I. Christ, being appointed the king and

men, . baa powers given him adapted to tfct
3ft • Passages of Scripture
especially a knowledge of the human heart, and the prerogative of declaring the forgiveness of sin, which always accompanies regal authority ; but being assisted by divine wisdom and discernment, as well as by divine power, in the exercise of this high office, it is in effect the same thing as the judgement and mercy of God displayed by the instrumentality of Jesns Christ. We ought not, therefore, to be surprised at such expressions as these, Matt. ix. 4. " And Jesus knowing their thoughts." John ii. 25. " He knew what was in man." Matt, ix. 3. " Thy sins be forgiven thee," The multitude, who saw Christ exerting a mi- raculous power upon this occasion, and heard him ex- press himself in this manner, had nojika of his claiming any extraordinary power, as naturally inherent in him- self; for it is said, ver. fi. that " when the multitude law it, they marvelled, and glorified God, who had given such power unto men." The scribes and phari- sees, indeed, said within themselves, upon this occa- sion, ver. 3. "This man blasphemeth." But the Jews called it blasphemy (o pretend to be the Christ; tor when the high priest solemnly adjured our Lord by the living God, Malt, xivi, 63. that he would tell him was the Christ, the son of God," and pressly replied that be was the Christ ; 95. "then the high priest rent his clothes, ath spoken blasphemy." " In him dwelleth ail the fuln*ss of the ly." This it' a very proper expression, and literally trae, though Christ kituscrf
tihatralal. 37 ■
was a inert man, since the wisdom end power of (In one true God, the Father, were manifest in and acted by him, agreeably to his own declaration!, that "the words which be spake were not his own, but the Father's who sent him, and that the Father within him did the works-." ' Nay, this very expression, thai the fullness of the godhead dwelled or resided in him, seems to imply that it did not naturally belong to him. Besides, phrases similar to this are applied by- way of figure to christians in general. They anvmitt to be " partakers of the divine nature," 2 Pet. i. 4.«" to be filled with all the fulness of God," Epb.iii: 10. and> to" be the fullness of him* that fil lethal I mall,"JQph. i. J 3.
These observations will easily help ns to understand what is meant by Christ being called "the image of the invisible God," « Cor. iv. 4. Col. i. 15. and ) press image of his person," Heb. i. 3. and also hit being " in the form of God," Phil. ii. 8. for they«H allude to the divine power and wisdom which were di* (played in l\hn wlien he was on earth, but more espe- cially nenv thai ho is ascended into heaven: at the f am* tine, Christ being called only the image of God, is a sufficient intimation that he is not God deed, if this expression was to be alio proof of the divinity of Christ, it would fbl was God; for it is said, Gen. i. 26, 4 made man in his own image, and after It is with as little appearance of reas ifr«Cgn*d to *® w
58 . . Passages of Scripture
styled the Son of God; for alt christians have the same appellation, 1 John lit. -8. "Now are we the sons of God." We are also called not only the children, but also "the heirs of God," and "joint heirs with Christ," Rom.viii. 17. Adam is more especially called the "son of God," Luke iii. IB. and Ephraimis called " iiis dear son," Jer. xxxi. SO.
John x. 30. " I and my Father are one." xiv. 10. " I
am in the Father., and the Father in. me." that is, we
are one in design and interest. But whatever be the
union between the Father and the sun ; it is of such a.
kind, that his disciples are capable of it with respect to
them both; for, in Christ's prayer for his disciples, he
tays, John xvii. so. "Neither pray I for these alone,
but for them also who shall believe on me through
their word ; that they all may he one, as thou, Father,
art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in
«£•— — And the glory which thou gavest me, I have
given them, that they may be one, even an we are one :
I in them, and thou ki tne, that they may be made per*
feet in one; and that the world may know thattheu hast
tent me, and hast loved them as thou bast low time."
John v. «s_ "That all men should honour thesa»;
>nonr the Father ;" that is, as well as the
ame word is- used> where it-can have no
i John xvii. S3. " And hast loved them
ved me j" that is, not in the same degree-,
To explain the sense of the entire passage
words above mentioned occur, let it be
the Jews- had persecuted Jesus, because
illustrated. 39
be had made a man whole on the sabbath Jay. By way of apology, he says, ver. 17. "My Father worketh hitherto," that is, in the course of his providence, on the sabbath as well as on other oVs, " and I work ;" that it, on the sabbath day also. Upon this the pharisees were more enraged) " because he called God his Father, and because he made himself" ( net" equal with God," as we render it) but like unto God, assuming so much of his prerogative, as to claim the privilege of working on th« sabbath day as well as God. However, to show them that he meant nothing arrogant in what he had said, and that this privilege was given to him by God, he immediately replies, ver. 1 9. " Verily verily I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he see'th the Father do; for what things soever he doth, these also doth the son likewise." He then proceeds to represent all his extraordinary power as the gift of his Father : ver. SO. " For the Father loveth the son, and showeth htm all things that himself doe th ; and be will show him greater things than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raise th up ihe dead, and ajuickeoeth them, even so the sen qutckeneth whom , he will. For the Father judgcthno man, but hath com- mitted all judgement unto the son, t honour the son, even as they hono that honoureth not the son, honour who hath sent him.'* Indeed, thi sufficiently shows that the honour 1 entitled is not on account of what himself, but on account of what he as bit ambaiiadoi.

