THE MIGHTY GOD.

HE IS ALTOGETHER LOVELY.--Cant. 5 16.

DOCTRINE:That Jesus Christ is infinitely and superlatively lovely.

I finished the second title which is given to Christ in scriptnre, KING of Kings. I now proceed to a third and that is MIGHTY GOD. One of Christ's titles is, the MIGHTY GOD: you have it in Isai. ix. 6. he is also called the MIGHTY GOD.

Beloved, I have showed you from the second title that Christ is a King, a King above all Kings, and a King over all Kings, and the King of Kings, and that his laws are most equal, his subjects most happy,; having no other tax laid upon them than love and fear.

But now this title holdeth him forth, not only as a great King, but as a great God, before whom all Kings and Kingdoms are but as little drops, or small dust, Isai. xi. I5. From this title, the MIGHTY GOD, I shall lay down this proposition, that Jesus CHRIST is true and perfect GoD. That Jesus Christ is true and perfect God, that is the point I shall insist upon.

There are two sorts of people in the world, that deny my doctrine, who deny the Deity of Jesus

Christ, who say the second person of the Trinity is not God.

First, the unbelieving Jews; if Christ had come as the Jews dreamed, as a great monarch, treading upon nothing but crowns and sceptres and the necks of kings, and had all the potentates of the earth to attend his train, I say had Christ come in this worldly glory, pomp, and power, then it may be, the Jews would have believed on him; it may be then he should have been their God; but, now beloved, because Christ came poorly and meanly, and made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, as the scripture saith, Phil. ii. 7. He took none of his gallantry, none of his bravery upon him, but made himself of no reputation; and therefore the Jews slighted him and disowned him. The Turks mock us at this day with our crucified God; Oh, say they, you worship a crucified God; and some of the Heathens say, they would not believe in a hanged God. Oh blessed Jesus, thus art thou reproached and despised by the unbelieving world, because thou camest poorly, and diedst shamefully for our sins! They who despise the death of the Lamb; they who turn away their ears from hearing Christ's voice now, Christ will turn away his ears from hearing their cries then.

Secondly, There be others that deny the Deity of Christ; and there are some seditious ones in this nation, who say that Christ is but mere man, and every saint is as much God as Christ; and

further they say, that to equal Christ with God, is high blasphemy. They that will not own Christ at his first coming, Christ will not own them at his second coming; they that will not obey the truth of God revealed from heaven unto them, shall suffer the wrath of God revealed from heaven against them.

Oh ye blasphemers, ye say, the son is not God, the Father saith, he is God; now who speaks true, God or you? let God be true and every man a liar! That it is so, I shall give you more clear proofs. Express scripture speaks it forth that Jesus Christ is true and perfect God, Tit. ii. 13. saith the Apostle there, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearance of the great God. Mark, Christ is hear not only called God, but great God. Oh, saints, he that came from heaven to make us right eous, will also come from heaven to make us glori ous, looking for the blessed hope, and glorious appearing of Jesus Christ: not only so but @hrist is also called mighty God; nay, not only mighty God, but again, God blessed for ever. Christ is God blessed for ever, Rom. ix. 5. Not only blessed for ever, but the true God, 1 John iv. 20. Jesus Christ is there called the true God, not only the true God, but a God for ever and ever, Heb. 1. 8. Mark, there, unto the Son, he said, Thy throne in for ever and ever."

The Father, he calls the Son God, himself, and therefore well may we. Unto the Son he said, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. Thus

D

you see the doctrine fully proved, that Jesus Christ is the true and perfect God. But beloved, because the Deity of Christ is so much questioned at this day, and this being one of the serious and chiefest points in divinity, therefore I shall give you some considerations, demonstrations, or arguments, to fortify you against this great error before named. First, That Jesus Christ is the true God, he is for time, co-eternal, for nature, co-essential; for dignity, co-equal with his father."

First, For time, co-eternal, John. xvii. 5, O Father, glorify thou me with thyself, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. You see here sirs, Christ was before the world was, Christ was from everlasting, from the beginning, Prov. viii. 23, Speaking concerning Christ, I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before ever the earth was. And therefore Christ is called the everlasting Father, Isa. ix. 6. So in Rev. 1. 8. Christ there speaking of himself, saith he, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning, and the ending, which was, and is, and is to come, the Almighty. Mark, sirs, Christ is the same before time, in time, and after time; which was, and is, and is to come. Now beloved, none can be eternal but God; but Christ is eternal, and therefore he is God, and coeternal with his Father.

Secondly, He is for nature, co-essential: I and my Father are one, saith Christ, John. x. 30. There are three that bear record in heaven, the

Father, the Word, and the Spirit, and these three

are one. Mark, here, they are one, John. xiv. 8. When Philip desires to see the Father, Shew us the Father, and it is enough; saith Christ in the 9th and 10th verses, He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father. How so? for I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. So that you see Christ is more than mere man: he is one with the Father. Oh sirs, he is Theanthropos, God man, If you make the son mere man, you must make the Father

so too.

Thirdlg, He is, for dignity, co-equal with the Father, Phil. ii. 6. Who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to equal with the Father. Christ thought it no diminution of his Father's glory to be equal with the Father in glory. And you shall further find, that all the honor which belongs to God, the Father hath commanded us to give it to the Son. You have a full text, John, v. 23. That all men should honor the Son, even as they honour the Father; for he that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father. Therefore it is clear to every eye that Christ is for dignity co-equal with the Father; for the Father hath commanded us to give the same honor to Christ which is due to him: so that it is no blasphemy at all, certainly, to equal Christ with God, for in him are riches of the Deity, and the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily in him; as you may see Col. ii. 9. This is the first argument. He is for time, co-eternal, for nature, co-essential, for dignity, co-equal with the Father.

Secondly, I shall lay down this argument, to