First. By a collection of scripture texts, in which the names, attributes, perfections, and works, that are proper only to supreme Deity, are ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Ghost. Secondly. By comparing one text with another, and deducing the necessary conclusions for the demonstration of that truth, Thirdly. I shall prove the proper Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, by some more general arguments, taken from the scope of some parts of scripture which have a relation to that subject. For the first of these, I hope the reader will impartially consider the following texts. The Supreme Being is distinguished in revelation from all creatures, by the name JEHOVAH. "Thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Most High over all the earth. Thou, even thou, art LORD (JEHOVAH) alone.” The Lord Jesus Christ is called JEHOVAH. This is the name whereby he shall be called, the LORD our righteousness." Rather as in the margin JEHOVAH TSIDKENU. The Holy Ghost is called JEHOVAH. "The§ LORD (JEHOVAH) took me, and the SPIRIT lift me up. The SPIRIT of the LORD (the SPIRIT JEHOVAH) came upon Sampson,-the LORD (JEHOVAH) departed from him. The¶ SPIRIT of the LORD Psa. lxxxiii. 18. § Ezek. viii. 1, 3. ↑ Neh. ix. 6. Isu. Ixi. 1. (the SPIRIT JEHOVAH) is upon me, for the LORD (JEHOVAH) hath anointed me," &c. The name LORD in an absolute sense in the new testament, is proper only to Deity. "The same LORD over all, is rich unto all that call upon him." This is given to Jesus Christ. 'Fort unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the LORD." Now the LORD is that Spirit.-We are changed from glory to glory, as by the LORD, the Spirit." Margin.§ *Rom. x. 12. + Luke ii. 11. 2 Cor. iii. 17, 18. Some readers will be surprized that I apply this text to Jesus Christ, which has been universally applied to the Holy Ghost, and reckoned by the orthodox on the Trinity, an incontestible proof of his Deity; whereas, it is plain from the scope, that the Holy Ghost is not intended by the term Spirit, in any part of the chapter; nor should it be understood personally, as is commonly supposed. From the 6th verse, the apostle shews the excellency of the new testament dispensation, which he calls the Spirit that giveth life, above the Mosaic dispensation, which he calls the letter that killeth. To those who looked no further than the outside, or the external part of that dispensation, without regard to the spirit, intent, and gospel signification thereof, it was death-" circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter." The law, without Christ, who is the end of it for righteousness to them that believe, is death, a killing letter: but the law of the spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, makes free from the law of sin and death. The Spirit of life-the Spirit that quickeneth, is the truth concerning Christ, who is the substance of the whole Mosaic dispensation, which the apostle calls figures, shadows, &c. But the substance is Christ, the last Adam, who is a quickening Spirit. After he had compared the letter with the Spirit, he tells the Corinthians, "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit, the Lord is, (there is no possessive in the text) there is liberty." And who the Lord is, he tells them immediately after, "We preach Jesus Christ, the Lord." He speaks To the Spirit. the mind of the LORD? SPIRIT?" "For who hath known* Who† hath directed the The name GOD, in a proper sense, belongs only to Deity. "Thou shalt have no other GODS before me. Thus saith the Lord, besides me there is no GOD. For there is one GOD, and there is none other but he. There¶ is none other God but one. But to us there is but one GOD." This name is often given to Jesus Christ. "And** Thomas answered and said unto HIM (Jesus) my Lord, and my GOD. And the Word was GOD. GODT was manifest in the flesh. But‡‡ unto the Son he saith, thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called wonderful counsellor, the MIGHTY GOD. Whose|||| are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh CHRIST came, who is over all, GOD, blessed of the Mosaic economy, as under a veil, which made it difficult to look to the end of that which is abolished: "but we (under the new testament) all with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord (Jesus Christ) are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, by the Lord, the Spirit." Though the ceremonial dispensation, established at Sinai, had much outward pomp, yet it had "no glory," that is, very little in comparison of the "glory that excelleth," in the new dispensation, wherein Christ in all his fulness is revealed in more clear, powerful, and extensive manner, as the Spirit of the old, and the Lord of the new dispensation, in the most proper aud spiritual sense, therefore with the greatest propriety called, "the Spirit, the Lord, and the Lord, the Spirit." for ever. Amen.* And† we are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of GOD our SAVIOUR. Accordings to the commandment of GOD our SAVIOUR. That they may adorn the doctrine of GOD our SAVIOUR in all things. After¶ that the kindness and love of GoD our Saviour appeared. Looking** for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the GREAT GOD and (even) our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Paul,†† an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of GOD our Saviour, and (even) the LORD JESUS CHRIST Our hope. Simon‡‡ Peter, a servant, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness of GOD, and (even) our Saviour JESUS CHRIST. And§§ denying the ONLY TRUE GOD, and (even) our Lord Jesus Christ." * This is so plain a proof of the proper Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, that one must be surprized, how any can impose so much upon reason and common sense as to deny it, by saying, that it is not Jesus Christ that is here intended, but God the Father, mentioned (as they say) in the foregoing verse; whereas nothing is said of the Father, from the beginning of the chapter; nor the word God so much as mentioned. Indeed, the translators bave supplied the word God in the context, but it is of no manner of use, which any one may plainly see at first reading the passage. The apostle is pointing out the great privileges of his countrymen, to whom, says he, pertained the adoption-the glory -the covenants-giving of the law-the service-the promises. And then adds, as the most distinguishing privilege," of whom us concerning the flesh CHRIST came, WHO is over all, God, blessed for ever. Amen. It is not common sense to say, the relative who refers to any but Christ mentioned immediately before; for there is not another, that with the least propriety, it çan refer to. In the four last cited texts, as well as in several others, where our translators have given us the copulative AND, it could The Holy Ghost is also called God. "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine be wished they had used another word instead thereof, both nearer the original, and more favorable to the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the texts which I have cited, before these four, the apostles apply the title GOD to our Lord Jesus, the Saviour, without any copulative to distinguish them, so that none can doubt it is Jesus Christ they mean. And even in these texts, where the terms God and Jesus Christ are so distinguished as in our translation, there is enough to convince any one that shall consider the texts impartially, that it is the same divine person who is meant. It is not the Father, but Jesus Christ, who the scriptures say shall make the glorious appearance at the last day. The word translated appearing, in the first of the four texts, is other five times used in the new testament, and always applied to Jesus Christ: whereas the Father is always 'considered as invisible. Besides, Christ is emphatically called the hope of his saints; which two words being joined together in the text, limits the term great God to Jesus Christ, whose appearing the saints hope and long for, and who (says the apostle in the very next verse) "Gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity." This puts it beyond dispute, that Jesus Christ is called the great God, and not the Father, as is commonly supposed, and which inattentive readers may easily be led to think, from the word and being put betwixt great God and Jesus Christ, which would point out two, whereas there is but one intended in the text. The same Greek word Ka, which is here rendered and, is in many other places, by the same translators, rendered even. Rom. viii. 23. "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, EVEN we ourselves, &c. 1 Cor. xv. 24. He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, EVEN the Father. 2 Cor. i. 3. Blessed be God, EVEN the Father, &c. 2 Cor. x. 12. Which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach EVEN to you." Had Ka been rendered and in these and other texts, it would have made them wholly unintelligible; and there is no reason why it should be so here, if it is not to favor an argument against the Deity of Jesus Christ, in the hands of such as are no friends to that doctrine. By considering the other three texts, we will see equal reason to conclude, that God and Jesus Christ ought not to be distiuguished as they are. At whose commandment did Paul become an apostle? Through whose righteousness do we obtain salvation? And who does Jude say the scoffers of his time denied? Not |