JT. Very high titles are justly given lo Christ as the
founder of the christian religion, and especially *g superintending the affairs of his church, and as con- trolling whatever can affect the interest of his church. Thus the author of the epistle to (he Hebrews styles him " the author and finisher of our faith." Heb. xii. S. He is also said to be the "head over all things to his church," Epb. i. 2. These high titles are attribu- ted to Jesus with respect to the state of glory, and uni-- fersal dominion, to which he is exalted by the Father. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews makes use of a phrase of ill e same import with this of the apostle John, where he only means to express the unchange- ableness of the doctrine of Christ, as the connection of it, with what goes before and after, makes very evi- dent. Heb. xiir. J. " Remember them which have the? rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and for ever. Be not carried away with diverse and. strange doctrines." The whole is intended to inculcate a steadfast adherence to the genuine doctrine ef'Jesu*
jm many passages in the hook of Re- c author of it considered Christ as a ate to the Father, and the minister df. irefore no single expression should be ich a manner as to make it imply th ery first words of the book sufficiently ["he revelation of Jesus Christ, which God
God gave uo»o him." Yer. a. "Who has made m kings and priosta unto God and (or rather cvtti)- his Father." it. 38. " Ami he thai ovcrconelh, and: beepeth my words unto rhe cud, to him will I give power over the nations— even as I received or' my Fa- ther." iii. 1 2. " Mini that ovcreoineth will I make &> pillar in the temple of n>y Gwi> and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him ihentMDe of my God, and the namv of the city of my God, which i* new Jerusalem, which eometh down nut of heaven* from my God." Ver. t\. "To him that overcome! h will I gram to ait with me in- my throne, even as I also ovajbaaie, and am set down with my Father in. bis throne." Further, this writer, evidently speakme; of Christ in hi» highest capacity, uses the following' repressions i vtr, m. " These things saith the Aaoin, the faithful and true, witness, the beginning (or the 1 Host excellent) of the creation of God ;" which. plainly implies that, how excellent soever he may be, he is but a creature.
Matt, xjtviii. 29. "And to I am with you always, even to the end of the world." Christ, who is consti- tuted head over all things to his church, undoubtedly takes care of its interests, and atietldato wl cents his disci plus ; and being with a person care of hint, are, in the language of script lent expressions. See Gen. x\\. 20, 22. nxxix 2. Besides, Christ, 'having a ncarrel earth, may even he personalty present v ciples when they little thinb.oF it. But
** Passages of Scripture
means necessary that he be personally present every where at the same time ; since God may communicate to him a power of knowing distant events, of which he appeared to be possessed when Lazarus was sick. This- is certainly no greater a power than God may com- municate to any of his creatures.
Another passage which seems to suppose the om- nipresence of Christ is, Matt, xviii. 23. " For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." But if we consider the whole of this passage, in which our Lord is speaking of the great power of which his apostles would be possessed, and especially of the efficacy of their prayers, « shall be satisfied, that he could only mean by this form of expression to represent their power with God, when they were assembled as his disciples, and prayed so as became his disciples, to be the same as his own power with God ; and God heard him always. That our Lord could not intend to speak of himself as Me G«d who heareth prayer, is evident from his speaking of ibe Father, in this very place, as the person who was to gram their petitions, ver. 10. " Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth, as touch- that they shall ask, it shall be done for alher who is in heaven." sriug the great power with which Christ n earth, and more especially the authu- le is exalted now that he is in heaven, ■ight that a very high degree of respect to him ; and from the manner in which
illustrated. 49
this is expressed, and especially because the word hot- ship is made use of on those occasions, in otir English translation, some persons have been confirmed in their opinion, lhat he is the proper object of supreme or di- vine worship, and is therefore truly and property Godj but any person who will consider the real import of the following passages must see that they afford no founda- tion for such a conclusion.
Heb. i. 6, " When God bringeth in the first-begot- ten into the world, he sahh, Let' all the angels of' God worship him." Also the leper, Malt. viii. 9. the ruler, Matt. ix. I S. the woman of Canaan, Matt. xv. 85. the poor people in the ship, Matt. xiv. 33. and hi*
disciples, Matt. xxviii. o. 17. are all said to have
worshipped him. But the very circumstances in which this worship was paid to Christ sufficiently prove that divine worship was not intended; because it is well known that the Jews had no expectation of any other person than a man for their Messiah ; and when Nico- demus was convinced of the miraculous power of Jesus, be concluded, not that he wax God, but that he must havebeen"impoweredbyGod;" lor he says, John iii. 8. " Rabbi, we know lhat ihou art a teacher come from God ; for no man can do these mi doest, except God be with liim." E known that the Greek word, which ir tioned passages is rendered worship, i to express a very high degree of resp may be lawfully paid to men of a pror rank. And indeed our word worikip,
4* 1 Passages of Scripture
appropriated lb that worship which is due to God only, was formerly used with greater latitude, and even in our translation of the Bible; as when a servant, in one of our Saviour's parables, is said to have fallen down and worshipped his master, saying, " Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all :" where certainly di- vine worship could not be meant. It is also an evi- dence of this use of the word, lhat in our marriage service the man is directed to say to the woman, ** With my body I thee worship ;" and the terms wor- ship and worshipful are stilt applied to several of our magistrates and bodies of men.
Also, in the Greek translation of the Old Testa- irrent, the same word that we render worship in the New is frequently, used where supreme worship could not be intended. Otherwise Abraham must be sup- posed to have intended to pay supreme worship to the angels, when he took them to be men ; and to the' sens of Heth, when he "was making a bargain with, them for a piece of ground to bury his dead.