nefs and prayer, love to the brethren and good will to all, with all other Chriftian graces; and between these and a life of Chriftian to all his commandments. That this obedience is the fruit & expreffionof love to God, faith in Chrift, and of an inward fenfe of Chriftian exercifes, and that it is per-holinefs there is a like proportion; fevering. From the view of Chriftianity which has been taken, it appears that there is a fixed connection, between the views and affections of the mind and the courfe of practice. This is true in the affairs of this life and of all focial intercourfe, and it is truein religion. "Thisis love that we walk after his commandments and his commandments are not grievous." as also between the various parts of obedience. The true Chriftian is not engaged in keeping one of God's commands and negligent with refpect to another, but he has refpect to them all. Hence, would we maintain a well grounded hope of eternal life, we muft "be ftedfaft, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." Then we may have the happy knowledge that "our labor fhall not be in vain in the Lord." Hence it appears that a genuine Chriftian, exhibiting proper evidences of his religion, is one who 4. The reader must have anticiembraces the leading and moft ef-pated the great importance of an fential truths of Chriftianity, experiences their power on his heart and affections, and reduces them to practice by keeping the commandments of God. In proportion to our deficiency in any of thefe, our religion is imperfect, and the evidence of our intereft in the favor of God, lefs fatisfying. If we are greatly deficient in any one, though we may feem to excel in the other branches, we have great cause to fear that our ftate is not good. Because Christianity is proportioned in all its parts. As in all the views of it which have been already taken, fo alfo in this, viz. that our orthodoxy, our experience of the Chriftian graces, and our practice are analogous to each other. The orthodox Chriftian, has a due proportion in experience of the feveral branches of gracious affection: fuch as love to God, repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift, felf abafement, weanedness from the world and a spirit of watchful experimental and practical knowl edge of Chriftianity; and the impoffibility of a well grounded hope of falvation without it. Let us then make a practical improvement of the preceding differtation, by giving all diligence to make our calling and election fure. We who have the bible, and means of falvation, are exalted to heaven with privileges. Awful must be our ftate if we are finally caft down to hell for the abufe of them! Now is the accepted time, life is a vapor,-eternal confequences depend on the manner in which we improve it. May the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghoft, be with us! Amen. PHILANDER. ed correfpondents to communi- | than I." That the term Son imcate doctrinal essays, the follow-plies either the derivation of one ing thoughts upon the Sonship of Chrift, are tranfmitted for infertion, if you view them deferving a place. being from another, as men are called fons, or children of men ; or the likenefs of one being or thing to another, as angels and holy men are called fons or children of God; young men that were inftructed, and prepared for the gift of prophecy, are called fone, or children of the prophets. Wicked men are called children of Belial or wickednefs, and proud men are called the children of Tis doubtless of some imporIT tance to afcertain what is the true fcriptural meaning of the titles, Son of God, Only begotten Son, God's 's own Son, and the Son, which are in fcripture fo frequently given to Jefus of Nazareth. It is naturally to be expected, that fuch Pride. This being therefore a as are oppofed to the doctrine of title improper to be applied to the fupreme deity of our glorious fupreme Deity, and neceffarily Redeemer, fhould be difpofed to explain not only thefe, but all implying derivation and inferiority, it is urged that either the other titles which are given him, term Son of God must be reftrictin fuch a fenfe as to exclude pro-ed to the human nature, or to the per divinity. Thefe names, how-office of the Meffiah, and must ever, are fuppofed by fome who are friends to the real divinity of the Saviour, to be expreffive rather of his humanity, or of his mediatorial office, than of his divine nature, as proceeding from the Father by an eternal, ineffable generation; and to be pretty much of the fame import with the names, Son of Man, Righteous Servant, Branch of Righteouf nefs, &c. In fupport of this idea of the Sonfhip of Chrift it is alledged, that the name and relation of Son, according to the idiom of all languages with which we are acquainted, neceffarily implies derivation and a certain degree of inferiority. That the title Son, or Sons of God, is one which is in fcripture given both to angels and men. That Christ frequently fpeaks of himself as being, in the relation and capacity of a Son, inferior to the Father, and acting by a derived, delegated power, faying, "I can do nothing of myfelf:""My Father is greater imply pretty much the fame with Son of Man, Righteous Servant, &c. or the real divinity of