of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD OF HOSTS, I am THE FIRST, and I am THE

LAST, and BESIDES ME there is NO GOD. Rev. xxii. 13. I (Jesus) am alpha and ome

ga, the beginning and the end, the first and THE LAST.

The titles of the first and the last are confined to him alone, besides whom there is no God; but Jesus hath assumed these titles to himself: therefore Jesus is that God, besides whom there is no other. Or thus-there is no God besides him who is the first and the last : but, Jesus is the first and the last; therefore, besides. Jesus there is no other God.

IV.

Isa. xliii. 11. I even I am the LORD, and BESIDES ME there is NO SAVIOUR.

2 Pet. iii. 18. OUR LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.

Jesus Christ, then, is our Saviour; or, as he is called, John iv. 42. the Saviour of the world. But unless

a The argument drawn from this text will be equally convincing, which ever way it be taken-Jesus Christ is a Saviour, therefore he is Jehovah, the Lord-Jesus Christ is Jehovah, therefore he is the Saviour. The best observations I have ever met with upon the name Jehovah, and its application to the second person of the trinity, are to be found in a Vindication of the Doctrine of the Trinity, from the exceptions of a late pamphlet, entitled an Essay on Spirit-by the learned Dr. T. Randolph, president of C. C. C. in Oxford; which I would desire the reader to consult, from p. 61 to 71 of pt. I.

he were God, even the Lord, Jehovah, as well as man, he could not be a Saviour; because the Lord has declared, there is no Saviour beside himself. It is therefore rightly observed by the apostle, Phil. ii. 9. that God, in dignifying the man Christ with the name of JESUS, hath given him a name above every name, even that of a Saviour, which is his own name, and such as can belong to no other.

V.

Rev. xxii. 6. The LORD GOD of the holy prophets SENT HIS ANGEL to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

Ibid. v. 16. I JESUS have SENT MINE ANGEL

to testify unto you these things in the churches.

The angel that appeared to. St. John was the angel of the Lord God, and the Lord God sent him: but he was the angel of Jesus, and Jesus sent him; therefore, Jesus is the Lord God of the holy prophets.

VI.

Luke i. 76. And thou child shalt be called the prophet of THE HIGHEST, for thou shalt GO BEFORE the FACE of the LORD to

PREPARE HIS WAYS.

Matth. xi. 10. Behold I send my messen

ger BEFORE THY FACE TO PREPARE THY WAY before the e.

John the Baptist goes before the face of the Lord, that is, of the highest, whose prophet he is, to prepare his way. But he was sent as a messenger before the face of Christ, to prepare his way; who, therefore, is the Lord and the highest.

VII.

The two following texts are but a repetition of the same argument: but as they speak of Christ under a different name, they ought to have a place for themselves.

Luke i. 16, 17. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the LORD THEIR GOD: and he shall go before HIM.

Matth. iii. 11. HE that cometh AFTER ME is mightier than I, &c.

Here again, the Baptist is said to go before the Lord God of the children of Israel: but it is certain, he went before Jesus Christ, the only person who is said to come after him: therefore, Jesus Christ is the Lord God of the children of Israel. And the same title is given him in the prophet Hosea-I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God: which can be no other than the voice of God the Father, promising salvation by the person of God the Son.

VIII.

Matth. xi. 10. Behold I send my messenger before THY face, to prepare THY way before THEE.

Mal. iii. 1. Behold I send My messenger to prepare the way before ME.

As this prophesy is worded by St. Matthew, (as also by St. Marka and St. Lukeb) there is a personal distinction between him who sends his messenger, and Christ before whom the messenger is sent—I send my messenger-to prepare thy way before THEE. But the prophet himself has it thus-I send мy messenger, to prepare the way before ME. Yet the evangelist and the prophet are both equally correct and true. For though Christ be a different person, yet he is one and the same God with the Father. And hence it is, that with the evangelist, the persons are not confounded; with the prophet the godhead is not divided. This argument, may serve to justify an excellent observation of our church in the homily upon the resurrection—“ How dare we be so bold to renounce the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost? for where one is, there is God all whole in majesty, together with all his power, wisdom, and goodness."

IX.

Psalm lxxviii. 56. They TEMPTED and provoked the MOST HIGH GOD.

1 Cor. x. 9.

Neither let us TEMPT CHRIST

as some of them also tempted.

These texts do both relate to the same rebellious acts of the Israelites in the wilderness. In the former of them, the person they tempted is called the most high God: in the latter he is called Christ: therefore, Christ is the most high God.

X.

John iii. 29. He that hath the bride, is THE BRIDEGROOM*(meaning Christ.)

But, according to the prophet,

Isa. liv. 5. Thy maker is thine HUSBAND, the LORD OF HOSTS is his name.

* Another title of eminence, that shews Christ to be upon an equality with God the Father, is to be collected from the following scriptures. Psalm xxiii. 1. The LORD (Heb. Jehovah) is my SHEPHERD.

John x. 16. There shall be one fold, and ONE SHEPHERD.

If Christ be not the Lord, in unity with the Father, there must of course be two distinct beings, to whom the scripture has appropriated this character of a shepherd; and that would make two shepherds. But Christ has affirmed there is but one shepherd, that is himself, THE SHEPHERD of the sheep, v. 2. whom St. Peter calls the chief shepherd, 1 Pet. v. 4. So again

Psalm c. 3. Know ye that the LORD he is GOD-we are His people and the SHEEP of HIS pasture.

John x. 3. He (that is Christ himself) calleth HIS OWN SHEEP. And again-John xxi. 16. Feed My sheep-said Christ to St. Peter: which in the language of St. Peter himself, 1 Pet. v. 2. is-Feed the flock of God.