. Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Ps. 118. V. 22.-The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. |