Tho' God be the Father of all Men Creation, and the Father of all the Saints by a New Creation or Regeneration, yet in a more especial manner he is the Father of the Bleffed Jesus; because his Body was fo formed or begotten by him, in fo peculiar a manner, as no other Man ever was.

But this cannot be the chief Meaning of the Name Son of God in the Texts before cited For furely the Belief that the Man Chrift Jefus was begotten of God and born of a Virgin without an earthly Father, was not made the Term of Salvation any where that we can find in the New Teftament. 'Tis not this fort of Sonship that Chrift and the Apoftles lay fo great a ftrefs on, nor make the matter of their Sermons, and the Labour of their Arguments, to convince the World of it in order to their Salvation. This Circumftance of his extraordinary Birth, doth not seem to have any fuch fpecial Connexion with the Redemption and Salvation of Men, as to have it made the peculiar Matter of their Faith and the very Article on which their Salvation was to depend.

Doubtless many a poor Creature might become a true Believer in Chrift when he was upon Earth, by the Sight of his Miracles, and hearing his Doctrine, without the Knowledge of this particular Circumftance of his Incarnation or Birth; and doubtless many a one was converted by the Apoftles without any

Notice of this part of the Hiftory of Chrift; for we fcarce find fo much as the Mention of it in their Preaching or Writings. This therefore cannot be the Meaning of this Name, in those Scriptures.

IV. In the Fourth place, Chrift may be fometimes called the Son of God, because of his Refurrection from the Dead, and his Exaltation to univerfal Dominion, by the peculiar Favour and Power of God. In this Senfe Chrift is faid to be begotten of God when he is raised from the Dead, Act. 13. 32, 33. And we declare unto you glad Tidings, how that the Promife which was made unto the Fathers, God hath fulfilled the fame unto their Children, in that he hath raised up Jefus again; as it is alfa written in the fecond Pfalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And 'tis upon this account that he is called the first-begotten of the Dead, Rev. 1. 5. and the first-born from the Dead, Col. 1. 18. tho' the Greek Word is in both Places the fame (viz.) #gwlóron☞ ix πρωτότοκ© τῶν νεκρῶν, becaufe he was raifed immediately by God himself from the Earth into eternal Life.

His Exaltation to the Kingdom as Heir of all things, is fuppos'd to be a farther Ground of this Title. Heb. 1. 2. His Son, whom he hath appointed Heir of all things. Pl. 89. 27. I will make him my firft-born, higher than the Kings of the Earth. And fome Divines are ready to think, 'tis in this Senfe he is called

the

the first-born of every Creature, Col. 1. 15. because he is Heir and Lord of all the Creation. And fome join his Exaltation together with his Refurrection in that Prophecy, Pfal. 2. 7. Thou art my Son, this day bave I begotten thee; becaufe 'tis the chief Senfe in which the Words of the fecond or of the eighty-ninth Pfalm, now cited, could literally be applied to David in the Day of his being raised from the Earth and Obscurity, unto a Throne: Now David in this his Exaltation to the Kingdom of Ifrael was a Type of Chrift, and was faid to be the Son of God begotten that day, as a proper Type and Figure' of our bleffed Saviour.

But whatever may be the prophetical Senfe of thofe Words of the Pfalmift, 'tis certain that the Name Son of God cannot directly and chiefly fignify his Refurrection and fu ture Exaltation in all thofe Places of the Gospels, where the Belief of it is made the Term of Salvation.

(1.) Because he is very often called the Son of God, long before his Death, Resurrection, and Exaltation, to defcribe the Perfon who was to be thus raised and exalted. He is called by the Apostle John, the only begotten of the Father, who lay in the Bofom of the Father, John 1. 14, 18. and Paul calls him God's own Son, who was delivered up to Death for us. Rom 8. 32. as a Name that belonged to him long before his Death, or

indeed before his Birth into this World: For when he was firft fent into the World he was then the Son of God, John 3. 16, 17. and 11. 27. and as fuch he was appointed the Heir of all things, Heb. 1. 2.

(2.) This Title the Son of God in those Texts of the Gospel does not depend upon his Refurrection and Exaltation, because the Jews were required to believe him to be the Son of God long before his Death and Refurrection. Nor did Chrift himself in plain Language openly and publickly preach his own Death and Refurrection to the Multitudes. Therefore the Belief of Chrift to be the Son of God in this Senfe of the Words could not in his Life-time be made neceffary to Salvation.

(3.) And let it be noted further, that at this time even the Apoftles themselves, who were true Believers in the Son of God did not know that he was to die and to rife again, for Peter began to rebuke him, when he spoke of his own dying, Mark 8. 32. And they knew not what Rifing from the Dead fhould mean. Mark 9. 10. yet they all believed him to be the Son of God.

(4.) I might add, that it is abundantly evident from Scripture that he was the Son of God, before he died or rofe again, because he was only proclaimed or declared to be his Son by his Refurrection and Exaltation: The Apoftle Paul explains it thus, Rom. 1. 4. He was declared to be the Son of God with Power, by his Refurrection from the Dead.

Nor

Nor is it any wonder that Chrift in fome Scriptures fhould be reprefented as born or begotten of God at his Refurrection, fince 'tis the way of the facred Writers fometimes to represent a thing to be tranfacted or done in that Day when 'tis published or proclaimed; and upon this account Chrift may be faid to be born or to be begotten, or to be made the firft-born of God, in the Day of his Refurrection and Exaltation, because he was then proclaimed and publifhed to be the Son of God; even as a King may be faid to be made that Day when he is proclaimed or

crowned.

V. The laft Senfe in which Chrift is called the Son of God, is to fignify that glorious Perfon who was appointed to be the Meffiah, the anointed Saviour who was derived from God, and did bear fome very near and extraordinary Relation to God above all other Perfons; and therefore he is called his Son, his own Son, his only begotten Son, his beloved Son. And fince the feveral other Senfes cannot be admitted to be the precife Idea and common Meaning of the Name Son of God in the New Testament, I take this to be the true Idea of it, as it is generally used in the New Teftament, and efpecially in those Scriptures where the Belief or Profeflion of it is made neceffary in order to the Salvation of Men in the Writings of the Apoftles.