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prove the following propositions from the following scriptures, as 1st. To state the essential Divinity of Christ, from John i. 51. 2d. His being the Eternal God, from John viii. 58. 3d. His being judge of the whole Earth, from John v. 25. 4th. His equality with the Father, from John v. 19. 5th. His being the only spiritual refreshment for the soul, from John vi. 32 and 47. 6th. The importance of Christ in that sense for our Salvation, from John v. 24. 7th. The Blood of Christ alone cleanseth from all Sin, John vi. 53. 8th. The Necessity of seeing its Spirituality for our Good, from John vi. 36. In the present head a few words may be added to shew the nature of unbelief, viz. that it denies the testimony of Jesus, from John iii. 11. and (without wishing now to anticipate my subject) I shall then proceed, 10th. To shew the awful Nature of Sin, from John viii. 34. 11th. The Necessity of Regeneration, from John iii. 3. 12th. The Nature of Regeneration, that it must be wrought out by the Holy Spirit, John iii. 5. 13th. The awful Nature of denying Christ, from John xiii. 38. 14th. The Necessity of seeing him as our only way of Access to God, from John x. 1—7. and xvi. 23. 15th. That through Death alone we can reach Glory, from John xii. 24. 16th. That Humility is the Ground Work of Religion, from John xv. 16. 17th. That Christ is honoured in the Reception of his Ministers, from John xv. 20. 18th. That the Sin of Man is the Cause of the Re

deemer's sorrow, from John xv. 21. 19th. That faith in Christ is the only proper foundation of good Works, from John xiv. 12. 20th. That the name of Christ is a powerful motion for encouraging us to crave a supply of our Spiritual Wants at a throne of Grace, from John x. 23. 21st. That a Christian's Sorrow shall end in Joy, from John xvi. 20. and 22d. That his Death for Christ's sake shall end in eternal life, from John xxi. 18. But to return. Unbelief is a virtual rejection of any subject as true, which is related unto us. Unbelief in human things, is this as well as in divine, though in the former it may be no sin, inasmuch as the thing testified of, may not be testified of according to truth: and furthermore, the difference of opinion on most temporal points is such, and the manner in which the mind views them so different, that no one is absolutely liable to blame for not thinking of them as his neighbour does: though it agrees with divine things in this, that the opinion of men alters not the essence or intrinsic merit or demerit of any object on which there is a difference of opinion. But unbelief in divine things is a sin; first, Because the thing testified of is of a divine origin, proceeding from that God who cannot lie. 2d. Because the difference of opinion arises from and is a proof of indwelling sin, and a principle of unholiness, which hates the standard of truth which God has erected. 3d. Because the standard of truth erected is a mirror reflecting all the amiable

perfections, (and he is composed of none other) of the God of truth. So that whosoever refuses God's standard to be the standard of truth, shuts his eyes. to, and denies those amiable perfections which reside in God; and 4th. Because that standard of truth is not an invisible standard, concealed as it were like its author, by the very clouds of his glory, but exhibited clearly to us through the rays of his glory, in that mirror of truth, the gospel of the Lord Jesus. Hence in things divine, there is but one standard, which is the very fulness of the perfect mind and will of God, concentrated and revealed to us in his word. The witness of the word of God, or of Jesus Christ in the word, seems to comprehend two things, viz. 1st. That his speech was according to knowledge, and 2d. That his testimony was from the most intimate acquaintance, and ocular investigation; and to these may be added a 3d. The persons united with Christ in this knowledge and insight into the subject. Though the speech of Christ might be proved to be according to knowledge in all things in every part of creation, I shall confine myself in examining it to two particulars, viz. Divine, or belonging to God; and human, or belonging to the race of man.

First, Christ hath a knowledge of things divine: for he knoweth even the incomprehensible and unfathomable mind of God; "No man knoweth the "Son, but the Father, neither knoweth any man "the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever

"the Son will reveal him." Is it useless or unimportant here to observe, that the mind of Christ is as incomprehensible as the mind of God; from which may be argued that Christ possesseth also a most rightful and essential divinity by possessing the attributes and perfections of God? But further, it is a co-equal divinity, in which there is a continual interchange of the most perfect goodness manifested by each striving as much as possible to honor, and bring others to honor the other. But a still more Christ, more im

important charge is committed to

portant as it relates to us, than the mere knowledge of the perfections of the Father. I mean the power of communicating the knowledge of them to us in a way suited to our comprehensions, and in a degree fitted to our capacities. We never shall be able either in earth or Heaven to attain to that knowledge of the Father which Christ and himself possesses, for he is an unfathomable deep in which all our thoughts are drowned; though this must be said, that the greater knowledge we have of God in this life or that to come, communicated to us through Christ, the more joy and peace we shall have, and shall pant the more after further discoveries, both in this life and that which is to come: and there are two things in which even the perfect knowledge which Christ hath of the Father is essentially beneficial to us: 1st. In the knowledge which thereby Christ hal, of the Father's perfect hatred of all sin; and 2d. In the knowledge which

he had, that though God's holy law required perfect obedience, and man could not give it, yet the Father would accept the perfect obedience of a substitute, perfectly holy, and perfectly able to complete the ransom, and to which office did Christ know, if he stood candidate he had of all the fairest prospect of being chosen: and this knowledge of the mind and will of the Father, did Christ possess even before (to speak after the manner of men's communication), the Father had imparted his mind to the Son; and this expresses how great the evil of sin itself is, which could thus be sensibly felt in the mind of the Son, as soon as in the eternity that was past, it was foreknown by the Father himself; and further, the readiness of Christ to offer himself on thus feeling the evil of sin, and how it affected the mind of the Father, even before (to speak again after the manner of men's communication), the Father had made known his mind to the Son: 2d. Christ had a perfect knowledge of things human, or belonging to the mind of man; in which first of the awful fall, and all its dreadful consequences to the race of man, this Christ knew from all eternity, and lamented, as it would bring such mischief upon us; 2d. Of the method of salvation which the Father would agree to, and as it relates to us, which those whom the Father had chosen and given unto him, would in due time, be led by his Spirit to accept : hence his knowledge is of particular characters, so that he knows them by name, and calls them by

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