Christians in the world profess to believe in a doctrine, which seems, at first view, to be inconsistent with the strict unity of Jehovah; to wit, that the one only "God exists in three persons." But this point I intend to consider fully and candidly hereafter. I will now only say, that I apprehend no Christian of any denomination will deny the unity of God, whatever else he may profess to believe that seems to carry a different complexion. But I will pass this subject for the present, and proceed to the consideration of the Divinity, mediation, and whole character of the Son of God

CHAPTER IV.

THE DIVINITY OF THE SON OF GOD CONSIDERED.

The

DIVINITY and divine are ambiguous terms. best lexicographers have given to each six or eight different meanings. Among which are the following, "pertaining to the true God, to the nature of God, extraordinary, godlike, excellent in the highest degree, apparently above what is human, a celestial being inferior to the Supreme God but superior to man, something supernatural, Deity, the Supreme Being, Godhead, the nature or essence of God, a pretended deity or false god." This ambiguity is undoubtedly one great cause of the different opinions of Christians upon the subject of the Divinity of Christ. All acknowledge that the Son of God was and is, in some sense, a Divine Being. It is therefore uncharitable and unchristianlike to accuse any sect of Christians of denying the Divinity of Christ, their Saviour. Some may have wrong or inadequate ideas on the subject, but none deny the doctrine. in toto. Now, in what sense of the word Christ is a divine being, must be decided alone by the testimony of God. For "no one (fully) knoweth the Son, but the Father." Therefore let us candidly examine the Scriptures upon this point.

The Bible most clearly reveals, that Jesus Christ, in his conception, at his birth, and during his whole life on earth, was an extraordinary, supernatural, excellent being, apparently above what is human.

An Angel of God made known his miraculous conception. "And the Angel Gabriel said unto her, fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And behold thou shalt conceive and bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name Jesus." "The Holy

Spirit shall come unto thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee; therefore that holy being, that shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God." "He shall be great; and they shall call ' his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is God with us." And at his birth, an Angel appeared from heaven, saying, "Behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy. For unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." Are not these circumstances, these facts, sufficient proof that Jesus Christ was an extraordinary, a superhuman being, and, in one sense at least, divine?

Moreover, the whole life of Christ was distinguished by the most. wonderful, extraordinary, miraculous deeds and precepts. He healed the sick, cleansed lepers, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, went about doing good; cured all manner of deseases and raised the dead to life; "he spake as never man spake, and taught as one having authority." Need we more proof that he was indeed a heavenly, a divine person? The works which he did are surely undeniable evidence of the

fact. But furthermore, the circumstances of his sufferings and death were extraordinary, unspeakably wonderful. His sufferings were exceedingly great, but he complained not. "He was reviled, but he reviled not again." He yielded a cheerful submission to God, in all things, even unto death. He bore with patience all the evil, that was laid upon him in consequence of man's transgression. And now, view with astonishment the tremendous scene at his crucifixion and death! "Behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened!" As if all nature was in agony, at the death of its gloriously constituted creator and preserver! Did ever such extraordinary events take place at the birth or death of any merely human being, even the greatest and best, that ever lived? At the birth of Jacob, or Joseph, or Moses, or David, or any of the Prophets or Apostles, did an Angel and the heavenly host appear, praising God and singing," Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men"? Or, at the death of any of the most holy men or Prophets, or, at the crucifixion or martyrdom of any of the inspired Apostles, was the veil of the temple rent in twain? Were the rocks rent? Did the earth quake? Were the graves opened? When all these things are considered, when the whole life of Christ is viewed, can there be found one professed Christian, of any denomination, yea, one intelligent being, who will not acknowledge that Jesus Christ was a won

derful person; that he was greater and more excellent than any man, that ever lived that he was, in a high sense of the term, truly Divine?

But I am not willing to stop here;- I am not contented to annex our divine Saviour to a low sense of the term. I am not satisfied with a miniature picture of his Divinity; I wish to look with admiration upon its full portrait, drawn in the Bible, that glorious painting, which is from that Almighty Hand, which drew the plan of the universe! Here we have represented, in perfect, heavenly colors, a still more exalted Divinity of the Son of God. For, in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." His existence was not limited to the time of his birth on earth, for he had a being " before Abraham was." "In the begining," when God, probably, created the heavens and the earth, "he was with God." He was glorified with the Father "before the world was." He was beloved by the Father, " before the foundation of the world." the Father, in all his messenger to do his will -the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. He was constantly performing such great and astonishing works, even to the remission of sins, as no one can do, except God be with him. He was transcendantly superior to Angels; "being made so much better than the Angels, as he hath, by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name than they; " which excellent name, I conceive to be Christ, the Son of God, the beloved, only Son of

He was in the bosom of designs a minister-the the Angel of his the Angel of his presence