100

To call on the Name of the Lord. Christ. i. e. Christians. Such a translation is not warranted by Scripture usage. The form of the verb used in these passages ordinarily implies invocation and worship. The word is used in reference to the last prayer of Stephen. Instances in which Christians are designated by the above named circumstance are as follows. 1 Cor. i. 2. Unto the church of Godwith all that in every place to call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.' Grace be unto you, &c. Acts ix. 14. And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on thy name.' 21 v. But all that heard him were amazed, and said, 'Is not this he that destroyed them who called on this name at Jerusalem? 2 Tim. ii. 22, Follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.' Rom. x. 11. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' Acts xxii. 16. And now, Why tarriest thou? arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

6

In view of all this proof that religious worship is paid to Christ shall we conclude with the Tract, that the New Testament reserves all

Unity of Divine worship.

101

supreme worship for the Father? Is it correct to say, after the partial views given by Unitarians of this subject, "Such is the devotional character of the New Testament?"

If

But another difficulty presents itself. The Jews were jealous for the unity of God. the Apostles taught that Christ was to be worshipped, would it not have excited great opposition? Would it not have been argued that the unity of divine worship was destroyed by the introduction of another object of adoration? But it is said that there is no trace of any such controversy. Hence it is inferred that Christ could not have been held up to the Jews as an object of religious worship. Either this or another inference may be drawn from the alleged absence of controversy upon the subject, viz: that the Jews no more than ourselves, who are as strenuous as they for the doctrine of the divine unity, felt that the admission of the deity of Christ was inconsistent with a belief in one God. If they did, is it not reasonable to suppose that the plain instances of religious worship which we have shown were paid to the Messiah, would have excited their opposition? Would they not have ranked the Apostles with the

102 Feelings of a Worshipper of Christ.

idolatrous heathen ?-It is remarkable, however, that the only opposition to the Apostles on this ground was made by the heathen themselves, who said, "He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Gods-because he preached unto them JESUS and the resurrection." Without doubt, therefore, the Jews in the days of the Apostles were so well convinced that the Messiah was predicted as a divine person, that they labored only to prove that Jesus was not the Christ, knowing that if he were, his claims, as advanced by Paul, to religious worship were just.

We beg leave, in this connexion, to say to those who assert that if we worship Christ, we depart from the unity of divine worship, that there is nothing so good as experience upon this subject. We can safely promise every one, if he will relinquish his hopes of salvation which may now rest on his own good works, and believe as we do, on the Saviour, 'which delivered us from the wrath to come,' that he will never be troubled with Polytheism in his prayers, any more than the heavenly hosts who bow down with the same ascriptions "to God" and "to the Lamb."

CHAPTER VI.

Ignorance of the Disciples.-Their conduct towards Christ.-Feelings of the Israelites and of the Disciples compared.-Effect of the Saviour's character on the Apostle John.-Conduct of Judas.-Alledged denial by Christ of His Deity.-Remarks on a difficult Passage.-Proof of the Deity of Christ at his Trial.

It

It is asserted that the apparent ignorance of the disciples in regard to the Deity of their master, is a proof that he was not divine. is evident that they were for a long time most strangely ignorant of his character. Imbued with Jewish expectations of a temporal kingdom, it was hard for them to understand that his kingdom was not of this world. How often is it said of them, "they understood not his words." Behold the mother of Zebedee's children coming with two of his disciples, her sons, and one of them even the beloved disci

104

Ignorance of the Disciples.

ple, and asking Christ, evidently by their permission, for high appointments in his temporal kingdom. As the Saviour went with two of them to Emmaus, after his resurrection, He said, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken."-As he sat at meat, "he upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart because they believed not them which said that he had risen."And even when he was leading them out as far as to Bethany, holding his last conversation with them, they said, "Lord, wilt thou not at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" It was told them that when the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost should come, he would lead them into all truth. Accordingly, we find that the character of Christ and of his kingdom, was not revealed to them at once, but by degrees; and this accounts for the striking fact that the clearness with which these great truths are exhibited in the New Testament is graduated by the dates of their successive writings-the later books-and the last more than all abounding in full disclosures. It is remarkable that whilst the Apostles were promised that the Holy Ghost should teach them, and