'/"'-// \ l<$ !/:)' (' c^> Mr. Barnarfis DISCOURSE PREACHED At the Public Le&ure in 16 July 1761. THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA GIFT OF Lewis F, Lengfeld T H True Divinity of JESUS CHRIST ; Evidenced in a DISCOURSE A T The Public Le&ure in Bofion, The Day after the Commencement, July 1 6, 1761,- And Publiihed at the Defire of the Hearers, By JOHNRARNARD, A.M. Paftor of a Church *m MARBLEHEAD. /, even /, am JEHOVAH, and befide me there // no SAVIOUR. !f*. 43- " Ths Man that it my Fellow, faith the Lord of Hofii. Zee. Ig. 7- BOSTON: N. E. Printed aqJ Sold by EDES and GILL, . k J '. - m v The true Divinity of JESUS CHRIST. I JOjHN V. 20, This is the true GOD. Belief of the Being of an intelligent Agent, eternally felf-exiftent, and inde- pendent, the firft Caufe of all Things, the fupream Governour of all Worlds, to whom all rational Agents muft be accountable, is the only fure and folid Foundation of all Religion : for he, that cometh to God, mujt believe that he is, and that he is a Reiuarder of them that diligently feek him. The juft Conceptions in our own Minds of the true GOD include in them every poffi- ble Excellency, and that in the higheft Degree of Perfection ; and may well ftrike us with the pro- foundeft Aw and Reverence, infpire us with the moft fervent Love and Complacency , and excite us to the Jiigheft Obedience and deeped Submiffion. BUT of what high and mighty, of what illuftn- ous and augufi: Pcrfon does the infpired \Vriter here moft ftrongly affirm ? This is the true GOD. This feems to be the only Thing neceffary to be enquired into, that we may come into a clear and full Under- ftanding of the Words 'now read. And it appears, to. me, a Matter of no great Difficulty, to attain to a la- tisfa&ory Anfwer tg the Enquiry, if we do but im- prove our common unbiaf^d Reafon, in a clofe Atten- tion 6 The true Divinity iipn to the Apoftle's own Language, in the Verfe which contains the Words of our Text. Says he, We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an Undemanding that we may know him that is true ; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jefus Chrift ; this is the true God, and eternal Life. We know that the Son of God is come. There is no Difficulty in underftanding, the Son of God is come, to mean our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who is the SON OF GOD, and hath appeared in this our World ; for the Words cannot be undcrftood of any othejr. And bath given us an Under/landing, (a thjnking, reafon- ing Mind, ) that we may know him that z> true, (or the ttue one). The Connexion plainly {hews that he fpcaks pf fhe SON of Gop giwng us an U rider/landing, (an enlightened Mind,) that we may know him that is true, or the true one. And adds the Apoftle, we are in him that is true] that is, by Faith engrafting us into JESI > CHRIST. For that he intends, JESUS CHRIST by the SON of GOD, and the true one, he plainly telleth us in the next Words, even in his Son Jcfus Chrift. The Apoftle does not here fpeak of another Subjeft, but evidently explains whom he meant by him that is true-, and therefore our Tranflators ji)irly fay, even in his Son Jefus Chrijl. The whole Difcpurfe evi- dently fpcaks of one and the fame jSubject, namely, the SON of GOD, or JESUS CHRIST, the true one. And then the Apoille pofitivcly affirms, This is the true God. That is, This SON of GOD, This him. that is true, This JESUS CHRIST, is the true God. SOME, indeed, fupply the Word, the true, witla the \Ycrd God, and fo render it, we are in him the true of JESUS CHRIST. 7 true God ; with Defign, it is to be feared^ to evade the Force of the Apoftle's Reafoning, and what he chiefly aims at. But admit their Supplement, without their wrong Comment- upon what follows, and it teally confirms what the Apoftle aflerts, ive are in the true God, in his Son Jefus Chrijt. Only the Supple- ment feems to ; be too great an Inaccuracy for an in- fpired Writer ; *we are in the true God, this is the trus God. By this Supplement, which they fuppofed to mean one efTentially diftincl: from JESUS CHRIST, they intended to exclude JESUS CHRIST from being the true GOD, whereas the Apoftle exprefly affirms of Him, THIS is THE TRUE GOD. The proper Sig- nification of the Tronoun here ufed, in the Original, neceflarily infers, that the Words the true God, re- fer to JESUS CHRIST, And eternal Life, adds the divine : by which Mode of Speech the Apoftle feve- ral Times in this Epiftle, and in this very Chapter^ charafterifes JESUS CHRIST, and hereby gives fur-^ ther Confirmation to the Truth he intended, that JESUS, CHRIST is the TRUE GOD. THE Form of Speech, thro'out the whole Verfe, is fo clear, and plain, and agreeable to common Lan- guage, that an ordinary Underftanding, for w r hofe Ufe the Words were wrote, cannot eafily miftake it ; however a vain Mind ;nay pervert it. And now, having fuch an infpired Writer going before us, in afferting it, and who defignedly wrote in Defence of the Divinity of CHRIST, we may, without Hefitan- cy, lay it dc\vn for a dcftrinal Truth, THAT 8 The true Drvinlty THAT JESUS CHRIST is the -TRUE GOD. That JES.I/S CHRIST, the SON of GOD, him that is true, is truely, really, eflentially, GOD. He is not merely nominally, titularly, by Deputation, Of Office^ but trucly, by Nature > and EflenCe, GOD. I to diftourfing upon this Subject, I fliall Hot look upon myfelf as any Ways concerned to treat it in a philosophical Manner } forasmuch as all that can be affirmed, or denyed, about it, muftbe fetched intirely from divine Revelation,, the Pillar and Gr6und of Truth i and therefore, that I may not pretend to be wife above what is written, I fliall confine myfelf to that facred Volumn, fufficiently confirmed unto us, which all Chriftians acknowledge to contain a Reve- lation from GOD ; and endeavouf, in what I have td offer, to'takt Heed unto that more fare Word o cy, as unto a Light thatjhineth in a dark O THOU SON of GOD ! who art the true Light ^ irradiate our Minds, and give to us _an Underftand- ing, that we may know Thee the only true One, as" thou haft revealed Thyfelf to us in thy holy Word ; that knowing of Thee, we may be in Thee and, being in Thee, may have eternal Life. THAT! may difcourfe intelligibly, I fhall as plainly, and briefly, as I can, I. SHEW what we underftand by JESUS CHRIST his being. the TRUE GOD. And then, II. LAY of JESUS CHRIST. 