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It feems alfo to fignify more fpecially the Excellency of his Perfon in thofe Scriptures where he is called God's own Son, God's only Son, God's only begotten Son, his beloved Son, his first-born, &c. because these are Words of Relation and peculiar Indearment, and we cannot well fay the only begot ten Meffiah, the first-born Messiah.

2. Yet there are many other Places where in the Name Son of God feems to have a more fpecial regard to his Office as the appointed Saviour, tho' it is inclufive alfo of the peculiar Excellency of his Perfon, which makes him fit for his Office. John 10. 37. Do you fay of him whom the Father hath fanctified and fent, thou blafphemeft, because I faid 1 am the Son of God? His being thus fanctified and fent by the Father is fufficient to give this Name.

This is evident alfo where the word Chrift or Meffiah is not joined with it, and yet the Design of the Expreflion feems to be entirely the fame as if the word Chrift or Meffiah had been used there; as John 1. 34. John the Baptift faw and bare witness that this is the Son of God, i. c. this is the great promised Saviour. So . 49. Nathanael faid, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Ifrael, i. e. thou art the Meffiah, the King. So John 9. 35. Jefus asked the blind Man who was healed, Doft thou believe on the Son of God? i. e. Doft thou believe

on

on the Meffiah, the appointed Saviour?, for as fuch he was the proper Object of Belief. So 1 John 4. 15. Whofo fhall confess that Jefus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. i. c. He that confeffes him to be the glorious appointed Meffiah, and receives him as fuch, he dwelleth in or with God. The fame is the Senfe of that Word 1 John 5. 5. Who is he that overcometh the World, but he that believeth that Jefus is the Son of God, i. e. the Meffiah. Andy. 20. We know the Son of God is come; i. e. the glorious Perfon who was ordained to be the Meffiah is come into the World.

As in thefe Places where the word Chrift or Meffiah is not mentioned, Son of God fignifies more directly the Meffiah or appointed Saviour, fo there are other Places wherein the word Chrift is joined with it, where Son of God hath the fame Signification, and intends chiefly the Office of the Messiah or Saviour; because in thofe Texts the word Chrift doth not properly fignify a Character or Office, but the proper Name or Surname of the Man Jefus, who was generally so called after his Refurrection . The Eunuch's Confeflion must have this Senfe, Acts 8. 37. I believe that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God.

C 4

i. e.

This is a common thing in our Nation and Language, where the Surname of a Man and of his Family is Smith,Taylor, Clark, Dyer, Steward, &c. being drawn originally from the Trade, Office or Employment which perhaps the firft of the Family enjoyed or practifed.

i. e. This Man named Jefus Chrift is the pro mised and appointed Saviour.

And in this fame Senfe did St. Paul preach Chrift in the Synagogues, that he is the Son of God, Acts 9. 20. i. e. That the Man Jefus Chrift is the promised Saviour. For the grand Question of that Day was not whether Jefus were eternally begotten of the Father, nor whether he was the true and eternal God himself, nor whether he were formed in an extraordinary and miraculous Manner as to his Soul or his Body, but whether he was the promifed Meffiah and Saviour of the World?

And if we confult the Writings of the New Teftament, especially the Gospel and Epiftles of St. John, we fhall find the Name Son of God, and the Name Chrift (which in Hebrew is Meffiah) ufed very promifcuously for one another, and sometimes with a defign to explain each other, and both to denote the great promifed Redeemer, the Saviour of the World. This will appear, if we read the following Verfes, John 11. 27. Martha confeffes, I believe that thou art the Chrift, the Son of God, which should come into the World. 1 John 4. 14, 15. And we have feen and do testify, that the Father fent the Son to be the Saviour of the World. Whosoever shall confefs that Jefus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 1 John 5. 1. Whosoever believes that Jefus is the

Chrift,

Chrift, is born of God. And a little after, He that is born of God overcometh the World. And then, Who is he that overcometh the World, but he that believes that Jefus is the Son of God? 1 John 2. 22. Who is a Lyar but he that denieth that Jefus is the Chrift? He is Anti-chrift that denieth the Father and the Son. Whofoever denieth the Son, the fame hath not the Father. And that awful Text John 8. 24. is certainly to be interpreted the fame way, If ye believe not that I AM HE, ye shall die in your Sins. That is, as Chrift himself explains it in the next Verfe, that I am the fame that I faid unto you from the Beginning; that is, the Chrift, the Meffiah, the Son of God, the Saviour of the World. Nor is the Absence of the word HE in the Greek any Bar to this Interpretation, for the Expreffion is the fame, John 4. 29. ἐγὼ εἰμι, and John 9.37. ἐκεῖνος ἐστι, where we are fure that Chrift means that be is the Meffiah.

It is well known that the Jews generally, and very justly, believed the Perfon who was to be their Meffiah and Saviour was to bear some very extraordinary Relation to God, and to be his Son in a fublime and uncommon way and manner, tho' what particular fort of Sonship it was, they could have but very dark and confused Ideas; yet they ufcd the word Son of God emphatically to denote this glorious Perfon: And the common Purpose for

which

which they used it, was to fignify this great promifed Deliverer.

Now 'tis very easy to account for this, viz. that the Son of God, which originally fignifies a glorious Perfon near a-kin to God, might in common ufe come to fignify his Office, or the appointed King and Saviour of his People, just as the Name Cæfar was originally the Surname of a Family, but afterwards came to fignify an Office, and to denote the Emperor: and perhaps the fame might be faid of the Name Abimelech King of Philiftia, or Pharaoh King of Egypt. So the word Ifrael at firft was a Name given to Jacob, thence it was derived to fignify all the Jewish Family or Nation, and afterwards it came to fignify the Character of that Family, viz. the Church of God; and fo 'tis used in Gal. 6. 16. Peace be on the Ifrael of God.

Thus I have gone over the feveral Senses of the Name Son of God, and there is the greatest Reason to believe that it most usually and directly fignifies that Perfon who has in general fome peculiar and fublime Relation and Likeness to God, and is appointed to be the Meffiah or Saviour of Men.

SECT. II. Other Arguments to confirm this Senfe of the Name SON OF GOD.

THE next Argument I fhall produce for this Senfe of the Name, is this: 'Tis moft

reasonable

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