his Will, by the preaching of a perfon SER M. of far greater excellence and authority than III. Any before; even by his own Son. This expreffion therefore of God's fending forth his Son, implies plainly these two things; first, that the perfon here declared to be fent forth into the World, was in a fingular and peculiar manner the Son of God; and 2dly, that he was with God, before he was fent into the World. 1ft, The perfon here declared to be fent into the World, was in a peculiar manner the Son of God. Many Senfes there are in which a person may be faid to be the Son of God; and in great variety of fignification does the Scripture itself make use of this expreffion. The Angels are styled the Sons of God, Job xxxviii. 7. and Adam is faid to be the Son of God, Luk. iii. 38. because immediately created by him: They who are fanctified by the Spirit of God, are called the Sons of God, Rom. viii. 14. because they live in obedience to his government, and fo are Members of his Family or Household; They who shall be thought worthy to obtain that life which is to come, are called the Sons of God, Luk. VOL. V. xx. 36.

E 2

SER M. XX. 36. because they are as it were anew III. created of God, being the Children of

the refurrection to eternal Happiness: They who are appointed to any high Office by the fpecial and immediate Will of God, are alfo called Gods, or the Sons of God, because they act in his ftead, or as his Vicegerents; and in this Sense our Saviour himself uses the phrase in his Reply to the Jews, John x. 34. Is it not written in your law, I faid ye are Gods? If he called them Gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken, Say ye of him whom the Father bath fanctified and fent into the world, thou blafphemeft, because I said I am the Son of God? These therefore and fome other Senses there are, in which the Scripture gives men that great title of being the Sons of God. And the reason why any perfon is fo called, is generally expressly added, or at least plainly included in the words; as in the inftance of Adam; of those who shall be raised from the Dead; and of Princes, or fanctified Men and Prophets being ftiled the Sons of God. But when the title is given to our

Bleffed

III.

Bleffed Saviour, 'tis given him either ab-S ER M. folutely and by way of eminence, or with

fome high and particular Note of distinction. 'Tis fometimes given him absolutely and by way of eminence; as in the Text he is called The Son of God; and then 'tis plain from the manner of the expreffion, that 'tis to be understood in a high and peculiar Senfe: For when a title which may be given men upon different refpects, and frequently is fo in very different fignifications, according to the occafion upon which it is conferred, and with manifeft reference to that occafion; when I fay fuch a title is given to any particular perfon abfolutely and by way of eminence, 'tis manifeft it is then to be understood in the highest and most excellent Senfe. In other paffages of Scripture, this title is given him with fome high and particular Note of diftinction, as only begotten, beloved, God's dear Son, his own Son, and the like: Rom. viii. 3, What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God fending his own Son in the likeness of finful flesh, and for Sin, i. e. as the Words may more

n

III.

SER M. properly be rendred, by being a Sacrifice for Sin, condemned Sin in the flesh and Job. i. 14. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among ft us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The Angels (as I before obferved) are called the Sons of God, Job xxxviii. 7. But unto which of the Angels faid he at any time with fo peculiar an Emphafis, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? Heb.

i.

5. This therefore is fo diftinguishing an expreffion, that it neceffarily implies our Saviour to be the Son of God in a different and more exalted fenfe than the Angels themselves are; For in the next verse the Apostle brings Them in as his Minifters, fubjected unto him, and paying honour to him; ver. 6. When be bringeth in the first begotten into the World, be faith, And let all the Angels of God worship him. And ch. ii. ver. 16. 'Tis faid, He took not on him the nature of Angels, (which shows that it would have been a great condefcenfion in him to have done even That) but he took upon him the feed of Abraham, i. e. the na

ture

III.

ture of Man: But because this was writ SER M. to the Jews, among whom Chrift was born, and to whom he first preached, therefore it is not faid the Nature of Men, but the Seed of Abraham. Further; even in that fingular and peculiar application of it to our Lord only, there is also fome variety: For he is fo ftyled, on account of his miraculous conception, Luke i. 35; then, of his Office, Job. x. 34; then, of his Resurrection, A&ts xiii, 33, and Rom. i. 4; then, of his being appointed Heir of all things, and as a Son in his own house, Heb. iii. 6. But beyond all this, there is still something further implied in the Use of this Phrase: For the Text fuppofes, fecondly, that he was with God, in the bofom of the Father, before he was fent into the World; God fent forth his Son; For though the word which we here render, fend forth, be alfo applied in Scripture to God's fending his Prophets to the Jews, and our Saviour's commiffioning his Apoftles to preach the Gofpel; and fo may properly fignify in general, only the appointing a perfon to execute any office or commiffion, yet when it is ap