Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

ber that you contemn God no more. He is an avenging God, and will visit you for your sins; and will, I hope, in mercy, touch your conscience, sooner or later, as he has done mine. You and I have been friends and sinners together a great while, and therefore I am the more free with you. We have been all mistaken in our conceits and opinions; our persuasions have been false and groundless, therefore God grant you repentance." And seeing the same gentleman the next day, he said; "Perhaps you were disobliged by my plainness with you yesterday. I spoke the words of truth and soberness ;" and striking his hand upon his breast, he added, "I hope God will touch your heart."

He was very desirous to testify to the world his repentance for his past misconduct; and to make every reparation in his power for the mischiefs, which, by his example and writings, he had occasioned. He sent messages, which well became a dying penitent, to some of his former friends. He strictly enjoined the pious persons who attended him during his last sickness, to publish any thing concerning him that might be a means to reclaim others; praying to God, that, as his life had done much hurt, so his death might do some good. He caused the following solemn declaration to be drawn up, which he signed with his own hand.

"For the benefit of all those whom I may have drawn into sin, by my example and encour. agement, I leave to the world this my last declaration, which I deliver in the presence of the GREAT GOD, who knows the secrets of all hearts, and before

whom I am preparing to be judged; that from the bottom of my soul, I detest and abhor the whole course of my former wicked life; that I think I can never sufficiently admire the goodness of God, who has given me a true sense of my pernicious opinions, and vile practices; by which I have hitherto lived, without hope, and without God in the world; have been an open enemy to Jesus Christ, doing the utmost despite to the Holy Spir it of Grace; and that the greatest testimony of my charity to such is, to warn them, in the name of God, and as they regard the welfare of their immortal souls, no more to deny his being or his providence, or despise his goodness; no more to make a mock of sin, or contemn the pure and excellent religion of my everblessed Redeemer, through whose merits alone, I, one of the greatest of sinners, do yet hope for mercy and forgiveness. Amen.

J. ROCHESTER. "Declared and signed in the presence of

ANN ROCHESTER. ROBERT PARSONS." His sufferings were, at times, very great, but he did not repine under them. In one of his sharp.. est fits of pain, looking up to heaven, he said; "God's holy will be done. I bless him for all he does to me.”

He expressed his willingness to live, or to die, as it should please Divine Providence. "If," said he, "God should spare me yet a little longer time here, I hope to bring glory to his name, proportionable to the dishonor I have done him, in my whole life past and particularly, by endeavors to convince others of the danger of

7

their condition, if they continue impenitent; and by telling them, how graciously God has dealt with me.

Near the close of life, he was often heard to pray fervently. He rejoiced in the comfortable persuasion of acceptance with God. A few days before his decease, he said; "I shall now die. But O, what unspeakable glories do I see! What joys, beyond thought or expression, am I sensible of! I am assured of God's mercy to me, through Jesus Christ. O! how I long to die, and to be with my Savior!"

Thus died, in the thirty-third year of his age, the celebrated earl of Rochester; a memorable instance of the goodness and mercy of God, and of the power of his grace, to purify and redeem the most corrupt and obdurate offender. From this case, and from many other instances, the truly penitent sinner, though his sins have been as scarlet or as crimson, may derive hope that God will, even in his greatest extremity, hear his prayers, and accept his repentance: but none should presume on the Divine Mercy, by deferring their amendment till they are brought to the bed of sickness and death. They may

suddenly be taken away; they may not have their understandings in the time of illness; they may be deceived with false hopes of recovery; their pains of body may not admit of that state of mind which is proper for the great work of repentance; or, they may have become so hardened by the habits of sin, that they may die, as many have died, without a proper sense of their condition. May the goodness and forbearance of God lead to repentance and amendment of life, in the time of health! We shall then, at the approach of death, have no guilty tumults of mind; no dismal forebodings of the future. We shall bear our affliction with patience and resignation; and, with joyful hope, commit our spirits into the hands of a faithful and mercifulCreator.