9 II. LAY before you fuch Evidences, from the fa-- cred Writings, as are fully conviftive, to me, of His being the TRUE GOD. I. I SHALL as briefly, as the Subject will admit, fhew you what we underftand, by JESUS CHRIST his being the TRUE GOD. Iii the ftating of this Truth, I obferve, THAT it cannot in Reafon be fuppofed, that we mean, (for we do not,) that the Humane Nature, in the Man JESUS ; or, that any mere Creature, of the higheft pollible Order of created Beings, and when- foever formed, appearing in our Nature, is the TRUE GOD. For GOD Himfelf, in his holy Word hath plainly faid, Hof. XL 9. lam GOD, and not MAN. Accordingly we have ever under flood, and openly de- clared, as the holy Writings abundantly hold forth, that there is an eflential Difference and infinite Dif- tance between the TRUE GOD, and the moil excel- lent and exalted, mere Creature' whatever. And therefore our Adverfaries treat us very injurioufly, when they run away with the Cry of the Self-Con- traditions of our Doctrine ; as tho* we fet up a mere Creature to be eternal, felf-exifting and independent ; and vilify the Doftrine of JESUS CHRIST his being the TRUE GOD, as fo grofs an Abfurdity, as to be fit oniy to be turned into Ridicule ; hereby plainly evidencing, that they know not what they fay, nor whereof they affirm. NOR do we, by affcrting, that JESUS CHRIST is the TRUE GOD, in the leafl imagine, that there is B more cr*i T~N 10 The true Divinity more than One truly Divine Nature, or EfTence. For we firmly believe, and conftantly teach, that there is but One, only living , and true GOD, as the facred Scriptures have abundantly afTured us. For fo we read, Deut. VI. 4. Hear O Ifrael, the Lord our God, is one Lord. And David, in his Prayer, fays, 2 Sam. VII. 22. Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God be- fides thee. And we have the Divine Being affuming it unto Himfelf, I/a. XLV. 5. I am the Lord, and | there is none elfe, there is no God befides me. After which, fuffer me to add, the Apoftle aflures us, i Cor. VIII. 4. There is no God but one. This Revelation we heartily embrace, and are at the utmoft Diftance from advancing any Doftrine of Polytheifm. Bur then, by JESU^S CHRIST his being the TRUE GOD, we underfiand, the Divine Nature, or Effence, in the eternal Three-one GOD communicating of it- felf to the Humane Nature in the Man Jefus ; or, if you will, taking the Humane Nature, in the Man 'Jefus, into an Union with itfelf, in fuch a fpecial and appropriate Manner, as to conltitute thereby one Ter- Jon ; by Virtue of which Union JESUS CHRIST bet comes TRULY GOD, as well as really MAN. All of" this appears plain, to me, from the facred Writings. For it is very evident, that the facred Language is expreffive of a ^Plurality in the Divine Eflcnce, tho' there be but One GOD. Therefore the Name, or Style, of GOD, the Creator of all Things, thro'out the frft Chapter of Genefis, runneth in the Tlural Number, and that not for want of a Singular, as a late of JESUS CHRIST. 1 1 late Writer has well obferved. It is alfo very expreffed, Gen. I. 26. Godfaid, let us make Man in OUR Image. And, Gen. III. 22. T& the Word or Son, and the Holy G ho/I -or Spirit, thro'out the Divine Revelation, THAT the Divine Nature, or EfTence, and moft probably in, or under, the fecond Character, or Deno- mination, in the facred Trinity, the Son, or our God, hath communicated itfelf to the Humane Nature, or taken this Nature, in the Man JESUS, into an in- timate Union with itfelf, is evident, not only from the ancient Prediction thereof, but from the aclual Accom- plifliment of this Prediction, in the Fulnefs of Time. Therefore we are told, i Tim. III. 1 6. Without Con- troverj), great is the Myjtery of Qodliriefs, GCD was manifeft In FLESH : and, Heb. IJ. i 6. Ear. verity, He took not on Him the Nature of Angels, but He look on\ Him the Seed of Abraham. Which ncceflariiy implies and afferts the Union of the Divine Eflence to the Humanity ; and this with a fpecial Regar4 to the Humane Nature in the Man JESUS. AND further, that this Union of the Deity to the Humane Nature, in our LORD JESUS CHRIST, is fo (pccial and appropriate, as not to be affirmed of any other ; and ib clofe and intimate as to conftitutc pne T^rfon, appears, in that what is proper and pe- li 2 culiar 12 The true Divinity culiar to each Nature, either the Divine, or Humane^ in the incarnate S'ON of GOD, is in Scripture applied to the Terfon of JESUS CH RIST, without dividing, or confounding the two Natures. Thus, when our blefied Lord was upon Earth, He faid of Himfelf, Job. III. 1 3. No Man hath afcended up to Heaven, but He that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man 'which is in Heaven. And hence the Sufferings, Cru- cifixion and Death, which were proper only to the Humane Nature^ are afcribed to the Deity in JESUS CHRIST, and the Blood which He fhed, is called the Blood of God, Att. XX. 28. IN this Senfe it is, we affirm that JESUS CHRIST is the TRUE GOD, forasmuch as the Divine Effence, in the Chara&er of the SON, hath taken the Humane Nature, in the Man JESUS, into fuch an intimate and infeparable Union unto Hirnfelf, as to render the Di- vine and Humane Nature in Him one Terfon ; and thus He is truely and properly GOD, and truely and properly MAN. I proceed now, II. To lay before you fuch Evidences from the facred Writings, as are fully conviftive to me, that JESUS CHRIST is the TRUE GOD. Audi fhall coiu- prife the Proofs I have to offer under thefe four Heads. 