"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Here Jesus Christ is called God; but that term is applicable to none but God; therefore Jesus Christ must be God. Again, Psalm xlv. 6, 7. "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre; thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Here, in the original, is found the word Elohim, or God; but now turn to Heb. i. 8, and we see this passage quoted, and applied to Christ, thus: "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom," &c.

Other passages, equally forcible, might be adduced, but these are sufficient to show, that Jesus Christ is, in the Scriptures, called God; but this term can be applied to none but God; therefore Jesus Christ must be God.

Unitarians, to evade the force of this argument, which they cannot but feel to be conclusive, have, most unfortunately for their cause, attempted a change in the translation, so as to make it read, "God is thy throne forever and ever." This translation, instead of calling the Son, God, or Elohim, is made to say, that God, or Elohim, is the throne of the Son. Hence it would follow that the Son must be superior to God, or Elohim, since he who sits upon the throne is superior to the throne itself. Thus, to avoid acknowledging the Deity of Christ, men have been rashly led even to undeify the Father, and hurl their artillery against the eternal throne!

4. God with us. This title is in Scripture applied to Christ. Matt. i. 23. "And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Here Jesus Christ is called "God with us ;" but that appellation is proper to none but God; therefore Jesus Christ must be God.

5. God over all. In Rom. ix. 5, we read, "Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever." Here our Saviour is styled "God over all;" consequently, he must be the Supreme God; for none can be greater than that God who is " over all."

6. God manifest in the flesh. The same being who was manifested in the flesh, or became incarnate, is called God: -1 Tim. iii. 16. "Great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh," &c. And in Acts xx. 28, we read, "Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." These passages show that Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, was also God.

7. True God. This appellation is in the Scriptures given to Christ.

1 John v. 20. "And we are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ; this is the true God, and eternal life." John xvii. 3. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." From these passages we learn that there is but "one true God," and that Jesus Christ is that true God. 8. Great God. In Titus ii. 13, we read, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Here, Jesus Christ is styled the "great God;" consequently, he must be very and eternal God.

9. Mighty God. In Isa. ix. 6, we read, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Here, the son given," and the "child born," which is Christ, is called the "mighty God;" consequently, Christ is very and eternal God.

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Thus have we clearly seen from the Scriptures, that Jesus Christ is designated by the following titles:-Jehovah, Lord of Glory, God, God with us, God over all, God manifest in the flesh, true God, great God, and mighty God. If this be true, then it will follow, that if there were any other God beside Jesus Christ, the titles of Christ could not apply to that other God; consequently, he could neither be Jehovah, The Lord of glory, God, God with us, God manifest in the flesh, the true God, the great God, nor the mighty God; which is the same as to say, he could not be God at all. Therefore, we conclude, from the titles ascribed to Christ, that he is truly and properly very and eternal God.

But, strange as it may appear, all this weight of argument, which we conceive to be nothing short of demonstration, is attempted to be set aside, by the plea, that "men, or created intelligences, are sometimes called gods in the Scriptures." To which we reply, that in all places where the term God is applied to created beings, it is in an obviously inferior, accommodated, or figurative sense; and this is plainly seen in the context. For example, in the seventh chapter and first verse of Exodus, where God says to Moses, "See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet." The figurative sense in which the term god is used, is so obvious, from the context, that no one can be misled thereby. But in all the titles which we have seen applied to Christ, as clearly demonstrating his proper Divinity, there is no inferior or figurative sense to be gathered from the context; but, on the contrary, the terms are used in their proper sense, with their fullest import, with nothing in the context to authorize a figurative or restricted acceptation. Hence, the objection must fall to the ground; and we will still be compelled to admit that the titles

applied to Christ, unless inspiration is designed to mislead, do, most clearly and conclusively, demonstrate his real and proper Divinity.

II. ATTRIBUTES. In the second place, the attributes ascribed to Christ in the Scriptures prove that he is God.

1. Eternity. In Isa. ix. 6, Christ is called "The everlasting Father;" or, as critics generally render it, "Father of the everlasting age;" or "Father of eternity." Either rendering will sufficiently establish the eternity of Christ. John viii. 58. "Before Abraham was, I am." Again, Rev. i. 17. "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead; and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last." And in Rev. xxii. 13, we read, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." In Rev. i. 8, we read, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." And immediately after John heard these words, "he turned to see the voice that spake with him," and he saw "one like unto the Son of man." Hence it is clear, that all these words were uttered by our Saviour; and they evidently imply the eternity of his nature; but none but God can be eternal; therefore Christ must be God.

