That the Father of Christ, as he is a person, so a divine person, will not be doubted; nor is his Deity called in question; and yet it may be proper to say something of it, and establish it; which may be done, not only by observing that he is expressly and distinctly called God, Rom. xv. 6. Gal. i. 1. Phil, ii. 11. but this may be proved,

1. From his divine perfections: God necessarily exists, owes his being to no other, subsists of himself, and is independent of any: such is the Father of Christ, he has life in himself and of himself, and does not derive it from another, John v. 26. God is from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning and end; so is the Father of Christ, he is he which is, and which was, and which is to come, Rev. i. 4. God is immense and omnipresent, cannot be circumscribed by space, he fills heaven and earth, and is contained in neither; such is the Father of Christ, of whom he often speaks as in heaven, and yet with him on earth, and with all his people, at all times, and in all ages, John xiv. 23. and xvi. 32, God is omniscient, knows all persons and things; and so does the Father of Christ, he knows the Son in such sense as no other does, and knows that which neither the angels nor the Son, as man, know, even the day and hour of judgment, Matt. xi. 27. Mark xiii. 32. see Acts i. 7. 2 Cor. xi. 31. God is om nipotent, he can do all things; and so can the Father of Christ, Abba, Father, says Christ, all things are possible unto thee, Mark xiv. 36. see Matt. xvi. 53. John x. 29. Once more, God is immutable, not subject to any change and variation; God, the Father of Christ, is the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning, James i. 17. he is unchangeable in his purposes and promises made in Christ, and in his love which is in Christ Jesus the Lord. In short, there is no perfection in Deity but what God, the Father of Christ, is possessed of.

11. His Deity will appear from the works which are ascribed to him, and which none but God could do; such as making the heaven, the earth and sea, and all that in them are; and who as the maker of them is addressed by the apostle, Acts iv. 24-27. and hence by Christ called Father, Lord of heaven and earth, Matt. xi. 25. and the works of providence, before observed, are ascribed to him, as supporting the world by his power, governing it by his wisdom, and supplying it by his goodness, which none but God can do; see Matt. vi. 26, 32. And his mighty acts of grace in quickening sinners dead in sins, in doing which the same power is put forth as in raising Christ from the dead, Eph. ii. 1. and i. 19. and in forgiving the sins of men, which none but God can do, Mark ii. 7. and for which Christ prayed to his Father on the behalf of his enemies, Luke xxiii. 34. to which may be added the resurrection of the dead, which is purely a divine work, and requires almighty power. The resurrection of Christ is most frequently ascribed to him, and he will raise the dead at the last day, 1 Cor. vi. 14. From these and from many other divine works, may the Deity of the Father be concluded, as well as,

III. From the worship due to him, and given to him. None but God is and ought to be the object of religious worship and adoration; Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve, Matt. iv. 10. now true worshippers of God worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him, John iv. 23. and the Father of Christ is frequently represented as the object of faith, hope and love; to whom prayer is to be made, and to whom prayer was made both by Christ and his apostles; how often are grace and peace wished for from him in the several epistles? and he stands first in the form of baptism, which is a solemn act of divine and religious worship.

OF THE DISTINCT PERSONALITY, AND DEITY
OF THE SON.

THAT the Son of God is a person, and a divine person distinct from the Father and the Spirit, cannot be doubted; for since his Father is a person, and he is the express image of his person, he must be a person too; and he must be the express image of him, as he himself is a divine person, the Son of God, and truly God; and not as he is man and mediator; not as he is man, or as having an human nature, for his Father never had any, and therefore he could not be the image of him in that respect; for though man is the image of God as to some qualities in him, yet is he never called his character or express image, much less the express image of any of the persons in the Deity: nor as mediator, and in an office-capacity, for his Father was never a mediator, nor in an office: it remains therefore that it must be the express image of his person, as he himself is a divine person, abstracted from any consideration of his human nature and of his office. For as Plato says, that which is like must needs be of the same species with that to which it is like. The definition of a Person agrees with him: he is an individual, distinct, though not separate from the divine nature, he has in common with the Father and the Spirit; he subsists of himself in that nature distinctly, and independently; is not a part of another, the whole fulness of the Godhead dwells in him; nor is his human nature, which he assumed in time, a part of his person, nor adds any thing to his personality; but being taken up into union with his person, subsists in it; he has life in himself, and is the living God; is intelligent, has understanding and will; knows himself, his Father and the Spirit, and all creatures and things, and does whatsoever he pleases.

