or govern it. Nor can those things that Christ often says of himself be true: as "The Father worketh hitherto, and I work."-"Whatsoever the Father doeth, these doeth the Son likewise," John v. 17, 19; it being very evident, that the works of creating and upholding and governing the world are ascribed to the Son, as a distinct person from the Father.

63. Not only is the word Elohim in the plural number, but it is joined to a verb of the plural number, in Gen. xx. 13. When God caused me to wander from my Father's house. The word hightnu, caused to wander, is in the plural number. This is agreeable to the use of plural verbs, adjectives, and pronouns, in Gen. i. 26; iii. 22; xi. 7. See other instances in Gen. xxxv. 7; Exodus xxxii. 2, 4; compared with Neb. ix. 18; Isaiah xvi. 6.

The very frequent joining of the word Elohim, a word in the plural number, with the word Jehovah, a word in the singular number, (as may be seen in places referred to in the English concordance, under the words, Lord God, Lord his God, Lord my God, Lord our God, Lord their God, Lord thy God, Lord your God,) seems to be a significant indication of the union of several divine persons in one essence. The word Jehovah signifies as much as the word Essence, and is the proper name of God with regard to his self-existent, eternal, all-sufficient, perfect, and immutable Essence. Moses seems to have regard to something remarkable in thus calling Elohim, the plural, so often by the singular name, Jehovah; especially in that remark which he makes for the special observation of God's people Israel, in Deut. vi. 4. "Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord." In the original, it is Jehovah Elohenu Jehovah Ehadh; the more proper translation of which is, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. The verb is is understood, and properly inserted between Jehovah Elohenu and Jehovah Ehadh, thus, Jehovah Elohenu is Jehovah Ehadh; which, if most literally translated, is thus, Jehovah Our divine Persons is one Jehovah: as though Moses, in this remark, had a particular reference to the word Elohim being in the plural number, and would guard the people against imagining from thence that there was a plurality of Essences or Beings, among whom they were to divide their affections and respect.

A farther confirmation that the name Elohim, when used as the name of the True God, signifies some plurality, is, that this same name is commonly, all over the Hebrew Bible, used to signify the gods of the Heathens, when many gods are spoken of. See those places in the Hebrew Bible, which are referred to in the English concordance, under the word Gods. In Exodus xx. 2, 3. when it is said in the third verse, "Thou shalt have no other GoDs before Me;" the word is the same

as in the foregoing verse, where it is said, "I am the Lord thy Gon, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt." It is Elohim in both verses: I am the Jehovah, thy Elohim: Thou shalt have no other Elohim. Yet the latter Elohim is joined with an adjective of the plural number; which seems naturally to lead the children of Israel, to whom God spake these words, to suppose a plurality in the Elohim which brought them out of Egypt, implied in the name Jehovah. Psalm Iviii. 11. "Verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth; Elohim Shophelim:" Which literally is, Elohim, judges, (in the plural number.) See the evident distinction made between Jehovah sending, and Jehovah sent to the people, and dwelling in the midst of them, in Zech. ii. 8, 9, 10, 11. and iv. 8, 9, 11. "For thus saith the Lord of Hosts, After the glory hath He sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of His eye."" For behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me.” Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord." "And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me unto thee."-" Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me unto you." " Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick, and upon the left side thereof?" Joshua xxiv. 19. "And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve Jehovah; for he is an Holy God, Elohim Kedhoshim." He is the Holy Gods. Not only is the word Elohim properly plural, the very same that is used, verse 15. the Gods which your fathers served, &c.; but the adjective Holy is plural. A plural substantive and adjective are used here concerning the True God, just in the same manner as in 1 Sam, iv. 8. " Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods?" And in Dan. iv. 8. "In whom is the Spirit of the Holy Gods." So verse 9, 18, and chap. v. 11. That the plural number should thus be used with the epithet Holy, agrees well with the doxology of the angels, "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts," &c.-Isaiah vi. and Rev. vi.

§ 64. It is an argument, that the Jews of old understood. that there were several persons in the Godhead, and particularly, that when the cherubim, in the 6th of Isaiah, cried, "Holy,

Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts," they had respect to three persons: That the seventy interpreters in several places, where the Holy One of Israel is spoken of, use the plural number; as in Isaiah xli. 16. "Thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel;" in the LXX. it is, ευφρανθηση εν τοις αγιοις Ισραηλ. Isaiah lx. 14. "The Zion of the Holy One of Israel;" it is, ov ayır Ispanλ. So Jer. li. 5. "Filled with sin against the αγιων Ισραηλ. Holy One of Israel;” απο των αγιων Ισραηλ,

REMARKS

ON

IMPORTANT THEOLOGICAL

CONTROVERSIES.

THE greatest part of these REMARKS are original, and may be considered as a Second Volume of PRESIDENT EDWARDS'S Miscellaneous Observations; but, as they relate to Subjects entirely different, make by themselves a Book.