For a further account of lord Rochester, we refer the reader to a small volume published by Dr. Burnet, entitled, "Some passages of the Life and Death of John, earl of Rochester;"

[ocr errors]

a book," which, as Dr. Johnson says, "the critic ought to read for its elegance, the philosopher for its arguments, and the saint for its piety."

Murray's Power of Religion.

RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

ON THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST.
Continued from page 542, Vol. I.

OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED.

BEFORE I proceed to the consideration of particular objections, I would premise one remark, to which I think all will

agree; that there are many certain, and most important truths in religion, and morality, in sciences, even indisputable facts, which are attended with speculative difficulties, and objections,

which the acutest men have not been able fully and clearly to solve. If therefore this most incomprehensible and mysterious doctrine of a plurality in unity should be thought attended with such difficulties, as well as other subjects; yet if it appears to be supported by strong scriptural arguments, it seems but reasona. ble to think that the difficulties may arise from the weakness of our faculties, the want of more full and clear instructions, and our dark conceptions of this profound subject.

I. It is objected, If Christ who is a person distinct from God the Father be also God, then there must be a plurality of Gods; but the Scriptures teach us that there is but one God.

I answer, If there may be a plurality of persons in the nature and essence of the one God, the impossibility of which I have not seen proved, then a plurality of Gods is not implied in a plurali. ty of persons in the Godhead.

By the way, I would observe, that it does not certainly appear that the word person is used in Scripture to express the distinction between God the Father, and the eternal Son. It there. fore seems needless to contend about the term person, which has been adopted and long and commonly used to signify a real distinction in the Godhead, of whose nature, and what lies at the bottom of it, if I may so speak, little or nothing seems to be revealed. The term, however, seems not to be ill chosen. For the Father and Son are distin. guished in the Scripture in the manner in which human persons are distinguished. The personal pronouns are used by and to VOL. II. New Series.

each.

"I had glory with thee before the world was"- Let us make man, &c. which lead us to apprehend the distinction to be analogous to that between human persons. But words when used to express our conceptions concerning God, must bear a different sense from what they bear when we speak of men. Dif ferent human persons are differ. ent men. But when we use the words distinct persons, to distinguish God the Father and the Son, we are not to understand that they are distinct Gods, but one God subsisting in distinct modes, somewhat analogous to the distinction and relation of Father and Son. Now can any one prove it to be absurd or impossible, that there should be such a distinction in the one undivided Godhead ? Or that there be unity and plurality in different respects combined together?

Since the Scriptures declare not only that God is one, but also that the Son of God is God, one with the Father, though some way distinct from him, and ascribe to him the names, titles, attributes, works, and worship, by which the great God is to be distinguished from all inferior beings, is it not more rational as well as modest, and pious, to believe, upon the testimony of the Scriptures, that Christ is a divine person, than to reject a doctrine so strongly supported, because we are not able to comprehend how the Father and the Son, though distinct persons, or in respect of the mode of their subsistence, are so mutually in each other, as to be one God?

II. It has been objected, that the highest titles are not giv. en to Christ, particularly God of

B

gods, The most high, The great God, The Almighty, the one God and Father of all, of whom are all things. From whence it is concluded that Christ is inferior to the Supreme God. I answer 1. If it did not certainly appear that all divine titles are expressly given to Christ, as a person distinct from the Father, yet there is enough to make it certain that he must be superior to any creature, and therefore must be God. If he has any one title or attribute truly divine, this will prove that he is truly God; and then he has every essential attribute of Deity, whether we find them all expressly ascribed to him or not.

