John v. 23, that he came in his Father's name ;' that is, by authority from God the Father; so his followers received and owned him, under the character of one who came in the name of the Lord' (Jehovah) and followed him with their hosannahs-that is, We wish you (Jesus) success, who come in the name of the Lord (Jehovah). We wish the highest prosperity in the work God hath sent you to perform. St. Luke particularly takes notice, that when the multitude of Christ's disciples followed him with their acclamations of prosperity in the highest,' they did not forget God in whose name Christ came, but they praised God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works which they had seen,' owning God for the author, and Christ for one who came in the name of God.' They preserved, even in their triumphs of joy, a due and just distinction between God and God's messenger. A distinction too much neglected in these later unhappy ages!

CHAP. XL.

The Greek prepositions that signify derivation from a prior or superior being, are applied by all the writers of the New Testament to Jesus Christ, when they are speaking of his person, power, doctrine, or gospel, resurrection, &c. as derived from God, or the Father.

AПО, from. Of the evangelists, St. John chiefly, if not only, abounds in the use of this preposition.

John iii. 1, 2. Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, says to Christ, Sir, we know that thou art a teacher come from God.'

N. B. Words cannot be plainer. This eminent person must certainly know who Christ was, and that he was not God himself.

v. 18, 19-30, viii. 26. The Jews sought to kill Christ, because he called God his' own Father,

and made himself equal to God.' To which charge Jesus answers in the strongest terms, Verily, verily, I now say unto you, the Son (of man) can,' or is able, (literally) to do nothing from himself' (two Negatives). Which words refute the charge of the Jews by two unanswerable asseverations.

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1. I am a son,' or the 'Son of man,' therefore, &c. And,

2. I can do nothing of myself,' therefore I do not 'make myself equal to God'—as if he had said, God can do all things, &c. but I can do nothing of myself.

N. B. The word himself' must denote Christ's whole person, which, he assures us, was not omnipo

-tent.

John vii. 28, He came not from himself'--viii. 42, I came from God, and now am come'---xiii. 3, I came not from myself, but God sept me’---And xiv. 10, The words which I am speaking, I speak not from myself, but the Father who abideth in me, himself doth the works.' This his disciples believed, xvi. 30. St. Peter, Acts ii. 22, in his sermon told the Jews, that Jesus of Nazareth was a man from God, made eminent among them by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God wrought by him amongst you, as ye yourselves also know.'--And to the same purpose, Peter, Acts. x. 38, tells his hearers, that God anointed Jesus with the holy spirit and power,' &c.-- for God was with him.'

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ΑΠΟΚΑΛΥΨΙΣ. The whole book of Revelations was altogether unknown to Jesus Christ, himself, till it was revealed from God to him, who afterwards sent, or signified it by his angel unto his servant John. It is expressly called the Revelation which God gave unto him,' Christ, Rev. i. 1.

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EK and EZ, from, &c. St. John has as many, if not more evidences of all sorts, that Jesus Christ is a derived being, and received his power, commission, message, authority, doctrine, &c. from his God and our God,' than all the other evangelists. St. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, do not use this preposition in

the sense now considered, but St. John does often, viz.

John vii. 16, 'The doctrine, is not mine, but his who sent me.'

-17, If any person is willing to do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be from God, or from myself.'

-viii. 42, I came out from God, and am now come (from God) for I came not from myself, but he sent me.'

x. 32, Many works have I shewn you from

my Father.'

-xii. 49, 50, I have not spoken from myself, but the Father who sent me, himself gave me a command (or order) what I should say, and what I should speak-Even as the Father hath spoken unto me, so am I speaking

-xxi. 14, He was raised from the dead,' that is, by the power of God the Father. See the texts of the resurrection.'

Acts iii. 15, Whom God raised from the dead.' See xiii. 30---34, xvii. 31.

Rom. iv. 24, To them who believe in him, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, &c.'

It is much to be observed, that St. Paul, 1 Cor. viii. 6, takes care to distinguish God and Christ by using different prepositions. There is one God the Father from whom all things are;' and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom all things are,' that is, as God's messenger, teacher, &c.

Heb. ii. 11, He (that is, Christ) who sanctifieth, and they (that is, his disciples) who are sanctified, are all of or from one God.'

v. 7, Christ offered prayers to God,

able to save him from death.'

who was

-xiii. 20, The God of peace, who brought from the dead the great shepherd-Jesus Christ.'

1 Pet. i. 21, Who (Christ) was made known, or manifest for your sakes, who through him believe in God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him

glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.'

St. Paul hath three noted passages, speaking of God; thus, one God the Father, from whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things. 1 Cor. viii. 6. ، And from him (God) and by him, and to him, are all things [rd marra, to him be glory for ever, Amen.' Rom. xi. 36. Again-' From him (God) ye are in Christ, (that is, become Christians) who (Christ) hath been made from God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,' that is, a teacher of all those doctrines. 1 Cor. i. 30.

IIAPA, from, John i. 6, John the Baptist ، was sent from God.'

14. The only-begotten who came from the Father.'

-vi. 49, Christ styles himself-He that is. from God.'

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——vii. 29, I am from him, and he (God) hath sent me.'

viii. 26, I speak to the world the things that I have heard from him' (God).

-40, I have spoke the truth which I have heard from God.'

-x. 18, This commandment have I received from my Father.'

——xv. 15, All things that I have from my Father, I have made known unto you.'

--26, The comforter whom I shall send from the Father,---who proceedeth from the Father.

xvi. 27, 28, Ye have believed that I came from God.'

xvii. 7, Now they have known, that all whatsoever thou hast given me are from thee.'

8, They have known surely, that I come from thee, and believed that thou hast sent me.' Acts ii. 33, Christ received the promise of the Holy Ghost from the Father."

2 Pet. i, 17, He (Christ) having received from God the Father, honour and glory.'

This is the constant use, by the evangelists, of

these prepositions that signify derivation from a prior and superior being, when they introduce Christ speaking of himself, his doctrine, &c, in all the texts of the New Testament, and ought to have been an invariable rule in judgment and writing amongst Christians in all ages.

It may be a proper inquiry how the creeds drawn up by the ancient councils and fathers in the eastern churches have couformed their language to the foregoing pattern.

CHAP. XLI.

What the evangelists, and other writers of the New Testament have recorded concerning Christ's entrance upon his public life.

AFTER Jesus Christ had spent about thirty years with his parents in private life, amongst his neighbours and countrymen, and in Galilee most of that time: and when he had attended the baptism of John, and been baptized by him in Jordan, Matthew saith, chap. iii. 13---16, The spirit of God descended like a dove, and came upon him.' Mark saith, chap. i. 10,A spirit descended like a dove upon him.' Luke saith, chap. iii. 21, 22, The,' or a holy spirit in a bodily shape,' or appearance, 'descended like a dove upon him. John saith, chap. i. 32, 33, He saw a spirit descending from heaven, and it abode upon him.' Whether this spirit was the third person in the trinity, as some suppose, or an angel, as others; or God's extraordinary influx, or infusion of divine gifts, the critics do not determine. The last seems most + likely. And the words that follow, ['This is my beloved Son'] seem to imply God's designation or ordination of Christ to his public ministry; and so St. John seems to understand it. Yet this infusion of divine gifts was not in that measure, but Christ himself, in his agony,' had an angel sent to strengthen him,'