Page images
PDF
EPUB

in Ifrael equal to him, who beheld God face to face, and talked with him as a man talketh to his friend. He may also be so called, because, as juft obferved, he reprefented God, was invefted with his power, was his ambaffador, and spake to Pharaoh on his behalf. Again: He was God, because he was appointed to a glory and to the exercife of a power truly divine: for he was to perform most astonishing miracles in all the parts of nature.. -" All things were made by him ;" that is, all things relating to the deliverance of the Ifraelites, and the establishment of the law.

This conformity will appear the greater, if it be confidered, that as Jefus Chrift, on the principles of our opponents, acted only by the power of his Father, in working miracles; fo Mofes, in the performance of his wonderful works, acted only by the power of God. And as all the miracles, which fignalized the gospel, were not wrought by the miniftry of Chrift; for he 'neither fent the angels with the tidings of his birth, nor kindled the ftar which appeared to the wife men: fo all the aftonishing works, attending the deliverance of the chofen tribes, were not performed by the ministry of Mofes, but the far greater number of them certainly were. Now, fo many, fo great, and amazingly diverfified miracles being performed by his ministry, may it not be faid; "Without him was not any thing made that was ❝ made?”—Once more: This Old Teftament Word was made flesh;" that is, he was flesh. For Mofes was a man, though he acted as God. There can be little doubt, therefore, but this expreffion belongs to him, as well as the rest.

[ocr errors]

L Here our adverfaries are greatly embarraffed. For if they allow, that fuch language might be used con cerning Mofes, they must confefs, that he was qualified to fill the highest encomium that is given by the Holy Spirit to Jefus Chrift; it being certain, that the Scripture never fpeaks more honourably of him, than in the beginning of the gospel according to John. But if they

deny that fuch language is applicable to Mofes, they ✨ muft neceffarily own, that the words of the evangelist contain a much higher and nobler fenfe, than that which they affix to them.

CHAPTER IX.

The fame Argument continued.

STILL further to evince the truth for which we plead, from this important paragraph, I fhall now proceed to fhew, That there is not one of thofe remarkable expreffions, which we have under confideration, that will admit the fenfe affixed to it by our opponents.

The phrafe, "the beginning," or, " in the beginning," when used fo generally, always fignifies the beginning of the world. For inftance; " In the beginning God "created the heaven and the earth-The Lord poffeffed

[ocr errors]

me in the beginning of his way, before his works of "old-Thou Lord, in the beginning, haft laid the "foundation of the earth-He which made man at the "beginning From the beginning it was not fo-Ye "know Him that is from the beginning-The devil *finneth from the beginning"-Thefe, I fay, and fimilar expreffions, must he understood, either absolutely of the beginning of all things; or, at least, with a particular reference to that beginning. Had they a different meaning, they would be unintelligible; this being the obvious and natural fignification of the terms.

"THE WORLD," understood fimply of one who reveals the counfels of God, is without any example in Scripture. Neither the Old, nor the New Teftament, is acquainted with it. The prophets made known the counfel of God; Mofes, more fully than any of the

prophets; and the apostles, more clearly and delightfully than Mofes; yet neither Mofes, nor prophet, nor apofile, is ever called THE WORD.-The only expreffion our adverfaries can produce, which bears any resemblance to this is that of Ifaiah; who, fpeaking of John the Baptift, fays, "The voice of him that crieth in the "wildernefs." But to fuppofe that the Meffiah's harbinger is here called the voice of Jefus Chrift, is an egregious mistake. The facred oracle fays no fuch thing, nor fuggefts any fuch idea. In the interpretation of this text," The voice of him that crieth in the wilder"nefs, Prepare ye the way of the Lord;" the verb is, or is heard, must be fupplied, the fenfe of the_text evidently requiring it. He that is in the wilderness, he that preaches in the wilderness, and he that prepares the way of the Lord, by exhortations to repentance, is John the Baptift. The voice mentioned in the oracle, is the voice of him that crieth, or preacheth in the wilderness, and fays; "Make straight in the defart a high-way for our God." It muft, therefore, be the voice of John the Baptift. This voice, then, must be understood, either of the preaching, or of the perfon of John the Baptift. If the former, the text is impertinently cited by our oppofers. If the latter, we attribute nonfenfe and abfurdity to the Holy Spirit for the text will read thus: The perfon of John, is, Prepare ye the way of the Lord."

