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words before him, could avoid perceiving, that such an application of them was the intention of the writer, whether it might comport or not with his own previous opinions. But we have before found sufficient evidence, that the application of these and other designations of Deity, to the Messiah, was not unknown or unauthorized among the Jews contemporary with the Apostles.

(4.) That the Inquirer's closing sentence, meant as an interpretation, is a gratuitous assertion, destitute of proof, and contrary to the fair and legitimate use of language.

Note [C], page 36.

-He

"He will commence his religion with a more powerful baptism than I. I have only water, but he hath a twofold baptism.will baptize with the Holy Spirit; i. e. he will pour out, in the richest abundance, the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, namely prophecy and miracles, (which took place on the remarkable pentecost ;) and those who reject him he will plunge into a sea of fire. The temple, Jerusalem, and almost the whole land of Judæa, became literally the prey of the flames: though the term fire, in this place, may equally comprehend all the righteous punishments which the Messiah should inflict."-Michaelis Anmerk. z. Matt. iii. 11.

"If we compare the expressions in vers. 10 and 12, we can scarcely have a doubt that the baptism with fire signifies the awful punishments which the Messiah will inflict upon the wicked. John shows why he describes the Messiah as much greater than himself. He (says the Baptist) who will enter upon his office after me, will not only bestow excellent gifts on men, but, as their Lord, will chastise the disobedient; while I, his unworthy subject and servant, can only bind men to reformation by the solemn rite of baptism, and thus prepare the way for him as the Messiah.- -Ver. 12. The sense is, He accurately discriminates the good and the wicked, for he sees through the inmost recesses of the mind.”—Rosenmüller in Matt. iii. 11, 12.

CHAP. III.

DECLARATIONS, INTIMATIONS, AND ADMISSIONS OF JESUS CHRIST CONCERNING HIMSELF.

IT entered into the scheme of divine wisdom that, while the Messiah was actually sojourning among men, and was pursuing the preliminary objects of his mission, the truth concerning his person and offices, and other characteristics of his dispensations, should be gradually and slowly unfolded. He himself lay in deep obscurity, during all but a very short period of his life. After he had begun his public labours, it was long before he unreservedly and openly declared himself to be the Messiah. Till towards the end of his course, he rarely made this avowal but in private, and to those who were his friends and tried adherents; and, on several occasions, he prohibited them from publishing the fact to the world. Such a plan of studied reserve and slow developement would not have been chosen or approved by human wisdom: but, whether we can penetrate the reasons for it or not, the fact itself is indisputable, that such was the course adopted by the Founder of our faith. He seems to have deemed this the proper course to be taken;-to awaken the attention of men, to stimulate their expectations, to present them with circumstances, hints, and implications, and thus to furnish a growing body of data, from which they for themselves might,

in due time, draw the most important conclusions with increasing light and certainty.

Besides this, it is to be observed, that the Lord Jesus professedly withheld the full manifestation of his doctrines, till the period subsequent to his death and resurrection; when the instruments of communication were to be his inspired messengers. The evangelists repeatedly observe, that our Lord's most intimate disciples "understood not those things, and the word "was hidden from them, and they knew not the things spoken," by him.' But he assured them that, though they were not then competent to receive many important things concerning HIMSELF, they should subsequently become so, and should be led by an unerring Guide into a perfect knowledge of those truths.2

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If we duly consider these features of the early Christian economy, we shall not expect to find a full declaration of the doctrine respecting our Lord's person, in the narratives of the Evangelists, or in his own discourses; but we shall rather look for intimations, for principles implied in facts and assertions, and for conclusions from such facts and assertions deduced by minute attention and close examination on our own part. Such attention and examination are a part of that" obedience of faith," which is the indispensable duty of every man who has, or can obtain, a knowledge of the inspired volume.

1 See Luke ix. 45; xviii. 34. John xii. 16, &c.

2 See John xvi. 12—15.

CAPITULE I.

DECLARATIONS MADE

OR ACQUIESCED IN, BY JESUS CHRIST, ELUCIDATING THE IMPORT OF THE APPELLATION, SON OF GOD.

ALL mankind, and, on the same principle, all other intelligent creatures, are justly called children or sons of God, as they are the offspring of his power and beneficence.1 In a more restricted and of course a higher sense, the Scriptures give this title to persons who are dignified with any special kind of resemblance, or any constituted relation to God. Thus kings and other magistrates, who bear some shadow of supremacy and government,2 the worshippers of the true God, in distinction from debased idolaters, and especially the faithful and obedient servants of the Most

3

1 "Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us?" Mal. ii. 10. "We are the offspring of God." Acts xvii. 29. "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Job xxxviii. 7, and i. 6.

2 Psalm lxxxii. 6. "I said, gods are ye! And sons of the Most High, all of you!" The Psalmist appears to use the language of an ironical concession, in order to give the greater force to the humiliating contrast which instantly follows. So the heathen called their

heroes διογενεῖς, διοτρεφεῖς and diis geniti. In the earlier ages, it was believed that those persons were the physical offspring of the gods; and afterwards the style was kept up by the ignorance of the people and the audacity of political flatterers.

3 Gen. vi. 4. Deut. xxxii. 19. Psa. ii. 7. The application of Dan. iii. 25, is disputable.

High, who are "conformed to the image" of his moral excellency, are, on these respective accounts, styled sons of God.

The MESSIAH is called THE SON OF GOD, once at least in the Old Testament: in the New, as all know, the epithet is of frequent occurrence. It is evident, however, that the application of this name to Christ will prove no superiority of nature, nor any dignity but such as we have just mentioned; unless it should be accompanied with other circumstances of description, pointing out a different ground of application. This ground and reason, therefore, requires our principal attention.

4 In numerous passages.

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