the common sense of honest aud impartial readers of the Bible will always perceive that the Saviour's divinity is a scripture doctrine. However an unholy heart may be dissatisfied with a doctrine that proclaims sin to be such an evil that nothing less than a divine sacrifice could make an atonement; the conscience, in most instances, will bear witness that such is the testimony of God.

The wicked will adopt error, because they tremble at the terrors of divine truth. But the glory of Christ is in his own hands, and he can never forget his own great name. Before him angels bow and devils tremble. He knows that the security of the church, the happiness of his people, the safety of the universe which he is called to govern, depend upon the proper vindication and display of his essential glories. He, who rose from the dead, who ascended into heaven, who has sustained his church, a little flock, to the present day, cannot be in want of any power or purpose to accomplish this great design. His counsel shall stand, he will do all his pleasure.

It

3. Safe are the interests of the Church. is in the hands of GOD. It rests not upon created power. He who is the root and the offspring of David, who is the rock on which his cause shall rest is Jehovah. The chief corner-stone, on which the great fabric is built, is the mighty God, the Lord our righteousness. He has given his word to his people, he has pledged his faith

fulness, they are graven upon the palms of his hands, the walls of Zion are continually before him. A woman may forget her sucking child, but he will not forget the children of his grace.

4. How terrible will be the portion of the ungodly. They are to stand in judgment before him whom they revile and oppose. And this judgment will be for eternity. All their character, their unbelief, their opposition to him and his cause are known to him. He has given us a specimen of his proceedings, at that eventful scene, in the parable of the nobleman and his kingdom. After rewarding his faithful servants, the nobleman says, "But those mine 'enemies, which would not that I should reign 'over them, bring hither, and slay them before 'me." He is long-suffering and gracious, but he will in no wise clear the guilty. He can create and he can destroy. It is his glorious purpose to manifest the mercy of God, but it is no less his design to sustain his righteous justice and truth.

The wicked will be lost by their own disobedience and inexcusable unbelief. The suggestions of unbelief which now quiet the conscience will then be found to be refuges of lies. The Lord Jesus is to reign forever. The treatment received by him and his gospel, in this world, will never be forgotten. No privilege of repentance will ever be afforded the wicked; and their hearts, perpetually harden

ed in sin, would never be disposed to accept of it. if placed in their power. "O that thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! 'but now they are hid from thine eyes.”

SERMON VII.

JOHN I. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, &c.

HAVING endeavoured, in the preceding Discourses, to exhibit the principal evidence of the Saviour's Divinity, we now proceed, as proposed,

SECONDLY, TO consider some of the objections that are made to this doctrine, and the principal arguments that are urged against it.

In prosecution of this design, it will not be expected that we take notice of all the arguments and objections that have been made use of by those who have denied the divinity of Christ. While such a course would lead the discussion to a great length, it would be wholly unnecessary. For this, like most other subjects of laborious controversy, rests upon a few questions or principles, and though a great variety of extraneous topics may be introduced, yet, according to the issue of the primary principles, must be the final result of the great enquiry.

I will further premise, that any objections to the doctrine of the Trinity, will be considered equally valid against the divinity of Christ.

1

For it was observed, at the commencement of these discourses, that they would be, virtually, a discussion of the doctrine of the Trinity; since the divinity of Christ has always been the labouring point in that doctrine. If He be not divine, there is no trinity in the Godhead, and all who have maintained his divinity, so far as I know, have admitted the doctrine of the Trinity.

1. The first objection which I shall notice, is, that the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, or of the Trinity, is self-contradictory and absurd. The objector says, with much apparent confidence, that three cannot be one, and one "cannot be three, and, therefore, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit cannot each be God, and, at the same time, there be but one God. In the statement of this objection, as it is usually done by Unitarians, there is, I think, a want of candour and correct representation of the Trinitarian sentiment, which ought not to exist in those who are enquiring after truth. They say they object to the Trinitarian sentiment, that Christ is God, and that the Holy Ghost is God, because they cannot believe in more than one God. They cannot ascribe divine honours to Christ, because the scriptures teach that there is one God, and that we are to serve him only. With the same purpose they assume the name of Unitarians; professing to believe in the unity of God, as opposed to the denomination of Trinitarians. There is thus