communicated unto it, or transfused into it, whereby it would cease to be a creature. For that worship is nothing but the ascription of divine excellencies unto what is so worshipped. But we now consider the Lord Christ, in his whole entire person, the Son of God incarnate, 'God manifest in the flesh.' His infinite condescension in the assumption of our nature, did no way divest him of his divine essential excellencies. For a time, they were shadowed and veiled thereby, from the eyes of men; when he made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant.' But he eternally and unchangeably continued 'in the form of God, and thought it no robbery to be equal unto him;' Phil. ii. 6, 7. He can no more really and essentially, by any act of condescension or humiliation, cease to be God, than God can cease to be. Wherefore, his being clothed with our nature, derogates nothing from the true reason of divine worship due unto him, but adds an effectual motive unto it. He is, therefore, the immediate object of all duties of religion, internal and external. And in the dispensation of God towards us, none of them can be performed in a due manner without a respect unto him. This, then, in the first place is to be confirmed; namely, that all divine honour is due unto the Son of God incarnate, that is, the person of Christ. John v. 23. It is the will of the Father, That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.' Some considerations on this divine testimony will confirm our position. It is of the Son incarnate that the words are spoken; as all judgment was committed unto him by the Father, as he was sent by him;' ver. 22. that is, of the whole person of Christ in the exercise of his mediatory office. And with respect hereunto it is, that the mind of God is peculiarly revealed. The way whereby God manifesteth his will, that all men should thus honour the Son, as they honour the Father, is by committing all power, authority, and judgment unto him; ver. 20-22. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and A DECLARATION JE E TESTERY Fire Father judgeth 10 at intti committed all But it may be suit. Was there that the Father (1.) He fact na IL the command mend the honour and worship of Chin: absolutely as God, but distinctly as the Son, which cuir osh was not known under the Old Testament, but was now declared necessary in the committing all power, autory, and judgment unto him. This is the hour whereid wi spent DIG sent if the Facher, and that in the form of a servant,' win les ary should conceive that 'as he was ths lameur showić mic de ¿De unto him. And the world was dhe i to nking that it was so; and many, I fear, are Jes. Develo be honoured by us, according to the will of Sunt, enter a like manner,' as we honour the Father. V ze sume honour: that is, divine, sacred, religiAIS BRI SIDDER. Kr booour the Father with other honour, su estoncur him. When men design to give glory and kavuru So is try divine, it is idolatry. For es parar a Tim is wedding but the ascription of all inHLƐ dvine za se me him. Whereon when men asgree that him that which is not so, they fall into idolatry W2 WSIPA her own imaginations. So was it with tje larinas vied they thought to have given glory to God, by umaling a guide calf whereon they proclaimed a feast into Jalovaa. Txxx. 5. And so was it with the heaCena 1 for mages of God, and the glory which they **_dey to zve na hereby, as the apostle declares, Rom. sme kind of idolatry, as the other is, the reatures any thing that is proper and pecuse excellency. And we do not honour ne and of honour, and the Son with 帖 Ador the ac aption another. That were not to honour the Son, Kałwç, ‘as' we honour the Father, but in a way infinitely different from it. [2.] In the same manner, with the same faith, love, reverence, and obedience, always, in all things, in all acts and duties of religion whatever. This distinct honour is to be given unto the person of the Son by virtue of this command of the Father, though originally on the account of his oneness in nature with the Father. And our duty herein is pressed with the highest enforcement; he that honours not the Son, honours not the Father. He who denieth the Son' (herein) hath not the Father; but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also;' 1 John ii. 23. For this is the record, that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in the Son. He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life;' chap. v. 11, 12. If we are wanting herein, whatever we pretend, we do not worship nor honour God at all. And there is reason to give this caution; reason to fear that this great fundamental principle of our religion, is, if not disbelieved, yet not much attended unto in the world. Many who profess a respect unto the Divine Being, and the worship thereof, seem to have little regard unto the person of the Son in all their religion. For although they may admit of a customary interposition of his name in their religious worship; yet the same distinct veneration of him as of the Father, they seem not to understand, or to be exercised in. Howbeit, all the acceptance of our persons and duties with God, depend on this one condition, that we honour the Son, even as we honour the Father.' To honour the Son as we ought to honour the Father, is that which makes us Christians, and which nothing else will so do. This honour of the person of Christ may be considered in the duties of it, wherein it doth consist; and in the principle, life, or spring, of those duties. The duties whereby we ascribe and express divine honour unto Christ, may be reduced unto two heads. 