(by an ineffable, and incomprehensible union of the human nature with the divine,) he is not two but one Christ, one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by Unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ."

The Jews had learned from the writings of the Old Testament, that the title of Son of God belonged to the Messiah, though perhaps they might not thoroughly understand it, according to the full and proper sense, in which the prophets intended it and some of their own commentators had expounded

it; and no wonder, if the generality of the Jews, who thought of little but a temporal kingdom of the Messias, should lose the just and sublime notion of his being the Son of God. But in the New Testament, sufficient care was taken, to elucidate this point, and revive and inculcate the true doctrine of his filiation. John the Baptist, our Lord's forerunner, began his ministry, by proclaiming him to be the Son of God. Our blessed Lord himself, in his discourse with Nichodemus, speaks of the exceeding great love of God to

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mankind in sending his only begotten Son
into the world, to save it, and states the hei-
nous aggravation of their guilt, who will not
believe in the name of the only begotten Son
of God. Now why is so great an emphasis
laid
upon this appellation, "The only begot-
ten Son," why is it so highly extolled, not
only beyond that of a prophet, but of
an angel or archangel; if not on account
of some extraordinary dignity of his person
When our Saviour was accused by the Jews,
of breaking the sabbath, he immediately, by
way of justification of what he had done, de-
clared who he was, telling them that his Fa-
ther performed works of mercy on the
Sabbath day, and that he had a right to do
what his Father did-and when a charge is
brought against him for forgiving sins, he
shews what great power, eminence, and au-
thority, the Son possessed, and commands all
men to honour the Son, even as they honour
the Father. These are strong expressions to
come from any person, who knew himself to
be no more than a man, or a mere creature,
and even in answer to an accusation of blas-
phemy, for making himself equal with God.

The next remarkable passage, which I shall notice, occurred, when the tribute money was demanded of our Lord, for the use of the temple; a duty exacted in the name of God, and for the special service of the established place of religious worship: upon this occasion our Lord again takes the opportunity of intimating his peculiar relationship to the Father. "What!" says he to Peter," do the kings of the earth take custom, or tribute, of their own children, or of strangers? Peter answered, of strangers, Jesus saith unto him, then are the children free." Matt. xvii. 25, 26. thereby inferring that he might plead the like exemption from paying tribute to God, being the Son of God. But, however, that he might give no offence, he chooses to wave his privilege, and to pay tribute, though at the expense of a miracle. Let any man seriously consider this, and think whether it be consistent with the regard we owe to the wisdom and humility of Christ, to imagine that he should so much insist upon his own dignity; if he were not, in every respect, what the voice from heaven, at his transfiguration, fully and incontrovertibly proclaimed him to be "The Son of the most

high God," inseparably and substantially united to the Father, omnipresent, immutable, and incomprehensible, strictly and essentially divine.

Whoever examines with attention the character of our blessed Lord, as it may be collected from the various incidents and actions of his life, will soon discover, that it was, in every respect, the most perfect that ever was made known to the world. Nor was his wisdom inferior to his virtues. The doctrines he taught were the most sublime, the most important that were ever before delivered to mankind, and every way worthy of that God from whom he professed to derive them, and whose son he declared himself to be. If then he was confessedly so great and so good a man, it unavoidably follows, that he must be what he pretended to be, of a divine original. Look again at the explicit prophecies which announced his advent, and the striking circumstances which attended his incarnation.

If we examine the bible, from Genesis to the commencement of the Christian era,

we shall find that the providence of God was chiefly occupied in preparing the world for this event. If revelations from heaven be made to the patriarchs and prophets, it is to show them the day of the Messiah afar off-if Christ chose a peculiar people, it was to render them the depositories of the promises concerning his coming. Nor were indications of the divine intentions confined to the Jews only, the plan of providence extended over the whole earth. This was one great end of all the designs of the Deity, and furnishes the key to all the divine dispensations. "If empires rose or fell, if war divided, or peace united the nations, if learning civilized their manners, or philosophy enlarged their views, all was, by the secret appointment of heaven, made, in some measure, to modify the world for that fulness of time, when the Messiah was to appear." What a magnificent conception does this give us of the person of Christ, when we behold princes and kings, entering one after another upon the stage of time, to prepare the way for the King of kings!