1 . TH E Titles that are gi*en to Him. 2. THE Attributes of the TRUE GOD, which are afcribed to Him. 3. THE Works of GQD, which were wrought by Him. 4. THE of JESUS CHRIST. i? 4. THE peculiar Honours of GOD, which are due to Him. IF thefe Things are to be found belonging to JESUS CHRIST, whatever may be opr Conception of the Way and Manner, by which this is brought about, and tho' we fhould happen to be miftaken in our At- tempts to give an Explication of this Myftery of God- linefs, it will evidently appear that He is really, in the full and proper Senfe of the Words, the TRUE GOD. I 'fhall offer fometJtiipg to each of thefe Heads in their Order. i. THE Titles that are given to JESUS CHRIST carry in them a Proof of His beiag the TRUE GOD. As that Title the SON of GOD. By this He is often denominated in the Holy Scriptures ; fo>, Mark I. i. The Gofpelqf JESUS CHRIST the SON of GOD. We find Teter making that noble Confeffion of Him, Job. VI. 69. We believe and are fur e } that thou art that CHRIST the SON of the living GOD. And our bleflfed Lord, who is the Truth, affirmed this of Hin>- felf ; when the high Prieft afked Him, art thou the CHRIST, the SON of the BLPLSSED . ?d jEsus faid, 1 am, Mar. XIV. 62. And fo often is He ftyled the SON of GOD in the 'New Teftament, that there is no Room to call in Queftion His wearing this Title. But then it is to be obferved, the facrcd Writings point out JESUS CHRIST, as the SON of God, in an higher and more exalted Senfe, than is to be affirmed of any Creature ; either, by Similitude or Office, by Adoption or Regeneration : and therefore ftyle Him the Begotten SON of Gpp. As the Apofk fpcaklng of 14 The true Divinity of JESUS CHRIST, whom GOD raifedfrom theDead, applies to Him what is faid in the fecond Pfalm, Acl. XIII. 33. Thou art my SON, this Day have I begotten Thee. And He is often ftyled, the Only-begotten SON of GOD ; plainly denoting that there is none among all the Creatures in Earth, or Heaven, who, is the SON of GOD, in that highly exalted and peculiar Senfe, in which the Lord JESUS CHRIST is. So we read, Job. III. I 6. GoDfo loved the World, that He gave his Only-begotten SON. And I cannot but think, that the Words mean no lefs than to hand to our Minds, that JESUS CHRIST is as truely and properly the SON of GOD, as Ifaac was the Son of Abraham, whom ^Abraham is faid to beget : nor can it reafonably he fuppofed, that the divine Being has given fuch an high Character of his SON, and fo diftinguifhed Him from all created Beings, with Defign to impofe upon our Underftan dings ; and therefore this Title, thus given to JESUS CHRIST, carries in it a ftrong Evidence, that he truely partakes of the Divine Nature, as every proper Son partakes of the fame Nature with his Father ; and fo He is the TRUE GOD, THUS alfo' JESUS CHRIST has the T/V/^of Gop, in exprefs Terms put upon Him. So He is called EMANUEL, GOD ivith us ; Math. I. 23. Or, Gop in our Nature. Hence we have that fublime PafTage of the Evangelift, Job. I. I . In the Beginning f wc,s the Word, and the Word ivas ivith GOD, and the Word -was GOD. That WORD which we are told at the i^thver. was made FLESH, (which evidently means JESUS CHRIST,) that WORD was 'with Gop, in the Beginning, before all Worlds ; and the WORD of JESUS CHRIST. 15 was GOD, one with GOD, participating of the fame Nature and Effence with GOD. The Subject here fpoken of is the WORD, as is evident from the Ar- ticle preceding, as is the Manner of the Greek Lan- guage ; and what is affirmed of this WORD is, that it was GOD, in the full Purport and natural Meaning of the Phrafe. Nor is there the leaft Hint in all the Chap- ter ; that by the Word GOD in die latter Claufe is to be under Rood GOD, by Deputation or Office, titu- larly and by Way of Eminency, or in any figura- tive Senfe wliatfoever. But as by the Word GOD, In the former Claufe, was 'with GOD, is meant the true proper Deity, or Divine Effence ; fo in this latter Claufe, the Word ivas GOD, (and fo thro'out the whole Chapter,} the Word GOD fignifies the One y only living and true GOD ; and cannot, without a great Abufe of Language, be underftood to mean any other. It muft therefore be to ferve fonie idle Scheme of vain Thilofophy, for any to torture the Word, and themfelves too, to mean fome Being, and that a mere Creature, elTentially diftincl from, and infinitely below the TRUE GOD. According to their Method of cri- ticifing, they muft fuppofe, or neccflarily imply in what they fay, that the infinitely wife and good GOD does not fpeak intelligibly to the common Capacities of Mankind, but defignedly exprefles Himfclf in fuch Terms as they could not know the Meaning of ; which would be to tax the Holy GOD with fraudu- lent Dealing, and turn the facred Writings 'into unin- telligible Language. Again, we read, Tit. III. 4. After that the Kindncfs and Love of GOD OUR SAVIOUR towards Man appeared. OUR SAVIOUR is the appro- priate Character of JESUS CHRIST, plainly pointing to, 1 6 The true Dmmfy to, and defcribing Him thro'out the whole Gofpel ; and He is here ftyled GOD in exprefs Terms ; as alfo in fcveral other Places in this Epiftle^ as well as elfe- \vhere. GOD OUR SAVIOUR, or, as the Greek may be juftly rendered, the SAVIOUR OUR GOD. Here, again, we muft obfcrve, that the Article ufed be- fore SAVIOUR, determines the Subjeft fpoken of to be the SAVIOUR, and what Is affirmed concerning Him is, that He is OUR GOD. And what is there in the Text or Context to lead us into the Conception, that the Word GOD here ufed does not mean the fame Divine Ejfince, that it means in all the other Parts of the Epiftle ; but denominates fome one pecu- liarly dignified Creature, which yet is at an infinite Diftance from the TRUE GOD ? I will only name the forecited Text, I Tim. III. 1 6. GOD manifefl in FLESH. Can Words be plainer? What is there in them, or what they ftand related to, to make us think they are not ipoken of the Divine Effence, but of a mere Creature ? Verily, without a violent forcing of* them, they are plainly expreffive of the TRUE GOD, in the full and proper Meaning of the Words, and aifert that this GOD was manifeft in FLESH, or united to the Hurimne Nature in the MAN JESUS ~ and fo our LORD JESUS CHRIST is the TRUE GOD. THERE are other Titles which are given to JESUS CHRIST, too many to be now taken Notice of; but I fhall only mention this in the laft Place at prefentr, I'/'z. He is called JEHOVAH. This venerable Name is peculiarly fignificative of the Divine EJfence, and denotes the ever living One, and is appropriated to the TRUE GOD alone, being incommunicable unto any of JESUS CHRIST. 17 mere Creature. Hence we have the Tfalmift faying, Tfal. LXXXIII. 18. Thou -whofe Name alone is JE- HOVAH ; and GOD Himfelf faying, I/a. XLII. 8. / am JEHOVAH ; that is my Name ; and my Glory 'will I not give to another. And yet we find in the facred Writ this appropriated Name of the only TRUE GOD given to JESUS CHRIST, the MESSIAH, the SON of GOD. Eve, at the Birth of her firft born Son, with a Sort of Ecitacy, cried out, Gen, IV. i . I have gotten a Man, /^JEHOVAH: fuppofing the firft Promife of the Seed of the Woman had been then fulfilled. The Prophet IJaiah, fpcaking of Johns coming in the Spirit and Power of Elias, as the Fore- runner of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, faid, Ifa. XL. 3. The Voice of him that crieth in the Wildernefs, prepare ye the Way of JEHOVAH. Jeremi ah, fpcaking of the righteous Branch that fhould be raifed up unto David, to reign and fave his People, faid, Jer. XXIII. 