which is like must needs be of the same species with that to which it is like. Besides the distinctive relation of the son, there are many other things which shew, or make him appear to be a distinct person.

I. His being with God as the word, John i. 1. he cannot with any propriety be said to be with himself.

II. His being set up from everlasting as mediator, a mere name and character could not be said to be set up, to be covenanted with, see Prov. viii. 23. Psalm lxxxix. 3, 28.

II. His being sent in the fulness of time to be the Saviour of his people, shews him to be distinct from the Father, whose Son he is, and by whom he was sent; see Rom. viii. 3. Gal.

iv. 4.

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. Reconciliation and atonement for sin are personal acts.

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. The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, Psal. cx. 1. he cannot be the same person with him at whose right hand he sits, John xx. 17. Heb. i. 13.

VI. His advocacy and intercession with his father, are a plain proof of his 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; he himself says, I will pray the Father, and he will 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.

VII. His judging the world at the last day, with all the circumstances thereof; prove him to be a person, a divine per, son, and distinct from the Father and the Spirit; for as för the Father, he judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son John v. 22.

VIII. It is promised to the saints that they shall be with Christ, where he is; he is represented as the object of their praise, to all eternity; all which, and much more shew him to be a person.

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, John i. 3. Nor God by office, as say the Socinians; for then he would be God only in an im. proper sense; as magistrates are called gods; and as there are called lords many, and gods many; but he is God by nature; as these were not. 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. and Jehovah, Psal. lxxxiii. 18. If 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; Exod. vi. 2, 3. and iii. 14. which person that appeared to Moses, must be understood, of the Son of God. He, whom the Isra. elites tempted in the wilderness, is expressly called Jehovah, Exod. xvii. 7. and nothing is more evident than that this perşon was Christ, 1 Cor. x. 9. he whom Isaiah saw on a throne is not only called Adonai, Isai. vi. .1, but by the seraphim, Jehovah, 3. and so by Isaiah, 5. which words Christ applies to himself; and observes that, those things Esaias said, when he saw his glory, and spoke of him, John xii. 39-41. 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, could be no other than Christ. Moreover, the Messiah, or Christ, is expressly called, The

Lord, or Jehovah, our righteousness, in Jer. xxiii. 6. it being his work, as Mediator, to bring in everlasting righteousness. Once more, Jehovah promises to pour forth the Spirit of grace and supplication on some persons described in Zech. xii. 10. and then adds, They shall look on me, Jehovah, whom they have pierced; which was fulfilled in Christ, when one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, John xix. 34, 37. the same words are referred to, and applied to Christ, Rev. i. 7. It may be observed also, that in some places of scripture, Christ is abso lutely called God; as in Psal. xlv. 6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; where he is distinguished from God his Father, 7. and the words are expressly applied to him as the Son of God, Heb. i. 8. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne O God, &c. Christ calls himself God; I am God and there is none else; Isai. xlv. 22, 23. which last text, in connection with the other are, by the apostle Paul, applied to Christ, Rom. xiv. 10-12. The evangelist John says, The word was God, John i. 14. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, 1 John iii. 16. And Christ is not only called God absolutely, but with some additional epithets; with pos sessive pronouns, as, our God, Isai. xxv. 9. and xl. 3. your God, Isai. xxxv. 4, 5. their God, Luke i. 16. my Lord and my God, by Thomas, John xx. 28. Now though angels, magistrates, and judges, are called gods in an improper and metaphorical sense, yet never called our gods, your gods, &c. Christ is said to be Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature, that is, God manifest in the flesh, Matt. i. 22.

1 Tim, iii. 16. Additional characters are given which shew him to be truly and properly God; as, the mighty God, in Isai. ix. 6. and over all God blessed for ever, Rom. ix. 5. He is called the great God, Tit. ii. 13. the living God, Heb. iii. 12. to add no more, he is called the true God, in opposition, to all false and fictitious deities, 1 John v. 20. 11. The Deity of Christ may be proved from the divine perfections he is possessed of; for in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead, Col. ii. 9. Eternity is a perfection of God; God

is from everlasting to everlasting; Christ was not only be fore Abraham, but before Adam, Rev. iii. 14. Omnipre sence, or immensity, is another perfection of Deity, Jer. xxiii. 13, 24, Christ, as the Son of God, was in heaven, in the bosom of his Father; when, as the Son of man, he was here on earth, John i. 18. and iii. 13. Omniscience is another divine perfection, and most manifestly appears in Christ; he knows all things, John ii. 24, 25. Heb. iv. 12. Rev. ii. 23. Omni. potence is a perfection that belongs to Christ, and is pecuniar to God, Phil. iii. 21. To observe no more, immutability belongs solely to God; Christ is the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever, Heb. xii. 8. see Psal. cii. 26. compared with Heb. i. 12. and since therefore such perfections of the Godhead are in Christ, he must be truly and properly God. III. The truth of Christ's proper divinity may be proved from the works done by him; such as the creation of all things out of nothing; of the whole world, and all things in it, visible or invisible, John i. 2, 3. Col. i. 19. and the works of providence; My Father worketh hitherto; and I work, that is with him, John v. 17. The miracles Christ wrought on earth in a hu man nature, as they were proofs of his Messiahship, so of his Deity. If he was not the mighty God, he could never have be enable to have wrought the redemption of his people. None can forgive sin but God; yet Christ has done it, and therefore must be God, Mark ii. 7—10. it is God that justifies men from sin, and so does Christ, Isai. liii. 11. Christ has raised himself from the dead, and thereby is declared to be the Son of God with power; that is, truly and properly God, Rom. i. 4. The judgment of the world is committed to him. Now if he was not God, he would never be able to do what he will do. Iv. As a further proof of the Deity of Christ, the worship given him both by angels and men may be observed; for when he, God's first born, was brought into the world, he said, Let all the angels of God worship him, Heb. i. 6. is is also the declared will of the divine Father of Christ, that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. Men are di

rected to exercise faith and hope on him. Baptism, a solemn ordinance of religious worship, is ordered to be administered in his name, equally as in the name of the Father, Matt. xxviii. 19. Prayer, another branch of religious worship, is often made to Christ; and that not by a single person only as by Stephen, in his last moments, Acts vii. 58. but by whole churches and communities, 1 Cor. i. 2, 3.

OF THE DISTINCT PERSONALITY, AND DEITY
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

WHAT only remains now to be considered, under the article of the Trinity, are the personality and divinity of the Holy Ghost.

I. That he is a Person, and not a mere name and character, power or attribute, of God; which will appear by observing, 1. That the description of a Person agrees with him; he has a power of willing whatever he pleases; All these worketh the one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 11. that he is an intelligent agent, is clear from his knowing the things of God, I Cor. ii. 11. and xii. 8. John xiv. 26, and xvi. 13. Psal. xciv. 10. 11. Personal actions are ascribed unto him; he is said to be a reprover and convincer of men. He is spoken of as a teacher; he is promised as a Comforter, John xvi. 7. he is one of the three witnesses in heaven, 1 John v. 7. who particularly testifies of Christ. He is represented as making intercession for the saints, according to the will of God, Rom. viii. 26, 27. and he is often de. scribed as an inhabitant in the saints; to dwell with any person, or in any place, is a personal action, and describes a person. III. Personal affections are ascribed to the Spirit; as love, grief. &c. All which could not be said of him, was he not a Person. He is, moreover, said to be lied unto; as by Ananias and Saphira. Acts v. 3. and to be blasphemed, and sinned against with an unpardonable sin, Matt. xii. 32, 33. which

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