HOYILETICS. Vere. 22-27.-The Bleuing of God Almighty. In this benediction we have spiritually the love of God, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the com• rnunion of the Holy Ghost, ae imparted unto us in the kingdom of heaven, into which we are called, that we may inherit a blessing (2 Cor. xiii. 14; 1 Pet. iii. 9). Consider, therefore- I. THAT ALL BLESSING IN THE NAME WAS GIVEN BY AARON AND ms SONS ONLY, because they were the chosen representatives of God. Even so, all blessing in the Triune Name is given by Christ alone, the High Priest of our profession, anrl the only channel of blessing. All ministerial blessing is only the continuation made audible in times and plo.ces of that blessing which our Lord was pronouncing when he left the world (Luke x.xiv. 50, 51 ), which blessing, as it was never finished upon earth, so it was to.ken up with him, and became eternal in the heavens, and is still the benediction wherewith his servants are blessed. II. THAT TO BLESS THE PEOPLE, AS IT WAS THE PECULIAR PRIVILEGE, SO IT WMI THE BOUNDEN DUTY, OF THE PRIESTS, and that in which their office towards the people was, as it were, summed up (Deut. x.xi. 5). Even so Jesus Christ was "sent to bless us " (Acts iii. 26), nnd "Benedictus benedicat" is the simplest and surest of a'I Christian prayers ; and it is the object and the office of such as are called in any wise to minister the priestly authority of Christ to bring home his benediction to the souls of men. III. THAT THE FIRST CLAUSE OF THE BLESSING INTIMATES THE LOVE OF Goo Tf!E FATHlm, THROUGH WHICH WE ARE PRESERVED. For it is of his blessing tho.t the whole world, and the race of men, and we ourselves have been kept from the de- stroyer, nnd held in life and plenty (Gen. i. 28; ix. 1; Acts xiv. 17; xvii. 28). And it is of his blessing that we have escnped the destruction which threntened our souls (Gen. ii. 17); nnd that because he had a favour unto us (Deut. vii. 8; x. 15), and because he had predestinnted us in love (Ephes. i. 4, 5, lv ayairp irpoopiaar; ,;,.a,), nnd because he is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter iii. 9). IV. 'l'HAT THE SECOND CLAUSE INTIMATES THE LOVE OF Goo THE SoN WHEREBY WE HAVE OBTAINED, AND DO OBTAIN, GRACE, For in the Incarnation of the Son the face of God is made to shine upon us, and that clenrly and brightly, as the no.tum) sun being risen shines upon the earth which lay in darkness or in twilight (Mal iv. 2; Luke i. 78; John i. 14, 17; xiv. 9; 2 Cor. iii. 18; iv. 4, 6; Heh. i. 3). Thus Moses not being permitted to see the face of God, but only his back ports (Exod. x.xxiii. 23), signified, that before the Incarnation the revelation of God in grace nnd truth could not be made. v. THAT THE THIRD CLAUSE INTIMATES THE LOVE OF Goo THI!: HOLY GHOST, WHEREBY WE OBTAIN PEACE THROUGH THE FELLOWSHIP OF '!'HE SPIRIT. For the lov- ing regard of God-his tender gaze upon tho soul wliich he loves-is the coming forth of the Holy Spirit to abide upon and within that soul, bringing with him tho life of the Incarnate Son (John xvi. 14, 15; 1 John v. 11), and the love of the Eternal Father (Rom. v. 6), and uniting ue to both (1 John i. 3). And this life (Gal. ii. 20) and this lovo (Jude 21} are pence (Gal. v. 22; Hom. viii, 6; 1 John iv. 18); and THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. [c!I. n. 22-27.
peace is the ripened fruit and accomplished purpose of the gospel (Luke ii. 14; John xx. 19; Ephes. ii. Hi). VI. THAT THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WERE TO DEAR THE COVENANT NAME OF f}oo whereby he was revealed to them alone. Even so is the holy and awful and TriunJ Name of our God called down upon us (Matt. xxviii. 19, ,1, ro &voµa:; James ii. 7 ro ra:Aov ,,..oµa ro l,,-,i:X,,!Hv i;' vµac), and we bear it as a most potent talisman to shield us from all h~rm, as. a most precious jewel to be our secret joy and prid~ (Rev. ii. 7); d. Ps. x:c1 .. 14 ; IX.. 10, &~. ). Note, that the name of the Holy Tnmty is often (!pparently rnterchanged with the name of Jesus (Acts ii. 38; xix. 5), because in "Jesus" i~ the wh~IE: fulne.ss o~ the Godhead (Col. ii. 9), and "Jesus" i!I the name under wluch the D1vme Bemg 1s personally made known unto us as under that now fo:-gotten name to the Jews (Acts iii. 16; iv. 10). And note ~gain, that amongst Israel, a.s amongst ourseh•es now, the sacred Name is put upon the people of God, yet so as it may pass away from them like the thin air, and leave no trace of sanctity behind: whereas in "him that overcometh " the Name shall be wriUen, and that indelibly, because by Christ himself (Rev. iii. 12). VII. THAT THE JEWS LOST THE HOLY NAME DECAUSE THEY USED IT NOT A.nmn·r FF.ARING TO MAKE IT_ KNOWN •• Of that Name whi~h wrought so _many miracle; (Isa. xxx. 27) nothmg remams but four letters without any certa.m meanin"' or :my possible use. But the Na.me in which we tr115t can never be lost, becaus;it is preached unto every creature under henven (Acts x.vii. 3; Phil. ii. 10), and its sweet• ness is everywhere diffused (Cant. i. 3). And so it is with all which that name means to us,-we keep it for ourselves exactly in proportion as we do not keep it eo ourselves.