6. This is His Name, ivhereby Hejhall be called, J E H OVA H , our Right eoufnejs. When Ifrael tempted GOD in the Wildcrnefs, and JEHOVAH fent fiery Serpents among them, an infpired Expofitor direftly applies it to CHRIST, faying, i Cor. X. 9. They tempted CHRIST. When Ifaiah had a Vifion of JEHOVAH fitting upon His Throne, the infpired Apojile aflureth us, Joh. 1 2. 4 1 . Thefe Things J aid Ifaias, luhen he faw His Glory, (the Glory of CHRIST,) andfpake of Him. AN D I doubt not but the Style JEHOVAH, in the Old Tcflament, is almoft conftantly to be underftood of the MESSIAH, the CHRIST, who was the Angel at the Covenant, the God of Abraham > Ijliac and Jacob, the JEHOVAH that appeared to Mofcs in the C burning i8 The true Divinity burning Bufh, who dwelled between the Cherubims, and was peculiarly the God of Ifrad ; as KURIOS, into which the Septuagint conftantly tranflates JEHO- VAH, is peculiar to JESUS CHRIST in theNewTefta- ment. But I may not enlarge here, nor need I, fince you have had fo elaborate and judicious a Difcourfe, upon the venerable Name JEHOVAH, lately put into your Hands. I therefore go on to fay, i ' -^ * * *J i 2, THE Afcrlption of the Divine Attributes to CHRIST is a full Proof of His being the TRUE GOD. I do not now mean to go over all the Divine Attri- butes, fome of which may be common to Creatures, but only to take Notice of fuch of them as are pe- culiarly defcriptive of the TRUE GOD, whereby He is known and diftinguilhed from all other Beings, as a Man is known by his Name ; and (hew, that thefe incommunicable Perfections of the Deity belong to JESUS CHRIST, which neceflarily infers that He is the TRUE GOD. I fhall have Time only to fele& fome of thefe Attributes, and give you but brief Touches upon them. Thus, Omnifcience is peculiar to the Divine Being, and not to be attributed to any mere Creature. Know- ledge is communicable to a rational Agent, but all Knowledge is one of the diftinguifhing Characters of the TRUJE GOD, who is perfect in Knowledge ; whofe Immenfity fillethHeaven and Earth, who is every where intimately prefent with all Things, and, as an intel- ligent Being, therefore knoweth all Things paft, pre- fent and to come. What a beautiful Defcription ot the Divine Omnifcience and Omniprefence does the Tfalmift give us, Tf. CXXXIX. init. O Lord, fays he, of JESUS CHRIST. 19 he, thou fearchejl me, and know eft me ; thou know eft my down-fitting, and my up-rifing ; thou underftandeft my 'Thoughts afar off ; thou art acquainted with all my Ways ; there is not a Word under my Tongue, but thou knowejl it altogether. 'Tis a fpecial Inftance and peculiar Prerogative of the Divine Omnifcience, which no Creature can intermeddle with, to have a perfect Knowledge of the Hearts of Men. Therefore Solo- mon, in his Prayer, faid, II Cbron.VL 30. Thou only knowejl the Hearts of the Children of Men. And GOD afliimes it unto Himfelf, as His fpecial Preroga- tive, Jer. XVII. i o. I the Lordfearch the Heart, I try the Reins. And yet this adorable Perfection of the Deity is afcribed to our Lord JESUS CHRIST. Hence when He faid to Teter, Simon, Son of Jonas, lovejl thou me? Tefer replied, Job. XXL 17. Lord, thou knowejl all Things, thou knowejl that I love Thee. \\rid the A.poftle John faid of Him, Job. II. 25. He needed not, that any Jhould tejlify of Man ; for He knew what was in Man. Our bleffed Lord, after His Afcention, afferts concerning Himfelf, Rev. II. 23. / am He, which fearcheth the Reins and Heart : which Words are evidently fetched from Jeremiah XVII. i o. So that the Omnifcience afcribed to JEHO- VAH, the TRUE GOD, m Jeremiah, is afcribed to JE- SUS CHRIST in the ^pocalypfe. And indeed, the ex- aft Agreement, in numberlefs Inftances, of what He foretold, even of the minuteft Circumftances of Things, attended with a vaft Variety of fortuitous Incidents, plainly fpeaks His Divine Omnijcience. AGAIN, Omnipotence is another of the divine At- tributes, which belongetli to the TRUE GOD alone, C 2 and 20 The true Divinity and not to any mere Creature whatever, Whatever Degrees of Power and Strength any Creature may be furnifhed withal, Omnipotence is compatible only unto that fupream Being, who is unlimited in all Perfections. Therefore we find Job faying unto theLord^^XLII.^. Iknoiv that thou canji do everything . And Abraham faid, Gen. XVIII. 1 4. E any Thing too hard for the Lord ? And GOD we^rs the Name of the Almighty > in the holy Writings, to diftinguifh Him from the feeble, limited, falfe Gods of the Heathen World. Now this glorious Perfection of the true GOD is attributed to our Lord JESUS CHRIST. Thus we are told, Gen. XVII. i . The Lord appeared unto Abraham , and faid unto him, lam the almighty God. So He appeared unto Jacob, andfaidunto him, G^;/.X^XV, 1 1. lam GOD almighty. And again, 'Jacob faid, Gen. XLVIII. 4. GOD almighty appeared unto me at Luz. Now, tho 1 GOD the SON often appeared unto the Patriarchs, and in thcShechinah, yet GOD the FATHER is never fup- pofcd to have made any Appearance, in anyLikencfs, Shape or Similitude whatever. Hence Mofes faid, Deut. IV. 1 2. The Lord fpake unto you out of the Midjl of the Fire ; ye heard the Voice of the Words y but faiv no Similitude : and therefore acids he, ver. 15, i 6. Take ye therefore good Heed un^oyGurfelves^ left ye corrupt yourj elves ^ and make y OH a graven Image y the Similitude of any Figure, the Likenefs of Male or Female. It was evidently therefore GOD the SON, the WORD, or CHRIST, who of old appeared unto his Servants, and under the Name and Style of GOD ALMIGHTY. But left thisfnouldnotbe thought con- clufive enough, v/e arc allured that the four and tiven- fj Elders w and befides of JESUS CHRIST. 