Chrift must be given up. But although it be readily admitted that the name and title Son of God, is many times given to Chrift where the inferior nature is included, and perhaps fometimes where his humanity is principally intended; for this plain reafon, that many things are, in fcripture, afferted concerning his perfon, which are true only of one of his natures, as "That the Lord of glory was crucified," and "That the church was re deemed by the blood of God," -it nevertheless appears evident from revelation, that Chrift's Sonfhip exifted, previous to either his affumption of human nature, or his appointment to the office of Meffiah. To admit the contrary fuppofition appears, in no fmall degree, to weaken the evidences of the fupreme deity of Chrift. As this is a fubject of pure revelation, we muft expect to derive all our in formation from the law and the teftimony. The following confiderations are fubmited to the reader. It is allowed by nearly all judicious interpreters of fcripture, to be most natural to admit the literal fenfe of a term or phrafe, as the true fenfe, unlefs where various circumftances concur to fhow it to be used figuratively. But the term Son, in the moft ftrict, literal, and generally received fenfe, in all languages, fuppofes a father, a being of the fame common nature with him. Tho' it be admitted that the term is many times used in a lower fenfe, as in the cafe of angels and men, who are called fons or children of God. Yet it is much queftioned whether thofe ftrongly definite terms of The Son, by way of eminence, God's own Son, and Only begotten Son, are ever used to exprefs a lower idea of Sonfhip, than what is implied in a famenefs of nature with the Father. Certain it is, neither angels nor men are the fons of God, according to the fenfe of thefe terms. "For unto which of the angels faid he, at any time, thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." Heb. i. 5. Suppofing one perfon was called the Son, the only Son, the only begotten Son of another, if we fhould understand the term in any other fenfe, than as expreffing a fameness of nature, & a defcent by natural generation, it would introduce fuch a confufion of ideas and terms, as would go far towards reducing all language to the utmoft uncertainty. What more therefore, could the infpired penmen fay, to affert Chrift to be a Son of the fame nature with the Father, and proceeding from him by an eternal, though inexplicable generation, than to call him God's own Son, only begotten Son, &c.? Suppofing the doctrine of Chrift's eternal Sonship to be true, I fee not how the truth of it could be conveyed in fufficiently ftrong terms, or how we could have a revelation fufficiently clear, to fix our faith in the belief of it, if fuch a revelation is not given in the terms made use of by the facred penmen; for what more could be faid to prove him to be a Son by nature, than to fay he was God's own Son, only begotten Son, &c. ? With refpect to the objection, that Sonship implies derivation and inferiority, it appears to originate from our connecting thofe ideas with the fupreme being, which belong to creatures. But, because among men a father neceffarily begets a fon younger than himself, it will not follow that the title fon, as applied to Chrift, implies inferiority. All the inferiority of a fon to a father among men, arifes from this circumftance of human generation and the nature of created beings. Separate from this, a fon being of the fame nature, is the father's equal. Perhaps a more juft idea of the manner, in which the Son of God is begotten of the Father, cannot be formed by mortal man, than what is derived from Pfalm ii. 7. "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." The divine existence is not in fucceffion, admitting past, prefent, and future; but is one eternal day, or now. So the Son's being begotten of the Father, is the immanent act of one eternal day.Therefore this text, is equally true of a whole eternity, as of any given point of time. Confequently, the term begotten, as applied to Chrift, implies no inferiority ed him to be the Son of God. either of dignity, or in point of fucceffion of existence. Other circumstances, befides the obvious fenfe of the term, alfo concur to fhow us that this title is originally divine, or expreffive of the fupreme deity of Chrift particularly. As Son, and in the relation of a Son to the Father, he is declared to be an object of worship, both by men and angels, and, in many places, the reafon why he was worshipped was, that he was the Son of God. John v. 23. "That all men fhould honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. Heb. i. 6. "When he bringeth his first begotten into the world, he faith, and let all the angels of God worship him." Pfalm xlv. 11. "He is thy Lord, worship thou him." Agreeably hereto, we find various inftances, in which divine worship was given to him while on earth, as foon as he was known to be the Son of God. As By the wife men of the east. Matt. ii. 2.-By the cleanfed Leper. Matt. viii. 2.By the ruler of the fynagogue, when he intreated him in behalf of his daughter. Matt. ix. 18. By the people who had been with him in the thip, and had feen his power in calming the tempeft. Matt. xiv. 3.