Besides the distinctive, relative property, or personal relation of the Son, which is to be begotten, and which gives and makes the distinction of him, as a divine person, from the Father and Spirit, who are never said to be begotten; there are many other things which shew, or make him appear to be a distinct peison.

↑ Parmenide, p. 1113.

I. His being with God as the Word, John i. 1. and with his Father as a Son, as one brought up with him, Pov. viii. 30. clearly expresses his distinct personality; he must be a person to be with, and to be brought up with another; and he must be distinct from him with whom he is; he cannot with any propriety be said to be with himself, or to be brought up with himself.

II. His being set up from everlasting as mediator, and the covenant head of the elect; the Father making a covenant with him, and putting the persons of the chosen ones, with all the blessings of grace for them, into his hands, shew him to be a person; a mere name and character could not be said to be set up, to be covenant with, or to have persons and things committed to his care and charge; and these shew him to be a distinct person from him who set him up, and entrusted him with all these persons and things; see Prov. viii. 23. Psalm lxxxix. 3, 28. Deut, xxxiii. 3. Eph. i. 3. 2. Tim. i. 9.

III. His being sent in the fulness of time to be the Saviour of his people, and that under the character of the Son of God, shews him to be distinct from the Father, whose Son he is, and by whom he was sent; if he was not a person, but a mere name, he could not be sent; and he must be distinct from him that sent him; he that sends, and he that is sent, cannot be one and the same person; or else it must be said, that he sent himself, which is too gross and absurd to be admitted; see Rom. viii. 3. Gal iv. 4. 1 John iv. 9, 14.

IV. His becoming a sacrifice, and making satisfaction for the sins of men, and so the Redeemer and Saviour of them, plainly declare his distinct personality. Was he not a person he could not offer himself a sacrifice, and he must be distinct from him to whom he offered himself; was he not a person he could not make satisfaction, or reconcile men to God; or in other words, make reconciliation and atonement for sin; these are personal acts, and he must be distinct from him to whom the satisfaction, reconciliation and atonement are made; or to whom men are reconciled by him; if he has redeemed men to God by his blood, as he has, he must be a person that is the redeemer of men, and he must be distinct from him to whom he has redeemed them; for he cannot with propriety be said to reconcile and redeem them to himself; see Eph. v. 2. Heb. ix. 14. Rom. v. 10, 11. Rev. v. 9.

V. His ascension to heaven, and session at the right hand of God, shew him to be a person that ascended, and is sat down; and though it was in human nature that ascended and sat down, yet it was God in that nature; God is gone up with a shout, Psal. xlvii. 5. Thou, the Lord God, hast ascended on high Psal. lxviii. 17, 18. The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, Psal. cx. 1. and he must be distinct from his God and our God, from his Father and our Father, to whom he ascended, and cannot be the same person with him at whose right hand he sits, John xx. 17. Heb. t. 13.

VI. His advocacy and intercession with his Father, as a plain proof of his

Of this name of the Son of God, the Word, see my Doctrine of the Trinity, ch. 5. P. 98-120.

distinct personality. He is said to be an advocate with the Father, 1 John ii. 1. and therefore must be a person to act the part of an advocate; and must be distinct from him with whom he advocates; unless it can be thought he is an advocate with himself; he himself says, I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, meaning the Spirit of truth, as next explained, John xiv. 16, 17. Now he must be distinct from the Father to whom he prays, for surely he cannot be supposed to pray to himself; and he must be distinct from the Spirit, for whom he prays. He appears in the presence of God for his people, and ever lives to make intercession for them, and must be a person to do this; and must be distinct from him in whose presence he appears, and to whom he makes intercession; for he cannot with any propriety be said to ap.. pear in his own presence for his people, and to mediate and make intercession for them with himself; see Heb. vii. 25. and ix. 24.

VII. His judging the world at the last day, with all the circumstances thereof; gathering all nations before him, dividing them, and setting them, some on his right hand and others on his left, and passing the definitive sentence on them, prove him to be a person, a divine person, and distinct from the Father and the Spirit; for as for the Father, he judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son, John v. 22. nor is ever the final judgment of the world ascribed to the Spirit; see Matt. xxv. 31-41. Acts x. 42. and xvii. 31.

