to the third, to make all suitable and consistent; besides, that the terms Holy, and Spirit, evidently point the same way.

But it is yet farther to be considered by us-and a consideration it is of very great weight indeed upon the subject that a new religion was to be introduced with this solemn form of words. And among whom was it to be introduced? Among Gentiles, or Heathen nations. These were to be taught to turn from their vanities to the living God; to renounce their idols and false gods, and so to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Now, what must occur to THEM, upon this occasion, but that, instead of all their deities, to whom they had before bowed down, they were in future to serve, worship, and adore, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as the only true and living God? From the pompous and solemn proclamation of these three Persons in opposition to all other gods, what could THEY conclude; but that these Three possessed in reality that Divinity which was falsely presumed with respect to the gods of the nations; that they had a natural right to all that homage and service, which men should pay to a Divine Being? We may add, that the circumstance of the form running in the NAME-not NAMES, but in the singular number, NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, might and did, in the strongest manner, intimate that the authority of all the Three was the same, their power equal, their persons undivided, and their glory

one.

The last consideration under this head shall be

that nothing can appear more unreasonable, or unnatural, than to suppose that GOD and two CREATURES are here joined together in so solemn a rite of admission into a new religion into the service of the living God, in direct opposition to all CREATUREWORSHIP. For no rational account can be given, why the Son and Holy Ghost should be thus closely and equally joined with the Father, in an act so public, and of so high importance to the salvation of all men, unless it be, that all men are required to believe in, to worship, and to serve THEM also, as well as the Father: neither can it be reasonably imagined, that they are recommended to us in any such capacity, as Persons to be believed in, served, and adored, if they be CREATURES only; much less, if Christ be no more than a mere man, like one of us; and the Holy Spirit a property, or quality only, of the Father-in short, if the three, taken together, be any other than THE LIVING AND TRUE GOD.

Thus far we have been arguing on the words of the text, and the doctrine implied in them, without taking in what the Scripture has revealed at large concerning the Divinity of the three Persons, which was, in the

Second place, proposed to be done.

Concerning the Divinity of the Father there is no dispute. Respecting that of the Son, you shall judge for yourselves, when I have laid before you what the Scriptures teach relative to his titles, his attributes, and the actions ascribed to him.

The divine titles given to the Son in the holy. Scripture are as follow: He is called "the Word

"that was in the beginning with God, and was "GOD;" that "was made flesh," and whose "glory

was the glory of the only begotten of the Father"." When it is said, "A virgin shall conceive, and bear

፡፡

our

a son," it is said also, "they shall call his name Emmanuel, that is, GOD WITH US." He is the Lord, before whose face John the Baptist was sent":" the LORD GOD foretold by Isaiah, who was to "feed "his flock like a shepherd." Of Jesus Christ it is affirmed by St. John, "This is THE TRUE GOD, and "eternal life." St. Paul mentions "the appearance "of the GREAT GOD and our Saviour," or, GREAT GOD and Saviour, Jesus Christ," for it is he who shall appear to judge the world. Isaiah styles him, "Wonderful, Counsellor, the MIGHTY "GOD;" St. Paul, again, "God over all, blessed "for evermore1." In the Old Testament, Christ is frequently called JEHOVAH', a name which can belong to no one but God. In the Revelation he is introduced as saying of himself, "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the

Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty'." By St. Paul he is styled

b John, i. 1. 14.

d Luke, i. 76.

f 1 John, v. 20.

h Isa. ix. 6.

c Matt. i. 23.

e Isa. xl. 10, 11.

Tit. ii. 13.; 1 Pet. i. 7. i Rom. ix. 5.

* Jer. xxiii. 6. Zech. xii. 10. cited John, xix. 37. Rev. i. 7. Isa. xl. 10. :

1 Rev. i. 8. "I cannot forbear recording it," says Dr. Doddridge, "that this text has done more than any other in the Bible "towards preventing me from giving into that scheme, which

"the Lord of Glory;" and by St. John,

Kings, and Lord of Lords." And thus much for his titles.

As to his attributes, he is declared. to be eternal, "without beginning of days, or end of life";" unchangeable, remaining the same, when the heavens, and the earth, and all that is therein, shall be changed and pass away; "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, "to-day, and for ever"; knowing all things; knowing "what is in man ; searching the hearts and reins 2;

P

present every where in the midst of his people "wherever assembled"," to hear the prayers put up at the same time from the different quarters and ends of the earth; which cannot be the case of saints or angels.

Of the actions ascribed to Christ, it may suffice to name four only. According to the Scriptures, he created the world by his power'; he governs it by his providence; how else can he superintend the concerns of his church? He redeemed it by his mercy; and he will judge it at the last day. Surely no being less than Divine can be equal to works like When he shall appear on his throne, as the

these.

"would make our Lord Jesus Christ no more than a deified crea"ture." A denial of the PRE-EXISTENCE must have seemed

strange doctrine to HIM. Dr. Kippis, who was his pupil, when he comes to Dr. Doddridge's life, in the Biographia, will tell us, perhaps, what he thought of it.

m Heb. vii. 3.

• John, xvi. 30; xxi. 17.
Rev. ii. 23.

• John, i. 3.; Heb. i. 10.

n Heb. xiii. 8.
P John, ii. 25.

Matt. xxviii. 20.

Judge of all the earth, who is the man that will refuse to worship him'?

The Holy Spirit is described in Scripture as the immediate author and worker of miracles; the inspirer of the prophets and apostles; the searcher of all hearts, and the comforter of good Christians in difficulties. To lie to him is the same thing as to lie to God. Blasphemy against him is unpardonable. To resist him is the same thing as to resist God. He is in God, and knows the mind of God as perfectly as a man knows his own mind; and that in respect of all things, even the deep things of God. The bodies of men are his temple, and, by being HIS temple, are the temple of GOD. He is joined with God the Father, not only in the solemn form of baptism, as we have seen above, but in religious oaths, and invocations for grace and peace; in the same authoritative mission and vocation of persons into the ministry: "The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas "and Saul"." Must he not then be a PERSON? In a word, he is LORD, or JEHOVAH, and GOD, and LORD OF HOSTS".

t I do not see my Saviour only in a few detached passages" of either Testament. I see him conducting the economy of the divine dispensations, through both, from the creation to the consummation of all things, as the 'the ' and O xoyos TOU EQU. Dr. Allix and Mr. Taylor had both demonstrated this point. It is only to be wished, the latter had drawn the conclusion drawn by the former-the just and proper conclusion-that the Person spoken of must indeed be VERY God.

"Acts, xiii. 2.

* See the conclusion of Mr. Jones's Catholic Doctrine, &c. See also Dr. Ridley.