CHAPTER VII.

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.

DR. HODGE presents in the first chapter | the result of reasoning in the light of nature, revealing as it does a God-a personal spirit; infinite, eternal, self-existent, the first cause of all things; infinitely intelligent, powerful, free of will, righteous, and benevolent. In this present chapter the attempt is made to collect and present that additional and clearer knowledge of the Divine Nature which the Scriptures make known to us by means of His names and attributes:

1. State the etymology and meaning of the several names appropriated to God in the Scriptures?

(a) Unchangeableness and self-existence: JEHOVAH, from a Hebrew verb to be. The Jews superstitiously refused to pronounce this word, and substituted for it

the word ADONAI, Lord, represented in our translation by the word LORD printed in capitals. JAH, probably an abbreviation of the name Jehovah, used principally in the Psalms:

PSALM 1xviii.

*Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

It constitutes the concluding syllable of hallelujah, praise Jehovah :

God gave Moses His peculiar name "I am that I am." From the same Hebrew

root, and of the same fundamental significance as JEHOVAH :

EXOD. xiii.

14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

(b) Might, power, EL, translated God, and applied as well to false gods:

ISAIAH xliv.

9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable

things shall not profit ; and they are their

own witnesses; they see not, nor know;
that they may be ashamed.

10 Who hath formed a god, or
molten a graven image that is
profitable for nothing?

(c) God of all excellence:

in its singular and plural form, derived
from a Hebrew verb signifying to fear,
to reverence: "In its singular form it
is used only in the latter books and in
poetry:" in the plural form it is some-
times used with a plural sense for gods,
lentiæ, for God: It is applied to God,
but more commonly as a pluralis excel-
but preeminently to Jehovah, as the great
object of adoration:

ELOHIM, and ELOAH, the same name

(d) Dominion and power, `ADONAI, the Lord, a pluralis excellentia, applied exclusively to God, expressing possession and sovereign dominion, equivalent to Kúpoç, Lord, so frequently applied to

Christ in the New Testament:

(e) Almighty, SADDAI, Almighty, a pluralis excellentia. Sometimes it stands by itself, as in Job v. 17, and sometimes

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combined with a preceding EL, as in his thought, that maketh the mornGen. xvii. I:

(f) Most High, ELYON, a Verbal Adjece. tive from a Hebrew Verb, signifying to go up, to ascend: PSALM ix.

2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

3 When mine enemies are turned

back, they shall fall and perish at LORD strong and mighty, the LORD thy presence.

See also JAMES iv. 19 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

(3) Rock, Fortress, Tower, Deliverer : 2 SAM. xxii.

1 And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in him will I trust he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

2. What are the Divine attributes? (a) There must always be a measure of incomprehension in our conception of that which is infinite: His knowledge and power are as truly beyond all understanding as His eternity or immensity:

JOB Xi.

5 But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee; and that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? 9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

10 If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him? JOB XXVI.

Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. 7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. 8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. 9 He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it. 10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof. 12 He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. 13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

14 Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

PSALM CXxxix.

10 LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and

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art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

ISAIAH xl.

27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 1 but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

(b) The moral elements of His glorious nature are the norm, or original law of our moral faculties; thus we are made capable of comprehending the ultimate principles of truth and justice upon which He acts; yet His action based upon those principles is often a trial of our faith and an occasion of our adoring wonder: ROM. xi.

33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of

God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

ISAIAH lv.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth turn unto me void, but it shall accomplish forth out of my mouth: it shall not rethat which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22 and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee 35 Or with my hand while I pass by: and I will take away mine hand, and thou sha't see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him