VIII. It is promised to the saints that they shall be with Christ, where he is; see him as he is, and behold his glory, and shall reign with him for evermore; and he is represented as the object of their praise, wonder and wroship, to all eternity; and that as distinct from the Father and the Holy Ghost; all which, and much more, shew him to be a person, and to be distinct from them both; for surely he must be a person, a divine and distinct one, whom the saints shall be, live and dwell with to all eternity; and whom they shall praise, serve and adore, throughout endless ages.

The Deity of Christ may be next considered, and proved; or, that he is a divine person, truly and properly God. Not a made or created God, as say the Arians. He was made flesh, and made of a woman; but not made God; for then he must make himself, which is absurd; since without him was not any thing made that was made; but all things were made by him, John i. 3. Nor God by office, as say the Socinians; for then he would be God only in an improper sense; as magistrates are called gods; and not truly and properly God; nor God by name only; as there are called lords many, and gods many; such were the gods of the heathens, inanimate, irrational, lifeless beings, and so could have no divinity in them. But he is God by nature; as these were not; having the whole essence and nature of God in him. This will appear,

1. From the names which are given to him; he has the same glorious names the most high God has; as Ehjeh, I AM that I AM, Exod. iii. 14. to which our Lord refers, and takes to himself, John viii. 58. and Jehovah, which is incommunicable to a creature, and peculiar to the most High, Psal. Lxxxiii. 18. it

is not given to angels; for wherever an angel is so called, not a created but the uncreated angel is meant; nor to the ark, 2 Sam. vi. 2. for not the ark, but God, whose the ark was, is there called by the name of the Lord of hosts: nor to Jerusalem, Jer. xxxiii. 16. but to the Messiah, chap. xxiii. 6. for the words may be rendered, “This is the name wherewith he shall be called by her, The Lord our Righteousness:" nor to the church absolutely, Ezek. xlviii. 35. but in composition, or with addition; and is only symbolical of Jehovah's presence being with her; and the same may be said of mount Moriah; and of some altars, called, Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Nissi, and Jehovah-Shallom; which are only symbolical, and designed to call in remembrance the wonderful appearance of Jehovah; the gracious help, and divine assistance, he granted to his people in those places, Gen. xxii. 14. Exod. xvii. 15. Judg. vi. 24. nor is this naine given to priests and judges, Deut. xix. 17. for Jehovah is not to be explained by them; but is distinguished from them; and though he is joined with them, this only designs his presence in judiciary affairs, agreeable to Psal. lxxxii. 1. if, therefore, it can be proved that the name Jehovah is given to Christ, it will prove him to be the most High over all the earth.

Now we are told that God spake to Moses, and said, I am the Lord or Jehovah; by which name he was not known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; that is, not by that only, or that was not so fully made known to them, as it had been to Moses, and to the Israelites by him, Exod. vi. 2, 3. and iii. 14. which person that appeared to Moses, and said those words, is called the Angel of the Lord, chap. iii. 2. not a created angel, 6. but an uncreated one; and must be understood, not of God the Father, who is never called an angel; but of the Son of God, the Angel of his presence, who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, went before them, and led them through the Red sea, and wilderness, to the land of Canaan, Exod. iii. 8. and xiii. 21. and xiv. 19. and xxiii. 20. Isai. Ixiii. 9. he, whom the Israelites tempted in the wilderness, is expressly called Jehovah, Exod. xvii. 7. and nothing is more evident than that this Person was Christ, 1 Cor. x. 9. he whom Isaiah saw on a throne, making a very magnificent appearance, is not only called Adonai, Isai. vi. 1. but by the ṣeraphim, Jehovah, 3. and so by Isaiah, 5. who was bid to say to the Jews, 8, 9. Hear ye indeed, &c. which words Christ applies to himself; and observes that, those things Esaias said, when he saw his glory, and spoke of him, John xii. 39–44, There is a prophecy in Isai. xl. 3. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, or of Jehovah, make straight in the desart, an high way for our God, which by the evangelist Matthew, is applied unto, and interpreted of John the Baptist, Matt. iii. 1-3. wherefore, the Jehovah, whose way he was to prepare, and our God, whose paths he was to make straight, could be no other than Christ; whose harbinger and forerunner John was, and whose way and paths were prepared and made straight by him, through his preaching the doctrine of repentance, administering the ordinance of baptsim, and deciaring the kingdom of heaven, or of the Messiah, was at hand. Moreover, the