testify their subjection to him, and all are represented as blessed that put their trust in him, Psal, ii. 12. And as his kingdom is considered, in John xviii. 36. as not being of this world, and the honours due to him, such as are divine, this farther proves his Deity..

Moreover, his universal dominion, and consequently his Godhead, is evinced by that glorious character, which we have before considered *, as belonging to him, namely, the Lord of hosts, as the prophet Isaiah says, speaking of the vision which he had of his glory, in chap. vi. 5. Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts, as denoting his sovereignty over all the hosts of heaven, and all creatures in this lower world, as he governs them, and makes one thing subservient to another, and all this is done to set forth his own glory.

2. This will farther appear, if we consider him as the Governor of his church; in this he has access to the souls of men, working in them those graces, which are the effects of almighty power, which he does, when they are effectually called; and the work of sanctification, which is consequent hereupon, is carried on till it is perfected. We shall have occasion, under some following answers †, to prove that these are divine and supernatural works; the more full and particular proof whereof, we shall reserve to its proper place, and only observe, at present, that they are spoken of as such in scripture, and ascribed to the exceeding greatness of the power of God, no less than that which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, Eph. i. 18,- 20. and elsewhere they are called a new creation, chap. ii. 1. a quickening or resurrection, a breaking the rock in pieces, taking away the heart of stone, giving an heart of flesh, or a new heart; Jer. xxiii. 29. Ezek. xxxvi. 26. which expressions would never have been used, had not the work been divine and supernatural; therefore it follows from hence, that since Christ is the Author of this internal work, he is a divine Person. Now that he is so, is obvious, from many places in the New Testament; as when he is styled, in Heb. xii. 2. The Author and Finisher of our faith; and when the apostle, in 1 Tim. i. 14. speaks of faith and love abounding, which is in Christ Jesus, he speaks, at the same time, of the grace of our Lord abounding, as the spring and fountain thereof; and when the apostles, in Luke xvii. 5. desire him to increase their faith, not in an objective way, as affording some greater foundation for it, but subjectively, by an internal work, exciting and promoting the principle thereof, which was before implanted in them; and so causing all those graces, that accompany it, to abound, as the effects of his divine power.

We might farther consider Christ's spiritual government, as See Quest. lxvii, and lxxv.

* See page 304.

extended to his church, collectively considered, which is exposed to many dangers and difficulties, and meets with much opposition from its enemies, who attempt its ruin, but in vain, because it is the object of the divine care, kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation: for which reason, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Now this is, in a peculiar manner the work of Christ; he is the rock on which it is built; and his presence, in the midst of his people, is not only their glory, but their safety; which it would not be, if he were no more than a creature. We might also consider the subserviency of the various dispensations of providence in the world to their good, as he is Head over all things to the church, Eph. i. 22. which could not answer that valuable end, had he not been a divine Person.

We might farther consider how the divine glory of Christ will be demonstrated, in his second coming to compleat the work of salvation, begun in this world. To prepare a way for this, there will be an universal resurrection of the dead, which will be no less an effect of almighty power, than the creation of all things was at first. I need not therefore say any thing farther to prove this to be a divine work; we need only prove that this general resurrection shall be performed by Christ: this might be proved from several scriptures; in one whereof he expressly asserts it himself, in words very plain and particular, viz. John vi. 38. The hour is coming, in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, &c.

Moreover, when, at the same time, he is represented as coming in the clouds, with power and great glory, in his own glory, as well as that of the Father, and of the holy angels, in Luke ix. 26. the most natural sense of that text seems to be this, that his divine glory, which is called his own, which was comparatively hid from his people, while he was here on earth, shall eminently be demonstrated in his second coming, and also that Mediatorial glory, which he has received from the Father, as what he had a right to, on his having accomplished the work of redemption, which he came into the world about; and then there is the glory of his retinue, as appearing with all his holy angels; which bears some resemblance to that expression whereby the majesty of God is set forth upon another occasion, namely, as appearing on mount Sinai, to give the law, when it is said, in Deut. xxxiii. 2. The Lord came with ten thousands of saints. And to this we may add, that the work, which he shall, immediately after this, be engaged in, to wit, that of judging the world in righteousness, plainly proves his Deity, since none but a divine Person can judge the secrets of all men, and bring to light every thing that has been done, from the beginning to the end of time; and this is to be done, in that day; VOL. I. 3 A

for it is said, in Eccles. xii. 14. That God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. This is a farther improvement of that argument, before laid down to prove his divinity from his omniscience; if his judgment must be, as the apostle says, in Rom. ii. 2. according to truth, and consequently performed with the greatest impartiality, as well as an exquisite knowledge or discerning of the cause, without which it could not be said, that the fudge of all the earth does right, (as he certainly will) in Gen. xviii. 25. and if rewards shall be proportioned to every work done, so that every one shall receive as the apostle says," in 2 Cor. v. 10. according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad; and if persons are to be rewarded, or punished, for all the secret springs of action, which must be reckoned either good or bad, according to what they produce, as well as the actions themselves; and if this respects not particular persons only, but all men, who have lived, or shall live, from the beginning to the end of the world, it evidently proves, that he, to whom this glorious work is ascribed, must be a divine Person.

