JESUS CHRIST is the one living and true GOD: The firft Scripture I fhall bring is Heb. i. 6. Again when he bringeth the First Begotten into the World, be faith, And let all the Angels of GOD worship him; HE, that's Gon the FATHER; the FIRST BEGOTTEN is JESUS CHRIST, as appears plain from the foregoing Veifes; & what faith he of this First Begotten JESUS CHRIST, let all the Angels of GOD worship him; not only Men but Angels muft worship him: John v. 23. That all Men fhould bonour the SON even as they honour the FATHER; this muft needs be divine Worfhip, for it's fuch as is given to the FATHER, and fuch as the Angels pay; and this is given to the So N, as the laft Text mentions: Luke xxiv. 52. 'tis there faid the Difciples worshipped him: Acts vii. 59. And they ftoned Stephen, calling upon GOD, and faying Lord FE SUS receive my Spirit; here we fee Stephen worships CHRIST at his laft, just before he died and commits his Soul into his Hands; he called upon Go D, and faid Lord JESUS; I think this is plain that CHRIST is GoD from this Text, as well as that Stephen worshipped him: 2 Pet. iii. 18. But grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST; to him be Glory both now and forever: Amen: Rev. v. 8. there 'tis faid, the four Beafts, and the four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb; and this Lamb was CHRIST; fee Verfe the 6th, In the midst of the Throne ftood a Lamb as if it had been flain; that is JESUS CHRIST, for he is the Lamb of GoD; Johni. 36. He looked upon JESUS as he walked, and Jaid, behold the Lamb of GOD: Rev. xiii. 8. he is called the LA MP, flain from the Foundation of the World; fo that this Lamb in the midst of the Throne is CHRIST ; and we read the twenty four Elders fell down before him, that is, worshipp'd him, for he was upon the Throne: And Rev. v. 13. is as plain as can be; And every Creature which is in Heaver, and on the Earth, &c. heard I, faying, Bleffing, and Honour, and Glory and Power be unto him that fits upon the Throne

Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever: Rev. v. 10. And cried with a loud Voice faying, Salvation to cur GOD that fitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb; what could this be but divine Worship & Adoration, & it's given to GOD & to the LAME jointly. I do not know what can prove more plain that JESUS CHRIST is the Object of divine Worship; and therefore he is the true GoD; becaufe (as I prov'd before) divine Werfhip is due to none but the true Go D.

Object. But here they object, and fay, that it was inferior Worship that was given to CHRIST; they did not worship him as the one fupreme Go D.

Af. Then there must be two Gods, a fuperior and inferior God, flatly contrary to the firft Command, and the Current of Scripture, which forbids worship to any but the one living and true God; (as I faid, and prov'd before:) And he will not give this Glory of his Worship to another, for he is a jealous Go D in his Worship.

And further, we fee here they worship GoD and the LAMB alike, for there's no Diftinction of fupreme and fubordinate Worship; 'tis Salvation to our GOD, and the LAMB without Diftinction; and that Place, John v. 23. That all Men fhould honour the SoN even as they honour the FATHER, fhews the Worfhip equal. I know not of any inferior Worfhip fpoken of in Scripture: And our baptifmal Covenant obliges us to the Worthip of the FATHER, SON, and Holy SPIRIT equally and alike.

And I fall here ufe a plain Similitude, or a Suppofition, to illuftrate the Cafe; viz. Suppofe the Laws of any Nation enjoin, that the King fhall wear fuch a Mark of Diftinction or Badge of Royalty, and make it Treafon for any other to wear it, and accordingly the King and no other, wears this Badge or Mark of Diftinction; if I fee this Badge or Mark upon a Perion, one amongst Ten Thoufand, I muft rationally conclude he is the King. So the Laws and Conftitutions of Heaven fay, that divine Worship is God's peculiar Prerogative, it's due to none but him, and they give this

Preroga

Prerogative to JESUS CHRIST, and therefore, 'tis moft rational to believe HIM to be True Go D.

2. A fecond Argument which I hope will be found Conclufive is this, It is GOD's Prerogative to fearch and know the Heart of Man; he only knows it: But FESUS CHRIST fearches and knows the Heart of Man, therefore he is GO D.

Now as to the First, That it is GOD's Prerogative to fearch the Heart, and his alone, I hope I fhall prove from the following Scriptures; 1 Chr. xxviii. 9. For the LORD fearcheth all Hearts and understandeth all the Imaginations of the Thoughts; here we fee, 'tis GOD that fearcheth the Heart: Jerem. xvii. 9, 10. The Heart is deceitful above all Things and defperately wicked; who can know it? The Antwer is in the 10th Verfe, I the LORD fearch the Heart, I try the Reins; the Heart is deceitful, &c. who can know it ? that is, none can but GOD, and GOD fays, I fearch it, 2 Chron. vi. 30. For thou only knoweft the Heart's of the Children of Men; thou ONLY knoweft, c. none but thou knows it. This Text, and the foregoing in Feremiah are exclufive, and plainly import, that none knoweth the Heart but GOD.

