poffeffed alfo a human nature and both co-existing in one complex perfon, Rev. xxii. 13, 16.

As a confequence and farther proof of the union of these natures in one perfon, the properties belonging to each nature are attributed to the fame perfon. The actions proper to each nature are afcribed to the general perfon. The names expreffive both of his divinity and humanity, and of these united together, as the Word of God, Rev. xix. 13. The Man Chrift Jefus, 1 Tim. ii. 5. The Son of God, Matth. xxvi. 63. The Son of Man, ver. 34. Immanuel, Matth. i. 23. The second Man, and yet the Lord from Heaven, 1 Cor. xv. 47. all these are indifcriminately afcribed to the one person of Chrift. Nay the actions, and names, to the proper

different natures, are from their co-existence in the fame perfon fometimes reciprocated of each other, those belonging to the divine being ascribed to one of human, and those belonging to the human being attributed to one of a divine nature. Thus God is faid to have purchased the church with his blood, Acts xx. 28. And God to have expreffed his love to mankind in that he laid down his life for us, 1 John iii. 16. These things can be explained upon no other principle than the conjunction of the Deity and humanity of our Saviour in one perfon. By fuch a perfonal union, every thing belonging to each of these natures may, in ftricteft language, be afcribed to the common perfon in whom they are united; and every thing belonging to, or done by, the general perfon, may be attributed to that perfon, characterifed from either of the natures of which that perfon confifts.

Thus it is evident from the clearest and fulleft teftimony of the infpired writings, that our Bleffed

Bleffed Saviour is truely God and truely man; and that in one complex perfon, these natures, though perfectly diftinct, are most intimately connected. These primary truths it was neceffary to establish, as upon thefe our fubfequent inquiries into our Saviour's fonship and dignity will hinge. But the fuller explication of the union of these natures, and of the glorious perfonage they compofe, belongs to the subsequent departments of our plan.

CHAP.

CHA P. II.

Of Chrift's being the Son, the begotten Son of God, the proper Import of that Character, and the improper and unfcriptural Senfes in which it has been applied to him.

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AVING proved that our Blessed Saviour poffeffes both a divine and human nature, and that these two natures are united in one perfon; we proceed next to show that this glorious perfon is God's Son, his begotten Son, to ascertain the proper notion of generation, and to show the improper and unfcriptural fenfes in which Jefus has been held to be the Son of God.

1. The first thing here to be done is to prove that Chrift is the Son, the begotten and proper Son of God; for this is the fundamental article upon which the other parts of our plan do rest. That Chrift in some sense is the Son of God, is fo frequently and fo exprefsly declared in Scripture, that of those who own revelation, none can deny, all have acknowledged it. Before his incarnation God the Father promifes, "I will be "to him a Father, and he fhall be to me a Son," 2 Sam. vii. 14. Heb. i. 5. At his conception by the Bleffed Virgin, the angel announced to her, "That the holy person that should be born of her

fhould be called the Son of God," Luke i. 35. At his baptifm, his divine Father proclaimed from Heaven with proper folemnity, Chrift's filial relation to him. "This is my beloved Son " in whom I am well pleased," Matth. iii.

17.

and

with

with equal clearness and folemnity repeated it at his tranfiguration, Matth. xvii. 5. Chrift himself affirmed this his character and relation, calling God his Father, and declaring himself to be the Son of God, John xvii. 1. And his apostles being asked by their mafter, who they thought he was unanimously replied, "Thou art Jefus, the "Son of the living God, John vi. 69." and so frequently attested to this truth as makes any particular quotations altogether unneceffary.

But Chrift is not only affirmed in Scripture to be God's Son; but his Son in the strict and proper fenfe of the word. By a proper Son we mean one who is not adopted, is not merely created, nor has any metaphorical filiation; but one who is really begotten of his Father, and derives his perfon from him by a proper generation. And in this natural and proper fenfe, all Scripture declares Chrift to be the Son of God. Thus when God predicts the character of the glorious Meffiah, he predicts him as his proper, his begotten Son. "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten

thee," Pfal. ii. 7. When St. John purposely treats the birth and person of his divine mafter, he refts his Sonfhip on its proper foundation, his generation by the Father. "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, as of the only begotten of the Father," John i. 14. Our Bleffed Saviour himself claims this character upon the fame ground, when he favs, "God fo loved the world, that he gave his "only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in "him, might not perish, but have everlasting life. "For God fent not his Son into the world, to con"demn the world, but that the world through him. "might be faved; he that believeth on him is not "condemned, he that believeth not is condemned

already,

already, because he believeth not on the only begotten Son of God," John iii. 16-18. St. Paul not only describes him as the Son of God, the brightness of his Father's glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, which denote him clearly as God's proper Son, but gives us the most direct evidence of this important truth, by affirming, that when his Father bringeth the first-begotten into the world, he fayeth, "Let all the angels "of God worship him," Heb. i. 2, 3, 6. Accordingly the fame apoftle, upon this natural and juft foundation of Sonship, calls Chrift God's own, or his proper Son. "He that fpared not "his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,

how then shall he not with him alfo freely give •• us all things?" Rom. viii. 32. Such then are the numerous, clear and convincing proofs, divine revelation affords us that Chrift is the Son, the begotten Son of God. And all these paffages that reprefent him as the Son of God, reprefent him as fuch in his complex perfon. But this will be fhewed more fully in its proper place. We proceed then,

II. To afcertain the juft notion of generation, which is fo uniformly affirmed to be the proper ground of our Saviour's Sonfhip. This is a matter of the utmoft importance to a proper difcovery and establishment of the truth we are inveftigating. The Sonship of our Bleffed Saviour is uniformly expreffed in the fame language that is applied to the generated fons of men. Wherefore it is neceffary to afcertain in what generation, as applied to human beings, effentially confifts, that we may thence infer what it must import when applied to exprefs the generation of the Son of God. From inaccurate ideas of generation, many, if not most of the erroneous notions con

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cerning