efpecially a knowledge of the human heart, and the prerogative of declaring the forgiveness of fin, which always accompanies regal authority; but being affifted by divine wisdom and discernment, as well as by divine power, in the exercise of this high office, it is, in effect, the fame thing as the judgment and mercy of God difplayed by the inftrumentality of Jefus Chrift. We ought not, therefore, to be furprized at fuch expreffions as these. Mat. ix. 4. And Jefus knowing their thoughts. John ii. 35. He knew what was in man. Mat. ix. 2. Thy fins are forgiven thee. The multitude, who faw Chrift exerting a miraculous power upon this occa fion, and heard him exprefs himself in this manner, had no idea of his claiming any extraordinary power, as naturally inherent in himfelf; for it is faid, ver. 8. that when the multitude faw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, who had given fuch power unto men. The fcribes and pharifees, indeed, faid within themselves, upon this occafion, ver. 3. This man blafphemeth. But the jews called it blafphemy to pretend to be the Chrift; for when the highpriest folemnly adjured our Lord by the living God, Mat, xxvi. 63. that he would tell him whether he was the Chrift, the Son of God, and, our Lord ex-prefsly replie that he was the Chrift, we read, ver. 65. then the high priest rent his clothes, faying, he bath spoken blafphemy.

Col. ii. 9. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily. This is a very proper expreffion, being strictly and literally true, though Chrift himfelf was a mere man, fince the wifdom and power of the one true God, the Father, were manifest in, and acted by him, agreeably to his own declarations, that the words which he spake were not his own, but the father's who fent him, and that the father within him did the works. Nay, this very expreffion, that the fullness of the godhead dwelled or refided in him, feems to imply that it did not naturally belong to him. Befides phrases fimilar to this are applied by way of figure to chriftians in general. They are faid to be partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet i. 4. to be filled with all the fullness of God, Eph. iii. 19. and to be the fullness of him, that filleth all in all, Eph. i. 131

Thefe obfervations will easily help us to underftand what is meant by Chrift being called the image of the invifible God, 2 Cor. iv. 4. Col. i. 15. and the exprefs image of his perfon, Heb. i. 3. and also his being in the form of God, Philip. ii. 6. for they all allude to the divine power and wisdom which were displayed in him when he was on earth, but more especially now that he is afcended into heaven; at the fame time, Chrift being called only the image of God, is a fufficient intimation that he is not God himself. Indeed, if this expreffion was to be allowed to be any proof of the divinity of Chrift,

it would follow that Adam was God; for it is faid, Gen. i. 26. 27. That God made man in his own image, and after his likeness.

Now are we

It is with as little appearance of reafon that Chrift is argued to be very and eternal God, because he is ftiled the Son of God; for all chriftians have the fame appellation, 1 John iii. 2. the fons of God. We are alfo called not only the children but also the heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Chrift, Rom. viii, 17. Adam is more especially called the fon of God, Luke iii. 18. and Ephraim is called his dear fon, Jer. xxxi. 20.

John x. 30. I and my father are one. xiv 10. I am in the Father, and the Father in me. That is, we are one in defign and intereft. But whatever be the union between the Father and the Son; it is of fuch a kind, that his diciples are capable of

it with respect to them both; for, in Chrift's prayer for his difciples, he fays, John xvii. 20. Neither pray I for thefe alone, but for them alfo whe 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 and the glory which

:

thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou haft fent me, and haft loved them as thou haft loved me.

John

John v. 23.

That all men fhould honour the fon even as they honour the Father; that is, as well as the Father. The fame word is ufed, where it can have

no other fenfe, in John xvii. 23. them as thou hast loved me; that is,

And haft loved

not in the fame

degree, but in like manner as. To explain the fense of the entire passage in which the words abovemen tioned occur, let it be obferved, that the jews had perfecuted Jefus, because be had made a man whole on the fabbath-day. By way of apology, he fays, v. 17. My Father worketh hitherto, that is, in the course of his providence on the fabbath, as well as on other days, and I work; that is on the fabbath-day also. Upon this the pharifees were more enraged, because he called God his father, and because he made himself ( not equal with God, as we render it) but like unto God, affuming fo much of his prerogative, as to claim the privilege of working on the fabbath-day as well as God. However, to fhew them that he meant nothing arrogant in what he had said, and that this privilege was given to him by God, he immediately replies, v. 19. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, the Son can no nothing of himSelf, but what he fees the Father do; for what things foever he doth, these alfo doth the fon likewife. He then proceeds to reprefent all his extraordinary power as the gift of his Father, v. 20. For the Father loveth the fon, and fheweth him all things that he binfelf doth; and he will few him greater things than

theje,

thefe, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raifeth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even fo the fan quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but bath committed all judgment unto the fong that all men should honour the fon, even as they honour. the Father. He that honoureth not the son, honoureth not the Father who hath fent him. Indeed, this very laft clause sufficiently fhews that the honour to which Chrift is intitled is not on account of what he is, or has of himself, but on account of what he derives from God, as his ambaffador,

II. Very high titles are justly given to Chrift as the founder of the chriftian religion, and especially as fuperintending the affairs of his church, and as controuling whatever can afet the intereft of his church. Thus the author of the epiftle to the Hebrews ftiles him the author and finisher of our faith. Heb. xii. 2. He is alfo faid to be the head over all things to his church, Eph. i. 2. Thefe high titles are attributed to Jefus with respect to the ftate of glory, and univerfal dominion, to which he is exalted by the Father.

The author of the epiftle to the Hebrews makes use of a phrase of the fame import with this of the apostle John, where he only means to express the unchangeableness of the doctrine of Chrift, as the connection of it, with what goes before and after, makes very evident. Heb. xiii. 7. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unte

you