meffenger both from God to man, and from one man to another, in the fame narrative, and even in the fame fentence.

Subd. v.
Wicked Men, and Adverfaries to
Christianity.

Prov. xiii. 17. y, a wicked messenger falleth into mischief.

Ifai. xxx. 4. His (Pharoah's) ambassadors, asha, AYYEROL Toungos, Sept. came to Hanes.

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Matt. xxv. 41. Depart from me, ye curfed, into the fire for the age which was prepared for the Devil and his angels, or meffengers: i. e. wicked human beings. See Attempt to explain the words Devil and Satan, fect. v. fubd. 2.

2 Cor. xi. 14. Satan alfo transformeth himfelf into an angel of light. That is, Paul's adverfary affumes the character of a meffenger of Jehovah. See Attempt to explain Satan, fect. iv. fubd. 3.

Rev. xii. 7. Michael and his meffengers warred against the dragon. And the dragon warred, and his messenger. Ver. 9. The great dragon was caft out upon the earth, and his messengers with him. Michael and his meffengers, in this vifionary scene, are put for human champions of the Chriftian caufe; the dragon and his meffengers, for their human opponents. See Newcome's note.

ix. 11. They had a king over them, the angel of the bottomlefs pit: i. e. Mahomet. See Attempt to explain Satan, &c. fect. vii. fubd. 3.

SECTION III.

ANGEL, signifying superior human Wisdom, Fortitude, and Majestic Appearance.

1 SAM. xxix. 9. Achish faid unto David, I know that thou art good in my fight as an angel of God; notwithstanding the Philiftines have faid, he fhall not go up with us to the battle.

the land of the Philistines.

Wherefore depart to Comp. Zech. xii. 8.

2 Sam. xiv. 17. As an angel of God, fo is my lord the king to difcern good and bad.

20. My lord is wife according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth. Comp. ver. 18, 19.

xix. 27. He hath flandered thy fervant unto my Lord the king, but my lord the king is as an angel of God; do, therefore, what is good in thine eyes. As an angel of God, that is, to difcern whether I have done good or evil. See the two preceding texts.

Judg. xiii. 6. Manoah's wife came unto him, faying, a man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible. Comp. Deut. xxxiii. 1; Matt. xxviii. 3.

Hofea xii. 4. Jacob had power over the angel. Ver. 3. He had power with God: that is, he behaved princely, as it is in the margin. Comp. Gen. xxxii. 24, 28, 30.

Zech. xii. 8. In that day shall Jehovah defend the inhabitants of Jerufalem, and he that is feeble among them shall be as David, and the house of David fhall be as (Elohim) God, as the angel (maleak) of Jeho vah before them. The Latin tranflation of the Chaldee is, "et domus David inftar heroum feliciter agent, ac fi angelus Domini in confpectu eorum effet." Sept. ὁ οικος Δαυιδ ως οικος Θεε. Dr. Prielley interprets, "the most infignificant of them would become eminent, as David had formerly been."

is often tranflated angel. If it were thus tranflated here, it would form part of a beautiful climax. "He that is feeble among them at that day fhall be as David; and the house of David fhall be as an angel, as the angel of Jehovah before them." Alluding perhaps to the angel of Jehovah, who went before and defended the Ifraelites in the wilderness. This interpretation of Elohim accords with the context here, and with feveral other places. See Part II. ch. iv. fec. i.

Acts vi. 15. And all the council, looking ftedfaftly on Stephen, faw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Pearce fays, graceful and majestic. Comp. Efther xv. 6, 7, 13. It might alfo be luminous. Comp. Exod. xxxiv. 29, 30, 35; Matt. xvii. 2.

SECTION IV.

ANGELS, signifying Messengers, Apostles, and Ministers of Jesus, the Messiah of God.

Subd. 1. Before his Death.

Luke ix. 52. Jefus fent mejengers before him to a town of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

Subd. 2. After his Resurrection.

1 Tim. iii. 16. 'O, which was manifefted in the flesh, was justified by the Spirit, wp9n was feen by meengers, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up into glory. For the reading of O, fee Sir I. Newton's hiftorical account of the corruption of this text. Newcome, in his note, feems to prefer is. 46 is the word which Paul repeatedly uses, 1 Cor. xv. 5, 6, 7, 8, for Christ's being feen by the Apoftles, and above five hundred difciples at once, after his refurrection, who feem to be meant by the word ayyeλcis. (See on Hebr. xii. 22, 23; αγγελοις. fect. ii. fub. 1;) but efpecially the Apoftles, as they alfo preached Chrift to the Gentiles, and engaged multitudes to believe in him. See Acts x. 40 to 42; Gal. iv. 14; 1 John i. 1; and on Tim. v. 21, below.

Subd. 3. After his Afcenfion.

Matt. xxiv. 31; Mark xiii. 27. Then the Son of man will fend his messengers with a great found of a trumpet, and they will gather togetherhis elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. The preaching of the Apoftles is called their found, Rom. x. 18. The preaching of the prophets and messengers of God is called the found of a trumpet, Ifa. lviii. 1; Jer. vi. 17; Ezek. xxxiii. 1 to 7. The four winds mean the four quarters, or all parts of the earth; Ifa. xliii. 5, 6; Jer. xlix. 36; Luke xiii. 28, 29; Matt. viii. 11. The angels or meffengers, then, in the texts we are confidering, denote the Apostles, and first preachers of the gospel.

1 Tim. v. 21. I charge thee, evwTIOV, in the prefence of God, and of Chrift, and of the elect mef fengers, (or ambaffadors,) that thou obferve thefe things. Εκλεκτοι αγγελοι mean the chofen Apoftles of Christ, and form part of an anticlimax. The Apostles are called angels, or meffengers, Matt. xxiv. 31; Mark xiii. 27; whom God and Chrift have elected; 1 Cor. i. 27, 28; John xiii. 18: and Chrift fent them forth as his meffengers; Matt. xxviii. 19, 20; Mark xvi. 15; John xvii. 18; Acts i. 8: or ambaffadors, as 782, and ayyños, are fometimes rendered in our common English verfion; 2 Chron. xxxv. 21; Ifa. xxx. 4; Jer. xlix. 14; Ezek. xvii, 15. And Paul writes of himself and the other Apofles, acting as ambaffadors for Chrift, 2 Cor. v. 20; Eph.

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