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to the redeemed. Compare Eph. i. 21. 1 Pet. iii. ult. And as in Eph. i. 21. so here they are mentioned as quite distinct from the church which is the body of Christ. It is said not only "that all things were created by him" as their Author, but that "by him all things consist as their sole Preserver." Did he not uphold them by the word of his power, they would sink into nothing, Heb. i. 3. Did he not hold them in the hollow of his hand, they would fly asunder as a vessel without the binding hoop. It was in reference to this that he said, in the days of his flesh, "my Fa ther worketh hitherto, and I work."

The redemption of the church is another thing ascribed unto him. "Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood," said Paul to the elders at Ephesus, Acts xx. 28. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us," says the apostle John, John iii. 16. From these passages we see that he was God who bled and died for the church. And indeed who but a God could make atonement for sin? "It was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats could take it away," Heb. x. 4. i. e. it was not possible that the sufferings of any mere creature could. For if it were, the sinews of the apostle's argument would be cut. For from the insufficiency of the Mosaical sacrifices, he infers the necessity of the Son's. Now if there were any medium betwixt the two, the argument would be quite inconclusive.

To the miracles wrought by our Lord he frequently appealed as proofs of Messiahship and Divinity. John v. 36. "The works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. Chap. x. 37, 38, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works." Chap. xiv. 11. "Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake." True it is, in the following verse, he strongly asserts, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do, shall he do also, and greater works than

these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." This, however, militates nothing against the proof of his Deity, drawn from his miracles. For though the servants did greater miracles than the Son; witness their speaking in different tongues, Acts xxiv.; the effect of Peter's shadow, Acts v. 15.; and the a prons and the handkerchiefs that had touched Paul's body, chap. xix. 12.; yet these they wrought not by their own power, but by his, Acts iii. 6. iv. 10. There fore we are to attend not so much to the miracles themselves, as to the manner of working them. The disciples wrought them in his name, he in his own. Never did he say, In my Father's name, rise up and walk.

The forgiveness of sins was another of these actions which incontestibly prove our Saviour's Divinity. The Jews, notwithstanding all their blindness, argued better than many of our moderns. They considered remission of sin as the prerogative of God only. On hearing our Saviour say to the paralytic, "Man, thy sins are forgiven thee," the Scribes and Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Luke v. 20, 21. Their doctrine was good, but in the application they greatly erred. Had not Christ been God, he could not have forgiven sins, for the remission he granted was widely different from that which he empowered his disciples to give. Theirs was ministerial only, John xx. 23.; his authorative. As they wrought miracles, so they forgave sins in his name; he in his own. Their remission was conditional only; his absolute; extending not merely to the temporal penalties of the Mosaic law, but to the guilt of eternal wrath.

As a proof that our Saviour is the Lord God omnipotent, he will raise the dead at the last day. The resurrection, like creation, is a work competent to God only. It is one of the glorious mysteries of our holy religion, and as it exceeds all created power, so all the conceptions of men. Hence it was ridiculed by the Athenian philosophers, Acts xvii. 18, 32. But

they who allow themselves to be led by the light of re velation, have rejoiced in it, as a glorious demonstration of almighty power, and pregnant with strong consolation to the saints of God. The belief that God was able to raise up Isaac from the dead after he should be reduced to ashes, was a relief to Abraham when tried as never mortal was, Heb. xi. 19. None but he who formed man of the dust of the ground, can collect his scattered ashes, rebuild his dissolved frame, and reanimate it with its kindred spirit. But all this shall be effectuated by our Saviour. "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth," John v. 28, 29. He who commanded a Lazarus to come forth, and he instantly did, John xi. 41. 43, shall bid earth and sea give up their dead, and they quickly shall. From Abel, who first returned into dust; down to the last who shall lie in a grave, all shall bear the voice of the Son of God: and shall each in their coming forth testify his power to be divine, Matt. xxii. 29.

The last work which I mention in proof of the Godhead of our Saviour is his judging the world at the last day. That he shall, is the constant doctrine of the holy scripture. For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, John v. 22. "He hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead," Acts xvii. 31. It is not more evident that the final judgment is attributed unto him, than that such a work can agree to none but God. Who but he can either pass an equitable sentence, or put it in execution? These are the things quite beyond the reach of a mere man. In order to judge the world in righteousness, there must be a perfect knowledge of all the actions of the parties. All that passed in their minds, and all that has been done in the body, from the fall of the angels, and of Adam, down to the resurrection, must lie naked and open before the Judge. An object thus far surpassing the

grasp of created understanding. To know all that is externally done in one day by angels and men: all the temptations of the one, all the murders, adulteries and lies of the other, seems to lie quite beyond the most enlarged capacity of a creature. But what are exter nal actions to those of the mind? What is all the wick. edness which has appeared in the world, to that which has been perpetrated in the heart? Now, in order to do justice, not a thought has ever arisen in angel or man, from the beginning to the end of time, but must be perfectly known to the Judge. And is not such a knowledge too high for any creature? Is it not the prerogative of Deity to know the thoughts of the heart? "I know, says Job, that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee," Job xlii. 2. And concerning himself, God declares," I Jehovah search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings," Jer. xvii. 10. The wards of one created mind are impenetrable to another. But he who made them, has a key which fits them all, Psalm xciv. 9-12. It is evident, therefore, that the Judge of men and angels must be infinitely superior in nature to them both. Though a man, he must be also God. Accordingly it is written, "God is judge himself," Psalm 1. 6.

7thly and Lastly. That the Son is God equal with the Father, appears from the worship which is given him. That divine worship is due to God, and to him only, is the dictate of reason and of revelation. That a being of infinite perfection is entitled to all possible honours from the creatures, is one of those truths which is as self-evident, as that two and two make four. And that divine honours are due to God only, is as obvious as the distinction between creature and Creator. To deny to God what of right is his, or to give to others what belongs to him alone, are equally impious and absurd. The one is depreciating God to the rank of a creature, the other an exalting a creature to the dignity of God: both which must be an abomination

in his sight, who will not give his glory to another, Isa. xlii. 8. If therefore it be certain that divine worship is in scripture given to Christ, it must be equally so that he is a divine person. But the former is true, and therefore the latter. Into his name we are equally baptized, as into that of the Father and the Holy Ghost, Matt. xxviii. 19. His death we shew forth in the Sacrament of the Supper, 1 Cor. xi. 26. Grace and peace are asked, not only from the Father, but also from him, Rom. i. 7. 1 Cor. i. 2. In the apostolic benediction he is joined with the Father and the Spirit, for thus it runs, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all," 2 Cor. xiii. 14. John in his address to the seven churches of Asia, wishes them peace, not only from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits, i. e. the sevenfold working Spirit, which are before his throne; but also from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.

Having mentioned the Saviour, the apostle immediately launches out into a sacred doxology, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God even his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever: Amen," Rev. i. 4-6. He proposes himself as being equally with the Father the object of his people's faith. Ye believe in God, believe also in me," John xiv. 1. "It is the Father's will that all men honour the Son, even as they honour the Father," John v. 23. And it is known in all our Israel, that he hath said, “Let all the angels of God worship him," Heb. i. 6. Let it not be retorted, that God may enjoin us to worship a creature, and that therefore in so doing, we yield obedience unto him. He can no more do this, than he can command us to lie. For what is it to worship a creature, but to ascribe divine attributes to it, asserting in effect, that it is infinite, eternal, unchangeable,

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