those personal actions which are ascribed to him: as,-1. The creation of all things is ascribed to him, Heb. i. 2. Eph, iii. 9.2. The works of providence, are attributed to him, in distinction from his Son, though in conjunction with him, my Father worketh hitberto, and I work, John v. 17.-3. The mission of his Son into the world to be the Saviour of men, shews his distinct personality from him, Isai xlviii. 16. Pet. j. 2. Eph. i. 4. 2 That the Father of Christ, as he is a person, so a divine person will not be doubted; and yet it may be proper to say something of it, and establish it: which may be done, not only by oberving that he is expressly and distinctly called God, Rom xv. 6. Gal. i. 1 Phil. i. 11. but this may be proved, 1. From his divine perfections: God is from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning and end; so is the Father of Christ, Rev. i. 4. God is immense and omnipressent; such is the Father of Christ, John xiv. 23. and xvi. 32. God is omniscient, knows all persons and things; and so does the Father of Christ, Matt xi. 27. Mark xiii. 32 God is omnipotent, he can do all things; and so can the Father of Christ, Abba, Fa. ther, says Chris, all things are possible unto thee, Mark xvi. 56. Once more, God is immutable, not subject to any change and variations; God the Father of Christ, is the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning, James i. 17. II. His Deity will appear from the works which are ascribed to him, Acts iv, 24-27. see Matt. vi. 26, 32, Eph. ii. 1. 1. From the worship due to him, and given to him; true worshippers of God worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him, John iv. 23. OF THE DISTINCT PERSONALITY, AND DEITY OF THE SON. THAT the Son of God is a person, and a divine person distinct from the Father and the Spirit, cannot be doubted; e his Father is a person and he is the express image of , he must be a person too. For as Plato says, that which is like must needs be of the same species with that to which it is like. Besides the distinctive relation of the son, there are many other things which shew, or make him appear to be a distinct person. I. His being with God as the word, John i. 1. he cannot with any propriety be said to be with himself. II. His being set up from everlasting as mediator, a mere name and character could not be said to be set up, to be co venanted with, see Prov. viii. 23. Psalm lxxxix. 3, 28. III. His being sent in the fulness of time to be the Saviour of his people, shews him to be distinct from the Father, whose Son he is, and by whom he was sent; see Rom. viii. 3. Gal. iv. 4. IV. His becoming a sacrifice, and making satisfaction for the sins of men, and so the redeemer and Saviour of them, plainly declare his distinct personality. Reconciliation and atonement for sin are personal acts. V. His ascension to heaven, and session at the right hand of God, shew him to be a person that ascended, and is sat down. The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, Psal. cx. 1, he cannot be the same person with him at whose right hand he sits, John xx. 17. Heb. i. 13. VI. His advocacy and intercession with his father, are a plain proof of his distinct personality. He is said to be an advocate with the Father, 1 John ii. 1. and therefore must be a person to act the part of an advocate; he himself says, I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, meaning the Spirit of truth, as next explained, John xiv. 16, 17. Now he must be distinct from the Father to whom he prays, for surely he cannot be supposed to pray to himself; and he must be distinct from the spirit, for whom he prays. VII. His judging the world at the last day, with all the circumstances thereof; prove him to be a person, a divine per, son, and distinct from the Father and the Spirit; for as for the Father, he judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to, the Son John v. 22. VIII. It is promised to the saints that they shall be with Christ, where he is; he is represented as the object of their praise, to all eternity; all which, and much more shew him to be a person. The Deity of Christ may be next considered, and proved: or, that he is a divine person, truly and properly God. Not a made or created God, as say the Arians. He was made flesh, and made of a woman; but not made God; for then he must make himself, which is absurd; since without him was not any thing made that was made, John i. 3. Nor God by office,, as say the Socinians; for then he would be God only in an improper sense; as magistrates are called gods; and as there are called lords many, and gods many; but he is God by nature; as these were not. This will appear-1. From the names which are given to him; he has the same glorious names the most high God has; as Ehjeh, I AM that I AM, Exod. iii. 14. and Jehovah, Psal. lxxxiii. 