that given to Chrift, they use the very fame word, without the leaft note of diftinétion.

He is held forth, in the Evangelical History, as the Lord God of the children of Ifrael. Therefore the Angel foretold concerning John Baptift; Many of the children of Ifrael fhall be turn to the Lord their God. Who this is, evidently appears from the words that follow; And be fball go before him in the Spirit and power of Elias, Luke i. 16, 17. Now, whomfoever John preceded as an harbinger, he must have been the Lord God-of the children of Ifrael. But it was Jefus whom he preceded, as John himfelf teftifies; He that cometh after me, is preferred before me, John i. 27. and again, addressing his disciples; Ye yourfelves bear me witness that I faid, I am not the Chrift, but that I am fent before him, John iii. 28. In all the Gospels, and also in the Acts, Chrift is represented as that illustrious Perfonage, whofe forerunner the Baptist was *. On this account, Zacharias calls John the prophet of the Higheft. For, fays he, thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, Luke i. 76. But let any man in his right fenfes fay, If this language would not have been both abfurd and blafphemous, had John been the prophet and har binger of a mere man?

Indeed, the Lord, whofe way is here faid to be prepared, is JEHOVAH. For the Evangelift Matthew informs us concerning John, that this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Efaias, faying, The voice of one crying in the wildernefs, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, chap. iii. 3. But the word used by the prophet, is JEHOVAH, Ifa. xl. 3. Therefore Jefus, who had John for his forerunner, is, and was confidered by the Evangelifts, as JEHOVAH. Now, notwithstanding all the vain things, that the people have imagined, in their combination against the Lord, and his Anointed; as long as the word of God remains, this must be confidered

Matt. iii. 3. Mar. i. 2, 3. Acts xiii. 24, 25.

fidered as his incommunicable name. All the prefumptuous affertions and filly quibbles of Socinians, can be of no force, with a believing foul, when opposed to fuch language as this, I am JEHOVAH, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, Ifa. xlii. 8. When the church prays for vengeance on the enemies of God, who have made a tumult, lifted up the head, and said, Let us take to our felves the boufes of God in possession, it is for this end, That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Moft High over all the earth, Pfal. lxxxiii. 18. He, therefore, who is the Higheft (Luke i. 76.) or the Moft High, and who has the name JEHOVAH, is God in the proper sense of language; is God alone, not as excluding the Father and Spirit, but as truly divine, and as opposed to every creature,

however exalted.

Luke informs us, that Jefus was recieved by believers, in his time, as the Lord of hofts. For when recording the teftimony of Simeon, he declares, that he said to Mary the mother of Jefus; Bebold, this child is fet for the fall and rifing again of many in Ifrael, and for a fign that shall be fpoken against, chap. ii. 34. These words are taken from the prophecy of Isaiah, chap. viii. 13, 14, where they are spoken of JEHOVAH of hosts: Sanctify the Lord of bofts bimfelf; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And be fball be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of ftumbling and for a rock of offence, to both the houses of Ifrael.

And many of them fhall ftumble and fall, and be broken, and be fnared, and be taken. That Jefus, then, who was a ftone of fumbling, was yet to be the object of religious fear and worship, as the omnipotent God, who doth according to his will in the army of beaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth. For the Lord of bofts is a name exprefling almighty power and univerfal dominion, as well as fovereignty of operation. Simeon, therefore, believed in Jefus as the Lord

of bofts. Nor was this delufive exercise. The Evangelift informs us, that the Holy Gooft was upon bim, ver. 25. If Simeon was mistaken, Luke must have been fo too. Indeed, we find the apoftle Peter alfo confidering Chrift as that ftone of Aumbling foretold by the prophet, 1 Ep. ii. 8. Thofe, who in our day, oppofe him as the Son of God, have need diligently to inquire, whether the prophecy be not fulfilled in them.

Of our Saviour's Doctrine and Conduct with respect to bis Divinity.

