"For says he, though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven, or in earth (as there be gods many, and lords many.) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." With this idea in our minds, let us turn to the epistles, and read the inscriptions, which all, but one or two, represent the God of the apostles, who is the God of Abraham, as the Father of Christ.

The inscription of the epistle to the Romans runs thus: "Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God (which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures.) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead." By God here, Paul means the God of Abraham, for it was the God of Abraham, who promised Christ, and inspired the prophets to foretel his coming; and this God he declares was the Father of Christ, and raised him from the dead.

The inscription of the first epistle to the Corinthians is expressed in nearly the same terms, or at least, is of the same import. "Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Grace be unto you, and peace from God

our Father, and from the Lord. Jesus Christ." Here Paul represents God the Father as a distinct person from God the Son. But in his inscription of the second epistle to the same church, he says, "Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The epistle to the Galatians begins with these words, "Paul an apostle (not of men, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.) Grace be unto you, and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ."

In the first verses of the epistle to the Ephesians, we read, "Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus: Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places." Here the apostle calls God, the God of Abraham, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul inscribes his epistle to the Colossians in these words: "Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you."

The inscriptions of the epistles to the Philippians, of the first and second epistles to the Thessalo

nians, of the first and second epistles to Timothy, of the epistle to Titus, and of the epistle to Philemon, run in this, or similar lan guage: Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." This language, as we have often observed, implies, that the God of the apostles was the God of Abraham, and the God of Abraham was the Father of Christ.

The beginning of the epistle to the Hebrews is so much to our purpose, that it must not be omitted. It is in these words. "God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath, in these last days, spoken unto us by his Son." The God, who spake, at sundry times and in divers manners unto the fathers by the prophets, we very well know, was the God of Abraham. And this God, the apostle expressly says, was the father of Christ.To give these inscriptions their due weight on this subject, it is proper to observe, that the apostle speaks with great accuracy and precision, and with a particular design, to tell us who the father of Christ was; and he invari. ably declares, that he was his God, that is, the God of Abraham.

But there is one passage of scripture more, which I have reserved for the last to be mentioned, because it serves to illustrate all the above cited passages, and to prove to a demonstration, that the God of Abraham was the Father

of Christ. The words I allude to are those, which Peter uttered on the occasion of healing the man who had been lame from his mothcr's womb. "And as the lame man, who was healed, held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch, that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our Own power or holiness, we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers hath glorified his son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in presence of Pilate,when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One, and just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you. And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses. And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him, hath given this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unte

me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquity." Here Peter, in a long discourse clearly and fully proves, from all the prophets, that the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, was the Father of Christ; or, that the God, whom the men of Israel called the Lord their God, was the Father of Christ. And this fully confirms what Christ himself says to the Jews in the text. "It is my Father that honoreth me, of whom ye say, that he is your God." Thus it appears from a great variety of passages from both the Old and New Testament, that the God of Abraham was the Father of Christ.

IMPROVEMENT.

1. If the God of Abraham was the Father of Christ; then the Father of Christ was the Creator of the world.

We find this plainly and repeatedly asserted in many places in

the Old Testament. In the seventeenth of Genesis we are told, "When Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect." Here the God of Abraham claims to be the Almighty God, and there can be no doubt that this Almighty God was the Creator of the world. It was the God of Israel, who was the God of Abraham, who at mount Sinai gave the fourth commandment to his people Israel, the seed of Abraham, saying, "Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work.-For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day." In this commandment, the God of Israel declares himself to be the Creator of all things. Moses reminds the children of Israel, that their God, who was the God of their fathers, and entered into covenant with them, was the Creator of the world. He says to them, “The Lord thy God is a merciful God, he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers, which he sware unto them, namely, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For ask now of the days that are past before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth-did ever a people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of

the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?" Here it is expressly asserted, that the God who entered into covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was the Creator of man upon the earth. Again we read in Isaiah 45th, "Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the works of my hands, command ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands have stretch ed out the heavens, and all their hosts have I commanded." It would be easy to cite a multitude of such passages out of the Old Testament, which represent the God of Israel as the great Creator. But those I have mentioned are sufficient to establish the truth beyond all doubt, that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was the Creator of the world.

Hence it plainly follows, that the Father of Christ, the first person in the Trinity, was the Creator of the world.

2. If the God of Abraham was the Father of Christ; then the Father of Christ gave the law at mount Sinai. The law was given at Sinai, by the same God, who brought Israel out of Egypt; and we are expressly told, that he was the God of Abraham. In the third chapter of Exodus it is said, that the God of Abraham delivered Israel, by the hand of Moses. "God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of

our fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done unto you in Egypt And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, unto the land of the Canaanites,and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey." Here is an express declaration, that it was the God of Abraham, who sent Moses to Israel, and by his hand brought them out of Egypt to Canaan. And we are as expressly told, that the God of Abraham, who brought Israel out of Egypt, was the God who gave the law at mount Sinai. If we turn to the 20th of Exodus, we may read as follows. "And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, who have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me," &c. Thus it appears, that it was the God of Abraham, who brought Israel out of Egypt, and gave them the law at mount Sinai. And since the God of Abraham was the Father of Christ it necessarily follows, that it was