What then has created fuch fierce Disputes about our Lord's Divine Nature? Why, the holy Scriptures do frequently speak of Jefus Chrift as inferior to the very God; and fome Learned Men, having unfortunatly thought that diverfe of those Paffages relate to his Divine Nature, have from thence concluded (juftly indeed, if that Principle be granted) that the WORD, tho' exprefly call'd God, yet is not the one very felfexiftent God, but a fecondary Being or inferior God. And they have accordingly labor'd to put fuch a Senfe upon thofe Texts, which speak of our Savior's Divinity, as is agreeable to their Conceptions of an inferior Deity. Whereas in Reality, tho' the holy Scriptures do frequently speak of Jefus Christ as inferior to the very God; yet there is not one of those Texts, but what either fairly may, or neceffarily muft, be understood of his human Nature. And confequently they do not prove, that the WORD, or his Divine Nature, is inferior to the very God. Wherefore thofe Texts, which speak of our Savior's Divinity, must be understood in their natural Senfe; which effectually demonftrats, as will foon appear, that the WORD, or Divine Nature of our Savior, is very God.

I hope, I have fhewn the Difference between us in fuch an intelligible manner, that a Perfon even of the meanest Capacity will fully and diftinctly perceive it. I fhall therefore proceed to establish my own Affer ion, and to confute yours, by proving,

1. That the Holy Scriptures do not teach, that the WORD, or Divine Nature of our Lord Jefus Chrift, is inferior to the very God.

2. That the Holy Scriptures do teach, that the WORD, or Divine Nature of our Lord Jefus Chrift, is the very God,

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CHAP.

VI.

Of the Exaltation of our Lord Jefus Christ.

IRST then, I fhall fhew, that the Holy Scriptures do not teach, that the WORD, or Divine Nature of our Lord Jefus Chrift, is inferior to the very God. This I fhall do, by examining all thofe Texts, which are fuppos'd to teach it.

The first is a famous Paffage of the Second Chapter of the Epiftle to the Philippians, wherein the Apoftle speaks very remarkably of the Humiliation and Exaltation of our Lord Jefus Chrift. And to prepare the Way for the true Explanation of that difficult Paffage, I must offer to your Confideration an Account of what the holy Scriptures (fetting afide for the prefent this Text in difpute) do fay concerning our Lord's Exaltation.

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When he folemnly afcended from Earth in the Prefence of his Difciples, we read that he was received into heaven, and fat on the right hand of God, Mark 16. 19. Soon after this, St. Stephen the first Martyr, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jefus ftanding on the right hand of God, And faid, behold, I fee the beavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God, Acts 7.55, 56. St. Paul alfo, Rom. 8. 34.

Col. 3. 1. Heb. 10. 12. and St. Peter, 1 Epift. 3. 22. affure us of his being and fitting at God's right hand, or, as 'tis fometimes exprefs'd, at the right hand of the throne of God, and on the right hand of the throne of the majeftie in the heavens, Heb. 8.1. Thus has God exalted him to be a prince, Acts 5. 31. By this he is 5.31. made Lord, Acts 2. 36. even Lord of all, Acts 10. 36. that is, Governor of the whole Creation... For

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God has put all things under his feet, 1 Cor. 15. 27. He is the head of all principality and power, Col. 2. 10. Angels, authorities, and powers being made subject unto him, 1 Pet. 3. 22. God has fet him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all, Eph. 1. 20, 21, 22, 23. So that he might juftly fay, I am fet down with my father in his throne, Rev. 3 21. And accordingly the fame Throne is the Throne of God, and of the Lamb; For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, fhall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes, Rev. 7. 17. And he fhewed me a pure river of water of life clear as chrystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb, Rev. 22.1. And there fhall be no more curfe, but the throne of God and of the Lamb fhall be in it, and his fervants fhall ferve him, v. 3.

Being in this glorious Station, he is our Mediator and Interceffor, pleading the Merit of his own Sacrifice in our behalf. He is the one mediator be tween God and men, 1 Tim. 2. 5. He maketh interceffion for us, Rom. 8. 34.

In this exalted Condition he receives Religious Worfhip. No fooner was he carried up into Heaven, but it follows immediatly, and they worshipped bim, Luke 24. 52. And accordingly St. Stephen at his Martyrdom pray'd to him, faying, Lord Jefus re ceive my fpirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this fin to their charge, Acts 7. 59, 60. St. John alfo fays, Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in bis own bloud, And bas made us kings and priests unto God and his father i to him

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be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Rev. 1. 5, 6. 'Tis faid of him, that he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that fate upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts, and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of faints. And they sung a new Song, Saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the feals thereof; for thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy bloud, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And haft made us unto our God kings and priests, and we fhall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, faying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blef fing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and fuch as are in the fea, and all that are in them, heard I faying, Bleffing, honor, glory, and power be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever, Rev. 5. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. To him the Martyrs cried with a loud voice, faying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, doft thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth? Rev. 6. 10. The great Multitudes alfo cried with a loud voice, faying, Salvation to our God which fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, Rev. Infomuch that our Lord's Words were then signally verify'd, that Men fhould honor the fon even as they honour the father, that is, fhould pay religious Adoration to him, John 5. 23.

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Then did our Lord's great Power display it felf. He shower'd down thofe Bleffings upon his Church, which God had enabled him to bestow, who then

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actually poffefs'd, by the Father's Gift, all power in heaven and in earth, Mat. 28. 18. The Apoftles reprefent him as the Difpenfer of Grace, Mercy and Peace, in Subordination to, and as the Son of, the very God. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jefus Chrift, Phil. 1. 2. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift our Savior, Tit. 1. 4. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift, Phil. 3. Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Chrift the son of the father, 2 John 3. Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne: And from Jefus Chrift, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, Rev. 1. 4, 5.

And indeed, how fhould it be otherwife? For our Lord, immediatly after his Afcenfion, began his Spiritual Reign, as the Vicegerent of the very God, over all created Beings. How truly might it then be faid, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift, and he shall reign for ever and ever, Rev. 11. 15? Now is come falvation, and ftrength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Chrift, Rev. 12. 10. He has on his vesture, and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Rev. 19. 16. Then might all his Enemies juftly tremble and dread his Power. Well might they fay to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that fitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? Rev. 6. 16, 17. And as his Enemies dreaded him, fo his faithful Difciples might well rely upon him. Accordingly St. Paul trufted in him for what he hop'd to accomplish, Phil. 2. 9, 24.

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