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VARIOUS ATTRIBUTES OF CHRIST.

The next testimony that shall be adduced, is rendered remarkable by the circumstance of the very same words, which in the Old Testament ascribe creation to God, being used in the New Testament to attribute that work to Christ. 66 Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail." z

The unavoidable conclusion is, that Jesus Christ is God over all. These statements respecting creation, if Christ were a created being, would be perfectly contradictory, but explained by his own words, “I and my Father are one," they are perfectly true and consistent.

§ 5. It would occupy too much of this little volume to pursue the subject very diffusely; however, allow me to present a few more proofs, in a concise form, by placing in one column passages which undoubtedly refer to the infinite God, and in an opposite column passages which ascribe the same perfections as Jehovah possesses to Jesus Christ.

GOD.

OMNISCIENCE.

Thou, thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men. The heart, "who can know it? I the Lord search the heart."b

CHRIST.

I am HE who searcheth the reins and the hearts.

These passages are peculiar. In one of them it is declared that God ONLY knows the heart. In the other not merely that Christ searches the heart, but is he (the Divine Being) who searches the heart.

The Lord is a God of know- | I know thy works. ledge, by him are actions Jesus knew their thoughts. weighed.d

The Lord understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts.

(*) Heb. i. 10-12. (a) 1 Kings viii. 30.
(d) 1 Sam. ii. 3. (e) 1 Chron. viii.
(g) Luke vi. 8. v. 22. ix. 47.

9.

(b) Jer. xvii. 10. (c) Rev. ii. 23. (f) Rev. ii. 2, &c. Matt. ix. 4, &c.

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IMMUTABILITY.

I am the Lord; I change day, to-day, and for ever.

Jesus Christ the same yester

not.k

PRESERVATION OF THE UNIVERSE.

Thou Preserver of men ; By Him (Christ) do all Thou preservest man and things consist."

beast.m

THE END FOR WHICH ALL THINGS WERE CREATED. The Lord hath made all

things for himself."

All things were created by him and for him.P

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNIVERSE.

God is the King of all the earth.

The Lord is King for ever and ever. The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.s

He is Lord of all.'

He hath on his vesture a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords." The Lamb; He is Lord of lords, and King of kings.

DIVINE WORSHIP.

Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

Thou shalt worship no other God, for Jehovah is a jealous God.x

Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."

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Stephen worshipped the Lord Jesus in his dying moments.c Paul worshipped him. Christians are described as his wor

(h) Acts xvii. 27. (i) Matt. xviii. 20. (j) Matt. xxviii. 20.

(1) Heb. xiii. 8.

(n) Col. i. 17.
(r) Ps. x. 16.
(v) Rev. xvii. 14.
(z) Heb. i. 6.

(0) Prov. xvi. 4. (s) 1 Tim. vi. 15. (w) Matt. iv. 10. (a) John v. 23.

(k) Mal. in. 6. Ps. cxlv. 20. (2) Ps. xlvii. 7. Rev. xix. 13-16. (y) Luke xxiii. 46. (c) Acts vii. 59, 60.

(m) Job vii. 20. Ps. xxxvi. 6.
(p) Col. i. 17.
(t) Acts x. 36. (u)
(r) Exod. xxxiv. 14.
(6) Acts vii. 59.
(d) 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9.

APPEAL TO THE READER ON THE

42 shippers. Saints and angels in heaven worship him. worship is similar to that which they pay to God himself.s

This

§ 6. Now, as if placed in the presence of God, let me call upon you to give a faithful verdict on this great questionIs Jesus Christ God over all; or is he merely man? or at most an exalted creature? Can a man or an angel bear the exalted titles of God; God with us; God over all; the true God; the great God; the mighty God; Jehovah? Can a man or an angel be the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; the Creator of all things visible and invisible? Can such a being be the Searcher of hearts; present in all places at the same moment, wherever two or three are gathered in his name? and this to the end of the world? Can a man or an angel be the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever? the Preserver and Sovereign of the universe? and the end for which all things were created? Could it be said of a man or an angel, that all should honour him, as they honour the infinite God? that even all the angels of heaven should worship him? To adopt the words of an able writer:

"Can a creature be the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express Image of his person; the Light of the world, the Propitiation for sin, the Saviour of mankind, or the Object of religious worship? Can any religious man, on a death-bed, say, "Gabriel, receive my spirit ?" or, "Lay not the sin of my murderers to their charge?" Can Gabriel give life, raise the dead, or bestow immortal life? Can he judge the world, reward the righteous and the wicked, or be the glory, light, and temple of heaven? What would be the impression, were a minister of the gospel to say, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of Gabriel, and of the Holy Ghost? or, The grace of Gabriel, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen? Would not these things beyond measure shock the minds of a Christian assembly, as the most palpable blasphemy? Was there ever a minister, even an Arian, or a Socinian, who could bring himself thus to speak in such an assembly? Would not this be, not merely comparing, or likening, one of the angels to Jehovah, but placing him on the same level? Yet these things are said of Christ.

