and the destruction of her enemies, contained in the psalm; and he is to be praise, not only as possessing these perfections, but displaying them." From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised." Agreeably to this, the different characters of the Mediator are brought into view, and divine worship paid to him. None who admit his supreme Deity deny his claim to worship as Creator; and is it not astonishing that his claim to it, as clothed with the mediatory character, should be refused? The person is the same, the perfections are the same, and these are the foundation of all divine worship; the characters differ, but without affecting the dignity of the person. The work of salvation is not an inferior work to that of creation, it is not less glorious, it is equally difficult, and it affords a more glorious display of Deity. Salvation work proves as convincingly the divinity of its Author, as the work of creation, and consequently, exhibits him as much the object of worship. The three-one-God, as Creator, said, "Let us make man after our own image;" and we worship him accordingly: but the same God is the Author of the new Creation, and shall we not also worship him in that character? The difference of economical characters, in this work, can never affect the object of worship to us; for it is impossible God should assume a character in which he could not be worshipped. In whatever sense any act of worship terminates upon its object, in that very sense or character is the object worshipped. When we praise God for giving us our being, the act terminates on him as Creator, and as such is he worshipped. "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made," &c. Psalm cxxxix. 14. If we praise him for salvation, or for any part of it, the

act terminates on him as the Saviour. CC. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive-honour, and glory, and blessing." Rev. v. 12. Let it be observed that it is not the abstract character of the Creator or Mediator that is worshipped, but the divine person who sustains these characters, and as acting in them.

4. DIVINE honours must be paid to the Mediator in that character in which supreme Deity belongs to him.

As Deity is the ground of his title to divine worship, or is that which renders him worthy of it, if there be any character which he sustains to which Deity does not belong, he cannot, in that character, have a claim to divine worship. But he sustains no such character. He is Creator, Legislator, and moral Governor, but supreme Deity was necessary to his sustaining any of these characters. Deity alone is competent to create, to legislate and govern. Had it been possible for any being inferior to God to have created, he would not have been entitled to divine worship, not being possessed of Divinity the proper ground of a claim to it. Supreme Deity belongs necessarily to the mediatory character. The nature and greatness of the work which he had to execute, rendered it necessary he should be God. The blood, by which the church was to be purchased, must be the blood of God, otherwise it can possess no value. Satan's kingdom was not to be subverted but by divine power: nor could sin be subdued in the heart, nor the church preserved and supplied in all cases, but by one in whom all fulness dwelt. It is impossible to form a conception of the mediatory character without including in it the consideration of the divinity of his person; for not the human nature but the divine person was clothed with mediatory authority. When we think of the

Son of God, either as Creator or Mediator, his supreme Deity forces itself into our thoughts, because he is neither Creator nor Mediator without it. Unless then we can separate Deity from the mediatory character, we must worship him in that character. We are to love, esteem, praise and adore the Mediator because Deity belongs to him. Were it possible for us to form an adequate conception of the Mediator, while we exclude supreme Deity from that conception, he could not, in that character, be the object of our worship. In worshipping him as Creator we cannot exclude the consideration of his being Mediator, and when we worship him as Mediator we cannot exclude his character as Creator. Though these are two distinct considerations of the Son of God yet they are inseparably connected in, and with his person, and we are equally concerned in both, and in all our worship must include both. When, therefore, in our solemn acts of worship, we bow down and kneel before the LORD our Maker; why may we not do the same before the LORD our Redeemer? Is there any thing in his character or work to render it improper?

5. WE must worship the Mediator in the same character in which we have union to him and enjoy him.

THE observation will apply equally to each of the divine persons as they are exhibited in the execution of the scheme of salvation. We can attain to no interest in God, nor be admitted to any happy intercourse with him, but according to the tenor of the new covenant; in any other light he is absolutely inaccessible to sin ners. And although he is infinitely worthy of divine worship, and though we are bound to render it to him, he cannot, he will not receive it but in the way of that covenant. According to it he is the God of his peo

ple; they hold a happy gracious relation to him, and enjoy communion with him. It is by being brought into this covenant, that God becomes our God, and we become his people. He is our Father and we are his children in that covenant, and all our intercourse with him is according to the gracious nature of this covenant, by free gracious promises, which he, as our God, fulfils to us. This intercourse includes all that we receive from him, and all that we offer him. In the same character that he communicates his grace to us, he receives worship

from us. When he prescribed to Israel the unalterable rule of their worship he acted as their God. " I am the LORD thy God-Thou shalt have no other gods before me." "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain." Exod. xx. 2, 7. As it is in his economical character, as the God of his people that he prescribes the rules of his worship, it must be in that same character that he receives it. Agreeably to this, his people worship him as their God. "Ascribe ye greatness unto our God." Deut. xxxii. 3. "We will serve the LORD, for he is our God." Josh. xxiv. 17, 18. " And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said- help us, O LORD our God; for we rest upon thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against us." 2 Chr. xiv. 11.

In

THE relation which the Son of God holds to the new covenant, is that of Mediator; nor has he any other, neither have we to do with him in any other. this relation he is the God of his people, who have vital union to him, and derive all saving blessings from him. His being constituted the Mediator of that co venant could not exclude him from being the God of

his people, any more than from being their Creator or moral Governor. By this covenant, God in the person of the Father is their God, at the head of the new covenant, sustaining the rights of Deity, and manifesting himself as the grand spring of all gracious blessings. God in the person of the Son is their God, as the Mediator of the covenant, to purchase all its blessings, and to be the medium of conveyance from the Father to them. The Spirit is also their God to sanctify them by this covenant. In his mediatory character, the Son often appeared under the Old Testament, called himself the God of his people, bestowed favours upon them, and received their worship. He appeared to Abraham and promised to be his God and the God of his secd; to Moses often, to Manoah and Gideon, who at the same time paid him divine honours. To the same purpose is the declaration of Thomas on seeing Jesus after his resurrection, "My Lord, and my God." They are all in union to him, as the Mediator of the covenant, enjoy all divine blessings from him, and maintain holy intercourse with him. Since then he has no relation to them, in which they can enjoy any intercourse with him, but that of Mediator; they must receive all favours from him, in this way, else they cannot receive them at all; and they must either worship him in this character, and in the way of this covenant, otherwise they cannot do it at all; for there is no other character, and no other way in which they can either worship or enjoy him.

6. THE same divine worship is given to him that is given to the Father, in their economical characters.

WORSHIP is almost universally offered to the Father, in his economical character, though not to the exclusion of any other character belonging to him; and no