called the Son of God. A circumftance evidently peculiar to Chrift, and by which the title becomes applicable only to him." (i) But this is no proof that our Lord poffeffes a divine nature, that he is God of the fame fubftance with his Father. It proves only that he was miraculously produced in the womb of the virgin by the power of the Moft High, a doctrine which many Unitarians allow. (k)

Secondly, Jefus Chrift is called the Son of God, because it was a title which God himself gave him

(i) P. 27.

at

(k) Mr. Hawker seems to lay great stress on the child be- ing called the holy, as he renders the original word, but more properly rendered by our tranflators, holy thing; whereby he fays, the angel draws a ftriking diftinction between the word made flesh, and the highest created being whatever. But it is to be noticed, that this holy thing was produced in the womb of the virgin by the Holy Ghoft, and therefore, on the principles of the Trinitarians, can be nothing more than the human nature of Jesus Christ. If, as Mr. Hawker fuppofes, it be the title of the word made flesh, that is, of the divine nature of Jefus Chrift, it follows that the Word, the fecond person in the trinity, was produced by the Holy Ghoft, the third perfon in the trinity, in the womb of the virgin. But Mr. Hawker was not, I suppose, aware of this conseq ence, or he would not have argued in the manner he has done. The only reason affigned in the paffage why the child is called holy, is, that he was to be produced out of the common way, by the immediate power of God.

at his baptifm; when, by a voice from heaven, he declared him to be his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleafed. Matt. iii. 17.

Thirdly, Jefus Chrift is called the Son of God, on account of his office, as the Meffiah. This appears from the confideration that the phrases, the Christ, the Meffiah, and the Son of God, are fynonomous. In the gospels of Matthew and John, Peter's confeffion refpecting Chrift is in thefe words; Thou art the Chrift, the Son of the living God. See Matt. xvi. 16, and John vi. 69. But, Mark viii. 29, it is; Thou art the Chrift; and Luke ix. 20; The Chrift of God. Compare alfo Matt. xxvi. 63, with Luke xxii. 66, 70. It is alfu faid, John i. 34, that John bare record concerning him, that he was the Son of God; but v. 41, we are informed, that one, of the two difciples who heard him, and followed Jefus, findeth his own brother Simon, and faith unto him, We have found the Meffias, which is, being interpreted, the Chrift. But the most ftriking paffage is John x. 36. Say ye of him whom the Father hath Janctified, and fent into the world; Thou blafphemeft; because I faid I am the Son of God?

Fourthly, Jefus Chrift is called the Son of God, on account of his refurrection from the dead. Rom. i. 4. And declared to be the Son of God with power,

power, by the refurrection from the dead. He is faid allo, Col i. 15, to be the first born of every creature, or, of the whole creation, a term which the apoftle explains, v. 18, by calling him the first born from the dead. (1)

On all these accounts, Jefus is called, in the New Teftament, the Son of God. On all these accounts, do we believe him to be the Son of God in a fenfe peculiar to himself; in a sense in which no other being is entitled to the appellation. I hope, therefore, none of my readers will suppose with Mr. Hawker, that we confider this phrafe, when applied to our bleffed Lord, in the light of a mere, complimentary title.

I will now proceed to examine thofe of Mr. Hawker's arguments which may be fuppofed to prove, that because Jefus is called the Son of God, his nature must be divine.

The

(1) It seems from these and other places, that the resurrection from the dead is represented, in the New Testament, as a new creation, or a new state of existence, in which, Jefus Chrift, because he is the firft that rose, not to die again, is called the head, the first born, the chief. I Cor. xv. 20, he is called the firft fruits of them that flept. Rev. i. 5, he is ftiled the faithful witness, the firft begotten of the dead; and, Rev. iii. 14, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

The first proof which belongs to this part of the subject, is that which he deduces from the expreffive phrases with which the term, Son of God, is connected, (m) fuch as the only begotten Son of God, who is in the bofom of the Father, the beloved Son of God, the dear Son of God, the image of the invifible God, the first born of every creature. To this it may be answered, that the three first phrafes are expreffive only of affection; and that, in this fense, they are peculiarly applicable to Jesus Christ, whom we believe to be a person most dear to God the Father. Similar expreffions are used also with respect to others, as well as with refpe&t to Chrift. Exod. iv. 22, Ifrael is called the firft born Son of God. Heb. xi. 17, Ifaac is faid to be the only begotten fon of Abraham; and, Eph. v. 1, the apostle Paul exhorts the Ephefians to walk worthy of God, as dear, as beloved children. He is ftiled the image of the invifible God, because he bears the nearest resemblance to him of any being with whom we are acquainted. The phrafe, first born of every creature, has already been explained.

Mr. Hawker's next proof is taken from our Lord's answer to the Jews, refpecting the cripple he had healed on the fabbath-day. (n) John v.

(m) P. 23.

(n) P. 21.

17.

17. 18. Put Jefus anfwered them, My Father workeh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews fought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Jobbath, but faid alfo, that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. But this conftruction of the Jews was nothing more than their own wilful and wicked mifreprefentation of his meaning. It does not appear, that the meek and lowly Jefus had ever conceived fuch a thought; and no fooner had they made the infinuation, than he rejected the idea with abhorrence. Verily, verily I Jay unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself; and again, v. 30, I can of mine own felf do nothing.

Another paffage which Mr. Hawker quotes is John x 30. I and my Father are one. But this no more proves, that Chrift was poffeffed of the fame nature with his Father, than his prayer, respecting his disciples, proves that he requested of his Father, that they might poffefs it. John xvii. 20--22. Neither pray I for thefe alone, but for them alfo which fhall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou haft fent me. And the glory which thou gaveft me, I have given them; that they may even as we a e one. See alfo I Cor. iii. 8.

be one,

As a farther proof that our Lord poffeffes a

divine