2. Immutability. This attribute is ascribed to Christ. In Heb. i. 12, we read in reference to Christ: "But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail." Heb. xiii. 8. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever." In these passages the immutability of Christ is clearly expressed; but none but God can be immutable; therefore Jesus Christ must be God.

3. Omnipresence. In the Scriptures this attribute is applied to Christ. Matt. xxviii. 20. "Teaching them to observe ail things. whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." It is not possible for this promise to be fulfilled, unless Christ be omnipresent. Matt. xviii. 20. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." John iii. 13. "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." These texts clearly teach the omnipresence of Christ; consequently he must be God.

4. Omnipotence. This attribute is, in the Scriptures, ascribed to Christ. Matt. xxviii. 18. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." And in Rev. i. 8, Jesus Christ is called, "The Almighty." Hence the attribute of omnipotence belongs to him; therefore he must be God.

5. Omniscience. This attribute is ascribed to Christ in the following passages:-1 Cor. i. 24. "But unto them which are called, both

Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." Col. ii. 2, 3. 66 Of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." John xvi. 30. "Now we are sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God." John xxi. 17. "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." John ii. 24, 25. "But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man."

The above clearly testify that Christ is omniscient; but none but God can be omniscient; therefore, Christ must be God.

From what has been said, it clearly follows, according to the Scriptures, that Christ is eternal, immutable, omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. Now it is impossible that any but the Supreme God should be possessed of these perfections; therefore, the conclusion is irresistible that Jesus Christ is the supreme and eternal God.

That the above argument from the attributes of Christ may be seen in its full force, it is only necessary to reflect that they are the highest perfections which can possibly pertain to Deity, and without which, he would instantly cease to be God. In fact, they enter into the very definition of the character of God; so much so, that no being, without them, can be God; and any being, possessing them, must be God.

Those who deny the proper Divinity of Christ have admitted that these attributes are ascribed to him, but allege that "he only possesses them by delegation from the Father." To which we reply, that the hypothesis is self-contradictory and absurd. As these attributes are all infinite, if delegated at all, they must be entirely delegated. Hence, if the Father delegated infinite perfection to the Son, he could not have still possessed it himself; for no part of that which is entirely given to another, can be left. Hence it would follow, that the Father could no longer be God. Indeed, the whole scheme of a delegated God, in the proper sense of that term, is absurd in itself; for there can be but one being possessed of infinite perfections; and these, in their very nature, are not susceptible of transfer.

III. THE WORKS ascribed to Christ, in the Holy Scriptures, are such as properly belong to none but God, and can be performed by none but the Great Supreme; consequently, they clearly prove that Jesus Christ is very and eternal God.

1. Creation, in the proper sense of the word, is ascribed to Christ; but this is a work which none can perform, except the great First Cause of all things, who is universally understood to be God; therefore, Christ must be God. That Christ is the Creator of all things, is seen from the

following passages

John i. 1-3, and 14. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made."

was made flesh, and dwelt among us," &c.

"And the Word

Here we may observe, that the same Word, or Logos, that was made flesh, made all things; consequently, if he was a creature, he made himself, which would imply an absurdity. Again, in Col. i. 15-17, we read, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature; for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Upon this passage we may remark, that if, by the eternal God, we understand that being who made all things, then Jesus Christ is the eternal God; for "by him were all things created." Again; if, by the eternal God, we understand that being who existed prior to all other beings, then Jesus Christ is the eternal God; for "he is before all things." Again; if, by the eternal God, we understand that being who sustains all things in being, then Jesus Christ is the eternal God; for "by him all things consist." Once more; if, by the eternal God, we understand that being for whom all things were made, then Jesus Christ is the eternal God; for all things were made by him, and for him." From the passages above quoted, it is plain as language can make it, that the work of creation is ascribed to Jesus Christ. In the first chapter of Genesis, we read, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." From the similarity with which the first chapter of John commences, we are well convinced that the apostle had his mind placed on the record of Moses in the first of Genesis, and referred to the same beginning and the same creation. Hence the peculiar force of the argument. The same creation spoken of by Moses, in the first of Genesis, and ascribed to God, is spoken of by the apostles, in the first of John and the first of Colossians, and ascribed to Christ

The whole power of this argument some have, however, endeavored to evade, by saying that "Christ performed the work of creation merely as a delegated being, exercising delegated powers;" but this is preposterous, because it has nothing in the text to sustain it. Nay, it flatly contradicts the inspired record; for it is said, Christ created all things "for himself;" whereas, a delegated being acts, not "for himself," but for him by whom he is delegated. Thus it is clear that the ascription of the work of creation to Christ establishes his real and proper Divinity.