24, "Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."

But specially do I apprehend that Rev. 22: 13 is decisive on this subject. Ἐγὼ τὸ Α καὶ τὸ Ω, ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος, ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος. That it is Christ who here speaks, is clear; for, (1) In the preceding verse he says: "Behold I come quickly." (2) In the sixteenth verse the same person says: "I Jesus have sent mine angel," etc. Now the same description that is here applied to Christ, is given of the eternity of God in ch. 20: 5, 6; comp. vs. 7 and 3. To know still more fully what this form of expression means, we must recur to the Old Test., where we find it divested of its technical shape. In Isa. 44: 6, Jehovah says: "I am the first, and I am the last, and beside me there is no God;" i. e. eternity distinguishes me from all that are falsely called gods. So in Isa. 48: 12, after declaring that he will not suffer his name to be polluted, nor give his glory to another, he adds: “I am he [i. e. the true God]; I am the first, and I also am the last."

Now if the same things be asserted of Christ, (as plainly they are in the texts under consideration), how can we avoid the conclusion, that the holy apostle meant to assert his eternal existence?

4. Divine honours and worship are ascribed to Christ.

John 5: 23. "That all men might honour the Son even as they honour the Father." On this text I have before remarked (p. 95) in another connexion.

Heb. 1: 6. "Let all the angels of God worship him."

The word worship, it is said, has two significations, viz. obeisance and spiritual homage. This is true; and the first of these meanings often presents itself in the Old Test., and (as I am willing to concede) in the Gospels. Many who worshipped Christ, while he sojourned among men, that is, prostrated themselves before him, probably knew or acknowledged nothing of his divine nature. But what shall we say

of the angels? Are they ignorant of his true nature? And is not the worship which they who are pure spirits pay, of course spiritual, and not simple obeisance?

Phil. 2: 10, 11. "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

"Things in heaven, earth, and under the earth," is a common periphrasis of the Hebrew and New Testament writers, for the universe, (rò nãv or và návra). What can be meant by things in heaven, i. e. beings in heaven, bowing the knee to Jesus, if spiritual worship be not meant? What other worship can heaven render? And if the worship of Christ in heaven be spiritual, should not that of others, who ought to be in temper united with them, be spiritual also? And when it is added, that this worship shall be "to the glory of God the Father," I understand the sentiment to be, that Jesus in his mediatorial character is the proper object of universal adoration; but inasmuch as this mediatorship was appointed by God the Father, and has a peculiar connexion with and relation to him, so the worship paid to Christ as the Mediator, should redound to the glory of God the Father as well as to his own.

Rom. 10: 9-14. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith: Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher ?"

The Lord on whose name they are to call, is plainly and clearly the Lord Christ; for he is the same in whom they are to believe, (vs. 11, 14). And this Lord (Christ) on whom they are to call, and in whom they are to believe, is Kúgios návrov, universal Lord, and therefore able to bestow the blessings which they need.

Rev. 5: 8-14. "And when he [i. e. Christ, see vs. 6, 7], took the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sung a new song, saying: Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying: Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever."

If this be not spiritual worship—and if Christ be not the object of it here; I must confess myself unable to produce or imagine a case, where worship can be called spiritual and divine, or where it can more plainly be attributed to Christ.

Is it not equally clear that the apostles and primitive martyrs worshipped Christ? And was not the practice of worshipping him, recognized among other Christians? Let us

see:

Acts 7: 59, 60. "And they stoned Stephen, making invo

cation (έntxakovμevov) and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge! And when he had said this, he fell asleep."

Now here is a dying martyr, who is expressly said to "be filled with the Holy Ghost," and to enjoy the vision of the heavenly world, and of the Saviour who was there; he is in his last moments too—on the very verge of eternity; here is such a martyr, committing his departing spirit into the hands of the Lord Jesus, in the very same language and with the same confidence, with which Jesus, when expiring upon the cross, committed his spirit into the hands of the Father. This expiring disciple also implores forgiveness for his murderers. Of whom does he implore it? Of the same Lord Jesus. Can our departing spirits be committed to any being, and the forgiveness of sin be expected of him, unless he has omnipotence and supreme authority? And can a dying martyr, with his eyes fixed on the very vision of God, and his soul filled with the Holy Ghost, ask and pray amiss?

,

2 Cor. 12: 8, 9. Ὑπὲρ τοῦτον τρὶς τὸν κύριον παρεκάλεσα, ἵνα ἀποστῇ ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· καὶ εἴρηκέ μοι· Αρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται. Ἥδιστα οὖν μᾶλ λον καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου, ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ ̓ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ. “For this thing I besought the ý Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

The Lord whom Paul here besought, is plainly Christ; for this same Lord, in answer to the apostle's supplication, says: “My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength (ʼn dúvaμis pov) is perfected in weakness." Then the apostle immediately subjoins: "Most gladly then would I rejoice in my infirmities, that the strength of CHRIST (ý dúvaus Xqirov), may rest upon me." A clearer case that Christ was the object of the apostle's repeated prayer, cannot well be presented.

1 Thess. 3: 11, 12. "Now God himself even our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you."

Can any distinction be here made, between the rank of those who are addressed in supplication by the apostle? And does not the twelfth verse plainly show, that the supplication of the apostle is specially directed to the Lord, i. e. to Christ?

2 Thess. 2: 16, 17. "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good

word and work."

Here the order of the persons, to whom supplication is made, is the reverse of that in the last instance quoted; which shows that nothing depends on the order, but that it was a matter of indifference with the apostle, which was placed first; the supplication being equally addressed to the Father and to Christ.

Rom. 1: 7. "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Here the same blessings are solicited and expected, from Christ and from the Father. See the same formula repeated in 1 Cor. 1: 3. 2 Cor. 1: 2.

Acts 1: 24. "And they prayed and said: Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen."

That Lord here means the Lord Jesus, seems evident from vs. 21, 22. It is the usual appellation, moreover, which the book of Acts gives to the Saviour. (See above, p. 104.)

2 Tim. 4: 14. "The Lord reward him according to his works!" Again vs. 17, 18: "Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: