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thus alienate them from God, their rightful object. And Jesus Christ himself had the design of drawing men's affections to himself in view, by his crucifixion: says he, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.' This he said, signifying what death he should die : thus distinctly stating that it was the self-denials and mercy exhibited in the crucifixion that would draw out the affections of the human soul, and that those affections would be drawn to himself as the suffering Savior. But that God would sanction a scheme which would involve treason against Himself, and that Christ should participate in it, is absurd and impossible, and therefore cannot be true.

"But if the divine nature was united with the human, in the teaching and work of Christ-if God was in Christ drawing the affections of men, or reconciling the world to himself if, when Christ was lifted up, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, he drew, as he said he would, the affections of all believers to himself; and then, as he ascended, as the second person of the Trinity, into the bosom of the eternal Godhead-He, thereby, after he had engaged, by his work on earth, the affections of the human soul, bore them up to the bosom of the Father, from whence they had fallen. Thus the ruins of the fall were rebuilt, and the affections of the human soul again restored to God, the Creator, and proper object of supreme love."

If these remarks are not sound, and right to the point, then it will be very difficult to say anything relevant. But sound reason will bow with submission to the position and frankly acknowledge the necessity, and propriety of the doctrine, that Jesus Christ is the God of the Universe.

There is a class of Scripture passages which seems to teach, that Christ is inferior to the Father, and all such passages, in the opinion of the caviler are irreconcilable

with the doctrine that Christ is God. They are only apparently so, in consequence of the false position assumed and a wrong application of the passages quoted. This will appear evident from the subsequent remarks. "For my Father is greater than I." John xiv. 28. "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." John v. 19. "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hands." iii. 35. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." Mark xiii. 32. In order to reconcile such passages with those which seem to teach the Supreme Divinity of Christ, we must recognize in Christ a two-fold beingthat he was possessed of an original and of an assumed nature. The divine attributes are ascribed to Christ in his original nature, while inferiority and the characteristics of a man are attributed to him in his assumed or human nature. The Bible actually speaks of the Savior in this sense, and its language can be interpreted rightly, only with a full recognition of the Godhead and Manhood uniting in Christ. "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth." John i. 14. "And, without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." 1 Tim. iii. 16. "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." Phil. ii. 6, 7,

This being the case, it is evident, that all those texts of Scripture which imply a character inferior to the eternal God, must have direct reference to his human nature;

while all those which speak of Christ, and attribute to him the name, attributes and worship of God, must inculcate the doctrine, that He is truly God. At times the Savior is spoken of as a man, possessing complete humanity though sinless and innocent; and at other times the Redeemer is declared to be the Creator of the world; as having existed before all things and upholding all things by the word of his power; as possessing all power and holding the destinies of the rational world in his hands; as infolding the infinite perfections of God in his person, and comprehending with his intellectual grasp the complicated movements of the Universe; and as combining in his being the essence and honor of the Godhead, and therefore worthy of the Supreme worship of all hearts, the loftiest praise and most devout adoration, rolling up to heaven from the smoking altars of earth's humble worshipers, or floating in melodious strains on the balmy breezes of the upper Paradise. The divine mandate of the eternal Throne rolled across the plains of glory, and along the ranks of the myriads of the heavenly host, "Let all the angels worship him;" and coming in a voice of superadded strength along the tragic scenes of bloody Calvary to the inhabitants of the earth, whispering its accents through conscience, nature and revelation, "Let all the people worship him and transfer their supreme affections upon the Lamb forever and ever."

There are a few practical thoughts, growing out of this subject, worthy of sober reflection, and of important bearing on the character of those who profess to love and worship our God.

1. The doctrine we have been discussing must be admit ted as a fact and as founded upon the unequivocal testimony of inspiration, or else, to be consistent, we must reject many of the doctrines of the Bible, and many of the phenomena of nature. It cannot be that any should be inclined

to reject the doctrine of the Divinity of Christ for want of proper, decisive and substantial proof, for there is no cause more ably and convincingly sustained by testimony. The only ground assumed for a rejection of this doctrine, is, that it is mysterious and inexplicable. This charge is equally valid against many other doctrines, and natural things, as we have shown, if we are allowed to discard the one, let us throw all overboard. But this is unwise, we should submit to the authority of God, without asking the why and wherefore, in articles of faith, and doctrines of divine revelation, admitting that they must be reasonable, though above the flight of human reason, and standing on a foundation never marked with the footprints of reason liable to err, for they emanate from a Being supremely perfect and incapable of error. Admit the same evidence to have weight and conclusive force, which are of unquestionable authority to prove the law of gravitation, &c., and the doctrine we are defending, will stand triumphant, and the Bible be saved from the torture of stupid and reckless rules of interpretation and objections.

2. This doctrine has an essential connection with sound and soul-saving religious worship. The conceptions we form of the divine nature and character, will lay the foundation of our religion. To worship a created being as God, is wickedness and idolatry; and to worship God as a Being widely different from what he actually is, cannot constitute true worship, and thus our religion will be based upon an imaginary God and not upon the true God. We may be sincere, so may the Pagan and Mohammedan, yet sincerity cannot change a lie into the truth, or false devotion into true and saving religion. As principles lie at the foundation of right actions, so sound doctrines form the basis of evangelical religion.

3. This doctrine has a vital connection with many other

doctrines of the Bible. Reject this, and you uproot many precious doctrines, and rend to tatters the economy of redemption. The atonement of Christ stands or falls with the Divinity of Christ. We shall not enlarge to show the vital connection of the two; but merely cite as proof the practical results-that those who reject the divine character of Christ in its fullest extent, are equally decided in renouncing the atonement of Christ. Socinians do so; Uni

versalists do the same, &c. The common notions of the atonement, as effected by the vicarious sufferings of Christ, and as the ground of pardon and reconciliation with God, they boastfully denounce as a system of gross injustice and consummate absurdity. Cast away the atonement, and you blot out the moral sun from a perishing world-you close up the portals of glory, and you make inevitably certain the remediless destruction of a fallen race. If you would cling to the atonement of Jesus, then admit and worship Christ as God, and thereby you will bestow equal honor on the Father, for "he that honoreth the Son, honoreth the Father likewise."

4. If the foregoing remarks are correct, then the doctrine is closely allied with the cheering hopes of immortal beings. Candid reader, if you would secure the favor of God, and finally bask in the beams of unremitting felicity, then build your hopes on Christ as God, and on his allsufficient atonement. Escape from the errors of Universalism as the mariner would from the rock and roaring breakers of death. Here alone is safety. And with a view to guide you into all truth, and to surround you with the everlasting arms of mercy, we have succinctly presented to your ingenuous attention the foregoing reflections. Will you ponder upon and cordially embrace the truth?

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