were a man only, he could not give power to those that believed on him to become the sons of God. Saint John who said this of Christ, that he would give power to become the sons of God, to those who believed on him, meant to keep in view the divinity of Christ; for this is the subject of the whole chapter. "In the beginning," saith he, "was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

The evidence of the being of a God, arises from the things that are made. Were there no created things there would be nothing on which we could ground an argument to prove the being of a God. "That," therefore "which may be known of God is manifest.-For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.”

3. Now if it be evident from the creation of the world, that there is a God; then, it is evident that Christ is God, the eternal Divinity; because he created the world. "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" Consequently Christ is God as well as man; this we must believe, or disbelieve what John has written; for it is his declaration concerning Christ upon which the argument is founded. John means not only to assert the divinity of Christ, but his humanity; for, "The Word," he says, "was made flesh and dwelt among us-and of his fulness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Hence, it is evident, that John means the same by Jesus Christ as by the Word which was made flesh and dwelt among us. And this same person he calls the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. This "only begotten Son" was "in the bosom of the Father;" and John, who bore witness of Christ, said of him, "He was before me."

If Christ was in the bosom of the Father, and had a being therefore before John the Baptist, then it is evident that he had a being before he was born of the virgin Mary. This single argument, whether it prové his divinity or pre-existence, is sufficient to overthrow the Socinian doctrine concerning Christ.

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world!"* The Christ, who is here called the Lamb of God, who is able to take away the sin of the world, must be infinitely superior to the super angelic Arian, or Socinian, Saviour.

It is not in the power of any man, however exalted or mighty, to take away sin. This honour and power belongs to him only, who was the Antitype of the scape-goat, on whose head all the sins of the people were placed, and borne away into a land of separation. We might therefore as well deny the text, as deny the divinity of our Redeemer. We might as well be redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, as to look for redemption from the blood of a mere creature. Hence, the human nature of Christ is so completely united with the divine, that the blood of redemption, in Paul's charge to the elders of Ephesus, is called the blood of God. Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." This blood must mean the blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; and this blood being by the apostle called the blood of God, eminently proclaims Christ's divinity. The spirits of just men made perfect in heaven, are washed from their sins in the blood of Christ. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father: to him be glory

and dominion forever and ever. Amen."* And Christ calls himself the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. If then Christ is a man of truth, he is also the God of truth, for he says, I am Alpha and Omega, I am the Almighty. Christ, therefore, must be a divine Person, the true God, or he must be a blasphemer.

And thus Christ was viewed by the Jewish ecclesiastical council which condemned him to be crucified. They did not believe him to be the Son of God; they did not believe him to be a divine Person; they, therefore, believed him to be a blasphemer, and on this ground he was condemned to die. And he persisted in his claim to divinity, when he knew it would cost him his life. On this charge he was tried. "The high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God." To shew that he meant to persist in his claim to divinity, he said, "Hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, he hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy, what think yer They answered and said, he is guilty of death." "Thus Christ professed to be a divine Person, while he lived; and when he died, he sealed his testimony with his own blood. It is as certain, therefore, that he possessed divinity, as that he had the least degree of truth, or moral sincerity."

It is evident, that Christ meant to assert both his divinity and humanity; otherwise, how could he at one time say that he and his Father were one, and at another time, that his Father was greater than her Christ could not be one with his Father in the same same sense that his Father was greater than hc: the mean

* Rev, i, 5.

Matt. xxvi, 64-06.

ing therefore must be, that, as a divine Person he was one or the same with the Father: but that, as a man, his Father was greater than he.

Christ, in his conversation with the woman of Samaria, meant, it is evident, to exhibit his humanity and his divinity. When he first introduced himself to the woman, by asking her the small favour of a draught of water, his divinity was not seen; it was under the vail of human weakness. He appeared to be weary of his journey. He, who was the Possessor of all things, was travelling on foot, from Judea to Galilee, by the way of Samaria. And, "being wearied with his journey," he sat down in the middle of the day by a well, which is called "Jacob's well." And while the man Christ Jesus was resting his weary limbs by the well, a woman of Samaria came to draw water, and he said unto her, Give me to drink. But she had neither religion nor humanity enough to give him a drop of water. The principal reason for this rude treatment seems to be, because she thought him to be a Jew; for, The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."* On this, Jesus informs her, that had she known the gift of God, and the character of him who said to her, "Give me to drink, she would have asked of him, and he would have given her living water."

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Christ, being weary with his journey, was faint and thirsty, as a man; nevertheless, as a divine Person, he was able to give the water of eternal life. That the water which Christ has to give means eternal life, is evident, for he adds, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."t Christ professed to be able to do that which none can do but the supreme God. He professed to be able to forgive sin, and to raise the dead. He said he had power to

lay down his life, and that he had power to take it again. Christ said "I am the Resurrection and the Life." The supreme God only is able to raise the dead. Christ, therefore, is the supreme God, or he made a false declaration when he said, "I am the Resurrection and the Life: he that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." Christ said to the Jews, "I am the Bread of life. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." Now can you believe this declaration of Christ, and yet believe him to be no more than a creature? Can you put confidence in a creature, believing that he is able to give you eternal life, and to raise you up at the last day? Can you commit your spirit into the hands of God, and your body to the dust, with full confidence that a resurrection will take place, and the body be raised up at the general resurrection, by the power of a mere creature?

The Socinian and the Arian believe that Christ was a man of truth; they must, therefore, believe that he is able to forgive their sins, grant them eternal life, and raise them up at the last day; and, also, to make their bodies as beautiful and as glorious as his own body. And notwithstanding their belief of this, they deny the divinity of Christ; they believe him to be a mere created being; and, therefore, whatever divinity there is belonging to him, is the divinity of a creature. But to be able to do every thing which Christ said he could do and would do, proclaims his eternal power and Godhead or divinity. Had not Christ been the Supreme Divinity, it would have been inconsistent with a good moral character, to make this solemn declaration, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live."*

→ John v, 25.