pendence. But that, we are ready to grant, with the utmost cheerfulness; having no fear of the result.

In our text, and its connection, the Apostle is evidently speaking of the Son of God in his mediatorial capacity; and in that respect, he certainly acts in subordination to the Father. In respect to his human nature, his dependence on God must be admitted. The text does not include all that we believe concerning Jesus Christ; but it is very far from standing in opposition to any of our views in respect to his person and character. But to set this in a clear light, it is necessary to make a concise statement of our views of this grand, but mysterious subject.

Need I inform this enlightened assembly, that correct Trinitarians believe in the being of no more than one God, who is infinite in every perfection, and to whose glorious name all religious worship is due? We consider the charge of being Tritheists, or believers in three Gods, as highly disingenuous, and inapplicable to our sentiments. It is acknowledged by an able and candid writer, in his "Plea for Unitarian Dissenters," that the name," Unitarian, is opposed to Trinitarian, or Tri-uni-tarian; and signifies a believer in, and worshipper of one God in one person, as contradistinguished from a believer in and worshipper of one God in three persons." By these definitions, he completely exonerates us from the unjust accusation of being Tritheists. We do believe, that in the Divine Essence, there are three distinct subsistences, which, for the want of a better expression, are called persons. The personal distinction is viewed by us as being consistent with the unity of the essence; believing this mode of the Divine Existence to be the most perfect, happy, and glorious; laying a broad foundation for the most bright display of God's glory, in the eternal salvation of mankind. These distinct Divine Persons, we believe to sustain different

offices in relation to the scheme of redemption, which are not on the same ground of equality with the original perfections of their eternal and underived essence. As it is the office of the Father, or first person in the Trinity, to maintain the rights of the Deity or Godhead, it is, therefore, primary and supreme. As the Son, or second person, has made the atonement by shedding his precious blood, and intercedes with the Father in behalf of his people; and as the Holy Spirit, or third person, applies the redemption of Christ to the souls of men; their offices are, of course, inferior and subordinate to that of the Father. This is an accurate statement of the Trinitarian system; and when it is fairly understood, it relieves many difficulties, in which our Anti-Trinitarian friends believe us to be involved. As the Son of God has taken human nature into a personal union with the divine; performing, in that capacity, the momentous work of a Mediator; he is, undoubtedly, in that respect, wholly dependent on God. From the general statement that has been made concerning the Persons in the adorable Trinity-the order of their distinct offices-the humanity as well as divinity of Christ—with his exercising a mediatorial government under the direction of the Father; it must be obvious to every dispassionate hearer, that the text under consideration is not in opposition to this important and Scriptural scheme. These facts in respect to Christ, do not militate in the least degree against his strict and proper Deity; and they are to us consoling truths-truths, without which, we should have no right to expect eternal salvation. There is an important sense, therefore, in which he is subordinate to the Father; and a sense, in which he hath made him both Lord and Christ.

In farther investigating this sublime subject, it is proposed, through Divine assistance, to show,

I. What the Holy Scriptures teach us, in relation to the inferiority of the Son's office to that of the Father. Subordination, in this respect, is a doctrine clearly set forth in the Oracles of Truth, in various and expressive phraseology. As it is the office of the Father to defend the rights of the Deity, and to treat this fallen world as in a justly condemned state, he hath commissioned the second Person of the Trinity, to offer them salvation through faith in his atoning blood. On this account, he is called the servant of God-his messenger-his angel, and the Captain of his host, with other appellations, indicating, with great clearness, inferiority of office.

In respect to the Son being a servant to the Father in the glorious economy of redemption, see Isaiah 42. 1: "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles." In the 53d chapter, 11th verse, it is expressly said, "By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." But his acting in this capacity, might easily be evinced from many other sacred passages, if the thing were necessary. That he is the Father's messenger, is a truth explicitly declared in Mal. 3. 1: "And the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in. Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts." As angels are the ministers of Jehovah, his own eternal Son, in the plan of redeeming grace, is frequently called by that name; but it is always accompanied with decided marks of supreme Divinity. In Isa. 63. 9, it is said of God, in relation to the children of Israel, "In all their afflictions, he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them." There is no other Spirit in the world above, called the Angel of God's presence. It is too high

an appellation for a mere creature to sustain. But the uncreated glory of this Angel, appears with more clearness in Exodus 23. 20, 21. There, God s ith to Moses, "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, and provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions; for my name is in him." Such statements respecting his character and offices, are certainly pre-eminent marks of divine dignity. The Deity of this Angel appears with greater force of evidence, however, in Exodus, the 3d chapter. It is, with awful solemnity, stated there, "And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire, out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned. And when the Lord-that is, JEHOVAH, as it is in the original-saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses: Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." When this same Angel appeared unto Abraham, he called him "the Lord, the Judge of all the earth;" acknowledging himself to be but dust and ashes in his presence. For an understanding of this statement, permit me to refer you to the 18th chapter of Genesis. When this Almighty Angel addressed Joshua, the commander of the armies of Israel, he styled himself the Captain of the Lord's host; and commanded this Hebrew officer to worship him by the highest act of reverence which was then in use, viz. uncovering the feet. The

account at large is recorded in the 5th chapter of Joshua. But while the supreme Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is announced in the Scriptures which have been quoted, they sufficiently show the subordination of his office to that of the Father. Our Lord Jesus Christ asserted repeatedly, that he was sent by the Father; and that the Father, in that respect, was greater than himself. In testimony of this doctrine, citations from the Holy Scriptures might easily be multiplied. It is needless, however, to enlarge on this head; for the thing in view is sufficiently clear. But in no other sense but that of office, is Christ, in his Divine nature, either inferior or subordinate to the Father.

2. It is necessary now to show in what sense the Lord Jesus Christ is dependent on God. It must be allowed, that in respect to his body and soul, Christ is a real man, and as dependent on the Deity, as any other created being in the universe. It is in his human nature that he was crucified; for the Divine nature could not die. Jesus our Lord, gloried in being the Son of man, as well as the Son of God. To exhibit a long list of passages in proof of this, is unnecessary to people who are in the habit of reading the Scriptures. As this is greatly labored by our Anti-Trinitarian opponents, we are fully prepared to meet them here, with our cordial assent. It would be a mourn, ful event to us, if the humanity of Christ could not be maintained. It is distinctly stated in the epistle to the Hebrews, that “Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death." No mere man, can, with any propriety, be said to take "flesh and blood;" for that implies existence antecedent to the event. It appears with irresistible evidence, that each person in the Triune God, acted in giving being to the human nature of Christ. It is well

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