Imatges de pàgina
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doth here tell us, the only-begotten Son of God. So then whenfoever we behold and confider his Dignity and Glory, we must behold and confider the Dignity and Glory, as of the only-begotten of the Father.

Now the Dignity and Glory of the only-begotten of the Father, is equal to the Dignity and Glory of God the Father, by whom he was Begotten: The reason is, because the only begotten Son of God, is a Person of the fame Nature with God; or in the Words of the Nicene Creed, He is very God of very God For that this Title here given to our Saviour, cannot be understood in a figurative Senfe, is evident from this obvious Remark; to wit, that feveral other l'erfons are in the Scriptures called the Sons of God, and are faid to be begotten of God, in a figurative, Sense: So that if our Saviour was the be

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gotten Son of God, in the fame Sense with them, it could not be affirm'd of him, that he was God's only-begotten Son. Thefe Words therefore muft neceffarily be taken in the most ftrict and proper Signification; and then they dedote thus much: Namely, that JESUS CHRIST is a Perfon, to whom alone the

f Jahn i. 12. & multis aliis in locis, 61. John v. 18.

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whole nature of God, was communicat-> ed by an eternal Generation from God. For the ftrict and proper Notion of an only-begotten Son, is a Perfon to whom alone the whole Nature of his Father is communicated by Generation from him who is his Father: If then JESUS CHRIST is most strictly and properly the only-begotten Son of God, he must be the only Perfon to whom the whole Nature of God was communicated by Generation from God And this manner of communicating the Divinity to CHRIST, is the Caufe, why the Name of Son is appropriated to him, and not given to the Holy Ghoft, who received the Divinity not by Generation, but by Proceffion.

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Again, the Nature of God being purely Spiritual, is confequently without Parts, and confequently not to be divided: And therefore fince there was a Communication of the Divine Nature to the Son, it must be a Communication of the whole Nature of God, or of all the fullness of the Godhead. Now if all fullness of the God-head, was communicated, to the Son by Generation from God the Father, then it was communicated by an eternal Generation, otherwile he could not have exifted from Eternity, and for that Rea

fon,

fon, could not have had the fullness of the God-head; Eternity of Existence being as neceflary to the fullness of the Godhead, as any other Perfection whatsoever.

Since then it appeareth, that JESUS CHRIST is a Perfon who enjoys all the fullness of the God-head, or the whole Nature of God, it is evident that he is most truly and properly God: For who can enjoy the whole Nature of God, befides God himself?

Agreeably to this, St. John in the ift Chap. of his Gofpel, lays down this Affertion concerning him; And the Word was God. Where that by the Word, is to be understood CHRIST JESUS, is plain from the 14th Verfe of the fame Chapter. And this Affertion which the Evangelift has concerning him at the 1ft Verle, he strongly confirms at the 3d, by afcribing to him the Work of Creation; All Things, fays he, were made by him; and without him was not any thing made, that was made: And if fo, then certainly he is God; it being a moft undeniable Truth, that he who made all Things is God.

The fame Doctrine of our Saviours Divinity, is fo frequently and plainly delivered in the Scriptures, that I fhall not here infift any longer upon it: I fhall only Remark,

Remark, that THIS is agrecable to the mot easy and natural Interpretation of the Scriptures; whereas the oppofite DoEtrine is founded upon the most unnatural and violent Conftruction of them: And whether it was the Defign of the Holy Ghoft, that we should be guided by the Former, or by the Latter, I leave to every fober, unprejudic'd Man to determinė.

Such then being the Dignity of the Perfon, who, as at this time, was fent into the World; how great must the Humiliation and Abasement be, which he condefcended to, by being fent into the World! As he was God, he was always in it fince 'twas created; before which Time, even from Eternity, his Prefence neceffarily was as to Eternity it neceffarily muft be, boundlefs and uncircumfcrib'd. This Expreffion therefore in the Text, of his being Jent into the World, hath relation to his taking our Nature upon him. Which he did, as at this Time, under very low and mean Circumftances. For he did not difdain to be born of a poor Virgin; who tho' fhe was highly favour'd by God, was nevertheless so much neglected by Men, that she could not procure of them a convenient Place, to bring forth their Saviour: So that he who was born King of the Jews,

was

was forced to accept of a Stable for his Palace, and a Manger for his Cradle.

And how foon after his birth, did Af fiction befal him: He was not many Days old before the cruel Jealoutie of Herod, obliged him to quit his native Country; and drove him to seek tor Liberty, in the Houfe of Bondage. The whole Courfe of his Life, was one continu'd Scene of Humility and Sorrow. The private Part of it he spent in Subjection to Jofeph, and his Mother Mary; and very probably work'd at the mean Trade of his reputed Father. And after he entered upon his prophetical Office; many and painful were the Journies which he took; heavy the Tribulations which he underwent; malicious and fevere were the Reproaches which he fuffered; till at last he yielded himself up to Death, upon an ignomini ous Crols, commending his Spirit, into the Hands of his Father; and fubmitting his Body to the Abafement of a Grave. So furprizingly great was the Humiliation

h. Luke ii. 51..

See Mark vi. 3, And Jufiin Martyr, who flourish'd about the middle of the 2d Century, in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, has thefe Words, "When he liv'd amongst Mon, he made thefe Things belonging "to the Carpenters Trade, viz. Ploughs and Yoaks." Fide citatum Dialogum, pag. 316. op. Ed. Par. 1636.

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