Divinity are in him. The perfections of God are in him; the whole nature of God is in him; and consequently he is Divine.

I will now proceed to adduce a few scriptural facts and circumstances which go on to confirm these statements, and which to my own mind very conclusively prove the proper Deity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

1st. It is a matter so clear as to admit of no dispute, that the scriptures ascribe to Christ the sublimest works of God. Is creation the work of Divinity? Who but the Omnipotent could rear the lofty pillars of this vast edifice? Who but God could build the stupendous amphitheatre of heaven, or hang out those brilliant and enduring lamps of the universe? Everywhere are these things appealed to as the work of an Almighty hand. "I am the Lord,” says Jehovah," that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; and spreadeth abroad the earth by myself." And yet it is said, "all things were made by Jesus Christ, and without him was not anything made that was made,”—that "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."

Is preservation the work of Divinity? Who but God can uphold, preserve and keep the many worlds with all their multiplied and varied inhabitants? In Nehemiah it is said unto God, "Thou, even thou art Jehovah alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all." Yet the text assures us, and the same is declared in other places, that Jesus "upholdeth all things by the word of his power," and that "by him all things consist."

Is resurrection the work of Divinity? Who but the great God can break open the massive doors of the grave, or wake the slumbering dead from the sleep of ages? The scriptures declare it is "God who quickeneth the dead." And yet the language of Christ is, "I am the resurrection and the life," "the hour cometh when they that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and shall come forth." And he also proved his power to accomplish this mighty work, by raising the son of the widow of Nain, and by restoring Lazarus to his weeping sisters.

'I am somewhat indebted for part of the following illustration of this subject to a sermon by the Rev. D. Baker, of Savannah, Ga.

Is the final judgment the work of Divinity? The Bible says that "God himself is judge," "that Jehovah is our judge;" and yet the same authority declares, that "we must all appear before the judg ment seat of Christ; that every man may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

In what other way can these facts be explained, than by admitting that Jesus Christ is one with the Father?

2nd. It is also very clear, that the Scriptures ascribe to Christ the sublimest attributes and perfections of God.

The prophet Micah says of him who was to come out of Bethlehem, "his goings forth have been from old, from everlasting." Concerning himself, he says, "before Abraham was, I am." John says "in the beginning was the Word-before anything was made -before all things-with the Father before the world was." In Revelations he is declared the "Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending the First and the Last"-" the Living One." Is not this Eternity?

The Savior promises, "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Again: "Lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Is not this Omnipresence?

The apostle in one place speaks of Christ in this wise, Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” “Peter saith unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things." The Evangelists speak of him as perceiving the thoughts of men-knowing all men, and what was in man—and as searching the hearts of men And on one occasion his apostles exclaimed, "now are we sure that thou knowest all things." Is not this Omniscience?

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The apostle declares Christ " able to subdue all things unto himself." He himself says, "I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again." He is called "the head of all power-far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come"-yea, "the Almighty." Is not this Omnipotence?

In Hebrews we find it written, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and forever." Is not this Immutability?

And so we might go on, finding passage after passage, and cir.

cumstances abundant, which ascribe to Jesus Christ all the perfections which adorn the character of God. "In him," says the apostle, "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." All that the Old Testament affirms of Jehovah, the New affirms of Jesus Christ. How then shall this difficulty be reconciled? Is it not clearly revealed that there is but one living and true God? What other lesson then do these facts teach us, what other lesson can they teach us, but that Christ is really of the same essence with God the Father that he was God manifest in the flesh? If Christ be God, then it is proper and right to ascribe unto him all the perfections of God; but if not, the sacred writers are to be charged with mistakes, or designed misrepresentations, and therefore have no valid claims to inspiration.. There is no stopping point between the Deity of Christ and downright deism.

3d. The Scriptures also ascribe to Christ the sublimest names of God. In numerous places he is emphatically called God. John declares "the Word was God." Paul calls him " God manifest in the flesh." David sang, "Unto the Son, he saith, Thy throne O God, is forever and ever." Isaiah in the prophetic annunciation of his Advent calls him "the mighty God." Paul in Romans designates him as "God over all, blessed for evermore." Thomas addressed him as his "Lord and his God."

