equal with the Father. Hence it appears that to be the Son of God, and God's own Son, is the fame with a di vine perfon, and denotes one who is truly God; and that this title is used to express the divinity, rather than the humanity of Jefus Chrift. The fame appears hom what paffed between our Lord and the Jews at another time. He said to them, "I and my Father are One." This, they said, was blafphemy, because being a man, he made himself God. It is plain from the answer which he makes to them that they confidered him as a blafphemer, because he claimed to be the Son of God, by calling God his Father. "Say ye of him, whom the Father hath fanctified, and fent into the world, Thou blafphemest because I said, I am the Son of God?" This was the blafphemy with which they charged him; because they considered his saying, that he was the Son of God, by calling God his Father, as an affertion that he was God.* And it appears, not only from this paffage, but from others, that the Jews, and others, did affix the idea of divinity to the Son of God, and confidered this title as expreffing a character infinitely above a mere creature. When Jesus was arraigned before the Jewish council, the High Prieft charged him with the folemnity of an oath, faying, "I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us, whether thou be the Chrift, the Son of the living God." And when Jesus answered in the affirmative, he with all the members of the council, charged him with blafphemy; and pronounced him worthy of death for making this claim.t And they brought this accufation against him to Pilate, "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When, therefore, Pilate heard that faying, he was the more afraid."+ By this, it is evident that Pilate confidered the Son of God, to imply divinity. When the Centurion and the guard • John x. 30, 33, 36. † Matt. xxvi. 64, 65, 66. John xix. 7, 8. guard who were with him, faw the earthquake and the other fupernatural events which attended the crucifixion of Jefus Chrift, " they feared greatly, faying, Truly this was the Son of God." From this, it is evident that they confidered the Son of man, at least, if not really God, God to be more than a There was fome idea and belief propagated among other nations, as well as the Jews, of an extraordinary perfonage, a divinity, who was denominated The Son of God, and who was to make his appearance in the world. To this, Nebuchadnezzar doubtlefs had reference, when he said, that in a vision, he faw a fourth perfon, walkingin the midft of the fire of the furnace into which he had caft three men; and that none of them had been hurt by the fire; and the form of the fourth was like the Son of God.t And who but this divine perfon, can be meant by Agur, when he says," Who hath afcended up into heaven, or defcended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fifts? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his Son's name, if thou canst tell ?"§ This epithet and character we find expressly mentioned by David, the divinely inspired king of Ifrael, in the fecond Pfalm. And he is there introduced and defcrib. ed, as a divinity, who claims divine homage, trust, and worship, as the Omnipotent heir, poffeffor and ruler of the world. "I will declare the decree. The Lord hath faid unto me, Thou art MY SON, this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy poffeffion. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou fhalt dafh them in pieces like a potter's veffel. Be wife now, therefore, O ye kings, be inftructed, ye judges of the earth. fear, and rejoice with trembling. Serve the Lord with be Matt. xxvii. 54. + Dan. iii. 25. § Prev. xxx. 4. be angry, and j'e perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Bleffed are all they that put their truft in him "* From this ancient oracle in Ifrael, and from a revelation which was made upon the firft apoftacy, and handed down by tradition, not only the Jews, but also thofe of other nations who had any particular connexion with them, were taught to confider the expected Meffiah as the Son of God in a peculiar and ap propiated fense; and as implying real divinity. Therefore, it was fuppofed on all hands, that this perfon, the Son of God, the King of Ifrael, the King of the Jews, was to be worshipped as worthy to receive divine honours. Hence the wife men from the Eaft, being admonished of the birth of this glorious perfonage, came to WORSHIP him, to pay him divine honours; for which they had a particular warrant, having had him pointed out to them by a STAR, which was a known fymbol, or hieroglyphic of the Divinity, or a God. And Herod took it for granted, that this perfon was to be worship ped, and receive divine honours. For he faid to the wife men, When ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him alfo." All this will be of no weight, indeed, and as nothing, with the Anti-trinitarians, the Sebellians; and with all those who deny the divinity of Jefus Chrift, the Arians and Socinians. But they who believe in a Trinity of perfons in the Deity, and that Jefus Chrift is God, the Dd fecond • This is an inestimable proof that the Son is God, even JEHOVAH. The Pfalmift often fays, "Bleffed are they, bleffed is the man who trufteth in the Lord." And here he fays, Bleffed are all they who trust in the Son of God. And yet forbids us to put our truft in any but God. "Put not your trekt in princes, or in the fon of man, in whom there is no help. