account for an apparent inconsistency between the invisibility of the Deity and some expressions, which frequently occur in the Old Testament.

The invisibility of the Deity is a principle, which results alike from experience, reason and revelation. If we consult our senses, "Lo! he goeth by us, and we see him not: he passeth on also, but we perceive him not: behold, we go forward, but he is not there: and backward, but we cannot perceive him: on the right hand, where he doth work; but we cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the left hand, that we cannot see him.". Our experience is confirmed by our reason. From the spiritual nature of the Divine Being, we conclude, that "no man hath seen God at any time, nor can see him: neither has any one heard his voice, nor seen his shape." Revelation also teacheth us to adore God, as invisible. "Unto the king, eternal, immortal, and invisible; dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, or can see, be honor and glory everlasting. Amen." This, then, is an incontrovertible principle, evinced by reason, and asserted by the writers of the Old and New Testament, by the Apostle Paul, and, above all by our Lord himself. Notwithstanding this, nothing is more common in the writings of Moses, than to represent Jehovah, as coming down from heaven, walking upon the earth, and even eating and conversing with the

primitive generations of men: and he is particularly described, as interposing on every occasion, in behalf of the Israelites, during their progress through the wilderness, and their establishment in the promised land. Moses and Aaron, with the seventy Elders, are expressly said to have seen the God of Israel: the whole congregation heard the voice of the Lord, when he delivered the Law; and "Moses conversed with him, as a man talketh with his friend." Yet, that the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the eternal and universal Spirit, should assume a human form, and walk in the Garden of Eden, in the cool of the evening, that he should partake of the repast of Abraham, and interfere in the concerns of his family, are assertions, which can hardly be received without repugnance, by any rational and pious mind.

How then, are these contradictions to be explained? It has been the opinion of many eminent divines, from the earliest ages, that when God is spoken of, as assuming a human form, or appearing by any sensible image, it is only meant, that he operated by subordinate agents, as in the ordinary course of his providence; and that the ministring spirit, who conducted the Mosaical dispensation, acted by authority, and spoke in the name of Jehovah. But, for the solution of this difficulty, we cannot rely on the opinions of divines: we must consult those very books in

which it occurs. his own interpreter; and, if we shall discover, that he ascribes to Jehovah those actions, which, in other places, he expressly assigns to an inferior agent; if he uses indiscriminately the appellation of Jehovah, and the Angel of the Lord; and this, in a variety of passages; we may, then, feel ourselves warranted in applying this interpretation to others; especially, if it shall make the sacred writers consistent with themselves, and relieve us from perplexity on such an important subject.

We must allow Moses to be

When Hagar fled from Sarah, the person who found her in the wilderness, is styled the Angel of the Lord, and also Jehovah; for you are to observe, that when the word Lord, in your Bibles, is printed in capital letters, it is Jehovah in the original Hebrew. Moses says, that Jehovah appeared to him in the burning bush; but in the same place, he styles him the Angel of the Lord; and so he is called by Stephen. In a remarkable incident in Jacob's life, the same celestial Being is denominated Jehovah, the God of Bethel, and the Angel of the Lord. In one chapter, Jehovah is said to go before the Israelites, in a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud; and, in the next, the same office is ascribed to the Angel of the Lord. In a variety of other passages, the Angel of the Lord is mentioned as the person, who brought them out of the land of Egypt;

yet this deliverance is as often said to be effected by Jehovah. In short, throughout this portion of sacred history, which occupies so large a portion of the Pentateuch, and is so often referred to in other books of the Old Testament, the Angel of the Lord and Jehovah are employed as synonymous terms. In the New Testament, the law is said to be given by the disposition of Angels, to be ordained by Angels, and to be the word spoken by Angels, acts which are ascribed to Jehovah by Moses. The same promiscuous use of these words occurs in the Prophets.-I shall conclude this enumeration with one passage, which deserves to be quoted at length. hold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice: provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions; for my name is in him." He is called by my name, Jehovah, and invested with my authority.* 2

"Be

From the language of sacred history, and the concurrence of reason and Scripture, that the Almighty cannot become an object of the human senses, I believe we may safely infer, that all the dispensations were conducted by subordi

* See Gen. xvi.-Ex. iii.-Acts vii.-Gen. xvii, xviii.-Gen. xxxi, ii. and xxx. 13.—Exod. xiv. 19. xiii. 21. and xiv. 24.— Acts vii. 38, 53.—Exod. xxiii. 21.

nate spirits, who are represented as assuming the character, and speaking and acting in the name of the Supreme Being, by whom they were

sent.

There is reason also to think, that the Patriarchal and Mosaical dispensations, were both conducted by the same Being; and that the same person is designated by the titles, the Angel of the Presence, the Angel of the Lord, and the Angel of the Covenant, without, however, denying, that inferior agents may also have been employed, on particular occasions. This conclusion seems to result from the consistent tenor of all the Divine operations, and from the simplicity, which pervades the moral, as well as the material government of the Creator; for it is the character of wisdom and power, to employ no more instruments than are necessary to effect their designs. It is also deducible from the uniformity of the plan; which indicates the operation of a single Being; and it is confirmed by the attributes ascribed to this Divine agent.

From two passages in the history of Jacob it appears, that he considered the God of Abraham and Isaac, to be the Angel of the Lord, who appeared to him in a vision; and, in this vision, he declares himself the patron of his family and his descendants, throughout the Jewish economy.*

* Gen. xxviii. 13. xxxi. 11.

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