cheans, whether Jehovah be not a limited and imperfect being. " But," you will say, "Christ acts as Judge by delegated authority: why not then by knowledge imparted to him?" He does indeed act as judge, by delegated authority, because it is in his mediatorial capacity that he acts as Judge; but to act as Judge is one thing, to be qualified for such an office is another. Exaltation as Mediator constitutes him judge in that capacity; omnipresence and ommiscience only can qualify him for the duties of that station. And can omniscience be imparted? We may as well say omnipotence or self-existence can be imparted. There is, and there can be but one God; and a second omniscient being, (omniscient simply by knowledge imparted,) would force us into all the absurdities of polytheism.

Rev. ii. 23. "And all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works." The same person speaks here, who "was dead and is alive," i.e. Christ, (Chap. i. 13.) The sense of the passage is too plain to need any comment.

To conclude this head; when I compare such passages as those above cited, with the description of divine omniscience, how can I doubt that the New Testament writers mean to ascribe the knowledge of all things to Christ? To say that whatsoever pertains to God or man, is known by any being, is to predicate omniscience of that being. Compare now with this, the knowledge which God ascribes to himself only, in Jer. xvii. 9, 10; "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."

2. Divine power is ascribed to Christ.

Phil. iii. 21. "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."

Compare now with this passage, 1 Cor. xv. 26-28, where the same language is applied to God the Father. And if "to subdue all things to himself," (iπoтağaı ra xavтa čav

Tw,) be not characteristic of omnipotence in Phil. iii. 21, when applied to Christ; why should it be when applied in Corinthians xv. to the Father?

Heb. i. 3. "Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high." The word gov, which is translated upholding, means preserving, directing, governing. Thus Chrysostom; Φερών, says he, κυβερνων, διαπιπτοντα συγκρατων, i. e. governing, preserving things perishable. So the corresponding Hebrew word 1, Is. xlvi. 3. lxiii. 9.

In John x. 18, Christ says, "he has power to lay down his life, and to resume it again." In other places the resurrection of Jesus is ascribed to God; Act ii. 24, 32. iii. 15. v. 30. 1 Cor. vi. 14. xv. 15.

In 2. Pet i. 3, divine power (eta dviauis,) is ascribed to Christ; compare verse 16.

Most decisive, however, of divine Power belonging to Christ, are those passages above, which ascribe to him the creation of the universe. This is the distinguishing characteristic of Jehovah. Jer. x. 10-16. "But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. When he uttereth his voice there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. Every man is brutish in his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, and the work of errors in the time of their visitation they shall perish. The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The Lord of hosts, is his name.”

Acts xiv. 15. "Sirs, why do ye these things? we also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you, that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein."

When I read such passages, and compare them with the creative power ascribed to Christ, I cannot but admit, with the apostle," that he who built all things is God."

3. ETERNITY is ascribed to Christ.

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That those passages of Scripture, which speak of Christ's existence before the creation of the world, do not explicitly assert his eternity, I have already suggested. But then, it is difficult to conceive that they do not imply eternity. For," says Doederlein. (Inst. Theol. i. p. 390,) "to exist before the beginning of the world, what can it mean but to exist from eternity?" Passages of this nature are the following; viz., John i. 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 1 John i. 2. "For the Life was manifested, and we have seen it and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal Life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." John xvii. 5. "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee, before the world was.” John xvii. 24. "Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me, before the foundation of the world." But specially do I apprehend that Rev. xxii. 13 is decisive on this subject. "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." That it is Christ who here speaks, is clear; for 1. In the preceding verse he says, "Behold I come quickly." 2. In the sixteenth verse, the same person says, "I Jesus have sent mine angel," &c. Now the same description, that is here applied to Christ is given of the eternity of God, in Chap. xxi. 5, 6; compare verses 7th and 3d. To know still more fully, what this form of expression means, we must recur to the Old Test., where we find it, divested of its peculiar shape. In Is. xliv. 6, Jehovah says, "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God;" i. e. eternity distinguishes me from all that are falsely called gods. So in Is. xlviii. 12;

after declaring that he will not suffer his name to be polluted, nor give his glory to another, he adds, "I am he, (i. e, the true God,) I am the first; and I also am the last."

Now if the same things be asserted of Christ (as plainly they are in the texts under consideration;) how can we avoid the conclusion, that the holy apostle meant to assert his eternal existence ?

4. Divine honours and worship are ascribed to Christ.

John v. 23. "That all men might honour the Son even as they honour the Father." On this text I have before remarked, (page 93,) in another connexion.

Heb. i. 6. "Let all the angels of God worship him." The word worship, it is said has two significations; viz. obeisance and spiritual homage. This is true; and the first of these meanings often presents itself in the Old Testament and (as I am willing to concede,) in the Gospels. Many who worshipped Christ, while he sojourned among men, i.e., prostrated themselves before him, probably knew or acknowledged nothing of his divine nature. But what shall we say of the angels? Are they ignorant of his true nature? And is not the worship, which they who are pure spirits pay, of course spiritual, and not simple obeisance?

Phil. ii. 10, 11. "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Fath

er."

"Things in heaven, earth, and under the earth," is a common periphrasis of the Hebrew and New Testament writers, for the universe; (vo way, or rå marta.) What can be meant, by things in heaven, i. e. beings in heaven, bowing the knee to Jesus, if spiritual worship, be not meant? What other worship can heaven render? And if the worship of Christ in heaven be spiritual, should not that of others, who ought to be in temper united with them, be spiritual also? And when it is added, this worship shall be "to the glory of God the Father;" I understand the sentiment to be, that Jesus in his mediatorial character is the proper object of universal adoration; but as this character has a peculiar connexion with and relation to God the Father, so the worship paid to Christ the Mediator, should redound to the glory of the Father as well as of himself,

Rom. x. 9-14. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher ?"

The Lord on whose name they are to call, is plainly Christ; for he is the same in whom they are to believe: (v. 11 and 14.) And this Lord, (Christ,) on whom they are to call, and in whom they are to believe, is Kugos wavrav, universal Lord, and therefore able to bestow the blessings which they need.

Rev. v. 8-14. "And when he (i. e. Christ, see v. 6, 7,) took the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, & strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever."