was it not urged? It is as difficult for a Unitarian as for us, to answer the question. If he had "cleared himself from the charge," they would not have taken up stones again to stone him, after his explanation, so entirely "satisfactory." The reason is obvious. It is evident that the Jews lost sight of every other consideration, in their feelings upon the question whether Jesus was the true Messiah. The great question by which the High Priest urged him to a criminal confession was, "Art thou the Christ ?" The trial turned on this question and he was condemned for blasphemy. A Unitarian is here thrown into a dilemma. He must admit that Christ was divine, or that his crucifixion was just. The Jewish Lawyers, assembled in that High Court, with the laws before them against blasphemy, containing a careful definition of the term, declared, in answer to the appeal of the High Priest, "Ye have heard the blasphemy, what think ye?"that he was "guilty of death." Blasphemy is profaning the name of God, or taking to one's self that which belongs to God. Then if Christ was not divine, he was a blasphemer, and deserved to die. We see not how any one can avoid the inference.

CHAPTER VII.

The Angel of the Covenant was Jehovah.-The Angel of the Covenant was Christ.-The Messiah's Nature Eternal.-Divine names applied to the Messiah.-If Christ was the Messiah he was Divine.-Christ the Creator of all things.—Omniscience ascribed to Christ.-Divine Worship paid to Christ.-Names of God applied to Christ.--Unfair Argument from Controversy against the Deity of Christ.

We now invite the attention of the reader to the more Positive Proof of the Deity of Christ. We have frequently referred, in the course of these remarks, to the alleged fact, that the Messiah was predicted as a Divine Person. We begin with the proof of this point.

Every reader of the Bible well knows that there was a supernatural Being employed through the whole of the Old Testament dispensation under the name of "the Angel of Jehovah." He seems to be the vicegerent of the old dispensation, hence he is called "the Angel or Messenger of the Covenant."

In Malachi, the closing book of the Old Testament we find this passage, "Behold I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek,

The Angel of the Covenant.

117

shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger (or angel) of the covenant, whom ye delight in, behold! he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts." Mal. iii. 1. This verse evidently contains a prediction, first, of John the Baptist, and secondly, of Christ. The last verses of this Book make it certain that the first person here named is John. "Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord," &c. Mal. iv. ult. To these verses the disciples of Christ evidently referred when they said, "Why then say the Scribes that Elias [Elijah] must first come? Christ said, “Elias is come already. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist." Again, speaking of John, Christ said: 66 And if ye will receive it, this was Elias who was for to come." That the second person spoken of in this passage, viz.: "the Lord whom ye seek even the Messenger of the covenant," is Christ, we learn form the following works of Zacharias the father of the Forerunner. "And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways."

118

The Angel of the Covenant

John himself declared that he was the forerunner of Jesus. Two things are evident in this passage from Malachi. First, that the Messenger (or angel) of the covenant is the Lord Jesus, and secondly, that he is called by the Divine name, "The Lord." The word thus translated is the same used in Ex. xxxiv. 23. “Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel;" and in Is. i. 24. "Therefore, thus saith THE LORD, the Lord of Hosts, the mighty One of Israel." Here then we have opening before us an argument which is well worthy of the most attentive consideration.

The following fact will be made to appear from the passages which we shall now quote, viz.: that this Angel is represented in the Old Testament as distinct from Jehovah, and at the same time as Jehovah himself.

The angel of Jehovah appeared to Hagar in the wilderness and said, Gen. xvi. 10, "I will multiply thy seed exceedingly." In three other verses in the same chapter, it is said that the angel of the Lord addressed her.-And Hagar called the name of JEHOVAH that spake unto her, "Thou God seest me." Gen. xvi. 13.

was Jehovah.

119

Three men came to Abraham on their way to Sodom. One remained behind, and talked with Abraham; but the account of this interview is introduced as follows. Gen. xviii. 1. "And Jehovah appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day." Again, as the patriarch was offering up Isaac, Gen. xxii. 11, "The angel of Jehovah called to him out of heaven,--and said, now I know that thou feareth God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son from ME." And again, (15 v.) “ The angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, "BY MYSELF have I sworn-that in blessing I will bless thee."

66

Gen. xxxi. 11. "And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream saying, Jacob. And I said, Here am I. And he said, I am the GOD OF BETHEL where thou anointedst the Pillar!"

Gen. xxxii. 24. "And Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. (30 v.) And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel-for I have seen GOD face to face." Now compare with this, Hos. xii. 4. "Yea, he had power over