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Now I must prove the fecond Thing, viz. That FESUS CHRIST does know the Heart, and fearch the Reins; and then I hope the Confequence will be allow ed, viz. That He is GOD: Mat. ix. 4. And FESUS knowing their Thoughts faid, &c. Matt. xii. 25. And FE SUS knew their Thoughts and faid, &c. Luke vi. 8. But he knew their Thoughts and faid, &c. thefe Scriptures are to plain I think they need no Explaination Rev. ii. 25. And all the Churches fhall know that I am be which fearcheth the Reins and Hearts; I am he which fearches, . Who is this? the 18th Verfe will tell you; Thefe Things faith the SON of GOD, who bath his Eres like a Flame of Fire; 'tis JESUSCHRIST the Son of God that speaks; & the fame Perfon continues his Speech to the 23dVerfe, and there fays, I am he that fearcherb the Heart, &c. John

John ii. 25. And needed not that any should teftify of Man; for he knew what was in Man; for HE, that is CHRIST, as the 24th Verfe fhews. I know not what can be plainer to prove that JESUS CHRIST knows and fearches the Heart, and that this belongs only to God; and therefore I hope the Confequence is clear, that JESUS CHRIST is GOD.

Object. But here comes an Objection, viz. That GOD the FATHER difcover'd this to him.

This has been anfwered before; and the Scriptures mentioned before are fpoke of CHRIST himself, as Go D-MAN: He knew their Thoughts, not the FATHER difcovered them to him, but he knew them himfelf; as that Rev. ii. 23. fhews, I am he that fearcheth the Heart; I do it my felf, is the plain Meaning; I am he that does it, I my felf without the Help of any other; for that Place in John ii. 25. tells us, that he needed not that any should teftify of Man; why? becaufe as it follows, he knew what was in Man: Here's firft a Negative, he needed not any other to teftify or difcover it; and the Reafon is, because he knew it himself: I think this is very plain against the Objection: "If another difcovered it to him, ⚫ how could he fay, I am he that fearches, &c. and I. need not any to difcover it: And we read, John xxi. 17. And be faid unto him, LORD, thou knoweft all Things, thou knoweft that I love thee: LORD thou knoweft all Things, how could he know all Things, if he did not know the Heart before it be difcovered by the FATHER? for the Difcovery of a Thing, fuppofeth the Want of Knowledge of that Thing before it be difcovered. And thus I hope this Objection is fairly removed.

3. Another Argument may be this, 'Tis GOD aalone that has Power to forgive Sins, none can forgive Sins against GOD but GOD himself: But JESUS CHRIST has Power, and did forgive Sins; therefore he is GOD.

Now

Now to prove the First, That GOD alone has Por er to forgive Sins; fee Micah vii. 18. Who is a GOD like unto thee, that pardoneth Iniquity, &c. who is a GOD like to thee that pardons, &c. that is, there is none like thee in this: Mark ii. 7. Why doth this Man thus fpeak Blafphemies, who can forgive Sins but GOD only; but GOD ONLY, here it is plain that the few's reckon'd it Blafphemy for any to pretend to forgive Sins but GOD; and they were certainly in the right, for who can pretend to forgive Sins against GOD? A Man çannot forgive Offences against his Neighbour; 'tis the Perfon offended that has a Right to forgive: This is the very Nature of the Thing, 'tis GOD's natural Right to forgive the Sins that are against himself; can a Subject forgive Crimes against his Prince? no fure, 'tis the King that pardons; and if one Man cannot forgive Injuries done to another, how fhould a Creature forgive Sins against his Creator.

And further, GoD affumes this Prerogative, Ifa. xliii. 25. I, even I am he that blotteth out thy Tranfgreffions, &c. I, even I am he alone, that can pardon thee, 'tis my Prerogative; & we find Peter fent Simon Magus tơ God to ask Forgiveness, Acts viii. 22. Pray to God that the Thoughts of thy Heart may be forgiven thee; and we read again Luke v. 21. Who can forgive Sins but GOD alone: And where do we find in Scripture any that were pray'd to for Forgivenefs of Sin but GOD alone; and if there had been any other that could pardon Sin, certainly we fhould have found him there; but all the Prayers for Forgiveness are directed to God. I think this Principle is feated in Nature, that none can forgive Sins but the Party offended, and therefore 'tis Blafphemy to affume GOD's Right in this.

Object. But did not CHRIST give Peter a Power to forgive Sins? John xx. 23. Whofe foever Sins ye remit, they are remitted, &c.

Anf. This was only declarative & minifterial, for GoD will not give his Glory to another, which he must do, if he gave Peter an abfolute Power to forgive Sins: & can any Man think that a poor Worm of this Earth can for

give