23 befides me there is no GOD. Thefe Words of Ifaiah are evidently fpoken of CHRIST, who is the King of Ifrael, his Redeemer, the Lord of HoJIs and there- fore very properly ufed by CHR i ST. The Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, is clearly defcriptive of the proper ETERNITY of the everliving GOD, who ever did, now does, and forever will,exift ; and moft probably are fpoken of the eternal Father, ver. 4. but here are fpokeq by JESUS CHRIST, and of himfelf. So that in this we have a full and clear Ac- count, if words can give it, of the proper ETERNITY of JESUS CHRIST, in the natural Senfe of the Words. AND let us fee, if we cannot find Him to be a felf-exiftent and independent Being. Now befide, that Being properly eternal, as I think we have proved JESUS CHRIST to be, neceflarily infers him to be felf- exiftent and independent, becaufe there can be no Being prior to Him, from which He fhould derive, and on which He can be dependent; I fay, befide this, we find the facred Scriptures give us tb underfland, that the fame Marks and Charafters of felf-exiftent and independent, (for the Words are not to be found in holy Writ,) which belong unto theonlyTRUE GOD, are afcribed alfo unto JESUS CHRIST. Thus when Mofes enquired of GOD, what he fhould fay to them that afked him, What is the Name of Him that fent you, we arc informed, Exod. III. 1 4. God f aid unto Mofes, lam that I am : and He f aid, thus Jh alt thou fay unto the Children of Ifrael, I A M hath fent me unto you. It may be this is the moft direft and ex- prefs Ailertion of the Self -exigence and Independency of the Divine Being, of any Paffage in the Holy Scriptures, 2 ^ The true Divinity Scriptures ; tho' there are many others that necefla- rily infer the fame. For all, that have any Under- ftanding in the Hebrew Language, do know that this PJirafe, I AM, carries in it abfolute Being andExiftence. And \ve find that this veryPhrafe, (tho' in the Greek Language,) is direclly applied to, and afTumed by our Lord JESUS CHRIST Himfelf, who never (pake other- wife than the Words of Truth. For, faid He unto the Jews, who, upon a certain Occafion, tell Him, He was not yet Fifty Years old, Job. VIII. 58. Before Abraham ivas, /AM: not I ivas, which would have been a full Reply to the Objection they had made, but / AM ; thereby challenging unto Himfelf, and that with a double AlTeveration, verily, verily, the appropriate Character of the ETERNAL GOD, to (hew that the Jelf-exifting and independent Nature of the TRUE GOD was in Him. AND now, fince the Divine Attributes, and thofe efpecially which are incommunicable to any mere Creature, even of the higheft Order, are to be found in the facred Scriptures, afcribed to our Lord JESUS CHRIST, we may with great Juftice to our Reafon, look upon this as a clear and full Proof, that all the Perfections of the God-Head arc to be found in Him, and that in the higheft Senfc of them ; and therefore have all imaginable Reafon to conclude, that This is the TRUE GOD, as the Apoftle affirms Him in my Text to be. I pafs to fay, 3. THE facred Scriptures afTureus, that the great and diftingnifhing Works of GOD were wrought by our Lord JESUS OI&IST which abundantly proves Him to of JESUS CHRIST. 2* id be the TRUE GOD. Here I do not take into Confi- deratioh thofe miraculous Operations which were per^ formed by the Concurrence of the Divine Prefened and Power, with the Agency of Men or Angels ; but I {peak only of thofe Works of GOD which are fa peculiarly arid diftinguifhingly His own Operations, and which no Creature is, or could be, the Author of. As particularly, the Creation, Sujlentation and Govern- ment of the World ; \vhich are wonderful Difplays of almighty Power and bbundlefs Wifdom and Good- nefs. Rcfpefting the two laft of thefe Iiiftances, I fhall only now obferve, That it is entirely out of the Reach of any mere Creature to fupport the World, becaufe it requires an almighty Power, which no mere Creature is furnifhed with. And tho' fbme Creatures may be employed as Inftruments in fome Parts of the Government of the World, yet it is abfolutely neceC- fary, that the fupreara Governour of the Univerfe, the fiHt Caufe of all Things, fhould be every where prefent, at one and the lame Time^ to infpecl: the va- rious Wants, Situation and Circumftances of Things, and to direct, aflift and govern thofe Inftruments He may make Ufe of ; which no Creature can be Capa- ble of. As to the former of thefe Inflances, the creating of the World, This is apparently more peculiar to the TRUE GOD ; of which the facred Writings give us a full and clear Account. As in the Mofalc Hiitory of the Creation, in the firft Chapter of Genefis. And fo fang the Levites, Neh. IX. 6. Thou, even Thou art Lord alone ; Thou haft made Heaven, the Heaven of Heavens, ivith all their Hojl ; the Eafth, and all D Thinrs, 26 The true Divinity Things that are therein ; the Seas, and all that u therein. And how often does GOD affume it to Himfelf, as His fole Prerogative, to be the Creator of all Things ? As in If a. XLV. 12. I have made the Earth, and created Man upon it ; even my Hands have Jiretchcd out the Heavens, and their Ho/is have I commanded. Nowallof thefe great & (hipcndous /^nfo of GOD, which declare Him to be GOD alone, are, in the fa- cred Scriptures, affirmed to be wrought by our Lord JESUS CHRIST. Colos.I.ij. By Him all Things confijl ; are upheld, preferved, and continued in Being. Eph. I. 22. All Things are faid to be put under his Feet ; in Subjection to his Rule and Government ; for the Government Jhall be upon His Shoulders, Ifa. IX. 6* BUT what I more fpecially take Notice of is, that the Holy Writings aflure us, that JESUS CHRIST is the Maker of the World, and all the Creatures in it. Therefore the Apoftle John fays, Job. 1. 3. All Things 'were made by Him, and without Him 'was not any Thing made that ivas made : and again, ver. I o. He was in the World, and the World was made by Him. He firft affirms that all Things^ without any Excep- tion, all Worlds, and the feveral Creatures in them, 'were made by Him : and then he as ftrongly denies, that there was fo much as any one Thing received a Being, but what received it from Him \ without Him was not any Thing made that was made. From which it is very evident, that He was not made Himfelf, for then it could not have been faid, all Things were made by Him ; there would have been Something made, which of JESUS CHRIST. 