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emperor Charles V, saw it expedi-||fect this purpose, it was absolutely ent to check their progress in his necessary for these founders of dominions they were expelled christianity to avoid confusion and England by proclamation, 2 James obscurity of language, and to exI, in 1604; Venice in 1606; Por-press their ideas in a cool and tugal in 1759; France in 1764; cautious style. The least expression Spain and Sicily in 1767; and to- that would tend to deify a creatally suppressed and abolished by ture, or countenance idolatry, pope Clement XIV, in 1773. Enc. would have been a source of the Brit.; Mosheim's Ecc. Hist.; Har-greatest error. Hence Paul and leian Misc. vol. v, p. 566; Barnabas rent their clothes at the Broughton's Dict. very idea of the multitude's conJESUS CHRIST, the Lord and founding the creature with the Saviour of mankind. He is call-Creator, Acts xiv. The writers of ed Christ (anointed) because he the New Testament knew that in is anointed, furnished, and sent by speaking of Jesus Christ extraorGod to execute his mediatorial dinary caution was necessary; yet, office; and Jesus (Saviour) be-when we take up the New Testacause he came to save his people tament, we find such expressions from their sins. For an account as these: "The word was God, of his nativity, offices, death, re- John i, 1. God was manifest in surrection, &c. the reader is re-the flesh, 1st Tim. iii, 16. God with ferred to those articles in this work.us, Matt. i, 23. The Jews cruWe shall here more particularly cified the Lord of glory, 1st Cor. consider his divinity, humanity, ii, 8. Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and character. The divinity of Acts x, 36. Christ is over all Jesus Christ seems evident, if we God blessed for ever, Rom. ix, 5." consider, 1. The language of the These are a few of many propoNew Testament, and compare itsitions, which the New Testament with the state of the Pagan world writers lay down relative to Jesus at the time of its publication. If Christ. If the writers intended to Jesus Christ were not God, the affirm the divinity of Jesus Christ, writers of the New Testament dis- these are words of truth and socovered great injudicioushess in berness; if not, the language is the choice of their words, and incautious and unwarrantable; and adopted a very incautious and dan-to address it to men prone to idolgerous style. The whole world, ex-atry, for the purpose of destroycept the small kingdom of Judea, ing idolatry, is a strong presumpworshipped idols at the time of tion against their inspiration. It Jesus Christ's appearance. Jesus is remarkable, also, that the richest Christ; the evangelists, who wrote words in the Greek language are his history; and the apostles, who made use of to describe Jesus wrote epistles to various classes of Christ. This language, which is men, proposed to destroy idolatry, very copious, would have afforded and to establish the worship of one lower terms to express an inferior nly living and true God. To ef-nature; but it could have afforded

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none higher to express the nature posterous. They chose a method of the Supreme God. It is worthy of recommending Jesus to the of observation too, that these wri-Jews the most likely to alarm ters addressed their writings not to and enrage them. Whatever they philosophers and scholars, but to meant, the Jews understood them the common people, and conse- in our sense, and took Jesus for a quently used words in their plain blasphemer, John x, 33.-3. Compopular signification. The compare the perfections which are asmon people, it seems, understood cribed to Jesus Christ in the scripthe words in our sense of them; tures, with those which are ascribed for in the Dioclesian persecution, to God. Jesus Christ declares," All when the Roman soldiers burnt a things that the father hath are Phrygian city inhabited by Chris- mine," John xvi, 15: avery dangertians, men, women, and children,ous proposition, if he were notGod. submitted to their fate, calling up- The writers of Revelation ascribe on Christ, THE GOD OVER ALL. to him the same perfections which -2. Compare the style of the New they ascribe to God. Compare Jer. Testament with the state of the Jewsx, 10, with Is, ix, 6. Exod. xv, at the time of its publication. In 18, with Heb. i, 8. Jer. xxxii, 19, the time of Jesus Christ, the Jews with Is. ix, 6. Ps. cii, 24, 27, with were zealous defenders of the unity Heb. xiii, 8. Jer. xxiii, 24, with of God, and of that idea of his Eph. i, 20, 23. 1st Sam. ii. 5, perfections which their scriptures with John xiv, 30. If Jesus excited. Jesus Christ and his Christ be God, the ascription of apostles professed the highest re- the perfections of God to him is gard for the Jewish scriptures; proper; if he be not, the apostles yet the writers of the New Testa- are chargeable with weakness or ment described Jesus Christ by the wickedness, and either would devery names and titles by which stroy their claim of inspiration.-the writers of the Old Testament 4. Consider the works that are had described the Supreme God. ascribed to Jesus Christ, and comCompare Exod. iii, 14, with John pare them with the claims of Feviii, 58. Is. xliv, 6, with Rev. i, hovah. Is creation a work ofGod? 11, 17. Deut. x, 17. with Rev." By Jesus Christ were all things. xvii, 14. Ps. xxiv, 10, with 1st created," Col. i, 16. Is preserCor. ii, 8. Hos. i, 7, with Luke ii, vation a work of God? "Jesus 11. Dan. v, 23, with 1st Cor. xv, Christ upholds all things by the 47. 1st Chron. xxix, 11, with Col. word of his power," Heb. i, 3. Is ii, 10. If they who described Je- the mission of the prophets a work sus Christ to the Jews by these of God? Jesus Christ is the Lord sacred names and titles intended God of the holy prophets and it to convey an idea of his deity, the was the Spirit of Christ which description is just and the applica-testified to them beforehand the tion safe; but if they intended to sufferings of Christ, and the glory describe a mere man, they were that should follow, Neh. ix, 30. surely of all men the most pre-Rev. xxii, 6, 16. 1st Pet. i, 11.

