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hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and give unto every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men. 1 Kings, 8: 39. Now the evangelists ascribe to our Savior the knowledge of the thoughts of men. Matt. 9: 4. 12: 25. Luke, 5: 22. And Jesus Christ himself claims this knowledge, saying, "All the churches shall know that I am he which searches the reins and hearts." Rev. 2:23. Besides, he hears and answers the prayers of his people, John, 14: 13, 14, which requires the attribute of omniscience.

68. 9:47. 11: 47.

Almighty power is also one of the divine criteria, and is claimed by Jesus Christ. To raise the dead requires almighty power; but Jesus said, " Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." John, 2: 19. Acts, 2 : 24, compared with John, 10: 18. Again he says, "I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again." From these passages it clearly appears that Jesus Christ had an actual existence and possessed almighty power at the very time his body was lying lifeless in the grave. Jesus Christ also possesses almighty power to raise others from the dead; for he can, by his commanding voice, cause the dead to hear and rise out of their graves. John, 5: 21, 25, 28. And accordingly this raising of the dead, and changing of our vile body, to fashion it like to his glorious body, are by the Apostle Paul said to be effected according to the working of his mighty power, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself," Phil. 321-expressions which import his power to be absolute and irresistible. But this divine power will appear more clearly as we proceed to consider,

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§2. The works peculiar to Deity are ascribed to Jesus Christ also; for Jesus said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work; what things soever he doeth, these also doeth

the Son likewise.' John, 5 17, 19. The creation of the world is the exclusive work of Jehovah, as has been shown before. But the creation of the universe is the work of Jesus Christ. Compare Psa. 102: 25-27, with Heb. 1: 10-12; read also carefully, John, 12, 3, 14. Col. 1: 16, 17. On this subject Saint Austin reasons thus: 66 Christ, by whom all things were made, cannot be made himself; and if Christ be not made, then he is not a creature; but if he be not a creature, then he must be of the same substance with the Father; for all substance or being which is not God, is necessarily a creature, and what a creature is not, that God is. Now, if the Son is not of the same substance of which the Father is, he must necessarily be a created substance, and if he be a created substance, then all things could not be made by him; but all things were made by him, therefore he is of the same substance with the Father, and consequently is not only God, but the true God." De Trinit. fo. 1.

That Christ was not a mere instrument which God used in the work of creation, is plain from this, that the Scriptures not only teach that Christ was the very supreme God himself that created all things, Psa. 102: 25. Heb. 1: 10, but also that no instrument was used in that work. It was wrought immediately by God himself; as it is written, "God himself formed the earth, and made it." Isa. 44: 22. 45: 18.

The preservation and government of all things is as much the work of God as their first creation. But Christ is said to uphold all things by the word of his power, Heb. 13, and therefore he must be truly God.

The miracles of Jesus Christ, which have been considered, in a former letter, as a proof of his Messiahship, might be considered also as a proof of his true divinity. But I proceed to consider,

§3. The work of redemption, which is the peculiar

work of Jehovah, but is every where ascribed to Jesus Christ, and therefore is a clear demonstration of his divinity. To magnify the law of God, and to make it honorable; to atone for our sins, and deliver us from the wrath to come; to redeem us from the curse of the law, and free us from the tyranny of sin and Satan, the fear of death, and the misery of hell; to restore us to the lost favor of God, to the acceptance of our person and services, and to a title to, and fitness for, eternal life; to accomplish all this, and much more, included in the work of redemption, required not only that the Redeemer should be partaker of flesh and blood, to be our Goel, i. e. kinsman and brother, but he must also be equal with God, the offended party, as has been shown in a former letter. Besides, the act of forgiving sin is the prerogative of God. Isa. 43: 25. But Jesus Christ forgave sins whilst on earth, Mark, 2: 5-12, and "him has God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Acts, 5:31. And to him the Martyr Stephen prayed, saying, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Acts, 2 60.

