And he That he is Omniprefent, he himself declared. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I, in the midst of them." "And lo, I am with you, always, even unto the end of the world."¶ "And no man hath as cended up to heaven, but he that came down from heav en, even the Son of man, which is in heaven." Surely these things cannot be faid with truth of any one but Him, whose presence fills heaven and earth. Omnif cience is alfo one of his attributes. This Peter afcribes to him, without referve, and with the greateft confidence. "And Peter faid unto him, Lord thou knowest all things." It is afferted, agreeable to this, that " He knew all men, and knew what was in man." And it is often faid that he knew the fecret thoughts of men. fays, "And all the churches fhall know that I am he which fearcheth the reins and hearts, and will give unto every one of you according to his works." This is elsewhere spoken of as the attribute and prerogative of the omnifcient God alone. Solomon, fpeaking to JEHOVAH, fays, "Thou only knoweft the hearts of the children of men." "The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins."¶ "I, the Lord, fearch the heart, I try reins, even to give every man according to his ways. If Jefus Chrift were not the only true God, it is impol fible he should take to himself this attribute, prerogative and work, which JEHOVAH, the God of Ifrael, claims to himself, exclusively; and which is infinitely too much to be ascribed to any mere creature. Jefus Chrift is declared to be incomprehenfible, which is an attribute peculiar to Deity. He fays of himself, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and no man (no one, it is in the original) knoweth the Son but the Father." And it is faid of him, "He had a name written that no man (no John, iii. 3. † John, xxi. 17. 2 Chron. ix. 30. Pfal. vii. 9. † Matt. xi. 27. the Jefus faid to the The Jews under God, and charged Nor does Chrift, in (no one) knew but he himself." In him an equality with God is afcribed unto him. St. Paul, fpeaking of his perfon, fays, "Who being in the form of God, thought t not robbery to be equal with God." Jews, "I and my Father are one." Bood him as hereby claiming to be him with making himself God."* his answer to them, renounce this claim. Jefus faid, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."+ Upon his the Jews charged him with making himfelf equal with God. Nor does he deny this charge, or fay that it is unjuft; but goes on to fay, in a yet ftronger manner, "What things foever the Father doeth, thofe alfo doth the Son ikewife. For as the Father raifeth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even fo the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son; that all men fhould honour the Son, even as they honour the Father." Surely this is making himfelf equal with God. He moreover fays, "All things that the Father hath, are mine." Thus he claims to be equal with the Father, the owner and poffeffor of all things. This is confiftent with his faying, "The Father is greater than I," as he was man as well as God, and agreeable to the economy of redemption, in the human nature, was become a fervant, to obey and fuffer, in order to effect the redemption of man. In this capacity and work he was fent, and to be justified and exalted by the Father. In this view his words have a plain meaning, confiftent with his claim of equality with the Father, as God. "If ye had loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father; for my Father is greater than I." + 4. The divinity of Jefus Chrift is afferted by afcribing to him those divine works which God alone can do. He Į Rev. xix. 12. || Phil. ii. 6. ¶ John, x. 30. * Verse, 33. † John, v. 17. John, xvi. 15. John, xiv. 28. He puts himself upon an equality with the Father, in this refpect, and fays, that he does whatsoever the Father doth. << My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. What things foever he doth, those alfo doth the Son likewife."* The works of creation and providence are ascribed to him. "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made, that was made."t "For by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invifible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him." God hath made all things for himfelf: All things were made by Jefus Chrift, and for him. Therefore he is God. "And he is before all things, and by him all things confift." "Who being the brightnefs of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our fins, fat down on the right hand of the Majefty on high." And he is addreffed in the following words, "Thou, Lord, in the beginning, haft laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands."¶ But these are the works of God, of JEHOVAH, and peculiar to him. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the hoft of them by the breath of his mouth."+ Jefus Chrift raifeth men from the dead, which is a work of omnipotence as great as that of creation. When he was on earth he raifed man from the dead, by his own powerful word. And he claims power and authority to raife all the dead of mankind, at the laft day. He hath said, “The hour is coming, and now is, in the which all that are in the graves fhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and fhall come forth, they that have done good, unto * John, v. 17, 19. † John, i. 3. Col. i. 16. Col. i. 17. | Heb. i. 3 ¶ Pfal. cii. 25. Heb. i. 10. + Gen. i. 1. Pfal. xxxiii. 6. unto the refurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the refurrection of damnation. And this is the will of him that fent me, that every one which feeth the fon, and believeth on him, may have everlafting life; and I will raife him up at the last day. I am the refurretion, and the life."+ Jefus Chrift will judge the world, angels, devils, and all mankind. This is often afferted in the fcripture. All judgment is committed unto him. A work infinitely too great for a mere creature to perform; and therefore infinitely too great for him, and too high and honorable, were he not the moft high God, poffeffed of infinite power, knowledge, wifdom and rectitude. But one thing more will be added under this head.-Jefus Chrift is Governor of the world. He has all things in his hand; upholds all things by the word of his power; is head over all things to the church, having all power in heaven and on earth. He executeth a particular providence; his care and power orders and effects every event, and extends to every creature and thing in the created univerfe, whether great or fmall. He alone therefore, is able to take the book of the divine decrees, and open the feals thereof, by governing the world, and bringing to pafs all things agreeable to the eternal purpole. None can do this, but he who has omnipotence, infinite knowledge, wifdom, and goodness. 5. It is certain that Jefus Chrift is the fupreme God, in that he is the object of the divine worship, which would be idolatry, if offered to any being but the only true God. Nothing can be more evident and certain than that God is the only proper object of religious worship. Jefus Chrift is, in the holy fcriptures, afferted to be the object of fuch worship; therefore he is God. John, v. 28, 29. vi. 40. xi, 25. All him. All the angels of heaven are commanded to worfhip "When he bringeth the firft begotten into the world, he faith, And let all the angels of God worship him." John faw and heard him worshipped in heaven, and reprefented as the object of prayer and praise. "And when he had taken the book, the four beafts, and the 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 faints. And they fung a new fong, faying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and open the feals thereof; for thou waft flain, and hast redeemed us to God, by thy blood. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beafts and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands: faying, with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and ftrength, and honour, and glory, and bleffing. And every creature heard the faying, Bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever. And the four beafts faid, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever;" even Jefus Chrift, who was dead, and is alive, and behold, he liveth forever and ever. Thus all in heaven and on earth "honour the Lamb, the Son, even as they honour the Father."I Agreeable to this, St. Paul fays of Jefus Chrift, "God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jefus, every knee fhould bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and under the earth; (or angels, and men, both the living and the dead) and that every tongue should confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."* These § Heb. i. 6. Rev. i. 18. v. 8, 9. 11, 12, 13, 14. ¶ John, v. 23. * Phil. ii. 9, 10, 11. |