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Gentiles, says he, agreeably to their system of repeated emanations and anthropomorphic descents of the deity, acknowledge many gods and many lords: but Christianity recognizes one only God the Father and one only Lord Jesus Christ who emanates from the Father. Yet are both these persons equally hypostases of the one sole Deity, though the Son bears œconomically the additional title of Lord. For, if all things are of the one God the Father; and we in him: all things are no less by the one Lord Jesus Christ; and we by him'.

III. These remarks will enable us to enter fully into the peculiar expression of our Saviour, when he sets forth the two grand propositions upon which he builds his religion.

This is life eternal, that they may KNOW thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast

sent.

A KNOWLEDGE of the only true God the Father and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent is declared, we see, to be life eternal. Now what is meant by this KNOWLEDGE? Clearly not an erroneous or false or perverted knowledge; for that, in fact, is no knowledge: nor yet a merely speculative knowledge; for, however necessary sound doctrine may be, we have no reason to suppose that the soundest doctrine, unless it works effectually and practically by love, will ensure to a man

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the promise of eternal life. Hence we must both doctrinally know God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; and likewise act in such a manner that our practice may be no disgrace to our doctrine.

1. The sound doctrinal knowledge of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ must be sought, where only it can be found, in the inspired volume of Scripture.

There we learn, that the Lord, the Lord God, is merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children to the third and to the fourth generation. There we learn, that no man hath seen God, that is the Father, at any time; but that the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

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There also we learn, both how the only-begotten Son hath declared the unseen Father, and what character is sustained by the Son himself. Jesus saith unto them: I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him: Lord, shew us the Father; and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto

1 Exod. xxxiv. 6,

7.

2 John i. 18.

him: Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He, that hath seen me, hath seen the Father: and how sayest thou then; Shew us the Father? Believest thou not, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: the words, that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself: but the Father, that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works'. The Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. In this manner hath the only-begotten Son declared the unseen Father; whence, in virtue of the office which he has mercifully undertaken to sustain he is called the Word, or the Voice or the Messenger of Jehovah: would we further learn his true and proper character, Scripture, as before, must still be our guide. Hear then the declaration of St. Paul. The Father hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created by him and for him: and he is before all things; and by him all things

1 John xiv. 6-10.

2 John xvi. 27, 28.

consist'. Hear also the declaration of St. John. In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made

him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. He was in the world, and the world was made by him; and the world knew him not. He came unto his own; and his own received him not. But, as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. Hear lastly the declaration of the Son respecting himself. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord; which is, and which was, and which is to come; the Almighty. Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he, that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of Hades and of death'.

1 Coloss. i. 13-17.

2 John i. 1-3, 10-12, 14.

* Rev. i. 8, 11, 17, 18. I have often felt at a loss to con. ceive, what proof, within the capacity of language, that Christ is very God as well as very man, would satisfy a Socinian reasoner. In Holy Scripture, our Lord is denominated God, is declared to be Jehovah, is described as the creator of the world, and is decorated with the incommunicable attributes of the Deity. Is it possible for language to go any further? I confess, that I see not what more can be said. We may fairly ask the Socinians, what scriptural proof within the compass of language do you demand? Do you require, that Christ should D d

VOL. II.

This, according to the plain testimony of Scripture, is that doctrinal knowledge of God

be expressly called God? He is expressly so called. Do you require, in order that all ambiguity may be avoided, that he should additionally be declared to be Jehovah? He is additionally so declared to be. Do you require, on the plea that an express delineation of character is less equivocal than a mere application of name, that he should be described as invested with the incommunicable attributes of the Deity? He is described as being so invested. Now I would ask, what can be demanded more than these three particulars? If the explicit enunciation of these three particulars do not satisfy a candid inquirer, what is there within the compass of lan. guage which can satisfy him? Why do the Socinians believe the Father to be very God? I know no other scriptural reason for their belief than this: the Father is styled God, is de-. clared to be Jehovah or the Self-Existent, and is vested in the incommunicable attributes of Deity. If then they be satisfied with such a proof of the divinity of the Father, why are they dissatisfied with the self-same proof of the divinity of the Son? The Son, no less than the Father, is styled God, is declared to be Jehovah or the Self Existent, and is vested in the incommunicable attributes of Deity. See John i. 1-3, 14. Heb. i. 2, 3, 8-12, compared with Psalm cii. 25-27. John xii. 37–41, compared with Isaiah vi. Coloss. i. 14–17. Rev. i. 8, 10-18. Whenever we have occasion to dispute with the Socinians, they are wont to produce those passages in which Christ is styled a man ; such for instance as 1 Tim. ii. 5. There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ and then they triumphantly exclaim, as if the litigated point were finally settled, Behold here the Creed which we profess. Yet nothing surely can be more perfectly illogical and inconclusive than such a mode of conducting the argument. The matter in debate is not, whether Christ be very man, but whether Christ be not also very God. To ad

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