That he is truly so, we may farther show. From other appellations peculiar to God, applied to him; as that of Jehovah, Lord, Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, &c.: this head enlarged on.

Also from the divinest attributes of God, in the most absolute manner and perfect degree, assigned to him; eternity as already shown; immensity of presence and power; the wisdom of God, and the power of God, &c.

The divine attributes he also expresses by divinest operations and works ascribed unto him; by the work of creation; that of sustaining and preserving things in being; that of performing miracles, &c. : this topic dilated on.

Now all this state and majesty, all these glorious titles, attributes, and works, can we imagine that he whose name is Jealous, (Exod. xxiv. 14.) who will not give his glory to another, (Is. xlii. 8.) would communicate them, or suffer them to be ascribed to a mere creature? &c. Our Saviour therefore, when he assumes them, is truly God.

II. Now since the whole tenor of our religion asserts the unity of God, our Saviour, being God, must of necessity partake of the same individual essence with God his Father: this explained and enlarged on.

Yet hath he not this essence from himself, but by communication. He is not first in order, but is the image of the invisible God, the character, or exact impression of his substance. He is the internal Word or Mind of God, which resembles him, and yet is not different from him: he is the life, the wisdom, and the power of God; which terms denote intrinsic and perfect unity: this point enlarged on and illustrated. Some practical applications of the point.

1. We may hereby learn whence the performances and sufferings of Christ become of so high worth and so great efficacy, &c.

2. What reverence and adoration is due from us to our

Saviour, and why we must honor the Son even as we honor the Father, &c.

3. We may hence perceive the infinite goodness of God towards us, and our correspondent obligation to thankfulness and love towards him, &c.

4. This consideration may fitly serve to beget in us hope and confidence in God on all occasions of need and distress. 15. St. John applies it also to the begetting charity in us towards our brethren. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

6. It may also remind us of the dignity of our nature and condition; and how in this respect we ought to behave ourselves.

7. This consideration greatly aggravates all impiety and sin: this shown.

8. Lastly, it may serve to beget in us a high esteem of the evangelical dispensation, and a hearty submission to its doctrines and precepts. Conclusion.

His only Son, &c.

SERMON XXI.

JOHN, CHAP. I.-VERSE 14.

And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.

THAT Jesus Christ our Lord is the μovoyevns, the only Son of God, that is, the Son of God in a peculiar and high manner, otherwise far than any creature can be so termed, St. John doth here (and in several other places) suppose, or assert plainly; and it is a great point of the Christian doctrine, a special object of our faith. To show the truth of which, to explain how it is to be understood, and to apply the consideration thereof to our practice, shall be the subject and scope of our present discourse.

I. That the Messias, designed by God to come into the world for the restoring and reconciling mankind unto God, was in an especial manner to be the Son of God, even the ancient prophets did foretel and presignify; Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee,' saith God of him in the second Psalm. And of him, that which in the first less perfect sense was spoken to King Solomon, (who as the son and heir of David, as the builder of God's house, as a prince of peace, reigning in great glory, wealth, and prosperity; as endued with incomparable wisdom, did most signally represent and prefigure him,) was chiefly intended for him, and did more exactly agree to him; 'He shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever :' and again; He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation: Also I will make him

Y

my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.' And accordingly it was, even before our Saviour's appearance, a persuasion commonly passing among the Jews, (both learned and unlearned,) that the Messias should be the Son of God; as may be collected from several passages in the New Testament; in which being the Christ and being the Son of God are conjoined as inseparable adjuncts, whereof one did imply the other, according to the sense then current, and previous to the embracing our Lord's doctrine. For Nathanael, we see, was no sooner persuaded that Jesus was the Christ, but he (according to his anticipation, common to the people) confesseth thus ; Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; Rabbi, thou art the King of Israel.' Martha in like manner being moved to declare her faith concerning Jesus, expresseth it thus; 'Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world :' and likewise doth St. Peter, in the name of all his brethren, the Apostles; We have believed, and have known, that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' St. John the Baptist also doth thus express his belief and yield his testimony concerning Jesus; And I said, and bare record, that this is the Son of God.' Yea even the high priest himself implied the same, when examining our Lord he said, 'Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?' 'I adjure thee by the living God, tell us, whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God' supposing that to be the Christ and to be the Son of God would concur in the same person. Yea, the devils themselves had learned this, who cried out, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God?'

Thus did the ancient Scriptures intimate, and thus were God's people generally persuaded about the Messias; and that he is indeed the Son of God, the evangelical Scripture doth every where teach us, calling him not only at large the Son of God, but more emphatically the ȧyarŋròs, (“the darling Son of God;') the viòs rñs ȧyáπŋs, ‘Son of God's love;' the viòs áλŋsivòs, ‘God's true Son,' (that is, such most properly, in a most excellent manner incomparably representing and resembling God;) the idios viòs, (God's proper, or peculiar Son ;) the TрwrоTÓKOS, "God's first-born;' God's viòs povoyevns, his only begotten Son' all which epithets import somewhat of

peculiar eminency in the kind and ground of this his relation unto God. The relation itself in a large sense, and equivocally, is attributed to several: Adam is called the son of God; and the angels are usually entitled such; and princes are styled 'the children of the Most High;' and all men are said to be God's offspring, and good men are especially dignified with that appellation; God's people, as such, (the Israelites of old, and Christians now,) are the children of God; yea, God is the Father of all things, as the maker and preserver of them: but all these, in comparison to Christ, are such in a manner very inferior, and in a very improper sense; for he is the only Son of God which denotes a relation in its kind singular and incomparable; from which all other things are excluded.

Now that we may discern the difference, let us consider the grounds and respects on which this relation of our Saviour to God is built, or the reasons why he is called the Son of God: there are several expressed or implied in Scripture.

1. Christ is called the Son of God in regard to his temporal generation, as being in a manner extraordinary conceived in the Blessed Virgin by the Holy Ghost; so the angel expressly telleth us : The Holy Ghost shall come on thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God:' so the Apostle also ; When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman,' (or born of a woman, γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικὸς—γεννώμενον in some copies) a generation so peculiar and wonderful, without intervention of any father but God himself, is one ground of this relation and title; he therein excelling the common sort of

men.

2. Christ also may be termed the Son of God in regard to his resurrection by divine efficacy; that being a kind of generation or introduction into another state of life immortal. Others are on this ground called the sons of God; They,' saith our Saviour, who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead-can die no more; for they are equal to the angels, and are the children of God, (vioi eiou TOU Ocov,) being sons of the resurrection.' How much more then may he be thence so named, who is the first-fruits of