and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the lamb forever and ever." These texts of scripture quoted, which are but a few of the multitudes that might be produced, are fully sufficient to show that divine worship, homage, and praise are given to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that, therefore, he must be really and truly God, co-essential and consubstantial with the Father. To all these things, only a few more observations shall be added, in support of the divinity of our exalted Saviour. He is to be the final judge of the universe, and of this only Jehovah is capable: "For God is judge himself." God shall judge the world. It is abundantly affirmed, that, "We shall all stand be"fore the judgment seat of Christ. That he shall judge the "quick and the dead at his appearing." Christ Jesus is an infinitely wise and perfect judge. He possesses every qualification for this dignified office. He has ar omniscient mind, and an almighty arm; he can discover and punish all the secret iniquities of the wicked, and reward all the righteousness of those who love and serve him, and believe in his name. It is a prerogative of the Most High to pardon sin; but Christ showed himself to be a sin-forgiving God. He speaks to the sick of the palsy, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." Stephen prayed to Chirst for those who persecuted him, and wickedly stoned him to death, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." And the apos tle Paul exhorts the Colossian christians, "Even as Christ forgave "you, so also do ye." It is likewise a peculiar prerogative of Jehovah, to hold rule and dominion over, and claim a propriety in all things. "His "kingdom ruleth over all." Christ declares, "All things that "the Father hath are mine. All things that are mine are thine, "and all things that are thine are mine." We are commanded to believe in him, to trust, and to look to him alone for salvation and eternal life. He is the great author of the resurrection of the body, and this is solely the property of God, and a work which none but a God can perform. He makes proclamation, saying, "I am the resurrection and the life. The Son quickeneth whom "he will. The hour is coming and now is, in the which all that 66 are in their graves, shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. All that are in their graves shall hear "his voice and shall come forth, they that have done good unto "the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the "resurrection of damnation." Now, from all these scriptural authorities, arguments and con-siderations, collected into a single view, does not the conclusion burst upon us with irresistable force, that Jesus Christ is truly God, co-equal, co-eternal, and co-essential with the Father? On what a firm and immoveable foundation does the declaration in our text stand? "I and my Father are one." The Jews, the την Scribes, and Pharisees were compelled to acknowledge, that "He made himself God." But instead of submitting to the conviction, and receiving him in his proper character, as the God of Israel, and the Mesiah of their bible, the more they saw his di vinity displayed, the more they hated him, and the more their hearts were enraged against him. Instead of bowing down to him as their God and Saviour, they cried out, he is a blasphemer, he hath a devil, he is not fit to live, away with him, crucify him, crucify him. This, which was the temper of these infidels and unitarians of old, remains the temper of all their unbelieving fol lowers to this day. But I shall now close this discourse with some practical improvement. First, how happy and blessed are all they who receive the divinity of Christ, acknowledge him in all his mediatorial offices, believe in him as their Redeemer and Saviour, trust in him for eternal life. They are blessed in this world with the peace and favor of God, with the consolation of the promises of the covenant of Grace, and with the sure and certain hopes of a glorious immortality. They are blessed in life, blessed in death, and will be blessed and happy forever. Secondly, we are here taught the infinite sufficiency, fullness and perfection of the mediation and atonement of God our Redeemer. All fullness dwells in him. So that from his plenitude we may receive grace for grace. He is infinitely sufficient for the salvation of all who believe. His sufficiency arises from his unsearchable wisdom, from his irresistable power, from his ineffable love, and in one word, from his incomprehensible Godhead. “In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All "power in heaven and in earth" he possesses. His love is altogether inconceivable. "He so loved the church, that he gave "himself for it. We are more than conquerors through him "that loved us, and died for us." He is the Almighty God, therefore, none shall be able to pluck his people out of his hands. Thus, O believer, you have an all sufficient, and infinitely sufficient Saviour to trust in. Wherefore, let your hearts glow with love and gratitude to him. Proceed on in your heavenly course rejoicing. Testify the purity and fervency of your affection to him, by diligently keeping his commandments. Then are ye his disciples when ye do whatsoever he shall command you. Thirdly, we here learn the important duty of submission to his dominion, government, and providential dispensations. He sits at the head of the universe, and in wisdom and goodness directs all events. "Let every knee bow to Jesus, of things in heaven, "and things in earth, and things under the earth." When the aspects of his providential government are dark and gloomy towards us, and it is a season of sore affliction with us, our souls ought to say, "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." Remembering always his promise, that all things shall work together for good to them that love him. Let us duly consider, the more resignation and submission to his dominion and rule we exercise, the more we glorify him, and the more comfort and felicity we enjoy in this state of probation, and we lay up a surer foundation against time to come. Wherefore, "let us all kiss "the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his "wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their "trust in him.” We will close in these words of our glorious Immanuel :"Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will "I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But who soever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my "Father which is in heaven." SERMON V. THE EQUALITY OF THE HOLY GHOST, AS GOD WITH THE FATHER AND THE SON, PROVED. ACTS v. 3, 4. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan, filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land 2. Whilst it remained was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou con ceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. IN these words with their connection, we have the melancholy and awful story of Ananias with his wife Sapphira related. The primitive christian church, when it was here in its infant state in the city Jerusalem, had agreed to throw all their temporal property into common stock, from whence they should draw according to their various necessities-from whence the wants of the poor should be supplied, and that they might have money for the support of the apostles and other ministers of religion, for the propagation of the gospel, and for other pious uses. This institution, being a voluntary thing, and not of divine appointment, was of very short continuance in the church. And perhaps the unhappy conduct and fate of those persons mentioned, soon put an end to the whole scheme. For we read no more of it through. out the apostles time, nor throughout the apostolic churches. This custom has been often attempted at different periods, by va |