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Jesus, if indeed not that God who only is to be called or trusted in as such, be called in scripture, He that is Holy; He that is true? the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness? the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace? the blessed and the only Potentate; the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords? the Lord of Life, that has life in himself, that all men might honour the Son, as they honour the Father? the Wisdom of God, and the Power of God? the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End? God, Jehova; Elohim, the King of Glory? Compare Isa. xlii. 8. Ps. lxxvii. 18. Isa. xlv. 20, 21, &c. "They pray unto a God that cannot save-Tell ye and bring them near; let them take counsel together-There is no God else beside me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none besides me." Yet it is said of Christ, that "He is able to save unto the uttermost." Yea, the Messiah in this very book, is spoken of as mighty to save; saving by his own arm, and by the greatness of his strength; Isa. Ixiii. 1-6. compared with Rev. xiv. 15. And it is evident, that it is his character, in the most eminent manner, to be the Saviour of God's people; and that with respect to what is infinitely the highest and greatest work of salvation; the greatest deliverance from the most dreadful evil, from the greatest, worst, and strongest enemies, and bringing them to the greatest happiness. It follows, Isaiah xlv. 22. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else." Here it is spoken of as the great glory of God, and peculiar to him, that he is an universal Saviour, not only of the Jews, but of all nations. And this is the peculiar character of Jesus. He is the Saviour of all nations. The glory of calling and saving the Gentiles, is represented as peculiarly belonging to him; so that he has this divine prerogative, which is spoken of here as belonging to the One only God, and to none else. And, which is more than all this, these very things are applied to Christ in the New Testament, Philip. ii. 10, 11. "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, of things in earth, and things under the earth." And the things spoken of in the following verses, as the peculiar prerogative of God, in distinction from all other beings, as the only Saviour, viz. having righteousness, and being justified in him, are every where in the New Testament most eminently ascribed to Christ, as in a most special manner belonging to him.

§ 4. Being the Saviour of God's people, is every where in the Old Testament mentioned as the peculiar work of the Deity. The Heathens are reproached for worshipping gods that could not save; and God says to the idolatrous Israelites, "Go to the gods whom ye have served, let them

deliver you." See Isaiah xliii. 3, 10-15, in which verses we have another clear demonstration of the divinity of Christ. Trusting is abundantly represented as a principal thing in that peculiar respect due to God alone, as of the essence of divine adoration due to no other than God. And yet, how is Christ represented as the peculiar object of the faith and trust of all God's people, of all nations, as having all sufficiency for them? Trusting in any other is greatly condemned; is a thing, than which nothing is represented as more dangerous, provoking to God, and bringing his curse

on man.

5. And how often is being the Redeemer of God's people spoken of as the peculiar character of the mighty God of Jacob, the First and Last, the Lord of Hosts, the only God, the Holy One of Israel? (So Isa. xli. 14. xliii. 14. xliv. 6. 24. xlvii. 4. xlviii. 17. xlix. 7. 26. liv. 5; and lx. 16.) And it may be observed, that when God has this title of the Redeemer of Israel ascribed to him in those places, it is joined with some other of the peculiar and most exalted names and titles of the Most High God: such as, the Holy One of Israel; (so Isa. xli. 14. xliii. 14. xlvii. 4. xlviii. 17. xliv. 6. and xlix. 7.) The Mighty one of Jacob, (chap. xlix. 26. and Ix. 16.) The Lord of Hosts, (Isa. xlvii. 4. and xliv. 6.) The God of the whole earth, (chap. liv. 5.) The First and the Last, besides whom there is no God, (xliv. 6.) The Jehovah that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, and spreadeth abroad the earth by himself, (ver. 24.) Yet the Messiah, in this very book, is spoken of as the Redeemer of God's people in the most eminent manner, (chap. Ixiii. 1-6.)

§ 6. God is careful that his people should understand, that their honour and love and praise for the redemption out of Egypt, belongs only to him, and therefore is careful to inform them, that he alone redeemed them out of Egypt, and that there was no other God with him; and to make use of that as a principal argument why they should have no other Gods before him. (See Deut. xxxii. 12; Exod. xx. 3; Psal. lxxxi. 8, 9, 10; Hos. xiii. 4.) The words in that place are remarkable: "Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt; and thou shalt know no God but me; for there is no Saviour besides me." If God insisted on that as a good reason why his people should know no God besides him, that he alone was their Saviour to save them out of Egypt; would

See also Hos. viii. 4. Jer. iii. 23. Jonah ii. 8, 9.

See also Isa. xlix. 26, and 1x. 16. Deut. xxxiii. 29.
Psalm iii. 8. Isa. xxv. 9.

he afterwards appoint another to be their Saviour in an infinitely greater salvation?