ANOTHER argument urged by Dr P. against the Divinity or Pre-existence of Chrift, is founded on his fupposed filence on this subject." The manner," he says, " in which our Lord fpeaks of himself, and of the power ." by which he worked miracles, is inconfiftent, according "to the common construction of language, with the idea of ❝ his being poffeffed of any proper power of his own, more "than other men have *.”

What we mean to offer in reply to this argument, will not only show that our Saviour claimed divinity to himself, but at the same time ferve as a continued proof of what the Evangelifts believed concerning him. The Doctor ftrenuously urges the conceffion of the fathers, that, in the three first gospels, Jefus is defcribed merely as man; and pleads from the fuppofed lateness of the publication of John's gofpel, that, although the divinity of Chrift were taught in. it, the greatest part of the first believers must have died. without any knowledge of this doctrine. We shall there

fore

Earl. Opin. vol. i. p. 13. 14.

fore continue to direct our principal attention to what is narrated by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And if it appear, that they really believed this doctrine, and taught it in their writings; the whole of our author's reasoning from inaccurate or disjointed expreffions taken from the works of the fathers, really or apparently afferting the contrary, muft fall to the ground.

We have already proved that Chrift is acknowledged by the Evangelists as the object of faith. They also represent him as exhibiting himself in this very character: Whofo fall offend one of thefe little ones who believe in me, c. Mat. xviii. 6.

He demanded Supreme love from his followers. If any man come to me, and bate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and fifters, yea, and his own life alfo, he cannot be my difciple, Luke xiv. 26. that is, every one, who would be his disciple, must love him more than all thefe; as we learn from Mat. x. 37. If the love, here demanded, be not fupreme, we know not what can come under this defcription. It is love, that excludes the partnership of every other object. This demand undoubtedly implies all that God claims, as his right, in the first and great commandment; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind, Mat. xxii. 37. The love, here required, is by no means included in that fecondary precept, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ver. 39. For Jefus requires, that a man should comparatively hate his nearest and dearest neighbour, yea, bis own life alfo, for his fake.

Jesus prescribed his Name's fake as the fupreme end to be proposed by his difciples. This language was quite familiar to the Jews, to whom he addreffed himself. But they had been always accustomed to restrict it to God. HowEver frequently this expreffion occurs in the Old Testament,

we

view, as it also fhews in what sense we are to understand the many teftimonies of this kind given by the Evangelifts, is the express declaration of our Saviour in his exalted state; "All the churches shall know that I am he who fearcheth the reins and hearts, Rev. ii. 23. This language evidently excludes any fuperior kind of knowledge of the heart. If, therefore, Jefus does not know it as the Father does, he is chargeable with that robbery which the Spirit of God denies, and which Socinians, in their own way, have all along attempted to show that he never thought of. But the knowledge, claimed by him, is precisely of the fame kind with the Father's. This appears from the end proposed by both in this work. When JEHOVAH fays, I-do fearch the heart, I try the reins; it is even to give every man according to bis ways, Jer. xvii. 10. When Jefus fays, All the churches fball know that I am he who fearcheth the reins and hearts, how is it meant that his claim to this divine prerogative fhall be known? It is by the perfect administration of justice. For it immediately follows; And I will give unto every one of you according to his works, Rev. ii. 22. Jefus, therefore, discovers his claim to this character in the fame manner with the Father. He muft, of consequence, have the fame title.

God feems to have granted, at times, to those who were inspired, a knowledge of the most secret words and actions of men; as an evidence of their miffion, and for the accomplishment of his purposes of mercy or judgment. This is evident from the hiftory of Elifha, with respect to the king of Syria, and also his fervant Gehazi. But in the firft inftance, his knowledge extended to the words only, that were spoken in the king's bed-chamber, 2 Kings vi. 12. As to the fecond; there was nothing more than a discovery of the language and conduct of Gehazi, chap. v. 26. Thus, God hath revealed to his fervants, as

we