27 which He did not make. One would think, that it is hardly poflible to find out any Language, which would more ftrongly deny that JESUS CHRIST is 3. Creature ; and if He be not a Creature, then He is the TRUE GOD, the Creator of all Things. But could not GOD (will fome fay,) have made a Crea- ture, by whom He fhould make all Things ? I think I may, without attempting to limit the Holy One of Ifraely venture to anfwer in the Negative. Becaufe the infinitely holy and good GOD cannot contradict Himfelf, nor impofe upon us. He that made all Things is GOD ; this is one of the firft natural Coa- ceptions of the Humane Mind, and this is what GOD hath made Himfelf known to us by, in his hojy Word, in too many Places to be now named. And there- fore to imagine that GOD has made a. Creature, which Creature by itfelf, its own Power and Ability, has made the World, is to fuppofe, that a Creature diftincl: from GOD, and infinitely below Him, is the Maker of all Things, when it is clearly evident, that it could not make itfelr ; and carries in it this grofs Abfardity, that the infinitely good and holy GOD has impofed upon our Under (landing, in leading ns to conceive of Him as the alone Maker of the World, when really it was made by another ; and this flagrant Contradiction, that the GOD of Truth is not true to Himfelf. It is therefore but a vain Conceit, advanced in Support of a groundjefs Scheme, built upon vain Philofophy, that the Apoftle John, in the Beginning of his Gofpel, is {peaking, not of a natural, but of a moral Creation : when there is not fo much as the lead: Hint given, thro'out the whpje Paragraph, to lead us into fuch a Conception. B 2 \ 2 8 The true Divinity BUT if this Text was out of the Way, we have full Teftimony, from other Parts of the facred Scripr tures, to the Truth of Jisus CHRIST His being the Creator of all Things. To name onjy that in Colos. I. 15, 1 6. There the ApofHe is fpeaking of Him, in ivhom ive have Redemption thro his Blood, and fays he of him, ivho is the Image of the inyifible GOD, the Firft-born (or, as I think it fhould be read, the Firft Canfe, QtBringer forth ^) of every Creature : for by Him were all Things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, vifible and invifible ; 'whether they be Thrones, cr Dominions, or Principalities, or Towers all "Things *wcre created by Him, and for Him. Under which Expreffions the Apoftle meaneth to in- clude every Rank and Order of created Beings, from the loweft to the highefr, and affirms that they were all created by Him, ai)d he doubles his Affirmation, all Things 'were created by Him, to affaire us, that there is not fo much as one mere Creature, but what was created by Him. Therefore He Himfelf could not be a mere Creature ^ for He could *not make Himfelf. And {hall we, after all this Force of Lanr guage to the contrary, vainly imagine, that there is a Creature which He did not make? Ikfuies the Apoftle further adds, and for Him ; to fliew, that as all Things, originate from Him, fo they all ultimately terminate in Him, and were made for His Glory ; fo that He is the j/fry? Cauje, and Iqft End of all Things, which is the high Character of the only TRUE GOD. IT were eafy to turn -to other Parts of holy Writ, which aflert the fame Doctrine, but I need not : I fliall therefpre only fay, that, from this clear Account, which of JESUS CHRIST, 29 which Divine Infpiration gives us, of JESUS CHRIST His being the Creator, and Maker of all Worlds, and all the Creatures in them, we have a full and demon- ftrative Proof, that He is the TRUE GOD, becaufe none but the TRUE GOD can be the Creator of all Things. From the Creation of the World are clearly feen the invifible Things of GOD, even His eternal Tower and Godhead, Rom. I. 20. Nor is it in the Power of the nioft penetrating Genius, and moft fubtle metaphyilcal Head, to difcover a fingle PafTage, in all the Divine Infpiratipns, that ftyles the Creator of the World, or, JESUS CHRIST, a mere Creature. But I proceed to the fourth and laft Head of Argument propofed ; namely, 4. The peculiar Honours, which are due unto the only living, and TRUE GOD, are to be given unto our Lord JESUS CHRIST, and that by Divine Direction and Appointment ; which is an abundant Proof that He is the TRUE GOD. By the Honours due unto the only TRUE GOD is meant Religious Worfhip, as Faith in Him, Love to Him, Reverence and Fear of Him. our Prayers and Praifes to Him, our nnivcrfal and unlimited Obedience and SubmifTion to His Will, in all Things concerning us, with our final Accoiin- tablenefs to Him ; which we, and all reafonable Crea- tures, owe to Him, as our Maker, Prefervcr, Benefac- tor and fupream Judge. This Homage GOD chal- lenges from us, as what of Right belongcth to Him, and to no other. The Proof of this, from the facred Scriptures, in the Whole, and in the feveral Parts, are fo numerous and fo plain, that I know not well which . fo turn you to. Let it fuffice to quote the Saying of 30 The true Divinity Mofes, the Man of GOD, Exod. XXXIV. 14. Jhalt 'worflnp no other G OD, for the Lord -whofe Name is Jealous, is a jealous GOD : and that of the royal Tfalmift, Tf. XXIX. 2. Give unto the Lord the Ho- nour due unto His Name, ivor/hip the Lord in the Beauty of Holinefs ; and of our SAVIOUR, Math. IV. 10. Thou Jhalt luorfhip the Lord thy GOD, and Him only Jhalt thouferve. It was apparently one great: Defign of Divine Revelation to call off an idolatrous World, from the Acknowledgment and Worfhipping of many falfe Gods, to the Worfhip of the One, on ly living and TRUE GOD. And as the Divine Being efforts it, as His peculiar Right, to be GOD alone, fo He lets us know, that He is fo jealous of the fpecial Honours which are due unto Him, that He will not fuffer any Part thereof to be given to $ny Creature whatever : as in the foremen tioned Jfa. XLIL 8. / am the Lord, that is my Name ; and my Glory ivill I not give to another, neither my ^Praife to graven Images. NEVERTHELESS, notwithftanding the peculiar Right of the TRUE GOD to thefe Divine Honours, and the folemn Enclofure around this (acred Mount, that whofoever fhould invade it the Wrath of the Lord would be enkindled againft that Man, and he Ihould furely perifh ; for curfed is the Man, that mak- eth any molten or graven Image, an Abomination to the Lord : yet we have the fulleft Affurance, that all of this Divine Honour is to be given unto the Lord JESUS CHRIST, by Meq upon Earth, and by Angels in Heaven. We are to believe in Him, to love and reverence Him, to pray to Him, and praife Him, to obey and ferye Him, and that rcligioufiy, with all the of JESUS CHRIST. 