And to this we may add, that the manner of his appearing, with the terror, as well as the majesty of a judge, being such as shall strike his enemies with the utmost horror and confusion, is a farther proof of this matter. This is represented in a lively manner, in Rev. vi. 15-17. in which it is said, the kings of the earth, and the great men, those who once rendered themselves formidable to their subjects shall desire to hide themselves in the dens and rocks of the mountains, and shall say to the rocks and to the mountains, fali on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? And,

Lastly, He will not only pronounce the sentence but execute it, and that with respect to his saints and subjects; and his enemies as to the former of these he will not only command them to come, and possess the kingdom prepared for them, but the blessedness which he will confer upon them, pursuant thereunto, is called the beatific vision, in 1 John iii. 2. We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; and the happiness of heaven is described in such a way as plainly proves our Saviour to be the fountain thereof, and consequently a divine Person; for it is represented as a state, in which they will behold his glory, John xvii. 24. whereas certainly the behol ding the glory of the most exalted creature, falls infinitely short of this ingredient in the heavenly blessedness.

And on the other hand, the immediate impressions of the wrath of God on the consciences of his enemies, or the power

of his anger, which shall render them eternally miserable, when banished from his presence, proves him to be a divine Person, inasmuch as the highest degree of misery consists in a separation, or departure from him, which it could not do, if he were not the fountain of blessedness; nor could the punishment of sinners be proportioned to their crimes, if it were not to be inflicted by the glory of his power; the apostle joins both these together, in 2 Thess. i. 9. though some understand the words, as implying, that their punishment proceeds from his immediate presence, in the display of the greatness of his power, as a sinavenging Judge; in either of which senses, it argues him to be a divine Person. And that it is our Saviour who is spoken of, is evident, from the foregoing and following verses; it is he who shall appear in fiaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel; and it is he that shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe; so that we have a very plain proof of his Deity, from the exercise of his government, either in this or the other world.

Having endeavoured to prove the divinity of Christ, from his works of creation and providence and under the forformer of these, offered some things in answer to the methods taken by the Socinians, and especially the Arians, in accounting for the sense of those scriptures that speak of the Father's creating all things by the Son; it is necessary for us now to consider the most material objections, brought by the Antitrinitarians in general, against what has been said in defence of this doctrine, taken from the works of common and special providence, as ascribed to him, and, in particular, from the administration of his kingdom of grace; it is therefore objected.

Object. 1. That his kingdom, and power of acting, in the administration of the affairs relating thereunto, is wholly derived from the Father: thus he says in Luke xxii. 29. I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; and, in Mat. xi. 27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and in Psal. ii. 6. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. And whatever he does in managing the affairs thereof, is by the Father's commission and appointment: thus in John v. 36. he speaks of the works which he was to perform, as those which the Father had given him to finish. And as for his power of executing judgment, which is one of the greatest glories of his kingly government, this is derived from the Father, in John v. 22. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; and, in Acts xvii. 31. it is said, that he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, meaning our Saviour; and when he speaks, in Rev.

ii. 27. of his ruling his enemies with a rod of iron, and breaking them to shivers, as the vessels of a potter, he adds, that this he received of his Father; from whence they argue, that since he received his dominion, or right to govern the world and the church, from the Father, therefore he cannot be God equal with the Father. As we say, in opposition to their scheme of doctrine, that a derived Deity, such as they suppose his to be, cannot be the same with that which the Father has; so they allege this, by way of reprisal, against the argument we have but now insisted on, that a derived dominion cannot be made use of as a medium to prove him that has it to be a divine Person, in the same sense in which we maintain him to be.

2. In all his works, and particularly in the administration of the affairs of his kingdom, he acts for the Father's glory, and not his own; whereas a divine Person, cannot act, for any other end than for his own glory: this therefore rather disproves, than evinces, his proper Deity; as when he says, in John viii. 49. I honour my Father; and, in chap. v. 30. he says, I seek not mine own will, but the will of my Father which hath sent me. He also speaks of the Father giving him a commandment to do what he did; as in John xii. 49. I have not spoken of my self, but the Father which sent me; he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak; and, in chap. xiv. 31. As the Father gave me commandment, so do I; and, in chap. xv. 10. he speaks of his having kept his Father's commandment, and pursuant hereunto, abiding in his love, from whence they argue, that he who is obliged to fulfil a commandment, or who acts in obedience to the Father, is properly a subject, or a servant, and therefore cannot be God in the same sense as the Father, who gave this commandment, is.

3. They add, that in the government of his church, and the world, in subserviency thereunto, he acts in the Father's name, as deputy and vicegerent; as in John x. 25. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me; and accor dingly his works are called the Father's, in ver. 37. If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not; and these works are said to be done from the Father, ver. 32. Many good works have I shewed you from my Father: and, as the consequence of all this, he acknowledges, as he ought to do, in John xiv. 28. that the Father is greater than he. How then can he be a divine Person, in the sense in which we have proved him to be, when there is a God above him, in whose name he acts in all he does?

4. They farther argue, that he was made both Lord and Christ, and that by the Father, as it is expressly said, in Acts ii. 36.

5. They farther argue that the donatives of his kingdom, or