is become so general in use, in our churches and places of worship, is preserved to us in many parts of Scripture, as it is in the original Hebrew, compounded of Hallelu, Praise ye, and Jah, Lord. The beloved apostle John tells us, that in those visions he was favoured with, in seeing heaven opened, and beholding the glorified inhabitants of the New Jerusalem, he heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Hallelujah. (Rev. xix. 1.-3.) And it is worthy remark, that the five last Psalms begin and end with this expressive word, Hallelujah; as if to teach the church, that the first and great end of man is the praise of God. And it is, and ought to be, a subject of sweet consolation and joy to every true believer in Jesus, to know that this will be, ere long, the everlasting employment of the Church in heaven. There the spirits of just men made perfect now are; many of whom we once knew upon earth, and with whom we shall know and be known, for ever in heaven. So that in the prospect of this never-ending eternity, we may now,

faith, mingle our Hallelujahs with theirs, until by sight we all surround together "the throne of God and the Lamb."

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ALMIGHTY. I pause over the contemplation of this distinguishing name of JEHOVAH; desiring that the glories of it, and the fulness of suitable impression upon my heart. rious name by which JEHOVAH in make himself known to Abram. (See Gen. xvii. 1. with Exod. vi. 3.) I am El Shaddai, God all-sufficient. Some suppose it is derived from a word signifying many paps, or breasts, to suck from. (Isa. Ixvi. 11.) The word Shaddai may be explained, both to bless his people, and to destroy their enemies. And certainly, both form a blessed security to the Lord's people. For when the Lord saith, I am God

(all-sufficient) Almighty, it comprehends all in himself for them, and all to them. And oh! how blessedly are these explained, confirmed, and secured in Christ. ALPHA. We meet with this word, Rev. i. 8. 11. and in two other chapters of the Revelations. It is the first letter in the Greek alphabet. And the Lord Jesus, in having graciously condescended to call himself by this name, hath made it very precious to the believer. Jesus is, indeed, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the Author and Finisher of salvation. It should seem that the Lord intended by this name, and adding to it Omega also, to imply the comprehensiveness of his nature, and being, both the first and the last, to intimate his eternity. (See Isa. xliii. 10.) See A. Aleph.

ALTAR. In the old church in the wilderness, there were three altars erected. One, called the altar of incense; another, the altar of burnt offerings; and the third, the altar, or table of shew-bread. These material altars were all typical of Christ. And so jealous was the Lord concerning the altar, on which all offerings were to be made, that the whole of the materials of which it was formed were to be of earth only; or, if of stone, it was not to be hewn stone. And wherefore were matters conducted with such caution? Surely it was to shew, that in all offerings the Lord was to be offered only what was his own. -66 "If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it." (Exod. xx. 2426.) For, as every altar represented Christ, it was lessening Christ's dignity and the infinite value of his sacrifice, to presume to mingle any thing with this. Now then, as Christ is our New Testament altar, let us see to it, that we bring nothing to offer upon this altar of our own. Let Jesus be all and in all; both the Sacrifice and the Sacrificer,

the High Priest, the Offering, and the Altar. We have (saith Paul) an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. (Heb. xiii. 10.) I cannot forbear remarking, that seeing the holy jealousy of the Lord, as noted in these things, how very wrong must it be, not to say profane, to call the communion table the altar, and to talk of companions to the altar, in the books so called, as if such things could be companions to Christ. Surely it doth manifest great ignorance in divine things! AM. I AM THAT I AM. One of the distinguishing names and characters of JEHOVAR. (See Exod. iii. 14.) and this solemn name demands our greater veneration and reverence, because it is the very name by which the Lord was pleased to reveal himself to Moses at the bush. The very expression carries with it its own explanation; that is, as far as creatures, such as we are, can enter into an apprehension of the meaning. When JEHOVAH

saith, I AM THAT I AM, it is setting forth a right and power of existence, exclusive of every other. Of all others, some have been, some now are, and some may be. But then all these that have been, or are, or may be ; all are what they are from Him, and by his appointment. But He that is I AM, is, and must be always, and eternally the same. His is a self-existence, underived, independent, subject to no change, and impossible to be any other; "the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." (Heb. xiii. 8.)

And what tends yet more to endear it to the heart of his people is, that this glorious name becomes the security of all his promises. I AM, gives being to all that he hath said, and becomes a most sure security for the fulfilment of all that he hath promised. Oh! for grace to bend with the lowest humbleness to the dust of the earth, in token of our nothingness before this great and almighty I AM,

And no less to rest in holy faith and hope, in the most perfect confidence, that He will perform all his promises. And, reader! do not overlook by whom, and in whom, this and every other revelation is made. Always connect the I AM speaking from the bush to Moses, (Exod. iii. 14.) with the I AM speaking in the gospel, (John viii. 58.) And oh ! that God the Holy Ghost, may give grace to discover that both are one and the same. (John x. 30.) See JEHOVAH.

AMALEK. See Mount Amalek.

AMEN. One of the distinguishing names of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Christ God-man Mediator. For so Jesus condescended to make use of it. (Rev. iii. 14.) And the meaning of it, in the original language, shews the great blessedness of it, as it concerns his people, in the Lord Jesus condescending to do so. For the word, in the original Greek, from whence it is taken, means verily, certain, sure, true, faithful. And surely, the Lord Jesus Christ is all these, and infinitely more, JEHOVAH's Yea and Amen, as he saith himself; the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; that is in his mediatorial character.

And it is worthy our closest remark, that our Lord

very frequently began his discourses with this word, and repeated it-" Verily, verily, I say unto you;" that is, in plain terms, (and indeed, it is the very word in the original) Amen, Amen. And it is yet worthy of farther remark, that none but the Lord Jesus ever did use such words, at the opening of the discourse, by way of confirmation. As if the use of it was particularly his, and belonged to him only, as his name. All the gospels, indeed, end with Amen. But then, this seems to be but as a farther proof that they are his, and he puts, therefore, his name as a seal at the end of them, by way of establishing their truth.

And I beg to remark yet farther, by way of shewing the sweetness and peculiar claim that the Lord Jesus hath to this name, that all the promises are said to be, Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus, (2 Cor. i. 20.) that is, strictly and properly speaking, they are His; for He himself is the One great promise of the Bible, and all are therefore, promises in and by Him. And the prophet Isaiah (chap. lxv. 16.) describes the believer in the gospel church, as saying, That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; that is, the God Amen. It were devoutly to be wished, that whenever this sacred name is used, in our public worship, or private devotion, our minds were to recollect the person of the Lord Jesus. For certain it is, when we say Amen to the giving of thanks, (see 1 Cor. xiv. 16.) we do, to all intents and purposes, use the name of Christ, however inattentively it be said. And, therefore, if this were rightly considered, we should use it with an eye of love, and faith, and thankfulness to him.

I shall only beg to add, to what hath been offered on this precious name of our Lord Jesus, that as John is the only one of the Evangelists who hath recorded, so very particularly, our Lord's discourses with those double Amens, or Verilys, it is plain, that he considered them very highly important. And the apostle Paul, in desiring that no one should ignorantly say Amen in the church, at the assemblies of the faithful, seems to have had the same sentiment with John, that every one naming Christ should know Christ.

AMMI. That is, as the margin of the Bible renders it, my people; and Ruhamah, or perhaps, more properly Rachamah, having obtained mercy. (See Hosea ii. 1.) There is a great sweetness in these words, and the translators of our Bible, having