IV. Arguments have been brought to prove the

divinity of Christ from the -names and titles,, which are given to him, as well as from the potvers ascribed to worship thai is paid to him; but if we oper meaning of other scri-Hure names, oris on which they were conferred, we d, lhat very little stress is to be laid on ent as this.
. " Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and
shall call his name Emmanuel. "'.Matt.
i. 33;
illustrated. 4$
i. St. ** Behold; a viagin shall he with child, and boars son, and ahull call his name E-nmanuel, which is, be- ing interpreted, God with us." These texts have bees thought to imply that Christ is a compound bung, or *hat he is God incarnate; hut it' we consider other in- stances of names imposed bv the divine direction ia the scriptures, we shall find that they do not always express any thing characteristic of the perse* on « how they are imposed, but that they were inteudtd to be a memorial of some divine promise or assurance re> speoting things of a public and general concern. Thus the prophet Isaiah, vii. 1, &c. was directed to call his son Shear Jaskub, which signifies n remnant shall re- turn, to express to the Jews, that only a small number of their enemies should return from the invasion with which they then threatened them, or that a mt ruber of their own people who had been carried captive should return. Another child be was directed to call Maker- shalalhashliaz, on a similar account ; and of Jerusalem, it is said, " This is the name » herewith she shall be called, the Lord our righteousness," toe* press -that - God would appear in that character to his people. Io tike manner the Divine Being, admitting that he ap- pointed Christ to be called Eamanmlf might do it to engage, to manifest his own presence with 1 by protecting and blessing them, and infli, geance on their enemies and oppressors. prediction was given upon the occasion of a by the Israelites and Syrians.
Isaiah a. 6. " Unto us a child is bona,
46 Passages of Scripture
ton is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace." In this, as in the former case, these titles may not express what Christ is, hut what God will manifest himself to be in him, and by him ; so that, in the dispensation of the gospel, God, the wise and benevolent author of it, will appear to be a wonderful counsellor, the everlasting father, and the prince of peace, I f this name he supposed to charac- terize Christ himself, it will by no means favour the common doctrine of the Trinity ; because it will make him to be the Father, or the first person, and not the Son, or the second person. Besides, whatever powers . or dignities are to be possessed by Christ, it is suffi- ciently intimated in this place, that he does not hold them independent and underived ; since he himself, and all the blessings which he bestows, are said to he given, that is, by God; and at the conclusion of the prophecy, in the next verse, it is said, that the " zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." I would also observe, that (hat part of the title on which the greatest stress has been laid may be rendered " the mighty God my father for ever, or the mighty God is my father for " *" "ch is exactly agreeable to many declarations plure concerning Christ, and his usual title m of God;" and to this the angel, in his of Mary, might probably allude, when he i. 32. " He shall i e great, and shall be called the highest ;" and it is very observable, that what
illustrated. «f
what he adds corresponds most remarkably with the remainder of this very prophecy of Isaiah. The pro- phet says, ver. ?. "Of ihe increase of his government, and peace, there shall be no end, upon the throne of - David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to esta- blish it, with judgement and with justice, from hence- forth even for ever." The angel says, ** He shall be great, and shall be called the son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his fa- ther David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end."