minated a mediator: will they, therefore, deny that "there is one mediator between God and man, the man "Christ Jesus?" Most of them admit his mediation; though for one allusion to that, in the New Testament, there will be found at least twenty to his Divinity.

III. The testimony of the apostles is decidedly in favour of the Divinity of our Lord.

Stephen, an apostle, and the first martyr, when dying, invokes the "Lord Jesus to receive his spirit." The apostles in general perform their miracles not in the name of Jehovah, but in that of "Jesus of Naza"reth :" and they uniformly ascribe to him the epithets, the attributes, and the works which are peculiar to Deity. They tell us that, conformable to prophecy, "his name is Emmanuel, GOD with us." (d) Moreover John turned "many to the Lord their "God." (e)" Christ is Lord of all." (f) "We "shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ ; ❝ and every one give an account of himself to God." (g) "The second man is the Lord from heaven." (h) "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Deity bodily; "and he is the head of all principality and power." (i)

(ƒ) Acts, x. 36.
(h) 1 Cor. xv. 47.

(d) Matt. i. 23. (e) Luke, i. 16, 76. (g) Rom. xiv. 10, 12. (i) Col. ii. 9, 10. See also the initial salutation in Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, "Paul, an apostle (or one sent) not from man, nor by 66 man, but by Jesus Christ." And let it be farther recollected that the apostles usually mention Jesus Christ by the title of Kuptos "the "Lord," the very word which in the Septuagint (from which they quoted) is employed as equivalent to Jehovah. This title Zanchie assures us is, "in the writings of the apostles, simply and absolutely "ascribed to Christ, at least a thousand times," and generally so as to import necessary existence.

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Jesus Christ is "Lord of Glory." "For by him ALL "THINGS WERE CREATED, that are in heaven and "that are on 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 subsist." (k) He is "the first and the last, "and he that lived and became dead, and lives for "ever and ever, and has the keys of death and "hades." (1) "The Lamb is Lord of lords, and “King of kings," a peculiar title of Jehovah. (m) He "searcheth the reins and the hearts, and will give to

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every one according to his works." (n) He "knows "the works" and conduct of all churches. (o)" He "promises to bestow upon his people eternal life :" (p) while he will" consume the unrighteous with the "breath of his mouth." (q) And he was the Logos or word of God, who was made "flesh, and dwelt "among us," and of whom John says, "In the be

ginning was the Word, and the Word was with "God, and the Word was GOD; all things were "made by Him, and without him was not a single 66 thing made that was made." (r)

(r) John, i. 1,3, 14. Consult also Eph. v. 5. 1 Thes. iv. 14. 2 Thes. i. 12. 1 Tim. v. 21. Tit. ii. 13. 2 Pet. i. 1. and Jude; applying to most of them in the original the established doctrine of the Greek article. To diminish the force of these proofs from the language of the apostles, I have been reminded that in the Acts of the Apostles, if not in their Epistles, they usually call Jesus Christ a man; and farther that

Quotations tending to establish the same point might be extended almost indefinitely; but if the real object of inquiry be to arrive at truth, the preceding will be quite sufficient. Here again, indeed, the merits of the question might be very safely made to turn upon the text last cited. For, taking Aoyos (a word not borrowed from the writings of Plato or of Philo, as some pretend, but from the Jewish Scriptures) (s) to signify, as it doubtless does in this passage, the divine and substantial Word of God, the MESSIAH, we are hence assured, 1st, That he was in the beginning; that is, that he already was and did exist when things began to be created. 2dly, That in that state of his existence, before the creation of the world, he was partaker of the Divine glory and happiness. 3dly,