-By the woman of Canaan. Matt. xv. 25.-By the man who had been poffeffed of the legion. Mark v. 6.-By the blind man who had been reftored to fight. John ix. 38.-By the women who firft repaired to the fepulchre after his refurrection. Matt. xxviii. 9.-And by his difciples when they firft faw him after he was rifen from the dead. Luke xxiv. 52. The ground upon which divine worship was, in thefe inftances, given him, was that the parties knew and believ. But we cannot admit the fuppofition, that, in fo many inftances, divine worship would be given to, and received by him, upon a ground which implied no proper divinity. God is ever jealous of his glory, particularly of the glory of being the fole and exclufive object of all divine and religious worship. He hath faid, I am the Lord, this is my name, and my glory will I not give to another. When John, in the ifle of Patmos, would have worshipped the angel, who was God's minifter in imparting to him the revelation, doublefs fuppofing him to be the Lord Jefus Chritt, and no created angel, he was immediately forbidden: "See thou do it not, I am thy fellow fervant, and of thy brethren that have the teftimony of Jefus. Worship God." Rev. ix. 10. and xxii. 9. But if worship was to be given him, upon a ground which did not imply Deity, would it not be to countenance idolatrous worship? Ad mitting him to be truly God, yet, if the worshipper had no knowl edge, or belief of his divinity nor any knowledge of his perfon and office, only through the medium of a title which implied no proper divinity, and was only appropriate to the inferior nature, or at beft, reprefented him as afuper-angelic created being, it would be no more than creature worship. And if worship was commanded to him upon fuch a ground, as it is exprefsly, Heb. i. 6. would it not contradict the command, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only fhalt thou ferve." Farther, as Son, and in the relation of a Son to the Father divine works are afcribed to him. But neither the mere human na ture of Chrift, nor any created being, however exalted, ever did fuch works as are properly the works of God. Among fuch works, note the creation of the world, John i. 3. All things, were made by him, and without him was there not any thing made that was made. By comparing this with ver. 14, it appears that the Logos or word and only begotton Son, are titles of the fame import, unless we are rather to view the latter as exhibiting the ftronger evidence of real underived deity, i. e. viewing him as the maker of all things, we behold a glory as of the only begotten of the Father. Creation is alfo afcribed to him as the Son, Col. i. 16. and Heb. i. 2. Not creation only, but all other divine works are ascribed to him as a Son, and in the relation of a Son to the Father, John v. 17-19. He raiseth the dead, ver. 21, and Judgeth the world, ver. 22. The term Son of God therefore, I think, plainly suggests the idea of a divine perfon and worker. Applied to the Meffiah, it does not point us fo directly to the office, as to the real underived deity of the officer. The fame idea of Chrift's Sonfhip appears, alfo, to be plainly expreffed in such scriptures as the following, which afcribe divinity to him in the fulleft fenfe as Son, and in the relation of a Son to the Father: Heb. i. 8. quoted from Pfal. xlv. 6. "And unto the Son he faith, Thy throne O God is forever and ever, and the fceptre of righteoufnefs is the fceptre of thy kingdom." To the fame purpofe ver. 10 quoted from Pfalm cii. 25, 26, " And thou Lord, in the beginning, haft laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thine hands." Thefe words are evidently spoken of the Jehovah of Ifrael, but here applied by the Father to the Son. As the Son of the Father, he is addressed as the joint giver of grace, mercy and peace, 2 John 3. "Grace be with you, and mercy and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jefus Chrift, the Son of the Father, in truth and love," And the Apoftle's elaborate proof that Jefus is the Son of God, confequently an object of faith, iffues in an affertion that he is the true God, and eternal life, i. e. The Son of God in whom we have life, upon whom we are to believe for eternal life, and who giv eth spiritual understanding, is the true God, and eternal life. 1 John V. II, 12, 13, 20. Unbelieving Thomas, reclaimed from his incredulity, exclaims, My Lord and my God! John xx. 28. This exclamation related to the fame perfon whom he had feen, and with whom he had, frequently converfed, in the days of his flefh. Our Lord, fo far from correcting his error, if it was one, pronounceth him bleffed as a believer; and the infpired penman adds, "Thefe are written that ye might believe that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God, i. e. Thomas's confeffion of Christ as his Lord and his God, were written among other things, that we might believe him to be the Son of God. To the fame purpose fee John xiv. 9, 10, 11." He that hath feen me hath feen the Father: I am in the Father, and the Father in me." But unless, as the Son of the Father, he is truly God, inftead of feeing the Father in him, we fee no more than the Father's servant. The eternity of Chrift's generation and foufhip feems, alfo, to |
