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LECTURE IV.

THE DIVINITY AND HUMANITY OF CHRIST.

ROMANS ix. 5.

Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for

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In previous lectures, we have considered the UNITY of God, and the manner in which God is believed to exist, to wit: by a distinction of persons. We must think that such a distinction was made out, and that it appeared from the New Testament, more especially, that these persons are three, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Only the first part of our general proposition, however, has yet been considered, that God exists by distinction of persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

We have yet to consider the particular character of each of these persons, from which will appear, as we believe, not only farther proof of the distinctions of the Godhead, but satisfactory evidence, also, that each of these persons is truly and properly Divine.

What we have before us, at present, is

THE CHARACTER OF THE SECOND PERSON IN THE

GOD-HEAD, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

The subject is important, not only as being the principal point in all the doctrines of a Trinity, but as it involves, if we are not mistaken, the vital principles of our religious hopes. The two points which we shall attempt to establish, and which, if established, will secure all that we desire at present, are the following:

I. "THAT THE BEING WE CALL JESUS CHRIST,

DOES REALLY POSSESS THE SUPREME NATURE OF

GOD:"

II. AND THAT HE DOES REALLY POSSESS A

SINLESS HUMAN NATURE.

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1. That Being, whom we call Jesus Christ,

DOES REALLY POSSESS THE SUPREME NATURE OF GOD.

We have used some care in framing this proposition, with a view to preclude, if possible, any mistake as to our meaning.

We say, "he possesses the supreme nature of God;" not that he is called God merely, nor that he is in the place of God by a mere delegated authority; nor yet that God only dwells in him, as he is sometimes said to dwell in his children. These we do not mean of Christ, and for reasons which will appear hereafter;

but we mean simply and plainly, " that Christ does really, and of himself, possess the supreme nature:" not the same person in God, as the Father or the Spirit, but the same divinity in one undivided essence. He is, in nature, the Supreme God; as much so, as the Father or any other person of the God-head.

This is our belief, and for proof of it, we rely solely upon the scriptures: not that in reason, or in the nature of things, there can be any thing found against this doctrine; but because it is a subject on which revelation alone has instructed us. Revelation alone ought, therefore, to be consulted, in determining what is true of it.

But it is time to hear it speak.

1. And the first class of passages which we have to offer, shall consist of those "in which Christ is called God; and so called, with circumstances and connexions, such as leave no doubt that the Supreme God is meant."

Let us take for the first of these, the beginning of the gospel according to John. "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God Al things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." "The world was made by him." All we are con

cerned to have remembered from the passage, at present, is this, that this wORD, who is evidently Jesus Christ, as appears from the 14th verse, is called God here, and that, in the connexion, he is said to have made the world. How Jesus Christ made the world, whether by his own or a delegated power, will be considered in its proper place.

The next passage is at Heb. i. 8, 10 and 12. "But unto the Son he saith, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish, but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail."

Here it is expressly said, that the Son of God is the person spoken of, and in two passages, which are applied to him from the Old Testament, (viz. from the 45th and 102d Psalms,) he is called God and Lord, and is said to have laid the foundation of the earth.

1 John v. 20. "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life."

If there were any doubt whether Jesus Christ is the person meant in this latter clause of the text, we would not only say that the most rational construction of the passage requires it, but refer to those numerous other scriptures, where the epithets Eternal Life, Life in Himself, and Life in the abstract, are applied to the same person. It is John's language, especially, to call Jesus Christ the Eternal Life, and he here affirms, that this Eternal Life is the true God.

Take once more, in this class, the words of our text-" of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen."

This passage is sufficiently explicit as it stands in our translation. In the original, however, and even in the corrected copy of Griesback, where every art seems to have been used to give it a different meaning, it is still clearer. The pointing of our version, which separates the phrase, who is over all, from God, is there omitted. So it reads"Who is the over all God ;" and what is this but the Supreme God?

Thus we have, in this passage, the Supreme Deity of Christ absolutely affirmed. Let us now consider the force of this class of texts, as taken together. We have se

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