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faith, and of the Holy Ghost, have besought his guidance, aid, grace, and blessing, while they lived; and, when they died, have besought him to receive their Spirits into his own eternal Kingdom. If Christ is God; if he is JEHOVAH; they have done their duty. If he is not God; if he is not JEHOVAH; they have violated through life, and in death, the first of JEHOVAH'S COMmands in the Decalogue; Thou shalt have no other God before

me.

SERMON XXXVIII.

DIVINITY OF CHRIST.

PROOFS.

THIS THE ONLY GROUND OF CONSISTENCY IN THE SCHEME OF REDEMPTION.

THE JEWS OTHERWISE NOT CHARGEABLE WITH GUILT IN CRUCIFYING CHRIST.

THE APOSTLES OTHERWISE CHARGEABLE WITH LEADING MANKIND INTO IDOLATRY.

ROMANS viii. 3, 4.

For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned Sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

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For God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and of a sin-offering, hath condemned sin in the flesh, (the thing impossible to the Law, because it was weak through the flesh:) That the righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled by us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Dr. Macknight's Translation.

ACCORDING to the plan, originally proposed from these words, I have, in the three preceding discourses, considered, at length, the proofs of the Deity of Christ, arranged under the first general head: viz. That Christ is spoken of in the Scriptures as the true and perfect GOD.

I shall now proceed to consider the three following heads of discourse, originally proposed; viz.

II. That the Deity of Christ is the only ground of Consistency in the scheme of Redemption:

III. That the Jews, according to the opposite doctrine, are unjustly charged with Guilt in putting Christ to death:

IV. That the Prophets and Apostles, according to the same doctrine, cannot be vindicated from the sin of leading Mankind into Idolatry.

The last argument, then proposed, I shall omit to examine, until I have considered the divinity of the Holy Spirit; and shall now proceed to the consideration of the

II. Viz. That the Deity of Christ is the only ground of consistency in the scheme of Redemption.

The truth of this assertion I shall attempt to evince by show ing, that the Deity of Christ is the only ground of Consistency in the things, spoken of him, as

The Light of the World;

The Saviour of the World; and,

The Propitiation for Sin.

1st. As the Light of the World.

Christ is exhibited in the Scriptures as the light of the World, in two respects:

First, As Revealing the Will of GOD to mankind; and,

Secondly, As Communicating spiritual, or divine, Light to the

soul.

In both respects, the things, said of Christ in the Scriptures, as the Light of the World, are consistent, only on the supposition, that Christ is the true God. That the Scriptures are the Word of JEHOVAH will not be questioned by any man, who believes in a Revelation; since they are called by this title, and by others equivalent to it, in hundreds of instances, from Genesis to the Revelation of St. John. But the Scriptures are expressly declared to be the Word of Christ; Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching, and admonishing, one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs. In this passage, the Old Testament is in so many terms declared to be the Word of VOL. II.

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Christ.

The Gospel, every man knows, is appropriately entitled the Gospel of Christ.

St. Mark prefaces his account of the Gospel with these words; The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

St. Paul informs us, that he received the Gospel immediately by revelation from Christ; and accordingly he every where styles it the Gospel of Christ. The greatness of the authority, which it derived from this source, he teaches us in the strongest manner, when he says, Though we, or an angel from heaven, or any one whatever, preach another Gospel, let him be accursed. Galatians i. 8, 9. This Gospel, he also says, is Christ, the power, and wisdom, of GOD unto salvation.

St. Peter teaches the same truth, in a manner equally forcible, when he says, Of which Salvation the Prophets have enquired, searching what, and what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify. Here the Spirit which inspired the Prophets, is styled the Spirit of Christ; and this Spirit, the same Apostle says, is the Holy Ghost. For Prophecy, saith he, came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of GoD spake, as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. The Old Testament, therefore, was revealed to the Prophets by the spirit of Christ.

Concerning the New, Christ himself teaches us the same doctrine, in the same decisive manner. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come; He will guide you into all the truth;-for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. He shall teach you all things, and shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto

you.

All things, therefore, which Christ had said to the Apostles, The Spirit of Truth brought to their remembrance. He taught them all things, and guided them into all the Truth. Yet he spoke not of himself, but that which he heard, which he received from Christ, and that only, he declared unto them. The Gospel, therefore, is originally, and only, derived from Christ. Yet it is repeatedly styled by St. Paul, the Gospel of God.

This Character of the Revealer of the will of God, St. John

declares repeatedly in the introduction of his Gospel. After having declared, that the Word was in the beginning, or eternal; was GOD; and was co-eternal with GOD; and that all things were made by him; he goes on to say, In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. He then informs us, that John the Baptist came to bear witness of the Light; that he was not that Light; but was sent to bear witness of that Light. Then he adds, That was the true Light which lighteth every man, that cometh into the world. To all this he adds further the testimony of John the Baptist; the very Witness which he bore concerning Christ as the Light. No one, said this harbinger of the Redeemer, who was sent for the very purpose of declaring his true character, No one hath seen GOD at any time; the only begotten Son of GOD, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared him. To declare the character, and designs, of GOD is plainly impossible, unless for him, who knows these things intuitively; or for him, to whom God is pleased to make them known. But no other person, beside the Son, and the Spirit, knows the things of GoD intuitively. This we know certainly, without inspiration; but the Scriptures have determined the point if it were otherwise uncertain. No one, saith our Saviour, knoweth the Father, but the Son; and he, to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. The things of God, saith St. Paul, knoweth no one, but the Spirit of GoD: and the Spirit searcheth all things, even the deep things of GOD. From all these passages it is, I apprehend, certain, that Christ is the sole author of Revelation; and that the Spirit has not, as the Spirit of Inspiration, spoken of himself; but has received from Christ his mind, or pleasure, and declared it to the men, whom he inspired. Accordingly, St. Paul says, speaking of his own Inspiration, and that of the other Apostles, We have the mind of Christ. It is, therefore, true to this day, that no one knoweth the Father, but the Son, and those, to whom the Son hath revealed him. This knowledge, thus revealed, was not revealed to Christ, but was Possessed by him, because he dwells in the bosom of the Father, and has dwelt there from Eternity; being daily his delight, and rejoicing alway before him.

Should it be objected, that mankind know something of GOD by

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