31 the Powers of our Minds, as well as thofe of our Bodies, and to account unto Him as our Judge. Thus it was prophefied of Him, who fhould be a Light unto the Gentiles, and for Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth, Ifa. XLIX. 7. Kings fhould fee, and arife, and Trinces alfofljould 'worfhip Him. Zecha- riah prophefied of Him, ivhofe Feet fhould Jland upon Mount Olivet, Zee. XIV. 1 6. He fhoidd be King over all the Earth, and they fhould go uf from Tear to Tear, to ivorfhip the King, the Lord of HoJL The high Intelligences of the heavenly World, who furround the Throne of GOD with their joyful -%/- lelujahs, are commanded to worfhip Him. Heb. I. 6. When He bringeth in the Firfl-begotten into the World, He faith, let all the Angels of GOD ivorfhip Him. And thefe bright and morning Stars are reprefented as paying their religious Acknowledgments to Him, cafting their Crowns before the Throne, and worihip- ing Him that liveth forever and ever, faying, Rev. V. 12. Worthy is the Lamb that -was Jlain to receive Tower, and Riches, and Wifdom, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Blefflng. And 'tis added, ver. i 3. Every Creature 'which is in Heaven, and on the Earth, and under the Earth, andfuch as are in the Sea, and all that are in them, heard /, faying, BleJ/ing, Honour, Glory and 6 Pcrwer be unto Him that Jitteth upon the Throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever. In a Word, the great GOD and Father of all Things hath made it the Duty of all Men, command- ing them to honour the SON, as they honour the FA J THER, Job.V. 23. TO pay the fame religious Wor- fhip to the SON, which they are to pay unto the ?A* THER, And we are allured, -Rom. XIV. 10. We fhall The true Divinity Jhall all Jl and before the Judgment Seat of CHRIST/ f Now what a full and clear Proof is this, that JE- SUS CHRIST is the TRUE GOD ? For if He were not truely GOD, partaking of the Divine Nature and Efface, but only a mere Creature, we fliould be guilty of the grofTefl Idolatry in giving Divine Honour to that which is, by Nature, no GOD : arid the ever living JEHOVAH Himfelf, in commanding Men '& Angels to' worfliip Him, would be introduced, inftead of curing the World of Idolatry, as the great Patron of it ; than which nothing is more contradictory to His Nature, and abhorrent to the Divine Majefty. So that, from this brief Account, which I have fet before you, it appeareth plainly evident, from the facred Scriptures^ the only Rule of our Faith, that it is an eftablifhed Truth, and what we ought firmly to abide in the Be- lief of, that JESUS CHRIST is the TRUE GOD. BUT it is Time to improve this Doftrine in a few Hints, i . And now, my Beloved, ftand (till, arid admire', and magnify the ftupehdous Grace of our GOD ; that the high and lofty one, who inhabiteth Eternity, and dwelleth in Light unapproachable, fhould condefcend to afflime the Humane Nature into a perfbnal Union with Himfelf; a Nature fo deeply guilty and polluted, and obnoxious to. the Vengeance of Heaven; that, as a glorious and powerful Mediator for us, taberna- cling in Flefli, and every Wa"y adapted to our Neceffi- ties, He might fubmit to a Series of the greateft Mean- nefTes and Sufferings, and to the moft iharrieful and painful of JESUS CHRIST. 33 painful Death, on our Behalf, to fatisfy for our ma- nifold and enormous Offences, and buy off the heavy Punifhment, which our Sins had juftly deferved ; and by a Life of confummate Obedience inftrucl: us in the whole of our Duty, and bring in an everlafting High- teoufnefs, wherein we may appear before an infinite- ly holy GOD, as without Spot, or Wrinkle, or any fuch Thing ; and by His Obedience and Sufferings procure for us the Gift of the holy Spirit, to renew and fanftify our Natures, and transform us into the Divine Likenefs, and to open to us a new and living Way into the holieft, the endlefs Glory and Happi- nefs of the heavenly World. O LET the Thoughts of this high and true Dig- nity, which the incarnate SON of GOD hath raifed our ruined Nature unto, infpire us with an holy Am- bition of Soul, never to indulge ourfelves in any Thing that would debafe, and caft Contempt and Dif- honour upon it. And let the View of this wondrous Grace and Love to us, in the SON of GOD emptying Himfelf for us, that we might be filled with the Bleffings of Goodnefs, conftrain us to love and ferve Him with all our Powers, both of Body and of Mind, as long as we live, yea, while we have any Being. 2. SEE, my Friends, what a firm Foundation we have for our Faith and Hope in a mighty and glori- ous Redeemer, who is truely GOD, as well as really MAN. For He has not only the tender Sympathy of the Humane, but the boundlefs Companions of the Divine Nature in Conjunction, in continual and vi- gorous Exercife towards us, under all our Weakneffes and Infirmities, our Wants and Diffyeffes, our Temp- E radons 34 5Tfo true Divinity tations and Tryals ; and knoweth how, and is able and willing to fuccour us ; and with the Temptation will find out a Way for our Efcape, that we may be able to bear it. What mighty Encouragement is this to us, to caft all our Cares upon Him who careth for us ? AND becaufe the trucly Divine and Humane Na- tures are fo clofely united in our Lord JESUS CHRIST, as that in Him dwelleth the Fulnefs of the GOD-HEAD bodily, therefore we may be fure, that His Sacrifice of Atonement is perfectly meritorious, and His Interceffi- on moft valid and efficacious, to procure the full Par- don of all our Sins, be they ever fo many and great, & bring us into a State of Peace and Friendfhip with our GOD ; to -obtain for us the fanctifying and comfort- ing Influences of the Holy Spirit ; and to fecure to us the promifed Mercy of our GOD unto eternal Life. So that upon this folid Foundation, we may fafely build our Faith and Hope, that -whofoever believeth in Himfaall not perijh^ but have everlqfting Life. IF JESUS CHRIST is not truely GOD, as well as MAN, I cannot fee upon what good Foundation, a reafonable, but guilty, Creature could poffibly place his Faith in Him, or build a well grounded Hope of eternal Salvation ; for all his own Obedience would be fo very defective, and fhort of the Demands of the exceeding broad Law of GOD, as that it could never recommend him to the Divine Favour, fo as to obtain the Forgivenefs of his Sins, and an Inheritance among them that are fanctified ; and aSAviouR, who is but a mere Creature, could not poffibly have any Thing properly meritorious in him, nor a Sufficiency of Pow- er of JESUS CHRIST. 