"CHRIST," who defcended from these patriarchs, and in whom were accomplished the promises made to them." "GOD the Father, "and the GoD and Father of our LORD JESUS "CHRIST," you will find is the frequent and current form used in all the falutations and benedictions addreffed to the Chriftian converts of the apoftolic age. The reason, the

ground of this ftrain is, that it is a fundamental principle of Christianity, that the one God is the Father. This is the declaration of the Apostle: "To us there is but one God the

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Father, of whom are all things, and we in "Him." "There is one faith, one baptifm,

one God and Father of all." Throughout the New Teftament there are no fuch expreffions as, GOD the Son, or GOD the Holy Ghost. The purity of the Christian doctrine, in this instance, was preserved for a confiderable time. For before the Council of Nice all the Eastern Churches adhered to this fimplicity of truth, faying, "I believe in one God the Father Almighty."

8

Brennius in Ephes. i. 3.

Bishop Pearfon on the Creed, p. 23. 6th ed.

TO HIM, to GOD the Father, are appropriated peculiar afcriptions of fupremacy, excellence, and perfection. Of the Father only it is afferted, that He is "the only true "GOD, the living GOD, the LORD of heaven "and earth: the Being who hath made the "world: who is LORD of heaven and earth, " and all things therein: the LORD God Al"mighty." Of the Father only it is declared, that "Heis the invifible GOD, whom no man "hath feen or can fee."" Of the Father only is it faid, "there is none good but one, that "is GOD."* He alone is addressed under this

difcriminating description: "Thou only "art holy." To the Father is given through JESUS CHRIST the ascription of glory, as to "the only wife God.” Of the Father, JESUS, the true and faithful witnefs faith, "He

hath life in himself, and hath given the "Son to have life in himself." Of Him who in this view is called "the GOD who quick"eneth all things," the Apoftle speaketh as of the Being "who only hath immmortality."

t

1 Theff. i. 9. Acts xvii, 24, Rev. iv. 8.
x Matt. xix. 17. y Rev. xv. 4.

* John xvii. 3. "Col. i. 15. John vi. 46.

z Rom. xvi. 27.

а

a John v. 26. b 1 Tim. vi. 13, 16.

To the Father only, diftinguished from the Son and the holy Angels, is attributed by CHRIST all perfection of knowledge, so as to comprehend the exact forefight of the day of great calamity. Of JESUS it is faid, that he is "the image of the invifible God, the "Christ, or the anointed of GOD, the Son " of the Highest, the Son of the living GoD:" that he disclaimed the title of good; that he "knew not the day" or feafon of the divine visitation which he had predicted: that he "could do nothing of himself;" that “all

power was given to him:" and in language entirely inconfiftent with the notion of equality, that he is "LORD to the glory of GoD "the FATHER.

Thus the Scriptures ftrongly affert, clearly reprefent, and uniformly inculcate, That GoD is one, one fpiritual being, one infinite and eternal mind, and one alone. The New Teftament, as uniformly, as invariably exhibits to our faith and adoration this one GOD, as the Father only.

Matt. xxiv. 36.

Col.i 15. Rev. xi. 15;xii. 10. Luke i. 32. Matt. xvi. 16;xix. 17. Mark xiii. 32. John v. 30. Matt. xxviii. 18. Phil. ii. 11°

Here we may pause, and reflect on the gran

deur and fublimity of this truth.

How great are the glories, which the idea of one God comprehends! What fulness of hope and confidence doth it include! "one will, one

power, one uncreated and fole perfection,"* the fountain of all power and perfection in the universe, is a fentiment which elevates and fills the contemplative mind. ONE God, the Father, before all things, above all things, through all things; the only wife, the only good, the only immortal, who hath no equal, with whom no other being can be compared, is an object of the highest veneration. Him admiration, love, gratitude, and hope, fix with fupreme ardor and delight. He alone is worthy to receive all glory and praise, all veneration and obedience.

* Capel Loft.

On

PART II.

THE CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST.

IT is time to proceed to another important truth taught us in the text, namely,

Secondly, That "there is one Mediator be"tween God and Men, the MAN CHRIST JESUS."

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"This word, or character of, Mediator, "feems not to have been in ufe among the first Christians, in Judea or elsewhere, before "Paul's using it in his epiftles. So the notion " is expreffed, and the word itfelf was nothing "fo common as in the later ages, who have "advanced and tacked on fundry ideas to this "character, that it now paffes for a common "name of JESUS CHRIST; without whose "mediation, no favour or intereft were to be "obtained of GOD; as we find it in the con"clufion of most of the modern prayers, both

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private and public. But no fuch term is "to be met with in any one Scripture form "" of prayer; and perhaps rarely, if ever, found "in any prayer, now extant, in the writings.