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compared with with whom, the Jewish Priesthood, and the facrifices, which they were daily making, were but as empty fhadows to the real fubftance.

But laftly, he is in the highest fenfe a king; King and Lord of all. Hence in the fecond pfalm, he is called the Lord's Anointed, whom he hath fet to be King on his holy bill of Sion *. Hence, in Isaiah it is prophefied, that he should fit upon the throne of David, (that is, reign over the people of God) to order and establish it well for ever. And hence his title in Daniel is, Meffiah the Prince, or the anointed Prince: the Son of Man, to whom dominion shall be given, and a kingdom; that aH people, nations and languages, should ferve him §. The completion of these prophecies we find in the New Testament: where, as he profeffes himself a King, but not of a kingdom of this world; fo we find him, after the fuffering of death, crowned with glory and honour ¶, infinitely superior to the highest of mortal potentates: all power being given unto him in heaven and in earth and a name above every name, that is named in this world and that to come : for which reafon he is in the revélation ftiled, King of kings, and Lord of lords t. This kingly power he exercises, partly by giving laws, which every one is bound to obey, and no one may alter, diminish, or add to them: partly by protecting his church against all its enemies, vifible and invifible, so that neither fhall at any time totally prevail against it; partly by conducting every member of it, who is dutiful to him, in the way of peace and happiness, through the grace of his Spirit, and the miniftry of his ordi nances and finally he will, in the most confpicuous manner, display his regal power, by everlastingly rewarding his faithful subjects; and punishing all, who have rejected his authority, rebelled against it, or disobeyed it.

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These then are the offices, to which God hath anointed, that is, raised and exalted him and in respect of which he is called the Christ. Let us all be careful to receive him fuitably to them and so hearken to him as our Prophet; that we may partake of his atonement, as our Priest; and live under his protection as our King, for ever and ever.

3. The next thing, mentioned in the Creed, concerning our Saviour

*Pfal. ii. 2, 6.
Dan. vii. 13, 14.

Matth. xxviii. 18.

† Ifa. ix. 7.
John xviii. 33, 36.
Phil. ii. 9. Eph. i. 21.

Į Dan. ix. 25.

¶ Heb. ii. 9.
‡ Rev. xix. 16.

Saviour, is the relation, which he bears to God, as the only Son of the Father Almighty. Indeed the fcripture speaks of God, as the Father of all men; and of all that are good, as his fons. Good Chriftians are fo in a higher fenfe, than other good men. Angels are the fons of God, in a degree still fuperior to them. But yet, all other fonships are so inconceivably inferior to that of Chrift, that they are in comparison as nothing; and he deserves notwithstanding to be called, as he is feveral times called in fcripture, the only begotten Son of God*; which greatest of titles appears to be his due, on seve ral accounts.

First, Because, being born of a virgin, he had no earthly father; but was begotten of God by his Holy Spirit. This reason the angel gives, in St Luke. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God +.

Secondly, As by virtue of the above-mentioned offices, to which he was anointed, he received higher marks of Divine favour, and higher degrees of divine likeness, than any other perfon ever did. For, as himself argues with the Jews, if, on account of mere earthly power and dignity, men were called gods, and children of the Moft High ‡; much more might he, whom the Father fanctified, and fent into the world, in so vastly fuperior a character, be ftiled, by way of eminence, the Son of God §. And thus is he accordingly ftiled, on this account: I will be his Father, and he shall be my Son : also I will make him my first born, higher than the kings of the earth¶.

Thirdly, He is the Son of God, as being by the power of God the first begotten of the dead restored to life to die no

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more. For thus St Paul expreffes it

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God hath raised up Jefus again, as it is also written, Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee 4.

Fourthly, He is fo, as being Heir of all things ‡‡, and by this inheritance baving obtained a more excellent name, than men or angels : they being as fervants in the houfe of God, he as a Son .