35 er to confer the promifed BlefTednefs, upon them that put their Truft in Him. 3. LET us all therefore, my Brethren, hold fail this great Gofpel Truth, which Divine Revelation only niaketh known to us ; and fufier no Man to take away this Crown from us, That JESUS CHRIST is the TRUE GOP. Well might our bleiTed SAVIOUR lay, Job. X. 30. I and my Father are One ; one in Nature and EfTence, as well as in Will and Operation, thereby making Himfelf equal with GOD ; and His .Jtpofik allures us, Thil II. 6. fie thought it no Rob- bery to be equal ivith GOD : He looked upon it as no Invafion of the Rights of the fupream Deity to be equal with GOD. And {hall we vainly attempt to reduce Him to the State of a mere Creature ? of the whole Univerfe of which it can not be faid, they are equal with GOD. Shall we efteem Him a finite Being, the Refult of the Will of a Maker, to whom all the peculiar Titles and Attributes of the eternal Godhead .belong ? Or that He is made by and dependent upon Another for His Being, who is the great Maker , Tre- ferver and Qovmiour of the Univerfe ? Or that He is infinitely below the Deity, who has a juft Right to ail the incommunicable Honours of the TRUE GOD ? No ; let the Abfurdity be far from our Thoughts ; rather kt us, in the Faith of the Divine Revelation, belicvingjy fay with Thomas, Job. XX. 28. My Lord and my GoJ ! O give unto Him the Glory which is His due, by our Faith in Him, as JEHOVAH our Right eoufnej}, in whom r.'r have everla/ling Strength ; and our Obedience to Him, as our Lstnviriver, our , and our J^Y./^V. Then may we \vith Comfort E 2 look- 36 The true Divinity look for the blejfed Hope and glorious Appearing of tht GREAT GOD and OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST ; and TV hen He, ivho is our Life, foall appear, then Jliall we alfo appear 'with Him in Glory. SUFFER me, feeing it hath pleafed a merciful GOD to fpare me to a great old Age, to fpend fome of my lateft Breaths, in averting and vindicating the Honour of our common SAVIOUR, by improving this laft Opportunity I can ever expeci of (landing in this Place,, and upon fuch an Occafion, to addrefs myfelf, with great Humility, and all due Refpefts, particular- ly to my younger Brethren in the Miniftry, and to the Candidates therefor. Dearly beloved in our Lord JESUS CHRIST, let it be your great Care firftly to get your own Hearts firmly eftablifhed in the Faith of this vital Principle of the Chriftian Religion, and then to Anftruct the Souls that may be under your Charge, and confirm them in the Belief of it, that the Lord JESUS CHRIST is the TRUE GOD. REMEMBER, my Brethren, you owe this in Fide- lity to your Lord, and in Love to the Souls of His and your People. You owe it in Fidelity to your Lord and Mafter, both your Lord and ours. For if, thro' an Affectation of being thought deeply ftudied in Philofophy, you fhould infmuate in your Conver- fation, or pubjickly teach your People, ptherwife than this wholfome Doctrine of found Words, that JESUS CHRIST, the SON of GOD, and SAVIOU& of the World is the TRUE GOD, would you not degrade Him from His Throne of Glory, (trip Him of His peculiar Honours, and number Him, who is higher than all the angelic Orders, in the Rank of Beings, the of JE.SUS CHRIST. 37 the molt exalted and refined of which is infinitely below the Deity ; and thereby caft the higheft Con- tempt and Indignity upon Him ? Would not fuch a Treatment of the incarnate SON of GOD expofeyou to die Danger of being found among thofe Teachers, of whom 'Peter fays, II. Tet. II. 'They bring in dam- nable Herefas, even denying the Lord that bought them ? or Judes ungodly Men, before of old ordained to Condemnation, -who turn the Grace of God into Lafcivioufnefs, denying the only Lord GOD, and our LorJjEsvs CHRIST ? Judever. 4. Where, by the Way, I obferve, that the Article in the Greek, placed before the only LORD GOD, without any before our Lord JESUS CHRIST, evidently flieweth, (for the Rcafon before mentioned,) that it is one and the fame Subjeft, that is fpoken of the only LORD GOD, and OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. AND you owe it in Love to the precious Souls of His and your People, who are put under your parti- cular Care. For if, by an urtmanly Sneer at the great Doftrine of the true DIVINITY of CHRIST, or by laboured and fophiftical Periods, you fliould teach them any Thing herein, that is contrary to the found Doctrine of the glorious Gofpel of the blefled GOD, will you not be guilty of leading them into grofs Error ? of teaching them to believe in and worfliip a meer Creature, inftead of the only TRUE GOD, and fo blindly conduct them into abominable Idola- try ? Will you not herein direct them to build all their Hopes of Salvation upon a fandy Foundation, which, in the Time of Tryal, will prove ruinous and deftruftivc to their immortal Souls ? And if the Blood of 38 T^ //ra Dfpiniijh &c. of Souls (hould at laft be found to lie at your Doors, what the Confequence of this will prove unto your- felves, you are fully able to judge. .1 DO not write nor {peak thefe Things, my Bre- thren, to fhame any of you, but, as my Beloved, I would humbly warn you. Neither would I be un- derftood to mean, that every Man fhould be tied up to exactly the fame Mode of Speech ; for I look upon a Controverfy about Words both as unmanly and un- chriftian ; but that we fhould carefully prcferve and teach the Effentials of this fublime Doftrine, that JESUS CHRIST is the TRUE GOD, and contend ear- neftly for this Faith, which, from Heaven, has been delivered unto the Saints. LET therefore the (acred Scriptures, my Brethren, be the only Rule by which we judge of, and the fure Foundation on which we build, all the Doftrines of the great Myfteries of the Chriftiau Religion ; and let us not fuffer ourfelves to be warped and turned away from the Truth, as it is in JESUS, by any of the precarious Principles, and uncertain Maxims of Tin- lofophy ; which, however valuable in the Things of Nature, to which. they properly belong, and however ornamental they may be to him that poffefTcs them, can no more be a Standard by which to judge of re- vealed Myftcries, than the (canty, finite llcafon of Man can be a fit Line, by which to found the unfa- thomable Depths of infinite Wifdom &Undcflhinding. To the only -wife GOD our SAVIOUR, bd Glory and Majejly, Dominion and ( Tower : both UQW and A M N...