importing the proper Deity of the person to whom it is ad- dressed. But to this it may be observed, that though the word Elohim is applied to magistrates officially, as representatives of" the Deity, it is no where applied to any individual but to Jehovah himself; and that to apply it to any individual besides Jehovah would be blasphemy.
But Christians also have attempted to invalidate the testi- mony of the Apostle, as the Jews have of the prophet; and for that purpose would translate the words thus; " God is thy throne for ever and ever." But this is to force the words from their plain and obvious meaning : nor will it answer the end which they would endeavour to attain : for the very next quo- tation fx'om the Psalms asserts the divinity of Christ, as clearly as the text itself does ; speaking of him as the Creator of all things, and as continuing immutably " the same" for ever and ever^: and just before the text, another passage is cited from the Psalms to the same purpose, saying, " Let all the angels of God worship him^." We may safely therefore affirm, that the Messiah (who is here called " the Son,") is addressed as truly and properly " God."]
But the doctrine of his proper Deity, whilst it is asserted here, pervades also the whole Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament —
[The very name Emmanuel was assigned him on this account, because he was " God with us." Yes, verily, he is " Jehovah's fellow'^ :" even " the mighty God'' ;" " Jehovali our righteousness ^" Nor does the New Testament leave this in doubt: for it asserts him to be " God manifest in the flesh ^," even "the great God and our Saviour"," "God over all, blessed for ever'^."]
And this doctrine lies at the root of all our hopes —
[The whole scope of this epistle is to shew, that what the blood of bulls and goats could not do, the blood of Christ, as shed upon the cross, has effected ; namely, that it has made a propitiation for the sins of the whole world. But is it the blood of a mere creature that could effect this? If Christ be a mere creature, what force is there in that argument of the Apostle, " If the blood of bulls, &c. sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, &c. purge our conscience from dead works to serve the living God' ?" What sense would there be in this, " If the blood of one creature could effect the smallest thing, hoio much more
a ver. 10 — 12. i> ver. 6. <= Zech. xiii. 7.
d Isai. ix. G. ^ Jer. xxiii. 6. ^1 Tim. iii. 16.
g Tit. ii. 14. h Rom. ix. 5. * Heb. ix. 13, 14.