(e) 1 Cor. i. 2.

(f) Rev. v. 8-13. (g) Rev. vii. 9, 10. Rev. iv. 10, 11.

EVIDENCE OF CHRIST'S DIVINITY.

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"Why are they said of him, if his nature be like that of Gabriel? Why are they seemingly said? Was it not perfectly easy for the Omniscient God to have said, if he chose to say it, that Christ was a mere man, or a mere creature? and so to have said this, that it would not have been misunderstood even by the plainest man? Did he not understand language sufficiently? Has it not been said in such a manner, as to be intelligible to all men, by Arius, Socinus, Zuicker, Price, Priestley, Belsham, and many others? Did any man ever mistrust, that they have not said it? Was not Jehovah more interested to say it, if it is true, than they were? and so to say it, as to be easily, generally, and certainly understood? Was he not more able? Did he not foresee all the doubts, difficulties, errors, misconstructions, and consequent sins and idolatries, if they have indeed been misconstructions and idolatries, arising from unhappy language used in the Scriptures? Have not the prophets, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost; have not the apostles, who spake the things freely given to them of God, not in the words which man's wisdom taught, but which the Holy Ghost taught; expressed the mind of God on this subject, and every other, in the very manner chosen by God himself? Has not his infinite faithfulness and mercy, then, sufficiently guarded every honest mind against this erroneous sin?

"But if Christ be not the true God, the great body of Christians have, in every age of the church, wholly misunderstood the Scriptures concerning this most important doctrine, and mistaken, infinitely, the real character of their Saviour. Of course the Scriptures have been so written, as that the natural interpretation of them is a source of total and dreadful error; even of that, which they themselves denounce in terms of the highest reprobation; viz. idolatry. For the interpretation, which has been given them by the great body of Christians, in every age and country, in which they have existed, is beyond a controversy the natural interpretation. That men, who first make a philosophical system of religion, and then endeavour to reconcile the Scriptures to it, should understand them falsely, cannot be wondered at; but that they should be falsely understood by the great body of mankind, who for their religion come to them only, and yet the way of holiness be still a highway, in which wayfaring men,

44 SCRIPTURE TESTIMONIES TO CHRIST'S HUMANITY. though fools, shall not err is a position, which is yet to be explained."*

In your progress through the world you may probably hear objections started to the all-important truth maintained in these pages. Bear in mind, however, that there is no truth against which cunning men cannot start puzzling objections. One plain assertion of God's, on subjects known to him, should do more to confirm your belief, than a thousand perplexing cavils, to shake your confidence. Some bring forward objections against the being of God, others against the existence of matter; some will argue that you have no soul, others that you have no body. Perhaps the sophistry of their arguments may perplex you. Will you therefore believe them? Will you not rather scorn their fancied wisdom?

§ 7. That holy volume which thus clearly asserts the divinity of Jesus Christ, also declares that he was strictly and properly man. The Holy Spirit, speaking by the apostle Paul, unites in one passage, Phil. ii. 6. 8. the two views, and in others speaks of the latter only. As man he was born of a virgin;h was the reputed son of a carpenter; was subject to his parents; increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and with man ; was himself a carpenter;m was wearied; hungered; thirsted ;P wept ; prayed;" was poor and destitute;s was rejected of men, and a man of sorrows;t was in an agony;" was betrayed, judged, condemned;" was crucified; complained of his Father forsaking him ;* died and was buried.y

How wonderful was the union thus subsisting between God and man! How was human nature exalted, when Chirist appeared as God manifest in the flesh! But the subject grows in wonder as we advance. Jesus, in his exalted state, though God, still is asserted to wear the glorified human nature. This subject is referred to by the apostle when referring to the Christian's future glory; "We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”z (h) Matt. i. 23-25. (i) Luke iii. 23. (k) Luke ii. 51. (1) Luke ii. 52. (m) Mark vi. 3. (n) John iv. 6. (0) Matt. iv. 2. (9) John xi. 35. (r) Matt. xiv. 23. (s) Matt. ix. 20. (u) Luke xxii. 44. (v) Luke xxii. 48. xxiii. 24. (r) Mark xv. 34. (3) Mark xv. 37, 46. * Dwight.

(p) John xix. 28. xvii. 27. (t) Isa. liii. 3. (w) Luke xxiii. 23. (z) Phil.iii. 20, 21.

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