18. If it can be proved that the name Jehovah is given to Christ, it will prove him to be the most high over all the earth. Now we are told that God spake to Moses, and said, I am the Lord or Jehovah; Exod. vi. 2, 3. and iii. 14. which person that appeared to Moses, must be understood, of the Son of God. He, whom the Israelites tempted in the wilderness, is expressly called Jehovah, Exod. xvii. 7. and nothing is more evident than that this person was Christ, 1 Cor. x. 9. he whom Isaiah saw on a throne is not only called Adonai, Isai. vi. 1. but by the seraphim, Jehovah, 3. and so by Isaiah, 5. which words Christ applies to himself; and observes that, those things Esaias said, when he saw his glory, and spoke of him, John xii. 39-41. There is a prophecy in Isai. xl. 3. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, or of Jehovah, make straight in the desart, an high way for our God, which by the evangelist Matthew, is applied unto, and interpreted of John the Baptist, Matt. iii. 1-3. wherefore, the Jehovah, whose way he was to prepare, could be no other than Christ. Moreover, the Messiah, or Christ, is expressly called, The Lord, or Jehovah, our righteousness, in Jer. xxiii. 6. it being his work, as Mediator, to bring in everlasting righteousness. Once more, Jehovah promises to pour forth the Spirit of grace and supplication on some persons described in Zech. xii. 10. and then adds, They shall look on me, Jehovah, whom they have pierced; which was fulfilled in Christ, when one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, John xix. 34, 37. the same words are referred to, and applied to Christ, Rev. i. 7. It may be observed also, that in some places of scripture, Christ is absolutely called God; as in Psal. xlv. 6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; where he is distinguished from God his Father, 7. and the words are expressly applied to him as the Son of God, Heb. i. 8. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne O God, &c. Christ calls himself God; I am God and there is none else; Isai. xlv. 22, 23. which last text, in connection with the other are, by the apostle Paul, applied to Christ, Rom. xiv. 10-12. The evangelist John says, The word was God, John i. 14. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, 1 John iii. 16. God absolutely, but with some sessive pronouns, as, our God, God, Isai. xxxv. 4, 5. their God, God, by Thomas, John xx. 28. strates, and judges, are called gods in an improper and metaphorical sense, yet never called our gods, your gods, &c.Christ is said to be Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature, that is, God manifest in the flesh, Matt. i. 22. 1 Tim. iii. 16. Additional characters are given which shew him to be truly and properly God; as, the mighty God, in Isai. ix. 6. and over all God blessed for ever, Rom. ix. 5. He is called the great God, Tit. ii. 13. the living God, Heb. iii. 12. to add no more, he is called the true God, in opposition, to all false and fictitious deities, 1 John v. 20. 11. The Deity of Christ may be proved from the divine perfections he is possessed of; for in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead, Col. ii. 9. Eternity is a perfection of God; God And Christ is not only called is from everlasting to everlasting; Christ was not only be fore Abraham, but before Adam, Rev. iii. 14. Omnipresence, or immensity, is another perfection of Deity, Jer. xxiii. 13, 24, Christ, as the Son of God, was in heaven, in the bosom of his Father; when, as the Son of man, he was here on earth, John i. 18. and iii. 13. Omniscience is another divine perfection, and most manifestly appears in Christ; he knows all things, John ii. 24, 25. Heb. iv. 12. Rev. ii. 23. Omni. potence is a perfection that belongs to Christ, and is peculiar to God, Phil. iii. 21. To observe no more, immutability belongs solely to God; Christ is the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever, Heb. xiii. 8. see Psal. cii. 26. compared with Heb. i. 12. and since therefore such perfections of the Godhead are in Christ, he must be truly and properly God. III. The truth of Christ's proper divinity may be proved from the works done by him; such as the creation of all things out of nothing; of the whole world, and all things in it, visible or invisible, John i. 2, 3. Col. i. 19. and the works of providence; My Father worketh hitherto; and I work, that is with him, John v. 17. The miracles Christ wrought on earth in a human nature, as they were proofs of his Messiahship, so of his Deity. If he was not the mighty God, he could never have be enable to have wrought the redemption of his people. None can forgive sin but God; yet Christ has done it, and therefore must be God, Mark ii. 7-10. it is God that justifies men from sin, and so does Christ, Isai. liii. 11. Christ has raised himself from the dead, and thereby is declared to be the Son of God with power; that is, truly and properly God, Rom. i. 4. The judgment of the world is committed to him. Now if he was not God, he would never be able to do what he will do. Iv. As a further proof of the Deity of Christ, the worship given him both by angels and men may be observed; for when he, God's first born, was brought into the world, he said, Let all the angels of God worship him, Heb. i. 6. is is also the decla red will of the divine Father of Christ, that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. Men are di |