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TIAN names, where they are taken from fur names of others, by way of continuing the remembrance of them.

The remark of Dr. Mangey is therefore very juft, "that names did more peculiarly express "the properties of things; they were account"ed very fignificant and prophetically expreffive "of the perfon's station and character to whom "they belonged, or as fo many omers and pre "fages of the circumftances of that time, in "which they were to live. For these reasons "in many paffages of SS to be called by fuch 66 a name fignifies thofe talents and qualifications "which are denoted by it." Indeed a little attention will fhew that we have undoubted authority from the SS to fay fo. He shall be called holy is the fame as "he fhall be," what he is called, "holy" in I. iv. 3: for this was to take place in confequence of the washing away the filth of the daughters of ZION, and of the purging the blood of JERUSALEM, &c. mentioned ver. 4. It fhall be called The way of holiness, in If. xxxv. 8, is an equivalent phrase for "It shall be the way of holiness" for it follows, the unclean fhall not pass over it. Because to be and to be called is the fame, we read in liv. 5. Thy MAKER is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is HIS NAME: and thy REDEEMER, the HOLY ONE of ISRAEL, the GOD of the whole earth fball HE BE CALLED, 4. SHALL HE BE. Hence it is faid c. lviii. 12. C 2

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(They that shall be) of thee fhall build the old wafte places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called The repairer of the breach, the reflorer of paths to dwell in; that is, as previously being fuch. So c. Ixi. 3. to be called trees of righteoufness is to be really fuch, v. 6. ye shall be named the priests of the LORD; men Shall call you the minifters of our GOD is "ye shall be" priests and minifters. From thefse instances, among many others which might be produced, we see the names were fo fignificant of the charac ter or condition of the perfon or thing, as to be used to denote them really to be what the names expreffed. Accordingly the JEWS looked upon them in this light, drawing forth mysteries from them, as Spanheim tells us, and as we learn from Philo's practice; which circumftance, however they may have erred about them in other respects, proves they considered them as defcriptive terms. Midras Tillin, eited by Broughton, p. 47, rightly obferveth great religion contained in the names in Numbers, and of courfe in this name, "not EGYPTIACAL," fays Broughton, "but fit for GOD's children. "ELI-ZUR, GOD-IS-MY-ROCK, TZURISHADDAI, "FICIENT. These fhew how the fumme of "religion is contained in their names, whereby "that nation (meaning the Jews) would not "foon understand the term Rock, Mat. xvi. 18,

MY-ROCK-IS-THE-ALL-SUF

66 of

* of a bare man of ABRAHAM's feed, &c.* Thofe of Alexandria, who were the authors of the Greek verfion, called the Septuagint, as fupposed to have been made by 70 perfons, plainly had these fentiments about them; their interpretations of many of them are a fufficient evidence of it. To inftance one only in Gen. c. xvi. 13. She (HAGAR) called the name of the LORD who spake unto her (***) ATE EL RAI, which, instead of giving in GREEK letters, as ufual, they translate very juftly, (Σv¡ŒEOΣ & ETISAV μe) SU O THEOS O EPIDON ME, and which the English alfo therefore renders "THOU GOD SEEST ME: for she said, have For I have looked after HIM that feeth me.

Our ever-bleffed LORD, agreeably to this their original intention, and, (as none but a prophet could impose a name predictive of a man's future character in life, I may add,) in confirmation of His holy miffion, calls SIMON by the name of PETER, Mat. xvi. 18. a Rock, (upon the foundation of whom, immoveable, as a rock, in the faith of Hrs gofpel, as well as upon the other apofiles and prophets, Himself being the chief corner Alone, He would, as He afterwards did, build His church, Eph. ii. 20. Rev. xxi. 14.) his faith not failing nor fuffering an eclipse at his gracious MASTER's prayer, even under all Satan's fiftings, and his own fad tranfgreffion; but Shining forth strongly indeed, working a deep

and

and fincere repentance and contrition, a lively hope of pardon, notwithstanding the baseness of his paft ingratitude in the abandonment and denial of his LORD with perjury and imprecations. Luk. xxii. 31, 32. Mar. xiv. 67, &c. JESUS alfo in Mar. iii. 17. fur-names JAMES and JOHN the fons of ZEBEDEE, BOANERGES, that is, being interpreted, faith the evangelift, The fons of thunder, denoting the exceeding great energy or power of their preaching. After their SAVIOR's example, the apostles, manifefting the fame SPIRIT of prophecy, by which his future character was discerned by them, are found furnaming JOSES, BARNABAS; which, left we should overlook this evidence and design of the cognomen, or fur-name, the HOLY GHOST by St. Luke tells us, being interpreted, is the fon of confolation, Acts iv. 36. Nor need we a stronger proof that in their fermons to the people they reasoned from the names, as containing certain defcriptive characters, and urged the evidence arifing from them concerning the MESSIAH, than what we have in Acts xviii. 15, 16. For when PAUL was brought by the Jews before GALLIO at CORINTH, the deputy said to them, If it be a question (not of words, but (wegs ΛΟΓΟΥ,) concerning 66 THE LOGOS" or "WORD" and of NAMES, and of your law look ye (to it:) for I will be no judge of such matters. And he drave them from the judgment-feat.

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From this paffage it appears that the question between St. PAUL and the JEWS was, among other things, of NAMES, that is, about their fignificancy and application to CHRIST; that because it was fo, GALLIO referred it to themfelves to determine it, who, as being JEWS, were, he thought, the moft proper perfons, and declined being the judge of fuch matters. But if men fhould feek further proofs of this, the apoароftle of the GENTILES gives us them in Heb. vii. 1, where he both interprets and argues from the import of MELCHI-ZEDEK and SALEM, of which this person was king; as St. John explains the HEBREW name ABADDON by the GREEK name APOLLYON (the deftroyer,) Rev. ix. 11. The primitive CHRISTIANS on these authorities regarded the SS names, as thus expreffive of important characters, &c.; and in consequence of this it was, that they have interpreted them, whatever mistakes about them fome of them have committed. We may learn their sentiments from St. Cyprian, Irenæus, Novatian p.481, Ferom, &c. Nay, the Jews themselves, by their boasted champion, the author of the book called Nizzechon, p. 165, acknowledge that the CHRISTIANS had both reafoned and might again argue from the proper names, in these words of his, "If the adverfary" (as he counts us)

proceeds to fay," But the very name, by ❝ which He is distinguished, demonstrates it,"

mean

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