Jehovah is another name used in the Scriptures to designate the Deity. "Seek ye him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night, that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth; Jehovah is his name." But this name is also given to Christ. In Jeremiah (xxiii. 5, 6.) we find this prophecy: "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute justice and judgment in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, Jehovah our Righteousness." (See also Isaiah viii. 13, 14;. xl. 3; vi. 3, compared with John xii. 41.) Christ is also called the Lord God of the Holy prophets the Lord from heaven-the Lord of lords and King of kings-the Lord creator of heaven and earth-one with the Father, &c. All this goes on to show that Christ really did possess a Divine nature.

4th. It is also very clear to every reader of the Bible, that it ascribes to Jesus Christ the sublimest honors of God.

Reason and Revelation concur in appropriating religious worship to God, who alone is possessed of those perfections which our veneration and prayers presuppose. Its conferment upon any other object, is downright idolatry, and is the most severely threatened in the Scriptures. It was on a most memorable occasion the most solemnly enjoined upon all and every one, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." And yet we find Jesus Christ in numerous instances the object of the holiest reverence and the highest adoration. Twenty times in the New Testament, grace, mercy, and peace, are implored of him together with the Father and the Spirit. Baptism is an act of solemn worship, yet it is performed in the name of the Son. Swearing is an act of worship when done in sincerity. But this solemn appeal is made to Jesus Christ. The committing of the soul to God at death, is an act of sacred worship; and the dying address of the martyr Stephen was, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

But hark, peans are ringing in glory to the honor of the once crucified, but now risen and exalted Son of God! "I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living creatures, 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 honor, 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 honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” Such is the language of those who worship on high; nor is the song of those who worship below any the less sublime. John, the exile of Patmos leads off the lofty shout of adoration, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood-unto him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen." Were ever songs of sublimer praise sung by created lips!

Nor was such Divine honor ever given with the approbation of heaven to a mere creature. Creature-worship is everywhere denounced in this holy Book as idolatry—as hateful to God, and rụinous to the soul. Nor did any holy creature ever consent to re

ceive such sacred honors. When the priests of Jupiter brought out their oxen and garlands at the gates of Lystra, to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas whom they supposed to be gods; these holy men "rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying, sirs, why do ye these things? We are men of like passions with you." When John fell down before the angel of the Apocalypse whom he mistook for the immaculate God, the heavenly visiter at once cried out "See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets." But when Christ Jesus is made the object of such worship, not the least intimation is given either by himself or by his apostles that it was wrong, or that this homage was conferred upon an improper object. If he were not God, and not entitled to the same honor due his Father, would not that meek and lowly Jesus, jealous for his Father's rights, have declined such holy honots, and indignantly repelled such gross idolatry? But instead of rebuking, he everywhere encouraged it; enjoining upon all to lift up holy hands unto him to love him-to serve him; promising at the same time all the joys of everlasting life to the obedient.

These facts are very remarkable, and go on to confirm with a considerable degree of certainty the statement of the text, and to show that Christ is "the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person"-that he possessed substantially in himself all the perfections and consequently the nature of Divinity. Who will venture to criminate God's worshiping universe by denying it?

With these things all before us, I can see no difficulty as to the plain meaning of the Holy Scriptures. Not one reader in a thousand, unsophisticated by human theories, would fail to apprehend their true import, or receive any other impression than that Jesus Christ is a Divine personage. Suspicions I know have been cast upon many of the passages which I have quoted as to the faithfulness of their translation. But such representations bear upon their very face the strongest marks of improbability. It is not at all to be supposed, that a company of some fifty of the most learned Englishmen in the reign of James I., after making individual translations, and comparing and correcting by private conferences and public examinations before fixing upon a single passage, should have committed such glaring errors. But the providence of God