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But the most important and eminent fenfe, in which Chrift is the Son of God, remains yet to be mentioned: as, in re spect of his Divine Nature, he derived his being from the Father, by an eternal generation; not as creatures do, who are made out of nothing, and were made by him; but in a manher peculiar to himself, and inconceivable to us: by which all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him* ; and he and the Father are, in the ftricteft union, one t. For God was his Father, with whom he had glory before the world was : and he in the beginning was with God, and was God § God over all, blessed for. ever . Of this myfterious doctrine, I shall speak fomewhat further, under the article of the Holy Ghoft: and therefore fhall only say at prefent, that being exprefsly revealed, it ought to be implicitely believed; without attempting in vain to be wife above what is written; to know more, than God hath enabled us. And now,

*

4thly, From all these things arifes, what the Creed mentions in the last place, his relation to us; cur Lord: For be ing the only Son of God, he is Heir and Lord of all in his Fa ther's houfe. Having triumphed over the power of darkness, which held mankind in bondage, we are his by right of conquest: and though "other lords have had dominion over us, we are now to make mention of his name only ¶," as fuch: having purchased us to him for "a peculiar people with his own blood, "we are not our own; for we are bought with a price :" "and he died for all, that they, which live, fhould not henceforth live unto themfelves, but unto him, which died for them, and rofe again ‡‡." "For to this end Chrift both died, and rose and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living §§;" that he might be such, not in the name only, but in deed and reality alfo. For "not every one that faith unto him, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of his Father, which is in Heaven ." To all others his words will be at the great day, what they were whilft on earth: "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I fày ¶¶?"

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Obedience, constant, univerfal obedience, is the only manner of acknowledging him, that will finally prove acceptable to him and in that manner we have folemnly promised that we will acknowledge him, and ferve him all our days. Thus then let us ever honour him; thus let us afcribe to him, who is our Prophet, our Priest, and our King, our Saviour, our Lord, and our God, "Glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen*"

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Article III.-Who was conceived by the Holy Ghof, born of the Virgin Mary.

AFTER fetting forth, in general, the name and offices of

our bleffed Redeemer, his relation to the Father and to us; our Creed goes on to recount the several particulars of what he did and fuffered, what he continues to do still, and will do finally, for our falvation.

The firft of thefe is, that "the Word was made flesh*:" that the eternal Son of God wonderfully joining to himself a body and foul like ours, united the human nature with the divine into one perfon: thus becoming liable to the fame neceffities and wants, infirmities and pains; and endued with the fame innocent paffions, appetites and affections, that we are: on which account we read in the gofpels of his feeling hunger, and pity, and grief, and anger, nay, and increafing, as in fature, fo in wifdom alfot: not furely in refpect of that na

ture,

* John i. 14.

+ Luke ii. sa.

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ture, which" in the beginning was with God, and was God *," but of the other, by which he was the Man Chrift Jefus t. Further than these facts, we are not diftinctly acquainted with the extent and properties of this unparalleled union. And it is no wonder, that we are not. For even that of our own fouls with our own bodies hath many things in it, utterly beyond our comprehenfion. We must therefore in all reason, without infifting to know, ""how these things can be;" confine ourselves to learn from fcripture, what they are. And it hath plainly taught us, that our bleffed Lord was conceived by the Holy Ghoft, and born of the Virgin Mary."

Concerning the Holy Ghoft, there will be a proper place to speak more at large, in that article of the Creed, which directly relates to him. At present we are only to confider his influence in the conception of our Saviour: which conception was not in the ordinary courfe of things; but God himself, being already his Father with respect to that Divine nature, which he had from the beginning, became again fo, in a new sense, with respect to his human nature too, by the incomprehenfible operation of his Spirit. For "the birth of Jesus Chrift," to use the words of fcripture, "was on this wife. When as his mother Mary was espoused to Jofeph; before they came together, fhe was found with child of the Holy Ghoft§;" in pursuance of what the angel had told her, "Thou fhalt conceive and bring forth a Son, and fhalt call his name Jefus. Then faid Mary unto the Angel; How fhall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel anfwered and faid unto her The Holy Ghoft fhall come upon thee, and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore alfo that holy Thing, which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God |."

And thus, in the fulness of time, was accomplished, what had been intimated as early as the fall of man, by that remarkable expreffion, that the "Seed of the woman fhould bruife the Serpent's head ¶;" and what had been exprefsly spoken out by the Prophet Isaiah, 700 years before our Saviour's Incarnation, "Behold a virgin fhall be with child, and bring forth

* John i. r. + 1 Tim. ii. 5.
| Luke i. 31, 34, 35.

Ţ John iii. § Mat. i. 18.

¶ Gen. iii. 15.

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