§ 4. To raise the dead is another work peculiar to God only; but Jesus Christ declared that he could raise himself from the dead, as has been shown before; and by his voice and almighty power all the dead will be raised and brought to judgment, and the proceedings of that awful day will prove, beyond all contradiction, the true and proper divinity of Jesus Christ. John, 5: 28, 29. 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17. For, my dear Benjamin, how can we suppose a being destitute of the divine perfections capable of such a work? It certainly requires an omniscient mind and an almighty arm to manifest the secrets of all hearts, and to discover and punish the infinite variety of secret wickedness in the heart of man, as well as proclaim and reward the secret workings of piety in those that have loved God,

§ 5. I proceed now to show that divine worship which is due to Jehovah only, is also applied to Jesus Christ. I have already proved, both from reason and Scripture, that religious worship belongs to the true and living God only; if, therefore, it can be proved that Jesus Christ both requir ed and received such worship, it will follow that he possesses real and proper divinity in common with his eternal Father; or else it will follow that Christ himself was guilty of blasphemy, and all the apostles and first Christians robbed God of his incommúnicable honor, and were guilty of idolatry. That Jesus Christ did require and receive such worship, is abundantly evident from the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Revelation of St. John, and from the testimony of the fathers in the Christian church. The Lord Jesus Christ himself has told us that it is the will of the Father that all men should honor the Son as they do the Father." John, 5: 23. Calling on the name of the Lord is considered divine worship, Joel, 2: 32. Isa. 28: 11, and it is ascribed to Jesus Christ as the object of that worship. Rom. 10: 11-15. This calling on the name of the Lord is made the character of the saints. 1 Cor. 1: 12. Acts, 9 14, 21. Further, we are to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as we believe in God. John, 14: 1: We are to love him supremely, more than father or mother, &c. Mark, 10:37. Luke, 14: 26. Now, if the love here demanded be not supreme, it is impossible to find any other that can come under this description. It implies all that God claims in the first commandment. Matt. 22: 37, 38. Christ also requires unreserved subjection, Matt. 11: 29. Col. 3: 24, and devotedness to him. 2 Cor. 5: 14. Matt. 28 19.

Again, praise and thanksgiving due unto God are ascribed equally unto Christ. The doxologies are addressed to Christ as well as to the Father. 1 Tim. 1: 17. 6: 16. 1 Peter, 3 11. 4:11. 5: 10, 11. Rev. 1:5. 5: 13. 7:

10. Again, prayer and supplication are made to Christ as well as to the Father. Rom. 17. 16: 24. 1 Cor. 1: 3. 16:23. The Apostle Paul prayed three times to Christ. 2 Cor. 12:8, 9. Stephen also directed his prayer to Jesus. Acts, 7 59, 60. See also 1 Thess. 3: 11, 12. 2 Thess. 2: 16, 17. Rev. 22: 17, 20, 21.

§ 6. "If Christ is only a man," says Novatian, "how is he every where present to those who call upon him? since this is not the nature of man, but of God. If Christ is only a man, why does man invoke him in prayer as Mediator? since the invocation of a man must be considered as ineffectual to the accomplishing of deliverance and salvation. If Christ is nothing more than a mere man, why is our hope and trust put in him? seeing cursed is the hope that is placed in man." De Trinit. ch. 14. If Christ be not God, then to worship him would be idolatry. If to worship Christ is idolatry, then Paul, it must be acknowledged, was provided by Jesus Christ himself with a very bad spiritual director; for Ananias undoubtedly exhorted him to worship Christ, saying, "Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Acts, 22: 16. If Paul had considered Jesus as a mere man, would he have believed that he could make him an instrument in enlightening the understandings and changing the heart of sinners, and of delivering them from the power of Satan? Would he believe that Jesus could give them pardon and glory; that he was the object of faith; and that faith in him could be the means of sanctification? Would he confide in him for deliverance from the heathen, or even submit to receive a commission from him? Immediately after his conversion, he testified his full conviction of the divinity of Christ. Acts, 9: 20.

7. Let it be further noticed, that Christ received divine worship without any check or reproof. Matt. 23: 17. Luke, 24 52. John, 20: 28. Not so with Peter, Paul,

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