§ 7. The works of creation being ascribed to Christ, most evidently prove his proper divinity. For God declares, that he is Jehovah that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, and spreadeth abroad the earth by himself, Isa. xliv. 24. (See also the next chapter, xlv. 5—6. 12.) And not only is the creation of the world ascribed to Christ often in scripture, but that which in Isaiah is called the new creation, which is here represented as an immensely greater and more glorious work than the old creation, viz. the work of redemption, as this prophet himself explains it, (Isa. lxv. 17, 18, 19.) is every where, in a most peculiar and distinguishing manner, ascribed to Christ. 2 Peter i. 1. "Through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ :” Εν δικαιοσυνη του Θες ημων και OUTROS INGO XPLOTOV. Tit. ii. 13. "Looking for the blessed σωτηρος Ιησου Χριστον. hope and glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Το μεγαλο Θες και σωτήρος ημών Ιησε Χρισε. It is agreeable to the manner of the apostle's expressing himself in both places, to intend one and the same person, viz. Christ, under two titles: As when speaking of God the Father, in Eph. i. 3. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." o' EOS Kαι Tarηр. See Dr. Goodwin's works, vol. i. p. 93, 94.

§ 8. That passage in Isaiah xl. 13, 14. "Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord ?" proves Christ's divinity; for Christ directs the spirit of the Lord. See John xvi. 13–15. and many other places. Compare the following texts, set in opposite columns; those in the first column are represented as belonging to God only, which yet in the second column, are given to Christ.

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§ 9. If Christ in the beginning created the heavens and the earth, he must be from eternity; for then he is before the beginning, by which must be meant, the beginning of time; the beginning of that kind of duration which has beginning and following, before and after, belonging to it. The beginning of created existence, or, the beginning of the creation which God created, as the phrase is, Mark iii. 19. In Proverbs viii. 22, it is said, "The Lord possessed me before his works of old," and therefore before those works which in Genesis i. 1. are said to be made in the beginning. God's eternity is expressed thus, Psalm xc. 2. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst created the earth and the world, even from everlasting." So it is said, Prov. viii. 22, &c. "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was," &c.

10. That the kingdom of the Messiah is so commonly called the kingdom of heaven, is an evidence that the Messiah is God. By the kingdom of heaven is plainly meant a kingdom wherein God doth reign, or is King. The phrase, the kingdom of heaven, seems to be principally taken from Dan. ii. 14. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom;" where the meaning plainly is, after the heads of those four great monarchies have each one had their turn, and erected kingdoms for themselves in their

* See WATERLAND's answer to some queries.

turn, and the last monarchy shall be divided among ten kings; finally, the God of heaven shall take the dominion from them all, and shall set up a kingdom for himself. He shall take the kingdom, and shall rule for ever. In this book, chap. iv. 26. it is said, "After that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule." The words in the foregoing verse express what is meant: "Until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men." Therefore, by the kingdom of heaven which shall be set up, is meant the kingdom wherein God himself shall be the king; not as reigning and administering by other kings or judges, as he was king in the time of the Judges, and in the time of David and Solomon, Hezekiah and Josiah, &c. and as he always doth in the time of good kings: but he shall set up his kingdom, in distinction from all kingdoms or states, wherein the heavens shall rule, or God himself shall be king. And therefore the kingdom of heaven is often called the kingdom of God, in the New Testament. And it is abundantly prophesied in the Old Testament, that in the days of the Messiah, God shall take to himself the kingdom, and shall reign as king, in contradistinction to other reigning subordinate beings. And that God himself shall reign on earth, as king among his people, is abundantly manifest from many prophecies. And in this very prophecy of Daniel, (chap. vii.) where this kingdom, which the Lord of heaven should at last set up (plainly this same kingdom) is more fully spoken of, it is manifest, that the Messiah is to be the king in that kingdom, who shall reign as vested with full power, and complete kingly authority.+

§ 11. God is several times called in scripture, the Glory of Israel, or of God's people; and it is a title peculiar to him, wherein he appears as especially distinguished from false gods. Jer. ii. 11. "Hath a nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit." Psalm cvi. 20. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass." But we find that Christ in the New Testament is spoken of as "the Glory of God's people Israel." Luke ii. 23.

12. What is said in Job xix. 25-27. "For I know that my Redeemer liveth," &c. is a proof of the divinity of Christ. For here, he whom Job calls his Redeemer, his God, is God; "Yet in my flesh shall I see God." But it is very

* See Psalm xciii. 1. xcvi. 10. xcvii. at the beginning, and xcix. 1. Isa. xxxiii. 22. Isa. xl. 9, 10, 11. Zeph. iii. 14, 15. Mal. iii. 1, 2, 3.

+ See also Dan. ix, 25, Gen. xlix. Pslams ii. cx. lxxxix, and xlv. Isaiah ix. and xi. Zech. vi. Jer. xxiii. 5. xxx. 9. and xxxiii. 15. Ezek. xxxiv. 23. and xxxvii. 24. Hos. iii. 5. Zech. vi. 12, &c. and in many other places.

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