they usually in argumentation speak of him as a man; whence it is inferred that they knew not that he was Divine, but acknowledged that he was a man. Here, it is obvious to reply, as Dr. Horsley has long ago done, that "according to the faith which I defend, Christ is truly 66 a man as well as GOD. It is no wonder therefore, that he should be "mentioned as a man, when nothing in the narrative, or in the argu"ment, requires that his Divinity should be particularly brought to "view. To the first argument in particular, it is a farther answer, "that it was the style of all the sacred writers, and it is the style of all "writers, to name things rather after their appearances than their internal "forms. The tempter you know, in the Mosaic history of the fall, " is called the serpent; and is not once mentioned by any other name. "The three angels, who appeared to Abraham in the form of men, are "called men, throughout the story. To the second argument in parti"cular, it is a farther answer, that, as the scheme of man's redemption “required the incarnation of the Son of God, the apostles would often "find it necessary, in reasoning upon that scheme, and in argumenta❝tion in defence of it, to insist on his humanity." See also Abbadie on the Divinity, sect. vi. chap. 3, &c.

(s) Parkhurst's Greek Lexicon. Aoyos, xvi.

That he was God by participation of the Divine nature with the Father. 4thly, That not a single being (oude ev) was made without him: he made all creatures without exception; and consequently he is not a creature. (t)

In estimating the force of these texts, let it be considered that they are selected from the writings of men whose great business was to destroy idolatry, and implant the true worship of God upon its ruins; and that it was foretold their description of "the way, the truth, "and the life," (v) should be so obvious that "the wayfaring men, though fools, should not err there"in." (w) If Jesus Christ were a mere man, the predictions of the prophets are in this respect, again, not accomplished, and we are yet left to wander with

(t) The followers of Socinus are frequently introducing new translations and new interpretations of this passage: but if we allow them to be received, we must also admit two very extraordinary and almost incredible things, namely, that Ignatius and others who lived very near John's time, and were therefore most likely to know his meaning, should so widely mistake it; and that all Christians (or at least the great body) should err so extremely in an important article of faith for almost 1600 years, that no man understood this text rightly before Socinus. This latter consideration would be enough of itself to startle any modest man: but Socinus seems more inclined to boast of it; for, when speaking of this very verse, he says, "Quorum verus, sensus omnes prorsus, qui quidem extarent, explanatores latuisse videtur."

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Another text equally decisive with the above, and which also the rejectors of the Divinity of Christ have endeavoured to weaken by a most extraordinary construction, is Phil. ii. 5-10. For a very masterly refutation of their strained interpretation, see " Abbadie on the Divinity of "Jesus Christ," sect. iii. chap. 7. This book, which I never saw till just as my 3d edition was passing through the press, I beg to recommend most cordially, as, on the whole, the most valuable and invulnerable work on the subject I have read.

(v) John, xiv. 6.

(20) Is. xxxv. 8.

out any infallible guide; for on that supposition, the Bible, instead of being so plain and perspicuous "that "he who runs may read" and understand it, if he read with singleness of heart, is the most obscure and delusive book in the world: and the Christian dispensation, instead of having eradicated idolatry, has given birth to an idolatry, more refined, it is true, but at the same time more prevalent, more formed for universality and permanence, than any idolatry that ever before existed! (a)

There is another class of texts which become divested of all their propriety and importance, and sink into mere trifling, if the Divinity of Jesus Christ be denied: I mean those which represent to us in such glowing terms the love and condescension of the Redeemer. If Christ were in the "form of God, equal "with God, and very God;" then it was an act of infinite love and condescension in him to become man and die for us. But if he were no more than a creature, surely it was no such amazing condescension to undertake so noble and sublime a work as being the

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(x) Being obliged to regard brevity, I have omitted all those reasonings in favour of the Divinity of our Lord, which are deduced from his miraculous conception. To such as wish to consider this branch of the argument, I would beg to recommend the striking passage from Cassian, quoted by Hooker in § 32 of his Discourse on Justification, Archbishop Tillotson's 45th and 46th Sermons, a very able pamphlet entitled "Jesus of Nazareth the Son of God," by Mr. R. Alliot of Nottingham, "and Bishop Horsley's Sermon on the Incarnation," published in his most interesting and decisive volume of "Tracts in controversy with "Dr. Priestley." The doctrine of the miraculous conception was asserted and defended by Justin Martyr. See his 2d Apol. § 28, 30, 41, 43.