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it may be called of finite a power, and call yet him God; at least we cannot consider his

power as a reason for calling him so, seeing we should deny him the fulness of that attribute, which we consider requisite to essential Divinity. Hence we must either abandon the notion of the Son possessing a finite power, or we must give up the idea of his being essentially God. To consider this a little more fully by the grand criterion, the gospel of truth. We have spoken of the power which Christ had to forgive sins, and of the declarations by which the Jews unwarily and undesignedly, proved the divinity of their rejected Saviour, "No man can forgive sins "but God only." But more particularly should we regard his own words not long before his ascension to glory," And Jesus came and spake unto "them, saying, All power is given unto me in "Heaven and in earth; go ye therefore and teach "all nations, baptising in the name of the Father, "and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," Matt. xxviii. 18. If we take also the attribute of wisdom; which even heathen nations have considered as a perfection worthy to be ascribed to their pretended gods; else why the famous oracles which they regarded as infallible, in truly prognosticating future events? But the scriptures of truth teach us to ascribe unerring wisdom to God, and what can be more sublime or more beautiful than the sudden apostrophe of the apostle Paul, when contemplating the riches of sovereign grace; “O the depth

"of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge

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of God; how unsearchable are his judgments, "and his ways past finding out! For who hath "known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been "his counsellor?" Rom. xi. 33, 34. But Christ possesseth also in the fullest measure this essential attribute of the true God: for first his name is wisdom. "Christ-the wisdom of God," 1 Cor. i. 24. further he made all worlds; "The Lord by WISDOM hath founded the earth, by understanding hath he established the Heavens," Prov. iii. 19. and he is spoken of as him, "who of God " is made unto us, (even in his mediatorial fulness, how much more then in his divine fulness?) wisdom "and righteousness, and sanctification, and re

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demption," 1 Cor. i. 30. And again, in his grace. Grace cometh from the Father; "To all that be "in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: "Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, " and the Lord Jesus Christ," Rom. i. 7. and if grace. be considered as flowing from the Father, it comes only as a gift to us through Jesus Christ, and thus St. Paul spoke of it as received by the Corinthians, "The grace of God given you by Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. i. 4. But the same apostle speaks of it as the essential prerogative of the Son, and as essential to a christian, as the love of the Father and the fellowship of the Spirit; "The Grace of the Lord "Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the "communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.

"Amen," 2 Cor. xiii. 14. from these instances it follows that Christ the Son doth possess equally with the Father, the essential proofs of divinity, in wisdom, power and grace, and this might be said also of all the attributes of the Godhead were they mentioned one by one. But the scope and extent of the passage before us remains yet to be considered, as relating to Christ's mediatorial character in the work of redemption for us: "Verily, verily, "I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of him"self, but what he seeth the Father do." Here infidels have dared to exult, as considering this language of our Saviour, as a flat denial of his essential Divinity. But let it be recollected, 1st. That though every person of the Godhead be independent, yet not so as to act without the consent, concurrence or assistance of the others, and in this sense the Son doeth nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do: 2d. Christ in that human nature which he voluntarily took upon himself, became inferior to the Father not as touching his divinity, but as regards his office as sent of the Father to save man, as is clearly set forth in the Athanasian Creed. Equal to the Father as touching "his Godhead, but inferior to the Father as to his "manhood." Hence he doeth nothing but what he seeth the Father do; that is nothing in the affair of redemption but what is sealed by the approbation of the Father: and in this sense, "Though "he were a Son, (and as such, inheritor of all his

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"Father's glory, yet as doing the will of the Fa“ther), learned he obedience, by the things which "he suffered. And being made perfect, he became "the author of eternal salvation to all them that

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obey him." Heb. v. 8, 9. But if infidels rejoice in the consideration of the first part of the verse, according to their own perverted interpretation; can they so easily evade the force of the last clause; "What things soever he (the Father) docth; these "also doeth the Son likewise." If we consult the context, we find that Christ had just been maintaining the unity of operation between himself and the Father, "My Father worketh hitherto, and "I work," and this the Jews considered as an assertion of equality with the Father; and "there"fore the Jews sought the more to kill him, be"cause he not only had broken the sabbath, but "said also that God was his father, making him"self equal with God." The verse in question proves that Christ far from evading or excusing himself from this interpretation of his words, strongly asserted the notion they entertained of his character. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatso"ever things he doeth, these doeth also the Son "likewise." We might observe by the way, that this conduct of Christ's serves much to strengthen the proof of his divine mission. Impostors, however strongly they assert the possession of extraordinary talents, are so guided by the love of this world, that they will not maintain them when they

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are incompatible to their interest, or are likely to expose them to the loss of life. But here we see, that whilst the Jews were seeking every opportunity of taking away the life of Christ, he boldly maintains his obnoxious sentiment, and insists upon his proper and essential divinity, though it brought all their rage and malice against him. Much might be said on the latter clause of the verse, to shew in what this divine co-operation of the Father and Son consisted; but as it extends through all the dealings both of providence and grace, it is impossible here to say any thing, but to acknowledge its truth. However the structure of the clause, claims a little attention from us; "These also doeth "the Son likewise." First, He doeth them; independently only of God, as rests in the virtual execution, which in the affairs of grace at least is entirely committed to the Son; and dependently in regard to the oneness of design, and unity of operation, in which the Father works also, not actually but by committing all the affairs of redemption to the Son. Just as in the act of death for our sins; neither the Father nor the whole Trinity suffered, but the Son, to reconcile man to the undivided and justly offended God. 2d. These; the works spoken of, which are whatsoever the Father doeth, both in Providence and Grace, as was hinted before; 3d. These also doeth the Son as a matter of course, as his being the eternal Son of God; 4th. Doeth the Son likewise, or in the same manner. Doth the Fa

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