Is the salvation of sinners a work host of heaven worship him that of God? Christ is the Saviour of sitteth upon the throne, and the all that believe, John iv, 42. Heb. lamb, for ever and ever, Rev. v, v. 9. Is the forgiveness of sin a 13, 14.-6. Observe the application work of God? The Son of Man of Old Testament passages which hath power to forgive sins, Matt. belong to Jehovah, to Jesus in the ix, 6. The same might be said New Testament, and try whether of the illumination of the mind;you can acquit the writers of the the sanctification of the heart; the New Testament of misrepresentaresurrection of the dead; the judg-tion, on supposition that Jesus is ing of the world; the glorification not God. St. Paul says, "We shall of the righteous; the eternal pu- all stand before the judgment seat nishment of the wicked; all which of Christ." That we shall all be works, in one part of scripture, are judged, we allow; but how do ascribed to God; and all which, in you prove that Christ shall be our another part of scripture, are Judge? Because, adds the apostle, arcribed to Jesus Christ. Now, if it is written, "As I live, saith the Jesus Christ be not God, into what Lord, every knee shall bow to me contradictions these writers must and every tongue shall confess to fall! They contradict one ano-God," Rom. xiv, 10, 11, with Is. ther; they contradict themselves. xlv, 20, &c. What sort of reaEither Jesus Christ is God, or their soning is this? How does this apconduct is unaccountable.-5. Con-ply to Christ, if Christ be not God? sider that divine worship which the And how dare a man quote one of scriptures claim for Jesus Christ. the most guarded passages in the It is a command of God, "Thou Old Testament for such a purpose? shalt worship the Lord thy God, John the Baptist is he who was and him only shalt thou serve," spoken of by the prophet Esaias, Mat. iv, 20. Yet the scriptures saying, prepare ye the way, Matt. command "all the angels of God iii, 1. 3. Isaiah saith, Prepare to worship Christ," Heb. i, 6.ye the way of THE LORD; make Twenty times, in the New Testa-straight a highway for OUR GOD, ment, grace, mercy, and peace, are Is. xl, 3, &c. But what has John implored of Christ, together with the Baptist to do with all this the Father. Baptism is an act of description if Jesus Christ be only worship performed in his name, a messenger of Jehovah, and not Matt. xxviii, 19. Swearing is an Jehovah himself? for Isaiah saith, act of worship; a solemn appeal Prepare ye the way of Jehovah. in important cases to the omnisci-Compare also Zech. xii, 10, with ent God; and this appeal is made John xix, 34, 37. Is. vi, with John to Christ, Rom. ix, 1. The com-xii, 39. Is. viii, 13, 14, with 1st mitting of the soul to God at death Pet. ii, 8. Allow Jesus Christ to is a sacred act of worship: in the be God, and all these applications performance of this act. Stephen are proper. If we deny it, the died, saying, Lord Jesus, receive New Testament, we must own, is my spirit, Acts vii, 59. The whole one of the most unaccountable

