was God, who laid down his life for us; but this was Christ, therefore he is GOD. "Looking for, and hasting to the coming of the day of God." The same that Peter calls the day of God, Paul calls the day of Christ. "That ye may be sincere, and without offence till the day of Christ." Therefore he is GOD. Unchangeableness is proper only to JEHOVAH. I am JEHOVAH, I CHANGE not. But JESUS CHRIST is unchangeable." JESUS CHRIST, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." Therefore|| he is JEHOVAH. Moses says, the children of Israel tempted JEHOVAH; the psalmist says,** they tempted the most high God: but the apostle Paul says, it was CHRIST they tempted. Therefore CHRIST must be JEHOVAH the most high God. "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding great joy, to the 2 Pet. iii. 12. ↑ Mal. iii. 6. + Phil. i. 10. § Heb. xiii. 8. This text the Arians interpret of the doctrine, not of the person of Jesus Christ; because to preach Christ in several other texts, means to preach the doctrines of Christ; hence, say they, "this text points out Jesus Christ, as the same Saviour, and his gospel the same to them of old,-to the Hebrews then,-and would be the same to all generations that were to come." Even in this sense, by an easy consequence, it is a clear proof of the Deity of Jesus Christ, as it proves that he governed the world in general, and the church in particular, in all ages, which none but the Supreme God could do. This, I shall prove at large in the sequel. Exod. xvii. 2. tt 1 Cor. x. 9. ** Psa. lxxviii. 56. only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty," &c. Here it is the only wise God, who is able to present us before the presence of his glory; but the apostle Paul says, Christ shall do this.-"That he (Christ) might present it (the church) to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." Therefore he is the ONLY WISE GOD our Saviour, to whom (in the words of the apostle) we ascribet glory and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and ever. Amen.' 66 Many more texts might have been compared in support of the proper Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; but I thought it best to take only such under this head, as when compared, the inference would be obvious at first sight to the meanest capacity. The reader will now suffer me, in the same manner to prove the proper Deity of the Holy Ghost, by a few plain examples from scripture. 66 The same LORD of HOSTS that Isaiah saw, said unto him, "Go and tell this people; hear ye indeed, but understand not," &c. But the apostle saith expressly, that these were the words of the HOLY GHOST. Wells spake the HOLY GHOST by the prophet Isaiah, saying, go unto this people, and say, hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand," &c. Therefore the HOLY GHOST is the LORD OF HOSTS. The people of Israel is often in the old testament said to resist and rebel against JEHOVAH; but Stephen says, it was the HOLY GHOST they resisted. "Yel stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in heart and Eph. v. 27. * Isa. vi. || Ibid. vii. 51. ears, ye do always resist the HOLY GHOST, as your fathers did, so do ye." Therefore the HOLY GHOST IS JEHOVAH. The spiritual birth is the work of God. "Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world. Tot them gave he power to become the sons of God,--who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." But this is the work of the SPIRIT.--"Except a man be born of water, and of the SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Therefore the SPIRIT is GOD. He whom Christ teacheth us to pray to as our heavenly Father, is the object of worship, and must be GOD. But he must be our Father, of whom we are begotten and born, in the stile of scripture, and that is the SPIRIT, as the last article proves; therefore the SPRIIT is included in the term Father, as the object of worship, and consequently must be GOD. To GOD only are we to pray, who alone hath power to send forth laborers into his harvest.Prays ye therefore the LORD of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest." But the HOLY GHOST sends them forth. 66 Soll they (Barnabas and Paul) being sent forth by the HOLY GHOST." Therefore he is the object of prayer, the LORD of the harvest,-and must be the true GOD. He is the Supreme Being, whom the saints have worshipped under the divine titles of LORD ⚫ 1 John v. 4. + Ibid. i. 12, 13. § Matt. ix. 38. ↑ Ibid. iii. 5, 6. || Acts xiii. 4. and GOD." Then* he (Simeon) blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation." But it was the word of the HOLY GHOST he here speaks of." It was revealed unto him (Simeon) by the HOLY GHOST, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ." Therefore the HOLY GHOST, who is here worshipped under the sacred titles of LORD and GOD, is the Supreme Being. The calling and work of the apostles were under the sole direction of GOD." Not man taketh this honor to himself, but he that is called of God." But this calling and work were under the direction of the HOLY GHOST.-" The HOLY GHOST said, separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them." Therefore the HOLY GHOST is GOD. He who qualified the apostles, and first propagators of christianity, with such a diversity of extraordinary gifts|| of wisdom-knowledge-faithworking of miracles--healing all diseases--prophecy--discerning of spirits—interpretation of tongues—and speaking divers kinds of languages to the different kinds of people where they came, must be not only omnipotent, or he could neither bestow the gifts, nor support them to whom they were given, in the due and regular exercise of them; but he must be omnipresent also; at the same time present in all places, however distant: this the apostle saith, is "the same GOD that worketh all in all;" and at the same time says, " But** all these worketh that one and the self-same SPIRIT, dividing to every man Luke ii. 28, 29. + Ibid. ver. 26. ** Ver. 11. N + Heb. v. 4. ¶ Ver. C. severally as HE WILL." Therefore the SPIRIT is GOD omnipotent, and every where present. If the last cited texts are compared with what the apostle saith,-" God* also bearing them (the apostles) witness both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will." It will shew the strength of the former argument in another point of view, viz. That the same things are done by the will of the SPIRIT, that are said to be done by the will of GOD: it must follow, that as they have but one will, they are but one God. The scriptures were indited by God.-" Allt scripture is given by inspiration of God." But it was the HOLY GHOST that inspired the penmen who wrote the scriptures." Holyt men of God, spake as they were moved by the HOLY GHOST." Therefore he is God. God only is the author of all spiritual comfort. "Blessed§ be GOD,-the GOD of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulations." But the HOLY GHOST is the comforter, in whose comfort the churches rest.-" But|| the comforter, which is the HOLY GHOST, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things. Then¶ had the churches rest,-walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the HOLY GHOST." Therefore he is GOD. It is God that dwelleth in believers.-" Whosoever** shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. GOD is in * Heb. ii. 4. + 2 Tim. iii. 16. t 2 Pet. i. 21. |