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rejected. And while the Lord knoweth them that are his, and will save them by his grace, the nations who reject Christ, nationally considered, must perish. JERUSHA. The mother of Jotham, son of Uzziah king of Judah. The name signifies, one that possesseth the inheritance-from Jarash, to possess. (2 Kings. xv. 33.)

JESAIAH. Son of Palatiah, meaning, salvation of the Lord, compounded of Jashah, to save; and Jah, the Lord. (1 Chron. iii. 21.)

JESHIMOM. A city in the wilderness. The name means solitude. (1 Sam. xxiii. 24.)

JESSE. The son of Obed, and father of Davidderived from Jesh, to be. (Ruth iv. 17.) He is memorable in the genealogies of the Lord Jesus Christ. (See Matt. i. 5.)

JESUS CHRIST. One of the glorious names of him which is, and which was, and which is to come. (Rev. i. 8. 11.) The name of Jesus, which is originally so called in the Greek tongue, signifies a Saviour. Hence the Hebrews call him, Jehoshuah, or Joshua, or Joshuah, he who shall save; and as Christ means, anointed of JEHOVAH, the Sent, the Sealed of the Father; full of grace and truth; both names together carry this blessed meaning with them, Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world by the anointing of JEHOVAH to all the purposes of salvation. See Christ. I only detain the reader just to remark on the blessed name, that all that bore it in the Old Testament church became types, more or less, of the Lord Jesus. Joshua the successor of Moses, and Joshua the high priest in the church, after the church was brought back from Babylon. (See Zech. iii. 1.)

JETHRO. The father-in-law of Moses. This man is rendered memorable in Scripture history from his

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connection with Moses; but for this, it is more than probable he would never have been known even by name in the christian church. His name signifies excellence. His being a priest in Midian, doth not explain what his religion was. Some have thought, that he had a knowledge of the God of Israel, else Moses would not have been allied to him; and they that are of that opinion say, that he was descended from Midian, the son of Abraham, and Keturah. (See Gen. xxv. 1, 2.) There is some little difficulty in explaining one Scripture by another respecting this man. Exod. iii. 1. he is called Jethro; Num. x. 29. he is called Raguel; and some have thought, that Hobab was a third name by which he was known but this, it should rather seem, was the brother of Moses's wife, Zipporah.

JEWS. So called from Judah. The account of this most singular people would form a wonderful history, could it be gathered into one mass of particulars. Mingled, as they now are, with all the known nations of the earth, and yet incorporated with none; carrying with them in their very countenance, customs and manners, one uniform singularity, so as to be known by all, and yet connected with none; despised, hated, persecuted, attached to their own religion, supporting it in spite of all opposition, and pertinacious still to preserve what the most learned of them do not understand; surely they are, as the Lord hath marked them, and as they are designated to be, living evidences of the truth of the gospel. Blessed be God, there is a promise concerning them, which all the faithful in Christ Jesus long to see fulfilled: "The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord." (Isa. lix. 20.) JEZEBOL. The wife of Ahab, king of Israel. 1 Kings xvi. 31.) Her name is very singular,

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meaning an island of the habitation-from Ai, island; and Zebal, habitation. The horrid character of this woman is strongly marked in the Scriptures, from 1 Kings xvi. to 2 Kings ix. Indeed, the very name in the church, hath been always considered odious. Hence our Lord, in his message to the churches, calls some worthless person by the name. (See Rev. ii. 20.) The awful termination of her life is strongly given. (2 Kings ix. 33.) And the events which followed her being eaten by dogs, which the prophet had foretold in the same chapter, ver. 10. were literally fulfilled.

It may appear somewhat marvellous, that such a circumstance should take place as that of dogs being allowed to eat human flesh, and in the very open streets of the city. But modern historians confirm the fact, and speak of it as no uncommon thing. They say that at Gordar, it is usual to hew in pieces the unhappy prisoners, which fall into their. hands; and that when this is done, their scattered fragments are suffered to lie in the streets, being denied burial. And the stench would be intolerable, did not the beasts of prey in the neighbouring mountains visit the streets by night, and carry off as carrion the bodies of those so murdered. None of the inhabitants on account of these beasts, ever venture out of their houses after it is dark, without a guard and fire-arms. And this may serve to explain also that passage in the prophet: "I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the Lord, the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beast of the earth, to devour and destroy." (Jer. xv. 3.) JEZREEL. A city of Judah. (Joshua xv. 56. Hos. ii. 22.) The name means, seed of God; from Zeruah, seed, and El, God. Children were called by this name. (1 Chron. iv. 3. Hos. i. 4.) The Jezreel,

where Ahab's palace was, lay distant from the city of Judah. (2 Kings ix. 10.)

JIAR. The second month among the Hebrews, answering to our April.

IMAGE. I should not have thought it necessary to have noticed this word, being in the general acception of it so very plain and obvious, had it not been so peculiarly made use of in relation to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, as "the Image of the invisible God." He and he only, is the image of the invisible God, "the first born of every creature ;" and though not openly revealed, yet secretly, and in reality set up from everlasting. Hence, as Christ, thus the glory-man, is declared to "be the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person." (Heb. i. 3.) So this is the very person in whose likeness, Adam the first open man, was created and made; "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." (Gen. i. 26.)

IMMANUEL. See Emmanuel. IMMORTAL and IMMORTALITY. Strictly and properly speaking, this can only be applied to JEHOVAH in his threefold character of person; for of Him, it is justly said, "who only hath immortality." (1 Tim. vi. 16.) But in Him, and by Him, and from Him, the church is said to have rendered to it "glory and honour and immortality, eternal life." (Rom. ii. 7.) But then, the striking and essential difference is here; JEHOVAH hath immortality in himself. It is His very Being-The church hath it by gift, and enjoys it only from her union with Christ. Of what nature or kind that immortality is, which distinguisheth the state or existence of the miserable in hell, Scripture hath not said. It is said, indeed, "their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark ix. 44. 46. 48.) How

ought true belivers in Jesus to rejoice in the consciousness of their interest in him, to join the hymn of the apostle; "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever, Amen.” (1 Tim. i. 17.) IMPOSITION OF HANDS. We find this a very ancient custom among the Jews, and it should seem to have its use, founded in somewhat of a divine authority. The dying patriarch blessed the sons of Joseph, putting his hands significantly upon the head of each. (Gen. xliii. 13-20.) But in the striking act of laying on of hands on the day of atonement, and which was done by the express appointment of the Lord, we discover yet more of its importance. (See Lev. xvi. 21, 22.) So again, by the same express command of the Lord, Joshua was ordained by the laying on of the hand of Moses, his successor. The ceremony must have been most solemn and affecting, as related Num. xxvii. 15. to the end. But what endears this service to the church most is those instances in which our adorable Redeemer used it. lovely Jesus appears in receiving little children, and putting his hands on them, and blessing them! (Mark x. 13-16.). We find the apostles in Jesus's name, using the imposition of hands, and the Lord confirming this act, by his accompanying it with the blessing of the Holy Ghost. (Acts viii. 17; xix. 6.) But how far the Lord hath honoured it in the after ages of the church, I presume not to speak.

IMPURE and IMPURITY.

How

Under the law of

Moses, we find many circumstances spoken of respecting legal impurity. Thus touching a dead body, or any creature deemed unclean by the law: touching a living person when under uncleanness; a leper, or one with a running sore, and the

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