compositions in the world, calcu- Felix, &c. Mahomet, who lived lated to make easy things hard to in the sixth century, considers be understood.-7. Examine whe-Christians in the light of infidels ther events have justified that no-and idolaters throughout the Kotion of christianity which the pro-ran; and, indeed, had not Chrisphets gave their countrymen of it, tians worshipped Christ, he could if fesus Christ be not God. The have had no shadow of a pretence to calling of the Gentiles from the reform their religion, and to bring worship of idols to the worship of them back to the worship of one the one living and true God, is God. That the far greater part of one event, which, the prophets said, Christians have continued to worthe coming of the Messiah should ship Jesus, will not be doubted; bring to pass. If Jesus Christ be now, if Christ be not God, then God, the event answers the pro-the Christians have been guilty of phecy; if not, the event is not idolatry; and if they have been come to pass, for Christians in ge-guilty of idolatry, then it must apneral worship Jesus, which is idol-pear remarkable that the apostles, atry, if he be not God, ii, iii, and who foretold the corruptions of iv, of Isaiah. Zeph. ii, 11. Zech.christianity, 2d Tim. iii, should xiv, 9. The primitive Christians never have foreseen or warned certainly worshipped Him as God. us against worshipping Christ. In Pliny, who was appointed gov-no part of the scripture is there ernor of the province of Bythynia the least intimation of Christians by the emperor Trajan, in the falling into idolatry in this respect. year 103, examined and punished Surely if this had been an error several Christians for their non- which was so universally to preconformity to the established reli- vail, those scriptures which are gion of the empire. In a letter to able to make us wise unto salvathe emperor, giving an account of tion would have left us warning his conduct, he declares, "they on so important a topic. Lastly, affirmed the whole of their guilt, consider what numberless passages or their error, was, that they met of scripture have no sense, or a very on a certain stated day, before it absurd one, if Jesus Christ be a mere was light, and addressed them-man. See Rom. i, 3. 1st Tim. iii, selves in a form of prayer to Christ 16. John xiv, 9. John xvii, 5. as to some God." Thus Pliny Phil. ii, 6. Ps, cx, 1, 4. 1st Tim. meant to inform the emperor that i, 2. Acts xxii, 12, and Acts ix, 17. Christians worshipped Christ. Jus- But though Jesus Christ be God, tin Martyr, who lived about 150 yet for our sakes, and for our salyears after Christ, asserts, that the vation, he took upon him human Christians worshipped the Father, nature; this is therefore called his the Son, and the Spirit. Besides humanity. Marcion, Appelles, Vahis testimony, there are number-lentinus, and many other heretics, less passages in the fathers that denied Christ's humanity, as some attest the truth in question; espe-have done since. But that Christ çially in Tertullian, Hyppolitus, had a true human body, and not,

a mere human shape, or a body [ject for meditation, exhibits to us that was not real flesh, is very evi-an example of the most perfect dent from the sacred scriptures, Is. and delightful kind.

vii, 12. Luke xxiv, 39. Heb. ii, "Here," as an elegant writer 14. Luke i, 42. Phil. ii, 7, 8. John observes, " every grace that can i, 14. Besides, he ate, drank, slept, recommend religion, and every walked, worked, and was weary. virtue that can adorn humanity, He groaned, bled, and died upon are so blended, as to excite our the cross. It was necessary that admiration, and engage our love. he should thus be human, in order In abstaining from licentious pleato fulfil the Divine designs and sures, he was equally free from prophecies respecting the shedding ostentatious singularity and churlof his blood for our salvation, ish sullenness. When he comwhich could not have been done, plied with the established ceremohad he not possessed a real body.nies of his countrymen, that comIt is also as evident that he as-pliance was not accompanied by sumed our whole nature, soul as any marks of bigotry or superwell as body. If he had not, he stition: when he opposed their could not have been capable of rooted prepossessions, his opposithat sore amazement and sorrow tion was perfectly exempt from unto death, and all those other the captious petulance of a conacts of grieving, feeling, rejoicing, troversialist, and the undistinguish&c. ascribed to him. It was not, ing zeal of an innovator. His however, our sinful nature he as-courage was active in encountersumed, but the likeness of it, Rom. ing the dangers to which he was viii, 2, for he was without sin, exposed, and passive under the and did no iniquity. His human aggravated calamities which the nature must not be confounded malice of his foes heaped upon with his divine; for though there him: his fortitude was remfote be an union of natures in Christ, from every appearance of rashness, yet there is not a mixture or con- and his patience was equally exfusion of them or their properties. empt from abject pusillanimity: His humanity is not changed into he was firm without obstinacy, his deity, nor his deity into hu- and humble without meanness.— manity; but the two natures are Though possessed of the most undistinct in one person. How this bounded power, we behold him union exists is above our compre-living continually in a state of vohension; and, indeed, if we can-luntary humiliation and poverty: not explain how our own bodies we see him daily exposed to aland souls are united; it is not to be most every species of want and supposed we can explain this asto-distress; afflicted without a comnishing mystery of God manifest forter, persecuted without a proin the flesh. See MEDIATOR. tector; and wandering about, acWe now proceed to the charac- cording to his own pathetic comter of Jesus Christ, which, while plaint, because he had not where it affords us the most pleasing sub- to lay his head. Though regard

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