2. It is not certain that all the mentioned titles are appropriated to the Father, exclusive of Christ. They seem to be the titles by which the one God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is distinguished from the crea. tures: More particularly

The title of God of gods, appears not to be superior to King of kings, and Lord of lords; a title given to Christ. Rev. xix, 16. God of gods, and Lord of lords are synonymous, Psalm cxxxvi. 2, 3. If the title, God, denotes the divine dominion, rather than the divine essence and perfections, as Mr. Emlyn suggests, then the import of the title God seems not to differ from the titles of King, and Lord, which are also titles expressive of dominion. What words can more strongly express God's supreme dominion, than King of kings, and Lord of lords. The apostles never style the Supreme Being, God of gods. Paul, it seems, knew of no higher title, or fitter terms, to express the

supreme dominion of God, than the title given to Christ just mentioned, 1 Tim. vi, 15. I might add, that the psalmist, in the Psalm just quoted, goes on to praise the God of gods, who alone doth great wonders: Who created the heavens and earth, &c. This shows that Christ, by whom all things were created, is this God of gods, and Lord of lords. Finally, He whom all the Gods are commanded to worship, is God of gods; but all the gods are commanded to worship Christ. Psalm xcvii. 7. Heb. i. 6. We may now add God of gods to Christ's other divine titles.

Thou

Another title which, it is said, is higher than any which is given to Christ is, most high. But we have no evidence that this title is peculiar to the Father in distinction from Christ. This title seems to be given to Christ, Luke i. 69, who is thought to be the person pointed out by Zacharias, in these words: child shalt be called the prophet of the highest, for thou shalt go before the Lord to prepare his way. The full import is ascribed to him, when he is styled God over all, blessed for ever. And as the name Jehovah belongs to him, the psalmist assures us that "He whose name is Jehovah is the Most High, over all the earth.” Psal. lxxxiii. 18.

Great God and Almighty are divine titles. But that they are appropriated to the Father in distinction from Christ, has never been proved. We have evidence that Christ has these divine titles, as well as others equiva. lent, as has been noticed before.

God and Father of all, of whom are all things, seems to be

a personal title, by which God the Father is distinguished from the other persons of the Blessed Trinity; who are also distin. guished from each other, and from the Father by peculiar personal titles and attributes. But they all have those titles and attributes, which are truly divine. III. Objection. Christ acknowledges another as God, and his God. "My God, why hast thou forsaken me. I ascend to my God, and your God. My Father is greater than I," &c.

Answer. We grant that there is another person, distinct from Christ, who is God. The Father is a distinct person, but not another God. The distinct per. -sons in the Godhead are one God, having the same divine nature or essence. It is only begging the question, taking for granted the point to be proved, to conclude that a plurality of persons in the Godhead, is inconsistent with the unity of God.

Christ, as Man and Mediator, is by voluntary condescension subject and inferior to the Father, acknowledged him to be his God, did him homage, prayed to him, was obedient and submissive in all things; yea he was the creature of God in respect of his manhood and office, but not in respect of his divine nature. The Father made him Christ, but did not create him God. This is to be borne in mind, in order to our rightly understanding many passages in the Scriptures, and re. conciling seeming contradictions. So when Christ distinguishes himself from God (he shall know of the doctrine whether it is of God, or whether I speak of my self) this has been urged as a

strong argument against his De ity. But if we consider that he appeared in the human nature as the minister of God the Father, speaking and acting according to his commandment, we may see the propriety of his distin guishing himself in this capacity, from him by whose commission he acted. And his meaning in this expression is "He shall know whether the doctrine, which I teach, be conformable to instructions received from God the Father, or whether I speak of myself, as in a private capacity, unauthorized and uninstructed by God.

Upon the whole we grant Christ Jesus is, in respect of his manhood and office, the servant of God the Father, and does nothing of himself. The Father is greater than he. But the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him, as the eternal Son of God. He has those divine perfections by which he made and governs the world, but he exercises them in all things according to the commandment of the Father. We should not take advantage from his wonder. ful condescension for our sakes, to degrade the Son of God from his divine dignity, to the rank of a mere creature. He is not less worthy to be owned, honored, and worshipped by us as our Lord, and our God, for having stooped so low, and emptied him. self for our sakes.

A Christian of the Old School. (To be continued.)

NECESSITY OF DIVINE INFLU ENCE.

ONE of the most important truths revealed in the word of God is the absolute necessity of

« PoprzedniaDalej »