Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_000.lzh/D_095.TXT

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CHAP. XXVII.                       OF A PLURALITY IN THE GODHEAD, 8~c.                                                               95

passages ot' scripture which speak of the angel of Je-
hovah, who also is' Jehovah; now if there is a Jehovah
that is sent, and therefore called an angel, and a Jeho-
vah that sends, there must be more persons than one
who are Jeh9vah.
The first instance of this kind is in Gen. xvi. 7- where
the angel of Jehovah is said to find Hagar, Sarah's maid,
in the wilderness, and bid her return to her mistress;
which angel appears to be Jehovah, since he promises to
do that for her, and acquaints her with future things,
which no created angel, and none but Jehovah could,
v 10, 11, 12. and what proves it beyond all dispute that
he must be Jehovah,. is, what is said, v 13. She called
the name of the Lord, or Jehovah, that spake unto her,
thou; God, seest.
In Gen. xviii. 2. we read of three men who stood by
Abraham in the plains of Mature, who were angels in an
human form, as two of them are expressly said to be,
chap. xix. 1. Dr. Lightfoot {11} is of opinion, that they
were the three divine Persons; and scruples not to say,
that at such a time the Trinity dined with Abraham; but
the Father, and the holy Spirit, never assumed an human
form; nor are they ever called angels. However, one
of these was undoubtedly a divine Person, the Son of
God in an human form; who is expressly called Je-
hovah, the Judge of all the earth, v 13, 20, 25, 26. and
to whoin omnipotence and omniscience are ascribed,
v 14, 17, 18, 19. and to whotn Abraham shewed the ut-
most reverence and respect, v 27, 30, 31. and now he is
distinguished, being Jehovah in human form on earth,
from Jehovah in heaven, from whom he is said to rain
brimstone and fire on Sodore and Gomorrah, chap. xix.
24. which conflagration was not made by the ministry of
created angels, but is always represented as the work of
Elohim, of the divine Persons, Jer. 1.40. Amos iv. 11.
An angel also appeared to Abraham at the offering up
of his son Isaac, and bid him desist from it; and who
appears plainly to be the same with him who ordered
him to do it; expressly called God, Gen. xxii. 11, 12.
compared with v 1, 2. and Jehovah, who swore by him-
self, and promised to do what none but God could d0,
tt 16, 17, 18. see Heb. vi. 13, 14. where what i.s here said
is expressly ascribed to God. Add to this, the name
Abraham gave the place on this occasion, Jehovah-
Jireh, because the Lord had appeared, and would here-
after appear in this place.
The angel invoked by Jacob, Gen. xlviii. 15, 16. is
put upon a level with the God of his. fathers Abraham
and Isaac; yea, is represented as the same; and the
work of redeeming him from all evil, equal to that of
feeding him all his life long, is ascribed to him; as well
as a blessing on the sons of Joseph, is prayed for from
him; all which would never have been said of, nor done
to, a created angel.
The angel which appeared to Moses in the bush,
Exod. iii. 2. was not a created angel, but a divine person;
as is evident from the names by which he is called,
Jehovah, God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
I .tIM that I ./IM, v 4, 6, 14. and from the things
ascribed to him; seeing the afflictions of the Israelites,
coming to deliver them out of Egyptian bondage, and

promising to bring them into the land of Canaan, v 7, 8.
to which may be added, the prayer of Moses for a bless-
ing on Joseph, because of the good will of him that
dwelt in the bush, Deut. xxxiii. 16. and the application
of this passage to God, by our Lord Jesus Christ, Mark
xii.
Once more, the angel that was promised to go before
the children of Israel, to keep and guide them in the
way through the wilderness to fi/e land of Canaan, is no
other than Jehovah; since not only th obedience of the
children of Israel to him is required; but it is suggested,
that should they disobey him, he would' not, though he
could, pardon their iniquities; which none but God can
do: and also it is said, the name of the Lord was in him;
that is, his nature and perfections; and since it is the
same the children of Israel rebelled against,. he could be
no other than Christ, the Son of God, whom they
tempted; the angel of God's presence; who, notwith-
standing, saved and carried them all the days of old, Isa.
lxiii. 9. ICor. x. 9.
Again, we read of the angel of the Lord, before whom
Joshua the high-priest was brought and stood, being
accused by Satan, Zech. iii. 1. who is not only called
Jehovah, v 2. but takes upon him to do and order such
things, which none but God could do; as causing the
iniquity of Joshua to pass from him, and clothing him
with change of raiment; see lsa. lxi. 10.
To these may be added, all such scriptures which
speak of two, as distinct from each other, under the same
name of Jehovah; as in the above-mentioned text, Gen.
xix. 24. where Jehovah is said to rain fire and brimstone
from Jehovah, out of heaven; and in Jer.. xxiii. 5, 6.
where Jehovah promises to raise up a righteous branch
to David, whose name should be called Jehovah our
righteousness; and in Hos. i. 7- where Jehovah resolves
he would save his people by Jehovah their God. Other
passages might be mentioned, as proving a plurality in
Deity; but as some of these will also prove a Trinity in
it, they will be considered under the following head;
where it will be proved,
Secondl. y, That this plurality in the Godhead, is neither
more nor fewer than three; or, that there is a Trinity of
persons in the unity of the divine essence: this I have
before taken for granted, and now I shall prove it. And
not to take notice of the name Jehovah being used three
times, and three times only, in the blessing of the priest,
Numb. vi. 24, 25, 26. and in the prayer of Daniel, chap.
ix. 19. and in the church's declaration of her thith in
God, Isa. xxxiii. 22. and the word holy repeated three
times, and three times only, in.the seraphims' celebration
of the glory of the divine Being, Isa. vi. & and. in that
of the living creatures, in Rev. iv. 8. which may seem to
be accidental, or the effect of a fervent and devout dis-
position of mind; but there is not any thing, no not the
least thing, that is said or written in the sacred scriptures,
without design.
I shall begin with the famous text in 1 John v. 7. as
giving full proof and evidence of this doctrine; For there
are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the
H/ord, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one:
which is not only a proof of the Deity of each of these

Works, vol. 1. p. 13.