And this is his name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.] I shall give the Hebrew text of this important passage: wnqdx hwhy warqy r�a wm� hzh vezeh shemo asher yikreo Yehovah tsidkenu, which the Septuagint translate as follows, kai touto to onoma auton o kalesei auton keriov, iwsedek, "And this is his name which the Lord shall call him Josedek." Dahler translates the text thus:- Et voici le nom dont on l'appellera: L'Eternel, Auteur de notre felicite.

"And this is the name by which he shall be called; The Lord, the Author of our happiness." Dr. Blayney seems to follow the Septuagint; he translates thus, "And this is the name by which Jehovah shall call him, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." In my old MS. Bible, the first English translation ever made, it is thus: - And this is the name that thei schul clepen him: oure rigtwise Lord .

Coverdale's, the first complete English translation of the Scriptures ever printed, (1535,) has given it thus: - And this is the name that they shall call hin: even the Lorde oure rightuous Maker.

Matthews (1549) and Becke (1549) follow Coverdale literally; but our present translation of the clause is borrowed from Cardmarden, (Rouen, 1566,) "Even the Lord our righteousness." Dr. Blayney thus accounts for his translation: - "Literally, according to the Hebrew idiom, 'And this is his name by which Jehovah shall call, Our Righteousness;' a phrase exactly the same as, 'And Jehovah shall call him so;' which implies that God would make him such as he called him, that is, our Righteousness, or the author and means of our salvation and acceptance. So that by the same metonymy Christ is said to 'have been made of God unto us wisdom, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,' 1 Cor. i. 30.

"I doubt not that some persons will be offended with me for depriving them, by this translation, of a favourite argument for proving the Divinity of our saviour from the Old Testament. But I cannot help it; I have done it with no ill design, but purely because I think, and am morally sure, that the text, as it stands, will not properly admit of any other construction.

The Septuagint have so translated before me, in an age when there could not possibly be any bias or prejudice either for or against the fore-mentioned doctrine, a doctrine which draws its devasive proofs from the New Testtament only." Dahler paraphrases, - "This Prince shall be surnamed by his people, 'The Lord, the author of our happiness.' The people shall feel themselves happy under him; and shall express their gratitude to him." I am satisfied that both the translation from Cardmarden downwards, and the meaning put on these words, are incorrect. I prefer the translation of Blayney to all others; and that it speaks any thing about the imputed righteousness of Christ, cannot possibly be proved by any man who understands the original text. As to those who put the sense of their creed upon the words, they must be content to stand out of the list of Hebrew critics. I believe Jesus to be Jehovah; but I doubt much whether this text calls him so. No doctrine so vitally important should be rested on an interpretation so dubious and unsupported by the text. That all our righteousness, holiness, and goodness, as well as the whole of our salvation, come by HIM, from HIM, and through HIM, is fully evident from the Seriptures; but this is not one of the passages that support this most important truth. See on chap. xxxiii.

Jer. 23:1-8 Woe be to those who are set to feed God's people, but tak no concern to do them good! Here is a word of comfort to the neglecte sheep. Though only a remnant of God's flock is left, he will find the out, and they shall be brought to their former habitations. Christ i spoken of as a branch from David's family. He is righteous himself, an through him all his people are made righteous. Christ shall break the usurped power of Satan. All the spiritual seed of believing Abraham an praying Jacob shall be protected, and shall be saved from the guilt an dominion of sin. In the days of Christ's government in the soul, the soul dwells at ease. He is here spoken of as "the Lord ou Righteousness." He is so our Righteousness as no creature could be. Hi obedience unto death is the justifying righteousness of believers, an their title to heavenly happiness. And their sanctification, as the source of all their personal obedience is the effect of their unio with him, and of the supply of this Spirit. By this name every tru believer shall call him, and call upon him. We have nothing to plea but this, Christ has died, yea, rather is risen again; and we have taken him for our Lord. This righteousness which he has wrought out to the satisfaction of law and justice, becomes ours; being a free gif given to us, through the Spirit of God, who puts it upon us, clothes u with it, enables us to lay hold upon it, and claim an interest in it "The Lord our Righteousness" is a sweet name to a convinced sinner; to one that has felt the guilt of sin in his conscience; seen his need of that righteousness, and the worth of it. This great salvation is fa more glorious than all former deliverances of his church. May our soul be gathered to Him, and be found in him.

Jer. 23:9-22 The false prophets of Samaria had deluded the Israelite into idolatries; yet the Lord considered the false prophets of Jerusalem as guilty of more horrible wickedness, by which the people were made bold in sin. These false teachers would be compelled to suffer the most bitter part of the Lord's indignation. They mad themselves believe that there was no harm in sin, and practise accordingly; then they made others believe so. Those who are resolve to go on in evil ways, will justly be given up to believe stron delusions. But which of them had received any revelation of God, or understood any thing of his word? There was a time coming when the would reflect on their folly and unbelief with remorse. The teachin and example of the true prophets led men to repentance, faith, an righteousness. The false prophets led men to rest in forms and notions and to be quiet in their sins. Let us take heed that we do not follo unrighteousness.

Jer. 23:23-32 Men cannot be hidden from God's all-seeing eye. Will the never see what judgments they prepare for themselves? Let them conside what a vast difference there is between these prophecies and thos delivered by the true prophets of the Lord. Let them not call their foolish dreams Divine oracles. The promises of peace these prophet make are no more to be compared to God's promises than chaff to wheat The unhumbled heart of man is like a rock; if not melted by the word of God as a fire, it will be broken to pieces by it as a hammer. How can they be long safe, or at all easy, who have a God of almighty powe against them? The word of God is no smooth, lulling, deceitful message And by its faithfulness it may certainly be distinguished from fals doctrines.

Jer. 23:33-40 Those are miserable indeed who are forsaken and forgotte of God; and men's jesting at God's judgments will not baffle them. God had taken Israel to be a people near to him, but they shall now be cas out of his presence. It is a mark of great and daring impiety for me to jest with the words of God. Every idle and profane word will add to the sinner's burden in the day of judgment, when everlasting shame wil be his portion __________________________________________________________________

Original Hebrew