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tion; to promote our obedience; and to afford us consolation under all our trials. "Thou art worthy to receive glory and honour and power, for thou hast created all things *." "What is man, that thou art mindful of him † ?” Obey the voice of the Lord your God." "My help cometh from the Lord §."

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Recapitulation. I believe that heaven and earth with all things in them did not originate from themselves, but were created mediately or immediately; that there was nothing antecedent for God to form them with, nor to move him to create them; that, therefore, he formed them from nothing, and of his mere will and goodness; probably within 130 generations of men; certainly within 6 or 7000 years; and that this Creator is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And thus, I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth.

Psalm xix. 1.

Jer. xxvi. 13.

+ Psalm viii. 3.

§ Psalm cxxi. 2.

CHAPTER II.

ARTICLE II

And in Jesus Christ.

THE second Article presents, as the object of our faith, the second Person in the Trinity. According to the Father's injunction, that we should "believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ;" to Christ's command, "believe also in me;" and to the sacramental institution of our baptism; we believe in the Father and the Son.

Christ is here threefold represented by nomination, Jesus Christ; by generation, only Son; by dominion, our Lord. Jesus is his (To dtov ovoμa) (το ίδιον

peculiar proper name, being named so by the angel whilst yet in the womb. Christ is His name of office. Hence we believe that Jesus the Saviour of the world was the person promised to the Jews under the title of Messias, or Christ.

Joshua signifies the same as Jesus; this is evident from the words of Stephen and Paul: the former speaks of "the tabernacle of the witness brought

in with Jesus into possession of the Gentiles* ;" and the latter says, "If Jesus had given them rest, he (David) would not afterwards have spoken of another day +;" both which passages undoubtedly refer to Joshua, the son of Nun, previously called Oshea. Now this Oshea, the son of Nun, and prototype of Christ, was the first that bare the name of Jesus or Joshua; and as the name Oshea signifies Saviour, so the alteration of his name by addition of the Hebrew Jah (one of the titles of God) may seem to imply that Joshua meant a divine Saviour, or Saviour appointed by God. This reasoning applies equally to the name of Jesus Christ, with this addition, that the angel when speaking of Him at the time of his nomination in the womb, declared that avros, he Himself, should save (avrov) His own people: whereas Joshua saved God's people, and not by his own power, but by God's power. As to the name Emmanuel (God with us) it seems to be comprehended in that of " our Saviour."

σωτηρ

Now, though the ancients gave the title owing to their gods, and sometimes to men, and though even in Scripture the Judges have this name ; and though Cicero says the import of the Greek term

Acts vii. 45.

+ Heb. iv. 3.

was too comprehensive to be expressed by any single Latin word, yet this term belongs in a more peculiar and sublime sense to Christ. "There is no

other name given under heaven whereby we may be saved."

Christ then is our Saviour.

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1st. Because he declared unto us the way of salvation; 2nd. Because He procured salvation for us; for as "without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins;" as none could redeem himself or his brother;" so Christ offered Himself, and thus freely redeemed us and 3rd, because besides promulging and procuring He also confers salvation upon us; for the Father hath given the Son power "to give eternal life to as many as He has given Him.” Hence we must acknowledge that the actual giving of salvation is the ultimate and conclusive ground of the title Saviour.

The correspondence of Jesus to the temporal Saviours, appears to hold most with Joshua. He led the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan; so Christ delivers and leads us from this world's subjection to heaven. He assigned the tribes their places; Christ prepares and assigns our heavenly mansions. He began his public office at Jordan; so did Christ. He chose twelve men to carry twelve stones over

with them; Christ chose twelve Apostles, foundation stones of the Church of God *."

"the

smote their enemies who prevented their entering in; so Christ subdues sin and Satan, and thus opens our way to heaven.

This belief is necessary,

1st. Because "there is no other name given by which we may be saved." 2nd. To beget in us the feelings of joy, love, and esteem for Him, corresponding to that joy with which the news of His birth inspired the shepherds, Zacharias, and holy men of old; to that love which Christ taught to be felt for Him in preference to natural relations † ; and to that esteem which St. Paul felt," who counted all things but loss ‡," that He might win Christ, and be found in Him. For " God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth."

Recapitulation. I believe in God, Maker of heaven and earth; and in a person designated by an angel "Jesus," of whom all the Saviours and Judges were the prototypes, particularly Joshua, who first bore this name; that this Jesus is, in the highest

Rev. xxi. 14.

+ Luke xiv. 26.

Phil. iii. 8.

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