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

The following expreffions, "He was with God," as understood by the Socinians, are entirely without example. Where fhall we find an inftance of thefe, or fimilar terms, fignifying, He was known of God only? They, indeed, refer us to those words, "The "Life was with the Father;" fuppofing them to mean, that it was known of the Father. But how jejune the fense, how abfurd the interpretation? For is it credible that the apostle should fay nothing more of that LIFE, than might be faid of death and the devil, of fin and damnation? for all these were known of God from eternity. Besides, there is a material difference between

fpeaking thus of a quality, and using the fame language of a perfon. If we should fay, for instance, • The law was with God;' and, Mofes was with God;' the two propofitions must be understood in a very different fense.

"The Word was God," is, if you will believe our adverfaries, another figurative phrase; but you will not be able to find an example of it in Scripture. They

pretend, that Jefus is called GoD, because he is Jehovah's reprefentative. But though various eminent perfons have, in fome refpects, reprefented the eternal Sovereign; yet we do not find that either of them was ever called God, abfolutely; or without fome intimation, that he was fo denominated only in a figurative fenfe. It is, indeed, faid, "Ye are Gods," in the plural; but it was never faid of any particular perfon, He was God.'-They will have it that our gracious Redeemer is called GoD, because his miniftry was entirely divine. But fo was that of the apostles. They revealed a blessed immor. tality, and wrought very wonderful works, as well as their Lord; fo that, on this principle, they might have claimed the glory of that Divine character as well as he. Yet we do not read that any of the apoftles were fo called; but we find, on the contrary, that they detested the conduct of the people at Lyftra, who gave them that name. But there is a very material difference ⚫ between Jefus and his apoftles. He was the Mafter, they were the fervants.' True: but though the apostles were fervants, in refpect of Chrift; yet Chrift, our adverfaries must allow, is equally a fervant, in regard to God. If, then, an apoftle could not lawfully call himfelf LORD, out of reverence for Jefus Chrift, that name being confecrated to him; neither could Jefus affume the name, GoD, because that facred appellation had been long appropriated to the Supreme Being

&

--

Nor can they, by any example, juftify that restriction with which they understand the following words; " AM things were made by him, and without him was not

[ocr errors]

any thing made that was made." For the facred writer appears to have intended, to exprefs himself as generally as he poffibly could. He, therefore, is not fatisfied with faying, "All things were made by him;" but he repeats the important truth, in a still more forcible manner, by adding, "Without him was not any thing "made that was made." The matter in hand, fay they, limits the expreffions.' But this affertion is groundless. Both the foregoing and the following words fuggeft the contrary; unless we renounce the natural impreffion of the terms. In the preceding context he fays, "In the beginning was the Word;" which is a general way of speaking, and leads us to confider the words, “All things were made," in a fenfe equally general. In a fubfequent verfe he fays, "The worl1 was made by him ;" where he again fpeaks in a general way, and teaches us to conclude, that "all things," are to be underflood of all things entirely; all, without exception.

[ocr errors]

Their interpretation of this clause, "The world was "made by him," is equally void of truth. For whether, by the term world, they understand the world to come; or whether they fuppofe the meaning to be, that the world was made ours by Jefus Christ her cafe they are utterly at a lofs for a fimilar initance in the Holy Scripture. They, indeed, produce paffages to fhew that the world, fometimes fignifies the world to come; but the examples alleged are not to the purpose. They pretend that in this paffage, "When he bringeth "his Firft-begotten into the world," that the term world fignifies eternal life. But the original phrafe ought not to be rendered, the world; but the earth, or the habitable part of the world; for it is Thr dixouμérny, not τὸν κόσμον. Befides, by what arguments will they prove that this habitable earth, means heaven, or a state of blifs to come?-Nor is that other paffage, adduced by them*; where mention is made of "the world to * Heb. ii. 5.

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »