dedication and devotion, with many other expreffions that are taken from the worship of God, coft us nothing, and are frequently used. But they are banished from the language of the Holy Spirit; who, speaking of God as God, and of a creature as a creature, avoids those metaphors which would feem to infringe on the rights, or the honours, of the Great Supreme; or as might feem to elevate the creature above a ftate of dependence. When the Holy Spirit perfonifies death, he does not call him the GOD, but the "KING of terrors." though the pfalmift, fpeaking of the rulers of this world, fays, "Ye are gods;" yet he immediately adds, " but

And

ye fhall die like men." The figurative application, therefore, of the adorable name, in this paffage, cannot poffibly injure the glory of God; becaufe it is given to princes for no other reason, but to form an antithefis to humble them. "Ye are gods-but ye fhall die like men."-If, then, the reverence which the writers of the Old Testament had for the proper names of God, be fo great; and if the fame reverential regard be found in the penmen of the New Teftament; who, when fpeaking of a creature, do not fetch their metaphors from the attributes of God, as the Heathen authors did, and as is common at this day; ought we to cenfure the Jews of an exceffive tendernefs, who could not fuffer the name GOD to be given to a mere man, and given to him in fuch a fenfe as requires us to worship him? For, either the name GoD, expreffes the glory of the Creator, or that of the creature, or one that is common to both. It cannot be a glory common to both; for if it were, the prophets could not have fo often declared, that there is but one God: befides, every one of us might call himself by the adorable name, without any fcruple. Nor can it be the glory of the creature; for no man ever could fuppofe it. It must, therefore, be the glory of the Creator; a glory peculiar to him. And if fo, the Jews could not but accuse

Jefus of blafphemy; who, though a mere man, affumed a name which expreffes the Creator's glory.

Once more: The prophets have two principal ends in view, when they proclaim the characters, perfections, and honours of the Supreme Being. The one is, to glorify GoD, by exalting him far above all creatures; the other, to fave mankind, by preferving them from idolatry, and by inftructing them in the knowledge and worship of the true God. But thefe high designs are oppofed, are deftroyed, as to multitudes, if the Jews permit a mere man to affume the names of God. For, as names are given to perfons and things, with a defign to make them known, and to diftinguish one from another; if a mere man take upon him the names of God, he will, in fome degree at least, be confounded with him: and thus the defign of the prophets to glorify God, by exalting him far above all other beings, is oppofed. For as God glorifies himself, by laying a peculiar claim to fuch characters as do not, as cannot, agree to a mere creature; fo the creature impiously dishonours God, by affuming those names which are appropriated to him.-The other great end is no less oppofed, by an ufurpation of God's names. For when Jefus calls himself God, he must apply the name, either with, or without an idea. If the latter, he acts abfurdly. If the former, it must be either the fame which men in common affix to it; or a particular one of his own. If the fame which mankind in general annex to the term, it must be that of the Supreme Being; and. confequently, he leads men directly into idolatry. If it be a particular one of his own, he lays a fnare for immortal fouls; for he takes a direct step to lead men into error, from error to idolatry, and from idolatry to damnation. He renders language a commerce of deceit and mischief; whereas, by its natural appointment, it ought ever to be an intercourfe of truth and benefits. Befides, the fignification of the name, GOD, not depending on the caprice of any particular perfon; his

latent meaning cannot acquit him from a charge of

blafphemy.

Jefus Chrift, it will be objected, did not call himself God, but the Son of God.' Suppofing he did not affume the name GoD, in the courfe of his perfonal ministry; fuppofing the Sanhedrim could have produced no evidence of any thing like it, as the ground of that fentence which they pronounced upon him; yet it is beyond a doubt, that his difciples gave him both the names and the praises which are peculiar to God. When, therefore, the Jews are informed, that the evangelifts and apoftles wrote the New Teftament by his authority and under his peculiar direction; they cannot, fo long as they understand their own language and read their own prophets, but confider the gospel as impious, and are obliged to approve the fentence which their fathers paffed upon him. For they cannot doubt, but their Sanhedrim had authority to judge him; that they had good reafon to accufe him of blafphemy, because the writings of his difciples (by which only they are able to judge of his own fentiments and claims) inveft him with the characters and honours of the true God; and, that they could not but pronounce a blafphemer worthy of death, without deferting their duty and betraying their trust.

But they who compofed the Sanhedrim that condemned Jefus Chrift, acted on the principles of cavy, malice, and rage.'-Admitting they did, yet the Jews in after-times will reply; It is not for us to Search the hearts of our fore-fathers: our bufinefs is, to inquire into the juftice of their fentence. It was never heard that wife and impartial men, laid more flrefs on furmises conceived, of the ill difpofition of a judge on the bench, than on the characters of juftice, or injustice, found in the fentence he paffed. We

cannot penetrate the hearts of men; but we are taught, by our law, how to diftinguish blafphemers. For its first command is, "Thou shalt have no other

"gods before me." By this we are obliged to rejec your Meffiah, for affuming the titles and honours of God; though, by your own confeffion, he is not the • God of Ifrael,'

CHAPTER III.

The principal Titles and Characters which, in the writings of the Prophets, form the idea of the true GoD, are applied to JESUS CHRIST.

THAT Jefus Chrift affumed the name GOD, in a proper fenfe, appears from his apoftles having afcribed to him thofe perfections, which form the idea fignified by the most venerable name. For, as before obferved, there is no difference, in this refpect, between what he says of himself, and what his difciples fay of him; they speaking by his authority and his infpiration.

To the name, GOD, the prophets affixed the idea of an almighty Being, who created the heavens and the earth. The work of creation is frequently mentioned by them, as the grand characteristic of the true God. Of this none can doubt.-The formation of the universe is alfo exprefsly and repeatedly afcribed to Jefus Chriít. "All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. By him "were all things created that are in heaven, and that "are in earth, visible and invifible-all things were "created by him and for him. He laid the foundation "of the earth, and the heavens are the works of his "hands.”—That these things are fpoken of Chrift, is evident; nor can the words admit of a different sense, without manifeft violence, as I fhall fhew in a following part of this Treatife. Here I fhall only obferve, that

the apostles, having fo frequently attributed the creation of all things to Jefus Chrift; and that work being fo often mentioned, by the ancient prophets, as the effect of omnipotent agency, and the most obvious character of the true God, efpecially when contending with idolaters; the writers of the New Teftament must have acted a most unaccountable part, and, they being only the amanuenfes of Chrift himself, he must have been guilty of impious arrogance, if he be a mere creature.

The prophets reprefent God, as an omniscient Being. Perfect knowledge is alfo afcribed to Jefus Chriít. "Lord, thou knoweft all things, thou knoweft that I "love thee," faid Peter to his Divine Mafter.-Should it be objected, It is no where faid, that Chrift approved of the honour which is here done him, by his apostle:' I anfwer, That is little to the purpose. For the expreffions must be either falfe, or true. If true, Jefus muft approve of them, for he is truth itfelf; and they prove the point for which we plead. If they be falfe, they are pregnant with blafphemy: and, if fo, the honour of God and the falvation of Peter made it abfolutely neceffary, that he should have been sharply reproved for them. What, fhall Chri fay to that very apoftle, "Get thee behind me, fatan!" when he only endeavoured to diffuade him from going up to Jerufalem, there to fuffer; and fhall he meet with no rebuke from the humble, holy Jefus, when he robs God of his glory and gives it to another, by afcribing a divine perfection to a mere man! Peter's fault, for which Jefus rebuked him, arofe from his indifcreet zeal for the honour and fafety of his Mafter. He did not perceive, while he was endeavouring to prevent the death of his Lord, that he was attempting to counteract the counfels of heaven; and to hinder an event, by which the glory of God is more highly exalted, than by any other in the whole adminiftration of Providence. There is nothing fo precious as the glory of God, it being the ultimate end of all things: confequently, fo far as any