Christ, therefore, has sworn by HIMSELF: so that if the Apostle's rule be applied, he must for this reason be GOD, and there can be NO GREATER.

XLVI.

Eph. IV. 8. When нE (Christ) ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Yet the Scripture here referred to, expressly affirms the person who ascended, &c. to be the Lord God.

Psal. LXVIII. 17, 18. The chariots of

GOD are twenty thousand, even thousands of Angels: the LORD is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. THOU hast ascended on high, тHOU hast led captivity captive, &c.

XLVII.

Heb. IX. 20. This is the blood of the TESTAMENT which GOD hath enjoined

you.

Ibid. v. 16. Where a TESTAMENT is, there must also of necessity be the DEATH of the TESTATOR.

God is a Testator: but, argues the Apostle,, every Testator must die, before the last Will or Testament enjoined by him, can be of force. Therefore, if you keep close to the terms, the natural conclusion is, that GOD, being a Testator, should die, to make way for the execution of his Testament. But it being impossible that the divine nature of God should be capable of Death; it follows, that the person who was capable of Death, and did die as a man, was also God the Testator. And it is to express the strict and perfect union of the two natures in the single person of Christ, that what is true only of one, is predicated of both. Of this, two more examples shall be added in the articles that immediately follow.

XLVIII.

Rev. V. 9. Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to GOD BY THY BLOOD.

A Distinction is here observed between the two natures of Christ: and the act of redeem

ing us by the shedding of his blood is ascribed to the Lamb, the Messiah's Humanity. But in another place it is imputed to his Divinity

Feed the Church of GOD, which he hath purchased with HIS OWN BLOOD; not that God, strictly speaking, has any blood of his own to shed; but that he who shed his blood for us as man, was God as well as man : or in other words, that God and man were united in the same person; something being predicated of God, which cannot possibly be true without such un union. So again

But according to the Evangelist St. John this Scripture saith,

John XIX. 37. They shall look on HIM (Christ) whom they have PIERCED,

As it stands in the Prophet, the Lord (Jehovah) was to be pierced. So that unless the a 4&s XX. 28,

man

man Christ, who hung upon the Cross, was also the Lord Jehovah, the Evangelist is found to be a false witness, in applying to him a prophecy that could not possibly be fulfilled in him.

L.

Phil. I. 10. That ye may be sincere and without offence, till the DAY of

CHRIST.

2 Pet. III. 12. Looking for and hasting to the coming of the DAY of GOD.

LI.

Isai. XL. 40. Behold, the LORD GOD

will COME

HIS REWARD IS WITH

HIM.

Rev. XXII. 12. Behold, I (Jesus) COME quickly, and MY REWARD IS WITH

ME.

Amen: even so come LORD JESUS.

CHAP.

CHAP. II.

THE DIVINITY OF THE HOLY GHOST.

I.

John III. 6. Το γεγενημενον ΕΚ το Πνεύματος. That which is BORN of the

SPIRIT.

1 John V. 4. Το γεγενημένον ΕΚ το Θε8 whatsoever is BORN OF GOD.

The same individual act of divine Grace, viz. that of our spiritual birth, is ascribed, without the change of a single letter, to God, and to the Spirit. Some capacity then there must be, wherein the Scripture makes no distinction between God and the Spirit:-and this is what the Scripture itself calls the divine nature; under which God and the Spirit are both equally comprehended.