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Christ." * He is the Almighty God, clothed with strength, glorious in power, and able both to save and destroy. "Serve him with fear, and rejoice unto him with reverence;" for "if his wrath be kindled, yea, but a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in him.Ӡ He is the great Creator of all things. Angels and men, heaven and earth, and all that therein is, are the work of his hands. "O come," then, "let us worship, and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker." +

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And may this One Only, Eternal, and Almighty God, Father, and Creator, be your rock and defence, your hope and strength, and the horn of your salvation, now and for ever. Amen.

Rom. viii. 17.

+Psalm ii. 11, 12.

Psalm xcv. 6.

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AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR

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LORD.

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THIS Article is one of highest interest to all Christian believers. In the first Article we contemplated God as the One Only, Eternal, and Almighty Being, Father, and Creator. We have him, in the second, presented to us in the character of a Saviour; and we shall find him, in the eighth, submitted to our faith as Sanctifier and Comforter. We have now before us, God the Son, the second Person in the everblessed Trinity, to whom we more particularly owe the benefit of Redemption, the means of Grace, and the hope of Glory.

The first thing to be considered is, the Name which this Son of God bore in the flesh. His name was given him by " the Angel, before he was conceived in the

womb." * It was appointed by divine authority that he should be called Jesus, that is, Saviour; a Name highly appropriate to him, who came to save a fallen world from everlasting wrath. This appellation was borne by many of the Jews. The words Joshua and Jesus are of the same root and signification. Joshua, who was a type of Jesus, was delegated to save the people of God from the sword of wicked and idolatrous nations, and to conduct them to the inheritance of the Promised Land. Jesus was sent upon a more important mission, even to save his people from their sins," much worse and more fatal instruments of destruction than the sword, and to guide them, not to the possession of lands" flowing with milk and honey," and destined to be burnt up and destroyed in the end, but to the enjoyment of realms abounding with bliss and glory, and appointed to be the everlasting habitations of the redeemed of God. He has rescued us, not from tem

* Luke, ii. 21.

+ Matt. i. 21*

Exodus, iii. 8.

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poral, but from spiritual enemies; not from the mere terror of dying, but from the pains of eternal death. To preserve us from the fatal consequences of the fall, fatal without the intervention of a remedy, he appeared on earth; and as, without shedding of blood" there "is no remission,"* he gave himself for us" a lamb without blemish, and without spot," + and " put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” ‡ He has, moreover, revealed to us the way of salvation, through repentance, faith, and obedience, having" brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel," and has reconciled us by his righte ousness and sufferings to his Father, have ing gained for us an access to glory by virtue of his Merits and Blood. May not he, then, who has saved us from the wrath of God, and purchased for us eternal life, be termed, in a more eminent manner than any other that has ever lived, Jesus our Saviour? Let every knee" therefore, bow at the name of Jesus,

* Hebrews, ix. 22.

Peti. 19.

Hebrews, ix. 26. bond § 2 Tim. i, 10.

of things in heaven, and things in earth; and things under the earth;"*" for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." +

To his name Jesus is attached the title of Christ, which is of the same import as Messiah, and signifies, The Anointed.

The act of anointing with oil, under the Mosaic Law, was performed, when any person was set apart for an office of highest dignity. This custom had ceased among the Jews long before our Saviour's coming. And of the three sacred offices of King, Priest, and Prophet, that of Priest alone remained. It appears, therefore, that Jesus was not anointed with oil. How, then, was he anointed? He was anointed by the Effusion of the Holy Spirit upon him, particularly at the time of his Baptism, when he received his divine.commission to manifest himself openly to the world. The ceremony of anointing with oil was a type of the high consecration of the Messiah by the Spirit of God to the

* Philippians, ii. 10.

+ Acts, iv. 12.

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