only to the manner in which he would feel and act at the very time when the fubject of the fufferings, death, or refurrection, of his Mafter were mentioned. Yet if we recur at all to his behaviour fubfequent to this refolution, it must be noticed, that in about fixty hours after it, on the morning of Chrift's refurrection, John xx. 3 to 7, he refumed his zeal and fortitude, retained them to the last, and died rather than deny his master.

AN EXPLANATION

OF

EXODUS VI. 3.

ઃઃ

Exod. vi. 2, 3. “GOD Spake unto Mofes, and faid

unto him, I am Jehovah. And

I appeared unto Abraham, unto Ifaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.”

Yet it appears that the Supreme Being was known by his name Jehovah to Abraham, Gen. xii. 7, 8 ; xv. 2, 7, 8; xxi. 33; xxii. 14: to Ifaac, xxvi. 24, 25; xxvii. 20, 27: and to Jacob, xxviii. 13, 21: as as well as to Eve, iv. 1: to her defcendants, iv. 26: and particularly to Noah, viii. 20; ix. 26. These inftances are fufficient to fhew that there is an apparent contradiction between the above-cited text in Exodus, and the paffages in Genefis.

This feeming difference, however, may be eafily removed by understanding the terms name and known in a fenfe in which they are often understood, and which the original words require in the connection in which they are introduced in Exod. vi. 3.

"I appeared unto Abraham, unto Ifaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but by my name (or title) Jehovah I was not known (or distinguished, or diftinguishingly manifefted) to them." That is, when I appeared to Abraham, to Ifaac, and to Jacob, I did not then appropriate the name Jeho vah as my diftinctive title from falfe gods and as the God of my people; but I appropriated the appellation God Almighty to these purposes, under the Abrahamic difpenfation.

The word name, O, both in Hebrew, and in English, fignifies a mark or title of diftinction or eminence, Gen. xi. 4; 2 Sam. vii. 23. It is ufed as fynonymous with memorial or remembrance; Job xviii. 17; Prov. x. 7. It is alfo applied to the names, attributes, or titles, by which the Most High is diftinguished: to the goodness of God, Pfalm xxxi. 3 to the power and juftice of God, Ifa. xxx. 27: to the nature and perfections of God, Prov. iii. 4 to the prefence and glory of Jehovah, 1 Kings viii. 16, 29, &c.

The Hebrew verb tranflated known (T) fignifies to manifeft, in Numb. xii. 6; Gen. xlv. 1; Ifa. lxvi. 14; Dan. viii. 19; Prov. x. 9. The Septuagint alfo renders it manifefted, in Exod. vi. 3. It fignifies to diftinguish, in 2 Sam. xix. 35; Jonah iv. 11; Josh. iii. 7; Ezek. xliv. 23; 1 Kings xiv. 2; Deut. xiii. 3; Ecclef. viii. 5; Pfa. lxxvii. 19. It fignifies to manifest fo as to diftinguish, and is connected with, and has a reference to, the title Jehovah as diftinctive

from falfe gods, and as the God of the Ifraelites, in Ezek. xx. 5, 9, 12; XXXV. 11, 12; Xxxviii. 23. Now this is the precife meaning which it evidently appears to have in Exod. vi. 3. The interpretation, then, which has been given above of this text, is agreeable to the proper sense of the original words.

It is alfo juftified by the connection in which they are introduced. In the fentence of which the words name and known form a part, the term Jehovah as a diftinctive title is compared with the distinctive title ufed to Abraham. The English tranflators evidently understood it to be a distinctive title. This appears from their retaining the original word in this paffage, instead of translating it the Lord, which they com monly do throughout the Old Teftament; excepting when it is used in a more pointedly distinctive manner than common. In the text, and context alfo, from ver. 1 to 8, Jehovah is ufed as a diftinctive title, with a manifest reference to the occafion of the original appropriation of it to this purpofe, as recorded ch. iii. 13 to 18. An attention to this will greatly illuftrate the text we are confidering.

· Here Mofes enquires of God what he fhall fay to the children of Ifrael, when they ask him, "what is the name of the God of their fathers who fent him?" That is, what is the title or diftin&live appellation under which he manifefts himself? For they knew that he had appeared to Abraham under the title of God Almighty. In reply to this, God commands Mofes to fay, "Jehovah, the God of your fathers,

hath fent me unto you :" he adds, "this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations;" that is, by this name of Jehovah, the Ifraelites fhall ever distinguish me from all heathen gods, and as their God. For these diftinctive purposes God himfelf promised to make a folemn proclamation of this very name to Moses; Exod. xxxiii. 16, 19. He did thus proclaim the name of Jehovah, when Mofes brought the tables on which the law was to be written; xxxiv. 4 to 7. And in this characteristic and diftinctive manner, the name Jehovah is used throughout the rest of the Old Teftament., Jehovah was the king as well as the God of the Ifraelites; they were the peculiar people of Jehovah; their whole worship and civil government centered in Jehovah. It was the glory of Jehovah that filled the tabernacle and the first temple. Jehovah gave their laws. Aaron and his fucceffors were priests of Jehovah. All the prophets appeared as the meffengers of Jehovah. This name has been held as the peculiar title of the one only God, and of their God, by all the Ifraelites, throughout their hiftory, from the time of Mofes to the present day; Deut. xxviii. 58; 2 Sam, vi. 2; Pfa. lxxxiii. 18; Ifa. xii. 2; li. 15; Pfa. cxxxv. 13; Ezek.

i.

3; Ifa. xlvii. 4. If the original word Jehovah had been always retained in our verfion, it would have appeared more evidently in reading the English bible, that Jehovah was used as a distinctive title.

When fuch undoubted facts prove that the name Jehovah moft amply fubferved the purposes for