1 and as supplying the most cogent motives to comply with the command. When this reference is to the Deity, it evidently partakes of the nature of an oath. There are several instances of solemn oaths in the writings of the apostle Paul :* and there is at least one instance in which Christ is the person appealed to. "I speak the truth; by Christ! I lie not." This also appears to be of the same kind: "In the presence of God, by Christ! we say all these things, beloved, for your edification."‡ The instances of obtestation are the following. "I charge [thee] in the presence of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the elect angels. I * As 2 Cor. i. 23, “I call upon God as a witness upon my soul: xi. 21, The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not: Gal. i. 20, Behold, in the presence of God, I lie not." † Rom. ix. 1. "In Christ, that is, by Christ. The like phrase is in Dan. xii. 7, 'He swore by (ev) Him that liveth for ever;' and Jer. v. 7, They swore by (v) those which are not gods." Grotius. "Ey Xpior, the formula of an oath, as in Hebrew by Jehovah: The sense is, 'I call upon Christ himself as a witness to the truth of what I now declare.' 'Ev or points out the object by which the oath is taken; as Matt. v. 34, &c. Rev. x. 6. Eph. iv. 17. Isaiah Ixii. 8. Leclerc and some others regard in Christ, as signifying, as a disciple of Christ, to speak truly as becomes a Christian; which indeed may be maintained so far as the mere phrase is concerned, but it is quite incongruous with the strong feeling which reigns through the whole passage." Koppé. The Calm Inq. p. 366, follows James Cappell, Crellius, Locke, Taylor, &c. in adopting this latter interpretation. 2 Cor. xii. 19. enjoin thee in the presence of God who giveth life to all things, and Christ Jesus who witnessed before Pontius Pilate the good confession. Remind of these things, charging in the presence of the Lord. I charge [thee] therefore in the presence of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead, at his appearance and his coming. This I This I say, and charge by the Lord."* elect These passages appear to me unquestionably to ascribe to our Lord and Saviour a presence with the persons and in the times and places referred to; and such a presence as is personal and cognizant of the transactions. The angels" introduced in one of the passages, (whether understood of men chosen to be messengers of the churches, or with much better reason, of celestial ministering spirits,+) are evidently represented as present in the scenes and circumstances of Timothy's ecclesiastical duty. It remains, therefore, to be considered what kind of presence we are warranted to conceive of as belonging to Christ. Those who believe him to * 1 Tim. v. 21, which might be rendered, " and Lord Jesus Christ." vi. 13. 2 Tim. ii. 14. iv. 17. the God iv. 1. Eph. +A passage of striking resemblance to this, occurs in the speech of Agrippa to the seditious Jews: Μαρτύρομαι δὲ ἐγὼ μὲν ὑμῶν τὰ ἅγια, καὶ τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἀγγέλους τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ πατρίδα τὴν κοινὴν, ὡς οὐδὲν τῶν σωτηρίων ὑμῖν καθυφηνάμην " I call to witness your "I sacred temple and worship, and the holy angels of God, and our common country, that I have omitted no exertions for your benefit." Joseph. Bell. Jud. lib. ii. sect. xvi par. 4. be merely a human being, cannot with consistency regard him as having the properties of angels; if indeed they admit the existence of such intelligences. The hypothesis of an occasional bodily presence during the apostolic age, will not apply to these cases, because they manifestly are, not rare and occasional occurrences such as the hypothesis supposes, but refer to the regular discharge of Christian duties in religious communities and in the ordinary practice of life. But admitting the doctrine of the Divine Nature and Perfections of our Lord, these passages admit of a rational interpretation. They represent his holiness, power, and authority, enforcing the obligations of pastoral duty and of general obedience: encouraging and strengthening his servants with "grace sufficient for them;" warning, inspecting, commending and disapproving, as becomes HIM whom "all the churches shall know, that he searcheth the reins and hearts, and will give to every one according to their works." IX. Jesus Christ is the OBJECT of religious obedience. 66 Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit: for he who in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God. Those who make divisions and offences, serve not our Lord Christ. [I am] under law to Christ. The things which I write to you are commandments of the Lord. I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you. The love of us, Christ constraineth (ouvée, bindeth, obligeth,) that they who live might live no more to themselves, but to Him who died for them, and rose again. Ye serve the Lord Christ.' Here the most necessary dispositions and duties of the Christian life are represented as deriving their obligation from Christ, as being performed from an especial regard to him, and as being acts of homage and service immediately due to him. It is true that these and similar declarations may be affirmed to express merely the official authority of Christ, as the prophet and messenger of God; and consequently that with this design, they must be taken in a very low and accommodated sense. But, if so, the accommodation or reduction of the sense, from the ordinary meaning of words, must be unspeakably and infinitely great yet we have no intimation that such a reduction is necessary: and the style of expression possesses the same unrestricted fulness, as when similar language is applied to God as the Object of religious obedience. It is also to be considered, that it is not the manner of the inspired servants and messengers of God, to take honour of this kind to themselves, or to give it to each other. The subjects of the Levitical or of the Christian dispensations, are not said to serve or to live to, Moses, John, or Paul: and though Jesus, upon the Unitarian * Rom. xiv. 18. xvi. 18. Griesb. 1 Cor. ix. 21. xiv. 37. xi. 23. 2 Cor. v. 15. Col. iii. 25. hypothesis, was officially their superior, they were personally his equals, and in his highest exaltation he could be only their fellow-servant. On the other hand, admitting the Divine Nature and prerogatives of our Blessed Lord, the system of the sacred writers is freed from incongruity, and we can understand their language in its plain and just meaning. X. Christ is represented as the object of religious worship by invocation. i. "The church of God which is at Corinth,with all, in every place, who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."* The reasons of our understanding this expression in the sense of active address, and not of passive appellation, have been sufficiently stated before.t Those reasons appear to me to furnish complete satisfaction, that this passage lays down the devotional invocation of the Lord Jesus Christ, as a known and undoubted designation of his followers. 6 ii. "The scripture saith, 'Whosoever believeth on him shall not be confounded.' For there is no difference between the Jew and the gentile; because the same Lord of all is rich unto all who call upon him for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' How then shall they call upon one, upon whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe on one, of whom they have not heard?" * 1 Cor. i. 2. VOL. II. That the † See p. 465-474, of this Volume. 2 T |