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God."* And he says, “My foul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him."+ They only are bleffed, who trust in God; and all others are curfed. "Thus faith the Lord, Curfed be the man that trusteth in man. trufteth in the Lord, and whofe hope the Lord is." in the Son of God. Therefore he is the Lord. * Pfal. cxlvi. 3, 5. † Pl. Ixii. 5. Bleffed is the man that They are bleffed, who trust 1 Jer. xvii. 5, 7. fecond person of the Trinity, must be fenfible that he is called the Son of God, the Son of the Father, with a fpecial reference to his divine nature, and to denote his Godhead, as the second person in the Triune God.The Arians and Socinians hold that he is the Son of God, confidered as a meer creature, being by this diftinguifhed from all other creatures; and confequently that there was no Son of God before this creature did exift. The latter, or Trinitarians, believe that the Sonship of Jefus Chrift, neceffarily includes his Divinity; but are not all agreed as to the foundation of his Sonship, and in what it confifts. It has been generally believed, and the common doctrine of the church of Chrift, from the beginning of the fourth century, and fo far as appears from the days of the Apoftles to this time, that Jelus Chrift is the eternal Son of God. That his Sonship is effential to him, as the fecond perfon in the Trinity, and that in this fenfe he is the only begotton Son of the Father, antecedent to his incarnation, and independent on it, even from eternity. But there are fome, who think that the Sonship of the Redeemer confifts in an union of the second perfon of the Trinity, or the Word, with the human nature; and that he became the Son of God by becoming man; and therefore before the incarnation, there was no Son of God, though there were a Trinity of perfons in the GODHEAD. This opinion feems to be rather gaining ground, and spreading, of late. Those on each fide of this queftion differ in their opinion of the importance of it, and of the bad tendency of either of these oppofite fentiments. Some fuppofe that the difference is of little or no importance, as both believe the redeemer to be God and man, in one perfon, and that he is the Son of God, and that this implies his divinity, though they differ in opinion refpecting the time and manner of his filiation. Others think this is a difference fo great and important, and attended with fuch fuch confequences; and that thofe who are oppofed to them on this point embrace fuch a great and dangerous error, that they ought to be ftrenuously opposed: and confequently do not defire an accommodation, or think it poffible. Though it be needlefs and improper, here to undertake the labour of entering into all the arguments which have been produced, or may be mentioned in fupport of each fide of this queftion; yet the following obfervations may not be altogether useless; but may be of fome help to form a judgment upon this point, agreeable to the fcriptures. 1. As this queftion refpects the character of the Redeemer, it may juftly be confidered as an important one; as every thing relating to his character is very important and interefting. Who would be willing to be found at laft taking the wrong fide of this queftion; and always to have entertained fo unbecoming ideas and conceptions of the Redeemer, which his muft be, if on this point he embraces and contends for that which is directly contrary to the truth? Though fuch an error fhould not be fatal to him who embraces it, but be confiftent with his being a real chriftian; yet it must be a very criminal mistake, and difhonourable to Jefus Chrift; as every idea of him muft be, which is contrary to his true character: For that is fo perfect and glorious, that nothing can be taken from it, or added to it, which will not mar and dishonour it. His character, as it respects the queftion before us, is without doubt properly and clearly ftated in divine revelation, and if we embrace that which is contrary to the truth, it must be wholly our own fault, and a very criminal abuse of the advantages which we enjoy, to know the only true God, and Jefus Chrift his Son, whom he has fent. Those confiderations ought to awaken our attention to this fubject, and excite a concern and earnest defire to know and embrace the truth; which will be attended with a moDd2 deft |