eyes; whatever the Jews may idly talk to the contrary. Had not Abraham acknowledged that mystery, he would have faid, MY LORD'S, if I bave found favour in YOUR eyes, &c. The prophets reprefent a plurality of perfons in God &c. FAGIUS infinuates, that it is a common argument of our divines, when he fays, our

authors, infer the mystery of the Trinity from the a

pearance of angels, Tho' MARTYR is of the fame opinion with Mufculus, yet he thinks, he fhould not conceal, that both the ancient Latin and Greek fathers, ufually produced this paffage in proof of the Trinity, and adds, that the inculcating thefe things is not altogether unpleasant to godly perfons,

the Father

Vo We indeed acknowledge, that the church has Noram ifs ftronger arguments, whereby to establish this fundamental article of our faith, yet we imagine, the pious zeal of the fathers in this fubject, is on no account to be exploded. The text affords them wherewith to defend themselves. And why fhall we fo far gratify our adverfaries, as to go about to overturn no contemptible reasons for the truth? First, we are to obferve, that after Mofes had faid v. 1, and Jehovah appeared to him, he immediately adds v. 2, and be For in olift up bis eyes, and looked, and lo, three men stood by ther places bim. Which words really feem to contain the ex- and Holy plication of the manner, in which God appeared to Spirit apAbraham Nor should it be thought unfuitable, that peared in human even the father and the Holy Spirit appeared in human form.. form; for Ifaieb faw the whole Trinity, like e a king fitting on a throne. This vifion is, actually explained of the Son, John 12. 41 and alfo of the Holy Ghoft, Alts 28.) 25. and, I imagine, none should exclude the Father Daniel alfo faw the ancient of days fitting on a throne, and another, like the fan of man, who fo J came to him, Dan. 79, 13 Which interpreters commonly explain of the Father and Son, and, as I think, not improperly to ansch och el

4

ham ad

VI. Moreover, we find that Abraham addreffes And Abra these three as if they were one, faying, in the dresses.

CC 2

fingular

thefe three fingular number: O my Lord, if I have found favour as if they in thy fight, pass not away from thy fervant. He was were one. accustomed, perhaps, to fee God in a like form, or

Why one of the

three is

hovah,

two an

gels.

was inftructed in that matter by the Holy Spirit; and
therefore in the trinity he immediately observed an
unity for, what fome object, that Abraham addressed
himself to one of the three, because, by his more
august appearance, he difcovered himself to be the
Lord of the others, is faying a thing without proof
and befide the text. Nay, the words of the Patriarch
are fo put together, that they not only express a civil
and common refpect, but a religious homage: For,
he uses the appellation Adonai with kametz under the
letter nun, which being thus pointed, (unless, per-
haps, on account of the accent, patach may be
changed into kametz), is among the epithets of the
fupreme being, as the orthodox agree. Nor is it
any objection, that he entertained them as men. For,
feeing they behaved themselves as fuch, he was
unwilling to deny the duties of humanity, due to the
perfon they fustained. But it was fomething above
common civility, that while they were eating, he
himself should stand by them as a fervant under the
tree, v. $8.
Andoor soda..

VII. It is added, that when three men appeared to Abraham, one of them is constantly called Jehovah called Je- V. 13, 17, 20, &c. and the others, angels, Gen. 19. 1, fent by Jehovah to deftroy Sodom, v. ng. and other Because the name, angel, cannot agree to the Father, who is never fent; but may to the Son and Holy Spirit, who are fent by the Father. Auguftine fays well, lib. 2. de Trinit. c. 13: tho' I do not recollet, that the Holy Spirit is any where called an angel yet it may be gathered from his office. For, of him it is faid, he will annunciate or declare unto you, things to come and certainly angel is interpreted messenger but we every evidently read concerning our Lord Jesus Christ in the prophet, that he is called the angel of the covenant; tho' both the Holy Spirit and the Son of God is God and Lord

A

of

of angels: Nor doees Epiphanius differ in his fentiments, in Ancorato §. 70. for, as the Son is the angel of the covenant, fo alfo the Holy Spirit. But that those angels, which Lot faw,were not miniftring fpirits, may be gathered from the religious honour, which he paid them, Gen. 19. 18, 19 &c. And the anfwer, full of authority and divine majefty, they gave, v. 21, What fome pretend, that, in the mean time, a third perfon intervened, who had remained with Abraham, and to whom thefe words are to be applied, is what is not in the text nor do I fee, how it can be proved.com

not dift

ly.

VIII. It, does not militate against this interpreta- Because tion, that these angels are expressly diftinguished inct from from Jehovah v. 13. They are, indeed, diftinguifhed Jehovah. from Jehovah the Father, not effentially, as we have effentialfhewn, but hypoftatically or perfonally. Nor is it ly, but below the dignity of an increated angel to fay, 5 perfonalhaw's box, I shall not be able to do any thing, till thou be come thither, v. 22; because that was faid, on the fuppofition of a gracious decree and a promise already made to Lot. And this expreffion fhould be compared with John. 5. 19, 29. And lastly, Heb. 13. 2, is but foollifhly objected, for the Apoftle there recommends hofpitality on this account; namely that fome bave entertained angels unawares; whereas if God himfelf had been entertained, that confideration fhould rather have been urged. But it is not for us to prefcribe to the Holy Spirit, what arguments or expreffions he is to make ufe of. If the Apoftle had thought fit to say, that Jehovah himself was entertained, he might certainly have done it, feeing Mofes expressly afferts it. And now when he speaks of angels, he, in like manner, imitates Mofes, who declares that angels turned into Lot. But feeing the term angel fignifies diverfe things, and may be applied both to an increated and to a created angel; therefore from the bare appellation, angel, it cannot be proved, that the difcourfe only regards created angels.

W

CC 3

The date

venant

angels. Moreover, when he fays, that fome entertained angels unawares, he again has an eye to Lot, who, inviting them to come under his roof, imagined they were fome honourable guefts, till, from their talk, or by the infpiration of the fpirit, he understood, who they really were. Nor is it any objection, that the Apoftle fays in the plural number, that fome entertained angels. For an enallage or change of number is frequent in fuch ways of fpeaking; and it is probable, that what happened to Lot, happened allo to many others. And now let it be fufficient, to have faid these things, in favour of the explication of the ancients, and of other very excellent divines of the reformed church. Nor do I imagine, that equitable judges will blame me for having attempted to fhew, that thofe pious and learned men neither poke inconfiderately, nor, by their arguments, did any : prejudice to the good caufe they undertook to maintain. But fhould any one think otherwife, it is not our province to contend with him, we fhall ufe much fronger arguments than thefe with fuch a perfon.

with Abra ham.

IX. Let us now confider that covenant which God of the co-entred into with Abraham. Paul fays, that its commencement was four hundred and thirty years before the giving of the law. Gal. 3. 17, As Chronologers, vary in their calculations, fo it is a matter of difpute among them, from what period to begin thefe years; the difficulty of finding the truth being fuch, that Scaliger declared it to be unfurmountable. What feems to come nearest, Fridericus Spanhemius in Introduit. Chronologica ad Hift. V. T. has ingenioufly, as is his manner, explained. Whofe, calculation is thus: from the + 75th year of Abraham in which

+ There is doubtless a typographical mistake in our author, who makes Abraham to leave Charan in his 78th year, and that in the 28th year after, Ifaac was born. Whereas the facred text fays, he was but 75, to which we add 25, that will bring us to Abraham's 100th year, when Ifaac was born.

he

he came out of Charan Gen, 12. 4, to the birth of Ifaac in the hundredth year of his father, are 25 years. From the birth of Ifaac to that of Jacob, who was born in Ifaac's 60th year, Gen. 25. 26, and 15 years before the death of Abraham, Gen. 25. 7, 8, are 60 years. From that period to the going down of J. Jacob into Egypt, in the 39th year of Jofeph, or about nine years his

it.

his

41. 46, are 130 years, exaltation in Egypt, Gen.

Gen. 47. 9. The from Abraham's entering Canaan, to the going down of Jacob to Egypt, come to be 215. And then the years of the dwelling or bondage of the Ifraelites in Egypt, were as many, or 215 years; and are thus calculated. Jofeph died in the 110th year of this age, Gen. 50. from which, if 26; from which, if you substract 39, which was his age at the time of Jacob's defcent, there will remain 70 years. From the death of JoJeph are to be reckoned about 65 years down to the birth of Mofes, the grandfon of Kobath, who went $ down very young with his father Levi into Egypt, Gen. 46. 11, and begat Amram the father of Mofes, when upwards of 60 years old; but Amram, when he was 70, begat Mofes, who was younger than Aaaron, Exod. 6. 17, 19. From the birth of Mofes to the bringing the people out of Egypt, are 80 years: and thus the years of their continuing in Egypt, amount to 215. Which if added to as many years from Abraham's going out of Charan, to his going down into Egypt, we have a period of 430 years. And by fo many years did the federal promise, made to Abraham, go before the giving of the law.

X. But in this covenant we will confider. - 1st. The STIPULATIONS. 2dly, The PROMISES. Which And the were, indeed, repeated at various times, and ex- contents, preffed under different heads or articles; but which we shall recite briefly and in order, for the help of the memory.