1st. Adoration. 2dly. Invocation. Adoration is the prostration of soul before him as God, in the acknowledgment of his divine excellencies and the ascription of them unto him. It is expressed in the Old Tes quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.' Not that these things are the formal reason and cause of the divine honour which is to be given him; but they are reasons of it, and motives unto it, in that they are evidences of his being the Son of God. But it may be said, What need is there that the Father should so interpose an act of his will and sovereign pleasure, as to this honouring of the Son, seeing the sole cause and reason of this divine honour is the divine nature, which the Son is no less partaker of than the Father? I answer, (1.) He doth not in this command intend the honour and worship of Christ absolutely as God, but distinctly as the Son, which peculiar worship was not known under the Old Testament, but was now declared necessary in the committing all power, authority, and judgment unto him. This is the honour whereof we speak. (2.) He doth it, lest any should conceive that 'as he was now sent of the Father,' and that in the form of a servant,' this honour should not be due unto him. And the world was then far from thinking that it was so; and many, I fear, are yet of the same mind. He is, therefore, to be honoured by us, according to the will of God, kalŵç ‘in like manner,' as we honour the Father. [1.] With the same honour; that is, divine, sacred, religious, and supreme. To honour the Father with other honour, is to dishonour him. When men design to give glory and honour to God which is not truly divine, it is idolatry. For this honour in truth is nothing but the ascription of all infinite divine excellencies unto him. Whereon when men ascribe unto him that which is not so, they fall into idolatry by the worship of their own imaginations. So was it with the Israelites when they thought to have given glory to God, by making a golden calf whereon they proclaimed a feast unto Jehovah; Exod. xxxii. 5. And so was it with the heathen in all their images of God, and the glory which they designed to give him thereby, as the apostle declares, Rom. i. 23. 25. This is one kind of idolatry, as the other is, the ascribing unto creatures any thing that is proper and peculiar unto God, any divine excellency. And we do not honour God the Father with one kind of honour, and the Son with another. That were not to honour the Son, kalç, ‘as' we honour the Father, but in a way infinitely different from it. [2.] In the same manner, with the same faith, love, reverence, and obedience, always, in all things, in all acts and duties of religion whatever. This distinct honour is to be given unto the person of the Son by virtue of this command of the Father, though originally on the account of his oneness in nature with the Father. And our duty herein is pressed with the highest enforcement; he that honours not the Son, honours not the Father. He who denieth the Son' (herein) 'hath not the Father; but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also;' 1 John ii. 23. For this is the record, that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in the Son. He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life;' chap. v. 11, 12. If we are wanting herein, whatever we pretend, we do not worship nor honour God at all. And there is reason to give this caution; reason to fear that this great fundamental principle of our religion, is, if not disbelieved, yet not much attended unto in the world. Many who profess a respect unto the Divine Being, and the worship thereof, seem to have little regard unto the person of the Son in all their religion. For although they may admit of a customary interposition of his name in their religious worship; yet the same distinct veneration of him as of the Father, they seem not to understand, or to be exercised in. Howbeit, all the acceptance of our persons and duties with God, depend on this one condition, that we honour the Son, even as we honour the Father.' To honour the Son as we ought to honour the Father, is that which makes us Christians, and which nothing else will so do. This honour of the person of Christ may be considered in the duties of it, wherein it doth consist; and in the principle, life, or spring, of those duties. The duties whereby we ascribe and express divine honour unto Christ, may be reduced unto two heads. 1st. Adoration. 2dly. Invocation. Adoration is the prostration of soul before him as God, in the acknowledgment of his divine excellencies and the ascription of them unto him. It is expressed in the Old Tes |